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NEWS

Proposed smoking ban in Guelph

Public spaces survey sparks controversy Amy van den Berg Sudan lifts fuel subsidies, triggering deadly protests Since the 2011 secession of South Sudan, which saw the southern state acquire much of the Sudan’s oil income, the country has struggled to wean its citizens off its once sizable oil revenues. In a recent attempt at austerity, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir slashed the country’s fuel subsidies, essentially doubling fuel prices overnight.

As the Economist reports, residents of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, took to the streets to protest the rise in prices and were met with the deadly force, as the regime’s internal security forces cracked down.

The International Federation of Human Rights claims at least 170 people were killed in the protests; the regime says only 34 have died.

While crackdowns of this nature are not unusual in authoritarian regimes, the slaying of one of Khartoum’s more affluent citizens, a young chemist named Saleh Sanouri, has catalysed many of Sudan’s would-be revolutionaries.

Sudan’s own National Congress has told Mr. Bashir that his “legitimacy” has never been more gravely in doubt. $110,000 Tesla Model S becomes Norway’s best selling car You know your economy is doing well when an electric car that retails for $110,000 is the best selling car in the country.

The Tesla Model S went on sale in Norway in August and has since acquired a market share of 5.1 per cent.

Demand has been so high that savvy buyers have been re-selling the Model S on the second-hand market for considerable profit.

“I paid more for a second-hand [Model S] than I would have paid if I bought it when it was new, but the demand is so high that I am sure I would get my money back and then some if I sold it again today,” 27-year-old financial consultant Anders Langset said to Reuters.

The Tesla Model S came on to the market to international acclaim, earning praise for its quality, performance, reliability, and class-beating range (300 miles).

Norway levies extremely high taxes on gasoline-powered high-performance vehicles, but generously subsidizes electric cars in addition giving owners special perks, like free parking or the right to use highway express lanes.

Compiled by Michael Long

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172.6 • Thursday, OCTOBER 10, 2013

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) Public Health Service has recommended a complete ban on smoking in public outdoor spaces, just as the results of its summerlong study have been released.

From May 31 to Aug. 20, participants in a community survey were asked whether or not they agreed with a ban that would disallow smoking in 14 outdoor spaces such as restaurant and bar patios, bus stops, parks, playgrounds, sports fields, outdoor recreation areas, among others.

Of the 2,001 respondents, 84 per cent identified as non-smokers, 14 per cent as smokers, and 2 per cent refused to indicate if they smoked or not. Most supported the complete smoking ban in these outdoor spaces.

The majority of non-smokers encouraged the complete ban on all 14 spaces while the majority of selfidentified smokers only supported the restrictions in areas such as playgrounds, outdoor pools, hospital grounds, splash pads and nine meters outside of doorways.

“If you have to walk a few feet then what’s the big deal?” said

Jessica Avolio and Michael Long Launched last fall, the University of Guelph’s Program Prioritization Process (PPP) was tasked with identifying and ranking all academic and non-academic programs and services run by the university. On Oct. 2, the U of G released the results of that initiative in a report available to anyone with a University of Guelph username and password.

Led by Provost and VicePresident (Academic) Maureen Mancuso, the 21-member Task Force, composed of past and current chairs of Senate Standing Committees, faculty, staff, and students, reviewed each of the 492 programs run by every department at the university. Senior members from each department were asked to fill out a comprehensive questionnaire called the Program Information Request (PIR), and answered questions pertaining to the function of each program under their purview. The Task Force used this information as their primary source in assessing and ranking each program.

The system ranked all programs and services against 10 criteria: history and development; external and internal demand; quality of inputs and outcomes; size, scope and productivity; revenue and other resources generated; costs and other expenses;

Jonathan Forbes, a Guelph resident and smoker. “You have to be respectful of other people.”

The report submitted by WDG Public Health stresses the effects of second hand smoke and states, among other things, that health authorities such as the World Health Organization agree that even outdoors there is no safe level of exposure.

In the executive summary, the report says that “smoke-free outdoor by-laws…promote positive role-modeling to children and youth, protect the environment and reduce litter, and increase motivation for smokers to quit or cut back.”

The report identifies second-hand smoke as a significant health hazard and notes that particulate matter from a cigarette can travel over seven metres.

Nick Oberle, a visiting resident of Waterloo, criticizes the ban, saying, “If people want to smoke they’re not going to want to leave the bar.” He suggests the restrictions will hurt local businesses.

The WDG Public Health Service plans to approach City Council and other municipal councils to voice the opinions of the survey participants.

This study was conducted at a time when several local governments across Ontario, including Ottawa and Orangeville, have already taken steps to restrict

PHOTO BY WENDY SHEPHERD

The Guelph Public Health Service has recommended that smoking in many of the city’s outdoor areas, from splash pools to bar patios, be banned. A survey shows that majority opinion supports such a measure, but smokers are somewhat reticent. smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke in outdoor spaces.

The Public Health Service plans to follow this example by pushing Guelph towards drafting a smokefree outdoor spaces bylaw.

The report found that the majority of respondents agreed that smoking bans would be beneficial in: splash pads and outdoor pools (91%); playgrounds (90%);

What is the PPP?

overall essentiality of the program; and opportunity analysis.

A simple rubric allowed for three different scoring options: below expectations, meets expectations, or exceeds expectations.

Each score was calculated on the weight of the 10 criteria. In the end, programs were placed into five quintiles, with those in the fifth quintile scoring most poorly.

The information gleaned from the PPP will be used in conjunction with other metrics from the university’s long-term Integrated Plan (IP) to set budget targets and help the university address its $32.4 million structural budget deficit.

“We know our costs continue to rise on an annual basis, so we know that instructional costs are the biggest part of the budget,” said Mancuso. This begs the question: “Are there ways to think differently about how to deliver...a quality learning experience for our students, but in different formats, different modes.”

Though the university has reallocated $46 million in recent years as part of their Multi-Year Plan, and has eliminated more than 12 per cent of low-enrolment courses and 69 per cent of low-enrolment majors, the deficit persists. It is also apparent that additional provincial funding will not be forthcoming.

The Task Force has demonstrated that a deficit is not an option, and as a consequence, resources must be reallocated, costs must be

further reduced, and growth is to be focused on those areas prioritized by the PPP. The report was also not shy about admitting difficulties gathering and analyzing the results. The results showed that certain Minors – particularly in the humanities and other low-enrolment programs, such as the Bachelor of Arts (General) – scored poorly due to costing issues and an inability to demonstrate demand. Overspecialization was also observed in programs such as International Development, which lead the Task Force to conclude that the programs were weaker as a result.

The Task Force also found that the current faculty Distribution of Effort model (40% teaching - 40% research - 20% service) may not be best suited to all departments.

PIR authors frequently experienced difficulty gathering compelling evidence for gauging program demand, size, quality and costs, and in many cases, no such data was available. The programs that scored well were the ones who gathered data themselves rather than reporting they had no data.

Departments of new programs also experienced difficulty finding enough evidence to support demand for the program, to the detriment of their final ranking.

The report also stated that the PIR forms were “not well prepared” and that many programs were “not as well-represented as they could

nine metres outside of doorways to public places and work places (84%); hospital grounds (83%); all municipal property (78%); sports fields (76%); restaurant patios (75%); bus stops (73%); outdoor ice rinks (72%); parks (68%); outdoor special events (67%); other outdoor recreational areas (65%); and bar patios (63%).

have been.” In short, some authors did a better job selling their programs than others. Often graphs and figures were not properly labeled or explained, answers were either overly specific or too general, parts were copy and pasted, and aspects were unclear. These issues did affect the overall scoring and final rankings of programs, but were unavoidable given the nature of the research method.

“We already knew in the first go that we wouldn’t get this perfect,” said Mancuso. “This is the first iteration of this, and we intend to do it again as part of the integrated planning, probably once a cycle.”

Mancuso stressed that these rankings would not be the sole determinate of the whether a program is slashed or not, and any changes to program budgets in light of the PPP must still pass through the university’s normal governance channels, which includes confirmation by the Senate and Board of Governors.

“I think there is still some myth out there that anything that’s in the bottom quintile, automatically, you know, it’s ‘off with their head.’

That’s not true. We will use the PPP, the ranking, as an additional piece of information to help figure out what will be the differential budget reduction targets for units across the campus,” said Mancuso.

In the end, the university stands by the results generated from the process.

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U of G’s Scottish chapbooks to be digitized

Books narrate dark fairytales, but offer some nicer sensations for the reader Ryan Matheson

On the lowest level, in the depths of the McLaughlin Library, antique scripts, documents, recipes and stories comprise an impressive collection of rare books and archives. Among this remarkable assortment is the world’s largest compilation of historic Scottish text outside of the UK, including atlases, diaries, newspapers and chapbooks.

With time-yellowed pages precariously clinging to fraying bindings, Guelph’s substantial collection of pocket-sized chapbooks have an air to them that only two-hundred year old documents can produce.

The following is an excerpt from the Scottish chapbook, “History of Dr. Faustus – His wicked life and horrid death…:” “About twelve o’ clock the house shook so terribly that they thought it would come down upon them, and suddenly the house windows were broken to pieces, so that they trembled and wished themselves elsewhere, whereupon a clap of thunder, with a whirlwind the doors flew open and a mighty rushing of wind entered with the hissing of serpents, shrieks and cries upon which he lamentably cried out, Murder, and there was such roaring in the hall as if all the devils in hell had been there.”

Chapbooks were printed in most European countries between the 16th and early 20th centuries and were typically sold by nomadic vendors known as ‘chapmen,’

giving precedence to the name ‘chapbooks.’ Special Collections Librarian, Melissa McAfee, has a passion for these Scottish tales and explains their purpose: “[Chapbooks] are cheap publications that were marketed to the literate poor…They were printed on a variety of topics from religious to moral tales, a lot of humourous stuff, lots of songs and lots of ballads...

Another big category is fairytales and folk-tales, a lot of times they’re very grim.”

From the mid-18th century to the late 19th century, sales of these simple and often crudely printed publications were more successful in Scotland than elsewhere in Europe. This was largely a result of there being little in the way of regularly circulated provincial newspapers or periodical press during much of that time.

This fact stood in stark contrast with the country’s high literacy rates and created a major market for cheap literature.

Chapbooks effectively made reading accessible to the eager masses.

“In the 18th century, to buy a real book would the same as what it would cost to buy a major appliance today, like a washer or a dryer,” said McAfee.

McAfee raised another interesting point about these unique stories and their connection to the common class: “So much of history has been done from the point of view of the ‘great men’ and what they were reading and what they were collecting. What these chapbooks are really about is representing your average Joe... [Chapbooks] are an ephemeral resource and there is growing interest in this sort of topic: ‘What was the common person reading?’”

While much of the literature of that time was mainly focused on royalty or other historically significant figures, chapbooks generally portrayed scenes that were either mythical or very common.

