Argosy september 11th, 2014

Page 1

Mount Allison’s

THE Sept. 11, 2014

ARGOSY Independent Student Newspaper

Late to the party since 1872

Vol. 144 Iss. 2

New arts centre opens despite delays The Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts a relief for students and faculty as builders aim to complete work on time

The Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts (top) replaces aging facilities in Gairdner and the now-demolished Memorial Library, but work continues on the stairs and Moyter-Fancy Theatre, which have yet to open (bottom). (Chris Donovan/Argosy)

Arts & Culture

Sports

News

Mount Allison’s long-awaited fine arts and performing arts building is nearing completion despite delays in construction. Classes in the Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts began on schedule while work on the building continues. A significant portion of this work is to repair the damage the Moyter-Fancy theatre sustained in a flood. “There were deadlines for getting moves done, there were deadlines for getting faculty and staff in their spaces and offices, or all the different work on the building, and all of those, I hate to say, move all the time. Ultimately we know when the start of classes is and that drives the dates for the moves,” said Robert Inglis, vice-president of administration for Mt. A. Work also continues on the central staircase in the atrium. “On the top flight the side rails are not in yet, so that’s a safety issue, and the treading on the first floor requires some work,” said MacCormack. In order to be completed, the stairs need parts that have been ordered but that have yet to come in. The stairs were cordoned off during the first week of the school year and the building’s occupants had to take the elevator or one of two back staircases to reach the upper floors. Before the new building opened, the fine arts department was divided between Hart Hall’s basement and the Gairdner Building. The abundant natural light of the new space is a welcome change. A series of windows allow for internal lighting, despite the building’s outward appearance of opacity. “Including my time as a student, I’ve spent 37 years in the basement, so just the sense of light, the height of the ceilings and the sense of airiness really changes the sense of space,” said Dan Steeves, a printmaking instructor and technician.

Opinions

Despite the delays, occupants of the building remain “very excited” about the new space, Steeves included. “Even though our footprint, in printmaking at least, isn’t much bigger, maybe 50 square feet bigger, it’s just so much more spacious and airy. Everything is better organized,” Steeves said. The building was designed with input from those who would use the building the most. “The architects have been phenomena [...] We really felt like we were part of the process,” Steeves said. Still under construction, the Motyer-Fancy Theater remains unusable at press time, due to a flood caused by a faulty valve in the fire sprinkler system during a test. The theatre was nearly complete when the flood happened. “We quite quickly learned that the floor had to be replaced. That means bringing back the floor contractor, that means getting the materials and replacing the floor, ” said Inglis. A number of lights were also damaged in the flood, but MacCormack said, “We’ll work with faculty, and we’ll work around that.” Inglis highlighted that the damage could have been much worse. The leak might have happened outside of work hours, or if the mobile seating had been installed. “Right now, [liability for the theatre has] yet to be determined, but various insurance firms are involved,” said Inglis. The building opens just weeks after the death of its namesake Purdy Crawford, the alumnus, lawyer, businessperson, and former chancellor of Mt. A. Flags on campus were lowered to half-mast on Aug. 13 in Crawford’s honor. The building’s official opening is scheduled for Oct. 3, and will include guided tours and an art exhibition of work by current students and alumni.

Inside...

News Opinions Sports Centrefold Arts & Culture Humour

‘Oh, Canada’ comes home: Pg. 10

Mountie football rank Sackville gets electric nationally: Pg. 11 car charger: Pg. 2

Some things don’t need looking at: Pg. 4

2 4 6 8 10 14

Pg. 9


NEWS

September 11, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

New electric vehicle charging station in Sackville MASU major contributor to the project

Willa McCaffrey-Noviss Political Beat Reporter

Electric car owners can now charge up in Sackville, thanks in part to a major financial contribution from Mount Allison students. On Sept. 2, a crowd of Sackville locals and students gathered at the Sackville Visitor Information Centre in support of the recently installed electric vehicle charging station, manufactured by Sun Country Highway. EOS EcoEnergy Inc. partnered with the Town of Sackville to install the electric vehicle charging station with finances from the town as well as from the Mount Allison Student Union’s Green Investment Fund. The GIF reached $24,350 over the 2013-2014 academic year. $10,500 of that money went to the charging station. $6,000 of the fund was allocated for the installation of the charging station, $4,000 toward an honorarium for the coordinator of the anti-carbon emission campaign for EOS energy, and $500 for a promotional campaign.

An electric vehicle takes advantage of Sackville’s new charger, partly paid for by Students. (Willa McCaffrey-Noviss/Argosy) MASU funds projects aimed at reducing Sackville’s carbon use through the GIF. The fund has grown since its 2009 creation, as only a small number of projects have been approved. Students give $10 of their annual fees to the fund. The charger’s manufacturer, Sun Country Highway, sells the level II charger, called the evCHARGER All-in-one, for $2,800. It costs an

extra $4,950 to install. Each charge usually costs between $1 and $2, which is paid for by the Town. The Tesla Model S, a luxury electric car manufactured by Tesla Motors, was brought to the site for the official initial charging demonstration by Sun Country Highway. The Model S is one of the more expensive electric cars on the market, costing $78,970. Although electric car companies are

on the way to making cheaper electric vehicles, not many are currently available. Many of the charging station’s supporters, including Mt. A professor Brad Walters and some of his students, were able to witness the functionality of the charger and learn about the day-to-day upkeep of an electric vehicle from local and nonlocal vehicle owners.

“We’re here for four or five years, but students on a whole have been here for 175 years,” said Annie Sherry, who oversees the GIF as MASU’s vice-president external affairs. “They aren’t necessarily going to see the profits themselves, but they’re building for the town to start moving towards an environmentally friendly future,” she said. At least one Mount Allison student ssw its long-term pay-off, Zoe Luba said “It’s important to have the infrastructure established so that people will actually buy the cars.” The launch also included speeches from Sackville Mayor Bob Berry and Amanda Marlin, the executive director of EOS Eco-Energy Inc. Marlin lauded the financial contribution of MASU, calling them “a forward thinking bunch.” Marlin also predicted that the project will be financially beneficial to local businesses in Sackville. She said, “people will stop to charge up, walk through Waterfowl Park [and] get something to eat.” Even with the prospective financial rewards, the environmental benefits were still most heavily touted. “We talked for years about projects and incentives that could help [reduce emissions],” said Berry, “We are joining an ever growing network of charging stations across Canada.”

Small school raises big money

Frosh parties scrapped

Mt. A looks to raise $50 thousand

Student Life tells execs to stay home

Jean-Sébastien Comeau

Tyler Stuart

Students from the Mount Allison community once again participated in Shinerama, Canada’s largest post-secondary fundraiser and a cornerstone of the activities surrounding the arrival of first year students to Sackville. It took students as far as Amherst and Moncton to raise money by shining shoes, busking, washing cars, or just asking for donations. Held annually on the first Saturday of September, Shinerama fundraises for cystic fibrosis research, a fatal, genetically-transmitted disease that appears in children. The disease typically affects the lungs, digestive system and various

“No off-campus parties. Don’t put your first years in danger,” were the words on the whiteboard as the residence executive teams strolled in on their last day of training. Director of Student Life Gayle Churchill urged the teams to cancel the secret tradition of orientation. Last year, the night resulted in at least five hospitalized first year students, all of whom were in critical condition. That and the recent deaths of first year students at other Maritime universities have prompted a concerted effort by Student Life to limit excessive drinking during orientation. “The off-campus alumni

News Reporter

News Reporter

Students rally in support of Shine Day (Chris Donovan/Argosy) other organs. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Canada website, “the persistence and ongoing infection in the lungs, with destruction of lungs and loss of lung function, eventually causes death in the majority of people who have cystic fibrosis.” After aiming to raise $37,000, but raising over $52,000 in 2012, Mount Allison’s Shinerama campaign looks to raise $50,000 this year. Rachel Harding, the Mt. A’s Shinerama chair, praised

the results. “There’s something about Mount Allison that’s hard to explain. For a school of our size, we shouldn’t be able to do what we do. We have an insane amount of passion to go out and get involved in these things,” said Harding. Mount Allison consistently ranks in the top six schools in the country for Shinerama fundraising, along with schools that have much larger student bodies, like Carleton and Laurier universities in Ontario.

parties always gave me a lot to worry about,” Churchill said. “We could have been Acadia. We could have been St. Thomas. We could have been any school that had a death of a first year student.” No Mt. A first-years have been hospitalized for drinking yet this year. Before meeting with the residence executive teams, Churchill told all residence assistants and assistant dons they were not allowed to attend the events in any capacity. “Being part of this puts them in danger of being criminally negligent,” Churchill said. Some RAs insisted on attending the parties in an effort to protect first year students. They were told again not to attend, as their jurisdiction doesn’t extend outside of the residences. While RAs and dons are employees of the university, residence executive members are not, and Student Life does not have the authority to

control their actions. “I don’t want to say, ‘You shall not,’ because that does nothing,” Churchill said. “That just drives things underground.” But certain executive members thought the actions of Student Life were more coercive than persuasive. “What Student Life has done is take away the tools to make it a safe event for first years,” said Dylan WooleyBerry, president of Harper Hall. Following the trsining session, executive members met to discuss alternatives, but they decided to exclude first years when they heard police might show up. According to multiple executive members, Student Life knew the addresses of the Harper, Campbell, and Bigelow parties, due to their Facebook invitations. “If they didn’t come online, it wasn’t me stopping them,” Churchill said. She said she was not involved in stopping any parties.

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The Argosy

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NEWS

Comet chasing satellite ends decades-long journey Is first to orbit, land on a comet

34 mineworkers trapped underground

When a 3.5 magnitude earthquake struck the town of Zenica, Bosnia on Sept. 4, the nearby Raspotocje mine suffered a minor gas explosion, trapping 34 workers underground for over 16 hours. A rescue mission the following day saved 29 of the workers, but five workers remain trapped and are presumed dead. Mine manager Esad Cvic reported the failure of rescue efforts to recover the five still underground. This is the second rock burst to strike the mine this year, which had previously injured 16 workers in two other incidents. Families and union leaders voiced criticism against the managers’ poor treatment of the collapse, as it was originally reported that only eight were trapped. In 1982, the Raspotocje mine was also the site of one of the greatest mining disasters in Bosnian history, when 39 workers were killed in a rock burst and collapse.

