Issue 4, Vol 143, The Brunswickan

OPINION // RELIGION, POLITICS, RANTING, DEBATES>> OH MY!!!

Volume 143 · Issue 4 • September 30, 2009

thebruns.ca

brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

football rules.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Saint John Sealwoves quaterback Jeremy McAulay (#3) evades a tackle from UNB Red Bombers defensive tackle Tyler Doak during play at Chapman Field on Saturday night. The Red Bombers have a two week bye and will take to the field once again to host Moncton Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at Chapman Field.

“I started this four years ago. I went in constant contact with UNB to make CIS football wouldn’t be returning to John Phillips nailed a field goal with only to every football team in Quebec and At- UNB football reality. On one occasion UNB anytime soon.

25 seconds left.

Colin McPhail Wisniewski then proceeded to look After the final play wrapped up and lantic Canada and I looked at the history in particular, the university considered The Brunswickan the satisfied crowd left the field, the where there used to be 20 university or giving a letter of intent to the group stat- at it from a different angle. He spoke to overall sentiment was that this recently college teams and three military teams.” ing that if they could produce a certain several members of the community to Twenty-nine years ago, the University of announced Atlantic Football League will “I thought ‘Why is there so few at the amount of money, UNB football would find an alternative way to bring football New Brunswick cancelled the school’s be a successful venture. back to UNB. The solution: a club team. [university level], when there is so many see the light of day. football program. In an enormous ef“Everybody took a look at it and said “For a variety of very good reasons, the I must digress to acknowledge those at the [minor level]. It’s the big cost of fort from the general managers, coaches, who worked to develop the program scholarships that dries up the cost. We university decided against [the letter],” it’s not a bad idea. It’s less expensive and it players and volunteers of three southern before it was officially announced before thought that it would work, if we stayed said Red Bombers’ GM Larry Wisniew- goes back to the origins of football in the New Brunswick cities, UNB football was the beginning of the school year. Before away from that.” ski. “I think Pat was really disappointed Maritimes anyway. When it first started resurrected on a cool September Saturday the announcement could be made, there As for the UNB team itself, there was by that experience and I was disappointed here, it was club football.” night in Chapman Field.

Wisniewski, Barry Odgen of Saint were a number of people working behind a group of alumni in Ottawa that were as well.”

The Red Bombers battled the Saint the scenes for several years.

Wisniewski was unhappy with the way John and Dan Fougere of Moncton feverishly pursuing the reinstatement of John Seawolves in front of a capacity Barry Odgen, the General Manager the Red Bombers football program. At the negotiations were handled and how crowd that filled both sides of the field. and President of the Saint John Sea- the centre of the group was Pat Gillan.

Gillan, who had done so much for the In a thrilling finish, the Seawolves edged wolves, explained the thought process It was a longtime dream of Gillan’s to university, was treated. Unfortunately for the home team 16-14 as UNBSJ kicker behind the Atlantic Football League. see CIS football back at UNB, and he was Gillan, his dream wouldn’t be realized.

SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 14

Women of Fredericton ‘take back the night’ in annual march Fredericton women marched through the downtown streets on Friday night in a powerful and empowering display Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

“Wish I may. Wish I might. Free our lives.

Take back the night.

These were the words echoing throughout Fredericton’s downtown core on Friday night as dozens of women

marched through the street, unaccompanied by men, in the annual Take Back the Night March.

The march, hosted by the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre (FSACC), is celebrating its 24th year. Take Back the Night is a powerful display of female bonding and strength.

Jenn Gorham, program coordinator with the FSACC, said the chanting that boomed from the marching group was not angry, but jubilant and joyous.

“It is individuals coming out, basically saying ‘enough’. I should be safe walking from my class to my car. I should be safe in my place of employment, in my home, with my friends, when I’m out at a bar. If I’m going for a run, I should be able to run without being shouted at, or molested or harassed,” Gorham said.

“Those individual voices are coming together to say ‘enough’. We want to be safe and be able to move about freely in society.”

The program coordinator said the event time and place is symbolic because issues of sexual abuse and harassment are often shrouded in darkness by society.

She also said that the female-only walk is symbolic because women are most often told not to go out at night alone for fear of sexual assault or harassment.

“When we think of the messages sent to women about being safe, that’s one of the ones. ‘Oh, don’t go out at night alone,’ that type of message. It’s flying

in the face of that idea, that we should be safe walking alone at night or unaccompanied by men at night,” Gorham said, including the example that when she jogs by herself, she is often shouted at by men in passing cars, something that never happens when she jogs with her husband.

Roughly 100 men and women came to City Hall on Friday at 8 p.m. to

SEE NIGHT PAGE 2

2 • Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143

brunswickannews

Fredericton women reclaim the right to night FROM NIGHT PAGE 1

march, or stand by to support marchers.

Women weaved through the downtown sidewalks, chanting, cheering and waving signs in a jubilant display. Some passing cars honked and were met by a chorus of cheering responses from marchers.

Everywhere, women were laughing and exchanging stories with each other.

The walk ended by looping back to City Hall, where a crowd of waiting men stood applauding and supporting the marchers. Sonja Perley, a women’s rights activist originally from Tobique who works closely with aboriginal women’s issues, was the guest speaker at the event.

Her speech touched upon the sexual violence endured by women in New Brunswick, notably aboriginal women.

She also mentioned Hilary Bonnell, the 16-year old aboriginal girl from Burnt Church, NB who has been missing since Sept. 6. Burnt Church also conducted a similar walk on Friday night for Bonnell in their community.

The speech was followed by a “meet and greet” session at the Crisis Centre for participants of the walk.

Emily Nearing, a second year St. Thomas student, participated in the walk. She said it was an important event for women in Fredericton.

“Just the people honking on the street, showing their support. Even if only ten people are now aware of the issue, that’s ten people more,” she said. She, along with her friend Amanda Greer, said they would do the march again and encourage more women to join in.

Jenn Richard, project facilitator for the FSACC, was master of ceremonies for the event. She was pleased with this year’s success.

“It was great to hear them, as the women were coming down Queen Street. To hear them chanting and being very powerful. There was a lot of strength.”

Take Back the Night events have been held across the globe since the 1970s and are dedicated to helping women attain safety from sexual harassment and abuse while empowering themselves and others.

Submitted

Fredericton women of all ages marched through the streets of downtown this past weekend, reclaiming the right to walk outside at night.

New liquor store to grace downtown Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Students living downtown rejoice—there is finally going to be a new liquor store in downtown Fredericton. No more deliveries, no more cab runs.

The historical train station on York Street will be converted into a liquor store within the next year.

First, however, the station needs extensive restoration. J.D. Irving owns the property, and the company will be footing the $2 million bill to cover repairs.

“The first action will be roof restoration,” says Mary Keith, Vice President Communications with J.D. Irving.

She says restoration will follow a heritage design, and be restored to the design it had “in its heyday.”

Keith says construction workers will be on site shortly.

Once the existing structure is completely refurbished, an extension will be built to house “products, checkouts, cold room, warehouse and offices,” says Dana Clendenning, president and CEO

of Alcool NB Liquor, in a recent press release. “Each will be open to the other.”

The original building will function as a specialty area for wines, product sampling, product display, and food preparation.

Mayor Brad Woodside is excited for the transformation.

“I’m very pleased that we are seeing some resolution of the problem of this dilapidated train station that has been an issue for Frederictonians for a long time,” he says.

“It’s a good location to replace the old liquor store [on King Street] that used to be downtown.”

Woodside says the use of the building is not as important to him as the fact that someone will finally be occupying the building.

Once work on the site begins, Woodside says it will continue through to the spring, with completion hoped for by August 2010.

“They’re not going to drag their feet,” he says.

Alcool NB Liquor will lease the refurbished building from JDI under a 20-year lease.

the bruns breeds champs. to become one, email news@thebruns.ca.

brunswickannews

Sept 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143 • 3

It’s all downhill from here

Gender stereotypes affect healthcare: Johnson Cat Wilson The Brunswickan

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

Far from just coasting along, engineers from across Atlantic Canada and even a few from Maine raced homemade cars down the UNB campus this past weekend. Pictured above is the second place car, The General Lee.

Sandy Chase The Brunswickan Imagine sitting inside a 500 pound metal frame with wheels while speeding down the UNB hill at over 60 kilometers an hour.

By 10 a.m. on Sept. 26, a chilly Saturday morning, the coaster derby teams were going through their practice runs down the one kilometer track. Scattered throughout the route were various obstacles made of tires to test the steering of the cars. A squack of static bursts over the radio, “Ok, we are all clear. Five, four, three, two, one, GO!” and the next car tears down the track from the Aitken Centre to the Lady Beaverbrook Gym. Welcome to the 35th annual mechanical engineering coaster derby. Five teams of

engineers from UNB and one team from the University of Maine have brought their car-like creations to put them to the test on the steep hill that is the UNB campus.

“I would say that it’s one of those oncein-a-lifetime opportunities, and I kinda came to UNB because of it,” said Micheal Grant, a graduating mechanical engineer and driver of the car called “The Punisher.”

“Building your own car I’ll admit is a challenge, but once you have it it’s one of those joys that you really do enjoy... from start to finish it took a year...but every year I spend a little time on it and and I tinker with it,” he said, adding that this was his third year driving his car.

At the top of the hill beside the south gym is the starting line. The cars are started by two teammates pushing the car for short distance until gravity takes over to carry the car down the hill that has a 55 story drop in elevation.

“It’s freaky man, your eyes are watering, and the [obstacles] come so fast and I’m so

low in my car that, you don’t really get a good appreciation of it, but you can’t even see the barriers till you come over the hill, it’s right there and you have to figure out what you’re going to do,” said Nick Stillwell, fourth year mechanical engineering student and driver of the car “The General Lee.” Most of the cars at the derby have seen their fair share of races, including The General Lee, which has been racing since 1999. Stillwell has been driving the General Lee since 2007, when he bought it from friends who had originally built it.

He’s won the derby for the past two years.

“This is the fastest time I’ve ever put up,” he added after he completed the time trials in the morning with the top time of 1:08.

The team from the University of Maine won the first place prize of $500, while Stillwell got second.

Biomed won third place, while the Green Machine won crowd favorite due to the fact that it flipped over and kept on trucking.

PIRGs an umbrella for activism Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

The New Brunswick Public Interest Research Group Society (NBPIRG) will function as a point of connection for social justice organizations in the province. NBPIRG was recently ratified as a university society by the University of New Brunswick Student Union. The group held its first public meeting of the school year last week.

