Volume 142 · Issue 4 · Sept. 24, 2008 thebruns.ca

Recall Hits HomeKings of the StageN.B. listeriosis case linked to Maple Leaf

Power pop trio She Roars! wins $5000 and airtime

News, page 3Sports, page 15Arts, page 9

the brunswickancanada’s oldest official student publication.

Gaining GroundSoccer teams grab valuable points in weekend play

The Student Union Building has been in existence for nearly 40 years. It houses integral parts of the UNB community, including the Student Union offices, Paper Trail, the Brunswickan, Drink Smart and the Cellar Pub and Grill to name a few. It’s the place to stop for a quick bite, pick up a UNB hoodie or simply to meet up with friends.

The SUB, though it has been thoroughly enjoyed by decades of students, has also been thoroughly debated by decades of students and administration members. When funds for building and upkeep are scarce, students are turned to and student fees are increased.

In the swingin’ sixties there was a university wide vote among students on whether or not students should be charged $10 toward the construction of the Student Union Building. The decision was made in favour of student funding with 657 students in favour and 363 in opposition.

Last fall saw the building change hands from the Student Union to Residential Life, Campus and Conference Services.

In recent years the upkeep of the student building has been steadily becoming more difficult to manage. Forty years worth of wear has left the building battered. In a recent Student Union meeting the Executive Director of Residential Life, Campus and Conference Services, James Brown, was in attendance to discuss the issues regarding the SUB. His pitch to the student council included a light-hearted comment about having X’s drawn on the floor where buckets must be placed when rainy days bring leaky roofs. His joking tone barely masked the urgency of the issue.

RLCCS’s solution is this: implement a student levy where each student will have an additional $25 added on to their annual student fees to support the upkeep of the building.

The problem presented with this situation is: do the responsibilities of the SUB rest on the shoulders of the students or the administration?

Student Union President Bethany Vail said ‘‘I feel that ultimately it’s the government and the university’s responsibility to keep up the maintenance of our buildings and it shouldn’t have to be on students backs paying to maintain the building. That being said I do understand how this is the Student Union Building and

SUB fee could return

Hilary Paige SmitHtHe BrunSwickan

THE REDS ARE BACK

Ready for action: UNB student offers MP candidacy

Deputy minister

seconded to UNB

JoSH o’kanetHe BrunSwickan

Nora Kelly, former Deputy minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour has already made an impact on New Brunswick’s PSE system as chair of the provincial government’s Working Group on PSE in New Brunswick.

She’s about to make a bigger impact on UNB, as she preps to begin a one-year secondment to the institution as an executive-in-residence.

Because of her previous engagements as deputy minister, Kelly will not have any direct involvement with PSE issues – at least in going forward with the province’s Action Plan, says UNB President John McLaughlin.

“Given her involvement with PSE, that’s a topic she wouldn’t be involved in,” McLaughlin told The Brunswickan on Monday.

While the specifics of her duties are not yet clear, McLaughlin noted that he has some areas of interest she could explore in her time at UNB.

“I’m concerned about women in leadership positions,” he hinted. He would like to see more, he said, and could potentially see Kelly involved in mentoring activities.

The President doesn’t consider Kelly’s secondment to the institution a process out of the ordinary.

“If you were to go around campus today, you’d see research scientists here on secondment, visiting professors, you name it. It’s a very nice idea, and frankly I think we should do a lot more of it.”

McLaughlin’s only previous experience with Kelly was as part of the Working Group.

“I don’t know Nora well, and I certainly don’t know her outside of the Working Group, but I enjoyed working with her on that group.”

The process of bringing Kelly to the university began several weeks ago, the President noted.

Ed Doherty, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, told the Brunswickan that working with Kelly was an honour.

“I had the privilege of working with Nora for a year or two,” he said. “She has the wonderful ability of taking challenging problems and coming up with solutions.”

Both he and Kelly put a tremendous amount of work into the provincial government’s Action Plan, said Doherty, which he calls a pleasing product.

“We were pleased with the outcome of the report, and we certainly look forward to moving on with it.”

Byron James, who most recently worked as deputy minister of Fisheries as well as Agriculture and Aquaculture, will take over Kelly’s former portfolio. James has worked with the PSE portfolio in the past.

The UNB Varsity Reds hockey team have picked up where they left off last season. The Reds rolled through their opponents in weekend play to secure a championship at the UNB Fall Classic. For the full story, see page 13.

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

SaraH ratcHfordtHe BrunSwickan

Ben Kelly is a fourth year student studying honours history at UNB. He also happens to be running in the upcoming federal election for the Canadian Action Party.

Kelly was born in Edmonton, AB but he has lived in New Brunswick since he was two years old. He grew up in Riverview, leading an “average life” comprised of such things as sports and attending Riverview High School.

Now, at the age of 21, Kelly is running for MP. Sitting in the SUB wearing a black suit and sipping a large Tim Hortons coffee, Kelly laughingly tells the Brunswickan that he had originally planned to run his campaign in sweatpants.

“I don’t want to look like a politician,” he says. “We’re not politicians. We’re a group of concerned Canadians who want to make things better,” he says of his party. “We don’t get paid. We do this because we love our country.”

Kelly has been interested in politics since high school, mainly because he has had problems with poverty throughout his life. Part of the CAP’s plan is to implement a guaranteed income level so that every family

would be able to survive. “It’s not nice to live outside in the

winter, I’m sure. I never want to find out,” says Kelly.

Another one of Kelly’s primary concerns is to build a strong, sovereign Canada. ”I have a large contempt for outside influence in Canada,” says Kelly. “It’s not that we don’t want to work with other countries,” he says, “but we need to make sure Canada is strong, safe and healthy first.”

The candidate explains that Canada needs to be able to make its own decisions so that the United States will not have a say in our laws. The way in which our country would do this, Kelly says, is by economic reform. Ideally, Canada would pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

“The claim that Canada relies on the US for trade is false,” says Kelly. “Over eighty percent of Canada’s business transactions are internal. Our country is largely able to sustain itself.”

Kelly also supports use of the Bank of Canada. The bank is owned by the people of Canada, he says. While the Bank of Canada is still used to create 5% of Canadian currency, private banks make up the other 95%. It only makes sense to switch to the Bank of Canada, says Kelly, since it would only charge about 1% interest on loans as opposed to the higher percentages charged by other banks.

“At heart I’m a communist to tell you the honest truth,” Kelly says

See SUB fee Page 4

seriously. Kelly places a strong emphasis

on the people of Canada being the most important thing about this country. Due to this belief, he and his party are advocates of complete parliamentary reform. Canadians are not being informed of what is being discussed at Parliament.

“If they’re not trying to decrease Canada’s sovereignty, what are they talking about?” Kelly questions. “I’m very apathetic to politicians, I guess,” he says.

Kelly proposes that Canada “scrap all seats in Senate and have a direct democracy.” The representatives would be “regular people who don’t have any idea of the politics and policies - just real people with questions,” Kelly explains.

When asked where he would like to see change in Fredericton, Kelly cites road construction as a major issue. He says the potholes are terrible,

and “maybe there needs to be more money put into construction.”

He also puts a focus on education. He says that if elected, the Canadian Action Party will issue between $1 billion and $1.5 billion per year to be distributed among the provinces to be distributed to universities - some of which would go to UNB.

“Our goal is to lower tuition to 1990-91 levels,” Kelly says. As an Arts student, he would also like to promote the idea of thinking for yourself rather than being totally indoctrinated. Grades K-12 would have classes on the government and monetary issues as well.

CAP’s motto is “We’d rather be Canadian.” Going along with this, Kelly says, “I just want a nice, strong, healthy country that I can live in peacefully.” This is the first of a series of profiles for candidates running in the Fredericton riding in the federal election.

Fourth-year history student Ben Kelly is running for the Fredericton MP position with the Canadian Action Party.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

OpiniOn // prOpOsed sub levy cOuld break the levee >> pG. 7

OpiniOn > new sub levy cOuld break the levee >> pG. 7

2 • Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142

brunswickannews Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142 • 3

CAUT director speaks to UNBSJ

Simon JackSpecial to the BrunS

SAINT JOHN – Jim Turk, the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, may be best remembered at the university for his willingness to wear a university T-shirt over his dress shirt as much for his stirring defense of the University of New Brunswick at Saint John. But when he returned to Saint John to give the Association of UNB Teachers’ Fall Lecture it was for more than the opportunity to add to his short-sleeved wardrobe. He spoke before UNBSJ faculty and students about the new dangers facing the university from the provincial government on Sept. 12.

The provincial government received another post-secondary report on education over the summer, which they almost immediately turned into an action plan. Turk has seen this action plan, and he is not impressed.

After congratulating the faculty and students on their success in saving UNB Saint John from closure, Turk launched into the true substance of his speech – an exhortation to those same faculty and students not to think that the battle was over. “Like [the last report],” said Turk, “the Action Plan gets it wrong.”

This is not to say that it’s an unmitigated disaster. There are several proposed changes to student financial assistance, and plans to make the community college system into a public college system, as well as committing to the continuing existence of UNBSJ and other campuses, which meet with Turk’s approval.

But then there’s the bad news. Firstly, he said, the plan “...fails to understand that the most serious problem facing colleges and universities in New Brunswick is under-funding.” According to Turk, New Brunswick’s post-secondary education system has the second-lowest funding in the country. And although the Action Plan promises $90,000,000 over five years, those funds are supposed to cover community colleges offering first and second year university courses, a 40% increase in graduate students, 11,000 new community college spaces, and a 70% increase in apprenticeship spaces. This in addition to meeting the growing needs of the academic community.

The plan expects community colleges to quickly gear up to offer

university courses, but without making provision for the time that would be needed, the need for trained faculty and appropriate academic resources, or providing the money to do so. The Action Plan, said Turk, “fails to provide any reasonable indication of adequate resources.”

Turk also cited the Plan’s proposed creation of new institutions which, as the report says, will “complement and compete with existing programs.” How, Turk asked, do we solve the problem of underfunding by creating new competing institutions? He also notes a similarity between lpolytechnics and Institutes of Applied Learning and Training, and feels they may well be “the same beast with a slightly different name.”

Most important to Turk seemed to be the apparent “assault on institutional autonomy” the Plan proposes. The plan proposes the replacement of college and university funding schemes, the requirement that institutional plans be submitted to the government which are tied to “performance-based contracts,” and the requirement that the university appear before the government annually to justify its use of funds. Turk points out that universities are “already accountable” with community meetings and laws on their conduct.

Proper running of universities “requires a balance” between control and independence. This subordination risks the destruction of university’s age old role as “places where any idea, theory or product can be taken apart and examined from all angles.” Without this independence, he argued, the university will be open to influence from pressure groups and their valuable roles will be abrogated. He cites a decision by the Canadian Supreme Court, which said that “universities are legally autonomous, and not organs of government...the government has no legal power to control them.”

“In the name of accountability, [the Action Plan], it is fundamentally threatening the autonomy that is vital to our work and to our institutions. If the plan is introduced successfully by the government, every university in this province is at risk.” The challenge to the staff and students of the University of New Brunswick, says Turk, is to “rally the people of New Brunswick a second time.” Although UNBSJ itself is no longer at stake, Turk exhorts us not to underestimate this new threat, which he says will remove what makes UNBSJ “a real university.”

N.B. listerosis death linked to recall

The death of a New Brunswick woman due to listeriosis was caused by meat included in the Maple Leaf recall. The woman, in her early 80s, whose name has not been released, died last week after being admitted to hospital. She is the 17th victim of contaminated meat which originated in a single plant in Toronto, and the first confirmed case in New Brunswick.

It is unknown at this point whether the woman came in contact with the bacteria at her nursing home or if the infection came from some other source. The nursing home, whose name and location are being withheld, did serve products that have since been recalled by Maple Leaf in connection with the outbreak that was first brought to light in mid-August.

In a September 16 release, acting chief medical officer of health Dr. Eilish Cleary assured New Brunswickers that “together, we

[Public Health, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Public Health Agency of Canada] have notified hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools and other higher-risk institutions with respect to the recall and carried out verification checks to ensure products were removed. I would like to remind the public to be vigilant about products on the recall list and to go through their fridges and freezers to remove and throw out any of these food items.”

