Volume 49 Issue 15

Volume 49 | Issue 15 | January 27, 2014

Breakdown of the city budget: Page 6 Is Peterborough Safe?: Page 8 and much more!

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Correction: The West Bank hockey team was looking for a repeat, not a threepeat (they got it).

Clarification: In the “Late grade� article, the professor who says departments release grades is incorrect. That is done by the Registrar’s Office.

This Issue in History: Volume 19 (1985), Issue 14 Trent University has always been known as a liberal arts university, however did you know that it used to have its own art gallery on campus? If you ever take the East Bank bus service past a red brick cottage, now adorned with a beige extension out the side, then you’ve seen it: that used to be Trent University’s MacKenzie Gallery.

Having an art gallery on campus was part of Trent’s plans dating all the way back to Ron Thom’s original campus Master Plan of 1962. The MacKenzie farmhouse was selected as an appropriate place as it was the original house that stood on the land that would eventually become Symons Campus.

After serving for two decades as a nexus for student and community artwork, the MacKenzie Gallery ran into financial and political difficulty in 1985 as its then-director Chris Macgee lobbied the Trent administration for a raise in salary. Macgee was being paid only $5,000 per year for his services as director which included a “staggering� amount of bureaucratic work as well as the curation of eight exhibitions per year, reported Arthur in volume 19, issue 15.

The sticking point of this dispute, explained reporter Jack Benjamin, was the fact that John Wadland, the chair of the Trent Fine Arts Committee, wanted the university’s extensive art collection, “worth close to a half-million dollars,� to be maintained, evaluated, and photographed in order to insure that it remained in good condition for future gen-

erations. Originally Wadland wanted this to be done by Macgee under his regular wages, however Macgee declined, saying that he “would not sign a contract [for the] next year for the same amount of money.�

This situation left the future of the gallery in doubt as the university had to come up with an additional $15,000 over two years to pay for the extra work proposed by the Fine Arts Committee. Fortunately for the administration, this money was funded in part by a TSU (Trent Student Union) levy increase of three dollars to support the initiative.

Unfortunately MacKenzie Gallery is no longer a feature of campus, the house is now home to Trent’s External Relations Department. That being said, student art is still supported today at Trent through initiatives such as the annual Alumni House Student Art Show, and through exhibitions hosted by the colleges and Sadleir House.

Arthur will also be showcasing art in a future issue this year.

Call for Submissions: Self Love Week

We’re planning a special “Self Love� themed issue for Issue 17, and we need your help to make it a success.

Self Love Week is an alternative to Valentines Day. It’s a week of “reclamation of love for self and a challenge to dominant ideas of romance,� as the Centre for Gender and Social Justice has put it. It’s a much more inclusive event (there’s room for single people, queer folks, and polyamory), there’s no inherent capitalist element urging you to buy cards and consume chocolates (pick it up half-price on February 15 instead), and it’s a week long rather than just one short day. And hey, if you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day too that’s totally fine. We just want you to love yourself!

What we need from you are articles and other writing or contributions that fall under a very broad “Self Love� theme. Examples include, but are not limited to: 0QJOJPOT FYQSFTTFE JO UIJT QVCMJDBUJPO EP OPU OFDFTTBSJMZ SFGMFDU UIPTF PG "SUIVS TUBGG WPMVOUFFST PS JUT #PBSE PG %JSFDUPST $POUSJCVUPST BSF FODPVSBHFE UP BUUFOE UIF TUPSZ NFFUJOHT PS DPOUBDU UIF &EJUPST UP EJTDVTT TUPSZ JEFBT "MM BSUJDMF TVCNJTTJPOT BSF EVF .POEBZ BU OPPO -FUUFST -JTUJOHT $MBTTJGJFET BOE &WFOUT BSF EVF 5IVSTEBZ BU BN BOE TIPVME CF TFOU UP MJTUJOHT!USFOUBSUIVS DB "EWFSUJTFST BSF FODPVSBHFE UP DPOUBDU BEWFSUJTJOH!USFOUBSUIVS DB GPS BE SBUFT BOE DPOUSBDUT

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The deadline for submissions is Wednesday February 4 at Midnight.

If you want to contribute but you’re stumped for ideas, get in touch: editors@trentarthur.ca.

CampusNews A look at foodservice changes made by Chartwells

By Caitlin Coe

After sixteen years of service from Aramark, Trent University handed its food providing crown over to Chartwells for the 2014–15 year under a new five year contract.

As a first year student I did not have the chance to experience Aramark, but I do know that many changes were made.

Students talk, and there have been many varying opinions, with some students preferring the food under Aramark and some under Chartwells. But not everyone is going to be happy, right, so what’s the real deal?

One praise Chartwells has gotten this year is the increase in fresh and local foods, which has been a goal of Chartwells, according to Otonabee College don Mitchell Sallis. There are also more vegetarian options in the campus cafeterias this year than in previous years with Aramark, as some students have told me. Many students believe the food quality has increased substantially from last year’s food service provider, mainly from the addition of more franchised brands, such as new Tim Horton’s and Subway outlets in Otonabee College and a Thai Express outlet in Champlain College.

On the other side, some students preferred the cafeterias under the jurisdiction of Aramark. “There was better food, more variety, and more food for less or the same price, it was just better,” said one second year student. Some students also preferred the Aramark branded sandwich station in Otonabee College to Subway, as well as the Pita Pit and Chinese outlet to the Thai

Express in Champlain College. Some students also believe that there are now a lot more unhealthy choices.

A few years ago, a plan called the Raw Deal was adopted by the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) and students were asked what they would like to see changed about food on campus. Based on the answers given, twelve recommendations for improvements were made.

Some of the goals of the Raw Deal document have been met, however several still have yet to be fulfilled. One of the recommendations that has not been met is allowing students to see the nutritional values for cafeteria menu items online. On the other hand, menus are available online, which is a positive change that was not available before.

Also part of the Raw Deal was a monthly rotating menu in each of the college cafeterias to provide more variety and change,

this also has not yet been executed. It also stated that it was important for cafeterias to be open while classes are still running, however only the Otonabee College cafeteria is open until 10pm when classes finish for the night.

Working more closely with students was also in the Raw Deal document, which Chartwells has been doing through the university’s new Food Service Committee. Another positive change is that there is more money on meal plans for residence students this year. Also, if they have any money left over at the end of the year, students can use it the following school year.

While there may be better things about the food, there has been some discrepancy about the service. Aramark seemed more organized last year, remarked some students. However, Chartwells will hopefully improve as they settle in. Some students also noted that the operation of the new

services is painfully slow at times, and that drives people away from purchasing food on campus.

One of the biggest frustrations students have with Chartwells is the closing of the Otonabee College cafeteria on weekends.

This has become a hassle for students of Trent University’s most populated residence. “Students now have to get geared up for the winter cold just to go grab breakfast in the morning. The Gzowski College cafeteria becomes extremely busy and the staff are not always prepared for all the extra students,” said one Otonabee College resident. The cafeteria also opens later on the weekend, which is unaccommodating to early risers and those who have to go to work early in the morning.

Many students have also been vocal about bringing back the late night residence express service, especially during the exam period.

“There was a delivery service, and a late night service for Otonabee College. This was where the OC cafeteria was open Monday-Fridays until 1am if you had a hankering for food. They would also deliver the food to your college, if you didn’t want to come down. There were some limitations on what you could order, but there was still a ton of variety,” said second year student Brianna Hayward.

Every viewpoint under the sun has been heard about Trent’s transition from Aramark to Chartwells foodservice. And while each has their own opinion not everyone can be pleased. But if improvements continue to be made, Chartwells and Trent University could have an excellent future ahead of them.

Volume 49 | Issue 15 | JANUARY 27, 2015

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Campus

Upcoming international conference to debate Canada’s future

By Ugyen Wangmo

Important issues of concern pertaining to Canadian society in the 21st century will be explored as the world’s great minds congregate at Trent University for an international conference called “Contesting Canada’s Future”.

The three day international conference on the study of Canada is a part of Trent University’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

It is an interdisciplinary conference that will explore debates and concerns regarding the future of Canada.

A wide spectrum of themes–such as Canadian politics, the state of welfare, the arts, Aboriginal issues, multiculturalism, social inequality, and the environment and science will be debated upon.

