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www.theontarion.com163.

1

See “HOUSING,” page 5

Decision to de-federate doesn’t end legal battle A united CSA is de-federated from CFS but debate is far from over

ERIKA MARTELEIRA

Last year, University of Guelph students were asked to determine if the

student body should maintain its membership with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). The atmosphere on campus was tense as students petitioned, campaigned, held events and hosted speakers both for and against the motion. By the end of the winter semester, a referendum was held and a majority vote decided that the students at the University of Guelph would indeed de-federate from the CFS.

For those new to campus politics, the CFS is a nationwide student union, which is meant to represent Canadian students’ needs to the provincial and federal government. While providing an organizational framework to support student movements, it also has programs that aim to make university accessible to marginalized groups, lower tuition fees, and eliminate sexual abuse on campuses. Each student pays $7.31 each year to the CFS to fund these initiatives, support CFS in lobbying the government, and access resources like pamphlets and posters. Students who initiated the de-federation movement claimed that the CFS was not fulfilling its mandate, and that the amount of money, which students were contributing to the campaign, was not being effectively managed. The heated debates that ensued made this the most talked about topic last year, and it is far from over.

There are still contentious issues regarding the CFS petitioning and the previous CSA’s involvement with

campaigning.But this year, as stated by CSA

Executive Demetria Jackson, the Communications and Corporate Affairs Commissioner, the CSA is determined to come together and move forward. “The CSA executives are unanimous in our position that the University of Guelph has de-federated from the CFS. We have agreed to put our personal politics aside and represent the student majority, who voted over 70 per cent in favour of de-federating,” said Jackson.This unification is in response to the conflicting opinions within the CSA last year, which surfaced when the CSA motioned to support the “No CFS” campaign prior to the referendum. Although that decision is still fraught with debate, it is the primary strategies employed by the “No” campaigners that are now under legal questioning.

Unlawful tactics were purported to have taken place on campus during the initial petitioning by the de-federating proponents. Th e CFS is now challenging the legitimacy of these petitions, which were used to substantiate the claim of the “No” campaigners for the student body’s desire to have a referendum occur. Th e CFS has said that it will appeal the rationale of Justice O’Connor, who permitted the referendum in April of this year. If successful, this could prevent U of G from legally being de-federated. His statement, once released this coming Sept. 23, will inform the public of the legal grounds for which the petitions had authorized the vote to occur. CFS is refusing to recognize the University of Guelph’s de-federation, and has implied that it will continue to fi ght the CSA in court. As of the numbers

See “CFS,” page 3

Shared Rental Housing By-Law of Concern to StudentsChanges to a new city by-law may adversely aff ect availability of aff ordable housingKELSEY RIDEOUT

In an eff ort to promote a more balanced variety of housing types within the city’s neighbourhoods, the City Council of Guelph has approved recommendations to change a zoning by-law in order to place restrictions upon shared rental housing units. As a result, a minimum distance of 100 metres between a new two unit house with six or more bedrooms from any other two-unit house, lodging house, group home or emergency shelter, will come into eff ect. Additionally, the maximum number of rental units that can be rented within a lodging house will be reduced from 12 units to 8 units.

It is the beginning of the school year, so it is no surprise that most students appear to be

only vaguely aware of these new shared rental housing regulations. Anastasia Zavarella, Local Aff airs Commissioner of the Central Students Association (CSA), is working to educate peers about the new zoning by-law, as she is concerned about its impact on both price and availability of aff ordable housing for students. “Th e eff ect that I anticipate [this will have] on students is that it’s going to decrease the availability of housing period because not as many people are going to build these houses or want to buy them because...you’re not allowed to put as many tenants in them,” said Zavarella. “[And then] what is left available - the cost of that rising, because demand is going to be higher and landlord…are going to be looking after their bottom line for the most part and that’s where the cost is going to go up.”

Megan VerheyAlastair Summerlee welcomes new and returning students to the University of Guelph campus by handing out free ice cream by the cannon.

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PAGE 14

3Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

NewsNo Tolerance for Hate Crimes University responds to two recent hate crimes in residenceMATTHEW SAAYMAN

University of Guelph President Alastair Summerlee distributed

a mass email on Sept. 10 asking students to come together and “ensure that the University’s core beliefs and ideals prevail over close-minded acts of intolerance.” The email was sent in response to two separate incidents of hate graffiti that occurred earlier on that week. According to the ‘Crime Bulletin’ section on the U of G Campus Community Police website, one of the incidents occurred on Sept. 7 and included racist graffiti that was written in black magic marker at Lennox Hall residence. Students are

The signs of fall are everywhere - the first few colourful leaves on

Winegard Walk, the fresh and pre-planned clothing on everyone (yes, even you, in your sweatpants), and the lineups at the bookstore. The campus is a picture of young adults who have entered their academic careers, many of whom have come to this institution having already created some sort of vision of who they want to become and what they want to accomplish.

With a change of season and a start to another semester, there is a sense of excitement floating throughout campus. But for some, the cool new breeze also brings with it many different challenges.

Bruno Mancini, Director of Counseling and Disability Services (CSD),

first joined the university in 1979, and just last week received the Service Excellence Award for his contributions to the University of Guelph community. He conducts individual and group therapy for the counseling unit of CSD. Mancini emphasized that students are a vulnerable demographic when it comes to mental health issues. Throughout this past year, 1700 students and about 1000 CSD

being encouraged to come forward with any information regarding these acts.

Administrative officials are working with student leaders in the residence community and the Central Student Association (CSA) to launch an advertising campaign in response to the recent acts of hatred. Crime Stoppers and the U of G Campus Community Police are but a few of examples of those who can be approached regarding this matter. Students should also be aware of the recently formed ‘Student Help and Advocacy Centre’ (SHAC), which provides a variety of support services related to legal, financial, academic, and human rights issues.

Speaking about the recent acts of graffiti on campus, SHAC Human Rights and Advocacy Coordinator Brittany Brassard explained that there have always been students

who oppose such crimes. Such acts have occurred before on campus but they by no means reflect the views of most students.

“From what I know, Guelph has always had a large group of students that come together at times like these to let people know that the University of Guelph community will not put up with actions like these. I believe that as students at Guelph, what is known to be one of the most progressive universities in the nation, that we want to create a safe space for all students here,” said Brassard.

The U of G might be known for its level of tolerance but some students may wonder if such acts can be detrimental to how the university is perceived. Brenda Whiteside, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, was asked how hate crimes affect the reputation of the university.

“The sad reality is that there continues to be discrimination in this world. What is important is how an institution responds,” said Whiteside. “I think our visible stance of tackling it head on, and not hiding from it or pretending it is not happening, is a positive.”

A tally of incidents related to hate crimes and hate graffiti that have occurred on campus do not seem to signify a particular trend. According to the annual police reports from 2003 to 2008, between 2003 and 2004 there were 16 reported hate crimes, 17 between 2004 and 2005, 11 between 2005 and 2006, 18 between 2006 and 2007, and 14 between 2007 and 2008. In certain incidents, multiple acts of graffiti are believed to have been written by the same group or individual.

The composition of the student body at Guelph is diverse. In

responding to this issue, perhaps it is most important that those who feel targeted from the crimes receive immediate support and an assurance that such acts do not reflect the views of the greater student body. New students should be made aware that they have several on-campus resources available for them to turn to, and that their residence assistants are always there to talk in confidence. And for those who feel downright frustrated that these crimes continue to occur, SHAC encourages you to do something about it and have your voice heard.

“Students can definitely help prevent these kinds of acts in the future,” said Brassard. “Speak up! If someone around you says something that you find offensive, let them know…Don’t stand for people polluting your environment with hate.”

Director of Counselling and Disability Services raises platform for mental health Bruno Mancini wins Service Excellence Award and chats about the importance of supporting students

JOANNA SULZYICHKI

students registered for counseling, with a crossover percentage between both groups of about 20-30%. Mancini explained why students may find themselves struggling to cope in different areas of their lives.

“One of the challenges of this age

group is finding out who you are,” said Mancini. “And who you are is dependent on a number of things, in terms of your identity. With that, I mean in terms of what you want to do with your life, the kind of person you are in relationship to other people, finding your place in terms of family, finding your sexual identity, finding all of those kinds of answers to who you are, because that– finding out who you are, and then moving in that direction – is really, really important.”

Mancini further explained that as students are undergoing many different changes while in university,

they may find themselves struggling on an emotional level.

“One of the major challenges in young adults is that between the ages of around 18 and 25, there are huge emotional changes taking place, and that’s where you get an incredible degree of maturity starting to happen over time.”

Whether you’re a first year student or gearing up for graduation, there are always ways to decrease your stress levels. One major way is to cut down on something we’re all generally guilty of - try and keep procrastination to a minimum. And if you have to procrastinate, try to do something that is beneficial and productive. Taking a break by completing a different tangible task can help you get back on the right track with that essay or lab you may be putting off.

“Even cleaning your room helps,” said Mancini. “It at least puts together one part of your life. It gives you control. It’s manageable. When you’re managing your anxiety through that, then you see the visibility of you getting something done.” As you go through this year, be aware of the resources available, like the exceptional staff at CSD who are there to help you. And in dealing with the challenges that may come your way, always remember to be patient with yourself. Don’t forget to accept and respect who you are, your skills and imperfections, and your limitations, and let your work and resilience - both in and out of academics – carry you to the finish.

“CFS,” continuedreleased, over $70,000 has been spent in legal fees by the CSA in responding to this issue, and if taken to court more will be needed from student fees.

Along with tuition and service fees, this fall students once again paid the $7.31 in student fees for the CFS. “This money will be held in trust, until decisions can be made to determine what it can be used for once the case is resolved”, said Jackson. This year, the CSA must organize programs and events without the CFS resources. However, these campaigns will be taken out of budget lines that were intended for other uses. Jackson will be holding a series

of ReThink campaigns, which target racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression on campus. Compared to the funding received by the CFS, she now only has $3,500 from the CSA Advertising and Promotions budget to spend on her projects. She must also design, produce, and distribute her own posters and buttons, which were previously supplied by the CFS for similar campaigns.

But what worries her is that the obligations of CSA Executives are not clearly defined when it comes to organizing initiatives. Luckily, members of our current CSA are passionate about addressing oppression on campus, and hope to actually create a positive impact within the student body.

Megan Verhey

“And who you are is dependent on a number of things, in

terms of your identity. With that, I mean in terms of what

you want to do with your life, the kind of person you

are in relationship to other people, finding your place in

terms of family, finding your sexual identity, finding all of

those kinds of answers to who you are.” – Bruno Mancini, Director of Counselling and

Disability Services

4 Sept. 16 - 22, 2010 163.1

News

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Student protestors spur peaceful debate over Canadian immigration and migrant worker policies Visit from Immigration Minister Jason Kenney met by friendly group of protesters KELSEY RIDEOUT

Just before September began and school commenced, Citizenship, Immigration and

Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney visited Guelph at the Riverside Park for a barbeque that gathered together conservative supporters. Students attended the event, but were divided amongst two very distinct groups – those who sided with the conservatives, and those who set up a picnic adjacent to the barbeque for the purpose of protesting Kenney’s appearance.

Eduardo Huesca, a graduate student enrolled in sociology and international development at the University of Guelph, played a key role in coordinating the protests against Jason Kenney. Approximately 30 or so protesters, half of them being

students, came together to denounce federal immigration policies. Huesca explained why the protesters were motivated to take the time to mobilize around Kenney’s visit.

“We felt that if Jason Kenney was coming to Guelph, we had to have a visible presence in opposition to his visit and in opposition to his politics…Obviously we didn’t expect to change [ Jason Kenney’s] mind, but we wanted to let him know that there’s a growing group of people who disagree with his political stance.”

Huesca currently works with migrant farm workers in striving to ensure that they receive adequate health care and support while they are employed in Canada often on large agribusiness farms that utilize chemicals. Through both his academic and work experience, Huesca has visited numerous farms and has seen firsthand how unsafe working conditions continue to jeopardize the health

and livelihoods of many migrant workers across the province.

