Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper
Friday, January 4, 2008
vol 30, no 21
imprint . uwaterloo . ca
No sustainability office in sight — UW votes down green campus proposal, page 18
$423 MILLION
Campaign Waterloo far exceeds its three-year fundraising targets for university development Maggie Clark editor-in-chief
maggie clark
UW’s 50th anniversary celebration came to an official close on December 11, 2007, when university staff took down the above banner and related flags.
With a year-end total of $73 million more than even its modified fundraising goal, the Campaign Waterloo cabinet committee had a great deal to celebrate at the close of 2007. “The success of this campaign just reinforces the outstanding reputation [UW] has as being innovative and producing the leaders of tomorrow,” said Linda Kieswetter, UW associate vice-president of principal gifts. “This support also shows the high esteem and regard in which the surrounding community holds the university.” In a broad statement to the press, Bob Harding, the chair of Campaign Waterloo, went on to thank those whose contributions made the year-end total possible: “Campaign Waterloo owes much of its success to the incredible number of people who have volunteered of their time and donated financially.” And when the campaign’s final figures were combined with various government monies — as distributed to UW specifically, post-secondary education in general, and to the surrounding Waterloo Region — the university boasted a still more impressive tally for financial support: over $750 million invested in the future of UW. As for the fate of this money, Kieswetter said that such donations — which arise in part from alumni and current students, through various fundraising events — are applied to university developments “almost immediately” after donors determine which core projects they wish to support. According to Kieswatter, Campaign Waterloo funds projects that focus on everything from “people to buildings, allowing for new facilities and faculty members as well as scholarships, bursaries, and endowments.”
Read geographically, the surrounding community’s financial confidence in the university also translated into a 19 per cent growth in UW square-footage over the same three years of Campaign Waterloo. And far from appealing simply to local or even national donors to surpass their initial, March 2004 goal of $260 million, Campaign Waterloo: Building A Talent Trust oversaw fundraising initiatives as far off as Hong Kong, where over 1,000 alumni set a goal of $1 million and has raised $650,000 for UW to date. The Hong Kong connection might seem unexpected, but according to Kieswetter the Asian city’s UW alumni chapter is over 30 years old, and very loyal to their UW roots. However, of the over 58,000 donors who figured into the campaign’s December 2007 count, the real prominence lay with the insurance sector, where Kieswetter said there was “wonderful support, in large part due to [UW’s] premier actuarial school,” as well as with the high tech and banking sectors. Of the latter, Kieswetter noted that all the major national banks contributed to the continued success and development of UW. And while fundraising developments began deeply rooted in UW’s Fifth Decade Plan, moving forward Campaign Waterloo has only set more ambitious goals for the coming years. “Over the next ten years we intend to raise our annual fundraising goal from $50 million to $100 million,” said Kieswetter. At that date, if annual targets are met the university will acquire more in a single year than its last long-term fundraising initiative, which spanned from 1992 to 1997, managed in its entire run. editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Houston brings Caledonia to UW Christine Ogley staff reporter
Most UW students should have heard of the Caledonia dispute by now, but for those who haven’t, rest assured: you soon will. The ongoing conflict has been covered plenty in the media, yes, but soon —as in, the beginning of February — UW students will have a chance to see the current situation at Caledonia through a completely different outlet: theatre. Prof. Andy Houston’s third year dramaturgical class spent the fall 2007 term exploring and researching the many different opinions held in relation to the strife and debate at the Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia, Ontario. From this extensive research the students created the drama production Differ|End. Depending on whom you talk to, the Caledonia dispute is an issue of land claims, or
law and order — and if that isn’t enough of a summary, I recommend googling Caledonia and Six Nations, or checking out the library, because all other points are heavily disputed, and difficult to phrase without seeming to take sides. In brief, there is a tract of land called Douglas Creek Estates, which many parties are vying for. According to some, this land essentially belongs to Caledonians, Ontarians and land developers. According to others, this land belongs to Six Nations. The history of the land is heavily debated; as is its current state, and future. And as talks continue between representatives of the concerned parties, there have been protests, raids, demonstrations and occupations.
Imprint sat down with Prof. Houston to discuss Differ | End, the motivation behind the research methods that prompted the performance, and possible ramifications for the upcoming play. First of all, the play’s main creators are the students of Houston’s class themselves. However, in order to put the production in the span of a course, a production team of senior drama students and theatre professionals was enlisted. Included in this list is Lisa O’Connell of Pat the Dog productions, who was able to connect with Yvette Nolan at Native Earth performing arts theatre in Toronto. Nolan was able to give advice and comments on the play as it developed, allowing for an outside perspective which Houston found helpful. When I asked Houston what he would like to see happen in Caledonia, he told me that
Differ | End doesn’t seek to prescribe a solution to the Douglas Creek Estates issues. What it does, instead, is aim to open discussion and dialogue between the many different people who seem to have a stake in the debate. Moreover, Houston expects that the intimate nature of the theatre will put people in a more open-minded state, and allow them to really listen to all the different angles involved in understanding the Caledonia land dispute. As opposed to attending negotiations and protests, the audience can take a look at the essential players in Caledonia as people with a soul or perhaps an “essential goodness.” “Artists,” said Houston, “really do teach us to be open.” See CALEDONIA, page 17
News
news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
New direction for Minota Hagey VeloCity project redevelops campus residence as an incubator for entrepreneurial innovation
maggie clark
Though the smallest student residence on UW campus, Minota Hagey is headed for one of the biggest ideological makeovers this coming summer, as the VeloCity project introduces an industry-specific “living-learning” environment to UW — the first of its kind on campus, and perhaps in all of North America. Maggie Clark editor-in-chief
Despite the impressive display of construction teams across University of Waterloo property in the past year, students might be surprised to learn that one of the biggest campus transformations won’t require any newly broken ground at all — not literally, at least. Yet it could be argued that VeloCity, an ambitious entrepreneurial project spearheaded by Sean Van Koughnett, manager of the Media & Mobility Network Project, breaks plenty of new ground where sheer innovation is concerned. “There is nothing we’ve come across that is quite like it,” said Van Koughnett. “There are a handful of living-learning communities in the U.S. that focus on entrepreneurship, and a few that slant towards technology or innovation. But there are none that we are aware of that focus on a specific industry, [like] mobile communications, web and new media.” VeloCity, described by Van Koughnett as an “ incubator” for technological innovation, aims to fill this perceived niche. Taking as its staging ground the Minota Hagey building, presently an on-campus residence that houses up to 72 upper-year students, the project will focus entry requirements to students who have “an entrepreneurial bent, great ideas, and knowledge or experience in mobile
communications.” By placing young students of comparable ambitions in the same living and learning environment, providing them with communal workshops, resources, and opportunities for collaboration, VeloCity aims to foster the sort of innovation that will, according to Van Koughnett, “showcase the talent and skill of [UW] students ... strengthen UW’s reputation ... [and] solidify [UW’s] standing as a place for the ‘leaders of tomorrow.’” Nor does this collaborative spirit end with student-to-student initiatives, as Van Koughnett is keen to see VeloCity develop stronger relationships between the student talent pool and ready local businesses. “Partners will provide their technology and expertise, and in return they’ll have the opportunity to meet some top students, potentially test out some of their ideas and technology, and associate their brand with UW and innovation,” said Van Koughnett, adding that “not all partners will be commercial entities. For instance the Accelerator Centre [is] going to make available to VeloCity residents the courses and workshops that are geared toward start-ups in the Accelerator Centre.” Van Koughnett went on to state that his proposal received a “unanimously enthusiastic response” from the various levels of UW administration he engaged throughout the project’s relatively short gestation period (conceived only this past summer). These parties included the UW housing depart-
ment, faculty deans, students, professors, and “corporate contacts” within the community. Van Koughnett continues to work closely with two UW students in particular, Gaurav Jain and Kunal Gupta, throughout the project’s continued development. Gupta — a fourth year software engineer at UW — quickly echoed Van Koughnett’s enthusiasm for VeloCity: “Challenging students to think outside the norm is something UW needs to continue to do,” said Gupta. “First through academics, then through co-op, and now through allowing students to be entrepreneurs ‘in their dorm rooms.’” Gupta is also founder and board chair of the group Impact, self-described as “Canada’s largest ltudent-lun lntrepreneurship lrganization.” Impact will be working with the VeloCity project throughout its initial student selection process, with residence applications being accepted as of January 7, 2008. That first application window ends on January 31, with VeloCity offering contracts for a minimum of four months. According to Angela Freeman, Minota Hagey don, the tradition of two residence dons will continue into VeloCity’s launch, with both dons remaining unassociated with the entrepreneurial project so as not to introduce conflicts of interest into the community. More information about the application process will soon be released on the project website, velocity.uwaterloo.ca. And yet despite the brevity of the project’s development, there is little doubt that the culture
of media communications already resonates deeply in the UW community. Just this past fall, the Media & Mobility Network Project, which “aims to transform the communications technology environment on campus, starting with the student residence environment,” trialed “full-screen broadcast television to student computers.” Van Koughnett also has strong convictions that by the end of 2008 all of the student residences will have “gone wifi.” The telecommunications mentality even extends into the surrounding community, with Waterloo being titled the world’s “Top Intelligent Community of 2007” by the Intelligent Communities Forum, which made its selection by focusing on such characteristics as community broadband communications development,and similar technological innovations. On a more practical level, with Minota Hagey already renewed by a recent renovation of kitchen facilities, no drastic measures will have to be taken to prepare the residence for its first wave of student entrepreneurs in Fall 2008 — though renovations will be continuing throughout Spring 2008. “Minota Hagey is a manageable size,” said Van Koughnett. “It has great common areas that can be developed into collaborative space, device lab and meeting rooms. The common areas will be renovated over the summer and when finished it will definitely look and feel like no other residence.” editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
News
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
The top five campus stories of 2007 Sarah Hewey imprint intern
U-Pass at last — but was Grand River Transit ready for the new load? Between March 28 and 29, UW students voted to set in motion the U-Pass, which allowed students to board Grand River Transit for a set fee per term, and enabled them to reside farther away from campus. Several debates had occured prior to the university’s final decision, as the pass was non-refundable, and co-op students were unable to opt into the pass. Also, no recognition method,
such as a card swipe system, was implemented, therefore enabling any person with a U-Pass to board Grand River Transit for free. In addition, the change signaled a tremendous overcrowding issue, which then developed into a safety issue for all bus riders alike. The congestion was particularly evident on routes 7 Mainline and 12 Conestoga/Fairview, despite the
doubling of service during the hours of 7:45 a.m. thorough 9:30 a.m in the mornings and 2:30 p.m. through 5:30 p.m. in the afternoons. Grand River Transit made efforts to ensure bus schedules were readily available on all buses, so as to better educate students about routes and schedules, a particularly important asset for those frosh students who were unfamiliar with the system
altogether. Additionally, the GRT customer service line, though previously in existence, was further implemented to assist UW students in mapping out the most convenient route for reaching a destination.
UW celebrates 50 years of “Why not?” ... and Imprint is late to the party This year, UW celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of events throughout the year. These included a 50th anniversary launch event, as well as a hockey game featuring the President’s team in opposition to the student Warrior’s team. In addition, a special Canada Day celebration and Homecoming weekend united past UW alumni, as well as involving new students. UW also implemented the
“Why not?” campaign, as an opportunity for former alumni to embrace the “daring to dream” nature of the university from its humble beginnings. That same weekend, a great deal of controversy occurred following the Laurier Golden Hawks’ 35-3 victory over the Warriors at the September 22 football game, and Imprint’s subsequent decision to publish its September 28 cover
in favour of the Laurier triumph — resulting namely, in a Laurier colour scheme and photo credit of a Golden Hawk “soaring to victory” on the page. This homecoming issue created an incredible upheaval among not only team members, but also UW alumni alike, as many individuals believed the Imprint cover to be inappropriate and discourteous.
