april 2011 summer

164.12
7
13 2011
APRIL
www.theontarion.com
R
E
M
SUM VEL
TRA E 12
PAG
Surprise party for Stephen Harper makes
national media
Hundreds of students
partake in non-partisan
vote mob to make it
known that youth are
voting
KELSEY RIDEOUT
t’s not easy to do. But fighting
apathy (that defiant, persistent,
coast-to-coast bug known to
consistently steal the outcome of
our political elections) is likely
what drove hundreds of university
students to stage a gathering meant
to surprise Stephen Harper upon
his arrival to Guelph. On Monday,
April 5, Harper came just feet from
the University of Guelph property
to hold a Conservative rally at the
Delta Hotel. A vivacious swarm
of students artfully fled from the
Brannion Plaza to the outskirts
of the Delta Hotel to deliver one
simple, non-partisan message:
youth are voting.
“We tried to be strong about
making a statement that yes we’re
youth; yes we’re going to vote.
We’re going to inform ourselves.
We’re not going to tell anyone
who to vote for. We’re going to
leave that up to you but we really
I
Megan Verhey
Maylee Todd gets personal with a crowd in the UC Courtyard for last
Wednesdays noon hour concert.
want to encourage the voting,”
said Geoff Loughton, a fourthyear Political Science student who
participated in the vote mob and
helped in its organization.
According
to
Loughton,
organizers managed to mobilize
students to come together in the
name of voting within only about a
day’s time. A few days earlier, U of
G students had conducted another
vote mob that consisted of running
through campus and waving
Canadian flags to the background
of Florence and the Machine’s
“Dog Days are Over.”
“The Rick Mercer rant just
urging students to break the cycle,
the reinforcing cycle of students
not voting and politicians not
caring and then students not
voting because they see they’re not
caring,” inspired the recent vote
mobs to take shape, said Loughton.
Organizers have overtly stated
that the mob was not a protest.
There were a few rules that the
vote mob attendees abided by to
ensure that the media would not
misconstrue their overall message
insisting youth vote. Signs weren’t
welcome, along with any other
partisan-oriented sentiments or
What would nature do?
Emerging design ethic
that emulates nature’s
forms to solve worthy
problems comes to
U of G
KIRSTI JUURAKKO
iomimicry? If you’re like
me, you’ve likely never
heard the word, so what
is it? In the words of Jamie
Miller, a Biomimicry Guild
affiliate through the Biomimicry
Speaker’s Bureau, biomimicry is
“consciously emulating nature’s
forms and processes and applying
them to practical problems.” It is
a way of solving daily problems
by looking to nature for solutions.
B
One example of biomimicry is the
modification of a wind turbine
blade to emulate a humpback
whale fin which drastically
increases the turbine’s efficiency.
Biomimicry is a new take on
bio-inspired design, which has
been around for as long as people
have been on earth. Bio-inspired
design has manifested in igloo
design, modelled after polar
bear dens. Biomimicry, Miller
said, goes a step further to “study
nature as a system to apply to our
systems.” Miller also stated that
a focus of biomimicry is to “not
only use nature as a model but also
using nature as a measure and as a
mentor.”
The term “biomimicry” was first
apparel.
One U of G student who
preferred to remain anonymous,
decided to take part in a separate
protest along with about 20 other
individuals. He respected the goal
of the vote mob, but worried how
it painted those wanting to tackle
political change more explicitly.
“I know that the vote mob
attendees were instructed to ‘Boo’
protesters, and so I think from the
get go many of them had negative
impressions on protesters. I just
don’t understand why students
would support the dismissing of
politically engaged students,” he
said.
Gracen Johnson, co-organizer
of the vote mob and fourth-year
see “RALLY,” page 3
Issues
6EARTH
11BONES
17CROSS
19SCARY
HOUR
DINOSAUR
COUNTRY
defined in Biomimicry: Innovation
Inspired by Nature in 1997 by
trained biologist and innovation
consultant, Janine Benyus. Nature
has been at work designing
countless systems and structures for
millions of years and these designs
are still functioning today. That
certainly says something about the
wisdom of nature when it comes
to design. For many, it just makes
sense to continue benefiting from
studying and mimicking nature’s
time withstanding designs.
At a global scale, biomimicry
manifests itself in the Biomimicry
Group and its sister organizations,
the Biomimicry Institute and
the Biomimicry Guild.
The
Biomimicry Group states that
its mission is “to nurture and
grow a global community of
people who are learning from,
emulating and conserving life’s
genius to create a healthier, more
sustainable planet.” According
to the Biomimicry Institute, it
“promotes learning from and then
emulating natural forms, processes
and ecosystems to create more
sustainable and healthier human
technologies and designs” while
the Biomimicry Guild “is the
only innovation company in the
world to use a deep knowledge
of biological adaptations to help
designers, engineers, architects
see “NATURE,” page 3
MOVIES
Index
7 Arts & Culture
16 Sports & Health
19 Life
21 Opinion
22 Editorial
23 Crossword
23 <eZllbÛ^]
23 Community Listings
The Ontarion is hiring
for the position of
ADVERTISING MANAGER
The Ontarion is seeking an experienced and enthusiastic
individual to fill the position of Advertising Manager.
The successful candidate will demonstrate the following
experience and skills:
A complete Job Description can be obtained by
emailing Monique at ontarion@uoguelph.ca
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
Ontarion Hiring Committee
UC 264, University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario N21G 2W1
Fax: 519-824-7838
E-mail: ontarion@uoguelph.ca
Sales experience, preferably in print & web advertising
Customer service, negotiation & conflict resolution
Graphic design using Mac computers & Adobe software
Training & supervision of staff
Access to a vehicle is required for customer calls
Previous work in a newspaper environment is an asset
This is a flexible, full-time position with a two-year renewable contract
Compensation includes base salary plus commission on advertising
sales, optional health and dental benefits & an annual campus
parking pass
s Annual salary potential $35K - $40K
Please reply with cover letter and resume by
Friday April 15, 2011 at 4 pm to:
The Ontarion’s Employment Equity Policy is a proactive measure to recruit
qualified people from a variety of ethnic, religious and class backgrounds,
lesbians, bisexuals, gays and transgendered people, people of colour,
Aboriginal people, people with disabilities and women. Members of the
previously identified groups are encouraged to self-identify.
Only those applicants granted an interview will be contacted. To obtain
a copy of the Employment Equity Policy or the complete Job Description
email us at ontarion@uoguelph.ca
3
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
.com
News
Ivory Coast Massacre
“RALLY,” continued
International Development U
of G student, further described
why she was adamant that the
event remained non-partisan.
“The need to keep it nonpartisan is because it makes
our message that much more
legitimate and it really removes
the risk of things being spun the
wrong way and I also think that
we just wanted to engage with as
many students as possible,” said
Johnson.
There was some reported
confusion amongst those who
glimpsed at the vote mob from
afar. With the crowd facing away
from the roads and Conservative
signs trickled all around for
Stephen Harper’s visit, some
individuals passing by assumed
there was a support rally for
the Harper government while
others thought the crowd was
full of young Liberals, given that
most individuals were cloaked in
red and white.
But Johnson is happy to see
that “the media seemed to get it,”
with reporters taking the time to
find out why the students were
really there. Within hours, news
of the event was splashed across
national media and celebrities
like Nelly Furtado have since
tweeted their support.
Johnson believes that youth
are really getting their message
and will head to the polls with
informed decisions and vote on
May 2.
“I don’t understand why
democracy
has
become
something so private…” she
said. “It should be something we
really do celebrate. As we’ve seen
in the news over the past few
months, people really are dying
for this. We have no excuse to
be apathetic. We have no excuse
to be cynical about it, because
our best chance at changing
anything is right in front of us.”
Since the event, various media
have begun to report about vote
mob participants who registered
for Stephen Harper’s rally but
were abruptly turned away. U
of G student Izzy Hirji had
his admittancesticker forcibly
ripped off and was thrown
“NATURE,” continued
and business leaders solve design
and engineering challenges in
sustainability.” The Biomimicry
Guild serves to bring together
experts of various disciplines
to help projects succeed in
their goal to be sustainable;
the Guild’s goal is to “create
products,
processes,
and
policies that create conditions
conductive to life.”
On March 26, Guelph held
its first biomimicry workshop
which may develop into an
annual conference, possibly
featuring a biomimicry contest.
According to Miller, Guelph is
an ideal school to incorporate
biomimicry because it has the
appropriate founding principles
and the right demographic. At
the University of Guelph there
is a CSA approved group called
the Biomimicry Collaboration.
It seems that the biomimicry
movement in Guelph is studentdriven.
The response to biomimicry
has been one of overwhelming
enthusiasm.
The workshop
held on March 26 was sold out.
The e-mail list consists of over
one hundred addresses and was
compiled from a booth that was
in the University Centre for a
single day. The conference was
supported by the College of
Biological Science, the College
of Physics and Engineering
Science and the Ontario
Agricultural College.
When all is said and done,
biomimicry is about being aware
of the value of nature’s designs
and using human knowledge and
skills to emulate these designs
in human structures. By doing
so we can make our products
and processes more sustainable
by using less waste, energy and
material. Others point to the
benefit that such products tend
to perform economically well,
as they increase revenue and
build up a brand, drawing in
the environmentally conscious
consumers.
Kelsey Rideout
A student who attended the non-partisan vote mob, drums alongside
hundreds of other peers who surprised Stephen Harper with the message
that “students are voting” during his visit to Guelph.
out of the rally without any
explanation. Similar instances
are being reported at Harper
rallies elsewhere in the province.
Inter-ethnic killings have been
reported in neighborhoods in the
city of Duekoue, with numbers
varying from 800 to 1000, according
to multiple agencies in recent days.
Shocked representatives report
large numbers of bodies, with
gunshot and machete wounds.
Mass-killings have been escalating
since last November’s presidential
election; then-president Gbagbo
refused to relinquish power to
the new president, Ouattara,
and has since been in hiding in
the capital of Abidjan. Conflicts
between Ouattara’s supporters and
Gbagbo’s guard have displaced
more than a million and killed
at least 1300 civillians. Gbagbo’s
armed forces, many of them youth,
have been marauding the streets
of Abidjan, spreading fear and
exacerbating the situation for the
residents. -CBC
Alcoholism now considered a
medical condition
Starting April 1st, British
Columbia is the first province
to recognize alcohol addiction
as a chronic medical condition,
according to new legislation aimed
at improving care and treatment
for alcoholics. Doctors will now be
able to bill for the extra time allotted
for the diagnosis of addiction and
identifying effective treatment
plans, giving family physicians an
incentive to provide better care to
these patients. Improved treatment
options and methods are also now
made more available to clinicians.
Also, formally recognizing the
condition as a medical illness
may help to destigmatize alcohol
addiction, as more understanding
and acceptance increases. -CBC
Grange and Watson to get new
stoplights
BioCollaboration (Flickr)
A student looks critically at an insect during a Biomimicry workshop
on March 26.
Another collision has occurred at
a dangerous intersection this past
Friday April 1, leaving one vehicle
rolled over, but with both drivers
sustaining only minor injuries.
The Grange Road and Watson
Parkway North intersection is
regulated by a pedestrian operated
crosswalk and stop signs, and with
the growth of Guelph’s east end
in recent years, the frequency of
collisions have rose along as well.
City officials have been aware of
this for years and finally have plans
and $100,000 in funding set aside
to install stoplights. Construction
will however be postponed until
after the school year, as many
school children regularly use the
crosswalk. - Guelph Mercury
Compiled by Jihee (Marie) Park
4
News
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
164.12
Want to vote but don’t know how?
The low-down on how
to cast your ballot
KELSEY RIDEOUT
fter a U of G led vote
mob
extravaganza,
students are likely well
aware that Canadians are voting
May 2. But in times of elections,
there tends to be some confusion
over the process of getting
registered to vote. With the help
of the Elections Canada website,
below are some important details
that any student planning to vote
should know.
A
How to register to vote
Canadians need to register
in order to vote. Registration
happens before and on voting
day. To ensure your name is on
the voters list ahead of time,
you’ll have to give proof of your
identity and address and fill out a
form. You can do this by calling
Elections Canada at 1-800-4636868, going to the Elections
Canada office located closest
to you (Guelph’s is at the Root
Plaza on 666 Woolwich Street).
Bring the voting information
card once you have registered
to vote with you when you vote.
If you are not on the voters list
ahead of the election, you can
register at the polls on May
2. On Monday, April 11 and
Tuesday, April 12, Elections
Canada will be in the University
Centre to assist students with
registration between the hours
of 10am-3pm.
Bringing the right identif ication
In order to vote, you must
bring proof of your identity
and address, whether you are
registered before you vote or
whether you are registering at the
polling station. There are three
options of valid identification.
1) Showing one original piece of
identification with your photo,
name and address. For example,
your driver’s license. 2) Show
two original pieces of authorized
identification. Both pieces must
have your name and one must also
have your address. An example
is your health card and hydro
bill. 3) Swearing an oath and
have an elector who knows you
vouch for you. This person must
have authorized identification
and be from the same polling
division as you. An example is
your neighbour or roommate. An
elector can only vouch for one
person and an elector who has
been vouched for cannot vouch
for another person. You must
vote at the polling place with
your current address, so be sure
to have the correct address on the
identification your provide.
Voting in advance or by mail
Anyone can vote in an advance
poll. This may be especially
desirable for students if they wish
to vote for Guelph candidates but
are leaving the city before May
2. Advance polling takes place
in person on Friday, April 22,
Saturday, April 23, or Monday,
April 25. On April 8, the
locations of the advance polling
places in Guelph will be available
on the Elections Canada website,
www.elections.ca. You can also
vote by mail through a special
ballot, if you are away from the
riding you wish to vote in. Voters
have to be registered to vote by
special ballot no later than 6:00
PM on the Tuesday before voting
day. Voters who register by special
ballot will receive a kit to enclose
all the information they need.
Where and when to vote
Polling stations will be open
from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm Eastern
Time. There will be several places
in Guelph for the public to cast
their ballot. These locations will
be disclosed on Friday, April 8 on
www.elections.ca.
What to expect when you vote
The poll clerk checks that you are
on the voters list. If you are not
on the voters list, you can still
register. You will be handed a
folded ballot and will go behind
a voting screen where no one can
see who you vote for. You will
mark an X in the circle beside
the name of the candidate you
choose. You will then fold your
ballot and take it back to the
deputy returning officer and they
will tear off the tab. The deputy
returning officer will give you
back your ballot and you will put
it in the ballot box. It doesn’t take
long to vote. The whole process
may take about 20 minutes out of
your day.
