the carillon The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper since 1962 Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009 Volume 52, Issue 8
features
Regina’s downtown is in desperate need of revitalization. City Council recently approved a plan that focuses on making eight “big moves” toward that goal. We tried to find out how they will affect students at the U of R.
t he s taf f
Editor-in-Chief
Business Manager
Production Manager Copy Editor
News Editor A&C Editor
Sports Editor
Op-Ed Editor
Features Editor Visual Editor Ad Manager
Tech. Coordinator
News Writer
Peter Mills carillon@ursu.uregina.ca Matt Badger badger@carillon.uregina.ca John Cameron jc.sunshine@gmail.com Rhiannon Ward rhiannonward@gmail.com Austin M. Davis a_davis_7@hotmail.com James Brotheridge sjbrot@gmail.com Jordan Reid jleereid@msn.com Barbara Woolsey b.woolsey@hotmail.com Alex Colgan kinesis_14@yahoo.com Graeme Zirk graeme_zirk@hotmail.com Tiffany Rutetzki tiffany_rutetzki@hotmail.com Vacant
A&C Writer
Sports Writer
Photographers
CONTRIBUTORS THIS WEEK
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new s
art s & cu ltur e
Jennifer Squires Lisa Goudy Taylor Tiefenbach Alex Fox
Kelsey Conway Jarrett Crowe Tyler Dekok Marc Messett Andy Sammons Matt Yim
Kimberley Carter, Zak Stinson, Joel Yeomans, Owen Nimetz, Jon Hamelin, Jameel Suwan, Jeff Mahon, Kyle Addison, Matt Duguid, Dana Samways, Sarah Ritchie, Regan Meloche, Cassidy McFadzean, Murray Barkway, Aaron Grandguillot, Nathan Frank, Grant McLellan
brad vs. dwain
4 mail-or der label
7
op -ed
spo rts
th e pa pe r
THE CARILLON BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Joana Cook, Mark Hadubiak, Joshua Jakubowski, Janet Novak, Melanie Metcalf, Laura Osicki, Rhiannon Ward, Anna Weber 227 Riddell Centre University of Regina - 3737 Wascana Parkway Regina, SK, Canada, S4S 0A2 carillon@ursu.uregina.ca www.carillon.uregina.ca Ph: (306) 586-8867 Fax: (306) 586-7422 Circulation: 3,500 Printed by Transcontinental Publishing Inc., Saskatoon
The Carillon welcomes contributions to its pages. Correspondence can be mailed, e-mailed, or dropped off in person. Please include your name, address and telephone number on all letters to the editor. Only the author’s name, title/position (if applicable) and city will be published. Names may be withheld upon request at the discretion of the Carillon. Letters should be no more then 350 words and may be edited for space, clarity, accuracy and vulgarity. The Carillon is a wholly autonomous organization with no affiliation with the University of Regina Students’ Union. Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are expressly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Carillon Newspaper Inc. Opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in the Carillon are those of the advertisers and not necessarily of the Carillon Newspaper Inc. or its staff. The Carillon is published no less than 11 times each semester during the fall and winter semesters and periodically throughout the summer. The Carillon is published by The Carillon Newspaper Inc., a non–profit corporation.
11 bush in s’ toon
bloodlust
22
w h at’s tha t you sa id? D o y ou p lan on getti ng the H 1 N 1 vac c inat ion ? W hy or w h y n ot?
“Yes, because the pros outweigh t h e co n s.”
“No, because it hasn’t been p r o p e r l y t e s t e d .”
Ali White
Toby Brown
Fourth year Political Science
Fourth Year Business
th e ma ni fe st o
In keeping with our reckless image, our office has absolutely no concrete information on the Carillon’s formative years readily available. What follows is what’s been passed down from editor to editor for over forty years.
In the late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds. One of these proposed buildings was a bell tower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a bell tower.
The University never got a bell tower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student. Illegitimi non carborundum.
“No. They pumped it out way too
fast. I d o n’ t tru s t i t.”
“If I find the time, then probably. I w il l wa s h m y h a i r t he n , t oo . ”
Josh Jakubowski
Emma Ruthnum
Third Year Political Science
Fourth Year Journalism
news
News Editor: Austin M. Davis a_davis_7@hotmail.com the carillon, Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
A plan for tough times Spending, gimmicks, and controversy abound austin m. davis news editor When a government implements a serious spending plan, the tactic is usually to avoid attracting publicity; it is typically out of the question to have an advertising blitz. The Conservative government, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, is taking an opposite approach with its Economic Action Plan and is consequently feeling the effects. The current economic crisis spurred the Conservative minority government to put their financial priorities under four headings, according to the $2 million website exclusively devoted to the plan. These headings include, “Further reducing the tax burden on Canadian individuals, families, and businesses; smart stimulus spending that creates jobs; helping Canadians that are hardest hit by the recession; strengthening the financial system and improving access to credit.” This information is backed up by the claim that, “In 2007, Prime Minister Stephen Harper began warning Canadians of the coming challenges in the global economy.” Verbal warnings are one thing, but a two-year stimulus plan that offers to pay dividends for years to come is a much more significant check mark on the side of the Conservatives. Andrew Scheer, Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Regina-Qu’Appelle, and Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, says that the plan’s success can be seen provincially, especially in infrastructure programs. “I think we’ve seen some proof of that with the Saskatchewan government choosing to match some of our other stimulus programs like the RIC (Recreational Infrastructure Canada) fund. That was federal money that the provincial government said, ‘That’s such a good program, we’ll match it with you,’ so increasing the amount of dollars that flow.” Scheer’s office puts the total cost of the projects devoted to the University of Regina at $8,673,000. The Knowledge Infrastructure Program has five different projects in the works at the U of R with the amount of money varying from $550,000 to $3,068,000 devoted respectively to each building upgrades, revitalization, and other forms of enhancement. $3 million¬– the second largest amount of money out of the five – will be devoted to completing the fifth floor of the Research and Innovation Centre. While no money was divided towards the First Nations University of Canada, Scheer is careful to say that the specific allocation of funds is not federal responsibility. “We respond to applications. If the application wasn’t made, then we don’t direct money to projects that haven’t applied for it.” While the stimulus spending itself is being well received by both media and public, the Conservatives’ advertising campaign in support of the plan is being met with harsh opposition. Liberal MP for Regina–Wascana and former Minister of Finance,
Ralph Goodale, releases weekly commentary emails that have recently taken aim at the Conservatives for what he calls “an onslaught of this tedious and abusive propaganda.” This is in response to extensive ads of all mediums and novelty-sized cheque ceremonies that featured MP signatures (Scheer did not participate in these stunts) and, accidentally, party slogans and logo – an oversight that was admitted by the Prime Minister and the MP in question, though not before the Liberal party could file complaints for ethical violations. Though Scheer’s office currently puts the national advertising initiative costs at $34 million, in an Oct. 26 commentary, Goodale estimates the total cost of the Conservative advertising spree will be about $100 million by the end of the fiscal year. He wrote, “Instead of outrageous Conservative propaganda, that money could have put new MRI machines in 50 hospitals. It could have paid the salaries of more than 1,600 nurses ... A hundred million dollars would pay for 1,000 new units of affordable housing, or three million bus passes for low income seniors, or the tuition fees of nearly 17,000 students.” Though he agrees with two points of the Economic Action Plan, the Gas Tax fund and the Home Renovation Tax Credit incentive program, Goodale does not save optimistic words for Harper ’s third report, given on Sept. 28 in Saint John, New Brunswick – instead of Parliament Hill, as was originally intended – that announced the plan was 90 per cent implemented. When asked about Harper’s “90 per cent” announcement, Goodale bristled. “It’s 90 per cent announced, not implemented. Mr. Harper is very careful with the words ... there is a difference between an announcement, obviously, and shovels in the ground and jobs actually created ... our guess now is that [that number] is probably about 20 per cent, by the end of the year it might be about 30 per cent.” Both Scheer and Goodale cite the shortened construction season in Canada – specifically Saskatchewan – as a difficulty for undertaking infrastructure projects. Over the course of an interview, Goodale reiterated a recent Liberal statement saying that the federal infrastructure announcements are heavily skewered toward Conservative ridings. When this issue was mentioned to Scheer, he responded, “The Liberals are very cute with the numbers. They’re trying to paint a picture that doesn’t exist with claims that are baseless. Because of the success of the Economic Action Plan, the Liberals are trying to latch onto something they can criticize us on.” The Conservatives and Liberals have no shortage of words regarding the other’s behavior, but Goodale said that it is not the reaction of parties that have final verdict. “I think the toll in terms of public opinion will be very severe. When the public actually begins to see this arithmetic ... I think that will be the biggest discipline.”
$20 billion
The government is providing this amount in personal income tax relief over 2008-09 and the next five fiscal years.
$594 million
The amount presented in novelty-sized cheques by at least 55 Conservative MPs, as alleged by the Liberals.
60 Individual complaints filed by the Liberals against Conservative MPs for their involvement in the oversizedcheque displays.
“I think we’ve seen some proof of [the plan’s success] with the Saskatchewan government choosing to match some of our other stimulus programs.” Andrew Scheer
“There is a difference between an announcement, obviously, and shovels in the ground and jobs actually created” Ralph Goodale Top and bottom, Austin Davis; middle, Andrewmp.ca
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
4 news
A friendly five-year plan Community and cooperation are key jennifer squires news writer As of July 16, 2009, the University of Regina has been operating under a new five-year strategic plan. The plan, called mâmawohkamâtowin: Our Work, Our People, Our Communities has key focal points of openness, inclusion, and sustainability. The word is of Cree origin and means “Co-operation; working together towards common goals.” The title is the first of many steps being taken as part of the plan. The title emphasizes commitment to working with each other – in the University community and the community at large. It was suggested by faculty at the First Nations University of Canada. The plan has a focus on developing relationships, and continuing current ones with affiliated institutions. Not that anything was lacking before, but the aim is to create new relationships, while maintaining current ones. Barb Pollock, vice-president of external affairs, explained that the plan is a guideline for decision making. “When new opportunities are being looked at, they will be compared with the plan and if they don’t fit with the plan, they will be modified.” That said, the plan is clear on the commitment the U of R will make to its community. The goal is to actively engage involvement on an escalating scale: city, province, nation, and world. This is because, as Pollock puts it, “These relationships we will
build will be of great mutual benefit for both of us; we have a lot we can give each other.” The transfer of knowledge in the community will be considerably easier. The U of R can bring in people who work on different levels than the experts who are already engaged on campus. With the faculty serving on various provincial and national boards, they represent U of R expertise and help turn relationships into partnerships. The administration has been impressed with the commitment to sustainability that the students have made (as seen in the decision to repair a boiler in the heating plant after the CUPE strike two years ago) and has since made sustainability vital in decision making. With the inclusion of sustainability in the new plan, it is now official and will be a determining factor in new opportunities. Pollock pointed out that the kind of sustainability that is the aim of the new plan does not just pertain to environmental sustainability. “We want this place to be a long term employer of choice; a place without a significant percentage of turnover.” There is a special emphasis on increasing administrative efficiency and enhancing productivity. This means that the administration will seek ways to work smarter, more efficiently and effectively. One of the ways this part of the plan will be seen is with the centralization of student services. Pollock hopes that soon most of the essential student services will be available in the same building, or at least the same area. Another project in mind
uregina.ca
involves using fewer resources by creating various printing hubs instead of having numerous individual ones. Perhaps one of the most exciting changes that will come as a result of the plan will be the new Nursing Education Program that will be available in 2011. The motivation for this program came out of the shortage of nurses and the complicated program that is currently the only way of obtaining a nursing degree in the province.
Instead of having nursing students spend two years at SIAST and two years at the University of Saskatchewan to obtain a degree, the U of S changed their program to include a special nursing program. Because there was still a need for SIAST locally, the program approached the U of R and asked this was a service that they would like to provide together. The program would involve classes taken on both campuses on alternating days. In essence, the plan’s approach
to new prospects involves an understanding of how activity at the U of R will affect our work, our people, and our communities. With the goal of being active in our communities and sharing knowledge, this new plan will provide students with excellent chances to get involved, whether through the co-op program, listening to an expert from the community, or just working alongside the staff to create sustainability.
New strategic plan hopes to unite this campus with the community surrounding it
Wall and Lingenfelter at odds University students not top priority at the Legislature lisa goudy news writer
legassembly.sk.ca
All looks calm inside the Legislative building
The fall session of the Legislative Assembly began Oct. 21 and already Premier Brad Wall and opposition NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter were at each other’s throats during Question Period. This opening hints at a very promising and interesting session. The speech from the throne, which was delivered on the first day of session, highlighted the government’s priorities for this year – and interestingly enough, university students are not high up on the list. Although the speech did make a point of mentioning the priority of “keeping Saskatchewan moving forward” in reference to students and the importance of education, the only aspects of student issues that were addressed were student housing at SIAST in Prince Albert and new housing at the University of Saskatchewan. Another reference was made in regards to the increase on student loans, which hasn’t been raised since 1994. The main focus of the government this year is on health care. But the real heat began in Question Period when Wall gave a friendly welcome to Lingenfelter and accused him of attempting to assist the Saskatchewan Party in defeating former NDP Premier, Lorne Calvert. “The last time we talked for any length of time is when he phoned me at my home before the ’04 election to give me advice on how to beat the former leader of the NDP,” said Wall. He went on to say that Lingenfelter was a former Conservative himself in Alberta, having signs up on his lawn supporting the Conservative party.
Lingenfelter denied this accusation outside of the chamber but responded in the chamber by pointing out that Wall has never mentioned his time working for the Mulroney government, the Ottawa Conservative Party, and now imagines that his party is not a Conservative one. Lingenfelter’s question to Wall focused on utility rates. “When will you deal with the issue of the whole cost of living that the people of this province are facing?” asked Lingenfelter. He also pointed out that all of the rates are increasing and Wall guaranteed that he would increase rates by 100 per cent. Wall responded by saying that the government was ensuring that every resident of this province would profit in affordability from economic growth and that they’ve “indexed help to those who need it the most.” However, this did not cool down the atmosphere of the House. Lingenfelter went on to ask Wall if he would be able to compel himself to expand the drug plan to include every student in Saskatchewan because there are many families who cannot afford medication for their
teenage children. “Or is it true that he’s blown the $2.3 billion and there’s no money left for the rainy day that starts today, now that we’re in a deficit?” challenged Lingenfelter. Wall insisted that there is still a positive attitude in this province, seeing as the government has made significant investments in infrastructure and tax support, with $800 million in the bank. The question period did not get any easier after the continual debate of Wall and Lingenfelter on these matters. The Speaker, Hon. Don Toth, had to call for order in the House three times during the first discussion between Wall and Lingenfelter. Wall even stated that Lingenfelter may want to restrain his associates so the questions can actually be answered. “There’s more work to be done with respect to affordability,” said Wall, “in two years, this side of the House has achieved more than that government did in 16 years in growing the economy and making sure the people of the province benefit.”
last time we talked for any length “of The time is when he [Dwain Lingenfelter] phoned me at my home before the ’04 election to give me advice on how to beat [Lorne Calvert].” Brad Wall
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
news 5
News bites The king of controversy
Really...?
