DEC 2010 2
163.12
The stage at The Bullring on the University of Guelph campus oddly
tranquil before internationally known musician Peter Katz took the
stage on Saturday Nov. 27.
We’re all polluted!
Co-author of Slow
Death by Rubber Duck
speaks out against
hidden toxic chemicals
CODY KUPFERSCHMIDT
P
ollutants in the human
body are a serious issue.
According to Executive
Director of Environmental
Defense, Dr. Rick Smith, there are
measurable levels of hundreds of
dangerous synthetic compounds in
our bodies.
Co-author of the book Slow
Death by Rubber Duck, Smith
was the guest lecturer for the
Environmental Governance
Speaker Series presentation on
Megan Verhey
Nov. 23. Since spending 12 years
at Guelph earning a bachelors,
masters and PhD, Smith has
dedicated much of his time to
studying toxic pollutants in our
bodies and where they come from.
According to Smith, toxic
chemicals appear in many innocent
looking products that we use on a
daily basis.
“The rubber duck was
emblematic of this new kind of
pollution,” said Smith. Until
recently, rubber ducks often
contained chemicals called
phthalates, which have been linked
to breast cancer and a number of
other health issues. “How ironic
that in the bathtub my four year
old son, until I knew better, had a
The inherent value of nothing
Buy Nothing Day
brings together
students, community
members to gather
in free services and
costless activities
KELSEY RIDEOUT
Y
ou may have recently
strolled into the University
Centre to find it empty of
the usual trinkets being sold and
instead filled with a community of
students participating in an array
of vibrant activities. Many passing
through eventually stopped to join
in on potting plants, repairing
bikes, knitting in groups and
juggling the day away all in the
spirit of Buy Nothing Day.
The annual event, celebrated in
North America on Nov. 26, falls
on the same day as ‘Black Friday,’
a day of sales that marks one of the
10 busiest days of shopping in the
U.S. Canadians had a major role in
establishing the day that criticizes
incessant consumption, as it was
first founded by Ted Dave, an
artist from Vancouver. Adbusters,
a Canadian-based magazine, has
taken leadership in organizing
and promoting Buy Nothing Day
across the world.
Matt Little and Zoë Barrett-
Wood are involved in the local
cyclist advocacy group known as
rubber duck and would chew on it,
and those toxic chemicals would
leach into his body,” said Smith.
As he became aware of the
toxic chemicals around him,
Smith thought of a unique way
of studying the impacts. “We
had this idea of testing people for
pollution.”
Smith tested pollution levels
in a broad range of Canadians
from different ethnicities, age
groups and income classes. The
results were shocking. He found
measurable levels of hundreds
of synthetic chemicals in his test
subjects’ bodies. “The punch line is
that we’re all polluted,” said Smith.
8
www.theontarion.com
A TE
CLIM ANGE
CH AGE 12
P
gotBIKE. Both in their final year the event seemed to share
of undergraduate studies, Little in a conviction that current
spent the day repairing bikes, consumption patterns must shift
while Barrett-Wood engaged in in order to address some of the
outreach and education activities. environmental challenges that
“What we’re trying to do here communities are being faced with.
is just challenge people to buy “I think it’s definitely important
nothing for a day, and it really does to reduce our consumption,” said
bring out a bit of a community, Barrett-Wood. “As many people
people really come out and offer know, we live in a society or in
their services. Equally important to a country that consumes far, far
cutting down on your consumption more than most people in the
is sharing what you do and what world, and we also know that we
you know, your knowledge and live in a world with finite resources
skills, whatever it might be,” and we’re using them up at a rapid
said Little, of his motivation to pace. So it’s important for the
partake in Buy Nothing Day. By survival for the human race.”
the afternoon, Little had serviced Another reason to reduce
15-20 people who came to the consumption is simply because it’s
University Centre with broken a whole lot of fun.
bikes, free of charge. “I think it can make life a lot
Barrett-Wood explained the more fun. I think consumption
connection between gotBIKE and
critiquing global capitalism.
“We really want to be here in the see “BND,” page 3
Issues
spirit of Buy Nothing Day because
when you’re riding a bike, you’re
not buying a ticket to be on a bus,
3BEES
and you’re not buying gas to drive
a car. We’ve been giving away free
shirts that we painted ourselves
5 GAMING
and we’ve also been getting people
to draw and write their ideas about
what a world or a city would look
like if there was less cars and
8F>GL
people have had amazing ideas,
and it’s really exciting to see the
passion that there is for biking.” BASKETBALL
16 MILK
Those who participated in
CEREAL
When describing his results
to test subjects, Smith said their
Index
responses were often similar.
“Everybody had the same question
which is: how did this stuff get in
me?” He admits that at the time,
5 Arts & Culture
he didn’t have very good answers.
To try and answer such questions, 11 Sports & Health
Smith was compelled to write a 17 Life
book. 20 Opinion
Slow Death by Rubber Duck 21 Editorial
focuses on seven chemical families 23 Crossword
that people come in contact with 23 Comics
on a regular basis: phthalates, 22 <eZllbÛ^]
PFCs, PBDEs, mercury, triclosan,
see “DUCK,” page 4
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 .com
News
Dr. Lawrence Packer, author of Keeping the Bees recently came to Guelph
to talk about his book.
Why the bees are getting
all the buzz
Dr. Lawrence Packer,
author and professor,
comes to Guelph to
deconstruct myths
about bees
GENNA BUCK
T
he importance of bees was
the focus of a talk given by Dr.
Lawrence Packer, professor
of biology at York University and
author of Keeping the Bees: Why bees
are at risk and what we can do to save
them. The event, which took place on
Monday, Nov. 2, at the Artisanale
Café, was part of the Environment
Bound speaker series hosted by the
School of Environmental Sciences.
“Bees are in trouble for a whole
pile of reasons,” explained Packer
at the opening of the presentation.
“One of them being that most
people only think they know what
bees are.”
He clicked to a slide depicting
the book jacket of Bees of the World.
“That’s a fly on the cover,” he said.
Just about everything we believe
about bees is exaggerated.
For one thing, plenty of bees
store food for their nest mates—
sometimes using chewed-up animal
carcasses— but less than four per
cent produce edible honey.
Secondly, that awful fear we have
of bee stings is actually overblown.
Only female bees can sting, and 15
per cent of bee species do not sting
at all.
And the old adage “busy as a bee?”
It is not accurate either.
“Not all bees work hard. A
large number don’t collect any
pollen and don’t contribute to nest
Megan Verhey
construction,” explained Packer.
So what is a bee, if not a busy
insect that stings and makes honey?
Until recently, even biologists found
it difficult to know for sure.
Thanks in part to research at the
University of Guelph, classifying
bees is much more efficient and
accurate than it was in the past.
Using a microscope, even experts
made errors at least 40 per cent of
the time, and often mixed up bees
with wasps.
Today, DNA barcoding can
identify species with 97 per cent
accuracy. The technology, which
is housed at Guelph’s Biodiversity
Institute, is also better for bees:
just one antenna is sufficient for a
sample, which the insects can easily
live without.
Researchers at Guelph and York
have also developed “user-friendly
keys,” visual indexes of traits that are
available for free on the internet. The
public can now help scientists by
classifying the bees in their gardens.
Scientists will need all the help
they can get—naming all the world’s
bees is an enormous task. More
than 20 000 species are identified,
including 900 in Ontario. Many
more are thought to exist.
To the average person, it might
seem a little excessive to investigate
one annoying insect in so much
detail.
“People often ask me if bees are
pests,” said Packer. “If you are allergic
to beestings and you eat nothing but
seafood, then bees might be a pest
to you. But even if you eat nothing
but meat, you need bees. 15 per cent
of Canadian beef and dairy products
depend on pollination by alfalfa leaf
May 6 - 12, 2010
“BND,” continued
actually takes up a lot of our
lives. It takes up a lot of our time.
And so if we’re not spending time
shopping at the mall, or figuring
out what food to buy, if you’re not
doing that, you’re giving yourself
more time to make meals with
your friends, to make clothing
with your friends or to go find a
local place and not buy into the
typical consumption lifestyle,” said
Barrett-Wood.
In regards to the economy, one
day of lowering consumption may
not make a major difference. But
Little explained that the main
Buy Nothing Day brought together students that offered free services like
bike repairs for those passing through the UC.
cutter bees.”
Bees are also uniquely useful
for warning scientists about
environmental degradation.
“Bees are much more susceptible
to negative impacts in the
environment, because of the way
they reproduce,” said Packer.
However, scientists will need to
better understand bee diversity
before they can use the insects in
environmental monitoring. That is
why research is so important.
Students can help support bee
populations too.
“Even if you’re in a high rise you
can plant bee-friendly flowers. Buy
organic if you can, and support our
purpose of Buy Nothing Day is to
spread awareness and question the
often-high value that is placed on
consumption in our society.
“Obviously people need to buy
food in order to eat, they need
to buy clothing in order to wear
their clothing. Everything that
everyone is wearing or eating
today has been purchased at some
point…I don’t think the aim of the
day is to make a huge difference
in terms of our economy or
cutting down on spending, it’s just
to shine a light a little bit on our
western way of life.”
Kelsey Rideout
research,” advised Packer.
These simple steps can help stop
the decline that some of Ontario’s
bee species are facing because of
habitat fragmentation and pesticide
use.
We should be ready for negative
consequences if we continue to
neglect bees.
“In Canada, certainly a few species
have gone through the floor,” said
Packer. “The food system is using
backup species for now, so they are
okay. But the crops that require
pollination are increasing and the
number of hives is decreasing. We
might be in for it.”
3
WikiLeaks sets off storm with
more leaked documents
Hundreds of thousands of
confidential U.S. State Department
documents have been released by
the website WikiLeaks. The newly
disclosed information was first provided
to five international publications. U.S.
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has
strongly condemned the release of the
documents and defended the U.S.,
stating that “policy is a matter of public
record as reflected in [U.S.] statements
and actions around the world.”
Meanwhile, a former senior advisor to
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Tom
Flanagan, has publically expressed his
support for the political assassination
of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange,
claiming that he “wouldn’t be unhappy”
if he disappeared. CBC
Violence riddles the Haitian
elections
Discord spread throughout the
Haitian election campaigns due to fears
of the government tainting the votes.
There were assassination attempts on
candidate and singer Michel Martelly
and candidate Mirlande Manigat.
Both candidates have accused the
Haitian government of potential
fraud in Sunday’s vote and another
of Haiti’s major political parties will
not acknowledge the election at all.
Candidates and the United Nations
are predicting more violence. There is
question as to whether Haiti, which
after Afghanistan is Canada’s main
foreign priority, was given enough
funding for the election. Six million
dollars was provided to Haiti for the
election campaigns and to help build up
its democratic institutions. In addition
to violence during the election, there is
a massive outbreak of cholera gripping
Haiti, claiming over 1,000 lives so far.
CBC
A call for tougher parole laws
Clifford Olsen, convicted serial killer
of 11 children between the ages of nine
and 18, is serving 11 concurrent life
sentences in Canada’s highest security
institute, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines,
Que. On Tuesday, he was denied parole
for the second time, but the families of
the victims and the federal government
are questioning if Canada’s parole laws
are too lax. All inmates have the right
to request a parole hearing every two
years after they have served a portion
of their sentence. There is a bill being
reintroduced into Parliament by the
government that if passed will make
it tougher for inmates like Olsen to
request parole as often as every two
years. Whether the bill is passed or not,
officials say it would be unlikely for
Olsen to ever obtain parole. CBC
Compiled by Rachel Scapillati and
Kelsey Rideout
4 Dec. 2 - 8, 2010
News
Seeking solutions to poverty
The role of science in
poverty alleviation
ANDREA LAMARRE
Few topics spark as much debate
as solutions to world poverty.
Many have devoted their lives to
the pursuit of effective strategies
in poverty alleviation, searching
for that magical innovation that
will provide for the millions living
in poverty worldwide. On Nov. 26,
the University of Guelph hosted
Javier Ekboir and Cris Sette
from the Consultative Group
on International Agricultural
Research at the Institutional
Learning and Change Program
(ILAC) to learn more about the
link between poverty alleviation
and science.
Ekboir is a prior economist
and currently works in the
domain of capacity building.
Before introducing the idea of
how science could impact human
development outcomes, he spoke
about the multilayered concept of
poverty, particularly in the context
of two main components: food
security and the achievement of a
healthy lifestyle.
“When we talk about poverty
alleviation, what are we seeking
as a goal for the system? […] Are
we seeing food security as a step
toward creating a healthy lifestyle?
“DUCK,” continued
PFCs, PBDEs, mercury,
triclosan, pesticides, and BPAs.
In one experiment, Smith
brushed with Colgate Total
toothpaste and used aftershave
and soap containing triclosan.
“These are all brand name, off
the shelf products I bought at my
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That’s not being discussed. We are
talking about wanting to alleviate
poverty but we don’t have a goal
or a benchmark and that is one
of the key problems with today’s
policies,” said Ekboir.
The distinction between food
security and poverty alleviation
is key in the discourse of science
and its role in human development
outcomes. Ekboir made it clear
that science, while an important
element in assuring food security,
is not the solution in and of
itself. Agricultural science as
it is currently practiced is able
to greatly improve crop yield,
but the increase in production
resulting from applying these new
techniques raises the average small
farming family’s income to just
slightly above the poverty line.
“The way that we are doing it,
with the type of science we are
doing, we can only contribute to
food security,” commented Ekboir.
“The development community is
recognizing that increasing the
yields of staples will not solve the
issue of poverty.”
What is the role then, of all
the up and coming research in
this field? According to Ekboir,
finding an answer is contingent
upon paying attention to the
current dynamics of poverty. In
the wake of worldwide trends
of globalization, urbanization,
local Loblaws,” he noted. After
two days, his triclosan levels
had increased 2900 times. “If
you take nothing else from this
lecture tonight, go home, take
your Colgate Total toothpaste
and throw it away,” Smith told
the audience. Triclosan is a
registered pesticide.
When studying the effects
of BPA, Smith drank out of a
baby bottle and ate food from
a microwaveable container. He
also ate canned food, noting
that cans are often lined with
BPA. After two days, his BPA
levels had increased by seven
and a half times. “You can only
imagine what the levels of BPA
in an infant would look like if
their sole source of nutrition for
two and half years was from a
BPA baby bottle,” said Smith.
Having these chemicals in our
bodies can cause serious issues
and have long-term effects.
“All of the chemicals we
looked at are hormonally active
when they enter the human
body,” noted Smith, explaining
that they can alter almost any
hormonally-driven biological
process.
“There are now studies on
163.12
migration and the rising middle
class countries, small farmers are
increasingly relying on extra-
agricultural sources of income.
More and more, remittances from
international migrants are gaining
ground in raising familial income
in developing countries.
“The average remittance in Latin
America was about 300 dollars
a month. Now remember that if
we could triple the production of
maize, this would amount to about
a month of remittances. So if you
are a family in the countryside,
what’s your strategy?”
Of course, this doesn’t mean that
improving agricultural techniques
and innovations have no place in
the poverty alleviation resource
bank. However, Ekboir made a
distinction between the roles for
private, public and civil society
actors in creating and applying
inventions to agriculture. The Megan Verhey
majority of small farmers are not
interested in using technologies to too much money in fertilizers or agricultural policy, Ekboir
increase crop yields, as they have no herbicides,” explained Ekboir. reinforced that though our
interest in becoming commercial The key message that Ekboir society is increasingly turning
farmers and are turning instead to expressed throughout his talk was to orphan crops indigenous to
other strategies to improve their that, ultimately, there is no one underdeveloped countries and
quality of life. solution that will solve poverty, building a market in local organics,
“Once a family chooses to have a scientific or otherwise. “We need “it’s not going to be the panacea or
migrant, they continue producing to think of policies that take into the solution for all small farmers in
maize or the staples just to cover account the heterogeneity of poor poor countries.”
their food needs or to produce their populations,” he said. Science is but a step in the
traditional dishes…they are not Realistic about the future pursuit of improved human
interested in selling or investing of development studies and development outcomes.
BPA that have found effects
in the developing ovaries of
fetuses,” said Smith. “That’s not
an effect that we’ll see for fifty
years.” During Smith’s testing,
he found chemicals in his own
body that had been banned in
Canada in the 1970s.
Although our bodies presently
contain hundreds of these
synthetic chemicals, Smith
believes that we’re on the path
to detoxification. In April
2008, Canada became the first
jurisdiction in the world to
ban BPA in baby bottles. “I’m
very optimistic that even more
change in this area is coming,”
said Smith. “The environmental
movement is winning in a great
many respects.”
Courtesy
 .com
News
The darker side of mining
Well-known Congolese
activist comes to Guelph,
expresses concern over
BetterPlanet Project
being tied to Kinross
Gold
KELSEY RIDEOUT
T
he Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC), a country
located in central Africa,
has had a tumultuous and violent
history. In 1998, war broke out
and seven other African countries
became involved in what has been
called ‘Africa’s First World War.’ It
is estimated that six million people
have died since then, approximately
half of the victims being children
under the age of five. Gaining media
attention is the rampant use of
sexual violence against women by
the perpetrators of the conflict.
Kambale Musavuli, a Congolese
activist who currently works for
Arts & Culture
A long silent trip inside
Guelphite Jerome
Giovinazzo takes part
in a three-year silent
retreat to better himself
and the world
JOSH DOYLE
M
any people are taking
flight these days, setting
off to Europe and South
Asia to see what beauties behold.
Others are taking a much longer
trip, in a very different direction.
This Friday Dec. 3, the St. James
Anglican Church will host a
fundraiser for a group of determined
individuals setting out on a personal
journey at the year’s end. Jerome
Giovinazzo and forty others are
embarking upon a silent retreat in
a remote part of Southern Arizona
to find personal peace, and better
enable themselves to help others. For
three years, three months and three
days, the participants in this retreat
will live together in utter silence,
spending most of their time alone
in individual cabins, meditating at
least four times a day. Giovinazzo
shared his thoughts on the retreat,
the benefits he sees for himself and
others, and how he plans to push
through the inevitable difficulties
he’ll face.
“We’re all trying to grab
some kind of happiness and we
don’t know how to do it,” said
Giovinazzo. “We buy a new car and
six months later the car just doesn’t
intrigue us anymore. We get a new
partner and a year later they’re not
Friends of the Congo as their
Student Coordinator, recently came
to the U of G to talk about the
conflict. Musavuli spent a significant
part of his lecture discussing the
mining industry in the DRC. A
particular substance known as coltan,
a black tar-like mineral that is used
in many electronic devices including
cell phones and computers, is found
in high quantities in the DRC,
making the country a desirable
mining destination. To Musavuli,
who left his country in 1998 due to
the start of another war, the mining
sector and the violence happening in
the DRC cannot be separated, and
this should be of particular concern
to Canadians.
“I think that many people do not
know that almost 80 per cent of the
world’s capital market in mining
come from the Toronto Stock
Exchange and that makes it very key
to the situation in the Congo…” said
Musavuli. “So it will be very key to
educate the Canadians to understand
Jerome Giovinazzo will be on retreat in Southern
Arizona for more than three years, with a benefit
show Friday at St. James church
making you happy anymore.” These
were some of the thoughts that
initially pushed him to studying
Buddhism in search for a different
way of seeing the world.
Eventually Giovanazzo found,
with the help of Buddhist teachings
and working towards realizing the
less apparent truths of life, that to
seek satisfaction in things outside
of oneself was fruitless; the real
answers lied inside. This is what
the meditative process is all about,
going inside of oneself to change
your way of perceiving the world.
For Giovinazzo and others who
ascribe to similar beliefs, the world
is very much a neutral place, and
we project the qualities of good or
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010
that mining corporations exploiting
people around the world, specifically
speaking about the Congo, are in
your backyard.”
Musavuli brought up several
alarming but largely unfamiliar cases
of Canadian mining companies
being implicated in the DRC
conflict. Presently, Congolese
civilians are suing an Australian-
Canadian copper mining company
for its involvement of violence being
waged on a particular village.
“You have Congolese suing a
mining company in Montreal, their
suing Anvil mining…they were
implicated into a killing in a village
called Kilwa. What took place was
that the company provided logistics
to the Congolese army, which used
it to kill the local civilians…They
were sued in Congo, the case was
moved from civil to military courts.
But unfortunately in the Congolese
courts, the case was dismissed…
Given the convictions did not
receive justice, they’ve taken it up
Courtesy
bad, beautiful and ugly onto our
experiences.
“For thousands of years people
have been trying to manipulate their
outer world, trying to force people
to see things their way, and it just
doesn’t work. If you don’t like what
you’re seeing in your outer world,
the idea is you have to go inside and
change yourself,” said Giovinazzo.
Once you undergo this process
of self-exploration, and endeavour
to change yourself instead of things
outside of you, the hope is that the
changes you make will manifest
into a more positive life. Giovinazzo
likened the process to a thorough
cleansing of the mind, much like
an attentive person would do with
themselves to sue the company in
Montreal,” said Musavuli.
Another striking story Musavuli
shared was one of a Canadian author,
Alain Denault, who has written a
book about Canadian companies
in Africa, called Noir Canada. Two
Canadian mining companies are
currently suing the author.
“This book documents what
Banro and Barrick are doing
around the world and they have a
chapter dedicated to what Banro is
doing in the Congo. He used 1200
facts that anybody can pull out
and find and he compiled it into a
book. So tell me why today, Banro
and Barrick are suing a Canadian
author who exposed what they’re
doing in the Congo? They’re suing
him for $10 million dollars, right
now when we speak. No one wants
to translate the book into English
because everybody is afraid that if
they do translate the book, they will
be sued also.”
Musavuli ended his lecture with
any unwelcome piece of trash in the
outdoors.
“When you’re walking outside
down a pristine trail and you see
garbage, my tendency is to pick
it up so other people don’t have to
see that. This whole journey for
me is essentially an inwards hike.
Anything that I see inside myself,
any “garbage,” anger, jealousy, hatred,
ignorance, anything that I see within
myself I have to clean up,” said
Giovinazzo.
The ideas Jerome expresses
have existed as an essential part of
Buddhist teachings for centuries. But
discussing the ideas is the easy part,
and many people preach the benefits
while far fewer actually practice. The
difficulty lies in actually carrying
out the task, and revealing the
benefits of rigorous meditation and
self-exploration to oneself through
experience. Jerome is prepared to see
the task through, knowing that only
if he goes through with it himself
can he help others. He asserted
that his motivation to help people
in a more honest way will help him
through the hard times that await
him in silent contemplation.
“Knowing that there are people
out there who are suffering so much,
and knowing that if I can make
myself a better person then I have
more to give to others. Until that
point it’s like walking around in
the world giving people directions
to a city I’ve never been to. In order
to be able to guide someone I have
to be able to get there first,” said
Giovinazzo.
5
linking the subject of mining in
the DRC to the Guelph campus
itself. He expressed concern over
the partnership between Kinross
Gold mining company and the
University’s ambitious fundraising
campaign called the ‘Better Planet
Project.’
“If you just do a Google search
of ‘Kinross Congo,’ I think it
should be the first thing that comes
up, a Mining Watch Canada link,
where it literally describes how the
company came in [to the DRC]
during the time of chaos, and got
one of the sweetest deals ever and
didn’t provide anything to the
locals…” said Musavuli. “[People
think] ‘Wow Kinross is doing the
BetterPlanet Project to help the
people to create a better city, a better
campus, a better environment.
Wow.’ But millions of Africans,
on the record, have been exploited
by them. So that is disturbing to
me to see that happen, that’s very
disturbing.”
According to Jerome, helping
others is one of the most important
things to life, and the only way to
ensure your own happiness. He
sees the “what goes around comes
around” belief as something more
than just a common phrase, a
notion with true merit and practical
application. Jerome insists that the
actions we commit in life have a
direct impact on us through the
way they make us feel and the
actions that come back around to
us through others. If nowhere else,
Jerome has seen this to be true in
the example set by his own mother.
“One of the motivating factors for
me to do this is my mother. I’ve just
seen her selflessly serve her entire
life taking care of other people. She’s
continually happy and I realized
underneath all of it was that she’s
always taking care of others,” said
Giovinazzo.
Jerome has been meditating and
studying for six years now, and is
prepared for what’s at hand. Still he
knows that the road before him is a
long one, and sees it as anything but
an escape.
“This is going to be the most
amount of work I’ve ever done in
my life,” he said.
The benefit concert this Friday will
help to raise money for the cabins
these participants will stay in, and
provide supplies for the extensive
endeavour. The show will feature
great local talents like Shannon
Kingsbury, Choir in Motion and
several others. Tickets are available
at the Bookshelf.
6 Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 163.12