People using the cafeteria on the UNB campus have no reason to worry, according to facility general manager Martin Bayliss.

“Supplies or products from the plant were locked out before the recall.” said Bayliss in an interview with the Brunswickan. Bayliss went on to say that Sodexho cuts their own meat on-site, and that the only cafeteria outlet implicated in the recall was Mr. Sub, which “wasn’t even open during the recall.”

Asked if there was anything else he could say to reassure cafeteria users, Bayliss said, “The Canada

Health Agency visited campus to check our facilities and they were very impressed. I wouldn’t worry.”

In a related story, the Toronto plant where the listeria-infected meat originated has been re-opened, according to a press release on the Maple Leaf site, www.mapleleafaction.com, which has been set up to provide information on the outbreak. As of September 17 the plant has resumed production, and will begin shipping product as usual after rigorous inspection.

UNB student David Pitts feels like the effort to keep the public informed has been successful.

“I have seen signs up at the grocery store which made me feel that I was being informed I guess that there was a recall, and on the news with there being so many deaths and all obviously there’s been a lot of media coverage, so I feel as though I have been informed of the danger,” he says.

When asked how he felt about the plant reopening, Pitts said “I think if the problem was dealt with I don’t really have a problem with the plant being open again.

Its something that I guess is one of those facts of life, and we have to move forward, and I’m not too worried.”

Another student, Colleen Goguen, felt that “if the plant had stayed closed, a lot of people would be out of work. They have jobs to get back to, and families to feed, so they can’t sit around forever. I’m sure the company is doing everything they can to prevent another outbreak, so overall I think, if the proper measures have been taken there’s no reason not to re-open the plant.”

colin hoddthe BrunSwickan

Broadening the horizons of CShilary paige Smith

the BrunSwickan

Ali Ghorbani, a professor at the University of New Brunswick since 1998, has been named the Dean of Computer Science.

Ghorbani has been associated with UNB since his days as a PhD student in 1991. A year after his days as a student ended, his years as a professor began. He worked part time with the university until 1996 and became a full time professor in 1998.

At the close of last semester a call was issued for a new dean. Ghorbani applied, was short listed and eventually received the position.

“I did not anticipate that I would be running for the deanship that quick. Normally it happens after 15 to 20 years. When the job was open for the new dean, I felt that I could use my experience that I have from the past for this position here at UNB and I felt that my service might be useful for the university.”

Ghorbani began his five year term on July 1 and arrived with intention to improve the faculty of computer science. “We have a number of

different goals for improvements in the faculty. One is to improve the dynamics and make the faculty a positive environment. We have a positive environment, but we would like to improve it more by providing more social interactions between the students, the students and professors and staff and alumni. So that community building is one of the major initiatives I’ve started.”

Ghorbani has not only been striving to provide a positive learning environment for his faculty, he also began a newsletter that is sent to all alumni and current students of the faculty that showcases the successes of students, former students and professors in the field of Computer Science.

Aware that his faculty is an ever changing field, Ghorbani has been keeping up with the latest technology and trends to improve the future of Computer Science at UNB. “We’re looking at our programs to basically change it so it will go with the trends now in the area of computer science and also meet the demands of the industry, government and in general to society.”

The new dean’s goals are not

only for his faculty at the University of New Brunswick, but for other universities around the world. “The other goal I have is to establish offsite programs outside Canada. That is something other faculties do. They call it internationalization. We bring the students in here from other places, but we would also like to see if we can have our program in other places. We started with a program in Singapore...We are also currently looking at programs in Egypt and possibly China.”

While sharing the knowledge of UNB’s faculty across continents, one must always stay current with the latest technology buzz. “The other aspect of our work is of course looking into our organization in the next year or so and fine tune the organization of the faculty in terms of the programs we are offering. We also would like to constantly look for new programs that we’d be able to offer, so another initiative is to look at the current trends and programs in North America and what it is that we would like to offer here at UNB.”

The Faculty of Computer Science has experienced an increase in students in recent years as the

information highway is expanding and technology presents itself more often in our day to day lives. There are so many opportunities for technological hopefuls in today’s world that UNB has more co-op jobs in the field of Computer Science than they do students to fill them.

Ghorbani wants to ensure that all students in his faculty are experiencing all that technology has to offer, however he has noticed one thing the faculty is lacking. “I would also want very much that society and everyone who is involved to be mindful that our intake of female students is small and we want to basically erase that perception that Computer Science and IT sector is only for male students. This is an area that is very much suited for female students and I’d like to see that we go to a level where we can pride ourselves that we have 50/50 gender distributions or even more females in our program.”

With his finger on the pulse of the technology beat, Ghorbani will be a link to change in the future of the faculty of computer science. This is the last in a series examining new faces and positions at UNB.

Andrew Meade / The BrunswickanUNB students needn’t worry about Maple Leaf products served on campus; Sodexho manager Martin Bayliss assures there aren’t any served on campus.

brunswickannews4 • Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4• Volume 142

Positive environment, positive campus

Anthony EnmAnSpEciAl to thE BrunS

SAINT JOHN – One year ago Travis Price and a friend took a stand for a fellow male student at their local high school because said student was being bullied for wearing pink. Price and his friend weren’t just going to stand by and watch, so they purchased and got fellow students to sport a pink shirt, a way of telling the bully to back off.

The campaign grew quickly and was recognized by the province of Nova Scotia. The Province declared that every second Thursday in September would be Pink Day, an initiative to stop harassment in schools. Price is now enrolled and is a first year student at UNBSJ and has brought the “think pink” idea with him.

“I think bullying is a problem everywhere, not just in high school, so to bring Pink Day to UNB Saint John seemed like a good idea because we are standing up for what is right”, said Price.

The program has already made some substantial leaps going from a small school based initiative to a province wide campaign. Price even stated that, “we’ve even received emails from great people like Yoko Ono and you don’t take something like that lightly.”

The campaign is now in stages of production says Price. “Left Foot First Productions has created a play based on our story which will be in Saint John at Imperial Theatre in March or April. On top of that we also have our website which everyone is encouraged to visit (forceinpink.com). If they make a donation on the site then that money will be used for upkeep of the site and the Pink Day shirts which are soon to be in production.”

Although Pink Day has had considerable success, Price says he hopes more lies in the future. “Today was great. It was the start of something even bigger then what we originally accomplished last year in our school. I hope that soon we will see this become a national initiative.”

Cecil Clark, Justice Minister of Nova Scotia, will be in New Brunswick soon discussing the possible signing of a proclamation in this province as well. Price closed with the following remark: “Hopefully the incoming Canadian Government will also see the merit in our cause and will consider signing a proclamation.”

Paul Gallagher, fourth year Sports and Exercise Psychology student and Social Director of the UNB Saint John SRC, got behind Price because of the worthy cause. “Travis approached me with a great idea that had a lot of meaning,” Gallagher said. He then went on to explain that he felt bullying is a larger issue then

just in high school. “I don’t think that bullying in just in high school, it’s all around us in all facets of life and I think attention needs to be brought to it.”

This comment was evident thinking back to last year when some UNBSJ international students were being harassed and bullied in the Milledgeville area. Gallagher says he hopes this is only the beginning. “I would like to see a larger awareness come out of this regarding bullying and harassment. It does happen and even though it may not be as bad after high school, it’s still there. Education is the tool and we are the carpenters.”

He finished with some words of encouragement for current students on a national scale: “Nova Scotia has made this a province wide initiative, and even though New Brunswick is a little different I would like to see this become a province wide initiative here as well. The ultimate goal would be that every school, whether it is public or post-secondary, would take part in this cause and make it national.”

Mark Walma, Human Rights Officer at UNB, says bullying is part of the larger picture. “Bullying, I believe, is recognized by the education systems as well as the workforce. I and the Positive Environment Committee believe that bullying is one of the concerns that we wish to address very much so. I think Pink Day is an initiative that the Committee and I could be involved with in conjunction with our plan.”

Walma explained that the Positive Environment Committee is a committee wishing to meet specific goals while serving both campuses. “Of course, bullying is an area of interest for us, but we also want to deal with some positives. By this I mean we wish to make sure everyone feels accepted within the UNB Community. We also wish to provide accessibility for disabled persons. It’s all about removing barriers.”

Walma will soon be holding sessions on both campuses, with one coming up in Saint John in late September. “I would like to hold a series of sessions, near or at the lunch hour, which will discuss different issues. They will be quite informal in the way that I will briefly discuss some issues and then open the floor to questions and thoughts on the issue and ways to improve.” Walma’s position is new, and although undefined he has a clear view of what he needs to do.

“It’s interesting because my role is still developing, however I would say my role is to help everyone from both campuses to understand their rights as individuals.” The Positive Environment Committee, created by ex-VP Academic Jane Fritz, was responsible for creating the declaration of rights and responsibilities as well as Walma’s current position.

Students to politicians: stop squabblingDAniEllE WEBB

cup AtlAntic BurEAu chiEf

ANTIGONISH (CUP) – Sam Pikelin doesn’t think students are apathetic towards politics. Instead, he says politicians just aren’t working hard enough to let students know they care.

“[Politicians] simply are not making the issues we care about relevant,” said Pikelin, recent graduate of Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B.

Zach Churchill, national director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, also thinks politicians are not reaching their student constituents.

“Students are very civically engaged, but not necessarily in partisan politics, because our politicians haven’t reached out with issues that our important to them,” he said.

“Instead, we see leaders on both sides of the political spectrum attacking one another on a personal level. It quite frankly disgusts me,” Pikelin said.

Pat Connors, a student at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.B., agrees.

“It would even make me happy

if they could just stop the childish quibbling that has been so prevalent and actually debate issues in a serious manner. I think Canadians of all political stripes are demanding it and deserve no less,” he said.

However, national and provincial student associations are busy lobbying the nation’s leading political parties to ensure student issues are on the agenda. Their biggest concerns are post-secondary education accessibility and high tuition levels.

Kaley Kennedy, the Canadian Federation of Students representative in Nova Scotia, is calling on the new government to create a post-secondary education act that would ensure funding for universities would go to the right places.

“We want to ensure that the money is being put into the pockets of students,” said Kennedy.

The Alliance of Nova Scotia Students’ Associations is also calling on the next government to create policy around post-secondary education in the form of an access agenda.

“This agenda should work to increase the participation rates of under-represented groups across Canada,” said Kelly Wilson, executive director of ANSSA.

“It’s no secret that Canada’s national economy will be facing

significant challenges in the not-so-distant future... Our capacity to build a diverse, skilled, and creative workforce will determine much of our success going forward,” Wilson said.

These student associations are also working closely with their member students’ unions to ensure students are equipped with all the necessary information come voting day.

Wilson believes politicians will cater to their most demanding demographic.

“Politics creates a forum through which voters can communicate their concerns and priorities. Politicians, in turn, receive these concerns and prioritize our national agenda,” she said. “In order to create momentum around student issues, students must vote and participate in the political process.”

Student Unions across Atlantic Canada are busy preparing their campuses for election day, Oct. 14.

Kyle Steele, president of the Acadia University Students’ Union in Wolfville, N.S., hopes the federal election will encourage students to exercise their right to vote.

“In my own honest opinion, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain – so everyone should be out practicing their democratic right,” said Steele.

As well, Jon O’Kane, VP external

for the UNB Fredericton Student Union , is busy with voter registration, ensuring that every student knows they can vote in their hometown or at school.

“When a student casts a ballot, it is a message to whoever wins the election that the student portions of constituencies will hold governments accountable, making what each individual believes an important platform for national debate and discussion,” said O’Kane.

The campus meal hall at Mount Allison University has already been determined as a polling station for the riding of Beauséjour.

“This year the campus is politically super-charged: the years when apathetic young people would vaguely reject old-school politics are over. They are now willing to vociferously assert themselves on the political stage by promoting involvement on a local level,” said Mark Brister, VP external of Mount Allison’s Students’ Administrative Council.

But for Scott Matheson, a St. Francis Xavier University student, this election will be about the issues, not partisan politics.

