Imprint_2007-03-30_v29_i33

Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper

Friday, March 30, 2007

Environmental advocacy revisited

vol 29, no 32

imprint . uwaterloo . ca

Boring summer?

>> page 4

Women’s curling team wins silver

>> page 18

>> page 33

Check out Imprint Online for U-Pass referendum results

UW Genocide Action Group raises $2,500 for Darfur in its annual “Footsteps of Death” event

One footstep for every five dead

Sukhpreet Sangha staff reporter

UW Genocide Action Group (GAG) held its third annual “Footsteps of Death” walk for Darfur on Wednesday, March 28 from 2:00p.m.-7:30p.m. With each foot walked representing about five people killed in Sudan, students repeatedly lapped around Ring Road, totalling 23 km.

Christopher Tuckwood, president of UWGAG, started the event in 2005 after hearing discusstion about the situation in Darfur, which inspired him to create “Footsteps of Death.”

After doing some simple math, Tuckwood decided to walk nine laps of Ring Road to raise awareness — one foot for every death in Darfur by 2005, an amount which has multiplied by over five times since then. In response to criticisms regarding the timing of the event, he maintains that it is better at the busy end of term than during the bitter cold of winter.

Tuckwood ran the fledgling event on his own for the first year as UWGAG had yet to be formed, and the walk functioned solely as an awareness raiser. Last year Tuckwood realized the potential to fundraise with the event, with this year’s walk raising a total of $2,500.

All funds raised through the event will go to Oxfam’s Canadian Students for Darfur Appeal. Tuckwood and UWGAG chose this organization due to Oxfam’s reputability and the fact that the organization guarantees 100 per cent of the proceeds, minus minimal banking fees, will go directly to humanitarian aid in Darfur. Tuckwood advocates donating money as “hunger is as much a weapon being used against the people of Darfur as weapons or bombs.”

Since the inception of UWGAG, its membership — as well as surport for the walk — has been increasing.

In the fall UWGAG held a conference for Darfur which received 140 attendees. Earlier this month, they hosted a benefit concert with an attendance of over 200 people.

UWGAG are also selling black T-shirts with “DARFUR” written

across the chest in bold green letters for $10 to increase publicity and raise funds.

According to Tuckwood, UWGAG’s aim is to “take history and relate it to today.” They’ve attempted to do so through screenings of movies like The Pianist and Hotel Rwanda, which feature premises that closely relate to the situation in Darfur.

Although the group is intended to spread awareness about genocide, its focus is on Darfur because “that’s what’s happening now.”

When asked about what he believes to be the major hindrance to international involvement in Darfur, Tuckwood emphasized China’s influence as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and its interests in Darfur, which he concedes “get harped on a lot.” Sudan gets a percentage of its national income from China’s purchases of their oil; in turn, 70 per cent of this goes into the Sudanese military which helps perpetrate the current genocide.

Sudanese president Omar alBashir has continually resisted the deployment of UN peacekeeping troops to Darfur with the argument that they must be more pre-dominantly African. However, there are already African Union forces in Darfur which are not achieving much success as they are “undermanned, underequipped, underfunded, and undertrained,” to use Tuckwood’s words for a seemingly general consensus.

Tuckwood advocates that there is need for more western involvement in Darfur; otherwise the same problems of improperly trained forces will persist. He believes that the “world community must act together” and has a “moral responsibility” to intervene. He also propounds that military intervention is “absolutely the only thing that ends genocide” because it is impossible to reason with people committed to killing others, citing the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, and the Cambodian genocide as historical examples where violence was the only action capable of ending the conflict.

courtesy justin williams

Students gather to walk 23 km, nine laps around Ring Road, to raise money for Darfur.

Media coverage of the Darfur genocide has been limited, so Tuckwood urges students to contact the media and inform them that they want more news on Darfur. UWGAG checked the KW Record’s archives and discovered that while 7,000 articles

have been written on Iraq in the past year and 3,000 on the Israel/Palestine conflict, they have only printed 301 on Darfur. Meanwhile, 317 articles have been published on Britney Spears. The Record declined to comment on this discovery but did print UWGAG’s

letter to the editor regarding this information.

Those who wish to be notified about future UWGAG events can e-mail them at uwgag@hotmail.com. ssangha@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

...for the perfect Grad Photo

By Highland Portrait Studio

EVERGREEN PLAZA, 370 Highland Road KITCHENER (at Westmount, next to Food Basics)

infohighlandimagecentre.com

519-744-5553

Call today and book your appointment with us...

$49.99 WITH THIS AD

SAVE $40 One 8" x 10", Two 5" x 7", Six 2" x 3" all faculty colours available 25 different poses to choose from

N ews “Razing” money for a cure Imprint

Friday, March 30, 2007

news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca News Editor: Suzanne Gardner News Assistant: Narmeen Lakhani

Petro-Can invests in UW’s future Mohammad Jangda staff reporter

system, Muslim students must choose between their religious beliefs and paying for an education. The Final Report recommends that governments “reduce reliance on a loan-based financial aid system.” It also recommends that loans granted for education purposes should not accumulate interest, even after graduation.

Not all Muslim students, however, are disappointed with the treatment they receive. Muslim students at the University of Waterloo are very appreciative of how the university is willing to work with their needs. for them. “UW has done a terrific job in meeting some of the interests of Muslim students on-campus,” says Bilal Ahmed, President of the UW Muslim Students Association (MSA).

He acknowledges the many services that UW makes available for its Muslim students, including the multi-faith prayer rooms in the SLC and the predawn meals at V1 during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting.

Ahmed does note, however, that everything is not perfect. “Bringing about these positive changes is a continuous process,” he says, “and the UW and the MSA can always work together for further improvements.”

The University of Waterloo’s pockets just grew a little wider with PetroCanada’s million dollar donation announced last Monday.

Officials from the Alberta-based oil and gas industry giant made the announcement to a crowd at the Davis Centre, establishing UW as the fourth school to join Petro-Canada’s Emerging Leaders Awards Program.

According to a Petro-Can press release, the program will enable top students in engineering and science to apply for scholarships valued to upwards of approximately $10,000 per year. The scholarships would be renewed yearly until graduation, based on eligibility requirements.

Ron Brenneman, president and chief executive officer of Petro-Can, explained the reasoning behind the program: “We’re investing in students because we rely on innovation, talent and technical expertise to support our business.

Additionally, Sneh Seetal of PetroCan Corporate Communications, in a phone interview said that it was becoming increasingly difficult to find skilled workers. According to www. careersintrades.ca, a federally-funded apprenticeship awareness website, a shortage of roughly 300,000 skilled workers currently exists, which is expected to worsen to about one million over the next 10 years.

Seetal said that through the program Petro-Can hopes to encourage students to attend universities and trades to help alleviate the shortage.

The program has been in place at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and McGill University since last fall and was more recently started at the University of Alberta.

“Petro-Canada has had a long standing relationship with [UW],” said Seetal explaining why Waterloo was chosen as the next choice for the program.

Petro-Can regularly employs co-op students and according to Seetal, has been hiring an average of two new grads since 1998.

Apart from the monetary contributions, each award winner will be paired with an executive sponsor from Petro-Can. The idea, said Seetal, is to give the award winners an insight into the energy industry and help build relationships via presentations, networking opportunities and co-op terms. She added that this portion of the award was designed to be fluid so it woud largely depend on where the awards winners’ interests lay.

Seetal also said that they are looking for the top students in areas critical to the Petro-Can’s business, which are primarily engineering, science, and business.

According to a representative of the Student Awards and Financial Aid office, the specific terms of the program had not yet been laid out.

They did, however, mention that at least two-thirds of the grants would go to students in engineering and the remaining third to science students.

See REPORT, page 7

mjangda@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Naema Nayyar

Richard Kulikauskas lets go of locks to support a fundraiser for cancer research. The grand total will be announced April 2 in the SLC.

Report addresses Muslim student concerns Adrienne Raw reporter

On March 21, the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) released the Final Report for the Task Force on the Needs of Muslim Students. It detailed the results of a seven-month inquiry into the concerns of Muslim college and university students. The report highlights 11 major concerns ranging from food facilities to Islamophobia, and suggests just under 60 recommendations to address these concerns.

The task force was assembled in response to increasing Islamophobia (stereotypes, bias and/or hostile behaviour in relation to the Islam faith) towards Muslim students and the growing concerns of these students.

The report was compiled after hearings at universities and colleges across Ontario, and over 1,000 submitted written and oral statements.

Darcy Higgins, incoming Feds vicepresident internal, sat in on the panel for UW and Wilfrid Laurier students.

“There are a lot places where we need to improve,” he said, identifying issues such as food facilities, sports facilities, prayer space and academic considerations as major concerns for Muslim students. The report

also identifies as concerns financial barriers, residence life and Islam in the classroom among others.

Higgins identifies inadequate prayer space as a reason why some Muslim students choose to stay home, missing classes and social events. Higgins hopes that the university might create additional prayer spaces across campus or set aside rooms for prayer during certain times of the day.

“Another big concern,” said Higgins, “was that Muslim students aren’t taking leadership roles. [It’s] something we have to look at.” He points out that the duties of some leadership positions, such as the VP finance, that requires overseeing bars, conflict with conservative Muslim religious beliefs. The report also cites discrimination as a reason for lack of representation by Muslim students: “During the students’ union elections at Ryerson University last year, Muslim candidates from both slates repetitively had their posters torn down.”

Higgins recognizes this problem as well. His solution is to promote multi-cultural events that bring together students from other cultures.

These events, he feels, would help eliminate racism and Islamophobia in particular, by promoting understanding.

“Once you have people talking to each other, I think you could really break down the kinds of thoughts and barriers [that promote racism],” he said.

One major concern by both Higgins and the Final Report is academic considerations for Muslim students who have conflicts between religious observances and academics. Prayer is a fundamental part of Muslim faith and it is common for Muslims to pray five times a day, often overlapping with a student’s class time, lab time or exam time. Muslim students at the hearings also observed that few institutions recognize Islamic holidays such as Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha. One student is quoted as saying, “If they have Christmas for a month, can we have Eid one day?”

Post-secondary institutions currently recognize the Christian holidays — Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter — and some are discussing adding Jewish holidays to the list. Muslim students hope they will consider observing Islamic holidays as well.

Students also identified financial aid programs as a major concern. For many conservative Muslim students, financial aid is not viable because their beliefs forbid them from taking on loans because of a religious aversion to interest. In the current loan-based

news

Friday, March 30, 2007

Reviewing environmental advocacy Setbacks and successes for UW student groups seeking to effect real change on campus Margaret Clark assistant editor-in-chief

As the winter term draws to a close and warm weather lulls students out of doors, construction workers are still hammering away at the building expansion for Burt Matthews Hall, while the B2 green quietly waits for its own impending development, and ground was just recently broken on the grad green by Hagey Hall.

Change is constant — and students likely understand this better than anyone else. The University of Waterloo especially embraces a tradition of upheaval; with 11,000 undergraduate students enrolled in co-op programs, UW community life operates in predominantly four month blocks.

Where education and work experience are concerned, this time frame can be endlessly rewarding: just as students are about to burn out from school, they can transition to a working environment; and by the time they’re tired of that environment, it’s time to transition back to their studies anyway. But this cycle poses some unique problems where volunteering is concerned — and no more so than in relation to volunteer organizations with urgent, time-sensitive agendas.

Environmental advocacy is a particularly strong case study of the problems inherent in the structure of UW campus life. With municipal, provincial, federal and international organizations all tabling climate change as a central focus of their discussions and policy reforms, it’s understandable that university students and staff alike want to do their part where they can, and before it may be too late.

But with a mass exodus of students every four months, change can be difficult to realize. The UW administration itself makes decisions slowly, and outside of the four month time frame, but students need to work closer to this comparative

snail’s pace in order to achieve anything lasting and monumental.

Thus many students who embark upon an environmental initiative at the beginning of one semester, and find themselves nowhere near achieving their goals by the end, are likely to be discouraged and frustrated. Many even end their entire university careers with the impression that all their hard volunteer work amounted to nothing.

“The university would love to see all these [environmental initiatives] happen,” said Mike McWilliam, of the Sustainable Technology Education Project (STEP). “But there are too many ideas and too few resources, and countless times the university has had to deal with student groups collapsing, or students losing interest or graduating. And when this happens, UW has to invest more resources than ever to make up for the loss [of interested students]. So the university has to be careful; every student group trying to enact change first has to go through the process of proving itself.”

This intrinsic social barrier is worsened by further fragmentation among student advocacy groups.

Students presently turn to the UW Sustainability Project (UWSP), an arm of the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG), for guidance and resources on environmental issues, but the projects themselves are often worked on in isolation, so initiatives may fall entirely to the wayside if not completed within the period of one term.

This fragmentation also makes it difficult for students who have previously worked with the UWSP to “jump right in” when they return from co-op.

If an eager student doesn’t have a clear project in mind when she arrives at the office, the UWSP often has problems applying her skill set to its fullest within the organization.

The disorganization of student groups is especially felt in contrast to

the state of environmental advocacy in UW’s recent past; even three years ago, students, faculty and staff generally felt better represented by existing environmental bodies.

This drastic transformation is attributed to the absence of WATgreen. In particular, the loss of Patti Cook — past UW waste management coordinator and once-secretary of WATgreen — is considered by professors like Paul Eagles and student advocates like incoming Feds VP internal, Darcy Higgins, to have doomed the organization.

Cook is said to have held together environmental activities between a variety of groups, services and administrative staff on campus.

When she left, UW administration did not hire a replacement for her, and crucial WATgreen coordination activities have gone unfulfilled.

But this large-scale structural breakdown easily resonates with the smaller, more frequent breakdowns of student groups; when student initiatives do succeed, it is often because a single group member is handling all the work, instead of delegating and training people to carry on with the work later. Thus when student leaders — no matter how effective or charismatic — burn out or graduate, their absences create structural voids not readily filled by fresh members. With them go advocacy resources that are not easily replaced, such as knowledge of how best to effect change and specific working relationships with key faculty and senior administration members.

To strengthen future student environmental initiatives, McWilliam and Higgins both emphasized the need for student groups to coordinate their activities, pool their resources and generally maintain better communications with one another. To this end, upgrading Feds communica-

tions technology would allow student groups to include more off-stream students in project meetings, while improving and advertising more leadership training workshops would ensure that student advocates are themselves given the necessary tools to excel, and help others excel too.

Thankfully, with hard work and a little luck, there are successes.

After steadily proving itself to be a stable, responsible organization — by fundraising with administration approval, working through appropriate university channels, doing its research and attaining faculty support — STEP was granted an opportunity to present their solar power proposal to senior administration, and the project resulted in a 36-panel installation on the roof of Fed Hall. They also achieved the introduction of solar thermal technology in the Physical Activities Complex, and are now working on wind power initiatives.

Similarly, Higgins cites the learning opportunity prompted by his own group-work in ERS 250, a class which historically served as a powerful staging ground for WATgreen initiatives.

For Higgins’ iteration of the course, students were asked to come up with ways to “green” the ES2 building, and his group came up with the concept of a green roof. They then spoke to UW plant operations, consulted with professors and held a presentation for staff, faculty, local businesses and interested contractors.

It was eventually decided that the ES2 building didn’t have the infrastructure for a green roof, but their

efforts didn’t go entirely in vain; the new school of accounting, presently being built on the grad green by Hagey Hall, will have a green roof of its own.

So when environmental change happens on campus, it happens by being forward-thinking. There is only so much student groups can do to improve how the university administration approaches sustainability on campus. Clearing a Path, for instance, is presently negotiating a campus sustainability office, with its own, full-time sustainability coordinator, with the University of Waterloo.

But generally speaking, by gaining legitimacy through patience and constancy, strengthening student advocacy groups through better infrastructure and anticipating long-term successes as opposed to quick wins, students can still return to “the glory days” of the early 1990s, when the rally cry for environmental change was heard and readily answered.

At present, the absence of WATgreen hangs over ERS classrooms and student advocacy groups alike.

But by creating a strong student presence to fill the void left by this lapse in overarching UW environmental programming, students can still reap the rewards of volunteering for local change, even if only for a term — and hopefully while avoiding “burning out” in the process. mclark@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

angelo florendo

news

Friday, March 30, 2007

Engineers ride across Canada to promote a sustainable future

SATURDAY March 31 South Park and Blasphemy

FRIDAY March 30 Out in the Cold

courtesy project next generation

The Project Next Generation banner marks all the stops Benjamin Sanders and Eric Vieth will take on their bike trip to promote new ways to solve climate destabliization.

Amanda Henhoeffer imprint intern

Recent engineering grads Benjamin Sanders and Eric Vieth are embarking on a three-month trip across Canada to educate Canadian high school students on how to kindle a more progressive approach to solving climate destabilization through a combination of engineering, science and environmental studies.

Travelling 7,900 km on bikes from Victoria, B.C. to St. John’s, Newfoundland, Sanders and Vieth have equipped each of their bikes with five prominent new technologies: a hydrogen fuel cell, a solar panel, the RIM Blackberry, a Global Positioning System transmitter (GPS) and an interactive, integrated, online mapping software interface.

Sanders and Vieth’s website explains a hydrogen fuel cell as “a device that acts much like a battery does, but can supply power as long as hydrogen and oxygen gas can be supplied to it.” The website goes on to say that, “it [a hydrogen fuel cell] features a proton exchange membrane, which when exposed to gas on one side and hydrogen gas on the other side allows the hydrogen nuclei (protons) to diffuse through, and join with the oxygen atoms leaving their electrons behind to flow through a circuit.”

They state that this ground-breaking technology makes it possible for them to generate hydrogen gas using other clean electricity sources, such as wind or solar power, and store it for use in the fuel cell until they need the electricity.

The pair are using fuel cells and their solar panels to charge their Blackberries and light up their camp

sites at night. They added that the technology will also serve as an excellent hands-on demo for their in-school presentations.

“We believe strongly in the enabling powers of science and technology to drive extraordinary change and we want to showcase that in classrooms across Canada. We’re going to teach young Canadians about energy consumption, encourage them to re-think the way we manage our resources and challenge them to help Canada build a cleaner, more sustainable future,” the duo state on their website.

“We want to see the next generation of students educate themselves about engineering, science and environmental studies, so that they can effect great change in the way that the world uses the energy that it harvests,” Sanders and Vieth later commented.

It is evident that young people are interested in this issue and Vieth and Sanders want to help these inspired individuals take their curiosity to the next level: a possible solution.

They urge young people to get involved now, because ultimately, it is their generation who will have to live with the consequences of the latency today.

The twosome will officially kickoff their trip on April 23 at Mount Douglas Secondary School in Victoria, B.C., where they will then cycle to Nanaimo and continue on through B.C. to Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Nova Scotia and finally Newfoundland, where they will end their expedition. The duo has planned a pre-trip stop at Waterloo Collegiate Institute on Wednesday,

Available for May or September 2007

April 11 to gain some presenting experience, work out any kinks and to gain useful student feedback.

The UW grads hope to teach young Canadians about energy consumption, while encouraging them to rethink the way they manage resources. They hope the students will rise to the challenge of helping to build a cleaner, more sustainable future for Canada and the world.

Their trip is aimed to empower students to think of ways to make a difference in this world.

The duo are going to be launching a design challenge to students across Canada, seeking their ideas on how to build a more sustainable Canada. However details about this challenge are unavailable at this time.

Thrilled with the support the community has given them, especially UW’s engineering, science and environmental studies faculties and RIM, the duo note that, “without their support, this project wouldn’t be set to take off.”

Vieth and Sanders are setting out to encourage students across Canada to “get involved now, voice their views and not simply think that they have to wait 10 or 20 years before they can start to make a difference…we want them to know that they already possess the most important element: creativity.”

Sanders and Vieth will track their journey turn for turn on their website, www.next-generation.ca, where they will also post their intended daily blogs and articles more extensively outlining their project, goals and aspirations. ahenhoeffer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

David Koepsell, executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism, will discuss South Park and whether it goes too far with its satire.

4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

AL 116

A fundraising event being held to promote awareness of the homeless situation in Waterloo. Participating students are going to camp outside the SLC overnight to help raise funds.

MONDAY April 2

7:00 p.m.

SLC Courtyard

This event will be the closing ceremony to wrap up the past two weeks of fundraising and headshaving. If the fundraising total is at least $50,000 Feds president Michelle Zakrison will cut off 10 inches of her hair.

Fossil Fuels: Friends or Foes?

Proudly Bald in Support of Cancer Research

A free public lecture by Mark Jaccard, international climate change specialist from Simon Fraser University.

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

SLC Great Hall

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

DC 1351

WEDNESDAY April 4

The Death of Criticism

UW Gamers: End of Term Omegathon

The UW English department hosts a lecture by Terry Eagleton of the University of Manchester who will discuss the potential death of criticism in English literature.

4:00 p.m.

AL 211

Hosted by the UW Gamers, this all-day gaming party will feature Super Mario World, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, Halo 2 and more.

9:00 a.m. to 11:55 p.m.

SLC Great Hall and MPR

news

Friday, March 30, 2007

Senator Campbell discusses the politics of drug abuse

Check out our original Grindhouse films.

Andrew Abela

Senator Larry Campbell and Heather MacDougall review long-term implications of his plans.

Andrew Abela staff reporter

Attention ALL STUDENTS! Ask Us About Your $125 VISION COVERAGE

University Vision Centre 725-8999

150 University Ave., W, Campus Court Plaza, (corner of Phillip and University)

Gucci Diesel , Dolce, Prada, , Versace, Ra Silhov y Ban, Adida ette, s, Vog & mor ue e!

~ same day eye exam ~ Buy one complete pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses at regular price, and get a second pair FREE. ExpiresMar. April3/07 16/07 Details in store / With coupon / Not valid with other offers. Expires

1 HOUR SERVICE on most glasses & contacts

www.universityvisioncentre.ca

This past Wednesday, former Vancouver mayor, Senator Larry Campbell spoke to UW students at a near full BMH auditorium. He was one of the most influential politicians in the decision to build Insite, a pro-social and progressive safe injection site in Vancouver.

He began with a description of the four-pillar approach to ending drug abuse employed by so many health facilities, including Insite — the supervised injection site that opened in September 2003. Campbell explained that “the system is based on treatment, law enforcement, harm reduction and prevention — which all stem from the basic goals of the facility.” As a former Canadian mountie narc, Campbell is no stranger to the severely detrimental effects of drug abuse — and in particular, injectable drugs like heroin and cocaine.

His decision to pay more attention appeared to be out of his control, though, as it stemmed from a sharp rise in overdose fatalities in 1981 — many of which he personally dealt with as chief coroner. Campbell darkly recounted that he would frequently “walk into a room, only to find two people dead on the ground with needles still in their arm.” His horrific and compelling anecdotes put a very vivid image to the undeniable drug problem Canada, and Vancouver in particular, is currently facing.

Instead of lingering on negativity, he quickly lightened things up with a counter-intuitive explanation of the drug industry. According to the Senator, it is a business in which “you make a better product, but you end up killing the client — which in my opinion, is bad business,” in reference to the cruel criminals who peddle expensive 90 per cent pure heroin. This is just one of the problems that Campbell hoped to solve with Insite.

Stephen Harper’s concerns with the medically supervised injection site were apparently much more legal in nature, as his main question for Sena-

tor Campbell was “Are they illegal?”

