Volume 56, Number 22 www.themuse.ca

Chad Griffiths congratulates his opponent Stella Magalios at The Breezeway for winning VP external of MUNSU on March 15.

March 23, 2006

Magalios family strikes again, Power takes power MUNSU election closes with 2 elected execs, 28 acclamations

BY SHEENA GOODYEAR

Stella Magalios and Stephanie Power were thrilled to see their sweeping wins when Memorial University's Students' Union election results rolled in on television screens at The Breezeway last Wednesday.

(Part-Time Rep Magalios beat Arts Rep Chad Griffiths for VP ex­ternal by 225 votes. Human Kinetics and Recreation Rep Power beat Tony Ingram for VP internal by 627.)

"I feel great. At The Breezeway I was really excited, I was getting really nervous," said Magalios. 'Tm pretty proud of myself. It was fun."

Magalios is no stranger to student politics. Apart from being part-time rep this year, she's the third of her sisters to occupy an executive posi­tion on MUNSU - following Rosa, former VP finance, and Jessica, for­mer VP academic.

Magalios says she's often com­pared to her sisters, but stresses that she's in the game because she loves student politics and believes educa­tion is a right.

"I get that all the time, like 'What is it about you girls that makes you want to get involved?' I'm not re­ally sure what people want me to say - that I've got a chip planted in my neck or something, or a strange blood type," she said.

"I kind of think that if we had a different last name, like Smith or maybe Baker, that nobody would make a big deal about it."

But, Magalios admits she looks up to her sisters, pointing to Jessica's work as chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) this year.

"Seeing the kind of work the CFS does and the kind of work she did when she was VP academic and in­

SEE 'Auce' ON P AGE 4

International students fight for M CP coverage Pricy health insurance leaves chronically ill students in the cold

BY SHEENA GOODYEAR

If Anas El-Aneed gets sick, he' ll be strapped for cash to pay his medical bills since a 2004 decision to cut back Memorial's health plan for interna­tional students.

El-Aneed says the health pack­age international students have to buy from Memorial to get their stu­dent visas covers emergencies but not long-term ailments. That's why he, along with Memorial's Students' Union (MUNSU) and the Graduate Students' Union (GSU), is lobbying the government to get MCP coverage extended to international students.

"If you become chronic, you will no longer be covered - meaning di­abetes, cancer, high blood pressure, anything which is chronically ill is not covered," said El-Aneed.

El-Aneed came to Canada from Syria. He studied awhile in Edmonton before coming to Memorial to pur­sue his master's and PhD in biochem-

Anas El-Aneed wants to extend MCP coverage to all international students.

is try. He says the health plan for inter­

national students changed in 2004,

cutting long-term care to save mon­ey. When this happened, sick students who were already receiving care were

cut off. They turned to El-Aneed be­cause he worked with the GSU at the time.

"This raised the question of why we are not covered by MCP," he said.

MCP coverage would allow inter-

DUNCAN DE YOUNG

national students to buy health cov­erage from MUNSU or the GSU -which is cheaper than the package they have now.

International students currently pay $305 a semester for emergency

health coverage, while students un­der the MUNSU plan pay $81. On top of that, undergraduate international students pay about triple the tuition of Canadian students and aren't al­lowed to work off-campus.

All this adds up, especially when you have no family network nearby, says Memorial business student and Singapore native Mathiew Thomas.

Thomas spent a few years in the navy and was drawn to Newfoundland for its marine industry. He's been here eight months and enjoys the business faculty. He supports the MCP initia­tive.

'Tm lucky I'm healthy. I'm not too sure what those facing disease are paying. But, usually medical costs are pretty expensive I think," he said.

A MUNSU petition to extend MCP to international students garnered about 2,000 signatures.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Care Plan agree that inter­national students should be covered and they've recommended this to the government, estimating it would cost less than $1 million.

El-Aneed hopes to know what di­rection the government will take when the provincial budget is re­leased. The budget will come out on March 30.

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News March 23, 2006

Mark Tibbo can barely open his residence room window before the smell of mould hits him.

Mouldy residences irk students Students want repairs whileMUNSU lobbies for tenants rights, no grade restrictions

BY KATIE HYSLOP

Most students expect to see growth when they come to university. But Barnes House President Patrick Green didn't expect it to be in the form of mould on a window screen.

"On one of the window screens on the third floor there's giant mould cultures forming on the screen," said Green. "It just chills you to the bone to see what's behind some of the fur­niture."

Mould growth was one of many is­sues discussed at a recent meeting be­tween Residence Life Officer Darren

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Newton and representatives from each house in Paton College. But, Newton did not offer much comfort to the un­comfortable students.

"A couple of the residences, [be­cause] they're built in a T shape, the male washrooms don't have any windows in them. When two show­ers are going, the heat just skyrockets in there," said Barnes resident Aaron Siller.

The heat makes mould grow on the bathroom walls, adds Siller, and the only way to get rid of it is by paint­ing it over.

"It's going to cost $2.5 million to renovate all [the washrooms] and it's money they don't have, so they're not going to do it," he said.

Memorial's Students' Union (MUNSU) VP External-Elect Stella Magalios raised concerns about the poor state of residence buildings in her campaign platform. But, her big­gest concern isn't their physical state - it's the new qualifications for stay-

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ing in them. "Basically, you have to maintain

that [2.0] grade point average in order to stay in residence," said Magalios.

Magalios says that requirement keeps the numbers down on the huge residence waiting list.

Siller raised concerns about the grade point average limit during the meeting with Newton, but says they were dismissed.

In her platform, Magalios ex­pressed interest in ensuring Paton College and Burton's Pond be cov­ered under the Residential Tenancies Act - a provincial document outlin­ing rules and regulations for both ten­ants and landlords.

"The reason why Paton College isn't under the Residential Tenancy Act is because we're a public institution and we're exempted, because we're con­sidered to be a Crown corporation," said Director of Student Affairs and Services Christine Burke. "We're held to a higher standard than we were if

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we were under [the Act]." MUNSU Female Residence Rep

Kristen Peddle agrees with Burke and says the residence experience could change for the worse if they were to come under the Act.

"Living in residence is living in a community with 1,000 other peo­ple and, therefore, the Residential Tenancies Act could never apply," said Peddle. "If it did, I think the students would be at a disadvantage. Activities that they now do freely would not be occurring if we were under this Act."

Burke says that residence assis­tants inspect the common areas of the houses once a week for damages like broken light bulbs, and malfunc­tioning water fountains. If damage is found, assistants are required to re­port it to maintenance.

She says delays in repairs are of­ten due to improper complaint pro­cedures. Students are required to fill out proper forms to report damages

which eventually get sent to Facilities Management. The greater the damage, the higher priority it takes.

Siller says that Newton told resi­dence students a different story about the relationship between Housing and Facilities Management.

"[Newton] said maintenance is under a different department than Facilities Management and they don't talk back and forth," said Siller. "We asked if there was any way of getting a liaison between the two and he said they've been trying for years."

Magalios is not sure how she will move forward with her plan to get res­idences under the Act, but she knows she'll need the help of students liv­ing there.

Meanwhile, Green has been doc­umenting damage in the residences with his digital camera.

'Tm still undecided about where I'm going to take [the pictures], but something has to be done," said Green.

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Trouble Bound Tattoos,s Craig Cutler says piercing is just as safe at home if you take the right precautions. But, he wouldn,t do it.

Basement piercing a no-­no: medical examiner Death of local teen raises issue of home . .

p1erc1ngs

BY KATIE HYSLOP

Your mom may have pierced your ear with a sewing needle and an ice cube, but the medical community doesn't feel it's safe to do your nipples the same way.

A 17-year-old girl from Booth Memorial High in St John's died March 9 of toxic shock syndrome from an infected nipple piercing, ac­cording to a press release from the of­fice of the chief medial examiner.

Toxic shock syndrome is a rare bacterial infection traditionally as­sociated with the use of tampons, but it can also be contracted through open wounds, such as a new piercing. Although incredibly rare, the syn­drome can be fatal if not detected and treated swiftly.

Although the girl's piercing was done in a private residence, it appar­ently met industry standards, lead­ing Health and Community Services Minister Tom Osborne to raise the possibility of instituting regulations to govern piercings and tattoos.

''I've asked officials in the Department of [Health and Community Services] to revue the regulations in other jurisdictions across Canada to give us some idea of what other jurisdictions have done," said Osborne.

"A lot of the business communi­ty, the body artists that are in opera­tion - many of them have been call-

ing for regulations and are certainly hoping that their industry can be reg­ulated."

Although a timeline for the regu­lations is difficult to predict, Osborne hopes to consult with body art indus­try members by the end of spring.

Craig Cutler, piercing artist ~t Trouble Bound Tattoos, says there is technically no difference between getting pierced at a studio and getting pierced in a home, as long as safety precautions are taken. But, it is not something he would do.

If you've got people offering bottom base.ment prices, in this industry we've got a saying: 'You get what you pay for: - Craig Cutler, local piercing artist

"The thing about regulations is that it's great if you're new and you're · starting up. If restaurants have guide­lines by which they have to oper­ate under, then ... a tattoo or pierc­ing shop should have guidelines by which to follow and operate under," said Cutler.

"If there's public health involved, then government should step in and make some regulations."

Body piercing in a shop like Trouble Bound Tattoos can be pricy when compared to the home meth­od, with a standard rate of $25 for the piercing and $35 and above for

the jewelry. "If you've got people offering bot­

tom-basement prices, in this indus­try we've got a saying: 'You get what you pay for'," said Cutler.

There is no official training for be­coming a piercing artist, mainly due to lack of demand, says Cutler. But, there are still signs to watch for in a piercing artist, such as disregard for your questions or refusal to prove ste­rility of equipment. Outlining prop­er maintenance of your piercing is equally as important and it should be followed.

"This infection probably wasn't because of the procedure, but rath­er what happened afterwards," said Cutler.

Chief Medical Examiner Dr Simon Avis was recently quoted in the Canadian Press in relation to the death of the St John's student:

"This is health dollars that are es­sentially wasted treating infections that shouldn't have occurred because of some desire to have a piece of met­al sticking out of your body. It doesn't make much sense to me."

His comments have faced criti­cism from Body Modification Ezine, a popular body art website, as well as countless blogs across the continent. Cutler, however, was not so quick to condemn Avis.

"Perhaps [Dr Avis] was speaking out of emotion then .... He's a doctor, he has every right to state his opin­ion," said Cutler.

"In his final report on his press re­lease, he did say at the end of it that if anybody is displaying any sort of symptoms ... [they] should see a doc­tor immediately."

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Page4 News March 23, 2006

Violent protest sparks arrests, .

pepper spray, fires Five hundred gather to condemn police brutality; 33 arrested

BY BLAKE SIFTON

MONTREAL (CUP) - For the tenth year in a row, Montreal was the scene of a heated demonstration against po­lice brutality on March 15.

Established in 1997 as an initiative of Switzerland's Black Flag organiza­tion and the Montreal-based Collective Oppose a la Brutalite Policiere, the demonstration highlights the exces­sive use of power regularly attributed to the Montreal Police Department.

Due to the ironic regularity of ar­rests and police violence that occur at the protest, it has become an anticipat­ed and notorious event.

A raucous crowd of about 500 peo­ple gathered in the streets of Montreal at 5:00 pm. Many were street youth -the demographic most regularly sub­jected to police brutality.

As the group set out on its meander­ing march, squeegees became imple­ments of destruction against provin­cial election signs, while garbage cans

Montreal protestors turn on cops in a rally against police brutality.

and other debris were strewn across the streets.

The situation turned serious when the demonstrators marched up St

Laurent, north of Sherbrooke. 1he win­dows of a Club Med eatery were splin­tered by projectiles and an officer was struck in the face with a bottle.

CUP

While missiles continued to fly, po­lice doused the crowd with pepper spray and several divisions of riot po­lice charged the crowd.

Demonstrators fled down Sherbrooke and a lengthy pursuit ensued. After evading an attempted mass arrest, the remnants of the crowd eventually re­grouped outside a metro station. Police kept their distance, but moved in after protesters set a large fire in the street.

About 25 riot police pursued flee­ing demonstrators into the metro sta­tion. Officers cleared the main court as shocked commuters looked on. Police pursued demonstrators onto a platform as many protesters found themselves sandwiched between the police line and the metro track.

Outside the station, riot police en­circled the remaining demonstrators, pushing them up against the walls. Those within the police cordon were not allowed to leave and all were ar­rested.

Those arrested included a passer-by not involved in the protest, two jour­nalists, and many street youth.

As police carted demonstrators away in buses, a police media relations offi­cer detailed the stats of the evening. In the end, roughly 30 people were taken into custody. Four were charged with vandalizing vehicles, while the rest were issued municipal fines for attending an illegal demonstration.

Alice Patey claims Arts Representative seat CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 volved in the students' union - I mean that is an inspiration," she said.

Magalios is getting ready for next year when she plans to lobby politi­cians for lower tuition and fight for international students' rights.

"We need to let them know that education is a vote decider," said Magalios. "We need to make sure that they're doing something for us.

,,

Stephanie Power is relatively new to council and the province, com­ing from Halifax to study human kinetics at Memorial.

"It's pretty exciting," she said. "I stood far away from the screen. I had my friend go up and check be­cause I was really nervous .... It was really good. I didn't expect to win by so much."

Power took over as human kinet­ics rep when the previous one start­ed her work term late last year. She says that as she got more involved with council, she became inspired to run for VP internal.

Working at The Breezeway also sparked her interest, she said: "I al­ways would see people interacting and meeting more people."

Power's plans for next year in­clude creating a campus-wide char­ity initiative and fighting for in­ternational students' right to work

off-campus. She wants to start get­ting ready for next year,s Winter Carnival as early as this summer.

VP Internal

The election also yielded a three­way race for the final arts rep. Alice Patey defeated Tessa Dubeau and

Tony Ingram 686 Votes 35.7 o/o

Steph Power 1313 votes 62.5 %

I'm not really sure what people want me to say - that I've got a chip planted in my neck or something, or a strange blood type.

MUNSU positions

- Stella Magalios, MUNSU VP external­elect, on fallowing in her sisters'! ootsteps

Steve Woodworth in a very close race.

The new positions officially come into effect on May 1.

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Jonathan Loder and VP Internal Roger Drinkall are currently go­ing head-to-head for the VP aca­demic position in an extended elec­tion. Voting closes the evening of March 24.

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Jody White for being selected

''Amazing Student of the Wee Faculty' of Education

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• Acclamations

A long time and valued volunteer

with MUN1 Jody is also invofved with the Best Buddies Program! which

help.s people of all ages with leaning

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Chad Griffiths 901 votes 44.5 O/o

Stella Magalios 1125 votes 55.5 o/o

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UN Student Ambassador·~~ .. j n.:, •.. ,,-•--.. -.• ··--•-.,

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March 23, 2006 News

Proportional representation the new PR: prof Ottawa oblivious as provinces push for reform says lecturer

BY ]AMIE FREE'MAN

Public relations have taken a back seat to proportional representation as the hot "PR" in political circles these days. Memorial even hosted a lecture to make sure people know.

