Volume 142 · Issue 9 · Oct. 29, 2008 thebruns.ca the brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication. ARTS // FEAR AND LOATHING AT THE HALIFAX POP EXPLOSION >> PAGE 7 Buzz Hargrove speaks at UNB Former head of auto workers’ union discusses economy, government OPINION / PAGE 4 NEWS / PAGE 3 Video Game Piracy Does some copy protection go too far? Fine Tunings Reds work out kinks in exhibition tournament SPORTS / PAGE 10 Halloween Friday: Oct 31 Ballroom Event CAMERON MITCHELL THE BRUNSWICKAN There was a brisk breeze Saturday morning as the men of Neville/Jones rounded the corner of George Street and pushed their bed towards the Farmers’ Market. It had been a long Friday night for the UNB students, and the toll of the journey was visible. Some students were limping. Some were panting and chugging water. Some were draped in big jackets and trying to keep warm. Nevertheless, they were all smiling. For the 16th year in a row, the men of Neville/Jones had succeeded in pushing a bed all the way from Saint John to Fredericton – this year, in ten hours despite blowing a tire in the middle of the push. And once again, they did it to raise money for the Women in Transition House Inc (WITH), a local shelter for women leaving abusive situations. “The Neville/Jones Bed Push is a fundraiser, it’s a marathon, and it’s become the cornerstone of the traditions of Neville/ Jones House,” belted Nick Ouellette, the house don and Bed Push coordinator, through a megaphone. His words were met with a round of applause, and several hoots and hollers from the Lady Dunn girls and other spectators. “But the Bed Push is more than that,” the don continued, “it’s the idea that we can one day live in a society where transition houses aren’t needed.” Since 1993, the annual Bed Push has raised more than $200,000 for WITH, including $30,500 in 2007. The Neville/ Jones men, who personally canvass the city in search of sponsors before the event, raise the money. The day of the event is actually a culmination of months of organization and hard work, but it pays off. “It’s easy to get caught up in fundraising records – we know because we hold almost all of them on the Fredericton campus,” Ouellette bellowed to a round of laughter. “But the message underlying all of that has not been lost. In Neville/Jones, we have a very strong belief and that’s an unwavering commitment to the idea that domestic violence in all its forms, against women and against children, is wrong and must end,” said Ouellette. The amount of money raised for WITH by Neville/Jones, and the amount of awareness created, has certainly aided the issue of domestic violence. This year, the Bed Push raised $16,000, but it wasn’t easy. The trek through the night was long and cold. The men bundled up in sweatshirts and sweatpants, and gulped down a ton of water along the way. Still, they kept going and managed to get the bed all the way from Saint John to Fredericton. Perhaps there was a little something extra pushing the men along this year. This was the last Bed Push for their committed leader Nick Ouellette, who has lived in the house for eight years, and has gone from freshman to house don. Under Ouellette’s coordination over the last few years, the Bed Push has raised well over $100,000. However, it is practically a given that someone will pick up where Ouellette left off. Bed Push has a strong legacy of support, and WITH is something that is important to the house as a whole. The push left the men of Neville/Jones tired and hungry, and after Ouellette presented the $16,000 cheque to WITH, many started to head home to bed. However, at least one student decided to take advantage of the small line-ups at the early morning market. “I’m going to get a donair,” he said and walked towards the kiosk. If anything, he earned it. Powering the local music scene Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan The men of Neville/Jones spent 10 hours pushing a bed last Friday from Saint John to Fredericton to raise funds for Fredericton’s Women in Transition House, a shelter for abused women and children. The event raised $16,000. DOUG ESTEY THE BRUNSWICKAN A UNB law student is claiming that a fellow classmate has posted hateful material on the internet. Shane Martinez discovered hateful material last February on the web and has since launched a series of complaints, leading to the launch of an inquiry about the structure of UNB’s learning environment. Martinez says he discovered inappropriate material written by the student while working on a group project. “Things went okay for about two months, but then (the student) stopped showing up for meetings. (The student) had an unusual email, so we typed (the student’s) email address into Google, and all of these racist comments came up,” says Martinez. “I took it to the Dean after that.” Martinez says he is concerned mainly with pictures of guns posted by the student. He says there are pictures of semi-automatic air rifles and handguns, and descriptions of how the student conceals guns in his or her clothing. Coupled with statements inciting hatred against women, those of color, the disabled, and those of various religious faiths, Martinez finds additional cause for concern. “When people read this material it’s extremely offensive. What shocks me is that… they’ve been doing it for four years,” Martinez says. He says that the individual has posted over 9000 messages on the website prank.org, and that it’s “really horrific stuff.” Martinez says the Dean of Law contacted the police after he brought the issue to light. Meanwhile, Martinez has filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Association. He says the complaint is still in the investigation stage. The alleged comment-poster has left UNB for the time being, according to Martinez. The individual “withdrew a couple of days ago and supposedly left town,” says Martinez. UNB has responded by striking a panel of inquiry that is dealing with the question of how the learning environment at UNB has been affected. Communications Manager Dan Tanaka says the panel has the authority to make recommendations to the President’s office. Recommendations will be made in November. The major issue at hand now is how the issue will be dealt with. “I have zero tolerance for promotion of hatred,” says Martinez. “We need to show students who are members of attacked groups that we support them.” Tanaka agrees. “It comes down to the learning environment at UNB,” he says. “The bottom line is that everyone working or studying at UNB has to feel safe, whether a teacher, student or staff member. That’s why we’ve taken this step to determine impact.” Tanaka says the university is happy that students feel comfortable coming forward with allegations of this kind, and that any member of the university community should be able to come forward to security about similar issues. “We do take these allegations very seriously,” he says. The Brunswickan has declined to print the name of the alleged poster of hate comments. SARAH RATCHFORD THE BRUNSWICKAN Inquiry launched Pushing through the night The Canadian arts industry has certainly endured its part of trials and tribulations this year. After serving as the target of Stephen Harper’s 2008 campaign for government funding cutbacks, new hope has arisen in the form of provincial grants for four prominent Fredericton acts through the newly-revised provincial Music Industry Development Program. The program allows for an allocation of up to $20,000 per year for a maximum of 3 years and is designed to give promising local artists a hand in producing, marketing, and promoting accessible music to the public. As such, it can also be applied towards the costs of touring in support of a new album and attending important music- related events. The Olympic Symphonium ($60,000), Grand Theft Bus ($40,000), The Slate Pacific ($8,500), and Ross Neilsen’s Boot Soup Entertainment ($10,200) are among several other New Brunswick artists and bands that will receive a helping hand through the provincial funded grants. Kyle Cunjak, bass player for The Olym- pic Symphonium and a recent addition to Grand Theft Bus, notes that the recently acquired funding is pivotal to his bands’ progress on the Atlantic coast. “With the East Coast Music Awards in Newfoundland this year, we didn’t think we’d be able to attend. Thanks to these grants, it’s now a reality.” He also points out the amount of time and paperwork that was required in order to apply for the program. “Our business plan was about 30-40 pages. On top of that we had to include lyric sheets, press sheets, radio charts, reviews, examples of album art, band members, past accomplish- ments, producer notes, and a budget. It was more than 50 pages in total and it took us the majority of the summer.” The Olympic Symphonium also has plans to expand Canada’s musical reach into Eu- rope in an upcoming tour. James Boyle is the founder of Forward Music Group, a record label in Fredericton that deals with both of Cunjak’s bands. Boyle and Forward were anticipating the Music Industry Development Program before it was even officially announced. “The scene here in the province had evolved quite a bit since the introduction of the New Brunswick Sound Initiative, so it had become pretty outdated. We were sitting around waiting to see SEE GRANTS PAGE 7
Transcript
Volume 142 · Issue 9 · Oct. 29, 2008 thebruns.ca
the brunswickancanada’s oldest official student publication.
arts // FEar aND LOatHING at tHE HaLIFaX pOp EXpLOsION >> paGE 7
Buzz Hargrove speaks at UNB Former head of auto
workers’ union discusses economy, government
OPINION / PAGE 4NEWS / PAGE 3
Video Game PiracyDoes some copy protection go too far?
Fine TuningsReds work out kinks in exhibition tournament
SPORTS / PAGE 10
HalloweenFriday: Oct 31
BallroomEvent
Cameron mitChellthe BrunswiCkan
There was a brisk breeze Saturday morning as the men of Neville/Jones rounded the corner of George Street and pushed their bed towards the Farmers’ Market. It had been a long Friday night for the UNB students, and the toll of the journey was visible. Some students were limping. Some were panting and chugging water. Some were draped in big jackets and trying to keep warm. Nevertheless, they were all smiling.
For the 16th year in a row, the men of Neville/Jones had succeeded in pushing a bed all the way from Saint John to Fredericton – this year, in ten hours despite blowing a tire in the middle of the push. And once again, they did it to raise money
for the Women in Transition House Inc (WITH), a local shelter for women leaving abusive situations.
“The Neville/Jones Bed Push is a fundraiser, it’s a marathon, and it’s become the cornerstone of the traditions of Neville/Jones House,” belted Nick Ouellette, the house don and Bed Push coordinator, through a megaphone. His words were met with a round of applause, and several hoots and hollers from the Lady Dunn girls and other spectators.
“But the Bed Push is more than that,” the don continued, “it’s the idea that we can one day live in a society where transition houses aren’t needed.”
Since 1993, the annual Bed Push has raised more than $200,000 for WITH, including $30,500 in 2007. The Neville/Jones men, who personally canvass the city in search of sponsors before the event, raise the money. The day of the event is actually a culmination of months of organization
and hard work, but it pays off. “It’s easy to get caught up in fundraising
records – we know because we hold almost all of them on the Fredericton campus,” Ouellette bellowed to a round of laughter. “But the message underlying all of that has not been lost. In Neville/Jones, we have a very strong belief and that’s an unwavering commitment to the idea that domestic violence in all its forms, against women and against children, is wrong and must end,” said Ouellette.
The amount of money raised for WITH by Neville/Jones, and the amount of awareness created, has certainly aided the issue of domestic violence. This year, the Bed Push raised $16,000, but it wasn’t easy.
The trek through the night was long and cold. The men bundled up in sweatshirts and sweatpants, and gulped down a ton of water along the way. Still, they kept going and managed to get the bed all the way
from Saint John to Fredericton. Perhaps there was a little something
extra pushing the men along this year. This was the last Bed Push for their committed leader Nick Ouellette, who has lived in the house for eight years, and has gone from freshman to house don. Under Ouellette’s coordination over the last few years, the Bed Push has raised well over $100,000.
However, it is practically a given that someone will pick up where Ouellette left off. Bed Push has a strong legacy of support, and WITH is something that is important to the house as a whole.
The push left the men of Neville/Jones tired and hungry, and after Ouellette presented the $16,000 cheque to WITH, many started to head home to bed. However, at least one student decided to take advantage of the small line-ups at the early morning market. “I’m going to get a donair,” he said and walked towards the kiosk. If anything, he earned it.
Powering the local music scene
Sandy Chase / The BrunswickanThe men of Neville/Jones spent 10 hours pushing a bed last Friday from Saint John to Fredericton to raise funds for Fredericton’s Women in Transition House, a shelter for abused women and children. The event raised $16,000.
Doug esteythe BrunswiCkan
A UNB law student is claiming that a fellow classmate has posted hateful material on the internet.
Shane Martinez discovered hateful material last February on the web and has since launched a series of complaints, leading to the launch of an inquiry about the structure of UNB’s learning environment.
Martinez says he discovered inappropriate material written by the student while working on a group project.
“Things went okay for about two months, but then (the student) stopped showing up for meetings. (The student) had an unusual email, so we typed (the student’s) email address into Google, and all of these racist comments came up,” says Martinez. “I took it to the Dean after that.”
