page 5 page 16
Earthquake in Haiti page 9
Drag racing
161.2
Jan. 21 - 27, 2010
www.theontarion.ca
The Student Body: concerns with our health
see page 10 [ Hillside Inside: what you didn’t know A look into the work that goes into a day l o ng, mu l t i - a r t i s t music festival BRIAN GILLIS Hillside Festival takes place at Guelph Lake every July. One of Canada’s leading summer music events, its popularity has lead to the Hillside Inside festival. Taking place at the Sleeman Centre in downtown Guelph each February for the past two years, the festival will return for its third instalment on Feb. 6th. Both festivals are massive undertakings, showcasing nationally and internationally recognized artists within the realm of world, folk, indie and Can-rock. Both attempt to provide attendees with a qualitative musical experience; one that balances tasteful execution with rapid fire delivery, allowing patrons to see and hear as much as possible without any details falling to the wayside. The festival boasts about its accessibility, green initiatives and top-notch sound quality. Most
importantly, though, both festivals employ a very capable team of people to execute the artistic vision so closely associated with the ethos of the community event. Having had an opportunity to chat with versatile Hillside office manager Paula Perri, some details regarding the organizational aspects of Hillside Inside were exposed. Booking artists is obviously one of the main components of putting together a music festival. When asked about this process, Perri said “it is (artistic director) Sam Baijal’s vision when it comes to programming. The bookings reflect a mix of both vision and artist availability.” According to Perri, a ‘wish list’ of artists is compiled by Baijal, and when the bookings commence, the touring schedules of the artists is the deciding factor as to whether or not they will play. Replacements are those artists who have either approached the festival via booking agents, or have been approached by Baijal. “He has a great ear as to what is on the cusp of the Canadian music
scene,” said Perri. But when creating the bill for each respective festival, it essentially comes down to “who will put on a great show, who we are expecting to have in the audience, and who is available to perform.” Another main component of music festival organization is stage logistics. Hillside is held in the Guelph Lake Conservation area, and boasts four stages located throughout the park. Hillside Inside attempts to recreate this outdoor multi-stage vibe by placing two stages end to end on what is otherwise an ice rink. “It is important to have two stages streamlined,” says Perri. By having two stages operating simultaneously, a “seamless” musical experience is created, allowing for a hefty number of artists to perform in a short amount of time. In order to insure that the dual stage streamline runs smoothly, two teams are required, one for each stage. Each stage employs the likes of a stage manager, front of house sound tech, lighting tech, monitor tech, backline tech, patch chord
jockeys, riggers, stage builders and a volunteer team of 35 to 50 people, all overseen by the technical director Jon Haliwell (who is also responsible for tech direction at the summer rendition). It is no mean feat, as indicated by Perri’s enthusiasm regarding the staging; “it’s a well oiled machine. It’s so cool to watch.” Lastly, our conversation veered in the direction of the marketing aspects of the festival, which differs from the summer event. According to Perri, there are different demographics attending the summer and winter festivals. Summer Hillside is both a tourist and local attraction, where the winter festival is geared more towards the university student population, providing those who aren’t around during the summer an opportunity to get a little Hillside action. That demographic alteration, coupled with the reality that summer Hillside has been around for 26 years and sells out well in advance, indicates that marketing needs for >
SEE “HILLSIDE”, PAGE 7
the issues this week
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STUDENT
6
RAINBOW
BUDGETS
CHORUS
FAT
12 NATION JERSEY
16 SHORE INDEX
Arts & Culture Sports & Health Opinion Editorial Classified Comics Crossword
STUDENT SPECIAL
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! " #$ % & % ! % ! '!! ( ) * ' '!! " ' % * !
The Ontarion is now hiring the EDITOR IN CHIEF for the 2010 - 2011 production year Full-time Contract Position, April 15, 2010 to April 27, 2011
The Editor in Chief is responsible for everything concerning the daily operation of the newspaper and all material printed within. They set a vision and direction for the paper in terms of design, format, and content that is consistent with Ontarion Policy. They will manage and evaluate staff, schedule work hours, coordinate volunteers and facilitate regular meetings. They troubleshoot and facilitate conict resolution. While the Editor in Chief will make journalistic or graphic contributions to the newspaper, this is primarily a managerial position.
The successful candidate will possess: s a vision for the Ontarion for 2010-11 s supervisory or leadership skills; excellent communication skills s interpersonal conict resolution skills; strong organizational skills s the ability to work in a stressful environment under tight deadlines s work or volunteer experience in a press environment s training or experience in journalism, editing and/or graphics, some design experience
The Ontarion’s Employment Equity Policy is a proactive measure to recruit qualiďŹ ed people from a variety of ethnic, religious and class backgrounds, lesbians, bisexuals, gays and transgendered people, people of colour, Aboriginal people, people with disabilities and women. Members of the previously identiďŹ ed groups are encouraged to self-identify.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2010 AT 4 PM. Apply with portfolio of at least 6 writing samples, resume and cover letter to: Ontarion EIC Hiring Committee, UC 264, University of Guelph, Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1
TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE ONTARION’S EMPLOYMENT EQUITY POLICY AND /OR THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE EMAIL US AT ONTARION@UOGUELPH.CA
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NEWS
161.2
An “emotional rollercoaster” for aspiring Canadian entrepreneurs SANDRA ANGER & JESSICA PERFECT On Saturday, Jan. 16, the University of Guelph hosted the Central Regional Round of the Student Business Pitching Competition for the second year in a row. The event was well attended. Seventy guests and competitors from the Central Region of Canada (Manitoba and Ontario) competed for cash prizes, awarded by a panel of six judges consisting of prominent Canadian business executives. The competitors were made up of ten teams who competed for an opportunity to advance to the National Round held in Vancouver on Feb. 6. Enterprize Canada is the leading sponsor of the event and also runs entrepreneurial seminars and networking workshops for Canadian undergraduate students. The ten qualifying teams were students from Western, Carleton, Ryerson, Waterloo, York, and U of T. Each team was required to present a fifteen-minute proposal of their business plans, with a 40 per cent weight towards their final score. Their written business plan was worth 25 per cent, and the viability of the company accounted for the remaining 35 per cent. A common theme throughout the ten presentations was a reliance on social networking tools to promote their businesses and receive customer feedback.
The four teams selected as finalists all hailed from Ontario. Coming in fourth place was ConnectAd from Western, with their ad management business proposition. Simon Choy and Charles Dieu planned to target non-profit organizations in Ontario and assist them in raising funds through pay per click (PPC) advertising. In third place was eHost, a group from York University whose demonstration video and presentation was commended by the judges. Ryerson stuents Paige Boersma and partner Alex Perlin secured second place with their online and storefront clothing boutique, Bicyclette. Bicyclette is mediation between a “Fast Fashion Retailer and an Independent Boutique,” geared towards women 18-45. First place went to Asim Hussain and Sukhsager Jolly, a pair of Waterloo students pitching Biofront. The judges described the group as credible and competent and said that they built trust through the presentation of their company. “It was a great experience,” said Boersma. “I’m on a bit of an emotional roller coaster right now, having put so much time and effort into working on this and then the shock of securing second place.” The four finalist teams in the Central Regional Round will proceed to the National Round in February to compete for the grand prize of $27 000. Fifteen thousand
U of G Prof on the Air CBC Radio One’s show The Current interviewed Prof. Heather Keller on Monday. The professor of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition was invited on air to discuss seniors and food security. Keller’s research is focused on older adults and their eating behaviour, along with demonstrating the importance of nutrition to healthy and quality of life, investigating factors relating to poor diet, and the role of mealtime for people with dementia and their caregivers. In particular concern during the show was the challenges that seniors presently face with regards to affording food and the need for provincial and federal policies regardless seniors’ nutrition.
U of G Prof Celebrates Daring Project
Julia Shonfield
Waterloo University students celebrate winning Enterprise Canada Business-Pitching Competition. dollars will be awarded in cash and the remainder in professional services intended to assist with the development of their business. Judge Steve Fox, Senior Vice President of Nestlé Canada, spoke on behalf of all the judges saying, “The potential of all the ideas here is astounding….it was a privilege for
us to be here.” University of Guelph’s Dean of the College of Marketing and Economics, Julia Hughes, stated that she was privileged to be able to sit in on the judges’ deliberation and was happy to hear that their consensus was “the future is in good hands.”
DANIEL HOWSE It’s rare that a word, so completely foreign to the average Canadian’s vocabulary, so quickly becomes a mainstay. Stephen Harper’s decision to prorogue parliament until March 3., has created a whirlwind of media controversy and mobilized grassroots activism with the type of fervor all too frequently absent from Canadian politics. In the few weeks that have passed since Prime Minister Harper’s call for the prorogation of parliament on Dec. 30, over 200,000 Canadians have joined the Facebook group Canadians Against the Prorogation of Parliament. But what is this proroguing? In Canadian politics, the Prime Minister can prorogue or suspend parliament to close a session or call for an election. In this case, Stephen Harper has prorogued parliament for the stated purpose of re-examining our country’s economic woes; the conservatives plan on unveiling a revised budget on March 4., when parliament resumes. But many Canadians believe that Harper’s decision to prorogue has ulterior motives.
According to political science professor, Judith McKenzie, there is speculation that Harper was trying to avoid facing some tough questions. “Some of Harper’s critics believe that his decision to prorogue this time is about the mistreatment of Afghan detainees, and not wanting to deal with the fallout of that,” said McKenzie. “He really is desperate to get a majority government, and he felt that he needed some time to come up with a new strategy.” Other speculated political gains for Harper include the dropping of 35 bills as a result of the suspension of parliament as well as the ability to avoid criticism of our embarrassing showing at a climate change conference in Copenhagen. Local Liberal MP Frank Valeriote has further argued that the extensiveness of Harper’s prorogation is itself wrong. “Harper has systematically abused this power to avoid being accountable for his government’s decisions…[his] current 63-day shutdown of parliamentary activity brings his total to 148 prorogued days over just four years in office, completely eclipsing Jean Chretien’s 145 days over 10 full years,” said Valeriote. Guelph Campus Conservatives President Michael Sona feels that this charge, like so many others
The daring and ambitious Woodward’s project in Vancouver is set to open this week. Prof. Robert Enright, a research professor in art criticism, will be in attendance for the official opening. Enright is moderating a public roundtable discussion on the project and the launch of the book Body Heat. The book, which tells the story of the restoration of the Vancouver Woodward’s Department Store, features an introduction and material from more than 25 interviews by Enright. The $500-million project features commercial space, condos, government offices, and a performing arts centre.
Doomsday clock pushed back one minute
Perogies not proroguing? Guelph one of fifty Cities to protest parliamentary suspension
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leveled at Harper, is inaccurate. “The opposition is saying it’s three months, it’s not…they actually voted, opposition included, on the original break to the 25th, which was passed, they voted on the break for the Olympics, which the opposition passed as well,” said Sona. According to Sona, only the period of time in between was prorogued, and after accounting for weekends and constituent work, parliament has really only been prorogued for 17 days. Sona also argued that the committees, such as the Afghan detainee investigation, would resume directly where they left off. One thing that many Canadians agree upon, including Sona and McKenzie, is Harper’s goals of consolidating conservative power. “In the next few days, the prime minister will be putting five new Conservative senators in the Senate,” said Sona. “All of the committees are still controlled by liberals, which doesn’t represent the will of the people.” Council of Canadians member Norah Chaloner is one of the organizers of the “Perogies not Proroguing” rally this Saturday, January 23. While Sona suggested that all suspended bills and committees could be resumed at any point in time, Chaloner pointed out that trade agreements are currently being negotiated
behind closed doors, specifically the Canadian European Trade Agreement. According to Chaloner, CETA allows “multinationals to bid for local servicing … municipally.” The municipal government is legally bound to take the lowest offer for our resources, even if this means being outsourced to another country. Chaloner’s greatest issue with prorogation is that business negotiations still continue while the accountability parliament provides is absent; it is in the interest of ensuring accountability that Chaloner and her co-organizer Angela Allt have joined 49 other Canadian cities to offer a three course special of protest, politics and, of course, perogies. For better or for worse, this latest prorogation has many Canadians actively participating in the democratic process and paying attention to our members of parliament. Whether siding with the protestors or with the conservative party, many feel that being an active participant in the democratic process is not just a right, but also a civic duty. Allt’s hopes the upcoming rally will illustrate this notion. As much as she hopes to affect specifically the Conservative policy of proroguing, her aims are bigger. “I hope that people have become interested in what’s going on with their government and they ask why and what is going on?” she said.
