Volume 46
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Issue 21
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March 12, 2012
GLOW 2K12 more on page 7
photos by Andrew Tan
fashion show
in the paper this week
centre and p.10: Get informed about the TCSA Elections p. 2 & 3 - More letters than an alphabet • p. 4 - National news at a glance p. 5 - Thanks for nothing, Mr. Roboto • p. 12 - A look at International Women’s Day p.13 - Making mining companies aware of mining awareness • p.15 - Oh yeah, Arthur has elections too
editorial Volume 46 | Issue 21 | March 12, 2012
Masthead by Jackson Creek Press 751 George Street • Suite 104 Peterborough, ON • K9H 7P5
A few words about online education By Miranda Rigby
tel: 705-745-3535 editors@trentarthur.ca • www.trentarthur.ca
Editor in Chief Business Manager Miranda Rigby
Tyson Shennett
Production News Reporters Assistant Matt Jarvis Heather Scully
Anthony Gulston
Copy Editor
Carmen Meyette
Chelsea Rodrigues
Sara Ostrowska
Proofreader
Cornel Grey
Pat Reddick
Distribution Teigan Sparkes
Ayesha Asghar Elisha May Rubacha Mitchell Powers
Photography Andrew Tan
Like many from my generation I am an avid supporter of new technology. I am a Redditor, Twitterer, Facebooker, LinkedIn, occasional Tumblr. I don’t have any issues with using new tools to teach the new generation. I plan on using YouTube as often as I can in the event that I become a teacher. With all this being said, I cannot read text on a computer screen effectively. Weekly, I will print out the paper into hard copy format to edit the articles that are submitted. And I know it has cost me a fortune at the Trent Bookstore, but it’s the only way I can learn. I am a tactile learner. Actually, to be more specific, I am an auditory, tactile, and verbal learner. I do not learn well without all of these elements working together. Like many students with learning disibilities, I have learnt to cope with my own learning style.
However, this is why I find myself puzzled at the Acedemic Plan’s suggestion to create more online education. Trent lacks the background knowledge to do online streaming of the lectures. Only a few professors record and stream their videos on WebCT and even fewer use this technogy to their advantage. Would these lectures then be Online only? If so, I can imagine they would pay off. Less classroom hours would be required and the drop-out rate would make the entire concept become profitable in a matter of months. I only know a few people who can learn by reading only. Interactions with other students and close relationships with the professors is what makes the Trent experience unique and worth the thousands of dollars we pay. And sure, I have been a student recently, some days it was tempting to skip class and sleep in, but I know that my lack of morning motivation would eventually get the best of me.
Letters
Board of Directors Chair • Maxim Gertler-Jaffe Secretary • Jenna Cameron
Treasurer • Not yet named
Members at Large • Hazel Wheeler, Nika Farahani
Contributors Zach Ruiter • Lana Nolan-Bolton • Troy Bordun Natalie Guttormsson • Brian Lucaszewicz Cailiegh Morrison • Maxim Gertler-Jaffe
Submission guidelines Articles Articles should be submitted via email to editors@ trentarthur.ca, in the body of the message, or as an *.rtf, *.doc, or *.txt attachment. The body should be approximately 800 words. Listings, announcements, or briefs should not exceed 100 words. Feature pieces can be up to 1500, but must be arranged in advance with the editors.
Images Hard copies (photographs, original artwork, etc.) should be brought into the office (751 George Street, Suite 104) to be scanned. If submitting files electronically, please save as *.tif, with a dpi of no less than 300 pixels.
Letters Limit letters to the editors to 250 words. Letters longer than 250 words may be published but Arthur reserves the right to edit for length and clarity (but not content). Conributors are encouraged to attend the weekly story meeting on Tuesday at 1pm in our office in Sadlier House, or to contact the editors if considering submitting to an upcoming issue.
Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of Arthur staff, volunteers or its Board of Directors. Contributors are encouraged to attend the story meetings Tuesday at 1pm or contact the Editors to discuss story ideas. All article submissions are due Monday at noon. Letters, Listings, Classifieds, and Events are due Thursday at 9am and should be sent to listings@trentarthur. ca. Advertisers are encouraged to contact advertising@ trentarthur.ca for ad rates and contracts.
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An Open Letter to Trent Students Aramark has been in the press a lot lately, and all under their own actions. Their actions as described in last week’s article regarding the Indigenous Elder’s Conference is only the latest black mark on Trent University, which we students have to wear. As the Vice-President Student Issues, I have been to nearly all the universities in Ontario and many of the colleges; students everywhere complain about their food service provider. However, only at Trent University have I met students that are ashamed and embarrassed of our food service provider. At the TCSA we have started the largest and most compressive student survey of food on campus. Over 600 students have contributed to the project (nearly twice as large as an administrative lead survey) and we are now in the process of developing our recommendations to make food better at Trent.
We intend to infuse student’s lived experiences into our project to demonstrate the effects of food on our lives. If you have encountered similar experiences as those shared in last week’s article please send them to food@trentcentral.ca. It is important to note where our ire originates - in stories like the Elder’s Conference, quality, health and cost. However students have overwhelming love for the Aramark staff, they have received glowing reviews. If we want to see a new food service provider on campus, we as students as well as faculty and visitors need to raise our voice and demand change. If we sit silent our needs will be ignored. Brea Hutchinson
Hopefully the last person to bitch about hipster bullshit I fear that as of late the Letters section has been plagued by a strangely hateful argument about (contrary to the original author’s opinion) a certain group of people. The author refers to these people (I do insist they are people, by the way) pejoratively as “hipsters,” and rhetorically(?) asks why people arguing against his/her/their letter do not identify themselves as hipsters even though they all “qualify as being people who do things that hipsters do or wear what hipsters wear.” I would like to respond to that not-at-all rhetorical question. I think the answer is a fairly simple one, and found within the author’s own letter: the term “hipster” is not a self-descriptive term. It is used by other people to describe an ill-defined group of people who do some things differently than what would be considered by some to be standard. There are a hundred different reasons why someone might be
called a hipster. I’ve been called a hipster for drinking PBR, but also for drinking Red Stripe, Sapporo, Publican House, Mill St., among others. However, it is not being a fan of beer that defines the hipster, as I have also been called one for drinking a Gin and Tonic. I’m sure if in frustration I gave up drinking I would become a hipster for being straight edge. The term is so loosely used that it’s lost all meaning. I don’t think the original author has convinced anyone that hipsters are bad, and I think it will be hard to do so until that term comes to mean something. If it does it will become clear that the venomous attitude presented is one which serves no postive ends, but rather demeaning, hateful ones solely based on the author’s inability to accept difference. Pat Reddick
Letters
RE: Water Street Residence I appreciate Brandon Koebel’s response; I sincerely appreciate all the discussion on this topic. However, there are a few things I feel I ought to respond to. The ad on the back of Arthur is misleading, almost to point of shamefulness. Our new “Red Brick” buildings will not be set on some beautiful grass setting, no, ours will be surrounded by three sides of concrete retaining wall, to ensure the hill doesn’t collapse onto the project. The grey-concrete retaining wall will be at places three-stories high. On remaining forth side, there will be a chain-linked fence and a four-lane road. The other “Red Brick” buildings across the province (and I have seen many of them because the owners gave me several tours) are not surrounded like a prison. I think this little fact will make a difference in how students enjoy their accommodations. Further, this project appears to have been pushed for as a revenue source and not a solution to student housing. Why do I suppose this? There will be negligible green space, and most damning I think was a comment made by the City’s Director of Planning, which he stated at a Council meeting “we did not consider the impacts of sound on the students. Our sound study was focused only on neighbours.” I am of the opinion, if this was for the students, the sound study might have taken us into consideration. When I asked Council to conduct such a study, they rejected the need to investigate the effects of 350 students, a four land road and three concrete retaining walls, stating that “student’s can close their windows.” If the university were honest and said ‘Yea this is just a money grab!’ instead of ‘[sic] Thom Symons envisioned a three-story concrete retaining wall’ my bitterness would reside. Brea Hutchinson
Send your Letters to the Editor about this or another issue to: editors@trentarthur.ca
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What’s your opinion about KONY 2012?
False advertising from London Property Co. Dear Editor, I am writing to you in order to draw attention to what I think is a misrepresentation of facts by the London Property Co., the corporation owns the residence building being built on Water Street opposite the entrance to Symons Campus. I was compelled to write because last week I was discussing the private residence with a friend who happened to mention what a great deal this residence was going to be for students. “It’s only $350.00 a month,” my friend said, citing an advertisement put up on Kijiji by the corporation. Having been extensively involved in the campaign against the private residence last year and at times reporting on the story for your newspaper I found it hard to believe and decided to check out the ad for myself. Sure enough, on the advertisement the price is listed at $363.00 per month, that is great deal for students! That is until I scrolled down and read what was written below; it turns out that this figure is not the price of rent at all. The lease agreements that London Property Co. are offering students are in fact for eight months at $575.00 per month in a three bedroom apartment or $550.00 per month in a six bedroom. According to the company’s advertisement, that works out to $363.00 “over a twelve month budget”. Unfortunately the advertisement neglects to mention that students don’t actually get to live in their townhouse for a full third of that ‘twelve month budget.’ On top of that, since the advertisement did not say whether or not utilities were included in that already steep price I checked out London Property Co.’s website where I found a memo stating that “in almost all our places, utilities are the tenants responsibility.” The memo then listed
that electricity, water, gas, hot water heater rental, internet and cable, are all extras that students would need to pay for on top. According to an estimate by Peterborough Utilities Group, the price of electricity alone for 1633 Water Street averaged approximately $120.00 per month over an eight month period, since students’ leases would be for the winter, the most energy intensive time of the year, that would probably be closer to $150.00. Even split three ways would still mean an extra 50.00 dollars per student just for electricity. With the inclusion of water, cable, internet, phone line, gas, and hot water heater students could be looking at rents of almost (or maybe even more than) $800.00 per month, certainly a far cry from the $363.00 listed in their advertisement. Currently I live in a six bedroom house in the downtown, a five minute walk from The Charlotte Pantry and The Main Ingredient, an eight minute walk from a bus stop, and close enough that I can comfortably walk to Pig’s Ear on Friday night and still stumble home afterwards. All of my utilities are included (even phone, cable, and internet) and I have onsite laundry and free parking. I pay slightly more than $400.00 per month. If London Property Co. thinks that their townhouses are indeed such a great deal for Trent students then one would think that they would be up front and open with their pricing schemes. By attempting to masquerade the actual costs of living in their buildings behind phoney numbers, I can only assume that the company must know that the rooms they’re offering are not nearly worth the price they’re actually asking. Sincerely, Matthew Rappolt
Volume 46 | Issue 21 | March 12, 2012
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national
Iqaluit Fire Leaves Many Questions Unanswered By Carmen Meyette
A 22-unit apartment building being used as student housing has burned down in the northern community of Iqaluit, where housing is already a major issue. It’s likely that fire and political officials in the area have known since as early as spring 2009 that the apartment building and others in the complex did not meet current fire codes and were at serious risk for disaster. With two people confirmed dead and at least 80 made homeless in this incident, questions start to arise as to why this situation was not alleviated before this point, and how come the media has been so quiet regarding this issue. This displaced residents were forced outside in -50 degree weather and have been taken into other residence buildings of the
community college, a local inn and billeted in local homes. The food bank has become active in ensuring the buildings former tenants have access to food, and the Canadian Red Cross has mobilized to provide necessities such as toiletries and clothing. The apartment building, called White Row, was known to fail to meet current fire code and safety standards. It was built 35 years ago—before Nunavut was a territory or Iqaluit a capital. The first building inspector to be involved in the city, Noakes, was hired in 2009, and only worked for about two years before being fired, and moving away. After this point he would not continue in fire inspection work. He recalls finding serious problems with many of the buildings in the community, as well as hearing from locals about the poor
quality of White Row. The landlord company, Nunastar Properties, has claimed that the buildings were updated as needed for safety purposes and given annual inspections for fire safety equipment. Former building inspector, Noakes, upheld that this is not enough as the inspection for fire safety equipment is far from a thorough building inspection. This is not the first of this kind of incident to occur. Almost exactly one year ago, March 24 2011 to be exact, a fire engulfed a 29-unit apartment housing territorial government employees. The question remains about what keeps Canadian press so quiet with regards to the housing crisis in Iqaluit and the Canadian North as a whole. It seems that publications, including Arthur, only find room to
print when a crisis or scandal occurs. Perhaps it is true that to simply say “there is not enough housing, and the existing housing is hardly inhabitable” would begin to take on a broken-record quality after only a few runs. However, awareness of the seriousness of the issue is very low and as a result, it seems, so is pressure on provincial and federal governments to act, fast and seriously, to amend the problem. It also strikes me that maybe Canadians do not want to face crisis in our own back yard. Perhaps it’s only conceivable when it is “somewhere else”. I suppose at the end of the day the question of why Canadian news media fails to move the Canadian public to action against poverty in our own nation. No word seems to be available on the cause of the fire.