Martinez says he is concerned mainly with pictures of guns posted by the student. He says there are pictures of semi-automatic air rifles and handguns, and descriptions of how the student conceals guns in his or her clothing.
Coupled with statements inciting hatred against women, those of color, the disabled, and those of various religious faiths, Martinez finds additional cause for concern.
“When people read this material it’s extremely offensive. What shocks me is that… they’ve been doing it for four years,” Martinez says. He says that the individual has posted over 9000 messages on the website prank.org, and that it’s “really horrific stuff.”
Martinez says the Dean of Law contacted the police after he brought the issue to light.
Meanwhile, Martinez has filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Association. He says the complaint is still in the investigation stage.
The alleged comment-poster has left UNB for the time being, according to Martinez.
The individual “withdrew a couple of days ago and supposedly left town,” says Martinez.
UNB has responded by striking a panel of inquiry that is dealing with the question of how the learning environment at UNB has been affected.
Communications Manager Dan Tanaka says the panel has the authority to make recommendations to the President’s office. Recommendations will be made in November.
The major issue at hand now is how the issue will be dealt with.
“I have zero tolerance for promotion of hatred,” says Martinez. “We need to show students who are members of attacked groups that we support them.”
Tanaka agrees. “It comes down to the learning environment at UNB,” he says. “The bottom line is that everyone working or studying at UNB has to feel safe, whether a teacher, student or staff member. That’s why we’ve taken this step to determine impact.”
Tanaka says the university is happy that students feel comfortable coming forward with allegations of this kind, and that any member of the university community should be able to come forward to security about similar issues.
“We do take these allegations very seriously,” he says.
The Brunswickan has declined to print the name of the alleged poster of hate comments.
sarah ratChforDthe BrunswiCkan
Inquiry launched Pushing through the night
The Canadian arts industry has certainly endured its part of trials and tribulations this year.
After serving as the target of Stephen Harper’s 2008 campaign for government funding cutbacks, new hope has arisen in the form of provincial grants for four prominent Fredericton acts through the newly-revised provincial Music Industry Development Program.
The program allows for an allocation of up to $20,000 per year for a maximum of 3 years and is designed to give promising local artists a hand in producing, marketing, and promoting accessible music to the public.
As such, it can also be applied towards the costs of touring in support of a new album and attending important music-related events.
The Olympic Symphonium ($60,000), Grand Theft Bus ($40,000), The Slate Pacific ($8,500), and Ross Neilsen’s Boot Soup Entertainment ($10,200) are among several other New Brunswick artists and bands that will receive a helping hand through the provincial funded grants.
Kyle Cunjak, bass player for The Olym-
pic Symphonium and a recent addition to Grand Theft Bus, notes that the recently acquired funding is pivotal to his bands’ progress on the Atlantic coast.
“With the East Coast Music Awards in Newfoundland this year, we didn’t think we’d be able to attend. Thanks to these grants, it’s now a reality.”
He also points out the amount of time and paperwork that was required in order to apply for the program.
“Our business plan was about 30-40 pages. On top of that we had to include lyric sheets, press sheets, radio charts, reviews, examples of album art, band members, past accomplish-ments, producer notes, and a budget. It was more than 50 pages in total and it took us the
majority of the summer.”The Olympic Symphonium also has plans
to expand Canada’s musical reach into Eu-rope in an upcoming tour.
James Boyle is the founder of Forward Music Group, a record label in Fredericton that deals with both of Cunjak’s bands. Boyle and Forward were anticipating the Music Industry Development Program before it was even officially announced.
“The scene here in the province had evolved quite a bit since the introduction of the New Brunswick Sound Initiative, so it had become pretty outdated.
The University of New Brunswick’s newest graduates are seen lining up in the quad on Thursday, Oct. 23 to prepare for the fall convocation ceremony. The Brunswickan congratulates these new alumni and wishes them success in future endeavours.
Hilary Paige SmitHtHe BrunSwickan
On Oct. 24 and 25, women from all walks of life gathered for the 19th annual “Nurturing Ourselves” conference on women’s health and well-being.
The conference was born from the ideas of Penny Erikson, a former Dean of UNB’s Faculty of Nursing, and Marilyn Noble, from the Centre for Extended Learning. The aim of the conference is to promote women’s health and well-being, as well as provide an escape from day-to-day life.
This year’s conference theme was “She who laughs…lasts” and the theme was highlighted with a presentation by Meg Stoper, a Canadian comedienne and registered nurse. She has shared the stage with the likes of Ray Romano and Ellen Degeneres. Her presentation topic was “Humour is one size fits all.” The comedy theme continued throughout the weekend with a comedic act by presenters, Granny G and Beulah, two senior citizens who provide a light-hearted and insightful perspective on aging and feminism.
Saturday was full of enriching workshops covering every topic from journaling and self-expression, to a class called “All That Jazz,” exploring the benefits of exercise through jazz dancing.
Jennifer Phillips, chair of the Nurturing Ourselves Conference Planning Committee, explains the goals of the workshops, “The underlying theme is tools for life. So when they come, every workshop is interactive and they walk away with some sort of tool. It might be a tool to have a positive attitude or it might be a tool on how to identify a healthy or unhealthy relationship. There is a lot of variety and different things, but the intent is that women go home with tools that they can use in their day-to-day lives.”
Phillips feels that the workshops are beneficial to women who attend because they teach necessary life skills and focus on the self.
“The day is about nurturing, so it is about taking care of yourself. We have all sorts of workshops and events and activities for women to take care of themselves in body, mind, spirit, emotions, everything,” Phillips says.
The conference room was lined with booths promoting products for health, beauty and happiness. Mary Kay beauty, Xocai “Ultimate Antioxidant” Health Chocolate, Green cleaning products and Westminster Books
SaraH ratcHfordtHe BrunSwickan
all had representation. There were also booths selling locally made jewelery, organizational services and international cooking tips.
The conference, though it seeks to promote health and well-being, also seeks to change women’s minds about issues that directly affect them. Phillips says that it is not always easy for women to break from their belief systems and the ideals they have been taught through society and their families. She notes that women, as they grow older and others, as they attend the conference learn to shed their beliefs and come into themselves.
“There are a number of workshops that we run that enable women to see that maybe they might do something a little different with their lives. They might take on a different role, or a different attitude out of coming and those can be transformational types of workshops.”
The conference room was filled to the brim with women. There were women absorbing the atmosphere alone, there were women laughing and posing for photographs with friends and there were many volunteers, attending to guests and setting up for their next workshops.
Regardless of who they were, or where they came from, women at the conference bonded together, nurturing themselves.
cameron mitcHelltHe BrunSwickan
In Atlantic Canada one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and for rUNBuddies captain Nicola Cassidy that number is far too high. That is why the UNB Human Resources employee started rUNBuddies along with Computer Science faculty employee Heather Smith three years ago. Since then, the rUNBuddies have raised $323,000 for breast cancer research and awareness. The team works on more than just the Run for the Cure day – it’s a year-round affair.
“The rUNBuddies is a team made up of faculty, staff, families and friends of UNB. It was just a way to bring together all the little teams that were at UNB and make one big team that would give us a central place where we could organize all the events,” Cassidy explained. “We never in our wildest dreams thought it’d be so successful.”
The rUNBuddies bring a sense of community to UNB. They bring students, staff, and the community together, all working towards finding a cure for breast cancer.
Every year, one of the team’s biggest fundraisers is the CIBC Run for the Cure. This year, Cassidy organized the rUNBuddies participation in the event by herself because Smith has since graduated.
The Run for the Cure took place on October 5, and the rUNBuddies raised $25,000 for breast cancer research. Several students participated, including students from the Lady Dunn and Neville/Jones residence, as well as the entire Women’s basketball team.
“It’s just phenomenal the people that you see on run day. It’s a sea of pink everywhere, and it’s really an emotional event,” Cassidy continued. “And this year in particular was special for me because this will be my last year as team captain.”
“From the fundraising aspect alone it’s an absolutely incredible event and it’s an incredible experience. But one of my main goals has been to create
awareness,” Cassidy said. The rUNBuddies also took home
the CIBC Corporate Spirit Team Award for the third straight year at this year’s Run for the Cure. The rUNBuddies have won the award every year that they’ve been in existence.
“(The Corporate Spirit Team Award) is an award for the team that raises the most amount of money at their run site, and we’ve been very fortunate to have won that award for the last three years,” Cassidy beamed. “As you can tell, I’m really proud of the team!”
The rUNBuddies also raise money with everything from bake sales and golf events, to truly unique events like the Running of the Ducks. In this event, several numbered rubber ducks race down a water runway. People purchase a numbered duck and the winning duck garners the recipient a prize. This year, Lady Dunn took over this event, which took place on Saturday, Oct. 4 in conjunction with Run for the Cure.
“We also participated with the Women’s basketball team for a Think Pink basketball game. That was last December and we’re actually going to be doing it again this
January,” Cassidy explained. This event is a national initiative by the women’s coaches to raise money for breast cancer. “It’s quite amazing to see all the teams dressed in pink, and the coaches all dressed in pink! And all the money raised all goes to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.”
For the past three years, the rUNBuddies have been an integral part of the UNB campus and the Fredericton community. But with her time at UNB coming to an end, and her desire to focus on the Fredericton Run Committee, Cassidy will be stepping down as team captain next year.
With all of the positive things that the rUNBuddies do throughout the Fredericton community, Cassidy hopes that someone will step up and take over next year. “I hope that someone will pick up the torch and run with it,” Nicola said.
After another successful year at the Run for a Cure, the rUNBuddies have once again demonstrated their unwavering support for breast cancer research and awarness. More information can be found at rUNBuddies.unbf.ca.
Patients seeking care during New Brunswick’s flu season of the winter months may have a harder time than usual this year.
At last week’s annual general meeting (AGM) of the New Brunswick Nurses’ Union, members representing the province’s 6200 unionized nurses gave its negotiating committee specific instructions.
The committee will return to the negotiating table Nov. 4 in an attempt to find an agreement for members of the Union working in hospitals as well as both public and community mental health.
If discussions do not prove satisfactory to the nurses, a strike vote will be held.
At the Union’s annual meeting in Moncton, the negotiations committee was given a mandate to make improvements on two main issues.
The Union feels that improvements are needed in compensation for nurses working shifts and weekends, and that a commitment is needed from the Department of Health for “a funded partnership agreement to address the retention and recruitment issues faced by nurses,” said a recent press release.
If a strike does occur, nurses on picket duty will be supported by a percentage of designated nurses’ salaries. Over 200 union leaders at the AGM approved this system as an emergency resolution.
Nurses have been fighting for certain matters of the workplace for quite some time.
“Nurses are tired of working short
handed, overtime, and double shifts. By rejecting the latest tentative agreement they are sending a clear signal that work life and workload issues must be addressed, enabling nurses to provide quality care that patients need and deserve. Only more registered nurses will resolve our working conditions,” said Marilyn Quinn, president of the Nurses’ Union, in the press release.
“In order to achieve a tentative agreement which will be ratified by members, I need to be assured by government that concrete action will be taken immediately. Our nurses need to know that relief is in sight,” she continued.
As nursing is quite an important profession in maintaining the health of the population at large, the government seems to be willing to work something out which will beneficial to all parties.
Sarah Ketchenson of the New Brunswick office of Human Resources said that the government is “very focused on getting back to the table on Nov. 4. We’re seeking a resolution acceptable to both parties.”
When asked whether she felt a strike to be likely or not, Ketchenson said that it won’t be known “until we do the work and see where we’re at. All we can do is go in with an open mind and see what the union has to say.”
