Imprint_2008-10-17_v31_i14

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Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper

Friday, October 17, 2008

vol 31, no 14

imprint . uwaterloo . ca

Addiction: the big picture See pages 14 and 19 for details. E Aboyeji reporter

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ith rumours of an impending strike heavy in the air, it wouldn’t be surprising if Waterloo students were found hoarding their Thanksgiving leftovers, but the situation with plant operations and food services workers at UW, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 793 isn’t quite that dire yet. Nonethless, according to union members, a strike vote held by the workers’ union on the October 3 passed, drawing on the support of 77 per cent of the 300 members that voted. This means that if contract talks with university administration continue to prove ineffective, CUPE 793 could be on strike after the winter break. The impact to students at that point would be quite tangible: if a strike were to happen routine maintenance would be put on hold, as workers would refuse to clean washrooms, lectures halls, and in the case of many residences, there would be no one to cook meals. Contention between the union and the university appears to be fueled by the lack of a current collective agreement, since extensive negotiations of a new agreement have been imminent since May 2006. According to Jill Smith, national representative of CUPE 793 local, the concerns of unionised workers lie specifically in the areas of benefits, wage increase, and job security. The workers are seeking the inclusion of eye-care benefits in their health packages. The health care benefits of the union workers, as it stands, does not include any form of assistance as pertains to the procurement of “eye ware” including spectacles and lenses. Some of the union’s plant operation workers claim this is particularly important for their effectiveness at work. The union also claims that the authorities may not be dealing them a fair hand when it comes to the issue of wage increases. According to members of the union, CUPE workers were considerably shortchanged during the university’s last general pay raise exercise, in which faculty staffs received a 4.5 per cent wage raise while general staff received a 3.9 per cent wage increase. However, although members of the union got a wage increase, they claim they received much less in comparison. They also have a serious issue with pay disparity between certain levels of workers in the food services department, who appear to be doing exactly the same job. Perhaps the most contentious issue for union members on the newly proposed collective agreement is what they referred to as “layoff

PUSHING BUTTONS

UW Food Service workers like Leah Blechschmidt, above, will be serving you throughout the term, but if union negotiations break down later this year, the university could be facing a strike Mackenzie Keast

language.” This refers to the a certain provision in the proposed collectiveMagreement that may allow authorities to lay off workers when services are shut down during seasonal lows in the demand for food services. This includes holiday periods like reading week or the winter holidays when school is no longer in session. The union is very adamantly opposed to any such proposition. They state that it is unfair to suddenly lay off workers who have worked in the food services department for twenty or more years. This “lay off language” issue seems to be at the very heart of the matter for these workers who seem very worried about their jobs given present economic conditions. UW administration is disinclined to speculate on worst-case scenarios, with media spokesperson Michael Strickland explaining that strike situations are best dealt with case-by-case. According to the director of food services, Lee

Elkas, the administration “intends to follow negotiation procedure and hopes to be at the table in the next five to six weeks.” Though the issue may seem to be between the administration and the union, part time workers may be a factor contributing to the crisis. According to one union member, many full time workers are not pleased with a plan to up part-time hours from 22 to 25 hours per week, taking away from full-time work. Smith states that they do not support the proposed change because only some of the union workers, namely all the plant operations members and very few food services, are allowed to work the forty hours a week generally required of full time employees. People who do not work a full 40-hour week may be considered part-time workers and may not be eligible for a benefit package. According to Smith, the union will only support the provision if it includes a similar privilege for unionised full-time workers.

Many full time workers are not pleased with a plan to up part-time hours from 22 to 25 hours per week, taking away from full-time work.

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In the meantime, though talks have broken down at present, the union and school authorities intend to be back at negotiation table sometime in mid-November. The union has contacted officials at the Ministry of Labour, who are expected to effectively mediate the situation. Both parties hope to have a settlement before the school recesses for winter break. In the absence of a compromise agreement, the union has set a strike deadline for the first week of the new year. For now union members are encouraged to operate on Work-to-rule guidelines, which essentially advise not doing more than is absolutely required — as with the adoption of extra work hours or tasks above and beyond primary job descriptions. Work-to-rule is not an officially-imposed bargaining strategy yet, though it could escalate prior to a strike. Thankfully for students, all sides express the hope that the union and UW administration will come to an agreement before Christmas festivities — it’s either that, or residence students will find frequent fasting to be more than a New Year’s resolution.

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News

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008 news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

37.6 %

143 seats 26.2 %

(minority government)

76 seats 18.2 %

37 seats

10.0 %

50 seats 6.8 % 0 seats

Liberal candidate Andrew Telegdi addresses supporters on election night. MP of Kitchener-Waterloo since 1993, Telegdi was narrowly defeated by Conservative candidate Peter Braid on Tuesday, October 14, by a margin of just 73 votes. Braid recieved 21, 871 votes (36.1 per cent) to Telegdi’s 21, 798 (36.0 per cent). NDP candidate Cindy Jacobsen received 8,920 votes (14.7 per cent) and Green party candidate Cathy MacLellan received 7,329 votes (12.1 per cent). A recount is scheduled for this Friday, which is triggered when there is a winning margin of less than 1 per cent. Overall national voter turnout was just 59 per cent, a record low. In 2006, the turnout was 64 per cent of eligible voters. Youth turnout numbers were not available as of press time; in 2004 just 38 per cent of eligible voters 18 to 21 voted. Mackenzie Keast

Student rep check-up: UW senate

How some student representatives are failing you in senate — and why the system isn’t helping Maggie Clark editor-in-chief

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hen student representatives fail to attend senate committee meetings, students find their services on the chopping block: This was the lesson driven home by the presence of the exam relief hours issue at UW Senate September 15, with the program just one motion away from being discarded in its entirety. Four student representatives were missing from the preliminary senate undergraduate committee meeting — where the motion first passed by a margin of four votes. According to Feds President Justin Williams, this absenteeism is hardly unusual — and difficult to combat. “We have to wait two months or so before we can do anything beyond email them to see what’s going on,” said Williams. “Once selected for senate,

they’re somewhat out of my jurisdiction. We could motion to remove them in senate, but more public scrutiny and accountability for student representatives seems a more productive route. It also helps to avoid cronyism in the selection process: when we have students from across campus applying to open calls for senate positions, they tend to be more passionate about the work.” The consequences of non-engagement, according to science councillor Sam Andrey, are readily apparent: “Most of the things on campus that students hate, like PDEng, were passed in senate. And for the most part, things like that had the opportunity to get voted back in committees long before they make it to senate.” Arts councillor Allan Babor also stressed the importance of students taking a more active role. “I felt a very charged presence at the exam relief

meeting, so I know when the opportunity to help students arises, a lot of senate members are listening. If we want them to be engaged by student issues, we need to be engaging ourselves first.” But while Williams, Andrey, Babor, and Graduate Student Association President Craig Sloss emphasized numerous ways for students to improve — better senate training, for instance, as well as more use of phone-in equipment and Feds financial compensation for out-oftown representatives wishing to attend meetings — all four soon hit upon institutional limits. Minute-keeping on the senate level proved especially key: “Typically the problem is that the minutes don’t include discussion,”said Williams. “What you’ll see is responses noted in relation to questions about various proposals, but not the questions themselves. And the real problem is that to fix this we have to continually push for

these minutes to be amended, and that can be difficult; it essentially means we need to keep minutes of our own.” According to Andrey, senate operating procedures also make it difficult for students to discuss, to their satisfaction, developments that might impact on the quality of their university. “Issues like the creation of a satellite campus in the United Arab Emirates often never make it to open senate meetings, so they’re never really discussed,” said Andrey. “And in the case of the nanotech building, the tunnel was approved, and groundbreaking invitations sent out, before senate passed a motion on the building itself.” While Sloss and Babor pointed out that it’s in the nature of senate to be a rubber-stamping step in the bureaucrating process — with the bulk of the planning for any motion deliberated upon inside committees instead — they note that

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this adds to the difficulty of a two-year student appointment being fully aware of all tabled issues that might affect their constituents. Also problematic for Andrey is the raw number of student representatives: “Students provide 45 per cent of the operating budget managed by senate, but we’re nowhere near that level of comparative representation.” Williams is also impatient about the time it’s taken to get satellite campuses represented on senate — architecture especially. He worries about issues representatives might be missing in the meantime. “You can sit on a body for a long time and nothing happens,” said Williams. “Then something comes across the table when you least expect it that will have serious consequences for students: That’s what we, as your representatives, need to be ready for.” editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

DP library re-opens

After five months of construction, DP main floor is unveiled to the general public

Nokyoung Xayasane assistant news editor

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Andrew Abela

Great Opportunity! Facilitator for Student Leadership Workshops The Department of Organizational & Human Development (OHD) is seeking several creative and enthusiastic students that will assist in facilitating workshops for the departments newly developed Student Leadership Program. This enrichment opportunity is open to current UW students (undergraduate or graduate). Facilitation of The Student Leadership Program is a superb opportunity for students to work with a variety of students from across campus in addition to personally developing leadership, presentation and facilitation skills in a supported environment. A flexible time commitment will be required each term. Workshops will be scheduled based on student demand per term and would normally involve facilitation of 4-5 two hour workshops per term. All successful candidates will be “certified” as an OHD Student Leadership Facilitator following Facilitation Training on Dec. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2008. The above enrichment opportunity would also include mentorship from a UW staff or Faculty member facilitator commencing January 1st 2009 on an ongoing partnership with OHD. Student facilitators will be paid $35.00 per workshop (not including preparation time). To be eligible to apply, students must be on campus for either the Winter 2009 term or the Spring 2009 term. A complete description including background, purpose, responsibilities and qualifications is available on line: http://www.ohd.uwaterloo.ca The deadline for applications is October 30th, 2008.

he doors slid open to the main floor of Dana Porter Library on October 14, and revealed drastic changes. Construction began in May, and the library eventually opened just over five months later. Students may be pleased to know that the design renovations reflect what many have been asking for. “Exterior views have been opened up, public areas expanded, and study spaces have been designed to be flexible, functional, and engaging,” said Nancy Collins, communications and liaison librarian. The same services that have pleased students in the past still remain, but additional perks have also been supplemented: express laptop counters, flexible lounge and study areas, more powerful and efficient Ethernet outlets, and a free-standing collaboration booth. The booth features a large computer monitor to allow for group collaboration. On opening day, Collins spent some time on the floor talking to students: “The responses have been overwhelmingly positive,” and many appreciated the new modern décor and its bright, spacious atmosphere. Students mentioned that they liked the lounge and casual meeting areas, along with the added power and Ethernet outlets. The $3 million renovation budget was largely supplemented from donations. After a highly successful campaign, the library raised $2.8 million and received a $600,000 US grant from the Kresge Foundation. This grant marks the largest donation to a Canadian university from the proeducation foundation. Diversity has been infused into the new studying environment. “Prior

Organized by AMSA with the partnership of several organizations and Feds Clubs

to the renovation, one of the things students told us they wanted was more flexibility in their study space,” said Collins. As a response to these comments, the floor has been designed to accommondate a range of study areas that include individual and group spaces and casual socializing zones. The main idea was to integrate peoples’ different purposes: a café for relaxed meetings, and quiet study areas. A glass panel wall has been added to dampen noise from one room to another, without losing the spacious feel running throughout the main floor. “Additionally, technology has been thoughtfully integrated into all spaces, so students have both low and hi-tech options,” said Collins. The prominent features are the windows, with chairs and tables facing outwards. The design allows for an open concept, and a less confined studying environment. Accessibility is a key feature of the renovation with different shades on the floor for individuals with vision problems. Also, the changing textures between the carpets and tiles are an added aid to the visually impaired. These existed before, but the intentions behind the improvements have evolved. The library’s constant mission to improve its facilities has resulted in the addition of 10 study carrels and chairs on the fifth floor. These items were awarded to the library from the Arts Endowment Fund totalling $13,099.97. Students such as Imprint’s own Paul Parkman appreciated the new design: s“The library has quiet pockets, which I like, and it’s now a more productive area for studying.” nxayasane@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Sunday October 26, 2008

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Introduction to World Faiths; Views of distinguished Scholars; Spiritual and Multi-faith presentations, poems and songs; World Religions’ Exhibition and Displays; Complementary Lunch, Refreshments and Dinner.

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News

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

5

Al-qaeda chief killed, thai-cambodian border clash, turkish hijacking Bobbie Swartman reporter

Attempted hijacking of Turkish passenger jet ANTALYA, Turkey A man who apparently attempted to hijack a Turkish Airlines plane was overpowered by fellow passengers, officials say. The passengers on board the plane flying from Antalya to St. Petersburg, Russia quickly subdued the man, who claimed to have a bomb. The man claimed to have a bomb strapped to his body during the journey from Turkey to St Petersburg in Russia. He threatened to blow up the

The man then allegedly tried to force his way toward the cockpit, but was overpowered by fellow passengers. There have been several attempts to hijack Turkish Airlines in recent years. In August 2007, two men hijacked an Istanbul-bound Atlas Jet Airlines flight with 136 passengers and crew on board from Cyprus, claiming to have a bomb on board the flight. They forced the crew to make an emergency landing in Antalya. Both hijackers eventually surrendered to Turkish authorities. Nobody was injured in the incident. — With files from BBC, CNN, and Reuters

“Abu Qaswarah’s death will cause a major disruption to the al-Qaeda network,” U.S. military spokesman Rear-Admiral Patrick Driscoll said. flight, unless he was allowed in the cockpit.No explosives were discovered on the passenger who was reportedly drunk. The A-320 plane with more than 160 people on board landed safely and on time Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg. Russian authorities promptly arrested a “slightly intoxicated” passenger from Uzbekistan, Russia’s Interfax News Agency reported, citing a national police spokesman. The man, in his early 50s — who was not immediately identified — was taken off the plane and arrested by Russian police. The passenger sparked a hijack alert after handing a note to a stewardess, officials say. Turkish Airlines director Temel Kotil told Turkey’s NTL television station a local news agency the note read: “I have a bomb. If you don’t take me in (the cockpit) I will blow it up.”