“I challenge the candidates in [my riding] to convince me why I should vote for them, and I promise to keep an open mind regardless of their party affiliation.”

I personally would be willing to pay $25 to support its upkeep, however I’m not sure if that is the best solution because if we keep continuing giving in to the administration and giving in to the government by continuing to put these fees on ourselves then people aren’t really going to take us

seriously and believe that we really want to have the government and the university pay for these things and we don’t want to have them on our backs.’’

Students may notice that many other buildings on campus are also in dire need of repair, some of them buildings that house classrooms and are seemingly more

vital than a building that is home to the organizations and clubs of UNB. Students may also notice that though some buildings are looking forlorn and unkempt that the $50 million Currie Center is being erected at the bottom of the hill. However can one make sense of that?

Vail said she believes that the

university cannot afford the Currie Center. While she does believe that Richard Currie’s vision for the centre will bring good things to the school, she said that James Brown has mentioned that there isn’t enough money for long-term upkeep of the facility. Vail said that she doesn’t see the good in having the enter if there also isn’t a Student Union Building.

Brown proposing $25 SUB fee

the brunswickan.got news tips?news@thebruns.ca

From SUB fee Page 1

Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142 •5

brunswickanopinionSept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142 • 6

eic@unb.ca

Editorial BoardEditor-in-Chief • Josh O’KaneManaging • Tony von RichterNews • Sarah RatchfordArts • Doug EsteySports • Mitchell BernardPhoto • Andrew MeadeCopy • Dan HagermanProduction • Christian Hapgood Online • Dave Evans

Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Dan Gallagher

ContributorsAshley Bursey, Sandy Chase, Alison Clack, Maggie DeWolfe, Karissa Donkin, Mike Erb, Josh Fleck, Beth Giesbrecht, Colin Hodd, Brandon McNeil, Colin McPhail, Cameron Mitchell, Earl Denver Montanez, Jon O’Kane, Nick Ouellette, Jens Ourom, Brian Savoie, Hilary Paige Smith & Alex Wickwire.

The Brunswickan relies primarily on a volunteer base to produce its issues every week. Volunteers can drop by room 35 of the SUB at any time to find out how they can get involved.

About UsThe Brunswickan, in its 142nd year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

We are an autonomous student newspaper owned and operated by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a non-profit, independent body.

We are a founding member of the Canadian University Press, and love it so. We are also members of U-Wire, a media exchange of university media throughout North America.

We publish weekly during the academic year with a circulation of 10,000.

LettersMust be submitted by e-mail including your name, letters with pseudonymns will not be printed. Letters must be 400 words maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m. before each issue.

Editorial PolicyWhile we endeavour to provide an open forum for a variety of viewpoints and ideas, we may refuse any submission considered by the editorial board to be racist, sexist, libellous, or in any way discriminatory.

The opinions and views expressed in this newspaper are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Brunswickan, its Editorial Board, or its Board of Directors.

All editorial content appearing in The Brunswickan is the property of Brunswickan Publishing Inc. Stories, photographs, and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the express, written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

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the brunswickanKnow your hand before you play it

JoshO’Kane

Bring it on home

Dear Editor,

I am writing this in response to Nick Ouellette’s article about the impact of the Liberal Green Shift plan. His basic point was that the increased tax burden on polluting companies would be passed onto consumers of everything, including students; as students don’t typically pay income tax, they would not reap the tax benefits of this plan. That is fair enough, but I would like to bring forward an alternate point – essentially, if we want pollution reduced, and a healthier environment, as Dion is gambling that we do, we are going to have to pay for it. With environmental destruction increasing, someone is going to pay eventually, and the cost is likely less now than later.

Increased costs would be temporary anyway – the point of a free market is that it allocates our resources according to our priorities – if we change our priorities, then it takes some time to adjust, but it does adjust. Dion is an intelligent man, an expert on environmental issues, and has decades of political experience – if anyone can pay for environmental priorities in a way that least affects ordinary Canadians, I believe that it is him. The question shouldn’t be “Do we want to pay for environmental change?”, but rather “Should we be paying for environmental change?” - I say yes.

Sincerely, Aaron Moss

Dear Editor,

Your Sept. 17 issue sports two pieces on the SU’s recent decision to include the VP External position in the upcoming byelection. Tony von Richter’s opinion article on the matter expressed concerns on two points. For one, Mr. von Richter is wary of council operating “contrary to its bylaws.” Second, he suggests council should review Mr. O’Kane’s performance before deciding whether an election is required. I would like to address these concerns.

To address Mr. von Richter’s first point, I’d invite students to review UNBSU Bylaw No. I s. 31. It requires councillors to select a replacement for any vacancy by way of a two-thirds vote. I made it clear that my vote would be contingent on the results of a byelection. I will vote “no” on any ratification question until I have a VP that has been elected by the student body. In no way does this sentiment contravene any bylaw. There is

no positive duty for councillors to exercise their vote one way or another. Nor do the bylaws prohibit council from running a by-election.

Secondly, elections are not punishment for poor performance. It is my view that it’s not council’s place to review Mr. O’Kane’s performance. This is especially so considering the circumstances surrounding Mr. Ross’ resignation. If voters feel Mr. O’Kane has done good work they can reward him with their vote. Until then, Mr. O’Kane’s work will be rewarded with his remuneration and “kudos” from colleagues. As well, rewarding good work with allowing someone to hold an elected position without running in an election is improper and scandalous. I don’t care how much Parliament may like or dislike Prime Minister Harper, for example. He still has to run in the election so I can have my say.

Sincerely, Jonathan Griffith

It’s been a long road to this upcoming byelection.

Tim Ross won the position of the Student Union’s VP External by the popular vote in last year’s general election. He left the position on April 3, 2008, citing that a compromise could not be reached between his executive and his academic priorities.

With too little time to hold a byelection for the position before the end of the 2007-08 school year, Jon O’Kane was selected for the position from a group of applicants by a committee forged by the student council. This is an accepted course of action according to council’s bylaws.

A council meeting was called on April 25 to ratify the position. Council was one member short of quorum, however, and the position went into limbo. On May 1, however, Bethany Vail took office as president of the SU, and, in accordance with the SU’s bylaws, appointed Mr. O’Kane to the position until ratification was possible at the next council meeting – which took place two weeks ago.

Instead of ratifying Mr. O’Kane into the position, a byelection was called to preserve the democratic process. This was a fair action for the SU, and Mr. O’Kane has publicly stated his support for the byelection for the position.

The call for a byelection, though, combined with some comments made by a councillor at the meeting two weeks ago, led me to ponder the reason a byelection was called in the first place.

Mr. Ross, being a second-year Renaissance College student at the time of becoming VP External, was on board for a trip to Bhutan for an international internship for several months during the summer, which is a requirement of his degree.

Matthew Abbott, the Renaissance College representative on student council, stated at the council meeting two weeks ago that “not being able to be VP External because of academic

pressures is concerning.” Is it actually concerning? Or is Mr.

Abbott’s disposition towards the situation concerning?

Every student has the option to take, or not to take, courses during the summer and spring session at UNB. In the case of Renaissance College, this means taking an internship, first within Canada and then internationally.

VP positions run from May 1 to April 30, and during what UNB considers its Spring and Summer sessions, they are required to work 37.5 hour work weeks in accordance with SU bylaws. These bylaws are publicly available on the SU website.

Combining a full summer of work with a heavy workload during the school year, many SU VP’s opt to take an extra year of school once they finish their mandate. Renaissance College students have the option to take on an executive position with the SU just as much as anyone else. Much like a business, science or engineering student can carefully weigh co-op options, and nursing and education students can weigh practicum options, Renaissance College students can weigh their internship options in favour of public life with the SU.

In a letter given to council at the April 3 meeting, Mr. Ross resigned,

stating: “I hoped that it would be possible to enact measures so that I could both assume the role of Vice President External, and fulfill my contractual internship obligations. Such a compromise could demonstrate a willingness on behalf of council to address structural flaws that exclude an entire faculty from assuming executive positions on their student union. It is with disappointment that no such compromise could be made this year without totally derailing the cohesiveness and effectiveness of the Student Union executive for 2008-2009.”

However, according to 2007-08 SU President Brad Mullins, Mr. Ross was aware of the obligations of the position of VP External, but it didn’t stop him from applying while knowing he would be going to Bhutan for the summer. Prior to the end of the nomination period, the ex-president said he explained to Mr. Ross that he would not be able to be VP External if he weren’t available for the summer.

“His argument last year for it was to place the blame on us in that we shouldn’t have accepted his nomination,” the ex-President recently told he Brunswickan. “But there’s nothing preventing him from being a candidate, according to the bylaw – he’s still a student in good

academic standing. “It’s later on down the road that it

was going to be a problem. He wasn’t currently in violation of any bylaws, but he would have been.”

Mr. Ross could have continued in the position, but would have had to give up his internship. He ran for the position and won, only to leave the position several weeks later to take on said internship.

Interestingly enough, Mr. Ross was the only male from Renaissance College on the trip to Bhutan, and one of the requirements for that internship program is that a male travel with the group.

Without Mr. Ross, there would have been internship for any of those individuals.

In the end, then, one can argue that he made the right choice – but he should have never had to make that choice to begin with.

Mr. Ross, like any student, was eligible to run, but with knowledge of the bylaws that require summer availability, he should have opted out of running before throwing council into disarray.

Know your hand before you play it. And don’t ignore house rules when they’re posted on the wall.

The system’s structure does not discriminate against Renaissance College students; rather, students

need to be aware of the academic sacrifices that all SU executive members make.

Mr. Ross and Mr. Abbott may be concerned about their faculty, but they neglected to look at the big picture in making their statements.

In the words of Tyler Durden from the film version of Fight Club: You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake.

Everyone has the same chance at an executive position.

Because here’s a fun fact to throw at you: Jill O’Reilly, the SU’s VP Academic in 2005-06, was a Renaissance College student.

All it takes is a little bit of planning – deciding between a swift degree or an executive position – and going for it.

Speaking of planning – it would be interesting to note that Mr. Ross didn’t initially offer for the VP External position in the 2007-08 general election until the deadline was extended because no one initially applied.

As I said before, know your hand before you play it – and SU politics are a little more significant than a game of poker.

See you at the polls. Josh O’Kane is editor-in-chief of The Brunswickan. He can be reached at editor@thebruns.ca.

letters to the editor.

the brunswickan.volunteers needed. and wanted.

Andrew Meade / The BrunswickanThe Student Union is holding a byelection in October for empty councillor and representative positions, as well as its VP External. It’s been a long and winding road to this point, despite the fact that Tim Ross was elected to the position in March. Pictured above is a meeting of the 2007-08 council.

without volunteers, our editors would fail out of school.please volunteer.weekly story meetings. wednesdays at 12:30. SUB room 35.

447.3388 | editor@thebruns.ca

brunswickanopinion Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142 •7

JonO’Kane

StudentBeat

Nick Ouellette

Rousing the

Rabbles

New levy could break the levee

Define the Issues

Even though New Brunswick politics were dominated last year by discussion of post-secondary education, our campuses still have no more than token recognition from government.

Last week, several columnists wrote about the absolute neglect on the part of the government to address the most pressing post-secondary education issue in its recent action plan: student funding. Many laudable goals such as better credit transfers, increased graduate student enrolment, and better research find their place in the plan, but the cost to students is not one of them.

Neither does addressing the growing and dire need for UNB and other universities to upgrade their physical infrastructure to continue operating. There is only vague reference to the need to develop a solution. Despite campuses like UNB having buildings that are approaching the point where it is cheaper to knock them down and build up again instead of repairing them, the government continues to ignore the facilities needs of universities. As a result you may end up paying even more money next year to attend UNB.

This Thursday, the Student Union Council will discuss whether it agrees with a proposed $25 fee for upkeep of the Student Union Building.

Last week, James Brown, Executive Director of Residential Life, Campus & Conference Services presented the idea,

noting that there is currently no ongoing university support for the maintenance of the building and that without a new student levy, this is unlikely to change. The fee would replace a now defunct $25 student levy used to pay off a mortgage that financed a 1990s expansion of the SUB. The mortgage was paid out in full in March.

