The Carillon Volume 55, Issue 16

the carillon The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper since 1962

Jan. 10 - 23, 2013 | Volume 55, Issue 16 | carillonregina.com

cover

The Indigenous peoples of Canada are demanding that the Canadian government listens to their voices. What began as a movement in November 2012 is gaining momentum, calling on everyone to support Indigenous rights to land, water, and life.

In other news, this week The Carillon is going to the Canadian University Press Nash75 conference, to do journalism-y things and be more awesome. Like we need it.

news

arts & culture

Let her shine.

7 In an effort to change the media’s perception, Noor Tagouri has set a goal to be the first Muslim hijab-wearing woman television anchor in America.

Tagouri talked to the Carillon about her dream.

How’s my Hairdu?

8 Being an artist in Saskatchewan can mean you'll never have your work cut out for you. If you want anything done, you'll have to do it yourself. With this in mind, Saskatoon musician Jason Hattie has started his own record label, Hairdu Records.

sports

op-ed

Unlocked.

15 Hockey is back everyone.

Some annoying people are probably whining about how it never left, but true fans know the good kind has been gone for 113 days. Even though I have the NHL again, my New Year’s resolution is still to get Gary Bettman fired.

Racist no more.

17 Aside from bringing out the best in people - solidarity, dedication, drive - Idle No More has also brought out the worst: biased media, comment trolls, and blatant racism. A lot of misunderstanding surrounds the movement, and it’s time to understand.

the staff editor-in-chief

dietrich neu carilloneic@gmail.com business manager shaadie musleh business@carillonregina.com production manager julia dima production@carillonregina.com copy editor michelle jones copyeditor@carillonregina.com news editor taouba khelifa carillonnewseditor@gmail.com a&c editor paul bogdan aandc@carillonregina.com sports editor autumn mcdowell sports@carillonregina.com op-ed editor edward dodd op-ed@carillonregina.com visual editor arthur ward graphics@carillonregina.com ad manager neil adams advertising@carillonregina.com technical coordinator jonathan hamelin technical@carillonregina.com news writer a&c writer sports writer photographers olivia mason tenielle bogdan

kristen mcewen sophie long kyle leitch braden dupuis

marc messett emily wright

contributors this week robyn tocker iryn tushabe rikkeal bohmann colton hordichuk paige kreutzwieser kris klein ethan stein britton gray

the paper THE CARILLON BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dietrich Neu, Kent Peterson, Edward Dodd, Ed Kapp, Tim Jones, Madeline Kotzer, Anna Weber 227 Riddell Centre University of Regina - 3737 Wascana Parkway Regina, SK, Canada, S4S 0A2 www.carillonregina.com Ph: (306) 586-8867 Fax: (306) 586-7422 Printed by Transcontinental Publishing Inc., Saskatoon

The Carillon welcomes contributions to its pages.

Correspondence can be mailed, e-mailed, or dropped off in person. Please include your name, address and telephone number on all letters to the editor. Only the author’s name, title/position (if applicable) and city will be published.

Names may be withheld upon request at the discretion of the Carillon. Letters should be no more then 350 words and may be edited for space, clarity, accuracy and vulgarity.

The Carillon is a wholly autonomous organization with no affiliation with the University of Regina Students’ Union.

Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are expressly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Carillon Newspaper Inc. Opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in the Carillon are those of the advertisers and not necessarily of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. or its staff.

The Carillon is published no less than 11 times each semester during the fall and winter semesters and periodically throughout the summer. The Carillon is published by The Carillon Newspaper Inc., a non–profit corporation.

the manifesto

In keeping with our reckless, devil-may-care image, our office has absolutely no concrete information on the Carillon’s formative years readily available. What follows is the story that’s been passed down from editor to editor for over forty years.

In the late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds.

One of these proposed buildings was a bell tower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a bell tower.

The University never got a bell tower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

photos news Robin Schlaht a&c Matt Duguid sports Emily Wright

op-ed rabble.ca cover Robin Schlaht

news

News Editor: Taouba Khelifa carillonnewseditor@gmail.com the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

Idle No More growing stronger still The protest movement demands actions, not lip service

Robin Schlaht

The Idle No More peaceful Slow Down Barricade on Highway 1 on Jan. 5

iryn tushabe contributor Attawapiskat Chief Teresa Spence will continue her fast from solid food if her and other First Nations leaders’ Jan. 11 meeting with Prime Minister Steven Harper does not yield concrete results.

Shawna Oochoo, organizer for Treaty Four Grassroots Movement, commends the chief on her bold decision because “for us, Harper’s word is no longer what we want. We want actions,” she said.

Treaty Four Grassroots Movement is a local group that organizes and hosts peaceful Idle No More demonstrations, campaigns, and protests within the Treaty Four area.

The team comprises of nine members and strives to reach and educate Treaty Four area communities about the need to “stand for Indigenous Treaties for as long as the sun shines, the waters flow, and the grass grows,” said team member Claudette Alexson.

According to Oochoo, since Idle No More is a grassroots movement, Harper needs to address both the people and their leaders at the same time, instead of meeting just the leaders in private.

“Our leaders knew about this a long time ago and nobody informed us and we found out when it was already too late, “ she explained.

While she appreciates Aboriginal leaders’ support for Idle No More and all its endeavors, Oochoo is markedly disappointed with their continual lack of initiative to voice the needs of the people they represent.

“They are in those leadership

positions to represent the needs of the people, and if the people are saying ‘no this is not what we want’ then I’m sorry you need to switch gears and uphold the needs of the people,” she said.

Idle No More was started by four Saskatchewan women including Nina Wilson, Sheelah Mclean, Sylvia McAdam and Jessica Gordon in November 2012, in response to the Omnibus Bill C-45 proposed and passed by the Harper government.

Environmental activists have said the bill weakens environmental protection laws and Idle No More protesters want the bill repealed. But the passing of the bill is not the only reason why many First Nations people are enraged.

“It was passed secretly without consulting us,” explained Oochoo.

Alexson added that,“we thought that our treaties would always be a part of our heritage as Aboriginal people, so when we heard that bill C-45 was passed without our knowledge that’s when we opened our eyes.”

Oochoo and her team believe that every Canadian needs to take a stand against what she calls reckless environmental destruction by the Harper government.

“We are seeing the effects of mining and industrial pollution across the land and vegetation is all ruined,” Oochoo said. “There’s no trees, animals are dying, and

this affects us all and our children and grandchildren to come, regardless of whether you are Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal.”

For Oochoo, since so much of Aboriginal livelihood is tied up with the land, destroying the land consequently destroys the lives of the Indigenous population. As well, she added, the treaties which were signed by the Indigenous forefathers very many years ago, it is the duty of First Nations People to protect the land.

According to the Treaty Four Grassroots Movement, there is growing concern that the government might be planning to do more harm to Aboriginal peoples by taking away parts of their reserve land.

“That’s where our kukums, our mushums, and our children live. That’s where our sacred burial grounds are, and they want to take those away from us too and turn them into municipalities,” said Alexson.

One of the team’s main goals is to teach Aboriginal people within Treaty Four communities about the importance of voting.

Pamela Horsefall, another team member and first year Social Work student at the University of Regina, believes that one of the main reasons why Aboriginal people don’t usually go out and vote is because of the backwardness of the reserves where they

reside. “There’s no internet, and therefore no social media out there so people don’t know about Facebook or Twitter. There’s no cable either, so people don’t vote because they don’t know how to vote,” she said.

The team plans to quell this political ignorance that prevails on reserves by holding political teach-ins about what different parties have to offer.

“We are being approached by not only Aboriginal leadership, but we also have the NDP party, the Sask. Party, and Liberals all approaching us to educate us about voting so that we can take it out to the communities and educate them as well,” said Oochoo.

“The vote in 2015 really matters and First Nations people should be prepared to vote because really, it might be us who could tip the scale,” Alexson added.

Alexson compares her reserve, Kahkewistahaw, to a third world country.

“We have extremely poor housing conditions and no clean drinking water. You run a tap and you can’t drink that water – we have to boil our water,” she said.

She added that most reserves still fetch water from wells.

“There are trucks which fill up with water from the wells and come and distribute to houses, and that happens only once or twice a week. If you run out of

“ That’s where our kukums, our mushums, and our children live. That’s where our sacred burial grounds are, and they want to take those away from us too and turn them into municipalities.”

Claudette Alexson

water you are stuck because you have to wait for the water trucks,” explained Alexson.

The women believe that if they had someone in parliament or in the House of Commons who represented the needs of Aboriginal people, the living conditions on the reserves would not be as dire.

The Treaty Four Grassroots Movement continues to work hard in support of Idle No More and implores everybody to “get active and get involved.”

“This isn’t just about protest or demonstration – it’s about uniting as a country and as one nation, and to understand how these bills affect us all,” said Oochoo.

Treaty Four Grassroots movement is excited about the global support that Idle No More has garnered.

“People from all walks of life are sharing their wonderful pictures in support of the movement through social media, so it seems like a lot of people are pissed off and wanting to support us,” said Horsefall.

Future Idle No More events planned by the Treaty Four Grassroots Movement include a weekly fundraiser at Lulu’s Night Club and Lounge on Victoria Avenue. The fundraisers will run every Wednesday in January and are put on by the Saskatchewan First Nations Potash Issues Panel to raise funds for the movement’s activities, like providing transportation to and from protests.

There will also be a reconciliation walk on Jan. 16 to reinforce that Idle No More is still alive and going strong.

4

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

news

A year in review taouba khelifa news editor

A local, national, and international look at the year that passed

URSU Drama

The University of Regina’s Student Union had a year of lows. With the surprise resignation of past president Haanim Nur in June, URSU was left president-less until September’s by-election saw Nathan Sgrazzutti voted in as the Union’s new president. Later that month, allegations erupted citing Nur’s resignation as part of an embezzlement scandal between URSU and CFS Saskatchewan. If things couldn’t get any worse, URSU ended its 2012 fiscal year with $202,484 in the red as their financial audit showed a deficit in the Owl’s revenue, and deficiencies in information services. Needless to say, 2012 has left students angry, betrayed, and without many answers or much accountability.

The Carillon

A Strategic Plan?

The fall 2012 semester kicked off with students, faculty, and staff concerned about the possible changes that the U of R may be going through over the next few years. With a decrease in government funding to postsecondary education, the U of R has been facing major financial and resource constraints, leading to institutional budget cuts and increasing student tuition. Students and faculty fear that as the University’s administration continues to move towards a more corporatized post-secondary education model, the heart and soul of true university learning will be lost for the sake of wealth and money.

uregina.ca

Voting for Mayor

Michael Fougere was elected as Regina’s 34th Mayor on Oct. 24, replacing Pat Fiacco’s 12-year Mayoral rule over the city. Nine candidates ran for the position of Mayor in the election, with Fougere winning 42.2 per cent of the votes. Throughout the election campaign, Regina’s multi-million dollar stadium project was a major issue of debate and discussion, with Fougere being the sole candidate in support of funding the agreement. In the midst of a housing crisis and soaring homelessness and poverty rates, many people question whether a new stadium is really worth the money, when other issues seem more pressing.

fougereformayor.com

Let them Stay

cbc.ca

Pipelines

The Northern Gateway Pipelines project was proposed in mid-2000’s by Canadian crude oil company Enbridge, with hopes of building twin pipelines from Alberta’s oil sands to Canada’s West Coast. Nearly 13 years later, and the Gateway Pipelines project is still fighting its way through the courts, and strong opposition from many First Nations groups, environmental organizations, the Liberal BC government, and the federal NDP opposition. Many critics of the Gateway project say that with so much opposition, Enbridge’s project is but a “pipe dream.”

Stratosphere Jump

Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Amadi, two U of R students, are still facing deportation to Nigeria for violating the terms of their study visas. Last summer, the two women say they mistakenly worked off campus for two weeks, not knowing that their visas did not legally allow for this. Upon finding this out, they quit their jobs.