The chapbook collection here at Guelph began to form between 1965 and the late 1980s after a donor and a substantial grant procured enough funding to kick-start the acquisition of historic Scottish archives.

Researchers of the university then travelled to the U.K. in order to hand pick the relics found in the rare archives section of the library today.

Last winter, the Special Collections unit at the university began the process of digitizing a few of the chapbooks as a pilot project alongside Professor Andrew Ross and his fourth-year digital humanities class.

Upwards of six-hundred chapbooks will be digitized over the next year to provide a complete online record of the university’s collection.

Actually going to the library’s archives to read historic text is an experience which is hard to translate in a digital format, and while McAfee is excited about getting the collection online and accessible she acknowledges that readers maybe don’t get the full experience of the chapbooks from a screen.

“As librarians we have the responsibility to share our resources with the university and anyone who wants to see them… [However] online facsimile doesn’t always show all of the characteristics of what something is. We thought of two main reasons, if you can, to see the original – and that was size and smell…We want students of every stripe to use our archives. This isn’t just for

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH ARCHIVAL AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Chapbooks were cheap publications marketed for the literate poor. Like the Scottish example above, they often featured mythical tales. The University of Guelph Rare Book archive has the largest collection of chapbooks outside of the United Kingdom.

PhDs and faculty, it’s a really great asset for everybody.”

The online versions of Guelph’s chapbooks likely won’t be launched until next summer. But for now, these

charming tales can be found in the Special Collections and Rare Archives section on the lower floor of McLaughlin Library alongside other exceedingly interesting historical records.

Anne Frank’s sister comes to Guelph

Eva Schloss, a Holocaust survivor, reminds us that prejudice and discrimination continue Mike Ott

Eva Schloss is best known as Anne Frank’s stepsister, but she so much more than that. She is a fighter, a survivor, and a beacon of wisdom – the kind of wisdom that is undeniable but hard to face. Mrs. Schloss graced Guelph with her presence on Sunday Oct. 6 at the Beth Isaiah Synagogue and came with a serious message, one that will be hard to forget.

Schloss began with her account of her days in the Netherlands, prior to Nazi occupation. In 1940, her family grew close with the Franks before they were all forced to go into hiding. Her tale became even more moving

as it progressed into the following weeks, when she and her mother were separated from her father and brother. The women were taken to Auschwitz, where they were stripped and humiliated. With each passing minute, Schloss’s story became more and more heartbreaking.

Soon, the overfilled synagogue was in silence. This was when Schloss delivered her ultimate message – that the world has not learned enough from the atrocities committed in the Holocaust. She described how millions of people were brutally murdered and spoke of the horrendous barbarities that occurred. She told the audience of her mother’s agony upon learning the news that her husband and son had perished, and how depressed Anne Frank’s father became after losing both his daughters. And Schloss reminds us that these horrible

events are not just a thing of the past; abhorrent genocides, war crimes, and other terrible acts of wickedness occur on a daily basis. Whether it is ethnic cleansing in Rwanda or Bosnia, civil war in any number or countries, or hate crimes in our hometowns, the world has proven that it has not learned enough from the Holocaust.

Schloss has declared it her mission to travel the world telling her story, in the hope of spreading exactly that – hope.

Schloss’s message seemed to resonate with every person in that room. She preached hope as the only thing necessary to deliver us from hardship. When she and her fellow inmates of the concentration camps were starving, when they were covered in frostbite, when they were abused, they kept repeating, “The war will be over in a month.” Whether or not that was true, what mattered

was to “just keep your hopes up,” said Schloss.

Toward the end of the evening, an audience member asked: “How did your experiences during and after the Holocaust shape your Jewish faith?” Schloss replied with a blunt but honest answer: “I came out of that war an atheist. God was not with us during that time. There was no God. I did not believe in him,

or in humans, or in society.”

She went on to say that there is still no proof of any divinity in human nature; mankind is capable of unspeakable horrors and can show an utter lack of regard for his fellow man.

Although we have all progressed since the Holocaust, according to Schloss, we have not progressed nearly enough. There is still a very long way to go.

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From cave diver to water advocate

Jill Heinerth speaks about the life aquatic and the We Are Water campaign Michael Long

On Tuesday Oct. 8, Jill Heinerth, underwater explorer, author, photographer and filmmaker, spoke to a diverse crowd in the Science Complex Atrium about her career as a professional diver and her more recent work as water resource advocate.

Heinerth, who was born in Ontario, is perhaps the most accomplished female diver of all time. At York University she studied fine arts, but was always drawn to the underwater world.

Childhood dreams of being an astronaut, of going “places no one has been before,” influenced her decision to abandon the security of her job in advertising to go work on a dive team, and, after while, lead the dives themselves. As she tells it, hers is a story of “moving relentlessly toward your dream.”

Heinerth spoke at length about how her career was built on recognizing opportunity. The presentation, as a consequence, was

more motivational than technical.

Nonetheless, her photographs and tales of daring dives stole the show.

Heinerth spoke of a journey to Antarctica, diving among the caves of the world’s largest iceberg – making several parallels to no less an explorer than Ernest Shackleton along the way – and spoke of how the “unbelievable currents” threatened to keep the divers below the surface permanently.

When exploring a cave in Mexico she referred to as “The Well of Time” (Heinerth has a flair for the dramatic) she took some stunning photographs the subterranean lake that lay at the bottom of the well where centuries worth of indigenous artefacts were discovered at the bottom.

“We all have the experience in our life to recognize great opportunities,” said Heinerth. “But what did I have that nobody else had? I felt like it was my voice, my voice as someone who can speak from this unique place inside the planet.”

Her life in the water, exploring underwater caves and photographing the beauty therein, has made her a superlative water advocate. Heinerth has launched the We Are Water campaign to

NEWS

PHOTO BY WENDY SHEPHERD

Jill Heinerth (on the stage), speaks to an large audience in the university’s Science Complex Atrium about her career as a underwater photographer and water resource advocate. raise awareness of water issues facing the planet.

“We all have to know where our water is coming from and how we can protect it,” said Heinerth.

Jean-Luc Stiles, a marine and freshwater biology student who attended the lecture, recognized that Heinerth’s career made her uniquely suited to advocacy work.

“It’s cool to see people advocating water conservation in

different mediums,” said Stiles.

“To be able to do that through such an exciting way draws more attention and reaches a broader audience because people say, ‘Hey, I want to be that person.’”

Professor Richard Moccia, Associate Vice-President at Strategic Partnerships, was responsible for coordinating the event. He, too, praised Heinerth’s mass appeal.

“I talked to her many times over the

phone about what I thought would work well with this eclectic audience. We had about 150 students, 40 or 50 divers from the diving community all around southern Ontario, and a number of individuals who came from out of town just to hear the message, so it was quite an eclectic mix,” said Moccia. “I think the take-home message was really just to try and stimulate people’s passion about water.”

CUPE 1334 negotiations laid to rest...for now

The University of Guelph and CUPE Local 1334 reach tentative agreement Kelsey Coughlin

Following months of uncertainty and the threat of a possible labour disruption, the University of Guelph and Local 1334 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have reached a tentative agreement as of Oct. 3, 2013.

Negotiations have been ongoing since early spring and the

union, which represents nearly 235 trades, custodial, and maintenance workers, has finally been able to reach a collective agreement with the university.

Janice Folk-Dawson, president of CUPE 1334, said that she is “very pleased that [we] were able to settle [our] differences at the bargaining table.”

The union entered into mediation with university representatives on Oct. 1 and it was not until early Oct. 3, after an extensive and difficult bargaining period, that the two parties reached a provisionary settlement.

This tentative agreement now

requires ratification, meaning that it is not legally binding until all members of the union agree to its terms. Little information will be released until this issue is presented to all CUPE 1334 members and they are given the opportunity to review and vote on whether or not they accept the agreement.

If members accept the terms, an official agreement will be drafted. If members do not approve of the terms, the agreement is of no effect and negotiations will resume. Until this time, CUPE 1334 representatives will not make any public comments regarding the nature

of the agreement or the implications they may have on staff and students.

In early September, union representatives explained that unnecessarily heavy workloads and a lack of employment security were among the key issues they wished to rectify.

This was also coming at a time when the University of Guelph was dealing with a $32.4 million operating shortfall, which is still the case today.

At that time, CUPE 1334 and the University were unable to reach an agreement, which led to widespread unease concerning the

possibility of a campus-wide strike.

In recent weeks, students, faculty, and community members rallied together to show their support for CUPE 1334. With handcrafted signs and buttons, dozens of Guelph citizens stood on university grounds demanding fair rights and wages for all employees.

The new agreement should bring union workers one step closer to the benefits they wish to acquire.

Community members will be updated on the nature of the agreement between CUPE 1334 and the University of Guelph as soon as details become available later in October.

ARTS & CULTURE

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172.6 • Thursday, OCTOBER 10, 2013

Magazine shines light on student art

Kaleidoscope celebrates unique artistic talent on campus Taylor Graham

“Like all things creative, Kaleidoscope began as an idea.

Our vision was to provide an outlet for undergraduate students at the University of Guelph whom we believed deserved recognition for the quality work they are currently producing.”

The opening line for Kaleidoscope’s editor’s note depicts the strategic aim of the university’s new publication. By pairing photography, paintings, and graphic design with short stories, poems, and plays, students and faculty are offered a window through which to view art from the University of Guelph’s talented undergraduates.

The magazine celebrated its first issue in April of this year and plans to release the second issue sometime this fall. Issues

of Kaleidoscope are being produced biannually and are available on campus, or online.

The conception of Kaleidoscope began in the fall of 2012, and less than one year later, it had successfully published its first edition. After forming a dynamic team of two co-editors, 10 editorial staff, one layout director, and faculty advisor Jennifer Schacker, Kaleidoscope was ready to start advertising and collecting submissions from students.

When reaching out to the undergraduate community through emails, posters, and announcements, the Kaleidoscope team was thrilled by the response. “[We] received over 100 submissions in just one month and began the very difficult task of selecting the final works,” said former co-editor Sasha Odesse.

In the first issue, the reader will find 11 pages of nine pieces of artwork delicately paired with five poems, and one short story. After having graduated in the spring, Sasha says she is

STYLE PICK OF THE WEEK: AZEEZ

“extremely excited and proud to see it continue to grow and flourish.”

The success of the first issue has motivated the Kaleidoscope team to begin early work on the second issue. Current co-editor, Will Wellington, hopes that the new magazine will demonstrate “more experimentation as we try to develop a sustainable model.”

Kaleidoscope is currently seeking both visual and literary submissions for the Fall Issue, which is expected to be published later this semester.

Carefully viewing each submission, the Kaleidoscope team will have to narrow down their assortment and begin the careful process of matching visual and literary themes. By showcasing different types of art, Wellington explains that the magazine will “break down the barriers that exist between different communities and disciplines.”

Just as art comes in many forms, so do students. While the magazine brings different

Stacey Aspinall

PHOTO BY WENDY SHEPHERD

readers to expand their views on what the term “art” may include.

