October 9, 2008 Not your buddy since 1875 Vol. 138 Iss.

4
Argosy
T
h
e
I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t J o u r n a l o f Mo u n t A l l i s o n U n i v e r s i t y
With the new Pubs ocial
opening, students have been given
the opportunity to see another side
of the Student Centre, beyond the
coppered heritage plaques, and
agglomeration of extracurricular
facilities. As previously reported, the
Pubs transition into its new place,
as well as their relations with the
administration, have been somewhat
less than smooth. With dramatic
changes in the design by the building
architects, the Pub sta has been
dealing with a much more testing set
of challenges.
One of the biggest stressors,
according to Pub manager Jonathan
Scooter Clark, has been the lack
of a dance oor. [W]e could put
[one] in, but it ll be small, and less
professional; not really solving the
problem.
e Tantramarsh Club ocially opens on uneasy footing
Smaller space, problems in design expected to cause decrease in weekend sales
Sasha Van Katwyk
Argosy Staff
Another major issue is the tile
ooring. While the Pub asked for
carpet to aid in the deadening of
sound, as well as avoid too many
broken glasses, the architects planned
in tile. Furthermore, the external
engines, such as cooler engines for
the fridges, were originally designed
to be in the back, but were moved by
architects. e changes to the general
space design have resulted in just
horrible acoustics, said Scooter.
is is just one more discomfort
felt by the rst Pub customers over
the weekend, he explained, as the
air conditioning had not yet been
turned on, there were problems with
lighting, and the TVs for the walls
have yet to arrive.
Its not a very optimistic story
here, Scooter explained. [T]he
sta arent happy, in fact some have
Republicans
hate technology
p. 25
quit [] but were hoping for some
positive changes when we start
opening during the day.
Indeed, students seem to be agreed
on the fact that the new Pub space is
nice, and will be good on the week
days, but the Tantramarsh Club is
not a dance bar. As Scooter pointed
out, Mt. A students like to budget
their time so on Friday and Saturday
nights they can drinkif they dont
feel comfortable doing that here, we
have issues.
However, there have been some
positive elements that have come
out through the move. ere has
been good feedback about the pool
tables that have been refurbished
to display garnet and gold colours.
Several students interviewed have
said that they think the Tantramarsh
Club will be good for afternoon
relaxing. And the sta expects that
the smaller size will make o-nights
less awkward for the smaller group of
people who are simply looking for a
nice drink at the end of a day.
e smaller size has its benets,
said Scooter, and the Tuesday and
Wednesday night events will be a
great deal better than at the former
location [] but the increase in
weekday sales is not expected to
make up for the decreases in weekend
sales.
e consensus seems to be that
the Pub is not its old self. With
the space being about 36 per cent
smaller, and the potential logistical
problems built in to the layout, there
will be some maneuvering required
by sta and customers alike to
become comfortable with the new
Tantramarsh Club.
Much of this adjusting is expected
to take place today, ursday,
October 9, at 8 pm at the Pub, where
a Club meeting is planned to discuss
present issues. It is open for all
students to attend, and is expected to
draw many more people than usual.
Scooter hopes for a large attendance,
and fears that without student input,
the administration will not take his
concerns seriously enough.
Im hoping [that] as many people
that can come do, he said, because
I know students can be apathetic
about a lot of things, but their bar is
not one of them!
Jessica Emin
The new pub is not what students or pub staff expected. Changes in the design have caused disruption in the bars function, but have given the space potential for daytime hang-
out status. The new pub hopes to draw large crowds for live entertainment during the week but doesnt expect this increase to make up for loss of weekend business. The new
pub lacks a dance oor, and the overall capacity has decreased by 100 from the old location.
PAGE 2 THE ARGOSY NEWS OCTOBER 9, 2008
w w w . a r g o s y . c a
The Aryosy s the o]ccl ndependent
student ]ourncl o] news, opnon, cnd the
crts, wrtten, edted cnd ]unded by the
students o] Mount Allson 0nversty n
Scckvlle, New 8runswck. The opnons
expressed heren do not necesscrly
represent those o] the Aryosy's stc]] or ts
8ocrd o] 0rectors. The Aryosy s publshed
weekly throuyhout the cccdemc yecr by
Aryosy Publcctons lnc.
Student contrbuton n the ]orm o]
letters, crtcles, photoyrcphy, yrcphc
desyn cnd comcs cre welcome. The
Aryosy reserves the ryht to edt or re]use
cll mctercls deemed sexst, rccst,
homophobc, or otherwse unt ]or prnt,
cs determned by the EdtornChe].
Artcles or other contrbutons ccn be
sent to cryosy@mtc.cc n mcroso]t word
]ormct, or drectly to c secton edtor. The
Aryosy wll prnt unsolcted mctercls ct
ts own dscreton.
For yenercl nqures, ncludny
clcsseds cnd cdvertsny, plecse ccll our
o]ce ct (50)J422J.
Letters to the edtor must be syned,
thouyh ncmes mcy be wthheld ct the
sender's request cnd ct the Aryosy's
dscreton. Anonymous letters wll not be
prnted. The Aryosy reserves the ryht to
edt cll submssons ]or clcrty cnd lenyth.
Mctercl o] cny ]orm n ths publccton
s copyryhted 2008200 cnd ccnnot be
reprnted wthout the consent o] the
EdtornChe].
Publisher
Argosy Publications Inc.
Editors-in-Chief Zoe Williams
Production Manager Frances McGinnis
Managing Editor Louisa Strain
Editorial
News Justine Galbraith
Features Darren Mercer
Arts and Literature Julie Stephenson
Sports Noah Kowalski
Science and Technology Stuart
Townsend
Entertainment William Gregory
Humour Vivi Reich, Mark Comeau
Submissions Erin Jemczyk
Photography Jessica Emin
Production
Copy Editors Juliet Manning, Sarah
Robinson
Graphic Design Vivi Reich
Business
Advertising Joselyn MacLellan
IT Manager Stuart Townsend
Writers
Entertainment Neil Bonner
News Helena van Tol
Arts Julie Cruikshank
Features Sacha Van Katwyk
General Assignment Kelly OConnor
Circulations
Publication Board
Dr. Michael Fox, Dr. Robert Lapp
The Argosy
152 Main Street, Sackville, NB
E4L 1B3
(506)364-2236
The Aryosy s c member
o] the Ccncdcn
0nversty Press, c
nctoncl cooperctve o]
student newspcpers.
Zoe Williams
Argosy Staff
Last Wednesday, the Student
Administrative Council (SAC) had its rst
weekly meeting of the year. In attendance at
these meetings are the various SAC counselors,
and the SAC executive. is week, according
to Brian Crouse, VP Academic on the SAC,
the items on the agenda were primarily basic
house-keeping. Issues of note included the
Academic Renewal process, and the federal
election, both of which will be discussed at
future meetings. Next week, Dan Wortman,
VP Finance, will be reporting on the yearly
audit of the SAC budget. e weekly SAC
meetings are open to all students of Mount
Allison. When asked if students often come
out to meetings, Crouse says no, but were
denitely going to try to push the idea that
these are open meetings, and people can
come any time and play an equal role in the
meetings the only dierence is they cant
vote. We would love for people to come. So
if you are interested in where your SAC fees
are going, or how the SAC works in general,
drop by the SAC oce Wednesday nights at
7 pm.
It was all ags and applications as the rst
ever Mount Allison International Exchange
and Study Abroad Mini Fair kicked o this past
Tuesday in Crabtree auditorium. It was a night
lled with information as students ocked to
the auditorium to hear about the many dierent
prospects for exchange and the application
process. It was a chance to go international in
just a few moments and still gain enough insight
to engage students interest.
e evening began with the crowd ooding
into the auditorium to hear newly assigned
Manager of International Aairs, Adam
Christie, introduce the concept of the fair. He
viewed it as a way to bring things together, and
allow the students to gain an idea of what Mt. A
has to oer in the International department.
It is a great chance for students to see the
variety. It used to be that students had to go to
separate info sessions on each program, but now
it is easier for them to create a broader focus,
said Christie.
After the main introduction, students heard
from Jocelyn Ollerhead who gave a quick
overview of the application process. Students
were then given the chance to browse the
many tables set up around the foyer. With
over 20 countries and 60 exchange and study
abroad opportunities the foyer was abuzz with
international spice. From the Norway and
Denmark table to the Strasbourg (France) table
and then over to Mid-Sweden and India students
had the choice to explore all the options.
e tables were equipped with brochures, and
past and present exchange students from both
Mt. A and other universities. e exchange
coordinators, the professors that serve as liaisons,
were also present, acting as an information bank
to help students with the exchange and study
abroad process. Students had the opportunity to
ask all their questions, gather information and
learn more about international prospects. VP,
International and Student Aairs, Ron Byrne
was quick to note that he strongly supports the
international program and feels that it is a life
How to go International at MTA
Mini fair informed students on the exchange and study abroad programs
Christina Ashley
Argosy Correspondent
changing opportunity that we wish each student
can in someway experience.
Although the fair was a means of bringing all
of Mount Allisons international opportunities
together and informing students, it is not the only
way to get information. For students that were
unable to attend the fair, or simply did not know
about it, there are still opportunities. First, the
international website, which oers frequently
asked questions, nancial information,
fellowships, coordinators, application forms
and a run down on all of the programs. As well,
there is the new International Centre, located
on the second oor of the Wallace-McCain
Student Centre. Built to bring more focus and
organization to the international program,
the centre is a great resource for all students.
Not only does it oer a quick and easy way to
get information on all that Mt. A has to oer
internationally, it also oers a chance to have an
international experience right on campus in the
International Lounge, where anyone can go. e
centre is also planning to provide international
news publications.
All in all, the night seemed to be a huge
success. It introduced students not only to the
numerous opportunities to go international at
Mt. A, but it also introduced them to the key
players. Among them were Christie, who also
serves as MASSIE coordinator, and Pronoti
Majithia, International Advisor. e mini fair
gave students a chance to broaden their horizons
and think about venturing abroad.
A poster outside of the International Centre showcasing the many areas of the world
where Mt. A students have the opportunity to study abroad. The International Centre is
located on the second oor of the new Student Centre.
e happenings of
student politics
On homecoming weekend, two individuals
bared it all at the football game. ese streakers
are now facing the prospect of a hearing in
judicial, and a $100 ne for public indecency.
Paul Rasbach, Chief of Campus Police,
explained that the schools code of conduct
calls for the security at Mt. A to enforce rules
concerning gross indecency/obsenity.
[G]enerally, the guideline for it is a $100
ne, said Rasbach.
In the case of the two streakers at homecoming,
the campus police typed up a report on the event
and a recommendation for the charges, and sent
it to Rob MacCormack, the Director of Security
at Mt. A. Rasbach explained that the report
should then be forwarded to the acting Dean of
Students - although he is unsure of who it will
be this year - and the oender should head to
University Judicial to make a plea.
If the student pleads guilty, he explained, they
simply need to talk to the Dean of Students, pay
the ne, and go on with their life. However,
it takes time for the report to go through the
necessary hands.
ese things take a week or two, said
Rasbach.
One of the streakers, Taggart omson, has
heard no ocial word by mail or email on being
charged, ned, or having to go to judicial.
I didnt formally get caught by a security
guard when I did it. [...] I wasnt formally spoken
to by a security guard either, said omson,
explaining that he found out about the possibility
of a ne when he ran into a security guard at the
pub.
As it stands right now, Ive received no
repercussions, but Im expecting an $100 ne in
the mail.
He isnt happy about the prospect of a ne,
but admits that it could be a lot worse.
omson will be remembered by students as
the streaker running across the eld during game
time wearing moon boots, which he admits was
a dicult endeavour.
I practiced running in them before and they
kept breaking, he explained.
omson received the moon boots for
Christmas as joke gift from his uncle, and
thought it would be pretty funny to streak in
them. Without them, he probably wouldnt
have ran naked across the eld, he explained.
Furthermore, he was initially undecided as
to whether or not he would streak during the
game, but when the time came, he forgot about a
mask, leading to his identication through word
of mouth.
Head Coach of the football team, Kelly
Jerey, explained that the interruption of game
play had no adverse eect on the team.
I dont think anyone on the eld gives it a
second thought, he said.
Still, he mentioned that [usually] the streaker
picks a moment when game play has been halted,
its streaker etiquette.
Homecoming streakers face
possibility of University
Judicial, ne
Justine Galbraith
Argosy Staff
N
OCTOBER 9, 2008 NEWS THE ARGOSY PAGE 3
Stock markets plunge across
the world despite passage of
controversial bailout bill
In the wake of the American
Congress decision to nally approve
a $700 billion US bailout package
for the countrys major nancial
institutions, the global nancial
crisis has continued to ravage world
markets almost unabated. e
Dow Jones index, a key indicator of
nancial health, saw its biggest drop
in over four years last week. e
Toronto Stock Exchange shed 14
per cent, and the price of oil hovered
around $90 a barrel on Monday,
jeopardizing condence in Canadian
and international markets.
e bailout package has raised the
ire of observers around the world as
being an uncharacteristic move for
the country that is supposed to be
the global beacon of unregulated free
markets, reported the German Der
Spiegel last week. Everyone is nally
coming to the realization that the US
is in recession, and passing a bailout
law will not change that, said Louis
Gagnon, a nance professor at Queens
is week in the world
A weekly miscellany compiled by Tom Llewellin
University. e law is the largest act
of government intervention in the
countrys history, and probably the
largest in the world. In exchange for
the $700 billion, nancial institutions
agree to sell their bad debts to the
US Federal Reserve which will
presumably keep them safe and not go
under itself and place caps on CEO
compensation. However, despite
the bill being updated twice, it still
gives the Federal Reserves chairman
Ben Bernanke the nal say on all
decisions, and expressly prohibits the
courts from attempting to trace where
any of the money is going.
25 per cent of mammal species across
the world at risk of extinction: Red
List
At least 25 per cent of mammal
species across the world are at
risk of extinction, according to
the International Union for the
Conservation of Natures Red List of
reatened Species. Out of the 5,487
on the list, 1,141 are approaching
extinction mainly due to loss of
habitat spurred by human factors, the
BBC reported. Overall, over half of
the worlds mammals are declining
in population. Southeast Asian
primates, such as the orangutan, are at
the greatest risk, due to the increasing
development, and deforestation in that
region. e human population, along
with its living standards, is growing
incredibly fast, which is putting a
squeeze on land that is habitable
for animals, says the report. Apart
from that, populations are also being
impacted by poaching, and use for
traditional medicines, although their
use tends to fall with the introduction
of Western medicine.
As far as sea mammals go, the
authors of the Red List caution that
because the animals are so dicult
to track, numbers may be worse
than previously believed. Seventy-
nine per cent of their decline is
owed to becoming tangled in shing
nets. It also suggests that as global
temperatures rise, the situation in
tropical parts of the world will become
increasingly dire, as the desertication
of Africa accelerates. e nancial
crisis is nothing compared with the
environmental crisis, said IUCNs
deputy head, Jean-Christophe Vie,
to the BBC. e biodiversity crisis is
going to aect the entire world.
EU opens job centre in Africa
e European Union has opened
its rst facility outside the union, in
the form of a jobs/skills development
centre in Bamako, the capital of
Mali in West Africa. e largely
francophone region plays a crucial
role to Europe, since it is the source
of thousands of migrants to the EUs
27 member states, many illegal. e
centres primary function is to help
migrants nd legal employment in the
Union, as well as discourage illegal
migration, which kills hundreds
of West Africans who traverse the
Mediterranean primarily by small
boats.
Malian president Amadou
Toumani Tour oered the following
take: Lets be clear, a solution of
100 per cent security is not realistic
but neither is [a] 100 per cent
humanitarian solution, as the BBC
reported.
e centre is being built at a time
when, despite the slowdown in the
worlds economy, Europe still faces
a growing need for migrant workers,
and labour in general of all skill
levels. However, Sandro de Luca
of the International Committee for
the Development of People, insists
that illegal immigration will always
exist, despite the existence of ocial
channels. Attempts by Spanish
ocials to open a similar centre
for their country alone in the West
African nation of Senegal, quickly
turned from a job market into a
job lottery due to high amounts of
demand.
China spying on Skype messages
e University of Torontos Citizen
Lab has discovered that the Chinese
government is spying on messages sent
through the popular Skype internet-
phone service. e group discovered
a publicly-accessible database that
contains over 150, 000 messages
sent and received by Skype users in
China, which include politically
sensitive terms that the Chinese
central government objects to, most
notably the now-frequent refrains
of democracy, Tibet, and Falun
Gong, a banned religious group.
e messages are linked with the
account names of the users that sent
and received them, making nding
the culprit as easy as connecting the
dots,, and making a request to Skype
itself.
Skype, a subsidiary of US-based
eBay International, insists that the
action is only being undertaken
to comply with Chinese laws on
politically sensitive information.
However, the data was stored on
webservers that are publicly accessible
to anyone in the world. is enables
essentially anyone to gure out who
has said what.
American technology companies
have a history of handing over
whatever extraneous information the
Chinese government extrajudicially
requests from them. In 2005, north-
Chinese dissident Shi Tao was
arrested, and jailed after Yahoo!s
Chinese branch gave the government
access to Taos incriminating Yahoo!
email account.
Richard
Nixon
believed in
the Argosy.
Do you
believe in
the Argosy?
Write news.
N
PAGE 4 THE ARGOSY NEWS OCTOBER 9, 2008
Students taught by a select few
Mount Allison professors will have
noticed a distinct change in their
online learning experience this year.
No longer greeted by the familiar
garnet and gold of Mt. As aging
WebCT, students returned to school
to face what will soon be Mt. As
sole Learning Content Management
System: Moodle.
Struck by the joint IT and
Academic Steering Committees,
a Learning Content Management
System sub-committee was tasked
with evaluating the future of these
LCMS platforms at Mt. A. After
considering various options, said Toni
Roberts, Educational Technology
Consultant at the Purdy Crawford
Teaching Centre, the committee
basically found itself with two
options. One was to continue with
WebCT, but with a new version under
the Blackboard Learning System. e
other was to introduce a new program
entirely.
We had to move to a new version,
because our old version will not
longer be supported, as of January,
said Roberts. Also, we wanted to
consider other possibilities. We
looked at a number of open source
options, and the only one we thought
[...] would be appropriate for Mt. A
would be Moodle.
e pilot program for Moodle was
completed last year, using a small
number of professors. Feedback was
collected through online surveys, as
well as group meetings. Issues were
discussed, as well as strengths and
weaknesses. With the exception of
one member, who was indierent of
the move, all faculty said they would
recommend Moodle.
Students, however, were uninvolved
in any sort of formal feedback.
ere were informal comments,
through faculty members, as well as
through a faculty member at another
institution. Online research from
other institutions was also utilized,
which seemed to indicate students
prefer Moodle to WebCT.
Still, Mt. A students had a limited
voice in the process. [W]e did
think about maybe doing a formal
Moodles moving in
Despite limited student consultation, WebCTs future is already decided
Darren Mercer
Argosy Staff
survey of students, said Roberts,
but compelling research, as well as
anecdotal evidence, led the sub-
committee to believe that the move
seemed to be in the best interests of
students, as well as faculty.
Indeed, faculty response is strong.
Despite the fact that the system is
not due to be implemented until mid-
2009, both faculty who were involved
in the pilot last year, and others who
were not involved in the pilot, decided
to use Moodle this year.
ree project plans are currently
being written, with regards to the
complete switchover to the new
system in 2009, explained Roberts.
One is a communication plan, so that
we communicate clearly what will be
happening over the next year, because
it wont be until next September
that Moodle [is] implemented across
the university. eres [also] an
implementation plan, and a training
plan [...] for the faculty.
Roberts mentioned that all of these
activities would have had to occur
regardless of which decision was
made. As the new version of WebCT/
Blackboard is quite dierent from
the current version, communication,
implementation, and training would
still have been necessary. We [had]
to make a switch, says Roberts, so it
really [was] an opportunity.
e systems seem to have
signicantly dierent pedagogies.
While WebCT lacks in
collaborative tools, as it is based
on a strong instructivist approach,
the constructivist approach behind
Moodle led it to be designed from
the bottom up as something that
was more interactive, says Roberts.
You can do a lot more in terms of
interactivity and group work that you
cant do in WebCT/Blackboard.
Moodle also oers greater
extensibility. While in WebCT,
requesting an additional tool would
involve a long process of dealing with
support professionals at the company
which produced it, Moodle allows for
Computing Services to design its own
tools for the system, as well as use any
of the 401 plugins currently available
for direct download, contributed
themselves by volunteers. Says
Roberts, if faculty want something,
we can respond to them much more
quickly, than in the past.
Support was also a strong issue.
In his four years at Mt. A, Roberts
has never received an answer for any
question hes posed to Blackboard.
e support for WebCT is not very
good, states Roberts. It has that
history, and the folks at Blackboard
are aware of the fact that theres a
problem with support.
With Moodle, Roberts and others
using the system will be able to seek
support from the large number of
schools in the maritimes currently
using Moodle, including Saint
omas, Mount Saint Vincent, UPEI,
and Acadia, which abandoned its own
homegrown system to use Moodle.
eres also a whole community of
support, says Roberts.
Furthermore, Blackboard has
been dropping support for a number
of their products recently, as they
prepare for the release of their latest
product, Blackboard NG. A concern
that Roberts has with WebCT is that
the compressed and saved les are
only readable in that program, and
are unable to be transferred to or used
by anything else. If we decide to go
with the new version of Blackboard/
WebCT, he explained, [... and if] all
of a sudden, they say sorry, were no
longer supporting that one, and now
you have to move to this one, we [...]
really wouldnt have a choice.
Due to its open source nature,
Moodle is free to download,
a signicant savings from the
commercial software WebCT,
but Roberts is adamant that this
concern was not on the minds of the
LCMS sub-committee when their
recommendations were made.
We actually arent really supposed
to consider price when we do an
evaluation, says Roberts. What
were supposed to do is look at the
tools, and look at the options. ere
was some concern about the future
of Blackboard, that was part of the
issue.
Still, Roberts does admit that
resources were considered. e new
version of WebCT/Blackboard would
have required quite a bit of updated
hardware, as well as a new position to
be created. e new system uses an
external database, said Roberts, and
that database needs to be maintained
by a day to day administrator.
Blackboard was recommending that
we hire someone, at least at fty per
cent.
Roberts estimated that a move
to the new version of WebCT,
including hardware and hiring of
the half time sta member, would
cost approximately $115,000 per
year. For a small university, it is a
considerable amount, he states.
While he feels that it is a happy
coincidence that Moodle runs at less
cost than WebCT, Roberts stated
that if the new version of Blackboard
was the best thing for the university,
the sub-committee would have
strongly recommended it. ere was
a commitment to doing whatever was
best for the university.
Logging in to your online course material is going to be an entirely different experience in 2009 when Mt.
A makes the jump from WebCT to Moodle
Alia Karim
Argosy Contributor
A new coalition established this
fall is calling on organizations to
work together this school year. e
Sackville Coalition for Social Justice
(SCSJ) is a mass organization working
to unite student and community-
run groups involved in social justice
issues.
e coalition was created by Mount
Allisons own Nicholas Dub who
was inspired during an exchange
last year with American University
in Washington D.C. e university
had an impressive professional social
coalition running since the 1960s to
connect with the AU community and
greater Washington area in pursuing
a campus agenda for change.
ough the Sackville community
is only a small fraction of the size
of AU, Dub believes the idea will
be eective here. e target for the
SCSJ is to promote, support and
coordinate social justice work within
the Sackville region and reaching to
outer regions. Dub states, the focus
is on relationships. e coalition
hopes to create a network for groups
such as Delta, Eco-Action, Rights
and Democracy to communicate their
distinct mandates and help coordinate
their meetings and events.
e rst event of the SCSJ is the
Social Justice Round Table that will
be taking place on October 14 (the
meeting place is to be announced). is
meeting will assemble organizations
with representatives of the Mount
Allison administration in a discussion
to pursue specic social justice goals
for the year. e SCSJ is calling on all
groups and individuals interested in
social change to attend and voice their
opinions. e coalition can be reached
at sackvillecsj@gmail.com, and has a
weekly e-mail for announcements,
meetings and events.
Collaborating for social
justice
Callan Field
Mt. A students and the Sackville community braved the rainy weather and came together for the
annual Relay for Life to raise both funds and awareness for the Canadian Cancer Society. The event
was held last Friday, from 7pm to 7am, and activities were held in the quad.
NATIONAL
VICTORIA (CUP) Wheelbarrows
in front of them, a duo of University
of Victoria undergrads sallied forth to
pay their tuition in change on Sept.
25, ve days before the fee cut-o
date.
UVics Accounting Services has
traditionally only accepted debit
transactions, checks, money orders,
bank drafts, or cash.
In an eort to make a statement
about the inconvenience of not being
allowed to pay tuition with a credit
card, the coin-wheeling students
showed that paying tuition with
hundreds of rolls of coins is another
option.
Im paying in nickels and dimes
because thats what the university is
doing theyre nickel-and-diming us,
said Quinn Fuglestveit, the organizer
of the protest. You can use your
credit card anywhere on campus but
[not for] the most important payment
of your career in university.
Murray Griths, the universitys
executive director of nance, says this
regulation exists because credit-card
companies attach a processing fee to
every credit transaction, which the
vendor cannot add to the customers
purchase.
Griths says the cost could add
up if many students chose to charge
tuition to their plastic.
at could be a million dollars
Students pay tuition in small change
Kat Eschner
The Martlet (University of Victoria)
gone from our operating budget, said
Griths.
When the University of British
Columbia quit accepting credit cards
last June, they estimated an annual
savings of $2.5 million in transaction
fees. Additionally, when students pay
late, UVic charges 1.5 per cent interest
per month on the late sum.
But the protesters say the university
should absorb this cost to help
students.
Its an inconvenience, and it makes
it inaccessible, because kids have to
have liquid cash, said Fuglestveit.
His co-conspirator Dylan Hardie
says having the option to put fees on
credit would really help students, as
it would give them few extra weeks
to get money together before interest
begins.
As Fuglestveit and Hardie headed
to the accounting services oce
with their wheelbarrows, a curious
group of student onlookers followed
the pair and watched as the two
presented themselves to a surprised
administration.
Several students assisted Hardie in
unloading his penny, nickel and dime
rolls on the counter.
Sta wouldnt take Fuglestveits
unrolled change, however, and told
him he would have to roll all of the
coins in order for the payment to be
acceptable.
I have to wait for family funds right
now, said one of Hardies helpers,
who is also waiting to pay UVic fees.
I dont have enough money in my
account due to books and things.
For students faced with loan
diculties and problems arising from
collecting all the money for tuition on
time, Griths is quick to point out
the presence of a Student Loans ocer
on campus, and the availability of
bursaries, which he says are becoming
larger as ination rises.
e only major B.C. university that
continues to accept credit payment is
the University of Northern British
Columbia in Prince George.
According to Griths, UVic never
accepted credit card payments.
Weve not seen anything to this
extent [of backlash] before and it
actually quite surprises me, Griths
said.
To protest the university not accepting credit card payments, Quinn Fuglestveit wheeled
thousands of dollars in change to pay his tuition
Ahmed Mumeni/the Martlet
SASKATCHEWAN (CUP) As if
University of Regina student Andrea
Smytaniuk needed to add any more
to her already impressive catalogue of
titles, she can now include: candidate
in the 2008 federal election.
When the 25 year-old is not busy
raising a family of two children on her
own, she works a full-time job, and
takes four university classes for her
degree in economics and society.
But when the election was called
and there was no Green Party
candidate in her hometown of Prince
Albert, Sask., she knew she would
have to squeeze in door knocking,
sign waving and policy debating all
in a riding four hours away from her
current home.
When asked why she deemed this
an appropriate time to run for federal
Students balance books and ballots in Saskatchewan
ree university students seek MP status in federal election
Wendy Gillis
CUP Central Bureau Chief
oce, Smytaniuk was surprisingly
frank.
I dont think that now was a good
time to run, actually. But no one was
running, and someone needed to
make environmental issues present,
she said.
Smytaniuk is amongst the small,
but growing, group of Canadian post-
secondary students who have decided
they would rather have their name on
a ballot than ll one out.
But while student candidates all
have numerous and diverse goals,
balancing academics and a bid for
public oce can get tricky. After all,
good intentions dont help you nish
essays or pass midterms.
Just ask Imre Pallagi, Green Party
candidate for Saskatoon-Blackstrap,
and a sociology undergraduate at the
University of Saskatchewan.
When interviewed last week,
Pallagi had yet to sleep since he
pulled an all-nighter to write a paper
something he just hadnt had time
to do between going to candidate
forums and knocking on doors in his
constituency.
Life has been hectic, said Pallagi.
Its kind of hard juggling assignments
and other things like dealing with
phone calls, answering questions, and
everything else.
But you wont nd either Smytaniuk
or Pallagi seeking special treatment.
Since she is running in Prince Albert,
Smytaniuk says most of her professors
(living 400 kilometres away) dont
even know shes a candidate.
While Pillagis professors are
aware of his candidacy, he says he is
not about to ask for any extensions.
Other than if I have to miss class
for something, I dont ask for much
leeway, he said. Im a student here,
Ive got responsibilities here to own
up to, and I shouldnt use my position
as a crutch.
As a PhD student at the U of
Saskatchewan, Karen Parhar not
only studies on her own, but she also
teaches a second-year psychology
class.
Now that she is the Liberal
candidate for Saskatoon-Humboldt,
she says shes exhausted by the
work overload. And while admitting
its hard for anybody to adapt to the
intensity of an election schedule,
Parhar thinks being a candidate is
extra dicult as a student.
I feel its more of a sacrice. Being
a student, you dont have a lot of
money, you dont usually have a full-
time job, so youre already worrying
if youll eat next month, said Parhar,
adding that the pressure has increased
substantially now that shes running
for oce.
But thats not the only challenge
Parhar has encountered. Although
shes been heavily involved in politics
for years, she says people often
question her credibility as a student
candidate.
People dont think youre qualied,
so Ive had to do a lot of convincing,
she said.
e candidates say thats where
meeting as many people as possible
comes in.
Whether its Parhar waving at trac
at 7 a.m. every morning, Smytaniuk
driving home every weekend to
canvas, or Pallagi aiming to attend all
of the forums, the point is just to get
out there and be seen.
And although all three have unique
and specic reasons for running in
the election such as spreading the
environmental word, or aiming to
increase the student vote there was
one commonality within the reasons
these students gave for seeking
candidacy.
As Parhar said: I guess I just
decided, somebodys got to do it, so
why not me?
WATERLOO (CUP) Like many
students graduating from university,
Lauren Friese found herself facing
the daunting challenge of nding a
meaningful career.
Instead of being overwhelmed,
Friese embraced this prospect and
is now the founder and president of
Talent Egg a career hub for students
looking for meaningful entry-level
careers, summer jobs, or co-op
opportunities.
I had no idea how to get a job
Website hatches graduate careers
TalentEgg.ca connects students with corporations
Nicole Wray
The Cord Weekly (Wilfrid Laurier
University)
after university without having a
connection. I didnt feel like I was
given any direction at university, said
Friese. It was a common problem.
After graduating with an arts degree
in economics from Queens University
in Toronto, then moving to London,
England to get her masters degree,
Friese noticed that the UK boasted
all sorts of websites that could help
students move into the workforce.
I thought I could bring this model
home, she said.
Frieses realization of this idea
came in the form of Talent Egg.
Unlike other job-search sites, Talent
Egg has a distinct focus on nding
users a career with a company they
are excited about.
e core dierence is the focus
on a career your rst career out of
university, said Friese. Talent Egg
is for your rst role after graduation,
or a meaningful summer job. We
are focused on the company, and the
culture of the company, rather than
a specic job. Top employers, top
opportunities not just jobs.