Campbell sarcastically declared that he was “happy to learn that the Prime Minister had Canada’s health as a priority.” What could Harper possibly consider illegal about a place in which the worst things provided are syringes, spoons and cotton balls — when all of which can be freely purchased at a local pharmacy?

The way Campbell sees it, far too much emphasis is placed on law enforcement when the prime issue of health promotion and disease prevention lies right before our eyes. It was clear that he found it ironic that “70 per cent of our money goes into law enforcement instead of much more important areas like health care.” Even more surprising is the disproportionate amount of research and financial support from federal and provincial governments that goes into alcohol and tabacco related issues. According to Campbell, the conservative government thinks “second hand smoke is a much greater worry than sudden death from drug overdose.”

Campbell does not let this discourage him, though, and continues to strive for widespread recognition of the strong effect drug abuse has on society — even amongst a largely ignorant and scientifically uneducated conservative backdrop. Campbell explained that “everything we do there is based on science.” They are able to experimentally determine the effects of various combinations of methadone and heroin on drug addiction, treatment and health. Though, he assured us that “this type of testing is only for the deepest of addicts who have been like that for a number of years, and have tried multiple times to quit to no avail.”

Based on the fact that most drug users’ problems lie in their ability to inject the sordid substances intravenously, health practitioners frequently assist them in finding a proper vein or even in injecting it for them. This promotes safety and saves many lives normally lost to poor technique.

Many politicians have expressed

their anxieties about teaching proper technique to drug users, declaring that it will likely encourage further drug use. All Campbell wanted to do, though, was “keep people from dying, and contracting HIV or other needle-related illnesses.”

In reference to Insite’s lucrative success, Campbell explained that contrary to popular belief, in the months after its September 2003 inception, “public disorder was measurably down.” This seems insignificant, though, when compared to the numerous lives saved at the facility. Campbell estimated that “out of about 400 overdoses — ranging from mild oxygen deprivation to deep convulsive trouble on the floor — not one person died at Insite.” It sort of seems trivial how all this immeasurable benefit can come from a small room containing nothing but eight mirrors, eight chairs, a bunch of cheap medical equipment and some help from the right people.

Campbell’s bleak view of contemporary Canadian society was illustrated best by his criticism of the current federal government and the sole fact that “drug addicts and people with mental illness are living on our street — and we aren’t doing a thing about it.”

Before coming to an end, discussion turned to the current state of drug abuse in Vancouver. He pointed out that “referral to addiction treatment is up in recent years and so is the use of the health-conscious services Insite provides.” To some this may be perceived as evidence of an ever-increasing drug problem, but to others, it is clear proof that more drug users are putting their health above the dirty convenience of getting high in the nearest back alley.

Campbell hopes that society will move towards a health model based on equality, prevention and education.

Perhaps then, ignorant prejudices will be replaced by the more accurate and scientific mental health model of drug addiciton. After that, Canadians can begin to be proud to say they come from one of the most health-conscious and progressive nations of the world. aabela@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

news

Robot wars take over the PAC

Report: Higgins hopes students will feel free to raise concerns

Friday, March 30, 2007

Continued from page 3

valerie leigh broadbent

A student in the 2007 FIRST Robotics Competition prepares her robot for battle. The competition challenges teams of high school students to solve a problem using a standard kit of parts.

The end of the world as we know it

When I first pitched this column, the opinion page was a little crowded. At the time, I promised to look at ways that university life could be improved, international events from a student’s perspective, and finally a light-hearted look at things whenever I felt that things were too serious. I’d like to think that I’ve covered the bases well.

I can’t pretend to have changed the world, or even this campus, but I do know that my column was being read.

With my unique last name, I can usually find the Imprint readers right away.

During classroom introductions people will usually ask about my column, or more frequently the crossword.

Have I made a difference? Perhaps.

If anything, between my column,

crossword, Sudoku and the odd article, I’ve provided a brief escape for many whether in class or elsewhere. I’ve even had the embarrassment of seeing a fellow classmate get caught doing my crossword in class.

By rough count, I’ve written over 90 columns, or 45,000 words at 500 words a week. In all, I’ve probably written more words for Imprint than I have for my academic university career.

Will I miss the weekly grind? Perhaps. One thing I won’t miss is the 5:00 p.m. Tuesday deadline. I’ve met more than a few of them late on Wednesday when I struggled to find a topic. Other weeks, I’ve been done much earlier.

Some weeks I could dash off a column in 20 minutes, while others might take hours depending on the information I was looking for. It will be nice for a change not to have to see something and say, “you know, that would make a good column topic.”

For all my grumbling about this university, I have a soft spot for it. It’s been home for a long time. To paraphrase a famous line, there are, however,

K-W INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING INC. ... At Your Service For Your Ocean and Air Shipments.

certain inalienable truths. Tuition will rise. Student politics will seem trivial at times. You, too, will get to graduate.

And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you went to university, tuition was reasonable, student politics mattered, and every professor was engaging.

I read a review of Alistair Cooke’s final published work, The American Home Front 1941-1942 and the reviewer singled out a barb that Cooke wrote well before he became one of Britain’s best known expatriates with his Letters from America. On writers, Cooke wrote, “We are a tribe of artful men who have learned over the years to stifle our doubts about our own capacity to observe. We soon renounce the human beings we deal and live with for a context of ‘public affairs’ … Within this convenient frame of reference, you can find an approximation to the ‘truth’ that will glibly describe any current crisis in the political life of any country you care to name.”

I would argue that this translates very well to university life. But I will leave any further observations and glib comments to someone else.

For now, this is your world. Adeo an terminus. nmoogksoulis@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Starts Friday at the Original Princess Cinema $6 Tickets at the Turnkey Desk

Telephone: 519-895-0340 / Fax: 519-895-0343 kwint@sympatico.ca 62 McBrine Place, Unit 17, P.O. Box 1071 KITCHENER, Ontario, N2G 4G1

Both Higgins and Ahmed support the task force on the needs of Muslim students and the report it produced. Ahmed in particular was effusive in his praise: “Being the first of its kind in North America I believe that the task force report and the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) have done a brilliant job in addressing important issues for Muslim students oncampus.” Ahmed urges all North American universities to look into the recommendations provided in the report and adopt as many of them as possible.

Now that students’ concerns are out in the open, Higgins hopes students will feel more comfortable raising these concerns with their student unions, the Federation of Students and their administrators.

“If you bring the issues to other people’s attention,” he said, “then they can get solved.”

As of publication, the UW administration and the Feds have not yet determined any concrete solutions to implement in response to the Final Report’s recommendations. “Bringing about these positive changes is a continuous process and UW and the MSA can always work together for further improvements as suggested by the task force report,” said Ahmed.

For Higgins, the report is not just about the needs and concerns of Muslim students. He admits that they were the focus of this particular report but said, “The report gives us

“The report gives us the chance to talk to other groups and find out what concerns are out there.”

— Darcy Higgins, IncomingFeds vice president internal the chance to talk to other groups and find out what concerns are out there.” Higgins wants to hear from other student groups about what the concerns they have. He hopes that students will bring their issues to Feds or to their administrators so that the university can look at solving them.

Ontario chairperson for the CFS, Jesse Greener, was unavailable for comment on the subject.

Also unavailable were Jonah Levine, Feds vice-president education-elect, and Catharine Scott, associate provost.

If you have any issues you would like to address, Feds can be contacted through their website www.feds. ca. The MSA can also be contacted through their website, at www.waterloomsa.com, or through e-mail at execs@waterloomsa.com.

The Final Report for the Task For on the Needs of Muslim Students can be found in its entirity online, as it has been published at www.noracism.ca/.

E-mail: students@getink.ca for more information

SHOP ONLINE AND SAVE UP TO 80%

~ compatible, remanufactured & OEM ink/toner cartridges ~ FREE deliveries to students and faculty members ~ 12 months of great discounts & a printer-a-month giveaway!

Friday, March 30, 2007

opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Opinion Editor: Anya Lomako Opinion Assistant: Brendan Pinto

Friday, March 30, 2007 — Vol. 29, No. 33

I hear the train a-comin’

Student Life Centre, Room 1116 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 P: 519.888.4048 F: 519.884.7800 imprint.uwaterloo.ca Incoming Editor-in-chief, Adam McGuire amcguire@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editor-in-chief, Tim Alamenciak editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Advertising & Production Manager, Laurie Tigert-Dumas ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca General Manager, Catherine Bolger cbolger@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Editorial Staff Assistant Editor, Margaret Clark Cover Editor, Dinh Nguyen Photo Editor, Michael L. Davenport Assistant Photo Editor, Valerie Broadbent Graphics Editor, Christine Ogley Assistant Graphics Editor, Angelo Florendo Web Editor, Mo Jangda Assistant Web Editor, vacant Systems Administrator, Gautam Khanna Sys. Admin. Assistant, Peter Gibbs Lead Proofreader, Emma Tarswell Proofreaders Shivaun Hoad, Adrienne Raw

Production Staff Linda Kong Ting, Kinga Jakab, Alicia Boers, Amanda Henhoeffer, Allison Bâby, Jennifer Gellatly, Amanda Boers, Amanda Fergusen, Karina Graf, Steven R. McEvoy

After being hardened in the fires of production at Imprint, I’ve come away with a few realizations.

The first is that you are the most important person in the world. Yeah, you — the citizen journalist. Your news tips, blog posts and comments fuel the world of new media.

Take advantage of this — express your unique viewpoint in any of the multitude of platforms available.

I have realized that sometimes you will make friends. This is not a bad thing, but be aware that 90 per cent of people want what you can give them, or enjoy how you make them feel. This is especially relevant in journalism — everyone loves the spotlight and they’ll do whatever it takes to bask in it. If you haven’t got the integrity to tell them to fuck right off, you’ll start hearing murmurs of “sellout” everywhere.

The other nine per cent of people are too lazy to be mean. That slim, leftover one per cent contains people who are actually worth

your time. These are people who have stuck by you, sacrificed things for and with you.

You will make enemies — learn to do it well and you will save a lot of time and energy on meaningless conversation. Sometimes bridges need to be burned. Don’t hesitate to torch your relationship with someone if it’s disingenuous.

Don’t let your enemies get to you — most of them fall in that 90 per cent category, and they will try to manipulate you.

Broad experience is often better than focused, lengthy expertise. If you want to master one field, you have to devote yourself to it. If you can’t devote, get a breadth of experience to round you out.

If you’re in science and want to be a vet, consider writing articles for science journals, volunteering at the Humane Society and getting a job at PetSmart. Dive in to your passion.

Be passionate about what you do. Halfassing it is fine and will get you a paycheck, but passion is key to success, happiness and all that other shit found on the jacket of a self-help book.

Don’t define yourself by others — remember, 90 per cent of them are idiots and assholes.

Don’t lie. Don’t lie in print, in person, to yourself or to your mother. The more you lie in your day-to-day life, the less people will trust

the words you publish. As a journalist, the truth must be a pillar of your life, not just one more tagline to go along with your career.

Embrace your suspicion and anger. Every day you are asked to trust. Trust the government, trust your professors, trust your landlord.

These human institutions aren’t exempt from my aforementioned rule. Stop trusting. If something seems off, it probably is. Question everything in your life.

When you’re questioning everything you will inevitably run across something that makes you uncomfortable. Be comfortable with the uncomfortable. When others squirm and stutter, keep it together.

Meet people. Go say “hi” to someone. If you ever hope to find your closest friends, you need to slough through that thick 90 per cent trying to fuck you over.

Always remember that your bad days pale in comparison to many others in this world. It’s like Tim Armstrong says, “Compare your worst fuckin’ day to my best fuckin’ night — I bet my last red cent that you couldn’t stand the sight.” Learn to use the phrase, “It’s not so bad,” because it’s not.

When you find that one per cent, don’t take them for granted. Good people are few and far between. They will support you, comfort you, help you and most importantly, bug the shit out of you to keep you on your toes. editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Office Staff Distribution, Andrea Meyers Distribution, Amy Pfaff Sales Assistant, Kristen Miller Board of Directors board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca President, Jeff Anstett president@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Vice-president, Adam Gardiner vp@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Treasurer, Jacqueline McKoy treasurer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Secretary, Stephen Eaton secretary@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Staff liaison, Darren Hutz staff.liaison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Imprint is the official student newspaper of the University of Waterloo. It is an editorially independent newspaper published by Imprint Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. Imprint is a member of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA). Editorial submissions may be considered for publication in any edition of Imprint.

Imprint may also reproduce the material commercially in any format or medium as part of the newspaper database, Web site or any other product derived from the newspaper. Those submitting editorial content, including articles, letters, photos and graphics, will grant Imprint first publication rights of their submitted material, and as such, agree not to submit the same work to any other publication or group until such time as the material has been distributed in an issue of Imprint, or Imprint declares their intent not to publish the material. The full text of this agreement is available upon request.

Imprint does not guarantee to publish articles, photographs, letters or advertising. Material may not be published, at the discretion of Imprint, if that material is deemed to be libelous or in contravention with Imprint’s policies with reference to our code of ethics and journalistic standards.

Imprint is published every Friday during fall and winter terms, and every second Friday during the spring term. Imprint reserves the right to screen, edit and refuse advertising. One copy per customer. Imprint ISSN 0706-7380. Imprint CDN Pub Mail Product Sales Agreement no. 40065122.

Next board meeting: To be announced

Top Model attempts art, not misogyny

America’s Next Top Model is one of my guiltiest — and greatest — pleasures in life. It might be vapid and shallow, but I find it’s one of the funniest things on TV — plus, I have a thing for fashion.

Last week’s episode, however, seems to have fallen under some harsh criticism — and more than the usual complaints that the show promotes unhealthy body images and an impossible ideal of women. This time, the arguably girliest show on television has been accused of promoting violence against women.

The episode in question featured a photo shoot that re-enacted violent crimes. Each of the girls dressed and posed as though they had been killed by another one of the aspiring models. The crime scene photos sparked various women’s advocacy groups to argue

the show was making violence against women appear sexy and desirable.

According to the New York Daily News, Sonia Ossorio, president of the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women, said, “Violence against women is such a reality in our society that I certainly don’t need the entertainment industry making light of it and making entertainment out of it.”

I can see where this perception is coming from — that the photos are arbitrarily violent and portray women as sex objects whether alive or dead; however, the photos have a historical context and background that make them much more artistic than they are violent.

Last year, Los Angeles-based artist Melanie Pullen produced a series of photographs that recreated violent crime scenes from the 1940s with the models dressed in contemporary haute coutre. Her pieces brought widespread international attention. She was profiled in Vogue, The New York Times, Art Week, Nylon and even had a special on FashionTV. Top Model wasn’t promoting violence — it was ripping off a very successful fusion of fashion and art.

Pullen’s work is commenting on the fetishization of violent crimes in North America and

doing anything but promoting violence. Her website said she “has noted that she takes aim at society’s glamorization of violent acts and crimes by literally re-dressing what are deeply disturbing events.”

America’s Next Top Model may be far from Artweek, but its morbid photo shoot was a nod to an influential event in fashion last year. The photos were morbid and eerily sexual, but not worse than Andy Warhol’s silk-screenings of car crash and crime scene photos taken from real newspapers.

His White is particularly gruesome — the piece is a silk-screened photo from a newspaper of an otherwise immaculately gorgeous women smashed into the hood of a car after jumping off the Empire State Building. She looks as perfect as a doll, except she’s dead and embedded in a car.

This week’s photo shoot may not have been in the best of taste — but when is America’s Next Top Model in the best of taste? What came across can easily be interpreted as a misogynistic sexualization of violence against women, but it seems more like a misguided attempt to be avant-garde and edgy. acsanady@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

opinion

Friday, March 30, 2007

COMMUNITY EDITORIAL

Coloured enough?

I am writing in response to Angela Cheng’s article, “The changing face of racism.” I strongly agree with Cheng’s view that racism has no longer become about two races in opposition, but about being “coloured enough” within each race. As a Canadian citizen with one parent coming from an Irish background, and the other from a Japanese background, I feel this type of 21st century racism daily.

When I am with non-Asians, the focus of their attention is on how culturally Asian I am: How often do you use chopsticks? What do you prefer, rice or potatoes?

With Asians, I spend most of my time trying to convince them that I am not lying about my ethnicity, because I don’t have Asian eyes and because I can’t speak Japanese.

Being a part of two completely different ethnic groups, I am constantly seeing how people are treated based on their races. Most people do not realize that I am half-Asian until

I tell them, so it is easy to notice their change in behaviour when they discover either my Japanese or Irish roots. For example, when the fact that my father is Japanese was revealed in a conversation with my Vietnamese hairdresser, she suddenly became friendlier and now charges me $5 less for a haircut.

When others ask me what my ethnic background is, I proudly reply that I am 50 per cent Irish, 50 per cent Japanese, and 100 per cent Canadian.

The fact of the matter is that most students on campus and most of the people that you see in any given day are Canadian citizens. Racism, whether in the form of race against race, or in the form of classifying people by their level of ethnicity, is not acceptable, especially in a country as culturally diverse as Canada. Attention should be placed not on how we are different, but on how we are all the same, how we are all Canadian.

— Christine Ono

COMMUNITY EDITORIAL

Waterloo, that’s who I moved to Waterloo in search of art and music, questing for theatre and dance, hoping desperately to encounter writers and lovers and philosopher kings. I found geese.

It wouldn’t have been hard to impress me. Coming from a small, isolated town in Northern Ontario, my opportunities for such romantic encounters with the more creative side of life were limited. It would have been easy for Waterloo to impress a younger, more naive me.

I was bright­-eyed and enthusiastic, ready to dive head first into a liberal, open-minded and welcoming art community. If only I could find one.

It took me far too long to realize that this sort of community does exist in Kitchener-Waterloo, but that it lacks the broader support of other, more “artistic” communities in the area, like Guelph and Stratford.

K-W does not lack in passion. With two universities, we have thousands of bright young minds flooding our streets with fresh new ideas.

Fledgling “zines” like Scared of My Mate and student theatre projects like UW Drama’s Upstart Festival illustrate that Waterloo does harbour talented people with something to contribute.

However, outside of the circle of the personally-invested friends and family of these brave young artists, a surprisingly small number of people have heard of either of these projects. A further illustration of the relative ignorance of Waterloo-at-large to the creative endeavors of its citizens is the scene that was encountered at many local bars during the recent Go! Music Festival. Although attendance was high, spirits were low. Many bar patrons seemed to be there because they had nothing better to do, or because they wanted to appear like they were truly interested in the arts scene, and supported it all from the comfortable seats of their neat and clean bar stools. Seats. Who sits at a music festival? Waterloo, that’s who.

During local band The Stars Are Here’s performance at the Heuther Hotel during the festival on Friday,

March 9, the floor in front of the stage was clear. The obviously talented five-some played joyfully, professionally and, above all, with uncompromising fervor to a full house of primly seated, apparently heartless and barely cognizant listeners who kindly managed to incline their heads in some pitiful mimicry of the band’s real rock rhythm. This is the kind of support that Waterloo seems to offer its artists. At least two songs went by before a group of less than six people, defiant in the face of K-W’s apathy, began dancing on their own directly in front of the stage. They may have looked out of place, but those lonely few were the only fans in the room who really got it. Who found Waterloo’s secret soul and refused to deny it.

K-W, despite its whimsical café signs and ardent claim to an independent artistry and hippie spirit, is most admittedly an entrepreneurial town. With UW’s strong focus on co-op programs and K-W’s strong dependence on corporate giants like RIM, it is natural for the more freespirited fields to take second fiddle to more free spirited enterprises.

Artistic endeavors don’t get the press in Waterloo that they would get in towns like Montreal or Vancouver and it shows. Newcomers to our area must seek out the darker places to find the true art community, and, admittedly, the community must learn to reach out to them more effectively. Arts events are often populated by the same group of people, and often fail to extend an entirely effective invitation to new blood. Some of us are lucky and eventually stumble across the right place at the right time and find the right art for us. Many more who are left to wander the lonely streets, searching for fellow dreamers, and lost amid the ads for business classes and stories of Blackberry successes, never find them. To keep art a part of Waterloo’s future, the community at large must reach in to our shadowed arts scene, and the arts scene, it seems, must reach back.

— Angela Gaetano

” “ opinion

10

Friday, March 30, 2007

Quote of the Week

Cosmopolitan blues

Honest Lee honest review

I love your column, but dating isn’t a two-way street of honesty and connection, but a brutal power struggle, a rife with subtleties that, if not fully understood, will doom you to a submissive, powerless existence.

I know its hard to believe when Cosmo is so stupid, but trust me.

— Saquib Kothawala

Cricket in need of a permanent home on UW campus

With so many international students at the University of Waterloo that are from cricket playing countries, I think it would be a good idea to erect an artificial pitch somewhere on the grounds of the north campus, where the sport could be played on a regular basis during the warm weather months.

— Patrick Ulett

I was googling this book when I came across your blog reading the review about “Honest Lee” by Lee Liddell.

Oddly enough, I thought it was honest and cleverly written. Indeed slightly long, but I found it rare to have an author convey sarcasm so artistically well especially in a novel. Unless you’ve read another book that did so — by all means please recommend it to me. Although, I must say, I agree with you in the sense that it’s like a long blog entry.

— Melissa

You can’t change a hippie

For someone who is a tree hugging hippie, I think [Darcy Higgins] might need to do a little more thinking about this issue: sure a few people will be taking the bus instead of walking, but do you really think this will change many peoples’ minds? If a person is a hippie who loves their exercise, they’ll walk regardless.

And I think it takes about four cars to equal the emissions from a bus. That

What will be the feature next week, oral sex or doggy style? — Julia Pettigrew

means if only four people hop on a bus instead of their cars we’re doing the environment a favour.

And another issue that isn’t mentioned is rent. We pay a lot to live close to the university. If students no longer have to worry about getting to the university, they can live further away, and in turn pay less rent. And hey, who knows, with this, it might even drive rent prices down!

The only real argument against the pass is the cash. And yeah, if you’re never ever going to use the bus, it can suck a little, but really, it’s no more then a night or two at a bar.

Find out more about grants & scholarships. ontario.ca/newOSAP

— Nick G.

Enjoying your summer

Bring on the summer. Seriously.

As much as you hate to admit it, you know you’re looking forward to it. From the feeling of unadulterated freedom you get the first time you wear shorts to the warm breeze through your hair — yes, summer truly is a time of miracles.

But hold up there for a second.

If you think you can just rush into this summer thing headlong without preparation, you’re in for a world of hurt. While, on the surface, summer seems to be nothing but fun and games, beneath can lurk a more sinister beast if you don’t take appropriate precautions. So without further ado, I present my tips to successfully enjoying your summer.

There are several scenarios for the average student in the summer. Typically students will be either working, enrolled in school or just bumming around. If at all possible, try to get on the “bumming around” bandwagon.

No responsibilities or commitments leave you free to partake in all the summer fun you want. This is certainly the hardest of the three to get away with, though. If you choose this path, be prepared to have parents questioning your existence for the duration of the summer months.

For co-op students, summer school terms come with the territory. While, at first, summer school sounds pretty lame, if you do have to be at school in the summer all is not lost. The trick here is to not take any classes. After all, besides the classes school is actu-

ally pretty fun. Just ask Zach Morris.