Arts & Culture

Artists find a new home in an old spot
Guelph Artisans Store
relocates within Quebec
St. Mall, still a great
way to support local
artists
KIRSTI JUURAKKO
due to space requirements of
the Quebec St. Mall. The
summer was spent investigating
potential sites around the city
when, fortunately, a new space
became available within the
mall. With it’s increased size
the new location appears to be
landscapes off of Canada’s own.
A lesser known fact is that
Guelph Artisans Store has its
own Group of Seven. Theirs is a
group of volunteers who manage
the store and form the panel
that reviews artists’ portfolios.

S
aturday marked the
grand opening of Guelph
Artisans Store at their new
location in Old Quebec Street
Mall, which was previously
located at another site within
the mall. Guelph Artisans Store
is a shop operated by the Guelph
Creative Arts Association
(GCCA), which showcases
artists and artisans from Guelph
and the surrounding area.
The definition of an artist is
generally clear to most of us,
but what is an artisan? Valerie
Beyer, the President of the Board
of Directors for the GCCA,
describes an artisan as “someone
who creates their own artwork.”
The new location for Guelph
Artisans Store was a lucky
find after the owner was told
they would need to relocate
an improvement from the old
for Guelph Artisans, with triple
the showcase space. The store
has the capacity to showcase up
to seventy artists and artisans
at a time, and is currently
showcasing approximately fifty.
Having work showcased at
Guelph Artisans Store has
potential benefits to any artist,
and luckily the opportunity to
showcase is readily available. To
be considered for showcasing,
artists and artisans may submit
a portfolio. If their portfolio
is approved they may rent wall
or shelf space for three months
at a time, and they may also
rent space in the front window
for one month at a time. Well
known in Canadian art is the
Group of Seven, a group of
painters who based their artistic
“The goal is to be
a venue through
which artists
of all mediums
would be able to
showcase their
work.” Valerie
Beyer
Beyer reflects that the goal
of Guelph Artisans has always
been an inclusive one.
“[The goal is] to be a venue
[through] which artists of all
mediums would be able to
showcase their work,” said Beyer.
This has certainly been

Pam Duynstee
A true artisan at work at the Guelph Artisan Store’s grand opening

accomplished, and the store Store by Jofriet are some of her

Accountable.
provides a central location so
that anyone looking for quality
local arts or crafts has only a
single stop to make.
Within Guelph Artisans
Store one can find a variety of
products ranging from various
paintings to stained glass,
jewellery, woodwork, clothing,
photography and handmade
cards. One artist who is
showcased in the store is Marlene
Jofriet. Jofriet is a painter who
mostly paints acrylic on canvas
pieces and describes her work
as “figurative” and of mostly
paintings on canvas as well as
small cards featuring copies of
her paintings, all of which are
stunning, and represent a great
way to enjoy and support art on
a local level.
Guelph Artisans Store is the
ideal place to shop for a gift, or
for decor for your home or dorm,
that truly says “Guelph.” It is
home to dozens of meaningful,
local and genuine pieces of art
that can act as personal gifts, or
preserve memories of Guelph.
There is a huge variety of arts
and crafts available in nearly

