King's Watch January Edition by The Watch

january 2012. Volume Xxvii. Issue iv

Forming Our

Financial Future

Will students get a say in where the cuts fall?

Table of Contents

Editors’ Note

January 2012. Volume XxviI. Issue IV

Editors’ Note Letters to the Editor News Briefs Watch Staff An inconvenient loss Siobhan Fleury Memorandum Misunderstandings Rachel Ward Chaplain Saved David Salenieks Frack off Watch Staff with Emilie Novaczek Board shuts out KSU Simcha Walfish Second Time’s a Charm Niko Bell Beyond the fringe Pearl Chan Art of Thanks Jane Caulfield Watch My Drink Evelyn Hornbeck and Jacqueline Vincent Misters Darcy Meghan Borthwick Memory Lane Frances Dorenbaum King’s Night Out Photos by Evan McIntyre and Evelyn Hornbeck Pool Shark James Jenkinson Editors-In- Chief Evelyn Hornbeck Charlotte Harrison

general manager Bethany Hindmarsh

Production Manager Davis Carr

Publisher

Ben Harrison

copy editor

Philippa Wolfe

photo editor Alex Estey

Online Editor Jon Finn

3 4 6 7 8 10 11 12 14 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

One question down. The big question that has consumed the union (and The Watch) since the beginning of the year was answered last week. With the ‘yes’ vote from the student body, the union will move ahead with opening the King’s Galley canteen, maybe even by the end of the month (pg. 14). Coffee and muffin in hand, we can close that chapter. But now is not the time to rest and celebrate. The referendum vote pulled in just shy of 30 per cent of the students’ union. Quroum for elections and referenda is just 25 per cent. While this is pretty high among student unions, it’s still not even half the student population of our school. All of the students need to be engaged—there are big questions that require our immediate attention. The province signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the universities, and it means the schools must make cuts and we must pay more. This is after the same thing happened last year. These cuts will affect us directly, with King’s cutting hundreds of thousands of dollars out of its already-tight budget (p. 8). Where will the cuts fall? Athletics teams? Library books? Larger classes? The question concerns us all. This has sparked a conversation about the future of our school. We can’t just keep making reactionary cuts over and over. The Board of Governors struck the Financial Sustainability Committee to address these issues, but unfortunately, the student union was cut out of this advisory position (p. 12). The board did not want competing constituencies represented. The union also subsequently lost its position on the committee that advises the president on creating the budget. So what’s next for the school? It seems that we, the students, need to start shouting if we want our say. Here’s to making our voices heard, Evey and Charlotte Editors-in--Chief

Board of Publishers

James Shields, Dave Etherington, Paul Pritchard, Nick Gall, Alex Boutilier, Fred Vallance-Jones

But if the watchman see the sword come, and sound not the trumpet, and the people not be warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand - Ezekiel 33:6 2

Letters to the editors ON CANTEEN COVERAGE

We were distressed to read the Watch Magazine’s supplemental piece this month regarding the referendum, as there were several incidences of misinformation. There are several points on which the Watch Magazine supplement was incorrect: there is a KSU referendum policy and it is being followed; the KSU executive, contrary to the way in which they were presented in the articles, is not required to be an unbiased party; this is not a KSU-run referendum, it is run by the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) and the Elections Committee, none of whom were approached for comment on the running of the referendum; lastly, the way in which the financial situation was presented was inaccurate and incomplete and the Elections Committee had to work very hard to re-inform students of the proposed business plan, as well as the projected opening date. First, the most serious claim: referendum policy. Elections Committee was shocked to see the stories run without having anyone on the committee or the CRO interviewed. We have been working very hard to ensure that the referendum is run according to the KSU Procedural Handbook. The only section not followed exactly was 74 in that we were unable to hold the forum within 14 days of the motion passing. This was because it would have been during the Christmas break, when no students were on campus. We ran it as soon after term began as we felt there would be enough students on campus to give everyone a fair chance to hear both sides of the debate. At the town hall on Jan.10, we had speakers for, and speakers against. In the interest of unbiased opinion, the KSU executive felt that they could not appoint a speaker to argue against the motion and still be seen as a fair member of the debate. Elections Committee reached out to many people requesting a speaker, but no one stepped forward. It is true that Niko Bell and Judy Booth were only confirmed a short time before the debate, but no one could possibly argue that they were not infinitely well informed with the issue. They argued extremely 4

well against the KSU executive’s motion, and the students who did decide to attend were party to an extremely lively and opinionated debate. The policy of the KSU Procedural Handbook states that the referendum is run by the Elections Committee NOT the KSU or the KSU executive, and as such the KSU representatives and executive are not required to be unbiased. The only parties required to be unbiased in the referendum are the CRO and members of the Elections Committee. We are proud to say that we have done our best to inform the student body without showing bias. The KSU executives are the creators of the canteen initiative, and so are of course not unbiased. They have created a plan that they feel best represents the needs and wants of students. The move to interview potential employees is not a “gesture of self-assurance” as you state, but a preemptive move to ensure that should the motion be passed, the business can open as soon as possible. Had the Watch journalists read through the Procedural Handbook, and had they chosen to speak to the CRO or any member of the Elections Committee, they would have realized that we are the only unbiased parties in this referendum. The KSU executive cannot be unbiased, and they recognized this, and felt they could not in good faith appoint someone to argue against itself. That would have been akin to a single-party election. Regarding the financial situation, the link supplied by Bell’s article is out of date, and states “Unfortunately, we cannot provide specific numbers until we have finished negotiations with the university,” so we are unsure where the Watch sourced the quoted numbers. However, the business plan as it stands to be voted for or against in this referendum is that $75,000 is to be paid to the university to cover renovation costs and potential future structural issues. It assures the KSU guaranteed use of the space for five years. A further $5,000 is to be paid as rent for the space, and further costs involved in sourcing food and beverage and in paying student employees would be covered by the sales proceeds. Should the venture fail in the next five years, this $75,000 will be returned to the KSU in its entirety. The worst-case-scenario potential net losses would run in the range of $15,000-$20,000. All of this money would be sourced from the GIC liquidation and the levy, and does not affect the KSU annual operating budget. Contrary to what was published, the projected opening date for the canteen, should the referendum motion pass, would be in late January or early February, and not next year. In addition, the CRO intends on making suggestions regarding the Referenda Procedure to the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) as to avoid confusion of how exactly to run a referenda in future. These suggestions will go to the CRC within the next month, and then passed by the general student body at the Spring General Meeting (Date TBA). Any input from students is gladly welcomed. With Respect, The CRO and Elections Committee (Stephanie Duchon, Phoebe Mannell, Bethany Hindmarsh, Taylor Saracuse, Carmi Yonah Sienna, Melanie Higgins, Evan McIntyre)