If you aren’t crafty enough to justify going to school without taking any classes, at the very least don’t take any hard classes. And if you can’t even manage that, then you should at least fail those classes on principle so that the administration knows that you’re not their bitch.

For those of you who are working at a co-op job in the summer, keep the following in mind: it’s the summer and you’re just a co-op student. If that’s not an excuse to take extended lunch breaks and leave early, I can’t possibly imagine what is. You only get to be a student in the summer once. Well, actually four or five times. But that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to waste one of them. You’ll regret it later.

Regardless of whether you’re in school, working or bumming around, there are a few things every student should keep in mind.

If you’re planning to be committing some felonies in the near future, consider putting them off until after the summer unless you’re really sure you can get away with it. The last thing you want is to be arrested, because the prison beatings and being locked down tend to put a damper on the whole summer experience. Trust me.

Before committing that grand larceny or that burglary, consider how it could detrimentally impact your enjoyment of the summer months if you’re caught.

You’ll be glad you did. And so will be the guy who you were about to larcenize or burgle.

If you can’t have the sweetest summer ever after all of those awesome pointers, I will take it as a personal affront to myself and to my ability as a writer. Is that what you want? Didn’t think so. Good luck and happy summering.

rhulealt@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

SUMMER JOBS COLLEGE PRO PAINTERS

Introducing the new OSAP Access Window.

Everything you need to know about planning for a postsecondary education but didn’t know where to ask.

Paid for by the Government of Ontario

is presently looking for responsible / hardworking University or College students for:

Full-Time Painting Positions May - August No experience required, we will train you to paint.

Positions available throughout Ontario.

If interested call 1-888-277-9787 or apply online at www.collegepro.com

opinion

Friday, March 30, 2007

Thumbs down to sex ed

Beautiful days are only the beginning

To the editor, Over the past few days, Waterloo has broken the record of the warmest temperatures for this time of year.

As beautiful as the days have been, I can honestly say it worries me.

Being a student in the faculty of environmental studies, I have been exposed to my fair share of climate change and global warming issues.

These beautiful days that we have been enjoying prove that the climate is definitely changing. It may seem enjoyable right now, but in the long run is it really worth it? Some American states have recently experienced increased amounts of tornado action during non-tornado seasons; this is not normal and shows increased negative impacts of current warmer weather conditions. I am not going to lie and say that I have not been taking advantage of the past few days, I have been outside as much as I could enjoying the warmth of the sun, but the thought that this should not be currently happening has crossed my mind many times.

It seems to me as if the seasons are shifting. It felt as if winter did not truly start until after Christmas break and lingered on till this summer like weather; it was as if winter was postponed and normal spring was skipped. I cannot even begin to imagine the torture that this heated summer is going to bring for city dwellers. The smog alerts, the heat waves and the constant sweat dripping down your forehead is not what many enjoy about the season.

This beautiful weather that we have been enjoying should help everyone to realize that the climate is changing and that if sustainable change is not implemented, things are going to get a lot worse. It is vital that action is taken and that what we are experiencing today is viewed from the larger context of climate change.

— Monika Keliacius 1B planning

LSAT MCAT GMAT GRE

Preparation Seminars Complete 30-Hour Seminars Proven Test-Taking Strategies Personalized Professional Instruction Comprehensive Study Materials Simulated Practice Exams Free Repeat Policy Personal Tutoring Available Thousands of Satisfied Students

Oxford Seminars

1-800-779-1779 / 416-924-3240 www.oxfordseminars.com

Inadequate transportation

To the editor,

To the editor,

As I was browsing through the Imprint and enjoying the university produced articles, I came across a particular section that came as a shock to me.

Thinking there was some hidden inuendo, I went on to read an article focused on anal pleasures. This article was not only appalling, but was also absolutely unnecessary. There is no need to go into detail and explain how to give or receive any type of sexual act.

What some people may consider to be pleasurable, others may find offensive. If people want to experiment sexually on their own time, that’s fine, but it doesn’t need to be shared with the entire student body. I don’t see why this article would be included in a school newspaper. In the future, I would like to see articles that are more educational and beneficial to people.

What will be the feature next week, oral sex or doggy style?

As a planning student I find the current Kitchener-Waterloo transportation system absolutely inadequate.

Not only do they have a lack of routes for K-W residences, but their operating hours are also scarce. I believe that with the introduction of the U-Pass, the city of Waterloo will be forced to reassess its transportation plan.

As a future off-campus student, it is my personal opinion that while some students may not fully benefit from the establishment of the UPass, an overwhelming amount of Waterloo students would. Due to a lack of confidence in the GRT bus system, there are a number of students who currently rely on their own vehicles to travel to and from school. These students, according to the article “Gearing up for the U-Pass referendum” by Michael L. Davenport, would save an average of $114 on parking passes alone. This does not include extra automobile expenses such as insurance, gas and various repairs. For those who do not own vehicles, a vast amount of

— Julia Dweller 1A arts

11

money is saved on the regular price of tickets.

Being an environmentalist, I was immediately occupied by the probable positive impacts the U-Pass would have on Waterloo’s environment. The U-Pass would encourage students to avoid always driving their own vehicles that emit harmful gases. Not only does the U-Pass have financial benefits for those who drive vehicles as well as those who do not have this privilege, it also decreases pollution, bettering the environment for our future.

— Paul Semeniuk environment & planning

Disappionted abyss

To the editor, Are classes weighing you down? For those of you who agree, do your classes end late at night in the middle of the week? My 7:00 to 9:50 p.m. class on Wednesday is definitely the most brutal part of my already busy week. I see that class as the last and final hurdle of my week. With all the agony night classes have presented, it has come to my attention that the need

to address this issue is long overdue.

I take academics seriously and I believe that night classes actually hinder good results. People will not retain all the information that is presented to them in classes. Add in the fact that you’re tired because it’s the end of the day, you’re not really enjoying the class, and you’ve already gone through half a week of classes like this already. How can you possibly learn anything? Night classes should also end earlier because that would give us more time to be productive. With the extra time, we could be studying and reviewing our material, or it could allow us students to participate in more events and just be with our friends and enjoy campus life.

Who honestly wouldn’t want that?

I feel that there are a lot of people who feel the way I do and definitely would like to see something changed.

I’m not asking for classes to be scheduled before 7:00 p.m., but I am asking that classes should end earlier than 9:50 p.m. I’m not exactly sure how the scheduling is done but I do know that where there’s a will, there’s a way!

— Raymond Tung environment & planning

distractions

12

Friday, March 30, 2007

Hint: G B S R F K W H Y N O T 1 9 7 5

What are your favourite addictions? By Dinh Nguyen

“Longboarding, it’s better than skateboarding.”

David Schulz & Ben Winter 2B planning & 2B science

Across

1. Garfunkel 4. Charlton Heston crashed their planet 8. Strikebreakers 13. Irish fuel 15. Creamy cheese 16. Committee of judges 17. Hyperbolic sine 18. Open skin infection 19. Exotic dentine 20. Betrothal jewelry (2 wrds) 24. Religious women 25. Underpinning of Mid-East volatility 26. Final resting place 28. Is not 30. Bottle top 33. Conforms 34. The point of protest 35. Yiddish jerk 36. Bottle bomb (2 wrds) 39. Aromatic balsam 40. Cleaning agent.

41. Caustic remark 42. My initial pluralized 43. Indian breads 44. American forces 45. Hardwood 46. Hobbit last name 47. Welfare agencies 54. Major artery 55. Not west 56. Smelling organ 57. Leak blood 58. Indian writing paper 59. Indian river stairway 60. Slow-flying blackbirds 61. Neal’s final sign off part two 62. Neal’s final sign off part one

Down

1. Eastern end of the church 2. Horse control 3. Space drink 4. Missing 5. Formals 6. Ireland as in the old country 7. I have imagined something 8. Heart 9. Weak referendum defense 10. Juliet’s beg for more time 11. Baby iceberg 12. Cunning and dodgy 14. Neal’s final sign off part one (2 wrds) 21. Visitor 22. Carbonated drink 23. Dog-faced monkey 26. French count 27. Retail task 28. Conquered by the Spanish 29. Come to an end 30. Bedlam 31. Compounds derived from ammonia 32. Polyester 34. Stratford tributary 35. Working to rule 37. Japanese port city 38. Stalin rival 43. Greek nymphs 44. Imposing entrance 45. Eight performers 46. Pioneering electrical engineer 47. Unaccompanied 48. Sandwich cookie 49. Russian communist Trotzky friendly to Lenin, opposed by Stalin 50. Discount price 51. Salmon 52. Isaac’s eldest son 53. Cobblestone 54. First principles of the alphabet

March 23 “Taking pictures of myself.”

Jill McDevitt

4B sexuality, marriage and family

“Coffee, smokes, and videogames!_!.”

Ela Ponikiewska & Andrea Berges 3B and 4B English

“That’s easy... FACEBOOK!.”

Tim Lee & Garrett Saunders 3B and 4B Geography

“The internet... no: booze... the internet and booze.”

Jordan Dewolfe 1B civil engineering

“Diet Coke with lime.”

Laura Farlow

3B Mechatronics

“Bubble tea.” and “Machinae Supremacy.”

Brittany Boilard & Denis Sadowski 1B political science and computer sciences

To the Crossword and Sudoku fanatics, after 54 months of puzzle-making for Imprint, I am moving on. Thank you for chance to challenge you each week.

To the profs of UW, I’m sorry for tempting your students to tune out.

Starting next term, Tim Foster will bear the mantle of Imprint puzzlemaker.

Cheers, Neal ncmoogks@uwaterloo.ca

Friday, March 30, 2007

arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Arts Editor: Ashley Csanady Arts Assistant: Andrew Abela

Arts Imprint

13

What’s He Building in There? rocks Starlight Andrew King staff reporter

andrew abela

The fourth year fine arts students show on display in East Campus Hall

Dare to delve into art on campus Alicia Boers reporter

I attended the fine arts grad art show on Thursday, March 22. I can tell you that I was very excited to go. I love art, I find it inspiring.

I’m not a fine arts student, but I am passionate about the arts. Fine arts may take a back seat to the more widely acclaimed disciplines here, such as engineering and math, but the art that is being produced and displayed by the students at East Campus

Hall must be recognized and appreciated.

Jane Buyers, the chair of the fine arts department, said on March 22 that “it takes a lot of courage, motivation and hard work” to get where these grads have gotten. They learn so much in fine arts — “they learn to be creative, to develop their imagination, to be innovative, to imagine things that don’t exist, to be courageous and they learn to fail,” which is so important. These fine arts students are, as Buyers says, “doing research, original research,” and what is showcased is

the “result of a lot of experiments and is a significant achievement.”

The show was awesome and such a great showcase of the students’ years of hard work at this university. In the days coming up to the show, artist Jeremiah Courtney said he was very nervous and when the show finally opened he was relieved. Artist Jenn Yeates said it best: “the show was fantastic, and a really good way to say goodbye to this university.”

See ART, page 16

Holy shit! The album is finished. After what would seem like an eternity to both ravenous fans anxious to get their hands on the self-titled debut from local experimental metal unit What’s He Building In There?, as well as the band members themselves, Thursday night marked the day the record was finally fully completed and packaged, ready to be consumed by the masses.

“It’s sort of like you’re driving along the highway for four hours after drinking two extra-large Tim Horton’s coffees, and you really have to piss,” explained bassist Hal Jacques. “Well for us, that four hours has been two years, so we finally get to piss all over the place and get that feeling of release — to unleash our music on the public.”

And to celebrate this seemingly cathartic release, the band played the album in its entirety to a crowd exponentially more energetic than its size would suggest at Starlight on March 22.

Invited along to share the stage were Cambridge’s own almighty Tugnut and symphonic metal band Unexpect from Montreal.

While I missed Tugnut’s set, I did catch the majority of Unexpect’s performance, and was witness to a type of show I’ve never seen before.

The band welds a Swedish metal foundation with operatic female vocals and classically influenced violin to create a hybrid sound of beautiful brutality unparalleled by anything I’ve experienced. While perhaps a bit too much for me to bite off on a first intake, they were nonetheless energetic and engaging, adding a unique flavour to the night’s diverse bill.

“It’s all about that creative vibe,” offers Jacques. “We like bands who do what they want to do rather than shaping into a cookie cutter mould.”

Jacques and the remaining members of What’s He Building In There? finally had the chance to take the stage after what I’d gathered to be a pair of great opening performances, and gift their following with what they’d been craving. Opening their set with “Black Scythe Affair,” and sequentially playing each song from the freshly released album, the band invited the audience along through a sonic journey full of spastic vocals, interwoven melodies and of course, a few beautifully composed breakdowns that incited mini-riots in the middle of the dance floor. The heavier tracks like “Citizen of the City” and the seizure-inducing “(Holy Shit) The Droid is Missing” balanced perfectly along with the beautifully lucid “I, Xolotl” for a captivatingly dynamic set that was both inspiring and one hell of a lot of fun.

The band also invited the guest musicians who added some extra colour to their record to join them onstage, ranging from saxophone and tribal percussion to gang vocals from Tugnut and an appearance from Jamie Schoch of brother K-W metal group Of The First Born Son. When asked about why all of these invitations were extended, Jacques asserted: “We wanted that community feeling” — an response that became so painfully obvious midway through the band’s musical delivery.

This is perhaps what made this show so special. It was a performance where both the band and audience united, creating such an intimate connection that the performance was not exclusive to the stage, but instead engulfed the entire room. The band wasn’t playing to the audience, but rather alongside them, and it was abundantly clear how important this fusion was to the incredibly communal atmosphere of the show.

See STARLIGHT, page 20

arts

14

Friday, March 30, 2007

Pop art and controversy colour fast-paced film Factory Girl places pop icon Andy Warhol and “it girl” Edie Sedgwick in a new coloured, silk-screened, mass-produced light

After having seen Factory Girl, George Hickenlooper’s hyperbolic piece of biographical art scene fiction, I can’t help but feel different. Thanks to this exposé full of retro pop icons, my opinion of pop-art grandfather Andy Warhol and “it girl” Edie Sedgwick has now drastically changed.

Instead of appreciating Warhol’s avant-garde attitude, image and business-like personality, I now think of him more as a shallow profiteer. Nowadays, whenever I see his puckered, vacuumsucked mouth and pallid acne-ridden face, words like iniquitous and immoral sprung to mind. These harsh adjectives are a radical change to the artsy compliments I used to so kindly adorn him with.

Never having met Andy Warhol I had no idea until recently what kind of person lay behind the makeup, sunglasses and strands of bleached white hair. Guy Pearce’s impeccable portrayal of the superficial and exploitative artist exposed him as a shallow man. However, Pearce

SEXUAL CONTENT, LANGUAGE MAY OFFEND, CRUDE CONTENT

also incorporated Andy’s boyishly innocent charm that is irresistible to women and, apparently, gay men.

Sienna Miller, fortunate enough to have almost as much elegance and appeal as Sedgwick, put no bounds on my sympathy and compassion for the emotional rollercoaster of life Sedgwick rode. Instead of just liking her for her looks, I have grown to appreciate her optimistic idealism, colourful personality and her artistically expressive face and lithe body.

Coming into the movie at a Princess Cinema press screening, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that Factory Girl had been poorly received both critically and financially, and that it boasted a modest 17 per cent rotten rating on rottentomatoes.com.

According to the fruitful and critical website, the consensus was that Factory Girl “[failed] to tell a coherent story.”

Pure tripe. They could not have been more wrong. Factory Girl — thanks to good cast choices, a well-written script and phenomenal acting — was a beautifully told tale of love, art and most importantly, change.

Later on, I was yet again reminded of the popularity that Factory Girl insults have gained. Lou Reed, a friend of Sedgwick’s from the Velvet Underground, recently told the New York Daily News that “I read that

script. It’s one of the most disgusting, foul things I’ve seen — by any illiterate retard — in a long time.” He went on to say that “there’s no limit to how low some people will go to write something to make money,” as well as “they’re all a bunch of whores.” I’d say Warhol’s art is way more horridly offensive — what with its mistreatment of workers and its sexual undertones. For shame, Lou Reed. For shame.

As expected, the main backdrop of the film was Warhol’s famous New York “factory.” The smoke-filled and completely silver studio decorated with random bare breasts and precarious drug abuse made me long for his sexy factory art club. Even all the art-whore women stimulated a healthy intrigue inside of me with their left-bum cheeks injected full of amphetamines.

Warhol’s black and white ultramodern movies, purely sexual in nature, served as a nice contrast to his asexual yet openly erotic disposition; he so hypocritically claimed that “sex is too abstract for me.” It almost seemed like his films were his only sexual outlet, apart from the myriad of sexual innuendos he managed to fit into practically every one of his conversations. His personality at times seemed textbook Oedipal, especially after learning about his odd relationship with his mother who moved in with him when he turned 22 to take care of him.

Warhol and Sedgwick’s relationship remained entirely foggy throughout the first half of the film, leaving me wondering if they were ever romantic at all. It’s clear, though, that their dynamic was like that of the artist and muse who continually inspire each other with beauty both inside and out. Perhaps this is why Warhol was shown feeling very jealous and hostile once Sedgwick began seeing a young and rebellious Bob Dylan — er, I mean, Billy Quinn.

Actually, Bob Dylan remained altogether nameless throughout the whole movie and in the credits he was referred to as “Folk Singer.” Despite Hayden Christensen’s distinct curls, marijuana smoking and contempt for authority and injustice, Dylan’s legal team apparently thought that it was best for him to remain nameless.

Maybe it was just a cheap PR attempt at furthering his already well-established mysterious image.

Contrary to this, according to The Rock Radio, Dylan’s lawyers declared Factory Girl “defamatory,” to his image. Going even farther than this, his lawyers also threatened to sue, claiming that Factory Girl portrays Dylan as being responsible for Sedgwick’s fatal drug overdose in 1971. Utter bullshit.

If anything, Dylan’s brutal honesty and generous use of Kama Sutra improved her drug-centred and increasingly depressing life. It’s highly unlikely that this will amount to any kind of lawsuit, though, as Sedgwick’s brother, Jonathan Sedgwick, has stated Dylan’s affair with his sister did, in fact, take place — as did her subsequent abortion of his child.

In a recent article in The Times, Jonathan recounted that Sedgwick “told me she had to be held down by four men because she fought them so hard to keep the child she claimed was Bob Dylan’s. She did tell me later that this was the saddest moment in

Christine Ogley

her life — losing Dylan’s child.”

On-screen, Dylan as Billy never let the unplanned pregnancy shake up his strong persona — he still managed to say it like it is with every bit of confidence. Christensen’s believable role as folk star Billy Quinn shined brightest in a very revealing scene in which Warhol filmed the bold folk singer in his factory studio. Like all of his other actors, Andy refused to pay Dylan for his contribution and eventually, reluctantly offered him the $11 he managed to scrape out of his pockets.

Andy Warhol’s pop-art social commentary poked fun at our commercialized society as well as contributing to it.

Although Quinn complained about Warhol’s characteristic lack of cinematic direction, he quickly took the chance to reveal Warhol’s meager generousity and manipulative tendencies. But since Dylan is well known for his candid and outspoken nature, his eloquent speech was more introspective social commentary than juvenile whining. Right before it ended, Dylan passed his half-smoked joint to Andy

asking him “d’you smoke, man? Or do you only do that faggy speed shit?”

After reluctantly taking a mild toke, he passed the duchy to the actor on the left hand side.

Instead of ruining his image like he was seemingly worried it would, Quinn added even more hardened plaster to my image of Bob Dylan: a bold, intelligent and well-spoken man.

Similarly, my opinion of Warhol’s mass-produced pop-art renderings of mass-produced items and celebrities has remained equally intact — it’s still the cool, offbeat style I’ve always appreciated. Andy Warhol’s pop-art social commentary poked fun at our commercialized society as well as contributing to it.

Many of the changes Factory Girl gifted me were very welcome — especially the abolition of my prejudice fueled by the massive critical misrepresentation of this film. It was a story of the fast-paced life that is art and the endless confusions love brings. Using a good script and proper directing, Hickenlooper brilliantly recounted the quick rise to fame and rapid fall to obscurity Sedgwick experienced.

The tragic tale of youthful death, so depressingly common in pop culture, is always unfathomably sad. People too good for this world who live way too fast. Whether it’s for Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain or Edie Sedgwick — the tears cried are all the same. aabela@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

arts

Friday, March 30, 2007

15

Fusion comic brings the heat

Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank Epic

Relient K Five Score and Seven Years Ago Capitol

Despite the addition of legendary Smiths’ guitarist Johnny Marr, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank sounds like every other Modest Mouse album.

If this is your first encounter with the band, your impression of the album will be completely different than an aged Mouse fan. A Mouse newcomer will be in a state of shock due to this somewhat-unknown band’s natural ingenuity. A longtime lover will have a “same shit, different day” attitude.

This said, Modest Mouse’s typical nonsensical jabbering over a hullabaloo of atypical, but listenable, guitars can get old. This album is very well written but I expected the band to evolve their sound, especially with the inclusion of Marr’s genius. Certain songs stand out within the album. I especially liked the acoustic intro and the faultless harmonies in “Missed the Boat,” which is a slight shift from their usual M.O. The epic “Spitting Venom” alternates from a minimalist calming tune to a chorus full of the deep, hectic, harmonious noise that is their main attraction.

Overall, We Were Dead basked in the wonder that is Modest Mouse. The album did not shock me with evolution. This resulted in a minute negative reaction, but it can also be a blessing because the band did not compromise their sound for commercial success. I do not regret listening to this album as it is a classic collection of tunes, but the lack of creative expansion left me wanting more.

These guys are the grandmothers of the present pop punk scene — they’re lovable, have been around forever, and are appreciated and useful members of their community, while most of their peers are exuding nothing but never-ending bowel movements. Five Score and Seven Years Ago is a solid pop-punk record, with the band showcasing much the same as they have in the past with upbeat, sing-along tracks that vary in tempo but are consistently well written.

In contrast to a lot of the Warped Tour drivel being released, Relient K manages to pack enough substance into their music to just sneak into the realm of respectability, despite having a fairly formulaic approach to songwriting.

“I Need You” has the band adding some aggression to the tried, tested and true, with a huge chorus that sticks with a listener like the floor at Phil’s.

Of course, like Grandma in her fluorescent jumpsuit and fanny pack, there’s some stuff on here to make you cringe. But ultimately, it can be forgiven. The lyrics are, for the most part, extremely juvenile and hard to take seriously despite being well intentioned and interlaced with clever wordplay. “Faking My Own Suicide” is an example of how the poetry can at times be cheesier than a deep dish pizza. All in all, if the listener can take a pop punk album for what it’s worth, this one is a lot of fun. Their grandmothers should be proud.

— Allison Bâby

— Andrew King

SINGLE & SEXY 2007

AUDITIONS ~ ONE DAY ONLY ~ Humanities Theatre Wednesday, April 4; 6-9pm

wear comfortable clothing and a sense of humour ~ everyone is welcome Casting for 3 female, 4 male, 1 male improvisational keyboard player with a penchant for drama.

Rehearsals and Show Times August 13 to September 7 inclusive

THIS IS A PAYING GIG!

Superman Batman Vol. 1: Public Enemies Jeph Loeb DC Comics

Superman and Batman have always stood on separate ends of the “superhero” spectrum.