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a group founded by members of the Manhattan Project in 1945 and run by 19 Nobel Laureates, has announced that the Doomsday Clock has moved six minutes further away from nuclear apocalypse. The decision to make the change was influenced by reduced stockpiles and tighter security on bomb materials. The clock has been adjusted only 19 times in its history. The clock was at two minutes away from 1953 to 1960 during the Cold War, and fell back to 17 minutes away between 1991 and 1995 after the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed.
Partial solar eclipse in Africa, India Last Friday brought an annular eclipse to parts of Africa and Asia. The annular, or partial, eclipse left a narrow and intense ring around the perimeter of the moon. The eclipse began in Africa and was visible in Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia before it moved over the Indian Ocean. The eclipse later reached Asia, where people in Maldives, southern India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and China could observe it. Annular eclipses occur about once every 18 months and are visible only in narrow bands across their paths. (CBC) Compiled by Dan O’Keefe
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JAN. 21 - 27, 2010
NEWS
THEONTARION.CA
IN FOCUS
Living well on a student budget Being a starving student doesn’t mean you need to resign yourself to pasta, eggs and nothing else NICOLE ELSASSER Jeff Kenney is thrifty, perhaps, as even he would admit, to a fault. Kenney, a fourth year Psychology student at the University of Guelph, once created a rationing plan for himself to save money; in accordance with his plan he ate, pasta, eggs and nothing else. A bit extreme for some, but Kenney has mastered the ins and outs of working with the typical student budget and is quick to offer a little-known tip on how to stretch a dollar; most of his tips relate to food and drink. “There’s certain foods that people don’t understand are incredibly cheap…potatoes, pasta, rice,” said Kenney. “You wait until that day when No Frills has pasta, whatever your style because they rotate. I think the last time I went I bought 18 bags because they had my penne for .99 cents. Who’s going to get tired of penne?”
When dealing with how to work within a student budget, most advice often highlights buying food as the main expense to watch closely. “Food is the only expense that I think about on a regular basis because rent is set,” said Kenney. “You’re going to be paying the same amount every month.” This common stress about needing to limit expenses related to food causes many students to rely highly on eating cheaper staples like rice or pasta, much like Kenney, and concern themselves less with nutrition. According to Erin Armitage, a registered dietitian at the University of Guelph, how to eat nutritiously on a student’s budget is a frequent question she gets from students. “I urge students to think about food in another way... think about food in terms of nutrient density,” said Armitage. “Bad food choices are often cheap, but when you consider that you are paying for ‘empty calories’…those foods aren’t so appealing. Also very important to note is that lots of really nutritious foods are also easy to prepare [like] frozen vegetables, apple sauce, nuts, canned beans, canned tuna and
salmon, whole grain breads and [they’re] inexpensive.” Much to his delight, this idea is one that Kenney eventually discovered. “Surprisingly, nutritious food is also cheap food which is a big benefit,” said Kenney. “Two years ago I bought my first vegetable…I hadn’t eaten a vegetable since I’d lived at home. I was kind of nervous my first time so I got one of each, one pepper, one mushroom, one of everything. Just to test the waters. I bought it and it was about five vegetables…and it was only like two dollars. Vegetables are cheap, turns out. Surprise.” Krista Kermer, the program cocoordinator for the CSA Foodbank, has been focusing on stocking the typical non-perishable staple goods while also ensuring that the students in need of the Foodbank’s services are not without fresh produce. “It’s more about being creative with what we have,” said Kermer. “We only get local produce which is, at this time of year, squash and cabbage and stuff like that. Nothing extravagant like mangoes or strawberries but we try to keep it local. We also offer referrals to
other places that offer vegetables for free.” According to Kermer, the second semester is particularly difficult for university students financially, but many students find it difficult to determine if they truly need to access the resources of the Foodbank.. “I think it’s a very personal thing,” said Kermer. “I know that there are some students who use it to supplement what they can afford. It’s kind of nice that they can come in and get that extra little boost in their groceries…it’s for when you feel like you really, really need it.” While spending on food is often where unexpected costs arise, Deborah Mair, a budget councilor with Student Financial Services at the U of G, explains that taking a careful approach when budgeting for entertainment is equally important to a student. “[With] entertainment, try to take in more things that are free around campus,” said Mair. “Set yourself a limit on what you spend on an entertainment budget. We know people are going to go out and do things. Set a limit and stick to it.”
With drinking being a large part of many university students’ social lives, Kenney has devised some techniques to prevent this form of entertainment from pushing him over budget. “Beer and the other spirits are very expensive…luckily the various beer makers of the world have bestowed upon us fine cheap brands such as Papst Blue Ribbon,” said Kenney. “When it comes to drinking at bars… it’s very easy to lose track of how much money you spend at the bar, especially when you are inebriated. Maybe watch how much you bring to the bar or have a friend spot you so you don’t by shots for 18 people.” According to Mair, if a student is having a difficult time with their finances they are free to access the numerous resources available to them through Student Financial Services and that the most responsible thing to do is make a plan. “Planning is very important when you come to school so if you can plan up front where your money is coming from,” said Mair. “Make sure you do a budget prior to coming to school and really try and stick to it.”
U of G hosts Environmental Symposium
GLOBAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE One smart career choice. So many opportunities. The Choice The Global Business Management program prepares you for a wide range of careers. Pursue a career in marketing, finance, advertising, international trade, retail, wholesale or supply chain management, in domestic or international businesses of any size. The Opportunities Two years gives you the time to choose the specific path that is right for you. Two work placements allow you to experience more than just one option before you graduate. Apply now for January or September 2010
business.humber.ca
Andrew Goulet
The 16th Annual Environmental Symposium at the University of Guelph deals with relevant environmental issues. This year’s: “EnviroNomics: Problem or Solution?”
THE ONTARION
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161.2
An urgent plea LAURA SCHEP On Jan.12, 2010, at approximately 4:53pm local time, a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake began its terrible destruction of Haiti. With its epicenter located very close to Léogâne, approximately 20 kilometers southwest of Port-auPrince (the nation’s capital), over 30 aftershocks, many of which were of a magnitude higher than 5.0, were also recorded by the United States Geological Survey, contributing to the damage following the original earthquake. The devastation has been tremendous, and the heartbreaking reverberations of this humanitarian crisis continue to be felt by Haitians, along with the rest of the world, in these sullen days that have followed. Although the death toll remains unclear, an estimated 200,000 people, including several Canadians, are feared to have been killed by the earthquake, and these numbers continue to rise daily; victims are continually uncovered beneath the rubble that used to constitute the offices, churches, government buildings, schools, and homes of this war-ravaged nation. The scene in Haiti’s capital following the earthquake was one of extreme panic and desperation, as people scrambled to locate family members, friends and loved ones amid all the gunshots and looting occurring almost immediately after the tragedy. Around the world we can only imagine the feeling of total helplessness as Haitians watch their entire world come crashing down in an unexpected moment. In such desperate, horrifying times, a glimpse of hope, reason and unity can be found in Canada’s response to the crisis, showing
impressive generosity in its aid relief to Haiti thus far. During the past week, the Canadian Red Cross has already received an impressive $22.2 million in donations from Canadians for relief efforts in Haiti, and the organization has also sent several medical staff fluent in French (including doctors, nurses and midwives) to Haiti in order to work in conjunction with the Norwegian Red Cross in the provision of a fully-equipped emergency hospital in Haiti that would be able to treat up to 250, 000 patients. The Canadian Red Cross is also working alongside other groups with the aim of providing shelter, food and clothing to those in need. Similarly, World Vision has been playing a very active role in the relief efforts in Haiti, already collecting approximately $5.1 million donations in only the first week following the disaster. Furthermore, the Canadian federal government has offered to match donations made to reputable, registered charitable groups for the Haitian disaster with a maximum of $50 million. Alastair Summerlee, president of the University of Guelph, made a heartfelt statement regarding the catastrophe in Haiti last week, expressing the University’s condolences for all those affected by the disaster in Haiti. A few local Guelph businesses have begun accepting cash donations for aid relief to be sent to the island. But surely Guelph, a township centered around a university filled with intellectually motivated, ambitious students, and a city that prides itself on its volunteer accomplishments, must have more up its sleeve, right? There must be a greater common interest among
Marco Dormino
Haitian earthquake survivors try to pick up the pieces amongst devastation. community members to offer stronger support, to become more deeply involved in the relief efforts in Haiti? Unfortunately, some feel that a general disinterest and lack of awareness on the topic is all too common in our region, and that a much greater effort will be required among Guelph community members if any sort of positive impact is expected to occur. “It takes just over two hours to fly to Haiti, yet people everyday continue to view the country as an entirely separate world, to dismiss it as an issue so far away and unrelated to us,” Brittnei Berrisford, a fourth-
year university of Guelph student explained. “I would encourage more recognition and more initiatives to support Haiti. I would urge students to find common ground with the people of Haiti and not view them as an entirely different world that is beyond our help.” Berrisford, who became involved with volunteer projects in Haiti during her final year of high school, has often found herself frustrated at the lack of awareness among North Americans regarding Haiti’s political instability and war-torn past. Having traveled to Haiti twice and volunteered at an orphanage called “God’s Littlest Angels” (located
in Peitionville, about 15 minutes from Port-au-Prince), Berrisford has made close ties with many of the staff at the orphanage, and continues to receive daily updates from her friends there regarding conditions near the capital since the earthquake. Brittnei is scheduled to return to Haiti this April to offer volunteer help, but April cannot possibly come soon enough; she wants to begin helping now, to see others in the university and broader community on board with her goals in helping with Haiti’s devastating circumstances. Brittnei is not alone in her initiative to support Haiti. Henricus Vermue, a third-year Agricultural Business student, and several of his peers, have recently decided to focus a group assignment for their organizational behaviour class on raising money for the people of Haiti. Details of the project remain to be sorted out, but the plan is to organize a charitable hockey game, with all funds raised being donated to the Red Cross’s Haiti relief. Henricus said people should realize “just how lucky we are as Canadians and how desperately these people in Haiti need our help,” when asked about the situation in Haiti. “There are literally no words to describe the pain and suffering they have endured, and the amount of help we are capable of giving.” On the University of Guelph homepage, students are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Affairs about ideas for possible fundraising events for Haiti. Anyone hoping to help should continue to monitor the University’s Events listings to be kept aware of opportunities for involvement.
