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Contents
CFS campaign
in full swing
Get it over with
End of the road
The culture of conspiracy
News
Arts
Sports
Feature
p. 5
p. 11
p. 19
p. 14
Yes and No committees appeal to undergraduate
students. p. 5
Michael Olender talks about Canadas complic-
ity in torture with local author Kerry Pither. p. 7
Nigel Smith explores retirements both pre-
mature and overdue in Hollywood. p. 11
Kalin Smith gets in the groove of the local
record store scene. p. 12
Football team stumbles in Yates Cup. p. 19
Aminata Diallo overcomes adversity to play
for the Gee-Gees. p. 22
Hisham Kelati delves into the minds of
conspiracy theorists. p. 14 15
Di gets wet. p. 22
An unfair referendum?
Re: CFS referendum rules released
(News, Nov. 6)
AFTER READING THE referendum
question concerning the Student
Federation of the University of Ot-
tawas (SFUO) membership in the
CFS, I was shocked. I cannot believe
that our student leaders would allow
this referendum to be so blatantly bi-
ased towards the Yes side.
In the Fulcrums article CFS ref-
erendum rules released, Haldenby
stated that its important for the stu-
dents to have a base idea on exactly
what theyd be voting for. hats
what the campaign is for! If he was
truly concerned about informing
students, perhaps he should have
included another paragraph outlin-
ing the CFSs interesting views on
freedom of speech (the CFS recently
passed a motion condoning student
unions refusals to support pro-life
groups). Or how about highlighting
the fact that if we do join the CFS
again, it will be increasingly dii cult
to de-federate?
It is a shame that the SFUO has
not appeared to be impartial on this
issue. he original BOA decision to
become prospective members oc-
curred in July, when few students
were even aware of what was going
on. One cant help but feel that the
referendum date itself undeniably
favours the Yes committee with the
start of the campaign only two days
ater a major CFS march. It will be
interesting to see how the ostensible
fairness of this referendum will afect
U of O students ballots.
Stephanie Chandler
hird-year biomedical
sciences student
Missing the point
Re: he CFS and the SFUO
(News, Nov. 6)
IM WRITING IN response to he
CFS and the SFUO: A love/hate his-
tory. I wont address the bigger CFS
question here, as the real story be-
hind our leaving the CFS requires far
more space than just a letter and is
far more interesting than described
so far.
he article mentions a number of
things that were never part of the
CFS issue in an attempt to make the
reader arrive at what seems to be a
pre-determined conclusionthe
199495 SFUO executive was bad,
especially me, and therefore the CFS
was good. Okay for an opinion
piece, but not okay for what claims
to be a factual news text. Especially
if you try to pin everything on one
person and dont even try to contact
them to get their side of the story.
Journalism: fail.
By only referring to Fulcrum texts
of the time, you also fail to deal with
the fact that the Fulcrum and the
SFUO executive openly did not like
each other at all, so it has to be taken
as a ilter on the content.
True, we dropped quorum from
12 per cent to ive per cent for ref-
erendums, but not because of the
CFSthe sad truth was that the
SFUO had money troubles and
needed to increase the levy, which
hadnt increased in years, and refer-
endums kept having lower and lower
turnout rates. With the SFUO trying
another levy referendum during the
February 1995 elections, we needed
to improve the odds. Money was a
huge problem for the SFUO in the
mid-1990s.
We also did cut the election con-
venor budget if you compare it to
the amount spent the previous years.
But again, with limited money, you
try to spend less. No entertainment
budget for the convenor, for exam-
plebut no entertainment budget
for the executive for the year either.
Nothing material was cut in the elec-
tion processstudents voted over
the same number of days at a dozen
locations. It had nothing to do with
a CFS referendum, and adding a ref-
erendum during elections only really
costs the paper ballots and the time
to count them. Doing a stand-alone
referendum like this CFS one costs a
fortune. A lot of inancial restraints
were added to the constitution that
year, not just elections.
I also want to mention Dean
Haldenby and Seamus Wolfes com-
ments regarding personal motives,
because they miss the boat com-
pletely. As vp internal, I went to the
CFS meeting in the summer of 1994
instead of the president so that the
SFUO would vote for Guy Carons
election as the CFS chair, and we
spent many hours talking to other
associations favourably about Caron
being elected chair. I had no per-
sonal issues about Caron at all. I also
had very little to do with the irst
injunctioned referendum, as I was
busy organizing the levy one along
with the vp inance, but was the head
of the No committee for the success-
ful one.
Alain Gauthier
Former SFUO president
(199697, 199798)
Get back to basics, SFUO exec
THIS YEAR ON campus, activism
and lowering tuition seem to be one
of the few things that everyone is
talking about. Prior to Nov. 5, you
were sure to come across at least 50
posters for lowering tuition, Nov. 5,
and other Nov. 5-type activities while
walking across campus. From a typi-
cal students perspective, it would
appear that all the SFUO cares about
is lowering tuition. If you browse its
constitution, however, youll see that
there are 35 diferent issues and top-
ics that the SFUO takes a stand on.
You would never know this, though,
by the posters that were out.
I ind it completely dishearten-
ing that the SFUO feels that the
only campaign worth promoting is
the Drop Fees campaign. here are
many other campaigns that have
either gone by, are currently going
on, or had to be pushed back repeat-
edly because of the complete lack of
support from the executive: Inter-
national Houses OHIP campaign,
the Womens Resource Centres No
Means No campaign (a CFS cam-
paign no less!), AIDS Walk for Life,
Centre for Students with Disabilities
snow removal campaignall won-
derful campaigns that youve prob-
ably never heard of because of the
lack of attention given to them while
we were faced with the monster that
was Nov. 5. his demonstrates a very
real disconnect between what the
executive perceives to be important
to students and what really is im-
portant to students. Students are not
one-dimensional. While they may
worry about tuition fees, they also
have a barrage of other concerns that
the executive seems unwilling to ad-
dress, much to the concern and dis-
may of many students.
To the executive of the SFUO:
please start supporting your services
and their on-going campaigns. he
services staf work tirelessly for you
and the students at this university
and they deserve your help and sup-
port. hese campaigns relect many
students concerns and deserve to be
heard. Lowering tuition is not the
sole concern of all students. If you
actually listened to your services,
youd know that.
Amanda Bradley
Sixth-year biology
and psychology student
Honouring the right to education
A FEW WEEKS ago I overheard a
conversation between two of my
classmates about the vote to join
an organization called the CFS. As
I listened, something caught my at-
tention and let a deep impression on
me: Dont you think that everyone
should be able to go to university if
they have the grades? I came from
a poor community and I was the irst
Got something to say?
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We will not even consider hate literature or
libellous material. The editor-in-chief reserves
the authority on everything printed herein.
Nov. 1319, 2008
Letters
Frank Appleyard
Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca 3
Advertising Department Business Department
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dependent English-language student newpa-
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in my family to attend university. My
uncle told me that the recipe for my
academic success would lie in the
hard work I put into my studies.
I did follow my uncles advice
and worked hard, but I was forced
to work hard in several part-time
jobs to inance my education. Even
though I graduated high school as
an Ontario Scholar, Ive watched my
grades go down every year while my
tuition fees have gone up every year.