Without any solid job connections,
it can be extremely dicult to secure
an interview with a company that
you may be interested in working for.
Talent Egg is about promoting your
soft skills, and translating these as
assets to potential employers.
e website allows you to create a
talent card that will show potential
employers your top life experience,
your top academic experience, the
career areas you are interested in,
the core skills you possess, and your
references.
With a talent card, you are able
to seek out potential employers,
and employers are able to send you
personalized e-mails.
My personal belief is that [if]
resums when coming out of university
are focused on the wrong thing, they
can take your focus away from core
skills and what you can really bring to
the role, said Friese.
Friese is passionate about Talent
Egg being an outlet where students
can express themselves and say what
life experiences they have had that
would make them good candidates
for a job.
An arts student herself, Friese is a
shining example of the value of soft
skills obtained with an arts degree.
I want arts students to know that
there is a place that they will be seen
as meaningful candidates, she said.
Intelligence, not knowledge; that is
my personal passion in this project. I
dont have a business degree and I am
running a business.
Talent Egg has a roster of about 85
employers. is number is growing by
roughly two companies a day.
OPINIONS
Zoe Williams
Argosy Staff
Last ursday, Elizabeth May, the
leader of the Green Party, told us that
we deserve better from our politicians.
is came at the end of leaders debate
in English, a two hour spectacle that
consisted primarily of the four other
party leaders levelling (arguably well
deserved) criticism at Stephen Harper.
ough Mays remark was probably
pure politicking designed to make
us feel better, and put Harper on
the defensive yet again I found it
refreshing all the same.
It isnt uncommon to hear the
opposite; that in fact we do get the
politicians we deserve. Our lack of
engagement in, or knowledge of the
political process leads us to make
uninformed decisions (or no decision
at all) at the polls, and our politicians
simply act accordingly. We dont care,
and we dont know any better, and
this gives them licence to do whatever
they want. Examples of this abound:
the sponsorship scandal, non-existent
WMDs, the closed-door decision
to allow US troops to be deployed
on Canadian soil at the discretion of
the US; let alone decisions such as
giving tax breaks to corporations, and
cutting arts funding, that are more or
less odious based on your ideological
leanings.
Cliched editorial about the election
Zoe thinks voting is good.
Perhaps it is these very behind-
doors decisions and underhand
dealing that leads people to disengage
from politics. We feel like our vote
doesnt matter, so why vote? Ive heard
it said that Canada is a democracy
in only the most supercial sense.
I admit our system isnt perfect, its
skewed to favour certain segments of
the population, and barriers to entry to
the political system are high. But this
is a self-fullling prophecy to some
extent; the more we say we dont live
in a democracy and thus disengage, the
truer it becomes.
We live in a system that is
incredibly free when compared to
countries all over the world, but we
dont take advantage of it. In the 2004
federal election, only 64.1 per cent of
Canadians voted. However, Elections
Canada has found that overall voter
turnout has decreased substantially,
primarily among Canadians who were
born after 1970. I dont know why
people our age arent voting, but I hope
in this election we do.
Sitting in Duckys on debate night
in a big group of other Mount Allison
students was a heartening experience.
Watching the debate reminded me that
Im interested in Canadian politics,
both intellectually and practically.
Seeing how many other people were
there, and engaged (even if that just
means swearing at Stephen Harper and
his smirk) was a nice counter-balance
to all the articles that lampoon young
people for their apathy. Its election
season both here and in the US, and
I hope, if youre a Canadian or an
American, youll vote in your respective
election this year. If you dont, youll be
at least partially to blame when John
McCain and Stephen Harper steal
money from your grandmother to bail
out the failing nancial sector.
Jessica Emin
ank you for Julie Stephensons
interview with Dr. Helen Pridmore
of the Music Department. As a
composer who has beneted from her
incredible vocal skills in three new
compositions, I enjoyed seeing her
featured in an extended article.
I would like to oer some comments
in support of Dr. Pridmores ideas for
collaborative degrees involving the
ne and performing arts departments.
While it is true, as she says, that
there is no immediate likelihood of
such a degree, colleagues in several
departments have expressed strong
interest in this possibility. What is
more, there is already a quite robust
stream of interdisciplinary activities
occurring between these departments.
ese include the yearly Opera
Workshop, which is by denition
multi-disciplinary (and which in 2006
was an open course involving students
from other departments, and a newly
composed opera). As well, since 2004,
there has been a yearly collaborative
project between my Elementary
Composition students, and either the
Open Media class from Fine Arts,
or the Creative Writing class from
English. ese have been exhibited at
Struts and Owens Art Galleries, and
have included noise-making sculptures,
lms, radio dramas, performance art
and installations. For myself, and my
faculty partners (Professors Jinny Yu,
Leah Garnett, and Deborah Wills),
these were exhilarating projects
with many beautiful, challenging,
and inspiring results. For the past
two years, Helen Pridmore and I
have, with students of the Music
Department, created a fringe festival
to complement the annual Symposium
of Art. Last years activities included
dozens of people performing outdoors
at e Swan Pond, and in e Quad in
open musical performances inclusive
of anyone interested, be they trained
musicians or not. Finally, many students
in my time here have initiated their
own very successful interdisciplinary
activities.
In an era when the media and
politicians are forcing us further and
further into a restrictive concept of
what normal Canadians perceive
as creative, it is exciting for those of
us involved to witness our students
working together, and fearlessly
bringing exciting new artworks to
life while expanding the concept of
creativity with imagination, skill and
originality.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ian Crutchley, Part-time
Assistant Professor of Music.
Dear
Argosy,
Mark Brister and Matthew
Park
A poll conducted for the Dominion
Institute this week, showed that only
50 per cent of Canadians under the
age of 25 are planning to vote. Judging
from past discrepancies between those
who say they will vote and those who
actually do; this means that only 37
per cent of young people are likely to
actually show up at the polls (a historic
low). Many have cited a lack of youth
engagement as the primary problem: we
dont read, we dont vote, we dont care.
is is certainly a problem (though not
at Mount Allison University), but not
the only one. Parties are also to blame
for not targeting young people in their
campaign agenda. e environment is
ostensibly an issue in this election, but
climate change has been a mainstream
topic since 2006. Young people were
concerned about it rst, but its now
recognized as critical to all Canadians.
e silence surrounding digital
intellectual property rights (IPR) and
net neutrality in this election, issues
of intense interest to young people, is
staggering. Only the New Democratic
Party platform mentions the word
copyright, and the section is only a
few lines long. NDP Ministers clearly
have the best record on the subject, but
arent yet using this to their advantage.
e Conservatives, for some reason,
havent released a platform, but we
can assume the worst from their track
record on C-61, An Act to Amend the
Copyright Act (now dead on the table),
and their participation in negotiating
the covert Anti-Counterfeiting Trade
Agreement (ACTA); both without
consultation from the public, or
from independent experts in the
eld. In a damning article on ACTA,
the University of Ottawas Canada
Research Chair in Internet and
E-commerce Law, Michael Geist
comments that there is absolutely no
representation of public interests
and no civil liberties representation on
a treaty that could fundamentally alter
Canadian civil rights.
Many events of the past year
suggest this should be an election
issue. Bells violation of basic net
neutrality standards earlier this year
sparked a protest on Parliament Hill,
a formal complaint to the CRTC
from the Canadian Association of
Internet Providers, and a private
members bill from Charlie Angus,
the NDP spokesperson for digital
issues. Both the Canadian Alliance
of Student Associations, and the
Canadian Federation of Students,
collectively representing over 800,000
university students across Canada,
have issued strong statements against
Bill C-61, urging the government to
adopt a responsible IPR policy that
respects fair-use principles and is
decided through a public consultation
process. e legislation at it existed
represented an abandonment of the
copyright balance that has guided
Canadian policy for many years.
Under C-61, copying a DVD to your
ipod illegal. Watching an out-of-
region-coded DVD illegal. Keeping
digital library materials beyond ve
days illegal. We have raised this issue
with candidates in New Brunswick,
emphasizing that it is one of the most
pressing policy problems of our time,
and they have responded with an
inexcusable lack of understanding and
concern.
Net neutrality is an issue that
should be of concern to all Canadians.
It is the principle that all Internet
trac should be treated equally, and
condentially, that internet service
providers should not privilege some
types of trac over others. Chair of
the CRTC Konrad von Finckenstein
has stated that net neutrality is one of
the polarizing issues of the day. It will
have to be addressed and debated by
all of us. Why are we not debating it
then? Why are parties silent on issues
such as net neutrality?
Michael Geist has issued a fairly
basic three point challenge to all
parties: agree to respect the rights
of creators and consumers, ght any
If you want our vote, earn it
Major parties silent on gravely consequential threat
copyright bill that weakens users
rights under the Copyright Act, and
pledge to have public consultation,
and national hearings on any tabled
bill. ese conditions are beyond
reasonable, yet so far only the Green
Party and a handful of NDP candidates
have responded.
If the Liberals are serious about
getting the youth vote from the other
two parties on the left, they will
come out with a strong statement
on intellectual property and net
neutrality. We are telling you: if you
want our vote, earn it
We must not allow one of the
most stunning opportunities modern
technology has ever oered to die with
only a whimper. Fellow Canadians, take
heed the young people clamoring
about global warming in the nineties
were on to something then, and were
on to something now. Time will show
these issues to be of crucial importance
to us all, but we must act immediately.
As Je Rybak has noted, e biggest
danger, with the Internet, is that we
may lose a freedom we never even
understood enough to appreciate, until
it was already too late.
Dr. Ian Crutchley
Did you register to vote?
Argosy Jeopardy!
Answer:
Question:
What is the Amount
of times John McCain
addressed the
audience as my
friends during the
October 7 Presedential
Debate?
O
OCTOBER 9, 2008 OPINIONS THE ARGOSY PAGE 7
GET CURLING!
Free Clinic for Beginners and Refreshers:
October 27th & 28th
New Members $99 + tax
For more information call Barry Dean at 536-9979
www.sackvillecurlingclub.ca
Register to curl this season on
October 17th & 20th
at the Sackville Curling Club
(22 Lansdowne St)
from 6:30 - 9:00 PM
Vivi Reich
Argosy Staff
October third was Tag der
deutschen Einheit, or Day of German
Unity, celebrating the reunication
of Germany after the country was
divided into ve occupation zones in
1945 at the Potsdam Conference, and
later in 1961 when the Soviet Union
in East Germany began to build a wall
in Berlin (and a border beyond Berlin)
that would divide the country for
twenty-eight years and one day.
Why is this important? Believe
it or not, Mount Allison has a huge
German presence. Last Friday you
may (or may not have) seen students
wearing the colours of the German
ag (black, red, and gold or yellow) or
clothing decorated with German ags.
e German Club on campus decided
to celebrate our national holiday in
Tag der deutschen Einheit
this way, just as any other country
would celebrate theirs. Coincidentally,
the German Club has been very active
this year, and will continue to be active,
in light of last years downsizing of Mt.
As German program to just a minor.
It is interesting that the German Club
this year has had regular meetings and
has many events planned, whereas
last year, the club only hosted one
event which had a small amount of
participants. is just goes to show
that German really will be missed as a
major department at our school.
Germany is an important country
of the world. Not just Germany, but
the other German speaking countries:
Switzerland and Austria. ese three
countries were pivotal and important
parts of European history as the
continent was shaped into the shape
we are familiar with today. ese days,
Germany is ranked fth economically
by GDP, and its economy is the third
largest by nominal GDP. Germany
brought us inventions like the car
(Karl Benz is the ocially recognized
inventor), has established a network of
fast trains (InterCityExpress or ICE),
and has been a pioneer in science
(think Albert Einstein). It also has
inuenced the world with its literature
and music. English is also a West
Space. Some have called it big, really
big; others the nal frontier. Others
have called it a waste of time. I simply
cannot understand the sentiment of
the latter, and not just because Im a
huge geek who just referenced Douglas
Adams and Star Trek in the span of
one sentence. Space exploration will
not only provide us with unlimited
resources, but safeguard our very
existence and maybe even eliminate
some social ills. But lets start with the
make us all rich bit.
Heres how it works - build a simple
spacecraft with a lot of fuel, an onboard
computer, a mass spectrometer and a
big hook. Send it o to the asteroid
belt with instructions to bring back the
biggest nickle-iron asteroid it can nd,
and wait a few years. Voila; you now
have a ludicrous amount of raw metal
in orbit, right now, and the option to
send the robot probe back for another.
at sounds more economical to me
than terrestrial mining.
Not only have you now got an
enormous new source of metal, but
as you mine out the metal from the
asteroid, you could hew dormitories
and reneries from the rest of the
rock. Now you have a space station!
Even better, with some rocket motors
judiciously applied, you could stabilize
the asteroids spin and, thanks to
centrifugal force, have a space station
with an appreciable fraction of Earths
normal gravity. Do it all again, and get
another space station, or put engines
on it and have a spacecraft you didnt
have to build, and didnt have to lug up
out of Earths gravity well.
Another good reason is planetary
defense. No, Im not talking about little
Stuart Townsend
Argosy Staff
Space: Make some
money and save the
world
Germanic language, originating in the
northwest part of todays Germany
and brought to Britain by Germanic
settlers. Switzerland can be seen as a
motivation to democracy worldwide, as
it has a functional democratic system
called direct democracy which helps
to easily involve the ordinary people
of Switzerland in politics. It also has
one of the most stable economies in
the world. Last but certainly not least,
Austria has been very inuential in the
cultural world with its music (Mozart,
Haydn, Strauss, etc. etc.) and prominent
scientists (Ernst Mach, a scientic
philosopher and the namesake for
Mach speed ring a bell?), as well as
the Austrian School of Economics,
which the whole developed world has
beneted from.
e Day of German Unity has
reminded me, and others, that Mt. A
will be lacking something in the years
to come with the downsized German
department. While Germany will
always be mentioned in history classes,
music programs, and literature studies,
the reduced amount of classes being
oered will only shed pale light on
this cultural hub of the world where
Germany, Switzerland, and Austria
are settled.
green men - I personally believe that
the dedication and technological savvy
necessary to overcome the inherent
diculties, inconcievable distances,
and frank unpleasantness of interstellar
travel will mean that any aliens who
actually come to visit will be simply
interested in our development, not our
hillbillies and cattle. What we need to
defend against is the Oort Cloud.
Er, sort of. Its still hypothetical,
and it does seem a little fantastic:
a huge sphere of comets the edge of
which probably lies around 50,000
AU (50,000 times the distance from
the Earth to the sun) away. e fact
is, however, that such a sphere would
explain how most periodic comets
(like Halleys Comet) originate.
Whether the Oort Cloud actually
exists, however, is immaterial.
Be it an Oort Cloud comet or a
garden-variety chunk of interplanetary
rock, our world as we know it would
be pretty screwed if a huge chunk of
something, travelling at high speed,
smashed into it. An impact on the
Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, dating
back around 65 million years, is
theorized to have killed not only the
dinosaurs, but 70% of everything else
on the planet. Between the seismic
shock waves, planetary res and months
of darkness caused by the incredible
impact, I have diculty believing that
human civilization could survive such
a hit. e risk isnt high - last years
news-making asteroid Apophis, named
after the Egyptian snake-god of death,
has an NASA-approved chance of
only 1 in 45,000 of hitting us in 2032.
Even so, Apophis will pass within the
orbit of some of our geosynchronous
communications satellites, and some
believed that this would increase the
chances to 1 in 450. I dont like those
odds.
Why not have all the metal we could
ever want? Why not go get some ready-
made space stations? Why not prevent
planetary extinction? Plus, a solid base
in orbit means future explorers are
halfway to anywhere; the hard part is
getting out of Earths gravity. Sounds
too good to be passed up to me.
valkyriemovie.org
Despite program cuts, German language and culture is still important to Mt. A students.
ye olde happes
Sr. Aurea Cormier to Address Poverty Issues
e Outreach Committee of Sackville United Church hosts this talk, in
conjunction with the International Week to End Poverty.
October 15
7:30
Sackville United Church
Contact: 536-3749
Silent Auction
October 18
6:30, complimentary dessert party
7:30, talent auction starts
8:00, end of the silent auction
Sackville United Church
You Can Change Your Life
October 17 and 24
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
$85
Moncton YWCA
Facilitated by Joanne Rolfe-Cogger
Pre-registration is required
Contact: 855-4349
Creating Peace and Happiness in Your Life
October 18
1:00-4:00 pm
$30
Moncton YWCA
Facilitated by Joanne Rolfe-Cogger
Pre-registration is required
Contact: 855-4349
PAGE 8 OPINIONS THE ARGOSY OCTOBER 9, 2008
O
Andrew Haig
The Concordian (Concordia Uni-
versity)
MONTREAL (CUP) Recently,
the Canada Arts Council voted to
provide tens of thousands of dollars
to artist Cesare Saez, so that he could
launch a 300-metre inatable banana
into orbit over the state of Texas.
Now, as reported in the Globe and
Mail, despite the fact that Saez never
actually constructed his inatable fruit
and now says the project will not go
ahead, he is under no obligation to
return the money.
e state of the arts in Canada is
such that an artist can sew 50 rotting
steaks into a dress and display it in the
national gallery; such that a hanging
clothesline of dead animals now gets
federal funding; such that jars of feces
are considered grant-worthy.
It is in this noble workhouse of
culture and scholarship that the
Conservative art cuts have fallen.
In reality, the so-called arts cuts are
primarily targeted at bureaucrats and
middlemen organizations; groups that
broadcast the importance of art, but
Portrait of the artist as a welfare bum
e other side of the arts-funding argument
which would never be caught actually
making any.
ese art cuts are only cuts in
the sense that a brake moves a car
backwards, and are only cuts to arts
in the sense that reductions to zoo
advertising are cuts to pandas.
In short, they are not real cuts; they
are a public-relations tool designed
to perpetuate the myth that the
Conservatives have some vast, hidden
agenda.
Just this week, Westmounts NDP
candidate, Anne Lagac-Dowson,
issued a press release warning of
Conservative plans to bulldoze her
beloved CBC. Citing the recent
spate of arts cuts, and a Conservative
fundraising yer asking its base
whether they thought the CBC
used its funding well, she argued a
Conservative majority would mark the
public broadcasters eective death.
Dowson knows, or should know,
this simply isnt true.
After all, she worked for the CBC
all throughout the various Liberal
governments of Jean Chrtien; she
suered through a near-decade of
stagnant budgets, cost-cutting, and
shortages; she knows what it is like to
have a government actually starve the
CBC.
In the same vein, those who criticize
the $46 million in arts cuts know, or
should, that since the Conservatives
have come to power, arts funding has
actually increased.
But then, bringing questions of
dollars and cents into the equation
only serve to muddle the issue, because
the arts lobby is not upset about the
level of their funding as such. Rather,
they are incensed at the suggestion
that any part of their funding should
be cut, ever, for any reason.
Listen to any of the Conservatives
loudest (and shrillest) critics on this
issue, and you will nd that their
objections are not to this or that cut
indeed, you will nd that many
of them are unable to name those
organizations under the knife.
What they object to so strongly is
the very idea that anyone so bourgeois
and provincial as a politician might
seek to judge what art is worthy of
support.
e irony, of course, is that art
got along quite well before the
government got into the business of
funding it. Back when the Group of
Seven painted, art was driven to excel
precisely by those bourgeois enough to
pay for art they thought worthwhile.
Indeed, when Prime Minster
Stephen Harper says his government is
committed to funding art, but prefers
art that people want, he is hearkening
back to a time when the question that
drove art was: Is this good enough
that someone will spend money to
own it?
ese days, in contrast, we have
government funding for all kinds of
art; we have grant councils ready to
dole out money for little more than a
proposal and a press release; we have
everything, indeed, apart from really
quality art. And it should be no surprise
that in an age when art is subsidized
irrespective of quality, discussions of
good art inevitably return to that of
generations past.
All of the above said, none of this
should be taken to discount arts
importance; art can be the means by
which a culture comes to understand
itself and its potential; it can serve to
educate on a level far beyond words;
it can be a means of remembering our
shared past.
So yes, art is important, art is
valuable, and art is worth supporting.
But not all art.
Some art is the sort of creditable
work best kept to ones spare time.
Some art is of inestimable personal
value but of none to the community at
large. And, some art is simply tawdry,
pretentious, or shoddy. Some art is just
bad.
To believe the government has
no right to discern between good art
and bad, or to favour culture groups
according to the same standard, is
to believe that anyone who dresses
themselves up in the title of artist has
a natural claim on the public purse.
To believe this is, in eect, to paint
the artist as a welfare bum, as one who
demands their livelihood irrespective
of the product of their labour. To
believe this is to drag into the mire
an honourable and distinguished
profession.
To believe this is to believe that a
non-existent 300-metre banana is
worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Yes. Because it just seems like the right
thing to do.
Ben Butler
ird Year, International Relations
Are you going to
vote in the upcoming
federal election?
I already did.
Katie Eddy
Fourth Year, History
Yes. I feel its important to express my
opinion.
Scott Lee
Fourth Year, Biochemistry
Unfortunately I cant vote because Im
not a Canadian citizen.
Brandon Richards
ird Year, Economics
Im not eligible to vote yet because Im
only a permanent resident. But if I
could I would.
Mausam Shukla
Second Year, BSc.
Yes.
Robin Vicaire
Second Year
I already voted.
Claire Peace
Fourth Year, Psychology
Opinions from the Alcove-
Tuesday, 9:30 pm
your opinion matters. argosy@mta.ca
ENTERTAINMENT
Tom Lewellin
Argosy Correspondent
Jenn Grant and openers Amelia
Curran and John McEwen put on
a thoughtful, excellently-executed
show at the Sackville Music Hall on
a rainy Friday night. After an appeal
for volunteers to help scrub pigeon
blood o the brick and plaster walls
of the cavernous three year-old facility,
formerly a our mill, the night kicked
o in ne form with Amherst native
John McEwan. His placid and self-
assured but conversational style quickly
won over the folding-chair audience
of about 70. He came o as a cross
between Gordon Lightfoot and Joel
Plaskett, crooning Lets go steal some
shit to the backing of a heavily duct-
taped ukelele. Fitting the solo-artist
mould that had been set by McEwen,
Newfoundland native and folk-singer
Amelia Curran came on to sing from
her latest record, War Brides. Her songs
were pointed and frank, dispensing
wry wisdom in her low alto. Scattered
and Small, which is the opening track
on her album, was a denite standout,
and got the laid-back crowd swaying
ever so slightly.
Jenn Grant at long last took the stage,
sounding, as one audience member
quipped, like Feist but with more
conviction. She sung as if relating
a very matter-of-fact dream, and
dubbed the audience the cutest ever
when an equipment failure sparked
sympathy. Despite being the third solo
act of the night, she maintained the
audiences attention with her direct,
intimate manner and jazzy overtones.
She was joined halfway through by
her backing band of of a rhythm
guitarist and an acoustic bassist, who
pushed through her smoky, hushed
folk-pop sound, providing a solid
foundation for her vocal gymnastics.
Dreamer epitomized her quirky,
melodic style and was the standout
track of the night. e extensive
encore they enjoyed cemented the
place of Grant and her band as quality
rainy-day entertainment. Her latest
album, Orchestra For e Moon, does
an excellent job of approaching the
intimate cabaret sound that Sackville
Music Hall attendees experienced on
Friday, and is well-worth a listen.
Stirring wordsmiths take over Music Hall
John McEwan, Amelia Curran and Jenn Grant put on spectacular show
Dylan Cunningham
Argosy Correspondent
e Fall (Starring Catinca Untaru,
Lee Pace; Directed by Tarsem Singh.
2006)
is week, I vowed to give a
negative review to something before it
was too late to establish my reputation
as anything but a blindly optimistic
reviewer. Instead, what I stumbled
across has proven to be one of my
favourite lms Ive seen this year.
Better luck next time.
e Fall could not be anymore of a
lmmakers dream to make. Dream,
or self-indulgence, perhaps, but it
never reeks of pretentiousness. Tarsem
Singh is simply a talented director, and
if making the kind of lm he is capable
of is showing o, then so be it. is is
what happens when a director is left
to his own means, to lm whatever he
wants, wherever he wants. In this case,
that wherever happens to be twenty-
eight countries all over the world,
capturing their natural beauty simply
through the camera lens. ere is no
computer imagery here, Im told. is
is a claim dicult to trust after being
bombarded with so many rich colours,
complex architecture, and even
swimming elephants. (No, really, they
can swim!) Computers or not, what we
have here is not just a visual feast, but
nothing short of cinematic beauty.
e narrative itself begins simply:
no more than a man telling a young
girl a story as they recover in a hospital.
So far, on paper, things dont sound
particularly exciting, but even in the
early moments we soar through the
vivid imagination of the charming little
girl. It only gets better. e story itself
is truly a wild one, involving masked
bandits and mystics, evil emperors and
Charles Darwin. Although it seems
silly, what truly frames the beauty of
the scenes is the banter between the
man and the young girl, toying with
that delicate mix of fantasy and reality
that calls to mind other works such as
Pans Labyrinth or Big Fish.
Lush visuals and weaving narrative
aside, the key aspect in the movies
magic is the casts believability.
Specically, young Romanian actress
Catinca Untaru. Her portrayal of an
inquisitive and mischievous young girl
has to be the most remarkable child
acting ever put to lm. I usually hesitate
to give such an absolute statement, but
there really cant be enough praise for
the ten-year old. Rumour has it that
she was never given a full script, but
rather just a general idea of what the
scene was going to be about, and
she was left to her own initiative to
respond accordingly. Whether or not
this is true, the fact remains that she
captures an authenticity that most
lmmakers can only dream of.
While it is not a complaint on
my part, a point of contention some
viewers might have with this lm is its
slow decent into the dark side of things.
e man telling the story, while warm
and friendly for the most part towards
the girl, is all the while struggling with
his own suicidal urges. As he descends
into depression, the tone of his story
darkens with him. It is a painful thing
to watch at times, the girl brought to
tears as characters are killed o, but in
the end - well, youll just have to see
for yourself.
It is hard to say much more about
this lm aside from further praise.
All in all, this is a ne example of an
audience divider: there is no moderate
opinion for this movie. You will either
love it for its cinematic vision and
the stellar performances, or you will
dismiss it as pretentious glop with
no real direction. If its not already
obvious, I loved it. Loved it loved it
loved it. Go see it, and send me hate
mail if you dont like it. Forward it to
e Argosy and theyll be sure to get
it to me.
Love it or hate it, this is one you
must see.
Its all about
imagination
Controversial e Fall is a denite must see
Alexandra Theroux
Argosy Correspondent
We all know the story, big football
team starts losing and takes some
serious hits and it all looks like it will
fall to bits in seconds and then after
one big speech, or one big event the
whole team comes back and in the
most inuential moment of their
careers they come together again and
win in a big, ashy, emotional TV
moment and roll credits.
In Oliver Stones Any Given Sunday,
this is still the case but without the u.
Starring Al Pacino as Coach Tony D
the movie follows the Miami Sharks
from the beginning of ird String
quarterback Willie Beamans ( Jamie
Foxx) career in the spotlight after Cap
Rooney (Dennis Quaid) gets hit and
taken out of the game.
After that dramatic scene, we get
Piece by piece, inch by inch
Lifes a game of inches in Any Given Sunday
to see Beaman as his head just about
explodes from all the media pressure
and attention and how the rest of the
team handles that. In the background
we have Tony going head to head
with the teams owner (played by
Cameron Diaz) regarding his position
and whether or not he should still be
coaching the team (after 30 years).
is is honestly the rst inspirational
football movie that Ive seen which
showed more of the politics as opposed
to the sport or the players. Instead of
conquering the other teams the Sharks
were conquering the media, family and
money pressure, politics of the game,
and fame. e two veterans on the
team start battling illnesses and their
destinies as we see with Quaid. After
hes injured the only thing important
to him is where hell be if he doesnt
get better, fast.
One of the most emotionally
eective scenes in the lm is Al
Pacinos pre-game pep talk to the team
Corey Isenor
Tom Lewellin
as hes getting them ready to face the
biggest challenge of the season and
possibly their careers (Im not going to
lie, I listen to that speech on my iPod
about ve times before I got on the ice
at a skating competition).
e movie does an incredible job
of shedding light on the workings
of professional football and not just
the players. Other movies tried, e
Replacements for instance (although it
was still a comedy) showed how the
pros lost their sense of the game they
were only in it for the money and the
fame it brought them. In that movie
the overall feel was that that was wrong
and the replacement players were the
real heroes but in Any Given Sunday
Oliver Stone shows us that thats how
it is and even if it changes for a minute
itll always be that way.
Just like the tagline says: Play, or be
played.
E
PAGE 10 THE ARGOSY ENTERTAINMENT OCTOBER 9, 2008
Sahsa Van Ketwyk
Argosy Staff
I love the blues. I love the earnest
but reserved emotion in the voices; I
love the revving, moaning, and crying
out of the blues guitar; I love the
simpleand somewhat fatalistic
yet dignied stories told through
the songs, and I love how the genre
can take from all the other musical
stylings yet stay, resolutely, blues. In
the CD series e Future of the Blues,
now on its seventh compilation, they
oer a view of where blues is going by
presenting work by cutting edge artists
of the genre that encapsulates all of
what I love in this underrepresented
style. e series coordinator says in its
latest installment, our mission is to
constantly test the boundaries of the
blues. We dont just want to keep blues
music alivewe want to keep pushing
it forward.
In doing so, this record series has
been able to present the dexterity
of the blues, going beyond just its
soulful foundation in Chicago Blues,
or its southern history of Dixieland
plucking. In this volume, it presents a
range that integrates everything from
swing to Indian classical.
Now, while I love nearly all style
blends, Im still a little bit of a
traditionalist in my blues preference,
Various Artists
e Future of Blues
Northernblues Music
and there were certainly a few that hit
that soul bone that old school blues
is known for. I loved the work of the
Homemade Jamz Blues Bandthe
youngest American blues band, with
its oldest member being sixteen, and
its youngest being ninewho deliver
B.B. King style soulful guitar playing
with some killer vocals. Presented also
is Eddie Turner, a master of psychedelic
guitar playing thats reminiscent of Jimi
Hendrix, and blending it with a back
porch singing style that just makes
you moan out Mmmm-Hmm! at the
end of every chorus. I also thoroughly
enjoyed Mason Casey, who sang,
with moxie, and a cool husky voice,
about how he ended up sittin here in
Chestereld County Jail.
On the more experimental, and
eclectic side of the record, there was
Doug Cox & Salil Bhatt, who skillfully
blended jazz blues with traditional
Indian style. I was surprised how well
the two sounds mingled, and it is an
accreditation to the musicians to have
such dierent instruments support
each other, but it still sounded a bit
too much like the tree hugging drum
stylings you hear when you walk
into an organic-only store. Also, Ive
always savoured the stories of hardship
that give blues its title, and though
this songs message of Make a Better
Worldis nice, it just wasnt doing it for
me. I like my blues listening experience
to be deep, heavy, and powerful, and
listening to how we must sing, sing,
sing to a better world totally spoiled
my otherwise ominous ambience.
ere were some new sounds that
didnt seem so out outlandish that
got me wanting to hear more of
their stu. Moreland & Arbuckle in
their song Tell Me Why mixed the
Dixielandish instrumental style with a
bit more mellow of a lead guitar, and
then smooth vocals which I was really
attracted to. Also, JW-Jones played up
the swing style mixed with a sparkling
guitar variety that was pretty cool, Im
not gonna lie. Also, Diddle It by
Carlos Del Junco, one of the worlds
best harmonica players, and who
stopped through Sackville last year
for the Fall Festival, was upbeat, and
had a fun dancing tempo that certainly
separated it from the crowd.