Dr. Brown stressed the shared interested students and the university have in ensuring that the SUB is operational. It houses the Student Unions for both STU and UNB, serves as a meeting place for study groups, hosts The Cellar and Social Club, and is generally used by most students at UNB for some purpose. It is true that students have an interest in ensuring that the SUB is a quality building, but having such an interest does not lead to a conclusion that students should pay an additional $25 fee to fund building repairs.

Unfortunately, this argument has been used successfully in the past to justify other additional student fees. UNB currently charges $175 to every student in the form of a “Facilities Improvement Fee.” The University’s information sheet claims that this fee provides funding to “renew classrooms, laboratories, buildings, and infrastructure at UNB,” and the fee was originally billed to students as a way to keep classrooms in good working order. However, not a single portion of the funding in 2008-2009 is dedicated to the upgrade of classrooms, even though classrooms in Tilley, MacLaggan, and Carleton Hall still have broken seating. A new student services centre is the main focus of this year’s funding.

It was also thought that this fee could be used as evidence

of the need for government to kick in more funding to meet its infrastructure obligations to universities as public institutions. Government built UNB and it has an onus to ensure that the provincial university continues to be able to attract students without worrying in the long term whether classrooms will be heated and whether seating will remain in one piece. However, the absence of a solution for this problem in province’s PSE action plan is evidence that the Facilities Improvement Fee has not served this purpose.

If anything, the institution of the Facilities Improvement Fee has solidified for government the thought that it can shirk its infrastructure requirements and force universities to upgrade their facilities on the backs of students by charging new additional fees.

Before we agree to pay a new fee intended to upgrade the SUB, we should consider the implications. It is true that a new levy would help repair physical shortfalls in the building, but agreeing to this new fee will ensure that students are always asked to pay the price when governments neglect buildings and the university is unable to shift is priorities to address the need. Why start funding these projects when administrations turn to students with new fees instead? In the valley where students hope that funding will actually be addressed as a public policy issue, the proposal to renew the $25 student levy could represent the break in the levee that washes out that hope. Nick Ouellette, a UNB law student, has served on the UNB Student Union Council and the UNB Board of Governors, and now serves on the UNB Fredericton Senate. He is the Don of Neville/Jones House, one of UNB’s residences.

On October 14, Canada will change. Your vote in this federal election impacts the nation. The influence of your decision will be felt for years to come. Each party and candidate is running on an array of platforms on issues ranging from the environment to national defense.

Education is an issue close to home for all university students. But what should we be looking for in party education platforms? What areas are most striking and outdated that Canada must respond quickly?

Nationally, the state of early outreach programs for education is lacking. Communication with young Canadians regarding post-secondary is lacking if existent at all. Research done by the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation (CMSF) has found that low-income students drastically overestimate the costs of education and underestimate the benefits.

Academically qualified students are not being communicated the diverse areas of personal and professional growth attainable through higher learning. Before students even enter the system, we must address those we are leaving behind.

Once drawing in these underrepresented groups, we must target our federal financial assistance to ensure that affordability is no barrier to the life long learning of any

individual. First-generation learners - whose parents have no higher education - are much less likely to attend PSE than the rest of the population.

This is just one example of students which deserve equal opportunity and a direction which government needs focus more attention.

The average New Brunswick student incurs a $35,000 debt after a four year program. Push candidates to lower national loan interest rates. Ensure that non-repayable grants do not require a student to apply for a federal student loan.

The system is intrinsically built to deliver grants to those who have the assessed need; yet circumstantially these students may not have loans but could equally benefit from such grants.

Furthermore, before attempting to remedy so many aspects of our system, we must measure our growth with indicators. When contrasted against other developed nations, Canada often ranks last on post-secondary issues. Why? Not that out system is not internationally renowned in a diverse number of fields, but rather we do not have a national data set to measure our system by. Many nations, such as the United Kingdom, assess and quantify national standards for universities. Canada has no pan-Canadian data set that allows us to determine the quality of our system. Before over investing in several aspects of university infrastructure and student financial assistance, we must understand how this progress is affecting education.

Cast your ballot on October 14. These are just some of the issues impacting education that

are being discussed between candidates, parties, and the public.

Will I cast my vote merely on education platforms? Most definitely not. I will, and encourage you to as well, vote of the broad scope of issues most critical to my concerns. What matters to you? Our role in foreign involvement? Our natural resources? Our economy? That’s up to you to decide.

The word “accountability” is always revealed during election time. Candidates campaign on the promise that they will be accountable. Yet accountability is an intriguing word.

By definition, it simply means that all actions of the government can be reasoned and explained to the public. Being accountable is not enough. Policy development that leads to the decisions that governments are accountable for is the vital portion of the process.

Engage yourself in the policy. You can impact whatever concerns are most imperative for you. When voting, do not cast your ballot for whichever party’s ideas you fit best into.

Challenge all parties to adapt their policy to the means you believe it should be done.

An election is not a time to choose a representative; instead, it is an opportunity to help shape all candidates’ goals before they shape your country.

Your decision is not one to be made lightly, but with careful thought you do your part to define our nation. Jon O’Kane is VP External of the UNB Student Union. Student Beat is a weekly column by UNB student leaders examining issues that are pertinent to students.

VANCOUVER (CUP) – CBC reported last week that for the first time in over two decades, Canada has seen an increase in voter turnout for a federal election. In the 2006 election, 64.7 per cent of registered Canadians voted, the highest percentage since 1997 and the first increase since 1984.

I hear they’re still patching up drywall and steam cleaning the carpets in Elections Canada’s office from the massive party they threw when they heard the news.

Last time I checked, 64.7 per cent still gets you a C grade. There is still a significant percentage of the population who doesn’t vote.

I have never voted in a federal election. It’s not something I’m proud of, but it’s a cross I bear.

I’ve had three opportunities to vote. The first was in 2000 as a newly christened adult. The fact is 18 year-olds don’t run to the polls like 16 year-olds run to take their road test, 19 year-olds run to the pub, and 55 year-olds run to Canadian Tire on the third Wednesday of every month. It’s a strange phenomenon, but I suppose it says something about the way we value our age-specific responsibilities.

One would imagine that being able to choose the person to lead my country would be a responsibility I would take on with great pride and vigilant patriotism. But I don’t, and there are a number of reasons why.

First-past-the-post elections reward larger parties, and in some cases, make it futile to vote for the smaller parties. I wonder how many of the 35.3 per cent of Canadians that didn’t vote are people who would have voted for the NDP or the Green Party but

figured it wasn’t worth their time. Proportional representation would make every vote count. According to the World Policy Institute, countries with proportional representation have higher voter turnouts than those with FPTP.

As a society, we’ve become fully automated. We can order our groceries, take Spanish lessons, and even pick out our funeral casket, all through the wonders of the Internet. Why can’t we vote online? Electronic voting, combined with the traditional methods, would inevitably increase turnout, especially among young voters. Yes, there are security hurdles that need to be overcome, but that’s not to say that they can’t be.

And can’t we non-voters take credit for saving our country some money? I mean, for every person that doesn’t vote, that’s one less vote to be counted. No? OK, I was just looking for a third reason.

Depending on how the next voter turnout, uh, turns out, we might notice a new trend in voting. If we see another increase, it would appear that minority governments lead to higher turnout. Maybe voting every other year is the key.

Will I be voting in October? I don’t know. I’m always open to trying new things, but I’ve come this far without voting and I seem to be doing OK. Maybe I’ll be like the guy who hasn’t seen Titanic and never will, just because.

Confessions of a non-voting student

Dan HavesTHe Ubyssey

Correction

The photo of Premier Shawn Graham and Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Ed Doherty ap-pearing on page 6 of the Sept. 17, 2008 issue of the Brunswickan was provided by gnb.ca. Incorrect information appeared in the aforementioned issue of the Brunswickan.

brunswickanopinion8 • Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142

“Disgraceful.”Chris Reid

“Toally against it.”Joey Dernier

“I think its a good idea.”Elizabeth Hellett

“I didn’t even know about it.”John Kertson

“Hopefully I wont be around when that happens.”Joanna Fox

“It’s coming back to the students pockets.”

Juan Lopez

Question: What do you think about paying $25 for the SUB annually?Viewpoint

“The SUB looks shabby and outdated.”Laura Higgins

“I don’t think it would work.”Phil Demers

“NO!”Travis Goudet

the brunswickan. The old man rantan opinion from Dave Evans

You may remember me from such tirades as, “The environment sucks,” or “There’s nothing good on TV.” You may also be wondering why I haven’t been seen in the past few issues. Well, let’s just say that some left-leaning whackjob in Ottawa seems to think it should be illegal to beat your neighbours’ children when they sneak into your yard to steal your rhubarb. Ridiculous. I pay property taxes,

dammit. I like to think that I live in a capitalist society that entitles me to private property rights. Why is it then that some little Johnny Hellraiser can waltz into my yard, past my no-trespassing signs and my semi-rabid dogs, and rob my rhubarb? What did my rhubarb ever do to them? Sure, that one kid ate the leaves and wound up on the toilet for a week, but that’s not my fault. It’s his parents’ fault for not smacking enough sense into him (again with the liberal nut jobs). When I was younger, if I acted up and my parents caught me, I was put into a dark, windowless room and forced to watch reruns of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” with Bob Saget. You’re damn right that made me never want to mess up again. We need to teach children that they can’t do whatever they want to do and expect to get away with it, and for Pete’s sake, make them wear belts. I’m tired of walking down the damn street and seeing punks whose pants are down around their knees. How come I can get arrested for sitting in Odell Park without my pants (it was a hot day, seriously) but they get a free ride? Curses! Curses, I say. Someone needs to put the fear of God into them. So, the next time you see a child walking down the street, scare the hell out of them. They might thank you for it one day.

send your letters to the editor by fridays at 5 to:

editor@thebruns.ca

brunswickanarts Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142 • 9

arts@thebruns.ca

She Roars! vocalist Max Leblanc pours his heart into what would become the crowd’s favourite set of the King of the Stage finals. The heart-pounding show was held at The Playhouse on Friday night.Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Alison ClACkThe BrunswiCkAn

Fredericton’s ‘King of the Stage’ was crowned on the Playhouse stage this past Friday. The crown, which was awarded after the final show in a series that took place over the past six weeks, was given to innovative acoustic-rock band She Roars!

Before the winner was announced, however, the three finalists, Jesse Cox and the Hooch, The Nancies, and She Roars!, had their final performances to put on.

The event started with Jesse Cox and the Hooch.

This band’s sound was power-chord rock mixed with a little country and a little funk. They sounded a little bit like Nickleback

or Theory of a Deadman as most of their songs seemed to blend together, sound the same, and they didn’t have the most original sound.

Despite their seeming lack of originality, Jesse Cox and the Hooch had a fair number of fans at the concert. There were two female fans in particular who seemed adamant about dancing directly in front of the stage, blocking the view of some audience members sitting in the first row. Tolerant at first, the Playhouse staff had to address the rowdy fans several times before escorting one from the premises.

This occurrence, along with my curiosity over how the bassist could shake his head around so much without losing his cowboy hat were probably the most entertaining aspects of the set.

The next band to take the stage

was indie rock outfit The Nancies. The Nancies were probably the

best entertainers of the show. From the first strum of a chord the band was jumping around the stage and rocking out to their music. The way they were jumping around the stage – almost to the point were I thought they might hurt themselves, or one another – was reminiscent of Iggy Pop and the Stooges.

The Nancies kept the audience wondering what was going to happen next. The best example of this was how the guitarist dealt with his guitar strap breaking – which happened repeatedly throughout the show. He would not miss a beat when his strap would break and always found a way to make the slight problem into something entertaining – kneeling and holding his guitar up, or leaning with crossed legs against

the risers of the drums. The similarities to punk-rock

founders didn’t stop with Iggy Pop; two of the four band members came out in tight jeans, converse sneakers, and leather jackets, which was eerily similar to the Ramones’ style.

The Nancies also channelled another band during their show – this time with a cover. One of the band’s final songs was a sped-up, grungier and punkier version of a UK-based Arctic Monkeys’ song, From the Ritz to the Rubble.