Debate Limited while Omnibus Crime Bill Passes through Senate By Sara Ostrowska
While much of Canadian politics news has been buzzing about the robo-call election scandal, Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act, passed its final vote in the Senate at about midnight Friday March 2, with the debate on the bill limited to six hours. The Conservatives used their majority in the Senate to give final approval to Bill C-10, by a vote of 48 to 37. The bill was returned to the House of Commons last Tuesday, with six amendments proposed by the Senate,
relating to the terrorism section of the bill, and was expected to pass last Wednesday. However, the NDP managed to postpone a final vote on the bill in the House of Commons to early this week. The Conservatives also used their majority to limit debate on the bill to six hours. The government campaigned on a promise to pass the omnibus crime bill within 100 days of taking office, and limiting debate was done to ensure that this would happen. Despite the delay caused by the procedural tactics of the NDP, the bill is still expected to pass within the 100 day time frame.
The Liberals were angry about the limitation on the debate, saying that there was still enough possible opposition to the bill. Also, the seven newest senators may not have had the chance to review every transcript and piece of evidence. Senator James Cowan, the Liberal leader in the Senate, said, “It is not a one-size-fitsall justice system. Criminal justice is not a vending machine, where you press a button—A1, B5 or B6—and out pops a sentence. Vending machines usually dispense junk food. We should aim for something higher when we dispense justice to Can-
adians.” Only one Conservative voted against limiting debate: Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, who was also expected to vote against final passage of the bill because of its drug sentencing provisions. The Conservative senator claims mandatory minimum sentences and other legal sanctions will not reduce the crime and violence associated with the cannabis industry. He said, “instead, these laws will serve only to further entrench control of the cannabis market in the hands of violent criminals and waste precious tax dollars.”
Fighting for student rights in Quebec By Ayesha Asghar
Tens of thousands of students have walked out of their classes in the past few weeks and declared strike
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due to rising tuition fees. On Wednesday, March 7, 2012, police used tear gas at the protesting students in downtown Montreal. Four people were injured
during that commotion. The injuries reported were minor although two people were taken to hospital to be treated for trauma. Also, several students were arrested, some tackled by police and tied plastic ties around their wrists before hauling them away. Even though Quebec as a province has the lowest tuition fees in Canada, out-of-province students pay much higher than the resident students. The province says the increase is suppose to help in sustaining Quebec universities. The increase is supposed to be an extra $325 per year for the next five years. Though students don’t agree with the increase and represent the argument of equity and discouragement for people who would want to go to university in the future, Premier Jean Charest thinks that the plan is needed to keep Quebec universities competitive. This is not the first time Quebec students have called for strike on rising tuition fees: stu-
dent went on strike in 2007 and had a massive strike in 2005. This huge success by students to have their demands met barely made it into mainstream media, which as a result didn’t make any impact in school outside of Quebec. Thus, this year students have been spreading the news through different media outlets so that people are more informed. The organising of such a huge strike hasn’t been an easy task in the face of daunting administration of different universities. The administration of CEGEP LevisLauzon has banned the student union last week to visit classes, i.e. conducting any kind of mobilisation on campus. For class announcements, now one needs to have written notices from professors, though it is a common practice but apparently it’s the first time such ban has been placed on student unions. Students are blocking different universities administrative buildings all over the province. Some
150 students blocked access to the Complexe des Sciences PierreDansereau at UQAM on Monday, while another group of students blocking access to CEGEP Rosemont in Montreal. According to stopthehike.ca, around 123,000 students have been on strike as of Monday. It not just the students who have approved of strike are “leftist/radical/communist” students, they are students, community members from different social and educational backgrounds. FECQ [the CEGEP student federation] which is considered more conservative in student movement officially went on strike March 2, two weeks after the beginning of strike by CASSEE. If you would like to know about more live updates and videos, you can visit the 2012 Quebec Student General Strike page on Facebook where organisers regularly update on any development.
national
Robocalls? What? By Sara Ostrowska
Elections Canada is now investigating more than 31,000 reports of misinforming robo-calls and harassing live calls in 77 ridings. The Conservative Party has been accused of being behind these calls for weeks now, with critics arguing that the party may have used these tactics to swing results in its favour. After it was revealed that Elections Canada was investigating an incident in Guelph of voters being called on the phone and told to go to polls that didn’t exist during last spring’s federal election, people across Canada have come forward, reporting calls of the same nature, or of harassment by people claiming to be calling on behalf of certain political parties. Mr. Dean Del Mastro has claimed that our own Peterborough riding has been affected by mysterious callers claiming to be a part of his campaign, although he will not release the names of those complaining. He has reported the misleading calls to Elections Canada, calling for an investigation of all parties for inappropriate phone calls to voters. He is one of the only two Conservatives to come forward with such complaints. There have been rallies in Ottawa, and Vancouver. Last weekend, several cities nation-wide including Toronto, Calgary, Guelph, and Peterborough, joined the wave of protest over the scandal and about the state of democracy in Canada. The NDP introduced a motion that calls for the government to make three changes to the Elections Canada Act in the next six months: to give Elections Canada more investigative power (such as the ability to force political parties to provide documentation of their expenses), to require that all telecommunication companies register with Elections Canada during a general election if they are to provide voter contact services, and to require that these companies identify and verify the identity of their election clients (the political party that hired them). In response, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said:
“Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to such a proposal.” One Conservative MP, Maurice Vellacott, has spun the robocall scandal in a different direction, claiming that Elections Canada will find that it is “significantly responsible” for the robocalls. He blames Elections Canada for “too frequently provid[ing] incorrect information” and having technical difficulties with electronic phone lists. The spokesman for the Prime Minister, Andrew MacDougall, has expressed that these views are Vellacott’s own, and that “The Conservative Party has been cooperating fully with Elections Canada.” Conversely, Mr. Dean Del Mastro, who stood in for Harper to respond in the House of Commons last Monday, insisted that the Liberals alone are at fault for the scandal, demanding that they release records of calls made on the Liberals’ behalf during the last election, but denying that the Conservatives should release their own records. Recently, there have been accusations of a lastminute influx of previously unregistered voters who cast ballots in the Eglinton-Lawrence riding in Toronto, and that there were at least 2,700 applications for late registration to vote in this riding that failed to provide addresses or gave false or non-residential addresses, according to CBC News. Failing to provide an address, or providing a false or non-residential address, violates Elections Canada rules. Furthermore, there are talks of court challenges of the election results by two different MPs. Where incumbent Liberal MP Anthony Rota had lost last May’s election to Conservative Jay Aspin by 18 votes, in Nipissing-Timiskaming the Liberals have said that they’ve collected at least 30 complaints of misleading calls. Elections Canada has been concentrating on interviewing voters in this riding. The other MP to legally challenge the election results is from Toronto: former Etobicoke Centre Liberal MP, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, lost by 26 votes to Conservative Ted Opitz.
He claims that he has evidence of voter suppression, and evidence that some people may have voted in his riding without proper verification of their identity and thus that a significant number of ineligible voters could have possibly voted in his riding, swaying the election results. One of the last successful federal challenges of election results under similar circumstances was in 1988, in Maurizio Bevilacqua’s York North riding; however, the issue was not over allegations that a rival party had violated the Elections Act; it was an error made by Elections Canada. A new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll, claiming to have surveyed a representative sample of 1001 Canadians online, has found that “81% want an independent investigation to find out exactly who was behind any misleading robocalls that may have been made in the May 2011 federal election.”
“Nuclear Cluster” planned for Peterborough By Zach Ruiter
GE Peterborough, Shield Source tritium sign manufacturing, and other local companies interested in new nuclear opportunities met with the Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation (PAE EDC) in late November to discuss forming a “nuclear cluster”. The Examiner reported that Ron Oberth, the President of Ontario CANDU Industries (OCI) told municipal staff “Here’s a chance to create jobs and create a clean-technology industry”. The nuclear opportunities defined by GPA EDC website include: uranium mining, conversion and enrichment, power generation, the management of nuclear waste, and research and development. Outspoken anti-nuclear activist Dr. Helen Caldicott told Arthur “I look forward to Trent students closing down the Peterborough GE plant within a year and that [Shield Source] tritium processing plant closed also within a year for the health and well being of the residents of Peterborough”. Although GE Peterborough claims the constant emissions of low level radiation from the full-scale nuclear facility in downtown Peterborough are “within the regulatory limits”, Dr. Caldicott claims “any uranium, low levels, it doesn’t matter, all uranium, U-238 and U-235 are a deadly, deadly, toxin and the half life of uranium is 4.5 billion years”. Arthur contacted Dr. Gordon Edwards, of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, who claimed “low levels of radiation are a complete falsehood”, Edwards claims “Low-Level uranium is twice as radioactive as depleted uranium which was used in munitions in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, which have been shown to cause cancers and birth defects in local populations and war veterans”.
local
Cameco, one of the largest producers of uranium in the world, is expecting to double its uranium production by 2018. Cameco, along with the French nuclear company Areva, mines approximately 30 to 40 percent of the world’s uranium supply in Saskatchewan. The Government of Saskatchewan has committed upwards of $30 million dollars to develop the Canadian Nuclear Studies centre at the University of Saskatchewan. Cameco has made regular donations in the millions of dollars over the past decade to the University of Saskatchewan, where Trent’s President Dr. Stephen Franklin served as the Vice President of Research from 2003 to 2009. The economic incentives offered by a nuclear cluster in Peterborough are part of a province wide nuclear renaissance that is to include massive expansion of nuclear power in Ontario. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is presently rebuilding two reactors at its Bruce Nuclear facility on Lake Huron. OPG is two years late and two billion dollars over budget according to figures released Angela Bischoff of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance. “They want to refurbish four of the existing reactors at Bruce B and rebuild four reactors at Darlington and build two new reactors at Darlington” she says. According to Bischoff, they are planning on spending upwards of $80 billion dollars, an amount which she argues “could usher in the green energy age”. “We didn’t want it then and we don’t want it now” argued Trent History grad student Matthew Davidson, last spring at the Darlington Joint Review Panel on expanding the aging Darlington nuclear power station that sits on the shore of Lake Ontario only 66km south of Peterborough. Local activist Roy Brady commented, “we do have a sort of anti-nuclear cluster here in the Peterborough area, but we may have to step up the resistance”.