We are very proud of our coverage of the Canteen referendum. We brought accurate, timely information to the student population, information we hope students found helpful in making their decision in the referendum. We regret that the original article contained two errors, but they were quickly addressed, and the proper information disseminated. Short of disagreeing with the letter line by line, we can offer these responses: The financial numbers included were from the union executive members. One would hope they do not spread misinformation. The article also stated that the Canteen would open before the end of the year, which does not disagree with an opening date next month. The procedure for one speaker for one against was fulfilled only after The Watch published concerns that the procedure was not being followed. It was corrected five minutes before the forum began. This does not allow even ground on a critical discussion on the future of the Canteen and the union. We hope that in the future, this important procedure is followed more fairly. We understand that the Chief Returning Officer runs the election in an unbiased, bureaucratic role. It is, however, the responsibility of the elected union officials to ensure the proper running of the union, and we want to hold them to this responsibility. We’re glad the KSU will take advantage of this referendum to learn to improve referendum procedures for the future.

ON SELLING SHORT

Today whilst browsing Facebook I was surprised to find an advertisement from the King's Journalism School which reads “At King’s/Dal, you can earn a Bachelor of Journalism and a Masters of Journalism in 18 months. It’s affordable and international.” Although I completely understand the motivation behind this (King's needs more money), I can't see how this method of marketing is in any way appropriate (the ad is below an ad for clothing accessories), or conducive to this school's reputation (the last advertisement I saw in a public forum for an educational institution was for DeVry). As both a King's student and a journalism student, I am proud of this school's traditions, passionate educators and socially active/conscious student body, not its efficiency in creating letters after a person's name. Especially since in 21st century journalism, success is determined by a person's portfolio and contacts. The Journalism School has made an effort to educate us for an industry that is growing to be increasingly web- and multimedia-based. However, I don't believe that this method of communication is an effective way of getting the word out. I understand that Facebook's advertisers do an effective job of market research, bringing a client's message to the right people. But I doubt that someone will find their future career whilst untagging drunk photos of themselves or commenting on drunk photos of their friends. All in all, I find this method of communication to be ineffective, inappropriate, and an ill representation of our school and its reputation. I feel embarrassed as a student to be a part of a department so devoted to the effective transmission of information, yet which uses such an informal method of communication. Needless to say, I was not impressed with this advertisement's claim that I endorsed it. I will certainly 'unlike' this page. Evan McIntyre

In the Watch supplement published on Jan. 10, the article “Student referendum to decide fate of school canteen” incorrectly stated the students’ union doesn’t have a procedure for referenda. In addition, the Canteen will be called simply King’s Galley, not HMCS King’s Galley. The Watch regrets these errors.

N.B. Bethany Hindmarsh is on the Watch Executive. 5

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News Briefs New student don takes on Alex Hall basement With files from Paul Robinson

The basement of Alex Hall has a new junior don—third-year student Jake Glover. “I like it a lot and am very excited to become part of the don team,” said Glover. Residence dons are part of the residence support and discipline structure. They act as mentors and support staff for the students living in their floor or bay. They also work with Patrol to deal with more serious situations on campus. Glover’s appointment to the position is unusual in that dons are normally required to have completed their undergraduate degree. “I feel really privileged that they thought of me,” said Glover. “I’m proud that they think I have the ability to become part of the don team.” Former basement don Bryce Swerhun left the position last semester after making a move to Ottawa, where he got a new job. When he found out that Swerhun had to leave, Glover went to Dean of Residence Nicholas Hatt’s office to inquire about the position. Hatt directed him to the online application form. Once he had turned in the application, he did not hear anything until the day before he left for break. He had an interview that day and was informed that afternoon that he had the job. Glover has worked on Patrol since the fall semester of 2011 and was already living in residence. He moved from his room at the top of Middle Bay to the don suite in the basement of Alex Hall at the beginning of this semester. Unlike other dons, Glover does not participate in duty shifts because of a possible conflict if interest with his role as student and Patrol member. He will fill this position until the end of this year. “I cherish the Kings community,” he said. “Any opportunity I have to facilitate the growth of the community is very important to me.”

Tuition fee protests get creative Ben Harrison

The 2012 Student Day of Action is coming up on Feb. 1, and KSU Vice-President Omri Haiven hopes the it will appeal to an even broader audience this time around. Last year’s Day of Action brought out over 1,000 students. “We’re trying to get a multiplicity of voices involved in the organizing process, so that hopefully it’s ground-level operation, rather than a top-down method of organization,” said Haiven. “We don’t want the usual suspects organizing this as much as it happened last year.” Haiven calls this year’s Day of Action “a creative process.” “We want this to be from students, for students,” said Haiven. “We want a diverse array of voices, from students to their families.” Leading up to the 2012 Student Day of Action, the Canadian Federation of Students and KSU are working on a “Farewell to Nova Scotia” protest, where students will dress up in traditional Maritime garb and sing folk songs at the McDonald bridge, in protest of raising tuition fees. The “Farewell to Nova Scotia” protest is a wink at secondary education in Newfoundland, where tuition is considerably cheaper.

