Have a heart
Season saver
Special Valentine’s Day section —page 13
UW pads lead on final playoff spot —page 24
Will you vote forum? Or are you Fed up? Andrew Dilts IMPRINT STAFF
The annual Feds Forum was held in the SLC’s Great Hall on February 4. Here’s brief run-down of the events. Rebecca Wroe (‘Team Yellow’) and Will Hamilton (‘Team THC’) were present as presidential candidates; a representative for Kevin Ma (Ma/ Omar/Afzaal) stood in for opening remarks as Ma was not available. Hamilton started the opening remarks, by outlining his team’s collective platform. “Taylor, Hamilton, Clelland — the active ingredient in Feds — [has] three main issues: visibility, accessibility and communication. “We want to be the executive that puts our foot in the door of student apathy, to make sure that the voices behind the Federation of Students and the guiding light that we shine into students lives, on and off campus, rings true.” Wroe, in her statements, noted her experience. “I’ve been representing the faculty of science students for the last nine months, not only to the faculty of science representatives in the undergraduate office, but also to the Federation of Students.” “I would like to maintain this position, but to instead represent UW students to the UW administration and also to the City of Waterloo, the Senate and the Board of Governors.” Ma’s representative was allowed to give an opening statement, on Ma’s behalf: “We’re aiming for communication, that’s our basic goal. We will not wait for the students to come to us, we want to approach our students. “One of our main things I came about during this campaign is, there [are] not a lot of people aware of what’s going on…I don’t know if it’s the advertising, promotion or what we’re lacking, but we’re definitely helping to fix it.” Later, candidates for vice-president education Muneeba Omar (Ma/ Omar/Afzaal) and Jeff Henry (‘Team Yellow’) were posed questions by current VP Ed Liam McHugh-Russell. One of McHugh-Russell’s questions asked which one change candidates could make to improve UW’s co-operative education system, if they could. Henry was the first to answer, and chose to focus on CECS field coordinators. “It’s the co-op field co-ordinators
who have the job of making sure that there are enough co-op jobs out there and students are comfortable while they’re on their co-op jobs. Often, the number one complaint that you see are related to those types of visits and the level of expertise and professionalism in those individuals and the amount of work that they do.” To fix this problem, Henry noted, CECS would have to help field coordinators improve, “to find a way to do their jobs better, and make sure that they’re effective when they do them.” Omar, on the other hand, cited a need to make CECS more hospitable to students. “Students are lost when they have co-op problems,” stated Omar. “They go to the Tatham Centre and they’re lost and they don’t know who to talk to. When they go to their faculty undergrad office, [office reps] tell them to go to the Tatham Centre and then [the students] are lost. “The one thing we can do to make CECS better is have reps in every faculty so that students know and that rep knows issues with that faculty and that person can seek help.” VP internal candidates Brent Taylor (‘Team THC’) and John Andersen (‘Team Yellow’) were asked questions relating to student life. In one question by the current VP, John Fedy, candidates were asked whether or not they thought UW was apathetic. Taylor noted that, “I think parts of the school are apathetic and I think the reason is they don’t know. And I think the reason they don’t know is that we’ve been talking at them for so many years, not talking to them, not talking with them, not sitting down and figuring out why they are apathetic.” Andersen followed in disagreement. “No, I don’t really think our students are apathetic. I think they’re just busy. I think it’s difficult to get involved in the community, I think it’s difficult for students to find out what the Feds are doing for them. “You make an attempt, you take an initiative and you get faced with other walls, other barriers along the way. I think that deters students from being actively involved and I think we can work to lower those barriers, to break those walls down.” Candidates for vice-president administration and finance, Raveel Afzaal (Ma/Omar/Afzaal) and Andrew Clelland (‘Team THC’) were faced with
tough questions from incumbents and students alike. A scenario posed during open question period asked how candidates, who would be responsible for overseeing the Bomber and Fed Hall, would respond if approached by a student whose religious convictions did not permit them to drink alcohol, asking why their Feds fee was partly spent on running the bars. Afzaal was the first to answer. “I’m Muslim…and alcohol is against my religion, too. But at the same time, I do go to Fed Hall. I feel that it’s a place that we can all go and have fun. “If we feel that alcohol is the only way we can go and enjoy ourselves, it’s not the best approach. We can introduce more services at Fed Hall…we are looking into…find more uses for Fed Hall.” Clelland largely agreed with Afzaal. He noted that he was familiar with “Federation Hall and the Bombshelter Pub and the money that students pay goes towards the running of those establishments. Those establishments also offer so much more. Bombshelter has also been used for many situations where there has been no alcohol served at all.” Imprint columnist Michelle Titus was on hand at the forum and posed a question to candidates to “spice it up a bit.” She advised students to,“Pay attention and start shaking. You’re using a bunch of buzz words like communication and accessibility [and it’s] annoying. I think that your true colours are shown in a relationship…so tell me two words that somebody who you’ve been in a relationship or romantic endeavour with, that they would use to describe you.” All candidates ventured to answer the question and responses ranged from Taylor’s straightforward “outgoing and honest” to Henry’s laughinducing, “Michelle, they definitely wouldn’t be words. They’d be some certain sounds, but I don’t want to offend the ears of anybody who might not be of age in the audience.” Candidate John Andersen noted that his girlfriend was out in the audience, and trotted out the microphone to let her answer the question herself. Her description of her candidate boyfriend? “Communicative, very good at communicating…and he’s hot!” adilts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
S‘no’w more snow
MARGIE MANSELL
Rachel Shugart plays queen of the mountain on one of the many snow piles on campus. With a recent rise in temperatures, the best of this winter’s snow won’t be around much longer. So get out there and have some fun!
page two
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Neal Moogk-Soulis CROSSWORD Across 1. One down plural 6. A radar target 10. Lady’s-finger found in chicken gumbo 14. Lit by a flame 15. Superman’s wife’s last name 16. Had young 17. Hawaiian island 18. Loser of that 1972 hockey game 19. Fill to satisfaction 20. Sailors’ lookouts 22. Waterproofed canvas, also seen in bright blue 23. What Austin Powers lost 24. Nocturnal American wildcat 26. Moonfish, or a tuba sound 30. Black and yellow Penatanguishine sailing vessel 31. Negation 32. Rip, rake, profligate 33. Small songbird 35. A Buddhist with nirvana January 30 solution
Special Valentine’s Day Campus Question, see page 16
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39. Canada’s curling weatherwoman 41. Should this cloud come from chemistry, RUN! 43. Echo sounder 44. Accidental misstep, damn ice 46. Fine arts prof related to the Great Barrier Reef 47. Unit of resistance 49. The back end of the ship 50. The sun but not the moon 51. Some people have very private ones 54. Horse control 56. An independent chieftain, think UAE 57. A raceway 63. Make over 64. Everyone’s bedroom should have one 65. Un escargot 66. Ooze through a small opening 67. Having made melodious tones 68. Revisions 69. Gaelic by another name 70. Eye infection similar to a pig pen 71. Beneficiary Down 1. Used in baby powder 2. Where the three kings came from 3. Softer kitchen floor covering 4. A chicken crop 5. Earthquake 6. Mr. Strauss’s prime product 7. Any good cowboy 8. Of the present month 9. The question asked by the suffragettes 10. The childbirth medical field 11. South African hamlet 12. Reminiscent fashion
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13. Dazzlingly skilled 21. A titled peer 25. TV cable 26. Alas poor Keiko, we knew him well 27. Multiple excrements of the fouryear old variety 28. An old Scottish word 29. Bloodstone 34. A narrow boundary 36. A loud raucous cry 37. Radiant light 38. Nicholas was the last 40. Waterloo’s alternative paper 42. Most studied nerve in optometry
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45. Stealing and thievery 48. Quagmire 51. Brief and to the point 52. Phonetical variation of 56 across 53. The end of Barbara Streisand’s second last film 55. Searched in a meddlesome way 58. Lie adjacent 59. Reverse an action 60. Any warmer and this week would have plenty 61. Physical location 62. Anything more? nmoogksoulis@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
NEWS FRIDAY, FEBRUARYFRIDAY, 6, 2004 FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Imprint news
Campaign in the ass
news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
The beat goes on
Eliminating election apathy — page 5
Hamilton targeted for financial transgressions Keith Leblanc SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
ADRIAN CHIN
A group of drummers chant along to the rhythm during a performance last Monday at the International Fair, held in the SLC in honour of International Week. The celebration featured a rich tapestry of music, films, artwork, customs, storytelling and other demonstrations of multiculturalism.
Dave Capper resigns as Feds VP admin & finance Mark Stratford
split it up, with Suzanne [Burdett, Feds general manager] also taking on more responsibilities, and perhaps as time goes on we might want to Three months short of when his term was consider hiring part-time help.” Edey added that Feds will work hard to keep supposed to end, David Capper has resigned from his position as Feds vice-president admin- themselves caught up in the face of an unusual istration and finance. Capper will be leaving his circumstance: a Feds executive member has not post effective Friday, February 13, to pursue an resigned in years. “There are now three people to employment opportunity. What the exact pro- do a four person job. We don’t know what it’s fession is remains unknown, but it has to do going to be like until it actually starts happening. with planning, the field from which Capper The best that I can say is that John, Liam and I will work that much graduated. The job is harder to ensure that located outside of the everything is still done Waterloo region. “I wish to express to the best of our ability “I would like to ofimmense gratitude to and that students will fer my sincerest thanks get all the representation to all those who have […] the entire and all the value they pay helped make my time Feds staff.” for through their Feds with the Federation of — Dave Capper fee.” Students as memoraresigning Feds VP administration Capper’s resignation ble as it has been,” and finance should not have an efCapper was quoted as fect on the upcoming saying in a memo reelection of new Feds leadgarding his decision. “Most importantly, I wish to express immense ers. Capper will be returning to assist with the gratitude to [president] Chris Edey, [VP inter- transition process following the election that will nal] John Fedy, [VP education] Liam McHugh- help acquaint his successor with the new posiRussell and the entire Federation of Students tion. Unfortunately, Capper could not be reached staff for sharing in the joy and hardships of this for comment by press time. Capper served nine position.” The accolades have already been returned. months total as VP admin and finance and some “[Dave is] my friend, my colleague,” said Edey. of his best-known accomplishments include “I’m really happy for him. It’s a great opportu- creating a standardized rate for organizations renting out Fed Hall and the Bomber and nity.” According to a Feds bylaw, the exit of the vice- organizing a number of experimental and sucpresident admin and finance would transfer his cessful social events. Regardless of where you responsibilities onto the vice-president internal, stand on Feds policies and procedures, Capper is but Edey explained that, with just a few short to be commended for his commitment to lookmonths left in power, all three exec will work ing out for our best interests as students. together to fill the void. “We can’t just double the size of John’s job,” he said. “The three of us will mstratford@imprint.uwaterloo.ca IMPRINT STAFF
3
Current Feds presidential candidate Will Hamilton has attended many meetings during his time on campus, but surely none were as tense as the one that took place in the SLC this past Monday. At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Students, Hamilton was asked by Feds president Chris Edey to explain several discrepancies surrounding cheques Hamilton wrote to himself this past summer totaling over $2,000. As president of the Arts Student Union (ASU) from fall 2002 through to the end of spring 2003, Hamilton was required to organize and execute a number of events and special projects. Acting in this capacity, he would sometimes need to make purchases with his own funds that would later be reimbursed from the ASU treasury. Five of these self-endorsed cheques are now being investigated. The largest cheque was dated August 8, 2003 and totaled $1,200. The money was supposed to be used to purchase water bottles that would be distributed during frosh week, but these bottles were never acquired. Hamilton claimed that it was necessary to write a cheque to himself in advance of the water bottle purchase because it would have been significantly easier to pay with cash then with an ASU cheque. Hamilton has just recently returned that money after an initial cheque was lost, and a second one bounced. Also under investigation is a cheque for $500 dated June 30. It was written to reimburse Hamilton for expenses he incurred while constructing a water fountain ASU contributed to UW’s Canada Day celebrations. Included among the expenses is
a $59.85 charge from the Beer Store. Hamilton stated that the beer was given to the ASU office assistant’s husband and some volunteers in exchange for their help in constructing the fountain. The ASU office assistant confirmed to Imprint that her husband received a six-pack and that the rest of the beer was for Hamilton and his friends. A third cheque of concern is a $161.45 cheque written by Hamilton to reimburse himself for supplies he purchased for a Student Life 101 BBQ this past summer. Records show that a cheque from MathSoc was written to Hamilton for the same expenses for the event that he also cashed. He stated that he did not realize this mistake until just this past week when it was brought to his attention. Two other, smaller cheques are also in question in the amounts of $50 and $100. These discrepancies led Feds president Chris Edey to call an emergency meeting of the Feds Board of Directors to ask Hamilton to explain his actions. Board members were asked what they thought should happen in this situation, and Edey responded by saying that he thought Hamilton should resign from the Board of Directors. In his written response to questions from Imprint, Hamilton took responsibility for the mismanagement of the ASU funds, citing disorganization as the leading cause. “I did not in any way try to misdeal the financial aspects of the ASU… I made a mistake. My errors are correctable, and by this I feel that by working on the executive to provide insight and examples to See I.O.U., page 6
Imprint news
4
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NINA MAKRIGAINI
In need of some vocational advice and a whole bunch of free loot? You’re at the right place!
Job fair 2004: the aftermath Nina Makrigaini SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
Profession, employment, work, occupation or career: Whatever it is called today, the best place to have found it this week was at the 2004 job fair at Rim Park in Waterloo. Over 103 employers attended the fair on Wednesday, February 4 to recruit potential employees. Whether it was full time, part time, summer or co-op, there was something there for everyone in need of a money-making means. The job fair is a shared effort between the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Guelph and Conestoga College. This collaboration is titled “Partnership for Employment” and was created to allow students and alumni to network with potential employers and gain information on certain aspects of a particular job, such as requirements and salary expectations. Admission was free to all of the participating universitys’ students and alumni; otherwise, $10 got you in for the experience. Many of the employers, such as Agricorp and Labstat have been there
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“We will definitely be coming back next year.” — Tim French assistant director, Camp Kennebec
This year was Camp Kennebec’s first time out to the job fair. Within a half hour of the fair being open, they had talked to roughly 50 potential employees. “We will definitely be coming back next year,” said Tim French, the assistant director at camp
Kennebec. Other employers are ones such as Toyota Canada Inc., Clublink, Clarica, Linamar Corporation and St. Mary’s General Hospital. If all of this is not enough to persuade students and alumni to check out the job fair, the free stuff should be. Every booth displayed some sort of free attraction. Some went with the traditional free pens, key chains, suckers and highlighters. Others were a little eccentric and gave away yo-yos, 3D paper buses and stress globes. And some were just down right practical with calculators, measuring tapes and bottles of water. “This is awesome,” said WLU student Krissi Flatt as she picked up a bottle of water from the Nestle booth. “I just ran out of these this morning!” Missing out on this opportune event, however, is not something to worry about. This job fair has been aiding students and alumni with career opportunities since 1994. From past experience this event gets bigger and better every year. There are more employers in a wider variety of fields. So keep your eyes open for the 2005 Job Fair, it might just be the link to your future.
New promises, new houses, Newfoundland
Lauren S. Breslin and Fiona Hudgins IMPRINT STAFF/SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
“The year’s best animated movie! A disarming and eye popping saga!”
for over two years and they have been successful in filling the positions that they come with. The Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre have been there, “as long as I can remember,” said one of the Kitchener recruiting officers. “We have found better success in this job fair than anything else, such as Skills Canada,” said another officer.