The meeting was well-attended by about thirty students from UNB and St. Thomas University as well as several community members, and took place Monday Sept. 21 in Tilley Hall. The meeting began with three guest speakers and closed with a question and answer period which served as an opportunity for newcomers to learn about PIRGs and what they do.

The first Public Interest Research Group, a public interest law firm, was started in the early seventies by Ralph Nader in Washington D.C. PIRGs have since evolved and spread across the United States and Canada on college campuses and continue to spread today.

Canadian groups operate differently than those in the United States where many receive state support through funding

and political participation. Canadian PIRGs, such as Nova Scotia-PIRG and Ontario-PIRG, are student-funded and student-run organizations that are independent from each other.

“PIRGs are a way to connect all the social, environmental and economic justice activities going on on campus with what is going on in the community.

They provide a starting point for people looking to get involved in activism for the first time,” Ella Henry, Vice-President of Education for St. Thomas University, said in a speech introducing the concept of a PIRG to the group.

PIRGs operate as an umbrella organization for social justice working groups. Some working groups that NBPIRG have suggested working with include Keep it Downtown, the effort to keep the Acadian Lines Bus station in the downtown area, the Coalition for Bottled Water Free Campuses and the UNB-Guatemala Legal Solidarity, among others. “[PIRGs] can start by connecting one student who has never been involved in social action with other people who are interested in the same issue. They can form a working group and connect people with resources from the library or through student research and connect the working group with community organizations and people across the country who are working on the same issue,” Henry said.

The society is currently working to bring an official PIRG to New Brunswick. As of right now, the PIRG is ratified as a society and not as the final product of the group.

They are building up to a referendum, to be held at an undetermined date, to have an opt-out fee introduced to students to support the PIRG. Henry said the group hopes to have a referendum in the spring, but will be operating as though they are an official PIRG until then.

Asaf Rashid, another guest speaker, has worked with NS-PIRG at Dalhousie University as their campaigns coordinator. He said that when the school introduced a small student fee for the PIRG, only ten people opted out. Fees for PIRGs are typically under $5 per student for the year.

Willi Nolan, a rural New Brunswick resident who has been an activist for 35 years, has worked extensively with PIRGs throughout North America and other social justice groups across the country.

She spoke to the group about the importance of social action and its impact on the world, as well as the problems that can arise when the PIRG comes into conflict with other groups.

Following the guest speakers, the floor opened for questions with many attendees expressing interest in a PIRG. For more information visit www. nbpirg.org.

A recent talk at UNB on the topic of sex and gender revealed that both men and women are stereotyped when it comes to health care, sometimes preventing them from receiving the care they need.

Dr. Joy Johnson’s public discussion at Maclaggan Hall last Thursday evening addressed concerns involving the implications related to sex and gender in medical treatment. She also discussed the ramifications of certain procedures and the need for further research.

“There are assumptions we as the public take for granted; for instance [that] everyone in Canada has equal access to health care,” Johnson, the scientific director of the Institute of Gender and Health in Vancouver remarked.

Johnson explained that gender is considered a social construct which defines a person’s characteristics based on stereotypes of masculinity or femininity.

Hence, brawny, muscular individuals are considered ‘manly’ while long-haired, well groomed, large-breasted individuals are ‘feminine’. Rather than strictly classifying people as either male or female, gender ranges on a continuum from extreme masculinity to extreme femininity according to the Bem Sex Role Inventory, a measurement tool mentioned during the lecture.

Johnson told the audience that gender characterizes the way we interact with each other, it defines our dress, our posture, our opportunities and even the availability of monetary means. As for the distinction between gender and sex, Johnson elaborated: “Sex is a biological construct... it’s not a single thing. There are a number of factors that make up who we are.” In terms of physiology, organs define one’s sex. However, like gender, sex ranges on a continuum and those who are not strictly a man or woman fall under the category of inter-sexed.

Johnson suggested that it should come as no surprise that gender influences the way doctors and patients interact. A study conducted by Robert A. Fowler and reported in the CMAJ Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) in December 2007 investigated treatment of patients in emergency rooms in relation to their sex.

Fowler found that men were more readily attended to and received more rigorous treatment than women. In addition, procedures like knee replace-

ments were found to take longer to heal in women than in men. When further researched, the knees of men and women were found to be structurally different, leading to the commercialised Gender Knee now available for knee replacements, designed to account for physiological variances. Gender Knees appear to fit 20 per cent of male patients better than standard replacements, which leads to the question of whether the Gender Knee is simply better designed, or whether the continuum of sex plays a role in the physiology of the knee and its healing process.

Other concerns related to sex and gender involved diagnosis of depression, for instance, in which there tends to be a bias toward female diagnosis. Reported rates of depression in women exceed those of men, despite the significant numbers of male suicides. This could be related to the stereotype that women tend to cry more readily than men. The number of diagnoses of depression in women seem larger, as societal pressures exist which push men to avoid displays of emotion, Johnson said.

According to Johnson, societal norms may also account for the discrepancies between genders of patients seen at health clinics. More women tend to go for treatment while men feel largely out of place, making interactions with their general practitioner challenging.

“Your doctor’s office is a feminised space. Think about the magazines and think about the colour of the walls.

When you look around most of the people are women,” Johnson said.

Sex and gender play roles in many other areas, ranging from drug dosages to reactions to surgery and treatment, and the need for further research and integration of the knowledge into medical schools and treatment methods is evident. The scope of repercussions in sex-alteration procedures, the effects of testosterone on female bodies and estrogen on male bodies, and the psychological benefits of such procedures in transgendered individuals demand more investigation.

When asked about the lack of investigation of the H1N1 virus with respect to gender, Johnson noted the lack of meaningful difference in the reaction of either gender during preliminary tests.

She also mentioned the recent discovery of heightened susceptibility to H1N1 in pregnant women.

Johnson concluded by acknowledging that doctors and nurses should act upon their current knowledge and methods and that researchers should make it a priority to address issues of gender in medicine in order to change the policies.

“It is the job certainly of researchers to think about these things,” Johnson said.

4 • Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143

Council discusses student financial aid Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Among the many interesting topics raised at this week’s UNB Student Union Council meeting was the issue of student finances and need.

The UNBSU gives $4,500 each year to feed students in need. The money is given to Financial Services, and then distributed to students in need in the form of Sobeys gift certificates.

Another $2,500 is reserved for student parents, and this money is given out in the form of $500 bursaries for parents who are struggling with the financial difficulties of attending school while raising children.

These bursaries are also given out

by Financial Aid. The bulk of the meeting revolved around a discussion of whether or not this is a suitable allocation of the funds.

SU President Jon O’Kane asked Councilors what they thought of this current system, putting the topic up for discussion.

Many councilors expressed concerns about both the amount of money given for financial aid and the way it is managed.

VP Student Services Stephanie Lord expressed concern at the way in which the student parent bursaries are given out.

“I want to see the most students helped who are most in need,” she said.

She felt that dividing the $2,500 fund into five bursaries is not an effective way to do this, and spoke of finding a

way to spend the money on something everyone can use.

Councilor Hambrook drew attention to the SU’s $13,000 surplus, suggesting that perhaps some of this money could be given to students in need.

“Food subsidy is like parking,” O’Kane replied. “There’s always going to be more demand no matter how much time and money is put into it.”

Tom Cheney, one of three Arts reps, said “as much money as possible” should be put toward helping students who need food, as opposed to “throwing money away for concerts.”

This sparked some debate, with Computer Science rep Ash Furrow saying, “We can’t allocate all of our funds into one thing. This is not a problem that can be fixed by throwing all of our money at it.”

“We have to be realistic,” said Lord.

Karlie Hanoiski, another Arts rep, agreed with Cheney, saying that it is somewhat irresponsible to spend an excessive amount of money on entertainment when students are literally starving on campus.

Alicia Chaisson, Kinesiology rep, said “Entertainment is of value because it can be enjoyed by so many students.”

In the end, a consensus was not reached, and discussion will continue.

Council also discussed the upcoming SU byelection. O’Kane said nominations were received for all available positions, with the Forestry & Environmental Management rep and Residence Liason running uncontested. Four applications were received for the position of Arts rep, and the one Senate position has been elected by acclamation.

Voting opens on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 12:01 a.m.

brunswickannews Student housing: how to protect your rights Lee Larrett The Brunswickan Some students move into rooms that are exactly what they expected and immediately begin to forge a positive relationship with their landlord. Others are not so lucky. Understanding the laws surrounding renting and your rights as a tenant can prevent a housing disaster.

The Office of the Rentalsman is a government service that provides information on rental responsibilities and rights. The office also assists landlords and tenants in resolving problems out of court. Part of the office’s responsibility is to hold security deposits.

Maurice Bouchard, Office Manager for Fredericton’s Rentalsman, ,has some advice for student renters. First he suggests to renters that at the start of their tenancy they perform an inspection and note the condition of the unit before moving in. He says it’s a good idea to do the inspection with more than one person and make a report; if you can find witnesses have them sign it. You should note things like the location of carpet stains, marks, or holes in the walls.

“If the landlord hasn’t had an inspection done then it will be hard for him not to accept the one you’ve completed,” Bouchard says. This protects your security deposit from false claims.

He also suggests that if your landlord has made promises to renovate or repair the unit that you get it in writing.

Should the landlord not complete what he has promised to do you can give your landlord seven days notice to complete the project; if he fails to do so you can take your complaint to the Rentalsman.

However, if what your landlord has promised to do is more aesthetic than functional repair, the Rentalsman can have a difficult time ensuring the project gets done. The Rentalsman “may not be in a position to enforce something for you unless you could show us that it was promised to you and the only way to do that would be to have it in writing from your landlord,” says Bouchard.

“If you give something to your landlord in writing, make sure you keep a copy for yourself. Make sure that you know when it was served. It should be addressed to the landlord, it should be signed by the tenant, it should state what the notice is about, and a copy should be kept.”

Keeping a copy for yourself can be especially important should the relationship between you and your landlord sour. A copy of documents can protect you if the landlord denies notices or other dealings.

Bouchard said that one of the most

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Students often find themselves in less than desirable housing accommodations, such as the one above, with no resources to find a way out. common issues dealt with by the Rentalsman is failure to serve notice to terminate a contract.

“In the spring one thing that we find is that the tenants don’t always know, or realize, what type of contract they were under, what their obligations are ... one thing they don’t always do is serve their notice on time,” he says.

Some leases are very specific with how much notice you must give before you move out. Bouchard warned that failing to provide enough notice can leave you on the hook for an extra month’s rent should the landlord not find another tenant in time to replace you. “[Students] should find out for sure what is required under the contract; it’s a legally binding contract. Once they sign it they’re responsible for it.”