Science Reporter

A photograph of of the first comet to be landed upon taken on August 3, 2014. (Rosetta/OSIRIS) solar system astronomers because they remain virtually unchanged since the formation of the solar system, offering insight into the birth of its planets and its satellites over 4.6 billion years ago. Methods like spectroscopy and advanced satellite-based observations have been used since the twentieth century to show that comets were amalgams of frozen gases, water ice, rock and dust. Recent evidence also shows that comets may be a source of complex organic compounds critical to life on Earth, suggesting that they may have played a role in the inception of our planet’s first cells. In 2006, NASA’s Stardust satellite returned to Earth with samples ejected from a comet’s tail, which contained the amino acid Glycine, a common building block of cells. Rosetta will go a step further to collect material on site, or directly from the

comet’s surface, which can be analyzed to a greater capacity than that from the Stardust mission. Another mystery Rosetta may solve is the role comets played in the formation of Earth’s oceans. Abundant liquid water is perhaps the Earth’s most defining characteristic, yet where exactly it came from is an ongoing debate. Comets may have brought a fraction or a majority of Earth’s water during its formation. Rosetta will analyze the ratio of deuterium, a heavy isotope of hydrogen, to hydrogen and compare it to the ratio found in Earth’s oceans. Rosetta lifted off in Feb. 2004 from Kourou, French Guiana. It has spent the last ten years gaining speed as it used heavenly bodies as gravitational slingshots. It entered a deepspace hibernation between May 2011 and Jan. 2014 to

conserve power, and upon reactivation decelerated more than 700 meters per second to match 67P/C-G’s velocity. It is presently between Mars and Jupiter, accelerating toward a close pass of the sun on Aug. 2015. Since its rendezvous around the comet on Aug. 6, Rosetta has been perfecting its erratic, triangular-shaped orbit in preparation for landing. The satellite’s lander, known as Philae, is projected to detach from the orbiter on Nov. 11. Upon landing, it will fire two harpoons into 67P/C-G to secure it against the comet’s weak gravity. It will begin conducting its experiments shortly thereafter, as well as observing the comet’s behaviour long term while venting material with heat from the approaching sun.

More first years living off-campus than ever Residence, orientation the first to feel the effects Jean-Sébastien Comeau News Reporter

An unprecedented number of Mount Allison’s incoming students are forgoing residence by choosing to live off-campus. Sources from the students’ union suggested roughly 180 first-years are living off campus. The university would not confirm the estimates. Off-campus students constituted the single largest group of first years, said Jeff Counsell, this year’s orientation chair - more than there are in any residence. This forced orientation planners to overhaul Orientation Week, as most of the activities weren’t designed to accommodate a large number of off-campus frosh.

This Week in the World Mike Roy

Clay Steell

Comets have been observed from Earth for millennia, and they were an astronomical mystery until relatively recently. They’ve been important markers for starbased calendars, harbingers of doom, astronomical quandaries and forefronts of scientific discovery. Now our understanding of comets is set to break another barrier. On Aug. 6, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta satellite ended its ten-year journey and became the first satellite to rendezvous with a comet, known as 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Since then, it has collected unprecedented data on the bodies’ nature, as well as the clearest ever photographs taken of a comet. It has since been in orbit and will attempt history’s first landing on a comet’s surface, all while barreling towards the sun at 55,000 kilometers an hour. Comets offer a bounty of scientific discoveries, significant to many fields of science and space exploration. Despite having been observed for thousands of years by humans on Earth, little is known in detail about comets’ physical composition or characteristics. They are of particular interest to

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“We didn’t have the largest attendance from offcampus students […] Of course, we can’t assume that this is because they lived off-campus,” said Counsell. We’re hoping to send out an orientation survey soon to gather some information, make deductions and make decisions from there.” Ron Byrne, the vicepresident of student affairs at Mount Allison, is concerned by the new trend. By making the decision to move offcampus so early in their time at university, students will eventually lack critical assets that are developed during one’s time in residence, Byrne said in a phone interview. Focusing on the social and academic advantages of living in residence at Mount Allison, Byrne said that statistics show students living on-campus tend to have higher GPAs. Byrne says that in most instances, living off-campus makes it more difficult to build not only a “social network,” but a “support system - people you can rely on.”

“The biggest concern is it’s a fundamentally different experience living off campus than on campus. Students are not going to, on average, have the full ‘Mt. A experience’ and a far more difficult experience... I’m really hoping people understand that value – residence is not simply about having a roof over your head. It’s about quality and benefits,” Byrne said. Alejandro Angeli, a first-year Mt. A student from Moncton, said his experience is in line with Byrne’s assertions. “I have a friend who currently lives in residence and we’ll be walking together. He knows everybody and I know no one. That’s the bad part,” said Angeli. An ardent cyclist, Angeli’s nutritional needs and schedule simply could not be accommodated by what is currently offered by meal hall. “Making friends is, of course, very important to me, but I had to make sacrifices. […] Eventually it’s going to even out, but it’s going to take a long time,” he said of the social advantages of residence

living. In contrast, finding an off-campus room, even as someone with no prior connections in Sackville, was painless for Angeli. Over the past few years, Sackville has seen a number of new apartment and townhouse units constructed, which mainly house students. “It was extremely easy. I simply went on the Facebook housing page, posted and I received plenty of replies. I simply made the decision,” he said. The financial impact of so many off-campus firstyears on the university remains to be seen. Official numbers will be released on Oct. 1, and they will undoubtedly be significant. “The financing of services offered in residence rely on a critical mass,” Byrne said. “It’s worrying, because all of the elements [of residence services] that we hold in such high regard will have to come under review.”

Leaders meet at NATO Summit in Wales

The 2014 NATO Summit brought together over 60 world leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Newport and Cardiff, Wales. Following the meetings on Sept. 4 and 5, the member countries released the Wales Declaration to address the issues discussed at the summit, which included the development of the Readiness Action Plan. The plan means to increase preparedness and responsiveness in the face of threats to the group and continue to defend individual liberty and human rights. NATO also outlined that they will attempt to reverse the trend of declining defense budgets and aim to increase defence expenditure in order to accommodate any future operations. The NATO Summit gives the leaders of member countries an opportunity to detail strategic actions for the organization.

Surfer hit, killed by wave in Indonesia

Geoff Moase, a 48-year-old Australian tourist visiting the island of Lombok east of Bali, Indonesia was killed on Sept. 5 after being hit by a wave while surfing. According to local police, Moase was discovered floating about 100 metres from shore and was pulled from the water alive, but in weak condition. The surfer was immediately rushed to a medical centre for aid, but passed away en route. From the Gold Coast in Queensland on the east coast of Australia, Moase owned Dovetail Surfboards, a popular surf shop that is known for its boards crafted from Australian-grown timber. This death follows that of another 27-year-old Australian surfer Peter Luke, who was washed ashore on a reef by the island of Sumbawa in Indonesia on Aug. 11 this year after being hit by a five-metre wave.

Sierra Leone locks down against Ebola

The government of Sierra Leone has announced a three-day nationwide lockdown in an attempt to contain the outbreak of the Ebola disease throughout the country. Scheduled for Sept. 19 to 21, citizens of the West African country will be required to stay indoors without permission to leave their homes. Medical communities are raising concerns over the effectiveness of this decision. A spokesperson for Médecins sans Frontières said that this move from the government could push people to conceal infections from the authorities and actually end up spreading the disease further, rather than control it. According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization, the virus has infected over 3,685 people in West Africa, with 1,841 confirmed death. Within Sierra Leone, 404 people have died from Ebola as of Sept. 4, as reported by the country’s health and sanitation ministry.

French bookstores refuse Hollande’s ex’s book

Bookstores across France have refused to stock and sell Valérie Trierweiler’s new explorative memoir, Merci Pour Ce Moment about her romantic relationship with French President François Hollande. The couple were romantically involved for seven years, but split in January when photos of Hollande participating in an extramarital affair surfaced publicly. The book can be viewed as an attack on Hollande’s reputation, for it describes the socialist leader as secretly disliking and ridiculing the lower class of France. Signs posted in store windows of the booksellers label the novel as “trashy,” while others state that they will not spread the personal details of the leader and ex-partner’s relationship. Despite the controversy about its content and lack of appearance in bookstores, Merci Pour Ce Moment has sold out its 200,000 copies in print and more are planned to hit shelves in the country on Sept. 10.


OPINIONS THE ARGOSY w w w. a r g o s y. c a

Independent Student Newspaper of Mount Allison University Thursday, September 11, 2014 volume 144 issue 2 Since 1872 Circulation 1,700

62 York Street W. McCain Student Centre Mount Allison University Sackville, New Brunswick E4L 1E2

September 11, 2014

Just because you can look, doesn’t mean you should

THE ARGOSY is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national co-operative of student newspapers.

Reevaluating moral viewership

ISSN 0837-1024

Claire Henderson-Hamilton

506 364 2236

Email argosy@mta.ca

THE ARGOSY is published by Argosy Publications, Inc., a student run, autonomous, apolitical not-for-profit organization operated in accordance with the province of New Brunswick.

The Underbridge Press is a student-run publishing organization at Mount Allison University.

editorialstaff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Richard Kent

OPINIONS EDITOR Tessa Dixon

MANAGING EDITOR Vacant

SPORTS EDITOR Alex Bates

SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Cameron MacIntyre

HUMOUR EDITOR Taylor Losier

­­­NEWS EDITOR

ONLINE EDITOR Sam Moore

Kevin Levangie

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Daniel Marcotte

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SCIENCE EDITOR Vacant

PRODUCTION MANAGER Brandon Williams

PHOTO MANAGER Chris Donovan

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Chris Donovan

PHOTO EDITOR Sarah Richardson

COPY EDITORS Rachelle Tan

ILLUSTRATOR Vacant

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NEWS REPORTERS Jean-Sébastian Comeau Tyler Stuart

POLITICS REPORTER Willa McCaffrey-Noviss

SPORTS REPORTER Benjamin Foster SCIENCE REPORTER Clay Steell

ARTS REPORTERS Amanda Cormier Michael Dover

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BUSINESS MANAGER Gil Murdock

CIRCULATIONS

OFFICE MANAGER Alex Lepianka

IT MANAGER

contributors

Mike Roy, Madalon Burnett, Nic Sunderland-Baker, Partick Allaby, Claire Henderson-Hamilton, Mat Mina, Liam St. Louis, Sasha Weekes, Jennifer McKelvay, Sue Seaborn, John Perkin

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Dave Thomas (Chair), Mike Fox, Charlotte Henderson, John Trafford

disclaimers and copyright The Argosy is the official independent student journal of news, opinion, and the arts, written, edited and funded by the students of Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of The Argosy’s staff or its Board of Directors. The Argosy is published weekly

We are a generation with immense access to information. Thanks to the internet, we no longer sift through card catalogs for research or wait until the end of the day to hear about international news. We only know a world in which we can learn about anything instantly, no matter when or where it happens. Freedom of speech is seen by many as an extension of our freedom of information and therefore representing a fundamental human right. As viewers, we feel a sense of entitlement to information, especially when it is readily available online. Two recent incidents, however, suggest that our right to know ‘the full story’ has been abused. On Sept. 3, ISIS, considered a terrorist group by pretty much everyone, released a video of the beheading of American journalist, Steven Sotloff, just weeks after the video of James Foley’s decapitation went viral. In the same week, several celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Victoria Justice, Kate Upton and American olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney — who