“The conference will address many points of view and use many different vantage points to look at Canada,” said conference co-chair and Frost Centre Director Dr. Joan Sangster.

In brief, Dr. Sangster explained that the conference will comprise of small sessions that will bring researchers to present their papers, as well as keynote speakers

and key panels on issues of importance.

For instance, one panel will deal with Canada in the global context, another will address the future of work in Canada, she said. The conference will also include events sponsored by the local cultural community.

The keynote speakers will include Erica Lee, co-founder of Idle No More, and Mary Simon, a former Trent Chancellor and expert on the Inuit North. Furthermore,

on the first evening, author Miriam Toews will do a reading at Market Hall.

The aim of the the conference is to showcase cutting-edge research, generate discussion about important issues of concern in Canadian society, and also stimulate new debate about research and writing on Canada.

“Conferences relating to Canadian Studies are only held intermittently but this one is particularly large, comprehensive,

and covers an extensive number of topics and issues,” said Dr. Sangster. Furthermore, it is also international in scope and many presenters will come from countries across the globe, as the International Council for Canadian Studies is meeting during the conference at Trent, she added.

When asked about the importance of bringing it to Trent, she made aware that the conference is tied into the celebration of Trent’s 50th anniversary.

“Trent’s founding president, T.H.B. Symons, made Canadian Studies an integral part of the new university in its youth, and Canadian Studies has remained a key signifier of what Trent represents,” she said.

“Trent is known internationally for its academic undergraduate and graduate programs in Canadian Studies as well as its research across the sciences, social sciences and humanities, relating to Canada, its land and its peoples. The 50th anniversary committee suggested that we hold a conference to celebrate our academic excellence in this area.”

The conference will run from from May 21 through 23.

Huggable vending machine sparks new forms of intimacy on campus

By Keila MacPherson

If you haven’t heard Coca-Cola’s “Share the Love” or “Share a Coke” marketing campaign then you may be living under a rock.

Last Monday, January 18, Coca-Cola and Chartwells, Trent’s new food service provider, teamed up to bring a huggable vending machine, one of three in Canada and the only one in Ontario, to Trent for a day.

As its name suggests this novelty vending machine is unique because instead of requiring money to dispense a can of cola, all it asks for is a hug.

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Gavin McKnight is the district sales manager of Coca-Cola Refreshments and also Trent’s men’s hockey team coach. He said that this initiative is a way for the company to show students that it is trying to be a positive part of the university community. “It’s a great feel-good thing for students to let loose in their inhibitions and enjoy the fact that they can get something for free just by doing something nice.”

Many students were initially hesitant to hug a vending machine but quickly warmed up to the idea. Throughout the day the machine got hugged again and again, each time doling out a free can to each hugger.

Volume 49 | Issue 15 | JANUARY 27, 2015

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LocalPages City budget: Parkway, participatory politics, and police spending

By Ayesha Barmania

The City of Peterborough is set to finalize its 2015 budget on February 2. The budget was first proposed in early December and has since finished its reviews by individual council members and the Budget Committee.

This past Wednesday January 21, there was a public meeting that saw interested citizens address the city council with their concerns.

The budget is divided into the Operating and Capital budgets. The operating budget allocates funds for recurring and expected costs of the city. The capital budget, on the other hand, is money earmarked for exceptional expenses. Such as infrastructural projects like the Parkway extension.

The operating budget is a topic of little contention as these costs are expected and determined by City Hall staff. “Council instructed staff to prepare a budget that maintained the services of the city at a reasonable rate of increase, but for all intents and purposes, there was nothing new,” said Councillor Henry Clarke, Chairman of the Budget Committee.

There has been some contention over the budget demands of the Peterborough Police Board, which has asked for a budget increase twice what council was prepared to give. Council has advised the police board to lower its demands for a 6.4% increase to the 3.2% that was recommended in the draft budget. Yet, this is something mostly outside of the municipality’s control. 90% of the police budget is allocated toward personnel and salaries which are negotiated through collective bargaining at the provincial level.

The capital budget includes 206 projects with an allocated $76.1 million in funding.

Factored into this budget are such projects

as the $13 million for a Biosolids management strategy, $5 million for the construction of a landfill, and $2.1 million for the development of the Airport Industrial Park.

Councillor Diane Therrien, representative for Town Ward, is moving to have the Louis Street urban park project moved up in the priorities and allocated funding in this budget. “We want to make sure there’s money and commitment for it as soon as possible,” said Therrien.

Public Meeting At the public meeting on January 21, citizens alerted council to pertinent issues.

While Cllr. Clarke was pessimistic that these concerns would be incorporated into the 2015 budget, he said there is a good chance these remarks will be taken under advisory for the 2016 budget.

Since council has approved the budgetary report, any feedback received from the public is unlikely to be incorporated. “In theory, [the budget] can be changed, but

in practice unless there’s a major faux pas, it’s unlikely to change,” said Clarke.

This was the first and only opportunity for the general public to voice their opposition to elements of the budget. The marked absence of public participation was addressed by many citizens at this meeting.

Participatory budgeting (PB) was suggested by Cheryl Lyon as a pilot project for the city in 2016 that would see community groups engaging in a process to spend council’s discretionary capital. Under this method community groups would be able to prioritize certain community oriented projects within certain parameters set by the City. Lyon’s presentation emphasized the need for citizen engagement in municipal politics with PB providing the appropriate mechanism for bridging council and citizen interests.

The Parkway The Parkway was brought up several times by concerned citizens who felt that the

city’s allocation of $2.25 million in the capital budget was taking away from more worthwhile projects. Furthermore, the absence of a confirmed decision by the province is a point of concern.

An integrated transit system, as suggested by Tegan Moss of B!ke, would see funds allocated to pedestrian walkway maintenance and cycle paths away from strategies solely directed at motorists.

By addressing the complete needs of the city and not only the demands of motorists, the transit system can become the infrastructure that the city needs.

Relatedly, Maryam Monsef and Marie Bongard brought up concerns about the incredible wait times for Handi-van users.

Monsef called for City Council to make accessibility a priority.

Debt is set to increase by a whopping 40% in this upcoming budget, a point raised by former city councillor Ann Farquharson. This brings concerns about the allocation of finances and whether or not this type of borrowing is advisable.

Trent Connection Trent University students contribute to the overall City budget through the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program organized through the Government of Canada.

Under this program, federal land holdings (universities, First Nations, office building, harbours, etc.) that benefit from the provision of municipal services, pay a sum of money to these municipalities in lieu of income that could have been derived from taxes.

So, because many university students are not homeowners and do not pay property taxes but benefit from municipal services, Trent is party to a financial exchange that makes up for this imbalance.

TFS, OPIRG, and Artspace to screen Whose University Is It?

By Jon Lockyer Director, Artspace

Before you watch this film, you should ask yourself: how much do you really know about the history of your university?

In the 2003 documentary Whose University Is It? filmmakers Mark Wright and James Motluck cast a critical eye on the shifting terrain of Trent University.

The directors chart the history of Trent, from its conceptualization in the late 1950s, and how, by the early 2000s, an increasing neo-liberal agenda shaped the foundations of the university for years to come.

Wright and Motluck, who are both Trent graduates from the 1980s, and who by the early 2000s had worked independently on a number of feature-length documentaries, set to work on the project as alumni concerned with the changes taking place at a university both cared deeply for.

At the outset of Wright and Motluck’s film, Trent University finds itself in the midst of a radical reconstruction of the university’s 40-year legacy as a post-secondary institution that, until then, had been wholly committed to interdisciplinary learning through the liberal arts and sciences, and whose collegial system was considered unique within the broader structure of Canadian universities.

Under the guiding force of the university’s then-president Bonnie Patterson, the

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balance of the university’s governance becomes increasingly centralized to a small number of university administrators, leaving staff, faculty, and most importantly, students, on the outside looking in.

The founding of Trent University was relatively unique. Trent was envisioned to be broken into two campuses, with Catherine Parr Traill College and Peter Robinson College maintain a connection to downtown Peterborough, while a new campus, built on land donated by General Electric and financed through the deferred pay of the company’s employees, was situated in the city’s north end.

The university, like most publicly funded educational institutions, went through considerable changes, but through every turn seemed to maintain its core values and principles.

At its centre, Trent University had prided itself on considering how every deci-

sion, from the building of student facilities, to the introduction of new programs and departments would benefit undergraduate students.