Bouchard explained that landlords are not allowed to keep security deposits. By law they are to be returned to the Rentalsman’s office. The landlord has seven days after a tenant gives him or her the deposit to return it to the office, and tenants will be issued a receipt that the Rentalsman has received the deposit shortly after.

“That’s the law in New Brunswick; if [the landlord] does not do it then he’s committing an offence and he will be prosecuted, but we’re not going to go and prosecute a landlord for not returning a security deposit to this office if the tenant is not coming forward to see us with the evidence that the deposit was made,” Bouchard says.

The Rentalsman’s office protects the security deposit from being cashed for no reason. A landlord must make a claim within seven days of a tenant leaving, and if the tenant disagrees with the level of damage being claimed they can dispute it.

The Rentalsman investigates any dispute.

A UNB student moved in this September to a host of problems, including the realization that she was renting a room in a boarding house, not an apartment.

She prefers to remain anonymous as she is worried about potential backlash from her landlord. As part of protecting her anonymity her landlord was not contacted, and so has not had the chance to comment.

“So far in New Brunswick the residential tenancy act, the law that I’m here to enforce, does not look after rooming or boarding houses. ... I don’t have the power to do anything for them. There is discussion right now that in the near future it would be looked after by the Rentalsman, but not yet,” Bouchard said.

The anonymous UNB student has had two security cheques cashed, and was not allowed to move in Aug. 1, as her lease had outlined. Despite this, her August rent cheque was cashed. Her rental unit has many safety issues—there are no working fire alarms, no railing on her staircase, and there are un-insulated water pipes which may freeze during winter.

The student said that she and her roommate did a walkthrough of the apartment before renting, but the landlord promised many renovations.

“It’s difficult to make an assessment of whether or not something’s appropriate when [the landlord] is like ‘I’m going to change that.’ They redid our kitchen cabinets, but there were some things he told us he would do that he didn’t do,” the student said.

Boarders have fewer rights than renters, and she never would have known that she was in a boarding house if she had not made her original security deposit out to the Rentalsman. At that point her landlord approached her to explain that it was a boarding house.

The Rentalsman describes a boarding house as rented rooms with a communal common area, bathroom and kitchen.

Although her residence doesn’t fit that description her landlord may be claiming it as a boarding house to save on insurance and avoid the Rentalsman. She will be taking her case to the Rentalsman for assistance.

Bouchard said that when students run into renting issues they should consult the Rentalsman website for answers, and call the office for advice.

There are many resources available to students to teach them the do’s and don’ts of renting. A comprehensive guide is available on the UNB Student Union website called the “Off Campus Handbook.” Other important information can be found on the Rentalsman website at www.snb.ca/irent.

brunswickanopinion

Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143 • 5

editor@thebruns.ca

Breaking the piggybank for education The Brunswickan

Contributors Zaheer Abbas, Stephanie Allen, Chris Cameron, Kathryn Chase, Sandy Chase, Alison Clack, Maggie DeWolfe, Dave Evans, Sarah Farquhar, Josh Fleck, Kennie Gathuru, Dan Hagerman, Cody Jack, Jacques Landry, Simon Leslie, Brandon MacNeil, Cameron Mitchell, Matthew Murray, Nick Ouellette, Brian Savoie, Hilary Paige Smith, Ysabelle Vautour, Alex Wickwire & Valerie Woodman.

The Brunswickan relies primarily on a volunteer base to produce its issues every week. Volunteers can drop by room 35 of the SUB at any time to find out how they can get involved.

About Us The Brunswickan, in its 143rd year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

Internet

It’s no secret that shelling out the cash to pay for university can break the bank-- no secret to upper-years at least. Each year a new gaggle of frosh arrive on the hill, and each year those frosh are crippled by the outrageous costs of PSE. own means. Who, in their right mind, would have considered that before?

But what will Bobby do now? Blood donation? Sperm bank? This is the ugly reality a college student must face. The obscene price of his textbooks looms over him like a night of binge drinking hangs over a recovering alcoholic.

And these expenses are not including the other necessary purchases of any self-respecting student. In order to completely understand the grandeur of the fortune being pissed away, one must take into account the materials of a working night: a litre of coffee; as well as a normal night: five bottles of

colt 45 and three packs of cigarettes.

These things tend to add up over the nights. Just wait, you’ll get there. You will soon be reduced to penny pinching of epic proportions. Pick up that spare change, and ignore the disgusted looks of passers-by, it may be the only cash you see for quite some time.

Prayer: an integral part of understanding culture The Opinionator Nick Howard

I think Richard Dawkins is a pompous ass. There I said it, and I have a feeling I’m not the only one who thinks it.

He may be right; he may be frustrated with impenetrably illogical arguments amounting to “have faith”; and he may be British; none of this, however, gives him the right to belittle and condescend to religious tradition. I don’t equate myself with the men of faith who provide sparring partners for Dawkins, nor do I compare our Editor-in-chief to the god of all atheists; however, I can’t let Ms. Ratchford’s perturbed views of prayer go uncontested in these pages.

I’d like to take a moment before beginning to applaud the University community on the intelligent dialogue held in response to Sarah’s article “Say your prayers at graduation?” last week. Thebruns. ca was full of interesting and meaningful

Editor-in-Chief • Sarah Ratchford Managing • Alex Duncan News • Lee Larrett Arts • Doug Estey Sports • Colin McPhail Photo • Andrew Meade Copy •Nick Howard Production • Christian Hapgood Online • Alison Clack Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Dan Gallagher

Jonathan W. Salmon

It seems as though homelessness is quickly becoming a more viable option these days. After handing over your life savings, and everything else just short of your soul in order to pay for school, there are limited resources left for living expenses. This is why I have come to regard street-dwelling--a cost effective alternative to a residence--as the best idea since microwaveable lunches.

In the year 2000, students were paying double what they had been paying in the ten years prior. Since then, the cost has steadily risen. Although the cost of education varies from university to university, and even between programs (various schools charge Arts students the least. Ho ho! It looks like I am in the right faculty) it is hard to ignore the bank-breaking spending young adults must endure for higher learning.

And, after believing that the onslaught of thievery has come to an abrupt halt, the unsuspecting Bobby Student is blindsided by a vicious awakening--that he must shatter his beloved piggy bank in order to cover the cost of books. After the deliberate murder of his pink pal, Bobby is horrified to discover buttons and pennies in the place of his fortune (apparently infant children have limited resources to fill their bank with). A more costeffective path would be to grow his own tree, simply to cut it down, make paper and print his own textbook. I can’t stress the growing your own tree part enough. Apparently, Fredericton has strict laws against harvesting their trees with the motive to serve your

the brunswickan

Editorial Board

responses, in addition to the facebook posts that discussed the topic of public prayer. In my time at UNB I have never seen such volume of intelligent discussion stemming from an opinion column.

Bravo! Now, you just need to move those responses into the paper. Until that day comes however, I will be here, ensuring no prayer is unfairly criticized.

I have to admit that I wasn’t there.

I didn’t hear the prayer at the UNB graduation ceremonies, so my opinion is based entirely on Sarah’s column from last week. One of the primary arguments in said column, and one which is overused in the “infallible faith vs. atheist ass” argument, is that prayer at public occasions deprives those of other faiths of the opportunity to choose their religious involvement. Well, I am deprived of choices daily based on the culture and traditions of the place in which I choose to live and study. I can’t choose to go to a delicious Vietnamese restaurant or to visit a Buddhist monastery. I can choose to eat at the Cellar and visit a gorgeous Anglican Cathedral. By choosing to live in Fredericton we also choose to live in its culture and traditions. This is not to say that we have to accept them, or that we can’t try to change them, simply that

we should try to respect them.

Sarah also mentions the comfort level of international students during such a ceremony. I have a feeling however, that those of other faiths (and us atheists, by many definitions, are faithful) and our international students are not complaining. Having been an international student before I know that I relished any chance I got to soak up the local traditions and culture, to which religion was often central. I am, as I think most of our international students and people of other faiths probably are, comfortable enough with my own identity to simply enjoy religious experiences as the integral aspects of the culture that they are.

And religion is integral. As much as we try to ignore it these days, as much as those faith-based arguments are frustrating to us atheists, religion is a part of all of us. Many of our laws, morals, proverbs and what we consider common sense can be traced back to some version of Christianity. Yes, they have evolved and changed with the centuries, but their roots are no less religious for it. And yes, Dawkin, we may be able to come to moral and ethical conclusions without religion, but the fact is that we didn’t. Perhaps if Christian ethics were never codified we

would all be familiar with “Bobby-Jo’s best practices in ethics and morals”. But we get Joseph, John, Jesus and the other guys. Does this mean we have to start stoning people of other faiths? No, we are now guaranteed of our freedom to make our own decisions on how to act.

Our ancestors were Christian, so rather than hiding from it, why not understand it and learn from it. Take what you want, throw out the stoning.

We all need to take a proverbial pill and enjoy every facet of the culture and traditions that surround us. Would you turn down participation in an ancient Buddhist prayer ritual while traveling in Nepal? I would venture to guess that few would. Just because it’s different doesn’t have to make it “better” or “more interesting”. When was the last time you went to Christ Church Cathedral; if for no other reason than to enjoy the historically significant and beautiful architecture and the quiet? Acceptance is a journey of understanding, learning and ultimately appreciation. The journey doesn’t have to take us physically further than our own graduation ceremony.

Nick Howard is copy editor for the Brunswickan and a third year Renaissance College student.

We are an autonomous student newspaper owned and operated

by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a non-profit, independent body.

We are a founding member of the Canadian University Press, and love it so. We are also members of U-Wire, a media exchange of university media throughout North America.

We publish weekly during the academic year with a circulation of 6,000.

Letters Must be submitted by e-mail including your name, letters with pseudonymns will not be printed.

Letters must be 400 words at maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m. before each issue.

Editorial Policy While we endeavour to provide an open forum for a variety of viewpoints and ideas, we may refuse any submission considered by the editorial board to be racist, sexist, libellous, or in any way discriminatory.

The opinions and views expressed in this newspaper are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Brunswickan, its Editorial Board, or its Board of Directors.

All editorial content appearing in The Brunswickan is the property of Brunswickan Publishing Inc. Stories, photographs, and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the express, written permission of the Editorin-Chief.

21 Pacey Drive, SUB Suite 35 Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 main office • (506) 447-3388 advertising • (506) 452-6099 fax • (506) 453-5073 email • editor@thebruns.ca www.thebruns.ca

brunswickanopinion

6 • Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143

On the merits of open source software Ash Furrow The Brunswickan

When I started drumming up support for open source software (OSS) during last year’s UNB Student Union election, the reaction I received from most students was a veritable “huh?” of confusion. My answer was usually “Firefox” and the person showed a glimmer of understanding.

