Volume 46 Issue 7 by Trent Arthur

Volume 46

Issue 7

October 31, 2011

Fast cash needed to preserve Have You Seen collection Where will you rent your movies from now? How about...the Sadleir House Library? A student-led initiative is seeking to purchase the best of the beloved Peterborough video store’s selection By Iris Hodgson with files from Mathieu Lachappelle

You can’t stop local indie video store Have You Seen from closing, but an ad hoc collective of student and community groups is doing its best to keep the best of the collection available for public access.Jordann Pool, President of the Gzowski College Cabinet, has been contacting Academic departments and student and community groups in the hopes of purchasing the bulk of the harder-to-find titles. The group is looking for financial contributions that will go directly toward purchasing films. Their goal is to raise at least $5,000 by Saturday, Nov. 5, when Have You Seen will begin selling its stock to the general public. At press time on Friday, they had secured approximately $2,900 from individuals and organizations. “[T]he closing of this store will result in the loss of access to some very rare, obscure and useful films for academic, research, and advocacy purposes to the Trent University and Peterborough community,” Pool said via email. She elaborated that, in her role as an elected student representative, she kept hearing “lamentations” about the closing of the store from students and faculty, who wondered where they would find the more obscure titles not available from mainstream sources. The collection will be added to the Sadleir House library collection, which is open to all students and to community members. Pool had briefly considered the possibility of housing the collection at Biko (Bata) library, but found that licensing and access for non-students was a barrier. “Sadleir House is great at making connections between the Peterborough and Trent communities,” she said, “and that’s what this initiative is all about.” Store owner Howard Gibbs says he’s pleasantly surprised by the student interest in the collection. He says that over the years, his customer base has been comprised mainly of older customers because students seem to download most of the movies that they watch. Gibbs told Arthur that there have been several individuals and groups, including Pool, who have contacted the store about the possibility of buying movies in bulk. He says that he and co-owner Paul Pfeiffer would be pleased to have a portion of the collection stay together. So far, there’s been lots of interest but few people have come forward with definite proposals. Some community groups have been in touch about purchasing specific sections of the store, like the documentary section, but he’s doubtful that it would be possible for any one organization to purchase everything on its own. Have You Seen currently has almost 12,000 titles in stock. Gibbs wouldn’t speculate about the retail value of the collection at this point, but says that the money raised from the sale will be an important support for the store’s employees and their families. He hinted to Arthur that a portion of the sales may go toward a new project that could include the store’s current staff members, but isn’t ready to provide more details. Dwayne Collins is the Gzowski College Assistant, and also a librarian who is involved with coordinating the Sadleir House Library. He says he’s hopeful that other groups who have expressed an interest in purchasing portions of Have You Seen’s collection will put their resources toward this student-led initiative. Having a substantial collection in one place, with a range of genres and topics represented, will increase the accessibility and awareness of the collection. Collins also noted that the Sadleir House Library catalogue is also searchable online, which means that people will be able to find out in advance whether the movie they are looking for is available or if it is checked out. Anyone wanting to contribute to this initiative will have to move fast. Collins is hoping that the majority of donations will arrive prior to Wednesday, Nov. 2, but that people can continue to contribute after that date. “No donation is too small,” Collins said. “Even $10 or so represents another movie.” He’s hoping to have a bin set up in Have You Seen during the public sale so that people can purchase their favourite movies to be included in the collection. Even after the store has closed, Pool is hoping to continue a conversation about the broader significance of this store closure. “This isn’t only about a store that we love closing its doors,” she says. “It’s about the digitization of media and how that can impact academia, media, and the local economy.” She’s planning an academic panel discussion on this topic for the new year, and has invited Have You Seen’s staff to participate. If you’d like to make more information, or want to make a tax-deductible donation, go to sadleirhouse.ca/haveyouseen.

in the paper this week:

Feature: Decolonize #OccupyTogether p. 3 - International Tuition is Too Damn High • p. 4 - [CMA] Mark Rowlinson & Paula Sherman p. 5 - Gardasil is back &troops out of Iraq • p. 8 - Ohbijou & Julie Doiron at Market Hall p. 9 - Roger Gottlieb interview • p . 10 - Paranormal Activity & Freestyle Lewis

editorial Volume 46 | Issue 7 | October 31, 2011

Masthead by Jackson Creek Press 751 George Street • Suite 104 Peterborough, ON • K9H 7P5 tel: 705-745-3535 editors@trentarthur.ca • www.trentarthur.ca

Co-Editors Business Manager Iris Hodgson Miranda Rigby

Tyson Shennett

Associate Editors

Copy Editor

Brett Throop

Chelsea Rodrigues

Matt Jarvis

Proofreader

Anthony Gulston

Andie Hartshorne-Pople

Distribution

News Reporters Andy Cragg

TBA

Sara Ostrowska

Co-operatives

Carmen Meyette

Wesley Collett-Taylor Mya Rushnell

Cornel Grey

Photography Andrew Tan

Board of Directors Chair • Kate Taylor Secretary • Caitlin Currie Treasurer • Not yet named Members at Large • Matt Rappolt, Brett Throop, Joel Young

Contributors Zankhna Mody • Norah Winkelaar Michelle Mackey • Anne Emond • Caileigh Morrison Brian Lukaszewicz • Mathieu Lachappelle

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 7pm (location varies), or to contact the editors if considering submitting to an upcoming issue.

Anti-Racist Halloween Campaign Goes Viral By Iris Hodgson

Last year, two white men, one dressed as a KKK member, and the other wearing blackface, won a costume contest at a Royal Canadian Legion hall in Campbellford, ON. The story made headlines in national and international newspapers. In her editorial covering the issue, “I’m not a racist, but I play one on Halloween,” Arthur editor Meaghan Kelly critiqued the Legion’s response of apologizing to those who were offended, without making any effort to do more to change the thinking of those who were not offended, or who didn’t see the incident as a big deal. This year, an Ohio University group called Students Teaching Against Racism in Society (STARS) has created a poster campaign to combat the idea that it’s okay to dress up as “a race” or, usually, an offensive racially-based stereotype, for Halloween. The posters feature a variety of people from various racial and ethnic backgrounds holding up photos of actual racist Halloween costumes. The posters read, “We’re a culture, not a costume,” and “This is not who I am, and this is not okay.” The campaign has been covered everywhere from CNN to Bitch Magazine to the CBC. Amanda Hess of The Sexist has written a helpful blog post called “How to Inform a Friend Their Halloween Costume is Racist.” She writes, “Your friend may think you’re trying to ruin her Halloween fun. But really, racist stereotypes ruin a lot of people’s fun every day of their lives, and delicately making that clear may convince your friend that changing up the costume isn’t too much of a sacrifice.” Another favourite anti-racist Halloween resource is Thea Lim’s “Take Back the Halloween!” originally posted on Racialicious in 2008. Lim argues that what we choose to wear on the day we have to look “abnormal” or “different” says a lot about our dayto-day assumptions about who and what is normal and expected. This isn’t about one costume, one day of the year, but about the everyday racist assumptions that prompt someone to choose costumes that are othering. Lim writes that as a person of colour, especially as a kid, she “felt uncomfortable or silly dressing up at Halloween; that the idea of dressing up as ‘something different’ didn’t compute, because every day [I] felt like ‘something different.”’ I love that this is a year that we’re discussing racist Halloween costumes before they happen, but judging from the whiny comments about “PC Police” on pretty much every article covering STARS’s work, I don’t think everyone is on board just yet. I thinkthis quote from Carrie Lieland Love’s post about the STARS campaign at the Ironing Board Collective blog is particularly excellent. She asks, “Since when is respecting everyone’s humanity ‘uptight?’ Sorry if you don’t know how to have fun without being an asshole.” If it’s “just a costume”, it should be easy to pick something isn’t gonna make you look like a racist douchebag, right?