When youre a student from a non-
privileged background, working
hard in the classroom simply does
not cut it.
I believe that education is a right
and that every eligible student should
have access to a post-secondary edu-
cation. When we put the time and
efort into our academics, we have
honoured our right to an education.
So to answer my classmates ques-
tion, yes I do believe that everyone
should be able to get through uni-
versity if they have the grades. he
CFS is working provincially and na-
tionally to reduce tuition fees and
increase access to post-secondary
education for students like myself.
his is why I am going to vote yes to
join the CFS.
Iain Brannigan
Second-year international
development student
How just is the
oversight committee?
THE REFERENDUM OVERSIGHT
Committee (ROC), responsible
for the referendum on the CFS, is
made up of four members: two from
the SFUO and two from the CFS. I
would like to call into question the
efectiveness and fairness of their
judgments, especially regarding out-
side parties that are not implicated
in the referendum.
Recently, I (as President of the Stu-
dents Association for the Faculty of
Arts [SAFA]) received an email from
the ROC instructing me to cease and
desist the circulation of a survey we
distributed to our students, and
LETTERS continued on p. 4
Correction
In the Nov. 6 issue of the Fulcrum, Finding
what drives you by Nigel Smith indicated
that the author attended a University in Brit-
ish Columbia. Smith actually attended Ryer-
son University in Toronto.
he Fulcrum regrets the error.
LETTERS continued from p. 3
informing me that the ROC reserves
the right to increase the Yes commit-
tees banner and/or poster allowance
if they found out about any other fac-
ulty that distributed the survey.
he survey was designed in part-
nership with another federated body
and was intended to inform our stu-
dents that the referendum was tak-
ing place, ask for their feedback on
issues related to the CFS, and ind
out whether they were going to vote
or not.
his survey was written, com-
pleted and sent out to the students
prior to the referendum and prior
to a letter sent out to all student as-
sociation presidents on behalf of
Haldenby which stated that since
the SFUO is taking a neutral stance,
therefore each federated body is part
of the Student Federation, the use of
resources your federated body has
purchased or space that you occupy is
absolutely prohibited. Although the
SFUO maintains that they are taking
a neutral stance, the entirety of the
executive (except the vp social, whose
status is ambiguous) is campaigning
for the Yes side.
Because of the survey that SAFA
published, the No side is being pun-
ished. he punishment: the Yes side
is allowed to put up one extra banner
in Simard Hall. How does that make
sense? SAFA is an independent or-
ganization that has been told it must
stay neutral by the president of the
SFUO. We, as a student association,
are not ai liated with the campaigns,
so why do our actions afect only one
side of the campaign? Is it because the
ROC is biased towards the Yes side?
I have never been so ashamed to
be a part of the SFUO. Since when
did I lose my right, as president of a
students association, to ask the stu-
dentswhom I was elected to repre-
senta question? If this is a taste of
what the campus is going to be like
with a CFS presence then I want none
of it.
Vote no on Nov. 1820. Vote for
your voice. Vote for independence
and free thought. Vote against the
CFS.
Liz Doneathy
SAFA president
Enough isolation, already
AND SO IT started: the campaign
to inally join the CFS. And the No
side started on the wrong foot, with
a wrong-headed argument: Why pay
more for services we dont need?
You might hear a lot of crazy, an-
gry arguments from people who say
that it is better for U of O students
to stay independent. I would sug-
gest that instead of believing a lot of
negative criticism, ask yourself an
important question: Can you name
one time in history in which impor-
tant social change was accomplished
without collective work?
If you cant think of a single ex-
ample, it is for good reason. hats
because there are none.
Starting last spring, I chose to
do my own research and found my
answers about the CFS. I spoke to
people from various student unions
and witnessed an incredibly demo-
cratic general assembly. I was directly
involved in campaigns such as Drop
Fees, No Means No, and Students
for Sustainability. here is no corpo-
rate organization working in a fancy
oi ce. he CFS is simply a network
through which we can work together
with over 500,000 students in Ontar-
io and across Canada. And I say its
about time.
I think weve had enough individu-
alism and isolation on our campus.
Its about time for a little solidarity.
I say: vote yes to the CFS.
Julie Sguin
Fith-year arts and communication
student
No thanks, CFS
IM SURE YOU will hear a lot of
passionate rhetoric and see a lot of
lashy pamphlets over the next two
weeks about joining the CFSbut
you should certainly take a good
look at whatever beneits are being
promised to you.
Joining the CFS would allow us
access to services, campaign support,
travel discounts, and a shiny CFS
agenda. Maybe, we can even have
a greater impact on the Drop Fees
campaign as members of the CFS.
But wait he SFUO already
boasts an amazing assortment of
services, including the Pride Cen-
tre, Food Bank, Bilingualism Centre,
and Peer Help Centre. hese services
were started by our students and for
our students, and they have proven
to be incredibly efective. Do we re-
ally need another student organiza-
tion?
We can and have participated
actively and with great impact in
the Drop Fees and No Means No
campaigns without being members
of the CFS. We can work with the
CFS without paying approximately
$378,000 in additional student fees
per year. As a partner, the SFUO can
decide how much of your money to
contribute to these campaigns. As a
member, those decisions are shared
with other CFS locals. We have also
run our own successful campaigns
without the CFS. We successfully
lobbied to eliminate the code of con-
duct just this yeara signiicant vic-
tory for our students.
You will get an ISIC card if we join
the CFS, but do not think that it is
free. Each full-time student will be
contributing over $14 to CFS every
year. Wouldnt you rather pay the ex-
tra three bucks to have a choice and
just buy it from Travel CUTS? hink
of where that cumulative $378,000
could go! More money for the food
bank. Funding for student bursaries.
Better food services.
And as for the shiny agenda, our
in-house marketing department al-
ready does an excellent job provid-
ing us with those. And they have lo-
cal discounts and coupons! We dont
need the CFS. hanks, but no thanks,
CFS. Were doing just ine.
Ashley Andrews and
Danielle OHanley
Sixth-year English/psychology and
fourth-year communication students
thefulcrum.ca poll
Go to thefulcrum.ca to vote!
Last weeks results
LETTERS
Nov. 13, 2008
4
www.thefulcrum.ca
he Fulcrum received a deluge of
letters on the upcoming CFS mem-
bership referendum. Due to space
constraints we could not print all of
them. Please visit thefulcrum.ca/let-
ters to read more, and to read about
alleged mistreatment in the Depart-
ment of Physics.
How do you plan to vote in
the CFS referendum?
Yes:
No:
Will you be campaigning for
either side in the Canadian
Federation of Students mem-
bership campaign?
Yes:
No:
Not sure:
52%
34%
13%
Nov. 1319, 2008
News
Emma Godmere
News Editor
news@thefulcrum.ca 5
by Amanda Shendruk
Fulcrum Staf
CHANTS OF EDUCATION is a
right, we will not give up the ight!
could be heard on the streets of down-
town Ottawa last week as more than
3,000 students from the University of
Ottawa, Carleton University, Queens
University, and local high schools de-
manded relief from high tuition fees.
he Nov. 5 rally, which was orga-
nized by the Canadian Federation of
Students-Ontario (CFS) as part of
their provincial Drop Fees campaign,
began in the morning at the Univer-
sity of Ottawa.
