Issue 4, Vol. 151, The Brunswickan

VOLUME 151, ISSUE 4, DECEMBER 2017

The Brunswickan Editorial Board

About us

Editorial Policy

Letters to the Editor

Editor-in-Chief Emma McPhee

The Brunswickan, in its 151st year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

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.

Letters must be submitted by e-mail to editor@thebruns.ca.

Include your name, since letters with pseudonyms will not be printed or posted online. Letters must be 500 words at maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m.

Business Manager Katie Kim News Editor Emma MacDonald Arts Editor Ryan Gaio Sports Editor Caroline Mercier Art Director Book K. Sadprasid Copy Editor Tristan Hallihan Multimedia Editor Cameron Lane

Staff Assistant Art Director Maria Araujo Reporters Erin Sawden Tiziana Zevallos Brad Ackerson Photographer Maria Araujo Book Sadprasid Ad Manager Pouria Poursaeid

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We are an autonomous student publication owned and operated by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a nonprofit, independent body.

We are also a founding member of the Canadian University Press.

Now a magazine, we publish monthly during the academic year with a circulation of 4,000. We publish weekly online at Thebruns.ca.

The opinions and views expressed in this publication 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 Editor-in-Chief.

@Brunswickan

Photo by Geoffrey Creighton

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Letter from the Editor

by Emma McPhee

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News Briefs

by Emma MacDonald

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Can you handle the truth?

by Emma MacDonald

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Artsy Things to Do This Month

by Ryan Gaio

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“What Christmas is all about’’

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by Ryan Gaio

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Thoughts from the Arts Editor

by Ryan Gaio

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Matcha

by Book Sadprasid

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V-Reds making a mark on the community

by Brad Ackerson

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Sports Semester Review

by Caroline Mercier

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Bruns Crossword Win Free Pizza!

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Letter from the Editor Words by Emma McPhee Nothin’ says Christmas like anti-communist propaganda—or so I discovered this year.

My brother, sister and I did not have a normal ‘90s/early 2000s kids’ childhood. While our friends grew up watching the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, had PlayStation consoles and played Neopets, we (rarely) watched TV on a tiny old black and white set. We owned another (colour!) TV set from the ‘70s that had belonged to our great-grandmother, but it had wide black lines that obstructed the picture, so we used it for sound and played the black and white TV on mute for the picture. We didn’t watch current shows, either—Hogan’s Heroes, The Andy Griffith Show, I Love Lucy, Mary Tyler Moore and M*A*S*H* were all we really knew. Heck, I didn’t find out what a PlayStation was until 2004. I had always assumed it was some type of elaborate board game (I also initially thought that a GameCube was a light-up cube you threw around like a ball). Let’s just say that my brother, sister and I were a little out of the loop with our own generation.

But for me, my favourite type of entertainment as a child was old time radio. My dad was a big fan, and so I grew up listening to George Burns and Gracie Allen, Jack Benny, The Bickersons, Abbott and Costello, and Red Skelton.

At the time, I didn’t realize that these shows were from my grandparents’ generation; I assumed I was up with the times. I would recite “T-I-D-E: Tide!”, “Maxwell House Coffee—Good ‘til the last… drop!”, and commercials for Raleigh cigarettes to impress my friends, but they never seemed to get it—so our love of radio shows became sort of a shared bond between my brother, sister and me. Our favourite show by far was Red Skelton.

Every Christmas, my dad would dig out a well-worn cassette tape that featured all of Red Skelton’s Christmas skits from 1945-52. We would play it non-stop in the family van throughout December until we memorized the exact moment to flip the tape, the lines of George Appleby, Clem Kadiddlehopper, Cauliflower McPugg, Willie Lump Lump and Junior the Mean Widdle Kid (Oh you dreamer you!), and the music of David Rose and his orchestra. We would listen with suspense to Junior’s hijinks and the antics of all the other characters. Christmas wasn’t Christmas without it.

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By Christmas 2004, though, my family had a new car— one that no longer played cassettes. As we traded the Red Skelton Christmas cassette for CDs featuring holiday music by modern artists, old traditions faded into new ones. While I still looked back fondly on Red Skelton’s skits, I never got a chance to listen to them again until this year.

On a procrastination-induced whim at the beginning of November, I typed “Red Skelton Christmas” into the YouTube search bar. I was hoping to find a few of the radio skits to look back on with nostalgia, but only one turned up in the results: it was the story of the Little Christmas Tree. I clicked on the link and settled back to listen to the tales of my childhood. The intro music was just as I remembered; the opening narration was comfortingly familiar and so was the titular character’s voice. The story went along with the tree as confused about his purpose as ever; Santa Claus, when he appeared, was just as shocked to hear the tree speak as he’d always been and the reindeer on the roof sounded the same as always. As my mind drifted back to the memories of car rides tucked safely in the back seat of the family van, I was unprepared to hear Santa utter the words “two of my reindeer were knocked out cold…by an Iron Curtain.”

Startled, I paused the video, clicked back a few seconds and replayed it. Sure enough, I’d heard right the first time.

As the story went on, it became obvious that the skit had a very clear political message: Communists are heathens and Americans are the last ones to uphold those good Christian values. I was stunned. This wasn’t at all the narrative I’d remembered from my childhood. And so I did a little research. Apparently, Red Skelton’s Christmas Tree skit was included on First Christmas Record for Children, which came out in 1954. When the album was released for a second time a few years later, “The Little Christmas Tree” was not included because it was deemed too political for younger audiences.

I did some more digging and turned up many other radio skits that I’d grown up hearing. Listening with new ears, I found stories and dialogue completely different from what I had remembered. Some of them were sexist, racist, thoroughly politically incorrect by today’s standards—and were those unabashed commercials for cigarettes!? I hadn’t remembered any of that. What I had remembered hearing and what I had actually heard as a

child were drastically different.

