The Queen's Journal, Issue 21

Midsummer’s Modern Makeover

No fest out west

Sports Page 22

EXTRA page 16

A novel idea

A&E Page 13

Queen’s

University

the journal since

1873

F r i d ay, N O v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 0

Rector Reprimanded AMS Assembly censures Day

By Jessica Fishbein and Labiba Haque Journal Staff During yesterday’s Remembrance Day ceremony at Grant Hall, Rector Nick Day gave a speech to listeners that divided student opinion.

Day began his speech by introducing his position as rector in the university administration. He then shared his personal reflections on his grandfather’s service in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII before segueing into more current affairs.

Day spoke about present day suffering, referencing Pinochet’s regime in Chile, aboriginal rights in Canada and the Rwandan Genocide.

“In order to truly honour the sacrifices of those who fought for justice, we are now required to speak about new forms of injustice,” he said.

Alicia Sgromo, ArtSci ’13, attended the ceremony in Grant Hall. She said the content of the speech offended quite a few people and Day should issue an apology.

“Basically his comments at the Remembrance Day memorial were inappropriate for the setting. It wasn’t the time or place and no one was there to listen to his political views,” she said adding that Day took advantage of the privilege that he was given.

Last night’s AMS Assembly passed a motion in response to Day’s speech. The motion was brought about by member-at-large Craig Draeger. The motion stated ‘that AMS Assembly, in order to preserve the political neutrality of Remembrance Day, formally censures Rector Nick Day for his disrespectful comment at the Remembrance Day ceremony in

INDEX

Volume 138, Issue 21 www.queensjournal.ca News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

A&E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Literary Extra . . . . . . . 16

Editorials . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Op-Ed . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Postscript . . . . . . . . . . 28

Grant Hall on Nov. 11 2010.’

The motion brought up an array of different perspectives from student leaders and heated up when members of the gallery brought a Maclean’s blog post regarding Day’s speech to the Assembly’s attention. Members of the gallery were concerned that Day’s speech was bringing negative attention to the University and tarnishing its reputation.

After debate, the motion was passed with a secret ballet with a vote of 14 in favour, 10 against. 11 people abstained.

Draeger, ArtSci ’13 and a member of the Journal Editorial Board, said Day had a responsibility to act in response to the decorum of the situation. Draeger, speaking to the assembly, said Day failed, unnecessarily offending and alienating people in the student body.

“Day isn’t taking responsibility where he should. We are not reprimanding him for his opinions but for his actions,” Draeger said.

In censuring Day’s actions, Draeger said the AMS formally Please see Speech on page 7

photo by christine blais

Rector Nick Day speaks at the Remembrance Day ceremony at Grant Hall yesterday.

Fresh face changes the race

Kingston and the Islands a contentious riding for next federal election

By Clare Clancy News Editor After 22 years in seat, the Liberal Party will fight hard to hold the riding in the next federal election.

Following the Liberal nomination of Ted Hsu on Nov. 7, all four Kingston and the Island parties are preparing for the next federal election.

Given the enthusiasm surrounding the nomination, Hsu said he’s confident Liberals can hold the riding.

“I think it’s a very important election,” he said on the night of his nomination. “We feel that it will be very important to win our seat in Kingston [and the Islands].”

Hsu said, based on numbers from the 2008 election, Conservatives are the biggest competition

for the Liberal Party. “[Conservative candidate Abrams] had a very strong finish so he would be the threat to win the riding,” he said.

Sean Torrie, president of Queen’s University Liberal Association said the Liberals are likely to hold the riding because of the state of the Harper government.

“I think the riding is likely to stay Liberal because Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has proven to be incompetent,” he told the Journal via email. “The closure of the prison farms in Kingston is an example of their incompetence and how this government puts ideology ahead of reality.”

Torrie, ArtSci ’11, said the biggest obstacle for Kingston and the Islands Liberals in the next election will be name recognition.

“Our retiring candidate Peter Milliken is well known in Kingston [and the Islands] and the Conservative candidate has [run] before. For Ted, running as a brand new candidate against a Conservative candidate that has [run] before and has some name recognition will be difficult,” he said. “However, the nomination race has given Ted some exposure in the community.”

According to President of Kingston and the Islands Liberal Association Ron Hartling, there’s a general consensus among members that the focus needs to be on defeating the Conservative candidate in the next election.

“The Conservative candidate came uncomfortably close to winning the last election,” he said.

“The margin was only 6.6 per

cent if I remember correctly. It’s the same Conservative candidate [Brian Abrams]. He’s wellestablished in the community and the Conservative Party has been funnelling money to the riding.”

Hartling said focusing on defeating the Conservative candidate is natural because of the different values the parties advocate.

“There’s a lot of common values between [the] Liberal, NDP and Green [Parties] … they’re essentially all progressive. The values of the Harper Conservatives are very different,” he said, adding that an example of this is the attitude the parties have towards correctional services.

“The rest of us believe Please see Four on page 8

neWs

2 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2010

Student life centre gains new management AMS will gain full control of student buildings from administration as of May 2011

PhOtO by chrIStINE bLAIS

aMS Vice-president (operations) Ben Hartley and Student Centre officer Stephen pariser piloted the project.

By KaTherine FernandeZ-BLance aSSiStant newS editor after 21 years of negotiation, the amS is taking control of the Student Life Centre. by may 2010, they will administer the JdUC, the Grey House, macGillivraybrown Hall and the Queen’s Centre, minus the athletics and recreation Complex.

The decision to give complete managerial control to the amS was made in an april 2009

framework agreement. amS vice-President (Operations) ben Hartley and Student Centre Officer Stephen Pariser are piloting the project.

Hartley, artSci ’10 said one of his first initiatives will be to fill the three empty retail spaces in the Queen’s Centre.

“What’s shifted is the onus. it used to be on the University to bring tenants in. Now it will be on us,” he said. although vendors have not yet been finalized, Hartley said that

the amS is pushing for a health and wellness theme. For a while, student interest has stated that a pharmacy or an electronics store would be most beneficial in a new campus retail space.

“These businesses have to reflect student values but they also need to be able to withstand the cycle. They should also be brands that can cater to the Kingston community over the summer,” Hartley said in reference to the four months that students aren’t at Queen’s over the summer.

Pariser, artSci ’11 said student control of the buildings could also lead to an expansion of other on-campus student facilities.

“We want things like a games room on campus. Currently there is no place but the Lazy Scholar for students to gather on campus[in this manner],” Pariser said.

Since 1989, the amS has been attempting to gain control of the Student Life Centres. Hartley said that the project experienced steady growth through the next decade, but it wasn’t until 2005 when the project really came viable.

That year, the amS Commitment agreement promised the University $25.5 million in student fees to pay for the completion of the Queen’s Centre. because of this commitment, the amS was given greater control over building management, Hartley said. “along with the commitment from the amS came the commitment of the administration that the amS would take that role,” Hartley said, adding that the amS has been trying to get the administration to commit to this management scheme for the past

C o r r e C t I o N Hilary Windrem is municipal affairs Commissioner. incorrect information appeared in the Nov. 9 issue of the Journal.

The Journal regrets the error.

three years.

“The administration is now saying that the amS is ready and able,” Hartley said. “it puts students in charge of how their student life space is shaped.” due to the change in management, there will also be a restructuring of Student Life Centre employees, Pariser said. Currently, the Centre is co-directed by the Student Centre Officer and the associate dean of Student affairs. as of april 2010, Student affairs will no longer be involved in the Centre’s management and their facilities manager and executive director positions will be dissolved.

“The amS will be hiring a new permanent staff member. [Their] main purpose will be for internal memory [due to high student turnover],” Pariser said.

The restructuring will also result in the creation of three new management positions in the amS open to students. These students will work with the Student Life Centre officer and the permanent staff member, who will be the new facilities manager.

“What’s shifted is the onus. It used to be on the University to bring tenants in. Now it will be on us.”

—Ben Hartley, AMS vicepresident (operations) because of a reduction in operating costs, the new management will actually save the Student Life Centre money, Paliser said. Hartley said that this is really important, because it means that student fees will not increase with the new management. Hartley said the retail spaces within the Student Life Centres make enough money to balance their budget so there’s no need for additional student fees.

“The revenue that will come onto amS books is between $1.5 and $1.6 million. it’s a fairly sizable responsibility,” Hartley said. because it won’t be run as a service, this means that the Centre will only be closed on dec. 25,

Pariser said, making it much more student-focused, particularly to students who remain in Kingston over the holidays.

“We want things like a games room on campus.

Currently there is no place but the Lazy Scholar for students to gather on campus[in this manner].”

—Stephen Pariser, Student Centre Officer Pariser said this is just one way amS governance can help students get the most out of the spaces. “at the end of the day, the Student Life Centre isn’t here to make money but to serve students’ needs,” Pariser said.

While many other universities have somewhat similar arrangements with their student centres, Queen’s is in a unique position in that its Centre will be run by the students themselves.

“The amS separates itself because we’re completely owned and operated by students.

Other universities have a higher contingent of permanent staff members,” Hartley said, adding that even though the Student Centres will now be amS-run, they will not be paid for exclusively by the amS. Pariser said amS-exclusive space, like the amS offices, are paid for fully by those who use the space, whereas public space, like the ceildhs in the JdUC, are paid for proportionately by the University, the amS and the SGPS. “There’s a cost associated with a public space. [For the Student Life Centre] it works out to the University paying 50 per cent, the amS paying 40 per cent and the SGPS paying 10 per cent,” Pariser said.

Though the SGPS didn’t pay into the capital to build the Queen’s Centre, they’ve agreed to contribute to operating the building at a per capita rate, Hartley said.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Feature

queensjournal.ca

•3

Gaels’ home north of Princess infringed

Queen’s Athletics renews lease for Memorial Centre for five years despite new schedule restrictions

Photo by Justin Tang

The annual “Kill McGill” game is one of the Gaels’ more popular games at the Memorial Centre. On Oct. 30 about 350 fans watched the McGill Redmen beat the men’s hockey team 6-4.

By Jake Edmiston Features Editor Since the closure of the on-campus Jock Harty arena in 2006, women’s hockey head coach Matt Holberg has been trying to make their off-campus arena feel more like home—he helped paint a large Q in the main area this year.

Last summer Queen’s renewed their lease of the Memorial Centre for another five years, but they weren’t the primary tenant as they had been for the past four years.

A local minor hockey association, Church Athletics League (CAL), was forced to move to the arena after the Harold Harvey Arena was closed.

“When you’re playing in front of just girlfriends and parents it does get tough some nights.”

—Brett Gibson Men’s hockey head coach “Just as we’re starting to make some strides to it being home, another new tenant comes in and it feels like we’re sharing an apartment with a roommate we never see,” Holmberg said.

In accordance with city policy, the CAL was given priority during prime ice-time slots because of their youth league status. Queen’s varsity hockey teams, that used to practice at the Memorial Centre between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., now practice in the late evening after 8 p.m. or in the early morning around 6 or 7 a.m.

The men’s hockey team’s final home game is scheduled at Royal Military College’s Constantine arena against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. And both men’s and women’s hockey have played a home game at the Cataraqui Community Centre due to scheduling conflicts at the Memorial Centre.

“It’s been a source of frustration,” Holmberg said. “For

those schools that do have their own rink, the benefits of that are incalculable.”

Holmberg said the Memorial Centre wasn’t available for use during September because it was occupied by the annual Fall Fair.

“We only got two or three practices at the Memorial Centre before we played our first home game,” he said. “Whether it be on main campus or West Campus, I know that the women’s hockey team would welcome our own arena.”

Queen’s Athletics Director Leslie Dal Cin said a location has been set for a new arena near West Campus, but the project’s dependence on funding makes it difficult to set a date for its construction or completion.

Queen’s initiated a clause in the new agreement, providing themselves the opportunity to opt-out of the five-year lease after three years if such a project is nearing completion.

Dal Cin said Athletics decided renewing their lease at the Memorial Centre was the most attractive option despite the scheduling issues posed by a shared tenancy. The arena, located at 403 York St. near Albert St., is about a 20-minute walk from campus.

“A major benefit of the Memorial Centre is it’s closer to the University than any other arena and they basically have a home base,” she said, adding that Athletics considered moving the team to other Kingston arenas as well as arenas in Nappanee and Gananoque before res-igning the Memorial Centre lease.

“The fact that we can establish a home for the teams at the M Centre outweighed the reality of the teams wanting to travel further,” she said.

Queen’s hockey spent a majority the 2007-08 season following the closing of Jock Harty Arena playing home games in Nappanee.

“Our teams really felt like they never had a home ice and a home base,” Dal Cin said.

“They felt like gypsies in terms of

always being on the road.”

She said although the Memorial Centre is currently the best option, the time slots available to Queen’s hockey programs aren’t ideal.

“Practicing in the morning is not the ideal condition for an interuniversity team,” Dal Cin said.

“Physiologically you really like to practice at the same time you play so that your energy systems adjust to that.”

The new lease agreement will see Queen’s spending between $200,000 and $250,000 per year depending on how far the two varsity hockey teams advance into playoffs. Dal Cin said the new costper-year is about $50,000 less than the previous agreement because of

the decrease in Athletics’ use of ice time.

Representatives from the City of Kingston were unavailable for comment to the Journal.

While varsity teams are using the Memorial Centre, Queen’s intramurals have partially moved to the K-Rock Centre in downtown Kingston. Jeff Downie, manager of recreation and sports programs, said the new arrangement hasn’t had a negative effect.

“It actually hasn’t been a huge adjustment for us,” he said, adding that the intramural season was only cut by one game this year.

“We ended up with fairly similar times compared to previous years with the addition of the K-Rock

Centre. We calculated it as about a three minute more hike going in a different direction.

“So on certain nights of the week we’re over at the K-Rock Centre compared to the Memorial Centre.”

Downie said the two locations are the furthest he’d expect students to travel to participate in intramurals.

“We need a walking distance location,” he said. “K-Rock and Memorial Centre are really in the same radius but outside of that you’re going too far.”

With the Memorial Centre located about four blocks north of campus, coaches and players worry the distance is resulting in poor attendance.

Men’s hockey head coach Brett Gibson was with the Gaels for two years before Jock Harty was closed. He said the team doesn’t see the same fan turnout at the Memorial Centre.

“We got a lot of walk-ins from the students that were just either studying or working out,” he said.

“It is a jaunt to get out to the Memorial Centre. Realistically it’s only four blocks but you don’t get the same walking up as when the arena is on campus.

Gibson said he hopes his team, currently ranked fifth in the Ontario University Athletics East Division, will draw fans with success.

“It truly does baffle me sometimes why we can’t get the students to our games but we have to be creative,” he said. “We aren’t on campus so we have to provide a team that’s exciting to come watch and I think we are this year. It’s just a matter of getting the word out.

“When you’re playing in front of just girl-friends and parents it does get tough some nights.”

Photo Supplied by Queen’s Archives

Jock Harty arena, previous home of the Gaels until 2006, was built in 1922 on Arch St. before being relocated to Union in 1971. Above is a 1952 hockey game at the Arch St. location.

News

4 •queeNsjourNal.ca

Friday, November 12, 2010

Friday, November 12, 2010 Fri Application Deadline for

Holiday Housecheck Manager, CFRC Funding Drive Coordinator, Sustainability Deputy, MAC Volunteer

Sat

Sun

Get a safe walk from Walkhome!

Check out Referendum Results on myams.org!