However, when the Canadian Border Services Agency was made aware of the situation, a nation wide deportation order was made, forcing Ordu and Amadi to take sanctuary in a Regina church. The two have been in sanctuary since June, with the federal government showing no remorse or leniency for their case. Ordu and Amadi’s story has gained momentum in Regina and across the country, with local student groups and community organizations rallying the government to let the girls stay and complete their education. Both students are in their third year of studies.

Palestine

In what has been a historic moment for the United Nations, and the state of Palestine, November saw the UN vote to recognize Palestine as a non-member observer state, issuing what Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has coined “the birth certificate” for the country’s international recognition. Of all UN members, 138 voted in favour of recognizing Palestine, while 9 voted against. Among those who voted against the bid were Canada, the United States, and Israel.

Austrian Skydiver Felix Baumgartner broke several world records in October when he jumped from a balloon hovering 24 miles above the Earth’s surface. Baumgartner reached speeds above 700 miles per hour, breaking the speed of sound as he pierced through the Earth’s atmosphere.

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

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5

Students United

The seven-month-long student strike in Quebec saw triumph and victory this year, and became one of biggest student movements in North America in the past decades. Fighting for better and affordable education, the Quebec students were able to pressure the province’s government to implement a tuition freeze, and repeal the controversial Bill 78, which had initially criminalized the students from protesting. Despite its victory, the students in Quebec say there is more work to be done, and this year they hope to advocate for free education for all.

Return to Canada

Having spent his entire youth life detained in Guantanamo Bay, Omar Khadr was finally repatriated to Canada on Sept. 29, to serve the remainder of his sentence. Captured at the age of 15 during a firefight between a village group in Afghanistan and US military officials, Khadr was convicted of war crimes and became one of the youngest Guantanamo Bay detainees. Khadr’s case made headlines in Canada when the federal government refused to seek extradition or repatriation for Khadr, who is a Canadian citizen, despite urgings and pleas from Amnesty International, UNICEF, and other prominent human rights organizations.

Newsmaker of the Year

In the annual vote for Canada’s 2012 Newsmaker of the Year, the Canadian Press was greeted with outrage after announcing that the title goes to Luka Rocco Magnotta - a man accused of killing and dismembering the body of international student Jun Lin, and mailing various parts of the body to political offices in Ottawa, and elementary schools in BC. After a global manhunt, Magnotta was arrested in Berlin and his trial begins later in the year. Magnotta received 22 per cent of the votes, earning him the title, and finishing ahead of Vancouver-area teen Amanda Todd, and her international story of online bullying and suicide.

RPIRG

Food Sovereignty

2012 has been a year of many firsts for student organized food security projects. Spring kicked off the first ever Green Patch, a student run-garden behind the library. Producing a variety of vegetables and herbs, the Green Patch beautified the campus, and provided students with a chance to reconnect their relationship with food and the land. The Green Patch also provided workshops and educational sessions for students and community members about food consumption, waste and composting, and tips on how to start a garden at home.

Two-thirds of the food grown in the garden was donated to Carmicheal Outreach.

KONY Fail

What Jason Russell, founder of the non-profit Invisible Children, wanted was to start an international movement to help capture African militia leader and indicted war criminal Joseph Kony. What transpired was a heated controversy about the movement’s legitimacy and morality, resulting in Russell’s public mental meltdown, and a failed campaign. Regardless of KONY 2012’s failure to achieve its goal of capturing Kony, the campaign held international attention, and included the youth in discussions around war crimes, militia groups, and international justice. vancitybuzz.com

Innocence Lost

Nearly two weeks before Christmas, mothers, fathers, and siblings in Sandy Hook, Connecticut experienced a tragedy that forever changed their town. Twenty-year-old Adam Lanza entered Sandy Hook Elementary School with a gun on Dec. 14, killing 20 children and 6 adults, before killing himself. The school shooting was the second deadliest school shooting in American history, and the tragedy has opened up debate about gun control policies in the country. In 2012 alone, there were 5 other school shootings in the USA.

The Arab Spring

Going into its third year, the Arab Spring is still strong, as the international community continues to witness the power of people overthrowing their governments, and fighting for their freedom. 2012 has seen the continuous massacre of the Syrian people by dictator Bashar al-Assad, some hope in Egypt as it went into its first ever democratically held elections, and the highs and lows of a region where the people have lost their fear, and are standing up for their values and beliefs.

Hurricane Sandy and Typhoon Bopha were two natural disasters the devastated the world, leaving behind destruction and death. Hurricane Sandy swept through 7 different countries near the Caribbean and northeastern America in October, killing more than 250 people, and leaving behind $65.6 billion in damage, the second costliest after Hurricane Katrina. In December, Typhoon Bopha swept through southern Philippines with winds of 260 km/hr. Bopha destroyed villages, wiped out homes and farms, and left more than 600 dead.

We are Still Here

December ended with much worldwide panic as many prepared to call 2012 their last year on earth.

As the Mayan Long Count calendar only records up to Dec. 21, apocalypse theories were shared, explored, and discussed throughout the year, with rumors that the end of the world will bring with it explosions, zombies, and war. Come Dec. 22, and people worldwide woke up to their regular routines, with the earth still in tact.

thenewstribe.com

Women’s Education

Fifteen-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai has become an image of hope and inspiration this year to women worldwide. A women’s right activist, Yousafzai promoted education for girls in her town of Swat Valley, a place where the Taliban had banned women from going to school. Fighting against this ban, Yousafzai encouraged girls to go to school, and shared her life story with the world through an online blog she wrote for BBC. On Oct. 9 as she made her way home from school, Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck in an attempted assassination by the Taliban. She is currently being treated in the UK, and her story has reached a worldwide audience, inspiring many girls to dream big.

Natural Disasters

survivial-training.wonderhowto.com

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the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

news

Winter woes cause hardships Regina’s homeless community have few options rikkeal bohmann contributor Poverty is still a prevalent problem today in Saskatchewan, especially in Regina. According to Poverty Free Saskatchewan (PFS) – a network of individuals, businesses, organizations, and governments working towards ending poverty – in 2006 Saskatchewan’s overall poverty rate was 15.3 per cent, which affected 140,000 people. Saskatchewan has the third highest poverty rate in Canada, the national average being 14.5 per cent. In 2007, 16.7 per cent of all children under the age of 18 in Saskatchewan were living under the poverty line.

PFS states economic inequality is associated with many social and health problems, and these have links to crime and teenage pregnancy.

In 2012, Regina, for the second year in a row, had the lowest vacancy rate in Canada at 0.6 per cent according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This rough market has contributed to the increasing poverty problem, causing rental prices to increase by about $50 this year alone.

Carmichael Outreach is an organization in Regina that offers support to the community through various programs. Of the programs that Carmichael offers,

mayorofvancouver.ca

Living on the streets is not an easy life, and winter makes things more difficult two of them stand out. The clothing and small household depot is a place where members of the public can drop off donations that are later sorted and distributed to those in need, and the food recovery program repackages food that would otherwise be thrown out, and redistributes it amongst people in the community. There are about twenty programs currently running at the Carmichael Outreach Centre.

One of the biggest challenges with fighting poverty in Regina is the housing issue, says Alaina

Harrison, a housing support coordinator at Carmichael Outreach.

“Almost everyone we talk to says that housing [is] the issue,

whether it be homelessness, couch surfing [or] precarious housing where they may not be able to make rent next month.”

“ Almost everyone we talk to says the housing [is] the issue, whether it be homelessness, couch surfing [or] precarious housing where they may not be able to make rent next month.”

Finding affordable housing is a large factor in maintaining a sustainable livelihood explained Harrison. “It’s hard to go about other business when they don’t have that security.”

Winter creates even more problems, specifically for Regina’s homeless community. In the summer, many sleep in tents camped out throughout the city, but in the winter, this can be highly dangerous.

“People we know sleep outside … we try to provide as many sleeping bags as we can,” said Harrison.

In the morning, Carmichael Outreach serves coffee, and due to the weather, many people try to hang out in the centre as long as possible. There are not many options for people, Harrison notes.

“For a lot of people, [this is] the only place they can stay.”

Donating money and warm clothing to organizations like Carmichael Outreach can help a great deal, said Harrison, but the public must also continue to pressure all three levels of the government, to keep the issue on their radar.

“This problem has come to Regina … [We’ve had the] lowest vacancy rate for a while and it is not getting better and it is causing hardship.”

Alaina Harrison

Langara Students’ Union bars students from attending board meetings in new bylaws Every year the LSU receives $2 million from mandatory student fees, or approximately $390 per student.

Sam Reynolds Canadian University Press VANCOUVER (CUP) — A controversial set of changes to the bylaws of the Langara Students’ Union (LSU) that would prohibit students from attending meetings of the LSU's board of directors has passed in a referendum.

The changes are an almost total rewrite of the union’s bylaws.

In addition to the restrictions on attending meetings, quorum for annual general meetings drops from 150 to 50, council members are held to a maximum of two terms, candidates for election are required to provide professional and academic references and all directors must swear an “oath of office.”

Also, LSU members will not be permitted to copy or take notes for any records of the union.

The new bylaws were proposed by the LSU’s board of directors and developed in consultation with Victoria-based management consultancy Janna Jorgensen Consulting.

According to a document from the LSU, the bylaws are being changed to “achieve a higher level of accountability.”

The LSU declined repeated requests for comment.

At an earlier bylaw ‘townhall’ event, LSU staffer Saadia Rai said the bylaws would increase the

Media blackout

Ashley Viens

Union’s level of “inclusivity” to an extent not seen at any other student union in Canada.

Under the modified set of bylaws, meetings of the LSU board of directors will be closed to the student body with only directors, staff and approved guests allowed to attend.

This is highly unusual for Canadian student unions. Almost all B.C. student unions hold meetings that are open to their members, including UBC's Alma Mater Society and the Simon Fraser Student Society.

Pay for councillors has also been changed. Under the old bylaws, directors of the LSU were only paid based on reimburse-

ment of expenses for attending meetings. The new bylaws allow directors to receive a stipend for their work, an amount which will be determined by a vote of the board.

To approve the changes, students were required to vote on three special resolutions, the first of which was an omnibus approval of all of the bylaw changes, which will take effect on March 1, 2013.

The second cancelled a January by-election, delaying it until the fall. The final resolution grandfathered in current councillors so that any terms they have already served do not count against them for the term limit.

When the bylaws go into effect, Langara’s student newspaper, the Voice, will no longer be permitted to go to LSU meetings without approval of the board of directors.

Speaking to the Vancouver Courier, LSU shop steward Donna Rainford-Cayenne said this did not concern LSU members because “we’re going to get our own reporters and publish our own newspaper.”

Repeated email, phone and inperson requests from the Canadian University Press, for comment on the passing of the bylaws were ignored by the LSU. When asked who their ombudsperson was, an LSU staff person told the Canadian University Press that “I don't have to tell you that” because “I think you have nefarious ideas about what you’ll do with that information.”

The only response received by the Canadian University Press was an email reply by Gurbax Leelh, board member at large for the LSU and the current media liaison.

“I appreciate your interest in covering the LSU Bylaws Referendum. Unfortunately, I have a final exam and this issue

has taken much of my time with reporters on campus. I have lost faith that a well-balanced report will be provided to the readers.

So I have decided to put my education first.

“The most I can do to assist you with your report, is that if you send me an email of your questions, I can respond to them later not tonight after me [sic] Exam.”

Though questions were sent to her, the Canadian University Press received no further correspondence.

The LSU has been reluctant to speak with the media all year.

In October when he Voice made inquiries about the current collective bargaining agreement the LSU has with its staff, which was set to be renegotiated in late November, Leelh refused comment stating that the document was confidential – though they are required to be filed with the Province and be publicly accessible.

“We are not comfortable providing any kind of information regarding LSU business without consulting with our lawyer,” Leelh later said via email. “I also would like to request no articles be posted about our organizations unless it is about promoting events and awareness about our services.”

