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ARGOSY
Independent Student Newspaper
Starting Spring break just a little too early since 1872 INCREASING, PAGE 4
Un vrai spectacle!
ecosystem through a series of comedic events, including searching for an elusive white horse, played by Liam Coughlin. Featuring hilarious and memorable animals and insects, the play examines the effect that humans disrespect for nature has upon animals and their ecosystem, as well as on themselves. Si les humains ne peuvent pas respecter la nature, ils ne peuvent pas respecter eux-mmes. The hilarity begins the moment the play opens, when two bushes, or arbustes, roll in on little wheeled seats, upon which they sit throughout the entire play. The stage is then transformed into a forest, with a large tree in the centre, played by Brie Nelson with Ryan Mitchell and Henry Chen as her branches. Ensuite, un ourson (David White) arrive sur la scne et dcrit les changments climatiques qui se passent dans la fort. Mme en dcrivant des situations grves, White est extrmement drle et attirant. From that moment on, the audience was in the grips of laughter, as lourson interacted with an owl with insomnia (Bernard Soubry) and a dramatic dragon fly. Other memorable characters included Daniel and his puppet Boris (Ian McMullen) , and prima donna Susie (Lauren Sturgeon). Tintamarre est un effort collaboratif entre Alex Fancy, le dramaturge, et tous les acteurs. Each member of the cast and production team works together to write a unique piece of
In Tintamarres new bilingual comedy Camp!, campers learn that climate change can be a greater challenge than their personal issues.
Argosy/Rosanna Hempel
Julia McMillan
Arts and Literature Editor
Embrassons la nature! Embrace Nature! This was the theme of Tintamarres production of Camp!, and the tagline of the fictional camps latest
branding technique. However, the play taught theatre goers that respecting nature is more than just a marketing tool it is a way of life. Tintamarres latest play, Camp!, explored the pressing issue of global warming. The play is set at camp Quom-siquom-a. It tells the tale of a group of eccentric campers who learn about their relationship to nature and the
CAMP!, PAGE 10
Argosy/David Shi
INSIDE News
Features Arts&Lit Entertainment Centrefold Humour Ships Log Sci/Tech Op/Ed Sports
Rethinking Lent
Rev. John Perkin offers sound advice and a different perspective on the annual observance FEATURES, PAGE 8
ONLINE
THE
Independent Student Newspaper of Mount Allison University thursday february 16, 2012 volume 141 issue 18
Established in 1872 Circulation 1,800
62 York Street W. McCain Student Centre Mount Allison University Sackville, New Brunswick E4L 1E2
THE ARGOSY is published by Argosy Publications, Inc, a student run, autonomous, apolitical not-for-profit organization operated in accordance with the province of New Brunswick.
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ISSN 0837-1024
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Brannen argosy@mta.ca NEWS Rachel Gardner argosy@mta.ca FEATURES Anissa Stambouli argosy@mta.ca SUBMISSIONS AlexMacDonald argosy@mta.ca ARTS & LIT. Julia McMillan argosy@mta.ca
(Top) Helen Pridmores Opera Workshop, The Lives of Girls and Women, tells the stories of womens struggles throughout history, beginning in the Classical era and continuing on into the Contemporary era. (Left) Exchange Photo of the Week: Emily Mann abseiling into a moulin on the Fox Glacier, one week before classes begin at the University of Otago.
ENTERTAINMENT Anna Robertson argosy@mta.ca SCIENCE & TECH Shawn Seeley argosy@mta.ca SPORTS & FITNESS Rob Murray argosy@mta.ca HUMOUR Geoff Hutchinson argosy@mta.ca ONLINE Geoff Campbell argosy@mta.ca
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PRODUCTION MANAGER Susan Rogers argosy@mta.ca COPY EDITORS Audrey Bagnell, Kyra Jones, & Laura Gallivan argosy@mta.ca
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NEWS Carly Levy FEATURES Elise Dolinsky ARTS Joel Young
ENTERTAINMENT Taylor Mooney SPORTS Wray Perkin Simon Murray STAFF John Fraser
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BUSINESS MANAGER/ ADVERTISING MANAGER Justin Baglole argosy@mta.ca OFFICE MANAGER Sasha Van Katwyk argosy@mta.ca Rosanna Leitner, Ian Moffat, Haruho Kubota, Scott Green, Julie Melanson, Lindsay Sherwood, David Shi
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The Argosy is the official independent student journal of news, opinion, and the arts, written, edited and funded by the students of Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Argosys staff or its Board of Directors. The Argosy is published weekly throughout the academic year by Argosy Publications Inc. Student contribution in the form of letters, articles, photography, graphic design and comics are welcome. The Argosy reserves the right to edit or refuse all materials deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for print, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Articles or other contributions can be sent to argosy@mta.ca in microsoft word format, or directly to a section editor. The Argosy will print unsolicited materials at its own discretion. Letters to the editor must be signed, though names may be withheld at the senders request and at the Argosys discretion. Anonymous letters will not be printed.
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For those who think the dead-tree resume is nearing the end of its life, you may be right. Fourth-year commerce student Daniel Hebert recently applied to the social media monitoring firm Radian6. But, he did not simply go the traditional route of simply of sending in a resume and cover letter and hoping for the best. He applied online but also did a lot of research and wrote a blog post Why I Should Work For Radian6, using the same language they did to craft a post that would be sure to impress. He then shared the post directly with Radian6 on Twitter and asked his influential online contacts do the same. He did this last Monday. By Wednesday, he had a phone interview with a recruiter so said she would get in touch with him again early this week. How did this all come about? Hebert first became interested in during media during his summer internship at NuFocus Strategic Group where Dave Gallant taught him all basics for his job. At the end of the summer he went to Toronto for the Impact Apprentice and from that Keynote speaker Ron Tite he was convinced of the importance personal branding. After setting up a basic profile on the professional networking website LinkedIn, Hebert was unanticipatedly contacted by LOreal Canada regarding a job possibility and it pushed him to further improve his online presence. Without putting any effort, one of the largest cosmetics company in the world found me, and wanted to have an interview for a job.
InternetPhoto/Twitter What would happen if I put effort into it? said Hebert. The more the effort paid off the more he was interested in a career in social media. At NuFocus, Hebert ventured into social media with the company. They created a Twitter account, started growing their online following, and together with Gallant and a consultant created a social media strategy. The company kept him on part-time to share content and engage with followers as a social media. Hebert did not take the plunge alone. Before posting his blog, he contacted Scott Yorke, Mt. As Career Services Coordinator first. Yorke said he and Hebert were talked over Heberts idea of sung social media to augment his regular application. Yorke knew this tactic would had been successful for others in the past and was happy to discuss it with him. Heberts move the trend of many to use the internet to help their job search. From Matthew Epsteins GooglePleaseHire. Me website and video to hundreds of other creative attempts to land their dream job. Regarding his coursework, Hebert thinks there should be more emphasis on social media but he does not fault the department. There is simply just not enough research done with social media in business. The marketing textbooks out there acknowledge that social media is becoming important, but I dont think that the authors have the experience to write about best practices. He thinks once new research is included in textbooks then professors will be able to incorporate it in their courses. Whether or not he ultimately gets the job, the move has definitely raised his online profile. Chicago-based public relations firm Ragan Communications and others have written about the move, and his boss, Dave Gallant was interviewed about his trainee on local radio state 96.5 Joy FM. Despite his relative success, Hebert wouldnt do it the same way again. Its not new, so it loses wow-factor. However, I am a strong believer of doing something creative to get a companys attention. My end goal is to get a job through social media, so I would do something online for sure. I dont think it would be the same approach though. For its part, Career Services is considering holding a social media-specific workshop in the future. For now, anybody interested in learning a bit more about using social media for their job search can contact Scott at syorke@mta or like the Career Services at MTA Facebook Page for similar job-hunting resources.
The Argosy
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NEWS
Approximately twenty-five students have been invited to participate in Mt. As new six-week winter MASSIE program, which began two weeks ago.