As the publication of the magazine’s second issue approaches, Wellington provides students with something to look forward to: “our first issue constituted something of a test run, and we’ve seriously shaken things up for this second issue.”

encouraging philosophical discussion within a public forum.

“One of the drawbacks that we see in academic philosophy is that it’s very insulated, it’s very self-contained. Academic philosophers address one another in a language no one else speaks, they address a set of problems that only really have interest to academic philosophy and it’s hard to see how they apply beyond those boundaries.”

The organizers of Philopolis see this disconnect as a “rigid limitation” that does philosophy a “great disservice,” Struck explained.

“What we look to do is take the theories and ideas that are developed in academic philosophy and apply them more broadly, to bring them into contact with the general public and with issues that we face in the broader society,” said Struck.

Speakers were up for the challenge, and presentations covered a variety of topics that one might not usually associate with academic philosophy.

“Bullsh*t and its uses,”

by Mark Simon, based on H. G. Frankfurt’s essay “On Bullshit,” sought to examine

how “bullshit” might differentiate from lying, and whether it plays a necessary role within society. “Animal Welfare: The Humane Treatment of Animals,” by Judy Stryker and Nancy Stonos, included a discussion on the ethics of zoo animals, and the ethics of using animals in research.

Sarah Hoffman’s presentation “CornMeal” revealed that although many consumers believe they are making food choices from a vast array of options, they are really consuming many “clever” variations of the same processed food: corn. The goal of the talk was to encourage consumers to think critically about the dominance of corn within the nation’s diet and the potential consequences that may arise as a result.

These were just some of the key issues that speakers brought to the forefront for Philopolis 2013, making philosophy open, accessible and relevant to everyday concerns.

This is the second year of Guelph Philopolis, and plans are already underway for next year’s event. Organizers are aiming to hold the event every October.

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Life and philosophy

Guelph Philopolis encourages critical thinking

Azeez is perfectly embodying laid-back street style with a sportswear inspired outfit. The use of monochromatic blue and black tones creates an subtly bold fashion statement.

types of art together, it also brings individuals from different areas of study together.

Photo contributor Susannah Van Der Zaag wrote “something like Kaleidoscope, which merges visual arts with literature, gives us a chance to interact with another program in a way that is still creative and community based.”

Kaleidoscope provides an exciting opportunity for artists who wish to have their work seen by broader audiences at the university. Additionally, the magazine allows students to have their work published helping to build a portfolio for educational and career opportunities.

As the magazine continues to gain a following, it won’t only serve to strengthen bonds between academic communities, but also to give students a chance to express themselves to a wider audience. Kaleidoscope maintains that they accept a broad range of art submissions, even including the odd lab experiment, encouraging

The field of academic philosophy may seem removed from the concerns of everyday life, but Philopolis Guelph is aiming to change that.

Philopolis is an event that presents philosophy to the public and aims to create a meaningful discussion of philosophy within the context of practical problems. Ox hosted a social mixer on Oct. 4, and talks on a variety of topics took place in downtown Guelph at The Bookshelf and Guelph Public Library from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 5.

David Brooke Struck started Philopolis in Montreal while he was in his final year of undergraduate studies, and brought the idea to Guelph while pursing a graduate degree in the University of Guelph’s philosophy department. Graduate students at the university organized this event.

Struck explained the inspiration behind the event, and emphasized the value of

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A to Zavitz: Grok Block

Balmore Gamez

From Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, Zavitz Gallery exhibited the Grok Block show, a collaboration of four young artists from the University of Guelph School of Fine Arts. Rachel Crawford, Celine Etienza, Sean Abraham, and Victoria Day exhibited works a across four mediums: drawing, painting, printmaking, and photography. The show and its name focus around the meaning of the word ‘grok;’ a verb that, in short, means the complete understanding of something. Grok Block showcased works that were meant to disturb the viewers understanding of the original subject. This was done through the removal, augmentation, or displacement of information or materials in particular ways.

Day’s work was based on selfreflection and examination. She used a variety of mediums, but most-often relied on printmaking and drawing. Her work ‘Say Cheese’ was a mixed-media piece, made up of drawing and silkscreen, located on the front wall of the gallery. The content was a portrait, made up of a smile repeated five times and put together as one portrait. Here, the viewers might come to understand the nuances of the smile, but would never fully understand the appearance of the portrait. The piece was

made through layers of graphite drawing and photographic silkscreening as an attempt to further confound the viewers’ explicit understanding of the work.

Day’s second piece, positioned on the left wall, was an ongoing photo series of self-portraits.

These photos were based on snapshots taken over the past five years that were then altered into colour fields. Day took away the superficial information of appearance, lighting, location, and other such photographic elements. This work was meant to evoke an emotional response to the person the artist was, during the fleeting moment the original photo was taken.

Crawford’s paintings on the back wall represented her thought process in regards to abstraction. She illustrated a notion and questioned of what was real versus representational, what was low versus high art, what was more skillful versus less skillful art. Crawford did this through paintings of what seemed to be arbitrary hotdogs. The elements of the painting were well organized to provide the viewer with an aesthetically pleasing view of something that would otherwise be thought of as simply low-quality food.

Etienza’s ‘Bold Work’ was perhaps the most physically present and visually demanding of all. Located

PHOTO BY VICTORIA DAY

Grok Block, an exhibition held last week at the University of Guelph, showcased four artists from the School of Fine Arts. The artists used different mediums to display the meaning of Grok to the viewers. in the left corner of the back wall, it was an installation piece composed of 40 intaglio prints. It was an obscure representation of coffee beans, intended to disrupt the viewer’s thoughts through the change of scale and of colours from roasted brown to pink. Through the idea of micro versus macro, the artist created a piece that would envelop the audience and the enclosed spaces to further create confusion of the perceived coffee bean. The work demonstrated how insignificant and mundane coffee beans appear to be, while they

Album Review: Jordan Raycroft

Adrien Potvin

Hailing from the Niagara region, University of Guelph student Jordan Raycroft has, in recent years, developed an impressive resume as a contemporary folk singer-songwriter, and at 22 years old has just recently released his self-titled debut effort. In just the past three years, Raycroft has been featured as a performer on VIA Rail’s Onboard Entertainment Program, awarded 2013’s Folk Artist of the Year by the Niagara Music Awards, and has opened for Juno-award nominee Peter Katz.

Raycroft’s self-titled debut is a multi-layered, carefully produced collection of songs that range from inward and emotional to a straight-ahead, foot-stomping good time. Two demos and a tour across the region over the last three years seem to have

given Raycroft an apt sense of what “works” in a recording, as the orchestration is finely tuned and the production itself is usually a pleasure to listen to, albeit sometimes overdone.

The opening track, “Dancing with the Branches,” sets the overall tone for much of the album – a bouncy, powerfullyvoiced and listener-friendly rock jig with honest lyrics and performance style. Another highlight from the album illustrates the diversity in the piece’s overall tonal range - “We the People” takes a striking, Western tinged instrumental (tremolo guitar, bells, and a heavy kick drum), overlaid with powerful lyrics and impressive vocal power.

“Dingoes” takes a different approach from the pastoral lyricism of tunes like “Silence is Golden” and “I’m Yours” – on this track,

ARTS & CULTURE

Raycroft forges impressionistic lyrics of the Australian outback with a low-key acoustic guitar and violin instrumental to tell a heartfelt story of fleeting love. The two closing tracks, “58 Edinburgh” (Guelph south end commuters will surely recognize this name) and “Amazon Woman,” leave the listener on a sentimental note - “Amazon Woman” especially, with its sparse and carefully composed instrumentation again complimenting Raycroft’s voice and lyrics.

Overall, this is an impressive and surprisingly cohesive work for a debut album. Although the production occasionally falters in its aims (too much in too little space), the album is an enjoyable and heartfelt product from a promising and gifted young musician. An interview with Raycroft will be available in next week’s issue of the Ontarion - stay tuned!

continue to greatly affect our society on a regular basis. The viewers could have also interpreted it as a question of commodity and value.

Abraham exhibited two works on the right wall of the gallery. His drawing of a portrait of a cat overlaid with a pattern to deliberately skew the image. “This pattern was of my own creation from when I was young and bored in math class,” said Abraham. “For me, it was the visual interpretation of mathematics, because the pattern always occurred in my math books.” This pattern was successful in creating

a visual blur for the viewer through the sequence of lines organized to fulfill most of the image.

Abraham’s second pieces were titled ‘Autumn Birch in paint’ and ‘Autumn Birch on canvas.’

They work in tandem together, as ‘Autumn Birch in paint’ was derived from scraping the paint from ‘Autumn Birch on canvas.’

The artist scraped down the piece to leave the landscape distorted and more abstract.

‘Autumn Birch in paint’ was paint from the original landscape, consolidated into a jar.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: MY NAME IS MY NAME

COURTESY PHOTO

Of everything to drop this week, Pusha T’s debut solo effort, My Name is My Name, was the most hotly anticipated. In the post-Yeezus era (get used thinking like that), it’s evidently an asset to have West himself on the production team. The album sounds current, yet brings the listener closer to the streets than Yeezus. A-list collaborators like Kendrick Lamar help make this a superb debut.

SPORTS & HEALTH

Gryphons football improves to 5-0

First U of G team to achieve number 4 rank in CIS Andrew Donovan

The undefeated Guelph Gryphons (6-0) played host to the York Lions (2-4) at Alumni Stadium for their Friday Night Lights game, which saw the Gryphons handily defeat the Lions 33-4, helping to earn Guelph their first ever number 4 rank in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top 10.

Fans and players were greeted by a quintessential Canadian October evening, but the damp weather and thick fog, penetrated only by the intense stadium lights, didn’t stop a good gathering of students and community members from watching their Gryphons further their pursuit for an undefeated season.

Leading the way for the Gryphons on offense was two very familiar faces – Rob Farquharson led the ground game for the Gryphons totaling 129 yards and a 6.4 yards-per-carry average, while Alex Charette led the aerial attack with 70 yards and another 88 total yards of kick returns.

Jazz Lindsey threw for 296 yards, his longest of which was a 92-yard reception by senior receiver Dillon Dimitroff late in the fourth quarter, sending the

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172.6 • Thursday, OCTOBER 10, 2013

crowd into a frenzy. Lindsey finished the night going 17-30, with an additional 36 yards rushing and a passing touchdown.

The first half showcased two touchdowns and a field goal for the Gryphons, who were undoubtedly much bigger, faster and stronger than their counterparts from Toronto.

Daniel Ferraro started the scoring with a 30-yard field goal less than three minutes into the game to put Guelph up by three.

Sophomore receiver, Ryan Nieuwesteeg, received an 11-yard pass from Lindsey that was immediately followed by another complete pass to Saxon Lindsey in the end zone putting the Gryphons up 10-0.