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

news

7

Let her shine A campaign to become American’s first hijab-wearing Muslim news Anchor has social media talking worldwide

haven’t applied for jobs yet, but I’ve had others who’ve tried reach out to me. They say “at the end of the day, it’s the hijab or the job.” I hear that and it doesn’t scare me because I know that at the end of the day I’m going to make it happen. If it’s going to be a challenge, bring it on because I can take it. I think people want to see it. It wasn’t just Muslims who reached out to me, it’s the non-Muslims who are saying “finally, we need this to happen.” Sure, I’m going to have the 5 per cent of people who don’t know anything about Islam and still think we’re terrorists. That’s not the audience I want to target.

I want to tell stories, and report things, and give facts to people who want to learn and who want to expand their knowledge.

Sophie Long news writer Noor Tagouri is a 19-year-old Libyan-American student living in Washington, DC whose dreams have caused a tidal wave of action across North America. Her goal: to become the first hijabwearing news anchor on American television. A photo of her sitting at an ABC news desk went viral a few weeks ago, and her YouTube video, in which she explains her hopes, is gaining popularity by the day.

Tagouri started university at the age of 15 in an attempt to get a degree at a younger age and to be able to start working early. She has spent time shadowing both local and national news reporters and has spent time with Lisa Ling, Anderson Cooper, and intends to shadow Wolf Blitzer in the future.

But, apart from her aspirations, Tagouri’s goal has brought to light an important issue in not only the news world, but in the world of television viewers too. Tagouri explained that at an early age, she noticed an absence of women on television that looked like her, and that she dreamed of being a Muslim hijab-wearing anchor since she was a child. Tagouri spoke to the Carillon about her dream campaign “Let Noor Shine” and her progress so far.

Carillon: What was the reason you started the campaign, other than to get a job?

Tagouri: Basically, it comes with different angles; breaking the barriers and stereotypes that Muslim women have in the Western world - that’s the outside perspective of it for people that aren’t Muslim, on the outside looking in. For the Muslim community, it’s about not being afraid to go after what you’re passionate about and what your dreams are. A lot of first-generation Muslim families want [their children] to immediately go into medicine, law, engineering and that’s it. A lot of people are forced into it, and my parents are the kind of people that say, “go after what you’re passionate about.” I want to show how important it is to go after what you’re passionate about, and this goes for Muslims and nonMuslims.

Carillon: Would you be upset if another hijab-wearing woman reached your goal first?

Tagouri: I wouldn’t be upset, because I know that there’s room for success for everybody. My goal isn’t strictly to be the first, and I’ve wanted this for years. My goal is to be a journalist or an anchor who is able to get stories out there and ask questions. I’ve always loved telling stories and asking questions. At the end of the day, that’s what I want to do. Being the first hijabi news anchor or talk show host, that’s breaking a barrier. It’s going to take more than one person to do that. I’m taking the responsibility to do that. It gets people’s attention and gets

Noor Tagouri

Tagouri at the ABC news desk, dreaming big

them to take a second look, and know a bit more about what I’m about. There’s a lot more than me just wearing a hijab.

Carillon: What reaction to the campaign have you had from various people in the industry?

Tagouri: The couple of producers I’ve spoken to want me to send in reels, and they’re like “we need to make this happen, we want to mould you into a great journalist.” Other people that work in the media that I know are like “this is really hard, you’re making a statement while you’re wearing your scarf. A lot of people won’t like it.

The directors of the networks might not let you do that, some will, but a lot won’t.” I had my nineteenth birthday with Lisa Ling and I talked to her about it, she was like “go for it!” Anderson Cooper saw the video, [and] was positive and optimistic about it. I want to see what really big news anchors and journalists say. I’ve shadowed local news anchors and they were positive and encouraging, but I could tell that they were like “I don’t know if you can do this.”

Carillon: Have you experienced negativity for the campaign? How do you deal with that?

Tagouri: Of course I have, and I think I’d be worried if I didn’t get that. It has been extremely minimal compared to the support. It’s very ignorant hate. There’s the Muslims who aren’t supportive because they don’t think it’s appropriate, but honestly you’re always going to have people that don’t agree with you.

Carillon: You advocate for Muslim women following their dreams. Do you find that lots of young Muslim women see you as a role model?

Tagouri: Definitely.

Carillon: A big misconception is that Muslim women aren’t allowed to have jobs or to be public figures. Have you experienced this?

Tagouri: There are comments that you can find somewhere on my fan page, although I try to delete them. Honestly, that’s a complete misconception of Islam. If you look at the women’s role in Islam and how women are supposed to be treated, I would say that Islam puts women on the highest pedestal possible. To the people who say negative things about it, I say “have you looked at the history?” If you look at it outside of religion, you need to remember we are all human beings, and we all make mistakes.

Carillon: Why have you chosen to use the Let Noor Shine campaign to begin your career?

Tagouri: I have been working at this for forever. The reason I started college early was to get closer to my career. The picture

and video going viral happened within a week, and I took that as a sign from God to get started at this. Social media is how people get recognized and it is how a lot of people start. I think it’s great, and I want to use social media as a tool of inspiration and as a tool to bring people with me on my journey. A lot of people think I put up a picture and it just went viral but I put in a lot of work into it before that. I think it’s a good place to start.

Carillon: Have you ever experienced any racism, or do you fear you will be turned down because you are a hijabi woman?

Tagouri: Right now I work at one of DC’s biggest radio stations and everyone in that radio station loves me and is like family to me.

I’m still a junior in college so I

Carillon: Do you fear you’ll be hired just to make a statement or to simply add diversity to a news team?

Tagouri: This has come across my mind, but why would I fear that?

If that’s the only reason I get the position, then they don’t know me yet. I’m going to let them know who I am and make them thankful they hired me. That’s not a fear I have. We live in a free country where you are given the right to voice your values and be respected. I think everybody is so scared to share their beliefs and nobody says it out loud. As soon as one person does it, you start to get more comfortable. You realize the person speaking beside you, though a different race, though a different religion, is not so different than you. The first thing you are is a human before you’re a journalist, and that’s what your job is as a journalist, it’s to better humanity.

a&c

A&C Editor: Paul Bogdan aandc@carillonregina.com the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

‘If no one’s going to do it for you, you’ve got to do it yourself’ Saskatoon electronic/dance artist Jason Hattie starts record label paul bogdan arts editor Group assignments are the worst.

The seemingly only way to avoid receiving an absolutely dismal grade is by doing all the work yourself. It’s this “fuck it; I’ll do it myself” attitude that label founder Jason Hattie has taken in starting his record label, Hairdu Records.

Hattie describes the artists he’s signed to his label’s roster as “a collection of prairie talent who are all making dance music or party music,” including the likes of 911 Turbo, Ricky Rock, Oakatron, and Kusch among others. This collection of artists can be heard on the label’s first mixtape which is set to be released on Jan. 15 via the label’s website.

Starting Hairdu Records was what Hattie was contemplating “for the last year or two.”

While on a trip to Toronto playing with his band, The Steadies, Hattie began discussing his idea for Hairdu Records with his friends in the downtime of the tour.

“I thought, I’ve got all this free time sitting around, I should ask my friends that I want on the label and see if they’d be in to trying something – if I started this label up if they’d be interested in putting music out on it and getting involved with it,” said Hattie.

Hattie was unsure of what to expect in terms of responses from his friends.

“I didn’t know if people wanted to do it, if they were fine doing things themselves,” he said.

Nevertheless, all the people Hattie spoke with generated interest in his idea.

“Everyone I talked to was really excited about it, so I got on with making the website, and getting a launch plan, and conceptualizing what it would be in the future,” said Hattie.

Part of the reason Hattie started the label was that he was already doing much of the work he does with Hairdu Records prior to starting the label.

“I play in a bunch of groups and produce my own electronic and dance music, and I was doing a lot of behind-the-scenes management and doing album releases for these groups already, and it seemed like I was doing a lot of the same work in different places, and I felt that if it was all under one roof or one brand that it would get more accomplished in the big picture,” said Hattie.

As well as tying together the

Arts Radar Jan. 11 Living With Lions w/Empire Choir and Elder Abuse The Exchange $12 advance tickets Doors at 8 Jan. 12 Prop Planes w/Gunner and Passenger Seat Poet The Exchange $10 at the door Doors at 7:30

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work that Hattie was doing, Hairdu Records ties together various artists that listeners may be interested in.

“Say you like 911 Turbo, or you like Ricky Rock, or whoever, hopefully it’ll introduce people to the other artists on the roster.”

Hattie said. “You can pick through it and see what you like, see what you don’t like ... It would give people a brand or a website or a place that people could go to find more music that was similar to something they liked already. It was basically a unification of projects that I was involved in.”

Even though Hairdu Records is a unification of the work Hattie was doing before, his daybook is still filled with work, either with his own music or with label business.

“It uses up a lot of my time that I’m not spending either doing gigs or traveling. It’s what I end up doing in all my downtime from the stuff I was doing before.

But, I mean it depends; I find that I can put as much, not as little, but as much time as I have into it, and there’ll still be more to do.”

The fact that more work can always be done was part of the challenge of starting this label for Hattie, to decide to take on a project of this stature takes an enormous amount of commitment.

Still, Hattie doesn’t seem to be completely overwhelmed just yet with the amount of work running a label requires, with his work mantra being, “You just pick away at it with whatever time you can put into it.”

“I think the big challenge was just doing it – deciding that I was going to bite off this commitment and go for it. It’s a learning process; it’s not like I’ve ran a record label before, but I think

anyone who starts a record label is in the same boat.” Hattie said.

“You have your learning curves and your hiccups and speed bumps, but you push through it, do a bit of research, go with the flow, and make something unique.”

One of these hiccups Hattie had was getting everyone organized and following the same timeline.

“When you’re trying to organize 11 different projects [who are] trying to get you material at the same time for this launch, that’s a little tricky too,” said Hattie.

Organizing 11 different musical projects becomes increasingly difficult with the idea of Musician Time – musicians are generally never on time for anything. How many shows have you been to that have started late? If and rehearsal is scheduled for 5 p.m., expect one person to show up at 5:15 p.m., and the rest of the band to trickle in within an hour or even later. Having things done “on time” or being somewhere “on time” is a very loosely used term for most music-types.

“You’re trying to make sure everyone’s running on some sort of deadlines, and a lot of the guys were putting music out themselves at their own pace on their SoundCloud before,” Hattie said.

“For some people, having deadlines, when they have to have stuff finished by, was new to them.”

Nonetheless, this was ameliorated by the fact that Hattie is friends with most of the artists on his label and isn’t afraid to push them a bit.

“What’s easy about it is that it’s a lot of people that I knew already and that were friends ... so it’s not super tough to push people and work with them or tell

them, ‘We gotta get moving here,’ ” said Hattie.

The current focus of the label is getting releases out from all of the artists signed, but in the future Hattie is looking to expand the label’s roster.

“I think we do have a really strong roster right now, and I definitely want to work with a lot of people who are already on it to at least get releases out for everybody on the label ... [expanding the roster] will be something that comes with time,” said Hattie.

Yet even though the first mixtape isn’t out until Jan. 15, Hattie and the folks at Hairdu Records are already in the process of discussing the label’s second offering.

“We’re actually already talking about putting out a second mix tape ... now that this one’s almost out, I have more people who are wanting to get involved with it and do features on it. The guys on the roster are already excited about putting out new stuff,” said Hattie.

Hairdu Records’ first mixtape will be available on Jan. 15 at hairdurecords.com. At time of press, Hattie said the details for the launch parties weren’t fully worked out, but more information can be found by keeping an eye on the label’s website.

Jan. 13 John Wort Hannam The Artful Dodger $10 adv/$15 door Doors at 7:30 Jan. 14 Greg Rekus w/Buffalo Narrows Creative City Centre $10 at the door Doors at 7:30 Jan. 18 Pass the Hat The Club Donations Show at 9 Jan. 20 Into Eternity w/Oblivion Eye, Planet Eater, and Determined The Exchange $15 advance tickets A Series of Tubes Creative City Centre $10 at the door Doors at 7:30 Jan. 24 Choke w/400 Strong The Exchange $15 advance tickets Doors at 8

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

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9

New Blackberry operating system returns to its roots RIM’s new OS focuses on speed and smooth functionality arthur ward graphics editor This should look familiar to most Blackberry users: “Sorry guys but I’ve upgraded my phone and I’m not on BBM anymore.” This can be a very depressing and lonely moment for the die-hard Blackberry users, but before you consider changing your smart phone allegiance, Research in Motion (RIM) has something in store that just may convince you to keep thinking Blackberry.