In contrast to previous years, the students here for this program are just finishing their first year at university, and for many, it is their first time away from home. They are a bit younger than other groups [weve had] says Walker, who thinks that the intensive session is a good way to experience spending time abroad. The shorter period of time and affordable price is desirable for students who are not sure whether a full semester is something they could handle. The program is just six weeks, compared to the traditional fifteen week MASSIE semester, and approximately one third the price. Walker is optimistic about the outcome of this pilot program and considers it a great experience for the students as well as the universities involved. Theres been a positive response on both sides, she said, commenting that although this is a busy time of year for the International Centre, the fact that there are so many students interested in coming to Mt. A
Mary Maclean
makes it worthwhile. While the students wont be able to take part in as many activities as the fall and summer programs provide, Mary MacLean, MASSIE program assistant, says that over the course of their stay they will be given the chance to participate in many local opportunities otherwise unavailable during the fall and summer months. The group has plans for a ski and snowshoe trip, horseback riding, and taking in a Wildcats game. They will also have the chance to do cooking lessons with a local family, where students will learn how to cook a Canadian meal on one night, and will teach the family a Japanese dish on another night. I can definitely see this [session] continuing, said MacLean. Anyone interested in being a roommate or a conversation partner for the summer or next fall should contact her at massiepa@mta.ca.
Grade 11 and 12 students from Tantramar Regional High School help construct an affordable housing project as part of Habitat for Humanity Moncton and TEAM.
on Charlotte Street, will be an affordable and energy-efficient project for a low-income family, available for purchase on a zero interest mortgage. The construction teams are made up of two classes of fifteen students in grades 11 and 12, who are working on the house as a project for their technology class under teacher Blaine MacIsaac. The students are responsible for most of the construction for the house, including the plumbing and electrical configuration. We are doing everything, from drywall to plumbing, from the framing to the
roof, says MacIsaac. The only job the students arent tackling will be the more complicated electrical wiring that needs to be done by a professional by law. The students are currently working in a co-op program at this time, but MacIsaac is hopeful that they will be resuming work soon. We have to overcome some timing issues with this project, but it should be moving along pretty soon. MacIsaac was involved in numerous other Habitat projects in his life, working to build shelters in New Orleans. When he heard
NEWS
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The poverty rate in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is on the rise. The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics has reported that nearly sixty-one per cent of the population of Nigeria was living in absolute poverty in 2010, compared with 54.7 per cent in 2004. Nigeria is Africas most populous country with over 167 million inhabitants, and this latest report suggests that over 112 million of those individuals are living on less than one US dollar a day. Nigeria is Africas largest producer of oil.
A new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago reports that vodka can boost creativity in men. The study reports that men who drink enough vodka to render themselves intoxicated are more resourceful in verbal problem solving than men who are sober. The team that performed this study have proposed that the reason for this result stems from the loosening of a persons attention, which is a result of alcohol, in combination with the fact that existing memory seems unaffected by the substance.
one of the most prolific musical artists of the 1980s and 1990s, selling over 170 million records worldwide. She was a six time Grammy award winner and a twenty-six time nominee. Along with her music career, she also starred in five major motion pictures, including The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner in 1992.
Music and film star Whitney Houston was reported dead this past Saturday at the age of forty-eight. She was reportedly found unconscious, underwater in her bathtub in a Los Angeles hotel room. Ms. Houston was
An envoy from the United States is scheduled to meet with officials representing North Korea next week in hopes of convincing the state government to abandon its nuclear program. US official Glyn Davies, the Special Representative for North Korea Policy, will meet with the North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan in Beijing on Feb. 23. This meeting will be the first between these two states since the death of North Koreas former leader Kim Jong Il in December.
According to information on the CFS website, [r]esearch from the United Kingdom on student debt and mental health found that students with a high degree of financial worry showed greater levels of tension, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping. The report also concluded that debt is responsible for lower levels of university and college completion. Recent Statistics Canada reports show that Canadian full-time students in undergraduate programs this fall paid four per cent more on average in tuition fees for the 20102011 academic year than they did a year earlier. Tuition has increased as low as 1.5 percent in some provinces and as high as 5.4 per cent in others. On average, undergraduate students paid $5,138 in tuition fees in 20102011 compared with $4,942 a year earlier. This increase is slightly higher than the one for 2009-2010, when tuition fees rose3.6 per cent. Fees for international undergraduate students have also increased substantially, shooting up 5.2 per cent over the previous year.
Alex MacDonald
Op/Ed Editor
On February 8, the SAC convened for what has been one of the more spirited evenings of the year. The Council discussed a number of important student issues, including the conditional contract renewal of VP International and Student Affairs position, the possible creation of a SAC app, and the elimination of the International Sutdent Councilor position.
The Argosy
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NEWS
Internet Photo (left) - Sumonos Blog; Internet Photo (right) - Cosmological Cabbage Blogspot
Apple has come under intense criticism after reports of dire working conditions, leading to an estimated seventeen suicides, in their Chinese supply factory Foxconn.
FEATURES
Correction
The article Sackville Hosts World Premiere of Qapirangajuq should have read Sackville Hosts Atlantic Canada Premiere of Qapirangajuq; the film was released in 2010. In addition, the article erroneously reported that Sheila Watt-Cloutier won the Noble Peace Price. The correct information is that she was co-nominated for said award with Al Gore in 2007. The article Gender-neutral washrooms in demand incorrectly associated Dr. Erin Steuter with the quotation, Of seventyfive washrooms on campus, there is only one accessible and gender neutral washroom on campus, and it has been out of order for months. Though there are some single stall washrooms at Mt. A, they are either gendered unnecessarily, reserved for staff, or are largely inaccessible due to location. This quotation is in fact from a petition that is currently circulating Mount Allison, and was not said by Dr. Steuter. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience.
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Ingredients
2 cups oats 1 cup brown sugar 1 stick of butter 2 tbs honey 1/4 cup crushed pretzels 1/4 dried cranberries 1/2 chocolate chips 1/4 almonds 3 tbs peanut butter (optional) Some icing 9x13 inch baking pan Makes about 20 bars
Photo Credit Some people share Valentines Day with their sweetheart, some spend time with good friends, others stay at home and enjoy alone time. Sometimes this holiday seems overratedas if, in order to appreciate this day, a partner is necessary. However, when I looked up the historical context of this time for lovers, it made me reevaluate the importance of Valentines Day. Rather than being upset over not having the option to show my affection toward a special person, I decided to make something sweet for those who have impacted my life. For those who have taken time to write notes to me, telling me how much they care about me; for those who have helped me get through some of the hardest times; for those I want to thank for being my friend. I decided to make homemade granola bars. Its very easy to make and not too costly. Directions: 1. Melt butter in pot with brown sugar on stove top. Once melted, turn off heat and add in oats and honey and stir. Add in crushed pretzels, cranberries, chocolate chips, almonds until combined (you can do this right in the pot). **If you like peanut butter add it in here. 2. Pour ingredients into pan, pat down with spatula and cool in freezer for about twenty minutes. 3. Cut into the bars and decorate with icing. For a 9 x 13 inch baking pan about 20 bars.
Wondering about the food at Bistro 96? Argosy writer John Fraser has the scoop.
different options. From burgers to pizza, pasta to salads, pitas to appetizersyou name itthe place is a classic Canadian restaurant full of variation. They boast an interior design that is light, minimal and classy; this adds to the casual atmosphere and gives a comfortable-simplicity air to the place. If anything can be said of Bistro 96, it is that they value their source of foodfrom homemade tzatziki sauce for pitas to whole wheat grain
Fiona Cai
itemswhich is prepared in house; they make most of their own sauces, dress their own meat and more. This gives the overall restaurant a genuine feel: you can taste the homemade freshness of your meal instead of wondering how long that steaks been marinated, frozen, delivered, and then chilling in that deepfreeze before making it to your table. The food is very good, with well balanced and wholesome flavours. I tried a variety of dishes
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FEATURES
By The Sexpert
Do bisexuals spread STIs more than other groups?