Guelph’s second touchdown came on a rare fake punt late in the second quarter. Burnaby, B.C. native Michael Carney ran the fake for a 31-yard gain for the Gryphons that was followed by a handoff to Farquharson that put the ball on the one yard line before backup quarterback, Luke Nangle, ran it in for a touchdown.

The Gryphons went into the second half up 18-0.

The third quarter was relatively dry with the only points coming off a safety to put Guelph up 20.

The fourth quarter was definitely the most entertaining to

watch. York put up their first points on the game after defensive back, Cory Bellerdine, intercepted a Lindsey pass setting up a touchdown for the Lions to bring them within 13.

The highlight of the game came on what may be the defensive stand of the season for the Gryphons. After stopping the Lions on the goal line three consecutive times, a penalty reset the downs, much to the dismay of the rowdy Alumni Stadium faithful. The

penalty prompted the Guelph defense – led by Mackenzie Myers, who had six unassisted tackles and two assisted tackles – to hit harder, and prompted the fans to get louder. The Gryphons managed a very unlikely six straight stands within their own five to regain possession of the ball and all but end any chance for a Lions’ comeback.

Rob Farquharson ran in another two touchdowns and the Gryphons ended up handing the

Lions a 33-7 loss to keep their undefeated season alive.

Next for the Gryphons is a Friday night matchup versus the Carleton Ravens, in Ottawa, on Oct. 11. The Ravens are coming off a 35-10 loss to rival Ottawa Gee Gee’s in the Panda Game match last week in front of a sellout Ottawa crowd; the Ravens are 0-6 on the season and have let up a league-leading 297 points against the defense with only 80 points for the offense.

the experience come December. “I hope I can bring knowledge about short term event success and a strong understanding of systems play as a unit,” the Gryphon head coach said, “I’m looking forward to working with the CIS’s top female hockey players and learning from coaches who know what it takes to win at the National level.”

Two games into the 2013 to ’14 hockey season, the Gryphons are off to a strong start, winning backto-back road games with Parkins and Pinkerton leading the charge.

In their season opener on Oct. 5, Guelph handed Laurentian a 4-0 defeat with sophomore Parkins pocketing a pair of goals. “Parkins is small, but she has one of the hardest shots in the OUA,” Flanagan said of the 5’2” Kitchener native. “She is very dangerous when she’s given time and space, especially on the power play.”

On Oct. 6, the Gryphons took home their second win of the season in a 2-1 game versus Nipissing, this time with

Oshawa-native Pinkerton finding the back of the net twice. “Pinks is also small, but very quick and has very good hands,” Flanagan explained of the 5’3” junior. “She is a very consistent player, plays well under pressure and is always defensively responsible.”

Flanagan, who was also the Gryphon captain for two years during her time as a student, holds a regular season record of 88-35-11 as Gryphon head coach, and has appeared in three OUA Finals. With a strong hand in individual success as well, Flanagan has helped to develop three OUA Rookie of the Years (and one CIS Rookie of the Year), one OUA Player of the Year, 14 conference All-Stars, and two League Scoring Champions. When asked what she expects from her two forwards at the Universiade, Flanagan highlighted the confidence she has in her players.

“Both Parkins and Pinkerton are very dynamic players,” Flanagan explained. “I expect both of these

players to be strong contributors to our success in Trentino.”

As Canada enters the six-team competition, they look for continued success after going a flawless 14-0 in their first two Universiade events.

The preliminary round begins

Dec. 10 against Spain for the Canadians, with the path to the gold-medal final (scheduled for Dec. 20) blocked with obstacles that include Russia (Dec. 12), Great Britain (Dec. 13), the United States (Dec. 15), and Japan (Dec. 16).

PHOTO BY PABLO VADONE

James Ingram gives his best Heisman impression as he hurdles over York defensive back, Samir Boulazreg.

Gryphons go international

Women’s hockey head coach and two forwards named to Canada Stephanie Coratti

Three Gryphons have been named to the Canadian women’s hockey team participating in the 2013 Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy. The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) for university athletes. The event is to be held from Dec. 10 to 21, featuring Gryphons left wing Amanda Parkins, centre Jessica Pinkerton, and head coach Rachel Flanagan all representing Canada, the twotime defending champion.

Reigning Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Coach of the Year, Flanagan,will join Isabelle Leclaire from the defending Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) champion Montreal in assisting Howie Draper from the University of Alberta behind the bench.

With seven seasons as head coach at the university level, and two international experiences as assistant coach, Flanagan knows what to bring to the table and get out of

or

Thanksgivi COURTESY PHOTO FROM VEGAN BAKING

Pumpkin Spice Muffins Alyssa Ottema

Ingredients: 4 c. all-purpose flour 4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. ground ginger 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1 c. unsalted butter, melted 2-1/2 c. brown sugar 4 large eggs (beaten) 1 c. buttermilk 1-1/2 c. canned pumpkin puree Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tray with papers.

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Create a hole in the middle of the mix to house the wet ingredients.

Add melted butter, buttermilk (can be made by adding 1 tsp. of vinegar to 1 c. of milk), eggs, and pumpkin puree. Mix until batter is completely combined.

Pour 1/3 c. of batter into each compartment of the cupcake tray. Bake until a fork comes out of the middle of the muffin clean, approximately 10-15 minutes.

Makes 24 medium-sized muffins.

Butternut Squash, Sage and Crème Fraîche Mash Courtesy BBC Food

Ingredients: 4 tbsp. butter 10 fresh sage leaves, chopped 1.5kg butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1 in. pieces large pinch chilli flakes 1/3 c. parmesan, coarsley grated 6 tbsp. crème fraîche salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions: Melt the butter in a wide, heavybased, lidded pan over a low heat.

When the butter is foaming, add the sage and fry one minute. Add the butternut squash pieces and chilli flakes. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally. Lightly mash the squash, using a fork, then stir in the parmesan and crème fraîche until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serves 6.

COURTESY PHOTO FROM BBC FOOD

COURTESY PHOTO FROM CHO

Cranberry Culprit Drink Courtesy Amy Wisniewski, chow.com Ingredients: 1 ounce cranberry sauce 1 ounce bourbon 1 ounce amaretto Ice 2 ounces ginger ale Lime wedge Directions: Combine cranberry sauce, bourbon, and amaretto in a cocktail shaker and muddle until most of the cranberries and citrus are broken up. Fill the shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously. Pour the contents into a highball glass (do not strain), and top with ginger ale. Squeeze the lime wedge over top and serve.

ing Recipes

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Best Pumpkin Pie Ever Courtesy Chef John

Chef John is YouTube’s best food blogger. And, as he rightly says, even if your turkey is dry and your gravy is lumpy all will be forgiven if you can serve up the perfect pumpkin pie. The secret here is having more yolks than egg whites. This lends a richer texture and prevents the pie from cracking, a problem caused by overcooked egg whites! The Chinese 5-spice helps too.

Cranberry Nut Stuffing Courtesy allrecipes.com

Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped onion 1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, torn into small pieces 1 tablespoon rubbed sage, or to taste 2 egg whites, beaten 1/2 cup frozen cranberries, chopped 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup chopped almonds or pecans 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth Directions: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook celery in butter until almost tender. Add onions, and cook until lightly browned and tender.

Set aside. Place the pieces of bread into a large glass or ceramic bowl, and sprinkle liberally with rubbed sage.

Heat bread in the microwave for 2 minutes, then heat for 10 seconds at a time until bread is crispy. Remove from the microwave, and add the egg whites, cranberries, walnuts, almonds and pecans toss lightly to distribute. Add the onion and celery with the butter, and toss lightly while moistening to your desired consistency with chicken broth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Makes 12 servings.

PHOTO BY PAUL MARTIN

Delicious Garlic Mashed Potatoes Emily Jones

Fresh new potatoes, unpeeled Fresh garlic ¼ cup butter ¼ cup milk Fresh chopped parsley Fresh ground pepper Kosher or sea salt Directions: Wash and chop potatoes, and unpeel garlic cloves (however many suits your taste buds), put in pot with water and a tight fitting lid.

Boil until potatoes and garlic are soft, test with a fork. Drain water and add in another clove of freshly minced garlic, chopped parsley, milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Mash them all together to the consistency desired and serve as a delicious side to a beautiful meal.

PHOTO PROVIDED COURTESY FROM ELANASPANTRY.COM

Ingredients: 1 can (15 ounce) pumpkin puree 1 large egg 3 egg yolks 1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk 1/4 teaspoon freshly, and very finely ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 tsp Chinese 5-spice 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 9-inch unbaked pie crust Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk together pumpkin puree, egg yolks, and egg in a large bowl until smooth.

Add sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and Chinese 5-spice powder; whisk until thoroughly combined. Fit pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp edges (to make people think its hand-made, of course). Pour filling into the pie shell and give it “the old tapa-tapa.” Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake until just set in the middle, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving. Makes one pie.

COURTESY PHOTO FROM CHEF JOHN

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Guelph men’s soccer beats Western Connor Hewson After a tie against Windsor on Saturday, the Guelph’s men’s soccer team was back to their winning ways on Sunday, beating the Western Mustangs 3-2 in a nail-biter of a game at the Gryphon Soccer Complex.

Needing extra time after the Mustangs rallied to tie the game in the 88th minute, Guelph midfielder Zachary Rushe scored the game winning goal off a scrambled play around the Mustang net, capping off an exciting, back-and-forth game of soccer that satisfied the fans of both teams, even with the threat of rain looming above.

The start for the Gryphons was almost as ominous as the weather, with the Mustangs scoring in the 1st minute of the game to take the lead in what can only be described as a chess match of a first half for both teams. Much of the half was played in the middle of the field, as both teams played tight defensively and limited each other’s

scoring chances with smart plays and sound goaltending. Both Western and Guelph were evenly matched in the speed department as well, which has been an integral part of Guelph’s offensive success this season.

The spirited first half ended with Western leading 1-0 and frustration on the Guelph bench. Both teams were handed yellow cards throughout the half, which kept the referee quite busy with fouls and crowd jeering. The second half saw a change in both play and weather, as the sun began to peak out of the clouds, perhaps a sign of good things to come for the home team Gryphon’s who tied the game in the 50th minute off a Jamie Wilcock goal. The goal seemed to light a fire under Guelph as they began to use their trademark speed much more effectively, and the play seemed to be centered in the Western end more often as the game wore on.

The pressure seemed to frustrate Western, who took a red card in the 55th minute that put them down a player, and Guelph

SPORTS & HEALTH

PHOTO BY PABLO VADONE

Guelph centre midfielder, Timothy Flynn, and the Guelph Gryphons tied Windsor on Saturday and beat Western on Sunday to keep their second place spot in tact. at a slight advantage. The Gryphons would soon make the Mustangs pay, as Wilcock scored his second of the game in the 70th minute off a slick pass from Paris Roserie inside the box to give

Guelph the 2-1 lead. Western would battle back to score their tying goal in the 88th minute forcing the game into extra time, but Rushe would score the winning goal that brought the crowd

to their feet and gave the Gryphons their 8th win of the season, improving their record to 8-1-4.