Meeting financial requirements is more difficult for anyone these days, and Ketchenson makes reference to this in saying that “since we’re in challenging economic times, we are faced with the challenge of meeting the nurses’ needs while remaining financially responsible.”
Results of the Nov. 4 discussions will be made available after that date.
There’s an impending vacancy at the head of the Liberal Party of Canada, and many party members are suggesting that a UNB alumnus is the man to fill it. Former Premier Frank McKenna is being touted as a possible candidate by a variety of senior Liberals, including Business New Brunswick minister Greg Byrne, Premier Shawn Graham, and assorted MPs and party officials speaking to the national media on condition of anonymity.
Local Liberals are no less enthusiastic. Greg Forsythe, who served as constituency association president until earlier this year and remained neutral in the 2006 contest, says of McKenna, “If he runs, I’ll be there supporting him.”
Current president Dan Foster isn’t committed to any candidate and cautions that McKenna hasn’t given any indication that he’ll run, but allows that if he did “he’d be fairly popular” in Fredericton.
McKenna was Premier of N.B. from 1987 until 1997, winning all 58 of the legislature’s seats in his inaugural campaign. While he never repeated the feat, he enjoyed
huge majorities for his entire time in office, during which he became known for his aggressive job creation strategy. He later served as Canadian ambassador to New Brunswick, and is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Toronto Dominion Bank.
In fact, according to UNB political scientist Donald Wright, McKenna’s success after politics may mitigate against his running.
“He won’t run because he’s doing far too well in the private sector,” Wright says.
The man behind one of the internet’s most popular Liberal blogs agrees.
“I don’t think he’ll run,” says Dan Arnold, who blogs under the name Calgary Grit. Arnold believes that if McKenna was interested in leading the Liberals, he would have run after Paul Martin’s 2006 resignation. “Last time the race was his for the taking. The prize looked a little bit better then and he was a little bit younger then.” In support of his argument, Arnold points to media speculation surrounding a possible McKenna bid before each of the 1990, 2004, and 2006 races; each time, McKenna decided against running.
Two of the leading contenders in the 2006 race, Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff, are expected to run again, though Wright
doesn’t believe that either is the right choice.
“The Liberal establishment is looking for a quick winner, but the party needs to think longer-term and look beyond the next election,” he says, adding that barring a Conservative “implosion,” a victory in the next election is likely beyond the Liberals’ grasp. He also suggests that McKenna might not be the only potential leadership candidate to come out of New Brunswick:
“Dominic LeBlanc might be the long-term answer the party needs to rebrand itself, the person to rebuild the party over the next six or seven years.” LeBlanc has been the Member of Parliament for Beausejour since 2000, and is the son of former Governor General Roméo LeBlanc. At 40, he’s more than 20 years younger than Rae and McKenna, who are both 60, and 61-year-old Ignatieff. Foster is reluctant to say anything unequivocal about a LeBlanc candidacy but agrees that “he’s certainly got support in Fredericton.”
Stéphane Dion announced on Oct. 20 that he would be resigning from the Liberal leadership position, after leading the party to its lowest share of the electoral vote since 1867. He will remain as leader until May 2009, when party members will select his replacement at a delegate convention in Vancouver.
There was an eclectic mix of people at Buzz Hargrove’s guest lecture last Wednesday, Oct. 22. There were business people in suits, politicians with rimless glasses, students in sweatshirts, and UNB staff dressed mainly in brown. But none of them knew what to expect from the former leader of the Canadian Auto Workers Union, who stepped down a mere month ago.
Hargrove entered the room dressed like an office worker on casual Friday, but the reception didn’t match his look, and he was greeted like a rock star. People fought to shake Hargrove’s hand and cameras flashed relentlessly.
Hargrove brushed off his shirt, thanked everyone for being there, and said a special thank-you to the lady who handed him a Tim Horton’s coffee. Then he started to talk, and his voice took over the room.
“My brand of unionism is called social unionism,” Hargrove bellowed. “Social unionism means you’re part of a broader movement, you’re not just the union … it means you want to play a role in the communities you live in.”
Everybody knows what a strike and unions are, but as Hargrove explained, “the day-to-day work of the labour unions are not well known.” Hargrove described how it was important for his unions to be involved in charities. He talked about everything from shelters for
drug-addicted teens, to a massive movement to bring fresh well water to impoverished Native groups in the Yukon. “These are the sorts of things that got me out of bed in the morning,” he said.
Hargrove has spent a lifetime fighting for better wages and working conditions.
“It’s aptly critical that we do the job in collective bargaining, and not be afraid to take on a battle,” Hargrove continued. “But we should also be constantly trying to find a creative solution and try to avoid a major fight ... anyone can have a strike.”
Hargrove has received a lot of criticism for thinking outside the box. His political dealings have left him with enemies in the Conservative, Liberal, and NDP parties. Originally a proponent of the NDP, Hargrove switched sides and urged voters to vote Liberal in the 2006 election because he thought they had the best chance of defeating the Conservatives. Hargrove believes that Harper focuses too much on the west, and that “his principles don’t sit well with the rest of Canada.”
The United States is already in a recession because of their financial crisis, and Hargrove talked about how Canada isn’t that far behind. “I can’t imagine a more challenging situation for Canada,” Hargrove continued, “we’ve only started to see the impact on workers.”
Hargrove stressed how the government must work to ensure that Canadian workers get some help. He criticized the fact that 10 per cent of the $700 billion bailout in the U.S. went towards bonuses for executives of bankrupt companies, and hinted
that the Harper government is well on its way to making similar mistakes. “We must fight for jobs! We can’t accept that the mistakes of others are somehow our fault,” Hargrove said.
Because of the economic crisis, companies like John Deere and Volvo are moving their production plants out of Canada and down to Mexico. Hargrove talked about how he believes that the government and labour unions must work together to ensure that those sorts of things don’t happen.
However, the worst may be yet to come. “There is a good chance that one of Ford, Chrysler, or GM will go out of business in the next couple of weeks,” Hargrove said. The trickle-down effect of that sort of occurrence would hurt countless Canadians, and put many people out of work.
However, Hargrove believes that there is light at the end of tunnel. “I’ve spent my life time being an optimist, and I’m not about to stop,” he said. According to Hargrove, these dire times should signal the government to put money back into social programs, and to create jobs. “There will be tremendous pressure on social programs in the next while,” Hargrove continued, “and now’s not the time to say there’s no money.”
“What’s happening in our economy is not normal, but we can do something about it, and the labour movement can take the lead,” Hargrove urged. “We need a real debate on what’s important to our country and our people.”
Hargrove, a New Brunswick native, was bestowed an honorary degree from UNB at Thursday’s convocation.
Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan
Buzz Hargrove, above, spoke at UNB last week about the economy and government.
For 16 years, UNB’s Neville/Jones house has been the driving force behind the Bed Push, an annual event which generates funds in support of Women in Transition House (WITH).
WITH is a safe, confidential haven for abused women and their children. It is staffed by women who are trained to provide support, and to be responsive to the needs of women in crisis.
WITH’s mission statement says that it “provides refuge and comfort and a time for healing” and that its success “is achieved through clients who leave to lead happier and healthier lives
through self-improvement thereby providing hope for the future.”
The funds raised by the men of Neville/Jones will be put towards providing food and other essentials to residents of the shelter, as well as “general maintenance, utilities, food, ensuring that everything is up to date and that the women have a comfortable environment,” says Erica Gorman, President of the shelter’s Board of Directors. Donations also go to such necessities as bedding.
“I think the Bed Push is a really great fundraiser. These men work so hard for us,” says Gorman. Altogether, the event has raised over $200,000 for WITH.
The event raised $16,000 this year.
“Forty per cent of our operating money comes from donations, and the Neville/Jones bed push is a big one,” Gorman says appreciatively.
Event coordinator Evan Scott says the event is “just a bunch of guys trying to do a great thing for
the community.” “We’re not tolerating abuse
against women,” he says. Monies raised from the Bed Push
have assisted Transition House in providing shelter and support to abused women and children for the past 16 years. Each year, over 300 women and children seek refuge at the Transition House.
The shelter is for any woman, with or without children, who has been physically, emotionally, or sexually abused. It provides emotional support and peer counseling, information on legal remedies, income assistance, employment, housing, day care, job training programs and other resources, including referrals for counseling.
Erica Gorman, on behalf of Transition House, says, “Thank you to everybody for your hard work and support, especially Nick and his team. Your support is greatly appreciated.”
Sarah ratchfordthe BrunSwickan
Student graduating into an economic slowdown
WINNIPEG (CUP) – The economic cycle is moving into a recession, which spells trouble for students about to graduate.
“We are seeing a short-term slowdown in a long-term growth pattern,” said Hugh Grant, a professor of economics at the University of Winnipeg who specializes in labour economics.
Grant says the time when a student enters the labour market can have an impact on their long-term earnings.
“Enter a bad labour market – and here I mean a prolonged recession – you may get a job, but a lousy job,” he said. “When the labour market improves five years later and jobs open
up in your field, you find yourself competing with fresh graduates.”
According to Grant, studies show that this “economic scarring” can be reflected in a worker’s wages throughout their life.
Russell Plett remembers well the recession in the ‘80s. He was shingling roofs in the early years of the decade and remembers the difficulty finding work.
“We didn’t get to shop for jobs,” he said. “I don’t know that I ever turned a job down.”
By 1983, Plett decided he would rather be in school than face the elements on rooftops throughout the seasons. He graduated with a degree in education in 1988 and began teaching in northern Manitoba.
Today he spends his days writing.
“Keep your human capital up to date,” said Plett. “It’s about keeping your education credentials fresh.”
Economies naturally cycle through periods of growth and decline. Decline happens when an economy shows two consecutive quarters of negative growth.
Some recessions can be short and shallow like in 2001, or they can be much longer and deeper like in the early 1980s.
Stephanie Barke graduated from the University of Winnipeg last April with a bachelor of arts, and although she didn’t find a job in her field, by June she was working with a company developing information and communications software.
Barke recently received an e-mail from the president of her company about the current financial trouble, saying that things will continue as normal, but that it’s hard to predict the next six months.
“I’m not worried too much right now,” she said. “[But] the phones aren’t ringing off the hook like they were in July.”
Editorial BoardEditor-in-Chief • Josh O’KaneManaging • Tony von RichterNews • Sarah RatchfordArts • Doug EsteySports • Mitchell BernardPhoto • Andrew MeadeCopy • Dan HagermanProduction • Christian Hapgood Online • Dave Evans
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ContributorsAshley Bursey, Sandy Chase, Alison Clack, Josh Fleck, Beth Giesbrecht, Colin Hodd, Nick Howard, Kerri Krawec, Brandon McNeil, Colin McPhail, Greg Melanson, Cameron Mitchell, Jens Ourom, Hilary Paige Smith, Steve Smith, Lisa Solte & Alex Wickwire.
The Brunswickan relies primarily on a volunteer base to produce its issues every week. Volunteers can drop by room 35 of the SUB at any time to find out how they can get involved.
About UsThe Brunswickan, in its 142nd year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.
We are an autonomous student newspaper owned and operated by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a non-profit, independent body.
We are a founding member of the Canadian University Press, and love it so. We are also members of U-Wire, a media exchange of university media throughout North America.
We publish weekly during the academic year with a circulation of 10,000.
LettersMust be submitted by e-mail including your name, letters with pseudonymns will not be printed. Letters must be 400 words maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m. before each issue.
Editorial PolicyWhile we endeavour to provide an open forum for a variety of viewpoints and ideas, we may refuse any submission considered by the editorial board to be racist, sexist, libellous, or in any way discriminatory.
The opinions and views expressed in this newspaper are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Brunswickan, its Editorial Board, or its Board of Directors.
All editorial content appearing in The Brunswickan is the property of Brunswickan Publishing Inc. Stories, photographs, and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the express, written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.