And this discrepancy between what is remembered from the past and what actually happened is a defining characteristic in how we consider politics and current events today, and always have. While some want to “Make America Great Again,” long for the “good ol’ days” and the golden times of before, we forget that we are looking back through the rose-coloured glasses of nostalgia.

I look back on my childhood with only fond memories of the radio shows that, in turn, look back to a time much longer ago—when there was still racial segregation, LBGTQ+ rights were non-existent, fears during the Cold War caused tens of thousands of Americans to lose their jobs in the “Red Scare,” women were expected to stay at home and be good housewives, and I could go on. These were not really “golden years” at all.

And it’s important not to get caught up in this rhetoric.

While the world today is certainly in a mess (understate-

ment of the year?), it’s not as if what we had before was any better. Everyone has hopes that things will get better, but how can we call it moving forward when all we’re trying to do is get to where we were before?

Editor’s note: After this week, the Brunswickan will cease publishing until the start of the winter term so that our staff can focus on their exams and final projects. We will keep you up to date on any breaking news that may happen during this period, but be prepared to go without your weekly digest of the Fredericton arts scene, V-Reds action and campus and community events until January. We thank you for understanding.

On behalf of the Brunswickan I would like to wish you all good luck on your exams and final projects, as well as a very happy and relaxing holiday season.

Emma McPhee, Editor-in-Chief, The Brunswickan

Special Thanks Every year, The Brunswickan’s staff has an opportunity to attend NASH, the Canadian University Press’ national conference. The conference gives us a chance to learn from some of the brightest journalists across the country, meet fellow student journalists, network, trade ideas and represent our masthead on the national stage. This January, we are sending five representatives to the 80th annual CUP NASH in Toronto, and we could not be more excited. We would like to acknowledge that this opportunity could have never happened without our generous sponsors: UNB Communications and UNB Conference Services. Without your support, we would not be able to send our editors and reporters to this valuable learning experience.

Thank you.

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News Briefs Words by Emma MacDonald | Photo by Book Sadprasid

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New president search committee contains no student voting members

student senator, but a Nov. 21 senate meeting revealed that this would not be the case.

UNB president and vice-chancellor Eddy Campbell is finishing his tenure at UNB in 2019 after serving a 10year term. Dr. Campbell’s graduation—as he likes to call it—will leave a gap in UNB’s leadership that the university is already taking steps to fill.

The nominating committee, chaired by vice-president academic George MacLean, presented their recommendations for the two available senate positions based on statements of interest submitted by faculty, staff and students currently on the senate.

The President Search Committee is being established, and includes representation from the senate and the Board of Governors. The UNB Student Union was hoping one of the available spots on the committee would be filled by a

English professor Jennifer Andrews and physics professor Viqar Husain were the nominating committee’s Fredericton Senate selections—choices that were approved by senate in a passing motion, despite UNBSU vice-presi-

dent internal Chris McGinn’s disagreement.

McGinn protested the potential solution of a non-voting student member, stating the UNBSU felt it was “a large commitment for a chance of voice;” he also recommended student senator Andrew Ward be considered for a voting role on the search committee.

Although members of the senate sympathized with McGinn’s concerns, Andrews noted that the selection process for the university’s new president was “incredibly important to the faculty,” stating, “we’re going to be here for a long time before and after this.”

Senate passed a second motion following this discussion to recommend that a student from UNB Fredericton be placed on the search committee as a non-voting member.

UNBSU Breaking stereotypes campaign premieres to mixed reviews Last month, The UNBSU launched the second installment of their Breaking Stereotypes campaign, which was dubbed “redefining masculinity and mental health”. The motivation behind the campaign came from statistics showing men were three times more likely to commit suicide than women, but much more unlikely to seek help for their mental health.

According to UNBSU president Herbert Bempah, the campaign was meant to “normalize men being able to express their emotions in different ways.”

For some, however, the campaign merely reinforced existing stereotypes about femininity.

In a Letter to the Editor, former UNBSU vice-president external (now vice-president advocacy) Katie Beers expressed her disappointment in the lack of depth in this year’s Breaking Stereotypes video.

“This could have been an opportunity to engage transgendered, non-binary and even (god forbid) female students, and offer a platform to share the impacts of toxic masculinity and hypermasculinity on their lives… Instead, we have a bunch of dudes aspiring to be recognised as ‘bros’ and ‘homies,’” Beers said in her letter.

The UNBSU acknowledged the pushback around their campaign in a written statement released on their social media Nov. 17 and again at their council meeting on Nov. 19.

In his written statement, Bempah said, “We truly felt that by ‘redefining masculinity,’ we were providing an opportunity for issues such as mental health, sexual assault and gender-based violence—all of which we feel are undeniably related to toxic masculinity—to be spoken about and discussed.

However, this may have been poorly communicated by us.”

The UNBSU acknowledged that despite their inclusion of a trans individual in the poster campaign and panel discussion, they failed to include trans or non-binary individuals in the initial start-up phases, and will subsequently be looking to redesign their campaign to something more inclusive after stepping back and consulting others.

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In the two years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released their Calls to Action report, universities have been a hot spot for conversation and steps forward in their efforts to “indigenize the academy.”

It’s something that has not skipped over the UNB campus, nor has it escaped the notice of UNB vice-president academic George MacLean.

“It’s not an exaggeration to see something almost on a weekly if not daily basis somewhere in Canada on an [Indigenous] initiative that’s taking place,” MacLean said.

By now, many Canadians have heard buzzwords like truth and reconciliation and indigenization, but not everyone knows what they mean and what they hope to produce. And even if they’ve heard them, there are many Canadians who are still unfamiliar with why these buzzwords are being used in the first place.