By the early 2000s, after nearly a decade of operating under the Progressive Conservative government’s mandate of a “Common Sense Revolution”- which saw significant reductions to public services, included major funding cuts to post-secondary institutions, and forced the dramatic restructuring of universities across the province – Trent University was confronted with drastic changes that broke with the spirit first envisioned for the institution in the 1960s.

Trent, along with every university in the province, was encouraged to explore partnerships with private corporations in order to make up for significantly reduced operating budgets.

This new funding model, known collo-

quially as “Triple P’s” (Public-Private Partnerships), was viewed by many critics as a drastic undermining of the intellectual and governmental integrity of university operations.

At the same time, undergraduate students across the province continued to see their tuition and ancillary fees, and as a result, student debt, rise dramatically.

While it may be easy for some to dismiss these problems as issues of a bygone generation, it is staggering to think that student debt and tuition continue to increase more than a decade after Wright and Motluck’s film premiered.

With Trent University in the midst of its 50th anniversary celebrations, it seems an appropriate time to revisit what is perhaps one of the most critically influential times in Trent’s history.

As students, faculty, and staff come and go from the university, the finer details of the institution’s history are lost in the broader rhetoric of nostalgia, and a penchant to remember the “good ol’ days”, while forgetting the struggles that continue to shape the future of what was once “Canada’s Outstanding Small University”.

Join Trent Film Society, in conjunction with OPRIG Peterborough and Artspace for a free screening of Whose University Is It? on Friday, January 30 at 7pm at Artspace (370 Aylmer Street North, between Hunter and Simcoe).

Local

Local record label praises government’s new copyright laws

By Zachary Cox

Internet users, Internet Service Providers and copyright users are all still becoming accustomed to the new copyright notice system that is now in place in Canada, and its effectiveness is still in question. A local perspective though is that the change, while small, is for the better.

Tom Street, established musician and President of the Peterborough-based record label Seventh Fire Records, said in an email that he feels that copyright law in Canada is moving in the right direction.

“Copyright law is a very complex subject and there are a lot of elements that could use reform,” he said, “but overall, in Cana-

World

da, I feel our government does a good job of trying to stay up to date and fair in these ever-evolving digital times.”

One of the elements of the Copyright Modernization Act, passed in 2012, mandates that the Canadian Copyright Act be reviewed by Parliament every five years, an indication that the government does indeed intend to keep copyright practices updated alongside the changing commercial landscape that is the Internet.

In Street’s opinion, the Modernization Act is fair to both copyright owners and Internet users, though he isn’t sure how closely Internet Service Providers are scrutinized throughout the process.

“In theory, the notice-and-notice pro-

cess is a good attempt to give stronger benefits to copyright owners while keeping a balance of privacy rights for Internet users.

However, there appears to be a lack of liability with the ISPs,” he said.

Street also noted that the notice-andnotices system is an effective way to educate users about copyright, and feels that, going forward, additional education on the impact and potential repercussions of copyright infringement could help curb illegal downloading practices.

“The system seems to be quite effective in raising public awareness about copyright, which is a big part of its intent. […]

Moving forward, greater public awareness of the effects of illegal downloading to copyright owners would be hugely beneficial, and the modernization act is on the right track there.”

The notice-and-notice process’ potential for education isn’t without issue though, and there have already been reports of copyright holders using the new system in creative – and not entirely wholesome – ways.

Earlier in January, news sources such as Reuters and The Huffington Post reported instances of copyright holders sending notices containing misinformation to Internet users.

The notices in question stated that the internet users may be on the hook for up to $150,000 per copyright infringement, which is not the case. The maximum liability for non-commercial infringements by individuals is $5,000 under Canadian law.

A spokesperson for Minister of Industry James Moore stated that officials are working to stop rights holders from spreading misinformation.

Though he feels copyright law is moving in the right direction, Street is well aware that it isn’t without problems, especially concerning companies that can’t afford to take legal action to protect their intellectual property.

“I wouldn’t say the copyright laws favour large corporations necessarily,” he said, “but they certainly have a greater effect on the Biebers and Cyrus’ of the world.

In this particular case though, there should be some sort of take-down order enforcement clause added, as that would help protect the smaller companies who don’t have the financial means to pursue further legal action.”

Such a system would be akin to what is currently in place in the United States, where an Online Service Provider, such as a website, must remove copyrighted content when notified by the copyright holder that said content is being used without permission.

Overall, however, Street is pleased with the progress being made thanks to the Copyright Modernization Act. “The notice-and-notice system is a uniquely Canadian solution that’s ahead of the curve in most respects, and although I’m sure there will be some minor issues that’ll need to be revised, I wouldn’t be surprised if other countries start to follow our lead in the near future.”

Are falling oil prices good for everyone?

By Renzo Costa

Last December, on my way to class, I passed by the gas station and realized that the price of gas was just under a dollar.

Many people are content, as it takes significantly less money to fill the tank. However, what does the oil price drop entail? Who benefits?

The drop of oil prices by about 50 percent has generated positive and negative effects for different nations.

While the US and China are seen to have benefited from the price drop, countries such as Iran and Russia are having economic difficulties.

This is mainly due to the fact that the US and China rely heavily on oil imports while on the other hand Russia and Iran rely greatly on oil exports.

The causes behind the price drop are varied, however. One of the most important causes is the fact that the US has substantially increased its oil production by exploiting shale oil. Shale oil is produced by chemically processing oil from shale rocks. The increase in American oil production has decreased its need for oil imports, and has also put a downward pressure on the global oil price.

The oil price decrease has positively affected the US but has done the opposite for oil-dependent countries such as Russia. In fact, coupled with western economic sanctions, due to the situation in the Ukraine, the oil price drop has created severe economic instability in Russia.

As The Economist argues, “hydrocarbons contribute over half the federal budget and two-thirds of exports. The state has big stakes in many energy firms, as well as indirect links via the state-supported banks that fund them.” As a result the oil

price shock had a profound impact.

One of the main negative economic effects was the falling currency exchange.

Anna Nikolaeva, a fourth year Trent student from Russia explained that on December 16 2014, which became known as the “Black Monday”, the currency exchange of Euro and US dollar to Russian ruble skyrocketed.

That meant that the price of the Euro and the US increased to roughly 100 rubles and 80 rubles respectively.

Nikolaeva explained that the situation in Ukraine, followed by the sanctions imposed by the United States and European countries led to the lack of foreign investment into Russian businesses, which contributed to the currency crisis.

The price drop also has effects for Canada as well, as the economic gain generated by the Tar Sands will have to be re-evalu-

ated by the Federal government. Lower oil prices means lower revenue for the Canadian state.

This is important because an enormous part of Prime Minister Harper’s discourse is based on the economic gain of exploiting resources in the west, despite increasing negative social and environmental impacts.

This is significant to Trent at a time when active students of our community are strongly advocating for divestment.

What would the price drop entail for Trent’s investments in the fossil fuel industry? Could this an opportunity to divest?

On another note, the price drop may also detract people from looking at the unavoidable need to move away from fossil fuel as the energetic basis of our societies.

Inexpensive oil may decrease the economic incentive to be more energy effi-

cient. Low prices could generate increased demand, which will also put even more pressure on our environment.

It is important to also look at how the price of a commodity is conceived in the first place. Surely, the current paradigm rests on the notion of scarcity. The less scarce a resource is, the lower its price and vice-versa.

However, even if oil was abundant, the price should not be low due to the environmental costs associated with its production and consumption.

Moving away from fossil fuel based societies will entail including the marginal social and environmental costs in its price.

It will also involve, as Matthew Huber argues, challenging the notion that oil’s inherent power comes from its physical properties rather than the socio-political context of our time.

Volume 49 | Issue 15 | JANUARY 27, 2015

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artspages roboteyes hoping to do “crap-ton” of touring after releasing EP

By Brian Hough

On January 10, high-energy local synthpop act roboteyes put out their newest release True Love In Modern Stereo at the Gordon Best Theatre with Toronto band The Nursery.

“It was great to see a lot of dancing at the show, it was nice to see a lot of people on the floor, givin’ it dancing,” says vocalist Kate LeDeuce.

That’s been the story since 2011 when Roboteyes emerged and started getting audiences out onto the floor, with an array of catchy, dance-driven songs.