The final band to take the stage, She Roars!, would ultimately end up with the winning performance.

While She Roars! may not have been as keen of stage performers as The Nancies, they definitely had the most original sound and style of all three competing bands.

The sound was an comprehensive mix of traditional rock bass,

acoustic guitar, and upbeat drums with a slightly punk/hardcore edge, in part due to the double bass drum pedal used by drummer Kyle Clark.

The interesting and contrasting mix of sounds could also be seen in the way the band performed. During some songs they were relatively mellow and didn’t move too much around the stage, at other times they were energetic and all over the place – the bassist even getting up and jumping off an amp.

It wasn’t too hard to tell if the crowd was enjoying the set. Throughout the show – even before they performed – loud cheers could be heard from the house. She Roars! were the only group at the show to be given a standing ovation by the large Playhouse audience.

During the time when the audience was asked to submit a

ballot to vote for their favourite band, it was clear that either The Nancies or She Roars! would take home the title; Jesse Cox and the Hooch’s ballot box wasn’t receiving too much attention. In addition to the crowd’s vote, a panel of judges had a 50% influence in the outcome.

As the winning band was about to be announced someone in the crowd cried out “We know who it is!”. When the emcee responded by asking who, there were huge cheers from the audience for She Roars!.

Ecstatic, the self-proclaimed “east coast power pop” band took the stage once more to ring out a final number for the roaring audience - now everyone was on their feet.

As winners of King of the Stage, the band takes home $5000, radio play on Fox FM, and a master tape of their final performance at the Playhouse.

News from the underground

Doug esTeyThe BrunswiCkAn

THE KING HAS BEEN CROWNED

There’s three of us in the car, hurdling down Highway 7 at 120, listening to Set Your Goals! and anticipating the night ahead of us. School is back in session, and there’s lots of things going on, but it seems like there’s always time for an all-ages show.

MxPx, so-called ‘punk rock legends’ of our time, are scheduled to play behind a Chinese restaurant in uptown Saint John, along with a handful of prominent local acts.

Along for the trip are friends Leah Clowater and Andrew Meade. The latter, photo editor for The Brunswickan and (as I like to call him) “The Terminator” after bouncing back so quickly from his horrific accident just a few months prior, is rocking out and tapping his hands in rhythm with the music against his straight-leg jeans.

Who says you need tickets to a sell-out show in Boston or Montreal for a good road trip? There’s plenty going on right here in New Brunswick.

Admittedly, I was a late-comer to the so-called “underground” music scene. I really don’t think that I knew of its existence; blinded

by my long-standing obssession with blink-182 and Big Shiny Tunes collection (mostly derived from the fact that I grew up out on a rural road somewhere between Hampton and Quispamsis). I didn’t have a clue what was going on until one of my classmates lent me a couple of CDs and got me started.

In high school I got involved with a group of friends who were pretty well-connected with local music. They spent a lot of time playing in bands themselves and observing the efforts of those around them, either by picking up a copy of a handmade demo or just showing up at each other’s shows in support.

In my last year of school, when I finally walked down those stairs into a dark, musty basement in uptown Saint John, I was shocked to discover what I had been missing out on.

At least a hundred and fifty teenagers were gathered around. There was no stage, no separation whatsoever between the audience and the performers, no tickets being sold, no sponsors, and certainly no security guards.

Just a lot of kids dancing and jumping, rocking out and throughly enjoying the music along with the band.

The band playing wasn’t exactly

blink-182. They were just a group of guys that met up through high school a few months prior, wanted to make some music together, and set out to do exactly that. By making a few calls and talking to one of the all-ages promoters in the area, they could have a show set up in no time at all.

They called themselves Vista Interna, and they went on to play countless shows and sell nearly five hundred copies of their first (and only) six-track EP before moving on to greater things.

Without the music scene, there’s

no telling where these kids would be. Maybe they’d be out on the streets doing drugs, or maybe they’d be at home playing video games, but they certainly wouldn’t have been there that night at the King Street Showroom with three other bands having the time of their life.

If you haven’t given the underground music scene a chance before, or if you never knew what the hell it was, you should at least check it out and see for yourself. Even if you are the oldest one there.

Punk rock legends MxPx performing live at the Kent Theatre on September 11, 2008. Opening acts included UK-based Tat as well as Saint John locals Hospital Grade & 16th Avenue.

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

for a new lease on life, change your facebook language to english (pirate). or go to thebruns.ca.

brunswickanarts10 • Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142

Hagerman’s happy horoscopes

Aries

You may be feeling more impatient that usual, dear Ar-ies. Whether you’re waiting for somebody to show up or somebody to leave, just remember that patience is a virtue. Or is it a sin? I can never keep the two straight. Your lucky oil is cod liver.

TaurusYou are feeling very relaxed this week, fair Taurus. In fact, you will feel so relaxed in your next class that you will fall into a deep sleep for a thousand years. Nobody will wake you up because they will just assume that you’re sleeping because the class is really boring and not want to bother you. Your lucky poultry is chicken.

GeminiYou will act especially vain this week, dear Gemini. While you may feel inclined to stare at yourself in your mirror for long amounts of time, you should try to do more things with your life. Stare at yourself in somebody else’s mirror instead. Your lucky Terminator movie is Terminator 2.

CancerYou are especially resourceful this week, fair Cancer. Do not let your talent go to waste! Construct something wonderful out of three paperclips, twelve nails, and three buttons. If you build it, they will come. Your lucky button on a telephone is “hold.”

LeoYou will absolutely love being in the spotlight this week, dear Leo, but do not go overboard. Whoever said that there’s no such thing as bad press clearly wasn’t thinking of being caught scaling a building while naked. Or maybe they were? Your lucky new word is “banal.”

VirgoYou will feel very reserved and cool this week, fair Virgo. As a result, your internal body temperature will drop 20 degrees. Instead of killing you, this will instead give you superpowers. Not lame ones like being able to add numbers really fast, but really awesome ones like being able to tell what time it is without looking at your watch. Your lucky coin is the dime.

LibraYour diplomatic side will really come out this week, dear Libra. If two of your friends are arguing over who gets to have the last slice of pizza, solve the issue by taking it for yourself. Not only will you get to reap the benefits of delicious pizza, but your friends will also thank you for averting a major catastrophe! Your lucky musical note is C sharp.

ScorpioYou are feeling especially secretive this week, fair Scorpio. You will be able to successfully hide your identity from everybody, much to the chagrin of anyone trying to take attendance in class. On the bright side, nobody can steal your identity if even you don’t know it. Your lucky type of novel is fiction.

SagittariusYou are feeling particularly optimistic this week, dear Sagittarius. Not unlike the rides at a carnival, you can also put a good spin on things. Hopefully your method involves more happiness and less vomit. If not, I suggest trying different methods. Your lucky street is Graham Ave.

CapricornYou will feel a surge of strength this week, modest Cap-ricorn, however you will only be able to perform your feat of strength once. Will you try to pick up Head Hall to impress the engineers? Will you try to pick up women to impress the engineers? Will you try to pick up men to impress the engineers? The possibilities are endless. Your lucky Batman actor is Adam West.

AquariusYou may find that your friends think you are very un-predictable, dear Aquarius. To confuse them, try to be as predictable as possible. They will find this to be so unpredictable that their heads will both implode and explode at the same time. Since that would cancel itself out, nothing will actually happen. Your lucky colour that ends with “urple” is purple.

PiscesYou will find yourself to be more dreamy than usual this week, fair Pisces. Your dreams will then come to life and terrorize the people on campus. Alternately, people will think that you’ve brought to life a Pink Floyd album and begin showering you with praise and hookahs. Your lucky roll of the dice is 8.

The Force is weak with this one

I think that I can make a broad statement and say that a game where you could play as Darth Vader and other people with my evil force powers and lightsaber would quite possibly be the best thing ever. And for 10 glorious minutes, that’s what The Force Unleashed gives you.

After those 10 minutes, though, you take over the role of “Starkiller,” Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. That’s when things start going downhill.

For one thing, Darth Vader isn’t even voiced by James Earl Jones. The game loses 10 points just for that. Make that a million points.

The game, however, wins back several points for the technology that empowers it.

The game uses an engine called “euphoria” to power the artificial intelligence of your foes. This

means that not only can you knock them about wildly with your badass force abilities, but your enemies will also react accordingly. If you try to pick up a Stormtrooper who is standing next to a crate, the enemy will try to grab onto the crate to avoid being tossed through the air. If you blast them, they’ll stumble and fall down.

The game also uses another engine called “Digital Molecular Matter,” meaning that materials in the game behave like you think they would. If you pick up a heavy rock and throw it at a tree, the tree will break and splinter exactly where you hit it, and splinter realistically even more on the way down. Breaking glass is even more impressive, shattering and bending depending on the force and direction of your attacks.

This sort of power is awesome, but, as Spiderman is always fond of reminding us, with great power comes great responsibility, so all of this technology should mean that the game is fun to play.

Actually, the game is sort of fun to play. When all of these elements come together, the game really shines. But often, the controls

are too loose and the artificial intelligence just stops working altogether sometimes.

For the most part, everything looks exactly like it was ripped out of the movies, which is really a credit to the game’s art direction and graphical achievements. The Rancor, that big toothy thing from Return of the Jedi, looks even better than it did in the movies. I never thought I’d ever say this, but even classic characters like Darth Vader and The Emperor have never looked prettier.

Even on the audio side of things, the game makes ample use of the Star Wars library of sound effects, from the hum of a lightsaber to Imperial Stormtroopers yelling “Stop or I’ll shoot!”, often accompanied by classic Star Wars blaster shots.

If only the controls could have been less loose, and the use of the Force Grip ability less touchy. There have been so many times where I’ve tried to simply just pick up a guy, and instead grabbed a random hunk of rock nearby instead. There were even times where efforts to throw big hunks of metal at incoming TIE fighters failed miserably;

instead of shooting straight for my target like it logically should, my projectile flew to the back of the arena to strike a poor, defenseless communications tower.

Apparently these controls are much less prevalent in the Nintendo Wii version with its better controls, but I have yet to try it, especially since The Bruns doesn’t actually give me any money to play these games (hint hint).

The major feelings I get from the game are that it is disappointing and underwhelming. It could have been much more fun to play with just a little tweaking. Even so, by the time you reach the ending of the game, you’ll feel that it feels tacked on and nowhere near as cool as it could have been. The main character himself does not make you feel any empathy or sympathy whatsoever, despite him having a more tragic past than just about any Star Wars character.

Like the new trilogy of Star Wars films, the game is very impressive from a technological standpoint, but somebody forgot to make it fun in the process.

At least it doesn’t have Jar Jar in it.

Dan Hagerman

The Final Score

ScreenshotYou’d think that it would be fun to kill hundreds upon hundreds of people in a video game, but it’s not exactly “fist pound” worthy.

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brunswickanarts Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142 •11

Supermarket stilettos

Eating bandwagon unloads at Harvest Dinner

Ashley Bursey

Pop Tart

Recently, I’ve been that quintessential case of teaching the old poodle new tricks. Coming to university, and during my four years there, I was on scholarship and working intermittently at freelance jobs (and, for a single roller-coaster year, at this fine publication). I didn’t have to worry too much about money; I didn’t have a car, I lived with lots of roommates in a cheap apartment, I don’t care about expensive technology, and my only real expenses were booze, food, and clothing. But, dear readers, my life has taken an interesting turn. For the past month, I have been out of work (that exciting in-between stage before the new job begins), and have decided to invest in lots of very pricey things (namely,

my beautiful shiny new 2008 VW Golf and an apartment on the north side. The two are not unrelated). Having subletted for an entire summer, I found myself completely without furniture (that’s since been supplemented by a bed, two stools, and a lamp) and also having to pay for the plethora of things that come with a new car.

There’s a point to this, I swear. My new lifestyle has turned me into a very mobile, but very broke, career woman (and I say that only slightly ironically). I start a new job next week, and in the interim, I’ve been learning to be – gasp – frugal.