To uncover the answers to these questions, it is necessary to look back at the history of Canada, which UNB political science professor David Bedford says is a story of “the destruction of First Nations people.”

“We arrived here, we were greeted in a manner that—had the First Nations arrived in Europe they wouldn’t have been greeted like that…instead an offer to share the land was given and as really bad guests we took it all,” Bedford said.

“We’ve taken it all. And we have brutalized and oppressed and stolen from and raped and murdered since the beginning.”

The history of British and Aboriginal relations in Atlantic Canada According to the Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs website, when European settlers first arrived on Turtle Island, as North America is known to Indigenous peoples, peace and friendship treaties were established in the Maritime region “to end hostilities and encourage cooperation between the British and First Nations.”

These treaties were signed between the British and the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet (Wolastoqiyik) and Passamaquoddy First Nations and are unique in that they are the only treaties in Canada that do not surrender or cede Aboriginal land rights to the British.

Over the centuries, the Wabanaki people, as the various First Nations are collectively known, tried in vain to prevent the dishonouring of the treaties. Government responses were to create reserves for First Nations people in the 19th century, on land that was often too small and infertile to support large populations, since prioritization went to white settlers.

The failure of past governments to honour the peace and friendship treaties has resulted in the loss of traditional grounds for many Wabanaki people. The University of New Brunswick sits on the traditional unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik people—commonly referred to as the Maliseet.

David Perley is Wolastoqiyik and member of the Tobique First Nation. He became Executive Director of the Mi’kmaq-Maliseet Institute four years ago, and renamed it to the Mi’kmaq- Wolastoqey Centre to reflect appropriate terminology.

“My ancestors never used Maliseet, it was something that was imposed upon us by colonial authorities. In the 1700s when there was an English official who had Mi’kmaq guides and came

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upon Wolastoqey territory, they said ‘who are these people here?’ and the Mi’kmaq identified us as Maliseet, which means slow speakers [in Mi’kmaq],” says Perley.

moted...we weren’t allowed to speak our language, we weren’t allowed to practice our traditions, our ceremonies,” said Perley.

“It didn’t identify us as a nation, it identified our speaking style…That river here [the St. John River] was called Wolastoq, so people who live along the river are called Wolastoqiyik, so that’s the term I’m promoting here at UNB. We have to respect the terminology of my ancestors.”

“At the time I was thinking it was so unfair, why can’t I learn about my own history, why can’t I continue to be exposed to my own ancestral language?”

However, it is not just the loss of traditional territory and creation of reserves that has contributed to the impoverished and marginalized situation of First Nation peoples in the present day.

The ramifications of Canada’s Indian Act Patsy McKinney, Executive Director of Under One Sky, an Aboriginal headstart and friendship centre, says she got involved with after Aboriginal issues after learning more about the Indian Act, first passed in 1876, and the effect it’s had on Indigenous peoples.

Through the legislation in the Indian Act, women were kicked off reserves and lost their status for marrying non-natives. McKinney grew up with her grandmother off-reserve because of this legislation, and despite amendments to the act that loosened regulations on status claims, has yet to claim her Indian status, citing her unwillingness to have her identity determined by the state.

“I think Canada is the only country in the whole world where one race is determined by another race…We don’t get to decide who’s Aboriginal, the federal government gets to decide,” says McKinney.

According to McKinney, despite the majority of status Indians living on-reserve, approximately 70 per cent of Indigenous populations live off-reserve, many without status and without access to Aboriginal programs and services or cultural knowledge.

The Residential and Indian Day school systems were established in the late 1800s through the Indian Act and assimilated Indigenous children into mainstream society, stripping them of their language and culture while simultaneously inflicting years of physical, mental, sexual and spiritual abuse on the children who attended.

Perley attended Indian Day school on the Tobique First Nation from grades one to six, and said the last ones closed around the 1970s, two decades before the last residential school closure in 1996, although Perley says the purpose of both institutions was the same.

“Everything that they did in terms of the programs, it was all designed to ensure that language was not being pro10

Ryan Wallace, UNBSU Indigenous Representative and member of the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation, has felt the effects of this assimilation process in their own community.

“Growing up we didn’t have much [opportunity] because on my First Nation we didn’t have any language-keepers, we still have some Elders with knowledge but the language was not here,” says Wallace, who said in recent years, technology advancements have made it easier to connect with other communities and bring knowledge back to the First Nation.

Despite difficulties in cultural knowledge retention, Wallace said the Madawaska Maliseet reserve has experienced good economic development, saying, “I saw the community grow from basically struggling monetarily to being almost self-sustainable.”

Every First Nation community is different, says Wallace, and not all have had similar economic success—some reserves still struggle to provide basic needs to their communities.

“Over 100 First Nation communities in this country are on boil order. they don’t even have safe water to drink,” McKinney says. “Now just a couple weeks ago, Fredericton Junction was on boil order—didn’t even last 24 hours— it was fixed.”

“Some of these communities have been on boil order for over ten years. Why?” According to McKinney, it is crucial to understand the effects legislation has produced for Indigenous peoples and acknowledging their lack of control in the matter if real reconciliation is to ever occur.

“Why are we so underrepresented in the employment sector, overrepresented in the prison system, highest rates of suicide, why is that? Is there something genetically wrong with us? I know that some people think so, but no. It’s a whole history of colonization and assimilation,” says McKinney.

“The general attitude is that Aboriginal people are in the position they are today by their own demise—if they just get off their lazy asses and go to work, get a job, you know stop depending on the federal government handouts,

that would change everything.”

“That’s what needs to change.” says McKinney about this attitude.

Steps towards acknowledging First Nations people began in 1960 when they were first given the right to vote.

The first policies around Aboriginal land claims were established in 1973 and in 1982, Aboriginal and treaty rights were recognized by Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution.