RIM announced that it will release its latest mobile operating system, Blackberry 10, on Jan. 30, 2013. With the market already saturated with so many bells and whistles in mobile technology, the new Blackberry 10 operating system focuses more on the tiny details of speed and functionality.

The new OS is being tested on the Dev Alpha B – a prototype device RIM has provided to developers to aid in creating new apps and programs.

At a preview event hosted by RIM this week I had the opportunity to try out the new features of Blackberry 10 for the first time.

The key feature of the new OS is the Blackberry Hub. It catalogs all your notifications, messages, emails and events in one place, which are all updated in real time.

While using the Hub, users can

pcmag.com

either take a peek into the Hub to see what’s going on or open it to full screen and respond to emails and notifications. One of my favourite parts of the Blackberry Hub is that it can be accessed from anywhere, eliminating the need to jump back to the home screen to view notifications.

If smart phones were as smart as their spell-checkers, then a phone running Blackberry 10 will be the smartest in its class. The term spell-check is an understatement when it comes to Blackberry

10. The OS not only checks the spelling of a word but it also the entire sentence, ensuring that the suggestions it generates are within context.

Blackberry 10 also goes a step further and scans all of the user’s documents and emails, detecting regular recurrences of names and acronyms which are then excluded from the spell-check. This neat little feature is certainly useful for those users who are constantly using a lot of industry specific jargon and not having to

worry about spell check errors all the time.

Blackberry 10 can also be set to auto predict up to three languages at once, meaning multilingual users will have no need to change the language setting when they want to type in a different language.

Ever have trouble hitting the wrong key when texting on a touch screen? The new Blackberry 10 solves this problem by adjusting the placement of the keys on the screen to adapt to the user’s patterns of usage.

RIM has also added a new Balance Feature for users who have to use their work-issued phone alongside their personal phone every day. Balance allows for users to partition parts of their device, essentially creating two user profiles – one for work, and one for personal use. Balance can also be locked to prevent unauthorized access of sensitive information, which means that you can let the kids play their favourite game on your phone without the fear of them sending a broadcast text message to all your co-workers.

However, Blackberry 10 isn’t solely about smoother workplace functionality. Phones using the new OS system will feature cameras equipped with the new Time Shift mode – the first mobile application of its kind.

In Time Shift Mode, the cam-

era takes several photos each time the user snaps a picture. If the subject in the photo closed their eyes the moment it was taken, Blackberry 10 users can now select that person’s face and scroll back through the previous frames to find the right moment. This certainly reduces the hassle of trying to get that perfect shot but also it can the basis of some really interesting apps to come in the future.

Other features such as the Blackberry Messenger have received a new face lift with its graphical interface along with other native Blackberry features such as the calendar, browser and also a new weather app that now comes standard with the new OS. With all these changes on the horizon for Blackberry users, the new OS will still maintain a familiar feel as its user interface is similar to that of the Blackberry Playbook. The red blinking notification light and the full keyboard will still give its users that iconic Blackberry experience. After interacting with new Blackberry 10 operating system, its functionality will be a key selling point to many users that are in need of a system that is simple and easy to use while at the same time boasting the speed and reliability to keep them in sync with the work place.

Bah! Humbug! i’m not angry kyle leitch arts editor The holidays have come and gone. I was right: they sucked. I got sick right around Dec. 23, and it’s an on-going battle. I don’t know why the miserly pricks like me can’t at least have our health to enjoy while all of those cheap, lying, no good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirteating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stifflegged, spotty-lipped, wormheaded, sacks of monkey shit that are so insufferably happy during this season don’t even get as much as a sniffle. Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where’s the Tylenol?

Now, being a week into a new year, you’d think I’d find it hard to be angry about something already. To the people who think that, I say: you haven’t been keeping up, have you? Actually, I’m kind of cheating. I’ve been hanging on to this anger for a little bit.

Since I sort of missed writing about it when it was still relevant, consider this a spot of catch up.

On Dec. 21, 2012, the Mayan calendar ended. Conspiracy theorists, religious zealots, and fullblown whackaloons had been saying that the world was going to end for years preceding that

Tenielle Bogdan

I can’t be the only one who legitimately wished this happened, right?

date. And yet, to everyone’s great surprise, on Dec. 22, the world was still spinning.

My problem isn’t with the people who believed that the world was going to end. Have a blast with that. After all, you’re not necessarily wrong about the outcome, just the timeframe. My problem was with the assholes, so called “spiritual authorities,” who, up until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 20, were making money preying on the fears of the stupid masses.

Look, making money off of stupid people is what keeps the juggernaut of commerce rolling.

Without stupidity, the economy as we know it would grind to a halt.

What irritates me is that so many people made so much money off of so much stupidity. For years!

The only reason 2012 made so much money is because it at-

tempted to satiate the human need for an ending. It’s the same reason people read books, play games, watch movies, eat a gallon of ice cream in twenty minutes – people want an outcome.

And 2012 provided what would

have been the biggest most final outcome of all. Deep down, I think everyone knew it was complete bullshit. But it didn’t matter. A shitty ending would still be an ending. But here we are, a week into 2013. The 2012 “spiritualists” are sitting on their heaps of ignorance-soaked bills, and laughing. All because they got rich offering a cheap ending.

So, here’s my proposal: the world is going to end on, let’s say, July 22, 2013. That’s when a calendar that I just made up comes to an end, so naturally, that’s when the world will end. On that day, the world is going to come to an end in the most horrifying fashion you can imagine. If you want to find out about how the world is going to come to an end, you’ll have to purchase the line of books that I have coming out. The first will retail for $39.95, and will include a signed Polaroid picture of me flipping you off. University’s not getting any cheaper, you know. And I’m not angry. Honest.

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

10 a&c

ARTS ROUNDTABLE

Arthur Ward

paul bogdan, robyn tocker, kyle leitch, julia dima this week’s roundtable 1. Do you make New Year's Resolutions? Why or why not?

Kyle Leitch: Never. Resolutions are like expectations: if you don’t set them, then you’ve got nothing to be disappointed by when you inevitably fail at them.

Robyn Tocker: I try to, but honestly, I hardly ever keep them. I think people make them just to feel better about themselves and their decisions. You don’t have to make a resolution to break a bad habit or eat better in the new year!

Paul Bogdan: I used to, but I stopped a few years ago because I think they’re bullshit. If you want to change something about yourself, don’t wait around for a new year; just go do it.

Julia Dima: I do, admittedly only because it’s popular dinnertime conversation. What, I'm lonely, okay?

2. Do you end up following through with your proposed resolutions?

KL: Not a once, and I haven’t been disappointed with myself, yet.

RT: As said above, nope!

PB: No, which is also why I stopped making them.

JD: I successfully followed through with one resolution ever.

It was to stop playing Farmville. I had a serious problem.

3. Do you have any resolutions for this year?

KL: That would seem to directly contradict the answer I gave to question one, now wouldn’t it?

RT: I kind of do, but it’s mainly just to keep my grades up and go to the gym more often. Nothing mind blowing, that’s for sure.

PB: New Year’s Resolution for 2013: don’t make a New Year’s Resolution for 2013. I’m doing pretty well so far. It’s going to take commitment, but I think I can see this one through for the entire year.

JD: My resolution this year is to sleep at least three hours a night, which will either result in time management improvement or worse procrastination, since I'll use those three hours as an excuse not to do stuff I have to do.

Probably the latter.

4. Do people make too big of a deal out of the start of a new year?

KL: Absolutely they do. This year especially, seeing as how the world was supposed to have ended a few weeks ago. We survived another revolution of the earth, congratulations. Now sit

“ New Year’s Resolution for 2013: don’t make a New Year’s Resolution for 2013. I’m doing pretty well so far. It’s going to take commitment, but I think I can see this one through for the entire year.”

Paul Bogdan

down, and shut up.

RT: To an extent. I think it’s good to be excited for a new year with new possibilities, but when people start to get all gun-hoe for it, I start to question their sanity.

PB: Yup, especially granted that my life hitherto has operated on years that functionally begin in September, and my brain is trained to work as such. January 1 is simply the day after Dec. 31.

JD: All people make a big deal out of any milestone date because we

fuck up so hideously, and a new year, birthday, whatever, gives the illusion of a clean slate. But, if you had Herpes on Dec. 31, you probably still have it on Jan. 1.

5. What's the most absurd resolution you've heard of?

KL: Avoid employing my strikingly-decent impression of Mickey Mouse's voice when having sex. I wish I were making that one up.

RT: I haven’t heard a really crazy

one in my time, but I’ll keep my ears open for one this year!

PB: Anything really. Generally, people make New Year’s resolutions because it’s a thing people do, and not because they’re legitimately serious about bettering themselves.

JD: After some conversation about skittles, Paul resolved to become a rainbow in 2013. I just can’t see it happening. Sorry, bud.

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

a&c 11

The hits and the shits The best and worst films from the past year

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kyle leitch arts editor With 2012 soundly behind us, and 2013 off to an ambling start already, it’s finally time to take a look at the best and worst of film of the year that the world was supposed to have ended. Pass your Mayan friend the popcorn, and be thankful you’re still alive to enjoy (and hate) these films of some distinction. The films are in no particular order, so don’t get your shit in a knot over an imaginary hierarchy. Without further ado: THE BEST FILMS OF 2012 1) Moonrise Kingdom Wes Anderson’s latest piece of quirky auteurism was without a doubt one of the finest looking films of 2012. Visually stunning, and often laugh-out-loud funny, and starred Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Frances McDormand as a police captain, a socially awkward scout master and two yuppie attorneys. If none of that sounded appealing, you have no soul.

2) Antiviral Turns out, the horrifying apple doesn’t fall far from the cerebral horror tree. Brandon Cronenberg, son of David, released Antiviral on an unsuspecting population on Nov. 30. The film was simultaneously a mockery of the North American obsession with celebrity culture and a torturous look at the body-horror that’s done Brandon’s father so well over his forty-year career.

3) To Boldly Flee Now, this one might not technically count, only because so few people actually saw it. To Boldly Flee was the latest film produced

by That Guy With the Glasses, the online army of comedy reviewers led by Doug Walker aka the Nostalgia Critic. The film blended meta, black, and self-referential humor with sci-fi storytelling conventions to produce a low-budget, three hour sci-fi odyssey. It also marked the retirement of the Nostalgia Critic character. This film proved that you don’t need an unlimited pocketbook to craft a masterpiece.

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4) Seven Psychopaths It’s hard to explain why most of the best films on the list are comedies of some stripe, but that’s how the chips fall, sometimes. Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken steal Woody Harrelson’s beloved Shi Tzu. Hilarity ensues. Martin McDonagh’s third film watches incredibly similarly to his 2008 film In Bruges. This is not a bad thing at all.

5) The Perks of Being a Wallflower Often considered the quintessential novel about teenaged awkwardness, this modern-day classic finally received the film treatment in 2012, and the results were nothing short of spectacular. The novel’s author Stephen Chbosky directed the screen adaptation, thankfully therefore, the film never lost sight of its source material. Anyone who was ever a teenager is able to relate to something in this film, and for being so universally human, this was easily one of 2012’s best.

THE WORST FILMS OF 2012 1) Marvel’s The Avengers

Being the only person who didn’t like the Avengers is a bit of a lonely existence. Strip away the national-debt sized budget, and the Avengers was nothing more than a weak ensemble movie with shitty characters, no focus, and a lacklustre story arc. The only redeeming thing about the Avengers was that as little as a decade ago, this movie would have been impossible to film.

Thanks Herr Mickey, for monopolizing all of entertainment and making dreams almost come true.

2) The Dark Knight Rises What’s the only rational way to end the greatest trilogy of superhero movies of the 21st Century?

Satirize the gist of the recent occupy movements with a completely unintelligible villain, and try to make screwing in Europe for the rest of your life seem like a sad ending. Also, is it a good idea to set off a bat-shaped pyrotechnic right above a ten tonne nuclear bomb?