The Gryphon’s hit the turf next against OUA’s best team, the York Lions, on Oct. 11.

Women’s soccer goes 1-0-1 on weekend

Guelph beats Windsor and ties Western to remain 2nd in the OUA West division Andrew Donovan

Guelph 7-0 Windsor In the game versus the Lancers on Saturday, the Gryphons saw goals come from six different players – including two from Brianne Hall – whose breakaway speed was not matched by any of the Lancers defenders.

Guelph’s leading scorer Courtney Whiteside netted her 7th goal of the 2013 season to break the deadlock in the 15th minute to put Guelph up 1-0; a lead that went uncontested for the remaining 75 minutes. Hall buried her first just two minutes later in the 17th, and another in the 36th minute on a breakaway that was flicked past the Lancers keeper.

The last goal of the half was scored by Jenny Dunn, her second of the year, and head coach,

Randy Ragan, saw his squad enter the second half up 4-0.

The familiar faces of Whiteside, Hall, Dunn and Erica Bain were replaced to begin the second 45, but the Gryphons still exuded their dominance over an outsized and out-skilled Lancers side.

Tori Cadman and Katie Casucii both earned their first goals of the year, to put the Gryphons up 6-0, and sophomore Julia Shugg scored the seventh goal. If a gameball would have been given out, Shugg undoubtedly earned it. Though noticeably smaller than many of the players on the field, she made up for her size with her agility, and on the ball, she played like she was an entire foot bigger than her 5’6” frame would lead you to believe.

Her first goal of the season was confirmation that this Gryphons team, although being lead by a slew of third and fourth years, has a very bright future and a lot of depth.

under overcast skies at the Gryphon Soccer Complex, saw the second place Guelph Gryphons take on rival (and undefeated league leaders), Western Mustangs.

Alexandra King kept the Gryphons in this game with an outstanding performance between the woodwork, saving nine shots on the game. Hall and Dunn both played well with a shot a piece, but failed to capitalize on any opportunities – this is not surprising, as Western

has only surrendered four goals through 11 games this season.

The Mustangs played like league leaders most the game, controlling the possession of the ball in the first half before giving up some possession in an evenly matched second half.

Perhaps the landslide versus Windsor was good for the women in more ways than just a win on the scoreboard – the opportunity to sit many of their starters in the second half of the Saturday game

undoubtedly aided them against a Western team that had three days rest between games.

The Gryphons are 7-5-1 on the season and sit second with 22 points on the year, though they do have two games in hand over the Laurier Golden Hawks, who have amassed 21 points trough their first eleven games.

Guelph travels to York on Friday to take on the 3-3-5 Lions at York Field in their third-last game of the season.

RUGBY WOMEN ARE STILL PERFECT

Guelph 0-0 Western Sunday afternoon’s game, played

PHOTO BY PABLO VADONE

Gryphons women’s rugby has maintained a perfect record this season and are looking to capture their third ever national championship.

SPORTS & HEALTH

172.6 • Thursday, OCTOBER 10, 2013

“iPosture” is affecting your health

New study finds smart phones and tablets are causing an “epidemic” of back pain in young adults Andrew Donovan

An article published in the Daily Mail last week has made light of the “iPosture” crisis, which, according to a recent survey, has affected 84 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds in the past 12 months.

While it originally comes across as sounding like a new Apple product, iPosture is a word some are using to describe the effect smart phones and tablets are having among the youth of the population who are spending on average 8.83 hours a day slouched over in front of a computer screen (about as much time as they do sleeping); compared to 6.64 hours a day for those over 55.

“It is likely that slumping and hunching over computers and handheld devices is a contributory factor in the different types of back pain reported by different generations,” said Dr. Brian Hammond, chairman of BackCare. “Younger people are far more likely to be hunched over a device on a sofa, and would benefit from paying close attention to the basics of good posture.”

The study went on to note that

nearly three-quarters of parents responded that they remember their parents telling them to sit up straight as children, however, only twothirds now admit to giving their kids the same advice.

Jean Broke-Smith, an expert in etiquette and deportment, acknowledges that times have changed but it may be worth revisiting some old-school education techniques, “Although it has been decades since people learned good posture at finishing schools, the time seems right to recognize its potential to help younger people avoid the risk of back pain associated with increasing use of hand-held devices.”

While taking note of your posture is a good idea to maintain a healthy body, posture has been found to help people advance in their careers and social life as well.

Last month a Wall Street Journal article titled, “How ‘power poses’ can help your career,” highlighted a study that found that, “striking a powerful, expansive pose actually changes a person’s hormones and behaviour, just as if [they] had real power.”

Power poses can be applied to any social setting, at work and at the pub, to exude a certain level of confidence, and these poses can be achieved whilst sitting or standing.

Research has concluded that making your body wide and tall,

The dangers of Web MD Patryk Sawicki Recent polls show that over half of Canadians rely on the Internet when diagnosing personal medical conditions. According to an Ipsos poll of over one thousand Canadians, 55 per cent claimed to have recently turned to websites like Google to research information related to their health. This 55 per cent is higher than the global average of 48 per cent. It was also found that women tend to depend on this technique significantly more than men do, with just under two-thirds of women using this method, compared to 45 per cent of men.

Dr. David Escho, a physician at the Toronto Western Hospital, claims that health care experts are not particularly troubled by these figures, typically expecting that the majority of their patients will have turned to the web to look for information that may explain their medical conditions. “The Internet is becoming more important in terms of our patients seeking medical information,” Escho said. “But I’d say the majority of people do have good, sourced information.” Escho adds that these personal inquires help to shape the dialogue between the patient and the doctor, enriching mutual discussion and feedback.

Escho states that, if faced with information which is questionable or inconsistent with what is generally accepted in the medical community, an easy solution is to look up the website with the patient directly.

Self-diagnosis tends to prompt visits to the doctor rather than delay them. “They’ll Google something and they think they have this interesting or rare medical condition based on a constellation of symptoms. And then they’ll come in asking for specific treatments or tests because they think they have some strange viral fever that’s only found in Africa,” Escho said.

Similarly, Dr. Kendall Ho, from the Vancouver General Hospital, also frequently encounters patients who have been liberal in their selfdiagnosis. “It’s not uncommon that a patient comes in thinking they have a certain disease and then we diagnosis them with the right disease, there’s nothing wrong with that and in fact I encourage [their online research], because that means the patient really wants to take care of themselves.”

Ho points outs that medical students often have similar experiences. “When people go through medical school, there’s something called medical school student syndrome: every disease you study you think, ‘I have it,’” Ho said. “The illness is just a pathological extension of our normal functions, and so it’s easy for us to misinterpret information. I really appreciate the patients that are interested enough to look up their own information, because that means they care about their own health and they want to actively take part in it. And in the medical literature, that suggests the patient will have a better outcome.”

even if you lack both those physical attributes, is your key to garnering the attention and respect of the people around you. For Katy Kleim, chief marketing officer of San Francisco-based Lithium, her key to success is making her petite 5’1” frame appear taller. “When I’m sitting at a table of men, I feel petite.

Standing up is a dynamic change for me,” she says, sending a message: “I want to command your attention. I want you to get off your BlackBerrys and smart phones and listen to what I have to say.”

Power poses include crossing one leg over another or putting your hands behind your head while sitting and while standing, putting your hands on your hips or straight out in front of you on a tabletop. Grabbing your neck, crossing your arms, slouching your shoulders in and stuffing your hands in your lap can be examples of weak, passive postures.

Amy Cuddy, associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, gave a compelling TED Talks on this very topic and she noted that power posing is also linked to improved performance. For example, participants who struck power poses a few minutes before job interviews, speeches, gatherings, etc. were more likely to be chosen for hire and respected by general panels of people, even if the

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PHOTO BY WENDY SHEPHERD

This is an example of a power posture while sitting. Posture has direct consequences to your health and how others perceive you. Chest out, shoulders back. people judging them had no knowledge they were striking power poses only minutes before.

Posture can be your saving grace if you have back problems and it can also help those who feel inferior in social scenarios. So the next time you’re putting in an all-nighter,

speaking to a particular fancy of yours at the pub, or trying to win over a group of foreign investors, remember, whether the gazing eyes of the group in front of you recognizes it or not, your posture is directly contributing to your successes in life and in health.

New prescription focuses on exercise Laura Castellani Each day, millions of Canadians rely on the scribbled instructions of a physician to maintain and restore their health. While most prescriptions involve a trip to the local pharmacy and a small batch of capsules, a new study suggests the solution to disease could lie in the daily exercise regimes lurking at the bottom of lengthy to-do lists.

According to the new review, published in the British Medical Journal, exercise has been shown to be as effective as current drug options for treatment of cardiovascular disease and early stages of diabetes. As well, it has been shown to be a more effective intervention strategy for patients recovering from strokes.

This is particularly promising for Canadians, as these diseases remain at the forefront of Canadian healthcare.

With 60,000 new cases reported annually, Health Canada recognizes Type 2 Diabetes as the fastest growing disease in Canada.

Meanwhile, the Heart and Stroke Foundation has emphasized the seriousness of both cardiovascular disease and strokes in Canadian health. With 50,000 strokes reported each year, it remains the third leading cause of death in Canada.

The new finding adds to a recent movement launched by

researchers and healthcare professionals, known as “Exercise is Medicine® Canada” (EIMC).

Developed and implemented by the American College of Sports Medicine together with the American Medical Association, the initiative aims to provide physicians and healthcare providers with the tools necessary to properly prescribe exercise to patients.

Given the effectiveness of exercise as an intervention strategy to ward off disease, the idea has since been supported by other health and exercise networks, including the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), which seeks to implement the strategy among Canadian healthcare providers.

A particular goal of the EIMC campaign is to introduce the idea to university campuses in Canada.

While the initiative first appeared on the campus of Queen’s University, it has recently made its debut in Guelph. Officially recognized as “Exercise is Medicine® Canada – Guelph,” the local chapter wishes to raise exercise awareness throughout the community in a variety of ways.

One organizer, Alison Ludzki explains that the group wishes to connect the campus community as well as the city of Guelph, with the idea of exercise as medicine.

“The primary focus of the group is to educate health care providers

to prescribe exercise as medicine.

A secondary role will focus on community outreach and education,” Ludzki shares.

While CSEP provides a standardized guide for the different types of exercise, the movement would see physicians prescribing exercise to suit the needs of the unique clinical pathologies of their patients. The needs of each patient will govern the intensity, duration and type of exercise prescription the individual receives.

The Guelph group plans to connect with local physicians, campus health and the Wellness Centre to generate awareness, provide education and initiate the movement.

The group will rely on a “task force approach” to spreading their message. Rather than regular meetings, interested students are able to connect with organizers and to identify how they wish to be involved and how much time they are able to commit.

Organizers are optimistic that the group can influence the ways in which exercise is incorporated into healthcare and are happy simply providing information and introducing the idea to the campus community.