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reserves the right to edit or refuse all materials deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for print, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Articles or other contributions can be sent to argosy@mta.ca or directly to a section editor. The Argosy will print unsolicited materials at its own discretion. Letters to the editor must be signed, though names may be withheld at the sender’s request and at The Argosy’s discretion. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Comments , concerns, or complaints about The Argosy’s content or operations should be first sent to the Editor-in-Chief at the address above. If the Editor-in-Chief is unable to resolve a complaint, it may be taken to the Argosy Publications, Inc. Board of Directors. The chairs of the Board of Directors can be reached at the address above. All materials appearing in The Argosy bear the copyright of Argosy Publications, Inc. Material cannot be reprinted without the consent of the Editor-in-Chief.

was a minor at the time the photos were taken — were leaked onto the internet. It is estimated that the number of views are in the millions. When such incidents as these make headlines, the instinct is to condemn those responsible for releasing the information or footage. ISIS murdered men and showed to the world, while celebrities had their personal information hacked from their phones and computers. We criticize those who release the information for stripping the victims of their right to privacy and, in extension, of their dignity. However, even if we are utterly disgusted by their actions, or merely suspect that there is something unsettling about them, we often feel compelled to see for ourselves and click on the link. Although it would be questionable to equate photographed nudity to videotaped murder, they certainly have something in common. In both cases, the photos and videos spread rapidly across the web, reflecting how easily we are able to infringe upon other people’s privacy. It is us, the viewers, that continue to share and send the links to one another. The mere action of discussing the information and photos through social media increases others’ awareness of their existence. Does our right to information extend to the viewing of someone’s naked body, or worse, of someone’s brutal murder? The line is blurred between what we ought to have access to and what we

James Foley in Syria in 2012. (James Foley/freejamesfoley.org) believe we ought to know. While they may be the perpetrators of the murders or the photo leaks, the fact that these photos and videos went viral does not only reflect badly on ISIS and the internet hackers; it says something about our morals as viewers as well. No, we are not all voyeuristic animals, and most of us don’t feel as though it is our fundamental right to witness murder. However, how easily we access information can bring about a fixation with keeping up with what other people know and all too often, don’t think twice before opening a web

page. We have forgotten that some information is simply gratuitous. This is not to suggest that we strive for more censorship on the internet. Instead, we might want to reevaluate what we use the it for. While we cannot individually prevent criminals from sharing exploitative information or footage on the internet, each of us can decide whether we wish to perpetuate their wrongdoing and further exploit the victims or resist the urge and tendency to click on the link.

Through stained glass A chaplain’s advice on the value of rest Rev. John Perkin

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Last academic year I took a break from writing my weekly column, Through Stained Glass; I had been writing more or less weekly for twenty years, and so in the twenty-first year, the column was on sabbatical, of a sort. This was, in part, a lead-in to a lengthier summer break than usual. I hoped that a combined leave and vacation offer me a chance for refreshment and spiritual renewal. I travelled to New England and visited the chaplains of some of our comparator colleges and engaged in long conversations about chaplaincy, spiritual life on campus and changing times. I read, and read, and read. I worshipped in a variety of places and forms, and engaged in wonderful conversations with colleagues in ministry. I enjoyed personal and family time.

I now start the fall refreshed and renewed after what was not technically, in university terms, a ‘sabbatical,’ but which in theological terms was most certainly a sabbatical in function, if not in form. Biblically, the sabbatical (from the Latin and Greek words based on the Hebrew idea of “Shabbat,” or Sabbath, literally to “cease” or “desist”) was a time of rest for the land occurring every seven years, when it would lie uncultivated. This was based on the assumption that the land truly did not belong to any one person to dispose of at will, but rather, belonged to God. In part, this reflects the model of the Sabbath, the weekly day of rest and abstention from work. We all need a sabbatical from the escalating demands of life. When I was just beginning ministry almost thirty years ago, I read the memoir of one Protestant minister who had served almost his entire career in only one church; he wrote that he simply declared a personal “sabbatical” – a seven-year break, in the biblical tradition – every seven years by simply resigning from every extra committee and community involvement that had built up over

the previous seven years, returning to his original work and allowing new challenges to be added over the next seven years. It is the principle, of course, not the rigid legalism that is to be observed, but it is interesting that when we do something religiously, we begin to do it with greater sincerity. I wonder how many of us, especially in professional occupations, could follow that example, giving us a break from increased demands over time and an opportunity to ‘re-invent’ ourselves every seven years by reflecting on our original tasks and goals. Having returned to Mount Allison refreshed and renewed, I begin the year with fresh idealism and ideas – and hopes that I might create more balance and order in my life, including observing that regular Sabbath break on a weekly basis. There is something to taking a day to cease from the demands of deadlines, or consumer activity and physical work. Years ago, one of my chapel assistants worked very hard to complete her assignments for the following week by Saturday, even if it meant staying in on Saturday night to get work done. She was rewarded by having Sunday as a true day of rest

and celebrate life, rather than simply meeting its obligations. The Jewish ecologist and writer Ellen Bernstein, in her commentary on the first chapter of Genesis, notes that “the Sabbath can be an antidote to the lifestyle of escalating demands, and builds what Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschel calls “a palace in time”. My summer was in such an antidote, and indeed was a “palace in time”. The opportunity now, for us all, as always, is to create such an oasis every week. Whether we practice any religion or not, the principle of pausing, to reflect, to celebrate, to find renewal, is a sound one. As another ancient biblical writer observed, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” There must be time for rest and renewal, to celebrate the goodness of life, and perhaps to watch the world, through stained glass. John Perkin is chaplain of Mount Allison University.


The Argosy

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OPINIONS

University of Regina’s students should focus on student issues, not Israel and Palestine Student union should focus on school politics Liam St.Louis University campuses are places of social discussion, debate and protest. It was not by chance that much of the opposition to the Vietnam War and South Africa’s apartheid regime sprang from within the ivory tower. Universities matter and it is crucial that we direct our efforts to where they can do the most good. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, as well as Israeli Apartheid Week, mobilize thousands of demonstrators every year and continue to increase the number of institutions disengaging with Israel. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is challenging in many ways. Most strikingly, it is rooted in national rivalry and a mundane political quest for power and security rather than a centuries-old ideology of racial superiority as with the South African apartheid. It is not irrelevant that Arab-Israelis have the same de jure rights and freedoms as other Israelis, though like African-Americans they suffer discrimination in practice.

Conference called for University of Regina’s involvement with Israel. (Michael Chmielewski/The Carillon) Divestment and sanctions can be conceivably justified by the collateral damage caused by Israeli conflicts. These campaigns can be effective and put pressure on institutions, universities, and politicians to consider such measures as a worthy goal for student groups. Unfortunately, many students instead devote their efforts to pressuring university administrations and student unions to act on their behalf in unhelpful ways.

At the University of Regina, a campaign to prevent partnerships with universities in Israel seems to have disregarded the notion that education and cross-cultural understanding are often desirable. Moreover, universities in Israel tend to lean to the progressive side of the spectrum. Academic sanctions against Israeli universities and professors not only limit the exchange of ideas necessary to change minds and hearts,

but also actively target the very people involved in finding a just solution. Lobbying administrations and student unions to take a stance on issues and publish meaningless press releases on global politics does not contribute anything of substance to the education of students. There is no more reason for a group of international relations or biology students to debate what to do about Israel than there is to dispute Canada’s

Frosh week safety concerns are justified Hospitalizations serve as warning for Student Life Tessa Dixon

Opinions Editor Following last years’ frosh week offcampus parties, five students were hospitalized in critical condition as a result of alcohol-related incidents. According to Gayle Churchill, the director of student life, those students “were hanging on the edge between living and dying.” This year, the university took proactive and preventative measures to avoid possible tragedies, and residence staff were encouraged to cancel their traditional off-campus parties for first years. Churchill said that last years’parties represented a turning point and presented her concerns to the residence assistants during a training session. While the decision to cancel the parties was initially met with opposition, they were eventually replaced with more low-key in-house resident and alumni mixers. Since the alcohol-related deaths of students at St. Thomas University in 2010 and Acadia University in 2011, Churchill has had increasing concerns about the level of alcohol consumed

While the off-campus parties thrown for residents are now a thing of the past at Mt. A, First Class Bash wasn’t placed on the chopping block. (Sarah Richardson/Argosy) by first-year students, many of whom are under-age. The opposition to the party cancellation is to be expected, but more difficult to justify. It is reasonable to want to go out to parties, but it is not normal to have a young adult die because they drank themselves to death. There is no way to justify calling a parent to inform them that their child has died right after being sent off to school. The parties traditionally took place three days after the new students had arrived. Obviously, a new and unfamiliar environment can present

challenges to an inebriated student trying to make their way home. In the past, RAs would escort the students back and forth between their residence and the party. While this undertaking is certainly the responsible thing to do, as staff hired by the University, they are putting themselves at risk of being held legally accountable if something should happen to a student that they are supposed to be watching out for. It would be naive to assume that first-year students refrain from drinking, even if they are under-aged.

It is idealistic to hope that students won’t go to parties or out to a bar and potentially drink too much. It is not ideal, however, for a student to be seriously harmed because they are encouraged to drink enough to be sent to the hospital. This is not to say that students are pressuring others to drink more than they are comfortable with, but it is a reality of the highly social environment of a party, especially during excitement of orientation week. Every student is required to pay a sum of money at the beginning of

5

relationship with one-party China or whether sanctions are an appropriate response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While debate and discussion are effective means of sharing knowledge and communicating, these are not the issues student leaders are elected to solve, nor are they issues where a student union has any authority to speak for the feelings of its membership, particularly when this membership is involuntary. It is reasonable for student unions to discuss matters that shape our world. It is critically important that they discuss these matters, if not for their own education, but to set an example for other students. However, when we shift these conversations from classrooms and dorms to university governance, there can be a quick shift from an organic focus on justice to a contrived focus on petty academic politics. For a culture of engagement to thrive, our efforts need to be focused on allowing space for students to define their own politics, not on having a council define it for them. Student unions and universities work for their members as students rather that speaking for them as individuals. If you want people to take serious actions needed to make a positive change, the first thing to learn is how to speak for yourself.

the year to cover the cost of events put on by residence staff. The house fees are also used to cover the cost of alcohol provided at the party. The money, however, is supposed to be used for events that can be enjoyed by all house residents, rather than by only those who drink alcohol. The off-campus party presents other safety concerns, as well. “You get 100 people in a basement and there’s one way out and something happens, it’s problematic,” Churchill said. An entire residence and its stillstudent alumni often exceed 100 people. If an accident was to occur or a fire was to break out, the sheer size of the party would be a factor in the harm of students. In partnership with the students’ union, Student Life is aiming to increase the emphasis on responsible drinking. Churchill said, “it’s not my intention to say no to parties. It’s my intention to reduce harm.” A necessary emphasis has been placed on the importance of educating students and residence staff on the dangers of binge drinking and appropriate measures that can be enacted to prevent alcohol related injuries. While accidents are a horrible possibility, it is within the rightful responsibility of the student life faculty and residence staff to do as much as they can to avoid the potential loss of a student- a member of our community. To fight for a party for the sake of preserving a tradition is irresponsible and reckless. It is only a party, after all.