As students assembled and bus-
loads of protesters arrived from Car-
leton and Queens, Student Federation
of the University of Ottawa (SFUO)
President Dean Haldenby said he was
feeling emotional.
he turnout is great, he said,
[but] this is only the beginning.
he throng of students, includ-
ing many from local high schools,
marched down Laurier Avenue, past
Parliament Hill, and inally to the
Canadian Tribute to Human Rights
Monument on Elgin Street.
Colinne Martin, a recent graduate
of the U of O, was one of hundreds of
bystanders who watched the march-
ing crowd of students. She expressed
her support for their cause, saying she
hopes to return to school someday.
I think its important for students
to get involved, and if you want some-
thing you have to ask for it. Its nice to
see in Canada that people are stand-
ing up for things that are important
to them, she said.
he rally culminated at the human
rights monument, where protest or-
ganizers and supporters passionately
addressed the students. Speakers in-
cluded Barbara Byers, vp executive
of the Canadian Labour Congress;
CFS national chairperson Katherine
Giroux-Bougard; Federico Carvajal,
external commissioner for the U of O
Graduate Students Association and
chair of the CFS-Ontario Graduate
Caucus; Brittany Smyth, president
of the Carleton University Student
Association (CUSA); and SFUO VP
University Afairs Seamus Wolfe.
Students from across Ontario are
gathered here today to say no more to
skyrocketing tuition fees, no more to
mortgage-sized debt, and no more to
the underfunding of our institutions,
Giroux-Bougard shouted out to the
thousands of students. We are here
today to demand that the McGuinty
government recognize that education
is a right, and its time to drop fees.
DROP FEES continued on p. 8
Drop Fees
demonstration
draws 3,000
Nov. 5 rally only the beginning
The Nov. 5 Drop Fees rally that began at Morisset Terrace drew approximately 3,000 students from Ottawa and Kingston.
photo by Ian Flett
by Emma Godmere
Fulcrum Staf
BY DAY FIVE of the campaign peri-
od concerning the Student Federation
of the University of Ottawas (SFUO)
potential membership with the Ca-
nadian Federation of Students (CFS),
the Referendum Oversight Commit-
tee (ROC) had received eight separate
complaints regarding the campaign
practices of both the Yes and No com-
mittees.
One of the complaints iled per-
tained to a survey sent to U of O stu-
dents by the Students Association for
the Faculty of Arts (SAFA). he ROC
made their decision on the complaint
and the consequences of the actions
on Nov. 9.
he Committee received a number
of complaints from individuals who
received a survey from the Students
Association of the Faculty of Arts,
the ROC stated in an email to the Ful-
crum. he Committee reviewed the
contents of the survey, including the
questions posed and the suggested
references. he Committee concluded
that it did appear to be biased in favour
of a no vote the Referendum Over-
sight Committee has requested that
the survey cease to be distributed and
the Yes side committee has been per-
mitted to hang one additional banner
in either Arts or Simard to partially
compensate for the survey.
Michle Lamarche, one of the of-
icial representatives of the No com-
mittee and vp communications fran-
cophone for SAFA, said that many
students indicated they actually be-
lieved the survey to favour the Yes
side.
Weve [heard] more angry people
saying its biased Yes than No, said
Lamarche. [he survey] was distrib-
uted two weeks ago and it was distrib-
uted in one shot, and it hasnt been
distributed since [SAFA created the
survey] because our students wanted
us to take a stand at our Board of Di-
rectors meeting; they wanted us to
take a stand on [the referendum cam-
paign] and we said, Well, we cant do
that without asking all the students,
so the survey was created by a group
of student leaders to distribute to all
the students on campus.
hen we were informed that we
werent allowed to take a stance, even
if our students wanted us to, Lama-
rche added. We got the email from
[SFUO President Dean Haldenby]
saying that we werent allowed to take
positions, we had to stay neutral.
Haldenby, who also holds one of
two SFUO seats on the ROC, indicat-
ed that the federated bodies have been
expected to follow the SFUOs oi cial
position in the referendum campaign.
From my standpoint as president,
were asking all the federated bodies to
maintain the [SFUO]s stance, which is
one to be neutral, he said. We are co-
operating with the [ROC] with regard
to their rules and regulations.
Roxanne Dubois, spokesperson for
the Yes committee and vp inance for
the SFUO, explained that the Yes side
also aims to follow the ROCs rulings.
When we complain [we will do it]
when the No side is being unjust, or
when something is suspicious, and
we will accept any complaints that are
made against us, she said. Well ac-
cept the committees decision.
he ROC indicated that they had
recently received a complaint that
several of the Yes committees posters
and banners have been torn down.
Lamarche mentioned that some of
the No posters have been recently
taken down as well.
Were on the lookout for people
tearing down any posters, not only
ours I think [were] just trying to
run a fair campaign, said Dubois. I
guess its a bit frustrating because its
hard to concentrate on the issueswe
just want to talk about this referen-
dum, and were caught up in posters.
he Yes and No committees will
have the opportunity to talk about the
referendum issues in three upcom-
ing debates to be held on campus.
he ROCs oi cial English debate will
take place in the Unicentre cafeteria
at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 13, and their of-
icial French debate will be hosted in
the Unicentre Terminus at 2:30 p.m.
on Nov. 17. he Fulcrum and La Ro-
tonde will be hosting an independent
debate on Nov. 14 at noon in the Uni-
centre Agora.
Referendum committees garner criticism and complaints
Eight complaints
iled with ROC in irst
ive days of CFS
membership campaign
photo by Martha Pearce
by Emma Godmere
Fulcrum Staf
THE 13-DAY CAMPAIGN sur-
rounding the referendum on the
Student Federation of the University
of Ottawas (SFUO) membership in
the Canadian Federation of Students
(CFS) oi cially began on Nov. 7. Ever
since, both the Yes and No commit-
tees have been campaigning in full
force, informing students about why
they should vote Nov. 1820, whether
it be yes or no. In an efort to get both
perspectives on this months refer-
endum campaign, the Fulcrum sat
down with two representatives from
each campaign committee. SFUO vp
inance and CFS commissioner of the
francophone group Roxanne Dubois
and CFS national chairperson Kath-
erine Giroux-Bourgard spoke for the
Yes committee, while SFUO Board of
Administration member and Com-
munications Student Association
President Ryan Kennery and Student
Association of the Faculty of Arts
VP Communications Francophone
Michle Lamarche represented the
No committee.
On the message each campaign is
trying to deliver to students
Yes committee
Roxanne Dubois: I think that the
essential message is more than a mes-
sage, its what were trying to accom-
plishand its strength through unity.
Weve been working for a long
time on campus in isolation, work-
ing on our own campaigns, and kind
of joining in with the CFS campaigns
once in a while. But basically, I think
its time that we join the student move-
ment and [that] we be part of all the
steps of what it means to be part of
the Canadian Federation of Students,
from the planning steps all the way to
accomplishing some victories.