Thai-Cambodian border clash — two killed BANGKOK, Thailand PHNOM PENH, Cambodia Thai and Cambodian soldiers have exchanged gunfire, firing rockets and small arms at each other along a disputed section of their border, leaving two Cambodian soldiers dead. Cambodia’s foreign minister said 10 Thai troops have been captured, but Bangkok has not confirmed this. Two Thai soldiers and four other Cambodian soldiers were also wounded in the halfhour-long skirmish near the Preah Vihear temple, according to Thai Army Lieutenant General. The clash has prompted Thailand to urge its nationals to leave Cambodia The two countries have disagreed for months over whether some territory around the ancient

temple forms part of Thailand or Cambodia. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the 10 Thai soldiers that had been captured would be well treated and returned home at Bangkok’s request. He said Cambodia remained “committed to solving the problems through peaceful means.” Col. Sansern Kaewkumnerd, a Thai Army spokesman, said he did not think the fighting will spread to other areas. He said the conflict will be resolved through negotiations. Tension has been high since July, when hundreds of soldiers on both sides faced off metres apart. Both countries claim they own the area around the temple, which recently became a Unesco World Heritage site. The temple sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side. Hor Namhong said a scheduled meeting between the two countries on the border dispute would go ahead as planned yesterday, suggesting that escalation was not inevitable. “It is a good sign that we can start to solve this conflict,” he told reporters. “We consider this an incident between soldiers and not an invasion by Thailand.” The two sides have already held several rounds of talks, but have failed to reach a settlement. — With files from BBC, CNN, and Reuters

U.S. military kills al-Qaeda chief in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq The U.S. military says a senior chief of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been killed during an operation in the northern city of Mosul. The military has identified the militant leader as a Moroccan known as Abu Qaswarah, who is also known as Abu Sara. He was killed during an operation on October 5, the military said. Qaswarah was second-in-command to al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri, also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir according to the military. He had “historic ties” to al-Masri’s predecessor, Abu Musab alZarqawi, and senior al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the military said. A statement said he became the senior commander in northern Iraq in June 2007. “Abu Qaswarah’s death will cause a major disruption to the al-Qaeda network,” U.S. military spokesman RearAdmiral Patrick Driscoll said. U.S. forces have mounted many attacks this year against suspected alQaeda members in Mosul, which they describe as one of the group’s last strongholds in Iraq. Abu Qaswarah’s death, if confirmed, came two days after US troops say they killed another senior military commander of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Mahir al-Zubaydi, also known as Abu Assad. Mahir al-Zubaydi was said to have played a key role in planning atrocities in Iraq over the past few years Coalition forces tracked Abu Qaswarah down inside a building in Mosul, which “served as a key command and

control location for AQI,” according to the military. “Upon entering the building, forces were immediately fired upon,” the military said. “Coalition forces returned fire in self-defense, leading to the death of five terrorists. It was later determined that one of the five was positively identified as Abu Qaswarah.” Violence across Iraq is at a fouryear low, but Washington still blames al-Qaeda for suicide bombs and car bombs that frequently target civilians and Iraqi security forces. — With files from BBC, CNN, and Reuters

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Opinion Friday, October 17, 2008 Vol. 31, No. 14 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, Lawrence Wang Systems Admin. vacant Distribution, Rob Blom, Ash Mukadda Interns, Matthew Lee, Brandon Rampelt, Holly Sage, Danielle Whittemore Board of Directors board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca President, vacant president@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Vice-president, Sherif Soliman ssoliman@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Treasurer, Lu Jiang treasurer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Secretary, vacant secretary@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Staff liaison, Peter Trinh liaison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editorial Staff Assistant Editor, Dinh Nguyen Head Reporter, Andrew Abela Lead Proofreader, Paul Collier Cover Editor, Kevin Shahbazi News Editor, Yang Liu News Assistant, Nokyoung Xayasane Opinion Editor, Travis Myers Opinion Assistant, Keith McManamen Features Editor, Duncan Ramsay Features Assistant, Caitlin McIntyre Arts & Entertainment Editor, Mark Kimmich Arts & Entertainment Assistant, Marco Baldasaro Science & Tech Editor, Anya Lomako Science & Tech Assistant, Eric Gassner Sports & Living Editor, Adrienne Raw Assistant Sports & Living, Tina Ironstone Photo Editor, Mackenzie Keast Photo Editor Assistant, Ethan Oblak Graphics Editor, Tifa Han Graphics Assistant, Jacqueline To Web Administrator, Sonia Lee Systems Administrator, vacant Production Staff Ange Gaetano, Tom Levesque, Devin Howard, Susie Roma, Kate Kennedy, Rajul Saleh, Ryan Lee, Danielle Whittemore, Tim Clark, Zach Arnold, Sarah Schlorff, Alicia Boers, Tejas Koshy, Vicky Chung, E. Aboyeji, Jeff Kelly Graphics Team Geoffrey Lee, Nikoo Shahabi, Peter Trinh & Sonia Lee 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 staff meeting: Monday, October 20 12:30 p.m. Next board of directors meeting: Monday, October 27 1:00 p.m.

I

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008 opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Breaking down the status quo

didn’t even watch the election coverage. Still short a majority, Conservative commentators nonetheless praised the “fresh faces” this election brings to Parliament, but the exceedingly low voter turnout — just 59 per cent of eligible voters — speaks for itself: Canadians are more disenchanted than ever with their federal candidates. Not even the Green Party, despite breaking new ground in national debate participation, could land one seat to match their 6.6 per cent of the popular vote (to contextualize that for mixed-member proportional representation advocates out there, the Bloc won 50 seats with 10 per cent of the popular vote, and two independent seats amounted to 0.6 per cent of the popular vote). Looking at the raw data from this election, nothing really changed. But does that mean things will stay the same? Well, maybe not. Here at Imprint, I’m coming up on one year (next month) in office as editor-in-chief. Two months after that, our board of directors begins the intense process of selecting the next EIC. By the end of April, I’ll have completed my time here, and the mantle of this student newspaper will be passed on to my successor, as well as the new volunteers in the office at that point. Quite frankly, I find it incredibly encouraging to have such a transitory system in place: an institutionalized check against the onset of complacency, and with it, editorial malaise. It’s especially useful to think about that check when I reflect on this term to date — a term I have to admit, has been unexpectedly challenging for Imprint. After spending winter and spring building a place for serial reporting in the organization, that form of storytelling is now taking a back seat to photojournalism — itself an

immensely nuanced undertaking, hard to get just right without a bit of trial and error. Meanwhile, I’m working to create public forums on campus issues that average students might not know about; the first, a forum on October 9 about the United Arab Emirates satellite campus, was well-received, but I’m constantly worried about spreading myself too thin, and losing out on the basics in consequence. Another factor is, of course, the presence of my own “fresh faces,” and with them a lot of enthusiasm and new ideas all aching to be materialized on the page: the energy is great, but it also makes the office seem at times like Tetsuo from Akira, at the crucial point when he loses control of his psychic powers and starts transforming into an ever-expanding blob of human flesh and machinery. Which is to say, we’ve got a lot of talent growing at Imprint, and we’re always looking for more, but the task of ensuring this talent manifests in the most productive ways possible lies with me. And I’ll be the first to say I don’t think I’ve done enough. So if growth in this paper has appeared inconsistently, or if stagnation seems more indicative of the paper’s character these days, hi. I’m your Stephen Harper. Which is not to say I’m ready to pull a Harper — no wasting precious time with another election, thank you very much! But in the spirit of accountability, and in the hopes of best representing what you, the readers, want out of Imprint, I want to do what I can only hope the federal government will be doing after this most lacklustre of elections: taking stock. To this end I’d like to propose a thought experience. Forget about the paper you see before you — forget the form it takes, or the section breakdowns it has; forget the styles it

follows and the content it includes. Imprint, as you know it, just doesn’t exist for the next few minutes. Now look around you: Look at your peers and your campus, your professors and your community. Look at the clubs and services, your Feds exec, the university governance structures, and the UW Daily Bulletin. Think about the stories that interest you, and the issues you feel matter most to students. Think about moments when you’ve felt disenfranchised or cheated in the course of your studies; or alternately, opportunities you’ve had to excel, and the most impactful events you’ve been part of during your time here. Think about the way you want to be represented, praised, and defended by student media. Now ask yourself: what form does your ideal student media take? Is it a newspaper, a radio station, a website? What kind of priorities does that media have? What kind of work is it doing in the community? What kind of news does it publish? What sort of discussions does it encourage? When you’re finished, remember Imprint as it stands. How far are we from that vision? What are we lacking that would best represent you? And more importantly by far, how are we misrepresenting you right now? Where should we be looking to do better? Send me an email; drop by the office (ideally, Monday through Wednesday) for a chat; write a letter to the editor entitled: “What my Imprint should look like.” We have three to five years to figure out if the federal government will take its previous mistakes to heart, and try to improve — I have six months. Tell me what you feel still needs to be done. Tell me how I can continue making this paper something you, as UW students, can truly call your own. editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Election breakdown

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elcome back, Mr. Harper. The results factored in, means that the number of Canadians won from increased support, but rather they won are in, and while I can’t claim to be willing to go out and support Harper actually because of the droves of voters who turned psychic, it was certainly the general fell this election. their backs on the Liberal candidates. trend that I expected: Liberals losing seats, That was not the only thing to fall. Among How strong a mandate can it be now, as all Conservatives and NDP candidates gaining party leaders, every one saw their vote count these voters turn away from so many candidates? them, and the Bloc remaining in their holding decrease, lead by Mr. Layton losing 16 per cent How strong a mandate does Peter Braid, the pattern. of his supporters, followed by Mr. Duceppe with Conservative who unseated Kitchener-WaterAs much as I respectfully disagree with many 10 per cent, and Mr. Harper (the Prime Minister loo’s Liberal Andrew Telegdi, have when he only of Mr. Harper’s views, we do share one common and in the fortress of Alberta, at that) losing 7 won by 73 votes at last count, likely the second interest: hockey. With that in mind, I decided to per cent. It’s no small irony that Liberal leader narrowest victory in the country? pore over the results the same way I pore over a Stephane Dion led all leaders, losing only 1 per More than anything, the Liberals lost this hockey game, with numbers and statistics. The cent of his voters. election themselves, with the ill-sold (but not biggest question raised comes from the first On the same note, of the 27 cabinet minis- ill-conceived) Green Shift. Stephen Harper thing Harper mentioned when he dissolved ters listed in CBC’s interactive results map, 15 remains Prime Minister, but as Mr. Layton Parliament, the first thing he claimed he had saw their voter support decrease (with Michael wisely said Wednesday: “no party has a mandate been given at the conclusion of this election: Fortier losing his riding), with the average loss to implement an agenda without agreement a stronger manfrom the other date. parties.” More How strong a mandate does Peter Braid, the Conservative v o t e r s s u p Sure, when you see that, at who unseated Kitchener-Waterloo’s Liberal Andrew Telegdi, ported greener, last count, the left-wing parties have when he only won by 73 votes? Conservatives than supported have 143 seats the Conserva(a sizeable increase) you suspect that it shows of voter support at 8.7 per cent. You would tives, and Mr. Harper needs to start taking that Canadians beginning to rally around Mr. Harper think that a stronger mandate would imply a into account, rather than pushing bill after and the Conservative Party. What are seats, if stronger support for the MPs in leading roles bill through by making them all matters of not a representation of the citizens of Canada? in the government. confidence. With that in mind, you can drill down into the Perhaps cooler heads will prevail, and the At least there was an increase in seats, right? votes and find a somewhat different story. Yet we all know that the Greens increased their parties will finally work together to tackle the On the most basic levels, you would expect a voter support nationally, and wound up losing two biggest voter issues: the economy and ‘stronger mandate’ to imply that more Canadians their lone seat. Of the eight seats they took from the environment. I hear Peter Braid’s political sought out to have Mr. Harper as a leader. In the Liberals in Ontario, they averaged a gain of views would have seen him as a part of the reality, the election he called had one of the 1,175 votes, and the NDP averaged a gain of Progressive Conservative party, had they not lowest turnouts in Canadian history, dropping 627 votes in the six they took from the Liberals joined the Canadian Alliance. Maybe it’s not a from 64.7 per cent in the 2006 election to a hair in the province. As for the Liberals themselves, completely disastrous result, but we can only over 59 per cent, and the last election had wintry in those ridings they lost, they averaged a voter wait for this government to take its first baby weather to keep voters at home. The modest loss of 4,906, far outpacing any gains the winners steps to see. 1.38 per cent increase in the Tories’ share of in those ridings had. Now we see that it wasn’t the popular vote, when the turnout decrease is so much Layton’s NDP or Harper’s Tories that adodds@imprint.uwaterloo.ca


Opinion

8

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

letters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Re: “Anti-abortion agenda” I am glad to see we got a moderately positive response concerning the messages and hearts drawn in chalk around campus, as that was our intention. We did not aim it to be a forceful imposition of our values; rather we chose to give information from a different viewpoint. Pro-

choice, while a respectable stance on the topic, is so heavily processed and sold to the general public nowadays that we simply wished to give students an opportunity to hear the other side. The messages were not intended to be “anti-abortion” statements outright, as everything we do is directed at being pro-life, and between the two there is a dis-

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tinct difference. Anti-abortion is a pessimistic view on the topic, and when I speak about being “pro-life,” I am directing my thoughts toward preserving the sanctity of all levels of life. In the case of abortion, both the life of the mother and the life of the unborn child. Our group realizes that abortion will be sought if it is the wish of the mother; we just wish to make other options accessible on our campus (i.e.: Life Fair event later this term) and encourage discussion about this important issue. Allie Gardiner Vice President of UW Students For Life

Re: “Anti-abortion agenda” The recent pro-life chalk messages and hearts were not intended as a protest, but rather as a method of communicating the message our club advocates. Chalking is a way of promoting the message and welcoming discussion on campus. It has proven effective for other campus groups at UW, such as recent messages about people who do not have enough water to drink, and is catching students’ attention. The recent Imprint article on this event mentioned the pro-life messages, but another big part of the event was the 265 hearts drawn in the Arts Quad with the message “265 hearts stop beating each day because of abortion in Canada.” With science and reason showing that once a woman becomes pregnant there is another individual, a growing human being within her, it is important that we are all educated and challenged to think about the two individuals involved in a pregnancy. Most abortions occur around or before the 9th and 10th week of gestation when the heart is already beating (by three weeks), which was the main point of the chalking. It

was to raise awareness and dialogue on campus about the issue. Hailey Brown President of UW Students For Life

Re: Anti-abortion graffiti in Arts quad Last week, I noticed several anti-abortion messages written in chalk near DP, AL, and ML. After contacting members of Feds, I was told that they were written by a UW club called Students for Life. Since they exercised their right to free speech, so too will I. I am “pro-choice” — not pro- or anti-abortion. Instead, I believe that women have the right to make educated decisions when they become pregnant, and to not have those decisions influenced by biased, outside groups. No one has the right to impose their values on someone else, especially when it comes to making such an important, life-altering decision. Whether you agree with abortion or not, women will continue to seek it, as they have the right to do so. If it is illegal, they will seek it from clinics and medical professionals that do not have the proper standards and training to do it safely. The course of action that someone takes when pregnant is none of anyone else’s business. Miranda Lewis Masters Geography 2A

Re: “Thinking forward — Why leftism is a backward philosophy” In last week’s opinion section of Imprint, I read Levesque’s attack on leftism and I was a little disappointed. He stated: “the financial crisis is a perfect example of what happens when a government absolves its citizens of the burden of self-responsibility.”