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An inconvenient loss King’s intramural hockey mourns the closure of Memorial Arena Siobhan Fleury

Due to the cost of major renovations, Memorial Arena will close its doors for good as of April 2012. This is bad news for King’s intramural hockey, according to third-year student Christian Pollard. “When I came in first year there was a team already set up, and I played on it and thought it was the most amazing thing,” Pollard said. Pollard said the proximity and convenience of Memorial Arena helps motivate hockey players at King’s to join intramural teams instead of abandoning their passion. Next year, that convenience will be compromised. Shawn Fraser, Senior Manager of Programs at Dal Athletics, said that this year won’t mark the end of Dalhousie’s intramural hockey program. Fraser explains that nothing is completely set in stone, but intramural hockey will most likely be moved to the Halifax Forum, about three and a half kilometres from Memorial Arena. Fraser said that, but for “minor adjustments to time and availability,” the program will be running the same way. Pollard, 20, is the driving force behind two King’s hockey teams playing in the intramural league. After nobody came forward to organize teams for King’s during his second year, he was eager to get King’s players back on the ice the following September. “Nobody went out of their way and made it happen. So, I found out what it took, but just a week or two too late,” recalls Pollard. “Coming back to third year I was I was super determined to just make it happen. So the second I landed, I got all the forms, and put out all the ads, and got all the people, and put down the money and ... it happened.” Both of the King’s teams are co-ed, and play a game every week – not an enormous time commitment, according to Pollard. He said that’s part of what makes intramural hockey doable for university students. “All you do is leave 20 minutes before the game starts, get there, get your gear on, hop on the ice and have a game, walk back, hop in the shower, and ten minutes after you hop off the ice you’re in bed. And that’s perfect.” Moving games to a new location could be inconvenient for students, and Pollard can only hope that organizing transportation won’t have too much of a negative impact on next year’s turnout. “One of the reasons it’s so awesome to be in first year playing on an intramural team is that they live there and their gear’s in the basement ... So, that will be seriously compromised if it’s moved way farther away, especially if you’re in first year ... Who has a car in first year?” Pollard goes on to explain that the extra travel time will

extend the commitment that intramural hockey requires from students on a fairly significant level. “Your commitment’s an hour and a half, an hour and 45 minutes max. If you add 25 minutes of travel time to that, it becomes like a two or three hour commitment, and you have to do some planning. Like, I know it’s ridiculous to complain about, but for me the beauty of it is that it’s right there – for King’s anyway.” Pollard said he loves playing with other King’s students, and will be sure to get involved again next year if teams manage to pull themselves together. “If there’s some way – if it’s still happening, I would absolutely love to (continue playing). I think playing hockey is awesome; I think it’s great to play hockey with King’s people. So, if it’s happening, I’ll do my best.”

news

news The King’s Students’ Union said university administration has rejected its request for help to lobby the government for more money. At issue is the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) released this month by the provincial government, which cuts government funding to universities by three per cent and gives universities permission to raise tuition by three per cent, and to deregulate tuition for international students. But students already are struggling, said KSU President Gabe Hoogers. Two KSU vice-presidents met with the Board of Governors’ Financial Sustainability Committee on Jan. 6, and Hoogers said its response wasn’t the support they wanted. “Unfortunately what we’ve been hearing is that sort of lobbying is reserved for students only. As long as the university can get by, it’s not that much of a concern,” Hoogers told The Watch. “Tuition fees aren’t the concern of our administration at this point.” King’s President Anne Leavitt said her job, along with the job of other administrators, is different than that of student unions, and instead involves “sophisticated negotiating.” “You know, back in the day, I remember protesting in Queen’s Park in Toronto. The issue for us then was differential fees for international students,” Leavitt said. “I think those protests were great things and I think we were very clear about what we wanted, but I’m not sure it helps if the university presidents run to the barricades.” King’s faces rising expenses and capital costs, Leavitt said, and the cut to the operating grants leaves King’s short about $230,000. However, should the board approve a tuition increase, Leavitt said the loss might be offset. “We don’t have many sources of revenue; it’s the operating grant and tuition,” she said. Leavitt said she’s not surprised the KSU opposes a tuition increase, but she’d rather see them propose a way to prevent it. “I take it, then, that the KSU would expect us to find those savings by either laying people off or by salary reductions or by cancelling facilities improvements. Now, they’ve sort of tossed out the number of 11 per cent reduction in administration costs, and my question to them was, ‘Which positions at King’s were not needed at King’s?’… 80 per cent of our expenditures are in salary, and those are the only places where you can get on-going savings.” CBC recently reported the salaries of Nova Scotia university presidents, as well as salary increases from previous years. It reported that President Leavitt makes $170,000, the same amount as former president William Barker did in his last year at King’s. To compare, her salary is significantly smaller than that of Dalhousie President Tom Travers, who reportedly pulls in $393,264. But the MOU has more in store than increases for international students and the three per cent jump, said Hoogers. Next year, university presidents and the government will

decide whether or not to remove the limit on tuition fees for out-of-province students, which would effectively deregulate their tuition by 2013-2014. “For King’s, that’s horrible. King’s has the highest proportion of out-of-province students in the entire province, so we’re going to lose our competitive edge,” Hoogers said. “We’re going to ensure that the only people who come to this school are privileged people who don’t have to take out student loans, and that will greatly affect the diversity and culture of King’s, I’m sure.” Hoogers also said that the two union vice-presidents at the Jan. 6 meeting reported that members of the committee felt King’s students wouldn’t be as negatively affected by a possible tuition increase as would be students at other schools. “A number of people on the committee—some senior administrators, in fact—suggested that ‘only three or four students’ in total at King’s are on student loans, and King’s has a disproportionately high number of well-off students attending, so increasing tuition fees by whatever wouldn’t be a burden to the population,” he said, estimating the number of students with loans is around 30 or 40 per cent. “President Leavitt and upper administrators may be correct that we don’t have many students on student loans, and that’s specifically because we’ve targeted schools, you know, private schools in Toronto and whatnot,” said Hoogers. But for Hoogers, the reality of student financial problems isn’t represented accurately by the relatively low numbers of student loans. “Moreover, students are forced to take on more part-time work, like myself,” he said, “and sometimes prolonging their degrees. That’s a common symptom at King’s, with people taking five and six years to finish a four year program, often simply because they can’t afford to do it in four years. So we definitely have our own issues to address.” Leavitt appears to agree. She said that while she has seen data showing that King’s isn’t as reliant on loans as other schools, it doesn’t paint a full picture: “That doesn’t mean they’re in better financial health by any stretch,” she said. Leavitt said she has read briefing documents showing that modest increases don’t limit student accessibility, but she noted that any increase would have to be discussed and decided on by the Board of Governors, which has student representatives. “My understanding is that there are a number—I wouldn’t know if it’s a majority—of students who are in a position of my own kids and that is that their parents are helping them out a great deal,” she said. One of Leavitt’s children is in first year at King’s. “You know, as somebody who is the parent of two university-aged children and certainly contributes to their education and also supports them finding summer work and other things, I’m not insensitive to the plight of students. I have an intimate knowledge of what that’s all about.”

