Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper
Friday, January 9, 2009
page 12
imprint . uwaterloo . ca
vol 31, no 21
Synthetic biology and U(W)
Guess who’s coming to Waterloo . . .
World-renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking named distinguished research chair at the Perimeter Institute — and his first extended stay starts in the summer of 2009 mohammad jangda
Changing of the guard for UW admin
VP Provost Chakma slated as next University of Western Ontario President staff reporter
J
courtesy uw media
ust as students and staff were leaving for the holidays, it was announced that a prominent administrator will be leaving campus for good. Come July 1, 2009, vicepresident academic and provost for UW, and number two in the university’s hierarchy, will become president of the University of Western Ontario.
In a letter announcing Chakma’s appointment, UW President Johnston wrote, “Since Amit joined UW in 2001 as vice-president, academic & provost, he has been forefront in leading UW’s major academic and capital initiatives. His contributions to UW have been extraordinary. ” According to Policy 48 (the policy outlining the position), the vicepresident academic and provost “provides leadership in all matters,
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“early in the new year.” This committee nominates a candidate to Senate for approval, after which the nominee must be deemed suitable by the president, who then recommends them to the board of governors. Look to Imprint in the coming weeks for more details regarding Chakma’s departure and any news of his successor. acsanady@imprint.uwaterloo.
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Invasion of Gaza strikes chord here
Mumbai matters: Peace walk, post-terrorist attacks, mark solemn end to 2008 fall term
courtesy omar salaymeh
Kitchener City Hall serves as meeting place for a community rally on Friday, January 2 to protest Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip. At the time of the protest, over 400 Palestinians were reported killed; as of press time (Tuesday, January 6) the Canadian Press reports 550 dead and 2,500 wounded among the Palestinian population; only 130 of the dead were confirmed as Hamas fighters by the Israeli army. Post-invasion Israeli casualties at press time, according to the CBC, stand at nine — six being soldiers, and four of whom died of friendly-fire. (See page 6 for more.) Students for Palestinian Rights, a UW student club, attended the above event, and is planning on-campus events to promote awareness throughout the term.
Rosalind Gunn staff reporter
The domino effect: York U strike continues
York University classes have still not resumed, as the strike by CUPE 3903, representative body of 3,400 contract faculty, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants that began with the walk-out on November 6, 2008 continues. The union cannot reach a compromise with the Council of Ontario Universities and is unrelenting in its request for a more than 30 per cent wage increase over two years, which Dean Robert Drummand, spokesperson for the university’s negotiation team, calls “unrealistic,” as reported by the Toronto Star. Also being requested by CUPE is better job security for contract staff, as they often
have to reapply for their jobs at the end of each year, despite how long they have been working for the university. According to the Star, Christina Rousseau, chair of CUPE 3903, considers the fact that talks are still going on “a good thing.” The two sides are still working to reach an agreement with the help of a mediator. However optimistic negotiators are, the fact remains that more than 50,000 undergraduate students have been out of classes for two full months and are left wondering how they will make up the rest of their terms and when they can start doing so. The possibility of facing May classes is becoming more and more likely, meaning summer jobs will potentially be jeopardized, consequently placing students in awkward financial situations for their subsequent school term. — With files from the Toronto Star, Canadian Press, and the Globe and Mail
holly sage
UW students gather in the Student Life Centre’s Great Hall December 1, to stage a peace rally in response to the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India. According to an Indian government press release, 173 people died in the co-ordinated attacks on financial targets in Mumbai between November 27 and 29, 2008, and at least 308 were injured. Ten Pakistani gunmen were responsible for co-ordinated attacks throughout the city; in the three-day hostage-taking of Mumbai nine were taken down by police, while the tenth remains in custody. The majority of suspects were in their early twenties.
Israeli academics banned from teaching in Ontario’
This Monday, the Ontario arm of CUPE announced that they would table a resolution seeking to ban Israeli academics from speaking, teaching, or conducting research at Ontario universities unless they agree to condemn Israel’s current military campaign in Gaza, according to the National Post. The proposal follows the December 29 attack on an Islamic university in Gaza and has caused much controversy among academics, some of whom worry it is anti-Semitic. The National Post cites a Carleton University professor as saying that, since the boycott applies to all citizens of Israel, it is more “ anti-Israel” than anti-Semitic, but is nevertheless “despicable.” The Globe and Mail quotes Sid Ryan, CUPE Ontario president, as saying such inflammatory remarks as “Attacking an institution of
learning is just beyond the pale. They deliberately targeted an institution of learning. That’s what the Nazis did.” Ryan’s likening the Israel to the Nazi regime infuriated Bernie Farber, chief executive officer of the Canadian Jewish Congress. He said that Ryan should be “absolutely ashamed of himself ” for his comments, quotes The Globe, since any suspicions of the school being a specific target, or a store for arms have not been confirmed. The broken truce between Israel and Hamas, which was initiated by rocket attacks made by Hamas on December 27 against Israel, is still in shambles and solid peace in Gaza has not yet been achieved. The UN called for both sides to stop the fighting. — With files from the National Post and The Globe and Mail rgunn@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Economic crunch
Unlike the U.S. presidential election last year, there were no dirty tricks, no bizarre vice-presidential candidates, and no gaffs during debates in the Federation of Students’ presidential campaign last year. In fact, there was only one candidate. Justin Williams was the only person to submit a Feds’ presidential nomination, and he was subsequently acclaimed president-elect without a single vote being cast. Although this may have had some shaking their heads, the low candidate turnout resulted from a combination of factors. Among them was the lack of a key issue in this year’s election: without a contentious issue, like bus passes, a potential loss of Bomber’s liquor licence, or the dissolution of a student club, there wasn’t a swarm of people clamouring for the top job. All this being said, William’s acclamation of the presidency is not the first of its kind. Back in 1997, Mario Bellabarba also ran as the unopposed incumbent. As nominations were open at the time of press, it is anyone’s guess as to what is going to happen in 2009.
While it comes as no surprise that the tumbling stock market in the last few months of 2008 snagged headlines worldwide, the implications of the economic downturn have had their own effect on UW. On October 20, 2008 a press release was issued by President David Johnston announcing a hiring freeze until April 30, 2009. The measure was precautionary, and the press release went on to elaborate that “UW is in excellent overall financial health,” adding that action needed to be taken to keep it in such a position. Furthermore, many scholarship funds have taken a hit due to the lack of corporate and private donations that help keep the coffers topped up. Although the full extent of the damage has yet to be realized, the effect is noticable among students. Finally, much to the dismay of coop students everywhere, placements seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving many scrambling for jobs and even volunteer positions, showing just how far-reaching and universal the tenticles of the global economy can be.
Matt Lee imprint intern
Ashley Csanady staff reporter
Health sciences campus halted
Despite the colourful foliage on its exterior, the School of Pharmacy in Kitchener has failed to bloom on time. The main cause of this delay was a strike by the construction workers assigned to the project. Naturally, if the people constructing the building are not working, then the building will not be finished on time. At the time of press, construction has resumed and the building is expected to open for the 2009-2010 academic year.
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Way back in February, a referendum was held on campus to determine, among other things, the future of CKMS Radio. After all the votes were counted, it became clear that students no longer wanted to subsidize CKMS, with 2,280 voting yes and 1,081 voting no. Reasons for dropping Feds’ funding included low listernership, lack of accessibility and a need for transparency. Despite the vote, CKMS carried on without Feds’ funding, cut loose from the university for the first time in almost 30 years. In light of the referendum, CKMS has re-invented itself as Sound FM 100.3, promising in the summer to extend its hours for improved access, introduce downloadable podcasts for programming on the go, and improve live streaming content, allowing people to listen on the computer, rather than having to dig up a radio. When Feds council voted to continue to allow Sound FM to use the Bauer Warehouse on North Campus to give student radio a second chance, President Justin Williams made it clear that the support came “with limitations and strings attached.” Sound FM has until the end of August 2009 to convince Feds to keep them alive. As of now, they are operarting under tight financial constraints and have managed a few of their promises. The “Listen Live” link on the homepage of their website still doesn’t work — although the “Webcast” page does allow students to listen online and download podcasts of athletics games — their on-campus presence is still less than visible, but their office hours are more accessible to students as they are now open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit www.ckmsfm.ca for more information, to volunteer or listen.
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In likely one of the biggest and most controversial stories of the year, UW’s Senate passed a motion November 17 to create a satellite campus in the United Arab Emerites (UAE). The campus will initially be housed in Dubai, but there are plans to move it to Abu Dhabi within a few years. The motion, which took two-anda- half hours to debate in the meeting, stated that the UW Senate endorses “in principle, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) campus initiative, as it has been described to date.” The satellite campus was established in partnership with the UAE company CERT, and it is expected to yield $22 million a year for the univesrity; money that the administration claims will be used to better UW as a whole. Currently, the only programs scheduled to be held for the initial Fall 2009 intake are chemical and civil engineering; however, financial analysis and risk management as well as information technology management should join their ranks come 2010. Students at the UAE campus will operate under the 2+2 system, which sees students complete their first two years of study in the UAE before coming to UW to finish their degrees. While the expansion proves to be one of the boldest that any Canadian university has undertaken, controversies still linger, with many asking about the safety of students and staff, as well as questioning the not-so-perfect human rights record of the UAE. Attention was drawn to UAE’s oppressive laws regarding homosexual activity, as well as the rights of women, which have been infringed upon in recent history. Furthermore, many questioned how much academic freedom would be accorded to the campus. This was addressed by the administration on several occasions, and each time it claimed that complete academic freedom is one of their main requirements for the campus. That being said, the current programs to be taught are much less likely than courses from the arts or environmental sciences to cause controversy. Which leaves the question of what happens should the campus ever be expanded to include those faculties? .