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ARTS & CULTURE
JAN. 21 - 27, 2010
THEONTARION.CA
A show with flare Rainbow Chorus celebrates 15th anniversary Saturday night at Harcourt United Church DANIEL BITONTI Ask Greg Beneteau what the Rainbow Chorus of Wellington and Waterloo County is and he’ll tell you it’s more than just a choir. Beneteau, the vice chair of the group, says it’s an extended social network, an extended family, a place to unwind after a stressful day and a place for people to listen to your concerns in a nonjudgmental way. But on Saturday Jan. 23 expect some singing, some personal anecdotes, a fashion show and a little bit of history when the Rainbow Chorus celebrates its 15th anniversary at the Harcourt United Church. For the last decade and a half the chorus has served as a unique institution in the city, one of the only non-audition chorus in Guelph where singers of varying strength come together. It is also an inclusive place for members of the community, straight, gay and transgender, to share their
love of music and give back to the community through art and through music. The show on Saturday night will be a celebration of all this. While Beneteau says that in an ideal world the rainbow chorus would just be a chorus, where one’s sexual orientation would have nothing to do with it, the partnership with the Harcourt United Church has opened up opportunities for the diverse community in Guelph. “We are very fortunate to have a community partner like Harcourt. We also sing at their affirming services. Affirming services at churches are ones
Courtesy
The Rainbow Chorus of Wellington and Waterloo County will be celebrating their 15th anniversary this Saturday. on gay and lesbian persons who have traditionally felt unwelcome in church environments,” says Beneteau. “So it’s nice to have a
It is less about sounding good and about having fun, though we do sound quite good.
Greg Beneteau
vice chair of the Rainbow Chorus of Wellington and Waterloo County
that remind congregations that everyone is welcome and they are generally ones with an emphasis
church in Guelph that affirms the Rainbow Chorus’s value in the community.”
Certainly the chorus places some traditional expectations on its members, most importantly showing up for practice. But the non-competitive nature of the chorus actually translates into a higher quality performance, according to Beneteau. And this is what is expected for Saturday night. “It is less about sounding good and more about having fun, though we do sound quite good,” he says. “When the stress of practice, practice, practice and be perfect is off to the side a bit, and people start enjoying themselves that’s when the Rainbow chorus actually shines.” Beneteau says to expect some songs from Sarah McLachlan and
Courtesy
A member of the Rainbow Chorus belts out a number the Phantom of the Opera, some personal histories from Rainbow members and a history lesson of the organization. “And a fashion show featuring some of the costumes we’ve performed in over the years,” says a laughing Beneteau. “Your only fifteen once of course, so we want to celebrate with a little bit of flare.”
THE ONTARION
ARTS & CULTURE
161.2
OWEN PALLETT HEARTLAND
When Conor Oberst (formally Bright Eyes) dropped the moniker, it seemed like a coming of age story, and an acknowledgement to the end of emo. When Santigold (formally Santogold) officially changed her name, it seemed like a reluctant back down from a potential law suit. And while Owen Pallett’s (formally Final Fantasy) name change may be a combination of reasons, most would agree it is a welcomed amendment. Perhaps having to explain to your friends and family that what you do has nothing to do with the multi-sequel video game may get tiring when being compared to the likes of “Leeroy Jenkins” (http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU). The challenge of a musician
changing their name is closely related to a business changing their logo. So the best way to over come this challenge is to put out something re-defining and undeniably good. After a four year hiatus, Pallett has followed-up his Polaris Prize winning He Poos Clouds with just that, an album that doesn’t stink. You may have heard, the ‘60s are hot right now and everyone wants to sound like the Beach Boys (or a glow-fi version of them. See Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Girls, Fleet Foxes etc. as examples). In that respect, you could argue Pallett is hopping on the band wagon. However, most of this comparison stems from the fact that Pallet’s voice just happens to sound like Brian Wilson’s,
which has never been showcased so prominently until Heartland. Pallett is a different breed of indie star. For one, he has a BA in music composition from U of T, a rare document for popular musicians. He also flows comfortably between the jobs of arranging strings for other bands’ album (e.g. Arcade Fire’s Funeral and Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House), fronting his own band with a violin and loop pedal, and has recently been quoted as saying he is working on a film score. Heartland seems to make a lot more sense, knowing that last bit. Heartland is a concept album, starring a “young, ultra-violent farmer [Lewis], speaking to his creator.” And if you imagine an instrumental version of Heartland, it could easily be used as a score to a movie. As such, Pallett uses classical tension and release to play with the listener’s emotions. So while the Hillside Inside posters slowly get updated (from Final Fantasy to Owen Pallett) around Guelph, don’t be fooled,
Pallett will be there. Unfortunately if you were looking to showcase your Final Fantasy costume, you will have to find another convention. Notable Tracks: “Keep the Dog Quiet”, “Lewis Take Action”, “Lewis Takes off His Shirt”, “E is for Estranged” Listeners may also enjoy: Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light, Sufjan Stevens – Illinoise Next Sound Check Album: Ke$ha – Animal Before Sound Check reviews it, give it a listen. A new feature to Sound Check, form your own opinion about an album before you see mine in print. As always, readers are invited to comment on the album, the artist or the article itself at www.theontarion.ca. Daniel Wright
Featured artist: Sam Silversides Sam Silversides’ work can be described as spontaneously planned, meaning there is this ephemeral quality to his work where it lives in the zone somewhere between meticulously considered and entirely impulsive. His video works follow the same type of structure. But in his recent works it’s not as evident; you can tell there was a general idea and plan, yet there were allowances for improvisations. Silversides’ most recent video work and most ambitious project is Love at the Last Minute. Shot like a spaghetti western on a blissfully perfect day, Silversides investigates the classic man versus machine trope. We are introduced to two characters, a man (played by Silversides) and a machine (played by a ‘56 Chevy) along a dirt road as the two square
Love at the Last Minute
up for a duel, a run/drive straight at each other. The inevitable happens, and Silversides’ character is smoked by the car, even though we somehow hope that he would crumple the car. The resolution following the last
shot is a clenched hand slowly releasing to reveal a spark plug, indicating the death of the car. When I first saw the film I instantly thought of Phillip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (later
popularized in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner). Even though the two seem completely different, they both exemplify the human struggle to stay afloat in a sea of progress. There is a rejection of technology as one man’s seemingly futile attempt to subvert progress or at least to bring it into question. It is as if he is saying not all development is good development. But the irony is that the work would not have been able to be made unless there was progress. Not that I am saying it is bad thing or that it creates a disconnect in the work. More the opposite- it adds another layer. Miles Stemp
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Hillside Inside: a well oiled machine < CONTINUED FROM COVER the summer are not nearly as hefty as for the younger winter version. “The summer festival is marketing light, people already know about it. In order to reach students for Hillside Inside, though, we need to be more proactive” said Perri.This proactive approach includes advertisements in traditional print media publications such as Echo, the Ontarion and Exclaim! as well as a heavy presence on the internet. This initiative includes utilizing the likes of the festival website, ad banners on indie music blogs, and Facebook and Twitter in order to get the word out. As well, the festival has united with another young Ontario cultural entity, AUX TV, in order to reach wider audiences. AUX TV is a Canadian television channel and website dedicated to promoting established and emerging artists within the Canadian music scene, the channel shares the non-corporate value system Hillside holds so dear. Via ads on both their Rogers television channel and their website, the festival hopes to garner increased exposure via their relationship with the burgeoning television station. Like any large scale event, Hillside Inside consists of multiple components, all of which harmoniously interact under the guidance of such dedicated individuals as Paula Perri. Without the dedication and care of the people involved with Hillside, both inside and out, a valuable cultural staple in Guelph would be lost.
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SPORTS & HEALTH
THEONTARION.CA
Making the most of his minutes DANIEL HOWSE The Gryphon men’s basketball team posted their first home win of the season on Saturday with an impressive 68-58 upset victory over the Waterloo Warriors. With the entire team finally healthy, things have started to come together for the Gryphons. Second-year guard Dan McCarthy led the way on both ends of the court, pouring in 18 points, while adding nine rebounds, two assists and four steals. Third-year forward Adam Bering played one of his best games inside, pulling down 12 boards while adding ten points. And while the typically sharpshooting veteran swingmen, Jay Mott and Jon Moscatelli, both struggled to put the ball in the basket, they made up for it with pesky defence that threw the red hot Warriors off their game. Limited by injuries in the last few games, Mott’s return to the lineup clearly opened up the floor for his teammates, who he consequently found for open looks, posting five assists. The Gryphons collectively stifled the Waterloo offence, holding the dangerous wing trio of Ben Frisby, Cam McIntyre and Luke Kieswetter to just 9-for32 from the field. Although the Gryphons won by ten, they held a 20-point lead going into the final two minutes, effectively putting the
game out of reach. While it is easy to get caught up looking at who had the most impressive statistical totals, one of the best measures of a player’s contributions on the court is efficiency. In just 15 minutes off of the bench, third-year forward Nick Walters put up six points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal. While that might not sound like much, when projected over a full 40 game, Walters’ numbers translate into 16 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals. While projections are a flawed science at best, it gives an idea of the kind of productivity Walters brings to the team. The numbers, however, don’t begin to tell the whole story. Anyone who saw the game will tell you that Walters runs the right lanes, steps up on defence and motivates the whole team. Walters has earned more playing time of late, and not coincidentally, the Gryphons have played more cohesive basketball, narrowly losing to the tough Western Mustangs last Wednesday and taking down the Warriors on the weekend. “Jay (Mott) shot the ball pretty terribly, and he was pretty mad about that,” said Walters. “But he’s out there taking charges, rebounding and drawing fouls. “The fact is, every team is
Andrew Goloida
Jonathan Moscatelli (right-centre) fades away for a jumper, guarded by Jesse Tipping (left-centre) of Waterloo. concerned with Jay and they are going to bump him and get on his case all game – [that] frees up everything for everyone else,” he added, showing that even in postgame interviews, Walters proved to be a consummate teammate, taking the opportunity
to focus on the play of others. And the player who was left open most frequently on Saturday was McCarthy. “Dan’s just a very good basketball player,” Walters said. “He does everything he needs to do. He shoots the ball (well) and
he’s a great defender too.” With most teams in the OUA eligible to qualify for the playoffs, Walters was optimistic about the Gryphons chances. “It’s just about finishing out games,” he said. “We know we have the talent.”
Crawford gave special thanks to his brother Bryan, who currently plays for the Argos, as a great inspiration to his game, and someone he is very excited to finally play alongside. Although Crawford has been drafted to play professional football, he plans to continue his education, pursuing a degree in history. When asked about his thoughts on training camp in June, he had two words to describe his emotions: “Very excited.”
Rashaad Bhamjee
to play in Toronto. “Playing so many different positions made me a versatile football player,” he said. “It was the versatility that made me attractive to a CFL club and was probably the biggest reason why I was drafted by the Argos in 2009, 43rd overall.” A lot of players like to think they’re versatile, but when Crawford made this claim, he backed it up. “As a Gryphon, I played five different positions during my five seasons at Guelph: running back, defensive halfback, cornerback, free safety, and linebacker,” said Crawford, listing off his various assignments. “In high school, I played running back and linebacker.” When moving forward, it’s always helpful to look back, and to reflect on what we’ve done so we may never forget where we came from. As a newly minted professional athlete, Crawford shows no sign of forgetting his roots, and he was happy to recall a few high points from his university football days. “My most notable memory was when we hosted the 100th Yates Cup in 2007,” he recalled. “Unfortunately, we lost to Western but coming out of the tunnel and hearing the roar of 10,000 fans crammed into Alumni Stadium will always stand out in my mind. It was awesome to have such great support from the school and the town.”
More than a dream G u e l p h’s B rad l ey C r aw f o r d joins brother with Toronto Argonauts JOSH DOYLE “I had always thought if I worked hard enough, I could at least get a chance. But it wasn’t until after I attended the CFL Combine and performed pretty well in March of 2009 that I knew that I actually had a legitimate shot.” The quote comes from the University of Guelph’s very own Bradley Crawford, and for this former Gryphon, playing in the CFL is more than just a dream – it’s a reality. It became official last week; Bradley Crawford will be playing with the Toronto Argonauts. Crawford’s skills were impossible to ignore, even from an early age. In his final year as a high school football player, he was named MVP both offensively and defensively. “[I was] recruited heavily by Guelph, and it felt great to come to a team that was on the rise [where I could] contribute as a rookie,” he said. And contribute is exactly what he did. If coming to an established university team and playing as a rookie was a frightening prospect, Crawford didn’t seem to be affected.