“When it comes to understanding and experiencing the benefits of exercise, something is always better than nothing,” says Ludzki.

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Examining the bad advice we get in the pursuit of self-improvement Devon Harding A while ago, I started working out. This wasn’t some huge life changing moment, though my life did change. It was just the start of a hobby that would eventually lead to increased health, happiness, and instances of checking myself out in the mirror – and it’s been great.

But shortly after I began, I heard a friend complain that people only went to the gym to look sexy, as if that defeated the purpose of fitness. This was baffling. What’s wrong with wanting to look better, if it also makes you more confident, healthier, and happier? Then she continued. She thought it was about having more sex. I knew

Finding fitness

that couldn’t be true, otherwise I’d have quit due to lack of results.

Negativity can derail those trying to find fitness for their lives, and these myths are destructive and far too common. Let’s laugh at them.

“Why work out – do you want to be huge, gross, and veiny like a bodybuilder?” This is a common question. Some people truly believe that simply picking up a weight will cause you to blow up like Lou Ferrigno. The reality is that achieving muscles like that involves years of hard work and dedication (and for the bodybuilders, the addition of professional lighting and gallons of oil). You will not get there with a few reps on the weekend. The same thing goes for running. A couple kilometres a week will not ruin your knees or turn you into Usain Bolt. It will only make you slightly better at running.

On the other side of things, I’ve had people argue that lifting

weights is unnatural and that doing so will permanently damage your muscles. This raises many questions such as “did we never have to lift things in nature?” or “if lifting weights kills your arms, where are all these jacked people coming from?” or even “what kind of conspiracy have the gym companies launched?” The implications are mind boggling. The truth is, of course, that lifting weights is harmless as long as you pay attention to what you’re lifting and do the movements of each exercise correctly. All you have to do is be cautious and careful, and you’ll be looking good in no time. Oh, and use the free weights, not the machines - it’s worth it.

What if you’re looking to diet?

We’ve all laughed at ridiculous diets at some point, and we’ve all fallen for one too. They are modern-day snake oil. Sure, there are probably short term benefits to something like the

caveman diet, wherein you only eat lean meat and veggies, attempting to emulate our most diseased generation; but in the long-term, it isn’t sustainable. Careful eating and exercise cannot be replaced by cutting arbitrary portions from your diet. Just remember, weight is lost by expending more calories than you take in, veggies are good, and anything advertised as “Hollywood” won’t work.

Fitness really can be hard. Everyone has insecurities, and hitting the gym or the pavement will bring them out. But the most sinister lie about fitness is internal – it’s very Sixth Sense that way. We convince ourselves that other people will judge us; we forget that everyone had a start. Almost no one will care how much you’re lifting or how fast you’re running, and the few who will give people a hard time tend to be called out on it. Honestly, most people keep to themselves. I got a

LIFE compliment on my shirt once, and it was a landmark day.

Let me tell a story. On homecoming, I went for a run. I had forgotten about the game and was running through campus in the rain, right to where several hundred students were lined up. I had never been more aware how dorky I looked. I stood out and it was awkward. But coming from the other direction was another runner. He saw me and waved, laughing, having made the same mistake. I returned the favour, while some fans cheered.

Call me crazy, but I think we may have been a bit impressive. When someone passes through all the rain, and the myths and the negativity and reservations go, and they are doing it in order to improve themselves, people will be supportive. Pick up a program like Starting Strength or Couch-to-5K. There are plenty of obstacle in your way, but the end result is worth it.

Alumni Spotlight: Susan Dobson From student, to worldrenowned artist, and now inspirational professor Stephanie Coratti With an undergraduate degree focused strictly on photography from Ryerson University, Susan Dobson was looking for the next step in her academic, and artistic, career. That step came to her in the form of a recommendation from the Chair of Image Arts

at Ryerson University, pointing Dobson in the direction of the Masters of Fine Arts program at the University of Guelph.

The recommendation would ultimately lead to Dobon’s current career as a professor for the school of Fine Arts and Music at the University of Guelph. Looking back on her time as a student, Dobson is grateful for her advisor, Suzy Lake.

“She taught me a great deal about juggling an active art practice with teaching and parenthood,” Dobson explained. “I learned to manage my time, put career highs and lows

into perspective, and appreciate the inter-connectiveness of art and life.”

With these important lessons and values learned, Dobson achieved great success showing her photographs and other art pieces in exhibits all around the world, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, China, Germany, Spain, and Mexico. When reflecting back on a possible defining moment, Dobson found it difficult, and for good reason. “I was included in the Canadian Biennial titled ‘Builders’ at the National Gallery last year,” Dobson said. “I’m not sure if this

was a ‘defining moment’ for me, but it was such an honour to have my work shown alongside so many artists that I admire and respect.”

With a career that includes being a featured artist in several photography festivals such as CONTACT (Toronto), FotoNoviembre (Spain), Le Mois de la Photo (Montreal), and Fotoseptiembre (Mexico City), as well receiving numerous awards and grants from both the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Art Council, it is clear why one would have difficulty drawing out just one defining moment out

of such a decorated career.

Dobson also had the incredible opportunity as one of the contributing artists to the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. “I was very pleased to have a very small part to play in the Olympics,” Dobson said of the experience. “My work was shown on two billboards in downtown Vancouver. One billboard was in front of Canada Hockey Place, which made me very popular with relatives and friends who don’t understand much about art, but who love hockey.”

STORY CONTINUED ON PG. 16

LIFE

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172.6 • Thursday, OCTOBER 10, 2013

Some ‘blurred lines’ Robin Thicke wouldn’t mention Wendy Shepherd It’s time for blur effects and depth-of-field lesson round two: Instagram’s tilt-shift blur effect. This isn’t quite a déjà vu experience from the last article on blur and depth-of-field.

Most people who use Instagram are unaware of what this filter is even called, never mind what its name actually denotes.

The tilt-shift filter on Instagram is often used for “selective focus.” Whether you are familiar with this term or not, if you’re an Instagram-er, you no doubt have used it at least once.

It refers to the manipulation of focus/blur to make an intended focal point stand out. This isn’t always the easiest with a smart phone, and the tilt-shift blur is just another way to emphasize whatever object is of most importance in your photos.

This blur will appear as two blurred lines, either across the top of your photo, or along the sides, depending on what you want to

stand out in your photograph.

Typically when using DSLR cameras, the blur (or depthof-field effect) is created by a tilt-shift lens. The tilt-shift lens gets its name from the two functions it is most useful for.

This article will focus solely on the tilt function, derived from its ability to tilt the plane of focus (bend the lens). When you use a lens that is not a tilt-shift (most other lenses, including the lens on your Smart phone), the plane of focus functions in a completely different way. It has more of a front-to-back way of focusing, thereby allowing you to switch from focusing on the foreground to background and everywhere in between. On the other hand, tilt-shift lenses allow the lens to focus from side to side, or up and down, or diagonal, depending which way the lens is rotated (also a unique function of this lens).

The tilt causes blur on the outside edges, and clarity through the middle.

Other than being of popular use for selective focus on Instagram, tilt-shift photography is also commonly used for “miniature faking.” If used

Without Tilt-Shift

With Tilt-Shift

PHOTO BY WENDY SHEPHERD

Above shows the same photograph with and without use of the tilt-shift lens effect. Notice how the photo that does use the tilt-shift blur makes the houses look as though they are miniature, rather than a far distance away. correctly, the tilt-shift lens can make scenes look as though they are miniature models.

For those who cannot afford a

$2,000 tilt-shift lens, there are websites and even a Photoshop function that can apply the tiltshift blur effect. This is no easy

fix, but when used correctly and with precision, can create the miniature scene the shooter is looking to create.

Examined life: The pursuit of happiness The Undergraduate Philosophy Student Society Happiness depends on oneself more so than anyone else. It is up to you to know what will make you happy, and then act on that knowledge. Almost every action we take, we pursue because we think it will increase our happiness. However, sometimes we lead ourselves astray, which makes it difficult to find our path to happiness. As students we can at times study too hard and isolate ourselves from social events; at other times we can allow our social life to exhaust our time, neglecting other aspects of our life. It can be hard to balance

reality with studies, but this article will use Aristotle’s virtue ethics to put you back on track.

For Aristotle, the purpose of human life is to be happy. The “happiness” Aristotle refers to is a life long commitment to trial and error, whereby you develop your personal growth through the goals that you pursue. Sometimes you will reach your goal, some times you will fall short, and other times you may over-shoot your goal. It is hard to always reach your goal, but the key to finding it is the “golden mean.” The “golden mean” is the middle path between the two extremes mentioned above; it is the balanced and harmonious state. To reach this state, we must be concerned with doing the right things

at the right time, always with the right people. However, most of us are inexperienced because of our young age. We do not always live in accordance with the right and good life because we do not clearly see this middle path paved out in front of us.

Aristotle would say that before we can act on the good we need to know the good, and your youth is the best time to learn.

As students, we are at a special time in our life; it is a time where we can risk over shooting or falling short of a goal, because it is a time of self-discovery. Youth is a time to test the extremes and discover oneself in the process.

To achieve the “golden mean,” Aristotle would suggest exploring

your boundaries while you are still young and can get away with it. It is acceptable to act with this much freedom when you are young, but it is not acceptable for every time of life. For Aristotle, we do not honor those who are lost on their path in older age.

Aristotle’s advice to you would be to take advantage of this time of your life, but not to make a habit out of it. He’s not suggesting you fail your classes and quit working, for these are short-term solutions.

What he means is pick a goal, examine where you stand in relation to that goal and go to the extreme to reach your goal. For when you go toward the other extreme, you will eventually get to the middle path, the “golden mean.” In other

words, if you have been working too hard on your studies and isolating yourself from social events you should go toward the other extreme and start socializing. This example works given that social life and student life are two extremes.

Everyone has their own path, but it is only by examining your life in this way that you will reach the balance of the “golden mean.”

Eventually, when you change your thinking, you will change your actions, your character, and you will change your life. Your character is judged by your actions, so it is not enough to know what is good for you – for you must also live it.

Use your youth to understand your purpose and examine your life to reach your goal.

Alumni spotlight: continued from page 15 Not unlike many other artists, Dobson faced the struggle of her family’s difficulty to relate to the career choice she had made. “My parents wanted me to become a brain surgeon, so I first studied science until I realized that I wasn’t going to be happy if I didn’t switch into the arts,” Dobson explained. “They were disappointed by my decision, but external indicators such as scholarships, grants, and exhibitions made it easier for them to understand that

it was the right decision.” Dobson also credits coming from a family of opera singers as a helping hand to her family understanding her true passion in life.

Now an artist with work in museum collections, such as Centennial Gallery, the Art Gallery of Windsor, the Portland Museum, and the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, it’s clear that the right choice was made.

However, Dobson disagrees with

her passion being a ‘choice.’ “I didn’t choose to become an artist, it’s who I am,” Dobson explained.