This year's recipient of Memorial University's Galbraith Lectureship in Public Policy was R. Kenneth Carty, a political-science professor at the University of British Columbia.

Carty visited Memorial on March 8, presenting a lecture called Doing Democracy Differently: Is It Time for Electoral Reform in Canada?

In his lecture, Carty discussed the recent efforts by five Canadian prov­inces to reform their electoral sys­tems.

Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia are all proposing dif­ferent electoral systems. All five pro­posals support and use proportional representation.

Proportional representation is an electoral system in which the percent­age of seats awarded to a political party is about equal to the percentage of votes received by that party in an election.

Carty says proportional represen­tation reforms are happening or have happened in many European democ­racies, but that Canada and its first-

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R. Kenneth Carty

past-the-post model is dragging be­hind. According to Carty, the impetus for adopting proportional representa­tion reforms lies in the stagnation of Canadian democracy.

He says opinion polls and behav­ioural trends suggest Canadian voters are deeply dissatisfied and are becom­ing more disinterested in politics. He adds that polls show a swell in "pop­ular cynicism and distrust of politi­cians [and parties]" while other statis­tics indicate "[a drop] in political party membership."

Carty noted a few negative fea­tures of the current electoral system in Canada. The first is that there is no fixed relation between the percentage of votes won and percentage of seats

awarded to any particular party. This dilemma is constantly referenced by Green Party supporters, as the par­ty has no power in Ottawa despite re­ceiving between four and five per cent of the vote.

Secondly, under the current electoral system, the party with fewer total votes often wins a majority government. Also, many voters are discouraged from voting for the party they believe in because they are afraid of throw­ing away their vote to a party with no chance of winning the riding.

"There is a widespread recognition, increasingly even amongst the politi­cal classes, that the current electoral processes are flawed, they don't work," Carty said.

Despite this recognition, Ottawa will be "about the last place [to re­form]," Carty said. But, if the voter trends continue, Ottawa will have to follow suit with the provinces.

"If people come to see [proportion­al representation] as more fair, then I think other provinces will adopt it and then I think Ottawa will have to recog­nize that they are operating on a prin­ciple that more and more people will not accept as fair," said Carty. "There will be enormous pressure on Ottawa, but they won't be quick."

Memorial President Axel Meisen, who attended Carty's lecture, says that in the event Newfoundland and Labrador adopted proportional repre­sentation, it would be "quite unlikely that there would be a noticeable differ­ence" in university-government rela­tions.

Newfoundlanders are too old: prof Rampant retirement could spark labour crisis, faculty shortage

BY DAVE WHALEN

Memorial's professors are getting old and many will retire in the coming years. Without an influx of young ac­ademics soon, the university could be stripped of faculty says a Memorial professor.

The government estimates that, in 10 years, seniors will make up close to 20 per cent of the province's pop­ulation - up from i3.4 per cent right now.

A multitude of factors have com­bined to make seniors the fastest growing demographic in the prov­ince. Chiefly, aging baby boomers are to blame. But, a declining birthrate and out-migration have also hit the province hard.

"Newfoundland went through a point where it had the highest birth­rate of any jurisdiction in North America to, along with Quebec, the lowest," said Memorial sociology pro­fessor Robert Hill.

Hill says the slackening of so­cial constraints is the leading cause of Newfoundland's reduced birth­rates.

"Some women are delaying having children into their 30s or 40s. When they delay having children, they typ­ically have fewer," he said. "For many women, it's a conflict between career and having babies."

Newfoundland and Labrador's dire economic straits have also greatly compounded the problem and a lack of employment opportunities forces many to leave.

Also, the province does not attract many immigrants. Though out-mi­gration has declined in recent years, the government does not expect the trend to fully level off until 2017.

Hill says that if present trends con­tinue, the province and the universi­ty will inevitably face enormous la­bour shortages.

"We're going to face a doctor cri­sis in this province in five or 10 years' time just because of the age structure of the medical profession," he said. "The same [problem exists] with the university profession. Once we get into the situation of multiple retire­ments in every department, it's going

to be difficult." Unfortunately, says Hill, most of

those who are currently unemployed are not adequately skilled to fill these positions.

"You may have a large pool of un­employed, but they often don't have the skills necessary to fill the job va­cancies. Quite a lot of the unem­ployed are older and they just don't have the high levels of education," he said. "You can't just become a doctor overnight."

But, there's still hope around the corner, says Hill.

"What you have to do is increase salary and benefit packages in occu­pations," he said. "Possibly, with oil, mining, and hydroelectric revenues, which hopefully will be increasing, the government will have sufficient revenues."

The provincial Department of Health and Community Services is trying to deal with Newfoundland and Labrador's growing gray-haired pop­ulation with a project called Healthy Aging for All in the 21st Century.

The project has four principles: self-fulfillment, independence, so­cial inclusion, and safety and secu­rity for the elderly.

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Page 6

Student union oppresses gorillas, says man in ape suit

BY ERIKA MEERE

MONTREAL (CUP) - A would-be presidential candidate for McGill's student union is protesting a deci­sion to exclude him from the elec­tion campaign, arguing that he faced discrimination against gorillas.

Ed Petrenko, who prefers to be called "Gorilla Q. Everyman" sub­mitted his nomination signatures last Wednesday, as required by Elections McGill, while dressed as a gorilla. However, he was disquali­fied from actually running because he did not have enough signatures, according to Elections Coordinator Lisha Li.

Rather than spending last week putting up posters and speaking to classes, Patrenko donned his goril­la suit to distribute handbills to stu­dents at the Milton Gates.

"I, Gorilla Q. Everyman, got bullshit-kicked out of the election - don't let ' the man' perpetrate his or her Shamerican Shamocracy at McGill," reads the handbill.

In an interview, Everyman said that gorillas face a "tough scene" at McGill, because they are discour­aged from attending classes, and are given strange looks when walk-

ing around campus. His campaign was to be based

on political "flip-flopping" to ac­commodate a wide range of polit­ical views.

Everyman urged students not to vote for either of the two presiden­tial can~idates, Aaron Donny-Clark and Leon Mwotia.

"I feel they're good people, but they're part of the hegemony that's oppressing the gorillas," he said, ad­mitting he had not met either can­didate because he spent much of the last year hiding in a nearby jungle.

Donny-Clark said that although Everyman would have attracted more student interest in the presi­dential race, it would have compro­mised the seriousness of the elec­tion. He added that Everyman was excluded because he violated elec­tions rules, and not because of dis­crimination.

"To the best of my knowledge, the student society does not oppress go­rillas," Donny-Clark said.

Everyman, who plans to run again next year, denied that he is running as a joke candidate.

"I don't really see what's so fun­ny," he said. 'Tm just a gorilla try­ing to run for president."

News March 23, 2006

CUP I CHARLES MOSTOLLER

What we can only presume is the gorilla in question.

U of T student lodges complaint against library BY ADEEL AHMAD

TORONTO (CUP) - A University of Toronto student has lodged a for­mal complaint against the campus library after finding an inflamma­tory magazine on its shelves that he says is disguised as a legitimate ac­ademic source.

The magazine, entitled Zionism Is Racism, was published in 1975 by the Communist Party of Canada. It fea­tures a collection of United Nations resolutions, newspaper articles, and historical pictures.

(Zionism is a political movement that supports a Jewish homeland in Israel.)

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On the shelf of Robarts Library, however, it looks like any other scholarly text, bound in hardcover and bearing the title Zionism And Racism on its spine.

Daniel Roth stops short of call­ing the magazine hate literature, but does say he was "rudely surprised" and "offended" by the magazine. Roth says the fact that the binding, implying a discussion of Zionism and racism rather than a claim, is deceptive and "there to fool peo-1

,, p e.

"It's a particular party with a par­ticular agenda that's not backed up," instead of a scholarly book, he said.

In an e-mail sent to various cam­pus organizations, Roth charged that the credibility of the univer­sity was called into question by the fact that the material was placed in the Robarts stacks and intended to be a legitimate academic source.

Following this incident, he ques­tioned whether students can "trust that everything [at Robarts Library] is an academic resource."

Roth describes himself as a Progressive Zionist, a movement for which "peace and justice is a good slogan." He stresses that his com­plaint is not motivated by his po­litical beliefs.

Rather than ask for the maga-

zine to be removed from circula­tion, Roth asks that the binding be removed so library patrons can ap­praise the magazine for what it is. He also asks for an apology from the library directed to all students.

In response to Roth's complaint, Gabriela Bravo, the assistant direc­tor of Public Affairs for University of Toronto libraries, says the prob­lem is the result of a typo - namely, the substitution of the word "and" for "is" in the title. It may have oc­curred either at the bindery as a sim­ple mistake or it may have been the result of confusion with other titles. Regardless, she says the error will be corrected.

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The hardcover binding was put in place to protect the magazine, which otherwise "would just get destroyed," according to Anne Dondertman, the assistant direc­tor of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, where the magazine can also be found.

Dondertman stresses that a large research library such as Robarts has a mandate to "provide access to all points of view."

"[There are] tens of thousands of things somebody might find of­fensive," Dondertman said. Bravo echoed that statement, adding: "We don't censor or condone any of the materials we acquire."

March 23, 2006

BY STACEY MURRAY

CHARLOTTETOWN (CUP) -Negotiations between the University of PEI administration and the University of PEI Faculty Association ceased after extending late into the night, with the Faculty Association officially on strike by 7:30 am Tuesday, March 21.

1he labour disruption is the most recent course of action from the University of PEI Faculty Association (UPEIFA) since its contract ended last July. Members of the UPEIFA include clinical nurses, faculty, sessional in­structors, and librarians.

While UPEIFA has been in a legal position to strike since a strike vote passed by 84 per cent on March 14, UPEIFA President Wayne Peters says they waited to strike to give the ad­ministration as much chance as pos­sible to recognize the support the fac­ulty has shown to its union.

"One of the purposes for a strike vote is to get that leverage [of mem­ber support] and hope that just hav­ing the prospect of a strike is going to pressure the employer to come to the table," said Peters.

Negotiations had continued steadi­ly since Wednesday, March 15, with the administration agreeing on seven of the 28 articles within the contract. Of the articles remaining, salary, teach­ing workload, benefits, and job secu­rity for sessional instructors are some outstanding issues.

Also, the administration with­drew an article concerning the Code of Conduct of UPEIFA that would have prevented faculty from speak­ing against issues that were support­ed by the university, even with suffi­cient grounds to do so.

While negotiations have been about reaching a compromise between the two parties, Peters spoke Friday about the need for both sides to step up their game, saying that he wasn't willing to move much with the UPEIFA's posi­tion.

"It's a matter of a willingness [of the administration] to come across and

News

The UPEI faculty went on strike last.Tuesday, cancelling classes for students.

bring what's necessary to get a good settlement," he said.

UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan criticized the bargaining process in a newsletter released March i7.

"In positional bargaining, the par­ties begin the negotiating process by bringing forward a reasonable array of matters that they would like to see addressed in the current round," said MacLauchlan.

"As the process advances, they es­tablish priorities and engage in a mu-

tual process of withdrawing positions or agreeing to leave them for a future round of negotiations or another pro­cess. It is dangerous if one side or the other gets married to its proposals. It is especially risky, at the advanced eleventh hour, if everything remains a priority."

UPEIFA has made it known they will be available to meet anytime in the coming days, but Peters doesn't see the same attitude with the admin­istration. When it didn't appear as if

CUP I THE CADRE

the bargaining groups would meet on Friday, the UPEIFA set up a meeting to ensure they did.

"If we hadn't taken that initiative, I don't believe we would've met at the table today," said Peters.

1he administration, however, had a different message on its website on March 17: "The UPEI negotiating team will continue to be available to meet anywhere, anytime with a Faculty Association team that has a mandate to negotiate."

Page 7

Since then, UPEIFA has posted ne­gotiation updates on its website, as well as a request to submit student grades to the administration.

"The intention here is clearly to use these grades as final grades in the event of a prolonged work stoppage," Peters wrote, concerning the administration's actions.

"It is the position of the Faculty Association that members are under no obligation to provide such course grades before the completion of the academic term, and should refuse to do so if asked.

"You may feel that providing your grades to the university or your ser­vices to the university during a strike is in the best interests of students, but prolonging the strike is not in the stu­dent's best interests. Everyone wants any work stoppage to be as short as possible."

The administration has yet to re­spond to Peters' comments.

While all efforts are being made by both sides to avoid any long-term ef­fects on students, neither side is sure what will happen at this point. Both sides have reminded students that no Canadian university has ever lost a se­mester due to a labour disruption.

During the strike, students will still have access to most parts of the uni­versity campus, but there will be no classes unless they are told otherwise by professors. Students will be unable to contact professors, as the strike re­quires faculty to withdraw all servic­es to students.

UPEIFA members will be present at the two main entrances of the campus, not blocking the entrance of students but passing out information.

"As long as the people coming and going respect our right to be there, there shouldn't be any problem," said Peters.

To find out more about the strike, visit the Faculty Association website at www.upeifa.org or the administration website at www.upei.ca/contingency. They will be updating their sites regular­ly throughout the course of the strike.

Protesters mark anniversary of Iraq war Toronto rallies raise awareness of international and domestic issues

BY BRUCE HARPHAM

TORONTO (CUP) - Hundreds of pro­testers assembled near the American consulate on Saturday to condemn military action all over the world.

Though held to mark the third an­niversary of the March 20, 2003 in-

vasion of Iraq by the US and Britain, the protestors addressed a variety of world issues, including Canadian involvement in armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Haiti.

The protestors' global concerns were epitomized by their repeated chants of "From Iraq to Palestine, occupation is a crime."

At the pre-rally for the student contingent of the protest, an Arab Students' Collective representative condemned what the group sees as oppression of the people of Palestine. Other speakers talked about Canada's participation in a coup d'etat in Haiti

in 2004.

The variety of issues energiz­ing the protesters was considerable: Some hawked leftist newspapers, while others carried large Palestinian flags. Most had placards made by the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War. The only student group to explic­itly identify itself was the Ryerson Students' Union, whose members carried a banner.

Canadian military involvement in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan was at the top of the agenda. Some protesters focused on the death of Nasrat Ali Hassan, an Afghani who

VP Academic Election Platform

VP Academic Candidate Roger Drinkall

Dear fellow students, My name is Roger Drinkall and I

am running for the position of Vice­P resident Academic of the MUN Students' Union. I am truly excited at the possibility of starting in a new position and I have a very positive outlook for the possibilities in the upcoming academic year. The main role of the VP Academic is to act as a liaison between the MUN Students' Union, students and the uni­versity on academic affairs. As a member of the current executive, I have observed first-hand the responsibilities of the VP Academic and my goal is to continue building upon the work that has been accomplished in the past years.