In 2008, the Harper government made a formal apology to former students of the federal government’s Indian residential school system and established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada to receive statements from the survivors.

The TRC released their findings in 2015, which included 94 recommendations or calls to action “in order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation,” according to the final report.

These calls to action have been the guiding principles of universities and other institutions over the past couple of years as they take strides to ensure mutual recognition between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples and seek to create an institution that better reflects its Indigenous student population.

The indigenization process begins at UNB The indigenization process at UNB has been started just recently with the establishment of a TRC task force, chaired by Perley and nursing professor Shelley Francis.

Francis stepped in to replace the late Dean of Education Ann Sherman—a strong ally of Indigenous communities who mandated Indigenous content courses for Education students and established the TRC task force.

“We ask each faculty to identify a champion who will attend these meetings and we’ll have discussions on what we need to do to implement the TRC calls to action, and then they would be responsible to go back to their faculty and ensure that there’s concrete action taken,” says Perley.

Perley’s efforts to decolonize and indigenize education started in the public school system in his work with the department of education, but transitioned to focus on post-secondary education after he began teaching a First Nations education course at UNB in the early 1990s.

“I thought it was important for our First Nations students first of all to be exposed to Mi’kmaq Wolastoqey cultures, traditions, worldviews, contributions…so when 11

they graduate from here they will not only have a strong cultural foundation but also have the knowledge and information they need to be effective leaders when they go back to the First Nation,” says Perley.

Wallace has struggled with not seeing their self reflected in UNB’s course content, saying, “I can be sitting in business law and be like why am I here? These things don’t really apply to me or they apply just to some extent.”

“We want to apply the knowledge and skills we’re getting from classes to apply to real life so having Indigenous content in every field would make it that students would come to class and be engaged and still feel like they’re doing something that they can build on in the future and apply it to their communities,” said Wallace.

The TRC task force has met with university administration in regards to UNB’s 10-point strategic plan around indigenization at UNB, which will be presented to the Board of Governors for approval on Dec. 7.

MacLean, who has been leading the strategic planning process, admitted that UNB was behind many other universities in the indigenization process, which has included more Indigenous content for classes, improved spaces on-campus and increased Indigenous faculty appointments and recruitment of Indigenous students.

“But in some respects there’s an advantage to having not done as much at this point, because we have the opportunity to look at what other universities have done to be able to really make the best steps for UNB,” says MacLean.

The 10-point strategic plan will seek to expose both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to Indigenous culture and history.

“It will involve a number of initiatives ranging from faculty to students to recruiting, to space on campus to advisory councils and individuals in the community that can help us develop the kind of programming and the proper initiatives that work for UNB,” says MacLean.

Perley is hopeful that the plan will attract more Indigenous tenure-track scholars—UNB currently has one Indigenous scholar on a three-year term—and assist in establishing an Indigenous Studies program and Wabanaki Centre on-campus.

The Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre, which is housed in the Department of Education, is already working on creating a stronger cultural presence on campus, with the introduction of monthly sweat lodges led by Elder-in-Resi-

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dence Imelda Perley and open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

Wallace hopes that the plan will debunk some of the misconceptions and ingrained stereotypes of Indigenous students, including the belief that they all receive free education. According to Wallace, they have to re-apply for funding every year and there is not enough for everyone, meaning some students are prioritized over others.

These misconceptions can cause discrimination against Indigenous students and according to Perley, this contributes to the low retention rates of Indigenous students at UNB. “I think mostly the discrimination and all the racist comments we’re getting is mostly due to ignorance,” says Wallace, who emphasized the importance of raising awareness around Indigenous issues.

Will it be enough?

However, some worry that the indigenization process will not be conducted in a truly mutual process, one that includes Indigenous voice as an equal and one that is truly nation-to-nation.

“We know what the words [nation-to-nation] mean and the words have a clear and precise meaning, that the two sides are equal, in the same way that NAFTA’s a nation-to-nation agreement, but of course they don’t mean anything like that,” says Bedford.

“I think they mean nation-to-subordinated colonized people and we’re taking the thumb and just releasing it slightly from them.”

McKinney says that inclusion of Indigenous peoples is necessary for real reconciliation, and that this inclusion needs to extend beyond tokenism, that words need to translate into action.

For Perley, having Indigenous representation on the Senate and Board of Governors would be a step forward in terms of having more voice on campus, and he expressed excitement at the plans to hire an Indigenous administrator who will implement the finalized strategic plan.

“It can’t be about somebody riding in on their white steed and fixing us. Aboriginal people don’t need fixing, we’re not broken,” said McKinney.

“It’s the systems that are broken…that’s what needs to get fixed.”

Thoughts from the Arts Editor Words by Ryan Gaio It’s that time of year again.

Yes! Whether you self-identify as a Saint Nick or a Scrooge, the holiday season is once again upon us. It’s a time of year that brings about many oh-so-joyful consequences: extremely busy shopping malls, ugly sweaters and visits with Great-Aunt Fran—who always holds you hostage by showing you pictures on her iPad (“And here’s a shot of me with your fourth-cousin Randy— look, we even took a selfie!—and here’s the hotel room I stayed in when I visited him last spring and here’s the free breakfast they served in the lobby...”) so that your only escape is to drink an entire punchbowl of spiked eggnog.

‘Tis the season!

Not to mention the yuletide mania that spreads through pop culture during the holidays like a virus.

Every year, it seems, there’s a whole new slew of products being churned out: holiday albums (“Listen to One Direction sing your favourite festive classics! They’re the exact same songs you heard on last year’s, but this time… They’re ACOUSTIC!”), animated specials (“How The Minions Saved Santa”) and must-have toys (“Forget that lame ol’ Elf On A Shelf—if you want your kid to have a special holiday season, get them a Rudolph On A Rooftop!”)