“Tuition fees aren’t the concern of our administration at this point.”

King’s students rally outside Province House at the “Walk of Shame” protest against rising tuition fees last spring. Evelyn Hornbeck

Memorandum Misunderstandings

The new agreement with the province leaves students to face higher fees, cuts Rachel Ward 8

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Chaplain Saved

The Board gives the Chaplain five more years David Salenieks

Faith may be declining in Canada, but it’s funding that’s been lacking at the King’s chapel. When the chaplain’s job was called into question, the reaction was widespread indignation. The declining role of religion in universities is a general trend, as Reverend Dr. Gary Thorne knows. Small liberal arts universities that were once affiliated with a religious denomination are shifting toward secularity. “The Anglican Dioceses of Nova Scotia and P.E.I. is becoming smaller. Its budget is getting smaller,” said Thorne. But last year when the Dioceses decided they would only pay half of Thorne’s salary in 2012, the issue was brought home. They asked King’s to contribute half of the chaplain’s salary. The Board of Governors Committee was tasked with finding a means of paying this sum. The committee, KSU President Gabe Hoogers, Dr. Neil Robertson and Board of Governors member Mary Martin initially looked to Divinity Funds kept at King’s as a possible solution. The Divinity Funds are endowments, yearly portions of money distributed based on the interest of previous investments. Some of the funds are for divinity program funding (the Divinity school that was at King’s moved to the Atlantic School of Theology, and so that money goes there), or for the bishop’s “visitor fund”. The Board of Governors, to the surprise of Thorne, decided not to use Divinity Funds. “In the end—I do not know why, I’ve never been given an explanation—but for some reason the Board of Governors saw fit not to simply top up the money,” said Thorne. Money allotted to the chapel from the Divinity Funds in the past established a precedent that made Thorne hopeful. The Committee was forced to look to donors to pay the half of Thorne’s salary. Hoogers said that it didn’t take much before

“the overwhelming charity of individuals” made the Committee’s job easy. “Eventually, people just stepped up to the plate one by one and pledged donations to the chapel,” said Hoogers. Adriane Abbott, who is the Advancement Director at King’s, manages donations to the school. She regards information concerning the donors as “privileged,” but she did disclose that between five and twenty-five donors made up the contributions necessary to pay Thorne’s salary for the next five years. It wasn’t just churchgoers who feared losing the Chaplain. Matthew Benedict is a King’s student who does not describe himself as religious but regards the church community as “one of those intangibles that sets us apart from other universities.” He went on to point out that Thorne has many important roles in the King’s community. “Through the chaplain, King’s has become involved with charitable programs,” Benedict said. “He also keeps an open door policy so that students can seek help or advice. He’s also a faculty member and a rare wealth of religious knowledge.” Thorne considers it his job “to support and encourage students in their endeavours and to help them succeed in whatever way they themselves define success—personally, socially, academically, spiritually.” The issue facing the chaplaincy was a lack of funding, not a lack of appreciation, the logical consequence of which makes it strange that the position was brought under scrutiny. “If they were to do away with the position, then presumably they would have to hire a student resources person. Students need someone who can give them unqualified, entirely confidential support,” said Thorne. “Throughout it all,” said Hoogers, “I wasn’t concerned that we were going to lose Father Thorne.”

“Students need someone who can give them unqualified, entirely confidential support”

Alex Estey

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Second Time’s a Charm

frack off

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King's students rally for the environment With files from Emilie Novaczek

From the canteen beat, Niko Bell tells us how we finally got a canteen. Hey everyone, we’re getting a canteen.

King’s voted 282 to 87 last week to fund the King’s Galley. That means that KSU Internal Coordinator John Adams will set the plan in motion to install the canteen in the alcove off the Wardroom. In the next month, said Adams, the KSU will incorporate the canteen, apply for a business number and food handler’s licence and buy insurance. If all goes well, the canteen will be serving food before the end of February. “Realistically, something’s going to go wrong,” Adams said. “We hope it will be nothing too major.” When it opens, the canteen will sell coffee, muffins and cookies, as well as a simple meal. Adams hopes to have a soup or stew, as well as much-loved grilled cheese sandwiches. The canteen will be funded by KSU investments, as well as a levy that the KSU will start collecting next year. Which brings us to the reason why we had two referenda instead of one. The first referendum on the canteen was held two weeks ago. On the ballot, the KSU asked to start collecting money from students this year. Since levies are paid along with student fees, however, it was already too late this year to collect. The referendum was asking the impossible. KSU Chair David Etherington decided to embargo the results. On Sun, Jan. 15, he told council that he would ask the chief returning officer—who’s in charge of elections—to redo the referendum. Even though the mistake was small, Etherington said, voters

had been misled by the referendum question. The ballot should be corrected, he said, and then sent back to King’s students for another vote. Any other choice would violate procedure and undermine the electoral policy of the KSU. Council reacted with frustration and disbelief at Etherington’s ruling. Many councillors — including Day Students’ Society President Noah White and External VP Omri Haiven—said that because students had voted for the general idea of the canteen, council should be able to amend the result without holding another referendum. White finally raised a motion to overturn the ruling. His motion failed with only 10 out of 15 votes. Twelve votes would have been necessary to reject a ruling by the chair. White said that he raised the motion because he thought that another ballot would not change the results of the referendum. But Nick Stark, one of the five councillors who voted to support Etherington, said that council had no other choice but to follow the rules. Former KSU Chair Judy Booth agrees that overturning Etherington’s ruling would have violated the constitution. She said that, if anything, Etherington should have thrown out the referendum and allowed council to pass a new ballot question. The only difference would have been passing a referendum motion through council that day. KSU President Gabe Hoogers, Anna Bishop VP Communications and Haiven all voted to overturn Etherington’s ruling.