While I agree with Tom that the government shouldn’t absolve its citizens of the “burden of self-responsibility” he goes on to blame “low-income families” for choosing to buy mortgages they couldn’t afford. While it’s true that this is in fact a stupid decision, it’s not true that these people aren’t dealing with the consequences of their actions. Losing one’s home is a natural conclusion of living in a house you can’t pay for and that’s exactly what happened. The real blame lies on the bankers who lied about the risk involved in ARMs and the securities they were packaged in. These people were “absolved of their responsibilities” when the government purchased these mortgages and bad loans. Now we’ve established that rich bankers are the ones responsible for this crisis and receiving a bail-out, in what universe does the left get blamed for bailing out rich bankers? Had the financial market been regulated enough, then the simple act of deceiving investers into buying financial instruments that were unsafe and risky would have been illegal and these people would have been tossed in jail. Is it not the ideological right who are responsible for deregulation? We can all agree that individuals should take responsibility for their actions (your example of the victim defending himself and going to jail was stupid; nobody advocates that), in which case the rich shouldn’t complain about higher taxes since it’s the only thing funding a properly regulated financial system that is apparently necessary to keep bankers from ripping us all off. Andy Phan Math/Econ 4A

letters @imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

God hates fags The legacy of Matthew Shepard

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epublicans hate Democrats. New Democrats hate Liberals. The Conservatives hate everyone. It’s the kind of rhetoric you hear all the time during election campaigns, but do any of us really know what the word “hate” means? With the issue of gay marriage arising during Paul Martin’s time in office, gay issues haven’t played a prominent role in Canadian politics since Harper’s fateful statement that he may revisit the issue of gay marriage when he finally gets his hands on a majority government. Meanwhile, relative to its 2004 counterpart, the election campaign raging in the States has hardly touched on queer issues. Queer issues are non-issues in today’s politics, it would seem. A cause for celebration, or at least cause for activists to put down their picket signs and take a small break, right? With the tireless politicking of the past weeks and months — the campaign speeches, the vote grabs, one thing that received very little attention from American politicians, and was overlooked entirely by the candidates and party leaders in Canada, was the tenth anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard. It’s been 10 years since Matthew Shepard was led out of that campus bar to talk about politics and the gay struggle for equality. 10 years since he was offered a ride home by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. It’s been 10 years since Matthew Shepard was driven a mile out of town, beaten with a gun until his skull fractured and robbed of what little money he had. It’s been 10 years since Matthew Shepard was tied to a fence post, beaten and left for dead because the two pieces of human garbage with him

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COMMENTARY that night hated him for being gay. Matthew was left tied to that fence for 18 hours, bleeding all over the ground in front of him. He wasn’t found until early the next morning by a passing cyclist. She didn’t realize that the body in front of her was a human being until she got close enough to see the blood pooling beneath him. She thought he was a scarecrow. The responding police officer said that the only place on him that wasn’t covered in blood were the clean streaks across his cheeks from tears falling down his face.Matthew died in hospital fairly soon afterwards. 10 years is a long time, though. What does it matter if some fag got beat up a decade ago? What matters is that in the 10 years since Matthew’s beating, his death, the intense media spotlight and scrutiny on the town of Laramie, the circus surrounding the trial of his murderers, the ridiculous gay panic defence, and everything else, the United States of America is still no closer to passing hate crime legislation to protect gays, lesbians, and the transgendered than they were before he was attacked. Despite books and movies, television specials and news segments, all the fuss over Matthew’s murder seems to have left no lasting impact or legacy on the United States. It’s been 10 long years since all of America and the rest of the world got to see up close what hate really means. In spite of this, our American neighbours are still no closer to protecting the future Matthew Shepards or rightfully prosecuting their attackers for the hateful acts they commit.

9

It’s pretty easy to forget the disgusting truth of what hate really means. When the legislature fails and a Republican has been in office for eight years things like this have a tendendency to be forgotten — laid to rest while gays pursue more ambitious goals like the legal officiation of gay marriage. There is a legacy from Matthew’s murder, though. During the trial against Shepard’s murderers, one especially ugly voice came to light. Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church stepped on the scene, picketing Matthew’s funeral and the courthouse where Matthew’s attackers were being tried. Phelps didn’t stop there; in his constant quest for attention he’s set up website after website declaring his (and God’s) hatred for homosexuals, organized pickets of funerals for other victims of hate crimes, and even went so far as to set up a counter numbering the days that Shepard had been “burning in hell.” As disgusting and vicious as Phelps’ hatred is, he serves a purpose in the ten-year battle for hate crime legislature for gays, lesbians, and the transgendered: Phelps makes sure that we can never completely forget how disgusting and despicable hate can be. Matthew’s legacy lives on through Phelps, as this man brings into focus how utterly wrong people filled with hatred and anger are as he elicits a reaction from the rest of us. 10 years later, there is still much to be done to safeguard against acts of violent hate like what McKinnery and Henderson did to Matthew, and we can’t let our leaders or ourselves forget what hate can be. — Travis Myers


10

Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

Border T crossings Forget green — the new shift is blue

political FORUM

he federal political landscape in the Waterloo region can be described in one word: blue. Prehaps you are proudly wearing the Conservatives’ trademark blue colour, celebrating the upset victories by Conservatives in Kitchener Centre and Kitchener-Waterloo. Liberal stalwarts Karen Redman and Andrew Telegdi both lost their seats in the closest of races, much to their surprise, and supporters of Conservative winners Stephen Woodworth and Peter Baird are surely celebrating heartily. Or, blue might an accurate descriptor of your mood if you were

mourning significant losses in those areas. This is only the beginning, though. Conservatives know that the Liberals will be thrown into leadership turmoil. Will Dion try to hang on as leader? Will the Liberals let him? As Rex Murphy described it on election night: “Dion hung a piano around his neck, called it the ‘green shift,’ and spent the next few months traveling around the country talking about it.” Will we soon be watching yet another long, costly Liberal leadership struggle happen? Mark this: if the Liberals don’t solve the leadership question quickly and effectively, the result will be a

South of the border, our election won’t change much, but there may be a small lesson to be learned. Barack Obama is leading in the polls, hoping for a “blue shift” of his own. (The colours are reversed in the U.S. — blue means liberal, red means conservative.) Key states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida are all polling Democrat. The best thing that the Dems have going for them is a massive groundswell of support; a populace anxious for change. But if they get too far ahead in the polls Democrats may get cocky, letting their efforts slip — and they are not a strong electoral machine as it is. The margins

I’m fairly certain that Andrew Telegdi and Karen Redman wish that their “get out the vote” campaigns had been just that much more effective.

40Crk_10.3125x7.5_Imprint_fin:Imprint - 10.3125 x 7.5 b&w

hoping for, well, anyone but the Conservatives. One person I talked to described the Telegdi electionnight gathering as a “wake.” More students I have talked to noted, had they known it was going to be that close, they wouldn’t have voted NDP/Green — everyone thought the Liberals would win here, and so didn’t bother to vote strategically. Many are ashamed to think that, had fewer than 80 more votes been cast strategically, they could have turned the tide. A similar trend has swept the country: Conservative blues are celebrating taking much of Ontario, British Columbia, and New Brunswick — sometimes 9/2/08 4:01 PM Pageby1 the closest of margins — while Liberals are

Conservative majority. Conservatives watched for years as their fractioned PC/Reform/Alliance parties struggled against each other, while the Liberals became known as the strongest political brand in the Western world. Now a combination of weak Liberal leadership, a fractioned left, and a united right has led to a change in the political climate. The Conservatives are ready to take advantage of the situation, making slow but steady gains towards a majority. And despite Duceppe’s claims to the contrary, it’s not the Bloc who will be able to prevent this — that role goes to the Liberals. Whether or not that will happen will be the subject of pundit fodder for quite some time.

are close in enough States that a slipping Democratic push could very well lead to President McCain (and VP Palin). I’m fairly certain that Andrew Telegdi and Karen Redman wish that their “get out the vote” campaigns had been just that much more effective. Time will only tell as to what will happen in the south. One thing is for sure, though — in both nations, be prepared for a lot more people, for quite some time, to be very, very blue. — Andrew Dilts

Author’s note: Imprint’s press deadline is Wednesday, and a Telegdi recount is scheduled for Friday.

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Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

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Features

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008 features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Student parents: still passed by Rajul Saleh staff reporter

U

niversity life can be difficult for students like Mandy Furney, who is currently completing her PhD in Religious Studies in a WaterlooLaurier joint program, with a focus on children in religion. She constantly has to juggle between talking to parents about her research, interviewing children, teaching, and finding time for herself. Oh, and did I mention she has a seven-month old daughter? Student parents on campus are becoming more and more common, and the support available to them may be less than we realize. But the problem is not a matter of acceptance and understanding. “[Other students] probably do see us slightly differently, but I don’t think they see us outside of being a student,” said Julie Anne Sumerta, who is in the final year of her undergrad degree in Religious Studies, after a rather long break from university. Furney added, “I’m not being recognized as another fellow student, I’m being recognized as the person with a cute baby; but every parent goes through that. You are no longer you, you are also your baby’s parent.” Professors, as well, have been found to be very accommodating, excusing absences, providing extensions, and being able to just plain sympathize. The real problem is with the academic community at large. It seems as though the university experience is mostly catered towards a certain demographic: 18 to 23 yearolds with lots of time and very few obligations. While classes are spread throughout the day, the vast majority are offered earlier on, with the evenings more focused on clubs and other extracurricular activities. Such activities cannot easily be enjoyed by student parents, who have little time to spare. “I could no longer attend classes full-time. It was no longer what I was interested in; it was what’s available,” remembered Karolina Korsak of her undergraduate years as a Religious Studies major, during which she had her child. Furney and her daughter had a

slightly different experience: “I schedule my class in the evening so my husband can watch her.” But without a spouse or a supportive family, daycare becomes the only hope for finding time for classes — and a sad one at that, since it’s restricted to a specific time-slot per day of only two or three days a week, if the daycare isn’t full already. There is also the assumption that all students have nothing but uninterrupted free time on their hands when they don’t have classes, during which they can concentrate and study for however long the course load demands. This is not the case for parents, as Furney reminded me, “You have to be able to drop everything you’re doing in half a second.” It’s hard enough to do simple chores around the house in such a situation, let alone be able to hold your concentration through readings and studies. Remember frosh week, when you were pretty much occupied from breakfast to sleep with activities and events? Well, imagine trying to do that with a baby in tow. In fact, it was from having the chance to talk to someone who was in such a situation that Sumerta got the idea of creating UW Parents on Campus, a group dedicated to helping student parents find the help and support they need. “[This person] wanted to be involved, to be active, but she felt so lost,” remembered Sumerta. The pressure can be so great for some students that they feel like they have to make a choice between university and their family. While the group itself is only in the mere beginnings of creation, their biggest goal, for now, is to have a presence in Fall 2009’s frosh week. They plan to set up at least one child-friendly event in which student parents, old and new, can come together to share their experiences and learn from each other. The financial burden, on the other hand, was surprisingly less than expected. There isn’t much money left over for “eating at a restaurant, or going to see a movie, every couple of weeks,” said Sumerta, but at least the bills are paid. Having to work multiple jobs

An in-depth look into the lives of student parents, as featured in photos on October 3

isn’t uncommon, but there is a sizable amount of financial aid available, as explained to me by Rhonda Voskamp, assistant director of Student Awards and Financial Aid. Not only does OSAP take children into consideration when calculating the loan, applicants are automatically considered for a study grant specific to students with dependents, which can provide up to $3,120 for a full-time year. Students with three or more dependents can also apply separately for a Child-Care Bursary, which pays varying amounts per child, excluding the first two. The university itself provides a few bursaries, though they are specifically for mature students or students that are sole-support parents. Another problem, and one that is UW specific, is the inability of the university to handle this demographic. There are too few resources available to student parents, and those that are available are scattered throughout. Justin Williams, Feds President, has met with

many students regarding this issue, and acknowledges the university’s lack of preparedness. The Ontario government plans to increase enrollment of students from high school to post-secondary institutions to 70 per cent (right now it’s sitting at around 40 per cent) by identifying and targeting underrepresented groups, such as student parents. But Williams believes that the university isn’t ready to handle this new demographic, yet. “The demographic of the students that are going to be coming is going to be different, and they’re going to need different resources. And we at the Federation need to be prepared for that, and the university itself needs to be prepared for that.” Still, one part of the university has already begun to work on the problem. The Student Life Office, designed to help students find any answers they seek regarding the university, is planning website changes that better organize the information presented, said Heather Fitzgerald, Student Life Director.

One such change would be a section dedicated to student parents, where new and prospective students can find all the university-related information they seek in a single place. But there is still research to be done before such help can be provided. “How many student parents are out there? What are the resources that they’re looking for? Until we have a better understanding of those two factors, it’s going to be hard to say ‘This is what we need to do.’” And what better place to get that understanding than from the UW Parents on Campus group? While most of the problems apply to both genders, there is one hardship that befalls women alone. Many women from other countries, and a few from our own, have a certain mindset supplanted on them by cultural norms emanated throughout their life, especially by their parents and spouses. See PARENTS, page 13

Andrew Telegdi, the lager In my noble quest for relevance in today’s convoluted beer world, I thought it might be inspirational for tomorrow’s youth to imagine our former incumbent MP, the right and honourable and handsome Mr. Andrew Telegdi, if he was a beer. It’s rudimentarily quite simple: imagine the Kool-Aid man, and fill him with beer. But let’s go beyond that, let’s truly inspire the kids that will one day run the world by obnoxiously comparing the traits of an actual beer to the Tel-ster (that’s what me and all my friends call him). This mildly amusing experiment started poorly when I remembered that Telegdi was not Polish; he is actually Hungarian. Assuming he was Polish and considering that this was a good starting place for beerhuman comparison, I picked up Lech beer — a poor and misguided choice. Lech sucks, and I am glad he wasn’t actually Polish because I did not want to write another column on bad beer. However, I luckily bought

a second foreign beer alongside the Lech — the golden beauty Pilsner Urquell. For Telegdi similarity, this beer is not ideal; it is brewed in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is now an independent state that was once part of Czechoslovakia, a country that was invaded by the Soviet Union during the Cold War and became part of the Eastern Bloc until 1989. Hungary, now an independent state, was invaded by the Soviet Union and became part of the Eastern Bloc until 1989. So basically since the Czech Republic and Hungary are the same country, I can now barely justify comparing our dapper Hungarian to my trampy Czech.

Appearance

Pilsner Urquell is a damn fine beer to look at. I bought it in the can, which gleams a metallic gold. Pouring it into the glass, the beer itself has a similar golden amber colour with a faint but smooth head.

Telegdi has a muted yet sophisticated exterior, with what I would imagine would be a creamy and pale interior. The head is also lacking, with a pasty shine that is also undoubtedly smooth.

Smell

Urqell has a bitter hoppy scent, with a balance of floral and bready smelling hops. Telegdi has a musky, geriatric smell that is far from offensive, offering a friendly Grandpa aroma.

Taste

U rq u e l l i s p e r f e c t l y b i t ter, with a spicy and powerful hop taste, mild citrus flavours and a sweet and dry aftertaste. Telegdi has an unknown taste. I was at his watch party after the election on Tuesday, and watched his wife kiss him several times throughout the night. Based on observation, I would say he tastes bitter and mildly citrusy, with a sweet yet dry aftertaste.

Value

I first drank Urquell in Prague, where it costs about 50 cents for a pint. Here, you will find it in the LCBO for the ludicrous price of $13.25 for a 6-pack. It is a good beer though, and you get what you pay for. Telegdi supports the liberal budget and will cost roughly 930 billion. Whether this is good value for money is still up in the air.

Overall

Both Andrew Telegdi and Pilsner Urquell are fantastic products. Smooth and creamy with a perfect lager balance, Urquell is worth the money if you are looking for a premium import. Telegdi is probably the best thing to come out of Hungary since the Rubik’s cube (check out this link to see what else is coming out of a country named after the desire to eat: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=--Vaz9jW054). While not terribly refreshing, he smells great and looks like delicious.