No bodyguard necessary
Anissa Stambouli
Features Editor
Every Wednesday and Friday, six Mount Allison students kick, punch and kung fu their way through Abboud Farahs martial arts class in the studio of the Fitness Centre. I really liked martial arts and any kind of self-defence when I was little, so [the class] was a good opportunity for me, said first-year student Bowen Xu, one of the hardworking participants in Farahs kickboxing class. To the untrained eye, Golden Dragon kung fu looks like karate with closed fists and some kickboxing moves. However, Gold Dragon kung fu is an effective self-defence training method and is featured in competitions across the globe. Mt. A student Phil Nguyan initially took the class because it seemed like something interesting to take. Nguyan explained that the class teaches students how to defend themselves against attackers by incorporating kickboxing rules, ju-jitsu, basic maneuvers and fitness training into traditional kung fu. Recently Farah taught the class how to defend against a knife in combat, using pens for practice. Even if Im not going to continue in the sport [competitively], its nice to know [how to defend myself ], Nguyan told The Argosy. Farah arrived in Sackville last year to reunite with his father Moussa Farah, the owner of Home Alone Pizza, who left Lebanon as a refugee in 2001. Due to unfortunate immigration complications, Moussa Farahs family was unable to follow or see him for ten years. Finally reunited in 2010, the Farah family established a new home in Sackville. Having practiced martial arts since boyhood, Farah had already earned credentials as a Golden Dragon instructor, and had experience serving the Lebanese Army through the Red Cross, by the time he arrived in Canada. Farah explained that Gold Dragon comes from kung fu wushu, which was adapted by combining kickboxing techniques, karate and more. Change the hand position from open, to closed, like boxing techniques, he explained, while maintaining the same katachoreographed patterns of movementsof the traditional kung fu style. As a full-time Biochemistry student at Mt. A, Farah gathered peers from his program and other participants for his kickboxing class through word of mouth. Participants began training with white belts when the class launched in the fall semester of 2011. After familiarizing his students with kata and theory throughout the semester , Farah has participants face each other in mock-combat in order to assess their application of lesson material and observe their strengths and weaknesses. When you watch your students practice, you see what techniques they used from the information you gave them, and what [techniques] they missed, said Farah. Because the class is small, Farah is able to work more intensely with each individual. In mock-combats, Farah frequently interrupts to share tips and constructive criticism: I try to make their strengths bettermore powerful, he explained. Farah also draws attention to an individuals weaknesses, telling the individuals opponent to focus their attack on weak areas so that the individual will
Dear STI-Aware, Absolutely not. Stereotypes often view bisexuals as being attracted to every person they see, of both sexes, and incapable of maintaining monogamous relationships. As such, bisexuals are often scapegoated for carrying STIs from one sex to the next. Contrary to mass societal-assumptions, being bisexual doesnt mean having to be involved with both a man and a woman at the same time. Just like anyone else, bisexuals are capable of one-on-one, exclusive involvement. In short, sexual orientation does not increase the transmission of STIs, behaviour does.
become aware of what parts of the body they are failing to protect. That way, the individual will learn, through action, to defend him or herself properly. Now in their fourth month of training, Farahs class will be testing for their yellow belts on February 24. If his class ascends to yellow belt status, Farah hopes to introduce them to martial arts clubs in surrounding areas in order to compare training techniques. In addition, Farah hopes to bring his Master, Ghassan Maghames, to Mt. A for a two to three day seminar that will be open to martial arts clubs in the area. Maghames, who teaches at Premier Martial Arts in Texas, is a fifth-degree black belt and was the first Lebanese Black Belt Kung Fu champion. The seminar will mostly involve demonstrations featuring kata, not tournament combat. Farah concluded by encouraging Mt. A students to join the class regardless of when they begin in the semester, as he is able to teach varying belt-levels simultaneously. Classes run every Wednesday, 3:30-4:30pm, and Friday 5:30-6:30pm in the fitness studio of the Fitness Centre.
Is it true that swallowing semen is really good for your hair and teeth?
Dear Natural Nutrition, Semen also increases your metabolism, reduces acne, and increases the production of brain cells if youre silly enough to believe it. If your male partner was the one to feed you this tale, it was only with the hope that you would fall on your knees and go at it for the sake of glossy locks and pearly whites. However, a benefit of semen is protein, but it doesnt even have that muchits protein amount is roughly equivalent to the egg white of a large egg, so if youre hoping to up your protein intake by a lot, you may as well buy a carton of cheap eggs at the store and save yourself an awfully sore mouth.
Dear Irritated Vagina, My sympathies. Sharing juices means sharing germs. If a woman enjoys sexual contact with a partner in the midst of a yeast infection, her partner will most likely catch it. Cue jock itch for the men: a nasty rash in the scrotal sac. But not so fast, its not the end of the world. These fungal infections are quite common, so over the counter help is easily accessible. So Irritated Vagina, I would suggest holding off until both you and your partner who may be re-infecting you if your infections are frequentare yeast free. But remember, yeast infections in the throat are no picnic, so cross out oral too.
How come when Im drinking and in the mood, my Johnson passes out?
Dear Sir Flopping, As Shakespeare once said, alcohol makes a man and mars him, it sets him on and it takes him off. Brewers droop is quite common, and definitely caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Though it can boost your libido and ego, it can also loosen you up, a little too much, since alcohol is a nervous system depressant. Stick to the bare minimum of booze if youre planning to maintain an erection.
Homeopathy: A backward step in the realm of science, or a leap forward in the world of medicine?
Elise Dolinsky
Features Writer
Thinking of a career in medicine? You might want to consider going into the field of alternative medicine which, according to Dr. Ravi Kancharia, is one of the fastest growing and most needed industries. While conventional doctors often think of homeopathic medicine as ineffective or merely a placebo, Kancharia stressed that this couldnt be further from the truth. Mount Allisons Health Matters society sponsored a lecture by Kancharia on February 13 in the Wu Centre, where he discussed the importance of alternative medicine and its value. Homeopathic medicine as we know it today is credited to the nineteenth century German doctor Samuel Hahnemann. He was the first doctor to advocate for better hygiene in hospitals, and one of the first to allude to the importance of the immune system. Initially, many doctors mocked this, but now in the twenty-first century everything is about the immune system, said Kancharia. Homeopathic medicine was very popular at the turn of the twentieth century, but with the discovery of penicillin in 1928, the Western world seems to have lost touch with the concept. However, India still values homeopathic medicine, with Kancharia claiming that roughly fifty to sixty per cent of people are choosing homeopathic over conventional medicine. One could argue that the wide use of alternative medicine in India is based on the assumption that it is more affordable than conventional medical care. However, in 2007 the Disease Control Priorities Project claimed that several studies shown homeopathic approaches costing the same if not more more
InternetPhoto/The PatientExperience than conventional treatments for the same conditions, and therefore patients are seeking them out for reasons other than financial. The goal of homeopathy is to understand how a disease works, how it applies to specific individuals, and how plants affect the body to counteract disease. There is a lot of focus on the individuality of each human body, as according to Kancharia, each person may have similar symptoms but they do not react in the same way to the same disease. One of the basic concepts of homeopathy is that similar treats similar when it comes to medicine. For example, when someone has a fever, conventional medicine uses medication to treat the symptoms and repress the fever. According to Kancharia, treating the symptoms is not really solving the problem. With homeopathic medicine, doctors use herbs that can naturally increase blood circulation so that patients feel warmer. This boosts the bodys natural ability to fight off disease, and strengthens the immune system by treating the cause of the fever. You have to start thinking differently to understand how homeopathy works, said Kancharia, We are addressing the main problem, not several symptoms . . . We look at the whole system how the whole body works. Kancharia is a strong believer in the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine, claiming that at his clinic, we have practical results of every person getting better. Homeopathic medicine is also very safe, and there is very little risk of negative side effects. We are using 200 year old medicine and it is still effective, said Kancharia, this doesnt really happen with conventional medicine. Kancharia received his Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery in India which he completed before moving to Canada eleven years ago. In India homeopathic doctors go through the same kind of rigorous education as conventional doctors. However, in Canada there are no formal homeopathy-focused universities, and courses taught in homeopathy are very theoretically based, so that students have little access to regular clinical medicine. Because of this, in Canada its not fully understood how [this medicine] works on the body, said Kancharia, You have to understand how the body really functions to practice medicine. Kancharia is currently working as a homeopathic consultant at the Homeopathy Health Plus clinic in Moncton.
Though The Argosy wont be printing during reading week, you can keep up to date via the web! - The next issue is out on March 8 -
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The Argosy
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InternetPhoto/Ottawa Citizen
Jon Juane busts a move in the Parliamentary library for Ellens Dance Dare challenge.
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Tintamarres production of Camp! about the need to embrace nature was a rousing success. The troupe will now take their show on the road for Tintamarrathon, performing in Maritime schools.