Volume 46 | Issue 21 | March 12, 2012
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campus
Harper’s Costly Prison Expansion Plan Libertarians By Lana Nolan-Bolton
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephan Harper’s government has been accused by the opposition of putting more money into prisons, while ignoring the best interest of Canadian citizens. Harper allegedly is putting over $158 million dollars into the prison system. The millions of dollars will be spent to expand the prisons in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec. The expansion consists of creating 634 new spaces—with over 2,700 additional beds for men and women detained in prison. However, Harper’s judgments have been heavily criticized. Many are confused as to why Harper is expanding the prisons, when the crime rate in Canada has been progressively decreasing over the past years. Statistics Canada reported in 2011 that, “The national crime rate has been falling steadily for the past 20 years and is now at its lowest level since 1973.” Neil Boyd, a criminologist at Simon Fraser University in an interview with
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CBC news last year said, “they want to spend billions of dollars building prisons, saying that there is a real problem with crime. The truth of the matter, through police reported data and victimization surveys, is that crime is down, not up.” New year, same problem. The Conservative party remains intent on spending millions of taxpayer’s dollars on the prison expansion. And Boyd is certainly not the only one concerned with the government’s agenda. Many people, including the opposing parties, believe the money could be used for more useful things such as the pension plan for baby boomers, rehabilitation for drug addicts, and facilities to house the mentally ill—all of which the Conservative party has failed to attend to. Liberal Public Safety Critic Mark Holland said to The Toronto Star, “they’re spending money, but they’re spending it in all the wrong places. Police basically are using prisons as repositories for the mentally ill because they have nowhere else to send them.” The Conservative party defends their plan by stating that their expansion plan is in fact intended to help everyday Canadians.
While they acknowledge the overall crime rate is decreasing, the government argues that gang related crime is increasing. “Our government is proud to be on the right side of this issue—the side of law-abiding citizens, the side of victims who want justice, and the side that understands the cost of a safe and secure society is an investment worth making” said Conservative MP Gordon O’Conner. The opposition accused Harper’s government of being driven by ideals that are unrealistic. New Democrat MP Joe Comartin said, “bottom line, it doesn’t do anything at all to increase the safety of our citizens.” Harper’s Bill C-10—the bill that introduced minimum prison sentences for drug related offences—may increase the number of prisoner’s in the prison system, perhaps justifying the expansion plan for the government. According to The Toronto Star, the introduction of Bill C-10 may increase the number of inmates by upwards of 4,000 men and women. Harper’s ‘tough on crime’ approach to crime in Canada will no doubt continue to be scrutinized by the opposition and the rest of Canada.
organize (as individuals) on campus By Anthony P. Gulston
For months now, starkly designed and vaguely ominous posters have been on campus (mostly the East Bank) for Trent Liberty. Trent Liberty is a, small but growing, group of Economic Libertarians who meet on campus to talk politics and watch Libertarian themed movies and TV shows. The group mostly consists of Economics students and has one business student amoungst its ranks. During an interview on Trent Radio’s Smooth Operator, founder Scott Berry cited the frustration of having conversations with students surrounding capitalism as one of the reasons for gathering the Libertarians of Trent. The need for the group comes from what Berry has experienced to be a misunderstanding of what capitalism is and what freedom looks like; in the pages of Arthur, in class, and at parties. Trent Liberty asserts that we do not have capitalism in Canada today, we have “corporatism.” Pure capitalism would be unregulated by any laws, taxes or state control of any kind. “Representational democracy is a problem” and fosters “cronyism.” Benevolent, socially conscience market behaviour will come from negative externalities, specifically the avoidance of negative externalities. In economics speak, a negative externality is external to the market of voluntary exchange and negatively effects prices. It is also known as the social cost. So, if a producer of oil pollutes the communities around the production site and in turn has to ship in workers because the local communities are sick, this is a negative externality because it would increase the cost of doing business. But Berry was quick to assure Trent Radio’s Smooth Operator that “we don’t necessarily see individuals as profit maximizers, we see them as utility maximizers.” Utility for economists being satisfaction. So money is there to merely facilitate satisfaction—a spill over from voluntary exchange. But Cambridge economist Joan Robinson warns of the feedback loop this kind of thinking can foster: “Utility is the quality in commodities that makes individuals want to buy them, and the fact that individuals want to buy commodities shows that they have utility.” She is also not the only economist to point out that someone’s satisfaction is not directly observable and highly variable. Berry holds strong that, “you wouldn’t have happiness or contentment without profit.” Trent Liberty goes beyond economics though to put forth a political agenda surrounding freedom and liberty. Freedom from economic regulation, freedom to do whatever you would like (so long as it does not harm others). When evoking freedom though, there are some constraints that Trent Liberty would like in place, that’s why they are not Trent Anarchy. Laws protecting individuals from violence and laws protecting freedom should be the goals of Canada’s small government. Without the constraints of having to contribute to and be privy to a social safety net, Trent Liberty feels that people would still take care of others in the form of charity. Canada’s social safety net is equivocal to “a gun pointed to your head,” forcing you to be charitable. To get involved you can attend the next Trent Liberty meeting or movie night, follow them on Twitter (@TrentLiberty) or ‘Like’ them on Facebook. Trent Liberty is the efforts of a small group of dedicated Trent citizens, seeking like minded individuals in order to have their voice heard on campus.
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GLOW 2K12
Dancing their collective butts off By Cornel Grey
It was a rainy night it was, the evening of March 2, 2012. Owing to circumstances beyond my control, I found myself arriving at The Venue later than anticipated, adequately soaked by the heavy rain and resigned to a line full of elegantly dressed partygoers who were as eager to take refuge from the sky’s pelting water bullets as I was. For the approximate half hour that I stood outside in the cold, I contemplated the viability of trying to write an informed article under my current circumstances of tardiness and imminent illness (owing to getting wet by the rain). I decided to turn those within my relatively small network to get their comments on what happened. The following paragraphs detail the events of the night according to some of the patrons that were there along with my own minor recollection for the time I was there. The show was put on by PromoKing, an enterprise owned by Kingston Imoh, a student here at Trent in collaboration with the Trent Dance Team (TDT) and Next Entertainment. The judges for the evening were also Trent students and former winners of the competition; Devon Bowers, Keith Macfarlene and Shani Victorin. Occupying the positions of hosts for the evening were Ashni Ramsammy and Kai Kramer, who are, as I understand it, recent Trent alumni. There were special performances by the TDT’s alumni, inclusive of Jessica Keatings, Sugaray Robinson, Nina Erhabor, and Sai Sivakumar. The audience was treated to a display of talent by the TDT’s contemporary group as well. Rap was on the evening’s itinerary as well as Mbogeni Mtewa opened up the show with two rap songs. Before I forget to mention, patrons (for the most part) adhered to dress code imposed by promoters. White was the choice of the evening, and it clothed partygoers in a variety of styles, sizes and textures. As for the competing teams, there were four of them; Northbuck, Black Snow, On-Point and MissFitz. Crew Name: Northbuck Captain: William “Sledge” Haywood Members: Amadeus “Primal” Marquez, Edrich “Eazy E” Barcley, Jamari “Rhino” Whittaker, Jasper “SMG” Ly, Paul “Kaze” Thurton Crew name: Black Snow Captain: Cherise Williams Members: Judenne Roache. Anna Nikolaeva, Elizaveta Chetverikova Crew name: On Point Captain: Meekae Devonish-Banks Members: Saskia Griffiths, Kelli Degregory, Tyneka Allen, Doreen Appiah-kubi
Crew name: MissFitz Captain: Kristina Lewis Members: Jordan Kupferschmidt, Emily Burtch, Madalyn Howitt, Jill Lavigueur “Northbuck dance crew (overall Glow winners) from Toronto was very charismatic and energetic throughout their whole performance. They rocked the crowd with hip-hop and dubstep tracks whiles entertaining them with hard-hitting moves such as “krumping”, “popping”, and “freezing”. Overall, this team was very precise and a joy to watch, they really deserved first place. Black Snow Dance crew (2nd place winners) came out with a very diverse dance routine. They not only danced sharply and gracefully to the sounds of popular hip-hop hits such as “Tyga- Rack City” and “Beyonce- Run the World (Girls)”, they also incorporated some dancehall with the hit “Clarks” by Vybz Kartel. The girls were very clean and appeared to thoroughly enjoy their dance. They really deserved the uproar of applause they received! On Point (3rd place winners) really lived up to their name! They really brought the heat with various dancehall and hip-hop mixes that had the crowd bumping throughout the whole performance. Dressed in camouflage attire, the crew members of “On point” really executed their moves in a confident and powerful fashion, giving the other teams a run for their money! MissFitz (4th place winners) as a part of Trent’s Dance Team, these girls really brought a very lively and technical routine to the show. They incorporated pop hits into an overall very entertaining performance with a few acrobatic surprises in the mix.” -Riche Sands “GLOWing appeared to be great experience. It is fairly easy to imagine how pumped up we were after the performance knowing that our commitment was rewarded. However, the real reward for more than a month of non-stop night practices was not the place we got eventually but the feeling we got during the performance: hearing the beats in the speakers and the crowd cheering. I am grateful to Trent Dance Team and everyone in charge of the GLOW organization for giving me those pumped up kicks. Despite certain details on the Venue’s side that could be much better organized (I am sure they could be!), this event was undoubtedly a perfect example of the students’ dedication to dance and performing in general. Being brought to work together to compete with nearly professional dancers from Peterborough and Toronto and watching Trent Dance Team Alumni Dance was definitely worth practicing, falling and getting bruises for the whole month of practices”. -Anna Nikolaeva
Photos by Andrew Tan
Run, Grab tickets now! By Carmen Meyette
“He Left Home”, orchestrated by the CUST 4070 Advanced History and Theory of Theatre class and volunteer actors, is a must-see play right now. The absurd comedic tragedy is an artful demonstration of topics including communism and the family structure, expertly directed by Diana Manole. Diana brings an experienced personal interpretation of the play to the stage, one not found in simply reading the lines. Even better perhaps, than just knowing the final product is a success, is knowing that the people involved really put their heart into it. Of course, we only really see the success which can be demonstrated on stage. The students themselves demonstrate the many successes and reasons to support this type of activity at Trent, in course form, and as an
extracurricular opportunity. For example, Robert Reid, who plays Benjamin Hooper, tells us “I’ve learned a lot through this experience and I hope to keep this knowledge in mind for future shows”. A little peek into what kind of experience students are taking from this is given by choreographer Paula Campbell: “The dances in the play were a collective contribution and a true team effort”. Katie McLinton, who has a triple role of gravedigger, fat man, and spy, wants you to know that “it was great to meet everyone and we have a really fun dynamic, which shows on stage.” Following the theme of appreciation for her teammates in this project, Leah Radda, playing a lead role of Eve, tells us that “nothing compares to the experience of working with such a silly bunch of like-minded individuals”.