Andrew Telegdi: Price for 1: $930 billion Taste: (assumed) Value: Celebrating your win as MP before losing hours later: Overall:

Pilsner Urquell: Price for 6: $13.25 Taste: Value: Being the first pilsner in the world:

Overall: mkeast@imprint.uwaterloo.ca


Features Not your mother’s English

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

Parents: More to be done Continued from page 12

“We’re generally meeting families in a situation where the man is going to school and the woman is often times staying home and taking care of the kids,” Sumerta recalled, regarding some of the women she knows. Korsak mentioned: “Some even find it difficult to have their husbands approve it.” Canada, as a nation, has undoubtedly made great strides in the last few decades with regard to both women’s rights and multiculturalism, but this is a gap that, until recently, has been overlooked. The government, as well as post-secondary institutions such as UW, needs to inform people that a proper education is not only acceptable, or even a privilege, but a right that anyone who desires to pursue should be able to do so. “Because if you have someone who is not supported by either their family or their culture, and getting here and feeling overwhelmed, it will make them less inclined to continue anything,” said Korsak. The University of Waterloo, as a place of higher learning, should take a more active role in providing information and support to parents who are currently enrolled or are considering enrolling, instead of its current passive role. It should strive to a level of proficiency where the only factor that determines whether a parent chooses to become a student at UW is their own self-determination and worth. rsaleh@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Amy LeBlanc reporter

I recently returned to Waterloo from a study semester abroad in England. Pre-exchange, I was so confident in my choice that the mere suggestion of a “cultural difference” made me laugh. Post-exchange, I laugh at the ignorance of that assumption and fondly remember my educational experiences. I will warn you right now — just because they claim to speak “English” in England, don’t be fooled into thinking that there isn’t a language barrier; numerous times after an awkward and confusing half-conversation with a local, I would walk away wondering what on earth just happened. That confusion became normal to me when entire groups of locals would burst into hysterical laughter while I was mid-sentence; it turns out they find hilarious the way I say “sorry” and “out and about” with my “Canadian accent.” Addressing strangers in England was another confusing experience when the guy at the supermarket called me “love” — what a creeper! — then the woman at the bar called me “sweetheart” and the bus driver called me “dear” — geez, I’m popular in England! — No, actually, they address all strangers with terms of endearment that we in North America would usually only reserve for use with our lover/spouse. There are many stories of amusing miscommunication that I could tell you, but I’d rather save myself the embarrassment and tell you someone else’s story. First, you should know that in England, pants are actually called

“trousers” or “jeans” while the word “pants” is reserved exclusively to mean “underpants.” Forgetting this small but significant detail, a fellow Canadian friend remarked after spilling something on herself that her “pants smelled awful.” Needless to say, this comment was met with wide-eyed stares and an awkward silence; it took her a long time to live that one down. Now that I am home in Canada, I’ve received several queries regarding the drinking-culture in England. The answer to all of your questions is: yes, it is vast. Some locals believe it to be a problem, while others fully embrace their alcohol-consuming roots as an important aspect of their English-ness. Laugh at this idea all you may, but the drinking culture in the UK extends far beyond the typical bars or clubs from the use of the word “cheers” (one of England’s most versatile words) to the centrality of pubs (which are the meeting place for almost any outing). I like to think that English pubs are equivalent to our Tim Hortons, just with more beer and football. Football is probably as widespread as drinking in England, but before you start thinking of the stereotypical “soccer hooligans,” remember our own insane hockey fans. Besides, you need to experience an English football game, singing the songs and wearing your team’s colours, before you can judge. One thing that I was not expecting to encounter in England was a very sophisticated sense of style, for both sexes. Men are not afraid to read Men’s VOGUE and to dress fashionably. Us

13

Through foreign eyes amy leblanc

foreign girls giggled a little at our first sight of all the “murses” (man-purses), but quickly converted when we realized how convenient they are. Now, back in Canada I can’t help but wish to see more men wearing scarves, nicely fitted sweaters, and jeans that compliment their ass-ets more nicely. As for female fashion, we were slightly devastated to discover that sweatpants and typical dorm-wear are practically non-existent in the UK. Classes are filled with girls dressed to the nines (heels and all) looking as though they were going to a club, not a lecture. Appalled at first, we all found ourselves gradually opting for tights, miniskirts, long sweaters, long necklaces, and scarves rather than our comfy university-branded hoodies and Uggs, so that by the time our exchanges in England had come to an end, we had all officially become fashion-converts. The assumption that the weather in

England is awful is, for the most part, true. The locals themselves have a saying that there are “four seasons in a day,” addressing that it is not uncommon for it to snow, hail, rain, and then for the sun to come out all within a few hours (I know, I didn’t believe it either until it happened). When the sun comes out everyone flocks to grassy areas and it seems the whole of England is planted in the local parks and gardens. I have one more story to tell all my fellow Canadians. I have a distant Scottish cousin that I visited when I first arrived in the UK. When I had to leave I gave my cousin a hug and proceeded to hug a friend of hers that I had met earlier that night, and for a moment I was met with an uncomfortably stiff response. “Oh no,” I said, “is it weird that I just hugged you?” The friend burst out in laughter and exclaimed: “A little, but that’s okay, it’s just so Canadian of you!”


14

Features

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

Features

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

19

Addiction — breaking free of the routine

caitlin mcintyre

Jamie Damaskinos staff reporter

I

magine, for a moment, waking up everyday and following through on a specific routine. The particulars switch from time to time, but it hasn’t changed substantially for years. It has always the been the same process, the same behaviour. No matter what you do, the routine follows you, dictating your actions at any given moment. No matter where you move, how good your job is, how successful you are, or what you do on the surface, you always follow through with this routine. At some point, you recognize that acting out this routine is tearing at the foundations of your existence and you try to stop, but it doesn’t matter. Any time you stop for any length of time you find yourself right back where you started. You still follow through with this routine, no matter how painful it is. It destroys your job, your relationships, your family, and slowly but surely is destroying your life. And yet, paradoxically enough, the routine is the only respite you take any solace in. The routine has been carved into your neurological make-up. If this is hard for you to conceptualize, living the life of a drug addict must seem like an impossible nightmare. The media has dominated the public discourse on the topic of addiction for years, and has painted a series of stereotypes on the topic. Whether it’s the party animal, the homeless man sticking needles in his arm, or celebrities with cocaine problems, we have been given a set of extreme stereotypes to index, label, and judge those suffering from addiction. Unfortunately, the image painted by the media sadly excludes a lot of individuals potentially affected by addiction. This labeling affect those who are addicted to substances significantly—especially students faced with these problems.

The stereotypes provided by the media fail to provide an adequate representation of the problem. Susan Collison, the supervisor of the Grand River Withdrawal Management Centre (GRWMC), has seen addicts from all walks of life, from the homeless to professionals, to university students. “One thing I have learned over the 10 years that I have worked in this field is that the people who have problem substance use do not fit a stereotypical profile,” said Collison. “We have had clients who were doctors, lawyers, school teachers, police officers, factory workers, social workers, and students from high school age to graduate school.” In her experience, she has been unable to discern a correlation between pre-disposition to addictive behaviours and factors such as intelligence, social acceptability, and financial success. Michael Parkinson is a film programmer for “In the Mind’s Eye,” a festival dedicated to displaying issues of substance use and abuse openly and honestly. He believes that it is the misconceptions about the nature of addiction that are the most damaging to our society: “…most Canadians know someone affected by addiction, in all its various forums but… there is an astounding amount of unhelpful myths, poor policies, and tremendous gaps in services.” But, really, what is addiction and how does it arise in individuals? Is it a life-style choice gone too far? Or are there genetic reasons for this disease? Dr. Gabor Maté, a medical doctor working at the safe injection site in Vancouver’s downtown east-side, believes that he has determined the root of this complex mental illness. He kicked off the film festival with an in-depth discussion on the nature and causes of drug addiction. As Dr. Maté illustrated in his lecture, the outmoded notion that addiction is a “life-style choice” is

completely at odds with contemporary scientific research. According to Dr. Maté, the first three years of an individual’s life are crucial in determining whether or not they will be pre-disposed to addiction-related problems. Dr. Maté contends that pre-disposition towards drug addiction is the result of stunted brain development in four different systems: the endorphin system, which helps create the loving bond between parent and child; the dopamine system, which regulates incentive and motivation; the stress regulation system; and the impulse regulation system. Since most of the brain develops outside of the uterus, at the root of these developmental problems

is an emotionally unstable environment. “… the human brain develops in an interaction with the environment, when the right emotional conditions are not there then the circuits that become implicated in addiction just don’t develop properly,” said Dr. Maté. Without the presence of a nurturing and emotionally stable caretaker, these areas of the brain will not develop properly and dramatically increase the likelihood of addiction and addictive behaviours in later years. But if addiction is a predetermined neurological illness, where is the hope in all of this? How can the addict recover against such staggering odds? According to Dr. Maté, the good news

caitlin mcintyre

is that no one is beyond redemption: “…humans retain the capacity for psychological and spiritual growth throughout the life-cycle and their brain has the capacity to develop new circuits.” Through personal desire, and the application of an effective treatment program, an addict, regardless of how far gone they may seem, can quit using drugs and find a better way of life. Institutions such as the Grand River Withdrawal Management Centre(GRWMC) and Homewood, a private rehabilitation centre located in Guelph, are dedicated to helping addicts determine their own path to personal recovery. There are also many support groups available in the area that deal exclusively with these issues. In our everyday lives, the lines of addiction are becoming increasingly blurred. We live in a culture that constantly demands that we seek relief from our daily stresses, whether through television, video games, food, shopping, or sex — to name just a few options. The public is slavishly dominated by the media and commercialism, and new support groups are spawning rapidly in the wake of the age of mass media. But somewhere, at the heart of the problem lies the taboo notion of drug addiction. Drug addiction seems to be the paradigmatic example of addiction in it purest form, and at the same time nobody wants to talk about it. “If you look at our culture, it is a very addicted culture. Why? Because the essence of addiction is a sense that you’re empty, and hungry, and not sufficient unto yourself… who you are is not enough without that behaviour or that drug. Who you are is not enough without that selfimage, without that status, without that power, without that wealth, without that car,” said Dr. Maté. “And our culture feeds that; we are always telling people they are not good enough.” Despite the broad range of behaviour addictions, the public still seems to be reticent when it comes to dealing with issues of substance abuse. Many addictions are tolerated— some are even promoted within our culture—and yet society often levies considerable criticism on drug addicts. It’s okay to admit that you are a recovering bulimic; it’s ok to admit that you are a recovering World of Warcraft addict; in some cases, it is even alright to admit that you are a recovering alcoholic; but it is certainly not okay for you to be a drug addict, recovering or otherwise. Such an admission could quite drastically affect their position within society. According to Dr. Maté, the only separation between these various forms of behaviour addiction and drug addiction is the way the user gets their fix. When a shopaholic goes on a shopping spree they trigger neuro-chemicals inside their brain, which results in feelings of gratification. When a drug addict ingests a substance, they are circumventing the natural processes of the brain by externally providing a substance which acts very much like these neuro-chemicals, resulting in similar feelings of gratification. Perhaps an even more startling revelation is the distinction that the public makes between alcoholism and drug addiction. Common knowledge has us believing that there is a separation between these substances. More often than not, the public treats

If you are worried that you or a friend may be facing addiction related issues you can contact the following numbers: Counselling Services Needles Hall, room 2080 (519) 888-4567 ext. 32655 St. Mary’s Counselling Services 600-30 Duke Street West, Kitchener, Ontario (519) 745-2585 Ext. 32

“I don’t try to humanize the addict; the addict is already human.” — Dr. Gabor Maté

Grand River Withdrawal Management Centre 52 Glasgow St., Kitchener, Ontario (519) 749 4318 caitlin mcintyre

alcohol as though it is not a narcotic, as though its legality renders it somehow different than other narcotics. This is simply not true. “The tremendous reluctance of the current federal government and the RCMP to support initiatives in Vancouver’s East Side speaks to the double standard between getting wasted on alcohol and using illegal drugs,” states Parkinson. “Tobacco and alcohol are the two drugs that cause the largest financial burden in Canada.” University students faced with the problem of drug addiction are caught in the midst of a paralyzing double-entendre. If they choose to deal with the issue and accept the label, they must also deal with all of the negative stereotypes that go along with that label; they could potentially face unemployability and alienation. If they don’t choose to deal with it, then they’ll have to live with a problem that will catastrophically impact their quality of life; again, they could face unemployability, alienation, and potentially life-threatening consequences. The impact of labeling and stereotyping may actually be contributing to the perpetuation of the problem, rather than actually helping deal with these issues. “The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health estimates that approximately 60 per cent of people with addictions of any kind will never seek assistance due to the stigma surrounding addiction,” said Parkinson. “Labeling people, sending them to the margins, and discriminating on the basis of addiction is not helpful.” It is important that as a society we stand up and challenge these negative stereotypes, especially since they do not contribute to an appropriate and effective solution. Robert Hutchins, former president of the University of Chicago, once wrote: “There is only one justification for universities, as distinguished from trade schools. They must be centres of criticism.” It is our duty as university students to challenge the prevailing cultural stereotypes and determine whether they are effective or damaging. Addiction is not a choice; it is a serious and debilitating mental, emotional and physical disorder. As Parkinson put it, “We cannot

incarcerate ourselves out of a health and social issue. If it worked our neighbours to the south would be a model nation. But they are not: the USA is the most incarcerated nation in the world, particularly for minor drug possession charges, and they have one of the highest rates of substance use.” It is with these words that I invite you to check out the film festival “In the Mind’s Eye.” You may find that what you see is extremely shocking at times, but refusing to acknowledge the problem is not an effective solution. Conversely, you may also be surprised at how normal the life of an addict can seem, even though they are engaging in self-destructive behaviours on such a regular basis. After writing his latest book, In

the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Maté was accused by his contemporaries of “…trying to humanize the addict.” His response to these criticisms? “I don’t try to humanize the addict; the addict is already human. I simply try to show that humanity because it’s so often lost in the discourse of addiction.” Anyone who is interested in finding more about the film festival can go to their website at www.inthemindseye.ca. Addiction is a complex and far-reaching topic; it is only through proper research, education, and treatment that we can find an effective and lasting solution. It is also important that we recognize our own limitations if we are faced with someone struggling with addiction who does not want to stop their self-destructive behaviour. We

cannot force them into a treatment program. If an individual dealing with these issues refuses to acknowledge the problem or has no personal desire to recover, then there is very little we can do for them. “I think it most important that we express our concerns to these individuals and help identify ways for them to seek help. Sometimes the person we feel is experiencing difficulty is not at the stage of wanting help,” said Collison. “I would encourage to students to seek out help for themselves to help deal with these individuals. This could involve school counselors, peer counselors, attending Al Anon, or making an appointment with St. Mary’s Counseling Service.”