Ultimately, e Future of the Blues
is a great mix of stu for blues lovers
who are trying to stretch their tastes to
the cutting edge of whats happening
in the blues world, and its a fantastic
sampler for those who just want to
check it out. Ill give it a four out of
ve guitars, cause most of the songs
made it to my playlist!
Jocelyn Turner
Argosy Contributor
e rst thing you notice when
listening to this loveable arragement is
that it is not your typical bluesy blues:
it has more of a rock theme with jazzy,
harmonica smooth undertones. e
album is quite modern, not tting into
the typical sense of blues.
roughout the album, there are
absolutely breathtaking harmonica
solos. e man is as talented with his
harmonica as Eric Clapton is with
his guitar. e harmonica adds this
whole new head-bobbing beat to the
music that just makes it all the more
appealing. Del Junco adds a settle
little bars of harmonica that gently
crescendo and decrescendo and then
just blow listeners away.
Diddle It
e tone of the song is very similar
to that of swing music - its very
upbeat and has that I wanna dance
quality to it. In fact, it reminds me a
lot of some of the music you hear in
Dirty Dancing. It grabbed me and
made me want to dance - I actually
found myself dancing to it while I was
washing dishes. I just couldnt help
myself, which is a testament to the
kind of song it is.
Dull Blade
e song reminds me of a clash
between the James Bond movie theme
song and the Sex in the City opening
music. More like swing than the blues,
but the beat was good and it made me
bob m head and dance a little while I
was trying to study.
Jersey Bounce
is song is one of my favorites (the
Carlos Del Junco
Study Movin
Northernblues Music
third song on the album). It has this
wicked mean harmonica solo that blew
my mind. It goes above and beyond
talented. Again, this song didnt really
strike me as your typical blues as it had
more of a rocky feel to it, like Tom
Pettys Roll Another.
Amazing Grace
How sweet it truly is! e harmonica
blows your mind yet again. e style
and uidity and smoothness of the
harmonica solo is just wow. In Del
Juncos version of this folk song, he
presents listeners with four dierent
tempos of the well known gospel tune
with four dierent styles from verse
to verse. It goes from updeat to ballad
and back again.
e Simple Life
Once the listener reaches tune eight,
you nally get the real feeling of blues
that follows the norm, or in the very
least an indie sound.
ere isnt much singing throughout
the album. You can tell instantly that
vocals arent his strong suit. He has a
very bluesy voice, but its too raspy, and
tended to frequently go out of tune. I
just couldnt bring myself to enjoy the
small parts where Del Junco sang.
If the album had been done without
the vocals, I would have enjoyed it
more. Overall, the album was a real
pleaser. e harmonica was superb
and blended in well and shone when
it was time, taking your breath away.
e music had a good toe-tapping
beat that denitely made you want to
dance to it or tap your feet your hands
hands aginst something. Overall an
awesome album.
William Gregory
Argosy Staff
Damon Albarn, of Blur and
Gorrlilaz fame, takes on an ambitious
project with Journey to the West.
Reuniting with Jamie Hewlett, with
whom he collaborated in Gorillaz, the
duo, with some help from Chinese
director and choreographer Chen
Shi-Zheng, attempt to reimagine a
16th century Chinese tale, Xi You Ji,
for a 21st century, english audience.
Consequently, the normal criteria of
a record review do not apply well to
Journey to the West. Moreover, it had
also been reworked into an opera,
which will be touring after a stint
at Londons Royal Opera House in
July. Clearly, Albarn and Hewletts
ambitious project is not the typical of
one of nineties Brit-Pops favoured
sons. e disc is best taken as a whole,
since most songs are very short and
work towards the overall atmosphere
and direction of the records leitmotif,
and cant be taken outside of this
context as standalone tracks.
e style is best described as
electronic opera, with the appearance
of several Chinese language singers
who provide the vocals. As a result, I
have absolutely no basis for judging the
lyrics, since I have no idea what they
are. Nevertheless, the sound, which
attempts to mimic the traditional
Monkey
Journey to the West
XL Recordings
Chinese musical style, again something
in which I have no background. Most
tracks feature gorgeous, swelling
arrangements, vacillating between
rich, operatic scores and technological
experimentation. is creates an unique
sound, suitable for this experiment in
Western and Eastern styles - Monkey
Bee sounds almost like top forty hit
with its driving, electric underpinning
and harmonies of the vocals. Since the
tracks are so short, averaging about two
and a half minutes, the changes in style
are rapid and pronounced, especially
as the beginning of the disc, before
settling into the two long closers,
Monkey Bee and Disappearing
Volcano.
e Dragon King is a regimented
track, set to choppy vocals and a
militaristic marching serving as the
tracks percussion. Monks Song
is a more straightforward aping of
traditional Chinese music. is project
could easily be seen as oensive: a
pair of Englishmen taking a classic
Chinese story and transforming it -
shades of Edward Saids Orientalism
abound here. However, it deserves
some attention just for its unabashed
ambitiousness, and it seems (from my
limited perspective) that Albarn and
Hewlett strive to preserve the soul of
the original story. If youre in the mood
for something of the beaten track, give
Journey to the West a spin.
Betty Liang
Argosy Correspondent
Man on Wire (2008, UK. Directed by
James Marsh)
I am no expert when it comes to
documentaries. e only ones that I
can remember watching involve the
lifecycles of animals in the Amazon
rainforest and wildebeest in Africa
getting eaten by crocodiles and lions;
however, I think it is safe to say that
Man on Wire is a rather wonderful
deviation from my documentary
norm.
Chronicling Philippe Petits high-
wire walk between the World Trade
Center towers in 1974, Man on Wire is
a very compelling lm, lled with both
humour and beauty.
Each reenacted scene is brilliantly
made, like some old home videos that
bring a magical sort of nostalgia to the
screen. e viewer is able to see all the
dedication and work that went into
the creation of Petits master plan of
inltrating the Twin Towers in order
to accomplish his dream not an easy
task to be sure.
e pacing of the documentary
is wonderful, creating a great sense
of suspense through the staggered
storytelling style. e audience is
forced to wait for the main action of the
lm, keeping Man on Wire captivating
and helping to reect the feelings
of the lms protagonists. Little by
little, the viewers are shown how the
preparations are carried through until
the nal breathtaking climax which
certainly is worth the wait.
And through all that suspense,
humour still shines. Interviews with
Petit and those who helped him reach
his dream are full of eccentricity and
passion. ere was no shortage of
amusing characters who still seem to
have retained their sense of fun and
adventure 30 years later.
is is especially true of Petit himself.
It is quite easy to imagine that he was
once the young man who walked across
the sky between the Twin Towers in
New York. Passionate and eccentric,
Not your average documentary
Film Societys Man on Wire is a thrilling ride
charming and bewildering, Petits
speech is lled with a quirky appeal
that keeps the audience enchanted and
laughing.
Of course, the concept of Petits
high-wire act is one of the truly
beautiful aspects of Man on Wire. It is
a rather lovely thought in and of itself
committing the perfect crime, one
that would cause no harm, aiming only
to inspire those who are lucky enough
to witness the event.
All at once beautiful, funny and
compelling, Man on Wire will leave
you inspired to reach for your dreams
no matter how crazy they may seem.
www.truefalse.org
Feeling Blue? Reviews to ease the pain
Harmonica player extrodinaire Carlos del Junco.
www.bancentre.ca
E
OCTOBER 9, 2008 ENTERTAINMENT THE ARGOSY PAGE 11
A federal general election is taking place on October 14, 2008.
For information on where and when to
vote, check your voter information card.
It tells you where and when to vote. Youll
get through the voting process more quickly
if you have it with you.
You will find the voting hours for your
polling station on your voter information
card or at www.elections.ca by clicking on
Voter Information Service.
If you havent received this card, you are
probably not on the voters list. To register,
all you need to do is go to your polling
station on election day, where you must
prove your identity and address.
New identification rules to vote
When you vote, you must prove your
identity and address.
For the list of acceptable pieces of
identification authorized by the Chief
Electoral Officer of Canada, please see
the pamphlet you received by mail from
Elections Canada or visit www.elections.ca
and click on Voter Identification at
the Polls.
To vote, you must:
be a Canadian citizen
be at least 18 years old on election day
prove your identity and address
Vote. Shape your world.
1-800-INFO-VOTE
1-800-463-6868
toll-free in Canada and the United States,
or 001-800-514-6868 toll-free in Mexico
TTY 1-800-361-8935
for people who are deaf or hard of hearing,
toll-free in Canada and the United States, or
613-991-2082 from anywhere in the world
www.elections.ca
Neil Bonner
Argosy Staff
Hey, rest of Canada. You can keep
your Pop Montreal, your Sled Island
Music Fest, and your Pemberton
Festival. Weve got the Halifax Pop
Explosion and we like it just ne. With
acts from around the globe performing
at twelve dierent venues around
metro Halifax, this Pop Explosion
is the biggest in the events 16 year
history. Heres a sample of some of the
audio dynamite set to blow between
October 21 to 25.
Jay Reatard, Tomcat Combat,
Memories Attack, A History Of and
Kestrels Tuesday Oct. 21 @ the
Marquee Club (19+)
With a neverending string of vinyl
singles, Jay Reatard has gone from
Memphis rock xture to international
success, recently sharing a single with
Beck. He plays quick n dirty shotgun
blasts of rock songs, blending the
three-chord punk of the Ramones with
the dirty modern blues of e Black
Keys, while slathering it in MC5 fuzz
with dollops of new wave and post
Halifax Pop Explosion ignites city
punk. His shows have a reputation for
uninhabited insanity come prepared
to get bruised. And no, thats not his
real name.
e Superfantastics, e Beginners,
A/V, Pete Samples, Matt Reid &
Friends ursday Oct. 23 @ Hells
Kitchen (19+)
Anyone who attended Fuse at
Brunton Auditorium earlier this year
is familiar with the Superfantastics
fuzzy, sunny pop music. See them on
their home turf with support from
Fine Arts Halloween Party veterans
A/V and hooky electro-popper Pete
Samples.
Ron Sexsmith and the Nova Scotia
Symphony Orchestra Friday Oct.
24 @ Rebecca Cohn Auditorium (All
Ages)
Ron Sexsmith is a favourite with
Canadian audiences and critics alike,
yet hes also one of our most underrated
performers. Despite a series of solid
LPs and collaborations with Feist and
Coldplays Chris Martin, Sexsmith
always seems to y under the radar.
Hell be touring all around the
Maritimes this fall, but this is a unique
opportunity to see him perform with
the Nova Scotia Symphony, just as
current tourmate Joel Plaskett did at
the 2006 Explosion.
GZA, Ghettosocks and DJ Cosmo
Friday Oct. 24 @ the Marquee Club
(19+)
One of the most popular trends
from the festival circuit in recent years
had been the full album concert, where
bands perform their classic albums
from start to nish. Artists such
as Sonic Youth, Public Enemy and
Van Morrison are doing it, and you
can add the Wu-Tang Clans lyrical
swordsman e GZA to that list. Hell
be performing his 1995 magnum opus
Liquid Swords, as well as a few tracks
from his this years excellent Pro Tools
disc. Opening for him is Halifax MC
Ghettosocks, who opened for Nas at
the Cunard Center back in May. Best
of all, if you head downstairs to the
Hells Kitchen club, theres an entirely
dierent hip hop show starting at
10pm.
Woodhands, Young Rival, Peter
Project w/ More or Les, e Bicycles
w/ Prarie Cat, Township Explosion
w/ Were Scared Saturday Oct. 25 @
Coconut Grove (19+)
An eclectic, energetic evening of
tunes, from the Disney-core hip hop
of Peter Project to the irrepressible,
bouncy pop of the Bicycles and the
smooth/abrasive beats of Woodhands.
e sheer amount of talent on the bill
means this should be the best value of
any show at the Explosion.
Also performing: Polaris Prize
nominees Holy Fuck, Two Hours
Trac and Basia Bulat; Montreals
Wu Tang! GZA will preform the entirety of Wu Tangs Liquid Swords at
this years Halifax Pop Explosion.
psych-pop oddballs Islands; former
Death from Above 1979 dummer/
singer Sebastien Graingers new
project Les Montaignes; perennial
Sackville favourites Al Tuck and
Windom Earle and many many more.
Visit www.halifaxpopexplosion.com
for the full lineup.
Sixteenth annual festival bigger than ever
www.formatmag.com
Oi!
Why so
glum?
Write
Enter-
tain-
ment!
members.home.nl
CHMA 106.9 CAMPUS & COMMUNITY RADIO BULLETIN
B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y T H E F I N E F O L K S A T A T T I C B R O A D C A S T I N G
WE CAN BUILD IN PIECES
OCTOBER 9, 2008.
ORIENTATION SESSION TO BE HELD EVERY TUESDAY AT 4:00 PM IN THE CHMA OFFICE LOCATED ON THE 3RD FLOOR OF THE STUD (UNIVERSITY CENTRE)
For more info contact the Program Director @ 364-2221 or chma_pro@mta.ca - www.mta.ca/chma

* indicates Canadian artist. Chart ranking reflects
airplay during the week ending 30-Sep-2008
CHMA CHARTS
As the days get shorter and the nights get colder let Vanessa Blackier
and Heather Keagan make your Tuesday afternoons a little brighter with
Anticnotes. Getting into its second year on CHMA 106.9fm, and already
off to a strong start, Anticnotes is a perfect blend of new music and tales
of Vanessa and Heather's Sackville adventures. Earlier this fall they inter-
viewed Newfoundland sensations 'Hey Rosetta', and they assure me that
more interviews are coming. Vanessa likes to play a lot of East Coast
Indie music, like Hey Rosetta, Sleepless Nights and Grand Theft Bus.
Heather compliments this with more American and European indie
music, even adding some German songs to the mix. They keep the mood
light with their upbeat banter often relating the stories they tell to the
songs they play. That said the focus of their show is cool music. Who can
go wrong with cool music? Tune in to Anticnotes every Tuesday after-
noon between 3:00pm and 4:00pm to join Heather and Vanessa as they
let you listen in on their super-hip dance party in the booth.
This is one example of the great programming to be found on CHMA
106.9FM. Start listening now.
WHAT YOU COULD BE
LISTENING TO...
JASON COLLETT
TV ON THE RADIO - DEAR SCIENCE
THE LAZY WAY THEY TURNED YOUR HEAD INTO A REST STOP
FOR THE DEAD. Never ones to make a quiet entrance; these are the
words with which TV On The Radio chooses to begin their open letter
to Science. Science, like the musical beds upon which the TV On the
Radio boys lay their serenely strung out lyrics, is a nebulous all-
encompassing thing. Lately, Science is being evoked everywhere, the
standard of rationality, that gives legitimacy to everything. For this TV
On The Radio would like to apologize. Its too much you see for poor
Science, or is it too little? As with Return to Cookie Mountain and Des-
perate Youth Bloodthirsty Babes before it, Dear Science is strangely on
the nose without ever being clear on its position. TV On The Radio in
this sense shares the negative project with critical theory, calling into
question that which we claim to know, believe and understand. Taking
this critique to its most extreme conclusion their surreal lyrics resonate
without clarity. It's from this confused quagmire that they seek to prop
up that which is universal - love. As they see it, this is a bad world for
love and we need love, because it beats the alternative. As Kyp
Malone, co-frontman, intones on Red Dress: Fuck Your WAR!!
[emphasis original] Im fat and in love and no bombs are falling on me
for sure. But Im scared to death Im living a life not worth dying for.
Anger and insecurity, the blanket sentiments for any of us faced with an
impending environmental crisis, an incomprehensible economic crisis,
and no obvious way to do anything about anything. I can sense at this
point that you gentle reader are wondering how the music is musically.
Its Fantastic. Thats it. -J.G.
Highlight tracks: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11
Now Playing on CHMA 106.9fm
RECORD REVIEW
COUNTDOWN TO STEREO-
PHONIC: 99 DAYS
01. JASON COLLETT* Here's To Being Here (Arts & Crafts)
02. SHOTGUN JIMMIE* The Onlys (Delorean)
03. THE SOIREE* Minor Details (Independent)
04. CHAD VANGAALEN* Soft Airplane (Flemish Eye/Sub Pop)
05. GIANNA LAUREN* Fist In A Heart (Independent)
06. MILLENCOLIN Machine 15 (Epitaph)
07. THE HOLD STEADY Stay Positive (Vagrant)
08. JENN GRANT* Orchestra For The Moon (Paris 1919)
09. WOMEN* Women (Flemish Eye)
10. BETTE & WALLET* Voici... (Saspooray)
11. OKKERVIL RIVER The Stand Ins (Jagjaguwar)
12. ALENA MANERA* Alena Manera (Independent)
13. B.A. JOHNSTON* Stairway to Hamilton (Just Friends)
14. PETER PROJECT* Peter Project (Fuzzy Logic)
15. LES BREASTFEEDERS* Les Matins De Grands Soirs (Blow The Fuse)
16. HEY ROSETTA!* Into Your Lungs (Sonic)
17. SAM ROBERTS* Love At The End Of The World (Secret City)
18. PETE SAMPLES* The Jumper Cables (Independent)
19. BRAZILIAN GIRLS New York City (Verve)
20. TV ON THE RADIO Dear Science (Touch & Go Records)
21. BELLEISLE* Longstanding (Ships At Night)
22. ISLANDS* Arm's Way (Anti)
23. KOAK* Morningtime Stumble (Delorean)
24. HUMAN HIGHWAY* Moody Motorcycle (Secret City)
25. THE SUPERFANTASTICS* Choose Your Destination (Independent)
26. SNAILHOUSE* Lies On The Prize (Unfamiliar)
27. JUANA MOLINA Un dia (Domino)
28. STEREOLAB Chemical Chords (4AD)
29. DB BUXTON REVUE* No Refund (Independent)
30. THE AWKWARD STAGE* Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights (Mint)

Toronto stalwarts The Fembots will be showing-off at Struts Gallery
Wednesday, October 8th. Come out to enjoy some deep dark art-rock
featuring Nathan Lawr; who amazed all those who had the chance to catch
him in June. If simple roots influenced guitar rock with humongous hooks
appeals to you youll love The Fembots. It may be heavy but heavy is the cost.
Halifaxs newest buzz-band Fall Horsie will be opening up with his backward-
looking chamber-pop. Also on the bill are mellow-dramatic West-coasters
Octoberman.
Stressing over midterms? Come unwind with some live music. Struts is cozy,
your friends are there, at least we hope they are.
CHMA PRESENTS LIVE MUSIC
FEMBOTS + FALL HORSIE
+ OCTOBERMAN...
LIVE AT STRUTS GALLERY
ALL AGES WELCOMED
WED. OCTOBER 8. $8. 8PM.
TV ON THE RADIO
FEATURES
Tom Llewellin
Argosy Correspondent
Delegates at the Democratic
National Convention, in Denver,
Colorado, were assailed by thousands of
mobile billboards as they manoeuvred
through the crowds. Not mere ad-
displaying units, but the swag bags
that every single attendee received as
they entered the convention grounds.
AT&T and Coca-Colas logos adorned
the bags, taking up more space than
the logo of the convention itself.
e Times Square feeling of what
is essentially a meeting for political
parties to conduct ocial business, has
its roots in many factors. One is the
tremendous pull of corporate money
in politics south of the border; the
other is the fact that the Democrats,
traditionally less well-heeled than
their Republican counterparts, have
seen a considerable surge in corporate
donations, as George Bush and his
associated Republican machinery have
fallen more and more out of favour.
According to the nongovernmental
Campaign Finance institute, corporate
donors have spent over $800 million on
political campaign expenses, including
donations, and lobbying, since 2005. By
last July, corporate donations alone ran
at roughly $107 million per party. For
the rst time in many years, the usually
Republican-leaning corporations
have come down equally on both
sides. Traditionally, Republicans have
far more cash on hand than most
Democrats, so the situation is quite
unusual. e Economist attributes it to
the money going to whomever is seen
as most likely to win - with the odds
leaning more and more in Obamas
favour. ey see it as an investment,
one is likely to reap rewards when
the gift is remembered, and possibly
be followed by future lobbying
contributions to help shape - or write,
as the American Civil Liberties Union
charges - the laws.
Both candidates have strongly
entrenched themselves as being
committed to campaign nance
reform. Democratic candidate
Barack Obama has called for greater
transparency, while Republican John
McCain has unleashed a blistering
verbal attack on the Beltway lite.
However, in the ercely competitive
American TV market, thirty seconds
of prime-time ad space runs at a
ve-network average of $47, 000.
Advertising is the single greatest
expense of campaigns, and owing to
tough regulations, they have had to
nd ingenious ways to raise the reams
of money required.
e crucial dierence in American
nancing is between hard money,
and soft money.
Hard money is what it sounds like
- direct contributions to a campaign
organization, recorded, and regulated.
e nonpartisan Federal Elections
Commission, their equivalent of
Elections Canada, sets strict ceilings
on the amount of hard money that may
be given. Individuals may only give $2,
300 annually to individual candidates,
but the limit increases to $108, 200
over two years, if political parties are
included in the calculations.
Soft money is dicult to regulate,
and has no real ceiling. Instead of
giving to a registered campaign
organization, soft money donors,
usually corporations, give to a Political
Awareness Committee (set up on a
party or candidates behalf ), or advocacy
organizations, described as 527s
after the section of the US tax code
that regulates them. Such institutions
must be nonprot, and cannot
expressly advocate for the election of a
candidate through advertisements, but
must promote certain types of issues.
For example, an ad could run saying
Candidate X is a traitor and a liar.
Candidate Y is looking out for you.
Remember to vote.
Since theres no outright endorsement
of Candidate Y, it falls under the
category of issue advertising, which
the government considers to be a
public education service. Ads of this
type essentially have free rein, and the
amount of soft money raised by the
Democrats, allows them to run them
at particularly inuential times. $62
million in soft money was raised by the
Democrats in 2007 alone, according to
the Campaign Finance Institute, and
all estimates for 2008 put the amount
squarely in the hundreds of millions.
e latter exists thanks to loopholes
in legislation that allow candidates to
do an end-run around traditional limits
to contributions, either by individual
U.S. campaign nancing reaches record levels
size or the overall limit.
Such a scenario would be impossible
in Canada, since Elections Canada,
through its matching funds system,
provides the bulk of campaign money.
A similar mechanism exists south of
the border, but its use is not always
politically tenable. In the Republican
and Democratic primaries last year,
only two candidates (Tom Tancredo
and John Edwards) agreed to accept
public funds. e rest refused, both out
of principle, and due to the fact that the
funds are matching. For every private
dollar candidates raise, government
will match - but only to a certain
ceiling. Owing to the massive amounts
of money eaten up by advertising, its
far from a feasible option, says the
Campaign Finance Institute.
However, there are some exceptions
to the big-money rule. Barack
Obamas campaign has rode a massive
wave of grassroots support, with him
receiving a larger percentage of hard
money contributions from individuals
than any other candidate, including
the famous one million dollars in one
minute this spring, when fundraising
was at a peak. However, loopholes
did not take long to rear their heads.
Last April, he used a time-honoured
tactic called bundling. rough
their personal networks, 79 people
committed to turning out $200, 000
each, reported the Washington Post,
by soliciting enough people to cut
cheques for the candidate until the
total was reached. e list of bundlers
included many usual Democratic
suspects - executives from Hollywood
and trial lawyers - as well as a laundry
list of heads of Wall Street rm. Five
of these were billionaires.
In America, says the Campaign
Finance Institute, nancing campaigns
is still a job best left to the many rich
and powerful.
Kristen Theodore
The Link (Concordia University)
MONTREAL (CUP) Sometimes,
just the thought of cracking open your
all-too cumbersome textbook to page
174, and reading several more chapters
can seem utterly unbearable. With
midterms looming on the horizon,
and grades at stake, many students are
turning to the power of prescription
pills in order to stay regulated, focused,
and ahead of the game.
As prescription pills becomes more
prominent, some people wonder
if popping a pill is an easy time-
management x, and if their usage will
become more legitimate with time.
Its not uncommon for students to
become overwhelmed in the academic
environment. Once the pressure is on,
coping gets harder.
Im a huge procrastinator, said
Christina (all names in this article
have been altered to protect sources
privacy), a second-year arts student at
McGill University in Montreal. I tend
to leave big projects until the night
before the due date, which means Im
under pressure to do a lot of work in a
short time.
Christina, not unlike other students,
has faced unforgiving mountains of
homework with limited timeframes.
And whether the stress is self-inicted
or not, the work has to get done.
Energy drinks werent always
the most eective means of staying
focused, as they have the tendency
to wear o only after a few hours. In
order to cope with her never-ending
stream of papers and other important
projects, Christina turned to Ritalin
and Provigil two over-the-counter
drugs.
Provigil is a drug often given to
those who suer from serious bouts
of narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea,
and shift-work sleep disorder.
Ritalin, a drug normally prescribed
to those who have a dicult time
concentrating or individuals plagued
with hyperactivity, helped Christina
focus on her studies. As a result, she
was able to get more work done.
[Ritalin] made me super focused
so I just steamed ahead with work and
did nothing else, said Christina.
ose who take the prescription
drugs Christina used report a
heightened sense of focus that helps
render their studying altogether less
tedious and enables them to get the
job done more eciently.
ough these drugs are not intended
for casual use, Christina found her
experiences were positive overall.
[Provigil] kept me awake much
longer than caeine, she said. While
the drugs side-eects are said to
include headaches, nausea, and stuy
noses, Christina experienced none of
these symptoms.
When youre in a panic, they seem
like a really good solution. Like, hey,
pop this pill, and you can stay up all
night, no problem.
While Christina has dabbled in
other recreational drugs, such as
marijuana and alcohol, she says her
use of prescription pills was intended
only for the benet of her academic
productivity.
Christina isnt alone in turning
to prescription drugs as a way out of
tough academic situations. In recent
years, the use of pharmaceuticals as
self-prescribed study-aids is becoming
more frequent. In the 2003 Ontario
Student Drug Use and Health Survey,
2.9 per cent of high-school students
had access to Ritalin and had been
using it as a focus-aid.
By Grade 11, that number only
increased to ve per cent as the students
climbed the academic ladder higher.
According to Statistics Canada, that
number has remained relatively high
in boys and somewhat lower in girls.
Similarly, an Atlantic Canada survey
by the Canadian Medical Association
Journal in 2001 gured that out of
almost 14,000 randomly selected
students, 700 had been taking Ritalin
and other drugs, such as Dexedrine
and Benzedrine, for non-medical use.
From 1985 to 2002, requests for
Ritalin prescriptions alone spiked
600 per cent in Canada. And as
the use among campus students is
becoming more widespread, critics are
More students turn to prescription pills for extra boost
questioning the rampant accessibility
of these medications. How do students
get a hold of Ritalin when they dont
actually have Attention Decit
Disorder?
According to Amy, a second-year
McGill student, getting drugs is not
dicult. Pills, it seems, are becoming
increasingly available to anyone willing
to seek them out.
Amy has developed an anity
for prescription pills. She has never
used drugs to study. She simply used
them for a high. Crushing Ritalin and
snorting it increases the eects of the
amphetamines it contains.
I just go to a walk-in clinic, give
them a list of symptoms, and they
prescribe to me whatever I need, she
said.
Eortless journeys such as these
often result in the easy acquisition of
sleeping pills, stay-awake pills, or even
anti-depressants. A simple Google
search can conjure up a list of the
symptoms needed to sound believable
to an on-the-clock doctor.
You just need to go to dierent
clinics where they dont have a le on
you, said Amy.
e doctors will therefore prescribe
you any sort of medication you crave,
on the spot, she adds.
But if that expedition seems time-
consuming, students on campuses
all across North America have found
less complicated means to access
prescription pills. Some re-use and
recycle old prescriptions theyve
had for Ritalin or Adderall, another
amphetamine meant to treat narcolepsy
and Attention Decit Hyperactivity
Disorder, in the past.
Others need not go further than
their own campus. Pills can be acquired
so long as students know where to
look from your friendly small-time
dealer, often a fellow student, for about
$3 to $5 a pop. Websites all over the
Internet advertise a cheap, anonymous
way of obtaining medication online,
in a user-friendly fashion. All that is
required is a credit card.
Often, students turn to prescription
pills to balance their fast-paced lives.
Entering a new university can be an
exciting experience: studying doesnt
seem as much fun as going out with
new friends and drinking. Often,
students nd themselves overwhelmed
by juggling several priorities at once.
Angela, a former McGill student
now studying at Concordia University
in Montreal, often fell behind in her
schoolwork. Once she got involved with
a sports team, she found it dicult to
balance doing her homework, playing
sports, and living a healthy social life.
She turned to prescription drugs.
During the season, I would do
sports, see my friends, and usually
school would come last, she said.
After trying Ritalin, Angela was
able to sit still and focus on her studies
instead of drifting o.
Acquiring the drugs was easy.
At McGill, my dealer was just
walking up and down the hallways of
the library, making deals, she said.
Angela says prescription drug use
seems a little more low-key at her new
school.
[At Concordia] Ive heard a couple
of people talk about it on campus but
its still a little more quiet.
Angela says she noticed an
immediate dierence when taking the
pills.
I completely noticed it, although
it could have been psychosomatic.
Psychosomatic symptoms are very
real, she said.
Regardless, Angela was able to do
things she thought impossible.
I could read a 500-page philosophy
book in ve days time. I could write
papers, she said.
ose students who have turned
to pharmaceuticals as an answer or a
x may acknowledge their activities
arent exactly safe, but none seem to
feel particularly inclined to give them
up. e prescription label and industry
stamp do a lot to allay fears and for
most users, who believe the benets
outweigh the risks.
If youre desperate, theyre a pretty
good last resort, said Christina.
Montreal students say drugs are easy to get from doctors or dealers
Internet Photo
Carly Fridhandler / e Link
F
PAGE 14 THE ARGOSY FEATURES OCTOBER 9, 2008
Rebecca Dixon
Argosy Correspondent
Dominic Leblanc is the incumbent
candidate for the Beausjour riding.
e son of Governor General Romeo
Leblanc, he received Bachelors degrees
from the University of Toronto, and
the University of New Brunswick. A
trained lawyer who received his Masters
of Law from Havard University, he
was a barrister and solicitor with the
rm Clark and Drummie in Shediac
until winning his rst election.
Involved at the centre of federal
politics, Leblanc was a special assistant
to the prime minister from 1993-
1996, helping to organize the Liberal
Leaders Tour of Atlantic Canada, as
well as other events. His rst campaign
in Beausjour-Petitcodiac in 1997 was
unsuccessful, leaving the riding with its
rst non-Liberal MP (NDP candidate
Angela Vautour) in decades. He tried
again in 2000, and has been elected
as MP for Beausejour ever since.
e 39 year-old has signicant
political experience under his belt.
As a cabinet member, he was an
International Trade Critic in 2006,
and has been a committee member for
several departments, including Fisheries
and Oceans, as well as Transport and
Government Operations. Leblanc has
served on a special committee on non-
medical use of drugs, as well as on the
National Defence and Veterans Aairs,
and Public Accounts committees.
Currently he is a member of the Privy
Council of Canada, and was involved as
the Ocial Oppositions Justice Critic
and Critic for Intergovernmental
Aairs. is last post has allowed
him to be greatly knowledgeable of
controversial issues such as Omar
Khadrs imprisonment in Guantanamo
Bay, which he has called an appalling
example of Canadian negligence.
He is vice-chair of the Liberal
Party of Canadas Policy and Platform
Committee, which perhaps contributed
to his detailed and condent responses
to questioning on party policies at
the debate here at Mount Allison.