Ashley Hundeck, playing a duel role of gravedigger and fat man, calls the course and play “an amazing experience”. Director Diana expressed much love for all of the students, noting that they had excellent dedication, and were truly on top of memorizing lines and rehearsing with care. She says: “Thank you to cultural studies, and professor Victoria de Zwaan, for making this all possible.” So if you’re looking for an enjoyable evening, an interesting piece to get you thinking, and to see what this team of Trent students have been up to all year, go see the play. I’d go more into depth about what the play really digs into, but I don’t want to ruin it for you. As of the publication of this paper, there will be one more showing. Catch the play Tuesday March 13, at 8pm at Market Hall. The price is a donation at the door.
Volume 46 | Issue 21 | March 12, 2012
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Trent Central Student Elec
President of the TCSA
My name is Brea, and I am running to become the President of the TCSA. Currently I am the Vice-President of Student Issues for the TCSA. During my time I have engaged with students, defended student rights, and brought unprecedented attention to our concerns. For example, we started the largestever food service consult on campus. We talked to over 600 students, asking them how they would change food at Trent for the better; now we are working to make those changes. And this is only the beginning. During my term, I expanded our on-campus food bank, making it a service that is now useful to students and funded so that when students are in need, they have a place to go. In the upcoming year we need to continue on this success and step up our efforts even more. For the TCSA to be successful we need to expand the services we offer. We need to make the TCSA the place where students come when they need assistance. We can accomplish this by reviewing our current services, finding room for improvement and looking for new services that will help all students at Trent. Further to increase our abilities to advocate and help students we need to use our committees, our volunteers, and hundreds of our connections across the university to raise our needs and our desires in an effective manner. For these reasons, I am running to be the President of our student association. I am the candidate that has the experience, knowledge and abilities to lead the TCSA to another amazing year.
Hello my name is Spencer Anderson and I am running for the position of TCSA President. I had the pleasure of sitting on both the TCSA Board of Directors and Champlain College Cabinet this past year as TCSA Commissioner. I have seen this university from multiple angles and there is willingness for positive change from both administration and students. During this period of change at Trent University, strong leadership and strong student representation is required. As TCSA President, my top priority would be to break down the communication barriers that currently exist between various student organizations such as College Cabinets, clubs and groups and the student population in general. For the student voice to be heard it is essential to have fluid communication across all levels of student representation. I would look to improve and expand upon the successful services that the TCSA currently provides such as Transit and Health Benefits, as well as look to acquire new services such as a student run food service. I would also make it a priority to advocate for more student space on campus. The 2011-2012 TCSA Board of Directors developed a strategic plan for the direction of the TCSA. It is now the responsibility of the president and the executive to guide the Association in a positive direction as we continue to grow. If elected TCSA President, I will maintain the transparency of the Association while always being available to student suggestions and concerns. United we are stronger. One Love.
Vice President Student Issues
Hello my name is Lindsey Musclow and I am running for the position of Vice President of Student Issues. As the Mature and Transfer student commissioner with the TCSA, I have learned a great deal about myself and about what it means to be a leader. The TCSA has helped me to learn about the Central’s main goals and objectives and, what I am truly passionate for which is helping students. I believe I would be a good candidate as I do have experience in the field of advocacy as I was trained as a police officer before attending university. I want to help the students by fighting for their rights which is why I want to push to have the student’s day of action become bigger than it was in the past. This year we made great head way with our day of action and I would like to see it become larger with it being a solid day of action, with more students being aware of student issues and take them to those who can make change. I want to look deeper into the services available to students to see if we can make them better and make them aware of what the Central can do for them as I find many people are unsure of what the central actually does. I would like to seek out and support new services that could benefit students. I would like to see our school utilize the Canadian Federation of Students more and make people aware of the services and rights that they are fighting for on a national level. My name is Lindsey and I want to put students first.
My name is Tessa Nasca and I am running for TCSA Vice President Student Issues. I am an international student studying Indigenous Environmental Studies. During my involvement on the TCSA Board of Directors as a volunteer equity commissioner and member of the Student Issues Committee, I have gained an understanding of the role of the VP Issues, and I am confident that I have the experience and capacity to do the job well. To me, the most important aspect of a VP Issues is their ability to listen and to engage with students on the ground. I want to hear from you. How can we use our collective voices to make Trent a safer, more accessible, and positive environment for all students? As the VP Student Issues, I will be asking you these questions. At a time when our food service contract is up for negotiation, the bookstore cuts gross yearly revenue of over $5 million from student pockets, and the University is planning to expand enrollment in the face of overcrowding, student voice is more important than ever. As VP Issues, I am willing to listen to you. I am willing to work with administration, but also to stand up to them when need be. I am willing to organize campaigns to give you an outlet to express your voice. The bottom line is that the issues effecting students matter to me. You matter to me. It’s time to expand and improve our student union together.
My name is Anthony Obi. I am a second year Business Administration student from Nigeria. I am running for the position of TCSA VP Student Issues. In the two years I have been at Trent, I have developed great interest, love and passion for the university and have got to learn more about Trent, my constant involvement in the activities that goes on in the Trent community has given me a good understanding of the university, This also gave me the inspiration to run for the position of VP Student Issues. In my stay at Trent I have noticed some issues in areas such as Food, Housing and Bus transit and I feel these issues affect students everyday life and should be addressed. In my stay at Trent I have been involved in volunteer work for Trent International Programme (TIP), Trent African and Caribbean Student Union (TACSU) and Trent Central Student Association (TCSA). Through my involvement and participation while at Trent University I have become more culturally aware and culturally intelligent with respect to those around me and as a result I have become aware of some of the challenges different cultures as well as Trent students in general may face and provide appropriate solutions for them. I ask you to believe not just in my ability but also in yours and cast your vote in confidence knowing you are voting for the right candidate.
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ction Campaign Platforms
My name is Ernest and I am a second year business student. I am running for the position of Vice-President Campus Life for the TCSA. I joined Trent in 2010. After an engaging ISW week, I started participating, volunteering and taking part in TCSA and TISA events as much as I could. I have volunteered with the TACSU. Over the past year I was nominated and elected as the Vice-President of the same regional group and I currently sit on the executive board. I have planned events of all scales such as barbeques, welcome back parties and even our biggest event - known as Afrobana. All these events were successful and we managed to grow tremendously in terms of diversity in comparison with the previous years. Currently I am Trent Ambassador at the liaison office in Blackburn. If I am elected I plan to increase synergy between clubs, groups, colleges and the TCSA as a whole, as I believe with lack of time and the prevailing opportunity cost of money, students are being forced to pick between events of their clubs, groups, colleges or the TCSA itself. With that said, I believe that in a very multicultural community such as at Trent, we need to take each other into consideration and provide events that are fun, educational and that create life long bonds between students from all around the globe. I believe if we can do this, and do this effectively, then we will have managed to Redefine Campus Life in the most positive and beneficial way for all Trent students. Name is Aladdin Hasmani and I am a 3rd year Business/Biology student at Trent University. I am running for the position of VP Campus Life for the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA). I have served on the TCSA Board as an executive VP of Finance for about a year now. Some of the duties performed were budgeting, administering 90 clubs and groups, planning events, advocating for students, and most importantly making the right decisions for students. The executives have done a phenomenal job this year. Some highlights include getting transit passes to run through the summer, first ever Frost Week, collaborating with all four College Cabinets, and making Gardasil cheaper for students. This is what I have been a part of and I continue to strive to serve students and create new opportunities to seize. My passion for planning coupled with my experience has led me to run for VP Campus Life. Throughout my Trent experience I have
VP Campus Life
As VP Campus Life it will be my goal to provide not only good programming, but good programming from student input. It is clear that Trent has an abundance of events and social activity, however it is often skewed and under promoted because of the lack of co-ordination with other groups. It is my goal to have not only more communication between College Cabinets, the TCSA, the Administration and Clubs and Groups, as well as individual student events but better, more academically and socially driven events that will benefit students. This includes academic programming, and building a stronger bond between students and faculty. I believe my experience on the TCSA this past year has put me in a position of great opportunity to fulfill the role of VP Campus Life to carry out the social and academic needs of students with regards to programming. I helped co-ordinate Frost Week, worked on ISW staff, and participated in College Cabinet and TCSA for the past two years. I have the experience to fulfill the position and benefit all of Trent’s students.
been extremely involved with student clubs, cabinet, and the TCSA. Some involvements include Otonabee College Cabinet Chair, Social Rep, and Director of Publicity of the South Asians’ Association at Trent. The Vice President of Services has done a remarkable job by holding traditional and new events that have peaked to a new horizon. I plan to continue the same concept and seize new opportunities wherever found. First and foremost, I strongly believe that there is a tremendous amount of musical talent at Trent and in the greater Peterborough Area. We must give these students/bands the opportunity to play on campus to share their talents. I would like to see more student involvement by being a part of extracurricular activities. I plan to carry on the traditional events such as Introfest, Dionysus, and Frost Week which have become very close to students hearts. These three events are amazing, but I believe we should do more. Let’s bring in three bands throughout the academic year rather than one.
Let’s bring in comedians and guest speakers. Let’s provide first years with more to do as their options are very limited. Let’s put a budget line aside for student run events; if a student has great idea for an event they could requisition to use the funds in the budget line. I am not trying to Redefine Campus Life but to innovate and bring more to students. Part of being on the executive is not just about holding events but about having the knowledge of, and making decision about, key issues on campus i.e. Aramark’s contract ending soon, long wait times for counselling appointments, limited food options for Muslims on campus, sexual assaults, and an apparent segregation of domestic and international students. These are some of the key issues that must be addressed. Vote for Experience. Vote for Passion. Vote for Commitment. Vote for Students. Vote for Aladdin.
