Interrobang issue for Monday, April 9th, 2012

8/2/2019 Interrobang issue for Monday, April 9th, 2012

1/24

Volume 44 Issue No. 28 Apri l 9 , 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

Falcons head to City Hall 3

Public nuisance bylaw pushed back 5

Fanshawe curlers win double gold 21


2/24

NEWS2Volume 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

Kayla Watson is a third-yearGraphic Design student. I am adedicated student who lovesgiraffes and design, saidWatson. However my studentstatus is changing in April whenI hit the job market in hopes ofgetting that first real-worldjob!1. Why are you here?At Fanshawe? To graduate andlearn design. On Earth? To make a

positive impact on those who sur-round me.

2. What was your life-changingmoment?The smiling children I made artwith in Costa Rica.3. What music are you currentlylistening to?Country and some modern classi-cal.4. What is the best piece ofadvice youve ever received?What doesnt kill you makes youstronger.

5. Who is your role model?My mom.

6. Where in the world have youtravelled?Costa Rica.7. What was your first job?Burger King.8. What would your last mealbe?Chicken covered with cheese,bacon and barbeque sauce!9. What makes you uneasy?The unknown.10. What is your passion?

Design, anything I set my mind to,my fam jam, learning new things.Do you want Fanshawe to know 10Things About You? Just head onover to fsu.ca/interrobang andclick on the 10 Things I KnowAbout You link at the top.

10 Things I Know About You...

Watson once a B.K. girl

CREDIT: SUBMITTED

Kayla Watsons life changed while in Costa Rica.

CREDIT: JAMES WILLIAMS

Sarah Van de Vooren, Fanshawes Environmental Program Coordinator cleans, up a mountain of Tim Hortonscups that students were encouraged add to throughout the day on Tuesday, April 3. The pile Van de Voorenaccumulated represented 1,400 coffee cups. The Tim Hortons locations on campus distribute approximately7,400 cups of coffee a day. This pile only represented about 20 per cent of a days worth of coffee cups! Thegoal of the display was to communicate how impactful each individuals actions are, as well as ways to divertthis waste from landfill using the designated hallway bins or the compost bins in the cafeterias. This waste canalso be reduced by using a reusable mug. The effort was part of Environmental Week on campus.

QUESTIONOF THE WEEK

Andrew SnythVacationing. Goingto Wasaga Beach andSunshine Park.

Rick VanmourikIm doing an eigh-monthco-op through ConstructionManagement. Im lookingforward to it.

Mike PapiniMaking a million dollarswriting Android apps!

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3/24

NEWS 3Volume 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

Is there a problem getting youthengaged in politics? Matt Ross, aCoordinator for the London YouthAdvisory Council (LYAC), thinkspeople make it harder than it has tobe.

I think its done wrong, hesaid. Most youth voting cam-paigns (and) youth engagementcivic campaigns begin with thepresupposition that youth dontcare. Its always, How can youtrick someone into thinking vot-ings cool?

Ross, along with Samantha Foxand Rob Freele, two other LYACCoordinators; Mark Goad, InternalAffairs Coordinator; and RichardSookraj and Saquib Mian, External

Affairs Coordinators, have beenhard at work over the last eightmonths, attending between 50 and100 meetings to put the YouthCouncil together. This doesntinclude the dozens and dozens ofLondoners and students who keptme moving forward with inspira-tion, new ideas and connections,added Ross.

The product of these months ofhard work is the LYAC, a commit-tee of 13 people between the agesof 15 and 25 who are all passionateabout making London a betterplace. They were voted in to theCouncil by the public in earlyMarch, and their term will lastfrom this September until June

next year.Youth Council, in a sense, is

very boring, laughed Ross.Youre making policy recommen-dations, youre interfacing withcity staff on budget analysis, thatkind of thing, but (the membersare) legitimately doing somethingand they have the ability to influ-ence the decisions. I feel like whenyou actually just offer that, when itis the ability to create somethingand influence something, all thesepeople rise to it and lots of peoplebecome interested in it.

Three LYAC members DerekStevens, Jessica Conlon andRebecca Croden have direct tiesto Fanshawe.

Ive always wanted to make adifference and try to help uplift andimprove everyones lives,explained Stevens, a Londonnative who is currently in his sec-ond year of the joint Media,Information and Technocultureprogram between Fanshawe andWestern. I feel like theres a hugeburden and negative energy andnegativity within our society andthat, at the root, we have a problemthat hasnt been solved yet.

I feel like I am part of thatchange, he continued. I saw(joining the LYAC) as an opportu-nity to get one step closer to shar-ing some good ideas to joining upwith other like-minded individualsand working together to help

improve the state of things. Hewas elected based on a platform ofsustainability and environmental-ism, removing fluoride fromLondons drinking water and get-ting people to eat healthy and getactive.

Stevens said now is the time totake action and make drasticchanges to avoid big problems inthe future. Corporations are back-ing our governments, which arecontrolling the decisions wemake, he explained, adding thathe sees an extreme divide betweencorporations and the working class.

Were all human, you have tocare. How do we get them to care?

is one of my questions If wedont care for each other, then lit-erally were (in) an every-man-for-himself survivor (situation) andthat means, essentially, at most oneperson wins and likely everyoneloses.

Conlon, who is in her first yearof Practical Nursing at Fanshaweand is a Student AdministrativeCouncil Representative for HealthSciences, is from Elmira, Ontario,and has a number of ideas abouthow to make London a betterplace. Ive been involved with alot of grassroots movements, so Ireally understand how to do that.Being in Practical Nursing, Iunderstand what health promotion

is about. Its getting to the causeand stopping it from happening.Its prevention preventing itbefore it actually goes on.

She added that she wants to fixLondons problems at their source.Ive gone to a lot of City Hallmeetings, heard about the issuesand seen how they dealt withthings and the speed of theirprocess when dealing with issues.She said she has seen firsthandhow the city council does notalways put citizens needs andwants first, citing current issueslike the debate to move City Hall,cutting money from social pro-grams and the proposed light showfor the World Figure Skating

Championships slated to cost$450,000.Conlon had a number of ideas

about how to improve the city,such as creating community green-houses to teach people about localagriculture and healthy eating, andcreating safe drinking water for theLondon population. Our watertreatment facility is so old, shesaid. It needs to be refurbished, itneeds to be fixed, its not where itneeds to be We need to get thechemicals out of our water.

Overall, through initiatives likethe North East Community Market(nemarket.ca) and L.O.O.K.(Locally Organized OrganicKnowledge) Its A Party (lookit-saparty.ca), Conlon said she hopesto turn London into a thriving cul-tural hub. Thats why I wanted toget into City Hall and make themsee that and make them as passion-ate about it as we are. If they werepassionate about it, I think it wouldbe happening already. For somereason, theres too much apathy inthere. We want to try to get someempathetic people who really wantthings to happen in there.

Croden graduated fromFanshawes Recreation andLeisure Services program in April2011. She grew up in Muskoka,Ontario and has lived in Londonfor three years. (I ran for LYAC)because Im already an activist, soI figured I may as well put my

activism to the test and bring it toanother level, she said. Crodensplatform was based on creatinggreen spaces in London throughrooftop gardening, greenhousesand other sustainability measures,as well as ensuring safe, fluoride-free drinking water.

Croden and Conlon both men-tioned that, though their duties asYouth Council members dontofficially begin until September,they have already started puttingtogether an action plan to creategreenhouses in London over thesummer. Conlon mentioned she

had been talking to business and

economy students: We can actual-ly start proving that this is going tobenefit us and we can actually givethem logistics, numbers, scales,yield amounts per square footage.She said she wants to focus on giv-ing people access to fresh, localproduce. We will be able to havemore than one growing season, andit will help our infrastructure great-ly. We could have social programs

have people who are in mental

health facilities or are homelesscome in and learn about gardeningand learn about science The cityhas so much potential.

Every single one of (the councilmembers on the LYAC) is honest-ly equally passionate (as Stevens,Conlon and Croden). Its unbeliev-able, Ross said proudly. I thinktheyre going to be amazing: a)theyre all passionate, and b) its a

broad political spectrum. Theyll

argue, but I think thats a verygood thing, theyll come to verycreative conclusions just by thattension. Despite the fact they havedifferent opinions theyre allcollaborating and working onissues already. Its fascinating tosee it happen.

For more information about theLondon Youth Advisory Council,check out lyac.ca.

Three Falcons set to change LondonERIKA FAUST

INTERROBANG

CREDIT: ERIKA FAUST

Rebecca Croden, Jessica Conlon and Derek Stevens were three Falcons elected to the London Youth AdvisoryCouncil, a new measure that brings young Londoners into City Council. All three expressed concerns aboutmaking London's water safe and fluoride-free, creating environmentally friendly initiatives and making the city acultural hub.

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4/24

NEWS4 Volume 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

With students set to graduate injust a few short weeks and makethe transition from the educationalsystem to the workforce, the envi-ronmental impact of some careers

is at the forefront of many minds.For those students looking to findnot just a job but a job that wontdo damage to the environment, theLondon and District LabourCouncil (LDLC) is holding a day-long conference all about goodgreen jobs.