So, the question is really “What is OSS and why is it important to me as a student?”

The “open” in open source software indicates that it is freely available for anyone to use or modify. That is, anyone can download and use this software for absolutely no charge or fee. Sweet.

“So what” you ask? “Internet Explorer is free and Microsoft Office is free if you steal it. What’s the difference?” The difference is that the programmers of OSS are concerned with making the best software they can instead of making a profit.

Microsoft is very concerned with making sure that you’ve paid for that software and will continue to purchase upgrades, so your experience with it is likely to be hampered as a means to their end.

See, OSS is programmed by an online community of people who are donating

their time for fun. They enjoy writing software and collaborating with one another. I think that this is really cool; an entire online community is working together, exchanging ideas, and improving on existing concepts.

Companies can benefit from OSS, and frequently do. For example, Apple’s OS X contains many different open source components. Apple improves on them and releases the improvements freely back to the OSS community. That way Apple doesn’t have to program these components from scratch. More importantly, with many programmers from different perspectives looking at the code, the chance that a stubborn bug in the software will go undetected is significantly reduced.

OSS programmers come from all sorts of backgrounds. They are students, professional programmers, professors, and everyday people. Anyone (even you) can contribute to OSS. If you find a problem or if you have an idea to improve a piece of software, then you have direct communication with the programmers and can effect a positive change.

This is what really excites me about OSS: the free interchange of ideas between everyone involved. Ideas are useless unless you share them, and OSS is a practical example of how people all over the world are collaborating together to achieve a common goal.

Additionally, OSS offers the support of open standards; these standards ensure

that documents are able to be used for years to come. This is in contrast to a proprietary standard, like Word Perfect, that may result in expensive and lengthy translation when the program falls into disuse.

With the advent of Linux for netbooks and companies exploring means to cut costs, use of open source software is on the rise. The next time you need Microsoft Office and go to download an illegal copy of it, why not check out OpenOffice.org for a free equivalent.

You’re guaranteed not to get a virus, not to get arrested, and you will probably be surprised when you see how good legitimately free software can be.

Ash Furrow is the CS Councilor.

The old man rant a satire from Dave Evans

Welcome University Students This Coupon Presented with the Compliments of CLEANERS AND LAUNDROMAT

“THE EXTRA CARE CLEANERS SINCE 1962”

Open seven days a week

We offer convenient drop-off, wash-dry-fold laundry service Seamstress on duty

FREE WASH (with student I.D.)

Please present coupon for your choice of washer size

458-5535

Hours: Monday – Friday: 7:30 am – 9pm Saturday: 8 am – 5 pm Sunday: 9 am – 7 pm

Beaverbrook Ct. Next to Greco Minutes from campus with Ample Parking Offer Valid Until December 31, 2009 (Limit one coupon per person per visit)

I’ve always prided myself on being a law abiding citizen. When I get on the road, I obey traffic signs, wear my seatbelt and all the other junk the government tells me I have to do. I’m sure most of you do too, don’t you?

Well guess what? This week’s rant is for the small percentage of you jackasses who can’t follow the rules on the simplest of conveyances: the bicycle.

First, I can’t believe how many idiots drive around this city on bicycles without a helmet. Last time I checked, helmets were law, not a recommendation, and disobedience can result in a hefty fine if you get caught without one.

Second, bicycles are NOT allowed on the sidewalk. You have a vehicle, so you drive on the damn road like everyone else. I’m serious, check out city traffic by-law T-4, section 15. It says that the fine for cycling on sidewalks is between $50-$500. I hate walking down the sidewalk and almost getting clipped by some young asshole who refuses to drive on the street and put a bell on their bicycle (again, this is a required piece, as per the provincial motor vehicle act) because it doesn’t look “street”.

Third, why do these nuts think they can drive their bikes on the left-hand side of the street? Again, bicycles are treated exactly like cars, and thus are required to be on the right side. Why the hell would you risk a head on collision with a car travelling at 50km/hour? It makes absolutely no sense. The only way these morons’ behaviour could be justified is if they were either dropped on their heads as children, or that their mothers thought that being pregnant and drinking mint schnapps go hand in hand.

To put this in perspective, about two weeks ago I was driving to work; my commute usually involves a trip up Windsor Street and on to campus. So, I was on Beaverbrook, turning right onto Windsor, when this greasy looking, long haired schmuck came flying down the left-hand side of Windsor, no helmet, almost ramming me as I go to make a very slow right-hand turn. Naturally, even though I have to swerve around him, almost hitting another car in the process, he proceeded to give me every dirty look he could think of. What the hell?

More and more, dicks like that guy seem to have this grand sense of entitlement that allows them the moral freedom to disregard their safety and mine. Like I said at the beginning, I think the police do a great job, but they really need to step up and crack down on these jackasses. A lot of public awareness money seems to be going into construction zone and school zone safety, which is great; but bicycle safety is important too and needs to be communicated and enforced. Point is, if you’re reading this and happen to be one of the idiots I’ve talked about, smarten up, get a helmet and drive correctly. Otherwise, I won’t shed a tear when I have to scrape you off of my windshield. Dave Evans is a grumpy old man. He doesn’t believe in this new-fangled email stuff.

have an opinion? let us know!

editor@thebruns.ca

brunswickanopinion

Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143 • 7

Student

Viewpoint.

Let everyone know whats on your mind.

“It doesn’t affect me.”

“Not Really.”

Ahmed El-Bayoumi

Ashley Thomas “Yes, religion should be expressed.”

Dave Andereychuk

“No, definitely not.”

Beth Wittmann

“It doesn’t bother me.”

“Yes it does.”

Jessica Pattison

“I don’t see the need for it.”

Nicola Watson

Do you think religion has a place in public universities?

Kristen Brown

“It should be left out.”

“Yes.”

Robyn Potter

Will Allen

brunswickaninternational

8 • Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143

North American food takes adjusting to

Xenophobia still prevalent in 2009: international student Speak Out Ayat Abed Isaid

Christian Hapgood / The Brunswickan

Foods like those pictured above can he hard on the stomach, and international students sometimes have an especially hard time adjusting to them.

Culture Shock Danielle Bodie

I think I speak for every international student in saying that when you first arrive at university, you either love or hate cafeteria food. But no matter how you feel about it everyone’s stomach usually has the same response, the classic “tummy rumblings”.

The funny thing about these rumblings is that it can happen at any time, usually when you least expect it. A student can be in the middle of a class, when everything is quiet, and all of a sudden their stomach starts growling. This is puzzling for most because this usually happens after you’ve eaten; it’s not a matter of hunger. So the classic question is, ‘What causes international students’ stomachs to rumble for no apparent reason?’

In my first year of university I was really excited to have cafeteria food. I loved that all I had to do was swipe a card and I would get food in a matter of minutes. However, while I was happy on the outside, my tummy wasn’t happy on the inside. I remember the first time the “tummy rumblings” happened to me.

I was in my first year English Literature

class and I had just raised my hand to answer a question; when I was called upon my stomach answered for me. I was a first year and I was extremely embarrassed as some people giggled and my professor made a joke about me being hungry. I, however, didn’t find it funny because I wasn’t hungry. I had just had a huge breakfast!

After recovering from my embarrassment I decided to do some research. I came to the conclusion that it was the change in my diet that caused the rumblings. I found it hard to believe that my stomach would rumble the whole school year but when I went home for Christmas or summer vacation it would magically stop. It was downright fascinating. Due to my discovery I tried to minimize the rumblings as much as possible. I drank more tea and ginger ale, hoping to settle my tummy. Neither of the antidotes worked.

After trying to solve the issue and failing, I discussed it with other international students; I found out I was not alone.

We all experienced this rumbling sound before and after meals. I remember when a friend of mine said with a laugh, “The next time it happens just look around as if it wasn’t you and no one will be the wiser.” So from then on my tummy has never rumbled in class or any public place.

People just think that it is someone close to me who must be hungry.

Fear of the unknown can often lead to unintended consequences; faced with the unknown people often make unusual and irrational decisions.

The fear of the unknown and the ignorance some people have toward many immigrants helps create stereotypes and prejudices. Even after the end of World War II, the prejudices

toward all immigrants who looked both physically and culturally different was obvious. Prejudice against Canadian cultural minorities such as Japanese and Jewish people, lasted for many years until Canada started its multiculturalism policy in 1971.

When we restrict people’s freedoms and imply that people should experience or live in “our” culture, we find ourselves living in fear.

Xenophobia is defined in The Oxford dictionary as “a fear or dislike of people from other countries.”

The Canadian population is ethnically diverse. The process of integration for immigrants has not been easy due to the unreasonable fear of foreigners which is common among Canadians.

For example, I went to the mall with my friend who came from the United Arab Emirates to finish her degree in

Canada. She felt upset. People kept staring at us, giving us weird looks that were filled with fear. I just want to tell my friend and others that because we look different doesn’t mean that we deserve different treatment. Canada is becoming more multicultural each year and for many of us xenophobia is still an issue. Human Rights activists around the world consider xenophobia to be a crime against humanity.

But the big question is: can xenophobia be defeated?

I don’t to have an answer for this question. But I think that with proper education and strict laws we can deconstruct the wall that separates immigrants from the rest of Canadian society. Hopefully deeper appreciation for human beings and diversity will encourage us to stop xenophobia once and for all.

Foreign aid should be given responsibly The Global Eye Sam Perlmutter

Foreign aid can be an invaluable resource for developing countries. Aid can be used as a tool for reconstruction and development, but, conversely, it can also help propagate corruption and human rights abuses.

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton recently announced that the United States, in response to the recent coup by the military and its subsequent refusal to accept the reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya, would be cutting off its foreign aid to Honduras. 200 million dollars worth of aid is being withheld until democracy is restored.

Days before this the Commonwealth voted to expel Fiji. As a result Fiji will no longer be receiving millions of dollars in aid. A military coup ousted the elected government in Fiji over three years ago, and is refusing to hold elections until 2014. The Commonwealth had set a deadline of September 1st for elections to be announced.

Measures like these should be applauded around the world. Foreign aid from developed nations should not be given away like candy. Aid can be a political tool, and there should be conditions attached to it in order to maximize the benefits it can produce.

Sadly, as it stands, there is no shortage of countries that require foreign aid. There is a greater need for aid than there is money to be distributed. With this in mind, it is imperative that donor governments ensure that their aid money

is being used effectively.

The purpose of foreign aid is to help those who need it most, often society’s most vulnerable members. Frequently, this is not what results from foreign aid donations.