SPORTS

September 11, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

Morrissey nets Mt. A their first win in extra time Chineh’s late sub pushed Mt. A past St. FX 1-0 Alex Bates

Sports Editor Forward Jaryd Morrissey’s first home game as a Mountie was one of the most exciting Men’s soccer games in recent memory. Mount Allison Coach Roy Chineh’s side probably would have been content with a scoreless draw with the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men. After a 3-0 defeat to the hands of Dalhousie University Tigers the previous day, the Mounties had still yet to score a goal in competitive play. After ninety minutes of play, the X-Men had peppered the Mountie defence, outshooting Mt. A 13-5. Almost all of the play was spent in the Mounties own third of the pitch. Thanks to phenomenal play from Mt. A goalkeeper Makenzie Hill, who stopped attempt after attempt by St. FX to score during the entire match, the Mounties had a chance to escape the game with points going into extra time. Morrissey found himself just outside the eighteen-yard box with the Mounties best scoring chance of the game. The rookie turned, took

The Mounties were able to provide spectators of their game against St. FX with one of the most memorable endings in team history last Sunday. (Sasha Weekes/Argosy) aim at the net and scored, pushing the Mounties ahead by one crucial goal. “I’m guessing [X-Men goalkeeper Thomas Pieroway] anticipated me missing,” said Morrissey after the match. “He showed the whole right side of the net. I just got a touch on the ball and put it in behind him.” Not only had the forward scored the game-winning goal in his first match on MacAulay Field, but also he had scored the Mounties’ first goal in Atlantic University Sport (AUS)

action. “It was pretty sweet,” Morrissey said of scoring the game-winning goal in his first home game. Morrissey is a graduate of Tantramar Regional High School, and chose to continue his education at Mt. A. The goal may not have meant as much if it weren’t for Makenzie Hill’s outstanding play in net for the Mounties. Also a newcomer to the Mounties, Hill stopped all thirteen

shots the X-Men put in his way during the match. Hill stopped many one-on-one opportunities, and shots from very close range. Now that Mt. A have their first win under their belt, they can forget about their rough start against Dalhousie. The Mounties will face the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers on Sept. 12, and Saint Mary’s University Huskies two days later. UPEI opened their season in Wolfville against Acadia University,

losing 1-0, and then tied the Univerisité de Moncton Aigles Bleus at home, 2-2. SMU, on the other hand, have lost both of their matches to this point. They were beaten by St. FX 2-1, and dominated by Cape Breton University, 4-0. Mt. A will definitely key in on the home match against SMU to pick up more points. You can catch that match on Sept. 14 at 3:15 p.m. on MacAulay Field.

Better Know a Mountie Idahosa Yorke Benjamin Foster Sports Reporter

At 5-6 and 155 pounds, Idahosa Yorke is one of the smaller wide receivers and punt returner on the football team’s roster. Big things come in small packages though, and he has already made a great first impression with his teammates. In his first exhibition game as a Mountie, Yorke returned a punt ninety yards for a touchdown. “It was funny how it happened, the kick before I had room upfield and I barely stepped out of bounds. Then the next time I set up down the middle and the ball came right to me and I caught it, saw a wide-open field and I ran. The blocks were like a wall and I went all the way” said Yorke. A lack of size has been a big part of Yorke’s athletic career but he has never let it get the best of him. “[Size] has never prevented me. I find it’s been more of a positive. People underestimate me because of my size and that drives me. It is something that I just need to work harder for what I want. I find I play more of a Darren Sproles or Dri Archer

style… people say De’Anthony Thomas but I think that’s a little too generous.” With the negative effects that his size might give him playing football, he makes it up with his lightning fast speed. He once ran a 4.8 forty yard dash, a number comparable to those of professional football players. The Bowmanville, Ontario native started playing football in grade nine as a quarterback, before switching to running back in senior high. He won two championships in high school, one in his first year of junior football and one to finish off his career at St. Stephen Catholic Secondary School. “The moments that mean the most to me are winning those two championships for my high school. Knowing that those are the only two that St. Stephen Secondary has ever won is pretty cool,” said Yorke. During his days in the Lake Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association (LOSSA), Yorke was the senior Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his school the three years he played, and was named the 2013 LOSSA League MVP after a season in which he averaged sixteen yards a carry along with six touchdowns. He was also the

Yorke has already been a factor for Mt. A in just one AUS game thus far. (Sue Seaborn/Mount Allison) senior captain at St. Stephen his last two seasons. Many schools across Canada recruited Yorke, including Acadia and McGill. He first heard about Mt. A watching the Uteck Bowl. “I was sitting at home with my father watching it and I realized Mt. A was pretty good

so I did some research and realized they had one heck of a season.” Just a few days after Yorke first learned about the Mounties he got a mysterious request on social media, “Out of nowhere I got a facebook friend request from coach Kelly Jeffrey and I did not

know who he was. After looking it up I accepted the request and he messaged me for a bit before the first phone call. We talked on the phone the next Thursday and he invited me to come to Mt. A for a visit.” After Yorke’s first trip to Mt. A, his mind was made up.

“I came on a tour and hung out with the football guys. It’s just the family atmosphere of Mt. A that made me want to commit here.” Yorke switched positions to wide receiver once arriving at Mt. A as the position fits him better in Atlantic University Sport (AUS) football. He is excited about the Mounties chances this season and he thinks the sky’s the limit for the defending AUS champs. “Everyone thinks last year was a fluke and we need to prove them wrong. The first game was a good start but we need to stay consistent.” After Mt. A he plans on pursuing another degree at film school studying digital media production. As for now, he’s focused on getting his Bachelor of Arts degree and helping the Mounties win football games, “With the talent and veteran leaders we have, I don’t see why we couldn’t win it all!” Better Know a Mountie is presented by The Connors Group and ScotiaMcLeod.


The Argosy

www.argosy.ca

SPORTS

7

Mt. A’s title defence begins with a win

Mt. A moves into the CIS top-ten after victory Benjamin Foster

Sports Reporter

Defending a championship is not something that the Mount Allison Mounties football team is used to. This year’s team will have to adjust to their new role as the conference’s powerhouse. So far, it’s going well:he Mounties didn’t disappoint this past Saturday in their home opener against Acadia. Mt. A took an early lead and never looked back, winning the game 20-12. In the wet and windy conditions at MacAulay Field last weekend, field position played a big role in deciding who would emerge victorious in both teams’ inaugural match of the Atlantic University Sport season. “I think the guys know we have higher expectations, they know how to have success at this level and they know how to prepare the right way. Now on game day, we all expect good things to happen,” said Pierre Arsenault, Mt. A’s athletic director. This game was Mt. A’s sixth win in their last seven games in a period stretching back to the 2013 season. Their only loss was against the Laval

The Mounties are off to a strong start after beating Acadia 20-12. They are now ranked tenth in the CIS. (Chris Donovan/Argosy) Rouge-et-Or in November. The defence and special teams controlled the game for both squads in the harsh weather conditions. The Mounties’ defence held Acadia to just 284 yards of offence during the game. “When we needed to score we did. We wanted a few more first downs but sometimes in the elements you just have to battle through. The offence got some first downs at the right times and we got that one big play by [wide receiver Rodreke Joseph], and that’s all we needed,” Kelly Jeffrey, Mt. A’s head

coach, said after the game. The turning point in the game came at 12:51 of the fourth quarter, when Joseph broke away from a defender and raced fifty-five yards to the end zone to give the Mounties a 20-6 lead. “It felt so good and we needed that. We needed that big play and [Coach Jeffrey] called the play for second and long and we capitalized on it. It was a great toss by [quarterback Brandon] Leyh,” said Joseph after the win. This play gave Mt. A a two-score lead and put pressure on Acadia’s

Ouellette takes first win New head coach sparks upset at Dal

Is the mosquito a necessary evil? Scientists say the mosquito could be eliminated

Alex Bates

Sports Editor

No one expected the Women’s Soccer Mounties to open up a three-nil lead over Dalhousie in Halifax last Saturday, but before the end of the first half, coach Gene Ouellette’s squad had a commanding 3-0 lead on the Dalhousie University Tigers. Jane Rouse scored her first Atlantic University Sport goal in the eleventh minute of the game, but the Mountie attack was just beginning. Amanda Volcko and Emily van Diepen gave the Mounties a daunting 3-0 lead over the Tigers before the first half ended. What seemed like a guaranteed victory for the Mounties became a little bit less certain after Dalhousie’s Michelle Yates scored twice before the seventy minute mark hit. Dalhousie furiously attempted to even the score, outshooting the Mounties 13-1 in the second half. The Mountie’s secondyear goalkeeper Tessa Ritchie held her composure, stopping fourteen shots in the match, and more importantly, did not allow a game-tying third goal. This year’s Mt. A squad is full of experienced veterans,

offence that had been shut down by a dominating Mountie defence up to that point. The Axemen added a touchdown with just sixteen seconds remaining, but the Mounties still ended the game eight points ahead. “After knowing the way we started off the season last year, we needed to start this year off with a win. This takes a little bit of pressure off but at the same time we need to stay consistent. We have things to improve on for next week,” said rookie receiver Idahosa Yorke.

Madalon Burnett

Mt. A has shown that they can beat the best. (Sasha Weekes/Argosy) and you can expect the side to compete with the best every week. With the likes of Megan Entwistle, Myranda Weild, Volcko and van Diepen, the Mounties have a chance to return to the AUS playoffs on their own terms this year. On Sunday, the squad played the St. Francis Xavier University X-Women. Coming off the upset victory over Dalhousie, hopes were high that the Mounties could take a full six points over the weekend. Despite Mt. A playing with confidence and good tempo, they could not beat St. FX goalkeeper Maris Miller. [I like having this up here a little more.]

After van Diepen opened the scoring in the sixth minute of action, Mt. A looked poised to open the season with a healthy six-point weekend. But it was not to last. St. FX’s Mary MacDonald quickly got the X-Women back on the board, and Claire Gibbons scored to push the X-Women ahead before the end of the first half. Mt. A will play the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers and the Saint Mary’s University Huskies in AUS action next week. You can catch them Sept. 14 at 1 pm against the Huskies at MacAulay Field.