Leblanc has said that he believes this
election is about two main issues
- a sustainable environment, and a
sustainable economy. e Liberal
platform presents a very bold agenda.
e party is very proud of their
Green Shift, which has this countrys
largest producers of greenhouse gases
paying a tax of $10 per tonne for
their contribution to pollution. is
action of putting a price on pollution
will aect around 750 industrial
companies. However, the Liberals want
to do more than punish the polluters
they want to encourage better, more
environmentally friendly habits, and so
are willing to provide nancial support
for investment in more advanced,
green technology, and equipment.
Liberal leader Stphane Dion has
said that this ambitious plan, modeled
partly on policies implemented in
Northern Europe, will position
Canada to be a leader in the twenty-
rst century global economy, and
Leblanc agrees that it will give us
moral authority on the world stage.
For those concerned about how
rising costs of production will aect
Canadians as consumers, the Liberals
quote that it will cost us less than
$300 per year. Furthermore, they have
promised an income tax cut of up to
10% a year. In addition, regardless of
income level, families with children
will receive a refundable credit of $350
per child every year. Homeowners
investing in energy saving measures
will be eligible for grants and
interest-free loans of up to $10, 000.
e liberals also hope to create many
jobs in infrastructure advancement and
the developing of green technologies,
to oset job losses resulting from the
environmental policy changes. To this
aect they have a special Advanced
Manufacturing Prosperity (AMP)
Fund to help this ailing sector by
investing in research and development.
While the Liberal partys full
platform paper does not have a section
for post-secondary education, or even
for young adults, Leblanc has made
mention of a few initiatives aecting
students. ese include an increased
number of bursaries, and a special
education grant. He also says the
Liberal party will guarantee student
loans of $5,000, with interest rates
of only prime plus 0.5 per cent. is
would be oered for all students,
including those already paying loans,
and would be regardless of parental
income. Apprenticeships will see
similar grant and interest rate measures.
Leblanc is also proposing to renew the
Millennium Scholarship, and to provide
better funding for academic research.
For small communities such as
Sackville, Leblanc sees a needed
improvement in infrastructure. is
includes aspects of the Green Shift,
which encourages farmers, truckers,
and shermen to purchase fuel-saving
technologies by oering subsidized
prices. People in rural communities
are also given special consideration
through a $150 energy grant.
e pressing issue of health care in
rural areas is also on the agenda. In
Sackville, for example, there are around
1,000 people without a family doctor.
is is a prevalent problem throughout
Canada, and may only be getting worse,
as many practicing doctors are currently
nearing retirement age. e Liberal
party intends to institute a Doctors
and Nurses Fund. is will specically
target the issue in rural communities
by forgiving(?) $10, 000 per year of
debt for health care professionals
who commit to working in under-
serviced areas for a minimum of ve
years. Furthermore, the party wants to
work with provincial governments to
better the use of Internet technology,
and to set up a Catastrophic
Drug Program for families who
cannot aord vital medications.
Foreign policy is a controversial area
in which the Liberals are presenting
some clear ideas. ey are rmly
suggesting a pull-out deadline of
Canadian troops from Afghanistan of
July 2011. Leblanc states that it is time
that other NATO members take over,
and that Canada has been holding the
bag while the focus shifted to Iraq.
ey hope to engage our troops in
further, UN sanctioned peacekeeping
missions. Other important foreign
policy goals include supporting
the UN-African Union mission
to Darfur with technical resources,
and increasing Canadas amount
of foreign aid, which has actually
been going down in recent years.
Sasha Van Katwyk
Argosy Staff
Omer Lger, the conservative
candidate for the Beausjour running,
has had a lengthy career in politics. Born
in 1931 in Massachusetts, Lger found
his way to New Brunswick through his
attendance at St. Josephs College. In
1971, he was rst elected in the Kent
riding, leaving his job at Assomption
Mutuelle. e victory in Kent marked
the rst Progressive Conservative
victory in the traditionally Liberal
Kent County in nearly 60 years.
After serving two terms in Kent, as
both provincial secretary and minister
of Fisheries, Lger attempted to take
on the Beausjour, also known as a
Liberal-locked region. In 1988, he lost
with only 27 per cent of the vote, and
again in 2006, taking only 32 per cent.
Hes adamant about continuing to run
for the position; Im seeing changes
in perspectives in municipal councils
and throughout the constituency
he said in a press conference.
Lger has found himself in and out
of politics for years, taking on business
ventures between terms; however hes
become known for his particularly
vociferous discussions on the securities
of employment insurance. I know
I would be a strong voice in the
national caucus, so they know we have
a special situation, he said. Harpers
government needs somebody who
knows the rural part of New Brunswick,
the seasonal workers. He has,
however, been accused by opposition
of not taking into account the eects
of some of Harpers policies on the
very workers he hopes will elect him.
On other issues, Lger is discrete
in what hell divide himself from the
party on, and the separation between
his policies and party lines are few
and minimal. In terms of social values,
where the Conservative party certainly
holds the banner of traditional family
values,Lger is in step with policy, and
often speaks of his wife, Dolores, and
his four children. In terms of economic
issues, Lger has asserted that a tough
ride is ahead, however is adamant
that Harpers policies will eventually
present the results were looking for.
In the past, Lger has diverged from
the Conservative party line on the
Liberal Party of Canada
Dominic LeBlanc
Conservative Party of Canada
Omer Lger
economy, however his rhetoric this time
around is more orthodox. e same is
true of the environment; in a speech
he pointed out that Canada only
contributes two per cent of the global
greenhouse emissions, and Harpers
disregard to the issue is understandable.
As for what hes promising if elected
to oce, he has been adamant that
Beausjour is looking for change. We
need change in Beausjour, he said.
e political climate in Beausjour, if
I win... will never be the same again. If
[Liberal incumbent Dominic LeBlanc]
wins, whats new? Another Liberal. e
same thing since 1930. While some
have called Lgers campaign riding on
change for changes sake, he feels its
what the people here are looking for.
For your consideration: Candidates running for election in this, the Beausjour, riding
The Argosy presents profiles and platforms of the candidates, from four major political parties, running
Publicity Photo
Callan Field
F
OCTOBER 9, 2008 FEATURES THE ARGOSY PAGE 15
Kelly OConnor
Argosy Staff
Michael Milligan, born in
Churchill, Manitoba, grew up green
on an organic farm in rural Nova
Scotia, moving there after his father
started organic farming in the 1970s.
He is now a grandfather of one, a
motorcycle mechanic, and a Master
Builder of log homes in Moncton.
Milligan, a relative greenhorn in
politics, got his start in the Green
Party only a year and a half ago, after
a uranium company began staking
the area around Moncton looking
for potential mining sites. Back in
the 1970s, another mining company
had staked his fathers organic farm;
thanks to intense local activism,
uranium mining was banned in Nova
Scotia, and his fathers farm was saved.
Refusing to see the same threat surface
again in the Moncton area, Milligan
began addressing town council on the
issue and, thanks to his activism, was
invited to a Moncton area Green Party
meeting. After surveying their platform
for the rst time, Milligan realized
that he and the party were a natural t.
Despite having no previous experience
in politics, Milligan decided to become
a federal candidate for the Green Party
after the birth of his rst grandchild
sparked some internal reection.
Acknowledging he had only about
twenty to thirty years left, he decided
to deviate from his original career as
a small business owner, and try to do
something for our future generations.
Realizing that the only way to ensure
lasting, serious change was to get in
behind the wheel and steer this car
- this electric car. Milligan sees the
Green Party as a tool for change,
and even if not elected or unable to
enact changes himself, will use his
campaign as a soapbox to advocate
for greener policies. Despite lacking
French, Milligan has found support to
be fairly solid thus far, and appreciates
the understanding of the French-
speaking population of Beausjour,
and does not see the language
barrier as a major stumbling block.
When asked what he thought
were some of the strongest planks of
the Green Partys platform, Milligan
identied the realistic outlook of the
party in tackling climate change; he
also emphasized that the Green Party
was not a single issue party. Countering
the challenge that their policies would
increase gas prices by ten cents per
litre, Milligan pointed out that those
extra ten cents would be funnelled
directly into a special fund to support
sustainable projects. is fund would
support grants to help those hardest
hit by such increases, such as xed
income families, to reduce their fossil
fuel consumption by introducing eco-
friendly changes, such as improving
their heating system and insulation.
Milligan further defended these
policies by identifying climate change
as a paramount concern, and pointed
out that we could either have higher
gas prices or water in the backyard.
When asked about the aect such
policies would have on food prices
for the poor, Milligan responded by
identifying education as a major tool for
people to lift themselves out of poverty.
Milligan also has big plans for the
Beausjour area. Following the lead
of Germany, a country in which the
Green Party is present (the party
itself exists in over ninety countries),
Milligan proposes that a new eco-
friendly industry be built in the
province by introducing new plants
to manufacture windmills, electric
cars, and solar panels. By switching
from a net metre system (in which any
extra power generated by windmills
over consumptive needs is simply
absorbed by the power companies)
to a feed-in tari system (in which
such extra electricity is bought by
power companies), Milligan thinks
the province could be turned into
a model of progress, and be made
a leader in green energy. As well,
Milligan identied bottom-trawling
as a major threat to the sustainability
of Maritime sh stocks, and proposes
an international agreement as a
solution to ban bottom-trawling.
Green Party of Canada
Michael Milligan
For your consideration: Candidates running for election in this, the Beausjour, riding
running for federal election in the Beausjour riding, which includes the Mount Allison University Campus
Justine Galbraith
Argosy Staff
Every federal election, a select
few ridings see a student among
their MP candidates. is year,
Christopher Durrant, a fourth-year
International Relations honours
student at Mount Allison, is one
of those select few. Durrant is
running for the New Democratic
Party in the Beausjour riding.
Durrant was born in Lennoxville,
Quebec, and developed a taste for
politics in his early teens. He quickly
became interested in the NDP, for
their principled stand on certain issues,
such as their unwavering support
of the gay and lesbian community,
particularly in the marriage issue.
Nominated in 2005 as the NDP
candidate in his home riding, Durrant
did not get the chance to campaign
or run, as the election did not, in the
end, occur. However, he did attend
the last NDP federal convention,
where party policies are decided.
Durrant has received funding
from the federal NDP, but also
hopes to hold fundraising activities
such as a benet concert. And he
campaigns out of his home. eres
better uses for the money that I
have than renting an oce, he said.
Since being federally nominated,
Durrant has had to nd a balance
between school work and campaigning.
While his professors are happy and
excited about his candidacy, they still
believe that its no excuse for late or
incomplete assignments, he explained.
e school works been suering
more than the campaign is, said
Durrant. Still, he thinks that its
worth it for the chance to speak
to people about what he believes.
Durrant feels that his approachability,
sincerity, earnestness, and age will get
him far in the election. Im nding [that
being a student] makes people more
interested, he said, combined with a
platform that addresses major issues.
In this rural riding, Durrant
feels that consumer protection is an
important issue. A key area that needs
this protection, he explained, is the
price of gas, which aects many low
income families. ere are times
when the gas prices fall, but the prices
here dont fall with them, he said.
In addition to monitoring and
regulating gas prices, the NDPs plans
include capping the interest rates on
credit cards, mandatory labelling of
farmed sh and genetically engineered
food, and a ban on ATM fees.
Another of Durrants main concerns
is the environment, as the area is
already seeing the eects of climate
change. His party is hoping to lower
emission levels by introducing a Cap
and Trade system, which he happily
explained to those attending Elizabeth
Mays recent whistlestop in Sackville.
e money made o this system
New Democratic Party of Canada
Chris Durrant
will be invested in environmental
projects, such as helping Canadians
retro-t their homes to save
heating energy, Durrant explained.
But his main focus will be on
seniors. eres an array of issues
concerning the elderly, said Durrant,
and people have been talking to him
about them. Durrant would like
to examine the cost of housing for
seniors on xed income, as well as
the home care available in the area.
[e NDP commits] to increasing
the number of home-care spaces by
100,000 which means seniors will
be able to stay out of the hospital
and nursing homes for longer,
because they will have medical care
coming to t heir door, and thus they
will get preventative treatments.
Durrant hopes that the NDP will
be viewed as nancially responsible,
despite critics. He feels that the party
has a lot of great suggestions that will
save the country money. One of these,
he explained, was to increase medical
school admissions by 50 per cent.
is way, there will be more family
doctors available, people will be able
to take more preventative measures,
and less hospital bills will be a result.
When asked if he thought he had a
shot in this liberally-dominated riding,
Durrant responded that politics
[are] always unpredictable. I think
the NDP has a great platform and a
platform that applies to this riding.
Publicity Photo
Callan Field
F
PAGE 16 THE ARGOSY FEATURES OCTOBER 9, 2008
Rev. John C. Perkin
University Chaplain
e last Saturday in September saw
the last wedding of the summer take
place in the chapel. e day before,
I was doing some nal preparations
before the couple arrived for the
rehearsal, and some straightening and
arranging of the chapel furnishings
was being done. In the middle of
these preparations, a letter was found,
left on the altar, and addressed to the
chapel. Often things are left behind in
the chapel, especially after weddings,
including a fairly generous supply of
bubble-blowing soap in very small
bottles, feather pens, enough safety
pins to repair a raft of dresses and
tuxedos, the occasional extra tie, hats,
and several umbrellas. Occasionally
small notes, letters or prayers are left
in the chapel, tucked in appropriate,
and inappropriate places, as though
the chapel were a Maritime Wailing
Wall, akin to the western wall of
the second temple in Jerusalem
where the Jewish faithful gather
for prayers. Often referred to as the
Wailing Wall, because of the Jewish
practice of coming to mourn the
destruction of the Temple; this holy
site of prayer has been for centuries
the repository of small prayer notes
tucked into the cracks between the
massive stones. Long recognized as
a holy site, tradition suggests that to
pray in the Temple in Jerusalem, is to
oer prayer before the very throne of
glory, because the very gate of heaven
is situated at the temple site, and it is
open to hear prayer. Prayers have been
written on scraps of paper, and left in
the cracks of the wall at least since the
eighteenth century; when the number
of prayers becomes too great for the
wall to permit more, authorities
carefully, and reverently remove the
prayers and, without reading them,
bury them according to holy ritual.
In this manner also, notes, prayers,
letters, and expressions of faith are
left in the chapel. While a book is
provided in the side chapel for notes,
it is not uncommon to nd another
by chance, cached near the front,
under the altar or in the baptismal
font. I try to treat such prayers left in
the chapel in an equally holy manner,
and perhaps should not have read the
letter addressed to the chapel, but the
sentiment captured me. e letter left
on the altar in the chapel was lled
with meaning and poetry thank you,
to the anonymous author. I will not
reproduce this communication here,
but will share only its essence: a note
of thanks that the chapel is available
and open, and being available and
open serves as a refuge, a place to
nding solitude, hope, healing, quiet,
rest.
I am glad that the chapel doors are
open daily, from early morning to
early evening and that the chapel
is available to anyone who wishes to
come in. Quiet times are set from
noon until one pm, and from four
until ve pm daily, so that it can serve
as a silent place of refuge from the
many, and varied activities that take
place on the Mount Allison campus.
At other times, organ or piano music
may accompany reections, prayers
or meditations in the chapel. I am
glad that the doors are unlocked, and
that anyone may come in at any time
during the day; I am reminded of the
traditional prayer, rst written over
the doorway of an Anglican church
in southern England during the
seventeenth century: O God, make
the door of this house wide enough
to receive all who need human love
and fellowship, and narrow enough
to shut out all envy, pride and strife.
Make its threshold smooth enough to
be no stumbling block to children nor
to straying feet, but rugged and strong
enough to turn back the tempters
power. God, make the door of this
house the gateway to thine eternal
kingdom.
A more contemporary variation
captures the same essential prayer:
May the door of this house be wide
enough to receive all who hunger for
love, all who long for community. May
this house be a place of welcome to all
those with cares to unburden, thanks
to express, and hope to nurture. May
this house be for all who enter a
doorway to the presence of God.
I am grateful that the university
community, almost fty years ago, saw
t to build a chapel dedicated to the
spiritual dimension of life, and that
the chapel represents an opportunity
for this spiritual dimension to be
explored and even questioned. It is
not that it should demand agreement
with any one creed or belief, but that it
is open to receive those who seek the
stillness, the calmness, the comfort
that it represents. It opens us to the
possibility of the sacred, the holy, the
other; it reminds us of the need to stop,
to be still, and to regain perspective.
We have, I believe, an inherent need
to be open to the sacred which we
understand in such a huge diversity
of forms and need those things that
point us to what is sacred and holy,
to those things that give us healing
and hope. Religious scholar Mircea
Eliade maintained that the element
of religion its mythology, its sense of
the sacred was an essential element
of a culture, and that instead of trying
to rationalize our understanding of
the sacred, or eliminate it, we should
instead open ourselves to a more full
understanding of the way in which
the sacred illuminates human nature,
and its ultimate aspirations. We need
to stop and reect on who we are, and
where we are going, and we need to
do in the context of those things that
open us up to mysteries of the divine,
the holy, the other, the ultimately
signicant.
While searching for some
information about a church on the
internet one day, I ran across a church
site which proclaimed at the top
of the web page, in large letters, all
welcome, and at the bottom of the
site, in smaller letters, please log in
using your user name and password
perhaps not so welcome after all. I
am glad that the chapel is welcoming
to many, and hope and pray that,
despite the Christian iconography
from an earlier age, the majesty and
beauty of the chapel is welcoming to
all as a place of reection and peace.
One of the hymns that we often
sing in chapel begins with the words
Come and nd the quiet centre in
the crowded life we lead, and goes to
oer the prayer clear the chaos and
the clutter, clear our eyes that we can
see, all the things that really matter,
be at peace and simply be. My hope
is that the chapel, in its majesty and
beauty, in its silence and its music, in
its presence and in our presence in
it, will allow all who enter in to nd
the things that really matter, to be at
peace and simply be. anks to all who
leave letters and prayers. My prayer is
that the chapel, a gift of alumni to
the university almost fty years ago,
will continue to be a gift to all who
enter, that others will nd peace and
hope breaking into their lives gently,
through stained glass.
rough stained glass
Argosy Correspondent
And now for something completely
dierent
e famous British sketch comedy
group, Monty Pythons Flying Circus,
rst aired their TV program on
October 5, 1967. e show was known
for its slightly risqu surrealist sketches
that included innuendo-lled gags and
jokes without punchlines. e show
also featured the now iconic cut-out
animations of Terry Gilliam, sometimes
incorporated into live-action scenes,
or by themselves in between sketches
(his most recognizable animation
throughout the entire show was the
Foot, taken from Agnolo Brozinos An
Allegory of Venus and Cupid).
e members of the troupe (the
late Graham Chapman, John Cleese,
Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones,
and Michael Palin) were all highly
educated ( Jones and Palin graduated
from Oxford; Chapman, Cleese, and
Idle from Cambridge; Gilliam from
the American Occidental College),
leading their sketches to sometimes
be more intellectual (with references
to philosophical and literary gures),
politically charged, based on historical
events or characters, and involving the
habits of normal British people. e
program was so well received that it
aired in several European countries
and North America (PBS began to
broadcast the show after their fourth
and nal series in 1974), and has
developed into several TV specials and
movies, including the famous Monty
Python and the Holy Grail (which
has recently been made into a musical,
Spamalot), albums, and books.
Although the members are most
fondly remembered by their show, all
of them have been very successful in
their own right, during, and after the
series.
e Great Miramichi Fire
On October 7, 1825, a restorm,
due to a lack of rainfall during the
summer, began around Newcastle,
New Brunswick. ough res had
been sweeping through the province
all summer, the restorm in the
Miramichi area was the largest
recorded in New Brunswick, and has
been recorded as one the three biggest
res in North America. Around noon,
a faint smell of smoke was noticed, as
the sky turned grey. Lumberjacks were
reported to have warned the people of
Newcastle that a re was beginning to
spread in the forest. Soon enough, the
air began to get thicker, and ash fell in
the streets, as a rumble was heard when
the Northeast wind picked up, and re
began to spread along the Miramichi
riverbank and towards Newcastle. e
heat of the re, and the temperature of
the day became so intense that the re
created, and was able to sustain its own
wind system, noted to be as strong as
hurricane-like winds.
ese winds picked up aming
trees, throwing them into the harbour
and town, burning buildings and ships
alike. In less than three hours, most of
Newcastle was burnt to a crisp, leaving
only 12 of its 260 buildings standing,
and engulfed many of the people
who stood around dumbstruck by the
ames. Wild animals and livestock
headed for the river to escape the heat,
followed closely by the humans; a few
accounts note that a bear huddled
among humans and their cattle,
waiting for the danger to pass. e
re continued to burn, making its way
across the river via burning ships that
were attempting to escape the ames.
e re also destroyed the
neighbouring towns of Douglasville,
Mooreeld, Napan, and Black River;
although the towns of Chatham,
Nelson, and Doaktown somehow
managed to escape the ames. e
cause of the re is unknown (although
its suggested that the re was several
dierent res burning simultaneously).
It managed to consume almost one
fth of New Brunswicks forests, and
killed 160 people (including typhoid
patients who were too weak to move,
and prisoners of the Newcastle Jail).
Raising the Mary Rose
On October 11, 1982, after three
years of excavation, the sixteenth
century warship, the Mary Rose was
nally raised out of the sea bed in the
Solent Channel (near Portsmouth,
UK), by way of a support cradle.
e Mary Rose is currently the only
sixteenth century warship to be on
display in a museum.
e Mary Rose (thought to be
named after Henry VIIIs younger
sister, and the Tudor emblem), built
in Portsmouth, was a four-masted
warship, and the rst to have a full
broadside of cannons. e ship was
500 tons when immersed in water,
38.5 metres long, and had a crew
of 200 sailors, 185 soldiers, and 30
gunners. In 1515, Francis I of France
launched an invasion on England with
an enormous eet: 30,000 soldiers
with 200 ships larger than that of
the Spanish Armada. e English,
however only had 80 ships, and 12,000
soldiers, with the Mary Rose as one
of the eets main agships. In July
of 1515, the French eet entered the
Solent Channel (between Hampshire
and the Isle of Wight), only to be met
by the English on July 19, engaging in
battle, wherein neither side received
much damage. e next day, however,
as the Mary Rose advanced towards
a new ght between the two eets, a
breeze caught the ship, capsized it, and
sank, taking with her all but 35 men of
her men. Sources say that the ship red
a few times, and attempted to turn
around so she could re from her other
side; but the turn was too sharp, and
because of the weight of the guns and
cannons on one side, the ship heeled,
letting in enough water to submerge
all the open gun ports, drawing in
enough water to sink the ship. Also,
a common feature of warships at the
time was to have the top deck covered
in netting, so that soldiers from enemy
ships could not climb on board (and
the soldiers wearing full armour on
the top deck was said to weigh down
the ship, making it unsteady). Many
of the men drowned, due to the fact
that a lot of them couldnt swim, and
that their armor weighed them down.
e netting on the deck proved to
be disastrous, catching the feet of
the soldiers, and dragging them to a
watery death.
Also this week:
Oct. 5, 1789: Women of Paris march
on Versailles to demand bread (among
other things)
Oct. 5, 1795: Alexander Keith is born
in Halkirk, Scotland
Oct. 5, 1970: British Trade
Commissioner James L. Cross is
kidnapped in Montreal by members of
the FLQ
Oct. 6, 1889: omas Edison shows
his rst motion picture
Oct. 6, 1892: death of poet, Alfred
Lord Tennyson
Oct. 6, 1966: LSD is declared illegal
in the US
Oct. 7, 1849: death of Edgar Allen
Poe, from mysterious causes
Oct. 7, 1963: JFK signs ratication for
the Partial Test Ban Treaty (banning
the testing of nuclear weapons)
Oct. 7, 1980: the musical Cats opens
on Broadway
Oct. 8, 1793: death of John Hancock
Oct. 8, 1912: the First Balkan War
begins
Oct. 8, 1967: Che Guevara and his
men are captured in Bolivia
Oct. 9, 768 CE: Charlemange crowned
king of the Franks
Oct. 9, 1003 CE: Leif Erikson lands at
LAnse aux Meadows, Newfoundland
Oct. 9, 1806: Prussia declares war on
France
Oct. 9, 1986: Phantom of the Opera
opens in London
Oct. 10, 1954: the Windscale Fire in
Cumbria (UK) leads to the worlds
rst major nuclear accident
Oct. 10, 1964: rst live coverage of the
Olympic opening ceremonies from
Tokyo, Japan, by use of satellites
Oct. 11, 1809: Meriwether Lewis
(of the Lewis and Clark fame) dies
under mysterious circumstances in
Tennessee
Oct. 11, 1910: ex-president eodore
Roosevelt becomes rst president to
y in a plane
Oct. 11, 1975: Saturday Night Live
rst airs.
A weekly compilation by Sarah Robinson
is week in history
Become Sexy and Privileged. Write Features.
F
OCTOBER 9, 2008 FEATURES THE ARGOSY PAGE 17
by Vision in Blue
Every year we get some kind of
column on fellatio, and theyre great
and all, but really, how hard is it to
suck on a guys dick? I think most
people get the general idea by now,
and if not, read past issues of the
Sex Bomb. As a sex columnist who
has been doing this (writing, not
fellating) for over four years, I like
to step a little out of the box, so here
my tips and tricks for making that
blowjob a little more memorable.
1. Actually suck on it. Clamp your
lips down, and suck his dick. is
creates a lot of pressure, and a nice
tight sensation. Dont suck too hard,
cause it can get painful (youre kind of
giving his dick a huge hickey, so itll
hurt after a while), but incorporate
this into what youre doing, like play
with it for a bit, then get a little
rough you know how he likes it.
2. His boys. How can you ignore
them, theyre dangling right there?
ese guys actually need attention,
too. Remember the tea bagging of
the second issue? Well, maybe not,
but lick em, suck on em, see if you
can t both in your mouth, just
make sure they get some attention.
Personally, I like to do some classic
blowjob action, then pause, and have
fun with his nuts for a bit, then back
up to his dick. Its kind of a tease,
but Ive never had any complaints.
3. e frenulum. is is the little
ridged area on the underside that
looks like its connecting the head to
the shaft. Im not really sure why, as I
dont have a wang, but guys really like
it when you ick it with your tongue.
4. e male g-spot. Now, this is
tricky, cause in order to get here, you
have to stick a nger up his bum. Im
not really into bum play, but if youre
a guy sucking on another guys dick,
then obviously this is something you
should employ. If youre a girl, and
youre with a guy who likes getting
his bum touched, congrats, youre
more experienced than me, and if
you nd that g-spot, maybe you can
write a column about it in the future?
5. e perineum, also known as the
taint. ere are many jokes about this
area of skin, naturally, as its the area
between his balls and his bum, but its
actually a highly erogenous area, and
I dont know why, but girls apparently
dont know it exists. is is my
favourite area; you get to feel the base
of his dick (the part thats inside his
body), and, if you lightly press the area
with your ngers (or knuckles), you
can put pressure on that infamous g-
spot without any ngers up the bum!
6. Deep throating. Its from porn,
so guys like it, but they also like the
feeling of their entire dick in your
mouth. Essentially you want to
swallow down on it, and remember
to breathe out your nose so you dont
choke (though admittedly, some
guys get some weird pleasure out of
making you choke). An opera singer
friend of mine says she creates more
room by dropping her larynx down
(as if youre going to sing) before
going down, but be careful with this
one, as its a little harder to breathe,
so deep throat on the way in, and
breathe on the way out. I personally
dont like the way the dick is at the
back of my throat (it makes me feel
bulimic), so I like to lie on my back,
with him standing up behind me, and
my head facing him. is way, when
you take his dick into your mouth,
itll angle itself down your throat,
and is MUCH easier to deep throat.
7. Sex toys. Most girls have heard of
the little bullet vibe (the thing that ts
into many vibes and cock rings), but
its also fun to set this under his balls
while going down on him. You can
also ll your mouth with some kind of
liquid beforehand, like the chocolate
milkshake blowjob, but my favourite
is champagne, cause the bubbles will
tickle his dick, and it is way more
pleasurable than pop rocks (please
dont use these, they hurt, unless he
likes it). Other things to put in your
mouth: breath mints and ice cubes.
8. His cum. Guys are proud of their
cum, they like to spray it everywhere.
Its a possessive dominance thing, that
I, personally, nd endearing. If he
can cum on you, itll make it special.
Good places for him to let it out: the
face (natch), the bum, the tits, and the
stomach. I personally like it in the
face, but with this one, keep your eyes
closed, as cum in the eye is a bitch;
also watch that too much doesnt get
in your hair, and that it doesnt get
in your ears, as sexy as that sounds.
A note to the guys: keep the area
trimmed, at least. No one wants to
oss his or her teeth with your pubic
hair. And wash, please, especially if
youre uncircumcised, as I hear it gets
a little cheesy down there after a while.
A note to the girls, or the fellaters:
No teeth! God, how hard is that to
understand. Its a sensitive organ,
treat it with love. If he likes you
using teeth, then hopefully hell
have the balls (haha, laugh at the
bad pun) to let you know. Also
take extra care if you have braces.
Is that it? Did I cover all the
bases? If I didnt, take the initiative,
and write a Sex Bomb on it.
Corey Isenor and
James Goddard
Argosy Correspondents
Georges Fabulous Roadhouse
67 Lorne St.

Last week, the leader of the Green
party, Elizabeth May, passed through
the train station here in Sackville, New
Brunswick. If you come to Sackville
by train, the rst thing you see after
the rolling marshlands is most likely
Georges Roadhouse, which leads
one to wonder what May thought of
this vinyl-sided institution. Among
students, Georges Roadhouse is better
known for its function as the premier
live music venue in Sackville, than it is
as an eatery.
But eatery it is. Georges serves
roadhouse food, and the appropriately
surly sta will be sure to remind you
of that if you ever get fancy with your
ordering. e only juice they oer is
juice used for making mixed drinks;
that is, orange, apple, and cranberry.
e menu features such standards
as chicken nuggets, nachos, steak,
fried sh, and most things come with
fries. Georges has a secret though.
It is possibly the best eatery in town.
Cost eective, although the prices
have gone up a bit lately (we naturally
blame the economy), and delicious, the
roadhouse is worth it.
A huge factor in Georges worth is
the Saturday and Sunday breakfast/
lunch deal. It oers probably the best
breakfast package in town: hash-
browns, a breakfast meat, two eggs,
and two slices of toast for just under
seven dollars. An assortment of
other breakfast meals is also oered,
including French toast, pancakes, and
steak. Served until late (by late we mean
two pm), its the perfect salve to that
muddy-headed Saturday or Sunday
morning feeling. Corey and James both
ordered the Breakfast Special: Corey
having bacon, and his eggs done sunny
side up, while James had sausage, and
his eggs scrambled. One of our eating
companions adventurously took a step
into unknown territory by getting the
French toast. He didnt regret it. ats
the other secret about Georges, they
make the food properly so you can feel
condent ordering anything o their
menus. A particularly nice surprise is
the chicken Caesar salad which, the
last time we saw it ordered, came with
a loaf of baked parmesan. Our meals
were quite satisfying, nothing special;
but nothing special about breakfast is
really expected, other than a plate of
hearty food to start the day.
e service can, however, be a little
hit or miss. If its busy, it can slow to
a halt, and sometimes its slow even if
youre the only one there. Part of this
is usually due to only having one cook
working at a time, but there also isnt
a need for more then one most of the
time, so this is understandable. As well,
the waiters and waitresses of Georges
are uniquely tempered, so to speak.
ey dont get angry, but if youre not
used to their unique sense of humor,
then you might be a little turned o.
ey are, however, ecient and direct,
which is welcome. We had our meals
within about 10 minutes of ordering.
