Volume 49 Issue 6

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

INside:

Trent turns 50. Ptbo votes. We’ve got it covered.

The Tcsa... Break ins and Board meetings

Trent’s 50th Pullout

Election Coverage

Photo Essay: Exploring Local

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This Page: All About Arthur

Pages 21-23: Municipal Election Feature

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Pages 9-20: 50th Anniversary Pullout! t 4FF QBHF GPS GFBUVSF JOEFY

Page 27: Sports t 8PNFO T BOE .FO T TPDDFS CSJFGT t 7BSTJUZ TUBOEJOHT OPX XJUI HFOEFS QBJSJUZ

Page 28: Listings

Additionally, this issue will be circulating for two weeks thanks to Reading Week. Issue 7 comes out the week of Halloween. Spooky.

Letters to the Editors The National Shame of our Missing Women Test your knowledge of Canadiana: Which group of Canadians is seven times more likely to die a violent death than the average Canadian?

Unless you were at the vigil at Millennium Park last Saturday, you probably would not guess that the group is Indigenous women. Those who attended witnessed a spiritual ceremony including powerful drumming, rhythmic dancing, and melodious songs while listening to reports about the disgraceful fact that over the past 30 years across this country almost 1,200 Indigenous women have disappeared or been murdered, and every week three to four more women vanish.

In view of these shameful statistics, why did Canada’s Prime Minister cancel a proposed investigation of this ongoing tragedy? Is it because: 1. He places no value on the lives of Indigenous women?

2. He doesn’t think Indigenous adults vote?

3. He doesn’t think non-Native voters care about the fate of Indigenous women?

Or could the answer be all of the above?

Many Indigenous people put their faith in a Higher Power to correct the injustices they have stoically suffered for centuries, so it is up to those of us who still use the ballot box to send a strong message to Parliament Hill that our First Peoples and their wonderful culture and teachings mean a great deal to us, and that we demand a full and comprehensive investigation of this heinous manifestation of racism and genocide.

Dear Colleagues,

www.trentarthur.ca

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Given the nature of this week’s issue and it’s focus on Trent History we decided to postpone our This Issue In History column for a week. It will resume as usual in Issue 7.

Seeking Student Nominee for National Fellowship

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Pages 24-26: Arts & Culture

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Carol Winter

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The Centre for Teaching and Learning is hoping that you can provide assistance in identifying a truly exceptional student at Trent that could be nominated for the 3M National Student Fellowship. The Fellowship honours up to ten full-time undergraduate college and university students at Canadian institutions, and includes an award of $5000, participation in the annual conference of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and the Fellowship Program retreat,

and the opportunity to develop a cross-Canadian collaborative project with other award winners, with the goal of enhancing teaching and learning at the post-secondary level.

We are looking for a phenomenal student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in their lives and during their time at Trent, and whose notable accomplishments provide evidence that they embrace a vision of quality education that enhances their academic experience and beyond.

In addition to the qualities mentioned above, the potential nominee must be: t &OSPMMFE GVMM UJNF t &OSPMMFE JO UIFJS ĕSTU VOEFSHSBEVBUF QSPHSBN t /FJUIFS JO UIFJS ĕSTU ZFBS OPS JO UIF ĕOBM ZFBS PG UIFJS program Should they be selected as Trent’s nominee for the 3M National Student Fellowship, the student will also need to be able to: t 4IPX IPX UIFZ BSF B MFBSOFS B UIPVHIU QSPWPLFS B WJsionary, and a community member in action t %FNPOTUSBUF UIFJS DSFBUJWJUZ EJTUJODUJWFOFTT BOE QFSTPOality through their record of exceptional leadership t 1SPWJEF B QFSTPOBM EFĕOJUJPO PG MFBEFSTIJQ BOE EFTDSJCF their leadership capacity and leadership potential in relationship to other people t "SUJDVMBUF UIFJS WJFX PG UIF NPTU TJHOJĕDBOU DIBMMFOHFT JO post-secondary education and possible concrete solutions to these challenges t %FTDSJCF B GFX USBOTGPSNBUJPOBM FEVDBUJPOBM FYQFSJFODFT they have had outside of the classroom and off campus, and how these experiences have influenced their academic performance, their attitudes toward teaching and learning, and their approach to leadership To put forward the name of a student for consideration, please send their name, email address, and a brief description of why you think they would make an excellent nominee for the 3M National Student Fellowship to adamguzkowski2@ trentu.ca by Friday, October 17. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Many thanks, "EBN (V[LPXTLJ

A Student Voter’s Guide Who can Vote?

You can vote if you are a Canadian citizen, you are over the age of 18, and you either live in or rent/own property in Peterborough. You also cannot be prohibited from voting, but that’s pretty obvious.

Unlike any other election, you can actually vote in multiple municipalities if your principal residence is in one and your renting address is in another. For instance, most students still list their principal address as their parent’s address.

Wherever that happens to be, you can vote there! However, you cannot vote in multiple wards in the same city. So if your family is from East City but you’re living in a downtown apartment, you’ve got to choose one or the other.

How to Register

What is Valid Identification?

Assuming you aren’t already on the Voters List (you can find out if you are on Peterborough’s website), and you haven’t received a Notice of Registration Card, then you will need to register.

You can actually do it entirely online. Simply go to the “Update Your Voter Information” page on Peterborough’s website and complete the form. You’ll have to fill out a short contact form and attach a scanned copy of valid identification showing your name and address.

All you have to do is wait for city staff to review and verify your information. They’ll email you with your Voter ID Number and Information Sheet.

You can also do the very same thing in person at the City Clerk’s Office.

If you’re a real late bloomer and it slipped your mind until Election Day that’s not a problem. Just show up at any Voting Location with ID showing proof of your name and qualifying address.

The Peterborough website lists 29 separate documents as valid ID. If your address is listed on your driver’s license or health card you can use that.

That’s rarely the case for students. Instead, you can use a bill, a credit card statement, a bank account statement, a pay stub, a transcript from a post-secondary school, your lease agreement, a cancelled personal cheque, and many more. The whole list is available online.

How To Vote...

Voting on Election Day If you registered in advance and have your Voter Notification Card, literally show up to any poll in the city with your Card and Valid ID and you can vote. Voting locations are listed on Peterborough’s website.

If you haven’t registered by Election Day, you can still show up at a poll with a valid ID and vote. There will be some paperwork to fill out though.

Advance Voting Advance Voting Day is Saturday October 18. There is at least one voting location in each ward, which you can find on the Peterborough website.

Proxy Voting You can proxy your vote to another eligible elector in the City of Peterborough. Your proxy must go to the City Clerk’s Office and apply to do so by filling out a form, along with providing copies of both your and their Valid ID.

Who Do I Get to Vote For? Who you can vote for depends on where you live in the city, but everyone gets to vote for one mayor, two councillors in their ward, and either one or two School Board Trustees. It’s too hard to describe in writing the boundaries of each ward, but there are all sorts of maps at your disposal. Or give the city a call and ask!

Online Voting In order to vote online there is a separate registration process you must complete in addition to the one above.

Once you receive your Voter Notification Card, and after October 14 at midnight, you can go to the city’s website and register.

On your Voter Notification Card there will be an Elector ID number which you will need to enter. The site will generate a username and a password for you. That, along with directions on how to vote, will be emailed to you.

Then simply vote whenever you feel like it! You can literally vote while naked. Online voting opens Tuesday October 14 at midnight and closes on voting day, Monday October 27, at 8pm. The registration period ends one hour earlier that day at 7pm.

Accessible Voting On Election Day you can go to St. Paul’s Church, 120 Murray St, from 10am – 8pm if you require an accessible voting location with assistive devices. You can also vote at City Hall, 500 George St N, weekdays between October 14 and 24 anytime between 9am and 4pm.

Candidate profiles for the Mayoral race, as well as all councillor candidates in Northcrest, Town, and Ashburnham Wards can be found on pages 21-23 of this issue.

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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CampusNews Trent Centre for CBE outlines 2014-2018 strategic plan

By Brian Hough

Earlier this year the Trent Centre for Community Based Education (TCCBE) released a new strategic outline for the next four years (2014-2018).

The TCCBE, which is currently located at Traill, is a non-profit organization with charitable status that was started 20 years ago. The organization facilitates community based projects and research (often for credit) by matching students, faculty, and community members, acting first as a matchmaker and then as a ‘coach’ - guiding the participants through not just the planning and organization, but also the execution.

According to the TCCBE’s strategic outline for 2014-2018 it has “brokered hundreds of research projects that have served to strengthen our local community. Students have benefited both by gaining valuable exposure to the workplace and by learning how to conduct research in the field. Faculty members have given much time and expertise to assist students in this work, and thereby improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural fabric of Peterborough City and County.”

As a way of reassessing the TCCBE’s position and role within both the university and the community, the TCCBE used an extensive consultation process which included an online survey, ‘kitchen table’ discussions with staff and partners, several focus groups with community partners and faculties, one on one interviews (interviewees included external experts), and retreats.

“It wasn’t all roses,” says executive director Todd Barr, “there was a lot of con-

structive criticism to what we were doing, which was great.”

While they ultimately decided that the TCCBE will now focus exclusively on community based research projects (as that was what they gleaned had the most interest from various participants and partnerships), they also came to what they called ‘the four pillars’ of their development strategy for the next four years.

The first, “A Commitment to Quality”, included things (according to the TCCBE Strategic Plan 2014-2018) such as: “Work to evolve the perceptions of our community partners, from one of believing their participation in a TCCBE project is primarily about student learning, to one where, in addition to student learning, they see our delivery of quality research as an important capacity-building opportunity”, and “work with the academic community, our delivery partners U-Links and C-Links, and our local community partners to clearly articulate, and standardize,

our systems and processes.”

The second was “Strong Partnerships”, which aims to “Assist Trent University in achieving its strategic CBR goals, and leveraging this success by positioning Trent University and TCCBE as a point of differentiation – with the TCCBE as Trent’s leader for community-based research”, and to “formally define our relationship with Trent University by engaging with the University to co-develop a framework around expectations, funding, accountabilities, communications, deliverables, and the reporting of results. Work collaboratively with Trent University to create a multi-year MOU to formalize these functions and understandings, to pave the way for easier demonstration of CBR successes for both TCCBE and Trent University” (in both of those sections it seems clear that the TCCBE would like to see the TCCBE play a potentially larger role as a ‘selling point’ and market niche for Trent within the wider post-secondary market).

Increased Community Impact - “Plan for, promote, and facilitate longitudinal, multidisciplinary, multi-year projects that serve to drive sustained effort and resources toward the identified priorities”, also interesting was the plan to “host a biannual academic-local community think tank to ensure an ongoing understanding of, and a broad discussion around, the needs of each, so both communities can be further integrated, and be inspired about how CBR and student learning can serve to benefit everyone.”

The final pillar was entitled simply, ‘A Compelling Brand Story”, which suggests to “embark on a multi-year marketing plan to raise awareness of our programs and services, increase philanthropic support as well as other funding opportunities, and to raise the profile of TCCBE with stakeholders including students, faculty members, community partners, donors, other academic institutions, government, and the media.”

The document then goes on to say that these plans will be executed and supported through a series of annual budget plans and that “measurable goals and objectives will be outlined for each step, to ensure they are in alignment with the directions.”

What the TCCBE has presented for itself is making a compelling contribution to how we re-think the role and possibilities of the Liberal Arts University at this juncture in the history of the institution.

What’s less clear, however, is how the TCCBE will successfully do that when both the administration and the TCSA have prioritized developing the main campus with ‘wellness centres’ and more ‘student pubs’ even if it means further extricating Trent from the community.

The Hike Stops Here: Fighting the rising tide of tuition

By Zachary Cox

Last year Trent Central Student Association president Braden Freer, who was at the time the vice president of campaigns and equity, approached the Trent University administration with a request to direct a co-written letter from the TCSA and the administration to the provincial government.

The letter, which was to request that the government cease lowering funding to post-secondary institutions and would initiate a tuition freeze, was not approved by the administration at that time.

However, Freer’s successor as vice president of campaigns and equity, Boykin Smith, is ready to continue the discussions and is looking forward to the next segment of The Hikes Stop Here campaign, an initiative by the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) Ontario to lobby for lower post-secondary education tuition costs.

“Last year when I was the vice president of campaigns and equity, I was also on the executive of the CFS Ontario,” said Freer.

“That year, CFS decided that we would switch our tactics.”

The previous method for seeking tuition freezes had been to go after the university itself, asking the administration to freeze tuition costs.

The issue arises in that funding levels for post-secondary institutions are continuously going down, so if the administration froze tuition they would have a lower operating budget and would be forced to make

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www.trentarthur.ca

some sacrifices in terms of university operations.

“There’s an efficiency cut in funding every year, so what that means is that the government assumes that universities are becoming more efficient each year, so funding goes down,” said Freer.

The new idea was to approach the university administration to request a joint letter to the provincial government explaining the necessity for increases in education funding alongside a request for a tuition freeze.

While the administration was unable to approve the suggestion due to the embedded tuition freeze request, Freer noted that there was positive discussion regarding the idea.

“The chair [of Trent University’s Board of Governors] at the time, Ann Wright, did send a letter to us that said they would consider partnering with us on it in the future, which is sort of where we’re at now,” he said.

Where we’re at now is with Smith, who is set to continue the discussions that Freer began last year.

“I’m hoping to do a similar letter as Braden did,” said Smith, adding that he plans to have the letter touch on three topics.

The first of the three is the request for a tuition freeze, which is the main objective for the CFS Ontario. The other two points are suggestions to the government for an improved funding system not tied to institution enrolment levels, and an alternative

budget for the university.

“Our campaign is called The Hikes Stop Here, where we’re trying to freeze tuition fees and then ultimately reduce tuition fees,” said Smith, adding that hopefully one day in the future tuition fees in Ontario will be removed altogether, similar to the recent change in Germany.

In order for a tuition freeze to be a viable option for the university administration, Smith suggests that an alternate funding system will be necessary.

“Trent University isn’t interested in increasing its enrolment, although the ministry wants all universities to increase their enrolment,” he said.

“Student demand is that we want our classes to remain the sizes that they are, we want the student to professor ratio to remain as positive as it is today. So the fact that we are only funded based on our enrolment really hinders the development of our university.”

Smith said that due to the current enrolment-based funding system, tuition levels are at a point where many people may not be able to afford the costs. One idea that Smith expressed as a possible alternate was a geography-based funding method.

Smith feels that an opportunity for the student association to propose their own draft of the university’s budget is a valuable asset. “This is something I think is very important for any student’s union,” he said. “I think it shows that we are really interested in creating change, and the only way that we can create change is by addressing the

issues and showing some sort of alternative solution.”

Though the premise is set, the content and wording of the letter has not yet been finalized. “I’m still in the process of consulting with the board,” said Smith. “I do want to have some draft of that letter before reading week.”

Once the draft is done, it will be presented to the president and vice-president of the Board of Governors to determine the viability, and then a presentation will be given at a meeting where the Board of Governors are discussing the budget for next year.