King’s students were among the crowd of about 100 protesting hydraulic fracking in Grand Parade Square on Sat., Jan. 14. Hydro-fracking is a method of extracting natural gas from shale which has proven harmful to drinking water sources all over North America. This Provincial Day of Action against fracking was organized by Occupy Nova Scotia in conjunction with the Ecology Action Center and other community groups in hopes of banning hydraulic fracturing in Nova Scotia. It has already been banned in communities across Canada, including Hampton, N.B., because of the risk of drinking water contamination. Emma Norton, King’s Sustainability Officer, is unimpressed with the provincial government’s treatment of this issue. “The Nova Scotia government wants to significantly lower its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, so it should start investing in renewable resources instead of fossil fuel extraction,” she said. “This is especially true when the mode of extraction involves a significant health risk like those posed by fracking.”

Matt Chisholm

Dan Corbett

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Board shuts out KSU

president anne leavitt

KSU cut out of committee Simcha Walfish

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Jan

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board of governers

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the king’s student’s union

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“The KSU is the only a body that can represent student interests”

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For this reason, no elected representative from the faculty, staff, alumni or students was included. The purpose of the committee is to present recommendations to the Board, not to make decisions itself, said Leavitt. If the Board was to act on any of them, it would be subject to the same voting process as any other proposal. As KSU representatives already sit on the Board and consult with the Board’s other financial committees, Leavitt argues that an elected student representative is unnecessary. Leavitt did note that the KSU does have elected representation on the financial committee. However, less than 24 hours after Leavitt spoke to The Watch, Hoogers was surprised to hear that the KSU would also no longer have a representative on the Budget Advisory Committee, a committee that advises the president directly to help her prepare the annual budget. In a meeting with the Board of Governor’s Executive on Jan. 19, Hoogers said he was informed that the President had “decided to choose people with more technical ability and the moral authority to handle the budget making process.” Leavitt explained to The Watch that she chose people “who understand the budget and have an intimate understanding of the actual budgets of the institution.” “We’re not going to have a lot of time to explain things to people who may not be familiar with budgets,” Leavitt said. While the financial sustainability committee gives recommendations to the board on long-term matters, the Budget Advisory Committee assists the president in her preparation of the annual budget, which she then presents to the board. “There’s no requirement for the president to consult with anyone,” said Leavitt. Leavitt said there is some confusion as to the place of the

bud

s on

Last November, in response to the financial difficulties facing the university, the Board of Governors announced that it was striking a Financial Sustainability Committee to explore these challenges and look into possible solutions. In the Nov. 22 release, the Board announced that this committee’s purpose is “informing itself and the King’s community about the challenges facing us, consulting broadly with the community as to how such challenges should be met, and bringing recommendations to the Board that will enable it to determine a sustainable financial plan to support the University overall.” The nine-member committee was created in order to look at possible solutions to the college’s financial crisis and will disband once its task is done. Chaired by King’s President Anne Leavitt, it is composed of representatives from the King’s community and the Board of Governors. But while the committee does include one student, this student (former KSU president Kiki Wood), like all members of this committee, was not elected to the position. KSU President Gabe Hoogers said the lack of elected student body from the governance of the school is a problem. “It was a shock to me to find that we were excluded,” said Hoogers. He is concerned that this creates a dangerous precedent for the university to “undermine the structure of the KSU” by taking away its power to select who will represent the interests of students. “The KSU is the only legitimate body that can represent student interests,” said Union Board of Governors Representative Dan Brown. The KSU’s representatives challenged the committee’s member list at the meetings of the Board of Governors and Board of Governors’ Executive. The Board of Governors Executive is a smaller group that meets more frequently than the full Board of Governors. The union’s challenges led to extensive debates, but were eventually voted down. “We lost the vote, but we won support in those debates,” said Brown. Leavitt rejects the notion that students should have an elected representative sit on this committee: “If you’re elected, you are answerable to that group of people,” she said. Because this is a committee to advise the board, “the members of this committee must be answerable to the Board and to no one else.”

advises on creating budget

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The King’s President and Board of Governors are leaving the students out of the financial planning of the college, said the King’s Student Union.

nce

financial sustainability committee

How the KSU represents the students to the board

Continued on page 16 15

news

Beyond the fringe

“There’s no requirement for the president to consult with anyone”

King’s Infringement Fest makes a statement about copyright laws Pearl Chan

- Pres. Anne Leavitt

Budget Advisory Committee. Its composition, up until its recent reconstitution without faculty or student representatives, was only in place for the past three years. Leavitt said the KSU has a mistaken “sense of entitlement” in this matter: “They think this is a governance body on which they have a hereditary role ... from history or from a policy, when really we’re talking about a very recent phenomena. This is not a continuation of what was there before; it’s really more of a budget working group.” Leavitt originally wanted to strike the committee altogether, but was persuaded by the Board of Governors Executive to reconstitute it. “Students sit on the Board. Changes are made to the budget there,” said Leavitt. “There are many committees that lots of people don’t sit on.” Hoogers’s main concern is that, although the KSU does have a role in the final decision through votes at the meetings of the Board of Governors, “this isn’t where the content of the issues is decided.” Responding to these concerns, Leavitt said she’d be happy to meet with Union representatives to discuss budget recommendations, though she said she already knows what the Union recommends. “Their positions on these things are not unknown. If there’s one thing they’re good at, it’s making their position clear,” Leavitt said. “I’m not in the dark about what the KSU wants to see on the budget.” The larger problem for the Union, related to their exclusion from the financial sustainability committee and the Budget Advisory Committee, is the focus of the administration on providing short-term solutions to long-term problems. King’s financial trouble is no secret. According to a website circulated in a ukings.ca release from Nov. 22, “Total bank indebtedness is expected to grow to $5M by the end of 2012.” The reasons listed for these financial problems on the website range from tuition caps to above-average salaries to King’s aging infrastructure to a decrease in the provincial government’s annual grant to the school and more. In addition, the Dexter government recently announced that, for the second 16