Katherine Giroux-Bougard: I
think one of the messages we want
students to hear in the next weeks
is that we cant guarantee that were
going to have victories when were
together, but we can guarantee that
were going to experience defeats if
were not working together.
I [have] experienced nationally
what the student movement can do
when its working together. Ive been
working for a number of years trying
to get a national system of grants
he Canadian Federation of Students
[called] for a national system of grants
and the Conservative government, in
[their budget for] 2008, announced
our irst-ever national system of
grants. I think [the CFS is] something
that University of Ottawa students
should be a part of, and I think Uni-
versity of Ottawa students can con-
tribute a lot to the planning stages
of those campaigns and making sure
that those campaigns suit the needs of
the students on this campus.
No committee
Ryan Kennery: Our message is es-
sentially thanks, but no thanks. Its
pretty straightforward. he CFS [will
be] on campus promising a lot of
things and ofering a lot of things, but
looking at the services that they ofer,
as well as the cost of membership of
approximately $378,000 all combined
[its] something that students really
dont need. We dont need the CFS.
Were going to make our case, were
hoping that our students will agree
with us, but at the end of the day, it [is
the] students [who] get to choose.
Michle Lamarche: We are a strong
and independent campus already and
we dont need the CFS. Weve had our
own victories without the CFS; we
dont need to pay into their fees.
On how the committees are
getting their message out to
students
Yes committee
RD: Whats really interesting is
weve been gathering a really large
team of volunteers and people who
are ready to help out with this cam-
paign and I think that it is the strength
of this campaignbeing able to reach
out to students regardless of the fac-
ulty, regardless of the experience on
campus I think that the strength
is in having a very strong team whos
working, whos addressing the ques-
tions with students, whos doing a lot
of ground work, and [whos] putting
the issues out there and the questions
and answering the preoccupations
that some students may have about
the CFS.
KG-B: I think its a very important
question that students at the Univer-
sity of Ottawa get a chance to vote
on. Its great students can vote on this
question, and I think our strategy is to
basically get as many people informed
on what it means to be a part of the
Canadian Federation of Students.
No committee
RK: First of, [our campaign is]
very volunteer-driven [by] U of O
volunteers, [of] which were very,
very proud. Im having the opportu-
nity to work on a team with people I
dont think I would have the chance to
work with otherwise. [We] have got
people from all ends of the political
spectrum on our team.
In terms of our strategy, its run-
ning a good campaign. [Its] the class
presentations, its engaging students
in a dialogue, its the posters, the ban-
ners, the buttons and encouraging
students to look more into it. Its more
than just what is going to be presented
just in the preamble in the question.
Do the research, look at both sides,
and make a choice.
ML: [Were] basically talking to
as many students as we can from
talking [during] class presentations,
to walking around campus and talk-
ing to whoever is willing to listen ...
and explain to them why we dont
need the CFS.
On how U of O students feel
about this campaign
Yes committee
KG-B: A lot of people have just
been kind of wondering why students
at the University of Ottawa havent
been working as part of the national
student movement I think a lot of
students are inding it obvious that
you have to work together to win vic-
tories.
People at the University of Ottawa
are really excited to have the chance
to make that decision, and I think
people are excited to be working with
students from across the country.
RD: he team of volunteers thats
on the ground and working with peo-
ple is coming back with a large amount
of positive feedback. When you get
down to it and you talk about the
[CFS], what it does, and how its work-
ing with students across the country to
accomplish things that we cant neces-
sarily do on our own, people are very
responsive to that because I think they
understand that by working togeth-
er and working in a very big team you
can accomplish more.
No committee
RK: I dont think that the students
know what the CFS is. I dont feel as
though weve been prospective mem-
bers long enough for them to get a full
understanding.
he reality were faced with is
campaigning to students who dont
really know [how they feel] yet, so
we each get to present our side of the
argument, which I think is a good
thing, and Im hoping students listen
to what were saying, the side with-
out the political rhetoric, the side
without the manufactured talking
pointswe are real students with
real concerns about this organiza-
tion. I think we will and will con-
tinue to make a case that students
can buy into, thats positive, thats
constructive, thats saying thanks,
but no thanks.
ML: [I think] that [students] dont
care. hey just dont know or they
dont care, so thats why were trying to
talk to as many as we can he aver-
age student is the student who comes
to school just to study and leave.
Its just a matter of reaching out to
the students who dont know whats
going on or dont really care and
making them understand that they
do need to care While were giving
our message, we may convince people
to actually vote yesjust like while
the Yes team is talking to people they
may actually convince people to vote
no, it just depends on what the stu-
dents priorities are.
he people who this is going to
afect the most are the people who
unfortunately dont know whats go-
ing on, and thats why we really need
to talk to as many diferent people as
we can.
Last words
Yes committee
RD: Obviously, we encourage peo-
ple to come out and vote and to learn
about the [CFS] and theres a table in
the [Unicentre] thatll be available for
students if they need any information
hey have people from the [CFS]
who are here to answer questions.
No committee
RK: Im looking forward to a spir-
ited campaign We have a fantastic
team of volunteers, I encourage stu-
dents to check out our website at no-
thanks.ca and I hope that students
ask us questions and I hope that they
take this situation seriously. I hope
they vote no on Nov. 1820.
For more information about the Yes
committee, check out yescfs.ca. To ind
out more about the No committee, go
to no-thanks.ca.
NEWS
Nov. 13, 2008
7
www.thefulcrum.ca
Yes and No committees in their own words
CFS referendum:
Katherine Giroux-Bougard and Roxanne Dubois (above) are members of the Yes committee; Ryan Kennery (right) and Michle Lamarche (not pictured) represent the No committee.
photos by Emma Godmere and Ben Myers
by Amanda Shendruk
Fulcrum Staf
STUDENTS AT THE University of Ot-
tawa are one Board of Administration
(BOA) meeting closer to having their
own student-run, student-owned cen-
tre.
At the Nov. 2 BOA meeting, mem-
bers approved a Student Federation
of the University of Ottawa (SFUO)
proposal recommending Grii ths
Rankin Cook Architects (GRC) as the
most suitable irm to proceed with
preliminary architectural design for
the potential centre.
he proposal, written by SFUO
President Dean Haldenby, stated that
GRC was chosen for their profes-
sional qualiications, approach and
methodology, comprehension of the
needs of the university community,
experience in the domain [and their]
dynamic spirit.
Its a quality-based selection, said
Haldenby. [We] chose based on qual-
ity, not on price.
he SFUO will pay $34,125 includ-
ing GST for consultations regarding
the requirements for a new student
centre, the development of three ar-
chitectural concepts showing main
building disposition and functions,
and cost estimates for the three pro-
posals including summaries of build-
ing advantages and disadvantages.
he cost will be deducted from the
SFUOs 200809 $100,000 budget
surplus.
During the architectural planning
process, the SFUO will also work
closely with the universitys chief ar-
chitect, Claudio Brun Del Re.
As chief architect, and to make
sure that all university facilities com-
ply with the master plan and tie in
to the infrastructure, I will remain
involved and assist [the] SFUO with
this important endeavour, Brun Del
Re said in an email.