Tired of hearing about Michael Jackson? Hope not. There is seemingly no end to the tornado of publicity surrounding the late pop star. Londell McMillian, a Jackson family attorney, is pointing to the question of authenticity surrounding MJ’s will, CNN reported Oct. 24. The report features this beautiful quote: “Randy Jackson said his brother could not have signed the will – which was dated July 7, 2002, in Los Angeles – because he was in New York that day, according to the TMZ report.” Don’t stop ‘til you get enough.
On Oct. 17, six African-American students from Washington University were barred entry from a Chicago, Illinois nightclub. The senior class trip celebration contained nearly 200 white students that were admitted. Bar management cited the students’ baggy clothes as reason for denying entry, though when a Caucasian student swapped jeans with class treasurer Regis Murayi, no changes occurred and Murayi, an African-American, was still not allowed inside. The days of racist establishments are long gone. Despicable to the point it makes you wonder if the manager was a McCain supporter.
Weezy F. Baby, inmate
Jon & Kate I hate
Rapper, Lil Wayne (born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.), loves drugs more than he likes face tattoos, and that’s a lot. Incredibly, it’s not his tendency to have 3.7 ounces of marijuana, an ounce of cocaine, and 1.4 ounces of MDMA on his tour bus. On Jan. 23, 2008, Wayne’s tour bus was pulled over and a K-9 unit recovered the aforementioned contraband, but it was an earlier infraction of having a weapon on his person that may have him serving a year behind bars. He plead guilty Oct. 22 and received a reduced charge.
As upset as the Carillon is to be discussing marital woes, especially those occurring in the public spotlight of reality television, this melodrama involves eight young children and is now qualified as news. The Gosselin family had a television show on TLC where the focus was their set of twins and their sextuplets. Not surprisingly, the show didn’t get popular until the rumor mill was going at full-speed about Jon’s alleged affairs. Then the couple announced they were having problems, then both issued public statements ripping into each other, and the tabloids had a field day. They’re both money-hungry idiots, please take away their children.
If you don’t like my fire, don’t come around
The Saskatchewan Party used their first opportunity – the opening of the legislative session – to begin work on anti-smoking legislation. The targets now are patios of bars and restaurants as well as a ban on smoking in vehicles carrying minors. A few jurisdictions have already implemented this law on vehicles with minors in the vehicle – though the cutoff age ranges from 16 to 19. It would probably make sense if this was just generally stopped at 18, the legal age to buy cigarettes. Patios are the last refuge that smokers have; take that away from them, and make sure to not make plans with smokers, because they won’t leave the house anymore.
A distraction in the cockpit
Two men lost track of time Oct. 21. Unfortunately, the two men were pilots of a commercial jetliner, the Airbus A320 that was carrying 144 passengers. The pilot had over 20,000 hours of flight time, while his first officer had over 11,000 and neither of them had any prior infractions. The plane left San Diego en route for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and overshot its destination by 150 miles with 78 minutes of radio silence. The pilots are accused of using their personal laptops on the flight, but obviously didn’t have any Internet access. If they weren’t watching blooper videos on YouTube, what the hell were those two pilots doing?
Respect your elders
It was tough to hear this story and not think of the Ben Stiller sub-plot in Happy Gilmore. The Leader-Post reported Oct. 26 that there is an increasing trend in “elder abuse.” Though the article is vague and suggests that the types of abuse vary and can come from family members, caregivers, strangers preying on vulnerability, or a person who has been trusted with financial affairs. There is even a group dealing with the issue – with perhaps the greatest acronym in recent history – the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE). The baby boomers will soon hit retirement age, let’s respect our elders and abuse each other. Deal?
$6 million well spent
Conformity costs a big bucket of money these days. Saskatchewan is apparently joining the rest of North America by switching to a driver’s license that will be a single piece. Currently the license is accompanied with a piece of paper that has the driver’s address, city, and postal code. The cards will cost $6 to produce, $100 for an individual to purchase, and are nearly impossible to alter or deface information. Government revenues will take a $3.5 million hit because of the infrequency people will now buy licenses. The design of the licenses has yet to be finalized but no matter, numbers speak louder than words.
austin m. davisnews editor Clockwise from top left: msnbcmedia.com, Washington University Student Life, Amanda Smith, hulu.com, theinsider.com, etonline.com, reach-info.cn, leaderpost.com
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
6 news
“Colberta” website stirs up Albertan emotions Provincialists take up the cause in response alexandria eldridge CUP alberta and northern bureau chief EDMONTON (CUP) – Dan Zinman wants Stephen Colbert to become the supreme leader of the province of Alberta, and to rename it Colberta. In Colberta, all use of French and Canadian English would be abolished, swift military action would be taken against Saskatchewan, and all university school mascots would be renamed the Colbeagle Eagles. These propositions and more can be found on the Citizens for Colberta Coalition website colberta.com, which was created by Zinman, a 23-year-old Torontonian. A fan of “The Colbert Report,” Zinman stated that the site began as a funny idea but was unused for several years until he graduated from university and had time to develop colberta.com. “I actually launched the site on Canada Day, which I thought was appropriate for an American takeover,” Zinman said. Zinman has gotten a wide variety of reactions from Albertans, both positive and negative. There have been some particularly negative reactions from the group Albertans for Alberta, who formed with the purpose of shutting down the Zinman’s website. “Maybe they feel that other campaigns like this have worked in the past for Colbert, so they thought that this one might actually work too,” Zinman said. The leader of Albertans for Alberta, Joseph Reimenschneider, declined an interview but said by email correspondence that “this needs to end.” “[The Colberta website] is only working to spread hate speech and anti-Alberta sentiment,” Reimenschneider wrote. Zinman maintains that the sole reason he chose to develop the site for the province of Alberta was because it fit with Colbert’s comedy. “This is a little closer to home and it’s a very conservative province, which ties in with his fake punditry,” Zinman said. Zinman did say that the site is all in fun, and the only underlying political message is directed at all of Canada. “There was this whole debate on whether or not they were going to have the 19th election in five
Facebook refuses to remove deceased woman’s account tanya colledge other press (douglas college)
Mathieu Morin
Website creator Dan Zinman preaches using Colbert's book I Am America (And So Can You) as the guide of truth in the fictional land of Colberta. years. Canadian politics is like a big joke, so why not spoof it a little further? If there were to be an underlying message, it would be that,” Zinman said. The site is not affiliated in any way with the Comedy Central or “The Colbert Report.” Zinman has attempted to contact Stephen Colbert himself, but has not yet received a response. Regardless, part of the Zinman’s goal is to lobby to have additional things, other than the province, named after Colbert. “They’re making a new bridge
in Calgary and they’re looking for someone to name it after . . . there’s just different opportunities that present themselves and I’ll try to jump on them,” Zinman said. Zinman has put a lot of effort into making the colberta.com interesting and funny. There are sections on why Colbert should be the Albertan leader – “Why Stephen?” – and a large section on “Better Know A-Lberta,” which contains funny facts about every riding in the province. “I think there’s a lot of hidden gems throughout there, and even
for a lot of people visiting [the site] from Alberta, you might see something near your hometown that you never really noticed before because you only looked at the main page,” Zinman said. He said that he has gotten positive support from some Albertans, and hopes that people continue the battle. “There’s a push to mention Stephen Colbert in the new Bible passages for the updated King James Version, so I mean, if they can do that they can certainly give him a province here,” said Zinman.
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. (CUP) – When a relative passes away, the last thing you would expect or want to see is that person suddenly updating their Facebook status. Unfortunately, this was the case for a girl in Nova Scotia, whose mother’s account had been hijacked on the popular social networking site. Shelby Breimer, a 15-year-old from Truro, N.S., lost her mother nine months ago after a long battle with breast and lung cancer – but when Shelby logged onto Facebook a couple of weeks ago, she was surprised by an unsettling message from her mother, Helen, boasting about a product called CleanseProX. “I’m 8-1/2 pounds lighter thanks to the FREE trial pack of this new colon cleanser that I got! Visit PurgeColon.net to get yours!” read the fake testimonial. It had been apparently updated via a Facebook cell phone application that Shelby’s mother never had. Similar complaints were made from Facebook users, whose accounts had also been hacked and were sending messages and updating statuses similar to Helen’s. Helen’s friends and family complained to the company in question, CleanseProX, who promised it would remove the ad and post an apology on Facebook. Not only was there no apology, but a new ad shortly appeared on Helen Breimer’s page. Facebook has not removed the account, which means that another ad hijacking is still possible. Facebook’s policy for deceased users states that accounts are to be “memorialized” if a user passes away: only confirmed friends can see the profile, and the user’s wall remains enabled that friends and family can continue to leave posts in the user’s memory. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been the recent targets of many hackers and spammers who have begun to attack by means other than traditional email and websites. The Breimers are now considering taking legal action against CleanseProX and Facebook to try and put an end to such scams that are not only invasions of privacy, but potentially devastating to the friends and family members of the affected accounts.
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Arts & Culture Editor: James Brotheridge sjbrot@gmail.com the carillon, Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
Planning an Urban future New local mail -order label starts up taylor tiefenbach a&c writer At first, Urban Planning Records was only a name Matthew Blackwell slapped on I Think This is Dreaming, the debut EP for his band Architects and Builders. However, over the past three-odd months, Blackwell has made Urban Planning into a legitimate label and Saskatchewanlicensed business. The transition from name to label consists of registering as a business with the province and the city, then setting up a corporate bank account. “I got cheques!” said Blackwell with a smile. “Which is kind of exciting.” The idea for creating the label came to Blackwell during the recording of Architects’ first full-length album, Crater. He was looking for a way to get his music out beyond the Regina audience. “At this point, it’s not really feasible for me to do touring until the summer,” said Blackwell, whose job as a substitute high school teacher keeps him home 10 months of the year. “I thought doing an Internet mail-order business would be the best way.” An ulterior motive for Blackwell was to prove he was capable of running a label. “I just thought that doing it this way was both something I could do and something better than doing it in a shitty way. I’ve seen so many record labels where it’s very disorganized, and people aren’t getting paid money or they’re really sketchy about helping you out with things. I wanted to show I could do it the right way while still keeping the do-it-yourself feeling.” And Urban Records is very D.I.Y. For example, rather than having CDs professionally pressed, Blackwell burns copies and then prints the album artwork onto the disk. Similarly, the cases are single sheets of paper folded origami-style to hold the CD. Having CDs professionally pressed is much more expensive and
Kristy Fife; sidebar photos courtesy of Urban Planning Records
Architects and Builders strike out on their own is only cost-effective when ordering large quantities, often more than the artist needs. Going the Urban Planning route, artists can specify the exact number they wish to have on hand. Saving money is one of the things that attracted These Estates, who are releasing their first EP I Can’t Wait through Urban Planning and have plans for a tour in the spring. “We’re way more of a live group,” said frontman (and Carillon production manager) John Cameron, “so the Urban Planning arrangement definitely lets us focus on spending more money on that tentative tour.” The label currently has five bands signed and at least one more to be announced in the coming weeks, but more bands does not mean more profits for Blackwell – or any profits, at that. “I don’t really expect to ever make any money,” he said. “The way I have it set up, I’m pretty much guaranteed to break even.” What’s more important is helping bands get their music exposed to other markets, which is one of the things that attracted Cameron to the label. Though Cameron admits he is generally not a fan of record labels, he
did not have a problem signing a contract because of the helping environment at Urban Planning. “The contracts just basically say, in very legal terms, ‘Urban Planning Records is allowed to put their name on it and they’re allowed to help distribute it.’” The success of the individual bands on the label still relies on their drive for self-promotion, which is already working for These Estates. The inordinate amount of time John Cameron spends online has allowed him to connect with fans across the world and even get some songs put in rotation at the college radio station at the University of Central Illinois. “I’d be selling it way huge if I suggested that it was all by the sheer power and integrity of our music. I basically say, ‘Here’s my music I hope you like it. I really like it.’ And they happened to like it. I intentionally expose it to them. But that’s still really cool!” Architects and Builders and These Estates will be having a double-CD release for Crater and I Can’t Wait Friday, Oct. 30 at O’Hanlon’s. Cover is free. Find out more at urbanplanningrecords.com.
“I wanted to show I could do it the right way while still keeping the do-it-yourself feeling.” Matthew Blackwell
Lineup The bands of Urban Planning Records The band that started it all. Blackwell describes the band as “sloppy punk-rock” mixed with influences like Pavement, Wire, and Dinosaur Jr.
A power-pop foursome, mixing literate lyrics and a raw live show.
Bookish new wave married to anthemic indie-rock. After releasing So Long, Castle Road last year, they’re releasing their full-length, Home Again, this November.
Folk music and keyboard beats. This is another Blackwell sideproject, this time with his girlfriend, Kristy Fyfe. Their first EP is called Keyboards and Guitars.
They Might Be Giants-esque quirk pop. The latest addition to the label, Amore delivers catchy synthpop on Learn to Speak English with Johnny Amore (and Friends). Amore wrote this album to help teach his Mexican girlfriend English.