arts

straight year, it would be reducing its annual operating grant to Nova Scotia’s universities, this time by 3.1 per cent for 20122013 (4 per cent for 2011-2012). A Jan. 5 release from the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents estimates that this will amount to approximately “$33 million in an overall funding reduction” to universities in Nova Scotia. This means that the funding King’s will receive from the provincial government will be reduced by roughly $223,000, according to Leavitt. Omri Haiven, KSU External VP, and Financial VP Nick Gall were invited to give a presentation to the Financial Sustainability Committee earlier in January. “We were really disappointed by the response,” said Haiven. “We were told that since our proposals wouldn’t be felt in the short term, they wouldn’t be followed.” Leavitt said that three to five years is as long-term as any university can reasonably plan and that if the university wants to be around for the long term, it needs to take care of these shortterm issues immediately. “The cuts are being imposed on us, on our operating grant by the provincial government,” she said. “King’s, whether it likes it or not, needs to formulate a response. It can’t run out of money”. All parties agree that changes are inevitable, but Hoogers is disappointed with the lack of creativity in the process. Hoogers would like to see the university’s financial governance follow a “long-term, consensus based” approach to tackle these issues instead of excluding the parties that would be most affected by cuts. At this point, Leavitt said, the Financial Sustainability Committeee is only at an “information collection phase,” and “they will be assigning members to meet with various groups” of students, faculty, staff and alumni at a later date. Hoogers and the KSU hope they will be more included. “I would hope they’d invite us to work with them,” said Hoogers. “King’s is built on various interests coming together. The way to move forward should be through an inclusive committee structure that ensures that consensus will be reached.”

An enforced copyright on the word ‘fringe’ means that King’s annual theatre festival will run as the Infringement Festival this year. The new title was termed after a letter from the Atlantic Fringe Festival. “We knew about the CAFF (Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals) having this trademark,” said Infringement Coordinator Karen Gross, “but we thought they wouldn’t care because we’re students.” The CAFF’s regulation includes a limit on the number of fringe festivals within a certain vicinity. The Atlantic Fringe Festival, which has run for over 20 years, saturates that of Halifax and therefore makes the King’s fest illegitimate. Work on the student-written play festival began in September 2011, and the organizers consistently called it the Fringe Festival. Then in December, after what Gross believed to be a sighting of their Facebook group by the director of the Atlantic Fringe Festival, the organizers received a “really rude email,” said producer Dave Etherington. The Facebook group was later removed for infringement. “It is a little ironic because fringe festivals started in universities,” said Etherington, producer of the King’s Infringement Festival. “At King’s, the Fringe Festival has always been the Fringe Festival.” It has been, for over a decade—with the exception of last year. Suspecting a violation of copyright, the organizers altered the spelling of F-R-I-N-G-E to F-R-Y-N-J-E, while retaining the pronunciation. “Students reacted loudly by saying they hated the name,” said Etherington of last year’s decision. “They’re not doing anything sketchy, it’s completely legal,” said Gross of the Atlantic Fringe Festival’s letter. “If anything, we’re in the wrong.” Yet the situation brings up questions about the ideological side of the issue. “I would argue that ‘fringe’ is descriptive and shouldn’t be trademarked,” said Gross. “The point of a fringe festival is to be inclusive ... rather than a brand name.” “It is the idea of theatre on the fringe of professional theatre,” said Etherington. Yet many find the name change of little consequence. “The name shouldn’t be the most important thing,” said first-year student Sean Young. “It doesn’t really matter to me what the title of the festival is,” agreed first-year Thoby

King. “People go for the plays, not the name.” Yet the King’s Theatrical Society is not afraid to divert the attention from the plays to the issue; this name change highlights a controversy about the commodification of art. To address this, the KTS will hold a discussion panel, tentatively to be held to on Feb. 4, which should have student representation, a speaker from the teaching faculty of St. Mary’s University, and someone in the industry. It hopes to raise awareness of how the commodification of art affects people on different levels and the barriers it raises for study and teaching. “It’s more for discussion about where people stand,” said Gross of the panel. “Really good open discussion on what the concerns are. It’s not a political protest or anything.” “By making it copyright, to commercialize art,” said first-year student Jenna Waniek. “It takes away from the essence of what Fringe is supposed to be.” Yet others find it a display of King’s usual ideological, pugnacious nature. “I just don’t see what their goal is,” said Young. Regardless of whether the panel is an essential part of the festival, the focus is on the plays. “I’m excited,” said Etherington. “It’s different from how we’ve done it before. Hopefully we can keep the momentum.” Gross echoes his excitement despite the earlier setback: “Come out and see the shows!” The King’s Infringement Festival runs from Jan. 30- Feb. 4

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Canada’s oddest comic book stores! 17

opinions

Art of thanks

Writing thank you notes is proper etiquette, even in our digital world

Watch My Drink

Let’s take this conversation beyond blaming victims Evelyn Hornbeck and Jacqueline Vincent

Jane Caulfield

I have vivid memories of my mother making very detailed lists on Christmas morning of who got what from whom. She would then pass the lists out to my sister and I with a cheery “Remember to write your thank you cards as soon as possible!” But much to my mother’s chagrin, we never managed to write a single thank you note. We would think about it, maybe even start one, but never follow it through to completion. Recently I received a bursary from the wonderful people at financial aid. Having gone through this process before, I know proper etiquette rules state that I should respond promptly with a short, but well thought-out thank you note. When I inquired at the office about the address to send the note, I was met with some surprised looks. Apparently getting students to write the appropriate thank you note has proven to be a tricky task. That got me thinking: what happened to the fine art of writing thank you notes? I know they still sell thank you cards in the greeting card aisle, but when was the last time anyone bought one and actually used it for its intended purpose? Writing a proper thank you note is a formality of our antiquated past. Knowing when and how to write a good thank you message was proper etiquette. Up until the 1960s, etiquette was a required subject taught 18