A few years ago, while Zimbabwe was in the midst of a horrific famine, large quantities of aid were given to Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF government. It quickly emerged that the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party was only giving food aid to citizens who could produce a party membership card.

In Sudan, at about the same time, there was a similar situation. In the midst of an ongoing civil conflict that many today consider genocide, the Sudanese government of Omar al-Bashir withheld food aid from the rebel forces.

There were also reports that the humanitarian aid Israel has been sending Hamas has been diverted. Fuel is being used to build weapons, and food to feed the armed wing of Hamas.

These are all examples of aid money being used to propagate corrupt and violent regimes with little to no regard for human rights. The aid money these governments, and others have received has only gone to perpetuate many of the problems that plague these countries; the same problems which create the need for aid in the first place.

With limited aid money to go around, it is imperative that donor governments hold the recipients accountable. With widespread poverty and famine throughout much of the developing world, we simply cannot afford to have large quantities of limited aid diverted to supporting corrupt governments or terrorist regimes.

Additionally, it is absolutely reasonable to expect foreign government to make moral judgments about the regimes they give aid to.

It is important to remember that democratically elected governments (and just about all of the major donors are) are elected by their citizens, and are supposed

to represent them. This includes representing the moral values of their citizens in the decisions they make, and in how those citizens tax dollars are spent.

When spending their citizens’ money on aid, that money should be used in accordance with their moral beliefs. If the citizens insist that the donor government not tolerate human rights abuses within their country, the government should not be giving money to a country where human rights abuses are rampant. The aid developed countries give should be conditional on the recipient countries adhering to certain principles.

The refusal to continue giving unlimited aid dollars with no conditions can have an impact. After widespread sanctions were imposed on Mugabe’s government in Zimbabwe, Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai has entered into a power sharing agreement with the government, following disputed elections. Before that, while Western governments were still giving limited aid to Zimbabwe, Tsvangirai suffered a fractured skull as ZANU-PF forces broke up an opposition rally.

Governments have an obligation to their citizens to uphold their values at home and abroad. Maybe more importantly they also have a responsibility to ensure that the aid money they give is being used to actually provide help to those who need it most. The best way to do this is by placing certain conditions on the countries who wish to receive help.

Governments wishing to receive Western aid should be willing to meet certain standards of accountability and transparency. With so many citizens in need of aid around the world, valuable aid dollars should not be wasted allowing corrupt regimes to pad their Swiss bank accounts, bolster their armies, or persecute their citizens, especially while the neediest continue to suffer.

Without conditions, foreign aid is not so much aid as it is a means for corrupt governments to continue to persecute their people.

brunswickaninternational

Sept 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143 • 9

Traveling while studying a valuable experience

Galinhada from Brazil

Danielle Bodie

Ingredients:

The Brunswickan

Every new experience for international students is filled with life lessons and excitement. Ye Hua is a Chinese exchange student who came to UNB in 2007.

She has recently returned to UNB as a full time student to pursue her Masters Degree in Chemistry. She originally came from Xia Men University in China and she was one of the first exchange students to come to UNB from her school. Ye Hua remembers a teacher from her university at home saying that the Canadian-Chinese exchange program would be perfect for her and that she would benefit from it.

“I am really glad that I decided to come, I really enjoyed the program,” says Ye Hua. UNB has over 50 exchange agreements with universities all over the world.

Countries like Australia, England and France are the most popular ones chosen.

International Relations Officer Silke Klenk encourages students like Ye Hua to join the program.

“This program really broadens the education of students. It allows you to take courses that may not be offered at your university. As well, it looks really good on your transcript,” says Klenk.

There were a lot of students at Ye Hua’s university at home who wanted to study abroad.

“It is a very good opportunity to improve your English and see the world, a lot of students wanted the chance,” she says.

International recipe of the week •

1 cup of basmati rice

•

A few cilantro leaves

•

2 cubes of chicken stock

•

4 big cloves of garlic

•

1 medium jalapeno pepper

•

Onion powder

•

1 boneless chicken breast

•

Garlic powder

•

4-6 chicken thighs

•

Salt

Preparation: - Cut the chicken breast and thighs to small bits, season with salt, pepper and lime juice and let rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

- Stir the ingredients in the pot, cover with the lid and let the rice cook on medium heat.

Check every five minutes to see how much water is left in the pot.

- In a big pot, heat the oil on medium heat and add the chicken. Sautee until almost golden. Cut the garlic cloves in small pieces or grind them to add to the pot. Cut the jalapeno pepper in small bits (if you do not like a lot of spice, take the seeds out) and add to the pot.

-When there is just a bit of water left and the rice is already cooked, take the lid off and change to lower heat setting. Once the water is gone, you can serve. Garnish with cilantro.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Chinese exchange student Ye Hua has come to Fredericton from Xia Men University through the Student Abroad Program.

The students were required to hand in an application to their own department followed by an interview. There were about 30 students who applied for this program. Out of the 30, three were chosen and Ye Hua was one of the three.

Once Ye Hua arrived in Canada she had a lot of adjustments to make.

“We usually enjoy summer from February to November,” Ye Hua says. There was a very different climate awaiting her when she arrived. In her first semester she says she focused on adapting to a

new environment and dealing with the English-Chinese language barrier. “I have adjusted now though, and everything is going well.”

While Ye Hua may not enjoy partying, she loves to travel. She also enjoys skiing and skating with friends. She has travelled all around New Brunswick and hopes to see more of Canada while she is here.

She says the experience was enjoyable and has grown to love her life in Fredericton.

“I have learned a lot and I encourage other students to come as well.”

- Add the rice to the pot and stir well for a minute. Now add enough boiling water to cover an inch above the food.

Add onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper according to taste. Add enough saffron to turn the water very yellow

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143 •10

THE END OF FALSE ALARMS Andy Brown’s debut release is a prime example of hard-working musicianship

Christian Hapgood / The Brunswickan

From left: Jason Berube, Ed Cullinan, Andy Brown and Chris Craig performing at the Tannery stage at the 2009 Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. Andy Brown’s False Alarm was released this summer independently and is available from the band’s website at www.andybrown.ca.

Doug Estey The Brunswickan “Insanity pretty much sums it up.”

It’s been wild ride indeed, but for Fredericton native Andy Brown everything is finally coming together.

Starting off as a solo act and accompanied by nothing except his guitar, his name is now the front for a four-piece powerhouse and stamped on a fresh debut album: False Alarm.

“It's come along so quickly and the

pieces just work. It seems like the perfect fit,” says Brown, describing his fellow band members. “Chris [Craig] is hands down one of the best bass players in the area. Jason [Berube] is a solid drummer and a great guy to work with.”

As for Ed Cullinan, the band's other guitarist who also contributes keys, Brown says, “He asked me to jam one time, and I was all about it. I didn't have hopes of anything, but within the first 20 minutes I knew he was in the future.”

As enthusiastic as the band is to be on tour together in support of the new album, the real battle to produce False Alarm was fought by Brown, and he

fought almost entirely on his own.

“The recording process started back in December of 2007. I had it in my head that I wanted to do an acoustic album on my own, I had a few songs but I didn't have much of an idea of what I was going for or how to go about it.

“It wasn't cutting it. So I began again, but this time I wanted the acoustic aspect but accompanied by bass and drums. I spent most of 2008 working on that.”

Unfortunately, restarting the recording process wasn't the last in a series of obstacles for the 25 year old.

“I was almost done, and I was at a point where I didn't really like anything.

Worse, we were at the point of finishing the album when the guy I was working with had a major computer failure.”

It was December 2008, and Brown still hadn't accomplished what he set out to do.

“I called up Brad Perry and literally got him to move his stuff into my house, and that's when we really got to work.”

Perry and Brown worked on False Alarm for four months straight, often putting in 50-hour weeks in order to recreate the vision the artist had envisioned for years. Bassist Chris Craig was also onboard for the recordings.

After picking up guitarist Ed Cullinan

and drummer Jason Berube over the following months, the band is now fully formed and touring across the Maritimes.

Plans for Ontario shows are also in the works.

After all he's been through, Andy Brown still stands strong by his humble roots.

“Even though [the band’s name] is Andy Brown, it’s not about me individually. It’s about this band, these particular people. Especially now where we’re writing everything together and we’re splitting the responsibilities of things together. These guys are fantastic, and together we’re the future of the band.”

The cost of entertainment: are ticket prices really worth it?

Chris Cameron The Brunswickan

Arriving home from a live U2 concert in Boston, I could not help asking myself if it was worth the cost.

I have been to world renowned acts before, including Aerosmith at the Blast at the Beach in PEI in 2007. The $75 ticket included a large number of musicians: Cheap Trick, Christa Borden, 54-40, Ciara, and Serena Ryder. Like U2, the concert was outdoors and played rain or shine. The show was well worth the money with Aerosmith giving the crowd the performance they expected.

Opening with “Love in an Elevator” got the crowd going and they kept the energy going through to end, with a personal favourite song, “Walk this Way.” Elton John was the next act to hurt my pocket book. In 2008 he played many smaller Maritime venues on his tour including the Moncton Coliseum. I put $120 into the show with high expectations for an outstanding show. When I arrived at the coliseum there was a small stage with only his grand piano occupying its space.

Simplicity was the key to his performance. He played for about three hours, putting on an intimate show with the sold out crowd of around 10,000 in the Coliseum. Hearing live songs like “Bennie and the Jets” and “Daniel” instantly dissolved any doubts about the money I

spent on the performance.

This year, U2 was centre stage for the largest concert of my life on their 360o Tour. They played Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.

The stadium seats 68,756 and there was an estimated 80,000 in attendance for the concert. Tickets ranged from $250-$50 (upper deck). How and why can bands charge such an outlandish price?

The answer in U2’s case, on this tour at least, is the “spaceship” stage they perform on. The stage stands to almost the top of the stadium and has more mechanical and electronic pieces than most people would care to count.

One might also argue that they are considered one of the greatest bands and some of the best entertainers in the world,

with a massive fan base and people willing to pay large amounts of money (myself included) to witness the fantastic display they put on.

A fter opening the show with “Breathe” off their newest album No Line on the Horizon, Bono asked the crowd, “Tonight we're gonna play old songs, new songs, songs we don't know... but we're not going anywhere without you.

Are you ready for the ride?”

A ride indeed, jumping from new to old songs with some lyrics from “Blackbird”, “Stand by Me”, and “Rock The Casbah” thrown in the mix. It was a spaceship ride that no one in the stadium could have seen coming.

If that wasn't enough, the sensation Snow Patrol opened up for the band, adding to the excitement.

The cost of $130 was well worth it.

The lights show, U2 and Snow Patrol’s fan involvement and musical performance were worth every dollar.