Like you.
“urban and rural landscapes.” every medium imaginable; all of
She paints outside, even in the it is of remarkable quality.
winter, because it is calming and
You’ve got a lot on your plate balancing lets her be in direct contact with
education and life. At Athabasca University’s what she is painting, so that she
Faculty of Business, you can pick up an can make her painting more real
online course that fits your schedule and and true. Many of her paintings
your needs. Our business is helping you are of areas around Guelph,
complete your degree.
especially public buildings
downtown and the Church of
Learn more at
Our Lady, although she also
www.business.athabascau.ca.
paints some street scenes and
rural landscapes. For the last
ten years, Jofriet has described
her painting as “painting for
me,” saying that she will, “paint
what catches my eye.” “I just like
painting,” she said. Available
for sale in Guelph Artisans
 .com
Arts & Culture
Guelph fantasy series Mind’s Eye launches online
Synn Studios brings
local talent together for
fantasy TV
OLIVER DZUBA
M
any University of
Guelph graduates
have gone on to do
great things within the creative
community. Thomas Gofton, the
imaginative mind behind local
company Synn Studios and former
student of the University is no
exception, showcasing his talents
with the new web series Mind’s Eye.
The 26 episode season premiered
on the internet last Friday, Nov. 26
and will continue until spring of
2011. Shown both on the show’s
homepage and YouTube, Mind’s
Eye showcases the talent and
experience of many local actors at
no charge. This large cast and crew
from a variety of backgrounds have
made an intriguing first episode
that has set the tone for an exciting
new series.
“Of the four key individuals
who were part of the shoot, three
of them were Guelph alumni, all
in the same year,” said Gofton,
remarking on the show’s very local
appeal. As creator, director and
producer of Mind’s Eye, Gofton
brings a wealth of experience to the
set. A psychology and linguistics
major in his time at the university,
Gofton has been developing his
International talent in the Bullring
Peter Katz and others
perform at the Bullring
JIHEE PARK
T
oronto-based singer and
songwriter Peter Katz
knows how to capture
the audience through his soulful
voice and harmonious music.
His uncanny ability to stimulate
emotion through his songs has
garnered him national attention,
and landed him the CBC Galaxie
Rising Star Award. He has
performed across the country and
in Europe, doing shows in France,
Germany, Italy and other countries
as well. Guelph was one of the stops
on his tour across Canada, where he
took the stage at the Bullring last
Friday night for an evening of great
music and real talent.
The evening at the Bullring
highlighted many features of his
new album. Hearing the music
live was quite distinctive, and his
vocals and guitar shone through
in a quality unlike the recordings.
The performance included tracks
from his album First of the Last to
Know, which reflected his many
personal influences, including
career in the film industry at a
fast pace. His beginnings were
in acting, which gave Gofton
the knowledge and experience
to start the production company
Synn Studios. As President of
the company Gofton is able to
make his creative ideas come into
fruition, which is exactly what he’s
done with Mind’s Eye.
“When I was younger I used to,
embarrassingly, get broken hockey
sticks with my buddies and we used
to go off into the woods and pretend
we were heroes,” Gofton said. From
his childhood imaginings the idea
materialized into a “short,” and
eventually into a pilot that allowed
the show to launch.
A fantasy element involving
the limitless creativity of a child’s
imagination allows for infinite
possibilities of direction in Mind’s
Eye. The first episode of the series
introduced many of the characters
and gave a taste of what is to come
in the series. The amount of work
that was undertaken by Gofton and
the crew in the process of making
this series is very interesting.
“When I started getting into
filmmaking, the more experienced
filmmakers would tell me what to
avoid, and all the things I heard
to avoid… we didn’t avoid,” said
Gofton of the challenging filming
process.
Gofton was able to make Mind’s
Eye a success with the help of
Peter Katz visited the Bullring last week to deliver his soulful voice to a
packed house
Oliver’s Tune, a song inspired by
Canadian fiddle player Oliver
Schroer, who passed away from
leukemia. Katz’s sorrowful song The
Fence was written in memoriam
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010
many individuals within the film
and acting industry. Writer Tom
Brown, a fellow graduate from the
University of Guelph, shares the
directing and producing duties
when working on Mind’s Eye.
Brown’s ten years of experience in
the industry make him a valuable
asset to the show.
Behind the scenes there are many
persons who use their particular
areas of expertise to make Mind’s
Eye a success. The series composer
Zeeke Hamilton describes himself
as a “combination of John Willams
and Danny Elfman.” As both an
actor and composer for Mind’s Eye,
Hamilton uses his musical talents
to set the mood and atmosphere
for the show. Vince Moskowec is
the production designer, and also
worked on the hit film Assault on
Precinct 13. There are many more
contributors to Mind’s Eye that have
brought years of special experience
to this production, as well as those
whose moral support was enough
to keep the gears in motion.
“The city of Guelph was very
helpful… the team, the parents…
[and] a lot of luck. Whatever
denomination of faith is out there,
there was definitely some belief in
that,” said Gofton.
Perhaps one of the most
interesting additions to the crew of
Mind’s Eye were the young actors.
Andrew Ellis, Nik MacMillian,
Lily O’Coin, Jodre Datu, Aidan
Courtesy
of the Matthew Shepard incident
in Wyoming, the case of a student
who, due to his identification as
homosexual, was tied to a fence
and left to die. The performance
(From left) Actor’s Zeeke Hamilton and Nathan Fryer star in new
online series Mind’s Eye, produced mostly by Guelph grads
Harris and Nathan Fryer have
all accomplished a great deal
with their participation in this
series. These six adolescents show
great potential in their acting
careers from the looks of their
performances in Mind’s Eye. These
talented young actors have all
been involved in the arts, many
having been awarded for their
achievements in the industry.
included these songs and others,
mixing messages both of sorrow
and hope to give an overall effect of
emotional indulgence that left the
audience wanting more.
In regards to the Rising Star
Award, Katz is unduly modest. His
words speak to the humble nature
and unassuming attitude he has
toward his work as an artist.
“It doesn’t feel like that inside,”
Katz said regarding the award. “It
definitely has allowed me to be taken
more seriously as an artist, however
my day-to-day life is the same.”
Being a Rising Star may sound
nice, but he does not believe that
such labels maintain his reputation
as an artist.
“The words are nice, but I feel
that my career is not affected,” said
Katz. No doubt this principle has
allowed him to develop true talent
and unconditional devotion to the
integrity of his work.
First of the Last to Know is Katz’s
first step into the industry as a solo
artist. Working with long time
friend and partner in the business
Rob Szabo, his long-anticipated
album was released this year. The
focus of this album was to bring out
his voice and guitar, aspects that
7
Mind’s Eye
The fantasy-based setting of this
web series is as intriguing as it is
mysterious. The premiere episode
introduced an interesting plot, and
concluded with many questions.
The 10 minute long episode of this
web series was exciting enough
to encourage regular viewing,
displaying the talents held by
many individuals from our own
backyard.
were captured well in every song
from the latest release. In regards
to working as a solo artist for the
first time, Katz felt it was a great
experience.
“A lot of people are still involved
in the album. It was nice to trust
Rob and let him bring in others to
work with,” he said.
Katz also let on that his latest
album was only made possible
through his experiences from
previous albums, asserting that he
could not have released the same
material until personal development
allowed it.
“You have to take steps to get
to it. I would not have been able
to write this album five years ago,”
said Katz. Although he has made
his debut, he believes that the self-
improvement is a constant in the
industry. “I still have a lot of work
to do,” he said.
It’s been a long six weeks for Katz
and crew, who will be returning
home to Toronto after the final
stops of their national tour in St.
Catharines, Waterloo, London and
Fergus. Katz will be performing
abroad in the coming months, with
a tour of the Netherlands beginning
in February.
8 Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 163.12

Arts & Culture

PISO MOJADO: Specialized Studio’s Eclectic like a Bomb Exhibition
This week, Zavitz Along with David Graham’s
gallery hosts its second video piece and Omar Elkharadly’s
brilliant installation, these works
consecutive mixed amplify the show’s already plentiful
discipline group show variety. Omar’s projection focuses on
the paradoxical role of light to visual
KOSTA GLIGORIJEVIC arts, and particularly photography.
organic matter and rudimentary life
forms.
The show reveals subtle and
striking interplays between
specialized students, including
stylistic and thematic groups.
The connections are symptomatic

A
fter tumultuous months
of moving from space to
space, bad drafts, drilling
noises and falling in and out with
the administration and construction
crews, Guelph’s specialized studio
artists are ready to show their work.
Among the group of seventeen fine
arts seniors are seven painters, five
photographers and one installation
artist. In addition, two artists
pursue drawing and one video. The
remaining members lean toward
multi-disciplinary and multimedia
projects, adding another layer to
the already manifold painting and
photography collections.
Charlotte Hodgson’s whimsical
paper cutouts and Danica Evering’s
miniature sculpture attract
immediate attention. Both works
share hallmarks of the crafts:
Danica’s Lilliputian household
objects are made of colourful
polymer clay, while Charlotte’s cat-
heads-on-people’s-bodies cutouts
are reminiscent of greeting cards.
The humour is undeniable and even
redemptive of the rather solemn
tendencies of some contemporary
art.
The work consequently possesses
an aphorismic quality, appearing
both uncompromisingly concrete
and supernatural.
Three of the painters are making
return visits to Zavitz gallery:
Rachel Vanderzwet again pursues
the precarious balance between
abstraction and representation in
her luxurious work; Bailey Govier
echoes her white-on-white house
paint project from earlier this
semester; while Monte Burman,
last week’s hit sculptor, enters a
still-wet portrait of Zoe Deschanel.
Bailey’s new work is consistent
with her visually and substantially
elusive architectural wall painting,
but with much more pronounced
colour and direction of brush
stroke. It is at the same time
sensual, intuitively appealing, and
conceptually resistant.
In a similar vein, Stephanie
Deumer’s immaculately white
work proves both puzzling and
captivating. Stephanie forms her
paintings by fusing layers of dried
paint onto canvas. The resulting
surface is protrusive and almost
sculptural, evocative of sedimented
not only of the artists’ common
conversation within contemporary
art, but also to the generational
camaraderie that seems to emerge
in the studio.
All in all, however, PISO
MOJADO glows with overtly
individualist emerging artist
flair. The group’s work is at once
assertive and tenuous, realized but
also promising further growth. The
maturing artist, as some participants
remarked, is like the narrator of
T.S. Eliot’s canonical poem The
Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock, who
oscillates between ambivalence and
mad determination.
Just like Prufrock, young artists Pam Duynstee
are engaged in the continual Another group exhibit tops off this semester’s fantastic display of on
back-and-forth between the campus art, Thursday at 5:30.
will to act, illuminate and create,
and all of creativity’s attendant but also of professor Will Gorlitz’s at 5:30 pm.
apprehensions. In this sense, Eliot’s guidance and sheer determination Samantha Ackerley, Monte
‘do I dare disturb the universe’ is in the face of administrative and Burman, Stephanie Deumer, Omar
the most representative question of practical mores. Next semester, the Elkharadly, Danica Evering, Dan
the specialized group and emerging class comes under the tutelage of Frawley, Midori Fullerton, Bailey
artists everywhere. sculpture professor James Carl, and Govier, David Graham, Charlotte
The quality of the works included we are anxious to see more work by Hodgson, Dara Mussar, Maliha
in Estudio Especializado: PISO the art’s newest. To see the work, Qureshi, Ashley Schirripa, Haley
MOJADO is a product not only visit Zavitz gallery from Tuesday to Uyeda, Rachel Vanderzwet, Sarah
of the students’ continued efforts, Friday, with reception on Thursday Walterhouse, Jennifer Weber

Jukebox
OLIVER DZUBA a perfect album, and I haven’t even

T
he hubristic character of
Kanye West over the past
five years hasn’t brought the
Chicago native much more than
Kanye West, My public infamy and embarrassment.
Beautiful Dark Twisted Apparently unaware of how to
practise humility, or even knowing
Fantasy what it means for that matter, is
this man’s simultaneous greatest
mentioned the lyrics yet.
The ability to eloquently convey
all the highs and lows of his life into
a song is only the start of why Kanye
West is considered among the best
in the world. A mirror image of who
Kanye West is, the life he leads and
the struggles of his past are what
the lyrical content of which My

Teach English strength and weakness. Fortunately,

it’s the former that has presented
Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is
comprised.