Throne speech addresses student issues
The throne speech that marks the beginning of the new Paul Martin government, was read in Parliament on February 2. The speech addressed several national issues and emphasized the need for reform of social programs concerning such groups as children, aboriginals and persons with disabilities. The government is planning many smaller initiatives. Education reform was not given a great deal of attention
in the speech; however a few new commitments were made. For example, the government intends to revise its student aid program to make it easier for those from low income families to go to university. There will be an increase in the loan limit for student loans and improvements to the terms of loans to part-time students. There will also be an expansion of what students can claim as tax deductible, with items such as computers now being included. Greater transparency and accountability in government were notions that were referred to repeatedly throughout the speech. It remains to be seen what lies in store for students in the new Martin government. Volunteers needed for summer housing project
The Sustainable Student Housing
Project needs your help. They need to find 10-15 volunteers to help build a sustainable student residence at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Newfoundland this summer. Food and accommodation will be provided and travel costs will possibly be subsidised. The residence, which will be based on natural building techniques and renewable energies, will accommodate six students when completed. So, if you’re interested in learning how to build a house or want to learn how to install a renewable energy system, this is the perfect opportunity for you! No previous building experience is required. The deadline for applications is Monday, March 1. Contact Laird Herbert at lherbert@riseup.net for more information. lbreslin@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Imprint news
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
5
Come on, UW, rock the vote! For university students, busy schedules and soaring stress levels can often lead to “voter apathy” Bianca Tong IMPRINT STAFF
UW students are on par with the general level of apathy displayed by university students across the country. With voter turnouts rising since 2001, UW’s student elections have seen an average of about 14 per cent voter turnout over the last three years, which roughly amounts to 2,500 students of our 18,000 large populace. In terms of other universities, Dalhousie reports low turnouts of 10 per cent partly due to the spread of the university across three campuses around Halifax. “There is very little school spirit and most of the faculties operate on a social level entirely independent from one another,” says Catherine Young, editor of the Dalhousie News. The Chief Returning Officer Will Szubielski of Dalhousie’s student union attributes students’ indifference to the lack of spirit in a particular year’s campaign. “If there are many interesting candidates, controversial issues, or highly-contested campaigns, more students are engaged. Unfortunately in recent years this has not happened,” says Szubielski. Last year, Dalhousie’s student union president was acclaimed. The University of Calgary holds true
with 13 per cent average voter turnout, with certain years garnering more interest because of issues on the slate, such as dental plan fees, UPasses. Ryerson also saw numbers around the 10 per cent mark. An anomaly to the trend is Queen’s University, who boasted a whopping 28 per cent voter turnout in 2003, with its student union president winning by a slim margin of 58 votes. Many students claim they are too busy with classes, are too uninformed for their vote to count for much, or just plain don’t care what student unions do for them. Many of the current candidates for the Feds elections being held next week have bandied about solutions to the problem, including time each day to talk to students, and getting more involved with student societies. Szubielski says “increasing the accessibility of the vote is part of their strategy” for getting students out. Other parts of the strategy include providing access to both stationary and roving mobile online polling stations. Imprint seeks to provide information that students may
quickly glance over, and read while on coffee breaks, or breaks between classes, in an effort to elect the best possible government. The Feds
election voting period starts at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, February 12 and ends at 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 14, giving students 60 continuous hours to vote. Votes may be cast online by going to the www.feds.ca or by heading to a polling location on campus, which can be found on the Feds Web site as well. btong@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
JEFF TRAN
Students’ council elections Don’t forget the senate races bring talented candidates to the forefront Durshan Ganthan IMPRINT STAFF
The senate elections are next week. Here are some statements from candidates for the three races.
Andrew Dilts IMPRINT STAFF
Amid the excitement of the “four” Feds positions up on the annual election, races for seats on the highest governing body of the Federation of Students — the students’ council — often get left in the dust. This year, however, students in the faculties of arts and science are being treated to some pretty intense competition by next year’s hopefuls. The number of races for council seats has steadily dwindled since campaigning started on January 28, with students dropping out of races for science and AHS regular-stream council seats. Only two constituencies have seats that remain up for election, as seats for science co-operative and arts regular councillors are currently being contested. Arts regular seats
Watching intense competition, the race for the four arts regular seats up for grabs on Feds council is anything but dull. Talent and promise abound in the six candidates vying for the position. The incumbent, Paul Lehmann, has sat on both the Feds council and its board of directors since May of 2003. Becoming elected to a directorship position on a multi-million dollar corporation while only a second-year student is an uncommon feat; Lehmann knows the ropes and will be a tough candidate to beat. Jonathan Hart, also for arts regular, has appeared as a well-spoken candidate over the last few weeks, demonstrating his ability to excellently handle questions at many of the fora that have been held since Feds campaigning began. Pat Borelli, another candidate for arts regular, also has displayed promise in his candidacy. A vocal adherent of the Arts Endowment Fund,
Borelli has also acknowledged that improved ties between the Feds and the Arts Students Union would be on his list of priorities if elected. Rida Rehmani showed talent at the Feds Forum on February 4, noting her involvement as the president of the UW Photo Club and as a UW tour guide. She believes that arts students have currently been under-represented and has promised to make improvements in this area. Anita Satkunarajah took the initiative to get out and campaign immediately, beating out her competition on the posting playing field by getting up posters well before any others. Satkunarajah wants to see better communication between the Feds and the Arts Students Union and fully supports the creation of an endowment fund for the faculty of arts. Steve Hayle believes that he has the skills necessary to represent arts students. He sits on the K-W community editorial board and cites plenty of experience representing students at his high school, Kitchener Collegiate Institute. Science regular seats
Rebecca Baxter and Jason Vervoort are the two candidates going head-to-head for the single Feds seat for science students in co-operative education programs. Baxter is the incumbent for the position, having held the seat on Feds council since May of 2003. Baxter has also recently been acclaimed — gained the seat due to lack of competition — to the single seat allotted specifically to science students on the UW senate. Baxter’s competition, Jason Vervoort, has plenty of UW involvement under his belt, being a UW cheerleader, an off-campus don, an active member of the Warrior Weekends committee and currently a member of the Feds’ Campus Response Team (CRT). adilts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Arts senate
Paul Lehmann: “I am running for Senate because I believe it is important for the Students of the Arts Faculty to have a strong voice as their representative,” explained Lehmann. “Issues that are essential to the long term growth and expansion of the Arts Faculty and the make-up of its students are on the table as UW struggles to maintain its current funding formula. I want to be there to ensure that the voices of the Students of the Arts Faculty are heard. “Students should vote for me because I am an active, energetic, hard-working communicator that wants to work on behalf of them to ensure that the value and quality of their education is the best that it can possibly be.” Neal Moogk-Soulis: “I wish to have the chance to work with administrators and faculty members in order to maintain and improve the UW experience,” answered Moogk-Soulis when asked why he was running for senate. “I feel that my active university experience has prepared me for this task. “I am a determined individual who will studiously follow a goal through to the end. I am also an eloquent writer and speaker. Determination, hard work and eloquence are needed for this job, especially when navigating the university structure. I am also always open to reasoned discussion and negotiation within reason.” Math senate
Albert O’Connor: Unfortunately, O’Connor was unable to reply by press time. David Wheatley: “I am committed to the administration, and want to help create real tangible changes in the university,” Wheatley said. “I want to ensure we keep current student’s futures
in mind, while attracting new students. To do this, Waterloo must remain competitive by striving to be at the cutting edge of technology and progress. “As a business/math student, I will bring fresh ideas to senate from a program that sponsors innovators and entrepreneurs. I will concentrate on the above issues by setting measurable, realistic goals for my time in office, and a timeline to keep my goals and progress in check. More fundamentally, I will be on campus for the entirety of my term and attend every meeting, to the benefit of the constituency.”
At-large senate
Tanveer Ali: “I am running for senate as I feel that I am well-equiped and qualified to represent students and their needs at the highest authoritative body at UW,” Ali stated. “Further, I would like to stand up for issues that are important to students and seek to have their voices heard. “Students should vote for me because I represent students and their voices. My actions will be driven by the ideas and objectives of students. My role at senate will be to improve the quality of education and increase accountability to students. It is time that we stop accepting decisions that are made for us; we should have a say and have our voices heard ‘loudly and clearly’.” Abhignya Sarkar: “I love our school, but let’s face it, no educational institution is perfect,” Sarkar explained. “As students, we’re the ones most influenced by educational policies, so our concerns and suggestions are definitely valid. I want to represent these concerns and make sure they get the attention they deserve. “I want to make the senate accessible to students. I want to bring your thoughts and ideas to the table. Am I a qualified candidate? Well, I take academics seriously. I’m in 3B Comp Eng and on the Dean’s List. I’m involved in research and extracurricular activities. And most of all, I don’t go back on my word.” dganthan@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Imprint news
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Hamilton’s errors, Edey’s deviations Ryan Chen-Wing UWRYAN . COM Just as the ocean — which is king of lakes, streams and rivers — lies below them, the president of an organization is the ultimate servant. We students will discover two deviations from this ideal this week. We have seen evidence of negligence in Feds presidential candidate Will Hamilton when he was ASU President, and dishonourable actions from Feds President Chris Edey in reacting to the situation. On Monday, Feds’ board of directors met “to discuss the situation,” according to Edey. In the spring term, Hamilton incurred an expense of $161.45 in supplies for a barbecue run by the student societies, including ASU and MathSoc. He then received a cheque for the expense from ASU. His was one of two required signatures on the cheque. MathSoc, which was administering the finances for the barbecue, processed the revenue; having the receipt, they also processed the expense and provided another cheque for the same amount. Hamilton says it was unintentional and points out that the cheques were cashed at different times, but he did receive double his expense back. In another incident, he received a cheque from ASU for $1,200 in August 2003, which he did not repay until January of this year. He said that the money was to purchase water bottles with the
ASU logo for frosh during orientation week. His explanation for writing a cheque to himself and not to the supplier is that the supplier would not accept an ASU cheque. This would require him to take a cheque and get cash to pay for the bottles. He claimed that upon finding out that the supplier could not provide the bottles in time, he wrote a cheque back to the ASU and put it in his succession binder, which he expected to pass on to his successor, current ASU president Shannon Cole. Hamilton said that he left the binder in the ASU office in September. Cole said that she has not seen the binder.
Negligence on Hamilton’s part and poor practices in the ASU are both factors in these events. In November, Hamilton provided a new cheque, but it had insufficient funds. On January 15, he bought a money order and sent it to ASU, paying them back after about four months. Negligence on Hamilton’s part and poor practices in the ASU are both factors in these events. If the receiving of double the expense was an error, he did not remember or record the other cheque, and he apparently wrote a cheque without the one receipt that MathSoc had. It took him a long time to repay the $1,200, and it is clear that not all the money was there when the November cheque was cashed. Hamilton was questioned about these matters at the board meeting on Monday and in the
Feds Election forum on Wednesday. On both occasions he admitted his mistakes. “This needs to be an open and candid discussion. I have to admit my mistakes,” he said, and provided his explanation. Though Feds had knew about it in November, recently Edey has committed errors in dealing with this serious situation. ASU vice president Andrew Dilts approached Feds about three weeks ago to talk to them about the current situation. Edey found out two weeks ago when he returned from vacation. In investigating the situation, Edey did not communicate with Hamilton. This has the characteristics of building a case against someone rather than investigating the truth. Thursday of last week, Edey scheduled a meeting with Hamilton, where Edey and Feds VP admin and finance Dave Capper presented him with a letter that asked him for an explanation and asked him to resign from Feds’ board and withdraw from the election, and told him that the board would meet the next Monday. At the meeting, Edey asked about other situations that he thought were suspicious and received explanations from Hamilton. Edey’s actions are indistinguishable from efforts to discredit someone and meddle in the election of his successor. He should have been open about it with Hamilton from the beginning as an impartial rather than a prosecutor. Hamilton did several things wrong in his service to ASU and arts students, and he has admitted his errors. Edey has also committed errors in service to Feds and to students; he should admit this and apologize. ryan@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
I.O.U.: adding it up Continued from page 3
possible dangerous situations is key.” Hamilton states that he will be able to learn from this experience and hopefully change the system to prevent recurrences of similar mistakes “I will be releasing a corresponding document outlining steps that will ensure that a situation like mine will not happen to another member of a society executive. This document will provide checks and balances to ensure that there is a safety net for money handling procedures.” Presently, for a cheque to be cashed from the ASU, it has to be signed by two of three individuals, the president, the office assistant, and/or the treasurer. All of the cheques in question were signed by both Hamilton and Sherrie Steinberg, the office assistant. Hamilton is positive about the impact this event will have on his presidential campaign: “I think that a major weakness of mine will all of a sudden become a strength. I will have to act more diligently than I did before regarding fiscal procedures. There are numerous checks and balances involved into the position of president and I feel that there will be… added scrutiny with my involvement. This makes me take greater view of understanding fiscal situations. A clear scrutinizing, better informed and attentive student body will ensure that all aspects of the position and the executive will perform to the best of their and the organizations [sic] abilities.” Chris Edey’s only comment was that he believes that finding the discrepancies is a sign that current system works. Edey does not believe it is the job of the Feds’ Board of Directors to investigate matters like this, but when the other cheques and balances fail, the board can act as a last line of defense.
OPINION
Imprint opinion
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Reader questions editorial Alroy Fonseca
In the January 30 edition of Imprint, Lauren Breslin accused the parents of Rachel Corrie — who visited our campus on the evening of January 26 — of labeling their daughter’s “death a murder without conclusive evidence.” Rachel was an American activist who was run over by an Israeli bulldozer while defending the home of a Palestinian physician in Gaza last March. Breslin asserts that to accuse Israel of murder is “morally reprehensible” and she thus chastises Rachel’s grieving parents. At no point in the talk did Rachel’s parents accuse the Israeli military of murdering their daughter. Moreover, during the evening’s Q&A period, the parents were read a question from the audience: “I’m wondering what happened to the soldiers that murdered Rachel?” Rachel’s father, Craig, immediately responded: “We don’t use the word murdered; we’re still waiting for an [independent] investigation and I know what the world’s seen and I’ve seen but be careful about those words.” A little later, another question: “Could not Rachel’s death simply have been a tragic accident?” Again, Craig replied by pointing to the “need for an independent investigation,” and adding, “I won’t say accident, I won’t say murder.” Breslin paraphrases the account of activist Joseph Smith, who was an eyewitness to the incident, as saying that “the bulldozer had been heaping up a pile of dirt when Corrie scrambled to the top of the mound. She then lost her footing as the pile moved beneath her and tumbled out of sight.” Breslin does not quote, however, Smith’s actual account where he states that
See PALESTINE, page 8
Editor’s note To clarify the last paragraph of Lauren Breslin’s January 30 community editorial, “Palestine event exploited emotions,” Rachel Corrie’s parents did not label their daughters death a murder during their recent talk at UW.
opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Christine Baker FACTS OF LIFE Maybe it’s the thrill of doing something risky and throwing caution to the wind. Maybe it’s the thrill of the playing the game. Maybe it’s the thought of all that cash. With this week’s Super 7 lottery jackpot at an estimated $32.5 million, I can’t help wondering what I would do if I won all that money. And trying to figure out my odds of actually winning. A little investigation into the subject tells me that my odds of getting breast implants are one in 65, my odds of freezing to death are one in 780,938 annually and that my odds of winning the Super 7 are one in 20,963,833. Approximately. At least they are better than my odds of getting struck and killed by a falling aircraft. Marginally.
As the old saying goes, gambling is a tax for those who are bad at math. Regardless, some people can’t stay away from the possibility of a big payout. Talk about a return on your investment. Because of the potential payout, lottery participation is filled with superstitions, lore and systems not to be messed with. We’ve all heard the one about the person who plays their numbers every week and the one week they don’t play them, they come up. Truth or not, that’s why I let the machine do the picking thank you very much. Everyone has a system. Play every day, play every week, buy tickets on Tuesdays at four. Whatever. Even for those who only partake on occasion, choosing when to participate can be part of the process. Someone once suggested to me that chances are you are only going to win the lottery once, if at all. So, if you are only going to win once, make it a good one. As far as lottery logic goes, that one works for me. As a result, I avoid lotteries with jackpots of less that $10 million.
Choosing the numbers has its own set of superstitions and quirks. Choosing significant or lucky numbers makes some people feel like they are directing their destiny. Using some combination of your age, the age of your loved one and the date on which you met may seem like a reasonable method to some for increasing mathematical odds. I mean why not. Others prefer to take the decision out of their hands – let the machines do the picking. That way you can’t blame yourself for the inevitable sense of loss. The best part of playing the lottery is the chance that you’ll get lucky. Despite the incredibly minute chances of winning, everyone who plays has a plan on how to spend the money – quitting their job, buying a nice car or owning the Edmonton Oilers. Whatever. My plan involves giving some outrageous gifts, very little working and lots of travel. More specifically, lots and lots of travel. One of these days. editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Lip-locked on prime time paradigms in sexuality, tolerance and equality have been shaped by the TV and movies that we watch. This same double standard is playing a substantial role in the gay community as well. While the presence of lesbians on the big and small screens seem to be completely overrun by a massive presence of gay men in the media, it seems that a kiss between two women and two men often ends up having two completely different effects on their audience. Somehow we have been led to believe that while two women kissing may be sexy and exotic, a male-on-male kiss is just sick. Certainly the gay kiss double standard is a reflection of the entertainment industry at large. Lesbian kisses have been promoted on shows like LA Law, Roseanne, Friends, Ally
McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 24, Spin City, ER, Picket Fences and All My Children to name just a few. As for male-on-male action? Well, besides the obvious examples of Queer as Folk and Six Feet Under (which I might add are only viewable on specialty cable channels), Dawson’s Creek seems to be the only show thus far with enough courage to tackle the male kissing taboo. Even Will and Grace, which features two gay male characters, is apparently no better than the rest of primetime television. For example, Debra Messing and Megan Mullally have exchanged more passionate kisses with each other on that show than either of the males with anyone else.