3) Anything in 3-D I don’t know that I’ve given 3-D enough shit yet or not. This overpriced fad is ruining what would

ordinarily be sufficient films. If I wanted a headache, I would go headbutt a brick wall, and I wouldn’t have to wear a stupid pair of fucking hipster glasses to do it.

4) That’s My Boy By this point, if Adam Sandler were a dog, and were this dog for sale in a pet store, I think your best offer would be a shotgun and a barn behind which you could “take care of business.” That’s My Boy was the perfect storm of unfunny acting, writing, and situations. It’s films like this that’s driving people to Netflix in droves.

5) Anything Johnny Depp was in 21 Jump Street, Dark Shadows, and an episode of Family Guy: 2012 has not been kind to Johnny Depp. There was a time where Depp could have crapped on a strip of celluloid, and it would have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars overnight. Now’s a bit of a different story. Next year’s Lone Ranger remake already looks like a turnaround from this year. Let’s hope so.

Shits and giggles Shooting the Shit takes a look at Regina’s cultural figures ethan stein contributor Shooting the Shit is less a talk show in a campus bar and more a lightning rod for Regina’s culture.

For the unaware, Shooting the Shit is a show hosted by Journalism student Austin Davis at the Lazy Owl. Shows consist of Austin interviewing familiar faces in Regina’s music and culture scenes. Guests have included the likes of former mayor Pat Fiacco, Nick Faye, Danny Kresnyak, and tornado chaser Greg Johnson. No matter who appears on Shooting the Shit, the show provides a good point of entry into the less-explored corners of Regina culture.

Davis cultivates a communal atmosphere by personally welcoming every attendee to the show and engaging in occasional banter with the audience. The show uses a format that resembles a late night talk show; Davis opens with a monologue about current events and humorous ob-

Matt Duguid

this is Austin. Drinking beer out of mason jar. Classy. servations before interviewing his guests.

The show I attended featured singer/songwriter/bouncer “Tiny” Matchett (a familiar face to regulars at O’Hanlon’s) telling stories of his tenure at the bar as

well as his foray into music. The memory that sticks out to me is “Tiny” discussing the scars on his forehead (incurred from headbutting and bar skirmishes) that he labels his “wall of shame.” After the interview Matchett performed

some of his songs.

The show also featured performer Casey Wood who specializes in a performance known as “contact juggling” which consists of juggling balls while using slight of hand to manipulate the audience’s perception. Some readers may recognize Wood from his performances in the pit at the AdHum building. Davis asked for a definition, but only a demonstration sufficed in presenting contact juggling.

The show also featured the audience participating in musical chairs onstage – that incorporated drinking of course – and a breakdown of the differences between Regina and Saskatoon from Journalism student/CBC correspondent Peter Mills.

Earlier I mentioned that Shooting the Shit resembled a late night talk show. I feel that the show goes beyond this format, however. Not only does Davis exchange banter with the audience, but everyone – host, guest, audience – takes a drink every time

someone swears on stage; this is the rule of Shooting the Shit. This rule is more than a simple addition to the show; it provides something for everyone to participate and share in. Between everyone drinking for every swear and the audience interaction, Shooting the Shit is symbiotic. Davis ensures that audience participation is an essential element in the show, and as a result the audience becomes deeply involved in the proceedings, voicing their opinions and offering performance requests for the host and the guest. Always thankful to those who come to the show, Davis acts almost as a mutual friend introducing his audience to figures in the city’s cultural scene.

The next show is scheduled for Jan. 21. If you want to learn about local culture and art, start with Shooting the Shit and go from there.

sports

Sports Editor: Autumn McDowell sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

ROUNDTABLE

Layne Murdoch/Getty Images

We need more signs like this.

braden dupuis, paige kreutzwieser, colton hordichuk, kris klein, britton gray this week’s roundtable How many U of R sports games did you attend in 2012? And do you think this number will increase or decrease in 2013?

Dupuis: I don’t know exactly how many, but I made it to quite a few – more than any other year by far.

For the most part, the action was great and the beer cold, and that’s about as much as I can ask for.

With playoffs coming up, chances are you’ll find me drunkenly cheering (or cursing) at a home game near you.

Kreutzwieser: I think I only attended 3 football games and one basketball game. So hopefully the number goes up, especially since I’m a broke student and games are free so I might as well take advantage of that.

Hordichuk: I haven’t attended a whole lot of U of R sports games in 2012. I’ve just been way too busy, hence my departure from the sports roundtable for quite some time. As always, I’m hoping I can get to a few U of R sports games this upcoming year.

Klein: I think the number will stay the same at zero. I’m sorry, I have school pride or what ever the hell it is but I find that my time is going to be entirely taken up by watching a lot of NHL when it comes back on TV. Oh, and also killing Gary Bettman so this never happens again.

Gray: I only attended one Rams game to show my school support but that was the extent of it. I

could just never find the time to get out to it. I would like to increase that number in 2013 but I can’t promise that it will What was your favourite sports moment of 2012?

Dupuis: I tried to think of a moment that could be designated my “favourite” but drew a blank. Allin-all, this was not sports’ best year. Lance Armstrong is a fraud, Gary Bettman is a vampire and all my hockey heroes are overstuffed pigs. Also, all of my favourite teams suck. I am one disillusioned sports fan, friends. Here’s to hoping for a better year in 2013.

Kreutzwieser: Two moments that are tied, both of which just recently happened – Dickey to the Blue Jays and Bills finally firing Gailey. Thank you to the sports gods for doing some good for my teams.

Hordichuk: My favorite sports moment of 2012 was when Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos overcame a 24-0 halftime deficit to defeat the San Diego Chargers 35-24. I remember seeing the 24-0 score when leaving my house to go on-air at the radio station I work for and coming home to a Broncos victory.

Klein: It would have to be when Crosby got knocked out a second time. No that’s my second favourite. My favourite memory would have to be the Sept. 29 Rider game against the BC Loins.

It was a Saturday night game, the crowd was absolutely off the chain, prairie sodas were flowing like water and the night ended with me running down Albert Street looking for my ride and then I crashed a wedding. Scratch that off the bucket list.

Gray: My favourite sports moment of 2012 would have to be watching the LA kings go on their incredible Cup run. It was a thing of beauty watching them defeat team after team and then seeing Dustin Brown raise the Cup. What is your New Year’s resolution for 2013?

Dupuis: Big half-hearted meh. I’m far too non-committal for that sort of long-term self-improvement.

Also, it’s hard to improve on perfection, am I right ladies? No? OK. I’m really more of a “New Day’s” resolution guy anyway. I need results now, dammit. Tomorrow’s New Day’s Resolution? I haven’t thought about it yet. Too lazy.

Kreutzwieser: Watch every single episode of Dawson’s Creek.

Hordichuk: I hope I can gather up some free time to come back on the sports roundtable more often again. Also, I want to keep playing hockey. I came back last year for the first time in three years and I’ve had an absolute blast.

Klein: Probably to take my fat ass to the gym.

Gray: My new years resolution is to do better in my school work and maybe while I’m at it win a gold medal in something, cure the common cold and quit drinking.

Should be interesting to see which ones I keep.

Team Canada’s 14-year medal streak at the World Juniors ended with a devastating 6-5 overtime loss to Russia. Canada has been held without a gold medal in the tournament since

2009. Do you think Canada’s dominance at the international level is slipping?

Dupuis: I wouldn’t go so far as to put Canada’s hockey reputation on the shoulders of a bunch of under-20s, especially considering we’re still the reigning Olympic champs and home to many of the best players in the world, but the pendulum is definitely not swinging in our favour at the moment.

Kreutzwieser: Their “poor” performance must be the times of their games. Like really, I wouldn’t want to play at 3 a.m. either.

Kidding. I think Canada’s dominance is slipping in a lot of our winter sports, except figure skating. Aren’t we dominating in that right now?

Hordichuk: While Canada has stayed at the same skill level over the last few years, Sweden has risen up as one of the elites as the World Juniors. The United States are normally always great and so is Russia. Also, Finland is on the rise too. Slipping? No, I wouldn’t say so. I’d just say that other teams are finally matching Canada’s talent level.

Klein: Well it is tough to say. I think teams have finally caught up to Canada so Canada doesn’t look as dominant as they once did. That and Canada hasn’t had a legitimate starting goalie to carry them since Carey Price did it in 2007. Seriously, whenever it’s a big game, our goalies can’t stop a beach ball. Like what the fuck is wrong with that shit?!

Gray: Yeah I believe that Canada is no longer as far ahead in the development of players as people may think. Our team isn’t as good as it once was because the other

countries have begun to develop their players as well as we do, if not better.

Who is your choice for this year’s NFL MVP?

Dupuis: There are two common storylines that sports fans can’t seem to get enough of: The comeback and the underdog. Peyton Manning had a little bit of both in 2012. At 36 years old and coming off an entire season on the bench, there were a lot of questions surrounding “The Sheriff” back in September. It was nice to see him put them to rest early and often throughout the season.

Kreutzwieser: I get all the talk about Adrian Peterson because he is an unbelievable athlete, had outstanding numbers, blah, blah, and laugh at me if you want but where would the Colts be without Andrew Luck? Ok, I’m kind of laughing at myself now.

Hordichuk: Andrew Luck. That’s it. I don’t even need to say anymore.

Klein: I don’t know, I’m going to guess AP. I really don’t care.

Hockey's back! Finally I can stop watching 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Sharks and Ducks, which is the worst series to watch ever.

Gray: Adrian Peterson and there is no debate about it. The man came back from an ACL and MCL tear at the end of last year, got healthy for this year and went on to have the second greatest season a running back has ever had.

The man is a Beast!

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

sports 13

Midseason report card While some teams pass with flying colours, others should be held back

Emily Wright

Maybe there will be more Cougars fans in 2013. Doubtful.

autumn mcdowell sports editor Men’s hockey Record: 9-7-2 Grade: A

Fight for your right to party.

From their last place finish in 2011-12, the men’s hockey team has improved dramatically this season and currently has a kung fu grip on the sixth and final playoff spot in Canada West.

Second-year forward Troy Hunter has the hot stick for the Cougars this year and has increased his points total from 2011, 13 times over. After scoring just one point in his entire campaign with the squad last year, Hunter got off to a surprisingly dominant offensive start in 2012, scoring 11 points in his first 11 games.

However, after being bitten by the injury bug, the Cougars lost their leading scorer to a broken ankle in mid-November. After missing the last five games of 2012, Hunter appears to have returned in prime form, ready to climb back to his spot atop the standings.

While numerous players have put the team on their backs this year, it was a change at bench boss that has propelled the Cougars to their best start in over a decade.

Teacher comments: It appears that the decision to mercy-pass the men’s hockey team last year worked in their favour, as they are now producing at a level comparable to their peers. If they keep studying, there is no reason the Cougars cannot make the playoffs this year.

Women’s hockey Record: 13-5 Grade: A+

From swamp donkeys to top dogs.

Currently riding a seven game

winning streak, the women’s hockey team appears to be in playoff form midway through the season.

After finishing in second-last place in 2011-12, fifth-year scoring sensations Paige Wheeler and Rianne Wight put the team on their backs once again in order to keep the same fate from happening in their final year. While this may be a typical scenario for the duo in past seasons, but this time they are getting a little more help.

With 17 members of the team registering at least one point so far this season, the women’s hockey team looks to be playoffbound early. As the team sits second in the Canada West standings, back just three points of Hayley Wickenheiser featuring the Calgary Dinos, Regina will finally be a force to be reckoned with down the stretch.

Teacher comments: After receiving a failing grade at the end of last season, the women’s hockey team has done incredibly well.

Holding them back an extra year appears to be the right decision as the team easily receives the University of Regina’s Most Improved award. However, they still need to work on their voice control, as their constant screams during the games disrupts their peers.

Men’s basketball Record: 3-7 Grade: C

Praying for a miracle.

After missing the playoffs for just the second time in 16 years last season, the men’s basketball team does not look to be heading back to the winning track in the immediate future.