Despite the obvious frustration many of these offerings can elicit, there have, in fact, been some worthwhile additions to the festive pop culture canon.

Take Home Alone, for instance. As a tried-and-true child of the 90s, this flick has become a perennial staple of my December. Always screened via a VHS copy with its cardboard sleeve now almost entirely disintegrated—and don’t you dare think about fast-forwarding through the previews at the beginning! Those advertisements for Pepsi and Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest are now as integral to the Home Alone experience as Macaulay Culkin himself. I honestly think I’ve watched this more than any other movie in my life; in fact, its entire script—trust me when I say that I could recite it—is so ingrained upon my psyche that I find myself constantly suppressing the urge to slip an out-of-context Kevin McCallister-ism into everyday conversation.

(I’m not sure the lovely staff at the HIL Commons Cafe

selling me my medium coffee would appreciate it if I told them to “Keep the change, ya filthy animal.”) But no matter how many times I watch it, I’ll never not tear up at the ending, and the movie’s message about how it is never too late to show your appreciation for your loved ones—your family, your friends, your neighbours—is a worthy moral any time of year.

Same goes for It’s A Wonderful Life. While Home Alone earns its place on the Ryan Gaio Essential Holiday Pop Culture List due to sheer quantity of viewings, Wonderful Life earns its esteemed status through quality. Now, I know I have some biases: I’m a sucker for nostalgia, so anything in black-and-white certainly preaches to my personal choir, and I recognize that the film’s fictional setting of Bedford Falls reminds me so much of my small Ontario hometown I sometimes wonder if it was filmed there—but even despite these qualifiers I can’t help but feel there’s a little bit of George Bailey in all of us. His inability to recognize his own self-worth and his significance to the people around him—a significance that is so obvious to everyone but himself—feels as relevant to audiences in 2017 as it was upon the film’s 1946 release. Sometimes, unfortunately, life causes us all to feel this way. But I leave every viewing with a renewed conviction that, although there may be times where it feels otherwise, this is, indeed, a wonderful life after all. (In addition to having “Auld Lang Syne” stuck in my head. No spoilers.) As with Home Alone, this is a moral-of-the-story that transcends the season, and is a lesson we would all benefit from (re)learning the whole year through.

My point is—and I hope any other Home Alone-loving readers will hear those three words in the voice Kevin McCallister uses as he urges Old Man Marley to stop being afraid and call his son; this is admittedly a deepcut reference, but a reference nonetheless—this time of year can feel superficial, empty, and overall frustrating. But there can also be significant, heartfelt meaning found if you’re willing to look for it.

And if not? Take another swig of eggnog and smile for an iPad selfie with Great-Aunt Fran. After all, the holidays only come once a year.

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Ten Artsy Things to Do in Fredericton This Month Words by Ryan Gaio These ten listings are hardly—hardly!—the only Artsy Things To Do this month; while I have selected ten that I think are interesting and eclectic, always remember that there are many other wonderful things happening in and around the city all month long. To let us know about an upcoming Artsy Thing To Do, email arts@thebruns.ca—we may feature your Thing in an upcoming issue! For more information about any of the following listings, please use your social media lurking skills and/or consult Google. All Artsy Things can be very easily found.

Dec. 1: Christmas Tree Lighting.

Kick off the holiday season with Fredericton’s Tree Lighting Ceremony!

Gather at the Legislative Assembly for a candlelight parade to City Hall, with musical accompaniment by the Fredericton Concert & Marching Band and UNB Chorale. Free hot chocolate and apple cider will be provided, with Santa himself handing out candy canes to little ones…and starving students.

Legislative Assembly, 706 Queen Street, 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 7: Fredericton United Comedy Collective Open Mic.

Dec. 2-3: The Nutcracker.

The holiday classic returns to the Fredericton Playhouse (for two performances!), with this adaptation presented by Dance Fredericton and featuring guest artists from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company and Louis-Philippe Dionne, the former soloist with the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada. You’ll have Tchaikovsky’s score stuck in your head all December!

The Fredericton Playhouse, 686 Queen Street, 7:00 p.m. (Dec. 2) and 2:00 p.m.

(Dec. 3)

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Knock knock. Who’s there?

It’s Fredericton’s finest stand-up comedians!

This long-running open mic, held the first Thursday of every month in the Wilser’s Room, gives comics from Fredericton, Saint John and beyond the chance to show off their finest five minutes of material, plus a headline set by a buzzworthy jokester. All performers will be funnier than the opening line of this entry.

The Capital Complex, 362 Queen Street, 8:30 p.m.

Dec. 7: NEW CONSTELLATIONS. This new nation(s)wide tour of music and arts features eclectic lineups which combine Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists coming together to share music and writing. Each stop of the half-music,

half-literary tour includes a rotating cast of celebrated artists alongside a core roster of Indigenous artists; Fredericton’s stop features performances from Mo Kenney, Rich Aucoin and UNB’s very own Sue Sinclair!

The Fredericton Playhouse, 686 Queen Street, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 8: The Fabulously Rich - Tragically Hip Tribute.

Following the news of Gord Downie’s cancer diagnosis, a group of old friends from Charlottetown, P.E.I., who had once played together in high school decided to reunite and pay homage to one of their greatest musical inspirations. The band has learned so many of the The Hip’s tunes, no two sets are the same! Proceeds from each show are donated to The Downie Wenjack Fund—just as Gordie himself would’ve wanted.

The Capital Complex, 362 Queen Street, 9:00 p.m.

Dec. 22: Tomato Tomato’s Maritime Christmas.

Dec. 16: Christmas Brewery Tour.

Dec. 14-16: A Christmas Carol.

Theatre NB returns for its seventh production of the Charles Dickens classic. While the story remains the same each year, the company ensures that each production is uniquely distinct from the last.