Joel Young
Arts and Literature Writer
Montreals Black Theatre is undergoing one of the busiest months in its history. This February, the company is performing more shows than there are days of the month. Now in its forty-first season, Canadas longest standing professional black theatre company is now under the direction of a new artistic-director, and has no plans to slow down after over four decades. Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) was incorporated as a non-profit company in 1972, and since then has been involved in spokenword and innovated performance work, commercially viable productions, and plays by established Black and non-black playwrights. Since its inception, BTW has aimed to tell the often untold stories of Black Canadians. The company has its roots in Caribbean-Canadian
culture before becoming incorporated in 1972, BTW was known as the Trinidad and Tobago Drama Committee. BTW is currently the only all English-speaking black theatre company in Qubec. Dr. Clarence Bayne, a professor at Concordia University, was part of the group of young actors who formed BTW. In the late sixties, they became frustrated with the portrayal of Blacks and Caribbean peoples in mainstream theatre. We were quite angry at the fact that we didnt take our culture seriously, said Bayne in an interview with the CBC. Once we started, we realized we had an audience. That audience has been proudly maintained over the years about fifty per cent of the companies patrons are from Black or other visible minority communities, and rarely attend other professional theatre productions. The companys new artistic director, Quincy Armorer formerly a part of the Stratford Shakespeare festival has ambitions to grow the repertoire
InternetPhoto/BlackTheatreCompany of the companys plays. Armorer is hopeful in light of increasing funding cuts to all English language theatre in Qubec. The company is currently performing Dennis Foons play New Canadian Kid, a story about a young teen new to Canada who experiences bullying. The play is being performed forty times this February, mainly in schools throughout the city. Although it seems as though a single month is hardly enough to celebrate the immense breadth of Black history and culture in Canada, Black History Month is still a great chance to take a step back and look at the importance of Black culture in this country. A number of events are being held iat Mount Allison to celebrate Black History Month a complete list can be found at mta.ca.
ENT.
Internet Photo/Radio Colorado College Internet Photo/Soundcloud Internet Photo/The Meliorist
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Internet Photo/Bandcamp
Marine Dreamsboth the album and stage name of its creatorIan Kehoe, is eclectic in the very best sense of the word. The album has unmistakable pop-rock oriented roots, drawing on a solid assortment of guitars, drums, keyboard and bass. Though a standard instrumental line-up for a band of any genre, its what Kehoe and friends do with these instruments thats amazing. Marine Dreams is the sonic equivalent of summer in Sackvillea soundscape that shifts from relaxed to upbeat, from sunny to dark and brooding. It is, by turns, music to dance to and music to contemplate. The lyrics are thoughtful and obviously fuelled by Kehoes own experiences in life, which only help to add to the impact of his soulful voice and the resonance of the acoustic guitars that seems to permeate the album as a whole. As far as indie rock goes, this album both fulfills expectations, while similarly redefining everything you thought you might expect from the genre. -Geoff Hutchinson
The Darcys latest release, AJA, was a treat for my ears from start to finish. Filled with a dreamy yet dark and mysterious sound, the group never sounds stale or inauthentic. There is a distinctly old fashioned aesthetic to the music, even though its infused with dissonant minor keys and Radiohead-esque melodies. In truth, the song will take you right back to your teenage days of pining over Thom Yorke and listening exclusively to his lazy crooning (that wasnt just me, right?). Radioheads influence is evident throughout the bands languid tempos, layered with subtle hints of electronica. Add more gravely vocals, and substitute British band members for Canadians, and you have The Darcys. The album was actually inspired by Steely Dans 1977 studio masterpiece, and you can definitely sense their old school style seeping into the music. I feel that after listening to Deacon Blues and Josie, the 1970s rock band would be proud to have set the stage for this album, and would give The Darcys their nod of approval. -Julia McMillan
Hip Hop artists Absent Minded and iLLvibe Come Together as the duo Blunts and Roses, blending hip hop with classic rock tunes in their self-titled album. Each track, inspired by a well-known song from this era, explores a refreshing combination of genres, such as Fast Lane which is based on Life in the Fast Lane by the Eagles, and track eight, F.B.G., which integrates segments from Queens Fat Bottomed Girls. These rhythmic beats captivate with their rapped verses and choruses devoted to the original songs. Although this dynamic collection does not lack variety, the lyrics and musical undertones rely too heavily on the original songs. This is done to the point where entire phrases are simply reiterated la hip-hop with questionable degrees of taste, perhaps even horrifying some classic rock junkies. Nevertheless, Blunts and Roses do not fail to energize and entertain their listeners. -Rosanna Hempel
Aptly named, Mad Bits incorporates a patchwork of artistically combined musical components. With punchy lyrics and vocals reminiscent of New Pornographers, this art/ pop duo writes fundamentally danceable tunes. Most of the songs are based around a strong drums/ guitar/bass core, but every song is essentially a grab-bag of sounds. The song Meany contrasts twangy country-inspired banjo notes with hard driving bass rhythms, while the song Steel Cable combines strategic, shreddy guitar riffs with mild and unobtrusive guitar and keyboard melodies. Lions is the recommended track of the album, a jagged, dancey tune emphasizing disjointed guitar riffs. Its easy to be distracted by the diverse range of musical components, but I highly recommend taking time to listen to the lyrics. Topics include building muscle, skateboarding, and the patriot missile. Overall, Mad Bits is an upbeat, thoughtfully constructed album, sure to shed a little light even in the dead of a Sackville winter. - Taylor Mooney
Money in the Banana Stands Giant Steps II is an excellent showcase of the groups diverse sound. Conceptually similar to bands like Balance & Composure, MITBS blends folky indie rock with melodically driven pop punk la Tigers Jaw in a rather tasteful way. The highlight feature of this EP is the fact that the group is able to put a unique spin on the (arguably) increasingly generic genres they draw influences from; Giant Steps II makes it quite clear that pop-punk can still be awesome without d-beats, and aggressive vocals can sound great over indie rock riffs. This aside, the catchiness and energetic feel of almost all the songs were major contributors to my liking of this EP. While I cant say I was that big of a fan of some (keyword being some) of the lyrics, its definitely something that can be looked past. Highlight tracks include Lately and Psychiatrist. -Joshua Landry
Kirsten Dunst stars in the drama Melamcholia, involving a disasterous marriage and a celestial body colliding with Earth.
Internet Photo/Moviescy
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ENTERTAINMENT
13
Paint For Barns has been on the Sackville music scene since 2009. The members are Lee MacDonald (Left), Luke Patterson (Middle) and Patrick Edmonds (Right).
Taylor Mooney
Entertainment Writer
The essentials
Lee MacDonald - Guitar/Vocals - 4th Year Physics - Man of the year Pat Edmonds - Bass - 4th Year Commerce Executive Producer for Conduct Becoming Luke Patterson - Drums - Mount Allison Music Grad/Local wonder Online: http://facebook.com/paintforbarns http://paintforbarns.bandcamp.com/ Albums: First and second EPs can be found on Bandcamp for free download Upcoming Shows: Early March - Ski Epic After Party March 16 Chuggles Tavern in Antigonish March 17 (St. Patricks Day)- The Pond A few more pending for the month of March
house shows and parties. There is that show and to play some good St. a lot of good energy and support Paddys Day songs, says Edmonds. which is always a The bands good time. Its nice Facebook page to see familiar faces If a song is fun to sums up their at your shows, says play, then we keep genre as being Edmonds. The playing it. There is no post-modern-prog audiences are always intentional direction in f u s i o n - s h o e g a z e really engaged at which were heading. indie pre-republican the shows and Were just trying to bluegrass reggae arent just there to inspired indie, have a great time get wasted. Thats listing Beethoven, playing music. super encouraging JaRule, Ace of for musicians, Bass, and O-Town adds MacDonald. Patrick Edmonds (early stuff ) as The trio aims Guitar and Vocals influences. Band to record a few Paint For Barns interests include more tracks before celery, field hockey, the end of this semester, and has Michelle Billard, crossbows, several upcoming shows in March, baseball mitts, hard liquor, monthly including a St. Patricks Day show grammar newsletters and knitting. at the Pond. We are thinking of Paint for Barns selfasking a friend or two to join us titled EP as well as their EP We are going to be playing a ton entitled 2 can be downloaded of covers. We are really excited for for free on bandcamp.com
Argosy/Rosanna Hempel
(Above) Messages decorate the walls of The Space. (Below, Left) Musical gear fills most of the shed. (Below Right) The Space is located between Georges Roadhouse and the Sackville Foundry.