I suppose I was always that way, subconsciously. I just had far less expenses, so it was easy to splurge a bit every now and then on some grapes (dammit, fruit is expensive) or a new shirt. And over the summer, my expenses had been vastly reduced – subletting costs next to nothing, I had a free STU bus pass, and pricey produce was in season. I suppose I was spoiled.

Of course, I’m mostly being

facetious here. It’s tough to live and eat well on a small budget, but it’s certainly doable. My big expenditures were clothing and shoes (like I said, I’ve never really owned furniture or television sets, so I don’t waste money on those). But I’ve found some solutions.

The strangest one of all is my discovery of the Superstore brand of clothing, called Joe Fresh Style (in fact, I was so enamoured by their very cute plaid capelet that I took home the store brochure and stuck it to my fridge with old Fred FM magnets). They have very decently priced office clothing (a blue polka-dotted skirt looks far more fashionable than its $24 price tag should allow) and cute accessories, including woollen gloves and skinny belts. Similar brands in the UK – including Topshop and George from ASDA – have spurred a revolution towards cementing supermarkets as the go-to alternative for modern department stores.

And they have shoes. There’s always a question with shoes, and it’s about comfort; I suppose

there’s a reason why Nine West is charging $120 in comparison to Joe’s $20 saddle-shoe flats. But if you’re not walking a marathon and can spring the extra few dollars for gel inserts (they’re like 10 bucks a pair), then Joe’s got some uber-cute styles. And at that price, it doesn’t really matter if they last forever – because, by next season, there’ll be a cuter new $30 style anyway.

I guess the next thing for me is to wean myself off my expensive-beer habit. I’m no alcoholic, but I’m a proud Sleemans supporter, and Heineken is definitely a favourite. I guess it’ll be one-litre bottles of Vex for the time being. And they’re not that bad, really. I guess after half a litre of Vex, anything probably tastes good.

Oh, well. At least my shoes look fabulous. And it’ll be our dirty little secret that I bought them at a supermarket. Shh. Ashley Bursey is a former Arts Editor of The Brunswickan and a graduate of St. Thomas University’s journalism program.

Jens OurOmThe Brunswickan

When ecological footprint-conscious authors Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon embarked on their year-long journey to eat only foods produced within a 100-mile radius of their Vancouver apartment, their hopes were high. The “locavore” movement was a possibility for Vancouverites, and us all. Nearly four years following the completion of this “experiment,” and two years after the publication of The 100-mile Diet, which chronicled all of the diet’s sugar highs and emotional lows, the local-eating movement

continues to gather steam. Proof is in events like the charitable 100-Mile Harvest Dinner, this Saturday, September 27 at Wilmot United Church hosted by the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.

While Smith and Mackinnon were not the first to conceive of such a “diet”, The 100-mile Diet has helped to greatly popularize the movement. Due in part to the useful vegetarian and seafood recipes and also in part to the engaging narrative that constitute the book, it reached #4 on the Maclean’s bestseller list.

However, this particular publication is much, much more than a recipe book. With chapters written alternately by the long-term couple of Smith and Mackinnon and divided

into the 12 months of the year, the reader is invited to follow the two on an undulating and very emotional attempt to feed themselves on whatever the immediate earth and ocean may provide during each particular season. It is clearly a trying process, as everyday items such as flour and salt prove surprisingly hard to procure.

Nevertheless, these difficulties provide a backdrop for an unexpectedly intimate and romantic tale. It is hard not to feel similar emotion to the ecstasy Mackinnon and Smith experience themselves as blueberries start to come into season and a source of local fish is discovered. One similarly feels the strain on the relationship as stores diminish during the winter months, and dandelions are

consumed willingly. (Apparently these are not only edible, but a foodstuff Mackinnon enjoys. At least they’re readily available.)

Bestselling fiction writer Barbara Kingsolver and her family attempt a similar lifestyle change in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle as they relocate from Tuscon, Arizona to a rural Virginia acreage. The principle motivation for this change of scenery is, once again, a desire to eat produce from ground which, theoretically, your feet could have tread on sometime in the recent past. While Kingsolver and co. are less rigorous about the exact miles their food has travelled, this is another book which provides a wonderful balance of a very human storyline and a wealth of information about our current food sources, and how to achieve

a more sustainable diet. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

also manages to cover distinctly different subject matter from The 100-mile Diet, as Kingsolver and husband Steven L. Hopp have the opportunity to produce the vast majority of their own food on their acreage. Home-grown vegetables fill the Kingsolver kitchen, and the authors even go as far as farming their own turkeys and chickens, with precocious nine year-old daughter Lily performing egg duties. Seemingly long-lost arts such as cheese-making and tomato canning are explained in detail to go along with another set of fantastic recipes. And somehow the narrative stays fresh, interesting and even funny.

In the same vein as both books, this weekend’s 100-Mile Harvest

Dinner at Wilmot Church will not only raise funds for the Conservation Council, it also promises fresh local food and turkeys -- without all the work required of the Kingsolvers, Smith, and Mackinnon. More importantly, this charitable event will showcase the dining possibilities of our own backyards and hopefully inspire attendees to go home and put their own spin on the butternut squash bisque and maple cranberry sauce on the menu.

The 100-Mile Harvest Dinner takes place September 27 at Wilmot United Church from 6-8pm. Tickets are $15/person, or $40/family of four. Anyone interested in more information, volunteering, or the menu can call 458-8747 or visit conservationcouncil.ca

Internet

The Joe clothing line is an economic way to feed your fashion diet when funds are few and far between.

Find your voice.Or some free CD’s.

arts@thebruns.ca

brunswickanclassifiedsSept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142 • 12

bruns-ad@unb.ca

Classifieds are a FREE service for members of the university community. Please try to limit submissions to 35 words or less. Your name, student number, and phone number are required at sub-mission, but will not be published. We can accept them at Room 35, SUB, 453-5073 (Fax), or e-mail: bruns-ad@unb.ca. Please do not submit by phone. We reserve the right to edit or refuse publication. All classifieds are subject to available space. For display advertising contact Bill at 447-3388. Classified deadline is Monday at noon.

09/31/08

TANNING SPECIALS

TWOFREETANS

20%OFF3 LOCATIONS

530 Queen St.458-9771

1113 Regent St. 454-8267

154 Main St.472-5048

FOR SALE

Simmons Futon, wooden frame, removable taupe mattress cover, machine wash, excellent condition. $350. E-mail: b3wic@unb.ca.

Two dressers; 3 and 4 drawers (wood) $40. ea, three seater sofa with wooden frame $75. French Provincial sofa and matching chair (beautiful set) $250. 455-6450

Furnished bedroom. Sharing large kitchen, bath, and laundry with two others. Near universities. Mature, non-smoking student wanted. Call 459-0002.

FOR RENT

Apartment. Living room, kitchen with fridge, new stove and dryer. Equipped for three students. Fully renovated bathroom. Furnished, freshly painted. Three computer desks. Equipped kitchen. Bedding if needed. Utilities, cable and internet, storage space. Five minutes to UNB by car, on bus route. E-mail:marianneduke@hotmail.com or phone 457-0178 and leave a message. Reasonable rent, no lease.

Female room mate wanted for female apartment in downtown Fredericton. Close to University. New security building with W/D. 375/month plus utilities. Call 506-847-2821.

Females for apartment. Private room, entrance. Includes heat, lights, high

speed internet, washer & dryer. Completely equipped kitchen, microwave, fridge. Ten minutes to UNB & STU. Call 455-5298.

PSAs

On September 27-28, Fredericton will host the 2008 New Brunswick Social Forum - a weekend of exciting and informative panel discussions, workshops and booths stocked with materials that are intended to enlighten and motivate the public on a variety of issues of burning concern, from language rights, education and tax reforms in New Brunswick to global environmental and social injustices. The 2008 New Brunswick Social Forum will be taking place at the N.B. Sports Hall of Fame (510 Queen St.) from 10 am to 4pm, Saturday to Sunday, September 27-28. For more info or to register: www.nbsf.org or email: info@frederictonpeace.org.

Cinema Politica Fredericton is back this fall screening Friday night documentaries. The films will be screened every Friday this fall at 7 PM and will be followed by a discussion. The films are screened at Conserver House, 180 St. John St. The screenings are meant to inform and engage audiences on important political issues. The films will take us to places such as Afghanistan, Palestine, Haiti, Guatemala and indigenous territories in this country where Canadian policies are leaving an impact worthy of deeper critical examination, analysis and discussion.

The films are free and so is the popcorn! Donations are encouraged. Schedule of films: www.cinemapolitica.org/fridaynightdocs. For more info: fredericton@cinemapolitica.org.

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick will be holding a 100-mile fall harvest dinner on September 27 from 6-8:00 p.m. at the Wilmot United Church on King St. The dinner is a celebration of everything local, from the meal itself, a traditional harvest dinner of locally grown and raised fruits, vegetables and turkey, a silent auction featuring the works of local artisans - everything from soaps to handmade clothing, to the entertainment featuring ECMA nominated singer/song writer Brent Mason and keynote speaker Betty Brown of the National Farmer’s Union. The cost is $15 per person or $40 per family of 4. Seating is limited. Tickets are available at True Food Organics, Westminster Books and the Conservation Council of New Brunswick office. For more information call 458-8747.

Doors Open Fredericton Event Set for Sunday, September 21. Fredericton, NB – Eighteen of Fredericton’s most interesting buildings are opening their doors to the public on Sunday, September 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the City’s second annual Doors Open Fredericton event. This is an opportunity to tour buildings you may have admired from the outside but have never stepped inside,. In some cases, you will be able to take an ‘insider tour’ and see a building from a new perspective, such as the Playhouse’s back stage tour. There will be guided or self-guided tours at various locations. Guided tours at set times will be offered at both the Playhouse (every 30 minutes starting at 1:00 p.m., with the last tour at 3:30 p.m.) and the William L. Barrett Water Treatment Plant on Smythe Street (1, 2, & 3 p.m.) The York Street Fire Station will have several trucks on display including the rescue unit, a 100-foot

ladder truck and water pumper trucks. Other municipal buildings included in the Doors Open Fredericton event are the City Hall Council Chambers and the Lighthouse Adventure Centre. The University of New Brunswick will have five of its heritage buildings open including Brydone Jack Observatory, the first astronomical observatory in Canada, and McCord Hall, a former ice house which is now an inspirational space for budding writers. Other UNB Buildings which will be open on Sunday are Sir Howard Douglas Hall (the Old Arts Building), Memorial Hall and the Burden Academy Schoolhouse. Also on the UNB Campus, the Provincial Archives will showcase its historical research facilities, and you can peruse artwork, photos and memorabilia of a long-time UNB writer in residence at Alden Nowlan House. New this year is a Heritage Churches of Downtown Fredericton tour. Six heritage churches, some dating from 1847 have graced downtown Fredericton for many years with their beautiful architecture, materials and stained glass windows. Together, they offer an opportunity to appreciate the inside architecture and learn about the early congregations of the City. The churches on the tour include: St. Anne’s Chapel of Ease, Brunswick Street Baptist Church, St. Paul’s United Church, Wilmot Church, St. Dunstan’s, and Christ Church Cathedral. Doors Open Fredericton is a free event organized by the City of Fredericton. Brochures can be picked up at the City Hall Visitor Information Centre or on Sunday at any of the participating locations. Doors Open Fredericton is modeled on Doors Open Canada which was created by the Heritage Canada Foundation to provide people with the opportunity to visit buildings of architectural, cultural or historic interest to the community,which are not normally open to the public. These include civic buildings, schools, places of worship, offices, inns, fire halls, etc.

brunswickanarts

Upcominig V-Reds Events

Wednesday, September 24th

Hockey

NyI RookIes @ UNB7:00 p.m. @ AItkeN ceNtRe

saturday, September 20thwomeN’s socceR

UNB - 1UpeI - 0

meN’s socceR

UNB - 1UpeI - 1

Hockey

DAL - 3cARLetoN - 7

UNB - 4smU - 1

V-Reds ResultsWednesday, September 17th

Hockey

UNB - 10stU - 4

friday, September 19th

Hockey

DAL - 7smU - 9

UNB - 7cARLetoN - 0

Friday, September 26th

Hockey

UQtR @ UNB7:00 p.m. @ AItkeN ceNtRe

womeN’s VoLLeyBALL

sHeRBRooke @ UNB8:00 p.m. @ moNtReAL

Sunday, September 21st

womeN’s socceR

UNB - 0UDem - 0 meN’s socceR

UNB - 2UDem - 2

Saturday, September 27th

womeN’s VoLLyBALL UNB @ w-oNtARIo @ 12:00 p.m. @ moNtReAL

LAVAL @ UNB4:00 p.m. @ moNtReAL

womeN’s socceR

UNB @ st. FX1:00 p.m.

meN’s socceR

UNB @ st. FX3:15 p.m.