Overall, for what Georges
Roadhouse is as a service, James and
Corey give it two thumbs up. Sure its
a long walk to get out there, and sure
there isnt a gourmet menu oered,
but the quality of the food for the
price, and the awesome extras like
the Saturday/Sunday breakfast deals
along with a kicking ursday Wing
night, make the Roadhouse certainly
deserving of its rating.
Corey and James eat out
Emily Bird
Argosy Correspondent

Since the Stone Ages, people have
taken care to the ornamenting our
feet. It is incredibly astonishing, the
distance and speed of which we have
progressed in the development of sole
protection. Lest we forget the centuries
of labour, the eras of imagination,
the decades of discovery, and the
innovators whom we praise for having
established the golden foundation for
the most powerful wardrobe essential:
shoes.
Alright, so many of us know
approximately how many pairs of shoes
we have neatly aligned, and categorized
on multiple shelves or, most commonly,
chucked in a quaint corner of a dorm
room or apartment. Now, specically
to all shoe hoarders out there, out of
your entire collection of footwear, how
many of those delicious boots, sexy
kitten heals, and limited city sneaks
have been worn outside of the front
door? A shocking population is quite
guilt stricken, faced with the reality
that risk is an inescapable component
of shoe-exhibiting. Shoes alone are not
exposed to risk. at tailored cream
coat faces just as many hazardous
encounters, as do all other articles
that compose any style project. e
benets of sporting fabulous shoes
are uplifting and exhilarating, an
experience that raises condence, and
brings ones mood up to new heights.
Whatever your excuse may be, stare
down at the threatening outdoors, and
conquer the streets. ose shoes were
not meant to be shunned from our
intrigued glances and stares. How can
one not feel a purge of guilt knowing
that painstaking labour, devoted time,
creativity, a pattern, a dream transposed
into matter, is deprived from the
worlds appreciation while laying in a
dank dark corner, forgotten? Make a
new resolution this season, and free
those foot cushions.
For that one pair, two, or even
three new pairs of magic slippers you
choose to decorate your feet, take
your condence to culminate peaks
as you will surely walk on the clouds
when wearing the masses of luxuries
that designers composed. is season,
audiences were caught starring down,
entranced by the feet prancing down
falls catwalks.
Booties are the any and every
occasion shoe of the season. Closed-
toe booties made their way in
attention grabbing shades, and
unique embellishments, such as BC
Footwears cherry reds with side
tassels, and Diesels belted booties in
the seasons manifest of purple. If you
are one without any constricting shoe
speculations, dominate the sidewalks
in this season`s sexiest hybrid: the
open-toed bootie. Every woman can
sport this innovation, whether it be for
the oce, or a black-tie event, this new
take on the bootie will fasten all eyes
on your gorgeous toes. Valentino took
his notorious hyper-feminine take
on the shape, and created an elegant
bootie out of luxurious black satin,
embellished with a loose black bow.
Forget not the new impossibly
high heels, the chic component of
every woman`s shoe closet. Boutique
windows are clustered this season with
tailored masculine-inspired looks,
and strappy Mary Janes. e classic
Oxford was morphed into stunning
shapes of femininity. Every woman
can work this masculine vibe in any
heel, from a basic black and white
strappy at, to Dolce and Gabanas
sturdy wooden heal, which anyone
could last in for the entire stretch of
the work day. Most commonly, when
reminiscing the classic Oxford, one
envisions a black and white lace up
shoes. However, this season, designers
have adorned this classic sole with new
twists. New colours, new fabrics, and
an explosion of patterns have set these
eras of class apart. Rich purples and
plums have come out in leathers, both
patent, and matte. Find your perfect
t at Aldo shoes. Take on a striking
pair of plaid and chocolate leather
side zip-up booties, also available at
Aldo. However, if the bootie is not
your preference, opt for the Mary
Jane. Designers did a new take on
the shape of this doll by adorning
her with multiple buckles and straps,
bringing fun to the feet. If aiming at
being demure, aunt this season`s rich
dark plum shade with a strappy patent
shoe. To bring the wow-factor, opt for
bright-purple suede, accented with
leather straps and striking buckles.
We have seen layers of zippers, rows
of straps, chunky, and skinny heels,
waves of plaid, and a sea of purples,
open-toe booties, and vampy Mary
Janes. Shoes are an essential for every
day life, so why not start every day
with a little bit of fun?
ose perfect glass slippers
Zoe Williams
Internet Photo
A piece from Aldos collection.
Jessica Emin
F
PAGE 18 THE ARGOSY FEATURES OCTOBER 9, 2008
Sarah Bell-Etkin
Argosy Contributor
China has once again been thrown
into the international spotlight, and this
time it is neither for athletic prowess
nor political triumphs. Instead, the
mainland Peoples Republic of China
has been plagued by a food safety
incident involving baby milk formula
that had been tainted with melamine.
By late September, reports claimed
that the melamine-tainted milk
products originated from 22 Chinese
companies including the Sanlu Group,
Mengniu, Yili, and Yashili. It was soon
discovered that dairy products had
been the cause 53,000 illnesses, more
than 12,800 hospitalizations, and four
infant deaths. Eighty-two per cent of
the aicted children were less than
two years old. Although Canadians
may still be fretting over the recent
listeriosis outbreak, the World Health
Organization has called the crisis one
of the largest food safety events it
has had to deal with in recent years.
Melamine in low doses is a
nontoxic organic molecule; however
the combination of melamine and
cyanuric acid into melamine cyanurate
causes fatal kidney stones. When the
two chemicals are ltered through
the kidneys, they react with urine to
produce round, yellow crystals. ese
crystals are detrimental to the renal
tubules as they impede blood ltration,
and make urination extremely dicult
and painful. Warning labels state that
melamine is harmful if swallowed,
inhaled or absorbed through the
skin and, with repeated exposure,
may be a carcinogen. Melamine
was the chemical found in the pet
foods that were recalled in 2007.
Sanlu-linked occurrences of
kidney stones in children were rst
noted in June 2008, but no replies
to the doctors or investigations
into the allegations were made.
No denitive answers as to how the
melamine ended up in the baby milk
have surfaced, however academics
have suggested that cyromazine, a
derivative of melamine and common
pesticide, has been accumulating
in plants (it is stored as melamine),
consequently contaminating poultry,
eggs, sh, and dairy products, however
this does not account for the toxic
levels found in the baby milk. Other
speculations say the melamine content
in Sanlus baby formula possibly came
from replacing real milk protein with
low grade Soya powder, which would
have contained industrial melamine
as ller, which in turn contains several
known carcinogens like sodium nitrate.
But the tainted baby milk has harmed
more than Chinas infants: because the
country is one of the main exporters of
prepared foods, the scandal has become
a global issue. At least 11 countries
have stopped any importation of
Chinese dairy products, harming both
the Chinese economy, and that of their
export countries. Consumers, both
inside China and internationally, may
never recover from the loss of trust in
the multi-national companies nor the
Chinese governments Administration
of Quality Supervision, Inspection,
and Quarantine, as regulation failed
to keep pace with the development
of industrial production of food.
ere have been several arrests and
many resignations due to the tainted
milk. During the Olympic games,
many were worried that dairy products
consumed by athletes and spectators
may have been tainted. Former
AQSIQ Director Li Changjiang was
adamant that his inspectors took
special quality management measures
aimed at food supply for the Games.
Recalls have extended beyond
baby milk formula to White Rabbit
candies, Cadbury chocolate clairs,
Lotte Koala Biscuits, Kirin milk tea,
Dutch Lady milk, Nestl Dairy Farm
Pure Milk, yogourt, Heinz Vegetable
Formula Cereal, Mars M&Ms,
Kraft Oreos, Cadbury Dairy Milk
chocolate products, bread products,
cookies, toees, Mi Sarang Custard
snacks, Ritz cheese sandwiches, rice
crackers, and Mr. Brown instant coee.
e World Health Organization
was only notied on September 11,
and immediately demanded answers
from Beijing as to why it had taken
so long for the scandal to become
public, and to determine whether the
contamination was due to ignorance or
done on purpose. Chinas representative
on the WHO, Hans Troedsson, said
[] if it was ignorance, there is a
need to have much better training and
education. [] If it is neglect then it
Sasha Van Katwyk
Argosy Staff
India has a rich religious history;
Buddha was an Indian prince before
embarking on his path towards
spiritual enlightenment, Islam has
had a profound eect on the nations
history particularly with relation to
Pakistan in the North, and Hinduism
has its roots and continued popularity
in this culturally diverse country.
Hindus make up a substantial
population of India, with nearly
400 million followers, and with the
faith not spreading conspicuously far
outside its boundaries, its one of the
most condensed religions of its size
in the world. e Hindu-nationalist
party Bharatiya Janata (BJP), now the
main opposition party in India, holds
strong support in 12 states in India.
In a number of these states, however,
there is a noticeable religious minority
that has been feeling a hard pinch of
subjugation: the Indian Christians. A
faith that has never had particularly
rm ties with the Indian people
despite British imperialist attempts,
Christianity has been quietly gaining
followers particularly amongst the
nature-worshipping forest dwellers,
some of the poorest people in India,
who were attracted to the benets of
God, free schools, and healthcare all
supplied by the Churchs missionaries.
Since the 1990s, however, as the
Church has gained more followers, it
has also seen a rise in violence against
them by some members of the BJP. In
recent weeks, these violent outbursts
have become far more common, and
have escalated in consequence as a result
of the assassination of a charismatic
Hindu priest, Swami Laxmanananda
Saraswati, who indulged unreservedly
in Christian-bashing. While Indian
authorities have determined that a
group of Naxalite Maoists were
responsible for the killing, a fanatical
group of Hindu nationalists have
blamed the Christian population.
Answering the calls by the Vishnu
Hindu Parishad, or World Hindu
Council, gangs of Hindus in the south-
eastern states of India have begun
attacking Christian missionaries and
burning churches. General Secretary
of the World Hindu Council, Gauri
Prasad Rath, has deemed the attacks on
the missionaries a direct result of the
fraudulent conversions Christians are
doing. ey burned their own churches.
Tens of thousands of Indian
Christians have ed their homes,
and at least 20 have been killed. eir
troubles, however, are not new, nor are
they isolated necessarily to small bands
of extremists. e BJP has gotten six of
their 12 states to ratify laws designed
to deter Hindus from converting
to any other religion by banning
forced conversions; the denition
of forced, naturally, being very
vague. Furthermore, the restrictions
of the low-caste citizens on getting
government jobs or education have
exasperated tensions between the
BJP and the poorer communities.
Many such communitiesHindu
includedhave come to rely on
the promise of schooling, and
basic healthcare at the easy cost
of being reborn into the Church.
Despite the Church attacks, and
the Hindu-centric rhetoric by the BJP,
and other religious-nationalist groups,
this is not, as it would seem, a religious
conict. Indeed, much of the Christian
minority (making up three per cent of
the population) is also the minority
excluded from of certain poverty-
alleviation benets making God,
for them, just as much of a welfare
provider as a saviour. Mohammed Sha
Qureshi, chairman of the government-
appointed National Commission for
Minorities, pointed out that its no
coincidence that as Indian elections get
closer, theyre seeing increased violence
against the minorities. is madness,
Qureshi points out, is political.
Or is it?
Indias sectarian violence
Nutjaree Chamaplin
Argosy Contributor
Following the Cuban Missile Crisis
in 1962, Kennedys administration,
along with future U.S. presidential
administrations, imposed a trade
embargo on Cuba which, to this day, has
still not been lifted, despite the political
changes in Cuba. Under the embargo,
trade between the two countries
is strictly prohibited, and though
relations have been chilly for over 40
years, recent developments, namely
natural disasters, are demonstrating
that the tensions between these
two rivals still exists strongly today.
In the past two weeks, Cuba, along
with countries in neighboring areas
such as Haiti, suered great loss from
two hurricanes, Gustav and Ike, which
were barely ten days apart. Violent
gusts of winds, rainstorms, and huge
sea waves swept through the country,
stripping away houses, buildings, and
agricultural plantations, as well as
factories, leaving Cuba at a loss for
words at the vast destruction caused.
Its exports and domestic production
of goods and services was greatly
damaged, although luckily the capital
city (Havana) remained mostly intact.
But even so, the communist government
is still facing over 60 deaths, 200,000
homeless, and a total estimated cost
of losses of $5 billion dollars - a
signicant amount for this small nation.
us far, the Cuban communist
regime has received much help from
afar, including sums of money, U.N.
peace-keeping forces to aid in the
evacuation of citizens, electrical
generators, food, and other necessary
supplies from Russia, Spain, Brazil,
and East Timor, to name a few. Yet,
even with such aid, there are still
doubts as to Cubas recovery without
support from the U.S. Given the
status of the U.S.- Cuban policy, the
Bush administration initially oered
$100,000 as emergency relief aid, and
later raised it to approximately $5
million. e U.S. oer was rejected, as
many Cuban nationals found it hard
to believe the inexplicable sudden rise
in humanitarian aid, which the U.S.
declares to be an act of compassion
for fellow humankind, but is called by
some in Cuba a new-found attempt at
propaganda by the U.S. (Ironically, the
U.S. did pledge a total of $19.5 Million
to aid Haiti, which was also aected by
the hurricanes, a huge contrast in aid
when compared to that oered to Cuba.)
Ral Castro, Fidels brother, and
successor to the regime, instead
calls for a temporary lift of the trade
embargo on Cuba, which will then
allow for emergency purchase of goods
and services that the country needs,
especially construction materials in
order to build temporary shelters
for the 200,000 homeless Cuban
citizens. At this time, however, the
U.S. refuses to agree to the terms
stated by Castro, and many do not see
a possibility for a successful resolution.
Cubas rejection of U.S.
humanitarian aid
is, of course, more serious. He also
said the critical point was establishing
who knew what, and when. By
September 25, both the WHO
and UNICEF decided the scandal
was a deliberate contamination of
foods intended for consumption
by vulnerable infants and young
children. WHO Director-General
Margaret Chan has emphasized to
Chinese mothers the importance
of breast-feeding, and imploring
them to return to natural breast
milk for the duration of the scandal.
WHO demands answers as to why it took months for the scandal to become public
Tainted baby milk leads to multiple infant deaths in China
Jessica Emin
Indian-Christians attend a protest against the recent killings in Orissa.
Internet Photo
argosy.ca
Internet Photo
FEATURES
Tom Llewellin
Argosy Correspondent
Delegates at the Democratic
National Convention, in Denver,
Colorado, were assailed by thousands of
mobile billboards as they manoeuvred
through the crowds. Not mere ad-
displaying units, but the swag bags
that every single attendee received as
they entered the convention grounds.
AT&T and Coca-Colas logos adorned
the bags, taking up more space than
the logo of the convention itself.
e Times Square feeling of what
is essentially a meeting for political
parties to conduct ocial business, has
its roots in many factors. One is the
tremendous pull of corporate money
in politics south of the border; the
other is the fact that the Democrats,
traditionally less well-heeled than
their Republican counterparts, have
seen a considerable surge in corporate
donations, as George Bush and his
associated Republican machinery have
fallen more and more out of favour.
According to the nongovernmental
Campaign Finance institute, corporate
donors have spent over $800 million on
political campaign expenses, including
donations, and lobbying, since 2005. By
last July, corporate donations alone ran
at roughly $107 million per party. For
the rst time in many years, the usually
Republican-leaning corporations
have come down equally on both
sides. Traditionally, Republicans have
far more cash on hand than most
Democrats, so the situation is quite
unusual. e Economist attributes it to
the money going to whomever is seen
as most likely to win - with the odds
leaning more and more in Obamas
favour. ey see it as an investment,
one is likely to reap rewards when
the gift is remembered, and possibly
be followed by future lobbying
contributions to help shape - or write,
as the American Civil Liberties Union
charges - the laws.
Both candidates have strongly
entrenched themselves as being
committed to campaign nance
reform. Democratic candidate
Barack Obama has called for greater
transparency, while Republican John
McCain has unleashed a blistering
verbal attack on the Beltway lite.
However, in the ercely competitive
American TV market, thirty seconds
of prime-time ad space runs at a
ve-network average of $47, 000.
Advertising is the single greatest
expense of campaigns, and owing to
tough regulations, they have had to
nd ingenious ways to raise the reams
of money required.
e crucial dierence in American
nancing is between hard money,
and soft money.
Hard money is what it sounds like
- direct contributions to a campaign
organization, recorded, and regulated.
e nonpartisan Federal Elections
Commission, their equivalent of
Elections Canada, sets strict ceilings
on the amount of hard money that may
be given. Individuals may only give $2,
300 annually to individual candidates,
but the limit increases to $108, 200
over two years, if political parties are
included in the calculations.
Soft money is dicult to regulate,
and has no real ceiling. Instead of
giving to a registered campaign
organization, soft money donors,
usually corporations, give to a Political
Awareness Committee (set up on a
party or candidates behalf ), or advocacy
organizations, described as 527s
after the section of the US tax code
that regulates them. Such institutions
must be nonprot, and cannot
expressly advocate for the election of a
candidate through advertisements, but
must promote certain types of issues.
For example, an ad could run saying
Candidate X is a traitor and a liar.
Candidate Y is looking out for you.
Remember to vote.
Since theres no outright endorsement
of Candidate Y, it falls under the
category of issue advertising, which
the government considers to be a
public education service. Ads of this
type essentially have free rein, and the
amount of soft money raised by the
Democrats, allows them to run them
at particularly inuential times. $62
million in soft money was raised by the
Democrats in 2007 alone, according to
the Campaign Finance Institute, and
all estimates for 2008 put the amount
squarely in the hundreds of millions.
e latter exists thanks to loopholes
in legislation that allow candidates to
do an end-run around traditional limits
to contributions, either by individual
U.S. campaign nancing reaches record levels
size or the overall limit.
Such a scenario would be impossible
in Canada, since Elections Canada,
through its matching funds system,
provides the bulk of campaign money.
A similar mechanism exists south of
the border, but its use is not always
politically tenable. In the Republican
and Democratic primaries last year,
only two candidates (Tom Tancredo
and John Edwards) agreed to accept
public funds. e rest refused, both out
of principle, and due to the fact that the
funds are matching. For every private
dollar candidates raise, government
will match - but only to a certain
ceiling. Owing to the massive amounts
of money eaten up by advertising, its
far from a feasible option, says the
Campaign Finance Institute.
However, there are some exceptions
to the big-money rule. Barack
Obamas campaign has rode a massive
wave of grassroots support, with him
receiving a larger percentage of hard
money contributions from individuals
than any other candidate, including
the famous one million dollars in one
minute this spring, when fundraising
was at a peak. However, loopholes
did not take long to rear their heads.
Last April, he used a time-honoured
tactic called bundling. rough
their personal networks, 79 people
committed to turning out $200, 000
each, reported the Washington Post,
by soliciting enough people to cut
cheques for the candidate until the
total was reached. e list of bundlers
included many usual Democratic
suspects - executives from Hollywood
and trial lawyers - as well as a laundry
list of heads of Wall Street rm. Five
of these were billionaires.
In America, says the Campaign
Finance Institute, nancing campaigns
is still a job best left to the many rich
and powerful.
Kristen Theodore
The Link (Concordia University)
MONTREAL (CUP) Sometimes,
just the thought of cracking open your
all-too cumbersome textbook to page
174, and reading several more chapters
can seem utterly unbearable. With
midterms looming on the horizon,
and grades at stake, many students are
turning to the power of prescription
pills in order to stay regulated, focused,
and ahead of the game.
As prescription pills becomes more
prominent, some people wonder
if popping a pill is an easy time-
management x, and if their usage will
become more legitimate with time.
Its not uncommon for students to
become overwhelmed in the academic
environment. Once the pressure is on,
coping gets harder.
Im a huge procrastinator, said
Christina (all names in this article
have been altered to protect sources
privacy), a second-year arts student at
McGill University in Montreal. I tend
to leave big projects until the night
before the due date, which means Im
under pressure to do a lot of work in a
short time.
Christina, not unlike other students,
has faced unforgiving mountains of
homework with limited timeframes.
And whether the stress is self-inicted
or not, the work has to get done.
Energy drinks werent always
the most eective means of staying
focused, as they have the tendency
to wear o only after a few hours. In
order to cope with her never-ending
stream of papers and other important
projects, Christina turned to Ritalin
and Provigil two over-the-counter
drugs.
Provigil is a drug often given to
those who suer from serious bouts
of narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea,
and shift-work sleep disorder.
Ritalin, a drug normally prescribed
to those who have a dicult time
concentrating or individuals plagued
with hyperactivity, helped Christina
focus on her studies. As a result, she
was able to get more work done.
[Ritalin] made me super focused
so I just steamed ahead with work and
did nothing else, said Christina.
ose who take the prescription
drugs Christina used report a
heightened sense of focus that helps
render their studying altogether less
tedious and enables them to get the
job done more eciently.
ough these drugs are not intended
for casual use, Christina found her
experiences were positive overall.
[Provigil] kept me awake much
longer than caeine, she said. While
the drugs side-eects are said to
include headaches, nausea, and stuy
noses, Christina experienced none of
these symptoms.
When youre in a panic, they seem
like a really good solution. Like, hey,
pop this pill, and you can stay up all
night, no problem.
While Christina has dabbled in
other recreational drugs, such as
marijuana and alcohol, she says her
use of prescription pills was intended
only for the benet of her academic
productivity.
Christina isnt alone in turning
to prescription drugs as a way out of
tough academic situations. In recent
years, the use of pharmaceuticals as
self-prescribed study-aids is becoming
more frequent. In the 2003 Ontario
Student Drug Use and Health Survey,
2.9 per cent of high-school students
had access to Ritalin and had been
using it as a focus-aid.
By Grade 11, that number only
increased to ve per cent as the students
climbed the academic ladder higher.
According to Statistics Canada, that
number has remained relatively high
in boys and somewhat lower in girls.
Similarly, an Atlantic Canada survey
by the Canadian Medical Association
Journal in 2001 gured that out of
almost 14,000 randomly selected
students, 700 had been taking Ritalin
and other drugs, such as Dexedrine
and Benzedrine, for non-medical use.
From 1985 to 2002, requests for
Ritalin prescriptions alone spiked
600 per cent in Canada. And as
the use among campus students is
becoming more widespread, critics are
More students turn to prescription pills for extra boost
questioning the rampant accessibility
of these medications. How do students
get a hold of Ritalin when they dont
actually have Attention Decit
Disorder?
According to Amy, a second-year
McGill student, getting drugs is not
dicult. Pills, it seems, are becoming
increasingly available to anyone willing
to seek them out.
Amy has developed an anity
for prescription pills. She has never
used drugs to study. She simply used
them for a high. Crushing Ritalin and
snorting it increases the eects of the
amphetamines it contains.
I just go to a walk-in clinic, give
them a list of symptoms, and they
prescribe to me whatever I need, she
said.
Eortless journeys such as these
often result in the easy acquisition of
sleeping pills, stay-awake pills, or even
anti-depressants. A simple Google
search can conjure up a list of the
symptoms needed to sound believable
to an on-the-clock doctor.
You just need to go to dierent
clinics where they dont have a le on
you, said Amy.
e doctors will therefore prescribe
you any sort of medication you crave,
on the spot, she adds.
But if that expedition seems time-
consuming, students on campuses
all across North America have found
less complicated means to access
prescription pills. Some re-use and
recycle old prescriptions theyve
had for Ritalin or Adderall, another
amphetamine meant to treat narcolepsy
and Attention Decit Hyperactivity
Disorder, in the past.
Others need not go further than
their own campus. Pills can be acquired
so long as students know where to
look from your friendly small-time
dealer, often a fellow student, for about
$3 to $5 a pop. Websites all over the
Internet advertise a cheap, anonymous
way of obtaining medication online,
in a user-friendly fashion. All that is
required is a credit card.
Often, students turn to prescription
pills to balance their fast-paced lives.
Entering a new university can be an
exciting experience: studying doesnt
seem as much fun as going out with
new friends and drinking. Often,
students nd themselves overwhelmed
by juggling several priorities at once.
Angela, a former McGill student
now studying at Concordia University
in Montreal, often fell behind in her
schoolwork. Once she got involved with
a sports team, she found it dicult to
balance doing her homework, playing
sports, and living a healthy social life.
She turned to prescription drugs.
During the season, I would do
sports, see my friends, and usually
school would come last, she said.
After trying Ritalin, Angela was
able to sit still and focus on her studies
instead of drifting o.
Acquiring the drugs was easy.
At McGill, my dealer was just
walking up and down the hallways of
the library, making deals, she said.
Angela says prescription drug use
seems a little more low-key at her new
school.
[At Concordia] Ive heard a couple
of people talk about it on campus but
its still a little more quiet.
Angela says she noticed an
immediate dierence when taking the
pills.
I completely noticed it, although
it could have been psychosomatic.
Psychosomatic symptoms are very
real, she said.
Regardless, Angela was able to do
things she thought impossible.
I could read a 500-page philosophy
book in ve days time. I could write
papers, she said.
ose students who have turned
to pharmaceuticals as an answer or a
x may acknowledge their activities
arent exactly safe, but none seem to
feel particularly inclined to give them
up. e prescription label and industry
stamp do a lot to allay fears and for
most users, who believe the benets
outweigh the risks.
If youre desperate, theyre a pretty
good last resort, said Christina.
Montreal students say drugs are easy to get from doctors or dealers
Internet Photo
Carly Fridhandler / e Link
F
PAGE 14 THE ARGOSY FEATURES OCTOBER 9, 2008
Rebecca Dixon
Argosy Correspondent
Dominic Leblanc is the incumbent
candidate for the Beausjour riding.
e son of Governor General Romeo
Leblanc, he received Bachelors degrees
from the University of Toronto, and
the University of New Brunswick. A
trained lawyer who received his Masters
of Law from Havard University, he
was a barrister and solicitor with the
rm Clark and Drummie in Shediac
until winning his rst election.
Involved at the centre of federal
politics, Leblanc was a special assistant
to the prime minister from 1993-
1996, helping to organize the Liberal
Leaders Tour of Atlantic Canada, as
well as other events. His rst campaign
in Beausjour-Petitcodiac in 1997 was
unsuccessful, leaving the riding with its
rst non-Liberal MP (NDP candidate
Angela Vautour) in decades. He tried
again in 2000, and has been elected
as MP for Beausejour ever since.
e 39 year-old has signicant
political experience under his belt.
As a cabinet member, he was an
International Trade Critic in 2006,
and has been a committee member for
several departments, including Fisheries
and Oceans, as well as Transport and
Government Operations. Leblanc has
served on a special committee on non-
medical use of drugs, as well as on the
National Defence and Veterans Aairs,
and Public Accounts committees.
Currently he is a member of the Privy
Council of Canada, and was involved as
the Ocial Oppositions Justice Critic
and Critic for Intergovernmental
Aairs. is last post has allowed
him to be greatly knowledgeable of
controversial issues such as Omar
Khadrs imprisonment in Guantanamo
Bay, which he has called an appalling
example of Canadian negligence.
He is vice-chair of the Liberal
Party of Canadas Policy and Platform
Committee, which perhaps contributed
to his detailed and condent responses
to questioning on party policies at
the debate here at Mount Allison.
Leblanc has said that he believes this
election is about two main issues
- a sustainable environment, and a
sustainable economy. e Liberal
platform presents a very bold agenda.
e party is very proud of their
Green Shift, which has this countrys
largest producers of greenhouse gases
paying a tax of $10 per tonne for
their contribution to pollution. is
action of putting a price on pollution
will aect around 750 industrial
companies. However, the Liberals want
to do more than punish the polluters
they want to encourage better, more
environmentally friendly habits, and so
are willing to provide nancial support
for investment in more advanced,
green technology, and equipment.
Liberal leader Stphane Dion has
said that this ambitious plan, modeled
partly on policies implemented in
Northern Europe, will position
Canada to be a leader in the twenty-
rst century global economy, and
Leblanc agrees that it will give us
moral authority on the world stage.
For those concerned about how
rising costs of production will aect
Canadians as consumers, the Liberals
quote that it will cost us less than
$300 per year. Furthermore, they have
promised an income tax cut of up to
10% a year. In addition, regardless of
income level, families with children
will receive a refundable credit of $350
per child every year. Homeowners
investing in energy saving measures
will be eligible for grants and
interest-free loans of up to $10, 000.
e liberals also hope to create many
jobs in infrastructure advancement and
the developing of green technologies,
to oset job losses resulting from the
environmental policy changes. To this
aect they have a special Advanced
Manufacturing Prosperity (AMP)
Fund to help this ailing sector by
investing in research and development.
While the Liberal partys full
platform paper does not have a section
for post-secondary education, or even
for young adults, Leblanc has made
mention of a few initiatives aecting
students. ese include an increased
number of bursaries, and a special
education grant. He also says the
Liberal party will guarantee student
loans of $5,000, with interest rates
of only prime plus 0.5 per cent. is
would be oered for all students,
including those already paying loans,
and would be regardless of parental
income. Apprenticeships will see
similar grant and interest rate measures.
Leblanc is also proposing to renew the
Millennium Scholarship, and to provide
better funding for academic research.
For small communities such as
Sackville, Leblanc sees a needed
improvement in infrastructure. is
includes aspects of the Green Shift,
which encourages farmers, truckers,
and shermen to purchase fuel-saving
technologies by oering subsidized
prices. People in rural communities
are also given special consideration
through a $150 energy grant.
e pressing issue of health care in
rural areas is also on the agenda. In
Sackville, for example, there are around
1,000 people without a family doctor.
is is a prevalent problem throughout
Canada, and may only be getting worse,
as many practicing doctors are currently
nearing retirement age. e Liberal
party intends to institute a Doctors
and Nurses Fund. is will specically
target the issue in rural communities
by forgiving(?) $10, 000 per year of
debt for health care professionals
who commit to working in under-
serviced areas for a minimum of ve
years. Furthermore, the party wants to
work with provincial governments to
better the use of Internet technology,
and to set up a Catastrophic
Drug Program for families who
cannot aord vital medications.
Foreign policy is a controversial area
in which the Liberals are presenting
some clear ideas. ey are rmly
suggesting a pull-out deadline of
Canadian troops from Afghanistan of
July 2011. Leblanc states that it is time
that other NATO members take over,
and that Canada has been holding the
bag while the focus shifted to Iraq.
ey hope to engage our troops in
further, UN sanctioned peacekeeping
missions. Other important foreign
policy goals include supporting
the UN-African Union mission
to Darfur with technical resources,
and increasing Canadas amount
of foreign aid, which has actually
been going down in recent years.
Sasha Van Katwyk
Argosy Staff
Omer Lger, the conservative
candidate for the Beausjour running,
has had a lengthy career in politics. Born
in 1931 in Massachusetts, Lger found
his way to New Brunswick through his
attendance at St. Josephs College. In
1971, he was rst elected in the Kent
riding, leaving his job at Assomption
Mutuelle. e victory in Kent marked
the rst Progressive Conservative
victory in the traditionally Liberal
Kent County in nearly 60 years.
After serving two terms in Kent, as
both provincial secretary and minister
of Fisheries, Lger attempted to take
on the Beausjour, also known as a
Liberal-locked region. In 1988, he lost
with only 27 per cent of the vote, and
again in 2006, taking only 32 per cent.
Hes adamant about continuing to run
for the position; Im seeing changes
in perspectives in municipal councils
and throughout the constituency
he said in a press conference.
Lger has found himself in and out
of politics for years, taking on business
ventures between terms; however hes
become known for his particularly
vociferous discussions on the securities
of employment insurance. I know
I would be a strong voice in the
national caucus, so they know we have
a special situation, he said. Harpers
government needs somebody who
knows the rural part of New Brunswick,
the seasonal workers. He has,
however, been accused by opposition
of not taking into account the eects
of some of Harpers policies on the
very workers he hopes will elect him.