Following the debacle, students began to discard Imprint copies by the loadful into campus recycling bins and waste disposals. This served as a method of not-so-silent protest and though little could be done to halt the students’ illegal actions, the situation highlighted how the students wanted to be represented by their newspaper.
Sai Kit Lo resigns amid censorship controversy over Vagina Monologues On February 7, UW bid farewell to Sai Kit Lo as former VP internal. This, following a heated debate regarding the Women Centre’s request to perform the Vagina Monologues in the Great Hall, an area open to visitors and family members. The show itself contains some sexual elements, and for this reason, Lo considered it to be inappropriate, though he explained his support
of the political messages the show conveyed. On February 6, despite Lo’s continuous protests, the Feds Board of Directors overruled his decision on the grounds that nothing could be found to oppose the display under both the Ontario Human Rights and Canadian Criminal Code. Lo resigned the following morning, leaving Feds VP of finance Renji
Butalid to divide his responsibilities until another board member could assume the position. The issue of Lo’s conservative Christian background was both considered and condemned by the student body throughout the situation, as many felt he based his decisions on personal beliefs as opposed to the duties and obligations any VPI should face. In addition,
previous differences of opinion had occurred with Lo to the Women’s Centre, which further highlighted differing student expectations for Lo’s conduct in office. Throughout the course of his leadership, Lo never made any attempt to mask his beliefs, and his decisions were rooted in what he believed to be right for UW students as a whole.
University expands campus by breaking ground for new buildings This year, UW made the decision to create two new establishments: the Quantum-Nano Centre (QNC), an institution that promises to increase research concerning quantum computing and nanotechnology, and a 52,000 square foot wing on the north end of Hagey Hall, to be utilized by accounting students. Both ideas, but particularly plans for the QNC, prompted a wide range of
concerns from UW students, as the latter building will take root in the B2 Green, a site used by many students for recreational activities and student functions — for example, fund-raising barbecues. Alternately, some students embraced the Hagey Hall extension, as it will enable a merging of accounting classes, and so, free up space in other campus locations. Both sites prompted concerns in
regards to UW’s vanishing green space. Despite this, UW found the need for university development to be a more pressing issue, one that might only be addressed through expansion and construction. The $12.3 million Hagey project is scheduled to conclude in September 2008, while the QNC, which was scheduled to begin production the fall prior, has yet to break ground. In an attempt
to address questions and concerns regarding the new program, firstyear class members formulated the Nanotechnology Student Committee. The construction delay has since caused more concern among students, this time because classes and labs scheduled to occur in the new building face uncertainty and overcrowding should present developmental trends continue.
Interfaith forum results in heated protest among guests On May 28, 2007, what began as a civil debate between Mennonite and Islamic scholars at Conrad Grebel University College shifted into a blatant protest in which graphic images of dead human beings in the streets of Iran and appalling statements regarding terrorism were waved on signs, while protestors began chanting, “Down with the Islamic Republic of Iran!” To the disappointment of many, what was
expected to be a productive and peaceful evening came to an abrupt end as the opinions of the academics were unable to be heard amid the clamouring of the crowd. The following day, a separate conference was held — however, the mayhem of the previous day’s events seemed to have departed entirely, as small groups of registered guests took part in a quiet, yet inspiring discussion regarding inter-faith peace, and
other topics. Prior to the conference breakdown, Arli Klassen, executive director of the Mennonite Central Committee Ontario, had met with protest leaders to discuss their personal encounters with torture in Iran. However, a lack of communication resulted between parties, who failed to agree with one another, and soon after the protestors loudly brought the forum to a complete halt. Klassen believed that the root of the upheaval
lay in the personal pain that so many protestors had experienced, which resulted in their inability to listen to or accept the opinion of any one person who might remind them of something from their past. Klassen also noted the embarassment and humiliation that was felt by many in realtion to how UW’s Iranian guests were treated during their visit. shewey@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
News
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
WOMEN IN MATH
Welcome Back Supper Party Wednesday, Jan. 9 5 to 6:30 p.m. ; MC5158 & MC5136 For all women in the Faculty of Mathematics. Come out for an evening meal and mingle with female undergrad, grad students and Math faculty members. The menu will include crepes (your choice of chicken or vegetable), rice, salad, rolls, dessert and assorted beverages.
R.S.V.P. by January 7 to n3clarke@math.uwaterloo.on.ca
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News
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Not a creature was stirring...
maggie clark
Students of kinesiology, economics and biology take their December 20, 2007 exams in the main PAC at 9:00 a.m., while geography students complete their finals on the upper floor, to the left of the camera. Deferred exams continued through December 21, but official exams ended on the Thursday. That day was also a Muslim holiday (Eid Al-Adha) of comparable significance to Christian winter holidays, around which North American school calendars are traditionally based.
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Opinion
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Lessons from the past Friday, January 4, 2008 Vol. 30, No. 21 Student Life Centre, Room 1116 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 P: 519.888.4048 F: 519.884.7800 http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editor-in-chief, Maggie Clark editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Advertising & Production Manager, Laurie Tigert-Dumas ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca General Manager, Catherine Bolger cbolger@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Ad Assistant, vacant Sales Assisstant, vacant Volunteer Coordinator, vacant Systems Admin. vacant Distribution, Peter Blackman, vacant Interns, Sarah Hewey, Taylor Schnaeringer Board of Directors board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca President, Adam Gardiner president@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Vice-president, Jacqueline McKoy vp@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Treasurer, Lu Jiang treasurer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Secretary, Alaa Yassin secretary@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Staff liaison, Rob Blom liaison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editorial Staff Assistant Editor, vacant Lead Proofreader, vacant Cover Editor, vacant News Editor, vacant News Assistant, vacant Opinion Editor, vacant Opinion Assistant, vacant Features Editor, vacant Features Assistant, vacant Arts Editor, vacant Arts Assistant, vacant Science Editor, vacant Science Assistant, vacant Sports Editor, vacant Sports Assistant, vacant Photo Editor, vacant Photo Assistant, vacant Graphics Editor, vacant Graphics Assistant, vacant Web Editor, vacant Web Assistant, vacant Systems Administrator, vacant Sys. Admin. Assistant, vacant Production Staff Tim Foster, Sukhpreet Sangha, Sherif Soliman, Mo Jangda, Peter Trinh, Emma Tarswell, Ashley Csanady, Sarah Hewey, Christine Ogley, Dinh Nguyen, Adrienne Raw, Marco Baldasaro, Scott Houston, Michael L. Davenport
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: Monday, January 7, 2008 10:30 a.m. First general staff meeting for winter 2008: Monday, January 7, 2008 12:30 p.m.
“By the time you read this a new newspaper will have joined mathNEWS, engiNEWS, the Gazette and the chevron in the regular observation of campus news.” So wrote mathNEWS in their June 19, 1978 issue, on the occasion of Imprint’s very first publication. Never a paper to spoil us with praise, even in this inaugural article mathNEWS highlighted the misprints that accompanied Imprint’s initial release, as well as the paper’s overly “artsy” cover. In the next 30 years, using everything from toilet humour to scathing reprisals of Imprint transgressions, mathNEWS would prove to be the most consistent and tireless “watcher of watchers” on UW campus. But more intriguing for me is this earlier role that mathNEWS fulfilled — a role that allowed for real photos, book and play reviews,
and wonder of all wonders: serious news. Yes, sometime between the chevron’s fall from grace and Imprint’s arrival, mathNEWS did its part to fill the journalistic void. Now, I’m not suggesting that mathNEWS erred in honing its playfully derisive commentary over the years — far from it. What strikes me instead is that the earlier presence of more traditional newspaper content speaks to a profound facet of citizen journalism: namely, that if people don’t feel represented by their mainstream media, they will always find other ways to be heard. In 1978 UW students expressed their displeasure with existing media representation by creating Imprint and expelling the chevron, but also by using unconventional outlets to wait out the absence. Thirty years later, UW’s media arena has
The Imprint Reader’s Bill of Rights Readers of Imprint, the University of Waterloo’s official campus newspaper, should expect the most representative voice of UW students to adhere to the following standards:
1. Integrity
Conflicts of interest will be avoided whenever possible, and where adherence to this rule limits Imprint’s ability to report as thoroughly or expansively on the student community as is necessary, a policy of full, disclosure will be maintained in its stead. Plagiarists will not be tolerated.
2. Professionalism
Articles and columns will convey student issues, perspectives, and interests in a manner that accurately represents the maturity level and intelligence of Imprint’s readership. Satire will not be pursued when it serves only to diminish the quality and accessibility of campus discourse.
3. Loyalty
Imprint will seek to prioritize issues of local and globalimportance to students and under-represented groups on campus, while maintaining its commitment to fair and proportionally balanced reporting of the whole UW community.
4. Transparency
Imprint will always be open to constructive criticism, and will readily acknowledge factual inaccuracies as they arise. Also, all fee-paying UW students should expect to be welcomed, either as volunteer staff or as voting members at Imprint general meetings, if and when they choose to participate more actively in the paper.
changed but this underlying principle remains. MathNEWS is secure in its satirical niche, while Imprint is dangerously comfortable as the reigning student voice; nonetheless, if students don’t feel adequately represented they will find other ways to speak for themselves. And they do. Last term, for instance, the work of a first-year Imprint columnist, Travis Myers, sparked vigorous debate among UW students about the excess of vulgarity in the paper. However, you won’t find this debate in the Letters to the Editor section; even on the website it exists in only the most superficial of incarnations. For long treatises about the failings of Imprint, as well as the ideological niche readers expect their official campus paper to inhabit, you’ll have to turn to student blogs. I refer you, then, to TingleZ and World of Wolfgang on Blogspot.com, and Granite at the redcardgroup.com. Entries by these bloggers, and the conversations they prompted, are aweinspiring. Some may have typos and grammatical errors; there may be a measure of misinformation regarding Imprint’s policy and procedures in others. But the desire for a journalistic voice that better represents and respects UW students is thorough and well-reasoned. I’m only sorry student faith in Imprint has fallen so far that readers are rarely motivated to write a Letter to the Editor, some 300 to 400 words long, for publication in the paper when they’re displeased. And likewise, that the existing website isn’t strong enough to promote discussion on anything but the most crass and superficial of stories. As for what students want from Imprint — namely, a publication that makes appeals to campus and community-related issues in a manner that reflects the maturity and intelligence of UW students, encouraging genuine discussion and promoting student awareness — your criticisms are not falling on deaf ears. It’s the beginning of both a new year and a new term. In the short run, this means that at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, January 7, Imprint holds its first general staff meeting, at which point all the volunteer editorial positions, presently vacant, will be up for grabs. This is also an excellent opportunity to learn about the organization as a whole, and the many distinct paths we have for volunteering at Imprint. If you want to make a real and immediate difference in the paper, January 7 is a great time to start. Meanwhile, in a broader sense, the new term means journalism workshops, media guest speakers, a web redesign, and more in-depth reporting strategies. It also means a promise to you, the readers, that Imprint is prepared to do better. Starting right now. Starting with a reader’s bill of rights, which I fully expect students to hold me to (via email, in person, by telephone, on your blogs — whatever it takes) for as long as I’m in the editor’s chair. And if this doesn’t work, well, there’s always mathNEWS. And there’s always you. editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Opinion
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Mario’s trans-positive ending I’m going to be frank when I say that Super Mario Bros. 2 was a weird game that nobody really liked all that much. I mean, how can I be expected to like something that’s different? None of the usual Super Mario bad guys were there, and the game play consisted of picking things up and
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throwing them — so weird. But, the reason the game was so abnormal was because it wasn’t always a Mario game. See, I heard that back when it was in Japan the game was known as “Doki Doki Panic,” and instead of having Mario parts, well they were different if you know what I mean. These elements were changed, however, before the game came overseas, sporting a new name and some flashy new Mario characters too. Not too surprising then, is it? Super Mario 2 never really felt too much like a Mario game to begin with. For instance, since when is it Mario’s style to have a character explore a social issue? Don’t follow? Well, you remember Birdo, don’t you? At the end of the first level, that pink dinosaur thing with the big pink bow that shoots eggs at you? That was Birdo. Her first appearance at the end of that first level was unforgettable for a couple of reasons: it brought you one step closer to finishing that godawful game, and it was the first time gender identity disorder went 8-bit.