The win did come at a premium for Mt. A. Fifth-year wide receiver Troy Trentham broke his collarbone and a timetable for his return is not yet known. Trentham’s injury is a massive loss for the receiving core. The AUS allstar is a key part of the Mounties’ short passing game, and Jeffrey has limited options to replace him. Running back Emmanuel Musanga left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. Musanga scored the Mounties’ first touchdown on a four-yard run in the first quarter. He is expected to be ready for next Saturday’s game against Saint Francis Xavier X-Men (St. FX). “I think [Musanga] will be back at practice this week. Trentham could be longer depending on how serious it is. It’s a big loss,” said Jeffrey. Leyh went twenty-two for twentynine with 200 yards passing, ninetyeight of those yards were to Joseph. Third-year Mountie Jordan Redding had his first interception of his AUS career in the fourth quarter. Punter Kyle McLean had three rouge and punted for 339 yards. Mt. A will travel to St. FX next weekend in a battle of undefeated teams. St. FX took their opener against Saint Mary’s convincingly with a 31-7 victory. The Mounties beat St. FX in their only exhibition highlighted by a ninety-yard punt return touchdown by Yorke.

There are 3,500 species of mosquito on the planet, but only a few hundred actually bite humans. Although they serve important functions in the ecosystem, scientists believe that completely eradicating the entire species of mosquitoes would not significantly affect the world. Other species would quickly fill the role that these irritating insects play within the ecosystem. While eliminating mosquitoes might seem like a selfish act of avoiding a minor inconvenience, getting rid of the bloodsuckers could help save 247 million people per year from malaria infection, as well as victims of the West Nile virus, yellow fever and other arthropod-borne diseases. In fact, the human death toll is more than 700,000 per year from mosquito-borne diseases -- more deaths than are caused by any other organism, including humans. In the last fifty years, the

amount of people affected by flooding has more than doubled. Stagnant water from floods creates a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Scientists think there is a correlation between the rise of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, and rising global temperature. As more and more people are affected by floods and warmer temperatures, finding a way to deal with mosquitoes takes on added urgency. So what really happens when you are bitten by a mosquito? The mosquito injects you with its saliva and finds a small blood vessel to drain. The saliva contains an anesthetic to prevent you from feeling the bite, and chemicals which dilate the vessel, increasing blood flow, and keeping the blood from clotting. There’s also room in the saliva for parasites and viruses that the mosquito picked up from biting other animals, like birds, giving the insects direct entry into our bloodstream, where it’s harder for our immune system to find the invader. All humans are allergic to mosquito saliva, so after a mosquito bites, our bodies

release chemicals called histamines which cause swelling, redness, and itchiness at the site of the bite. Weirdly, mosquitos also pee on your skin when they’re finished sucking your blood. They need to get rid of all the extra fluids and salts they have ingested; otherwise, they get too heavy to fly away. While this sounds disgusting, it actually gives us an easier method of killing them. Treating mosquitos with chemicals that prevent them from urinating means they can’t get rid of excess fluids and salts so they die. Scientists are working on developing methods to block the urination process in mosquitoes w i t h o u t h a r m i n g humans. In the meantime, we just have to deal with them biting us, sucking our blood, spitting in us, finishing off by peeing on us and potentially infecting us with deadly diseases. Madalon Burnett is Mount Allison University’s Health Intern.

Eliminating the mosquito could help save 247 million people per year from malaria infection


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NEW BRUNSWICK VOTES 2014

September 11, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

The parties, the platforms Progressive Conservative The Progressive Conservatives have held a majority in the New Brunswick legislature since winning the 2010 provincial election. Their platform, unveiled on Sept. 5 by party leader David Alward, details a continuation of current policies aiming to bring about economic expansion through the development of the province’s natural resources. The Progressive Conservative platform revolves around $10-billion of private investment entering the New Brunswick economy, mostly in extractive industries. The biggest contributors are shale gas development at $2.2-billion, a liquefied natural gas export terminal at $3-billion, and the Energy East Pipeline at $2.41-billion. “I want to be crystal clear that we are supportive of shale gas, and its potential as an industry to help us achieve our goals,” said Alward. “To not take advantage of this opportunity would be one of the most irresponsible things a government could do.” In hopes of boosting resource development, the platform lays out a long-term investment plan for 50 percent of the royalties generated. The fund would be furnished with legislated investments and withdrawals, aiming to draw long-term public benefit from natural resources. The remaining 50 percent of royalties would be split into halves: half would lower the province’s debt, and half would lower post-secondary education costs by investing in research, development, and innovation. Aside from bolstering the public purse, the conservative’s development goals include low and stable energy prices, electrical security and reliability of the electrical system, environmental responsibility, and effective regulation. The platform looks to pair the investment with policy that

tries to help small and medium businesses. An initiative to lower property tax rates in the province by 33 percent over four years is currently in its second year. The platform promises that, at the end of four years, the reduction will translate into $49-million per year of savings for taxpayers and benefit 16,000 small businesses in New Brunswick by lowering the costs of commercial space. The platform also promises to expand on their One-Job Pledge. The incentive pays an employer 70 percent of the wage up to $10 per hour, for a maximum of 40 hours per week. The subsidy would last one year and aims to keep graduates in the province. The PCs would increase net government spending by $117 million over the next four years. 50 percent of the money will be going to the second phase of the New Brunswick Drug Plan, which began on May 1, 2014. The platform concludes by predicting a surplus of $119 million if the measures detailed in the platform were to be carried out.

Green With candidates in all but two ridings, the Green Party is fielding their largest candidate showing ever. Their platform, released Sept. 3, calls for a move away from resource development, the platform puts a focus on sustainable local development. The proposed economic changes mainly come through tax reform. Residents with personal income above $150,000 would be subject to a new tax rate of 21 percent while residents with personal income below $20,000 would pay no provincial income tax. The corporate tax would rise as well. The change from 12 to 16 percent would bring it into line with rates in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. A slew of theoretical taxes also target the resource sector and carbon dioxide producers. The resource industry, in particular, receives a lot of attention throughout the document.

New provincial greenhouse gas reductions targets would be set and adjusted to through the restriction of development. A ban on shale gas development and cancel existing related licenses and leases would end fracking in New Brunswick. Fossil fuel infrastructure, such as the Energy East pipeline, would be denied permits, discouraging increases in the production. The Greens would also back out of the controversial forestry agreements that have been made by the Alward government with the private sector. The move away from the resource sector comes with a move to support economies on the local level. A New Brunswick first food purchasing policy for provincial institutions, Crown agencies, and departments would try to strengthen local food economies. A move to replace non-renewable energy sources along with a retrofit to reduce demand would seek to generate jobs in engineering, trades, and manufacturing. To combat poverty in the province, the Green Party looks to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, raise social assistance rates, and eliminate barriers to the workforce. The platform outlines a strategy around post-secondary education that takes a debt-first approach. It promises to make all provincial loans interest free, cap the student debt of New Brunswick residents at $20,000, and extend the repayment grace period on the debt from six months to one year. “It’s unacceptable that we are charging students when businesses get interest free loans; householders can get interest free loans to insulate their attic,” said Green Party leader David Coon at a Sept. 5 campaign stop. “We are making money off students and that doesn’t make sense to me. It’s unethical.” The Greens also propose democratic reform in the province. The key component of this proposal is a shift to proportional representation. Policies would transfer power away from the Premier’s office to the legislature while as well, limiting the ability of Members of the Legislative Assembly to transition into cooperate lobbying after their political career.

Can you Vote?

What will you need to vote?

When and where do you vote?

To qualify to vote in the coming provincial election you must:

If your name is already on the List of Electors, you are not required to show identification when voting. You will only need to state your name and address to a poll worker. If your name is not on the List of Electors, you can add your name by providing one or more pieces of identification. If your name is not on the List of Electors, you can add your name by providing one or more pieces of identification or documentation that collectively show your name, current address, and signature. Driver’s licences, lease agreements, utility bills, student IDs, and other documentation will work for this purpose. You may also have somebody already on the List of Electors to vouch for you. You can be added to the List of Electors at any advance polling station, ordinary polling station or any returning office in the province. The local returning office is located at 53E Main St. in Sackville.

Advance polling stations open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13 and Monday, Sept. 14. They are located at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre at 182 Main St. Sackville, N.B. Advance polling stations also open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from Tuesday, Sept. 15 to Thursday, Sept. 17. They are located inside Tweedie Hall at the Wallace McCain Student Centre at 62 York St. Sackville, N.B. The ordinary polling station opens from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, Sept.22. It is located at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre at 182 Main St. Sackville, N.B. You may also apply to vote by special ballot at the returning office. Anyone eligible to vote in the election may vote at any of the polling stations.

1. be a Canadian citizen 2. be at least 18 years of age 3. have been a resident of the province for a period of 40 days prior to the election 4. live in the electoral district on election day.


The Argosy

NEW BRUNSWICK VOTES 2014

www.argosy.ca

Liberal The release of the Liberal platform came alongside a promise by party leader Brian Gallant to create over 10,000 new jobs in the province by 2018. Released in Moncton on Monday, the Liberal platform was the last to come out during this election. The Liberal Party would go about fulfilling Gallant’s promise through a combination of tax reform, resource development and new infrastructure projects. The main source of the new jobs would be a $900-million infrastructure investment fund, aiming for short-term job creation and economic stimulus over the course of six years. The fund would be directed to projects that would eventually translate into long-term growth. Tax reform would pay for part of the expenditure. The platform proposes an increase in personal income tax for the richest one percent of residents and to cancel the property tax break for businesses brought in by the last government. The Liberals also intend to reform small business taxes. Their platform includes plans to lower the small corporate income tax to 2.5 percent and to increase a tax credit for investors in small businesses. Additional support for small businesses will come from a four-year freeze on the fees small businesses must pay. The changes to the handling of small business are a major part of the party’s long-term strategy for job creation and economic growth. Other elements of the strategy consist of investments in literacy, workforce skills and a fund to give unemployed 18-to29year-olds training and work experience in New Brunswick. The Liberal platform includes prescriptions for resource development in the province. The Liberals support the prospective Energy East pipeline, but will subject it to a thorough examination of its environmental impacts. The platform says the pipeline is a possible way to gain investment from Alberta-based companies. Other projects that would be supported include the construction of the proposed Saint John-based natural gas

export terminal and mining development. Instead of pursuing shale gas development immediately, the platform promises that the Liberals will instead impose a moratorium on fracking. The moratorium would remain in force until shale gas extraction can be carefully considered from scientific, economic, regulatory and public standpoints. The party would hike the minimum wage, from $10.45 to $11 per hour. The Liberal’s approach to post-secondary education attempts to bridge the gaps between high school, university and the workforce. They plan to develop a 10-year plan for all stages of education, which would ensure an easy transition from high school to university or college. It also hopes to align postsecondary training with skill sets desired by the private sector. This allows for students in targeted programs to be matched with careers in their prospective field. The Liberals propose to eliminate consideration of the parental and spousal contributions to student loans, and provide student loan relief to new parents.