Brun Del Re has worked with the
chosen architectural irm, GRC, in
the past.
[he University] has a long rela-
tionship with GRC, he said. I am
conident that they will deliver excel-
lent ideas for this project.
Haldenby is also conident in the
abilities of the architects at GRC, having
recently worked with the irm on other
projects, including the development of
the new club space in the Unicentre.
You go not with just what you
know but with what you trust, and
for me and for the board, obviously,
it was important that we trust the
[architectural irm] in question,
Haldenby said.
GRC has extensive experience
designing educational facilities and
working together with post-secondary
institutions. hey have worked exten-
sively with Algonquin College, de-
veloping their residence in July 2003,
the School of Advanced Technology
in August 2002, and the Police and
Public Safety Institute in August 2000.
GRC is currently developing concepts
for a student commons at the college
as well. GRC has also been involved
in projects at Queens University in
Kingston and La Cit Collegiale.
he contract between the SFUO
and GRC was inalized on Monday,
Nov. 10 and Haldenby hopes to pres-
ent GRCs plans to the BOA at its next
meeting, on Nov. 30.
Plans for new student centre take shape
NEWS
Nov. 13, 2008
8
www.thefulcrum.ca
by Megan OMeara
Fulcrum Staf
ON THE EVENING of Nov. 10, De-
partment of Communication pro-
fessor Michael Strangelove spoke to
approximately 150 students in the
Alumni Auditorium, expressing the
ideas and advice he would share if
he had one inal lecture to address an
audience.
His lecture was modelled ater a fa-
mous talk given in September 2007 by
Carnegie Mellon University Professor
Randy Pausch as part of a lecture se-
ries where academics were invited to
speak about what really matters to
them, and what they would say if they
had one last chance to impart wisdom
on the world. Ater receiving a prog-
nosis that his pancreatic cancer was
terminal, Pausch gave one last lecture
in front of over 400 students and col-
leagues, entitled Really Achieving
Your Childhood Dreams, which ex-
plained his belief in the importance
of enabling the dreams of others
while realizing your own childhood
dreams. Since Pauschs speech, many
universities have duplicated the idea,
giving their professors a chance to
give a last lecture.
he event was organized by the
Communication Student Association,
the Political, International and Devel-
opment Studies Student Association,
and the Students Association for the
Faculty of Arts (SAFA).
SAFA President Elizabeth
Doneathy explained that the student
associations were inspired to put on
the event ater hearing about Pauschs
last lecture.
We had heard about the Last
Lecture series that was started in the
[United] States, she explained. We
thought it would be cool to have profs
from diferent faculties to incorporate
everybody and unite people.
Unfortunately, the event did not
work out as originally planned. he
francophone portion was cancelled
a few days before the event, leaving
Strangelove and Professor Shelley
Rabinovich from the Department
of Classics and Religious Studies as
the only speakers. On the day of the
event, Rabinovich was forced to can-
cel due to medical reasons, leaving
Strangelove as the sole speaker at the
event.
Although the diversity of the event
was afected by the cancellations,
Strangelove made it a success, enter-
taining the crowd with his MyTube
invention, a helmet with a digital
camera attached so that it focused
on his face the entire time he was
speaking. His lecture, principally sur-
rounding mass communication and
mass consumption, highlighted the
central problems of poverty and en-
vironmentalism evident in the world
today, which he believes are caused
by such mass habits. He ended the
lecture by giving a moving critique
of the communication and economic
systems and ofered an encouraging
conclusion to listeners.
Our moral responsibility to our-
selves and to the world is to be dif-
ferent, he told those in attendance.
Find a way to be just a little bit dif-
ferent.
Ater the lecture, Strangelove ex-
plained that he thought the event was
a terriic idea and was glad to be in-
volved.
Generally, when it comes to in-
vitations to speak, I avoid saying no
because its a chance for me to learn
and practise my crat, he said in an
interview with the Fulcrum.
Overall, the events hosts viewed it
as a success, as Doneathy estimated
the auditorium was over half full.
he crowd was way beyond what I
was expecting, added Strangelove.
Ater seeing the success of the new
event, the hosts are looking forward
to doing it again soon.
We want to do another in early
January with the format we originally
planned, [with] two French speak-
ers and two English speakers, said
Doneathy. Hopefully well have an
even better turnout [next time].
Strangelove
gives hypothetical
inal talk
U of O prof gives his
last lecture
DROP FEES continued from p. 5
Ontario undergraduate students
pay the second highest rates of tu-
ition in Canada. According to Sta-
tistics Canada, the average under-
graduate tuition in the province was
$5,643 in the 200809 academic
yearalmost $1,000 above the na-
tional average.
During the speeches, Ontario Pre-
mier Dalton McGuinty received the
brunt of the blame for the high tu-
ition fees. In the lead up to his elec-
tion in 2003, McGuinty promised to
implement a tuition freeze, which
he enacted and kept in place for two
years before liting it in 2006.
On the same day, similar rallies
were held in 14 cities across Ontar-
io. Speakers in Ottawa emphasized
the need for students to remain
united in their struggle for lower
tuition fees.
Tomorrow were not going to just
return to our daily lives, Smyth said
to the crowd. No, tomorrow the bat-
tle for accessible education contin-
ues. Tomorrow we will ight harder
than we fought today.
On Nov. 26, U of O and Carleton
students will continue the Drop Fees
campaign by holding a demonstra-
tion outside Ottawa-Vanier MPP
Madeleine Meilleurs constituency
oi ce in an efort to garner her sup-
port in their pursuit for more acces-
sible post-secondary education.
Professor Michael Strangelove models his MyTube invention.
photo by Lihang Nong
Im in ur website,
steelin ur newz.
www.thefulcrum.ca
by Michael Olender
Fulcrum Staf
IN RESPONSE TO the events of Sept.
11, 2001, the Canadian government
collaborated with the U.S. in the War
on Terror, taking part in the detain-
ment of terror suspects and employ-
ing government-sanctioned racism
and punishment without sui cient
evidence.
his is the principal issue explored
in University of Ottawa graduate and
Ottawa-based author Kerry Pithers
book, Dark Days: he Story of Four
Canadians Tortured in the Name of
Fighting Terror, released Aug. 26. he
book investigates the Canadian gov-
ernments response to 9/11, telling the
story of Maher Arar, Abdullah Almal-
ki, Ahmad El Maati, and Muayyed
Nureddin, four Canadians detained
and tortured in Syria and Egypt as a
result of choices and actions by Ca-
nadian oi cials to advance Canadian
investigations. It details the systemic
pattern of Canadian complicity in
torture since 9/11, showing how the
four mens cases intertwine, reveal-
ing the roles played by the Canadian
Security Intelligence Service (CSIS),
the RCMP, and political leadership in
Canada.
Born in London, England, Pither
grew up in the west end of Ottawa,
eventually studying communica-
tions at the U of O, where she was
inspired by professors Robert E.
Babe and Kosta Gouliamos to get
involved in international human
rights work. After graduating, Pith-
er worked for the East Timor Alert
Network leading up to East Timors
referendum on self-determination
in 1999. After East Timor gained
its independence, she continued her
social justice work on a wide range
of issues in Canada.