Do not hesitate to call the
lovely, helpful folks at our local
Elections Office at 519-8242448 if you have any other
questions. Hope to see you at the
polls!
Two election officers will be at
a table. You will be asked to show
proof of identity and address.
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FLEETWOOD MAC - Rumours
5
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
.com
News
Critical Connections
From Japan to Southern
Ontario: the Future of
Nuclear Energy
KELSEY RIDEOUT
nyone sifting through
the news has surely
seen the reported extent
of devastation enforced upon
Japan since an 8.9-magnitude
earthquake and tsunami struck
the country on March 11. Along
with thousands of casualties
and severe structural damage,
a nuclear crisis has ensued
after the outer containment
buildings of three nuclear
reactors failed to cool, setting
off explosions and releasing vast
amounts of radioactivity into the
atmosphere. Since the radiation
levels have continued to mount,
tens of thousands of people who
resided near the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant have
evacuated and continue to live in
temporary shelters. This edition
of Critical Connections aims
to focus on the global debate
surrounding nuclear energy
incited by the present crisis in
Japan. It is important to note
that issues dealing with nuclear
energy and the science behind
it are quite complex and beyond
the scope of this article.
A
Courtesy
Darlington Nuclear Power Plant,
ON
Radiation levels soar in Japan
The exact levels of radiation
being expelled from the reactors
vary, though no reports appear
to look hopeful. As of March 28,
the Washington Post reported
that the Tokyo Electric Power
Company,
which
oversees
the operations of the nuclear
plant, measured one unit of
water as having 100,000 times
the radioactivity than what is
presumed to be normal. On
April 2, the Washington Posted
reported that water tested near
the plant was measured to contain
7.5 million times the legal limit
of radioactivity. Just recently
on April 4, the BBC reported
that Japanese workers released
approximately 11,500 tonnes of
low level contaminated water
containing about 100 times the
legal limit of radiation into the
ocean. This was done in a rushed
effort to make room to stop water
with a higher radioactivity level
from leaking into the sea.
It is clear that the levels of
radiation Japan is experiencing
are alarmingly high. What
appears to be debated in the
media is the actual impact that
these levels of radiation will have
on people and the environment,
and whether or not the damage
from the Japanese disaster should
enforce governments around
the world to begin phasing out
nuclear energy.
Understanding the technology
Before looking at present
political debates, it’s important
to briefly explore the technology
behind nuclear energy. Nuclear
power plants are used to heat
water and produce steam that
is then used for electricity. To
generate
electricity, nuclear
energy requires nuclear fission
reactions, a nuclear reaction in
which the nucleus of an atom
splits into smaller parts to
generate electricity. Most of the
world’s reactors use bundles of
uranium rods that pack together
in a single vessel and use “light”
water as the moderator. Reactors
in Canada uses fuel bundles and
“heavy” water as the moderator,
enabling the plants to skip the
process of enriching the uranium
fuel that they use.
Experts have said that the kind
of disaster that has happened
in Fukushima, Japan, is very
unlikely to strike in Canada, due
to the variations in Canadiandesigned CANDU reactors.
“Canadian reactors use natural
uranium and they’re pressured
to reactors rather than it being
a big pot, like the Americanstyle reactor or being a gasfilled reactor, which is the kind
of reactor the Russians had
in Chernobyl,” said U of G
Professor of Chemistry, Peter
Tremaine, who started off his
career in Atomic Energy of
Canada.
While CANDU reactors are
viewed as some of the safest
nuclear plants in the world that
are not susceptible to accidents,
Tremaine explained that there
are still areas of great concern
amongst the Canadian public,
such as the relationship between
nuclear energy and nuclear
proliferation, the expansion of
nuclear energy into developing
countries, and issues surrounding
nuclear waste.
To expand or dismantle nuclear
power?
Some fear that stopping
nuclear energy production, a
fossil-fuel free technology, would
mean resorting back to burning
coal and further contributing to
climate change. George Monbiot,
a prominent author, climate
change analyst, and columnist
for the Guardian, believes that
burning coal is much more
dangerous than nuclear power. In
a heated debate on Democracy
Now, Monbiot discussed why he
is worried if public outcry causes
the energy pendulum to swing
away from nuclear power.
“Now, coal is hundreds of times
more dangerous than nuclear
power, not just because of climate
change, though, of course, climate
change is a big one, but also
because of industrial accidents
and because of the impacts of
pollution on local people…But
I’m calling for perspective, and
I’m saying that we must not
replace a bad technology with a
much, much worse one, because,
unfortunately, that is what’s
likely to happen,” said Monbiot.
Anti-nuclear
activist
and
physician Dr. Helen Caldicott
strongly disagreed that Nuclear
Energy should be favoured due
to the fear of coal’s rebirth. She
focused specifically on the longterm health impacts caused by
nuclear energy waste.
“Nuclear
power…creates
massive quantities of radioactive
waste,” said Caldicott. “There is
no way to put it on earth that’s
safe. As it leaks into the water
over time, it will bioconcentrate
in the food chains, in the
breast milk, in the fetuses, that
are thousands of times more
radiosensitive than adults. One
X-ray to the pregnant abdomen
doubles
the
incidence
of
leukemia in the child. And over
time, nuclear waste will induce
epidemics of cancer, leukemia
and genetic disease, and random
compulsory genetic engineering.
And we’re not the only species
with genes, of course. It’s plants
and animals. So, this is an
absolute catastrophe, the likes of
which the world has never seen
before.”
The debate hits home
While this issue is being tossed
and turned in debates around the
world, it is especially relevant for
Courtesy
Southern Ontario dwellers to
chime in, given that there exist
three operating nuclear power
plants in this region. Bruce Power,
situated along Lake Huron, and
Pickering Generation Station
and Darlington Generation
Station, located along the shores
of Lake Ontario, enable the
province of Ontario to meet
50 per cent of its energy needs
through nuclear power.
Angela Bischoff, Outreach
Director for Ontario Clean
Air Alliance explained why the
coalition of over 90 organizations
is calling for a moratorium on
new nuclear projects in Ontario.
“We’re working for 100 per
cent renewable electricity grid,”
said Bischoff. “To that end we’ve
been fighting for a coal phase out,
and then the province used the
coal phase out as justification to
expand new nuclear [projects]…
We don’t need to take the risks
that are inherent within nuclear
energy because we have safer
and even cheaper alternatives to
meeting our electricity needs.”
All three Southern Ontario
nuclear power plants are
scheduled to shut down in the
next decade. The Ontario Clean
Air Alliance proposes that the
province wastes no more time
to start investing in Made-inOntario green forms of power
(such as bio-energy, water and
wind) so that when the live spans
of the nuclear plants do come to
an end, there will be a readiness
for feasible, large-scale change in
Ontario’s energy production.
But for Tremaine, the threat
of climate change is too great
to dismiss future nuclear energy
production.
“The big picture for nuclear
is that it doesn’t produce
greenhouse gases, it’s got a very
small footprint and it’s invented
in Canada. It’s a home-grown
technology, which has a large
role to play in the role because it
does burn natural uranium and
it’s a major economic issue for
Ontario,” said Tremaine.
While it’s true that nuclear
energy does not pollute through
emissions, Bischoff remains
disturbed by questions over
radioactive waste.
“We still don’t have any safe
way of disposing of it, or even
neutralizing it. So even at this
point, we’ve got tens of thousands
of tons of nuclear waste sitting on
the three nuclear reactor sites in
southern Ontario…No country
in the world has figured out how
to safely store nuclear waste,” she
said.
Currently, most of the world’s
nuclear waste is being stored
in self-contained units that are
built on reactor sites. According
to Tremaine, debates continue
in Canada over the details
of building an underground
repository to handle its nuclear
waste.
Conversation must continue
Despite which side of the
debate you find yourself leaning
towards, what matters most is
that the critical questions and
dialogue do not fade into the
background once the media
moves away from the crisis in
Japan.
Bischoff encouraged students
everywhere to continue thinking
about the future.
“I think it’s really the most
important issue right now, energy.
How are we going to power
our computers, our phones,
our lightbulbs, in an era where
we’re facing climate change
globally. How are we going to be
responsible and live sustainably?
That means not leaving a mess for
future generations to clean up.”
6
News
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
164.12
How effective was Earth Hour?
RACHEL SCAPILLATI
n March 26, between
8:30 and 9:30 p.m.,
citizens across Canada
turned off their lights in support
of Earth Hour, a yearly event that
takes place to conserve energy.
As soon as the event ended,
headlines splashed the media
reporting a noticeable decline in
participation this year. According
to the Guelph Mercury, in
various regions across Ontario,
energy usage during Earth
Hour merely decreased by 115
megawatts compared to last year’s
296 megawatts and 2009’s 454
megawatt decreases.
There is a clear decline in
participation across the province.
It brings into question if Earth
Hour is still an effective method
of raising awareness, and also
what Earth Hour really means to
the people who part-take in it.
“Earth Hour was a wonderful
conception, but appears to be
losing steam and I am not sure
why,” said Dr. Ben Bradshaw,
the Environmental Governance
program coordinator. “Evidently
it is about raising awareness
rather than reducing energy use
for an hour.” Vera Mirhady is a member
of the Guelph Students for
Environmental Change (GSEC),
the university environmental
support. GSEC runs various
awareness raising and advocacy
campaigns for the environment
O
throughout the school year.
Mirhady agrees that Earth Hour
is more about raising awareness,
but finds Earth Hour to be a
successful event.
“I absolutely think that Earth
Hour is effective in raising
awareness,” she said. “It is a very
easily accessible event that is
open to people that are at all
different levels of involvement
in environmental issues. I think
that many people become aware
of environmental issues through
Earth Hour, which is a widely
promoted event, and continue
to inform themselves about
environmental issues after Earth
Hour has taken place.”
Christopher Carr, a secondyear philosophy student, likens
Earth Hour to other awareness
raising events.
“Earth Hour is effective in
the way that any demonstration
is,” said Carr. “It’s about raising
awareness, but it’s not necessarily
affecting the grid in any way, or
our total amount of energy used.
The fact that people are willing
to demonstrate living without
electricity, that’s what the message
is. It’s much like the events you
see around campus that try to
raise awareness on various social
issues.”
Dr. Bradshaw illuminates Earth
Hour’s significance to students in
the Environmental Governance
program, “The earth hour offers
an excellent example of modern
environmental activism, both
with respect to its promise
and limitations. Students of
Environmental Governance need
to systematically assess its design
and impacts in order to learn
from it. For example, how does its
impact compare to a 10 per cent
increase in electricity charges or a
ban on incandescent light bulbs?”
Despite
Ontario’s
overall
lackluster performance this past
Earth Hour, Guelph experienced
a one per cent increase in
participation this year, an anomaly
compared to other regions in the
province.
“There is a social climate here.
Guelph’s very ‘buy local,’” said
Carr. “The local farmer and the
local business man are valued more
in Guelph than other regions,
so the impact of the underdog is
something that is valued more in
Guelph than other places.”
In addition to Guelph’s cultural
support of smaller causes, this
city is also host to a slough of
environmental organizations and
demonstrations, a few of which
directly
facilitated
Guelph’s
success for this year’s Earth Hour.
“The organization Transition
Guelph played a very significant
role in promoting Earth Hour this
year,” said Mirhady. “Transition
Guelph organized the Resilience
2011 festival on the weekend
of Earth Hour, and put a lot
of effort into promoting both
Resilience Festival and Earth
Courtesy
Hour itself. [They] organized a
community potluck that took
place during Earth Hour in
Guelph. Another group that
helped to promote Earth Hour
was Guelph Environmental
Leadership, which organized the
first annual Lights Out Relay for
Earth Hour.”
At various bars downtown
bands played in candlelight
during Earth Hour, creating a
social atmosphere to the event,
one Mirhady suggests can only
help this endeavour.
“Having a social element to
Earth Hour might encourage
people who wouldn’t otherwise
be motivated to participate in
environmental actions to take
part,” she said. “In addition,
having the social element creates
a positive association with the
event, and will likely encourage
more people to participate in
coming years.”
7
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
.com
Arts & Culture
Norfolk church holds Raise the Sun, Japanese relief concert
Compassionate
Guelph-based
performers and national
talents come to Guelph
to raise support for
Japan
JIHEE (MARIE) PARK
t has been almost four weeks
since the 8.9 magnitude
quake, tsunami and threat
of nuclear meltdown wreaked
havoc for the residents of coastal
northeast Japan.
I
Creative Submission
The last time I met with
Pierre
RONALD ROYLE
Not the day before last I was approached by a friend,
Who’d written a letter but forgotten to send.
He sat in an armchair and said, “just as well,
To speak face to face, means much more I can tell.”
He opened the letter and cleared once his throat,
And began to recite all the words on his note.
“Nervous social twitches, on a long road to riches,
The best looking women always made us suspicious.
We chased them around, through fields and office spaces,
A life long game of “catch me, but with patience.”
Spent our waking hours trying to get back to bed,
But didn’t we have a good time with it?” he said.
“To hunting for job opportunities weekly,
From searching for softballs in the schoolyard, so meekly.
We built our own confidence, rich with desire,
And charged at the buildings that listed ‘for hire!’
Got beat down and held back by those with the power,
But we had too good of a time to feel sour.
“Shopped in the malls when we landed in dough,
Bitched and complained while we dug out of snow.
Laid in the sun for hours at a time,
And applied a thick coating of creamy white slime.
Followed the bullshit advice doctors gave…
But we had a good time before we hit the grave!
Learned to fight battles without speaking words,
Thought our way out of the meddling herds.
Subliminal messages spoken through bodies,
Lifting up weights to grow big and meet hotties.
Succumbing to realizations of form,
But we had a good time, running right through the storm.
Acting like children who couldn’t say no,
Never the courage to leave when we know.
We’d rather kick dead corpses, hoping for life,
And then blame our parents for bringing us strife.
Walked into corners we knew had no door,
But we had a good time, throwing stones from the shore.
Read every shit piece of “self-help” literature,
Tried hard to curve our lifestyles and expenditure.
Struck out and went broke, cash spent on weed smoke,
Snorted white stones through a bill and called it ‘coke.’
All that embarrassing, awkward reaction,
To having a good time, trying to spark passion.