According to Smith, along with the letter, the next step for The Hikes Stop Here campaign is to “aggregate and mobilize our student movement, and trying to do creative action on campus,” in order to lead up to the winter term when budget conversations will begin on both a provincial and Trent administrative level.

Smith said he has high hopes that the educational work and initiatives will bring more student interest and voices to the topic.

“The only way we can actually accomplish what we hope to accomplish is if different organizations, different departments, are supporting this idea as well,” said Smith. “With bigger numbers we can pose a bigger stance to the provincial government.”

More information on the CFS The Hikes Stop Here Campaign can be found online at thehikesstophere.ca

CAmpus

Student centre not worth the investment: GSA and TPSA

By Ugyen Wangmo

Both Trent graduate students and parttime students, who are very much a part of Trent despite their small population and sadly who are most often forgotten, voted down the Student Centre, that still remains to be built, today.

Graduate students said ‘No’ to the student centre twice in a referendum. They will still not support the student centre if it were to go to question again. Trent Parttime Student Association (TPSA) decided to delay their decision to support the centre until it becomes a reality. In an interview with the Arthur, representatives from each association, Trent Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) and TPSA, justified their stance on the student centre.

President of GSA, A. Rathika Balthasar, said, “It is not worth the investment for current graduate students, and it doesn’t seem like it will be a worthwhile investment for the future graduate students either,” towards their opposition of student centre (SC).

Even though it is conceptually a great idea for the undergraduate students, from the graduate student perspective, Balthasar, does not feel that there are as of now any beneficial or extra activities planned to happen in the SC that are already not covered in other places on campus. It does not specifically meet the needs of the graduate students enough to gain their support.

She understands that its goal is to consider overall student needs, and there is the appeal of everything being centralized.

But as of right now, the plans are so vague that it is hard to sell to the graduate student body, and this is according to her why they said no.

Graduate students were promised a maximum of 215 square foot space. This is actually smaller the current GSA office, and to make matters worse, the possibility of that space potentially shrinking is what GSA had to tell their membership.

As of right now, Balthasar does not think the graduate students would support the student centre if it were to go to question again.

One of the biggest issues Trent graduate students currently see is, as Teaching Assistants (TA), they don’t have an adequate space to meet with students. If they had some space to book where they could have one on one meetings or TA hours, then that might be something appealing to graduate students, but not at the price of about $100 a year. Not when it should be the university providing them that space, said Balthasar.

She shared on how President and ViceChancellor, Leo Groarke had approached

her to ask what the school administration could do to gain approval of the concept of the student centre from the graduate students.

According to Balthasar, the idea is appealing to them as a long-term business plan if they were to receive income for their association. Another idea that has come up is an entrepreneurship centre, which might appeal to them. Again, these are all only conceptual ideas. If they were promised them, Balthasar guaranteed that she can see graduate students showing support, but to sell a vague idea is very difficult.

In addition, the SC being open 24 hours would appeal to graduate students, too.

She explained that one big issue on campus is that the place basically shuts down when all the undergraduates leave in April. Sadly, it is often the case that they are almost forgotten along with the faculty and staff who are there throughout the summer.

The university does very much cater to the undergraduate population, which is understandable as it is the largest component. But when it comes to something like the SC, a huge building, one has to question if it will be run all through the summer, and if so, how it will be supported. Or, what would be the functions throughout the summer when most of the student population is not around, in terms of funding and staff of the SC, she said.

As it is, Trent is currently in debt, so “should we really be funding the construction of another building?” questioned Balthasar. There is also doubt concerning whether it can actually house all the things that people want it to, such as Academic Skills, pubs, food, and health services.

“The appeal of the student centre should be that it is centralized, but will they actually be able to centralize everything?”

Balthasar asked.

The biggest downfall right now according to her is that they haven’t seen any plans, and need to see more concrete evidence of what they intend to do with the space.

The SC is the idea of Trent Central Student Association (TCSA), and it was merely something they took to their membership. It surprises Balthasar that students even voted for it in the first place. She said she can see them supporting the concept, but not to put that much money into it without having seen much of a design plan or execution strategy.

She guaranteed that they won’t get that kind of support from graduate students, since they are a group who want to see that if they are contributing financially to something, they will then get something out of it.

“It is a great idea, appealing space for undergraduates but so far it’s just been poorly executed, poorly planned, and poorly communicated,” she said. On all those fronts the TCSA have to improve in order to sell it to the students, to graduate students in particular.

She feels that it also comes down to Traill College; that is their college and it needs repairs. Lots of the colleges on campus need repairs, so, she questioned, does building a brand new building come ahead of maintaining the old ones?

It is a complicated issue, and Balthasar can’t be certain that the graduate students would say ‘Yes’ even if they promised them all these things that would appeal to them, she said. “Ultimately we believe that it is the student’s choice, it is their right to say ‘No’, and we can’t force people to do something. It all comes down to what the membership says,” declared Balthasar.

Similarly, the Executive Director of the Trent Part-time Student Association (TPSA), Helen Wallis, said that the idea of a Student Centre had come up several times over the years but the students had always voted it down.

She reminisced on how originally every Trent College had its own great, swinging pub on-site, three on campus (LEC, CC, OC) and two downtown (P.R., Traill). In addition there was a wonderful old house on East bank near the rowing club called

The Commoner - a great venue shared by every student, she described.

Wallis reasoned that the student’s loyalty to and love for their own pubs, along with a fear that a shared student centre would diminish their popularity, was the original reason for voting against it.

However during the term of President Bonnie Patterson, the revelry was much dampened, she said. The Commoner was demolished over an Easter Weekend when the students were absent, P.R. was sold, Traill was diminished (although retained its great pub space), and the other pubs slowly lost ground, leaving only the Ceilie in Champlain, she said.

When this latest effort to create a SC arose, the TPSA executive, several of whom had been present for many of the earlier efforts, feared that to involve part-time students in paying to support something that many would never visit would be difficult to justify. Besides, there was also a doubt raised that in view of the voting history, and of the heavy involvement of the university in the funding and tenancy of the suggested building, the students might back out of the proposition eventually.

It was therefore agreed that TPSA would delay a decision awaiting the outcome, said Wallis. It was also agreed, however, that should a student centre ever become a reality, the association would support it by renting space there for an office and common room, she added.

In terms of their involvement towards the planning of the centre, the TPSA had a seat on the Student Centre Task Force Committee for which they had recruited a part-time student to occupy it. However, it was later found out that he had never attended a meeting. According to Wallis, they then found another student to sit on the committee, who at year-end informed that, to her knowledge, that no meetings had been held since her appointment. `the TPSA made a request to the committee’s support staff that they be kept informed and updated on future developments.

However, to date they have not been made officially aware of any activity, regrets Wallis.

According to her, the fact that the students’ vote to support such a centre with financial imposition included provisos regarding the university’s participation, and certain controversies that have developed since regarding the project, justifies their reluctance to bring the matter forward to their students prematurely.

Meanwhile, come next academic year, Trent University students will have to pay an extra cost of $95.01 dollars for the construction of the student centre.

Downtown Discounts

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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Campus

No quorum at TCSA board meeting Technology/Politics conference attracts young scholars to Traill

By Zachary Cox

Due to not meeting quorum at the Trent Central Student Association Board of Directors meeting on Sunday, October 5, the TCSA intends to schedule a special meeting over Reading Week.

The special meeting will cover the topics listed on the October 5 agenda, including reports from the President and Vice President, an elections report, and commissioner reports. The full agenda can be found on the TCSA’s website.

In order to meet quorum, the Board of Directors must have 10 voting members present. As of the 1pm starting time on October 5, there were eight voting members in attendance. TCSA President Braden Freer postponed the start time for 15 minutes in order to allow additional members to arrive, postponed for another 10 minutes when no additional voting members arrived, and then adjourned the meeting at approximately 1:30pm.

“We’re going to try and hold [a special meeting] either over reading week or just

right at the end of it. Hopefully directors will make it to it this time,” said Freer.

Calling a special meeting requires more than 72 hours of notice, different from an emergency meeting which requires notice 24 to 72 hours in advance.

Freer is confident that the special meeting will be able to meet quorum, largely because there are now three additional voting members of the Board of Directors.

The additional voting members were able to be appointed due to the TCSA being in a bylaw enforced State of Emergency following the break in over the weekend of October 4 and 5 (see article below).

“State of emergency executive is able to ratify elections,” said Freer, “so we ratified them which gave us three additional votes.

The board can choose to overturn our decision, however since these elections had the highest turnout ever for a by-election and there were no issues with them, it is unlikely the board would choose to do so.”

The special meeting time and date is yet to be announced, and the next scheduled board meeting is Sunday, November 2.

TCSA recovering after break in

By Zachary Cox

Between 9:20pm on Saturday, October 4 and 8pm on Sunday, October 5, there was a break-in and theft at the Trent Central Student Association office that resulted in approximately $11,000 in stolen items and damage.

The Peterborough Lakefield Community Police are investigating the incident and the TCSA has invocated a State of Emergency through the Extraordinary Measures bylaw, thereby permitting the executive to make purchases that will be approved retroactively by the board in order to reduce the extent of the interruption of service caused by the break in.

“Someone had broken into our office by destroying the lock itself,” said TCSA president Braden Freer. “They proceeded to come into the office, they stole six of our Macs which were not bolted down [...] as well as our two safes were broken into and basically destroyed.”

Only three of the TCSA office computers were left, two of which were bolted to standing desks and the third being the front desk computer.

“Of the money that was in the safe […] the money that was taken quite specifically was money that was raised for Trent Gives,” said Freer, expressing that the incident was made even more unfortunate by the loss of student-raised funds to support the youth emergency shelter.

While the largest cost of the break-in damages was the loss of the computers, the stolen cash and damage to the office lock and safes adds to the total. “The value of stolen goods was about $9,900, the value of

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stolen goods and damage put together was about $11,000,” said Freer.

Once the break-in was discovered, the TCSA needed to take action.

“We have the option to do emergency board meetings,” said Freer, “We tried to get one, unfortunately trying to get 50 per cent of our board members together during the week, especially when it’s the week before Thanksgiving, wasn’t easy so it didn’t look like we were going to be able to get quorum.”

Because the emergency board meeting was not going to work, the TCSA moved to enact the Extraordinary Measures bylaw on Tuesday, October 7, placing the TSCA in what is known as a state of emergency.

Written consent from a minimum of three board members was required to enact the bylaw.

“Basically [enacting this bylaw] is the executive committee stating the reason why we have to do something that will violate our operating resolutions and our normal process,” explained Freer. By doing so, the executive was able to take the actions required to ensure minimal disruption in TCSA service.

In this case, it meant that the TCSA was able order new computers for the office prior to receiving approval from the board in order to minimize the downtime in office productivity.

The board will meet to retroactively approve the purchase of the computers at a later date.

Freer is hopeful that the new computers will be installed and operational shortly and anticipates that the TCSA will be operating at full capacity by next Wednesday.

By Paul Ciuk

Students from the Theory, Culture, and Politics (TCP) graduate program at Trent will present an interdisciplinary graduate conference with the theme: Technology/ Politics. The event will take place at Traill College on October 24 and 25.

Presenters at the conference are MA and PhD students from a diverse array of political theory, media theory, communications, and cultural studies programs at universities in Canada, United States, and the UK. Graduate student panelists will be discussing a broad range of related themes, and conference panels will include: Drones, Digital Subjectivity, Print Media, Tools/Ideologies, Conditions, Bio/Technical Power, Transcendence, Intervention/ Resistance, and Actual Expression.

The last time TCP put on a conference was the Noir Sensorium in 2010, and this year’s student organizers are hoping to galvanize the TCP program with their upcoming offering.

Organizers are excited to present Technology/Politics two keynote speakers, professors David Golumbia and Arthur Kroker.

Golumbia will open the conference on Friday at 9am, and will discuss themes from his book-in-progress, Cyberlibertarianism: The False Belief in Digital Liberation.

The closing keynote talk will be presented by Arthur Kroker on Saturday at 3:30pm, and will be based on his most recent book Exists to the Posthuman Future (2014).

David Golumbia teaches in the English Department and the Media, Art, and Text PhD program at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the author of The Cultural Logic of Computation, more than two dozen articles on digital culture, language, and literary studies, as well as his blog, uncomputing.org.

Arthur Kroker is the Canada Research Chair in Technology, Culture and Theory, Professor of Political Science, and the Di-

rector of the Pacific Centre for Technology and Culture (PACTAC) at the University of Victoria.

He is the editor with Marilouise Kroker of the internationally acclaimed journal CTheory and Critical Digital Studies: A Reader. His recent publications include The Will to Technology and the Culture of Nihilism: Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Marx and Born Again Ideology: Religion, Technology and Terrorism.

In addition to the keynote presentations, Technology/Politics will feature three intimate working seminars and one multimedia artistic intervention led by faculty from Trent: Davide Panagia: Datapolitik (Friday at 1:30pm) Nadine Changfoot: Project Re*Vision (Friday at 4:30pm) Veronica Hollinger: Humanity 2.0 (Saturday at 9am) Liam Mitchell: Heidegger and New Media Determinism (Saturday at 10:45am) The workshops are open to participation

by Trent students who register by emailing a request to technologypolitics@gmail. com. Space in the workshops is limited, so organizers suggest interested students register soon in order to ensure opportunity to participate, Attendees are encouraged to attend the Technology/Politics After Party on the night of Saturday the 25th at The Gordon Best Theatre, a no cover, licensed event that will include performances by local DJs, bands and visual artists.

The lineup features Fever, Commander Goznales, live film projections by Kelly Egan, Dauri Cems, Lester Alfonso (VJ), and an art installation by Love For Life Collective.

Look to the conference website, http:// technologypolitics.ca, for more information and details on the conference.

You can also “like” Trent University: Theory, Culture & Politics on Facebook for more information and productive online discussions about theoretical, cultural, and political topics.

Campus

Comment: Why don’t students go to the Writers Readings?

By Brian Hough

Last Wednesday at Scott House, Gillershortlisted Trent Alumnist Craig Davidson (Rust And Bone, Cataract City) gave a candid and entertaining reading and Q&A session as part of the second installment of the ‘Writer’s Reading Series’ hosted by the English Department.

Born in St.Catherines, Ontario, Davidson, who was a Classics student affiliated with Peter Robinson College at Trent, rose to prominence with the release of his first anthology of short fiction Rust And Bone (2005). Rust And Bone would go onto be made into the film De rouille et d’os (2012) (which received a 10 minute standing ovation at Cannes that year) by acclaimed French director Jacques Audiard (whose prized hat, Davidson purports to have ruined during a meeting in one of Davidson’s many stories told that night). Of Rust And Bone Davidson said “You’ll never write a book like your first one. Each book after never has the same fearlessness and rawness, after your first one there’s always the advice, the criticism etc.–there’s a self-consciousness to them.”

His debut novel The Fighter (2008) was widely acclaimed by many, including Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh. To promote it, Davidson’s publisher even booked him compete in a boxing match against poet Michael Knox (Davidson lost).

His most recent work Cataract City (2013) was shortlisted for the Giller Prize.