On Sept. 26, 2002, Maher Arar was
detained during a stopover in the U.S.
en route from Tunisia to Montreal.
Acting on information supplied by
the RCMP, U.S. oi cials suspected
Arar of being a member of al-Qaeda.
His Canadian citizenship ignored,
Arar was sent to Syria.
Arars wife, Monia Mazigh, ap-
proached Pither for support in May
2003 in her struggle for her husbands
release.
Shed spoken in a class of a friend
of mine, Bill Skidmore, who teaches
human rights at Carleton University,
and he recommended that she talk to
me because Im very well connected
in what I call the social justice move-
ment in Canada, Pither explained.
[Her] hope was that I could help en-
gage more organizations and centres
in what was a lonely struggle for her
husbands release.
Working alongside organizations
like Amnesty International and the
Council on American Islamic Rela-
tions, Pither played a coordinating
role in the campaign for Arars re-
lease. Ater imprisonment, question-
ing, and torture in Syria, Arar was re-
turned to Canada on Oct. 5, 2003. he
public inquiry into Arars situation
led by Ontario Associate Chief Justice
Dennis OConnor unfolded 200406,
ultimately issuing a report on Sept.
18, 2006 that efectively cleared Arars
name of all charges. he Harper gov-
ernment awarded Arar $10.5 million
in compensation, an additional $1
million for legal costs, and a formal
apology on behalf of the Canadian
government.
I think that for the most part,
the public thought that [Arars] case
was isolated, thought that the U.S.
was mostly to blame, and thought
about it as a case of an innocent man
vindicated, she said. But what dis-
turbed me was that the government
had quite successfully used national
security conidentiality claimsor
secrecy and censorshipto keep the
broader pattern of complicity in tor-
ture out of the public eye, and they
succeeded.
Almalki, El Maati, and Nureddin
were sent to prisons under similar
circumstances as Arar. Charged as be-
ing suspected al-Qaeda members, all
three were imprisoned, questioned,
and tortured in Syria and Egypt at dif-
ferent times between 2002 and 2004.
In addition to de-brieing Arar,
Pither de-briefed Almalki and El
Maati when they returned from de-
tention and wrote their chronologies.
As they were telling me their sto-
ries and they were revealing to me
that they were in the same cells, and
that they were interrogated by the
same people, that the questions had
all come from the same [Canadian]
investigation, that [interrogators]
were all asking the same kinds of
questions, I was so overcome with
the horror of their experience that it
was very dii cult for me to keep that
to myself.
Arar, Amnesty Internationals Alex
Neve, and he Globe and Mails Jef
Sallot encouraged Pither to write a
book about the Canadian investiga-
tions into the mens cases.
I was always determined to put
these cases on the public agenda as
much as I could, but more than ever
I was determined when I saw how
the media and the public responded
to the Arar report because I just felt
that, as a country, we werent going
to move forward and learn from
what happened here unless we un-
derstood the full extent to which
Canada toadied up to the Bush ad-
ministration and played along with
its so-called War on Terror, [going]
so far as to contract out the torture
of our own citizens.
Dark Days was released on Aug. 26
and has received favourable reviews
from many newspapers, including
he Globe and Mail and the Ottawa
Citizen. Any proits Pither makes
from sales of the book are donated to
Amnesty International.
I hope that the book is helping
people to understand what torture
does to a human being, how the dam-
age is irreparable both to a persons
physical and to their psychological in-
tegrity, and how that damage spreads
to their families, she said. he dam-
age done by torture and being com-
plicit in torture is like a disease that
infects democracies and undermines
security.
Justice OConnor recommended in
the Arar report that an inquiry pro-
cess be held into the cases of the other
three men. Instead of a public inquiry
like the one held for Arar, an inter-
nal inquiry was established on Dec.
11, 2006 with former Supreme Court
justice Frank Iacobucci named com-
missioner.
It was an entirely one-sided secre-
tive inquiry, in my view, designed to
keep these mens stories of the [pub-
lic] agendato stop them from be-
coming the symbols that Maher Arar
became, Pither said.
On Oct. 21, 2008 the Iacobucci In-
quiry report was released. he report
cleared the men of all charges and
implicated the Conservative govern-
ment, the RCMP, and CSIS in the
mens detentions.
Justice Iacobucci found that the
actions of Canadian oi cials contrib-
uted to the detention and torture of
[El Maati, Almalki, and Nureddin],
explained Pither. hose men deserve
an apology and compensation as
much as Maher Arar does.
Pithers blog on her website (ker-
rypither.com) follows the atermath
of the Iacobucci report, chronicling
on the spin on the Iacobucci report
and further smearing of any of the
mens names.
I think [that apologizing both to
the men and to Canada is] really nec-
essary because this isnt just about the
men, its about all of us, its about a de-
mocracy, she said. Our democracy
has been undermined by the actions
of these Canadian oi cials.
Pither maintained that there
needs to be an independent over-
sight mechanism for national se-
curity work that could check and
balance the RCMP, CSIS, and other
Canadian security agencies, which
would ensure that something like
what happened to Arar, El Maati,
Almalki, and Nureddin would never
happen again. She demanded pub-
lic reporting on the Conservative
governments actions in this respect
and in the agencies responsible for
the detention. She demanded ac-
countability from the Conservative
government, maintaining that com-
pensation and a public apology for
the men is essential.
he damage done to the men on
a human level and to their families
requires compensationit abso-
lutely must happen, she said. If
the Harper government, which has
campaigned on [a] platform about
transparency and accountability, ab-
solves itself and these oi cials of any
accountability in these cases, then
our democracy has slid backwards in
a very frightening way.
Pither will discuss issues raised in
Dark Days on Nov. 17 at 12 p.m. at the
Ottawa Public Library (Main Library,
120 Metcalfe St). he event is free and
open to everyone.
NEWS
Nov. 13, 2008
9
www.thefulcrum.ca
Documenting Canadas dark days
U of O alumna Kerry Pither released her rst book, Dark Days, in August.
photo courtesy Alan Dean
U of O graduates irst
book details Canadian
complicity in torture
since 9/11
He brought a cigarette out. I felt the heat of the cigarette on my cheek. They were kicking
me and beating me and then they laid me down, and then he started burning my shins and
I was screaming like crazy. And then he said, I am going to burn your eyes now. I said Id
write down whatever they wanted.
excerpt from Dark Days
EARLIER THIS YEAR, my prede-
cessor told Fulcrum readers, Fuck.
Just vote in regards to the 2008
Student Federation of the Univer-
sity of Ottawa (SFUO) executive
elections.
I would argue that this referen-
dum on membership with the Ca-
nadian Federation of Students is
even more important to take part
in.
he diference with casting this
ballot is that what-
ever the result, were
stuck with it for at
least two years. his
could very well be
two years of higher
fees to pay each se-
mester.