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Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
What’s been happening in the world during holidays Jon Nagelmakers reporter
Rosalind Gunn staff reporter
Caitlin McIntyre staff reporter
Israel and Hamas continue to battle in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza With over 550 killed in Gaza since December 28 and the million and a half residents facing an “alarming humanitarian situation,� as reported by the Associated Press, the end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas does not seem near. Both sides of the combat have been subjected to massive criticism and neither Hamas nor Israel is showing a willingness to cease attacks. Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel daily and Israeli troops are still striking targets across Gaza. The conflict ignited in mid-December with Hamas cancelling a six-month ceasefire that had been brokered by Egypt and proceeding to once again launch rocket attacks. Israel at first responded with airstrikes but then moved to include ground assaults in Gaza, targeting known locations of Hamas operations, such as mosques and homes. Israel’s actions have been condemned as a disproportional response to Hamas attacks, with those making such accusations pointing to the initial attacks on Saturday that occurred during the day while civilian Palestinians were going about their business. Israeli officials have defended their actions, with the International Herald Tribune reporting anonymous comments that the strategy was to “attack military targets while the terrorists were inside the facilities.�
Responses from foreign governments and officials have been mixed: the Bush administration placed blame on Hamas for breaking the ceasefire while top leaders from Russia, Egypt, the European Union and the United Nations condemned Israel’s perceived use of excessive force. There has also been an outcry from humanitarians who say Israel’s attacks have left Gaza with no electricity or water on top of food shortages. The Associated Press reports that the UN Relief and Works Agency, responsible for helping Palestinian refugees, has been unable to deliver food for two weeks to 20,000 people per day, all of whom are expecting and likely depending on the aid. —With files from AFP, the Toronto Sun, the Associated Press , and the IHT Oldest living person dies at the age of 115
TOMAR, Portugal The world’s oldest living person, a woman from Portugal, died on January 2nd at the ripe old age of 115. Maria de Jesus was widowed when she was only 57 but had the opportunity to see the birth of not only 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren, but also five great-great-grandchildren. The cause of her death is uncertain, but her daughter Maria Madalena released a statement that de Jesus had been well Friday morning until she suffered from swelling and had to be taken to the hospital, which is when she died en route in the ambulance outside the Portuguese town of Tomar. The title of oldest living person
is now held by Gertrude Baines, an American living in a Los Angeles nursing home. She is reported to be quite healthy, beyond the arthritis in her left knee, and scientists now believe that such long lives as these two women have enjoyed are inherited. “Whether they drink alcohol or not, it doesn’t matter. Whether they smoke cigarettes or not doesn’t seem to matter,� Dr. Stephen Coles of the Gerontology Research Group at the University of California was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. Baines on the other hand has a different theory, as she told CNN when asked why she had lived so long: ““God. Ask Him. I took good care of myself, the way He wanted me to.� De Jesus leaves behind 91 documented supercentenarians—people aged 110 and older—with only nine being men. Coles stresses, however, that lack of resources may mean there could be more supercentenarians in China, India, or Africa. —With files from CNN and Associated Press Cuba celebrates 50th anniversary of Communist revolution by looking to the future
HAVANA, Cuba On January 1st, Cubans celebrated more than just the New Year—it was 50 years prior that the Communist revolution occurred and Fidel Castro assumed control of the country. The celebration was perhaps more toned down than it might have been, though, due to three hurricanes which recently swept through the region and fears of economic
problems. Nevertheless, President Raul Castro used the event to announce his prediction that the Communist government would last another half-century. Of his brother, the Associated Press reports Raul saying: “We know that a man alone doesn’t make history. But some men are indispensable, as they can have a decisive influence in the course of events. Fidel is one.� The election of Barack Obama has also been felt in Cuba, with the Associated Press reporting that many hope he will ease the heavy restrictions the U.S. has on Cuba concerning trade and travel. Since Raul ascended to power many have believed reforms may soon take place in Cuba, although little of that has been seen and according to the Associated Press Raul seems to hold “firm control of the government.� —With files from the Associated Press Dispute over oil may leave some of Europe out in the cold
Russia On New Year’s Day this year, Russia cut off the supply of gas to the Ukraine, due to alleged unpaid bills and their siphoning of gas from supplies headed to EU states. Thousands of people are without heat as the EU pressures Russia and the Ukraine to settle the dispute. According to Reuters, Russian Gas Company, Gazprom, shipped 78 per cent less gas to Europe than was shipped prior to New Year’s. Russian Prime Minister Putin ordered Gazprom to continue a 15 per cent cut in daily shipments through the Ukraine, who he accused of stealing gas from Western countries. Other supply options are being considered, including offers from Iran, as this cut in supply to the Ukraine affects the rest of Europe and is causing those countries with withering supplies of gas to become desperate at the prospect of serious
and imminent power outages. According to CBC, Europe relies on Russia for a quarter of its natural gas, and 80 per cent of it goes through pipelines that cross the Ukraine. The EU called this move made by Russia “completely unacceptable.� —With files from the CBC and the Irish Times Politicians’ occupation ends in South Korea
SEOUL, South Korea A violent siege of the South Korean Parliament buildings ended on Tuesday as the Korean Democratic opposition party relinquished its occupation. The entire ordeal took place over the period of 12 days, with little success by authorities in uprooting the determined politicians. According to the Herald Tribune, the opposition took action after the country’s President Lee Myung-bak tried for a speedy ratification on a crucial U.S. trade deal, hoping to pass the vote before President-elect Obama could come into power and attempt to renegotiate the terms of the pact. On December 26, 2008 the politicians sealed themselves within the Parliament plenary session hall at the National Assembly. The group refused to emerge from the building until a deal was made, fighting off guards who attempted to force their way into the building to break up the sit-in. Although no serious damage occured, ABC News said that some 100 people were reported to have minor injuries during the scuffle. Negotiations eventually led to a deal between the opposition party and the other members of Parliament, successfully delaying a crucial vote on a U.S. trade deal until the formal inauguration of Barack Obama January 20, 2009. —With files from the Herald Tribune and ABC
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Opinion
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009 opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Ambition conniptions Friday, January 9, 2008 Vol. 31, No. 21 Student Life Centre, Room 1116 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 P: 519.888.4048 F: 519.884.7800 http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editor-in-chief, Maggie Clark editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Advertising & Production Manager, Laurie Tigert-Dumas ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca General Manager, Catherine Bolger cbolger@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Ad Assistant, vacant Sales Assisstant, vacant Systems Admin. vacant Distribution, Alicia Mah, Sherif Soliman Interns, Matt Lee, Brandon Rampelt, Holly Sage, Danielle Whittemore Board of Directors board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca President, Sherif Soliman president@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Vice-president, Vacant ssoliman@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Treasurer, Lu Jiang treasurer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Secretary, Vanessa Pinelli secretary@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Staff liaison, Peter Trinh liaison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Editorial Staff Assistant Editor, vacant Head Reporter, vacant Lead Proofreader, vacant Cover Editor, vacant News Editor, vacant News Assistant, vacant Opinion Editor, vacant Opinion Assistant, vacant Features Editor, vacant Features Assistant, vacant Arts & Entertainment Editor, vacant Arts & Entertainment Assistant, vacant Science & Tech Editor, vacant Science & Tech Assistant, vacant Sports & Living Editor, vacant Assistant Sports & Living, vacant Photo Editor, vacant Photo Editor Assistant, vacant Graphics Editor, vacant Graphics Assistant, vacant Web Administrator, vacant Systems Administrator, vacant Production Staff Mohammad Jangda, Paul Collier, Rajul Saleh, Michael L. Davenport, Roz Gunn, Ashley Csanady, James Damaskinos, Travis Myers, Keith McManaman, Peter Trinh, Sherif Soliman, Anya Lomako, Caitlin McIntyre
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, January 12 12:30 p.m. Next board of directors meeting: Friday, January 23 2:30 p.m.
How much “blindness” is entrenched in our pursuits?
A
mbition is extraordinary. After spending the last few weeks either crystalizing plans for Winter 2009 or despairing at my lack of them (as I’m sure so many students have), I finally gave pause long enough to remark on how curious the concept of ambition truly is — and how hypocritical its application can make us. “Blind ambition” is a term often bandied about to refer to those who put their burning desire to achieve some aim, or win some result, before all else in their lives or the lives of others. And yet it is perhaps applied too narrowly — for cases when we can see the hurt it causes most immediately — and not enough in a broader context. What is ambition in our social context, and is that definition good enough? A little under a year ago, I had an unfortunate run-in with a fellow journalist who, for personal reasons, sought to eviscerate me with words — condemning both my competence in the profession and in the realm of mere existence. Rough stuff, but certainly not unique: it’s just a fact that many people in journalism operate on such cutthroat behaviours, deeming it necessary to their individual survival and success in the industry. And yet these behaviours have always seemed the height of hypocrisy to me — for while journalists are under no Hippocratic Oath, we do have very clear ethical mandates for our conduct in the course of newsgathering and news dissemination, so to rid oneself of those principles in competition with one’s peers, while aspiring to those same principles in one’s work, to me exists as a troubling and ultimately unstable dichotomy. But also, what if journalism did have a Hippocratic Oath? Would the presence of such a thing truly do away with cutthroat behaviours? I can’t even write the question without laughing — and not because it’s funny; just absurd. Medical school is one of the most demanding educational pursuits a student can take upon
him or herself, and in the high-stress pursuit of so respectable (not to mention high-paying) a career, students and interns practise staggering cruelties upon each other — including the sabotage of communal textbooks to prevent others from learning quite as much, quite as fast — as well as on presumably “inferior” classes of professional (like nurses). And yet the end-game for all such professionals is relatively similar: To do no harm. Maybe even to do some good. So the ethical distance between the processes by which they seek out this end, and the end itself, are mind-boggling. In our culture, at least, this problem runs still deeper when we engage the professional world on a macro level. One needn’t look any further than the existence of unions, for instance, to recognize that, for our society, it is regularly seen as a given that employers and employees will exist in oppositional relationships, with employers trying to maximize profit while minimizing costs, and employees trying to maximize job security and profit while minimizing workplace stress, or even work. If this weren’t the case, why would we need these mediating bodies to protect against the corporate disenfranchisement of the many by the few? And yet, not all companies rely on this model — not all companies need to. The ability to work goes a long way to giving people a sense of self-respect and purpose: the great majority of people want to work, and be proud of the work to which they dedicate their lives. Meanwhile, companies know happy workers are more likely to produce consistently superior products or services. (Happy needn’t mean complacent, either: Just fulfilled, appropriately awarded, and given to understand that they are respected by their colleagues.) So why do we have Wal-Marts? Why is exploitation going to take centuries to deconstruct and overcome?
Quite simply: Ambition. Ambition has such a curious meaning set, with most all of its definitions reducing to the pursuit of power — either directly, or through gaining the respect and admiration (however grudging) of one’s peers. Distinctions and honours, as they are sought by the ambitious, never refer to the distinction of being inferior, or the aptly-termed “dubious honour” of being in being different for existing in particularly unfortunate circumstances: When we are praised for ambition we are praised for the desire to win some measure of dominance, whatever the arena it might be achieved in; and, raised on ambition, it is precisely this meaning set that we mirror back to others. In North America, at least, competition to this end is one of the most celebrated facets of human life. “Be the best you can be at what you love best” — how can you question so straightforward and wellintentioned a phrase? Ambition is not a horrible thing: It is a drive that motivates us to excel, often with the consequence of having us participate more fully in the world around us. I do not question the need for ambition in life: only, in light of the hypocrisies and oppositional relationships it can breed in our society, its direction. It’s not even as simple as wishing phrases like the aforementioned could be rounded off more often with “... for yourself ” — we do need other people, and earning the respect of our peers is not necessarily without merit (it depends on the peer group). But what, in our society, is the basis for such respect when so many, in seeking to win it, act altogether unfriendly towards others in pursuit of the same? Is it possible to achieve such a goal without compromising the loftiness of its ideals in the pursuit? Or is that, in the real world, too ambitious? mclark@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Parliament in perspective commentary
C
anada’s 2008 parliamentary crisis will have lasting implications on how government works for generations to come; in fact it may very well become the most cited precedent in Canadian parliamentary history if only we can come up with a name for it as catchy as the ‘King Byng thing’ of 1926. That was the last time anything like this happened, and it provides an illustrative example. King, having lost the confidence of the House, requested the governor general, Lord Byng, to dissolve Parliament. Byng refused, and gave the opportunity for Conservative opposition leader Arthur Meighen to form a government which lasted for about three months. Byng’s appointment of both Meighen and King reinforced the precedent that prime ministers are defined by majority support from any combination of constituent representatives in the House, and that Parliament falls when nobody is able to obtain it. Of course the governor general had a lot more clout back then; it was another six years before London’s Statute of Westminster -a major step in the British Monarchy’s gradual fade into antiquity and irrelevance in Canada. Today the office of the governor general is just one of those quaint vestiges of colonial history that we haven’t gotten around to getting rid of. Michael Jean was bound to make history one way or the other on December 4th when Stephen Harper asked her to prorogue Parliament. She was tasked with the unenviable job of resolving a serious constitutional
crisis with a mandate that became obsolete almost a century ago, and it needs to be said: she blew it. “This is a major constitutional precedent and that worries me more than anything else,” said Errol Mendes, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Ottawa and editor in chief of the National Journal of Constitutional Law. Mendes is one of many constitutional scholars expressing concern of the increased powers Jean’s decision may have placed in the hands of the prime minister. It may seem abstract, but there are a lot of ways in which future prime ministers could use and abuse this precedent, and the worst-case scenarios are unsettling. Imagine, for example, some prime minister, years from now, who gets embroiled in some Nixon-like scandal in which he loses the support of the entire government -even his own party. Having chosen a particularly servile governor general, he is permitted to prorogue Parliament indefinitely -all the while still continuing to make patronage appointments to his co-conspirators, filling Cabinet seats, Senate seats, even Supreme Court positions, with those complicit in his crime, effectively holding the nation hostage to avoid prosecution. This is just one of a number of disturbing possibilities. The real problem here lies not with the decision that Jean made, but with the fact that she -an unelected and unaccountable figurehead appointed by the PM– was in a position to make that decision at all. Am I really the only person who finds it absurd
that the head of state in this country is still a representative of the queen of England? That our laws still require ‘royal’ assent and that our coins still have the queen on them? This little quirk even provided fodder for some well-deserved ridicule south of the border recently by Jon Stewart, who rarely pays notice to Canada, but derided our dependence on the British system. There is a reason the western hemisphere rejected the monarchs. Nevermind that the monarchy itself is a monument to unearned wealth and influence. The point is it’s not even our monarchy. Canadians started the move to responsible government over 150 years ago and have tolerated the presence of Governors General and lieutenant-governors so long it was understood that their job was purely ceremonial. What makes it especially frustrating is that there are lots of ways this crisis could have been resolved through democratically accountable channels that reflect Canada’s modern reality -perhaps a vote by the premiers of each province? Conservatives have argued in support of Jean’s move, saying that a Liberal-NDP coalition government would be undemocratic, and that Stephane Dion, having been rejected by the voters was unfit to become prime minister. “People didn’t vote for a coalition. I didn’t see on my ballot a coalition government. Let the people decide,” reads one online comment responding to news of the coalition. See PROROGUE, page 8
8
Opinion
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
I tried, from many different sites, to obtain a working “regcure utility” that was free but to no avail. What I did get was a download that scanned my computer and told me that I had a thousand problems that they could fix if I sent them some money. This is not free! If you know of a site that supplies this utility free please let me know. briancumm@sympatico.ca. Thank you.
about that. I also wrote a longer version of this article h t t p : / / b o o k r e v i e w s a n d m o r e. ca/2008/11/computer-tools-tipsand-tricks.html. It really is worth the money I use it daily at work to clean up systems. I have used both Avast and AVG. I find that Avast takes up way too much overhead. AVG has had issues, but so has every anti-virus program at some point or another. CCleaner is an excellent cleaning program — and unlike regcure its totally free: http://www.ccleaner.com/ is like regcure, a little more complicated than regcure.