Hockey

UQtR @ UNB4:00 p.m. @ AtIkeN ceNtRe

Sunday, September 28th

womeN’s VoLLyBALL

UNB @ tBD12:00 p.m. @ moNtReAL

womeN’s socceR

UNB @ mt. A1:00 p.m.

meN’s socceR UNB @ mt. A3:15 p.m.

brunswickansportsSept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142 • 13

sports@thebruns.ca

Reds dominate at Fall Classic

UNB attacks Saint Mary’s goal during the championship game of the UNB Fall Classic on Saturday evening. The Reds went on to win 4-1.

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

The High Cost of Sport

Sport: Men’s SoccerYr: 1

Why did you choose UNB?They have a very good business program, and in particular, the Student Investment Fund program. I’m a finance major and saw it as a good opportunity.

What are your pre-game rituals?Meditation and prayer after listening to music. When I’m walking on to the field, I give a few shouts.

What’s the one thing you can’t go on the road without?Music. If I don’t have music, I think I’d go crazy. I also bring a book to read on the road. It can be a textbook or a good book.

Sport: Women’s SoccerYr: 4

What is your desired profession?I would love to work for or do something similar to Right to Play, developing sport programs for third world countries.

What are your nicknames?Cheerio, Cle, Red, Little Red, Taters.

What was your first job?It was working at a five-star inn.

What is your pet peeve?Crunching ice.

What’s is your personal goal this year?If you lose the ball, dig in, get mad, and get it back.

One-on-one with...

Keagan MarcusCleo Tetrault

Athletes of the Week

#7 Hunter Tremblay (left)Hockey2nd YearForwardTimmins, Ontario

Jackie Fitt-Ryan (right)Women’s Soccer5th YearKeeperStellarton, N.S

BRANDoN mAcNeILtHe BRUNswIckAN

cAmeRoN mItcHeLLtHe BRUNswIckAN

The Varsity Reds have returned with their scoring touch from last season as they put on display this past weekend at the Aitken Centre. UNB cruised to another first place finish in the UNB Fall Classic on Saturday night.

Dalhousie, Saint Mary’s, and Carleton University were all in town for the annual pre-season showdown. The tournament is an annual event hosted by UNB before the regular season commences.

In Friday’s opener, the Varsity Reds defeated Carleton 7-0 in the Raven’s first ever appearance at the Aitken Center.

The scoring began early when Hunter Tremblay scored his first of the game, only 3:29 into the first period. UNB controlled the first period with numerous scoring chances but were unable capitalize. UNB outshot Carleton 12-4 in the period.

Kevin Henderson scored early in the second period after making a nice play at the blue line to stay onside. 20 seconds later, Tremblay netted his second of the game on a one-timer from John-Scott Dickson. Lachlan MacIntosh followed suit with a goal of his own on a pass from Luke Gallant.

A bizarre play took place halfway through the second period. A shot from the point seemed to beat Carleton’s goaltender and actually go through the net, however the referee’s view was obstructed and he couldn’t make an official call.

The next goal was no controversy, however, as David Bowman blasted a shot from the blue line that Carleton’s goalie couldn’t see. The third period didn’t see much action until the half way mark. Alex Aldred was sprung loose on a breakaway, out of the penalty box. He made a clever move to beat the Carleton netminder.

Fredericton native Ryan Seymour added the final goal in the dying seconds, to send the Reds to a 7-0 victory. Hunter Tremblay was named MVP of the game.

Rookie goalie Travis Fullerton needed to only stop seven shots, after replacing Derek Yeomans half way through the game. Carleton was outshot 41-14.

After defeating Dalhousie on Friday afternoon, Saint Mary’s Huskies faced UNB in the final game on Saturday night.

The second game was not as easy as the first for the V-Reds. The Huskies, for the most part, put up a good fight against UNB. SMU goaltender Brandon Verge put on a magnificent display at times, and was the only reason the game wasn’t more lopsided.

Verge made several highlight reel saves in the first period, even after getting bowled over by Chris Hodgson early in the game.

The game was very aggressive, with both teams trying to get under the other’s skin. Several scrums broke out throughout the period, with all 10 players getting involved.

It wasn’t until 17:08 into the game when UNB got on the board first. Henderson streamed down the boards and placed a sharp angled shot, far side on Verge. Another scrum broke out after the goal, as the linesman struggled to keep order in front of the net.

Shortly after, Tremblay notched his third goal of the weekend off a beautiful pass from Bowman on the power play.

Henderson and Jimmy Cuddihy were both robbed of what looked like sure goals in the second period. Verge made two spectacular saves, including a lightning quick glove save on Cuddihy. The Huskies then rewarded their goaltenders strong play and scored their one and only goal of the game.

UNB was back on top by two goals when Robert Pearce tallied late in the period. He knocked down a shot from point, and wrapped it around Verge, before he knew where it was.

Bowman gave the Reds some insurance in the third, when he circled the zone before placing a wrist shot between the goaltenders legs, putting the Reds on top 4-1.

“It’s a great way to start,” said John Scott Dickson, when asked about the win. “The guys are playing hard every shift and its still exhibition. I really like what I’m seeing.”

Dickson, a penalty-killing specialist, had a solid game of his own. He blocked several shots while SMU was on the power play, even taking one off the wrist. Without missing a shift, he was back out there dropping to one knee, sacrificing his body.

Yeomans backstopped the

Reds for the first and second periods before being replaced with Fullerton. Yeomans was named to the first all-star team. Joining him from UNB were defenseman Dustin Friesen, and forwards Kevin Henderson and Hunter Tremblay. Tremblay was also named the tournament MVP.

The V-Reds continue their exhibition schedule tonight at the Aitken Center. The New York Islanders rookie squad is in town to battle the Reds. Former UNB hockey star Rob Hennigar is expected to suit up for the Islanders squad.

UNB will then host UQTR in back-to-back games on the weekend.

A year ago, gas cost an average of 105.4 cents a litre. Recently, prices have jumped as high as 140.1 cents. But the effects of high fuel prices are being felt in more places than just at the pump.

Air Canada cited high fuel prices as the reason for removing “heavy” life jackets from their Jazz airplanes. The price of fruits and vegetables have hit all time highs because of the cost of transportation, and the skyrocketing cost of flying is going to keep students from going home to see their family this Thanksgiving.

The athletics department at UNB has been hit particularly hard in the wake of expensive fuel and travel costs. Kevin Dickie is the Athletic Director at UNB. After speaking with Dickie, it became obvious that soaring travel costs have had a trickle down effect that has hurt the school, the athletic department, and its student athletes.

“Travel is half of what we do, and we’re either here or on the road,” said Dickie, in reference to away games.

How much have those travel costs gone up? “Well, we spent over $42,000 more on travel in 2007-2008 than in the 2006-2007 season,” explained Dickie while sorting through several pages of numbers.

“We spent $134,000 more, on the same amount of travel, in 2007-2008 than we spent in 2002-2003,” continued Dickie with a hint of bewilderment. “These numbers blow me away whenever I look at them.”

The aforementioned costs don’t include exhibition play, playoffs, or championship play. When a team reaches the playoffs those costs go up.

“The irony of the whole thing is there is a significant cost to be excellent; the longer we go the more it costs,” said Dickie.

Striving for success while knowing that there is a price to pay for that success is a difficult endeavour. John Richard, the Assistant Athletic Director and the women’s volleyball coach,

extrapolated on this balancing act. “We try to strike a balance

between what’s safe, how we can maximize our athlete’s potential, and what we can afford,” said Richard.

UNB hires chartered buses with professional drivers for all conference games because that is safer than traveling by van. But those buses cost $1250 to $1500 per day, whereas it would probably cost somewhere between $300 and $400 to get those same teams to

travel in vans. “Obviously that’s a huge expense,

but the safety of our athletes is of the utmost importance,” Richard said.

However, the cost of travelling by bus pales in comparison to the cost associated with traveling to Newfoundland for the mandatory league games. Women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, as well as men’s and women’s soccer travel to the Memorial University of Newfoundland about once every two years. Men’s volleyball travels to MUN every year. Not only are the costs associated with traveling to MUN high, but the process of getting there is extremely complicated as well.

“A few years ago, we discovered that it was cheaper for us to charter a bus to Halifax and then fly out of there,” explained Richard. “So

that’s a four to five hour bus ride to Halifax, a two hour wait at the airport, a 60 to 90 minute flight in the air, and an hour wait on the other side organizing luggage and getting to the hotel.” All in all, that’s about nine hours of travel, one-way.

“And on the way back we usually leave right after the game to try and minimize costs. So we don’t get back into Fredericton until 1 or 2 a.m.” Richard concluded.

But how much does it actually cost to send these teams to Newfoundland? “These essential trips to play in league competition in Newfoundland are really more significant because of the high cost of flying,” noted Dickie. “The cost of flying to Newfoundland has jumped $11,000 from the 2006-07 season to 2007-08, and $51,000 from the 2003-2004 season to 2007-2008,” said Dickie.

Skyrocketing travel costs are one of the reasons things had to change last year. The six Reds teams that were downgraded to a lesser status, including women’s hockey, were partial victims of high travel costs.

“Generally speaking, I’m working with the same budget as eight years ago … and these escalating numbers speak a little bit to why there was a need for change,” Dickie explained. “The cost of business has gone up, and we couldn’t continue to distribute money the way we were and hope to become excellent as an overall program.”

The reality is that UNB is at the westernmost tip of the Atlantic conference, and because of that they have to spend more on travel. However, the Athletic Department, the coaches, and the student athletes are doing things to help cope with the high cost of travel.

“The one thing we feel good about is that we self generate so much money,” Dickie said in a slightly more upbeat tone. Revenue generated by game day attendance, Alumni and corporate support, as well as the summer sports camps, help to offset some of the high travel costs.

“UNB generates more than any other Atlantic school, but that money isn’t going as far,” said Dickie.

“THe COST OF BUSINeSS HAS GONe UP, AND We COULDN’T CONTINUe TO DISTRIBUTe

MONeY THe WAY We WeRe AND

HOPe TO BeCOMe exCeLLeNT AS AN OVeRALL PROGRAM”

- KeVIN DICKIe

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brunswickansports14 • Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142

Local soccer star dominates AUS

Christian Hapgood / The BrunswickanKen Morrison of the UNB Varsity Reds men’s soccer team jumps for a header during AUS league play action this past weekend.

Predicting the future

Josh FleckThe Brunswickan

Brandon MacneilThe Brunswickan

UNB soccer coach Miles Pinsent calls him “the most under-rated athlete in Fredericton,” and rightfully so. After three full seasons with the Reds, Ken Morrison’s passion for soccer still lives strong. Now the fourth year veteran is looking to generate another all-star season like that of last year.

The 21-year-old took home numerous awards at the conclusion of last season. He was named AUS first team all-star, as well as the first team CIS All-Canadian in men’s soccer. Above and beyond this, he was crowned 2007 AUS Most Valuable Player.

Over the years, Morrison’s skills have been put on display throughout the city. While growing up, he played in the Fredericton District Soccer Association. In his first year of high school, he joined the Fredericton High School varsity club. After four successful seasons with the Black Kats, he was recruited by UNB.

In his second season with the Varsity Reds, he was able to help his team capture the AUS championship, and gain a birth in the national tournament. This season, Morrison would love nothing more than for his team to return to nationals.

“Ultimately, the team’s goal is to make it to nationals. The AUS is strong this year, and we’re going to face some strong competition. It will be a tough road, but rewarding if we can accomplish our goals.”