12

13

AMS Application Deadline for Holiday Housecheck Patroller

Action Through Art 2-5pm at The Artel

19

205 Sydenham

Mon

14

Grab lunch at the Queen’s Pub

20

21

Alfie’s Jazz Lounge 15

ThankQ Tag Day 22

Tues

Wed

Tune into CFRC.ca 101.9fm

Academic Workshop for Int’l, Castle and Exchange Students

16

Lunchtime breathing meditation 12:20-12:50 Ban Righ Centre 23

7:30 pm QUIC 17 Go to Common Ground Express in upper JDUC!

24

Thurs English Conversation Group 5-6:30pm QUIC

18

Mental Health First Aid

Register online with Student Affairs

25

Want to add your event? Email the details to comm@ams.queensu.ca.

All event items are subject to approval by the AMS Communications Officer, Andrea McPherson.

Interested in International Affairs?

QIAA is an organization run by students of Queen’s University.

It is devoted to promoting the discussion and dialogue on international affairs and to providing its members with practical outlets to realize their interests in this field. QIAA aspires to be a premier resource for those interested in global issues through a variety of media. Go to www.qiaa.org for more information.

Queen’s Health Outreach Fundraiser GLO for QHO November 19th At Stages. Tickets can be purchased $4 in advance sold at ARC and Mac Corry.

Selling 17th, 18th and 19th of november Tight and bright, glo paint provided.

Donate to Project Santa! Project Santa is an initiative that seeks to bring joy and hope to people with severe mental illness, who have low income in Kingston, Ontario through gift-filled shoe boxes donated by Queen's University. This year the Project Santa collection box will available for donations from November 8th to November 26th in the entrance of Stauffer Library.

Just pick up a box, fill it with gifts and drop it off by November 26 and QSSOC will administer them to local mental health agencies.

The P&CC is renting out the store windows & desktop backgrounds. $40 per week/windows, $20 per week/desktop backgrounds OR $50 bundle/both options (save $10!).

For further information, contact Gracie at pcc.marketing@ams.queensu.ca

For the latest AMS news, visit

myams.org

or follow the AMS on Facebook & Twitter!

Want your ad here? Email comm@ams.queensu.ca

Friday, November 12, 2010

News

queensjournal.ca

•5

Queen’s doctor wins prestigious award Dr. Ruth Wilson wins 5-star Doctor award

By Jessica Fishbein Assistant News Editor Dr. Ruth Wilson said she’s used to people joking with her about how it feels to be one of best doctors in the world.

“I was not expecting to win this award at all. It is a prestigious award and it’s interesting to now have something at a world level,” she said.

Wilson, a professor in the department of family medicine, won the 5-Star Doctor Award, which is the highest honour given out by the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (WONCA).

WONCA consists of organizations that deal with the academic aspects of general family practice. There are 120 member organizations in 99 countries, with over 250,000 general practitioners/family physicians as members.

physicians who have personally made a positive impact on the health of both individuals and communities.

Wilson has done substantial work towards providing everyone with healthcare access they need.

Upon graduation from medical school at the University of Toronto, Wilson went to Sioux Lookout, Bella Coola and other isolated First Nations communities to provide them with basic health care.

“I was not expecting to win this award at all. It is a prestigious award and it’s interesting to now have something at a world level.”

—Dr. Ruth Wilson

She then began working in the department of family medicine at Queen’s. In 1991 she became the department head and in 1995 she chaired a committee which established “My work caring for patients family medicine programs in war-torn is the most important part of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“The department had a connection my work life. [But I also] enjoy with Bosnia during the war and they teaching medical students and did groundbreaking work. We’d been family medicine residents in my approached by the Dean of Medicine who clinical practice.” wanted to establish primary care there, —Dr. Ruth Wilson because during the war you can either give up or plan for a better future,” she said.

From 2007 to 2008, she served “The five stars in the 5-Star Doctor Award are for teaching, research, leadership, as president of the College of Family clinical and organizational management,” Physicians of Canada, which is the national Wilson said. “I’m not the best doctor at representative body for WONCA. .

“My work as president of the College curing patients in the world, but I may have of Family Physicians of Canada has allowed contributed significantly to all the areas.”

The award is distributed to me to make the case for the need for

photo by justin tang

Dr. Ruth Wilson says she is honoured to receive the 5-star Doctor award. every Canadian to have a family physician,” she said.

The award celebrates the work of family physicians around the world in contributing to health, Wilson said, adding that she wasn’t expecting to win the award.

“I’m not sure even when the last time was that a Canadian was named,” she said.

Dr. Sonia Roache-Barker who practices in the Caribbean received the award as well this year. An awards committee, this year consisting of a professor and two doctors decided who was deserving of this award.

Nominations were submitted in a form that was sent to this committee.

While Wilson wasn’t present when the

award was given out in Mexico in May, the president of WONCA presented the award to her during a meeting in Vancouver last month.

Since 1989, Wilson has been practicing medicine in Kingston. She said that while helping patients is an important part of her job as a family care physician, it’s only one part and this award recognizes that.

“My work caring for patients is the most important part of my work life,” she said. “[But I also] enjoy teaching medical students and family medicine residents in my clinical practice, training the next generation of physicians.”

News

6 •queensjournal.ca

AMS Referendum statement results Club or Organization of Fee Question Canadian Undergraduate Conference on Healthcare

Results Yes 75%, No 25%

DECA Queen’s

Yes 57%, No 43%

Golden Words

Yes 76%, No 24%

Keep A Child Alive: Queen’s Chapter

Yes 77%, No 23%

Mostly Autonomous Sailboat Team

Yes 57%, No 43%

MUSE Magazine

Yes 51%, No 49%

Queen’s Amnesty International

Yes 76%, No 24%

Queen’s Baja SAE Design Team

Yes 51%, No 49%

Queen’s Bands Queen’s Chinese Press Queen’s Concrete Canoe Team

Yes 57%, No 43% Yes 45%, No 55% Yes 61%, No 39%

Friday, November 12, 2010

Campus Calendar Friday, Nov. 12

Tuesday, Nov. 16

Annual Fund-raising gem and mineral sale Miller Museum of Geology, Miller Hall 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lunchtime Breathing Meditation Ban Righ Centre 12:20 p.m. to 12:50 p.m.

Violin/Piano Duo Recital Dunning Hall Auditorium 7:30 p.m. $5/student

Screening of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Kingston and Frontenac Public Library, Calvin Branch, 88 Wright Crescent Starts at 6 p.m.

Free.

Saturday, Nov. 13 Free Observatory Public Tour Ellis Hall, fourth floor 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 15 How to know a good legal system Macdonald Hall, room 202 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 17 Creating campus culture: sustainability initiatives Gordon Hall, room 401 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Three Sisters Feast Four Directions Aboriginal Centre, 146 Barrie Street 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Free.

Queen’s Conference on Education

Yes 71%, No 29%

Queen’s Debating Union

Yes 64%, No 36%

Queen’s Formula SAE

Yes 49%, No 51%

Queen’s Future Group

Yes 56%, No 44%

Thursday, Nov. 18

Queen’s Musical Theatre

Yes 76%, No 24%

QUIC English Conversation group JDUC, QUIC 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Students for Corporate Social Responsibility

Yes 61%, No 39%

Ultraviolet Magazine

Yes 48%, No 52%

Plebiscite Question

Results

Do you think Queen’s University should invest in cost reducing, energy conserving building upgrades?

Yes 89%, No 11%

Do you feel that you have had meaningful opportunity to voice your concerns regarding Queen’s Academic Plan?

Yes 48%, No 52%

Are you aware that Queen’s University is currently undergoing an institution-wide Academic Planning exercise that would set each faculty’s priorities for the foreseeable future?

Yes 37%, No 63%

Chinese Film Night Kingston Hall, Room 200 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Residence

News

Friday, November 12, 2010

NEWS IN BRIEF Board member dismissed Director Mackenzie Dixon, Sci ’11, was dismissed from his post on the AMS Board of Directors, because of his lack of compliance with AMS policy, Alex Lawrence, chair of the Board of Directors, said.

“Commitment and attendance are vital to the Board’s ability to function in the best interest of all students,” he told the Journal via email. “The Director was removed from the Board of Directors in accordance with absenteeism policy found in AMS Inc. By-Law 3.02.05 (ii).”

According to By-Law 3.02.05 (ii), when a director misses three consecutive or four meetings in total over the course of one fiscal year. Unless there are extraordinary and unavoidable mitigating factors for the absenteeism, the matter is brought to the attention of the Board whose members must vote whether or not to keep the director in office.

“While this is very unfortunate, every accommodation possible was pursued until we were obligated to abide by the AMS By-Laws.”

Lawrence said the position will be filled in the near future.

“The Board of Directors will be filling the vacancy by appointing a replacement until the Corporate Annual General Meeting in accordance with AMS Inc. By-Law 3.03.02. Any vacancy is filled according to policy,” he said.

—Clare Clancy

queeNsjourNal.ca

•7

Speech not meant to offend

photo by justin tang

At AMS Assembly last night, a motion passed to have Nick Day censured after his Remembrance Day speech earlier that day. acknowledges that he was not representing the organization.

Censoring Day wasn’t a concern for the Assembly because it was agreed that he was entitled to his own personal opinions. Rather, the motion was concerned with whether or not the Remembrance Day service was an appropriate place to express his own political opinions in association with his position as rector.

Day said that after he finished his speech at the service he received applause and positive comments from audience members.

“Six faculty members emailed to express their thanks about the speech,” he said, adding that he also received four or five emails

University of Ottawa

from people explaining why they were displeased with his speech.

Even though he was reprimanded, Day says he wouldn’t treat the situation differently if he were to do it again.

“I’ve already made the decision to make these comments because I thought they were important and meaningful,” he said. “I worked extremely hard to be respectful with my comments because I have the utmost respect for people who make sacrifices for others, so I worked really hard to make sure that what I said was … purely about the ideas and in no way about attacking people.”

Day was approached to address the audience at the service by the

University Chaplain. Both knew the speech would feature sensitive themes, however the Chaplin approved Day’s speech on the basis that he was asked to speak about his views on Remembrance Day.

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“Remembrance Day has to be political,” Day said. “It’s already political. World War II was very much a patented political event and to remember it also has to be political.”

News

8 •queeNsjourNal.ca

Friday, November 12, 2010

Four candidate contest Continued from page 1

in correction in the sense of rehabilitation whereas … the Harper Conservatives want to follow the failed US model and turn correction into incarceration.

The prison farm situation is exactly that.”

Hartling said support for different nominees within the riding shouldn’t hinder the MP campaign.

“The members organize into camps and bring new members in [for nomination] …. It’s a competition … sometimes a fierce one. In a healthy riding association, you have to ensure everyone comes together,” he said, adding that the nomination campaigns have given the association a new wave of energy.

“I think it’s really given the riding association a boost. The energy is there to prepare for the next campaign,” he said. “It’s a changing of the guards from Peter Milliken of 22 years … to a new candidate and a new generation of volunteers.”

Conservative candidate Brian Abrams could not be reached for comment.

Vice-President (Federal) of Queen’s University Conservative Association, Yuchen Wang, agreed with Hartling that when an election is called it will likely come down to the Liberals and Conservatives.

“In past years, [Conservatives] have come close to winning the riding,” he said. “Most likely, it will

be a race between the Liberals and the Conservatives.”

Wang, ArtSci ’13, said Abrams is a well-established candidate.

“Abrams is a local candidate. He grew up in Kingston. He’s a lawyer.

He knows the legal system. He knows the people of Kingston … [and] all the general problems we have [here].”

Daniel Beals, candidate for NDP, said his party has a serious chance at winning the riding.

“Prior to 22 years ago, Kingston [and the Islands] had 20 odd years of being Progressive Conservative.

For the last 40 or 50 years, Kingston [and the Islands] has come towards the centre and will keep moving towards the left.”

Beals said the Liberal nomination of a progressive Liberal is proof of this.

“Ted Hsu is a more progressive Liberal than even Peter Milliken was,” he said. “For someone like me who is a New Democrat, that gives me a lot of hope ... Kingston could vote NDP. “Ideologically we’re most opposite to the Conservative Party.

They would be furthest from us,” he said. “As far as votes go and the way the election plays out … it could very well be Liberal versus NDP.” Beals said the riding of Kingston and the Islands has a strong NDP base.

“I actually think that people shouldn’t underestimate the NDP this time around,” he said, adding that NDP won a substantial amount

of the vote in the last race for MP. Candidate Rick Downes won 17.46 per cent of the Kingston and the Islands vote in 2008.

Maria Beaumaster, co-president of Queen’s NDP, said the frontrunners in the next election will be Ted Hsu and Daniel Beals because of the growing student population and community focus in Kingston and the Islands.

“Issues Kingston is dealing with are changing as well … I don’t think there’s a Conservative answer to that,” Beaumaster, ArtSci ’11, said. “Daniel Beals is extremely passionate about the community.”

“Even though Kingston and the Islands has been Liberal, people are going to be weary of a new candidate. Daniel has been out in the community for the last year.”

Green Party candidate Eric Walton agreed that Hsu’s fresh face may hinder the Liberal’s success streak.

“I think the incumbent [MP] resigning meant everything changed. I don’t think it mattered too much which Liberal won. The race became open,” he said, adding that this is in part due to voters’ disenchantment with Liberals and Conservatives.

“I think the real wild card in the next election is what the voters will do. I think voters recognize we’re in a transition time,” he said. “A lot will depend on the national party and leader.”

Walton said the Green Party will run to win.

“For two of the four candidates,

photo by justin tang

Ted Hsu wins the Liberal nomination which has been held by Peter Milliken for 22 years. this is their first time running. It’s tough? The first time on candidates.

It’s a really steep learning curve,” he said. “[Green Party is] the only party taking climate change, antipoverty and democracy seriously.

I’m seeing less of a commitment to those issues [from the other parties].”

In the last two years, the Green Party has had consistent support across the country, Walton said, adding that this makes it more likely he’ll win a seat in Kingston

and the Islands.

“We’re actually one of the strongest Green Parties in the world … getting 10, 11, 12 per cent of the polls.”

In the 2008 MP election, Walton received 10.97 per cent of the vote.

“It’s very likely we will finally be elected,” Walton said. “One more Liberal or Conservative won’t wake up the Parliament to some of these critical issues.”

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Friday, November 12, 2010

News

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•9

Editorials

10 • queensjournal.ca

Q u ee n ’ s

Friday, November 12, 2010

University

the journal since

1873

Just one for the road T

he government of British Columbia is planning an advertising campaign letting people know that it’s ok to drink and drive—a little bit.

The move comes in response to aggressive drunk driving measures the province enacted in September. The measures allow police to apply a three-day driving ban on individuals caught in the “warning zone” with a blood-alcohol content (BAC) between .05 and .08. Drivers who exceed .08 can face a 90-day driving ban and 30-day car impoundment.

Most of the complaints about the new measures have come from the public and the hospitality industry. The latter has a faced a 15 to 30 per cent drop in business since the provincial government enacted aggressive penalties in September.

Drunk driving kills 130 British Columbians a year. While police claim the new restrictions have played a large part in reducing drunk driving, the Solicitor-General, Rich Coleman, pointed out that no hard statistics support this conclusion, and suggested that police have been too quick to exercise their ability to impound cars.

Coleman is concerned that individuals have the mistaken impression that they can’t have a drink with dinner and drive home within the law.

While plenty of drivers are able to safely operate a car after one or two drinks, there’s no reason for the government to encourage drinking and driving. Placing emphasis on the “safe” BAC needed to drive is problematic, because it’s not easy to assess qualitatively.

People with certain body types and tolerances probably shouldn’t be driving after even a few drinks—BAC aside.

If drunk-driving measures are having a direct effect on restaurants and bars, which hasn’t yet been proven, these businesses should look to proactive measures that will allow patrons to drink without exposing others to possible harm.