This year, they’ve cast women to play many of the story’s traditional male roles—including legendary curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge. This production, led by guest director Ann-Marie Kerr of Halifax, promises no “Bah, humbug!”s The Fredericton Play-

Fredericton is quickly becoming Atlantic Canada’s Craft Beer Capital—come see why for yourself on this tour! With three brewery stops, the tour offers the opportunity to learn more about the brewing process, meet the people behind the drinks and, most importantly, have some samples!

Graystone Brewery, 221 King Street, 12:30 p.m.

Dec. 17: 10th Annual Feels Good Xmas Party.

Local arts organization Feels Good—the brains behind each summer’s Folly Fest—takes over the entire Capital Complex for the tenth incarnation of their annual holiday bash.

Local bands the Hypochondriacs, Some Dads and the Montgomery St. Band will offer up tunes.

The venue will also play host to art, theatre, DJs and lots of fun and games.

Plus some special cocktails! Discounted tickets available at the door to all who bring nonperishable food items—something we can all feel good about!

The Capital Complex, 362 Queen Street, 7:30 p.m.

Husband-and-wife duo John and Lisa McLaggan will bring down-home traditions, favorite songs and new classics to the Fredericton Playhouse with their new holiday show. Joining the duo will be Cape Breton’s Heather Ranking and Pictou County’s Dave Gunning, offering stories, memories, laughs and surprises in an evening that promises to remind audiences what makes a Maritime Christmas so special!

The Fredericton Playhouse, 686 Queen Street, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 29: Cinderella...

With A Twist.

DuffleBag Theatre will delight audiences with their telling of the classic Cinderella story, which features plenty of hilarious twists. The group’s “fractured fairy tales” have become an annual favourite, full of unexpected fun and audience participation. Best of all, the performance is “Pay What You Will”—great for both student and post-holiday shopping budgets!

The Fredericton Playhouse, 686 Queen Street, 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

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Words by Ryan Gaio | Photos by Noah Stevens At the climax of the now-classic 1965 special A Charlie Brown Christmas, Linus van Pelt—clutching his beloved blue blanket and illuminated by a single spotlight—offers Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang his definition of the meaning of Christmas. Reciting a verse from the Gospel of Luke, which ends with a promise for “peace and goodwill” towards all, Linus states, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

It’s this emphasis on harmony, togetherness and “loving thy neighbour” that has earned the animated special a place in the Christmas pop culture canon—and it’s that same focus on community and kindness that Jerry Granelli hopes to spread with his upcoming performance, Tales of Charlie Brown.

soundtrack to an in-progress Peanuts Christmas special.

“Vince saw little bits of animation, but most of the animation wasn’t even done,” Granelli said. “It would just be like: ‘skating,’ and then Vince would get the feel for it, and we put the bass and drums to it…We all knew who Charlie Brown was, so we just tried to capture that.”

The group did so well, they even earned the approval of creator Charles Schulz.

“Charlie just loved it...On later specials, when they started using soundtracks with synthesizers, he would say, ‘Can we go back to Vince’s music? This is not Charlie Brown.’ ‘Cause Vince’s melody is Charlie Brown; it really gets to the heart of who Charlie Brown is.”

*** Today, Jerry Granelli is a 76-year-old musician, mentor, educator and community leader living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He records, paints and leads a music camp every summer.

But in the mid-1960’s, Granelli was a hot young jazz-obsessed drummer rocking and rolling through clubs in San Francisco. After earning a reputation for his percussive talents, Granelli found himself a gig behind the kit with the Vince Guaraldi Trio. “I was getting paid to play jazz!

Actual money!” he exclaimed, with fond remembrance.

Though the group achieved some success with a hit called “Cast Your Fate To The Wind,” they would soon earn themselves a more permanent place in the history books when producer Lee Mendelson heard their song on the radio and recruited the group to compose the 16

The album was recorded very quickly—“Took us about three hours…That’s what you did a record in, in those days. You did a whole record in three hours”—and Granelli took his mere $100 and left, with no idea the project would be as beloved as it is today.

“We had no sense that we were capturing ‘lightning in a bottle.’ No sense of it. And I think that’s what makes it work…The key to this piece is that it was completely honest—no BS. No one was looking to make a hit. Everyone was just having fun and doing a great job…I think that human beings, in our hearts, know what’s true—and we can hear it. I think we really captured the spirit of that moment, and I think it’s lasted because that spirit of…of joy…is getting harder and harder to find in this world.” ***

A few summers ago, a man came up to Granelli on a beach in Cape Breton. Accompanied by his great-grandson and grandson, the man thanked him for the music made many years before, and what the project had come to mean to several generations of their family.

While Granelli had always had a sense of the soundtrack’s importance to people—the record is currently the second-best-selling jazz album of all time, behind only Miles Davis’s Kind Of Blue—he was reluctant to revisit his Charlie Brown past, opting instead to focus on his numerous other artistic and musical projects.

However, after reflecting on the encounter at the beach, Granelli realized just how significant the music was to people, and the type of experience he alone— Granelli is the sole surviving member of the Trio—could provide audiences. Thus, for the first time in several decades, Granelli decided to return to the old tunes, putting together a show called Tales of Charlie Brown, which makes its Fredericton debut at the Playhouse on Dec. 18, in conjunction with Shivering Songs Festival.

The show combines stories about the project, various clips from the Schulz family, and, most importantly, 45 minutes of “real jazz music, man. We really play it…I take great pride in really playing this for people.” With each performance, Granelli and his two bandmates are accompanied by a local children’s choir—”The less-perfectly they sing, the better!” he said, honouring the original recordings’ emphasis on honesty. Proceeds raised by the show are donated to arts projects in that performance’s host city.

encourages, which has become a life mission of Granelli’s.