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
8 a&c
Professional manly man
Top Five
Novelist examines self in new essay collection
Breakfast cereals
james brotheridge a&c editor Michael Chabon’s recent publishing history has been odd. After his last official novel, Yiddish Policeman’s Union, an alternate history where Jews settled in Alaska, he’s published two essay anthologies and a collection of his serial narrative, Gentlemen of the Road, which he originally wanted titled Jews with Swords. They stay vital, however, through Chabon’s consistent themes and literary method, illuminated further in Manhood for Amateurs. Chabon’s previous book, Maps and Legends, was everything a collection of essays from a celebrated novelist should be. Some of the sources of his fiction were exposed, including Jewish identity, genre fiction, and comics. A good balance was struck between strict, third-person examinations of subjects like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Will Eisner, and golems and more personal stories and experiences. He’s more concentrated on private observations with Manhood for Amateurs, so much so that it’s in the Biography section of most book stores. He tackles his two marriages, his parents, his youth, and, most of all, his children, though sometimes indirectly. His reveals are deeper, too. His marriage to his second wife was explained in the context of his rediscovery of his Jewishness in Maps. Compare that to Manhood, where he admits that he knew his marriage to his first wife was a
mistake. Things don’t stop there. He details his drug history, describes an almost-dalliance with one of his mom’s friends at the age of 15, and even outlines his reasoning for carrying a murse. His pride, guilt, indifference, and passion are brought out in his typically evenkeeled prose, not detached from the sentiment of the moment but observing from a place of mature knowledge and understanding. These revelations are rarely told just as a story from his life. Rather, they’re there to poke at his motivations and those of his characters. For instance, his leaping into his first marriage is tied into the characters of one of his short stories. As well, the focus for a few essays on the nature of manhood ties into the ambiguity of this notion in his novels, like Mysteries of Pittsburgh and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. The only weakness of this book is the length of the pieces. A probable source is that the bulk of these essays were previously published in GQ. Many have been left unexpanded, leaving them at just a few pages each. Chabon is as effective and elegant a writer as ever, but many of these could have benefited from larger word counts. The anticipation is high as Chabon builds towards his main point, but just as he reaches it, the essay is done, sometimes just short of complete reader satisfaction. The collection opens with an anecdote about a young Chabon trying, and failing, to start a local comic appreciation society, juxtaposed against Stan Lee’s success
I grew up in a cereal family. We always had a big selection and bought the jumbo, double-bag boxes. Cereal was an event. We read the boxes, fought over the last bowl, and drank all the milk at the end. We had cereal for any meal, and it was a regular feature of our bedtime routine. Who am I kidding using past tense here? I love cereal. It is a widely accepted method of consuming carbohydrates and sugar first thing in the morning. Combined with the divine beverage that is milk, cereal is basically perfect.
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Manhood for Amateurs Michael Chabon HarperCollins with building a fan base for Marvel Comics through their letters pages. The tension between art and identity has always been the best arena for Chabon’s work. Grady Tripp, the troubled novelist from Wonder Boys, felt this tension in his own work, as did the eponymous characters from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, two young men struggling to find their
identities while producing a successful comic in WWII-era New York. Chabon’s two collections of essays seek out these themes in the author’s own life, and are able to reach similar insight into our protagonist. Through sports cards and Lego, baseball players and earlyreader novels, Chabon is opened up completely.
Horror remakes rarely stack up Time to dust off those blooddrenched DVDs: it’s Halloween again! As the first decade of the 21st century winds down, it’s a good time to look back and see what the pioneers of gore have created and recreated. The ’00s saw dozens of horror movie remakes, as Hollywood threw up its hands and declared that they were out of ideas. So they inserted white people into Japanese horror movies and renewed every franchise they could lay their grubby little hands on.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Original: 1974. With a brutal style drawing from writer/director Tobe Hooper’s days as a documentary cameraman, this is easily one of the scariest movies ever made. Despite its revolutionary gore, it still seems like it could be true. Remake: 2003. Tons of gore-horror, but in the end you’ll feel that you’ve wasted your time. The plot is laughable and the violence is
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absurd, but the actors do their best to make this turkey fly. Watch the original if you want to be disturbed, and watch Saw if you want better gore.
Dawn of the Dead Original: 1978. This is a painfully awesome movie. Romero’s special effects are limited to grey makeup and bright red blood, so the movie makes up for it in plot, characterization, dialogue, music, and suspense. Social commentary is there but isn’t as heavy-handed as in a lot of other movies. Remake: 2004. The plot is thinner and the zombies are a lot faster. This is what happens when special effects are superior and budgets are bigger, but everything else ain’t what it used to be. However, the 100-minute run time is a lot easier to handle in one sitting than the original’s 139 minutes. Bonus: apocalyptic evangelist saying God is punishing us. The Amityville Horror Original: 1979. OK, the “events” upon which the movie was “based” were a pack of lies, but it
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was still pretty scary. Slow, deliberate pacing and an excellent score compensate for a cheesy plot and mediocre acting. Remake: 2005. With a more carefully rendered atmosphere and a genuine sense of menace coming from the house, the remake edges out the original. Fortunately, the mood is not ruined by faster pacing. Kudos for whoever decided Ryan Reynolds was suited for the role of a possessed psycho killer.
Friday the 13th Original: 1980. We all know the story: Jason drowns and his mother goes on a murderous rampage. It’s aged well and retains all of its suspense after all of these years, despite its slasher stereotypes and cardboard characters. Remake: 2009. This reboot draws from the first four films. In the original, Jason’s mother was hidden until the third act, while in the remake, she is barely mentioned: Jason is the true star. Suspense and mystery are sacrificed for gory decapitations and fornicating teenagers.
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Eating Froot Loops is the most engaging activity I can handle when I’ve just woken up. The colours do not taste different, but I do not care. I still start with pink and save the green loops for last. Backwards? Maybe. I’m just glad the whole blue thing didn’t last. It threw me off.
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Grave-robbing cinema alex colgan, kimberly carter
I could do a top five on types of Cheerios alone. Instead, I chose to lump them all into one item. But make no mistake – each is uniquely perfect. The basic yellow-boxed original, Apple Cinnamon, Frosted, Honey Nut, and now that I’m a grown-up or whatever, Multigrain. Classic, satisfying – I’m going to go ahead and call Cheerios the Coca-Cola of cereal.
Prom Night Original: 1980. While both movies are truly awful, the original really takes the cake: all of the tackiness of a disco prom, plus the painfully extended internal monologues of Casey Stevens as Lt. Nick McBride. Bonus: funny hairstyles and necrophilia. Remake: 2008. Continues the tradition of ridiculous escapes from mental institutions, but this time the villain is a stalker teacher with inadequately-defined motives, rather than a psycho bent on revenge. These kids are so easy to kill that they deserve to die. Epic fail.
Horror remakes still in theatres: Sorority Row and The Stepfather. Horror remakes in production: on Elm Street, Nightmare Poltergeist, Mother’s Day, Child’s Play, Hellraiser, The Birds, The Wolfman, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Stephen King’s It.
This is a brand fighting a losing battle. Raisins have found their way into our muffins, cookies, banana bread, and heaven only knows what else. They have a bad reputation. But Raisin Bran is so good! Next time you curse because a cookie tricked you with raisins that look like chocolate chips, remember Raisin Bran. They’re doing their best to make raisins loveable again by making them huge, fake, and sugar-coated.
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Eating these is kind of laborious for a very thin layer of frosted pay-off. But I love sorting through them with my spoon to leave the most frosted pieces until the end so much that it’s worth it. Can early cereal consumption habits lead to later tendencies toward anal, overly systematic behaviour?
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I usually don’t have patience for a cereal that consists of more than one item. This has all manner of flakes and oats and honey, but it works. It’s sweet and crunchy and at least somewhat healthy. But they didn’t really nail it until they released the almond edition. Almonds are very good for you. And that’s how I justify eating this for lunch fairly regularly.
rhiannon wardcopy editor aceshowbiz.com
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
a&c 9
Near perfect PS3 power proves itself with new action game zak stinson
Bringing life to the fall schedule
contributor The original Uncharted, released in Fall 2007 exclusively on PS3, was one of the best games of that year. It sold one million copies within 10 weeks of release and was widely acclaimed as a triumph of technical and artistic design. After playing through the single player campaign and spending a fair bit of time on the multiplayer servers, I can say Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has seriously altered what I see as possible in the gaming world. The storyline follows Nathan Drake, as he hunts down the lost city of Shambala in search of a giant sapphire, going only on his surprisingly comprehensive knowledge of history and cryptic clues left behind by Marco Polo. The efforts the developers took make the environments, mainly Nepal and Tibet, come to life. Often, I found myself stopping for minutes at a time to scan the dynamic view of the Himalayans, jaw solidly planted on the floor. This has to be one of the most beautiful games created, a testament to the power of the PS3 as a computing system. The experience becomes even more immersive as you explore the
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Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Naughty Dog PS3 endsights.com
Guiding explorer Nathan Drake through beautiful rendered environments in Uncharted 2 massive set pieces more. I once found myself in a battle on an upper level of a building that was being demolished, as I was in it! The furniture was sliding across the room and enemies were stumbling, yet still mounting a solid attack. It’s not just the look of the game that makes it fantastic – the script is on par with any huge
blockbuster movie (Indiana Jones comes to mind). Unlike other games, there wasn’t a line of repeated dialogue. For instance, after trying to climb a rock face multiple times, Drake complained that his arms were tired and that he would much rather have a cold beer. Little writing touches like this make Uncharted 2 such an immersive experience.
“Regular combat was completely immersing. There is definitely more than one way to skin a cat, or group of cats, wearing armour and toting automatic weapons.”
Regular combat was completely immersing. There is definitely more than one way to skin a cat, or group of cats, wearing armour and toting automatic weapons. The “guns blazin’” approach is possible and always fun, but the game rewards you for stealth and strategy. By going that route, you can end each battle before it starts. With a solid multiplayer mode, this game comes as close to perfection as I have ever seen. It shows the beauty that is possible with a good development team and the might of the PS3.
Zak Stinson afds.tv
Shoot ’em in the head Borderlands offers wholesale chaos john cameron production manager No self-respecting biologist would name a particular breed of animal “Badass,” like “Badass dog” or “Badass gecko,” but your reaction the first time you run across a Badass Skag will probably be something like, “Well, that makes sense.” Then you will shoot it in its stupid face, and it will light the fuck on fire. Gearbox’s Borderlands, a firstperson shooter with RPG elements, has a serious attitude problem. Everyone living on Pandora, the gorgeous, barren planet that the game takes place
on, is the type of asshole who scrawls “Pis Off” [sic] on signs. You wind up shooting a truly shocking number of these assholes. There’s no better word to describe them than “asshole.” Almost every person you meet is not only out to kill you but also positively giddy about it. To their credit, you’re probably going to share that enthusiasm for a variety of reasons. Borderlands draws you into a visually rich and deep world. Gearbox described the game’s aesthetic as “moving concept art.” It’s not an inaccurate claim. The lush, cartoonish visuals are incredibly detailed, slick, and, more importantly, eye-catching. It recalls XIII, a game that lacked
Borderlands Gearbox Xbox 360 ve3dmedia.irgn.com
Borderlands’ substance but oozed a primitive version of its style. Rendering everything in this style was risky, but the game’s personality shines through brilliantly. There are plenty of things to kill in this environment, many of them with personality themselves. The feral alien creatures that attack you would be gross to look at in Gears of War, but Borderlands’ comic book atmosphere makes shooting them in their ugly mouths a joyous experience rather than a harrowing one. Human enemies are even better. There are several distinct classes of human, from the buff Bruisers to the axe-wielding Psychos. All of them will vocalize frequently, loudly, and comically as you tear them into pieces with your many, many guns. Oh Lord, the guns. The advance press for this game boasted of seventeen million potential guns – potentially because the game randomizes all but a few of the many weapons you’ll discover. Maybe you will discover a shotgun with a sniper scope attached. Maybe you will pick up a sniper rifle that has a 70 per cent chance of turning its target into a screaming puddle of acid. Maybe you will discover a scoped revolver that cuts through shields and has a 60 per cent chance of electrocuting your target. The incredible variety and surprising ability of many weapons makes it hard to stop playing – you just want to see what this gun does, or if you can find a gun that does this, or if you can combine these two guns and your special ability to become an unstoppable killing machine. Have you noticed how deeply customizable this game is? There are a lot of guns, shields, and
Three rad actors play besties on new HBO show
joel yeomans contributor grenade mods to equip, but there’s also a lot of skill management. Your character earns experience, levels up, and plugs skill points into one of several skills, divided into three trees per character. The variety of character builds makes for vastly different experiences. One of my friends is busy constructing a Brick character – basically, a guy who screams a lot, shoots rockets, and punches things to death – and focusing on his explosive and melee combat trees. My Brick, H.L. Toughnuts, is focused on his health tree. The plan is to make him invincible so that when I begin to scream, shoot, and punch, I will be completely unstoppable. There are a few speed bumps joyriding in when you’re Borderlands, mostly related to the vehicles. I can’t figure out how they botched the driving mechanics so badly. One analog stick is mapped to moving forwards and backwards, the other stick maneuvers your camera, and you move in whatever direction the camera is facing. Sound confusing? It’s even worse in practice. You get the feeling that the manual should include thumb yoga exercises. Confounding this is the size of the hub landscape, which necessitates using these awful vehicles to get from place to place. But I’ll shut up about those vehicles because the core action of the game is intense, chaotic, and fun as hell. Go get this game, get online with some friends, pick up a shotgun that fires acid, and run out into the desert to meet some axe-wielding psychopaths who’ve set themselves on fire. Then shoot them in the goddamn head.
Even in a so-so movie like Slackers, Jason Schwartzman shined. He was even better in great movies, like Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited, and I Heart Huckabees. So, a weekly dose of Schwartzman alongside comedian Zach Galifianakis and Cheersstar Ted Danson is exciting, to say the least. From the first lyric of the theme song to the end credits, that excitement is justified. Schwartzman is a writer struggling to finish his second novel while trying to cope with his recent break-up with his long-time girlfriend. Almost on impulse, he decides to become a private eye through an ad on Craigslist, stating he’s an unlicensed detective (to “make it more legal”). Galifianakis plays his best friend, a comic book artist struggling with his own long-term relationship problems. Danson is the editor of the magazine Schwartzman works for, who seems to be employing Schwartzman as a pseudo-best friend more than a writer. While all three characters are funny in their own right, the comedic timing between Schwartzman and his two best friends drives home the comedy. Schwartzman plays off Galifianakis and Danson so well, usually playing the straight man, while still managing to be funny himself. My only complaint is that each episode feels too short. Generally, an episode will be broken up into a main plot involving a case that Schwartzman is working on, and two sub-plots involving Galifianakis and Danson, with some overlap. This works well on paper, except that the show is only half an hour long. There is not enough time in an episode to play out each plot to its full potential, and, by the end of the episode, the conclusions to all three stories feel rushed. The later episodes seem to be trying to correct this by directly overlapping two of the major plot points, but the episodes would work better either at an hour long or with a two-part cliffhanger, which would work well with the noir theme. With a stagnant fall line-up this season and NBC spending half of prime time on Jay Leno, there’s a lack of quality television to watch every week. Bored to Death is the perfect antidote for this.