The protest itself was designed to be a safe event that welcomed

children. While the protesters gathered to chant over Kenney’s speech, they also had a friendly game of soccer, following a fun political Mexican tradition of hitting a piñata that in this case, was made to resemble Kenney.

Victor Santiago, president of the Guelph Campus Conservatives promoted the event and attended the picnic along with other conservative members. Santiago described the event as successful and record breaking in terms of

attendance from conservative supporters. He also emphasized that quite a bit of respectful dialogue occurred between protesters and Kenney supporters.

“It was actually really friendly. At the beginning there was some tension, but I went over and I talked with them for about an hour, just trying to hear them out and also put my points across. There’s always room for dialogue…You can’t support your opinion without hearing the opinions of others,” said Santiago.

In response to the protesters advocating on behalf of migrant worker rights, Santiago explained why the Guelph Campus Conservatives remain satisfied with the government’s point system and policies towards migrant workers.

“Migrant workers want to be residents of Canada, that’s fine but all we are saying is that you have to follow the process just like anyone else so they should follow the process and go in through the front door,”

said Santiago. “If they want to become a resident they will apply from Mexico and see if they can get in. However, if they don’t, just because they worked here for a time, [it] can’t give them priority over someone else, because it’s in the country’s best interest to bring in what it needs right now so what the country needs right now is highly skilled workers and that’s why point system is set up like that.”

Huesca however, remains adamant that the point system and other federal policies are in need of major changes in order to prevent ongoing violations against migrant farm workers from occurring.

“About a week after the picnic there was a raid of 11 Mexican Workers in Meaford Ontario, and they were handcuffed by gunpoint and taken to a detention centre,” explained Huesca. “It’s really frustrating that a lot of people are treated in a criminalized manner when they are hard-working rural farm workers.”

“Obviously we didn’t expect to change his mind, but we

wanted to let him know that there’s a growing group of

people who disagree with his political stance.”

- Eduardo Huesca

5Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

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In case you forgot it - adjusting to fi rst year life is no easy transition New students face many adjustments as they embark upon the university journey KELSEY RIDEOUT

Coming back to September in Guelph can be a delightful experience. Th e

leaves are just beginning to feel ready to fl y away, and while they spend some time contemplating the specifi cs of their departure, a beautiful display of reds, oranges and yellows begins to dance across entire forests. A newfound energy sweeps through campus that carries with it a sensation that is as refreshing as it is relieving. You can’t help but sigh when you think to yourself that you made it through yet another semester. You fi nd yourself running at full speed towards friends that you haven’t seen for months, as it’s now fi nally time to catch your breath, sit down, and exchange stories from the summer. September feels great, doesn’t it?

Should an additional licensing program be approved by Council, there may be more immediate eff ects on the availability of shared rental housing, which could interfere with students seeking lease agreements in the upcoming year.

“Depending on what happens with the licensing, it could be a huge mess, it could be a really huge mess… what may happen is that if students sign leases in say March, and if licensing goes through in May, that means that leases could be broken,” said Zavarella.

Zaveralla recognizes that many students are in fi nancially precarious situations, and encourages those who are concerned about aff ordable housing to voice their opinions and make it known to City Council that they oppose certain aspects of the by-law.

“Write to counselors and say, I’m a student, I vote,” said Zavarella. “Th ere’s so much shame in not having money and not having an excess of wealth…but know that there isn’t any shame in not having a lot of cash. Th ere isn’t any shame in renting, in not owning property because it’s virtually impossible. Especially for our generation, it’s going to be so much harder.”

Zavarella has been active in attending Council meetings throughout the summer and keeping up to date with the progress of the by-law at the city level. Discouraged by what she perceives as a minimal response from the City to educate the public

“HOUSING,” continued

about the implications of this by-law, Zavarella has repeatedly posed questions to Members of Council but is still waiting for some direction. “I’ve not found any answers from them,” she said. “I’ve bugged them constantly, and I’ve bugged them in the last few council meetings I went to about what are they going to do when housing prices go up and when housing availability drops, what are they going to do? Are they establishing more housing?

Are we working on acquiring some apartments as a city that are going to be run at cost, and are going to be made available to lower-income, working Guelphites and students?”

Left with more questions than answers, Zavarella will continue to advocate on behalf of students to ensure that accessible aff ordable housing, which she unambiguously views as a basic human right, is always made available.

Pam DuynsteeHaving access to aff ordable housing is of great importance to U of G students

But think back some years ago, when you were just entering your fi rst year of university. Th e beginning of that year was likely one that stands out from any other autumn you’ve spent here in Guelph. A whole plethora of feelings from excitement to fear may have been felt throughout your transition from high school to university life. Maybe you loved it or maybe you loathed it, but one thing is for sure, you went through it.

And some things don’t change – the initial period of adjustment remains diffi cult for new students just fi nding themselves on university grounds for the fi rst time this year. Julianne Ware, a fi rst year student registered in an undeclared major, explained how surprised she was to fi nd herself feeling stressed throughout her recent transition into fi rst year university.

“One of the challenges was leaving home, and coming here. I never expected to be homesick,” said Ware. “Academically, I’m

totally confused…the fi rst few classes I’ve enjoyed myself but everything is unclear and I’m not familiar with the programming.”

According to Naeem Ordoñez, Coordinator of Mentoring Programs for the Centre of New Students, it is normal for new students to feel overwhelmed, as they are all dealing with the many adjustments that come with entering the fi rst year of university.

“Students adjust in a whole gamut of areas in their lives. Th ey adjust academically; they adjust personally and emotionally through new relationships and trying to maintain old relationships as well. Th ey adjust in terms of their identity in discovering who they are and what they want, and also what they don’t want, and what they don’t value.”

Ordoñez believes that fi rst year students may fi nd it challenging to transition into university because they are faced with so many ‘fi rsts’.

“Th ere are a lot of student

fi rsts, be it the fi rst experience of independence, the fi rst experience with alcohol, drugs or sex, the fi rst time being challenged academically, the fi rst time sharing space too, especially in residence,” said Ordoñez.

Jocelyn Hartle, Residence Assistant in Watson Hall residence, has also observed fi rst-hand some of the challenges fi rst year students are currently facing.

“I think the number one challenge, which is actually heartwarming, is academics, so it’s nice to see that they are concerned about what they’re supposed to be here for,” said Hartle. “Th ey’re worried about class size and work load and how to take notes and just simple things that you forget as upper year students. Th ere’s pressure with alcohol and making friends is a big thing. Fitting in and fi nding out who they are and who they want to be is a big thing.”

Clearly, there are several pressures that fi rst year students continue to face as they begin

to discover what university life is all about. While many may fi nd themselves frustrated by the return of long line-ups, crammed busses, and less library space, Ordoñez encourages students to try and remember their fi rst year experience and fi nd compassion for those who have just arrived.

“Patience. I think it’s really key. I think we see a lot of impatience right now in the fi rst couple of weeks. It’s more crowded and there’s line ups and that can be frustrating, but it’s understanding that we all went through that as fi rst year students,” said Ordoñez

Hartle, a soon-to-be graduate from the department of English also expressed the need to remind the student body to be accommodating and kind to fi rst year students who are just getting settled in. And it really doesn’t have to take much to brighten someone else’s day.

“Just take the time to stop and remember how diff erent it was coming from high school. Just take that time to remember how overwhelming it could be, and that even if you transitioned really well maybe someone’s not having as easy of a time and just that one moment out of your day could really make a diff erence for them.”

So if you fi nd yourself quietly grudging as a student in front of you holds up the lunch line to dig through their knapsack in search of that valuable student card that they swore they haven’t yet misplaced, try and remember all the times that you too felt a little bit frazzled during those fi rst few weeks of university, and instead of rolling your eyes or complaining to a friend, share a sympathetic smile instead.

6 Sept. 16 - 22, 2010 163.1

News

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Frosh week fun turns a little dry An alcohol ban during Orientation Week creates a different experience for students coming into their first year at the U of G

KATELYN DINGMAN

You’ve finally moved out of your parents house and you’re ready to enjoy the

freedom of living on your own. The freedom of not being woken up for school by your parents and not having to abide by a curfew. First year students look forward to the beginning of university which is typically initiated by a big bang of events and partying during Orientation Week.

This year’s Orientation Week however was a little bit different than in former years. There was one regular ingredient that was for the first time forbidden to enter into the mix of events – alcohol. With a ban on drinking put in place throughout the new students’ first big week, one can’t help but wonder if students were

really able to experience their frosh week to the fullest.

After speaking to first year students in Mills Hall residence, it appeared that the rules that were meant to be followed during Orientation Week were enforced only to a certain point. First year Commerce student Brian Roy claimed that an e-mail was sent out strictly saying there was no alcohol allowed on campus, no partying in the residences and

no friends allowed in the residences. Roy was under the impression that bags would be searched upon arriving at the residences but one Resident Assistant (RA), who would prefer to be anonymous, indicated that this did not occur.

“There was no searching of bags but the Orientation Volunteers (OVs) were told that

if they found any alcohol they should send it home with the students’ parents.”

The e-mail that was sent out to students also apparently outlined the consequences that would occur should any student be suspected of being intoxicated or be found carrying alcohol. Like many other students, Roy feels that drinking is inevitable amongst new university students and was frustrated by the strict

ban on alcohol. “It’s a pretty big buzz-kill

because you’re looking for that university experience the first week in O-Week and you’re like ‘oh crap you can’t drink,’” said Roy.

While partying still occurred throughout Orientation Week, Roy explained that it was often accompanied with cops showing up along with RA’s who were constantly patrolling the halls. To Roy, it all seemed a little too-over-the-top.

“I understand why they have to do this but kids will party no matter what and there is nothing you can really do about that,” he said.

It is clear that the alcohol ban effected students in residence but did it have any impact on campus businesses? Mike Calvert, the manager of operations at the on-campus bar Brass Taps claims that the alcohol ban has not had a big effect on business. Calvert claimed that he has had a strong week in sales because there has been lots of new students coming in to enjoy a meal and that this year more sales have been

generated from new students than in previous years.

“Every single student has us as a resource regardless of their age,” said Calvert.

First year students will continue to be encouraged to come to the Brass Taps in the coming months. Starting on Friday September 17, an event called ‘Frosh Fridays’ will occur in the Brass Taps and will be open past 9 PM to all new students who are welcome to come and enjoy music video karaoke. Calvert believes that one of the main reasons there was a ban put on alcohol was to encourage drinking in a responsible manner.

Now that Orientation Week is over and the ban on alcohol has been lifted, students no longer have to worry about being turned in should they be found with a beer in their hands. It would be great if the ban encouraged students to think about drinking safely and responsibly, but it’s hard to tell if the shift in policy led to frosh week marked by more responsible behaviour or more underground partying.

Pam Duynstee

7Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

NewsCritical Connections: Beyond the Media’s Misconceptions of the Muslim Faith KELSEY RIDEOUT

Throughout this past week, it was nearly impossible to turn

on the television or read the newspaper without pausing to make sense of a shocking image that saturated most global media coverage. Each news medium broadcast the same portrait: a stern looking pastor standing shamelessly in front of a sign that read ‘International Burn a Koran Day’. Stemming from his opposition to the so-called ‘Ground-Zero Mosque,’ millions watched as Terry Jones declared his plan to burn the Qur’an on the 11th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The event spurred international condemnation and added to the controversy surrounding a proposed 13 story planned community centre and mosque that is planned to be constructed two blocks away from Ground Zero - the place where the attacks on the World Trade Centre were carried out. Many expect these two widely broadcasted controversies to further aid in validating a current trend in public western discourse and advance speculation surrounding the Islamic religion as a whole.