Birdo’s summary in the manual reads that “he thinks he’s a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He’d rather be called Birdetta.” This wasn’t a translation typo from the Japanese version either: this was the real deal. In fact, Birdo has since appeared in over 15 Mario games and every manual seems to have something different to say in terms of gender specific pronouns. Aside from the tasteless comments in the manual, Birdo also gets a lashing in the game. She is beaten up by all four of the main characters in what could be construed as Nintendo’s acceptance of transphobia and related hate crimes. Brandon Teena was a bit like Birdo. He was transgendered, female-to-male. Brandon was also in a place populated by the ignorant — not the Mushroom Kingdom but Falls City, Nebraska. Brandon, like Birdo, chose to live life as his true gender. Brandon, though, had no chance to disclose his biological gender, not even to his girlfriend or best friends in Falls City. And eventually, they discovered his secret, Teena was gang
raped and later shot and murdered by John Lotter and Marvin Nissen. This would become one of the most well known hate crimes in modern times against trans individuals. And although the two stories are very superficially similar, it’s the fictional one that has the happy ending. Birdo would start to show up again later in games as one of the good guys, playing tennis, soccer, party games and go karts with Mario and the gang. Birdo’s gender identity is a non issue now, and she’s even been seen hugging and looking lovey-eyed at Yoshi in some
recent games. So next time you pick up a controller I want you to think about Birdo’s journey to where she is today, respected and valued as part of the Mario gang. People like Brandon Teena, however, don’t have the ability to come back for the next round. What Lotter and Nissen did is irreversible. And since life does not have the luxury of a reset button: try your best to do the right thing the first time around. tmyers@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Birdo’s summary in the manual reads that “he thinks he’s a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He’d rather be called Birdetta.”
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Opinion
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Offering up the reins In the late, hazy days of last summer, I found myself tossing around the idea for a newsletter for the Faculty of Arts. What started as a meandering conversation evolved into The Boar — a magazine that will attempt to strike a balance between the arts and humanities and give artsies a chance to showcase their work, however, as a result of my work with The Boar, I must regretfully retire from my role as an Imprint columnist. I’ve been writing this column for two years and deciding to let it go was far from an easy choice. As I came to this decision, I found myself reflecting and revisiting a lot of my previous work — cringing at times, laughing at others and all the while questioning whether it was really time to give it up. I look at some of my earliest columns and I find it astounding how much I have evolved not only as a writer, but as a feminist. When I first started this column, my intent was never to become the staunchly feminist voice in the paper. At most, I would say that the slant of the column was post-feminist, shying away from a more hard-lined approach. Even the name of my column was derived from this stance: “Bics” was initially a reference to Lady Bic Razors, “Blahniks” is obviously a reference to the famous shoe designer Manolo Blahnik and “Bras” is selfexplanatory. The underlying connotation was that, while this column may come from a female voice and a feminist perspective, it’s not the bra-burning, hairy-legged feminism typically demonized in our popular culture. I wouldn’t say my fundamental beliefs have changed, but through two years of observing news, pop culture, and even my everyday surroundings from a distinctly female viewpoint I found my perspective evolving. As my own understanding of feminism deepened, I became much more aware of perpetual problems regarding women’s safety and equality in our world, country, and even here at UW. But it has still taken almost all of those two years to be comfortable calling myself a feminist, and I still find myself balking at the negative connotations attached to the word. The general perception of feminism in our society is outdated, often reducing the position to inconsequential bitching. This perception arises from the idea that the “fight” is over and women should now settle down neatly into a genderbalanced world. However, as popular culture is increasingly reverting to an era where women are little more than pretty objects, albeit sometimes holding briefcases, and we have a generation of girls watching all of their pop idols literally splayed across the evening news, feminism and feminist voices need to play an increasingly vocal role in questioning the evolution of our society.
... I make a special plea to anyone who considers her/himself to be a feminist to take a more critical look at the world around her. So, although I’m giving up my column I hope to see a number of disparate feminist voices take my place. Community editorials and letters to the editor have been significantly lacking at Imprint in past months, and I distinctly remember those printed criticisms hitting home much harder than any of the web commentary does today. See something you don’t like in Imprint, on campus, or even on The Daily Show? Write in about it; don’t just rant anonymously on the web. This issue, by the way, goes beyond feminism: we are becoming an increasingly informed but simultaneously detached generation. We have access to more information than previous generations but instead of it galvanizing us to participate in our world it paralyzes us and we’re becoming nothing more than isolated observers. While writing for Imprint I’ve met extraordinary individuals doing great things for this campus and the surrounding community. However, it’s always the same faces turning up and it’s high time that a wider breadth of our campus was engaged in the infinite learning opportunities found beyond the classroom. From clubs and societies to campus rec to various on-campus publications, the ways to expand your knowledge base are innumerable — and you just might get a chance to change the world while you’re at it. What I’m getting at is that we as a generation need to start heavily questioning what’s going on around us. Be it yet another game show that involves women parading around in underwear, or the matter of lobbying for aid for a burgeoning democracy, it’s time to start asking these questions outside of the comfortable anonymity the internet provides. Becoming a more engaged member of your society can be as simple as writing a letter to the editor — a real letter to the editor, not posting 300 words of unedited, unintelligible drivel in the comment forum — or as complex as becoming more involved with student governance or a local political party. I encourage everyone to become more involved with her community, but I make a special plea to anyone who considers her/himself to be a feminist to take a more critical look at the world today.
There has been a slow and steady regression in many gender role attitudes over the past ten years, something which has become primarily evident in our popular culture; however, as I’ve said many times you can’t blame the symptom for the cause and the problem is much more deeply rooted than that. By taking the stance that feminism has reached its pinnacle, that the battle has been lost and won, a sense of complacency has permeated the women’s movement. There is now room for a more moderate form
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of feminism to take up the reins of the work that has been done and ensure that women in the future enjoy the same, if not more freedoms, than we do today. Throughout my 60-plus columns I’ve come to realize that true feminism doesn’t have to involve burning bras but can be an attitude of equality and perpetual examination of societal norms that continue to subjugate women. So I’ll get off my high horse as I bid you farewell, and just ask that you keep the conversation going and use the Opinion section in Imprint as the forum for discussion it’s intended to be. Ask questions, challenge accepted norms and just remember that feminism doesn’t have to be just “the other F-word.”
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Features
features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
In search of a balanced media Talal Awan reporter
A little more than a month ago, on December 4, 2007, former federal crown attorney Faisal Joseph announced a press conference in Toronto. At this press conference, it was publically announced that several human rights complaints had been launched against Maclean’s magazine. The complaints were initiated by four Osgoode Hall law students, with the Canadian Islamic Congress [CIC] acting as facilitator, in response to what they viewed as “flagrantly Islamophobic” material published by the magazine. The material in question is an October 2006 piece entitled “The Future Belongs to Islam,” written by Mark Steyn. Since this public announcement, a widespread media debate has raged with respect to these complaints, touching on issues that are of particular importance to Canadian society — including what, if any, responsibility media outlets must take with respect to the content of their publications. To give context to this debate, however, regard must to be given to the portions of the article which first offended the complainants. Specifically, Steyn’s article focuses on the high birth rate of Muslims in the West as compared
to “traditional” Western societies, and considers the threat this allegedly poses to the West and Western ideals. Steyn, in the excerpts used by Maclean’s, compared Muslims to Indians in the Old West, infiltrating the “white cities,” and suggested that many Muslims favour a “bloody” war against the West. In the article, Steyn conceded what he termed obligatory ‘of courses’: “Of course, not all Muslims are terrorists,” he wrote, “though enough of them are hot for jihad to provide an impressive support network of mosques from Vienna to Stockholm to Toronto to Seattle. Of course, not all Muslims support terrorists — though enough of them share their basic objectives (the wish to live under Islamic law in Europe and North America).” Joseph and five law students — one of whom is this reporter’s brother; an association which necessarily complicates (but hopefully does not destroy) this discussion — take particular offence to this characterization of Muslims. Khurrum Rafiq Awan, a UW alumnus, felt moved to file a human rights complaint on the conviction that no such global jihad network exists. “If there is such a network,” he said, “someone forgot to tell the 750,000 law-abiding Muslims in Canada.”
Similarly, this reporter is moved to explore the place of student involvement in national media culture — and to ask if true objectivity is really possible, or appropriate. For instance, even if this reporter’s brother were not among the complainants, would “personal investment” in such a story still go unquestioned?
It cannot be denied that the issues ...are fundamentally important in a free and democratic society, especially in light of its multicultural fabric. Since the press conference, much has been made about the students’ choice to launch human rights complaints against Maclean’s for its publication. Some have characterized this as an unfair attack against the press. Meanwhile the students insist that they never wanted to resort to legal action. Before launching the human rights complaints, the students met with the editorial staff in an effort to convince Maclean’s to publish a
counterpiece in response to Steyn’s allegations. The students wanted the responding article to be authored by a “mutually acceptable source,” and featured in the magazine with the same prominence as Steyn’s piece. A simple letter to the editor, they claimed, could not adequately address the numerous contentions they had with the content of the article. During the course of the meeting, chief editor Kenneth Whyte allegedly stated that his magazine would “rather go bankrupt” than publish such a response. Since that fateful meeting, the students have submitted human rights complaints in Ontario, and have worked with the CIC in submitting human rights complaints with the Federal and British Columbia human rights commissions. The CIC, whose president, Dr. Mohamed Elmasry, is a professor of engineering at UW, is claiming that the publication falls afoul of provisions in Human Rights Codes that prohibit the publishing of material likely to expose an identifiable community to hatred or contempt. The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has scheduled hearings into the matter for June 2008, and the Ontario and Federal Tribunals are considering whether to follow suit. The students’ complaints raise an important question: in what tangible ways does the media owe its readers
fairness and a sense of balance? If nothing else, the media attention surrounding the complaints has served to highlight this important debate. According to Maclean’s, the students are trying to shut down “free speech.” The students state that this characterization is disingenuous. They state that they have not named the author in the complaint, asked for an apology, or filed criminal hate speech charges. Rather, they are complaining about Maclean’s refusal to permit a representative response to highly inflammatory material. The students state that they are merely insisting that Maclean’s further what they see as the ultimate goal of free expression: a dialogue between all interested parties. A dialogue which, they believe, should allow for a response from any community negatively targeted in a major, national newsmagazine. Whatever the outcome of these human rights complaints, the issues they raise are still important in a free and democratic society, especially in light of its multicultural fabric. And since it is students who brought this issue to the forefront we, as students ourselves, should recognize that it was a group among us that brought this issue to the forefront of public discourse. But let’s not stop the conversation yet. Let us, at the very least among ourselves, keep such discussions alive.
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Features
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Gaming tournaments make a one-two smash
Peter Trinh
On December 4, 2007, UW Gamers held two consecutive video game tournaments for the entire day, both based on Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Melee. The events were separated into a “casual” and a “professional” tournament, with each holding a tournament roster of over 50 entrants.