The Kryptonian poster-boy of truth and justice has never seen eye to eye with Gotham City’s night prowler, having sparred on more than occasion for the very same reason.

This comic collection from writer Jeph Loeb sees them fighting side by side, bending the spectrum to

show that at the core, the two crime fighters are really one and the same, with differing histories that define who they are.

Using a tag-like narration style between the man of steel and the dark knight, Loeb guides us from the Smallville days when the two first meet, to the adventure that ensues in the book.

Lex Luthor, president of the United States, accuses Superman of crimes against humanity when his crack team of scientists discovers a giant ball of Kryptonite headed on a collision course with Earth. To sweeten the deal, Luthor throws on a $1 billion bounty for capturing the Kryptonian fugitive.

The absurdity of the accusation drives Superman to fight his way to the White House to clear his name; with much ass-kicking along the way, as both heroes and villains drive to cash in on the bounty.

The bond the book creates between Supes and Bats as they fight off wave after wave of super beings is the same as one would find in blood brothers. You’ll find yourself squealing with joy as you notice the parallels between the thoughts of the two.

Ed McGuiness’ stellar artwork goes tit for tat with the narration adding on short gasps of excitement to your already aroused self. The intricate details imbedded within

McGuiness’ work, especially the many full-page illustrations such as the spread of Supes and Bats striking a pose on pages four and five, cannot be done justice with words alone and must only be enjoyed first-hand.

Although the book breaks into some gushy, “ain’t that cute” type moments, but it does so in a very rough and tumble type way. You get the usual discussion of post-9/11 themes and other age-old adages such as groupthink in the government, but those too work on an integral level with the story.

There’s much to be expected from the man who brought us the explosive classic called “Commando” back in the ’80s, and more recently enthralled us with TV series like Smallville and Heroes.

It’s safe to say that he gets the job done. When you can successfully illustrate, both through words and drawing, what it’s like to piss off the world’s most powerful being, you deserve a damn medal.

Grab some Kleenex and paper towels before reading this, because watching Superman laying down the fists with his future self and then brandishing a shotgun is enough to make even those with the strongest wills wet themselves. Trust me, I did.

— Mohammad Jangda

arts

16

Friday, March 30, 2007

This summer, it’s oh so much hotter in Brooklyn So here we are, dear friends, at the end of another term. At last, I, the Arts Snob, can pack away my vintage typewriter and begin hacking away at the 143-item summer reading list I’ve prepared. Ahead of you, however, are five months of emptiness, devoid of my cultural expertise and stunning wit, and who knows, by the time the fall comes around I might be so incredibly indie that I will be unable to write for Imprint and forced to start some sort of ’zine.

In that case, I feel obliged to prepare you for the intellectual Dark Age that will undoubtedly follow my passing.

I was going to write up a detailed how-to manual including various music blogs, literary quarterlies, fine arts journals, etc. for you to study during these summer months, just so you don’t fall behind, but I feel that such a thing may be too valuable, akin to a magician giving away his secrets. Snobbery is a delicate art; as much as someone may wish to have an intellectual equal, they must realize that the more of them there are, the less cool they become.

In the spirit of a modern dancepunk band covering their favourite

new wave act from the 1980s; however, I will direct you to the source of much of my infinite wisdom and awesomeness. Yes, dear readers, since June 2006 I have been following a group of four hipsters (and one stockbroker) around their daily lives in an anthropological experiment to determine the source of “artiness.”

This is not as stalker-ish as it sounds, and I assure you it has nothing to do with that wretched device known as “Facebook” (Friendster was way cooler, anyway). These five bright, young subjects of my study do exist on the Interweb, it is true, but they call www.theburg.tv their home.

For those of you who have not yet come across this delightful internet sitcom, I would like to endorse it as the perfect solution to the inevitable malaise you will feel once I stop writing my column for the summer. In fact, a familiarity with this fine piece of online television will increase your cred exponentially; the very first episode, in fact, is called just that: “Cred.”

The Burg follows the urban drama that comes with being a twenty something artist in Williamsburg, a neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York renowned for its creative community. Its main characters span the spectrum of hipsterdom: Xander is a struggling filmmaker, Jed a struggling musician, Courtney a struggling actress, and Spring a struggling political and environmental activist. Ryan, the stockbroker, is the loveable odd man out, and many of you aspiring arts snobs may be able to relate to his struggle to fit in with the “scene.”

The brainchild of two Brooklyn natives, The Burg spans eleven episodes and a number of shorts, all available for viewing on the website. I wholeheartedly suggest viewing them in order to fully benefit from their message. It should be noted that some critics have called the show a satire of hipster culture, but I can’t see how anything that deals with such important topics as indecipherable noise punk and early 90s fashion could not be taken seriously.

The Burg emphasizes the virtue of drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon from a can, the

necessity for girls to be “cute and political,” and the ironic value of having My Humps as the ring tone on your cell phone. As an added bonus, each show features a local Brooklyn band that you can subsequently claim to have “discovered” to all your friends.

Essentially, The Burg will provide for you in 15 minute masterpieces all the joy I usually bring you in my six hundred word opuses.

When you find yourself unable to sleep in my absence this summer, visit www.theburg.tv and remember what it’s like to be better than everyone else. Godspeed, friends. cmoffat@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Christine Ogley

Art: hidden gems unveiled at UW fine arts showcase continued from page 13

465 PHILLIP STREET LOCATION ONLY LIMITED TIME OFFER

746-6893

Welcome speeches were made

by Buyers, Paul Dignan, fourth year course co-ordinator, and Andrew Hunter, director and curator of Render (UW Art Gallery).

Dignan said that Thursday’s show was “about these students, this is their night.” Hunter called Render, “a wonderful opportunity for (UW) students to see other things. We’re on the other side of the tracks, a lot of people don’t make it over here, but it’s an interesting environment and a really good thing.”

One of the pieces that I enjoyed was Hilary Brunton’s “Incog-nections,” a knitted piece hanging from the ceiling and continuing on the floor. Jenn Yeates’ “Persistence” also really stood out, but then how could a 12 by 12-foot wall covered in left-handed writing not stand out?

Jeremiah Courtney’s comic books were very interesting, as were Andrea Skelly’s digitally manipulated prints, pictures that “look real, but they’re not.”

A showcase that really interested me was by Kristina Zelko. Zelko works with digital prints, creating a scene that she describes as confronting “the media’s desensitization on society.”

The pieces are created by compiling digital prints on the computer and creating one scene. Through

her art, Zelko tackles the issues surrounding natural disasters caused by global warming, such as tsunamis, rising water, forest fires and changing temperatures. Zelko’s art, four pieces in the grad show, depict natural disasters destroying towns and lives, but people in the art react as if nothing is wrong.

To me, the most striking was, “Stop and smell the smoke.” In the scene there is a forest fire raging behind a girl who is picking flowers. These pieces show the destruction of natural disasters caused by global warming and how people are becoming oblivious to their effects.

Zelko is challenging viewers to realize what is happening in this world, and to must take action against global warming and realize what the media is trying to tell us.

Fellow UW students, I urge you to take the trip across the tracks to East Campus Hall, just past DC, to experience and involve yourself in the art, in the research and the experiments that the fine arts students are creating. There is always something to see.

Visit Render’s website at www. artgallery.uwaterloo.ca/gradshow/ to view the artwork from the grad show, and to learn about other upcoming events. Also visit www. finearts.uwaterloo.ca/ to learn more about the fine arts program offered at UW.

arts

Friday, March 30, 2007

17

Languid Lotus contributes to spoken word literature Andrew Abela staff reporter

Also known as performance poetry, spoken word is a style of art unto itself, as it is so unlike the visual words from which it stems. It adds so many different dimensions to poetry and prose that no alignment styles, fonts or designs could ever imitate it on paper.

Most often it’s beautifully juxtaposed with music — often cool, distant jazz — to add even more tempo to the speaker’s flowing rhythm.

The end result? Social commentary, social comedy, political messages or even mindless word flow with rhythm, attitude and soul.

Instead of trying to come up with more spoken word material myself, I recently felt the urge to find some. I was hungry, and I knew what I wanted: performance poetry that I could snap my beatnik fingers to.

It came fast and unexpectedly, from a new high-contrast poster of a salmon-coloured walrus with the words The Languid Lotus in the SLC’s Great Hall March 23.

Remaining wholly uninfluenced by the group’s discouraging choice of adjective, I sought out their sound on their MySpace.

It was like a depressingly happy feminist complaining about sociological quirks and her encouraging failures — atop what sounds like a congo drum and some weird kind of xylophone. Amber Long, along with Jason Lippert’s bass and Kat the Drumming Diva’s percussion and keys, filled my deep and empty void. This was exactly what I was

Andrew Abela

Amber Long of Languid Lotus project spoke her words with contributors Jason Lippert at left and Kat the Drumming Diva at right. looking for, multiplied by a million.

I immediately decided that it was a good idea to go see them play at this never before heard of venue, “trepid house.” They were playing that night and, from the mark their three MySpace tracks left on me, I was extremely anxious to see what kind of performance they had to offer.

Sadly, my poetic zeal was crushed by an ostensibly languid performance. In a living room smaller than my bedroom, Long recited her verses like it was a grocery list to an unreceptive and lazy audience. She

recovered pretty fast, though, with a quick-witted piece which, to me, was named “Delicious and Nutritious.”

She pointed to random members of the audience, engaging them with her stare while declaring her appreciation for their appearance by saying, “You’re delicious and nutritious,” countless times.

Her singing voice was okay, if not lacklustre — but all she was really missing was some good ol’ breath support. As I wondered why she chose to use such a voice instead of her powerful spoken word style, I realized that something was out of

She pointed to random members of the audience, engaging them with her stare while declaring her appreciation for their appearance by saying “you’re delicious and nutritious” countless times.

March 31 Matthew Barber with Julie Fader — Jane Bond $10 at the door, doors at 8 p.m., 19+ March 31, April 1 Suor Angelica and L’enfant et es sortileges — Theatre Auditorium, WLU $5-$10 at the door, Sat 8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m.

April 3 Jack MacAulay, Patrick Wey and Meghan Weber photography — 6 Madison Ave. S., Kitchener

one can only hope that the Matt Osbourne award for emerging talent is not given away so easily. That night, I left feeling a bit satisfied — which soon turned to much discomfort as my literary hunger returned with much force. Spoken word had remained faintly tacit for me that night, but at least Long’s poetic meanderings were nice.

As I look to the future, I can only hope that The Languid Lotus project recovers from their illness, or whatever had afflicted them that night. All I have for them is extreme optimism, which is of course entirely not based on their live performance. From their myspace alone, I can safely say that within them lies a potential so untapped it boggles my brain. I only wish it was their actual spoken word that was blowing my mind. aabela@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

April 3 The World of Warhol: On Screen and Through his Art — exhibit begins at Princess Twin Cinema

March 30 – April 5 Black Snake Moan — Original Princess $6 from Turnkey, 9:15 p.m.

March 30 Expressions 32: Student Art from Waterloo Region; Re-mix 2007 — KW Art Gallery Opening reception Sunday April 1, 2-5 p.m.

place. There was something missing from their setup, but I didn’t know what it was. Maybe they didn’t know either, as all usual members and instruments were present. Perhaps all they needed was some stage presence, which would have been helped by a better venue or even a slightly more elevated stage.

The Languid Lotus’ repetitive closing song — during which she unsuccessfully attempted to garner the participation of us viewers — was almost too painful to watch. They promptly descended from the flat-level stage, asking us “Did you like it?” to which I silently responded “yes, kind of.”

Actually, I might have just blindly agreed with the crowd and said “hell yeah!” Inside, I knew what I really thought.

Clearly this performance must have been a bad example of The Languid Lotus project. After all,

Imprint’s listening to: myspace.com/ lotusquotes Languid Lotus

April 4 Laurier Poetry Fest with music by Andriy Tykhonov and Ron shirm— Registry Theatre Admission by donation, 7 p.m.

Rokkenphukenrohl Grand Poo Bah

April 5 Shawn Kellerman and the Soul Provider Horns with guests — Starlight lounge $10 in advance, doors at 8 p.m., 19+

Lover/Fighter Hawksley Workman

April 6 Psychotic 4, Cauldron and surprise guests — Circus Room Doors at 8 p.m.

Gods of War Manowar

April 6-10 Factory Girl — Original Princess $6 from Turnkey, 9:35 p.m.

Summer essentials

Friday, March 30, 2007

arts The Skull Measurer’s Mistake Sven Lindqvist $17.96 at amazon.ca

Festival Express Director Rent — $5.00 from Generation X Buy — $14.99 at amazon.ca

Whether you plan on spending the summer lying on a beach basking in the sun, sitting on a patio sipping a frappacino, or stuck in a dead-end job, Imprint has compiled a list of movies and books to make your summer a little brighter. Enjoy!

An Evening with Kevin Smith and An Evening with Kevin Smith 2 Kevin Smith Rent — $5.00 from Generation X Buy — $10.17 at amazon.ca

One of the best ways you can spend a warm summer evening is with Kevin Smith — and since it’d be a bit difficult to get him to come join you in chillaxin’ on the couch, you might as well put him on your TV screen while you lounge on the sofa.

If you dare to call yourself a fan of Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma or any of Smith’s other fantastic flicks, you’d be doing yourself a grave disservice if you didn’t watch both An Evening with Kevin Smith and An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder.

Both films are a compilation of Smith’s beloved Q&A nights at various locations across the States, as well as in London,

England and Toronto. Combined, the two films clock in at a whopping 463 minutes — that’s seven hours and 43 minutes of Silent Bob being anything but silent. True, you’ve got to be quite the dedicated fan to sit in front of your TV for that long, but believe me, it is so incredibly worth it.

Discussing everything from watching Dora the Explorer while high as a kite to exposing Prince as a self-absorbed Jesus freak, no topic is too risqué for Smith. In both movies Smith also invites co-star Jason Mewes, the other half of the Jay and Silent Bob duo, on the stage to join him in some ridiculously hilarious sex talk, including Mewes’ demonstration of the “half-half-whole” technique — don’t ask, just watch.

Seven hours and 43 minutes might be quite the commitment for one evening, but good luck finding another man who can keep you entertained for that long.

— Suzanne Gardner

The Once and Future King T.H. White $12.75 at amazon.ca

Rally on a virtual campus. Enterr to win a real Mazda3.

The Once and Future King is T.H. White’s fourpart cycle of the Arthurian saga written for children, but do not be afraid, the tale of King Arthur, Guinevere and the rest of the round table receive their proper treatment.

White reinterprets Mallory’s classic Le Morte d’Arthur but manages to leave much of the plot intact.

The first part of the saga is The Sword and the Stone, which appeared as a Disney feature film many years ago. Whereas the first book is a light-hearted look at the life of young Arthur, the final three books complete the arc and grow progressively darker.

In the end, you don’t want to finish the book because you know the ending, and you can’t tear yourself away.

T.H. White was a Cambridge scholar who later turned to writing full-time. The Once and Future King was written and published through the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Consequently, the language used has certain English charm to it. This is the type of tale that some boy banished to boarding school might be expected to read under the covers at night.

If you are looking for a book that will not stretch your mind, or demand a strong critical analysis, but that will tell a ripping good tale, then this is the book for you. Since the book is in four parts, it is also suitable for reading

in parts should you not have the time to read it all at once.

Finally, this is a book perfect for small relations. If you’re looking for a bedtime story that will last several months, this is it.

— Neal Moogk-Soulis

19

Dead heads unite! An event perhaps rivalled only by Woodstock, and a movie rivaled only

by The Last Waltz, Festival Express reveals Jerry Garcia is at his finest and Bob Weir at his cutest in this documentary of a tour through Canada in 1970. The Grateful Dead are not the only legendary passengers on this CN train of fun — of the wealth, guests include Janis Joplin, The Band, Buddy Guy, Mashmakhan and The Flying Burrito Bros.

The festival express, as they call it, travels east to west and makes stops in Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg and an emergency stop at a liquor store after they drink the bar cart dry.

Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead describes it as “a train of insane people careening across Canadian countryside, making music night and day and then occasionally we’d get off the train to go play a concert.”

Promoters Ken Walker and Thor Eaton used the Orient Express as a model and turned the dining car into a 24 hour bar, stocking it full with food and drink. The musicians jam in this cart between performances, rarely sleeping and always having a good time. As Bob Weir put it, “there were psychedelics involved.

I’m not sure what kind or how much, but we achieved lift off for sure.” From the combined talents of all the artists, some musical magic happens on this cart.

There are modern interviews with Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Buddy Guy and an especially stressed-out Ken Walker, amongst others.

Walker reveals a behind-the-scenes look at

the musician’s reactions regarding the riots in each of the cities. Many of the flower children of Canada refused to pay the $16 ticket price, which actually works out to about $1 per legendary band. The promoters and musicians do their best to calm the angry mobs but things get out of control anyway, and the promoters end up losing a lot of money.

But the party goes on — and on and on for five days. It captures moments between these musicians that are unprecedented on the bigscreen; with never-before seen collaborations and loads of brilliant music, Festival Express a must-see in your lifetime.

— Kinga Jakab

The Skull Measurer’s Mistake (and other portraits of men and women who spoke out against racism) is a history of those who have stood against the flow and spoke out, wrote and published against racism and racist ideologies. It is a history of heroes and heroines who took a stand. They were not perfect people and some were against some forms of racism and seem to support others, yet each took a stand for what they believed was right.

This book is a history, or a series of mini histories, of 22 people and the ideas or ideologies that they stood against. From Benjamin Franklin in 1764 talking down a mob en route to massacre a native American community, to Theophilus Scholes in 1899 who wrote against the then belief that Europeans, especially Britons, were of Greek descent and heritage.

This book shows the clear progression in racism and racist thought, not through the negative but through the positive — the courage of those who had the fortitude to stand against these hideous ideas and beliefs.

Lindqvist will open our eyes to a heritage we should not be proud of, but that we should all be aware of, lest we repeat the mistakes of the past.

— Steven R. McEvoy

For more essential summer break books and movies, turn to page 20

arts

20

Starlight: building punk continued from page 13

This is perhaps what made this show so special: theirs was a performance that united both the band and audience, creating such an intimate connection that the show engulfed the entire room.

The band wasn’t playing to the audience, but rather alongside them, and it was abundantly clear how important this fusion was to the incredibly communal atmosphere of the show. In lieu of an encore, the band invited fans to join them onstage for a dance party featuring the builtin rhythms from Chris Schroeder’s keyboard, which really concluded the night perfectly.

After the whirlwind of a set that seemed much shorter than it actually was, it was as clear to me — just as it was to the band’s more devout following — that What’s He Building There? is one of the most precious musical entities that the local K-W scene has to offer, and I doubt they’ll remain a local secret much longer.

Post-set, Jacques had a deservingly relieved glow surrounding him, and a smile that didn’t show signs of disappearing over the remainder of the evening. I asked him what the band would be doing in the future after finally finishing their long-overdue project.

“I’d like to play some shows out east,” he said, “and hopefully some shows out west. I’d assume we’ll start writing some new material for the next record down the road.”

The band’s webpage, whbit.com, was also unveiled for that night.

The website should definitely be consulted by curious readers, to see the next time this band is playing in the area.

Trust me and hop onto this bandwagon before it gets too full, because missing another experience like this out of ignorance would be unfortunate for any fan of ambitious metal.

I wish I’d had a fucking camera. aking@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

WIN A FREE DOUBLE PASS to the new Samuel L. Jackson Movie

It’s easy! Just sign the sheet at the Imprint Office

everything is HOTTER down south

(Room 1116 in the SLC)

and get a free double pass to see Black Snake Moan at the Original Princess Cinema!

Winners can pick up tickets at the Imprint office daily 9:30am - 4:30 pm starting Monday April 2

6 Princess St. W, Uptown Waterloo

www.princesscinemas.com • 519-88502950

Tickets are good for TWO admissions to Black Snake Moan Playing April 2 - April 5. 9:15pm

CHEAPEST STUDENT IMPRINT March 30. 2007 FLIGHTS TO EUROPE!

$

100 off

continued from page 19

Achewood Chris Onstad

The Secret Under My Skin Janet McNaughton

No Direction Home Martin Scorsese

Free online at www.achewood.com

$12.34

$12.34

Oh rainy days. You can spend them sitting in front of your computer wading through gigs of internet porn, beating the crap out of your siblings or something lame like reading a book.

But if you have no siblings and want an activity to take up more than 10 minutes of your time, check out Achewood – a seriously good online comic.

Reader, don’t turn your nose up at me. This ain’t your old geeky gaming comic; rather it’s a weird breed of meme-creating humour that will soon spread infectiously among your group of friends. The characters are lovable and interesting, but the various story arcs make this comic worth spending a few hours on.

I suggest you grab yourself a bottle of Christian Brothers and start from the very beginning. For the impatient (or unsure), skip to The Great Outdoor Fight — a story arc detailing Ray’s participation in an outdoor fight between 3,000 people. Fucking intense, to say the least.

Though it may seem a daunting feat, working your way through Achewood’s archives is incredibly easy.

The plot propels you along; leaving you wanting to read the next one.

At times it gets absurd. I’m not talking mere exaggeration here — some of the gags and gimmicks in Achewood have absolutely no grounding in reality.

It’s all original, and all fantastic.

As far as free comics go, Achewood takes the cake. The art is neat, the plot and dialogue are exceptional. Have another spork of Christian Brothers — do it for the children.

The Secret Under My Skin by Janet McNaughton is a must-read novel. The novel is set in 2368, in a dystopian world where technology is widely feared as the cause of recent environmental disasters, and scientists are condemned to concentration camps. Written in first person, the novel follows the journey of Blay Raytee, a young girl living in a work camp for homeless children. Blay is chosen from among the children to help Marella, the new bio-indicator, with her studies.

Bio-indicators like Marella are individuals who are much more sensitive to environmental toxins and serve as a warning system for other citizens. As Blay helps Marella, she discovers not only the hidden truth about the technocaust, but also the secret of her own past.

The Secret Under My Skin offers a terrifying glimpse of a potential future for our world. It explores the issues of environmental degradation and political corruption through a rich, vivid setting. Blay herself is a wonderfully crafted narrator. The secrets of her own past are intrinsically connected with the secrets of the technocaust that the government is trying to hide. Her search for the truth builds suspense and leaves readers eagerly turning the pages,wondering what the ending will be.

Not only is the novel an enchanting story, but it is also a book you can read over and over. Pick it up and spend a warm summer day immersed in Blay’s world and the secrets hidden just under the skin.

For some strange reason I have a deep and undying love for Bob Dylan. So, when I finally got around to watching No Direction Home, I was highly impressed.

The Scorsese film follows Dylan’s early life from his beginnings in Minnesota to the production of his early records and his protest songs. It focuses on his transition from folk singer to what he is today, and how difficult this was both for him and the people who listened to his music at the time.

Most footage of his performances and Dylan during this period involve people booing him or people were walking out of the concerts.

The film links moments in folk music with the goings-on in America, such as the march on Washington and the war in Vietnam, and splices in commentary of present day Dylan and his thoughts on how he felt at the time. Other artists who knew Bob, like Joan Baez, also give their thoughts on these events and how they were affected by them.

Through No Direction Home, you get a little history of someone considered a living legend, and find out that for a very large part of his early career, he was hated by the public, who wanted him to remain a folk singer with just an acoustic guitar. Early interviews also give insight into just how disenchanted he was with the whole fame thing, ignoring interviewers’ questions and refusing most requests of the public.