LeDeuce and Ryan Ford (guitars) started writing in the spring of 2011, says LeDeuce. “We wrote the first EP and my brother Matt put all the keyboards on it.

We just asked him to be in the band and that was that.” Adds Ford, “We were originally just a guitar and vocals song-writing project, we were just writing for no reason.

The band has been playing frequently around Peterborough and Toronto.

Having already graced the stages of The Hootenany On Hunter, the band is hoping that the strength of their new record will get them on to more festivals.

“The first EP is little narrow in focus, where this new record feels a little broader,” says LeDeuce.

The band is also looking to start touring more in the spring.

As Ford explains, “We wanted to immerse ourselves in the local scene before

we started branching out.”

Describing the new EP, LeDeuce says “The first EP was really more sad and heartbroken but with happy tones. This record is more confident. It has more of my personality in it, in that it’s a little cocky because I’m a little cocky sometimes, even to a fault.”

The band was able to make the record thanks to some funding in part from the organization FACTOR (The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordingsa privately funded organization that helps artists find funding for recordings), which allowed them to ‘upgrade’ their production, and paid for a down payment on the studio.

This freed up their own money to get a producer and sound engineer, giving them the tools to get their sound right.

“The sound is just so much better than the first one,” says Ford, “we really stretched whatever money we could get in making this.”

Wasting neither a minute nor a dime, the whole EP was recorded in three days.

When around Peterborough, they tend to play at the Garnet and the Red Dog. Says LeDeuce, “Usually when we’re playing at home we put on our shows ourselves, but the Red Dog has been really cool about putting us on some shows with really cool, bigger bands like July Talk and The Beaches. We’ve really taken those opportunities to get to know a lot of really cool musicians.”

While the band has a busy year ahead, planning what LeDeuce calls “hopefully a crap-ton of touring”, you may have to wait until April to see them around Peterborough again.

Says Ford, “We’re rebuilding our set and reworking a lot of our softer stuff from our old EP; making it punchier to make the old stuff and the new stuff more cohesive on stage.”

Adds LeDeuce, “We’re taking the time to promote the new album, get it out to the right places and promote the tour,” continuing, “We’re going to other cities and promoting the band, what we’re doing and

hopefully releasing some more supplemental stuff later this year, and of course working our dayjobs so that we can pay off the cost of the last record.”

The band’s work is starting to pay off beyond the local scene as well, with the Junos Twitter account tweeting out the band’s track Call My Name.

“We’ve had a really good response so far,” says Le Deuce, “and I think we’re building a local and regional following, which is a really difficult thing to do. It’s one thing to have friends, it’s another thing to be able to get them to come out and pay to see your show.”

Canada Council For the Arts announces funding restructuring

By Brian Hough

On Tuesday January 20, at its annual public meeting, The Canada Council for the Arts CEO and Director, Simon Brault gave an address over Skype, which was shown at Artspace in Peterborough.

The main announcement of the night was that The Canada Council is planning on streamlining their grant programs from 142 down to “less than 10 major, national, non-disciplinary programs that cover all fields of artistic practice and its outreach in Canada and the world”.

Brault was quick to stress however, that no artist or organization would lose any money and that these changes were more about making the organization easier for artists and arts organizations to access and navigate the sytem.

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Essentially, if the government wanted to direct arts funding for artists from, for example, immigrant families in the age group of 18-25, under the old system they would have created one or more new separate programs and application processes.

Under the new system however, that money would be directed simply by allocating a certain percentage from each of the 10 major programs.

According to Roger Gaudet the Director of Arts Disciplines Division in a blog posted to The Canada Council Blog (titled “On The Development Of A New Arts Funding Model At Council”), “At this point, we are shaping and defining our revised suite of programs. Our thinking has been guided by the feedback received in our recent disciplinary and

cross-disciplinary consultations and from peer assessors. We anticipate that by the summer of 2015 we will be communicating our plans in much greater details, and that they will be implemented by 2017.”

As Brault said, “We want more sweat and tears put into artistic forms and not application forms.”

The changes were inspired by recent transformations at the Australia Council for the Arts and their efforts to streamline their own national granting process.

While details about the new programs were sparse, new programs were announced for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, although they would also be eligible to apply for the general programs.

This program will be run out of the Canada Council’s Aboriginal Arts office.

Brault also announced that they

would have rolling application dates to help simplify the application process, as opposed to the old system in which every program had its own application process.

Once the presentation was over, The Canada Council hosted an on-line question and answer period and responses seemed generally optimistic, if mixed.

Some were concerned that placing everything under a small collection of headings would change the system from being driven by peer-jury processes to having only a small handful of people decide the funding for a wide variety of applications.

Others seemed more enthusiastic as commenters noted that under the old process, applicants would sort through often hair-splitting distinctions in order to figure out what programs they were eligible for (for example, deciding whether or not one qualifies as a ‘travelling’ artist or ‘touring’ artist).

Brault also announced that The Canada Council would also make itself more accessible to applicants by changing the methods by which the applications could be produced.

Says Brault, “The next generation, they want to be able to send a video explaining their project, not a grant application of 25 pages written by someone else.”

The Canada Council’s goal, ultimately is, as Brault explained, “to simplify our administrative and decision-making processes so that artists and organizations can devote more of their creativity and energy to their art practices and interactions with the public, and less trying to wade through the maze of an excessive number of programs.”

Arts

Theatre Review: m.c.’s Proof is community theatre at its best

By Simon Semchuck

The motley collective’s latest outing, after presenting The Rocky Horror Show and The Laramie Project, was David Auburn’s Proof presented last week at The Theatre on King (TTOK).

The story centres on the character of Catherine, a depressed college drop-out living under the shadow of her brilliant mathematician father. He also had severe mental health issues including obsessive behaviour and hallucinations.

In the course of the play, Catherine must confront her fear of inheriting her father’s insanity and proving herself as a mathematician in the wake of her father’s genius, as well as dealing with the complicated relationship she had with her father in the wake of his death.

Proof delves into the complex perceptions and stigmas around mental health and women working in mathematics, detailing a story in which the two intertwine.

The show depicted critiques of hegemonic views toward both women and mental disability, from the nagging sister Claire who thinks she knows what’s best for Catherine, to the issue of when to institutionalize a family member, to the debate on whether Catherine truly wrote the revolutionary mathematical proof discovered in the course of the play.

Rising star of the Peterborough theatre scene Meg O’Sullivan played Catherine, and proved herself in presenting a complicated personality with the rough edges of someone coming into her own under the pressure of her past and future.

Her comic timing and physicality were flawless, while her scenes of fear and vulnerability demonstrated her potential in

reaching emotional poignancy on stage.

O’Sullivan captured the extremes of living with and caring for a family member with a mental disability, the frustration, the love, the tenderness, the sacrifice.

(Sarah McDonald played Catherine for the Saturday matinee performance.)

Andrew Little played Hal, a former graduate student of Catherine’s father who studies his rambling notebooks searching for a moment of lucid mathematical insight, and ends up falling in love with Catherine. Little’s expressive face and vibrancy brought life into Hal, tackling a complex character who could have been reduced to a stereotype.

Instead of acting a cliché love subplot, Little and O’Sullivan’s strength in building character and chemistry turn the characters’ love story into an examination of trust and healing.

Veteran actor Lyndele Gauci as Claire perfectly embodied the careworn sister searching for a life outside of the shadows that haunt Catherine. Gauci performed a rational and multifaceted character who struggles with her relationship to her family and caring for those with mental health issues. With an obvious focus on the details of physical and vocal characterization, she demonstrated the seamless ability to take on a role for theatre.

R. Keith Smith as Catherine’s father Robert needed a bit of time to work himself into the character when he came on stage, but soon turned himself into a representation of the complex nature of fatherhood and the breakdown of lines between parent and child. As flashbacks show Catherine caring for father, we see the switch in positions of carer and cared for.

Director Amy M. Cummings’ focus on the intimate brought out the narrative depths of Auburn’s writing. Her blocking was naturalistic and dynamic, engaging the audience for the length of the show.

TTOK, a versatile black box theatre space, lent itself beautifully to the one room play.

If there’s one definitive thing to be said about Proof, it’s that the work done by the motley collective and TTOK proves that community theatre continues to be a dynamic and engaging art form addressing current issues and providing insight on various social relationships and cultural dilemmas.