The Good Green JobsConference will take place onApril 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30p.m. at the Ontario Public ServiceEmployees Union Office at 1100Dearness Dr. The conference isbeing organized by the LDLC, andthe City of LondonsEnvironmental Program is provid-ing funding, with support from theWorkers Health and SafetyCouncil. The conference features a

number of guest speakers and costs$35 to attend. Attendees arerequired to register in advancebefore April 13 and select whichworkshops they would like toattend.

The aim of the Good Green JobsConference is to help workers,whether they are new to the work-force or returning, and help thembuild the skills necessary to findjobs in environmentally friendlyworkplaces.

Workshops and guest speakersat the Good Green JobsConference include:

What is a Good Green Job,Anyway? presented by AngeloDiCaro and Ken Bondy, both fromthe Canadian Auto WorkersUnion. This workshop explores theissues of the green jobs movementin relation to workers safety.

The Building of a Movement,presented by Loretta Michaud fromthe Workers Health and SafetyCentre. This workshop focuses onworking environmentally friendlyjobs while keeping workers bodiesand dignity intact.

Jobs in the Used ResourcesEconomy. presented by JohnJackson from Great Lakes United.The workshop focuses on takingwhat was once considered to bewaste and turning it into valuableproducts.

Local Action to Build theGreen Economy, presented byBill Thompson of BlueGreenCanada. This workshop will gener-ate ideas to work towards buildinga green city based on similar suc-

cess in Hamilton.Aside from the workshops,

attendees of the Good Green JobsConference will also get to hearwords from London Mayor JoeFontana and London LabourCouncil President Patti Dalton,who are slated to open the confer-ence together, and MPP Toronto-Danforth Peter Tabuns, the OntarioNDP Energy and Environmentcritic.

For more information on theconference and speakers, visitldlc.on.ca.

ALISON MCGEE

INTERROBANG

Good Green JobsConference offers eco-friendly opportunities

A new scholarship opportunityfrom the Crohns and ColitisFoundation of Canada (CCFC) isaiming to make the educationalexperience of those affected byInflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD) more successful.

IBD is a collective term forCrohns Disease and ulcerativecolitis, two distinct diseases thataffect the body in similar ways.Those suffering from Crohns andcolitis are at risk of experiencingacute attacks of symptoms thatresult in very frequent trips to thewashroom, feelings of pain anddiscomfort and, on occasion, hos-pitalization. These attacks disrupt

the day-to-day life of IBD sufferersand can make carrying an averagecourse load at a college or univer-sity extremely difficult.

Due to acute flare-ups of IBD,nearly 70 per cent of those suffer-ing from the diseases were delayedin completing their post-secondaryeducation, according to the CCFC.To help those affected overcomethe educational challenges broughton by IBD, the CCFC has intro-duced a new scholarship worth upto $5,000.

To qualify for this scholarship,each applicant must be a legal, per-manent resident of Canada andmust have been diagnosed byphysician with Crohns Disease orulcerative colitis. The scholarship

is open to anyone who is currentlyenrolled in a full-time university,college or trade school program forthe school year beginning thisSeptember. Applicants must alsosubmit a one-page essay outlininghow they strive for academic suc-cess as well as an optimal level ofwellness in the face of their healthchallenges, as well as two personalletters of recommendation. Theone-time scholarship will be grant-ed to seven individuals who meetall of the criteria.

To apply for the scholarship, andfor more information, visit ibd-scholarship.ca.

ALISON MCGEE

INTERROBANG

CREDIT: ALISON MCGEE

Members of the Fanshawe Student Union and the University Students Council of the University of WesternOntario came together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding pledging to work together in the future.

FSU and USC pledge to work together

The Fanshawe Student Union ofFanshawe College and theUniversity Students Council ofthe University of Western Ontarioare teaming up. The two studentorganizations signed a newMemorandum of Understanding onApril 3, which outlines their sharedgoals and missions that will benefitall students studying in London.

This is the first time the studentorganizations from the College andUniversity have partnered togetherto create a formal document, whichUSC President Andrew Forgioneand FSU President VeronicaBarahona said would pass on tofuture councils. The Memorandumof Understanding will help theorganizations maintain communi-cations and strengthen their rela-tionship, as well as partner togeth-er for joint events, lobby togetherand represent a united voice forstudents in the city.

Today is a big day for the stu-dents of London that we repre-sent, said Forgione. When we

began this process of discussing apartnership agreement, we saw thisas a bold opportunity to bridge the

gap between the two post-second-ary institutions our city is veryproud of, and to better support thestudents who attend both of ourinstitutions. Our two organizationsare strong representatives of stu-dents in the Forest City, and I thinkthat by committing to work togeth-er in the years to come on sharedgoals and priorities, we are alsocommitting to serve our con-stituents better than ever before.

Barahona agreed, calling it amonumental day for students inLondon. With this document, weare committing to work together inthe year to come.

This Memorandum ofUnderstanding is something set instone its a living document that will let each board know thatthey have a responsibility to con-nect with each side, she added.The purpose of that is so thatevery year, they have certain thingsthey collaborate (on).

Barahona explained that the twoorganizations were inspired to cre-ate the document after they bothwrote proposals for the Status of

Women in Canada grant. Wethink that we could have pooledour resources It would have

benefitted all students in London.The Memorandum of

Understanding will also allow thetwo student organizations to repre-sent a united voice to local govern-ment, said Forgione. From anadvocacy perspective, I think its asmart partnership that will allow usto influence our local governmentmore effectively on shared studentpriorities, leveraging the 42,000(students) that we collectively rep-resent in the London community.

Barahona said the Memorandummay affect the way the FSU andUSC represent students when newbylaws such as the public nui-sance bylaw are proposed. Ifwere working together collective-ly and just give the same message,then well be able to get more of astudent-focused view on things.

I see this as a positive step for-ward in reinforcing the value ofstudents in our community, saidForgione. By signing this docu-ment, I commit the USC to work-ing collaboratively with theFanshawe Student Union to betterachieve our mission statement, one

that is focused on the principle ofenhancing the student experience.

ERIKA FAUST

INTERROBANG

New scholarship aims to improveeducational experience forstudents with IBD


5/24

NEWS 5Volume 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

The City of London Councilmembers held an open forum meet-ing of the Public Safety Committeeon April 2 to allow members of thepublic to voice their opinions on aproposed public nuisance bylaw.

The ProposalThe proposed bylaw, the entirety

of which can be found on the Cityof Londons website (london.ca),essentially aims to give police offi-cers more authority when it comesto preventing unlawful assemblies.The move is a reaction to the St.Patricks Day riot that occurred onFleming Drive near FanshaweCollege, as well as other similar

incidents in the past.The full document is a hefty read

full of legal jargon, but it essential-ly boils down to giving police offi-cers the authority to break up aparty on private property, includinginside a private residence, if theyfeel it could escalate.

The term nuisance party isbeing used to describe the types ofparties police would be able to dis-sipate. In order to classify a gather-ing as a nuisance party, policewould have to witness any of thefollowing: disorderly conduct,public intoxication, the unlawfulsale of alcohol or controlled sub-stances, littering, damage of publicproperty, illegal parking, unreason-

able noise, open burning, publicdisturbances and public urinationor defecation.

The CommitteeThe public participation meeting

was held at the London ConventionCentre to accommodate the largerthan average crowd; approximately150 people were in attendance.Orest Katolyk, the Manager ofLicensing and MunicipalEnforcement Services for the Cityof London, cited a number of lawssimilar to the proposed bylawalready in effect in U.S. cities.

East Lansing Michigan instituteda similar law after a 1999 sportingevent that led to over 10,000 stu-dents congregating in the streets,starting fires and destroying policevehicles. Katolyk was quick toassure council members thatbylaws mirroring the one that he isproposing, particularly in EastLansing, have proven successful inthe U.S.

London Police Chief BradDuncan spoke to the council aboutthe need for police officers to havemore control over party situations.We need an opportunity to go inand quell things, Duncan said,referring to polices current inabil-ity to intervene in parties on privateproperty. Duncan also told councilhow things may have unfolded dif-ferently on St. Patricks Day if thepolice had had that power.

Public Participation

After the formalities of the coun-cil speeches, the discussion wasopened to members of the public.Over 20 London and area residentsgot up to speak their minds on theissue.

Of note among the public speak-ers was Pauline House, a residentof Huron Street close to FanshaweCollege. She spoke strongly aboutthe fears many permanent residentshave regarding students homescoming in to their neighborhood.We panic every time we see thatFor Sale sign, she said, beforerelating her own personal anec-

dotes about student disturbances inher neighbourhood.

Other concerns were raised frompeople who had purchased single-family homes in neighbourhoodsthat were then overrun by studentrentals, as were concerns involvinga student code of conduct. SandraBorson, who lives near the Westerncampus, asked Police ChiefDuncan, Why were 1,000 peopleeven allowed out on that street thatnight? Others offered solutions of

imposing restrictions on the num-ber of students allowed in a single-family home, such as the restric-tions that exist in Oshawa.