Even if you aren’t a fan of Dylan, this is a great movie about the changing times in the United States during the 1960s, and the musical and art movement that created the Beat Generation.

— Tim Alamenciak

-— Adrienne Raw

— Emma Tarswell

$3.00 at amazon.ca

*

ZOOM & Transat’s already low fares. Only at Travel CUTS. BOOK NOW OR MISS OUT! *Ask our Agents for details and availability.

University Shops Plaza 170 University Ave. W (519) 886-0400 1-888-FLY-CUTS (359-2887)

Summer: fill your days with books at the beach, and your nights with movies not mosquitoes

A Farewell to Arms Ernest Hemingway

Students save an additional

Canada’s Student Travel Experts

www.travelcuts.com

Friday, March 30, 2007

The thing to do is this: go away. Buy some brandy and vermouth. Find a northern lake. Somewhere the mosquitoes and blackflies are your only companions. Set up a camp, turn off your cell phone, and spend the next week doing nothing but drinking small drinks and reading A Farewell to Arms.

It was published in 1929; Hemingway’s second novel after The Sun also Rises. It was the book, as he said later in Lillian Ross’ A Portrait of Hemingway, that “won him the title” in the 20’s.

And it is a masterpiece. Set in World War I, and based on Hemingway’s experience as an American in Italy driving ambulances in the fight against the Austrians, it is a love story, and an adventure story, so masterfully

written in such simple, concise language as that makes you understand — and feel — Tenente’s isolation, his distance from the war and the world around him, and the great love that comes to overshadow it all.

You’ll read of explosions and you’ll cringe. You’ll feel through Tenente’s eyes as he slides his hand into the bloody hole that once was his knee cap and it will make your stomach heave.

You spend days and nights staring out his window in the hospital, and it will make you want to drink. You’ll visit Italy, fall in love with the country, row to Switzerland, fall in love with that country, but in a different, awe-struck way. Then you’ll get to the end and .... we’ll leave it for now. Chances are you won’t forget the end.

Then you can put the book down, look out on your lake and listen to the loon call. You will understand

loneliness, and that there is nothing more than to be alone. Isn’t that what summer is all about?

— Shawn Bell

Features Imprint

22

Friday, March 30, 2007

features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Features Editor: Ellen Ewart Features Assistant: Christina Ironstone

Backpacks and bridegrooms While most students prepare themselves for exams and term papers, some of their peers are preparing for something else — married life.

Kinga Jakab staff reporter

Happy couples are everywhere.

They walk around campus like regular students, but they’re not.

They have husbands and wives. Last night, while you were avoiding your insane roommate and noticing how his food was creeping dangerously close to your side of the fridge, Jessica McLaughlin, 23, and her husband “cooked dinner together, met up with another couple at Dooley’s to play pool, then came home, took a bath and had sex.” It’s not exactly your typical student-life evening.

After dating for one year, McLaughlin married her fiancé last summer. “He supports me, makes me feel excited about life and is my best friend. It also doesn’t hurt that everything physical is ten times better with him than with anyone else,” she said. McLaughlin and her fiancé lived together first and she says they talked casually about getting married, so the proposal came as a surprise.

Malia Moua, 22, was married at the age of 19. “Yes, I know I was young,” she said. “In our culture, there is no such thing as dating or engagement.

Once you’re seen with someone of the same ethnic background as you are, you’re considered ‘married.”

They waited one year before getting married. Moua had two weddings; the first a cultural wedding, which is a two day affair, in 2004; then held a ceremony and obtained legal marriage licenses in Canada in 2005. She spoke to him of marriage here and there, but knew they “would end up together in the long [run] anyway.”

Her family, however, did not expect the big news to be announced so soon. “They did not like it at all, especially my dad. My dad went to school for a long time to obtain his PhD, [it] was very heart-breaking for him to hear that his oldest daughter withdrew from university for marriage.” Moua worked in her husband’s family restaurant for two years before returning to school.

But leaving school is not the answer for everyone. For Erin Jones, who requested her real name not be used, student and married life are a fine balance. Married in February 2007, Jones is 21 and accepted to graduate school at UW. Jones and her husband dated for nine months before he proposed marriage.

With a wedding planned for October, they realized that “the wedding was becoming more about

other people and their feelings, and I asked him if he wanted to elope.”

Jones’ boyfriend moved in with her before their engagement and she made it clear that “school is my priority, so it’s his priority as well…That is something we discussed extensively before he moved.”

McLaughlin says her marriage has had positive effects on how she looks at education. Completing her fourth year at WLU, she says she has become more invested in her future and making sure that she doesn’t just get by.

But with married student life come a number of different concerns.

“We’ve had to grow up a bit and be like ‘ok, we’re combining our finances,’ but what does that mean when we have no money?”

Despite skipped terms or school years in the past, the young women agree that education is their number one priority; their careers and their husbands careers follow a close second.

Are kids in the near future for these couples? McLaughlin said, “Hell no.

Probably never.” Jones and Moua both agreed that the near future is a little too soon. “We already have a dog and he’s like a bratty kid anyway,” joked Jones, adding that she loves him despite that.

In fact, most of their student-life changes occurred in their social lives.

“Being married totally affected group hang outs, which I did not like too much.” Moua said. She feels that her culture is not accepting of a married woman unwilling to give up her social life.

Jones and her husband live together with their other roommates, who were witnesses at their wedding and have accepted her husband as a new friend. “I still hang out with my girlfriends,” she says. “I feel as though everything is pretty similar.”

McLaughlin shares a different story. “I have completely lost touch with one of my [close] girlfriends.

When I got engaged, I could tell she wasn’t happy for me and didn’t really support it. She actually said, ‘that’s weird’ when I first told her.

We gradually drifted after that.”

School and work are not enough for these girls. They wanted to take on the life responsibility of making someone else happy and working on a relationship day in and day out, while juggling their other daily responsibilities. Why now?

“Why would I wait?” McLaughlin asked. “I knew. I got married because we both wanted to make that commitment to each other.

Once you make that commitment

Valerie Leigh Broadbent

verbally, why put it off ? It was top priority for both of us.” Moua sheds a different light. “I lacked interest in school and kind of used marriage to escape from all the stress and I did not consider waiting, which I now think would have been best for both of us — especially me, since I still have so much maturing to do.

I was too anxious to get out of school and was far too damn naïve at the time to really look at everything from each angle.”

Having eloped, Jones said that it felt natural for both of them.

“We are not very public people, nor are we really extravagant. I know I want to be with this man for the rest of my life, and I know we have so many adventures to go through together. Why not do it as wife and husband?”

Jones feels no regret for escaping

a traditional wedding, saying that she would rather put that money towards “a down payment on a house or a beautiful vacation together.” She admits that although her parents eloped, their families’ initial reactions were negative.

“They were happy for us but incredibly disappointed that they missed the ceremony.” They told their parents first and let the wonders of the Facebook status to do the rest.

At 20-something, it’s hard to know exactly what we want to do and where we want to be, how do married students continue to find a strong sense of self ? Jones says that her and her husband “are both very independent people, but have the same goals.

“As long as you grow together, you can survive most changes. We are honest with each other, and if

something needs to change, we are mature enough to bring it up and find solutions.”

Moua added that “living with your partner and dating your partner are two completely different things.

It’s like you’re seeing someone new.

We made a lot of compromises.”

McLaughlin assures that “I know who I am. I don’t think it’s possible to be in a strong, healthy relationship if you don’t.”

Putting your partner’s happiness before your own is sometimes a necessity in a serious relationship and as students, it is hard to focus on another’s life while you’re focusing on starting your own. But with a lot of thought, love and a hint of fate, married students can maintain lasting, beautiful relationships. kjakab@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

features

Friday, March 30, 2007

23

Student soldier

Matt Austin talks about being a UW student in the Canadian Forces Darren Hutz imprint staff

“A great moment was coming to the realization that I absolutely love country music.”

Matt Austin, UW student and soldier, mused on a fond memory from one of the precious bright spots of his recently completed combat tour in Afghanistan.

“I’m a great fan of country music, now: Hank Williams, Tim McGraw. A great moment was singing country music with the guys in the back of an armoured vehicle, waiting after a long, hard day of construction. There with the guys I came over with — with my friends from Kitchener–Waterloo.” He went overseas into hostile territory as part of Task Force 3-06, with the 48th Field Engineers squadron.

Austin is not an engineering student at UW, though. “I’ll never be a [commanding] officer among the field engineers,” he said with a chuckle, holding up his naked, iron-ringless pinky finger. He is instead in arts, majoring political science.

Austin began his university career as ordinarily as anyone. Through second-year, he felt like he was stumbling

with his studies, and like many arts students facing the endless mounds of abstract theory, Austin’s concentration wavered a tad.

Austin, however, made a commitment to change that so many of us do not. He did so by joining the Canadian Army reserves and by summer 2004 our government was giving him basic military training.

That September, he noticed an immediate improvement. “After basic, I experienced a noticeable change in my life it was a focus on deadlines — the focus on time.”

Focusing on time would be important for Austin for the next eight months. He was elected Senator-atlarge May 1, 2005. He occupied the position and took classes, all the while continuing his training on every other weekend and every Thursday. “It makes for a very hectic schedule.”

Summer 2005 saw Austin proceeding with the third level of his training: his combat engineer training.

By that time Austin’s discipline was finely honed. “It’s about presenting a good character; about making sure to be knowledgable about something before you speak.”

Not that he has to worry about his knowledge level. Austin hopes

“Maybe he’s right, maybe he’s wrong, but in the end you follow your leader.”

to pursue a thesis about rebuilding Afghanistan and finish his degree before returning to active duty.

“Having decided to go on tour in 2006 has set me back for more than a year of university,” noted Austin, a battle-worn Blackberry on his belt.

“I can’t graduate later than 2011, I just can’t.”

With three years under his belt, Austin was well-equipped to decide to tour in Afghanistan. But what if his education in political science filled him with theories and ideals that might, at times, butt heads with a direct order?

“Some of what you learn broadly, in a textbook, filters down sometimes to the actual situation,” he said.

“There might be a conflict of interest in your head: ‘maybe he’s right, maybe he’s wrong,’ but in the end you follow your leader.”

Such a philosophy requires an incredible level of trust, but as Austin said: “Your sergeants and commanders will not ask you to do something they wouldn’t do themselves. That is the cornerstone of good leadership: lead by example.”

But why did he leave in the first place? Why pull himself from the safety of a cozy Canadian university career and put himself directly in harm’s way? “It came down to a challenge. A complete challenge. It’s the total test of body and mind, at

courtesy matt austin

the same time you’ll see things, […] have moments that‘ll affect your life.

You’ll have great moments and sad moments, but in the end very, very, few troops come back unchanged [...] It changed my outlook on life.

Definitely, absolutely, you have to love your youth […] Of course I’m going to try surfing. You’re damn right I’m going to go white water rafting!”

And on top of that, he wants to go back. After finishing his degree Austin would like to continue to ascend the ranks. “I like being in the field a lot […] I’d like go as far as my ability will allow.”

But Austin prefers active duty to a desk job. “God forbid I be taken out of the field,” he said. “That

would be the end of my career right there.”

Austin has found himself in interesting and complementary roles. As student, senator, then soldier, each role granted him insight into the other two and through that he has discovered a future for his degree.

“For the arts students who are finding it hard to take a direction.

If they’re not happy with their studies, how can they be happy working with what they studied […] you can certainly take a double-take on your career as a student. If you’re forcing yourself through university […] Who are you trying to impress?” dhutz@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

APRIL 20 - 22, 2007 Come, join us for an insightful weekend of learning and discernment on the vocation of the missionary priest.

Open to men aged from 21-35 who want to learn more about the personal and spiritual side of the missionary priest in today’s global reality.

TOPICS • Dynamics of the Call to Priesthood • Spirituality for a Priest Missioner today Contact: Email: Tel:

• Story Panel, Q&A • Priorities of Scarboro Missions • How we live our Mission

Fr. Mike Traher SFM mtraher@scarboromissions.ca 416-261-7135 ext 250

to get busy.

For Kelvin Redvers, free time means stime Student Association

Come for a great weekend!

Check out: http:// www.scarboromissions.ca/ SFM_Priests/priests.php

Nation Putting as much passion into his First . Maybe you share that as he does his filmmaking, and his world for the Millennium Excellence spirit, making you a great candidate $10,00 0 plus unique learning Award. It’s a scholarship worth up to only academic achievers, but opportunities for students who are not unities. So if you’re making comm their in tors innova and s leader also , tell us. grade the g makin as well as nce a differe

features

24

Friday, March 30, 2007

Lights, camera, homemade porn Summer vacation is coming up and many of you will be returning home for the next four months. For those of you who found a sweetie while at university, this means having to endure a temporary long distance relationship (LDR). LDRs can be pretty hard on the sex life, but one way to keep the fires of love burning is to maintain regular contact. Not just the “I miss you more, no I miss you more” phone calls, I’m talking about more intimate contact: the phone sex, cyber sex, web-cam strip teases, and of course, the e-mailed nude photos.

In fact, you could start making your own special porn collection right now and create an impressive photo album to help remind you both about why you’re putting yourselves through a temporary LDR. Even if you aren’t facing an upcoming LDR, making your own porn can be a really fun way to spend some time together—with a hot souvenir!

Whether you are taking digital photos or filming your porn, you’ll want to make sure that your subject(s) look(s) their best. I recommend using soft lighting, but not too dim or the

quality will be grainy. The pros actually keep their cameras a little out of focus because it reduces the fine detail captured and makes their subjects look better — soft lighting can have a similar effect. You can soften up the lighting in a naturally lit room by putting thin white paper or a white shower curtain over the window and setting up a piece of white Styrofoam opposite the window as a reflector.

Another good tip is to keep your “problem areas” covered. If you hate your thighs, wear a skirt; if you hate your calves, keep them out of the shot; if you hate your ass, film it in flattering ways or not at all. You can make your ass look nicer on camera by bending over and sticking it out — that makes the muscles look tighter and irons out dimples.

Guys, you can make yourselves look longer by giving your pubes a trim and shaving back any of the hair on your shaft.

They are your photos, so if you love how your penis looks from the side, film it from the side; if you’re proud of your breasts, make them a feature. Remember, just because you’re trying to take sexy pictures, it doesn’t mean you have to be fully naked, only show off the parts of your body that you like the best!

Now, think about what you want to do in the pictures/film. Do you want to be taking your clothes off frame by frame? Do you want to be masturbating? Do you want to be having sex with

your partner or another consenting adult? Decide what you want to show and how you want to show it. If you are feeling really professional, you might even want to draw up a storyboard.

It’s also important to consider why you are filming or taking pictures of this.

Are you photographing your partner for your private collection? Photographing yourself for a partner who is far away? Or is it for your amateur porn site that you created to help pay for textbooks? You’ll want to set up shots that will be pleasing to your target audience; if it’s photos for your partner, ask them to tell you what they’d like to see or have them direct the shoot.

Next, pick your venue. Public places might not be a good idea because you risk being found and fined for public nudity; it might be hard to explain to the staff at Dana Porter why you were naked in the stacks with your strap-on.

I recommend sticking to private places: your bedroom, your office, your lab. Places where you are not going to be interrupted mid-shoot and where you can feel free to do whatever you want.

If you don’t have a tripod I recommend choosing a venue that has shelves or other surfaces to put the camera on while you shoot. Set the camera on the surface and check the display.

Make a note of what parts of the room are in the frame so that you can stay in the shot. The

beauty of digital technology is that you can even take a test picture of yourself to help pick the right place to stand/sit/kneel/lay so that you and/or your subject look best.

Try out some poses for the camera, try things you’ve seen in porn and keep checking your pictures to make sure you like what you’re seeing. But, above all, have fun with it! You’re now a super sexy amateur porn star!!

Tips: If you are using a flash, don’t put the camera below whatever you are shooting unless you are shooting a close-up. If the flash is below the subject of the shot, the whole upper half of your amateur porn star will be cast into very non-sexy shadow.

Instead of saying “cheese” try saying “prune” to get a sexy pout going.

Need a “cum” shot? Try using egg whites as a substitute for the real thing.

It’s easier to control exactly where it goes and you can get ridiculous portions if you want.

For many of you not returning in the summer semester (my final semester at UW), this may be the last time that you read me in print for a while. I just want to thank you for your readership and say that it’s been a blast; I hope that you will keep up with me at Imprint online and at my personal blog http://shayssexcolumn.blogspot. com. Have a great summer! ssparling@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Are you getting ready to graduate with your degree but don’t really have a focus?

“Turn Your Degree Into a Career”

We offer post-grad certificates in the fields of Business, Engineering and Information Technology, Health Sciences and Language Conestoga College ITAL in Kitchener can assist you! Conestoga has been the number one rated college in Ontario for the past eight years. One of the reasons is our outstanding post-graduate programs!

School of Business Applied Organizational Leadership and Development Accounting and Information Technology Event Management Human Resources Management (Co-op and non Co-op) Professional Accounting Practice School of Engineering & Information Technology Computer Applications Development Digital Media Environmental Engineering Applications (Co-op and non Co-op) Wood Manufacturing Management

School of Health Sciences, Community Services & Biotechnology Applied Counselling Cardiac Care for Registered Nurses Career Development Practitioner Critical Care for Registered Nurses Dementia Studies – Multidiscipline Gerontology – Multidiscipline Hearing Instrument Specialist Intravenous Therapy for RN’s and RPN’s Palliative Care Multidiscipline Perinatal Health Perioperative Nursing for RN’s and RPN’s Registered Nurse Emergency Nursing Registered Nurse Oncology Nursing Working with Dementia Clients – Multidiscipline

Conestoga Language Institute Teaching English as a Second Language School of Trades & Apprenticeship Computer Numerical Control Machining

For more information go to our website www.conestogac.on.ca click on “Programs and Courses” and look for “Post-Graduate” programs.

Friday, March 30, 2007

features

25

Indulge your senses with a lil’ reading Paul Bryant staff reporter

WORDS are meaningless. Or, rather, inked graphemes on a page are meaningless until we transform them into symbols. By designing a system of symbols and arranging them in different ways, we create more complex scribbled patterns that come to represent particular concepts, abstract or concrete. I think we take words for granted. Today, I’d like to share with you the power of words in a SynAestHetic exploration of what these little symbols can do.

Let’s begin with a scatter of questions.

What makes our favourite literary authors superior to others? Why do scholastic readings have the tendency to be dull? How can Shakespeare be lauded as a genius when so many consider him a bore? Certainly, the language used plays a role, but in what respect?

My argument here will be that the most engaging reading is multisensory and absorptive. After all, we experience this wonderfully sick world exclusively through a mish-mash of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, so our most trenchant reading should be borne of our perceptions.

SIGHT is obviously a significant component of reading, as we visualize words in our imaginations. Thus, if I ask you to picture a chupacabra, one will pop into your head (depending on your expertise in the area of Puerto Rican folklore), and if you’re unfamiliar, my describing it as “a bug-eyed, monstrous thing with lizard skin and quills” should produce a reasonable facsimile by pasting together your mental tags for “bug-eyed,” “monster,” “lizard,” and “quill.” So, regardless of whether or not you knew what a chupacabra was previously, you will now picture the bizarre creature your imagination just constructed whenever that word kisses your retina again.

How about TASTE? The genesis of this article was a friend’s thought that I might be a lexical gustatory synaesthete (a person who experiences a taste when they hear or read certain words or phonemes), but the tastes would be involuntary if that were the case.

Anyway, I do tend to use “flavourful” words disturbingly often. Practicing recall of tastes can yield sentences that taste like creamy whirls of chocolate with gleaming globs of caramel upon frosty vanilla ice cream. Did you taste it?

Let’s try a few more. Candy apple. Sweet tart. Maraschino cherry. Orange soda. Sour key. Belgian waffle. Horseradish! Sorry, that was cruel of me. Have a strawberry shortcake.

Olfaction, or SMELL, can also rise from words, of course. Detergent. Mowed lawn. Cologne.

Rose. Comic book. Pine tree.

And I’m confident that I can give you the sensation of TOUCH through words as well.

Copious descriptors will facilitate this, as a “rabbit” is not as evocative as a “warm, soft, fluffy bunny whose whiskers tickle your face,” and “dentist visit” is no substitute for “pointy, metallic scraping tool that picks, squeaks and digs into your molars like a burning needle of white-hot electricity.” Feel that? I sure did.

Véronique Lecat

SOUND also benefits from ample adjectives, yet simple noises are easier to bring to life on paper than music. I define “ease” here as a low level of reader responsibility; “meow” takes less cognitive resources to process than “Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor.”

Clash, clang, clatter, smash, boing, ka-chunk, ding-dong, chime, snap, boom, sizzle, babble, pop, beep, hiss, coo, hoot, buzz, honk, squeak, squawk, chirp, pow, rumble — each of these words has a simple, onomatopoeic correspondence to the sound it represents.

Then we have “medium” level words, like crescendo, thunder, alarm and xylophone strike, whose sounds are dissimilar to the words that evoke them. Finally, the most complex auditory words involve entire cacophonies of sound, like “construction site,” “mall chatter,” or “99 Luft Balloons.” Oftentimes, these loaded word combinations are responsible for driving you insane, as when you can’t get a freaking annoying song out of your head just because someone mentioned it. “Macarena.”

Have fun.Fortunately, the stickiness of perceptual sensations to words allows us to recall enormous amounts of information with just a few alphabetic symbols, if we approach them in a MULTISENSORY way.

Try “beach.” You see the ocean, taste island punch, smell hot sand and salty air, feel the rush of water around your ankles, and hear waves crashing ashore. Well, I do; your conception of a “beach” may evoke memories of a past significant other, a trip to some tropical island, or a horrific shark attack. Cool, huh?

Likewise, “September” invokes a plethora of school memories for many people, but what do New Yorkers remember? “UW” means far more to you than the average person, I would imagine. You probably refrain from unpacking everything that these letters hold, though, lest you lose your mind from bombardment of an academic journey’s worth of sensory experience — that’ll wake you up in the morning.

Anyhow, this deep, multisensory processing can improve your engagement with what you’re reading, and therefore, your recall of that information later on. Then again, doing this with abstract concepts is often prickly… which may explain how I can remember the intricacies of Hogwarts Castle better than grade 12 calculus.

One final thought to consider is how the presentation of words can impact our experience of text and our ABSORPTION in it. You’ve

definitely been absorbed in a book before; it’s that phenomenon of losing yourself inside a collection of pages.

Sometimes, employing textual tricks can have a powerful effect, and really stress your message. And, uh… you can indicate… you know, a person’s, uh – inflection just by… just by mimicking the, um – uh, colloquial language.

However, OVERuse of these VisUaL indicators of emphasis and s-t-y-l-e can cOnfuSe and diSorieNt your audience, *such* thaT the Main point is l o s t in the MeDiA. Utilizing superfluous adjectives and amalgamating polysyllabic grapheme menageries conjointly precipitates superficial textual absorption, but small words with one beat each in a long line can make you seem like a tyke who does not know a lot of words, so one must employ a happy medium to facilitate this absorptive state, as neither pretension nor oversimplification is going to work. You want the reader to get lost in your writing.