Currently sitting in seventh place out of a possible eight in the Prairie division of the Canada West conference, the team is four places back from a playoff spot.

Although a mere six points separates the Cougars from the final playoff position, it will be a difficult deficit to make up in the final twelve games of the season.

If Cougar fans are going to see the men’s basketball team reach the playoffs this year, it is likely that newcomer Frank Brown would play a large part in this miracle. Averaging 17.2 points per game, the Cougars rookie has been a bright spot on the court this season. However, Brown will need the support of his teammates if they are to make a final push for the playoffs in the second half.

Teacher comments: The Cougars are not performing up to their expectations again this year. They have the talent to succeed, but so far cannot compete at the same level as other members of their age group. If this slide continues, a drastic change may need to be made in order to spark the team once again.

Women’s basketball Record: 9-1 Grade: A+ Choking hazard.

After losing their very first game of the season, the women’s basketball team has been on a tear ever since and are currently amidst a nine-game winning streak.

Fourth-year guard Michelle Clarke is leading the Cougars offensively, averaging 16.6 points per game, while fifth-year forward Lindsay Ledingham is close behind with 13 points per game.

Having fifth-year post Brittany Read back in the line up has also been extremely beneficial to the team, but her history of chronic injuries is worrisome.

The Cougars are no strangers to being at the top of the Canada West standings, but in recent years they have often been faced with an early exit from the playoffs. With the added pressure of hosting Nationals this year, it is

difficult to determine if the Cougars will cave under the pressure, or use the hometown crowd to their advantage.

Teacher comments: The women’s basketball team is at the top of its class once again. However, their desire to over-achieve has led them to being the browners of the University. The only concern is that they continue to choke in games of significant meaning.

Men’s volleyball Record: 2-10 Grade: D

Andrew Nelson to the rescue.

After registering the most wins they had in the past six years, last season it appeared as though University of Regina men’s volleyball would finally be a contending team in Canada West, but that is clearly not the case.

Granted, the schedule was not in the Cougars favour during the first half of the season this year.

With just two wins, it is difficult to have a positive outlook for a playoff push. Although the Cougars will face significantly worse teams in the second half, making up five spots and eight points in the Canada West standings will be a daunting task.

2011-12 CIS Rookie of the Year Andrew Nelson has avoided the sophomore slump and has been a bright spot for the Cougars once again this year. Leading the team in numerous categories including kills (92) and points (105) even after missing the first portion of the season due to injury, if the Cougars are going to save their season it will be largely up to Nelson.

Teacher comments: Although individual members of the men’s volleyball team are having a successful season, the team as a whole shows little promise. If Cougars volleyball is going to be on the map anytime soon, a drastic change needs to be made.

Otherwise, the team will continue to receive the participation award year after year.

Women’s volleyball Record: 3-9 Grade: C-

Young, and wild, and free.

Sitting 10th out of a possible 12 in Canada West, the inexperience of the women’s volleyball team is showing. With absolutely zero fifth-year players on the team and six rookies, it is not surprising that the Cougars are struggling this season.

Cougars newcomer Desiree Ates – who spent time with the University of New Hampshire before joining the squad – has provided some extra offense to the lineup while third-year middle blocker Michelle Sweeting continues her impressive play at net once again this year.

However, while the rookies are making a valiant effort, the leadership that comes with having veterans on the team is obviously missing, and although the few remaining fourth-years are attempting to fill that void, the team is in the middle of a rebuilding year.

Although the Cougars are a talented group, they will have to wait a few years to be a playoff contending team.

Teacher comments: Although the women’s volleyball team may be one of the best-dressed teams on campus with their new uniforms, they are struggling to register wins on the court. With just one win at home, the Cougars must find some way to use the hometown crowd to their advantage, otherwise it will be another long summer for the Green and Gold.

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

14 sports

Get your head in the game Mastering the mental aspect of sport

complicated competition plan and boil them down to priorities.”

cole guenter The Sheaf (University Saskatchewan)

of

SASKATOON (CUP) — Athletes and coaches spend a lot of time working on physical, technical and strategic skills in a particular sport. But is that enough? What about the mental aspect of the game? How important is it for athletes to prepare their psychological mindset?

According to Tom Graham, clinical research coordinator with the University of Saskatchewan’s psychiatry department, training the mind for sport is extremely beneficial.

“The mental part is huge because it can either unleash or derail those technical, tactical and physical preparations that we spend so much time on,” Graham said.

Here are four key areas Dr. Graham addresses to help athletes hone their psychological sport skills.

Adherence to physical training

As a former Olympic athlete, Graham knows that while elite athletes are expected to follow a physical training program, not everyone does. When an athlete enters competition, their mental preparedness for the event depends, in part, on the quality of their physical training.

Failure to reach one’s physical goals and to follow a training program, however, can impact an athlete’s mindset, transforming what should be an area of confidence into an area of worry, concern and doubt.

Season-long preparation for the big game

Samantha Braun/The Sheaf

“There is something inside us that says, ‘I was supposed to get this much stronger, I was supposed to adhere to my program [but] I didn’t do it,’ ” Graham said. “Subsequently, the athlete is entering competition with a question mark on their forehead, where they should be entering it, had they done everything, with an exclamation mark.”

The ideal performance state

Every athlete uses mental tactics to get themselves ready for sports competitions.

How athletes feel before they compete has a tremendous impact on how they perform. Thus, when athletes perform exceptionally well, it is important to recall how they felt prior to the event.

Graham calls this pre-competitive mindset associated with exceptional performances the “ideal performance state.”

Psychological skills like relaxation and visualization are often used by athletes, and these skills are far more effective when directed towards a targeted state of mind.

“You can relax and visualize but you may end up anywhere,” says Graham.

“The value in identifying your ideal pre-competitive mindset is that now those relaxation and visualization skills have a destination.”

Combating self-doubt

Once an athlete can identify and target their ideal performance state, one of the issues they must overcome is preventing self-doubt from creeping into their psychological preparation.

“The worries, concerns, doubts and fears are really the major monkey wrench issues that prevent achieving an ideal per-

formance state or positive frame of mind before competition,” Graham said.

Negative thoughts are common and almost all athletes experience them at some time or another. Self-doubt makes athletes feel anxious about aspects of their game that they have been struggling with and it often leads to delayed decision-making in competition.

The key to conquering selfdoubt and preventing it from affecting performance is to identify the areas that cause worry, concern or doubt during competition.

Then ask “what can I do about it?” Answering this question provides the athlete with a strategy to improve their performance.

“Contrary to popular belief, athletes play better when they think less,” Graham said. “Take the complicated strategy and simplify it as much as possible. Take the five points or 10 points in a

Too often, athletes expect careerbest performances at important end-of-year competitions such as playoffs, but do little during the course of the season to make that happen.

“Consequently, they do nothing to prepare and, guess what, they get uncomfortably nervous at the end of the year,” Graham explains.

Competitive simulation is a method used to prepare for important competition. This involves using the progression from early season training to tournament competition to prepare for the most important competition at the end of the season.

As the season progresses, they have several exposures to playoff pressure and are better able to manage the most important events at the end of the season.

“We want to perform with abandon in playoffs. To do this, we have to apply some competitive simulation to the flow of our season,” said Graham.

Some athletes won’t put in the training time to try extra steps, like improving their mental game, until just before the most important competition of their careers.

But top athletes prepare all season in order to be in the right frame of mind when the stakes are the highest.

Take it to the house U of R’s decade old club continues to impress paige kreutzwieser contributor It is probably not common knowledge, but curling was named the official sport of Saskatchewan in 2001.

It is also probably unknown knowledge that the University of Regina has a curling club, which has actually faired pretty well in its official 10 years of affiliation with the U of R. Previously, the U of R men’s and women’s teams have won nationals and represented Canada in world university competitions, and as Alison Fisher, program assistant and Intramural Sports Coordinator, states “not many universities can say that.”

The team’s success is impressive considering the tough curling competition in Canada West at the moment. “[Olympic gold medalist] Kevin Martin’s kid plays on the [U of A] team, he has experience,” explains Fisher. “He’s watched his dad curl, he knows what level he needs to get to, to be successful.”

The teams that the U of R curlers will be facing this year are a whole new level of competition, says Fisher.

University of Alberta Athletics

Curling eh? Not my thing.

“They are competing against men’s and women’s teams of the world,” Fisher said. “They have experience.”

The skips of both the U of R men’s and women’s teams this year hold the Schneider surname.

For those of you who aren’t too familiar with the curling world, this has a connection with the name Amber Holland. Which again, for

those of you unfamiliar, won the 2011 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

And the list doesn’t stop there.

Many U of R curling alumni have excelled well beyond their days of university and junior curling.

The club is also self sufficient, and does an impressive amount of fundraising. All of the athletes are expected to meet CIS student

athlete requirements even though they are technically not affiliated with the CIS. As with the fate of many campus sports, much of it comes down to budgeting. The U of R just cannot afford to add more teams at this point, so the athletics department has allowed the curling team to only represent the university as an affiliated sport, as

long as the recreation department helps them out. The club also receives support from URSU. Similar to other campus teams, the curling club is required to train and practice as much as possible however, it can become a burden on the wallets when trying to get as much playing time in.

Travel expenses and cost of bonspiels during the training months comes out of the team’s own individual pockets, unlike recognized CIS teams. And we all know, as students, many of us live on tight budgets, and curling is not cheap.

However, Fisher emphasized that the attitudes of the current U of R curling teams are admirable.

“It makes me so proud to watch them,” Fisher said about the team’s dedication to representing the university. “They are just class acts all the way.”

Fisher has high hopes for their success this year.

“They have a pretty good shot at being the top two that come out of Canada West,” says Fisher.

Both teams will continue their search for the top in Edmonton for Canada West playdowns on Feb, 15-18.

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

sports 15

There is a hockey God The NHL is back baby what the puck? autumn mcdowell sports editor Just when I thought the NHL couldn’t get any dumber, they go and do something like this, and totally redeem themselves.

With the lockout still in full swing during the Christmas break, and team Canada ending their 14-year medal streak at the World Juniors on Jan. 5, I had attempted to eat away my sorrows before bed in an effort to forget about all the pain the hockey gods have caused me this year.

However, during the midstages of my food coma, I awoke to the sound of an annoying phone vibration at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning. While I normally would have ignored the sound, my comatose state propelled me to check who or what had rudely woken me up at a time like this.

However, upon looking at the screen I received some surprising news: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had actually done something good for a change.

113 long, sometimes hellish days into the lockout, a TSN alert stated that a tentative agreement had been reached between the NHL and NHLPA. Once the choir finished singing hallelujah, and I had rel-

Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

That’s right, hang your head, team Canada.

ished with a few celebratory fist pumps in the air, I attempted to fall back asleep, but with my increased excitement this proved to be exceedingly difficult.

After waking up at a reasonable time a few hours later, and confirming that I had not dreamed the whole episode, details of the new agreement between the two organizations were released.

Although there were many elements to the lockout negotia-

tions, including a revenue split, to which the millionaire players took a seven perfect decrease – oddly enough I have trouble feeling bad for them – the element that concerns fans the most is the length of the season.

As of press time, the NHL is planning for a 50-game season to begin shortly, meaning it’s time to blow the dust off of your favourite team’s jersey and wear it with pride once again.

Just days ago, with the end of

the lockout seemingly nowhere in sight, many fans began to make outrageous claims that they

would boycott the season if one was to in fact happen. With expectations of a season at an alltime low, these lofty claims seemed like safe bets that would never be put to the test. But, that’s not the case anymore, suckers.

No matter how angry any fan was during the rollercoaster lockout ride, it is my lofty claim that not one of the stubborn fans will be able to go an entire 50-game season without watching hockey.

One fan boycotting the season won’t change anything now. A hunger strike would be one thing, but trying to refrain from watching your favourite team during a season where most of the games will actually matter seems like a cruel form of self-torture.

If all these crazy fans are trying to do is to prove a point about how the NHL did not consider the fans during the lockout, then be my guest. But, if you’ll excuse me, I have a new jersey to buy and a game to watch.