Re: For your PC Imprint Volume 31, Issue 20
Re. Calling All straights Imprint Volume 31, Issue 20
Posted by Steven R. McEvoy Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Posted by Jennifer Marcus Thursday, January 1, 2009
Brian, I was working with an older version of the program. I am sorry
I think Ms. Lomako is “spot on” as to the necessity of having straight
Re: For your PC Imprint Volume 31, Issue 20 Posted by Brian Cummings Saturday, November 29, 2008
people support and accept those in the transgender and the rest of the LGB community. Absent that support and acceptance, our human and civil rights will never be acknowledged, recognized and secured. I believe one of the key reasons why straights are so reluctant in accepting us is their adherence to certain faith systems that demonize our existence and/or alleged lifestyle. That is a difficult challenge for us to surmount because many of those religious straight people rely on their faith systems to comfort and soothe their existential angst. Perhaps through education, cultural and scientific knowledge those less than credible religious doctrines and beliefs will be abandoned and evolve into faith systems based on love, tolerance acceptance, and compassion and then straights , as well as, we in the LGBT community, will obtain ALL our human rights and we can ALL finally live in peace and harmony.
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Graduate Studies Open House Saturday, January 17 The Great Hall, Somerville House The University of Western Ontario, 12 - 3 pm Exciting opportunities for you to earn a MSc or PhD degree working in health research areas such as: t Biomedical Imaging t Cancer t Cardiovascular, Respiratory Health and Metabolic Diseases t Maternal, Fetal, Child and Family Health t Infection and Immunity
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PROROGUE: Parliament, who art thou? Continued from page 7
To claim that the coalition lacked legitimacy, however, defies both the logic and principle of the Canadian electoral system. The Liberal and NDP parties together received 44.4 per cent of the popular vote in October — a comfortable lead over the Conservatives’ 37.6 per cent. Moreover, support for such a coalition was artificially lowered by Canada’s antiquated voting mechanics (again, the relics of British colonialism). It is precisely because there was no coalition box on the last ballot that Harper was re-elected at all. Consider this very riding for example: Tory Peter Braid’s margin of victory
this one government, and this oped is not intended as a rant against Stephen Harper. As a matter of fact, he’s made some difficult decisions which I applaud. Pushing to maintain the mission in Afghanistan, for example. While other leaders clambor to conform with public pressure to bring the troops home, Harper’s commitment has helped uphold an elected government in the face of Taliban threats, and fulfilled Canada’s commitments to a NATO mission that still has strong support among the people of Afghanistan (according to a 2007 Environics poll). On the other two major issues I’ll be less
The point is that what happened on December 4 should concern all citizens, regardless of political philosophy, and independent of the results of this isolated case. over Liberal Andrew Telegdi was a mere 17 votes, while New Democrat Cindy Jacobsen netted almost 9,000. It is obvious that had the NDP and Liberal parties consolidated their support before the election, Braid would not be in Ottawa right now. Nor is this riding an isolated example. Furthermore, co-operation and compromise are essential qualities of leadership, and our constituency-representative polity explicitly recognizes coalitions. If Stephen Harper has been unable to negotiate the kind of working coalition that the NDP and Liberals have managed to come to, Conservatives should be asking themselves “why not?” Jean’s decision to defy the will of Parliament and enable Harper to shut down the government in the midst of a global economic crisis is an undemocratic use of an authority that should have been removed from her office decades ago. Of course, much of this may sound like sour grapes. Indeed, it’s easy to see the virtues of a given standard in constitutional protocol when one is anticipating short-term consequences, so I need to be clear. The problem here is bigger than
charitable: Harper’s persistent efforts to obstruct global initiatives on climate change are myopic and irresponsible; his ideological “smallgovernment” economic rhetoric imperils Canadian jobs by inaction, even as every other Western nation rushes to provide stimulus. The thousands of automobile and manufacturing workers who stared unemployment in the face will grow unless Harper accepts the need to furnish some deficit spending and allow Keynesian economics to supersede Reagan dogma. Consider that a synopsis of my biases, if you need one, with which to gauge the sincerity of my criticisms of Harper’s tactics in maintaining power. The point is that what happened on December 4 should concern all citizens, regardless of political philosophy, and independent of the results of this isolated case. As Harper himself said on September 17, “Any government has to be able to command the confidence of the House on major financial and economic matters; that’s a long standing principle.”
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
What actions (if any) should university communities take in response to attacks on foreign universities? (See page 3, Campus Watch, for context.) Send your 400-600 word responses to opinion@imprint. uwaterloo.ca by Tuesday, January 13 at 5 p.m.
Opinion
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Features
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009 features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Federation of Students election Caitlin McIntyre staff Reporter
E
veryone at University of Waterloo should know where the Feds’ office is. They have a nice little corner of the Great Hall with big glass doors, and they have their own receptionists, but what do Feds do? Why should we care about Feds? Because this year, 2009, will be a time in which the services of the Feds will truly be crucial to the betterment and prosperity of the student body. Throughout the past few months many individuals, university students or otherwise, have felt the overbearing weight of the current financial crisis. With a wilting economy comes tight finances, inflation, and—perhaps most drastic of all—a waning availability of jobs. These issues are of direct concern to groups of students from all across our university’s academic board. As more and more individuals are pointed in the direction of co-op, the scarcity of jobs presents an increasingly daunting and grave problem. If there are no jobs to fill, how does one find a co-op placement? It is for issues such as these that Feds exists. They provide students with a voice, and advocate to upper levels of power within our university in order to ensure that something is being done to increase placement availabilities for these co-op students, and make sure the needs of all students are heard. This voice, this pressure that Feds places on the organizations within our campus, ensures that every one of UW’s students gets the education, and the community that they deserve. Every year Feds supports and finances clubs and other university community activities, runs student
targeted businesses, such as the Bomber and the Used Bookstore, advocates for policy changes as a lobby group at both federal and provincial levels, and assists in academic based issues for the student body. However, the protection of our student body is something that relies most heavily on the participation of the students. Throughout the years of student elections at University of Waterloo, the general voter turnout has been estimated at around 20 per cent. This is an incredibly small portion of the university’s population in comparison to the amount of individuals who directly or indirectly benefit from the Federation of Students throughout the year. This past year, two Feds executives were elected by acclamation. Although both individuals were suited for their positions, Feds president Justin Williams and vicepresident administration and finance Del Pereira
in the student political scene. The apathy of the student body sent a message that made a clear statement to the university community: students just don’t care. To have the head position of a political party unopposed, to have so little show up to vote for those who actually held competition, was to tell those who worked so hard in Feds that their efforts were not recognized by students. It was alarming that students could care so little about the foundation that was set out to protect their rights within the academic world. There are many reasons why students don’t vote, be it that they are unsure as to who the person is that they are voting for, with only two weeks to get Courtesy of Feds to know them, or perhaps they don’t realize exactly what it is that Feds does. But the lack of involvement from the students is something that needs addressing. A year has passed; the term for the current
This past year, two Feds executives were elected by acclamation, running unopposed by election day. ran unopposed by election day. Pereira, unlike Williams, initially had a running mate opposing him in the election. However, that individual dropped out partway into the race. To add insult to injury, the voting turnout last year was extremely low, dampening the spirits of all of those involved
Feds executive is winding down, and the time for elections is almost upon UW. The elections information page, which can be found on the Feds’ website at http://governance.feds.ca/ node/66, is up and running and the Feds office is now accepting nominations. At the bottom
of the webpage there are a series of nomination packages for each individual position. Within each package is the required form to be returned to the Federation of Students’ main office. The nomination period lasts until January 23 at 4 p.m. sharp, at which point qualified nominees will be announced. Candidates are then expected to create a platform outlining why they are suited for the positions to which they have applied, and what they can do to add to the Federation’s executive. Information on participation within the Students Council, the Undergraduate Senate and other student-oriented organizations can also be found on this page. Throughout the election there will be other opportunities to get involved in campaigning and advertising for nominees. These campaigns are essential in order to help the candidates make themselves known to the public and allow the student body to make an informed decision, come election day. Another essential part of the election is the candidate debate, and its date will be announced within the next few weeks. Imprint requires assistance from the student body as these debates draw closer. We need questions for the candidates that you would like addressed during the media portion of the debates. Send these to editor@imprint.uwaterloo. ca with the subject heading of “media debate question.” If you still feel that none of these options suit you and your daily schedule, there is still one last crucial aspect of student government in which you can and should participate. Come out to the polls from Tuesday, February 10, to Thursday, February 12, and vote. cmcintyre@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
UW clubs days run next week
Danielle Whittemore intern
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n the second Thursday and Friday of classes every term, the Great Hall of the SLC is set up with numerous booths, and countless students swarm the room. Excited chatter, inquisitive questions, and persuasive voices fill the air, as students learn about different ways they can get involved on campus. I am, of course, referring to Clubs Days, and this semester’s are fast approaching. On Thursday, January 15 and Friday, January 16, the Great Hall at the SLC will be hosting all of UW’s clubs, open for students to join. The exhibition will run from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. both days. This event has been around for years at UW, and it’s easy to see why; you should never change a good thing. Clubs Days continues to be effective, both for clubs recruiting members, and for students looking to join. “It’s the best way for people to find clubs to join, and for clubs to recruit members,” said Dave McDougall, who works with the Federation of Students. Clubs have countless swarms of students to try to convince, and the students have 100-plus activities to choose from. Joining a club is a great opportunity for a lot of different reasons. It allows you to meet new people, gain new experiences, and even raise your confidence. You could try something new for the new year, or you could learn more about something that already interests you. If these aren’t good enough reasons to get out there and get involved, you should at least go see what Clubs Days have to offer. Even if you go with no intention of joining, you might see something you like. Clubs Days always have a huge turnout, and was described by McDougall as “organized chaos.” Last term showed the biggest turnout ever, with 120 different club stations. McDougall said that all the clubs used to fit in the Great Hall, but that last year there was so much overflow
Scott Chonghar
Club representative Caroline Goulding (left) recruits potential member Emily Paweska at last term’s clubs days. that seven groups ended up in the Atrium. As with any event where you want to be seen, location is key. Clubs come in to set up their displays on a first-come, first-served basis, so the people who get there earliest Thursday will end up with prime spots to promote their clubs. McDougall then drifts around throughout the day and maps which club has
which spot, so that the next day all the clubs are in the same place. It is not uncommon, according to McDougall, for groups who had a bad location on Thursday because they were late, to come early on Friday and steal the good spots. “They say that’s where their president told them to go, but then I show them my map,” said McDougall. “We used to
put tape with names on it on the tables, but then students just switched them.” So far, the mapping method has proved effective. If you have a club but have not signed up to be represented at this term’s Clubs Days, you can still contact McDougall at djmcdoug@feds. uwaterloo.ca. Otherwise, all you have to do is show up and get ready to join.