Partnering with taxi companies for a discounted fare would allow restaurants to provide a safe alternative to driving home in fear of getting pulled over.

As long as people continue to drink and drive, the government isn’t doing enough to combat drunk driving. This decision is so inappropriate that it would be comical—if there weren’t lives on the line.

Women stuck off ice I

n an article published Nov. 8, the Toronto Star’s Rosie DiManno criticized the recent induction of female hockey players Angela James and Cammi Granato into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

DiManno concludes that the addition of the two female hockey players is simply “a socially engineered exercise in smashing gender barriers,” pointing to the fact that the two players are being honoured as trailblazers, not on the basis of technical skill.

DiManno suggests that because women’s hockey lacks the competitive ferocity that makes men’s hockey so popular, male sports will always have a greater public draw.

There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging a “pioneering spirit,” but DiManno insists that this has to do with cultural standards, not athletics. She concludes that the best area for women to compete with men is in the role of franchise owner, executive or maybe one day as coach.

Comparing the skill levels of two different hockey players is never an entirely objective process, and it’s usually a source of controversy.

By repeatedly stressing the differences between men’s and women’s hockey,

DiManno simply weakens her own argument. If the two types of competition are wholly different, why can’t the players of each side be acknowledged as sharing a common game? The venue in question is the Hockey Hall of Fame, not the Men’s Hockey Hall of Fame—male and female players deserve equal acknowledgement.

Women’s hockey is relatively new on the international stage. DiManno overlooks the struggle that women have faced as athletes playing what she calls a “man’s game, feminized.” These challenges are intrinsic to the struggle to legitimize a less popular sport.

Insisting that women can only be inducted as pioneers of a less popular and less visible sport than their male counterparts is demeaning. Furthermore, it implies that the only reason women play hockey is to accomplish exactly that kind of gender barrier smashing that DiManno is so quick to condemn. Having role models in the Hall of Fame to look up to is a vital part of athletic competition.

It may be true that women’s hockey draws a relatively small audience compared to the male equivalent. But that’s no reason to be equally small-minded.

Dress up, fess up Terra-Ann Arnone

T

wo weeks ago I wandered the Ghetto, soaked by ceaseless rain and immersed in the spirit of Halloween. A sperm spoke casually to Fubar, while stormtroopers shook hands with some beatniks.

Four men with navy pylon-shaped hats stood a few feet away from each other, protecting Queen’s campus as blue lights.

Halloween costumes serve as the world’s best ice breaker; just ask the hotdog being grilled by some girls on Division.

Weaving through a sea of clever dress and miles of exposed skin, my friends and I stopped to speak with Karl Marx and a seemingly uncooperative friend. Holding the Communist Manifesto and sporting a lengthy beard, we guessed the famed philosopher right away. Giving in and breaking the ice, I asked his friend—dressed in a black sweater and blue jeans—what he was supposed to be.

Casually he responded, “I’m myself. Aren’t we all liars anyway?” I started thinking. Then I got scared.

This morning I told my housemate someone else drank her milk. Last night I didn’t accidentally spill cranberry juice on Snow White’s petticoat. I’m a liar, I’m a denier, I’m a midnight falsifier. I don’t think Karl Marx’s friend was speaking about the white lie pandemic that fueled my internal crisis. I think he was talking about denial.

Like dressing up, denial is a form of lying, but the costume we wear is for our own peace of mind, not the entertainment of others.

While Halloween flips self-denial outward, allowing folks to be whomever they’d like for

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Friday, November 12, 2010 • Issue 21 • Volume 138 The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston. Editorial opinions expressed in the Journal are the sole responsibility of the Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers.

Contents © 2010 by the Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the Journal. The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

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a night, it certainly isn’t the only time we do this.

Anybody can wake up in the morning and decide to act as another.

I believe denial is healthy. Anna Freud’s research into denial dubbed it a defence mechanism, used to safeguard the human psyche from damaging thought. But modern society has taken this much further, using denial as a mechanism to create oneself anew in accordance with communal standards.

In the eighth grade I wore a Metallica shirt to school. By lunchtime, the whispers of “poser” from my peers had sent me running home to change into a less scandalous tee. I disavowed my enjoyment of the famed rock band and inhibited self-growth. Skimming my iTunes today, I find one Metallica song.

My middle-school wardrobe change is behind me, but the conformity it taught me remains.

The lies we tell others inform our ideas of identity, and damage how we evolve.

Not simply as individuals, but individuals who comprise wider society—at Queen’s, in Kingston, in Ontario.

Without sounding too apocalyptic, I wonder whether the relationship between individual conformity and cultural growth can reach a plateau. Denial is healthy when helping you move past the negative, but not when it comes at the expense of individuality.

I’m afraid to remember who I was before others told me who I could be. But, I’m trying.

Beginning with Ride the Lightning.

Elias Da Silva-Powell Adam Zunder

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Contributors

Wesam Aleyadeh, Caitlin Choi, Janina Enrile, Andrew Ha, Vince Matak, Daniel Moore, Jessica Munshaw, Macey Nielissen, Keiran Slobodin

Friday, November 12, 2010

Opinions

queensjournal.ca

An international Queen’s

talking h

Kieran Slobodin and Daniel Moore debate the merits and pitfalls of internationalization Disclaimer: The views expressed by the authors in this debate are not necessarily the views held by the Alma Mater Society, the Society of Graduate and Professional Students, or those they represent.

Kieran Slobodin, ArtSci ’12

Daniel Moore, Ph.D ’11

Queen’s University has been discovering its priorities over the past 10 months. All the research, town halls and group consulting will eventually culminate in an Academic Plan that will guide this University for the foreseeable future.

The latest product of this process, Imagining the Future, has made one thing clear—Queen’s University needs more international students.

Queen’s isn’t alone. The Ontario Government has announced that they will incentivize universities to expand their international enrolment across Ontario.

Queen’s needs to follow suit.

International students diversify the student body and bring with them a multitude of experiences that enrich our campus.

Having a diverse student body opens students up to new cultures and new experiences. Students challenge their perceptions of other cultures, and the spectrum of opinions in the classroom expands, enhancing the learning experience at Queen’s.

I completely agree with the last statement; Queen’s does need a diverse learning experience, by which we both mean, I assume, a more diverse learning experience.

But how can we be so confident we’ll achieve it by simply increasing international enrolment?

Having a diverse student body opens students up to new cultures and new experiences.

Students challenge their perceptions of other cultures, and the spectrum of opinions in the classroom expands, enhancing the learning experience at Queen’s.

Opening our doors to international students may also lead to increased demand in academic courses that are not financially sustainable at current level’s demand. In my first two years at Queen’s I studied Arabic. The class was small, but for those of us enrolled, it remains one of the highlights of our undergraduate experience. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough demand to justify a third level course.

Higher international enrolment may have changed that.

International students may bring with them a different set of interests than domestic students and, in turn, that demand may sustain courses that domestic students wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

More international students embody exactly what Queen’s needs—a diverse learning experience.

Imagining the Future does a disservice to our current international student body by suggesting that it doesn’t bring the right kind, or the right amount of diversity to the school.

This campus is not known for its diverse student population, but it’s not like Queen’s is virgin territory to international students.

Imagining the Future does a disservice to our current international student body by suggesting that it doesn’t bring the right kind, or the right amount of diversity to the school.

Notice how the policy we’re talking about puts the onus to diversify Ontarian campuses on international students.

Your vision also places the burden on certain students to introduce diversity to the school while domestic students can passively absorb an enriched cosmopolitan environment.

What kind of responsibilities towards diversity are we advocating, and ingraining?

The rush to quantify diversity avoids hard questions about how the school will ensure that those students coming here will have equal opportunity to participate and succeed.

Several internal reports over the last few years attest to inadequacies of all kinds of support for students from abroad. By ‘support’ I not only mean financial aid but also the entire cultural, procedural and behavioural climate at the school.

Is it responsible to invite still more individuals to come to Canada, along with their families in the case of many graduate students, with the cost of UHIP rising and with reports of racial harassment on campus?

Slobodin

Moore

I’ll concede that Queen’s certainly needs to increase support services for international students, but that doesn’t refute the argument that increased international enrolment gives the University more justification to enhance those services.

Increased enrolment would require increased capacity of services and supports, exactly what you’re arguing for.

You’re assuming the worst by suggesting that our domestic students would sit back and passively absorb the benefits that international students bring to campus.

I don’t think anyone could make the argument that Queen’s students are passive, unengaged learners.

Indeed, one of the resonances that Imagining the Future identified is the desire for our students to be Global Citizens, instilled with social purpose. That’s not a trait one obtains passively.

As you point out, raising international enrolment isn’t an end in itself for the school, nor the government.

We envision a host of benefits that will follow from a greater spotlight in global post-secondary markets.

The more ubiquitous Queen’s students become, the higher the chance that a potential employer or graduate school will have had experience with the high quality students that Queen’s produces, and the more favourable their perspective of our students will be.

But let’s talk about the benefits that are passive. Higher international enrolment increases the University’s reputation in world markets and, by extension, the value of its degrees.

The more ubiquitous Queen’s students become, the higher the chance that a potential employer or graduate school will have had experience with the high quality students that Queen’s produces, and the more favourable their perspective of our students will be.

The University is working hard at forging exchange connections with other schools to establish the very same thing. After all, internationalization is a two-way street and as we open doors to the international community, so must we increase the number of exchange and study abroad opportunities available to domestic students.

High international enrolment exposes us to the world and the world to us: it’s mutually beneficial.

When we draw connections between international student attendance and prestige, are we filling in the gaps with wishful thinking because it promises an easy solution?

But Imagining the Future argues that we can no longer think about reputation in abstract terms. We need to aggressively measure it, hence the repeated calls for metrics.

When we draw connections between international student attendance and prestige, are we filling in the gaps with wishful thinking because it promises an easy solution?

I maintain—and maybe this is what Imagining the Future is getting at about metrics—that we need to focus on how we teach and research and work rather than assume that prestige is just someone else’s perception about us that we can manipulate.

International student attendance is the reward that follows, not the trick to get there.

But we know this already, so why the push to inflate these numbers? There are very strong financial incentives.

Is it a coincidence that the greatest proportion of international students are also graduates?

Graduate international students pay four times the domestic tuition rate and bring external funding to the school in some cases.

But Imagining specifically notes that the school should increase undergraduate international enrolment.

Someone should ask if we should do so because we haven’t been very honest about our attempts to diversify thus far or because we’ve been neglecting another lucrative member of the student body.

e

a

d

• 11

s

... in the JDUC

Photos By Craig Draeger

Should Remembrance Day be a statutory holiday in Ontario?

“Yes.” Dmitri Tchebotarev, ArtSci ’13

“Yeah, I think we should be recognizing the contribution of the veterans.”

Tim Campbell, Sci ’11

“Sure.”

Kyle Florence, Comm ’11

“It should be a statutory holiday across the country.”

Paul Sutcliffe, ArtSci ’10

Daniel Moore is the SGPS vice-president (graduate) and Kieran Slobdin is the AMS academic affiars comissioner

Have an opinion?

Submit a letter to journal_letters@ams.queensu.ca

“Yes.” Vanessa Bruckshwaiger, ArtSci ’11

Have your say.

Write a letter or visit queensjournal.ca to comment.

Opinions

12 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 12, 2010

A history of triumph and setback We will only achieve a truly equitable campus environment when we learn from our past, for good or bad

Wesam Aleyadeh, ArtSci ’13 At Queen’s, we talk. We raise awareness. We let students know how they perpetuate marginalization on their campus.

We “call each other out” to challenge oppressive practices and thoughts. We talk about racism, sexism, homotransphobia, classism, ableism, ageism, colourism and how these are all forms of discrimination against those who deviate from what is commonly thought of as “the norm.”

We talk about the dark moments in our history. We talk about the time we decided to expel black medical students in order to please racist soldiers and hospital patients.

We talk about how we named a university pub, Alfie’s, after a man who was made to live with a bear in the boiler room of what is now Humphrey Hall.

He was publicly mocked and ridiculed by staff, called names such as “black bastard” and hosed down with water in an attempt to “bathe” him. We then ended up selling his clothes and belongings to pay for his funeral costs.

We talk about how we named the room next door to the Principal’s office (which is considered to be an extremely important space) after an adamant anti-Semite, A.E. Collins, a former trustee and alumni association president who actively petitioned the principal at the time to restrict the admittance of Jews to the University.

We talk about the Henry Report, which was written in response to the departure of six indigenous female faculty members

and members of colour, who cited racism as the reason for their departure.

The report concluded that it is not only overt forms of racism—which do occur on campus—that pushed these women out, but more so the culture of exclusion and subtle forms of racism.

We also talk about the shining moments in our history. We talk about how we’ve been pioneers in the past leading the charge towards reform of Canadian universities to a more ‘diverse’ structure.

We talk about how we notably accepted Robert Sutherland, allowing him to become the first Black university student in Canada.

A few years later, he graduated from Queen’s, enhancing our reputation as an iconic university for all members of society.

Friends of Sutherland recalled that he often said Queen’s was one place where “he had always been treated as a gentleman.” His donation was the largest in Queen’s history and helped us battle our way out of poverty.

All we can do is learn from our history. We need to stop arguing about how good or bad we’ve been in the past.

We talk about Alfred Bader, an Austrian Jew of Czech descent, who was rejected by McGill because of their Jewish quota at the time.

He went on to become one of the most successful Queen’s graduates and a prominent donor to our university.

Queen’s, we’ve had our bright moments and our gloomy moments. And we continue to talk about them.

All we can do is learn from our history. We need to stop arguing

about how good or bad we’ve been in the past.

We must accept that we’ve done some right things and we’ve done some wrong things.

We are all one body when dealing with subjects relating to equity. Everyone should be striving towards a safe and nondiscriminatory campus.

It goes without saying that we can’t change them, unless we have our very own DeLorean DMC-12.

So what can we do now? What do we need to do now?

We tokenize these good moments in our history even though they are far outweighed by our past and present oppressive culture. We need to be honest with ourselves if we are to move forward.

We are all one body when dealing with subjects relating to equity. Everyone should be striving towards a safe and nondiscriminatory campus.

Everything that we do goes back to Queen’s and our image, but more importantly, it goes back to our students and those who continue to feel marginalized at Queen’s.

We have many resources on campus, including the Social Issues Commission, the Human Rights Office, Queen’s University International Centre, the Equity Office, various student-run clubs and initiatives that are in place to serve students hungry for knowledge. It is time we start using these resources and get educated.

Many oppressive words and expressions have been normalized in our slang. Many oppressive ideas have been normalized in the way

Photo by Justin Tang

Equity is only possible when we’re honest about our past we live our lives.

When we are told we are not allowed to say something (e.g. “I got raped by an exam”) or do something (e.g. dress in blackface for Halloween), we immediately go on the defensive and feel attacked.

Queen’s, we’ve had our bright moments and our gloomy moments.

And we continue to talk about them.

We blame the “PC” police, without stepping back for a second, and thinking about how our actions create an unsafe space for “different” people.

We do not stop to think about how those actions have historically marginalized communities, and how perpetuating them only makes our university less equitable and tarnishes our image.

We need to realize that we are on the same side, striving for the common goal of representing Queen’s as best we can.

Those of us who are well-versed in these issues need to address them with the assumption of lack of knowledge and those who are unfamiliar with equity-related issues need to keep an open mind, listen and learn.

We are the ones able to make a difference. And I mean a real difference. It should not be restricted to student leaders to influence positive change.

We need to start addressing issues of equity in our everyday life. No more blaming or getting defensive. No more polarizing.