Overseas itself in West’s latest album My

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Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
His arrogance can be too much
to stand for anyone, and listening
to why Kanye West is better than
you and everyone else is beyond
annoying. Not only because it’s
unreserved showmanship, but also
because we are hard pressed to say
that he is wrong. This arrogance
is regrettably nearly justified with
his music on My Beautiful Dark
Twisted Fantasy. Simply listening
to the production on this album, it
is impossible to deny the dynamic
richness of Kanye West’s musical
ingenuity. A perfect integration of
samples ranging from Black Sabbath
to Rick James adds to the quality,
that seems could only be topped by
itself. The production alone makes
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
And it’s this idea that makes the
album great. The effects of his rise to
stardom and the acknowledgment of
his musical capabilities are reflected
in songs like ‘So Appalled’ and
‘Monster’. Just how ludicrous life
can be in the spotlight is something
most of us will never know, but
Kanye West giving us his personal
account can help us understand why
this rapper behaves so strangely.
For any humility Kanye West
lacks he makes up for with complete
honesty. As we know he is sure to
let everyone know how great he
is, but Kanye also doesn’t attempt
to fabricate the truth about the
low points in his life. ‘Runaway’
and ‘Blame Game’ show Kanye’s
willingness to admit his life isn’t
perfect, and that he too is capable
of feeling emotions like heartbreak
and disappointment. This self-
expression lets us know that
Kanye West can be a failure too,
no matter how good he is, but it is
not for this purpose. It is both the
manifest and latent emotions of his
life that come up on My Beautiful
Dark Twisted Fantasy, as if it were
almost a summation of his human
experience up until this point. His
failures, along with his successes, are
the palette he uses to paint a canvas
that is his music, held up by the easel
that is his production. And it seems
as if he were painting the Mona Lisa
Courtesy
when creating an album that should
be considered the masterpiece of
his musical career. This genuine
and very human approach is the
pinnacle of the greatness that is My
Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
Again, even if you have let the
foolishness of Kanye West’s antics
get the best of you, My Beautiful
Dark Twisted Fantasy deserves
every praise it receives, and is
unquestionably the best album of
2010.
Rating 5/5…Can [it] get much
higher? So high.
 .com
Arts & Culture
Schmooze with local artists at Schmoozefest
SAMANTHA SMITH-
MOSKAL
W
ith exams coming up
quickly, students are
always looking ahead
to find new ways to procrastinate,
or just take a study break.
Luckily for us, Guelph is always
giving us ways to do so. Next
Tuesday on Dec. 7, the Guelph
Arts Council will oblige your
tendency for study avoidance by
hosting Schmoozefest; an event
they hold three times a year.
This event in particular is special
because of the added festive feel
it achieves by being held at the
Virtual vs. reality: why people choose gaming
Do video games have
any benefit to our lives?
JOSH DOYLE
D
riving a car, shooting at
opposing forces, playing
the guitar…golfing.
There aren’t a lot of activities in
the world you can’t do in a video
game. As technology advances
and graphics become clearer,
we develop more games to play
that replicate the real thing with
increased precision. The more
realistic video games become
the more we are drawn to them,
which raises some important
questions, the first probably
being why do we bother? Why
do we play a video game version
of an activity we can do in real
life? And furthermore, what are
video games doing for us?
For Josh Durette, a former U
of G student and Guitar Hero
enthusiast, there are several
answers to these questions.
“I really enjoy music and
video games, so a combination
of the two seemed to draw my
attention at first,” Durette said
of his initial attraction to Guitar
Hero.
“To be able to play along with
some of my favorite artists and
songs was also what drew me.”
This probably sounds
attractive to anyone; how could
you not want to rock out with
the artists you grew up with,
making the same sounds they
did and seemingly keeping up to
their skills? Of course, you can’t
play guitar hero at a live venue.
A definite benefit for a game
like Guitar Hero would be if it
drew players to an interest in
the actual instrument, and Josh
claimed that this feeling did
arise in him.
“Guitar Hero definitely makes
you appreciate the instrument
a lot more. I like the idea of
River Run Centre, which has the
festival of trees going on at the
same time.
“It’s a great opportunity for
anyone in the art community
to get the word out about
themselves, their projects, or
their exhibitions” said Anne
Purkis, one of the organizers
of Schmoozefest. Although
the event is geared towards
artistic folk, it is open to anyone
interested. Artists, those who
enjoy art, and of course those
students looking for any reason
to put their books away are
invited to come carouse the many
being able to re-create some of
those songs that I like without
needing a video game to help,”
he said. Unfortunately due to
the constraints of life, his desire
did not materialize.
“Given my situation with
working two jobs and finishing
up school I really don’t have
time, nor the money to invest in
buying a guitar, taking lessons,
and practicing at home.”
Durette raises a valid point
about time restraints that we
can probably all relate to. With
school and work it becomes
difficult for an adult to pick up
something as involved as the
guitar. It’s much easier to play
Guitar Hero, which takes only a
fraction of the time to play well,
and still provides hours of fun
“The only way
it really effects
my life is just
enrichment in
socialization,
playing with my
friends.” Colin
Stewart
for individuals and groups.
Fun as it is, it seems
unfortunate that Guitar Hero,
with its comparably instant
gratification, might actually
result in less real guitar players.
For other games however,
shooting games like Call of Duty
(COD) that have a less desirable
real world application, it’s
preferable that the expression be
confined to the TV screen. But
even this game seems to have
little to do with a real life desire
to perform the task, and more to
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010
different displays and exhibits
from local talents. The event acts
as a forum for artists to show
their work and “schmooze” as the
title implies, by socializing with
other artists and building their
social network. There are some
artists who will get “spotlights” -
short two-minute presentations
that are heard by all who attend,
and this includes the GAC’s
presentation of their 2010
Guelph Arts Council Youth
Opportunities Award.
“We are expecting anywhere
from fifty to seventy people, but
we would be thrilled if more
do with the act of playing.
“It’s very competitive. The
reward for anyone is leveling
up your character, improving
your personal status. If one of
my friends starts to beat my
score, that’s when it becomes
more competitive,” said Colin
Stewart, an avid COD player.
When asked if he had any
desire to join the army or to shoot
anything in real life Stewart was
put off, denying any inclination
to real life gun violence. He
insisted that playing games like
COD has everything to do with
people came,” said Purkis. Since
the event tends to draw more on
local people, university students
with an interest in art will be a
very welcome presence. What
the GAC really wants from this
event is a forum for Guelph’s art
community, a way for them to
network with each other, a way of
getting art out in the city, as well
as drawing a heritage component.
The GAC also hosts this event
on a zero budget; yet somehow
still manage to make it quite
successful. As students this
should sound familiar, since
having with no money is such a
Sam Dewaele
having fun with your friends in a
competitive manner, and little to
do with transferring those skills
to real life.
Yet it’s hard not to think of
the skills people use in video
games and how they can be used
for their professional benefit.
The competitive nature and
the desire for a higher personal
status than your friends sounds
eerily similar to the business
world, and one might think
those who do well at a game
like COD could have the
determination and competitive
9
common thing. This alone makes
Schmoozefest an event worth
attending.
This event promises to be
a lot of fun, and offers great
opportunities for just about
anyone. It will include a 50/50
draw, plenty of food, and of course
free admission. The GAC also
uses this event to promote their
biggest fundraiser of the year; the
Fête Romantique. If you’re in the
mood to rub elbows, meet some
great artists, and witness some
beautiful art, Schmoozefest is
where you should be.
fire necessary to help them
professionally. Whether this is
true or not, many gamers don’t
see it this way.
“The only way it really effects
my life is just enrichment in
socialization, playing with my
friends. I don’t think they benefit
our lives in any real way other
than providing entertainment,”
said Stewart.
It seems the average gamer
does not carry over their skills
from video games into the real
world, at least not consciously.
You can see this as a tragedy, but
perhaps that’s just the wrong way
of looking at video games. More
than anything the video games
of today seem to inspire the same
kind of competition and social
enjoyment that any improvised
game or sport might, and the
players care little about what it
means aside from having fun. To
judge this notion alone would be
criminal, and attempting to turn
everything into a skill we can
apply to career development just
feels hollow. Good clean fun will
never go out of style, and video
games seem to be providing
that. There are some obvious
drawbacks, like a low exposure
to sunlight and an unfortunate
amount of exercise, but at least
minds are at work. My only
worry is that the next Jimmy
Page is out there somewhere
in suburban America, not a
guitar in sight, punching plastic
buttons instead of writing the
next song of a generation… And
that’s an outrage no guitar hero
could save us from.
10
Arts & Culture
What are you reading?
Charles Bukowski
Sifting through the
madness searching for the
word, the line, the way
CHRIS HAMELIN
Bukowski is one of the
most recognizable names in
contemporary American poetry,
probably so popular because his
poems are so easy to read. Buk’s
style (as he’s affectionately known)
has been described by critics as
pedestrian, which was the initial
attraction for me, not being a Lit
Major or having studied poetry.
Bukowski’s poems are very
accessible for even the unfamiliar
reader.
He uses strong, simple language,
raw pessimistic tone and blunt
honesty to describe everything
from feeding his cats to the state
of morality in modern America.
This book is usually
recommended as a Bukowski
starter. And admittedly it is
my first encounter with the
author’s poetry. I’m a late-in-life
poetry reader. Sifting through the
madness searching for the word,
the line, the way is a posthumous
publication of Bukowski’s
mostly autobiographical poems.
Henry “Hank” Chinasky is an
alter ego and autobiographical
protagonist of Bukowski’s novels
and poems. I envision Hank as a
Tyler Durden prototype of sorts,
a hungry scrapper with nothing to
lose. Hank is an underdog, a bar
fighter, a drinker, and I can’t help
but want to root for him.
In Sifting through the madness
Buk reminisces and laments about
being a young starving writer,
aging, as well as winning and losing
money at the horse track. He has a
distinguished appreciation for and
extensive knowledge of classical
music and America’s favorite
pastime, baseball. He is very frank,
crass, and sometimes raunchy.
He is an alcoholic, self-loathing,
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 163.12
gambling addict; a real anti-hero.
The title, Sifting through the
madness, encapsulates the many
themes that Bukowski covers in
this anthology. It becomes the
reader’s duty to find the word, the
line, the way. That is to say, to sift
through all of Buk’s madness to
find those poems that connect
with them on an individual level.
If you are having trouble
drawing any connections at all
between Buk’s alcohol-fueled,
prostitute-driven, gritty lifestyle
and your own, try to just enjoy his
humour. Bukowski was a lot of
things, but the one enjoyment that
I think anyone can take out of his
poetry is pure amusement.
Courtesy
Parliament of Canada
Become a
Parliamentary
Guide
Give guided tours of Parliament
Apply online!
Deadline: Friday January 14, 2011
www.parl.gc.ca/guides
 .com
Sports & Health
Never fear, new intramurals are here
Dome shutdown
doesn’t bother U of G
intramurals
JUSTIN DUNK
F
or any students that didn’t
know, the Gryphon dome
has been shutdown for
the academic year. In terms of
the closure affecting intramural
sports, the impact could be
minimal.
“The three sports that were
primarily affected by it [the
dome closure] were flag football,
ultimate frisbee and soccer,” said
Supervisor of Intramurals, Dave
Trudelle. Trudelle understands
the disappointment of the
students who have shown up to
the intramural office and find out
they cannot play their chosen
sport next semester.
“It’s definitely disappointing
for those people who were
looking to play. Not everyone
knew,” said Trudelle. “We tried
to communicate it to all of our
One of the new sports available to play through intramurals in the
winter semester, snow flag football.
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 11
current participants about the Still give people an opportunity to play your chosen sport, go out space. To try and even run any
dome closure.” to play those two sports.” and try something new. kind of soccer league in the gym
Intramural Sports Coordinator, Even though the dome is “What we’re encouraging wouldn’t be fair, said McCrank.
Dustin McCrank has seen closed, no sport will disappear. people to do is say ‘Hey why don’t “It would be very, very limited
students come into the office and Students can play in all of the you try a sport you never thought teams. Athletics has opened a
become shocked when they hear intramural sports; it might just of before,’” said Trudelle. “We rec spot for them, there will be
of the dome closure. be at a different time. Students have fun leagues and you can go gym soccer from a recreation
“Soccer and ultimate frisbee can still sign up for next semester. out and try and get active.” standpoint.”
actually, teams coming in, full “They can sign up now online, Student soccer enthusiasts Don’t let the dome closure get
soccer teams, wanting to sign or our next in-person registration have been asking why can’t the you down, head out with your
up and not even realizing that starts January 10,” said Trudelle. soccer league be run in the main friends, try something new and
the dome had been closed at all. If the dome closure has gym of the Athletic Centre. stay active.
Some students are definitely not discouraged you from being able “It’s just simply time and
aware.”
But fear not faithful intramural
players and team members, the
University of Guelph intramural
office has filled the void left by
the dome closure. The office has
been creative in their approach
to make up for the loss of flag
football, frisbee and soccer.
“We’re actually going to do a
snow flag football league instead
and do that on Varsity Field,”
said Trudelle. “For ultimate
frisbee and soccer what we’re
going to do is try to do an
outdoor tournament in March.
Courtesy
Changes in our own backyard
Say it with us now: climate
change, climate change, climate
change…
There are those among us who
are suffering from what could best
be described as ‘climate change-
fatigue,’ otherwise known as a
sensation of boredom, ambivalence,
or sheer exhaustion every time
the two words are uttered side by
side. For these individuals, climate
change has had plenty of time in
the spotlight, and it now seems like
an appropriate time to bow down
from its once rhythmic tap-dance
routine of warning the world, and
Kelsey Rideout and Rachel Scapillati
give others the chance to showcase
a jive that at least changes the
familiar tune from projected
chaos and apathetic tendencies to
something a little more pleasant, a
little bit more progressive to listen
to. After all, it’s not an unusual
feeling to be tired of the usual hums
and whistles that absorb media
headlines and political kerfuffle.
However, judging from what’s
happening in the world, including
our own country, climate change
is already here. For some of us,
climate change is little more than
a news headline, a lecture topic, or
a political debate, but for others,
climate change is threatening
economies and livelihoods.
Unfortunately it doesn’t look like
climate change will be packing up
and moving out any time soon so
let’s talk about it, again.
A glimpse into our
thawing land
The Canadian Arctic, a huge
area of land and water that covers
parts of eight provinces and
territories, is a global hotspot for
climate change. Over the past 50
years, surface air temperatures in
the Arctic have warmed at more
than twice the global rate. Some
scientists project that we could
witness an ice-free Arctic Ocean as
early as 2015 with implications for
ocean processes, wildlife, shipping,
and Inuit livelihoods. Changes in
sea ice is but one of several changes
that are already affecting Arctic
communities. Tristan Pearce, Ph.D.
Candidate in the Department of
Geography, has worked for the past
six years in the Inuit community,
Ulukhaktok, which is located in
the western Canadian Arctic. His
research focuses on documenting
the human dimensions of climate
change; how environmental
changes are translating to affect
Inuit livelihoods and how Inuit are
adapting. Pearce describes overall
changes happening throughout
the Arctic.
“One of the changes that people
are most familiar with is that the
sea ice is melting at a phenomenal
rate…Inuit are witnessing more
variable winter temperatures and
it is taking longer for sea-ice to
freeze-up and become stable to
travel over. The sea ice is important
to Inuit for hunting and traveling
and late and incomplete freeze-up
has implications for food security
and hunter safety. There have
been more extreme storm events
including rainstorms with thunder
and lightning. This is particularly
worrisome for Inuit hunters whose
lives can be endangered if they
are caught in a sudden rainstorm
during a time of year when they
expect freezing temperatures and
snow. There have also been changes
in the health and distribution
of some wildlife important for
subsistence. Caribou populations,
for example, have been negatively
affected by freeze-thaw events,
which affects their ability to access
food. Fewer caribou means less
food for the community.”
Pearce continues to describe
how climate change is impacting
Inuit livelihoods and how Inuit are
adapting.
Inuit hunters in Ulukhaktok are taking extra precautions when traveling,
including traveling with extra fuel and supplies and carrying VHF radios
and GPS, to avoid and/or be prepared to cope with emerging risks.
“Ulukhaktok is one of the smaller,
more traditional communities in
the western Canadian Arctic,” said
Pearce. “As a result, subsistence
hunting and fishing continue to be
important to most households for
food and income…Climate change
has significant consequences for
the subsistence hunting sector.
When you consider the physical