Features
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
Saving a life: visiting the recipient Steven R. McEvoy Staff Reporter
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ow far would you be willing to go to save a life? Because, to be honest, it is something you might have the opportunity to do with very little time or discomfort to yourself. I am talking about donating stem cells or bone marrow through the new Canadian OneMatch Network. Back in the summer of 2007 I had the opportunity to donate through the then Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry (UBMDR) which has now been rebranded as OneMatch. That experience was chronicled in a three part series for Imprint, and this is now an update. By following a few simple and easy steps, your blood’s characteristics can be catalogued and used for comparisons both nationally and internationally. Regardless of blood type, (A, B, AB, or O) your blood has defining properties that they seek to match to possible donors. The characteristics are called Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) — they are DNA markers. These antigens are found on the surface of white blood cells. As some antigens are more common in specific ethnic groups, it is important to have as many
You should consider joining the registry because each year hundreds of Canadians are in need of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant which, for many of these patients, is their only hope for recovery from illness. You might be able to help! All it will take is a bit of your time; call 1-800-2-DONATE or go to www.onematch.ca. They have a new testing procedure that only requires a mouth swab that they will send to you with return postage, and then you can join the registry. Just that, combined with the will to donate either bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells, and you might have the chance to save a life. Currently there are about 220,000 Canadians who have made this commitment, and over 11 million people worldwide are on the registry. A year after my donation I had the opportunity to exchange emails with the recipient. Here is some of what Guy had to say. Imprint: How long were you on the registry waiting for a match? Guy: Six to 10 months. I: How long between when you had a match and the procedure took place? G: I had to go through five chemotherapy treatments before thinking about transplant. Then, I was in remission for 18 months. When cancer came
The registry is also eager to attract young donors because generally they are in good health, and are associated with better long-term survival rates for recipients. people in the registry as possible. One of the reasons for the rebranding of the registry from UBMDR to OneMatch is a focus on the need for more ethnic representation on the registry. The registry is also eager to attract young donors because generally they are in good health, and are associated with better long-term survival rates for recipients and they can stay on the registry for a longer length of time. You can only join the registry if you are between 17–50 years of age. You can donate up to the age of 60.
back, in March 2007 I had another treatment to stop the progression and a last one, just before the transplant, in May 2007 to kill my bone marrow. I: How has receiving the stem cells affected your life? G: For about one year I had many physical restrictions because I did not have an immune system. For example: when I wanted to go to the grocery I had to wear a special mask to protect myself and wash my hands as soon as I came home. I also had many restrictions regarding food. I was in danger because my immune system was really low.
UNDERGRADUATES Department of Medical Biophysics
OPEN HOUSE Join us and learn about graduate and summer student undergraduate opportunities in the Department of Medical Biophysics Our research is hospital-based and includes: ¾ Cellular, Molecular and Structural Biology ¾ Cancer Research ¾ Physics and Engineering of Medical Imaging and Therapy When? Saturday, January 10, 2009, from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. with a presentation by the Chair at 10:00 a.m. Where? Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, 7th Floor Atrium, 610 University Avenue, Toronto Visit booths set up by world-leading research labs, meet Professors, Post-Doctoral Fellows and Graduate Students in an informal setting and tour the research facilities. For more information and to pre-registrar online, please go to our website at http://medbio.utoronto.ca/About_Us/openhouse.html
* Free Lunch and Refreshments Sponsored by the Dept of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto in conjunction with the Research Divisions of the Ontario Cancer Institute (Princess Margaret Hospital) and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Emotionally speaking, it was hard because the doctors gave me a 65 per cent possibility of failure, meaning death, and only a 35 per cent chance of getting through. My girlfriend and I decided to focus on the meaning of the gesture of receiving a new life instead of the possibility of losing it. We cried, we laughed, we hugged and then I had to take a nap because I was drained. I: What did the preparation and procedure entail? G: Like I said before, they have to kill my own bone marrow before giving me somebody else’s. The whole procedure took around 60 days, hospitalized with no immune system and the danger of many infections and complications. I: Are you willing to share what condition you had that required this procedure? G: In March 2005 I was diagnosed with a severe Myeloïde Leucemia. ( I am not sure of the English term. Acute Myeloid Leukemia.) I: Do you know anyone currently waiting for a match? G: No, but I knew a 24-year-old guy who passed away waiting for one. As can be seen from this brief conversation in translation, for a mere few hours prep and a few days discomfort you have the opportunity to change a life forever. And not only the life of the recipient, but also of their friends and family. So while you are here at the University of Waterloo consider joining the network: even if you never have a match, being willing to makes you a hero.
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Steven R. McEvoy has the needle removed after a four-hour session of donating peripheral blood stem cells last year.
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Science Feature
Science Feature
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iGEM uncovered : UW undergraduates take on the world of Aletheia Zoe Chiang staff reporter
T
o understand creation has arguably been one of man’s longest-standing innate yearnings. From the Ancient Greeks to the early scientists who first observed cells under a microscope, the science of life was largely characterized by observation and discussion. Centuries later, American scientist Joshua Lederberg demonstrated the ability of single-celled bacteria to exchange genes, the basic units of heredity. For that experiment, Lederberg won the Nobel Prize in 1958 – it was the beginning of the molecular revolution in genetics. Discovering the natural process of gene exchange in bacteria led to its imitation: if a bacterium could take up genes from another bacterium, why not from another source? Out of the resultant proliferating excitement, came the birth of a new field in applied science: “synthetic biology.” By selecting, based on their particular functions, specific
Imprint, Friday, November 21, 2008
synthetic biology
All BioBricks, whether existing or new constructs, are stored in a readily accessible toolbox-like database called, the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. The registry is open to all teams. The purpose of continuously building upon this open source database, Yeung explained, is so that “other teams will be able to use [BioBricks] in future projects.” “That kind of sharing,” said Davis, “is an incredible resource for people working in the field.” The 2008 iGEM competition saw 84 teams from over 20 countries share their engineered biological systems on an international platform. From the University of Waterloo, members of the UW iGEM team presented their design of a bacterial “genomefree expression system”. National Geographic defines the genome of an organism as “the total DNA sequence that serves as an instruction manual for all [observable prod-
“What we are trying to do is seed the concept of iGEM to younger students - first and second year - and [to] have them get involved as soon as possible so that we can build the continuity that a team [and an] annual competition requires.” regions of genetic code – either from a natural source or synthesized in vitro – and introducing them into a host cell such as a bacterium, the synthetic biologist could engineer an organism with entirely novel functions. For the first time, man emerged from his role as the passive observer and began to play the active role of engineering life itself. But can one really program a cell the way he programs a computer? In January of 2003, engineering students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) issued a challenge: “Can simple biological systems be built from standard, interchangeable parts and operated in living cells? Or is biology simply too complicated to be engineered in this way?” The overwhelming response to their question led to the foundation of the first international Genetically Engineered Machines competition (iGEM) in 2004. The “competition” is in fact a year-long effort in which undergraduate student teams from all over the world attempt to design and build a novel biological system. At a jamboree held in November, teams present their projects to a global audience. Dr. Marc Aucoin is a professor in the department of chemical engineering who also serves as a faculty advisor to the UW iGEM team. In an interview with Imprint, he highlighted the significance of the Jamboree: “The weekend competition at MIT is not only the culmination of a year’s worth of work; it is a place where the unimaginable is brought to fruition by undergraduates.” The same kind of amazement is not lost on Shira Davis, who was one of the 15 undergraduate students from the UW iGEM team who traveled to MIT this past November to attend the 2008 iGEM Jamboree. “The calibre of some of the projects is shocking,” said Davis. “Slovenia, for example, made a vaccine for ulcers, and last year they tried to cure AIDS. It really drives you to be imaginative and try to take on challenging work.” Other projects that impressed chemical engineering undergraduate Hillary Yeung, who first worked on the iGEM project in as a summer co-op student, include: “a synthetic blood substitute…and even a drug delivery system [–] all genetically engineered from bacteria.” Yeung also noted that the competition emphasizes the engineering principle of standardization, as well as the notion of open source biology. At the beginning of the summer, each team receives a kit containing standard “BioBricks” with which to construct their new organisms. “BioBricks are standard biological parts, [DNA sequences], that share the same interface,” explained Yeung. This compatibility, she said, makes it easier to create new biological constructs.
Imprint, Friday, November 21, 2008
ucts] created in [its] body.” If an organism loses its instruction manual – in the case of UW iGEM’s project, through a genome-degradation pathway – it becomes unable to replicate. The case with bacteria can be simplified even further, because the organism is unicellular. Without its genome, the resultant cell lacks the genes that code for its most important survival mechanism – replication – and basically exists as a “genome-free” sack of intracellular fluid, that is, a sack of cytoplasm. Herein lays the crux of UW iGEM’s 2008 project: if, into this sack, one had introduced an “extra”, self-replicating, small circular piece of functional genetic code, then that sack would express the specific products coded for on that circle. But given the small yield of one bacterium, or even a few hundred of them, it is advantageous to have many copies of this small circular DNA piece, called a plasmid. So one programs the genome to degrade, but only after the cell has reproduced many copies of itself – and of the plasmid. Meanwhile, to avoid the simultaneous expression of the plasmid and the genome, genes on the plasmid can be repressed until the genome has finally been degraded. Once this happens, the cell demonstrates “plasmid-driven expression”: that is, it only expresses the products that are encoded on the plasmid – and it continues producing the products until its cellular resources are exhausted. At this point, the bacterium, unable to replicate, “expires.” The result is what scientists call “transient expression” – that is, a temporary production of desired products. “Another benefit to a bacterial expression system is that it can carry out certain functions only in response to specific environmental signals,” said Danielle Nash, UW iGEM student director. “This has important implications for target-specific delivery of a compound of interest.” To illustrate her point, Nash gave an example of an agricultural application. Since the late 20th century, farmers have been using pesticides to fight the effects of insects eating away at their crops. Many of these pesticides are sprayed in excess and are not very environmentally friendly. If one could engineer a synthetic pesticide to be produced only in response to a chemical released by a specific insect, it would localize pesticide generation and also minimize the amount of unnecessary introduction of pesticides to the environment. There are also therapeutic applications. “For instance,” continued Nash, “we wouldn’t want to introduce into a patient’s body live bacteria that could replicate freely, potentially leading to infection or other complications. By degrading the genome of the system before delivery to the patient … [we limit] the amount of bacteria introduced and [ensure] that