No more attacking. I have faith in you, Queen’s. Don’t disappoint your community.

Wesam Aleyadeh is ASUS Equity Officer.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Rector’s speech on Remembrance Day Dear Editors, While I think it was important for the Remembrance Day Ceremony in Grant Hall this year to have a student voice, I resent Nick Day, the Queen’s University Rector, using his speech as a political soapbox.

Nick started with some family history and then launched into commentary on Pinochet in Chile, and the on-going crisis in Palestine.

He tied it together at the end by saying Canadians need to remember to protect individual freedoms.

While this is an important message, I believe that Remembrance Day is actually about remembering Canadian sacrifice in war and peace.

Canadians have served in both World Wars, the Korean War, and in peacekeeping operations in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Remembrance Day is the one

day each year we can all put aside our political differences and be grateful of those that have gone before us.

Colin Wilkins, Sci ’11

Climate change Re: “The climate crisis is now” (November 8, 2010) Dear editors, Climate change has the potential to be the worst environmental disaster ever faced by mankind. It will exacerbate almost every issue we currently face as a society.

Rising global temperatures will not be felt evenly around the earth. In some areas it will increase the number and length of droughts, potentially causing severe freshwater shortages.

In other parts of the world it will cause massive floods and severe weather changes.

Climate change is an especially

difficult environmental issue, as its effects aren’t very tangible.

You can’t say that one action (for example, driving your car) causes a specific consequence.

Carbon emissions are spread evenly over the entire atmosphere; therefore every person shares the responsibility.

The atmosphere doesn’t understand political boundaries.

While Canada may only make up one or two per cent of the world’s total CO2 emissions, we are one of the highest per capita emitters.

In order to make it an international issue, we need to first deal with it at a national level. The time to act is now.

Cassandra Cummings, ArtSci ’11

Climate alarmism Re: “The climate crisis is now” (November 8, 2010) Dear editors,

Do you want to help millions of human beings or the consciences of a few extremist environmentalists?

In 2004, another group got together in the Danish capital: the Copenhagen Consensus.

A team of eight leading economists—four of whom were Nobel Prize winners—investigated the cost effectiveness of various proposals to help human welfare.

One of the proposals that the group looked at was fighting climate change. It turns out that, even using the extreme estimates provided by the International Panel on Climate Change, fighting climate change is one of the most ineffective ways of helping human welfare around the world.

If climate change alarmists really cared about humanity and humans they would be actively stumping for measures that are proven to help people and help them efficiently.

The Copenhagen Consensus identified, given constant expenditure, the way we could help the greatest number of people the most.

The best policies for helping

people were preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria, investing in micro-nutrients for the poorest of the world and liberalising global trade.

But, then again, for many climate change activists, helping people is not the goal.

A variety of studies has shown that people feel better about themselves by supporting causes like global warming alarmism.

It’s time that people start looking at the facts of the situation and not at emotional pictures of polar bears.

In the words of the head of the Danish government’s ‘Environmental Assessment Institute’, Bjørn Lomborg: ‘Global warming is real—it is man-made and it is an important problem.

But it is not the end of the world’.

Fighting it is not the best way to help humanity either.

Dan Osborne, ArtSci ’12 President, Queen’s Campus Libertarian Association

Arts&Entertainment

Friday, November 12, 2010

queensjournal.ca

• 13

Midsummer in fall

The drama department re-imagines A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a multi-century, mohawked and safety-pinned context

photos by tim fort

The mischevious fairies in the play are distinguished from their Victorian counterparts with a punk aesthetic, highlighting the divide between dreams and reality.

By Caroline Garrod Staff Writer The drama department’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened on Wednesday night, depicting a much darker and more studded cast than William Shakespeare had envisioned.

The play, written circa 1595, is one of Shakespeare’s most enduringly popular plays and under the direction of Greg Wanless, it has been re-imagined in the late 19th century.

Wanless notes in the program that this was done to help bring the portrayed patriarchal society into a more immediate light. This was an apt decision; few societies were more constricting, sexist and patriarchal than Victorian England and the play seemed at home in this setting.

The company performed excellently, with each actor fully inhabiting their characters down to the last detail. Mark Rochford’s Egeus was particularly noteworthy for his excellent construction of the distinct mannerisms that brought the character to life.

Nicole Buscema plays the heartbroken Helena perfectly, huffing and puffing her way around the stage with endearing gusto. There was believable chemistry between Helena and Lauren Jackson’s Hermia and one

could definitely imagine the two as life-long friends.

However, by far the most memorable characters were Paul Bryant’s Nick Bottom and the associated workmen. Bryant was the perfect mix of blustering pomposity and irrepressible enthusiasm and had the audience repeatedly roaring with laughter.

The crew managed to create a believable mystical forest with few props and made good use of the space.

The blocking of this play left something to be desired. For reasons that were obscure to this reviewer, numerous characters (Demetrius, Oberon, Lysander and Hermia, in particular) delivered lines with their backs to the audience. This was a frustrating choice, because the audience couldn’t see their faces, making it difficult to identify with a character that one cannot see emoting.

The set was both simple and evocative, with the forest setting being particularly creative and well done. The crew managed to create a believable mystical forest with few props and made good use of the space with vines hanging down amongst the audience.

A more curious choice was the one that saw the action on

stage projected onto a screen immediately behind. It didn’t provide an alternate viewpoint that might have allowed the audience to see the faces of the actors. Instead, it just showed the exact same thing that was happening on stage which was a distracting and confusing visual. It was used to good effect occasionally, when random images flashed across it to translate a feeling of chaos within the forest, but the bulk of the play left me feeling like I was watching a screening of The Blair Witch Project, not one of Shakespeare’s play.

The Victorian aesthetic that Wanless claimed he wanted to project was disrupted by a number of costuming choices, most notably the costuming of the fairy world. All of the fairy characters were clothed in punk attire: Oberon sported a blue mohawk and a distinctive studded leather jacket with “King of Shadows” emblazoned on the back, while Titania wore dreadlocks, plaid and fishnets.

This was no doubt done to underscore the ways in which the forest was separate from the world outside, but it was done to poor effect. Because it was so separate (not to mention anachronistic) from the previous established aesthetic, it was jarring, and disrupted the cohesion of the performance. It undermined the universe that Wanless and his crew and company worked to create, and distracted

from the overall performance.

Had the play been set in the modern day, this would have been an inspired and interesting point, but it clashed with the stated aesthetic in a way that was largely unnecessary. It left the impression that the crew had been torn between the two visions of the play, and had instead decided to lump them together into one.

The play was well-acted, but ultimately suffered from confusing and conflicting choices in blocking, setting and costuming. It’s definitely

worth seeing, but will likely leave you scratching your head, thinking, as the Bard might say, “it’s all [or partly] Greek to me.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is playing tonight, tomorrow and Nov. 16-20 at 8 p.m. with a matinee Nov. 13 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available at the drama office in the basement of Theological Hall or at the door (cash only), $15 general admission, $10 students/seniors.

Climbing to the mountain top Bedouin Soundclash caught up with the Journal in light of their upcoming gig at Ale

By Catherine Owsik Copy Editor

about the exciting changes to the band and hopes for the future.

Bedouin Soundclash have become somewhat of a perma-celebrity at Queen’s. Yet even after years of dominating the indie music scene they still manage to stay relevant with recent changes to their l ine-up, a bright new album and their very own record label. In light of their upcoming visit, bassist Eon Sinclair spoke to the Journal

You recently started a new label, why did you decide to do this?

“It was something we’ve been talking about for a long time and we came to a juncture in our careers where we had an opportunity to handle certain relationships, certain labels and things like that and we Please see Sharing on page 15

A

&E

14 • queensjournal.ca F riday, November 12, 2010 rts ntertainment

Planes, Trains and Automobiles, minus the trains The latest jocular comedy from director Todd Phillips may not create momentous characters, but it’ll make you laugh

By Parker Mott Staff Writer Movie: Due Date Starring: Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis Director: Todd Phillips Writers: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland and Adam Sztykiel Duration: 100 mins 2 . 5 S T A RS OU T OF 4

Road genres in general seem to have expired beyond their due date.

Wild Hogs had little to add and it seems the last memorable scene in road movies refer to the abrupt conclusion to Hopper’s Easy Rider. But Due Date, a profane and more so sordidly jocular comedy by director Todd Phillips (The Hangover) is worth at least half your time.

It doesn’t provide much in the way of

pay off, surprises or drama—it’s essentially John Hughes’ near comedic masterpiece Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, minus the trains. Downey, Jr. has the facetious, rather pomp demeanor to be Peter, the Steve Martin. Mr. Candy belongs to Zach Galifianakis, the clumsy, callous and naive goofball who Peter grows fond of in the end.

Galifianakis is Ethan Chase, or Ethan Tremblay (his acting alias). If you ask me, Chase sounds better. We could never exactly believe such a heavy-bearded oaf like himself could walk along the stars on Sunset Boulevard. Instead, he actually wants to premier on Two and a Half Men. Peter’s had enough. When he first meets Ethan, they exchange bags accidentally, collide from stomach to muzzle, and one causes the other to be restrained by a rubber bullet.

So the 95-minute road trip commences.

The goal? Peter needs to be home before

supplied

Galifianakis and Downey, Jr. are strong and carve Due Date with sharp timing. his wife (Michelle Monaghan) has their timing. From the masturbating dog named baby. Phillips is brave enough to avoid cheap Sonny to Ethan’s coffee container ashes repetitions of slapstick and lets these two to Peter’s, well, ‘Downeyness,’ Due Date talented actors create characters from banter delivers on the laughs. Jamie Foxx even makes an appearance as a long-time friend and chemistry.

Due Date tries to get you to root for these of Peter’s. They enjoy a nice brew of coffee two vagrants. This is where Phillips’ new film together in a great scene, which, if you halts slightly: co-writers Alan R. Cohen, Alan read a little beforehand, doesn’t end up Freedland and Adam Sztykiel navigate their being ‘coffee.’

The film doesn’t create great, worthy humour under Phillips’ comedic scope.

This director, who also directed Old characters to follow; it’s as if they know the School (one of my worst movies of 2003) twosome of Downey and Galifianakis will and the aforementioned The Hangover is be its selling point. They’re reason enough to adamant on the dirty jokes. There’s too see the movie.

I enjoyed the script for what it’s worth. It much swearing, perfunctory violence and nonsensical scenarios to make likable creates characters and doesn’t lazily induce characters. I mean, the purpose of a road scenarios to tell us nothing different or movie is to hope these characters make important for the sake of this road story. it down the road. Planes, Trains, and There’s maybe a few moments that drag out Automobiles instilled an emotional core and stretch out the run time.

Due Date is a surprise, but it certainly isn’t about characters who appreciate each other because the road, metaphorically, was a pleasant. When Peter punches a bratty kid in path to their unexpected friendship. And it the stomach, he doesn’t exhibit his fatherly also ended on a startling realization about abilities—nor is it that funny. When the film Candy’s character that made our jaws drop climaxes, it’s as if nothing really happens.

The characters arrive at their destination and supplied and our harsh judgments of his harebrained the film never peaks to tell us much more Foxx makes an appearance as Downey, Jr.’s longtime friend in a standout scene. character dwindle.

Due Date forgets the purpose of these than what the laughs have already delivered.

Because of its mean-spiritedness, Due road comedies: as these characters travel down the road, their jokes and foils develop Date doesn’t convince us that Peter and them into something we can accept. Comedy Ethan could become great friends. They are isn’t necessarily produced for solely laughs, two very different people who only earn but understanding is what makes these two our respect because of who plays them. It’s characters funny and more importantly, another movie where Downey transcends the film’s hiccups (hiccup, Iron Man 2, worth our time.

Due Date doesn’t exactly accomplish this. hiccup). Phillips seems to be back on track, But getting past that, it’s a pretty good though he should be looking more in the time. Downey, Jr. and Galifianakis are a direction of John Hughes. terrific duo who carve the screen with sharp

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Arts & EntErtAinmEnt

queeNsjourNal.ca

• 15

Sharing the light Continued from page 13

thought that it may be a good opportunity to try our hand at being a label. The main reason for that is, it’s just one more element of control over your own career and representation that we’d be in charge of … it also gives us an opportunity to maybe shine the light on some other artists that are having some problems getting out of the dark or that, we are looking for a particular kind of cultural style that a lot of other labels maybe aren’t offering, so that gives us a control thing where we get to release music as we want when we want to and then we get to help other artists out that we enjoy.”

How is your new album Light the Horizon different from ones you’ve recorded in the past?

“I mean there’s a lot of things … we used a different producer than we have over … the previous two records …

He brought in fresh sound as a producer/DJ and more technical elements so he made it a sonically really nice sounding album.

I think that the tone of the album is a little bit more mellower, I mean for lack of a better word, darker, than some of our previous efforts which … for a lot of people conjure up images of the sun and summertime and beaches and that kind of stuff. This record I think feels more like an autumn record or something where it’s not really cold and dark but it’s not bright and sunny either.”

much the same way, so it’s a really nice fit.”

When was the last time you were in Kingston?

“We played Kingston… at the Ale House, if I’m not mistaken.

And you know I was up there in August actually with my brother. I drove up there and spent some time on the campus and everything. It’s been a while since I’ve had an opportunity to drive on campus, there’s a lot of changes and it was interesting to see the new student centre and all that kind of stuff.”

What do you think the upcoming concert at Ale will be like?

“I think it’ll be great! I mean we always have great shows in Kingston, I think people will be intrigued and excited by the new line-up that we have. We also have some new production to accompany the songs and I think people will enjoy that as well … It’ll be a great show and a great night filled with music … it’s exciting.”

Do you have a favourite show you’ve played?

“When we first played the Renning Festival in England that was a really great show. It was our first time playing in England, more or less, or headlining in England ... it was packed and everyone was singing the words.”

supplieD

With their new lineup, national tour and new record Light The Horizon, the boys of Bedouin Soundclash, two of which are Queen’s alum, prove they’re only just getting started.

How was it being a part of the Vancouver Olympics?

“The Olympics were great … it was a very busy time but it was an amazing opportunity, we got to play in front of a lot of people and we played a few new songs that we’re working on. It was also Sekou’s first opportunity to play with the band really so it was kind of like a fast introduction to being in Bedouin Soundclash to, you know, the 10,000 people in Richmond … it was cool to be in Vancouver when it was as alive as it was.”

a pretty talented guy that has a lot of, has diverse enough musical interests to compliment our tastes as well.”

What are your hopes for the future?

“To continue to be relevant in whatever it is I decide to do, whether it’s this band or this music, whether it’s teaching, whether it’s running a store on the corner. Just

basically making sure that me and my friends and my family stay relevant. And also that people can work together towards a bit of a greener existence and a less violent existence as well.”

Bedouin Soundclash play The Ale House with Charlie Winston on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20.

If you could describe your career in three words they would be...

“Spiritual … aggressive and any word that means a considerable amount of work. It’s a combination of all of that.”

Dream collaboration?

“My dream collaboration is with Sam Cooke but he’s no longer with us. People that are still around … I mean I think it’d be really cool to work with David Albarn. He’s

How have the recent changes to the band line-up affected the music?

“It’s been great, it’s something new and different … based on the kind of writing that we’re doing and the kind of sound we want to produce as Bedouin Soundclash I think Sekou is a really great extension of that. He also contributed a lot to the writing process on this latest album and I think that you know his style of drumming really comes through clearly and also … he’s a really great guy, we share a lot of the same interests and look at music in

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16 • queensjournal.ca

Literary Extra

Friday, November 12, 2010

Super fans and the books they love

Obsessed book fans favour works that are familiar and affirm their values, prof says

By Jessica Munshaw Contributor It’s midnight, and hundreds of costume-clad children, teenagers and parents are lined up outside a book store, each of them brimming with anticipation. Suddenly, the front doors open and everyone rushes forward.