After settling in Halifax in the late 80’s, Granelli co-founded the Atlantic Jazz Festival—the only festival to offer an educational component. Granelli passionately believes in the value of arts education, which he has demonstrated by serving as an instructor for numerous workshops and projects. Yet his greatest concern with these projects is, always, to use the arts to promote community.

“What we need now is community,” he said. “We need our neighbourhoods again. The role of the artist has changed.

We need artists who are willing to go out and fight for the arts in our community, and then share that with people.”

Indeed, Tales of Charlie Brown allows him to do just that.

“One of the reasons I’ve been doing this is that it’s got nothing to do with me,” Granelli said. “I just play it. What it really has to do with is bringing people together…It gets to a part of being human that is beyond Christmas. What Linus did his speech about—what the ‘spirit of Christmas’ is—it doesn’t matter what your religion is.

“I happen to be a Buddhist, yet it sure makes sense to me: it’s all about how we can love each other, and about giving.

This show gives people a chance to relax for a bit from everything that’s going on in the world. Things are getting long, but for an hour-and-a-half, things aren’t feeling long anymore. Instead, we get to celebrate things that are important to being human.”

I’m sure that wherever he is, Linus van Pelt approves.

It’s all in an effort to foster the kind of togetherness Linus 17

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Words by Book Sadprasid

Tea is the second most popular drink in the world after water. Like many kinds of tea, match has been around for many centuries. But forJapanese people, matcha is more than just a drink. It is an art and a way of life. Match ceremony is meant to demonstrate respect through grace. Today, the powdered green tea is not only used in the Japanese tea ceremony, but also consumed by many people around the world in the form of tea and even desserts.

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Words by Brad Ackerson University students know all too well how difficult it is to fit everything into their schedules. Add in the many hours of work required to compete in high-level athletics and it’s easy to wonder how varsity athletes find the time to get everything done.

However, year after year UNB athletes volunteer countless hours of their very limited free time to help with numerous causes in the Fredericton area, while still maintaining high educational and athletic standards. Two such athletes are Troy Wilson of the men’s track and field team, and basketball player and Athlete’s Council president Hannah Currie.

Currie and Wilson have each established extensive philanthropic records. Wilson—who was one of the winners of the AUS Community Service award last winter—got involved soon after joining the track team.

Currie, on the other hand, started seeing volunteerism as a major part of her life during high school, and credits her parents for pushing her to help others from a young age.

Both athletes have been involved in UNB’s Read With the Reds program, where UNB athletes travel to elementary schools in the Fredericton area and read with young students. Much of their other volunteer work has revolved around encouraging kids to become more physically active, something Wilson says is of the utmost importance to him.

“Since I’m a kinesiologist by trade, I really want to get kids moving and get their physical literacy up. Anything to get them to experience something different that they wouldn’t experience otherwise,” he said.

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As for Currie, one cause that is particularly important to her is breast cancer research. In her first year at UNB, she cut her hair to make wigs for cancer patients and raised both money and awareness for the Breast Cancer Foundation—something she says she is likely to do again this year.

“Like most people, I have had a number of family and friends affected by breast cancer, as well as many other types. One thing that is in my control is donating my hair to go to those who need it. Hair is important to all women; it’s a sense of identity. So, imagine having no choice but to lose it all,” she said, adding, “To me, that is what I think about the most. Having the opportunity to give someone back their sense of identity.”

In spite of the passion Wilson, Currie and other UNB athletes have for the causes they support, finding time to work volunteering into their already busy schedules can be a major struggle.

“It can get really tough,” said Wilson, when asked how he finds the time to volunteer while competing and working towards his master’s degree. He added that he has recently started working as a teacher’s assistant in an effort to integrate his philanthropy and his studies, since it has been so difficult to find free time otherwise.

Despite the challenges, the knowledge that they are making an impact in their community makes it all worth it in the end.

“An hour here and there for someone else is always

worth it,” said Currie. “Fredericton is a second home for me and the community has become another family.

Putting time into your home and family doesn’t seem like much of a hassle.”

“There have been a lot of positive experiences—especially with working with the youth basketball teams.

It brings me so much joy to work with young girls in sport and share one of my passions with them. It also is an incredible feeling having them look up to you as athletes, students and women.”

Wilson has first-hand experience of the impact kind acts can have on others. During his freshman year he was facing significant financial difficulties, but another athlete’s parent bought him a pair of shoes that he needed to continue competing.

“Now it’s five years later and from someone buying me a pair of shoes, I’m now captain of the team and it has opened up a lot of doors for me,” he said.

we’re all working together. I see that in the community; I might be one person doing one thing by myself, but if I can give back to the entire community and improve the community as a whole, everyone rises up with that.”

Women’s basketball head coach Jeff Speedy agrees with this sentiment.

“Successful student athletes have to be unselfish and passionate—among other things—and no doubt, many student athletes do a fantastic job giving back because of the kind of person and teammate they are.”

In fact, Speedy looks for strong character in his recruits.

“I love to win games—but to be honest, I care much more that the student athletes on our team are great people. At this stage of my career, I am not sure I could come to work if we did not have such great young women wearing the V-Reds uniform.”

“No one can do anything alone. Even if you think ‘oh I did everything by myself,’ there are always things behind the scenes—and without those behind the scenes actions, nothing will get done.”

Considering the many causes UNB athletes contribute to, Wilson believes there is a strong correlation between the traits that make someone a successful athlete and those that cause them to help others.