Former Gryphon defensive back Bradley Crawford will take his game to the CFL, having been signed by the Toronto Argonauts. “During my rookie year in 2005, I rushed for 270 yards on 49 carries,” he said modestly, holding true to the respectable image his friends know him to have. The stats, however, speak for themselves, and are far from modest. Having now been recruited at both the post-secondary and professional levels, Crawford has become aware of the similarities and differences in the scouting programs. “The [recruitments] were similar in that it is an honour when a football team at any level actively recruits or drafts you because they
believe you can contribute to their team,” he said. “It’s very rewarding, but of course, nothing compares to being drafted by a professional team.” With so much competition in the football world these days, getting drafted by a professional team is, as it has always been, a very serious business. With only 48 players from Canadian universities being drafted in 2009, it’s stiff competition, and in order to be drafted, you have to stand out. Crawford explained why he thought he was such a valuable asset to professional football, and why he has been given the chance
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SPORTS & HEALTH
161.2
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Guelph’s rubber-burning newcomer Frosty Mug celebrates the purity of sports
Drag racer Woudstra drives with speed, ambition
On
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JUSTINE BASKEY The Ontarion had the pleasure of sitting down with Shawna Woudstra, a first-year student at the University of Guelph who is in the Family Studies program. What separates this bright-eyed newcomer from her peers is her unique interest in drag racing. Woudstra hopes to be like her role model, Shirley Muldowney, the first big name female racer who gave the men a run for their money. Justine Baskey: How did you get involved in drag racing? Shawna Woudstra: My dad used to race when he was 16. He dated my mom for a really long time and they eventually got a house together and he had to give [racing] up, he had to sell his car and his trailer and everything. But then when I was eight years old, he came upon these two cars…I was in ballet at the time and he didn’t think I would want to do it. I kind of looked at the car and was like, ‘I want to try it,’ and I started to practice. I really liked it and I’ve been going since then. JB: What kind of training do you do? SW: When I first got the car, I had to start from scratch. I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know what drag racing was. So my dad took me to the GO station parking lot on holidays and Sundays when it wasn’t busy. I would get my helmet on and my dad would teach me. Now I’ve got a new car, a faster car, and I had some professionals help me with that. We have a practice “Christmas tree” [the series of vertically-arranged lights that start a professional race] at home that I can actually get in the car and sit and watch and practice pressing my gas at the perfect time. JB: What is an Ironman? (A trophy Woudstra has won twice already) SW: Each season in the Ontario racing circuit, there are specified race days where there are Ironman races. Everybody wants one so it’s the hardest to win because there are more cars there and it is only once or twice a year. JB: Have you experienced having to balance drag racing and
MIKE TREADGOLD
MG Digital Media
Woudstra’s current Castrol-sponsored dragster hits upwards of 160mph school yet? SW: I’m actually doing that right now because I am working on some sponsorship stuff. I won’t have to really worry about racing and school at the same time but I still have other things to worry about that comes with racing, like sponsorship proposals, car shows, community
Even before the race you get so amped up and excited for what’s about to happen. It all just happens so fast I’m not even sure if I’m breathing, it’s addictive. Shawna Woudstra events and stuff like that. JB: What kind of things do you foresee yourself doing with drag racing in the future? SW: I’d really like to be a professional drag racer. There are a few shows on TV that have professional racers, like John Force. He started his own company, he’s sponsored by Castrol which sponsors me too. He’s made it really far in the business. I’d love to be able to drive a top fuel dragster (which costs $1.5 million). JB: What would you do if you had to quit racing for school? SW: I guess for my mom’s sake I would have to put racing on hold, but only for the four years. It’s kind of in my blood now. JB: What made you choose family studies? SW: I really want to help people.
Bill Mehlenbacher
First-year student Shawna Woudstra aspires to be just like her idol, famed female drag racer Shirley Muldowney. I would love to work in a school or a hospital. If I can’t become a big head honcho [drag racer] in the States then I would definitely be doing both [drag racing and working in health care.] JB: What’s it like to drive at the speeds you do (upwards of 160mph)? SW: I like to call it a natural high. Even before the race you get so amped up and excited for what’s about to happen. It all just happens so fast I’m not even sure if I’m breathing, it’s addictive.
Week after week, the sports sections in the national media look strikingly similar to tabloid pseudojournalism. Baseball players are packing needles, NBA ballers are packing heat and Tiger is packing as many women as possible into his schedule of infidelity. Celeb gossip has had enough of Hollywood and Miami Beach and taken up residence in sports bars and boxscore space. TSN, TMZ – same diff. Except in the OUA. For what it’s worth, Ontario University Athletics has maintained that level of purity in sport that has otherwise been frustratingly lacking at other levels. Athletes here know that every game and every meet matters. They show up to play, play hard and do so without the glitz, glam, bodyguards and after-party mug shots. It’s incredibly refreshing. Only in university sport can you find a student-athlete who is balancing J.S. Mill with jump shots, trigonometry with tackling and lab time with lap times – get the picture? So why not show a little support? On a few occasions every year, the Department of Athletics takes the opportunity to showcase Guelph Gryphons athletics on a biggerthan-usual stage. Saturday is one of those chances. The upcoming Frosty Mug event at the downtown Sleeman Centre is the highlight of the Gryphon men’s hockey season, an opportunity to escape their campus confines and prove to fans that university hockey is an exciting and very affordable means of entertainment, not to mention a great way to support your fellow students.
With a big venue, big prizes and big hype, Saturday night’s affair promises to be a hockey homecoming of sorts. The only piece missing is the crowd. Drawing attention and attendance to Gryphons athletics has been a sensitive and difficult issue that the Department of Athletics has wrestled with for a number of years. Why does the interest in university sports in Guelph pale in comparison to other Ontario universities? A lack of advertising dollars? Misguided marketing campaigns? An abundance of alternative forms of local entertainment? A general lack of interest in sports among U of G students? Take your pick. I’ll go with ‘E’ – the multiple choice bailout answer of ‘all of the above’ seems most appropriate here. But for once, let’s buck the trend. Eff the norm! These athletes deserve it. Attendance at Gryphon events this season has been solid, but not spectacular. Winning draws a crowd and little by little, people are starting to take an interest in the success of our varsity athletes. For three hours of your time and a few bucks to get in the door, Saturday is a chance to see university sport at its finest. Dedicated, competitive and remarkably talented athletes will take to the ice against the visiting Waterloo Warriors at 7:30 p.m. in what promises to be entertaining match up. The Gryphons have come out of the holiday break playing their best hockey of the season, having recently upset the likes of Western and Brock and taking Waterloo and UOIT to the brink in a pair of edge-of-yourseat shootouts. Show a little Gryphon pride this weekend and check out the Frosty Mug. For what it’s worth, it sure beats the Leafs!
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THE STUDENT BODY: CONCERNS WITH OUR HEALTH
Taking a look at the issues that are directly affecting students on our campus. by Zack MacRae
Anxiety
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“You always need a certain degree of stress and anxiety in your life to live,” says Bruno Mancini of Student Life and Counseling Services. Having anxiety and being stressed is common in students who are expected to deal with things like competitiveness in class on an everyday basis. It is a normal response to situations of trouble, uncertainty or feeling unprepared. However, if heightened anxiety or panic persists in relation to everyday events and interferes with the natural flow of life, you may have an anxiety disorder. For McGovern, the incident was an isolated event that was brought on by physical factors including exhaustion and poor eating. But for some, common feelings of chronic and unsubstantiated worry can mean an anxiety disorder. “Some students have better skills for coping with stress then others,” said Mancini. “Skill development in stress relief to deal with anxiety is extremely important.” When a student comes into Counseling Services at the university with an anxiety disorder, counselors will try to do a number of things: “First,” said Mancini, “we help the individual understand their anxiety and how they deal with it. Then we teach and educate around what they can do to effectively deal with their anxiety and stress better. Next comes problem solving, what is it that can be changed in their lives that would help them deal with their anxiety better.” And Finally Mancini offers support: per year Student Counseling Services individually helps upwards of 1600 students. Anxiety can manifest itself in a variety of ways and have a variety of different presentations including loss of sleep, loss of appetite, panic attacks or in more serious cases, heart palpitations. For McGovern, the most important preventative measure is knowledge: “Acknowledging what it is and being familiar with the signs so you can immediately identify what is happening to you to prevent further escalation of your anxiety is key. It will quickly disappear if you are able to calm yourself down and assess the situation clearly.”
By now everyone knows that smoking cigarettes will cut your life short. Every year in Canada a small city, or over 45 000 people will die from tobacco use. But did you know that smoking marijuana can cause similar health concerns? Dr. Maria Casale of Student Health Services is shocked at the amount of students who feel that marijuana is a natural and relatively harmless substance. “There are consequences,” said Casale. “Now studies are showing that smoking marijuana does the same damage in the lungs that smoking cigarettes does.” While in the last few years Casale has seen a general trend of more and more people kicking the cigarette habit, marijuana use is becoming more common amongst students. “Pot seems to be ubiquitous,” a surprised Casale stated. “I’ve asked a lot of students on campus and they don’t consider pot to be a drug, they think it’s recreational and natural. A lot of people see it as safe, and with no consequence to their health.” If marijuana use on campus is seeing an increase, students should get educated on its health risks and how they affect the body. The side effects are real and put your health at risk both physically and mentally; pot use may actually have lasting effects on the regulatory system in the brain. “Our psychiatrist just made us aware of an acute psychosis from pot use,” said Casale. “The most dramatic things I’ve seen are panic attacks from daily pot use.” Other side effects include: withdrawal and obsessive-ness, effect on the male and female hormonal system and anxiety, not to mention poor eating habits from the munchies.
One thing that most students who are paying hoards of money to attend university can agree on is that they don’t have hoards of money. In other words, we are broke. For Registered Dietitian Erin Armitage eating properly doesn’t mean spending your life away. “I urge students to think about food in another way. Think about food in terms of nutrient density. Bad food choices are often cheap, but when you consider that you are paying for “empty calories” - i.e. food that is devoid of essential vitamins and minerals and foods that can increase your risk for chronic disease - those foods aren’t so appealing. Lots of really nutritious foods are also easy to prepare and are inexpensive (e.g. frozen vegetables, apple sauce, nuts, canned beans, canned tuna and salmon, whole grain breads).” For the most part students seem educated about what food is essential to stay healthy, it’s just the task of acquiring and preparing this food that seems to be the problem. “Some people struggle with making good choices because they don’t know how to cook or how to shop for groceries,” said Armitage who offers information to students through the Wellness Centre about how to successfully navigate the grocery store while keeping budget in mind. If a student comes into the Wellness Centre with dietary concerns, Armitage will try to help by learning what the individual’s particular concerns and goals are. She helps facilitate the achievement of these goals by identifying the barriers and strategies to overcome the challenges a student might face. “Ultimately though, I provide guidance and the student has to be ready and motivated to implement the changes.” With poor eating habits students are at risk of nutrient deficiencies that can cause all sorts of long and short term concerns. Not eating properly also increases risks of heart disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. High blood pressure or high cholesterol related to poor eating habits is also becoming more common in students.