Come to Arthur Newspaper’s Annual General Members Meeting! Location: Lecture Hall in Sadlier House Time: November 16, 2011 at 7pm-9pm Get involved in Arthur and eat free food!

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 7pm 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.

letters McGill Strike Needs Your Support I am writing to express my distress at the way that McGill University has treated the membership of the McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association since they started their strike on September 1, 2011. I was prompted to write this letter by the arrest of Ms. Joan O’Malley, a 63-year-old strike captain and my mother, on October 14 during a peaceful demonstration. While I cannot comment on the legality of Ms. O’Malley’s arrest, what troubles me most is that she was not detained in any confrontation with the Montreal police, but handcuffed and forcibly removed from the premises at the behest of McGill security staff. As her daughter, I am shocked that my mother was slandered by McGill security staff, physically intimidated by police, and abandoned by her employer. I believe that my mother’s arrest is indicative of McGill’s heavyhanded tactics throughout this strike: using injunctions to keep its staff silent and isolated; being vague and dismissive in official communiqués; setting an adversarial tone in dialogue with the union. A university, by its very definition, is meant to be a community. I feel profoundly embarrassed that McGill has taken the heart out of this collegiality, rather than promoting it. I can no longer support my cherished alma matter. Instead, I am writing to support my mother and others on strike and encourage all other alumni to join me in withdrawing support from the university – financial and otherwise – until this conflict is resolved. We must hold the university to account for its misconduct during this labour dispute. Universities are supposed to be about dialogue and challenge. Let us return to those values. Sincerely, Emily Claire Poupart Ottawa, ON

Concerned Re: A Letter Home I read “A letter of home” from Issue 6 of Arthur with sadness. I would hope this brave individual would take advantage of Trent’s counselling service (located in Blackburn Hall) and seek assistance as they try to sort through the many thoughts and feelings they have. For more information see www.trentu.ca/counselling or to make an appointment call 705-748-1386 between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. Please pass this information on to Anonymous as well as any other students struggling in any aspects of their lives while here at Trent. A concerned member of the Trent community

Co-op AGM Meeting Time Change In my article “Housing Co-op Plans to Open in 2012” I wrote that the Peterborough Student Co-operative’s All Members Meeting would take place on Wednesday, November 2, with the AGM to occur on November 24. Those dates have since been changed. The All Members Meeting will take place Thursday, November 3 at Dreams of Beans, with the AGM to follow on Wednesday, November 30 at the Ceilie. Mark those dates on your calendar and come out and get involved. Help bring a student owned and operated housing community to downtown Peterborough! Matthew Rappolt Site Planning Director Peterborough Student Co-operative

campus

Trent International Tuition is now over $15,000 per year Universities look to international students to bolster shrinking budgets

By Cornel Grey

We come from Europe and Asia, from down under (Australia) and down south (USA, South America and the Caribbean). It’s a world without borders, so what would keep us from pursuing tertiary studies in a progressive country such as Canada? It’s a simple answer really, the word comes in different forms but the concept is more or less the same. It’s money, or more accurately, an individual’s access to it. For quite some time, international students have been marketed as a commodity, to be bought and displayed as trophies of recruiting achievement, bringing with us our rich and foreign culture so as to add diversity to respective universities, further boosting institutions’ prestige. A Vancouver Sun article entitled “New immigrants Canada needs are already here” comments that “[T]hese students represent a potential pool of human capitol,” and that “they contribute to the economy as they learn”. The Sun reported that in British Columbia alone, international education contributes an estimated $1.6 billion dollars to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and maintains a total of 21,000 jobs. Much has also been made of the fact that unlike our local counterparts, international students do not receive

loans from the Canadian government and pay full price for our tuition. Now, according to data available on Trent University’s website, tuition for international students is approximately three times more than what domestic students pay at the undergraduate level. Unlike domestic tuition fees, which are often subject to provincially-regulated caps or freezes, nothing prevents universities from charging whatever they’d like for international tuition. As universities face shrinking budgets and cuts to government funding, the increased revenue generated from international students is understood to be one way to compensate for income lost elsewhere. In February 2010, Macleans reported that the number of students coming to Canada for postsecondary education has nearly doubled between 1999-2008. Trent was ranked 19th overall in a list of high international tuition fees at postsecondary institutions as of the 20082009 academic year. At that time, Trent’s international tuition was $13,030. UBC was most expensive, at $18,720, and the University of Winnipeg was least expensive, charging only $3,994. A report published by the Canadian Federation of Students in 2009 shows that before the late 1970s, international students did not have to pay different tuition fees than domestic students did. The report also highlights

the fact that international students are “easy targets” for tuition hikes because they have “little direct political influence in Canada”. The high cost of international tuition means that only the wealthiest of international students are able to pursue studies in Canada. Those who don’t have parents with hefty bank accounts either have to rely on loans with exorbitantly high rates of interest or on scholarships they’re able to find. Even so, Canada (by comparison to its neighbour south of the border) is not a place where international scholarships are readily available. For the most part, entrance scholarships available to international students can’t even cover a third of the tuition. The Trent International Program provides a range of international scholarships that makes the pursuit of a Canadian education much easier. In the end, is it all worth it? Most of us will be in debt for some time after graduation but I find that the case for most persons in our generation. Besides, you can’t put a price on the experience of living in an industrialized society such as Canada, the exposure and skills one garners as a result of interacting and working with people from a foreign culture. Canada may be benefiting economically from our presence here, but I would like to think international students are gaining something more valuable than what our tuition fees are paying for.