What did you feel when you saw the coverage of a man threatening to burn a sacred text? What about when Quebec joined several other western states in banning a traditional Muslim dress known as the Burqa? What do you think of when you hear that another terrorist attack led by Islamic extremists has been foiled by security forces? This added portion of the Ontarion news section aims to provide a space to break apart contentious global issues that are likely to stir the minds, hearts and spirits of the student community here at the University of Guelph. With the insights of Dr. Michael Keefer, Professor of English, and Dr. Renée Worringer, Professor of Islamic History, this first edition of Critical Connections examines the growing problem of Islamophobia and the impacts of recent news events that circulate around the Islamic faith.

Terry Jones is from a very small church community in the United States, but his public threat to burn the Qur’an has made international headlines.

According to Worringer, Jones can be seen as the orchestrator of an age-old problem in which a minority of extreme-minded individuals manage to encourage a large group of people to discriminate, stereotype, and at times, much worse.

“Unfortunately, I think in every culture, in every society, radicals tend to be louder. So they draw more attention towards themselves. Like this guy down in Florida that wanted to burn Qur’ans, he’s in this tiny little congregation that’s not of much importance and yet he made a global story and made a lot of people react to his ideas because he had a platform for it,” explained Worringer.

A dangerous part of any form of discriminatory behavior is the perpetuation of false stereotypes and the resulting action taken on behalf of ill-informed believers. Worringer explained how those taking part in major protests against the building of a mosque near Ground Zero know very little about the real plans for the Cordoba House – the original name for the proposed structure - which is essentially a community centre.

“You know, what they are calling a mosque that was going to be opened in New York that created the whole controversy that it’s too close to ground zero, it was not necessarily just a mosque, it was going to be an interfaith cultural centre. It was going to be a place where people from different faiths could come and learn more about each other. How could that be bad thing right?”

Keefer compared the community center model of the Cordoba House to other spiritual centers and emphasized how many places of worship actually mirror one another.

“It’s just like Christian churches that have church halls that are available for meetings…I mean, that’s generally the way mosques and synagogues and churches and gurdwaras and other places of worship operate, they are kind of the focal point of community.”

As emphasized by Jones and various protestors of the Cordoba House, there is also a growing belief that violence is a fundamental component of the religion of Islam. Both Keefer and Worringer emphasized the

need to dispute this falsehood and more openly assess the teachings of the Qur’an.

“I think when it comes to a religious text like the Qur’an or the Bible or anything, people can interpret texts any way they want, and so you can make the Qur’an something to justify violence, or you can make it something to justify peace and negotiation and compromise, just like any religious text,” said Worringer.

Similarly, Keefer emphasized that it is important to stop isolating Muslims and instead encourages the public to acknowledge the similarities that exist between Islam and other faiths.

“I think that as a matter of fact, there’s a great deal in the Qur’an that goes against violence, that goes against oppression of religious minorities, that in fact, preaches tolerance for people of the book – for Christians, for Jews – those being the main religions that that Muslims encountered in the early centuries of Islam. And one of the things you’ll find reading the Qur’an is that there are prescriptions as to charity and social solidarity and

so on that are admirable,” said Keefer.

University students spend years in this institution undergoing academic training, but also hopefully come to uncover essential moral lessons, like the importance of tolerance and the value of advocating for human rights. In a time where global events continue to subject an entire religion to being aggressively stereotyped, those immersed in critical learning environments must be able to see past popular headlines and dig a little deeper for more authentic perspectives.

And if you take the time to listen to others, seek alternative sources, and learn from a variety of angles, you might just come across a whole different narrative, like the one Worringer found while visiting the Middle East during the holy festival of Ramadan.

“I’ve been in the Middle East and I’ve been through the end of Ramadan and the Eid,” said Worringer. “It’s a lot of festivals in the streets and

What is Islamophobia?“It’s hatred and in

particular institutionalized ill-treatment of Muslims.”

Dr. Micheal Keefer, Professor of English

“It is a misunderstanding

about a faith that is actually in many ways very similar and has a lot of connections to Christianity and Judaism. It’s based on a lot of fear and ignorance and just not really knowing what Islam is because of a lack of information.”

Dr. Reneé Worringer, Professor of Islamic

History

“Hatred or fear of Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force”

Oxfam English Dictionary

family being out and their kids staying out late playing. None of that side of Islamic life ever seems to be covered, and it’s such a shame.”

8 Sept. 16 - 22, 2010 163.1

Arts & CultureIn it for the MusicToronto band Junior Battles talks about making free music and after bar feasting in Guelph

PATRICK MCEACHNIE

On September 9, the air was wet with the collective anticipation of more

than a few students experiencing their first Thursday night in town. The back porch of Jimmy Jazz was lit by little more than a few strings of Christmas lights. The heat lamps kept patrons warm as Toronto’s Junior Battles awaited their stage time sharing discount drinks. Vocalist Sam Sutherland was especially vocal in wishing all first years present a fun and safe Frosh week in between songs. This marked the second time the band had played Jimmy Jazz this summer, and as Sam noted in passing, playing in Ontario during the summer is a challenging thing for a band. This is when the swelling population of students tends to be at an all time low.

“Compared to other university towns in the summer, playing in Guelph is awesome”, Sam remarked. “Every time we’ve played here this summer the place has been packed.”

It’s no surprise that Junior Battles have the ability to attract a turnout of new and old fans alike, as their anthemic rowdy pop-punk songs call to all sorts of listeners. Not to mention members of the

band are part of a Toronto based collective known as Juicebox Recording Co. For those not in the know, Juicebox is a record label that offers everything for free download, with the option to donate to the band. So not only was the performance free last Thursday night, but so is the music. The idea of making music for free might seem odd to some, but this idea is becoming more common as artists become conscious of today’s market climate.

“Everyone is just going to download the record anyways,” the band explained, citing their motives for making their music available for free. “We’re really not going to see any money from it, so you might as well put it out there in a way you know it’s going to be high quality.”

The band recently released their second EP via the online label If You Make It. They mentioned the importance of being flexible and accepting possibilities from a range of sources.

“Releasing music through a different label isn’t always political, many times it’s just about being embraced from a different scene,” said Sutherland. This aspect of diversity is pivotal to Junior Battles, who also act as the proxy-backing band for Houston, Texas based O Pioneers!!! However, the bands tour schedule is rather limited, due to drummer Joel attending York University as a full time student. Yet they have still

managed to utilize every chance so far to play in and around Ontario, as well as the East coast of the United States. This is a forced maturation of sorts; the bands near cynical lyrics can at times surpass their sing-a-long anthems as the focal point of each song. This kind of authenticity is something that can’t just be thrown together, rather it’s an aspect earned through earnestness. The band concluded their set with bassist Justin’s favourite memory of the University of Guelph.

“There’s nothing better than getting crispy noodles (that probably weren’t originally crispy) from Sun Suns at three am,” he recalls from the year he spent on campus.

Junior Battles most recently released their self titled EP via Square Up Records, and are currently writing a full length for an undisclosed record label, due out early 2011.

Lily Richeson

This past Thursday, on the first evening of class, popular band Kenyada delivered a fabulously entertaining show Guelph hot

spot e-Bar. Hip-hop artist Miles Jones set the stage for the headliners. This show went on to the great surprise of many fans, who were under the impression

that Kenyada’s show this past April was their last. Turns out it was anything but, and if this show can act as a preview to the rest of the years musical landscape, then we can expect good things. The band certainly proved that their brief hiatus from the Guelph music scene hadn’t affected their ability to get the crowd moving. Fans both new and old were dancing and grooving to Kenyada’s unique blend of reggae and rock.

The band accumulated their loyal following here in Guelph when they started doing shows just a few years ago. Having met at the university, the group realized that their individual personalities combined to make a distinct, catchy sound that audiences loved. Their music is influenced by the Kenyan and Canadian backgrounds of the members- hence their name- and their passion for feel-good, reggae inspired tunes. By popular demand they had to take their informal jam sessions to the public, and so began the legacy of Kenyada.

“We just want to give people a good time,” said guitarist and vocalist Jake Hildebrand.

So, to dispel any rumours-

Kenyada is definitely back in town and ready for more action. In April, the band decided to break when lead vocalist Steve returned to his home in Kenya, unsure if he would be moving back to Guelph at the end of the summer. That would depend on whether he could continue his studies at the University. To the relief of many local fans, he was accepted for a Master’s program, and Kenyada can now continue to put on sensational shows in Guelph. In fact, Hildebrand is “hoping

to have more time now,” as a band to practice and get creative, since everyone’s schedules have opened up. And they are indubitably setting their sights high.

“Our goal is to get into a studio this year” said Hildebrand. They haven’t put out anything since their first album, Pambazuka, was released a while back. Having been recorded from the basement where they jammed, Jake mentioned a desire to revamp some of the older Kenyada tracks.

“We want to re-record some stuff from the first album,” he said, noting that a professional production would make the tracks sound cleaner. New songs are slated to be on the upcoming album as well. You can catch these, along with much loved Kenyada classics like Squidfish, In Kenyada, and Happy Song at one of their upcoming shows. By Wednesday Sept. 15 they’ll have established their presence back in the city, accompanying What She Said with their “Comeback Show” at Vinyl.

Kenyada’s Still Kickin!

Junior Battles rocks the stage for free at Vinyl

How the band came back to life to keep delivering the goods to Guelph

ERIKA MARTELEIRA

“We just want to give people a good time.” - Jake Hildebrand, guitarist and vocalist

9Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

Arts & CultureThe Ontarion sits down with Kid KoalaANDREW SHENKMAN

Kid Koala, the virtuosic and playful turntable out of Montreal has made a career out of his unpredictable and wildly fun live performances. His projects have ranged from a full turntable rock band with the ex-Wolfmother rhythm section for The Slew, the Short Attention Span theatre cabaret act that contained a bingo game during intermission, a five hour “Music to Draw to” set which involved handing out drawing supplies and baked goods, and even a stunning remix of “Moon River” dedicated to his mom. The Ontarion got to sit down with Kid Koala before his Guelph Jazz Festival performance at St. George Church last Saturday to talk about Scott Pilgrim, space pods, and selling Mountain Dew.

ON: So, you were here not long ago.

KK: Yeah, I think it was two years ago.

ON: Do have any pleasant Guelph memories?

KK: That was fun! The kids are all right here. It was fun.

ON: Real quick, for the uninitiated, if you had to describe one of your DJ sets?

KK: Short Attention Span Theatre. I don’t know, it ’s kind of like an audio adventure. It ’s like half radio play, half dance floor friendly and half dance floor really unfriendly, but at some point, the thread that ties it altogether is the turntable.

ON: How’s it been playing with The Slew?

KK: It ’s been wicked.

ON: Did you feel a little more like a rockstar doing it?

KK: Not a star, but definitely like a rock band. Because...well obviously they’re like a thunderous rock rhythm section.

ON: How was it working on the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World soundtrack?

KK: Yeah! It was great. I’ve known Edgar [White, Scott Pilgrim director] since Shawn of the Dead. I did a remix of The Gonk [a song from George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead soundtrack] for him. When Scott Pilgrim came about, Nigel Godrich [Radiohead and Beck producer] was actually doing the score and there was a couple scenes where they thought it would be cool to have some turntable stuff, so Edgar was like “Wait, I know someone who does that!” It was bizarre... I get a message from Edgar, “Would you be down to do some scratching on the film?” I was like “No problem”... and the next thing you know I have an e-mail from Nigel Godrich and I’m like “What?” I was just blown away by what Nigel did, I mean it was a really, really good time.

ON: With all the vastly different shows you’ve put on over the years, the “Short Attention Span Theatre” tour, the “Music to Draw to” tour and now “The Slew,” is there any ideas that have been gestating that you want to try out in the future?

KK: Well we’re doing “Space Cadet” next, which is the opposite of “The Slew,” completely quiet time. That’s [a soundtrack] for a comic book I’m doing that’s all very quiet and lullaby like. It ’s all written on piano with turntable violins and turntable woodwinds scratched over it. Kind of a quiet headphone record. So, to present that

I don’t want everyone just standing in a club, facing one direction. One of the main characters in the book is actually in a 10x10 space pod for the majority of the book, it touches on isolation and that whole vibe... and so we’re doing a show where everyone has to wear headphones. So we have these inflatable pods that seat about five people, and we have about five or six of those, and so we’re going to transmit to the headphones. It ’ll be like communal experience, but also very personal.