STUDENT
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The word “depression” gets thrown around a lot in daily conversation. Have you ever heard a friend say something like “I’m so depressed about Quiznos not being open,” or “Yeah, I saw Avatar, it was so depressing when they blew up Hometree.” Well, this is not what most would consider to be depressing. What the majority of people do not realize about depression is that it is a serious medical illness like diabetes or high blood pressure. “It isn’t something that they have brought on themselves,” said Casale. “We know that physiologically there are changes in a depressed person and it’s not something they can change or snap out of overnight.” For students, mood disorders are a real issue. Maybe a student has a hectic academic schedule, add a part-time job into the mix and all it takes is a single event, maybe a death in the family or a bad exam to act as the straw that broke the camel’s back. “As we get more into midterms and finals,” stated Mancini, “we see a surge of students that are feeling symptoms of depression coming in for counseling.” One mood disorder that many students might be in the throws of currently is Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD for short. SAD is a disorder that most people who are normally in perfect mental health are affected by during the winter months. “Winter is more likely a time that people are going to feel depressed,” posits Mancini. “Just look outside now, it’s depressing out there. It’s dark and it’s cold and you don’t have the social connection that you usually do.” One of the reasons why SAD is prevalent in the winter is the lack of sun; rays from the sun that beat down on us and give our bodies a healthy dose of vitamin D, something not so readily available throughout the winter. In any case, exercise and time will help combat depression in all months of the year. “It takes time to reverse those biochemical changes in the brain” said Casale, “and it’s done by different modalities. It is often a combination of counseling, exercise and it helps to take medication. Most importantly though, there has to be motivation on the part of the person with depression to get back into sync.
When asking different health specialists around campus about the most prevalent health issues that they see in their offices on a day to day basis, one issue kept coming up. It is especially an issue in student populations, who are usually labeled as a horny and sexually promiscuous lot. “We do a lot of STI screenings,” said Casale without hesitation. “Anytime a student is concerned, they should come in and get tested.” And don’t worry guys, for an STI check all you have to do is pee into a cup. No matter what your friends might tell you, you won’t get a cotton swab up your urethra. For women also, usually a little pee in a cup for testing purposes will suffice but sometimes an internal examine will be necessary. As STIs are transmitted through sexual behavior, Dr. Casale urges you to take the safest approach and be tested after interacting with each new partner. And above all it’s best to always follow the “no glove no love” policy – wear a condom!
Student health issues at the University of Guelph centre around the stresses that accompany serious post secondary education. With both academics and extra curricular activities it’s important to take everything in moderation. In the words of Body Break’s Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod, “keep fit, and have fun!”
image and layout by Duncan Day-Myron
e was sitting on the couch, the football game was on and for Peter McGovern it was a perfectly normal Saturday night. A couple good friends arrived from out of town, filling up the living room and subsequently emptying a few bottles. Eventually, the group would leave the house to “beat up the beat.” As described by Vinny from the MTV phenomenon Jersey Shore, beating up the beat is a particular style of dance that involves copious amounts of fist pumping, a touch of bromance and a lot of testosterone. For now though, McGovern and the rest of the troop were content on the couch, watching the game and catching up a little bit. And that’s when it began. “I noticed that my breathing was starting to become somewhat laboured and slightly irregular,” said McGovern. Confused at the irregularity, McGovern continued to watch television until a friend pointed out that his face was beet red. “From that point my breathing worsened,” said McGovern. “I started to shake and I had a feeling that if I didn’t do something about it, I would pass out.” He was having a panic attack. The student lifestyle, although oftentimes loads of fun and seemingly endless good times, does come with its share of baggage. A typical student at the University of Guelph is going through an important time in his or her life. In these four years we grow up, both emotionally and physically. A first-year student might be having a hard time adjusting to life away from home and find himself in a the prison-like confines of a high tower in South Residence. Another more social being may not be eating properly, instead spending her money on booze and pot. At the same time, an upper year student, stressed out and broke, might be feeling a great deal of anxiety toward the next big step: life outside of the classroom. Whatever the issue, it’s important for students to know that there is a network on campus to help address these problems, whether something is bumpy, lumpy or burning downstairs, or not quite right upstairs, they can help.
Cigarettes & Nutrition Marijuana
Sexually transmitted infection Depression (STIs)
12
JAN. 21 - 27, 2010
SPORTS & HEALTH
THEONTARION.CA
IN FOCUS
Those obese Canadians Recent study turns out striking results for our generation’s health LEAH GERBER Statistics Canada has recently published a study showing that Canadians are wider, weaker, slower and generally, more unfit when compared to what they were in 1981. Of course, the question is why? Is modern food that much worse for the body? Are today’s Canadians really such bad decision-makers? While health is ultimately a
fast food restaurants, longer hours spent indoors and hidden salts, fats and sugars in food are only the beginning. “There’s a belief that obesity is an individual’s fault and problem, and that [obesity] is caused by a lack of willpower, eating too much and exercising too little,” said Dr. Judy Sheeshka, a professor in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph. “The government hasn’t really considered all the environmental (physical and social) influences on our food choices.” The crops that the government subsidizes, chiefly corn and soy,
There’s a belief that obesity is an individual’s fault and problem, and that [obesity] is caused by a lack of willpower, eating too much and exercising too little.
Dr. Judy Sheeshka
on some of the misconceptions about obesity personal responsibility, nationwide obesity is not so simply explained. Obesity Canada defines obesity to be, “the accumulation of an excessive amount of fatty or adipose tissue. Obesity results from unbalanced energy budgets. An overweight person consumes food energy in excess of expenditure and stores the surplus in body fat.” The average Canadian may not be conscious of certain risk factors in today’s society, making a healthy lifestyle much more difficult to achieve. Increased meal sizes at
are processed into ingredients for unhealthy food. Most of the sweeteners in today’s products are taken from corn, and soy is often used to make oil. People with limited incomes (students, for example) are more likely to buy cheap, inexpensive food over more expensive healthy food like fruits and vegetables, which are almost completely unsubsidized. There are also spatial and social issues to consider. If you live in downtown Guelph, you’ve got a long walk to a supermarket,” said Dr.
Rashaad Bhamjee
Sheeshka. “Otherwise, you rely on convenience and corner stores if you don’t have a car or money for bus fare.” Furthermore, houses are now clustered together in subdivisions, which are further away from amenities. Someone who lives in a subdivision and needs to go to a store, or anywhere for that matter, must drive. Walking isn’t even an option. Not many Canadians think about how the beautiful house in
the suburbs they buy will affect their health, or whether or not the political party for which they vote will make them fat. However, perhaps these factors should start to be considered. One thing is for sure: being healthy is not simply about choosing between carrots and chips, or deciding to run another lap or not. “It is a very complex problem. Genetics, income, access to good
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grocery stores, access to fitness facilities and walking trails and parks, level of education and who you live with (e.g., are you living alone?) all play a role,” Dr. Sheeshka summarized. “We are told that it’s our fault if we are overweight, yet, if you don’t have the money to buy healthy food, if you don’t have a good food store nearby and if you don’t have transportation, all these kinds of things affect what food choices you make.”
THE ONTARION
SPORTS & HEALTH
161.2
The week to butt out National Non-Smoking Week attempts to provide motivation for aspiring quitters MIKE TREADGOLD Once again, it’s time for one of Canada’s longest running and most important public health education events: National NonSmoking Week (NNSW) takes place annually in the third week of January. According to statistics and reports from the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control (CCTC), Canadians actively attempt to quit smoking on three occasions each year: early January, in response to their New Year’s resolutions; late spring as summer approaches; and early September, just in time to go back to school. For an aspiring quitter with a resolution to butt out, the initial high of quitting usually ends sometime around the third week of their journey – at this point, a profound struggle sets in. And at this point, NNSW takes place to help repopulate the wagon with those who have temporarily fallen off, as well as motivate those who are struggling to resist the urge to light up. National Non-Smoking Week is the lone public event hosted each year by the CCTC, whose principle role is to support advocacy groups across Canada and provide resources and information for aspiring quitters. The CCTC actively works with physicians, healthcare workers and public health departments who are dedicated to decreasing smoking rates among the population. NNSW has been in effect for 33 years now and first started in response to some startling numbers. “National Non-Smoking Week initially began in response to statistics in the 1960s and 1970s that showed Canadians were among the highest per capita smokers in the world,” said CCTC
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Executive Director Robert Walsh, the leading figure behind the event. “We wanted to look at the contexts in which people are smoking and analyze how they attempted to quit. “What are the environments in which people smoke? What are the influences that lead to people smoking? We try to address smoking at a policy level.” The CCTC has determined that there is strength in numbers. The theme for NNSW 2010, “Quitting is contagious, pass it on!” was constructed in response to a study completed at Harvard Medical School that determined that is was easier for people to quit smoking when others in their social circle were also in the throws of beating the habit. “We know when people institute non-smoking policies in their home, they are more successful in quitting,” said Walsh. “When you create a non-smoking environment, it encourages other people to stop smoking, or not to start.” Ontario is widely recognized as one of the more progressive jurisdictions in terms of implementing anti-smoking legislation. Walsh recognized the progress made in the province, but suggested that more needs to be done. “The [government] set policies in place and went from 21 per cent to 16 per cent in a three-four year period,” said Walsh in response to the number of Ontarions that quit in response to restrictive legislation passed in the early 2000s. “But (those rates) have leveled off,” he cautioned. “Since [the government] has not done anything since 2007, everything has leveled off. We know that policy tends to be the lever that does affect that most people, so what is the next policy frontier?” Walsh believes that the next step towards getting more people to quit is to address the retail perspective. Where are tobacco products being sold, and should control be implemented, similar to the LCBO? “Some of the work that comes out of United States suggests that when you have high retail prevalence, you get higher pockets of smoking,” said Walsh, who pointed out a particular area in Hamilton where there were seven tobacco retail outlets within 500 metres of a school that was dealing with particularly high levels of tobacco sales to minors. “Nova Scotia has done a lot to restrict retail and Ontario could follow suit there. I think there’s still much more that Ontario could do and I think looking at the retail environment would really help.” The U of G has its own oncampus program offering assistance to aspiring quitters. Leave the Pack Behind is a province-wide peer-driven initiative for post-secondary institutions. It is supported by student governments, health organizations and Public Health Departments across Ontario, acting as a support network for students looking to kick the habit.
13
Gryphons hang on to fourth place in OUA Wishart Canada
to
represent
Kristine Wishart has been named to the Canadian national team that will participate in the 2010 Women’s Hockey World Cup in Argentina. The five-time All-Canadian forward/midfielder from the OUA champion Guelph Gryphons field hockey team finished second on the team with 11 goals during the regular season, helping to lead the Gryphons to an undefeated record in conference play and their second OUA title in the past three years.
Gryphons indoors
Rashaad Bhamjee
Gryphon middle hitter Andrew Revie seals a block at the net in Friday’s loss to U of T.