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
10 a&c
film reviews
crossingcinema.net
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant Directed by Paul Weitz Starring John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant is confusing. Not only is it confusing, but it also made me confused about how I should feel about it. On one hand, there were a couple times when I found it to be legitimately funny and entertaining, but on the other hand, it was hard to follow, and seemed to take itself way too seriously. I wasn’t sure if it was being campy and cheesy purposefully, or if the amount of cheese was completely unintentional. Darren (Josh Hutcherson) is your typical good kid, a great student liked by teachers. His movie-cliché best friend is Steve, the bad kid at school. Steve convinces Darren to go to a freak show, where they meet a vampire named Crepsley (John C. Reilly), who Steve recognized out of a vampire book because Steve loves vampires, apparently – pretty convenient. Crepsley has a spider he performs with and Darren, out of a love of spiders, steals it. This eventually leads to both boys becoming vampires on opposite sides of a vampire war,
cd reviews
Default Comes and Goes EMI
with Darren on Crepsley’s side and Steve on the side of evil with the mysterious Desmond Tiny. Got all that? Congratulations – you’re luckier than most of the film’s audience. This movie fails to take the time to explain the convoluted and confusing plot. Crepsley goes on about the backstory of the film using terms unique to their vampire world, without explaining what they mean. As well, like a certain much worse vampire series, vampires have random powers, with new ones popping up all the time. This is confusing and annoying. Why can’t vampires just be vampires anymore? This movie rests on the fence. The script is so bad and the plot is so confusing that I know, in my heart, this is not a good movie. But I have to admit, I had a good time watching this movie, whether the laughs were intentional or not. Vampire traditionalists should stay clear, but casual movie-goers looking for a not-aslame Twilight might find some enjoyment here.
joel yeomanscontributor I’m impressed by Default’s stamina. Back in 2001, when they released “Wasting My Time,” who could have known that they would still be going eight years later? They seemed like just one more band in the deluge of post-grunge rock that opened up after the success of Nickelback. Of course, many of them are still around, too. You can still find records by Theory of a Dead Man and Puddle of Mudd on store shelves today. They still have a lot of sonic similarities as well: they all sound like bands trying to remain relevant and only occasionally succeeding. Comes and Goes moves from their postgrunge roots to over-processed pop-rock to Hinder-style balladry with relative ease. “Goodbye” sums up the album pretty well – an a cappella intro reaching for the pop charts of today and rock verses harkening back to the Default of yesteryear.
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Paranormal Activity Directed by Oren Peli Starring Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs Since the release of Paranormal Activity, the movie has been compared to The Blair Witch Project. However, there is a marked difference: Paranormal Activity will scare the shit out of you. Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, playing under their real names, are a couple living in San Diego who hear noises and experience strange things they credit to a spirit in their house. They set up a night vision camera to catch what happens when they are asleep. What the audience sees is this footage. Part of the terror of the film comes from its realism. It is shot with a video camera that one could purchase from a high-end electronics store, not a professional movie camera. The camera even shakes every so often, just like what you’ll be doing in your seat. Featherston and Sloat are not A-list Hollywood celebrities; the movie is Sloat’s only credit and Featherston’s second. Paranormal Activity builds slowly, with suspense mounting right until the very end of the movie. What scared you at the beginning of the movie is juvenile by the end since the ter-
Alice In Chains Black Gives Way to Blue Virgin
james brotheridgea&c editor
The Melvins Chicken Switch Ipecac
owen nimetzcontributor
jennifer squiresnews writer
In the early ’90s, Seattle grunge-metal band Alice in Chains hit major stardom alongside bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. They had all the necessary tools for success: heavy grunge riffs, a drug-addicted vocalist (Layne Staley), and popular singles, such as “Man in the Box,” destined to be karaoke mainstays. But the death of Staley led to their long-term hiatus. Black Gives Way to Blue is the band’s fourth studio album and first in 14 years. Despite the loss of the legendary Staley, guitarist, songwriter, and lead vocalist Jerry Cantrell is remarkably able to recreate a lot of AIC’s original sound – heavy metal-grunge crooning, lyrics about struggling with and overcoming all of life’s bullshit, and scattered acoustic elements. Amongst the typical heavy metal grind riffs are a few purely acoustic tracks, including the title track tribute to Staley featuring Elton John on piano. Unfortunately, this entire album falls short of capturing the same magic Staley brought to the band, and lacks much of the originality from Cantrell’s solo album Degradation Trip. Die-hard AIC fans should be able to connect with a few tracks that evoke memories of the band in their prime; however, this album lacks any hit singles.
peter millseditor in chief
It’s been three years since Saosin’s first LP, but their fans can exhale – they’ve finally come out with their new album. A few samples through iTunes and concerts in August have come through. In Search of Solid Ground has a distinctive heavy alternative-rock vibe. This highly anticipated album crushes accusations of selling out, toning down, or shutting up with serious and hardcore payback. Although it sounds much like AFI’s last few releases, the band has brought out a good, well-rounded album and defends their heavy-alternative reputation. Hopefully, the band can continue to break new ground and entertain listeners. Saosin’s earlier sound is long gone and their vocalist, Cove Reber, has reminded us once again how well their scene pumps out the jams.
Saosin In Search of Solid Ground Virgin
ror won’t stop escalating. This movie is genuinely terrifying and will literally have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Amazingly, director Oren Peli shot the film in his own San Diego home and with a budget of a meagre $15,000. In what horror film website BloodyDisgusting is calling one of the scariest movies of the year, Paranormal Activity proves that a good story well told is more important than any amount of CGI. As an avid horror movie fan, I give this film a frightened by automatic doors out of 10.
It’s only been a year since their last album, but the Melvins have been as busy as ever. Chicken Switch contains 15 tracks, all remixed by different alternative acts, most hailing from Japan and Germany. Eye Yamatsuka, John Duncan, Merzbow, Panacea, and farmersmanual contribute to this awesome compilation. This psychedelic, deafening grunge-punk noise-rock delivers an excellent trip, although the various artists have mostly thrown out crazy ideas like harmony, melody, or tune in their music. A remix of the Melvins’ song “Queen” stands out, with a vocal distortion only resembling something like the original. Much credit is due to this 25-year-old band who have been changing their sound from punk to grunge to noise to metal, and now has given a chance to a multitude of fringe artists.
owen nimetzcontributor
sports
Sports Editor: Jordan Reid jleereid@msn.com the carillon, Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
Design by Graeme Zirk, photo by www.fightersonlymagazine.co.uk
What is the appeal of watching people pummel each other? austin davis, aaron grandguillot, nathan frank, grant mclellan, peter mills this week’s roundtable
What is the appeal, or lack thereof, of watching guys – and girls now – pummel the crap out of each other?
Austin Davis: Ultimate fighting is just boxing for the instant gratification age. We no longer want to sit and watch 10 careful rounds as two titans try to outlast each other. UFC and MMA are all about blood on the mat now, or in the next five seconds. It’s obviously captivating, but they might as well be bareknuckled – come on Dana, accept the barbarianism.
death could be televised, I think we’d see over a billion people tune in.
Peter Mills: This is literally a several centuries old question. Whether it be ancient Rome, or the Rumble in the Jungle, people love to watch the biggest, baddest, most flamboyant citizens beat the shit out of each other. If anything, the appeal nowadays is the variety of ridiculous personas. UFC’s increasing appeal comes from their adoption of WWEtype entertainment – clothing, reality shows, gangstas, and a scumbag owner whoring himself out to the world. Brock Lesnar is a _____? Love him or hate him, this guy is the UFC’s biggest draw. What do you think?
Aaron Grandguillot: I’m not sure. I don’t follow Davis: Undisputed UFC at all, but some of the www.highheelsgambling.com bigger names are familiar to me. I heavyweight champ, Brock Lesnar, think it is the excitement that sur- is a badly-tattooed mess. He’s also a rounds the fights, which gives the giant and a force in MMA. He gets sport the big-event feel that boxing people mad. He sells tickets. What more do you want from the guy? used to enjoy in the days of Ali. Nathan Frank: If you are a fan of MMA, you are a fan of seeing blood. It’s the blood and the carnage that inspires us to tune in. Credit for the success of MMA also has to go to the personalities involved. It’s not only a great sport, but with characters like Dana White and Rampage Jackson it’s also a dope reality show.
Grant McLellan: People love violence. Sure, some sissies talk like they dig pacifism, but deep down everybody has the urge to punch someone else. So why not? All we've done is allow people to kick and choke again, which they’ve been doing for over 2000 years anyways. Thank heavens, the pankration is back – now only if a fight to the
describe Brock Lesnar, I would choose “awesome.” This word references something that inspires awe. He is a physical specimen, a rapid learner, and just plain weird. His showmanship is brilliant, and he is simply following a trail which was blazed far earlier by Mike Tyson and the like. People are attracted to spectacle, and this man is a spectacle. Awesome.
Mills: Lesnar is a punk. Physically, he’s a monster capable of dominating the UFC’s heavyweight class for years to come. But I refuse to accept this former WWE douchebag and Dana White’s circus freak as the face of any aspect of MMA. Fedor Emelianenko would still kick his ass and Dana White knows it. Who is your favourite fighter and why?
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Davis: There isn’t an accomplished Canadian fighter in a weight class over 170 lbs, so I was forced to choose the first Canadian who could keep up. George St. Pierre is the current welterweight Grandguillot: Brock champion, fighting out of Lesnar is a freak. I’ll Montreal. GSP has been never forget when he fighting people since he was pinned The Rock at seven years old, and is curSummerslam in 2002 rently 19-2. He lost to Matt to become the Hughes and made sure he’d youngest WWE beat him next time. The Champion in history. www.totalprosports.com dude’s a beast with mad Frank: Brock Lesnar is a freak. He style. brought his fame and his fans from WWE and has proven that he can Grandguillot: I tend to cheer for the more than handle himself in the Canadian guys when I know nothing octagon. He is the real deal, and has about a sport, so I guess George Stappeal to a broad fanbase, of beer- Pierre would rank as my favourite. loving, flag-waving, proud-to-bewhite men. You either love him for Frank: I am going to lose the respect his ability or because you want to be of everyone reading this, and you a prick like him. will find out immediately that I have McLellan: If I could use one word to not followed it that much ... Kimbo
SPORTS QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Slice. I can’t help but root for that guy. He will never make the UFC and may never win a fight in MMA again but I like his dirty south humbleness and how he is straight from the street. He has had quite the life.
McLellan: I’m a definite Manny Pacquiao fan. The speed and power of this Filipino fighter are just as impressive as his ability to fight in almost any weight class. After watching Pac-Man knock Ricky Hatton the fuck out, I am definitely a fan. Mills: Anderson “The Spider” Silva because he’s the best pound-forpound fighter in the world. And he’s Brazilian. Also, I have mad props for GSP.
What is the best UFC/MMA fight you've seen?
Davis: The only fight I’ve ever been interested in was UFC 100. I actually pitched in some cash when my buddy bought it on Pay-Per-View. Exciting for two reasons: Lesnar winning and yelling at the crowd who detested him, and St. Pierre defending his title as usual. Grandguillot: I’ve only seen one UFC Pay-Per-View, UFC www.lesjones.com 83. It was the one held in Montreal, and George StPierre ruined Matt Serra with a bunch of knees to the face.
Frank: I can’t pick one. Just give me a fight with blood, with head to head action, and with mean knees to the head of the opponent. If it is an even tilt, and you find yourself asking, “How are they taking this much damage?” then it is one of the best
fights I have ever seen. McLellan: I think any fight where Brock Lesnar is making Play-Doh out of some dude’s face is awesome. Mills: Without a doubt, the greatest fight of all time was Joe Son vs. Keith Hackney at UFC 4. Not only was Joe Son Random Task in Austin Powers, he is also the master of Josondo – that’s right, the greatest fighting style in the world. Unfortunately, Son loses by submission shortly after getting punched in the dick six or so times – which was apparently legal at the time. Is there anything more disgusting than the cauliflower ears these guys get?
Davis: It’s pretty gnarly. Wrestlers have been getting that deformity for ages and now the UFC boys are voluntarily getting their faces beat in. Anything for a buck, I guess. Grandguillot: I had to fire up Google to find out what cauliflower ear meant. I wish I hadn’t.
Frank: There is nothing appealing about the cauliflower ear. It’s gross. Having to look at someone else’s poop or vomit, though, I think is a lot more revolting. Birds as well freak me out. If I had unlimited resources I would pay someone to span the planet and get rid of every single one of those disgusting, frightening animals. McLellan: Beef curtains. Ugh.
Mills: I met Randy Couture and Dan Henderson this year in Las Vegas, and seriously, you can’t look these guys in the eyes. It’s really weird, but not necessarily disgusting.
“I take my hand off to him.” – Mike Tyson, after losing to Lennox Lewis
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
12 sports
Cougar volleyball preview Two wins not enough New faces on men’s volleyball team look to rejuvenate program alex fox
Profile: Lindsey Isaak
sports writer The University of Regina men’s volleyball team officially commenced their season this past weekend in Regina at the Centre for Kinesiology and Sport. Their first game on Oct. 23 ended with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-20) loss to the University of Manitoba Bisons. The Cougars fought hard against the Bisons but could not clinch a win throughout the three sets. Third-year middle blocker Leon Dyck led the Cougars with 11 kills and fourth-year libero Lindsay Isaak had a match high 10 digs. The following evening, the Cougars bore a 3-1 loss, again to the Bisons. The Cougars had a slower start than the previous game with 25-13 and 25-11 losses in the first two sets. In the third set, the starting line was adjusted with players Taylor Anderson, Kelly D'Autrement, Colin Finch, and Caled Eschbachadded. With the new mix of
2008-09 Standings 1. Alberta (18-0) 2. Calgary (13-5) 3. Trinity Western (10-8) 4. Brandon (10-8) 5. UBC (10-8) 6. Thompson Rivers (10-8) 7. Winnipeg (10-8) 8. Manitoba (4-14) 9. Regina (2-16) 10. Saskatchewan (2-16)
players, the Cougars raced close to the Bisons and took the lead in the third set with a score of 25-23. Wrapping up the fourth set, neither team could score the win until Bison sensation Chris Voth pulled them ahead out of the 28-28 tie. Photos by Tyler Dekok and canadawest.org
CIS Top Ten
1. Alberta 2. McMaster 3. Laval 4. Calgary 5. Manitoba 6. UBC 7. Dalhousie 8. Brandon 9. Winnipeg 10. Trinity Western
This year the Cougars changed up their roster significantly. They lost valuable players such as Ryan DeCosse, Christopher Knoop and Blake Wheler, but added Derek Delavau, Nathan Cherwaty, Caleb Eschbach, Ryan Cherwaty, Joel Legasse, Ian McLeod, and Scott Munro. With the preseason gone and forgotten, the adaptation to a new and young team will take place early in the season. The Cougars continue their season Oct. 30 and 31 in Saskatoon against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. Regina’s next home game isn’t until Nov. 20 when the Cougars will play host to the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
If you’re studying around the Education Building every now and then you have probably passed men’s volleyball player Lindsey Isaak shuffling about from class to class, as he carries a heavy load this semester. As a fourth-year software systems engineering student, Isaak is enrolled in five classes and four labs. On top of all the classes Isaak still finds time to make it to his daily practices and weekend games for the Cougars. Isaak explains, “I pretty much live here at this point … I usually finish my class during practice so I’m usually late. I show up after that and then stay here till about eleven, study, do homework, and then go home”. Issak is from Regina and attended high school at Archbishop M.C. O’Neill. Last season he took over as full-time libero for the Cougars. He holds a teamleading record of 114 digs, averaging 1.75 digs per set. In his second season game, Isaak has already matched his personal record of 15 digs in one game. “Teams aren’t going to serve me much just because I wear the different jersey. I just want to dig a lot of balls, stay up in the CanWest for digs per set. That’s what I’m going for,” said Isaak, regarding
his personal goals for the remainder of the season. Isaak reflected on the Cougars’ performance against Manitoba. “We did a lot of things well, just not consistently enough. We didn’t get points when we needed them ... we definitely play defence well. That’s our main thing, we always preach defence. We just need more consistency in our passing. Our passing is a little streaky right now. Sometimes we get some breakdowns in blocking. We need to make smarter decisions in everything we do.” Despite the slower start this season, Isaak works at keeping the Cougars motivated while their team continues to develop. “Just got to talk a lot. We got a lot of quiet guys on our team. So on the court we gotta keep reminding guys to keep talking, keep saying whatever, doesn’t matter what it is, just yell something out. Just to keep guys in the game.” Between juggling his classes and motivating the team, Isaak holds a positive attitude for the season. “Well, we’ve got Saskatoon coming up so hopefully we can take one or two from them in their gym … It’s looking good. We’re getting better.”