Golden Triangle Area of Narcotics Anonymous 1-866-311-1611 http://www.gtascna.on.ca/ Alcoholics Anonymous (519) 742-6183 http://www.kwaa.ca/ Al Anon (519) 896-5678 http://communitylinks.cioc. ca/details.asp?RSN=3612

jdamaskinos@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

jamie damaskinos


Champions through

- October 2008 -

Warriors have the spirit and desire to win Both the men and women’s basketball teams have a desire to succeed at this year’s Naismith Classic Tournament, whereteams set out not only to prove their worth to others, but also to exceed their own expectations Christina Ironstone sports and living assistant editor

T

he Naismith Classic Basketball Tournament used to be a part of the Homecoming weekend but now it is proudly its own event. I spoke with the coaches of the male and female basketball teams to get an idea of where the teams have been and where they are headed. Both teams have a strong fighting spirit, but the way they go about achieving their goals is rather different. Coach Tom Kieswetter explained how this past year was a difficult year for the men’s team. They were basically starting over and did not have a sense of what kind of team they were. It took some time for them to come together and play like a team. In other words, they took their lumps throughout the season and by the end felt like they grew to be a cohesive unit. But Kieswetter said that there are higher expectations for this year, as they are hoping to be one of the top teams in the OUA West. This season 12 of the team players are returning, with two brand new players — Brendan Smith and Matt Glibota — and one — Jesse Tipping — transferring from Brock. Since last year the team had a lot of new faces and the team identity changed. As Tom Kieswetter said: “Team identity changes when you get new people. You don’t know what kind of style your team has and you have to figure that out.” The team wants to foster a sense of physical and emotional toughness on the court. They want to be the ones doing the pushing, especially after being pushed around on the courts last year. After spending a fair amount in the weight room buffing up, players feel that they have acquired their physical toughness. After all, it’s like that old adage: It’s better to give than receive. They don’t want to have just a physically toughness though; they also require a mental toughness above and beyond what was shown last year. Being mentally tough helps on the court and gets players in a good mindset. As well, when injuries arise it is important for the other members to step up and take on more responsibility, and that requires a surety of mind and spirit. This year the men’s team has a few powerhouse players as well as very agile players on the court. Forwards Alan Goodhoofd, Matt Hayes and Jesse Tipping are considered the strong impact players — the brute strength, if you will. The most agile players of the team are Luke Kieswetter and captain Dave Burnett. This year the men’s basketball team has played four games: two against top division teams in America (Penn State and East Tennessee), the third game against Guelph, and the last game against alumni. The Warriors lost against the American

schools and Guelph but won against the alumni. And while the Warriors did not win some of these games, they did hold their own against the U.S. top division schools, which in itself shows their improvement. They have found their style of play and are using it to become a well-reputed opponent in the league. As Kieswetter stated, he sees the team as up-tempo, working on defence, and considers this to be their formula for success. The women’s team is also playing in the Naismith tournament this year. The women’s team, unfortunately, has a few of semiinjured or fully injured players on the team at this time. Hopefully the team can pull through for the tournament and make it an entertaining and aggressive event. I met with the team’s coach Tyler Slipp to discuss the direction of the women’s team. Slipp is new to the coaching position — unlike Kieswetter, who has been coaching for 17 years — which means that he gets to create a new direction for his team. He has a long-term vision for national level competition. He sees the team as more than reasonably talented and wants to see how the season plays out and how the women do — and so far so good, because the team played Guelph and won 86 – 61. The team has a strong spirit and members are very supportive and encouraging of each other. Coach Slipp mentioned that when some of the girls are on the bench they are cheering and trying to encourage their on-court teammates. This, as well as good communication, respect, and playing intelligently are some of the qualities Slipp wants to instill in the girls. It is qualities like these that are transferable into life: Effective communication skills, respect, and appreciation of people are very important life skills. Expect a challenging season from the women’s team. WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO NAISMITH CLASSIC THIS WEEKEND:

It’s your team, UW. They represent you. Together you share their wins, losses, struggles, and triumphs. The games provide entertainment, and give you a chance to get out and have fun with other students. One of the best facts about the tournament is that it is free for UW students who show their Watcards. The past few years of this event have been extraordinary and this year promises to be exceptional, too. There are more than enough reasons for you to go out and show your support and have fun. Why not? iI’s fun and free. Also, while watching the tournament check out the alumni game. There are current players who do the refereeing and the commentating, which brings even more entertainment to the event. The game also gives alumni, students, and current basketball teammates a chance to interact and mingle — think of it as the Homecoming weekend never coming to an end.

the ages Acadia Acadia Simon Fraser Waterloo Windsor Waterloo Waterloo Waterloo Laurentian Laurentian Acadia University of Victoria Acadia Waterloo Winnipeg Waterloo Waterloo Waterloo Winnipeg Acadia Acadia St. Francis Xavier St. Francis Xavier St. Francis Xavier Winnipeg Winnipeg Winnipeg Western Western St. Francis Xavier Waterloo Aquinas College (Michigan) Western Western Western Laval Waterloo Ottawa Western Toronto

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cironstone@imprint.uwaterloo.ca jacqueline to


Peach Baskets to “nothing but net” Danielle Whittemore imprint intern

T

he Naismith Classic 41st basketball tournament is scheduled for this weekend, October 17 to 19. While it is the University of Waterloo’s biggest basketball competitions of the year, a lot has changed since the very first event in 1968. Take the name, for example. Naismith was originally known as the Tip-off Tournament; it was renamed by Mike Lavelle in 1970 in reference to James Naismith, the Canadian creator of basketball. In previous years, Naismith took place as part of UW’s Homecoming. However in the 2004, due to changes in the OUA, Naismith was bumped up, taking place earlier than it had before. This forced change took place when the OUA declared that all league games would start at the beginning of November. What’s more, 2004 was the first year that women were included in the national competition. Then in 2006, Homecoming was moved to an even earlier date “to attract more alumni back to campus with a more favourable weather date,” said Tom Kieswetter, long-time men’s basketball coach. The halftime show is rich with tradition as well. The Warrior Band has played most of the tournaments to date, “serenading fans with the five songs in their repertoire,” said Kieswetter. Halftime has also included re-enactments of the first basketball game, where every time a basket was scored, officials would have to remove the ball from a peach basket using ladders. A Canadian Idol singer (“I can’t remember his name,” said Kieswetter) and various contests have been some other past highlights. This year’s show should not disappoint. The inclusion of women in the competition was perhaps the biggest change Naismith

ever faced (except for maybe the switch from peach baskets to modern basketball nets). While Naismith traditionally showcased eight of the top basketball teams in Canada, in 2004 it was divided into four men’s teams and four women’s teams. While the Women Warriors have yet to win a tournament, they have won several games, and they use the exhibition to come together as a team. The teams themselves always vary, for both men and women. Star players from previous years mix with new players, with varying skill levels. Every year’s show promises new players, whether they’re freshman who excelled at basketball in high school, or halfway through university, trying out for the Warriors for the first time. So while it’s always sad to see the stars from previous years graduate and move on, there is always someone coming in with skills of their own. Another long-standing ritual involves everybody in the stands clapping from the tip-off until the Warriors score their first basket. This show of support has been around for years, encouraging the team. There have been some pretty crazy fans supporting the Warriors over the years. People used to dress up in all sorts of spirit garb, sit on the opponents’ side, and cheer for the Warriors. These die-hard fans have dropped in number over the years, but it’s not too late to bring that custom back from the grave. One convention that we’re glad has disappeared is the cost. Naismith used to charge an entry fee, but now students can attend for free. “Over the decades the Naismith Classic has undergone many changes, but the central core, which is Warrior Basketball, remains constant, providing exciting action that continues to entertain,” said Kieswetter. So this weekend go out and support your fellow Warriors

2008 Naismith Schedule

Take part in the Naismith tradition, go watch the tournament. It’s free with your WatCard

Men’s Schedule Friday, October 17 6:00 p.m. York vs. Alberta 8:00 p.m. UQAM vs. Waterloo Warriors Saturday, October 18 6:00 p.m. York vs. UQAM 8:00 p.m. Alberta vs. Waterloo Warriors Sunday, October 19 12:00 p.m. Alberta vs. UQAM 4:00 p.m. York vs. Waterloo Warriors

Women’s Schedule Friday, October 17 1:00 p.m. York vs. Laurier 3:00 p.m. UQAM vs. Waterloo Warriors Saturday, October 18 1:00 p.m. UQAM vs. York 3:00 p.m. Laurier vs. Waterloo Warriors Sunday, October 19 10:00 a.m. Laurier vs. UQAM 2:00 p.m. York vs. Waterloo Warriors


2008-2009 Warriors: Men’s Basketball Brendan

Smith

Sinclair

Brown

Alan

Goodhoofd

2008-2009

Stephanie

Shea

Warriors: Women’s Basketball Melanie

Belore

Matt

Hayes

Dan

White

Ben

Frisby Feleshia

Cam

McIntyre

Tim

Rossy

David

Luke

Kieswetter

Button

Reanne

Rachel

Doug

Fischer

Matt

Jesse

Tipping

Harmsworth

Keisa

Mokenela

Kimberly

Lee

Glibota

Erin

Watson

Holden

Burnett

Laura

Becotte

Jordan

Hannah

Colleen

Quinlan

Katie

Beaucock

Chelsea

Brown


fp_oct17:Layout 1

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2008 (W) 1 PM

York vs WLU

(W) 3 PM

UQAM vs Waterloo

(M) 6 PM

York vs Alberta

(M) 8 PM

UQAM vs Waterloo

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2008 (W) 1 PM

UQAM vs York

(W) 3 PM

WLU vs Waterloo

(M) 6 PM

York vs UQAM

(M) 8 PM

Alberta vs Waterloo

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2008

Brandon Mulholland We Are Warriors. President 4th Year, Speech Communications

leader of the month

“a driving force behind “We Are Warriors.” with excellent initiative and planning for Black and Gold Day and Homecoming contributing to positive school spirit.” – Bob Copeland, Athletic Director

(W) 10 AM WLU vs UQAM [M) 12 PM Alberta vs UQAM (W) 2 PM

York vs Waterloo

(M) 4 PM

York vs Waterloo

All games at the UW PAC Gym. UW Students free with WATCARD.

’ There s more to do... Fri Nov.14 - 4pm to 10pm Sat Nov.15 - 9am - 6pm Sun Nov.16 - 9am [Playoffs]

Cost: $50/team Max 6 players per roster Game Length: 20 Minutes Round Robin Play - Minimum 3 games per team All Skill Levels Entry forms available at the PAC Athletics Office.

®

Registered trademarks of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under license. © Boston Pizza International Inc. 2005

UW Raptors Trip Friday, November 21 $40 includes ticket and bus

Join the UW Community in cheering on the Toronto Raptors as they take on Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets


do you like building community? role modelling? planning events?

donning could be the right fit for you Applications will be available online oct 14-nov 3

www.housing.uwaterloo.ca

Department of Housing and Residences


Campus Bulletin CHURCH SERVICE St. Bede’s Chapel at Renison College offers worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. 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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS The Grand House Student Co-operative is a non-profit housing co-op comprised of architecture students from UW, community members and professionals. Workshops are being organized on environmental techniques, solar power, non-toxic materials and more. For info/registration visit the website at www.grandhouse.wacsa. org. Your garbage can be very worthwhile! UW Community Garden (behind Columbia Lake on north side, behind a row of tall hedges) needs any compost items that you might regularly throw away, such as coffee grounds, egg shells, oatmeal, veg or fruit bits, or garden waste such as dead leaves, etc. Meetings on Wednesdays, 5:50 p.m. and Sundays 4 p.m. For further info/ questions, e-mail cwormsbe@gmail.com.

VOLUNTEERING Volunteer with a child at their school and help improve their self-esteem and confidence. One to three hours a week commitment. Call Canadian Mental Health at 519-744-7645, ext 229. Best Buddies is a national charitable organization matching students with individuals with intellectual disabilities living in the community. Hours are very flexible – compatible with busy schedules. More information contact: bestbuddiesuw@gmail.com. Resume builder! Volunteers needed to visit people with Alzheimer disease through Alzheimer Society Volunteer Companion Program. Two hours per week with training September 23/24 evening or October 27 day or November 30 day. Call Jill at 519-742-1422 or volunteer@alzheimerkw.com. Drive. Deliver. Befriend – Community Support Connections needs volunteers to help drive seniors to appointments, deliver a lunch meal or befriend an isolated senior. Mileage is reimbursed. Contact 519-772-8787 or info@communitysupportconnections.org. City of Waterloo, 519-888-6488 or volunteer@ city.waterloo.on.ca has many volunteer opportunities. Check out the website today. Volunteer Action Centre, 519-742-8610 or www. volunteerkw.ca, has many opportunities available – visit the website or call today! Volunteers needed – Trick or Eat 2008 – think you’re too old to dress up in a costume and go door-to-door on Halloween?? Think again – join us for Trick or Eat this year in our battle against hunger. Help alleviate hunger in Waterloo and get candy while you are at it! Sign up on www.trickoreat.ca to join the national battle against hunger on Friday, Octobrer 31, 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the SLC. Over 40 campuses across Canada are joining forces to fight hunger. Email us for more info at waterloo@mealexchange.com.

CAREER SERVICES WORKSHOPS Monday, October 20, 2008 Teaching Philosophy Statement – 12 to 1:30 p.m., TC 2218. Registration: go to CTE website at www. cte.uwaterloo.ca/events_registration/CUT_events. html. Exploring Your Personality Type, Part II – 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1112. First session: Monday, October 6, 2:30 to 4 p.m., TC 1112. Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Applying to Teacher Education Programs – 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., TC 2218. Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Professional School Interviews – 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., TC 1208. Monday, October 27, 2008 Career Interest Assessment – 2:30 to 4 p.m., TC 1112. Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Interview Skills: Preparing for Questions – 2:30 to 4 p.m., TC 1208 Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Are You Thinking about an International Experience? – 12 to 1:30 p.m., TC 1208. Interview Skills: Selling Your Skills – 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. Thursday, October 30, 2008 Work Search Strategies – 2:30 to 4 p.m., TC 1208. Monday, November 3, 2008 Writing CVs and Cover Letters – 12 to 1:30 p.m., TC 2218. Registration go to the CTE website: www.cte.uwaterloo.ca/events_registration/CUT_ events.html) Work Search Strategies for International Students – 4:30 to 6 p.m., TC 1208.

STUDENT AWARDS FINANCIAL AID

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008 ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Peter Dauvergne at Lecture EV1 132 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Reception and book signing at EV1 Courtyard. Friday, October 24, 2008 Faust, Part1: presented in German and English by the Shadow Puppet Theatre of Kitchener-Waterloo and the Waterloo Centre for German Studies, www.wcgs.ca in conjunction with live scenes in German by the Laurier German Drama Group at 8 p.m. and Saturday, October 25 at 2 p.m., Humanities Studio Theatre, HH180, UW. Rummage sale, houseplants and Christmas treasures at First United Church, King and William Streets, Waterloo from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, October 25 from 9 to 11 a.m.

ONGOING THURSDAYS “in conjunction with FINE 290’?” – ECH 1220 at 6:30 p.m. Free - all are welcome! October 23 – “Trembling before G-d” – 84 minutes. Dubowski’s film narrates multiple stories of Hasidic and Orthodox Jews who are faced with the task of reconciling their homosexuality with their faith. October 30 – “Fire” – 104 minutes. Provoking riots at its screenings in Bombay and New Delhi, Fire portrays a dysfunctional Indian family and two women who develop an affinity for each other in the midst of familial chaos.

Classified SERVICES Professional Go-For Service – don’t have time? Need a second pair of hands? Dog walking, picking up dry-cleaning, groceries, Senior Services, are just a few of the many helpful services that is offered. Call Sheila at 519-590-4103 or progo-forservice@ hotmail.com.

October 17: OSAP Application deadline (full funding) – fall and winter or fall, winter and spring applications. October 24: Deadline for OSAP Reviews (appeals). October 30: Last day to submit Full-Time Bursary/ Award Application for fall only term. October 31: Deadline to submit Confirmation of Enrolment for Canada Millennium Bursary. Refer to our website for current loan/grant release procedures and for a full listing of scholarships and awards at http://safa.uwaterloo.ca.

LOST & FOUND Whomever found lost credit card and turned it in September 19 please email proudy1717@yahoo. ca to receive “thanks.” $100 REWARD – for lost gold ring, has three cubic zirconia stones, black, yellow and orange. If found please contact s_grieco@hotmail.com or 519-227-0795. Cash reward up front, no questions asked.

WANTED

Entrepreneurial partner wanted – Training included ; comp plan. Serious applicants only – 1888-226-8151 or abstein@libertyleague.com. Young athletes 15–30 years – hockey, soccer, speedskating, rowing for National Cycling Development Program. Men and women welcome. Introductory camp in October. Contact Dina at info@ForestCityVelodrome.ca or www.ForestCityVelodrome.ca.