If elected I will continue to ensure that all committees have informed un­dergraduate student representation and I will work towards increasing the num­ber of student representatives on all uni­versity committees and bodies. Strong student representation means that stu­dents' interests are taken seriously in the decision-making process of this univer­sity. I will also organize regular meet­ings with all student representatives to discuss current academic issues so that we have a united student voice.

In light of the Chandra scandal and of pressure to use programs such as Turnitin.com, academic integri­ty has become a controversial issue at

was shot and killed in a taxi this week by Canadian troops.

"It takes more courage to leave a war than fight one," said Patrick Hart, a former US sergeant who fled to Canada last August rather than be sent back to Iraq.

"My enemy is not foreign, it's do­mestic," said Hart, referring to the US Army oath to protect America from "all enemies foreign and domestic."

"We can't slide into George Bush's wars," said Toronto NDP MP Peggy Nash. "We should be declaring war on poverty, not Afghanistan."

The theme that military spending

Memorial. I will work towards ensur­ing that Memorial has the highest stan­dard of academic integrity to guarantee a quality education without compromis­ing students' rights.

Another issue that needs to be ad­dressed in the upcoming year is the cur­rent 'Students Complaint Policy'. On the one hand, few students know about the existence of such a policy and on the oth­er, when they do use it, they are often confronted with a complicated and con­fusing policy. I will work with Students Affairs to improve the policy and will also organize workshops to inform stu­dents of their rights at this university. Finally, I will improve communication

detracts from more important domes­tic issues was reinforced by students' placards which proclaimed "Books not bombs" and "Health care not war­fare!"

'Tm against this war of aggres­sion against Muslim countries," said retired university professor Ismail Norman, who attended the ral­ly. 'Tm also here to support the US war resisters who are trying to stay in Canada."

Despite the multitude of speeches and placards, the protest was peace­ful and only a few hundred people and 60 police officers attended.

and strengthen the relationship between the students' union, academic clubs and societies and academic dons in residence. By organizing regular meetings, we can ensure that academic societies and aca­demic dons are receiving the most up­to-date information on academic issues, which will benefit all students.

Finally, I am reliable, approachable and honest, all very important quali­ties for a VP Academic. My experience, knowledge and connection to this uni­versity make me the best candidate for the position of VP Academic of your Students' Union. On March 22 & 23,

VOTE ROGER DRINKALL FOR VP ACADEMIC.

Page8

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The Muse is a member of Canadian Untversity Press (CUP). Established in i950 as a succes!lor to the Memorial Times (est. 1936), it distributesu,ooo copies weekly and is published by The A-{use Puolications Inc. The Muse reser\'e~ the.right to edit copy fo~ length, profanity, con!ent, grammatka.l er• · 'fors and material tliafis u.nfairly discritnF . natory or which ccmtravenes Canadian libel · laws. Opinions expressed in The Muse are not necessarily those of the staff, MUNSU, the Board of Directors. or the administ.ra-. tion of~emorfal University: Materia~ within is copyright The Muse and its contributors~ .2006. Permissionls .given for any membex: · CUP paper to re_{.lt:oduce and alter. mated~ ·'11 for publication soJon.ga~ the original ip~ I

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• • 1tor1a

submissions@themuse.ca March 23, 2006

It's hard out here for an outside lane driver The rules of the road are set in place. The rules technically say you can switch lanes whenever there is a dot­ted line. Rules of common courtesy state otherwise.

This is an open letter to all the self­absorbed meatheads who hold them­selves above everyone else. I am talk­ing about those people who forgo the needs and schedules of others in pur­suit of their own agendas - those who try to switch into the busiest lane be­cause they didn't want to wait for the traffic to clear in the one they need­ed to occupy.

It has been witnessed by all of us and performed by those with the big­gest egos. The morning traffic clogs up the turning lane, especially the

right turn lane from Allandale Road onto the parkway. While most of us wait patiently in the slow lane, grind­ing our teeth because we were late, some asshole whizzes by, only to demand our compassion down the road when he wants into the turn­ing lane.

If butting in line is socially unac­ceptable at theatres and cafeterias why do people think it is okay on the road?

I often wonder who would be at fault come a fender-bender. Would it be the guy who was obeying the law in his lane who unfortunately hit the nose of the car trying to edge in? Or, would it be the person dumb enough to hold up traffic down the line for an

if~liiHT Of Hi!NU

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

It's not all in the family rm writing in response to last week's editorial, which accuses the Canadian Federation of Students-N ewfoundland and Labrador of sup­porting certain candidates - specif­ically Stella Magalios and Stephanie Power - in the recent MUNSU elec­tion ("The CFS is CRAP" in Volume 56, Number 21).

Although the editorial is long on accusations, the sole evidence of­fered to support this assertion is that Stella Magalios is my sister . Did I personally hope that Stella would be elected? Sure. She is my ·sister, after all. However, the fact I care about my sister's personal suc­cess in no way constitutes interfer­ence by the Canadian Federation of Students-Newfoundland and Labrador. And it certainly doesn't

mean that any resources from the Federation were directed to her campaign. The Muse owes Stella, Stephanie, and the students who voted for them an apology. Jessica Magalios,

Provincial chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students

Props to Sharan, Lobo rm glad The Muse gave space to the brave initiatives of colleagues Luis Lobo and Anand Sharan ("Two profs file human-rights complaints" in Volume 56, Number 20). And, shame on the other engineering pro­fessors from minority groups who attempted to protect their own ca­reers and to undermine the bravery of Sharan and Lobo. The other engineering professors

upfront pavement position? Drivers in the right lane have it

hard in the winter. Pedestrians get in the way because there are no side­walks and they must walk on the

If butting in line is socially unacceptable at theatres and cafeterias why do people think it is okay on the road?

streets. It is bad enough to have to slow down and inch out a little to maintain the life of another human being when you are in a rush. It is stressful without having to think about the other near-accident that

occurs when someone sticks her nose into your lane because she didn't want to wait in the long line.

It is not the pedestrians' fault. Sure, we like to curse on them, but they have to walk somewhere. They curse drivers when they are splashed and narrowly missed as well. This game of hit-or-miss is elevated by the threat of an impatient driver edg­ing in front of the pedestrian-dodg­ing driver.

Stay in your own lane until a space is available or at least until the public can use the sidewalks again. Safety is more important than getting to work on time after spending 15 minutes in a Tim Hortons lineup.

Angie Barrington

qnu nut nnw Ltnutnn tut 1nwn nr snutu pnuH

WUAT WOULD TOM CRU15E DO?

argue that where visible minority groups are in the majority, as in the engineering faculty, there can be no discrimination. There are a number of problems with this ar­gument.

In Canada, whenever the workers are mainly women or mainly new immigrants or mainly aboriginal people, and the working conditions are poor, that is discrimination in a majority situation. Unfortunately, being in the majority does not save one from persecution. I would like to wish more power to all those who are prepared to public­ly name the discrimination against them. Joan Scott Ph.D.

Retired professor of biology and women's studies

IanFroudea fraud This letter is in response to "Engineers Without Borders sends student to Africa" in Volume 56, Number 21 of

The Muse. As an African, I really get flabber­

gasted at the height of idiocy and pa­tronization exhibited by those liv­ing in their comfort zones in the West who set out to "help" Africa.

The fundraising that was dubbed "Beat the Crap Out of Poverty" was just that - undiluted crap!

What Africa needs to see less of are demonstrations of shameless consum· erism and backpack tourists enjoying fully paid for holidays in the name of helping Africa. Now, if that $6,ooo was to bring in a poor African student to study engineering at MUN, that's what I would call really beating the crap out of poverty.

The only good I can see coming out of Mr Froude's holiday is" destroying the stereotypes ... about Africa" in a world that is determined to see Africa in a negative light.

Believe me, all of you with shallow ideas and good intentions - you need all the luck you can muster and then some!

Incidentally, ifhe already knows about the stereotypes, why does he need a holiday in Ghana in order to change them? Who's kidding whom?

Wanjiru Nderitu

• • 1n1on

March 23, 2006 submissions@themuse.ca

There's a war of the worlds going on in Tom Cruise's head Ever wonder what the Cruiser thinks about at night? You'll be sorry you asked

BY PATRICK SAVARD-WALSH

I used to think hardcore Christians weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer because they believed in a book by an unknown author with no verifiable facts. I've since had a sudden change of heart that's made me love them and want to take them out for ice cream on a summer night.

This newfound love of Christ's fan club doesn't stem from who they are, but from who they're not: Scientologists.

Tom Cruise is probably the first person who just jumped to mind. One of the most famous followers of the Church of Scientology, he likes shout­ing when he's excited, he likes his women 11 years apart (Mimi Rogers, b. 1956; Nicole Kidman, b. 1967; Katie Holmes, b. 1978), but doesn't like South Park very much.

His beef with the show started just before legendary soul musician Isaac Hayes (another out-of-the-clos­et Scientologist) quit his day job as the voice of Chef. Hayes took offence to a recent episode on Scientology in which Stan is believed to be the re­incarnation of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

"There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry to­wards religious beliefs of others be­gins," he said. He probably had a lot on his mind, which explains why he forgot to mention the dozens of times the show poked fun at Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Mormonism that didn't prompt him to quit.

If you don't know much about Scientology, it's not your fault; they're pretty secretive about the whole thing. But, if you're looking for something

Porn -

OH SNAP!

BY ANSHUMAN lDDAMSETTY

Porn gets a bad rap from a lot of folks.

Sure, the word "porno" calls to mind smoking bullet holes when compared to the delicate gossamer wings of its Starbucks-sipping chum "erotica." And sure, there's the ques­tion of whether it reinforces negative attitudes towards women.

But, I'll debate the merits of Knob Gobblers Vol. 1, 2, and 3 later. Now, I'll talk about how porn can help relationships: My significant other doesn't mind me having a stash of nubile bodies just a click away. It's a refreshing concept and one that should apply to every couple.

Like it or not, sex is an active part of everyday life, especially for cou-

hilarious to waste your time on and you're running out of material on Google Video, we strongly recom­mend you look it up on Wikipedia.

I'd go through the details with you, but trust me, there isn't room in this newspaper to describe it properly. In short, the religion was created by sci­ence-fiction writer Hubbard just over 50 years ago and it involves an alien overlord named Xenu who, 75 million years ago, rounded up and froze mem­bers of the overpopulated galaxy he controlled. Once frozen, he shipped them off to Earth in Douglas DC-8 airplanes with rocket engines and dropped them into volcanoes where they died and became brainwashed and confused spirits who eventually entered human bodies, creating un­happiness.

Oh, did we mention it costs mon­ey (a lot of it) to join the Church and move up the ranks of knowledge? And you think we're making this up.

I don't know what's scarier: the fact that more than one person believes this or that this was going through Tom Cruise's head during Jerry Maguire. The keywords here are "sci­ence fiction," "aliens," and "75 million years ago." Oh, and "DC-8s with rock­et engines." And people think Michael Jackson is a weird guy.

Tom Cruise has been crazy for years, so why is this important now? Well, according to MuchMusic.com, Cruise "told Paramount network ex­ecs he'd refuse to promote Mission: Impossible III" unless they forced their subsidiary, Comedy Central, not to re­air the South Park episode.

Now, that's tricky. It seems the Cruiser may be unbalanced, but he knows how to play his cards. To me, it seems pretty outlandish to jeop­ardize the marketing of a multi-bil­lion dollar picture just to stop a car­toon from showing one more time. Arguably, fans will still have a vague idea of Mission: Impossible III with­out Cruise promoting it, but I'm sure the studio isn't really down with the idea.

In all likelihood, Cruise (who credits Scientology for curing his dyslexia and, by the way, who has an entire website dedicated to his mental state - TomCruiselsNuts. com) won't bend and the episode won't air. Still, there's an im­portant lesson to be learned from all this: Psychos with money and power are just the same as regular psychos, except they have money and power.

Imagine one day you publish a book disproving Scientology beyond any doubt, and John Travolta (yes, he's a Hubbard-hump­er too) decides to have you clipped and burn every copy of the book or else he won't do Face/Off 2. What do you think Paramount will say then?

Yet, no matter how many crazy things Tom Cruise says or does (go on Oprah and jump on the couch, do an episode of The Magic School Bus) people will still be dying to know the latest on him and Katie and on what he eats for breakfast. It makes you wonder what the man can't do. -

The key words here are ((science fiction;' ((aliens;' and

Well, for now at least, he can't

((75 million years ago:' Oh, and "DC-8s with rocket engines:'

shut down the Internet. So, go to YouTube.com and search "South Park scientology." The episode is seriously worth watching.

The best thing my Grade 12 earth systems teacher ever did was show us the South Park episode that explains the ridiculousness of the Mormon sto­ry without even having to make fun of it. Now, I think I finally understand why he did that.

Desperate people often cling to any belief that helps them in a time of vulnerability, a sort of automatic response in order to save one's sani­ty. Then, there are the people in the world who exploit them.

South Park actually manages to fight this by using comedy as a form

of education to highlight human ig­norance without preaching (not alien ignorance though, so I guess Xenu is off the hook.)

But what's that? There's a new reli­gion where Jesus and the Beastie Boys suit up in jetpacks to fight Skeletor in an ultimate galactic laser battle? Now it all makes sense! Where do I sign up?

Editor's note: Since writing this ar­ticle, Tom Cruise has won and the epi­sode did not re-air. As well, South Park has said it will air an episode next sea­son called "The Return of Chef," but that Isaac Hayes won't return to voice the love machine. This only makes us want Samuel L. Jackson in the role even more.

it's what's for dinner pies - which complicates the issue when either the sex doesn't cut it or just doesn't happen enough. That's a valid concern for those who can't lace up their Pumas without strum­ming their power chord.

For real, I tried going a week with­out masturbating - I nearly died.

Of course, no one's playing the blame game here. People are busy creatures, so between the grades, jobs, and finding/downloading/ watching porn, who has time to get it on?

Now, even if some people have evolved to go months without sweaty companionship, many others are hampered by the need for some sort of adult entertainment. Call it the bi­ological imperative, call it whatever you want: It all goes back to our col­lective childhoods when we discov­ered our first Playboy or, for some, our first Bi-Way flyer.

Masturbation is nature's smoke break. That normal irritability that comes with the rigours of life is cured thanks to the people behind late night Showcase.

To some, it's even a way to ensure they don't stray too far from their re­lationships. Although, for the sake of this column, I'll assume you IM love songs to each other on an hour­ly basis.

For real, I tried going a week without masturbating - I nearly died

If it is the constant preoccupation some people have with porn that con­cerns you, then trust me, there's no way anyone would ditch his or her partner for a two-dimensional porn star, her lusty neighbor, and a zucchi­ni. They may suggest a new position, true, but no guts, no glory, right?

Your girlfriend isn't going to blow you off for King Dong and your boy­friend isn't going to start crunking and go "skeet, skeet" if you catch him watching City TV's Baby Blue

(attention to his "Li'l Jon" notwith­standing).