Community theatre truly does foster a community of social consciousness. So support your local theatre and maybe you can learn something about yourself along the way.

Movie Review: More like MortdeLAME … and other clever observations

By Brian Lukaszewicz

Mortdecai, the latest star vehicle for Johnny Depp, has its charm. It’s quirky. It’s clever.

There were certainly moments that had me smiling. Generally, that’s a good thing.

But quirky and clever aren’t the same as funny. Last time I checked people don’t go to the movies to chuckle quietly to themselves at the edge of the theatre.

Mortdecai was adapted from the 1970s comic book anthology of the same name, which is surprising frankly, because the character looks and feels like a slightly upper class version of Austin Powers. Just replace secret agent with art dealer, and you’ll wonder if Mike Myers isn’t out there somewhere complaining that someone stole his bit.

Still, Charlie Mortdecai doesn’t have the same sense of humour as Powers. He’s one of those oblivious types, not because he’s from the past, but because his life of privilege has made him ignorant to just about every type of real world problem. He’s upper class to the extreme, relying mainly on his manservant Jock Strapp (Paul Bettany)—who was almost certainly named by a grade schooler—to keep him out of danger.

In other words, he’s a man child, and a man child that finds himself in quite a bit of debt when we first meet him, owing some $8 million pounds in back taxes to the British government.

Of course, money problems, as they always seem to be in movies, are just an excuse for adventure. Before long, a famous painting is stolen and Mortdecai, a promi-

nent member of the seedy underground art world, is enlisted by MI5 to help track it down. That is, for 10% of the insurance payment.

As expected, the assignment itself ends up being much more than Mortdecai bargains for, and leads him through a variety of locales throughout the world. Overall, the plot is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s interesting in an Indiana Jones searching for the Lost Ark kind of way, but boring in a “where is this going” and “why is that necessary” sort of way.

In the end, the latter takes the forefront.

The chase for this painting ends up just being an excuse to take us from one quirky scenario to another, whether it makes sense or not.

Really, it wouldn’t be that egregious a

sin for a comedy—plenty of the great ones could fit that description—if only it were funny. But as I said back in the opening, quirky isn’t the same as funny, and no one appears to get that.

That dichotomy seems to be embodied

by Depp, who is simultaneously the best thing the movie has going for it and also its biggest problem. For what it’s worth, he’s probably one of the few actors who could really give this character the sort of energy and enthusiasm he needs.

The trouble is, Depp has played this sort of odd duck fellow so many times that fatigue, at least on my part, is starting to set in.

Actor performances are important sure, but it seems like the general consensus among Hollywood execs these days is that all they need to do is let Johnny be Johnny and things will work themselves out.

He just can’t carry the load entirely by himself. I’ll admit, Jock is a pretty great character, and Gwyneth Paltrow has her moments as Mortdecai’s wife Johanna, but the rest of the supporting cast is incredibly forgettable and the script tends to rely on the same bits over and over again.

Yes, charming British accents and weird looking mustaches are great, but they can’t be all you’ve got.

In general, Mortdecai feels like a joke that wasn’t that funny to begin with stretched out just a little too long. Depp is good, the character is clever, but the end result is just plain old average.

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Volume 49 | Issue 15 | JANUARY 27, 2015

Opinionpages Editorial: Interaction, not production, is critical for education

By Matthew Rappolt

There have never been more educated people in the world than there are right now. According to Government of Canada research conducted in 2012, 93 percent of the Canadian population between the ages of 25 and 44 hold an educational credential (at least a highschool diploma) while almost 70 percent of this age bracket have some form of postsecondary certification. Furthermore, almost a third Canadian adults possess a university degree.

Given these and other remarkable advancements that Western society has made in terms of education (and especially higher education), I can’t help but wonder why so much of our contemporary discourse is marred by blind partisanship, polarization, and outright disdain for the viewpoints of others.

Our current political culture is, of course, the obvious example of this: Talking points and ad hominems have come to replace any semblance of productive dialogue and honest disagreement.

However, I think this example represents only the canary in the coal mine of a broader trend towards societal cynicism and closed-mindedness. Think about the mob-mentality and reactionary outrage that abounds on social media.

Think about the prevalence of shaming, trolling, and cyber-bullying that occurs over seemingly innocuous events.

Now, by no means am I suggesting that

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our educational systems are to blame for these phenomena (the rise of new digital communications technologies, online anonymity, and the 24/7 news cycle have certainly played their parts), however, I don’t think that it’s possible to completely divorce the current apoplectic state of societal debate from the policies of the institutions charged with shaping the minds of those debating.

After all, wasn’t the thought process behind creating a comprehensive system of public education to nurture inquiring, thoughtful, open-minded, and compassionate human beings?

During my second year here at Trent I had a professor who was very critical of the current structures of our education.

He argued that the lecture format that forms the backbone of most of today’s university courses has led to the rise of an educational experience based largely upon individual production, consumption, and regurgitation instead of interaction and collaborative scholarship.

In the lecture system, he said, students are told to consume the course material and produce papers that either regurgitate or criticize that material. The relationship between the teacher and the student is to be minimal and there is little, if any, space created for meaningful dialogue between peers.

In order to rebel against what he saw as a flawed format, this professor’s classes were based entirely around relationships and interaction. Instead of lecturing at us he spent class time fostering discussion,

and questioning us about our own experiences and how they related to the course material.

In this class I got to know my teacher and my peers on a personal level and, more importantly, I was able to appreciate first-hand the value of conducting discussions and disagreements with an open mind and in a way that was respectful, honest, and above all truly productive. Unfortunately, this class proved to be the exception to the rule as I found that many classes here at Trent are structured in ways that actually hinder this type of productive interaction.

What is frustrating is that this experience seems to be getting rarer as governments increasingly treat the education system, from primary schools to universities, as a mechanisms of the consumption economy. The result has been an increasing emphasis on credentials and validation at the expense of the quality of a student’s individual education experience. It seems to me that this is a fact that is hampering not only the intellectual, but the social growth of young people worldwide.

Here at Trent, this trend has been manifested in the slow erosion of small group learning and the collegiate communities, both of which used to be considered foundational pillars of this institution. However, there are some positive signs that the school is once again taking baby steps back towards creating a more wholesome educational experience for students.

The college restructuring that happened at the start of the year, while not ideal, is at least proof that the administration is starting to notice the value of Trent’s colleges as spaces of learning. Further, there is ongoing talk withing the administration of at least slowing future enrolment growth, which will hopefully preserve the few features of small group teaching we have left.

On a broader scale I hope that we, as a society, can collectively recognize that what is good for business and good for education are not always the same thing.

That alone won’t improve the level of social discourse but it would be a good start.

Thoughts?

Interweb them to: editors@trentarthur.ca

Opinion

Comment: “Hey! What Subway do you work at?”

By Ayesha Barmania

Last Wednesday was an average Wednesday. I wrote an article for Arthur, I did readings for class, and ate breakfast. I stepped out of my house and was making my way to the bus to go to class.

At the corner of Reid St and Charlotte St, I paused for the traffic signal to change.

As I waited cars were passing. One car slowed as it passed me and the window rolled down. A man (young, white, affluent) leaned his torso out of the window.

He shouted at me: “Hey! What Subway do you work at?”

I stood confused for a moment. Had he gotten me confused for someone else? I don’t work at Subway so why would he…

He disappeared back into the window amidst triumphant and malicious laughter from the other men in the vehicle. Their car sped away while I was left on the street corner drawing the stares of strangers.

My blood started to boil as the nuances of that phrase started to hit me. I continued to walk to the bus stop and broke down the layers of the offensive question.

It had offended me to my core and I turned my analysis inwards as to what was making me so angry. Was it the violent intrusion on my walk to the bus? Was it

the fact that I was the object of malicious derision? Was it the assumption that my occupation was a fast food employee?

I could not help but make the connection that this comment was racially based.

I happened to be wearing a headscarf that morning, which would index to bigots an Orientalism that could be connected to an Islamic heritage. This heritage must then have been connected to the Subway sandwich franchise where many people (and perhaps especially women) of colour work.

The comment represents an intersection of gender, race, and class-based bigotry crafted into a single question meant to humiliate me.