First year undergraduate arts and science full-time tuition and ancillary fees (general programs)* Year

Domestic Tuition

% International % Change Tuition Change

Ancillary fees**

% Change

2011/12 $5,449.34

4.50% $15,252.34

5.20%

$1,288.36

-3.19%***

2010/11 $5,213.69

4.50% $14,496.82

5.9%

$1,330.76

6.34%

2009/10 $4,989.00

4.50% $13,684.00

$1,251

7.75%

2008/09 $4,774.00

4.49%

$13,030.00

$1,161

3.20%

2007/08 $4,569.00

4.50%

$12,407.00

$1,125

24.00%

2006/07 $4,372.00

$11,930.00

$905

Data: CUDO & TCSA *Increases to domestic student tuition fees in Ontario are regulated to allow a max. 5% increase to all but certain programs. International student tuition fees in Ontario and Canada are unregulated. ** Ancillary fees here include levy fees. Increases to ancillary fees are unregulated. ***Ancillary fees decreased in 2011/12 because the TCSA took over administration of transit service and are doing it cheaper than the admin. Domestic Student Tuition

International Student Tuition

Volume 46 | Issue 7 | October 31, 2011

[CMA]

column Canadians for Mining Awareness

Canadian Mining Injustice: Locally and Abroad By Zankhna Mody

What do violence in a small Mexican community and the erosion of Indigenous women’s knowledge have in common? You’ve guessed it: the Canadian mining and extractive industries. These were two of the main issues touched upon respectively by Mark Rowlinson, lawyer with the United Steelworkers Union (USW) and Dr. Paula Sherman, of Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and professor with the Indigenous Studies department at Trent University. Both were guest speakers at an event hosted by the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) and Canadians for Mining Awareness (CMA).

Mark Rowlinson

The USW represents more mining workers than any other union within Canada, and has been concerned with the conduct of Canadian mining companies abroad. Rowlinson started off his presentation with the hard facts: that there are over a thousand mining companies listed on the Canadian stock exchange. These companies own interests in over eight thousand properties in more than a hundred countries. Considering this, Canada is a key player in the global mining market. Its reputation is increasingly associated with the mining companies’ irresponsible actions due to serious environmental and social implications in the countries in which they operate, especially in Latin America and

Africa. Rowlinson stated, “It doesn’t matter if the company is large or small, they all follow a similar pattern of destruction in communities within Global South.” Rowlinson was also part of a small factfinding delegation sent to the community of Chicomuselo, Chiapas, Mexico in which the small Canadian mining company, Blackfire, set up a barite mining operation in 2005. Rowlinson noted that there was severe water contamination and soil erosion due to the mining activity, and that no records were found of an environmental assessment prior to the opening of the mine. Large sums of money were paid to the Mayor of Chicomuselo in order to suppress local dissent, which had arisen due to the fact that the community had not been consulted before the opening of the mine, which has produced little economic benefit for the people. Opponents of the mine engaged in civil resistance, creating blockades for the mining employees. Blackfire responded with violence towards the active community members. In 2009, three Blackfire employees were charged with the murder of Mariano Abarca, the leader of community resistance to the mining operation, who had also previously received death threats and beatings. The social and environmental injustice occurring in the case of Blackfire in Chicomuselo is not a rarity amongst Canadian mining operations. This led Rowlinson, along with MP Peter Julian, to create Bill-C323, a private members bill intended to “provide a cause of action for

victims of human rights, labour rights and environmental rights abuses at the hands of Canadian corporations abroad.” This bill, if passed, would allow the claimant to sue the corporation for damages and hold the industry accountable in the court for their actions.

Dr. Paula Sherman

“What does it mean to separate the mind from the land?” questioned Sherman, as she explored issues concerned with mining and the impacts it has on the relationships that Indigenous people, especially women, have with the land. While most scientific research often focuses on the environmental and biological impacts of mining, such as toxic contamination resulting in increased cancer rates, there is little attention given to examining the effects on the emotional and spiritual health of people living on degraded land due to extractive industries. Human health is not only a physical state of the body, but is rooted within our spiritual, cultural, social and environmental existence. If there is a degradation of these connections, it will have larger implications on the health of individuals and communities. Sherman reminded that the audience that this degradation started with the colonization of North America, and since then respect for the land and women’s traditional knowledge has been severely disregarded. Mining industries continue on this path when they repeatedly destroy and contaminate lands near First Nations communities, resulting in disruption of traditional practices such as fishing and gathering food and further severing the ties that Indigenous peoples have with their homelands. Sherman elaborated on the importance

of women’s relationship with the land as part of a cyclical structuring process of using, imparting and retaining traditional knowledge. Weaving in traditional stories as part of her speech, she acknowledged how Indigenous women have the spiritual responsibilities in creating life and of taking care of the water. Sherman emphasized that this is violated by extractive industries, which ignore the cultural and spiritual implications of contaminated water on Indigenous women. Take into consideration that the mining, oil and gas sectors are highly water intensive operations, consuming and contaminating more fresh water supplies than any other industry in Canada. For example, Schedule 2, under the Fisheries Act, allows entire lakes to be used as “Tailings Impoundment Areas” or in other words, toxic waste dump sites by mining companies.

“

...there is little attention given to examining the effects on the emotional and spiritual health of people living on degraded land due to extractive industries.”

Sherman urged the audience to recognize in a broader sense that Canada, as a settler society, has built its economy through resource exploitation on indigenous lands. She states, “Destruction caused by mining and extractive industries is a symptom of a larger issue; that of a lack of respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples and the land.”

Gardasil Back on TCSA Benefits Plan By Brett Throop

Cut from the TCSA Student Benefits Plan three years ago because of concerns about its cost and how it was being marketed, the HPV vaccine Gardasil is back on the plan this year. TCSA President Sheldon Willerton said “new information” about the vaccine influenced the decision. The TCSA is now covering 60% of the vaccine’s cost for all students on the plan. The first of three vaccination clinics were held in October and two more will be held in November and February. With this discount, students can expect to pay $150 for all three doses of the vaccine, which can be paid in cash or billed to a Trent student account. The vaccine first came on the market in 2006 to immunize against certain strains of HPV which cause 90% of genital warts and 70% of vulva, vagina, and cervical cancers. More recently, it’s been approved to prevent 90% of anal cancers. Trent Health Services is also promoting the vaccine for prevention of penis, mouth and throat cancers, citing several studies showing its effectiveness at preventing these cancers. In February 2008, then TCSA President Tyler Roach told Arthur that Gardasil coverage (at over $460 per treatment) accounted for more than 20% of total health plan claims the previous year (about $14,000). Along with cutting coverage of the pricey vaccine, the TCSA asked for a $14 increase to its levy that year to recoup some of the cost of vaccine claims in order to avoid decreasing coverage in other areas. Then TCSA Women’s Issues Commissioner Meaghan Kelly raised concerns about Gardasil’s marketing at the time, which she called “counterproductive to awareness and education regarding women’s sexual health.” “It is rarely advertised that this vaccine is meant for women who have not yet had skin-to-skin sexual contact,” said Kelly. “[This] may not reflect the experiences of most university-age women.” (At the time Gardasil was only approved for women. It is now approved for all people of all genders.) That information is still not made clear in advertisements, including in a promotional flyer for campus vaccine clinics produced by Trent Health Services. But Erica Colley, Clinical Team Leader at Trent Health Services told Arthur