Paint For Barns has been a musical staple in Sackville since 2009. We had all been playing music for a long time at that point, so it came together pretty naturally, says guitar player and singer Lee MacDonald. We just started jamming, which eventually led to more song writing. Twentyfive or so songs later, here we are! We try not to limit ourselves to a specific genre, but our songs are definitely getting louder as we define our sound, explains bass player Pat Edmonds. The band members respectively come from diverse musical backgrounds, having played everything from metal and jazz to stage bands and concert bands. We try to make music that we have fun playing, says MacDonald. The majority of the songs are written by MacDonald. Lee usually comes up with a basis of a song with or without lyrics, and we come together as a band to finish them. A good number of songs just come from jamming for extended periods of time until something that we think is interesting comes along, says Edmonds. Lee writes almost all of the lyrics as well. If a song is fun to play, then we keep playing it. There is no intentional direction in which were heading. Were just trying to have a great time playing music. The bands name comes from an old story about well, paint for barns. In the old days when a barn needed to be painted in a community, everyone would just pour their house paints together to make enough to cover it. Thats why theyre always an ugly brown colour. After deciding between a few names, this one just kind of stuck for no reason, says MacDonald. The band notes that Georges Roadhouse is probably the most suitable venue for their style of music, but that they have yet to play there. We always love playing Sackville
14 CENTREFOLD
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Julia McMillan
What did I want for Valentines Day? An evenin Sackvilles most beloved art galleries. That's The Owens Art Gallery is without a doubt one of the m annual fundraiser for gallery programming is organ and Faucet Media Arts Centre. Each year, throngs of exceptionally well dressed communities gather at the Owens to take in an eve The Sweetest Little Thing features a silent auction c submitted by third-year Fine Arts Students, memb from all over the world. The small size of the piece art more accessible and affordable for students on a But there is more to the event the Fine art. Bec without some delicious desert, The Sweetest Little intricate deserts that seem to be better suited in the some music? Rena and Justin Thomas took care of Little While" from the musical Once Upon a Mat with one of Sackville's best dance parties. The Sweetest Little Thing is organized by a ded the evening together and transform the Owens into event for three years now. "It was a great event to be involved with again t and it was great to work with such a great group of No Sackville Valentines Day would be complete the galleries put on an incredibly cute and enjoyabl
Photos by Rosanna Hempel
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CENTREFOLD
15
ng of great art, music, cakes and dancing at one of Sweetest Little Thing- literally. The event held at most anticipated arts related events of the year. The nized by the Owens Art Gallery, and Struts Gallery
d art lovers from both the Sackville and university ening of contemporary art work and good company. containing over a hundred pieces of original artwork bers of Struts Gallery, and Sackville affiliated artists es, along with their varied prices ranges, makes the a tight budget. cause no Valentine's Day party would be complete Thing holds a cake walk that features beautiful and e gallery than on a plate. And what's a party without f that with their spontaneous performance of "In a ttress. And as per tradition, the night wrapped up
dicated group of volunteers each year that help pull o a. Claire Ellen Pacquet has been involved with the
this year," said Pacquet. Everything ran smoothly f women!" e without the Sweetest Little Thing, and once again le event for a great cause.
Graphics by Danica Lundy
HUMOUR
argosy@mta.ca
Over the past few issues, the Humour section has been running a variety of illustrations, depicting the covers of popular childrens books that never were, and, as a decent and moral person might hope, never will be. This week, weve decided to take this trend one step further. Not only do we have the illustrated covers, but, having obtained special permission from the editors at We Hate The Children Press, were able to print short exceprts from both books, for your viewing pleasure. Bon Appetit.
The Argosy
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HUMOUR
It seems that Ive put on some...ahem, hibernation weight this winter. What do you suggest to get me ready for the frolicky spring days ahead?
Sean: Hibernation? Youre either a narcoleptic human, or an impressively literate bear/squirrel/unholy hybrid. But youre in luck, my possibly ursine friend: I just awoke from a ninemonth hibernation myself, and have returned to writing for the Argosy until I can stockpile more acorns. As for your winter weight, the first thing you should know is that exercise isnt an option. You cant exercise outside because, well, this is Sackville in February. The campus looks like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man disintegrated into a fine dust, and the air is colder than a polar bear pointedly ignoring a walrus. Whats that, O Spirit of the Editor? Ive used up my weekly allotment of cornball similes? Well, darn. Your only frostbite-free option would be the Fitness Centre, but I wouldnt recommend it: I hear that the regulars are fiercely territorial and quick to anger. I admit, this is all second-hand knowledge; the only time I got within ten feet of the place, all I saw was a well-built man in bicycle shorts hugging an elliptical
17
1. Since a moustache instantly makes anyone look dignified, people will be highly impressed with your new partner (and how good they make YOU look) 2. Your new girlfriend will likely be either an evil overlord (imagine the benefits of ruling the Northern Hemisphere and living in an evil lair!) 3. or an Amish farmer (and who doesnt like kicking it old school?) 4. Imagine the tantalizing tickle that can be included in an ahem slightly indecent activity. 5. Every Movember you and your girl can get involved in a little friendly competition to see who can grow the best Mo. 6. Your lady will dazzle you with her new innate ability to quote the likes of Albert Einstein (Imagination is more important than knowledge) and Ron Burgundy (Go back to your home on whore island) 7. The food that gets caught in the hairs of her full bushy upper lip will be a nice snack later in the evening. 8. Sure, people might confuse your girlfriend with Tom Selleck but who wouldnt want to date Tom Selleck, man or woman?
bobpickle chronicles
The
By Lake
18 HUMOUR
argosy@mta.ca
And Now, Three Blind Mice fighting to the death with Six Geese A-Laying! (Or maybe just some puzzles...)
(CUP) Puzzles provided by BestCrosswords. com. Used with permission. Across
1- Just _ !; 5- Ski cottage; 10- Casino game; 14- Whip It band; 15- Early computer; 16- Bedouin; 17- Rat- _ ; 18- Goddess of love; 19- Not _ many words; 20- Martini liquor; 21- Hater of humankind; 23- Gulp down; 25- Follow; 26- Diners; 29- Audition; 33- Serf; 35- Nun wear; 37- Layer; 38- Garage sale sign; 39- Renaissance fiddle; 40- Amenable; 41- Early hrs.; 42- Closes; 43- Be of one mind; 44- Third sign of the zodiac; 46- Prima ballerina; 48- Comedian Carvey; 50- Fix beforehand; 53- Lottery; 58- Leb. neighbor; 59- New Rochelle college; 60- Man with a van, perhaps; 61- Currency of Turkey, and formerly of Italy; 62- Bender; 63- Clarences accuser; 64- Roman poet; 65- Additional; 66- Bird homes; 67- Shrivelled, without moisture; Down 1- Maxim; 2- Take hold; 3- Missionary zeal; 4- Barracks bed; 5- Hebrew tribe member; 6- Addition column; 7- Actress Merrill; 8- Haggard; 9- Glad all over; 10- Justly; 11- Cartoonist Peter; 12- Coarse file; 13- Its blown among the reeds; 21- Mongrel dog; 22- Java trumpeter; 24- Neighbor of Cambodia; 27- Greek fertility goddess, flightless bird; 28- Fine fur; 30- Burdensome; 31- Peter Fonda title role; 32- Actress Daly; 33- Dutch name of The Hague; 34- Salinger girl; 36- Of the highest quality; 39- Harness driver; 40- Eyeball; 42- Break, card game; 43- Broadcasts; 45- Think; 47- Musical dramas; 49- Compensate; 51- Aluminum-bronze coin of Iceland; 52- Commerce; 53- Locale; 54- Fleece; 55- Grandson of Adam; 56- Alamo rival; 57- Etta of old comics; 61- Acapulco article;
CRYPTOQUOTE!
In this quote, each letter has been switched with a corresponding letter of the alphabet. For example, ABC could become XNE. TIGER could become MAGIC. The pairings are completely random. Isnt language wonderful? Got it? Good! Get ready, because here we GOOOOO!
ZCOVSJN ICKO NQNFSNH, UKD QNPNO, QNPNO ZCOVND DMNSO QRFNH. - XCMQ Z. ENQQNYI
Somebody said to me, But the Beatles were anti-materialistic. Thats a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say, Now, lets write a swimming pool. Paul McCartney
Solve the quote, bring it into the Argosy Office, and be entered to win an ACTUAL prize from the Humour Editor! SERIOUSLY!
OVERHEARD @ MT. A!
Whilst browsing my social network of choice the other day, I happened to rediscover a pastime that has gone largely to the wayside, in this age of tweetering, myfaceing and redditdiggery: the documenting of silly, inane or nonsensical things that random strangers have said within your earshot. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give youOverheard At Mt. A.