Our lives are a collection of puzzle-piece perceptions and modern life is largely experienced as a series of symbols. I would like to challenge you to take full advantage of the multisensory symbolic power of language.

Combine words; mix senses. Stretch your imagination with synaesthetic mixtures like peppermint black light, gelatin timpani, bumpy screaming kaleidoscope, liquid xylophone or luminescent satin choral truffle.

The possibilities are endless, so get lost in words! pbryant@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

live? o t lace p a r g fo n i k Loo

Look no further...

WCRI offers a variety of student housing styles, including 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedroom apartments and dormitory-style residence rooms.

Apply now for Spring (residence rooms only) and Fall 2007.

You can’t get better than this!

Benefits from choosing WCRI: - Minutes walk from UW campus, - Lower than market fees, - On-site laundry and maintenance, - Regular organized social events, - And much more.

WCRI: A whole new way to live together!

Contact us today for more information or to arrange a tour. web: www.wcri.coop e-mail: info@wcri.coop phone: 519-884-3670 address: 268 Phillip Street, Waterloo

features

26

Friday, March 30, 2007

Sumptuous salmon Goodness can be found in a can.

I have a simple recipe, whose spotlight ingredient comes straight out of a can. Well, that line certainly may have an unappealing ring to it, but canned goods do not deserve the negative connotations associated with them. Not only are canned items a practical alternative, if you shop smart, they can help reduce your grocery bills.

Best of all, rather than wait for produce to be in season or offered at a reduced price, by opening up a different can, you can attain variety in your meals anytime you choose to do so.

In addition, you do not have to worry about these foods spoiling like the fresh kind, and there is a lot less prep work involved (crack it open with a can opener and you are ready to go), leaving you with more free time on your hands, rather than spending it slaving away at the stove.

In order to refute the evidence stacked up against canned goods, first a history lesson: canning was developed in 1825 as a way of preserving foods for long periods of time. Back then, the process of canning involved boiling food in jars

to kill off any bacteria. This method made the jars sterile, to which they were then sealed and could be stored for long periods of time. However, this original method altered the taste, texture and nutritional value of the foods.

Fortunately, with advancements in food preservation, the majority of foods are now stored in cans and, while they are still heated to very high temperatures, they are done so with alternative methods without compromising the quality of the food.

Some research and a visit to Nutrition.org offered a wealth of information, in particular that canned goods provide about the same amounts of vitamins and minerals, and with certain foods, protein and fibre, to its fresh counterpart. The reason for this is because the products are canned when the nutrient value of that food is at its peak. This ensures that the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals are preserved.

In addition, the myth that canned items contain unhealthy amounts of salt, sugar, fat and other preservatives is false. We should give credit to advancements in technology, which make it possible for us to can goods in water, allowing consumers to reap the complete benefits of canned food sources rather than harmful additives.

Canned goods not only provide a healthy source of nutrients, but

in some instances, it can also surpass amounts found in the fresh variation.

Take fish for example: the canned fish variety provides more calcium than a fresh fish. The reason for this is that fresh fish was to be de-boned in order to be consumed, but the canning process softens small bones, enabling them to be eaten.

These bones are a good source of calcium needed for maintaining healthy bones. Fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and kippers are all sources of vitamin A and B, as well as containing chain omega-3 fatty acids, which play a role in the prevention of heart disease.

The long chain omega-3 fatty acid content is comparable to that found in fresh fish.

This dish does not do modesty well. It will definitely draw a sea of admirers — and why wouldn’t it?

Following in a path of tradition, fish cakes, such as salmon, always include mashed potatoes in the mixture — something worth priding upon.

The thick, crunchy exterior gives way to the fish’s vibrant pink colour and soft textured flesh, marrying well with the hearty snow-white mashed potatoes. Finish it off with some grilled vegetables and you have yourself a dish which will be the envy of your roommates. tli@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Salmon fish cakes For the fishcakes: 2 cups mashed potatoes (a few chunks left in is all right) 14-15 ounces (about 2 213g cans) of canned salmon 1 tbsp mayonnaise 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper 1 tsp lemon juice Salt and pepper 1 egg For coating and frying: 2 eggs 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or a mix, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs) 1/4 cup unsalted butter 2 tbsp vegetable oil In a large bowl, mix together all the fishcake ingredients (preferably with your hands).

Cover a baking sheet with plastic wrap, used your hands and form thick, palm-sized patties. Place these on the baking sheet and put in the refrigerator to firm up for about 20 minutes to an hour. The longer the time, the better the patties will hold together.

Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and sprinkle the breadcrumbs onto a plate, creating your breading station. One by one, dip the fishcakes into the beaten egg and then into the breadcrumbs, sprinkling and dredging over, help coating them.

When ready to cook the cakes, put the butter and oil in a large frying pan, heat till it begins to sizzle and then fry the fishcakes on each side, until the both sides have lightly golden brown crusts and centres are just heated through.

Sudbury Ontario Canada

www.laurentian.ca

features

Friday, March 30, 2007

27

Indie tips from a budding indie artist Peter Trinh staff reporter

I have not yet “made it big,� as the saying goes. Sure, I’ve heard some great comments from friends like, “Man, your art’s so cool,� all the way to nasty remarks from others such as, “I don’t get this anime thing.� And as history repeats itself, some of the most famous people in the world today are defined by receiving the strongest of both types. But alas, I’m only big in UW, doing volunteer work at Imprint with tens or so of my friends and fans cheering me on. You could say that I’ve got a good amount of indie cred, save the fact that of such music, I mostly listen to the indie-going-mainstream (or as scenesters say, ‘bad’) kind.

But that’s enough of my wish to grow an awesome beard and wear a newsie hat. Based only on my four-year highschool artistic knowledge, here are some steps from me about becoming an aspiring comic artist.

1. The best way to improve at comics is to explore different art eras and styles (if you want). The first bit of this step is an age-old statement that I’ve heard from many artists and art instructors, and I’m glad that I follow it. You’d be surprised how much you can be influenced by work from Degas or DaVinci. Depending on your dedication, knowing art history’s like referencing Latin without looking like an idiot. Even new stuff, like reading webcomics, is a valid form of research. With each new webcomic on my browser’s bookmark list (as of this date, 49), my art style has grown with each new example. Even my writing, to me, has started to improve just by reading Ryan North’s Dinosaur Comics and Ryan and Natalie Dee’s Married to the Sea. And then, there are the parentheses.

I despise Post-Modern art. Sometimes, I wonder how a work with teeth pouring out of a tube stuck up an albino’s anus is supposed to be inspiring. Second, I choose what I like from diferent eras, and I’m very picky.

Don’t get me wrong with this point: I agree and appreciate that Warhol was an art and media icon, but as for me, I prefer Lichtenstein’s comic-panel artwork over Warhol’s clone-image paintings any day.

2. Find an art style that at least has your own good charms and touch. Seriously. People say that originality is dead, and I agree with this statement. On the other hand, people also say that originality can be recreated by fusing different unoriginal styles and genres. Think about the funk-thrash-metal band Primus, and you’ll see what I mean. Of course,

the latter of the two given statements can also be false. Think about a good amount of samples in over-budget hip-hop music, and you’ll see what I mean. If you’ve looked at some of my graphics in the past few Imprint articles, you can see that trend in my own works. Albeit, my works are pretty different than the works of Scott Pilgrim’s Bryan Lee O’Malley and Penny Arcade’s Mike Krahulik (which also share a certain East Asian flavour in their works). But many of my friends are considerate, expressing the great hyperbole that my artwork is “unique and refreshing.�

3. Angst is your friend. Just don’t over-friend it. I cannot stress this enough. It should be fine if you have emo-like tendencies, but to be full-blown negative about your works can make you very disrespectful in today’s world. There is a strong

difference between constructive criticism and being flamed by jerks, and what type of response is usually determined if you are or are not “so emo� as the kids say nowadays.

Example: “My artwork’s total shit. You should have no reason to like it. Don’t even think of faving it on deviantART, ‘cos it’s so not worth it! I should know. I totally suck and should not even exist.�

Now, I’ve seen some great illustrations that were drawn due to a moment of angst or catharsis that a person had to endure. Doubting your art can oddly enough be a way to improve it in the future, as well; it’s called self-criticism. But if you doubt your art too much, you become a cartoonist too disturbed for the common eye. Abstract is good. Avant garde: maybe, and sometimes, it’s a bonus.

But overly-depressing art is like div-

ing into a shark-infested pool with a suit made of bloody horsemeat: the consumers will love you, but the pain suffered by you and other viewers can be too much to handle.

4. Practise! That’s basically it for this one. If you’ve got comicy gusto keep going at it, and it should get better over the days, months, and/or years. It helps to mimic other styles to gain experience, as long as that style doesn’t become the only one you use to draw!

5. Exposure is KEY. Find a way to show off your work to people other than your siblings. Spam out the link to a portfolio website you may have made for your work. As long as it’s legal, it’s fine. Go on your own way.

But please: remember me if/when you become famous. I’m no Goya.

To those in the not-know-how, that image of The Third of May in my guest

Thi Ça p

sc

ourr

oul

ait ĂŞ

db

tre v

ey

our

otre

‘tutorial’ was a cut-out from Wikipedia. How do you respect something like that from a person who hates the idea of wrapping tires around a stuffed goat as art? I do hope that you’ve learned something from my tips and tricks though, such as thinking if there is a certain limit or not for calling a comic good-looking. Also, researching the past, in any way, is still a great way to get you inspired on drawing some sweet character designs and/or backgrounds.

So there you have it. My tips to almost making it big: research, style, emotion, practise, exposure, picking and choosing your way to victory. With these tips, and by browsing a few tutorial books here and there, you’re well on your way to hopefully becoming an indie-comic artist extraordinaire. ptrinh@uwaterloo.ca

lau

ndr buan omat deri . e.

!TTENTION 3TUDENTS 7ELCOME HOME TO 4RANS'LOBE !FFORDABLE 3TUDENT !PARMENTS 7BSJFUZ PG SFOUBM VOJUT UP BDDPNNPEBUF EJĂľFSFOU MJWJOH BSSBOHFNFOUT $POWFOJFOUMZ DMPTF UP DBNQVT IS FNFSHFODZ DPOUBDU OVNCFS QFBDF PG NJOE GPS UIF QBSFOUT

4UFQT UP TIPQQJOH SFTUBVSBOUT

,ET 4RANS'LOBE FIND YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME

1-888-310-7000

XXX (0USBOTHMPCF DPN

www.canada123go.ca 1-877-go123go

TRAVEL & WORK ABROAD VOYAGER ET TRAVAILLER À L’ÉTRANGER

features

28

Friday, March 30, 2007

A $30 dose of post-war culture shock Cindy Ward reporter

Watch out society — I’m coming to get you. I’m full of piss and vinegar and I’ve had it up to here with you.

I just wish I could take all of society and flush it down the fucking toilet and start over again. Funny I should find myself all bent out of shape on a Sunday afternoon, but it’s been a hell of a weekend.

I sort of feel like the last customer in my cab on Friday night. He really freaked me out at the time. After dropping him off, there was absolutely no way I could take any more customers — I was done — it was definitely time to call it a night.

We started the ride with him mumbling incessantly; stuff like, “Just a number — nobody cares if I get sand in my boots — just looking after the boys, can’t — you’re in the doorway.” “Just looking after the boys . . . get sand in my boots, nobody cares. 110 degrees . . I go from 110 degrees to 20 degrees. 110 degrees to 20 degrees.”

This consistent ranting was more than a wee bit freaky. I wasn’t sure what to do. I wondered at first if maybe he had Tourette’s — seriously, he was in a weird place in his head.

Mind you, I picked him up outside a bar at 2:30 in the morning — but that wasn’t the drink talking; that was absolutely not the drink talking.

Based on his destination, I was completely aware that we were going to end up spending the better part of $30 dollars together so I figured I had nothing to lose by joining his game. Maybe if I showed a little interest in getting to know him, he might not kill me.

So, he’d say things like “just a number,” and I chirped back, “Yeah, society is a bastard, isn’t it?” He looked at me. I looked at him. And then he’d say something like, “looking after the boys, always looking after them,” and I recall saying, “Well, someone’s got to.”

So, we got into this silly banter for a while during which time I don’t think either of us had a fucking clue as to what we were saying — but, damn it, it was just vague enough to pass for a conversation. Somewhere along the line I remember him dropping the bomb on me — literally. This was

his first night back from a tour in Afghanistan and he just wanted to go home, but nobody would let him.

Yup, this guy was fucked up, but at least I keow why; all of a sudden his weird poetry started to make a bit more sense. I felt somewhat relieved, but we were still $15 bucks away from his destination. It felt like we were going to the edge of the earth.

Shortly after the bomb, the conversation started to get pretty deep.

We both knew what we were talking about, and although I could never really know what it’s like to be in hell at the front lines, I poured on the compassion with as much reality as I could muster. I remember thinking at the time that my eyes better not open any futher lest the eyeballs pop right out.

If I can even dare try to translate his gist, this is about as close as I could make it out to be. He just got back from Afghanistan — he was probably a leader (whatever the terminology is — I don’t know), but he looked after “the boys.” Now that he’s home, his friends want him to take care of them too — sucked him dry of his coin at the bar, took advantage of his generosity and left him high and dry. He feels very alone. He’s home now, but it’s not the same.

Whomever is “at home” with him treats him like nothing has happened.

It’s probably like not knowing what to say to someone at a funeral, and small talk is misinterpreted as if the other person doesn’t care. He decides to go off to the bar with the boys to blow off some steam. 20 beers later and a couple lines of coke (just a wild guess), and he’s got himself convinced that life sucks, society is a bunch of phonies and nobody understands what he’s going through.

I’m apt to call it post-traumatic stress disorder and culture shock, but there’s definitely more to it. All of a sudden, it hit me — who in Canada is supporting the war in Iraq, let alone the tragedies in Afghanistan? Other than bitching about foreign policy on the issues, does anyone even give a damn about the men and women that are part of these bloody wars? This guy was in his mid to late 30s and I’m sure he wasn’t new to military life. Somehow, this tour of Afghanistan really seemed to rake him over the coals.

We were about four blocks away

from his drop-off when we came to a red light. He was still ranting about going from 110 degrees to twenty degrees when a car full of kids pulled up next to us at the intersection.

“Bam!” His fist hit the side window, ‘Look at those fucking idiots,” he said. “They have no clue. I could reach over there, twist their necks, and they wouldn’t know what hit them. I could kill them all... they don’t even appreciate it.”

I had four blocks left. I took a deep breath and said, “Not that it’ll make much difference, but I, for one, definitely appreciate what you do.” The question is, did I really mean it? I don’t know. I am so torn

about the atrocities of Afghanistan and Iraq. They have the faint odour of Vietnam — a war that people vehemently opposed — to the point that they denigrated their vets as they got off the plane and spit on them in the streets.

My question to society is this: How do we balance our distaste of the whole with empathy and acknowledgement of the individual crisis? It’s kind of like asking a determinist how we can be morally responsible.

After Vietnam, over 80,000 vets committed suicide — that’s more than the frontline casualties of that war. It makes me sick to think about it. I don’t want to see that happen

véronique Lecat

to Canadian soldiers. Somewhere deep down inside all of us we have to muster up the courage to develop an understanding of the crisis these men and women will probably face after experiencing the brutalities of war. So, what’s the answer?

Perhaps to stay open-minded, keep our empathy glasses firmly pasted to our noggins or perhaps watch Apocalypse Now over and over again until we get it. Regardless of what we think of war, these men and women need society to embrace their efforts, lest they wither away in obscurity and madness. cward@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

When life hands you lemons, forget lemonade; drink lemon juice — for the experience

Let’s face it: sometimes your best just isn’t good enough. Sometimes no measure of personal excellence will get you what you want.

What then? What do you do when everything you’ve worked towards amounts to nothing, and no matter how much you feel you’ve earned a break, it never comes?

If you’re like me, I’d recommend calling yourself to task. It’s a hard note to end this column on, I know, but a

diverse worldview must be practised as much as it is preached, and I fear I’ve proven a terrible hypocrite in this regard.

For instance, the road to my chosen profession — journalism — is uncertain, and as I progressed in my traditional studies I quickly learned that all the real lessons happened outside of the classroom, through my own research and experiences.

It’s also a grim fact that arts programs, while important, do not inherently produce good writers; for reporters especially, the real world is often the only classroom that matters.

As such, I spent the last year and a half gleaning all the knowledge I could from the Imprint environment.

In doing so, my priorities shifted more than is advisable from mainstream university studies.

I did little to prevent this simply because I knew journalism required a different education; I just didn’t know what this different education should be. I had to learn, essentially, what it is I needed to learn. To this end, I threw myself into new experiences and expanded my skill set extensively.

But again, sometimes your best just isn’t good enough — and my failing in particular makes me ashamed to bear the column name, “Jill of all Trades.”

Simply put, I failed to reach far enough for diverse experiences.

Imprint is an incredible learning environment, and one I highly

recommend to anyone wishing to improve their writing, reporting, editing, photography or layout skills.

But at the end of the day it is still a classroom, much like any other classroom on this campus. And all of us need to break free of that bubble to succeed.

I used to think it was enough to be the best at what you do: it isn’t. A diversity of experience is what more often counts — or rather, the broadly connected worldview that comes with a diversity of experience.

What you learn from flipping fries as a teen is not lost when you land a corporate job; never shun the lessons every event in your life will impart.

I also have no qualms saying that I am now deeply terrified about what the next few months

will bring. To an extent, I know that the incredible uncertainties now in my life will only force me to grow and adapt — and become stronger, surely, in the process. But I also know this is a lesson I grasp only in name at present; and despite my rampant fears of failing again — miserably — I look forward to learning it earnestly.

Whatever your own chosen course, and your own stumbling blocks this term, I sincerely hope you can say the same. Final farewells are tricky, but if I must leave you with parting words, let them be these: Good luck, good health and happy, lifelong learning. mclark@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

FRIDAY, march 30, 2007

VOLUNTEER

Campus Bulletin

Distress Line volunteers wanted – Canadian Mental Health Association is seeking caring volunteers to provide supportive listening and crisis deescalation to callers living in Waterloo Region. Please call 519744-7645, ext 300.

Student career assistants needed for 2007-2008. Career Services is looking for students to fill two volunteer positions. Depending on the position, you will gain valuable job search, marketing and career-related skills by either promoting events and services or by helping other students in their career planning and job search. Open to regular and co-op students who are creative and possess strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Applications available in Career Services, TC 1214, or from our web page at careerservices.uwaterloo.ca.

Summer volunteer opportunities with Grand River Hospital/Cancer Centre. Information sessions will be in March, April and early May. Please call 519-749-4300, ext 2613 or e-mail volunteer@grandriverhospital.on.ca for details.

Volunteers needed – volunteer with a child at their school and help improve their self-esteem and confidence. One to three hours a week commitment. Call Canadian Mental Health at 519-744-7645, ext 229.

Volunteer Action Centre – connecting talent and community – Do you enjoy organizing events? ACCKWA needs creative volunteers. For details call 519-570-3687 or e-mail volunteer@acckwa.com. Pride Stables is looking for individuals to lead our horses and sidewalk with children with disabilities. Volunteers must be 15 years of age or older. For more information contact 519-653-4686 or e-mail www.pridestables.com.

HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre is looking for peer support volunteers

to share info and resources to members. For info call 519-742-4673 or www.hopespring.ca. Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors needed. Call 519579-5150 or www.bbbskw.org. Community Justice Initiatives is offering training for group facilitators. For more info contact Stephanie at 519744-6549, ext 208 or stephaniec@ cjiwr.com. Would you like to have fun in the sun? Volunteers needed at the City of Kitchener to help staff run summer playgrounds for children. For info call Angie at 519-7412389.

Volunteer Services — City of Waterloo — 519-888-6488 or 519-8880409 or volunteer@city.waterloo. on.ca — “Royal Medieval Faire” seeks fun-loving, organized individuals for a mid-September event.

“Volunteer Gardeners” are needed to assist seniors home support. For info call 519-579-6930. “Reception and Office Assistant” needed at Wing 404 Adult Centre. “Parade Route Assistants” needed for Celebrate Waterloo 150 Anniversary event on May 26.

Volunteer opportunity available at Counselling Services for fall 2007.

Responsibilities include: organizing existing materials, obtaining new materials, researching websites and booking space in the SLC for awareness events. Approximately 3-4 hours per week. If interested or have any questions, contact Angie at algoertz@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Travel Cuts inks exclusive deal to offer Canada’s cheapest flights to Europe and the UK for students. For info call 1-866-246-9762 or travelcuts.com/contact us.

Hey students! Tune in weekly to “Morning Drive” with DJ Cool at

CKMS 100.3FM for important info on what is happening locally, on campus and in your area. Music, fun and more — morningdrive1@yahoo. ca.

Exchange opportunities to RhoneAlpes, France and Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany for the 2007-2008 academic year – to undergraduates and graduates. For additional informatiton and application form/deadlines contact Maria Lango, IPO, Needles Hall, room 1043, ext 33999 or by email: mlango@uwaterloo.ca.

Cigarette study — smokers needed. $70 cash paid. Please state your name, age and brand of cigarettes smoked most often. Call Sandy at 519-578-0873 or e-mail this info to smokesstudy@hotmail.com.

Turnkey Desk Recycles Batteries.

Drop your old batteries to the blue bin at Turnkey.

Spring is maintenance time – even for your pets. It’s time to make sure your pet has proper I.D. in case of becoming missing. It is a free service – sign up at www.creaturecomfort.ca or call 519-664-3366 for more information.

FINANCIAL AID March/April 2007 Stop by the Student Awards & Financial Aid Office to see if your OSAP grant cheques are available.

March 30 — recommended submission date for OSAP rollover form to add spring term.

April 13 – recommended last submission date for Continuation of Interest-Free Status Form for this term.

Also last day to pick up loans for this term. Check out our web site for a full listing of all our scholarships and bursaries. http://safa.uwaterloo.ca.

Janaury 21 there will also be a 4 p.m. worship. For more info call 519-8844404, ext 28604 or mcolling@renison.uwaterloo.ca.

UPCOMING Friday, March 30, 2007 International climate change expert Mark Jaccard (Simon Fraser University) will deliver a public lecture entitled ‘Fossil Fuels: Friends or Foes?’

This free event will take place in DC 1351 at 12:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Saturday, March 31, 2007 Drive out to Elmira and join in the annual Maple Syrup Festival in Elmira.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007 Laurier PoetryFest at Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick Street, Kitchener at 7 p.m. on April 4 and 5. Free event with charitable donation accepted.

For info call Clare at 519-884-0710 ext 2665 or www.wlupress.wlu.ca.

Thursday, April 5, 2007 Faculty of Arts presents a public lecture by Tim Kenyon on “Trawling for Columbine, school violence in the news media,” at 7 p.m. at Waterloo Public Library, UW. Everyone is welcome, free event.

Rotunda Gallery presents “Another Dirge to Daedalus” with Niall Donaghy. Exhibit opens April 5 from 5 to 7 p.m., Kitchener City Hall, 200 King St., W., Kitchener. For info call 519-741-3400, ext 3381.

CHURCH SERVICE St. Bede’s chapel at Renison College offers worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. or take a break mid-week with a brief silence followed by Celtic noon prayers on Wednesdays. Beginning

Premium three-bedroom townhouse unit in a professionally managed student complex. Perfect for students, close to UW campus. Now renting May or September 2007. Call Perry now at 519-746-1411 for all the details and to set up a showing.