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While also appreciating more literal forms of piracy, editor and columnist Dan Hagerman discusses different perspectives on video game piracy.
Almost as long as there has been a “copy” function on computers and software on those computers, the ability to copy games and other software has been there.
Over the years, companies have come out with various methods to try to keep people from copying and distributing games. When I was younger, I distinctly remember trying to find my code wheel for Pool of Radiance before the game would even start up, or trying to find word 30 on page 15 just so I could play Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.
In recent years, I’ve seen games use 16-digit authentication codes, online activation, and requiring the DVD to be in my DVD drive for the game to even start.
Yet this doesn’t make me mad at all.
It’s a minor inconvenience that I can live with, because the process is usually quick and painless.
I, however, am not one of the many angry, anonymous voices on the internet.
Say a really amazing game is coming out. Many people will express their excitement for this game to come out. However, the instant the words “copy protection” or “Digital Rights Management” are uttered by anybody, they seem to turn into frothing lunatics.
Then less tangible ideas begin to come out. “Consumer rights,” “criminal treatment,” and “ownership” all start floating around in one large, bizarre mess.
Some say the very idea of copy protection goes against the core of consumer rights. Telling me exactly how to use the product that I’ve purchased does indeed seem to be counter-intuitive.
Locking down how many times somebody can install a game, even if they don’t know how to pirate games, could be seen as treating an innocent person as a criminal without cause.
One would even think that, by giving somebody money in exchange for a disc, you would then own said disc and be able to do what you wanted with it. A game is a commodity like any other, isn’t it?
The problem with all of these arguments is that we don’t entirely live in the typical “you’ve bought it, you own it” society anymore.
‘Ownership’ has changed When you can see somebody’s
World of Warcraft account, a “thing” that is not tangible in any way whatsoever outside of a computer, selling for more than $100 online, I think the time has come to take a closer look at just how differently computers have shaped society.
Software is not a commodity. Software is just a whole lot of 1’s and 0’s arranged in such a manner, when you get right down to it. If you leave your bike outside and somebody steals it, you’d probably want it back. You can do the same thing with a DVD or game, but you can’t do it with the information stored on it.
Some make the excuse that copying games is no different than loaning out the game to a friend. While it may seem that way, the difference is that the copies exist at the same time as the original. You can’t lend your favourite hat to your best friend, and then still wear the hat while your friend has it. Or give 100 of your other friends the exact same hat, too. But many people do this with computer software.
The problem is that due to piracy, companies are locking down their products with the previously mentioned copy protection. And while, for the most part, it’s unobtrusive, sometimes it can make life difficult for a small percentage of computer users.
Some people assert that it’s better if there was no copy protection in software at all and just let software be released with an “honour system.” This doesn’t work. Imagine an apple stand with an unlimited amount of unguarded apples and only a sign saying “Apples for 75 cents each. Please don’t steal!”.
You would be hard pressed to convince me that an innumerable amount of people wouldn’t be taking way more apples than they paid for.
But, in a case of the bad apples spoiling the bunch, companies use anti-piracy protection for everybody, like putting locks on car doors if most people wouldn’t dare stealing a car.
From bad to worseThat theory alone, though, is
enough for some people to become spiteful. People who wouldn’t normally pirate games sometimes feel inclined to pirate them as some sort of bizarre “revenge.”
Spore, for instance, was one of the most pirated games of all time within its first week of release. It could very well have been that Spore was so hyped that everybody wanted to play it but didn’t want to pay for it.
But given that Spore also had stricter-than-usual copy protection methods, some have claimed that they pirated for the sole purpose of “sticking it to the man,” in this case,
the game’s publisher, EA. I agree that letting companies
know that they practice methods that you are not fond of is very important. However, by essentially robbing them of potential income, any money that would have gone to developing other games is lost.
It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal at first. Maybe Spore wasn’t as good a game as everybody hoped it would be. But without additional income, how could they possibly improve it? Yes, the game may still have sold upwards of a million copies. But in reality, had the game generated more income, it could have allowed for more money to invest in future projects.
It’s kind of like abstaining to vote, in a way. Yes, you’re “sending a message.” But a more powerful message is sent by the people who actually choose to vote, as votes are what the ultimate decision is made with.
In the same way, EA sees what makes money, not what loses money. If Madden 2009 game makes more money than Spore, they’d have to be crazy not to invest more money into Madden and cut money from Spore. So instead of sending the message that “your copy protection methods are awful,” people could be sending the message that “you can only make money with sports games.” I highly doubt that’s the message that pirating
gamers want to send. Unfortunately, there are also the
stereotypical pirates who download games simply because they don’t want to spend the money on games. No matter what companies do to dissuade them, it’s highly doubtful that companies can change their minds.
That’s why Stardock, a PC game developer and publisher, began the Gamer’s Bill of Rights.
This bill of rights lists criteria that game makers have to adhere to for the sake of the customer. This includes such things as having non-obtrusive DRM in products, releasing non-buggy products on the release date, and having games that work adequately on a machine running the minimum system requirements.
This Bill of Rights is an excellent starting point for ensuring that customers understand that they are being put first, while sustaining a healthy business model.
If you’re going to pirate a game because you don’t agree with its DRM policy or its price, you’re being a jerk for getting free enjoyment off of somebody else’s hard work. Instead, let them know about your problem with the company. Don’t rob honest, hard-working developers of their product. Dan Hagerman is Copy Editor of The Brunswickan. He can be reached at [email protected]..
Dan Hagerman
TechPerspective
Giving sports teams the recognition they deserve
letters to the editor.
Dear Editor,
As a concerned citizen, and a supporter of Fredericton’s “Green Matters” campaign, I am greatly disturbed by the rapid development that has already destroyed acres of UNB’s prided Woodlot, and that has been given the “okay” to continue to destroy this environmental landmark as time goes on.
The UNB Woodlot, priding itself as being an active teaching and research base for Forestry students of UNB, is also “a provincially designated wildlife refuge and is a favourite place for people of Fredericton
and surrounding communities to run, jog, walk and enjoy nature.”
This is a direct quote from the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management home page, which goes on to list the large variety of wild life and plantation that call this woodlot home.
This UNB web page, which beams of pride for their Woodlot sure doesn’t make sense when paired with the UNB Board of Governor’s decision to allow 50% of the woodlot to be destroyed and privately developed over the coming years.
The destruction of the Woodlot means the destruction of natural
habitats, and also the destruction of New Brunswick’s wetlands.
Without the wetlands major damage to Fredericton’s water supply will inevitably result.
As the New Democratic candidate for the New Maryland Sudbury West riding, I urge UNB to reconsider the consequences of their actions.
Please submit this land to comprehensive environmental assessment, and realize that you are putting all of the wonderful aspects of the Woodlot that we have long prided ourselves in, at great stake.
I also call for a moratorium
on any further development of the UNB Woodlot.
Big Box Development is not the answer to Fredericton’s “Green Matters”. As the city of Fredericton will not do anything to stop this destruction, it is up to citizens, and community leaders, like myself, to continue to voice the concerns of many. We must raise our voices together to save our environment, and ourselves.
Sincerely, Michael McCaffrey NDP Candidate, New Maryland Sudbury-West riding
Whether you are a member of a UNB Varsity team, competitive sports team or intramural team, play for the fun of it, or simply just enjoy watching sports, we all know that sports are a significant part of our student life here on campus. That is why we, the students, need to make sure that every aspect of sports is valued at
UNB. As you may recall, in March
of last year, six UNB teams were cut from Varsity status – men’s and women’s cross-country, men’s and women’s wrestling, men’s swimming and women’s hockey. What did this mean for some of those teams? Funding was cut considerably, and entailed some to not being able to compete anymore – especially if there are not any other institutions that do not have these sports as competitive teams that UNB could play against with the same status.
In light of the varsity cuts, it is important, now more
than ever, for the university to recognize sports teams and give them the credit they deserve. Until this year, sports teams have simply been classified as a “special interest” group under clubs and societies status with the Student Union. “Special interest” groups range from volunteering to wildlife to film to sports to social issues, and more. There are about 10 sports groups that are currently supported by the SU. This year the SU has been working to introduce a new classification for sports teams of its own with a ratified status. With a ratified sports status they would then be eligible to receive a higher
initial funding amount from ‘special interest’ status.
Recognizing sports is just as important for prospective students as it is for current students. When high school students are looking into a post-secondary institution to go to for the next chapter of their life, athletics may be the first thing they consider at a university. Students that excel in cross-country, wrestling, swimming or hockey may overlook UNB and decide to attend another university to play a varsity sport because they are only considered competitive sports now. This will eventually reflect on UNB
by enrolment decreasing at our university.
Sporting events are what bring the students together - cheering on the athletes that represent UNB. We need to show that we support them. Whether it is going out to watch an intramural game between two residences at the LB Gym, or attending a V-Reds game at the Aitken Centre, we can go out with our red and black and show school spirit.
We know that there isn’t anything else that can be done about the six teams that were cut from Varsity status, but we can still show endless support at any games they play,
whether it is Varsity or not. All UNB athletic teams should be supported by recognizing them as a sports group, and not just a special interest group.
It is important to ensure that the school spirit is continued at UNB, and by maintaining the magnitude of the various sports groups that there are on our campus, we will be able to make the best of our university life.
We can show great spirit by wearing our “reds.” Lisa Solte is VP Finance of the UNB Student Union. Student Beat is a weekly column by UNB student leaders examining issues that are pertinent to students.
Question: What are you going to dress up as for Halloween?Viewpoint
“Gangster Mario and Luigi”Matt Brace
“A Pyro.”Mitch Messom
“No idea.”Nick Mazerolle
the brunswickan.
November 6th, 2008 at
4:30 p.m.
The Brunswickan Annual General
Meeting
Wanted: a woodlot strategy
Kerri KrawecSubmited to the brunS
This week’s article is a response to the opinions put forth by Dr. Ian Methven, former Dean of Forestry and Environmental Management at UNB Fredericton. In 2004, The Daily Gleaner published Dr. Methven’s column, entitled “Time to Move Beyond Old Uses Of UNB Lands.” The entire article is available on UNB’s website under the “Woodlot Implementation Plan.” I presume that the article was written in an official capacity, since Dr. Methven was then Director of the Centre for Property Studies, and because the University has seen fit to include it on the website, and I will respond accordingly.
In his article, Dr. Methven argues that UNB needs to “break free from traditional views of the role of the UNB Lands in general and the Woodlot in particular”. Even though he doesn’t clearly articulate what defines “traditional views,” Dr. Methven seems to be of the opinion that a change in policy is in order and “tradition” is out. What makes his position difficult to understand is that he himself pointed out that through the Faculty of Forestry, the “educational, research, recreational and environmental attributes of the asset were realized.” That was in 1908. Is this the tradition
that Dr. Methven thinks is now untenable? It seems that in 1908, the only attribute that wasn’t realized was the monetary value of the asset. Welcome to the 21st century, where all that matters is the monetary value.
Among the reasons that Dr. Methven provides for developing the Woodlot are financial pressures, land pressures, and “the responsibility of the university to the development of its broader community.” To the first reason, I would argue that many universities are facing similar challenges in balancing their budgets, but not all universities are endowed with land holdings similar to UNB’s. What strategies are other universities adopting to increase their budgets? Increasing tuition costs, bequests/donations, and privatization of services and/or buildings are all sources of funding that are being pursued.
You don’t have to look any further than the nearest eatery on campus to see the privatization of services at UNB. This article is not suggesting that it’s unproblematic to increase privatization of certain aspects of a public education, but it is not my intent to argue that right now.