Writing under the pseudonym ‘Nick Cutter’, Davidson has also published a variety of horror and genre fiction. The division between genre and literary fictions is something that Davidson spoke about a lot. Speaking about the decision to use pseudonyms, he says “I was not entirely into the idea, but I trusted my agent.” Davidson then went on to say, “It’s like for a lot

of publishers, they have this idea, that the public are just going to have their minds too far blown if they’re confronted with the possibility that two completely different works could come from the same person.

But for me personally, I’m as proud as the literary stuff as the horror stuff,” adding “to me it’s all literature.”

It was a wonderfully informative and candid event with one of the best contemporary Canadian authors (who is often compared quite favourably to Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk) and the second great installment of a truly remarkable series hosted by Trent’s English Department (and supported by many others including the Cultural Studies department and the Frost Centre).

So why the fuck aren’t any English students going to these things?

First off, let’s get some premature apologies out of the way– if you’re one of the 4 or 5 students that have actually attended, or you have some legitimate reason (work, class) then I’m sorry…to the rest of you-

why are you wasting your/your parents’/ taxpayers’ money by attending this school?

Seriously, no other department at Trent gives you a weekly opportunity to actually meet, schmooze with and learn directly from the very people who are successfully making a career at the actual stuff you’re studying and yet for two weeks in a row, 90% of the attendees at the WRS were over the age of 50.

Someone might respond with ‘yes but young people today are more interested in the internet than literature’, fair enough- but then why are they bothering to study English at all? That’s what makes Trent’s English students such a fucking embarrassment to the student body as a whole– they seem to be studying in a field which has all the same concerns about post-graduate employability as the rest of the traditional Liberal Arts programs, while also seeming to not give two shits for the very thing they’re studying.

You can question the practicality of studying Philosophy, Gender Studies, Sociology, etc. in today’s job market and with

today’s tuition costs, but when you see the passion for the field that those students have for their studies (for example, attending department events that are far, far more boring than the Writers’ Reading series) you ‘get it’, and it’s easy to understand the trade-offs that they’re willing to make.

In fact, it’s not just understandable- it’s downright admirable.

For English students however, it seems that they are going thousands of dollars into a debt for a degree with comparatively fewer job prospects, AND that they couldn’t care less about. If you’re an English student, whatever you plan on doing with your degree, your degree is worth exactly as much as people care and get excited about things like fiction, poetry, drama etc.– so if you don’t care about these things, if you don’t get excited about those things (or at least not excited enough to attend a free event featuring someone who has succeeded in a field you are studying to be a part of, and then attend a free reception with free food (Nachos!)) then why should anyone else and why are you EVEN HERE? It’s like you’re entire time here is spent performatively disproving the value of the degree you hope to obtain.

Even if you’ve never even heard of any of the authors, there is so much to learn about writing, publishing, contemporary debates about literature etc., that these kind of events are indispensable to anyone actually looking to make a career (or even a just a passion pursuit) in the field. Are there just enough authors in the series writing about vampires/dying/people in love? What would it take to get the drool-encrusted floaters populating English classes around Trent to actually show up to these indisputably remarkable events?

The Writers’ Reading series will move to Tuesdays for the next two weeks and *maybe* that will get more people out.

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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Local

Photo Essay: History is written underfoot in the Avenues:

By Ayesha Barmania

The Avenues is a neigh-

bourhood of Peterborough that is host to a wealth of history and culture.

The name ‘the Avenues’ refers to the series of small residential roads that run between Bolivar and Charlotte Street. In the architecture of the homes as well as in the infrastructure of the streets, Peterborough’s history is laid out.

In the mid-19th century, Peterborough was a nascent township. The physical boundaries of the city were far closer to the downtown core than they are today.

The area that became the Avenues was only annexed by the city in the 1870s, changing the city boundary from Park St to Monaghan Rd.

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The land was owned by the prominent Burnham family.

Elizabeth Boswell co-inherited the property with her sister-in-law Elizabeth Burnham from her aunt Margaret Wilson who had inherited it from Elias Burnham (Boswell’s father).

Both Elizabeths, Boswell and Burnham, registered the property for a plan to transform it into a subdivision in 1905.

Many of the homes were built prior to the First World War, however, construction of homes continued into the 1940s.

Each street is named after a prominent member of the Burnham and Boswell families: Boswell St, Pearl Ave (after Pearl Beatrice Burnham), Elias Ave (after Elias Burnham), Maitland Ave (after Maitland Boswell), Margaret

Ave (after Margaret Wilson), and Frederick Ave (after Frederick Burnham).

Integrated into the subdivisions are a series of back alleyways that run behind the Avenues.

These were designed into the original plans for the area but their intended use is up to interpretation.

Today, residents of the avenues park their cars in these lane-ways, due to city zoning laws that restrict street parking at certain times of the year. The lane-ways are lovely for a walk, and for making friends (both human and feline).

The Avenues is Peterborough’s only Heritage Conservation District, which protects the entire neighbourhood under the Municipal Cultural Plan and the Ontario Heritage Act.

Trent University’s

50thAnniversary Special anniversary pullout

Beyond the facade: The anatomy of Trent University’s crest While it is widely believed that the sword in Trent’s crest is King Arthur’s Excalibur, this is actually not correct.

The sword depicted is that of Samuel de Champlain, the famous French explorer, who navigated the waters around the Nogojiwanong/Peterborough area during the 17th century.

The crest’s circular shape was actually one of three designs submitted

by Allan Fleming in 1965. The other two shapes consisted of a traditional shield and a blazer crest that included the university’s motto.

The waves depicted in the crest are representative of the waters of the Trent Severn Waterway, the canal system from which this university gets its name. This aspect of the crest reflects Trent’s connections to the Peterborough region and to Eastern Ontario.

Trent University’s colours were not always forest green and white; originally, the school’s colours were red and gold.

The first design for Trent’s crest had a gold background with a sword over a red field. The founders opted to switch to the now-iconic green and white in order to properly represent the forests and rivers that feature so prominently in the main campus.

The theme of the design pays homage to the City of Peterborough’s official crest which also features Champlain’s sword rising up from waves. The crest is still in use in Trent University’s current logo, appearing alongside a stylized version of the university name.

*With files from Marilyn Burns and A.O.C. Cole.

Crest provided in black by Trent University Communications department. Colour added by Arthur to approximate the original design.

Trent University’s motto, Nunc Cognosco Ex Parte, was not included in the official design of the crest. However, the text reads “Now I know in Part” and is taken from the famous Biblical passage 1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see through a glass, darkly[...] Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

Welcome to Arthur’s coverage of Trent’s 50th anniversary

By Pat Reddick & Matthew Rappolt

In preparing this issue, and in particular this pullout section, we had the opportunity to pour over numerous volumes of Arthur in search of sources, photographs, stories, and anecdotes that could enrich our coverage and provide unique and interesting perspectives on Trent’s past.

In doing this, we were able to discover just how rich a resource this newspaper has become for telling the many stories of this school.

From its beginning as the Trent Trends in 1964 (see page two for our earliest masthead), on through the tumultuous ‘80s and ‘90s, and now into Trent’s sixth decade, Arthur has occupied many important roles for this university. As editors, we feel immensely privileged to be the ones compiling Arthur’s 49th volume in this, Trent University’s 50th year.

With this special anniversary pullout, our goal was to share some of these stories in a way that is both historically compelling and relavent to the Trent community. Above all, we wanted not only to showcase where Trent has been but also to question where it is going.

As Trent’s new president, Dr. Leo Groake, states in his interview (pages 18&19), the fact that Trent has reached its 50th birthday is cause for great celebration. However, this anniversary should also

be a time for the Trent community to pause, reflect, and discuss the path that brought us to this moment, and, more importantly, the paths that lie in front of us now.

Trent University is at a crossroads. Born from a profound educational idealism that was in many ways before its time, this school has both enjoyed many benefits of being different from its peers and suffered through the drawbacks.

When Tom Symons announced his vision for Trent University from the podium at Rubidge Hall fifty years ago, his words were embedded into the emotional and psychological fabric of this community.

In that same way, the many important decisions that will be made over the coming months and years will be crucial in deciding the kind of university Trent will become over its next fifty years.

With the provincial government currently pressuring Trent and other universities to pursue particular directions with regards to institutional programming, pedagogy, and make-up, Trent must decide if it will reassert itself as a truly unique educational institution and push back against the tide of professionalization, corporatization, homogenization, and centralization that is sweeping the higher education systems across Canada.

Whether or not Trent chooses to pursue this path, rest assured you will able to read all about about it in the pages of Arthur.

Index pg 9: Deconstructing the Trent crest & Editors welcome pg 10: The colleges in past and present & Trent University in story and song pg 11: The Trent International Program pg 12: An architectural history of Trent pg 13: Photo Essay of October 17, 1964 Centrefold: T.H.B. Symons speaks to the Peterborough community, October 17, 1964. pgs 16&17: The Trent Experience through the decades pgs 18&19: President Leo Groarke discusses the past, present, and future of Trent.

Arthur continues to share stories of Trent’s past in each issue of volume 49. Keep an eye out for our “This Issue in History” column that appears every week on page two.

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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Anniversary

Trent University and the collegiate legacy (part one)

By Dr, Michael Eamon

Most readers of Arthur will know that Trent University marks its 50th anniversary this year. However, it may surprise some that our relatively young university has roots that reach back over 900 years.

For centuries, students in the Englishspeaking world have been members of university colleges: dynamic interdisciplinary communities dedicated to learning and self-betterment.

Some trace the origins of the collegiate university to the English town of Oxford, where evidence of advanced teaching can be found as early as 1096.

A century later, a group of disgruntled students from Oxford travelled to Cambridge and set up another institution of higher education. In the next century, various religious orders, aristocrats and monarchs began to endow separate, selfcontained educational communities, or colleges.

At both Oxford and Cambridge, the individual colleges loosely affiliated creating larger universities. Today, Oxford University consists of 38 colleges and Cambridge

boasts 31 different colleges. Notably, change, controversy, and contested visions have always been a part of the collegiate tradition in England and around the globe.

When the 32-year old Tom Symons, became the youngest president of a university in Canada, he turned to the collegiate model to shape Trent.

It was a model that he was familiar with, having studied at the University of Toronto and at Oxford. It was also a model that offered a solid foundation of tradition for a brand-new institution with no traditions of its own.

Colleges were known to offer both a flexibility and academic breadth that could effectively bring young, enthusiastic students together with seasoned mentors and professors. Trent University would be modern in design, youthful in energy, yet anchored in centuries-old collegiate traditions that promoted community, humility and scholarship.

Many don’t realize that Trent is unique even amongst collegiate universities.

While the colleges at most universities have developed and multiplied over time,

Trent was born as a collegiate university.

Rubidge Hall, Peter Robinson and Catharine Parr Traill colleges offered Trent’s first residential, higher learning experience.

Within the short space of four years, Champlain and Lady Eaton college opened and master planning architect Ron Thom anticipated that the Nassau Mills campus would eventually contain over 12 colleges for the new university.

In 1964, Trent did not have time to wait.

Its founders knew that its time was now, and with three years of planning it had to hit the world stage as fully-realized as possible.

Transferring college traditions wholesale to a new physical and cultural environment can be a tricky business. Some traditions did not take. For example, Trent’s early students were expected to wear gowns (as they did at Oxford and Cambridge) for formal halls, exams and meetings.

While many brought up on the Harry Potter universe today might think this is a tradition worth having, it proved controversial in the 1960s. By the end of the decade, protests from students at Oxford and Cambridge lead to an end to the routine wearing of academic gowns in England.

Trent University would also follow suit and our iconic green gowns are now seen almost exclusively at convocation time.

Yet, still other traditions prevail and are a part of the fabric of this university. So much so, that there are many living legacies that we take for granted.

Matriculation is a collegiate tradition that early Trent embraced. Few are familiar with the term today that describes the act of a new student becoming officially accepted into the university community.

While we don’t talk about matriculation anymore, all Trent students are still identified by their year of entry, instead

of graduation. This slightly different way of doing things is just another aspect of Trent’s unique nature informed by its collegiate past.

If you have ever wondered why Trent University has two reading breaks you just have to look to our collegiate roots.

British collegiate universities traditionally operate on a school year of three terms: Michaelmas (October to December); Lent (January to March) and Easter (April to June). These terms are named after and generally fall around key times during the Christian calendar.

A school year of three, eight-week terms (named after key Christian events) was not going to fly for the newly-minted, secular Trent University. However, the addition of a fall reading break, it was decided, would neatly break the year up in a fashion similar to that at other collegiate universities.

However, rumours started at other universities soon circulated that the type of people who went to Trent clearly needed an “extra” break. This, of course, could not be further from the truth. There is a great value both for students and professors in having two reading breaks, and for years Trent proudly flaunted its unique schedule.

It appears that the value of this fiftyyear old Trent tradition is now more widely appreciated as a fall reading break has become increasingly popular in other Canadian universities.

Trent enjoys a rich heritage in its design, its people, and its pedagogy that should make us all proud. It is a past based on tradition, but also on youthful exuberance and optimism for a better future.

In the next article, we will look at some more lost traditions and continuing legacies that made, and continue to make, this university special.

Take a trip back to the beginning - only this time with more singing!

By Caleigh Boyle

To celebrate Trent’s 50th anniversary, there are class reunions, the Chancellors gala, and of course a parade. But perhaps the most anticipated event—the one that is going to draw studiers out from behind their books and students out of their dorms, the event that takes it’s audience back to the beginning of time before it all began—is Trent @ 50 in Story and Song.

Written by Beth McMaster and directed

by Gillian Wilson with original music by Gordon Johnston, the only place anyone in Peterborough should be is at Showplace on October 18 to, for the first time in history, experience the thrill of time travel!

Trent @ 50 in Story and Song is “a lively history of Trent with references to contemporary events in the wider world, and including readings from authors associated with Trent, and songs of the decades,” said Johnston.

To show Trent over the years in an artistic way seemed like a natural fit for the three collaborating artists as Peterborough has an enormous amount of talent with an incredibly active arts community. As Trent is such a large part of Peterborough, to create such a performance is an opportunity to show that talent off. “Also the performing arts are an especially good way of celebrating the occasion and ourselves, and a good way to poke fun at ourselves, to have a laugh,” says Johnston.

McMaster and Wilson have put on similar productions involving story, song, and

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visual images, so when it came to Trent’s 50th anniversary they were approached based on their experience in the field.

“It’s a huge task because there is so much history to put into such a short piece,” explained Wilson. The idea of this performance was not only to portray the history of Trent, but also to put it into the context of the times.

“We started about a year and a half ago to meet and put together the idea of what we were going to do, and then I wrote the script. It has had many, many, many revisions,” remarked McMaster.

For anyone who has ever written a story, or a play, or a poem, or an essay, or basically anything, they know how long the process can take. But what happens when you have the final copy—when the revising and the tweaking is done—is magical.

Luckily for us, McMaster and everyone involved with the production are going to share their little piece of magic with us.

“We have some hugely talented people in the show who are doing the singing and so on. And we have some really, really funny comedy,” says McMaster. Trent @ 50 in Story and Song involves many performative media that together create a lighthearted show.