UW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, W09 January 2, 2009 they will be present for only a short time.” The transitory nature of this expression system iGEM uncoveredsome : UWkey undergrads take on world also addresses social, ethical, andthe moral of synthetic biology implications. “There has…been significant controversy in the Topast understand hasintroducing arguably been one of and even creation now, about genetically man’smodified longest-standing yearnings. From Anorganismsinnate into the wild,” Nash said. the “The cient ability Greekstoto thethese earlycells scientists who first have ‘self-destruct’ priorobserved to apcells under a microscope, science life was largely plication reduces [the]the chances of of introducing any characterized by observation and discussion. engineered genetics components into the wild.” So with all this exciting talk about a feasible Centuries later, expression American system, scientisthow Joshua Lederberg genome-free did the UW demonstrated thefare ability single-celled bacteria to iGEM team at theof 2008 iGEM competition? exchange“Our genes, theearned basic aunits of medal heredity. For as that team bronze for 2008, experiment, Lederberg won so theofNobel Prize in 1958 did many other teams, course there’s room– it was the of thesaid molecular forbeginning improvement,” a humblerevolution Nash. in genetics. Discovering the natural process of 2008 gene project exchange She explained that while UW’s in bacteria led to its imitation: if a bacterium could take dealt with finding a possible means to control the up genes from another bacterium, whyinclude not from another expression of products, it didn’t applicasource? Out of the excitement, tion-specific plansresultant for what proliferating bioproducts they might came want the birth of a new field in applied science: “synto express. thetic biology”. selecting, on will theirfocus particular The 2009By project, then,based she said, on functions, specific regions genetic code – either building on the originalofexpression system itself,from as a natural or synthesized in vitro – and introducing wellsource as deciding on a particular application. them intoStill, a host cell suchitself as aisbacterium, thetest synthetic the project not the only the biologist could engineer an organism with entirely novel UW iGEM team will tackle in the upcoming year. functions. For the first time, emergedoffrom his role Lab space, funding, andman recruitment younger, as thededicated passive observer and began to playtothe role team members are critical theactive team’s of engineering life itself. future success. At present, the iGEM lab is hosted, “generButously,” can one reallybiology program a cellDr. theTrevor way heCharles’ programs within Prof. a computer? In JanuaryBut of sharing 2003, engineering students own laboratory. lab space can be at therestricting, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Nash acknowledged that the team issued ahas challenge: simple biological systems built to seek “can out “longer-term solutions for be team from space standard, interchangeable parts and operated in requirements.” living cells? Orisis also biology complicated to be There the simply need totoo provide a tangible engineered in this way?” structure — and possibly incentives — to potential team members. The overwhelming response to their question Dr. Barb Moffatt of Biology, a faculty advisorled to theonfoundation of the firsttold international Genetically the UW iGEM team, Imprint: “This team is Engineered competition (iGEM) in 2004. The runningMachines on the good will and heroic efforts of a few “competition” is in fact a year-long effort in which students who provide the real glue and leadership to undergraduate teams from overresources the world the team.” student But, analogous to the all limited attempt design and build novel biological system. thattotemporarily fuel theiraexpression system, good At a “Jamboree” held in November, present their will and heroic efforts can also beteams exhausted. projects to a global audience. Moffatt, who is involved with the team’s fundDr.raising Marcefforts, Aucoinexplained is a professor in theother department that among benefits,of Chemical Engineering whomake also serves as aiGEM facultyleader advisor funding would help being an to the“more UW iGEM team.andIn an interview withconsisImprint, attractive”, hopefully, add some he highlighted theteam’s significance ofand theschedule. Jamboree: “The tency to the leadership weekendFor competition MIT is not only the culminaDr. Charles,atthe prerequisite for funding and tion ofrecognition a year’s worth of work [;] it (though is a placeprobably where the is straightforward unimaginable is brought to fruition undergraduates.” more complex to achieve): “Theyby need to raise their The sameatkind profile UW.”of amazement is not lost on Shira Davis, who was one of become the 15 undergraduate students “Perhaps as we more established, we from the iGEM teamoutreach who traveled to MIT this past can UW do more public and education,” said November to optimistically. attend the 2008The iGEM Moffatt teamJamboree. will be hosting an “open lab” on Campus Day to showcase the “The calibre of some of the projects is shocking,” iGEM efforts. remarkedFinally, Davis.there “Slovenia, for example, made a vaccine is the matter of recruiting members for ulcers, and last year they tried to cure AIDS. It really for the long-haul. drives you to be imaginative try tototake on ischalleng“Sustaining the teamand in years come a big ing work.” concern,” acknowledged John Heil, a biomedical sciences student whose role on the UW iGEM Other impressedtoChemical Engineering teamprojects has beenthat fundamental the current project’s undergraduate Hillary Yeung, who first worked on the research and design. iGEM project as like a summer co-op student, include: In fact,in Heil, the majority of his “key” fellow “a synthetic blood substitute…and even a drugcharacdelivery iGEM members, shares the one problematic systemteristic [–] allthat genetically engineered bacteria.” flails them all: he’s infrom his fourth year. “I think the biggest challenge right now is to Yeung the competition emphasizes comealso up noted with a that program for dealing with the rapidthe engineering principle of standardization, as well as the turn-over in the team,” said Applied Mathematics notionprofessor of openand source At the beginning of the UWbiology. iGEM team founder, Dr. Brian summer, each team receives a kit containing standard “BioIngalls. Bricks” with which to construct their newthe organisms. “What we are trying to do is seed concept of iGEM to younger students — first and second “BioBricks [DNA year,” saidare Dr.standard Aucoin. biological “And [to] parts, have them getsequences], that share theas same interface,” Yeung. involved as soon possible so thatexplained we can build This compatibility, makes it easier tocompeticreate new the continuity she thatsaid, a team [and an] annual biological constructs. tion requires” And after the initial sowing of that seed of Allinterest, BioBricks, whether existing issue or new comes the practical of constructs, picking theare storedones in a that readily toolbox-like database called, willaccessible flower. Of the recruitment process, the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. The Registry
Danielle Nash said, “The challenge now is to attract the best students — in terms of research potential moreso than grades — from a broad variety of backgrounds so we can really achieve the kind of synergy that’s needed to accomplish great things in the area of synthetic biology.” This kind of synergy is the real fruit of interdisciplinary research, and it is what drives so many of those involved in the iGEM efforts. The current students and faculty members on UW’s iGEM team represent a true kaleidoscope of the diverse academic disciplines. Jordan Lapointe, for example, is a mathematical physics undergraduate who co-ordinates the mathematical modeling efforts in the UW iGEM project. His work on the team involves adjusting parameters and using computer simulations to model the effect that a specific protein might have on the genome of a cell. “A lot of the things we learn in my program can be applied just as well to swinging pendulums and heat transfer as to biological modelling,” he said. Added Ingalls, “Synthetic biology provides a new substrate for those theoretical tools.” Still others on the team are engineers: Hillary Yeung, a chemical engineer undergrad, and Somil Barghava, a student in nanotechnology. “I think that UW’s strengths in engineering stand to put us in a unique position in this type of interdisciplinary competition,” said Nash. In a continued effort to encourage this kind of powerful interdisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Moffatt has started a new Synthetic Biology Project course at UW, BIOL 349, effective January 1, 2009. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, students in this course will design a synthetic biology project and participate in weekly journal club sessions with iGEM lab members and faculty. Moffatt described the course as “self-directed,” “open-ended,” and as “something [that does not lend] itself to a traditional class room setting.” While the course has limited enrollment, it also has no pre-requisites, making it possible for students from any faculty to participate. “We hope that by having students in different programs [and] faculties take this course [,] they will provide each other with complementary expertise and synergistic learning opportunities,” Moffatt said. There is continued hope that BIOL 349 students, as well as others, will be in a better position to make meaningful contributions to the UW iGEM team, and to the world of biological engineering as a whole. Although a relatively novel field, students and staff on the iGEM team are confident in what the future of synthetic biology holds. “People say this is biology’s century, as the twentieth century was for Physics,” said Ingalls. “We are just beginning to understand and to manipulate the most sophisticated technology on the planet: life.” If you think you have what it takes to be an iGEM member and are interested in exploring the burgeoning world of synthetic biology, the UW iGEM team will be holding a recruitment session on Tuesday, January 13 from 5:45 to 6:30 pm in RCH 308, as well as a brainstorming session on Thursday, January 15th from 5:45 to 7:00 pm in RCH 308 to discuss possible applications for the bacterial genome-free expression system. Students are advised to check the UW iGEM Team wiki (igem.uwaterloo.ca) for confirmation of locations, and to come to sessions prepared, by reading up on the team’s 2008 project (links to their presentation at the 2008 Jamboree are included on the right). Applications for the 2009 team are available on the UW iGEM Team wiki, due the following Friday, January 16 at 5:00 pm, and can be dropped off at B1-377B. Danielle Nash reminds interested students that academic background is second to candidates who exhibit self-motivation, initiative, and commitment to learning the ropes. The team is especially looking for students with background in mathematical modelling and systems design, and for graduate student advisors from science, mathematics, and engineering. achiang@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
get involved To learn more about iGEM and the UW team, visit: the UW iGEM team wiki: http://igem.uwaterloo.ca the 2007 Waterloo team project wiki: http://parts.mit.edu/igem07/index.php/Waterloo the 2008 Waterloo team project wiki: http://2008.igem.org/Team:Waterloo the official iGEM website: http://igem.org Watch or read the UW iGEM team’s presentation at the 2008 Jamboree at MIT: Watch: http://2008.igem.org/files/video/Waterloo.mp4 Read: http://2008.igem.org/files/presentation/Waterloo.pdf All iGEM teams’ presentations and posters can be accessed: http://ung.igem.org/Results Questions can be directed to the team email address: uwigem@gmail.com The UW iGEM team is generously supported by: the Mathematics Endowment Fund, the Dean of Science, and the Department of Biology.
courtesy john heil
Campus Bulletin CHURCH SERVICE
VOLUNTEERING
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. Parkminster United is an affirming, liberal congregation open to all, regardless of race, sexual orientation, age, ability, economic or family status. 275 Erb Street, E., Waterloo. Sunday services at 10 a.m. For more info www.parkuc.ca.
City of Waterloo needs volunteers for summer 2009 events: Uptown Country Festival on Saturday, June 20 – volunteer co-ordinator position ; entrance security/programs ; runners/site patrol ; information/volunteer/CD and t-shirt sales tent ; festival operations. Busker Festival needs new talent for interesting Board positions such as Director of Corporate Sponsorship ; Director of Marketing and Media Co-ordinator. 55+ Urban Poling Club needs indoor walk leaders on Friday mornings. Email volunteer@waterloo.ca or 519-888-6488 for more info. Volunteers needed – the English tutor program UPCOMING is in constant need of volunteers to tutor internaFriday, January 9, 2009 tional students. Volunteering is an essential part Knowledge Integration Seminar Series – free pub- of student life at UW. Apply online at www.iso. lic talk – “Building Trust - a story of Canada’s Field uwaterloo.ca. Hospital in Afghanistan” with LCol Jim Kile at June Volunteer with a child at their school and 2:30 p.m. Clarica Auditorium, Hallman Institute help improve their self-esteem and confidence. for Health Promotion, UW. For more info 519One to three hours a week commitment. Canadian 888-4567, ext 28153. Mental Health at 519-744-7645, ext 229. Sunday, January 11, 2009 Best Buddies is a national charitable organization Eastwood Collegiate 2008-2009 graduating stu- matching students with individuals with intellecdents are holding an exhibition at Homer Watson tual disabilities living in the community. Hours House & Gallery January 11 to 29. Opening recep- are very flexible – compatible with busy schedtion begins at 2 until 4 p.m. today. For more info ules. More information contact: bestbuddiesuw@ call 519-748-4377, ext 233. gmail.com. Monday, January 12, 2009 Resume builder! Volunteers needed to visit peoImprint’s staff elections will be today beginning ple with Alzheimer disease through Alzheimer Soat 12:30 p.m. For more info drop in to SLC, room ciety Volunteer Companion Program. Two hours 1116 or call 519-888-4048. per week with training November 30. Call Jill at 519-742-1422 or volunteer@alzheimerkw.com. Thursday, January 22, 2009 “Faith, Hope and Freedom: A Canadian Physi- Drive. Deliver. Befriend – Community Supcian’s Dream for Africa” by Anne-Marie Zajdlik, port Connections needs volunteers to help drive will be speaking at Humanities Theatre, Hagey seniors to appointments, deliver a lunch meal or Hall, from 7 to 9 p.m. For tickets call 519-888- befriend an isolated senior. Mileage is reimbursed. 4908. For info contact Brandi at bgillett@uwater- Contact 519-772-8787 or info@communitysupportconnections.org. loo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext 38242. City of Waterloo, 519-888-6488 or volunteer@ Friday, January 30, 2009 SASA presents its annual Formal Armaan. Enjoy city.waterloo.on.ca has many volunteer opportunian elegant eveing to mingle with your friends, ties. Check out the website today. taste Suth Asian food and hit the dance floor at Volunteer Action Centre, 519-742-8610 or www. 8:48 PM Page 1 has many opportunities available volunteerkw.ca, St.AB_GENER06_imprint.qxd George Banquet Hall. For info 3/29/06 call Mishal 519– visit the website or call today! 722-6584.
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Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009 ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
ANNOUNCEMENTS Exchanges for undergraduates and graduates – 2009-2010 academic years: Ontario/Rhone-Alpes, France, Ontario/Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany scholarships available. Application deadline January 16, 2009. MICEFA, Paris, France and the Chinese University of Hong Kong internal deadline: March 17, 2009. For info and application forms please contact Maria Lango, International Programs, Waterloo International, Needles Hall 1101, room 1113, ext 33999 or by email: mlango@uwaterloo.ca. Nominations are requested for the following undergraduate student seats on Senate: Faculty Seats – one student elected by/from the full-time undergraduate students in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, term May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2011.One student elected by/from the full-time undergraduate students in the Faculty of En-
gineering, term May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2011. One student elected by/from the full-time undergraduate students in the Faculty of Mathematics, term May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2011. At-large Seat – one student elected by/from the full-time undergraduate students, term May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2011. Nomination forms are available from the Secretariat (ext 36125) and from the Secretariat and Federation of Students websites.