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Aaron Cowan UNDEFEATED I wonder why it is that we possess such extremely different standards in the entertainment industry for women and men. For example, look at the amount of female nudity in television and movies versus male nudity. Any educated person would know that the entertainment industry serves as both a dictator and a reflection of our own society at large. With the presence of such obvious double standards, I can’t help but wonder to what extent our
See TV, page 10
— Vol. 26, No. 25
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I plan on getting lucky this Friday
Rachel’s “head and upper torso were above the bulldozer’s blade, and the bulldozer driver and co-operator could clearly see her. Despite this, he continued forward, which pulled her legs into the pile of rubble and pulled her down out of view of the driver.” Breslin further declares that the Corrie’s account of the incident which claimed their daughter’s life is “all conjecture - none of it proven, none of it true.” Perhaps, but then why hasn’t Israel allowed for a much needed independent inquiry into Rachel’s death? Instead, Breslin is reassured by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s promise of a “thorough, credible and transparent investigation.” This, from a man who formulated Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, a four month bloodbath that killed some 20,000 people. But let’s not dismiss Sharon’s goodwill outright for indeed there was a military investigation. As the Corries explained, Israel refused to release its final report and after repeated pressuring by the American Department of State, they were allowed to read — not keep a copy of — the report, which contained only paraphrasing of eyewitness accounts. Needless to say, the soldiers who killed Rachel were exonerated and Breslin is presumably satisfied.
Friday, February 6, 2004
7
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Imprint opinion
8
Palestine: Continued from page 7
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Typical of its continued vilification of Israel,â&#x20AC;? she continues, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Western media portrayed Corrieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death as a ruthless, intentional murder.â&#x20AC;? Say what? The employment of Rachelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death in the ongoing vilification of Israel by the western media? A most intriguing claim; indeed, a most verifiable claim. A quick review of major media coverage of the killing in the west demolishes Breslinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretensions. Rachel was killed on March 16 of last year, just a few days before America launched its invasion of Iraq. As such, the western press
BAR FLIES
IN SEARCH OF
was almost entirely focused on the impending war and Rachelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s killing received relatively little coverage, which did not venture beyond reportable facts and statements. Articles appearing on March 17 in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Toronto Star, and the Globe and Mail all reported eyewitness accounts of the incident, provided a little background on Rachel, and quoted an Israeli military official stating that â&#x20AC;&#x153;we are dealing with a group of protestors who were acting very irresponsibly, putting everyone in danger.â&#x20AC;? The Post even quoted Thom Saffold, co-founder of the solidarity movement Rachel was part, say-
ing that â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible they [the protestors] were not as disciplined as we would have liked.â&#x20AC;? Op-eds on the incident were absent in these newspapers, but there was a short letter on March 19 in the National Post which laments â&#x20AC;&#x153;how sad it is that brave young people like Ms. Corrie do not pay attention to warningsâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? Blame the victim, in other words. Interestingly, the harshest criticism of Israel may in fact be found in the mainstream Israeli Haâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;aretz, which said that the Israeli military has been turned into â&#x20AC;&#x153;an obdurate and callous army, focused on its mission out of an indifference to the consequence of its actions.â&#x20AC;?
Ian Blechschmidt
Gabe Kempe
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6 , 2004
Flaccid election
munication) which can be concluded thanks to the lack of heated forum debates, when interviewed, they all disclosed different tidbits pertaining to personal preferences. VP Ed candidate Muneeba Omar, recommended that in a relationship â&#x20AC;&#x153;if you know what you want you have to tell themâ&#x20AC;? while Clelland is â&#x20AC;&#x153;a quiet personâ&#x20AC;? reHave you ever unveiled a man and lying more on body language. Simibeen greeted by a disappointing sight? larly, Taylor â&#x20AC;&#x153;use[s] a lot of hand gesYou know what I mean, there is Mr. turesâ&#x20AC;? unlike Andersen who thinks Happy hanging still slightly limp re- that â&#x20AC;&#x153;talk is cheapâ&#x20AC;? since â&#x20AC;&#x153;it is what you quiring something more to get going put into it.â&#x20AC;? Jeff Henry while agreeing and there he stays. Well, this is exactly the importance of communication how I feel about this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Federation (surprise, surprise) when asked about of Student elections : unsatisfied, an- his likeliness to join the mile-high club noyed and frustrated. thanks to various VP Ed conference Last year candidates offered op- trips he replied, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I need way more posing views as students, while this room than that.â&#x20AC;? Presidential candiyear it is completely the opposite. This dates gloated, with Wroe having year candidates use repetitive buzz â&#x20AC;&#x153;proven [her] ability to take control in words hiding their student status while any situationâ&#x20AC;? and Hamilton claiming attempting to appear to be a â&#x20AC;&#x153;cunning more professional linguist.â&#x20AC;? (for resum purposes During these I would guess). Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interviews it felt None of these like being involved as though I were with someone who trapped in a date candidates could knows what you where I continuconjure me to want to hear and says ally alluded to it to get you in the fucking and they bed, not even in right position. were oblivious. I This was apparent their threesomes. could not escape at the forum held by the supposed sethe current Feds exriousness of ecutive in the SLC. I these candidates approached the mic spouting politiand asked candidates in a nutshell to cut cal jargon. When sexual innuendos the crap (remove buzz words) and offer were actually made they appeared forced a different side based on two words that in order to appease my interests â&#x20AC;&#x201D; they a past lover would use to describe them. failed in this attempt. Sadly few took risks while many used None of these candidates could typical descriptions seeming to lack sin- conjure me into bed, not even their cerity. Two yellow ticket candidates, John threesomes. The only satisfaction I Andersen and Jeff Henry (VPED and will receive from this election is for it VPI), took advantage of this opportu- to end. However, Taylor of THC nity. Andersen relied on his girlfriend promised â&#x20AC;&#x153;[theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d] bring the coffee (too bad she used the word communi- and the creamâ&#x20AC;? but at the rate of cative) and Henry said that no words impotence in this election it must be could be used to explain, nudge nudge Parmalat that he speaks of. wink wink. Another candidate who Luckily this election is flaccid withcaused me to giggle was VPAF candidate out of any hope of penetration, othAndrew Clelland with the THC ticket erwise, due to the dryness of these using the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;innovative.â&#x20AC;? The rest candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; responses one hell of a lot neglected my attempt to spice things up. of lube would be required. Although all candidates seem to share similar views (especially on commtitus@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Michelle Titus TOUCHED
APRIL AND MAY
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Dan Kim
Imprint opinion
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
9
Letters Credible source questioned To the editor, I was surprised to find Lauren S. Breslin’s article, “Palestine event exploited emotions” as the only coverage on what I found an informative evening. Unfortunately Breslin’s opinionated piece on not always believing what one hears portrays the Corrie family as brainwashed idealists. Breslin fails to mention the other high profile case involving an ISM member in Israel. Tom Hurndall, a British peace activist attempting to rescue children who were under fire, was shot by a sniper and lay in a coma for nine months before he died of his wounds. The Israeli judiciary committee, which Breslin mentioned as the authority deeming whether the Corrie case was accidental or manslaughter, took no course of action. It is only now that the British government has questioned Israel’s procedures. According to experts, the only reason the soldier who shot him has been charged is because of Hurndall’s family. Hurndall’s father, an attorney, went to Rafah shortly after the shooting and compiled an extensive file of eyewitness affidavits, forensics reports, photographs and other credible information. This file was then publicly released and sent to the British foreign ministry where it was dealt with quickly because of media scrutiny. Ultimately, the British government challenged the ruling given by the judiciary committee. Hurndall was killed by an Israeli soldier under the impression that he could shoot with impunity. Indeed, the soldier had good reason to believe this. More than 2,000 unarmed Palestinian civilians, many of them children, have been
l letters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca killed in the occupied territories since the current intifada began in September 2000. Only ten Israeli soldiers have been indicted and none have been convicted demonstrating credibility concerns. Knowledge of how the Israeli judiciary board operates is perhaps most important before one acknowledges them as a credible source. — Andreas Boehm 3B English Look at both sides To the editor, This much we know for sure: the author who wrote “Palestine event exploited emotions” was not the only person in attendance at the Corrie presentation. Having said this, I will also quote the author by saying, “… students should be wary of everything they hear…” I feel that the author’s own message provides the caution students must take before reading the article. I am not prepared to enter into the endless debate on the Palestinian and Israeli conflict, so I will stick to the article. The author is not totally wrong. Whether Rachel Corrie’s death was intentional or not is still up for debate. That is true; Rachel’s parents were the first to express this more than once to the audience. They acknowledged the efforts of the Israeli government and spoke no harsh words regarding their own American government. One problem did confuse the Corries, however. They gave an account of an Israeli bulldozer accidentally killing a few Israeli soldiers, subsequently leading to the dismissal of the drivers. This did not happen to the
Valentine’s placebo Arda Ocal OUR HOUSE The other day I was at work, diligently working (of course). A few of my peers decided to stop by the office and say hello — and we ended up having a rousing roundtable discussion about Valentine’s Day. Yes, this love-filled day of dubious stature is quicklly approaching and there are many (including peers during our roundtable debate) who would argue that this day, much like many other holidays, is commercially glorified for the sake of “the bottom line” (profits, to clarify for all you engineers out there). Valentine’s Day being the day of love and all, some entrepreneurs saw fit (and still do) to capitalize on this money-making machine; many firms even create new products just for Valentine’s Day (when else during the year would you buy cinnamon hearts?). While I agree that commercialization is becoming the bane of many people’s existence, I see things a little differently, particularly with regards to Valentine’s Day. Personally, I accept and welcome the commercialization of Valentine’s Day. First and foremost, I realize that Valentine’s Day is a necessity — I cannot escape it. Rather than complain about it, I must accept it. The day is not commercialization’s fault (it’s St. Valentine’s fault!). The glorification of the day is also not commercialization’s fault — couples would still celebrate it, and couples would still
expect gifts from each other. And don’t tell me that gifts (big or small) are not a necessary — even if your signifcant other says they don’t want anything ( unless they lead anti-Valentine’s Day protests), getting them something small would still be cute and appreciated. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to catch up on lost “points” with that special someone, as well as the perfect ice breaker to impress that person (or professor) you’ve always wanted to date. Let’s say that I, the normal UW student, want to impress my significant other for Valentine’s Day. The process of commercializing this day has embedded in our minds a sort of “perceived value” that would make our significant others happy. Unfortunately, because we live in a competitive society, many of us compare our... well, everything, to a “perceived value” of what you truly want. As far as Valentine’s goes, I am glad this happened — rather than spend $ 50 on a dozen red roses, I can make something (like a CD of our songs or a candlelight dinner) that doesn’t cost me nearly as much, but still has the same perceived value. And this saves me money, which makes me happy. If this perceived value didn’t exist, we’d all assume that this is the only time of year we’d have to buy a gift (forgetting about anniversaries, of course) and we’d spend on something big (remember, Valentine’s Day would exist with or without commercialization). So, next time you go into a store that has Valentine’s stands set up, you go and thank the manager for making your life easier in this possible time of crisis. Commercialization has helped us in the end. aocal@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
drivers of the bulldozer that, whether accidentally or intentionally, killed Rachel Corrie. Despite this evidence, the Corrie’s still refused to call their daughter’s death murder. Yes, the speech given by the Corrie’s was emotional. Does that mean we should not listen to their story? Should we stop listening to the emotional accounts given by war veterans and family members of those lost to genocide? What is the difference? Emotional or not, the Corrie’s testimony provides primary evidence concerning the event in question. If the author ignores the emotional testimony relating to the death of Rachel Corrie then we must ignore the testimony of all those who have undergone hardship and have chosen to talk about it. If strangers or acquaintances showed up to the university and gave an emotional account of the tragedy that would be different. But due to their correspondence with their daughter and access to her personal information, the Corries’ testimony deserves attention and should be taken seriously. Furthermore, the author uses elementary, yet effective, tactics to make the article’s argument more convincing. First, Rachel is portrayed as an unintelligent criminal. According to the author, “Corrie trespassed into a closed military zone…” Yes she did, because she was an activist. That is what civil disobedience is: disobeying existing laws in order to promote change. If we condemn civil disobedience, then we must condemn the civil rights movement, the student rights protests at Berkely and the actions taken by those horribly gunned down at Kent State in 1970. African American people were denied service in “white” restaurants, but members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) trespassed and helped initiate equality
for Black Americans. Like African American activists during the 1960s, Rachel believed her cause was just and demonstrated her conviction in the face of life threatening danger. Second, the author also pompously pokes fun at Rachel’s use of the Internet for information on the Middle East. Let me ask the author a question: where else would anyone get daily, up to date information on a conflict? Books and academic articles take time to be published. I don’t know exactly what Internet sites or search engines she may have used, so I will not assume and blatantly suggest “Google” like the author does. Credible news sites are up to date and provide immediate information on world news. Is the author sure she was not simply looking at such updated sites? Anyway, the author made it abundantly clear that the tragic event should not be undermined or forgotten. The author simply wanted to educate us children on the rules of argument and the dangers of emotional primary source material. Thank you, professor! We are university students give us some credit. It is true, the Corrie testimony is only one source and that is certainly not enough. However, their testimony should not be disregarded or silenced due to their direct connection with the event. If I may suggest, the author should put into practice his or her own rules: making uneducated assumptions on Rachel’s research techniques and portraying her as a petty criminal are also persuasive tools used to sway an argument. The author should be aware of such inconsistencies and so should the editor. continued on page 10
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Tuesday, February 26, 2004 at 2:30pm
in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Student Life Centre 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1 Theproposedagendaforthemeetingisasfollows: 1. Opening remarks from the President 2. Presentation of financial statements, 2003/2004 3. Appointingthe2004/2005auditor 4. Presentation of the 2004/2005 budget 5. By-law amendments to sections 7.07 and 7.17* 6. Policyamendmentratification** 7. Election of the 2004/2005 board of directors 8.
Adjournment
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Imprint opinion
10
Letters
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6 , 2004
l letters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
continued from page 9
I, as a student at the University of Waterloo, would like an apology for such a disrespectful, insensitive account of the speech given by Mr. and Mrs. Corrie. It is surprising that the negative opinion of one is the published overview of an otherwise overwhelmingly successful speech.
about going to Rafah for a week? Would the author ever stand in front of a bulldozer for the sake of people whose home is on the other side of the planet ? I hope in the future this newspaper will use a little more critical thinking when deciding which articles to publish. — Hasnein Jeraj 1A Honours Science
— Liam Trimm 4B History
Faith in humanity
Breslin’s blatent bias
To the editor,
To the editor, I’m writing to express my surprise at a recent article that was published by Imprint regarding a presentation by Rachel Corrie’s parent last week. The reason I was shocked at this letter was its one sidedness. It was so ridiculous that I’m not even angry at the writer. Perhaps I’m in disbelief. First off, the article implied that Rachel’s parents had already made up their minds that the bulldozer driver was guilty. While I believe that he was, her parents are far more patient than I. They actually said that they were waiting for a proper investigation to be carried out. Secondly, the author of the article was clearly using loaded language accusing Rachels parents of fuzzing details and implying that Rachel’s research into Middle East affairs was based on incompetent methods. The author has no idea what Rachel did, or who she talked to. I feel that Rachel deserves much more respect than what this author has given her. Has the author ever thought
Recently my faith in humanity was completely restored. My friends and I were on a house-hunting trip and instead of going north we were travelling on Westmount South. Once we realized our brilliance we decided to venture to the nearest house and ask for directions. Immediately we could assess the family was friendly, since the woman asked us to come get warm before we barely exchanged greetings. After asking for assistance, she kindly informed us her husband was a paramedic and ventured downstairs quickly to retrieve him. He too was incredibly welcoming and pointed out that we had read the map upside down and it would probably take us a good hour to walk to our location. We cringed at this, but were pleasantly shocked when he offered us a ride. Not only did he drive at least 15 minutes out of his way to drop us off, but when we realized the insanity of the location, he gave us an ultimatum of staying there or driving us to our next location. Obvi-
ously we all agreed to get the hell out of there and be dropped off at our next location. Throughout the ride he inquired politely about our majors and where were from, and gave us tons of useful advice on how to brush up on our navigational skills. During this event his generosity not only astounded my friends and I, but also made us grateful that people like him are out there. In this time though we did not exchange names and could only offer him our thanks. I would like to offer a public thank you to the kindness of this wonderful family, and we will always be compassionate to those in difficult situations because of this extraordinary act. — Patricia Travers 1B Arts Kerrigan lost his mind To the editor, What was Mike Kerrigan drinking when he wrote his article last week titled “Premier liar?” Granted, everything he writes about the Liberal government’s series of broken promises is accurate. But “disaffected Liberals… interested in joining with the Ontario P.C. Party!?” Get serious! The Conservative party was dumped because they neglected the health care system, the environment and the education system—the very same areas the Liberals have broken promises in. The Conservative party would have done the same thing—they just would have been upfront about it. Luckily, there is another choice for voters; a choice that makes much more sense. The New Democratic Party of Ontario holds many of the same ideals that people thought they were voting for when they elected the Liberals. For some reason, Kerrigan fails to mention this alternative. This makes me wonder whether his article is really a collection of “sober thoughts” or just ramblings from a fool drunk on political ideology. — Christopher Porter 3A Software Engineering Admission standards
on weekends i get wicked.