ON: Your label Ninja Tune turns twenty this year. Is that kind of a head-trip?

KK: Yeah man, it makes everybody feel excited. The label kept growing, not necessarily astronomically in numbers or sales, but it grows in terms of roster, in terms of vision. The staff is now a new wave of people in the UK office, but they’re all super cool and they all still have that fire in them. I think the very central idea to Ninja Tune, the philosophy is no matter what kind of music you’re making, it has to be driven, it has to be something you’re passionate about. They’re not worried about how much radio play you’re going to get, or if it ’s going to sell Mountain Dew. If it does sell Mountain Dew though, great! (laughs) Nothing I’ve done has managed to sell any Mountain Dew.

ON: Is it possible that you could share some insight into how your “Moon River” routine came together?

KK: That was for my parents actually. It was my Mom’s favourite song from her favourite movie, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” It was at their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary... so I said, “Oh, I’ll book a show in Hawaii,” and I knew they’d want to come. I wanted to do something special for that.

ON: What are you listening to these days?

KK: That band JJ, I think they’re from Sweden. Scott Pilgrim related,

Bryan O’Malley [Scott Pilgrim series author] told me about them. I really like them. Another dude I’ve been listening to all summer, was Benji Hughes. He sings like... it kind of sounds like he’s drunk or something, but he has really catchy tunes. Some of them are really clever and fun. He has a record called “A Loving Stream,” which is out now. The new Arcade Fire, Trentemøller has a record out that’s dope. The new The Books record, I love the singing stuff on that, so great. A lot of indie rock it seems.

ON: Anything else you want to mention while you’ve got the chance?

KK: Space Cadet will be out next year and then the tours hopefully this fall.

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SekondHandProjectsKid Koala pieces together another turntable symphony

10 Sept. 16 - 22, 2010 163.1

Arts & CultureOvercoming Stage FrightFirst timers take the stage at the years fi rst on campus Open Mic poetry reading JOSH DOYLE

The mood was certainly relaxed as the CSA’s Demetria Jackson took

the stage at this years fi rst on-campus Open Mic Poetry reading, held in the Bullring last Th ursday. Th e chairs and couches were all occupied in that cozy campus lounge, as audience members listened intently to the various styles of spoken word poetry. Works of all diff erent sorts were presented by a unique cross section of students. And although it seemed an accepting environment, between the lines of verse one could not mistake the sound of

restless feet and paper shuffl ing that drifted away from those expecting to be, “up next.”

Anyone who’s had experience with open mic events or sharing work of any kind with an audience knows that a certain feeling of anxiety is inevitable. But those presenting last Th ursday night faced a somewhat diff erent feeling than those merely talking to a crowd. After reading about both love and the change in her pockets, fi rst year student Kate Hunter commented on the unique kind of vulnerability that goes along with reading poetry aloud.

“It’s like sharing a piece of yourself with the crowd. So if someone [disses] my poem then it’s not just what I’m presenting, it’s like a part of me,” said Hunter.

It’s not as though it takes a seasoned veteran to stand up and

read their work. Hunter for example, considers herself rather a newcomer.

“I’ve only read at high school events before, so it’s a little nerve racking,” she explained. It became clear that she was not alone in this feeling, as more than half of the participants admitted to having never read aloud before. Th ese participants admitted to being nervous and inexperienced, but still they went on reading and volunteering. One has to wonder how some fi nd the courage to go on with something that creates such discomfort. It seems amidst the somewhat terrifying idea of standing up and sharing yourself, it is the little things that can really reassure you.

“Th e general feeling of the Bullring is so mellow, with the couches and the tea. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Hunter

told the Ontarion after the show. And since poetry readings are often held in places much like the Bullring, there is actually very little to worry about in terms of environment. In fact the room seemed accepting to any and all forms of expression, throwing judgment at none, as Hunter noted.

“One guy sang his poems, then a girl memorized hers and had more like a rap. But everyone’s is diff erent so you don’t have to be nervous about anything, because everyone’s open to everything,” Hunter said.

Th is is the kind of environment Jackson strives for, who is actually much more than just the MC on Open Mic night. As the communications and corporate aff airs commissioner for the CSA, Jackson is also one of the forces behind the Open Mic poetry

movement in Guelph. “[Sharing their poetry] gives

students an opportunity to just express anything that comes to mind, and I think it’s really good that we have an artistic and creative space for students rather than just the academic,” she said.

Jackson knows that poetry attracts less attention than some other art forms, but she also sees the awareness growing steadily.

“Th ere’s a small group of us that’s getting bigger. I feel it’s growing across the community,” she said. “Don’t over think it! Just write, get it out and who cares if it doesn’t rhyme, just perform it.”

Anyone interested in submitting their creative work to the Ontarion to be considered for publication can e-mail their work to onarts@uoguelph.ca.

Unsung Hero Get’s a Chance to SingRefugee Music in the UCERIKA MARTELEIRA

On Sept. 9 Ruth Mathiang, a former student refugee from Sudan, performed

what she refers to as “social-activism music” in the UC. Her performance came about as part of a bid to draw attention to the programs that have helped her through the World University Service of Canada (WUSC). Soulful renditions of traditional songs were sung in several languages, including an ancient Arabic dialect, refl ecting the diverse cultural landscape she grew up with in Northern Africa. When asked where her talent came from, she gave credit to the musical family she was a part of growing up.

Ruth’s family was forced to move to Kenya when she was nine to escape the civil war that at the time was devastating Sudan. Her father’s political beliefs had already had him incarcerated there. Th at was where Ruth learned of WUSC’s Student

Refugee Program (SRP), which off ers eligible university students in Malawi, Kenya and Th ailand a chance to study in Canada. Ruth saw this as one of the only viable ways for her to attend post secondary school. Th e high tuition fees, lack of scholarships within Africa, and the inability for women to speak their mind drove her to apply for SRP, despite the high competition. In 2001 Ruth was fi nally enrolled in Women’s Studies and Politics at the University of PEI.

Th is program is often the only opportunity available for many refugees to achieve a university education, yet its limited spaces makes it highly competitive. Th e University of Guelph can only aff ord to sponsor two students each year, which includes accommodation and meals for the fi rst year. After that the students must fi nd jobs to cover all other costs outside of tuition. As of today, U of G students contribute $1.20 from their tuition as part of their yearly student fees to help WUSC. Th is concert was meant to bring awareness to WUSC and

attract motivated volunteers to help with the program this year. Th e WUSC on Guelph’s campus is hoping to increase the amount they receive from each student.

“Th is year, it is our goal to fi nd more support and funding so that we can sponsor a third student next year, as well a mother [and] child,” stated Brenna Anstett, an active WUSC volunteer on campus. “We are her only chance to gain a better understanding and a better future.”

Ruth continues to advocate for WUSC because of the opportunities it has aff orded her. She is highlighted on the WUSC website as a success story, having graduated from UPEI and now working in Toronto as a social worker. Her activism is inspired by her own story, yet she recognizes the empowering support of programs like the SRP off ers young men and women to achieve their goals. If you missed this amazing show, you can hear some of her work on her album, My Cry, PEACE, which has songs in Arabic, Spanish, English and Kiswahili. Although busy with her 15-month-old son, she is

also fi nding time to fi ght for social justice. Ruth had to leave Guelph soon after the show to catch a fl ight to Halifax, where a performance for the Stephen

Megan VerheyRuth Mathiang sings to raise awareness for refugee students

Lewis Foundation awaited her. From what was seen here in the UC, she will no doubt captivate her audience again with her incredible talent.

11Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

Sports & HealthFootball Gryphons showdown with Queens Gaels on National TV

Lang faces his Alma Mater in key early season battleJUSTIN DUNK

New Gryphon football head coach Stu Lang is off to a running start in his first two

Megan Verhey

games calling the shots for the red, gold, and black. Albeit against two of the teams in the lower tier of the OUA, but two wins is two wins.

The Gryphons will face a much tougher test this Saturday, as the defending Vanier cup champions Queens Gaels role into Alumni stadium at one pm.

Queens just happens to be the alma mater of brand new Gryphons head man Stu Lang. Lang played four years for the Gaels and captured the Yates cup in his first season. No doubt Lang would surely love to emulate the coaching success of current Gaels head coach Pat Sheehan who now has a Vanier cup on his resume.

Last week the Gaels were raising their championship banner at home and securing their first win of the season a 40-7 domination of the Windsor Lancers. Meanwhile, the Gryphons were off resting on a bye week.

Both teams are introducing new quarterbacks to the league. Chris Rossetti of the Gryphons and Justin Chapdelaine of the Gaels are in their first seasons as starting quarterbacks in the OUA.

On the Gryphons side Chris Rossetti has struggled at times, but he came up with a big last minute drive in week one against Toronto to set up the game winning field goal.

“Receivers are getting open we just need Chris (Rossetti) to take the high percentage passes and allow our receivers to make plays after the catch,” said Lang.

Rossetti has been fortunate to have OUA All-star and this seasons current OUA rushing leader Nick FitzGibbon to hand the ball too. Although, for the Gryphons to compete with the top tier of OUA teams there needs to be a better passing threat from the offence.

The Gryphon offence will face a much tougher defense than they have seen in either of the first two games this season. The Gaels unit is very well coached by former Gryphon, and now Queens defensive co-coordinator Pat Tracey.

“Queens is a very disciplined team and they always do lots of film study and preparation,” said Lang.

You can bet that Tracey will stack the box against the run and see if the young inexperienced Rossetti can make some plays over the top in the passing game.

“The game rests on the offences shoulders. The offence doesn’t have to score a lot of points just enough points to give us a chance to win,” said Lang.

The other side of the football has played very well for the Gryphons in this young season. The Gryphon defense has been a ball hawking, swarm tackling unit, which has yet to give up a single offensive touchdown.

The defensive unit has been terrorizing opposing pivots, posting six quarterback sacks in two games, while picking off three passes as well. The defense must continue to play well in order to give the young QB Rossetti time to find his rhythm.

Lang believes the Gryphons have the talent to compete with the top programs in the OUA.

“We need to get a signature win and be able to expect to win against the top teams,” says Lang. “We need to hang in and compete for 60 minutes.”

Small in Size, Big in ResultsUoG Cycling Club looks to defend title

DAN O’KEEFE

The University of Guelph Cycling Club has its sights set high again this year. The U-Cup champions are

coming off two consecutive overall points victories in the university mountain biking series, and are looking to make it three.

The club was founded in 2004, and has competed in the OURMC University Cup series every year since its inception. After 7th and 12th place finishes in 2004 and 2005, respectively, the Club has not left the podium. The 2006 season brought a 3rd place finish, followed by a 2nd place finish in 2007, and back-to-back 1st place finishes for 2008 and 2009.

The U-Cup racing season consists of six races held at various locations in Ontario. This year, the schedule includes three races at Mansfield, (Sept. 18-19), and one race

each at Boler Mountain, London (Sept. 26), Hardwood Ski and Bike, Barrie (Oct. 3), and Ganaraska Forest, Port Hope (Oct 17).

The U-Cup series has existed for 12 seasons, and has been dominated by the two varsity clubs, from the University of Toronto and Queen’s University. However, varsity status is not required, and racers from more than 20 post-secondary institutions participate.

In reflection of last season, Club president Simon McKay said, “We couldn’t have asked for a better season.”

Numerous members were riding in their last U-Cups before graduation, and the Club was determined to make it a season to remember.

“Their [the graduating members] passion and drive was instilled in everyone, and the 2009 U-Cup victory was truly a team effort,” said McKay.

The upcoming season is bound to be exciting for the club.