The Candidates will be voted in on March 12-15 on campus! Executives: President Spencer Anderson Brea Hutchinson Vice President Student Issues Lindsey Musclow Tessa Nasca Anthony Obi Vice President Campus Life Aladdin Hasmani Mark LaRiviere Ernest Mashingaidze
Equity Commissioners: Environment and Sustainability Commissioner James Abbott Bradley Crouse Christian David Karanga Alexander McKee Ethical Standards Commissioner Edrees Amiyi Francis Dobri International Students Commissioner Rhea Seegobin
Unfilled by publication date: Anti-Racism Commissioner Gender Issues Commissioner Indigenous Students Commissioner Mature and Transfer Students Commissioner Queer Students Commissioner Students with Disabilities Commissioner Women’s Issues Commissioner
Equity Commissioners platforms on the next page along with reasons to vote for a Food Bank levy Volume 46 | Issue 21 | March 12, 2012
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Environment and Sustainability Commissioner Alexander McKee, first year environment science student with an active interest in the environment and actively involved in Trent campus life. I am currently involved in Trent Model United Nations Society, Trent Cross Country and feel that the role of commissioner would give me the added responsibility that I am looking for. I am interested in starting up an environmental society geared towards environmental students but for all those interested in environmentally sustainable initiatives. I enjoy the outdoors and if made Environmental and Sustainability Commissioner would like to examine different aspects of Trent life and would like to improve certain areas in terms of sustainability. My previous experiences as a Student Council President and School Board Trustee have given me many skills necessary in order to be successful as the TCSA Environmental and Sustainability Commissioner. If given this opportunity to grow and take on more responsibility I am prepared to take on new challenges and find new, greener solutions to old problems and improve sustainability practises. My name is Bradley Crouse, I’m currently in my 6th year at Trent University working on 2 degrees simultaneously. My first degree is a Biology Honours B.Sc, my second degree is an Honours BBA in Business Administration with an Economics Minor, and a Human Resources Specialization. During my time here I have represented the university as part of Trent Rowing, and as a member of our JDC (jeux du Commerce/ Commerce Games) Central team, and have completed a leadership citation with the then head of colleges Robin Lathangue. When I was younger I achieved the rank of black belt in ITF style tae kwon do, but I have had to let my skills get rusty while I pursue other opportunities. Over my time here I have participated in events run by BUGS, TBSA, the Seasoned Spoon, and many many more. As I look around our school, I see a place of boundless opportunities and of potential that I feel a deep desire to help nurture. I wish to give back to this school that has given me so much over the years, that I now call it my home. I would be honoured with the opportunity to represent you, my fellow students, on the TCSA and to help bring focus back to the environmental and sustainability concerns that our school has been so well known for in the past through events and campaigns. I look forward to giving back to the community in the coming year, yours truly, Bradley Crouse.
Ethical Standards Commissioner My name is Edrees Amiri and I am a second year Environmental Science major student here at Trent. I was born and raised in Kabul (Afghanistan), then moved to Canada six years ago. My involvement in extra-curricular activities goes back when I was in high school. I served as an Executive Assistant, Lieutenant, and Environment Commissioner in different organizations such as Trent Central Student Association (TCSA). I have also had the opportunity to work for one of the largest government owned energy company, called Hydro One in Facilities and Real Estate department. By experiencing the plurality of different cultures and holding different positions, it gives me the confidence that I can be a great contributor in a better functioning of TCSA as a student organization. If given the opportunity to be your Ethical Standards Commissioner, I ensure that TCSA and Trent University will follow the ethical standards when purchasing products. As your ethical commissioner I will support and raise awareness about the food issues in campus. I will also support and build on Trent’s Food Bank system for students, by ensuring that students know about their options and use the resources to their fullest. I want to ensure that not only my ethical concerns are heard but also those of the student groups, and every student who goes to Trent. To make this plausible I will keep regular office hours and follow up on student inquiries.
International Students Commissioner Hello there! My name is Rhea Seegobin and I am running for the position of International Student’s Commissioner in the TCSA’s 2012 elections. I am currently a third year Forensic Science student here at Trent who is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. I am a goal oriented, dedicated and organized student who understands the importance of excellent communication and people skills. Coming from the Caribbean, I understand the issues and potential problems the international community faces while undertaking a degree away from home. I have volunteered with the TSCA for several events including the 2011 Introductory Seminar Week. I have helped out at several TISA and TACSU events over the past three years here at Trent and I’ve also been involved with a student run organization called TWLOHA-Trent being the Secretary for a year and a half and the Vice President for a year. Voting for me will allow the opportunity for me to act as liaison between the TCSA and the various international organizations at Trent to address any issues and problems as well as to promote international education and awareness in both the Trent and Peterborough community. It will allow for me to speak for you and let your voice be heard. If you vote for me I promise I will do everything I can help Trent’s International community in any way possible!
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My name is Christian David Karanga and I am in my third year at Trent University. I am majoring in Environmental and Resources Science, and I am running for Environment and Sustainability Commissioner. I am passionate about our University and in particular, it’s environment. I would like to improve on the amazing groundwork that has been laid down by the current and previous commissioners, in order to assist Trent in becoming an even better version of the eco-friendly University it is working so hard to be. My involvement in various organizations and causes that work sustainable living and other environmental concerns is a testament to my interest causes that work towards sustainable living and other environmental concerns is a testament to my interest and a sign of why I deserve your vote. I have been involved with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) where I worked on Sustainable Bioenergy Development in my home country, Burkina Faso. I have also been a volunteer at OPIRG where I was responsible to organizing and executing events. I also attended the Muskoka Water Festival, where I was required to educate children about the importance of water resources and conservation. If elected I plan to work in conjunction with the college cabinets which I believe are an untapped resource in order to get first year students more involved in the idea of a “greener” Trent. I also plan to host more educational workshops with guest speakers as a platform to voice opinions, concerns and ideas. I hope to be able to host more engaging inclusive and enlightening days of awareness. I will act as a liaison between the student body and the Environmental Advisory Board to develop and support projects, policies and initiatives at Trent which reduce consumption of resources while enhancing social involvement, “Reuse the past; Recycle the present, Save the future.”
Hello Fellow Trent students, my name is James Abbott. I have decided to run for the position of Environment & Sustainability Commissioner. Being that this is my first year studying at Trent, I have the desire to get involved as much as possible while also being the voice for maintaining sustainability on campus. Before asking for your vote I should tell you a bit about myself, I’m here studying Business Administration and Environmental Science. I am currently a member of the TCSA`s board of directors as the First Year on Residence Commissioner as well I am a member of Gzowski college Cabinet . As I am a business student and am currently on the TCSA, I felt this will be a great asset in helping me communicate my concerns with the issues of environmental sustainability on campus. I hope you all give me the opportunity to work for the TCSA again, as well showcase my talents while protecting what Trent is famous for.
My name is Francis Dobri and I am a third year business student at Trent University. If elected as Ethical Standards Commissioner I will make sure purchases made by Trent stores are up to a strong ethical standard. This would include making sure the products purchased and sold by the school do not use child labour or sweatshops in their production and encouraging the purchasing of fair trade products as well as locally produced foods. Furthermore, I will work to prevent any unscrupulous and wasteful practices performed by student levy groups as well as working towards making more levies refundable. I will also be trying to set in place a system where the individuals who decide which levies are refundable and how they are refunded are not in charge of the levy groups as this is a clear conflict of interest and an unethical business practice. As your student representative I will work hard to make sure your voice is heard by the TCSA as I am there to represent you and your interests. In order to help me voice your opinions best I will make regular office hours where people may come to me with any problems they may have with the school or the TCSA. If elected I will be there for you and I will make sure your voice is heard.
TCSA-ing: Food Bank Levy Prior to this year the on-campus food bank was underutilised, not funded, and few if any students knew of its existence. That changed this year. The TCSA allocated funds to switch the food bank from being a random assortment of donated goods into a flexible and accessible service available to those in need. We have found that the food that is needed outstrips our year-to-year capacity for providing them. Now we are seeking a $1.50 non-refundable levy to ensure that year after year there will be food available for those in need. Further, these funds would be used to heighten awareness of the food bank on campus. Currently the TCSA on-campus food bank does not turn students away and we can provide twice-monthly gift certificates to assist with food. This system ensures students are empowered to purchase their unique needs – diapers, food, fresh produce, milk formula, canned goods or whatever they need at the grocer. Students who wish to use the food bank can stop by the TCSA main office or send an email to food@trentcentral.ca; questions about our levy campaign are always appreciated!
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March 2012 Election Student Seat, Board of Governors, 2012-2014 term Phil Bailey Phil started his involvement in student government as the Director of English Literature in May of 2010 on the Trent in Oshawa Student Association board of directors. This position allowed him to gain valuable experience and knowledge of the functions and responsibilities of a student association. Phil continued his involvement by being elected to the executive position of Vice President of Internal Affairs at the Trent in Oshawa Student Association. Phil is a mature student in his 4th year at Trent in Oshawa where he majors in English and History. He is a member of Trent in Oshawa’s Peer Mentoring and Judicial Affairs Appeals Committee in Peterborough. In his spare time Phil coaches youth hockey and baseball.
Amber Vance I am Amber Vance and I am running to have the student seat for the Board of Governors. I have two years experience on Champlain College Cabinet as a Senator. This experience on Cabinet has given me the opportunity to also sit on Trent University’s other major governing body: Senate for two years as well.
Zankhna Mody Dear fellow students, To most of us, the Trent Board of Governors is an invisible organization that seems very out of touch. However, the Board fundamentally affects student life at Trent University from academic components, to where students live and what food we eat on campus. My name is Zankhna Mody and currently, I’m a full time Trent undergraduate student, completing a B.Sc. Hon in Environmental Studies and Biology. In my years as a student, I’ve been involved with several organizations at Trent and in Peterborough such as the Kawartha World Issues Center (KWIC), Sustainable Trent, the New Canadians Center and Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG). This diversity of roles and my involvement with several aspects of Trent University and the Peterborough community gives me the confidence to equitably represent the student body within the Board of Governors. One of the issues that I’m interested in tackling is the end of Trent University’s contract with the food service provider Aramark in 2013, which if renewed would continue to provide low quality food to Trent students at high prices. I passionately believe that good quality post-secondary education and a healthy student life is a fundamental right for all students, and that Trent University should play a primary role in striving for this goal. If elected, I will advocate on behalf of Trent students and strive to make our University a more accessible, affordable and sustainable campus for all students.
Sitting on Senate gives me the professional experience of being on a prestigious University committee. I have a lot of background knowledge of upcoming and ongoing topics and agenda items the Board of Governors will be visiting. I also bring an understanding of how the University Committee works. I will always vote based strictly on the majority feelings of the entire Trent student population. As a concurrent education student I believe “fair” is something I have become good at demonstrating in classroom situations as well as my everyday life. I will be open to discussions with TCSA and ALL Colleges. My email will be distributed to all Trent students and I guarantee a vote from my hand is a vote from the entire Trent student body.
How to vote: vote online on MLS from March 12 to 15.