To the editor, I think the UW Sentate’s decision to raise UW’s admission average cut-off to 75 per cent (or even beyond) in order to bolster UW’s reputation is ill-considered, to say the least. This move shuts the door to higher education to many very deserving high school students. Many of these students attained slightly lower marks than other
applicants in high school not due to lower intelligence or work ethic, but rather because they needed to hold down a job on the side, working 25, 30, even 40 hours a week, while their classmates were able to stay at home and study away. Does the Senate really think that the tenuous goal of having UW’s reputation rise to even greater heights justifies doing away with the very real, tangible benefits of having these students at university? — Andreas Richter UW alumni Who will undo the Finkelstein To the editor, With the Feds 2004 elections approaching and the candidates wrapping up their campaigns some questions still remain unanswered. Last summer the Fed Council supported an event put on by the Students For Palestinian Rights (SFPR), Arab Students Association (ASA), and Muslim Students Association (MSA) that brought Norman Finkelstein, a highly controversial lecturer to our campus. The Fed support for this event included both funding (an unprecedented $500 from the internal funding committee) and moral support (Fed council released a statement on the day of the event comparing Norman Finkelstein to none other then Dr. Martin Luther King). The Fed backing completely ignored the pleas of Jewish students on campus for the Fed council to fulfill their obligations to not put their name behind an event with a racist atmosphere and to promote unity and harmony amongst Waterloo students. The outcome of the event as predicted has been an increased polarization and militancy amongst different groups at our school. Of the students running for this year’s executive positions current arts councillor Muneeba Omar was especially outspoken in favour of supporting Professor Finkelstein’s visit. As an open question to all candidates in this Feds election, but especially to Muneeba and other candidates who serve on the current council I would like to know the following: A) What will you do to try and undo the damage caused by the current council’s decisions during the Finkelstein fiasco? B) How will you work to prevent something similar from happening in the future? C) How will you help ensure that the Fed council becomes an agent of understanding, rather then an agent of animosity as it has been in the past? — David Mandelzys 3A Mathematical Sciences
TV: old stereotypes need to change
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Continued from page 7
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In fact, when a “small peck on the lips” between Will and a date was written into a single episode, the producers opted not to promote the tiny kiss. Of all of the prime time television series, Dawson’s Creek has arguably remained the most risqué. Having shown two male-on-male makeout scenes (one of which featured a fivesecond long open mouth kiss), the show has single handedly pushed the envelope the stigma from gay male kissing. Some media analysts seem to suggest that for many of us, men exchanging affection for one another can be very threatening. In my own opinion, I suppose I still see our society as possessing very old-fashioned views about men and women. Women are playthings who live to be conquered by men, while men are emotion-
less sexual animals, out for the kill. Does this undercurrent really exist? Think about it; how do you react when you see a women initiate a kiss with a man versus a man being the initiator? As far as I am concerned, the double standard is very much alive and well. With Roger’s Cable commercials banking in on the idea that television is controlling our lives (and our weddings), I think it is becoming more obvious than ever what we must strive to do in order to take control of all of these limiting double standards. Somehow, somewhere there is someone thinking independently, unswayed by the media. Whoever and wherever you are, I beg of you, create for us some new art with some fresh new ideals. Let’s do away with all of these limiting double standards and become a bettereducated, more open-minded audience. acowan@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Imprint opinion
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Old drunk journalists say the darndest things Excusing Gord Martineau’s comments insults news reporters everywhere
Mark Stratford BIG EARS BURNING I’m not really a news reporter, but I would love to play one on TV. And nothing would make me happier than if Imprint could hitch on board with Feds TV and use it to broadcast live to the UW public. Of course, this is all completely inside my head (I know nobody would actually watch), but I just figured that most people like their news best from an idiot box. Maybe not — at least not in this country. A new study released last week claims that 61 per cent of Americans consider newspapers to be their most important local news source; local television trailed with 29 per cent. The study was performed to combat the Federal Communications Commission’s attempts to influence mergers between newspapers and less successful local news outlets like radio and the internet, which would damage the scope of the local news currently offered. Of course, now there’s probably nothing to worry about, what with the FCC much more concerned with amputating Janet Jackson’s right breast in order to teach it a lesson about common decency. So, maybe these results translate up here in Polar Bear Land. After all, there’s gotta be some reason why onair newscasters have lost the trust of their viewers. Here’s one: Gord Martineau. Let’s just say that Janet’s rightie wasn’t the only boob shown on tape this weekend. (Oops, did I call Martineau a “boob”? Silly me — that should have read “cunt-scab.”) For the past week, some undated footage has been circulating online featuring Martineau, a CityTV news anchor of 25 years, exhibiting some completely inappropriate behaviour between on-air promos. Among the highlights (budding news anchors, take note): Martineau states that his penis is more newsworthy than Ontario’s first pancreatic transplant. He makes jokes about the purchase of an underage male prostitute (you are taking notes, aren’t you?). He calls fallen musician Roch Voisine a “homo” and a “Pepsi,” a French-Canadian slur. He refers to co-anchor Anne Mroczkowski as a “fuckin’ bint.” It doesn’t seem to phase her at all. Typical day, I reckon. (By the way, there’s also some footage mixed in of acclaimed hockey player Doug Gilmour getting tipsy and calling CityTV sportscaster John Gallagher a “homo,” but that’s hardly a revelation. Show me a professional athlete who isn’t repressing homoerotic tendencies through
drunken slurs and then I’ll stop the presses.) Naturally, Martineau responded with a lightning-speed apology on CityTV’s Web site; as far as I’m concerned, his apology means about as much as that of a deadbeat dad on the reality show Cheaters after his wife walks in on him making the babysitter bang like a screen door in a hurricane. I just don’t see how these remarks can be attributed to one grand lapse in judgment, which is basically what his apology suggests (he refers to this as one incident, yet the clips clearly show three separate broadcasts). My favourite part of the apology is when he describes his comments as “silly” and “tired.” Huh? I hope he means “tired” as in passé or out-of-date. Are we to believe that a mere lack of sleep is all it takes for a beloved beacon of local information to turn into a complete prig? You know, I’ve written news stories while tired before, but never have I been so drowsy as to accidentally scribble down an aside about how many Uncle Toms it takes to screw in a light bulb. I guess the worst part of this whole debacle is how much respect I’ve lost for CityTV, whose CityPulse news broadcasts I had always watched until now. No disciplinary action will be taken against Martineau. How can they still let him anchor? I can’t rely on his newscasts anymore, knowing that his true personality — as was caught on tape — leaves no room for impartiality, let alone respect for the news reports he gives. What’s worse is that Stephen Hurlbut, CityTV’s vice-president of news programming, is attempting to iron out any claims that Martineau or anyone else at the network is antigay by reminding us that they are responsible for some of Canada’s first queer-oriented programming. So what? We’re talking about a man, not a station. “We will be better, still human and therefore still flawed, but better,” wrote Hurlbut of CityTV. A question, Mr. Hurlbut: What about all the other humans on the staff at your network, all of whom are probably tired of you overlooking the antics of an asswipe who apparently has enough seniority to do whatever he wants? Oh, and one more thing: What about us homos, bints and Pepsis who watch CityTV news? We hear these names enough without hearing them from a man who delivers the nightly news to millions. Mr. Hurlbut, I work at a student newspaper and we would never stand for that crap. For the first time in years, I wish we all lived down in the States. That way, only 29 per cent of us would need to be disgusted right now. mstratford@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
11
Feds election notebook Mike Kerrigan SOBER THOUGHTS This year’s election is suffering from an acute lack of “buzz”. To help remedy the situation, here are a few observations on this year’s election from an old campus political hack: What’s in a name? Usually each one of the tickets either names itself or gets a nickname during the campaign. My jaw dropped when I saw that Taylor/ Hamilton/Clelland decided not only to go with the name THC, but to take the drug theme further and describe themselves as ‘the active ingredient in Feds.’ It would be kind of a funny way to piss off your teachers in a high school election, but it’s a little weak when you’re hoping to run a multimillion dollar corporation. Wroe/ Henry/Anderson should’ve tried to pick a name to separate themselves from their election poster colour — unfortunately ‘Team Yellow’ doesn’t sound like a group looking to strongly stand up for students’ rights. And I’ve got to stop referring to the Ma/Afzaal/ Omar ticket as ‘Team Coloured.’ It stuck in my head because they are the only team with full-colour posters, but that’s not the first thing people think of when I use the name. On the wall. Speaking of posters, I’ve got to give props to team MAO — better? Probably not — for the design they used this year. Very WatCardesque. The full-colour design seemed
to help Rob Robson get a lot of votes last year and they managed to pull it off this year without all the spelling mistakes Robson suffered from. Remember we’re a tech school. I’m a bit disappointed that only Team Yellow bothered to put up a Web site this year—actually strike that, team THC has tossed up a basic site up since this was first written. Over the past few years Feds campaigns have increasingly utilized the Internet to communicate about their platforms and I expected that all tickets would make good use of online resources. The one redeeming point this year is that Team Yellow’s Web site is handsdown the most impressive Feds election website that I’ve ever seen. Check it out at www.feds2004.ca. Hopefully next year’s Feds hopefuls will put forward a similar effort. Oh, content, where art thou? Perhaps the biggest disappointment of this campaign is that few candidates are offering much more than rhetoric in their platforms. Of course it would be great if the Feds could communicate better and be more accessible, but no one has proposed any meaningful way to make that happen. Most of the reason that the Feds aren’t available and don’t communicate is because they spend most their day in meetings; holding more meetings to better communicate is hardly a solution. The most original idea put out there is Kevin Ma’s proposal to investigate operating Feds-run student housing. It’s great to hear something new in the campaign, but I’d be terrified if the Feds actually took the next step and tried to implement it. Before looking into new multi-million dol-
lar investments, I’d like to see the Feds clear up their accounting enough to figure out if we’re making or losing money in each one of our businesses. Let slip the dogs of war Part of the reason this election feels a little hollow is the utter lack of conflict between the candidates. Usually there are a couple pairs of candidates each year that grate on each other’s nerves so much that they lose their ability to think rationally. A couple of years ago when Chris Di Lullo and Rob Robson were in a close and heated fight for the VPAF position, Robson gave a final, selfdestructive ‘fuck you’ to Di Lullo. He toured the entire campus with a ruler and a camera in the hope that he could find enough of Di Lullo’s campaign materials posted too close to his own to disqualify Di Lullo. Last year, the aggressive debate between Liam McHugh-Russell and Aaron Lee-Wudrick for the VP Education position was the highlight of the forums. Someone who was a friend of Lee-Wudrick and an arch-nemesis of McHugh-Russell’s girlfriend was imported from Toronto to try to fluster McHugh-Russell with challenging questions at the final debate. Not one to be outdone, McHugh-Russell closed the campaign with an email to supporters that — amongst other things — questioned Lee-Wudrick’s support for democratic government. Hopefully the three competing tickets will get a little more fired up in the dying days of the election and give students a reason to come out and vote next week.
mkerrigan@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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FEATURES 12
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Imprint features
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
An appetite for love cluding salad, pasta and meat courses.
Kourtney Short RESTAURANT REVIEW Valentine’s Day is hell on procrastinators. It is difficult to find a gift at the last minute (without resorting to chocolates and flowers) and nearly impossible to find a restaurant that is still accepting reservations. When I called around a whopping 11 days before Valentine’s Day, Hannah’s Bella Bistro, a perennial favourite, was already fully booked. Here are a few of my favourite date restaurants. For more ideas, you can also visit The Record’s restaurant review archives (http:// www.therecord.com/entertainment/dining/index.html) or the Yellow Pages Dinner Club Web site (http://www.sentex.net/ ~dmullin/YPDC/). Casa Rugantino 709 Belmont Ave. W. (Kitchener) 744-9081 http://www.kwrestaurants.com /menu/casarugantino/ menu.htm When you step into Casa Rugantino, you will be struck by mouth-watering smells — and by how small the restaurant is. Reservations for Valentine’s Day will likely disappear quickly. Fortunately, if you choose to eat at home, Casa Rugantino’s excellent pizza is available for take-out. Casa Rugantino’s menu includes fabulous caesar salad, pastas and tiramisu. Entrées, which include tender veal parmigiana smothered in fried mushrooms, range from $15-24, in-
Charbries Four Seasons 15 King St. N. 886-4678 http:// www.kwrestaurants.com/ menu/charbries/winter/ WINTER.htm Its leisurely pace makes Charbries an excellent spot for an intimate dinner. At $13 to $45 per entrée, it is a more expensive choice, but excellent service and elegant French food make it well worth the price. Tableside preparation, including a flambéed shrimp and salmon appetizer, adds an element of entertainment to the experience. Ennio’s Pasta House 384 King St. N. 893-0543 http://www.foodinc.ca/clients/ 5195769552/main.html Ennio’s low prices are a trade-off: great value vs. the risk of finding yourself next to a table-full of children — a definite romance-killer. The lit candle and unopened bottle of wine that grace each table border on clichés, but what is Valentine’s Day if not clichéd? Pasta dishes ($9.79-$17.39) made from scratch include many tempting options: bettola (vodka blush sauce with chiles) and malfada rustica (chicken, gorgonzola cheese, roasted garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes in a blush sauce) had my mouth watering.
including garlicky caesar salad and portobello burgers, in addition to several omnivorous offerings. Desserts, including an outstanding chocolate butter tart, are perfect for sharing. The new owners of the Raintree Café have fortunately stuck to the restaurant’s tradition of offering live music several nights per week. On Valentine’s Day, Bob McLean, a Celtic guitarist, will be performing. Sabor 2 King St. N. 747-7127 It may be clichéd to speak of serving oysters on Valentine’s Day, but regardless of whether they have libido-enhancing properties, Sabor’s is the place to go if you love raw oysters. Normally sold at market price, on Thursdays Sabor offers a half dozen oysters and a martini for $10. (Why not celebrate Valentine’s Day early?) Sabor also offers numerous delicious Spanish dishes, including paella and zuppa di pesce (a fish and seafood soup, but doesn’t it sound sexier in Spanish?). IMPRINT ARCHIVE PHOTO
kshort@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Baking the time away — a yummy brownie recipe clean your room, but we all know none of these things are actually going to happen. Instead of watching TV all night, go do something productive, like make these scrumptious brownies! Here’s how… Sarah Allmendinger
Raintree Café 220 King St. N. 884-4953 The Raintree Café’s design, with seating on two levels, offers plenty of semi-dark corners for you to try out your smoothest moves. The menu provides ample vegetarian options,
Ennio’s serves impressive and affordable Italian cuisine.
IMPRINT STAFF
It’s snowing outside again! Now your plans for the weekend are ruined because no one wants to drive around in a blizzard. What should you do? Well you could start that essay that is due next week or catch up on some of your readings, but what fun is that? Better yet you could
Moist Superstar Brownies
14 oz low-fat sweetened condensed milk 1/3 cup cocoa powder 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 4 egg whites 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract confectioner’s sugar (optional)
Preparation time — 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9" baking pan with cooking spray. In large saucepan, over low heat, combine milk, cocoa and chocolate morsels. Stir until morsels are melted; remove from heat. Stir in egg whites, flour, baking powder and vanilla, mixing well. Turn into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on wirerack. To serve, cut into squares. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, if desired. sallmen@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
valentine’s day
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
13
Where the lovin’ comes from
Sarah Lau
IMPRINT STAFF
Exchanges of candy and chocolates, candle-lit dinners, romantic music and lovey-dovey heart-shaped cards are presently how we celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, but many centuries ago, these material items were far from being what St. Valentine’s Day was all about. For almost every holiday that’s celebrated nowadays, there seem to be various historic interpretations as to how each originated. St. Valentine’s Day is no exception, with many variations of its origin in circulation.