“Although we lost some of our fast riders

from previous years, many of our core riders are coming off the best Ontario Cup seasons they have ever had. As usual, we’re expecting that this season’s rookies will bring with them the spirit and energy that our club is known for,” said McKay.

Club vice-president Chris “Fruitboy” Fruetel feels that “this season is going to be a bit of a molding season for years to come,”

due to the high number of graduating riders and incoming rookies.

The club is open to all riders, regardless of style or skill. Fruetel states that “this club is competitive, yes, but it’s all about the good times and friendships made when we spend hours together. The atmosphere remains very friendly and not intimidating, it’s where I’ve made my best friends.”

Morgan EdwardsMembers of the University of Guelph Cycling club.

12 Sept. 16 - 22, 2010 163.1

Sports & Health

What makes the U of G a great and caring community?

It’s YOU, our students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Orientation week is a

wonderful demonstration of

our community working together to

support our new members.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Alastair Summerlee, PresidentBrenda Whiteside. AVP, Student Affairs

We could not have done it without you!

Gryphons prepared to sacrifice points for CIS success

MIKE TREADGOLD

Wrap your head around this one: the Guelph Gryphons women’s

rugby team plans to win more, by scoring less.

The defending OUA champions breezed through their 2009 provincial competition, using a lethal combination of speed, power, crisp passing and stifling defence, en route to an undefeated conference season, filled with lopsided victories against their overmatched and overwhelmed opponents.

Even in the OUA playoffs, the rest of province’s top teams were no match for the Gryphons, who cruised to a 56-3 victory over the Queen’s Gaels in the semi-finals, and followed that up with a 39-7 thrashing of the Western Mustangs in the league championship game. A league-high five Gryphons were named to the OUA All-Star team and

Brittany Benn and Jacey Murphy were given All-Canadian honours.

But, for all their explosiveness and high-scoring domination at the provincial level, the Gryphons failed to succeed at the same level

at the CIS championships, taking home their third consecutive bronze medal—a worthy achievement, but one that fell below team expectations.

Despite their success in Ontario, where the Gryphons averaged more than 45 points-per-game in their seven victories, the team has yet to figure out a way to thrive against their out-of-province opponents. In their four CIS championship matches last season, the Gryphons failed to score more than 15 points in any game.

And with a CIS championship banner now being the main

focus for 2010, the Gryphons will tweak their approach to their conference games in order to better prepare them for the national championships. And that approach could mean fewer lopsided victories.

“[When we play] against teams that we could otherwise walk over, we’re going to slow down our game, work on specific details and playing a simplified game,” said third-year lock, Caitlin Beaton. “We’ll work on patience and control on the field, because what we’ve found is that when we go to nationals, other teams have beaten us in the little things that we hadn’t been challenged with in the OUA.”

Beaton and the Gryphons are well aware that the greatest rugby competition in Canadian women’s rugby comes from out of province, and while they are not looking past their 2010 conference opponents, an improvement on the national stage is the ultimate goal.

“We’re already planning for CIs,” said Beaton. “We’ve proven what we can do, but we’re getting

unhappy with bronze and it’s time to move up the scale.”

The Gryphon women’s rugby team is one of the most consistently successful varsity teams on campus – a perennial championship contender with remarkable depth and talent. Forced to compete with the football team for fan support – both teams usually play their home games at the same time on Saturday afternoons – the team’s success often goes largely unnoticed.

If Saturday’s season-opening 25-0 victory over Laurier (a team they defeated 90-0 in 2009) is any indication, the Gryphons are prepared to sacrifice tries and points for fundamental success and national preparation. The Gryphons could have easily run up the score against the overmatched Golden Hawks, but instead elected to focus on finer details – sure tackling and positioning – once the game was under control.

The Gryphons next home game is Saturday, Sept. 18 against the Trent Excalibur. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

Ontarion

Rashaad BhamjeeThe number two nationally ranked Gryphon Womens Rugby team.

“[When we play] against teams that we could

otherwise walk over, we’re going to slow down

our game, work on specific details and playing a

simplified game.” – third-year lock, Caitlin Beaton.

13Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

Guelph native returns to play for football Gryphons in the Aftermath of the Steroid ScandalFormer Warriors catch on with Gryphons

SARAH DUNSTAN

Last spring, Nathan Zettler made CIS history by instigating the fi rst team-

wide testing for performance enhancing drugs. In addition to a spree of anti-doping testing for CIS sports teams across Ontario. As a result of Zettler’s enthusiasm in the local drug trade, Waterloo Regional Police found thousands of pills and vials of nandrolone, trenbolone, stanozolol, testosterone and tamofi xen in Zettler’s possession. Th is led his arrest and suspension from CIS football.

Zettler faced numerous criminal charges. Matthew Valoriote also faced team suspension, and was similarly charged with breaking and entering, and possession of stolen property.

Following Zettler’s arrest, all 67 members of the Waterloo Warriors were tested for steroids. Th e $20,000 operation resulted in a number of doping infractions, some admitted, some chemically proven, 9 members of the team were caught with PED’s. Whether it was the stigma surrounding the

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Jamie MacDonaldGuelph native Nick Anapolsky returns a punt for the Gryphons in their win over York.

actions of Zettler, or the steroid use among other team members that drove the University to take the drastic actions that followed is debatable. But the same day the results were published, the University held a press conference announcing the cancellation of the 2010 Warriors’ football season. Names of the players who committed infractions have not yet been released.

While Warriors head coach Dennis McPhee and assistant Marshall Bingeman were placed on paid leave. Players who had negative test results were given the opportunity to transfer to a diff erent university to be able to continue playing football. Normally, the CIS imposes a one-year suspension for athletes transferring schools, but the league made an exception for the Warriors players in this case.

Th e Warriors football coaches encouraged their players to stay at Waterloo, but were understanding when approximately 15 players left Waterloo to pursue football at another university.

Three former Warriors brought their football talents to Guelph. Running back Steve Legace and defensive back Brett MacDonald transferred to Guelph, as well as newfound Gryphon starting

wide receiver and Guelph native Nick Anapolsky.

Anapolsky admits that the support for university athletics at Waterloo

was never great to begin with.“Th ey didn’t really support the

athletes,” says Anapolsky, “the majority of support came from coaches or other people on [sports] teams.”

According to Anapolsky, low support for Waterloo athletics wasn’t merely an administrative problem either. Morale was low among students as well, with many home games yielding subpar turnouts.

“We had one decent turnout of about 5000 fans,” says Anapolsky. “Th e homecoming game [in Guelph] has a projected turnout of over 8000 people.”

Originally a Guelph native, Anapolsky had just completed his second year in co-op Recreational Leisure studies when the steroid

scandal hit Waterloo. Anapolsky, who was good friends with Zettler, was as surprised as anyone else to here the news about his former teammate.

“It was mind-blowing,” recalls Anapolsky. “He never seemed like that sort of guy.”

Although shaken by the spring event, the transfer allowed Anapolsky to do some serious thinking about his football career and academic future. In addition to playing with a new team, Anapolsky also decided to leave his Recreational Leisure program

for a general Bachelor of Arts program.

“Guelph wasn’t an option at fi rst,” says Anapolsky, “I was mainly looking at Concordia and Ottawa because they off ered my program.”

Anapolsky was able to reunite with many hometown friends, and made the starting roster for the Gryphons this season, despite no promises of playing time prior to transferring to Guelph.

“I was nervous at the beginning,” says Anapolsky. “But after the second day of [training] camp, I was fi ne.”

Th rowing it Down with Dunk: P.E.D.’s in University FootballJUSTIN DUNK

Hello to all of our sports readers out there! My name is Justin Dunk and

I am the new Ontaion Sports and Health Editor.

Th e University of Waterloo has been raked over the proverbial coals this past summer for having nine of it’s players caught with performance enhancing drugs (PED). With another announcement on Sept 8, by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, four more players have been caught for doping. With one student athlete becoming the fi rst person ever to have been caught

with human growth hormone in North America, it is clear that university football in Canada has a PED issue.

Th e doping rule violations need to be enforced strictly throughout the nation. Why should Waterloo be the only team to have all of its players tested? Many people will argue that the money is not available to test as many athletes as the CCES might like, but how great would the moral gain be from cleaning up our Canadian game. Random testing does not strike enough fear into today’s student athletes. Th e ones that

are on PEDs do not mind playing Russian roulette hoping the ball doesn’t land on their number to be tested.

One would be naive to think, with all due respect to Waterloo, that a bottom tier OUA team is the only team in the country that has players going out on the fi eld every Saturday which may have used some type of performance enhancing drug.

Th ere needs to be more awareness about PEDs and how they can negatively aff ect an athlete’s body. Yours truly has been half asleep through many drug

talks during training camp. Players need to be better schooled on all of the aspects of PEDs and what their abuse can cause.

At the end of the day the athlete has to make a choice to dope or not to dope, but the more information we can give to young student athletes the better chance there is that more choose to stay clean and do it the old fashioned way with blood, sweat, hard work in the gym and on the practice fi eld.

On a positive note, there are still many great athletes in the CIS that are PED free. We just need

to step up the testing side to weed out all of the PED users so they can stop ruining seasons for the clean athletes.

We need not beat down Waterloo anymore. All of the athletes and coaches need to use this as a real learning experience.

It would be nice to see the football program at Waterloo rebound from this negative and use their own experiences to teach others so this does not ever happen again. Th e clean athletes on the Waterloo football team certainly did not deserve to lose their season.

“It was mind-blowing. He never

seemed like that sort of guy.” - Nick

Anapolsky

ust cracked off a man’s palms, suspending itself in the air as it floated through blue and white spotlights. The man rubbed his hands together before introducing

them to a broad assortment of hand drums, all laid out before him with enough mic’s to carry his sound through a concert hall. And with a couple of light taps, the show had begun. The artist was Zakir Hussain, and this was how his performance began alongside Charles Lloyd, and fellow percussionist Eric Harland last Saturday Sept. 11. The three played an astonishing set at the River Run Centre as one of the main stage performances of the 2010 Guelph Jazz Festival. Their concert was a huge success, as audience members throughout the room resounded with gasps and laughter at the many inventive and original moments therein. Sangam, as their trio’s musical collaboration is commonly known, were the first

of a two-part show that featured another group of highly acclaimed musicians and composers who actually refer to themselves as, The Trio.

This trio consisted of Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, and George E. Lewis, all of whom are celebrated composers and musicians on the Jazz scene. The three of them have been featured at the Guelph festival before, paying homage to the wealth of musical talent pouring out of Chicago. As a city with such a long standing tradition of producing quality Jazz and breeding talents at a rate unequaled by many, it is no wonder the festival here in Guelph would honour the legacy. But this concept of traditional jazz is actually one the Guelph festival is stepping away from.

The festival lays its focus less on the scripted form of music common to most concerts and styles, and more on what is known as “improv jazz.” This is an approach that many may be unfamiliar with, especially those who live outside of the contemporary jazz world.

University of Guelph professor Ajay Heble does more than just teach classes and involve himself in highly sophisticated research projects. He is also a talented jazz musician, and as a participant in this artistic realm he had some valuable insight into the improv

scene. Heble was hesitant to hand over an all purpose description of a concept as diverse as “improv jazz,” but in the end he offered a general idea for those who are only a little curious.

“I define improvisation as essentially musical practices that accent and embody real time creative decision making, risk taking and collaboration. That’s really something you see at most of the concerts that take place at the Guelph Jazz festival,” Heble said.

One can imagine from the words involved just what goes into improv-jazz, but it is impossible to imagine what it is like until you’ve seen it done by musicians well versed in the craft. And that’s just what thousands of people did last weekend, from Sept. 8-12 in Guelph, Ontario. Audience members both young and old traveled from all over to catch a glimpse at something wholly creative, and entirely authentic.

As not only an artist, but also the festival’s founder and artistic director, Heble reported happily on this year’s achievement.

“I think the festival was tremendously successful. In many ways it was our most ambitious festival to date,” said Heble. “Even before the festival got off the ground when we announced our line up, people were saying that it was our best festival yet.”