On other issues, Lger is discrete
in what hell divide himself from the
party on, and the separation between
his policies and party lines are few
and minimal. In terms of social values,
where the Conservative party certainly
holds the banner of traditional family
values,Lger is in step with policy, and
often speaks of his wife, Dolores, and
his four children. In terms of economic
issues, Lger has asserted that a tough
ride is ahead, however is adamant
that Harpers policies will eventually
present the results were looking for.
In the past, Lger has diverged from
the Conservative party line on the
Liberal Party of Canada
Dominic LeBlanc
Conservative Party of Canada
Omer Lger
economy, however his rhetoric this time
around is more orthodox. e same is
true of the environment; in a speech
he pointed out that Canada only
contributes two per cent of the global
greenhouse emissions, and Harpers
disregard to the issue is understandable.
As for what hes promising if elected
to oce, he has been adamant that
Beausjour is looking for change. We
need change in Beausjour, he said.
e political climate in Beausjour, if
I win... will never be the same again. If
[Liberal incumbent Dominic LeBlanc]
wins, whats new? Another Liberal. e
same thing since 1930. While some
have called Lgers campaign riding on
change for changes sake, he feels its
what the people here are looking for.
For your consideration: Candidates running for election in this, the Beausjour, riding
The Argosy presents profiles and platforms of the candidates, from four major political parties, running
Publicity Photo
Callan Field
F
OCTOBER 9, 2008 FEATURES THE ARGOSY PAGE 15
Kelly OConnor
Argosy Staff
Michael Milligan, born in
Churchill, Manitoba, grew up green
on an organic farm in rural Nova
Scotia, moving there after his father
started organic farming in the 1970s.
He is now a grandfather of one, a
motorcycle mechanic, and a Master
Builder of log homes in Moncton.
Milligan, a relative greenhorn in
politics, got his start in the Green
Party only a year and a half ago, after
a uranium company began staking
the area around Moncton looking
for potential mining sites. Back in
the 1970s, another mining company
had staked his fathers organic farm;
thanks to intense local activism,
uranium mining was banned in Nova
Scotia, and his fathers farm was saved.
Refusing to see the same threat surface
again in the Moncton area, Milligan
began addressing town council on the
issue and, thanks to his activism, was
invited to a Moncton area Green Party
meeting. After surveying their platform
for the rst time, Milligan realized
that he and the party were a natural t.
Despite having no previous experience
in politics, Milligan decided to become
a federal candidate for the Green Party
after the birth of his rst grandchild
sparked some internal reection.
Acknowledging he had only about
twenty to thirty years left, he decided
to deviate from his original career as
a small business owner, and try to do
something for our future generations.
Realizing that the only way to ensure
lasting, serious change was to get in
behind the wheel and steer this car
- this electric car. Milligan sees the
Green Party as a tool for change,
and even if not elected or unable to
enact changes himself, will use his
campaign as a soapbox to advocate
for greener policies. Despite lacking
French, Milligan has found support to
be fairly solid thus far, and appreciates
the understanding of the French-
speaking population of Beausjour,
and does not see the language
barrier as a major stumbling block.
When asked what he thought
were some of the strongest planks of
the Green Partys platform, Milligan
identied the realistic outlook of the
party in tackling climate change; he
also emphasized that the Green Party
was not a single issue party. Countering
the challenge that their policies would
increase gas prices by ten cents per
litre, Milligan pointed out that those
extra ten cents would be funnelled
directly into a special fund to support
sustainable projects. is fund would
support grants to help those hardest
hit by such increases, such as xed
income families, to reduce their fossil
fuel consumption by introducing eco-
friendly changes, such as improving
their heating system and insulation.
Milligan further defended these
policies by identifying climate change
as a paramount concern, and pointed
out that we could either have higher
gas prices or water in the backyard.
When asked about the aect such
policies would have on food prices
for the poor, Milligan responded by
identifying education as a major tool for
people to lift themselves out of poverty.
Milligan also has big plans for the
Beausjour area. Following the lead
of Germany, a country in which the
Green Party is present (the party
itself exists in over ninety countries),
Milligan proposes that a new eco-
friendly industry be built in the
province by introducing new plants
to manufacture windmills, electric
cars, and solar panels. By switching
from a net metre system (in which any
extra power generated by windmills
over consumptive needs is simply
absorbed by the power companies)
to a feed-in tari system (in which
such extra electricity is bought by
power companies), Milligan thinks
the province could be turned into
a model of progress, and be made
a leader in green energy. As well,
Milligan identied bottom-trawling
as a major threat to the sustainability
of Maritime sh stocks, and proposes
an international agreement as a
solution to ban bottom-trawling.
Green Party of Canada
Michael Milligan
For your consideration: Candidates running for election in this, the Beausjour, riding
running for federal election in the Beausjour riding, which includes the Mount Allison University Campus
Justine Galbraith
Argosy Staff
Every federal election, a select
few ridings see a student among
their MP candidates. is year,
Christopher Durrant, a fourth-year
International Relations honours
student at Mount Allison, is one
of those select few. Durrant is
running for the New Democratic
Party in the Beausjour riding.
Durrant was born in Lennoxville,
Quebec, and developed a taste for
politics in his early teens. He quickly
became interested in the NDP, for
their principled stand on certain issues,
such as their unwavering support
of the gay and lesbian community,
particularly in the marriage issue.
Nominated in 2005 as the NDP
candidate in his home riding, Durrant
did not get the chance to campaign
or run, as the election did not, in the
end, occur. However, he did attend
the last NDP federal convention,
where party policies are decided.
Durrant has received funding
from the federal NDP, but also
hopes to hold fundraising activities
such as a benet concert. And he
campaigns out of his home. eres
better uses for the money that I
have than renting an oce, he said.
Since being federally nominated,
Durrant has had to nd a balance
between school work and campaigning.
While his professors are happy and
excited about his candidacy, they still
believe that its no excuse for late or
incomplete assignments, he explained.
e school works been suering
more than the campaign is, said
Durrant. Still, he thinks that its
worth it for the chance to speak
to people about what he believes.
Durrant feels that his approachability,
sincerity, earnestness, and age will get
him far in the election. Im nding [that
being a student] makes people more
interested, he said, combined with a
platform that addresses major issues.
In this rural riding, Durrant
feels that consumer protection is an
important issue. A key area that needs
this protection, he explained, is the
price of gas, which aects many low
income families. ere are times
when the gas prices fall, but the prices
here dont fall with them, he said.
In addition to monitoring and
regulating gas prices, the NDPs plans
include capping the interest rates on
credit cards, mandatory labelling of
farmed sh and genetically engineered
food, and a ban on ATM fees.
Another of Durrants main concerns
is the environment, as the area is
already seeing the eects of climate
change. His party is hoping to lower
emission levels by introducing a Cap
and Trade system, which he happily
explained to those attending Elizabeth
Mays recent whistlestop in Sackville.
e money made o this system
New Democratic Party of Canada
Chris Durrant
will be invested in environmental
projects, such as helping Canadians
retro-t their homes to save
heating energy, Durrant explained.
But his main focus will be on
seniors. eres an array of issues
concerning the elderly, said Durrant,
and people have been talking to him
about them. Durrant would like
to examine the cost of housing for
seniors on xed income, as well as
the home care available in the area.
[e NDP commits] to increasing
the number of home-care spaces by
100,000 which means seniors will
be able to stay out of the hospital
and nursing homes for longer,
because they will have medical care
coming to t heir door, and thus they
will get preventative treatments.
Durrant hopes that the NDP will
be viewed as nancially responsible,
despite critics. He feels that the party
has a lot of great suggestions that will
save the country money. One of these,
he explained, was to increase medical
school admissions by 50 per cent.
is way, there will be more family
doctors available, people will be able
to take more preventative measures,
and less hospital bills will be a result.
When asked if he thought he had a
shot in this liberally-dominated riding,
Durrant responded that politics
[are] always unpredictable. I think
the NDP has a great platform and a
platform that applies to this riding.
Publicity Photo
Callan Field
F
PAGE 16 THE ARGOSY FEATURES OCTOBER 9, 2008
Rev. John C. Perkin
University Chaplain
e last Saturday in September saw
the last wedding of the summer take
place in the chapel. e day before,
I was doing some nal preparations
before the couple arrived for the
rehearsal, and some straightening and
arranging of the chapel furnishings
was being done. In the middle of
these preparations, a letter was found,
left on the altar, and addressed to the
chapel. Often things are left behind in
the chapel, especially after weddings,
including a fairly generous supply of
bubble-blowing soap in very small
bottles, feather pens, enough safety
pins to repair a raft of dresses and
tuxedos, the occasional extra tie, hats,
and several umbrellas. Occasionally
small notes, letters or prayers are left
in the chapel, tucked in appropriate,
and inappropriate places, as though
the chapel were a Maritime Wailing
Wall, akin to the western wall of
the second temple in Jerusalem
where the Jewish faithful gather
for prayers. Often referred to as the
Wailing Wall, because of the Jewish
practice of coming to mourn the
destruction of the Temple; this holy
site of prayer has been for centuries
the repository of small prayer notes
tucked into the cracks between the
massive stones. Long recognized as
a holy site, tradition suggests that to
pray in the Temple in Jerusalem, is to
oer prayer before the very throne of
glory, because the very gate of heaven
is situated at the temple site, and it is
open to hear prayer. Prayers have been
written on scraps of paper, and left in
the cracks of the wall at least since the
eighteenth century; when the number
of prayers becomes too great for the
wall to permit more, authorities
carefully, and reverently remove the
prayers and, without reading them,
bury them according to holy ritual.
In this manner also, notes, prayers,
letters, and expressions of faith are
left in the chapel. While a book is
provided in the side chapel for notes,
it is not uncommon to nd another
by chance, cached near the front,
under the altar or in the baptismal
font. I try to treat such prayers left in
the chapel in an equally holy manner,
and perhaps should not have read the
letter addressed to the chapel, but the
sentiment captured me. e letter left
on the altar in the chapel was lled
with meaning and poetry thank you,
to the anonymous author. I will not
reproduce this communication here,
but will share only its essence: a note
of thanks that the chapel is available
and open, and being available and
open serves as a refuge, a place to
nding solitude, hope, healing, quiet,
rest.
I am glad that the chapel doors are
open daily, from early morning to
early evening and that the chapel
is available to anyone who wishes to
come in. Quiet times are set from
noon until one pm, and from four
until ve pm daily, so that it can serve
as a silent place of refuge from the
many, and varied activities that take
place on the Mount Allison campus.
At other times, organ or piano music
may accompany reections, prayers
or meditations in the chapel. I am
glad that the doors are unlocked, and
that anyone may come in at any time
during the day; I am reminded of the
traditional prayer, rst written over
the doorway of an Anglican church
in southern England during the
seventeenth century: O God, make
the door of this house wide enough
to receive all who need human love
and fellowship, and narrow enough
to shut out all envy, pride and strife.
Make its threshold smooth enough to
be no stumbling block to children nor
to straying feet, but rugged and strong
enough to turn back the tempters
power. God, make the door of this
house the gateway to thine eternal
kingdom.
A more contemporary variation
captures the same essential prayer:
May the door of this house be wide
enough to receive all who hunger for
love, all who long for community. May
this house be a place of welcome to all
those with cares to unburden, thanks
to express, and hope to nurture. May
this house be for all who enter a
doorway to the presence of God.
I am grateful that the university
community, almost fty years ago, saw
t to build a chapel dedicated to the
spiritual dimension of life, and that
the chapel represents an opportunity
for this spiritual dimension to be
explored and even questioned. It is
not that it should demand agreement
with any one creed or belief, but that it
is open to receive those who seek the
stillness, the calmness, the comfort
that it represents. It opens us to the
possibility of the sacred, the holy, the
other; it reminds us of the need to stop,
to be still, and to regain perspective.
We have, I believe, an inherent need
to be open to the sacred which we
understand in such a huge diversity
of forms and need those things that
point us to what is sacred and holy,
to those things that give us healing
and hope. Religious scholar Mircea
Eliade maintained that the element
of religion its mythology, its sense of
the sacred was an essential element
of a culture, and that instead of trying
to rationalize our understanding of
the sacred, or eliminate it, we should
instead open ourselves to a more full
understanding of the way in which
the sacred illuminates human nature,
and its ultimate aspirations. We need
to stop and reect on who we are, and
where we are going, and we need to
do in the context of those things that
open us up to mysteries of the divine,
the holy, the other, the ultimately
signicant.
While searching for some
information about a church on the
internet one day, I ran across a church
site which proclaimed at the top
of the web page, in large letters, all
welcome, and at the bottom of the
site, in smaller letters, please log in
using your user name and password
perhaps not so welcome after all. I
am glad that the chapel is welcoming
to many, and hope and pray that,
despite the Christian iconography
from an earlier age, the majesty and
beauty of the chapel is welcoming to
all as a place of reection and peace.
One of the hymns that we often
sing in chapel begins with the words
Come and nd the quiet centre in
the crowded life we lead, and goes to
oer the prayer clear the chaos and
the clutter, clear our eyes that we can
see, all the things that really matter,
be at peace and simply be. My hope
is that the chapel, in its majesty and
beauty, in its silence and its music, in
its presence and in our presence in
it, will allow all who enter in to nd
the things that really matter, to be at
peace and simply be. anks to all who
leave letters and prayers. My prayer is
that the chapel, a gift of alumni to
the university almost fty years ago,
will continue to be a gift to all who
enter, that others will nd peace and
hope breaking into their lives gently,
through stained glass.
rough stained glass
Argosy Correspondent
And now for something completely
dierent
e famous British sketch comedy
group, Monty Pythons Flying Circus,
rst aired their TV program on
October 5, 1967. e show was known
for its slightly risqu surrealist sketches
that included innuendo-lled gags and
jokes without punchlines. e show
also featured the now iconic cut-out
animations of Terry Gilliam, sometimes
incorporated into live-action scenes,
or by themselves in between sketches
(his most recognizable animation
throughout the entire show was the
Foot, taken from Agnolo Brozinos An
Allegory of Venus and Cupid).
e members of the troupe (the
late Graham Chapman, John Cleese,
Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones,
and Michael Palin) were all highly
educated ( Jones and Palin graduated
from Oxford; Chapman, Cleese, and
Idle from Cambridge; Gilliam from
the American Occidental College),
leading their sketches to sometimes
be more intellectual (with references
to philosophical and literary gures),
politically charged, based on historical
events or characters, and involving the
habits of normal British people. e
program was so well received that it
aired in several European countries
and North America (PBS began to
broadcast the show after their fourth
and nal series in 1974), and has
developed into several TV specials and
movies, including the famous Monty
Python and the Holy Grail (which
has recently been made into a musical,
Spamalot), albums, and books.
Although the members are most
fondly remembered by their show, all
of them have been very successful in
their own right, during, and after the
series.
e Great Miramichi Fire
On October 7, 1825, a restorm,
due to a lack of rainfall during the
summer, began around Newcastle,
New Brunswick. ough res had
been sweeping through the province
all summer, the restorm in the
Miramichi area was the largest
recorded in New Brunswick, and has
been recorded as one the three biggest
res in North America. Around noon,
a faint smell of smoke was noticed, as
the sky turned grey. Lumberjacks were
reported to have warned the people of
Newcastle that a re was beginning to
spread in the forest. Soon enough, the
air began to get thicker, and ash fell in
the streets, as a rumble was heard when
the Northeast wind picked up, and re
began to spread along the Miramichi
riverbank and towards Newcastle. e
heat of the re, and the temperature of
the day became so intense that the re
created, and was able to sustain its own
wind system, noted to be as strong as
hurricane-like winds.
ese winds picked up aming
trees, throwing them into the harbour
and town, burning buildings and ships
alike. In less than three hours, most of
Newcastle was burnt to a crisp, leaving
only 12 of its 260 buildings standing,
and engulfed many of the people
who stood around dumbstruck by the
ames. Wild animals and livestock
headed for the river to escape the heat,
followed closely by the humans; a few
accounts note that a bear huddled
among humans and their cattle,
waiting for the danger to pass. e
re continued to burn, making its way
across the river via burning ships that
were attempting to escape the ames.
e re also destroyed the
neighbouring towns of Douglasville,
Mooreeld, Napan, and Black River;
although the towns of Chatham,
Nelson, and Doaktown somehow
managed to escape the ames. e
cause of the re is unknown (although
its suggested that the re was several
dierent res burning simultaneously).
It managed to consume almost one
fth of New Brunswicks forests, and
killed 160 people (including typhoid
patients who were too weak to move,
and prisoners of the Newcastle Jail).
Raising the Mary Rose
On October 11, 1982, after three
years of excavation, the sixteenth
century warship, the Mary Rose was
nally raised out of the sea bed in the
Solent Channel (near Portsmouth,
UK), by way of a support cradle.
e Mary Rose is currently the only
sixteenth century warship to be on
display in a museum.
e Mary Rose (thought to be
named after Henry VIIIs younger
sister, and the Tudor emblem), built
in Portsmouth, was a four-masted
warship, and the rst to have a full
broadside of cannons. e ship was
500 tons when immersed in water,
38.5 metres long, and had a crew
of 200 sailors, 185 soldiers, and 30
gunners. In 1515, Francis I of France
launched an invasion on England with
an enormous eet: 30,000 soldiers
with 200 ships larger than that of
the Spanish Armada. e English,
however only had 80 ships, and 12,000
soldiers, with the Mary Rose as one
of the eets main agships. In July
of 1515, the French eet entered the
Solent Channel (between Hampshire
and the Isle of Wight), only to be met
by the English on July 19, engaging in
battle, wherein neither side received
much damage. e next day, however,
as the Mary Rose advanced towards
a new ght between the two eets, a
breeze caught the ship, capsized it, and
sank, taking with her all but 35 men of
her men. Sources say that the ship red
a few times, and attempted to turn
around so she could re from her other
side; but the turn was too sharp, and
because of the weight of the guns and
cannons on one side, the ship heeled,
letting in enough water to submerge
all the open gun ports, drawing in
enough water to sink the ship. Also,
a common feature of warships at the
time was to have the top deck covered
in netting, so that soldiers from enemy
ships could not climb on board (and
the soldiers wearing full armour on
the top deck was said to weigh down
the ship, making it unsteady). Many
of the men drowned, due to the fact
that a lot of them couldnt swim, and
that their armor weighed them down.
e netting on the deck proved to
be disastrous, catching the feet of
the soldiers, and dragging them to a
watery death.
Also this week:
Oct. 5, 1789: Women of Paris march
on Versailles to demand bread (among
other things)
Oct. 5, 1795: Alexander Keith is born
in Halkirk, Scotland
Oct. 5, 1970: British Trade
Commissioner James L. Cross is
kidnapped in Montreal by members of
the FLQ
Oct. 6, 1889: omas Edison shows
his rst motion picture
Oct. 6, 1892: death of poet, Alfred
Lord Tennyson
Oct. 6, 1966: LSD is declared illegal
in the US
Oct. 7, 1849: death of Edgar Allen
Poe, from mysterious causes
Oct. 7, 1963: JFK signs ratication for
the Partial Test Ban Treaty (banning
the testing of nuclear weapons)
Oct. 7, 1980: the musical Cats opens
on Broadway
Oct. 8, 1793: death of John Hancock
Oct. 8, 1912: the First Balkan War
begins
Oct. 8, 1967: Che Guevara and his
men are captured in Bolivia
Oct. 9, 768 CE: Charlemange crowned
king of the Franks
Oct. 9, 1003 CE: Leif Erikson lands at
LAnse aux Meadows, Newfoundland
Oct. 9, 1806: Prussia declares war on
France
Oct. 9, 1986: Phantom of the Opera
opens in London
Oct. 10, 1954: the Windscale Fire in
Cumbria (UK) leads to the worlds
rst major nuclear accident
Oct. 10, 1964: rst live coverage of the
Olympic opening ceremonies from
Tokyo, Japan, by use of satellites
Oct. 11, 1809: Meriwether Lewis
(of the Lewis and Clark fame) dies
under mysterious circumstances in
Tennessee
Oct. 11, 1910: ex-president eodore
Roosevelt becomes rst president to
y in a plane
Oct. 11, 1975: Saturday Night Live
rst airs.
A weekly compilation by Sarah Robinson
is week in history
Become Sexy and Privileged. Write Features.
F
OCTOBER 9, 2008 FEATURES THE ARGOSY PAGE 17
by Vision in Blue
Every year we get some kind of
column on fellatio, and theyre great
and all, but really, how hard is it to
suck on a guys dick? I think most
people get the general idea by now,
and if not, read past issues of the
Sex Bomb. As a sex columnist who
has been doing this (writing, not
fellating) for over four years, I like
to step a little out of the box, so here
my tips and tricks for making that
blowjob a little more memorable.
1. Actually suck on it. Clamp your
lips down, and suck his dick. is
creates a lot of pressure, and a nice
tight sensation. Dont suck too hard,
cause it can get painful (youre kind of
giving his dick a huge hickey, so itll
hurt after a while), but incorporate
this into what youre doing, like play
with it for a bit, then get a little
rough you know how he likes it.
2. His boys. How can you ignore
them, theyre dangling right there?
ese guys actually need attention,
too. Remember the tea bagging of
the second issue? Well, maybe not,
but lick em, suck on em, see if you
can t both in your mouth, just
make sure they get some attention.
Personally, I like to do some classic
blowjob action, then pause, and have
fun with his nuts for a bit, then back
up to his dick. Its kind of a tease,
but Ive never had any complaints.
3. e frenulum. is is the little
ridged area on the underside that
looks like its connecting the head to
the shaft. Im not really sure why, as I
dont have a wang, but guys really like
it when you ick it with your tongue.
4. e male g-spot. Now, this is
tricky, cause in order to get here, you
have to stick a nger up his bum. Im
not really into bum play, but if youre
a guy sucking on another guys dick,
then obviously this is something you
should employ. If youre a girl, and
youre with a guy who likes getting
his bum touched, congrats, youre
more experienced than me, and if
you nd that g-spot, maybe you can
write a column about it in the future?
5. e perineum, also known as the
taint. ere are many jokes about this
area of skin, naturally, as its the area
between his balls and his bum, but its
actually a highly erogenous area, and
I dont know why, but girls apparently
dont know it exists. is is my
favourite area; you get to feel the base
of his dick (the part thats inside his
body), and, if you lightly press the area
with your ngers (or knuckles), you
can put pressure on that infamous g-
spot without any ngers up the bum!
6. Deep throating. Its from porn,
so guys like it, but they also like the
feeling of their entire dick in your
mouth. Essentially you want to
swallow down on it, and remember
to breathe out your nose so you dont
choke (though admittedly, some
guys get some weird pleasure out of
making you choke). An opera singer
friend of mine says she creates more
room by dropping her larynx down
(as if youre going to sing) before
going down, but be careful with this
one, as its a little harder to breathe,
so deep throat on the way in, and
breathe on the way out. I personally
dont like the way the dick is at the
back of my throat (it makes me feel
bulimic), so I like to lie on my back,
with him standing up behind me, and
my head facing him. is way, when
you take his dick into your mouth,
itll angle itself down your throat,
and is MUCH easier to deep throat.
7. Sex toys. Most girls have heard of
the little bullet vibe (the thing that ts
into many vibes and cock rings), but
its also fun to set this under his balls
while going down on him. You can
also ll your mouth with some kind of
liquid beforehand, like the chocolate
milkshake blowjob, but my favourite
is champagne, cause the bubbles will
tickle his dick, and it is way more
pleasurable than pop rocks (please
dont use these, they hurt, unless he
likes it). Other things to put in your
mouth: breath mints and ice cubes.
8. His cum. Guys are proud of their
cum, they like to spray it everywhere.
Its a possessive dominance thing, that
I, personally, nd endearing. If he
can cum on you, itll make it special.
Good places for him to let it out: the
face (natch), the bum, the tits, and the
stomach. I personally like it in the
face, but with this one, keep your eyes
closed, as cum in the eye is a bitch;
also watch that too much doesnt get
in your hair, and that it doesnt get
in your ears, as sexy as that sounds.
A note to the guys: keep the area
trimmed, at least. No one wants to
oss his or her teeth with your pubic
hair. And wash, please, especially if
youre uncircumcised, as I hear it gets
a little cheesy down there after a while.
A note to the girls, or the fellaters:
No teeth! God, how hard is that to
understand. Its a sensitive organ,
treat it with love. If he likes you
using teeth, then hopefully hell
have the balls (haha, laugh at the
bad pun) to let you know. Also
take extra care if you have braces.
Is that it? Did I cover all the
bases? If I didnt, take the initiative,
and write a Sex Bomb on it.
Corey Isenor and
James Goddard
Argosy Correspondents
Georges Fabulous Roadhouse
67 Lorne St.

Last week, the leader of the Green
party, Elizabeth May, passed through
the train station here in Sackville, New
Brunswick. If you come to Sackville
by train, the rst thing you see after
the rolling marshlands is most likely
Georges Roadhouse, which leads
one to wonder what May thought of
this vinyl-sided institution. Among
students, Georges Roadhouse is better
known for its function as the premier
live music venue in Sackville, than it is
as an eatery.
But eatery it is. Georges serves
roadhouse food, and the appropriately
surly sta will be sure to remind you
of that if you ever get fancy with your
ordering. e only juice they oer is
juice used for making mixed drinks;
that is, orange, apple, and cranberry.
e menu features such standards
as chicken nuggets, nachos, steak,
fried sh, and most things come with
fries. Georges has a secret though.
It is possibly the best eatery in town.
Cost eective, although the prices
have gone up a bit lately (we naturally
blame the economy), and delicious, the
roadhouse is worth it.
A huge factor in Georges worth is
the Saturday and Sunday breakfast/
lunch deal. It oers probably the best
breakfast package in town: hash-
browns, a breakfast meat, two eggs,
and two slices of toast for just under
seven dollars. An assortment of
other breakfast meals is also oered,
including French toast, pancakes, and
steak. Served until late (by late we mean
two pm), its the perfect salve to that
muddy-headed Saturday or Sunday
morning feeling. Corey and James both
ordered the Breakfast Special: Corey
having bacon, and his eggs done sunny
side up, while James had sausage, and
his eggs scrambled. One of our eating
companions adventurously took a step
into unknown territory by getting the
French toast. He didnt regret it. ats
the other secret about Georges, they
make the food properly so you can feel
condent ordering anything o their
menus. A particularly nice surprise is
the chicken Caesar salad which, the
last time we saw it ordered, came with
a loaf of baked parmesan. Our meals
were quite satisfying, nothing special;
but nothing special about breakfast is
really expected, other than a plate of
hearty food to start the day.
e service can, however, be a little
hit or miss. If its busy, it can slow to
a halt, and sometimes its slow even if
youre the only one there. Part of this
is usually due to only having one cook
working at a time, but there also isnt
a need for more then one most of the
time, so this is understandable. As well,
the waiters and waitresses of Georges
are uniquely tempered, so to speak.
ey dont get angry, but if youre not
used to their unique sense of humor,
then you might be a little turned o.
ey are, however, ecient and direct,
which is welcome. We had our meals
within about 10 minutes of ordering.
Overall, for what Georges
Roadhouse is as a service, James and
Corey give it two thumbs up. Sure its
a long walk to get out there, and sure
there isnt a gourmet menu oered,
but the quality of the food for the
price, and the awesome extras like
the Saturday/Sunday breakfast deals
along with a kicking ursday Wing
night, make the Roadhouse certainly
deserving of its rating.
Corey and James eat out
Emily Bird
Argosy Correspondent

Since the Stone Ages, people have
taken care to the ornamenting our
feet. It is incredibly astonishing, the
distance and speed of which we have
progressed in the development of sole
protection. Lest we forget the centuries
of labour, the eras of imagination,
the decades of discovery, and the
innovators whom we praise for having
established the golden foundation for
the most powerful wardrobe essential:
shoes.
Alright, so many of us know
approximately how many pairs of shoes
we have neatly aligned, and categorized
on multiple shelves or, most commonly,
chucked in a quaint corner of a dorm
room or apartment. Now, specically
to all shoe hoarders out there, out of
your entire collection of footwear, how
many of those delicious boots, sexy
kitten heals, and limited city sneaks
have been worn outside of the front
door? A shocking population is quite
guilt stricken, faced with the reality
that risk is an inescapable component
of shoe-exhibiting. Shoes alone are not
exposed to risk. at tailored cream
coat faces just as many hazardous
encounters, as do all other articles
that compose any style project. e
benets of sporting fabulous shoes
are uplifting and exhilarating, an
experience that raises condence, and
brings ones mood up to new heights.
Whatever your excuse may be, stare
down at the threatening outdoors, and
conquer the streets. ose shoes were
not meant to be shunned from our
intrigued glances and stares. How can
one not feel a purge of guilt knowing
that painstaking labour, devoted time,
creativity, a pattern, a dream transposed
into matter, is deprived from the
worlds appreciation while laying in a
dank dark corner, forgotten? Make a
new resolution this season, and free
those foot cushions.
For that one pair, two, or even
three new pairs of magic slippers you
choose to decorate your feet, take
your condence to culminate peaks
as you will surely walk on the clouds
when wearing the masses of luxuries
that designers composed. is season,
audiences were caught starring down,
entranced by the feet prancing down
falls catwalks.
Booties are the any and every
occasion shoe of the season. Closed-
toe booties made their way in
attention grabbing shades, and
unique embellishments, such as BC
Footwears cherry reds with side
tassels, and Diesels belted booties in
the seasons manifest of purple. If you
are one without any constricting shoe
speculations, dominate the sidewalks
in this season`s sexiest hybrid: the
open-toed bootie. Every woman can
sport this innovation, whether it be for
the oce, or a black-tie event, this new
take on the bootie will fasten all eyes
on your gorgeous toes. Valentino took
his notorious hyper-feminine take
on the shape, and created an elegant
bootie out of luxurious black satin,
embellished with a loose black bow.
Forget not the new impossibly
high heels, the chic component of
every woman`s shoe closet. Boutique
windows are clustered this season with
tailored masculine-inspired looks,
and strappy Mary Janes. e classic
Oxford was morphed into stunning
shapes of femininity. Every woman
can work this masculine vibe in any
heel, from a basic black and white
strappy at, to Dolce and Gabanas
sturdy wooden heal, which anyone
could last in for the entire stretch of
the work day. Most commonly, when
reminiscing the classic Oxford, one
envisions a black and white lace up
shoes. However, this season, designers
have adorned this classic sole with new
twists. New colours, new fabrics, and
an explosion of patterns have set these
eras of class apart. Rich purples and
plums have come out in leathers, both
patent, and matte. Find your perfect
t at Aldo shoes. Take on a striking
pair of plaid and chocolate leather
side zip-up booties, also available at
Aldo. However, if the bootie is not
your preference, opt for the Mary
Jane. Designers did a new take on
the shape of this doll by adorning
her with multiple buckles and straps,
bringing fun to the feet. If aiming at
being demure, aunt this season`s rich
dark plum shade with a strappy patent
shoe. To bring the wow-factor, opt for
bright-purple suede, accented with
leather straps and striking buckles.
We have seen layers of zippers, rows
of straps, chunky, and skinny heels,
waves of plaid, and a sea of purples,
open-toe booties, and vampy Mary
Janes. Shoes are an essential for every
day life, so why not start every day
with a little bit of fun?
ose perfect glass slippers
Zoe Williams
Internet Photo
A piece from Aldos collection.