Semifinals or bust Young women’s volleyball team face major obstacle: Canada West peter mills editor in chief Despite losing two Canada West allstars, outside hitter Tammy Jule and libero Kelly Cowan, as well as veteran Lisa Abrahamowicz, the University of Regina’s women’s volleyball team is entering what may be their most promising season in the past decade. Led by eighth year head coach Melanie Sanford, a three-time national championship winner as a University of Saskatchewan athlete, the Cougars entered the 2009-10 regular season taller – Sanford recruited four players over 6-0 this off season – and ranked No. 7 in the CIS. Following a preseason that saw the Cougars post a very impressive 113 record en route to two silver medals, Sanford’s squad proved that despite a very young team, they have more than enough talent to potentially make a playoff run this season. However, regardless of their preseason success or current top 10 national ranking, the biggest obstacle for the Cougars this season remains the extremely competitive Canada West conference. A non-Canada West team has won the CIS championship only seven times since 1970. That means one incredibly tough schedule
for the Cougars. Defending CIS champions UBC will be the team to beat, having won back-to-back national championships. Alberta, Calgary, Trinity Western, and Manitoba are also serious contenders for the Canada West title. Despite a very young team, Sanford believes her squad is also very talented and has the potential to surprise a lot of teams. Fifth-year middle blocker Beth Clark is the leader of this squad both on and off the court. The 2007-08 Canada West second-team all-star will provide much needed experience and the Cougars will rely heavily on her Roger Federer-esque serving abilities and extraordinary ability to block the shit out of anything coming her way. Clark is already the U of R’s rallypoint era leader with 263 career blocks and 76 service aces. 13 of the Cougars 15 players are in their first, second or third years of eligibility. The other two players, co-captains Clark and Meagan Smith are in their fifth and final season. Last season, Smith finished third on the team with 147 kills and had a team-leading 24 service aces. Third-year Tiffany Herman was very reliable as the volleyball equivalent of John Stockton last season and she recently gained invaluable experi-
ence with Team Saskatchewan at the Canada Summer Games. Both thirdyear Meagan Onstad and second-year Roxanne Olynyk also represented Saskatchewan at the Canada Summer Games, and they will be expected to anchor the outside hitter positions this season. After two seasons behind 2007-08 libero of the year Kelly Cowan on the depth chart, third-year Rebecca Rink will need to lead the Cougars on the court. Rookie libero Megan Semeniuk – who is one year removed from a very successful senior year at Winston Knoll – will also see playing time this season. Despite clinching seven straight playoff births, Sanford’s squads haven’t advanced past the Canada West quarter-final in her tenure. Last season, the Cougars finished with a 10-10 record for the second straight season but lost 2-0 to the University of Calgary Dinos in the best-of-three Canada West quarter-final. On Oct. 23, the Cougars started the regular season 1-1 after splitting two home games against the No. 3ranked Manitoba Bisons. Regina will be back in action Friday, Oct. 30 in Saskatoon, and their next home game isn’t until Nov. 20 when they’ll host the No. 5-ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears.
2008-09 Standings CIS Top Ten 1. Alberta (16-4) 2. Calgary (16-4) 3. UBC (15-5) 4. Trinity Western (14-6) 5. Manitoba (13-7) 6. Brandon (12-8) 7. Regina (10-10) 8. Thompson Rivers (6-14) 9. SFU (4-16) 10. Saskatchewan (3-17) 11. Winnipeg (1-19)
1. UBC 2. Montreal 3. Manitoba 4. Calgary 5. Alberta 6. Laval 7. Regina 8. Trinity Western 9. McGill 10. UNB
“[Clark] will provide
much needed experience and the Cougars will rely heavily on her Roger Federer-esque serving abilities and extraordinary ability to block the shit out of anything coming her way.” Peter Mills
Photos by Jarrett Crowe
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
S C OR E BOA RD T h ur s ay , O ct . 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
sports 13
photo briefs
Men’s Basketball
72 – 95 Fourth-year Marek Downarowicz scored 15 points and led the Cougars with seven rebounds.
F r i d ay , O ct . 2 3 , 2 0 0 9 Women’s Basketball
75 – 83 Andy Sammons
Women’s Volleyball
3–0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-18)
Third-year Meagan Onstad led the Cougars with 9 kills and 10 digs.
Men’s Basketball
On Oct. 25, one day removed from a 1-0 loss, the Cougars (2-10-0) ended an eight game scoreless losing streak with a 1-0 victory over the University of Manitoba Bisons (6-5-1) in Regina. First-year Jessica Meyer scored her first career goal in the 75th minute, while second-year goalkeeper Linsay Barbier made four saves to shut out the Bisons.
Women’s Soccer
82 – 90 Fifth-year Jamal Williams led the Cougars with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while four other Cougars scored over ten points each.
Jarrett Crowe
Despite career-high numbers from third-year quarterback Marc Mueller, the No. 3-ranked University of Calgary Dinos (6-1) torched the Rams (3-4) 47-29 in Calgary. Calgary quarterback Erik Glavic racked up 470 passing yards and two touchdowns. Rams fourth-year receiver Jordan Sisco had another stellar performance catching nine passes for 178 yards and two touchdown. The Rams now must beat the No. 3–ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Oct. 30 at Mosaic Stadium to have any chance of making the playoffs.
Rams Football
Colin Goubau
The Cougars improved their preseason record to 51 with a 76-63 victory over Thompson Rivers at the Graham Construction Shootout in Saskatoon. Led by fifth-year double-double machine Jamal Williams and fourth-year Marek Downarowicz the Cougars beat down McGill 95-72, but lost to the U of S 90-82 finishing 2-1 on the weekend.
Men’s Basketball
Men’s Volleyball
3–0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-20)
S a t u r d a y , Oc t . 2 4 , 2 0 0 9 Women’s Soccer
1– 0 Third-year goalie Michelle Anderson made eight saves for the Cougars, who dropped to 110-0 with the loss.
Rams Football
47 – 29 Men’s Volleyball
3–1 (25-13, 25-11, 23-25, 30-28)
Men’s Basketball
63 – 76 Fourth-year Marek Downarowicz scored a gamehigh 18 points and added six rebounds for the Cougars.
Women’s Basketball
92 – 79 Third-year Brittany Read recorded a double-double with a game-high 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Women’s Volleyball
0–3 (20-25,25-18,25-23,25-11)
S u nda y , O ct . 2 5 , 2 0 0 9 Women’s Basketball
78 – 84 Women’s Soccer
0–1
Jarrett Crowe
On Oct. 25, the Cougars continued their preseason dominance with an 84-78 victory over the McMaster Marauders, capturing the UC Invitational with a 3-0 record. Third-year Brittany Read led the Cougars with a 23-point, 13-rebound double-double, while fifth-year Carmen Stewart also continued her great play as of late with a 15point, 10-rebound peformance. The Cougars improved to 9-2 in the preseason and will play host Concordia Oct. 30 and 31 at the CKHS.
Women’s Basketball
Tyler Dekok
Despite losing their first 2009-10 regular match 3-0 to the No. 3-ranked University of Manitoba Bisons (1-1), the No. 7-ranked Cougars (1-1) stole the weekend split with a 3-1 victory on Oct. 24. Second-year Roxanne Olynyk led the Cougars with a match-high 16 kills, while fifth-year Beth Clark dominated the net with a match-high six total blocks. The Cougars will be back in action Oct. 30 when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the Huskies.
Women’s Volleyball
Jarrett Crowe
On Oct. 23 and 24, the Cougars (0-2) opened up the 2009-10 regular season with consecutive losses to the No. 5-ranked University of Manitoba Bisons (2-0) in Regina. They battled hard with the Bisons in both games but lost 3-0 and 3-1. Fourthyear libero Lindsey Isaak led his team on the weekend with 25 digs. The Cougars will be back in action Oct. 30 when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the Huskies.
Men’s Volleyball
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
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the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
sports 15
Seriously fast cars
Cougar racing changing approach matt duguid contributor Cougar racing is speeding back into action this year. The race team, which has been on a short hiatus, is going in a new direction this year – as opposed to running a car in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) formula series they will refocus their energies on building a new vehicle to compete in a 2011 SAE baja event. The SAE baja event brings teams from universities across the globe together to compete in an offroad race, each team designing and building a four-wheeled, single seat, rear-engined off-road vehicle. Yeah, it’s exactly what you think ... a dune buggy. The team will be starting from scratch this year, using CAD software to model several key chassis components. The engine, an unmodified 10 horsepower Briggs and Stratton is standard on all competition vehicles, leveling the playing field on power and placing the emphasis on the teams’ ability to design and construct a competitive vehicle. Although the teams are allowed to design and build their own vehicles, they must comply to some strict safety guidelines set forth by the SAE to protect both drivers and spectators. At race events both car and driver are pushed to the limit with challenges like hill climb, weight pulling events, maneuverability tests, and specialty events like rock crawling or mud bog races as well as an endurance race to test the overall craftsmanship of each vehicle. Each vehicle is also judged by a panel of engineers on categories such
Matt Duguid
Members of the Cougar race team pose with their previous competition vehicles. From left to right, Cougar race members Drake Coulter, Brett Geiger, Doug Scott, Jeremy Brehm, and Luke Shaheen. as innovation and craftsmanship, suspension, brake and steering systems, as well as structural design and operator comfort among other things. Each vehicle is required to be accompanied by several reports, on things like vehicle design strategies and project cost. And project cost is important – the last University of Regina competition formula racecar required over $25,000 to build and compete and the Cougar race team is on the hook to cover most of these project costs, and are only able to
compete with the help of sponsors. Local businesses sponsor the projects either by providing funding, parts, or by providing the team with services like metal or machine shop fabrication. The garage the SAE team works out of was even built by volunteers, with donated money, and houses several of the past competition race cars. If designing, building, and driving a competition dune buggy sounds interesting to you (seriously, it’s a dune buggy, who doesn’t
wanna drive one?) the Cougar race team wants you to come out and help. Any U of R student, from any faculty, not just engineering, can join the race team and has the chance to gain several new skills, like welding, metal fabrication, and racecar driving. No previous automotive experience is necessary to join the race team, which only exists to help students learn what is necessary to create a competition race vehicle. If you would like to get involved with the Cougar race team or check out
progress on the baja vehicle you can log on to the team’s website at www.cougar-racing.com, where they will be doing a full online build profile of the race vehicle. As well, you will have the opportunity to check out some of the previous competition vehicles on Nov. 4, at the “What is Engineering” booth. If you have an interest in anything automotive I suggest you swing by and check out what the SAE has to offer and see some of the impressive vehicles U of R students are capable of building.
Rider Report No ties this time
cfl.ca
There’s a new sheriff in town
jon hamelin contributor
Darian Durant has made a believer out of me. In the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ week 17, 33-30 overtime victory over the British Columbia Lions, Durant showed once again why he has developed into one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the Canadian Football League. It was by no means a picture perfect outing from Durant. The Riders had a solid first half. Durant engineered 17 points, highlighted by a 60-yard touchdown pass to Rob Bagg (who had over 100 yards in the first half). But Durant and the offence stalled in the second half. The Riders only put up three points in the third quarter. Down 2322, Durant finally did throw a touchdown pass, although unfortunately it was to the other team. Baron Miles picked off a Durant pass and ran 42 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to give the Lions a 3022 lead. At this point it would appear that Durant and the entire offence would merely give up after such a crushing blow. But Durant, once again proving to be a true leader, did not panic. He
calmly led the Riders offence down the field, connecting with Johnny Quinn for a 29-yard touchdown, and Chris Getlzaf for the subsequent twopoint conversion to send the game into overtime. The rest, of course, is history. The Riders scored a field goal on the first possession of overtime, and then James Patrick intercepted a Casey Printers pass on B.C.’s possession to give the Riders the win. The game featured many notable performances, but Durant’s performance really stood out. Playing against a Lions defence that had stymied him all season long, Durant finished the game completing 26-47 passes, for 319 yards with two touchdowns. Of course, the late game-tying drive was the most crucial drive of the game. After the Miles’ touchdown, few thought the Riders would be able to get back in the game. A few fans even left the stadium though there was still around three minutes left in the game. Durant and the Riders once again showed that they have no quit in them as they quickly responded. The Riders even had a chance to win the game before overtime, but Luca Congi’s 50-yard field goal attempt hit the uprights. These kinds of heroics have been nothing new for Durant.
In week five, Durant engineered a late touchdown drive, culminating in a game-winning 65-yard touchdown pass to Getlzaf. Durant led the Riders on a late touchdown drive in week 14 to tie the game against the Lions. The Lions would end up winning the game on a field goal. In a week 16 tie against the Calgary Stampeders, Durant executed two crucial drives. Down by eight points near the end of the game, he marched down the field for a touchdown and got the two-point conversion. Facing a third down in overtime, Durant hooked up with Quinn for a crucial first down. Playing in front of one of the most passionate fan bases in Canada, Durant has faced pressure all year long. In only his first year as starter, Durant has seemed to take on a leadership role with the Riders. The Riders are currently tied for first place in the West, and it looks like a home match-up in week 19 against the Calgary Stampeders will determine who will host the West final. With Durant leading the Roughriders offence into battle, I believe that the Riders will have what it takes to win the West, for the Roughriders have found a new star, and his name is Darian Durant.