If I was ever going to go gay for someone, it would be her, right now. You were talking about a monkey jerking off on your for about an hour. What? Bosnia is hilarious! ITS THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET HARD ANYMORE!
argosy@mta.ca
Otavia amntiqua, pictured in fossil form above, may now be Earths first animal.
A biological computer made from biomolecules has successfully been used to encrypt and decipher images on DNA chips. This new research, emerging from The Scripps Research Institute in California and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, is the first occasion on which a molecular cryptosystem of images has been successfully created with DNA computing.
explained to Science Daily. For example, all biological systems and even entire living organisms are such computers. Every one of us is a biomolecular computer: a machine in which all four components that talk to one another logically. In the case of a biological computer, the hardware and software is comprised of complicated biological molecules that work together in a predetermined chemical reaction. The input for such a machine is the
This is the first part of a series of articles that will be exploring science research happening at Mount Allison University. Innovative research in the fields of Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Psychology, Mathematics and Physics will be explored in this series that will give students an understanding of how Mt. A contributes to the scientific community. Paul Shaver, a fourth year student pursuing his honours in Biochemistry, is doing some fascinating research. Under the guidance of Dr. Doug Campbell, Paul has been delving into sub cellular structures and mechanisms, trying
The Argosy
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ST JOHNS (CUP) The most recent fight for a legally binding global climate change agreement took place from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, 2011 in Durban, South Africa. There, world delegates, environmental ministers, business leaders, media personnel, NGO representatives and impassioned activists came together for the seventeenth annual Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP is responsible for adopting decisions and resolutions, and publishing the results to establish rules and methods of implementation in detail. The UNFCCC is the body that is responsible for reporting to the UN on the recommended procedures to ensure its ultimate objective: to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. With 194 parties, the COP is the most political and publicized convention for global climate legislation in the world. The results of COP17 are complex and commentary on the results varies widely in opinion. While more was accomplished than was thought possible, many believe that the results are nowhere near what the scientific community deemed necessary. Meghan McCarthy, a student at Memorial University and a native of St. Johns, N.L., was one of the six members of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition (CYCC) to attend the conference as a delegate to represent the voice of youth and students. In terms of COP17, I would say [that] there was no progress made, said McCarthy. We knew that [the talks] werent going to end well, or we figured that they werent going to end well. In the past, Canada has been effective in actively blocking most of the negotiations. So we didnt really have high hopes for the actual talks, but they ended up being a lot worse than I originally had expected. Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent announced in December that Canada would be formally withdrawing from the Kyoto agreement. While a timeline for climate negotiations was established, many are in agreement that the time for creating timelines has passed where action is needed immediately. [I think] the progress that was made, and the reason why I feel our time at COP17 was successful was because of the peoples movements: the actions of the youth on the ground made a substantial difference in affecting people around the world [and] their views on the [political] process, but also on climate change, said McCarthy. The Canadian delegation was
Pictured above is Secretary General of the United Nations Ban KiMoon, just one of the many important and influential speakers at COP17.
successful in sending the message to other Canadians that Canada is the worst country in the world when it comes to climate change, and that theyve been putting their trust in polluters instead of people. The six delegates made national and international news with their coordinated protest of the speech by Peter Kent. The delegates stood up during the speech with the words turn your back on Canada written on their backs. They were promptly ejected from the negotiations. For us, it was an opportunity to highlight that what Kent was saying didnt represent the views of Canadian youth, and that his main goal at COP17 was to represent the interests of the tar sands and big polluters, and not the people of Canada. The new plans to cut emissions include agreements by the major polluters of the world, though the proposals for cutting emissions are very relative in respect to strong economies and weak economies. Canada was the most embarrassing and outrageous country at COP. They not only stall, but in some ways, halt negotiations and progress being made. They misrepresent Canadians, but also degrade other countries, said McCarthy. The COP17 may have been a political success, but for McCarthy, it was not a practical one. For many years weve tried in every other avenue available to engage in meaningful dialogue with the government, and on all occasions, including COP17, weve been shut out and havent had our voices heard. So we thought that doing this action was the only other way that we could get the attention of our government and to send a clear message to them and to Canadians that what they are doing is unacceptable. So for the sake of our country, and our economy, and the people, and people all around the world, I really hope that people will become active and start organizing in their communities, and really start demanding the change that we need to see. When asked about the power of COP17 to create progress, her message of hope was in the climate justice movements ability to organize effectively regardless of the outcome of the COP17 negotiations. I think that the process will always fail as long as there are countries like Canada that are allowed to behave as they do. In theory, the process should work, but as long as countries like Canada lack the political will, with the substantial amount of corporate influence [over Canada], then processes like that will never succeed, said McCarthy. [Legislative] avenues for us have been exhausted. Weve worked for years within this system, and that clearly hasnt worked. We dont have time to continue doing things that dont work, she continued. I think its our time to start making some progress in terms of the social movement that we want to see.
David Shi
Argosy Correspondent
Back to the Future Part II assures us that hoverboards will be a common consumer product available to all in 2015. With only three years remaining until then, how are we coming along? Unfortunately, not well. Oh sure, there are hovercrafts which are advertised as hoverboards. These board-like devices, usually mounted with leaf-blower-like engines and a rubber skirt, will support one human somewhat adequately, though the lack of friction does lead to balance and handling issues. Braking will also be an issue. In the end, using one will not feel like being on Marty McFlys hoverboard so much as it will feel like being on an air hockey puck. The French artist Nils Guadagnin has come up with a replica hoverboard from Back to the Future that is more in keeping with the movies depiction. His board depends on electromagnetism for hovering, and lasers for stabilization. Sadly, his board (though looking very much like the real thing), can currently do nothing more than float over a podium embedded with electromagnets. In the academic world, a sort of magic carpet has been developed by Noah Jafferis, a graduate student at Princeton. In essence, it is an electrified piece of thin plastic on which waves of electrical currents are precisely timed to flow in order. This careful manipulation of electricity displaces air underneath, causing the whole sheet to move. The hiccup is that while propulsion capabilities have been proven, lift has yet to be generated. Currently, Jafferis idea is being tentatively assessed for use on rovers to Mars. Having no moving parts, the device would be ideal for use in the dusty Martian environment. As for carrying people, Noah asserts in an interview with BBC that currently, the flying carpet would have to have a wingspan of fifteen metres in order to support a human being.
OP/ED
The sad state of tuition in Canada
Alex MacDonald
Op/Ed Editor
Most of us at one point or another in our lives were fooled into believing that equality of opportunity is something that is valued in Canada. Anyone who has ever felt uneasy and like they did not belong at a Canadian university because of their fiscal position in life, were probably justified. Poor people dont belong at Canadian universities. They belong in trades or community colleges, or as cashiers at gas stations or McDonalds. At times in life I felt that labour was what I was expected to do. Despite enjoying to read and discuss philosophy or politics, that was an endeavour that is only meant for the elite of Canadas population. Perhaps it was jealousy of my peers who were going off to universities, or maybe it was reading too many Ayn Rand novels growing up, that I actually believed
argosy@mta.ca
piracy showed that there was a market for selling individual songs online without the need for physical disks (which made the music companies happy Im sure). It was convenient, and people pay for convenience. I wouldnt be surprised if the current success of ebooks was partially due to the success of illegal online book scans. Ebooks have a leg up in this regard theyre easily portable (and better quality). On the other hand, we have the video game industry which has pretty much done every thing it could to drive people to piracy except straight up tell people to pirate games. No demos to demonstrate game content, games broken at launch and requiring extensive patching, sitting on a series with no intention of developing them, DRM which makes buying and playing a game take longer and longer, and refusing to release in certain markets due to law/ economic concerns. So there we have a fairly straightforward solution to piracy: make buying a product as easy as pirating one. Will there still be people who pirate? Sure, just like there are still people who take all the little soaps from the hotel room, and like such people, their numbers will be small to the point of being irrelevant.