campus

that information about the vaccine’s effectiveness is made known to patients in a mandatory 15-minute consultation prior to getting the shot. Colley added that “HPV is not only transmitted through sexual intercourse (penile/vaginal, oral, and/or anal sex) but can be passed from one person to another through skin-to-skin contact (i.e. hand to genital). Therefore, Trent Health Services is advocating that all students regardless of their sexual history be immunized if they choose to prevent personally contracting these four types of HPV and potentially spreading it to others.” The vaccine is widely popular. Vaccination programs are in place in all provinces and territories across Canada. Governments are singling out cisgendered women and girls for vaccination. This despite the vaccine’s approval for all genders, and that HPV strains that cause cervical cancer can be spread by persons of all genders. The Canadian Women’s Health Network (CWHN) is concerned that the approach of these campaigns gives the impression that sexual health is primarily a women’s responsibility. Trent Health Services, for its part, is encouraging students of all genders to get the vaccine. CWHN has other concerns about HPV vaccination. The organizations argues that concerns about the disease are overblown, stating that “there is no HPV epidemic.” Publications by the organization point out that cervical cancer, the focus of publicly-funded HPV vaccination programs, “affects a relatively small number of women and is rarely fatal in Canada and the US.” There are approximately 500 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in Ontario each year and 140 women a year die from the disease. The other cancers Gardasil prevents have even lower rates. In 2011, 3,600 Canadians will be diagnosed with oral cancers, according to the Canadian Cancer Society, and rates of penis and anal cancer are so low enough that the organization doesn’t publicize their numbers. Meanwhile, 66,900 new cases of all cancer types that will be diagnosed in Ontario in 2011 and there will be 27,800 cancer deaths. Oral cancers seem to be on the rise, however. Researchers at Ohio State University have released a study showing that the number of HPV-related oral cancers tripled between

Troops out of Iraq in 2011, Obama Announces By Michelle Mackey

After eight years, over 4,400 American military dead and another 32,000+ wounded, and 1.3 trillion dollars spent between the Iraq and Afghan wars, President Barack Obama declared in Washington last Friday that he is pulling out the U.S. troops from Iraq, stating, “Our troops will definitely be home for the holidays.” By the end of 2011 all 40,000 troops currently deployed will arrive back in the United States, with some 160 military personnel remaining as part of the U.S. Embassy’s security force in Baghdad, where bombings and violence are still rampant. American military officials had originally wanted that number in the thousands in order to manage any future violence and many were unhappy with Obama’s decision. “It’s so tragic… Our military forces stay to maintain influence … influence in preserving democracy and the gains the Iraqis have made,” said former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Jack Keane. However, there will be a further 4,000-5,000 private State Department security contractors remaining along with continued C.I.A. presence. The decision comes after failed negotiations between the United States and Iraqi government over conditions of legal immunity for a proposed residual force of military trainers. With the possibility that American militants could be prosecuted in Iraqi courts, the decision was made to bring the troops home. The withdrawal may also be due to preparations for future conflict with Iran. Neither of these issues were discussed in detail at the press conference. Instead Obama focused on beginning America’s relationship with Iraq as “a normal relationship between sovereign nations, an equal partnership based on mutual interest and mutual respect.” The announcement follows a series of political victories for Obama including the death of Osama bin Laden and Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi. This is also a

time of great political scrutiny for Obama whose presidency will be challenged in the upcoming elections. Republican presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, said, “President Obama’s astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq has unnecessarily put at risk the victories that were won through the blood and sacrifice of thousands of American men and women.” Associate Professor and Chair of Trent University’s Department of Politics, Dr. Gavin Fridell, told Arthur exclusively, “One can only hope that the decision to finally withdraw from Iraq will be part of a broader movement in Canada and the United States around recognizing the complexity of the Middle East and the rest of world, and the need to engage globally in difficult but constructive dialogue, as opposed to just dropping bombs. As Stephen Harper ramps up Canadian military spending,

1988 and 2004. The researchers suspect that the rise is due to changes in people’s sexual behaviours. CWHN wants to see public money put toward better and more accessible Pap testing. The organization says that since its introduction in Canada, Pap testing (used to detect cervical cancer), has decreased rates of the disease by half. A document on CWHN’s website reads: “Until we know more about long-term safety and duration of effectiveness of the Gardasil HPV vaccine, as well as about how effective it actually is in reducing cervical cancer rates, health care dollars may be better spent in enhancing Pap screening programs (including Pap registries), and reaching the most marginalized populations (poor women, new immigrants, Aboriginal, rural and remote women) with Pap screening.” But regardless of how rare cancers related to HPV are,the vaccine has another benefit: preventing what Colley describes as the emotional toll of genital warts. Gardasil prevents HPV strains that cause 90% of genital warts. That disease isn’t deadly, it’s even been referred to as “normal flora”; but it can have a negative impact on one’s sexual confidence and self-image. Another concern raised by CWHN is that it isn’t known how long the vaccine is effective for. Colley stated that researchers in Australia and the UK have been monitoring patients for eight to nine years and so far, their immunity has lasted. How much longer it will last isn’t known.That, and the fact that 30% of cervical, vulva and vagina cancers aren’t prevented by the vaccine means yearly Pap testing is still necessary for those who get the vaccine. Colley dismissed reports of deaths and other health problems like Elaine Barré Syndrome associated with Gardasil vaccination that are circulating south of the border, calling them unfounded. Those reports are based on data the U.S. Centre for Disease Control (CDC) collects on health problems and deaths following Gardasil immunization. CDC does not follow up to investigate whether the cause of death or illness is linked to the vaccine, or whether the deaths are coincidental. Some groups are calling on them to do so.

national the prospects of this do not look good. But it would be a shame for the world to have learned nothing from the tens of thousands of innocent dead in Iraq.” On the outcome of the withdrawal, Fridell continued, “In the end, Saddam Hussein is gone, a ruthless dictator, but he has been replaced by a pro-Iranian Shiite government in Iraq with a dubious outlook regarding women’s rights and under highly unstable and conflict-ridden conditions.” Obama did not claim victory in his announcement, rather, his statement was one of pride, “The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing the American people stand united in our support for our troops.” Obama has also promised to end the U.S. mission in Afghanistan in late 2014 where 95,000 American troops remain.

Volume 46 | Issue 7 | October 31, 2011

Occupy Together Movement arr

Mic check? Mic check! Decolonize. Dec

Arthur Interviews Occupy By Matt Jarvis

Hi, my name is Matt. I will be graduating this year with tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt, into a world where I will have to compete with thousands of other graduates for jobs that will not offer a living salary for my family. Many of the social programs I had taken for granted would be there for my children are under threat, including basic structures such as libraries, parks and healthcare. It was this fire under my ass that provoked my curiosity to attend Toronto’s first day of occupation on October 15, which promised to at least begin a discussion about these issues. My condensed experience was that the movement is organic, adaptable, and inclusive. The direction literally depends on everyone who participates in the general assemblies, in this case including me. Because of the general and diverse nature of the problems discussed, many have become confused as to the motivations and goals of the general movement. Jacob Hodgins, a political science student at Laurentian University and a volunteer with the Occupy Toronto Outreach Committee, took some time to answer some of Arthur’s (and your) questions.

Arthur: Why “Occupy”?