And, if someone ever did put a neat stack of wank rags ahead of real sex with a real partner, that person's just asking for a punt in their "area."

What's fascinating is how partic­ular people are with porn. If you in­dulge your significant other's smut­ty ol' time, you just might find out what makes them tick. It's another form of intimacy that's usually over­looked by the Cosmo set. This isn't for everyone, which I respect, but if you're comfortable with the idea of watching porn with a loved one, then go for it.

But, if you do get caught Googling www.InsaneClownPussy.com - sor­ry bro, you've got a lot more than in­timacy issues to fess up.

So, listen up: If you stumble onto porn in your significant other's trash folder, don't freak out - they could be trying to keep the love alive. Oh, snap!

Send your comments on the ben­efits of porn to oh.snap.sexy@gmail. com. I may reply in a haiku.

Page9

MOUTH OFF It's a pretty

boring time on campus, so how

• are you staying entertained?

BY /OHN RIETI AND

PATRICK SAVARD- WALSH

Not being around MUN! Playing computer games like Halo or Half-Life.

I leave campus --and fm listening to Rilo Kiley a

· lot.

Studying a lot-ifs not exactly entertaining.

Masturbation [flexes wrist]. Good ol' top-floor science building~

l

• c1enc

Page 10

e Surge of violence may result from post -traumatic stress: scientist

BY ]ASON NOBLE

Post-traumatic stress disorder has been blamed for an alarming in­crease in elephant attacks on humans in Africa and Asia.

According to National Geographic, about 500 people are killed by ele­phants each year.

Elephants have been reported storming villages, blocking road­ways, and trampling people to death in countries including Uganda, Kenya, and India.

lhis is atypical behaviour for the usually gentle giants. Attacks on vil­lages are not new, but never before have they been reported with such fre­quency, severity, and malice.

The violence has also been direct­ed to other species, such as rhinocer­os, and other elephant breeds.

Food and space are plentiful to the decimated elephant populations, so the attacks are not likely due to com-

science@themuse.ca

ants oa

NICHOLAS LANGOR

Elephants might look innocent, but if you stress them out you better watch your back.

petition for survival. Rather, the vio­lence is thought to result from ven­geance and emotional distress.

"Recent interdisciplinary research

has revealed that all vertebrates share the same underlying structures and mechanisms that dictate properties once considered uniquely human: cul-

es it ture, personality, language, and emo­tions," reads a paper by scientists Gary Bradshaw and Allan Schore.

"Stress, trauma, and other social disruptions - what biomedical re­search has identified as having pro­found influences on human psycholo­gy, physiology, and behaviour - holds for other social animals such as ele­phants," they write.

Elephants have been the target of human violence for decades. The ex­pansion of human society has severely encroached on elephant habitat, and huge numbers of elephants have been killed illegally for their ivory tusks. Since the early 1900s, elephant popu­lations in Africa have dropped from 10

million to a mere half-million. But researchers blame disruption

of elephant society, not merely de­clining numbers, for so-called "ele­phant rage."

Elephants are very intelligent crea­tures with huge memories and a pro­found attachment to family. lheir cu­riosity, bonding, and even complex social interactions like discipline and role-modeling are strikingly similar to human behaviours. Like humans, el­ephants can fall into states of depres­sion and anger if their communities are damaged.

March 23, 2006

Scientists believe recent destructive rampages are due to trauma caused by human violence earlier in life, similar to the human condition of post-trau­matic stress disorder (PTSD), which can affect war veterans, rape victims, and other trauma survivors.

Many now-violent elephants wit­nessed the deaths of family members or were separated from the herd at an early age. In the many cases where the matriarch of the herd was killed, the elephants were deprived of the moth­erly wisdom and patience that would have taught them socially acceptable behaviour.

These orphans were raised by "teen­aged mothers" lacking experience and knowledge, resulting in a generation of delinquents.

Dr Felicity de Zulueta is a trauma therapist who grew up in Uganda with a pet orphaned elephant.

She believes that a major cause of PTSD in humans is failure to bond with parents or other caretakers, and that similar circumstances can cause PTSD in elephants as well.

"Prematurely separating an ele­phant from the family tribe will have very powerful effects in terms of the attachment system," she said. "One of these effects would be aggression."

·Tap your keyboard- no, not like that New website identifies songs by keyboard taps last September, cu rrently has over

12,000. The site is growing in pop­ularity, mostly by word of mouth through various Internet forums and biogs.

BY EARL TAPIA

BURNABY, B.C. (CUP) - Three Simon Fraser University students have turned a school project into a valuable web resource that allows people to find the name of a song without having to sing or hum the tune.

Called the Song Tapper, it works by asking a person to tap the rhythm of a song on their spacebar and match­ing that rhythm to the appropriate

song on its database. People can add rhythms to the database so that new songs can be looked up.

According to Geoff Peters, one of the creators of the website, most people first try familiar songs such as Christmas carols or "Happy Birthday," and even themes from movies and games, such as the Super Mario Bros theme.

The first version of the site had about 30 songs in its database - the latest version, which came online

Now the site gets from 3,000 to as many as 20,000 visits a day, and has been mentioned in several arti­cles and publications, as well as on a BBC radio show.

Peters, along with co-creators Caroline Anthony and Michael Schwartz, were asked to present the Song Tapper concept at a major con­ference in Pittsburgh, where it was

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met with enthusiasm from many people.

Other possible uses for the Song Tapper concept include things such as a children's toy ball that replays a tune when the appropriate rhythm is tapped, or a more sophisticated "clapper" mechanism that could ac­tivate various functions around the household, such as turning differ­ent appliances on or off depending on the rhythm.

"You could call someone on your cellphone by just using the key­tone rhythm matched to a particu-

lar number, or on cellphones with a microphone, you could just tap on the dashboard to make the appro­priate rhythm," said Peters. Despite the many possible applications for the technology, it has not yet been patented.

For now, Peters, who is also an ac­complished jazz pianist, has some ideas for the future of the website. "It's really not that big of a site, so it would be easy to get some friends to translate it to other languages. Then people could add and search for songs from their native language."

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March 23, 2006

For Rent SPACIOUS THREE-BDRM apt with

one room available, 16 Diana Road. f/s, w/d, dishwasher, microwave. Fully furnished, elevated deck over­looking backyard, new windows, carpet throughout. High-speed Internet. Bedroom comes with a single bed and a brand new com­puter desk. Call Melissa at 683-5625.

BACHELOR APT AVAILABLE im­mediately. Heat and light includ­ed. Hardwood floors, private en­trance, parking, garden. Light cooking. 10-minute walk to Village Mall and near bus routes. $375. Call 368-6106, 743-5050, or 691-2235 af­ter 6:00 pm.

TWO-BDRM BASEMENT apt. Paved driveway allows parking for one car. Close to bus route, f/s included, w/d hookup. Call 738-1073 to view.

SHARE TWO-BDRM APT on Cook St. Around $400 for everything. Includes: rent, heat/hot water, light, cable, high-speed Internet, phone, w/d, f/s, off-street parking, back­yard. Contact Karen at k.fennell@ nf .sympatico.ca and call 728-4669 or 579-1164. Leave a message.

ONE ROOM IN FOUR-BDRM house located on Gloucester St. $250 with h/I, w/d, and dishwasher included. 1/4 on ca­ble, phone, and high-speed Internet. Parking space available, on bus

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route, 5-minute walk to Marine Institute. Must be pet-friendly and mature. Call Sherry at 726-3998 or 709-468-0319.

ROOMMATE WANTED: Someone to share a spacious four-bdrm house with three other people. Fully fur­nished except for bedroom. Wire­less Internet hookup. 10-minute walk from MUN and the Avalon Mall. $237 plus 1/4 utilities. Con­tact Terri at 687-7329 or terri lynn2003@hotmail.com and Wanda at 743-4118 or wandapeddle660@ho­tmail.com.

For Sale 2001 GRAND AM SE, 135,000 kms,

fully loaded, keyless entry, bug de­flector, speiler. $5,500. 747-4462 or 690-5989.

NEED PASSPORT PICTURES? Studio-quality prints. Six pictures for $10. Phone 579-2475 or e-mail moon0712@ho­tmail.com.

2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM. Fully loaded. Excellent condition inside and out. 6 cyl. Power steering, pew­er brakes, pewer locks, power win­dows, power mirrors, a/c, tilt, AM/ FM, CD, cruise control, pewer driv­er's seat, remote entry, trunk re­lease, driving lights, rear spoiler. Studded winter and all-season tires. Licensed until August 2006. $11,500 ono. Must sell! 728-8651.

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HP DESKJET 3845 colour printer with USB cord and black ink cartridge. $50 ono. Call Kate at 749-9200 ore­mail kate@bramopt.com.

COMPAQ PRESARIO 2180CA LAPTOP. AMO Mobile A th Ion XP 2400+, 60 gig hard drive, 15" XGA TFT monitor, DVD/CD-R, flop­py, 56k modem, 802.llb wireless card, two USB, wireless mouse, and Microsoft Office installed, $700 ono, ryaniarman@gmail.com.

SINGLE BOXSPRING and mattress, in very good condition, asking $100. 722-3759, ask for Keri.

Wanted THE PEACE-A-CHORD needs co-or­

dinators to organize this year's fes­tival. For more information go to www.peaceachord.org or e-mail info@peaceachord.org.

VOLUNTEER HELP WANTED: Contributing writers, pho­tographers. Please contact info@womansvoice.ca or www. womansvoice.ca.

Clubs and Societies PAGAN SOCIETY OSTARA (Spring

equinox) ritual and potluck, Thursday, March 23, GSU board­room, Feild Hall. Doors open at 5:30 pm, ritual starts 6:00 pm. Please contact Anne (b05apl@mun.ca or 739-8666) by 4:00 pm Thursday for info on what to bring and how to

find the room.

CHI ALPHA Christian Fellowship holds weekly services and socials on Fridays, starting at 7:30 pm in ED-1020. Everyone's welcome! For more info visit www.chialpha.ca.

For Interest STUDY MEDICINE in Europe. WWW.

medical-school.ca. Contact canad­min@medical-school.ca.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Volunteer overseas with Youth Challenge International on a hands-on devel­opment project for five - 12 weeks. Ready to go next month? This sum­mer? Visit www.yci.org to find out more.

LUNCH SEMINARS with Dr Veith. A DVD presentation lecture series with Dr Veith on health and nutri­tion. March 7 - April 6, Tuesdays and Thursdays in SN-2105, 12:00 pm -12:50 pm. Everyone welcome.

REFLECTION TIME. Current events examined from the scriptures. Every Sunday, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm. On CHMR 93.5 FM.

HOUSESITTER AVAILABLE. Graduate student available for housesitting for July and August. Mature, responsible, tidy. Call Tomasz at 722-3430 or e-mail tom. mrozewski@utoronto.ca.

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in length. Has a tag which says "ANTA: Handmade in Scotland." Lost on Friday, March 10, between 5:50 pm and 7:10 pm in ladies' bath­room across from the combat room in the phys-ed building. The scarf has great sentimental value, it is unique, and it cannot be replaced. If found or discovered or seen please return it to The Works' front desk or e-mail s lewis _ simpson@hot­mail.com. Reward offered.

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Pets sometimes seem human, but don't dump all your friends for a feline yet

BY JUANITA KING

At some point in your life, you've likely had a pet. It may have been a domesticated cat, a wild rabbit you tamed, or even an on line N eopet -the variety of animals that humans have domesticated throughout his­tory is broad.

Though many people feed their pets, sleep in the same bed with them, and love them, they remain unaware of their subtleties that have become a part of regular human-an­imal bonding.

Historically, families domesticat­ed animals to help out around the house. Dogs were kept for herding and tracking, while cats were used for killing mice or rats. In the past, the majority of cats were kept out­side whereas today most cats are kept indoors and are considered a part of the family.

The bond between humans and an­imals has even interested scientists in recent years; there are a growing number of research institutions look­ing at the potential benefits. Research

has shown that having a pet helps to relieve stress. Whether it's a cute cat or a creepy-crawly tarantula, pets are no longer just beasts of burden.

Pet personalities

Everyone who has a pet can describe its personality. Some Memorial stu­dents who have pets have described them in a variety of ways, much like the way we describe our friends. Students have described their pets, which were mostly dogs, as lazy, hun­gry, people-loving treat mongers, proud, sooky, jealous, and persis­tent. There was also an interesting description of a Memorial student's pet bird: "[An] angry son-of-a-bitch who attacks me, and only me, at any opportunity - even when I saved it one time."

Whether the descriptions are en­dearing or not, everyone can de­scribe their pets with these familiar, humanlike qualities. But Memorial biology professor Ted Miller warns that anthropomorphism - describ­ing animals in these terms - is not a good idea.

"If you use words that basically de­scribe what we use to interpret and often judge human behaviour, we're not doing a service in science," he said.

Still, people can't help but talk

feature

You may think you know everything about your pet. But, as this feisty feline shows, animal behaviour may not always be black-and­white. This cat is having an identity crisis, acting like the dog he grew up with. An animal's

. environment plays a big part in its .......,__....._..,.........,..._ ......... ._.....-'--....__ __ _; . ...__ ___ ___;...__ ____ ~::.::c....------------..J personalitv.

ANGIE BARRINGTON .. ] '

about their pet with humanlike qual­ities. Categorizing pet behaviour has led to a lot of controversy in recent years over whether or not some pop­ular pets should be banned.

"Some non-humans are just op­timistic all the time and some are not," said Rita Anderson, a Memorial psychology professor. "But, certainly how you're going to look at the world, and respond to the things in it, is go­ing to depend very heavily upon what experiences you've had."

While many experts say that pet behaviour has a lot to do with na­ture, they do emphasize the impor­tance of the type of environment an animal is raised in.

Other people, including St John's Mayor Andy Wells, might disagree. Wells is interested in banning certain breeds of dogs, such as Rottweilers and pit bulls, because some of these dogs are known to be aggressive. Anderson argues an animal's behav­iour has much to do with the way it is raised, so from that perspective a ban on certain breeds does not make sense.

Some St John's citizens who own these dogs argue for stricter regula­tions on dog ownership, no matter what the breed. Giving fines to irre­sponsible owners and banning them from owning pets are some alterna­tives. Still, pet bans remain a con­troversial issue in the realm of pet

behaviour.

Pet talk

Every living species has a language or a method of communication.

Anderson says that there has been recent research on how dogs com­municate: "Until fairly recently, peo­ple were just talking about barking as noise .... Now we're beginning to re­alize that's not true. They're saying there is communication there."

"The type of bark that you make depends on the context that you're in," she said. "There are play barks and there are aggressive barks [and] there are Tm alone and I don't like it' barks."

Most experts emphasize having a positive and responsive attitude to­ward animals as a way to understand them better.

"Certainly if you have a high-en­ergy dog and you try to treat it like a couch potato, you're going to get trouble. So, being sensitive to the ac­tivity level that they need ... obvi­ously that has to be important," said Anderson.