Jessica Emin
F
PAGE 18 THE ARGOSY FEATURES OCTOBER 9, 2008
Sarah Bell-Etkin
Argosy Contributor
China has once again been thrown
into the international spotlight, and this
time it is neither for athletic prowess
nor political triumphs. Instead, the
mainland Peoples Republic of China
has been plagued by a food safety
incident involving baby milk formula
that had been tainted with melamine.
By late September, reports claimed
that the melamine-tainted milk
products originated from 22 Chinese
companies including the Sanlu Group,
Mengniu, Yili, and Yashili. It was soon
discovered that dairy products had
been the cause 53,000 illnesses, more
than 12,800 hospitalizations, and four
infant deaths. Eighty-two per cent of
the aicted children were less than
two years old. Although Canadians
may still be fretting over the recent
listeriosis outbreak, the World Health
Organization has called the crisis one
of the largest food safety events it
has had to deal with in recent years.
Melamine in low doses is a
nontoxic organic molecule; however
the combination of melamine and
cyanuric acid into melamine cyanurate
causes fatal kidney stones. When the
two chemicals are ltered through
the kidneys, they react with urine to
produce round, yellow crystals. ese
crystals are detrimental to the renal
tubules as they impede blood ltration,
and make urination extremely dicult
and painful. Warning labels state that
melamine is harmful if swallowed,
inhaled or absorbed through the
skin and, with repeated exposure,
may be a carcinogen. Melamine
was the chemical found in the pet
foods that were recalled in 2007.
Sanlu-linked occurrences of
kidney stones in children were rst
noted in June 2008, but no replies
to the doctors or investigations
into the allegations were made.
No denitive answers as to how the
melamine ended up in the baby milk
have surfaced, however academics
have suggested that cyromazine, a
derivative of melamine and common
pesticide, has been accumulating
in plants (it is stored as melamine),
consequently contaminating poultry,
eggs, sh, and dairy products, however
this does not account for the toxic
levels found in the baby milk. Other
speculations say the melamine content
in Sanlus baby formula possibly came
from replacing real milk protein with
low grade Soya powder, which would
have contained industrial melamine
as ller, which in turn contains several
known carcinogens like sodium nitrate.
But the tainted baby milk has harmed
more than Chinas infants: because the
country is one of the main exporters of
prepared foods, the scandal has become
a global issue. At least 11 countries
have stopped any importation of
Chinese dairy products, harming both
the Chinese economy, and that of their
export countries. Consumers, both
inside China and internationally, may
never recover from the loss of trust in
the multi-national companies nor the
Chinese governments Administration
of Quality Supervision, Inspection,
and Quarantine, as regulation failed
to keep pace with the development
of industrial production of food.
ere have been several arrests and
many resignations due to the tainted
milk. During the Olympic games,
many were worried that dairy products
consumed by athletes and spectators
may have been tainted. Former
AQSIQ Director Li Changjiang was
adamant that his inspectors took
special quality management measures
aimed at food supply for the Games.
Recalls have extended beyond
baby milk formula to White Rabbit
candies, Cadbury chocolate clairs,
Lotte Koala Biscuits, Kirin milk tea,
Dutch Lady milk, Nestl Dairy Farm
Pure Milk, yogourt, Heinz Vegetable
Formula Cereal, Mars M&Ms,
Kraft Oreos, Cadbury Dairy Milk
chocolate products, bread products,
cookies, toees, Mi Sarang Custard
snacks, Ritz cheese sandwiches, rice
crackers, and Mr. Brown instant coee.
e World Health Organization
was only notied on September 11,
and immediately demanded answers
from Beijing as to why it had taken
so long for the scandal to become
public, and to determine whether the
contamination was due to ignorance or
done on purpose. Chinas representative
on the WHO, Hans Troedsson, said
[] if it was ignorance, there is a
need to have much better training and
education. [] If it is neglect then it
Sasha Van Katwyk
Argosy Staff
India has a rich religious history;
Buddha was an Indian prince before
embarking on his path towards
spiritual enlightenment, Islam has
had a profound eect on the nations
history particularly with relation to
Pakistan in the North, and Hinduism
has its roots and continued popularity
in this culturally diverse country.
Hindus make up a substantial
population of India, with nearly
400 million followers, and with the
faith not spreading conspicuously far
outside its boundaries, its one of the
most condensed religions of its size
in the world. e Hindu-nationalist
party Bharatiya Janata (BJP), now the
main opposition party in India, holds
strong support in 12 states in India.
In a number of these states, however,
there is a noticeable religious minority
that has been feeling a hard pinch of
subjugation: the Indian Christians. A
faith that has never had particularly
rm ties with the Indian people
despite British imperialist attempts,
Christianity has been quietly gaining
followers particularly amongst the
nature-worshipping forest dwellers,
some of the poorest people in India,
who were attracted to the benets of
God, free schools, and healthcare all
supplied by the Churchs missionaries.
Since the 1990s, however, as the
Church has gained more followers, it
has also seen a rise in violence against
them by some members of the BJP. In
recent weeks, these violent outbursts
have become far more common, and
have escalated in consequence as a result
of the assassination of a charismatic
Hindu priest, Swami Laxmanananda
Saraswati, who indulged unreservedly
in Christian-bashing. While Indian
authorities have determined that a
group of Naxalite Maoists were
responsible for the killing, a fanatical
group of Hindu nationalists have
blamed the Christian population.
Answering the calls by the Vishnu
Hindu Parishad, or World Hindu
Council, gangs of Hindus in the south-
eastern states of India have begun
attacking Christian missionaries and
burning churches. General Secretary
of the World Hindu Council, Gauri
Prasad Rath, has deemed the attacks on
the missionaries a direct result of the
fraudulent conversions Christians are
doing. ey burned their own churches.
Tens of thousands of Indian
Christians have ed their homes,
and at least 20 have been killed. eir
troubles, however, are not new, nor are
they isolated necessarily to small bands
of extremists. e BJP has gotten six of
their 12 states to ratify laws designed
to deter Hindus from converting
to any other religion by banning
forced conversions; the denition
of forced, naturally, being very
vague. Furthermore, the restrictions
of the low-caste citizens on getting
government jobs or education have
exasperated tensions between the
BJP and the poorer communities.
Many such communitiesHindu
includedhave come to rely on
the promise of schooling, and
basic healthcare at the easy cost
of being reborn into the Church.
Despite the Church attacks, and
the Hindu-centric rhetoric by the BJP,
and other religious-nationalist groups,
this is not, as it would seem, a religious
conict. Indeed, much of the Christian
minority (making up three per cent of
the population) is also the minority
excluded from of certain poverty-
alleviation benets making God,
for them, just as much of a welfare
provider as a saviour. Mohammed Sha
Qureshi, chairman of the government-
appointed National Commission for
Minorities, pointed out that its no
coincidence that as Indian elections get
closer, theyre seeing increased violence
against the minorities. is madness,
Qureshi points out, is political.
Or is it?
Indias sectarian violence
Nutjaree Chamaplin
Argosy Contributor
Following the Cuban Missile Crisis
in 1962, Kennedys administration,
along with future U.S. presidential
administrations, imposed a trade
embargo on Cuba which, to this day, has
still not been lifted, despite the political
changes in Cuba. Under the embargo,
trade between the two countries
is strictly prohibited, and though
relations have been chilly for over 40
years, recent developments, namely
natural disasters, are demonstrating
that the tensions between these
two rivals still exists strongly today.
In the past two weeks, Cuba, along
with countries in neighboring areas
such as Haiti, suered great loss from
two hurricanes, Gustav and Ike, which
were barely ten days apart. Violent
gusts of winds, rainstorms, and huge
sea waves swept through the country,
stripping away houses, buildings, and
agricultural plantations, as well as
factories, leaving Cuba at a loss for
words at the vast destruction caused.
Its exports and domestic production
of goods and services was greatly
damaged, although luckily the capital
city (Havana) remained mostly intact.
But even so, the communist government
is still facing over 60 deaths, 200,000
homeless, and a total estimated cost
of losses of $5 billion dollars - a
signicant amount for this small nation.
us far, the Cuban communist
regime has received much help from
afar, including sums of money, U.N.
peace-keeping forces to aid in the
evacuation of citizens, electrical
generators, food, and other necessary
supplies from Russia, Spain, Brazil,
and East Timor, to name a few. Yet,
even with such aid, there are still
doubts as to Cubas recovery without
support from the U.S. Given the
status of the U.S.- Cuban policy, the
Bush administration initially oered
$100,000 as emergency relief aid, and
later raised it to approximately $5
million. e U.S. oer was rejected, as
many Cuban nationals found it hard
to believe the inexplicable sudden rise
in humanitarian aid, which the U.S.
declares to be an act of compassion
for fellow humankind, but is called by
some in Cuba a new-found attempt at
propaganda by the U.S. (Ironically, the
U.S. did pledge a total of $19.5 Million
to aid Haiti, which was also aected by
the hurricanes, a huge contrast in aid
when compared to that oered to Cuba.)
Ral Castro, Fidels brother, and
successor to the regime, instead
calls for a temporary lift of the trade
embargo on Cuba, which will then
allow for emergency purchase of goods
and services that the country needs,
especially construction materials in
order to build temporary shelters
for the 200,000 homeless Cuban
citizens. At this time, however, the
U.S. refuses to agree to the terms
stated by Castro, and many do not see
a possibility for a successful resolution.
Cubas rejection of U.S.
humanitarian aid
is, of course, more serious. He also
said the critical point was establishing
who knew what, and when. By
September 25, both the WHO
and UNICEF decided the scandal
was a deliberate contamination of
foods intended for consumption
by vulnerable infants and young
children. WHO Director-General
Margaret Chan has emphasized to
Chinese mothers the importance
of breast-feeding, and imploring
them to return to natural breast
milk for the duration of the scandal.
WHO demands answers as to why it took months for the scandal to become public
Tainted baby milk leads to multiple infant deaths in China
Jessica Emin
Indian-Christians attend a protest against the recent killings in Orissa.
Internet Photo
argosy.ca
Internet Photo
Mark Brister
Mount Allison SAC
VP External
Conventional wisdom has a name
for candidates who rely on the youth
vote: loser.
- Dr. Michael P. McDonald, specialist
in electoral politics and co-editor
of e Marketplace of Democracy:
Electoral Competition in American
Politics.
is convention was ostensibly
overturned last January, at the
commencement of the Democratic
Party presidential primaries. Barack
Obama won Iowa by a margin that
was not just attributable to voters
under the age of twenty-ve, but
young voters that typically did not
vote at all. e current continued
throughout the campaign, albeit in
a less dramatic fashion then in some
of the early swing states. Many of
us above the 49
th
parallel have been
keeping our ngers crossed that this
anomaly of political enthusiasm
amongst young people for the
traditional mechanisms of power
might seep across the boarder.
is week executive director of the
Dominion Institute Marc Chalifoux
commented that eres a number
of close ridings and close races [in
this federal election] where the youth
vote, if properly mobilized, could
make all the dierence. Yet the
absurd idea that young people cannot
be mobilized plagues common
political discourse. Last Friday I
called in to Voice of the Province to
ask a panel of experts (I use that
term loosely) why parties werent
making a stronger eort to campaign
to young people and raised the issue
of intellectual property as an example.
e immediate response I received
was, in a sentence, that young people
dont watch televised news, they dont
read, and they generally couldnt
care less. Putting aside the point
that I would only watch network
news if I wanted to forget what little
political knowledge I have managed
to scrape together during my measly
and impoverished existence, the
mouthpiece perpetuated a truth we
now understand as hegemonic. If
we treat parties merely as electoral
machines, whether or not we vote is
all that matters. is is the opposition
that we collectively face and must
ght, regardless of partisan ties.
Additionally, there are a series
of polarizing issues raised during
Harpers 39
th
Parliament that will
surely drive young people to vote.
Although you can research where you
stand on these issues personally, some
of the more divisive moves were: the
omnibus crime bill (which, among
other things, raised the age of consent
to 16 from 14), the Conservatives
response to the Kyoto Protocol
Implementation Act, a suspicious
reallocation of money earmarked for
specic arts and culture programs, the
elimination of the Court Challenges
Program, the overhaul of the
Millennium Scholarship Foundation,
the proposed Unborn Victims of
Youth mobilization in a tumultuous political climate
A Tip on Polling
Strategy
***Ubiquitous polling has transformed
journalism and party behavior. To
maximize the eectiveness of your
views, when polled you should always
say not only that you plan to vote, but
also that you are undecided. If we all
adopt this behavior we can appear as
a massive bloc of undecided voters,
just waiting for the right incentives to
sway us.***
Pro-Quest Canadian Newsstand
database. If you are interested in
checking out the smorgasbord of
policy enticements presently oered
by parties, summaries and ocial
links to party platforms can be found
at http://www.mapleleafweb.com/
(hopefully when you are reading this
the Conservatives will have nally
released their platform).
is year I have been overwhelmed
by the politically charged atmosphere
at Mount Allison. You only need
to look to the fantastic turnout and
participation at the federal candidates
debate last week for an example: most
people even stayed to the very end
How To Vote
Although it is too late to register to
vote in your home riding, it is not
too late to register and vote in the
Beausejour riding. Your last chance
to register will be on election day,
October 14th.
Attestation of
Residence Slips
e SAC has been in frequent
contact with Elections Canada and
the university administration and
was successful in nally prodding
the university into issuing proof
of residency slips just in time for
advanced polling. You will need this
document to vote in this riding. If a
mistake has been made and you did
not receive an attestation of residency
slip, please contact either Chris Parker
(cparker@mta.ca) or me (mcbrstr@
mta.ca) immediately.
Special thanks to Ron Byrne for
Residence Voting
Challenge
DELTA, Eco-Action, and the
Sackville Coalition for Social Justice,
in partnership with the SAC, are
issuing a challenge to all residences: the
residence with the highest percentage
of voting students will receive a
gnarly prize! e aforementioned
groups will be conducting polls of
residences, and the SAC will fork
over a foosball or air hockey table to
the winner (depending on what the
house executive prefers).
What if I dont
have a proof of
residency or a
valid ID?
If you know someone who has already
registered in this riding and has valid
identication then they can vouch for
you on election day. Doth of you must
sign a brief sworn statement stating
that you are an eligible voter, and you
should be able to vote immediately
thereafter.
http://www.studentvote2004.ca/SVcolour.jpg
of this two-hour ordeal. e record
number of social justice groups and
their commendable organization is
further substantiation for this claim.
Regardless of which party we vote
for, the process of voting asserts
our authority and forces parties to
consider our weight when devising
party platforms, and I think everyone
understands this now. Especially at
MTA, students do care, and we will
vote and continue to speak up as part
of an active political engagement that
gives our lives further purpose.
actually listening to my concerns,
Chris Parker for orchestrating
production and distribution (a
mammoth task!).
O Campus
Students
O-campus students will be voting
at either the United Church, the
Sackville Lions Club, or St. Pauls
Anglican Church. Type in your
More on voting...
On-Campus
Students
For the rst time ever, MTA will have
a voting station on campus! All on-
campus students wishing to register
Crime Act (now withdrawn), the 2%
GST cut (and cuts to income and
corporate taxes), and the proposed
Act to Amend the Copyright Act
(now dead on the table because of
the election). Making the prediction
on the basis of issues in isolation, a
decisive youth turnout could be safely
projected.
Whether these moves invite your
distain or (you are wrong) ardent
approval, they are all contentious
issues that stirred up a un-Canadian
degree of controversy in a short
period of time. If you havent read
about them, you should give them
a glance on the innitely useful
drdawgsblawg.blogspot.com
Mark Brister
Mount Allison SAC
VP External
Thanks to all students
who came out to the
debate!
Student Administrative Council
Academic
enrichment
funding deadline
Brian Crouse
Mount Allison SAC
VP Academic
e SAC Academic Enrichment
Fund can help provide nancial
assistance to Mount Allison students
participating in events which enrich
their academic growth outside the
classroom. If you are attending
an event outside of class that will
enhance your academics, you can
apply for funding!
e rst application deadline is
October 24, 2008. Application forms
can be picked up and dropped o at
the SAC oce, and please feel free
to direct any questions to Brian at
sacacademic@mta.ca!
and vote on election day will be able
to do so at Jennings. By now, everyone
should have been issued an attestation
of residency slip via snail mail. is
will serve as your proof of residency
when you vote. You will also need a
valid photo ID with your age.
Special thanks to Elections Canada
Assistant Returning Ocer for this
region Clarence Leblanc for his
patience and understanding on a wide
variety of issues related to this item.
postal code at www.elections.ca to
determine the location where you will
be required to vote if you are living
o-campus. You will require a proof
of residency (phone/power bill, lease
agreement) and a valid photo ID.
ARTS & LITERATURE
What on earth is a sewing bee?
you might ask. Well, never fear: this
article was written just for you, and
any similarly baed people seeking
clarication. Chances are that if youre
in any way associated with Struts
gallery, youve been receiving emails
inviting you to attend a monthly sewing
bee and pattern-drafting workshop.
So, what exactly is a sewing bee? Well,
its more or less exactly what it sounds
like. Once a month, you can show
up to Struts with all of your sewing
supplies, and you can make stu. And
there are snacks.
Amanda Fauteux, a practicing artist,
and 2006 Mt. Allison Fine Arts Grad,
hosts the bees. Fauteux has always
been drawn to fabric and sewing, and
makes a lot of her own clothes. She
A Sewing Bee might just be for you
Talking with Amanda Fauteux
Julie Cruikshank
Argosy Staff
has also given private sewing lessons.
Although she doesnt consider herself
a bre artist, fabric and textiles have
become a part of her work because
they are a part of her life. It seemed
natural to turn fabric into art, she
explains.
According to Fauteux, the sewing
bee sort of happened organically, and
Turnout at the sewing
bee over the course of
last year grew to about 20
regulars, but new sewers
are always welcome. Nor do
people have to attend every
sewing bee right from the
very beginning. You can
show up in February if you
want, says Fauteux.
by word of mouth. In the summer
of 2007, people began to approach
her about doing a pattern-drafting
workshop.
But once they had created their
patterns, they needed some help
putting them together. A year later,
the sewing bee is still going strong.
Struts gallery, located at 7 Lorne
Street, accommodates the workshop,
which costs ten dollars admission.
Incidentally this is the same price as
a Struts membership, after which
admission to all the sewing bees is
free.
e sewing bee has seen a wide
variety of projects everything from
knitted headphone-covers to fancy
dresses. It has become particularly
popular with knitters. People attend
for all sorts of dierent reasons: some
for the sewing and pattern help, some
for the atmosphere, and some for the
company. Beyond oering help and
instruction for new sewers and pattern-
drafters, the sewing bee provides a fun
and friendly environment for people
to work on their own projects. Its fun
watching people gure out patterns,
says Fauteux, who also points out
that using old bedsheets can be an
inexpensive way for new sewers to
experiment with patterns. Participants
of the sewing bee must bring their own
fabric, thread, and sewing supplies.
Sewing machines can be borrowed, but
typically people bring their own. In the
winter, Fauteux helps to arrange rides
for people bringing sewing machines
who live far away from Struts. And
there are always extra scissors.
Turnout at the sewing bee over the
course of last year grew to about 20
regulars, but new sewers are always
welcome. Nor do people have to
attend every sewing bee right from
the very beginning. You can show
up in February if you want, says
Fauteux. e next upcoming sewing
bee is scheduled for October 15 at 7
pm. e workshop runs until 11 pm,
but the pattern-drafting workshop
will happen at the very beginning.
Fauteux also points out that this is a
great opportunity for people to work
on their Halloween costumes.
Sewing Bee participants come together to create, chat, and share ideas
and stories.
The Sewing Bees take place at the Struts Gallery. The workshops
operate several times a year.
Both amateur and practiced
sewing enthusiasts can join the
workshops.
Participants of the
sewing bee must bring
their own fabric, thread, and
sewing supplies. Sewing
machines can be borrowed,
but typically people bring
their own.
e sewing bee is a great way to
learn new skills, and to share some that
you might already have. Fauteux hopes
that by attending, participants will
learn the value of making their own
things. Drop in October 15 at 7 pm to
meet some new people, learn how to
draft a pattern, or work on a project of
your own. Everyone is welcome.
eyve got the conviction of a
Baptist choir, the tuneful condence
of the Rat Pack, and the kind of
choreography that would put the
Pussycat Dolls to shame. row in a
fashion aesthetic thats equal parts e
Blues Brothers and e Wiggles, and
you get Cadence, a group comprised of
four men who manage to make a lot of
music using only their voices.
Just last Saturday night, Cadence
made their second trip to Mount
Allison. ey performed for a packed
and enthusiastic audience at the
Brunton Auditorium. Cadence nailed
everything from gospel standards to
Hebrew songs, Joni Mitchell to Justin
Timberlake, pop and jazz in between,
and plenty of funny monologues and
audience participation.
e pop songs had energy and
sounded spotlessly clean while
the devotional songs were full of
emotion and soul. e performance
was captivating for a multitude of
reasons, the rst and foremost being
the incredible vocal talent. Using only
their mouths, Cadence managed to
simulate horns, drums and guitars. e
harmonies were executed so awlessly
that they looked easy, and the warmth
and texture of the music gave the
illusion that there must have been a
backing band.
However, there was even more to
Cadences live show than sheer vocal
talent, which in itself, would have been
enough to make it worth the $13.00
ticket price. eir choreography, easy
rapport with the audience, and wide
range of songs all say one thing
Cadence is a group who plays to their
audience. And the diverse audience,
comprised of everyone from students
to senior citizens, was not disappointed.
e set ended with a well-deserved
standing ovation.
is was not Cadences rst show
at Mount Allison, and judging by
the enthusiasm demonstrated by the
crowd, it will not be their last!
Round two with Cadence
e four-man a cappella vocal quartet returns to Mount Allison
Lucy Niles
Argosy Contributor
Photo Credits: Callen Field
Photo Credits: Amanda Fauteux
PERHAPSABOVEALLSO
MANYPARENTSATTHE
BEACH.
WRITEARTS&LIT.
A
PAGE 22 THE ARGOSY ARTS & LITERATURE OCTOBER 9, 2008
&
L
Where self-starters start.
The Dalhousie Corporate Residency MBA gets you what you want, faster.
Our unique model is a practical, relevant and hands-on learning experience
designed for the real world right now. s It integrates classroom learning with an
ei ght-month paid corporate residency with one of North Americas leading
employers. So youre earning your MBA while youre earning your pl ace i n the
corporate worl d. No wai ti ng. s As the onl y Corporate Resi dency MBA i n
Canada, we worked with more than 30 top employers to design the program.
Youll get what you want because youll have what employers want.
dalmba.ca
Corporate Residency
Newfoundland poet creates laughs
Visiting poet Agnes Walsh reads at the Owens
Julie Stephenson
Argosy Staff
It wasnt until Agnes Walsh, a
visiting poet from Newfoundland,
asked if she could swear, that the
room seemed to relax. Last ursday,
the Owens Art Gallery lled with
Canadian Literature students and
the odd faculty member interested
in the diminutive artist. Crowned
the rst Poet Laureate of St. Johns,
Newfoundland in 2006, Walsh is a
well known Canadian Poet who has
travelled, founded a eatre Troupe,
fought for political rights, and found
the time to record her life in poetry.
Walsh began the poetry reading by
making a note to herself she seemed
unconcerned with the audiences
perception, instead preoccupied with a
failing memory. She began the reading
with a poem about a funeral, and one
that included the line itsy, bitsy, teeny
weeny polka dot bikini. Walsh read
with a matter of fact humour. It was
obvious by the audiences laughter,
from both students and faculty
members alike, that the humour was
not lost on them. It merely took the
audience some time to warm up to it.
When telling a poem based upon her
own fathers antics, Walsh remarked
that her people were well known as
scavengers. e point was certainly put
well across as the poem surrounding
Walshs father included his surprising
aection for a box the family stove
arrived in. A short lm is currently in
pre-production based upon Dad and
the Fridge Box.
Between poems, Walsh favoured
the audience with anecdotes
about Newfoundland, her family,
and her feelings surrounding her
trip to Sackville. With a subtle
Newfoundland accent underlying her
words, Walsh explained how quiet
Sackville seemed to her. Near her
home in Placentia, Newfoundland, the
wind howls roughly, and Walsh says
that eventually it seems normal and
almost unnoticeable. Here in Sackville,
where the winds had halted for the
morning, Walsh commented that the
silence sounds very loud to her ears.
Walsh read mostly from Going
Around with Bachelors, a collection of
poems that was recently published in
2007. Although she mumbled a vague
never again as she read the title and
ipped through the poems, there was
a type of warm aection in Walshs
recollection of the people in her poems.
One poem details one encounter with
an older friend of Walshs now passed
on who was eighty-two before he
ever saw a womans bare chest. e
bare chest in question was Walshs.
Walsh spoke with a sort of practiced
grace one that a person might acquire
when their job title is poet, and their
job description is writing and reading
continuously. Although her content
belays a youthful and unconcerned
mind, her composure speaks of a
wizened and weathered character.
When asked about her title Poet
Laureate of St. Johns Walsh
seemed to think her answers through
diplomatically. She spoke of a past
Mayor who would rather have nothing
to do with the Arts, a hazy job
description, and of her own goals for
her reign. Walsh hopes to promote the
arts, but more importantly, she hopes
to explore the real oral history of St.
Johns.
ere is no real story of struggle
for recognition for Walsh. She admits
it was more luck than anything else.
Although she was thirty before being
published for the rst time, Walsh has
had nothing but good fortune since
then. e poet currently resides with
Brick Publishing.
Agnes Walsh, a poet who still burns
her unwanted written material in her
wood stove, visited Mount Allison as
part of a visiting lecturer series, and by
the help of the Canadian Studies and
English Departments.
Walshs only ofcial mandate is to promote the arts. However, she has
plans of her own to revive the oral histories of St. Johns.
I read this book over the summer,
and I have to say I havent laughed out
loud at a book in a really long time.
Laurie Vera Riglers Confessions of a
Jane Austen Addict follows modern
Austen lover Courtney Stone after she
wakes up one morning in nineteenth-
century England in the body of Jane
Manseld.
Naturally she thinks its an alcohol
induced nightmare, until she starts to
interact more with Janes friends and
suitors, and as she begins remembering
things that arent her memories.
roughout the whole novel shes
trying to prove to those around her
that shes a) not crazy, b) not Jane
Manseld, and c) not supposed to be
there.
As she does more and more
investigating into how she may have
gotten there, she comes to realize that
this may be where she was always
supposed to end up.
e book reads like a movie, you
can see this poor single Californian
trying to cope with the strict social
Confessions of a Jane
Austen addict
Who wouldnt want to wake up in
Austens world?
rules and customs; trying so hard not
to get thrown into a loony bin, and
more importantly trying to learn about
herself and Jane.
All in all, this book was like a
dream come true for any Austen
fan; I especially liked the part where
Courtney was practically drooling
over the rst edition volumes of Pride
and Prejudice. Its lled with quirks
and social missteps that in our time
wouldnt matter, but back then could
have destroyed any young girl, which
show the progress that women have
made and that society has made across
the centuries.
If you happen to like this one, then
you have to try e Jane Austen Book
Club by Karen Fowler.
Alexandra Theroux
Argosy Correspondent
Released July 2007, Confessions
of a Jane Austen Addict has
gained Bestseller success in the
United States and Canada.
Throughout the whole
novel shes trying to prove
to those around her that
shes a) not crazy, b) not
Jane Manseld, and c) not
supposed to be there...The
book reads like a movie...
Photo Credit: writersfest.bc.ca
Photo Credit: wordspress.com
HUMOUR
Have you ever seen a man say goodbye to a shoe?
Yes, once.
Engage in impromptu chill out
sessions in hallways of res.
Think theyre so much better
than frosh.
Disguises bragging of workloads as
cmplaining to feel important like
their older peers.
H
o
w

t
o

s
p
o
t

a

s
e
c
o
n
d

y
e
a
r
Think you funny, prove it! We
want your submissions. Email
them to argosy@mta.ca or the
dropdox at the Argosy ofce.
I should have been a
science major!
This space intentionally left blank
because we ran out of stuff
H
PAGE 24 HUMOUR THE ARGOSY OCTOBER 9, 2008
Why Are We Friends?
truthfultreachery.deviantart.com
How To Spot a 3rd Year
Words: Andrew N.O. Gwyn,
Vivi Reich & Jared Ross
Pikchas: Cameron Milner
(Boston accent represent!)
Extreme feelings of guilt
for procrastination
Love/hate relationship
with res
Claims he or she is so old!
Horoscopes!
Aminta Richard
ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - From losing your keys to forgetting to pick up the milk, this week is going to be FULL of small brain farts, trip-ups and slip-
ups, especially in front of that special someone. Avoid having long conversations with your crush, as it will most likely end in tragic disaster. Were talking
Titanic-tragic.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Time to make some major changes!! Redecorate, party more (or less!), perhaps stay awake for an entire class... Take some
risks! Do something brave! Something daring! Maybe take a stroll through the winding waterfall park (and get lost...) or go to McDonalds around 12,
when the high school students are on their lunch break. Hows that for an adventure?
GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Either youre PMSing, or youve just been plain moody lately, but either way, expect an explosion this week. I dont mean
a pop-rockets explosion either; were talking Mount Vesuvius destroys three villages. Youre tired of your roommate leaving their stuff everywhere and
youre about to let him/her know it! Try calming your intense outbursts of rage by going out for Joeys, or pub-crawling with some not-so-annoying friends.
CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Youve been slacking off like crazy lately. Get off Facebook, stop watching movies, and put your nose back in those long, end-
less books. Who knows? Maybe youll actually understand what your computer science prof is actually talking about.
LEO (July 23 - August 22) - Home is where the heart is...and currently where the mess is. Remember last month, when you had a huge frosh party? Did
you ever Bnd ouL wLaL Lappened Lo LLose arlIc Bners? Here's a LInL...look under your bed. IL's LIme Lo meeL Mr. Clean, and brIn LIm Lome Ior a lILLle
one-on-one.
VIF00 (AuusL 28 - BepLember 22) - You're a LoLal BIrL!! Every LIme you see a uy/Irl, you auLomaLIcally raLe LLem Irom 1-10, and you sLarL LILLIn on
LLem Lardcore. You need a realILy cLeck. Bomeone you're really InLo LLIs week Is oIn Lo Lurn you down, kIllIn any conBdence you Lad.
LIEFA (BepLember 28 - 0cLober 22) - ExpecL your socIal lIIe Lo o LLrouL LLe rooI! Even LLaL cuLIe you've been eyeIn Las Bnally seen you. You're LLe
center of attention - make the most of it. On the downside, expect to fail at least one or midterm. Im sure your psychology prof will be impressed.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21) - Maybe its time you shut the mouth, and open the ears, to put it bluntly. You better change your ways, otherwise
you'll really be IsolaLed, or your IrIends wIll Bnd LLeIr own means oI revene. TLey're abouL Lo crack, and your name Is aL LLe T0F oI LLeIr lIsL.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) - Youre so BORING! You never seem to crack a smile, not that wed see it anyways,
your nose is constantly in a book! Watch some Adam Sandler, or Dane Cook, or frosh who are trying to hook up with 3rd or 4th years. Try something new...
just not karaoke. Stick to your showerhead; its not a critic.
CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) - You have so many chances this week! Nothing can go wrong. Worried about that midterm? No worries, youre
going to ace it. Ask that special someone out for a romantic dinner, all should go well. Maybe this is the time to challenge that big guy whos been picking
on you.
AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) - Crisis! Crisis! Guard your iPod or MP3 player with your life this week! From dropping it on the ground, having it
go through the wash, or getting hit by a car, its destined to break. Prepare for extreme devastation.