Whats not dif-
ferent with this
referendum is that
its the same crop
of students from
the U of Os po-
litical bubble who
seem to be the only
people who care. When the Ful-
crum spoke to both the Yes and
No committeeseach primarily
made up of these political bubble
inhabitantsthe one issue they
seemed to agree on was that of
voter apathy. This crop of politi-
cally active students has pointed
out an even bigger crop of students
who dont seem to care about go-
ing to a polling station on campus
for any reason.
hese are the same apathetic stu-
dents the Fulcrum seems to be iden-
tifying and attempting to appeal to,
year ater year ater year. Well, ap-
parently, you guys won last March,
when the voter turnout for the
SFUO presidential by-elections was
a shameful 3.7 per cent. If only 3.7
per cent of our large, 30,000-strong
undergraduate population shows
up Nov. 1820, according to the
Referendum Oversight Commit-
tee, the referendum will be declared
invalid. Everything from the 13-day
campaign will be wasted if we dont
reach at least ive per cent quorum.
his referendum is, to put it in
slightly extreme words, tearing the
campus apartif the number, fre-
quency, and sheer nature of posts
on the oi cial referendum Face-
book group are any indication.
Your student fees are at stake. Your
experience on campus for the next
few years is at stake. Your individual
representation rights are at stake. It
sounds dramatic, but in many ways,
this is turning out to be a dramatic
campaign.
If you are already supporting a
side, youre already planning to
vote in an efort to see the result you
want to see. If youre not yet sup-
porting a side, get on it. It doesnt
mean you have to campaign for
one side or another, it just means
you have to make up your mind.
You only have until
Nov. 1820 to listen
to what both com-
mittees have to of-
fer, to read the web-
sites (referendum.
sfuo.ca, no-thanks.
ca, yescfs.ca), to
attend one of the
public debates, and,
of course, to read
the Fulcrum and La
Rotonde.
So this might be
an unfair referen-
dum. If you think
so, try to set aside your frustrations
and ight for the result you want to
see for your campusvote. Hon-
estly, if for no other reason than the
fees you have to pay could rise by
$14.30 next year, get out and vote.
On Nov. 18, 19, and 20, get out to
one of the 12 polling stations open
for 12 hours each day. And, fuck.
Just vote.
news@thefulcrum.ca
613-562-5260
NEWS
Nov. 13, 2008
10
www.thefulcrum.ca
Conservatives cancel plans for
portrait gallery
CANADIAN HERITAGE MINIS-
TER James Moore announced on
Nov. 7 that plans for the Portrait
Gallery of Canada have been offi-
cially scrapped by the federal gov-
ernment. In a press release, Moore
said the decision was based on glob-
al economic instability and on bids
that fell short of the governments
requirements.
he government has been look-
ing for a home for dozens of oi cial
paintings and other renderings of
prime ministers and public igures
since 2001, when Parliament passed
a motion, under the Liberal govern-
ment, to create a new gallery.
he old American embassy, across
the street from Parliament Hill, was
slated to become the new location,
with completion scheduled for 2005.
he government had spent close to
$11 million retroitting the location to
house the gallery, and signs had gone
up promoting the new site.
In 2006, the Conservative govern-
ment shelved the plans for a gallery in
Ottawa, instead considering a gallery
proposal in partnership with EnCana
Corp. in Calgary.
In November 2007, the government
opted for a bidding process involving
cities across the country interested in
housing the gallery.
Newly re-elected Ottawa-Centre
NDP member of Parliament Paul
Dewar has been vocal in opposing
the portrait gallerys move to another
city, and has campaigned signiicantly
on the issue.
he collection is currently be-
ing stored at the Library and Ar-
chives Canada preservation centre in
Gatineau, Que.
Carl Meyer
Vote of condence
FJV: the sequel
Emma Godmere
News Editor
Rock names interim secretary of
the university
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA Presi-
dent Allan Rock has named an acting
secretary of the university to ill a vp
position that has been vacant since
the end of October.
Nathalie Des Rosiers, moving from
her position as dean of Civil Law at
the U of O, will oi cially take on the
role of acting secretary on Dec. 1.
According to Rock, Des Rosiers
will not only be providing the legal
and governing advice the role re-
quires, but will also be taking on the
additional responsibilities of estab-
lishing a service oi ce to identify
and provide service opportunities to
students, spearheading the creation
of the Oi ce of University Ombud-
sperson, and drating a proposed dec-
laration of students rights and roles.
he role of secretary was previ-
ously held by Pamela Harrod, who
changed positions within the U of O
administration to become advisor to
the president for special projects.
Emma Godmere
Student charged with arson in
McMaster ire
HAMILTON (CUP) A FIRST-
YEAR STUDENT was arrested on
Nov. 3 and charged in relation to the
recent ire in a residence building at
McMaster University in Hamilton.
he Oct. 18 Brandon Hall ire sent
four students to hospital and caused
580 students to be displaced to hotels
throughout the city.
Emerson Pardoe, one of the displaced
Brandon residents, has been charged
with arson endangering human life and
arson endangering property.
Currently suspended from McMas-
ter and prohibited from entering the
city of Hamilton except for court ap-
pearances, Pardoe must also stay 500
metres away from the campus and is
not permitted to have contact with
students or staf at McMaster.
he university is currently working
towards reopening the residence to
students as early as January.
Pardoe is set to appear in court on
Dec. 16.
Selma Al-Samarrai,
he Silhouette
News in brief
Ottawatch
The Fulcrum staff meetings:
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The Fulcrum.
Nov. 1319, 2008
Arts & Culture
Peter Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
arts@thefulcrum.ca 11
by Nigel Smith
Fulcrum Staf
JOAQUIN PHOENIX ANNOUNCED on Oct.
28, to little fanfare, that he was quitting the act-
ing business for good. Of all places to break the
news, he chose the syndicated celebrity news
show Extra. He made his decision known dur-
ing an interview on the red carpet at a beneit for
the recently deceased Paul Newman. Whether
Phoenix stays true to his statement remains to
be seen, but his early-retirement announcement
brings into question the many actors who are
still working, yet are churning out increasingly
bad performances in mediocre vehicles.
One such actor is the ever-bellowing Al Pa-
cino. Unquestionably a powerhouse performer,
Pacinos work in Serpico, Heat, and the Godfa-
ther trilogy is legendary. Unfortunately, Pacinos
body of work over the last decade is in danger
of eclipsing the groundbreaking work that came
before it. His latest mainstream ilm, Righteous
Kill, was a dud on arrival, garnering terrible re-
views and underperforming at the box oi ce.
Pacinos phoned-in performance did nothing
to help the movies chances. he ilm marks Pa-
cinos second collaboration with director John
Avnet, who worked with him on the similarly
terrible 88 Minutes earlier this year.
Pacinos most memorable and nuanced per-
formance in recent years dates back to 2002, in
Christopher Nolans Insomnia. A moody crime
drama set in Alaska, the ilm allowed Pacino to
exhibit a subtlety and range reminiscent of his
earlier work. Pacino has managed to squeeze in
interesting work since then, most notably in the
HBO adaptation of Angels in America. But for
every complex role he takes on, Pacino follows
it up with a project of
less merit, coasting in
predictable and point-
less cinematic dreck.