Owning a pet

Owning a pet can be a very rewarding experience for both the pet and the

owner. However, too often the nov­elty of having a pet wears off and the responsibility can be stressful if you are unprepared.

Firstly, unless you can afford to properly take care of an animal -which not only means providing food, but also veterinary care - then having a pet is not a good idea. But, when de­ciding what kind of pet to have, con­sidering your own needs, habits, and schedule is essential. If you are usual­ly at the library cramming, then low­maintenance pets like fish or even Neopets are a better idea than a dog, which requires a lot of attention.

Consider what sorts of qualities you would like in a pet as well. "A lot of things that favourite pets offer cer­tainly are humanlike in some quali­ties, like touchability, warmth, [and] affection," said Miller.

Still, some people prefer pets that are less affectionate and more enter­taining.

"A lot of people go for things like pets, but they're more like exotic pets. I guess maybe they're more like ob­jects, like a stamp collection, because you can't really get close to wolf spi­ders and lizards like you can to dogs and cats," said Miller.

Choosing the right pet for your needs is important, but keep in mind that the pet might also like to have an owner who provides for its needs as well.

11res 1emuse.ca

CANADA JUST CAN~T COMPETE WHEN IT COMES TO COLOURFUL POLITICIANS

BY SIGNY HOLMES

WINNIPEG (CUP) - There's some­thing wrong with Canadian politics. It's not the identity crisis, it's not the allegations of government corruption - it's something far, far worse.

Canadian politics are boring. They lack a certain je ne sais quoi. Even our scandals, plentiful as they may seem, are dull.

When Belinda Stronach crossed the floor and joined the Liberal par­ty in 2005, Alberta Conservative MP Tony Abbott referred to the defection as "whor[ing] herself out for power" and Ontario Conservative MP Bob Runciman did her the non-favour of calling her "a dipstick - an attractive one, but still a dipstick."

These misogynistic insults came under fire from the media and so did comments made later that year by Liberal MP Scott Reid, in which he criticized the Conservative Party's plan to directly provide families with $1,200 a year for child care. While on CBC News: Sunday, he said that the government shouldn't "give people 25 bucks a week to blow on beer and popcorn."

Despite these comments, which have gotten the MPs into serious trouble, Canadians are still babes in the woods when it comes to the art of inappropriate quips and political insults. Politicians from around the world have said far worse - or done much better, depending on whether you find these comments offensive or entertaining.

Land down under

Take Australia. With such colourful terms as "budgie smugglers" (a men's bathing suit) and "brown-eyed mul­let" (a turd floating in the ocean) in their vocabulary, we shouldn't be sur­prised if Australian politicians some­times express themselves a little more colourfully than we're used to here in the Great White North.

Although there are differences, the Australian government is run in a manner similar to the Canadian sys­tem. There is a Speaker of the House, called "Mr Speaker," who keeps or­der. The MPs are expected to refer to each other as "the leader of the oppo­sition" or "the honourable member for Bennelong." Interjections are frowned upon to keep things from getting too personal.

At least that's the theory. Despite the apparent similarities,

certain Australians seem to have rath­er unique ideas when it comes to what's appropriate under these guidelines -a point of view we "polite" Canadians might have difficulty understanding.

Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating, who brought his sharp tongue to Parliament in one capacity or another from 1969 until 1996, was infamous for his acidic commentary.

When referring to current Prime Minister John Howard, then-Leader of the Opposition Keating has pulled out such gems as "a dead carcass, swing­ing in the breeze" and "the brain-dam-

aged leader of the opposition." Keating also managed to change

the job description for the Speaker of the House from "august politician" to something more along the lines of "kindergarten teacher." Not only was the Speaker required to chasten Keating and others on a regular ba­sis, he had to deal with tattling of the worst sort.

Once, Keating waved off opposi­tion doubts on the severity of the def­icit with the officious remark, "Look, George, you have trouble balancing your own cheque book; don't talk about the budget." After which he im­plored the Speaker, "Mr Speaker, can I have some protection from the clowns on the front bench?"

You can almost see the pained winc­ing as their beloved Mr Speaker pops another migraine pill.

Other Keating gems include "stuck pigs," "intellectual hoboes," "irrele­vant, useless, and immoral," "mind­less, useless, idealistic, unprincipled,'' "gutless spiv," "political carcass with a coat and tie on,'' and his insistence that "the opposition crowd could not raffle a chook in a pub."

Not exactly something you'd follow up with an "Oh snap!" After all, some of those aren't even words.

In the Mother Country

Australia may take a devil-may-care approach to politics, but we choose to model our government on that staunch noble prototype: England. With ori­gins dating back to 1265, British poli­ticians have a respect for the gravity of their very serious work. Maintaining a stiff upper lip at all times, they car­ry the weight of history on their re­sponsible shoulders.

Then, there's Winston Churchill. Churchill did have his serious side

- after all, he led the country through World War II - but that's not what we're concerned with here. Where Keating lashed out, Churchill would set you up and shoot for the kill. Take this lengthy assault from the House of Commons in 1931:

"I remember, when I was a child, be­ing taken to the celebrated Barnum's circus, which contained an exhibi­tion of freaks and monstrosities, but the exhibit ... I desired most to see was the one described as The Boneless Wonder. My parents judged that the spectacle would be too revolting and demoralizing for my youthful eyes and I have waited 50 years to see The Boneless Wonder sitting on the Treasury bench."

Churchill was known for his quick comebacks and clever remarks. Two of the most famous comebacks of all time are attributed to him.

Lady Nancy Astor may have thought she was getting one over Churchill when she remarked, "Winston, if you were my husband, rd poison your tea." Churchill wasn't having any of that, though, and fired back with, "Nancy, if you were my wife, I'd drink it."

Elizabeth Braddock made a simi­lar mistake when she told him he was drunk. We'll never know if she recov-

ered from being told "and you, mad­am, are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober."

Just a good ol' boy

Now there's the spunk we need to spice up the political scene. Just imagine if, during the most recent election campaign, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper had engaged in an elaborate verbal battle where the terms "cor­porate trollop" and "American lap­monkey" were tossed around more of­ten, and Jack Layton had challenged Gilles Duceppe to pistols at dawn. Could have done marvels for voter turnout.

Our neighbours down south had a little pistol incident in 1804, when Aaron Burr, the third vice-president of the United States, shot and killed Alexander Hamilton, the nation's first secretary of the Treasury, in a duel to the death. Oops.

Then, or so Canadian legend goes, there was the time US president Lyndon Johnson grabbed our beloved little Prime Minister Lester Pearson by the collar, shook him, and yelled, "Dammit, Les, you pissed on my rug!" after Pearson spoke in Philadelphia in support of a negotiated settlement to the Vietnam War.

As good as it gets

Well Canada, don't despair. Maybe our politicians haven't been very witty in their faux pas, maybe our scandals just aren't as fun as they could be, and yes, maybe politics could use a little spicing up. But there are rays of hope sprin­kled through Canada's history.

We still giggle and point at Pierre Trudeau's pirouette behind the Queen and we practically went into a nation­al seizure when he was accused of tell­ing Conservative MP John Lundrigan to "fuck off."

Of course, we couldn't very well have a national uproar involving the word "fuck," so we Canadian-ed it down to "fuddle duddle." Trudeau was grilled in a press conference over whether or not he moved his lips and what he was thinking when he did so. The official Hansard transcript of that parliamentary session records his words as "fuddle duddle," either be­cause the reporter couldn't hear what Trudeau said or his sensibilities were so offended that he chose a more del­icate term.

Hell, Prime Minister Mackenzie King talked to the spirit of his dog. Odds are there's plenty of kook and eccentricity lurking in those politi­cal minds of today, just waiting to be unleashed.

With a new government and some bad blood between it and the official opposition, maybe things will finally come to a head and we'll get some good old-fashioned fisticuffs in Parliament, just as it should be.

More likely, we'll just carry on as we always have - a verbal slip-up here and there, quickly crushed by pub­lic outcry.

March 23, 2006

FAMOUS

HARSH WORDS

''Fuck off'' -Former Canadian Prime Minister

Pierre Trudeau's alleged words to Conservative MP John Lundrigan

''Datntnit, Les, you pissed on tny rug!''

-Former American President Lyndon B. Johnston to former

Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson after Pearson spoke in

Philadelphia in support of a negoti­ated settlement to the Vietnam War

" ... And you, mad­am, are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober."

-Sir Winston Churchill to Elizabeth Braddock after she commented that

he was drunk

"[Belinda Stronach is] a dipstick - an attractive one, but still a dipstick." -Conservative MP Bob Runciman on

Belinda Stronach after her crossing of the floor

"Look, George, you have trouble balancing your own cheque book; don't talk about the budget."

-Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating waving off opposition

doubts on the severity of his govern­ment's deficit

... '

Page 14

National festival hits St John's this summer, showcasing the best in Canadian theatre

BY ASHLEY FITZPATRICK

Newfoundland theatre has blossomed over the past few years. Now, the rest of Canada gets to really understand the work coming from the province with the Magnetic North Theatre Festival.

Magnetic North, first held in 2003,

has quickly become one of the pre­miere events in the Canadian calen­dar. The festival presents the best con­temporary theatre productions from across the country. Each year Magnetic North is on the move, spending one year in Ottawa and moving to another Canadian cultural centre the next.

This year, Magnetic North will be in St John's and the festival, set to run from June 28 to July 8, is already cre­ating a stir.

Organizers for the festival are al­ready busy. The official launch for Magnetic North 2006 was held on

Tuesday at the Petro-Canada Hall. One of the shows announced is al­

ready being buzzed as a "must-see." Bigger than Jesus is a one-man show performed by Rick Miller and direct­ed by Daniel Brooks. Brooks is known for having directed some of the most talked about shows in recent memo­ry, including Daniel Maclvor's Cul-de­Sac and John Mighton's Half Life, the Governor General's Literary Award winner which played at the festival in 2005.

Side-by-side with these names are the major Newfoundland artists who have represented the province in past festivals. The festival has formerly in­cluded readings and performances, for example, of Andy Jones' To the Wall and King O' Fun, Berni Stapleton's 1he Pope and Princess Di, and Robert Chafe's Tempting Providence. Chafe has, in fact, attended the festival ev­ery year since its inception and he

arts@themuse.ca

is excited to see the festival come to Newfoundland.

He points out that the festival will be a great way to give local artists high-profile exposure. It's the type of exposure, as Chafe notes, that has al­lowed for greater recognition oflocal work in recent years.

"For many years there wasn't much work coming out of Newfoundland," says Chafe, pointing to the difficulties in touring projects off the island. "But now there's been more effort in getting Newfoundland out there."

The recent exposure has created a great amount of interest nationally in "the strong theatre tradition and theatre community here." Of course, despite this national interest, the dif­ficulties in touring remain. This is per­haps why the 2006 Magnetic North festival is gearing up to be such a fab­ulous frenzy, with local artists having a rare chance to show the full spec­trum of talent residing here.

Aside from the major productions, the festival offers shows for children and discussions with the artists; it

also showcases plenty of new and lo­cal projects.

One way the festival encourages new talent is through its Magnetic Words competition. First started at the 2005 festival, the competition calls for young writers, particularly those who may have never before consid­ered writing for the stage, to try their hand at creating a short 10-minute play. The deadline for this year's com­petition has been extended until the end of March and is open to all stu­dents. The three winners chosen from the competition will receive a session with a professional dramaturge and a reading of their play by profession­al actors.

Also in order to highlight local tal­ent, the festival has teamed with the Resource Center for the Arts to pro­duce the Fridge Late Night series. The Fridge series shows will include a number of performances by local groups and individuals, each up to 30 minutes in length. Every night will have a guest host and a guest musician to keep the evening moving.

March 23, 2006

BAKHTIYAR PEER

It is perhaps fitting for the festi­val to have found a home in St John's, considering its new title as Cultural Capital of Canada for 2006 accord­ing to Heritage Canada. It is believed that it is, in fact, the city's cultural val­ue and its strong sense of communi­ty that are attracting early interest in tickets. While the relative isolation ofliving on an island may be a detri­ment to local artists looking to tour, it has proven to be a unique draw for mainland interest.

"A lot of people are terribly excited to come here," notes Chafe, suggesting that many theatre professionals may have even skipped the last Magnetic North festival in Ottawa just to be able to attend the festival in St John's. "I think it's going to attract a lot of people."

Magnetic North is produced by the Canadian Theatre Festival Society and co-presented by the National Arts Centre English Theatre. To contact the festival or to find out ticket informa­tion, check out the festival website at: www.magneticnorthfestival.ca.

- -- -~--------~~---~-~---

March 23, 2006 Arts & Culture Page 15

so revo ution V for Vendetta Starring Hugo Weaving, Natalie

Portman, and William Hurt Warner Bros Rated 14A

BY ANSHUMAN lDDAMSETTY

"Ideas are bulletproof," quotes V - the titular masked man - in a violent set piece that pits the political vigilante against an onslaught of bullets. It's one of the core themes in V for Vendetta, a stylish film adaptation of the influen­tial comic series of the same name.

Published as a single graphic nov­el by DC Comics on its "mature read­ers" imprint Vertigo, the original was written by comics' auteur Alan Moore (creator of such groundbreak­ing work as Watchmen and Promethea) and drawn by seasoned 2099AD vet David Lloyd.

V for Vendetta tells of a dys~opic fu­ture England where social catastrophe has led the country into Orwellian fas­cism. In an effort to m_aintain "free­dom," the UK has reverted into a total­itarian state where ethnic minorities, homosexuals, and the rebellious are all targeted for eradication. The streets of this New Britain are filled with spy cameras, propaganda posters, and Gestapo-esque goons, while the rich remain comfortable as the shrinking middle-class lead disturbing half-lives - all in the name of security.

In the midst of this terror comes a mysterious hero (Hugo Weaving), a cloaked man sporting a porcelain mask in the wry image of Guy Fawkes. Calling himselfV, this figure begins a plan to overthrow the current govern­ment, even if it requires taking lives. The first step involves saving a young woman who is forced to pimp herself out for money. This girl, Evey (Natalie Portman), features greatly in V's plans and becomes a force to be reckoned with in the series' harrowing conclu­sion.

The book charts a labyrinthine plot

in its 10-issue run that is part adven­ture story, part gripping mystery, and part political critique. One by one, fragments dovetail to add more to V's gradual decimation of the ruling par­ty. The ingenious political discussion found in the book's pages are matched only by the grand machinations of V - a master plan terrifying both in its scope and detail.

But, the adaptation penned by the Wachowski Brothers (the team behind the half-hearted Matrix trilogy) is not as groundbreaking as its source mate­rial. Although it's a stylish and exceed­ingly competent reworking, the movie falls flat for those who've read Moore's masterwork. It's a fantastic bit of eel-

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luloid, but one that seems neutered for the lowest common denominator.