“I took my first pictures with an old Brownie camera when I was 10 years old. I baby-sat, cleaned houses and ran errands for people so that I could pay for film. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

With such a strong background and belief in the fine arts, Dobson doesn’t believe in the stigma often attached to pursing a career in the

arts world, and has suggested that these students are undervalued. “[Arts] students are creative and smart problem solvers, they find ways to make their own way in the world,” Dobson explained. “They are great assets to today’s economy, they don’t always rely on traditional ways of making a living.”

Though Dobson knows arts students should be valued, the University of Guelph Professor wants her students (and young

artists in general) to do their part as well. “It’s not good enough to love your medium. Get up early and take advantage of the morning light. Learn to work through fatigue and cold,” Dobson said.

“Never settle for ‘good enough.’

Good enough means that you could do better. Don’t wait for opportunities to come knocking at your door, because they probably won’t – go after them instead. Forge your own way – with conviction.”

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OPINION

www.theontarion.com

The undemocratic democracy

Mike Ott

Many people are confused about why the United States government has been shut down, but the answer is simple: The rich want to be richer.

Lately, it has been becoming more and more apparent that there is a horrible rich-poor divide in the United States. However, that divide is now causing people to suffer—literally. The Tea Party, an extremely conservative right-wing faction of the Republican Party, would rather have people die of disease and suffer through ailments than level the tax paying field across society.

In 2010, President Obama put forth the Affordable Care Act

(sometimes referred to as Obamacare), which would reform the current health insurance policies – Medicare and Medicaid – to make them fairer, more accountable, and more accessible. Since political parties only vote against their opponents rather than voting for what they want, the Republican Party naturally voted against the act, and put up every defence they could to stop it from passing. Unfortunately for them, Obamacare passed and is now ready to be implemented.

When the Republican-controlled house wrote up their budget for this year, it included a section that removed all funding for Obamacare. The Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats,

removed said section and sent it back. The House this time included a paragraph that delayed the onset of Obamacare, but again the Senate scratched that part out. Unable to get their way, the Republican Tea Party has caused a political gridlock, with the two government agencies unable to agree on a budget. This lead to the government shutdown, putting millions out of work and denying public service to the country.

Now, everyone is asking why the Republican Party would rather put people out of work and deny them basic health care access than include the provisions for Obamacare in the budget. The reason is the same reason for almost every problem

in the modern world: capitalism. Funding Obamacare would require a slight (very slight) increase on taxes for the supermega-rich people in the United States. It would mean that rich, white, heterosexual males, who pull in literally billions of dollars, would have to pay slightly more in taxes, so that everyone else can stand a chance when it comes to being insured. These people don’t seem to care if a poor woman who works two jobs to support her children, because her husband died fighting for his country, gets cancer. These people don’t seem to care if a teenage girl is raped and contracts HIV. All they seem to care about is making as much money as they possibly can, even

if it means denying those in desperate need the basic health care that they require.

The United States is not a democracy and its government does not represent its population. The United States is a capitalist regime.

These people represent wealth, and monetary gain. If it were a true democracy, the U.S. government would be doing what it can to represent the wishes of its entire people, but it is not. It is more interested in keeping the rich happy, and forgetting about the poor.

Perhaps Lincoln was wrong in the Gettysburg address. Their government is not run by the people, and for the people – it is run by the money, and for the money.

A smoker’s defence of public policy Braeden Etienne A recent Guelph survey of 902 residents found that 96 per cent of people support a smoking ban in public outdoor places, especially in areas where children are frequently present (91 per cent in support of band for public pools and splash pads, 90 per cent for playgrounds, 76 per cent for sport fields, and 72 per cent for outdoor ice rinks). However, the thing that has me most worried is that there seems to be majority support for bans on parks (76 per cent), bus stops (73 per cent), and bar patios (65 per cent) as well. This outdoor smoking ban is far from being implemented, and city council hasn’t even been presented with a formal proposal, but my fellow smokers and I are slightly troubled by some of the talks we’ve heard so far.

The report stated “smoke-free outdoor spaces decrease negative

Abercrombie & Fitch attempt to combat bullying while still endorsing it

role modeling for young people; protect the environment and reduce litter; provide protection from direct exposure to second-hand smoke; and increase motivation for smokers to quit or cut back.”

I can understand the public’s concern for smoking around children. They have tiny lungs and frail, impressionable minds, and maybe it’s best to implement a policy to keep them safe from breathing in our smoke and taking in our rather cool, but probably “negative” influence. While I think any moves towards enforcement of this kind are good, I’m mostly concerned about this proposal of such a wide (and perhaps hasty) change to public policy – a policy that is not just infringing on my right as a smoker to enjoy my cancer stick in public, but infringing on my right to smoke at all.

We smokers know that what we’re doing is unhealthy, and that we probably shouldn’t do it, but

we also know that we’re allowed to destroy our lungs as long as we pay a lot of money to tobacco companies, and extra duties to the Canadian government. Every time we buy a pack, we are reminded by a sad child or a cancerous tongue that we ought to quit smoking. Even so the public still has to understand that our irrational desire to suck smoke into our lungs is a right we have as Canadian citizens.

The push for this policy seems to indicate an unfair lack of trust in the average smoker’s courtesy and an unfair assumption that we unnecessarily pollute your lungs and throw our butts on the ground. Smokers understand that second hand smoke isn’t good for people, and I know very little smokers who go around intentionally blowing smoke in the faces of children and joggers just for kicks.

I always try to keep my smoke out of the lungs of people who don’t want smoke there; I don’t take a

drag when someone’s passing me on the street; I stand downwind when waiting for a bus; I go to the smoking area beside the library rather than lighting up in front of the “No Smoking” sign, and I throw my butts in disposals. While I agree that not every smoker is as courteous, I think more smokers would be receptive to these kinds of things being enforced as policy, rather than an outright ban.

Think about what it means to take away our ability to smoke at bus stops, parks, and other public spaces entirely. Even if there’s no one around, and you’re affecting no one but yourself, you can’t light up a cigarette until after you’ve taken a long walk home through a park, or stood waiting for a bus for thirty minutes. People who live in smokefree apartments are going to lose sanity from nicotine withdrawals because they can’t smoke in front of their building at 3 a.m. An outright ban doesn’t “encourage” smokers

to quit and cut back as much as it forces them too.

There has to be a way to enforce a partial ban that still allows areas in public spaces where smokers can go to light up, perhaps with restrictions on how far we have to be from non-smokers. I can picture a nice set of picnic tables or benches in a park, or on a sidewalk complete with lots of little ashtrays and cigarette disposals to keep our dirty butts off the street.

I’m having a hard time imagining a good time at the Jimmy Jazz or the Albion without the ability to smoke on the patios, and I think forcing bars to make their smokeloving patrons glug back beer without their cigarettes is a push too far. I understand the need for us to share public space and try to make everyone as comfortable as possible, but smokers can’t be cast out of the public sphere without at least giving us a chance to keep the smog to ourselves.

Too cool for plus sizes

Gagan Batra Abercrombie & Fitch, a popular clothing company that many of us are undoubtedly familiar with, has yet again found itself in the limelight with another controversy. Aside from the dim lighting and the scent of signature cologne and perfume wafting through the air in the stores, there are other things one notices upon entering Abercrombie & Fitch. The level of attractiveness of its staff will surely be one noticeable feature

in their stores, but the lack of plus sized clothing is perhaps an even more identifying quality.

Abercrombie & Fitch found itself in the midst of a controversy not too long ago when its CEO, Mike Jeffries, made a public announcement regarding why they only hired attractive people to work at their stores. In the Globe and Mail article “Abercrombie & Fitch tries to make amends with anti-bullying T-shirt (but still no plus-sizes),” written by Erin Anderssen, Jeffries was quoted saying that, “good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, goodlooking people. … A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target

everybody: young, old, fat, skinny.”

Of course, this statement by the CEO of one of the most popular clothing companies among teens and young adults sparked a lot of controversy. Many negative comments centred on the CEO and the company, accusing them of fostering bullying and discrimination among the younger crowds. After all of these attacks and public shaming against the company, and even after a meeting between Jeffries and the teen activist who had started an online campaign against the company, Abercrombie & Fitch did not change its policies, Anderssen wrote.

This is not to say that Abercrombie & Fitch has been doing nothing to rectify the damage that had been done to its public image. As part of its new mission to counter bullying,

they started an anti-bullying campaign that offered scholarships to students who fought against bullying. Additionally, the company launched new T-shirt designs and the “Are you an ally?” campaign, which enlisted “cool” kids to use the power that came with their popularity for good.

Despite the exhaustive efforts that Abercrombie & Fitch claimed to make in combating bullying, they continue to exclude anyone above a size 10 from their clothing selection for women. The new T-shirts bearing the message “Bros before bullies” is just one of the clever new designs that the company has thought up for countering bullying. One might argue, though, that if the company behind the clothing fails to practice what it preaches,

then it is not really combating bullying at all. In its attempts to save itself further public shaming, Abercrombie & Fitch seems to have forgotten the most important element: that by excluding people of a certain size from sporting its brand, it is further perpetuating bullying and sending mixed messages, one saying “don’t bully” and another saying that anyone over a size 10 isn’t good enough for their clothes – and after all, isn’t exclusion just another form of bullying?

The views represented in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ontarion nor its staff.

EDITORIAL

P-P-Plead for transparency in light of budget cuts Reactions to the recent PPP tend to fall within two distinct categories, ranging from indignant anger to sheer confusion. The “Task Force Report” was released on Tuesday Oct. 1 and is available to members of the university community to read online. The 81-page document has some students fearing for the future of their academic programs, but a common reaction encountered in on-campus discourse is “The PPP - what’s that?”

There seems to be an abundance of confusion over the implications for students; many are even unaware of what the alliterative acronym stands for.

The Program Prioritization Process (say that five times fast) is described as a tool to address a “gap of $32.4 million over the next three fiscal years.” But how the PPP will be used to address budget cuts is unclear.

The introduction, for example, is strongly worded and persuasively written, but it remains to be seen how the PPP will actively overcome these massive budget cuts and help Guelph “emerge from the next decade stronger, better, and more empowered to pursue our mission.”

It’s understandable that the university would aim to present these changes to the public in an agreeable manner and all documents have been made available to students, staff and faculty; but why the widespread confusion?

Many people immediately

associate budget cuts with program cuts, although Maureen Mancuso, Provost and VicePresident (Academic) stated that, “It is not as simplistic as saying all the programs in the bottom quintile will be eliminated.”

However, some degree of competition seems evident: “We must establish ourselves in our areas of strength and ensure those areas are well-supported in order to compete for the funding that is available.” Is this a case of survival of the fittest within the ivory tower, a sort of Darwinian take on academia? After all, “Institutions no longer have the luxury of being everything to everyone. It is time to prioritize and invest in the future,” said Mancuso.