This is the typical scene that die-hard book fans often face when waiting to purchase the newest work from a favourite series or author. Most of them will spend the next two days locked in their rooms with the book on their lap and bags under their eyes.

The phenomenon of extreme book fandom has occurred to a certain degree throughout history, with such works as Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels and L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series. It is especially prevalent, however, in today’s society. In recent years, series like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight have gained massive followings and spawned films and endless merchandise.

Heather Evans, a professor in the English department who teaches a course on children’s literature, said the internet is largely to thank for the vast popularity of Rowling and Meyers’ famed books.

“There is nothing inherent in the books themselves that would predispose them to becoming phenomena,” she said. “The internet and social media have facilitated advertising and have hastened the speed with which readers may encounter new books or new instalments in book series.

“Each reader who posts a comment about a book or series on a blog or on a Facebook page contributes to the marketing of the book by spreading the word.”

Evans said the type of immense readership we see with works like the Harry Potter books did not typically occur pre-internet, though incredibly popular works still existed.

Evans cited 19th-century sensation fiction like Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s Lady Audley’s Secret and New Woman fiction at the end of the century like Sarah Grand’s novels The Heavenly Twins or The Beth Book as works that were extremely popular relative to the times they were released. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books, Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books and the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books were other examples she gave of series with countless devoted fans.

“We might also include many of Charles Dickens’ novels and short stories which were published serially, thereby heightening readers’ desire for each new instalment,” she said.

Evans said the popularity of a book or series rests on its ability to be accessible to the preferences of a large portion of the population.

“Most people are fairly common in their tastes and fairly average in their reading skills, so the less revolutionary, subversive, challenging, provocative ... a book is, the more likely it will gain a massive following,” she said.

Readers also tend to gravitate towards comfort and familiarity, Evans added.

“Most readers want to read things that resonate with them, that affirm their values and ideas, and that confirm their beliefs about the world, so the more familiar a story or book is, the happier the reader will be,” she said, adding that this is what accounts for the popularity of the Harry Potter series. “Readers appreciate that the books follow recognizable plots, organized around the familiar school calendar, feature a consistent cast of characters, and rely on the same tropes and devices inaugurated in the first of Rowling’s boy wizard books. Reading each instalment becomes ritualistic.”

To fully experience life as an extreme fan, I registered as a member at one of the most popular Harry Potter fan sites, mugglenet.com. Members of this site can “take classes” ranging from care of magical creatures to divination, buy their very own owl, participate in online quidditch matches or even get sorted by the sorting hat. I thoroughly enjoyed the hour I spent perusing the site, despite being offensively sorted into Slytherin house.

So, just how many fans does a series like Harry Potter have?

According to mugglenet, the site has been visited by fans in 183 countries and has 32,535 members.

Over 400 million copies of the Harry Potter books have been sold worldwide, and the series has been translated into 67 languages.

According to Forbes, author J.K. Rowling is the 937th richest person in the world, with approximately one billion dollars to her name, the first author to become a billionaire.

According to Kimberly Sutherland Mills, Children’s and Teen’s services librarian at Kingston Frontenac Public Library, it’s the younger teens aged 11-14 who tend to be the most obsessed.

“They find it most urgent and are excited by it,” she said. “They’re passionate about everything at that age.”

Sutherland Mills said she thinks these book fads may have a positive effect, since they inspire young people to read more.

“The number of books going out for the teen collection has increased every year for the past 10 years,” she said.

Evans said being an obsessed fan can have social implications for pre-teen readers.

“These are the readers who most need to be able to connect with their peers, to demonstrate that they’ve read the ‘in’ book,”

Photo by Christine Blais

Immense fiction readership, such as with series like Harry Potter and Twilight, was not seen before the internet, prof says.

Novel writing in November Each year, thousands of participants worldwide devote the month of November to National Novel Writing Month

By Holly Tousignant Supplements Editor

At a time when most students would do anything to lighten their workload and give themselves a break from writing, Jennifer Croome, ArtSci ’13, has taken a pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

Croome is a participant in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a program that has grown from 21 participants in 1999 to over 165,000 participants last year. Participants aim to write 50,000 words, or roughly See Young on page 21 175 pages, during the month

of November.

According to the NaNoWriMo website, more than 30,000 of the participants in 2009 made it to the 50,000 word mark.

Croome is a four-time participant and this year’s municipal liaison for the Kingston area.

She said she’s always made it to 50,000 words, but it took her awhile to solidify her approach.

“My first year I signed up three days beforehand and I had no idea what to expect and I just did it through sheer determination,” she said. “My second and third years … I knew how I wrote best. I need an outline and a definite plan

to follow.”

Croome said the challenge is difficult but not impossible to juggle with school work.

“You have to have very good time management [skills], but basically I’ve been lucky this year.

So far I haven’t had too many assignments piling up,” she said.

“Last year I had an assignment and I would literally write a hundred words of my story, answer a question, do another hundred words, answer another question.”

The program may see highly ambitious, but Croome said she See NaNoWriMo on page 21

Literary Extra

Friday, November 12, 2010

queensjournal.ca

• 17

So you want to be a writer?

Writer-in-residence Stuart Ross discusses the ins and outs of the writing profession

By Macey Nielissen Contributor With the holiday season just around the corner, students are dreading the “what are you doing to do when you graduate?” question that always seems to come up.

For those who want to pursue a career as a professional writer, questions like these often breed doubt and uncertainty, especially when it comes to the haunting reality of financial instability.

Despite being a rather ambiguous pursuit, the goal of becoming a professional writer remains the plan for many.

Stuart Ross, the current Writerin-Residence at Queen’s, has come to terms with the professional unease that comes along with a passion for writing. He said he considers himself a writer and workshop leader, as well as an editor.

“Aside from sporadic income through arts council grants, my writing became a substantial part of my income only in the past few years,” he said. “But I still teach, and work as an editor, to make a living.”

Ross said that aspiring writers should have a back-up career planned.

“Be prepared to work at other things to make a living throughout your writing career,” he said.

Ross said even Shakespeare couldn’t rely on writing plays alone to keep a roof over his head; he worked as an actor for the Chamberlain’s men, while also leasing out property that he inherited upon his father’s death.

Much of the advice for aspiring writers circles around a get-lucky or try-try-again paradigm. While it has always been difficult to get work published, the advancement in technology has broadened the population of new faces in the writing world.

The emergence of eBooks, blogs, and other forms of social networking challenge the writer to present their work as unique from all the rest.

Nonetheless, Ross said an online presence is becoming an increasingly important tool for writers.

“I’m on Facebook and MySpace and I tweet a bit,” he said. “If writers want to become involved in the promotion of their own books, social media is a pretty important part of the puzzle now … On the other hand, I admire writers who shun Facebook; they probably get an awful lot more writing done!”

Getting an early start seems to be the most promising advice to succeed in a future of writing. Ross said he got his start when he was just 16.

“A press called Books by Kids [later Annick Press] published a book of poetry by me and two of my poet friends,” he said.

Ross said he thinks reading is one of the most valuable ways an aspiring writer can improve their skills.

“Write a lot. Read more than you write. Hire me as a writing coach! Become involved in your local literary community,” he said.

“Queen’s has a great library. Take home armloads of books and read like crazy.”

Photo by Justin Tang

Aspiring writers should be constantly reading and practicing their writing, Ross says.

Students at Queen’s who are interested in writing professionally (or even just as a hobby) can take creative writing credit courses through the English department.

The workshop courses, taught by professional writer Carolyn Smart, help students hone their craft, with some of them culminating with a submission for publication in a magazine.

Admittance to the course is by permission of Smart, based on writing samples.

Ross said there seems to be either a lack of knowledge of on-campus writing resources due to little advertisement, or a lack of interest in seeking guidance.

He said students interested in professional writing need to take advantage of the resources

available to them.

“If your writer-in-residence hosts workshops or readings, go to them,” he said. “I’ve been getting standing-room-only crowds at the readings I’ve been curating and organizing, but I’m shocked at how few creative writing students show up. What the hell are they waiting for?”

‘We must use education to overcome censorship’ From The Great Gatsby to the Bible, many famous books have a long history of being challenged or banned

By Caroline Garrod Contributor The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. To Kill A Mockingbird.

The Lord of The Flies. The Great Gatsby. 1984.

No, it’s not your grade 10 English syllabus, but a list of some of the most frequently banned and challenged books of the last decade. Books are usually challenged or banned for sexual content, offensive language, material offensive to a religious group, inclusion or mention of homosexuality or references to drug use.

A “challenged” book refers to one that someone (often a parent or school-board member) has attempted to remove from a school or public library, reading list or classroom; a “banned” book refers to a book that was actually removed.

In the past, books were often banned by governments (such as Lady Chatterly’s Lover, Brave New World, Ulysses and Call of the Wild), but today irate parents are usually the ones who are spearheading the movement.

The list of frequently challenged and banned books is equal parts sex manuals, classics, religious tracts and fantasy novels. It seems almost absurd to think that a book like What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Girls: A Growing Up Guide for Parents and Daughters would be challenged for discussing sex.

Fantasy books, like the Harry Potter series, are frequently under attack, and are usually accused of promoting the occult or Satanism.

While it’s easy to write-off those who seek to ban books as überconservative helicopter parents, Donna Lynch, the head of the Queen’s Teacher Resource Centre, said she believes otherwise.

“It’s basic fear,” she said, “[Parents] are trying to protect [their children] from an ideology.”

Nonetheless, Lynch said she’s against book banning of any kind and said children shouldn’t be protected from ideas that make them, or their parents, uncomfortable, provided they’re age appropriate.

Lois Lowry’s The Giver, for instance, often comes under fire for its representation of a

she said.

The debate gets more contentious when we turn to hate literature with books like Mein Kampf or Holocaust denial literature.

These works are unquestionably vile, but does that mean that it “To deny history is not is appropriate to censor them? helpful for the future.”

Lynch’s answer is still no.

“Banning them just gives them — Donna Lynch, Queen’s credibility,” she said. “It’s best to Techer Resource Centre Head deal with the issues openly and Lynch said she is not aware honestly … we must use education of any books ever having been to overcome censorship.”

Hate speech is criminalized banned at Queen’s.

Modern readers need to under Canadian law, and Ernst be aware that books like The Zundel’s 1992 attempt to publish Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or his book Did Six Million Really To Kill A Mockingbird depict racism Die? was quashed by the Canadian but it’s not meant to encourage the government on these grounds.

Lynch said children’s books reader to mimic this behavior but politically charged rather understand where it comes about issues, especially with regard to from, Lynch said.

“To deny history is not helpful Palestinian-Israeli relations, are for the future,” Lynch said, adding today far more challenged than that books like these ones are a their fantasy counterparts. Three good starting point for a discussion Wishes, a children’s book about about how times have changed for Israeli and Palestinian young people the better.

by Canadian author Deborah Ellis, “If we deny [these mistakes], was challenged in 2006 by the we will probably make the same Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) mistakes over and over again,” and remains a touchy book to futuristic dystopia that depicts forced euthanasia, eugenics and humans who are slaves to an unfeeling state.

Rather than shield children from such ideas, Lynch said we should address the issues and discuss them.

this day.

Although Lynch has never removed a book from her shelves, she said she’s received complaints about the book, which is part of the acclaimed Silver Birch reading program.

She said banning books is rarely effective, since it usually just increases the book’s popularity. The Catcher in The Rye, a mainstay on many lists of banned books, has long been a symbol of youthful rebellion and certainly hasn’t suffered at all from its inclusion on any challenege books lists.

Banned and challenged books are often classics and often wellwritten, thought-provoking novels that have been successful in provoking fear because of the very ideas that make them worth reading.

As New York Times writer Alfred Whitney Griswold once memorably wrote, “Books won’t stay banned. They won’t burn.

Ideas won’t go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.”

Literary Extra

18 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 12, 2010

SIC publications seek student voices Social Issues Commision publications give marginalized students a platform, commissioner says

By Vince Matak Contributor Writing can help students cope with feelings of marginalization, isolation or discrimination, said AMS Social Issues Commissioner Daniella Dávila.

She said the Social Issues Commission (SIC) has five literary and visual art publications, CultureSHOCK!, HeadsUp!, the Queen’s Feminist Review (QFR), OutWrite and Able, which deal with racism, mental illness, feminism, LGBT issues and disabilities, respectively.

Dávila said these publications are a way for students to cope with issues of discrimination they encounter while at Queen’s.

“It’s essentially the main role of these publications to give the students the right to express everything they have inside when they wouldn’t necessarily be able to do so in the classroom, other publications, or even their circle of friends,” she said, adding that they can also help other students learn about the experiences of their peers.

“If someone were to pick up a copy of CultureSHOCK!, for example, and read the experiences of their peers … the racist environment they may not actually feel becomes much more prevalent.”

She said these publications shouldn’t be viewed as a form

of advocacy on behalf of these marginalized groups, but simply as a mode of expression.

“We have the Committee for Racial and Ethnic Discrimination [and other similar committees] that will do a lot more educational programming about de-stigmatizing these issues, but our publications are more of a form of expression specifically for those who need to cope with being marginalized”, she said.

Each of the five publications are published once a year and released during the winter term.

Submissions are typically due by the end of fall term.

Students can voice their thoughts and experiences from a variety of different perspectives and can submit works of prose, poetry and even artwork.

Riley Grant, editor in chief of the Queen’s Feminist Review, emphasized the importance of creating a different form of dialogue not found in any other Queen’s publication.

“It’s an alternative form of expression a lot of students find more accommodating and more open, sort of like a safe space,” she said.

Sarah Hirji, deputy commissioner of the publications, said she’s planning a re-launch of previously distributed issues in various locations around campus like residences and libraries.

Having been featured in both

HeadsUp! and CultureSHOCK!, Hirji said she knows how frightening it can be when submitting your own work.

“I actually used a pseudonym,” she said. “I wanted to voice my opinions without people knowing it was me, just so that I could gauge their reactions. I never told anybody about my work.”

Hirji said when she submitted to HeadsUp!, she was curious to see if others related to what she was

feeling. With CultureSHOCK!, Hirji said she had the courage to get up at the open-mic event and read her piece.

She said writing helps prevent students from retreating into isolation. After publishing, she realized she hadn’t been the only one to experience these issues, and gained the confidence to pursue her beliefs whole-heartedly on campus.

“Your [beliefs] are not going to get shut down. As opposed to

running around campus screaming your beliefs, this is a way that gives people an outlet without backlash,” she said. “It shows everyone else that you are not the only one, and that you can relate to everyone on what these issues are and how they affect our community.”

To submit or contact the SIC publication editors, please visit www.myams.org/society/ sic/sic-publications

Photos by Justin Tang

Deputy Comissioner of publications Sarah Hirji and Social Issues Commissioner Daniella Dávila encourage students to submit to the various SIC publications.

Literary Extra

Friday, November 12, 2010

queensjournal.ca

• 19

Producing prize winners Literary prizes combine economic and cultural capital, English professor says

By Janina Enrile Contributor Tuesday night, in front of a crowd of industry peers, underdog Johanna Skibsrud took home Canada’s most coveted literary award: The Scotiabank Giller Prize.

With a top prize of $50,000 and $5,000 awarded to each of the runners-up, it’s easy to see why the Giller is so desirable to Canadian authors.

Skibsrud’s victory for her novel The Sentimentalists is being touting by some as the most shocking win in the history of the Giller.