A homesick student’s East Coast travelogue
UW student shares the cultural richness and inner workings of her Maritime homeland Cait Davidson staff reporter
From the bay window in the living room of my childhood home, I watch the sunrise. The entire landscape below me is on fire from the red of the sun’s morning debut, casting light onto the fresh fallen snow from the day before. Fundy Bay, Silver Lake, Sackville, New Brunswick, Amherst and Truro, Nova Scotia can all be seen below. If I had no other reason to return here, I would come just for the ocean. But with three snowstorms in five days, I’m wishing I had come in the summer, and not for Christmas break Despite the long waiting room visits, poor schools and lack of jobs, there is something about the Maritimes that keeps drawing its people back. While some believe it is the culture and the close-knit families, I would argue differently. In truth, what separates the Maritimes from Ontario and Alberta is the rugged beauty and untamed energy of the ocean. The ocean has long dictated the lives of those who live near it. When the coast was settled it was because of the fishing resources. My own hometown was a fishing community and a shipping port for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and the two foundries in the town of Sackville. Sackville, New Brunswick was settled by what were known as planters. They were New Englanders who were asked to settle the land that was formerly occupied by Acadians, the deported French. The town was named in honour of an English Viscount,
George Germain; the First Viscount of Sackville. There is another Sackville in Nova Scotia, which is known as Lower Sackville. People often confuse the two towns though the one in Nova Scotia is just outside Halifax. The salt marsh in Sackville, NB, is home to Ducks Unlimited, a bird sanctuary, as well as a research centre for the local high school and Mount Allison University. The high school runs a wetlands program that is envied by many schools in the region. Oftentimes, people criticize the Maritimes for, well, everything. I’m
spent many nights on the boardwalk, under the stars, just absorbing the natural landscape. Sackville’s economy survives on Mount Allison University and tourism. University students pay the town’s bills from September to April, and from May to August, it’s tourists from every part of the world coming to see the sights that New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia have to offer. It’s usually best to begin your tour in New Brunswick, fly into Moncton airport and stay at one of the beautiful hotels in town while shopping at the
to do at the Hopewell Cape — possibly catching a show at the Capital Theatre, or better yet, find a show that one of the high schools is putting on. In several reviews of last year’s shows, people found that the high school productions in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview (a tri-city area, similar to Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge) were better than the shows that Theatre New Brunswick put on. In the morning, you leave early, and head south on the highway, to Sackville to get a tour of the boardwalk and see the sunrise over the marsh because
University students pay the town’s bills from September to April, and from May to August, it’s tourists from every part of the world... including myself in this generalization, because I am usually the first one to mock the Maritimes, for everything from the school and healthcare to the culture. There are very few jobs in the Maritimes, and the fastest growing city in New Brunswick is the only city that grew in the 2006 census. The truth about the Maritimes is simply this, when one does the finances and books: it looks bad on paper. No money, few resources, no future. I hated living there for 18 years, and yet, I found that when I’m away from the Maritimes, I miss the gorgeous landscape. My own personal running trail was either through deep woods, or across the boardwalk that runs through the Ducks Unlimited portion of the salt marsh. While I obtained many bug bites there, I was also witness to the sunrise over the salt marsh, and I
largest mall this side of Quebec. To put this mall into perspective, it’s probably only slightly larger than Conestoga Mall and serves over three million people. South-eastern New Brunswick is the home of Fundy Bay, where one can find the highest tides in the world. What are known as the flowerpot rocks are found in the same conservation — due to erosion, and the way the tide comes in Hopewell Cape. Over 100 billion tons of seawater created these wonders and speaking from experience they are quite a sight. In a small town nearby, named Alma, you’ll find a small bakery that is built into a house. Here, you can eat what I’ve found to be the best sticky buns in the world. From there, you head back to Moncton to spend another night — or, if you’re not exhausted from your tour of Hopewell Cape, you can find a lot
there are few more beautiful sights. From there, drive to PEI and cross the longest fixed link in the world: the Confederation Bridge. In PEI there are many sights that you can’t see anywhere else. Famous for red mud, Confederation and Anne of Green Gables. Green Gables is open for tours during tourist season, the PEI parliament building is usually open for tours and Charlottetown often has many plays and productions (of which I would highly recommend any of the Anne of Green Gables plays.) During the summer, PEI is geared toward the tourist industry, as it’s the basis of the economy. While you’re there, if you’re interested, tour the countryside. PEI only takes two hours to drive across, so do some sightseeing of your own. I find nothing more exciting than to travel and discover my own favourite
places wherever I am. On PEI at one point, I got terribly lost with some family, and while finding our way back to the Confederation Bridge, we stumbled across an adorable jam store that produces and sells their own jams with all sorts of interesting flavours. After spending a few days in PEI, jump back to the mainland and drive through Nova Scotia — there are hundreds of things to do there so your stop depends on your preference. For interesting sights, there are the coal mines in Springhill and Cape Breton; for shopping there’s Halifax but not much else. Personally, I love Sydney, Cape Breton. An island that’s a part of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton has a rich history and provides ample opportunity for forging memories. A personal favourite of mine is staying at the Delta Hotel in Sydney, which is along the waterfront. There’s a boardwalk that stretches a few miles along the coast and has great food, sights and shows. As well, many buildings have balconies or roofs that will allow you to see across the water at night — which is quite the sight. If you’re looking for a career or a place to raise your children the Maritimes are probably not what you have in mind. But for a wonderful relaxing vacation (especially after an arduous school term) you’ve found the right place. Growing up in New Brunswick, I never appreciated the rich history, the ocean or the beauty but after being away for a while, I truly do miss it. cdavidson@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Features
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
13
Greeky two handles, fried cheese delight
This richly flavoured, gooey dish can be served by itself or with a side loaf of bread. Add seasoned flour for a unique crispy outer layer and a wedge of lemon for a zesty tang. Saganaki is also a good source of calcium, vitamin C and vitamin A.
When you read or see something but don’t have an opportunity to experience it, do you keep it in the back of your mind until such a moment presents itself ? If yes, there’s probably a good reason you’ve tucked whatever it is in your long-term memory box. For me, it was with a certain dish called saganaki. Derived from the root word sagani, it means “a frying pan with two handles,� which makes sense considering that is the traditional vessel used to make it. Saganaki is a popular Greek appetizer and uses no ordinary cheese; Kefalograviera or Kasseri cheese is called for. The former is a richly flavoured, salty cheese. The latter is made from either goat or sheep’s milk, firm in texture and has a mellow yellow colour. The cheese is cut into thick 1/2 inch wedges and fried in buttery goodness (or alternatively olive oil). It
is accompanied by a fresh lemon wedge to bring a zesty tang to the salty, gooey cheese. The Greeks were definitely onto something by eliminating everything standing between them and cheese. The cheese can also be dredged in seasoned flour to bring out more of a crispy exterior. Make sure you have some good bread to go along with this appetizer. Although it is usually served with pita bread, any sort of pillowy textured bread cut into wedges would be a good choice too (i.e. potato bread or sourdough). If you find this offered at a restaurant, you may find it to be a showstopper selection, where the cheese is soaked in alcohol, flambĂŠed before your table and put out by a generous drizzle of lemon juice. tli@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Tiffany Li
For the tastiest result, serve in a cast iron skillet: the cheese will stay warm longer and remain nice and oozy.
Ingredients * 1 lb Kefalograviera or Kasseri cheese * 1/4 cup unsalted butter or olive oil * 2 lemons cut into wedges * 1/2 cup all purpose-flour * 1/2 tsp dried Oregano
(optional, for dredging)
Directions Cut cheese into triangular pieces 3 1/2 inches wide by 4 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. If you would like to dredge the cheese at this point, take out a shallow dish and combine the flour and seasoning together. Rinse the cheese wedges under cold water, and lightly coat both sides with the flour. Cook under the broiler or on the stovetop. Broiler method: set oven to broil (high setting). Melt butter and brush cheese with it on both sides. Using a cast iron skillet or other oven proof skillet, place it under the broiler and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and bubbly. Stovetop: over medium high heat, melt butter in a skillet. Add cheese and pan fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from heat and place on paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve immediately with bread and lemon wedges.
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Features
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Grad for the right reasons
Is grad school what you think it is? More importantly, is it the right choice for you? Chris Miller staff reporter
With a new term approaching, many students in their final year of undergrad will be giving thought to the possibility of grad school. Application deadlines generally start to roll in around January and February, which means you’ve got to get yourself into gear gathering reference letters, assembling a CV, and taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE.) Odds are, if this is news to you, grad school probably isn’t your bag anyways. For those expressing a sincere interest in continuing their education, however, it can be difficult to give yourself an honest appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses. Few of us have that slam dunk combination of high marks, an interesting CV, and professors tripping over each other to proclaim you the Second Coming of Jesus. Lacking one of these should not suggest you’re not right for grad school, but it should suggest that you explore as many avenues as possible should it not pan out. What’s more important than meeting entrance requirements, however, is making sure you’re doing grad school for the right reasons. The first thing to realize is that grad school is hard work and the only way to get through each crushing day is to love what you do. Love it to death. As a masters or doctoral student, you’re making contributions to your field. You are learning how to create the knowledge that will be taught to future students. This is not simply an extension of your undergraduate education, it’s a reversal — you’re approaching learning from the complete opposite direction, with (hopefully)
a completely new attitude. Don’t simply allow yourself to be carried by momentum into another several years of school. “I liked being an undergrad, so I’m sure I’ll like being a grad” isn’t the most convincing statement, even to yourself. Possibly the most problematic cases of grad school dropouts are those people who, through strong effort, manage to meet the requirements for grad school, but find they have no passion for their area of work. Graduate executive committee president Vanessa Arrojado suggests several questions to ask yourself before deciding on grad school: “What are you trying to get out of it and do you think the institution can deliver on your expectations?” Arrojado also stresses the personal significance of pursuing advanced education: “Ask yourself who you’re doing it for and where it’s leading.” Political science grad student Bonnie Joyce also asks, “Do you love school and engaging in academia? You have to really like school, reading and learning, particularly while everyone else around you is getting a job.” On top of this, “Do you feel like you’re not done exploring the things you like? Are there things you are not done looking at?” A masters or doctoral degree can certainly increase your appeal to employers and may also increase your pay, but unless you’re in a highly technical field, this is probably not the best reason to pursue one. Experience is still key to job searching, although having an additional degree can certainly give you an edge. Roselyn Bradford, assistant director of the MBA Career Resource Center at USC, offers additional tips on applying for grad school. Identify your strengths and interests, she says, and speak to professors in the discipline of your target to get a
sense of the career paths available to it, as well as the challenges associated with the work they do. Make sure you fully research the schools you’ve chosen, but don’t sweat it once your application is in. After all, you can’t get in unless you apply. Ultimately, grad school is a commitment to your field, to yourself, and to future students who share an interest in what you choose to explore. Still not sure if grad school is the right choice for you? Unsure about your future career goals? UW Career Services has two programs that may help you create a clearer path:
Strong Interest Inventory (SII) The SII is a tool designed to help students identify their pattern of vocational interests. Using 317 different questions to explore your likes and dislikes, the SII assesses your interests with regard to occupational fields, school subjects, leisure activities and other categories. Based on your answers, you will receive feedback indicating which occupational areas appear to be of greatest personal interest to you, as well as how your interests compare to the interests of people who work in over 100 occupations. According to Career Services, “The Strong Interest Inventory is a useful assessment for anyone who is unsure about their future career goals. It can be a useful way to begin the process of career planning or to help you decide between a number of alternatives that you may be considering.” The SII does not predict with certainty what AB_GENER06_imprint.qxd 3/29/06 8:48 occupation is right for you. rather, by comparing
your similarities and differences with those in a wide variety of occupations, it may help indicate what occupational environment may be good for you. Currently, doing the SII may cost around $110, however, if you’re a UW student you may sign up for the program for a low cost of $10 for material fees. Simply go to the Career Services website (www.careerservices.uwaterloo.ca) and register for an appointment. Your material fee will be collected on the day of your workshop, and you will be given feedback by a career counsellor.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) The MBTI is a personality questionnaire which describes differences that exist in normal, healthy people. It offers feedback on personal preferences and can be useful as a tool in helping individual to better understand both themselves and others. The MBTI can help a person identify their unique strengths and gifts, potential areas of personal growth, as well as help them understand and appreciate people different from them. It also offers applications perfect for career planning. By learning about their preferences through the MBTI, a person may discover the type of work environments that will be most satisfying for them. They may also discover some unique contributions that they can personally offer in any work setting. People wanting to take the MBTI should take the same steps they would in apply for the SII. The only difference is that, unlike the SII, the material fee for the MBTI is $18. PM
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cmiller@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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IMPRINT Publications, UW
IMPRINT, the University of Waterloo student newspaper is hiring an Editor-In-Chief for a full-time 13-month contract position beginning March 1, 2008. You will train, manage, motivate and lead a volunteer staff and ensure the print-to-press quality of all content. Must have strong organizational skills, be familiar with Adobe CS2, photo editing packages, layout and design skills and experience with Unix/Linux networks.
djobi allrequest
thursdays
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Interested candidates should mail or deliver resume, clippings and a cover letter to: IMPRINT Publications Hiring Committee Imprint Publications 200 University Ave., W. University of Waterloo, Student Life Centre, room 1116 Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1 Deadline is Friday, January 25 at 4:30 p.m.