Changes are everywhere and they're baffling since they serve no real pur­pose. For example, Evey is not a des­perate call girl but an overworked temp for a government-sponsored broadcasting station (I hear prosti­tutes aren't cool with audiences - sor­ry Pretty Woman). Her introduction to the enigmatic V - an early highpoint in the comic that solidifies his motives and violent nature - is instead played terribly hokey.

Unnecessary additions also dilute the effectiveness of the movie's plot, as very-North American hot topics are forced into this view of neo-Britain, in-

eluding evil CEOs,. a contagious virus, and shadowy pharmaceutical compa­nies. Key points such as the origin ofV are glossed over when they should be the film's focus. As a result, V comes off as just a gruff antihero with a re­venge complex, not the brilliant force of nature from the comic.

The conclusion is also completely different and, though it works well in the film, it's disheartening from the comic reader's perspective.

These issues only address those who have read Moore's graphic novel. As a film in its own right, V for Vendetta is a stellar achievement. The look of the film is wonderful, with crisp co­lours and eye-catching set design.

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Across the board, the acting is solid and believable (minus the cartoonish William Hurt as Chancellor Sutler). The film juggles depravity with com­edy and emotion in a way The Matrix films could only dream of. It's actual­ly a testament to the Wachowski script that such broad ideas are all brought together in a mere two hours.

But for admirers of the series, the movie loses its teeth - that edge that force V to begin his campaign for freedom in the first place. The film is still a success. It's a lush, intelligent movie that betrays its Matrix 2.0 spe­cial effects with conviction and heart. Go see the movie, then pick up the graphic novel for the entire story.

-

Page 16

u She's The Man Starring Amanda Bynes, David Cross,

and Channing Tatum Dream Works Rated PG

BY ADAM RIGGIO

In terms of cross-dressing high-school movies, She's The Man is a consider­able artistic leap from the Shawn and Marlon Wayans vehicle White Chicks. Despite this very dubious praise, She's The Man is a decent flick.

The plot, loosely based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, revolves around a brilliant high-school soc­cer player named Viola (Amanda Bynes) whose women's team is cut by their overly coiffed and rather sex­ist coach.

With something to prove to both her idiot coach and her ex-boyfriend, she takes the most obvious step -pretending to be her twin brother Sebastian and enrolling in his rival high school when he secretly flies to London with his band.

00 s She's The Man breaks ground in the transgender teenage comedy .· genre.

Bynes' roommate Duke (Channing Tatum) is the star player at Illyria High, a hunky piece of man-meat who feigns awkward around wom­en. Their long, complicated, gender­ben~ing, romantic falling-into-each­other is inevitable, given the target audience of the movie, and it is amus-

Arts & Culture

•

1 ea

ing to watch. The movie is charming, whimsical,

and the humour is terribly awkward. Given that the plot revolves around Bynes falling in love with a man while herself pretending to be a man in a status-conscious and likely quite ho­mophobic boarding school, this is not

a surprising.

The story consists of a growing number of increasingly outlandish set pieces. Bynes' constant role-chang­ing from Viola to faux-Sebastian dur­ing a town carnival sequence is prob­ably the most hilarious. Its fast pace and Bynes' desperation to keep her scheme from unravelling makes this a 10-minute farce to be reckoned with. The rest of She's The Man should have had a similar tone, but just misses the mark.

However, some of the dialogue was absolutely excruciating to listen to, largely because several key scenes were too uncertain in tone. It was as if the actors and crew were unable to figure out how best to mix humour, awk­wardness, strangeness, and sincerity. Some conversations should be played for laughs, while some shouldn't, and the movie-makers in many cas­es weren't sure exactly what to do. It makes the tone of many sequences veer more towards the uncomfort­able than they should.

The only really consistent actor

March 23, 2006

in She's The Man is David Cross as Principal Gold. Wandering around the movie like some kind of dement­ed Ned Flanders, he brings an atmo­sphere of welcome absurdity to char­acters who often take themselves too seriously.

Despite rarely being sure of what exact tone to carry, Bynes is in good form, performance-wise. Tatum, how­ever, is not. His character is a typically angsty teen, but he's not convincingly so, overdoing his emotional moments. Only one scene between Bynes and Tatum is truly perfect in pitch, and it 's a pity he couldn't carry that tone through the rest of his role.

Also of note is the Illyria soccer coach, played by Hertfordshire's own Vinnie Jones in the same manner as his character from Snatch. Jones deliv­ers the line that is, perhaps, the moral centre of this movie, confronting the metrosexual coach who turned down Viola for the team because she was fe­male. He barks, in his thick northern English accent, "Here at Illyria, we do not discriminate based on gen-dah!"

55 glimpses into reality BY KAYLA WALTERS

Kilter: 55 Fictions By John Gould Turnstone Press, 2003

I have often wondered how short­story writers condense their visions into pieces ofliterature no longer than 50 pages. Most authors have trouble keeping the length of their stories un­der 200 pages, but John Gould, author of Kilter, does it in four pages or less.

WHEN

H&R BLOCK

Personally, I have never been the biggest fan of short stories. I usual­ly require stories to have a sufficient amount of character development and an in-depth plot - aspects often han­dled better in full-length novels than in the short format. But, with Kilter, I was pleasantly surprised.

Gould's collection was nominat­ed for the Giller Prize in 2003 and af­ter reading "Two Things Together" - his first story - it's easy to under­stand why.

All the stories offer a brief glimpse into the lives of 55 ordinary people, ali of whom experience some form of transformation. Gould writes about a father struggling to understand his teenage son, a woman trying to fig­ure out the identity of her murdered brother, and a dead man who strug­gles with the fact that he did not leave a suicide note.

Ultimately, these stories look at the alienation and relationships of fam­ily members, lovers, and strangers,

and the way simple connections can transform.

Unlike some short stories that end abruptly and leave the reader won­dering what happened next, the sto­ries in Kilter are written clearly and in such a manner that no explana­tions are needed. The situations are very ordinary, but the way in which Gould forms his characters, ideas, and themes leaves the reader compelled and satisfied.

Kilter is a great read for anyone on

the run. With all the stories ranging from two to four pages long, you can read one on the bus, between class­es, and even during the commercial breaks of your favourite TV show. Just watch out - Gould's writing is addictive; you might not be able to read just one.

If short stories are your thing, pick up a copy of Lisa Moore's Open (House of Anansi, 2002) or Alice Munro's Runaway (McClelland & Stewart, 2004).

Students, let H&R Block do your taxes for $29.951 and you can enter for a chance to win a CD library.* Get great value and a chance to win some great new music featuring artists like Jack Johnson and Hawthorne Heights. Walk in with your taxes, walk out with money plus a chance to win, today at H&R Block.

Go to rockwithblock.ca for more information.

Come in today or call 1-8 - c tTo qualify, student must present either (i) a T2202a document ing 4 or more months of full time attendance at a college or university during 2005 or (ii) a valid high school ident ification card. Expires June 30, 2006. Valid only at participat ing H&R Block locat ions in Canada. *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Purchase of H&R Brock products or services will not increase your chances of winning. To play without purchase, see official rules. Odds of w inning vary based on participation. Begins 316106 and ends 5/1 S/06. Open to legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec residen~s) who are 1 ~ or o lder and were f ull -time students for four or more mont hs during 2005 at a h igh school, college or university in eit her St. John's, Newfoundland, Sydney, Nova Scot ia, Fredericton, New Brunswick or Sudbury, Ontario. Skill testing question required for award of prizes. There will be 4 random draws to award 5 prizes each for a total of 20 prizes. Each draw will consist of the eligible entnes of full-time students attending high school, college or university in one of t he following cities: St . John's, Newfoundland; Sydney, Nova Scotia, Fredericton. New Brunswick; and Sudbury, Ontario. Participation subject to official rules available at www.rockwithblock.ca Void in Quebec and where prohibit ed.

March 23, 2006

Adair The Destruction

of Everything is the Beginning of Something New

Warcon Records Emocore

BY PATRICK SAVARD-WALSH

Chances are you've never heard of Adair. I'm pretty much in control of whether you pick up this album.

I could tell you how the guitarist has a half-shaved head, while the other half of his hair is combed over to curl just under his chin. Now, nine out of 10 of you want nothing to do with them.

But I won't do that, because basing a band's musical talent on their fash­ion is childish at best. So, forget what I just said.

Instead, I'll mention the few things that are bugging me, like the heart sym­bol on the back of the sleeve with a hand holding a dagger in it. If you're sad (or psychotic), express it in your music, not with emoticons.

And, the drummer's arms have an amazing amount of hair on them. Now, I by no means have a baby-arsed body, but this guy's dad must have been a rug. I don't know if I want all those extra testosterone fibres interfering with the ton;ility of my percussion-listening ex­perience.

The entire question of whether or not you should listen to this band can be abridged to this: If you are vaguely familiar with Story of the Year, you will probably like Adair.

Download: "The Beginning of Something New (City of Hope)"

~~ ~ · · ~

NekoCase Fox Confessor Brings

The Flood Anti Country/Bluegrass

B+ BY MARK CLUETT

Neko Case's voice has improved with each album she makes. The first time I heard her was on The New

Pornographers' Mass Romantic, and though fundamentally good, it was still a little screechy for my tastes. But, Blacklisted, and the live disc The Tigers Have Spoken surprised me in how the lady's pipes matured.

She sounds her best, however, on Fox Confessor Brings 1he Flood. Not as honky-tonk country as some would prefer - the album isn't CMT and tap­pin' the rockies with a Coors Light; it's your grandmother's gramophone and a jug of moonshine.

Confessor starts off slow with "Margaret vs. Pauline" but by the time you get to "John Saw That Number" you've broken out your washboard and thimbles.

The final track "The Needle Has Landed" is one of Case's best songs; extended musical moans show where Case is going and how far she has come.

The album is best described as a mix of Stevie Nicks, k.d. lang, and The Cowboy Junkies, but interesting.

If you're looking for something dif­ferent - no synth, no electric guitar, few musical masturbations - then pick up Fox Confessor Brings 1he Flood.

Download: "The Needle Has Landed"

Street Drum Corps Street Drum Corps Warcon Records Punk/Marching Band

BY JOHN RIETI

This CD is all beats and no brains. A purely instrumental and drum­

driven record, Street Drum Corps has its cool parts. The first song, called "Police Beat Introduction," is a zany three-drum beat laced with a car horn cutting in and out.

Unfortunately, it's only 21 seconds long and the rest of the album goes downhill fast.

Or maybe, from the sounds of "Body Sounds 101," it goes down your pants. Seriously, the entire track is like the sounds your friends used to make at sleepovers before masturbation was endorsed by your student newspaper and Christian groups alike. I won't even begin on the cover art, which features what looks like a beaten monkey.

Then, the album that started with creative, urban-infused drumming turns into absolute crap. Somehow they abandon drumming and in­stead insist on using a voice synthe­sizer to repeat "clap your hands" or something like that over and over again.

Arts & Culture

Some of the other tracks feature cool drum lines for a while, but then an annoying synthesizer cuts in and ruins the groove.

It's a shame that Street Drum Corps chose to branch out beyond drumming; percussion can be in­credib1 e on its own. Check out a Bobby Rock CD if you want proof.

They would have been better off had they skipped using their brain to operate complicated synth sounds and just stuck to bashing beats out of drums and car horns. Goddamn! That's a good 21 seconds.

Download: "Police Beat Introduction"

Destroyer Destroyer's Rubies Merge Records Folk/Pop

BY MARK CLUETT

If, heaven forbid, you find The New Pornographers inaccessible then you might not even classify Destroyer's Rubies as sound.

Destroyer is Dan Bejar, one third of the "pornographic" supergroup that makes it to the top ten of every best-of list by every pretentious reviewer this side of the Pitchfork offices.

But is Bejar a bonafide songwriter on his own, or riding the coat tails of both Carl Newman and Neko Case? The former seems to ring true once you play Rubies once through.

"European Oils," is a lounge lulla­by fuzzed up. Disjointed, borderline metal guitar solos are thrown in to as­sure the listener that Bejar is indeed fucked up. "3000 Flowers," is a loose spoken word performance, layered over what seems to be a throwback to 1997 Cornershop hits; a relevant "Brimful of Asha?" - about time.

Does Rubies get a little weird at some points? Hell yeah - the first track "Rubies," is almost 10 minutes long; he constantly refers to his last al­bum, blood, priests and works ofliter­ature he perhaps wrote himself. Some of the songs even sound so much like previous tracks that you'll be switch­ing back and forth on your playlists for days.

The New Pornographers are too often introduced as a Carl Newman vehicle - when the tunes penned by Bejar with the Pornos and Destroyer is some of the freshest noise to come out of Canada in the 21st century.

Download: "Painter In your Pocket"

Page 17

SIGHTS & SOUNDS COMPILED BY JOHN DUFF

Thursday> .March 23 . 'Ihe Attic: Trevoi\I\.elly '.. ; ·

\'~ ,Arh and.Cultut~;: ..... -1tte!.,iStones :in )iis Pocked{s:og· $l.:~7$1~f sitiJ dents) " ·· ... . -~ ·' · · ·

CBTG's: The Geµe :Rippers, Blood Shot Monk. Punch in the Head

Club One: Spirit of the West D.F. Cook Recital Hall: MUN

Concert Band Erin's Pub: Dave Panting The Fat Cat: Colin Harris Greensleeves: Chronic The LSPU 1Iall: .kop~ (8:qo pm>

$10/$8 students) ....•..•... . · . · · · · <~ · ~.ti.le pne Stad~~~f · llssa.O'NeU 1 and.Rex Goudie {Sz ... J .: :: , · O'Reilly's: lhe · .· Q-n~s (u:30 pm) . . :

'Ihe Spur: Open 111ike with Matt Ross

Friday, March 24 1he Basement:l am aWild Party!.

'The Origin of the Sound BandJ Such Nice Youth (10:(.)0 pm). ··

The Bella Vista: Off Thomas, Vertical Floo<l (~5) ' "' ' Ghili! DJ Ad~m St~t~1x •. ·.

nie .fafCat: tortc'.()<>P¢t Bang' .. ; Greensleeves: Jersey · · Junctions: Mag:nus Rising,

lnddium, Conspire the Wake; First Blood (10:00 pm)

The LSPU Hall:. Rope (8:-00 pm, $10/$8 students) ·

The Majestic.Theatre: 1he Full Monty (S:oo pm, $19.95)

Paradise Community Centre: Conspire the Wa}s:e, Call the Ambulance, Flatlinet Idyll ($5) ·. O'Reilly's: The M@9~es (11:30 pm). Fergu~ (YBYt1!e ~n4· Dermot O'Reilly (8:15 pm)· · . . . .