Veronica Barahona, President ofthe Fanshawe Student Union, tookthe time to address concerns thatthe wording in the bylaw is toovague, too immediate and too reac-tive.

Edgar Alan Smuck, who wrote aletter to council members, whichwas attached to the meetingsagenda, was angry about the lackof preparation time given to citi-zens to respond to the bylaw.

Oliver Hobson echoed this senti-ment, accusing the council mem-

bers of giving the appearance ofcitizen engagement as you try toram this thing through. The publicwas given 48 hours from the timethe bylaw was posted online to thedeadline for written responses.

In another letter attached to thenights agenda, Fanshawe CollegePresident Dr. Howard Rundlewrote, Fanshawe College sup-ports the City of Londons propos-al to amend the public nuisancebylaw ... we believe these amend-

ments giving law enforcementofficials more authority to respondto nuisance parties in the city canplay an important role in address-ing disruptive behavior. Dr.Rundle did not speak publicly atthe meeting.

Ultimately, after hearing fromthe public for nearly two hours,Councillors Bill Armstrong andPaul Hubert spoke in favour ofdelaying any action on the bylawuntil further consideration could begiven to it.

For more information on themeeting, updates on the bylaw andto view the entire proposal, visitlondon.ca.

ALISON MCGEE

INTERROBANG

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Spend your summerdoing what you lovewith the SummerCompany program

From landscaping to jewellerydesign to pretty much everything

in between, the Summer Companyprogram, one component of theOntario Governments SummerJobs Strategy, has funded all sortsof startups by students.

The Summer Company programis available to students aged 15 to29 (as of April 30, 2012) who willbe returning to school inSeptember. All applications needto be submitted by May 7, but thesooner you send in your applica-tion, the better, as space is limited.

Part of the program is a grant isworth up to $1,500 an amountthat depends on how much start-upmoney is estimated to be requiredin the business proposal, which issubmitted as part of the applicationprocess. Program participants willalso receive business training andmentoring to help them get started;local participants will work withstaff at the London Small BusinessCentre (316 Rectory St., sbcen-tre.ca/summer_company.htm). Atthe end of the summer, participantsare awarded an additional amountof money the same amount theywere given at the beginning of thesummer if they have met all eli-gibility requirements, includingkeeping detailed logs of businessoperations.

Jennifer Broxterman, aRegistered Dietitian and SportsNutritionist, was a full-time stu-dent in London completing herMasters degree at the University

of Western Ontario in Food andNutrition in 2011. She participatedin the Summer Company programlast May, creating NutritionRx(nutritionrx.ca), a business thatoffers clients one-on-one nutrition-al counselling, meal plans andnutrition seminars designed to helpthem reach their health and sportperformance goals.

Broxterman learned about theSummer Company program at aseminar at the London SmallBusiness Centre, and advisorsthere helped her organize her ideasand write a business plan. She

applied to the program and waspleasantly surprised when shelanded a spot in London. Not onlydid I get financial support, but also

professional support from (theSmall Business Centres) mentorsto help me with marketing,accounting, human resources andall those different parts of runninga business that maybe you haventhad practice or training in.

NutritionRx was a hit, andBroxterman has kept the businessopen throughout the school year.Its amazing. The snowball effectof word-of-mouth referrals itsliterally on the cusp of just explod-ing. I think in the next year or twoIll be ready to hire on some moredietitians to support the volume ofclients that I see, she said. Itscompletely exceeded any of mywildest expectations of how suc-cessful I could be with running myown business. NutritionRx cur-rently operates in the CrossFit gymfacilities in London (353 BathurstSt., crossfitlondon.ca), which areowned by Broxtermans boyfriend.

Its such a great message toother students because I get to setmy own hours around my busyschool schedule, I get to be myown boss, I can take off time whenI need to take off time, and it paysfor my cost of living quite com-fortably, doing what I love andwhat Im passionate about, saidBroxterman. If you have a planand you care about what you do,you can actually support yourselfas a student entrepreneur.

To apply to the Summer

Company program, visitontario.ca/summercompany andclick How to Apply and thenCheck Eligibility to answer ashort questionnaire to find out ifyou are a good candidate for theprogram. Every applicant must bea Canadian Citizen or LandedImmigrant living in Ontario, a cur-rent student who is returning tostudies in the fall, prepared todevote at least 35 hours each weekto their company, proposing a newbusiness idea and the businessmust be operated in Ontario,among other criteria.

ERIKA FAUST

INTERROBANG

CREDIT: ALISON MCGEE

Fanshawe Student Union President Veronica Barahona expressed herconcerns about a proposed public nuisance bylaw during a public partici-pation meeting at the London Convention Centre on April 2.

Proposed public nuisance bylaw put onhold after public participation meeting


6/24

OPINIONLETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[email protected] 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

The staff at Interrobang would like to wishall our readers a safe and happy summer.

We would like to thank all our readers forthe great feedback we have receivedthroughout the year. We are already plan-ning some great issues for next year, as welook to inform and entertain you.

Till then, adieu.Interrobang staff

Have a safe summer

After much eager anticipation, Budget2012 is finally upon us! Federal FinanceMinister Jim Flaherty tried to offset con-cerns about the budgets content in theweeks leading up to its release, but that has-nt prevented harsh criticism.

The budget scales back and eliminatesmany government organizations and federaljobs. It eliminates just fewer than 20,000federal jobs, with 7,000 of those expected tooccur through retirement. The CBC alsotakes a cut to their budget: $115 million overthree years. Elizabeth May was quoted by

the CBC as saying that this is a budget forpeople who are so out of touch with realitythey are unfit to govern. This scathing com-ment particularly regards the fact that the2012 budget doesnt mention climatechange even once.

The further reaching effects are costingmany others Canadians their jobs at officesthat received federal dollars, like the localSalvation Army. The Canadian FoodInspection Agency also felt the axe of thebudget. As a result, the Agency will nolonger verify claims on nutrition labels. Anew process that involves customers report-ing misleading labels online was describedby a representative for CFIAs food inspec-tors as a total farce. This cutback is amajor cause of concern for individuals withdiabetes, Crohns Disease or gluten allergiesbecause they now have no way of knowing if

a product is safe for them to consume.It seems morally reprehensible that the

government is eliminating what constitutesan essential service for literally thousands ofCanadians while simultaneously shorteningthe period of environmental review formajor resource project undertakings. Thechange will see the review process shortenedfrom up to six years to a maximum of two. Ifenvironmental reviews take as long as polit-ical ones, these projects will be underwaybefore the first test result is back. Hyperboleaside, its troubling that Flaherty openlystates that the policy will apply to theNorthern Gateway pipeline. This is a majorundertaking involving hundreds of variables,and the budget has limited the opportunityfor legitimate review to determine environ-mental effect. Even if the pipeline project

does not have the potential to exceed the 24-month allowable period, inevitably therewill be a project that does. This will turn thepolicy into one more piece of archaic redtape that nobody understands and only existsto ease the burden on developers for creatingenvironmentally responsible projects.

Regardless of the ins and outs of Budget2012, theres an overbearing sense that itdoesnt bode well for Canadians. Cuts toservices and job centres for youth, as well asthe CFIAs inability to verify food labels, areall objectively bad for Canadians.Shortening the environmental reviewprocess is good for business. The Harpergovernment relies on a middle class ofdrone workers to support the major earnersin Canada. The evidence for this is well doc-umented in almost any press release by the

Occupy movement. I want my kids to growup in the Canada I know, not in the industri-alized wasteland that capitalism willinevitably create.

Where dotheir (your)

priorities lie?

The word spiritual comes from theJewish-Christian tradition. Its meaning wasdifferent from the meanings many peoplegive it today. Paying attention to the originalmeaning can help us move forward.

In that Jewish-Christian tradition, theword for spirit is also used for wind andbreath, as in the breath of God. TheSpirit of God appears in the opening lines ofthe (Jewish-Christian) Bible. He gives lifeand order to the created world. (I had tochoose between she, he and it.Technically any of them will do.) Therefore,all the world is Gods and all of it is spiritu-al.

However, because humans partner withevil, theres a split between us and God. Thisgives the Spirit some extra work for the timebeing. (Ditto for the other two members ofthe Trinity, God the Father and Jesus the

Son.) He is a key player in giving new lifeand new order to the lives of all persons whoaccept that life and Gods reordering of theirlives.

This is why in the Christian understandingthe spiritual life involves change. Often thisis called repentance and that meanschange, a turning around; a change ofconsciousness and changes in patterns of liv-ing. And this causes changes in all areas oflife: how a person responds to a class mem-ber in the hallway; how an instructor relatesto students; how a political leader respondsto constituents and power groups; how adoctor views her responsibility to diagnosepatients accurately; how a person makes and

handles money; how the parent guides thechild; etc.