Sometimes, however, bands charge such outlandish amounts that even the most hardcore fans are unable to afford the cost of admission.

That being said, if bands like U2 were putting on terrible shows they could not get away with charging what they do.

They go over and above, doing more than simply playing instruments and singing.

They draw the crowd in close and involve them with the show, even with 80,000 people in attendance.

Next time you are on the fence when deciding whether or not you want to put a dent in your bank account to go to a concert, take the chance.

brunswickanarts

Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143 • 11

Share on breaking even The trials and tribulations of a successful music career in Canada

Fucked Up fucks with indie expectations Josh O’Kane CUP National Bureau Chief

Kyle Cunjak / Submitted to the Brunswickan

New Brunswick-born Share released their third studio album, Slumping the Murals, at the Charlotte Street Arts Center on Saturday night.

Alison Clack The Brunswickan

Canada is a tough place for musicians to make a living.

Or at least that’s what Share member Andrew Sisk (vocals, ukulele, guitar) explained after at the band’s album release show at the Charlotte Street Arts Center last Saturday.

While the band, who have found success throughout the Maritimes, was celebrating the release of their third album, Slumping the Murals, they still had a message to spread.

Along with representatives from Fredericton-based Forward Music Group, they mentioned the importance of supporting local acts and attending shows.

Sisk estimates that the majority of Canadian bands are having difficulty making money in Canada.

“I’m talking 95 per cent of bands are barely breaking even. I’m talking about names that you would think have limos because you hear their names so often.

Chances are those people are barely

scraping by.”

Perhaps the most poignant of difficulties facing independent and fledgling bands in Canada is the cost of touring the enormous country we live in.

“If a band wants to be successful they need to tour. If they don’t tour they’ll only have experience and fans in their own town – so they have to tour. If they want to tour then they need money and funding because Canada is so big,” explains Sisk.

While it might seem like this problem is out of people’s hands, Sisk believes the answer is simple: people need to support local music.

“I know a lot of really good bands and really good artists and no one goes out to their shows. I don’t really understand it but there’s this weird learning curve that the population doesn’t experience until an artist has already gone on to something else.”

According to Sisk, local music faces a bleak future without hometown support.

“If people do not go out and see live music then bands like Nickleback will be the only bands touring. I’m not slagging Nickleback, because it’s rock and roll and inspired by a lot of good bands but they aren’t doing anything new.

“I think if people want music that’s more like art then they need to go out and support it or it’s not going to exist,” says Sisk.

Beyond supporting the band financially, Sisk believes that an audience provides a band with a certain level of inspiration.

“Any performance is about the audience, it’s not necessarily about the performer. When it’s participatory in that way and the audience is excited about it you get good energy – not to be hippydippy – but there’s a real relationship that happens and a real experience,” says Sisk.

Music inspires people. Bands make music to share with audiences; audiences go to shows to support and inspire bands and the result is a synergistic relationship that needs to remain intact for both to co-exist.

“Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., one of my favourite writers, had a quotation that made so much sense: ‘Being an artist is no way to make a living, but it is a very human way of making life bearable,’ and I think that is the most true thing that I have ever read,” says Sisk.

Share is currently on tour throughout Ontario and Quebec, but returns to New Brunswick for a show on the Nov. 20 in Sackville and others here in Fredericton on Nov. 27 and 28.

Damian Abraham is facing a chicken and the egg scenario.

Abraham fronts the Toronto hardcore band Fucked Up which won the 2009 Polaris Music Prize – an award given each year to the best full-length Canadian album, based solely on artistic merit.

“I really have a hard time looking at Fucked Up and thinking of it as artistic,” he said in an interview after winning the award on Sept. 21. “I look at it as just what we did.

It’s hard to look at it and think, ‘Hey this is such a great artistic achievement.’”

Fucked Up beat out nine other shortlisted contestants at Monday Night’s Polaris Prize Gala at Toronto’s historic Masonic Hall.

Abraham said he was shocked over his band’s win.

“I was like, did they say Joel Plaskett? The whole night, I was like, [it’ll be] K’NAAN, Joel Plaskett, K’NAAN, Joel Plaskett. And then I was like, oh man, I can’t believe we won.”

Fucked Up is the first punk band to make it to the 10-album shortlist for the $20,000 Polaris Music Prize in its four-year history, making the win a significant step for hardcore music in Canada.

Being considered on par with previous winners Caribou, Patrick Watson and Final Fantasy – whom Abraham said he worships – “means the world” to the frontman.

CBC Radio 3’s Grant Lawrence, who cohosted the gala with MuchMusic VJ Sarah Taylor, said he was “shocked” by the winner.

“Everyone that said it’s an indie rock prize has to look again, because a hardcore band just won,” said Lawrence after the gala. “That shakes it up, and I’m happy for

[Fucked Up].”

For the first time in the prize’s history, each nominated act was invited to play a short set at the gala. While some performances were intimate – Joel Plaskett and Metric each played acoustic sets – other acts opted to have fun with the occasion.

Patrick Watson played while winding through the crowd, wearing suits designed to look like trees made out of lamps. Elliott BROOD handed the audience cooking sheets and wooden spoons to play along with the band, and Hey Rosetta! brought numerous percussionists and violinists on stage with them, totaling to 14 people playing their song “Tired Eyes.”

Fucked Up had their own guests, too, including Lullabye Arkestra and 2006 Polaris Music Prize winner Final Fantasy, whose pedal-looped violin riffs began the performance. The live broadcast of the show on MuchMusic didn’t hold frontman Abraham back from performing how he wanted, as he slowly stripped off his clothes until he wandered the stage in hiked-up boxer briefs. Compared to some of the band’s past performances, though, this was tame – or at least less bloody.

In spite of Fucked Up’s let-loose on-stage antics, Abraham said that the band plans on using the $20,000 for a legitimately serious project – a benefit record to draw attention to the over 500 missing aboriginal women in Canada.

“We’re going to . . . raise some money for these people. It’s a marginalized group, it’s a [racial] crime and it’s ignored. We’re putting out a benefit record with some really fun guests, and we can pay for it.”

The 2009 Polaris Music Prize long list, comprised of 40 albums selected by a 181-member jury of Canadian journalists, broadcasters and bloggers, was announced last June. The 10-album shortlist was announced in June, and also included Chad VanGaalen and Malajube.

brunswickanarts

12 • Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143

Fredericton samosas “A Saturday Affair” Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Local filmmaker BronweN is making a film that tells the truth behind the advent of samosas in Fredericton’s Boyce Farmer’s market.

The film, entitled A Saturday Affair, has been called a documentary by some. BronweN corrects this, telling the Brunswickan that the film is “a dramatic piece, a retelling based on real events.”

The local filmmaker’s piece tells the story of the Patel family’s move to Fredericton in the 1970’s. Indra and Bena Patel were the first people to bring the originally Indian treat of samosas to the city.

The story, BronweN says, “chronicles the struggles they faced being some of the few brown faces in a white community.”

Bena Patel first made samosas popular by giving them away for free. She would go to the market and try to get people to eat them, but many people thought that Indian food would be too hot to handle.

“She would go home crying and Indra would ask why she went back, but she kept at it and made a couple of friends. There were a couple of people who were nice and helped her out, and she got started and built this huge empire,” BronweN says.

“To me, that’s a testament of her perseverance,” BronweN says.

The purpose of the film, she continues, is to “celebrate Bena’s perseverance in getting us to accept another culture into the fabric of Fredericton.”

The Patels no longer operate out of the market, but anyone who wants to know the rest of the story will have to watch the film.

Samosa Delite is another samosa vendor in the market, but this company is not affiliated with the Patels, and it opened in the early 1990’s.

BronweN says some people seem to think that Samosa Delite had the first samosas on the scene, but this is really not the case.

“I wanted to give credit where credit was due,” she says.

The making of the film, Bronwen says, “was really great.

‘The whole community came together to tell the story. We had lots of support.

People lent us their 1970’s cars, antique jewelry, clothes from the period—everything.

“Because this is a Fredericton story and so many people remember the Patels, everyone came together to tell their story with me. It was just so cool.”

She says Bena Patel made the samosas for the film to ensure accuracy, as well as lending the original wooden signs and bowls she used.

Starring in the film are local actors Mohamed Issa as Indra Patel, and Natasha Arluison as Bena.

“Natasha was raised here; she’s known the Patels for a long time. The Indian community is so small here,” BronweN says. “And Mohamed is doing a PhD in Engineering at UNB.” The film is sponsored by Heritage Canada and the City of Fredericton, and the program was administered by the New Brunswick Film Co-op. The Co-op put out a call for scripts, and BronweN’s was chosen.

T he f i l m w i l l b e r ele a s e d on Nov. 6 at the Silver Wave Film Fe st iva l here i n Freder ic ton.

‘Goddamn, Kanye!’

From the Tubes Doug Estey

Kanye West already knows he has a lot of owning up to do.

Four years after proclaiming on an international concert broadcast, in support of Hurricane Katrina, that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” and two years following a comment that he would never appear on MTV again, the hip-hop musician & performer grabbed a microphone from 19-year-old country singer Taylor Swift at this year’s 2009 VMAs and shouted his proclamation out to Swift, Radio City Music Hall and the 9 million television viewers.

“Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!”

Really?

If you haven't heard about this, you're quite literally living under a rock, but I wanted to bring this up just in case. How exactly does one go about addressing this issue? Can you even picture the look on the faces of those responsible for Mr. West's public relations?

Criticism immediately arose from celebrities far and wide. Renowned musician Pink reportedly “shook her head in disgust.” A tweet from Katy Perry's Twitter timeline reads “FUCK U KANYE. IT'S LIKE U STEPPED

Internet

Kanye West on stage with Taylor Swift at MTV’s 2009 Video Music Awards.

0N A KITTEN.” Trending topics on Twitter followed suit.

Even Donald Trump called for a boycott on West.

Following an appearance two days later on The View, Taylor Swift received a phone call from Kanye apologizing for his behaviour, which she reportedly accepted. He also posted a public apology on his blog.

The intent of West's actions on the

night of Sept. 13 are subject to constant debate. Did he simply choose a poor method of expressing his support for Beyonce? Or was he actually out to offend Swift?

It's not apparent exactly what West was hoping to accomplish, but the public reaction to the turn of events is almost certainly unanimous. I'm going to open this one up to you, the reader, to express what you think on thebruns.ca.

brunswickansports

Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143 • 13

sports@thebruns.ca

Varsity Reds sweep McGill to clinch Fall Classic Valerie Woodman The Brunswickan

The sixth annual Varsity Reds Fall Classic was held this weekend and the Varsity Reds yet again went undefeated while playing the McGill Redmen. Friday’s match was all offense, UNB claiming their 7-6 victory by scoring late in the third, while on Saturday the Reds pulled their defence together and won 5-1.