9pmuntil2am667kingstreetwestkitchener571.9032 www.clubabstract.com
Arts
arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Anatomy of a book signing
Photos by ashley csanady
Jean Chrétien stopped off at Words Worth Books in Uptown Waterloo to sign copies of his latest book, My Years as Prime Minister, on Saturday, December 8, 2007. atmosphere of Words Worth seems by far preferable. According to David Worsley, assistant manager of Words Worth Books, there were no security precautions requested, and the event was treated much like any regular book signing. It may seem odd that a small independent store was selected for such a prestigious figure, but It was early December in UpTown and the street was nicely frosted by the first snow. Holiday displays shone merrily from windows, and Words Worth books was packed with more than the according to Worsley the publishers approached them to hold the event. He explained that Chrétien did make stops at larger chains including one usual Christmas shopping frenzy. I was that morning in Toronto, but that Words buying a stack of as yet untouched holiday Worth has “a pretty good track record with reading while one of my companions was events like this.” A good track record to say getting a bit of Christmas shopping out of the least, as according to their website, in the the way when in he walked, with his tradepast 20-odd years Words Worth has hosted mark affability and said, “Well, I’m here. over 200 such events — perhaps explaining Exactly where I am going?” [sic] why it was chosen. It’s not often you find yourself within It’s actually independent stores that feet of a former head of state, but there feature the most book signings, Worsley stood Jean Chrétien accompanied by two explained. inconspicuous and hardly intimidating secret Independent stores are more inclined service-types. He was there to sign copies to bring in authors to hold readings and, by of his book My Years as Prime Minister, but building a sense of identity and community, the level of security and the atmosphere to help the stores stand up to their “big box” of excitement was more akin to a popular counterparts. He said that while Chapters may author appearing, than of a man who ran be more likely to bringing in celebrity chefs, our country for more than ten years. independents such as Words Worth focus on As reporters crowded into the tiny shop, bringing in authors. the environment was quite different. The While it was undoubtedly exciting to be CTV camera was probably a break from the in the presence of the man who was prime typical reception an author event receives at minister for the majority of my youth and the cozy independently run store known for adolescence, I would have been equally its plethora of readings and book signings. excited had the author been a Canadian As a line twisted through the store and the icon such as Douglas Coupland; however, crowd grew, a queue of patient customers I have to wonder whether the same can be built up outside. The air of excitement at said for everyone who attended. seeing a former head of state was palpable, Chapters and Indigo may only deign to but in stereotypical Canadian style everyone hold book signings when their authors can was waiting patiently for their turn. draw crowds more from their own celebrity The informality of the event is what I than the quality of their work, but the fact found so intriguing. If you compare it to Bill Clinton’s book signing tours in the States, Interested citizens from UW and the surrounding community gathered outside Words that Words Worth is a perpetual supporter of this mainstay of publishing makes it all which were all heavily regulated with people camping out overnight to get a wristband Worth Books for a chance to get their pre-purchased books signed by Jean Chretien. the more worthy to hold such an event. for mere seconds with the former presi- Words Worth Books gave out numbered tokens correlating to different time slots in dent, the packed, comfortable and informal order to expedite the flow of bodies into and out of the store. acsanady@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Ashley Csanady staff reporter
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Arts
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Now I draw for yesterday Many alternative comics out there have recently fallen under a familiar genre: the biography. Many of you have seen the popularity of this in all forms of media. Films like Kundun and Schindler’s List, not to mention autobiographical books from favourite veteran celebrities, are all over the place, throwing into your face the most basic example of writers “writing what they know.” For a long while there’s been a boom of these stories in the comic world, each with their own unique way of expression. Unlike other mediums, comics express a completely different atmosphere through a common narrative or voice, like Harvey Pekar’s American Splendour and Art Spiegelman’s Maus. I’ll bring to mind a few comics you can check out — hopefully from a bookstore, a friend or possibly a library — that do just that. And to avoid over-repeating sources, I’ll try my best not to talk about the semi-autobiographical comic Blankets by Harvey Award winner Craig Thompson, which is not only my favourite graphic novel of all-time, but also my favourite book ever. All right, I’ll stop. Let’s start off with something simple. A friend of mine gave me a comic for a super-early Christmas gift called Clumsy by Jeffrey Brown. This is a collection of comics about the experiences of a year-long relationship between Brown and a past girlfriend. The comic is clever in its narrative because it’s a collection of mini-comic instances in a sporadic order. For example, the first comic in the novel is their first night together but later on Brown chronicles about his last days with his previous girlfriend and then his first ever meeting with his featured girlfriend. The narrative seems very random at first but it has this great organization of stories that reflect the
couple’s life vividly. The art is barbaric in an academic sense, but that doesn’t prevent the comic’s illustrations and story to be overtly charming and expressive. Word to the sensitive, though: it has a whole lot of sex in the stories, so it’s a great comic for the average hipster university student. Oh, and FYI: I just want to quickly mention that it was originally an independent publication, but it’s been re-released by Top Shelf Productions for a nice price. Top Shelf also produces another semiautobiographical tale that I promised not to talk about (even though, again, it happens to be my favourite book of all time.) Persepolis and Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi is one comic that a lot of comic readers are going to look at, mostly because of the animated movie that’s coming to theatres within the next month. The first-person narrative of the comic artist during her rebellious years in Iran is vivid and creative. Reading this comic destroyed a lot of stereotypes and assumptions I had about Iranian culture, being surprised that such a contemporary lifestyle was held within homes when it was illegal. Her books relate a simple tale but it’s a great eye-opener. The last comic I’ll talk about is an independent publication. A minicomic book by Stuff Sucks webcomic artist and writer Liz Greenfield (www. lizgreenfield.com), Stuff Still Sucks tells random, “real-occurrence” stories of her life in her home of Manchester. With great artwork and stories of rock stars, art students, compulsive shopping and muffin thieves, it’s definitely a great read for a random laugh. Note, though, that because it’s an indie publication, the only way you’d be able to buy this comic is online off her store, found on her main website. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but many of my favourite comics are ones with those slice-of-life storylines and characters. They’re definitely great for a relaxing read, curled up in a nice bundle of... blankets. ptrinh@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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IMPRINT’s reading
The Complete Persepolis Marjane Satrapi Pantheon
I’ve been thinking about reading Satrapi’s Persepolis and Persepolis 2 for the past few months, and more recently I’ve wanted to see the animated version that released in select theatres before the New Year. In celebration of the film directed and written by Satrapi and her fellow colleague Vincent Paronnaud, I decided to head on out to buy the comics. To my surprise, the two have been combined into one complete volume. Like many of the newest alternative comics, the Persepolis comics are based on Satrapi’s childhood and young adult life. However the subjects discussed in her stories have held some controversy for the past
few years since it was published; she explains her experiences of her homeland of Iran during the 1980s as well as her experiences in living in Europe alone as a teenager. She describes herself with her very secular family, and the troubles they have faced from the Islamic government, as well as the anarchist views of many teens in Europe during her commute. There were good moments as well as tragic moments; the emotions of Satrapi and her family and friends were always described in this rollercoaster nature. Like many autobiographies, she depicts her story in the first person. Every now and again, she will speak “out of character” (which isn’t mostly the case since she is the character) to narrate further. She explains her times through revolution, rebellion and realization inside and outside the reach of Iranian war. It may be important to note that Satrapi’s comic (more recently her film) is heavily frowned upon and despised by the Iranian government as a very radical and untrue retelling of events as well. So it’s easy to see the amount of controversy it holds for many people. Whether the story is fully true or not, Satrapi’s story to me is a potent reflection of history and a very important entry in the world of contemporary literature.
Using simple character designs and moving recollections of memories, Satrapi is able to tell a very moving and expressive tale. While she uses a three-row layout scheme of comic panels within the book, she does break out of the conformed look every now and again, using full pages to visually depict the emotion and structure of her memories. Depicted in black and white, shapes and textures remain simplistic in proportions and heavy in contrast to each other. While the drawings are basic in shape, they are vivid in context. The characters, the settings and the themes flourish and are easily memorable. Satrapi explains in her book’s introduction the theme of how “[o]ne can forgive but one should never forget.” As a fan of comics, a student of religious studies and a child born from war refugees, Satrapi’s times of being young is definitely one I can never forget. Like most forms of entertainment media, Satrapi is not the final representation of the Iranian government or European culture; her work and experience is only a start towards good knowledge because it’s her view of the world. However her view is a great place to start learning of hardships in the Eastern world.
IMPRINT’s watching
Juno Jason Reitman Fox Searchlight Pictures
Touching. This is the best word to describe director Jason Reitman’s latest film. The follow-up work to Reitman’s 2005 hit satire Thank You For Smoking, Juno follows the story of the unplanned pregnancy of 16-year-old Juno MacGuff (played by Halifax native Ellen Page) in the suburban, American, nothing-outof-the-ordinary mid-West.