The Sentimentalists is published

by Gaspereau Press, a small press out of Nova Scotia that prints their books using old-fashioned presses.

Gaspereau can only publish 1,000 copies of Skibsrud’s novel each week, and most bookstores have already run out; last year’s winner, Linden MacIntyre, sold 75,000 copies of his novel The Bishop’s Man after taking home the prize.

English professor Chris Bongie had predicted that Annabel author Kathleen Winter, not Skibsrud, would win the prize.

Chris Bongie, also the undergraduate chair in English,

teaches a course about literary prize culture, with a special focus on the Giller.

He said literary prizes combine economic and cultural gain, which can be hard for those who consider writing purely an art form to accept.

“One of the most interesting things about literary prizes is that they are a place where two forms of capital—cultural capital and economic capital—come together, in a kind of way that often makes us uncomfortable, because we tend to think that literature and art have a value that’s completely detached from the realm of the economic,” he said. “But what literary prizes remind us of is that all works of culture—literature, art—are in one way or another entangled in the economic field.”

Bongie said writers who win or are nominated for prizes like the Giller gain cultural capital, which heightens their status in society.

“The most obvious thing really is that [winning a prize] gives the writer is greater recognition and this greater recognition is inseparable from ... what we call cultural capital,” he said. “In other words, they gain recognition and

Awarded authors Skibsrud’s win on Nov. 9 puts her in the company of the Giller’s 17 previous winners 2009 - The Bishop’s Man by Linden MacIntyre 2008 - Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden 2007 - Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay 2006 - Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam 2005 - The Time in Between by David Bergen 2004 - Runaway by Alice Munro 2003 - The In-Between World of Vikram Lall by M.G. Vassanji 2002 - The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke 2001 - Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright 2000 - Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje 2000 - Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards 1999 - A Good House by Bonnie Burnard 1998 - The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro 1997 - Barney’s Version by Mordecai Richler 1996 - Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood 1995 - A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry 1994 - The Book of Secrets by M.G. Vassanji

they gain access to the market.”

Gaspereau co-owners Gary Dunfield and Andrew Steeves have thus far refused the offers of larger publishing houses to print Skibsrud’s novel at a faster pace.

Dunfield told the National Post his company refuses to sacrifice its artistic integrity for sales.

Bongie said literature is often talked about in an idealistic manner, especially in the English department, where books are usually discussed in relation to their artistic value rather than their economic capital.

“We often tend to avoid the material dimension of literature, the economic dimension of literature,” he said. “We tend to talk about the value of a work of literature in idealistic terms without sort of thinking of the way the ideal cultural value is entangled in and possibly generated by economic forces.”

“In a ... conventional English class, you wouldn’t necessarily draw attention to the fact that [a work] has won a prize,” Bongie added. “It wouldn’t be ... essential to any understanding of what’s going on.”

Queen’s has hosted previous Giller winners for the past three years, with 2009 winner MacIntyre stopping by last year, and 2008 winner Joseph Boyden and 2007 winner Elizabeth Hay visiting in the years prior.

Others in the literary field have a lot more invested in the materials dimensions of literature, Bongie said. Publishers love literary prizes because the attention helps generate income to recoup the printing costs and generate profit, he added. The money isn’t all the publishers are concerned about, though.

“If [a publisher has] a prizewinner on their roster of authors, that also gives them ... a certain amount of cultural prestige,” Bongie said, adding that the decision about who is awarded the honour of a literary prize usually comes down to a few judges.

This year’s jury is comprised of writer, broadcaster and journalist Michael Enright, professor and writer Claire Messud and UK author Ali Smith.

“The judging committee is just the tip of the iceberg,” Bongie said, “It’s important to remember that we always talk about the judges and committee but there’s a whole lot of other people involved in the process, along with the prize administrators, you know, the people who are in charge of the Giller, who select the selectors.”

Bongie said many literary prizes are full of controversy.

“In terms of the Booker Prize, which is one of the prizes that sociologists of literature have worked on, they often sort of look at that particular prize critically as a way for the British publishing centre to re-territorialize

Supplied

Author Johanna Skibsrud was Tuesday night’s surprise Giller winner.

Prestige, a book about prize culture and required reading for his course, author James English discusses the concept of prizes as producers of cultural value. “[He says] the minute a work of literature wins a prize, value has been produced,” Bongie said.

“We’re saying that this text is somehow valuable because it has won a prize. But that’s not just what prizes do, that’s in a sense what all of culture does. This is English’s argument.”

“What literary prizes Bongie said cultural value remind us of is that is always being produced. Even choosing which works to put on a all works of culture– syllabus is an example of producing literature, art–are in value, he added. one way or another “We say that this novel has entangled in the literary value, this other novel lacks literary value. On what economic field.” basis do we make those kinds of — Chris Bongie, English professor distinctions? The whole realm of culture is built upon the making of these distinctions between works The Giller has received its that are beautiful and works that fair share of criticism throughout don’t succeed and are not works the years as well. People often of art. Works of literature that are disapprove of the fact that the important and works of literature majority of winners come from that are unimportant,” he said.

Ontario, especially the Toronto “Who makes these decisions? Who area. In contrast, only one of gives value to one text and does not this year’s nominees is a Toronto give value to another text?

“The production of cultural resident, with the rest hailing from Winnipeg, Montreal and value is a social process. The production of beauty is a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Bongie said in The Economy of social process.” works of post-colonial literature because the Booker Prize has often been given to writers who are part of what’s called the British Commonwealth—writers from Africa, the Caribbean, India. Salman Rushdie for instance,” he said.

“You know, [they’ve] written about the problems involved with this prize that is given out in London, the formal Imperial centre, and often given out to people from the formerly colonized world.”

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Send an email to journal_supplements@ams.queensu.ca

Literary Extra

20 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 12, 2010

Kingston’s writing community Kingston author Merilyn Simonds discusses the writing scene in the Limestone City

By Caitlin Choi Contributor “Dynamic. No, I don’t like that.

Compelling ... no, see that’s not quite it …”

Merilyn Simonds, author of nine non-fiction books and finalist for the 1996 Governor General’s Literary Award, mulled over how best to describe Kingston’s literary culture in a single word. Otherwise effortlessly eloquent, Simonds sighed lightheartedly and instead settled for a single phrase.

“Personally, I find it endlessly intriguing,” she said.

Simonds said while Kingston has gained a two dimensional reputation for having nothing but schools and prisons, it actually has a fairly unique demographic, which is precisely what has made it so appealing as a literary setting and home for writers.

“Kingston is not just an upper middle class town, it has a raw side as well. It has a broad mix of economic realities, and I think that’s a more comfortable place for writers to be,” she said. “[Writers] are interested in a broad spectrum. Judith Thompson wrote The Crackwalker here, Kate Stern [wrote Thinking About Margritte].

They are both writing about a very different part of Kingston.”

Thompson’s 1980 play The Crackwalker tells the story of two impoverished couples trying to make it in Kingston, while

Stern’s Thinking About Magritte, written in 1992, takes place in “Limestone”, a town where the prisons, a mental hospital and university are all interchangeable in appearance.

Simonds said she first moved to Kingston to be closer to her job.

She’s since left her job, but has found reason to stay in Kingston.

“It was a complete terra incognita for me and most of the people I know came in a similar way,” she said. “Especially in the last 20 years, Kingston was not as expensive as Toronto but still very cultural.”

Simonds set her 1996 book, The Convict Lover, in Kingston.

The Convict Lover is a national bestseller and Simonds’ most renowned non-fiction novel.

A cache of old letters and dusty memorabilia that she found in the attic of her Kingston home formed the raw material for the book. The letters lace together the correspondence between a convict at Kingston Penitentiary and a young village girl. It’s a story that couldn’t be told without Kingston as a backdrop.

“It shows the kind of true stories that are here,” Simonds said.

Although the realities and dynamics of Kingston have changed over time, it seems that this small Ontario town has always been a unique environment for literary inspiration. Grant Allan, who was born on Wolfe Island and

lived there until he was 13, was a well known science writer and novelist. Grant wrote crime novels and was friends with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Wolfe Island Scene of the Crime Mystery Writing Festival was created in his honor. Canada’s first novel, St. Ursula’s Convent, or The Nun of Canada, written by Julia Catherine Beckwith Hart, was printed and published here in 1824, and The Cook Not Mad, Canada’s first cookbook, was published here in 1931.

Another Kingston writer, the late poet Bronwen Wallace, has an award named in her honor for unpublished authors under the age of 35, funded in part by the Writers Trust of Canada.

Simonds, the chair and artistic director of Kingston WritersFest, said the vibrant literary community might be one of the reasons so many writers are drawn to Kingston.

“You want to be in a place where there’s a community,” she said. “Writers are pretty individual and solitary. They don’t necessarily hang out a lot together, but at least your community is here, people who talk the same language.”

Kingston is host to several annual literary festivals and youth projects designed to promote awareness for local, national and international authors in Kingston.

Annual events like WritersFest in September and The Scene of the Crime Mystery Writing Festival in

Supplied

Kingston’s location and culture make it an ideal community for writers, local author says.

August help to perpetuate a flow of outsider influence. The events also work parallel with local institutions to channel and cultivate emerging young voices.

Even before the festivals got started, Kingston was a literary hub, attracting visitors like Charles Dickens and Mark Twain.

Simonds said Kingston encompasses a best of both worlds scenario geographically. The town lies almost equal distance between Montreal and Toronto—Canada’s

hubs of metropolitan culture—but maintains characteristics similar to smaller towns, which has always appealed to the creative minds of writers.

“You are on the border and you are on the lake, so there is a sense of openness and dynamic nature to Kingston that you don’t necessarily find in other places that are kind of landlocked,” she said.

“There is a real sense of mobility and of change. The landscape is very beautiful.”

Homegrown lit As the temperature continues to fall and the sweaters get thicker, outdoor activities seem like less and less of a good idea, so why not cosy up indoors with a book set in our very own city of Kingston? These books all have very close ties to Kingston, with many of the authors having close ties to the city and using Kingston (or a fictionalized version of it) as their primary setting.

Book and author

Links to Kingston

One Bird’s Choice (2010) by Iain Reid

Iain wrote this memoir about being forced to move back to his parents’ hobby farm in Kingston as he tries to get back on his feet. What seems like a major setback for the educated yet unemployed twenty-something turns out to be quite the learning experience as Iain “finds himself fighting the farm fowl, taking fashion advice from the elderly, fattening up on a gluttonous fare of home-cooked food, and ultimately easing ... into the semi-retired, rural lifestyle.”

The Salterton Trilogy [TempestTost (1951), Leaven Malice (1954), A Mixture of Frailties (1958)] by Robertson Davies

Written by one of Canada’s most popular and well-known authors, The Salterton Trilogy focuses on the various residents of the fictional town of Salteron, ON, which was heavily inspired by Kingston. Readers are shown events through the eyes of a Shakespearean theatrical group and a beautiful girl who is given an unexpected chance to chase her dreams and witness a wedding conspiracy involving feuding families and a town newspaper. Be sure to take this one in nice and slowly, for as Davies writes in A Mixture of Frailties, “art is wine and experience is the brandy we distill from it.”

Written In Stone: A Kingston Reader (1993), edited by Mary Alice Downie

If you prefer shorter pieces, Written in Stone: A Kingston Reader may be for you. Downie, who loved Kingston so much that she packed up her life and family to move here from Pittsburgh, compiled a collection of Kingston’s finest works. The book is a prose and poetry anthology that chronicles many the musings of authors that have lived in or written about Kingston. It is comprised of poems, travel writings, memoirs, drama and fiction by authors like Steven Heighton, Samuel de Champlain, Matt Cohen, Kate Sterns, Tom Marshall, Michael Ondaatje and many more.

Thinking About Magritte (1992) by Kate Sterns

Born in Toronto but raised in Kingston, Kate Sterns’ debut novel was set in the fictional city of Limestone, an obvious reference to Kingston’s nickname, the Limestone City. If you can find a copy of Thinking About Magritte, you’ll be in for some quirky and interesting characters. This surreal book will certainly get you thinking.

The Crackwalker (1980) by Judith Thompson

Judith Thompson worked in Kingston as a social worker and through the real life people she interacted with, she began to develop the main character of the play that would become The Crackwalker. This play is not one for the light of heart. Known as one of the most tragic Canadian plays ever written, the town and characters are so vividly written that the reader can’t help but feel moved by the characters’ experiences.

— Andrew Ha

Literary Extra

Friday, November 12, 2010

queensjournal.ca

• 21

Young teens most obsessive fans, librarian says Continued from page 16

she said. “Difference makes people, especially young people, nervous, so a person who has not read the book that everybody has supposedly read represents a little bit of a threat, a disruption to the order of things.”

This is especially seen with adolescents from the middle to upper classes, as they are able to engage in the more costly aspects of extreme fandom, Evans said.

“They can afford to indulge their obsession by purchasing not only the books themselves, but the accoutrements and paraphernalia that are marketed with them: t-shirts, action figures, etc.”

Evan said she doubts the claims that massively popular series like Harry Potter and Twilight are improving the literacy levels of the young people who read them.

“Anecdotal claims aside, the

books themselves don’t necessarily foster reading skills or inspire reading,” she said. “If they did, we would have seen a tremendous increase in literacy rates among young people during the past decade as Harry Potter novels were flying off shelves, but we haven’t.

In some cases, we have actually seen declines in literacy rates.”

“The number of books going out for the teen collection has increased every year for the past ten years.”

— Kimberly Sutherland Mills, Children’s and Teen’s services librarian at Kingston Frontenac Public Library Allie Roberts, ArtSci ’14, confessed to formerly being an obsessed Twilight fan.

“I really liked Twilight because

it really focused on the connection between two people, developing their relationship,” she said. “No matter what happened, you knew that Edward and Bella would be together.”

Roberts said because she knew the outcome of the books would be positive, they provided her with a comforting fantasy world to escape to.

“Because it’s in a fantasy land, everything does work out, and especially when you’re going through a hard time in high school, it’s nice to have somewhere to remove yourself and read something that will guarantee to bring you happiness.”

Roberts said her obsession with Twilight took place mostly in grades 10 and 11. During that time, she read the series in a continuous loop and watched the first film eight times in seven days when it was first released.

“I read all three books, and then when the fourth book came out, me and my friend lined up at midnight and got the book.”

Roberts admitted the hype surrounding the book may have contributed to her own fandom.

“I loved Harry Potter and Twilight, but there may be other books out there that I’d have loved equally,” she said, adding that she found out about Harry Potter and Twilight due to their vocal fan bases. “Now that I’m older I can use my own judgement and

explore other topics and areas for myself and find that love in books that are less well known.”

Roberts said she’s moved on from the vampire love story series and no longer needs to be a part of a large fan base to engage in a book.

“Because I’m older and I’m passed the stage in my life when I was most insecure, I’ll be able to enjoy other books and not feel like other people need to feel the same way for me to have the same happiness.”

NaNoWriMo has nearly 200,000 participants, Continued from page 16

thinks the strict deadline is an incentive to actually follow through with writing projects.

“Having a deadline helps because I really need that to be motivated,” she said. “Before this I had never really finished a long story before, so that’s a confidence boost.”

NaNoWriMo Community Liaison Nancy Smith told the Journal via email there are currently 197,110 people signed up for this year’s event and they are hoping to reach 200,000. A wide demographic of people participate in the program, she added.

“There are 50,000 kids signed up for our Young Writer’s Program, and the age range for NaNo participants is anywhere from 13-103,” she said, adding that participants hail from 520 regions. “People come from all over the world to participate in NaNoWriMo. We have regions all over the world, from Australia to India to Mexico and all over the United States.”