Friday was the first time McGill has met UNB since September 2005, and they shocked the fans at the Aitken centre when they won the opening faceoff and scored within the first 13 seconds on goaltender Travis Fullerton. McGill scored again soon after, but it obviously didn’t faze the Reds as they returned the two goals minutes later when Lachlan MacIntosh put in his own rebound and then scored a power play goal. This same routine happened in the second. In the third UNB controlled most of the play, but with one minute left, the Redmen pulled their goalie, which opened scoring chances, but they couldn’t tie the game.

The score ended up 7-6 for the Reds. The shots were 42-18 for UNB. The players of the game were Guillaume Doucet for McGill and MacIntosh for UNB. Although the attendance on Saturday was considerably lower—due to the 2300 fans at Chapman Field watching the football game—the Varsity Reds were back to their regular ways and prevented the Redmen from getting any scoring chances. UNB defenseman Jonathan Harty started off the game by putting one past the McGill goalie. In the second period Luke Lynes scored two goals, which was followed by the Redmen switching goalies. Harty ended up getting a game misconduct in addition to four other roughing and major fighting penalties.

UNB dominated their forecheck in the third, as well as getting two more goals.

With 25 seconds left in the third, McGill ended up scoring on Yeomans, giving UNB a win of 5-1. The final shots were

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The Reds flexed their offensive muscle over the weekend at they tallied 12 goals against the Redmen during the two games. UNB remains undefeated in preseason play.

38-14 in favour of UNB. Although UNB did end up winning, Fullerton was having an off-game on Friday by only saving 12 out of the 18 shots the Redman had, giving him a save percentage of only .667. On Saturday Yeomans save percentage was .928.

Fullerton also let in both goals on the first two shots on Friday. The defence on Friday wasn’t as focused as on Saturday; luckily for the Reds the offence stepped it up for the team.

“It’s unfortunate that sometimes the negatives outweigh the positives in games like that,” said Coach Gardiner

MacDougall. “We had great fore-check, and our work ethic was outstanding.

Our top lines performed great and on the power-play our guys seemed to take advantage of it. We just had individual mistakes, but our team itself did great.”

MacDougall was pleased with the offensive onslaught with which the team attacked McGill.

“I’m pretty happy with the way things are starting up. We have great offense and our top line is producing a lot of goals early in the season. Lachlan, Bailey and MacIntosh have really stepped up. Stamler has been voted the best defenseman

the brunswickan presents

the panel voice your opinion

and you could really see why he is great in the last couple of games this weekend.”

Kyle Bailey, team captain, says, “I am definitely hoping that the two shutouts last weekend and both wins this weekend are signs of things to come. Obviously we are not going to shut every team out, but as a team we pride ourselves on playing well defensively and any time you are able to limit the other teams’ opportunities to score it should help our chances of winning.”

At the end of the game on Saturday, the Fall Classic Cup was handed to Captain Kyle Bailey. He said “being Captain

Where would you like see the Phoenix Coyotes land after the negotiations?

Colin McPhail

Tony von Richter

Ben d’Eon

I would like to see the Coyotes, and other teams like Atlanta and Nashville, be relocated from the poor hockey markets they’re currently in. It would be nice to see Phoenix back in Canada, but anywhere in North America where there is a suitable foundation for a NHL organization to call home is fine with me.

Ideally this whole thing would come full circle and the Coyotes would return to Winnipeg and go back to being the Jets but that’s only slightly more likely then them winning the Cup this year. Since Winnipeg is out, hopefully Mr. Balsillie gets his wish and the team ends up in Hamilton next year.

I’d like to see them remain in the States. They have to stay in the Western Conference or else there will be an imbalance in teams. It doesn’t matter what city. I think Canada is fine with six teams. The problem is that you can only find real corporate sponsorship in the U.S.

Sports Editor

is an incredible honour. There will be some huge shoes to fill with the legacy Dustin Friesen has left behind, but I am very fortunate to have a lot of leaders in that room. Makes my job as team Captain very easy and I do not think I have to change too much about what I do.”

The tournament’s top defenseman went to Bretton Stamler while the top forward went to Bailey.

UNB plays two away games next weekend at UMASS on Saturday and at Vermont on Sunday. They are back at home playing the first regular season game against UPEI on Friday, Oct. 16.

CUP Sports Bureau Chief

Sports Fan

Todd Sparks Varsity Red

They should stay in Phoenix, but being a Canadian it would be nice to have them in Hamilton too.

brunswickansports

14 • Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143

this week in brunswickansports Men’s soccer suffers first defeat The Varsity Reds men’s soccer team went into the third weekend of the 2009 AUS season undefeated and sitting on top of the standings. The Reds travelled to eastern Nova Scotia to battle Cape Breton and StFX. On Saturday, Cape Breton edged the Reds 2-1 and handed the men their first loss of the season. The following day the squad travelled to Antigonish to take on StFX. This time the Reds were victorious as they shutout the X-men 1-0. William Allen and Ben Law tallied the goals for UNB. The Reds now sit in second spot, but must avoid blemishes along the way as UPEI, Cape Breton and Dalhousie are beginning to pull away from the pack. Mount Allison comes to Chapman Field on Oct. 3 and the Reds travel to UPEI on Oct. 4.

File

Norris Philpotts (above) received the first ever Baseball NB Bursary this past Saturday.

Women’s soccer still winless It was another woeful weekend for the Varsity Reds women’s soccer team as the girls fell at the hands of the top two teams in the AUS: Cape Breton and StFX. The Reds visited the Capers on Saturday in the hope of finally registering a point in the AUS standings, but were denied in a 3-1 loss. Meghan Felt notched the lone goal for UNB. The Reds were in tough on Sunday as they battled an undefeated St.FX squad. The Reds couldn’t muster any goals and were shutout 3-0. The ladies must execute a 180 degree turn in order to salvage this season as it quickly slips away. The Reds sit at the bottom of the AUS with a record of 0-6 having scored only two goals. However, there still is hope for the squad as Mount Allison, who holds the final playoff spot, is only six points ahead of them in the standings. The Mounties visit UNB on Saturday and then UNB will travel to UPEI on Sunday.

AFL opener a huge success FROM FOOTBALL PAGE 1

began to meet frequently and finally formed a potential league in the spring of 2009. The three GM’s were then faced with the difficult task of ensuring that the new league would have enough teams for the fall.

“As soon I came back to Fredericton, we started doing a number of things,” explains Wisniewski. “The first of which was organizing a coaching staff, to organize a club with faculty and students and members of the community to help us financially and organizationally. And then the most important piece was to find the money for doing it.”

The organization then proceeded to contact Gillan for that piece. Gillan was more than happy to help, but on one condition.

“The agreement was that we had to match his gift,” said the Bombers’ GM. “We had about three weeks to match it.

The university worked hard for it and local people worked hard for it, and we got it in one day.”

It was evident that Fredericton wanted its Red Bombers back.

Throughout September 2009, the club held tryouts and the squad slowly took shape. The Bombers attracted a wide variety of local talent from university students and members of the community.

Once the equipment and jerseys were ordered and the roster was finalized, the team and the community waited expectantly for Saturday, Sept. 26 – the season opener.

The week preceding the first game was filled with a buzz of excitement throughout the city as its residents geared up for an event that was 29 years in the making.

Finally, the day that so many had been anticipating had arrived. It was a cool, brisk September night as the Red Bombers and the Seawolves were greeted by about 2300 cheering fans. The magnitude of the crowd surprised everyone and blew past all expectations.

The game itself turned out to be a defensive struggle. Both offences were stalled by stingy defenses that efficiently stopped the run-game. That, coupled with poor special team plays, made for a pretty uneventful first quarter.

Shortly into the second quarter, the fans got their first taste of excitement as the Seawolves’ Justin Cavan returned a 40-yard punt for a touchdown. Phillips missed the extra point and the Bombers found themselves down 6-0.

The Bombers shook it off and engineered a 50-yard drive resulting in a 10-yard pass from quarterback Brendan Conford to receiver Andrew Hubbard to take the lead 7-6.

There was a lapse in the Bombers’ strong defensive play when Seawolves quarterback Eoin MacIntyre launched a 31-yard pass to a wide-open Ryan Morris to regain the lead.

The score was 13-7 for Saint John at half.

Shortly after a missed field goal that went through the end zone for a single point, Conford geared a 55-yard drive that saw him make five straight completions and finish with Josh MacArthur charging in for two -yard touchdown run. After a failed two point conversion, the Bombers were up 14-13 with less than five minutes left.

The Red Bombers defense made several key stops during the game, but picked an inopportune time to let the Seawolves march down the field. As Phillips’ kick sailed through the uprights, the hopes of the Bombers’ faithful were crushed.

“It was a good start. Obviously, some things have to be polished up and that comes with practice time,” said coach Mike Dollimore. “Execution is a big thing on offense and once we get that I think we’ll be fine.”

Even after the loss, Dollimore was looking at the game as a positive experience for the squad.

“I thought a lot of guys stood out and played well under the lights. I think Brendan had a great game as quarterback. He made very few mistakes and we missed a few balls that we should have caught, but that’ll come. We just have to be patient and we’ll get better.

“Just look at the atmosphere it creates.

What a way to start the school year,” said a proud Odgen.

The AFL season couldn’t have asked for a better season opener. The only dark spot was that one of the hardest workers in the effort to bring football back to UNB was not able to watch his dream come true. Shortly before the start of the school year, Pat Gillan succumbed to illness. His legacy, however, will live on as this brand new league fulfills its bright future.

UNB player receives first ever Baseball NB Bursary Baseball New Brunswick recently announced that the UNB Cougars would be the newest members of the organization. There was no disputing the success of the squad as the facts speak for themselves.

Since 1998, the Cougars have won nine Atlantic Conference titles and three Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association National Championships. Baseball NB was proud to welcome this dynasty into its organization. In honour of the announcement and the new partnership, Baseball NB will be awarding a Baseball NB Bursary.

The $500 award went to UNB’s Norris Philpotts. The Bathurst, NB native is an important part of the team on and off the field. He was named an all Canadian shortstop in the CIBA league twice. Philpotts, who is in his third and final season, was presented the award Saturday before the doubleheader.

Club sports take the spotlight Alex Wickwire An Opinion

After nine hours of UNB athletics on Saturday afternoon, I remembered why I love sports. An established, successful, nationally famous baseball program and an upstart small market football team gave the city of Fredericton and the students of UNB three wonderful sporting events on Sept. 26.