changes that we discussed like
changes in sea ice, storm events,
timing of break up, changes in
the health and distribution of
wildlife, those all translate to
affect subsistence. It is as if the
highway [sea ice] that we travel to
work and school over melted away,
our grocery stores were empty,
and the way of life as we know
it was taken from
us. Inuit hunters
are experiencing increased The world...and Canada
hazards, travel routes on the land are lagging behind
and ice have been compromised, Beyond the Arctic, climate
and the health and availability of change has led to a variety of
wildlife important for subsistence shifts and challenges throughout
has been affected. Inuit, however, the world. Glaciers are melting at
are extremely adaptable and a rapid rate; instances of extreme
already hunters are using boats to weather events are increasing;
access hunting areas when the sea changes in the chemistry
ice has not formed, are switching and biology of the ocean are
species harvested and are taking well documented; farmers are
extra precautions such as traveling struggling with more frequent
with a satellite phone and GPS to droughts, extreme rain events
avoid hazards. Despite even the and less fruitful harvests; and
most aggressive greenhouse gas the very existence of some Island
reduction efforts, some level of states is threatened by sea level
climate change is imminent and rise. In particular, resource-based
adaptation is and will continue communities and Indigenous
to be an important response. populations globally are dealing
” with the negative affects of climate
This problem may be hard to change due to their strong reliance
on the environment. We know
that these changes are happening,
as do the world’s political
leaders.
Currently, representatives from
200 countries are gathering in
Cancun, Mexico, from Nov. 29
until Dec. 10 for the United
Nations Climate Change
Conference. Global congregations
over climate change began
over a decade ago when the
United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change,
an international treaty, was joined
by dozens of countries. In an
embarrassing three-peat, Canada
has already received the ‘Fossil
Tristan Pearce of the Day Award’ in Cancun.
This designation is decided by
400 international organizations
and awarded to the country that
has done the most to disrupt
relate to. Most of us who grew or undermine the UN climate
up shopping at grocery stores negotiations. Not surprisingly,
have never experienced the need Canada’s global reputation
to hunt in order to feed ourselves with respect to climate change
and are somewhat removed from is considerably poor. Dr. Barry
the food we eat. Pearce shares a Smit, Geography Professor and
quote from a community elder, Canada Research Chair in Global
Jimmy Memorana, who has since Environmental Change, provided
passed away. His words show how a brief summary of Canadian
hunting is an important aspect of policies on climate change,
Inuit culture and the community’s which he finds to be consistently
well being. disappointing.
“When people want to travel “The previous government,
and weather patterns change like the Liberal government…made
this, it affects their emotions, their commitments on behalf of Canada
mentality. They live on country and then was either unwilling or
food. It is good for their soul and to unable to implement anything in
spend time with family members.” Canada so our emissions, instead
of going down five per cent have
gone up nearly 30 per cent,” said
Smit. “The current government
said, ‘Look we can’t meet that, in
fact we don’t have the stomach to
even try so we’re going to declare
we’re not going to do it. So we’re
basically going to tell the world
that we’re going to be delinquent,’
which in some ways is more
honest than the previous lot, but
this one seems to have no interest
in addressing it in any way other
than to do whatever the US will
do, and that’s an easy one because
with the Republican majority
now it’s unlikely that the US will
take any action at all. So that’s
like associating ourselves with the
lowest possible denominator.”
Canada’s inaction on a global
stage is particularly troubling,
as the issue of climate change is
inherently a global problem.
“If one country stops emitting
gasses, and all the other countries
continue, there’s no effect. We call
it the ‘global common’... Unless
countries agree, everyone then
suffers. It’s strange to me that we
are able to agree on some things.
For example, there’s a World
Trade Organization. Countries
give up some of their sovereignty
in order to abide by a set of rules
that everyone agrees to. It would
seem that that principle should be
applied to the international interest
in climate and the environmental
and economic consequences of
climate change. This government
has effectively said, ‘We’re not
going to do anything because
it’s our belief that it harms the
economy.’ What they probably
mean is that it harms a particular
sector of the economy which
happens to be their political base,”
said Smit.
For someone who engages with
the topic of climate change day
in and day out, Smit sees beyond
the political rhetoric that aims to
convince the public that acting on
climate change is simply not worth
the economic consequences.
“Here in Canada, I’m sorry to
say, we’re way behind the times.
We’re clinging onto our fossil fuel
industry and we are not benefiting
from the new economy that comes
with it. So the argument that ‘Oh
addressing climate change, an
environmental issue is damaging to
the economy,’ is nonsense. They’re
not separate things. If you don’t
address climate change, you will
damage the economy. It’s already
happening, and if you do address because the approach gets people ineffective way the government and globally relevant. With the
climate change, you can actually to watch, but then the message is is handling this global crisis, was negotiations currently taking place
grow your economy on alternative there.” the ultimate goal of the strip mob. in Mexico and the issue of climate
energy sources and that’s amply Fifth-year International While Coburn admits that there change being on the forefront of
demonstrated elsewhere. It’s Development student, Hilary is a general apathy towards the the media’s agenda, Coburn has
whether or not you have the Coburn, was one of the 16 students subject, she also believes that there pleaded with the public.
courage to take some initiative or who participated in the strip are people who care. “Please be the integral part of
are you going to be a lagger?” mob and feels her inspiration for “I do believe that many students this movement; every single letter
partaking in the event came from care about the implications of our and voice of concern makes a
A local uprising her passion about climate change greenhouse gas consumption on difference.”
and her disgust over Bill C-311 our planet’s environment and our Whether in this very moment
Some U of G students have being defeated. future generations,” said Coburn. you feel compelled to act on climate
chosen not to be left behind in “I am embarrassed, outraged “It’s our duty to step up and put change or not, now is a good point
the climate change negotiations. and saddened by the fact that Bill pressure on our government to in time to decide for yourself what
As a response to a recent blow in C-311 wasn’t even debated in the take serious action.” exactly it is that you believe. Review
Canadian climate change policy, Senate before it was shot down,” the science. Understand the policy
16 U of G students and one faculty said Coburn. “Our government As you may have noticed, decisions. Ask around. Journey
member participated in a ‘strip claims to be democratic, however, this article was not written for outside and consult with Mother
mob’ event, where the participants if they can’t listen to the majority naysayers. Nor will it appease Nature herself. Just don’t forget
overhauled the cafeteria and of citizens that acknowledged and those who remain largely to recognize the vast and diverse
stripped down to their underwear, agreed with this important bill, skeptical of the climate change lands that comprise our country,
capturing the attention of those then we aren’t truly living in a phenomenon. Rather, it was meant and be sure to talk to communities
around them. After the strip, democratic society.” to gather some perspectives from both near and afar. You might just
the participants picked up signs Raising awareness of climate within the boundaries of Canada find yourself learning something
depicting messages about climate change, and the apparent on an issue that is both locally new.
change and went around the
school with them. The strip mob
event has gained wide publicity in
Canadian media due to its ferocity Students at U of G
in raising awareness about climate participate in a strip
change and the defeat of Bill mob to express their
C-311. frustrations over the
Bill C-311, a legislate revolving dismantling of Bill
around policy changes to decrease C-311 by the Senate.
Canada’s contribution towards
human-induced climate change,
was defeated by the Senate just
before the United Nations Climate
Change Conference, causing
outrage by opposing parties. Prime
Minister Stephen Harper supported
the move by the Senate, stating he
felt the bill was irresponsible and
would have negatively affected the
economy. As a result, Canada has
arrived to the conference in Cancun
empty handed. While the defeat of
this bill was relatively quiet in the Hayley Mullen
media due to the rapidity of its
elimination, the consequences of Hayley Mullen
this loss did not fall on deaf ears.
Brenda Whiteside, Associate
Vice-President of Student Affairs
at the U of G, was the faculty
member who participated in the
strip mob and spoke about why the
event was so effective. “I think all
manner of protest can be effective,
and it is a combination of
approaches that work,”
said Whiteside. “I
think this is effective
14
Sports & Health
Gryphons surge heading into Christmas break
Continuity key for men’s volleyball
new look
JUSTIN DUNK
W
inning always makes life better, it can put pep
in your step, make food more flavourful and
brighten up a dreary winter day. The U of G
men’s volleyball team grabbed two key wins heading into the
semester break.
“Both York and Ryerson had the potential to be threats
if you take them lightly,” said third-year Gryphon right side
hitter, Winston Rosser.
The Gryphons beat York three sets to one on Friday, Nov.
26 and defeated the Ryerson Rams on Saturday, Nov. 27 by a
three set to one margin.
“Anytime that you can build momentum going into the
new year and keep everyone else off your back it’s absolutely
huge,” said Gryphons head coach, Cal Wigston.
Grabbing two-road wins over the weekend allowed the
Gryphons to be seated solidly in fourth place in the OUA
standings heading into the second part of the season. Guelph
has put up an impressive 7-3 record in the first part of the
season, playing particularly well on home court with a 4-1
record at the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre.
“We get lots of great fan support,” said Wigston. “It’s a
unique gym, but it’s one that is very cool to play in.”
Guelph’s only home loss came against Queen’s in a tough
five set match that the Gryphons believe they should of come
out on top.
“We should have won,” said Wigston. “We did have
[Queen’s] where we wanted them and we just couldn’t finish.”
The only teams above Guelph in the OUA are the same
schools the Gryphons have lost to this season. Queen’s sits in
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 163.12
third, McMaster is second and ranked tenth in the CIS, while
Western is undefeated atop the conference standings and is
ranked fifth in the country. Guelph lost to the Marauders and
Mustangs on the road, but none-the-less the Gryphons will
have to compete better against the top schools if the team has
hopes of returning to the OUA finals.
“By the time we get [McMaster] back into our gym and
Western back into our gym I think they’ll see a different
team,” said Wigston.
Losing guys like Gabriel deGroot, Jonathan Whitton and
Andrew Bartrum to graduation has caused some growing
pains this year. The Gryphons have four new players in
starting roles and the continuity of the new look Guelph side
has yet to see it’s best days.
“Four new guys out on the floor is a big deal,” said Wigston.
“We’ll have that time [over the break] to have gelled together
and really piece together.”
Rosser has stepped up to provide the Gryphons with a
big offensive burst. The powerful gryphon hitter ranks third
in the country in points with 165 through 10 regular season
games.
“For me to be able to get the kind of points I do, I need help
from my boys on the court,” said Rosser. “Riley [McAlister],
who’s our setter, has been doing a fantastic job setting, he is
running our offence really effectively. He is getting guys the
ball when and where they need it.”
Big Gryphons hitter, Winston Rosser, prepares to
unload a kill at a Guelph home match earlier this season.
Rashaad Bhamjee
 .com
Sports & Health
Guelph gets a taste of Kane
New Gryphon talks
about coming to
Guelph after playing
division one basketball
in the United States
JAMES NAPIER
W
hat would it take for
you to give up free
rent and tuition for
an entire year? For most students
it would be a dream come true
but for Chelsea Kane, neither was
worth the opportunity to come
play basketball here at Guelph.
Guelph approached the 5’9
point guard straight out of high
school, but Kane decided to accept
a full scholarship to go play for the
University of Toledo in Ohio. She
then transferred to the University
of Vermont and red shirted for a
year before deciding to come back
to play in Canada.
Kane said she’s lucky to have
ended up in Guelph.
“Out of all the teams I’ve played
on this is the closest one. There’s
no big egos and everybody’s in it to
win. We still haven’t even scratched
the surface to where we’re gonna
be.”
The main reason Chelsea decided
to give up a full scholarship and
don the red, black and gold was so
Throwing it down with Dunk: How student dollars are being spent
JUSTIN DUNK
A
s some students may
or may not know, a
student referendum
was passed in March of 2009
that allowed the University of
Guelph to spend 70 million
student funded dollars over the
next 30 years to fund projects
to upgrade the athletic facilities
on campus. The installation of
four synthetic playing fields were
a big part of the new building
plans, one field has already
been constructed. Varsity Field,
Guelph’s first synthetic playing
surface was opened in Aug. 2010
and is located right beside East
residence. And the story begins.
A six-person committee
was ultimately responsible for
deciding which company would
be selected to install the synthetic
turf, after a tendering process, for
Varsity Field. The tender process
prohibits the committee from
releasing the quotes and prices
to install the surface from the
various companies who applied
that she’d have the chance to make
a difference on her team.
“I just wanted to go somewhere
that I was going to have a bigger
impact, and hopefully help a team
get better.”
At Vermont, Kane was behind a
US national team player who could
very well end up in the WNBA.
What she saw in Guelph was the
opportunity to get more time out
on the floor to really help a team
out where they needed it.
And few teams needed her
more than Guelph who struggled
last season to bring in any wins
at all. This season the team has
completely turned around going
5-3 after this weekends’ double
header and winning every home
game so far.
Despite what you might
think, Kane said there’s hardly
any transition at all going from
American to Canadian basketball.
“Honestly, Canadian basketball
has gotten to a point where
it’s really similar to division
one basketball. I’d say the only
difference is just size, down there
it’s a lot bigger and more physical.”
As the team goes on a break for
the month of December, Kane said
they’re going to be focusing on
improving their defence, forcing
those key stops and turnovers and
for the tender. However, student
money is funding a piece of the
project, so shouldn’t students
have some right to know?
Well here is a brief overview of
a few facts that might wet your
appetite.
Polytan, a German-based
company, which manufactures
their brand of synthetic surface
won the bid and is distributed in
Canada by Centaur Products. The
field installed at the University of
Guelph cost somewhere between
850,00 and one million dollars.
The committee and athletic
department believed they were
putting in the best possible
surface available. For that kind
of money I sure hope the surface
was well worth it.
One of the other bids for the
tender to install the surface at
Varsity Field was a Canadian
company called FieldTurf. The
FieldTurf price to install Varsity
Field was between 600,00 and
650,00, at least 200,00 dollars
less than Centaur’s bid.
The U of G is also requesting
that Polytan installs two more
synthetic fields, on campus,
without going through the proper
tendering process. Which could
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 15
letting the offense flow from those
opportunities.
As for herself, Kane wants to
move her shot up to the next level
from mid to three point range,
while also learning to pull up and
take those shots when she has the
chance.
“It’s hard when you’re the point
guard to distinguish between
should I set up the offense or
should I just go so I do need to
start looking for myself more
instead of having just a pass first
mentality.”
What Kane and head coach,
Tom O’Brien agree on is that both
her and the team haven’t gotten to
where they can be yet.
“She’s still getting the rust off
since she hasn’t played for a while
now,” said O’Brien. “So I don’t
think she’s hit her potential.”
O’Brien, who just started his
first season here at Guelph, said
that they were hoping to get
Chelsea last year so it’s a relief to
finally have her on the team.
“We’re lucky to have her, plus
she’s still got three more years to
go.”
First-year Gryphon Chelsea Kane
has provided leadership on the
floor from the point guard spot.
Rashaad Bhamjee
mean an extra 4-500,000 being surface at the Rogers Centre in Varsity Field to boot.
spent on the Polytan product, of Toronto where the Blue Jays and I am all for new and improved
course part of that money will be Argonauts play, but somehow athletic facilities, but are we
coming from the students. it was not good enough for the really getting the proper bang
FieldTurf has over 60 per cent University of Guelph and we for our student buck? You be the
of the world market share when spent at least 200,00 more on our judge.
it comes to installing synthetic
surfaces. Field Turf has installed
over 4000 surfaces worldwide.
Polytan has installed around
300.
FieldTurf has installed
their brand of turf in 24 NFL
stadiums, three MLS fields,
including BMO field in Toronto
where the Toronto FC play, and
will be installing five CFL fields
in the coming year. The FieldTurf
company has also installed over
75 NCAA division one fields for
many different sports including
soccer, baseball, football, rugby,
field hockey, lacrosse and
intramural sports.
FieldTurf has installed their
turf in Canadian Universities
at: Alberta, Victoria, British
Columbia, Simon Fraser, Acadia,
Dalhousie, Queen’s, Ottawa,
Bishop’s and McGill.
FieldTurf was good enough
for all of the schools and teams
listed, it was also good enough
for the company to install their
16 Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 163.12