PERSONALS

Are you pregnant – have you considered an open adoption? We are a loving family approved to adopt in Ontario. Please visit our website to learn more about us and the wonderful home we could offer your baby. www.hopingtoadopt.ca.

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 Darlene or Joanne at 519-7461411 for more details.

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. Experienced servers/bartenders for Federation Hall are needed. Email resume to Adrian Moloney at apmolone@feds.uwaterloo.ca.

ALLOWEEN HSUPERSTORE

UPCOMING

Friday, October 17, 2008 October Swing Dance – at 315 Weber Street, N., Waterloo. Beginner lessons at 8:30 p.m., then dancing from 9:15 onwards. For info and cost see www.waterlooswing.com. Monday, October 20, 2008 “The Shadows of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment” presented by author

Get Involved! VACANT - President position for the Board of Directors The President shall, when present, preside at all Board meetings and meetings of members. The President shall supervise the affairs and operations of the Corporation and with the Secretary or other officer appointed by the Board for the purpose, shall sign all bylaws and membership certificates and have other powers and duties that are prescribed from time to time by the Board or that are incidental to his office. The President shall also be responsible for: 01) knowing and interpreting the Bylaw, Policies & Procedures and seeing that they are enforced; 02) ensuring, with the co-operation of the full-time staff, that the documents of the Corporation as defined in section 9.00 are maintained in order; and; 03) representing the Corporation to and maintain liaisons with both the campus community and the community-at-large.

Interested? Send your Letter of Intent by Oct. 17 to board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca.

Waterloo Guelph Cambridge Mississauga

King at University 519-886-0104 620 Scottsdale Dr. 519-766-9535 611 Hespler Rd. 519-624-0300 2640 SouthSheridan Way 905-855-7817


Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008 arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Heaven, earth, and the Princess The worldly Harry Manx provides the debut for the Princess Live Series Mark Kimmich arts editor

F

illing a cultural niche is something that John Tutt knows about. The Princess Cinemas are well known locally for their ability to provide a niche audience with what is sometimes marginalized in popular culture, and celebrated by the artistic fringes. In the words of Tutt: “the booking priority of The Princess Cinema is to screen international film, film festival hits, documentaries, Canadian cinema, independent films, cult films, and current Hollywood movies.” With the cultural niche of the Princess being a relatively well known one, the departure from the standard fare is not really as far as one would think when the Princess Live Concert Series makes its debut this Monday with Harry Manx. Not only is “the cinema environment appropriate for the folk style of music which we frequently present,” said Tutt, “[but] we have this great stage and because no one else in [the] community books these type of acts, we fill a void. Without us none of these artists would likely play this region.” This Monday, October 20, marks the 2008 debut of the series, and Harry Manx, a musician who combines eclectic sensibilities with a high degree of technical skill, will take the stage. According to Tutt, it is Manx’s “mixture of blues with an eastern sound influence, which he learned while living and studying in India, [which] makes him totally unique.” While Manx was asked to come to the Princess originally since he is clearly well suited to the cinema atmosphere, he now returns as a fan favourite. “He mesmerized our sold out audiences four years ago when we first booked him to play the cinema,” said Tutt, and Manx is now returning with a similar goal in mind. Having been described as the “essential link between ‘heavenly’ India and ‘earthly’ America,” Manx is a man who resides between two worlds. Manx shared some influences and insights with Imprint prior to his shows at the Princess.

Marco Baldasaro

T

he ways of the world are familiar to Harry Manx. From working at Toronto’s El Mocambo as a sound engineer, ‘busking’ in Paris in the mid 1970s, emigrating to Japan to play clubs and festivals, to finally heading to India to live from 1986 to 1998, Manx has lived a worldly life that now inspires his music. “I suppose the environments of all the places I spent time had an influence on the music, and it’s likely the different cultures shaped the way I played,” said Manx. The variety of environments may have influenced his music, but it seems clear that India has had a great, perhaps even a pseudo-spiritual influence, on Manx. “I’ve had a ‘thing’ for India since I first went there,” said Manx. “At first I wasn’t sure what it was about Indian [classical] music that caught me, but I was drawn towards the transcending quality of it.” This perhaps adds clout to the description of Manx’s Indian influence as adding a ‘heavenly’ quality to his music. “Listening to Indian music lead me to discover meditation which continues [to be] a part of my daily life. I spent many years playing Indian music in Ashrams and temples around India…I found out that the similarity between meditation and Indian music lies in the fact that they’re both of the realm beyond mind. The music takes you there. It deepens the silence. That’s where the ‘heavenly’ part comes in.” Manx’s live shows translate this ‘heavenly’ quality best, but he is down to earth when it comes to how his travels affect his music and his audience. “My music is the sum of my travels and my lyrics represent my desire to inspire my listeners with poetry,” said Manx.

“[But] at some point I realized that I needed to begin performing in the West,” said a reflective Manx. “I figured when you get the message, hang up the phone.”

In 2000, Manx returned to Canada. Now living in British Columbia, he has a clear vision of how his Eastern travels shaped his current state of being. “Everyday there was a blessing for me. I felt that I had finally found my calling. [But] at some point I realized that I needed to begin performing in the West,” said a reflective Manx. “I figured when you get the message, hang up the phone.” Manx now tours almost exclusively in the West. It is not just Manx’s performances that are situated in the West, though, his influences also extend to a more Western context. “I fell in love with Blues music when I was a young teenager. I listened to records (remember those big black CDs they used to make way back in the ’60s) of Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells. I learned to blow a little blues harp and strum a few chords on the guitar. But his influences do not end with the Blues. “As far as song writing goes I’m a fan of a lot of the ’70s artists such as James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder,” said Manx. So the West, too, owns a spot in Manx’s musical headspace, which is what forms the bridge between the ‘heavenly’ East and the ‘earthly’ West. Where the East represents a transcendent sensibility, the Western influence serves to ground Manx’s music. Harry Manx will be at the Original Princess Cinema October 20 and 21. Tickets are $27 advance, and $30 at the door. mkimmich@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Harry Manx spent years learning how to play the Mohan Veena, his unique instrument characterized by its distinctive 20 string set up.


Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

Confessions of a stripper

23

THE WOMAN EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT. THE PERFORMANCES EVERYONE IS RAVING ABOUT.

“FASCINATING

While you may think that I am full of shit, I firmly believe that the musical selection of a stripper can either enhance or thoroughly diminish a stripper’s performance.

M

ontreal 2003: I was 17 years young, experiencing my first real vacation away from the parental units at a Model United Nation Conference in La Belle Province. I was representing Mexico on the human rights council, which in retrospect was not the greatest choice. While the simulated conference ate a large portion of our time, we still found time to explore Toronto’s fun cousin and absorb what the city prides itself on: strip clubs. I, like most men, vividly remember my first experience at a strip club. “Je suis dix-huit,” I said to the bouncer after laying him a fiver at the door. After bartering with the doorman in my sloppy ‘frenglish,’ I entered the club and was immediately aware of the scent of cigarettes and cheap perfume. I became lost in a daze of black lights, mirrors, and beautiful French women parading around naked. As we reached our table, the next performance was commencing and I drifted out of my euphoric state and into immense confusion when the busty Dominique began pole dancing to Hanson’s “Mmm-bop.” In a schoolgirl outfit, the French starlet maneuvered in and out (mostly out) of her clothes with a face of seduction. At the time, I found Dominique’s musical selection very bizarre, disjointed, and inappropriate for her occupation. While I have occasionally ventured to several burlesque clubs since the epic Montreal experience, none have been as memorable as watching the infamous “Mmm-bop” dance. In hindsight, while I still find Dominique’s stripping music to be severely out of context, it is the awkwardness and originality of her selection that made her performance a classic. While you may think that I am full of shit, I firmly believe that the musical selection of a stripper can either enhance or thoroughly diminish a stripper’s performance. For example, a few years ago, right around the time when T-Pain had broken into the mainstream with his mediocre track “I’m in Love with a

Stripper,” the song saturated skin clubs and as a result of this musical devaluation, no matter how attractive the stripper was (male or female), a deflated performance of this song was guaranteed. Obviously, a stripper’s true aim is to make as much money as possible through creative and interpretive dancing. However, in order to attain the former, many strippers (and female strippers in particular) have to cater to their niche market: 25 to 55-year-old men who are desperate, horny, and have poor, dated musical taste (think bad classic rock). The consequence of this is that many dancers tend to select tired, overdone rock songs such as AC/DC’s “Shook Me All Night Long” or Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Similarly, due the incredible amount of shitty hip-hop that gets released each year, many strippers resort to the likes of Soul Ja Boy every weekend. I’d like to go on record and say that I am by no means a strip club connoisseur. Nor am I one of those desperate fucks that goes to the rippers on a Tuesday afternoon for the cheap, yet “diverse” buffet (watch out for the pubies in your prime rib). That being said, it is my current aim to help dancers looking for an additional edge. The following advice is for anyone perusing a career in pole dancing, or simply looking to get up on stage for amateur night at Roxanne’s. The first piece of advice with regard to track selection is to dance to a song that you know and are comfortable with. Essentially, playing a song that you’re unfamiliar with and uncertain as to when the chorus kicks in is a bad idea. Stick to what you know. Secondly, try to avoid the overtly cliché. As previously mentioned, while you may think it’s creative to strip to Nelly Furtado’s “Man Eater” or P.C. Dolls “Buttons,” it’s not. You will be booed harder than Ashlee Simpson on SNL. From an economic perspective, it would be in your best interest to select tracks that are brief in length;

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the shorter the song, the shorter the dance; the shorter the dance, the more money you make; the more money you make, the more disposable income you have, and so on, and so on, and so on. In this writer’s opinion, Blur’s “Song 2” or Death From Above’s “Romantic Rights” would be ideal choices. Keep in mind that short does not necessarily mean fast. If you can recall back to the 1996 “classic” film Striptease, Demi Moore produced an emotional and memorable performance that captivated audience members with her interpretive dance to a ballad-esque Annie Lennox song. Thus, faster is not always better. When choosing specific songs for a set, each song should flow properly into the next. Hearing “Baby Got Back” next to Rod Steward’s “Do

You Think I’m Sexy” just won’t work. Selecting tracks that are similar in genre, or in and around the same tempo could very well heighten your payout. While a trip to the rippers is often dismissed by some as a night of overpriced alcohol complemented by the exploitation of burdened, worried, and naked single moms, I argue that it has the potential to be more. It is evident that music is fundamental in expressing our feelings and emotions. It provides the backbeat to how we can express ourselves, whether dancing in a bar or at strip club. Regardless of your own personal morals, values, or opinions of strip clubs, a great song accompanied by a great dancer can truly be a captivating piece of art.

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24

A&E

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

An evening with the Sadies... and the Sadies Andrew Kai-Yin MacKenzie reporter

T

he Sadies are a workmanlike kind of band. Not Springsteen-workmanlike; their songs are more about nature than rust. They’re workmanlike in that when they play a live show, they aren’t rock stars–they play their set with minimal interruption, smile at the crowd, and usually come out to play an anticlimactic encore. They were workmanlike last Thursday night when they played to a big crowd at the Starlight. In fact, they were a bit more workmanlike than usual; they played not one, but two sets. Score one for Starlight management for “failing” to book an opener for the Sadies. As one of the few local rock bands worth their salt, Starlight regulars Knock Knock Ginger, were playing a set at Bomber that evening, options for openers were few. The Starlight wisely chose to not embarrass the Sadies with a boring opener, and handed them the entire evening. The crowd was hungry to see them, and they ate both Sadies sets up. Starlight crowds can be very easy crowds, and Thursday was no exception; the crowd was constantly stomping, clapping, and dancing along to the Sadies’ more rollicking numbers.

The band deserves a lot of credit for bringing out their bangers. Much of the Sadies’ repertoire consists of meditative songs about stuff like the changing of the seasons–think Neil Young, not Dick Dale. Last Thursday, though, the Dick Dale came out a little bit. Low-key leads Dallas and Travis Good (yes, they’re brothers) often stare at the ground while they play–not because they’re wrapped up in face-melting guitar solos, but because they’re wrapped up in their dreamier tunes. They didn’t exactly rock out Thursday–there was no guitar behind the back or any such nonsense–but they did seem to have fun. Travis, the brother with the sharper, more rock ‘n’ roll voice, sang more than usual, while Dallas, the more somber brother, went as far as to crack a smile a few times. Dallas even took a rare break near the end of the show to thank the crowd for being incredible, and we could tell he meant it. The Sadies simply played song after song after song. Midway through the band’s first encore of about 10 songs, Dallas suddenly realized that he had been on stage basically all evening: “So, uh, it looks like we’ve played about 55 songs so far. Guess we might as well play 56.” The loyal crowd went a little crazy as the band played on–now that’s workmanlike.

Emma Tarswell’s The Art House and Marco Baldasaro and Mark Kimmich’s Art Attack will return

©2008 Ernst & Young llp. Ernst & Young refers to a global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young global limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young llp is a client-serving member firm located in the Canada.

Day one and you’re part of the team Day one. It’s when you have the opportunity to focus on your career, your life and your community. It’s when your experiences, ideas and opinions count. And it’s when you’re welcomed into an environment embracing diversity and encouraging inclusiveness. From your very first day, we’re committed to helping you achieve your potential. so, whether your career lies in assurance, tax, transaction or advisory services, shouldn’t your day one be at Ernst & Young?

What’s next for your future? Visit ey.com/ca/careers and our Facebook page.


Arts & Entertainment

25 A caffeinated affair

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

Album Review

Fucked Up The Chemistry of Common Life Matador Records

F

ucked Up are hardcore. They’re hardcore in the sense that they smash up everything at their shows, including each other, and they’re hardcore in the sense that they make music with loud guitars and people screaming. The latter definition of “hardcore” is the flimsiest, yet also the one you hear most often when you hear about Fucked Up. The band is hard to categorize; they don’t make music that fits easily into a given category, and hardcore is the easiest genre to slot them into. Hardcore is a great word for Fucked Up. It’s just misleading when it’s used to describe their music. The band is prolific. They’ve released somewhere between 10 and 30 singles in the past four years, and they play gigs like fiends. This Halloween weekend, in fact, they’re playing six Toronto shows (they’re a Toronto band!) all of which will involve a GG Allin standard of debauchery. It’s a marvel when they can keep focus for long enough to record a full-length album —­ for all their work, they only have 2006’s excellent Hidden World LP to stock shelves with. It’s not surprising then, that The Chemistry of Common Life is one of the most cohesive works they’ve produced so far. Hidden World, while a great album, and less all-over-the-place than some of their crazier singles, still had kinda fuzzy production values. The Chemistry of Common Life sounds extremely clean in comparison, perhaps due to its release on well-oiled indie label Matador Records. This cohesive, clean sound on The Chemistry of Common Life would usually be a death knell for a punk band, the dirge of the sellout. This is why it’s so important to go back to the fact that

Fucked Up are not a hardcore band. They certainly use many of the more hardcore elements of punk rock in their music, but they avoid many of the genre’s trappings as their sound often expands to an orchestral scope. Fucked Up are not in love with punk rock’s grime, like many hardcore bands. They don’t need low production values to stay real. That’s why Matador, the label that applied hints of polish to awesome punk albums like Guitar Wolf’s Jet Generation and Pretty Girls Make Graves’ The New Romance, was a great fit for Fucked Up. Like Guitar Wolf and Pretty Girls Make Graves, Fucked Up are a punk band that’s better than just a punk band. With the sage guidance of a bona-fide label like Matador, they get to play to their strengths as a band who are simply out there. There are a lot of great out-there moments on The Chemistry of Common Life, many of which come from brutish lead bellower Pink Eyes teaming up with a harem of great female vocalists. Pink Eyes’ gravelly growl is great, but the band learned well from this year’s awesome 18-minute single “Year of the Pig,” which featured lovely Toronto songstress Jennifer Castle singing creepy lyrics vaguely about B.C.’s most notorious pig farmer. The album’s best moments are Pink Eyes duets with singers like Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls (album opener “Son the Father”) and Toronto’s Katie Stelmanis (“Royal Swan”). It’s also great when the band branches out and gets epic (“Golden Seal,” “No Epiphany,” and “Looking for God”). Despite the pervasive experimentation on The Chemistry of Common Life, there are still a healthy number of vintage Fucked Up tracks consisting of Pink Eyes going crazy over some seriously heavy guitars, including the title track, which closes out the album. “Magic Word,” perhaps the most “hardcore” song on the album, is possibly the best — Pink Eyes absolutely demolishes the grinding guitar riff, which is no small feat. Fucked Up are hardcore all right, in a lot of ways.