As for funding sources, public funding continues to be the main sources of revenue for universities. If UNB’s funding could be secured through a difference source, such as public funds, one might assume that the pressure would be off the Woodlot to act as a revenue generating stream. Or would it? Dr. Methven also claims that land pressures are among
the reasons why the Woodlot is being “proactively” developed. Maybe I didn’t notice, but I was not under the impression that Fredericton was bursting at the seams, and needing the type of development that is being proposed. You would think that Fredericton is the Fort McMurray of the east the way the need for new “integrated” housing developments is being pushed.
Finally, regarding the University’s responsibility to this community, I would argue that its responsibility is not simply for the economic development of Fredericton. To take Dr. Methven’s supposition at face-value is to mistake standard of living for quality of living. The standard of living is the material basis that measures prosperity. Yes, it is important, but it is not the only consideration on which to base a decision of this magnitude. Quality of living isn’t tangible, and can be difficult to measure, but is important nonetheless. If we use Wikipedia’s definition of quality of life as a degree of well-being, I don’t see how the presence of Eastside Mario’s or Michael’s Craft store is meeting the needs of Fredericton.
I don’t expect Dr. Methven to read this article, but if he did, I would urge him not to judge tradition so harshly, since it is tradition that has preserved the Woodlot thus far.
The finality of the decision to develop is what alarms me; once the Woodlot is developed there’s no going back. Just to leave you with a final question: What does UNB owe to future generations living in Fredericton?
(Above) Toronto’s Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains rocked the stage at this year’s Halifax Pop Explosion. (Top right) Atlantic acts Two Hours Traffic and (bottom right) Sports: the Band appeared alongside him at the HPX. All three acts also played the Capital this week in Fredericton.
Doug Estey / The Brunswickan
Doug Estey / The Brunswickan
Josh o’KaneThe BrunswicKan
Three years ago, I missed a chance to see Death from Above 1979, and I’ve regretted it ever since.
I had just started a new job working nights at a call centre in Saint John, and by the time I got to the bar that the dance-punk duo were playing at, the bar had reached max capacity.
When I found out that Sebastien Grainger, the former drummer and vocalist for DFA 1979, was playing at the Halifax Pop Explosion, I jumped at the chance to go. Bruns Production Editor Christian Hapgood was already headed to the city with a friend, so I hopped aboard.
What a weekend. I arrived in town Friday night,
too late to see such acts as Holy Fuck and Two Hours Traffic, but with plenty of good music still available to hear. After grabbing a case of beer from the Mic Mac Mall, I dropped by an old friend’s place and got ready for a night of music.
My buddy Greg and I had some brews, chatted about old times (we both went to UNBSJ – he later transferred to St. FX, and I UNBF), and most importantly, listened to Sebastien Grainger tunes from his myspace on my crappy MacBook speakers. At about 11, we headed out to the Seahorse Tavern to catch a HPX show.
The Seahorse was a quaint little underground bar with a lot of scene points (note: if you don’t know what
scene points are, you don’t have any, and also don’t move to Halifax). The first thing I saw was probably the strangest excuse for music I’ve ever seen.
(Swedish) Death Polka – apparently neither Swedish, nor Polka, and certainly not worth dying for – was on stage. Except instead of a band, as expected, it was a guy playing a synth loop on a laptop, and playing the world’s most awkward makeshift drum kit while standing up. All he had was a snare, crash and floor tom, and he seemed to have a hard time keeping time with the music. He did this for four or five similar synth loops before he was joined by a guitarist whose guitar I couldn’t hear. My favourite musician in the band was the laptop.
Greg and I made the executive decision after a few drummed-over-synth-loops to go to the bar and get a beer. We decided to stay there until the next band.
Sports the Band was intriguing as their name sounds. They had a mellow folk-rock sound infused with synths that really worked. I was a big fan.
The concert left me in a good mood. Sports the Band outdid all the awkwardness of (Swedish) Death Polka. So in this mood, did I go to bed? No. Did I go to Casino Nova Scotia, promise the bouncer I only drank six beer, and drop $60 on blackjack and penny slots?
Maybe. I woke up at noon on Saturday
on the floor of Greg’s apartment with a good outlook and a slightly emptier wallet. After a brief stop for
breakfast, we went where any bright 21-year-olds would go at 1 p.m. – the liquor store.
Sebastien Grainger was to play an all ages show that afternoon, and Greg suggested we be adequately prepared. By prepared, he meant we would be shooting Irish Whiskey and chasing with beer as fast as we could before the show. So we did.
Fast forward an hour later, and Greg and I are running up Citadel Hill in an effort to reach the Pavillion faster. I ran further than Greg. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we made it.
Grainger can croon. He did it in DFA 1979 and he did it again with his new backing band The
Mountains. I was pretty impressed. Very impressed. Apparently, he’s been working with The Mountains for two years already, and it showed. The band was tight as hell and knew how to put on a show. Despite the fact that there weren’t to many kids around at the show, they made it worth it.
The Mountains are significantly more upbeat than DFA 1979, but still have the same powerful wall-of-sound feel to them. Grainger abandoned the drums and picked up a guitar and it suits him just as well. I’d been anxious to see this new Grainger project since I heard some album demos in February and he delivered tenfold. He’s gone seamlessly from dance-punk to pop-rock, and it’s definitely worth checking out.
After the show, Greg and some
folks from Mt. Allison’s student paper, the Argosy, pressured me to go interview Grainger. So I did. Armed with Greg’s iPhone and no prepared questions, I approached him and interviewed on the fly. He was happily responsive.
It turns out he’s always wanted to play guitar in a band.
“It’s easier to be a singer while playing guitar,” he said. “It was more difficult playing drums. When I was in that position it never felt quite like I was a singer or quite like a drummer so it was somewhere in between. It was its own thing and it had its own merits as a part of that band, but it’s nothing I was destined to continue.
“I wanted to do something else ...
I’ve always played guitar but never in a band, so this is been kind of a journey for me as a guitar player as well which is fun.”
Greg and I went to grab some supper and then I crashed on his floor for an hour before meeting a friend of his and going out to a party in a suburb called Clayton Park.
The party turned out to be filled with twenty- and thirty-somethings with grown-up jobs and nice clothing. Somehow, I had gone from being surrounded by scenesters in downtown Halifax to professionals in a suburb. It was an intriguing transition. I was about five degrees of separation from knowing the guy who owned the house, but that didn’t seem to matter. By 11 p.m. I was playing drinking games with him on his kitchen table. No problem there.
At that point I had to bid adieu, and hopped in a cab to go the Marquee. I ran into Christian and another one of my roommates, both of whom were there to see Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains. It was a good show, yet again – they’d lost no energy since the previous show. The Marquee was filled with people and good vibes.
After the show I cabbed to the Seahorse once again to catch another band I’ve wanted to see for a while – White Cowbell Oklahoma. I met Greg outside and we entered the lineup. The venue had reached max capacity, so they weren’t letting anyone in. Not cool. It took us 45 minutes to get through the line as people slowly
filtered out. Greg almost lost hope, but I managed to keep him interested enough to forge
ahead. It was worth it. We got in a little over halfway
through WCOK’s set. Seven men in their 30s and 40s were on stage and playing rock and roll like I’d never heard before. These guys were pure energy, pure rock and roll.
A few songs in, their cowbell player (yes, cowbell player) Charlie Chainsaw cleared the stage and pulled out – oh yes – a chainsaw. One of the guitarists then produced a pumpkin from the side of the stage and set it on a table in the middle.
Then, as three guitarists soloed, Charlie Chainsaw chainsawed the
hell out of that pumpkin. Greg’s jaw dropped.
“This is rock and roll as fuck.” Indeed it was. Pumpkin seeds and juice spewed
all over the crowd, covering everyone near the stage from head to toe. And if that wasn’t enough, the bassist from Iron Giant was dancing naked, except for a clown mask, behind the drumkit for the entire chainsawing.
Awesome. Combine this event with an
actually-flaming cowbell and you’ve got one great show. White Cowbell Oklahoma have played in Fredericton before, and you owe it to yourself to see them when they come back.
At the end of the show, I asked Charlie Chainsaw the one question everyone was begging to ask: why is he so awesome?
“I was born awesome. I was born that way, god damn it. My daddy was awesome before me, and his daddy before him. I come from a long line of, uh, chainsaw background. I don’t intentionally mean to be awesome, it’s just a complete by-product of everything that I am and everything I do.”
Definitely awesome.The show was over, and so was the
Pop Explosion. But that didn’t quite hit me then. Maybe because I was covered in pumpkin. For unabridged interview transcriptions with Sebastien Grainger and Charlie Chainsaw, check out thebruns.ca.
“THIS IS rOCK AND rOll AS FUCK”–GrEG lAWSON
Grants: NB lends music a handwhat was going to happen. It came at an opportune time where both The Olympic Symphonium and Grand Theft Bus could focus on their new records.”
In the light of the recent criticism attributed to government-funded arts programs, Boyle claims that the attacks that the arts industry has sus-tained over the past year are poorly grounded.
“The point is that no one is making big money off of these grants. Even the most popular bands in the area still have to sacrifice a lot.
Canada is a country with a large land mass and a small population; a country that physically can’t sup-port the arts as much as it wants to.
That’s where the government comes in and needs to contribute to their culture. Cutbacks result in a loss of our international identity.”
Cunjak shares a similar view.“Steven Harper is dead wrong
when he says that we don’t need arts funding.
For music, and art in general, it takes a lot of time to actually do your craft and you don’t make any money
from it until after a lot of investment on your part.
In the real world, these programs are necessary. Unless you have a Sugar Daddy, which we don’t.”
Fredericton’s own The Olympic Symphonium will receive $20,000 per year over three years as a part of the Music Industry Development Program.
For this week’s web-exclusive content, including David Usher and a book review,
The very first Android-powered phone hit the market last week, much to the delight of gadget-lovers abroad.
Developed alongside a coalition of 34 companies (including Google, HTC, Intel and Motorola) that call themselves the Open Handset Alliance, Android represents the first fully open source mobile platform. It’s built from the ground up on the Linux kernel, and it kicks major ass.
When most people see the words “open source” they acknowledge that the source code isn’t behind closed doors, but don’t read into it much more than that. What they may not realize is that you can actually run Android right on your cell phone.
Before you get any wise ideas, remember that Android is designed for devices equipped with touch sensors, read: it won’t fare well on your LG Chocolate. Only users like me, crawling around on their Windows Mobile phones, need apply.
So yes, I did install Linux on my phone.
That being said, you don’t have to be a nerd to use Android. In fact, it’s a lot more intuitive than most cell phones of today. If you’ve ever held an Apple iPhone in your hand, then you already know what I’m talking about: a smooth, thumb-friendly interface adorned with plenty of 3D bling and tight integration social networks, email, and personal information management. Without
Review: A film tribute to Winnipeg
Alison ClACk And
Beth GiesBreChtthe BrunswiCkAn
On Monday Oct. 20, the movie My Winnipeg was shown at the Monday Night Film series.
The film by Guy Maddin was an homage to his hometown of Winnipeg.
It is the kind of movie that can be interpreted differently by everyone who watches it. For us, it was especially interesting to look see the different perspectives of a native of Winnipeg and an East Coaster who has never visited the city in question.
While some people get bored of their community and want to leave, most native Winnipegers seem to find it hard to break the connection with their hometown.
In the film Maddin is trying – once again – to leave his hometown and is using the creation of the film to leave the memories and nostalgia behind in hopes of leaving the city once and for all.
The film explores Maddin’s history in the city and his childhood. The city’s history and some of its eccentricities (that even a native Winnipeger didn’t know) were also shown.
The atmosphere of the film is incredibly confusing. As it was an art piece, the plot lacked a linear feeling and jumped back and forth between his memories, his making of the film, the history of Winnipeg, and his trying to leave the city.