I think back on all of the other instances of street harassment I’ve experienced and this was the first moment I’ve heard a comment that draws on race and class. In past, comments I have received were aggressive comments addressing my gender, sexuality, and presentation. Comments that in effect have established that public spaces are not safe for someone like me.

A recent Internet campaign has focused on documenting the outfits, appearance, and stories of victims of street harassment.

Victims post photos of what they were wearing at the time of harassment as well

as a story about the experience. Through this comparative record some connections can be made about the nature of street harassment and the comments themselves. I offer this article as a contribution to this record. May this article stand as evidence of the racial, sexist, and classist bigotry that pervades our society and unfortunately our city.

I have many privileges and I only experience the hatred that my specific appearance affords. I sympathize with, but do not share the experience of black people of colour, Indigenous groups, marginalized gender identities (nonbinary, transgender, and others), and all other oppressed groups that I am not part of. We all struggle together under an oppressive colonial patriarchy that tolerates aggression towards minority groups.

For anyone reading this that has participated in or stood by while street harassment took place, I implore you to read the accounts of victims of street harassment and understand that your words have a larger impact on our perception of safety in public.

What may be a performance for peers on your part is an act of aggression on minority groups and works to make us feel unwelcome and unsafe.

Pictured is Ayesha dressed the way she was when she was catcalled. Photo

by Jenny Fisher.

Comment: Charlie Hebdo from the perspective of a Muslim

By Yumna Leghari

Satire is a necessary form of expression. It encourages critical thinking in the form of a healthy dose of humour. Nevertheless, in an era of free speech, where does one draw the line and who should determine these boundaries?

The case of Charlie Hebdo is intrinsically controversial, yet for an incident that should have opened up a debate exploring the depth, and complexities of circumstance, Charlie Hebdo became impenetrable to criticism. In the days following the attacks the world mourned the loss of 12 individuals and over a million gathered in Paris for a rally of national unity. The magazine continued to publish the volume containing the comics in question that week, selling out after distributing seven million copies in 6 different languages.

Undoubtedly, it’s a commonality between all Abrahamic religions that murder is not an option for retribution. Thus, it should have been obvious that the Muslims of the world were on par with the rest of humanity regarding this atrocious attack.

Despite this, in the hours and immediate days following the event a strong backlash against Islam and the everyday Muslim ensued.

Free speech is an essential tool in society but open dialog should be permitted even as we grieve, because it is just as essential.

Charlie Hebdo has a history of xenophobia, homophobia and racism. The typical satire that pokes fun at organized religion by secularists or atheists is manifested in Charlie Hebdo as flagrantly racist. A deeper look into the magazines history reveals certain hypocrisies. In 2009, political cartoonist Maurice Sine, who had been with the magazine for twenty years, was fired based on allegations of Anti-Semetism for mocking the relationship between former President Sarkozy’s son with a wealthy Jewish woman. Sine was charged for “inciting racial hatred.”

In the past week, we have been bombarded with hashtags promoting freedom of speech yet the magazine did not condemn the racialized bigotry in their cartoons when it came to depicting Muslims.

I’m in no way attempting to create a polarity of Islam vs Judaism, I simply believe it is important to note this double standard in all its seriousness.

Why are Muslims not given the same protection against hate speech? Muslims are being painted as the “other” and are homogenized into a concept that clashes against Western notions. Media coverage of the Charlie Hebdo shootings have portrayed this in the narrative of the “clash of civilizations”, and for the average citizen, the matter is perceived as black and white, lacking any grey area.

First, amongst the grievances, it must be acknowledged that for Muslims the Charlie Hebdo cartoons were perceived as extremely racist, similar to how the Jewish population was portrayed by Nazi propaganda in World War II, or how African-Americans were caricatured in early 20th century Disney animations. Secondly, Muslim voices must be encouraged in public spaces especially at a time when there is a spotlight on the entire Muslim population. It’s difficult to be vulnerable and speak about these issues as a Muslim particularly when one’s identity is the topic of discussion.

The global violence in association with Islam (a twisted, manipulated form of Islam), along with the fear-mongering overwhelming the media can make it quite scary to talk about these issues as a Muslim. The idea of having to shield oneself from the firing squad of accusatory eyes every single day is hard for many to understand, but Muslims, Sikhs (who are often mistaken for Muslims) and various people of colour suffer from this experience everyday.

The attack on Charlie Hebdo caused a bitter and withdrawn reaction within myself and many other Muslims. My bitterness stemmed from déjà vu due to a similar incident in Denmark in 2005. In a familiar tone on the issue of censorship and freedom of speech Danish newspaper JyllandsPosten published cartoons that depicted Muhammad (pbuh), the Holy Prophet of Islam, in a manner that incited riots escalating to madness.

There was an internal denial; a desire to avoid what had happened because facing

the truth meant coping with a dark reality. It’s difficult to go through the day when you feel like you have to apologize and represent an entire religion. Walking around prepared with a battle on my tongue is tiring. I am exhausted with people expecting me, and many like me, to be on stand-by as a defensive lawyer for the actions of a few criminals who do nothing but mar a religion followed by over a billion humans.

These are dark times for Muslims. Your pain is felt everywhere, and that is why it’s important to talk about our experiences

and find comfort in each other. Only by coming together and creating something positive can we find the light in these dark times.

For my fellow POC out there, Muslim or not, stay strong in the face of ignorance as people label and paste you because you “look” a certain way.

For every person walking the street waiting to lay blame on the next human they see who looks like their version of a terrorist, there are two waiting with open minds and compassion.

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Volume 49 | Issue 15 | JANUARY 27, 2015

Clubs&Groups OPIRG and Sustainable Trent present: Divestment Week

Board of Governors vote to divest from fossil fuels?” Debating in favor of the question will be two representatives from Sustainable Trent and a representative from Canadian Mining Awareness. Debating against will be a representative from Trent Conservatives, Trent Liberty and Trent Energy and Natural Resources Association.

The Trent University Politics Society will be moderating the debate.

Wednesday there is going to be a panel discussion with Nausheen Quayyum who will be discussing findings from interviews with students in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, and which led to the creation of a booklet on the

matter. The panel will also feature Professor Anne Meneley, who researches Palestinian agriculture as resistance in the West Bank and how this is an embodied practice of the greater BDS movement.

Thursday from 7-9pm in the Dining Hall in Sadleir House there will be the keynote speaker from Chevron’s Dirty Hand Canada, a group committed to making Chevron own up to, clean up and compensate those affected by the company’s massive oil spill in the Amazon in Ecuador that they have neglected to deal with for decades. The people and environment in Ecuador have suffered immensely because of Chevron.

The presentation will give an overview of

the situation and then talk about the global campaign to hold Chevron accountable for what they did.

Following the keynote speaker at 9pm there will be a Divestment pub night just upstairs from the talk in the top floor of Sadleir house. There will be live music, art, sign making, drinks and good people.

There will also be free food catered by Food Not Bombs.

Friday there will be a rally and march on campus to finish the week off. We will be meeting just outside the LEC main entrance at 2pm. The Board of Governors is also having their meeting at Trent at 2pm on Friday. There is a simple demand of this rally: that the Board has a vote on whether or not to divest from fossil fuels.

Sustainable Trent presented their fossil fuel divestment proposal to the Board just under a year ago. We believe that’s more than enough time to look into the issue and any more delaying by the administration we will look at as a ‘No’. The world isn’t getting any colder-2014 was the hottest year in recorded history. We don’t have the luxury of waiting to decide on these things.

All students, faculty, staff, administration, community members and anyone else is encouraged to come out to any or all of these events going on. Hope to see you there! #TrentDivestmentWeek

4 at 8pm at Market Hall, followed by Ira Sachs’ tender story Love is Strange (2014), screening the following Wednesday, February 11, also at 8pm, but alternatively at Artspace.

Despite the plethora of onscreen vampires these days, Jarmusch’s recent love story about two blood-obsessed lovers feels fresh and relevant. This is not just because of social media-use and the modern settings, but more so because there have not been many (if any at all) romance films

involving vampires that focus almost solely on the mundane beauty of two people spending time together as we see in Only Lovers Left Alive.