Volleyball (M)
Volleyball (W)
Basketball (M) Basketball (W)
Guelph vs Waterloo:3-0
Guelph vs Ottawa: 3-0
Guelph vs Waterloo: 68-58
McMaster Queen’s Western Guelph Windsor Laurier U of T Waterloo Ryerson York RMC
W
L
10 10 10 8 7 5 5 5 3 3 0
2 2 1 5 4 7 7 7 9 9 13
McMaster Waterloo Brock Guelph Western Laurier Windsor
W
L
12 11 9 8 8 4 1
1 2 5 4 4 9 11
Lakehead Windsor Waterloo Western McMaster Brock Laurier Guelph
L
10 9 7 7 6 5 5 4
2 3 5 5 6 7 7 8
Windsor Western McMaster Brock Lakehead Laurier Waterloo Guelph
West
Hockey (W)
Nordic Ski
Hockey (M)
OUA QualiÀer (North Bay) 15km Skate 6. Matti Little 45:52.3 11. Ian Ritchie 47:18.4 13. Scott Weersink 47:32.3 16. Erin Purdon 48:09.1 18. Mike Weersink 48:29.1 22. Patrick Twohig 49:48.7 27. Jordan Forsyth 51:18.2
Guelph vs UOIT: 2-3
9km Classic 8. Matti Little 32:51 13. Ian Ritchie 33:22 15. Erin Purdon 33:33 25. Patrick Twohig 35:46 26. Jordan Forsyth 35:47 27. Mike Weersink 36:00 29. Scott Weersink 36:54 10km Skate 5. Laura Hewitt 34:54.0 6. Analee Winter 34:56.4 7. Vesta Mather 35:17.5 10. Kyla Vanderzwet 35:43.0 13. Lindsey Chapman 36:06.0 25. Jennie Hissa 39:45.4 32. Laura Campbell 41:26.7 6km Classic 9. Vesta Mather 26:29 10. Kyla Vanderzwet 26:33 11. Lindsey Chapman 26:38 12. Analee Winter 26:39 18. Laura Hewitt 27:25 22. Jennie Hissa 28:39 28. Laura Campbell 30:16
Western Laurier Lakehead Waterloo York Guelph Brock UOIT Windsor
Guelph vs Waterloo: 46-65
W
W
L
11 10 8 7 7 5 3 2
1 2 4 5 5 7 9 10
Guelph vs Windsor: 2-3
W
L OTL
17 14 13 13 10 8 8 8 7
3 4 5 6 9 9 12 11 10
0 2 2 1 1 4 1 1 3
Track & Field Can-Am Classic Individual winners Sarah Peirce - 60m Rachel Aubry - 600m Samantha Beattie - 3000m Dustin Gamble - 600m Nigel Wray - 3000m Dustin McCrank - Weight throw Team wins - Women’s 4 x 800m relay
Laurier Queen’s York Guelph U of T Western Brock Waterloo Windsor UOIT
W
L OTL
19 13 13 10 10 8 7 6 7 4
0 4 5 7 7 9 10 11 13 12
0 2 1 3 2 3 3 2 0 3
succeed
The Gryphon men’s soccer team finished second at the Centennial College Indoor Soccer Tournament over the weekend. The Gryphons won all three of their round-robin games and started the playoff round very well with a 4-0 quarter-final victory over Durham College and a 3-1 semi-final win over Sheridan. In the tournament finale, the Gryphons went into the final minute trailing 1-0 to Humber. After pulling their goaltender for an extra attacker though, Humber scored twice to lock up the tournament championship. Colin MacMillian scored six goals in the tournament to lead the Gryphons. Reigning CIS Rookie of the Year, Robert Murphy scored four.
Volleyball teams weekend matches
split
Both the Gryphon men’s and women’s volleyball teams concluded their weekend match ups with resounding victories. The women fell 3-1 to Brock on Friday before rebounding to sweep Ottawa 3-0 on Sunday. The Gryphons leading scorer throughout the season, Kylen Van Osch, led her team with 25 points in the loss to the Badgers and second-year leftside Brooke Lloyd paced the Gryphs with ten points against the Gee-Gees. On the men’s side, the Gryphons were swept 3-0 by U of T on Friday before rebounding to sweep Waterloo on Saturday. Winston Rosser led the Gryphs in scoring in both games.
Shootout unkind Gryphs drop a pair
as
The Gryphon men’s hockey team came out on the wrong side of a pair of close games, falling 5-4 to Waterloo and 3-2 to UOIT, both in shootouts. Forward Alex Magera and defenceman Tim Priamo both scored three points in the two losses as the Gryphs fell to 8-9-4. The Gryphons will play in the Frosty Mug next Saturday against Waterloo at the Sleeman Centre. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
OPINION
14 ANDREW T
JAN. 21 - 27, 2010
KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT DINOSAURS
Welcome to Andrew’s world An introduction to me and web culture ANDREW T Good morning angels, My name is Andrew T. I’ve clawed, gnashed, gnoshed, and screamed to get this column. Thanks for reading. Actually, no-that’s not nearly a strong enough measure of how I feel. A truly strong measure would be pints, quarts, or an electromagnetic spectrometer. Don’t know what that is? Look it up. Not only am I thanking you for reading this column, but also for the time and attention that I KNOW you’ll be dedicating to it in the future. I’m touched that you are sparing your ten spare minutes on me. But who am I? What am I doing here? How many falafels can you fit into a pita? (Trick question: It depends on the size of the pita) Let’s figure this out! So, as my Tumblr blog says (desirefortiger.tumblr.com), I’m addicted to the Internet. More specifically (but also more broadly) I’m strongly fixated on new media and issues surrounding content creation, appropriation, and dissemination. Sounds boring when I say it like that… *Ahem* I’m into Remixing! Youtube! Facebook! Wordpress! Tumblr! Twitter! Sharing music! Sharing movies! Downloading! Uploading! TeamSpeak! Memes! And Kanye West! That sounds a LOT cooler, right? Right? Why do you care? I mean, you do care, right? If you don’t yet, I bet you really want to. And I want you to. I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I’d love you to love me. I’m beggin’ you to beg me. (Where am I going with this? Reign it in Andrew!)
Rashaad Bhamjee
I think you should care because there are 29, 542 people in Facebook’s University of Guelph network. I think you should care because my friend Scott watched an internet-only broadcast of the Golden Globes Sunday night...I have run out of reasons. There’s always the fallback of saying that, “I think you should care because if you don’t, then I won’t have an audience for my column, and then I won’t have a column, and then I’ll be all alone!” but that joke sucks and I can come up with a better one! The better joke is that if you don’t care, then there may be truth to the old adage “A man is known by the company he keeps.” And if there’s a truth to that, then there’s probably truth to millions of other adages. “Measure twice, cut once,” “He who rides a tiger can
never dismount,” and “Nothing changes if nothing changes” all suddenly became relevant to my life. And if I’m part of an internet community— one where I share photos of my new haircuts and talk about riding tigers at tiger ranches and post designs of great tiger haircuts—then it matters to them! Because I matter to them! Even if I don’t matter to you, I matter to them! I’ll find an audience! Right now, my audience is you. You are the people who I want to matter to the most. Uh…that might not be true. But what is true is that things actually are changing, and while you may not think you’re changing much, you are. By being online, by seeing a movie, by buying a record, or by not participating in any of it, you’re making your voice/money be heard. There is actually value in signing an online petition. Viral videos can be a totally respected artistic thing. Writing a blog says more about you than simply whatever you post on your Livejournal (or whatever kids use these days). I think that media is killer and key to our day-to-day lives as students, as Canadians, and as young people in and around
Guelph. (Author’s Note: Oh. Yeah. Old people, please stop reading this. I should’ve mentioned that earlier.) So I will write about it, you will read about it, and I hope that while we can both be taking something away from this experience, you’ll also give me something. I WANT YOUR E-MAILS!!! Please. If you’ve got questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, recipes, or quotas, send them to me at andrewt. press@gmail.com. That IS my real e-mail address, so I’m trusting you to respect the system. If you send me things, then I can write them back to you. We can actually build and improve upon this system of creation and feedback that modern communications technologies afford us. We can talk. It’d be better if you gave up this feedback willingly. Otherwise, I am willing to try and reenact The Temple of Doom on you, specifically the part where the cult leader reaches into the dudes chest and rips out his heart! But instead of hearts, I’ll be ripping e-mails! Kali Ma! Kali Ma! Kali Ma! … Upon further reflection and editing, I’d like to apologize for most of this column.
THEONTARION.CA
THE ONTARION
OPINION
161.2
15
L OOSE CANNON
Vultures always drawn to death and disaster GREG BENETEAU The pictures and stories emerging from earthquake-ravaged Haiti are at times difficult to stomach. In Portau-Prince and surrounding cities, most of the infrastructure, what little there was, has been completely destroyed. There are untold numbers of people trapped under collapsed buildings and no heavy equipment to dig them out. Law and order has all but broken down. Thousands roam the streets in fear and anguish, waiting for help that can’t come soon enough. Sadly, there are some who see the disaster in Haiti not as a crisis requiring a cooperative response between nations, but as an opportunity to score cheap political points. Like vultures they wait for the opportunity to strike, picking through the wreckage for evidence that supports their agenda. Some of the more outrageous statements made about the Haiti earthquake have been exposed and roundly criticized. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, never one to let facts get in the way of a good monologue, claimed President Barack Obama wanted to exploit the disaster for political gain in the “light-skinned and dark-skinned black community,” – a reference to
Senate majority leader Harry Reid’s alleged comments about Obama during the 2008 presidential election. “This will play right into Obama’s hands,” Limbaugh said. “He’s humanitarian, compassionate. They’ll use this to burnish their, shall we say, ‘credibility’ with the black community - in the both lightskinned and dark-skinned black
comment of the week. During a broadcast of his show The 700 Club, the 76-year-old pastor gave viewers a questionable history lesson, claiming Haiti’s slave population made a “pact with the devil” to drive out French colonial masters in 1804 and had suffered nothing but misfortune as a result. Robertson is no stranger to controversy, fancying himself a seer
On the left of the political spectrum, some have jumped at the chance to shame the West for historical wrongs. Echoing comments made by Venezuelan President and U.S. critic Hugo Chavez, some left-wing activists have claimed the military mission mounted by the U.S and Canada is actually an invasion disguised as relief, similar to America’s occupation of Haiti in 1915. community in this country. It’s made-to-order for them.” Responding to a caller on his show, Limbaugh also expressed scepticism that money donated to Haiti through the White House website would actually go to the relief efforts, and claimed Americans already donate to Haiti through their income taxes. But even Limbaugh couldn’t upstage Christian televangelist Pat Robertson for the most insensitive
who can see the future and divine God’s motivations for everything from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina. His latest verbal gaffe will no doubt play well with some evangelicals who believe the nonsense about Haitian voodoo and its ties to Satanism. The rest of us should probably shake our heads and move on. On the left of the political spectrum, some have jumped at the chance to shame the West for historical wrongs. Echoing
comments made by Venezuelan President and U.S. critic Hugo Chavez, some left-wing activists have claimed the military mission mounted by the U.S and Canada is actually an invasion disguised as relief, similar to America’s occupation of Haiti in 1915. Ironically, other critics faulted the U.S. and Canada for failing to mount an effective response quickly enough. It’s a case of damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Throughout its 200-year history, Haiti has been exploited by Western powers to various ends, and we have much to account for. But like it or not, the military is trained and equipped to respond to emergencies when local services are absent or compromised. Units like Canada’s Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART) are currently providing humanitarian relief in Jacmel, a coastal city decimated by the quake. American naval vessels stationed near the island have become floating supply depots and desalination factories supplying thousands of litres of fresh water. There are also marines and paratroopers in the capital, but with scarce supplies and no local authorities around to keep order, it would be foolish to ignore the looming threat of violence that
would put Haitians and aid workers at risk. The devastation visited upon Haiti brings with it huge challenges. Yet listening to Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, one would think the most pressing crisis facing Haitians is the introduction of free market reform. Speaking on radio program Democracy Now this week, Klein warned that the U.S. might use humanitarian assistance as a pretext to introduce globalization to the island nation. “We have to be absolutely clear that this tragedy that is part natural, part unnatural, can under no circumstances be used to...push through unpopular corporatist policies in the interests of our corporations,” Klein said. It will take years of reconstruction and assistance from the international community repair earthquakeravaged Haiti. The debate over how to do that will have its time. For the moment however, long-term recovery must take a backseat to the immediate needs of survivors: food, water, shelter, security and medical attention. Klein might want to wait until the dust has settled before pushing her theories (and her book) onto the public.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN EARLY LEARNING BE PREPARED WITH OUR NEW ELEMENTARY-E.C.E. PROGRAM In September 2010, the Ontario government will begin providing full-day learning programs for four- and five-year olds, greatly increasing the need for elementary and early childhood teachers. To meet this need, Lambton College and the University of Windsor are offering a unique, new program in Sarnia that will allow you to earn both your education degree and ECE diploma at the same time. This two-year program will prepare you for a rewarding career as a teaching professional. For more information on the program or the application process, please contact:
Lambton College: info@lambton.on.ca 519-541-2403 or 519-542-7751 ext. 3261
University of Windsor: educ@uwindsor.ca 519-253-3000 ext. 3804
16
JAN. 21 - 27, 2010
OPINION
THEONTARION.CA
Haiti: before and after Old lessons must be learned GAGAN DHALIWAL The images coming from Haiti are nothing short of horrific: children with lacerations, bystandards trapped under rubble, makeshift hospitals flooded, and bodies scattered throughout the streets. Yet, as we mourn for the Haitian people and offer whatever aid we can, it is vital that we realize the opportunity ahead and the need to reexamine Haiti’s past in order to ensure that the Haiti after the earthquake is not the Haiti before. Haiti has lived up to the title of “poorest country in the western hemisphere.” Two thirds of the population lives on less than $2 a day, ninety per cent of the children suffer from waterborne diseases, and over 220,000 Haitian children in the cities work as household
servants in abhorrent conditions. While the world watched the financial system collapse, the food crisis hammered Haitians so maliciously that many in the slums ate “dirt cookies” in order to abate the hunger. And then there is the catastrophe of foreign intervention. In 1915, American troops invaded Haiti and forced the legislature to elect the candidate the President Wilson had selected. Seventyfive year later in 1991, the US overthrew Jean Jean-Bertrand Aristide— Bertrand was originally elected by massive grassroots movements—and put in place a brutal military junta. Then in 2004, the US overthrew Aristide and forced him to South Africa. All the while, the CIA poured millions into the Haitian Intelligence Service—an organization meshed in the drug trade financed by Columbian cartels. If there is one thing that we
can do to help Haiti develop is restrain foreign powers from doing what they did in previous disasters. After the Tsunami, foreign countries turned over the “blank slate” that was Southeast Asia to for-profit consulting firms, engineering companies, mega-NGOs, government and UN aid agencies and international financial institutions. Much of the aid failed to reach the people directly; even worse, stories arose of poor people not being able to rebuild in their own neighbourhoods because the land was being used for “economic development” such as tourist hotels. Without restraint, Haiti may become another victim of corporate globalization. A great economist once said, “only a crisis—actual or perceived—can produce real change.” Lets take this opportunity to rebuild Haiti in a truly positive way rather than making the same mistakes as past.