This is quite a bit different from the usualway spirituality is defined in recent times.Its true that different people will definespirituality different ways, but I think thatgenerally when we hear the word spiritual-ity what first comes to mind are ideas suchas compassion and justice. Also included isthe idea of an awareness of the naturalworld. And associated with those you oftenfind a suspicion of power, lawyers, guns andmoney. Politicians are not spiritual.Members of Greenpeace might be.Economists are not spiritual. People who runfood banks are. Most men probably arentspiritual. Women are more likely to be.

We can thank the long dead GermanPhilosopher Immanuel Kant (modestlynamed since his first name is Hebrew forGod with us) for this understanding ofspirituality. According to his way of think-ing, the domain of women was the kitchen,the children and morality or church. Men, onthe other hand, built buildings, made money,managed the farm, worked in laboratories,taught university, practiced law and con-

ducted wars.Effects of this kind of thinking are with us

today, a little less in the Catholic churches,and a little more in the Protestant churchesthat have been around a long time. In thoseProtestant churches youll find few men anda few more women (most of them noticeablyaging).

But those effects linger not only in thechurches. They also linger in popular under-standings of spirituality. Not to repeatmyself, but again spiritual people aremore often than not women, environmental-ists and the runners of food banks.Spiritual people are not the ones miningthe Alberta tar pits.

From my observations, the earlier Jewish-Christian understanding of spirituality holdsmore promise and is more likely to endure.Leaving behind evil and embracing good isnot something just for women. Working forgood in the family is something men as wellas women must work at. Not just men, butwomen too, must be concerned that theworkplace and the business world bringabout justice and fairness for all who areimpacted by the factories and offices inLondon and elsewhere.

As an aside, leaving the pursuit of moral-ity and the raising of children mainly in thehands of women diminishes men andexhausts women. And leaving women out ofthe political and economic activities of ourtime diminishes women and exhausts men.

My point is not so much about the equali-ty of women and men. It is mainly to say thateveryone is called upon to consider whatmakes our lives tick.

What patterns in our lives are hurting oth-ers and our own selves? What in our lives isunspiritual in the sense that it does notbuild but tears down, does not promote fair-ness but feeds injustice, does not open the

way for dignity and love, but paves the roadtowards divisiveness and even war? What inour lives needs the Spirit of God to createchange, a turn-around, a repentance, arenouncing of stuff from the past and anembracing of new patterns for living?

Summer can be a very busy time, workingto save for next years tuition, travelling andreconnecting with friends and family. Butmaybe, away from the deadlines of assign-ments and quizzes, it can also be a time toreconsider how your and my life should bedifferent, where we need the Spirit of God tobring new life.

NOTES FROM DAY SEVEN

MICHAEL [email protected]

Spirituality this summer

VICTOR DE JONG

INTERROBANG


7/24

Its the final issue of the Interrobang forthis school year, and honestly, its gone byso fast. It seems like yesterday was the firstday of class and its already the end of afruitful year. While Ive been writing aboutall these different Canadian things that catchmy eye, surely a number of you must bewondering some of the things that Canadahas taught me. Shes taught me a lot, all insuch a short time.

10. Hockey is life: Id be livid withmyself if hockey wasnt on this list. I grewup watching the very limited hockey thatESPN would broadcast back in India. I fell

in love with the Anaheim Ducks and NHL2002back in the day, but to actually live inthe country where its considered a pastimein the winter has been unreal, in a word.

9. Poutine is heavenly: French fries withcheese and gravy: poutine. I still remembermy first poutine, which I had at Oasis backin October, and Ive been hooked on thestuff ever since. Now, its been brought tomy attention that too much poutine isnt thebest thing ever, mainly because its so fat-tening and unhealthy, but lets be frank here,its delicious. And because it is delicious,Im going to make the exception every sooften. Mmm, gravy...

8. 12C is warm weather: Back inCalcutta, India, our winters would touch12C. Sometimes, if we got lucky, it woulddrop to 9C or so. It used to be freezing cold

back then. The other day when my dadcalled and I told him 15C was warm, hegasped.

7. The Toronto Maple Leafs are reallyawful, arent they: Sorry, Leafs fans, butyou know I had to. I knew you guys nevermade the playoffs since the lockout; I neverknew its been such a long, unfruitful run.Its tough on you guys, I can empathize, butthis is something that I came across onlyafter coming to the Great White North. Buckup, lads, youll be playoff-bound soon. Ornot.

6. The Arkells are brilliant: Amazingband, the Arkells. And theyre Canadian. Idnever heard about them, and now they fill up

my iPod. Id say coming to Canada has real-ly opened my eyes to a lot of great musicthat you would never ever hear of if youstayed in India. Im disappointed withmyself for not going to the Arkells show inLondon a few months back, but I plan to seethem when they return to London. Untilthen, my iPod has to work overtime.

5. Without Tim Hortons, this countrywould be static: You really didnt think Idforget Tim Hortons, did you? Without TimHortons, there is no Canada (if you permitme to exaggerate just a little bit). Its true,though; Timmies are in every part of thecountry Ive seen. Now, to grab a double-

double and roll up the rim...4. Nickelback is not everyones cup oftea: Honestly, this one surprised me to adegree. I grew up listening to Nickelback,and when I came to Canada, I discover thatthey are despised in some parts of the coun-try. I havent been able to decipher the rea-son so far, but rest assured I will try to putthis mystery behind me.

3. Shovelling snow is a better workoutthan youd get at GoodLife: For starters,Ive never ever hit a gym in my life, so dontcount on me being an expert. What I can tellyou is that shovelling snow is not fun. Everymorning, in those sub-zero conditions, yougo out and burn those calories. I did it for the

first time ever this winter and it wasntpleasant. And you know what the best partis? You get to do it all over again the nextday.

2. Bilingualism is in: This is one thingthats impressed me so far. Ive never beento Quebec, but I hear its a lot more French-biased. Ignoring that fact, everything Iveseen is bilingual. I see it as promoting cul-tural diversity, which I believe is a greatthing. French-Canadian or English-Canadian is still Canadian, and that is themain thing. Merci.

1. Eh is a word: Hilarious as this mayseem, this is a word Ive observed numerous

people use, whether on the bus or in the hallsof Fanshawe. The word seems to be a con-junction finding its way into many sen-tences, although Ive seen it as a standaloneword numerous times. And you know whatthe funniest bit is? I use it myself. Weird,eh?

To sum up, its been a great year inCanada and at Fanshawe. Ive made somany friends and met new people. I love thiscountry, to tell you frankly: the culture, thefood, the people. Im glad my dad let mecome to college here in Canada. Its defi-nitely one of the best decisions Ive made inlife. The country has grown on me and Icant wait to be back next year.

Ten things Canada taught me

One of the greatest and longest standingscientific debates revolves around humansocialization and how much we can attributeto nature versus nurture. In other words, arewe born with pre-existing dispositions tocertain kinds of behaviours, attitudes andactions based on our genetic code/evolution-ary past? OR are we purely determined bythe environment(s) in which were raised? Ifa combination of both, what role do onespeers, parents and other social influences,such as the media, play in terms of bringingout or repressing certain hardwired traits?Interestingly, the very same questions can beasked when it comes to the realm of psycho-

logical maturity.Are some inherently born with character-istics more in line with psychological matu-rity? OR does everyone come to the tablewith the same capacity for developing psy-chological maturity but ones experiences(and how one learns from and copes withthem) determine if/when said attitude isembraced? Further, how much should oneallow him/herself to be influenced by factorsoutside of the self (i.e., externalization) ver-sus listening to ones brains (i.e., remembertheres one in your head AND one in yourgut)?

Im afraid there are no easy answers toany of the above queries and, in fact, part ofyour journey to establishing (and maintain-

ing) a psychologically mature perspectivemay just consist of you attempting to findsolutions. The point in doing so, however,

would NOT be to come up with definitiveend results, but instead to evaluate andanalyze the process that took you there.

Yes, once again, my friends, it all comesback to introspection: asking yourself whatmakes you tick and understanding why/howit all comes together. As I said in my veryfirst column, if any of your self-contempla-tions result in superficial because youvebeen told to or thats just how its alwaysbeen types of answers, youre NOT diggingdeep enough. EVERYTHING, no matterhow seemingly mundane, has meaning andmotive behind it. Dont forget that. Equallyimportant to remember is the fact that no oneenters your life unscathed or without bag-gage of some sort trailing behind. So if youfind yourself feeling threatened by another,instead of lashing out, ask yourself why

itll serve you much better and help youbecome a much more considerate, empathet-ic individual something I think we allshould strive to be.

Even those of you whove been practicingthe principles Ive discussed this past yearfor a long time including minimizingdefensive reactions and focusing on long-term gratification, among others Im sureyou still find yourselves in situations withindividuals who are difficult, to say theleast. Youll come to realize that the biggestdilemma youll ultimately face in life is thefact that just because youre reasonable andwilling to deal with situations in an adultmanner doesnt necessarily mean that every-one else is singing from the same song-

book if you get my drift. Not to quotemyself unnecessarily, but the truth of thematter is that some people are just content

being assholes; this obviously proves par-ticularly contentious when said individualsare a necessary evil in your life (e.g., step-parents and/or monsters-in-law). Of course,this brings me to the topic of stress some-thing else weve thoroughly discussed.