Ejaaz Idris Why vote Ejaaz Idris for Board of Governors? If you are looking for a dedicated individual that is driven to represent the student body, I am that candidate. My continued involvement in the Peter Gzowski College Cabinet for the past two years holding treasury positions, combined with my Bachelor of Business Administration focus here at Trent University gives me the analytical ability to best serve the student population. I also have the unique privilege of understanding the University from both a student and staff perspective from my work at the Information Technology department. I believe in a future where Trent University becomes a financially sustainable institution that allows for increased student satisfaction from both an academic and administrative standpoint; my role as a Student representative on the Board of Governors will allow me to accomplish that. After all I believe that this is Our University, Our Money, Our Voice.
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Project X Gets Failing Grade by Brian Lukaszewicz
Remember high school? Remember high school parties? Good! Now instead of going out to see Project X, spend your time reminiscing about all of those great memories. Chances are the characters will be a lot more likeable, the stories a lot funnier, and you’ll get through the night without having your intelligence insulted. It’s pretty much a winwin. Or is that a win-win-win? I find it hilarious now how mysterious the marketing campaign tried to make this movie seem, giving it a title like Project X and making the early trailers as ambiguous as possible. You can probably chalk it all up to an attempt at viral marketing, but the truth is I just don’t think the poor advertising executives had anything to work with. The plot of the movie can be summed up in a sentence – “a high school party got out of hand” – and if you’re looking for any surprises beyond what you’ve probably already seen in said trailers, you aren’t going to find them. In fact, huge chunks of the film are just quick cuts of party footage strewn over a half decent
soundtrack – in other words... the trailer. And yet sadly, I would classify Project X as a predominately plot-based movie, which speaks more to how bad its characters are than anything. Most of them seem like watered down versions of better characters from much more entertaining films, and they’re just so unlikeable it’s hard to find anyone to root for. Take Costa for example: that “hilarious” best friend character who loves to party and is willing to say or do anything to get laid. Gosh, he’s just so outrageous. Naturally it was his idea to throw the party and his fault that it grew so out of control. He’s like Stifler from the American Pie movies, only not funny and with even less redeeming qualities. Or how about J.B., his quiet, slightly chubby accomplice, who serves no other purpose than to sit around absorbing his fat jokes. Even Thomas, the poor sap who’s having his house destroyed, can’t muster up enough sympathy to make you care about his story (he’s *gasp* unpopular). We’re supposed to feel sorry for him as he frets over whether to have sex with the hottest girl in school or finally get together with that girl next door
character, the one who also happens to have supermodel good looks. I can’t remember the last time I was sitting in a theatre hoping that the guy didn’t get the girl. Honestly, she deserves better. It’s that ending though where Project X really falls off the rails. This movie has such a warped rationale you can’t help but walk out of it wondering if it wasn’t a group of high school freshmen who wrote it in the first place. I mean sure, you’ve pretty much totalled your house, the neighbourhood for that matter, and blown most of your college fund as a result. But hey, at least you’re cool now, even if most of the people who now adore you will be at said college in a year. And hey, at least you’re dad respects you... for some reason. The sad truth of the matter is the only people who would probably ever find any enjoyment in this film are too young to see to it. Project X is just a mediocre attempt to capitalize on the current popularity of the found footage genre. Unless you’re looking for an unfunny Superbad imitator with shaky camerawork and none of the heart, I would take a pass on this one.
1.5/5
Volume 46 | Issue 21 | March 12, 2012
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arts
Holy Boltin’ Cassette tapes and St. Patrick’s Day By Matt Jarvis
Cody Ovans is a recent Trent Alum with a laugh that’s about three times too big for his small frame and wry grin. His latest musical project, “The Holy Bolts”, follows in the stead of previous efforts, being well thought, progressive, and LOUD indie rock. Maybe a little like Guided by Voices and early Modest Mouse at their rowdiest. Their recently released album is balanced, well produced and written, their first, and unfortunately also their last. You have two more chances to see Cody et al., so mark it on your freaking calendars. First on Saturday with a million other bands at The Spill’s annual St. Patrick’s wild out, and finally at the Pigs Ear on April 7 supporting local heroes The Muddy Hack. Cody spared some time to chat about fertility, children’s programming, and excessive drinking. Arthur: The song “Save Our Souls”, off your newly released album, contains the lyrics “I’ve been told that it’s romantic to be at a loss for words. I guess that makes me fucking prince valiant as far as I’m concerned.” This social anxiety, coupled with your recent self description in a letter to the editor as a slim jeans wearing music nerd does evoke a kind of cultural aesthetic most of our readers will be familiar with. In my hometown we used to call it “neurotic indie boy” (a title I have also been at the end of). Please use your recently acquired cultural studies degree to ascertain the reason behind the contemporary Canadian swell of disillusioned, thin, well dressed balladeers. C.O.: I’ve always used anxiety as the primary source of inspiration for my song writing. I think it provides an interesting point of view to the outsider while providing catharsis through deconstructing the problem from the source for the writer. I’d argue the best pieces of music written are acts of catharsis, and when you listen to them you can truly feel
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it. I’d take a stab as to say it’s utilizing music in this manner, either through writing or listening, that has given rise to this group of people. The music itself creates a forum in which a community can share experiences and get a glimpse of the way others have dealt with a seemingly endless list of problems, shedding insight on the listener, or just providing a voyeuristic window into someone else’s life. As for the well dressed aspect, sometimes we just want to look pretty. Arthur: You have a very deep voice. In the loosely bordered realm of progressive indie rock that you inhabit this is somewhat of an anomaly. Modern medicine has concluded that deep voices are a symptom of an abundance of testosterone and that the condition is a biological attraction for the female sex, because it indicates increased fertility. What do you think of that? Do you see yourself as the Brad Roberts of indie rock? C.O.: I bought a Crash Test Dummies cassette for a dollar last time I went camping. Brad’s husky voice was so thick and sexy you could cut it with a knife. Though that’s a nice thought, “cuttable” sexiness, I’m not so sure how much it applies to The Holy Bolts. I’d like to think it does, but I’m not sure. I am the antithesis of the testosterone infused male. I’m shamelessly uncoordinated in most organized sports and outright afraid of footballs being thrown towards me. I will also do pretty much anything to avoid any sort of physical confrontation, as looking away and flailing my arms in a slapping motion, though in theory should be menacing, doesn’t prove all that effective in a brawl. That being said, if rocking out while dancing in a twitchy manner is sexy, I have that in spades. This is one of life’s mysteries for sure. Arthur: Sharon, Lois and Bram are referenced in your song “Tailored to the Market”. How much influence has Canadian children’s television programming had on your artistic development? If you were offered creative freedom to
create your own children’s song and dance hour for the CBC would you accept? What would you do? C.O.: I’m certain that children’s programming has leaked influence into the music somehow. Television has a sneaky way of moulding young minds like that. As far as the prospect of my own show, absolutely yes I would. My song writing thus far may or may not subconsciously be a means to that end. The music in my television show would be a string of outlandish cautionary tales warning children about the dangers of unlikely situations. The goal would be to instil some healthy neuroses in kids at an impressionable age. As for the reference in “Tailored,” if I could be half as cuddly as the aforementioned trio I’ve reached success. Arthur: Apparently St. Patrick never chased snakes out of Ireland, because there never have been snakes in Ireland. St. Patrick’s claim to fame was out wowing the awesome Druids with the boring power of Jesus. Oh yeah, and he wasn’t Irish, he was British. Since you’re a feature artist at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, I thought I’d give you a chance to defend ol’ Patty (and his day) and convince some kids to come ruin themselves with green beer this weekend. C.O.: I have very little knowledge of Mr Patrick’s work, but his message is clear. March 17 is an important day for finding arbitrary excuses to drink in excess and listen to sweet rock n’ roll. Luckily both can be found at the Spill on said day. As far as I’m concerned there’s no need to let our saintly friend down. See you there!
The Holy Bolts will be playing on Saturday March 17, 11pm, as part of the all day all night rock and roll St. Patrick’s celebrations at the Spill Coffee Bar on George St.
200 Million Fewer Women in the World Recognizing International Women’s Day
By Yolanda Ajak Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC)
“I don’t need a relationship to define who I am. I will be fine, I am a strong woman” - Unknown International Women’s Day, March 8, is an annual occasion recognized worldwide by the United Nations, women’s groups, and other organizations that recognize the historical struggle of women for equality and social justice. This day assembles women of different racial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, and political backgrounds in unison to celebrate the significance of women’s struggles. As time passed this day has become an extended celebration of peace, strength, and inclusiveness among women and people of diverse social identities. First and foremost, the struggle of women for equality is so significant simply due to the fact that it was initially entrenched in supreme law and marriage vows. Marriage in the 1800’s granted men complete control of women including their bodies and inheritance. Women were controlled by their Fathers, brothers, and husbands, before having any self authority. Along with slaves, servants, the criminally insane, and men who did not own property, women were not recognized as citizens and did not earn the right to vote or participate in any political affairs. The large enlistment of men in World War 1 resulted in a shortage of men taking on the roles of society, resulting in the exposure of women to different types of jobs that were not regularly taken on by women such, as heavy duty labour work, and certain administrative positions. Initially, the right for women to vote was permitted in increments starting with women who served as nurses in WW 1, then women who were British subjects and who were wives, widows, mothers, sisters and daughters of those who had served or were serving in the Canadian or British military or naval forces. Unmarried women and widows were first granted the right to vote in municipal elections in
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Ontario in 1884. Such limited voting rights were eventually approved in other provinces across Canada at the end of the 19th century. However, the bill for women to vote in provincial elections was continuously denied until Manitoba ultimately succeeded in 1916 with Alberta following the same year These laws were eventually replaced with the 19th amendment passed in the United States on June 4, 1920, which was the same time women in Canada earned the right to vote and run for public office. It was not until 1960 that all women including indigenous women over the age of 18 regardless of ethnic background or origin were permitted to vote and run for office in Canada. In 1928, the Supreme Court ruled that women were not “persons” under the British North America Act, and therefore could not be appointed to senate. On October 18, 1929 women were finally declared “persons” under Canadian law and this historical victory was succeeded due to the perseverance of five Alberta Women, Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards. Presently International Women’s Day is commemorated in several other countries (including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Armenia to name a few) as a public holiday whereby government offices, businesses, and educational institutions are closed for the day. While embracing the importance of this day, women are building upon the tradition while acknowledging at least nine decades of struggle. International Women’s Day was initially celebrated by and later adopted by the United Nations to be celebrated on March 8 during International Women’s Year in 1975. Shortly after, in 1977, the U.N General Assembly endorsed a declaration to implement a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, to be recognized by nations in accordance with their national traditions. The aims and objectives in implementing this resolution were to increase awareness on the vital role of women in peace efforts and development, with aims to end discrimination and achieve
women’s full and equal contribution to the world. On March 8, the Kawartha World Issues Centre held a World Issue’s Cafe in the presenting a forum discussion with this year’s theme posing the question, “How do we dismantle a culture that promotes violence and isolation?” The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Nadine Changfoot, Associate Professor in Politics at Trent University while the guest speakers presented different perspectives of their struggles. Sid Jordan and Selma Al-Aswad came to Canada to join us from Seattle, USA, on behalf of the Re-teaching Gender and Sexuality Project and Put THIS on the MAP, discussing issues surrounding homelessness, emotional abandonment, and a lack of having a support network due to their gender and sexuality preferences in addition to heightened racial oppression especially after 9/11. Paula Sherman, Associate Professor in Indigenous Studies, Trent University, and Co-Chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nations, went on to discuss the importance of decolonization and restoration of women’s knowledge, educating the youth, and re-establishing their relationship to the land. Professor Sherman also touched on the injustices that Indigenous women face due to colonial rule evident in the implementation of the Indian act, and the lack of attention paid to the hundreds of murdered and missing Indigenous women in Canada, with their voices seldom heard. Khadija Warsame, Community Activist and Speaker for the New Canadians Centre Speaker’s Bureau, spoke about her flee from the harsh political environment of Somalia with her two kids and pregnant condition, giving birth on the way during her remarkable journey through Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi, to be eventually sponsored by five Peterborough women, bringing her to where she is today. Khadija’s story is an inspiring story of determination, faith, and representing the strength within women. International Women’s Day continues to celebrate the historical significance of women’s struggles while addressing the disadvantages that women still face, within a context of social inclusiveness and a promotion of peace over all.