Room for rent for a quiet individual in a detached home near both universities. Parking and all amenities.

Please call 519-725-5348.

Attention Cambridge School of Architecture students! Live conveniently and comfortably right across the street from school in this beautifully renovated apartment. 4, 8 and 12month leases available with excellent signing bonuses and rental incentives! Call Perry at 519-746-1411 for more details.

Five room house at Columbia and Hazel – large rooms, free laundry, parking, back yard, new paint and floors. $375/room. May lease, priced to move! Call Colin 519-859-8251 or cmcilveen@rim.com.

Five bedroom, two bathrooms, two kitchens, upstairs new, laundry, 10 minute walk to Universities, parking, excellent condition – must see. $2,200/month, utilities included, cable internet. Call 905-417-5538 for appointment.

A perfect four bedroom apartment to live in comfortably within a short walking distance to both campuses.

Enjoy the convenience of living in a great location close to many shopping amenities and the life of Uptown Waterloo. Call Perry now at 519-7461411 to set up a viewing today.

Available May 1, 2007 – minimum

Weekend counsellors and relief staff to work in homes for individuals with developmental challenges. Minimum eight-month commitment. Paid positions. Send resume to Don Mader, KW Habilitation Services, 108 Sydney Street, Kitchener, ON, N2G 3V2.

Window cleaner required for summer employment. Kitchener, $13 to start, 40-50 hours per week. Fax resume 519-749-4022. No highrise but second story ladder work involved daily.

Part-time employment available starting in April. Fun, games, sports and crafts with after-school children at Laurelwood Public School. Only a short walk from the university. Interested persons should leave a message at 519-741-8997.

Waitstaff needed at Almadina Egyptian Cuisine, in University Plaza facing Philip Street. Bring resume to store during business hours.

Excellent student work opportunity!

The Survey Research Centre (SRC) here at UW is currently seeking part-time telephone interviewers for the spring term. The SRC is an on campus research centre that offers a variety of survey services. Telephone interviewers are responsible for conducting quality-orientated interviews and performing other administrative tasks. Must be fluent in English and have a clear, strong speaking voice and excellent communication skills.

Experience in telephone work, data entry, or customer service is helpful but not required. Ability to speak French fluently is an asset. 10-12 hours per week required, mainly eve-

Classified and Campus Bulletin submission deadline is Mondays at 5 p.m.

Drop in to SLC room 1116, call 888-4048 or e-mail ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

� Top 10

RealTrax ring tunes TM

Week of March 19 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

8.

9.

Cupid's Chokehold

- Gym Class Heroes

Don’t Matter

- Akon

Glamorous

- Fergie

Irreplaceable

- Beyonce

On The Hotline

- Pretty Ricky

Outta My System (feat. T-Pain)

- Bow Wow

Poppin’

- Chris Brown

Rock Yo Hips

- Crime Mob

This Is Why I’m Hot (Chorus)

- MIMS

10. You - Lloyd

Text "PLAY" to 4800 on your Rogers wireless phone to download your favourite ring tunes today.

HELP WANTED four-month lease, very clean, 372B Churchill Crescent. Six bedroom, each room is $350-$375/month plus utilities. Free parking, laundry facilities included, two common rooms with TV, two kitchens, wireless capability throughout house and internet jacks in every room, 15 minutes from campus. Call Andrew at 416-5270369 or e-mail andrew.chalabardo@ hotmail.com.

Three bedroom apartment Hazel Street $400 includes utilities and parking. Also two bedroom apartment $900 and five bedroom $350.

Also eight rooms at 120 Columbia $400 plus. Call 519-746-6327 or 519501-1486.

House for summer available May 1, 2007. Four month rent. Up to five rooms available. Fully furnished house: washer, dryer, furniture included, two washrooms, large kitchen and common room. 15 minute walk to University of Waterloo campus. Excellent condition. $350/month/room, negotiable. Call Lindi: 519-888-6232 or cabbage_roll87@hotmail.com.

Amazing value – five bedroom licenced townhouse, air condition, laundry, internet, on bus route, 15 minute walk to UW, five minutes to shopping. Fall term, group of 4 - $400/room. Call Kate at 905-8253196.

Apartments and suites for grad students available May 1 at St. Paul’s grad apartments, on campus. Apply now. Call 519-885-1460, ext 212 or stpauls@uwaterloo.ca.

HAS CONCLUDED FOR THE WINTER TERM. mAY 4 is the first issue of the spring term.

7.

Classifieds HOUSING

29

nings and weekends. Starting wage is $11.50 an hour. Please send resume to Lindsey Skromeda, by e-mail at lmskrome@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca.

For more information e-mail or phone 519-888-4567, ext 36689.

Line cooks, waitstaff needed at Angie’s Waterloo. Full and part-time hours available immediately. Drop off resume to Angies, 47 Erb Street, W., Waterloo or call 519-886-2540.

Now hiring student fundraisers! $8.50/hour to start. Work on campus, flexible hours, raises every 20 shifts.

If you are a good communicator, enthusiastic and dependable, then we want to talk to you. Please apply in person at the Office of Development in South Campus Hall. Please include a cover letter, resume, class schedule and three references.

Teach English Overseas Intensive 60-Hour Program

WANTED

Used books wanted for CFUW Book Sale, Friday and Saturday, April 2021, 2007 at First United Church, King and William. Drop off donations at church (back door) Wednesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 19. For more information, please call 519-7405249. No textbooks please.

CAMPING EVENT

What are you doing May 2-4?? www. countrycamping.ca or 1-800-8633735.

Classroom Management Techniques Detailed Lesson Planning Comprehensive Teaching Materials Internationally Recognized Certificate Teacher Placement Service Money Back Guarantee Included Thousands of Satisfied Students

1-800-779-1779 / 416-924-3240

www.oxfordseminars.com

30

Science Imprint

Friday, March 30, 2007

science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Science Editor: Rob Blom Science Assistant: Yolani Hettiarachchi

Greening businesses, one step at a time UW’s first Environment and Business Conference sets quality precedent for future environmental initiatives Michael Fagan reporter

Catering to not only students, but environmentallyconcerned business representatives communitywide as well, UW’s first-ever environment and business conference showcased both greener initiatives and a chance to collaborate environmental ideas in a pool of business-oriented minds.

“It’s exciting…this is happening” began keynote speaker Bob Willard, addressing a packed crowd in Hagey Hall on Tuesday, March 27, speaking about environmental sustainability in business.

The conference was one result of the environment and business fourth-year project course.

The organic and local food breakfast (not to mention the lunch) alone was well worth the conference fee and is just one example of how the EB students are doers, not merely talkers. From printing on recycled paper to purchasing carbon credits to offset the speakers’ transportation emissions, Katie Howes, Katie Lepold, Ashley Page and Laurel Pentelow have set a great example of how a conference can be run sustainably. It was great to finally see an event at UW not using disposable plates.

The conference coincided with classes, final projects, sleep and amazing weather, yet turnout for this first-time event was over 150, excluding exhibitors and approximately 20 volunteers. A section of the conference was even arranged for high school students.

The conference was packed with events including two panel discussions (politics and the environment and renewable energies), four workshops (from energy efficiency to ISO 14001 certification and environmental business practices), four

fourth-year project presentations, a keynote speaker and exhibit viewings from student working groups and local businesses. The downside to such a packed conference, however, meant choosing between concurrent-running workshops.

The dedication of the fourth-year students is truly awe-inspiring. While most students can’t wait to be done with their school projects, all those who presented (and the conference itself) expressed hopes, if not concrete plans, for how their work will continue to live on and move forward even after their courses have ended. This is on top of the fact that all of their projects actually accomplished something. The projects were far-reaching, from bioethanol valerie leigh broadbent production in Bangladesh to UW-focused efforts such Ray Culver, Bob Willard, Glen Estill, and Scott Cooper discuss the future of renewable energies. as reducing emissions from university-owned vehicles and recycling batteries at urged the need to “talk their language,” emphasizThe well-run conference showed the great work the Turnkey desk (yes you can, please bring them ing that “what they need is a business justification of students and the importance of the intersecin). A group planning a local business was even for what they are doing.” Most interesting were tion of environment and business. As Willard willing to put their own money on the line for their his points that businesses actually want more noted, this is the perfect time to get involved. As idea (see greenfoodsandgoods.com). regulations, economists and investors both agree the organizers put it, “It was a great opportunity Willard, now “retired” to work on moving businesses should become more sustainable and to share our program and its philosophies with businesses towards sustainability, most recently more environmental legislation is inevitable. It is others.” authored The Next Sustainability Wave: Building hard to imagine a leader sitting in his audience not UW’s environmental and business students Boardroom Buy-in. To convince business leaders, he being convinced of the need to change. anticipate another conference next year.

Saturn’s surprising six-sided storm — and more Adam Gardiner staff reporter

Saturn is one lively planet.

That’s what researchers from several space agencies are realizing as they study images and data sent from Cassini, a probe that has been orbiting Saturn since it reached the planet in early 2005.

In the last two weeks alone, Cassini captured two unique phenomena — one on Saturn, the other on Titan, its largest moon — each of which has members throughout the entire astronomical community talking.

First, on March 13, researchers from the international team, which includes NASA and the European and Italian Space Agencies, announced the discovery of “seas” on the surface of Titan which they believe to be composed of liquid methane or ethane. Cassini had previously picked up small lakes on the moon’s surface, but it wasn’t until last month that the probe detected two large shapes, one with a length of 680 miles and the other about as large as Lake Superior and Lake Ontario put together. Researchers

determined by the smooth, lake-like surfaces of these phenomena that they must contain some form of liquid; they concluded that methane or ethane are the most likely liquids, based on the previous discovery that Titan rains liquid methane and contains significant quantities of methane in its atmosphere. Titan is considered by many to be a “sister planet” to Earth because of its similarly-formed surface, nitrogen atmosphere and ground chemistry, and this discovery may provide more important insights into how liquid travels and forms weather patterns on Titan.

As interesting as these images were, their spot in the limelight was hedged upon as researchers released infrared images of a hexagonal-shaped atmospheric vortex sitting over Saturn’s north pole. Although the phenomenon was originally

detected by the Voyager probes in 1981, the recent images provide far more information for scientists to ponder.

The hexagon, which is approximately four times the size of Earth, appears to descend about 100 kilometres into the atmosphere, a far greater distance than scientists originally estimated. Clouds quickly circulate, both within the hexagon and around it. Yet it somehow retains its near-perfect shape, a fact that has scientists most puzzled. Adding courtesy NASA/ap to the puzzle is the fact that the phenomenon appears to have stayed in the same location, rotating in sync with the rest of Saturn, since it was first discovered in 1981.

“We’ve never seen anything like this on any other planet,” commented Kevin Baines, a member of NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory in California.

“Saturn’s thick atmosphere, where circularlyshaped waves and convective cells dominate, is perhaps the last place you’d expect to see such a six-sided geometric figure — yet there it is.”

Bob Brown, one of the Cassini team leaders, pointed out how atypical Saturn’s meteorology seems to be. “It’s amazing to see such striking differences on opposite ends of Saturn’s poles,” he said. “At the south pole we have what appears to be a hurricane with a giant eye, and at the north pole of Saturn we have this geometric feature, which is completely different.”

Astronomers are hopeful that understanding why Saturn’s mysterious hexagon exists will help them understand other aspects of the ringed planet. “This long-lived, deep-seated polar hexagon may give us a clue to the true rotation rate of the deep atmosphere and perhaps the interior,” commented Baines.

In the meantime, there is lots for scientists to contemplate, proving that there is much, much more to Saturn than just its rings. agardiner@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Low Finance Rates by Volkswagen Finance

O.A.C.

science

Friday, March 30, 2007

31

The catastrophe that time forgot A look back in time to “The Great Dry Fog of 1783”

Sean Kinsella reporter

It is late May in the year 1783. Reports begin in Britain and spread into Europe, of a dry fog that has crept into the atmosphere. Ten days later Laki, a volcano in Iceland, erupts in a spew of lava and noxious gas, changing the global climate.

The eruptions began on June 8, 1783 and lasted for eight months leaving in its wake over 122 megatonnes of sulphur dioxide, along with smaller amounts of other gases jettisoned into the atmosphere. Called “the Skaftáreldar (Skaftá river fires)” or “Sîðueldur,” the eruption created “The Great Dry Fog of 1783,” a thick haze that affected climate on a global scale.

One diary says of the ash that covered the skies: “The air was full of ash and smoke. On the rare occasion we had a glimpse of the sun it has looked like the reddest blood.” It was the second largest fissure eruption in recorded history and the series of events following the eruption seem more likely to come from the pages of a science fiction novel than from history.

In Iceland 9,000 people, a quarter of the population, were killed over

the next three years following the explosion, largely from famine due to livestock eating contaminated soil. In addition, when one looks at the mortality rates of Britain, there is a sudden spike at the same period as the eruption, leading researchers to speculate that upwards of 11,000 deaths there may also be attributed to the volcano.

Like a shockwave following a nuclear blast, the volcanic dust spread from Iceland over continental Europe and affected worldwide temperature by almost one degree Celsius. According to Charles A. Wood in his article “Climactic Effects of the 1783 Eruption,” this resulted in reports of drought in China, famine in India, crop destruction in Scotland, and even tulips dying in Holland.

There were near record depths of snow, and ice floes appeared in the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi froze just outside of New Orleans, and there were near record cold temperatures noted throughout the United States.

Indeed, it was this strange alteration in climate that led Benjamin Franklin to formulate the first recorded theory on volcanism and its possible effects on climate.

Yet for all the catastrophic climactic change that this single event caused, the blast and its effects on the global environment were almost lost from history.

Aside from the diary of an Icelandic priest, and an above average mortality rate in both Britain and

Map of the Laki fissures and lava flows.

Iceland, few other records exist that source Laki as the possible cause of one of the coldest winters in recorded North American history.

Only recently has renewed interest from researches at the BBC (during a special about Laki in January of 2007) and others led to the further examination of the extent to which volcanic activity can influence our climate.

This can be perhaps partly attributed to the vehement interest of both Hollywood and the world media currently grappling with the issue of global warming and climate change, pushing it to the front and centre of our cultural consciousness.

One need only look as far as Al Gore appearing at the Oscars to know that we are at a very strange point in our social and political history, in which the major scientific

courtesy Juhász Péter

All that remains of Laki, the vent for the 1783-1784 eruption of Grimsvotn caldera. concern of climatologists are becoming a hot button issue for pop culture and politicians.

In this fashion, Laki can function both as a warning and a ray of hope in this time of climate change. When one sees the level of destruction and havoc that can be reaped from a global climate change of almost a degree, it should be a sobering thought for all of humanity if in fact the world climate is altering. Indeed for an event that was almost lost from history, there is a lot that can be learned from studying the impact of a sudden geological phenomenon on climate and using its example for a model of what can occur during climatic change.

The eruption of Laki is also a testament to the will of humanity to survive whether through extreme cold or under sulphur skies. The difference lies in the responsibility for such change. While there is nothing at this time that scientists can do to prevent volcanic eruptions, whether small or of the magnitude of Laki, there are arguably things that can be done to prevent the increase of greenhouse gases and a climate change that is brought on by the impact of humanity, with little time left to do them.

If Laki serves as an example of what can happen during climate change on a global scale, albeit a smaller scale, then we are in for a very bumpy future.

science Decades of antibiotic misuse result in tuberculosis epidemic

32

Friday, March 30, 2007

of the infection, making it permanent and fatal.

According to the experts at the United Nation’s World Health Organization (WHO), the strain is thought to have begun in Asian countries, specifically in China, India and Russia.

The XDR-TB strain then moved to African countries, which have much more susceptible factors and extremely fast transmission rates.

One leading theory on the rapid spread of this strain states that it may have started within Russian prison walls, which provide the disease with the perfect environment to flourish and multiply. With the misuse of antibiotics to treat the inmates, the bacteria evolved over the years to resist both first- and second-line medications. All the inmates released had the opportunity to travel, infecting all those around them.

Experts of public disease control say that the reason for this out-of-control spiral of the tuberculosis plague is the misuse of antibiotics over the past

Basma Anabtawi staff reporter

Yolanie Hettiarachchi assistant science editor

New species found among Sumatran and Bornean leopards

Scientists have found that the clouded leopards in Sumatra and Borneo, contrary to the previous belief that they belonged to the species found on mainland Southeast Asia, represent a new species.

The insights into the evolution of these species were discovered by scientists at the U.S. National Cancer Institute near Washington, DC. According to Dr. Stephen O’Brien, head of the Institute’s Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, “Genetic research results clearly indicate that the clouded leopard of Borneo should be considered a separate species. [The tests] highlighted around 40 differences between the two species.”

There is other evidence: leopards from Borneo have grey and dark fur, while their mainland cousins possess a lighter and more tawny colour.

World Wildlife Fund co-ordinator Stuart Chapman says that the importance of conserving the “Heart of Borneo,” 200,000 square kilometres of rainforest in Borneo thought to be very high in biodiversity, is emphasized with the discovery that Borneo’s top predator is now considered a separate species.

One of the deadliest diseases is on the verge of becoming a global epidemic; a deadly strain of tuberculosis (TB) is spreading out of control all over the African continent.

Most TB strains are treatable by commonly used antibiotics. Unfortunately, the solution to this disease is the reason for the colossal new problem approaching and threatening the entire human race. The overuse of antibiotics in the last couple of decades has led to the evolution of new drug-resistant strains for most diseases such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza and of course tuberculosis.

A new strain of tuberculosis, XDRTB, is the latest to emerge. The difficulty with this new strain is that it is currently completely incurable by any of the drugs available for TB infections. Both firstand second-line treatments are failing to decrease the intensity and duration

courtesy sxc.hu

centuries as well as lack of funding for proper equipment required for testing drug compatibility. Government funding is limited in most third-world and poor countries and a very small amount of money can go to support risk patient control and drug laboratories to minimize the negativity of drug-resistant strains.

According to Dr. Karin Weyer at the South African Medical Resource Council in Pretoria, the danger accompanying this horrific strain is the effect it has on HIV infected patients. According to a recent study, the combination of HIV and XDR-TB is 85 per cent fatal. The concern increases since the HIV rates are already soaring in most African countries causing the consequences to be exceedingly lethal.

In addition, health workers do not want to risk getting infected, regardless of the protective measures. According to Dr. Weyer, over 100 people walked out of the hospital in East London, South Africa, upon seeing the workers

fully covered in head-to-toe protection suits. The lack of health specialists available only increases the difficulty in controlling the spread of this untreatable TB. Most third-world countries do not have the funds to cover the $1 billion it takes to manage and control such a debt-causing outbreak. As a result, UN organizations work hard in order to co-operatively come up with a global program to try to minimize the speedy spread of XDR-TB, thus avoiding the costly process of maintaining the fullblown international epidemic.

Over 20 different experimental drugs are currently being tested and observed in hopes of finding one effective enough to control the XDR-TB strain.

The scientists and members of WHO are hopeful on finding a new drug soon enough, in order to minimize the lengthy timeline of trials accompanying a new pharmaceutical drug. banabtawi@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

the SPC Card gets you exclusive discounts at hundreds of Canadian retailers.

TM

††

Slaughter in British tombs

Stone Age Britain appears to have included a period of violence and instability due to evidence found in burial chambers in Southern England.

Among the sites is Wayland’s Smithy in Oxfordshire, which is home to 14 skeletons — three of which were likely killed by arrows. The team led by UK government body, English Heritage, reported, two bodies appeared to have been scavenged by wolves or dogs before burial.

Radiocarbon dating was used to analyze the skeletons, results place the age of the remains at around 3750 BC, about 800 years before Stonehenge was built in the same region.

According to Alex Bayliss, an archaeologist with English Heritage, the Stone Age was believed to be a period where plenty of land was available for everyone. However, this recent discovery has put forth the idea that there may have been more competition between these groups than previously thought.

come in today or call

1-800-HRBLOCK

hrblock.ca

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN**a trip for two

to a SECRET DESTINATION to see

New CDHigh” On “Infinity res now in sto

yhettiarachchi@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

rockwithblock.ca

Individual results vary. †† Offers valid from 08/01/06 until 07/31/07. Valid at participating locations in Canada only. For Cardholder only. Offers may vary, restrictions may apply. Usage may be restricted when used in conjunction with any other offer or retailer loyalty card discounts. Cannot be used towards the purchase of gift cards or certificates. *To qualify, student must present either (i) a T2202a documenting 4 or more months of full-time attendance at a college or university during 2006 or (ii) a valid high school identification card. Expires July 31, 2007. Valid only at participating H&R Block locations in Canada. **NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Purchase of H&R Block products or services will not increase chances of winning. Begins 2/1/07 and ends 5/15/07. Open to legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec residents) who are 13 or older and were full-time students for four or more months during 2006 at a high school, college or university. There will be 1 random draw to award the prize. Skill testing question required for award of prize. See www.rockwithblock.ca for Official Rules and how to play without purchase. Odds of winning vary based on participation. Void in Quebec and where prohibited.

†

— With files from the BBCNews and National Geographic

LIVE IN CONCERT

Friday, March 30, 2007

sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Sports Editor: Shawn Bell Sports Assistant: Doug Copping

Sports Imprint

Warriors lose national final by one Debris on ice diverts Bakewell’s late-game shot; UW settles for silver

Look into UW Athletics through the eyes of the director Judy McCrae speaks to Imprint about her job, the department., and the future of Warrior athletics

Adam McGuire incoming editor-in-chief

The UW women’s curling team came within an eyelash of winning the Canadian University Curling Championships on March 25 in Winnipeg.

The Warriors made their claim as a curling powerhouse with a silver medal at the national tournament, finishing up the five-day event with a sparkling 6-2 record. Only a 6-5 loss to the Manatoba 1 club in a nail-biting gold medal finale prevented the Warriors from a national championship. And it may have been no more than a microscopic piece of debris that separated UW from a victory in the finals.

With the score knotted at five in the ninth end of the finals, Warriors skip Marika Bakewell lined up for a bump attempt that would have seen UW score two or possibly three points to take the lead into the last end. However, Bakewell’s stone picked on the debris, sending the stone — and UW’s hopes for gold — off course.

“It was really a great game,” said UW head coach Scott Allen of the finals. “Marika’s last rock (in the ninth end) picked. But the Manitoba 1 team is very strong.”

Although Allen said he is extremely proud of his team, the Warriors didn’t exactly come into the event under the radar. In fact, Allen said expectations were lofty amongst the team members.

“Our expectation was to finish above where we finished the last time we went to nationals two years ago when we finished in the bronze medal position,” said Allen.

“We knew we could finish in the top two.”

Waterloo entered the tournament firing on all pistons, as Bakewell, along with vice Jackie Craig, second Amber Gebhardt, lead Jenna Long and alternate Nathalie Gagne exploded to a 4-0 start in round-robin play.

In the tournament’s opening draw, the Warriors fell behind Alberta 2-0 early before taking control of the

33

Shawn Bell sports editor

Courtesy Steve Brooks

Skip Marika Bakewell led UW to a silver medal at the Canadian University Curling Championships. match, scoring two points each in the fourth and seventh ends to help secure a 6-4 win.