in most schools across North American and Britain. These classes would teach children, in both elementary and high school levels of study, how to properly kneel at the altar, which fork was for what and how to write proper letters. Children learned that the timing of a thank you note was the difference between merely following etiquette rules and having a high degree of class. But our society just isn’t that formal anymore. The social rules of today include unwritten and relatively culturally learned social graces that reflect our digital identities. There are, for example, social rules about when it is and when is not appropriate to friend someone on Facebook. But when it comes to formally saying thank you, very few people know the rules about when or how to say it. According to etiquette specialists, a Alex Estey thank you note is absolutely required in the following major life events: - Bridal shower or baby shower gifts - Holiday, birthday, Bar/Bat mitzvah, graduation and housewarming gifts - Sympathy letters, flowers, mass cards or donations made in the deceased’s name It may seem obvious to point this out, but a formal thank you note should not be 140 characters or less, and should be done by hand. Letters in your own handwriting are personal; they show you are genuinely grateful for something. Yet the art of writing a thank you note has fallen to the wayside because we are so used to communicating online. The problem is that online communication lacks a human quality, even if you use every emoticon you can find. Expressing genuine gratitude is inherently an incredibly personal thing to do. When you are really thankful, an email or (God forbid) a tweet just won’t cut it. So, I dare you—each and every one of you—to sit down and write a thank you card to someone who has recently done or said something that meant a lot to you. Take the time to say thank you and show that person you appreciate what they did for you.

opinions

We all treat the Wardroom like our own living rooms. The friendly faces and familiar surroundings mean we can feel safe letting our guard down and having some fun. But on Friday, Jan. 20, at early happy hour, we were all reminded that the Wardroom may not be as safe as we hope. The administration strewed bookmarks across tables reminding patrons to watch their drinks and take cabs home, and posted flyers on which Claudius warns us about the dangers of date rape drugs: “It is the poison’d cup: it is too late.” Scotland Yard ran a fantastic anti-sexual assault campaign over the holidays. It focused—for once—on aggressors, not victims’s. It involved sending messages to cellphones in bars, reminding those who, it seems, need constant reminders, that anyone who is drunk (or otherwise inebriated) cannot consent. Detective Superintendent Jason Ashwood, in a press release, said, “This is about us trying to prevent offences from happening in the first place ... the only person ever responsible for a rape is the perpetrator.” However, this campaign and the one on bookmarks in the Wardroom do have one thing in common: both are Band-Aid solutions. Just as prisons don’t get at the root of criminal behaviour, so these warnings do not address the deeper issues of

rape culture: the tendency for our society to tell victims it’s on them not to be attacked— ‘Don’t wear that skirt’, ‘Don’t flirt like that’, ‘Well, you left your drink, what did you expect?’—and to silence and dismiss survivors who do speak up about their experiences. Cabs and caution are excellent decisions, but relying only on these tips reinforces the idea of the “perfect victim.” If there are things we can do to keep from getting raped, then clearly we can differentiate between the right and wrong way to act. And if we get raped when we decide to trust the people we’re with to not drug our G&T when we go to the bathroom, or decide to walk home instead of spending our last few dollars on a cab, then we can be blamed for not being smart enough or careful enough. This leaves out the obvious: placing the blame on the shoulders of people who, you know, choose to rape. Wouldn’t it be great if it were okay to Trevor Hurlbut feel as comfortable as we do in the Wardroom? If we didn’t teach people that they have to ensure their own freedom from rape by somehow making all the right choices? The fact is that we can never guarantee 100 per cent safety from sexual assault, but what we can do is start a conversation focused on consent and communication rather than victimhood. We have the sex-positive sexuality talk during Frosh Week, but this discussion is one that needs to happen far sooner, and far more often, than that. We need to talk with everyone about what consent looks like (an informed, enthusiastic yes!) and what it doesn’t (drunk, silent, or unsure). We need to encourage men to talk about sex and relationships in new ways, and call each other out when they see violence brewing with a view to ending rape culture altogether. In starting and continuing these conversations with the people we live, learn, and yes, drink alongside, we can create powerful change—since, as we know, with most sexual assaults the aggressor is someone the victim knows, not a shadowy stranger on the street or in a bar. This and other “Watch Your Drink” campaigns are symptoms, not solutions. So while we will continue to look out for ourselves and our friends, we’ll be working to make the world we live in one where we don’t need to.

“relying only on these tips reinforces the idea of the ‘perfect victim.’”

arts

Misters Darcy

Memory Lane

Meghan Borthwick

Frances Dorenbaum

Post-Wardroom, the Darcys are hitting it big

Recently signed with major indie label Arts & Crafts and eagerly awaiting the release of their second album, King’s alumni The Darcys have come a long way from playing in the Wardroom in exchange for free beer. Jason Couse (vocals, guitar, keys) said that King’s was a good starting point. “It’s a warm and encouraging community. We played a lot because of the support. People showed that they were interested in the process.” It wasn’t until a couple years after graduating that The Darcys recognized the influence of their King’s education on their musical career. At the end of fourth year, their minds were still humming with excess critical energy. With no more papers to write, The Darcys found themselves taking their music more seriously. Now about to launch on a three-month tour in eastern Canada and the United States, The Darcys feel pressure to meet greater expectations. They thrust this upon themselves. “We’re definitely CSP students. We’re very self-critical,” Couse said, laughing. But they are doing well. On Jan. 14, their song Josie from their upcoming album topped the Anti-Hit List, a Toronto Star

reporter’s list of alternative music hits. And in February, they’ll open for The Arkells at the Dalhousie Grawood. At King’s, The Darcys honed their skills. During his first year, Couse pulled some friends together to perform at the talent show Big Night, and it was here that he first shared the stage with bassist Dave Hurlow. The following year, Wes Marskell, Couse’s childhood friend and long-time music collaborator, transferred to King’s from the University of Guelph. Couse and Hurlow were joined by Marskell (drums) and Kirby Best (vocals, guitar), and together they formed The Darcys. This quartet began playing covers in the Wardroom, learning how to set up and tear down and play Photo Supplied .for an audience. “Those early years were less about a focused artistic release, and more about having fun,” Couse said. And, of course, free beer. After graduating, the band members returned to their hometown of Toronto, where Mike le Riche joined them on guitar. They began to assemble what would eventually become their first self-titled LP release. After two years, the band has changed a lot from its inception in Halifax. Besides Best’s departure and Couse’s new role as lead singer, the most notable transformation was the quality of music they were producing. The Darcys re-evaluated their approach to their recording projects and took an attitude informed by the work ethic they had developed at King’s. “We learned how to focus our energy in a certain way during school, and it was just a matter of applying that,” said Couse. Their scholarly work ethic has paid off. Though The Darcys’ original aim may have been free beer, they have since realized an accomplished musical career. “At the end of the day, we all want to do this,” Couse remarks. Their new album AJA, a reworking of a Steely Dan album, is out Jan. 24.