CAREER SERVICES WORKSHOPS
Monday, January 12, 2009 (and 26th) Networking 101 – two week session. Prerequisite: Work search within “Marketing Yourself,” found at cdm.uwaterloo.ca or the same module in PD1, COOP 101, or Co-op Fundamentals for Engineering. 4:30 to 6 p.m., TC 1208. Tuesday, January 13, 2009 Dental School Interviews – 5:30 to 7 p.m., TC 1208.
Classified 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. Imprint requires a volunteer co-ordinator to help recruit, train and retain a large contingent of volunteers. You should have excellent interpersonal skills, knowledge of Adobe software and the ability to work independently. Creating and managing volunteer databases, planning and managing volunteer training sessions and special events also required. Applicants must be full-time students and eligible for OSAP. Please send resume to editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Summer of your life! Camp Wayne for Girls – children’s sleep-away camp, Northeast Pennsylvania, June 20 to August 16, 2009. If you love children and want a caring, fun environment we need counselors and instructors for tennis, swimming, golf, gymnastics, cheerleading, drama, high and low ropes, camping/nature, team sports, waterskiing, sailing, painting/drawing, ceramics, silkscreen, printmaking, batik, jewellery, calligraphy, photography, sculpture, guitar, aerobics, selfdefense, video, piano. Other staff: administration, CDL Driver (21+), nurses (RN’s and nursing students), Bookkeeper, mothers’ helper. On campus interviews January 28. Select the camp that selects the best staff! Call 215-944-3069 or apply online at www.campwaynegirls.com. Behavioural therapist wanted for autistic teenager. Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Full training and good hourly wage. Ten minutes from University. Need own transportation. Must commit two years. Email resume to steffen.darla@rogers.com. Imprint requires a systems administrator for webmail server administration, familiar with medium scale Linux network administration, SAMBA file management, Windows XP workstations, LDAP authentication, Apache administration with Drupal and blogging software an asset. Applicant must be a full-time student and eligible for OSAP. Please send resume to editor@imprint. uwaterloo.ca. We’ve got what you’re looking for – let’s make 2008 your best summer yet – Camp Wayne, northeast Pennsylvania, USA. Counselor-specialists for all land and water sports including tennis, golf, basketball, baseball, football, martial arts, soccer, outdoor adventure, camping, mountain biking, climbing/ropes, roller hockey, archery, rocketry, water-ski, wakeboard, sailing, canoe/ kayaking, fine arts theatre, ceramics, woodworking, drawing, painting, CDL drivers. RN’s for our Health Centre. June 20 to August 15. Let’s get the ball rolling now! Online application www. campwayne.com or info@campwayne.com or 1888-549-2963. Two great outdoor lifeguard summer positions in Waterloo – pool manager: responsibilities include assisting with hiring swim instructors/guards, running summer activities, facility maintenance, etc. NLS and instructor certification required. Life guard/swim instructors needed full-time and part-time. Responsibilities include working with guard team to run summer programs, example, crafts, family activities, facilitiy maintenance, etc. NLS required and instructor certification preferred. Submit resume to angelastark@rogers. com by January 10, 2009. Have the summer of your life at a prestigious
co-ed sleepaway camp in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, two and a half hours from New York City. We’re seeking counselors who can teach any team and individual sports, tennis, gymnastics, horseback riding, mountain biking, skate park, theatre, tech theatre, circus, magic, arts and crafts, pioneering, climbing tower, water sports, music, dance or science. Great salaries and perks. Plenty of free time. Internships available for many majors. Interviews on February 4. Apply online at www.islandlake.com. Call 1-800-869-6083 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time on week days for more information, info@ islandlake.com. Extend-A-Family part-time positions – providing in-home and community support to individuals with developmental/physical challenges in a variety of programs. Providers will be reliable, energetic and committed. $12.48/hour to start. If interested, please contact Recruitment at 519-741-0190, ext 238 or via e-mail at joy@ eafwr.on.ca. Web – www.eafwr.on.ca. Imprint requires a marketing sales assistant to aid the advertising/production manager in contacting clients, updating data bases and other office duties on a weekly basis. This position is open to full-time undergraduate University of Waterloo students who qualify for the workstudy program (OSAP recipients and registered in a minimum 60 per cent course load). If this position appeals to you, please e-mail resume to ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca or bring them to the Imprint office, SLC room 1116 during office hours.
HOUSING Only $399 – four bedroom housing – 34 Bridgeport Road, E., starting May 01/09. Excellent location, on bus route, close to everything, downtown at WLU, near UW, new, immaculate, open concept kitchen, all appliances, dishwasher, dining room and living room open onto a private balcony, central air conditioning, huge rooftop garden patio, complete laundry facilities, dryers free, free parking, gas heat, gas water heater, cheap utilities, on bus route, perfect for students. Rents fast – a must see. Only $399 per room, per month. Call 519-741-7724 or www.acdev.ca. For more info and pictures email info@acdev.ca. 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 Joanne at 519-746-1411 for more details. Only $389 – five bedroom house. Must see – goes fast – excellent location. 147 B Weber Street, N., starting May 1/09. Close to everything, very clean, free washer/dryer, gas heated, cheap utilities, two full bathrooms, two full size fridges, hardwood floors and ceramic tile throughout, large private yard and large deck, free parking for five cars, on bus route. $389 per room, per month. Call 519741-7724. Only $389 – five bedroom house. Must see – goes fast – excellent location. 121 B Noecker Street, starting May 1/09. Close to everything, very clean, free washer/dryer, gas heated, cheap utilities, two full bathrooms, two full size fridges, hardwood floors and ceramic tile throughout, large private yard and large deck, free parking for five cars, on bus route. $389 per room, per month. Call 519741-7724.
Arts & Entertainment
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009 arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
What if Warhol were here? Maggie Clark editor-in-chief
I
t’s generally difficult to determine the opinions of the dead, but if Warhol were alive today, he might just find all our participatory technologies — cell phones, YouTube, Google, digital cameras, blogs — pretty damn cool. Such is the vibe Factory, the Andy Warhol exhibit opening Saturday, January 10, explores with its reinvisioning and enhancement of the pre-fabricated Warhol exhibition imported from Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol and Children’s Museums. “[Kitchener-Waterloo’s] Children’s Museum is unique, in that it’s only been around for a few years, and in that time its themes have always been arts, science, and technology,” said marketing manager Angelo Olano. “One year ago we were looking for our next big exhibit after Jane Goodall [and the Discovering Chimpanzees exhibit], when we learned about the application of Warhol’s work in Pittsburgh, in a way that was truly age-inclusive.” More than being an all-ages exhibit, Factory develops the original collection, of 24 Warhol pieces, to include 40 other originals and a great many inspired and appropriated works by contemporary artists. For instance, alongside excerpts of Empire, Warhol’s eight-hour, black-and-white, continuous real-time footage of the Empire State Building, Factory will offer contemporary engagements with his original subject, such as cellphone videos and live streams, to strengthen the link between Warhol’s wonderworld and our realities. The aim here, according to Olano, is twofold: To maximize engagement for younger audiences, so children come to regard Warhol as relevant to contemporary society, and to raise questions for all ages about what Warhol would be like in 2009 — questions that invariably challenge these same audiences to reexamine techno-cultural advances largely taken for granted. “The fourth component, the underground studio, is really well situated for all of that,” said Olano. “This is going to serve as an interactive exhibit, where you can take the rest of the exhibit and put it into practice. We’ve got Polaroid cameras — old technology — and in this silver factory space we’re combining it with [computer] tablets, laser printers — newer technologies, and leaving it up to the audience to generate art with the two.” Other elements in the exhibit raised questions for the curatorial team as well: For instance, the inclusion of 56 photographs by Stephen Shore, who visited the real-life Factory, Andy Warhol’s Manhattan studio, between 1965 and 1967, in some cases challenged the museum’s age-inclusive aims. “We found ourselves asking, ‘Should we censor this?’” said Olano. “And then we recalled that Shore — well, he was just a kid in all of this, too, visiting Warhol’s studio when he was working with the Velvet Underground. It’s authentic, it’s part of the experience.” At the crux of various silkscreens, screen shots, hands-on activities, and photographs, however, is the curatorial brainchild of Marla Wasser: “She took his most iconic images and got a few pieces for each,” said Olano about Wasser’s “The Art, Inspiration, and Appropriation of Andy Warhol” exhibit. “Then she sort of globe-trotted in search of the best of the best cultural appropriations. So we’ve got about ten contemporary artists, all alive, and their interpretations of Warhol’s Monroe here, too.” Factory, which runs from January 10 to April 9, isn’t expected to falter even in the poor economy; to this end Olano cites the over 200 people (and organizations) in KW who supported the development of the exhibit. UW’s own Prof. Marcel O’Gorman, in digital media, will be breaking down Warhol’s famous “15 minutes of fame” line to its contemporary, “15 seconds of fame” equivalent as a speaker in the related speakers series also being forwarded by the Children’s Museum. Information on ticket prices, hours of operation, and museum location are available at www.thechildrensmuseum.ca. mclark@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
photos by Mohammad Jangda
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16
Arts & Entertainment
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
New year’s new reads
music review
Amanda Palmer Who Killed Amanda Palmer Roadrunner Records
A
manda Palmer, whose previous claim to fame came as the female vocalist of the dark cabaret duet The Dresden Dolls, has re-emerged on the underground scene with a brand new solo album titled Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Mild indecency aside, in the past The Dresden Dolls have used their talents to their fullest. Their quick wit and humour
served to take the edge off of the serious implications bound within their lyrics, all the while forcing listeners to think a step or two outside the box. With this notorious act to follow many fans - myself included - felt a slight reserve towards the November 2008 release. The album starts out with the tune “Astronaut”, Amanda’s signature balsy and breathless voice making its way through what seems to be a song almost too reminiscent of her old Dresden Doll days. Though taking a step back,
the introduction to the album actually makes perfect sense. Amanda provides herself with a stable buffer to her new work by easing into an album far more diverse, both in sound and content, than anything she’d created in her early days. Her style shifts dramatically from track to track, some stuck in the safety zone of dark cabaret. Others shift to new levels entirely. One track revolves around her familiar breathless bellows, while another shifts quite suddenly to an airy-fairy soprano that fans have never heard the likes of before. Her goal is quite obvious: to separate herself from her old standards through varying tunes and tempos, and upbeat repetitive chants leading straight into hoarse, desperate ballads. The vocals change in almost every song, as does her method, and evidentially, her choice of instrumentals. As such, this album plays as a whole, far more disjointedly than others in the past. The focus is on the individual song, each more unique and captivating than the last. This diversity allows for a much stronger pull to a much more vast audience, but also makes it quite difficult to see the album as one, flowing musical creation. -at least the for the first couple of listens. Once you get past the shocking jolts of her new, varying style, it’s easy to see the core body of the work, the influence of the mime faced society challenging Amanda that her most loyal fans know and love.
— Caitlin McIntyre
W
elcome back to school! Like me, you were probably wishing that we had another week or two to rest up. Fortunately for you, I’ve got another list of suggested comics for you to check out to drive away all the inevitable depression that your courses will bring you in the following weeks. Let’s start off with two webcomics that just recently started. Commander Kitty (Arsenault: www.commanderkitty.com) looks to be a really fun read. From what it looks like, the story revolves around Kitty and his crew as they share adventure in space. Because it’s geared towards
being a pretty fun read, for those looking for a serious sci-fi, this might not be the comic for you. But then again, the archive hasn’t even passed double-digits in numbers, so it would be fair to give it time to develop. The next comic, Dreamless (Crosby, Ellerton: dreamless.keenspot.com), came as a complete surprise to me. Written by Bobby Crosby (Marry Me, Last Blood) and illustrated by Sarah Ellerton (Inverloch, The Phoenix Requiem), this looks like it’ll be the music-super-group equivalent of webcomics. From what I can gather, it looks like it’ll be a tragedy based on the relationship between two completely opposite characters, possibly playing with “religion vs. science” as a theme. Again, not many pages are out yet, so it’s hard to tell what’s going to happen,
but either way, I’m stoked to read it. In terms of graphic novels, I was fortunate to grab a sizeable amount of comics. Craig Thompson’s Carnet de Voyage has been on my wishlist for a while, and I’m glad to have picked it up.