The curiously named protagonists, Adam and Eve (played by Tom Hiddleston and Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton) are each settled in different parts of the world: Adam in Detroit, Michigan, and Eve in Tangier, Morocco. The two communicate via Skype, although Adam is too rebellious to use a smartphone or laptop, and opts for his own creative method of analog technology. The two undead lovers ultimately cannot stand being apart any longer and Eve leaves for Detroit the following night.

Adam and Eve are both sensible and civilized vampires. They do not deal with annoying drama nor get into trouble with the law. Rather, they live almost entirely in seclusion, and do not kill humans (zombies as they refer to them) when hungry; Adam has connections with a doctor who sneaks him vials of the finest quality blood for a hefty sum.

Only Lovers Left Alive, like other Jarmusch films, is arguably more focused on style over substance. In Western filmmak-

ing, with all the bloated and stuffy plotlines of Hollywood cinema, style over substance can actually be a good thing. This is not to say that the movie is lacking in substance. Jarmusch is focused on capturing the intimacy of Adam and Eve’s relationship which is amplified by the amount of time they spend alone together in Adam’s secluded pad.

The pace of the film is noticeably slow and handled with care, much to the benefit of displaying Adam and Eve’s intimate relationship. The two indulge in one another’s presence, and, like any great vampire story, by enjoying blood in various forms; the most noticeably cool yet humourous one has them sucking on O-Negative popsicles.

Only Lovers Left Alive offers its viewers a slick portrayal of two no-nonsense vampiric lovers who share a common goal: loving one another unconditionally. The film is greatly enhanced by an entrancing soundtrack, which helps set the sensual, relaxed tone of Adam and Eve’s love.

Please join us for a FREE screening of Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive on Wednesday, February 4 at Market Hall (140 Charlotte Street). The show begins at 8pm. Everyone is welcome!

By Calvin Beauchesne

OPIRG and Sustainable Trent have collaborated on a number of events from January 26-30th for Divestment Week. The week is to raise awareness for both OPIRG’s divest from Israeli Apartheid and Palestinian solidarity campaign, and Sustainable Trent’s divest from fossil fuels campaign.

Monday there will be a film screening of Students & Goliath: How the Youth Took on the Fossil Fuel Industry in the LEC pit at 5:00pm. The film is based on students in the US who are campaigning to get their schools to divest their endowments from fossil fuels, and who are also doing their part to pressure President Obama to not approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The film explores various strategies and tactics by the students for their campaigns.

Tuesday there will be a workshop hosted by Canadian Mining Awareness in Gzowski 345 from 5-7pm. Canadian Mining Awareness is an OPIRG working group that aims to raise awareness about the irresponsible environmental and social practices of Canadian mining companies doing business in other countries.

Following the workshop on Tuesday there will be a debate in the Gathering Space in Gzowski from 7-9pm. The question of the debate will be “Should Trent’s

By Steven Snow

Everyone’s favourite capitalist holiday is approaching. I’ll give you a hint: it’s not Christmas.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day this year TFS is screening two films about love, both of which are absolutely free! (Take that capitalism!)

The first film is Jim Jarmusch’s stylish vampire drama Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), screening on Wednesday, February

14

www.trentarthur.ca

Clubs&groups

OPIRG: Understanding Israel as an apartheid state

By Montana Mellett

There are some common misconceptions when addressing what we mean by Israeli Apartheid.

By definition, apartheid literally means separation. It has its roots in the separation of people based on race in South Africa.

Since then, the application of the word has been made universal, with the adoption of the United Nations “International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid”.

In order to understand the current situation with regards to Israel/Palestine, it is necessary to examine the origins of the Israeli state in 1948.

In the same year that Israel was created, the pro-apartheid National Party was elected to power in South Africa. In 1951, the South African apartheid government began the forced expulsion of over 3 million black inhabitants off the land into reserves known as “Bantustans”, modelled on Canada’s reserve system for First Nations.

More than a two decades after apartheid was abolished in South Africa, Palestinians in the Occupied Territories today live in modern-day Bantustans.

There is a growing majority opinion that Israel’s policies and treatment of Palestinians constitute apartheid. Prominent thinkers have made the comparison, including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and Israeli historian Ilan Pappe.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions and the Human Sciences Research

Council of South Africa both have declared that Israel is practising apartheid in the Occupied Territories.

In 2008, the president of the United Nations General Assembly, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, accused the Israeli government of practising apartheid, and called for boycotts, divestments, and sanctions against the state—the tactics used against apartheid South Africa.

In 2013, the student body voted at the TCSA Annual General Meeting to adopt a policy in support of the BDS movement.

These strategies and tactics have been drafted into the TCSA By-Laws, Policies, & Operating Resolutions and more specifically it can be found on page 66 of the document “TCSA By-Laws, Policies, & Operating Resolutions 2014-2015” (page 72 if looking at the .pdf version online).

I would suggest that we take a deeper look at the Boycott and Divestment against

Israeli Apartheid, as outlined in this document.

It states clearly that the Association recognizes that Israel is an apartheid state, as determined and substantiated by many legal frameworks established by international courts, civil society organizations, and conventions.

Then, under the Academic and Cultural Boycott section of the policy, it states what we see as follows: “The Association shall refrain from cooperation, collaboration, or joint projects with Israeli academic and cultural institutions in any form including sharing intellectual resources or property with Israeli universities, offering Study Abroad opportunities for students of Trent University, or hosting Israeli, unless these institutions acknowledge Israel as an apartheid state” (page 67).

This policy clarifies that Trent University is indeed inclusionary, diverse, and pro-

motes freedom of culture and expression as long as the injustices being committed

by Israeli Apartheid are acknowledged as well.

This policy response by the TCSA is part of a broader campaign for boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) that is shaped by a rights-based approach and highlights the three broad segments of the Palestinian people.

These can include and are not limited to: the refugees, those under military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Palestinians in Israel.

The policy urges various forms of boycott against Israel until it meets its obligations under international law by: 1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands occupied in June 1967 and dismantling the Wall; 2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and 3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.

This policy is an effective way of integrating the student governing bodies of Trent and living up to our responsibilities that come along in standing in solidarity with Palestinians and Israelis alike.

West Bank tops East 6-3 in East vs. West game Friday January 23.

Check back next week for photos and the full story.

Men’s Volleyball

Canadore

Trent

Jan 25 @ 3pm

15

Volume 49 | Issue 15 | JANUARY 27, 2015

listings Clubs & Groups Please be advised that there will be an Annual General Meeting for the Trent Central Student Association on Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 2:00-4:30p.m. in GCS 114. This is a chance for the general membership of the Association (full-time undergraduate and School of Education students) to vote on crucial aspects regarding the operations of the TCSA. Snacks will be provided for those in attendance. All members who attend the meeting for its duration will be eligible to enter into a draw to win one of five $50 gift cards, or one $150 gift card.

Relevant documents and official agenda are available on trentcentral.ca. All members require their student ID to participate in voting. For more info, please contact: Braden Freer, president@trentcentral.ca Learn to Fence starting January 29th! Practices are Thursday 6:30-8:15pm and Sunday 7-9pm in the Main Gym. No experience required. You need to arrive in workout gear with athletic shoes, all other equipment is provided. It is $20 for the semester.

For more information go to trentu.ca/fencing or email courtneypeeters@outlook.com Are you a student at Trent University or alumni? Do you have a theatrical presentation you need funding for? You are in luck. Theatre Trent is accepting proposals for events taking place over the current academic year! Deadline for Theatre Trent funding is February 2nd, 2015. Visit: https://theatretrent.wordpress.com for the online application and guidelines.

The 2015 Performance by the Classics Drama Group at Trent University - A Greek tragedy:Aeschylus’ Agamemnon & Libation Bearers. Directed by George Kovacs. Performances: Wed., February 4; Thu, February 5 at 8pm; Sat, February 7 at 3pm. Nozhem: FPHL, Gzowski College.Tickets: $10 / $7 for students. Fri, February 6 at 8pm. The Market Hall (George and Charlotte Streets).

Tickets: $15 / $12 for students. Email: cdg@trentu.ca or 705-748-1011, x7848 for ticket reservations The Seasoned Spoon is currently seeking new board members, so come spoon with us! If you’re interested in being involved with the governance of the Seasoned Spoon and developing new skills while working with awesome people, now’s your chance! If you have any questions about joining the board of directors, please email us at: seasonedspoon@gmail.com The Seasoned Spoon Annual General Meeting will be held Tuesday, February 3rd from 3-5pm in the café, followed by a potluck!