“ Just when I thought the NHL couldn’t get any dumber, they go and do something like this, and totally redeem themselves.”

Top five over-hyped athletes of 2012 we really this far behind? Is it possible that out of the hundreds and hundreds of professional athletes in North America that none of them are gay? Is there still that much stigma behind homosexuality that they can’t openly express who they are until they are no longer affiliated with pro sports? I suppose there is, and that’s a damn shame.

We can only hope that Cruz gets the ball rolling in the right direction, and 2013 sees a wave of media attention that openly challenges the homophobic culture of pro sports.

braden dupuis sports writer Tebow-mania, Lin-sanity, Bieberfiever, the Mayan Apocalypse.

What do these staples of 2012 all have in common?

The short answer is hype. Farreaching, long-lasting, overstated hype brought about by an overzealous news media and the public’s burning desire to be distracted from anything that holds any semblance of real-life consequence.

Like every year before it, 2012 had no shortage of artificial hype.

Gag-inducing buzzwords, bad puns and internet memes ruled the interwebz, and we lapped it up like never before.

Now that 2013 is upon us, we’ve got 12 fresh months of dickpunching hype to look forward to, but, just like a real punch in the dick, who wants to look forward to that?

WARNING: The rest of this article contains copious amounts of awful puns – some of which are about as subtle as a punch in the dick. You’ve been warned.

5. Taylor Hall

The Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League have been stockpiling young, talented draft picks for some time now, but have yet to see much in the way of net benefits.

Year after year, the young guns start promisingly enough only to flame out by mid-season

1. Fabe Dia Marc Serota, Getty Image Files, Postmedia News

and finish dead last. Not so in 2013. It has become quite obvious that the media will be showering Oilers’ third-year forward Taylor Hall with attention pretty much regardless of his performance.

The overwhelming media coverage will sweep the city of Edmonton into a frenzied state of Alco-Hall-ism, helping the Oilers take the next 12-steps to the playoffs.

4. Kory Sheets

Roughrider hype pretty much exists in a big, rectangular Saskatchewan vacuum, but at times it can suck so hard you wouldn’t even know it.

First-year Riders running back Kory Sheets was responsible for

more than his share of headlines and bad puns in 2012, but the hype level never quite reached an obnoxious level.

The Rider hype machine will be firing on all cylinders come summertime, and Rider Nation will fall head-over-heels for Kory Sheets once again.

3. R.A. Dickey

It’s hard to believe that a 38-yearold starting pitcher could generate a sustained erection, let alone sustained media hype, but in the barren sports wasteland that is Toronto, Dickey might as well be the second coming of Christ.

By the time the reigning Cy Young winner arrived in Toronto, the city’s baseball fans were al-

ready borderline incoherent from the hype of the previous month’s blockbuster trade involving Mark Buehrle and José Reyes.

The addition of Dickey and his greying knuckleballs threatens to push the city over the cliff of fullblown Dickey-lirium.

2. Orlando Cruz

Near the end of 2012, one sports story in particular caught my attention, but not because of catchy and clever puns or a cavalcade of media attention.

In early October, professional Puerto Rican boxer Orlando Cruz became the first pro boxer to come out as openly gay while still competing professionally. This got me thinking: What in the fuck? Are

This French-Italian sprint-athlete who specializes in the 200-metre has been running under the radar for some time now, but 2013 is poised to be an explosive year for her.

After failing to qualify for the London games by a hair, she could very well bring a plethora of medals in the next 12 months. You may think I chose Dia for the sole reason of wrestling a tastelessly obvious and clumsy pun into the final paragraph of this article, but that’s where you’re wrong.

I truly believe that, with the help of the media, an overwhelming, contagious batch of Dia-rrhea will soon wash across North America, making a punch in the dick look like brunch with grandma by comparison.

graphics

Visual Editor: Arthur Ward graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

op-ed

Op-Ed Editor: Edward Dodd op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

opinion

Idle no more The Idle No More campaign has gained worldwide recognition of the abysmal human rights record of Canada and a few of our allies around the world. With every passing day, the movement is attracting our attention as it exposes the cultural inaccuracies many people have adopted as traditional Canadian values.

Open-mindedness, equality and rights for all, economic opportunity, and freedom are all ideas we use to define and differentiate ourselves from the global community.

However, this illusion is quickly unravelling as Idle No More exposes the colonial roots of Canada. Our colonial roots are not a secret, yet our society struggles to come to grips with understanding why the Idle No More movement continues to gain momentum and what the movement represents. The honest truth as to why we as a ‘civilized’ society cannot comprehend is because our collective mentality has never moved past our colonialist mentality. Time has moved on, our collective conscious has not. We have failed to connect to this movement and enter into appropriate discourse in any meaningful way.

The obvious example of our failure to understand is the overtly race-based arguments presented as a counter-discourse to the movement. What is interesting about it is the validation these opinions receive through the irresponsible main stream media. Even funnier is the idea that these arguments are not racist. Let’s make this clear: when your arguments are based on generalities and ethnicities, while lacking context and facts – you are making a racist argument.

For example, calling for “transparency” of the so called tax dollars spent on Reserves. What is left out of this argument is context. Anyone making this type of generalization fails to understand the facts that the Federal dollars spent on Reserves are highly scrutinized by the Federal Government. Furthermore, we fail to account for the hyper-inflated cost of living on Reserves, a residual effect of residential schools and other forms of colonialism.

The most comical part is we do not ask for the same accountability from our own governments. In fact, the Federal Government spent over $110 million in legal services for the Department of Indian Affairs in 2011-

rabble.ca

2012. We only spent $36.8 million of the public prosecutor’s office over the same time period. It makes me wonder how much was spent in the pursuit of accountability, and how much was spent finding ways around honouring Treaty Rights.

Another concern, and perhaps more dangerous, is regarding the Idle No More sympathizers. These are the supporters that come with bad advice disguised as good intentions. This soft paternalism is the bane of every social movement’s existence.

These sympathetic voices stress the need to identify with Prime Minister Harpers perceived stakeholders, or abandon any potential disruption of the lives of everyday Canadians in order to win friends to the movement. Despite these warnings, it is important to keep up pressure on the government and to bring attention towards the movement. Non-violent resistance may provide short-term discomfort for some Canadians, but they must realize that the

oppressed cannot simply adopt the ideas of liberation, tactics, language, and strategies of the dominant group. If the oppressed could, they would not be oppressed. To truly support the self-determination in the Idle No More movement, we have to support the movement by first listening to those involved in Idle No More.

This brings us to why the Idle No More protests started. The Second Omnibus Bill, C-45, is the primary reason but not the only reason. Firstly, Bill C-45 will change 44 federal laws without any Parliamentary debate. Furthermore, this bill does not recognize Aboriginal fishing rights, while removing several fish habitat protections.

The biggest impact this bill has is the changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act. The number of lakes and rivers removed from the required federal environmental assessment program from 32,000 to 97 lakes and from 2.25 million rivers to 62.99 per cent of our water ways have lost

Democraterrorism

Idle No More protests and demonstrations have been erupting across Canada and the world in the past few weeks. This country is motivated to stop the environmentally and culturally devastating consequences of Harper’s Bill C-45, and not often do we stay so dedicated for so long. Canadians tend to be pacifists. A movement, if it lasts at all, only lasts among a niche group of citizens concerned about the issue.

Idle No More, however, is growing.

Much of the media coverage has been pretty negative and let’s be honest, the comment feeds are a black hole of racist idiocy. These reactions are precisely because the movement hasn’t fallen apart. The fearmongering government is afraid of a successful protest. Harper and the Ministry of Indian Affairs are scared shitless of anything that represents the power citizens have to rise up and overturn a system.

However, it’s not only our leaders who are afraid, but our neighbours. Those who

close their curtains if they hear noise outside. The ‘me and mine’ Canadians. These people rely on the sort of pacification that keeps them behind the locked doors of their cars. These are the people who make racist comments about the Idle No More movement, who believe that if anything went any differently from how it’s going now, it would be catastrophic. Sure, things aren’t perfect, and our Aboriginal people are suffering, but they always have been, and always will be, and our tax dollars can’t solve that, right?

It’s an easy view to have as long as you’re not on the suffering side. Some even go so far as to call the actions of Chief Theresa Spence of the Attawapiskat First Nation – who has been on a hunger strike since Dec. 11 to urge Harper to meet with First Nation leaders – acts of terrorism.

Take the editorial by Christie Blatchford where she says, “it is tempting to see the action as one of intimidation if not terrorism:

[Spence] is, after all holding the state hostage to vaguely articulated demands.”

Calling a hunger strike an act of terrorism is exactly the sort of thing I’d expect from fearful Canadians. A hunger strike means that someone cares so passionately about an issue that they are willing to die for it.

And nobody wants that blood on their hands. The same way anyone who’s opposed to Treaty rights or making Indigenous Studies mandatory course material will say, “I didn’t mistreat Aboriginal people. My ancestors aren’t from here. My hands are clean.”

Guess what, colonialist: You pay your taxes and live on this land by choice. Your hands and mine are soaked in blood. As are those of our government. So, rather than addressing the concerns and honouring treaty rights, it’s much easier to pass off the actions of a protester as terrorism. We all know how that buzzword turns all North Americans into pitchfork wielding vil-

any required environmental protection without any consultation with First Nations or with the general Canadian public.

On top of C-45, there are eight more bills either passed or in the house that make dangerous deregulations and undermine not only Aboriginal rights, but everyone’s rights and are based on racist assumptions about First Nations people. If we are serious about living in a country that promotes freedom, democracy, and civil rights for everyone, then we, as a society must ensure that these values apply to everyone without condition.

shaadie musleh business manager

lagers screaming “burn the witch!”

Theresa Spence isn’t holding the state hostage, she’s holding it accountable for 146 years of broken promises and systematic racism. The basic understanding of a democracy is that there’s a dialogue between people and government. When citizens have been cut off from this, it’s not undemocratic to challenge the government through protest, strike, or violence. It’s using a megaphone when your government takes away the microphone. If hunger strikes, protests and social activism are ‘terrorist acts,’ I am wilfully and dutifully a threat to national security.

julia dima production manager

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

18 op-ed

We spent money on that?

Over the holiday season, our right and honourable Premier Wall was hard at work flying in the face of the democratic process and continuing the proud tradition of doing whatever he damn well pleases when the whim occurs to him. Literally overnight on Jan. 3, the iconic heritage wheat sheaf was replaced with what appears to be a golden dagger and machete cutting through a couple of oblong triangles. This obtuse and frankly confusing logo replaced the wheat sheaf on the province’s website, news releases, and letterhead. The government has since assured major news outlets that the wheat sheaf logo will continue to be used on signage and the official provincial pin.

So yeah. This is a thing now. Our logo only half-changed, and people are getting all in a tizzy. Truthfully, these people have every right to be upset, and it’s a shame that more people haven’t joined them.

Huffington Post blogger Lonnie Taylor even had the gall to say that the new logo looks, “classy”.

First of all, think of the cost involved in redesigning a logo. It’s not like Brad Wall just scribbled this thing out on a piece of butcher’s paper with a dried turd, regardless of whether or not it actually appears that way. This logo was the product of hundreds of thousands of dollars given to a design firm that spent maybe twenty minutes on it. Remember Regina’s “Infinite Horizons” bullshit? It was the campaign that came with that stupid looking stylized

capital “R?” That “brand redevelopment” cost $445, 000, and that was just at the city level. Think of the staggering cost to research, redevelop, and replace a logo at the provincial level.

Secondly, no consultation was done to find out whether or not people actually wanted their logo replaced. This might be nitpicking, but the whole point of the democratic process – that we’ve by and large all agreed upon in Canada – is to elect people who, you know, shouldn’t just make major changes that affect our appearance, especially when aforementioned changes involve the removal of a heritage symbol that is so synonymous with our province. Once again, the Saskatchewan Party has flipped a giant middle finger to the people that gave it a resounding majority by spending money needlessly on useless shit.