Racism Exists in the 99% On Oct. 8 at the Occupy protests in Philadelphia, two women were told to “go back to Africa,” and that “each white man should own a slave.” Volunteers used the n-word to describe them. When the women called security to address the situation, security asked them, not the volunteers, to leave. In response, a Black Out! counter-protest was formed at the demonstration, which was met with considerable resistance from the Occupy Philadelphia contingent. Blogger Complex Brown reported that, “We spoke out about how nobody was talking about the racist foundation of corporate greed.” However, Occupiers used silencing tactics to dismiss these concerns. “Many of the people there to support Occupy Philadelphia came to us to tell us that all of us are people and that race is behind us! They told us that we were being divisive.” A People of Colour Committee was formed on Oct. 10 to address the ways that racial issues have been ignored in Philadelphia. “For white people or middle class people, they’re just feeling the recession. It’s not because of the recession for us,” said Channel Andrews in an interview with Philadelphia Weekly. “Blacks have been the 99 percent forever—since we’ve been in America. So we don’t identify with the same reasons. Solidarity is important, people should support each other. But it’s not just about class for us.”

J.H.: The tactic of occupying a space as a form of protest took root in North Africa during the Arab Spring last year. Most notable was the occupation of Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, during the Egyptian Revolution. This summer saw the rise of the Indignados and the May 15 movement in Spain. The Indignados, drawing from the successes of the Tahrir Square occupation set up camp in Puerto del Sol, a busy plaza in the heart of Madrid. The occupation of Wall Street and the hundreds of other cities around the world is an extension of this emergent revolutionary tactic. Occupying as a strategy of protest has a few different facets which make it particularly successful. First, maintaining a sustained presence, a ground zero, provides individuals the space and time to organize a prolonged series of actions. Second, the medium is the message. The act of simply occupying the space is in itself a political message. An occupation means a reclaiming of a space that was previously closed off from the commons. Finally, by opening up a space to the commons, an arena is established in which citizens can engage each other politically, culturally and philosophically through discussion. The idea is to transform and broaden the political discourse within society by providing a space where people can bring to the forefront issues and concerns that are often ignored by the media and political class.

Arthur: What are “consensus democracy” and “the people’s mic,” and how do they relate to the decision-making process at Occupy Toronto? J.H.: Within the Occupy movement, all decisions, both logistical and political, are made through a consensus-forming body known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly is a horizontal and participatory democratic body which seeks at all times to be as inclusive, non-hierarchical, and as open as possible. Every person is free and encouraged to join and participate within the democratic process. Many General Assemblies, such as the ones in Toronto, seek at all times to reach a consensus on issues without the use of voting. Consensus means that there is no outright objection to what is being proposed. When a particularly important and immediate decision must be made, the Occupy Toronto General Assembly allows for a 90% super majority to approve a decision. Within the general assembly, committees are formed to deal with specific tasks and issues. For example, in Toronto there are committees for food, logistics, media, legal, medical, art and

Clockwise from top: image from the Black Out! counter-protest at Occupy Philadelphia; Matt Jarvis’s photos from the first day of Occupy Toronto; a campaign poster from #occupytogether. Unquestioned assertions that this country is “ours” has prompted calls to “decolonize Wall Street.”

rives in Toronto

colonize! #Occupy!

y Volunteer Jacob Hodgins culture, outreach, actions, and facilitation. Each committee meets outside of the assembly to develop proposals on how to carry out specific actions or tasks. These proposals are then taken back to the general assembly for discussion, modification, approval or rejection. The general assembly is open to every participant to speak on an issue, or present a proposal for discussion. The people’s mic is a human-powered system of amplification. It is very similar to an echo. A person breaks their sentences up into 5 or 6 word portions so that those within ear-shot of the speaker can yell out and repeat what is said. This ensures that everybody at the general assembly is able to hear what the speaker is saying. In very large groups, sometimes 3 or 4 echoes are needed in order to reach the entire assembly. The people’s mic was developed in New York in response to a by-law forbidding amplified sound in a public place. This method has many positive side effects and has since caught on in many occupations across North America. It turns passive listeners into active participants, encourages active listening (which is crucial to reaching consensus), and reduces the tendency for individuals to shout out and speak over other individuals.

Arthur: How is the Toronto occupation related to the movement on Wall Street and why is the same tactic relevant here in Canada? J.H.: One of the most notable aspects of the Occupy movement has been the diversity of causes its participants seem to represent. At any given occupation you will find a wide array of ideologies and causes being discussed. The movement welcomes this diversity, seeking to be inclusive and representative of society at large. One thing, however, unites a large majority of the participants in the Occupy Movement. That is, that the top 1% of society has too much wealth, control, and power over the democratic institutions of our society. The rallying cry, “We are the 99%” speaks to the simple fact that ordinary people feel shut-out from the decisions that affect their lives and the world around them. In the United States, during the financial crisis of 2008, banks were given hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded bailouts, while the rest of the population experienced severe austerity. In Canada on the other hand, one common issue has been the widening income gap between the rich and poor which is growing faster here than in the United States. Whether an individual’s concern is related to the environment, labour, the economy, or politics, many people are beginning to see that these issues by and large stem from the corrupting and profit driven influence of those corporations at the top echelon of the social strata. People all over are beginning to feel as though democracy, as it is currently constituted, does not depend on the mandate of the people, but rather the amount of money one is able to throw at it.

Arthur: The Occupy movement has been criticized for being a colonialist movement. Where are these criticisms coming from and how are they being addressed? J.H.: In the beginning part of the criticism, levied by many First Nations people, was that the land is already being occupied. I know that there are First Nations groups that have been in the park from day one, open all assemblies with traditional ceremonies, they lead the marches, have given the movement permission to occupy their land, and that the Elders present at the Toronto occupation are planning to light a ceremonial fire that will burn indefinitely with virgin wood. All of this is specific to Occupy Toronto and I can’t speak for the other groups, but from my perspective I would say that the people have been very successful in addressing these issues. Occupy Toronto is currently based out of St. James Park, King + Church, Toronto.

Occupy 101 By Carmen Meyette

They don’t come with a lot of money. They aren’t a name brand. They don’t wear fancy clothing. They aren’t trying to sell you something. They are the 99%. The Occupy movement began on July 13 when Adbusters, a Vancouver based not-forprofit organization which seeks social and cultural change, posted a call to action on their blog and named it #OCCUPYWALLSTREET. Since then, the movement, which officially began on September 17, has been growing and spreading across the Western world. Coming from diverse backgrounds and each with their own experiences, occupiers everywhere have unique ideas about the specifics that need to change. Together their goals are of social change and true equality in Western democracies. Like many protests and revolutions, much of the activity has been organized through social media and the internet in general. Websites established to promote Occupy movements in specific cities include news feeds, video feeds, links to Twitter and Facebook, explanations, blogs and in some cases, such Occupy Ottawa, the minutes from daily General Assembly meetings. One feature of the Occupy protests is the use of “the people’s mic.” What is said by speakers is repeated by people in the crowd so that the message spreads like a ripple across very large crowds. The Occupy movement, if nothing else, has established fairly effective methods of communicating to large numbers of people without support from mainstream media. Occupiers in the US protest against capitalism, especially deregulation of Wall St. and big banks. In Canada, capitalism is certainly mentioned and protested but there is also focus on the word “Democracy” and the concept that it represents. There seems to be a feeling that Canada’s government is not practiced in the true spirit of democracy. One protester boasted a sign reading “Democracy is every day, not every 4 years.” In my personal experience, I see the root problem in Canada as disengaged citizens. Democracy is a system in which the people control the government. That means that the people must read or watch the news, follow the tweets of political powers or bloggers, engage, discuss, strive to understand and above all, voice their concerns when what they see dissatisfies them. Contact information for local MPP’s is public. There are many public sessions on Parliament Hill. Democracy in Canada has not ended, the doors are not closed. We just haven’t been watching, and as our backs were turned, politics has fallen out of line with the actual vision that Canadians have for Canada. Perhaps the reason that our Government isn’t who we think they should be is a result of the record low voter turn out in both the recent National election and provincial elections. The apathy suggested by these low voter turnouts is the first change necessary in Canada. It is said that this protest is about waking up the 1 percent to the existence and needs of the 99%. In reality the 1% are wide awake and have been able to take advantage of the sleeping majority. It is the 99% who are being awakened in this country. We have been dormant for far to long. A democracy cannot function without its populace. It is time we take back our power, our government and our country. The movement is not without its critics and challenges. One primary issue is that Wall Street is already occupied land. Aboriginal communities are subject to occupation by Western nation states and face systemic discrimination from many of us in the “99%”. The naming of this movement is inappropriate in that it erases this context. If this movement is to be successful, it will have to be attentive to demands that we decolonize, rather than merely occupy, together.