This is your opportunity to find out how things work behind the scenes at the Spoon; all about our finances, the board of directors, upcoming plans and to share food with your fellow co-op members! So come on out, let us know what you think and share your hopes and dreams for the future of your cooperative cafe. It’s a yam packed agenda, you can’t beet it – so you’d better turnip!

Now accepting auditions for Trent U Music Society’s Battle of the Bands, send all submissions to trentumusic@gmail.com.

Rules and guidelines can be found at www. trentumusic.ca, over $1000 in prizes to be won. Audition deadline is Friday, February 6th, and the competition is Saturday,

Tuesday

send yours to listings@trentarthur.ca

March 21st. Get those submissions in!

net

Weekly Open Mics EVERY Thursday evening at 8pm at the Trend pub in Traill college!

Hosted by the Trent University Music Society. Bring your instruments or just come to listen for a night of good music and good company. Free admission, all welcome! More info: trentumusic@gmail.com.

Come learn basic to advanced Arabic! Our classes cover reading, writing and speaking. Weekly Arabic classes every Tuesday from 5-6pm at GCS 108. Absolutely free!

St. John’s Ambulance Standard First Aid Our Standard Certificate is valid for 3 years! Includes CPR and AED training! This course provides a certificate in Standard First Aid & a CPR/AED certificate. 13 to 14.5 hours of instructional time (2 days); includes 435-page First Aid/CPR/AED book. **This course is required by the WSIB if your place of work employs more than 5 employees per shift.** Upcoming sessions: Weekdays(8:30-4) January 29-30, Feb. 4-5, 10-11, 26-27, or Combo Course SFA/LevelC CPR (8:30-5:00) Jan. 29-30, or Combo Course SFA/Level-C CPR (8:30-5:00) Jan. 29-30, 31-Feb. 1, Feb. 4-5, 7-8, 10-11, 14-15, 21-22, Contact: sjapeterborough@ bellnet.ca, 705-745-0331, sja.ca

Trent CBC Radio Peter Gzowski Internship Program Do you see yourself in a career in media?

Are you in your final year at Trent University? Apply for the prestigious CBC Radio Peter Gzowski Internship Program! Application deadline is Friday February 6th at 4pm in the Career Centre, Champlain College, Room 204. Internship runs May to August 2015. Details on how to apply at: www. trentu.ca/gzowskiinternships.

Walkhome—Trent’s safe walk service. Late class? Working in the lab? Call us for a walk; 25 minutes from Symons or Traill (downtown) Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 7pm to 1am, Saturday & Sunday: 9pm to 1am 705-748-1748 Walkhome—Pre-book your safe walk. Do you regularly have practice Monday night, work in the Library Tuesday night or go downtown Friday night? Our team of volunteers walkers can meet you, on campus or downtown. Monday to Friday: 7pm to 1am, Saturday & Sunday: 9pm to 1am. Call us 705- 748-1748 or email walkhome@tretnu.ca to Prebook a walk.

Worried about a course this semester? We want to help! Register for the Academic Mentoring Program to request an upper-year student mentor. Mentors meet regularly with students to discuss course concepts and build an understanding of course material. To request a mentor, or to volunteer, visit trentu.ca/academicskills/ peermentoring.php.

Do you want to start this semester with a fresh and well organized slate? Then come see us at the Academic Skills Centre! We can help you with time management and give you the push you need to get ahead of your assignments. Our services are always free!

Suite 206, Champlain College. Phone: 705748-1720. Call to book your appointment or book online through your Student Experience Portal at trentu.ca/sep. Click on “Book Appointments” and select “Academic Skills”.

Local An eclectic group of editors and writers, we meet the last Monday of every month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Princess Gardens in Peterborough, Ontario.

We network and share training and educational opportunities. We also bring in speakers and learn from one another. Trent students who are interested in learning more about editing or business writing are welcome. No dues or fees. We’re an open, not-for-profit organization. Contact: Jane Davidson 705-772-7692. bestwritecom@gmail. com. http://www.bestwritecommunications.

Wednesday

St. John’s Ambulance CPR Recertification (Weekdays at 6:30 pm, or Saturdays at 1:00) Feb 7, 17, 21, Mar 7, 10. Call for additional dates, or organize your own group at a convenient time at any location--discounts for groups! sjapeterborough@bellnet.ca, 705-745-0331, sja.ca

Arts Galerie Q, Solo Exhibit - Claude Picher, R.C.A. January 12- February 28. Galerie opens 10-6, Thursday through Sunday. Galerie Q 705-944-8888 1521 County Rd. 10, Cavan, ON, L0A 1C0 The Peterborough Storytellers usually meet on the third Wednesday of the month, from 7 to 9 at the Peterborough Public Library.

Our next meetings will be on Feb 18 (Personal Storytelling) & March 18 (World storytelling day. Theme “Wishes”).

Kawartha Youth Orchestra presents: Music Magic. Come join the Kawartha Youth Orchestra for their first concert of 2015, “Music Magic” on Sunday, March 1 at Market Hall. Ticket buyers will hear our region’s talented youth “make magic” performing some of the world’s greatest music, including Schubert’s famous “Unfinished”

symphony and Bizet’s Carmen Suite as well as oboe and violin concertos by graduating members of the KYO! Tickets for this 3pm concert are $15 for adults ($5 for youth and $20 at the door) and available by visiting the box office or purchasing online at markethall.org.

Public Energy presents dance artist Vincent Mantsoe from South Africa on a crossCanada tour. Free Talk open to the public on Monday, February 2, 7pm. At the Gathering Space, First People’s House of Learning, Gzowski College. Performance of two works, NTU and Skwatta, on Tuesday, February 3, 8pm, with post-show talk-back.

At Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, 140 Charlotte St. Tickets available from the Market Hall box office: www.markethall.org or 705-749-1146.

The Theatre on King is proud to present Kate Story’s “damned be this transmigration,” Thursday January 29—Saturday January 31 @ 8pm. Sunday Feb 1 @ 1pm. $15 or pwyc at the door. Written by Kate Story with original music by Rob Fortin, Directed by Em Glasspool, this play is based on beloved characters created by Don Marquis. “damned be this transmigration” is a dancing, singing roller coaster ride of a play, with text from Marquis’s famous newspaper column and music from the swinging twenties. It’s a hot shot of entertainment amidst Marquis’s pointed social commentary - relevant to this day - and we get a glimpse into the raucous and often tragic life of Marquis himself. Funded by Theatre Trent and fueled by Public Energy.

The Theatre on King is happy to host Mysterious Entity’s Script Club, Thursday February 5, 7pm. $5 or pwyc. Mysterious Entity welcomes local theatre artists and theatre lovers to this monthly reading series.

Readers gather at 7, readings will start at 7:30. Some Mysterious Entity performers will always be on hand, but local actors are also welcome to come and sign up to do a cold read. Theatre lovers - come and be a part of the process! First rule of Script Club ... be there. Second rule of Script Club ... ALWAYS talk about Script Club.

S U D O K U

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

t Graham Norman @ The Tankhouse (5pm)

t Chelsey Bennett @ t Daddy Mack Blues Band t Bobby Brioux w/ guest t Angela @ Carpe Diem @ The Tankhouse(5pm) Cafe (6pm) Carpe Diem Cafe (6pm) @ Showplace (8pm)

t Randy Hill @ The Black Horse Pub (7pm)

t Open Mic Night @ Mc- t TUMS Open Mic @ The t I, the Mountain @ t Carlos Del Junco & Carpe Diem Cafe (6pm) The Blue Mongrels @ Thirsty’s Pint (8pm) Trend (8pm) Market Hall (8pm) t Walking Dream: Fever & Hans Ohm @ Gallery in t Randy Hill @ Porch & the Attic (7pm) Pint (7pm)

t Sean Hully Jazz Group @ The Garnet (9pm)

t Gunslingers @ The t Dub Trinity @ The Red Black Horse Pub (7:30pm) DOg (9pm)

This Week in Live Music: presented by ElectricCityLive.ca

t Songs for Queers w/ t Chad’s Surprise Evangeline Gentle & Me- Birthday Party @ The gan Lane @ The Garnet Garnet (9pm) (9pm) t Vile Creatures, Antibody, and Garbageface @ The Spill(10pm)