I passed many hours with loved ones in bliss,
But only after learning what it feels like ‘to miss.’
Stood in the rain just to see how it felt,
And picked up her garment to see how it smelt.
There’s not much I wouldn’t have done to feel close,
And of these poor days, I’ve sure made the most.”
With that he stood up and announced his departure,
Took off his hat, and pulled back his hair.
He walked out the door, without longing or rapture,
And that was the last time I met with Pierre.
Though half a world away,
concerned
and
empathetic
Canadians are pitching in to help
in various ways. Raise the Sun,
a live music event happening
Sunday, April 10 at the Norfolk
United Church is part of Guelph’s
effort to give hope to the people of
Japan and to inspire Canadians to
be compassionate global citizens.
The same group of Guelphites
who arranged last year’s “Help
Haiti” concert, local activist
Paul Clarkson and University of
Guelph’s English professor Ajay
Heble, along with the Hillside
Festival’s Executive Director
Marie Zimmerman, have come
together hastily to coordinate
Raise the Sun, a benefit project
initiated by Clarkson.
“All of the proceeds go to Japan
through the Japanese Canadian
Cultural Centre Foundation,
who will direct the first tier of
funds directly to the Japanese
Red Cross and the second tier
to infrastructure development,”
said Zimmerman. She sees
in Guelph’s citizens a great
willingness to help the people of
Japan, who have experienced not
only one, but three major blows
having devastating effects.
“I think people want to find
a way to reach out. We need to
find a way to lift up the people a
little, even if it’s just by showing
them that we care about them as
fellow human beings, that we care
enough to raise our voices through
music, dance and literature.”
“Two of our performers
have received the Order of
Canada, choreographer David
Earle and writer Joy Kogawa. That should give you an idea
of the caliber of these artists,”
Zimmerman commented.
An
impressive
lineup
of instrumental and vocal
improvisers will also be on stage.
Freestyle jazz and folk artists
Kevin Breit, Jane Bunnett and
Tannis Slimmon, as well as cellist
Matt Brubeck, and the unique
mix of jazz, rock and indie music
of the Vertical Squirrels will
give a diverse experience to next
Sunday’s audience.
“We’re so lucky to get all the
performers we did. That they are
coming and performing for free
testifies to a simple fact. Humans
are, by nature, altruistic,” she said.
Internationally
acclaimed
Every week the Ontarion
accepts a creative submission
from our readers. This can come
in the form of poetry, short stories
or photography. If you have a
creative submission please submit
it to onarts@uoguelph.ca
Courtesy
author Joy Kogawa will be gracing
the show with her passionate skill
of the spoken and written word.
“It’s really significant that
Joy Kogawa is coming,” said
Zimmerman. “Her novel, Obasan,
is a haunting evocation of a time
in the lives of Japanese-Canadians
when they were interned during
World War II. The Literary
Review of Canada names Obasan
as one of the most important
Canadian novels of the twentieth
century.”
Nagata Shachu will also make
an appearance, a six-person
ensemble of Japanese Taiko
drummers, who combine the art
of percussion and the elements of
dance in an elegant but powerful
performance.
“David Earle’s company will
perform “Miserere,” which will
make everyone cry,” Zimmerman
assured,
regarding
Guelph’s
“Dance Theatre David Earle,”
a contemporary dance group
renowned for their passionate
portrayals of emotion. Guelph’s
experimental and improvisational
Fall On Your Feet Dance Lab will
also be on stage, rendering the
human condition as an art form
through physical motion.
As an activist, Zimmerman gave
helpful advice for those wishing to
continue making a difference. The
first step she insists, is researching
the most effective way to channel
your efforts; even with the best
intentions, aimless support can
end up a lost cause.
“For instance, many disastertorn countries receive heaps of
used clothing that they do not
need and must gather, transport
and incinerate. So, before you
start a drive, check with a reliable
source about what is truly needed. Go out to events where people are
gathering to show compassion to
the people of Japan. There you
may discover people and resources
that will guide you.”
Raise The Sun will run from
three to five pm Sunday, April 10.
8
Arts & Culture
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
164.12
Guelph music festival, a sensory buffet
All are welcome at
2011’s diversely catered
Kazoo! Fest
TOM BEEDHAM
azoos are instruments
available in a diverse range
of shapes, colours, sizes and
styles, and they’re approachable
from all levels of musical aptitude.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise
the kazoo is the image and
namesake associated with Guelph
based non-profit artist collective
Kazoo! and its annual multi-art
talent mash-up, Kazoo! Fest.
Starting
next
Wednesday,
April 13, Kazoo! Fest will invade
Guelph’s downtown core for
the first of five-straight days of
programming in music, written
word and visual arts. With nine
concerts spread out over five days, a
twentieth anniversary performance
from Guelph birthed King Cobb
Steelie
and
Juno-nominated
rapper D-Sisive are just two of
over twenty-five musicians gracing
this year’s festival. But music
is only one aspect of this year’s
festival. Also to look forward to is
K
the heavily tabled “zine” and comic
expo, as well as the film screenings
featuring National Film Board
(NFB) shorts at Synemma on
April 14.
For Kazoo! founder and festival
programmer and organizer Brad
McInerney, diversity is of vital
importance to the festival.
“We’ve always done stuff like
the zine fair as part of the festival,
but we’ve also tried to include stuff
other than just music because it
keeps our programming fresh and
interesting,” said McInerney. “I
want to see things that are going
to engage different audiences and
engage me in different ways.”
As McInerney suggests, reaching
those different audiences would
be impossible without setting in
place some basic principles for
conducting the festival.
One
important characteristic of the
festival is keeping shows open to
all ages.
“All ages access is something
that I and a lot of other people
who have been involved with
Kazoo! over the years have been
passionate about, because we all
started listening to music when we
were in high school and had those
times where we couldn’t get in to
see a band that we really wanted
to see,” McInerney reflected. “It’s
something that’s important to give
back to the city for kids who are in
high school or younger to even get
out there and see bands.”
“I want to see things
that are going to
engage different
audiences and engage
me in different ways.”
Brad McInerney
“Ultimately in the long run it
kind of engages a better music
community, because people start
seeing really awesome bands when
they’re sixteen [or] seventeen years
old.”
And when McInerney says “all
ages,” he means all ages. This
year the festival is offering a Kids
Disco at Ed Video - an event
promised to allow children twelve
and under (and their parents) an
opportunity to boogie down, all
in the atmosphere of a dancehall
that the Kazoo! website describes
as “a psychedelic nightclub for
kids.” On April 16, Ed Video will
be endowed just the way a disco
hall should be, complete with fog
machines, funky lights, and of
course the compulsory disco ball.
Kids will even be able to watch
their moves while they dance, as
live video feeds will be featured
throughout the gallery.
While keeping shows accessible
to audiences of all ages is one step
to reaching a broader turnout,
McInerney acknowledges that
cost is always going to be a factor
in accessing live music.
“The price for people getting
into shows to see live music is
sometimes really, really steep,” he
said.
As an alternative to costly cover
charges, over the years Kazoo! has
managed to build a respectable
reputation for offering up a lot of
events that are either free or “Pay
What You Can.”
“It sort of allows people that
are more working class and also
high school students to have more
possibilities to see and engage with
the music,” McInerney said.
As a format of entertainment, it’s
important to keep in mind that the
thinkers at Kazoo! are ultimately
working toward the goal of putting
on a good show. As McInerney
reasons, “[Increased financial
accessibility] makes it better for
the artists playing. They’ll have
more people in a room if the cover
is slightly more affordable.”
With so much strategically
planned entertainment transpiring
from April 13-17 at venues all over
town, there is certain to be concern
over how to make it from one
event to another with little missed
programming between. Another
welcome feature of this year’s
festival is that for the first time,
Kazoo! is offering fifty “Crony
Passes” through The Bookshelf.
These festival passes offer optimal
event mobility to festival goers,
granting carriers guaranteed access
to all events up until half an hour
after door time, and preferred
access after that window.
For a comprehensive schedule
and further information about this
year’s Kazoo! Fest and its features,
surf over to www.kazookazoo.ca.
9
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
.com
Arts & Culture
Intertextual ingenuity in 2011 Ensemble performances
“No More
Masterpieces?” an
effective argument for
classics’ relevance
TOM BEEDHAM
ast weekend the University
of
Guelph’s
fourthyear Theatre Ensemble
Class produced its No More
Masterpieces? series at the George
Luscombe Theatre, featuring six
modern adaptations of pre-1900s
“masterpiece” plays, each running
for three straight days. Provoked
by Antonin Artuad’s 1938
argument for the boycotting
of the further production
of canonized art forms, the
Ensemble Class manifested the
merits masterpieces still offer the
world, delivering a solid rebuttal
against Artaud’s rally to banish
the classics to the confines of
L
cobwebby oblivion.
The Ensemble Class managed
to produce six intertextual
exploits founded on a match
between deft familiarity with
classic subject matter and bold
adaptation strategies.
One of the obstacles faced by
the Ensemble students when
approaching the individual plays
was a lack of male presence in the
class and sometimes an inability
to fit traditional male roles with
male performers. As a result,
each group was assigned one
male performer (some having
two). Anton Chekhov’s The
Bear, which originally required
two male roles, presented one
such case of this obstacle, as it
only received one male actor.
But for students working
on The Bear, this turned out to
be somewhat of a blessing in
disguise. Rather than going the
drag route, students working on
The Bear took the role of Luka—
originally a male butler—and
turned it into a comical female
maid character, played by Shelby
Vilneff.
Vilneff ’s Luka injected wild
hilarity into The Bear with the
character’s exaggerated tiptoe
physical humour as with her
sarcastic asides, but also helped
the play accomplish what No
More Masterpieces? was all about.
Fulfilling roles as a co-director
and dramaturge as well as
performing in The Bear, Sarah
Jane Glover reflected on the
performances.
“One of our challenges was the
idea that there was a servant class
in late 19 century Russia, which
isn’t something that Canadians
in the 21 century really have to
deal with. But the idea of a maid
or a nanny is something that I
think more people are familiar
with today,” she said.
No More Masterpieces? was
not solely a repeal against
Artaud’s project but also a case
in illustrating the Ensemble
students’ ability to coordinate
and pull together. Because plays
did not necessarily involve
prescribed roles off of set, the
decision making that went into
the plays required a willingness
among
the
students
to
compromise, something that—
in creative spaces—isn’t always
easily achieved. The chemistry
observed onstage throughout the
series attested to that sense of
respect, as all performers seemed
fairly at ease and comfortable not
only in their individual roles but
also whenever interacting with
other members onstage.
The sense of cooperation shined
through not just in the sense
of comfort that was observable
among the individuals working
together on their separate plays
but also between plays, when it
donned on audiences that the
performances were very much
situations of artists sharing the
same working space as their
peers. Working with roughly
ten-minute
intermissions
between plays (the two dollar
cost admitted theatergoers to
two performances at a time)
for each block of performances,
performers toiled at breakneck
pace in routines that seemed just
as rehearsed as the performances
themselves, taking down and
setting up sets with a level of
organization crucial to meeting
the demands of a tight schedule.
Antonin Artuad? Sit down.
asserts, the freedom students have
had in this area will surely add to
the appeal of the work on display.
“Students
are
displaying
their work framed, mounted,
on shelves, incorporated in
sculptures, in rows or grids... we
are really making no restrictions
for this show. Anything goes.”
Pointner made the point that
Photo, She Wrote is a stepping stone
so to speak into further ventures
in photography by these students.
She went on to comment on how
the materials and ideas learned
in the past classes added to hers
and fellow students expertise
in photography, and with art in
general.
“At this point in our
photography practice, I believe
I can speak generally in saying
that our work has developed into
a body that indicates a direction
for our future practices,” said
Pointner.
Pointner was kind enough to
share some details on her pieces
and the inspirations behind them.
A mural of a pixelated skyline
is among the most intriguing,
and even more interesting is
Pointner’s inspirations for this
fantastic display.
“The art of mosaic, in an
increasingly digital world, is an
artisan craft that is hitting a
point of antiquity and arguably
extinction,”
said
Pointer,
explaining what seems to be
her desire to keep an art form
preserved and relevant. “An image
created through the compilation
of pixels versus that which
emerges from the arranging of
tiles is essentially the same,” and
through doing this Pointner has
identified what she refers to as
“a point of intersection between
these two very opposite artistic
forms.”
Pointner explained that she
spent her time taking photographs
in her hometown of Toronto
for many reasons. Her reflective
inspirations are both truly
genuine and a representation of
the artistic talents of the students
in Photo IV.
This event is a great opportunity
to see some amazing work while
supporting fellow University of
Guelph students in their artistic
endeavours. Be sure to drop by ED
video this Friday and experience
the greatness of Photo, She Wrote.
Photo, She Wrote shows student talent
Photo IV class displays
work in exhibit at Ed
Video
OLIVER DZUBA
t’s the end of the school year,
and we’re all rushing en masse
to get our final projects in.
Some of us are doing labs, many of
us are writing final essays, but only
a few students at the university
are taking photographs to round
up work for the winter semester.
This week, 21 students in the
highest photography class offered
in the undergraduate program
(Photo IV ) are putting on a final
display of their cumulative course
work. Titled Photo, She Wrote,
this ongoing event closes with a
reception on Friday, April 8, and
counts as the final assignment for
the course.
Photo She Wrote is currently
being held at ED Video, a
spacious gallery on Baker St. that
will accommodate all of the work
by these students. A photographer
and member of the exhibiting
class,
Marianne
Pointner
commented on the aspirations of
the group this year.
“We hope to uphold the
successful reputation this annual
event has begun to gain,” said
Pointner. Considering some of
the work displayed this likely
won’t be a problem.
“We have had to work closely
as a group in order to ensure that
this level of variety is displayed
harmoniously,” she added. A
variety of styles, processing
methods and prints are being
displayed at Photo, She Wrote.
I
Marianne Pointner
Whether it was processed in the
dark room, the digital lab or if
the print is gelatine silver, all the
photography being presented by
these students looks great.
Professor Arthur Renwick
allowed these students to take
multiple directions for the event.
“As a class, our work covers a
large spectrum in terms of style,
genre, methodology, concept, and
display” said Pointner.