Maddin hired actors to pose as his family in the movie, although his mother played herself. However, rather than re-enacting the events the movie showed him filming the memories of his family.
At times the strange atmosphere of the movie made the viewer unsure of what was reality and what was fiction.
One scene in the movie recounts a winter where Winnipegers enjoyed skating down the Red River alongside the heads of frozen horses.
The little-known incident happened when the Winnipeg fairgrounds burned down. The horses, spooked by the fire, ran into the half-frozen river until the ice eventually closed up around them – trapping them until the spring.
The odd event is one of the many ways Maddin unveils Winnipeg’s uniqueness. For a native of Winnipeg it is just another one of the little things that brings back feelings of nostalgia.
Maddin also describes Winnipeg as a sleepy city. He says that the people seem to walk through the streets as though they are sleepwalkers. The sleepiness, however, should not be taken as indication that Winnipegers do not care about their town.
From the perspective of someone who has lived there their entire life and left this sleepiness is what makes people want to leave. The sleepiness is also ironically what makes the city’s natives not want to leave. The sleepiness of the town represents all the nostalgia and memories of its inhabitants.
From the perspective of someone from the east coast, I think that the film’s idea transcends Winnipeg. After seeing the mass exodus of Maritimers to the prairies - namely Alberta - I can not help but feel some annoyance with the declining population of the Maritimes.
New Brunswick has always been one of the more forgotten places in Canada (with the exception of the territories) and for this reason there seems to be a pull that wants to drive natives out. However, I find that everytime I leave the province – even for a couple of weeks – I always feel a swell of pride when I come home. Manitoba, from a prairie native perspective, has the same hidden tug of pride.
Maddin’s homage to his hometown is a wonderful reminder for everyone not to forget about where they come from. It reminds viewers of their own town’s eccentricities and creates nostalgia. Monday Night Film Series shows movies every Monday night in Tilley 102 at 8 p.m.
any sort of instruction manual, I managed to familiarize myself with the carefully-designed environment in a matter of minutes.
Feature-wise, a pull-down notifications tray and a
customizable desktop with widgets and icons are two of my instant favourites. Threaded text messaging works beautifully well. Contacts can be sync’d from a Gmail account, and mobile versions of Google Search and Maps are tightly integrated into the fray.
Even the web browser
kicks ass on the mobile front, easily besting pocket versions of Internet Explorer and Opera and introducing strong competition to Apple’s mobile Safari.
Google has also implemented a new software management application
called Marketplace, which will serve as a distribution system between developers and end users. Not only can developers freely create anything they want for the phone, they can also distribute it accordingly.
It’s been argued that the iPhone possesses a similar feature set and that Android isn’t creating anything revolutionary. This, however, is the point. Now anyone can access the kind of ‘perks’ that iPhone users have subscribed to. Obviously the biggest contrast between Android and the iPhone operating system is that the former is designed to support a wide variety of phones, while the iPhone OS only really works with, well... you get the point.
The Open Handset Alliance has firmly stated that the purpose of Android is to compete with, not replace the mobile operating environments already in place today.
You can check out www.android.com to take a closer look at the mobile OS.Doug Estey is Arts Editor at The Brunswickan.
Living the High LifesArAh rAtChford
the BrunswiCkAn
As I walked into the Memorial Hall theatre to review this play, my eyes met with four guys dressed in ragtag clothing, and my ears with endless F-bombs. I knew I was in for a somewhat unconventional theatre experience.
From Wednesday Oct. 29 to Saturday Nov. 1, Canadian playwright Lee LacDougall’s Dora award- winning comedy ‘High Life’ will be performed at Memorial Hall by Theatre UNB.
The play, directed by UNB drama student Jordan Dashner,
is based on MacDougall’s own experience of living in apartment with heroin addicts – so it’s on the money as far as authenticity.
The plot surrounds three ex-cons: Donnie, the loony old hypochondriac; Bug, the blood-thirsty killer; and the mastermind who seemingly has it together, Dick. The three join up with oily, good looking crook Billy in the attempt to carry out Dick’s “genius” plan to hook them all up with fast and plentiful cash, which would then enable them to purchase a lifetime supply of morphine – the driving force behind each of them.
Love of morphine is also the only common interest shared between the four, so watching them try to cooperate is quite
hilarious. The plan entails robbing a
series of banks. The actors, Ryan Griffith (Dick),
Brad Young (Bug), John Ball (Donnie), and Greg Shanks (Billy), do a remarkable job of capturing the colloquial voice of these lovable criminals. I couldn’t help but wonder if Dashner had typecast the entire performance.
Of the characters, Dashner says “you start to feel for them and think, ‘I’m pretty sure I’ve seen these guys out in the street!’.”
The play will be Dashner’s first endeavor in direction of full-length plays. Stage manager Alex Larsen says jokingly, “I chose Jordan as my director.”
“Part of the reason we’re doing
Theatre UNB puts on a laugh-till-your-cheeks hurt dark comedy
this is there’s so much academic and intellectual theatre out there, which is great, but we wanted to have fun,” says Dashner. “People are calling it a bastard love child of Resevoir Dogs and Trainspotting.”
Although this is sure to be a phenomenal show, it must be noted that it is certainly not a family production, nor is it for those who may be offended by excessive F-bombs and other profanities.
“We hope people are going to come out and have a lot of fun,” says Dashner. “It’s good to support campus theatre.”
The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $6 for students and $10 for adults, and they’re available at the door.
Oct. 29, 2008 • Issue 9 • Volume 142 • 9
Hagerman’s horrific horrorscopes
Aries (March21st - April 19th)You will be bitten by what appears to be a rabid dog during the full moon this weekend, dear Aries. Sadly, it’ll just be a dog who ate some toothpaste. Don’t worry, you’ll still turn into a werewolf, and you’ll also have shiny teeth to boot! Your lucky part of Friday the 13th is Part 7.
Taurus (April 20th - May 20th)You will carve the pumpkin of pumpkins this week, dear Taurus. Not only will it be better looking than other pumpkins, it also will have a crown of pumpkin seeds. Displaying it to others will force them to do your bid-ding! Your lucky carving knife is nine inches long.
Gemini (May 21st - June 21st)You will meet a ghost on a walk home from school this week, dear Gemini. Running home to avoid it will cause you to set a new time record for your walks home, as well as a new land speed record. Your lucky movie about both Jesus Christ and vampires is Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.
Cancer (June 22nd- July 22nd)Be careful when cleaning out the skeletons in your closet this week, dear Cancer. Some of them like it just fine in there, and will probably try to put up a fight if you don’t knock some sense into them first. Your lucky secret to happiness is BOO!
Leo (July 23rd - August 22nd)Be wary of dark and supposedly abandoned places this week, dear Leo. And above all, don’t call out “Who’s there?”. That’s just asking for trouble. Unless you’re the one doing the troubling, that is. Then you can fill your evil boots! Your lucky DVD board game is Atmosfear.
Virgo (August 23rd - September 22nd)Unfortunately for you this weekend, dear Virgo, all of your friends will turn into real-life versions of their costumes at a Halloween party. More unfortunately, you’ll be the only normal one at the party. Your lucky piece of protective gear is a hockey mask.
Libra (September 23rd - Oc-
tober 23rd)Your greatest fear will come to life this weekend, dear Libra. Oddly enough, you have a fear of success, so this will end up being a surprisingly productive weekend for you! Too bad you’ll still be terrified. Your lucky Edgar Allan Poe short story is “The Black Cat.”
Scorpio (October 24th - November 22nd)You will find yourself short on time and funds for making a Halloween costume for this weekend, dear Scorpio. Thankfully, with a few deft manipulations of a black t-shirt applied to your head, you can easily become a ninja! Cat-like reflexes not included. Your lucky Great Old One is Cthulhu.
Sagittarius (November 23rd - December 21st)You will be greeted with more trick-or-treaters than usual this week, dear Sagittarius. Once you run out of candy, try giving them things from around the house or apartment, like moldy vegetables and Spam. Their parents will love you! Your lucky weapon against zombies is a cricket bat.
Capricorn (December 22nd - January 20th)Time to toss out the old broomstick this week, dear Capricorn. Everybody knows that all witches and wizards use vacuum cleaners these days for all of their travel needs. Trying to make it work with only a 10 foot cord will make things difficult, though. Your lucky skulls have light-up eyes.
Aquarius (January 21st - Febuary 18th)Try not to scare your professors too much this week, dear Aquarius. Keep in mind that they are the ones responsible for your marks, and, since they’ve been here longer than us, can probably scare us way worse than we can scare them. Your lucky stop-motion film is The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Pisces (Febuary 19th - March 20th)Your fear of zombies will reach its peak this weekend, dear Pisces. Your ability to tell the difference between zombies and very drunk people will make things a little bit awkward at parties. Instead of shooting first and asking questions later, it might be a better idea to go for the knees first, just in case. Your lucky awful videogame movie is Alone in the Dark.
hagermanarts
The third time that projectile vomit shot from a necromorph severed me in half, I knew I was playing an awesome game.
Dead Space is a third-person action/horror game from EA that sets out to immediately freak you out.
You play through the game as engineer Isaac Clarke. After receiving a distress call from a mining ship called the Ishamura, you and your fellow crew are sent to see what the problem is and attempt to fix it.
Shortly after arriving, you’ll see that things have gone terribly, terribly wrong. Very early on, you find what appear to be horribly mutated humans who move very quickly, are very good at using air vents as transportation, and are only killable by severing off their various limbs.
It is up to you and your surviving crew members to essentially fix every single thing that is wrong with the ship and try to survive while looking badass in your engineering suit.
When you aren’t screaming for your mother, you’ll probably be trying to shoot these things. Instead of using bullet-based weapons, which obviously would only travel
in straight lines, you are given an assortment of weapons that shoot in vertical or horizontal lines, or some mixture thereof.
This is nowhere near as easy as it sounds. While it probably wouldn’t be so bad if these creatures were to just kind of stand there and take your punishment, more often than not these creatures tend to be moving very quickly. Then it becomes a matter of wits and co-ordination as you try to figure out the best way to take them down before you get sliced into pieces (more on that later).
The game also has several sections of zero gravity as well taking place in a vacuum. If you thought fighting alien monsters was tough, wait till you do it in an environment where you can’t see them, or where they can
get you no matter where you stand. The game is made even more
scary because of its use of graphics and sound. For one, Dead Space is a really good looking game. Its artistic direction and overall technology make it seem very plausible that you’re inside a real, potentially working ship. The creatures are not only horrifying to behold, but they move and grow new limbs in such a way to be grotesque but believable – as believable as alien parasitic life-forms can be.
Dead Space is also unapologetically gory. In addition to severing the limbs of various creatures, you also lose most or all of your limbs if you die. I can’t count the number of times that I became accidentally decapitated over the course of the game.
The sound is even more unnerving. In most, if not all, horror movies, whenever something scary happens a loud noise will play. The game uses smart sound technology to emulate this, and the instant you turn around and see something about to strike, a loud scary musical cue will play, usually shocking you into missing your first and most important shot.
According to detailed notes taken of my game experience, only 25 minutes had elapsed between when I started a new game and when I began crying for my mother. Another hour and I had already been vomited in half.
If you’re feeling overly tired and you have no caffeine handy, play Dead Space. You’ll be afraid to go to sleep. Dan Hagerman is Copy Editor at The Brunswickan.
Event Horizon not sucking would be this
Dan Hagerman
The Final Score
Dead Space is easily the most frightening way to stay awake at night. If you’re looking for alternatives to caffeine or getting less sleep, this is it.
Why did you choose UNB?It gave me a chance to play soccer at a high level, continue my education, and see another part of the world.
What is your favourite sport other than the one you currently play?Rugby, and I like to watch hockey.