The Rose and Thistle: Love Hijacker

Science Bu.ildin.g; RCJ.dical .Media presents Fallujah and.tetTheni Stay (6:00 pm)

The Spur: Elimination Dance (10:30 pm)

St Andrew's Church Hall: De­Mons, Break this Fall, Moke Cove, Don't Fade Away~ and m~re (6:00 pm. $5) · · · ·

' . _\\·.:::;-.,, .. ~'-·

Saturdtiy> Milrch" 25 ·; Arts and Culture Centre: NSO

Youth Orchestra (8:00 pm} Bridie Molloy's: Sex:ual Assault

Response benefit with Siochana, The Palmer Girls, Damian Follett, and more (8:00 pm, $5)

Delta Hotel '"Ballroom: Sam Roberts, The Novaks (9:00 pm, $28)

D.F. Cook Recital Hall: Debut Atlantic: Jens Lindemann and Jennifer Snow ($.18/$~?,student~)

'·, ··The F.a~ Gat: · ~m9.Jt.~ry·~ and . 1h¢ B'andits '.,· . · ··· ········· · ·

· Greensleeves: Bump Junctions: Call th~ Ambulance,

Incidium, FlatlineJ Nrit a Test, Idyll, Conspire the Wake~ Call the Ambulance (2:30 pm)

Konfusion: Funky Dory The LSPU Hall: Rqpe (8:00 pm,

$10/$8 students) Petro~Canada Hall:: Sveti Ivan

with The Forgotten Boµzouki (2:00 . ptn. $10) . . . ' .. ··. : y ; . . .

.. ·:. Prhn".r~:._ Po_11d§t<>cl,5 .2006 :Wit.h ·· Roundelay? Elilli~n~J~RriJ2li11Ce. Neil

·Conway> Magnus'R.1~lt:ig,Jan Foster; Ghri~ Kirby~ andw9r~(~:3opm, S:~o. ·p·_ in,. ; ,$_._5).. .... _.,· ·····''· .. •.c.t ·.,: ... .. .. '•· .. :. ···''

- - -_ - '-\ - ' - ' . :;:, ..• ~ i\\\\\\\

»· 'O'R~lllyrs~; ~h.<>nes fa:i:3~> pm) .. ·"·

· The Rose:" _an4:_ 1"bi$~1e~ ".Ron Hynes ....

Roxxy's: Rayfield · The Ship Pub: Mark Bragg and The

Black Wedding Band The Spur! Bill.Parsons

Sundayi:i{arch 26 Arts and Culture-. C~ntre: ·CBC

Radi()'s .Madly ()ffiif!-.Afl:J?i'"ections {8:00 pm, $~5) i''. ., .. ,,r · ;',<" ' ·· · ·

.B.a!'. Non~: Pp. ·Lee Coleip,ap. .·· .. . . .

Brid~~ M9lloy'.s.:>:Graham Wells and Con O'Brien .. . , . ·

D.F. Cook Recital Hall: Jazz East with Lady Cove ($:m>pm, $15/$10 stu-dents)

0,Reilly>s: Darcy Broderick and Ron Kelly (10:00 p:m)

The Rabbittown Theatre: St John's Jazz Festival opel'.l }~m (2:00 pm, $5)

Roxxy;~j·pp~~ .ffi~15e \~. ·· ·

· ,, < .· .. :·M:tiri#a.1, '¥.arcit:,;~·;:::\\·::.:: 'Ihe LSPU Hall<: The Backdoor

Cabaret (7:oopm.) : O'Reilly•s: Ballads with Con

O'Brien (9:00 pm). __

Tuesday, March 28 Arts and Culture Centre: Great

Big Sea (8:00 pm, $49.50) Bar None: Planet Chaos: open

mike · 1he Crow.'s Nest: Ballad Session:

:An evening ofNeivfQg_nd,land songs and stories· (8:00 PA\.> $3). .

Hava Java: Open mike with Jordan Young . .

The LSPU Hall: Fiigh school dra~ ma festival

O'Reilly's: Open inike (10:00 pm), Larry Foley and Rob Cook (12:00

am)

Wednesday, March 29 Arts and Culture Centre: Great

Big Sea. (8:00 -PU)• $49.50} . 1he Breete\\r:'J: (_)penim.ike with

· Te.try.McD<mal(l ):•·.··•·.··· ...•. .. _0 . · ., .. ··_· ,· ... ·'' 'EaStern Edg,Gi!ll¢ty: .Discussions

in Subversions (7:00 pm) .1be LSPU Hall: .fl:jgh school dra~

ma festival O'Reillys: Fergus o~Byrne and

Dermot O'Reilly {10:00 pm) Ro:xxy's: Tordan,Young (10:30 pmJ

$3) The Ship Pub: }\rationalism and

Folk Music ~orumw,ith_.Sean Panting, Jim Payne; and.Li~'Picka:rd (7:00 pm. $5) . ··••;; ;;. )o·

• !',

.~: :;, . .";_·\. )'· .:::!_",,. I \:.· • ,,,\ ,, ' ;·.','· •• • •

. : :..~·- .-·· .:,r _. .. _.:>-.'.\",:.,: ...

. ~.. ... .

Have an event you would like to . see listed here? Send it to sightsand­sounds@themuse.ca before Monday, March 27.

~.

The ~use presents: Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

· f rid.d:Y,r ·~.df:Ch .. 31, .2006 ... EmPif e \

0

The.dtres Studio 12 · Tickets $5 each at the door

-...

-

Page 18 Arts & Culture

Demme shows Young's Heart of Gold

MUN CINEMA SERIES

BY MILDRED PIERCE

There's no denying the man's still got it. Even if you're not nostalgic for the crooner from Northern Ontario you'll appreciate this concert film. Collaborations don't get much sweeter. How fortunate that thinking man's in­dependent director Jonathan Demme teamed up with Neil Young to record this galvanizing event.

Neil Young: Heart of Gold cap­tures the essence of one of our most influential singer-songwriters. Shot in Nashville in late summer of 2005, the film is a faithful document of the Prairie Wind concerts Young gave to launch his new album, now an inter­national best-seller. In this case, the

film is a compilation of two back-to­back performances.

There's a kind of attractive, stripped-down character to this film that is appropriate to Young's whole persona. No pop culture flash to this guy- it's all about the voice, the guitar, and the backup crew who are as loy­al as the day is long. In this case, they include his wife - the always magical Emmylou Harris - and, of course, a band forged in rock music heaven.

Not only do we see a musical leg­end at his best, but also a 60-year­old man in the recovery stages of ma­jor life-threatening operations for a brain aneurysm. The concerts were, in many ways, miracles of luck and modern medicine, since Young had obviously just come through with a bill of good health.

The album Prairie Wind might have lost the Grammy, but that's no matter to the legions of fans who find Young's music hypnotic and strangely won­derful. Young has always combined piercing insight with real-life longing,

endearing him to us with his hones­ty and realism. Most telling, he really hasn't changed his tune, so to speak, after all these years. Loyal to his mu­sic and his fans, he has managed to stay consistent, pure, and uncorrupt­ed by the temptations of the music industry.

Demme's production exploits every possible camera angle he can manage, making for a lively visual spectacle. But there's no airbrushing here - no phony stage theatrics. We are look­ing at an aging rocker, but of course that's part of the appeal. With Jagger and the Stones and everyone else of that generation in denial, with com­puter-generated effects distracting au­diences from the music they are sup­posed to be hearing, Neil Young: Heart of Gold is a hugely refreshing blast of respect. For Neil Young and for us, it's all about the music.

Neil Young: Heart of Gold plays Thursday, March 30 at Empire Studio 12 in the Avalon Mall. Showtime is 7:00 pm.

Graduate Student Union Elections 2006 1he followiqg positions ~t:~ open:

... President , · ., .. --Vice''President.Academic ... Vice President Internal ... Vice :President of finance ... vice President Cotniruinications and Researplf '·· .. Graduate StudentRepresentative on the Senate ( 1) ... Graduate Student to the Facility Manageme,nt Board (2)

ALL MIXED UP

BY PAUL SANFORD HEPP LESTON

I love being Canadian. We are inter­nationally recognized as the nice kid on the block that shares with every­body and really knows how to party. We have some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet, an unparalleled cultural collage, and a mastery of bar­ley and hops our southern neighbours could only dream of.

Canadians have also been respon­sible for some of the world's most in­fluential music.

Unfortunately, our abundance of praiseworthy music meant that many deserving artists got left aside for this mix. There are some glaring omis­sions, I admit, but I did the best I could. Fourteen songs barely does our coun­try justice. My apologies to all those who will hate me because there is no Bachman, Murray, or Mitchell - it couldn't be helped. The same follows for I Mother Earth, Our Lady Peace, and Max Webster. As for there being no Rush, well, I hate them. That said, I cannot deny the contribution they have made to Canadian music (sad­ly).

Since my own list was well over 14 songs, all the lists I got from readers only complicated matters. Face it, this country rocks.

Don't forget, I welcome your feed­back and complaints. E-mail me at ha­temail.inbox@gmail.com.

For the next mix, let's go with those hidden treasures. E-mail me with your choices for the best songs you've never heard and, what the heck, let's keep it Canadian. Send suggestions to: proj­ect.musetape@gmail.com.

Side Eh! The Older Classics

i. "Tonight's The Night" - Neil

,l~ampaigniqg'"Jbursday Match·~3rd at 9;00a~,,~,ftiday Mardt·~lst at 4~Q0p~\.:· ·· ,,, ,. ·. . . · .. · , . .· '\Voting Days .. Marth 29th at 6i00pm .. Mardi 3 lstat 4:00pril(' Voting will take place via onlirie voting~ For m contact the Chief Returning Officer, Krista Patk at kpark@mun.ca

Graduate Stu4enf Union Ge~eral Meeting

'·Candidates speeches for tht;.. GSU GeneralElection will take place a~tb~ Annual General Meeting. For more 'information contact the G~p at 737 .-4395·or email g~u@mun.ca " · ...

March 23, 2006

Young. This whole mix could be Neil's songs. George Stroumboulopoulos said this song immediately, so I went with it.

2. "Hallelujah" - Leonard Cohen. It is my favourite song of Cohen's, yet I've never heard his version.

3. "Sundown" - Gordon Lightfoot. There is something so familiar and comforting about hearing this song on the radio.

4. "Wheat Kings" - The Tragically Hip. You really have to drive across the Prairies to know how much this song sounds like the Prairies.

5. "Underwhelmed" - Sloan. These guys single-handedly quadrupled the sales of second-hand cardigans in Atlantic Canada.

6. "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" -Crash Test Dummies. A chorus with no vowels and only one consonant -now that's efficiency.

7. "Summer of '69" - Bryan Adams. When MxPx recorded this song on their album of covers, I thought, "How cool - Americans doing a Canadian song."

Side B The Newer ·classics

1. "Red" - Treble Charger. The post­chorus guitar hook is one of my fa­vourites.

2 "Lovers In A Dangerous Time" -Barenaked Ladies. How could I neglect a superb Canadian song written by a legendary Canadian, Bruce Cockburn, and exploited by more Canadians?

3. "Possession" - Sarah Mclachlan. Although I've never been a huge fan, when I saw her live this song gave me chills.

4. "Hard Road" -Sam Roberts. This came from Ron Sexsmith and was sec­onded by many others.

5. "Wake Up" - The Arcade Fire. U2 walks onstage to this song. What high­er praise could there be?

6. "Gold In Them Hills" - Ron Sexsmith. Gentle optimism -run amok.

7. "Hockey Skates" - Kathleen Edwards. I got a bunch of votes for this one. I haven't heard it yet, but I think I should.

• • 1stract1ons

March 23, 2006

1 4 7

8 9 6

6 8 . 1

3

3 4

7 5

8 7

9

9

Across i. Countrywith the only single-coloured

flag: green 6.As well io. Where loose change is found 14. Canadian cineplex 15. Leak 16. The main action in tug-o-war 17. Type of organic compound in which

more than one double bond exists within the representative molecule (ask a biologist)

20. Rica 21. Pele's passion

Sustainable Aquaculture

9

4

8 4

9

2

6 5

5 1

8 4 6

22. Boob holder 24. Paris' family, without the ON 27. Phrase that garners the response "De . ,,

nen 28. One sixteenth of a pound 31. Type of plant that climbs things as

it grows 33. 'Tm feeling like a million _," but

said by a Japanese person 34. Take into possession 36. "The District Sleeps_ Tonight:"

song by The Postal Service 38. Grown without pesticides 41. Chickens out 42. Played the game that features Master

submissions@themuse.ca

Commander 45. You've got a lot of these, they form a

cage (hint: inside your body) 48. What hippies hug 50. Rise 51. Wipe out 53. Normandy date (hyph) 55. Long period of time 56.Eyepart 58. Having vocal emphasis 61. Baby Geniuses subject 66. What voyeurs do 67. Yore to a dyslexic person 68. Spaghetti, linguini, lasagna 69. Short Edward 70. Jesus' homeboys who came to check

up on his as soon as he was out of the womb

71. A Buddhist who has attained nir­vana

Down 1.Cut 2. Bachelor's last words 3. Beautiful singing, in Florence (two

words) 4. The fad on a string that kept coming

back(hyph) 5. Terrance and Phillip special: "Not

Without My_" 6.Attack 7. Unit oflenght for yarn 8. Where a scene is shot 9. Penguin from Bloom County io. "Danger, Will Robinson!": Catch

phrase from Lost in __ 11. Public exclamation 12. Sweater fabric 13. Free word: ALDRIN 18. Last or greatest in an indefinitely

large series 19. Caesar's legal system (two words) 22. Hallowe'en sentence 23. "_ it in": make it worse 25. Acted between parties with a view to

reconciling differences 26. Baby bum powder 29. 2006 Vehicle vehicle 30. Legal US age to star in porn 32. The Notebook lover boy 35. Shaving, waxing alternative 37. Fitzgerald, First Lady of Song 39. ''All you _ is love" according to

The Beatles 40. Lacking in refinement or grace 43. Poet's ever 44. Body blueprint 45. "This is a __ for disaster" 46. Flattened clothes 47. Puked 49. Buddhist state of sudden spiritual

enlightenment

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52. Asp-like 54. Atheist saying (with a Y instead of a

G): "There is no_!" 57. Type of bomb they dropped on

Japan 59. A PIN backwards 60. Washed and tried seaweed for cook­

ing

Page 19

62. One hundred of these mades a kyat, the official currency of Myanmar (and no, we don't come up with these)

63. What the kids call not being con­stipated

64. When a plane is expected to touch­down

65. US college entrance test

tu, • Designed.to~omplete

in fifteen months ustry practicum/employment

placement assistance . ull-time and part-time intakes

in May andSeptember

THE COUNSELLING CENTRE ASKS:

"DoYouNeed i!Gdiift services Serenity?" Get Tbe Most Out Of Memorial!

. Ing Centre will be hqsting :~~sions during the W{~ter

March.16,' . " .. tsday 3-4 pm March 21/' · _ sday 2 .. 3 pm Mai;ch 241 ,day 1 ... 2 pm

AU'sessions Will take place in

tJ:te Counselling Centre, UC 5000

Maren i~t ·· ,~y: 2--3 pm March 311 ay 2"*3 pm April 5 Wednesda~ 1-2. pm

-

I

1

Page 20

www.themuse.ca

Distractions

DINOSAUR COMICS

Bisexuality can lead to all sorts of new and exciting self-labels! Labels like ''bi knowl edgeab 1 e'' ! "eisensitive"!