Among the most unique
aspects of Photo, She Wrote are the
diverse ways students have chosen
to display their work. As Pointner
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Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
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11
Arts & Culture
Dinosaur Bones discovered at Tokyo Police Club concert
Emerging Toronto
band makes small but
significant impression
at Peter Clark Hall
JOSH DOYLE
very now and then a band
comes out of that nearby
hub of sound and transit
called Toronto that surprises
us. They come seemingly out
of nowhere, like good art often
does, and once we’ve heard
them our ideas of music are
refreshed and we have to look at
everything else with new eyes,
finding a new body of work to
compare other acts to.
The five guys from Dinosaur
Bones could be said to inhabit
that place right now. With the
release of their first full length
LP My Divider this month on
Dine Alone records, there’s
barely anything else worth
putting on. Dinosaur Bones
came to Guelph to open for
Tokyo Police Club last Friday,
April 1 in Peter Clark Hall,
along with Manotick, Ontario
bred Hollerado. Though most
people were there in support of
the headliner, a healthy buzz was
circulating about this emerging
band.
“This is the first recording
where I think we kind of
succeeded in making the album
we were truly hoping to make.
We recorded it quite a while
ago, it’s been over a year now
since we finished it, and even
now looking back I’m still really
proud of it. I don’t cringe when
I hear it, which I think is a good
sign,” said Ben Fox, lead vocalist
for the Bones.
Though having their album
recorded and ready to go for
over a year now, Dinosaur Bones
hadn’t found a label to call their
own until recently, meaning
the material on My Divider is
bordering on old to the band but
will still sound new to you.
“Bombs in the night” is among
the tracks that make the album
worth its price, an upbeat Britrock sounding tune with hues
of Oasis and circa 2006 Arctic
Monkeys, without the accents.
One can hear these influences
popping up now and again
throughout the album, where
they meet with other familiar
and unfamiliar sounds in a
medley that is both original and
recognizable. Overall the album
is defined by those moments
where the music goes beyond
what you expect, bringing added
emotional depth right when you
need it.
“Ice Hotels” completely blows
any doubt about this band out of
E
the water. Fox puts his creative
talent into overdrive here, slowmotion-exploding out of the
song with a kind of reserve that
allows him to stretch out over
long pieces of music with just a
few words. And how well those
words are chosen. Fox begs for
introspection with lines like,
“the end is all on which we can
depend, twisted stomachs over
things we don’t care for/it still
burns to know that they’re gone,
the hot blooded nights you
know you’ll still pine for.”
The lyrics on My Divider are
a serious selling point, likely to
be the deciding factor in the
albums longevity.
“For me, honesty is the number
one priority always, and I think
you can see through music or
lyrics when that’s not the case.
But at the same time I feel it’s
important to come at ideas in a
bit of a roundabout, unique way.
It’s an ongoing challenge,” said
Fox.
Dinosaur Bones were a
welcome addition to Friday’s
line up. They brought a dose
of personal, thought provoking
rock that took its time to a show
otherwise defined by the uptempo guitar riffs of Hollerado
and the light-hearted material
played by Tokyo Police Club.
Most of the songs from Tokyo’s
set can be found on their latest
release Champ, which includes
catchy singles “Wait Up!”
and “Breakneck Speed.” The
excitable all ages atmosphere
of the show hit a pinnacle
towards the end of Tokyo’s set,
resulting in a body surfing freefor-all that had security guards
yanking bodies from the fringe
with vigor. It wasn’t enough to
dampen spirits though, and the
crowd’s enthusiasm lasted well
past the band’s encore, with long
lines forming at the merch table
for both Tokyo and Hollerado.
Gaining less attention were
the subtle show stealers, a large
high school fan base perhaps
not ready to be won over just
yet. But in time, it’s likely
Dinosaur Bones will be playing
the encores at university concert
halls, and selling merch by the
handbag.
“Bands all do their own thing
and everyone’s different. You
can see that they’re great for a
particular reason. But there’s so
many ways to be amazing. It’s a
cool thing to tour with different
headline bands and see that
they’re very different,” said Fox.
“You’ve gotta stick to your guns.”
Chris Hamelin
Dinosaur Bones opened Friday night’s show in Peter Clark Hall for headliners Tokyo Police Club. Their
album My Divider was released early March.
Places to go, people to see:
the cultur al phenomenon of summer tr avel
I
t started as a rite of passage for well-to-do British males; young men from wealthy families who
sought acceptance into high society. They called it the Grand Tour, and it usually involved a
trip to key cities throughout Europe. By the time rail transit became a large-scale system in the
late 19th century, European travel had changed. The door opened to those without aristocratic
backgrounds, the middle class eventually getting involved in a tradition of the wealthy travel. Now
with transportation growing in efficiency, people from all over the world are taking part in the
phenomenon of lengthy summer travel.
In other words, the Grand Tour has been hi-jacked. Who are the culprits? The short answer is every
university graduate or young person with a few thousand dollars, but of course people from every age
group are hopping on board in varying degrees. Since the takeover, there have also been a few changes
made. Expensive accommodations have been replaced by more affordable hostels sleeping anywhere from
four to 20+ people per room, and the name has changed from “Grand Tour” to “backpacking” – but this
is old news. Europe is no longer the only destination for people wanting to see more than just a warm
beach, and the idea of “just passing through” is evolving to include “lending a hand” once there. As Asia,
Australia, South America, and even our own continent become locations in some young persons guide
book, and the term “voluntourism” gets used more and more frequently, the defining question of our
generation might just be “Who’s going where?”
The Grand Tour 2.0
While the middle class may
have hi-jacked the Grand Tour
from aristocracy, they didn’t take
it too far. It’s still a very costly “rite
of passage,” accessible to a small
(though growing) percentage of
fortunate people. You might as
well call it the Grand Tour 2.0.
One begin to wonder what keeps
this trend going, and whether the
privileged traveler of today has
the same motives as those who
started the tradition.
Peter Seaby is a Guelph
graduate planning to take a Euro
trip of his own this summer.
“We’re flying to London, then
Amsterdam. We’re going to
Munich…and then off to Rome.
That’s something I want to see, the
Coliseum. I really want to check
out the history and be surrounded
by it, and find out what it was like
to be a gladiator,” Seaby joked.
He insisted that staying in
Rome would be a portion of
the trip set aside for cultural
experience. Perhaps a more
important part of the trip will be
devoted to nightlife. Seaby’s list of
destinations sounds like a roll call
for the best party-spots in Europe,
with stops at the beer gardens of
Munich and the beachfront clubs
of Barcelona as an absolute must.
If there’s one thing the modern
European
backpacker
does
differently, it’s the way they enjoy
themselves. Today’s traveler also
requires a dose of adaptability, as
many trips don’t end up like they
were planned out.
“I’m looking for adventure. I
like spontaneity and just going
with the flow.
Depending on people we meet,
if someone’s going somewhere
and we’re interested [we’ll change
our plans]. Not everything is set
in stone,” said Seaby.
Seaby says it’s the desire to “be
backpacking around, meeting tons
of people” that makes him want
to travel most, which are probably
the motives for most anyone
wanting to travel this summer.
When asked why Europe, he
responds that the architecture and
the nightlife are major draws. But
there’s also something more to
his answer, something culturally
engrained that those of us in
North America and Europe can’t
seem to shake off. Seaby still talks
about traveling Europe like it’s a
part of growing up.
“Neither of us have seen
Europe yet,” he said of himself
and his travel partner. “Everyone
seems to go and has a great time.
It’s a very lovely place to be, and it
seems like something I need to do
before I start getting serious into
work.”
It will be a wonder if we ever
rid ourselves of this notion
that backpacking Europe is
an essential part of entering
adulthood, or if we’ll come to
terms with the amount of people
who are still left out of such a
venture. In a trip lasting less than
three weeks Seaby plans to spend
around $3,000, and if he doesn’t
go over it will be for sensible
spending. Europe is expensive,
more so every year, and in this
way the “backpacking” culture of
today has a lot in common with
those young aristocrats taking
“Grand Tours.”
But travel is becoming more
accessible, and like employment
opportunities
and
cheaper
transportation helped the middle
class take over the Grand Tour,
a new world might help those
less
economically
successful
experience foreign culture in a
similar way. The question is when
that happens, will they still flock
to Europe?
A Southwesterly Shift
Recent trends show that while
Europe still takes the cake as the
most traveled to continent, other
destinations are taking some of
the attention away. Australia and
New Zealand are among the
destinations gaining popularity in
this generation’s backpackers, like
U of G grad Caitlin Beatty. After
spending time in Australia as an
exchange student, she traveled
for over a month through New
Zealand and the islands of Fiji.
“I wanted to go somewhere that
was English speaking, had cheap
travelling, and had lots to see. It
was the perfect place for me to go
since the Aussie mindset is driven
by travel,” said Beatty.
With miles of sand covered
coast, some of the worlds most
interesting wildlife, the infamous
Outback and the Great Barrier
Reef, it’s easy to see why Australia
is becoming a first choice for
many potential travelers. Being
an English speaking country
helps Australia and New Zealand
attract visitors from North
America and Europe, but it’s
also an international stop over
welcoming anyone with a sense of
adventure.
“The friends I made there came
with me on every trip I went on.
I went to Tasmania with a girl
from Singapore, the Gold Cost
with some Canadians, an Irish
guy and two English people. New
Zealand and Fiji I went to with
Canadians.”
Australia and New Zealand also
have tour companies that will help
you explore the vast continent on
a sensible itinerary. Contiki Tours
and the New Zealand version
Kiwi Explorer are a couple
options, allowing you to hop-on/
off whenever you like. But trading
in your independence is costly,
and you should be prepared to
pay more for the convenience of
having someone book everything
but your meals. Plane tickets to
Australia also push on $2,000.
“I
worked
three
jobs
simultaneously to save up enough
money leading up to my trip,
three jobs and four months,” said
Beatty.
Asia is also growing in
popularity as a destination for
backpackers, especially those
who want to spend less than four
months savings.
“Traveling in Asia is not
expensive at all. I didn’t even have
to save any money before I went.
A two-month trip cost me $2,000
including food, flight tickets,
hotels,” said Myane Lachance, a
19-year-old student in Quebec
now entering university. If
her reports are anything to be
followed, Asia certainly beats out
Europe on a dollars-to-days ratio.
Price of course isn’t everything,
and it’s no use paying less for
something you don’t want.
But a little research into Asian
destinations might make you
realize Europe really isn’t where
it’s at. With Quebec’s history
and the strong ties it holds with
France, one might think Lachance
would be itching to get a closer
look at the European continent.
Actually, it was quite the opposite.
“I wanted to visit something
different from my culture.
Something that in a way might
be hard for me. I wanted to be
shocked. I chose those places
because my friend who was
traveling there told me a lot about
them and I love Asian food,” said
Lachance, without even a blink at
mention of the Coliseum. Could
this be a sign that the Euro trip is
finally becoming dated?
Asia has been labeled a touch
more dangerous than Europe,
which is perhaps another reason
it still sits behind Europe as an
attraction for backpackers.
“I thought that as a woman
traveling alone it would be difficult
and sometimes even dangerous,
but in fact it was the opposite.
Traveling in Asia was one of the
easiest things I’ve done in my life.
People are nice and always ready
to help. Moreover, everything is
accessible so you don’t have to
worry about things like not getting
a hotel for the night, to name an
example,” she said.
If that isn’t reassuring then
maybe backpacking just isn’t
for you. It will always take a bit
of bravery to go out there and
face the world with not much
more than a backpack, but that’s
the point. Maybe Asia will take
more guts than Europe, with
language barriers and foreign
food as breaking points for
some, but for those who really
want to be startled, and travel
for the possibility of witnessing
something entirely new to them,
it might be the best option.
The Best Intentions?
Though not an entirely recent
phenomena,
“volun-tourism”
(volunteer tourism) is becoming
quite a popular way to spend
anywhere from a few days to a
few months. It’s also a popular
way to spend a few hundred to
a few thousand dollars. In 2008
approximately 38 per cent of
tourists were involved in some
form of volunteering while they
traveled. But what exactly is
voluntourism and why does it cost
money?
The term is actually a response
to the growing numbers of people,
nearly all of them from developed
countries, who are taking flight to
third world nations to do some
kind of good while experiencing
foreign culture. It’s a “two birds,
one stone” idea that combines the
desire to travel with the desire
to do good, and it sounds like a
win-win. One of the ways people
enact this is through shelter
building programs. Volunteers
go to places deemed “needy”
and work in teams to construct
shelters for the inhabitants. Other
programs allow volunteers to
build churches, visit hospitals that
host large populations of children
with HIV, or be involved in other
programs that are portrayed as
beneficial to the locals.
It’s an idea passed off as nothing
but helpful by tour companies and
organizations running the trips,
but critics have a different point
of view.
Lachance, who traveled to Asia,
also participated in a volunteer
program in Nicaragua. Her
recollections of her time there
were mostly positive.
“I
participated
in
the
construction of a church and took
care of kids in a small village. I feel
like I did something good, but I’m
sure those people gave me more
than I gave them,” said Lachance.
When she says that the
people she visited probably gave
her more than she gave back,
Lachance refers to her experience
interacting with people with
different ways of life, in exciting
new places. But perhaps people
on these trips give more than they
can actually measure. Critics of
voluntourism point out that by
interfering with other cultures
we inflict our own lifestyles,
and in a sense ‘taint’ them with
our cultural ideals. It’s also been
suggested that volunteer programs
are most successful when there
are sustained long-term efforts,
which the average voluntourist’s
stay of under a month will fail to
imitate. As Lachance suggests,
at the end of the day it comes
down to a question of whether
voluntourists take more than
they give. When we travel under
the veil of “volunteering,” are
we actually just serving our own
thirst for adventure? If so, it’s
unlikely the impact we’re having
is a positive one.
Many of the organizations
running such trips are nonprofit, giving some hope to the
idea that everyone is at least
there with good intentions. These
organizations often charge a fee,
which goes to building supplies
and anything else the local people
might gain from. Then there
are companies who ask for your
money and time, and still turn a
profit in the end. It’s hard to see
how such companies could be in
place for anything but business
opportunities.
“I had to pay for my flight ticket
plus $500 to live with my family.
With this money, “my family”
could eat better and they bought
a radio too,” said Lachance,
the organization she used not
profiting from the funds.
While the people of Nicaragua
may have been thankful for some
foreign company and help with
construction, there are places
in the world where volunteer
presence is seen as a threat to
diversity and the lifestyles of local
people. The idea behind volunteer
tourism is potentially helpful, but
it begs important questions about
our motives.