One of the origins of St. Valentine’s Day dates as far back as 269 A.D. and involves a priest by the name of Valentine, under the rule of Emperor Claudius in Rome. During this time, Claudius was in need of men to serve as soldiers in the time of war, but found that he was not having much luck in recruiting these men because of their attachment and commitments to their wives and female companions. His outrage for a lack of soldiers led him to declare a ban on all further marriages. As a result,Valentine, the priest, began to perform illegal marriages behind Claudius’ back. Of course when
Claudius found out, he immediately threw Valentine in jail, where he was eventually executed. It was said that,while serving time in jail, Valentine fell in love with the daughter of a jailer and secretly wrote love letters to her, signed “from your Valentine.” Valentine was beheaded on February 14, on the eve of the Lupercalia festival. Around t 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius declared the day of his death to be St. Valentine’s Day in honour of Valentine himself. The origin of St. Valentine’s Day may instead come from the Christianizing of the pagan Lupercalia festival. During this festival, it was said that the
Roman priests, called Luperci, would gather in a sacred cave where, according to legend, the children of the founders of Rome were raised by a she-wolf or lupa. There, the priests sacrificed goats and dogs for fertility and purification purposes. They would then cut the hide of the goats into strips and use these strips to slap the women. This ritual was believed to make women more fertile in the coming year. Evening events involved with the Lupercalia festival included all the single women putting their names into an urn for the single men to draw from. Whichever name each man ended up picking, he was to live with that woman for the
JULIAN APONG
rest of the year. This usually resulted in marriage later on in the relationship. Associating the matchmaking feast with the martyrdom of Valentine was convenient because the days were almost identical. Now, whichever version you choose to believe, it’s completely up to you, though I doubt it would have much effect on how you celebrate your St. Valentine’s Day this year. Besides, slapping women with goat hide — how romantic can that be? I say stick with the long-stem roses and the teddy bears. That’s much more effective. slau@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day
14
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
A romantic meal for two... :HVWPRXQW 5RDG 1 :DWHUORR
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IMPRINT STAFF
For all you lovey-dovey girls or guys out there who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to make for your significant others, look no further. Think candlelight, romantic music and the best fettucine alfredo you can imagine. This recipe is easy to make, amazing to taste and even better, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cut into your cuddling time since it only takes 25 minutes to make! Add some fine wine and you have yourself and unforgettable evening! Fettucine Alfredo
27 ounces fettucine 2 tbsp butter 1½ cups heavy whipping cream 2 cups milk black pepper, freshly ground 2 cups romano cheese, grated 1½ cups parmesan cheese, grated 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup water Begin by heating a large pot of water for the fettucine. In a medium pot, melt the butter over low heat and then add the cream and milk. Raise the heat to medium.
Decadent Chocolate Mousse
200-250 grams of dark chocolate 4 eggs, separated 400 mL of whipping cream 4 tsp of sugar 2 tsp of instant coffee Mix the yolks and the sugar in the bowl you want to serve your mousse in. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form peaks. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream. Melt the chocolate directly in a pan, but make sure it never burns. If necessary, use a bit of extra whipping cream. Add the melted chocolate to the yolk-sugar mixture. Combine the mixtures as much as possible. Before the chocolate cools down completely, slowly add some whipping cream into the mix and stir with a wooden spoon. Then gently fold some egg whites into your mix. Continue alternating until all the ingredients are used. Let stand in the fridge for at least one hour. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it! sallmendinger@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
... or a pathetic feast for one lonely soul
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Sarah Allmendinger
Continue cooking, whisking occasionally as the mixture is heated. When it is hot, but not boiling yet, add the cheeses a little at a time, and whisk well. Next mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and then add this into the cheese mixture, wisking occasionally. Add the fettucine to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Strain the pasta and put the fettucine back into the large pot. Pour in the alfredo sauce and season it with black pepper. Toss well.
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2 locks of exâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hair Picture of you and ex (holiday, anniversary, first date, etc.) 1 bottle of Vodka (350 ml) Julian Apong IMPRINT STAFF
Some might do this only on Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, or others might prefer to do this all the time. Everyday. Alone. So very alone. Bitter Break-up Meal for One
1 can of Campbellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thick nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chunky soup 1 tin of sardines
Open Campbellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soup, mix with sardines. Eat cold and directly from soup can. As your heart breaks, call out the name of your beloved with each sardine that you consume. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Begin drinking vodka. Break bottle once finished. Jab jagged shards into picture of you and your ex. Add locks of hair, insert into oven. Watch as the bitter flames burn the painful memories into your psyche forever. Feeds one, lonely, heartbroken person.
Come on girls â&#x20AC;&#x201D; pop the question This opportunity only comes around every four years Lauren Fox IMPRINT STAFF
As Michelle Titus noted in a recent column, there are many women on campus who have a glittering diamond on their left ring finger. But what about the men? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure they would like something to show off to their friends indicating theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re engaged. Well, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss your chance this leap year! In an old British tradition the leap day of a leap year, February 29, is the only acceptable day for a woman to ask a man to marry her. Not that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thinking of marriage during midterms. But ladies, if you are tired of waiting for him to ask you, it is the twenty-first century and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about time we did things for ourselves. I am working in England this term and read about this tradition about four weeks ago in Cosmopolitan. I thought it was something that we needed to know about in Canada and maybe incorporate into our culture. The tradition started with St. Patrick and St. Bridget
in fifth century Ireland. St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that the sisters in her nunnery were in despair because they had to wait for a proposal of marriage from a man. St. Patrick agreed to allow women to propose to men every four years, during a leap year. Ironically, Bridget proposed to Patrick only to be turned down! Back to the present â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2004, girls are asking men on dates, so the next logical step is for women to propose to their boyfriends. If you like to make the decisions and your partner isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t particularly romantic; February 29 is your day. And fortunately, the twenty-first century man is more likely to be flattered by a proposal than frightened off, because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve taken the pressure off him. So you find the idea appealing, but have no idea how you would go about doing something that is usually left up to the men? Here are a few guidelines to get your new life with your fiancĂŠ started. Step 1 - The build-up: Bring up the idea of getting married over a period of time to make the idea sink in. Or ask him whether he sees himself getting married one day. Work up to the proposal by talking about your future together. see QUESTION, page 16
valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Aphrodisiac or anti-depressant ?
15 15
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all just chocolate to me Sam Brown SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
With its smooth texture and rich flavour, chocolate has that unmistakable mouth-watering aroma. It is a delicious treat no matter what shape it takes. Although Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day is about the expression of love for a special someone, it is also about giving out decadent sweets. Chocolate has taken a fair bit of time to become what we know and love today.. The cacao tree was originally found in Central and South America. Now it is grown all over the Caribbean, Africa, South-East Asia and even in the South Pacific Islands of Samoa and New Guinea. At first the beans of the cacao were used as currency in Central America. However, there is evidence that dates as far back as 500 A.D. that the cacao beans were being used as food. Whether it is the Aztec, Mayan or the Olmec civilization that we have to thank for the creation of chocolate, the most important leap for the cacao bean was when it was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus. It took Europeans several decades before realizing the great potential for the beans. Originally the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;chocolateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that the Europeans drank was consumed as a bitter-tasting drink made of ground cacao beans and water mixed with a variety of ingredients including vanilla, pimento and chili peppers (an idea borrowed from the Mesoamerican civilizations mentioned above). The drink was thought to cure diarrhea and dysentery. It was also believed to be an aphrodisiac. Eventually the idea to mix the drink with sugar arose and it was only a matter of time before the world had a masterpiece. Despite the bad rap that chocolate has gotten as an acne-causing, fattening, nutrition-less and tooth decaying food, there may be reason to have hope â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and eat chocolate. Recent research has found that chocolate carries high levels of chemicals known as phenolics, some of which may help lower the risk of heart disease. Phenolics prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from clogging the arteries. There are also studies that show that chocolate can be everything from an anti-depressant to an aphrodisiac. Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, lessens anxiety by producing the neurotransmitter serotonin. Last but certainly not least, chocolate is a natural analgesic and high-fat, chocolate foods trigger the brainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of natural opiates, decreasing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sensitivity to pain. Phenylethylamine is also found in chocolate. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s related to amphetamines, which are strong stimulants. All of these stimulants increase the activity of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) in parts of the brain that control our ability to pay attention and stay alert. While stimulants contribute to a temporary sense of well-being, there
are other chemicals and other theories as to why chocolate makes us feel good. Perhaps the most controversial findings come from researchers at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, California who suggest that â&#x20AC;&#x153;chocolate contains pharmacologically active substances that have the same effect on the brain as marijuana and that these chemicals may be responsible for certain drug-induced psychoses associated with chocolate craving.â&#x20AC;? How does this work? Brain cells have a receptor for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the active ingredient in marijuana. Although THC is not found in chocolate, a similar neurotransmitter, anandamide, is. Interestingly, anandamide is also produced naturally in the brain. Anandamide, like other neurotransmitters, is broken down quickly after itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s produced. It is thought that other chemicals in chocolate may inhibit the natural breakdown of anadamide allowing it to stick around longer and make us feel good longer, when we eat chocolate. Please be cautioned that it would take roughly 25 pounds of chocolate to make one 130 pound person feel the same effects as smoking a joint. Another main point pulling for chocolate is that studies show cocoa powder, dark chocolate and milk
chocolate have higher oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) values than many common foods, such as prunes and blueberries. ORAC values measure how powerful an antioxidant a substance is. An antioxidant is a substance that inhibits oxidation or reactions promoted by oxygen and peroxides, and that include many held to protect the living body from the deleterious effects of free radicals. Examples include beta-carotene, vitamin C and alphatocopherol. Dark chocolate has more than 13,000 ORAC units and milk chocolate has about 6,700, according to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association in McLean, Va. This means that eating chocolate might also help you fight the natural aging process! So does chocolate contribute to disease prevention? Should we eat chocolate for its health benefits as well as for its terrific taste? Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that those who eat chocolate and sweets up to three times each month live almost a year longer than those who eat too much or those who steer clear of junk altogether. So letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sum up. Chocolate gives you an energy lift, less anxiety and a reduction in pain â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recommend something that did all that? I knew it all along â&#x20AC;&#x201D; those of us
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whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been self-medicating ourselves with a few chosen chocolate candies were simply ahead of our time.
FEBRUARY 14
valentine’s day
16
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Music to set the mood Garick Stevenson IMPRINT STAFF
It’s that time ladies and gentlemen; time to get it on in a sexy, funky way. I’m not talking about making love here people; I’m talking about bedroom antics and the sweaty ecstasy that is hard fucking. If the cacophony of grunts, moans and cries are not enough to titillate your fancies, then you might want to try these tracks on for size. Tom Jones – “Sex Bomb” Tom is the Welsh pimp whose pre-eminence in the pimping field falls just shy of Sean Connery, who claims the title of Scottish Pimp. His tight pants in the hey-days of Vegas made all the ladies dream of his wicked package. This track will break down some of those prudish barriers to get both of you in the mood. Marvin Gaye – “Let’s Get It On” Marvin is the king of sex. The man is a Nubian god in his own right. He could satisfy 20 women in one sitting and still go on to play a three hour set with his band before getting back in bed and doing it all over again. This is a mood-building track, your barriers are down and it’s time to get sexy. James Brown – “Sex Machine” The God-father of soul knows all about what it means to treat your lady to some raucous good times. Think of it this way: every time he says “get on up”
switch up your rhythm for that added sensation and your lady will love it. Beethoven – “9th Symphony Scherzo” Beethoven is the original bedroom music. He would toss this shit on and everyone would get in the mood. This track is for what we like to call “classical” fucking. It’s like that study they did on Mozart and students; classical music makes everything better. Jimi Hendrix – “Purple Haze” Jimi with his love ‘fro knew how to treat a lady. That was if you could get his guitar away from him long enough and actually understand what the fuck he was mumbling. This is a great track for what we like: shroom fucking (or any other hallucinogen of your choice), The guitar licks will mess with you mind while your bodies mess with each other. Snoop Doggy Dog – “Gin and Juice” The man has been on The Muppet Show, he has hosted Girls Gone Wild videos and even made his own porn movie. Snoop knows good fucking, and the beats in this track will have you rocking your man’s headboard as you show him who is boss all night long. Tenacious D – “Fuck Her Gently” This song is a veritable manual to all those meat-heads on how to treat a lady in the sack. Some times she likes it gently, hell most of the time she likes it gently, but eventually she will want a
break from the routine and ask for some good old school sweaty bed gymnastics. Notorious B.I.G. – “Big Poppa” This track is a personal favourite, but we all love it when you call us “Big Poppa.” Biggie’s flow in this track is sweet and smooth perfect for a hot session of smoke and sex. Play on young playa. Nine Inch Nails – “Closer” Just ask all the wall humpers at Phil’s if you think that this song is not hardcore sexual. Even the most sexually suppressed individual will wickedly grin upon hearing the line “I want to fuck you like an animal.” Save this track for later in your session. It’s intense. Easy E – “Nuts on Your Chin” Please god, only play this track if you and your partner have senses of humour. If not, it will ruin your whole night and you will probably be out on your ass. Easy was the most insane sexcrazed MC of his time, so don’t take his lessons seriously (shit look where it got him), but have fun and enjoy the suggestions.
Will your Valentine’s Day be bitter or sweet and why??
by Julian Apong and Dan Micak
“Sweet, because its the beginning of reading week.” Rose Ngo 1B pre-optometry
“Bittersweet. I’m gonna be loving myself.” Daniel Plouffe
“Sweet, it’s our kitten’s birthday.” Tricia Garland and and Jeff Meyer
“Bitter, because boys suck.” Mai Almardini
2A arts
gstevenson@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
QUESTION: now’s your chance continued from page 14
3C biology
2B planning and 2B geography
Step 2 - Timing: men can find it hard to switch topics, so it’s best to pop the question on the weekend or on a holiday, when you are both more relaxed. Step 3 - Surroundings: choose a familiar place, like your favourite restaurant, where he’ll feel less pressure. Step 4 - Special details: be unique; plan something that will be special and significant to only the two of you. Step 5 - What to say: use phrases like ‘let’s get’ or ‘shall we get’ married, giving the idea of two equals who are coming together. Don’t be too abrupt. If you try to propose in a blunt, male way, it won’t sound natural. What’s that? You’re a traditionalist? Well why not join in this new tradition by giving your man a ring first, and I’m sure (if you hint subtly) that he will shortly get you an engagement ring in return. I think we should introduce this leap year tradition into Canada, as I’m sure there are some women out there who have already proposed to their boyfriends and are living happily ever after. lfox@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
“Bitter, because there’s no options available” Chris Zehr 1B pre-optometry
“Bitter, because we have a swim meet. Thank you UW swimming” Tristan Dineen 3B kinesiology
“Sweet as sugar just like me” Kelly Antoine 4A english and speech communication
“It’ll be sweet because I get to go home and my mom’ll be out of the apartment” Amy Gravelle 4B kinesiology
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Imprint features
Michael Moore strikes again The Oscar-winning moviemaker’s views on George W. Bush Dan Reiter SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
For those of you who do not know Michael Moore he is a controversial, anti-Bush, filmmaker/writer who’s most recently known for his documentary Bowling for Columbine, a film about the constitutional freedoms of Americans with focus on gun control. After winning an Academy Award for this documentary, Moore once again flared his nostrils in a Bush-bashing acceptance speech stating that a “fictitious president…sending us to war for fictitious reasons” among other things before being rushed off stage in the midst of boo’s and cheers. The Toronto Star quotes Moore’s explanation for his actions, “every bone in my body wanted to just thank them, blow them a kiss and walk off the stage…this was my night! How many times in your life do you win an Oscar?” So after reading about his new documentary Fahrenheit 9-11 in the Star, a visit to his Web site www.michaelmoore.com revealed a lot more about his discontent for Bush. The opening page to his site features a lengthy article, which is a detailed explanation about why he recently called Bush a deserter. Moore states in his article: “I would like to apologize for referring to George W. Bush as a “deserter.” What I meant to say is that
George W. Bush is a deserter, an election thief, a drunk driver, a WMD liar and a functional illiterate. And he poops his pants.” He goes on to explain the term deserter by describing how Bush narrowly escaped military service during the Vietnam War. Moore describes a series of events like failing to take a medical exam, failing to participate in National Guard (the group in which he enrolled during the war) training activities, etc. The article also states that “Bush was apparently absent without official leave from his assigned military service for as little as seven months or as much as 17 months during a time when 500,000 American troops were fighting the Vietnam War. The army defines a “deserter” — also known as a DFR, for “dropped from rolls” — as one who is AWOL (absent without leave) 31 days or more.” To conclude, Moore states that he calls it like he sees it and he can admit when he’s wrong, “and when I’m wrong, like the thing about Bush pooping his pants, I’ll say so.” So are Moore’s arguments fabricated out of thin air? Like any good journalist, Moore provides links to support his claims. But just because he can show that these things have been said or done, does that necessarily make them the whole truth? Another documentarian’s Web site, www.michaelmoorehatesamerica.com, also
provided by the Star, article is a site about a documentary called Michael Moore Hates America, directed by Michael Wilson and claims to tell the truth about a great nation. The site indicates that Michael Moore Hates America is not a shot at Moore, but rather about the American dream while along the way examining Moore’s claims about America. The site offers a trailer of the documentary set to release this summer (somewhat patriotic), a press release about Moore’s reluctance to be interviewed in the documentary and links to other pages that point out many faults with Moore’s works (including Bowling for Columbine). “Just because I disagree with Moore doesn’t mean my opinion isn’t valid, does it? Of course, I’ve noticed that Moore’s fans may be some of the least tolerant people in the world. I’ve actually received death threats from people who claim that it’s important to be heard, but demand that I shut up… I guess the First Amendment only applies when we’re at a protest or are demanding redistribution of wealth,” Wilson states in his site’s FAQ section. Wilson’s Michael Moore Hates America is set to release this summer. Coincidentally Moore’s new documentary Fahrenheit 9-11, obviously about censorship and terrorism, is due to be released this summer as well.