Live action school sports need three things to be considered successful outside of financial figures: An entertaining environment filled with momentum shifts and attention holding moments, a positive crowd atmosphere, and, most importantly, scoreboard results. Both baseball games and the football home opener met these requirements and raised the standard of entertainment for competitive club sports in this province.

At Royals Field, National Champions the UNB Cougars welcomed the Cape Breton University Capers for a doubleheader. Through the miracle of internet social networking, over 70 people had committed to attend the games. A weekend sweep would clinch a playoff berth for UNB; the weeklong build-up made this the most anticipated home field two-a-day yet.

I took a seat behind home plate, surrounded by parents and players’ girlfriends. I already could not believe how perfect a day it was for baseball, cloudless sky and heat that made me think I might need sunscreen in September. The umpires signaled to play ball, and the game was under way. A familiar infield ran out of the dugout, two rookies in right and left field, and Jake Waugh on the mound to throw.

Waugh, last season’s all-Canadian first baseman, was on the mound to pitch game one of the doubleheader. Waugh is best described as the team’s “jack of all trades,” because he’s been a corner infielder, pitcher and spent time in the outfield. To continue with playing card comparisons, his approach to pitching is like a night out gambling.

Anybody who’s cared to embark on a casino gambling binge before knows that sometimes you just fall into a tailspin and can’t win a hand to save your own life. Jake had his own “gambling crash” late in the game after two bad innings.

UNB lost the opener after seven innings of sloppy baseball from both sides. All game long, UNB would be in situations where it looked as though tying the score or taking the lead was possible, but they came up short in the end. Game two was a different story.

Second year pitcher Bruce Scott takes the ball for the second game. Now I’m sitting down the third base line close to left field, and my immediate company is a crowd of kinesiology students and a cooler filled with light beer.

UNB started slow and fell behind again, but during the third inning they rallied and took the lead. This inspired the Cougars fans to heckle and chirp each defensive move made by the Capers.

Eventually the left fielder said a few things back, made casual conversation and became friends with the sideline supporters. Fan interaction and excessive joke telling is another great thing about university sports. Without the annoying influx of lawyers and money, players play for the love of the game and the fans are there for the exact same reason. Quality baseball made for a great environment, and passionate fans made the park into a great place to be. Waugh played right field in game two and made up for his substandard pitching by whacking two home runs over the center field wall.

Late in the game, the same left fielder who had been chatting with UNB fans took a foul ball off his foot. This prompted a reaction from the Kinesiology students, shouting “RICE RICE,” an acronym for dealing with injury. That led to the improvised version of “Rest, Ice… COOKIES! And Elevation.”

“Wow, four years of university for that?”

“Well, I think the C is actually for compression.” All game long, conversations like these were commonly heard.

The Cougars won game two. Once the double header ended, I realized that UNB baseball had proved that business and financial involvement are not mandatory for a sports team to be successful.

Their club status gives them their identity, and makes them one of the most fun teams to write about at this school.

Baseball was done for the day, next, the Red Bombers; from the ballpark to the gridiron, from club baseball to club football.

The sun went down, the temperature dropped, and for the first time in decades, football was back at UNB. The new Atlantic Football League kicked off at Chapman field in front of an electric crowd.

Tailgate parties all over town, big play potential from slot receiver Andrew Hubbard, and a second half streaker made the Red Bombers debut a memorable time, even if it was a tough field goal loss.

People were loud, people were proud and both teams gave their all. It was a super sports Saturday, and it reassured me that sports are, and will forever be, one of the few things we can count on to be pure entertainment in the freeze dried artificial hi-def world we live in.

brunswickansports

Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143 • 15

Volleyball squads add depth to their line-ups Matthew Murray The Brunswickan

Men’s Vollyball After an exciting trip to nationals, the Varsity Reds men’s volleyball team took steps this off-season to ensure they found themselves competing for Canadian glory once again.

Coach Dan McMorran was able to bring in three very talented high school players consisting of, the six foot four left side Jon Tower, six foot seven middle blocker Logan Keoughan, and setter Stephen Fontaine, a local boy that will add depth to an already competitive team.

The V-Reds also managed to pick up Mark Dean, a very accomplished libero (a defensive specialist) from UNBSJ. Finally, returning to the program after a short hiatus

are JP Devink and Kyle Over the last four Blanchard. Injecting years the women’s these new players into varsity reds volleythe Reds already solid ball team has domline up will improve inated the AUS divtheir chances of being ision, compiling an AUS champions and impressive record making a run for the of 55-12. Looknational title. ing to extend their “The boys got a dynasty, they have pretty good taste of nabrought in two tionals last year and are top recruits from excited to make it an Ontario.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan annual event” explained The first is the six The women’s volleyball team is looking to continue their winning ways.

McMorran. foot two Rebecca We get our first look Glancy who hails The Reds will pick up their intense rivalry from West Hill, Ontario. This middle player at the team on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 when the University of British Columbia team with Dalhousie in the middle of February. was named to the Wilson Top 25 Prospects travels to UNB for a doubleheader. Nov. 20 McMorran promises that all these matches which ranks grade 12 players for CIS and to Nov. 22 also promises to be an exciting will be exciting and encourages everyone to NCAA play. The second is Emma Hunt, weekend when the tough Quebec confer- come out and support the team. a strong five foot eleven left-side player who Women’s Vollyball ence visits UNB. is a Whitby native. As a 17 year old, she at-

Upcoming V-Reds Events Saturday, October 3rd Women’s soccer MTA vs UNB 1:00 p.m. @ Chapman Field

Sunday, October 4th Women’s soccer UNB @ UPEI 1:00 p.m.

Men’s soccer UNB @ UPEI 3:15 p.m.

Hockey UNB @ VERMONT 4:00 p.m.

Friday, October 9th Women’s basketball Helen Campbell Tournament @UNB Men’s basketball Eric Garland Tournament @UNB Men’s volleyball UBC @ UNB @AUC Hockey UNB @ PROVIDENCE 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 10th Women’s basketball Helen Campbell Tournament @UNB Men’s basketball Eric Garland Tournament @UNB Men’s volleyball UBC @ UNB @AUC Sunday, October 11th Women’s basketball Helen Campbell Tournament @UNB Men’s basketball Eric Garland Tournament @UNB

the brunswickan.

Hockey UNB @ UMASS-AMHERST 6:00 p.m.

questions? comments? drop us a line at 447.3388 or stop by SUB room 35.

Men’s soccer MTA vs UNB 3:15 p.m. @ Chapman Field

tended Team Ontario’s High Performance Camp usually reserved for players of 18 years or older.

Bothplayersbringgreatvolleyballpedigrees to the program as well as a strong determinationtowin.RoundingouttheirlineupisAtlantic Conference All-Stars Tanya Paulin and Jill Blanchard, Co-captain Barb Vriends, Amber Gamblin, Monica Jones, Asia Leavins, Jenna Wamsley, Alyson Clow, and Megan Dudeck.

This squad hopes to return to Nationals again this year but may run into problems as the AUS division becomes more competitive.

Head coach John Richard states “There are five or six teams that can win the AUS championship, but I feel we will lean on our experience and come out on top.”

This exciting team plays their first home games on Oct. 16-18 when they host their annual invitational tournament. The ladies have won this tournament for the past six consecutive years and look to make it seven.

brunswickansports

Tips on fighting the freshmen fifteen Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

The Freshman Fifteen—those extra pounds students are said to pack on in their first year away from home—are not a myth. For many, they are a reality.

Now that the first few weeks of school have gone by, many students find they have altered schedules and patterns of eating and sleeping. If you are not careful,

these alterations will make you gain quite a bit of extra weight, and you may find yourself coming home for the holidays to see your family looking shocked at the extra 20 pounds you’ve piled on.

Luckily, weight gain is not inevitable, and this nightmare does not have to be yours.

Ellen MacIntosh is a dietician with UNB, and she says students’ crammed schedules have much to do with weight gain.

“What gets students into trouble with weight gain is that they get crazy schedules and meal times blend with

study times.

“They’re lacking a routine,” she says.

MacIntosh says that many students get into the bad habit of neglecting to eat until midday, and then they eat all afternoon and into the night.

Shifting food intake toward the earlier part of the day, she says, can help prevent excessive weight gain, as we burn far more calories throughout the day than we do at night.

MacIntosh, like many others, believes breakfast is “the most important meal of the day.”

“Many students may or may not eat

breakfast and just buy a coffee to keep them going. You’re investing thousands and thousands of dollars to go to class.”

“You know you have to put fuel in your tank. Not eating in the morning is like going on a trip in your car and not putting the gas in until you get home, when you should put it in before you go.”

Eating at night, however, is not totally against the rules.

“Evening is a big part of your day,” MacIntosh says. “It’s hours of your day.

It’s reasonable to have something when you’re finishing a paper or studying for an exam.

“If you haven’t had fruit or veggies, have some yogurt with fruit in it, or some fruit with an ice scream scoop on top to get a little boost.”

MacIntosh says it’s important to simply schedule time in for eating throughout the day, and separate the act of eating from studying and other daily activities.

For those living in residence, she says, this can be harder than for students living off campus, as meal- time is also an extended social time.

“My recommendation there is to commit to the salad bar. Really commit to having half a plate of veggies at every meal.”

This can be done in a variety of ways.

Make a salad, have veggies dipped in dressing, or a grilled veggie wrap. If you get creative it’s an easier commitment to keep.

MacIntosh suggests avoiding the desert bar and the pop machine as well, although, she says, having the odd treat is fine and perfectly healthy.

“Weight loss is often so unsuccessful because people set unrealistic goals. Restrictive dieting causes the metabolism to slow down, and we starve ourselves,” she says.

“Then our bodies start working against us. Small changes are something we can do for a long period of time.”

One of those small changes is altering the snack foods we choose to eat. Instead of buying a bag of chips or a slice of pizza from the cafeteria, MacIntosh suggests bringing healthy alternatives from home, like fruit, a frozen fruit and yogurt parfait with granola on top, or trail mix.

Dried fruit or cheese with wholewheat crackers also make great snack choices, she says.

MacIntosh says it’s not only important to eat the right snacks, but also to eat only if you’re actually hungry.

“Students need to really tune into their own hunger cues, and ask themselves ‘Am I really hungry?’

“Use the HALT system. Ask yourself, ‘Am I hungry? Am I anxious, am I lonely, or tired or thirsty?’ Sometimes it’s hard to determine which it is.”

“Really look to yourself for the answers. That’s the issue with diets. If you listen to your own body and hunger cues, that’s your best judge.”

twitter.com/brunssports

16 • Sept. 30, 2009 • Issue 4 • Volume 143