The on-screen father of Juno’s unborn child is the oddly-named Paulie Bleeker, played by Michael Cera. Like Page, Cera is a Canadian (hailing from Brampton), best known for his leading role in the recent hit comedy Superbad. Rounding out the all-star cast are Jennifer Garner (Elektra, Pearl Harbor) and Jason Bateman (TV’s Arrested Development) as the adoptive parents-tobe, and Allison Janney (TV’s The West Wing) and J.K. Simmons (the Spiderman movies and TV’s Law & Order) as Juno’s surprisingly accepting parents. Each couple displays a different side of relationship dynamics for the film’s viewers: Garner and Bateman in a more tentative, unsettled relationship and Janney and Simmons in a comfortable, accepting arrangement. Touching story aside, one of the best reasons to go and see this film is Reitman’s trademark witty dialogue. As with his previous film, Thank You For Smoking, sharp one-liners abound throughout the film, provoking both
laughter and remarks of “I can’t believe s/he just said that” from the audience. Make no mistake though: treatment of the film’s subject matter puts Juno into a whole different realm than Smoking. As one might expect in a story of the (albeit untimely) miracle of life, tender moments are plentiful, and the teenage stories of the central characters bring us into more akward developmental moments of adolescence that seem to have sprung out of Superbad. The acting was also outstanding. From the relatively unproven talent of Page and Cera to the talents of entertainment veterans like Garner, Simmons and Janney, Juno’s characters come across not only as believable but endearing, helping draw the viewer deeper into this touching story. While the film was not perfect — the sappy soundtrack, for one, was far too trite for the comedy — this is one movie that’s sure to be two hours well spent. — Andrew Dilts
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Arts
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Caledonia: A Differ | End kind of “play” continued from cover
Discussing theatrical and dramaturgical theory with Houston, it became clear that although audience members benefit from the final production alone, there’s a lot of theory, research and preparation which benefits the actors long before the play is acted out. Actors in the play conducted sympathetic research, as opposed to empathetic research. This is the practice of keeping a distance from the people you interview and not trying to “become them” in the final play. Because of that distance, the actors learn about others and map out a relationship to them. Mike Pearson’s work in theatre archeology, Houston told me, takes a forensic-type approach to map out the ineffable, much in the same sense as Differ | End. Darren O’Donnell was also a source of inspiration, due to his efforts at “social acupuncture,” trying to change norms and break social habits through unique situations. Differ|End, so far, is challenging because the class hasn’t ignored voices, nor ruled out arguments. In fact, the class has gained some notoriety by interviewing and inviting radical speakers to come to the class, in particular, Gary McHale and Mark Vandermaas. It was the invitation of these two third-party agitators that inspired some individuals to write angry e-mails to Prof. Houston and to
David Johnston directly, questioning the judgment and motivations of such an act. Prof. Houston told me that left-wing speakers such as Wolf Thomas also came to speak to the class, but this garnered little reaction because no one knew who Thomas was. McHale, however, is a defender of the “law and order” point of view in regards to Caledonia — meaning valid claims or not, Six Nations should leave Douglas Creek because their occupation is unlawful. Although there are others who hold this point of view, McHale has been particularly active at Caledonia’s protests, and runs several websites on the matter. He and Vandermaas also plan on attending the final production of Differ | End, and are actively promoting it. Also in attendance will be Six Nations representatives and representatives from theatrical groups such as Theatre and Company and the Blythe Festival. Hamilton residents have expressed interest in having a show there, and Houston would love to put a show on right at the Douglas Creek Estates. When asked, Houston said that he didn’t think security would be needed, or at least hopes not, but would consider notifying UW police services. There will be a “de-compression space” after the show, which will hopefully calm any tensions created by the show itself. Although Houston’s high hopes for unity could sound inexperi-
enced, he’s no newcomer to aboriginal issues or controversial theatre. Some past projects include The Weyburn Project, which took place in a disused mental hospital, once a site of incarceration and still host to gruesome memories; and Cross-firing / Mama Wetotan, a site-specific production looking into the various cross-cultural meanings of land. Houston also ran a theatre group at an aboriginal youth drop-in centre in Edmonton. When I asked if Houston thought that the racism at Caledonia, on either side, had arisen because of the land issues or before then, he was careful to correct my terms. “Let’s call it antagonism between cultures, not racism,” he said. Although this antagonism may swell because of the issue, it’s really about something else. Bigots hate how the “other” figures enjoy themselves, he said. They notice loud music, smelly food but really, bigots are just angry that these “other” people are happy in their differences. I’ve been able to read some of the script, and so far, it’s creative but controversial. Participation of the audience is encouraged and integrated into the script. Whether the audience is moved to anger and antagonism or understanding and connection, we won’t know until the beginning of February. The final dates for the show are February 7 to 9 and 14 to 16. cogley@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Science
science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
No sustainability office for UW Executive council passes on proposal two years in the making, cites bureaucratic incompatibility
photo maggie clark, graphic peter trinh
Rejection of a central, campus wide sustainability office means that such work on campus will likely be spearheaded by student groups, or possibly faculties. Sukhpreet Sangha staff reporter
A proposal for the establishment of a sustainability office at UW was recently deemed non-viable by members of the university’s executive Council. Clearing a Path, a working group of the University of Waterloo Sustainability Project (UWSP), had been advocating for the office’s institution for two years and was met with little support from the council following their December 12 presentation on the idea. The council is composed of senior management executives from key areas of the university and, although it does not have decision making capabilities, it serves as an important forum for discussion on university matters. Notable members in regards to this issue include David Johnston, president of UW; Amit Chakma, VP academic and provost; Dennis Huber, VP admin and finance; Ken Coates, dean of arts; and Deep Saini, dean of environmental studies. The committee did not support the idea of a sustainability office because, according to Chakma, “when put into the context of how things work here, an office really cannot do much.” President Johnston remained silent throughout the executive committee meeting, speaking only to introduce the issue and facilitate discussion. The most vocal representative from the administrative end was Chakma, whom many involved believe had an influential hand in the decision (along with Huber.) These two VPs would have been the ones most involved with the work of the office’s co-ordinator, and both have experience working with the former co-ordinator of UW’s now defunct WATgreen initiative, Patti Cook. Regarding how much he spoke at the meeting, Chakma states that he is “the quarterback of the team,” since, as chief operating officer for the university, he can make financial com-
mitments and is involved with the creation of any new positions. Chakma said of himself that the “easiest thing for me, if I didn’t believe in the cause, would be to create a sustainability office.” He states that UW’s strength is its pragmatism and its “ability to get things done and not create bureaucratic institutions instead.” Sandy Clipsham, formerly of co-op education and career services, was an advocate for the sustainability office who helped make the presentation to the council. He asserts that, due to UW’s inception as a federation of associated faculties, much of the administration still believes in letting faculties operate largely independently.
in ERS. They recently partnered with Feds, an alliance within which McNeil believes the group “will find its greatest strength,” as it has gained them a lot of access to administration that they found previously unavailable. Higgins, McNeil, and Williams will likely all have left UW by the end of next term, making any commitment from Feds especially useful to help acquire new volunteers for Clearing a Path. Dave DeVidi, president of the UW Faculty Association; Ian MacKinnon, president of the Graduate Students Association; and Kevin Royal, president of Feds; officially requested the presentation to council, leading Darcy Higgins, Rebecca McNeil, Sandy Clipsham, and Kevin Royal to make it.
“...when put into the context of how things work here, a [sustainability] office really cannot do much.” Amit Chakma, UW VP Academic and Provost In terms of sustainability initiatives, this creates the present situation wherein programs often do not extend to the entire campus. An example of this is the Zero-footprint effort to track carbon footprints, launched solely within the AHS and ES faculties initially. The program is only now in expansion to the entire campus, in contrast to a similar program at the University of Guelph which was launched campus-wide. Rebecca McNeil, a key member of Clearing a Path, believes that this independent faculty structure means that every time a new sustainability initiative is launched, people have to reinvent the wheel because resources aren’t being pooled and “everything is completely compartmentalized.” Clearing a Path was started by Darcy Higgins, now the current Feds VP Internal; Rebecca McNeil, a recent graduate of the UW environment resource studies program; and Justin Williams, currently a fourth-year student
The proposed sustainability office would be an umbrella institution, similar to UWSP in that it would support all other branches of sustainability and environmental efforts on campus. However, it would also actively seek out the next projects, with a stronger focus on project development and providing resources for various projects. McNeil claims it would be “the hub of all of the sustainability initiatives on campus, giving students, staff, and faculty the ability to work on projects they’ve been trying to develop and put them into fruition and good use on campus.” The office would initially only employ one full time staff co-ordinator and one co-op student, who would ideally be working in a work study position. Preferably, the co-ordinator would be someone who has worked in the field for at least five to ten years and knows how to orchestrate and delegate, having run multiple projects successfully before.
McNeil concedes that it “tends to be a lot of people from ES who are involved in projects like this, but that’s not necessarily relevant if they know what sustainability is in a holistic way.” A holistic understanding of sustainability is a key element for the members of Clearing a Path, who propound that the concept has four components. These are community, operations, education, and research. Members of the group believe that while UW does foster sustainable initiatives in terms of its operations, it largely does not do so in the other three categories. UW’s lack of such an office puts it behind many other Canadian and American institutions in terms of environmental concern and initiatives. Harvard is often thought of as having one of the most superior offices, with its 2008 operating budget of $1.8 million, funding 19 full-time staff, and 38 part-time students. Closer to home, the universities of Guelph, Toronto, and British Columbia are all thought to be exemplary in their implementation of sustainability offices. UBC actually used the WATgreen model from 1990 initially, but it grew and modified to its current state of saving the university approximately $3 million a year through energy reduction and other sustainability initiatives. Clearing a Path would like to follow their examples and hopes that one day UW might be able to catch up to the work done for sustainability on those campuses, although McNeil propounds that the office “is not really a novel idea — it’s becoming archaic — and most schools are moving onto a more comprehensive model. They [the administration] are severely behind the times if they think that this won’t work well and aid the [university’s] public image in being fiscally responsible.” See SUSTAINABILITY, page 20
Science
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Adrienne Raw staff reporter
Lab builds brain in silicon
Neuroscientists at the Swiss laboratory École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), in collaboration with IBM, have successfully completed to first stage of a project, called the Blue Brain project, to reproduce a fully-functioning mammalian brain on a supercomputer. Though the academic community was highly critical of the project after its announcement in 2005, the project has already successfully developed a computer simulation of the neocortical column — the basic building block of the higher functioning part of our brains — of a two-week-old rat that behaves identically to its biological counterpart. Though the human brain contains thousands more neocritical columns than a rat’s, the structure is the same between the two species. With enough computational power, the Blue Brain project could build an entire neurocortex, which is the next phase of the project. Beginning sometime this year, the Blue Brain project will attempt to build the entire neurocortex of an adult rat, followed by cats, then monkeys, and finally humans. Henry Markham, the project’s director, stresses that Blue Brain is not intended to be an artificial intelligence system. Instead, he hopes the project will allow scientists to do advanced simulation-based research. Giant rat and pygmy possum found in lost world
An ecological “lost world” hidden in the cloud forests of New Guinea has
yielded two species: a giant rat and a pygmy possum, believed to be new to science. The expedition to the Foja Wilderness of eastern Papua — part of the Mamberamo Basin, the largest untouched tropical forest in the Asia Pacific region — was led by the US-based Conservation International and the Indonesian Institute of Science. Discoveries of new mammalian species are extremely rare, particularly ones as large as the Mallomys rat. Weighing in at approximately 1.4 kg, the giant rat is five times as large as the average sewer rat and has no fear of people. The Cercartetus possum, by contrast, is shy and ranks as one of the world’s smallest marsupials. The recent expedition to this stretch of jungle — designated a “lost world” because of its remoteness and biological richness — also found dozens of new plant and insect species and observed Berlepsch’s six-wired bird of paradise, which was last seen by outsiders in the 19th century. Rare sinkhole reveals ancient fossils
An underwater cave known as Sawmill Sink is giving divers and scientists a unique look a life in the pre-human Bahamas. The blue hole, a sinkhole found acress the islands of the Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean in which fresh water covers deep saltwater layers, holds the remains of many extinct species of reptiles, birds and plants. The cave has also yielded the remains of a young person who lived over 1,000 years ago and whose bones may represent the firstknown Bahamian. Though the salty, oxygen-free waters of the blue hole prevent decomposition and make the environment ideal for preservation,
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exploring these sinkholes is risky. Depth, tight spaces, visionclouding particles and toxic layers of hydrogen sulfide all present dangers for divers. Despite these dangers, scientist hope finds from the sinkhole, particularly plant fossils, can help them form a more complete picture of an ancient environment. Antarctica may contain thriving oasis
Researchers studying the southern continent reveal that Antarctica is not a barren polar desert but a rich, complex environment. This new view is the result of a recent discovery of a complex subglacial system miles under the ice. The subglacial system is built of rivers larger than the Amazon linking a series of underground lakes that may be teeming with mineral-hungry microbes. Experts estimate the system may be more than one-anda-half times the size of the United States, making it the world’s largest wetland. Currently about 145 lakes have been found under ice up to four kilometres thick. The lakes, which have been isolated from the atmosphere for more than 30 mil-
lion years, stay fluid because the ice sheet above acts like a large blanket and traps heat rising from Earth’s interior. Scientists say these lakes may provide insights into the effects of global warming because of their function of lubricating and draining parts of the ice sheet into the ocean. Warming trends may release more water than anticipated into the ocean, raising sea level. The subglacial lake system is a scientific resource experts are eager to tap.
The lakes, fundamental to several Earth processes, may also hold a wealth of climate records that could improve our understanding of how life evolved. Studies of the Antarctica microbes give scientists a glimpse of how life might exist on other icy worlds such as Mars. — with files from The Guardian, Telegraph and National Geographic araw@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Science
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Chemistry crook caught A question of security The theft raised concerns about security in labs around campus. The fact that a student who was not even enrolled in the course could walk into the lab, convince teaching assistants and students alike that he was actually performing the experiment for two and a half hours, and manage to sneak out with a device as big as an analytical balance in a bucket proves to be worrisome. As a matter of fact, Stathopulos mentioned that another balance was found unplugged, indicating that the thief was planning on stealing that one, too. When asked about the security issue, Stathopulos regrettably expressed that security in labs could not be drastically improved. A process of identity check would be very time-consuming in lab sessions and impossible with experiments designed to barely fit into the three hour allotted time period. An identity check is further complicated because it is not uncommon for students to attend lab sessions other than the ones they are enrolled in, due to circumstances that lead to them missing their original sessions.