What happens at PDAC stays at PDAC –
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until now!
By Natalie Guttormsson
Last week Canadians for Mining Awareness went inside the largest mining conference in the world – the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s annual convention in Toronto, Ontario. The main purpose of the conference is to gather small exploration companies together with larger mining companies to work out deals, discuss technical innovations, learn about and promote Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and discuss relations with Aboriginal people. The CSR series and Aboriginal Forum are more recent additions to the itinerary of the conference, which indicate the industry is beginning to move in a better direction. However, it has it has yet to take any significant steps. To give you an image of what it is like to be inside this conference: if you have ever been inside the Toronto Convention Centre, the PDAC convention takes up both the North and South buildings. All day long both buildings are crawling with people, thousands and thousands of people from around the world. I would say the majority are middle aged or older white men, but I would wager that there are far more women, young people, and international representatives then ever.
But enough about the convention, if you want to read about my direct experiences, reflections and snippets from presentations you can visit our blog: canadianminingawareness.blogspot.com/ AND find featured information at redalliances.com The real story was what happened on the streets on Tuesday, March 6. At 11:30 AM members of the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network (MISN) in Toronto organized a Corporate Impunity Fashion Show – Protest to showcase the shallow propaganda trends the industry puts out. Examples of trends/ costumes were the Public Relations filter, the Commander-In-Chief/CEO costume – community members won’t be able to distinguish mining managers from local militia!, and the Bling-Is-Dead outfit featuring Sakura Saunders of ProtestBarrick dressed as a gangster in gold bling sitting on top of a pile of toxic waste. Mark on your calendars that Sakura Saunders will be in Peterborough for an event on Tuesday, March 20. More details on that will be in our column next issue. Right after the fashion show was a rally in support of the First Nation community KI. Several community leaders travelled to Toronto to send a message to the industry and to the governments of both the province and country that they have said, and continue to say ‘no’ to mining on their lands and
within their watershed. The sad irony was that as KI and supporters were rallying out on Front Street, inside the convention was a panel of speakers and a packed room discussing “Free, Prior, and Informed Consent: Perspectives on what it really means”. My favourite quote of the week was overheard on the final day while walking the aisles of the investor’s trade floor: “what happens at PDAC stays at PDAC”. The truth about what really happens at PDAC is the industry gets together and gives each other a pat on the back for how well they are doing in areas of sustainability, CSR, and consultation with First Nations and Aboriginal peoples around the globe.
Every time I spoke to someone about the bad cases I was told that the industry was not homogenous. Well that is true, the industry needs to acknowledge that it is not homogeneously good as it likes to think. The most inspirational part of the conference was that no matter where I went, I was not alone; I kept meeting a few people on the inside who were also very critical of the mining industry. Changes are happening inside, but without the work of dedicated individuals like those involved in MISN, Mining Watch, independent journalists and filmmakers, and other allies, there won’t be anyway to hold mining companies accountable.
Knowledge and Freedom Samira Makhmalbaf’s The Apple By Troy Bordun
Samira Makhmalbaf, daughter of Mohsen Makhmalbaf (director of The Cyclist [1987], screened two weeks prior), made The Apple (1998) when she was just 17 years old. The film was made not without the help of the whole family however: her father cowrote the script, her mother Marzieh and sister Hana acted as assistant directors, and brother Maryam had the job of still photographer. Together the Makhmalbaf family created a wonderful picture of contemporary Iranian life, shot with a well-balanced mix of dramatic, fictional narrative while also documenting an event of political and social significance. How, one might ask, is it possible to produce a documentary film that also contains elements of fiction and drama? On the one hand we have the real individuals portraying themselves in the film; on the other, these “actors”
replay and recreate the substantive event for Makhmalbaf ’s camera. Much of the dialogue was unscripted, as Makhmalbaf mentioned that it is not possible to predict what a real father and mother might say. Scenes were (re)staged to be sure, but this does not detract from the film’s aim: highlight the tension between restriction and tolerance in 1990s Iran. In 1998 news broke that two twin girls had been imprisoned by their beggar father and blind mother for 12 years. The neighborhood (why it took so long is never revealed) petitioned social services to release these girls from behind locked bars. A social worker appears, demands the girls be allowed to lead normal lives, and the parents must cope and allow a normal amount of freedom for Massoumeh and Zahra. Four days later Makhmalbaf comes to the family’s residence and asks them to reenact the drama for a camera. What follows
in The Apple is the girl’s release, their curiosity-fueled journey through nearby streets, and the parent’s sorrowful cries as what they thought to be good parenting instead became their shame. The film follows the girls as they meet their neighborhood peers, play hopscotch, and try to purchase ice cream and apples (the latter according to the director, along the lines of Adam and Eve, signifying knowledge and freedom). In the midst of the girl’s adventures we hear the moans and wails from the parents regarding the impure world that will now taint their children. As a fictitious work with the purpose of (re)documenting an event, like Abbas Kiarostami’s Close Up (1990, screened the previous week), The Apple will be remembered as one of the pinnacles of fictional/ documentary filmmaking both inside and outside Iran.
Trent Film Society presents Samira Makhmalbaf ’s The Apple (1998), Iran, 86 min. Wednesday, March 14 at 8pm, Artspace, 378 Aylmer Street North. Always free.
Volume 46 | Issue 21 | March 12, 2012
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Just Fly With It
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An Assistant Programme Director Profile of Nika Farahani people around. So I get to be here more and hang out around those people and just sort of listen in and see what everybody’s show is. In second year I didn’t really know everybody’s show. I mean, I knew my show and a couple of others, but now I get to see all the diversity that really does exist here which is really cool. CM: What drew you to this job in the first place? NF: Ummm....James bumped into me and asked if I wanted to do the job, so.... [laughing]. That’s actually the story. He just called me in and said “this is what you would do” and I said, yeah, that sounds good to me, I will do that. CM: Well, there you go. That’s a way to go about things. Now, what do you do outside of Trent Radio, when you’re not being all frantic here? NF: Well, I hold potlucks and I go to potlucks. I really enjoy food and cuisine and the art of hosting people. As an International Development student I’m also involved in organizing a conference this year. I’ve just gotten really involved in the extra-curriculars of being a student of International Development. Then really just studying. CM: What do you like about community radio?
Caileigh Morrison: Hello Nika. Nika Farahani: Well hello, Caileigh. CM: First of all, this isn’t a typical programmer profile, because you’re not a programmer at all. NF: No. CM: If you’re not a programmer, then what do you do here?
NF: That’s a good question. What I specifically like about Trent Radio, because it’s a community radio station, is the fact that it really is community represented to itself. If you want a show, then you have a show on that subject, and if there’s something that’s not covered that year it’s because nobody signed up for that thing, so it really ends up being just what people want. I think community radio is really exciting with all the different projects that can be going on. I mentioned diversity, and not to use it as a buzzword but I like that diversity of programming. CM: What advice could you give to aspiring programmers from the Programme Director’s chair? NF: Pick an idea that you can really flow with, that you’re really interested in, that you can go the whole year with. If by show three or four you get bored with your topic you can’t really get listeners excited about it as well. Take something that you know about or something that you’re interested in and just fly with it. Even if there are maybe only five people that share that interest, it’s just that much cooler.
NF: Well, my official title is the Assistant Programme Director. That’s come to mean assisting James, the Programme Director, with anything he’s doing, whether it’s projects for Trout Rodeo (which is the end of year zine) or typing up schedules or the meticulous Take Nika’s advice when you fill out your summer programme proposal, due at NOON on task of programme logging and making sure things adhere to CRTC regulations. That April 15, 2012! sounded really dry. I’m sorry [laughing]. CM: That is quite alright. That’s actually very interesting. Now tell me: these past three weeks you’ve been filling in for James while he’s away on vacation. What has that been like? What have you been getting yourself up to? NF: It’s been hectic. It’s a lot of co-ordination; making sure programmers are there and operators are there and something’s being broadcast. It’s been a learning experience for me in terms of communication and all that stuff. There was a Community Radio Workshop Session that happened, and I also assisted with that briefly. It was good. CM: Lovely. Now, you used to be a programmer, correct? NF: Yes, in second year, two years ago. CM: How does it feel to be on the other side of the mirror, if you will? Do you appreciate the work that goes on here more now? NF: Yeah, I actually really enjoy this side because I don’t think of myself as a supercreative person. I enjoyed the programming experience I had but I’m just sort of one of those leeches that likes to be around creative people [laughing]. Trent Radio is a beautiful opportunity for that because there are so many interesting, insightful, creative
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arthur election
Vote for your editor and for who will represent you! Arthur Spring Elections are coming up! That means that it is time to elect the editor(s) and three Staff Collective Board directors for the upcoming academic year. For more information about these positions, please consult the Arthur Policies and Procedures at trentarthur.ca/index.php/about. You can also contact the secretary of the Arthur board, Maxim Gertler-Jaffe, at gertlerjaffem@gmail.com. Time and Place: The election will take place Friday, March 30 at 6:00 pm in the Lecture Hall of Sadleir House. In the event of severe weather, it will be held on Saturday, March 31 at 2:00 pm in the Hobbes Room of Sadleir House. Refreshments will be provided. Agenda: 1. Editor(s) Remarks 2. Presentations of candidates for editor(s) platforms (10 minute limit per set of candidates) 3. Question Period 4. Election of Editor(s) 5. Election of three Board directors by the Staff Collective 6. Adjournment Who can vote: Only those who are on the staff collective at the time of the election can vote. What determines “Staff Collective�: You are considered part of the staff collective if you have contributed to the production of at least 15% of the issues of Arthur released before the election. There will be 24 issues published this term by the day of elections so you must have contributed to at least three. Proxy Votes: In accordance with section 6e of the Arthur bylaws, staff collective members may participate in the election through means of proxy vote. They may appoint, in writing, a proxy holder to vote for them in the election. The proxy holder does not need to be a member of the staff collective. Proxies must bring: - The signature of the Staff Collective member - The date the proxy is signed - Who the proxy is giving the voting powers to and from - Who the Staff Collective member is voting for (or the Staff Collective member can allow the proxy holder to choose who to vote for). Who can run for editor: Candidates for the position of editor(s) must be members of the Staff Collective at the time of the election. Two Staff Collective members may choose to run as co-editors. They must have been running together to fill the positions of co-editors together. Who can run for Staff Collective director of the Board: Anyone who is a member of the Staff Collective at the time of the election. Deadlines: The deadline for nominations for editors is Tuesday, March 20 at noon. All sets of editorial candidates must submit a position platform (800 word limit) and arrange for the Arthur photographer to take their picture by Tuesday, March 20. These will be published in Issue 23 on Monday, March 26. Those wanting to run as Staff Collective directors on the board can be nominated at the Spring Election meeting.