To have such positive reviews as the festival has gotten is quite a feat, but to be given such acclaim before the doors open is an undertaking all on its own. Anticipation of this sort can only come from putting together a line up of musicians that have the ability to create excitement all on their own. This is exactly

what the Guelph Jazz festival had this year, bringing in what Heble assured are “world class artists.” One only needed to attend the festival to confirm his claim, the musical talent being evident around every corner of downtown. But perhaps the attendance of people from all around the globe is a better testament to the outstanding artists our city can attract.

“We have people coming from California, Missouri, Texas. There was someone from Iran who came this year for the third time. He plans his visits around the festival. We’ve had people come from Argentina, from South Africa, Australia, from Belgium, France, Germany,” and the list went on, as Heble explained. “These are just people who come to the festival!”

Guelph’s reputation as a city more than capable of producing quality music is a major pull factor in attracting audience members and musicians alike, which Heble says has been the least of his worries.

“There’s certainly been no problem in attracting artists. People really want to come here. We have a reputation around the world that is I think unique in many ways,” he said.

But another reason that the crowds keep showing up is that the festival continues to be so innovative and cutting edge. This year has seen the addition of a Nuit Blanche concept, which had everywhere from the city hall council chambers to outdoor installments around town playing host to jazz shows throughout the entirety of Saturday night. With shows starting at 2:30 am and even one at dawn, Guelph is really keeping in line with the French concept that has come to mean, “sleepless night.”

Heble recalls hearing pleas over past years for the festival to go later. This led him to take a seven o’clock finish to midnight a couple years back.

“That was very successful so we continued it last year. This year the logical extension of that seemed to be to go all night. There seemed to be a hunger for that kind of thing in our community,” Heble said.

Borrowing from the all night arts concept that originated in Paris and went on to became popular in other metropolises like Toronto has proven a successful endeavour for the festival, and has attracted the attention of the provincial government. As part of the Celebrate Ontario grant, Heble and the Guelph Jazz Festival were awarded $75,000 this year for enhancements to the festival and its growing potential to attract tourism. This comes as welcome funding to a festival whose focus on avant-garde and improv styles of sound have caused difficulties in attracting the attention of large corporations. But despite those setbacks this style of improvisational music isn’t going anywhere, and Heble believes it to be the deciding factor in the festival being what it is on the world stage.

“Our festival focuses on a more specialized kind of programming and innovative improvised jazz music, and as a result we’re bringing in artists you don’t get to see at other festivals,” said Heble.

It certainly caught the attention of drummer Eric Harland, who found out about the show through friend and fellow musician Charles Lloyd. The two of them, along side celebrated Indian musician Zakir Hussain, have been playing together for five years now, and at this point Eric says, “With that group, you don’t even want to rehearse. That’s what makes it so special.” When I asked Eric how much of his show was planned out, he didn’t need time to think.

“Oh it’s all improvised. Completely.”

Eric has had quite a career in music. His efforts with various artists have earned him several

Grammy nominations, and he has been part of numerous motion picture scores. In 2008 and 2009, Eric won the Critics Poll for Rising Star Drummers. After stopping in at the Guelph Jazz Festival, Harland found some time between recording sessions to share his very interesting musical outlook, commenting on what makes Sangam work the way it does.

“I think music is not complicated, but we make it complicated just like a lot of things in life. We start to create the complications sometimes. The beauty in that group is we don’t apply any kind of complication to the music. We just kind of let it be. Where everything starts we just let it be organic,” said Harland.

“Letting it be” certainly had a good pay off, as the group received a standing ovation and countless praise throughout the show. Especially popular was the drum-off segment shared between Harland and Hussain. These two are both percussionists, but their very different styles made for an interesting meshing on stage. Complete with strange mouth noises and a seemingly inherent ability to know when to take over, the two held their audience captivated with talk back.

“It takes on different forms each time,” Harland explained. “At some point its always nice [to have] because you got two percussionists with different sounds on the same set. That show was great because we busted into a little vocal thing where I had to improvise in a certain way to try and match Zakir’s sound.”

Harland realizes that these aspects can really liven up a show, and take it from a traditional and sometimes dry performance, to a fully engaging one.

“The people were really ready for it. They were really involved and locked in to what we were doing. And the fact that we were able to have fun with it and joke around

with some of the vocal stuff we were doing keeps it kind of light.”

And although these aspects all seem crucial to the performance afterwards, the nature of improv makes the possibilities endless going in. Harland, whose album Voyager is available on iTunes now and up for hard copy release on Sept. 24, has a real love for improv. He sees in it the potential for creativity, likening it to two people having a conversation.

“If both of you are open, you can generally have a great form of communication. You start to see a chemistry that really comes together because everybody’s open and willing to use their musicality to communicate. That’s what gives it that feeling of sincerity and honesty that’s missing in a lot of music,” said Harland.

Artists like Harland are what make the Guelph Jazz Festival what it is. They keep people coming back in hopes of catching a glimpse at something new and interesting. For four days straight, music lovers the world over wipe their schedules clean so that they can witness musicians like Harland and Sangam, and the many other countless talents that graced the festival. With their creativity and improvised sound, these artists allow people to hear something they’ve never heard before. Creativity is paramount at the Guelph Jazz Festival, and founder Ajay Heble saw that it was in full force again this year. He noted that even despite some unfortunate weather, creative spirits were high, and people were all around.

“A couple shows did get cancelled because of the rain, but overall we managed to draw good crowds to all the events,” Heble said.

However, some acts did suffer do to the weather. One of those less fortunate projects that had to cancel due to the rain were local artists known as the Polydactyl Hearts Collective. This group, some

members of which formed the progressive art project Le Cyc, got the short end of the stick Saturday night with some bad timing.

“Our set up time was during that little period of downpour. There’s thousands of dollars worth of equipment there so we didn’t wanna leave it there unprotected,” explained Eihab Boraie.

The group was all set to debut a real time stop animation presentation that would blend various elements of sound and imagery in a very inventive way.

“We were doing a jazz fest exclusive where we created a program that was going to recognize what our artist was doing in real time,” Eihab said.

Coming from the talent behind Le Cyc, who’ve earned awards through Toronto concert series Wavelength for their recent efforts, the show would likely have been one of the highlights of Nuit Blanche. But the group remains optimistic, already discussing a show in the making for November, which is not to be missed.

Even this group of artists, who were rained out at the jazz festival and had to cancel their show, has maintained a positive view of what went on last weekend. Artists from all over the world dropped by the small city of Guelph to experience and take note of how far music has come. This was certainly a festival to remember, and one that if you didn’t make it to this year, would be worth a serious look for next fall. Most would consider New Year’s to be the starting point of the calendar year, but for myself, the year started and ended with the Guelph Jazz Festival.

Discovering the beauty behind

improv music at the 2010 Guelph

Jazz Festival

Article byJosh DoylePhotos by Megan Verhey

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Dietician Advises New Students: Stay Active to Avoid the “Freshman 15”First year students need to manage their meals

GENNA BUCK

Nothing—except perhaps the possibility of failing a class—strikes as

much terror into the hearts of new university students as the “freshman 15,” the supposed fifteen pounds they can expect to gain during first year.

Unfortunately, the freshman 15 is not entirely a myth, but it would be more accurate to call it the “freshman five-to-seven.” A study at the University of Guelph several years ago found that first year females gained an average of five pounds, while males put on about six and a half.

“In terms of reasons why first year students gain weight, food is often blamed,” said campus dietician Lindzie O’Reilly. “First years are exposed to a great number of food options, and it is assumed that they tend to eat more than they did.”

That assumption is actually incorrect.

“Research suggests that weight gain during first year is mostly related to decreased physical activity and an increase in the amount of time spent being sedentary,” explained O’Reilly.

Most new students live in residence, where just about everything—from friends to food to classes—is nearby. Typically, first year involves a lot of sitting: sitting in class, sitting in front of the computer, and sitting around with friends.

You may not be able to avoid all that sitting, but you can dodge the freshman 15.

“Incorporate physical activity into your daily life,” said O’Reilly. “It can be something simple.”

Guelph will be your second home for the next four years or more. Why not explore it by taking a walk or bike ride with friends? If you need to run an errand off-campus, consider walking instead of taking the bus. Swimming and skating

on campus are both free for students, and the Gryph Dome and the Arboretum are great places to walk or jog.

Pick up a Gryph Guide and you’ll see that the athletic centre offers a huge variety of classes and fitness programs. From kayaking to dance, yoga, and martial arts, you are bound to find something that is so much fun you will forget you are getting exercise.

If you played on a sports team in high school but didn’t opt for varsity life, you don’t have to give up on sports all together: there are dozens of intramural teams. Some are quite competitive, but many others are recreational (always wanted to try water polo? Now is your chance!)

Inactivity may be the most common culprit of weight gain, but good nutrition is still important. For some, freshman pounds do result from poor eating habits.

“I frequently see students who spend hours in class or studying without taking a break to have a

meal or a snack,” says O’Reilly. “If you go a long time between meals, you are likely to make impulsive food decisions and consume larger portions.”

Her advice? Eat frequently throughout the day, make time to get moving, and practice moderation when it comes to alcohol. “No more than two drinks per day for a male, and one for a female,” O’Reilly suggests.

“Drinks are similar when it comes to calories, so it really depends on the number,” she said.

So before you say “just one more,” don’t just consider the hangover you’ll have tomorrow. Calories and sugar are important, too. For instance, fi ve ounces of vodka mixed with juice or pop provide

900 calories— more than a pasta dinner at East Side Mario’s.

Finally, don’t panic if a few pounds find you during your first few months at school.

“First year is a time of transition and self discovery,” said O’Reilly. “Changes to body and appearance are natural, especially given that some first year students are 17 and still growing.”

Duncan Day-Myron

18 Sept. 16 - 22, 2010 163.1

LifeTV is for Lovers: A Look at the Stand-Outs of the FallDUNCAN DAYMYRON

Around this time last year, I wrote an opinion piece about how unoriginal

television was becoming. With yet another Law & Order, a Criminal Minds spin-off in the wings, a remake of Hawaii Five-0, and a sitcom remake the 2006 fi lm Outsourced, it wouldn’t be hard for me to rewrite that article. Instead, I’m going to try to be a little less cynical and focus on the new, exciting, original television programming that I am going to be taking in these next few weeks. So I give you, readers, three New Shows We Should Watch Together!

First, the closest thing to a dead cert, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Why? Steve Buscemi stars and Martin Scorsese directed the pilot, and Sopranos writer Terence Winter is writing. Post-Six Feet Under HBO was inconsistent to say the least, but with the wild success of True Blood and the heaps of praise for Treme, they seemed to have refound their audience. Hopefully Boardwalk

Empire can continue that streak. Early reviews have lavished praise on Steve Buscemi and Scorsese’s direction of the pilot is meant to set the tone and style for the rest of the series. At its weakest ( John in Cincinatti) HBO shows have always started out a few notches above the competition even if they can’t carry it off for long, so regardless of what happens I’m betting this show will start out as a defi nitely worthwhile investment.

Second up, the opposite of a dead cert. Fox comedy Raising Hope. I may live to regret putting that in print, as Fox hasn’t had a decent half-hour comedy on the air in a long, long time. Th ey currently have none. (Sorry, Sunday nights.)

TV comedy right now pretty awesome. Th ere are a lot of shows worth watching and the ones that aren’t worth watching are very successful, so Fox trying to cash in on that right now is not too surprising, but with that much competition it might be a bit of a gambit. But it’s going

to be on on Tuesdays, and there is literally nothing else worth watching on a Tuesday. Except maybe the ludicrously popular Glee. Th e thing that makes me feel good about it? Th e trailer. Check it out on YouTube to save yourself watching Fox long enough to catch it. It is pretty funny, and while the rest of the show could be According to Jim, I don’t get that feeling.