Whatever those may be,
growing numbers of tourists are
traveling with some intention of
volunteering, and you’re summer
travel plans could very well
include lending a hand yourself.
As a traveler there is probably
no better way to get close to “real
people” in a foreign place and
move away from the façade of
tourist attractions. If this is your
plan, it might be worthwhile to
research any potential companies
and learn as much about their
work and their intentions as you
can before committing.
The “global tourist” is an evolving
term and as access to foreign places
increases, our willingness to go
there follows close behind. While
it may look like a norm to some,
traveling in this way is still very
much a privilege. If you have the
money or time for a multi-week
backpacking trip to anywhere
at all you should count yourself
lucky; you’re doing something a
vast majority of the world will
never be able to. This doesn’t mean
you should re-think your trip to
Europe or call off your volunteer
travel plans to help people, but it’s
important to be conscious of what
you’re doing. In closing, I offer
some words of encouragement
from Lachance.
“I’ll definitely keep on traveling
alone with my backpack. The best
tip I could give is this: Don’t listen
to people telling you that you can’t
do this, or you shouldn’t go there.
If you feel you need to go, then go.
Life is worth too much to live with
regret.”
Josh Doyle
14
Arts & Culture
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
164.12
Last call for Zavitz Hall
Three artists display
work for the closing
week of the semester in
Zavitz Gallery
JOSH DOYLE
or the final week of the
2011 Winter semester,
Zavitz hall hosts the diverse
work of three students; Midori
Fullerton,
Maliha
Qureshi,
and Jen Weber, for a show
appropriately titled, Consistency is
the last refuge of the unimaginative.
Moving clockwise from the
galleries left side, six images
on paper make up the first
display. They each have obvious
similarities, acting as variations
of one another or extensions
from some decided original. Their
shapes and silhouettes lead one to
believe they are maps. Colours,
shading and texture vary between
each, conjuring up our evolution in
exploration and the changes we’ve
made to “the globe.” What remains
the same is the centerpiece of each;
a small moth, the same size and to
my account colour in each piece. It
shows clearly through the effects
the artist uses for each background,
F
something inseparable from our
evolution, though perhaps not to
our liking. It seems a locus, more
defining of us than any map we
create.
Past this, a collection of
photographs in black frames span
the left wall. As a whole they
would not seem out of place in the
stairway of some dysfunctional
family, but instead of staged
smiles and grouped stances they
offer something more personal.
One young woman is repeatedly
shown dirty and unfortunate,
perhaps hurt or abused in some
way. Another boasts an infatuation
with a zebra patterned hat.
Further along, a girl seemingly
pukes pencil crayons, or attempts
to eat a collection of them to no
avail. Perhaps it’s a suggestion of
art being forced down her throat,
or maybe she is just learning that
art cannot be eaten; in any case
the images are engaging, saying
more than the rest of the display.
Eventually the collection may be
no more personal than a modern
families is, each character still
projecting the image they want us
to see.
Along the back wall stretches
an image of a wooden
plank, though it still
holds some resemblance
to its previous form as
a log. The sections of
paper that compile the
wide piece evidence its
construction, much like
the board it displays.
Segments of the plank
are outlined, flipped
outside of the body and
rotated 180 degrees.
One can see how they
would fit back in, but
cannot decide why they
were removed. In front
of one atop the plank
is an orange caterpillar.
Pam Duynstee
It seems impeded by An impressive display of photography takes up the entire length of a wall in Zavitz
the external section, its Gallery
usual passage blocked by
this confusing artistic gesture. The window frame shows a cold, brisk one that is flowing and indirect. It
question of “why?” is enhanced, outside, busy with blues and a feels naturally impulsive, perhaps
and one might wonder if art isn’t wild conversation of colour. The a desired line for human life. It’s a
here getting in the way of other commotion is threatening, but at truly remarkable work.
functions.
the same time stepping into such
The remaining paintings all
The entire right wall is a a world one might feel comfort in have something to offer, and
display of abstract art, with being so surrounded.
add to an exhibit that essentially
beautiful colours and shapes that
A small painting with a black hinges on the diversity of the
sometimes amount to obvious background is the sort one can look work it offers. The opening for
forms and other times only at for hours. The bright colourful last refuge will be Thursday April
hint at them. A view through a lines of it suggest a direction, but 7 at 7pm.
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15
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
.com
Arts & Culture
What are you reading?
The Memory Keeper’s
Daughter, Kim Edwards
JIHEE (MARIE) PARK
he
Memory
Keeper’s
Daughter opens with
a glimpse into the life
of a newlywed couple with
growing hopes and dreams.
It is a story about learning to
live in an imperfect world - an
unfortunate tale of the limits
of trust and of an exhaustive
longing to fill an unexplainable
emptiness of the heart. The
plot follows David and Norah,
a picturesque husband and wife
in the 1960s, whose unexpected
birth of a daughter with Down’s
syndrome leaves the father with
a choice that changes the course
of their lives.
David is a doctor, who delivers
his wife’s healthy son – and to
his surprise, another baby, a twin
girl with Down’s syndrome. At
the scene only he and a nurse,
Caroline, are present, and with
Norah unconscious from the
delivery, his moral judgment is
put to the test. Should he tell
T
the truth to his wife and live
forever tied down by the burden
of caring for a disabled child, or
neatly tuck away their daughter’s
existence and pronounce only
the birth of their son?
David’s decision changes
everything. Caroline is ordered
to take his daughter away
and when Norah wakes she is
greeted with their newborn
son, Paul, and a husband with
a tremendous secret to hide.
But a mother’s heart is hard
to fool, and instantly Norah
knows something is amiss.
She instinctively knows that
something is not right, and as
the plot reveals, will always be
so for as long as the secret of her
daughter is kept hidden.
Ultimately, the tale ends in
a tragic fallout between the
couple. On the other hand, the
novel also explores the surprising
discovery of another individual’s
purpose in life. Nurse Caroline
cannot accept the abandonment
of the daughter Pheobe, and
decides to become her adopted
mother. Through the hardships
of raising a child with special
needs as a single parent, she
discovers that the true pleasures
and values of life come from the
relationships one establishes
through genuine love and trust.
This piece of fiction is
remarkably applicable to the
stresses that today’s world
inflicts on people. Daily we are
faced with choices that we must
make in the moment, the effects
of which potentially change the
course of our lives. In a society
that constantly pushes for
improvement and perfection we
are always under the pressure
to choose more opportunistic
options. But we often fail to
see the full web of effects such
decisions create, which in
David’s case leads to the unhealing wound in his family
relationships.
This novel helps the reader
explore the driving forces behind
decision-making, the definition
of one’s moral limits, and living
through the consequences of
our choices. Edwards gives us a
stern warning that we all need to
take a moment once in a while
to reassess our ethical standards
and understand just how much
power we have in controlling
the path of our lives through our
choices.
Courtesy
Jukebox
Vivian Girls, Share the
Joy
OLIVER DZUBA
he difference between
homage and outright
copying is a precarious
line that many bands walk.
Maintaining originality while
trying to replicate a sound is
difficult, and few acts are able
to do it right. Fortunately one
recent album does this and for
this reason among many others,
it should not be missed. The
most recent album by Vivian
Girls, Share the Joy, was released
digitally by the band, and is
set to be released physically on
April 11.
Vivian Girls is an all female
trio from Brooklyn that formed
in 2007. Share the Joy is their
third album in less than four
years, and they show no sign of
running out of energy anytime
soon. Their latest effort has a
cleaner, more polished sound
T
Courtesy
than the previous releases, but
still contains the raw powerful
punk sound that made them
noticeable in the first place.
This release on the indie giant
Polyvinyl Records is no doubt
both Vivian Girls’ best release
yet and one of the best of the
year so far.
This 60s girl band homage is
so perfect that it would not feel
out of place if released in that
decade. That being said, Share
the Joy is more than a replication
of a former sound. Vivian Girls
construct each song with catchy
and aggressive guitar riffs,
making for quite a distinct and
memorable effect.
The vocal harmony of all
three members is also something
special. The sound of three
women singing together over
well-written
melodies
and
chords has never sounded so
sweet. Songs like ‘I Heard You
Say’ and especially ‘Take it as
it Comes’ best display the near
perfect vocal harmonization of
the Vivian Girls.
The lyrics aren’t bad either.
While they pertain more so to
the female crowd (as one might
expect), they remain relatable
for any listener. “No I don’t want
to be like the other girls/ I don’t
want to see the other girls/ I just
want to spend my time in my
mind” is a reclusive plea with a
strong hint of misanthropy from
opening song ‘The Other Girls’.
Not all songs on Share the Joy
are as gloomy as this, but this
amount of introspection remains
constant throughout the album.
A departure from their
signature lo-fi sound and step
into a more refined album
will make Vivian Girls more
accessible to all music fans.
Share the Joy is one of the most
consistent albums of 2011 and
easily deserves a 3.9/5
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16
Sports & Health
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
164.12
Rugby star breaks through to capture female athlete of the year
Dominating campaign
leads to surprising win
JUSTIN DUNK
n the Gryphon athletic
scene running tends to
dominate annually when
the major Guelph athletic awards
are handed out.
“To be honest I was completely
shocked to win. I was definitely
expecting cross-country or track
and field double sport athletes –
individual athletes have a better
opportunity to showcase themselves
in sport,” said Jacey Murphy.
The
talented
fourth-year
Gryphon became the first women’s
rugby player to win the Gryphon
athletics female athlete of the year
award since Maria Gallo won in
1999.
“Considering the competition
that she was up against it’s a
pretty prestigious award. I was
very happy for her to get it,”
said women’s rugby head coach,
Colette McAuley. “It shows that
the nomination committee and the
O
selection committee respects her as
an athlete and respects our sport,
which is not always the case when
[the athlete] comes from a team
sport.”
“It’s very difficult for them to see
the value of one person for a team,
whereas a lot of the individual
sports they can see the accolades
listed.”
Murphy’s impressive individual
numbers certainly helped to put
her in a position to claim female
athlete of the year honours. She
notched an OUA best 17 tries
-- good for 85 points ranking
her second in the entire country
in scoring -- in just five regular
season
contests.
Murphy’s
offensive numbers led to her being
named the OUA and CIS player
of the year.
“Jacey [Murphy] was lucky
enough to have the stats to back her
up,” said McAuley. “She’s just a star.
She likes to win, she’s competitive,
she’ll [make] the defensive tackles
whenever necessary, she’s just an allround player, she will do whatever
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job needs to be done.”
As far as the ultimate team goal,
the Gryphons fell just short of a
CIS championship this past season
and claimed a CIS bronze medal,
the teams fourth straight CIS third
place finish.
“If we weren’t as successful as
we were she would not even get
looked at, which is unfortunate,”
said McAuley.
“Its definitely a lot different to
stand out on a team sport [to the
point] where you can be recognized
[individually]. Team sport is all
about the team and you may not
win OUA gold or CIS gold, but it
doesn’t mean that you’re any less of
an athlete,” said Murphy.
Winning such a prestigious
award could help pave the way for
more athletes involved in team
sports to be recognized.
“I’m just really happy with
[the award]. I’m really honoured
honestly, because there was four
or five other really great female
athletes that were up for the award,”
said Murphy.
“It really puts the profile of the
rugby team up there and if you’re
doing well then people are more
inclined to watch and pay attention.
And when you have a team that is
as good as ours they help you stand
Jamie MacDonald
Fourth-year Gryphon, Jacey Murphy on the move during a 2010 OUA
regular season rugby home game.
out.”
Murphy’s head coach has had a
marked influence on her and is one
of the reasons that she is not happy
with her Gryphon career resume
just yet.
“All the coaches are really
important,” said Murphy. “Colette
has such drive and really instills
that in us and I’m so focused, which
is why I am coming back next year
because all I can think about is how
I want to win CIS gold. I’m a little
sick of bronze.”
Throwing it down with Dunk:
Graduating Gryphon athletes
JUSTIN DUNK
ith the annual athletic
banquet having been
held on March 31 it led
me to thinking about some of the
great Gryphon careers, which have
come to an end during the winter
semester.
Every individual career winds and
weaves through its own unique path.
Obviously, the headliner of the
outgoing Gryphon athletes is Kyle
Boorsma, the running star has done
everything but run out his share of
ink and attention during his time
competing for Guelph.
How about Kylen Van Osch’s
remarkable story as a Gryphon,
taking what was a last place women’s
volleyball team when she set foot on
campus, to the brink of winning an
OUA title on their home court. Van
Osch turned the Gryphon volleyball
program into one of the elite in
the OUA during her time with the
team.
Each Gryphon basketball team
graduates two players. For the men
sharp shooting Jonathan Moscatelli
W
and court general Michael Petrella
will leave some big shoes to fill next
year in the backcourt. The women’s
team sees the departure of gutty
forward Kara Muhlhausen and floor
leader Alex Yallin. Although, some
young players like Kayla Goodhoofd
showed potential to step in and play
big minutes next season.
Some of the core players from the
women’s hockey team move on after
helping the Gryphons reach three
straight OUA finals from 2009-11.
Dayna Kanis, Jessica Zerafa and
Carla D’Angelo were mainstays in
the Guelph lineup during their fiveyear careers on the ice.
Alex Magera is the only men’s
hockey player lost to graduation.
Magera was one of those glue guys,
a grinder, who did whatever was
asked of him in the best interest of
the team.
Rachel Cliff and Courtney Laurie,
two Gryphon female distancerunning stars, have run to the end of
their varsity eligibility. Both women
were key parts of a few OUA and
CIS championship teams in crosscountry and track and field.
The biggest loss for the men’s
volleyball team will be captain,
Andrew Revie. He has been
a consistent performer for the
Gryphons during his career and
was a part of the 2009-10 squad
that just missed out on claiming an
improbable OUA title.
A couple of field athletes move on
from the track and field team. Dustin
McCrank who did everything
in his time at Guelph including;
winning a CIS weight-throw gold
among other track and field medals,
playing on the men’s rugby team, a
linesmen in the OUA, OHL and
OHA, while finding time to fit in
a job as coordinator of Gryphon
intramurals, camps and community
programs to boot.
And lastly a story that truly shows
the different paths varsity athletes
take to post secondary stardom.
Guyson Kuruneri wasn’t even
planning on attending university
and he had not done a whole lot in
his athletic career in high school.