While some stress can be helpful andmotivating, too much can lead to emotionaloverload and/or self-implosion. Life is allabout balance and honestly acknowledgingyour limitations. Theres no cowardice orshame in admitting when you need help or abreak. Confidence and a can-do attitudewill get you far, but too much pride is justanother issue waiting to bite you in the assnot to mention, as my online video interviewwith Professor Olson of the University ofWestern Ontario overviewed, arrogant peo-ple arent much fun to be around!

As we revealed in our dissections of manypathological personality types such asthe people pleaser, egoist, pessimistand hypocrite insecurity as well as a lackof gratitude appear to be two common rootcauses. Considering we live in one of themost privileged areas of the world, its hardto think as to why the latter would be thecase at all. Priorities, people! As for the for-mer? Well, no two peoples situations arealike, but it seems to me that bullying (byBOTH authority figures and peers), alongwith the promotion of unattainable socialideals of what defines happiness, suc-cess and beauty, are a serious part of theproblem.

In the end, everything comes down to one

simple, hard and fast question: Are YOUhappy? If you are, take stock of all of thewonderful reasons why, never take such

things for granted and be sure to acknowl-edge all of those who have or continue tocontribute joy to your existence. If youreconflicted, dissatisfied, stressed, sad orangry more often than you think youSHOULD be or more than you WANT to be,its time to seriously start asking yourselfsome deep questions: Who am I? Why am Ithis kind of individual? Who do I want to be?What do I want in life? What do I need to getthere? What drives me? What discouragesme? Who/what supports me? Who/whatstands in my way? Only YOU can ask andonly YOU can answer.

Im sorry to say there are no magical solu-tions or 10-step instructional manuals outlin-ing how one can obtain a life in whichtheyre living rather than simply exist-ing. While many individuals will enter and

exit your life as your journey unravels (forthe better and sometimes for the worse),remember its ultimately YOUR life youneed to look out for YOURSELF first andforemost and that YOU have the power tolead the kind of life you desire. Its all aboutyour ATTITUDE, so, in closing, get outyour wrenches and start adjusting.

FSU Publications OfficeSC1012

www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

Publications Manager & Editor John [email protected] 519.453.3720 ext. 224

Staff Reporter Erika [email protected] 519.453.3720 ext.247

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Letters to the [email protected]

Graphic Design Contributors:Megan Easveld, Bernie Quiring, Kayla Watson

Photographers:

Anthony Chang

Baden Roth

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Ariana PinderIllustrator:

Adle Grenier

Contributors:

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Dhamija, Victor De Jong Nauman Farooq, Bobby Foley,

Brooke Foster, Madison Foster, Stuart Gooden, Rebecca

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Kalashnik, Wendy Lycett, Taylor Marshall, Rick Melo,

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Vanderzwan, Michael Veenema, Jeremy Wall and

Joshua Waller

Comics:Dustin Adrian, Laura Billson, Robert Catherwood, ScottKinoshita, Chris Miszczak and Andres Silva

Cover Credit:JAMES WILLIAMS

Editorial opinions or comments expressed

in this newspaper reflect the views of the

writer and are not those of the

Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student

Union. All photographs are copyright 2011

by Fanshawe Student Union. All rights

reserved. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe

Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., Room SC1012,

London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the

Fanshawe College community.

Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to edit-

ing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by

contact information. Letters can also be submitted online at

www.fsu.ca/interrobang/ by following the Interrobang links.

www.fsu.ca

VICTOR KAISARINTERROBANG


[email protected] 7Volume 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

CREDIT: WALLPAPERSONWEB.COM

PSYCH YOUR MINDROSE CORA PERRYwww.rosecoraperry.com

A few questions you NEED to know the answers to


8/24


[email protected]

Volume 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

At one time they were treated no differentfrom any adult charged with a crime. Later,they were labelled juvenile delinquentsand treated according to a special set ofrules. Today, a person in Canada betweenages 12 and 18 who is criminally chargedwill be prosecuted according to the YouthCriminal Justice Act. This is a special pieceof legislation, creating a distinct justice sys-tem for young offenders. The aim is to reha-bilitate young offenders back into society,while holding them accountable for theiractions and sentencing them according totheir circumstances. Without undue delay,here are a few things you should know about

the YCJA.Minimum AgeIn Canada, only those 12 years and over

can be held criminally responsible. Thismeans that children under 12 will not beprosecuted for committing a criminaloffence. Those 18 and over will be prosecut-

ed as adults.Youth SentencesThe courts are subject to specific princi-

ples when sentencing youth, once againaimed at holding young offenders account-able for their actions and reintegrating theminto society, all while protecting the public atthe same time. Sentences must be propor-tionate to the seriousness of the crime com-mitted and should be consistent with sen-tences handed out for the same crime in thesame community. A sentence of more thantwo years cannot be imposed for an offence,and a sentence for consecutive offences can-not exceed seven years, unless an adult sen-tence is imposed.

Adult SentencesThe YCJA allows a judge to hand out an

adult sentence, where a youth over the age of13 has been convicted of a most seriouscrime. The Crown must be seeking an adultsentence and must prove that a youth sen-tence would not be sufficiently long to hold

the young offender accountable for his or heractions. If a judge determines that a youthsentence would be long enough to hold theindividual accountable, he or she cannotimpose an adult sentence.

Protection of IdentityYou will often notice that accused minors

are referred to by names such as A.M. inthe media. This is because it is forbidden topublish the name or any identifying informa-tion of an accused minor, in order to avoidstigmatization and lifetime labelling of theaccused as a criminal. Exceptions may bemade, however, such as when a youngaccused has been convicted and handed anadult sentence, when an accused minor is

being apprehended by the police and poses apublic danger or when a young accused per-son turns 18 and wishes to release his or hername.

This column provides legal informationonly and is produced by the students ofCommunity Legal Services and Pro Bono

Students Canada (UWO). The informationis accurate as of the date of publication.Laws change frequently so we caution read-ers from relying on this information if sometime has passed since publication. If youneed legal advice please contact a lawyer,community legal clinic, Justice Net at 1-866-919-3219 or the Lawyer Referral Service at1-900-565-4LRS. You can contactCommunity Legal Services to book anappointment to discuss your legal issue ormediation services. Please call us at 519-661-3352 with any inquires or to book anappointment.

What you need to know about the Youth Criminal Justice Act

LAW TALK

Community Legal Services & ProBono Students Canada (UWO)519-661-3352

With the deadline having just passed forstudents to apply for this terms 30 per centtuition rebate, questions have been raisedabout how many eligible students actuallyapplied, what ineligible students can do andhow all post-secondary students can stayafloat financially.

Approximately 310,000 students inOntario will be eligible to receive this tuitiongrant, about half of whom have OSAP. Inorder to get this grant, students must fall intoa specific category: they must be within fouryears of graduating high school, be in goodacademic standing, have their parentsincome fall under $160,000 annually and bein a full-time program that can be applied todirectly from high school.

Part of the application process involvessending in your parents social insurance

number and part of their Canadian IncomeTax Return, and if your parents arent will-ing to provide you with that information,then you become one of the many peoplewho are ineligible for the rebate.

According to the Liberal government, fiveout of six families with students will benefitfrom this grant, but what about all the stu-dents who dont fall within those guidelines?

I think it is a good starting place for thegovernment. It does reach quite a few stu-dents. They do need to make it broader.Right now, it kind of neglects some of thekey areas, said Kendra Sauder, VP Financefor the Fanshawe Student Union.

Here at Fanshawe College, a little overhalf of the students are classified as maturestudents, which is defined as any student notcoming directly from high school, and that

number is going up. With the way the econ-omy has been going, and with record-highunemployment rates, many people arereturning to college or university for contin-uing education or second career training.

The tuition rebate gives students back 30per cent of the average university or collegetuition each year, but what exactly is theaverage? According to ontariocolleges.ca,the average university tuition is $6,100 andthe average college diploma tuition is$2,400. What this means is that each year,eligible university students will receive$1,600 and college students will get $730.

Typically, the majority of university stu-dents pay the same amount for tuition, butthat is not the case at colleges. The reality isthat, though some programs do cost around$2,400, there are many programs that costmuch, much more. Take, for instance, theDental Hygiene program at Fanshawe,where students are paying $6,500 per termfor a six-term program. If its a 30 per centtuition rebate, should they not be getting$3,900 per year?

Thats something that definitely needs to

be looked at. It shouldnt be a prorated rate.I think thats the biggest issue weve hadwith our students; theyre upset, saidVeronica Barahona, FSU President.

Barahona also showed concern about thenumber of students who are confused aboutthe grant because of the governments lackof clear information. Restrictions are onething, but not making the information acces-sible to students right away I think studentshad to dig for it. The more that you had todig, the more information you found out, themore people werent eligible, saidBarahona.