Volume 46 Staff Collective to-date as of Issue 21 Iris Hodgson Miranda Rigby Tyson Shennett Chelsea Rodrigues Andie Hartshorne-Pople Monica Trzeciakowski Matt Jarvis Andy Cragg Carmen Meyette Pat Reddick Wesley Collett-Taylor Mya Rushnell One contribution needed Matthew Davidson Radz Mpofu Brea Hutchinson Caitlin Currie Zankhra Mody Scott Wannan Robyn Smith Karolyn Givogue Jenna Cameron Tyler Prozeniuk Bradley Boyle Brianna Salmon
Andrew Tan Heather Scully Teigan Sparks Natalie Guttormsson Sara Ostrowska James Kerr Brett Throop Sarah McDonald Matt Rappolt Zach Ruiter Anthony P. Gulston Brian Lukaszewicz
Two contributions needed Clifford McCarten Cara Moynes Hilary Wear Vanessa Runions Holly Norris Jennifer Boon Daniel Arron Jonathan Alphonsus Alice Scott Joan Michaels Bridget Allin
Chanel Christophe Cornel Gray Cailiegh Morrison Christian Metaxas Yolanda Ajak Matthew Lachappelle Ayesha Asghar Mitchell Powers Norah Winkelaar Ki Alleyne Elisha May Rubacha Troy Bordun
Jacob Speck Daniel Jacobs Rebekah Watson Janna Payne Aaron Campbell James Wilkes Michelle Mackey Kenji Tokawa Kelsey Gordon Powell Jacob Bogaard Ivan Lam Mary Dirmeitus Nick Kozac
Dave Taylor Elizabeth Thippawong Kristen Phoeniks Marianne Pedretti Airin Aguilera Maxim Gertler-Jaffe Lana Nolan Bolton
should you be on this list? email editors@trentarthur.ca Volume 46 | Issue 21 | March 12, 2012
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Listings Love Theatre? Be sure to check out the Cultural Studies department’s production of ‘He Left Home’. Playwright Tadeusz Rózewicz captures a post-modern mixture of realism, theatre of the absurd, poetry, dance, and ironic allusions to the Odyssey, Hamlet, and Becket’s Waiting for Godot. Starring talented Trent Students and directed by Diana Manole, this is a show that should not be missed! March 8-11 8pm daily at Nozhem First People’s Performance Space (Trent University, Gzowski College) March 13 8pm Market Hall Performing Arts (Downtown) Donations accepted at Door! Reserve seats by emailing: trentu.helefthome@gmail.com Trent-Oxfam Food, Climate, Gender Group invites you for an evening of Food and Community Nurturing with a community potluck, film screening of Tableland and discussion about Peterborough’s Food Hub facilitated by Linda Slavin. Fri., Mar 16, 2012, 5:30-8pm. Film screening begins@ 6pm. $5 or pwyc. Join us for a Critical Discussion about the Canadian Wheat Board and the federal government’s plan to end the CWB’s single desk authority on August 1, 2012. Discussion will be held in the Champlain Living Learning Commons on Friday, March 9, from 12-2. Light Refreshments will be provided. Speakers: Tony Winson (M.A. Ph.D., University of Toronto, John Porter prize-winning author, Professor at Guelph) and Ann Slater (Organic Farmer, National Farmers Union, Ecological Farmers of Ontario) Come to the Career Centre’s Networking Event on March 20 6-8 pm at the Alumni House! Meet with EMPLOYERS, ALUMNI and STUDENTS who are all looking to make connections and opportunities. This is an excellent place to start for any student, in an informal, no-pressure situation. Come dressed to impress and ready to start your network! Kinamagawin: Aboriginal Issues in the Classroom. March 20 7-9 pm in the Bata Library Film Theatre. Join us for a film screening and evening with the filmmaker. A question and answer session with cocreator Melissa Santoro Greyeyes-Brant will follow the film. Sponsored by PACHREA, First Peoples House of Learning, Champlain College, and School of Education. Relay for Life is a 12-hour charity even to raise money for cancer research. The event begins at 7pm and runs all night until 7am. Relay for Life is more than just a fundraiser. It is an opportunity to get together with family and friends to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones, and fight back against cancer. Trent University will be running our very own Relay for life on March 23 in the Athletics Complex. For more information about Relay for Life please contact the Relay for Life chair Holly Ottenhof at hollyottenhof@trentu.ca or myself the Survivor chair Brittany Williams at brittanywilliams@trentu.ca. Also, feel free to stop by at our information booth outside of Wenjack Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays leading up to the event. Peterborough Clicks, a local amateur photography group, is having their first exhibition and sale on Saturday, March 24 from 10-3 at the Sadlier House, George St N. Admission is free Baby Eagle & The Proud Mothers are playing in Peterborough on March 28 at The Garnet in support of their new album, Bone Soldiers. The line-up of the band for this one will be impressive. In addition to Steve Lambke (The Constantines), there will be Will Kidman (The Constantines), Ian Kehoe and Spencer Burton (both of Attack in Black), and Nick Ferrio (of his Feelings). 9th annual Giant Book Sale, on Sat March 31, from 10 am (sharp) to 2pm at St Andrew’s United Church, 441 Rubidge St at Brock, (just south of McDonnel St and north of Hunter St). Available in the adjoin room, will be a Bake Sale and Café, where people can sit at small tables to
enjoy coffee/tea, a muffin or order sandwiches from the UCW ladies in the kitchen, or just sit and enjoy their new purchases from the books sale. We expect to offer an extensive assortment of books (including new and almost new books, textbooks, teen’s and children’s books, gardening, historical books and a lovely selection of gourmet cook books. We also have CD’s, DVD’s and puzzles. Please enter at the parking lot door (Reid and Brock Streets) or at the Kirk St door which is wheel chair accessible. Proceeds will go to the general church funds to support our many outreach projects in the community. Come to browse –to buy-to enjoy a quiet café moment with a cup of coffee and muffin. The Crunch is on! Feeling a little bit like a paper-writing, one-person assembly line? An Academic Skills appointment offers you the opportunity to discuss a paper you are currently working on with an experienced instructor who can provide support at all stages of the writing process - from picking a topic to revising your draft - by offering guidance and suggestions for improvement. Call 7481720 to make a 45 minute appointment or come by Mondays for drop-in (first come, first-served, 30 minute sessions). You can also submit essays or questions online by going to www.trentu.ca/academicskills/service_online.php . Continuing Study Group in Introduction to Buddhism: Karma, Rebirth and Selflessness. This is an 8-week Study Group based on talks given by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and carefully compiled under his direction. The Study Group format includes some meditation and contemplation, while the emphasis is on exploring and discussing the teaching material. Starts March 1 at Sadleir House. These peer sessions are free of charge. The Source Books are $15. For more information, including Study Group dates and times, and to register, please call and leave a message at 705-755-0063. We can do it! Everyone is welcome to join and participate in Occupy Peterborough at our General Assembly every Saturday from 2pm-4pm at Sadleir House. Facebook: OccupyPtbo | Twitter: @OccupyPtbo | Email: occupyptbo@gmail.com. Let’s build a better world through consensus! Tuesday Circus Art Jams: Come run away with the circus one night a week. Bring some circus toys or acts: hulahoop, poi, juggling, clown, dance, etc and come practice, share, and learn new circus skills. Don’t have any skills? Come anyways! There are always extra toys and willing teachers. Takes place at the Sadlier House Dinning Room Tuesdays 7pm10pm. PWYC Donation. So come and enjoy the fun! Dance your Bones: Move freely to music from around the world. Every Thursday 6pm-8pm at All Saints Anglican Church Hall, 235 Rubidge St. Peterborough. The cost is $10 ( sliding down to $5). For more information please contact (705) 750-0411 Students - St John Ambulance is Canada’s leader in first aid training - We offer courses every weekend and many weekdays and weeknights. Renew your CPR in 1 evening - most courses include a student discount. If you need to renew your first aid certificate or take a course for the first time contact St John Ambulance 705 745-0331 sjapeterborough@bellnet.ca sja. ca Too busy with assignment deadlines to fit in an Academic Skills appointment? Let the Academic Skills Centre come to you! You can submit questions about academic or writing skills or submit a draft of your writing at any stage of the process. An instructor will offer comments and answer your questions on any of the following: structure, organization, clear writing (grammar and style), documentation, narrowing a topic, developing a thesis and effective research. Our goal is to get back to you within 72 hours
(excluding weekends). For more information or to submit an assignment or ask a question, go to www.trentu.ca/academicskills/service_online.php 30 Crafts Market: a nonprofit initiative to support handcrafting and the connection between artisans/craftspersons and the general public in the Kawarthas. This event is still open to crafters/ artisans who would like to sell their goods. The market will be held May 12, 2012 in Peterborough Ontario. Booths are 15 dollars. To apply, visit 30craftsmarket.webs.com. Mock Interview: Participate in a Mock Interview! Get interview experience, get valuable feedback, network and meet professionals in a range of fields have your resume reviewed and targeted. Your first step is to attend one of our interview workshops happening on 3pm, February 14 at 10am, or March 8 at 10am. Go to www. trentu.ca/careers to register for the workshops. The Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre is looking for dedicated volunteers to provide Peer Support for the women and men calling our 24-Hour Crisis Line. Free Crisis Intervention Training will be held in February! For more information please call the Volunteer Service Coordinator 705-748-5901 or ksacvolunteers@nexicom. net. HU Song Contemplation Regardless of your beliefs or religion, you can sing HU to become happier and more secure in God’s love. Join us for a 20-30 minute contemplation, every 1st Monday of the month,
7:30pm Sadleir House, 751 George St. N. No charge. Need $ for your theatre activity? Theatre Trent’s funding proposal deadline this month! Apply @ www.theatretrent.ca. We are welcoming new executive members to write cheques for theatre-makers and gain non-profit Board experience: you are needed.You are welcome to borrow props and costumes from the storage space at Sadleir House - email theatretrent@trentu.ca Students Helping Students: Are you a outstanding academic student? Are you looking for a meaningful volunteer experience? Are you hoping to build experience and demonstrate skills in leadership and supportive communication? Then look no further, the Peer Mentoring Program hopes that you will become a peer mentor. Check out www.trentu.ca/peermentoring or email peermentor@trent.ca for more information.
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