NDP Released on Sept. 4, the platform for the New Brunswick NDP outlines, among other things, their plan to tackle the province’s fiscal debt. There are two key components to this plan: The first is to end corporate bailouts. “We will end the over $150-million we spend annually on corporate bailouts in the form of grants and non-repayable loans,” states the NDP’s platform. The second component is the introduction of the New Jobs Tax Credit. The credit would reward companies that create new jobs. “New Brunswick economists predict that the NDP New Jobs Tax Credit will create between 15,000 and 20,000 jobs within four years,” says the platform.

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The New Jobs Tax Credit is part of a series of tax credits that will try to strengthen different areas of the economy with tax incentives. Others include the Research and Development Tax Credit to promote business growth in the province and a tax credit for artists and patrons of artists. Slashing cabinet positions is also part of the platform. It promises to reduce the size of the cabinet from 17 ministers to 10 while also cutting their expenses and promising no loss of work for lower-level employees. The document claims the restructuring will save New Brunswick $25-million per year. This restructure also includes democratic reform. An independent commission would be formed to develop a model of proportional representation. All government spending reports would be published online, and the voting age would be lowered to 16 for provincial and municipal elections. The end goal is a debt-free New Brunswick, which the platform asserts is attainable by 2018. The platform states that $1.1 billion of the $12 billion debt would be paid off within the first year in office. For post-secondary education, the party has promised a program to ensure graduates can pay off student loan debt in eight years, and has plans for a Student Protection Act. The act would ensure students’ academic and financial protection in the event of labour disruption at a university or community college. The platform addresses potential environmental issues in a three-step process. If elected, the NDP would have the independent agency evaluate the potential issue for safety with regards to both human health and the environment. The potential issue is then subjected to a royalty and is assessed for financial viability. If both evaluations are passed, proceeding in the potential issue is voted on in legislature. Potential issues that will be evaluated this way include shale gas development and the Energy East pipeline. During the process, the legality of the extractions will be assessed so as not to violate Aboriginal and treaty rights.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in Fredericton. (Rick Harris/Wikimedia Commons)

How to fill out a ballot?

Who can you vote for?

How to stay informed?

Mark the ballot with an “X” or fill in the oval next to your preferred candidate with the special marker provided at the poll. The ballot will be rejected if it is:

The candidates for Memramcook-Tantramar are Helene Boudreau for the NDP, Bernard LeBlanc for the Liberal Party, Megan Mitton for the Green Party, and Mike Olscamp for the Progressive Conservative Party. The Memramcook-Tantramar riding is newly formed. It is made up of parts of former ridings Memramcook-LakevilleDieppe and Tantramar. There are two incumbents running in the riding; Bernard Leblanc is the incumbent of MemramcookLakeville-Dieppe and Mike Olscamp is the incumbent of Tantramar. Students have been provided with the option to vote in their home riding if they so choose without any change to the registration process. To do this, students only need to tell the polling officer at any polling station that they would like to vote in their home riding, and they will receive a special ballot.

A debate is being held on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Brunton Auditorium. All candidates running in the MemramcookTantramar riding will be in attendance. The moderator will be Dr. Mario Levesque of Mount Allison’s Department of International Relations and Political Science. The debate will have a setion on education and social policy, a section on the environment, and a section on the economy. Each section has the same format, combining moderator and audience questions, and open dialogue between candidates. Questions can be submitted in advance through the MASU website, or during the debate using Twitter.

1. unmarked 2. marked for more than one candidate 3. marked in a way that could identify the voter.


ARTS & CULTURE Regional in origin, national in scope September 11, 2014

Owens gallery celebrates Canadian art Michael Dover

Arts & Culture Reporter To define a country and a people as diverse as contemporary Canada seems like a daunting task, but Denise Markonish, a curator for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, was up for the challenge. Over three years, Markonish visited studios from coast to coast, crafting a diverse exhibition of contemporary Canadian art

argosy@mta.ca

Diane Landry’s tantalizing piece entitled Knights of Infinite Resignation experiments with light and movement (Right; Chris Donovan/Argosy). Janice Wright Cheney’s Widow towers over observers, serving as a memorable symbol of Canadian artistic talent (Left; Chris Donovan/Argosy). patriotically titled Oh, Canada. A large part of this benchmark show is currently on display at Mount Allison’s Owens Art Gallery until Sept. 21. In her introduction to the exhibition, Markonish explains that after visiting four hundred studios over three years, sixty-one artists and collectives were chosen in an attempt to provide insight into our country’s “most noteworthy art practices and ideas, including ... a deep and continuing interest in the land, craft, and identity politics.” To this end, the exhibition showcases a full spectrum of different mediums and

techniques, which include traditional painting and sculpture, and also hand craft, multi-media, performance and installation pieces. When displayed together, this varied collection of contemporary art provokes the viewer into reevaluating their perception of Canadian identity. Twenty-one of these artists and collectives are currently represented at the Owens, hailing from nearly every region of the country, including several prominent local artists from the Maritimes. “The Atlantic presence is often under represented [in Canadian Art], but in this

show that is definitely not the case,” said Katie Patterson, one of the Owens’ student interns who helped install the show over the summer. One such Atlantic artist is Janice Wright Cheney, a Mt. A alumna who is now based out of Fredericton. Cheney’s contribution to the exhibition is a sculpture entitled Widow, a looming, life-sized depiction of a rearing bear on a pedestal, entirely adorned with handknit woollen roses in varying shades of red. Other pieces included in the show are slightly harder to find, and require a bit more work on the part of the viewer.

For example, Halifax artist Michael Fernandes brought a trained archer into the Owens to shoot seven arrows directly into the walls of several of the galleries as part of his work entitled In Between. Some of these arrows are prominently displayed between pieces by other artists, while others are more easily overlooked. “Most guests don’t find all seven arrows,” Patterson says. Toronto artist Micah Lexier’s piece A Coin in the Corner is similarly easy to overlook. The installation consists of several identical, small metal plates hidden in the corners of several of

the galleries. These coins are glued to the ground and depict several lines that point in specific directions relative to the surrounding walls. An extra coin is available at the front desk of the Owens for any curious viewers who don’t want to crouch to see the details of the piece. Other samples of the Oh, Canada exhibition are currently on display at three other regional galleries: Galerie d’art Louise-etReuben-Cohen and Galerie Sans Nom in Moncton, N.B., and at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown.

Sackville Film Society promises diverse fall lineup Mix of comedy, drama and Oscar-bait films Allison Grogan With the release of their fall lineup, this week marks the beginning of another promising semester for the Sackville Film Society. Going on thirty-six years under the leadership of photography professor Thaddeus Holownia, the society continues to promise something new each Thursday at Sackville’s Vogue Cinema. Each season, the Sackville Film Society balances a mix of lesserknown releases with acclaimed and anticipated titles. This fall’s lineup is no exception, and promises everything from thrillers to Swedish comedies and artist biopics to vampire dramas. Kicking off this list is Fading Gigolo, a comedy starring Woody Allen and Sofía Vergara. While Allen is best known as a director, he takes centre stage alongside the film’s director, John Turturro, who also stars. Though reviews have been mixed, the film promises laughs to get the film

Sackville Film Society founder Thaddeus Holowina stands outside Sackville’s Vogue Theatre. (Chris Donovan/Argosy) society started once again. Among the list of films that will be screened this semester is the highlyacclaimed film Boyhood on Sept. 25. Shot over the course of twelve years, writer-director Richard Linklater has crafted a coming-of-age epic that has garnered worldwide critical praise, numerous accolades, and managed

to score a 99 per cent ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Boyhood has been noted for its risky production strategy, after Linklater cast then-seven-year-old Ellar Coltrane in the lead role in 2002. Production and filming then continued every year until its 2014 release, with the character and film

evolving alongside the growing actor. Boyhood not only tells a compelling story but is itself a study of the realities of aging and the process of filmmaking. Switching gears later in the semester, another anticipated film in the lineup is Only Lovers Left Alive on Oct. 16. Complete with a

star-studded cast, including Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, and Mia Wasisowka (who makes another film society appearance in Tracks on Oct. 2), Only Lovers Left Alive promises to be anything but your average vampire flick. In the running for the Palme d’Or at Cannes earlier this year, the film has garnered attention for Swinton and Hiddleston’s performances as well as awards for the film’s score. For viewers looking for a film with rockstar vampires in a desolate urban landscape, it shouldn’t be missed. Thanks to the continued support of the Sackville community, the society has been going strong for many years. By collaborating with the Vogue Cinema and Mount Allison, the Sackville Film Society’s weekly screenings help to close the gap between “town and gown” by creating a community of movie-goers and promoting discourse and discussion of the arts. Sackville Film Society screenings are shown every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Vogue Cinema. Memberships and tickets are available at the box office.


The Argosy

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ARTS & CULTURE

Music department showcases faculty talent Scott Jones makes guest appearance Daniel Marcotte

Arts & Culture Editor

Last Friday, Mount Allison’s music department kicked off the semester with the Faculty Gala Concert, an annual showcase of the diverse abilities of the department’s distinguished faculty. Featuring a wide variety of instruments, sounds and selections, students and Sackville community members alike gathered in Brunton to enjoy an overview of faculty talent at Mt. A. This year’s event was especially significant thanks to a guest appearance by Scott Jones, a graduate of Mt. A’s music program in 2008. In October 2013, the musician and choral director was attacked in New Glasgow and left paraplegic. Jones believes he was attacked because he is gay, and founded the Support Scott Jones fund and the Don’t Be Afraid campaign soon after. Since the event, Jones has become an outspoken opponent of homophobia and an inspirational figure, and his campaign has garnered much support from all over Canada. In place of an admission fee, the Faculty Concert encouraged donations to the Support Scott Jones fund. Before playing a short piece for solo piano to start off the evening, Jones received a thunderous applause and a standing ovation the moment he

Musician and activist Scott Jones receives a heartwarming standing ovation on the Brunton stage. (Chris Donovan/Argosy) appeared on stage. He also introduced the piece as a source of comfort and solace after the incident, and described his process of recovery in musical terms: “Even when life seems most dissonant,” Jones said, “there’s always a resolution.” The concert was also a milestone for the newest member of the Faculty of Music, Professor Colleen Skull, as the evening was her inaugural performance on the Brunton stage. Having previously studied and taught vocal performance at the University of Toronto, Miss

She then performed “Dich, teure Halle” from Wagner’s Tannhäuser, a song that served to highlight Skull’s commanding vocal talent and as a way of addressing Brunton itself with the song’s final lyric: “You, dear hall, be greeted by me.” Skull’s philosophy is that opera and classical music remain relevant today because the emotions they convey continue to be experienced in a contemporary setting. “These stories are timeless,” said Skull. “Opera is often seen as superfluous or for a certain crowd, but it is [the

“Even when life seems most dissonant, there’s always a resolution.”