Marco Dormino
A man exits a restaurant after he looked for his belongings two days after an earthquake rocked Port au Prince, Haiti on Jan. 12
POP CULTURED
The happiest hour on television DUNCAN DAY-MYRON Guido is a lifestyle, not a slur. So say the juiced up and bright orange Guidos and Guidettes of Jersey Shore, MTV’s latest in a long line of documentary-style reality programs. Unlike its conceptual predecessors the Real World and The Hills, the show follows a bunch of young people (who aren’t front New Jersey) while they get drunk, hook up (usually with each other), argue about hooking up and not having jobs. Oh wait. So Jersey Shore basically brings absolutely nothing original to its viewership, not even within the MTV lineup. I guess, as they say, “if it ain’t broke, just do it again but with more bronzer.” The show’s taken a beating from critics. Lots of critics. Doctors, politicians, prominent members of
the Italian-American community have decried the program, and, most importantly, Alyssa Milano, made it very clear via YouTube that she won’t be watching. Everyone else seems to be though. The show pulls in over 3-million viewers a week, and that’s not counting the people who watch it online, including yours truly. And so many people are watching for one simple reason, and I say this without an ounce of selfconsciousness: It truly is the best of its kind. Where the Hills had pretty girls secretly hating each other, eating food and having boyfriends (for five seasons!), Jersey Shore has amazing nicknames, steroid abuse, Armani Exchange, hoop earrings and brawl after brawl after brawl. It satisfies a kind of loathsome voyeurism, the way daytime talk
shows like The Jerry Springer Show and Maury did; but this time it’s in prime time! But most importantly, it actually feels real. From the very beginning, cast of The Hills was paparazzi fodder because of Lauren being on Laguna Beach, and by the end of season five (FIVE!) the amount of pictures of the cast ending up in the pages of US Weekly belied the amount of privacy they had on camera. But the summer that JS was filmed, no one knew or gave a damn who any of these people were. That goes a long way to making what happens feel interesting. They can actually walk down the streets and start brawls with a semblance of credibility. And I refuse to believe that MTV has the cerebral or financial wherewithal to staff the kind of
Duncan Day-Myron
St. Snooki, the people’s princess. Not pictured: the colour orange. unfettered brilliance it would take to convincingly script and act this show. These people and situations (no pun intended) are far too convincingly stupid for it to be staged. Unfortunately, the cast has
blown the fuck up. I have seen Snooki and The Situation on almost every late night talk show, and they are charging thousands of dollars to make appearances. Their celebrity is unprecedented for an MTV show (Eat your heart out, Speidi. If Heidi hasn’t had it surgically removed yet.) So rest assured, season 2 (through 5?) will end up being the same scripted, staged bullshit as every other show on MTV right now. But for the time being, it remains one of the most egotistically satisfying hours on television. The show’s season finale airs tonight on MTV, so if you haven’t watched it already, after tonight, you can watch the entire season in one pitiful session. You might regret it, but you’ll only hate it publicly.
THE ONTARION
EDITOR’S PAGE
161.2
EDITORIAL
The Ontarion Inc.
Prorogation leaves Canada with egg on its face So here we are, Canada. Our parliament has been prorogued until March 3. And in feeling that there’s something wrong with that, the Ontarion is hardly alone. Already, thousands upon thousands of Canadians, who are not normally considered the most politically active group, have begun discussing, organizing rallies against, and questioning the decisions of our Prime Minister. In fact, this parliamentary suspension has met so much criticism that, in speaking out against Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s prorogation, it has become increasingly difficult to say something wholly new. Yes, this recent political development is a remarkable political strategy that has managed to raise the alarm in many Canadian citizens while leaving them very little room to do anything about it. Yes, this break from parliament could very well take the pressure off the investigated government officials who violated the Geneva Convention by allowing the mistreatment of Afghan detainees. Yes, Prime Minister Harper will now have prorogued parliament for a total of 148 days in only four years; former Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s grand total of prorogued days sits at 145 over a span of 10 years. Yes, this does seem a little undemocratic. But ultimately, this is simply a bad time for Canada to be humiliated again by our country’s leader; it is what it is: another embarrassment.
With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games approaching quickly, Canada is in the international spotlight. This large-scale attention is to be expected for the Olympics’ host country and often, when all eyes turn in one direction, they are bound to notice national blunders in a way that they normally would not. We saw this happen when China hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and suddenly, more than usual, on the tip of every tongue was talk of China’s various human rights violations, mistreatment of their poorer citizens, and lack of freedom of religion and the press. For the privilege of hosting the Olympics, Canada was bound to come under some international scrutiny. Certainly, it seems, Prime Minister Harper has done his best to make it easier for other countries to find bones to pick. As if Harper’s apparent apathy towards climate change as a global issue, reluctance to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, and eventual poor showing when he did eventually attend wasn’t enough. Canadians are immediately presented with nearly three months of prorogued parliament, both with wishy-washy justification on behalf of the Prime Minister and without all of the bills slated for the suspended parliamentary session having been addressed. Whether or not Prime Minister Harper truly feels that this is in the best interests of the country as a whole, or simply his political party,
would be difficult to determine. What is clear, however, is that the voices and concerns of a great many Canadian citizens are, time and time again, falling on deaf ears. Many Canadians care deeply about climate change, yet, for our country’s leader, it is simply not a priority. Many Canadians are unhappy with the mistreatment of Afghan detainees and want justice for those involved. But don’t worry, Canadians: those in power know that we’re not really that concerned about human rights violations. Many Canadians care about open and transparent dialogue with our government. But Prime Minister Harper knows better than us what we want and what we need. What Canada has on its hands is a nation divided at a time when our leader should be encouraging national unity and pride. If nothing else, prorogation has managed to rouse many Canadians from their political slumber and encourage them to engage in discussion and debate, many for the first time. If Prime Minister Harper was counting on the usual apathy of Canadian citizens for getting away with being so undemocratic at such an important time, it has become vitally important that the citizens of Canada show that is democracy is still our most important value. Mr. Harper, if you could find some time in your busy schedule, your citizens have some important things to say.
majority. Once again the Prime Minister insists on ruling as if he has a majority when the electorate provided him with a minority. He and his party were not attending Standing Committees and then suspended our representative democracy along with Committee investigations. This Prime Minister insists on playing divide and conquer politics and abusing the powers of Governor-in-Council for political gain. It is time for Canadians to say, “We will not tolerate this, stop playing political games and do the job you were elected to do!”
students and so perhaps deserved to be cut. In the past five years, for 2005 to 2009, the number of majors in Women’s Studies was 20, 28, 25, 25, and 35 (25 before the University started cancelling the program). If you include minors and areas of concentration (for students doing a three-year degree)–and those students too are registered in the program, after all—the figures are 33, 49, 46, 47, and 54. In response to “The Current,” one Women’s Studies graduate wrote me, “I did a three year degree, so Women’s Studies counted as an “area of concentration.” Almost every one of the 30 courses I took related in some way, shape, or form to Women’s Studies, but my degree didn’t “count” in the number crunching that served to decimate the program I hold so dear.” For those who may not be aware of this, even after the cancellation of the program, our Introduction to Women’s Studies remains, I believe, the largest intro course in the College of Arts, with over 400 students. The second-year course, Women and Representation, is similarly always over-subscribed, with close to 200 students. For 30 years, Women’s Studies at the University of Guelph has served increasingly large numbers of students, from all across the university, including
Shayne Sangster President of Guelph NDP Youth On CBC’s “The Current” on Jan. 12, the Associate VP Academic at the University of Guelph, Serge Desmarais, stated, that “In the last five years, WS had fewer than 25 students in the program, which means on average each year between five and say eight students maximum registered for the programme.” This had the unfortunate effect of suggesting, especially with the use of “students” for “majors” and in the absence of the word “new”-five to eight “new “ students--that the program served a handful of
University Centre Room University of Guelph NG W ontarion@uoguelph.ca
The Ontarion reserves the right to edit or refuse all letters deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, ableist, advertorial, libelous or otherwise oppressive or unfit for publication as determined by the Editor in Chief. We ask that letters be kept to a maximum of 300 words. We will edit longer letters at our discretion. All letters must include a full name and phone number (#’s not published), including those which are intended to remain anonymous. The Ontarion may occasionally print anonymous letters when personal safety is an issue.