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
16 sports
The Leafs suck
zimbio.com
They really, really suck
Why I hate being a Leafs fan
sarah ritchie
alex fox
contributor
sports writer
To say that the Toronto Maple Leafs’ start to this year’s NHL season was a disappointment is like saying that it’s been a while since Lord Stanley’s trophy visited Leafland. The Leafs headed into the 2009-10 season with all signs pointing towards a relatively good start. General Manager Brian Burke performed a major overhaul of his team’s lineup over the summer – adding grit and size to a defensive corps that allowed a league-worst 286 goals-against over the course of last season, signing promising goalie Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson out of Sweden, and trading for Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel. Kessel was brought to Toronto in return for first- and second-round picks in the 2010 NHL entry draft, and a first rounder in the 2011 draft. Unfortunately, Kessel has yet to play a game as a Maple Leaf, as he is recovering from shoulder surgery and is not expected to be in the lineup until mid-November. Even without Kessel, heading into training camp this fall, there was the usual cautious optimism throughout Leafs Nation – a hope that the new players would be able to pull through and become the team that will end the playoff drought that dates back to before the lockout season of 2004-05. In preseason play, the Leafs looked bigger, tougher, and more skilled than they have in recent years. The players literally fought for roster spots – defenseman Phil Oreskovic fought no less than three times in one game – and the rookies were looking good. The Leafs actually won six of their nine preseason games, finishing with the league’s best record in preseason play. On paper, the new-look Leafs looked to be real contenders. Then the regular season started. The opening game against the Montreal Canadiens ended in an overtime loss, and things went downhill from there. The next game against the Washington Capitals was almost a complete embarrassment as the Leafs went down 6-1 early in the second period, though a late third-period surge made the final score 6-4. Since then, Toronto has lost every game, and the 2009-10 Maple Leafs will go down in history as having posted the worst start to a season in franchise history with an 0-7-1 record. As of Oct. 25, Ian White and Alexei Ponikarovsky are the only players with a positive plus-minus
blogspot.com
High-fives are few and far between this year
rating. Gustavsson, who did well during preseason play, posted two losses before being sidelined with a groin injury. This left Vesa Toskala as the starter, and he has proven to be shaky at best, with a 5.56 goals-against average through four starts. As a Leafs fan though, I am an eternal optimist. Maybe Gustavsson will get healthy, and prove to be capable of taking over the starting job. Maybe Mike Komisarek will stop trying to challenge Colton Orr for team leader in penalty minutes, and play like the top-two defenseman he was brought in to be. Maybe Kessel will prove to be the missing piece, and the season won’t end as badly as it began. Or maybe Toronto will end up giving the Boston Bruins the first overall pick in the 2010 draft.
That headline is nearly rhetorical. The most obvious reason someone would hate being a Leafs fan is simple – they are not a winning team. Their current record is 0-7-1. Not only are they in the bottom spot of their conference, they are in dead last in the entire National Hockey League. Do not be mislead by the headline, I sincerely am a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. I do not hate the Maple Leafs, I hate being a fan of them. Nostalgia brings memories of a basement painted royal blue to match the collection of Leafs memorabilia covering the walls, complete with furniture made of hockey sticks, and a big screen TV for Saturday nights. The most difficult part about being a Leafs fan is all the infinite reasons there are for being a Leafs fan. They are one of the oldest teams in the league, and arguably have the most valuable history. Not only is Conn Smythe the name of a trophy awarded to the Most Valuable Player during playoffs, he was the first owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He can be credited for the royal blue colour of my basement, the team name, and for building Maple Leaf Gardens. He was the initial heart and soul of the NHL in its developing years. Without his leadership and audacity to fight for the NHL, it would not be what it is today. Likewise, with every hero there is a necessary evil – in this case the “Habs”, more commonly known as the Montreal Canadiens. I do not admire or support the Habs in any aspect, but I do respect them. Without this endless rivalry, the NHL would not have survived its early years. French and English Canadians were given an outlet to release initial tension during hard times. Hockey was more than just a sport, it was a political movement. So why, with all this respected history, can the Toronto Maple Leafs not win a single game? They have out-shot their opponents in more than half of their games. They have some of the most devoted fans in the North America, and yet cannot bring it home for one game. Leafs General Manager Brian Burke decided to decrease their spending over the past couple years, in order to be able to afford top-end
jfbelisle.com
Pretty soon Burke will be the only one watching the Leafs
players in the future. The Leafs spend more than the average team when building their defence, but not enough to stop the rampage of goals every game. They invest far too much on their bottom six players and not enough on their top six. It causes inconsistency within the team. At times, it is hard to tell if they realize hockey is a goal scoring competition. Or that there are, in fact, three periods in a hockey game. The endless mocking I receive is nearly unbearable. “Alex, give them up, choose a winning team” is all I hear. But what is a fan if they are not loyal? They are not deemed worthy of my support by the scoreboard but by the heart. I frown upon such wagon jumpers that would climb to the Crosby club or bow to Ovechkin, just for the bragging rights. Nay, not I, simply because that is not the Maple Leaf way. Thus I answer, I do not hate being a Leafs fan because they cannot win, I hate being a Leafs fan because they are making me wait for a win. I may be an impatient fan, but I am still a fan. There is nothing more satisfying and reassuring than the immediate bond you share with another Leafs fan. They can sense the turmoil and pain in your eyes, and suddenly, it is like they have peered into your very soul. It is tempting to be drawn away from a losing team. Heroes like Ovechkin and Crosby are like little imps sitting on my shoulder tearing me from my true love. However, I will watch and I will wait, and at last, we will win.
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
sports 17
The UFC is oh so sweet Why MMA is a wonderful sport, spectacle dana samways contributor “Ladies and gentlemen, we are LIVE!”…”In the blue corner, standing six feet and one inch and weighing in at one hundred and eighty-three pounds, DAN ‘HOLLYWOOD’ HENDERSON!
“And in the orange corner with the matching tank-top, standing five feet and three inches and weighing in at an unnameable amount, because real ladies don’t disclose their weight or age, DANA ‘MUFFIN BATTER’ SAMWAYS!”
Alright, so I’m not next in line for a UFC title shot, I wouldn’t agree to put myself up as the main event against “Hollywood” Henderson, (nor would I be happy with a fightnickname like that) but for some reason beyond my powers, I love fights. I love seeing the rivalries, the glamorous entrances, and most of all, I love, love, love a good knockout. One might ask, “Where, oh where, could one find such a sport where men can be men, show-boating is encouraged, and the fists are more furious than ever?” Professional fighting in the UFC is your answer. Let us explore some of my favourite things in this wonderful sport/spectacle. First off, we have the entrance. Bruce Buffer makes the announcements like some sort of mafia-esque songbird, the lights dim and the music starts. The music each opponent chooses is extremely important – the fans judge each fighter on their song; it’s basically their statement. Some go for the Dropkick Murphys to cite that they mean business in a Celtic/rene-
gade way. Many others opt for jaunty tunes by the likes of Method Man, or the ever-present Metallica (you know, oldies but goodies). Always chosen are songs that speak of intention. Walking down the aisle with your posse to “Face down, ass up, that’s the way we like to…”, (you get the picture) no one will take you seriously. You might as well come out to “The Humpty Dance”. Part of my anticipation for each fight on a card is who will come to out to what music – it’s like seeing who’s wearing what on the red carpet (and you don’t want to be the one whose shoes, belt, and purse don’t match). As a girl, I side with a fighter based on two equally important and trivial things – 1) Who is the nicer guy? 2) Whose face do I like better? I admit I’m shallow in my decision. I almost always side with Roger Huerta because he is a nice guy and he has a very nice face, though I’m not always so superficial. I always cheer for Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira because he is a nice guy and he’s the only person I’ve heard of who gets his face run over by a truck and “walks it off”. That is both impressive and ridiculous. In any case, a solid knockout against a fighter who habitually runs his mouth off (Rampage Jackson or Michael Bisping, anyone?) is sweeter than tasting any confection and twice as satisfying as seeing someone slip and fall on ice. For me, watching UFC is all about the “wow” factor – a fighter’s music, his sponsors, his physique (I wasn’t kidding when I said I was kind of shallow), and whether or not he controls the fight like a man who’s “Out for Justice” or if he spends all of his time grappling on the ground
espn.com
(man-snuggling as I call it). The bottom line is seeing a furious fist meet “the button” on a man’s jaw, like hitting an off-switch, and seeing him collapse to the ground.
For all these reasons and so many more, I love watching UFC fights. The brute strength, the ferocity, and the upsets (Shogun vs. Machida for example) are all addictively wonderful.
Watching UFC is all about the “wow” factor
Politicking in MMA Matches are about money, not matching the best fighters
Thanks to the growing popularity of shows like “The Ultimate Fighter”, we can all be rest assured that people like me can come out of hiding and cheer on for supervised violence.
write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write want to write for the carillon?
story meetings are every monday at 12:30 in the carillon office (rm. 227, ridell centre). drop by and see how you can help out.
espn.com
The prime example of brute strength
tyler alty concordian (concordia university)
MONTREAL (CUP) – For the matchmakers in mixed martial arts (MMA), the formula is generally simple: you pit someone coming off of a win against someone else coming off of a win. Examples to the contrary do exist, such as the matching of one person coming off of a win against a champion who just lost their belt. Although it is a winner against a loser, the level of the losing fighter is undeniable and it puts the other fighter on the championship contender radar. An example of this would be the tentative upcoming match up between recently dethroned Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion, Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva, who is coming off of a stunning first round knockout over Keith Jardine.
Yet despite the basic guidelines used by matchmakers, it doesn’t guarantee formidable opponents for those who deserve it, nor does it deny a promotions ability to sell bigger fights through the formula. At UFC 101 on Aug. 8, “The Ultimate Fighter” season seven winner Amir Sadollah finally made his much anticipated debut at a major event, after being held back by injuries and complications. He was matched against the unknown and undefeated Johnny Hendricks. The affair lasted less than one minute with Sadollah foolishly chasing Hendricks, who was able to catch Sadollah clean on the chin causing him to fall to the mat where there was an arguably premature stoppage. In the wake of this fight, both fighters have been given new opponents: Hendricks gets to test out UFC newcomer Ricardo Funch at UFC 107, while Sadollah gets a crack at the infamous UFC veteran Phil Baroni, who is making his return at UFC 106: Lesnar
vs. Carwin. Yes, the winner will fight a winner and the loser will fight a loser (Baroni lost his last contest to Joe “Diesel” Riggs at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields), but the connotations of the results are highly unfair. Hendricks will be putting his unblemished record on the line against someone who has little to no reputation, but does have an undefeated record as well, which suggests Funch is better than he will be getting credit for – especially from fans. And Sadollah, while fighting a fellow ‘loser,’ will have a much larger notch on his belt if he comes out victorious, since Baroni has a reputation and a history with the UFC going back to 2001. Despite the outcome of Hendricks vs. Sadollah, Sadollah emerges with a tentative match up that is sure to garner much more media buzz and fan appeal. This manipulation of the matchmaking formula has been abused in
the past as well, with a notable example being the pairing of Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture for the heavyweight championship. The UFC used the excuse of Lesnar’s win over Heath Herring to catapult him to the top of the division. This decision was business-minded and not an example of paying your dues in the division – the only possible reasoning being their matching win-loss ratio of 2:1 at the time, although it was two to one for Lesnar and 18 to nine for Couture. If the UFC wishes to remain as the premier MMA promotion in North America, they will need to legitimize their matchmaking as fans are growing in numbers and maturing in their MMA knowledge. So in the meantime we will have to rely on what I have said before: all politicking aside, if a fighter has to prove himself it will be in the cage, so for Johnny Hendricks, he’ll have to run through Funch before he gets his crack at toptier fighters.
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features
Regina’s downtown rebirth
Features Editor: Alex Colgan kinesis_14@yahoo.com the carillon, Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
New plan supports walking, biking, living downtown alex colgan
features editor
It’s been in the air for years, but the plan has finally come in for a smooth landing. The Regina Downtown Neighbourhood Plan: Walk to Work, has been in development since 2007, and was finally approved by city council on Sept. 22, 2009. The master plan for the downtown’s future has been the product of extensive consultations with residents, students, business owners, land owners, developers, and various other stakeholders in the downtown’s future. The plan entails a broad range of initiatives, including public transit, priority for pedestrians and cyclists, and redevelopment of the area surrounding Victoria Park to encourage festivals and other cultural events. However, perhaps the most definitive and ambitious aspect of the plan is its chief slogan, Walk to Work: the drive to develop residential neighbourhoods around the downtown area, in order to make the downtown active throughout the day. The plan was approved by the city’s planning commission several days prior to its ratification by council. The Leader-Post’s Joe Couture reported that the commission heard from various delegations; criticisms of the plan were mild, focusing on issues such as two-way street conversions and building height restrictions for some areas, parking, and the difficulties of walking to work in Regina’s harsh winters. Most of the delegations supported the plan. Bob Bjerke, the city’s director of planning and sustainability, is very enthusiastic about the plan’s prospects: “We’ve had a lot of really good involvement from a whole range of people throughout the process, so it’s quite exciting ... There’s broad community support behind [the plan], and we look forward to seeing some good outcomes.” According to Bjerke, the key ques-
tion we must ask ourselves is: “What is our downtown and how do we want it to be?” The downtown plan will take 20 years to complete, and the policies implemented over the next few years may shape the course of Regina’s social, cultural, and economic development for decades to come.
Photo courtesy of the Regina Downtown Neighbourhood Plan.
Walk to Work: housing options downtown
Why walk to work when you can drive? Because when everybody drives to work and nobody lives where the work is, nobody wants to hang around after five o’clock. This leaves a ghost town. Regina’s downtown is oversays whelmingly commercial, Michael Huber, the executive director of the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (BID). “20,000 people work downtown, but not many people live downtown.” This state of affairs has produced severe shortcomings in the downtown core, and so the downtown revitalization plan’s main thrust is to promote residential development in and around the downtown area. The story of downtown Regina’s current crisis begins with the economic exodus in the 1990s. According to Huber, the economic downturn in the ’90s took a heavy toll on Regina’s job market, and the downtown as a result. “Everyone was rushing off to Calgary at that time. People were out of here at top speed.” Demographic outmigration meant that a lot of office space stood empty, and so many of those offices were converted for residential use. However, when the economy recovered, vacancy rates for both residential and office spaces were among the lowest in Canada. According to the CBC, Regina’s residential vacancy rate was 0.7 per cent in April, while the Leader-Post reported earlier this month that the retail vacancy rate is 2.7 per cent. Both represent a stranglehold on Regina’s development. Bjerke
Regina’s downtown is bordered by 13th Avenue (south), Osler St. (east), the CP Rail line (north), and Angus St. (west), and consists of roughly 40 blocks.
hopes that development projects will contribute to solving this crisis: “In the future, we’re looking to see more new construction happening in the downtown.” While Huber and Bjerke both agree that extensive residential development will not solve this issue, it is a step in the right direction. Bjerke argues that the vacancy issue will ultimately have to be resolved by changes to the tax structure and incentive mechanisms. Huber is in favour of a
separate comprehensive plan; he points out that in comparable cities, there is a “housing continuum” that provides a range of options from lowincome housing to $300,000 condominiums, but that downtown Regina has few options for the middle class. “What you need to do is resolve the housing continuum and provide housing all the way through; you need to have apartments and smaller condos for artists and young professionals,” said Huber.