Sherif Soliman staff reporter
The end of the fall term brought with it an unusual theft in the earth and sciences building. In the afternoon of Thursday, November 22, a $4,000 analytical balance was discovered missing from the first year chemistry lab.Over the course of the following weeks, an unusual series of events led to lab instructors and campus police finding the thief and retrieving the balance. TAs recalled noticing a suspicious person around the first year chemistry lab on the day the theft was believed to have taken place. They said he acted as if he belonged there, and was pretty convincing in his act of actually belonging to the lab and performing the experiment for a full two and a half hours. Later, the chemistry department found that person on the well-known social networking website Facebook, but only had suspicions without proof of him being the perpetrator. According to Prof. Stathopulos, who declined to release the student’s name, it was the thief ’s roommate who eventually confirmed his identity. His roommate read the article concerning the theft in Imprint’s issue published on November 30, 2007, and realized that there was a device that greatly resembled an analytical balance residing in their kitchen. He came forward to Stathopulos with this information and his roommate’s identity matched that who they thought to be the thief on Facebook. The chemistry department forwarded the lead to campus police, who went to the thief ’s room and found and retrieved the balance. The thief ’s roommate also mentioned that he and other friends have had problems with the student in question stealing some of their possessions, which suggests that this may not be his first offence.
A question of Facebook The role of Facebook in leading to the balance’s retrieval cannot be ignored. The fact that the thief had not secured his profile against anonymous viewing, while extremely unwise, was a fortunate factor in finding him. It also revealed that the thief has some students from the lab on his friends list, which either suggests that one or more students from the lab was involved in planning, or that he acquired information about lab procedure from those unsuspecting friends. That leads to the inevitable question: While Facebook is guilty as a factor in procrastination and “time-management� issues, can it be argued that, eventually, it could have practical uses? A delicate $4,000 piece of equipment would say so. ssoliman@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Sustainability: proposal rejected Continued from page 18
Proponents of the office have claimed that it has unanimous support, which Higgins supports by asserting that “letters of support for an office came from many students, professors, senior staff and college presidents.â€? Higgins also notes that executive council “is the only place I’ve heard opposition to a [sustainability] office on campus.â€? McNeil concedes, “We got a sort of consolation prize: they didn’t give us a sustainability office but they did give us a channel to open up working on these projects‌ They agreed to increase funding for sustainability projects.â€? However, she claims few specifics were given regarding these promises and that “if everyone had enough time within their schedules to focus on sustainability issues, it would have been taken care of already.â€? Higgins notes that “they have decided that Amit Chakma, Meg Beckel and Dennis Huber would form a committee to look at our request and come up with further solutions and that we would work with them.â€? Chakma believes that, “Now you can almost exchange ‘committee’ with ‘office’.â€? Chakma also promises that if a Green fee was successfully lobbied for in a student referendum it would be matched by the administration, but McNeil believes that it “shouldn’t be the students’ responsibility to fund something when the administration has money to pay for it and is just not taking it seriously, [as] every school that has taken sustainability seriously has an office: UBC, Guelph, Toronto.â€? The office would not be directly attached to or associated with UWSP, but would work with it like any other group. The members of Clearing a Path, according to McNeil, having gotten the impression that “as students working on this project, they don’t take us seriously,â€? believe that having a non-student co-ordinator
Kitchener. For info call 519-748-9520 or crosscultures@bellnet.ca. Saturday, January 19, 2008 “Heads Up for Healthier Brains� – January is Alzheimer Awareness Month – Public Education Forums – what is dementia? What is Alzheimer’s disease? To be discussed from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Sunnyside Home, Heritage Hall, 247 Franklin St., N., Kitchener. RSVP to Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo at 519-742-1422.
CHURCH SERVICE St. Bede’s chapel at Renison College offers worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. or take a break midweek with a brief silence followed by Celtic noon prayers on Wednesdays. Come and walk the labyrinth the second Thursday of each month, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more info contact Megan at 519-884-4404, ext 28604 or www.renison.uwaterloo.ca/ministry-centre.
STUDENT AWARDS FINANCIAL AID 2nd floor, Needles Hall, ext 33583. Loan release will begin on Wednesday, January 2/08. In an effort to decrease waiting times, the office will continue to use a time ticket system. Time tickets will be given out each day, throughout the day and will be released for more than one day at a time. Out of province students may come at any time, beginning January 2. Please check our website, safa.uwaterloo.ca for more info, a full listing of scholarships and awards. Remember: you must have your Social Insurance card and Watcard, or government issued photo ID, to pick up your funding.
and more distance from UWSP would facilitate an increase in direct involvement from the administration. However, Chakma believes that the issue of sustainability requires advocacy and the co-ordinator of the proposed sustainability office would be in the lowest position to advocate for anything. “I believe the office idea wouldn’t work for us because we are de-centralized. You need a really senior person if you only have one person. If I were to do it maybe I could do something. But if you introduce a lower level person it is very difficult,� he claims. Chakma cited CBET and interdisciplinary studies as examples of programs which found increased success when removed from being under his office and placed within the engineering and arts faculties, respectively, as, “anything outside of the established structures simply cannot work.� In regards to a proposed sustainability course, mandatory for students of all faculties, Chakma hypothesizes, “If we started with the faculty of environmental Studies and explored the possibility of opening that up to other faculties.� Chakma further asserted that the dean of environmental studies, Deep Saini; the VP Admin and Finance, Dennis Huber; and himself already function as co-ordinators in regards to sustainability initiatives and that they have the power to be more influential than the potential co-ordinator. Although McNeil believes that, “in reality, they had their decision before we had our meeting, [since I’m] sure there were a lot of people there who had never heard the presentation before but a decision was made immediately,� Clearing a Path is waiting for an official response from senior managers before making future plans for their sustainability office initiative. ssangha@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Classifieds HELP WANTED
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, K-W Habilitation Services, 108 Sydney Street, Kitchener, ON, N2G 3V2. We’ve got what you’re looking for – let’s make 2008 your best summer yet – Camp Wayne, northeast Pennsylvania, USA. Counselor-specialists for all Land and Water Sports Inc. Tennis, golf, basketball, baseball, football, martial arts, soccer, outdoor adventure, camping, mountain biking, climbing/ropes, roller hockey, archery, rocketry, water-ski, wakeboard, sailing, canoe/kayaking, fine arts-theatre, ceramics, woodworking, drawing, painting, CDL drivers. RN’s for our Health Centre. Let’s get the ball rolling now! Online application www.campwayne. com ; info@campwayne.com ; 1888-549-2963. Summer of your life! Camp Wayne for Girls – children’s sleep-away camp, Northeast Pennsylvania (6/21 - 8/17/08). If you love children and want a caring fun environment we need counselors and program directors for: tennis, swimming, golf, gymnastics, cheerleading, drama, high and low ropes, camping/nature, team sports, waterskiing, sailing, painting/drawing, ceramics, silkscreen, printmaking, batik, jewelry, calligraphy, photography, sculpture, guitar, aerobics, self-defense video, piano. Other staff: administrative, CDL driver (21+), nurses (RN’s and nursing students), bookkeeper, mother’s helper. On campus interviews January 31. Select the camp that selects the best staff! Call 1215-944-3069 or apply on-line at www.campwaynegirls.com.
Extend-A-Family part-time positions – providing in-home and community support to individuals with developmental/physical challenges in a variety of programs. Providers will be reliable, energetic and committed. $12.48/hour. If interested, please contact Recruitment at 519-741-0190, ext 248 or via e-mail kcressman@eafwr.on.ca. Website: www.eafwr.on.ca. Imprint has a distribution position open for the winter term. It is a Friday morning job, G license is needed and must be 21 years of age. Please email ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca for more info. Sales assistant position is available at Imprint for the winter term. Check out Ont. Work Study Plan at Needles Hall for more info or call Imprint at 519-888-4048.
HOUSING Attention Cambridge School of Architecture students! Live conveniently and comfortably right across the street from school in this beautifully renovated apartment. 4, 8 and 12-month leases available with excellent signing bonuses and rental incentives! Call Jelena at 519-746-1411 for more details. Only $399 – four bedroom housing, 34 Bridgeport Road, East, starting May 01/08. Excellent location, on bus route, close to everything, downtown at WLU, near UW, new, immaculate, open concept kitchen, all appliances, dishwasher, dining room and living room open onto a private balcony, central air conditioning, huge rooftop garden patio, complete laundry facilities, free dryers, free parking, gas heat, gas water heater, cheap utilities. Perfect for students - a must see - rents fast. Only $399 per room, per month. Call 519741-7724 or www.acdev.ca for more info and pictures.
Distractions
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Crossword Tim Foster
Across 1. Agenda list 5. Scarce 10. German car 13.Yemeni port 14. Rounded shoulders 15. Branching figure 16. Over-the-top virtuoso singing 18. Knitting material 19. Needles of Needles Hall fame 20. Whacks 21. Failed to maintain 23. Weakness 25. Marching band piccolos 26. Prima ____ 27. Warm spell 30. Contains more mass per unit volume 32. Movie swashbuckler Flynn 33. Sabrina The Teenage Witch star Joan Hart 36. Harshly 38.Young/old bias 39. Nimble 41. Music writer 43. Poetry part of literature 46. Hits a baseball in a wimpy way 47. Tales 49. Person cutting back on food 51. Bridge length 52. Flightless bird 53. Imperial unit of area 54. Trapped 57. Pay particular notice 58. Greek hymn of praise 59. Tolstoy protagonist 60. Hallucinogenic drug 61. Subdivisions of a religion 62. Precipitation
Sudoku
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by Michael L. Davenport
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Down 1. Implied 2. Stinky 3. The “D” in FDR 4. Lennon’s last wife 5. Muslim demons 6. Stubby in Scotland 7. Tail end of the intestine 8. Carbonless copy-paper type 9. Muse of comedy 10. Uniform armband 11. Nothing more than specified 12. Wander 15. Early word processor 17. Fake diamond 22. Between mornings and evenings 24. Unanimously agreed upon 25. Wild
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27.Voice altering gas (symbol) 28. Radio knob label (Abbv.) 29. Famous Norman cathedral 31. Averts a goal 33. PC’s adversary 34. Superego/id mediator 35. Loosened up 37. Shipmasters 40. Surgery locale (abbrev.) 42. Removes paint 44. Earth colour 45. A Saudi’s southern neighbour 47. Fat-free dieter 48. Darfur’s country 49. Freaky children’s author Roald 50. Frosts a cake 51. Good enough, up to ____ 55. Broad-minded actress West 56. Scull motor
“I want to finish my genetics course so I can work in Iran.”
“Because the university is my home.” Rouby Antoum
Aseef Al Dallal
1A math and business
“I’m waiting for a friend of mine. He’s at the gym.”
“I’m trying to get in there.”
3B Bioinformatics
Nov. 30 solutions
Tim Foster
8
Why did you come back to school?
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35
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49
8
15
26
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14
4 1 3 9 5 1 7 6 7
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tfoster@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
5 4 9
7 3 9 5 4 7 2 3
W O L F F
I D E A L
D I S C O
I C E S
S H U T
M A G I
A K I N
B I D E
B E E R
7 3 2 4 9 8 6 5 1
1 9 5 2 6 3 8 7 4
E A B C O N C Y T E T I O R I D S P E N N O R A C T E N E L L T I S L E A E Y T R V A N E T D
6 4 8 7 5 1 3 2 9
2 7 3 6 4 5 9 1 8
E C R U
T C L O A H O U S E A L A N S L E A P C E P E A R D I S M E R I S T I D I S S O G G I A U N C L S S I S T A I O S I N G L E O K H I S N A
4 5 1 8 3 9 7 6 2
8 6 9 1 2 7 5 4 3
3 1 6 5 8 2 4 9 7
9 2 4 3 7 6 1 8 5
A N T E
M E S S
L A C E
E L S E
E N T R Y
S T O A S
5 8 7 9 1 4 2 3 6
Miles Stamp
Mohannad Samra
Fine Arts University of Guelph
“I live here!”