Volume 46 | Issue 7 | October 31, 2011

arts

Making good use of Market Hall’s new acoustics Ohbijou, Julie Doiron, Tin Vespers, and Jos Fortin played a packed show

Julie Doiron By Anthony P. Gulston with files from Wesley Collett-Taylor Forevertron illustration by Norah Winkelaar

Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija

Photography by Andrew Tan

“I’ve spent a lot of time here, and it’s changed”, local Jos Fortin said of his surroundings as he took a squinty look out into the Market Hall audience. He and his brother Dan opened up for Tin Vespers, Julie Doiron and Ohbijou on October 14. It is refreshing to see bands that you love in such a performance-centred space. There were no loud conversations about last night, nobody left to pee every few songs, and there was no shouting out: “play some Tragically Hip!” For Jos, it was “nice not to have to say ‘stick around,’” because he could trust that the audience was there to see him and his friends. There was a familiar feel between all of the acts which made for an incredible fluidity to the evening. Jos mentioned that he had actually recorded before with James Bunton, Ohbijou’s drummer, and that while he was touring in Bruno, SK he noticed that there is a Julie Doiron Day. Before he played his last song, Jos remarked upon how great both Tin Vespers and Ohbijou sounded in the Market Hall. As Dan left the stage he couldn’t help but slip in a nonchalant, “Oh, and save PCVS by the way.” Tin Vespers did sound amazing in the Market Hall. Meagh Culkeen’s big voice filled the room so that the volume of her singing could be tempered, varied, and appropriately used. Unlike in a bar, she did not have to have two volumes; loud and slightly louder. A word to the confused: Dr. Evermor is the sole thematic focus of Tin Vespers’s first concept-based album, and despite the surreality of his ideas, he is a real guy. Evermor has built the largest scrap metal sculpture in the world, called the Forevertron, in Baraboo, Wisconsin. On the day that history is made, Dr. Evermor says he will rocket off in the Forevertron on a lightning force beam into heaven and with the Listening Ear, transmit the conversation he has with God back down to Earth. What I love about Tin Vespers, however, is not their volume but their theatrics. The sway of Culkeen as she wails; the changing postures; the subtle wheeze of the squeeze box; the layered harmonies; the sharp accent of the piano; a powerful drum roll; a mellow drift of the cello; the push and pull of different tempos, rhythms and moods; the narrative arc of the songs and the use of ordering to really convey said arc. For example, the very last song of the set is a little tune about Dr. Evermor’s last words and one of the first songs was “Snow”, about Dr. Evermor’s special lady friend and their lifelong oath. After Tin Vespers, Julie Doiron got on stage, and I could see why the Mayor of Bruno gave her her own day. Her awkward, charming style was so honest that not even her long bangs could cover the sincerity in her eyes and songs. They’re about her life, her exes, her kids, her boyfriend. She would confess the true meaning of her songs in the most endearing way. You’d think you were about to see a folksy singer-songwriter type, but her songs would go from finger picking to wild, outrageous, tangential, accented chords. “That part is really cool when I have a drummer,” she lamented. Oh yeah, and Ohbijou was there! I had no idea keyboardist Ryan Carley played live with so many noise machines at his disposal. It made for a very intricate and at times confusing sonic environment. The gradual variances in the show made it very mellow as well as extremely engaging. Ohbijou confessed that they loved Peterborough and how “sometimes it feels like we’re a part of this.” They even filmed the video for “Niagara” in nearby Millbrook. As they mentioned that they used someone’s trampoline in the shoot, the trampoline owner let out a loud bellow of excitement. Apparently, the last time they played in Peterborough though, they had to break up a fight. Lead singer Casey Mecija remembered thinking “Really? During our music? This is neither the time nor the place,” to which Ryan quipped, “It was the place.” Another piece of tongue-in-cheek appreciation for Peterborough was that Peterborough “really values arts… highschools… downtown…” It wasn’t all politics though. Ohbijou showed off mostly new material. The ambient, woody, stringy, rich electronic sound really was shown off in the room, and had the audience either dancing or paralyzed with awe, grasping to absorb every sonic detail. The apotheosis was when, during the encore, they played “Tumbleweeds” whilst Casey harmonized with herself via a crackly tape recorder and walked around the room with it. For all of the acts, there was a high degree of not merely good quality sound, but a real performance that was facilitated by the space. It was one of the best shows I have seen in awhile.

cAMPUS

Gottlieb argues for spiritual international development By Anthony P. Gulston

Roger Gottlieb has a reputation for ruining dinner parties. He’s a person whose usual after-dinner conversation tends to focus on dire environmental realities: increasing global temperature; polluted water; decimated forests; children dying of pollutant related cancers; and “a rapacious and immoral ruling class.” He can’t stop talking about how we human beings are most able to appreciate the environment, and to understand our dependence on it, but do not act in accordance with these important truths. Gottlieb is a professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Boston. He was this year’s speaker at the Kenneth Mark Drain Chair in Ethics Lecture, organized by the Philosophy Department with assistance from the Business Administration Program, Masters in Sustainability Studies, and Indigenous Environmental Studies. “Before I got into this religion and environmental stuff, I was a Marxist. Still am,” he said. The problem with capitalism, for Gottlieb, seems to be not simply the profit motive or competition. Gottlieb reflected, “Production is incredibly social, and ownership is incredibly private.” One example is the community of Bodo, Ogoniland in the Niger Delta. Residents there live and work in a sloppy, oily mess that has left their homes uninhabitable while Shell Oil pays them only a small amount of money, the cost of doing business. “It’s a different set of interests, so who is going to be in control of these processes?” Corporations will fail if they learn to be moral. Out of convenience, we grabbed a cup of coffee from an Aramark vendor. I told him that there are no reassurances of where this coffee came from and filled him in on some of Aramark’s corporate connections that go