DEADLINE MONDAYS 2PM Send your letters to: ontarion@uoguelph.ca
LETTERS On Dec. 30, 2009, the Prime Minister requested that Parliament be prorogued until Mar. 3, 2010. This was another example of how Prime Ministerial powers are utilized for a tactical advantage. What makes this situation disturbing is the fact that a House of Commons committee was investigating the mistreatment of Afghan detainees, which were transferred from Canadian to Afghan custody. With prorogument, the work of the committee stops, preventing any evidence from being brought to light during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver when the world’s media will be focussed on Canada. Imagine the international embarrassment for the current government if negative evidence or findings were revealed at this time. Instead the Prime Minister will have almost exclusive media spotlight during the Winter Olympics. This time will probably be used to build support for his party and bring it up past the important forty percent mark in popularity. The House opens on Mar. 3 and the Finance Minister will present a budget on Mar. 4. It is highly likely that this budget will be partisan and thus would force a confidence motion defeating the government and forcing an election, with the Conservative intent of winning a
17
students of engineering, math, fine art, economics, and the like. As the subject becomes a “teachable” in the high schools, there will be even more demand. Dr. Helen Hoy, English and Women’s Studies, Coordinator of Women’s Studies, 1995-2002
Phone: -- General: x Editorial: x Advertising: x Accounts: x Fax: -- Editorial staff Editor-in-chief Daniel Bitonti Arts & culture editor Zack MacRae News editor Nicole Elsasser Sports editor Mike Treadgold Web editor Sarawanan Ravindran Production staff Photo & graphics editor Rashaad Bhamjee Ad designer Anne Tabata Layout director Duncan Day-Myron Office staff Business manager Lorrie Taylor Office manager Monique Vischschraper Ad manager Chris Hamelin Board of directors President David Evans Chairperson Timothy McBride Treasurer Curtis Van Laecke Secretary Justine Baskey Members Matthew French Andrew Goloida James Hawkins Aaron Jacklin Rachel Jones Marshal McLernon Joanna Sulzycki Contributors
Just to let you know I don’t give out roses to ladies to have my way with them. I give roses out because I see every day they get yelled at, threatened and sometime hit! I got tired of watching this go on day after day, week after week, month after month. So last year I looked at my green houses which were overstocked with roses and I told my staff to wrap them up and put them in a truck so I could give them out to bus drivers, post office workers and ladies at the dollar stores, Short Stop, and other places. It felt good to do, but then the rumours started –hurtful rumours that were very sick, sad and made me feel unsafe. Why is it that a gift of kindness is turned into something so disgusting it makes you want to cry, throw up and hide? So, I’m sorry to all the ladies in Guelph. Hope the rumours stop soon. Howie Hall
Sandy Anger Greg Beneteau Josh Doyle Leah Gerber Gagan Dhaliwal Brian Gillis Andrew Goloida Daniel Howse Julia Shonfield Laura Schep Dan O’Keefe Sandy Anger Jessica Perfect Miles Stemp Andrew Townsend Daniel Wright
The Ontarion is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. Since the Ontarion undertakes the publishing of student work, the opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Ontarion Board of Directors. The Ontarion reserves the right to edit or refuse all material deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for publication as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Material of any form appearing in this newspaper is copyrighted 2009 and cannot be reprinted without the approval of the Editor-in-Chief. The Ontarion retains the right of first publication on all material. In the event that an advertiser is not satisfied with an advertisement in the newspaper, they must notify the Ontarion within four working days of publication. The Ontarion will not be held responsible for advertising mistakes beyond the cost of advertisement. The Ontarion is printed by the Guelph Mercury.
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JAN. 21 - 27, 2010
COMICS
Deguile University
FROM
THE
by Michael Slotwinski
FROM JAN .
12, 1999,
ISSUE
128.1
THEONTARION.CA
ARCHIVES 11
YEARS AGO...
THE ONTARION
CLASSIFIED & COMMUNITY LISTINGS
161.2
CLASSIFIED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Ontarion Job Opening – Editor in Chief - for the 2010/2011 production year. Full-time contract position running from April 2010-April 2011. Deadline for Applications: Friday, January 29 at 4pm. Apply with at least 6 writing samples. Contact ontarion@uoguelph.ca or x58265 for more information.
COMMUNITY LISTINGS We’re seeking counselors who can teach any Team & Individual Sports, Tennis, Gymnastics, Horseback Riding, Mt. Biking, Skate Park, Theatre, Tech Theatre, Circus, Magic, Arts & Crafts, Pioneering, Climbing Tower, Water Sports, Music, Dance or Science. Great salaries and perks. Plenty of free time. Internships available for many majors. Interviews on Feb 3. Apply online at www.islandlake.com. Call 800-869-6083 between 9 and 5 eastern time on weekdays for more information. info@islandlake.com.
FOR SALE One double mattress without boxspring, comfort pad on each side, will deliver $300. 519-820-1433.
SERVICES DECREASE ANXIETY, HEADACHES, INSOMNIA and MUSCLE TENSION. Cope better with exams. Classes by the Stress Management Clinic begin January 26. Brochures at UC Information Desk or visit www.uoguelph. ca/~ksomers. SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE! CAMP WAYNE FOR GIRLS –Children’s sleep-away camp, Northeast Pennsylvania (6/198/15/10). If you love children and want a caring, fun environment we need Counselors and Program Directors for: Tennis, Swimming, Golf, Gymnastics, Cheerleading, Drama, High & Low Ropes, Camping/Nature, Team Sports, Waterskiing, Sailing, Painting/ Drawing, Ceramics, Silkscreen, Printmaking, Batik, Jewelry, Calligraphy, Photography, Sculpture, Guitar, Aerobics, SelfDefense, Video, Piano. Other staff: Administrative, CDL Driver (21+), Nurses (RN’s and Nursing Students), Bookkeeper, Nanny. On campus Interviews January 27th. Select The Camp That Selects The Best Staff! Call 1.215.944.3069 or apply online at www.campwaynegirls.com Have the summer of your life at a prestigious coed sleepaway camp in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, 2 ½ hours from NYC.
Diverse Students & Student of Colour Support Groups. Mondays and Tuesday: One on One Support 10am-2pm, Discussion 1:303:30pm. Wed: One on one support, 10am-2pm. Discussion 5-7pm. Confidentiality ensured. Munford Centre, Rm 54. Contact: rmcleod@ uoguleph.ca or x53244. Writer’s block? Professional essay help available for all subjects and levels. Masters and PhD graduates specializing in editing and research. Toll free: 1-888-345-8295. Email: customessay@bellnet.ca Visit us: www. customessay.com
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Migrante-Ontario works to advocate for the rights of migrant people, focussing on advocating for the welfare of persyns working as live-in caregivers through organizing educationals and socials. Connect with us! Stay involved! migrante. ontario@gmail.com
THURSDAY JANUARY 21 Military History Lecture Series Continues at Guelph Civic Museum. Lecture 1 - U-boats in the St. Lawrence, 1942-1944: A Most Uniquely Canadian Battle, presented by Dr. Roger Sarty from Wilfrid Laurier University. 6 Dublin Street S. Information: 519836-1221 x2775. Elora Centre for the Arts Heritage Lecture Series 2010. Lecture 1 – Taking Charge: Citizen’s Heritage Involvement with Dr. Robert Shipley. 7pm. 75 Melville St, Elora.. Tickets: $10. Info: 519-846-9698. www.eloracentreforthearts.ca
Frank
&
Steins
IS LOOKING FOR
PROMOTERS EARN $500 PER NIGHT CALL DARIO AT
519-763-8666 Bike Centre Free Workshop: Brakes Basics. 6:30-7:30pm at the Bike Centre, corner of Gordon St. & South Ring Rd. More info: csabike@ uoguelph.ca
FRIDAY JANUARY 22 Macdonald Stewart Art Centre – Opening Reception RISKING the VOID, the Designs of Cameron Porteous. 7pm. 358 Gordon St.Information: 519-837-0010 www.msac.ca
SATURDAY JANUARY 23 The John F. Ross Wrestling Team Presents: WRESTLING FUNDRAISER!!! Help outfit
some deserving student athletes. The Bullring U of G -8pm. DJ: JPHOV. Tickets: $10.
If you have experienced the death of a loved one, you might be struggling with feelings of loss, anger, confusion, sadness or many other strong emotions. Counselling Services offers a support group for students, starting soon and running for 6 weeks. For more information or to register contact Counelling Services, 3rd floor UC, ext. 53244
Rainbow Chorus, the Waterloo Wellington Chorus of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Friends, 15th anniversary concert, “A Celebration in Song”. 8pm, Harcourt United Church. Advance tickets: $15/ adults/students. $5/children. Door: $20. www.rainbowchorus.ca Indian Students’ Association presents Culture Shock. 6:30pm9:30pm in War Memorial Hall. Tickets $10/Culture Show, $8/ After Party, $15 Show & Party Combo. Contact: isa@uoguelph. ca Human Health and Nutritional Sciences 40th Annual Symposium ‘IT’S A SMALL WORLD -Global Perspectives on Human Health and Nutrition’. 9am at OVC Lifetime Learning Centre. Tix: $20 ($15 for Students) includes lunch. Contact alovett@ uoguelph.ca or x56171.
SUNDAY JANUARY 24 Scotland’s favourite poet will be celebrated at Robbie Burns Day at Guelph Civic Museum, 1-4:30pm. 6 Dublin St. S. Admission for this event: Adults/$6, Seniors, Students, Children/ $4, Families $12. Info: 836-1221 or guelph.ca/museum.
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ACROSS 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śbubble, ____ and troubleâ&#x20AC;? 5. Western state 9. They can be poached 13. Looney company? 14. Second attempt 15. Plastic wrap 17. Insect life stage 18. Mood 19. Donut favourite 20. Corsica, for ex. 21. Fence part 22. Like cropland 23. Gary BurghoďŹ&#x20AC; role 25. Excessive pride 27. Archaeologist ďŹ nd 29. Portâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partner 30. Internet co. 33. Lets 36. Shrek creature 37. Hardly the beginning (4 wds.)
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42. A way to start 43. Charm 44. Protein code: abbr. 45. Underhanded 47. Cook a turkey 50. Manoeuvre, beneďŹ cially 53. Appears 55. The death of those peepers? 58. Heredity unit 60. Fitting 61. Taken aback 62. Talk to the Big Guy 63. Bruneiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s locale 64. Bonds specialty 65. Switch hitter Rose 66. Swiss capital 67. Lip 68. Naval cafeteria 69. Spartan idol
1. Snouted ungulate 2. Of the eye 3. Hinder 4. Eweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stomping ground 5. Major or Minor 6. Last, on Daveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list 7. Ciao 8. On a roll 9. Wit 10. Certain aďŹ&#x20AC;airs 11. Make use of dexterity 12. Bounty fabric 16. Compass dir. 21. Part of Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idiom 22. CommuniquĂŠ from Fido 24. Grant 26. Spaghetti sauce spice 28. It has nine tails? 30. Annual marker 31. Bobby the Bruin 32. Tripod part 34. Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrap 35. A real shocker, sometimes 36. Above your BMI 37.Part of North Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moniker 38. Backpackerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oasis 39. Insomnia inducer, to some 40. Young scout 41. Use rubber 45. Some security devices 46. Homophone for 31-Down 48. Short trailer 49. Apple variety 50. Vocalistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gift 51. Sit well 52. Irish poet 54. Laurel and Lee 55. German article 56. Freudian selves 57. ____ Mia! 59. Bill, and other science guys 62. Dilution unit: abbr. 63. Arab garb Crossword by Krystian Imgrund
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LAST WEEKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SOLUTION B A I T E G G O D E A D D M O M A R E S G R A P I S N O D O A G E N C A R E H I E D E N D A E L E V R E M O S T O W
B L Y O L P A W E T U B D A E R G S A T I E N V E E D
C A S T R O A L S R I M
A P E L E S I N S S A R B Y W N D E R O A R N Y E E O S T N T T A U O U P O N T P E M I T W E N T O T E E W E S
M A D E A S A L E
A M W A Y L E V E R
F O I N C T Y S
S H E D P U L E A R F S S C A B W O V E A M O S G A N T E N R A S E E G A L D E N S D E E E F O U R T A M E S T A G
Congratulations to last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winner...
JeďŹ&#x20AC;rey Turgeon! Please stop by the Ontarion oďŹ&#x192;ce to pick up your
2 Free Bobs Dogs!
And bring in your complete crosswords for your chance to win!
Visit www.sundaycinema.ca for more info on these Central Student Association events all day
7:30 pm doors
csa book fair S
ACK
ERB PAP
99¢ - $6.99
Books for everyone: cookbooks, coffee table books, health books, how-to books, craft & gardening books, kids books & much much more!
7:00 pm
8:00 pm
noon
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A great time to stock up! courtyard sale
Thurs Jan 21 to Fri Jan 22 uc courtyard Thurs 8 am to 11 pm | Fri 8 am to 5 pm
live music Fri Jan 22
docurama Mon Feb 1
sunday cinema Sun Feb 7
dublin street united church
thornbrough 1307 | free
war memorial hall
nooner Wed Feb 10 uc courtyard
68 Suffolk West | $18 UoG stu | $20 gen Copresented with Kaleidoscope Promotions
Co-presented with MacLaughlin Library Lifting the veil on our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food industry.
FREE DVD screening for UoG stu | $3 general Nut up or shut up.
Broadcast live on CFRU 93.3 FM A sweetly sophisticated display of music-making.