“It’s mostly the teamwork. While track and field is traditionally an individual sport, it’s like everyone is doing their own event—but in the greater scheme of things, 25

Words by Caroline Mercier

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As the fall term comes to a close, UNB Athletics are also winding down until January. The Brunswickan has gathered together the stats of all the teams that have played so far this year to see how they stack up: Volleyball Men’s volleyball began their season with two losses and a single win during the AUS/RSEQ interlock tournament hosted by Dalhousie University in September. This, followed by a loss to the Tigers the next weekend, left UNB’s record at 3-0. In a change of momentum, the Reds have won their last two games against their conference rival Dal, and have brought their record to 3-3 heading into next semester.

Despite a slow start, the women’s volleyball team is showing promise coming out of the first semester.

Though their record does not reflect it with no wins and nine losses, the majority of their sets have been scored within a four-point margin. Similar to last season, the team will be entering next semester without a win, trying to earn their spot in the AUS Championship.

Basketball Men’s basketball has had a stellar season so far this year.

The team has managed a 7-1 record and is placed first in the AUS going into next semester. In addition to leading the league of eight teams, UNB players are leading the way in points and assists. Most notably, fifth year Javon Masters is the current record holder for all time career points scored in the AUS and is in pursuit of the USport record set by Boris Bakovic of 2282 career points.

Women’s basketball will be entering into next semester with a record of 5-3 putting them in second place in the AUS behind Acadia and tied with Memorial. Despite injuries across the board, the team was able to pull together finishing their semester with a dominating performance against memorial of 85-55. UNB’s Emily McLeod currently leads the league in blocks.

Hockey Half way through the season the Reds have sustained their dominance in the AUS with a record of 14-2, with both of

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those losses occurring outside of regulation time. UNB is leading in total goals scored with 73 and has the least goals against in the league with 32. The only two teams to challenge UNB, St. FX and Acadia, are placed second and fourth respectively.

Football The Red Bombers had a 5-1 record in the regular season and with a total of 231 points (51 more than the next best team). They allowed only 105 points against, with what was the second lowest amount in their league. After a dominating performance against the UNBSJ Seawolves at a score of 66-0, the Bombers moved on to face the Dalhousie Tiger in the championship match at home. UNB won in a score of 39-35 in the first time the two teams had met in a championship final since 1953, claiming the AFL banner. UNB players Hunter Sturgeon, Turner Sturgeon, Matt Fagan and Jacob Hanscomb all received league major award recognition.

Rugby Women’s rugby was able to extend their three season long win streak to another championship banner against the St. Thomas Tommies in a score of 32-22. The last time the team lost was during the 2015 regular season. The team had a total of 12 points against them during the 2017 regular season and 22 in the post-season, all of which were scored by STU. Soccer Men’s soccer finished their season in a loss at the USport national championship against the eventual fourth place finisher, the University of British Columbia. They finished second in the AUS to the eventual USport champions, the Cape Breton University Capers. The Reds had the third best regular season record in the AUS (7-3-2). The team was second in the league in goals with 25 and tied for second in goals against with seven. Their leading scorer, Dan Walker, was third in the league in both goals (eight) and total points (11).

Women’s soccer carried momentum into the AUS tournament, but was stopped by the Cape Breton Capers in the semifinal by a score of 4-0. The team was 4-4-4 record in regular season, with no losses in October. UNB finished

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with 11 goals for and 15 against. The Capers went on the place second in the USport national championship.

Swimming UNB finished in fifth place in the team standing at their last meet of the season. The team was led by second year Noah Horwood who placed second in the 50 breaststroke, narrowly missing the USport standard, and Jennifer Moore, who place fourth in the 50 freestyle. Overall, the Reds had 20 top eight finishes at the Kemp Fry invitational and are continuing their training into the holidays to prepare for AUS in February.

Cross Country The women’s side was led by Fredericton native firstyear Jenna Keilty in 12th position. Fourth years Callie McGuire and Rachel Bennett ran to finishes of 19th and 25th place respectively, closely followed by Natalie Tremblay at 27th and Jana Giles at 29th. Though the group had a strong showing, the team placed fifth with a score of 109. UNB women composed the smallest group of runners, with only five women competing.

UNB was edged out by five points on the men’s side for a team finish of fourth. The team was led by Michael Colford in 12th position and Ian Verschoor in 18th. Isaac Cull, Trevor Morrison, and Ben Tremblay composed the middle of the pack at 22nd, 26th and 28th place. Dawson Nancekievill followed closely by Mitch Spragg rounded out the men’s team placing in 33rd and 34th out of the 45 men to finish.

Lacrosse Mens Lacrosse finished fifth in their league in both the regular and post seasons. The team was led in points by Michael Oblenes with 23 total, followed by Chris Burgess with 22 and Zachary Dunseith with 12.

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A UNIQUE JOB AN ICONIC LOCATION AN UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER

Become a PARLIAMENTARY GUIDE Applications due January 12, 2018 This summer, be part of the action at the Parliament of Canada.

Find out more and apply online at

lop.parl.ca/guides 30

How closely have you been reading the Bruns in the past month? Test yourself with this crossword puzzle, featuring answers from last month’s online stories and this month’s magazine.

Submit your completed crossword to the Brunswickan’s office (Room 35 in the SUB) to win a prize! The first person to submit a correct puzzle will automatically win a free pizza from Domino’s. Everyone else will be entered into a draw for another free pizza, which will be held on Jan. 7. We will draw four winners.

Best of luck!

If no one’s in the office, please slip your crossword under the door with the date, time, your name and your email written on it. Thank you!

Across 3 “Graduates” in 2019, ______ Campbell 4 Blue Jays icon, RIP 7 Visited UNB’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering last month (no space) 9 AUS b-ball record holder 10 ________ Guaraldi Trio Down 1 NB’s oldest private gallery; number (no space) 2 The real name of the St. John River 5 UNB senators will talk for hours about the ________ Plan 6 Recently opened gallery in Fredericton on ________ 8 Parking lot behind the Aitken Centre

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