Something that was important to McMaster and Wilson was to have members of the Trent community involved with the show.

Current students, faculty, alumni, and even Don Tapscott, Trent’s chancellor, are all involved. Rumour has it that Tap-

scott has reunited the band that he had at Trent back in the 60s. Now that is something to see! Also in the show, making his entertainment debut, Mr. President—Leo Groarke.

The piece creates instant nostalgia, not only by using songs of the decades but because it brings people back to Trent and combines them with the people and students who are experiencing Trent now.

“Through Cultural Studies and in other ways, the university is deeply involved in the world of pop culture…it recognizes the world of performance in the honorary degrees it has awarded…to people like Gordon Lightfoot, Sarah Polley, Mary Walsh, Tom Jackson, Donnell Leahy and Natalie MacMaster,” said Johnston. For this show,

Johnston has also written a school song, which is titled ‘Trent in out Hearts’.

Trent has a wonderful, fun, and incredible history, and Wilson and McMaster believe that it is important that the community knows what it is. “We are hoping that it will appeal to people other than just Trent and particularly to the students at Trent,” says Wilson.

So without further ado, I shall leave you with this: go see this show. One night only, on October 18 at 8pm, put on your boots and travel through time.

Every single person involved with this show has put in an incredible amount of work to create a comprehensive piece, and this is the only chance to experience the spectacle. This is the final copy.

A glimpse into the history of Trent’s International Program

by Renzo Costa

During the 50th anniversary of Trent University, a vital part of the community is also celebrating a long history of promoting global citizenship.

The Trent International Program (TIP), founded in 1982 by Jack Matthews, its first director, has since then contributed greatly to the unique student experience that Trent offers.

Jack Matthews was the founding director of the Lester B. Pearson United World College of the pacific placed on Vancouver Island. When he finished his term, he came to Peterborough with the idea of creating an international program at Trent that would be based on the UWC values.

These values are grounded on the idea of global citizenship and understanding.

They promote international cooperation for peace and a sustainable future, which are explained in further detail at uwc.org.

Matthews’ idea was well received by the president of the time, but (not surprisingly) the school was short of funds.

Mary Louise Adams argued, in an article published in the Volume 17, Issue 3, of Arthur newspaper in 1982, that Matthews engaged in fundraising activities and succeeded in securing $200,000 dollars from the Devonian group, a charitable foundation in Calgary, and $75,000 dollars from the Muttart Foundation.

When Jack Matthews started TIP, some alumni from Pearson College and other exceptional schools around the world started a process, that allowed not only international but also domestic students, to live an education based on values that promote mutual understanding and conflict resolution.

Dr. Michael Allcott, the current director of TIP, spoke to Arthur. He explained that Matthews had good connections with the Canadian government and that CIDA funded some undergraduate scholarships for students around the world.

Dr. Allcott explained that the creation of TIP coincides with a time when the Canadian constitution was patriated and also the chart of rights and freedoms was established. He agreed that this was a hugely significant moment in Canadian history because Canada really turned towards envisioning itself as multicultural country.

When asked about changes in the structure of TIP, Dr. Allcott described how the CIDA funding that supported TIP scholars for years stopped in the early 90’s, which saw a rapid decline of international students at Trent.

At that point in time, Dr. Allcott illustrates, David Morrison, and Leonard Conolly put their heads together and envisioned a strategy to re-introduce more international students to Trent. They realized, before any other university in North America, that international students are a source of revenue that enlarges the University’s scope beyond the provincial region.

As a result, they re-structured TIP to its current form.

Dr. Allcott agrees that the re-structuring entailed a “robust international strategic recruitment component and a scholarship base, so that the revenue generated by the large number of international students funds scholarships.”

He furthermore added that the people who earn the scholarships are not only some of the most outstanding students from around the world, but that they are also committed to give back to the com-

Anniversary

munity, providing leadership and service.

“That plan was quite risky, at a moment of desperate budgetary crisis, and their plan was largely successful”, Dr. Allcott added.

“Since 2002, we have gone from around 50 international students to around 500.

Since 2003 we have managed to maintain the scholarship cohort even as funds for scholarships shrank or inflation ate away our ability to bring people, and also, managed to incrementally grow the number of international students,” he commented.

When asked about how TIP continues to embody the values of international understanding and cooperation under which it was funded, Dr. Allcott mentioned that TIP has succeeded to ensure that every year it organizes activities that engage the whole campus community in discussion related to global citizenship.

For instance, the World Affairs Colloquium is a student-led organization that works towards providing discussion forums every two weeks to engage a broad section of campus community into discussion of international issues.

Furthermore, he continued, “we promote those values by supporting international faculty and supporting international studies for Canadians through the study abroad department, and also, by having the Jack Matthews’ fellowship, which allows us to bring in one public intellectual, not an academic, who can engage on a level of large public interest”.

In addition, he argues, “TIP has managed to include international students in a different and more inclusive way compared to most of the other universities. Not many have the experience of belonging to a vibrant international community and often can be a very lonely and alienating experience to be THAT foreign student.”

Undoubtedly, TIP has been an essential part of the Trent University experience by providing a diverse and spirited international student community. However, in looking at the future, it is important to note some challenges.

There are increasing financial constrains that limit the way TIP operates, and most importantly, funds scholarships. It was the original ethical duty recognized by the founders of TIP and its directors that providing a large number of scholarships was a way of giving back for exploiting international students as sources of revenue.

Many have questioned the way in which TIP operates and where its recruits come from. Today, international student diversity is being challenged because there are a limited amount of countries where people can afford the enormous tuitions charged to international students.

TIP has been outstanding in providing scholarships to those students that would otherwise have been unable to come to Trent, however, it faces increasing challenges to maintain that feat.

One of the problems is the lack of government funding, which is linked to how the federal government sees international students as cash cows rather than as a source of cultural wealth and social enrichment.

TIP has been, and continues to be successful in bringing in students from around the world in order to make Trent’s community a truly diverse one. After all, international students are a vital part in fulfilling Trent’s ideal of “collaborative learning that is personal, purposeful and transformative”.

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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Anniversary

Trent University: Architecture of scholarship and community

By Ayesha Barmania

If you have set foot on the Trent University Peterborough campus, odds are that you have noticed its singular aesthetic.

Whether you love it or hate it, or just can’t navigate all those damned stairs when trying to get home from the Ceilie, one has to admit that Trent looks nothing like any other university.

There are some very specific reasons for this. When Trent was founded in 1964, the mandate expressed peculiar requests for the firm that won the bid to build the university: “The campus should be designed for pedestrians, and buildings should be on a human scale to complement and emphasize the University’s concern for the individual,” it was noted in the 1964 Instructions to the Architect.

The buildings that constitute the university were intended to be seamless in their design to the founding concepts of Trent. First and foremost in the plans was the central place of the colleges in the university’s operation.

Rooms were designed to create an intimacy for their patrons and stimulate academic discussion among colleagues. “The University should be a place of aesthetic as well of intellectual excitement.”

Ron Thom The Master Architect was Ron Thom, who is widely lauded as one of Canada’s most important modern architects. He was invited to compete for the university’s contract and was chosen unanimously by the planning committee. He began the planning stages of work in 1963.

Thom was of the modern school of architecture, which features a harmony between nature, society and machine. In Thom’s vision of the university, the buildings would be a natural extension of the drumlin, the forest, and the Otonabee River. The concrete construction of Champlain, Lady Eaton, and the Science Complex would emulate the geological features of Precambrian Shield rocks.

The shifting vistas and linear construction of facades such as the Bata library was drawn from the functionality of machine aesthetics while softened by the proximity to nature.

Historical Timeline Trent University admitted its first students in September 1964. In an effort to get the burgeoning school on its feet, the Planning Committee decided to purchase houses in downtown Peterborough where Peter Robinson and Catherine Parr Traill colleges would be. Thom and his associates renovated the interiors of these historical mansions to suit the uses of the university.

Paint was still drying as students moved in.

Peter Robinson College was located

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along George St and Water St just north of Parkhill Rd. It was initially a series of houses owned by Trent, which students rented from. The main college house (now Sadleir House) was where students attended classes and partook in college meals.

In 1967, the first college on the Nassau Mills campus opened its doors. Champlain College incorporated a novel form of construction in rubble aggregate concrete.

This form of construction was expensive and time consuming but revolutionary for the time.

The college had been planned to open in 1966, during that year President THB Symons appealed to the residents of Peterborough to house these students as lodgers, many did and had positive experiences. However, many students could not find homes and were forced to stay in a motel for the year.

Lady Eaton College was opened in autumn of 1968 as a women’s only college.

Thom was inspired by Japanese style of architecture with a confluence of wood and smooth concrete interiors. Objections in the planning stages converted many rooms from large single occupancy residence to dual occupancy rooms, so that the college could house more students.

In 1968, the Chemistry building opened as the first building on the East bank of campus. Thom used a construction technique called board-marked concrete which gave the exterior of the buildings a smooth, monochromatic finish. While Thom designed the exterior and some furniture, the labs were outfitted by a university committee.

To connect the two colleges and the chemistry buildings, the Faryon bridge was constructed for 1968. Morden Yolles, a structural engineer in partnership with Thom, designed the bridge. Yolles incorporated the concrete construction that trademarked Thom’s style and complemented it with parabolic forms and a graceful arch.

Bata Library opened its doors in 1969 and quickly became the hub of campus life. The Podium was designed to resemble a town square and provide a meeting space for students and vendor space. The library itself embraced the rubble aggregate construction technique used in Champlain, this building, however, used significantly more glass in its construction. Thom hoped to create a continuity between buildings, and thus, many of the features in Champlain and Lady Eaton colleges are echoed in his other buildings.

In 1971, the university began construction on the Peter Robinson townhouses, which housed students of the college until it was sold in 2003, sparking large student protests. In 2004, students of Trent held a referendum and created the Peter Robinson College Student Association (PRCSA) which now operates Sadleir House as a student space. In 2009, the Peterborough Student Housing Co-operative was created as an independent organization and offers rental apartments to students.

Otonabee College was constructed at an odd juncture in the university’s continuity.

Built by 1973, Thom had very little input in the execution of its construction, and architect Macy Dubois is credited with its accomplishment. The university was also running low on funding for this new college. They incorporated larger residential capacity and a more Spartan design to compensate. Several aspects of the college were skipped entirely.

In 1991, the Environmental Science Complex was built to house the burgeoning environmental studies programs. It was designed by Richard Henriquez to remind observers of the scientific as well as cultural issues facing the environment.

Approaching the building, one might no-

tice the mythical fire-breathing dragon.

The dragon was designed to remind observers how human’s quest for scientific knowledge should be complemented by cultural analysis. The building also features a green roof that is home to the Trent Vegetable Gardens, which provides the Seasoned Spoon Café with fresh vegetables.

Peter Gzowski College (Enweying) was opened in 2004 amid much controversy.

Changes to the design plans spearheaded

by President Bonnie Patterson led to contentious decisions.

The removal of many student spaces and the vast style shift from Thom’s modernist vision were key to the debate. Enweying has a capacity of 250 residents, the same as Lady Eaton College, with similar numbers of faculty offices and lecture halls. Yet, the design could not be more different. The yellow, red, black, and white colours incorporated into the design reflect the colours of the Anishinaabe medicine wheel.

Moving into the future, the TCSA plans on building a new student centre, which in its first designs complements the principles of Ron Thom’s modern architecture.

However, due to budget constraints and internal debates, it remains to be seen how the design of this building will fit with the overall aesthetic of Trent University.

There is no denying that the campus is a stunning piece of visual artwork. Yet, painfully little is being done to preserve this masterpiece. Trent University is arguably Ron Thom’s masterpiece, but the university fails this architectural art piece time and again. You cannot walk around campus without finding something that needs to be fixed or returned to its former glory.

Anniversary

October 17, 1964: a fine day for a parade...

Photos by Nick Yunge-Bateman, courtesy of the Trent University Archives

On October 17, 1964 Trent held a formal celebration in downtown Peterborough to officially recognize the openning of the university. Students, faculty, citizens, and dignitaries from across Canada marched down the streets to Rubidge Hall to hear the inaugural address from University President T.H.B. Symons. Trent University was declared officially open

by Georges Vanier, Canada’s Governor General from 1959 to 1967.

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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Anniversary

Tracing the evolution of Trent’s educational vision and practices over the last 50 years

By Ugyen Wangmo

Trent University is currently undergoing a pragmatic evolution from its original vision of liberal arts and science-oriented education it was built on, 50 years ago.

As much as Trent tried to resist the change, it still had to conform to the realities of 21st century as driven by the financial and social pressures over the years.

“The education model broke down for Trent as it grew, and more students started appearing,” said Chair of Biology Department, Professor Brad White, who has experienced two other Ontario universities undergo the same changes during his more than 30 years as a professor.

He said that the original vision of Trent was based on small student enrollment with a small number of students per faculty member.

During the ‘80s and ‘90s more students started appearing, specifically in sciences.

The biological sciences became the area where Trent generated revenue and used those revenues to support programs that didn’t have as many students. And in those programs the original model held.

According to him, humanities in particular maintained that original model at the expense of what has been called the cash cows: the big programs such as the life sciences that did not receive much resource, but generated the revenues.

“It is not a philosophical change

at Trent, but it is a reality of lower resources per student,” he said.

The only way Trent has survived, according to him, is through the introduction of professional programs such as Forensics, Nursing, and Education. If it wasn’t for them, Trent would not have even any Humanities because those departments do not have enough students to support themselves, he said.

“Really from my perspective it is business decisions, it is not just having visions of a particular educational philosophy,” Says Professor White adding that it depends on what the provincial government gives the university.

He is of view that the intention of students going to university has changed, which is now geared more towards career than education. This perspective is from his early days in UK. When he went to university, no one he knew ever had gone to university, with only about eight percent of the population pursuing a university education. But in the current society more than 50 percent go to a university.

Further, now the educational experience in the university is much broader and that breadth has led to more of those individuals looking at the university as a career path, which is obviously what professional schools are for.

Besides, as the college system became more university oriented more of the students in general coming to university had that same goal; they had a view in mind as to

what their career would be.

Trent has become part college and part University to some extent. For instance, the Nursing degree was a Fleming diploma, but after province required all nurses to get a degree, it became a university driven degree, but with Fleming College faculty as a part of it. Then there are certain areas (restoration ecology, wildlife biology) where students do two or three years at Fleming College then come to Trent.

Professor White said it is partly because since Peterborough is a small community there is a lot of cooperation between the university and the college, but it is also a part of the continent-wide trend to

“It is not really a vision, it is a business, and about how you manage your resources” - Professor Brad White bring the more career applied side of colleges to the more academic side of the university.

A number of things had been going on in the last 50 years, in terms of demographics, as well as the students’ view of what a university is.

At the end of the day the students are the customers. The more the students pays the more the students rightly should get what they are paying for.

Associate Professor of the Sociology department, Jim Conley, a senior professor at Trent, said that the original vision emphasized undergraduate education on teaching.