The Eight Big Moves
Photo by Tyler Dekok.
The Regina Downtown Neighbourhood Plan involves eight “big moves,” or policies that will actively define how the downtown will evolve for years to come.
1. Walk to Work
5. A Cycling Culture
2. The City Square
6. Exceptional Public Transit
3. Pedestrians First
All streets designed for walking.
7. Friendly Facades
4. A Green Zone
8. Festival Places
A Downtown that is defined and framed by resi- Cultivate and support cycling as a viable means to dential neighbourhoods. move about. Victoria Park is the jewel, the organizing element of A downtown that is best accessed by public transit. the city. Existing buildings, at grade level, remediated to create a lively, animated pedestrian realm.
A well maintained urban forest that adds seasonal Create places for gathering, to allow arts and culture to flourish and to be celebrated. ambience and urban wildlife habitat.
Development is already moving forward on a number of fronts. Condemned houses and vacant lots, particularly in the east end of downtown, are being repurposed and plans are being drawn. The Leader-Post reported on Aug. 13 that Westgate Development, a Regina construction firm, has been tasked with the construction of “Westgate Plaza,” an eight-story hotel and a 19-storey condominium tower that will be built on the current site of the Plains Hotel. It is the first design that will fully accord with the requirements and recommendations set out in the downtown plan. In fact, Huber says, the proposal was put forward even before the plan was formally passed; the new development will fully embrace the mixeduse values of the plan, as it includes restaurants and retail on the ground floor, as well as convention space. However, Huber is disappointed by accelerating residential developments at the edges of the city, which he argues run contrary to the intentions of the plan. “These apartments are built out east of Jysk,” he said, referring to the retail outlet at the edge of the eastern commercial district along Victoria Avenue. “That, to me, is funny, because it goes against your administration, it goes against your official community plan, and in the end it ends up costing the city a lot over the lifespan of those buildings. “We’d like to see some incentives specifically for downtown to get those apartments located in the area and start increasing the population downtown, because if you have a strong residential population, it starts to attack a number of issues.” Those issues include security and safety concerns, which are another significant feature of promoting residence in the downtown. While the downtown core is fairly safe, the absence of a residential population means that the streets are often empty after the end of the regular work day, which Huber described as “kind of an eerie feeling.” The hope is that the presence of property owners, who have a vested interest in the neighbourhood, will make people feel more comfortable downtown.
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
features 19 Photos by Tyler Dekok.
“[The question is] what is our downtown, and how d o we want it to be?” Bob Bjerke director of planning and sustainability, City of Regina
Students living downtown... near a new campus? While details are still sketchy and feasibility studies have yet to be finished, the Regina downtown revitalization plan has proposed that the U of R establish a downtown presence. While the university has no plans to close the College Avenue campus, it may establish a second adjunct campus downtown. There are many reasons why the downtown would benefit from an adjunct campus, since increased student residence would bring immediate economic and cultural benefits to the area. Huber argues that “we need young people living downtown. If you have 150 people in the student housing facility downtown, that’s 150 people moving around, going out for dinner and going to bars.” Students would “activate” the streets, since they do not observe the nine-to-five workday. Living in or near the downtown would also make it easier for students to access part-time jobs, which would in turn benefit small businesses in the downtown core.
Life downtown would also benefit the students themselves, who would live adjacent to and become involved in cultural events such as folk festivals and the Farmers Market. As Bjerke pointed out, the downtown can be “a key hub for the whole community” and can provide a broad range of opportunities for volunteering and real world experience. Huber is interested in establishing networking events for mentorship, which would involve students meeting with business representatives, who would work in the students’ areas of interest. Like the site on College Avenue, which hosts the Conservatory of the Performing Arts, this campus would offer programs that do not require the resources of the main campus. According to Dave Button, the university’s vicepresident (administration), the university is “looking very seriously at developing additional space in the downtown core for appropriate University programs.”
Bikes, businesses, and building a new downtown
The Regina downtown plan covers almost 250 pages, ranging from general principles and goals to specific details and procedures. Here are several more aspects of the plan that will likely interest or concern U of R students.
Cycling and public transit
Regina’s spacious city streets and the winding paths around Wascana Lake already make for a strong cycling culture. With incentives for cyclists, such as employer amenities and an Annual Bike to Work Week, the city hopes to encourage the cycling culture. As for public transit, the plan mostly focuses on enhancing public transit access in the downtown, rather than any radical extension of Regina’s transit system as a whole. However, transit use may increase as a result of more people and students in particular living in the downtown.
Small businesses
While the plan has not specifically focused on promoting small, independent businesses, a number of features suggest that the plan will be benefiting the little guys as well as the big guys. The drive for “vibrancy and activity downtown [will provide] more opportunities for retail activities,” said Bjerke. The plan offers clear support for cultural and artistic venues, and overall is concerned with creating a diverse and viable downtown. The Downtown BID, Huber said, will continue to support small businesses through collective interest; the Downtowner, the BID’s bi-weekly newsletter, provides free advertising for sales and events, in the interests of promoting the district as a whole.
Proposed dome stadium
It’s currently unclear how the recently proposed dome stadium, which would replace the aging Mosaic Stadium with a multi-weather structure, may affect the plan, although Bjerke said that the placement and design of a stadium would be examined “with reference to the plan.” Huber and the Regina Downtown BID are unsure of the proposed stadium’s potential economic impact, and are “a little bit on the fence,” awaiting the results of the feasibility study due in January. Indeed, it seems that while the economic arguments in favour of the stadium have been overwhelmingly focused on potential benefits for the downtown, it’s still not entirely certain that the stadium would necessarily “revitalize” the district.
Immediate challenges
What are the greatest challenges to the plan moving forward? Bjerke pointed out that the plan already has momentum: it has broad community and industry support, and major capital projects are proceeding, as are upgrades to the area around Victoria Park, and changes to the roads. The challenge, he said, is to maintain that momentum and know when to be flexible when some projects and initiatives may deviate. Huber said that the challenges to implementing the plan are residential development, and hosting events that will draw people downtown. “If you can get 5,000 people living downtown, we’re going to be flying in 10 years. At the same time, we’re going to focus hard on tracking events in our area.” Fortunately, he said, Victoria Park is a “fantastic place,” perfectly suited to functions like the Regina Folk Festival. With larger, more frequent events, the downtown can only get better.
“If you can get 5,000 people living downtown, we’re going to be fly ing in 10 years.” Michael Huber executive director, Regina Downtown Business Improvement District
graphics
Graphics Editor: Graeme Zirk graeme_zirk@hotmail.com the carillon, Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
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op-ed editorial
Op-Ed Editor: Barbara Woolsey b.woolsey@hotmail.com the carillon, Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
opinion
Hollywood’s chokehold t’s funny how politics can change at the drop of a hat. Or at the success of a movie, that is. Last week, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law two historic rights bills – Harvey Milk Day and the Marriage Recognition and Family Protection Act. When the bills first came across Schwarzenegger’s desk, he vetoed them. A blockbuster movie and a few Oscars later, he’s got the pen to the paper. Harvey Milk, America’s first openly homosexual elected official, will be rewarded with a day of commemoration. Same-sex couples married out of state will have their unions legally recognized in California whether or not they were married there. Hundreds of phone calls and e-mails later, the governor has had a change of heart. All because of a movie. This is a critical step in the journey to sexual equality and acceptance in North American society. However, is the stigma actually beginning to disappear or has Hollywood made appearances deceiving? The entertainment industry has proven, yet again, that it has an even bigger hand in politics than we are likely to admit. Their ability to influence paradigm shifts is spellbinding. Public policy and the entertainment industry have a direct relationship with one another. Bono sits down with Stephen Harper to talk AIDS, Madonna uses the stage of a Romanian concert to speak out against gypsy abuse. Artists have become notorious for using their fame to influence public change. They have the platform to be heard by millions and troupes of adoring fans. Should celebrities be using their fame to affect public policy? The presidential election last year is a great example. Left-leaning figures of the film industry jumped on the Obama bandwagon. Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Robert DeNiro, and George Clooney donated thousands of dollars and public words of support to Obama’s campaign. Oprah’s fundraising alone raised an estimated $3 million. For today’s celebrities, having a platform implies it should be excessively used. Activism has become trendy in Hollywood. However, charity events and fundraising seem to be more about photo-ops than helping a good cause. As a celebrity, do you need to be well-versed on the issues in order to influence them? Do you need to be more concerned about helping humanity than getting a bit of PR? Apparently not. When it comes to the new laws in California, Milk made the story of Harvey Milk mainstream. In this way, Twinkle Town paved the way for positive change. The LGBT community deserved such a law, if only to make up for the suffering brought about by Proposition 8. Likewise, Obama’s campaign changed history, allowing for racial barriers to be broken. The young generation was finally engaged in politics and people from drastically different walks of life were able to connect. Hollywood can be commended for being a source of fuel for progressive change. But, first and foremost, the film industry is a business. Stars will do whatever it takes to look good. And no matter how great a film is at promoting awareness, its number one goal is to make the studio money. There is a very fine line between where the opinions of stars with regard to public policy matter and where they do not. But for the most part, I’d like to see them shut up and continue to look pretty. After all, that is what they are paid to do. BBC
I
Graeme Zirk
Give me just a little more time
Recently I took my first official exam in university. Even more recently I took my first official university midterm. You know what they say, “You never forget your first time.” So there I was, working away on my exam – two short answer questions and an essay – when the professor announced that there was only 25 minutes left. I had only started the second short answer question, but half of my 50 minute class had already transpired. Naturally, I went into panic mode, frantically scribbling out the rest of the answers for my remaining questions. Thankfully, I managed to finish on time, though I was only semi-satisfied with my answers. As I walked out of the exam, my arm throbbing in pain, I came to the conclusion that 50 minutes is not enough time to write an exam. Tests are comprised mostly of long answer questions and therefore, require long, thought-out answers. With this being said, it is unrealistic to expect every student to deliver their ideal answer when they are in a
constant race against the clock. Thankfully I can write fast enough to get by, but what about those who can’t? They could be capable of delivering perfect answers, yet be penalized because they are unable to write fast enough. Of course there needs to be a limitation on the amount of time a student gets to write a test. However, would it be so wrong to allow students 10, 20, or maybe even 30 more minutes? An argument against this idea would be the fact that in some occasions the classroom is needed immediately by the next class. Though this may be true, why can’t students write their test in a classroom that isn’t being used right after their class is over? When I wrote my midterms, I noticed that there were several open classrooms after my exam was done. After talking to fellow students, I know I am not alone in the belief that 50 minutes for an examination simply isn’t enough. Students are paying a lot of money to be enrolled in their classes and the least the university
could do is make sure they have ample opportunity to do their best. I’d like to remind the university that examinations are meant to be a critical analysis of what we have learned in the classroom and as such, answers must be in depth. Exams are not meant to be written as if running in a race! Now I’m off to go ice my arm.
h1n1 michael jackson movie layton under fire that speech stephen harper canadian e m a i l y o u r o p i n i o n s tokanye election twitter itunes west lady gaga t-pain autotune recession afghanistan tasers dome bailouts health care bankruptcy sweater vest c a r i l l o n @ u r s u . u r e g i n a . c a hipster douchebags those assholes who give you tickets when you park in the wrong place on campus all capitalist gay marriage things and a barbara woolsey
commentary editor
jon hamelin
contributor
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
22 op-ed
Nations hurting nations
What, in your view, is the cost of a human life? How much value do you put on a child, a mother, a sister, or a brother? I am sure that most of us can agree that every life is equally as precious as any other. However, the recent war between Israel and the civilians of the Gaza strip suggests that Israeli war generals may disagree. Approximately 1,400 people have been brutally killed by Israel’s fierce war machine, the majority of them civilians. In just over 20 days Israel managed to destroy thousands of homes and many schools. They bombed UN targets, inflicted heavy damage to hospitals, care units, and illegally used chemical weapons on an almost defenceless population. The damage has been done. Another massacre, hundreds more innocent people killed. When will the world come to terms with reality? When will the world learn that the life of an American or a Canadian is worth the same as a Palestinian or a Lebanese? When will the world step up for what is right and accept international law? The tables are starting to turn. Many times before, international organizations called upon Israeli war generals to stand trial before the UN and the International Criminal Court. But with money and power they always seem to sneak away. This time is much different. With the latest Goldstone report being passed with a 25 to six vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Palestinians may see some justice. If you follow the news closely, hundreds protested against former Israeli war criminal Ehud Olmert who gave a speech at the University of Chicago recently. Moshe Yaalon is the former mili-
photos.net
Ariel Schalit/AP
tary chief of staff and current vice prime minister of Israel. He recently cancelled his visit to Britain on suspicions that civil rights groups in Britain have a warrant for his arrest. Turkey has halted military exercises with Israel on the grounds that they don’t want Israeli war planes hovering over Turkish air space. This trend is growing. Ignorance and deception can only last so long. Israel’s policies are being exposed and they will soon find out they are destroying their public image and themselves. How much longer can
Israel continue to cause such oppression and injustice? For over 60 years the Palestinian population worldwide has been waiting for justice. With the recent Goldstone report, the exposure of Israel’s military generals will be the beginning of muchdeserved justice for those people.
jameel suwan contributor
Quality time with W.