beyond food and drink. That’s when I got my first lesson in spirituality from Roger Gottlieb. “We’re all part of this… you can’t not be part of this, and if you go off to the corner of the forest and live on roots, you’re ignoring what’s being done anyway… this should be a political movement marked by humility, an absence of false self-righteousness, a kind of compassion for the weaknesses of others, even as we struggle with them ourselves… You can’t be moral by yourself.” In his talk, Gottlieb explained spirituality as something that “transcends the normal ego” and allows you to think of more than just yourself. Spirituality is mindfulness; a loving connection between global citizens. Anyone who professes to be religious, according to Gottlieb, should be an environmentalist. Religious environmentalism is about the efforts of major religions in battling ecocide. Spiritual virtuousness “is marked for the individual by self awareness, mindfulness, acceptance for what one has, gratitude for what one has, compassion for the sufferings [and joys] of others and the loving connection to other people, other life forms and, if one believes in God, to God. And God is optional… the metaphysics are unimportant.” In order to translate spirituality into action, Gottlieb setup the following argument: to be spiritual is to be ethical, and to be ethical is to be political. Spirituality and spiritual virtuousness are not inherent to, but needed by environmentalism insofar as they have something positive to offer. “What does the environmental movement tell you? No, Don’t, and Stop.” There are behaviors with a negative impact on the environment that this negative approach is beneficial in stopping, but it does not help those who are not in a position to stop said behaviours. Gottlieb used the example of Sarvodaya, a spiritually-influenced Sri Lankan

development agency that is challenging Western development standards. It is “loosely influenced by Buddhism and the teachings of Ghandi… It got some support from the international development community until people in that community realized that they were talking about more than just building roads… because the development community believes there is

only one form of organization. And that’s to make Sri Lanka look like Peterborough.” Gottlieb argued that the most positive gift spirituality has for any political movement is a way to cope with the despair that comes with the feeling that we are losing. He reminded us of the words of a great Hasidic Rabbi: “the whole world is a narrow bridge, don’t scare yourself off it.”

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Volume 46 | Issue 7 | October 31, 2011

REVIEW

radio

Loyal Fans Will < 3 Paranormal Activity 3 3/5

Freestyling on The Edge Caileigh Morrison interviews Pat Lewis

By Brian Lukaszewicz

By all logic this movie shouldn’t work. We’re on our third Paranormal Activity now and while I thoroughly enjoyed the first two, they’re essentially the same film. The formula’s just not as fresh as it was two years ago. At some point the gimmick’s got to wear off... right? You won’t find many surprises this time around, but Paranormal Activity 3 still does what the franchise has always done extremely well, and that’s creep the hell out of people. It’s tense, tightly plotted, legitimately funny at some points – it may not be perfect but it’s a far a cry from what you generally see out of the third sequel in a horror franchise. And that’s probably because Paranormal Activity has figured out a secret that few of its contemporaries have: true horror comes more from what you don’t see than what you do. A subtle monster is a scarier monster. It’s much more terrifying to watch an object move on its own than it is to watch a murderer torture his victims. That unknown presence plays with the senses and keeps you guessing as to how and when it will strike next. Paranormal Activity 3 does have some diminishing returns however. Once again we’re being treated to a prequel and if you’ve seen the previous two films then the ending of this one won’t be much of a shock to you. There’s also the familiar problem of why any of this is being filmed at all. The movie is set in the 80s, and last time I checked, most families from that era only owned one video camera, if any, and they were big bulky devices. While the screenwriters do a semi-decent job of explaining all this away, there are at least a few instances where you’ll wonder why a character is filming in that moment. The mythology of the series gets a little bit sillier in this installment as well. Without ruining too much, the explanation as to why these girls are being haunted pretty much boils down to one of those stock horror movie clichés involving a deal with the devil and so forth. The ending was so familiar I could have sworn I’d watched the same scene in last year’s The Last Exorcism, a movie ironically capitalizing on the success of the first Paranormal Activity’s found footage premise. Really though, Paranormal Activity has never been about why its victims are being haunted, just that they are, and for my money it’s still one of the creepier horror franchises out there. The third installment may not break the mould, but it still delivers the scares the series is known for. That should be enough to please most of its long-time fans.

Freestyle Lewis airs on Trent Radio Thursdays and Fridays at 6:30pm on 92.7 CFFF FM CM: What can we expect to hear on your show? PL: I call my show Freestyle Lewis because I was in a car accident in January of 2004 and prior to that I used to freestyle ski nationally for Ontario. So having been through my car accident, I’m obviously not a rock star on the skis anymore, but I’m still freestylin’, just in a different rock star medium, you know? CM: Exactly. So it’s an eclectic mix, if you will. PL: Oh yeah. A lot of songs and genres that I feel are quite representational and expressive of myself. It’s top shelf. CM: Definitely. When did you first start programming at Trent Radio? PL: I started here about six to eight months after moving to Peterborough. One of my friends saw I loved my book of CDs – I love my music – and back then, that’s when Vince Bierworth was working as an operator here. She was friends with Vince, so she introduced me, and I just put together a proposal and Freestyle Lewis was born. CM: What do you like about doing a programme at Trent Radio? What drew you to it? PL: Trent Radio has quite a cool group of cats here. It’s just a lot of fun to hang out with all the different personalities that come in. Every show is a different genre and every show attracts a different genre of people, so it’s a very eclectic crew of people that roll up in here. I always like hanging out here and seeing who’s who and what’s what. Also, it’s a lot of fun to interact with musicians around town, getting some of their content that I can broadcast through Trent Radio. CM: So you go for a lot of local content as well? PL: Yeah, as much local as I can. CM: What do you have lined up for tonight? PL: Well you know that mainstream hip hop song “Whatever You Like”? By...I don’t even know actually.... CM: I think it’s T.I. PL: Yeah. Well, there’s this remix of that song and it’s by Madeline & The Big Cat Family, and it’s a really cool song. A couple of f-bombs, but I hope I can get away with that... CM: F-bombs aren’t that big of a deal. I mean, the rule here is if someone complains, you’re in trouble, but for the most part, nobody complains. PL: (laughing) And it’s not to say that nobody’s listening, right? CM: That’s true. Lots of people don’t mind songs with the f-bomb in it. PL: So what do you do when you live in a shoe? CM: Do you have a favourite local musician that you’ve talked to? PL: One of my favourite local guys is Fraser MacDougall. He does FM Hi LOW, and I really like his stuff. He does some spoken word, some dub poetry, some beat boxing, and I really like that. CM: So have you ever had any big interviews or brushes with fame through your programme? PL: Not really, but the biggest show I’ve been on...I got an email from Dean Blundell [of Toronto radio station The Edge] that said “I’ve heard of your radio show in Peterborough. What about coming down and co-hosting mine?” And I said, of course I will! CM: That’s sweet! PL: So I arranged it for a day that I had another meeting in Toronto, and he asked me how I was getting out there. I told him “Well, I don’t drive very well, so I’ll probably just have to catch a ride with a buddy or take a bus or something.” Then he said “I’ll send out some wheels for you.” No joke, a stretch limousine! CM: That is amazing! PL: Yeah, it was really cool. When I was coming home all my old boys and all my buddies were all calling me up and text messaging “Dude, were you on The Edge today?” and I said, “Well, you know, I cleared some time...it was on the way...” (laughs). It was quite an event after my accident. CM: Do you find there’s a big difference between community and commercial radio? PL: There’s quite a big difference. Commercial stations change genres so much based on what their audiences want, right? Which doesn’t show a lot of integrity, in my opinion. I find local stations playing local music are much more expressive because the musicians are playing what they want and it’s not to make money. I mean, it’s hopefully eventually going to become money-making for them, but they’re not selling themselves out so they can make some dollars. It’s a more genuine form of music, I think. But everyone’s gotta earn their money, you know? CM: Definitely. Thanks a lot, Pat!