But by some time in the ‘80s the interest of the faculty and the pressures on faculties towards research had shifted, especially as there started to be a bit of turnover from the original generation of faulty towards newer people. That, according to him, shifted the emphasis away from teaching towards the research aspect of things.

Trent was already changing by

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the ‘90s, and it was around the time of the double cohort they started to get this pressure to document the kinds of skills students were getting, he said.

It was not necessarily teaching anything that was different, except that they were documenting what they were doing. It was not just teaching the kind of knowledge to be a good citizen and to think critically about the world, but that they were also getting skills. Part of the response was the change in job market for graduates, he added.

Still, Trent pushed back rather hard until the years of Bonnie Patterson when the professional schools started in, says Professor

Conley. And it was hard to resist for a little university like Trent that so depended on government funding for revenue, with the government pushing in the direction of becoming more skills-oriented.

Liberal arts and science education, according to him, doesn’t teach such skills. Even if it does teach skills, that is not the main focus. The skills are softer and take the students a while to get the returns.

He feels that the addition of professional programs has not markedly changed Trent, since they have developed in ways that fit in, by and large, with the existing liberal arts and science orientation of the university.

Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Gary Boire, says “The original Trent vision was an educational institution that was focused on learning inside and outside the classroom, and on creating an environment that emphasized teaching and student interaction with faculty,” and it held true throughout the decades.

Anniversary

Like all universities, Trent has tried to preserve what is best from the past while introducing innovation in response to social challenges. Trent has been committed to accessibility and the concept of education as a means of social change.

With this increased participation there have been decades of challenges related to funding and finances, he said.

While Trent has a differentiation grant from the Ontario government in recognition of its distinct size and approach, most of the government funding over the last number of years has been tied to growth and increased enrolment.

Trent has struggled to preserve the personal educational experience, the various educational opportunities such as undergraduate research, and the student-faculty connection, versus what is now becoming the norm of post-secondary students being in large classes through much of their undergraduate experience, he explained.

Students are under increased pressure to think of their post-graduate careers, particularly if they’re facing student debt, said Boire.

It has meant that some programs have been able to increase enrolment more easily, while others have not.

On the positive side, Trent’s desire to offer an inter-disciplinary education in which students are encouraged to find their passion, develop their critical thinking, and engage with their learning is still strong, he said.

Further, Trent certainly has been examining ways to meet the student demand for job-oriented skills, because, quite simply, this is the reality for many students. Trent wishes to preserve education as its primary function. But training that is specific to individual jobs and careers is something that students increasingly demand.

Trent continues to try to manage this by balancing the two. An example he pointed out is the commitment to community-based research, which is done in partner-

ship between Trent and community organizations, with the assistance of the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education.

In addition, partnership with colleges is extremely important for accessibility and the educational development of students.

In terms of professional programs such as nursing, the partnering of Trent and Fleming is definitely in harmony with the original intention of providing education and skills for the whole citizen.

This type of partnership is said to provide the best of both worlds, in terms of skills development and professional education.

As well, college transfer partnerships more broadly help students bridge into university who may not otherwise have been able to attend.

So rather than thinking of this making Trent half college and half university, this type of partnership helped with Trent’s mandate of accessibility and social equity, says Boire.

Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Steven Rafferty, feels how back in the ‘70s and ‘80s it was possible to get education just for the sake of getting educated.

It is how university education presents even now, but considering the money people spend on tuition there is more of an expectation that they are going to get something that helps them out financially at the end of it. And that is what has changed; a change in the expectation towards what university education can get you.

In terms of how teaching at Trent has changed, it has not changed much for him. Why he teaches has not really changed but how he teaches is quite bit different, mainly because of the technology that exists now. The mechanics of how he teaches are better.

“The original vision of education at Trent according to my perception is if you get an education it makes you a better person, a more expanded person even if you don’t get a job in the field you studied for,” he said.

“You always benefit from educa-

tion, it opens your mind and that’s most important thing that they can give you,” added professor Rafferty.

Trent university PhD student, Rathika Balthasar said it is a reality that once students leave the University they need to find a job. Anything that can improve the transition of those skills students learn in university to the job market is important.

She feels that the universities are aware of changing times and demand but still don’t accommodate to that yet fully.

So, she can see universities moving in the direction of being more skills-oriented but nonetheless there is still a place for that higher learning.

However, Balthasar sees this diminishing and moving towards times where there will be two streams within the university— academic learning and skills building.

Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Trent University, Dr. Raymond

the time spent at Trent—you will meet your fellow students, meet your professors, and what’s more is you will talk to your professors, he said. Two things sprang from this, one is tutorial, second is seminar, and another thing was the ‘supervisor of study’.

In the early years Trent had a ‘supervisor of study’ which was a very good system to give advice in the form of looking at a midyear report.

It included three meetings arranged and contrived for students. But unfortunately after about 15 years the students voted it down, and he feels that students lost on that.

Tutorials were kept going for some time, then began to die off or expand to a much larger number and a lower frequency, while seminars have almost disappeared, he said.

March thought seminars and conferences were important as students had to learn to stand up and talk science on their feet. In the late 1970s he started what came to be know as the Trent Conference that was for graduates students only.

It still goes on but it’s no longer at Trent.

Now, there are lectures and labs, and that is it, he said. “I don’t know when students get a chance to talk, when students can ask a question in tutorial, or when students get asked something in class by a professor.”

The professional programs at Trent really started with business, when students wanted to do business but they didn’t necessarily want to lose out on university education, said Dr. March.

The other important step was when the normal school in Peterborough that provided a preparation of one year to high school

“The

original vision of education at Trent according to my perception is if you get an education it makes you a better person, a more expanded person even if you don’t get a job in the field you studied for.”

- Professor Steven Rafferty

E. March, one of the earliest Trent professors who saw the beginning of Trent as he first joined Trent in 1965, recounted a brief history on how the vision of education at Trent has changed.

He said that initially there was this vision of the first president of the university, Tom Symons: a vision of the colleges to escape the growth of the university. Universities were growing to meet the demand that was happening not only in Canada but worldwide.

The vision was an attempt to increase the degree of intimacy, but without trying to reach everyone.

There was a human dimension to

graduates who wanted to be teachers of the lower grade, was closed.

It closed after the government decided it was not sufficient, and changed the requirements so teachers had to go to university first, and then take education later.

Trent saw it as a good opportunity to bring in the education stream, even though it was a professional program, and then came the concurrent education program at Trent.

“The main vision of Trent has changed mainly because of the faculty to student ratio. However, it is better to survive in this new regime,” says March.

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Anniversary

Learning from the past...

In conversation with Dr. Leo Groarke, economics combined with philoso- I’m glad you brought this up because phy. I think that this is just a part of I think there has historically been what students do here. a lot of tension surrounding what Dr. Groarke, you’re still relatively Finally, I didn’t fully appreciate Trent is now, what it once was, and new to Trent University, having been Trent as a two campus university what it potentially could be. Could here as president for approximately with both Peterborough and Osha- you talk about this in respect to four months, could you introduce wa. These are different geographical Trent’s identity as a school? yourself to the Trent community and locations that each have different briefly discuss your arrival at Trent? implications for how we should de- I’ve done a lot of thinking about the velop them in the future. identity of this school and I really I will always introduce myself as feel that what defines Trent is its ina philosophy professor. That’s the What does it mean for Trent Univer- teractivity. We are a very dynamic core of who I am and I would say sity to be reaching its 50th anniver- university and it is a place that prothat I am a philosophy professor sary? vides a lot of room for interaction who is interested in higher educabetween its members. tion. Because of that—and because The first thing it means is that this If you attend a larger school you I am a relatively practical person— university has been a success. might only get to work with people I got pushed into administration, Remember, when Tom Symons that are in your same narrow field which I quite enjoy. and the other founders were work- of study; at a smaller university, I came to Trent because I thought ing on this university decades ago like Trent, your colleagues are more at the time that there was a great fit there was no guarantee that there likely to cross disciplinary boundbetween who I am as a person and would be provincial funding, or aries. what Trent is as an institution; that that students would come here, or Furthermore, this is a university has been confirmed to me. Before I that they would be able to attract with a social conscience and there came here I thought of Trent as being a high quality smaller instituTrent’s 50th anniversary is a juncture point between the past tion, and that’s what I have found it to be.

However, I’ve also been impressed and the future... We need to be planning for how we're going to by some things that I couldn’t fully be successful for the next 50 years appreciate until I got here.

One is that I’ve now spent the summer here and the campus is faculty. So to have Trent be success- is a tremendous amount of interjust spectacular. I’ve been kayaking ful here in Peterborough for fifty action between the school and the on the Otonabee and just to walk years is first and foremost a success wider community. One of my faaround the campus is absolutely re- story. vourite examples of this is the Trent markable.

However, Trent’s 50th anniversa- Centre for Community-Based EduAlso, I knew that Trent is an in- ry is also a juncture point between cation (TCCBE). terdisciplinary place but I didn’t re- the past and the future. I like to So I think of interaction as being ally understand how truly interdis- think of things historically so to me the key to who we are. I think that ciplinary it is until I was able to be it means that while we have been perhaps we’re better at it because here. successful in the past, we need to be we’re a small institution but I don’t Trent really is the kind of place planning how we’re going to be suc- think that the real soul of the place where a student can major in busi- cessful for the next fifty years. is being small, it’s being interactive. ness and major in chemistry, or do

By Matthew Rappolt

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With all that’s happened over the past 50 years, both the good and the bad, do think that Trent’s core identity as a school has changed?

I would say yes and no. Those core ideals that I just spoke about: interaction and social consciousness, they have remained constant. However, there are some things that have changed through the decades.

For example, Trent is much more of a research university than it originally was and this research has now become a real emphasis for the university.

Another way that Trent has changed is its college system. The colleges are not what they were originally nor are they what they aspired to be. You can debate whether or not the changes that have taken place have been positive or negative, but you can’t say that there haven’t been changes to the colleges.

You mentioned earlier that it is important that Trent uses the 50th celebrations to plan for the future. If interactivity is truly the core identity of Trent, how should we build upon this ideal in the future?

Universities are evolving organisms, they’re not frozen in time and they will always change. I would suggest that we look at one major change that’s happening more broadly: the arrival of the digital age. Trent University was founded before the arrival of the digital age but it is now upon us and it is going to change education, there is no question about it.

Digital education is going to become a key component of higher education in the future and the government is pushing very strongly in that direction. This type of education is key in preparing students for the world that they live and I think that there are some ways in which it allows us to educate students in a better, more profound way.

The question for Trent is: how do you find a place for this new dimension of university. What I would do is think back to the values of interactivity.

For example, online courses are not all the same. There are many kinds of online courses with varying degrees of interactivity and a lot of the important aspects of the interactivity can now be done over

Anniversary

planning for the future.

Trent University's new President and Vice-Chancellor the internet.

So I think that Trent, along with every other university, needs to expand in the direction of digital learning and we need to do so in a way that’s in keeping with what our core identity is and that is by stressing interaction, feedback, discussion, and active learning. This is an example of how we can change while still staying the same and I think that’s what we have to do.

that depends on us getting a certain number of students and we have not historically reached those numbers.

Other challenges for this university are, of course, the arrival of digital education, as well as trying to maintain programming that is relevant both to the needs of the world and to the desires of students.

As you noted, the changes that have occurred in regards to Trent’s college system have been perhaps some of What are the most significant chal- the most consistently controversial lenges currently facing Trent Uni- over the years. Do you think the colversity at this point? lege system remains meaningful to Trent in the 21st century? Do you Well, there are some very signifi- think it is sustainable? cant budget challenges. The provincial government has decided that Yes, I think the colleges are still its goal in the next three years is to meaningful. However, at the same reduce its operating budget by $12 time they are not what they once billion, that’s four billion dollars per were and I think that is just the year for each of three years. truth. For one thing, the colleges These cuts are going to have are much larger than was envismammoth repercussions on the aged. Also, if you look at significant university system and we need to collegiate universities elsewhere, find a way to deal with them. people live in residence for all four We also have serious pension lia- years of study. bilities and we need to resolve these At one point it was very imporissues because we are now taking tant for faculty to be fellows of the money from our operating budget colleges and to be engaged with and instead of putting it into areas students, but this too seems to have that help faculty and students we drifted apart. At the same time, are using it take care of our pension there has been a growth in academliabilities. ic departments and the faculty have On this front, however, I think moved in that direction and are not that both the administration and as engaged with the colleges as they Trent University Faculty Associa- once were. tion (TUFA) take this problem very I would still say that the colleges seriously and are at the forefront of are very important and the new verfinding a way to deal with this. sion of the colleges are much larger, The final financial problem is but they are playing a key role in the that we’re soft on enrolment. I don’t provision of student services and want to overstate this issue, it’s not student support. And I hope that a disaster, but we do have a budget they are still a component of the

identity of Trent students. Though they are not what they once were, they are still an opportunity for students to identify with all a smaller community of people and have all the positives that come from those types of relationships.

So, I wouldn’t say they’re irrelevant; they are still here and I think they are still functioning well, but are they what they were originally conceived as being? I don’t think so.

Now, I am interested in finding ways to try to preserve or recapture that spirit but I don’t think that it is fiscally possible to recreate colleges that are no longer here.

I hope to have a conversation with people about what more we could do to make the colleges once again

the places that alumni remember them being, there’s a long conversation to be had on this.

Another important issue is Trent University’s presence within downtown Peterborough. Can you talk about how Trent is planning to reconnect with the downtown community?

First, I don’t think that we can have a detailed conversation about downtown until the municipal election is over. Whatever the people of Peterborough’s decide, we will embrace it. We will work work with whoever becomes mayor and is on council for the betterment of both Trent University and Peterborough.

However, I am very much open to the question of if there is something interesting we can do downtown. It is very important to not take away some key component from this main campus and put it downtown, because that means that this campus suffers from that development.

But there may be components of what we do that would make more sense in the downtown location. My project would be to see if we could find some of those things and put enough together to create a critical mass to try to do something.

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk, Dr. Groarke.

Thanks, I’m glad you came by.

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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Municipalelection Daryl Bennett

Bennett is the incumbent mayor of Peterborough and is seeking his second-term in office. Bennett is the founder of the Liftlock Group of Companies, which manages the local Greyhound terminal, Capitol Taxi Service, a towing service, and a freightliner service. He has served on the Trent Board of Governors, Peterborough Community Futures Development, and the Greater Peterborough Business Development Centre.

Downtown Revitalization – Bennett would like to see the city invest in the infrastructure of downtown, namely the roads, sidewalks, and hygienic facilities.

Safety and Security – Addressing the issues of safety in the downtown, Bennett suggests that the best course of action is increased police presence in the downtown core.

Transportation – Bennett is a strong proponent of the Parkway Corridor project, citing the need for getting traffic off of residential roads and the need for a faster corridor for motorists going along NorthSouth routes.

George “Terry” LeBlanc

LeBlanc has experience in automotive repair and industrial engineering. He moved from St. Catherines, ON to Peterborough four years ago while he was recuperating from illnesses. In St. Catherines, he ran for mayor and came in third; he is resuming this political engagement for the second time this year. He has plans to start-up an automotive repair business in Peterborough in the future.