“School’s fun.” Amrita Yasin
BSCN at Macmaster
Paul Bian
2B math and business
2A chemical engineering
“Because I want to get a research job, so I need to get my PhD first.”
“I love my program and I’m intrinsically motivated.”
Missed Connections You stand out at SJU with that dominating voice and beautiful curly blond hair. I hear your the life of the party, can I have my own private show sometime? I’ve been urning for you since frosh week and since your a lifeguard, please find me and save me from drowning in my tears of desire for you. Ps. “Foc” me next year ;) We were dancing at the Vault on New Years Eve before that crazy fight ended up happening. I really liked spending time with you on the dancefloor and I liked that you bought me a drink without even asking, a real gentleman. I was wearing a nice red
dress and you were wearing jeans and a dress shirt that I said I liked. I’m going to be at Phil’s on Sunday for Retro night, come find me :) To the asshole who bottled me on New Years Eve at the Vault: you my friend are an asshole! Way to ring in the new year with so much bad karma! I hope bottles fall from the sky on your head! Biyah! Girl you stole my heart last semester and I never had the guts to say anything, so I’m saying everything now. We worked together on two different group projects for PSCI 230 and I had a blast
both times. I wasn’t even mad when you left me with all the hard parts to do at the last minute. Anyways point is girl we get along so good and the way you flirt with me I know there’s something special. Waddya say? You were at the last drum circle of the semester in the ERS coffee shop. You let me play your drum for a while and said I was pretty good, even though I clearly wasn’t. It was sweet, and when you said it I got all weird and kind of just smiled but I liked it. Missed a connection? Wannabreak the ice? Email editor@ imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Jiang Wu
PhD candidate computer science
Moe Siva
2B kinesiology
IMPRINT_fullpage_jan4
12/19/07
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THIS MONTH IN ATHLETICS AND CAMPUS RECREATION
VARSITY
CAMPUS
www.gowarriorsgo.ca
www.campusrec.uwaterloo.ca
ATHLETICS
RECREATION
INTRAMURAL
REGISTRATION
Monday, January 7 - Friday, January 11
1 week only! Sign up for all sports leagues as a team or an individual.
INSTRUCTIONAL
REGISTRATION
WARRIOR 05 BASKETBALL JAN
WOMEN
2:00PM PAC GYM
VS
WINDSOR LANCERS
Monday, January 14 - Thursday, January 17 Register for dance, fitness, aquatics, yoga & wellness, ice activities and more!
WE WANT TO
HIRE YOU!
Campus Rec hires over 250 students per term. If you have no experience, we have courses and training to get you certified. Looking for scorekeepers, referees, fitness and skating instructors, personal trainers, plus many more. Check the web for full details and deadlines.
NEW PROGRAMS FOR WINTER 2008
Line Dancing, Bollywood Dancing, Squash Instructor Clinic, Women’s Hockey Skills
TAKE THE PLUNGE Get PADI scuba certified here at UW! Full scuba course runs Wednesday nights beginning January 23. No experience necessary. Register in the PAC 2039.
WARRIOR 05 HOCKEY JAN
WOMEN
VS
7:30 PM CIF ARENA
WINDSOR LANCERS
®
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Sports
sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Power Skating For some people, swimming just isn’t where it’s at. They might feel especially strange about it in the dead of winter. However, they still have an interest in water; they just happen to like theirs frozen. More importantly, these people have interest in power, and Campus Recreation has provided a way for them to pursue it. Power Skating is a class for those who are confident in their basic skating skills but want to take things further. If you’ve got a grasp of going forward and backwards and stopping in either direction, this class will help improve your technique, speed, stability and maneuverability, teaching you how to make tighter turns through crosscuts and quicker directional transitions. Also, simply said, adding power in front of anything does make it better.
Swim – Power Hour What’s more badass than an hour of power? Excluding joining a hair metal revival band or playing a lot of guitar hero with a mullet wig on, one thing comes to mind: the Campus Recreation aquatics program “Power Hour”! Don’t be intimidated by the righteous name. Essentially, the class is set up for those who feel as if they need something fresh in their swimming routine or those who simply want help setting up a routine in the first place. Led by UW Varsity Swim Team coaches, the folks who know best will bring you through a progressive swimming plan that will add both some speed and some fitness into your stagnating swimming routine. Not only that, but then when people ask you what you’re up to, you can just be all “oh I’m just on my way to a very wet HOUR OF POWER”. Your quality of life can’t help but improve.
TRY IT OUT! It’s the middle of winter. We know. And it’s hard to stay motivated — to forge through that latest snow storm just to get (or keep!) fit. But the alternatives — Seasonal Affective Disorder especially — aren’t that pleasant either. So why not set your sights on a new activity, and see if the novelty of it doesn’t keep your interest in exercising up?
Yoga: Ball There are two types of people who will like this activity: those who want to get more flexible through something like yoga but are intimidated by the thought of jumping right into it, and those who are seasoned practitioners of yoga but are looking for something fresh. Though you wouldn’t know it from the name, ball yoga takes Hatha yoga and inserts an exercise ball into the mix. This makes the poses and actions more accessible while still working on improving core strength and flexibility, as well as tightening your stability. This has benefits both for those new to the yoga world and those who are well acquainted with it, as well as extending its appeal to those who are scared of yoga but are familiar with balls.
Campus Rec doesn’t promote an official “Try It” week during winter term, but why should that stop you? There are tons of clubs and activities featured at www.campusrec.uwaterloo.ca — so go on. “Try it.” We dare you.
Tennis Few sports have the elegance, speed, and sparse aesthetic appeal that tennis possesses. It’s a game that lends itself to those who like to think while they smash things, lending itself to complex tactics. However, for many students it’s a strange world that doesn’t even keep score in an intelligible way: advantage? Deuce? What’s love got to do with it?! Campus Rec’s lessons are offered for a range of levels, from the country club professional who wants to finesse the finer points to the unknowing beginner who thinks the sport starts and ends with Anna Kournikova’s tennis skirt. Whether you’re looking for a fun way to get a work out or trying to step your game up to impress the crowds at next year’s charity tournament, tennis is a great choice to make.
Flamenco There’s something intrinsically captivating about the Flamenco art form. A dance that originates from the Andalusia region of Spain, it has evolved with the influence of numerous cultures ranging from the dances of the Roma to the rhythms of Cuban tango. It’s a dance that is intrinsically romantic, with strong movements that combine passion with elegance and a flair for the dramatic. These classes will help students learn a foundation in the basic elements involved, including footwork, posture, hand and arm position. Students will learn to dance to both classical and modern forms of Flamenco music, thereby ensuring that you can look sensual whether you’re in a modern Flamenco dance party or a time traveling adventure.
Broomball The combined effects of dust and nagging roommates, in conjunction with the general shittiness of having to clean, have given brooms a bad name. However, if one chooses to focus instead on their use by such interesting personages as witches, curlers and the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, they take on a much cooler shine. With that in mind, let’s talk about another way to be cool with brooms: the sport of broomball. It combines two great activities (ice hockey and ball hockey) with two other cool things (shoes and brooms) to make for one addictive sport. However, just before you get your hopes up too high, it must be noted that though the sport was originally played with household brooms, players now tend to use aluminum shafted ones with triangular heads. Nonetheless, don’t let it dampen your enthusiasm – at the end of the day broomball is a faced paced game that’s endearingly easy to pick up and play.
Sports
Imprint, Friday, January 4, 2008
Warrior Wrap-up
Men’s Hockey OUA Far East Division UQTR McGill Concordia Ottawa Carleton
GP 16 16 17 17 17
W 12 11 9 9 7
L 3 4 7 8 9
T OTL PTS 1 0 25 1 0 23 1 0 19 0 0 18 1 0 15
Far West Division GP Western 17 Lakehead 16 Waterloo 16 Laurier 16 Windsor 16
W L 12 2 12 3 11 5 10 5 3 12
T OTL PTS 3 0 27 1 0 25 0 0 22 1 0 17 1 0 7
GP Laurier 15 Toronto 15 Guelph 16 Windsor 17 Western 16 York 16 Queen’s 17 Waterloo 16 Brock 17 UOIT 17
GP 17 17 17 16
W L 8 7 8 8 7 8 3 10
T OTL PTS 2 0 18 1 0 17 2 0 16 3 0 9
Mid West Division Brock York Guelph UOIT
GP 18 17 18 16
W L 12 4 7 7 7 10 2 11
T OTL PTS 2 0 26 3 0 17 1 0 15 3 0 7
L 1 2 4 7 7 7 8 9 10 14
T OTL PTS 1 0 26 0 1 25 0 0 24 1 1 18 3 0 15 3 0 15 3 0 15 3 11 0 3 11 0 4 1 1
Men’s Basketball OUA
Mid East Division Queen’s Toronto RMC Ryerson
W 13 12 12 8 6 6 6 4 4 1
West Division Guelph Brock Windsor Lakehead McMaster Laurier Waterloo Western
GP 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
W 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 3
PF 627 675 652 612 607 571 549 635
L 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 5
PA 564 578 535 579 598 568 563 618
PTS 12 10 10 8 8 6 6 6
Scores from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3
Women’s Basketball OUA
Women’s Hockey OUA
Men’s Hockey
East Division
GP Toronto 10 York 9 Laurentian 9 Queen’s 9 Carleton 9 Ryerson 10 Ottawa 9 RMC 9
W L PF PA 7 3 750 665 7 2 594 539 6 3 635 561 3 6 571 570 2 7 476 553 0 10 548 790 0 9 464 600 0 9 471 789
West Division GP W L PF McMaster 10 10 0 745 Western 10 8 2 720 Laurier 10 8 2 691 Brock 10 6 4 642 Waterloo 10 6 4 652 Windsor 10 5 5 716 Lakehead 10 5 5 624 Guelph 10 4 6 645
PA 470 673 600 624 612 622 644 668
Swimming
Saturday, December 1 UOIT 3 Waterloo 4 (OT)
PTS 14 14 12 6 4 0 0 0
Sunday, December 2 York 7 Waterloo 3
Women’s Hockey
Sunday, December 2 Waterloo 3 York 3
Men’s Basketball Friday, November 30 York 72 Waterloo 82 Saturday, December 1 Laurentian 68 Waterloo 71
Women’s Basketball
Men’s team ranking: fourth Women’s team ranking: seventh
University of Waterloo Campus
Waterloo vs. Brock, 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 9 Waterloo vs. Guelph, 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 23
WARRIOR BASKETBALL BASKETBALL
January 9
vs vs Brock Brock Badgers Badgers [W] [W] 6:00 6:00 PM, PM, [M} [M} 8:00 8:00 PM PM UW UW PAC PAC Gym Gym www.c
LI S T ca
LI V EN E
Registered trademarks of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under license. © Boston Pizza International Inc. 2005
Listen to the men, s game live on CKMSFM.ca. Gametime is 8:00 PM.
sfm km .
gowarriorsgo.ca gowarriorsgo.ca
Athletes of the Week will return next week IMPRINT | JANUARY 4
Waterloo vs. Windsor, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, January 5
Campus graphic courtesy of Linda Lin
Men’s Basketball PAC Main Gym
gowarriorsgo.ca
Women’s Hockey CIF Arena
Saturday, December 1 Laurentian 90 Waterloo 79
Waterloo vs. Windsor, 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 5 Waterloo vs. Brock, 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 9
07 THIS WEEK IN 08 ATHLETICS
Waterloo at Queens, 8:30 p.m. Friday, January 4
Friday, November 30 York 77 Waterloo 71
Women’s Basketball PAC Main Gym
Presents
Men’s Hockey CIF Arena
Saturday, December 1 Toronto 5 Waterloo 0
PTS 20 16 16 12 12 10 10 8
Eastern Michigan University Invitational Fri November 30 and Sat December 1, 2007
24