17
ARTS
18
Imprint arts
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
AoK vs. The Mudmen —page 20
arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
The sweet, sweet sounds of The Sourkeys Matt Charters IMPRINT STAFF
JOHN WIECZOREK
A take on Joe Millionaire puts a “prince” charming in an interesting situation.
Ye FASS-y tales of olde Matt Charters IMPRINT STAFF
Approximately 125 faculty members, alumni, staff and students have been hard at work for the last month preparing this year’s FASS play, entitled The Brothers FASS: Princes and Dragons and Wolves, Oh My! This year’s musical comedy follows the story of a group of students who get lost on the sixth floor of the MC and end up stumbling into an alternate dimension filled with fairytale characters. The play, written cheifly by Brian Fox and directed by Anita Kilgour, spoofs everything from reality dating shows to Kevin Smith movies to homestarrunner.com to The Godfather and still manages to stick in a couple of musical numbers. Highlights of the show include a knight who comes to save the day with his army of Mexican
wrestlers, a wizards’ guild on strike and a tribute to Monty Python. The show even promises some surprise cameos from UW professors. It’s not the most professional of shows, but that’s not the point. Every January and February, FASS gives people who might not normally participate in theatre their turn in the spotlight. This year’s cast is made up mostly of students and alumni, with every faculty represented. Rehearsals have been going on every week since the first week of term and after all that hard work the cast members are ready to have a genuinely good time and give it their all on stage. The Brothers FASS runs February 5-7 at the University of Waterloo Humanities Theatre in Hagey Hall. Tickets are on sale at the box office for $8 general admission. For more information visit www.fass.uwaterloo.ca. mcharters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
The Buck stops here in Waterloo Dan Glassman SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
Sightlines were few and far between as Rich Terfry, AKA Buck 65, was introduced to the stage at the Starlight Club in uptown Waterloo last Thursday. Armed with a mic, a turntable, a mixer, a Discman and a Minidisc player, he cleared his throat with an exclamation of “Son of a whore!” Soon after he had the crowd’s attention with his tight rhymes, gruff voice, and theatrical delivery. The music was a mix of Tom Waits-esque original hip hop beats, as well as ones sampled and borrowed from sources as varied as Woodie Guthrie, Grandmaster Flash and Queens of the Stone Age. Not once did his lone presence fail to fill the stage, nor did his tongue get twisted on one of his many insightful rhymes. Concertgoing critics at previous shows have often underestimated his scratching skills because of his usually humble display of them during performances. This time around the member of The 1200 Hobos wowed the crowd with several displays of what he referred to as “wanking” — making his turntable moves look effortless. Buck 65’s musical style has certainly changed
in recent years, reflecting his stay in Paris and his new-found financial stability. It has become more accessible, but alienated some fans of the earlier work he produced during his many years as a struggling hip hop hero and community radio personality in Halifax. But the “Wicked and Weird” theme which emerged in his native Nova Scotia has remained constant. In between songs, Buck, now a major label artist with a growing worldwide fanbase, regaled the crowd with tales of his dad, being on the guest list at a Christina Aguilera show in Australia, the Philipines, the perils of Nair, and the cold weather in Winnipeg. New to his live act was a twosome of equally white guys who provided interludes of juggling, magic, drumming and stand-up hysterics. The set list favoured songs from his two most recent releases on Warner, but towards the end included new unrehearsed material and even a poem recital. With few exceptions, everyone in attendance was thouroughly entertained. The evening climaxed with a medley of favourites which satiated fans of his back catalogue. After nearly two hours of entertainment, the crowd quickly dispersed at the ripe hour of 12:30.
“Just to warn you, we tend to get nervous around these things,” Mark Ganassin e-mailed me. He was talking about the interview I was about to do with him and his bandmates in The Sourkeys. Sorry? Nervous? This is a band who opened for the Constantines at their CD release party at the Horseshoe in Toronto, a band whose energy onstage couldn’t possibly come from four guys who would be nervous about an interview. And yet, sitting in a coffee shop, The Sourkeys are, of course, just four normal guys who happen to love the music they write and play. The band, consisting of singer/guitarist Mike Mercey, drummer Mike Lurz, guitarist Paul Drake and bassist Ganassin do what any four friends might do on a Friday night. They drink coffee, chat and laugh at inside jokes. The only difference is that on this Friday night, The Sourkeys are poised to release their debut album to the waiting masses. As fans of the band know, the self-titled disc has been a long time coming. The tracks for the album were completed last spring, but they are only now being packaged and released. The reason is simple. “Money,” was the one-word version of the story Mercey gave me. Don’t forget, being an independent rock group in Canada is tough work. Driving distances eat up money for gas and when your van breaks down as often as the Sourkeys’ has, it eats up money for repairs too. The fact that it has taken so long to finish the record seems to be a bit of a sore point with the band. Ganassin implied that they were getting a little tired of people asking when it would be released. “We’re just excited to get it out there,” says Lurz, “so we can can start writing new songs for the next record.” “And this time it won’t take two years,” added Mercey. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The Sourkeys’ album is being released on Ford
Plant Records, a new label started by the same people that own the Ford Plant (an independent music venue in Brantford, ON). It’s so new, in fact, that The Sourkeys’ disc will be the label’s first release. “We’re the guinea pigs,” quipped Drake. The CD itself clocks in at just over 20 minutes and it contains all the staples of a Sourkeys show: tight, fast, loud, rhythmic songs sparkling with energy. From the first handclaps of the opening track, “Demon or Deity,” to the group vocals of “Canon Chorus,” the final song, The Sourkeys don’t let up for a second. There’s no surprises on the album in terms of material for someone who has seen the band live, but hearing the songs transferred to a recorded medium has other advantages. The intricacy of the band’s arrangements really comes through, as do Lurz’s background vocals. The band is playing a string of shows to celebrate their new album, with the Waterloo date set for Thursday, February 12 at the Starlight, with support from The Vermicious Knid and The Silent Film Soundtrack. It will be one of the first shows at the venue to showcase entirely local talent and it’s fitting that one of Waterloo’s premier acts will be there to headline it. “There are so many people in this town making good music right now” says Mercey — and it’s true. The independent music scene in Waterloo is more vibrant than ever and coupled with the all-ages punk scene in Kitchener, there’s no shortage of live music happening. The show on Thursday is $8 for ages 19 and up, $10 for everyone else. As for long-term goals, The Sourkeys just want to keep doing what they do best: playing music. They’re planning an east coast tour for the spring which will enable the band to showcase their music to a whole new set of fans. “The further from home we go, the more people we get to play to who haven’t heard us before,” says Lurz, “and that’s exciting.” Look out Canada, here come The Sourkeys. mcharters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
MATT CHARTERS
The Sourkeys take time to contemplate their “coffee shop culture.”
Imprint arts
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
19
Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming up? Nick McIsaak SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
Jesus, new bands are sprouting up everywhere. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way too hard to keep track anymore and I feel, like most of you probably do, fucking lost. Oh well, might as well have a mix-tape for the road trip. But who to choose? I mean, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the radio, but fucked if they play anything good. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the underground on the other side but damned if you can plow your way through piles of meaningless bands and find a decent one whose best albums are no longer available. How do you find one thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worthwhile? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where I come in. I may not know much, but I do happen to know of some interesting projects that will tickle your tailfeather. Give these a chance (Note: I know most of these bands are from southern Ontario, but I live here and therefore I get to see these characters live). 1. Germans Comprised of Steve Kato from Penguin music fame and the co-creator of Blocksblocksblocks, Aidan Koper, (who does some crazy rubber-man shit as well as being from Oh No The Modulator), and Leon Taheny from the Somme. These guys rock. They have the best live show Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen all year and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hilariously quirky and amazingly tight. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like the good part of electro cranked up to two-hundred and
seventy per cent on the fun scale. I mean, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say enough. Barcelona Pavillion is good as well (Steveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of that band too), check out both if you have time, but if you can only listen to one of them and some guyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a gun to your head asking you to choose, pick Germans. 2. Woolly Leaves This band is Whil, the keyboardist for the Constantines, and a guy named Steve on drums â&#x20AC;&#x201D; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re mellow and heartfelt and amazingly sincere. Not to mention the live show is spectacular when in an intimate place such as Jane Bond in Waterloo. I hate comparing bands to other bands, saying stuff like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;this sounds like an early Nick Drake,â&#x20AC;? which these guys donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re great nonetheless and I will make no comparisons. Go find their stuff. 3. The Sourkeys OK, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m giving a little shout out to my friends here, but you know when someone you know invites you to a show and you want to be all nice so you go? And it sucks and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeah, that was good,â&#x20AC;? while biting your tongue and forking over five bucks for the CD? Well, there was none of that involved here. I went, I loved and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hooked. The Sourkeys, who often play with the Woolly Leaves to save you a few dollars on seperate concerts, play superb rock that makes dancing fun
again, like when you were a kid and jumped on your bed while screaming Pixies lyrics. 4. Les Mouches This is another band on the Blocksblocksblocks label (Germans also have music coming out on this Toronto based recording club), but with a completely different feel. With Owen Pallett from the Hidden Cameras crooning in the background, this band features the stylisticly mad drummings of Rob Gordon from From Fiction in the foreground, jumping around on stage and putting the â&#x20AC;&#x153;perfâ&#x20AC;? back in performance. Combined with Matt Smith, who is currently in the U of T theatre program, this band is like a clothes basket full of handpuppets on stage. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask questions, just go buy Blood Orgy. 5. Me, I rock. I write the greatest music mankind has ever heard, from hip hop to monster rock tracks and country ballads. I give the word diverse a new meaning. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually have a band, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a bunch of lyrics and a guitar, not to mention two turntables and Cubase. I can create music from nothing and nothing from music all in one go and have fans across nations screaminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for my seaman. Yes, like A House said, I am the greatest. Now would somebody please help me out and give me a record deal?
A rather transparent booby trap David Carey DIET COKE HEAD During the half-time show at last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super Bowl, the whole world got to see Janet Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nipple. Following performances by artists such as Kid Rock, P Diddy and Nelly, Janet appeared singing her hit single: â&#x20AC;&#x153;All For You.â&#x20AC;? After a short interlude, she reclaimed the stage singing one of her older songs: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rhythm Nation.â&#x20AC;? Enter Justin Timberlake, performing the somewhat crappy but danceable â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rock Your Body.â&#x20AC;? As he and Janet moved together onstage, they did a duet-type version until the concluding line â&#x20AC;&#x153;better have you naked by the end of this song.â&#x20AC;? And then we saw Janetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s booby. More specifically, Justin tore off a piece of her top to reveal her right breast, covered only by what is being referred to as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sun-shaped nipple shield.â&#x20AC;? According to Janetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Justinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;people,â&#x20AC;? the incident was due to a wardrobe malfunction. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re claiming that JT was supposed to tear off the top section of her shirt, but that the singer was to be covered by a red lace. You can believe them or not, but the fact that Jackson was wearing nipple glitter and breast jewelry is pretty indicative of a plan.
Not the invasion of Normandy or anything, but still a plan. Anyone claiming that the boob flash was anything more than a premeditated publicity stunt needs to do some research on the current pop music scene. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about shock value. In fact this event is being played out in the media as if weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re supposed to be appalled at the indecency of *gasp* seeing a covered nipple. Janet and Justin are now â&#x20AC;&#x153;edgyâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;provocative.â&#x20AC;? For Jackson, this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t new territory. Although many of her songs, including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rhythm Nation,â&#x20AC;? include important and well delivered messages about such issues as AIDS and discrimination, Janet has long thrived on controversy. In 1993, she appeared topless on the cover of Rolling Stone, with her husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands groping her breasts. Throughout a recent concert tour, Janet would invite a lucky guy from each crowd to get tied to a bed onstage. Then she would proceed to give him a lap dance and grab his crotch whilst performing the song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rope Burn.â&#x20AC;? The Super Bowl show was the perfect opportunity for her to reinforce her image â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and if it increased the radio play of her new single, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll call that an added bonus. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in it for Justin? He hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really jumped aboard the shock train until now. Sure, his friend Lance Bass did that whole cosmonaut thing for awhile and his ex-girlfriend Britney sometimes kisses girls and dances around wearing only diamonds, but
I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recall a clear Justin stunt. Still riding high off his successful first album, he has no new project to promote. Perhaps his position as top music heartthrob and super stud isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough. Justin wants a little controversy to dirty up his image â&#x20AC;&#x201D; clean is out. Searching for street cred, one booby at a time, maybe he wants to take over as celebrityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest bad boy. Unfortunately, this stunt was a bit too transparent to be taken seriously and not risky enough to be truly effective. Half a boob? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all we get? Hype surrounding the incident was far more exciting than the event was itself. The public isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t completely stupid. We can recognize an attempt at media manipulation when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so obvious and blatantly trashy. But seeing it for what it is and being immune to its effects are two very different things. Ultimately the stunt has been successful. People are talking. Justin and Janet are in the news. An illusory controversy is still a controversy, one way or another. Luckily for us, the effects of stale gimmicks like these are short lived and quickly forgotten. If Jackson and Timberlake really want to have an impact on people, they should focus on creating some memorable and exciting music that will last longer than a thirty second spot on last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Access Hollywood. dcarey@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Imprint arts
20
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Attack of The Mudmen Taking the bagpipes to a whole new level Arda Ocal and Jenna Holko IMPRINT STAFF
Local band Sweetline will perform in Toronto on February 26.
JASON GEMNICH
Sweetline jams it out Andrea Kerswill UNHEARD OF Every band has their niche. They have that one thing that seems to set them apart from any other band. Apart from the genre of the music, the chemistry of a music group seems to start within what they deem to be their one biggest strength. When I sat down with band members Ryan Machowski (drums) and Bob Schmalhofer (lead guitar) of Sweetline, I asked them what was the one thing that made them different. They said they write catchy tunes. Catchy tunes, I thought? Well, this should be interesting. After the several interviews I have done with local bands in Kitchener-Waterloo, I am used to getting such answers. It was then that I got to listen to rants of how they hated the big business and its formulated way of producing musicians and blah, blah, blah. What struck me as odd (but in a very, very good way) about Sweetline was that they seem to appreciate the big business. I say this with caution, not because they want to follow in the footsteps of Nickelback, but because they don’t seem to want to bitch about their fame. Both Machowski and Schmalhofer were aware of and appreciated the hard work that bands have to do — especially Canadian bands. Three of the four band members, Joe Benninger (lead vocals, guitar), Alan Luke (bass, vocals) and Schmalhofer have been together since 1999. With the recent addition of Machowski, the band seems to have found their formula for producing technically sound and catchy songs. All four of these members hail from the K-W area and don’t have any
intentions of moving anywhere else anytime soon. They seem to be content with playing local gigs as often as possible while producing their second album. Now, of course, this doesn’t mean they want to stay in K-W forever, it just means that their eclectic mix of songs is locally produced. This is pretty awesome, because they don’t need to travel to Toronto or the States to create a kind of music that you want to listen to more than once. This is where the creativity comes in. All bands (whether they like it or not) have a formula for writing songs that seems to work for them. Now it isn’t necessarily written in stone, but there is some method by which bands discover their madness. Machowski and Schmalhofer tribute the fact that band members contribute equally, it seems, to the collaboration of their songs. It usually starts with a riff or a melody that one or two members bring to rehearsal, and from there they all take part, and to use Schmalhofer’s words, “jam it out.” Be that as it may, I took Sweetline’s newest album home and gave it a listen. For such a tough critic as myself, I was impressed. This album seemed to contain a technically difficult array of songs that did stick in my mind. You know it’s great when you want to hear it again. So I played it in my car on my way to school. And they were right — their songs are catchy. What I enjoyed about Sweetline the most was their downright honesty. I think even they, too, were a little surprised by the answers they knew I was expecting from them. If anything will make this band popular, it’s their ability to be a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of group. No bullshit, no qualms — just technically tight songs with some sultry lyrics. For information on the band and how you can get a free ride to see them in Toronto on Febrary 26, check out www.sweetline.ca.