Sports & Health

Gryphons head into break with tail between their legs
Men’s basketball team hold a team to 55 points and there is strip through eight games this
drops third straight no way you should ever lose.” season, ranking the Gryphons 40
Guelph’s inability to play out of 42 teams in the CIS and
JUSTIN DUNK consistently for a full 40 minutes third worst in the country.

M
atchups against teams
with losing records
should have any team
licking their chops. The Gryphons,
however, sure had a sour taste left
in their mouths after dropping
two home games and a third loss
in a row overall heading into the
Christmas break.
The Gryphons dropped a 55-44
decision on Friday, Nov. 26 to the
Laurentian Voyageurs and lost on
Saturday, Nov. 27, 93-75 to the
York University Lions.
“Friday night started off well
defensively, but offensively we
were awful and it just snowballed,”
said head coach, Chris O’Rourke.
“Saturday night we were just bad
defensively and a little better
offensively, but had a bad third
quarter.”
Both home losses can be blamed
on one poor quarter in the second
half of each game. The Gryphons
held Laurentian to 25 points in the
first three quarters and took a six
point lead into the fourth.
“Eventually one of the two teams
were going to go on a run in that
game,” said O’Rourke. “We had
some big break downs and then the
momentum got swung to them. You
ultimately did the Gryphons in.
Intensity and aggressiveness have
gone missing at key times during
the current three game skid.
“Defense comes down to, you
have certain principles you put in
and then a lot of it’s desire and a
lot of it’s pride,” said O’Rourke.
“Taking things personal and we
haven’t done that consistently at all.”
The Gryphons gave up 59 points
combined in the third quarter
against York and the fourth quarter
against Laurentian, which led to
Guelph’s undoing in each contest.
The two home losses dropped the
Gryphons into a tie for last place
in the very competitive OUA West
division.
“We need some leadership to
step up number one, we need some
guys to get pissed off number two
and three, you gotta bring the
confidence,” said O’Rourke. “Now
we’re in a precarious position where
we’re with Mac [McMaster] and
Waterloo there and now we gotta
climb our way out of it.”
You can bet the Gryphons will
spend a lot of time standing at the
free throw line over the Christmas
break. Guelph has averaged less
than 61 per cent from the charity
“That’s just mental focus,
repetition, practice of shooting free
throws,” said fourth-year guard,
Jonathan Moscatelli. “It’s no secret
about it, it’s just all in your head. Be
confident when you step up to the
line that we’re going to make them.”
Moscatelli was Guelph’s leading
scorer heading into the weekend,
averaging over 17 points per game.
Going three for 17 from the field
over the two home games certainly
dragged down his per game
average and foul trouble had him
on the bench for long periods of
time, unable to contribute to the
Gryphon attack.
“It made it hard to get into a
rhythm. It became really hard and
frustrating,” said Moscatelli. “I
think that took me off my game.
It was one of those nights for our
team, nothing went right.”
Gryphons guard, Jonathan
Moscatelli puts up a shot in
traffic.
Rashaad Bhamjee

Dealing with exam stress

Sticking to your regular
schedule
JUSTIN DUNK
E
xam stress is something
every student has to deal
with. How one handles the
tension of exam time is crucial to
success. Studying is obviously key
to a good mark on your final, but
preparing a schedule to ensure
proper sleep, eating and down
time can improve your exam mark.
“Creating a schedule and
sticking to it, so giving yourself
a chance to relax everyday,” said
University of Guelph Health and
Performance Centre Naturopath,
Jennifer Hillier. “It’s really
important to have down time in
every single day.”
Your body and mind need a
treat for sitting down at a desk
for hours on end studying. The
body needs a chance to relax from
the stresses of cramming all that
information into your brain.
“Whether that down time for
you is exercise or it’s reading a
good book or watching a movie,
there’s got to be at least a small
piece of every day that rewards
your body for having to sit down
and do all that work,’ said Hillier.
“Otherwise you get sick or you get
frustrated or you just can’t handle
it and your brain just shuts down.”
Another major part of normal
life that students tend to leave
out during the busy exam time is
proper eating habits. Food fuels
your body and mind. It takes
proper calories to fuel your brain
for proper information retention.
Megan Verhey
“It takes a lot more energy to
make your brain function in pure
memorization mode or creativity
mode,” said Hillier. “You want
to make sure that you’re working
on providing good sources of
nutrition.”
Cookies, donuts, Joe Louis’s,
candy or any other quick sources
“It’s so easy to just lose
track of time and eat
a chocolate bar and a
bag of chips.” Jennifer
Hillier
of sugar do not count as good
sources of energy. Your brain
needs healthy food to achieve a
high mark, kind of like putting
premium fuel into a sports car
yields the fastest speed.
“Go to the grocery store and
get a whole bunch of fruits and
vegetables and things that you
can throw in the slow cooker and
doesn’t take any work for you, but
then you have good meals that
help to sustain you throughout
the exam process,” said Hillier.
“It’s so easy to just lose track of
time and eat a chocolate bar and a
bag of chips.”
Attention! The famous ‘all
nighter’ is not a good idea during
exam time, contrary to what
many students want to believe.
Cramming and deviating from
your normal sleeping pattern is
detrimental to your ability to
retain information.
“It’s really critical to go to
bed in your regular time. The
more your body sticks to the
same schedule, the more regular
your brain chemicals, your
neurotransmitters, are going to
be and the better able you are to
think,” said Hillier.
Even if you eat well and get
consistent sleep during the exam
period the stress of the upcoming
final can get to each and every
student.
“When I used to study a lot I
would create that ritual before
bed time so my brain would calm
down,” said Hillier. “Do something
that you enjoy that’s something to
look forward to all day.”
Small breaks in studying
throughout the day can also be
a good way to ease the stress on
the mind.
“No longer than an hour should
you sit in one place without
getting up and doing something, it
could be as short as two minutes,”
said Hillier. “It’s important to get
up and have that break so that
your brain doesn’t completely
gelatinize in your head.”
 .com
Sports & Culture
Living the pure life: Food of the day!
Maca (pronounced
mak-a)
LEIGH MCSWAN
M
aca, a root that grows
high in the mountains of
Peru, is recommended
for fertility problems, sterility, to
improve libido, and menopause.
Maca’s amazing libido booster
is a result of natural hormone
balancing. It also impacts energy,
stamina, depression, memory and
counters stress. Athletes around
the world are acknowledging maca
as an energy source. Research
shows that maca’s adaptogenic
powers help to restore the adrenal
glands, boosting energy and
endurance.
Maca is considered to be a true
adaptogen
An adaptogen is a substance
Life
Foodstuffs makes cereal milk ice cream
NICOLE ELSASSER
I am notoriously enthusiastic
about cereal and I am not alone in
this devotion. For many people, the
brightly coloured boxes featuring
various cartoon mascots and their
which raises the non-specific
resistance in an organism.
Adaptogens enable the body to
enhance its power of resistance
and adapt to external conditions.
They work with the body’s
natural rhythms to help rebuild
weak immune systems, re-
mineralize poorly nourished
bodies, and increase energy and
endurance.
As an adaptogen, maca works
broadly to contribute to overall
well being. It nourishes and
calms the nerves with calcium,
phosphorus, vitamins B1 and B12
and fatty acids, all of which work
beneficially on the nervous system.  as fungicides and local antiseptics,
It stimulates the appetite and
aids in digestion with calcium,
vitamins B1 and B2, B12 and fatty
acids. Its phosphorus is a primary
building block in the cell fuels
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
and glucose-6-phosphate (G6P).  aid as a sedative, expectorant,
At the same time it supports the
adrenal glands so they don’t have
to rely on damaging corticol to fuel
the body. Its sterols, calcium and
contents are the sole reason to
get out of bed in the morning.
For others cereal is not simply a
mainstay of breakfast time but
is happily consumed for lunch,
dinner or snack without much
second thought. And by and large,
those who know and appreciate
their cereals understand the value
of the cereal milk that’s left behind
in the bowl after the cereal is gone.
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010
vitamin C help build muscle mass
and its starches aid in physical
endurance. Its alkaloids help the
body assimilate all these nutrients
just where they are required.
In addition, recent studies of
maca also show:
Its fibre as well as glucosinolate
content show promise in helping
combat some cancers.
Bio-available calcium,
conjunction with its alkaloids,
make it an effective bond builder,
thus reducing osteomalacia and
rickets.
Some of its fatty acids function
which may aid in overall immunity
enhancement.
Tannins bind and precipitate
proteins, which improves the
nutritional value of maca.
Saponins and terpenoids may
pain reliever, anti-tumoral and
analgesic.
Effects general and not localized
to a specific organ.
Megan Verhey
With certain cereals, the leftover
milk can be the best part and with
this in mind, I searched for a way
to showcase the deliciousness of
cereal milk in a whole new way.
And then I discovered cereal milk
ice cream. The recipe provided is
inspired by New York’s Momofuku
Milk Bar and uses Cornflake cereal
milk.
17
Normalizing action irrespective in capsule form. Mix 1 teaspoon
of the pathological state.  of maca powder into a smoothie,
Maca root is sold as a powder or yogurt, or juice.
in
Courtesy
Recipe for cereal milk ice cream
For caramelized cornflakes
10 oz cornflakes
2 oz nonfat dry milk powder
4 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¾ cup of melted, unsalted butter
For the ice cream
1 cup heavy cream For the cereal milk
1 cup cereal milk
½ cup sugar 4 cups whole milk
¼ tsp salt (to be added to the cornflakes)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F and put the cornflakes in a large
mixing bowl. Crush them with your hands a few times. Combine
milk powder, sugar and salt in another bowl and stir. Add the
melted butter to the cornflakes, then add the sugar mixture and
toss to combine. Spread on two lined baking sheets and bake for 35
minutes. Remove and let cool. Once cool, combine the cornflakes
and the milk in a large mixing bowl and let steep for one hour.
Strain the milk well. Combine the milk with the sugar, salt and
vanilla extract in a small pot and bring to boil over medium heat.
In another pot, whisk together egg yolks and slowly pour the warm
milk mixture into the yolks while mixing constantly, Place back
over medium heat and stir until the mixture is thick enough to
coat a wooden spoon. Pour the custard this has produced through a
strainer into the heavy cream and stir to combine. Chill the mixture
in the fridge and proceed with the ice cream machine according to
manufacturers instructions.
18 Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 163.12

Life
Technology review: digital music, MP3 vs. flac files
CHRIS HAMELIN music file with greater range than enhance your overall listening

T
he switch from listening
to Compact Discs in our
Discmans to uploading
digital files onto portable music
players with internal hard drives
was a exciting transition. I no
longer had to transport my entire
CD library with me everywhere
I went. The convenience of being
able to transport my music library
within one small device was a
greater gain than what was lost in
sound quality.
The nature of the compressed
mp3 format restricts the range of
frequencies that are clearer in other
digital formats. In comparison
to purchasing a CD, individuals
buying mp3 files from online
providers like iTunes are essentially
paying for an inferior product. The
song in this format, even played
through the highest quality stereo,
will never sound as good as an
uncompressed digital format of the
same song.
The mp3 format became popular
in part because people preferred
its convenience to the Discman.
The reason it really caught on
however was the limitations of the
technology at the time necessitated
it. CDs, which are written in wav
format, are a higher quality digital
mp3s. So why did the wav file go
the way of the buffalo?
The answer is simple, it didn’t.
There were two very large obstacles
at the time that prevented us from
listening to higher quality digital
files on our portable music devices,
less carrying a knapsack full of CDs.
The first way technology limited
us to using mp3 format was the lack
of physical hard drive space to store
the larger, higher-quality files. The
storage capacity of both our home
computers and portable media
players just couldn’t realistically
handle any larger files than mp3s.
Secondly, the limited connectivity
and download speed of 56k dial-up
modems made downloading single
tracks in any other format difficult
and full albums unfathomable.
Since the technology has greatly
improved and we have the ability
to download larger files quickly
and store them efficiently, I have to
ask, why on Earth is everyone still
listening to mp3s?!?
Once a wav file has been
compressed into mp3 format the
process cannot be reversed. That
is to say, one cannot extract a true
wav file from an mp3. Flac files
however make this feat possible.
Longtime Guelph music guru Sam
Baijal explains, “When listening
to an mp3, the sound is horizontal
(left and right) and there is no
dynamic range – when you hear
the wav the sound is all around
you with high and low frequency
coming through… mp3s are like
shoving things through a drainpipe
instead of letting it flow freely with
Megan Verhey
no restrictions.”
Downloading flac files instead of
mp3s is as simple as using adding
the word “flac” to your torrent
search. Although using flac files
will reduce the number of overall
songs you can fit on your portable
music device, it will provide a
far greater quality of sound and
experience. Flac is all free and was
created by “deadhead” tapers who
are true audiophiles.
Known for their innovation,
Apple has realized the folly that is
compressed mp3 files and created
an App to make higher quality
digital recordings available for
your iPod. Apple Lossless makes
uploading flac-comparable files
onto your iPod possible. The
biggest criticism that I can make
of Lossless is that like all Apple
products, it is overly proprietary.
This can be avoided by using a
non-Apple digital music player
with a more open source operating
system (yes, they do exist) such as
the Samsung Galaxy.
Mp3s are ok to listen to on low-
end stereo systems and ear buds,
but for those individuals seeking
audio excellence, playing an mp3
quality file on your new pair of
The Beats by Dre is akin to using
a laser-guided missile to squash
an ant. Not only is it is overkill;
you essentially end up with the
same result. Listening to mp3
files on a set of quality speakers or
headphones is basically a way of
enabling yourself to experience the
shortcomings of mp3 technology
more clearly.

Holiday Cocktail
RACHEL SCAPILLATI banana-strawberry-orange juice, eggnog and a shot of Ingredients: 

T
he Holiday Cocktail is
a fruity take on a festive
beverage. A blend of
vodka, this drink retains the smoothness of the eggnog
while giving a semblance to summery smoothies R5 Half cup of banana-strawberry-orange juice
with the juice. The vodka is virtually invisible to your R5 Half cup of eggnog
taste buds and gives the beverage R5 One shot of Polar Ice Vodka
a spike of warmth. The
Holiday Cocktail provides
a new spin on the idea
of mixed eggnog drinks,
merging both winter and
summer infusions as one.

The Holiday Cocktail is

a blend of summery and
wintery beverages in one.