The late and former Gryphon
jump coach, Zoltan Tenke noticed
the potential in Kuruneri and
pulled him aside to talk him into
improving his grades so he could
attend the University of Guelph and
compete with the Guelph track and
field team. Kuruneri finished up his
fifth-year with a CIS silver medal in
the long jump event and was named
to his first All-Canadian team.
17
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
.com
Sports & Health
Running star adds more hardware to his resume
JUSTIN DUNK
any moons ago, a young
prospective star aligned
with
his
guiding
light. Almost a decade later Kyle
Boorsma’s star just might be the
brightest of any varsity athlete to
ever compete for the University of
Guelph.
Like many Canadian boys
growing up, Boorsma dreamed of
representing his country on frozen
ice.
“I really wanted to represent
Canada as a hockey player. I’d be
really excited watching the world
juniors and that was always a
dream for me,” said Boorsma. “I
didn’t really know about anything
like world juniors or world
youth competitions like that for
[running], so that never even
crossed my mind.”
Gryphon cross-country and
track and field head coach Dave
Scott-Thomas heard about a goodlooking athlete in 2002 through
Guelph’s Centennial High School
running coach, Joel Bard.
“I watched him run in grade
nine and it was obvious he had
some skill,” said Scott-Thomas.
“My approach was not to pressure
him too much, I think young
athletes need to find their passion
not be co-opted into it.”
A young Boorsma was not
getting the desired results on the
ice and he quit hockey after his
grade 10 high school year to focus
on running competitively at the
highest-level possible.
“By the end of grade 10 he came
in and said, ‘I don’t think I’m going
to go that far as a hockey player,
I’m not that big a guy.’ Grade
11 we progressed him towards
M
making the world youth team,”
said Scott-Thomas.
“It was just natural that
I transferred that dream of
competing for Canada over to
[running] because I saw a realistic
opportunity to accomplish that,”
said Boorsma.
“[He] won a couple of OFSAA
championships and by that point
it was clear this was a thing he
was going to pursue full on,” said
Scott-Thomas.
The relationship between coach
and athlete has grown very strong
over the years as Boorsma and
Scott-Thomas work together as
coach and athlete with the Speed
River Track and Field Club in
Guelph.
“Clubs mean different things in
different sports. For us club means
high-end,” said Scott-Thomas,
who is the director and head coach
of the club.
By the time Boorsma was going
through his senior year in high
school he had developed into an
elite running prospect sought after
by many university coaches.
“We went through the whole
recruiting process together,” said
Scott-Thomas. “I said ‘You need to
know my loyalty is to you first as
a person, if it makes sense to leave
town than it does.’”
Obviously Scott-Thomas wanted
to add the talent to his University
of Guelph running teams.
Boorsma told Scott-Thomas
in February of his high school
graduating year he would continue
his running and academic career at
Guelph.
“I remember going on a little
trot down by the river after he
committed here in the spring
“We just looked at
each other and said,
‘we’re going to win a
lot of titles together’.”
– Dave Scott-Thomas
and we just looked at each other
and said, ‘We’re going to win a
lot of titles together’,” said ScottThomas.
The pair knew they were
destined for success and it led to
Boorsma being a part of seven
national championship teams and
claiming numerous individual
OUA and CIS gold medals and
All-Canadian accolades, during
his collegiate career.
On Thursday, March 31,
Boorsma, the reigning male athlete
of the year picked up the award
again for the third straight year,
capping off his illustrious time as
a Gryphon.
“It’s all about having the
confidence to go out there and
not be afraid to mess up,” said
Boorsma. “If I were to go out
there and be worried about maybe
I won’t win athlete of the year or
I won’t win that back-to-back
CI title, then you’re going to set
yourself up for failure.
“He’s a hard core Gryphon
through and through. He has
always been fully committed to
being the best athlete and team
player he can be here,” said ScottThomas. “Exceptional athletes
raise the calibre of the whole team
around them and he’s done that.”
Boorsma certainly leaves the
cross-country and track programs
in better shape then when he
arrived on campus, but his running
Jamie MacDonald
One of the great Gryphon graduates, Kyle Boorsma in action during a
2010 OUA cross-country race.
endeavours will continue.
“We’ve been working together
coming up on a decade now and
he’s not done yet,” said ScottThomas.
“I’m going to be staying in
Guelph to train with arguably the
best athletes in the country with
the Speed River Track club,” said
Boorsma. “Hopefully I can punch
through and get to a new level
and qualify for the Olympics. I am
going to take a shot at qualifying
for either the 1500 or 5000.”
Living the pure life: Alternative sources of protein for all the veggies out there
LEIGH MCSWAN, BSC., CNP
eing vegetarian nowadays
is somewhat of a loose
term. Growing up, I
always imagined a vegetarian as
someone who didn’t eat any type
of red meat, poultry or fish. Now
what I am commonly seeing in
practice is a self-defined term
of vegetarianism. One client has
even told me that she considers
herself vegetarian even though
she eats chicken almost daily.
I’ve learned a lot about different
types of vegetarians, from pescavegetarians (those who exclude
all meat and poultry but eat fish),
to lacto-ovo vegetarians (who
exclude meat, poultry, fish but do
consume eggs and other animal
B
products like milk and cheese)
and vegans (those who exclude
all animal based products 100
per cent).
While vegetarianism isn’t
a new or necessarily strongly
growing trend in the modern
Western world, we are seeing
an uprising in people who are
reducing the amount of meat
they are consuming on a daily
and weekly basis- these guys are
known as “Flexitarians”- going
through phases of vegetarianism
and meat eating. What I always
get asked by both clients who
are vegetarians and those
considering reducing meat once
a week, a rising trend, put out by
the good people of the Vegetarian
Association, ‘Meatless Monday,’
is the concern over protein
intake.
Getting enough protein into
a vegetarian lifestyle is very
important; it helps develop
muscle, supports a strong immune
system, heals and repairs tissue
and maintains proper hormone
balance. So let’s look at some of
the big names when it comes to
high protein content.
Consider a protein shake. One
of my favourite food items is a
smoothie or shake of some form.
You can cram a whole bunch of
healthy food into one small glass,
travel with it and get an instant
energy boost. I think smoothies
are great for people who are
rushed first thing in the morning
or people who have a hard time
getting enough nutrients by
consuming foods in whole form.
A protein powder is something
that can easily be added to a
smoothie. As a vegetarian option,
look for one that contains more
than one source of protein, such
as hemp protein plus rice protein,
this ensures a full amino acid
(amino acids make up protein)
profile is being ingested, which
means you’re getting a complete
protein. Ones I love are Vega
Sport and Sun Warrior - one
scoop gives you 20 grams of
protein.
Load
up
on
hummus.
Hummus is a fantastic source of
protein because it is made from
chickpeas and sesame seed butter
(called tahini). It’s extremely
filling but also very energizing.
You can easily make your own, or
pick it up in the grocery storemost store brands are quite clean,
without fillers, another reason to
appreciate hummus. One cup of
hummus leaves you with close
to 20 grams of protein. Dip your
veggies, crackers or pita bread
into your hummus and get even
more protein per serving.
Try some tempeh. Tempeh
is extremely easy to prepare,
very versatile, and is a staple
item in Indonesian cooking. It
is a fermented food, made from
soybeans, but other grains are
added based on the variation you
pick out- I like Kasha (toasted
buckwheat) tempeh best because
I find it cooks very well. One
serving of tempeh, about four
ounces gives you 15 grams of
protein.
And finally, one of my
favourite pseudo-grains, which
just happens to be the grain with
the highest amount of protein
per serving is quinoa. Quinoa
is an ancient grain that is also
extremely versatile. You can
have it as a breakfast cereal or
as a substitute for rice, pasta or
potatoes. It’s easily digested and
readily used by the body. One cup
of cooked quinoa gives you nine
grams of protein.
18
Sports & Health
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
164.12
Are you aware?
Autism Awareness
on the University of
Guelph Campus
ANDREA LAMARRE
utism is one of the most
commonly
diagnosed
developmental
disabilities in Canada, with
about one in 165 individuals on
the autism spectrum. On April
2, World Autism Awareness
Day sought to raise awareness
in the general public about the
A
diagnosis, which affects up to 70
000 people in Ontario alone.
While most individuals with
autism have difficulties with
communication and social skills,
there is not one prototypical
presentation of the disorder. The
autism spectrum encompasses
a wide variety of disorders, and
individuals on the spectrum
exhibit unique symptoms and
face unique struggles. But why
is it important for University of
Guelph students to be autism
aware?
“Aspergers is still considered
part of the autism spectrum
disorders and we do support a
few students that have Aspergers
that are at university,” said
Melissa Beacom, an advisor at
the Centre for Students with
Disabilities (CSD).
The CSD provides services
for students with a variety
of disabilities on campus,
including providing various
accommodations such as extra
time for note taking, assignments
and exams and meetings with an
advisor.
“We’ve tried to make [our
campus] an accepting place.
What we’ve been hearing from
a lot of students coming from
high school is that they come
to Guelph for the small campus
and that they’ve heard it’s quite
welcoming,” said Beacom. “I
think that most students find
that it’s a pretty good place,
though some students still have
their struggles.”
While students on the autism
spectrum may have struggles with
such things as organization of
time and expressing themselves
in different ways than other
students, some aspects of the
diagnosis can positively impact
their higher education.
“A lot of students excel and
are able to go beyond what most
students can do within their
courses in which they have the
capacity,” said Beacom. “They
may approach the world in a
different way, which is sometimes
of great value in their courses.
They might solve a problem in a
different way, or because they see
the world in a different way they
may introduce a new element
that people hadn’t thought of.”
The importance of autism
awareness on campus and in the
community at large is underlined
by the fact that autism is often
Courtesy
not as obvious as one might
think.
“It is important to be aware
of autism so we have a better
understanding of what it means to
be autistic and so we can support
those with autism better. Autism
is more of a silent struggle, so
being more knowledgeable of
what autism means is more of an
effort,” explained Sionaid Eggett,
a fourth-year Family, Child and
Youth Studies major who works
with young adults with special
needs.
It can be difficult for
individuals with autism to access
university level education due to
a lack of programming for those
who require more support. Some
colleges and universities have
begun to offer programs after
high school to enable further
learning opportunities for these
potential students.
“[This
involves]
taking
learning a step further so that
they might be able to get jobs
working alongside an ECE. As
well, typical students who attend
these colleges … get actual
experience with someone with
special needs because they will
have some classes with them,”
described Eggett.
While the University of
Guelph does not as yet offer this
program, Beacom explained, “if
somebody comes and they want
to do courses, we will support
them to the best of our ability.”
Both Beacom and Eggett
stressed that to be aware of
autism is to be aware that we all
have our own unique strengths
and struggles, and those with
autism are not any different in
that respect.
19
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
.com
Life
The movies that terrified us as children
Whether you snuck a peek while
your parents weren’t home or your
babysitter made you sit through
it because he or she thought it
would be amusing, as children
we have all been exposed to some
pretty terrifying films. It is like
a rite of passage for all children,
something you yourself probably
boasted about to your friends
on the playground…until it was
bedtime and all the lights were
off in the house and you had the
covers pulled up to your chin, and
you were listening to every creak,
groan and sigh of the house, every
brush of a tree branch against
the your bedroom window, every
sound that might be something
else’s breathing, while you were
holding your own breath without
even realizing it and waiting for the
vampire or boogey-man or monster
to come barreling out of your closet
or up from under your bed.
Horror movies, no matter how
corny or lame some of them seem
to adults, can have a powerful effect
on children. This week Ontarion
staffers are going to share our
stories with you about the movies
that haunted us as children, and
secretly still haunt us at night when
the lights are out.
The Exorcist
Rachel
Scapillati
Editor)
(Associate
That face, I’ll never forget it. It
had white skin, like parchment with
teeth bared, yellow and decaying.
The horrifying thing about that
face were the red eyes, a stare into
whatever hell must be like.
I was six years old when I first
watched The Exorcist. At that time,
the scariest thing I had seen in a
movie was the witch in Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs. This demonic
face in The Exorcist, only seen for
seconds during the film, made
that witch seem as threatening as
Gizmo from Gremlins. And then,
of course, there was Regan.
For those of you living under a
rock, Regan is the little girl that
becomes possessed by a demon.
She transforms from an innocent
child into a monster. Although now
as a young adult, the voluminous
profanity she utters in the film is
humourous, there was nothing
laughable about it when I was six.
In the scene when her head does
a 360-degree turn, I screamed and
begged my babysitter to turn it off.
I could not get a good night’s sleep
for months after that.
Pinocchio
Josh Doyle (Arts and Culture
Editor)
I always thought Pinocchio was a
little off and not that 1990s horror
remake, but the Disney original.
For most of the film a young
wooden boy skips about, followed
by a cheeky little cricket who rocks
a flying umbrella. Pretty chill right?
Nice images of Italian towns just
fill my eyes with wonder. Then
out of nowhere he gets kidnapped,
thrown into a cage, pursued by
terrifying men with bad intentions
and violently turned into a donkey.
What the hell happened?
The tavern scene of this movie
terrified me as a kid, but I didn’t
realize why until I got older. After
sharing a laugh over the young boy
for his stupidity, a pair of scheming
men hatch a plan to kidnap hoards
of other boys and take them to
“Pleasure Island.” Any thoughts
of getting caught by the police are
pushed aside by the coachman’s
promise that the boys never
return… “AS BOYS!” As he says
this, his face stretches out, lighting
up with red passion and even
now I can feel my pants soaking
with pee-pee. Pleasure Island?
Won’t return as boys? If their isn’t
something sexually wrong with
this whole premise, then I’m the
one who’s in need of a second look.
Any curiosities can be resolved by
looking up the “Pinocchio Tavern
Scene” on youtube.
The Witches
Megan Verhey
Graphics Editor)
(Photo
and
A witch convention, melting rats
and Angelica Huston: how is that
not terrifying for an eight year old?
The Witches was released in 1990,
and is based on a book written
by author (and my childhood
hero) Roald Dahl. If I remember
correctly, it was the visual aspects
of the film that horrified me the
most. I couldn’t go to sleep at night
without imagining the Grand
High Witch emerging from my
closet with her scaly bald head,
liquefied facial features, and gnarly
square feet coming straight for me.
I think the part that did me in was
when all the ugly witches melted
into even uglier rats at the end of
the film. The worst part is, my sister
and I would dare each other to
see who could last longer without
covering their eyes. I always lost. I
trusted you Roald Dahl… I trusted
you.