I’m usually not one for travelogues, but Thompson’s artwork, as you know, is a favourite of mine and is vivid in this book. Other titles I would recommend include the first hardcover volume of Y: The Last Man (Vaughan, Guerra) and The War at Ellsmere (Hicks). The year’s just begun, and I’m looking forward to what the comics and animation industries have in store. With comics such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe coming out on, of all days, my birthday (February 4, 2009), I would argue that it’s going to go just fine. ptrinh@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Arts & Entertainment
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
17
book review Skeleton Creek Patrick Carman Scholastic
E
very now and then you come across a book that truly merits the term “unique” — one so different, so incredible that you just want to share it with everyone you know. This is one of those books. I read it three times in a week, and still want to go back over it again, in case I missed anything. What makes this book so incredible is that it is actually more than a book; it is a new entertainment experience. It is a book, it is a movie and it is fantastic. The story is told in two parts. Skeleton Creek is the story of Ryan and Sarah, who live in Skeleton Creek, Oregon. They become fascinated with the town’s name, and the fact that it only changed to that recently. While investigating the mystery of the name, they find out about the
ghost story of a man named Joe Bush who died in a mining dredge outside of town. While investigating the dredge, something strange happens and Ryan falls and breaks his leg. That is where our story begins. Ryan is in the hospital recovering and he starts to tell the story in his journal so he can make sense of it, and in case something happens to him. But the story is told by both Ryan and Sarah. Currently their parents will not allow them to see each other because they believe that it will encourage their investigative efforts. Yet the two are staying in contact over the web. Ryan is writing the story in his journal, which is our book, and Sarah is creating videos and posting them on her website www.sarahfincher.com. Combined they tell the story. It is a great new media/literary adventure. Even the packaging and presentation is new. The book comes in a sleeve like a cover on a new DVD that says: “Read
Daniela Nardi The Rose Tattoo Minerva Road
T
his is Nardi’s second album release but I had never heard of her when I picked up The Rose Tattoo. The music in this album is a mix between modern jazz and pop country and is undemanding and suitable for easy listening or playing in a hip café or pub. The first thing that struck me was her smoky voice and I believe that it is the most salient feature of the CD. Unfortunately, it was a bit flat and not drawn out; either the sound technician didn’t edit her voice enough or they cut
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Some of the websites that you can check out include: enterskeletoncreek.com, skeletoncreekisreal. com, haunteddredges.com, and sarahfincher.com. The only bad thing I can say about it is that it ends with a cliffhanger and the conclusion, Ghost in the Machine - Skeleton Creek Book 2, is not due out until September 2009. This book has made my top ten all-time fiction list. It is a ghost story extraordinaire. So, as the cover says, read the book and watch the videos — you will be drawn in and amazed by the story. —Steven R. McEvoy
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music review off the sound too early because there’s an almost breathless quality to her singing, like she couldn’t draw enough air to finish each line of each song. The background music nice and the drums in the opening of the first song are a little funky and almost a little tribal; it’s followed through with woodwinds. The piano blended nicely with the music but I couldn’t help but feel like her breathless, gasping singing, or the sound engineer’s editing, ruined my enjoyment of the first song. In Cry, she adds a twang to her voice as if she was trying for pop country, but she can’t hold the accent consistently. Again, I didn’t find the sound engineering very good and I think that detracted from my overall appreciation of this CD; for example, in several instances, the rhythm of the music and the beat of her singing was jarringly off. There was no single moment of incredible slip-up but all the little nuisances culminated in a less than polished album. The melody is overall quite nice and the CD seemed to take a turn for the better with Still. Her voice was strong enough to carry the song through with success although there were still one or two moments when
the book … Watch the videos.” Once you slide the book out, it looks like a hard cover journal, and it looks like it was hand-written. The journal has illustrations and, what appears to be items taped inside it. This story is incredibly well done. It is a ghost story for the net generation. You have to read the book and watch the videos and follow groups and websites online to find out more details and background to the story. It is wellwritten and the videos are amazing. I did read the book the first time to see if it could stand alone without the web component and it does, but the videos take the book to a whole new level of reading entertainment.
she couldn’t sustain a note long enough. The CD seems to improve with each successive song although there was a noticeable strained quality to her voice that was constant throughout the album on long sustains and on certain tricky notes. At many times, I debated whether she was purposefully affecting that trait for some unlikely artistic effect or if she was simply scraping at the current limits of her abilities. On the whole, it was a nice CD and I don’t regret picking it up. She’s clearly an artist with a great deal of talent and potential. This CD is still an early showing of her abilities and there are some rough edges but I look forward to her future albums.
— Lu Jiang
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Science & Technology
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009 science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Sherif Soliman President Zune: the 9-years-late Y2K
While the rest of the world was preparing to celebrate the beginning of 2009, on December 31st, thousands of Microsoft’s first generation 30GB Zune players synchronously started failing. Reports of the device freezing up and becoming non-responsive on startup began flooding Zune forums and tech blogs during the first hours of the day, even before Microsoft support lines were open for business. Due to the unanimous failure of the device on New Year’s Eve, this incident was comically, yet unsurprisingly, dubbed the “Y2K9” in reference to the panic that spread before the turn of the century in anticipation of computers failing everywhere, throwing us back to the stone age. According to the BBC Technology website, the “crisis” occurred due to the fact that 2008 was a leap year, and the Zune software had that extra day missing from its calendar. Later, Microsoft released that the “fix” to the bug was to allow the Zune to fully recharge after completely discharging the batter on January 1st before turning it back on again, allowing the internal clock to reset itself and begin the new year. The suggested solution seemed to revive all the affected devices Crisis averted. UK Police will hack in search for criminal activity
In a move that seems to further expand the UK’s surveillance practices, British officers have been given the green light to “hack” into, or remotely access, any computers that are suspected of holding information that is necessary to prevent or discover a serious crime, without the need to obtain a warranty. The decision comes after recommendations were made by the Council of the European Union for lawagencies in EU member countries to expand remote access of systems suspect of holding evidence of illegal action. The move has caused outrage by civil liberty groups and members of the opposition and was described as by Shami Chakrabarti, direcord of Liberty, a human right group as “... very intrusive powers - as intrusive as someone busting down your door and coming into your home.” The search can be ordered by any senior officer who has reasonable doubt to search the remote system. However, in a statement to the BBC, Professor Peter Sommer, a cybercrime expert at the London School of Economics said that the authorities would have great difficulty in getting the courts to treat such evidence as valid, due to the possibility of tampering while extracting the information from the remote system. Toshiba Gigabeat S. player, which also failed at the same time as the Zunes. While these reports went unconfirmed by Microsoft, their suggested solution seemed to revive all the affected devices. Crisis averted.
UW research in motion Scott Siyavoosh Chonghar Staff Reporter
John Mielke is a professor of health studies here at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on biochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral methods to understand how dieting at different points in time during one’s lifespan can affect the brain. He is especially interested in the effects of dietary induced changes in the hippocampal region of the brain, which is also known as the memory bank.
Q:
For those of us unfamiliar with your work, could you briefly say a bit about your major areas of research?
A: I am interested how dieting at different points in time during one’s lifespan can affect the brain. And specifically speaking on hippocampal region of the brain, where we store our memory to retrieve it the next day. Also I am interested how maternal diets during embryogenesis affect the child’s health. Q: What motivated you to become a neuroscience student? Is the work you do now the same type of work you were doing as a graduate student? A:
Honestly, it all began after high school when I read this book at the library, I cannot remember the name of it now, about how nutrition
factors can affect the mind and its function. Specifically speaking, micronutrients, such as Vitamin K, Iron, and Copper affect the brain development. I did my undergraduate, and Ph.D degree in neuroscience at University of Toronto; then I did a Post-doctoral fellowship in neurophysiology from the National Research Council of Canada. And, today I am researching in the same field.
What is the most expensive equipment you have in your lab?
A: It’s called Multi-Electrode Array, which allows me to interpret the electrical signal in the brain while performing the experiment. It costs
approximately sixty thousand dollars. If students are interested in Professor John Mielke’s research please don’t hesitate to visit him at BMH 2308 for further information. schonghar@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Q: Where did you get this research idea? A: Years back I read this interesting paper by David Barker which dealt with fetal growth and maternal diet, which is also known as Barker hypothesis. The theory states that reduced fetal growth is strongly associated with a number of chronic conditions later in life. This increased susceptibility results from adaptations made by the fetus in an environment limited in its supply of nutrients. These chronic conditions include coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. However, Barker did not study the effect in the brain development, so I decided to do it. Q: Which people have most influenced your thinking about cognition and in what way? A: David Hume the Scottish philosopher. I admired his work, which deals with the mind and metaphysics; also because I did a second degree in philosophy. Scott Siyavoosh Chonghar
Refreshing your penile lingo
I
f you survived the Ontario high school curriculum, you were probably exposed to ominous sex-ed classes as part of the physical education requirement, - and, chances are, erased most of the painful memories of reproductive
organism diagrams from you mind. Now, although you could spot a penis with ease, how good are you at finding and define the prostate glad, vas deferens, the seminal vesicles and the Cowper gland, vas deferens and the epidydimis? Feel
ssoliman@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
— With files from BBC News, Gizmodo and The Times Online
Q:
Courtesy Bartleby.com
free to refer to the diagram below from Grey’s Atatomy as a guide. The prostate glad is commonly referred to, particularly due to the government’s recent efforts to increase prostate cancer awareness through advertising the importance of early detection. Unfortunately, a recent survey conducted by Body and Health Canada found that 20% of American men didn’t even know which gender owned a prostate. To clear up, the prostate gland is a male reproductive organ that is located just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra (a tube connecting the urinary gland with the outside of the body). The prostate gland produces seminal fluid, providing sperm with nutrients and chemicals. However, the prostate also provides many health issues for males due to its location and the effects aging have on the prostate gland. As males get older, the prostate tends to expand, squeezing the urethra and decreasing pressure for urine to travel to the outside of the body. The prostate can get inflamed and even cancerous, and this is why annual medical checkups are crucial for adult male health. The seminal vesicles, of which there are two, measure approxi-
mately 5 centimeters each. They are located behind the bladder and above the prostate gland. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, these powerful tubular glands produce about 60 per cent of fluids passed from the male during ejaculation. Cowper’s gland, also known as a bulborethral gland, was named after William Cowper, who was an 18th century surgeon. Cowper’s gland is actually a set of two pea-sized glands located beneath the prostate gland. They protect sperm by producing an alkaline fluid that forms part of the semen that neutralizes the acidic environment of the urethra. Out of the parts of the male reproductive system, vas deferens is the biggest multitasker. Vas deferens is a mulscular tube that is about 14 inches long, of which there are two. These tubes transport sperm from the epididymis for ejaculation. During ejaculation, the tube forces the sperm forward with peristaltic action – through contracting, propelling the sperm down the tube towards the opening of the urethra. Got questions about the whereabouts and behaviour of your junk? Email Anya at alomako@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Science & Technology
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
Anya Lomako Staff writer Tasmanian devils endangered
Most people associate the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) with the infamous Bugs Bunny cartoon character when it is actually a carnivorous marsupial residing in the Australian state of Tasmania. Sadly, scientists are predicting that in 20 years’ time, the Tasmanian devil will be extinct due to cancer that has already infected two thirds of the population. The disease, which causes facial tumours, has placed the Tasmanian devil on an endangered species list this year. To maintain the species a fence has been put up, separating the infected and healthy animals — but unless massive action is taken, the animals are in grave danger. Quarantine of the healthy animals is particularly crucial since scientists have discovered that the disease cannot be passed to offspring, providing hope for sustaining the species. At the same time, they suffered a research setback when Cedric, a testing Tasmanian devil who was thought to be immune to the disease, contracted it, consequently destabilizing scientific research that has been conducted for the past two years.