The 24-hour comic

A

fter the past few weeks, people are probably sick of me talking about anything Scott McCloud-related, but this is the best time to mention one of his most popular propositions in comics history. While originally coming up with the idea as a challenge between himself and fellow comic artist Steve Bissette, the 24-hour comic has become an ambitious and common challenge that many recent comic artists and writers have taken upon themselves. The basic concept for making a 24-hour comic is as such: the goal is to create a 24-page comic within a whole solar-calendar day. Coffee, meal, and bathroom breaks count too, so time is definitely an important factor to consider. However, if you apply McCloud’s “infinite canvas” design for your comic, it should be made of 100 comic panels. If you happen to work on a 24-hour comic for the full duration of time, and you haven’t reached the 24-page mark, that’s no problem at all. As one of what McCloud calls “noble failures,” you can still choose to complete your comic in one of two ways: either you complete the comic from where your time ran out–the Gaiman variation–or you continue to finish all 24 pages without stopping until you are done–the

Eastman variation. The Gaiman and Eastman variations are named after comicists Neil Gaiman (The Sandman, Stardust) and Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Heavy Metal magazine), respectively. For it to be officially considered a 24-hour comic or noble failure, a copy of the product must be submitted to Scott McCloud–and yes, this is actually one of the rules. For a more thorough set of these rules, check out McCloud’s page, “The 24-Hour Comics,” at www.scottmccloud.com/ inventions/24hr/24hr.html. It’s amazing to see what can come from a 24-hour comic. For one, it can be very high in quality. As shown in McCloud’s A Day’s Work (www. scottmccloud.com/inventions/24hr/ first/00-cover.html), you can see that he doesn’t slump at all in detail, while at the same time considering when to write and how much to draw. As well, any medium is acceptable for creating comics, whether it’s made naturally or digitally. David McGuire’s 24-hour comic, Marty’s Big Day (www.webcomicsnation.com/krisco/martysbigday), is made entirely in Flash, yet follows a traditional page-by-page format rather than using an infinite canvas. One odd but understandable trend among most of these comics is that

the story ends up pretty crazy, which makes a whole lot of sense, considering that no real planning of story happens before the creation of the comic. According to the rules, it can be thought out in advance, but much of this project is based on the concept of improvisation. It just so happens that 24 Hour Comics Day (www.24hourcomicsday.com), an annual event started by About Comics publisher Nat Gertler, is this Saturday, October 18, 2008. Currently hosted by retailer organization ComicsPRO, the event is worldwide, gathering hundreds of willing people to complete the challenge. If you’re thinking about entering in the Waterloo area, it’s being hosted by local band talent Commotion in the Ocean in (oddly enough) their house attic at 207 Erb Street West What I’ve learned from the Waterloo host is that it’s going to be a pretty casual affair at their place, so whether you complete a comic or not, there’s at least a good chance that you’ll make some new friends. If any of you have the time to suffer a grueling set of hours on food and caffeine, and if you’d be near a participating hosting site, I’d tell you to enter! It may be the most enlightening experience you’ll ever have with making comics. ptrinh@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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Science & Technology Wael Elsweisi staff reporter

Sharks may join fight against cancer

They may be deadly, but sharks may hold the key to our fight against cancer. Recent research strongly supports the idea that sharks’ immune systems are much more resilient to infections than humans, a feature attributed to their superior antibodies, which are the key players involved in fighting infection. Shark antibodies are unique in the fact that they can survive in high temperatures and extremely acidic or basic environments, which is crucial to current efforts focused on developing a “cancerfighting pill.” The antibodies are also thought to attach to cancer cells, “for some reason causing them to grow more slowly and perhaps even killing them,” as pointed out by Mick Foley of La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Shark antibodies are also being explored for their ability to fight other diseases such as malaria and rheumatoid arthritis. Common medications may lower risk of breast cancer

A worldwide study has recently analyzed 38 studies involving 2.7 million women and concluded that women who regularly use non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), mainly Aspirin and Advil, are at lower risk of developing breast cancer. NSAIDs are commonly used against fever, pain, and inflammation, but their prolonged use has been associated with many side-effects, most of which are gastrointestinal problems. Pregnant women are discouraged from using them. Women who regularly use Aspirin were found to have a 13 per cent reduction in their risk of developing breast cancer when compared to those who do not take NSAIDs; women on Advil were better off with a 21 per cent reduction. “If this drug indeed does lower the risk of breast cancer, again, it could be used as an adjunct with hormone therapy, or in conjunction with chemotherapy. It definitely would have its place

as a preventive measure,” said Dr. Etminan of the University of British Columbia. The study is published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Superbug makes its way around vaccine

Numerous antibiotics and even a vaccine have been developed against Streptococcus pneumonia — the bacteria responsible for meningitis and pneumonia. One of the bacterium’s strains, however, appears to have found ways to elude those preventative measures. Recently, Streptococcus pneumonia infections have increased from 2 in 100,000 children in 2001 to more than 10 in 100,000, and that has health officials worried. In an attempt to resolve the issue, the vaccine’s manufacturer is already working on a formula that will target the new strain, along with five others. Nonetheless, officials worry the vaccine may have to be updated on a recurrent basis, in the same way as the flu shot. Next time you get dressed, check your mental health

A University of London study on teens has a found a link between a teenager’s choice of clothing and his/her psychological stability. The study focused on teens of Bangladeshi origins. Girls who wore Bangladeshi clothing on a regular basis were less likely to later develop psychological problems, such as depression, when compared to those who wore Western-style clothing. “We were expecting to find that people who were able to mix with new cultural groups would be better off. I was really surprised to find that traditional identity expressed through clothing was protective,” said lead researcher Kamaldeep Bhui. The trend was the opposite in boys, however. This gender difference is attributed to Bangladeshi cultural practices. The study is published in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Taylor Helferty staff reporter

Turning CO2 into fuel

Carbon Sciences have found a way to turn CO2 emissions into pure fuel. The company explains the process as follows: “The key to our CO2-toFuel approach lies in a proprietary multi-step biocatalytic process. Instead of using expensive inorganic catalysts, the Carbon Sciences process uses inexpensive, renewable biomolecules to catalyze certain chemical reactions required to transform CO2 into basic hydrocarbon building blocks.” The process isn’t all wasteful either, as it uses low temperatures and low pressures. They have plans to build conversion plants that will take in carbon emissions from factories or other plants and convert it into useable fuel. AirPod car

Motor Development International (MDI) has created a car that runs off air and, before anyone asks, no it does not refill if you drive with the tank lid open. Instead it uses a compressed air system designed by MDI. Of course, its initial market is Europe, but it’s a great alternative for city dwellers and may make its way to North America. It is hoped that the system will to be implemented in American cars by 2010. The car is only effective in urban settings, as its maximum speed is around 64 km/h and it only makes it about 209 km before a refill. On the other hand, with an aircar fueling station, refilling the tank can be really quick, and even if using compression techniques that burn coal, it’s still cleaner than gasoline or even electric. To add to the incentive, they look freakin’ awesome.

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008 science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Artists moving toward file-sharing networks

We saw it with Radiohead’s In Rainbows and various other artists’ work, and it’s only becoming more common. Artists are seeing advantages to releasing their music for free using online torrent websites and communities such as Pirate Bay, Mininova, and What.cd. After all, artists make most of their money from concert and merchandise sales, not CDs. Tickets and merchandise sales depend on fans, and giving your album away for free on community websites is the best way to expand your fan base. The band The Pragmatic, who released their latest album free on BitTorrent and Rapidshare, mentioned that file-sharing has become part of the industry and exposes more music to more people. They argue they wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for file-sharing networks. The music market is definitely in a state of change, and with the artists moving toward file-sharing, record label companies may have to rethink their ways. Lost deer species rediscovered

On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a dog-sized Sumatran muntjac awaited release from a poacher’s trap and was photographed by an anti-poaching patrol. This was in 2002, but recently muntjac expert Robert Timmins recognized the deer as the rare Sumatran muntjac, which hasn’t been seen since 1930. The discovery has led to the muntjac — which is similar looking to the red muntjac — being placed on the global Red List of Threatened Species. It is suspected that there may be a fair sized population of the Sumatran muntjacs in certain altitudes of Sumatra, as it was photographed at 64,000 feet. thelferty@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

welsweisi@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

— With Files from BBC News, Newscientist. com, and Globe and Mail

Your trash,

NOT mine

I

was reading an article in the Toronto Star today dealing with landfill waste and litter produced by fast food chains (such as Tim Hortons, Starbucks, and McDonald’s). This wasn’t just a call to us citizens to stop littering and recycle what we can, but a call to the companies to stop producing litter. The article, by Christopher Hume, mentioned how all these companies are hitching a free ride by putting the responsibility of cleanup on us. We buy all the Big Macs and Double Doubles from them and we’re left with the trash. This has become the norm and the majority of the consumers don’t even think about it. We think the best solution is to just throw it into the garbage instead of on the ground, but we never think back to the companies’ responsibilities. Garbage is just a part of the fast food world, right? Not at all! As Hume pointed out, in Germany, 98 per cent of single-serving containers are recycled. We even see it in Ontario with beer, where all beer bottles and cans can be brought back to the store, in exchange for a deposit. Why isn’t this deposit program the same across all kinds of companies? After all, it’s costing us as well. Take an alumnium can, which is worth three cents; now multiply that by the approximate one billion cans thrown into a landfill each year in Ontario. That’s more than $30 million wasted, when cans could easily be recycled. Not to mention the extra 94,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases that could be saved if new cans don’t have have to be produced. It’s not aluminum cans, however, that I see lying on the ground while walking around campus.

I look around and I see oceans of Tim Hortons cups. We have four Timmys on campus and it shows. We’re university students, and we need our coffee — you could probably find a direct correlation between coffee intake and the number of requested assignment extensions. There is no correlation between how coffee tastes and whether it is in a disposable cup or a mug. I’m not calling for a boycott of Tim Hortons, as I don’t believe boycotts do anybody any good. I’m calling for the companies to do that little bit more, so we have less litter and more recycling. The Food Services on our campus have already started a few initiatives, such as the UW Food Services lug-a-mugs that are being distributed and the discount received when we use a mug at a Tim Hortons. There is also the bulk purchasing of many products to save on packaging, and the new compostable takeout containers (although a bit more could be done with that, such as, you know, composts). However as great as these initiatives are, they are only a small dent in the Berlin Wall separating consumerism from mainstream recycling. Did you think the Tim Hortons cups were recyclable? Think again. Although the outside of the cup is cardboard, there is an inner liner in that prevents the cup from being composted or recycled. To make it worse, the cups are made up of no recycled paper products. And don’t think the Starbucks down the street is any better — their cups only use 10 per cent recycled materials. See JUNK, page 27

graphics team


Science & Technology

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

JUNK:

tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock

goes the male clock

control your waste Continued from page 26

According to a 2005 CBC article, Tim Hortons’ annual “Roll up the Rim to Win” contest has a lot of environmentalists angry about the extra trash generated by its promotion. These very large corporate citizens, like Tim Hortons, should be made to take responsibility for the huge amount of garbage they produce. The most effective way to deal with the waste produced is to implement a deposit system, where any sort of container can be brought back and recycled. Of course, this also means making all of the containers recyclable, an area which the Tim Hortons franchise is currently lacking. Although it’s hard to change a contest like “Roll up the Rim,” it could be made more sustainable by making an additional contest where we have a chance to win by bringing in our own mug. This doesn’t take the responsibility off the shoulders of the customers, however. We’re still the ones who actually handle the trash most of the time. If the companies enable a deposit system, we have to be the ones to get the disposable mugs and not forget them in our dorm rooms. We’re the ones who should use the garbage cans and recycle bins, consistently depositing all recyclable containers in the appropriate blue boxes, even if that means holding onto it until you get home instead of chucking it into the garbage. thelferty@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

A

surprising handful of my male friends regard the female biological clock as a sort of time bomb: when it goes off, it’s time to abort the relationship. This unhealthy pattern would seem particularly absurd to those who know that male bodies are equipped with a very similar genetic device. Unfortunately, my runaway friends are still in denial. It’s true: although the concept of a biological clock is most often associated with females, males possess the same biologically reproductive prime period. Women over the age of 35 are half as likely to become pregnant in the most fertile part of their menstrual cycle, according to an article published in the Scientific American summer 2008 article. Similarly, another article published only a month earlier on CTV Canada said that the male biological clock begins to tick insistently after 35. The study found a distinct indicator affecting male fertility in the middle age period the — sperm count, which decreases dramatically between youth and the mid-40s. Consequently, the study discovered that the miscarriage rate for women with male partners aged 30 to 34 was 16.7 per cent, spiking to 19.5 per cent for male partners aged 35 to 39 and 32.5 per cent for men over 40 to 45. These statistics bring up memories of one of my favourite family movies, Father of the Bride 2, where George Banks and his wife, both in their 50s, find themselves having a baby at the same

time as their 25-year-old daughter. When the family doctor informs a panicked George that his wife is pregnant, the doctor says, “come on, Picasso had children well into his 70s.” In real life, the task of impregnating a woman is much more challenging for a middleaged man. However, while women reach menopause, men never reach the same equivalent of fertility expiry. They do reach andropause, the steady decrease of androgens levels. According to an article published in the Times Online, the recipient of a 2008 Newspaper Award, lowered andropause levels are associated with lowered sperm count, sperm health, sexual desire, and sexual performance. Keeping these symptoms in mind, it’s clear the female gender is not the only one going through changes as the clock ticks away. Essentially, there are three measures of a man’s sexual health: sperm/semen, testosterone levels, and erections. Sperm mobility and sperm density per ejaculation decrease naturally with age, and for the health of both it is important to look

after the health of one’s prostate gland and overall reproductive health through wholesome nutrition and exercise. The second measure of male sexual health, testosterone levels are associated with sexual interest. A healthy male has between 300 and 1,100 nanograms per deciliter of blood, and while males with low testosterone count are generally likeable, they are socially inhibited and physically weaker with lower sex interest, according to the Times Online article. Men with elevated testosterone levels are just the opposite; aggressive and competitive, with above normal sex interest. Although the decrease of testosterone levels is natural with age, there can be negative health consequences associated with it, such as high risk of death due to cardiovascular disease, it’s important to test and get treatment for low testosterone if necessary. A 2004 study in New England Journal of Medicine found that between two and four million men in the U.S. suffer from low testosterone levels, only five per cent of which get treatment.