It seems as though the Liberal governmentused the 30 per cent tuition rebate to helplock in an election win, but as the specificqualifications for the grant were released tothe public, many students were left disap-pointed.

The tuition grant is expected to cost the

provincial government $423 million annual-ly.

Some of that money that is being redirect-ed from three previous programs: theOntario Trust for Student Support, theTextbook and Technology Grant and theQueen Elizabeth II Aiming for the TopScholarship.

The Canadian Federation of Students sub-mitted a 40,000-signature petition to the leg-islature asking that this money be used topay for a 13 per cent tuition cut for all stu-dents, instead of the 30 per cent for some.

For the seventh year in a row, tuition inOntario has increased by five per cent, leav-ing Ontario with the highest fees in Canada.Ontario has some of the lowest per-studentfunding out of all the provinces when itcomes to higher education. The poverty line

for groceries is approximately $35 (perweek). Most students that I talk to are livingoff of $25 a week, said Sauder.

So what options are left for those studentswho arent getting the 30 per cent tuitiongrant, or even for those who are, but are stillstruggling financially?

Lets say a student works full-time earn-ing minimum wage over the 17-week sum-mer. They would make a little under $7,000before taxes and living expenses. Even withworking part-time during the year, many stu-dents must resort to student loans and OSAPin order to afford tuition, rent, books andsupplies, groceries, bills, etc. The list goeson.

In Ontario, students are graduating with anaverage of $20,000 in debt. Here in London,the unemployment rate for people aged 15 to24 is hovering around 20 per cent. With theway things are going, it will take years forrecent grads to pay off their student loans,which means its taking longer for them tobuy houses and invest in retirement. Thefinancial struggle for students creates adomino effect that is influencing their entire

lives.The fear of debt and financial struggle is

cited as a big factor in why some peoplechoose not to pursue post-secondary educa-tion. The tuition grant was designed to helpstudents transition from secondary school topost-secondary. There is a large number ofunder-represented students which wouldbe a first-generation or a student who comesfrom a low-income family, a student with adisability, etc. that typically do not

attend as many who could attend dontattend, said Jim Robeson, Director ofAdvocacy at the College Student Alliance.

According to Statistics Canadas Youth InTransition Survey, of those students whodropped out of their post-secondary pro-gram, 36 per cent cited financial reasons.Pursuing higher education should not be sodifficult financially that students are unableto finish their program.

Student poverty is a legitimate concern onFanshawes campus, and it has been for awhile. We certainly see a lot of students inour counselling role here who are havingfinancial challenges. Thats not new thisyear; thats been an ongoing issue for stu-dents over time, said Lois Wey, Manager ofCounselling and Accessibility Services atFanshawe. We have students who havebeen depending on parents for their supportand then parents have lost jobs and not beenable to support them in the same way, sheadded.

Suddenly students who had their parentssupport are left trying to figure out how tosupport themselves. Many who were origi-

nally ineligible for OSAP now are, and aretrying to navigate the application process.Some just need a little money to tide themover, but are unaware of their options.

There is a problem with awareness atFanshawe; many students dont know howto apply for bursaries or awards and scholar-ships. In fact, they might not even know thatthats an option for them. You just have todig for it. Money doesnt just land in yourlap, unfortunately. You have to work for it,

said Barahona. But should it be that difficultfor students to get financial assistance?When I was a student here at Fanshawe

College, I was completely unaware of howto apply for bursaries or awards and scholar-ships. I knew they existed, but, like manyother students, I assumed that I would notqualify, when the reality is that many peoplewho think they wont get financial assistanthave a much better chance of receiving assis-tance than they think.

Financial Aid here at Fanshawe has beenworking to get the message out to studentsabout bursaries, as has the FSU, but Im notso sure its working. There are manyavenues for students to get financial assis-tance, and for the most part, that fact hassomehow remained one of the collegesbest-kept secrets.

Students can make use of the Sharing

Shop at Fanshawe for items such as food andsupplies, and can talk to Kendra Sauder([email protected]) or Lois Wey([email protected]) if they are concernedor are struggling with their finances.

KIRSTEN ROSENKRANTZ

INTERROBANG

CREDIT: STOCK IMAGES

Tuition grant and student poverty


9/24


[email protected] 9Volume 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

Dear Editor:The following is an essay that I wrote in

2009 immediately following an incidentwith the London police. I intended to submitthis essay to various media outlets at the timeof the incident and lost my nerve. I thinknow is a good time...

On a Street Called ProsperityI was arrested tonight. I was arrested as I

stood as an individual, on a street calledProsperity, in peaceful protest. I refused toturn a blind eye to the lying, brutality andshameful behaviour of certain members ofthose that we hold in positions of authority.

They said that I was disturbing the peace.In truth, I had just left a forcibly evacuatedparty I had attended for barely 30 minutesbefore the police came rushing in throughthe backyard. I was dead sober. Had I actu-ally been drunk, I would not have beenflooded with thoughts of officers kicking ayouth in the face and the resulting bloodstainleft behind at the entrance of The Mews, orseeing no less than six middle-aged officersarresting another skinny, misguided youthfor having open liquor. It would not havebothered me so much that grown men andwomen were given carte blanche to abusetheir power and harass teenagers after onlyrecently having learned of three muggings inthe Fanshawe area or the consistent and reg-ular reports of houses being broken into.Instead, on this day, I was struck with therealization that I did not feel safe in the cityof London, Ontario.

I did not feel safe because my peers wereallowed to invade our homes with little or nopolice action. I did not feel safe because mypeers were being brutally mugged. I did notfeel safe because the police are runningaround in rampant tyranny while the ostrich-

es of London keep their heads in the sand.As I stated, calm-voiced, to the multitude of

police officers that surrounded me on thisnight, If you are not part of the solution,

YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.I was approached by several officersbefore being arrested and was asked to leavethe place, under a street light, where I stoodcalmly. I stated that I was an individual onpublic property with no intention of return-ing to a house of complete strangers and nointention of disturbing or harming anyone. Iwas completely honest in stating that I heldmy position as a matter of principle in lightof the out-of-control behaviours that havebeen continuously conducted, unabated. Idid anticipate that I would be arrested, as apublic example, if for no other real reason. Iwas handcuffed and placed in the car beforeI was given the reason for my arrest;although I heard two officers mulling aboutwhat in the vast and vague rule of law thatthey could apply to my situation. As it hap-pened, I had to ask about the reason for myarrest from the back seat of a cop car afterhaving already been formally arrested.

I was fully prepared to accept the conse-quences of my civil disobedience and, forthe moment, saw the majority of the experi-ence as a learning opportunity and a glimmerof hope for change.

I am an upper-middle class, well-educat-ed, shy, introverted female. I will probablynever see the inside of a jail cell again. Icould not help thinking about the souls inadjacent jail cells who, I assume, had com-mitted actual crimes. I was told before beingenclosed in the cell that I would not incurany criminal charges and released shortly,but was nevertheless detained against mywill.

Needless to say, as the minutes passed, Idid not begin to feel any degree of rehabili-

tation, only dissatisfaction with The System.I can promise that I will be incredibly unlike-

ly to aid a police officer under any circum-stance hereafter and I imagine that legitimate

criminals feel similarly. The fact is that oursystem of punishment is entirely punitiveand devoid of opportunities for rehabilita-tion.

I believe this glaring fault is a result of theabysmal and continuous failure of certaininstitutions in the city of London, Ontario torecognize the difference between power andauthority. Power will correct a situationswiftly, forcefully and temporarily only tohave said situation manifest itself in a moredestructive manner. Authority will preventthe situation from occurring in the firstplace, not by physical force, but by strengthof character. This difference is completelylost on the law enforcers, public officials,general news media and elected representa-tives of London, Ontario.

I have no idea how long I spent in that cellbecause I had nothing with which to tell thetime and I was so consumed with mythoughts, but I could tell my moment ofrelease was impending when the voices ofthe police officers in the room that I enteredwhen I arrived, became clearer. As I strainedto eavesdrop, I could discern a few wordsamidst a cacophony of unintelligible mur-murs, but, in retrospect, I wish I had not lis-tened.

Heres what I heard: The BlackChick.

Rachael?... and, as I guessed, I wasreleased shortly after. It may sound ridicu-lous, but comparatively speaking, my time inlockdown was relatively pleasant up untilthe moment that my ears caught those threewords: The Black Chick.

I confronted the officers about this incred-ibly damaging generalization and an officer

first denied that it was said and then claimedthat I must have overheard one of my male

cellmates. Since I had not seen any males inthe cells and could only hear them distantly

screaming unintelligibly from a completelydifferent direction, I wondered how peoplewho I had not seen would have known myskin colour, let alone my first name. I chosenot to further pursue the blatant lie, a lie thatexposed itself on the visage of every policeofficer present and I managed to just make itout of the first set of doors without suc-cumbing to tears.