Smith said she hopes writers gain a sense of accomplishment from their participation in NaNoWriMo. “We hope that participants finish the month knowing that they’ve accomplished something great.

That novel they’ve always wanted to write has been written,” she said.

“We hope this encourages them to think about all the other things they would be able to accomplish. After all, if you’ve written 50,000 words in a month, what else might you be able to do? NaNoWriMo is great for aspiring writers because it gets that first draft in your hand.”

While successful participants do receive a certificate for their efforts, the real draw of the program is personal satisfaction. Croome said they receive a free copy of their manuscript they receive as an additional bonus.

“A company in the States, CreateSpace, offers a free proof

Supplied

Fans of series like Twilight and Harry Potter have been known to spend hours waiting in line for the newest instalment. copy of your book if you finish,” she said. “I did that last year and it turns out pretty cool.”

Croome’s past stories have covered a range of styles, and she tries to pursue a new genre each year, with past works falling under the genres of science fiction, comedy and mainstream fiction.

Photo by Justin Tang

Jennifer Croome, ArtSci ’13, has been participating in National Novel Writing Month for four years, and is this year’s Municipal Liaison for the Kingston region.

“This year I’m attempting literary fiction,” she said. “We’ll see how that turns out.”

Croome said her job as municipal liaison is to organize events and act as the contact person between the approximately 280 Kingston participants and the Californiabased Office of Letters and Light, the non-profit organization that coordinates NaNoWriMo. “I organized the kick-off event and the weekly write-ins and the ‘Thank God It’s Over’ party at the end,” she said.

Croome said the kick-off event, which was held Nov. 1 at the public library, and the first weekly write-in at the Sleepless goat on Nov. 8, showed evidence of the diversity of participants.

“We have quite a big range, anywhere from [age] 17 or 18 up to 63,” she said. “It’s hard to explain but it’s a really amazing feeling to be sitting there with 15 or 16 other people who are all doing the same thing ...You can say to someone at the write in, ‘oh, I hit 20,000 words,’ and they know what that represents.”

Croome said she thinks the program is ultimately a positive way to force prospective writers to test their skills.

“I think it’s a really good way for people who maybe haven’t even written before to try writing, because it’s not about quality, it’s just about doing,” she said. “Even if you don’t hit 50,000 words, even if you only hit 100 words, that’s 100 words more than you had before.

22 • queensjournal.ca

SPORTS

Friday, November 12, 2010

Queen’s 12, Lethbridge 15 (ot); Queen’s 3, Concordia 32; Queen’s 53, Trent 5

Gaels bag fifth place with big win

Women’s rugby finishes historical season with fifth-place finish at the CIS Championship in Peterborough coach also mentioned that we completely outplayed them. We had some opportunities to win The women’s rugby team capped off the game before the overtime their best season in their program’s happened. We came out on a history last weekend with a fifth pretty unlucky end but we certainly place finish at the CIS Women’s put ourselves in a position to win Rugby Championship, held at the game against the three-time Trent University in Peterborough. defending champions.”

The Atlantic University Sport After winning silver in the OUA Championships Queen’s, ranked champions, St. Francis Xavier sixth nationally, advanced to meet X-Women, defeated Concordia for the national championship the elite of the country for the banner with the Guelph Gryphons first time ever. nabbing the bronze medal.

“Anytime you lose a After a mentally and physically demanding game against very physical game Lethbridge, Barz said it was very like that with such an difficult for the team to come emotional tide to it, it is back 24 hours later and take on exhausting.”

Concordia, who had not yet played —Beth Barz, in the tournament.

“Anytime you lose a very women’s rugby head coach physical game like that with such an emotional tide to it, it’s The Gaels wasted no time exhausting,” she said. “While we making an impression as they got on the board first and came out dictated play against the first- in the first 15 or 20 minutes strong, ranked and three time defending we just weren’t able to sustain it.”

A familiar OUA foe seemed champions Lethbridge Pronghorns before falling 15-12 in overtime. to be just the remedy that the After a 32-3 loss to the Concordia Gaels needed as they finished Stingers, Queen’s finished their off the season with a big game season with an emphatic 53-5 win against Trent.

“They were bound and over the host, Trent Excalibur, for determined that they were going fifth place overall.

“We played extraordinarily to put in a good showing against well,” head coach Beth Barz said. Trent,” Barz said. “We had some “Neil Langevin, the [Lethbridge] excellent individual efforts and the

By Anand Srivastava Staff Writer

Journal File Photo

Though they will be losing some key athletes, including Jocelyn Poirier and Karlye Wong, the Gaels hope to carry this year’s success into the coming seasons. second half was a points explosion. [Wadsworth] selected because we did just that. We’ve definitely They weren’t going to be stopped I think she had a really strong moved up in rank and have gained and it was nice to see them finish tournament. She definitely played notice and respect from a lot of off well, particularly for those girls really well this year and she’s people across the country. We’re coming back for a fourth year as really happy with it.” that are graduating this year.”

Heald, the only remaining Scrum-half Susan Heald and well next year, which bodes well captain, and a new wave of leaders outside centre Andrea Wadsworth for the team.”

Queen’s will lose some key will look to push on next year and were named Championship AllStars for their strong play over players to graduation after this continue to exceed expectations.

“We set our goal to get OUA season including captains Jocelyn the weekend. gold and we got silver, but also “Susan often goes unrecognized Poirier and Karlye Wong.

Poirier said she has seen the we wanted to get to [the CIS and flies below the radar because she’s so consistent,” Barz said. “She team grow immensely in her five Championship] so that was huge,” made a couple of other scrum years at Queen’s and was extremely Heald said. “To finally get there and play our hearts out and finish halves in those games look really pleased to end on a high note.

“I think we’re really proud with the way we did, I don’t think foolish by her hard-nosed play defensively and using her skills as what we did,” she said. “We talked anyone is regretting anything at this earlier in the season about sending point. I’m hoping that we can pick well as she could.

“I was thrilled to see a message this year and I think up where we left off.”

University Rowing Championships

Rowers can’t build on OUA finals results The women and men finish fourth and seventh respectively at the Canadian University Championships in Victoria.

By Lauri Kytömaa Assistant Sports Editor

Journal File Photo

The women’s rowing team enjoyed success racing in Ontario.

The Queen’s rowing program closed out their 2010 season at the Canadian University Rowing Championships this weekend in Victoria. The women’s team placed fourth despite taking home the OUA banner just a week earlier in St Catharine’s. The men also fell short of their expectations, finishing seventh.

Although they didn’t come out as champions, the women were content with their performance as they brought home three medals from the competition. The OUA champion lightweight four made up of Catherine Moores, Caylen Heckel, Emily Richardson and Kyle McCasey and coxed by Ashley

Niblett topped the squad with a second-place finish. The women also had a bronze in the lightweight double and lightweight single. The women finished sixth in the open weight pair and fourth in the open weight eight.

Moores, who rowed in all three medaling boats, said the team was aiming higher coming into the event.

“We were definitely hoping to bring home the CU banner,” she said. “I thought we had a good shot at it but that would have been dependent on winning the single, the double and the four for lightweight events. I think we did well but not quite well enough to get enough points for the banner.”

For the men, this regatta was expected to be largely redemptive

after a fourth-place finish at OUAs but results fell short. The team’s only medal came from fifth-year Robert Ballard, who finished in third in the lightweight single. The lightweight four came in fifth and the open eight also finished in fifth.

In an email to the Journal men’s captain, Colin Sutherland, expressed some of the team’s frustrations.

“Expectations going in were to at least make the A final in most of the events, and this wasn’t accomplished,” he said.

The men were unable to qualify for the final in three out of six events. These events were the open single, the lightweight double and the open pair.

Please see Tough on page 26

SPORTS

Friday, november 12, 2010

queensjournal.ca

Queens 20, mCmaster 34

Rugby falls in semis

oua Champions will not defend title, look to defeat brock for bronze By tim mAcKAy staFF Writer The Queen’s men’s rugby team lost their Saturday semifinal matchup with the McMaster Marauders by a score of 34-20 in Hamilton.

The loss officially ended the Gaels’ chances of defending their OUA championship. The first half proved to be evenly matched as Queen’s opened the scoring with a David Worsley drop goal.

Queen’s extended their lead further as winger Dan Moor added a penalty goal, giving the Gaels a six point lead early in the match. Queen’s kept applying plenty of pressure, but the Marauders took advantage of their opportunities, breaking through for three tries before the end of the half.

Queen’s responded as eight man Myles Dingwall picked up a loose ball after a ruck, pushing the score to 19-13 heading into the second half.

Lock Pete Wilson said the team partially executed their game plan.

“Having played Mac before we knew what we wanted to do in terms of strategy and I think we did that in the first half.”

The second half saw the Gaels come as close as two points to McMaster after a try from flanker Shane Baddeley. But, the Marauders responded with a strong all-around effort, adding two tries while keeping Queen’s off the board for the rest of the stanza. The 14-point difference was not truly indicative of the play, as McMaster was simply more opportunistic than the Gaels, making them pay for what seemed like every lapse in defence.

“Despite the loss, I think it was our best effort of the season,” Wilson said. “Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted but we were happy with our effort. I think we showed a lot of class in the way we played.”

He said the game came down to execution and capitalizing on mistakes.

“We went in prepared and with a lot of intensity,” he said.

“They were very good at jumping

on our open play and they counter-attacked very well. The bottom line was that they were more successful at capitalizing on our turnovers.”

While the Gaels will miss out on the OUA crown, they have an opportunity to wrap up third place Sunday against the Brock Badgers. The game will take place in Markham on Fletcher’s Field, followed by the final between Western and McMaster. In the Gaels only meeting with Brock this season Queen’s squeaked out a 16-15 victory as Worsley hit a penalty goal with no time remaining.

“The last time we played it was very close,” said Wilson. “We need to play a full 80 minutes. Brock’s a good disciplined team but if we come out with the same intensity as last week, it will be a good result”. the gaels will face the brock badgers this saturday in markham for the oua bronze medal game.

Queen’s 0, toronto 1 (so); Queen’s 3, yorK 4 (ot)

Struggling in extra time the women’s hockey team earns two points in losses on the road

By Ben deAnS staFF Writer Last weekend, the women’s hockey team traveled to Toronto for a 1-0 shootout loss to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and a 4-3 overtime loss against the York Lions. The Gaels are now in fifth place in the OUA with a 4-3-3 record.

“It wasn’t a horrible weekend,” said goalie Mel Dodd-Moher. “We did score a few goals, so that’s good but it wasn’t the best.”

The Gaels were only able to grab one point over the Varsity Blues on Saturday. With neither side able to score in regulation or overtime, the game was forced into a shootout. With two successful attempts by the Blues players, the Gaels were unable to find the back of the net as both forwards Kelsey Thomson and Morgan McHaffie were stopped by the Toronto goalie.

In the Sunday game against York University, the referee called 11 penalties, leading to three power-play goals for the Lions, including the game winner, scored 1:02 into overtime after a controversial roughing call on Gaels forward Morgan McHaffie.

Dodd-Moher said the Gaels

are experiencing some offensive turbulence. They have been held to one goal or less in five of their 10 games so far this season. “[We need to] keep scoring,” Dodd-Moher said. “Obviously, the biggest part of the game is scoring and I think that we just need to keep doing that, just keep working hard.”

Scoring is crucial for the Gaels right now; they are between the fourth place Windsor Lancers, who have 12 points, and the Blues, who have 10 points. With a strong effort, the Gaels could move ahead of that pack with a few wins.

“The league is probably the most competitive it’s been in a long time, and anyone can beat anyone, so we have to get out and play our hardest against everybody,” Dodd-Moher said.

Coach Matt Holmberg was also unhappy about the weekend. “[I was] not necessarily disappointed in the effort that the girls gave, but disappointed that we didn’t come away with more than two points,” she said, adding that the Gaels’ last three games have all been lost in either overtime or in shootouts.

“[It] has been a bit of a surprise,” Holmberg said. “In overtime, I think we’re playing pretty well…

In a shootout, normally we do that very well. It’s actually something that we practice every week.”

The Gaels are playing better than their record would indicate; seven of their 10 games this season have been decided by only a one-goal difference.

“I would say that I’m disappointed with our record to date, but we do see a lot of good things happening,” Holmberg said. “Our record could easily be something like 7-3 … We’ve given ourselves a chance to win, actually, every game, so I think that the team has learned from that, and I expect that we’re going to see a more determined and more successful team in the next third [of our season].” the gaels will be on the road facing off against the brock badgers on saturday at 7:15 p.m. Queen’s will travel to guelph to play the gryphons at 2 p.m. on sunday.

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICAT ES Financial Planning Global Business Management Human Resources Management International Development International Marketing Marketing Management Public Administration

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• 23

24 • queensjournal.ca

Sports

Friday, November 12, 2010

Queen’s 3, Waterloo 2; Queen’s 3, Laurier 1

Gaels start season strong Men’s volleyball off to 4-0 start after OUA Championship season “We need to work on our serving “If we play the way we are and passing”, he said. “Basics as capable of, they should be well always. Just our systems in general, within our grasp,” she said.

Coaching volleyball for the 36th The men’s volleyball team we need to work on cleaning consecutive year, Willis was fairly continued their perfect season this them up.”

Head coach Brenda Willis positive about her team’s chances weekend, defeating the Waterloo Warriors 3-2 on Friday, and topping showed a caution similar for the rest of the season.

“A lot depends on if we stay the Laurier Golden Hawks 3-1 on to Zeeman’s.

“I would be quite disappointed healthy or not,” she said. “A lot Saturday. The wins improve the if we were not 4-0,” she said. “With depends on what happens in the undefeated Gaels’ record to 4-0.

Captain Joren Zeeman, who the way the schedule has unfolded, second half [of the season]. But if had a stellar weekend with 25 kills, we have been kind of working our all the pieces come together, I think pointed to his team’s readiness as a way up through the standings. We we have a good shot at winning.” started out with RMC, who last main key to their success. season, finished last and then we The Gaels will be at home “I would be quite had Toronto who is usually at the this weekend to face the York dissappointed if we were lower end of the standings. Laurier Lions on Friday at 8 p.m. and Waterloo are not really top Queen’s will then play against not 4-0.” teams either, so we haven’t had a the Ryerson Rams on —Brenda Willis, good contest yet.”

Saturday at 8 p.m. Both men’s volleyball head coach The Gaels met tougher games will be at the ARC. opposition during the preseason, “We were ready from when the where they dropped all but two first whistle blew,” he said. “We had of their nine contests. Despite her team’s disappointing display, the great mental preparation.”

The captain also said that head coach said she felt the Gaels his team’s experience playing learned a great deal from the losses. together last season has been a helpful factor this year. The OUA “I’m pretty happy. championship-winning Gaels But those two sets we underwent little change during dropped on Friday the off-season, only changing one showed us how starting position.

“The experience level we have is vulnerable we are. We a positive this year,” he said. “The started slow, we were core of the team is pretty much the lucky that they started same this year. Most of the guys slow as well.” have been here for at least a year; —Joren Zeeman, going forward, that will definitely outside be a positive.”

Though happy with the “It wasn’t about having a victories, Zeeman was careful not winning record,” she said. “It was to overestimate their significance.

“I’m pretty happy,” said about playing against the best teams Zeeman. “But those two sets we we could and measuring ourselves dropped on Friday showed us how up against them. It would have vulnerable we are. We started slow, been nice to win more games but we were lucky that they started that wasn’t what it was about.”

With the Gaels facing the winless slow as well.”