Jaws
Chris
Hamelin
Manager)
my life?
My phobia of sharks was so
unfounded and illogical that when
I was 10 years old, I would swim
faster through the deep end of the
YMCA pool with the ominous
soundtrack playing on loop in my
head. And when I was 12, I actually
declined a family trip to Universal
Studios just because of the ride!
Even 20 years later, knowing full
well that sharks are not bloodthirsty
mindless killers, I still find myself
overcome with fear of man-eating
sharks. Recently, while snorkeling
in the ocean on vacation, I kept
looking around for a great-white
shark, half expecting to see a large
shadow moving towards me. I
was eventually able to relax and
enjoy myself by pretending I was
a character from yet another movie
that made a lasting impression
on me in childhood. The echo of
an exhale into a snorkel sounds
remarkably like Darth Vader’s
respiratory apparatus. And we all
know Darth Vader ain’t afraid of
sharks!
Lake Placid
Sasha Odesse (Copy Editor)
While other kids had monsters in
their closets, I was concerned that at
any moment I might see the toothy
snout of the giant crocodile from
the 1999 film, Lake Placid, poking
through my doorframe, sniffing
me out and then snatching me
alive from my bed, having already
eaten my parents down the hall. I
owe my childhood nightmares to
my friend’s brother who thought it
would be funny to make us watch
the movie with him. Somehow I
managed to fall asleep that night,
but I was awakened to my horror
by the crocodile snacking on my
foot! As I screamed bloody murder,
my best friend’s cat angrily climbed
out of my sleeping bag having crept
in while I was asleep. Even though
the croc turned out to be nothing
more than a fuzzy curious cat, I
would be haunted for months by
the thought of being eaten alive
in my bed and by the image of the
old woman who could pass as my
grandmother, leading a blindfolded
cow to the water’s edge where the
hungry reptile eagerly awaited a
meal.
Little Nemo: Adventures in
Slumberland
Nicole Elsasser (Editor in Chief )
(Advertising
When I was about four years
old I watched the movie Jaws.
Who could have known that the
next 124 minutes would have a
damaging and lasting affect on
My contribution to this list is
a bit of an anomaly. Rather than
living in fear after watching a scary
movie made for grown-ups, the
movie that rocked my world fearwise was 100 per cent intended for
children. Little Nemo: Adventures
Megan Verhey
in Slumberland may have been a
whimsical animated feature about
a young boy’s wild adventure but
that doesn’t change the fact that it
is seriously effed up. Basically it’s
the story of a boy named Nemo
with virtually no grasp on reality
who gets sucked into his idealistic
fantasy world, meets a nice princess
and a pretty good king who treats
him really well and then at the
urging of a sleazy clown, Nemo
accidentally releases the bowels
of hell into the utopian kingdom.
What follows is a pretty horrifying
journey into hell for the rest of the
movie. As an adult, I can appreciate
the movie for all of its quirkiness
and elements of surrealism but as a
kid I was straight-up terrified.
20
Life
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
164.12
Weekly drink: A guide to the most popular types of wine
RACHEL SCAPILLATI
t creates an atmosphere of
sophistication and elegance.
With that glass in your hand,
you are immediately transported
from the land of amateur into
the land of respect, even if you
are a novice. The grandeur that
comes with sipping from a glass
of wine is something uniquely
adult.
Although you may have the
look down pat, it might be
useful to know some basic facts
about the drink itself to help you
keep up with the wine snobs.
There is a whole culture that
comes with the world of wine,
but to keep things simple let’s
focus on the basics.
Perhaps the most threatening
substance to white tablecloths,
I
red wine is one of the world’s
most
popular
alcoholic
beverages. It is often more bitter
than white wine, but once the
taste is acquired it’s both smooth
and rich in flavour.
Merlot,
most
commonly
produced
by
France
and
California, is one of the sweeter
red wines with higher sugar
content than Cabernet. It’s dark
and rich, a good choice to drink
with dinner.
White wines are typically a
better choice for newcomers
to wine. It usually offers a less
bitter, sweeter blend of flavours,
but not always.
Chardonnay, the most popular
of the white wines, can be found
anywhere from France, England,
New Zealand, the United States
and Canada. This wine is very
drinkable as it offers a neutral
flavour compared to many other
wines.
Often labeled almost too sweet
to drink more than a small glass
of is ice wine. Ice wine comes in
both red and white. Oddly, the
white is typically less sweet than
red, and the easier of the two to
consume.
In the Niagara region of
Canada, lays our very own wine
belt stretching between Niagara
Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Popular brand names, such as
Inniskillin and Jackson Triggs,
are offered here and within
this wine belt is ice wine. The
weather conditions in southern
Ontario’s winter are perfect
for the production of ice wine,
allowing the grapes to freeze and
concentrate the sugars within.
Love, Laura: The Friend Zone
LAURA SCHEP
’ve often heard people say
that it’s best to be friends
with someone before you
start dating them; it seems
to be a common belief that a
friendship preceding a romantic
relationship will make for
better
communication
and
understanding between both
parties involved and a longerlasting relationship overall. This
I
certainly seems to hold true
for some couples, but an initial
friendship is not a requirement
for a lasting and positive dating
experience, and if two people
are attracted to each other and
romantically interested in each
other, I don’t see the point in
forcing a friendship before
dating. In fact, if you’re feigning
feelings of friendship with
someone who you really only
wish to be dating, in hopes that
their platonic feelings towards
you will eventually morph into
something more, this could
result in a very complicated
situation…and although it is
possible it may work out in your
favour, you also risk being very
disappointed in the end.
This leads me to the topic of
my final Love, Laura column.
I’ve decided to write about
the peculiar place I like to call
“The Friend Zone.” That place
you sometimes wish was more
clearly outlined so that people
you consider to be your good
friends wouldn`t flirt with you,
or make you feel like you can`t
talk to them about a new crush of
yours. Conversely, for some of us,
The Friend Zone may be a place
we’ve grown to severely dislike
and feel restricted by because we
indeed have developed feelings
for someone we’re friends with,
yet feel that we’re permanently
branded “just a friend” by
them, with no potential of ever
becoming more.
I think all of us have been in
either, or perhaps both, of these
situations before. You’ve perhaps
caught yourself developing
serious feelings for someone you
used to just see as a good friend,
and don’t know what to do about
it. On the other hand, perhaps
you`ve noticed recently that
a good friend acts differently
towards you than he or she
Courtesy
did in the past, and appears
disappointed when you tell him
or her about someone new you
are romantically interested in.
If both people in a friendship
begin to mutually develop
romantic feelings for each other,
that’s actually pretty great, so
if that’s you, congratulations!
But if you have developed
feelings for your good friend,
who clearly has feelings for
someone else, than you have
my sympathies. Likewise, it can
be quite unpleasant to discover
that someone whose friendship
you really value and appreciate
has in fact been scheming a
gradual encroachment past the
boundaries of The Friend Zone
the entire time you’ve known
them. This can be very awkward
and has the potential to change
a friendship profoundly, or
perhaps end it altogether.
The most important thing to
remember here, whatever your
situation may be, is to be honest
to yourself and to your friend.
If you respect someone as a
friend, and you know they are
trying to win your affections but
that you simply don’t feel the
same way about them, let them
know this in a respectful and
gentle way. On the other hand,
if you think you`ve developed
feelings for a good friend, you
have a couple of options. You
can try to wait it out and see if
you’ve misinterpreted the way
you feel about this person or
if your feelings subside. Or if
you’re confident in the way you
feel, and if you`re bold enough
to take a chance and make your
feelings known, to see whether
your friend feels the same way
about you, then go for it- but
you need to be prepared for
the possible outcome that they
simply want to keep you in The
Friend Zone.
Thanks for reading.
Love, Laura
21
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
.com
Opinion
The opinions expressed herein do not
refelect the opinions of The Ontarion
Loose cannon: Harper gives public the media cold-shoulder
GREG BENETEAU
e called it the black box.
When I worked
at The Ontarion, the
student newspaper at the University
of Guelph, my fellow editors and
I were fortunate enough to cover
a local visit by Prime Minister
Stephen Harper.
Stephen Dion had recently been
elected leader of the federal Liberal
Party, giving a fiery speech at the
leadership convention that included
the profoundly unwise declaration:
“Let’s get ready for an election!”
Harper countered with an
electioneering streak of his own,
combing Liberal-held ridings to
mock Dion for telling his party to
abstain from voting on confidence
motions.
But even at his most brave, the
Harper’s was fiercely controlling of
his public appearances. Guests who
wanted to attend pep rally the PM’s
pep rally had to submit their names
and contact information in advance
for approval.
Many independent journalists
were turned down, as were most
students. No reasons were given.
Reporters who made it inside the
convention centre where Harper
gave his 15-minute pep talk didn’t
fare much better. Forbidden from
asking questions, we were herded
to the back of the room on a small,
W
elevated stage that that Ontarion
editor-in-chief at the time referred
to as “the black box.”
The closest we ever got to the
PM was when our news editor, Erin
Sue, sneaked into the guest lineup
to have her picture taken with him
after the show.
And believe me, it was a show,
from beginning to end. Nothing was
left to chance, not even the guest list.
I think ordinary Canadians are
finally beginning to feel the cold
shoulder that the Conservatives give
journalists every day.
The media has also been closely
following the story of a Western
student who claimed she was asked
to leave a Harper rally because she
had ties to the Liberal party - more
specifically, her Facebook profile had
a picture of her with Liberal Leader
Michael Ignatieff, from a rally she
attended last week.
It wasn’t an isolated incident.
On Monday, U of G students who
staged a “vote mob” to encourage
youth voter turnout were barred
from attending a Harper rally in
town, despite having pre-registered.
And in Halifax, N.S., two veterans’
advocates were denied access by
Conservative staffers to a campaign
event.
But what about the stories that
don’t make it into newspapers,
because the newspapers themselves
are the targets? You don’t need
to search very hard in the news
media to find hardworking men
and women whose Access to
Information requests were denied
Weekly dog: Toby
Megan Verhey
Toby is like... um... six or seven or something. He doesn’t like more than
three people on the whole planet earth but you should like him anyways.
He has a love/hate relationship with bathing.
or delayed for months, even years,
under dubious circumstances.
I could count on one hand the
number of times I’ve been able
to interview sitting Conservative
MPs. And those encounters were
invariably a waste of time, since they
never said anything that I couldn’t
have gathered from a press release.
Harper has tried to brush off
criticism of his campaign bubble
by saying he wasn’t responsible
for the screening process. He even
suggested that the problems lay with
over-attendance, and not the fact
that his rally crowds are handpicked.
If it’s true, it would be a remarkably
hands-off approach for the Harper
to take. From controlling individual
MPs’ responses to media inquiries
from the Prime Minister’s Office
to refusing to take more than five
questions per day from reporters and just a quick note: one of those
questions can’t be “Why won’t
you take more questions?” - the
party leader who once campaigned
on a platform of openness and
transparency has a history of keeping
things on a tight leash.
If there’s any upside to this
appalling lack of communication
between an elected government and
the public, it’s that Harper’s dislike
of spontaneity and on-the-spot
thinking is an albatross that will
continue to hang around his neck,
and may even cost him his coveted
majority. It may prove to Harper’s
benefit to protect his weak spots
from the news media, but during an
election, swing voters will be turned
off at being turned away.
I just hope that after the polls
close, people will also care about the
ongoing struggle faced by journalists
trying to get their foot in the door.
Letters to the Editor
This past week my Facebook
newsfeed has been very active
with posts about the Rick Mercer
Rant on voting, a vote mob and its
accolades and a surprise party for
Harper. These are all encouraging
youth to vote. But will they?
Historically students have an
incredibly low turnout to the
polling stations whether it is a
municipal, provincial or federal
election. Students say they are upset
with issues like the erosion of our
environment or increasing tuition,
yet only a few students chose to have
a say in their government. But the
issue runs much deeper.
Time and time again The CSA
fails to reach quorum at its AGM.
This year the CSA Election barley
made quorum. The implication is,
despite the rhetoric, that students
don’t actually care how their student
fees are being spent or whom they
are being spent on. So will they care
about the leadership of our country?
Last year students voted in a
referendum to de-federate from
CFS. That referendum yielded the
highest undergraduate voter turnout
in Guelph history.Almost 40 per cent
of students cast a ballot. Concordia
and UVIC recently participated in
the same referendum. Concordia
had an overwhelming turnout and
UVIC set a record of its own with
a 31 per cent voting. Imagine if we
could have that kind of a youth
turnout in a Federal election… We
would have an astounding impact
on the results.
Knowing that this level of voter
turnout is possible provides hope.
But how do we stimulate such
commitment and engagement? I
am not saying Elections Canada
should go to the same lengths as
CFS to encourage participation, but
by becoming active and using our
voice we just may ignite the passion
inherently within students to care
about their country and invoke their
democratic right.
If you care…get involved. If you
care… get others involved. If you
care ...ensure students vote to make
a difference.
Gavin Armstrong
In movies and television,
fraternities are portrayed as
animal houses where alcoholism,
promiscuity and hazing are
glamorized. Because of this
inaccurate portrayal, groups such as
the Guelph chapter of Delta Upsilon
have suffered severe discrimination.
During the homecoming game at
the University of Guelph last year,
members were forced to leave by
campus police for having displayed a
banner which read “Building Better
Men,” which was intended to aid
in their recruitment process. The
university claimed that no outside
advertising was allowed and has
on several occasions refused Delta
Upsilon club status. The fraternity
promotes positive characteristics,
pledging to be scholars, athletes
and gentlemen. The group is
absolutely anti-hazing, and their
principles, bylaws and ceremonies
are completely public.
Members of Delta Upsilon
regularly volunteer in the school’s
“Trick or Eat,” and also participated
in a Date Auction to raise money
to support an exchange student
from Nicaragua. The group was also
forced to cancel its seventh annual
Polar Bear Dip when CB Richard
Eliss demanded $2600 for the rights
to use the land. In the past, this event
has raised a total of $12 000 for the
Heart and Stroke Foundation. The
Delta Upsilon Fraternity invites
anyone who would like to learn
more about the organization to visit
their website, www.duguelph.com.
Nick Longo
On Monday, I attempted to join
Stephen Harper on the campaign
trail at an event in Guelph for which
I pre-registered. As an informed
young voter motivated by a growing
movement
of
democratically
continued on 22
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22
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
Editorial
164.12
The Ontarion Inc.