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InternetPhoto/GlobalNews Has the Harper Government doomed us into becoming a jingoistic petro-state? The Prime Minister went to Beijing recently to deliver an open message to our American neighbours. With the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline in the United States until at least 2013, Stephen Harper has shifted focus to the Peoples Republic of China. Even without Keystone XL, America is by far the largest consumer of Canadian oil; ninety-nine per cent of Canadas energy exports go the United States. Harper didnt let the Americans forget
this when he stood up in Guangzhou and advocated that if you dont want Canadian oil sands bitumen, China is a waiting customer with a growing energy appetite. Stephen Harper has taken Canadas foreign policy to an unprecedented level of aggression and new extreme form of nationalism. Environmental activists and ordinary citizens groups are being labeled as radicals and terrorists and the government blames political dissent against the tar sands on foreigners. The Harper Government is threatening to stop money from overseas going to non-profit groups in Canada. Meanwhile oil projects are being bankrolled entirely by overseas investors like Chinese state-controlled Sinopec, who has a stake in the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project. Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver who accompanied Harper on the China trip has assured China that it is welcome to
expand investments in Canadas oil industry. With less than four per cent of Canadas GDP tied up in the oil industry, Canada is not dependent on oil to the same extent as other oil states. Still, our reliance on petroleum will certainly lead to and already has caused symptoms of Dutch Disease a phenomenon in which a natural resources boom strengthens a countrys currency, making its other exports more expensive and less competitive on the world market. While Harper and his friends, including more than forty business executives and five ministers, were in China, the Internet connections and mobile phone signals were cut off in areas around Sichuan Province that have been experiencing recent clashes between protestors and security forces, and the level of surveillance has been stepped up in the Tibet Autonomous Region. When was the last time a Canadian citizen walked on Parliament Hill and set themselves
on fire in a demonstration against government rule? Last year, a Chinese man made an attempt at self-immolation on Tiananmen Square. It is now commonplace to read in the media about Tibetans that have set themselves on fire in apparent protest against Beijings rule. Trying to sound more like a geography and environment students at Mt. A and not a radical environmentalist threat to this country and its national economic interest, I believe in a diversified Canadian economy that has the environment and basic human rights on Canadas agenda foremost to the almighty dollar. Unfortunately, Harper has since embraced one of the former leaders of the Communist Party Deng Xiaopings famous axioms: it doesnt matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice. Thank you China for the loan of two Giant Pandas. in return you can keep Stephen Harper. Trevor Donald
Harper in China
Gender defined?
Organizers of Sackvilles Winterfest must be gratified holding a number of fine events. Few could surpass the SAC sponsored Mr. and Mrs. Winterfest. The winners are Dave and Diane Fullerton. No finer dynamic duo than the Fullertons can be imagined - worthy winners indeed. However, I plead for a different and more inclusive name for the contest identified as Mr. and Mrs. Other terms spill forth, among them - Royal Pair, Terrific Twosome. Of course, many of us, probably the majority, are satisfied with Mr. and Mrs. Weve appeared before a Rev. or a JP and gladly appropriate the designation.However, not all of us fit this traditional mould. Some couples among us have not been before a Rev. or a JP; for good reasons of our own, we do not want the tags, thank you. Some of us are gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender. For us, the designation is inappropriate and false, even if some twosomes in our midst have appeared before a Rev. or JP. There is nothing new in this situation. Moreover, there are same sex and gender diverse couples. What is relatively new is that some particularly us queer couples are more openly transparent about our intimate relationships, some of us vocally proclaim it. There are some couples who are not open, not yet, and may never be. Thats okay. As queer couples, we contribute to the community. There is no good reason why we are not included in the contest. Whatever our specific situation we can be grateful for our form, without imagining that it is the only valid constellation. Such standards of acceptance and respect are a given mainstay of any cultural capital or contemporary university campus. The same value and respect and affirmation extends of course to persons single, separated, divorced and widowed, whatever their sexual orientation or gender diversity. We none of us are alone. I trust the contest will go forward in 2013 with a different designation. In 2013, Mr. and Mrs. was yesterday. Eldon Hay
While there is good to be said for Alex MacDonalds article on Feb 2 when he writes about organic food as being the best alternative to a supermarket food alternative, conclusively, it is insufficient. Local food primarily is the best choice of food to buy, whenever possible, with organic coming second. Lets start with organic labelling. The organic label is expensive for small producers to buy and maintain, and it is ultimately quite exclusive, as it has extensive regulations that need to be followed. If a small producer tries to buy the organic label, they will have to fork over a large amount of cash, as well as showing that they have abided by all the regulations, of which there are many if they havent been pesticidefree for three years, say, only two instead, they would be unable to get the organic label, despite
ATTIC TRANSMISSIONS
FEBRUARY 16, 2012
THE CHARTS
FOR THE WEEK ENDING TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2012
RANK ARTIST TITLE (LABEL) 01 BOLIVIA* Bolivia (Self-Released) 02 SANDRO PERRI* Impossible Spaces (Constellation)
04 MARINE DREAMS* Marine Dreams (Youve Changed) 05 QUAKER PARENTS* No Crime When Covered in Grime (Self-Released) 06 JOHN K. SAMSON* Provincial (Anti-) 07 THE SHEEPDOGS* Five Easy Pieces (Atlantics) 08 KATHLEEN EDWARDS* Voyageur (Rounder)
09 GOTYE
Making Mirrors (Universal)
10 AL TUCK* Under Your Shadow (MapleMusic) 11 LONG WEEKENDS* Dont Reach Out (Noyes) 12 ADAM MOWERY* St. Josephs Mechanical Penthouse (Self-Released) 13 THE JOHN WAYNE COVER BAND* The Wheel (Self-Released) 14 DELORO* Deloro (Ide Fixe) 15 SONIC AVENUES* Television Youth (Dirtnap)
Much like Blonde On Blonde decades before it, this is a record that undeniably deals with sad subject matter in a fun, catchy way. Jurvanen doesnt take the honour of recording the most fun sounding break-up album of all time from Dylan, but Barchords is most certainly an honourable mention in that contest.
16 BLOODHOUSE*
Please Dont Meet Me (Self-Released)
17 VARIOUS* Have Not Been The Same - Vol. 1 (Zunior) 18 BRY WEBB* Provider (Ide Fixe) 19 SNAILHOUSE* Sentimental Gentleman (Forward Music Group) 20 THE WEATHER STATION* All of It Was Mine (Youve Changed) 21 COEUR DE PIRATE* Blonde (Grosse Boite)
22 DOG DAY*
Deformer (Fun Dog)
23 JACK PINE AND THE FIRE* Jack Pine and the Fire (Self-Released) 24 THE GERTRUDES* Till the Morning Shows Her Face To Me (Apple Crisp) 25 OLD MAN LUEDECKE & LAKE OF STEW* Sing All About It (Self-Released) 26 JOEL PLASKETT/SHOTGUN JIMMIE* Joel Plaskett/Shotgun Jimmie Split (New Scotland) 27 AMY WINEHOUSE Lioness: Hidden Treasures (Island) 28 ATLAS SOUND Parallax (4AD) 29 WILLIAM SHATNER* Seeking Major Tom (Cleopatra) 30 THE WOODEN SKY* City of Light (Blackbox)
31 JON MCKIEL*
Tonka War Cloud (Youth Club/Saved by Vinyl)
NEWCOMER SESSIONS EVERY TUESDAY 4PM 364-2221 WWW.MTA.CA/CHMA 3RD FLOOR STUDENT CENTRE
COUSINS, PENNY BLACKS & CLIFTON CHARLTON FEBRUARY 29th STRUTS GALLERY $TBA all ages 8:30PM
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independent student newspaper. The jobs, which he noted were hard to balance during the season along with his course load, require him to handle all advertising opportunities and take care of the books to ensure that newspaper goes to print every week. Things didnt start out easy for Justin, who noted the learning curve he faced in first year. He mentioned that with soccer every day he usually made sleeping his number one priority on Monday mornings. However, like most athletes, he learned to do work on the bus, before and after practice, and any other free moment to ensure he could succeed on and off the field. However, he took what he had learned from his on field play and adapted to it to the classroom noting, The most positive experience I have gained from soccer is that it is the ultimate team sport, and it takes patience and commitment in order to succeed. I have learned The Argosy/Taylor Losier
Continued on page 26
Proper nutrition
Do you know how to read nutrition labels?