Listings CUPE 3908 Annual General Meeting CUPE Regional Office, 165 Sherbrooke Street, Peterborough. Monday, November 7, 2011, 7 p.m. (Entrance is at southwest corner of building, east of the creek). You can expect food, drinks, updates from our back-to-back bargaining years, and exciting elections! Kawartha World Issues Centre events: All Hallow’s Eat, Monday Oct. 31 collecting food donations to Kawartha Food Share between 5-9pm. Food, Gender, Climate- Making Connections group meets Wednesdays 11am-noon in room B101 of the Environmental Science Complex at Trent Univeristy. Eco-pirate, a documentary about Paul Watson, will screen at Market Hall, Nov 4 7-9:30 pm, followed by a moderated discussion. For more info: http://www.kwic.info. Public Energy season launch- Oct 31 at Market Hall. Treats at 8pm in the Market Hall lobby- reception with complementary food and drink, tricks at 8:30 on the George St sidewalk- dance, music, and special effects created just for this launch. publicenergy.ca. Movember Launch - October 31, Bata Podium. Find the booth and sign up to grow a month’s worth of facial hair to raise awareness about men’s health, especially prostate cancer. Register and pick up your free razor! An Evening with Brigette DePape (“Stop Harper”sign), “The Arts, Youth and the Future of Canada”, with local entertainment, Tuesday, November 1, Market Hall Performing Arts, 160 George St. N., Peterborough, 8 pm, Council of Canadians, 705-745-2446 Trent University is hosting the 2011 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Women’s Rugby Championship, November 3-6. There will be two games per day, at 10:30 a.m. And 1:30 p.m during preliminaries (3rd-5th). On November 6 there will be three games, at 10a.m.,

12 noon, and 2 p.m. Tickets are $2 per day for Trent students and are available at the Athletics Centre. The Pining, Nick Ferrio and His Feelings, Lee and Billie Strange at the Gordon Best Theatre (216 Hunter St W, above the Only Cafe). Nov. 4, 9pm. All ages, licensed. $10/adv, $12/door Mysterious Festivous, a wine tasting/ silent auction fundraiser for Mysterious Entity Theatre, occurs Sunday November 6, 2-5pm, at Brio Gusto Restaurant & Wine Bar (182 Charlotte St.). Tickets are $30, including 2 tastings, a handcrafted wine charm, and hor d’oeuvres (additional wine samples $2 each). Live entertainment will be provided by John Whitehead & friends and Mysterious Entity Theatre. Tickets are available from Mysterious Entity board members or m.entity@gmail.com. Men’s Extramural Hockey: Trent U vs McMaster. Game 1: Friday Nov 11, Evinrude Centre- Atom Pad, 10:00-11:30 pm. Game 2: Saturday Nov. 12, Kinsmen Arena, 2:00-4:00 pm. Free admission. Come out and cheer on your team! Wear green. More info: campusrec@trentu.ca Safe medication disposal day, November 12, because improper disposal of medication harms the environment. Contact ceceleebrault@trentu.ca Trent’s annual Afrobana cultural show: a taste of the African and Caribbean cultures which have become such an integral part in our community, including dance, song, spoken word, drama, and instrumentals. Saturday November 19, 7:30pm at the Wenjack theatre, Trent University. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Bata library from the 7th-11th and the 16th-18th of November, or at the door. Dance Your Bones presents Dance Free: a workshop for those who love to move freely,feeling unlimited, to music from around the world, knowing that its OK to

dance whether we feel clumsy or graceful, open or closed. Saturday November 19, 11am-4pm Peterborough at All Saints Anglican Church, 235 Rubidge For more info. and to register: Kate Huband (705)750-0411, and katehuband@ gmail.com Price: $45 (sliding scale available upon request) Trent Athletics Hosts National Coaching Courses: All courses held at the Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre. The courses, which are suitable for coaches in sports at all competitive levels and all ages, are open to all coaches and interested members of the community. Introduction to competition B: This is on Friday, November 25 7pm-10pm AND Saturday, November 26 8:30am-5pm. The cost is $110/person+ HST (includes materials) Both courses will be taught by instructor Mary Stever. Registration is now open! Register online at www.trentu.ca/athletics. Previous coach training not required.

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. As always, you are welcome to borrow props and costumes from the storage space at Sadleir House - email theatretrent@trentu.ca. Introduction to Buddhism: “Travelling from Confusion to Original Sanity” A 10-week Study Group based on talks given by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and carefully compiled under his direction. Starts September 15 at Sadleir House. Whether you are new to Buddhism or already have experience studying the Dharma, this is a great opportunity to engage in lively discussion of Buddhadharma. For more information, call 705755-0063.

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Sadleir House circus art jam: Every Tuesday until April 10 except on Nov.22, Dec.20, Dec.27, Jan.3 @Sadleir house upstairs in the dining room 7pm9pm. Bring some toys and come and play. If you don’t have any toys just bring yourself. All for the low price of FREE (however donations to help pay for the space will be greatly appreciated.)

Part-time Research Job Well-organized person with good social skills needed for research project on theatre and music scenes in Peterborough. Experience with interview-based research helpful but not required. Start October 2011 / 20 hours a week (negotiable). E-mail aoconnor@trentu. ca with a copy of your resume.

Fall Monday night Yoga Class! Prana Flow Yoga 12 week series. Yoga has proven to reduce stress, increase euphoria, and maximize health in body and mind. This is an all levels class. All are welcome! Instructor: Tiina Kivinen 50 hr certified. Dates: Mondays Sept 12 - Dec. 5. (not including Thanksgiving) Time: 7:30 - 9pm Cost: 12 weeks for $108 (commit to your practice!) or Drop- in for $12-$15 sliding scale. At Sadleir House Dining Hall, 751 George St. N Peterborough.

Thinking about Adoption? If you are pregnant and need a nurturing loving home for your child, then we would love to talk to you about our family. We look forward to hearing from you! Call Trish at 1-519-304-1555 Need essay help? Experienced Masters and PhD graduates can help! All subjects and levels, plus resumes, applications, and editing. Nursing, English, Business, Sociology and more! Call toll free 1-888-345-8295 or email customessay@bellnet.ca for a quote today! www.customessay.com

Volume 46 | Issue 7 | October 31, 2011