What was your first job?I was a waiter at a hotel.
What are your pre-game rituals?I don’t tie my cleats during the warm up.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from a coach?To relax, and play your game - the first pass you see is usually the right one.
Sport: Women’s SoccerYr: 3
Why did you choose UNB?I chose UNB because of the soccer team and because it’s close to home.
What is your favourite sport other than the one you currently play?Basketball.
What is the ring tone on your cell?I have my phone on vibrate at all times.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from a coach?You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
The place I’ve always wanted to visit is...Portugal.
One-on-one with...
Ashley Crook Michelle Rae
UNB Media Services UNB Media Services
Wednesday, october 29thHockey
stU @ UnB7:00 P.m. @ aItken centre
MEN’S SOCCER FIRST IN AUSReds secure first round bye as they prepare for the AUS semi-finals this weekend at Mount Allison
Andrew Meade / The BrunswickanUNB chases a ball downfield against a Mt. A defender in the final game of season league play. UNB defeated Mt. A 1-0 to claim first place in the league.
Reds go 1-2 at GarlandJosH Fleck
tHe BrUnsWIckan
colIn mcPHaIltHe BrUnsWIckan
After defeating Mount Allison 1-0 in a thrilling match on Sunday afternoon, the UNB men’s soc-cer team clinched top spot in the AUS. Now the Reds are just two games from being AUS champs for the second time in three years.
It was downright miserable outside when the Mounties arrived at Chap-man Field. However, the teams played through the conditions and gave the crowd, who valiantly toughed it out, quite the game. UNB came into this match knowing they needed a win to ensure first place and they did not disappoint. The first half saw UNB using their size and speed to control the play and create offensive pressure, while their fullbacks resisted the quick Mt. A counterattack. However, they couldn’t capitalize on their chances and it remained scoreless at halftime.
UNB came out with great intensity in the second half and poured on the pres-sure. They were rewarded in the 47th minute. Calgary native Nagib Miguel absolutely crushed a volley from just out-side of the eighteen-yard box for his first of the year. Then the match turned into a rough affair, with plenty of fouls called, a couple of yellow cards and one red card to Miguel. The Reds turned away any Mt. A offence and won their seventh game of the year 1-0. The win was bit-tersweet as Miguel was a key member to UNB’s success and will most likely miss the AUS Championship semi-finals.
“We are pleased to have secured first place and the corresponding bye into the AUS semi-final,” said UNB coach Miles Pinsent. “This was a preliminary goal that the team had set in order to give ourselves the best opportunity to achieve our main goal, an AUS Championship.”
The Reds finished the season with a
league best 7-2-4 record, tied for first in goals against, and tied for second in goals for. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean anything now. UNB has set itself apart from the league and is now the team ev-eryone will be gunning for. In a one-game elimination format, you must be ready to perform or be sent home. In preparation for the championships, Pinsent is taking the same approach as he did the season.
“Two keys to success for the team all season and again in the play-offs are: experience – the team has a strong core of players who have won and lost in the AUS and who know what it takes to be successful and depth – we have used 21 different players this year. As injuries or tactics have dictated, we have been able to insert different players onto the field and maintain a high level of play.”
The Reds will try to reach their goal as they travel to Mount Allison this week-end. The quarter-finals take place on Fri-day with the hometown Mounties taking on Dalhousie and UPEI will play Monc-ton. UNB and Saint-Mary’s received byes to the semi-finals and will face the winners of the quarters on Saturday. The AUS championship game will be played on Sunday at 2 p.m. The winner will travel to Carleton University for the CIS Championships that begin on Nov. 6.
Reds Finish Season with a Draw The UNB women’s soccer team
finished their 2008 campaign with a 1-1 draw. Unfortunately, the Reds will miss the AUS playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
The Mount Allison Mounties came to
Chapman field to battle the Reds on the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 26. The game was purely for pride’s sake as UNB was hoping to jump ahead of Moncton in the standings, while Mt. A was still searching for their first win. The extreme wind con-ditions proved quite difficult to play in, but the teams still gave the crowd a good game. The play went back and forth with each team trading chances and goals. Mt. A’s Kailey Bower open the scoring in the 20th minute, but UNB striker Erica Middleton equalized only nine minutes later and the half finished 1-1.
The second half played out much like the first. Each team produced good of-fensive pressure, but was either stopped by a strong defensive presence or great saves by each keeper. If they could have capitalized on their chances, both teams
could have walked away victorious. How-ever, the score remained tied at fulltime.
Once again, UNB’s greatest difficulty has been finding the back of the net. The Reds only scored five times during their thirteen-game schedule; the lowest total in the league. They finished with seven ties, three being in four point games, and three out of their five losses were only by one goal. You couldn’t help feeling that with a few more goals and lucky bounces, UNB could have easily slid into the last playoff spot that was only five points ahead of them.
On the bright side, the Reds have a good crop of young, talented play-ers. With eight players in their first year of eligibility, things are look-ing up for next season. The Reds finished eighth with a 1-5-7 record.
The L.B. Gym was host of the an-nual Eric Garland Men’s Basketball tournament this weekend. The four team tournament consisted of St. Francis Xavier, Cape Breton Uni-versity, Lee Academy Prep School, and the host, the UNB Varsity Reds.
In their tournament opener, UNB faced the young Lee Academy Pandas from Lee, ME. Before either team hit the floor, it was evident they had large shoes to fill. Those shoes be-longed to St. FX and CBU, who took the floor just before the UNB game.
It was a great game, and a tough one to follow up. However, the new Varsity Reds came out with a lot of energy, as they were very active de-fensively. However, too much of that energy carried over to the offensive side of the ball and they looked very frantic, although it didn’t hurt them on the scoreboard because of their defence.
Off a UNB turnover, Lee Academy had an open dunk attempt, but due to the tremendous hustle and energy that the Reds were playing with, second-year forward Alex DesRoches came back to swat away the scoring opportunity. For most of the first half, Lee Academy seemed lost on the court, as they had careless turnovers and several times stepped out of bounds on the sidelines. UNB led by as much as 12 points, but Lee Academy stormed back to lead by one point late in the second quarter. However, UNB pulled away to a double digit lead at half, 41-31.
Coming out of the dressing room after the half, the Varsity Reds looked flat and were missing the energy they had in the first half. The Pandas took advantage of this and knotted the game up. UNB had an answer for the Pandas run - first-year swingman Dustin Anthony from North Bay, Ontario. On consecutive trips down the floor, he knocked down three-pointers, making the statement that he will shoot when he sees daylight and more often than not will drop it in.
In the fourth quarter, there was a lack of scoring for a little while, as both teams tried to get things going to make a run at the win. First-year point guard Antwann Parks from Queens, New York, knocked down a corner three to push UNB’s lead to four. With the game winding down, Lee Academy tried to make a push, but any ideas of a comeback were swatted away, along with the ball, as fourth-year guard Mike Anderson rejected a lay-up. The Reds went on to win the game 91-82 behind Dustin Anthony’s 25 points and player of the game award.
After handling Lee Academy in the opening game, things weren’t about to get any better against a consistently good team in the St. FX X-Men. Early on in the game it was the Colton Wilson show, as the third-year forward showed off his skill set - everything from playing with his back to the basket, to knocking down the open jumper. Despite the effort put forth by the young V-Reds, the X-Men seemed too much, as they didn’t turn the ball over and rarely gave up an uncontested shot.
Despite a relentless St. FX full court press, UNB trailed by only nine going into the half. Coming out for the second half, UNB coach Brent Baker decided to go with the theory that "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." The estimated 500 in at-
tendance erupted with UNB putting on a late run, and first-year forward Lonzel Lowe, of Brampton, Ontario, throwing down a huge block. It was a classic case of too little, too late as they fell at the hands of St. FX 84-68. Getting the nod for player of the game was Colton Wilson.
In the final game of the tournament, UNB faced off against the number 10 ranked CBU capers. As expected, the Capers came out running. Neither of-fence seemed to get into a rhythm, the difference being that CBU had second chance opportunities and capitalized on a lot of them. Antwann Parks came out firing in this game as nailed a pair of three’s in the second quarter, but that wasn’t enough to get the V-Reds back in it, as CBU showed why they are in the CIS top 10. The score at half was 48-30.
Early in the third quarter, coach Baker called on a full-scale line change, led by second-year guard Adam Creaghan of Quispamsis, NB. With this change, there was a drastic change in tempo and energy. With no lack of hustle or quit, they played until the final whistle. They couldn’t do much about the score, as CBU pulled away to an 83-60 win. Tak-ing away the player of the game honor was Antwann Parks. The Tournament All-Star for UNB was Colton Wilson.
Sandy Chase/ The BrunswickanUNB in action against Lee Academy last Friday at the L.B. Gym.
Sports Editor’s two-cents worth on the sport of bodybuilding
Canada’s NBA team, the Toronto Raptors, are entering their 14th year in the association with yet another roster retooled from the year before. It’s unlikely that Raptor fans will miss Carlos Delfino, Rasho Nesterovic or Primo Brezec very much, but the departure of T.J. Ford will likely have an effect on Raptor-nation.
The summer blockbuster trade that saw Ford traded to Indiana for Jermaine O’Neal was the biggest news the team made all off-season. The move was considered a positive for both teams, but it could be argued that Toronto is better off for the upcoming season. Indy basically got a successor to Jamaal Tinsley at point guard, and a young big man in Roy Hibbert
Anyone who follows Raptors ball knows that last season was filled with frustration and is widely regarded as a year in which the team underachieved. Finishing with a .500 record of 41-41 and getting bounced by Dwight Howard and the Magic in the first round of the playoffs was not the season the team had the potential to play. With two first round exits in two years, some people are beginning to wonder if head coach Sam Mitchell can coach
his way out of a paper bag in post-season play.
Team president Bryan Collangelo is one of the most famous executives in basketball for what he did with the Phoenix Suns. Collangelo making the O’Neal-Ford trade shows the fans that he is not building a replica of the Suns in Toronto, but that he is simply trying to create a winning squad in today’s NBA.
The trade killed off the Jose Calderon-T.J. Ford playing time controversy, and brought help to a front court where Chris Bosh has been the only constant.
Former first overall draft pick Andrea Barngani should be over his sophomore slump and ready for a break-out season. Often compared to Dirk Nowitzki, Barngani could easily develop into a league M.V.P. with his ability to shoot the ball and create scoring opportunities inside.
Other additions to the team include two American-born players who had been playing in Europe before getting the call from Toronto. Collangelo signed forward Hassan Adams and guard Will Soloman from overseas. Another player the team acquired in the Jermaine O’Neal trade is Nathan Jawai. The Raptors gained the rights to Jawai from the Pacers, and he is currently on the injured list with a heart condition. Jawai comes from Australia and is often compared to Phoenix Suns centre Shaquille O’Neal. Jawai’s size is another indicator towards the direction the Raptors are going this season.
Rather than playing a “seven seconds or less” style of high energy basketball like the Suns did, it’s obvious that Toronto is going back to a fundamental style comparable to the recent champion Boston Celtics. Jermaine O’Neal will be an inside presence at center that players like Kris Humphries could never be.
Jose Calderon is poised for a breakout year like Barngani, providing the muscle injuries he sustained playing for Spain this past summer don’t bother him.
Chris Bosh is fresh off his gold-medal performance in Beijing and should benefit from the addition of Jermaine O’Neal. O’Neal is coming from a system in Indiana where he was the first option in the front court, to Toronto where he has a genuine all-star in Bosh to be the main focus. The two are without doubt going to complement each other simply because it’s the first time in their respective careers that they have big-name help. O’Neal had Al Harrington as his top option in Indy, and Bosh has had the honor of playing with guys like Rafael Arrujo. Clearly the O’Neal-Bosh duo is going to wreck shop on the Eastern Conference.