This was not supposed to happen. I wassupposed to leave the police station, headheld high. Point made. Lives impacted.Instead, I felt for the first time in my life thatno matter how intelligent I am, regardless ofmy attempts at maintaining a peaceful andrespectful countenance, regardless of mybackground and upbringing, these individu-als saw me as just another nigger.

I am defeated. I had been defeated beforeI had even begun. I went into this situationfeeling strong and empowered and I left feel-ing weak and marginalized. The futility of itall would have me throw these truths into thenearest fire, but I had promised myself that Iwould put these events in writing from themoment that I was swarmed by police thatnight.

I now see no hope for change in the mat-ter of police vs. students and there will benone as long as the residents and politiciansof the city of London continue to not onlyignore, but also encourage the actions ofthese experts in the art of stereotyping andracial profiling. This situation will get expo-nentially worse and I intend to be far, faraway from this wretched city before thathappens. I did battle with ignorance todayand ignorance won. Huey Freeman.

Rachael Otukol

Looking back to a street called Prosperity

Dear Editor:Last Friday everything seemed normal, I

was a typical stressed out Fashion Designstudent. I was doing around 16 hours ofwork a day on my first five-piece collectionand managing my first fashion shows finan-cial and sponsorship matters. I lived at homein the house I grew up with my father andolder sister, along with Tucker and Pepper(our two dogs), Komere and Nila (our twocats). But then everything changed...

My sister was on her way to check on ourhorses when she called Tucker and Pepper infrom outside to join her. Tucker, our nineand a half year old collie slowly cametowards her and then stopped and leaned upagainst the house. Right away she knewsomething was dramatically wrong goingto the barn is our dogs equivalent to chil-dren going to Disney World. We immediate-ly took him to our local emergency vet.

Originally, we thought he was dramatical-ly dehydrated and that all we would have todo was to hook him up to IV fluids and elec-trolytes. He stayed at the clinic to be hookedup to fluids and closely monitored. Althoughwe left without him, we were still positiveeverything was going to be alright. The nextmorning we went to work together and weremanaging to work effectively until my sister

got a call. Tuckers condition had started todeteriorate. It was right then and there werealized that Tucker may never come home.My sister left work around 10:30 a.m. andraced to the vet so she could spend as muchtime as possible with Tucker. Around 20minutes later she texted me and said I shouldget to the vet as soon as possible. Four hourslater our beloved collie, a member of ourfamily, my sisters little boy and my late-night couch buddy was gone.

To say the least, we were in shock. Didthat really just happen? Is this real? Whenwe got home that night all we did was lookat each other and then Pepper, our three yearold Shih Tzu. He looked so confused and

didnt understand why Tucker wasnt withus. We cried and cuddled with him all nightwhile we did small things such as hidingTuckers food dish so we wouldnt have tolook at it again until we were ready.

It wasnt until Sunday that we believePepper fully understood that Tucker wasntcoming home. He looked so depressed, lone-ly and heartbroken. We spent as much timeas possible snuggling and playing with ourlonely dog. Any time we left the house, he

came with us. Even putting make-up on anddoing my hair, he was with me. On Tuesdaymorning I didnt have to be at class until 12p.m. so I created a spa day for Pepper. Heloves getting his hair washed, dried andbrushed so much that we treat it like a spaday where he even gets special treats. By thetime I left the house Tuesday morning, I waswalking down the street thinking that thingswere getting better...

Around 4 p.m. Tuesday night I got a textfrom my father to call him as soon as possi-ble. I knew something was dreadfullywrong. Panicking, I called him and as soonas he picked up I blurted out, Whos dead?No one was dead, but he explained me tothat Pepper had run away. He had takenPepper for a car ride to St. Marys, Ontario tovisit my grandparents. When they got there,

he let Pepper out of the car so he could go tothe washroom and sniff my grandfathersleg. Something happened and Pepper tookoff. My father tried to chase after him butPepper was too fast and he lost him.

In this sprint, our little 16-pound Pepperran almost one kilometre before we lost himat Timms Lane and Peel Street. Five of ussearched until we couldnt see anymore thatnight. When we got back to my grandpar-ents house, I made the decision not to leaveuntil we found Pepper. So I stayed the night,created posters and began my spree ofinforming local business of his disappear-ance via Facebook, Twitter and Kijiji.

The next morning I got up from a sleepless

rest at 5 a.m. and started calling shelters,kennels, vets and police asking them toinform me if anyone called or broughtPepper in. By daybreak I was back outsearching for Pepper. My sister and I walkedaround St. Marys all morning putting up fly-ers and speaking with storeowners andpassersby asking for their assistance duringthis troubling time. After a short lunch breakand a social media update, we were back outon the streets looking for our little baby.Thankfully all our hard work paid off onWednesday with numerous people callingand informing us of sightings.

Thursday morning, due to all the great tipsfrom the day before, my grandparents and Iwoke up early and arrived at The Flats, alocation that was most often mentioned inWednesdays public tips, around 5:40 a.m.

Between them driving around and me sittingoutside in Tuckers old car blanket with toysand Tuckers valued bowl we left the parkunsuccessful. Once again we did our rounds,even going door-to-door in some areassearching for our poor lost puppy.

It is now Thursday night. I have sleptaround two hours since Tuesday, walkedcountless miles on a sprained ankle, handedout over 220 posters and have been unable toattend other family obligations. I keep wait-ing to wake up from this nightmare but itseems never ending.

Please help us find Pepper; to you he mayjust be a dog, but to us he is so much more.

I can be contacted at 519-859-5630 [email protected] with any infor-mation you may have on Pepper.

Angie Martin

Last hope for Pepper

CREDIT: MARTIN FAMILY


10/24

LIFESTYLES10 Volume 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

Cousins record some of theirsongs in their garage and they arenot afraid to admit it. Their newestalbum, The Palm At The End OfThe Mind, is sure to please fansand listeners alike. It holds nothing

back and shows a wide range ofemotion. On March 28, I talked toAaron Mangle, who formed theband back in 2009, to talk moreabout his views on the new albumand the bands upcoming tour.

In your opinion, what sepa-rates your most recent albumThe Palm At The End Of TheMind from your last five otheralbums/EPs?

We spent a lot of time on this

almost a year, actually. I think itsbeen more paced than anything wehave done in a while. Its moreconcentrated and its been almostthree years since we have donesomething like this where wespend a lot of time on a record.

Is this tour a little longer thanyour usual tours? If so, what areyou looking forward to the most?

Well, last year we did a tourthat was about the same length.This year is sort of like a rehashingof that last tour. We have been on

the road for almost a month nowand the best part of the whole thingso far has been going back toplaces where we have touredbefore and seeing all of the bandswe got to play with. Its just somuch fun to go back and revisitpeople and hang out with themagain. Last year we were there wewere all like see you next year,but sort of uncertain if we wouldactually see each other again and

keep that promise. We are justreally excited to get to do it all overagain. We are also excited to go tonew places as well. We havealready been to a handful of newcities.

Do you prefer recording atyour house or in a studio atmos-phere?

There are certain pros and consto each. I think over all we preferto record at home, although thevariables are a lot more controlledand we have a lot less options in

terms of what were capable of.The comforts at home are reallygreat, although being in a studio,(youre) with someone who knowsequipment and you can just focuson one thing instead of the micro-phones and stuff. Its really help-ful. Overall I think a variety ofboth is really good for us.

For concert dates, or to check outCousins new and past albums, goto cousinscousins.bandcamp.com.

Cousins latest holds nothing back

CREDIT: COUSINS

Cousins will be back in London on April 27 for a show at APK Live.

CREDIT: YUKON BLONDE

Yukon Blondes latest album Tiger Talkwas released March 20 on DineAlone Records.

With the end of the school yearupon us and exams to come and go,freedom is just around the cornerand its time to celebrate. A numberof great names are headed toLondon and these are shows that aredefinitely worth checking out.

April 13 will mark the return ofHands and Teeth to London follow-ing their visit to SXSW. TheToronto band has seen nothing butsuccess after their release ofHunting Season and they havenowhere to go but up. With a blendof harmonizing vocals and key-board pop rhythm, they promise tomake you dance till the night isover. Theyll be joined by Oscar-nominated Josh Raskin with his

project Kids & Explosions, whowill be mixing together musicalmash-ups with visuals that arebeyond words in an event that needsto not only be heard but seen.Opening the night will bePapermaps, still fresh from theirself-titled debut last year, and TBD not to be determined, but theband name TBD featuring theOwner of APK Live, MarcGammal, on drums. The show is $5at the doors, which open at 8 p.m.