Last up, the underdog. Despite being a few decades old, AMC, a channel once watched only be the elderly, has come out of nowhere to produce arguably the two most critically acclaimed shows on television right now: Mad Men and Breaking Bad. So how could a channel riding a wave of success produce an underdog? By basing it on a graphic novel about zombies. Never mind that basing things on graphic novels and zombies haven’t been cool in about six years, neither of them really fi t the ‘adapted for television’ mold, but I guarantee no one has walked away from

the trailer for Th e Walking Deadwithout saying the words ‘epic’ or ‘badass’ within the following fi ve minutes. Th e makeup and eff ects look amazing, it doesn’t seem cheesy or terribly action packed, but rather it seems like it will be more character-based with explosions and brain eating as a bit of an afterthought. AMC’s slogan is ‘Plot Matters,’ after all. A more character-based narrative would

Courtesy

also be a bit of a diff erent take on the whole zombie feature. Like Shaun of the Dead without the jokes, maybe.

Th ere are dozens of new shows hitting the airwaves this fall. Some will succeed, some will not; some will be awesome, most won’t. It’s kind of an adventure. But for every few shows that are almost defi nitely going to be terrible, there are at least a few that have some promise.

19Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

LifeI really wanna get into... video games

NICOLE ELSASSER

I know what you are probably thinking. ‘Get into video games?! I have always

been into video games! Video games are my bread and butter!’

Well guess what video-game enthusiasts…this installment of ‘I really wanna get into…” is not for you. This is for the folks that maybe played a little Super Mario Bros as a kid but never

went semi-pro with the hobby. Maybe they never owned a single console. Maybe they missed out on the super-cool (read: long and boring) afternoons spent in residence playing Street Fighter with their hall mates. And they definitely don’t understand the jibber-jabber the enthusiasts will spout when on the subject of video games.

This is for those folks. And until two weeks ago, I was one of them.

But then I started to notice that in the last 10 years since I last “tried to catch-em-all” on my black and white Gameboy, that video games have gotten pretty cool. The story lines are well crafted with poetic narrative arcs and attention to detail. Obviously graphics have gotten better. And there’s just more to choose from in general.

So I decided to get into video games and share a few pieces of advice that will no doubt launch you into a wonderful world of heroic plumbers, rogue auto-thieves, outlaw turned farmer turned outlaws and more.

Start with the Nintendo DS:

Real gamers will tell you that this is a bad move. Don’t listen to them. Listen to me. The Nintendo DS is delightful. It’s compact. You can bring it places with you. And with it you can play all the classic video games that agree with even those who are video game challenged. I started with Super Mario Bros. and never looked back.

Play Harvest Moon and then play Red Dead Redemption:

Start of by playing Harvest Moon on the Nintendo DS that you bought because I told you to. In this game you are a farmer. You have cows. And then you get a wife…by giving really weird hilarious things like cabbage and attending campy village festivals. When you’ve successfully farmed the cute way then it’s time to try your hand at taking on the Wild West in Red Dead Redemption. This is a game for X-Box or PS3 and is perhaps

the most interesting game I’ve encountered in my nigh 14 days as a gamer. The story is you were an outlaw, then you tried to settle down, then the government takes your family and makes you kill your old gangster cohorts. It’s a beautiful game.

Watch someone whose good at video games play the video

games that are too hard for you:

There are some games that are really cinematic like Uncharted 2 or God of War but might be too hard for video game neophytes to play well and still enjoy the sights. My advice would be to get a friend who can whip through these games like nothing and ask them to play through while you sit with popcorn and enjoy. They’ll appreciate your attention and you’ll get to see what your gaming efforts might one days yield.

Happy button mashing!

Megan Verhey

20 Sept. 16 - 22, 2010 163.1

OpinionHow I became a commissionerDENISE MARTINS

My father is a principled, educated, kind man that from the get-

go brought me up to question those in power and to fight for democracy. He was a unionist and for that, he was captured, tortured, and ousted from Argentina by a military regime. He was nineteen.

Now well into his fifties, he loved the idea of me attending university. He saw it as an opportunity to immerse myself in the complicated world of politics, democracy, and social justice every university campus offers.

I went to a high school in a virtually unfunded neighborhood in Mississauga, where few of my classmates could entertain the hope to attend university. In a way I’m grateful that I had the chance, but I’m outraged that not everyone is offered this chance. I would have probably pursued a degree in Music, instead of Political Science, but law school seemed like more of a path to regular employment than the fine arts. I made the decision based on my situation but I think that students should study what moves them, as opposed to what economic circumstances dictate.

I was introduced to the Central Student Association within the first couple of weeks of school and I immediately delved into the history of the student union in Guelph. However, after attending

a couple of board meetings, the student union left something to be desired. After a very short-lived involvement in Interhall Council, I realized that the CSA has the potential to live up to its goals of defending student rights and winning victories to help the situation of students.

I was involved in organizing around tuition fees with the CSA, started my own club to create an atmosphere of discussion around Latin American issues, and got very involved in Students Against Sweatshops (a working group of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group). After a semester, I approached OPIRG and requested to be appointed as an OPIRG rep to the CSA board and they accepted my request. Although I was an alternate to the main OPIRG representative on the board, this experience gave me a full dose of how the CSA truly functioned.

$21 000 in debt later, I am the External Affairs Commissioner for the CSA and well on the way to racking up the 30 000 dollars of debt that the average undergraduate graduates with.

My family was completely opposed to me running. They believed the student union to be small peanuts compared to the work they wanted to see me do. The student union was never in the horizon for me. The plan was undergrad degree, law school, and only then picking up on the fight

they had lost some thirty years ago, with a law degree under my belt.

My parents gave up their entire lives to fight for what they believed in. My mother was unable to finish her university degree after immigrating to Canada and I can hear the regret in her voice every time we talk about the CSA. Running was a very difficult decision that I did not take lightly. I felt students to have been very misrepresented in the past and wanted to see change. In being elected as External Affairs Commissioner I saw an opportunity to help promote change and fight for provincial and federal policies that benefit students and society; increased public funding to our universities, decreased tuition fees, and linking with workers and their unions on campus to hold the university administration accountable to treating students and workers with respect.

During the summer, at the Semi Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Federation of Students, I attended as the sole delegate of the CSA. This was what I was elected to do. I voted on over 60 motions at this meeting and ever since then, my voter record on about 10 of those motions has been scrutinized, commented, and scolded. I voted in favour of paper ballots because I believe in the democratic scrutiny paper ballots offer and

the lack of transparency electronic voting provides. However, out of this action came two opinion pieces in the Ontarion which chose to question my loyalty to CSA members rather than the merits of electronic voting. The Ontarion did not have the courtesy of asking me for the reasons behind my voting.

The question “Whose side are you on, Denise?” was asked explicitly. This I am happy to answer. I am on your side. I’ve told you my condensed life story to show that I know what

its like to be in debt, or to have trouble finding a summer job. If you believe in students fighting for their own interests and provoking social change then we’re on the same team. And this fall and winter semester I need your help. An External Affairs Commissioner doesn’t change the world, but the Student Movement can. If you want to get involved or you have an issue that we can fight on together, please visit my office in the CSA (second floor of the University Centre).

Rashaad Bhamjee

21Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

OpinionLoose CannonWe must distinguish friend from foe in Pakistan flooding GREG BENETEAU

Nine years after 9/11, is the West capable of distinguishing friend

from foe? The answer should be yes. After

all, we’ve endured nearly a decade of conflict stemming from the War on Terror – we should at least be able to identify who or what we’re fighting against.

“It’s Al Qaeda,” we should say, or the Taliban, or an extremist dogma exported by a very small number of violent individuals.

The West was unprepared for the attacks that brought down the Twin Towers, or the people who planned those attacks. Yet instead of taking to heart the old adage “know thy enemy,” some people continue to see enemies everywhere.

People living in Pakistan, long a hotbed of Islamic militarism, are seemingly bearing the brunt of

this misdirected suspicion.Over the past four weeks,

unprecedented flooding in Pakistan’s Swat Valley and surrounding regions has killed at least 1600 people and affected more than 20 million others, according to United Nations estimates.

More than 3.5 million children are a currently at risk of water-borne diseases, malaria, skin infections and malnutrition. Vast swathes of farmland have been ruined, countless heads of livestock lost and billions of dollars of infrastructure wiped out by the waters. While Pakistan looks ahead to an uncertain future, floodwaters in many affected areas continue to rise.

Yet the response by the international community to this catastrophe has been described by many as tepid. In the immediate aftermath of the flooding, only

two thirds of the $460 million requested by the U.N. for relief was raised by international donors.

In Canada, the government gradually increased its flood relief package from $2 million to more than $40 million, making it the fourth largest international contributor of aid to Pakistan.

This week, Canada also extended the deadline of a special matching program for private donations. Until October 18, individuals who donate to select charities will have their contributions matched by the federal government.

But the program can only work if Canadians open their hearts and wallets to the people of Pakistan. So far, the total amount raised by private donations isn’t being reported, which is a bad sign.

Charities including Oxfam, Save the Children and Care Canada have also gone on the record to say that the response

falls far short of what is needed.The timing of the disaster has

likely impacted the speed of the humanitarian response (the warm summer weather tends to make people distracted).

However, I fear that the slow call to action is partly because of Pakistan’s unflattering reputation.

Many are worried that private donations will line the pockets of Pakistan’s corruption-riddled civilian and military leadership. Canadian charities like Oxfam have worked hard to put these fears to rest, filming and blogging about their relief work on the ground so that Canadians can see first-hand how their money is being spent.

There is also a nebulous concern about funding terrorism in regions like Swat, where the Pakistani military has struggled to contain a Taliban insurgency for the past several years.

The Pakistan government has occasionally even brokered “truces” with the militants, effectively handing them control of the region and its people.

But no matter what the political situation on the ground, we must remember that ordinary Pakistanis are not our enemies. If anything, we should do more to show the people Pakistan that the world will not abandon them to death and despair.

Last week, the Guelph community raised more than $55,000 for Pakistan’s flood victims. It’s a good start, but remember that this is the same community that raised more than $1 million for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Over the next three weeks, Guelphites can set an example for the rest of the country by helping our friends in Pakistan in their hour of need.

Get those thoughts out of your mind!ADAM BOWERS

Most of the schoolwork I did in university involved memorizing and regurgitating. Basically,

I was required to store a bunch of facts in my brain and then, come exam time, I would be required to demonstrate how well I had stored these facts. Even when it came to writing essays this process of memorizing and regurgitating seemed to linger because I always thought that it would be a good idea to demonstrate that I had been paying attention in class and taking notes. Save two or three, pretty much every essay I wrote was boring, so boring in fact, that even I would not want to read it before printing. I am sure there are lots of people who can relate to this.

Even the students who really felt that they had written interesting papers probably checked the word count after every paragraph, not to judge how much space they could spare for a certain topic, but to give them an idea of how much longer they were going to have to sit in front of a computer screen staring at the dull interface of a word processor. My first philosophy professor warned me that undergraduates live rather solitary existences and I figure that this is, in large, due to the number of essays undergraduates are required to write. The same professor also provided me with the unique admonition that it takes a lot of ‘stamina’ to be able to complete a degree, and to this I can now attest because I felt absolutely worn out after my last exam period. I knew that in order to get a degree I would have to do some untoward labour.

I was a self-suppressive individual

throughout my university days. I would prevent myself from reading or writing non-course related material on occasion because I felt that my mental faculty was a resource, only to be consumed on a basis of priority. I felt that it would be prudent to complete my homework before I spent time enjoying myself but as every university student quickly comes to know, homework can never be completed. Homework is only ever abandoned and this is because there is always room for improvement and a way to make a higher grade. Evidently all students draw the line somewhere and if we did not draw these lines, we probably would not have anybody sidewalk-chalking messages all over campus or playing sets for open mic night at The Bullring. The value of leisure is axiomatic and thus, needs no supporting argument; however, it is nonetheless an interesting topic to discuss.