Skull appreciated the small-town atmosphere of Sackville, and said that even the humblest beginnings can produce the most talented musicians. “There are many phenomenal artists that lead their communities in multiple ways,” said Skull during an interview. “You can reach levels of performing excellence without ever singing at the [Metropolitan Opera House].” At the Faculty Concert, Skull first performed a rendition of Strauss’ “Zueignung No.1,” a composer with whom she is intimately familiar after starring in the lead role of Pacific Opera Victoria’s production of Ariadne auf Naxos this past February.

11

performers’] duty to make it relevant, because it is relevant.” The evening’s program continued with various selections, each showcasing the tastes and talents of each faculty member. David Rogosin, for example, performed two Brahms pieces for solo piano that allowed him to demonstrate his ability to convey emotional depth. Often, pianists struggle to embody the complex range of expression that characterizes Brahms’ work, but Rogosin expertly navigated these pieces, allowing the audience to savour each carefully crafted note. While many of the performances featured more classic or traditional pieces, percussion instructor Joël Cormier took it up a notch in the second half of the evening with a rousing rendition of Iannis Xenakis’ avant-garde masterpiece “Rebonds.” After surrounding himself with an array of bass drums, bongos, and toms, Cormier began to strike at these instruments in a precise yet seemingly sporadic fashion. These bursts of percussive energy were punctuated by brief yet deafening silences, which almost served as an inverse rhythm that held the otherwise unpredictable music together. Throughout the evening, collaboration was a recurring creative element. From the piano accompaniments of Stephen Runge to the unique pairing of clarinet and guitar, the various performances accentuated the strong musical relationships within the department. Once again, this annual event delivered a memorable lineup that has set the stage for another great year for Mount Allison’s musical community.

New publication memorializes titan of art A look at Alex Colville’s life and legacy Patrick Allaby

Goose Lane, 168 Pages, $45.00 Alex Colville’s popularity is not some sort of accident. He laboured over each one of his iconic paintings and prints for months, in an attempt to answer the question “What is life like?” In a way of commemorating Colville’s artistic legacy, Goose Lane released a book about the artist this August that also serves as the catalogue for an exhibition of Colville’s work at the Art Gallery of Ontario. What the exhibition’s curator Andrew Hunter does in Colville is intelligent. He has tried not to make a definitive statement about the artist’s life and work, but instead structured the catalogue (and presumably the exhibit) in a way that promotes new discussions and new ways of thinking about Colville. Colville, born in 1920, was a student and teacher in

the Fine Arts department at Mount Allison University. During his lifetime, he was often called “Canada’s best known artist.” His paintings To Prince Edward Island (1965) and Horse and Train (1954) are two of the most iconic pieces of Canadian art, second perhaps only to Tom Thomson’s The Jack Pine and West Wind. In his essay “Welcome to Colville,” as well as the book’s first section of images, “Echoes,” Hunter includes other cultural items, films, photographs, song lyrics, and writing which have some sort of connection with Colville’s work. Readers might find it surprising that no other visual artists are mentioned in this section. This steers the discussion into new territory, avoiding the typical discussions of Atlantic realism and regionalism in Colville’s work. In his writing, Hunter asserts that Colville could have lived anywhere, yet stayed in the Maritimes because of his devotion to his wife, Rhoda. This claim is meant to establish that Colville was not primarily concerned with painting scenes from Atlantic Canada, but instead used his milieu as the backdrop for his

exploration of what it means to be alive. Included in the “Echoes” section are stills from the Cohen Brother’s 2007 film No Country For Old Men paired with Colville’s 1980 painting Target Pistol and Man. Hunter writes that Cormac McCarthy, the author of the book that the Coen brothers adapted, “positions universals in the detailed specifics of place.” Like McCarthy, whose work is primarily centered along the Texas-Mexico border, Colville also attempts to deal with universals through the use of their specific surrounding areas. The section of colour plates that follows “Echoes” features reproductions of 93 paintings, prints and drawings done during the 70-year period between 1940 and 2010. Besides presenting an impressive and diverse range of works, this section organizes the works thematically rather than chronologically. The result is that instead of being shown a linear progression of Colville’s ideas, readers are forced to consider how his main concerns recur, instead of the thorough evolution in Colville’s artistic style. One example of this is Dog and Horse from 1953, which is

Alex Colville’s iconic painting To Prince Edward Island appears on the cover. (Alex Colville/Goose Lane) paired with 2004’s Bathroom. The two paintings were done 51 years apart, yet bear a fascinating resemblance to each other. Perhaps the only real faults with Colville are that

it doesn’t include more of the artist’s works, and that it doesn’t present more links within the artist’s work and to the culture it exists within. However, this is reconciled by Hunter’s statement that the

book is meant as a beginning rather than an ending, and it certainly has opened up the door to further discussions on Colville’s life and work.


12 ARTS & CULTURE

September 11, 2014

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Salvaged Sackville materials inspire local exhibit Steve deBruyn makes Struts ‘round’ Kelsey Jones If you like your art bright, sustainable, local and textural, you will enjoy “Make it Round” by Canadian artist Steve deBruyn at Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Arts Centre. The show features sculptures and paintings made using materials found around Sackville. The pieces are playful with eye-catching colors and shapes, but also ethical in their creation, as the recycled items that are given new life as parts of the artwork in this show. The entire exhibit was made with materials from the Sackville area, making it a truly community-inspired project. DeBruyn is from London, Ont. and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Halifax at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. He has created solo exhibitions like this one in other parts of Canada this year, in places like Kamloops, B.C., North Bay, Ont., London, Ont. and Trois-Rivières, Que.. DeBruyn’s artistic vision for

DeBruyn’s exhibition visibly engages with the gallery space by hanging from the ceiling and bracing against the room’s corners. (Chris Donovan/Argosy) the exhibition was to have “the process [become] the focal point and the finished product a remnant of these actions.” Work on “Make it Round” began this summer after another Struts event, the Ok.Quoi?! Contemporary Arts Festival. DeBruyn came to

Sackville to participate in the festival for one week, and the next week was spent creating the art installations now seen at Struts Gallery. One truly striking piece in the exhibition takes up a corner of the gallery. It included squares of painted wood, almost

like shingles, arranged to form a building facade on the wall. The panels of wood created a base for the structural squares. Behind this textural element was red paint spun into circles, loops and ovals over a green background. The base of this piece extended from the

wall and outwards towards the observer. The piece had a graffiti style to its painting, and the mixing and matching of the different painted patterns made the piece stand out. One truly unique element of the exhibition that really made it cohesive was the chaos of the

painted wood and the way the different designs clashed while they worked together. The “Make it Round” exhibition fits well into Struts Gallery and takes advantage of its space. The pieces frame the front gallery space by filling in corners of the room, hanging from the ceiling and walls, and simply sitting in the centre of the room. The exhibition as a whole has an immersive quality to it, with the some of the pieces extending into the room from their place on the walls. DeBruyn is known for creating pieces that are inspired by skateboarding culture. He currently has another similar installation at the Centre d’exposition L’imagier in Gatineau, Que. titled Rendre Ronde, which uses an array of ramp-like sculptures that invoke an image of this recreational activity. The exhibition will be displayed until Sept. 21, so there is still plenty of time to check out this truly Sackville-inspired art showing. Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Arts Centre is located at 7 Lorne Street and is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. every day. The pieces in Make it Round are rich, layered and definitely worth a trip over to take a look of your own.

T+L-Fest entices community with games, local music Bar hosts Thus Owls and guest performances Amanda Cormier

Arts & Culture Reporter Sackville locals kicked back, relaxed, and raised their glasses for featured musicians at T+L-Fest this past weekend. From Sept. 5 to Sept. 7, Thunder & Lightning hosted local musicians and games for attendees of all ages to enjoy. T+L-Fest is a music festival at its essence and featured performers of varying genres from near and far. Friday night featured BMP & Red, a hip-hop duo from Sackville. The group has released four albums in total, including their latest album, 2 Motherfuckers, released on March 1. Their six-song set showed off the duo’s jazz influences. Of all the shows at T+L-Fest, BMP & Red generated the most energy from the audience. When the show opened, most people were merely sitting with a drink in hand, tapping their feet or nodding their heads to the beat; but after the first few songs, most of the audience had been brought to their feet. The performance shook the foundations of the establishment, as was evident by the positive and lively response of those in attendance. The energy continued after the show with open karaoke. Saturday was the busiest day for T+L-Fest, with the the line-up

featuring Henry Adam Svec, Michael Feuerstack, and Thus Owls. Henry Adam Svec studied English literatures at Mount Allison University, and it was here in Sackville that he developed a love for folk music. He has a particular interest in Canadian folklore, and often uses these traditions as inspiration for his material. Svec performed songs created with the assistance of LIVINGSTON, a computer program designed by Svec and Czech programmer Mirek Plíhal that uses digital algorithms and an archive of Canadian folk songs to generate new, unique songs. The creators of this project describe it as an “artificially intelligent digital organism capable of accessing the totality of Canadian folk music” because it makes new songs with the information it collects. Svec had a part in creating LIVINGSTON and has recorded an album, Artificially Intelligent Folk Songs of Canada, Vol. 1, with the songs that LIVINGSTON had made. Svec’s show felt very intimate and connected with the audience. A simple mix of guitar, accordion, harmonica, and vocals from both Svec and El Ron Maltan created a relaxed environment for guests. It was easy to see the passion that went into his work as he would often stop in between songs and explain his creative process and what LIVINGSTON’s songs meant for him. Michael Feuerstack’s performance on Saturday night brought a very mellow atmosphere. It was just him and his guitar, playing some soft tunes on a dimly-lit stage. The dim lights made it harder to see his face, but that

just added to the overall mood of the performance. Feuerstack attempted to establish a close connection with the audience by taking requests throughout the evening, and encouraged showgoers to approach and chat with him after the show. “It feels like coming home,” Feuerstack said, referring to his performances in the Maritimes. He spent most of his early years in Moncton before moving to Ottawa, and eventually to Montreal where he lives now. Saturday’s festivities ended with Thus Owls, a Montreal-based band that originated in Sweden. The band has five members, but only two of them, husband and wife duo Erika and Simon Angell, appeared to play at the bar. Thus Owls’ sound can be described as chilling, haunting, soothing, and soulful, sending listeners on an emotional journey. Erika’s rich voice, decorated with reverb effects, was very soft one moment and then belting the next. Thus Owls performed songs from their most recent album, Turning Rocks, which was released in April. The songs were inspired by stories that Erika’s grandmother had told her during her childhood. As both Erika and her grandmother grew up in the same house, these stories held a particular significance because they involved a familiar physical setting but an unfamiliar temporal setting. Erika said that the songs convey the message that “time always repeats itself,” and that she feels connected to her grandmother’s stories, even though she didn’t personally experience them.