As for himself, Morrison just wants to contribute to the team. “I just always try and have an impact in each game,” said Morrison. “You do your best to help the team win.”

This year’s team will look similar to last, with many veterans returning. A few rookies, however, have come into camp and impressed. Morrison says he won’t be surprised to see some of the first year players cracking the starting line up.

“It’s good to see these guys come in and challenge for starting jobs. I’m excited for them, I hope they

can have an impact this season and help us win.”

During the off-season in his high school years, Morrison played in a semi-professional league in Boston. Now, in the off-season, he plays in a men’s league in Fredericton. Several players from the V-Reds also play on the same team, something he says helps with chemistry.

“It’s great to be able to play with the same guys in the off-season. It’s definitely easier to come into camp after playing with the same guys all summer.”

For now, the team will continue to work their way toward the

playoffs in late October. The V-Reds host two more games this weekend. Saturday, UPEI comes into town, followed by l’Université de Moncton on Sunday.

As for Morrison’s future, he isn’t quite sure of his path. He will return to UNB next year to finish his degree. Afterward, he is contemplating returning to school for a masters program after graduation.

Whether or not he continues his schooling, Morrison says he will always enjoy the sport and will continue playing at one level or another.

With the NHL season just weeks away, it is time to take a look on how this year’s standings will shape up. This is to clear up those who will contend for Lord Stanley’s Cup, and those who will contend for John Tavares. Here’s a quick glance at how the Eastern Conference may very well look come April.

1. Montreal Canadiens: In their centennial anniversary, the Habs have only got better in their search for their 25th Stanley Cup. Over the off-season, they acquired Alex Tanguay, Robert Lang, and Georges Laraque, while giving up no one. You have to like this team’s odds after finishing first last season.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Pens lost a few key role players, one being Marion Hossa, who they replaced with a less talented Miroslav Satan. The core of the team that went to the Stanley Cup finals is still there, so expect Sid the Kid to lead his team to Cup contention.

3. Florida Panthers: I know this is a pretty gutsy call, but with a healthy Tomas Vokoun, a brand new defense and a good core of forwards, they will be able to push for the lead in the division and clinch a playoff berth.

4. New York Rangers: This is the season the Rangers live up to their potential. Markus Naslund will offset the loss of Jaromir Jagr, and the defense will be very solid in front of one of the league’s best goalies, Henrik Lundqvist.

5. Philadelphia Flyers: The grit that Philly brings to the table is a key. They have a great balance of skilled and grit forwards, which will make up for the lack of solid defenders after Kimmo Timonen.

6. New Jersey Devils: Always having a solid defensive team, the Devils boast a lot of skill up front as well, in the likes of Patrik Elias, Zach Parise, and Brian Rolston. Having Martin Brodeur in net doesn’t hurt either.

7. Ottawa Senators: After losing long time defenseman Wade Redden to the Rangers, and Andrej Meszaros to the Lightning, the Sens blue line isn’t as deep as it used to be. Look for them to lean on the big three more than ever if they want to have some success this

season. 8. Boston Bruins: Much like the

Devils, the Bruins will be able to take care of things in their own end, as well as being able to put the puck in the net at the other - especially with Patrice Bergeron back after a neck injury last year that sidelined him for 72 games.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning: The mere thought of a top line involving Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St Louis, and Steve Stamkos makes any hockey fan’s mouth water. This is a brand new team, and look for them to finish a lot higher than the dead last they finished in last year. Key veteran forwards and a veteran goaltender in Olaf Kolzig will help immensely. The Bolts could even finish first in the division.

10. Washington Capitals: Sporting the leagues best player in Alex Ovechkin, the Caps have the right tools to push for the playoffs. It all hinges on which Jose Theodore they will be getting: the one that won a Hart Trophy with Montreal, or the one who lost his starting job to Peter Budaj.

11. Carolina Hurricanes: Losing Eric Cole is going to hurt, and they will need Cam Ward to re-find his A game. The ageless Rod Brind’Amour is back again for yet another year of captaining his team.

12. Buffalo Sabres: With a depleted back end, it will be up to forwards Thomas Vanek, Maxim Afinogenov, and Jason Pominville to carry this team. Those players’ shoulders aren’t wide enough to carry that big of a load.

13. Atlanta Thrashers: A year of seasoning with the players they got in exchange for Hossa will help, not to mention they have that Kovalchuk guy. However, the defence is still very young, and under skilled.

14. Toronto Maple Leafs: Not much of an off-season here. Sundin and McCabe leave, Jeff Finger and Mike Van Ryn come in. The best move this team made in a long time was drafting Luke Schenn. Look for him to make an impact this season.

15. New York Islanders: When Mark Streit is one of your best defensemen, you probably won’t win many games. Rick DiPietro will steal a few games, or at least keep the leagues worst offense at par, but don’t expect a lot from this team.

Be sure to check in next week when we’ll take a look at how the Western conference is shaping up for the 2008-09 campaign.

brunswickansports Sept. 24, 2008 • Issue 4 • Volume 142 •15

Winless streak snapped Men’s soccer tie twiceColin MCPhailThe BrunswiCkan

Colin MCPhailThe BrunswiCkan

The UNB Varsity Reds Women’s soccer team finally snapped their winless streak. On Saturday, the Reds defeated UPEI 1-0 and came back on Sunday with an impressive performance resulting in a score-less draw.

On Saturday afternoon the 2-1-2 UPEI Panthers came to Chapman field to battle the 0-3-1 Reds. UNB had a very shaky start to the game. Poor ball control coupled with sloppy defensive play allowed the Panthers to have quality scoring chances, but was denied by their own inability to score by another fine performance from UNB keeper Jackie Fitt-Ryan.

UPEI dominated the first half and it was only near the 30 minute mark when the Reds put on their first real offensive pressure. How-ever, the first half ended 0-0.

The second half began no differ-ent from the previous one. UPEI was winning nearly every 50/50 ball and were playing like they wanted it more. However, near the 60th minute, when there was an injury on the field.

Coach Andy Cameron was able to rally his troops with a quiet pep talk. It seemed to spark the Reds and they pushed forward aggressively searching for the game winner. After a few missed chances and a hit crossbar, they were rewarded. Off a free kick from twenty-five yards out,

Maura Carter beat the UPEI keeper with a sweet strike putting the Reds up with only 10 minutes left. With the final whistle, the squad rejoiced as they won their first game of the season.

Energized by their thrilling win, the Reds faced the 0-3-1 Blue Eagles from UdeM on Sunday. The Reds played a strong first half by control-ling the ball well in the midfield, playing good offensive pressure, and having solid defense. However, nei-ther team was able to score and the half finished 0-0. The Reds came out with the same intensity in the second half. Their best chance came with 10 minutes left, when Meghan Felt put a wide-open chance in the box straight at the Moncton Keeper. The game finished 0-0 giving the Reds three out of a possible four points for the weekend.

UNB’s recent success is greatly due to key performances by Gina Brown, Erica Middleton and Alex-andra Black, who are creating plenty of trouble for opposing fullbacks. The strong play of midfielder Isa-belle Miles, who controls the play with excellent ball movement, and defenders Maura Carter and Lisa Nabuurs, make it a tough time for other forwards to get near their keeper.

“We were looking for four ob-viously, but three out of four keeps us in the hunt and we’re getting better with every game, so onward and upward,” Cameron said after the match. The Reds are looking to use that momentum on the road next weekend when they travel to St. FX on Saturday and Mount Al-lison on Sunday to round out the weekend.

UNB Baseball goes 3-1

The UNB men’s soccer team came up with a pair of draws this weekend against tough opponents. The Reds played to

a 1-1 tie with UPEI Saturday afternoon, and came back in a thrilling match to tie UdeM at two apiece. The Reds now move into first place in the standings.

One of UNB’s biggest challenges for first place this season is no doubt UPEI. Both teams went into the game tied at 10 points and two big points were up for grabs.

The Reds opened the game with a good, quick offensive attack and Eric Karosan headed his third of the season in the left side mesh off a nice cross. However, this lead was short lived.

In the 29th minute, the Panthers put together a beautiful series of passing and ended with a great volley by UPEI midfielder Nathan Snowie. UNB kept up the pressure but couldn’t beat the Panthers’ keeper and it stayed 1-1 when the half ended.

The second half played out much like the first. Both teams traded chances and proved worthy advisories, but neither could score the winner and it ended 1-1 at full time.

Having one game in hand on UPEI, the Reds were looking for a big win over the UdeM Blue Eagles on Sunday. Again, the Reds jumped out to an early start when Ken Morrison potted in his first of the campaign and gave UNB a 1-0 lead.

It was a back and forth came with each creating good scoring

chances, but it remained the same at half.

The second half turned into nothing short of a thriller. The match turned into a very rough affair, with several yellow cards handed out. The Blue Eagles turned up the intensity and attacked the UNB fullbacks relentlessly. The quicker Moncton players equalized off a missed clearing attempt and Patrick Gautreau slipped one past UNB keeper Matthew Lally.

However, the Blue Eagles didn’t stop there. After another failed clearance, Maxime Ferlatte was able to beat a defender and rifle a shot side mesh past a diving Lally giving Moncton a 2-1 lead. The Reds, under pressure, didn’t panic and shortly after blowing the lead tied it with a beautiful goal. The Reds moved the ball quickly up the field and a nice through ball set up a two-on-none and Jason Bessey was able to tap in his first in a gaping net.

The game ended 2-2 giving the Reds two out of a possible four points. The sore spot of the game was the loss of star fullback Keegan Marcus as he was hauled off in a stretcher.

“You got to take the good with the bad. We played two very good teams this weekend and thought we matched up well,” said UNB Coach Miles Pinsent. “Team depth is something we have going for us,” Pinsent said when asked about the loss of Marcus.

The Reds pull off exciting comeback and move into first place

Christian Hapgood / The BrunswickanThe UNB women’s soccer team chase the ball down field in league play this past weekend. The Reds snapped their winless streak with a win and a draw in their weekend matches.

alex wiCkwireThe BrunswiCkan

UNB baseball finished this past weekend’s double-header with a 3-1 record. It was another strong performance from the pitching staff as they only gave up 12 runs all weekend.

In Saturday’s action, CBU edged out a win in a close game 3-2. The UNB bats were not producing in the weekend opener. Star pitcher Pete Shaw held the opposition to a mere three hits, but did not get enough support from the bats.

The second half of the double-header was a very successful outing for the entire team. Bruce Scott, a first year lefty pitcher tossed four innings, holding CBU to four runs. Shane Guptil came in relief of Scott and worked a scoreless fifth inning. The game was then called due to technical difficulties with the lighting at the field. The final score was 7-4.

Sunday’s games were at STFX and both were very positive outings for the UNB baseball. Hits were plentiful in the first game. UNB’s offense was highlighted by a bases-loaded double by Phil Brown. Pitcher Ryan MacDonald threw four innings and picked up the win. The final score was 9-6 for UNB.

In game two, Jake Waugh started on the mound and proceeded to cruise through the St. FX hitters. The final score was 3-0.

Finishing the weekend with one loss was not what the team set out to do; however, many positives for the team came out of this weekend. The biggest concern so far of this season was somewhat of a slump in hitting.

In previous games, UNB pitchers could burn through opposing lineups and receive very little run support. The four losses this year have not been routs or one-sided affairs, rather close games that truly could have gone either way. It’s a good sign for the UNB baseball squad when a team’s offense is in a huge slump and they are still keeping level playing .500 baseball.

After this weekend, it might be safe to say that the hitting slump for UNB is coming to an end. This weekend they begin a home stand and look to build onto their overall record of 6-4.

All-Canadian shortstop Norris Philpotts is still battling a severe bone bruise in his right ankle, and is likely to stay inactive this weekend after sitting out the entire road trip.

UNB will take on St. FX on Saturday in a double-header. On Sunday, DAL will travel to Royals field to play UNB. Games times are slated for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. both days.

Calling all sport fanaticsThe Bruns Sports Departmentwill hold weekly meetings every Friday, 11 a.m. until11:30 a.m. in the SUB, Rm 35.

Stop by and give us yourfeedback!!

sports@thebruns.ca