Rachel
Scapillati
 .com
Life
How to avoid becoming a cliché
RACHEL SCAPILLATI
“F
ail!” “That’s way too
awesome.” “I liked Ok
Go before it was cool
to like them.” “I just hate drama.”
“Meh.” “Brb.”
All of these modern sayings
are classic examples of new age
colloquial clichés. Maybe some
of us even genuinely liked Ok Go
before it was trendy to like them,
but let’s not steer away from the
truth. By saying these phrases and
participating in these trends, we
are becoming generational clichés.
And it does not stop in the
way we talk. It extends to the way
we dress and even in the way we
Facebook or Tweet.
Trends are hard to avoid and
sometimes we might genuinely
like a particular movement, but
that does not excuse unoriginality
and banality. If you want to avoid
some of the more modern clichés,
look no further. Here are some
examples of annoying, trendy and
boring social clichés that ought to
be avoided.
The use of the phrase “epic fail”
is a little presumptuous. What
determines the grandeur of one’s
failures? Who gets to decide
Between the sheets: Getting sticky
HAILEY INGRAM
H
ello readers! Wondering
what’s on the menu?
Today’s hot (and
delicious) topic is sex and food!
An aphrodisiac is a food, drink,
or drug that arouses sexual desire
and excitement. Aphrodisiacs have
been around for hundreds of years,
providing many people with sexual
arousal from almost every food group.
Meat & Alternatives
A well-known aphrodisiac is
oysters, which contain dopamine, a
hormone known to boost the sex-
drive in men and women. Almonds
and walnuts contain arginine, an
essential fatty acid that assists in
a man’s erection process, acting
as ‘nature’s Viagra.’ Eggs contain
B5 and B6 vitamins that balance
hormone levels and reduce stress,
two components critical to a
healthy libido.
Fruits & Vegetables
Aside from their erotic shape,
bananas contain bromelain
enzymes, which increases libido.
Figs are believed to not only
increase libido, but also improve
sexual stamina. Like eggs, avocados
how epically out of proportion a
mistake can be? I urge those of you
who use this phrase to find a more
creative approach to expressing
yourself.
As soon as you hear a person say,
“I hate drama”, you know what that
means. That person’s affirmation
against drama is really a warning
that they will do everything in
their power to create drama. It is
a social paradox that needs to be
vanquished.
If you tell people that you liked a
band before it was socially “cool” to
like them, you are defeating your
own argument. Reassuring others
of your authenticity often leads to
people questioning it.
In the world of fashion, there
is a rather odd trend appearing
more and more, mostly in post-
secondary institutions. The use of
eye glasses without prescription
or, to be blunt, fake spectacles,
is a rising trend. Perhaps it is
interesting to note the social status
of wearing glasses has transcended
from nerdy to trendy.
The use of fake spectacles can
be considered practical in that
the person wearing them may
hope to appear more intellectual.
contain B6 vitamins, as well as
potassium, which helps to regulate
a woman’s thyroid gland. Celery
contains androsterone, which after
consumption, is released through
a man’s perspiration. Interestingly,
this odourless chemical has been
found to sexually stimulate and
arouse others.
Dairy-based Products
Chocolate contains
theobromine, which is similar
to caffeine and raises one’s heart
rate and physiological arousal.
Another pertinent ingredient is
phenylethylamine, a chemical
believed to produce loving feelings
in an individual.
Grain Products
There aren’t many, if any, grain
products that are considered
aphrodisiacs, but any grain product
that contains the previously
mentioned aphrodisiacs, would
work just fine. (Psst: The above
aphrodisiacs are only some of the
many out there. Don’t be afraid
to explore all possibilities). And
hey, what isn’t sexy about a French
baguette?
Not only do some foods increase
the production of certain hormones,
food can also be incorporated into
sex. If you’re not afraid to get
playful and sticky, read on.
Many people incorporate food
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 19
That might pass as an excuse, but
flipping the collar of your shirt up
is not. It is not the 1980s. There is
a reason certain trends die.
Here we come to the crux of
the problem with social clichés.
Updating your Facebook or
Twitter with “taking a shower,
text me” is both completely
unnecessary and insanitary. While
this might be an extreme example
of people feeling the need to
give minute-by-minute status
updates, it is nonetheless true.
We do not need or want to hear
everything you did that day. One
status update per day is sufficient
coverage.
While we are on the topic of
Facebook ladies, posting photos
taken by you, featuring you
puckering is not an acceptable
form of self-expression. The reason
is simply that this type of photo- Megan Verhey
post is overdone and unoriginal.
You are beautiful without making it feels good to look or act a statement through the way you
the kissy-lips and the only time it’s like everyone else. Everyone, talk, dress or communicate online,
cool to take a picture of yourself including myself, is guilty of I recommend the philosophy of
and post it online is if you are participating in the social crazes showing, not telling. This can
making a silly face. listed above. The fact is clichés go a long way and people will
The point is to be your own might never go away, but that respect you for it. Be yourself
person and do not follow weird does not mean you should and you will find this much more
and pointless trends because become one. If you want to make rewarding.
into their sex lives at some point.
(Psst: Just because someone wants
to bring food into the bedroom,
doesn’t mean they have a food
fetish). The first thing that comes
to mind when considering inviting
food into your bed is whip cream.
Whip cream is a sweet and playful
food that can be used to map out
a route for your partner’s tongue.
Caramel, chocolate, butterscotch,
and strawberry (etc) syrups and
sauces can be used in a similar
fashion. These sticky substances,
along with honey, can be used as an
implicit way of letting your partner
know what areas of your body need
some attention.
Using cold and warm foods or
drinks can add another dimension
to your already spicy sex life.
Consuming a cold or warm drink
immediately before performing oral
sex on your partner can provide a Megan Verhey
new and exciting sensation for your
partner and you. Ice cubes can also adventurous why not create a Bon appetit!
be used in the bedroom to add a sundae right there on your partner’s
more extreme sensation. Keep in stomach? (Psst: the scent of vanilla Hailey Ingram is a member of
mind that a drastic temperature is believed to increase the feeling of NAKED, a Wellness Centre group
change can be shocking if someone lust). centred around promoting a sex-
doesn’t know it’s coming. Also, Everyone has different tastes and positive environment in which
not everybody finds the sensation preferences when it comes to food sexuality can be experienced and
enjoyable. If a cold temperature and sex. The most important thing explored.
doesn’t appeal to your special area to remember when incorporating
or your special someone, ice can also food into your sex life is to be
be passed from one another during creative! Use any type of food
kissing. Ice cream can be used in the you like and bottom line, enjoy
bedroom as well. If you’re feeling yourselves!
20
Opinion
Open Content: Changing to remain the same
MICHAEL RIDLEY
T
he university is an
odd thing. Defined by
centuries of tradition, it
lives constantly on the cutting
edge of new ideas. Reviled as the
elitist ivory tower, the university
is also an instrument of mass
education. A bastion of free
speech and the home of political
correctness. Radical conservative.
Risk adverse daredevil. The
university is an elegant bundle of
contradictions.
Recently I heard the Provost
of a highly regarded Canadian
university (not Guelph
BTW ) say that universities
were successful because they
effectively resisted change. Wow.
Can you say “massive denial?”
Universities have survived and
stayed relevant precisely because
they have changed, and changed
dramatically. And yet, throughout
this they have also remained the
same.
Changing to remain the same.
This is the great challenge.
And, of course, none of us can
What did the Pope really say?
STEPHEN VAN ERVE
I
n light of the recent
discussion surrounding the
comment made by Pope
Benedict on the subject of
condom use and HIV/AIDS, I
think it is important to clarify
this matter, especially after
reading a misinterpretation given
by Greg Beneteau in last week’s
paper. The controversy arises
from a new book called Light of
the World: The Pope, the Church
and the Signs of the Times, where
agree on what that “sameness”
really is. Clark Kerr, former
President of the University of
California, wryly observed that
the university is “a series of
individual faculty entrepreneurs
held together by a common
grievance over parking.”
Three recent books provide an
interesting overview of some of
the challenges facing universities
these days. They suggest, in a
variety of ways, that only by
changing can the university
survive.
The Marketplace of Ideas:
Reform and Resistance in the
American University by Louis
Menand examines four areas,
core to the university, that need
significant change. In doing so
he cautions that “trying to reform
the contemporary university is
like trying to get on the Internet
with a typewriter.” Yikes.
He goes on to describe the
struggle to preserve a liberal
arts education, the lure of
interdisciplinarity, and the
uneasy role of humanities in
the Pope was interviewed by the
German journalist Peter Seewald.
Misunderstanding arises from
the Pope’s answer when charged
with the comment: “It is madness
to forbid a high-risk population
to use condoms,”
Pope Benedict’s response in its
entirety was:
“There may be a basis in the
case of some individuals, as
perhaps when a male prostitute
uses a condom, where this can be
a first step in the direction of a
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010
modern times. Perhaps the
most controversial chapter is
entitled “Why Do Professors
All Think Alike?” Menand calls
for a substantive reform of the
doctoral process – a process that
creates graduates in the image
of the past, and thereby limits
growth and diversity.
If The Marketplace of Ideas
is about questioning some of
the underlying philosophies
of higher education, Academic
Transformation: The Forces
Reshaping Higher Education
in Ontario by Ian Clark, Greg
Moran, Michael Skolnik and
David Trick is about questioning
the nature of the whole system
(at least in Ontario).
The book pokes at a number
of sacred cows. Foremost among
these is the desire of all Ontario
universities to be research
institutions (as opposed to
“merely” teaching institutions).
The research institution values,
and tries to integrate, both
teaching and research. This
homogeneity of institutional
moralization, a first assumption
of responsibility, on the way
toward recovering an awareness
that not everything is allowed
and that one cannot do whatever
one wants. But it is not really the
way to deal with the evil of HIV
infection. That can really lie only
in a humanization of sexuality.”
Here Pope Benedict is
explaining that when a sacrifice pleasure so that lives can
person begins to think of the
consequences of their actions
they will begin to think of how
their actions affect others and
will act accordingly. By assuming
responsibility, the person is
beginning a moralization by
acknowledging that “one cannot
do whatever one wants” and as a
result, action cannot be justified
based on pleasure, but rather in
the responsibilities that come
with the pleasures being sought.
The Pontiff is explaining
that care for others is a part of
the natural law set out by God,
which, if properly followed, will
lead the person to a greater care
and eventually a great love for
others. If we love one another
we will be willing to sacrifice
ourselves for the benefit of the
other, and will place our desires
below the welfare of others rather
than hurting others by exercising
our will towards pleasure and
ignoring all consequences. Pope
Benedict is focusing on the
intention rather than the act
itself. If the intention of the
The opinions expressed herein do not
refelect the opinions of The Ontarion
models, very unlike virtually any
other similar jurisdiction in the
world, sets up other factors that,
in the analysis of the authors,
creates an insurmountable
burden on the system in Ontario.
The core observation: the
economics and effectiveness of
continuing with a homogenous
research university model is
unsustainable given the current
and future challenges.
If the two previous books were
asking for reforms in the current
system of high education, DIY U:
Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the
Coming Transformation of Higher
Education by Anya Kamenetz
asks “who needs the system
anyway”? The DIY U or the Do-
It-Yourself University “means the
expansion of education beyond
classroom walls: free, open-
source, vocational, experiential,
and self-directed learning.”
The “open education” moment
argues that the expensive, rule-
based, technology adverse,
traditional universities no longer
serve the student or society. So
HIV positive condom user is to
preserve a life, then the user is
beginning a conversion process.
In due time, they will hopefully
realize that if they love others,
love demands that they abstain
from sexual acts that use another
person to gain pleasure and/or
money. Instead, love that places
the welfare of others first will
be saved. If a person cares at all
for another human being, they
will be willing to give up much
so that the other may have more.
As we can see, the Pope clearly
states that condoms are not the
answer. Rather, the only way to
stop the evil of HIV/AIDS is
through the humanization of
sexuality. What does the Pope
mean by the “humanization of
sexuality”? Well, he means that
sexuality must be brought to its
full human beauty. The common
misconception is that the
Catholic Church is against sex
and treats sex as “evil”; however
this is extremely false. The
Church teaches that sexuality
is part of being human and that
God created it for a purpose,
just as He created all things with
purpose. In this sense sexuality
within its purpose is extremely
good, but when it is removed from
its purpose it becomes sinful.
The Catholic Church has
always taught and will always
teach that sexuality is to be shared
between a man and a woman,
163.12
who needs them. By establishing
“personal learning networks”
that use open courseware,
connectivity, sharing, and access
to global expertise, a student
is able to assemble their own
learning plan and accomplish
what existing institutions are
unable to do. These new, open
institutions can be very powerful
and still offer the credentials that
students desire. For example,
what if Google University
emerged? Free. Effective. Doing
no evil; except perhaps drawing
all our students away. DIY
U is a wakeup call ... and an
opportunity.
Nothing is as constant as
change. The University of Guelph
is nothing like what it used to
be or what it will become, but
fortunately it will remain exactly
the same.
Michael Ridley is the Chief
Information Officer (CIO) and
Chief Librarian at the University
of Guelph. Contact him at mridley@
uoguelph.ca or www.uoguelph.ca/cio.
who are unified in matrimony.
This makes the purpose of
sexuality: an expression of love,
the union of two persons into
one flesh, and the procreation
and perpetuation of the human
race under God’s blessing “be
fruitful and multiply”. If any
of these factors are not present,
the Church teaches that a
warped sense of sexuality is
being expressed. Contraception,
by blocking procreation can
therefore never be accepted, and
will never be made “legal” under
any doctrine by the Catholic
Church. When Pope Benedict
talks about the “humanization
of sexuality” he is talking about
proper Catholic marriage, which
would eliminate HIV/AIDS in
the end, since promiscuity is the
greatest transporter of all STIs.
The Church teaches that sexual
relations are only intended for
married couples and as a result
both members should remain
abstinent before marriage so that
they may give themselves fully to
their spouse. Two virgins getting
married have an extremely low
chance of having STIs and as a
result infections are less likely
to spread. In cases where a STI
is spread it would be contained
within that marriage. If people
are monogamous and loyal to
their spouse, as the Catholic
Church teaches, there should be
no reason for protection in an act
of love.
 .com
Opinion
The BetterPlanet Project
AARON MASSECAR
T
here has been a lot of
talk lately about the
BetterPlanet Project.
What is it? Is it just a marketing
campaign? How does it make
my life any different? And
there have been a few confused
responses to the project. Sure,
one very narrow way of looking
at the campaign is as a marketing
strategy—it’s a way for us to talk
about the University of Guelph
to the larger community in order
to highlight our strengths. But
Editorial
Care about your planet dammit!
I
f you didn’t see people in their
underwear in the cafeteria this
week, dancing on the tables in
front of the sandwich shop, you
can catch it on YouTube. Though
the seats were mostly empty, and
the audience small, the aftermath
found a much more widespread
reception. The Globe and Mail ran a
headline about our fabric shedding
student body and the YouTube
video has more than 22,000 hits.
But before we get too interested
in the commotion these students
have stirred up, let’s talk about why
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Deadline for letters:
Mondays @ 2PM
I was not elected to ‘lead’
We need to be conscious of the
language we use and the impacts
it can have. Terms like ‘student
leader’ works to further divide our
campus (if you are leaders, then
what does that make the rest of
us?). Nevertheless, that is the term
you continue to use to identify
yourselves and that is the term
I am forced to use (consider the
quotation marks a compromise).
If you want to advocate for
students, then inform them. Spend
a little less time in committee
meetings, a little less time
fundraising for the university’s
capital project, and a little more
time communicating what is going
on to students.
The fact is that there is a huge
disconnect between the average
students and student representatives
and that is detrimental to our
student movement and although
it’s not all based around this term,
if understanding stops there,
then we miss out on what the
BetterPlanet Project can be.
At the base, the BetterPlanet
Project is an idea; it’s the idea
that the Planet can become a
better place and that we can do
something about it. When I say