Next up for the Warriors was provincial rival Lakehead in draw two. Again the Warriors rode the strength of a big end, this time scoring four points in the sixth to give UW a 10-6 win and push their day one record to 2-0.

By day two, UW had really hit their stride. Two lopsided victories — a six-end,11-2 win over Thompson Rivers and a five-end, 9-2 victory over Brandon — pushed the Warriors’ record to 4-0 and cemented them as a top team in pool B. A showdown for top spot in the pool was on tap next for the Warriors, as the last draw of the round-robin saw UW face off against Manitoba 1. In what would be a preview of the thrilling gold medal match, the Warriors fell 8-6 and finished the

round-robin portion of the tournament 4-1.

The Warriors rebounded from their loss to take out Laurentian 8-5 in the first round of playoffs. Then UW eliminated the host Manitoba 2 team 8-5 in the semi-finals, setting up a rematch for the gold medal against Manitoba 1. And although the Warriors came out on the short end of the stick in the championship match, Allen said was extremely proud of his club’s efforts throughout the tournament.

The silver medal performance was especially rewarding for three of the Warriors, as Bakewell, Craig and Long all finished their varsity careers in Winnipeg.

“It’s going to be a sad loss,” Allen said of the trio of graduating players. “They’re exceptionally good curlers and wonderful individuals. I wish them the very best in anything they do.”

Gebhardt and Gagne are expected to return to the club next year, and Allen believes UW will still be competitive come 2008.

“Next year will be what next year is,” he said. “This year, there was an exceptional group of women’s curlers try out, and next year will likely be the same.” amcguire@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Warriors Curling Scoreboard Round Robin Waterloo 6 Alberta 4 Waterloo 10 Lakehead 6 Waterloo 11 Thompson Rivers 2 Waterloo 9 Brandon 2 Manitoba (1) 8 Waterloo 6 (Warriors finish second in pool B) Quarterfinals Waterloo 8 Laurentian 5 Semi-Finals Waterloo 8 Manitoba (2) 5 Finals Manitoba (1) 6 Waterloo 5

Steve Utz

Athletics at UW is very large. There are 25 full-time staff, five co-op students, 80 coaches from the community and another 250 students employed as referees or timekeepers.

There are over 180 campus rec offerings put out in a year. There are 31 varsity teams, ranging in size from five to 120 athletes, from one coach to a team of coaches.

Overseeing it all is athletic director Judy McCrae.

“When I was hired [as athletic director] in ’94 I was one of nine professionals,” she said. “It is amazing to see the growth.”

McCrae, a three-sport All American during her time at Western Michigan University and the University of North Carolina, joined the UW athletics family as a staff member in 1971. She worked as a coach of field hockey, curling and badminton, and as an administrator, as inter-university coordinator, before taking on the top job.

“It’s a great place to work,” McCrae said. “It’s a vibrant place. Nobody has to take a test here. Everybody is doing what they like to do.”

The UW Athletics Department involves campus rec, intercollegiate sport, facility demands and being representative on campus. “I like to say the [athletics] mandate has several pieces,” McCrae said. “It’s our job to put out as many physical recreation opportunities as to meet the needs of the students. Also, in the OU there are 41 team championships. We’re in 31 of them. The bulk of our management and co-ordination comes in at the intercollegiate program - it gets a little more complex, and there are more layers. So that tends to take more time.”

The varsity sports are also where the complaints come in. Everyone wants more money. Everyone thinks they get less than they need.

It turns out that athletics distributes money based on basic needs.

“Our varsity mandate,” McCrae said, “is we have a policy guideline, that speaks to the things that a team needs to have to become a varsity sport. Or if the representation or demand is getting lower and lower, it’s what we go back to, when we think, maybe we’ve got to let this one go for a few years.” see MCCRAE SPEAKS, pg 35

sports

34

Reflections on a varsity community

Friday, March 30, 2007

UNB wins CIS men’s hockey title Adam McGuire incoming editor-in-chief

Hockey fans in the province of New Brunswick will not soon forget the 2007 University Cup CIS men’s hockey national championship tournament.

In an all-New Brunswick final before a ruckus crowd, the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds defeated the host Moncton Aigles Bleus 3-2 in overtime to claim UNB’s second-ever men’s hockey national championship title.

Varsity Reds forward Robert Pearce potted the University Cupwinning goal at 8:49 of the first overtime period, ending one of the most exciting games in recent CIS hockey history. UNB landed the final blow of the gold medal game despite

the efforts of Moncton goaltender Eric Lafrance, who made 35 saves in the loss.

The national championship tournament also had a local flavour, as the OUA west champion Laurier Golden Hawks came within a single minute of meeting UNB in the final. In the tournament’s final round-robin game — and where the winner would move onto the finals — Monkton’s Yvan Busque beat WLU goaltender Jeff MacDougald with 57 seconds remaining, sending the game to overtime.

In the extra frame, Busque struck for his hat trick marker, sending the Aigles Bleus to the final and sending the Golden Hawks home.

Earlier in the OUA playoffs, Laurier eliminated Waterloo to claim the OUA west title and a spot in the University Cup tournament.

Rangers sting Sarnia Nate Bell reporter

doug copping

Doug Copping sports editor

Reflecting upon a season of both victory and defeat, a selection of perspectives from the Warriors women’s volleyball team explores the meaning of community, and the aftermath of sport.

At their best, these Warriors went head-to-head against top teams in the OUA to earn wins with confidence.

In the words of Bojana Josipovic, first year rookie named to the Second Team All-Stars for the season, “the team dynamic was there...which I think helped us perform better on the court.� The women proved to themselves they could come together and dominate, that a collective working together is a force of unlimited power.

Despite a slow start and early season changes in the coaching team, the girls organized themselves to finish third in OUA west and earned a playoff position and proved that change is good, learning from history to improve the future. Evidence of excellence in the regular season, however, did not materialize in the playoffs, as these athletes were defeated in the first round.

Expressing thoughts about the future, Amanda Verhoeve, a powerful catalyst on the court, views these experiences as stepping stones towards

victory. “We pushed hard together to reach our team goal and although we came up a little short, we know what it takes to win and will apply what we’ve learned next season.�

“The Warriors went through a tremendous transformation to become much better students and players� — UW volleyball parent Wald Lesniak A positive environment created by the new coaching staff Gaby Jobst and Judi Laprade really made the difference for players, fans and famalies. Their consistent effort has built the groundwork for a strong fan base and a supportive atmosphere for athletics. Leadership that creates an atmosphere of excitement around the sport could translate into a continued presence of cheering fans. Cheering

Presents

THIS WEEK IN ATHLETICS

fans equals confidence on the court, a factor that can make the difference between winning and losing.

To thrive socially as well as academically and athletically, a healthy community facilitates progression and development. In the words of rookie Jenny Querney, “Our team has grown tremendously since the beginning of the year.� Even though the team is losing two seniors, returning teammates embrace change, and are confident their performance will get better with time, like a fine wine.

The ability of a group to achieve beyond what any one individual is capable illustrates the power of local collaberation. This season recognized Gaby Lesniak as first team All-Stars for the OUA West. In the words of her father wald Lesniak, “the Warriors went through a tremendous transformation to become much better students and players... it was a leap forward for these young and ambitious athletes‌a tremendous coaching achievement...no parents’ words can express my family’s gratitude.â€?

Conscious of its influence or not, community plays an integral role in shaping our personalities, our culture and our destiny. dcopping@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

After a successful year at 47-17-1-3, the Kitchener Rangers faced off against the Sarnia Sting in the first round of the OHL playoffs.

Game one was in Kitchener. After falling behind two goals to start the game, the Rangers responded with four unanswered, en route to a 6-4 victory. Nick Spalding and Steve Downie each tallied two goals, combining for seven points.

Game two took place in Sarnia and it was a hard fought battle. Kitchener jumped on the home team early, scoring the first two goals. The Sting quickly recovered and they took a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.

Justin Azevedo tied the game with his second goal of the game and shortly after, Robert Bortuzzo netted the eventual game winner. Despite getting outshot 41-33, the Rangers prevailed in the crucial road game to take a 2-0 series lead back home to Kitchener.

In front of nearly 6000 fans for game three, the Rangers played the Sting to a scoreless first period.

Kitchener came out hard in the second, quickly gaining a two-goal lead, before Sarnia netted a late goal. The third period was played much like the first and it remained scorless until the 2:43 mark when Sarnia got the equalizer. However, less than a minute later, Matt Pepe scored the game winner, giving Kitchener a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Game four was back in Sarnia, with the Rangers looking to close things out on the road. The first two periods were full of penalties and Sarnia led 4-3 heading into the third. Again Kitchener used its depth to overwhelm Sarnia late in the game, as the Rangers cruised to a 7-5 victory and the series sweep.

Matt Halischuk took home first star honours after he scored a hat trick.

The Rangers now move onto the quarter-finals with their opponent still to be determined.

Courtesy Kitchener Rangers

Matt Halischuk netted three goals in a 7-5 game 4 win.

CAMPUS RECREATION’S first-ever dance show Sunday, April 1 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., PAC small gym

FREE EXAM FITNESS CLASSES April 2 to 13 ~ check website for schedules

The Department of Athletics would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of Warrior Athletics for the 2006-2007 Varsity Year:

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

sports

Friday, March 30, 2007

COMMUNITY EDITORIAL

Snowshoeing despite the spring

35

McCrae: UW athletic director talks sport

Words of wisdom from birds and old Jack Handy The snow may be melting, but permit me to recollect.

Standing ever so still, in a sun and shadowspeckled depth of the forest, we hold our breath and watch the bird. Perched atop this deep whiteness, the snow crunches under our feet as we unconsciously shift our weight on snowshoes. The bird, we agree, is a downy woodpecker and a big one. Like us, it is at snow level, but attached to the tree trunk so it can hammer away towards its meal, the insects deep within. I breathe long and deep and the cold stings my lungs, causing me to cough. The bird looks at us then goes back to work. We manoeuvre slightly closer, lifting our enormous feet over fallen branches and old snow-covered logs, until we are within a few metres. As we stand in this shady patch, beholding this remarkable red-capped woodpecker bore through solid birch, the cold begins to penetrate into our feet and hands.

I decide to speak to the bird and let out my breath in a steamy cloud.

“Hello there, bird.”

Knock knock, knock knock.

I have some questions I want to ask, so I continue.

“How’s the wood today? I mean, does it get harder or easier to peck when it’s really cold out?”

Knock knock knock.

Marah, my sensible and cold-sensitive snowshoeing partner, turns to me and says it’s time to move on. It’s too cold to be talking to strange birds in the forest, and besides, everyone knows that wood density doesn’t change depending on temperature.

We cut directly through the forest, leaving the bird to its hard-earned meal, walking over at least a metre of powder snow. There’s no way to know what lies beneath our feet—we could have just walked over a hibernating bear or a large boulder dropped off by a glacier. As it stands now, we sink only about four inches into the snow, but if we took off our snowshoes we would likely sink up to our waists.

This is where the beauty of snowshoeing lies. In even the deepest snow and the evil, ingratiating cold, the most inaccessible winter areas suddenly become accessible. Whether we’re walking over metre high drifts on a cold, windswept lake, climbing steep hills in the woods, or just bushwhacking in search of new sights, the snowshoe makes this all possible. Our native peoples sure knew what they were talking about.

As I stare out the library window, overlooking a quickly thawing and bepuddled lake and forest in North Bay, I am hit with a wave of snowshoe melancholy. There is no longer any impetus for snowshoeing — the season has passed with the snow, draining somewhere deep into the ground, where it waits until next year to arise again.

But fear not, dear sentimentalists, because as maple syrup and pancake season arrives with the tapping of trees, our good friend Jack Handy offers some off-season snowshoeing fun: “Many people do not realize that the snowshoe can be used for a great many things besides walking on snow. For instance, it can be used to carry pancakes from the stove to the breakfast table. Also, it can be used to carry uneaten pancakes from the table to the garbage. Finally, it can be used as a kind of strainer, where you force pancakes through the strings to see if a piece of gold got in a pancake somehow.”

Doug Copping

“It’s a great place to work,” said Judy McCrae. “It’s a vibrant place. Everybody is doing what they like to do.”

McCrae: continued from pg 33

There are the obvious requirements: “there has to be a real critical student demand,” she said. “There has to be adequate finances in place. We have to leadership to be challenging in varsity sport, and we have the facilities that we can put before our kids.”

Athletics gets the bulk of their funding from what they raise themselves. And right now, the bulk of what they raise comes from alumni donations.

“What we do with our budgeting,” McCrae said, “it is really straight forward. At the varisty level, the budget is first and foremost premised on what do you need, on meeting the essential needs of the budget. Then, we try and be smart about things. This was a year when men’s hockey was on the cusp of doing very well. So we try to find a way to give them one more exhibition.”

“The thing that I try to tell the athletes,” she said, “is that things are based on formulas.

If you and I are on different teams, you get the same opportunities on the bus, or on the

car or the van, you get paid coaches. The formulas are all the same. But it does cost more to dress 45 [football] players than it does to dress five curlers.”

Part of being involved in athletics is constant improvement. Individual athletes strive to improve, teams work to advance together, and the organization of UW Athletics, being composed of former athletes, does the same. “People in athletics and recreation,” McCrae said, “can be quite driven. You’re always looking for a way to do something better, or different, so that you get a more positive result.”

So where does UW Athletics go from here?

“We have some facility needs right now,” McCrae said. “The chunk of land, on north campus, to the right of the arena, is designated in the master plan as athletics and recreation land. So that’s another piece of the Columbia ice field complex that needs to be developed. What that will look like, will be a challenge.

“We need things like an indoor track, we need more gymnasium space, we need artifi-

cial-turf space. Those are the ones that come to mind, real quickly.”

Is the artificial turf a precursor to a Waterloo stadium?

“We need to be looking in the future at getting an artificial, lighted turf up there. For all kinds of people. Everybody keeps calling it a football field, but it would be far more used by campus rec on an artificial turf. The artificial lighted field would let you go 24 hours if you wanted. Yes, football will practise there. Field hockey will practise there.

And the odd soccer practise will be there, because they’ll go to sites where they have to play on turf. But the bulk of the usage will be campus rec.

“That’s what’s next for us. And the artificial surface and lights would be part of a staging to a small stadium.”

It is a tough job, planning the future of UW Athletics. But McCrae is happy. Waterloo athletics is growing in leaps and bounds. The Warriors are in fine shape. sbell@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Taking girls to the slots at the racetrack Clive Peters reporter

Girls are impressed by the foreign. So to impress girls, you need to know exotic opportunities in your own backyard. Fortunately, since the advent of the automobile, our backyard has grown to include, say, 100 kilometres from the house, we can now take our dates to the horseraces.

This is a wonderful thing. She is bound to be flabbergasted when you show up in a bowler hat, with a cigar tucked into your lapel. You have time to say whatever you want, and can get over all the trivialities while she doesn’t know what to think about going out in public with a person wearing that.

By the time you’ve driven up the 401 to Milton it is dark and she has largely accepted her fate. Generally she will loosen up; if she has a flask she’ll take a little drink.

As luck would have it, fate is on side. You sit in the parking lot at Mohawk, having a drink, and a giant white minibus pulls behind your car and sits there, idling.

“The dirty bastards” you say without thinking, and she giggles against her wishes.

Suddenly it is OK.

Which is a good thing because the racetrack doesn’t open till May and the harness racing that’s advertised on their website actually meant a live feed from Flamboro racetrack, a room full of TV’s and old men slouched in plastic seats.

Horses on TV lose their mystique.

The other option was a room full of blinking lights and with horses painted on the border around the ceiling. The slot machines may look exotic with their blinking lights, but the tacky carpet and cement makes the room feel like a barn, and the lines of dry faces start to look like heifers being milked by machines.

We tried to regain our composure by sitting down to play Phantom of the Opera slot machine #1701. Unfortunately, on the slot machines there is not much time for conversation. You can implore her luck for only so long and then the beeping and flashing lights command attention and you both just sit there, staring at the machine.

Feed money in. It becomes credits on the screen. Press the button for max bet (three credits) and the dials spin, then stop and you’ve lost.

Press the button again. The dials spin. You’ve lost. Press the button. Dials spin. Lose. Press

the button, spin, lose. Button, spin, lose. This goes on for what feels like a long time, and once or twice you’ll get a line, and the machine will beep, and your credits will go up. Eventually, inevitably, your credits go down and down and then it is the last spin, and you still have that glimmer of hope that this will be the one, for there is always a chance, and everyone knows someone who has won before, and you press that button and hold it for an extra second, just for luck, the dials spin and the first one stops on seven, the second one stops on seven, and the third slows down and the seven is there, slowing down, then it stops, and on the line is a blank space where the seven just was. The machine blinks.

Twenty minutes it took and then we were out to the car and on the way home.

Perhaps that is what we want from our dates these days. Just get ‘er done, as that old Canadian aphorism goes. The night still ahead of me, to spend alone, walking around on dark streets, where in the shadows of the street lights, the trees, the houses, the sidewalks all give their own strange thoughts, their own exotic selves, where under the stars I could be anywhere.

sports

36

Friday, March 30, 2007

Coach Profile: Dennis McPhee Imprint’s nominations

for coach of the year Shawn Bell sports editor

Over past eight months, Imprint has covered a full spectrum of sport.

There are 31 Varsity teams at the University of Waterloo, and as a collective, the Imprint sports desk watched, read and wrote countless stories of athletic achievement. This situation inspires our work, and makes selecting the Warrior Coach of the Year a difficult decision.

The Athletics mandate is to provide top-quality coaches for all sports; indeed, many coaches here at UW are worthy of recognition, and the list we started with was quite intimidating.

While everyone had success, in one way or another, for certain teams this year the pieces fell neatly into place. The results not only provided exciting news for the paper, they helped to bring every Warrior, and every team, into the provincial and national spotlight. It helped to bring the campus sports community together, and took each respective team farther along the path of gradual progression. The coaches that we have chosen achieved this criteria over the course of 2006-2007. Here are the nominees for Imprint Coach of the Year: Dave Hollinger The men’s golf coach, last year’s recipient of coach of the year, led the Warriors to their second straight OUA gold medal in 2006. This year’s Warriors, as talented as any team we’ve seen at UW, dominated the OUA from start to finish. This is the Scotty Bowman nomination. It is not easy to manage the best athletes into a successful team.

doug copping

Matt Levicki reporter

You may have noticed something in the air the last few months around the UW campus and the Columbia Ice Fields. Something special, something different. It is a buzz; it is excitement; it is a new era beginning in Waterloo Warriors football. This new era began in January with the hiring of new head coach Dennis McPhee who brings in a wealth of experience as well as a new attitude.

Walking into coach McPhee’s office, one is quick to notice double white boards with a list of 120 names filling out all the positions of a football team. There are certain colours to go along with the names and some have stars, while others have checkmarks. Of those 120 names, some are veterans, some are rookies and some are possible recruits. The only thing coach McPhee is certain about with those 120 names is that if they want to play football for the University of Waterloo, they must go through a right of passage to do it.

The right of passage means every position will be earned. Coach McPhee is new and therefore, he is still getting to know all the parts and personnel of his football team.

However, he will be looking for certain things and he knows: “There are two types of players: those that will fight to take a job, and those who will stand and defend their job.

Because if they don’t, they won’t be here.” Coach McPhee is adamant that every position is open and is looking for a specific trait that cannot be taught: “Character is huge, and the right characters are going to be the ones who stay. Those who don’t have character won’t stay.”

Coach McPhee also shared a story about speaking to a prospective mem-

ber of his football team who did not have much football in his background.

The young man was eager to give it a shot, and coach McPhee told him the same thing he has told all his players, “learn fast and grow quickly.”

The message that coach McPhee will always stress to his players is that they have a wonderful opportunity to play high quality football as well as earn a degree from an outstanding university, so they better make the most of their time here. “The rookies will turn into young men in their four or five years here and it is my hope that they will all regret leaving and long to return.”

Coach McPhee is also very aware of the responsibility he holds as Warriors head coach, and the chance he has to have a positive impact on a the lives of his players, “It is an opportunity to make a difference in some young man’s life by guiding them, giving them structure, building them as people, and teaching them success not only in sport, but life as well.”

With coach McPhee’s previous coaching experiences in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as well as stints in St. Francis Xavier, McMaster and Guelph, he has plenty to draw on as he aims to change the entire belief system and culture of the Warriors football program. He says, “Belief is a wonderful thing, and it is the first step that needs to be taken.”

While coach McPhee is very confident and capable of changing the belief system and attitude of Warriors football, he knows a lot of hard work is required first. He is excited to, “Build my own program with the help of some very experienced and wonderful coaches.” In the future, coach McPhee sees his team, “competing with the top teams in the OUA

and winning the games they should win.” It is the beginning of a new era in Warriors football and it starts from the top with an attitude of hard work, character and accountability, all part of coach McPhee’s personality.

Marshall Bingeman The football coach started the season as an assistant. After coach Trianta-

��������� ��������� ���������� ���������� �������������

�������������� ������������ �����

�����������������������������

filou’s resignation in week two, with the Warriors at 0-2, Bingeman took over the head coaching duties and promptly turned the team around.

They won two straight games before losing a heartbreaker against Laurier in week five. When it was all said and done, it was only a Queen’s upset over Western in the final week that kept the Warriors from their first playoff appearance in six years.

Scott Allen The women’s curling coach, who also coaches the men’s curling team, has coached at UW for eight years. As Warrior curling coach, Allen’s won three OUA golds, an OUA bronze and now he’s added to his collection with this year’s women’s team.

It was Allen who built this team, starting four years back. This year, their efforts paid off, as the women won OUA gold before losing by one point in the final game for the national championship.

Brian Borque The men’s hockey coach led the Warriors to the top of the OUA right at the start of the season, and kept them there until the very last game.

Waterloo broke into the Canadian top-ten in November, made it as high as #4, and finished the season ranked #6 in the country. In the playoffs the Warriors beat Western before losing in the semi-finals to Laurier, ending their hopes of a National Championship. Borque’s success this year follows the lead begun by his mentor, Karl Taylor. He’s sure to keep the Warriors in the national hunt well into the future.

And the winner is...

We can’t tell you. It will be awarded at the Athletics Banquet on March 30. sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

���������� ������������������ �

��������������� ������������ ������ ���������� ��������������������� ������

��������������� DEAL 1 ���������������� ���������������������� ���������������� �������������

DEAL 2 ���������������� ������� ���������������� �������������

DEAL 3 ���������������� ����������������� ���������������� ������������

Large $14.99 Medium $12.99

Large $12.99 Medium $10.99

Large $14.99 Medium $12.99

��������

DEAL 4 ���������������� ���������������������� ����������������� ���������������� ������������� Large $18.99 Medium $16.99

��������

��������

��������������� ����������� ����������������� ������� �������������

���������������� ���������������������� ����������������� �������� ������� ����������������� ������������

���������������� ��������������������� �������������

��������������� ����������� �������� �������������

��������

�������� �������������

�������� �������������

�������� �������������

�������� �������������

���������������������� �������������������������������

������� ������� ��������� ���������

������������� ������ ��������� ������� ���������

������������������������� ������������������������ ��������������������

������������������ ������������������������ �������������

������ ������� ������� ������� ������������������������� ������������������������ Buy One Pizza For Regular Price Get Second Pizza FREE� �