“We’re definitely CSP students. We’re very self-critical”

arts

What if your memory exploded ... into a play? a young adult’s experiences, but it’s up to the audience to decide whose mind they are entering. “Someone will walk out of it and think that was one person. Someone else is going think there was a couple it was their memories smashed together. Someone else is going to think these are all just totally disparate fragments. We work with all of those options in rehearsal,” said McLeod. In order to fully portray the different types of memories one may have, the play combines theatre, dance, storytelling, music, video, and more to explore memory from many perspectives and senses. “You could remember a moment through dance, through a gesture,” adds Blenkarn. The diverse cast was one of the biggest influences on the play. It is made up of a Dal student, a King’s student, a NSCAD student, a local Halifax theatre artist and another young adult. “We wanted to have people from different communities and different perspectives,” said Blenkarn. The variety of talents that each actor brought both strengthened and expanded the play’s content, making it truly unique. One of the actors, Gina Thornhill, specializes in gesture work, and another, Magnus Von Tiesenhausen, makes music from radio sounds. Both have shared their skills with the group. The rehearsals are intense due to the high level of creativity demanded from every member of the cast to explore this complicated subject. The actors are encouraged to let loose Photo Supplied and to try things out of their ordinary comfort zones, especially with gestures. Movement such as running on the spot, The writing process of King’s students Patrick Blenkarn and Bryn climbing on top of furniture, and dancing are common. McLeod’s original play, M is for Drowning, turned Blenkarn’s liv“There’s not the feeling that they need to be realistic or natuing room into a blizzard-like scene. Scraps of paper containing ralistic at any moment,” said McLeod. “They can be wacky.” ideas for the script cover the entire surface of the main wall. This is McLeod and Blenkarn’s second time as co-directors. “It’s very montage-like,” said Blenkarn. The duo directed Hippolytos this fall with the KTS, but it is their This brainstorm began in August when Blenkarn started to first time putting up a play on their own. develop a script made up of “fragments,” short scenes that The script was a long process of evolution, said McLeod. “It each simulate a memory. He emailed them to his co-director, transformed, and transformed, and transformed... into what we co-writer, co-producer, and co-founder of Wheelwright Theatre, have now.” McLeod. To begin forming a script, she selected and gave And the play is still evolving. “I’m sure that up until the day notes on her favourites, and the two continued the exchange we perform it’s going to keep changing.” until December. The long writing process was due to the complexity of the subject of the play—memory. M is for Drowning will be on February 2-5, 2012 at The Bus Stop Theatre. Doors “What would you see if someone’s memory exploded, open at 7:30pm, show starts at 8pm. Tickets $10 students/$15 others and you saw all of their memories at once projected in front of you?” considers McLeod. “What would it look like, feel like, sound like, smell like?” The memory that the audience will be privy to is open to interpretation. The writers imagine that the thoughts come from 21

Pool Sharks

humour

The less friendly side of the Wardroom James Jenkinson

YAS Ballin

King's big night out, 2012 Photos by Evan McIntyre and Evelyn Hornbeck

The plum doors of the Wardroom's entrance lockin a fragrance that might be called "eau de good times". The stale-beer bouquet is enchanting and it’s not long before you surrender inhibition to the Wardroom’s conviviality. Everybody’s a friend in here. Chatting fervently, you drift toward the pool table and ask for a game, only to be met with some snarky advice like, “Sign the chalkboard ... Bro.” Having submitted your devices for an expectedly warm social engagement, such a bitter reply provokes indignation. The chalkboard system is to blame. “It’s been there as long as I can remember,” said fourthyear bartender Stephanie Duchon. This dusty mess of an organizational strategy produces efficiency on par with herding cats. Chalk sticks sitting near the board seem never to exceed a few centimeters in length. When you finally manage to print some skeleton of your name, the prospect of actually getting to play is bleaker than Harper’s environmental program. “The most frustrating thing is that the chalkboard won’t allow you to play pool with your friends,” said veteran pool shark Oliver Nicol. Nicol is referring to the way the chalkboard system forces one to play the previous winner without any possibility of say, a doubles game, as this could anger those waiting in-line. “I’ve never even seen a doubles game,” said second-year Wesley Thompson. “Certainly not on a night when there are actually people here.” Rather than eliminating traffic, the chalkboard prevents the laissez-faire system of doubles from speeding things up. Congestion and confusion cascade when people must be sought after to play with nobody knowing who’s who. Friendly introductions are substituted with a ‘get in line and wait your turn’ attitude, and everyone remains strangers. At Resolutes Club on Inglis Street, arguably one of Halifax’s best known pool hangouts, management recognizes this quintessential social element. Here, the friendly maritime vibes flow

Alex Estey as freely as the draft from the taps. It should not be overlooked that the smallest of structural arrangements can have drastic social effects. "The atmosphere of the Wardroom is amiable," said David Salenieks, "But less so around the pool table." Life and the game of pool share striking parallels. Success in either requires an ability to focus on the task at hand while anticipating the next play. Enoyment is based on the pleasentry of everyday encounters. It is precisely these encounters which the chalkboard system obstructs.

The University of King’s College Chapel presents a

WINTER RETREAT

February 3-5, 2012 at Kejimkujik Park

A contemplative weekend retreat for students held in Nova Scotia’s beautiful backcountry enhanced by the daily singing of the Monastic Offices. Bishop Stephen Andrews returns as speaker for the retreat. All are welcome, of any faith or none. Retreatants will have ample unstructured time to enjoy snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and walking, or simply to relax in the solitude of nature’s bosom. Held at Mersey River Chalets in Annapolis County, NS For more information contact James Mosher at kings.college.chapel@gmail.com or visit www.dal-kings-chapel.ca