Realizing Peterborough’s Potential – LeBlanc would like to see City Hall stimulate local economic development so the full tourism potential and business potential is realized. He would like to see politics deal

Mayoral Candidate Profiles

with the real issues and steer clear of personal feuds.

Foreign Investment – LeBlanc would like to stimulate economic development with investment from Southern Ontario tourists who are heading to cottages and up the Otonabee in boats. He would like efforts to be made to attract these transients to stay.

Big Business – Due to his connections in industrial engineering, LeBlanc has several contacts that he would like to use to bring in big manufacturers, which would also create decent jobs.

Patti Peeters

Peeters has spent a total of 11 years on city council as a councilor for Ashburnham ward. During that time, she spearheaded the Hunter St. East revival project. She gained a reputation for stirring the pot, due to her challenges to the status quo and the problematic practices of city council.

Furthermore, Peeters has been engaged in the community with multiple organizations in a volunteer capacity.

Jobs – Peeters would see the coordination for Peterborough’s economic development moved back into the walls of city hall. Specifically, she would see the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation (GPAEDC) dissolved and economic development integrated with all other city policies.

Downtown Safety – Having heard safety concerns from many Peterborough residents, Peeters would like to see better supports for citizens with mental health and addiction issues. As well, she would like the promotion of affordable housing downtown.

Accountability – Peeters sees a lot of potential for Peterborough, which can be realized with a city council that represents

Northcrest Ward Profiles

and serves the needs of the community.

Maryam Monsef

Monsef is a community organizer, activist, and leader in not-for-profit industry.

She immigrated to Peterborough from Afghanistan 18 years ago. Upon arrival she enrolled in PCVS (a local high school) and continued on to graduate from Trent University. She has been engaged in many community organizations, notably she founded the Red Pashmina Campaign which supports Afghani women.

Jobs – Monsef would like to stimulate an economy that keeps post-secondary graduates in Peterborough. She feels that keeping graduates here will lead to more businesses and high paying jobs.

Transportation – She would like to see a holistic plan in place, which services public transit, bike trails, sidewalks, and roads.

Sustainability – Cross-cutting all of Maryam’s ideas is the foundation of sustainable development. She would like to see all projects consider environmental impacts and the effects projects will have on future generations.

Arts and Culture – Monsef would like to see arts and culture promoted by working with local artists to create programs and attractive public spaces.

Alan Wilson

Wilson is a retired engineer and police officer with decades of leadership experience.

He immigrated to Peterborough in 1980 from Belfast, Ireland. He worked for Quaker Oats until retiring in 2006. He currently owns a small consulting business in Peterborough. He has been involved in several community organizations such as the Peterborough Architectural Heritage Society.

Dave Haacke

Haacke is a commercial realtor for DNS Realty Group. He grew up in Oshawa and, after doing his undergraduate degree at Trent University, he decided to stay in Peterborough. He has run twice before in 2003 and 2010; both times he lost by a small margin.

Employment – Haacke would like to see city council foster the opportunities for local employment. Particularly he supports the development of the airport and Seneca College’s aviation programs.

Traffic – He sees that traffic is a considerable issue for Northcrest area, particularly the high volume of traffic on residential roads. He would like to see the Parkway Corridor built.

Taxes – Haacke believes that taxes should be kept low through careful management and tying it to rates of inflation.

Open Doors – In a term on council, Haacke would hold regular open houses for community members to approach him and discuss various issues.

Bill Templeman

Maps courtesy of the City of Peterborough, edited to highlight wards by Pat Reddick

Templeman is a leadership consultant in the not-for-profit, private and government sector. He owns his own practice, Ascent Associates, and has recently published a book on leadership. He moved to Peterborough in 2000 for to raise a family.

Good Governance – Templeman sees that city council needs to be more transparent and more accessible to community organizations.

Innovative Industry – He believes that Pe-

Local Business Support – Wilson proposes model where 80% of economic funding would go supporting local business and 20% would be directed at courting big business. Furthermore, he would like to see a “Peterborough Content Clause” which gives government contracts to local businesses.

Promote Sports, Arts, and Architectural Culture – Bring arts and culture hubs downtown and remodel certain buildings and infrastructure to promote foot traffic to these hubs.

Transit – He would like to see increased transit traffic at off-peak times, by giving bus passes to seniors and youths which are free during off-peak hours.

Tom Young

Young has lived in Peterborough since 1989 after moving from Mississauga to get away from the big city. He has been engaged in community organizations, such as Food Not Bombs, and in political activism, especially regarding transit issues.

Safety and Respect – Young would like to see a culture of safety and respect promoted in Peterborough starting with the way City Hall operates. He is a strong supporter of Courage PTBO, a local NGO which combats hate crimes.

Alternative Transit – As a bus-user himself, Young sees several issues with the way public transit is organized. He would like to see more frequent service and different types of routes. Furthermore, he would like to see improvement of bike lanes, pedestrian routes, and road safety standards.

Student Engagement – Young stressed that students are residents of the city and should be engaged in Peterborough’s politics. He is trying to reach out to students and make sure that their voices are heard. terborough has to move on from its manufacturing past, and look at innovative industry. He would support small businesses in Peterborough as well entrepreneurial start-ups.

Reprioritizing Infrastructure Projects – Templeman sees the funding devoted to the Parkway would be better-suited building flood control mechanisms, road repairs, and stimulating higher density downtown development.

Stephen Wright

Wright is a businessman and former lobbyist for the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses. He has lived in Peterborough for ten years and sees it as a great place to live, raise a family, and retire.

Taxes – Wright thinks taxes should be fixed at low rates to make Peterborough an attractive destination moving into the future. He believes that municipal taxes must remain low and alternative modes of funding should be pursued.

Economic Development – He would like to see the potential of post-secondary graduates harnessed toward local business development. Furthermore, he would like to see Peterborough draw multi-national corporations.

Engagement – Wright would like to see taxpayer interests better reflected in City Hall’s operations, and for that reason he opposes the Parkway Corridor. He would also like to see a Youth Council created to better engage post-secondary students in municipal governance.

Coninued on Page 22.

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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Candidate Profiles Northcrest Continued...

Kathryn Eyre

Eyre is a kindergarten teacher at James Strath Public School. She is also a physiotherapist. Eyre could not be contacted prior to publication and does not have a campaign website. The following information was drawn from a past interview.

Transportation – Eyre expressed that she is in favour of finishing the Parkway. Ad-

ditionally, she would like to see more bike lanes on city streets. She would also like to have a critical look at bus routes, especially with respect to their centralization.

Local Economy – Eyre indicates that she supports shopping local, and would like to see local solutions to employment problems.

Public Voice – Eyre says Northcrest residents need a way to have a voice in city hall. This could come either through a suggestion box, a blog, email account, or some other avenue to reach their ward represen-

tatives directly.

Andrew Beamer

Beamer served as the social services chair for the city during his first term as a councillor. He also works for Nestle Canada as a retail development representative in the Peterborough area. Beamer could not be contacted prior to publication and does not have a campaign website. This information is compiled from Internet research, largely the Peterborough Examiner article ough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration (PPCII) coordinator.

Streetscape Investment – Stabler would like to see similar projects as the Hunter St. W development take place on streets such as Charlotte St. These would involve development in sidewalks, parking systems, and building facades.

Transit – As an individual who does not use a car, Stabler is particularly attuned to issues of public transit, bike paths, and pedestrian mobility. He would like to reprioritize transportation projects to promote alternative transit.

Affordable Housing – He would like to see innovative ways for encouraging affordable housing in the downtown core, in which the city should encourage private landlords to improve

Jim Hendry

Diane Therrien

Therrien moved to Peterborough in order to get a Masters at Trent University. She has worked for the provincial government and currently works at the Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network (PPRN).

Reinvestment in the Infrastructure – Therrien would like to see City Hall put the investment into the streetscapes of downtown, making it an attractive hub for the city. She believes this will lead to private sector investment and more businesses downtown.

Safe and Affordable Housing – In regards to concerns about safety in the downtown,

Therrien believes it should be addressed with increased services for low-income and mentally ill. Key to this is affordable housing for local residents.

Alternative Transit – Therrien argues that more frequent service for public transit, alternative routes, and improved infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians is a vital component for the city to address.

Jason Stabler

Stabler grew up in Peterborough and left to complete post-secondary studies in policy analysis and law. He currently works at the New Canadians Centre as the Peterbor-

Hendry recently retired from the Peterborough Examiner as the editor-in-chief.

He moved to Peterborough 32 years ago to work as the reporter assigned to City Council coverage.

Peterborough’s Identity – Hendry feels that Peterborough has immense potential for a distinctive character, and the way to develop this is embedded in downtown.

The various projects that the city works on should contribute to and by informed by the city’s character.

Land for Big Employers – Hendry believes that the means for attracting jobs lies in the attraction of big business. This can be implemented by negotiating land for development from the neighbouring township of Cavan-Monaghan.

Develop North-South Roads – Hendry would like to see alternative North-South routes implemented other than the Parkway Corridor. In particular, increasing the capacity of Television Rd., University Rd. Brealey Dr., and Atkinson Rd would be his ideal solution.

Dean Pappas

Pappas has been a city councillor in Town Ward since 2006. He was born and raised in Peterborough, and attended PCVS and Trent University. He owns a local business, Pappas Billiards on George St, and is highly involved in the community. On council he’s been the Chair of the Arts, Culture, and Heritage portfolio and the Diversity Portfolio.

“Beamer runs for second term on council”

by Joelle Kovach.

Recreation – Because Northcrest is the fastest growing ward in the city, Beamer is keen on ensuring that it has the appropriate recreational amenities including parks and arenas.

Parkway – Beamer is one of the incumbent councillors who supported the Parkway.

He continues to do so.

Industry - He wants to keep investing in industrial lands, including Peterborough’s airport.

Arts and Culture – Pappas was influential in the city’s adoption of the Municipal Cultural Plan, which ensures that arts and culture are considered in every city decision.

Urban Renewal & Revitalization – In addition to the already established Heritage Districts and Heritage Tax Credit program run by the city, Pappas is hoping to establish Neighbourhood Plans that will capture what makes each area of the city unique, as well as what their needs and opportunities are. This will establish things like zoning guidelines to shape future development.

Jackson Park – Pappas believes the city must protect and preserve Jackson Park.

He calls building a bridge through it a “reckless spending” of tax dollars. His solution would be improving the existing road network in the city.

Recreation – Pappas wants to continue to develop a network of trails to and from major destinations around the city, which he hopes will also encourage people to use alternate modes of transportation. He also promises to support updates to sports fields, arenas, and urban park spaces.

Bill Juby

Juby is a lifelong Peterborough resident and has worked as a realtor for 28. He’s also a long-serving council member, first elected in 2000. He’s proud of how council handled the last four years by moving forward with projects rather than deferring them, and he hopes to stay the course if re-elected.

Parkway – Juby is the only Town Ward candidate who supports the Parkway. He says it serves two purposes. Short term it reduces traffic on roads that were never designed to handle it. He also believes it is essential to the growth of the city. Despite this he promises to protect Jackson Park.

Financially it also makes sense he says: the deferred costs of intersection repairs that will result from building the parkway are roughly equivalent to its cost.

Downtown – Juby was part of the Hunter St. Cafe District project, and is hoping to continue work on a similar project on Charlotte St. and the Louis Lot. He hopes this will draw commercial and residential traffic to the area. That the downtown is unsafe is a “perception that’s actually a misconception” says Juby. Panhandlers are present in every city, he says, and the problems are largely addictions and mental health, which we need to address.

Election signs around Peterborough by Jenny Fisher. These signs are for illustrative purposes only and are not endorsements of the candidates pictured.

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Candidate Profiles

Ashburnham Ward Profiles

sitting as the Chair of the Transportation Portfolio in the past session of council.

Team Participation – Implementing good and effective governance is a top priority for Vass. Finding a better understanding of what that means is what the city needs to him. He believes this should underpin any checklist of priorities.

Economic Development – Vass wants to see job opportunities created for young people in Peterborough so that university and college students have a reason to live in Peterborough after graduation. For Vass, economic development also supports the services the city is able to provide to the most vulnerable members of society.

Municipal Infrastructure – Vass wants to ensure that aging infrastructure, whether its for arts, sports, transportation, or something else, is continuously improved.

Social Services – Services relate back to good governance and economic development for Vass. The city needs a good, sustainable economy so it is able to provide good services. This is the government’s role to facilitate in his eyes.

Keith Riel

Donald Fraser

Fraser has been a resident of East City for the past eight years along with his wife Krista. Fraser owns two local businesses: Small Print Writing and Consulting and Farm to Table Peterborough. At the former he specializes in writing communications materials for government and non-government organizations. At the latter he raises awareness about businesses specializing in local food through both writing and weekly tours. Fraser worked with Peterborough GreenUp for 10 years, and has been heavily involved with many Trent groups such as Sustainable Trent, OPIRG, and the Kawartha World Issues Centre. He is also the founder and chair of the #Petertweeter Awards.

Fraser has three main priorities: Quality of Life – This priority is multifaceted, encompassing multiple areas of life. Among his goals, he wants to improve and update transportation infrastructure, increase access to recreational programs, greenspace, and trails, and promote both local arts and local food through the creation of partnerships and committees.

Quality Governance – Fraser would like to see ward-based neighbourhood associations that allow citizens to voice the concerns that matter to them. He also wants to get residents involved in the budgetary process. He would like to see greater accountability and transparency in city hall.

Quality Employment – He would like to see a comprehensive economic development plan implemented to get businesses and secure, well-paying employment in Peterborough.

Paul Teleki

Teleki ran for a council seat in the Ashburnham Ward originally in 2010, coming in third place. Since then he has been a business owner in Peterborough, as well as a volunteer with the Peterborough Rotary

Club and the Youth Emergency Shelter.

Teleki has built his campaign largely through a Community Voice Engagement project in which he surveyed residents to identify key areas the City of Peterbough ought to be focusing on.

Job Creation – Teleki is particularly interested in youth employment strategies and bringing green and innovative job opportunities to Peterborough.

Representation, Accountability, and Taxation – He wants to communicate with residents how taxes are being spent at City Hall. He does not want to raise taxes at a higher rate than inflation, and he believes prior to a tax increase City Hall should assess whether it is spending existing tax dollars efficiently.

Environment, Culture and Heritage – Teleki wants to see the city follow through with its green waste program. He also wants to preserve the city’s “natural, cultural, and built heritage.”

Recreation and Local Development – Increasing community space and ensuring that this space is close to home for those who want and need it are his goals here.

Transportation and Community Safety – Teleki wants to work towards alternative measures to address traffic flow, looking towards other Ontario communities as inspiration. He would also like to see sustainable lighting installed on the trails throughout the city.

Riel is a lifelong Peterborough resident. He has worked for General Electric as an industrial technician, and he was the union president for several years. He has owned three businesses over his lifetime in Peterborough. He is seeking his second term on city council. During his first, he sat on 11 committees and boards and was the chair of the Waste Management Committee and the Advisory Accessibility Committee.