With the defending champs as division rivals, the Raptors have their work cut out for them this season, and with this years team they’re completely capable of making some serious noise in the NBA.
The Raptors will open this season tonight in Philadelphia against newly acquired Elton Brand and the ‘76ers.
Two years ago, I was sitting in my living room with a care package that my parents had sent over to me. It contained all the necessities to keep a university student alive: some dishtowels, Kraft Dinner, body soap, and things of that nature. But one item in the package changed my perception on a sport forever.
In the latest issue of a weekly newspaper back home, there was an article about one of my former high school rugby teammates. Over the past year, my former teammate trained hard in the gym, maintained a crucial diet, and competed in the Atlantic Classic Bodybuilding Championships. Due to his hard work, my friend finished first in the junior division in his first competition.
I just stared at the picture in the newspaper and was in awe of his figure. Everything was so proportionate, as you could follow each of his muscles as they intertwined throughout his body.
At the time, I was a consistent gym-goer. I went three or four days a week, but nothing really intensive or mind-boggling. But after analyzing that picture, I felt a need to hit the gym one step harder.
I set off on a journey to learn more about the art of bodybuilding. I bought books, DVDs, and read articles on effective training and dieting. I pushed myself in to make the strong gains I wanted and stepped up my program everyday. This continued for about seven
months. Eventually, it all fell apart. I went
home for Christmas break and was lost in the loop. I never really had a chance to get back into that routine. I still go to the gym today, and I still try to eat healthy, but my dreams of entering a bodybuilding competition have been put aside for a few years.
Why do I mention this? Next weekend, the Playhouse will be host to the New Brunswick Bodybuilding and Figure Competition. A number of athletes from around the province will compete to represent their province in the Atlantic championships.
So why do people do this to their bodies? What makes bodybuilding so alluring? For me, it’s the aesthetics. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to be this massive giant that looks like he’ll crush your head if you don’t stop tapping that pencil. Instead, I’m all about symmetry and proportion. It’s all about having the right body that suits you.
I have a lot of respect for those athletes who do finally make it to a competition. It takes months of strict dieting, along with years of heavy training to be able to strut out on to the stage. Athletes are forced to change their entire lifestyle in order to compete. And finally, to be willingly to bare it all in front of an audience – that just takes guts. You see there’s nothing to hide - all of your work is
displayed before an audience, and a judge can tell whether or not you’ve been slacking off on those last few T-bar row reps.
I was at last year’s competition, covering the event for the Brunswickan. The first competitor of the night was in the men’s junior division. Actually, he was the only competitor in his division. But yet, he still walked onto the stage and performed his routine, despite the lack of competition. My first reaction was, “Wow, why would he still want to do his routine if he already won the title?”.
The competitor put hours of work into his routine, and most likely had to adapt his entire lifestyle to accommodate his passion for bodybuilding. Of course he would want to perform his routine. And I’m sure there was no better feeling in the world for him than standing on stage before the vast crowd and baring it all.
Someday (possibly when school books and newspapers don’t dominate my life), I’ll take another kick at the bodybuilding can. I’ll put the effort forth, add a few extra pounds, and compete with New Brunswick’s finest. In the meantime, you’ll find me in the stands at the next competition, wishing that it were I on the stage. Mitchell Bernard is the Sports Editor of The Brunswickan.
The annual installment of the “Battle of the Hill” has arrived as the St. Thomas Tommies battle the Varsity Reds at the Aitken Centre tonight. Every year, UNB hosts STU in their home opener, a rivalry that never disappoints.
“It’s going to be exciting for sure,” said head coach Gardiner MacDougall. “Any time two rivals like this face off, it is bound to be entertaining.”
Being the home opener, the Varsity Reds 2008 AUS championship banner will be unveiled, and raised to the rafters.
“Of course we’ll look for a spark from that,” said MacDougall. “It will just serve as a reminder of what this club is capable of.”
In the opening game of the season last week, the Reds suffered an overtime loss at the hands of UPEI. They countered strongly over the weekend, defeating Dalhousie on Friday night, followed by an overtime victory over Acadia on Saturday.
STU, on the other hand, has had a miserable start to the season. The 0-4 Tommies will be
desperate for a change tonight, especially against a bitter rival.
“A lot of the games in this league are only decided by one goal,” said MacDougall. “There’s going to be a lot of close games. We need to capitalize when we are given opportunities. That’s how we’ll win games.”
Coach MacDougall has seen some positives so far in the young season, but knows there is always room for improvement.
“I’ve seen some good elements in our game. Guys are playing well so far, but we need to cut down the turnovers. You never know when a bad turnover can cost you the game.”
Despite getting back on track over the weekend, the Reds are still bitten by the injury bug. To add to the list of shoulder injuries within the team, Ryan Seymour has recently been sidelined indefinitely.
John Scott Dickson and Daine Todd are both still nursing similar shoulder injuries. Their return dates are still up in the air.
“Its tough to have to watch from the stands,” said Dickson, a veteran with the team. “You want to be on the ice with the guys, whether it’s a game situation or even practice.”
Although he wishes he could be on the road with the team, Dickson did find an upside to sticking around town for the
weekend. “It does give me a good
opportunity to support the other varsity teams. It’s hard to do when we’re on the road throughout the season. We have some high calibre teams on this campus; it’s nice to watch them
win.” After tonight, the Varsity
Reds hit the road again for the weekend. On Saturday, they take on St. FX in Antigonish. Sunday afternoon, the Reds head to Halifax to battle the St. Mary’s Huskies.
The renewing of the rivalry will give the rookie V-Reds a chance to finally see the intensity of what has been dubbed the ‘Battle of the Hill.’
“I have heard a lot about the rivalry,” said rookie goaltender Travis Fullerton. The Riverview,
N.B. native is excited to see the environment in the Aitken Centre tonight. “We’ve all taken part in these rival situations before; we know how intense they can get. It’s going to be fun.”
The puck is set to drop at the Aitken Centre at 7 p.m. tonight.
Members of the Reds standing at the blueline before action against Acadia on Saturday night. UNB went 2-0 in weekend play.Gary Manning / Special to The Brunswickan
When the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced last year that they were awarding prize money to medal winners at the Beijing Olympics, there was some debate as to whether this was an appropriate decision.
For years, Olympians had been considered amateurs; people that were driven to compete not for financial rewards but for the love of the game, and a desire to be the best in the world. Thus, providing them with prize money seemed to some to go against the “Olympic Spirit.”
Originally, I agreed with these people thinking that paying athletes for medals wasn’t the proper way to go about things, despite the fact that other countries had been doing it for years.
Eventually I changed my mind, deciding that the prize money was no different than the funding that athletes received prior to the
Olympics. Apparently the Canada Revenue
Agency (CRA) didn’t feel the same way.
According to the Toronto Star, Olympic medal winners received a letter from the COC earlier this month, explaining that the CRA supported the opinion that the winnings were taxable income.
Of course this follows the Income Tax Act that explains that the only prize money considered to be non-taxable are those that are awarded for “meritorious achievement in the arts, the sciences or service to the public.”
So if it’s a law, it’s a law, I get that. I may not like it, but I understand it; the CRA is simply enforcing the Income Tax Act. The question then isn’t whether or not the CRA has the right to tax these winnings - they clearly do - but should they be taxing them?
I don’t think that they should be, especially because the other funding that athletes receive from the government is tax-free, and there is already a provision allowing for exemptions of awards.
Why should the exemption in the Income Tax Act be limited to achievement in arts, sciences, or service to the public? Why not
include Olympic athletes as well? One argument could be that
opening the tax exemption to athletic endeavors could open up a huge problem with what events to be included and perhaps opening some kind of loophole where professional athletes are concerned.
I’m not a tax or legal expert so those things could very well be true, but I’m sure there would be a way to rewrite the Income Tax Act to specifically include awards from the COC for medal winners in the exemption.
Really, it all comes down to how much do we want to support our athletes.
Every couple of years, when the Olympics come around, there are always people calling for more funding for athletes, and that with more funding we’d be able to compete with the elite nations of the world.
If we decide that we want to provide increased support for our elite athletes, then let’s go all the way for it and not put a tax on success. Tony von Richter is Sports Bureau Chief for the Canadian University Press, as well as a former Sports Editor of The Brunswickan. Email him at [email protected]
The days of Dalhousie dominating the AUS in men’s volleyball seem to be coming to an end. Leading the charge is the UNB Varsity Reds. After falling one game short of a berth in nationals last season, the Reds are back, looking to snap a 22-year streak.
Dalhousie has been an absolute powerhouse in the past, dominating the three team league every year. UNB head coach Dan McMorran believes this year’s team has the potential to put an end to the impressive streak.
“Of course I feel we can do it,” said McMorran. “We competed with them every time we faced them last year. We managed to defeat them three times in seven games. I feel that’s pretty impressive.”
It is even more impressive considering that Dalhousie has been accustomed to perfect or one-loss seasons for years.
“We have a good returning crew,” continued McMorran. “We have definitely narrowed the gap between us and Dal. There may not even be one anymore.”
If UNB does live up to McMorran’s expectations, the AUS will once again have two of the top teams in the country.
“With our good size and faster offence, we should be even better than last year,” claimed McMorran, a former all-star UNB player.
Numerous key players have returned to this season’s roster. Among them is AUS all-star and academic all-Canadian Jacob Kilpatrick. The six-foot-nine tower should dominate this season in the middle. More force in the middle will come from the versatile fourth year veteran, Ryley Bolden.
Three returning outside hitters will look to have an impact on the team this season. Kyle VanGenne made great improvements last season and will have physical presence on the wing. Tyler Veenhuis had a terrific second half last season and will be a force in either outside position. Matthew Sweet of O’Leary, P.E.I. will also be counted on in a variety of clutch situations.
Michael Johnson of Whitby, Ontario shared libero duties last year. However, he will get the starting minutes this season.
After a one-year hiatus, Greg
Halley will return to the roster. He will assume the starting setter position. Also, after not being with the team for a year, six foot eight John Sheehan has rejoined the Reds.
Along with the veterans, UNB has added six new faces to the club. Brett Watson of Lethbridge, Alberta has joined the Reds for his fourth year of eligibility. He is an outside hitter with a well-rounded game. Watson is expected add a great deal of experience and leadership to the squad.
Scott Brannigan is a six-foot-six middle/outside player who coach McMorran said, “has a bright future ahead of him as a Varsity Red.”
Dave McConnell of Moncton, N.B., Dale Worsley of Lower Onslow, N.S., and Jeremy Hughes are the final first-year additions rounding out the roster. All three will be assuming some backup duties.
Despite the key additions to the team, UNB lost their former all-star. Davin St. Pierre is currently with the national volleyball program, training full time. He intends to remain with the national program until Christmas. He will then decide whether or not to stay with the program, or play professionally in Europe. St. Pierre would also have the opportunity to return to UNB for the second half of the season. This idea excites coach McMorran, although he feels it unlikely.
“We would love Davin to return to our team,” said McMorran. “At the same time, we want him to do what is best for him. We sincerely wish him the best in whichever path he takes.”
The Varsity Reds competed
in an exhibition tournament at Queen’s University last week. UNB managed three victories over Laurier, Ryerson, and York University, while dropping games to Laurier as well as Western.
Regular season action begins this weekend while the Reds travel to Newfoundland to battle Memorial. The team faces back to back games on Saturday and Sunday before returning home. UNB’s home opener is set for Saturday, Nov. 15, when Dalhousie comes to town for the first crucial meeting between the two clubs.
Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan
A strong list of returnees are poised to take a run at the AUS champion-ship once again. UNB kicks off season play this weekend at MUN.
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