Finally, have you actually looked at that logo? Those oblong triangles are supposed to be Saskatchewan. The gold daggers suddenly aren’t just hacking up childhood shapes, but are literally cleaving the province in half. Whether this is supposed to be indicative of Brad Wall’s Saskaboom tearing the house down, or whether it’s a far more sinister message relaying Brad Wall’s true feelings towards this province remains to be seen. For now, I hope that we can all agree that this new logo is a hideous waste of provincial money, a late entry into a dick-swinging competition that never even took place. Instead of spending money so frivolously on pointless shit like

globalsaskatoon.com

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a waste of money

this, perhaps the government should spend some money on post-secondary education.

Or keeping a media person on retainer to clean up all of the public relations night-

mares they seem to incur. Oh, that’s right, I forgot; Brad Wall drove them all away, too.

kyle leitch arts writer

Gun control now Teflon Harper Immediately following the events that took place at Newtown, Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012, CNN television host Piers Morgan took no time to voice his opinion on the United States’ gun control issue. Although Morgan is often criticized by many as being an outspoken personality, this time around there is no denying the validity of Morgan’s argument demanding gun control in the United States.

“If you don’t change the gun laws when 20 poor young kids are blown away with an assault weapon & high-capacity magazines, when do you?” Morgan stated on Twitter after the news broke about the school shooting.

To the surprise of many, though, gun control has been an issue that Morgan has raised in the past. Prior to the Sandy Hook shooting, Morgan talked with law professor David Kopel on CNN about gun control after the Aurora, Colorado shooting on July 20, 2012.

When Morgan addressed Kopel about the issue, Kopel felt that it was not the appropriate time to discuss gun laws and stated in the interview, “I really wish you would have waited to have this segment until after the funerals.”

Morgan responded, “When you have a young man like this able to legally get 6,000 rounds of ammunition off the internet, to buy four weapons including an assault rifle, and for all of this to be perfectly legal in modern America, allowing him to carry out the biggest shooting in the history of the United States, that, I’m afraid, means it’s too late for this debate.”

Along with the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, which claimed the lives of 12 people, the shooter in Newtown claimed the lives of 20 innocent children and six innocent adults, resulting in the two worst shootings in United States history in one calendar year.

So, what is Morgan’s solution to get illegal guns off of the streets of the United States? Treble the sentences for possession

– a suggestion that did not receive positive reception from a vast majority of Americans.

As a result of Morgan’s strong opinion on gun control, a group of select United States citizens have submitted a petition to the White House to get Morgan deported for engaging in a hostile attack against the U.S. Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment. On Christmas, another petition was submitted to the White House to keep Morgan in the United States and protect the rights of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press under the First Amendment. By Jan. 7, the White House released a statement that addressed the petition to deport Morgan that read, “The White House responds to all petitions that cross the threshold and we will respond to this one. In the meantime, it is worth remembering that the freedom of expression is a bedrock principle in our democracy.”

Despite being controversial in the States, Morgan has been arguably the most honest, colourful, and insightful mind thus far to address the United States’ gun control law.

Furthermore, in Britain, Morgan’s home country, there are an average of 42 deaths by guns per year. Here in Canada, there is an average of 1,300 deaths by guns per year, and overwhelmingly the United States averages just over 11,000 deaths by guns per year.

In the end, this isn’t a debate to keep Piers Morgan in the United States, this is a debate of the right to bear arms verses the right-to-life for children and the safety of citizens in the United States.

Morgan brilliantly stated himself, “You may not agree with all I suggest, but let’s have the debate. Loudly. Do it for these poor kids, and their poor families.”

colton hordichuk contributor

Have you ever noticed that nothing sticks to the Prime Minister?

It seems that Stephen Harper is incorruptible and nothing can damage his reputation. Despite what seems like a steady stream of failure and obfuscation coming from the government, Harper remains above controversy and accusations of incompetence, which is far more than can be said for his ministers. Every week, it seems, a story breaks about a minister who says or does something embarrassing to the government or demonstrating total ineptitude at their jobs.

But even if Prime Minister Harper himself isn’t linked to controversy and incompetence, it boggles the mind that his government ministers can continually fail and still keep their jobs. Consider the case of Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz, who presided over both the listeriosis outbreak in 2008 when he joked that Canadians were dying a “death by a thousand cold-cuts” from the Maple Leaf Foods recall of contaminated lunch meat. During the E.Coli outbreak last year at the XL Food plant that sickened several people and led to the largest food recall in Canadian history, the minister was nowhere to be seen for much of the time, and even after both of those things, he remains a minister. Resignations are certainly not unprecedented over those sorts of failings, and yet there seems little admission that there is any responsibility.

Ritz is not alone, though. Minister of Defence Peter Mackay initially tried to sell the F-35 fighter jets to Canadians by using the misleading price of $16 Billion for 65 jets, a cost that has since exploded to $45.6 Billion in acquisition, development, and maintenance. In essence, Minister Mackay tried to budget taxpayer dollars for a new car without factoring in the costs of gas and repairs. Also, the cars cost about $245 million dollars each and require constant maintenance and we didn’t even look to see if there were other potential cars which might be more reliable, cheaper to repair, or better for our needs.

The damning thing is it’s not like anyone fell for Mackay’s initial sales pitch. In fact, the opposition’s demand for the real numbers and Mackay’s subsequent refusal to provide that information to Parliament and Canadians led to a vote of contempt of Parliament. Essentially, Mackay withheld serious information from Canadians and Parliament so that neither could properly scrutinize the deal Canada was making.

And then, once the real numbers finally came out, Mackay remained Minister of Defence after essentially doing everything in his power to lose his job.

These are just brief examples of ministers not quite seeming to understand their portfolio. I could list here Jason Kenney, who broke the fundraising rules of Parliament and remains a minister even though in the past ministers have resigned for even being under suspicion of possibly committing something embarrassing to the government. Or Minister of Labour Lisa Raitt, whose commitment to labour amounts to committing to force labour back to work through legislation. Or Minister for the Status of Women Rona Ambrose who voted in favour of a motion that could have turned back the clock on abortion rights women have fought for over the last several decades.

But it might be time to start looking beyond these ministers to the person who chooses to keep them in their positions – the Prime Minister. Sure, Harper seems to stand above the fray and have nothing to do with the ineptitude and gaffes of his ministry, but ultimately he decides whether they will resign or not. And so far he’s content to keep his ministers in their positions for the most part. If anything sticks to the Prime Minister, it should be that fact.

edward dodd op-ed editor

the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013

op-ed 19

What Can’t Be Thrown Away

Dietrich Neu

Imagine this: you're excited about starting university. Either you already know what you want to major in or you look forward to sampling a smorgasbord of first-year classes so that you can decide what you want to study further. Or you've always wanted to be an X – engineer, computer programmer, name a career – but you're not sure how to get there.

Here's a surprise: most classes are taught in Latin, as in medieval European centres of learning. You are expected to write essays in that language. You are told that you, as an aspiring scholar, should have an instinctive knowledge of Latin grammar. If not, you can take a basic Latin course, but within a year, you are expected to be fluent. If you have trouble understanding course material in Latin, and you don't really know how to construct a sentence in Latin, let alone a paragraph or an essay in it, you're likely to fail.

Funding cutbacks have eliminated some intermediate and advanced Latinlanguage courses that might have helped you. You choose a major that only requires one first-year Latin course, not two, but you still have to write essays in it, and you can't really expect any of your profs outside the Latin Department to tutor you in composition. There is a Writing Centre for that.

Of course, this scenario is a fantasy. Latin is a "dead" language. (Never mind that it is more like a walking mummy than a corpse, since it is the source of many words currently used in the sciences, religious studies and the practice of law). Most university courses in twenty-first century Canada are taught in one of two living languages: English or French. No problem, right?

Take another look at the fantasy scenario. Does any of it seem familiar? If you didn't learn English as a child, is it easy for you to read and write in it? Are you tempted to download an essay from the internet and submit it as your own work, or ask a classmate to help you write something that will get you the passing grade you need? If you get caught handing in someone else's words as your own, you are likely to be expelled faster than you would fail by trying to do all your own writing.

Do you find it hard to write essays that impress your profs even though you've

been speaking English all your life? Have you been told that your writing needs to be clearer? Why do you need writing skills if you're not planning to write a novel?

Most of the concepts that you need to understand in any subject are expressed in words. Here at the University of Regina, those words are usually in English.

Universities are places where ideas are taught, learned, discussed, debated, developed and refined. You can't work with ideas if you can't express them in a language.

There was probably never a time when every student at this university loved English classes, or preferred to read books than listen to the music of a popular band.

I'm trying to be realistic. Even still, as an Instructor of first-year English who remembers being a student here in the 1970s, I can't help noticing that the culture shock experienced by most students in first-year English classes seems to be getting worse all the time.

I honestly don't know whether the rules of grammar are still taught in any Englishlanguage high schools. However, I do know that these rules seem more mysterious to more first-year students every year even though most students understand technological gadgets better than I do. If a formal knowledge of English grammar seems as outdated as a formal knowledge of Latin grammar, does anyone really need to learn about sentence construction or verb tenses?

Consider the fantasy scenario. If all your textbooks are in a language that confuses you, do you think you could learn it simply by staring at the words, or would some instruction be useful? If you want to learn chess or basketball, wouldn't you want to learn the rules (which form the game itself) before jumping in? Skill in any subject usually requires a combination of theoretical learning and practice. If you don't expect to win a tennis game the first time you pick up a racquet, why assume that comprehension and composition skills in English come "naturally" to some people, while others can never catch on?

Funding cutbacks, particularly the ones that limit the number of English classes while expanding class size, are part of the

problem. Long before the current funding crisis, however, there was a widespread assumption that English classes are irrelevant to the needs of most students. A post-secondary school (not a university) could survive without the kind of English Department where literature is studied, but it's hard for me to imagine a school of any kind in which language isn't important.

Years ago, a petition was circulated by several students who wanted first-year English courses to be changed from a core component of most students’ programs to electives for those with an interest in literature.

I was relieved when this campaign didn’t succeed. If first-year English is “unnecessary” because students “should” know how to write clearly in English when they arrive at university, how could first-year English courses be too hard for the majority of students? If English is too hard, avoiding or eliminating it is not going to make textbooks in general easier to read, or make assignments in any class easier to write.

If you dread taking English 100, or you’ve taken it and felt as if you were drowning, you probably need more instruction and more writing practice, not less.

Consider another fantasy scenario: all students, without exception, must take an English 90 course when they enter university. The focus in this course is on English grammar, vocabulary-building, composition strategies and close reading of fairly simple poems and short stories. There are no essay assignments. Students who find this course easy get high grades that boost their average and enable some of them to earn scholarships. Students who find this course challenging have a semester in which to learn the basic writing skills they need.

There is a low failure rate in English 90, so most students go on from this course to English 100. There they learn to write academic essays about more complex works than they studied before. Students who love debating – you know who you are – enjoy the process of developing a logical argument and finding evidence to support it.

By now, most students are so proud of their writing skills that they’re not tempted to

What can be thrown away, however, are those sticky notes. God, I go through so many stickies a semester.

plagiarize. After all, people with plenty of money in the bank are rarely tempted to shoplift.

After English 100, there is English 110.

This is only for English majors, right?

Wrong. Students who passed English 100 with less than 80% could benefit from another essay-writing class. The skills that impress English profs are likely to impress profs in any course that involves written assignments, including science reports.

Obviously this is my own fantasy, but consider the benefits for students. The failure rate drops as soon as the policy of making all students take at least two English classes is implemented. First-year English is still an uphill climb for many, but it’s not Mount Doom.

In this fantasy, dropout rates go down.

Suicide attempts go down. Grade point averages go up. The failure rate for international students is no higher than the failure rate for locally-grown Canadians.

Relationship breakups go down.

If this scenario looks appealing, consider the power of organized students. No school could survive without students in the classrooms. I can’t imagine an administration that would pay me to converse with myself.

Words are powerful, and students are powerful. Consider what students could accomplish by speaking out about what they need to succeed. Perhaps it’s time for another petition. And if the next one is about adding classes rather than subtracting them, I will probably tape a copy on my office door.

jean hillabold contributor

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the carillon | Jan. 10 - 23, 2013