PISCES (February 19-March 20) Youre going to be buried up to your neck in assignments, tests, and midterms! That huge party this weekend? Nope. No
pub either. Hit the books, and hibernate in the library.
WRITE HUMOUR!
argosy@mta.ca
Envelope on the
Argosy door
Clip art
submitted
by Corey
Isenor
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Sci/Tech Quick Facts
Most inventions benet the public interest; better medicine,
faster transportation and smaller electronics all denitely
improve our quality of life. But what about little feather-dusters
that t on a cats feet? Or a t-shirt with a labeled grid on the
back to facilitate targeting an itch?
Welcome to the world of Chindogu, the Japanese art of
useless inventions. Literally, chindogu means unusual tool,
and the annals of comedian-inventor Kenji Kawakamis 101
Unuseless Japanese Inventions: e Art of Chindogu provide,
well, 101 of them.
Kawakami describes his inventions (and the dozens more
created by the International Chindogu Society) as unuseless.
To be called Chindogu, a gadget must solve one problem,
yet create more (or be hideously embarrassing, or excessively
strange); thus, theyre not useless, but theyre certainly not
useful.
Check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chindgu
Geek Chic
of the Week
For those of you who, like the humble compiler of Geek Chic of the Week, obtain guilty, nerdy joy from ripping open
the packaging of a new gadget, the Mugen PeriPeri is just the thing for you. is keychain toy allows one to endlessly
(mugen means innite in Japanese) simulate ripping out a perforated cardboard tab. If this isnt your thing, try the
Mugen PuchiPuchi - it simulates popping bubble wrap.
http://www.asovision.com/periperi/
October 9, 2008:
Mugen PeriPeri
Allstate Insurances
latest strategy:
increasing road safety,
or hoodwinking
clients?
American insurance company
Allstate has released a driver-training
program that is something of a
breakthrough in cognitive science
- depending, of course, on who you
talk to. eir initiative, conducted
by California-based Posit Science,
is known as InSight, and consists
of a driver-training simulator, and
accompanying software that tests
the abilities of drivers over 65 (who
in America now number more than
thirty million) to respond to stimuli.
It includes a simulation of driving
through the famous and now-defunct
Route 66 from California to Illinois.
Drivers are required to spot signs,
curves in the road and other obstacles,
and their reaction times are measured.
In addition, participants have to spot
birds of a certain feather in a screenful
of many similar birds. Participating
drivers will receive discounts on their
premiums.
According to Allstates own analysis,
the software is expected to improve
stopping distances by an average
of 7.2 metres when traveling at 90
km/h, as well as reduce risky driving
behaviours by up to 40 percent. e
program is being tested on a group of
10, 000 Pennsylvanians, between the
ages of 50 and 75. Data suggests that
hand-eye coordination and reaction
times of older drivers decreases rapidly
with age, making them more vulnerable
to accidents.
Ars Technica notes that using
electronic simulators to train for real
life is hardly a novel concept; the
American army, police forces, and
surgeons have been using them for
several years. However, this marks
one of the rst times that the use of
the technology has been expanded to
consumers at large. In an interview
with SharpBrains.com, Posit Sciences
head of research and development
Tom Warden, stated that partnering
with state DMV (Department of
Motor Vehicle) agencies, which
are responsible for licensing and
testing drivers in the US, was being
considered.
As the Chicago Tribune reported,
Allstate steadfastly denies planning
to use the software to discriminate
nancially against clients by denying
them discounts, or increasing
their deductibles based on their
performance; however, nothing rules
it out completely. As a condition of
coverage, insurance companies must
be able to access a clients record as
part of the normal risk assessment
process. If the state agencies use the
software for testing, the results would
be mandated to appear on a clients
driving record. Warden denies that any
of these actions have occurred for the
pilot project.
e negative PR that might stem
from misuse of this technology is
the least of the woes that insurance
companies have been facing recently.
e US credit crunch of the last few
months has put insurance companies
in a very precarious position, said
securities expert, Michael Robertson
on National Public Radio last week.
ey cant count on the same amount
of liquidity [in the market] that was
there in years past,he said. In laymans
terms, the cost of covering insurance
claims, or anything else that requires
an expenditure of cash, has increased
exponentially. AIG, the worlds largest
insurance company, was nationalized
two weeks ago after millions of
people across the world lost much of
their savings when its stock crashed.
Financial risk in general is something
that is being tolerated a lot less
frequently, and this programs apparent
ability to reduce accidents might be a
part of the solution.
Allstates experiment is a
bold one, as Warden acknowledges, but
the chilling eects of data-collection
may be with the programs participants
for quite some time to come.
Republicans hate technology. Or,
at least, a great number of Republican
congress members have stated this fact
quite brusquely. A salient example is
Senator John McCains comments
pertaining to his lack of interest in
the internet. He has since said, in an
interview with the New York Times, I
am learning to get online myself, and I
will have that down fairly soon, getting
on myself.
e current candidate for presidency
isnt the only tech-shy Republican;
in fact, hes practically Steve Jobs
compared to some of the diehards.
Janine Turner, congresswoman from
Texas, once suggested that the
government should staunchly regulate
the ow of information on the wwww
(the fourth w is not a typo) for it is
a threat to the moral character of our
children otherwise.
A more famous instance of this
lack of understanding is Republican
Senator Ted Stevens diatribe against a
2006 bill proposing a ban on Internet
service providers being able to charge
fees to give companies high priority
access to their networks (eectively
erecting digital toll booths). His oft-
repeated comments include a series of
tubes as a metaphor for the Internet,
and demonstrate a total lack of
knowledge of the structure of the web.
Indeed, it seems that Republicans
dislike technology because they dont
understand it. Vice-presidential
candidate Sarah Palin learned how
such misunderstanding can lead to
catastrophe when a hacker calling
himself Anonymousgot into her Yahoo
account and posted the contents to
several online news sources, such as the
whistle-blower haven site, Wikileaks.
It seems Governor Palin was using
this account (gov.palin@yahoo.com)
to do her administrative duties; why
she would use this account instead
of her far more secure .gov address is
still publicly chuckled at online. As
one reader said on the Wikileaks blog
now the whole world knows about her
Sunday afternoon plans to club baby
seals with the presidents of OPEC.
On the other wing, Democrats such
as superstar candidate Barack Obama
have been deied by net-surng youth;
Senator Obama portraits are presented
on countless websites as a pop-culture
icon similar to Che Guevara, and a
two-tone rendering of Obamas face,
entitled Hope, has become a guerilla
art campaign in many American
cities.
Another example of how the
Internet has become the Republican
partys worst enemy is the YouTube
video Yes We Can; a speech by
Obama spliced into a catchy beat and
overdubbed by a member of the Black
Eyed Peas, a superstar American hip
hop group. e video is obviously an
eective grassroots technique; its
been viewed nearly 10 million times.
Funnier still is a lower-budget acoustic
cover of Yes We Can using more
negative sound bites from McCain,
entitled No, You Cant.
is, and other situations like it,
proves that it may not be technology
itself that hates Republicans back so
much as the technologically adept.
e most unfortunate part of this is
demonstrated in the casual mockery
of the No, You Cant song: more
often than not, digital Democratic
sentiment is usually roughly equivalent
to a Republican televised attack ad.
With sincerity, I must say that I
sympathise with the plight of the old-
school Republican breed. e world
is changing quickly, and the web is
not a notorious haven for the right-
wing element. Instead theres been a
revolution of progressive thought and
proliferation of modern ideas that has
slipped under the radar of Congress,
or so says a 2004 editorial in the
Washington Post.
is begs the question whether
Republicans hate technology because
of their own conservative, change-
resistant nature, or because technology
and its advocates turned against them
rst? Perhaps, if the latter is true, its
the responsibility of the techies of the
world to try to bring understanding of
the digital world to paleoconservatism,
even if only to get them to stop
calling it a series of tubes. ats just
awkward.
Sasha Van Katwyk
Argosy Staff
Tom Llewellin
Argosy Correspondant
Republicans versus technology
SPORTS & FITNESS
It has been a long time since anyone
has been able to say this, but the Mt. A
Mounties are tied for second place in
the AUS, after a decisive 42-21 victory
at Acadia on Saturday.
e Mounties, now with a 2-3
record, are tied with the St. FX X-Men
for second spot, after the X-Men lost
32-26 to the Saint Marys Huskies.
In Wolfville, Mounties quarterback
Kelly Hughes became the universitys
all-time leading passer, passing Dan
Capones mark of 4238 yards, with
an 11-yard completion to Gary
Ross in the rst quarter. Hughes
was already Mount As passing
leader in touchdowns, attempts, and
completions, and has done all this
in only two and a half seasons in
Sackville.
His record-breaking pass to Ross
was the third play of a 10-play drive
that went 69 yards, ending in a one-
yard touchdown run by Matt Pickett.
After a defensive stop by the Mounties
near mideld, Acadia punted the ball
to Ross. He picked up a couple of nice
blocks, and went virtually untouched
92 yards to the endzone, making the
score 14-3 for the visiting Mounties. It
was the rst score of the season for the
defending CIS Special Teams Player
of the year.
Acadia answered right back with
a touchdown of their own, and on
the rst play of the second quarter,
Mountie punter/kicker Olivier
Steady Eddie booted a 44-yard punt
through the endzone.
With the score 15-13 for Mount
A, Hughes went deep for sophomore
receiver Jarrett King, and after the ball
somehow made it through the hands
of the Axemen defender, King made
a great catch for a 44-yard gain. On
the next play, Hughes found Adam
Molnar for a 25-yard touchdown,
Molnars rst of the season.
e Mounties next embarked on
a nine-play, 69-yard drive. Hughes
went to King for three completions
in a row, totaling 37 of those yards,
but the Mounties were unable to nd
the endzone from the ve, and Eddie
kicked a 12-yard eld goal to put the
Mounties up 25-14 at halftime.
e second Mountie drive of the
second half was more of the same
from the oence, which came to life
on Saturday. An eight-play, 70-yard
drive, highlighted by another 25-yard
completion to King, and a pair of good
runs by Ross, was concluded by a six-
yard touchdown reception by Jared
Collett, his second TD of the season.
On the next drive, Acadias Matt
Carter scored on a 68-yard catch-and-
run that brought the home crowd back
to life.
e momentum would be short-
lived, however, as the Mounties went
on another eight-play drive, including
a 20-yard rush by Ross, a 12-yard run
by Hughes, completions to Collett and
Dylan Leblanc, and Eddie kicked his
second eld goal of the day to extend
the lead to 35-21.
Late in the fourth quarter, with
Acadia very much still in the game,
halfback Luke Ekoh came on the
blitz, and forced a fumble by the
quarterback, which was recovered by
Scott Sheer. Two plays, later Hughes
sealed the victory, running it in from
the 21-yard line.
Mountie corner Jermaine Oram
delivered the knockout blow (almost
literally) on the next Axemen drive,
laying the boom on Alan Moskus.
A few tense minutes followed, with
both teams and the crowd unsure of
Moskuss condition, but the receiver
did get up and walk o on his own
steam.
Hughes had a great game, passing
for 244 yards, and a pair of touchdowns
on 16 completions, spreading the ball
out to six dierent receivers. He also
ran the ball 19 times for 152 yards and
the game-clinching touchdown.
King was the favourite target of
Hughes, catching ve passes for 106
yards in his breakout game. Molnar
also had a good game, with four
receptions for 73 yards.
Ross was held to only three
receptions totaling 25 yards, but still
got many all-purpose yards. He had
76 rushing yards on six carries, and
returned seven punts for 167 yards,
including the 92-yarder, the longest of
his career thus far.
Defensively, Callan Exeter
continued his outstanding play at
safety, with 3 pass break-ups and 9.5
tackles, extending his nation-leading
tackle total to 50 on the season.
Oram had 8.5 tackles at corner, while
defensive end Ryan Downe, making
his rst career start, had 4.5 tackles,
and a forced fumble.
Ross once again has a commanding
lead in All-Purpose yards through ve
games, a stat which he has dominated
since he entered the league in 2006.
Although only nding the endzone
once this season, he is still the most
elite and electrifying player in the AUS,
and leads the conference in receiving
with 32 receptions for 412 yards.
Molnar sits fth in receiving, with
19 receptions for 252 yards, virtually
equalling his output from all of last
season. King is tenth in the league
with 10 catches for 132 yards.
Hughes leads the AUS in nearly
every passing category, passing for
1186 yards, and eight touchdowns
through ve games. He has completed
90 of 162 passes, for a completion
percentage of 55.6 percent.
Steady Eddie leads the AUS, and
sits third in the country with 63 points,
including going 14-for-17 thus far in
eld goal attempts, for an 82.4 percent
rate, which is second-best in Canada.
As mentioned above, Exeter leads
the nation in tackles with 50. Ekoh is
second in the conference with 29.5, a
huge margin between rst and second.
Scott Sheer still leads all defensive
linemen in the AUS with 21.5 tackles.
Head Coach Kelly Jerey and
the Mounties now nd themselves
on a two-game winning streak, and
will look to extend that this coming
Saturday in Montreal, as they wrap
up the interlock against Concordia. A
Mountie win, coupled with an Axemen
loss, would clinch a playo spot for the
Mounties.
e rest of the AUS schedule for
the coming week is as follows: Acadia
(0-5) visits Sherbrooke (4-1); St. FX
(2-3) hosts McGill (0-5); and Saint
Marys (5-0) plays at home against
Montreal (2-3).
e Mounties are looking to host
a playo game this season, something
they havent done since 1998. Jerey,
the interim head coach, has the team
on the right track, and is putting forth a
strong bid to get the job permanently.
All three games remaining are very
important to the Mounties playo
hopes. ey are tied for second with
St. FX, but the X-Men have the tie
break advantage. e Mounties play
at Concordia, and then host SMU and
Acadia to close out the season.
NHL preview
Ryan Esch
Argosy Contributor
Mounties double up on Axemen
Kelly Hughes breaks passing record
Wray Perkin
Argosy Staff
is past weekend saw the opening
of the NHL season outside of North
America for the second year in
succession. e Pittsburgh Penguins
and Ottawa Senators split two games
in Stockholm, Sweden, while the New
York Rangers won two games over
the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague,
Czech Republic.
With a new season come new
expectations and new hopes of success.
All six Canadian teams have made
changes and, along with their fans,
are hoping that they will be the ones
who bring the cup back to Canada
for the rst time since the Montreal
Canadiens cup victory in 1993.
e Montreal Canadiens enter the
season as the most likely candidate
to end the Cup drought in Canada.
e Habs nished last season as the
Eastern Conference Champions
before a disappointing second round
exit from the play-os at the hands
of Philadelphia Flyers. e Habs
come into the 2008-2009 season
with a number of new additions on
oence without losing a single vital
player. Alexei Kovalev, far and away
Montreals best player last season,
returns, as does Captain Saku Koivu,
and defensive leaders, Andrei Markov
and Roman Hamerlik. e Habs have
added some toughness upfront with
Georges Laroque, as well as bolstering
their attack by acquiring Robert Lang
from the Detroit Red Wings, and Alex
Tanguay from the Calgary Flames.
ere are no glaring weaknesses facing
the Habs at the start of the season.
Twenty-one year-old Carey Price is
the undisputed number one goaltender
for the Habs, owing to play at the end
of last season which was nothing short
of spectacular, but if he falters, or is
injured, Montreal may not have a
suitable replacement. e biggest loss
facing the Habs over the o season is
the loss of defenseman Mark Streit,
whose powerful shot helped Montreal
build the leagues top Power Play
last season, and no one was found to
replace him. All in all barring a serious
meltdown, or a series of injuries to
key players, Montreal should be Cup
contenders from the start of the season
to the nish.
e Ottawa Senators began last
year as strong contenders, easily the
best team in the NHL for the rst two
months of the season before internal
disputes and feuds (chiey revolving
around now departed goaltender Ray
Emery) took their toll on the ice,
and combined with injuries to top
players saw Ottawa struggle into the
playos before a rst round exit. With
a new coach, Craig Hartsberg, the
internal problems are likely a thing
of the past, and Ottawa can get back
to doing what they do best, scoring
goals. Jason Spezza, Dany Heatly, and
Daniel Alfredsson return, and will
likely remain one of the NHLs most
potent trios. New arrival Jason Smith
should bring much needed stability
and leadership both on the ice and
in the dressing room. Ottawas major
weakness this season may be one that
has aected them for the past few
seasons; after the trio of Spezza, Heatly,
and Alfredsson, Ottawa has struggled
for secondary scoring, and when
injuries to the top trio occur players
such as Mike Fisher have been unable
to ll the void. Ottawa added depth
to their forwards in the oseason, but
none who can realistically ll in on the
top line if need be. Ottawas defense
has also taken a hit in the oseason,
the addition of Smith is key, but gone
from the blue line are Wade Redden,
Joe Corvo, and Andrej Meszaros.
Expect Ottawa to be a solid playo
team, not as good as at the start of last
season, nor as bad as at the nish of
last year.
From Ottawa to the Toronto Maple
Leafs, and the team which surely is
facing the lowest expectations for the
upcoming season. e Leafs oence is
one which will be lucky to score more
than two goals per game. e Leafs
top forward, barring a return by Mats
Sundin, is Nik Antropov, and few, if
any, of the Leafs forwards would be
top six forwards on strong teams, such
as Detroit or Montreal. Defensively
things are not much better for the
Leafs. ere is good depth on the Leafs
blue line, but after Tomas Kaberle,
none are particularly noteworthy. If
there is any success in Leafs Nation,
this season it will come on the back of
goaltender Vesa Toskala, who proved
last season he can be a reliable number
one goaltender. ere is a light at the
end of the tunnel for the Leafs though;
new General Manager Cli Fletcher
removed many of the expensive
and long term contracts which had
burdened the Leafs for the past few
seasons, such as Darcy Tucker, Bryan
McCabe, and Andrew Raycroft. ese
departures have opened the door for
many young players to prove theyre
NHL ready, such as Nikolai Kulemin,
Mihail Grabovski, Anton Stralman,
Jonas Frogren, and 2008 rst round
draft pick, Luke Schenn. Its going to
be a long hard winter for Maple Leafs
fans, and their playo drought will
extend to four years, the longest such
drought in Maple Leafs history.
e Calgary Flames enter the 2008-
2009 season in much the same way they
have the past four seasons: looking to
rekindle the magic that sent them to
within a single game of winning the
Stanley Cup in 2004. e big ve whom
Flames fans have rested their hopes on
the past few years have all returned:
Jerome Iginla, Daymond Langkow,
Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr, and
Miika Kippruso. Calgary has also
added forwards Mike Cammalleri and
Todd Bertuzzi. Cammalleri is a solid
goal scorer who should complement
Iginla well. Bertuzzi however is a bit
more of a risk, he can still dominate,
but he so rarely does anymore. On
the other hand, Calgary has lost two
important pieces of their oence, Alex
Tanguay and Kristian Huselius. Much
like Ottawa,Calgary will struggle for
scoring beyond its top line, which
means an injury to one or two of
their top players could spell disaster.
Calgary Fans will also be hoping
that tension between head coach and
goalie Kippruso has worked itself out
over the oseason, although tension
between Keenan and players under him
is hardly a surprise. Calgary should be
in a solid playo position come April,
however the ultimate desire will likely
be once again just out of reach.
e Edmonton Oilers, like Calgary,
enter this season looking to get back
to the form that took them to within
one win of the Stanley Cup two
seasons ago. Edmonton however,
has a much higher hill to climb than
their provincial rival. A seemingly
unending run of injuries last season,
particularly to top defensemen
Sheldon Souray and Joni Pitkanen,
ended any postseason hopes very early
on. If the Oilers stay healthy, they can
send out a fast and talented array of
forwards, with newly acquired power
forward Erik Cole providing much
needed grit. Edmonton lost the strong
defensive presence of Joni Pitkanen to
Carolina in order to acquire Cole, but
a healthy Souray, along with Lubomir
Visnovsky, could provide Edmonton
with a strong power play. However,
neither Souray nor Visnovsky can
provide strong defense in their own
zone, and Edmonton will enter the
season without a top class defensive
defenseman. Edmonton also lacks a
reliable goalie; Mathieu Garon put
up solid numbers last season, but still
hasnt fully proven beyond a doubt
he can handle a number one spot.
Dwayne Roloson has struggled with
inconsistency since his stellar play for
Edmonton in the 2006 play os. If
he regains the number one spot, and
his old form, it will move Edmonton
forward greatly; however, currently he
is nothing more than a very expensive
back-up. If all goes according to plan,
Edmonton has a playo-worthy team,
but, things rarely go according to
plan, and Edmonton will likely be in
a dogght for the eighth, and nal
playo spot at the end of the season.
e Vancouver Canucks enter this
season after a disappointing nish
outside the playos last season, a result
that cost GM Dave Nonis his job.
Vancouvers success will ultimately
rest on the shoulders of goalie Roberto
Luongo, who continues to show that
he is one of the best goalies of the
decade. Vancouver has taken steps to
improve the oence that was one of
the worst in the NHL last season, the
biggest addition being free agent Pavol
Demitra, who should t in well with
the Sedin twins. However Demitras
arrival, along with Steve Bernier
and Kyle Wellwood, is oset by the
departure of Captain Markus Naslund
and Brendan Morrison. Vancouver
lack great oence from their blue line,
however Sami Salo, Mathias Ohlund,
and Willie Mitchell lead a group that,
when healthy, is very sound defensively
(although last season they were unable
to stay healthy). Vancouver has a
playo-worthy team, but, along with
Calgary and Edmonton, they play
in the NHLs strongest division, so a
playo spot for Vancouver will likely
only be secured, or lost, in the nal
weeks or days of the season.
Ottawa began their season
last weekend in Sweden against
Pittsburgh with a win and an overtime
loss. Toronto opens at Detroit on
ursday. Calgary and Vancouver
open against each other in Vancouver,
also on ursday night. Montreal
opens Saturday night at Toronto, and
Edmonton open their season Sunday
night against Colorado.
S
OCTOBER 9, 2008 SPORTS & FITNESS THE ARGOSY PAGE 27
&
F
Its now October, and the weather
is colder, and the walk to the gym
seems ve times longer; recognize this
situation? So now, I will tell you how
you can turn your dorm room into
your personalized home gym.
Even though your room is most
likely covered in last weeks laundry,
and that piece of pizza from Jacks
that you got Friday night is still on
the oor, you only need a small space
for these exercises, so dont worry, you
dont need to clean.
Abs:
ose rocking chairs are going to
come in very handy for this exercise.
Start by sitting down on the edge of
the chair with your feet at on the
ground; as you exhale pull your knees
up toward your chest, while crunching
your upper body at the same time.
Remember, when you bring your knees
down, dont let them touch the oor
until the end of the set. Dont rush this
exercise, the slower you do it, the more
you give your abs the workout they
need.
Shoulders:
For this exercise all you need is a
long towel. Take the towel and twist
it (like youre going to whip someone
with it); put one end of the towel under
your foot (it doesnt matter which one
you start with). Grasp the other end
of the towel with your left hand, if the
towel is under your left foot, or vice
versa. With your palm facing down,
slowly pull your arm up, making it
parallel with the oor. Each time you
make a repetition, adjust the tension
by stepping closer, or away from the
end of the towel.
Hips:
For this exercise, start with your
legs slightly apart and your hands on
your hips. Starting with the right leg,
slowly lift it up, keeping it bent at a
90 degree angle; try your best to get
your thigh parallel with the oor. Hold
each lift for two counts, and remember
not to let your foot touch the ground
between reputations.
Chest:
ere may not be enough room on
your oor for pushups, but there is
room on the wall. Start by facing the
wall with your legs shoulder width
apart, and place your arms slightly
more than shoulder width apart on the
wall. Bend your elbows to lower your
head/chest towards the wall, as close
as you can go without touching it, and
then straighten your arms and return
to the starting position. e further
your feet are away from the wall the
more dicult it is.
ese exercises are simple and easy,
and dont require anything other than
a chair and a towel. Remember not to
rush your exercises, the slower you go,
the more you work those muscles!
Ellen Williams
Argosy Correspondent
Dorm room exercises
You open your fridge to emptiness.
All that is left is the backwash in the
juice container and some out of date
yogurt. Its time to hit the Save Easy,
and this is where things get tricky.
You know you need to get food, but
remembering the necessities, and
making healthy choices can become
overwhelming, especially if youre
hungry. So how can you avoid buying
excess and junk? Everybody has their
own methods, but here are a few that
generally seem to hold.
First o, make a list. I know it seems
so old-fashioned, but it works! If you
make a list and stick to it, you wont
buy excess. To start your list, leave a
pad of paper on the fridge or in the
kitchen and write down things as they
run out. en leave three empty spaces
for extras that you might think about
later. Not only does it make sure you
spend less, but when there is excess
food, you tend to eat excess too. So
without the unnecessary food, the
unnecessary eating stops too.
Second, STAY AWAY FROM
THE PIZZA POCKETS! I know
its dicult, that far aisle is calling
your name. Avoid it, until the end,
until you are so tired from shopping
you lack the energy to spend too much
time there. Once you do get there,
remember that there are other quick
and easy pre-cooked meals that cost
about the same, and are healthy, like
pre-cooked lasagna. It is cheap, easy,
and good for you. It also goes really
well with any side choice of frozen (or
even better fresh!) vegetables. Im not
saying, dont get pizza pockets at all,
just limit yourself. If you are getting
chicken nuggets, lay o on the pizza
pockets for the week, and only get
one box instead of two. Also, instead
of getting fries to go with the nuggets,
try grabbing a bag of potatoes, and
make a baked potato (wash the potato,
poke it on each side with a fork, and
then heat it up for three- four minutes
depending on your microwave). Its
simple, easy, cheap, and quick.
And nally, dont be scared of fresh
produce. Fresh veggies are a great snack
alternative to chips and dip. Instead of
eating a bag of Lays while watching
Sunday night football, or House, cut up
some carrots and celery, grab a bottle
of Kraft Ranchers Choice light, and
youve got a perfect, fresh and healthy
snack. While you are looking at the
veggies, also take a peek at the fruit. It
is awesome for on-the-go snacks. Not
only do they taste great and are healthy,
they also dont have a wrapper, so it is
good for the environment. Also, dont
be afraid of fresh meat. If you dont
understand how to choose good meat,
then ask someone who works at in the
meat department. ey will be more
than happy to point you in the right
direction. Fresh produce is the best
way to create a healthy meal, because
you are choosing what is entering your
body. You pick the size, the quality,
and the ingredients. Plus, it feels so
rewarding to make yourself a meal, and
most times it tastes better too!
All in all, Save Easy does not have
to be a scary place. It should be a way
to get you excited about the food you
eat, and should present an opportunity
to experiment and have some fun with
food. Just remember, make a list, avoid
the pre-deep-fried and battered frozen
foods, and experiment with fresh
produce, I promise it wont bite back.
Recipe of the week :
Creamy Cheese Chicken
Grab a package of two boneless
chicken breasts, place them in a
baking pan and cook for 25 minutes.
While they are cooking, take 1/2 cup
of cream of broccoli soup and 1/4 cup
of milk, and mix them together. Take
the chicken out, pour the soup/milk
mixture on top, and then add some
shredded cheese (as much as your
cheese loving little heart desires!).
Place the chicken back in the oven
for ve minutes. Take out and enjoy!
(Good to serve with rice and corn,
or a baked potato with low-fat sour
cream.)
Save Easy specials
Christina Ashley
Argosy Correspondent
is week in the CFL:
Sometimes words are not enough
to convey strong emotions. Such was
my position Sunday night, when I was
informed that the Hamilton Tiger-
Cats triumphed over the Montreal
Alouettes with a rookie QB, no less.
Quinton Porter, in his second CFL
start, led the Ti-Cats to a 44-38 win in
Hamilton, keeping their playo hopes
alive, though they are improbable. Ben
Cahoon surpassed Ray Elgaard in all-
time receptions, but his stellar eort
wasnt enough to take the Als past the
underdog Cats. Interestingly, Porter
was only sacked once, though the Cats
have given up a whopping 56 this
year. Perhaps this strategy of oensive
protection and calm pragmatism will
bring Hamilton success in their nal
games this year. ey stand tall at 3-11,
while Montreal is in a 4-way tie for the
top of the league at 9-5.
eSaskatchewan Roughriders are
back in a tie for rst after handing
Calgary a loss. e Riders clinch a
playo spot with the victory, in which
QB Michael Bishop said that in the
huddle everyone was just laughing.
Football is the most funny thing
since Laurel and Hardy, so it would
seem; Taylor Field sold out, as Regina
residents came to see the hilarity.
Calgarians have less to laugh about,
but the Stamps are still tied for rst.
Both the Stamps and Riders are 9-5.
When sorrows come, they come
not single spies, but in battalions.
Or so it would seem for the Toronto
Argonauts, who fought tooth and nail
to get something resembling a win, but
to no avail against the B. C. Lions. QB
Buck Pierce re-injured a sensitive ankle,
and his absence almost allowed the
Argos to steal the game; but the Lions
were able to pick o the ball on the
nal play of the game, in the endzone.
e timeless Don Matthews, currently
coaching the Argos, commented that
were closing the gap. e time for
closing is running out however, and the
Argos are now only one game ahead of
the last-place Hamilton Ti-Cats. B. C.
is tied for rst with half the league at
9-5, Toronto is stagnating at 4-10.
A successful fake on third and
ve helped Edmonton mete out
their revenge on the Winnipeg Blue
Bombers. e shift in momentum
generated was the turning point in the
game and led to the Eskimos 36-22
victory. Winnipeg was unable to snap
out of its second quarter funk and gave
up 31 points to the Esks. Edmontons
roller coaster season is looking up, and
their position at 8-6 gives them a great
shot at a crossover playo spot, if not
a Western placement. Winnipeg drops
to 5-9, one win ahead of the Argos.
is anksgiving weekend sees
the Argos visit Winnipeg, and the
Eskimos travel to British Columbia on
Friday; then on Monday the Ti-Cats
head to Montreal, and Calgary hosts
the Roughriders. I encourage you to
catch a game or two this anksgiving
weekend.
CFL report
Martin Wightman
Argosy Correspondent
argosy.ca
Six-foot quarterback Kelly
Hughes won Mountie Athlete of the
Week honours for his outstanding
play in a 42-21 victory over the
Acadia Axemen, in Wolfville on
Saturday, Oct. 4. Named the Player
of the Game for his eorts, Hughes
led both teams in rushing with 152
yards on 19 carries, and one TD. In
the passing department, he was 16 of
29 and passed for 244 yards, and two
touchdowns. He currently leads the
AUFC in several passing categories
including: total oence, total
oensive plays, total oensive yards,
total oensive TDs, passing average
per game, passing yards, passing
completions, and passings TDs.
Last seasons team MVP for oence,
Hughes set several conference records
in 2007, and is already ahead of last
years pace.
A former Burlington Braves
quarterback, Hughes is also a past
two-time Braves MVP and All-
Canadian high school player who
attended St. Augustine Secondary
School in Brampton, ON. Coached
by previous Mountie, all-star Jason
Kana, and Craig Davoran, Hughes
was an all-conference player in the
Ontario Junior Football League
before coming to the Atlantic
University Sport conference as one
of the top Mounties recruits. He
is currently enrolled in third-year
Commerce at Mount Allison.
Other Athlete of the Week
nominees this week were: Allie
MacLean (womens soccer), and
Kohei Yamashita (mens soccer).
Athlete of the Week
Kelly Hughes
MEET
IN
THE
NEW
STUD
THIRD
FLOOR
530
THURS
16
OCT
W
R
I
T
E

S
P
O
R
T
S
W
R
I
T
E

S
P
O
R
T
S
CELEBRATE ROMANTICISM
AND INDEPENDENT MEDIA