One of the many issues the PPP provokes is whether it’s possible to accurately determine the value of a degree. In the university’s rankings system, the arts fare poorly. It’s hardly surprising that the merits of an arts degree will come into question; in times of financial strain and reduced funding, the arts are often painted as frivolous when compared to other programs that are deemed more “mission-critical” – to borrow the language of the report.

But it is problematic to quantify the value of a degree when its value lies in qualitative skills. It’s an even more muddled process when academic programs are assessed alongside non-academic programs. It seems obtuse to

measure, for example, the value of the Arboretum in comparison to BA English. The PPP aims to be as “evidence-based” as possible but the evidence is seemingly scattered and inconclusive.

Despite this obvious lack of direction, the administration is eager to emphasize that this is a positive move forward, and wants assuage a student population that appears largely uninformed.

It would be hypocritical to ignore the potential for bias in this editorial: The Ontarion staff reflects a variety of academic backgrounds, ranging from English, History, Political Science and Studio Art, among others.

Arguably the skills the editors and volunteers alike contribute to this publication were honed and developed within their respective programs. Our publication is a tangible representation of skills acquired in the arts, and demonstrates their value and applicability outside of the classroom. Yet if the university feels pressure to specialize and establish a hierarchy of programs, many of these low-ranking programs may be in danger, along with University of Guelph’s reputation as one of the top comprehensive universities in Canada. With rising tuition fees and fewer programs, students might end up paying more and getting less, and the quality of their so-called interdisciplinary education could be diminished.

It should be noted that the PPP

rankings are not final – they are a single step in a long, drawn-out process. According to Mancuso, “The PPP will only be one piece of information used to help inform the development of those plans.”

But students should be pay close attention to this key step – since the results have the potential to fundamentally shape the future of their university.

If you don’t have time to delve into all 81 pages of the document (especially in the midst of midterm season) at least skim it, and read up on what’s happening at the University of Guelph. Get informed, form an opinion, and contribute to a campus-wide discussion in order to better serve the debate. Change may not be immediately apparent, but it’s in the works, and while the implications of the PPP still remain somewhat vague and unclear, it is clear that it’s time for students to stand up and defend the value and importance of their programs, with eloquence, clarity and critical acuity - rhetorical skills they’ve no doubt acquired from their degrees, no matter which quintile they might have fallen into.

Have a question, comment or complaint? Send us a letter to the editor at ontarion@uoguelph.ca.

Deadline is Monday at 4 p.m., 300 word max.

OPINION

The Program Prioritiztion Process

Cuts are coming to a program near you!

The Central Association

Student

The Program Prioritization Process (PPP) is currently underway at the University of Guelph to facilitate the goal of cutting $32.4 million worth of our academic and non-academic programs. Imported to Canada from the United States by the University of Guelph, this cutting process ranks Guelph’s 492 programs and services into five quintiles. On Oct. 2 the PPP Taskforce Report, including the rankings, was released. Despite the rankings, it has been made clear that no program is safe.

There are a number of fundamental problems with this process, prompting great concern for your students’ union.

Most concerning is that the evaluation of our programs prompted by the PPP is driven explicitly by budgetary targets.

This results in our programs being valued strictly by their

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172.6 • Thursday, OCTOBER 10, 2013

revenue generating abilities, or the amount of money that could be saved through their downsizing or elimination. This is not an exercise in “prioritizing” with the goal of increasing the quality of education at Guelph.

A second major problem with this process is that it ranks all programs based on the same criteria. We are seeing everything from athletics to philosophy to parking to engineering being ranked against the same metrics. This fails to capture the unique value and aspects of our individual programs.

A third issue is that although this process has been ongoing for the past year, many students are only hearing about it now. Little has been communicated to students by the university about the PPP and the significant impact it could have on our programs and services. There has also been minimal opportunity for student consultation and input in the process, leaving student concerns largely out of the decision-making processes to date.

Finally, although the University of Regina conducted a similarly problematic review,

the PPP at Guelph is considerably more top down in its approach.

At Guelph, the process has been spearheaded by administration with support and guidance from a private external consultant.

There was a lack of consultation with the university community in the first place about the implementation of this process, and we have seen the misrepresentation of programs through the imposed use of restrictive program information request forms (PIRs).

As a result of chronic underfunding of post-secondary education by the provincial government and repercussions at the institutional level, the quality of our education and university experience is decreasing. In Ontario, our tuition fees are skyrocketing while students in other provinces pay less than a third of what we pay. Now the PPP is pitting our programs against one another to the extent that our university sees more value in cutting programs, rather than saving them.

It is essential that our provincial government make post-secondary

education a priority. The university administration and the Board of Governors must join students in actively lobbying the government for increased funding, instead of allowing them to carry out a cutting process, like the PPP, that will see the quality of our education decrease and jobs disappear.

With our university being one of the first institutions in Canada to carry out this process, all eyes are on Guelph to see how it plays out.

Your CSA is concerned about the precedent that the PPP is setting for the state of post-secondary education not only in Ontario, but also across the country.

This statement is a call to action.

It is important for students to voice their opinions and concerns, beginning with attending the Town Hall at noon on Oct. 10 in Peter Clark Hall. Attend this event to learn more about the PPP and its potential impacts on our university, and to ask questions and express concerns. Let’s show them we care!

Find more information about the PPP, the PPP Taskforce Report and answers to frequently asked questions at: www.csaonline.ca/ppp/

The Ontarion Inc. University Centre Room 264 University of Guelph N1G 2W1 ontarion@uoguelph.ca Phone: 519-824-4120 General: x58265 Editorial: x58250 Advertising: x58267 Accounts: x53534 Editorial Staff: Editor-in-Chief Jessica Avolio News Editor Michael Long Arts & Culture Editor Emily Jones Sports & Health Editor Andrew Donovan Associate Editor Stacey Aspinall Copy Editor Alyssa Ottema Production Staff: Photo & Graphics Editor Wendy Shepherd Ad Designer Justin Thomson Layout Director Stephanie Lefebvre Office Staff: Business manager Lorrie Taylor Ad manager Al Ladha Office Coordinator Vanessa Tignanelli Circulation Director Sal Moran Web Editor Alexander Roibas Board of Directors President Bronek Szulc Treasurer Lisa Kellenberger Chairperson Michael Bohdanowicz Secretary Alex Lefebvre Directors Aaron Francis Harrison Jordan Heather Luz Shwetha Chandrashekhar Contributors Gagan Batra Amy van den Berg Laura Castellani The Central Student Association Stephanie Coratti Kelsey Coughlin Victoria Day Braeden Etienne Devon Harding Balmore Gamez Taylor Graham Connor Hewson

Paul Martin Ryan Matheson Michael Ott Adrien Potvin Patryk Sawicki Undergraduate Philosophy Student Society University of Guelph Archival and Special Collections Pablo Vadone

The Ontarion is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors.

Since the Ontarion undertakes the publishing of student work, the opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Ontarion Board of Directors. The Ontarion reserves the right to edit or refuse all material deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for publication as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Material of any form appearing in this newspaper is copyrighted 2011 and cannot be reprinted without the approval of the Editor-in-Chief. The Ontarion retains the right of first publication on all material. In the event that an advertiser is not satisfied with an advertisement in the newspaper, they must notify the Ontarion within four working days of publication. The Ontarion will not be held responsible for advertising mistakes beyond the cost of advertisement. The Ontarion is printed by the Guelph Mercury.

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FUN PAGE

COMMUNITY LISTINGS Relaxation & Stress Management Skills Training. October 15. A 12 session program at noon to decrease anxiety, headaches, insomnia and muscle tension. Details at www.uoguelph.ca/~ksomers Giant Used Book Sale. Friends of the Guelph Public Library, Oct 25-27. Friday 6-9 pm, Sat & Sun 10-4. Fastforms Building 251 Massey Rd. 40,000 books, CDs, DVDs, videos $1-$3 CASH ONLY. Proceeds to Guelph Public Library Nature Guelph (formerly Guelph Field Naturalists) meets Thursday, October 10th at 7:30pm at the Arboretum Centre. All welcome. Paul Kelly of the University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre speaks on honey bees and the causes of their decline.

Human Rights and Animal Rights, a day-long conference with 7 speakers discussing their perspectives and ongoing campaigns for issues of animal rights and another human rights issues (including patriarchy, queer rights, ableism, racism, worker rights, prisoner rights, indigenous rights, etc.).

Saturday Oct 26th in War Memorial Hall. Addition info email Mike at mnichols@uoguelph.ca Thanksgiving Food Drive for the Guelph Food Bank runs through the month of October. Donations can be dropped off at Guelph local grocery stores, fire halls or the Guelph Food Bank located at 100 Crimea Street. This year’s goal is 90,000 pounds of non-perishable canned and packaged goods.

BestCrosswords.com

Across 1- Mar. honoree 6- Cowboy’s tool 11- Actor Vigoda 14- Use a soapbox 15- Freeze over 16- Part of UNLV 17- Fanatical 19- CIA forerunner 20- Reached 21- Excite 23- Monetary unit of Japan 24- Forsake 25- Native Israelis 29- Brag 30- More or less vertical 31- Actor Calhoun 32- Bleat of a sheep 35- In spite of 39- Hot tub 40- Parks on a bus 41- Liquid waste component 42- Dull 44- Entertains 45- Place of extreme torment 48- Bind 49- Mistakes 50- Having a notched edge 55- Guadalajara gold 56- Pretend to be 58- Hi-___ monitor 59- Wispy clouds 60- Complete reversal 61- Mdse.

62- Siouan speakers 63- Fills to the gills Down

1- Pop SUBMIT 2- Horse’s gait your completed 3- Deal 4- ___ boy! crossword by 5- Japanese dish no later than 6- Fabric woven from Tuesday, October flax yarns 15th at 12pm for 7- Mil. School a chance to win 8- Cinque follower TWO FREE BOB’S 9- Seaport on NE Java DOGS! 10- Musical dramas 11- For all to hear 12- Ezio Pinza, for one Last Week's Solution 13- Ruhr city 18- Supermodel Sastre 22- Toronto’s prov.

24- It comes from the heart 25- Without 26- For one 27- Second letter of the Greek alphabet 28- Uncooked 29- Domineering Congratulations to 31- Role for Valerie this week's crossword winners: Melissa 32- Prejudice Wagner and John 33- Start the pot Wynands.

Stop by the 34- Matures Ontarion office to pick 36- Dispatch up your prize!

37- Many 38- Actress Joanne 42- Summer sign 43- Physicist Fermi 44- Broadcasts 45- Conductor Solti 46- Messed up 47- ___ Perot 48- Garr and Hatcher 50- Shrivelled, without moisture 51- Architectural pier 52- Tense 53- French 101 verb 54- Bears’ lairs 57- Paid player

Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) is encouraging all Ontarians to register their consent to become organ and tissue donors. By registering as a donor, you could one day save up to eight lives and enhance as many as 75 more. Online donor registration is now available at BeADonor.ca. It’s easy and it only takes 3 minutes to register. www.beadonor.ca

Draw a self-portrait with your eyes closed.

HELP!