Jenn MacKenzie
Health Intern
Many people believe that dieting and intense exercise is the only way to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. Proper nutrition is not a diet but it also leads to a healthy lifestyle. Promoting and protecting good health and appropriate nutrition can be as easy as paying attention to food labels. They can inform you whether the product is healthy or not. Nutrition labels are mandatory on all prepackaged foods. These labels include information about the ingredients and nutrition facts. The nutrition facts are usually found in a table on the product label. These facts include information about calories in a given amount of food, fat content (saturated and trans fats), cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates (fibre and sugar), protein, vitamins and minerals. The nutrition fact tables also include a column labeled %DV. %DV is the percent of daily value. The rule of thumb for understanding this column is: five percent or less is too little and fifteen percent and more is too much. When comparing products, look at the %DV and determine which nutrients you want more or less of. The nutrients that you should want more of in a healthy and balanced diet are calcium, iron, fibre, vitamin A and vitamin C. Your body needs calcium to form structures in your bones and teeth. It is also required to help your muscles work. Iron is a mineral that helps produce red blood cells and transports oxygen throughout the body. Carbohydrates such as fibre are important in lowing blood cholesterol levels and help with regular bowel movements. Vitamin A plays a role in keeping your skin healthy, promotes good night vision and is part of normal bone growth. Vitamin C is needed to help your body absorb iron, heal wounds, and can also act as an antioxidant. To maintain a healthy and balanced diet you should avoid food products with high fat (trans and saturated) and sodium content. Fat is a nutrient that gives you energy (calories), helps absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K, and helps your body grow and develop. There are unsaturated, saturated, and trans fats. Unsaturated fats are known as the good fats. Saturated fats and trans fats have been shown to raise LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol). The difference between trans and saturated fats is that trans fats have also been shown to lower HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol). If you have high levels of LDL cholesterol then you are at greater risk for heart disease; therefore, the type and amount of fat consumed is important. Sodium is a mineral that can also lead to health problems. If you consume too much sodium then you are at a greater risk for stroke, stomach cancer, and heart and kidney disease. Now that you know how to compare labels and understand what nutrients are beneficial to your diet you can make informed decisions about the foods you buy. For more information about food labels and nutrition visit Health Canada at www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
Internet Photo/Papasandcorn
26 SPORTS
argosy@mta.ca
Robert Murray
Both the Mens and Womens basketball teams had a rough weekend on the road, coming away with only one total victory in four total games. The opponents for the weekend, the University of Kings College Blue Devils (UKC) on Friday and Holland College Hurricanes (HC) on Sunday played tough games, but only the Women were able to come out victorious once against the Hurricanes by a two-point margin. On Friday evening the third quarter, which had proved friendly a weekend before, turned against them resulting in a 63-52 loss. After taking a 33-25 lead into the dressing room at the half, the Blue Devils came out surging in the third, outscoring the Mounties (12-5) by a 25-7 margin. Mount Allison shot poorly from the field, only making sixteen field goals in the entire game compared to their last game versus UKC in which they hit thirty-three. Mt. A rebounded on Sunday against Holland College, escaping with a 83-81 victory over the Hurricanes. Marlon Smith and Mackenzie Gray scored twenty-six and nineteen points respectively for the Mounties as they put up thirty in the third quarter to put them ahead for good. Chelsea Putnam and Jennifer Robinson added ten each to all but ensure that the Mounties will finish the season in third place and face either the Blue Devils or Hurricanes in the quarterfinals. Allison Turcotte described the games on Monday, saying, It was a rough weekend with a hard loss on Friday and near loss yesterday but we have to simply learn from it, were a strong team and have to stay positive as the playoffs quickly approach. The Men also faced challenges from UKC and HC, ending up on the wrong side of both games by slim margins. On Friday the men lost to the Blue Devils in Halifax by three points in a high scoring affair. Despite falling behind early and being down by fifteen going into the fourth quarter, they battled back to close the gap to three. The Men shot over fifty-percent from the field for the sixth time this year, going thirty-three for sixty-five (50.8%.) They also amassed fortynine rebounds (thirteen offensive and thirty-six defensive) to out rebound the now third-place Blue Devils. Rookie Trevor Mann stated after the weekend games that, We were struggling to find ways to get easy shots offensively while they were getting what they wanted and taking advantage of it. Sunday saw the Mounties forced to build a fourth quarter comeback as well after getting outscored 50-31 in the middle quarters. However it wasnt enough as they dropped their second straight game, this time by a score of 88-76. The Mounties are currently part of a log jam seeing second through sixth separated by six points with two weekends left of play, meaning anything could happen.
Mount Allisons Caroline Tremaine of Halifax scores on an attack from the left side.
chairs previously occupied by assistants Mitch Stewart and Daniel Richardson. Fortunately Henderson returned to the game and was instrumental in the team knotting the game up at two sets a piece after Mt. A took the fourth set by a score of 25-21. The fourth set saw the Mounties convert fifteen kills on twenty-one attempts, their highest amount of kills in any set throughout the game. Rookie Caroline Tremaine, who was close to celebrating her nineteenth birthday, also thrived in the game with eight kills and only five errors for the third highest individual hitting percentage on the team in the game. Delahunt also offered her thoughts on the comeback in the third and fourth, saying, The nerves were gone and we played like we had something to prove, and we were successful in that with a nothing hits the floor mentality and strong defensive effort. The final set provided several highs and lows as the Mounties built an 11-6 lead before
Kills on the year for Caila Henderson Digs by Erica Cronkhite Individual Hitting Percentage for Jane Delahunt
running out of momentum much to the benefit of the Tommies who scored seven straight points to lead 12-11, before finishing off the set. The Mounties head into the final weekend of regular season play with a huge matchup facing them on Sunday in Halifax as they face the MSVU Mystics in a crucial playoff-atmosphere game. Be sure to catch it live Sunday on @Argosy_ Sports starting at 2:00 pm.
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27
After weeks and months of training, the Mount Allison Varsity Swim Team headed down to Dalhousie University the weekend of February 10 for the Atlantic University Sport Championship. At the conclusion of a long weekend of swimming, the Mountie women finished fifth overall while the men finished fourth. Together, the Mt. A team managed to snag fourth place. Dalhousie University came in first, with the University of New Brunswick taking second. The other teams competing included Memorial University, Acadia University and the University of P.E.I. Over the course of the competition, the Mt. A swimmers managed to set 14 new club records. Mikhel Peters broke the 50 fly record three times over; once in the main event, and twice more in separate time trials. Rookie Andrew Reeder also set multiple records in the same event, the 100 backstroke, where he came in fourth. He also set a new record and earned himself the same ranking in his 50 backstroke. Other club records were set by Mitchell Peters in the 400 free, the 200 free, and twice in the 100 free; once in prelims and once in finals. The veteran swimmer won a gold medal in each of the three events. A new record was also set by female rookie Marya Peters in the 200 freestyle. In addition, Peters finished fourth in her 50 backstroke and fifth in both the 50
The Mens relay team poses with their medals at the AUS championships. Mitch and Marya Peters are heading to nationals in Montreal.
and 100 meter freestyle events. Noteworthy performances were done by both the mens and womens relay teams. The swimmers for the womens 800 meter freestyle relay were Marya Peters, Casey Losier, La Raiche-Marsden and Emily Byrne. For their performance in the event they earned themselves a bronze medal. Peters, Losier, RaicheMarsden and Byrne also came in fourth for the four by 100 meter freestyle relay, and another fourth place was won in the 400 medley relay by Losier and Peters, as well as Katherine Frise and Madeline Crowell. On the mens side, the team of Mitchell Peters, Parker Vaughan, Colin Vale and Andrew Reeder finished second in the four by 200 meter freestyle relay. They also earned silver in the four by 100 meter freestyle relay; the group was comprised of Mitchell Peters, Mikhel Peters, Colin Vale and Andrew Reeder, beating out MUN and shattering the existing Mt. A record. The same group of four swimmers also participated in the four by 100 meter medley relay and came in fourth. Coach John Peters was pleased with the results of the weekend, It was obviously one of the best meets weve had in years; usually we have one or two good swims, but this time everyone swam very well. It was very exciting; the mens team set several records and won medals and the womens team also swam a medal race. In total we had about eighty-percent best times. Some swimmers, like Katherine Frise or Colin Vale, had a successful meet, managing to swim three or even four best times out of four events. Both Frise and Vale also swam in the relays, where their individual times were personal bests,
contributing to their teams wins and records. Said Frise, Everyone had outstanding swims; Im so proud of my sexy Mounties! It was a great way to end the 2011 - 2012 swim season. Things are not over for the Mount Allison swim team; two swimmers, Marya and Mitchell Peters, have qualified for CIS and will be heading to Montreal over Reading Week to compete at a competition that will include swimmers from across the country.
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