The next night well seeJapanther, an anything-goes bandplaying their own blend of experi-

mental punk rock. Eleven yearsyoung, this band has been all over

the Canadian music map and willbring an act unlike anything theAPK Live has seen before. Thisnight will also mark the cassette(yes, I said cassette) release ofLondon drum and bass duo I SmellBlood, which features membersfrom local bands Wild Domesticand Say Domino. Not even a yearon the scene and these boys havealready successfully made a namefor themselves. The two bands willshare the stage with Boys Who SayNo, who put on a live show compa-rable to one by the Talking Heads,and Dead City Beat, a one-man actwith a post-punk sound with ele-ments of dubstep, noise and psyche-delia. Doors will open at 9 p.m. and

the show costs $10 to attend.Probably the most anticipatednight of the month will be April 20,when Juno nominees and PolarisPrize short-listed Plants andAnimals will make an appearance inthe Forest City along with localfavourites Wild Domestic. TheMontreal band Plants and Animalsmade waves with their debut albumParc Avenue back in 2008 andhavent slowed down since. Nowwith a second album, The End ofThat, which was released onFebruary 28, they have earned theirreputation as one of Canadas most

talented and respected bands.Opening the night will be Wild

Domestic, back in town afterappearing at Canadian Music Weekand a mini-tour in March. With theirpowerful rock sound, they never failto put on an amazing show. Did Imention that they have a lineup thatincludes two drummers? Tickets forthis show will be $15 in advance.

Rounding out the month will fea-ture a show of shows with anincredible lineup. Headlining April27 will be the always incredibleCuff the Duke, a London favourite,in their APK Live debut. The folk-rock lovelies will be joined byHalifax surf-rockers Cousins, whowill be playing their first show sincethe release of their album The PalmAt The End Of The Mind. B.A.

Johnson will be opening for the twobands, with his catchy nerd rock andcrazy antics in support of his newrecord Hi Dudes!, and with EvanRedsky of Single Mothers fame the Theatre Arts student mixes theright amounts of folk and rock andis worth the listen. Tickets are $10in advance.

These shows will take place atAPK Live at 340 Wellington St. andadvance tickets can be found at tick-etscene.ca, Grooves Records (353Clarence Ave.) and Hot DogMusique and Cinema (256Richmond St.).

MADISON FOSTER

INTERROBANG

It may have only been two yearssince the debut of their debut self-titled album in 2010, but there isno denying that Yukon Blondessound has evolved in that shorttime. Their debut album intro-duced us to their more blues- andclassic rock-oriented sound, butnow, with a listen to their newrelease Tiger Talk, its easy to seethat their sound has made theswitch to a more catchy pop-rocksound. While listening to thealbum, released on March 20, fansof the British Columbian band canstill hear hints of their original 70ssound and their oh-so-familiar har-monizing vocals, like in the secondtrack and single Stairway. Otherthan that, the pop rhythm producedon the new album may come as asurprise to those used to the lastalbum, but the new sounds wontdisappoint.

In an interview with PasteMagazine, the band told reportersthat they wanted to do somethingquite different with Tiger Talk.Unlike their first album, YukonBlonde had more time available tothem to play around with tracksand to record. We put a lot ofwork into the songwriting, thearranging, the process of recording (we) wrote songs, scrappedthem, wrote them again, they told

Paste. We changed parts and sec-tions over and over in the studio

until they felt right a luxury wedidnt afford ourselves on the firstalbum, which was recorded liveoff the studio floor. They alsomentioned how they attempted tocreate a sound similar to that heardat a live Yukon Blonde show.Anyone who had the pleasure ofbeing present at a show by theband, their most recent Londonstop being on March 28 at Call theOffice, knows the energy they putinto their performances, and its anenergy that has been carried overto the album.

This album had a lot of time andlove put into it by the band. The 10tracks have a clean, perfectedsound from the indie rockers andall have so much personality anddepth, which is always refreshing.Tiger Talkis the perfect album fordancing around the house, astheres no doubt that the beat willgrab you. Yukon Blonde may havejust visited London as they roundout their North American tour, butwe can only hope its not longbefore they bless the Forest Citywith their presence again. We canonly hope its not another twoyears before they release a newalbum. Until then, Tiger Talk isavailable on iTunes and in recordstores now. Its worth a listenand maybe a dance or two.

MADISON FOSTER

INTERROBANG

MY 15 MINUTES

WITH...

TAYLOR MARSHALL The evolution ofYukon Blonde

The theme of April is music


11/24

Since signing with Lil WaynesYoung Money label back in 2009,Nicki Minaj has carved her ownniche in the industry as theprincess of hip-hop. Her unique

style and sensual demeanor havegarnered substantial popularity andhave solidified her as the denomi-nate symbol female artist in main-stream hip-hop. Her debut album,Pink Friday, saw incredible suc-cess in its first week of sales, andeventually became certified plat-inum.

Minaj has released her secondmajor studio album building off ofthe momentum of the first one, andcontinuing her undying obsessionwith the colour pink.Pink Friday:Roman Reloadedcontains a whop-

ping 19 tracks, and the deluxe edi-tion features 22. The productioncast, although not as star-studdedas the first record, includes high-

profile producers including HitBoy, Canadian T-Minus andRedOne who worked on five of thetracks. The album also features thelikes of Rick Ross, Drake and LilWayne.

Right By My Side is the sec-ond single of the album, and fea-tures Chris Brown. The song isproduced by Oak, who does anexceptional job on the beat. Thesound is busy yet soft, as it shouldbe for a mainstream single. Brownsings in the second verse, whileMinaj sings in the first and onlyraps on the hook, which was a bitdisappointing. There is a line thatis drawn as to how much a rappershould sing, and Minaj stands just

inches of not crossing it on thisone. That being said, the song isvery catchy and was clearly madefor the radio.

Fire Burns is a track made topad the album. The three minutesfeatures Minaj singing about herlong lost man burning in hell forleaving her. Im serious. Thesinging is bad, the lyrics are poorand dont make sense, and the songdoesnt make use of a pretty goodbeat with a lot of potential. Skipthis one.

Champion includes Drake,Young Jeezy and Nas, who I was

absolutely overjoyed to see fea-tured. The beat, produced by T-Minus, is slow and not very busy,but perfect for all four rappers to

do work on. Jeezys verse is themost forgettable out of the group,but is quickly followed by Nas,who tears it up as usual with vin-tage sophistication, flow and inten-sity. The track is one of only veryfew actual rap songs and featuresMinajs single best verse on theentire album. This is easily the bestsong on the record.

Honourable mention: I AmYour Leader featuring Camronand Rick Ross.

The album is quite differentfrom what has made Minajscareer. In Pink Friday, the lyricswere cocky, witty and simile-

laden, while the beats were flashyand abrasive. Her second album isdumbed down to a softer, moreradio-friendly level plagued with

too many vocals. The record hadmore of an R&B vibe to it than thefirst, with Minaj over-using thesinging voice that she doesnt haveon the majority of the songs. Thisis something that I usually wouldlove to see rappers leave to thosewho can actually sing, so they canfocus on what they do best: rap.Minaj is not an R&B singer, andshe got carried away too much onher newest album. Pink Friday:Roman Reloadedis fun to listen to,but like many sophomore projects,it doesnt match the polish that thefirst one had.

CREDIT: NICKI MANAJ

Nicki Minaj loves to sport the colour pink.

LIFESTYLES

LIFESTYLES 11Volume 44 Issue No. 28 April 9, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

ITS A WRAPSTUART GOODENtwitter: @StuGooden

I write about random things alot. I write about random things.Did you know that album cover artdates back to 1909? The generalbelief was that a designer namedAlex Steinweiss invented the prac-tice in 1938 with a ColumbiaRecords release, but as music geekAlan Cross posted on his websiterecently, that isnt completelyaccurate. At all.

Actually, it seems that a collec-tor named Michael Biel gave apresentation at the Association for

Recorded Sound Collections lastyear that featured at least 200examples of albums decorated withpictures, graphics and text that allpredate Steinweiss work. Everjudging books by covers, artists puta lot of time and effort into the waytheir music is represented visually,fueling all manner of insecurityand frustration.

More frustrating than anything,however, is when artists have theopportunity to produce an albumbut are unable to release it. It canbe frustrating for the artist, ofcourse, because their work andlivelihood hang in the balance. Ofcourse, it can be frustrating forfans, too.

Currently feeling such a sting isWhitbys Hello Beautiful, a hybridrock band who rose to prominenceafter the release of their debutalbum Soundtrack For Scenario in2008. Although they completedtheir followup effort I Wanna DieLike This! early last year, legal

issues have kept them from releas-ing the album widely.

Instead, theyve had to settle forreleasing singles, like last yearsSuperstar and the coming singleTick Tock, for which the bandrecently shot a video with the aidof a grant from MuchFACT.

Hello Beautiful already has ahistory of note when it comes tomusic videos; their first albumyielded two singles and videos:Virginia Symphony and SaintAndrews Bridge, the latter alsoproduced with a MuchFACT grant.The former peaked at number twoon the Much On Demand DailyTop 10, while the latter peaked atnumber five, and, due to fan sup-port and heavy airtime rotation,Hello Beautiful was the only

unsigned act to chart that year.It continues the bands video

for Superstar last year was ahighly successful prank-style videoin which the band gave impromptuperformances at wildly differentlocations, a large generator in towto power their equipment.

Some people got really piss

Documents

Interrobang issue for Monday, April 9th, 2012