University Centre
Room 264
University of Guelph
N1G 2W1
The merit in expressing frustration
I
t was a scene that has our
national media, celebrities and
Canadians nation-wide still
buzzing about. Hundreds of U
of G students staged a vote mob
on Monday April 4 to surprise
Stephen Harper during his visit
to Guelph. Students danced, sang
and crept from the U of G to just
outside the Delta Hotel where they
united in shouting one message
many times over: “We will vote!”
Dissuading voter apathy was at
the heart of the event. The vote mob
was designed in order to produce a
video to encourage youth across
Canada to go to the polls on May
2. Recently, Canadian television
personality Rick Mercer ranted
about low youth voter turnout,
emphasizing how different election
outcomes would be if politicians
actually expected the over three
million youth to cast their votes.
Organizers behind the vote mob
took Rick’s rant seriously. We do
too.
We commend the vote mob for
getting hundreds of students out
there to share a message. Apathy
is a crippling problem in Canada
that has, for some time, seemed
to be in a state of near paralysis,
with no readily available remedy
to effectively shake the trend of
political disinterest amongst youth.
In the 2008 federal election, 37 per
cent of youth voted, leaving 1.8
million votes that could have been
casted. It has been said over and
over that if youth voted, it would
change politics in this country
forever. We thank vote mobsters for
spreading this message in a prolific
and positive manner. Indeed, it
seems to have rocketed across the
media.
The vote mob was strictly nonpartisan and promoted a purely
positive statement. Signs were
prohibited, as the purpose of the
event was not to be seen as a protest
in any way. In doing so, the vote
mob was meant to grab onto as
many students as possible, leaving
no one isolated for their particular
political viewpoints. This is where
we come away from the event with
some apprehension. While we
fully understand the nature of the
event and do not suggest it should
have been a protest, we worry
about the way in which it enforced
stereotypes about those who do
decide to protest directly against
government policy.
Organizers on the Facebook
page for the event provided some
Letters to the Editor
engaged students, I was eager
to hear about the Conservatives’
platform from the leader himself.
I was turned away at the door.
The registration clerk told me that
my ‘name was screened by the
RCMP.’ I believe it was screened
by Tory staffers. The Conservatives’
contempt for Canadians is clearer
with each passing day. While Mr.
Harper offered me a cold shoulder,
my colleagues at Guelph met with
Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote
and had an open conversation about
issues that matter to Canadians. I
know who will get my vote on May
2nd.
Jonathan McGillivray
student, University of Guelph
I think I just accidentally attended
a pro-Harper rally...
Well, I’m just getting back from
the “SURPRISE PARTY for
Stephen Harper,” which was an
impressively large group of students
marching to the Delta hotel, where
our PM was arriving today, in order
to demonstrate that students will be
voting in the upcoming election. I
should say off the bat that I think
it is amazing when people organize
and show support for what they
believe in. It should happen more
often, and in that regard, this event
was a success.
Upon arrival though, I felt a little
instructions ahead of time.“We have
learned that this purely positive,
clever way of making a statement
is MUCH more effective than
alternative means…As such, don’t
bring signs (they are not permitted)
and don’t bring any animosity. We
will also not be chanting, because
it’s annoying and doesn’t fit the
theme…” wrote a co-organizer of
the vote mob. The event definitely
succeeded in remaining positive and
managed to get its main message
across very accurately. But we
want to emphasize that protesting,
although depicted negatively in
the media, is a democratic right
that should be celebrated with the
same vigor that characterized the
vote mob attendees. It shouldn’t be
written off as annoying.
There seems to be a real push
amongst students to be nonpartisan. The logic is sensible.
Our political candidates basically
govern by maliciously attacking one
another until they manage to change
people’s minds about a given policy
or topic. Who wants to be part of
this toxic political culture? Not any
one of us. But let’s keep in sight
the need for the public to be able
to openly criticize our government,
without being seen as too “negative”
or “angry,” words used to deter
students from hauling along signs
to the vote mob event. With the
Harper government, there is whole
slew of issues to be angry about, and
we hope that youth can feel safe in
openly expressing such sentiments
in a peaceful, collaborative way.
Just after the vote mob, Izzy Hirji,
a University of Guelph student
and vote mob attendee, who was
registered for the Harper rally,
had his admittance sticker forcibly
removed without any explanation.
He’s since made headlines that
have pointed to a pattern in which
Harper rallies are consistently
excluding youth for reasons such
as their loose affiliations with
environmental groups, or as in
Hirji’s case, for which no reason
was given.
The positivity and non-partisan
aspects of the vote mob proved
to be effective. It brought an
important message to the forefront
of the media and will hopefully
influence students to vote. But
Hirji’s experience is just one more
action that the Harper government
should be outwardly condemned
for. So do not be afraid to protest in
response. It’s absolutely called for.
(continued from 21)
like I was attending a pro-Harper
rally. Everyone was dressed in red
and white, waving flags, singing the
national anthem and cheering. (This
is possibly due to the instructions
on the facebook event page to “let
your patriotism shine!”) I am all
for positive approaches to things,
and I agree with the organizers
that at times, this is a much more
constructive approach to take. That
being said, I think you can manage
to take a positive approach and still
get a message across. At this event, I
think the message was lost and that,
to those arriving at the Delta, to the
cars driving by and to Steve, this
looked more like a rally of support
than anything else.
I’d say what was missing was
simply acknowledging that a protest
was taking place. The organizers
were very adamant that this was
“not a protest in any way,” which
kind of mystified me. From what I
gather, they chose the not-a-protest
presentation because they wanted
the event to be non-partisan and
because they felt that they were
demonstrating for a right we already
have – to vote. At the same time, if
a group of students are gathering
en masse to say that their interests
aren’t being adequately represented
in Canadian politics, I’d call that a
protest. It can be a peaceful protest,
and that’s fine, but the avoidance
of that language seemed strange
and unnecessary. What was more
problematic was that signs were “not
permitted,” and that upon meeting at
the cannon, the organizers presented
a contingency plan in the event that
anyone did actually ‘protest,’ which
was to socially ostracize them. At a
political event in a democratic state,
it seemed incredibly out of place to
stifle anyone’s desired way to express
their opinion.
Anyway, good on you for getting
together and being a presence at
Harper’s arrival. In the future, I
hope we can strive to deliver a
positive message that also leaves
room for criticism and discontent
– one that doesn’t leave me feeling
like I’ve been duped by the Campus
Conservatives.
Laura Simon
After participating in a massive
‘vote mob’ (flash mob) to welcome
Stephen Harper to Guelph with
the message that we, as students, are
here to vote – a handful of us went
to listen to the event. As registered
attendees, we signed in and got our
stickers only to be escorted to the
exit. My entry sticker was rudely torn
off my chest and the Conservative
organizer told the two of us to
get out ‘You’ve been identified
by the officers - this is a private
event’. We were not welcome here.
Why? Because we were students,
not dressed in suits? Because
we participated in a democratic
exercise to get out the student vote
– in a positive and non-partisan,
non-protesting manner? Yes. By
peacefully trying to get informed
we were turned away, thank you
government. I am infuriated,
shocked and appalled and the CPC
just lost MANY supporters.
Izzy Hirji
ontarion@uoguelph.ca
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Contributors
Letters to the Editor
Deadline for letters:
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The Ontarion reserves the right
to edit or refuse all letters deemed
sexist, racist, homophobic, able-ist,
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The Ontarion may occasionally
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ontarion@uoguelph.ca
Tom Beedham
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The Ontarion is a non-profit organization governed by
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or refuse all material deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or
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The Ontarion is printed by the Guelph Mercury.
23
Apr. 7 - 13, 2011
.com
Crossword
Across
By BestCrosswords.com
Congratulations to last week’s winner...
Nat McLaren & Tom Minard
Submit your completed crosswords by
Monday April 11th at 4 p.m.
for a chance to win 2 Bob’s Dogs!
1- Sign of healing
5- The dark
10- Jumps on one leg
14- Deep unconscious state
15- Love affair (French)
16- Draft classification (2)
17- Bustles
18- Capital of Pennsylvania
20- Challenges
22- Hair goo
23- Come afterward
24- Misplaces
26- How was ___ know? (2)
27- Irreligious
30- Slighted
34- Yellowish brown pigment
35- Rugged utility vehicle
36- Discount rack abbr.
37- “Hard ___!” (sailor’s yell)
38- Campaign tactic
40- Nota ___
41- Do something
42- “Java” trumpeter
43- Muse of comedy
45- Cigar
47- Ceded
48- Have
49- Flat slab of wood
50- Confusion
53- Wet spongy ground
54- Conductor Dorati
58- Melodious
61- New Orleans is The Big ___
62- Writer Sarah ___ Jewett
63- Extreme
64- Agitate
65- Pillar
66- Quizzes, trials
67- ____ at home
Down
1- Great quantity
2- Conclusion
3- Cupid
4- Basic level
5- Slangy denial
6- Likenesses
7- Pierces
8- Fling
9- Part of TNT
10- Informal chat
11- Burden
12- Andean country
13- Wise one
19- Organization
21- Before long
25- A persuasive effort
26- Sluggishness
27- Sir ___ was an English
mathematician
28- Yielding milk
29- Golfer Calvin
30- Large body of water
31- Shelter (Scot and northern
English dialect)
32- Bert’s buddy
33- Fear greatly
35- Deep black
39- Rapid transit
40- Alopecia
42- In what way? (2)
44- Mother of Ares
46- Flat taker
47- Curdled milk
49- Heavy footwear
50- Hew
51- Mata ___
52- “Rule Britannia” composer
53- Ill temper
55- Cheerio!
56- Yeah, right! (2)
57- Harp relative
59- Crackpot
60- Airline to Oslo
Community Listings
Thursday April 7
University of Guelph Jazz
Ensemble. Conductor Ted Warren.
8pm at Manhattans Pizza Bistro
and Jazz Club, 951 Gordon Street.
$2 cover charge at the door. www.
uoguelph.ca/sofam/events
Zavitz
Gallery
Exhibit:
Consistency is the last refuge of the
unimaginative. Featuring diverse
work by three artists: print by
Midori Fullerton, the photography
of Maliha Qureshi and painting
by Jen Weber. Opening Reception
Today at 7pm. Exhibit runs: April
4 – 8. www.guelphspokenword.com
Thursday at Noon Concert
Series. Student Soloists Day Features our talented Applied
Music students. Concerts start at
12:10PM. MacKinnon Room 107
(Goldschmidt Room). Admission
FREE – donations gratefully
appreciated. Everyone Welcome!
Info: www.uoguelph.ca/sofam
Friday April 8
Guelph Youth Singers Choir III
‘United in Song’with Special Guests
- Edmonton Children’s Choir.
Benefit concert for The Stephen
Lewis Foundation Grandmothers
to Grandmothers Campaign. 7pm
at Harcourt United Church, 87
Dean Ave. Info 519-821-8574 or
www.guelphyouthsingers.om
Spring Swap: A Clothing Exchange.
Bring your swap-able clothes, or
contact karynboscariol@gmail.com
for a pick-up in advance. 10am1pm at Norfolk St. United Church
(75 Norfolk Street). Admission: $5
with a bag of clothing, $10 without.
Proceeds support sustainability
education and yoga in schools.
Saturday April 9
University
of
Guelph
Contemporary Music Ensemble.
Conductor Joe Sorbara. Macdonald
Stewart Art Centre. 358 Gordon
Street. 2pm, $5 at the door. www.
uoguelph.ca/sofam/events
Improve health & reduce stress!
Come learn the simple, effective
Falun Dafa qigong exercises and
meditation that benefit millions
of people world-wide. All ages,
no experience, always FREE!
2-4:30pm in UC 430. Info: Mai
519-823-2422.
Vimy Ridge Day Talk at McCrae
House: Two Soldiers of the Great
War with Ken Irvine, Program
Assistant, Guelph Museums. 2pm
and repeated at 4pm. Admission by
donation. 108 Water St. Info: 519836-1221 ext. 2773 or visit guelph.
ca/museum
Advertising Manager. Check out
details about this job opening on
Page 2 of this issue of the paper.
on April 30. If you will graduate
this year, please advise Professor
L.L. Diosady, Department of
Chemical Engineering, University
of Toronto, Toronto M5S 1A4,
e-mail
L.Diosady@utoronto.ca,
indicating your name, address,
course, and university, so that a
formal invitation could be sent.
<eZllbÛ^]l
EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
Recruit Guelph: Your online job
database exclusively for Guelph
students & alumni. Whether you’re
looking for a part-time, summer or
full-time job, recruitguelph.ca is for
you!
The Ontarion is looking for an
COMMUNITY EVENTS
The
Hungarian-Canadian
Engineers’ Association would like
to honour students of Hungarian
descent graduating from a degree
course in 2011 at its annual Ball
Sunday April 10
Sundays @ 3 ‘For God so loved
the world’ with organist Michael
Bloss and Dublin Chancel Choir
at Dublin St. United Church.
68 Suffolk St. W. (at Dublin).
Admission: $18/door, $5/students.
Info: 519-821-0610 or www.
dublin.on.ca or email: dublin@
bellnet.ca.
Tuesday April 12
Improve health & reduce stress Falun Dafa qigong exercises and
meditation. All ages, no experience,
always FREE! 6-8:30pm in UC
332. Info: 519-823-2422.
Wednesday April 13
Sharpened Tongues; a national
poetry month showcase, featuring
15 of Guelph’s spoken word poets.
Hosted by acclaimed US poet
Tasha Jones and Guelph Spoken
Word. The Albion Hotel, 2nd
Floor. 7-9pm. $5.
Kazoo! Festival April 13-17th – 5
days of Music & Art in Downtown
Guelph – featuring 27 musical
performances, multimedia art,
film screenings, Zine & Comic
Expo, and a Kid’s Disco. For more
details, full schedule, locations
visit www.kazookazoo.ca or email
kazookazoo@gmail.com
Thursday April 14
Emotional Bullying Workshop.
Part 1: How to recognize a
controlling
relationship. Part
2: How to end a controlling
relationship. Sexual Assault Centre,
Guelph-Wellington Women in
Crisis, 38 Elizabeth St. 1-3pm.
Pre-registration required: 519-8361110 x233 or x223.
Drive the award winning
today!
Take advantage of the GM
In the Guelph Automall 519-824-0210 K/W/C 519-651-2425 www.barrycullen.com