They also wrote a song specifically for their tour of Atlantic Canada and even called Michael Feuerstack back to the stage to perform a song together. Other performers at T+L-Fest

included El Ron Maltan, Leah Garnet, and Jerry Ropson. There were games for guests of all ages to enjoy at the festival, including washer toss, darts, and bowling.

The Argosy is now taking applications for Arts and Culture reporters! Reporters are responsible for: Writing and submitting two articles per week for the Arts and Culture Section; Familiarizing themselves with journalistic styles and standards; and Conducting research, interviews, and attending events pertaining to the arts in Sackville and at Mount Allison. How to apply: submit application, resume, and writing samples to argosy@mta.ca


SHIP’S LOG Oh, Canada

Brunton Auditorium

Location: Owens 26 June to 21 September

September 11, 2014

Location:

Sir James

Dunn Wu Centre Dr. Colleen Renihan

argosy@mta.ca

*If there is availability, we

emphasis on the nature

will consider applications

of their collaboration and

from 4th year students as

the relationship between

well.

story, text, and music.

discusses issues in

This is an open session for

Oh, Canada, the

contemporary Canadian

all students and staff who

Massachusetts Museum

Music and Culture with

are interested in joining

Yoga/Meditation

of interest to musicians

of Contemporary Art’s

distinguished composer

the 5th annual Student

Tuesday, September 16

and non-musicians alike,

(MASS MoCA) landmark

and Mount Allison

Affairs hiking trip to Mt.

5 – 6pm

and students from Drama

exhibition of ‘Art from

honorary degree recipient

Katahdin. Located in

Location: Chapel

and Creative Writing

North, North America,’

Dr. John Beckwith.

Baxter State Park, Mt.

Manning Room

are especially welcome.

is hitting the road. The

This presentation will be

Katahdin is the highest

Admission is free, all are

expansive exhibition,

Beckwith, guitar, and

mountain in Maine (USA)

IAM Yoga/Meditation

welcome to attend. For

which includes more than

colleagues

at 1606m. This year’s trip

drop-in classes Tu & Th

more information call 364-

100 works from over 60

Saturday, September 13

will be going October 12-

5:00-5:45 in the downstairs

2374 or e-mail music@mta.

Canadian artists, will

8 – 10pm

13. For more information,

room of the Chapel. Open

ca

travel to Maritime venues

Location:

please email Adam Christie

to everyone, complete

this summer; the first of

Conservatory of Music

at achristie@mta.ca.

beginners or advanced (no

Bloomberg Aptitude Test

two stops on a Canadian

Brunton Auditorium

charge). This is the fourth

Wednesday, September 17

Graduation Prep Series

year it has been offered to

6 – 9pm

tour ending in Calgary. The exhibition will show

Beckwith, guitar, and

Info Session

students, faculty, staff or

Location: Avard

in a collaborative, multi-

colleagues: A faculty

Monday, September 15

community members and

Dixon GIS Room 115

venue format, from June

concert featuring the

5:30 – 6:30pm

is a practice transmitted

26 through September 21,

premiere of Ut re mi fa

Location:

2014, at the Galerie d’art

sol la for guitar by John

Dunn Room 106

Louise-et-Reuben-Cohen

Beckwith. Other works

at Université de Moncton,

by Canadian composers

The Graduation

Colloquium Musicum

students and recent

and Galerie Sans Nom, in

Kevin Morse, W.L.

Preparation Series (GPS)

Wednesday, September 17

graduates connect with

Moncton, the Owens Art

Altman, Omar Daniel, and

is a program intended for

4 – 5pm

financial employers

Gallery at Mount Allison

Michael Parker, performed

3rd year(*) international

Location:

worldwide. Students who

University in Sackville,

by Peter Higham, guitar,

students to learn more

Conservatory of Music

take the BAT uncover their

and the Confederation

Helen Pridmore, voice,

about living and working

Brunton Auditorium

strengths across a range

Centre Art Gallery in

Danise Ferguson, cello,

in Canada after graduation.

Charlottetown.

James Kalyn, clarinet, and

Presented by the

Colloquium Musicum:

and personal competencies

Gary Tucker, narrator.

International Centre and

Dr. Kevin Morse and

and gain insight into their

Visit the Oh Canada

Tickets $10/$5, available

Career Services, students

playwright/librettist Lisa

suitability for careers in

website at www.

at the door or at the

will learn about the job

Codrington, “Creating

business and finance. It is

ohcanadaeast.com

Music dept. office. For

hunt, immigration, resume

Opera: Interdisciplinary

a 2-hour multiple-choice

more information please

writing & interview skills,

Collaboration in Practice.”

exam. Scores are entered

A Conversation with John

call 364-2374 or e-mail

networking & social media

Kevin Morse and Lisa

anonymously into our BAT

Beckwith

music@mta.ca

and much, much more. This

Codrington will discuss

database where over 20,000

Friday, September 12

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information session will

their ongoing opera project,

top firms can search for

2:30 – 4:30pm

Session

give all of the details for

an adaptation of Jonathan

internship and full-time

Location:

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candidates. Register online.

Conservatory of Music

5 – 6pm

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Proposal,” with particular

Sir James

by Amma and taught

All students are welcome

internationally.

to register for the BAT. It was developed to help

of finance, business, career


HUMOUR

September 11, 2014

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Small talk: a science The art of conversation, explained for the awkward-at-heart Taylor Losier Humour Editor

No matter your mastery of the English language, sometimes conversation just sucks. The next time YOU approach a new SUBJECT AND POTENTIAL FRIEND, there are a few tricks to remember. First, start off simple, with an introduction, for example: YOU: Hello, I’m [insert your name here]. THE SUBJECT will respond, and you would do well to allow time for a handshake, fist bump, hug or awkward wave. Only one of these will occur, never try to do all four, and make sure to read body movement to figure out which it’ll be. (If you make a mistake, you are allowed to laugh awkwardly, or shuffle away. Pick the one that suits you best.) Next is a good time for basic questions, such as: YOU: What year are you in? What are you studying? Where are you from? Etc. (Do not ask all of these questions at once, to avoid confusion.) When THE SUBJECT answers, state your enthusiasm and/or interest. If there is any correlation, you are entitled to add a noise of excitement and an exclamation of joy, such as “Oh my God, me too!” Please note that for all these questions, it is likely you will be asked the same in return. Prepare your

answers accordingly. If no common interests have arisen between you and THE SUBJECT by this point, you are entitled to ask several more questions that may lead to social interaction. For example: YOU: Why did you come to Mt. A? How about this weather? What’s your blood type? Have you seen any good movies lately? Etc. If nothing develops, you may either pretend that you: a) see someone you know b) are late for some event, or c) have received an important text message, and continue to stare at your phone as though it contained all the world’s secrets. Alternatively, if you are trying to strike up a conversation with AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE, conversation may be started by excitedly shouting the person’s name in lieu of an introduction. If it is a close acquaintance, hugs are permitted. Replace all basic questions with the following: YOU: How was your summer? (With appropriate amounts of enthusiasm.) Listen in interest to THE OLD ACQUAINTANCE’S answer and, if nothing else is available to say at the end, go with a simple: “Better than essays!” Expect to be asked the same question in return. Remember to keep all answers to a relatively short length: no one really cares. In the case of AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE, conversations may also be ended with the same exit strategies as with THE SUBJECT. Now, with these strategies in mind, YOU can venture out into the world. Good luck and, just in case, keep your cell phone charged.

Taylor Losier Humour Editor

First year advice: Don’t trust the swans

Illustration: Nic Sunderland-Baker Text: Taylor Losier


The Argosy

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HUMOUR (CUP) - Puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com. Used with permission. Across 1- Small child; 5- Foil maker; 10- Show to a table; 14- Word of woe; 15- Way to cook; 16- Other, in Oaxaca; 17- Bath powder; 18- Highest rank in scouting; 20- Four-door; 22- ___ gratias; 23- Utah’s ___ Mountains; 24- Walked back and forth; 26- 1959 Kingston Trio hit; 27- Like barber poles; 30- Like harp seals; 34- Island in the South China Sea; 35- Gumbo veggie; 36- Emeritus: Abbr.; 37- Sleep like ___; 38- Melodies; 40- Bog; 41- Cooking container; 42- Silent; 43- Simple life form; 45- Trap; 47- Bloom; 48- Very cold; 49- Flies high; 50- Mountain spinach; 53- Finish; 54- Steak order; 58- Predestine; 61- Bunches; 62- Flutter; 63- In reserve; 64- Pessimist’s word; 65- Kill; 66- Biblical spy; 67- Child support?;

COLOUR

15

Down 1- Cave dwellers; 2- Winglike parts; 3- Hairless; 4- Fleeing; 5- You ___ here; 6- Full; 7- Behind bars; 8- Scandinavian capital city; 9- Devoured; 10- Extroverted; 11- Collar type; 12- Stuck in ___; 13- Cheerio!; 19- Kama ___; 21- The ___ Valley is a Californian wineland; 25- 100 years; 26- Cooking wine; 27- Silhouette; 28- Claw; 29- Mob scenes; 30- Barely make, with “out”; 31- Great Lakes tribesmen; 32- ___-Croatian; 33- Water vapor; 35- The loneliest number; 39- Salt Lake City athlete; 40- Reactionary; 42- Like a he-man; 44- Death, in France; 46- Subtlety; 47- Part of a woman’s dress; 49- Slow mover; 50- Does in; 51- Drum sound; 52- Met highlight; 53- Dame ___ Everage; 55- Pearl Buck heroine; 56- Nada; 57- Kitchen addition; 59- Incredibly powerful mythical bird; 60- Kan. neighbor;

Patrick Allaby

Mt. A ponderings

Taylor Losier Humour Editor


i r ed. Con tact Cre us. ate. Wa tch.

insp Get

YOU CAN WRITE FOR THE ARGOSY. Get inspired.

Pitch your own idea, or talk to an editor about the week’s big story. Write an article, take a photo, draw a comic; there are so many ways you can contribute!

Contact us.

Come to our weekly contributor’s meeting (Tuesdays at 5:30 on the third floor of the Student Centre) or email argosy@ mta.ca.

Create.

Now it’s time to research, interview, and create. When your work is ready, send it back to The Argosy before noon on Sunday.

your work featured in the next issue Watch. See of The Argosy on Thursday!


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