Environment – Riel feels that every decision made by the city should be informed by environmental sustainability policies.

He supports higher density housing in the city over suburban sprawl for the sake of preserving farmland.

Jobs and Industry – He recognizes that jobs are a key issue in the city. The city’s support for the airport and initiatives to draw big projects here are crucial in his mind.

Infrastructure Repairs – The city, according to Riel, should be better maintaining roadways, controlling the flow of traffic,

and better supporting the users of public transit.

Gary Baldwin

Baldwin is a lifelong resident of Peterborough, and a resident of Ashburnham Ward for 33 years. He has led a successful career as a public school teacher and vice principal. He is involved with many community organizations such as the Trent Valley Archive. He’s also involved with sports as a hockey referee and former coach of the Peterborough Bees Junior A hockey team.

Attracting New Business – Baldwin sees the role of the city as one to provide an atmosphere for business development and alongside it, well-paying, long-lasting jobs.

Improving City Infrastructure – He would like to see the flood control plan implemented as well as the existing infrastructure of the city maintained. He is especially interested in supporting sidewalk construction projects in the Ashburnham ward.

Fiscal Management – The operation of the city should, in all projects, consider the financial resources of the city and how it can be used for the maximum effect.

Profiles by Ayesha Barmania: All mayoral candidates, David Haacke, Bill Templeman, Stephen Wright, Diane Therrien, Jason Stabler, Jim Hendry, Keith Reil, and Gary Baldwin.

Profiles by Pat Reddick: Andrew Beamer, Kathryn Eyre (with files from Ayesha), Dean Pappas, Bill Juby, Donald Fraser, Paul Teleki, and Len Vass.

No profile is an endorsement its candidate, and every attempt was made to remain as unbiased as possible. When candidates could not be contacted by phone, their profile was written using information from their website. If they also had no website it was noted in their profile.

These three wards were chosen because of their high Trent student populations.

Len Vass

Vass has been a Peterborough resident all of his life, and has run a business here, Northern Woodheap Consultants, since 1980. Vass has served on council for three consecutive terms since 2003, and ran for mayor twice before that. Vass says he appreciates that city hall is there to service taxpayers, and is particularly interested in the service side of council. He has prominently been involved in transportation,

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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Arts&Culture

From the Shadows: ChiSeries Peterborough

By Simon Semchuk

ChiSeries, a cross-Canada reading series of speculative fiction, has landed in humble Peterborough after starting branches in Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Ottawa.

On October 16, at 8pm in Sadleir House, three authors from the Peterborough area will be making up the second ChiSeries event, after their inaugural ‘Speculating the Queer’ author reading during Peterborough Pride.

Hosted by Derek Newman-Stille, the event will feature authors Kate Story, Ian Rogers, and Ursula Pflug.

But what is ‘speculative fiction’?

“It’s complicated, a lot of people use it in different terms,” said Newman-Stille, but he defines it as a “blanket term for anything not realist,” such as horror, science fiction, and fantasy.

“Canadians tend to view horror, science fiction, and fantasy genres as from away,” he commented, later adding, “I think there’s something really important about Canadian spec fic in particular. Canada does things differently. We tend to create morally grey characters… We like to leave open endings frequently.”

“Ghost stories are a lot about the history of a place, our feelings about the land, and people’s fears.” He continued, saying that the “erasure of history, particularly Aboriginal history” in Canada serves in the need to create these narratives.

Kate Story commented, “I think there’s still a ghettoization of speculative literature and I’ve never understood why.” She sees the ChiSeries as a distinct opportunity. “I think it’s a sign that things are changing… but to have a speculative reading series in Peterborough is so exciting. The status of speculative literature has changed and Peterborough has changed.”

On the topic of her own productions, Story said, “I write a real range of stuff. I have two novels published, some short stories, and a bit of memoir. I also write for theatre.

I’ve written a number of one-person performance pieces and a few plays. What I write about the most… it’s blood memory— intergenerational memory. Comes up again and again in my work.”

She added, “I feel like I notice things being glossed over in society at large and it makes me angry. And so I like to write about things that are glossed over.”

Coming up, Story is part of the Carbide Tipped Pens anthology coming out in December as well as Stone Skin Press’ 21st Century Bestiary, for which she wrote about unicorns.

Having heard Story perform this story at another author reading, Newman-Stille commented, “She talked about how the women in particular really love the horn!”

Story said she’d probably read the unicorn story on October 16.

A play she rewrote from one of her short stories is also upcoming. Running November 5-9 at The Theatre on King, Romeo and Juliet: Superstar Ice-Miners of Europa!!! is being put on by Em Glasspool’s Mysterious Entity theatre company.

Speaking of Ian Rogers’ work, NewmanStille calls him “our local horror author.”

He explained that Rogers writes “a mix of the supernatural and detective noir” in the world of the Blacklands, where portals to other worlds emit monsters into the land of the stories.

His story collection, Every House is Haunted, features “werewolves, vampires, killer trees… spectres, spooks and ghouls,” explained Newman-Stille, the idea behind

the collection being that “we always live in a haunted space.”

The collection features a story set in Peterborough. Candle in the Window is instantly recognizable to Peterborough residents as set locally due to the smell of Quaker Oats.

Ursula Pflug said, “I think my work is literary fiction with elements of the fantastic woven through it, whether fantasy, science fiction, magic realism or what have you. My most recent novel, Motion Sickness, is the least fantastic of them all, although Heather Spears said it takes place ‘on the verge of the real,’ which I absolutely love.”

She remarked, “I’ve had four books go to press in the last year, two novels, a story collection and an anthology I edited.”

“Ursula is kind of one of these characters you hear about all over in Canadian SF [science fiction],” Newman-Stille commented, adding that she excels in her use of “poetic qualities, word play, the interplay of imagery.”

“I’m going to read from Harvesting the Moon,” said Pflug, “It’s a gorgeous hardcover collection of previously published stories that came out in Britain in the summer, from Specialty Press PS.” “Storytelling is a form of connection,” remarked Story, “There’s something actually incredibly important about telling stories, talking about what happened and making meaning.”

Referring to her experiences with a changing narrative, she explained how coming out as a lesbian brought up certain memories from the past, while then com-

ing out as bisexual in turn caused different memories to surface. Story explained how the narrative we tell about ourselves “changes our past, which changes our present, and then of course changes the future. When you tell a story, it becomes reality.”

“I think there’s something ethereal about storytelling,” said Newman-Stille. He spoke about the malleability of oral narratives, whereas when a story is written down “it’s fixed”. When an author reads, they interact with the audience and “that performativity is a conversation with that audience. That’s what I really want to do, open up a conversation between story, author, audience.”

“I have students who ask me to show them how to write a best seller,” Pflug commented, “The problem with this approach is if you spend three years of your life writing what you hope will be a best seller, and fail, which is the most likely outcome, what have you gained for your time? But if you spend the same three years working hard to become the best writer you can be, honing your craft and crystallizing the vision that is unique to you, you’re going to have gained some skills that transfer to other areas of your life. Even if you don’t find a publisher, or publish the book yourself, you’ve accomplished something worthwhile that will probably make you a happier and better person. You’ll know yourself with a new and completely unanticipated depth, just for starters.”

“I think cultural production is work, but occasionally I think ‘does anyone read anymore?’ It’s kind of a weird hobby like taxidermy,” said Story.

Well, weird hobbyists, come out of the shadows!

To keep up with the Peterborough ChiSeries, check out chiseries.com, facebook. com/ChiSeries, or Derek Newman-Stille’s website speculatingcanada.ca. He also does Speculating Canada on Trent Radio, Wednesdays at 4pm.

Said Pflug, “Remember – buy a book and feed an author.”

Movie Review: The Judge - Worst. Iron Man. Ever.

By Brian Lukaszewicz

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a typical big city lawyer (at least by Hollywood standards), defending dubious clients with dubious tactics. In court one day he gets a phone call that his mother has died. He returns back to his hometown of Carlinville, Indiana, for the funeral.

There he’s reunited with his father Joe (Robert Duvall), a long serving and respected judge in the community. It seems Hank and Joe don’t like each other very much. One finds the other a holier-thanthou control freak. The other a morally challenged scourge to the legal community. And then there are all the family skeletons. Oh, the skeletons…

Regardless, the funeral comes and goes and Hank packs up and gets ready to leave.

Only on his way out of town he notices his father’s prized car has been in an accident.

Before long, the town sheriff arrives and Joe is charged with the murder of a convict he put away years before. He needs a lawyer and Hank sticks around to be that guy.

So no, The Judge isn’t built on the most original concepts in the world. The prodigal son returns home. Big city lawyer in a small town courtroom. A father and son reunited by the death of a mother and wife.

These are well-worn themes.

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In its defense, The Judge delivers these tropes as competently as any. These sort of movies always seem to add up to a lot of stories about events we as the audience weren’t privy to. This film at least manages to find a few interesting ways to get that information out.

It’s just unfortunate that, at least in the early going, The Judge seems intent on marching through every cliché it can like it’s checking them off a list, whether they’re necessary or not. And at 141 minutes, a lot of them aren’t.

For instance, why does every trip home have to include a chance encounter with an old high school flame? Poor Vera Farmiga – who gets that aforementioned distinction – is barely used at all. It feels like her entire subplot could have been cut without changing a thing.

Regardless, what The Judge does have going for it is the performances of Downey and Duvall. They are its anchors. They add nuance that isn’t there when the script is cycling through scene after scene of formulaic family banter and when the movie finally does take a turn and actually shows some depth, they drive it home with remarkable proficiency.

And it’s true, if you wait long enough, The Judge does have some weight. Though at times it may strain credibility – at least

from a legal standpoint – eventually the script seems to flip a switch and allow these two characters to be actual people, not just the smarmy lawyer and the honourable judge.

Can a little last minute insight save the largely rote script that came before it? Probably not all of it. But the first two hours or so are, if anything, very watchable, and when they reach their conclusion you should be pleasantly surprised with where they’ve taken you.

And if anyone deserves credit for bridging that gap it’s the casting department.

Downey and Duvall are no brainers (nor were they likely “cast”), but surrounding them with worthy scene partners is much tougher, and the folks in charge of that certainly knew where to look.

Billy Bob Thornton is quite effective in

a rather quiet role as the prosecutor out to convict Joe. Vincent D’Onofrio, who frankly I’ve only seen on Law and Order, gives a heartfelt, if not understated, performance. And Jeremy Strong does good work as the mentally challenged youngest brother, a role that could have been more problematic than it turned out.

It seems movies like this one are popping up all the time these days, with August: Osage County and This Is Where I Leave You quickly coming to mind. The Judge doesn’t add too much to that list other than a few good performances and an admirable attempt at an ending.

It’s something, but not enough to obtain the Oscar prestige one thinks this film aspires to. Too bad.

Arts

Peterborough Comedians Take on Canada!

By Caleigh Boyle

Comedians from all across Canada have come out from behind their cameras, to get in front of another one! They have taken their troupes and trekked towards towns to televise their talent! CBC television presents, Comedy Coup!

Local writers and comedians Rob Swales, Dan Smith and Luke Foster have a local comedy show titled ‘Ganza. When asked about how and why the team decided on the name Ganza for their show, Smith had this to say: “It’s extravaganza but without the extra because we didn’t have the cash.”

Swales is the writer, the cameraman, the director, the producer. Smith helps with some of the writing and he is also the talent along with Foster.

The three comedians have taken on a challenge. The challenge to prove they are the funniest, the wittiest, and the laughiest bunch of Peterboroughans this country has ever seen. They are competing in the non-competition, CBC’s Comedy Coup!

“The Comedy Coup is a program that we are in. It is an accelerator program that is being run by CBC across the country to get a new comedy show that CBC is going to be running on prime time in the fall next year,” explains Swales.

On Monday October 6 after the first round of cuts, Swales and the ‘Ganza team made the top 110, “they were supposed to do a top 100 but they ended up doing the top 110. I think it was because they try to put it like you guys gave 110% and so will we,” laughs Swales.

“They say it’s not a competition and yet they keep telling us how our competitors are doing.”

As the ‘non-competition’ progresses each week, Swales and the team have to put together a new video.

They started with a trailer for the application and in the following weeks there will be videos about the team, what differentiates them, and of course what the arch for their season—if they were to win— would be.

“We will script out a show, it won’t be our first show because our stuff is really timely. But we will write them an episode,” explains Swales.

Between October 23 and 26 voting opens to the public where the competition will be knocked down to the top 55—but remember this is NOT a competition, the votes are only so that they can beat out other teams!

To vote go to www.comedycoup.com.

After the top 55, it goes down to the top 15, then 5 and then the winner will receive $500,000 to do their pilot. I reiterate, this is not a competition.

Though Swales, Smith and Foster will be the core of this comedy show, they intend to bring in an ensemble cast and a couple more writers.

Their pitch to CBC is this: “We will do 12 episodes, one in each province or territory. We will have a guest actor from each province who will join the ensemble cast and our fans will have a chance to vote for what indie-band will represent their province or territory,” explains Swales.

Swales is quite involved with local indie music, which he says has always been a part of his work. Swales has a Youtube channel called Swales Studios where episodes from ‘Ganza are posted. With each episode Swales includes and promotes local musicians and intends to continue to do this across the country.

“What we have done here with ‘Ganza and our web series is highlight Peterborough and the music, and we just basically want to take that national,” explains Swales.

This ‘competition’ goes until December 12 and, though both Smith and Swales are aware of their massive odds, Smith says this: “it was a case of why not.”

And why not? The Peterborough community oozes with talent and this is an opportunity to showcase Canadians.

Two other Peterborough troupes have made it through the first round; one is called Dead Air and the other Jobless.

In a contest with hundreds of applicants it’s really something to be proud of that not one, not two, but three local comedy teams have made the top 110.

So on October 23-26 why not go to www.comedycoup.com and VOTE! How amazing it be if all three Peterborough teams made it to the top 5!

It’s been years since CBC looked out and did original comedy programming “with all the layoffs they’ve had now they have all this money freed up to make a show,” says Smith.

“It’s amazing, hopeful and inspiring that CBC is doing this. This contest is a way for people the take projects off the back burner.”

“Canadians are wicked funny. Everybody has to go down to New York or L.A to get paid work and it’s all Canadians down there being funny so why not keep them at home,” says Swales. “Why not celebrate them here, why not make this the funniest country in the world?”

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

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arts

Review of Sunny Drake’s Transgender Seeking...

“Do you want to be your fabulous effeminate self, or do you want to get laid?”

By Simon Semchuk

“I shouldn’t have to choose.”

Entering the performance space for Sunny Drake’s Transgender Seeking… the audience was met by two things: an eclectic musical score and the backdrop of the stage – a standing wedding dress with the train spread out as a white backdrop, tapestry-like, with a multicoloured stain on the right side.

Born in Australia, Sunny Drake is an award-winning queer and trans writer, performer, and producer who has toured his one-man shows across Europe, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Australia.