University’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment in Rehovot, high-fat diets can disrupt biological clock patterns. Experiments on laboratory mice have shown that diet and biological clock imbalances have a cause-andeffect relationship. To test this thesis, Froy and his colleagues, PhD student Maayan Barnea and Zecharia Madar, the Karl Bach professor of agricultural biochemistry, tested whether the clock controls the adiponectin signaling pathway in the liver and, if so, how fasting and a high-fat diet affect this control. For the experiment, researchers fed mice a low or high-fat diet followed by a day of fasting, measuring the components of the adiponectin metabolic pathway in different levels of activity. Adiponectin is a protein hormone that regulates the metabolism of lipids and glucose. In mice on the low-fat diet, the adiponectin signalling pathway components exhibited normal circadian rhythm and fasting resulted in a phase advance. The high-fat diet resulted in a phase delay. Fasting raised and the high-fat diet reduced adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels. As a result of the research, Froy and his colleagues believe high fat induces changes in the biological clock and the adiponectin signaling pathway can serve as a bridge to other research concerning the disruption of clock-controlled systems associated with metabolic disorders. Antibiotics save ICU lives
Courtesy National Geographic
Diamonds suggest 13,000 year old explosion
Thousands of nanodiamonds have been found scattered in parts of the United States and North America, suggesting that 13,000 years ago numerous comets collided with the Earth, causing enough impact to cause a “cold spell” and drive the mammoths, sabre-toothed cats and other animals into extinction, causing what is now referred to as the Ice Age. The tiny diamonds were discovered by Doug Kennett and colleagues of the University of Oregon, the findings in six sites across North America suiting a hypothesis that explosions above the Earth’s surface cause widespread fire and pressure. The consistency of this hypothesis is alarming, as with global warming the Earth’s ozone layer becomes more prone to developing holes, and is believed to be more vulnerable to celestial body collisions with the Earth. According to the research, there is “strong evidence for a cosmic impact event at approximately 12,900 years ago that would have had enormous environmental consequences for plants, animals, and humans across North America.” The corrosion of the Clovis American Indian culture and the abundance of animal bone dating prior to the explosion are consistent with the climate change hypothesis. High fat foods disrupt biological clock
Another negative health consequence of eating high-fat foods has been added to the list. According to Dr. Oren Froy and his colleagues of the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition at the Hebrew
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the advantages of administering antibiotics to intensive care units before an infection develops outweigh the danger of developing antibiotic resistance. “We have seen that using antibiotics clearly results in a reduction in the number of deaths and intensive care units should make use of this knowledge,” Anne Marie deSmet, a researcher at University Medical Centre Utrecht, said in a statement. The crux of the matter is that the World Health Organization has been accounting deaths due to poor health practised for years, demanding better bacteria-eliminating practices, while doctors have been encouraged to cut back on antibiotic administration to prevent development of superbug bacteria. Hospitals and health care centres are a major source of bacteria, and contribute to an annual 19,000 deaths a year in the United States due to infections contracted from health facilities. The infections that develop as result of exposure to the bacteria can cause “life-threatening and disfiguring infections that can kill within days and can often only be treated with expensive, intravenous antibiotics.” In that case, preventative antibiotic administration may be a key component of improving ICU care quality. However, the study was conducted over a 28 day period and long-term resistance development complications must be explored before precautionary antibiotic administration can be considered a safe method of action. alomako@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
— With files from The Globe and Mail, BBC News, News Daily, and e!Science News
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Sports & Living
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009 sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Courtesy Adam Steeves
Athletes of the Week September 2008- December 2008 Sept 8- Catherine Vanderburgh (Soccer) Evan Martin (Football) Sept 15- Kelly-Lynne Spettigue (Cross Country) Nick Licskai (Baseball) Sept 22- Caitlin Martin (Rugby) Travis Hendry (Baseball)
Warrior Rewind Weekly Warriors picks from Fall 2008 reflect on their experiences and the road to come...
Sept 29- Kelly-Lynne Spettigue (Cross Country) Bowie Abbis-Mills (Golf) Oct 6- Katherine Olsen (Field Hockey) Luke Demeter (Rugby) Oct 14- Tiffany Terrier (Golf) Luke Balch (Football) Oct 20- Sarah Bryson (Hockey) Luke Kieswetter (Basketball) Oct 27- Vicky Lounder (Field Hockey) Chris Hartman (Cross Country) Nov 3- Jara Brunt (Volleyball) Aaron Dam (Volleyball) Nov 10- Kim Lee (Basketball) Steve Whitely (Hockey) Nov 17- Nicole Giberson (Volleyball) Sean Roche (Hockey)
Courtesy Luke balch
Nov 24- Kim Lee (Basketball) Cam McIntyre (Basketball) Dec 1- Cassandra Jung (Cheerleading) Shane Hart (Hockey) Counterclockwise from top: Weekly Warrior quarterback Luke Balch, Weekly Warrior basketball player Kim Lee, Warrior quarterback Luke Balch with teammate, Weekly Warrior cheerleader Cassandra Jung.
M
LI V EN E
100.3
UND SO F
January 14
LI S T
photos courtesy uw athletics, holly sage
vs Western Mustangs [W] 6:00 pm, [M] 8:00 pm UW PAC Gym
Shoot for Tuition @ half-time Registered trademarks of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under license. Š Boston Pizza International Inc. 2005
IMPRINT | JANUARY9
Sports & Living
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
21
The Warrior spirit
Holly Sage Intern
Photos by holly Sage Courtesy Kelly spettigue
Who: Kelly Spettigue 2nd Year Engineering What: Cross Country
Who: Luke Balch 3rd Year Recreation What: Football Originally from London Ontario, Balch plays quarterback for the Waterloo Warriors. Right from Grade 6, a passion for the sport was born. “Watching the Buffalo Bills on TV from a young age, is what really got me interested in football to begin with,” Balch reminisces. “My Dad put me on a team in grade school and I’ve loved it ever since.” As a member of the Waterloo Warriors he has played many football games throughout his current university career. It was during one of these games, against the Windsor Lancers, that Balch won Athlete of the Week, an award given out to a student on any given sports team who shows particular Warrior spirit and achievement. Being the leader of an incredible comeback during the second half, Balch said, “We were down 23-1 at halftime, so we stepped it up and engineered a drive that allowed to us to win the game.” Even while speaking of his Warrior of the Week award, Balch regards it to be a team effort. “When I play football with the Warriors, there is always a strong sense of team unity and our games are always exciting. The coaching staff and all of my teammates are great; it’s a lot of fun. That’s why we play, to have fun.”
Native to Richmond Hill, Ontario, Spettigue is a key asset to the Warriors Cross Country team. Her introduction to the sport was coincidental but the commitment and the drive has stayed with her throughout her academic career. “Truthfully, I started running cross country because, back in elementary school, if we went to enough practices we got a sticker,” Spettigue laughs. She continued running through high school and as she ran, she excelled and the sport became her own. It was during a cross country field meet that Spettigue achieved the Warrior of the Week award. She was the ninth Ontario University Athletics student to cross the finish line and her time of 15.41 on the 4.1km track helped the Warriors to achieve a second place finish over all other OUA schools. Spettigue smiles, “My favourite part was the mud. You also get to meet a lot of fun people, too.”
Who: Cassandra Jung 2nd Year Science What: Cheerleading Also from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Jung is a tumbler for the Warriors Cheerleading team. She had always been skilled in the area of gymnastics through her elementary and high school years, even competing at national level, but upon entering university the Warriors did not have a gymnastics team. “I started cheerleading because it related to gymnastics and both sports used much of the same skills.” Jung was
awarded Warrior of the Week when she gave Waterloo their second National Tumbling title. Her tumbling routine included a double twisting layout which was the hardest skill performed by any of the women. It is also one of the most difficult moves taught in cheerleading. “The atmosphere of training with a group of people who are willing to learn really helped me to compete with my best. Cheerleading has also become a great way for me to take a break from studying; I really enjoy it.” Who: You! What: The next Warrior of the Week!
STUDENT SPECIAL
Courtesy Kelly spettigue
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Comics & Distractions
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
POSTSCRIPT
BY GRAHAM MOOGK-SOULIS
IMPRESSION, BY JIM & LAN
IN THE WEEDS
BY MATT FIG, BRANDON FORLER, AND KEEGAN TREMBLAY
RUNAWAY RINGTOSS
BY PETER N. TRINH
KURTIS ELTON
fp_jan9:Layout 1
1/6/09
5:11 PM
Page 1
[M] Hockey January 16 vs Queen’s Gaels 7:30 pm, UW CIF Arena
[M] Volleyball January 17 vs RMC Paladins 7:30 pm, UW PAC Gym
[M][W] Basketball January 17 vs Guelph Gryphons [W] 2:00 pm, [M] 4:00pm UW PAC Gym Fantastic Alumni, Faculty & Staff Day
’ Men s Game
Alumni vs Staff Monster Hoops Shoot Out
Airplane Toss – prizes include laptop, Nintendo DS, Bike, GTS, $200 Best Buy gift certificate
Campus Recreation
New!
Registration
Campus Recreation
Intramural Program Registration
Programs
Friday, January 9 - Last day to register.
Instructional Program Registration
• Canoe Polo • Bootcamp/interval fitness class
Monday, January 12th - Thursday, January 15th *New*
for more information, visit:
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Women’s Game
24
Comics & Distractions By Holly Sage
Imprint’s travelling to the CUP journalism conference this first week back— which begs the question: Where would you rather be than Saskatoon? “Montreal — I’ve never been and it sounds like fun.” Anthony Lausch 4th year math &
Imprint, Friday, January 9, 2009
Crossword
Maggie Clark
Across 1. Stair 5. One less than a trio 9. Convulsion 14. Booze-hound 15. Againts 16. Stomach complaint 17. Going inside of (prep.)
B.C. — Lots of things there to do, even though it’s cold.” Casy Auty 1A fine arts & business
“Somewhere warm! Anywhere!” David Gelboin 1A Arts
18. Flexible mineral 19. Meaty spreads 20. The practice of charity 23. Consumed 24. Record-holding 28. Farm pen
“California! A lot more things to see, and it’d be a lot warmer there.”
Farah Alakim 1A honours arts “Somewhere fun, like... any other town.” Irene Hawkings & Emily Dandy 3A environment & business “Mexico! Oh, and Florida’s nice this time of year.” Marlee Kuchinak & Anna Porzuczek 3rd year legal studies
“Italy for sure: lots of good food. It’d be a big culture shock, too — and it’s warm! Ramneek Mangat 1A science & business “Not in classes, for sure. I’m indifferent to cold, though.” Tyler Hunt
3rd year legal studies & business
Cryptogram T NLY CPDTDE PGPCJESTYR PINPAE EPXAELETZY. — ZDNLC HTWOP
29. Itsy-bitsy biter 33. Melted ice from (hyphen) 34. Chinese fruit (alt. spelling) 36. Infectious disease common in student populations (abbr.) 37. Camera glass used to magnify images (2 wds)
63. War tactic targeting women and children
42. Italian farewell
64. Search for water
43. New Mexico’s state flower
65. Louis, of Metis fame
44. Unmitigated
66. And others, for short
47. Type of carpet
67. Black carbon substances
48. Clairvoyance
68. Adopted son of Claudius
51. Kitchener Village
69. Back talk
53. It comes from the heart
Down
55. After a lengthy period of time (four words)
1. Sweeps (as in a blow)
59. Civilization conquered by the Spanish in 1521
3. Being
62. Mine finds
30. Puppy’s bite 31. Sore 32. “thees and _____” 35. Rash reaction? 37. Wear down 38. Rank above viscount 39. Soil most ideal for gardening 40. Mozart’s “L’___ del Cairo”
4. Last name; also a town in Dorset, England 5. Condemn
1) The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain. — Aristotle 2) Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. — Albert Einstein
41. Goods or materials on the ocean floor or tied to a buoy 42. Subway alternative 45. (for the) time being (Latin)
6. Condo division
46. Kind of explosive
7. Carve in stone
November 28 Cryptogram Solution
26. Department store department 27. Old name for Tokyo
2. Soldier’s helmet (slang)
Sudoku Maggie Clark
25. Representation
48. Typos
8. Beauty pageant wear 9. Flexible, pliant
49. Buddhist structures to house sacred relics
10. Hours for diversion
50. Juries
11. Do film work
52. “Every rose has its ____”
12. Envision
54. Species of monster
13. Denoting married status for women
56. Lake that Canada’s Point Pelee National Park is on
21. Perspective
57. Lecherous look
22. Ancient
58. Capital of Norway
November 28 Crossword Solution
59. Infomercials, e.g. 60. Menagerie 61. First prime number
November 28 Sudoku Solution