Most of the material that students memorize and regurgitate is content that was produced at another human being’s leisure. Those who take part in those activities are sometimes content producers. The priority of leisure seems to be selfish because it is essentially just doing something that you want to do, but it can, and often does, produce something in which another person can take leisure. Ipso facto, the product of someone’s leisure could be, for instance, a course textbook.

My advice, and perhaps even my plea, then, is for students, both new and seasoned, to take breaks from putting information into their minds and only ever pulling it out at the beck and call of professors and exams. Instead, I wish for students to release the contents of their

minds out of their own free will, for both themselves and others in the world. I believe that it is in the nature of humans to have an ambition to create something. It seems that desiring a legacy is a natural propensity in humans; unfortunately ambivalent attitudes are of equal prevalence. There is, evidently, a barrier to be overcome, but I can assure that

surmounting this obstacle is fulfilling – much more fulfilling. I can honestly say that I am prouder of this article than any essay I wrote for any class in university; there were no deadlines, no topics to choose from, and no worries that it would receive a poor grade. This was all my idea.

22 Sept. 16 - 22, 2010 163.1

Editorial

I am deeply saddened to report to our community that we have experienced two instances of hate graffiti of a racist nature in our student residences.

The University of Guelph takes all acts of hate very seriously and refers all incidents to the City of Guelph police.

The residence community responded quickly. In addition to meeting with the houses impacted, Student Housing Services will be developing a poster campaign and Student Life will be rolling out Diversity-in-Action Poster campaign in September. The Central Student Association will also be introducing some educational campaigns. They will be advertised over the next few weeks.

I have posted a video on You-Tube that conveys the University’s values. I encourage

you to view it and share it with others. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sklgnIIYtY8.

I am asking members of the community to join me in condemning such acts of hatred.

The University of Guelph is a community committed to civility and mutual respect and, as such, will not tolerate such hurtful actions.

We ask anyone with information about this incident to please come forward and call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or our campus police at Ext. 52245.

This is a community that respects the rights of all its members. I encourage you to join me in working to ensure that the

University’s core beliefs and ideals prevail over closed-minded acts of intolerance.

Alastair Summerlee

Letter to the Editor

Another year, another Ontarion editorial staff.

Week after week over the course of the next eight months, we, the staff of The Ontarion will

sit down together and discuss the issues that have arisen be they in our campus community, the city of Guelph or the world beyond its borders. Through this discussion we’ll arrive at our editorial topic and one of the editors will pen what is considered the editorial stance of the whole newspaper. The editorials will never

have an indicated author; a point of irritation for many of our more impassioned readers.

This is the way we do things.

But because it’s the first week and because we have the closest thing to a fresh start with our readership that we get with a student newspaper, I’ll introduce myself. My name is Nicole Elsasser and I am the editor in chief of the Ontarion.

Having served on the previous year’s Ontarion editorial staff, I am proud of what the Ontarion is

and has been. I believe the paper produces honest, thorough and balanced journalism. We are a newspaper with strong principles and I myself believe in them.

This being said, occasionally the public perception of our newspaper leaves something to be desired and it is this feeling that I hope to rectify somewhat over the course of my time as editor in chief.

Firstly, because of the stance that the

Ontarion has taken on a few key issues over the last few years, the newspaper has been labeled ‘right,’ in a community where conservatism is the biggest faux pas a media outlet can commit. I find it laughable that the Ontarion is considered a right-wing rag but totally understand where the perception stems from. Next to the ‘far-left’ the paper has occasionally been critical of, we are certainly right-er. This being said, our apparent ‘rightness’ has been used as a symptom to indicate our apparent lack of balance and this is what I take issue with. While the Ontarion may occasionally hold views unpopular with the more vocal members of the campus community, we always attempt to the best of our ability to remain balanced; a concept quite obscure given that each person has their own definition of what this

looks like in print.The Ontarion is partially funded by

student fees. This means rather than this being a newspaper that belongs to a small group of like-minded editors, it is a paper that belongs to a whole university community. It is a newspaper responsible for representing every group, view, and person who wishes to recognize something of themselves in our independent student newspaper. If there were ever a failing in the Ontarion it is in this area.

Fortunately, the nature of our particular beast is that at the Ontarion, each year brings a new editorial staff and some semblance of a fresh start. So with this in mind, I encourage those who feel that the Ontarion is not their student newspaper to help us change that. Courtesy

23Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

Comics

24 Sept. 16 - 22, 2010 163.1

Crossword

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25Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

ClassifiedsEDUCATION

VOCAL\SONGWRITING\PIANO OR GUITAR LESSONS. Study with Guelph’s award winning vocal & music teachers. All styles & levels - student discounts!! Call today!! C&C VOCAL 519-822-3325 www.twovoices.ca,

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

RECRUIT GUELPH: Your online job database exclusively for Guelph students & alumni. Whether you’re looking for a part-time, summer or full-time job, recruitguelph.ca is for you!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

THE GUELPH RECORD and CD SHOW - Sunday, September 19. 10:30am - 4pm at the Best Western. 716 Gordon St. (opposite the university). Over 35 vendors. Admission $4. For further information contact: 905-777-1763.

STUDENT OF COLOUR SUPPORT GROUPS (and Students from Different Cultural Backgrounds). Mondays: One on One support 10am-2pm, Discussion 3-5pm. Tuesdays: One on One support 10am-2pm. Discussion group 2-3pm.

Community ListingsThursday September 16

Ed Video presents: Accidentally Perfect with artists Stan Krzyzanowski and Jeff Winch. Exhibit runs until Octber 8. Reception Sept. 24, 7-10pm. Artist talks/workshops: Sept. 25, 2-4pm. 519-836-9811. www.edvideo.org

New Horizons Band of Guelph information meeting 10am room 110 of the Guelph Youth Music Centre, 75 Cardigan St. A program for adults of learning new instruments or refreshing old skills. 519-823-8893 or email newhorizons@brentrowan.ca.

Friday September 17

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival – September 17-19. Main event Sunday, Sept. 19, noon-6pm. www.edenmillswritersfestival.ca

Saturday September 18

Guelph Food Bank Gigantic Fundraising Garage Sale, B.B.Q.

& Silent Aucion. 100 Crimea St. 8am-6pm. Last sale. Rain or Shine!

Paws in the Park, the K9 Helpers Fundraising Dog-a-thon, will take place on September 18 at Riverside Park in Guelph! Contact: info@k9helpers.org, 519-766-3957

Guelph Hiking Trail Club – Hike - Ellice Swamp, 4-5 km. Carpooling is available by contacting the leader in advance. Bring water, snack, lunch, sunscreen and bug repellent. Leader: Susan Bard 519-836-6570. www.guelphhiking.com.

Sunday September 19

Guelph Arts Council Historical Walking Tour: Downtown Walkabout. 2-4pm. Starts at Guelph Civic Museum, 6 Dublin Street S. Admission: $3/person (does NOT include admission to Guelph Museums). Tour booklets ($5 each). (519) 836-3280 or gac@sentex.net

Monday Septebmer 20

From Sept. 20-Oct15, all Farm Credit Canada (FCC) offices will accept food & cash donations. Tractors travelling through communities to collect food and cash donations for local food banks begins in Guelph Oct 13. Info:www.fccdriveawayhunger.ca

Tuesday September 21

Guelph Arts Council Arts Schmoozefest – A networking event for the Arts Community and Launch of Culture Days in Guelph. 5-7pm at Ed video Media Arts Centre, 40 Baker St – 2nd floor. Info: 519-836-3280 gac@sentex.net.

The Guelph Youth Jazz Ensemble open auditions for youth interested in learning about/developing their skills in jazz and improvisation. Rehearsals weekly on Tuesday eves, 6-7:30pm Sept.- May. Info: 519-823-8893 or email info@brentrowan.ca.

Thursday September 23

Dr. Jonathan Robison PhD. MS, will be speaking on “Health at Every Size--10 Things You Can Do Right Now To Ease Concerns About Your Weight And Improve Your Health”. A free public lecture 6:30-8:30pm University Centre Room 103.

Saturday September 25

Macdonald Stewart Art Centre: Get Linked in to the World’s Longest Human Art Chain at CULTURE DAYS WEEKEND. 358 Gordon St. at College Ave. 519-837-0010 www.msac.ca

Art showParty at the Barber Gallery with Call of the Siren, 30 visual artist group show with water related imagery. Free River

Culture Day today from 1-4pm. Exhibit runs until Sept. 30. 519-824-0821.

Fundraising event for the Guelph & District Multicultural Festival - 2010 Salsa Night. Cocktails, Dance performance/lessons, prizes, dinner, music with Son Ache. Doors open: 5:45pm, dinner 7pm. $50. Guelph Place Banquet Hall, 492 Michener Rd. 519-836-7482. www.gdmf.ca

Ongoing:

Guelph Civic Museum Exhibit – Spirit of change: One Building Tells the Story of Guelph. Tracing the history of the second oldest church building in Guelph. Exhibit runs from June 12, 2010 – January 9, 2011. 6 Dublin St. S. Open daily 1-5pm. guelph.ca/museum.

Wed: One on one support 10am-2pm. Discussion group 5-7pm. Confidentiality ensured. Munford Centre, Rm 54. Contact: rmcleod@uoguleph.ca or x53244.

FOR SALE

For Sale: silver 2000 Toyota Solara, 178,000 km, Safety tested, E-tested, automatic, sunroof, 4-wheel disc brakes, leather, CD player, in excellent condition. $4,900. Call 519-546-5993.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteers needed to help plan 3 fundraising events taking place in 2011 for BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS of Guelph. 519-824-5154 or visit: www.bbbsg.ca.

CANADIAN CROSSROADS INTERNATIONAL recruiting volunteers under age 30, with experience in database design, systems management, information & communications technologies and more. For details on current openings in West Africa and Bolivia, check out: www.cciorg.ca or email: vol@cciorg.ca.

27Sept. 16 - 22, 2010.com

The Ontarion Inc.University CentreRoom 264University of GuelphN1G 2W1

ontarion@uoguelph.ca

Phone:519-824-4120General: x58265Editorial: x58250Advertising: x58267Accounts: x53534

Fax:519-824-7838

Editorial Staff:Editor-in-chief Nicole ElsasserNews Editor

Kelsey RideoutArts & Culture Editor

Josh DoyleSports & Health Editor

Justin Dunk

Production Staff:Photo & graphics editor Megan VerheyAd designer Anne TabataLayout Director Alison Tibbles

Offi ce Staff:Business manager Lorrie TaylorOffi ce manager Monique VischschraperAd manager Chris Hamelin

Board of DirectorsPresident

David EvansChairperson

Timothy McBrideTreasurer

Curtis Van LaeckeSecretary

Joanna SulzyckiDirectors

Matthew FrechAndrew GoloidaJames HawkinsLisa McLeanMarshal McLernonAntik Dey

ContributorsGreg BeneteauRashaad BhamjeeAdam BowersGenna BuckDuncan Day-MyronKatelyn DingmanSarah DunstanPam DuysnteeMorgan EdwardsDaniel OʼKeefeJamie MacDonaldErika Marteleira Denise MartinsPatrick McEachnieMarianne PointnerLily RichesonMatthew SaaymanKevin SheaMichael SlotwinskiDavid SullivanJoanna Sulzycki Mike Treadgold

Th e Ontarion is a non-profi t organization governed by a Board of Directors. Since the Ontarion undertakes the publishing of student work, the opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily refl ect those of the Ontarion Board of Directors. Th e Ontarion reserves the right to edit or refuse all material deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfi t for publication as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Material of any form appearing in this newspaper is copyrighted 2009 and cannot be reprinted without the approval of the Editor-in-Chief. Th e Ontarion retains the right of fi rst publication on all material. In the event that an advertiser is not satisfi ed with an advertisement in the newspaper, they must notify the Ontarion within four working days of publication. Th e Ontarion will not be held responsible for advertising mistakes beyond the cost of advertisement. Th e Ontarion is printed by the Guelph Mercury.

Orientation Week PhotosPhotos by David Sullivan