Zeeman said the Gaels’ York Lions next Friday, Willis was performance in the simple areas confident that her team could come Journal File Photos Despite a difficult preseason in which they went 2-7, the Gaels have enjoyed a strong start. of their game need improvement. up with the victory.

By Paul Bishop Staff Writer

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Sports

Friday, November 12, 2010

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• 25

Riding to a championship in Port Hope After two years of finishing second the Gaels biking team captures the University Cup

By Kate Bascom Sports Editor The cycling team’s fall season came to an end on Oct.17 at the University Cup race at Ganaraska Forest Cenre in Port Hope. After a successful season that saw cyclists place in the top three in each of their races, the Gaels were able to finish the season winning the University Cup tied with the Guelph Gryphons.

Alison Beamish, who finished third overall at Ganaraska, said the team had a fantastic season.

“The team did really well,” she said. “We had somebody place in the overall classification for all four categories which was phenomenal.

We had really strong rookies this year; a couple who have been racing for a long time and a couple people who have never raced before.”

The team’s success this year was because of a different dynamic brought upon by a new rookie class including first-year cyclist Etienne Moreau. Moreau finished in the top three of the season’s first three races and then fourth at Ganaraska in the Mens A division.

Beamish said the environment of the team created a winning attitude that carried over to the races.

“There were a lot of new

people this year which brought a whole new dynamic to the team, [different] from what we’ve ever had before,” she said. “We had so much fun with everyone this year.

Also the team was a lot bigger this year. … Changing the dynamic and making things really fun was a big Photo by Justin Tang Jon Slaughter (L) and James Clarke (R) battle for places against a Guelph Gryphon. part of [doing well].”

The season ended with a tie in the points systems between the Gryphons and the Gaels. Beamish said that both teams had strong seasons and that Guelph was deserving of the title.

“It was a really close season this year between Guelph [and us],” she said. “It was really close throughout the season. Going into the last race of the season we knew that based on our performance that day it would decide the Cup.” The Gaels’ efforts this year were rewarded with a return of the Cup to Kingston.

“It means a lot, last year and the year before the team came in second and before that for five previous years Queen’s won it,” she said. “Queen’s has always been really dominant in the UCup series.

Then the last few years the team has been a little bit smaller with a Photo by Justin Tang lot of turnover ... Winning the Cup Etienne Moreau, one of the top competitors in the Mens A division, races to the finish first at really just put us at an awesome end the Mansfield Outdoors Centre early in the season. of an awesome season.”

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Photo by Justin Tang

Alison Beamish climbs the Mansfield course to finish third.

SPORTS

26 • queensjournal.ca

WALK-A-THON

Friday, november 12, 2010

atHlete oF tHe WeeK

WALK-A-THON For every walk you get on November 18th, Walkhome will donate $1 to QPID.

WALK-A-THON WALK-A-THON Every walk counts.

WALK-A-THON W WA ALK LKL K-A K K--A A WALK-A-THON

aCross 1 radius neighbor 5 Whopper 8 Cruising 12 Litigious sort 13 List-ending abbr.

14 Poker variety 15 spongebob’s pal Patrick, e.g.

17 tortoise’s challenger 18 Cast away 19 Fairy king of folklore 21 addition problems 24 donkey 25 Witticism 28 british prep school 30 glutton 33 Feedbag tidbit 34 absolute 35 “— had it!”

36 monokini lack 37 galley array 38 unwanted e-mail 39 geneticist’s abbr.

41 Cavort 43 different from 46 stares stupidly 50 Jockey’s handful 51 hoagy Carmichael classic 54 Wilder or hackman 55 spot on a domino 56 otherwise 57 Work units 58 still 59 Jet forth doWn 1 Cold War nation (abbr.)

2 troubadour’s instrument 3 tide variety 4 take into custody 5 mainlander’s memento 6 “monty Python” opener

7 8 9 10 11 16 20 22 23 25 26 27 29 31 32 34 38 40 42 43 44 45 47 48 49 52 53

reverberate Fireplace residue the enterprise, for one Continental coin mideast gulf Winter ailment supply of monopoly money transcending (Pref.) ringo — occupation stirrup site Pesky dark-brown bird approximately eventual aves Jewel drench trick-taking card game baseball teams boss (abbr.) incite — -do-well get a glimpse of “— Fiction” being, to brutus mulligan, for one dead heat suitable

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS

Tough racing out west Continued from page 22

Brock Ouellet Men’s Hockey

Gemma Bullard Women’s Basketball

The men’s hockey team couldn’t complete their comeback last Friday against the Ottawa Gee-Gees until Gaels forward Brock Ouellet skated to centre-ice to take his shot in the eighth-round of a shootout. The previous Ottawa shooter missed, so the team could close it out on a goal from Ouellet. Gliding through the choppy, worn-out ice he approached the net, deked and dumped the puck in the back of the Ottawa goal to set off a Gaels celebration at the Memorial Centre.

The next day against Concordia, Ouellet had a goal and two assists to finish off the weekend with four points.

With the loss of some of the team’s top forwards, Ouellet has emerged as a major contributor for the Gaels. He said that his line with Scott Kenway and Jonathon Lawrance is meshing well.

“We know that when our top guys are out we need to elevate our games to the next level,” he said.

“We’ve had some good chemistry so far and we just need to keep it going.”

Ouellet began playing hockey at the age of four, encouraged by his father. He began his ascension up the leagues with Triple A and five years in juniors, starting with his hometown team the Lindsay Muskies. Ouellet moved to the Stouffville Spirit for two years and finally the Cumberland Grads before being recruited to Queen’s.

Outside of athletics Ouellet is in his third year of history here at Queen’s. Though he is unsure of what his career plans are so far, he said it will be hard to get away from hockey.

“Down the road, I’m going to try to actively pursue getting into coaching,” he said. “Being a part of hockey for so long, [I] kind of have that drive to continue with it and contribute to the game.”

The women’s basketball season began last weekend, opening their season against the Laurier Golden Hawks and the Waterloo Warriors at the ARC. Finishing the weekend 1-1, Gaels rookie wing Gemma Bullard said the team needs to push for the full four quarters to get winning results.

“We played okay,” she said. “I think we could have played a lot better then what we did. We had moments where we were really good and moments where we were really awful. Consistency will come hopefully.”

Bullard followed her brother into basketball when she was seven and soon moved onto the Ontario Basketball Association, a league that is comparable to junior hockey with road trips, weekly practises and championship games.

Her busy schedule which consists of school, basketball practises and games has had drawbacks. The chemical-engineering student said she has little time for the social aspects of being a frosh.

“I just miss out on the new university experiences to be honest,” she said. “I go to class, go to basketball, do homework, go to sleep. I don’t even know everyone on my floor yet.”

The Gaels are coming out of a losing preseason which saw them play tournaments in Newfoundland and Quebec. Coming home to the ARC proved much better for the Gaels who went 2-1 in the Tindall Tournament. Bullard, in her second regular season game with the Gaels, scored 21 points against the Warriors in her 17 minutes of play time.

Bullard said she’s still adapting to her busy schedule as the basketball season gears up.

“It’s really different than what I’m used to,” she said. “With the time that you put in, a lot of learning new concepts, it’s pretty —Lauri Kytömaa hard to stay focused after a full day of school and then going to practise and learning more stuff. It’s pretty exhausting on your body and mind.

[But] I like the challenge.”

“On the lightweight side, the [lightweight four] expected to be able to improve on the result from OUAs but they were only able to match the fifth place result,” Sutherland said. “The men’s team was a little disappointed with the results. We were definitely expecting to do better in a couple events and that didn’t happen.”

One of the biggest challenges for both the men and the women was racing against the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia. There is an unfamiliar element going into the championships as Ontario teams haven’t raced against west coast opponents. The University of Victoria ended up winning both the men’s and women’s events while UBC placed third in each.

Sutherland said a lack of experience in facing the west coast teams shouldn’t play into the results.

“You approach races in the same way as any other in order to win you are going to have to race one of the hardest races of the season,” he said.

“UVic and UBC are perennially fast schools, so we know they will be tough to beat.”

Sutherland said the losses for both teams could be a byproduct of Queens’ prioritization of the OUAs. “OUAs are definitely a bigger focus for us than the CURC,” he said. “The main reason is because OUAs is what the University looks at when determining the success of our season.”

In addition, women’s heavyweight coach Zola Mehlomakulu said the finish of the Queen’s season isn’t reflective of their performance throughout.

The Queen’s coaches make their training program in such a way that the athletes peak for OUAs. Racing CURCs a week later can often be exhausting and difficult especially after a long flight. The west coast teams have the advantage of not racing their own version of the OUAs and can focus on CURCs exclusively.

“I think in an ideal world you’d have an OUA type regatta out west and OUAs moved forward a couple of weeks, but the season is so short.

It’s a very complex situation,” Mehlomakulu said.

—Kate Bascom

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Sports

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Postscript

Friday, November 12, 2010

Exploring ethereal authorship

Ghostwriters are the uncredited writers behind over 70 per cent of non-fiction writing today; what goes on when they touch their invisible pens to paper?

By Kelly Loeper Postscript Editor

stories,” he said, adding that his favourite stories he’s written so far have been about a struggle to From Barack Obama to Lauren survive and how, despite all odds, Conrad, it seems as though every they never gave up. celebrity is coming out with a book As a ghostwriter, he said he also these days. has the luxury of working from So what’s with the trend—how home and he doesn’t have to worry do all these stories come out so about certain aspects of a published eloquently and efficiently? Don’t author’s job. be fooled; they’ve probably had “When the ‘author’ is off book more help than you may think (or, signing and worrying about sales, well, maybe you’ve guessed).

I’m enjoying a cup of coffee with Ghostwriters make a career out my next client—it couldn’t get of writing, or providing a heavy better than that.” helping hand, without having their According to Collins, names credited. And these invisible ghostwriting has been around since writers are a lot more present than the beginning of the written word. you might realize.

However, many authors Michael Collins, who lives in have also historically been Australia, owns the ghostwriting known to write their own work service your-ghostwriter.com. He under pseudonyms. told the Journal via email that “Many Canadian writers over 70 per cent of nonfiction is have been using pseudonyms for now ghostwritten. a long time,” said Robert May, “Ghostwriting today assistant professor (adjunct) in the is definitely on the increase,” department of english.

Collins said. “People don’t have May said a famous example of time to write properly anymore, pseudonym writing is the McGill and yet the need for good material Fortnightly Review, which grew has been exacerbated by our out of the McGill Daily literary dependence on online text.” supplement, and was published at He said in his eight years of McGill University from 1925-27. ghostwriting he’s realized that “There were only three or four almost anything—celebrity people involved in the McGill autobiographies, guru books, Fortnightly Review,” he said, self-help books and memoirs adding that the most important including—can be ghostwritten. people involved included Canadian “I gravitated to it from poets A.J.M. Smith and F.R. Scott. copywriting and writing my own “Smith and Scott had an axe to novels, when I discovered that grind with the administration of writing for other people and McGill and larger political issues making their dreams come true outside the University.” was more satisfying than plinking May said writing under a away in seclusion,” he said. pseudonym allowed them to freely In terms of actually getting comment on these issues without work, Collins said he usually meets facing any possible repercussions. with potential clients face-to-face, “It also ... made the student through the phone or even through body think there were more people Skype so that he can properly involved in the McGill Fortnightly discuss with them what they’re Review than just a handful of looking for to tell their story. interested poets,” he said, adding In determining how much a that Smith and Scott had around ghostwriter gets paid, he said it four to five pseudonyms each. depends on things like the length of There are other benefits to the book, the amount of research, pseudonyms, though, May said. number of interviews required and “A literary fiction writer who travel time. wants to put out a science fiction Although ghostwriters often book or some other genre of don’t have their name publicly writing may not want that book shown on the book, they’re to be associated with their serious still under a lot of pressure, stuff,” he said, in which case writing Collins said. under a different name would “Under normal circumstances be advantageous. it takes nine months for the May said Margaret Atwood average book to be written. I is another well-known author produce a final draft in just over who didn’t always publish under three months,” he said. “During her own name and had multiple that period I may be coaching pseudonyms for different types and mentoring writers who want of work. to do it themselves, negotiating According to the book Margaret new contracts, and helping clients Atwood: A Critical Companion through self-publishing their work. by Nathalie Cooke, some of “And, because we can’t talk these pseudonyms included: M.E. about the books we’ve written, Atwood when she was starting out most of our referrals are and writing more serious texts; word-of-mouth.”

Charlatan Botchner when she Despite the stress of the job, it’s illustrated her book Up in the Tree; still very rewarding, he said. and Bart Gerrard when she was a “I meet amazing people and cartoonist for This Magazine. hear the most extraordinary “She wanted to put something

photo by christine blais

Ghostwriting has been around since the beginning of the written word; many Canadian writers throughout history have also used pseudonyms during their careers. out there that people wouldn’t use is someone creating a quilt. sales and sometimes a percentage expect of her,” May said.

“My job is to decide which of royalties.

Larry Scanlan, a published squares go where ... so that the Sometimes, he said, this can author in Kingston as well as a whole quilt is pleasing to the eye.” work out well, like when the ghostwriter, has been writing It’s also very important for the book he ghostwrote for Monty for 20 years. ghostwriter and author to have the Roberts became a New York He said his writing career right chemistry, he said.

Times bestseller. developed from his previous “No one anticipated it was going “It can be an exhaustive journalism experience. process,” he said, adding that this to happen,” he said. “Because the “I worked for the Whig process may even involve looking at share was so huge, it was quite a Standard back in the 80s,” he said, old family albums, letters or talking windfall for me ... the odd time you adding that he wrote a feature on to important people in the person’s hit a home run.”

Canadian show jumper Ian Miller. life in order to fully understand Overall, being a ghostwriter “At some point, I was how to write their story. is still a rewarding aspect of his approached by a publisher,” Although ghostwriting is a writing career, he said. he said.

“It is very interesting to be steadier career, Scanlan said ideally The publisher wanted to do he’d just be writing his own work. entering these ... worlds. I believe I a book about Ian Miller and He said ghostwriters negotiate have a talent for this kind of work.” remembered the piece Scanlan had their payment on each contract, written in the Whig. usually getting 50 per cent of book Scanlan said he ghostwrote the book for Miller, but this is just one way of doing things.

“There’s a fine line between ghostwriting and being a co-author.”

• It Takes a Village by Hillary Clinton (and Barbara Feinman): For instance, a book Clinton’s bestselling non-fiction book had help from a ghostwriter. that is ghostwritten only names the ghostwriter in the • Goosebumps by R.L. Stine (and various others): After the first few acknowledgements; a book that books were released in the series, to great success, Stine wrote the contains phrases such as “as told outlines for the rest of the books and gave them to other writers to” or “with” in the by-line is to complete. considered to be co-authored.

The difference, he said, depends • Socratic Dialogues by Socrates (and Plato): Socrates’ student, on how much of the text was Plato, was the main writer of this famous text. written by the ghostwriter.

“If a lot of the ghost’s own • Anne Frank’s Diary by Anne Frank (and Otto Frank): Although writing has appeared, then the diary was written by Anne, her father Otto organized her writings it’s co-authored,” he said, so that they were more succinct before publishers got a hold of though there is no core rule on the work. deciding—this can be decided in a fairly subjective way.

• Star Wars franchise by George Lucas (and various others): After “It’s always the same process,” the first Star Wars film (A New Hope), Lucas employed a variety of he said. “[It involves] me sitting writers to write the remaining screenplays and novels in the series. down with somebody and getting them to make sense of —Source: hubpages.com their lives.”

Scanlan said a good analogy to

Five well-known

ghostwritten texts