Transgender Seeking… is the story of Jimmy, who attends romance-aholics anonymous meetings trying to work out his issues with relationships. Jimmy’s issues revolve around his ex, Brian, and a past incident from when he was seven, represented as literal and metaphoric baggage that he carries around with him.

What we learn is that Jimmy, while at first glance a somewhat self-centred individual, is really bogged down by his need to sacrifice himself for the happiness of others.

The show incorporated dance, acrobatics-like choreography, and various multimedia interfaces – including having three “Jimmys” at one point: a projected video, the actor, and the screen capture of a tablet following the actor.

Jimmy gets in arguments with his pro-

jected self, and the final scene revolves around his relationship with a puppetJimmy.

The play touches on topics as diverse as the limited choice when making an OkCupid profile, to the debate around whether marriage is a critical issue within the queer community when there are issues like criminalization and discrimination in the health care system, to re-identifying one’s body parts from what’s assigned by doctors, to fighting against the objectification of the trans body, to the place of jealousy within polyamorous relationships. Basically, it was a jam-packed hour of queer dialogue and thought-provoking queries.

“Socialization is not something that’s forced on you,” Jimmy says at one point, “I socialized myself, as a male.”

The acting and script by Drake were

superb. His physicality seemed to my eye to have a base in clowning – think more Cirque du Soleil than the guy at your birthday party (if people still do that?).

The story wound queer theory and politics in with something much more humane, leaving the audience with many unanswered questions, but a sense of understanding and maybe even catharsis.

Direction by Gein Wong was seamless, using a minimalist set plus projection to their full potential – my favourite bit probably being when a scene from A Farewell to Arms is projected onto Jimmy wrapped in a white tablecloth. It was elegant and made the juxtaposition of the projection and the actor comfortable and humane.

Drake came out after the show to field comments and questions. On the topic of whether art can be given an agenda, he

said, “For me, the reason that I make art is my agenda… I’d rather people leave my work with more questions than answers.”

Still, he commented that attention must be given to the art of a piece in order for it to flow and be complete.

“I do think I have to be responsible for my politics. I have to be responsible for what I put out.”

On the topic of the play as a whole, Drake explained that what it mostly “boils down to” is an evaluation of the mainstream relationship model. “I think sometimes in queer communities we can be like ‘that model is evil; we have to throw it out’, but what about it is worth keeping?”

Drake believes the answer is the love at the core, but says that there needs to be “more space for a whole array of different relationships.”

Referring to the symbolism of the wedding dress, he explained it as encompassing the forces of the societal and the personal. “I think that we are all shaped in a broader container – also by our personal histories.” For instance, Jimmy is “not totally conscious of how [his past] is shaping his relationships.”

Drake then thanked his creative team, including Gein Wong, Catherine Hernandez, and composer Njo Kong Kie, and mentioned the importance of taking his performances “outside of the big cities.”

Who knows, maybe he’ll come back to Peterborough for another evening. To keep up with his work or follow his blog, check out www.sunnydrake.com.

Repulsion

By Nathan Prendergast

Repulsion explores many chilling themes, such as claustrophobia and mental illness.

Polanski’s early work had a particular fascination with these themes, which also appear in Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Tenant (1976). Following the young female protagonist Carol (played by actress Catherine Deneuve), Repulsion begins by showing us the world of a middleclass woman and then distorting it into a claustrophobic nightmare.

Join us for the third of four instalments of our Shock-tober film series on Wednesday, October 15 at 8pm @ Artspace, in which we will continue to explore horror cinema as both an artistic cultural phenomenon, as well as a means to get our pants scared off.

Repulsion is far less graphic than our first two screenings I Saw the Devil (2010) and Martyrs (2008). But don’t be fooled; this Polanski horror film has a way of sinking in and will have you squirming in your seats!

The film has a subtlety throughout its first half, examining the mundane life of a seemingly secure manicurist staying in her sister’s apartment. The focus on Carol’s workplace, her encounters with men, and

26

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her stay in the apartment slowly shifts from the ordinary to the deeply disturbing.

Polanski hones his ability for capturing the inner psyche in this film with surprising effects and repulsive scenes. The horror in Repulsion comes not from the external forces of her daily life directly, but rather from her inability to cope with them.

Repulsion was Polanski’s first big commercial success in the UK and the US, and was also his first English-language feature. This paved the way for many other great Hollywood classics such as both of Polanski’s Academy Award-winning films Chinatown (1974) and The Pianist (2002).

Polanski is a household name here at TFS and it is always a privilege to share his work with Peterborough audiences.

Some of you may remember one of his more recent works, Carnage (2011), which we showed this past April. Why not come and check out where his genius all began this coming Wednesday night?

Our screenings are open to everyone, not just Trent students, so invite a friend or family member. Admission is free for everyone. Our screenings are held at Artspace, 378 Aylmer St N. The screening starts at 8pm. We hope to see you there!

SportsPage Women fall to Nippising in soccer

By Patrick Assinck

At Trent University’s Justin Chiu Stadium, the Trent Excalibur women’s soccer team put up an excellent fight against the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday afternoon.

After a strong and determined start that led to a 0-0 halftime score, the Nipissing Lakers’ intensity and relentless energy eventually overcame the Excalibur team as they fell to a final score of 3-0.

Adri Risa (Trent) and Kristen Farkas (Nipissing) were named the game’s most valuable players but Trent’s Goal Keeper Annalise Buchowski played a significant role as she made a number of outstanding saves throughout the competition, helping to keep the game close early on.

Men hang on for tie against Lakers

By Patrick Assinck

The men’s team had an extremely strong showing as they battled the Lakers for a full 90 minutes concluding with a 0-0 tie.

Although David Ellis (Trent) and Grainger Munro (Nipissing) both recorded a shutout there was plenty of offense by both sides as Ryan Muntle (Nipissing) recorded 4 shots of his own while Trent’s chances were spread out as Lukas Zubrickas, Nathan Larson, and Marlon Adams all had two shots a piece.

This is the team’s second match up of the season Trent showing great growth as a team improving upon their 4-1 loss in September.

Varsity Standings*

Women’s Rugby - OUA Russell Division Team

Wins

Losses

Draws

Points

McMaster

4

0

1

22

Queen’s

4

1

0

21

York

3

2

0

14

Trent Toronto

2

3

0

5

0 0

10 0

Men’s Rugby - OCAA East Team

Wins

Losses

Draws

Points

Trent

4

1

0

21

St. Lawrence

3

2

0

14

Fleming

3

2

0

13

Algonquin Seneca Loyalist

2

3

2 1

3 4

0 0 0

13 9 5

Women’s Lacrosse - OUA East Team

Wins

Losses

Draws

Points

Toronto

4

1

1

-

UOIT

4 2

2 3

1 2

-

2 1

5 5

1 0

-

Wins

Losses

Draws

Points

Trent Queen’s York Men’s Lacrosse - CUFLA East Team McGill

10

0

0

20

Bishop’s

6

2

0

12

Queen’s

5

4

0

10

Carlton Trent Ottawa Concordia

5

3

2 2

6 7

0 0 0

10 4 4

0

8

0

0 *As of October 11, 2014

Volume 49 | Issue 6 | October 15, 2014

27

listings. where and when things happen.

Clubs & Groups The P.R. Community & Student Association invites you to 751 George Street North to explore what Sadleir House has to offer. Saturday, October 18, 10am-4pm.Take a tour, learn about our tenant offices, explore our library and sign up for a borrower’s card, support the library at our book sale, take in a free class or workshop (TBA). Free refreshments will be served!

For more information, contact Alissa Paxton at apaxton@prcsa.a or 705-742-3686 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!

Seasoned Spoon The Seasoned Spoon and the Trent Vegetable Gardens Present: Sauerkraut Making. “What is sauerkraut? You say. Sauerkraut is a way of preserving various vegetables using a natural laco-fermentation method which actually increases the nutritional value of your food and is full of probiotics, just like yogurt! Oh, did we mention, it’s also extremely delicious! Using traditional recipes and fresh fall produce from the Trent Gardens, this workshop will teach you how to make you own super nutritious and delicious preserves that will last you all winter long. A staple for any local food lover’s fridge! Wednesday October 29, 5pm @ the Seasoned Spoon. $5 or pwyc. spoonvolunteers@gmail.com for more info The Seasoned Spoon Café is grateful for the support of Trent students. Refundable levy requests by registered students will be accepted until Friday, October 17, 2014.

We serve delectable, local and organic food Monday-Friday from 8:00-3:30 in Champlain College. For more information about the Spoon and our programs go to www.seasonedspoon.ca

fective studying? Apply as a mentee and request an upper-year student mentor. Want to aid another student in a course you’ve taken before? Apply as a mentor to help out and gain valuable experience. Visit http://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/peermentoring.php for more information.

Mid-terms are quickly sneaking up on us!

We can’t think of a better time to come see us at the Academic Skills Centre! With our one-on-one sessions, students can learn great study tips, how to organize their notes and how to make their busy schedules easier to manage. All of our services are free of charge! Visit our site www.trentu. ca/academicskills to book an appointment online with our new service! Come say hello at Champlain College, Suite 206, or call us at 705-748-1720.

Trent University’s 50th Anniversary Community Parade and Celebration. Saturday, October 18, 1pm. Parade: Along Rubidge Street from Simcoe to Sherbrooke. Ceremony: Outside Rubidge Retirement Residence.

Join us along the parade route and stay for the official ceremony at Rubidge Hall, Trent’s first home. After the ceremony, bring your event program to a participating restaurant and enjoy a special Trent discount. The Community Parade & Celebration is generously sponsored by the City of Peterborough. To mark Trent’s milestone anniversary, we are thanking our founding partner – the community – and inviting everyone to this exciting FREE event! Wear your Trent green and join us downtown as we re-create the original opening ceremonies.

Local Volunteer Tutors Needed at the New Canadians Centre. Do you have one or two hours a week available to help a newcomer to Canada improve their English language skills and become more confident and connected in their new community? No previous experience is required. For more information or an application form, please contact: Anne Elliott, Community Coordinator, 705-7430882 or anne@nccpeterborough.ca 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 wonderful 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) Oct 15-16, 2122, 29-30. Weekends(8:30-4) Oct. 18-19, 25-26. sjapeterborough@bellnet.ca, 705745-0331, sja.ca

nity Orchestra welcome new members as they begin a new season. If you play a string or wind instrument, please contact conductor Auriel Creighton at acrate1@hotmail.com.

All ages, all skill levels welcome, with no auditions.

St. John’s Ambulance CPR Recertification (Weekdays at 6:30 pm) Oct. 14, Nov. 4, Dec. 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

November is National Novel Writing Month!

Take part in a fun writing challenge.

Writers worldwide unleash their creativity each year with the goal of writing a 50,000 word novel in November. Visit nanowrimo. org for details and to sign up. Join us in writing at the Peterborough Public Library each Saturday from 1-5pm in November.

Travel/ Teach English - TEFL Certification with The TESL Trainer at One World ESL School. Free info & registration Open House. www.tesltrainer.ca Contact: tesltrainer@sympatico.ca ESL Help & Editing - Contact: worldeslschool@sympatico.ca

one-

Arts Scottish Country Dancing, The Gathering Place, Peter Gzowski College. No partner necessary and please wear soft shoes. For information please contact John Reeves at jfreeves@sympatico.ca The World Premiere Screening of WHAT IS ART? Special Edition. From the street to the studio and all walks of life, Peterborough reveals a multitude of answers to the question. WHAT IS ART? is the result of the Media Arts Peterborough open studio project. This event is a fundraiser for the next installment: WHAT IS... ERRING? about Erring on the Mount. Afterparty DJs and performances by Gnosys, Ekoplex, Lisa McKaskell, Thomas Vaccaro, Opal Jennifer Elchuk, John Chartrand, Marc Roy and Char Agnello (Nostalgic Home Highways / Waterfront Dining). November 1, 8PM at Market Hall. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. www.markethall.org. www.mediaartspeterborough.org The Kawartha Strings and Kawartha Commu-

Peterborough Storytellers meets Wednesday, October 15, 7 to 9 p.m. at Peterborough Public Library. Theme: “Creepy, Scary Stories”.Come and listen. Come and tell your spooky story.

Dance Your Bones: Move freely to DJ beats from around the world. no steps, no alcohol, just the freedom to move the way you want in the company of like-minded others. $10. Every Thursday 6pm-8pm at 235 Rubidge St. in Peterborough until December 18. www.danceyourbones.com The Theatre on King is proud to present a new work by David Bateman, “destiny in the park,” one of the co-winners of last year’s Playwright’s Festival. This short one-act play, made up of two conversations, reflects the nature of HIV transmission, disclosure and casual social/sexual interaction. “destiny in the park” runs Thursday, October 30 - Saturday November 1 at 8pm. $10 at the door.

Speculative Peterborough: A Local Author Reading with Kate Story, Ian Rogers, and Ursula Pflug Thursday, October 16, 9pm-12am Dining Hall (room 209) ChiSeries Peterborough and Sadleir House Present: Speculative Peterborough: A Local Author Reading with Kate Story, Ian Rogers, and Ursula Pflug, Sponsored by: ChiZine Publishing, Ontario Arts Council, Sadleir House, and Speculating Peterborough.

Born Yesterday: the classic comedy by Garson Kanin. Directed by Pat Maitland and Ian Burns Audition Dates: Wed & Thurs, October 15 & 16 from 7pm-9pm. Actors will be asked to read from selections of the play. For scripts and more info, call 705-772-9191.

Trent 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: 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday & Sunday: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. 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.

The Academic Mentoring Program is recruiting! Need help with course concepts or ef-

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

The t Victoria Piearce @ t Tonya Bosh @ Carpe Diem Cafe (6pm) Carpe Diem Cafe (6pm)

t Earl Wilfong @ The Tankhouse (4pm)

t Chelsey Bennett @ Carpe Diem Cafe (6pm)

t Art Lajambe Tankhouse (4pm)

t Big Wreck @ Showplace (8pm)

t Brian Haddelssey @ The Black Horse (7pm)

t Fat Plant Assembly Music Improvisation Social @ The Spill (9pm)

t The Faux Cults w/ The Almighty Rhombus @ The Spill (9pm)

t TUMS Open Mic @ the t Kelly McMichael and Trend (8pm) the Gloss w/ Steve Moloney and the Wandering t Chris Culgin, Beams, Kind @ The Gallery in & Lake of Lions @ The the Attic (8pm) Spill (9pm) t Woodshed Orchestra t Shred Kelly w/ Dylan w/ Hello Babies @ The Ireland @ The Red Dog Spill (9pm) (9pm) t Del Barber and the Proft Martha Kolls @ The iteers w/ Mayhemingways @ Garnet (10pm) The Red Dog (9pm)

@

This Week in Live Music: presented by ElectricCityLive.ca

Saturday t Echoes of Erin @ The Market Hall (8pm) t Cheap Suits w/ The Salads @ The Red Dog (9pm) t Mayhemingways @ The Spill (9pm) t Tribute to Hank Williams @ The Pig’s Ear (10pm)

t Bridget Foley and the t The Dani Nash Band @ Pocket Kings @ The Garnet The Garnet (10pm) (9pm)