March 23, 2006

~J;u.~ ~tt1re& fly 3eon.o.. ~(er ....,Lav<en ~h

"ai­disillusioned! ·•

I

NO! Just no. We'tt. not making a comic out of thisl Get th.at look

out of your eye, ...

Hah hah, SWEET. Sorry it ' s noi: work i ng out, bidisillusioned aude! !

'\ T-Rex, I'm not sure if this is fair to bisexuals.

. But orom1ceianimust \ ~there's also being

bianxious. And being · bitraumati2ed!

\

BlSCANOALIZATION.

T-Rex - - ·

I somehow doubt that real bisexuals prefix al1 their words with ''b1 ·• f T-Rex! J

It's just the verbs. And the adjectives. Anyway, l think I know what real bisexuals do.

r:or instance, did you know that whenever women are alone they have pillow fights, and then they practise Kissing on

.. of course not!

~

/ How's

For your information, I have read

SEVERAL websites

on the subject.

I TUlnH llllJ WlfE 15 [UEIJTlnfi on mr_ 5UE JUST UIJD n HID nno IT LDDK5 LIHE TUE Dl5UWll5UED ...

".. each other? I've seen the

\pictures!

I mean - I mean my fr1end has seen the pictures.

\ IT'S FOR A PROJECT r:OR SCHOOL.

Make your own damn comics results, part deux Winner: Carolyn Parsons

Almost had it: Robot: So I said "LOVE DOES NOT COMPUTE" and she left me. Man: Pfff, women. Seamus Blackmore

Carolyn, drop by 1he Muse sometime Monday and collect your sweet prize of the second worst CD we can find. (Sorry, the last winner took the worst one.)

Things are really starring to turn around for me. , Maybe my days of Neurosis are ff 11olly over!

li<Xf:IO\.WN·~ ... \-tHi< --:r~uNi:J&"RNE/l~ -\'.ff-E

_______ _. JIMBU~* l~ n;;'.( f'Qlt URlillN .)Uir:Eil, s:u .. w1 -

/

ort Page 22

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sports@themuse.ca March 23, 2006

.

Style over substance PHOTOS JUSTIN M.ADOL

on the slopes Snowboarders worry their sport dilutes as students embrace the style

B Y R OD DROVER

Most people curse winter. The Newfoundland version is even worse with its strong wet winds, shovelling, and shoe-degrading slush.

Why would anyone here wish for snow? Based on the complaints and generic weather conversation, it seems the majority of Newfoundlanders don't. But, a small band of weirdoes actually beg some all-powerful entity for a sprinkling of the white stuff.

No, not crack fiends - snowboard­ers, an even more addicted bunch.

Snowboarding is still a fairly fringe sport at Memorial, but the numbers are growing. Students are picking up boarding in droves and the lo­cal scene is beginning to bloat with popularity, especially the material aspects of the culture.

It's impossible to ignore the ever­increasing throngs of people wearing board clothing, hinting that there's more to this lifestyle than meets the

eye. This does not mean that all of these style-cats are snowboarders; it simply means that snowboard cul­ture is appealing to more people.

This trend is upsetting hardcore riders. They believe that snowboard­ing style is being sapped of its indi­vidualism.

It's a sport that follows no rules outside those set by physics. But, for many, it becomes an art form -one where riders are free to try any­thing they desire without reprimand from officials or coaches (outside the Olympics, of course).

This freedom of expression brings extreme self-satisfaction after a good ride and allows boarders to achieve many personal goals on their board. But, some riders feel the clothing style is beginning to dilute the love, meaning, and individualism they get from the sport.

"[Snowboarding] defines who you are," said avid boarder Chris Stamp. As for the clothing and style of oth­er boarders, he is quick to point out it's more diverse than people think. "There's not just a few different styles, it just goes on and on," he said.

"Individualism is what it's all about," said Stamp. "The closest thing to a team that is seen is the crew of buddies a rider shreds with."

It is easily understood how dedi­cated riders could develop this opin­ion, based upon their care for the sport. But, is snowboarding's trendi­ness really endangering it?

At the end of the day, it can bear­gued that riding is riding and that a sense of individualism while walk­ing the halls is irrelevant if one gen­uinely loves the sport.

"I find it's more of a comfortable style; you don't feel like you're too dressed up ... but you can still look good," said non-boarder Geoff Power. "It's the style now."

"It's comfortable [and] practi­cal," said boarder student Samantha Leonard as she stands balanced in some Etnies sneakers.

The fact remains that snowboard­ing is going to be a blast whether or not the style is "diluted" like fun­damentalists say. If all goes well, maybe the style of the sport scene will continue to gain participants, which only means more people are having fun.

For the fundamentalists, rid­ing is still about substance anyway. Maybe the scene will actually bene­fit from this mass flooding, allowing new participants to gain an appre­ciation for substance through wear­ing the style.

- --------- ----~

March 23, 2006 Sports & Health Page 23

' ' 0 a sou or OU That said, yoga can still work

for you. Take baby steps - just breathe and cycle gently through the positions. While practic­ing, don't let your mind wander. Focus on the moves and tap into your own strength.

Moulton says, "Whenever my friends seem really stressed, I al­ways recommend yoga. I tell them how it will make them feel so good.

Anyone can do it, even though lots of people think they can't. It's the type of thing that doesn't require you to be per­fect at it. You just have to do it for your­self and enjoy it."

Yoga is also a good complement to other sports and strength training be­cause it balances out stiffness, keeping the entire body supple and powerful. Even Cirque du Soleil's performers, acrobats, and musicians use yoga to limber up before shows.

When you walk away from an authentic yoga session you will feel renewed. An erect posture exudes confidence, as does a serene

Traditional exercise is the perfect mix of spirituality and sport

get scared - I want my exercise free from "positive affirmations" too; that particularly meditative yoga wigs me out (as do full-fledged gurus, granola hippies, and tree huggers.)

On the flipside, deep breathing is just enough spirituality for me to dig. Stoked by my own strength while hold­ing a yoga pose and forgetting the su­perfluities of my day, I would even call it inner peace - almost.

tices on a regular basis. "It puts me in a much more relaxed

state of mind. It has this great calm­ing effect on my whole personality," she said. "Even just taking five min­utes to do a few moves makes me feel better."

mindset. And once

you've begun a rou-tine and you skip a day, your karma will be af­fected. Moulton says, "I feel more tired and my muscles feel really tight, especially my legs. I also start getting more stressed with school­work and my job."

BY KATE DEARNESS

Exercise is good for you - you know that. It makes a lot of sense physically, but it's also psychologically beneficial. Who doesn't love the sense of reward from a good burn after a workout?

For the endorphins and more, let me try to sell you on yoga. Now, don't

Kathy Moulton, a linguistics ma­jor and yoga enthusiast, feels the same way. She came across an instruction­al book as a child and she now prac-

Yoga is meant to be a lifestyle, not just a workout. But, not everyone can make the full commitment. It should go hand-in-hand with a regime of diet and meditation, but throw in natural foods, peaceful behaviours, and wise decisions and it becomes too cumber­some.

We are all busy. We are students, we work, we play, and it can be stressful. Yoga combats the whole lot, with the added bonus of ton­ing your torso.

On campus you can drop into a session of morning yoga at The Works from 8:00 am -8:50 am, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Yoga has a relaxing

effect on the mind and

body.

PHOTOS CHRIS NICHOLAS

I've got a fever and the only cure is more basketball SCORECARD

BY PATRICK SAVARD-WALSH

Writing my first column as the in­coming sports editor for The Muse comes at a strange time in my life.

After four straight days of doing absolutely nothing besides watching college basketball, the break between the second and third rounds feels like drug withdrawal. Cold sweats, ba­bies crawling on the walls - I've got the whole deal.

The only difference is that I know my rehab will only last three days, so all I can think about is filling my fragile mind with delicious basket after basket once the Sweet Sixteen starts.

By the time you're reading this, I will have fallen back into my depen­dency and may have even furthered the addiction if my bracket doesn't completely fall apart.

There's a reason they call it March Madness and, if you're anything like me, you are glued to your TV for the entire three weeks the damn thing is on. Even my beloved Hahs only get the casual score-check at the com­mercials and this at the most impor­tant time in their season. It's like I'm leaving my wife during childbirth.

But, I can't help it - it truly is a mind-controlling experience. Nothing in sports compares to the last moments of a March Madness ball game, where two minutes can last 20 minutes and feel like multi­ple orgasms. Teams can swing mo­mentum and go on ridiculous runs - prayers are made, Hail Mary buzz­er beaters are thrown, and absolute­ly anything can happen.

This year, absolutely anything has happened: Northwestern State took care oflowa, George Mason de­stroyed Michigan State and North Carolina, and Georgetown absolute­ly raped Ohio State. Even the liv­ing dead at CBS acknowledge that this is one of the most exciting and messed up tournaments they have

ever seen. Even people who aren't into bas­

ketball at all agree that, even though they don't know the players or the teams, such intense finishes trigger an untapped sports hormone deep in­side them and they can't look away.

It's true. There's something strange­ly appealing about the NCAA tourna­ment, where sport is almost pure. You sense the intensity of the kids who are playing their hearts out for their bas­ketball careers not to end soon and to be noticed by a scout. They're not motivated by salary bonuses or spon­sorships - this tournament shows kids our age playing, sometimes for the last time in their lives, solely for the love of the game.

It kind of sucks for kids on

Canadian university teams, since their championship is the same time. But, as far as the intensity and tal­ent goes, Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the minor leagues of the minor leagues. With tough rules on player recruitment limiting our na­tional universities' options, it's not hard for students to figure out what to watch.

If you've got any tips or ideas you want to send me, feel free to do so. Let me know what kind of stuff you'd like to see in the sports section next year, what sports you want to see more coverage of, or even if you're inter­ested in writing. Hit me up at sub­missions@themuse.ca until the end of this term (and put "sports" in the subject line).

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ort Page 24 sports@themuse.ca March 23, 2006

Donald Lindo practices his shot alone in the MUN gym. He was recently dropped from Memorial's men's basketball team. PHOTOS CHRIS NICHOLAS

•

1sse Point guard Donald Lindo dumped from men's basketball team

BY fOHN RIETI

This basketball season was supposed to be great for Donald Lindo.

The speedy, high-scoring point guard who averaged 17 points and seven as­sists per game in a semi-professional league in Ontario was brought to MUN to crank up the Sea-Hawks' offence and complement star offensive players like Justin Halleran and Leonel Saintil.

In September, men's basketball Coach Todd Aughey described Lindo as "a real sparkplug" and said "he's go­ing to put some smiles on some fac-es. "

But last Wednesday Lindo was dis­missed from the team after speaking to other coaches about transferring to programs where he might get more playing time.

Lindo doesn't deny he spoke to other coaches, but says he would rather stay a Sea-Hawk. "I called home and cried to my mother because I told her I'd grad­uate from Memorial. Then, it all came crashing down," said Lindo after hand­ing in his uniform.

Aughey was unavailable for com­ment at press time.

Lindo was the second heavily re­cruited player brought in from Ontario to leave the program in the past two weeks, joining forward Saintil.

It was the final disappointment in

a season of many for the point guard, who says he felt mistreated since he came to Newfoundland.

"I arrived at the airport in August with Andre [Grant] and Tom [Budai]," said Lindo. "Coach picked us up and dropped us at our residence and said [to] call our teammates if we needed anything. At that time on we were on our own and had to figure shit out by ourselves."

The arrival was a big change from the treatment he'd enjoyed while be­ing recruited by Aughey and former manager Howie Green while playing in Ontario.

Swayed by the extensive recruiting and a trip to Newfoundland in July, dur­ing which he fell in love with the prov­ince, Lindo became a Sea-Hawk. His favourite part about coming to MUN was getting away from Scarborough, Ontario, where he grew up around dan­gerous gangs, drugs, and guns.

While the scenery took a turn for the better, his game took a turn for the worse. Initially, Lindo says Aughey made him believe he would play big minutes and be expected to lead fast breaks, penetrate defences, and score and distribute the ball on the fly. Once he started playing, he was put in as a pass-first point guard who patiently played within a half-court offence.

Lindo says if Aughey had told him

he would be a pass-first point guard, he never would have joined the team.

During training for the Hawk-Eyes tournament in the preseason, Lindo would see another ugly side of MUN basketball. He says he played with shin splints during the preseason for fear of being forced to sit out otherwise. After one practice, he had to go to the hospi­tal, where doctors ran blood tests before performing an X-ray to make sure he had no other health problems.

Despite making it through the week of practices, Lindo was benched for most of the tournament. Due to Canadian Interuniversity Sport regula­tions, Lindo was also required to sit out the entire first half of the season.

When he finally made his league debut in road games against St FX, Lindo had a poor appearance with no points, two assists, and four turnovers in a combined 22 minutes of play. His poor performance spurred him into two intense weeks of practice before the home series against the X-Men.

"I had the best week of practice I've had all year," said Lindo. But, when game time rolled around, he said, "Coach Aughey didn't even look at me on the bench."

Worse still, Lindo says Aughey told him that the team didn't trust him to pass the ball and that his game didn't flow well with the team's offensive sys­tem.

"I began questioning my ability. Never before have I questioned my ability," said Lindo.

•

r r1va "I called home and cried to my mother

because I told her I'd graduate from

Memorial. Then, it all came crashing down:' - Lindo, former Sea­

Hawks point guard

After the Saturday night game, Lindo was dejected: "I cried to myself and I wondered what did I do? What did I do wrong?"

On top of basketball woes, he was further stressed by bad news from home. That Sunday, he skipped the first game of his life.

"That was the worst thing I've ever done in my life," he said. "I love the game so bad."

He was suspended for his actions and forced to sit out two important home games against Cape Breton.

"Fans were asking me if I was in­jured? If I sucked? People say I don't listen, but I do and that's tough on me, man," said Lindo. In the end, he would only play in one home game at MUN - 13 minutes in a blowout against Acadia.

In the playoffs, he played little and was taken off the floor shortly after at-

tempting a driving layup. He only took 16 shots all year.

Knowing his talent and shocked by his limited playing time at MUN, coaches from such colleges as Sheridan, Douglas, Humber, Algonquian, and Mount St Vincent have all contacted Lindo, as have a handful of universi­ties like Laurier and Bishop's.

Lindo still says he would like to be a Sea-Hawk: "MUN would be my first choice to come back [to] ... if there is no Coach Aughey or if he changes his ways."

"I do not regret coming here. . .. Meeting people so nice was the great­est thing that ever happened to me," said Lindo.

"I hope people can understand why I'm leaving. I just cannot come back here and go to school and walk by that Field House without being able to put on that uniform."

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