On stage, as the band around him rocks the crowd, he stands there motionless, expressionless. His eyes roll to the back of his head as he pounds out note after note. He doesn’t say a word; he is big, and he is intimidating. He is also a bagpiper. Off stage, Rob Campbell is one of the most relaxed and conversational people you’ll ever meet. Rob, along with brother and fellow piper Sandy, armed with a rich piping background (including trips to the world bagpipe championships as youths), decided they wanted to mix their talents with another passion — rock music. The product of this union, the band known as The Mudmen, certainly have an impressive resumé — with two albums, steady video rotation on MuchMusic, appearances at EdgeFest, on Mike Bullard, Don Cherry’s Rock ’Em Sock ’Em 9 and The Toronto Show — you could say that this combination is ready to turn some heads. AoK had the chance to sit with Rob before The Mudmen’s time on stage at the Bomber on Friday night. AoK: Why don’t you tell us a little bit about your music, having bagpipes and mixing it with rock. Do people ever compare you to KoRn? Rob: Oh always. We get compared to Green Day, AC/DC, KoRn, Spirit of the West, Gob. There are so many bands. Gob is one that there is some Celtic influence there, whether they meant to do it or not. And we get compared to all those bands. If somebody wants to call us a gimmick band and you want to put us on the same shelf as Kiss and Alice Cooper, that’s a compliment. If you want to say, “You remind me of KoRn and AC/DC,” that’s a compliment too. But I think AC/DC were the first to do it, putting pipes in rock. They really opened doors because they made it cool, and kids can relate to a hard edge fuckin’ sound with a nutbar lead singer, because it’s the lead singer that automatically gives it credibility [rather] than just a wanker, you know. AoK: Well, let me ask you this then, because you guys do have the pipes in the band and you have them on almost every track [on your latest album]: do you think it’s advantageous, or do you think it’s important, to have some sort of unique element to the band in order to get noticed? Rob: Absolutely. Like I think LeAnn Rimes was on the television saying that to have a hit
and to be good looking doesn’t cut it anymore. And that’s so true. You look at bands, they kind of disappear and you wait for their arrival to come back. I can’t think of the band right now, but they’re getting credited that they stayed away too long. [Pauses] Jane’s Addiction. Everybody keeps going on that they lost their edge, they’re not nuts anymore. I like their new stuff, but I agree that they took a long period off and people don’t know what to expect. A gimmick is a gimmick. Kiss putting the makeup on proved it. They were a freak show and everybody laughed at them. But they played every deserted little corner that had a hydro outlet and they made it work. Then when they backed off and got rid of the costumes, I don’t know if that was their plan, but it was almost to their advantage because when they came back, it was like they got the fuckin’ excitement level back. But nowadays the entertainment business is like wrestling. The storylines move so quick like in television and people’s attention spans aren’t like what they used to be. There’s not that long-term fan base anymore. AoK: What is the craziest thing that has happened on stage [at one of your shows]? Rob: Well, we were playing with Bif Naked in Newfoundland. We were doing an all-ages show in the afternoon in St. Johns and then a big show. So we flew in, we landed about 2 [p.m.], did a quick sound check, did a little kiddy show all-ages at 6 [p.m.], did the big one at 9 [p.m.]. So anyway, we were playing and the power went out. We knew we only had 40 minutes to perform, so we started doing bagpipe solos, because sometimes it’s a saviour. And Leonie, our guitarist, did a strip show for the ladies. So he took the whole “She’s Got the Jack” to a new level. And I’m sure that if they don’t remember that stop, there’s something wrong. Bif had quite a few lesbians in the crowd and they were all loving it. He [Leonie] was the star of that night. So that’s been one of the weirdest things. There’s been a lot, actually. Weird things just keep happening to us. AoK: What if the hydro goes out at the Bomber tonight? Rob: I don’t know. If he’s in the mood, you might see something, right? [laughter] Listen to the full interview at AoK: The Pre Bomber Show online — www.ckmsfm.ca/aok aorcal@imprint.uwaterloo.ca jholko@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
akerswill@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
JENNA HOLKO
Rob Campbell of The Mudmen puts Imprint’s own Arda Ocal in his best headlock during the interview. The band played at Bomber on Friday, January 30 with special guest Barlow.
SCIENCE FRIDAY,6,FEBRUARY 6, 2004 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2004
Imprint science science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Ozone-destroying molecule is found Azadeh Samadi IMPRINT STAFF
COURTSEY OF WATERLOO SPACE SOCIETY
(left to right): UW President Dr. David Johnston greets Canadian Astronaut Dr. Dave Williams, and current Waterloo Space Society President Benjamin Sanders.
Dave Williams: the next generation of aerospace leaders Fatema Nahar SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
Dave Williams, a man of remarkable background as a practising physician, astronaut and aquanaut introduced the ventures taken in space and the nature of research conducted while in orbit to enthusiastic delegates and media members last Saturday at the Canadian student summit on aerospace. He emphasized that after reaching the height of space and the depths of oceans, now his dreams are for the next generation of aerospace leaders. He reminded us of the astonishing feats mankind has already achieved: to mention some, the Kennedy Space Center has launched 16 shuttle flights and assembled 15 major elements in orbit. Another key venture is the International Space Center (ISS), where research spans from earth observation to astroculture. ISS is also a place where cultures and technological expertise from different countries integrate. In fact, one of the International Space Stations is located right in Montreal. Canadian contribution definitely doesn’t end there. Besides supplying well-qualified astronauts, it has provided CanadaArm 2, Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA), and a mobile base system. The future in technology will involve special-purpose dexterous manipulations and relevant telerobotic surgery. One can also foresee more involved participation by the European Space Agency (ESA) and National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). A plaque gifted to the University by Dr. Williams can soon be found in one of the engineering buildings. Briefly on the day’s symposiums:
Business, media and politics Discussions were held on entrepreneurial ventures such as that of WestJet. Another key presentation was on the role of media in shaping the future of space exploration.
Engineering and technology The topic of smart materials presented and discussed the mechanisms behind smart material behavior. The young engineer’s group presented on their experience parabolic flight and satellites. Northern Light presented topics on their mission to deploy a Canadian lander and rover system on the surface of Mars this decade. An exhibit from the Canadian Space Robotics Technology crew discussed their meteorology station (MET) and plans for the upcoming Phoenix Scout mission. Life sciences Canadian life sciences research on the ISS presented on adaptation of the cardiovascular system to the effects of altered gravitational forces and spatial disorientation which focused on experiments based on failure to correctly sense the position, motion or attitude of self . Physics and astronomy Gravitational lenses were the topic of this symposiums. They discussed the understanding of dark matter by the use of gravitational lenses. The group also discussed satellite remote sensing and climate change. The wealth information and networking opportunities makes CSSA a highly resourceful medium by which the future generations can embrace space exploration and advancement. Those interested may opt to catch next year’s conference or contact the Waterloo Space Society.
Wanna know more? www.spaceflight.nasa.gov www.casi.caWWW.SPACEFLIGHT.NASA.ORG www.space.gc.ca www.ksc.nasa.gov www.eng.uwaterloo.ca
21
Before now, scientists merely theorized that dichlorine monoxide in the stratosphere played a key role in destroying ozone. Now, Harvard scientist Rick Stimpfle and his colleagues, who observed the molecule for the first time by using measurements from a NASA aircraft laboratory flying over the Arctic, have put evidence out to strengthen this theory. Their discovery is reported in the Journal of Geophysical ResearchAtmospheres, published by the American Geophysical Union. It was known in 1987 that the high ozone loss was linked with high level, of chlorine monoxide, but this is the first time that the dichlorine monoxide actually has been detected. This rare element only exists in the particularly cold stratosphere over polar regions where dichlorine monoxide levels are quite high. According to Rick Stimpfle, most of the chlorine in the stratosphere is from human-induced sources. The rapid seasonal decline of stratospheric ozone over the South Pole is called “Antarctic ozone hole.”This is a phenomenom in which a large fraction of the ozone layer disappears in the spring months over an area coinciding largely within the Antarctic continent. Polar regions have much larger variation in sunlight than anywhere else, and during the three months of winter mostly there is darkness and there is no solar radiation. Temperatures drift around or below -80 degrees celcius and the extremely low Antarctic temperatures cause cloud formation in the relatively dry stratosphere. These polar stratospheric clouds are composed of ice crystals that provide the surface for a multitude of reactions, many of which speed the degradation of ozone molecules. Spring brings an increase of ultraviolet light to the lower Antarctic stratosphere, providing the energy needed for the rapid catalytic breakdown of ozone by chlo-
rine monoxide and dichlorine monoxide. Over 50 per cent of the stratospheric ozone is destroyed by these two mechanisms: most of the damage occurs in the lower stratosphere. The ozone layer is responsible for the existence of the stratosphere. Ozone is destroyed if a lone oxygen atom and a tri-oxygen molecule meet. This reaction is slow and if it were the only mechanism for ozone loss, the ozone layer would be about twice as thick as it is. Certain types of species, such as chlorine, can speed up this naturally occurring breakdown. The current ozone layer is as a result of equilibrium between breakdown and recombination. The degradation rate can go up by increasing the concentration of catalysts and results in a thinner ozone layer. When two chlorine monoxide molecules bind together, ozone destruction occurs. These results were obtained during a joint US-European science mission, SOLVE/ THESEO-2000. According to Stimpfle, a NASA ER-2 aircraft flew into Russian air space for the first time with the co-operation of Russian authorities to collect scientific data for the interest of the world community. The instrument used to measure dichlorine monoxide was designed to detect several important inorganic chlorine species and was housed in a wing pod of the ER2. The NASA Upper Atmospheric Research Program funded this work. asamadi@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Correction In the January 23 article “Design WWW.SPACEFLIGHT.NASA.ORG ing tomorrow today” it was ncorrectly stated that Telus was interested in meeting partners of the human robot interface project. In fact it was the back on track project that has been sponsored by Telus.
Tips to impress at the campfire and pharmacy that there is nothing to worry about,” reports Newscientist. Clever crickets tell all
Julie Diener SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
Body odour or breast cancer – which do you prefer?
A recent US study by Chicago doctor Kris McGrath of Northwestern University suggests that frequent underarm shaving combined with deodorant use could increase women’s chances of developing breast cancer. A hoax e-mail in the 1990s claimed that shaving creates tiny nicks that allow chemicals from deodorants and antiperspirants to enter the body and trigger tumours. McGrath says that the aluminium compounds found in many products might be to blame. Dana Mirick and her team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, however, published a study in 2002 that found no links between deodorant use and breast cancer. Her work has “convinced most experts
Next time you find yourself at a campsite, impress your friends with a bit of nature and some simple math. Just listen to the crickets. Crickets, like all insects, have sense organs in the form of microscopic hairs that can detect the insect’s surrounding temperature. One entomology Web site notes: “Crickets chirp faster with increasing temperature and slower with decreasing temperature. Therefore, at least in theory, …temperature can be estimated by counting their chirps.” The American snowy tree cricket is one of the only kinds that chirps at a frequency easily distinguished by human ears. Count the number of times it chirps within 15 seconds, add 40 and you’ll get your outside temperature in Fahrenheit. Count the number of chirps in eight seconds and add five for a rough estimate of degrees in Celsius. All meats, no sweets
The Atkin’s diet, which has won great favour in the eyes of millions, including celebrities, who were told they could lose weight fast and never have to count the calories, is the subject of growing controversy. See Controversy, page 22
Imprint science
22
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Controversy: more body odor, more meat, more elements Continued from page 21
Scientists say that Dr. Atkins’s explanation for how his diet works is “scientific heresy” and that it simply works by suppressing appetite. Dr. Robert Atkins developed the diet in the 1970s, maintaining that eating fat is not what produces fat in the body. Thus his diet promotes the eating of fats and proteins rather then starch, sugars and carbohydrates. He suggests avoiding these foods because they stimulate your appetite and are converted into fat unless burned up as energy. A study led by Prof. Joe Donnelly at Kansas University confronts this concept. In a BBC documentary broadcasted January 22, he reveals that he could find no evidence for the claims. The documentary suggests that although dieters are allowed to eat as much as they want, they actually eat less anyway. The diet works simply because “protein makes you feel full” and not because protein burns calories. Islands of stability in the periodic ocean
Two new “super-heavy” chemical elements have likely been discovered by scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Russia. The achievement, announced Monday, offers a closer glimpse of an exotic, long-hypothesized domain at the outer reaches of the periodic table of elements in which inherently unstable elements might survive long enough to yield new insights into the underlying fabric of matter. The periodic table, a checkerboard-like chart that hangs in every chemistry classroom, depicts both known elements and those that haven’t
been discovered except in theory. In the 20th century, scientists figured out ways to create artificial elements that, as far as anyone knows, have never before existed anywhere on Earth. Unfortunately, most of these new elements decay into subatomic debris very quickly, sometimes in fractions of a second; hence they’re hard to study. According to theory, however, somewhere above element 110, elements should become more “stable,” perhaps so stable they could last for years. This domain is known as the “island of stability.” Elements 113 and 115 didn’t live long: they decayed within seconds. Even so, like the shallow water that tells sailors they’re approaching land, 113 and 115 hint that future physicists could create much longer-lived super-heavies in particle accelerators. Super-heavy elements offer a way for physicists to test the limits of theories of nuclear physics, just as architects implicitly test the limits of building materials by using them to build ever-bigger skyscrapers. Commercially, super heavies have no known uses. The discovery of 113 and 115 is reported in Monday’s issue of the nuclear physics journal Physical Review C, in an article written by 18 scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at Dubna, Russia, and eight researchers at Lawrence Livermore, the nuclear weapons lab in Livermore, Russia. “The data is just all numbers,” says a scientist on the US team, Joshua Patin of Livermore, Russia.
Although “fairly convinced” that they’ve discovered new elements, he said he would “feel much better” when another laboratory has achieved the same result. Having you steak and eating it too
Researchers at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital have displayed another feat of gene engineering that could lead to delicious steaks and gourmet omelettes that are theoretically good for your heart. The scientists spliced a worm gene into mice and made the rodents produce significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, a heart-friendly substance normally found in salmon and other oily fish. The researchers are now are trying to breed genetically engineered chickens that would lay omega-3 eggs. The obvious follow-up would be transferring the gene to livestock to see if they can produce meat and milk rich in omega-3. Details of the mouse experiments appear in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature. “It would be little bit more difficult in a cow or pig,” said the study’s senior author, Jing X. Kang. “Overall, it would be quite similar and I think the outcome would be the same.” Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to prevent
heart disease by helping to reduce the inflammation involved in hardening of artery walls. They also may reduce blood pressure and chemically regulate the electrical impulses of the heart’s rhythm. Omega-3s also are important to brain development and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The American Heart Association recommends two or more weekly servings of fish, particularly fatty fish like trout and salmon, which are high in omega-3s.
JULIE DIENER
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SPORTS 24
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Imprint sports sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Returning to form on the hardwood —page 27
ROD MCLACHLAN
UW right winger Geoff Rivers (right) fights off two Windsor Lancer defenders last Friday night at the CIF arena as Lancer goaltender Jay Ewasiuk looks on.
Warriors sweep Lancers aside Rod McLachlan IMPRINT STAFF
All of the elements required to win came together last weekend for UW: hard work, gritty team play and a goaltender whose effort earned athlete of the week honours. The Waterloo men’s hockey team, in a thrilling home and home series this past weekend, swept their divisional rival, the Windsor Lancers. The two victories, both 2-1 finals, allowed UW to move one giant step closer to securing a playoff position. Last Friday, January 30, at the Columbia Icefield Arena the Warriors took on the Lancers in game one in front of a large energetic crowd that saw Waterloo prevail in a 2-1 triumph. The win was in large part due to the heroics of secondyear goalkeeper Scott Gouthro, who stopped 26 of 27 shots and fourth-year centreman Mark Accardi, whose clutch third period short-handed breakaway goal with less than nine minutes left lifted the Warriors over Windsor, much to the delight of the home crowd. In the first period, Warriors forward Mike Nixon shined for Waterloo as they went on to outshoot (19-6) and outplay Windsor. The physical tone of the entire series was set early on when UW’s Accardi was hit from behind in the neutral zone. However, the Warriors were able to capitalize on this miscue by the Lancers. On the ensuing powerplay, when Waterloo’s 6’1” forward Richard Scott was allowed all the time in the world in the low slot, he finally lifted a shot past Windsor’s Jay Ewasiuk.