“we,” I don’t mean the indefinite,
nobody in particular “we,” but I
mean, you, me, and everyone else
at this institution that believes
that we can and should make a
difference.
The University of Guelph
they did it.
Recently the Senate was
deciding on a proposition called
Bill C-311, which would have
pushed the Canadian government
to do something significant about
climate change and greenhouse
gas emissions. The goal of the bill
was to work with corporations to
decrease our emissions noticeably
by 2020, and substantially by 2050,
with 80 per cent less emissions
than we had in 1990. The bill
was sadly turned down, and these
students were not impressed.
the general attitude is disruptive.
This attitude of superiority from
one group of students and dismay
from the other needs to stop
immediately.
Believe it or not, ‘student leaders’
are not elected to fundraise on
behalf of the university; and no,
that is not a task I am interested in
taking up. If you want to accurately
represent students, then should
be discussing the drawbacks of
students paying into the Better
Planet Project, not the strategy on
how we are going to get it done.
I cannot support what the
Better Planet Project, so please
don’t expect me at any of your
fundraising meetings. I want
student representatives to spend
less time deciding what we want
students to fund, and more time
determining how to pressure the
government to fund it instead.
Denise Martins
External Affairs Commissioner
Dec. 2 - 8, 2010
perfectly reflects the majority
of the student body: quiet,
humble, happy to be successful
but not too happy to brag. But
most importantly, we’re a proud
institution. We’re proud of our
Aggie roots. We’re not ashamed
to admit that we’ve got cows
on campus. And, for the most
part, that’s what we’re known
for; a lot of people outside this
institution know us as Moo-U,
and there’s nothing wrong with
that. However, you and I know
that there’s way more going
Instead of crying about what is
honestly an embarrassing federal
decision, these students took
their clothes off, and attracted the
attention of thousands with their
plea for attention.
We, the Ontarion editorial staff,
applaud them. If there is one thing
that can be seen as consistent
throughout our generation, it is
our docility. Gone, it seems, are
the days when we would rally
for a cause we felt worthwhile
in public spaces, putting the
necessary pressure on governing
The Ontarion reserves the right
to edit or refuse all letters deemed
sexist, racist, homophobic, able-ist,
advertorial, libelous or otherwise
oppressive or unfit for publication
as determined by the Editor in
Taming an Unbridled Horse-
Quick Thoughts on Foreign Aid
Reform:
When I first found out that
Canada spends 4.5 billion dollars
on foreign aid every year, I was
both proud of and humbled by
our government’s commitment.
However, as I began to dig deeper
into how the money is being used,
I began to question my initial pride.
One thing that surprised me was
the lack of meaningful information
on the website of the Canadian
International Aid Agency (CIDA).
Though a project listing along with
the corresponding monetary inputs
exists, there is almost no information
(assessment results, literacy rates,
illness rates, etc) on what effect the
money is having on people’s lives.
Though a few parliamentary reports
are available, they are input-based
rather than results-based and are
not very accessible to the general
on here than just that. What
about our national title winning
athletics programs, our nationally
recognized fine arts programs, our
world class research? Why aren’t
we known for these things too?
The BetterPlanet Project is a
call to action. It’s a call to stand
up and be proud of our institution,
to say to the world, “heck yeah I
stepped in manure on the way to
my MA in Leadership class this
morning, and I’m proud of it.”
The BetterPlanet Project is the
most forward-thinking program
bodies to make changes. Instead
we are content to sit back, allow
governments to take advantage of
our modesty, and criticize anyone
who takes a stand…a trend clearly
visible in the video’s YouTube
replies.
We too are guilty of initially
judging this strip mob’s actions
as unproductive, and seeing in
them yet another aim at awareness
without any tangible goal. However
we were quick to realize that this is
not so, and a tangible goal is exactly
what these young ambitious folks
Chief. Letters must be kept to a
maximum of 300 words. We will
edit longer letters at our discretion.
All letters must include a full
name and phone number (#’s
not published), including those
reader: they can only be found
after going through a labyrinth of
links and are frighteningly wordy.
Furthermore, when it comes to
evaluations, CIDA seems to assess
itself, rather than let independent
third parties assess it. All this leads
me to question if Canada is using
our taxpayers’ 4.5 billion dollars
effectively. I think that, as citizens,
the vigilantes of an effective and
lasting democracy, we all have
the responsibility to ensure that
CIDA becomes more accountable
and transparent to the 34 million
Canadians they represent.
Danny Liang
For all of the steps forward in
sexual wellness NAKED, Interhall,
GRCGED and countless campus
leaders have taken, Miss Barlow’s
article, “I’d like to talk about sex”
represents a step… Gosh, I can’t
even say backwards, Hanna, because
21
that I’ve been witness to in a long
time. It’s a project that asks us to
put aside on our petty differences
and to begin to tackle the world’s
problems head on. The problems
are real. Our time is now.
If you’d like to know more,
then I’d encourage you to
meet with your elected student
representatives and ask them
about it, visit the website: www.
betterplanetproject.ca, and
keep your eyes open for more
information that will be coming
out in the next few months.
carry with them. Bill C-311 is one
with clear guidelines and a distinct
proposed outcome. It’s the kind of
bill that in all honesty should have
been passed if we truly care about
the natural home that is our earth.
While many complain about
awareness not being enough, it is
only us that can make it more than
that. We ask that you not judge or
naysay at those members of our
generation who actually stand up
and do something.
YOU! Yes you! Care about your
planet dammit!
which are intended to remain
anonymous. The Ontarion may
occasionally print anonymous
letters when personal safety is
an issue.
ontarion@uoguelph.ca
you’re so far off in right field. I’ll
start with the description of BDSM
as “how to hurt people and get off
on it” this is actually the description
of a mental illness that usually lands
you in jail. BDSM’s main tenants
are: “safe, sane, consensual.” Find me
one respected Mistress or Master
who is not extremely independent,
driven, well-educated. Next:
“condoms handed out with candy
= condoms equated as innocent like
candy.” Funny, because condoms
reduce harm (illness and unwanted
pregnancy), whereas candy causes
harm (eating disorders).
Miss Barlow argues that safe sex
= sexual promiscuity. This is an
odd assertion—similar campaigns,
such as MADD, have made people
more aware of their responsibility
and more careful in risky behaviour.
continued on page 22
22
Letters to the Editor
continued from page 21
“University is where we learn to
be adults.” Well, Hanna, I don’t
know if you’ve spent any time in the
real world, but I can tell you that it’s
generally as sexually repressive as
you are.
Sexual empowerment among
young adults comes in the form
of knowledge: from there, they
can make the most informed
decisions about their actions. These
students have just come OUT of
the real world, where being the
least bit sexually open, curious,
or different was immediately
labelled and pummelled: now I
call THAT “hurting people and
getting off on it.” I can only
THANK Student Health Services
for making oral contraceptives so
non-judgementally available to me,
THANK Camp-Out for helping
me evaluate the parameters of my
sexuality. These ARE the reasons I
don’t just “sleep with the first drunk
guy” or girl who shows interest.
Kristyn Englert
Hannah Barlow’s article on
campus attitudes about sex had
some major irony going on.
While describing how the campus
community trivializes sex, she
herself trivialized and grossly
misrepresented BDSM and kink.
If she perhaps attended these
workshops (rather than skipping
that step and going straight to
criticizing), Hannah would have
discovered a space where the
things she finds important about
sex -- self-worth, mutual respect,
responsibility -- are mandatory.
Trust and consent are the most
important concepts in kink/BDSM.
It takes a huge amount of both for
two (or more) individuals to be
able to truly enjoy an experience
that may involve some pretty
<eZllbÛ^]l
EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
Do you have video editing skills
and software? I need assistance
intense acts. While some people
erroneously stop at “no means
no,” a good BDSM workshop will
teach you that everything besides
“yes” means no . Explicit consent
is incredibly important to BDSM,
and so is repeatedly checking in
with your partner(s) to make sure
they’re still into it. This is how all
sex should be, and we’d all be better
off going to a BDSM workshop.
Kink and sex toy workshops
don’t trivialize sex either. Sex toy
workshops expand definitions of
sex, provide people with different
ways to get themselves and others
off, introduce people to lower risk
sexual activities, and emphasize the
importance of safer sex. Once again,
we’d all be better off if we went to
these workshops.
I agree with Hannah that, in
many ways, campus groups are
not doing enough around sex, but
well-run workshops on BDSM,
kink, and sex toys are part of the
solution, not part of the problem,
and we need more of them. These
are the places where sex is discussed
appropriately and where we can
learn how to make sure that our
sex is safe, fun, and meaningful in
whatever ways we need it to be.
Veronica Majewski
Last week, I read an article
entitled “I’d like to talk about sex.
Do I have your attention now?”  I
felt that a response to this article’s
message and its inaccurate view of
the Wellness Centre was in order.
The Wellness Centre exists as
a safe space on campus- a place
where people are accepted for who
they are, without question. This
safe space includes a sex positive
environment, where people can feel
free to explore their sexuality.   To
teach students, the Wellness Centre
employs a choice model, where it
editing 4 20-minute videos. Please
respond to dpermack@uoguelph.ca
as soon as possible for details. This
short-term position pays $25/hr.
Don’t just spend money while at
school, make money instead. I
need a few sharp people to add to
my team. Flexible hours offered
to the right person. Request more
info gluke43@yahoo.com
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provides students with information
and allows them to make their own
decisions, judgment free.
This is why the Centre and
RLS provide free condoms and
information for students.   People
can choose to abstain, but if they
decide to have sex, they have the
resources necessary to do so as
safely as possible.   Due to the
current increase in Chlamydia cases
on campus, access to free condoms
is more important than ever.
I would also like to respond to
last week’s article’s comment that
kink/BDSM is about hurting
“other people and get(ting) off on
it.” This is a misrepresentation of
the term.  Kink is about exploring
new and pleasurable things in
a consensual relationship, and
although pain can be a part of it, it
is certainly not the only focus.
The article also implied that
teaching about sex in a light-
hearted manner is inappropriate
because it trivializes the act. But
sex is fun, and this is nothing to
be ashamed of or something that
should be ignored.  By including all
aspects of sex in their educational
materials, both the benefits and
the risks, the Wellness Centre
and Student Health Services can
ensure that they have interesting
and accurate educational materials
capable of making a real difference.
Rebecca Hicks
I completely disagreed with
the content found in last week’s
“Between the Sheets: Sex Toys”
article. The author states that “self-
arousal and regular orgasms can be
a healthy part of a balanced sexual
lifestyle” as if it’s some type of
essential breakfast nutrient.
First, I do agree that orgasms
and stimulation reduce stress
and increase positive feelings but
cable. $365/month (phone extra).
Conroy Cr. Contact: Frank 519-
763-8609 grahamfr@hotmail.com
PERSONALS
UNEXPECTED
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163.12
The Ontarion Inc.
University Centre
Room 264
must say that sex itself belongs in University of Guelph
N1G 2W1
a marriage relationship. Similarly,
masturbation is wrong because it ontarion@uoguelph.ca
can be a result of greed (seeking
Phone:
to please oneself, rather than to be
519-824-4120
pleased), loss of control (forgoing General: x58265
abstinence outside a marriage Editorial: x58250
relationship), and impurity among Advertising: x58267
Accounts: x53534
others.
Second, you might think that Fax:
my views are outdated – let me 519-824-7838
reply. I am a Christian, that is, I
Editorial Staff:
have a personal relationship with Editor-in-chief
Jesus Christ. It’s not about what Nicole Elsasser
denomination I belong to, nor is News Editor
it about how many years I’ve gone Kelsey Rideout
to Catholic School – it’s about a Arts & Culture Editor
relationship which I so eagerly Josh Doyle
desired over two years ago, partly Sports & Health Editor
due to broken sexual relationships Justin Dunk
Copy Editor
that caused great pain. To make a
Sasha Odesse
long story short, I obtain absolute Associate Editor
truth from the Bible, which Rachel Scapillati
shows me how to live a life that is
pleasing to God; He knows what Production Staff:
is right and best for us all. Now, Photo & graphics editor
there is no particular verse against Megan Verhey
masturbation but there are many Ad designer
verses on the intentions of the heart: Anne Tabata
Layout Director
loss of control, impurity, greed,
Alison Tibbles
pride etc. Having said that, I must
stand my ground and proclaim H_Û\^LmZ__3
that it is wrong to masturbate even Business manager
in the face of great 21st century Lorrie Taylor
opposition. To conclude, investigate H_Û\^fZgZ`^k
the legitimacy of the scriptures and Monique Vischschraper
Jesus’ life and resurrection if you Ad manager
are troubled, hurt, depressed etc. Chris Hamelin
because of such issues. Seek Him:
Board of Directors
He raised me up and I know He President
will do the same for you! David Evans
Hassan Jan Treasurer
Curtis Van Laecke
Secretary
We had some problems with Joanna Sulzycki
Hamlet -Tent City. From the shallow Chairperson
caricature of homelessness, which Marshal McLernon
Directors
only book-ended the production, to
Yvonne Su
“educating”the cast on how to portray Andrew Goloida
the homeless using cops – often the Lisa McLean
chief oppressors facing homeless Antik Dey
people. University of Guelph Theatre
Studies, you’ve outdone yourselves Contributors
this time! Did Judith Thompson
Rashaad Bhamjee
Genna Buck
really think that inserting some Sam Dewaele
Pamela Duynstee
homelessness here and there would Oliver Dzuba
really bring more awareness to Kosta Gligorijevic
students? We saw tokenism instead. Chris Hamelin
Kirsti Juurakko
People are aware homelessness Cody Kupferschmidt
exists. Inspiring people to give a few Andrea Lamarre
moments over to recognize that Aaron Massecar
Leigh McSwan
some people are not as advantaged Hayley Mullen
as they are is not a solution, nor a James Napier
contribution. A play that attempts Jihee Park
Sarah Patterson
to examine the causes of and Mishi Prokop
potential solutions to the problem Michael Ridley
of homelessness could be useful. Elizabeth Shearly
Samantha Smith-Moskal
Granted, morphing Hamlet into an Stephen van erve
effective medium for examining the Haily van Ingram
issue may be an impracticable project The Ontarion is a non-profit organization governed by
a Board of Directors. Since the Ontarion undertakes the
but then why oh why was Hamlet publishing of student work, the opinions expressed in this
publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Ontarion
the base on which Thompson chose Board of Directors. The Ontarion reserves the right to edit
or refuse all material deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or
to build? The performance itself otherwise unfit for publication as determined by the Editor-
in-Chief. Material of any form appearing in this newspaper
was decent; we’re just at a loss as to is copyrighted 2010 and cannot be reprinted without the
approval of the Editor-in-Chief. The Ontarion retains the
why homelessness was a tacked on right of first publication on all material. In the event that
an advertiser is not satisfied with an advertisement in the
afterthought. newspaper, they must notify the Ontarion within four working
days of publication. The Ontarion will not be held responsible
Michaela Kennedy for advertising mistakes beyond the cost of advertisement.
The Ontarion is printed by the Guelph Mercury.
& Divinus Caesar
 .com Dec. 2 - 8, 2010 23
Crossword
Across 47- Development of a cancer 26- Apartment sign
1- Paris possessive; 54- Satan 27- Bizarre
4- Brief appearance 55- Mountain nymph 28- Ready ___...
9- Choose 56- Sugar suffix 29- Kitchen addition
14- Application 57- Rice-___ 30- Depressed spirits
15- Crackerjack 58- Keyed up 31- Borders
16- Turkish palace 59- Legal science 32- Guarded
17- Resinous deposit 60- Bent 34- Goes down
18- Preside over 61- Adjust, modify 35- Important
19- Stickum 62- Approves 37- Raccoon-like carnivore
20- Unofficial advisers 38- Inhabitant of Oahu,
23- Belonging to us Down Mindanao, or Java
24- Deserter 1- Remain sullen 43- Greek geometrician
25- Immediately 2- Morales of “NYPD Blue” 44- Lubricant
28- Trompe l’___ 3- Denomination 45- Triple
30- Babylonian title 4- Andalusian dance 46- Cause
33- Maw 5- Stay attached 47- Atlantic mackerel
34- Mex. Miss 6- Averages 48- Acknowledge
35- Shoppe adjective 7- Heroic 49- ___ bene
36- High-speed separator 8- Other, in Oaxaca 50- Hurler Hershiser
39- Antitoxins 9- Observation 51- Han ___ was a “Star Wars”
40- Plains native 10- Inclined character
41- Facial expression used by Elvis 11- Gaelic language of Ireland or 52- Author Dinesen
Crossword by www.bestcrosswords.com Presley Scotland 53- Puts in stitches
42- Hot time in Paris 12- Suffragist Carrie 54- Small amount
EZlmP^^dlLhenmbhg 43- 3:00
44- Slick
13- Bind
21- Against
45- Boy king 22- Wild rose
46- I smell ___! 25- Divert

<hfb\l

Sarah Patterson

Submit your completed crosswords by

Monday December 6th at 4 p.m. for a chance
to win!
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Zachary Wilks
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prize. 2 Bob’s Dogs!