Jeff Mahon
On Sept. 12, my dad asked me if I would like to see George W. Bush speak in Saskatoon. Fresh off watching many documentaries on 9-11, I jumped at the offer. I was curious about which George Bush I would see. Would I see the folksy ol’ boy with a southern accent, charming the crowd with stories of freedom, baseball, and apple pies? Would I see a man no longer caged in by his public position, able to speak honestly about the serious controversies of his presidency? Or would I see a scripted and staged production, failing to answer any serious questions? Waiting in one of the two blocklong lines, I saw the police escort for the protesters as they marched down the street. Once the roughly 150 to 200 protesters arrived they chanted in unison, “Shame on you!” at those attending the event. The movement got a boost from the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour when around 100 union reps joined the protesters. Some of the protesters brought clever and original signs such as, “LAND OF THE LIVING LIES! WAR CRIMINALS WELCOME!” and “BUSH IS A PUSSY!” with a drawing that I will
The Shins and skinny jeans
leave to your imagination. Protesters with megaphones were shouting, “Investigate 9-11! It was an inside job!” and my personal favourite, “The Freemasons, Illuminati, and the Bilderbergers control the world!” Seeing the protesters caused me to reflect back to my tender teen years, when I wore a T-shirt that pictured Bush with “INTERNATIONAL TERRORI$T” stamped on his forehead overlooking a crowd of anti-war protestors. Now here I am waiting in line to hear him speak. Bush took the podium to a standing ovation. In his speech and question period, he poked fun at himself, talked about WMDs, and reasserted the importance of Canada-US relations. Some information was informative and some not so much. There were things Bush said that made me roll my eyes. However, I did find myself in agreement with much of what he said. Everyone jokes about his stupidity, yet he showed signs of intelligence. He discussed the important role that women play in leading to Middle-Eastern reforms, “No Child Left Behind,” and the importance of trade. When it comes to 9-11, he viewed “the first plane as an acci-
dent, the second as an attack, and the third, on the Pentagon, as declaration of war.” He never admitted to being wrong when it came to the pre-emptive strike on Iraq even when no WMDs were found. He said that America wasn’t imposing values because freedom is a universal value. He talked about the need for a strong economy in achieving sustainability. He said that in order to provide the research and development for renewable energy, capital is needed. He touched on “Buy American” and conceded that protectionism would only deepen the nation’s financial troubles. I left the presentation a little confused. If I went into this event in a vacuum, with no idea who George Bush was, it would be impossible to come out not liking the man. He was interesting: down to earth, quick-witted, and just the kind of guy you would like to have a beer with. On second thought, isn’t that how the average American voter tends to choose their candidate?
jeff mahon contributor
HAMILTON (CUP) – In the movie “Pineapple Express,” Seth Rogen’s character tells his high school-aged girlfriend, “You're gonna go to college, and you're gonna get really into Godspeed You Black Emperor, and the fucking Shins.” This is just one example of how indie culture has been adopted and co-opted by the mainstream, using cultural signifiers such as indie bands to comment on the culture conventionally consumed by young people. Initially the term “indie” signified something this was independent, most commonly used to describe independent bands that weren’t signed by a major record label. But over time, indie evolved into a descriptor for anything outside of the mainstream and often it is even more loosely used to describe something that resembles a DIY aesthetic. Big deal. The same thing has happened with countless subcultures, punk included. Punk was a lifestyle and morphed into an aesthetic. But why is indie so touchy? The indie culture is overhyped and a major source of tension for culture consumers. People are throwing the term around along with words like “hipster.” Indie is trendy. Indie is mainstream. Indie movies like “Juno” bands like The Shins, websites like Threadless or lookbook.nu; all of these things have been adopted by the mainstream. You’re nothing special for liking them anymore. It doesn’t reflect any early bird, fashion forward, alternative sensibilities. Pitchfork’s Nitsuh Abebe writes in his article “The Decade in Indie:” “More and more, we define ourselves ... via our skills in picking interesting things out of that cloud of options. We probably shouldn't be surprised that somewhere in this process, ‘indie’ completed its trip from being the province of freaks and geeks to something with cachet – something that appeals to people's sense of themselves as discerning.” Has anyone seen the Threadless t-shirt with the slogan “I listen to bands that don’t even exist yet?” This exact sentiment is a good example of the sort of tension around indie culture. Consuming indie culture was cool when you were the only one doing it, because it was alternative, but once it has been co-opted by the mainstream, it’s only cool if you consume it first. What constitutes as indie if indie no longer means what it used to? Generally the indie aesthetic embodies at the very least a pseudo-DIY style, a creative and ethically conscious outlook, and a polite, pleasant demeanor, that wouldn’t offend your parents, but probably wouldn’t attract them either.
Abebe continues, “Any film, book, or cultural product that came anywhere near a certain sensibility – anything anyone would describe as ‘quirky’ or cleverish or tender – fell in the indie bucket, too: Garden State with its hilarious Shins scene, Wes Anderson movies, Dave Eggers . . . Juno, Zooey Deschanel's general existence, private colleges, button shirts, the Internet, IKEA, Miracle Whip, literacy, you tell me. The sensibility used to seem rarer, and then . . . half the people attracted to it grew up and got creative jobs and now it floats everywhere.” At this point if you are wondering what a working definition of indie might be, you might be out of luck. One definition that I like is put forth by Kaya Oakes. In her book “Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture,” she explains, “Indie is not just about DIY, though DIY remains its central tenet. It’s about serving your community, self-actualization via creativity, and it’s about empowerment, all of which occur as a result of DIY.” This does translate to the mainstream conception of indie. If Animal Collective is indie, it’s because although they were distributed by Universal they were initially on their own independent label. If American Apparel is indie, it’s because even though they are one of the largest clothing manufacturers in the United Sates, they support fair wages and don’t airbrush their models. So while there is usually some correlation between DIY and something that is considered ‘indie’ in the mainstream, it usually doesn’t conform to indie idealism. Oakes elaborates: “The signifiers of indie in popular culture are multifarious and often puzzling due to their blatantly corporate ties: iPods are indie (since indie artists like Feist sing in iPod commercials) . . . Chuck Taylor sneakers are indie; tattoos are indie; shock-fiction writer Chuck Palahniuk is indie; shag hair-cuts are indie; male facial hair is indie; eyeglasses are indie (especially if they’re thick framed); and yes, skinny jeans.” Don’t get me wrong; I consume indie, whatever it is. But what began as a subculture centered on politeness, quirkiness and pleasant music, has morphed into a much-contested aesthetic that is often associated with pretension and arrogance. People need to drop the attitude, and live and let live.
grace evans silhouette (mcmaster)
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
op-ed 23
Feminist myths debunked FREDERICTON (CUP) – I am a feminist. When men find out this little detail about me, they usually display either terror or extreme dislike. The issue is not my feminism, but a common misunderstanding of what feminism really is. People have entrenched connotations of feminists as bra-burning wild women who are out to stomp men with their combat boots. My brand of feminism is not about hating men; it’s about ending oppression. I am a proponent of liberal feminism. My thinking is this: men are no better than women, and women are no better than men. We are all human beings, and we start out on the same level. We should be judged on our character and the way we treat others, not by our gender. Feminism is about ending oppression – not just for women, but for other oppressed groups as well, including racial minorities, the poor, people with disabilities, children, and people of misunderstood and underrepresented reli-
gions. Anyone who claims to be a true feminist and stands up for women will also stand up for other groups who face hard times. Many people would argue that women are not facing severe oppression anymore. They would argue that we’ve more than caught up, and ask, “What about men?” I need to speak against this mindset. Women face some form of subtle oppression every day – leering, ass-grabbing in bars, drive-by catcalls. I wouldn’t have the time to sit and count the number of times a man has stared at my breasts instead of my face during conversation. Yes, women are beautiful. But no, these kinds of behaviours are not taken as compliments. Most of the time when women are singled out as sex objects, they feel worthless and good for nothing but their bodies. When I’m harassed like this, it feels as if all of my accomplishments as a person have been erased, and all that remains are my
physical traits. I work hard to develop myself as a person, both intellectually and spiritually. Why, then, should I be paid attention to only for my looks? Men who objectify women need to know that their behaviour is extremely disheartening and hurtful for women. The men who do the objectifying also need to understand that they’re hurting nice, respectful guys’ chances to meet women, as well as their own chances. Perhaps the worst thing is that, after all of our years of fighting to be free of sexual exploitation, women also act as harassers. I was discussing this subject with a couple of male friends recently, and they immediately said, “Whoa” when I began bashing the actions of men in bars. It turned out they had recently gone to a bar together and a woman had run over to them, shouted “Boys!”, and simultaneously grabbed both of their penises. Really? Really. This issue is not only man to woman. It is woman to man, woman to woman, and man to man. Why should people get away with this kind of behaviour when
its only effects are negative? Because they can, that’s why. More men and women need to speak out for their right to be treated as human beings, with respect. The next time someone grabs your butt in a bar, do not shrug it off. Do not let yourself be abused. Grab the person by the arm and say something. If you don’t stand up for yourself, you put yourself in a situation where your self-worth can be diminished. True, chances are nothing will come of your rebuke. But maybe, just maybe, the person who assaulted you will be surprised and check themselves.
sarah ratchford brunswickan (university of new brunswick)
President’s Report
There have been some rumblings about the Canadian Federation Students (CFS) around our fine school. From my understanding of the situation, there has been a petition drive followed by the submission of an application for referendum. I would just like to state that this drive for a referendum has been an initiative taken on by students. This is not – nor will it be – driven by the URSU executive. It was stated in a previous issue of the Carillon that we were planning to take a stance on the topic. Under further consideration, the URSU executive has decided not to do so. We feel that this is an initiative that should be pursued by students. I am happy to state that Kaytlyn Barber (our Vice President of Student Affairs) holds a national executive position with the CFS. Jay Nauta (our VP Operations and Finance) has been recently elected as the CFS Saskatchewan treasurer. During the same election process, I have become the CFS Saskatchewan chairperson. Regardless of the position that I hold, I will be more than willing to assist you with any problems that are presented, whether they are pro- or antiCFS. Regardless of whether or not there is a referendum on the issue, I will act as your president. I will do what is best for the student body, without taking sides. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the CFS, it is a membership organization comprised of student unions from across the country. If you would like to learn more, you can visit www.cfs-fcee.ca. We are currently working on filling the CFS Saskatchewan organizer position which has been vacant for a number of years. Have another rad week!
kyle addison ursu president
the carillon Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2009
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Before Tim Horton’s, there was a PizzaPizza in Riddell Centre. The bonus question: Education Building’s Printing Services used to be a Robin’s Donuts. Thanks for playing! –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Tim Horton’s used to be a Pizza Hut Express/Taco Bell Express when the building first opened. Printing services in Ed. Building used to be the
Education coffee shop that was always the first place to close on campus. Yes, I’m old. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Bring back Taco Bell damnit! –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Tim you’re awesome! Next time you need an eraser you know who to ask. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Dear Tim Horton’s staff. Please take
HALLOWEEN HOWL 2104 Grant Rd. 586-1920 Live DJ 7 days a week
2 FOR 1 DRINKS on Sat., Oct. 31
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the stick out of your ass. Thank you –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Stuck in a rut? Need a change of pace? Hate the G.I. Joe’s? Well the exciting world of COBRA awaits you –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Lost: one acting career. If found please call Wesley Snipes –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Hey you! Do you like dancy indie rock? Do you play keyboard? Do you want to be in a band? My band is looking for such a person. If this person is you, contact us at fortunate.isles@hotmail.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Questions from 1st years: 1) Why, when walking, from one building to another, is there a definite breeze, in the hallway? 2) Where is the Astronomy observatory? Is it worth seeing? –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Anyone else think the ad on the back page of last week’s Carillon was the Goatse, cx man at first glance? –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Dear bad speller, we care about the hills. University is the new high school <3 XOXO –Gossip Girls –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– “I’m just going to go home now and get some sleep.” – Me “Okay…” –Rivy’s dad. Awkward. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– New question: The U of R Archives and Special Collections has a photo of the Pit in the Ad Hum building from a few decades ago. A student in the photo is doing something that is illegal to do today. What is he doing? Hint: The photo’s ID is 89-4-4. Answer next week!
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Jeudi 29 octobre / Thursday October 29th
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iiin n nccco o om m miiin n ng g g Upcoming events for the coming week Thursday, Oct. 29
Coffee House Controversies: Dr. Joan Jaffe Chapters 7:30 p.m. “Food is to think: Food Knowledge and Meaning Today.” The Sinsters 9 p.m. The Lazy Owl Local rockabilly heroes return for a Halloween celebration at the campus bar.
Andy Shauf, Zachary Lucky, Steph Macpherson 8 p.m. The Club Saskatchewan soft folk goes into deep focus. The Future 7:30 p.m. The Crushed Grape Reception for a new exhibition, including live music by Carla Mcewen and Descalso.
Jann Arden 7 p.m. Conexus Arts Centre She once left the stage in Regina to call her mom on Mother’s Day – adorable!
Marianna’s Trench w/ the New Cities, the Mission District, Carly Jepsen 7 p.m. Canada Centre Building So much pop-punk, so many kids showing up.
Downchild Blues Band w/ Colin Linden 7 p.m. Casino Regina Longtime blues artists make a Thursday stop at the casino.
Def 3 and Factor 10 p.m. O’Hanlon’s Start your Halloween weekend early with a burst of Saskatchewan hip-hop.
Friday, Oct. 30
Architects and Builders w/ These Estates 10 p.m. O’Hanlon’s See Arts and Culture section for coverage. Agonal w/ Orbital Express, Lest We Fail 10:30 p.m. The Gaslight Saloon A dose of Regina metal and rock.
Akon, Danny Fernandez, Girlicious 7 p.m. Brandt Centre If you haven’t already read the Smoking Gun’s exposé on Akon, that is required reading before buying tickets to this show.
Continuance w/ Withdrawal, DFA, Rise and Walk 7:30 p.m. The Buffalo Lounge Wear a costume and get two bucks off your cover.
Ann Yeatman Lecture 3:30 p.m. CL 431 “Politics and Personal Responsibility: Reflections on Jean Amery and Hannah Arendt.” Crawl of the Dead III 7 p.m. Gabbo’s, Soho, The Drink, The Distrikt Begin Halloween with this spooky pub crawl. U of R Women’s Hockey 7 p.m. Sherwood ISC vs. Alberta. Rams Football 7 p.m. Mosaic Stadium vs U of S Huskies.
Saturday, Oct. 31
Puddle of Mudd 8 p.m. Agribition Building Halloween with post-grunge hold-outs? The costumes practically make themselves.
U of R Women’s Soccer 12 p.m. U of R Field vs. Lethbridge.
U of R Women’s Hockey 7 p.m. Sherwood ISC vs. Alberta.
Monday, Nov. 2
Rodney Carrington 7 p.m. Conexus Arts Centre Country and comedy combined.
Yukon Blonde w/ Paper Lions 9 p.m. Vancouver psych-pop wonders tour behind brand new EP.
Wednesday, Nov. 4
8th Annual Terrible Film Festival 7 p.m. Saskatchewan Filmpool
Halloween Howler Club Crawl 6 p.m. The Drink, The Pump, JDs, The Distrikt Doing the holiday justice.
Get your event listed in incoming! Send an e-mail to ca ri ll on@u r su .ur eg ina .c a to find out how!