The second period afforded UW a two-man advantage for 1:03 after the Lancers were whistled for slashing and then holding with nine minutes remaining in the frame. UW failed to take advantage. Moments later Windsor was on a two-man powerplay. Gouthro, with Windsor crashing the net on the 5on-3, fell awkwardly on the loose puck and was slow to get up, but foiled a sure goal with his acrobatic ability. The period ended with the shots even at ten apiece, but with the edge in opportunities swinging in Windsor’s favour. In the third, Lancer Jason Melo broke Gouthro’s shutout bid and tied the game at 1-1. In spite of the change of momentum, UW’s Accardi was able to convert his shorthanded breakaway to cap off a spectacular physical battle. The following night the Warriors headed to Windsor for the second game of the series. Waterloo had all of its offensive output in the first frame. UW’s Mike Della Mora, who deflected a Nixon shot, got the Warriors on the board early in the first period. A short time later, after a failed Lancer clearing attempt, fourthyear forward Jeff Fiorino lit the lamp by deflecting UW captain Chris Hopiavuori’s point shot. The second period featured plenty of Waterloo odd-man rushes and some strong physical play, but UW was kept off the scoresheet. Later in the third period, after Hopiavuori was penalized for interference on a questionable call, the Lancers pulled their goaltender in order to have a two-man advantage. Windsor showered Gouthro with shots and on
the third consecutive shot a Lancer forward was able to get a puck past the overwhelmed UW netminder. Nevertheless, that was as close as Windsor got as Waterloo took the game 2-1. Gouthro ended the weekend stopping 63 of 65 shots to post an unconscious .969 save percentage in the Warriors two contests against Windsor. His tremendous play was definitely one of the key reasons that the Warriors now sit in third place, the final playoff spot and are four points up on Windsor in the OUA’s Far West division. UW hosts the nationally-ranked (number 10) York Lions on Saturday, February 7 at 2 p.m. and the Brock Badgers, who has received national ranking votes this past week, on February 8 at 2 p.m. “It’s the players. The players are buying into the system,” commented UW head coach Karl Taylor on the reason for his team’s success of late. However, coach Taylor knows that the playoff race is not over yet. “We still have a long way to go. This weekend is going to be huge. Windsor is playing two games against Laurier, but we’re just going to worry about ourselves. “York is a very fast skating team. We need to eliminate any odd-man rushes and work on our penalty kill,” said coach Taylor of the aspect of his team’s game that are being worked on in practice during the past week. —with files from UW Athletics rmclachlan@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
With the OUA playoffs approaching, here’s how the Warriors look in the postseason picture Men’s basketball
Women’s hockey
With a 6-2 (win-loss) record in 2004, the Warriors have continued their winning ways. Currently, UW is in second place in the OUA’s West Division. With five games left, the Warriors are now in contention for the first round playoff bye that the top two divisional teams receive as well as first in the division, which is held by Mac.
The women’s hockey team also finds itself in a tight playoff race. Three teams are vying for the final spot in the OUA’s West Division; Waterloo, Western and Windsor. Waterloo and Western are tied and are both two points behind Windsor. UW has five games left in the regular season to gain the upper hand in the race. The Warriors will be eager to play against Brock this Friday after having two weeks off.
Women’s basketball
The Warriors, who lack a large number of veterans, are currently holding down the last playoff spot in the OUA’s West Division. Nevertheless, a playoff position is not a sure thing with Lakehead only four points behind with five games left in the regular season. Men’s hockey
After a sweep of their divisional rivals, the Windsor Lancers, this past weekend in a home-and-home series, the Warriors have moved into third place in the OUA West Division. Waterloo, which currently occupies the last playoff spot, is only four points ahead of the Lancers with Windsor having two games in hand on the Warriors. UW has three games left this season including two tough games this weekend against the number 10 ranked York Lions and the Brock Badgers.
Men’s volleyball
Waterloo’s men’s volleyball team has capped off another successful regular season with a trip to the postseason. The Warriors now have one game left to try to improve their playoff seeding by a catching Windsor for fourth place. The Warriors lost to Windsor on Wednesday, February 4 by a score of 32 (25-23, 21-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-13). Women’s volleyball
Waterloo’s women’s volleyball team is rebuilding this year and as a result finds itself in last place in the OUA’s West Division. With one win in each of the last two previous seasons, the Warriors are slowly turning the corner under head coach Jason Grieve. UW recently won their third game of the season.
Imprint sports
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
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Presents...
This Week in
Warrior Athletics
ADAM MCGUIRE
Warriors rookie Gillian Maxwell fights through a crowd on her way to the hoop againgst Laurier.
IMPRINT STAFF
After hitting an unseemly four-game winless skid, the UW womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball team desperately needed a victory. Unfortunately for the visiting Windsor Lancers, a win is exactly what the Warriors got on Wednesday, February 4 as they snapped out of a 19day-long losing streak with a hardearned 64-48 triumph. Coming off their worst defeat of the season, an 88-51 thrashing at the hands of Laurier, the Warriors were able to put their abysmal January behind them as they smothered the Lancers with a tough defensive effort, limiting their opponents to a 27.8 field-goal percentage. Even more impressive to head coach Tom Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien and his staff was the much-needed sense of urgency that the Warriors were able to play with. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We needed a win in the worst way,â&#x20AC;? said Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We did some good things tonight.â&#x20AC;? Although Waterloo had built a comfortable halftime lead, the beginning of the second half saw UWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play drop off, as they allowed Windsor to claw back into contention. Meanwhile, the Warriors were amassing fouls and at one point, UW had a whopping 8 more fouls than Windsor in what appeared
to be an evenly-physical match. But despite the foul troubles UW found themselves in, their resilient style kept the charging Lancers at bay. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We let them back in it,â&#x20AC;? said Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we were able to weather that storm, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud that we were able to do that.â&#x20AC;? As the game wound down, more and more Warriors found themselves on the brink of fouling out. While UWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amanda Kieswetter and Nicole Tisdale each finished the game with four personal fouls, Waterlooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Julie Devenny fouled out in the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closing moments, promptly ending her first ever varsity encounter with her sister and Windsor rookie Lisa Devenny. But even with Waterlooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest inside threat relegated to a spectator, the Warriors hit some big shots down the stretch to secure the victory. Topping all scorers was Windsorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Karie Jackson with 19 points while Katie Tucker lead UW in scoring with 17 points. Waterlooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s win over the Lancers was all the more impressive after their dreadful showing on Saturday, January 31 against Laurier. In front of one of their largest crowds of the season, the Warriors came out flat and the Golden Hawks dominated from the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beginning.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just got beat in every aspect of the game,â&#x20AC;? said Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien immediately after the loss. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Laurier just played great. Everything they did was right.â&#x20AC;? Perhaps the most telling aspect of the game was Waterlooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inability to maintain control of the ball. The Warriors committed an astronomical 28 turnovers, a statistic that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sit well with Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a goal of under 15 turnovers a game,â&#x20AC;? explained Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and we committed 16 in the first half.â&#x20AC;? The Warriors were only able to muster a meager 31 per cent efficiency rating from the field, while their counterparts from Laurier shot the lights out, connecting on 47.5 per cent of their field goal attempts. Once again, Tucker led the Warriors in scoring with 13 points. Laurierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Meaghan McGrath led all scorers with 17 points. UW hopes to continue their winning ways when they look to avenge a midseason loss to Guelph on the road tomorrow. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien hopes his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newfound attitude will carry over to the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remaining games. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is going to be huge,â&#x20AC;? said Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien of the Windsor victory. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We needed a win for our confidence level. I think it will help us a lot.â&#x20AC;? amcguire@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Saturday, February 7, 2004 vs Guelph Gryphons, (W) 1:00 pm, (M) 3:00 pm UW Physical Activities Complex
Warrior Hockey (M Saturday, February 7, 2004 vs York Lions, 2:00 pm, UW Columbia Icefield Arena Sunday, February 8, 2004 vs Brock Badgers, 2:00 pm, UW Columbia Icefield Arena
Warrior Hockey (W) Saturday, February 14, 2004 vs Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, 7:30 pm, UW Columbia Icefield Arena
Athletes of the Week Scott, a second year Recreation student from Brasd'or, Nova Scotia, led the Warriors to two crucial victories over the Windsor Lancers this past weekend. The Warriors won 2-1 in Waterloo on Friday and 2-1 in Windsor on Saturday. With playoff implication on the line, Scott stopped 63 of 65 shots and boasted an incredible .969 save percentage in the wins to vault the Warriors into third place in the OUA Far West division.
Serving the UW Campus
<< Edith Buie,Volleyball
Adam McGuire
Warrior Volleyball
<< Scott Gouthro, Hockey
Women Warriors break out of losing skid
Edith, a second year Optometry student from Toronto, Ontario, performed outstanding for Waterloo in matches against McMaster and Brock this past week. In a loss (3-0) on Wednesday to McMaster, Buie passed 83% on 18 attempts and recorded 7 digs. In a win on Saturday against Brock (3-1) Buie passed 90% on 20 attempts and recorded a Warrior season-high 28 digs.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Adam McGuire TWO - MINUTE WARNING Nothing irks sports fans more than a wasted weekend. In fact, sports enthusiasts live for that two-day slice of Lay-Z-Boy heaven, a time where they can sleep until noon and arise to find an overindulging amount of sports on television. Only on a Saturday can you cycle through the dial and find everything from college basketball to luge to the X-games. But sometimes, a gross misuse of a sportswatching weekend interrupts the normal euphoria so much that it even makes the beer taste bad. These weekends are also known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;all-star breaks.â&#x20AC;? Over the next few weekends, sportsaholics will be subjected to some of the greatest wastes of time since the Super Bowl halftime rehearsal. While the NBA All-Star game will be staged in a few weeks, the culmination of boredom will occur this weekend when the NHL
All-Star game and the NFLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pro Bowl take centre stage. The full day of unceremonious â&#x20AC;&#x153;talent showcasingâ&#x20AC;? will inevitably produce more yawns than an Anne Murray concert. All-star games have the absolute wrong reputation of being fanfriendly showcase events. But in reality, they are a quick and easy way to make a buck. Call me old-fashioned, but a game with no consequential play and no physical contact is not the kind of game that endears me to pro hockey or football. But a boring game doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really bother the NHL or NFL, especially since they can charge obscene amounts of money for tickets and television rights for the game. Compounding the problem is the all-star roster election processes employed by virtually every professional sports league in North America. Passionate sports fans are passionate because they have a hatred for everyone not on their favourite team, so voting for their clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rivals in an all-star ballot is probably out of the question. A fourth-grade class president has a better chance of being elected on his platform than pro athletes have of being chosen based on their talents. And what makes a stringently bi-
ased popularity contest even better? The ability to vote as many times as possible! It will only be a matter of time before a computer-savvy member of the Wes Walz fan club devises a program that files an online all-star ballot every six seconds. Worst of all, the games themselves are just plain sloppy to watch. Two days of practice is usually not enough for a team to jive, no matter how skilled they all are on an individual basis. All-star games are infamous for the mashing of talented players into a temporary strategic system, a formula that results in a drool-inducing collection of meaningless mistakes. Not to mention that defence is just not bothered within all-star games. Granted, scoring is entertainment, but 145-135 is no more a basketball score than a good blood pressure reading. But some fans do seem to enjoy the games, which is unfortunately enough for league executives to keep staging them. Perhaps the only good thing about all-star games is their infrequency. Even though they often ruin a fine day of sports, they only come around once a year. At least that still leaves 49 weekends of good stuff. amcguire@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volleyball continues to improve Brian Santos SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volleyball wins once more at home
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Last Saturday, January 31, the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volleyball team defeated Brock at home in four sets. This was the third time the Warriors have won this season. All their victories have come before the Warrior faithful on their home court. After losing the first set, the Warriors were able to win the following three sets, securing a victory. Middle blocker Kathleen Freeman had season and career highs with 14 kills, finishing with a 39 per cent attack efficiency. Defensively the team was led by Edith Buie who had a season high 28 digs. The team will see action next Saturday, February 7, at the PAC, when they face Guelph who are tied for first in their division. Game time is 1 p.m. Before the game the team will be honouring graduating seniors Edith Buie and Kristina Kowalski. Track and field success at York
The UW track and field team competed in the York Invitational last Saturday, January 31. Finishing on the podium for the men were Adrian Blair who placed first in the 300m, Shane Ferth who finished second in the same event, Davis Dawhaniuk who placed first in the 600m, Michael Logue who finished first in the 1500m, Joe Brown who placed third in the high jump, Andrew MacDonald who placed second in the triple jump, Andrew Sepic who placed second in the pentathlon with a time that set a UW varsity record and the relay teams of the 4x400 and
4x800, both of which placed second in their respective events. Finishing on the podium for the women were Sarah Snable who placed second in the 60m hurdles, Leanne Stanley who placed third in shot put and the 4x200 relay team, which finished third. The track and field team will next participate in a meet south of the border, in New York, hosted by Syracuse.
Several other swimmers on the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s squad had great performances, including Carlo Distefano, Danny Parsons, Kader El-Fityani and Art Hare, who was able to join the team on Sunday even though he is currently on work term. The swim team has completed the dual meet season and now has two weeks to prepare for the OUA championships, which will be hosted by Ottawa, beginning on February 13.
Swimmers compete at York, U of T
Disappointing weekend for UW curlers
This past weekend the swim team competed twice. On Saturday, January 31, they competed in a five-team invitational hosted by York. On Sunday the team hosted the University of Toronto. Over the weekend, the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s squad was led by Jen Sweny who had the most top-three finishes. Against the teams at York, Sweny won the 200m breast, and placed second in the 200m IM and third in the 100m back. At home, against Toronto, Sweny was the only woman to win, finishing first in the 200m IM and 200m breast, along with a second-place finish in the 50m breast. Rookie Laura Chalmers also performed very well. At York, Chalmers was second in the 400m free and third in the 50m free, while against Toronto she was second in the 50m and 100m free and third in the 200m free. Reliable Matt Mains performed as expected, with wins. Mains won the 400m free, 50m free and 50m fly and on Saturday against Toronto he won in the 200m IM, 200m breast and 50m fly. Mains completed the dual-meet season without losing in any of the individual events he competed in.
This past weekend both of the UW curling teams had a disappointing performance at the OUA crossovers hosted by Western. Expectations were high for both the women and men; however, they failed to deliver. The men narrowly made it into this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provincial championships, which will be hosted by UW; unfortunately, the women did not make it. The Warrior women lost all four games and had difficulty establishing any sort of offence. The losses eliminated the team from the provincials and finished their season earlier than they had expected. The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s squad held control in most of their games; nevertheless, missing some key shots resulted in some close losses. However, the men were able fight back and win enough games to ensure a spot in the OUA provincial championships. The OUA provincials will commence on February 21 at Westmount Golf and Country Club. The Warriors will be hosting the championship event. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;with files from UW Athletics
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004
Imprint sports
27
Warriors knock off WLU in march to the post-season Aaron Tomlin SPECIAL TO IMPRINT
After a minor slip-up to the McMaster Marauders, the men’s basketball team renewed their impressive play in the OUA West, after defeating crosstown rival WLU this past weekend, 59-56, and crushing the Windsor Lancers 82-72 on Wednesday, February 4 at the PAC. Coming off a loss in the first place showdown with Mac, UW was looking for a strong team effort to regain confidence and establish a hold on second place in the standings. The Warriors did not have to look far for their opponent as Laurier made the trip down University Avenue, passing the sin bin (a.k.a. Louie’s) and heaven on earth (a.k.a. Mel’s Diner), to fight for bragging rights in the Battle of Waterloo. Unlike past games, the PAC was filled with the future ballers of UW since many of the local house league children were invited to be in attendance. Luckily for these impressionable tots, the Warriors put on a clinic, illustrating how to play this great game properly. The opening half saw a back and forth battle, with both benches seeing significant minutes. The first half also saw five lead changes because neither team was able to take control. However, both teams struggled from the outside to start, and the first half score illustrated this. Waterloo was barely holding on to a lead of 26-23. The second half saw much of the same back and forth action. Early on the Warriors came out to play. Waterloo jumped out to an early seven point lead, but it was immediately erased when Laurier answered the Warriors’ charge. The largest lead of the game came with only minutes left when the Warriors put together a run to go up by ten points. However, Waterloo’s inability to seal the deal resulted in a tense final moment when Laurier
ADAM MCGUIRE
Fourth-year Warrior Mike Sovran gets ready to sign an autograph for a young fan in Saturday’s post-game Autograph Day. had the chance to tie the game. Thankfully for Waterloo, the shot came up short and the Warriors got their win with a final score of 59-56. The Warriors got what they were looking for: a win and a solid team effort. Eight players reached the scoring sheet including Graham Jarman, Mike Sovran and Chris Edwards leading the way with ten points a piece. With the win, the Warriors now
ADAM MCGUIRE
UW forward Chris Edwards tries to pull down a rebound versus Windsor.
find themselves in second place in the OUA West standings at 11-5. On February 4, the Warriors took on the Windsor Lancers at the PAC, defeating them 8272. UW had four players reach double digits in scoring, as Jarman (17 points), Gerard Magennis (15), Sovran (13) and Andrew Coatsworth (13) led the Warriors’ offensive charge.
With only six games remaining, the Warriors have put together one of the most impressive seasons in recent memory. The time has come for Waterloo to take that well deserved step to the upper echelon of Canadian basketball. Since there is no time like the present, be sure to catch the Warriors at Guelph this Saturday at 3 p.m., a little drive never hurt anyone.