Lastly, erections are an appropriate indication of male health. Although erectile dysfunction is associated with age, factors such as smoking, obesity, alcohol, and high cholesterol levels can affect sexual capacity. As stated in the Times Online article, “in short, what’s bad for the heart is bad for the penis.” Therefore, healthy eating habits and exercise are essential for reproductive fitness, too. As more light is shed on the effects of the male biological clock on human reproduction, women will no longer absorb the majority of the blame for impregnation problems. Awareness of male reproduction can also foster a healthier support system in aging relationships — knowing that both parties go through physical changes with time. However, the results of the male fertility studies can be alarming. In a society that works hard to hold off childbearing until financial security can be achieved, the biology of the genders is stubbornly working against it. alomako@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca

Interested in learning more about Graduate Studies at Guelph?

CHANGING LIVES IMPROVING LIFE

27

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Saturday, October 25 10am-1pm th

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Sports & Living Warriors got game

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008 sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

A sabermetrics revolution

I

n 2002, Michael J. Lewis released a book called Moneyball that would later take the baseball world like a storm. It chronicled how a smallmarket team such as the Oakland A’s could win so many games on a shoestring budgets. Between 1999 and 2006, the A’s put together eight consecutive winning seasons, five playoff appearances and four division titles. In 2002, the A’s won 103 games while having the sixth lowest payroll in baseball at 41 million USD. The New York Yankees also won 103 games that season but spent 126 million USD, the most in Major League Baseball. The crux of Moneyball lies in the novel approaches to scouting and analysis of baseball performance spearheaded by Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane. Instead of drafting for the traditional five baseball tools of throwing, hitting, fielding, power and speed. The A’s under Beane favoured undervalued players with a penchant for getting on base — in other words players with a high on-base percentage. The A’s bucked traditional wisdom on pitchers too, favouring those with a high strikeout to walk ratio rather than the traditionally valued velocity. The A’s successes were reliant on a type of statistics-orientated baseball analysis called sabermetrics. It’s origins came from Bill James’s (now an advisor for the Boston Red Sox) abstracts on baseball in the 1980s. James defined sabermetrics as “the search for objective knowledge about baseball.” The goal was to answer objective questions such as “who contributed the most to offense of a particular team” or “which pitcher was able to prevent the most runs.” Sabmetricians’ conclusions were often at odds with traditional baseball methods of evaluation. Conventional wisdom stated that batting average was the most important gauge of a hitters prowess. However, sabermetric analysis found that on-base percentage and slugging (a stat showing the power of a hitter) was more important in determining a hitter’s aptitude. Thus, an ideal sabermetric line-up would de-emphasize steals, sacrifices, and singles in favour of getting on base and hitting for power — which over time would produce more offence while wasting less outs. There are many in the baseball world that are

Right: Warriors women’s basketball team practises for this weekend’s Naismith Classic Basketball Tournament.

Warrior Hockey Residence Shooting Challenge Shoot for Tuition

email:

sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Become a sports and living writer or photographer. Send in your article ideas.

October 17 & 18

October 23

vs Lakehead

vs Western

7:30 PM CIF Arena

7:30 PM CIF Arena

Warrior Football

Warrior [W] Hockey

October 18

October 18

vs Queen,s Gaels

vs Windsor Lancers

1:00 PM, Warrior Field

2:00 PM, CIF Arena

Warrior Soccer October 18

vs McMaster Marauders

Tiffany Terrier Golf 3rd year, Engineering Toronto, ON

vs Western Mustangs 2:00 PM, CIF Arena

Luke Balch

October 19

[M] 1:00 & [W] 3:15 PM CIF Field #2

Athletes of the Week

October 19

[M] 1:00 & [W] 3:15 PM CIF Field #2

vs Brock Badgers

IMPRINT | OCTOBER 17

yliu@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Imprint Office Hours: Monday and Friday 8:30a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Left: Men’s basketball Warrior Matt Hayes sinks a basket. Hayes will be competing in the Warriors’ games at this weekend’s Naismith Classic Basketball Tournament.

Friday Night @

deeply skeptical of sabermetrics. Many of those that belong to the traditionalist circle harbour doubts about the validity and effectiveness of sabermetrics. Vocal opponents such as hall-of-famer Joe Morgan deride sabermetricians as “stat-heads, geeks and calculators, that don’t have a real feel for the game.” Critics point out that much of the Oakland A’s success can be attributed to the luck of developing a trio of “ace” pitchers (Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson) at the same time. The A’s offence was frequently mediocre during their run of success, despite their embrace of the sabermetric offensive philosophy. Others have indicated that the A’s success-run was due to the shrewdness of general manager Billy Beane rather than adherence to sabermetrics. Despite these criticisms, the A’s successes have inspired other teams to take a second look at sabermetrics. Where they were once confined to online bulletin boards and backroom conventions, many MLB teams have hired sabermetricians to transform their organizations. J.P. Riccardi, former assistant general manager of the Oakland A’s under Billy Beane was hired to apply the A’s organizational philosophy to the Blue Jays. Theo Epstein current general manager of the Boston Red Sox is the first large-market general manager to apply the principles of sabermetrics to his team. Bill James, considered the father of sabermetrics is now a special advisor for the Boston Red Sox. Craig R. Wright is statistician for the Texas Rangers, and the first front office employee in MLB to work under the title of “sabermetrician.” Sabermetrics has transformed the MLB,. Nearly every team nowadays has a sabermetrician on their payroll. The change in offensive and pitching philosophies of many teams can be directly attributed to the influence of sabermetric analysis. Even baseball TV broadcasts — a hotbed of baseball traditionalists — now list saber-derived stats such as OBP, OPS and WHIP alongside the more traditional measures such as batting average, RBI’s and ERA’s.

Football Registered trademarks of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under license. © Boston Pizza International Inc. 2005

3rd year, Recreation London, ON


Sports & Living

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

29

Warrior Wrap-up Upcoming Games Badminton

Women’s Field Hockey

Sunday, October 19 At Western, 10:00 a.m.

Saturday, October 18 vs. McGill at Queen’s, 1:30 p.m. At Queen’s, 6:45 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Friday, October 17 vs. UQAM, 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 18 vs. Laurier, 3:00 p.m. Sunday, October 19 vs. York, 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 22 vs. NEDA, 6:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Friday, October 17 vs. UQAM, 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 18 vs. Alberta, 8:00 p.m. Sunday, October 19 vs. York, 4:00 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Sunday, October 19 vs. Carleton at Queen’s, 10:15 p.m. vs. York at Queen’s, 1:45 p.m.

Football Saturday, October 18 vs. Queen’s, 1:00 p.m.

Men’s Hockey Friday, October 17 vs. lakehead, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 18 vs. lakehead, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 23 vs. Western, 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Hockey Saturday, October 18 vs. Windsor, 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 18 vs. McMaster, 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 19 vs. Western, 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 19 vs. Brock, 1:00 p.m.

Swimming

Women’s Soccer Saturday, October 18 vs. McMaster, 3:15 p.m.

Saturday, October 18 At Guelph, 9:00 a.m. Sunday, October 19 At Brock, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, October 19 vs. Brock, 3:15 p.m.

Game Recaps Golf Monday, October 6 At Guelph Women 1st Men 3rd

Baseball Monday, October 6 Waterloo 4 Western 1 Waterloo 4 Western 3 Friday, October 10 Brock 3 Waterloo 2 Saturday, October 11 Brock 9 Waterloo 0

Women’s Volleyball Friday, October 10 Waterloo 3 Guelph 1

Saturday, October 11 Queen’s 3 Waterloo 0

Football

Friday, October 10 Waterloo 30 Windsor 29

Field Hockey Saturday, October 11 Western 2 Waterloo 1

Men’s Rugby

Women’s Soccer OUA Standings East Division GP W L 12 9 2 Toronto 13 8 2 Ottawa 12 7 4 Queen’s 11 6 3 Carleton Laurentian 11 6 5 Nipissing 11 5 5 12 4 5 Ryerson 12 2 10 RMC 12 0 11 Trent

T PTS 1 28 3 27 1 22 2 20 0 18 1 16 3 15 6 0 1 1

West Division GP W L T PTS York 12 7 2 3 24 McMaster 12 6 0 6 24 Laurier 12 6 1 5 23 12 6 3 3 21 Western 12 5 3 4 19 Brock 9 Waterloo 12 2 7 3 5 Windsor 12 0 7 5 4 Guelph 12 1 10 1

Men’s Soccer OUA Standings East Division Carleton Toronto Laurentian Queen’s Ryerson Trent Nipissing RMC

GP 12 12 11 12 12 12 11 12

W 10 9 5 4 4 3 2 0

L 1 1 3 6 6 5 5 10

T PTS 1 31 2 29 3 18 2 14 2 14 4 13 4 10 2 2

West Division Western York Brock Laurier Waterloo Guelph McMaster Windsor

GP 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

W 7 7 6 5 4 3 3 2

L 2 4 5 3 5 6 7 5

T PTS 3 24 1 22 1 19 4 19 3 15 3 12 2 11 5 11

Men’s Rugby OUA Standings

Women’s Rugby OUA Standings Russell Division

East Division GP 5 5 5 5 5

Queen’s Brock RMC Toronto Trent

W 4 3 2 1 0

T 1 0 0 0 0

L 0 2 3 5 5

PTS 21 14 10 4 0

Guelph Trent Queen’s Toronto York

McMaster Guelph Waterloo Western Laurier Windsor

W 5 4 4 3 2 1

L 1 1 2 2 4 4

T 0 1 0 1 0 1

PTS 23 21 20 17 10 7

Football OUA Standings Queen’s Western Laurier Guelph Ottawa Mcmaster Windsor Toronto Waterloo York

GP 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

W 7 6 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 0

L 0 1 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 7

T OTL PTS 14 0 0 12 0 0 10 0 0 8 0 0 6 0 0 6 0 0 6 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0

Baseball OUA Standings GP Team 18 Brock 18 Western McMaster 18 Waterloo 18 18 Toronto 18 Laurier 18 Guelph

W 5 3 2 1 0

L 0 2 3 4 5

T 0 0 0 0 0

W L PTS 14 4 28 11 7 22 10 8 20 9 9 18 8 10 16 7 11 14 4 14 8

Western Brock McMaster Laurier Waterloo

GP 5 5 5 5 5

W 5 3 3 1 1

L 0 1 1 4 4

T 0 1 1 0 0

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Women’s Rugby Friday, October 10 Western 56 Waterloo 5

Men’s Hockey Friday, October 10 Western 7 Waterloo 6 Saturday, October 11 Laurier 5 Waterloo 3

55

Saturday, October 11 Toronto 5 Waterloo 4

Men’s Soccer

Saturday, October 11 Waterloo 1 Guelph 1 Sunday, October 12 York 2 Waterloo 1

Women’s Soccer Saturday, October 11 Waterloo 2 Guelph 0 Sunday, October 12 Waterloo 0 York 0

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PTS 10 7 7 2 2

Editing Proofreading Rewriting

Friday, October 10 Waterloo 29 Laurier 7

Women’s Hockey

PTS 10 6 4 2 0

Shiels Division

West Division GP 6 6 6 6 6 6

GP 5 5 5 5 5

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Comics & Distractions

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

RUNAWAY RINGTOSS

IN THE WEEDS

30

BY KURTIS ELTON

BY MATT FIG, BRANDON FORLER, AND KEEGAN TREMBLAY

By Kevin Shahbazi

What would you go on strike for? “Meat.” Deema Saleh

2C graduate management science

“To stop food services from charging 25 cents for hot water.” Foyo Juma 3A philosophy

“For people to stop striking.” Via Jo 3A math & business

“I really don’t think I would strike for anything because I think striking is a ridiculous waste of time.” Andrew Witmer 4A math & business

“Lowered tuition fees.” Emefa Quist 3A honours science

“To block facebook in the libraries. All the computers are always taken up because people are wasting their time on facebook!”

Nourhan Safwat

3A biomedical science

Itty bitty crossword Maggie Clark

Across 1. Fix 6. All Hallow’s, for one 10. Bridle part 11. Keen 12. To make uniform 15. Sets of 60 mins (abbr.) 16. Olympic racers 17. Vittles 19. Ground, they make talcum powder 21. Smashing something to these can be fun! 24. Fruit-peeling device 25. “Darn!” 27. Nickel-cadmium (as in the batteries) 29. Make known 30. Invertebrate species known for the sound its spine makes

Sudoku

“The environment.” Dave Wall 4A geomatics

“Palestinian rights.” Nasra Warsame (left)

(two words) 33. “You were my north, my south, my ____ and west...” 34. Flimsy, as an excuse 35. Dashboard abbreviation 36. Deceive Down 2. Religious belief arguing that Christian sins should be punished by the state, not by the church 3. Ballpoint, e.g. 4. Wearing a red ribbon symbolizes solidarity with sufferers of this syndrome 5. Unchangeable 6. Disemboweled 7. Latin abbreviation, like i.e. and e.g., used

Maggie Clark

to expand on text that came before 8. Paradise 9. A pheonix is said to rise from these 11. Muddleheaded 13. Heavy footfall 14. Kind of admiral 18. Severe

20. Kind of mail 22. Hell, when your grandma’s around 23. Spread around 26. Maple trees or shrubs (latin name) 28. Do business 31. Drink from a dish 32. Relative of an ostrich

October 10 solutions editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Easy Crossword

Difficult Crossword

3A psychology

& Harika Surapaneni (right) 2A political science

Photos by Ethan Oblak

Liked the double crossword? Want more? Write distractions@imprint. uwaterloo.ca with your feedback!

W, I missed the chance to let out my feelings for you last week. When I was alone with you that night, there was a moment when I looked into your eyes and knew it was the right time, but couldn’t find the voice to get it out. I think you might’ve wanted me to say it too. By the time you read this, hopefully we’ll already be together, otherwise consider this my meek confession. - L Hey KC, I cannot seem to get you out of my dreams since we hit it off under thestarlight in funkytown. Your lips set a fire in my heart hotter and brighter

than the fire flowing through your hair. I spend countless hours perusing your facebook and I have realized that we have SO MUCH in common. I think we should make blanket forts and play SMB3 all night long. Lets rock it like the 90’s, and we’ll ‘see’ if we can keep the fire burning, ‘eh’? Lets see if we can get 1up - KG Dear Dramakid, I have some things I need to get off my chest. I don’t want to tell you in person, because I don’t want you to think I’m some sucker who can’t stop thinking about you all day. I want to be someone you can relate to and who

you want to spend your time with instead of someone who needs you. I’ve written you three songs but you don’t seem to be wanting me back. I don’t understand the signals you send to me. It would be a lot easier if I could know to cut you out of my life or to fall head over heels in love with you. Right now, I’m at an awkward sideways state. Please just tell me upfront: am I wasting my time? -Your cosinusoidal lover Missed a connection? Get on it! E-mail distractions@imprint.uwaterloo.ca


Imprint, Friday, October 10, 2008

LOOSE SCREWS

Comics & Distractions BY GEOFFREY LEE & SONIA LEE

31


32

Comics & Distractions

POSTSCRIPT

IMPRESSION, BY JIM & LAN

Imprint, Friday, October 17, 2008

BY GRAHAM MOOGK-SOULIS

BY PETER N. TRINH


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