Pacino appeared along-
side Matthew McCo-
naughey in the safe,
predictable Two for the
Money. Two years pri-
or, he starred in one of
the worst reviewed ilms of all time, Gigli. Pacino
clearly has the talent to continue working in in-
telligent and thought-provoking ilms. he dan-
ger now lies in his work with crassly commercial
projects, which could eclipse the risk-taking and
genius that made him one of the greatest actors of
all time. Pacinos best ilms in the 1970s and 80s
were both artistic and commercial successes. hat
balance has gone missing in his recent work.
Another actor from the same generation, Rob-
ert DeNiro, has lately been exploring new waters
apart from acting. Along with producer Jane
Rosenthal, he established the Tribeca Film Fes-
tival in 2002. 2006 marked the release of his irst
directorial efort, he Good Shepherd. While his
new-found passions outside of acting are com-
mendable, his accomplishments of-camera are
coloured by his repeated appearances in ilms of
no consequence. Since he Adventures of Rocky
and Bullwinkle back in 2000, his acting career has
taken a creative nosedive, including his role in
the aforementioned Righteous Kill. Meet the Par-
ents and its sequel were huge inancial successes,
but neither recalled his earlier work that is still
heralded today. DeNiro now seems content to ex-
plore the comedy genre, a surprising move away
from his earlier work. In his heyday, he served as
a muse to director Mar-
tin Scorsese, collaborat-
ing with him on classics
like Raging Bull and
Taxi Driver. DeNiro
does possess a knack
for sending up his im-
age and reputation in
comedies like the Ana-
lyze his franchise and
Stardust. But while it is amusing to see this other
side of DeNiro, it is becoming a redundant theme
in many of his newer ilms.
Bangkok Dangerous, the latest Nicolas Cage
ilm, was in theatres scarcely long enough even
to make an impressionthe fate of many of his
recent ilms. From the ill-advised remake of he
Wicker Man, to the critically panned Next, Cage
continues to churn out risible performances
in awful ilms at an alarming rate. And with 12
ilms currently in pre- or post-production, Cage
shows no signs of slowing down. Its almost as if
hes fearful of being forgotten. Someone should
inform Cage (and his agent) that an artists merit
comes from quality, not quantity.
When he irst burst onto the scene in the 80s,
Cage ushered in a new breed of actors. Mania-
cal and always unpredictable, his performances
in ilms like Moonstruck and Wild at Heart were
invigorating, recalling the work of the young,
risk-taking Jack Nicholson. But widespread suc-
cess soon followed for Cage, and he began to take
on projects that lacked any artistic integrity yet
provided a big payday. To a lesser degree than Pa-
cino, Cage has managed to it in some interesting
work along the way, in ilms like Adaptation and
Matchstick Men. hose two projects were reminis-
cent of his earlier work, when Cage was an actor
who took risks for directors such as David Lynch
and the Coen brothers. here is a raw nerve to
Cages work that, when paired with a directors
distinctive vision, can create something unique.
Unfortunately, more oten than not, Cages talents
have been squandered in forgettable action mov-
ies. From Ghost Rider to Gone in Sixty Seconds,
Cage seems to be living out a mid-life crisis thats
spanned the past decade. Cage should focus on
applying his abilities in a movie that is worthy of
his talents. here is a fading glee in Cages eyes
that hints at the subversive edge he still possesses.
hat edge will diminish in time if he continues
down his current path.
Unlike most lines of work, acting does not
provide pensions for retirement. Its an occupa-
tion born out of an insuppressible passion. Peter
OToole didnt take part in last years Venus for
the payday, but rather to fulill a desire to tell a
story. If Phoenix is indeed serious about forsak-
ing his acting career then it must be for a strong
reason. With a slew of actors who have, late in
their career, made an unfortunate turn to medi-
ocrity, perhaps Phoenix is right to get out while
he can. In Phoenixs mind it is probably better
to bow out while youre still on top, in fear of
becoming the next Nic Cage.
Pacinos best lms in the
1970s and 80s were
both artistic and commercial
successes. That balance has gone
missing in his recent work.
Making the nal bow count
Joaquin Phoenixs early
retirement brings to mind
actors that have stuck
around too long
photo courtesy Alliance Films
ARTS
Nov. 13, 2008
12
www.thefulcrum.ca
by Kalin Smith
Fulcrum Staf
JUST LIKE FASHION, ilm, and that time
every four weeks when your girlfriend seems
a little crankier than usual, music lows in cy-
cles. hough musical genres pass in and out of
popularity, the means through which music is
distributed has evolved in a more linear way.
From your parents eight-tracks, to cassettes, to
compact discs, to Napster, to whatever the hell
people are using nowadays, music distribution
has changed in ways nobody could and still
cannot predict.
One of the irst methods used for music play-
back was a vibrating pen and a disc of paper
or what is known as a gramophone record
irst introduced by Frenchman douard-Lon
Scott in 1857. he vinyl record was developed
from this concept in 1912. Ater slowly being
eclipsed by newer forms of music playback
during the 1980s, vinyl has been making a ma-
jor comeback over the past couple years. Many
independent music shops in the downtown Ot-
tawa area are beneiting from its rise in popu-
larity once again.
here are a number of stores to choose from
when shopping for vinyl in downtown Ottawa,
the largest being Vertigo Records (193 Rideau
St.). Vertigo maintains the greatest selection in
musical genres, including indie, hip-hop, and
electronic, and has both new and used vinyl. Just
a few blocks away is End Hits (407 Dalhousie
St.), which primarily sells CDs but also carries
an assortment of punk and indie vinyl. here is
also Turning Point Records (411 Cooper St.),
which mostly sells used CDs and DVDs but has
an entire second loor devoted to records. Hid-
den away in the Glebe is Birdman Sound (593
Bank St.). he store carries a wide selection of
new punk and psychedelic vinyl that may not be
found in other shops. Lastly, Sounds Unlikely
(5 Arlington Ave.) is another independent es-
tablishment. heir collection consists mostly of
jazz records. While these stores are selective in
the records they carry, many of them also accept
special orders.
hese independent record retailers sell both
used and new vinyl. Many classic albums re-
main in trade, moving in and out of these
shops, but many record labels are now pressing
contemporary records along with CDs.
Id say the majority of sales in records are in
genres like punk and indie, says Marc Casey,
manager of End Hits. But also the classics like
Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.
he most popular labels in indie and punk
to be pressing new work include Merge Re-
cords, Fat Wreck Chords, Toronto-based Arts
& Crats, and Omahas renowned Saddle
Creek Records. hese labels generally sell
their vinyl through online shops, but
many of their releases can also be found
in Ottawas record stores.
he rebirth of vinyl was unforesee-
able by the music industry as a whole,
but long-time collectors have rejoiced
in seeing their hobby make a popular
comeback. Perhaps the reason for
the rise in popularity is a result of
the remarkable sound quality vinyl
records produce. Howstufworks.
com explains this phenomenon.
In your home stereo the CD or
DVD player takes this digital record-
ing and converts it to an analog signal,
which is fed to your ampliier, the web-
site explains. he ampliier then raises
the voltage of the signal to a level power-
ful enough to drive your speaker. A vinyl
record has a groove carved into it that mirrors
the original sounds waveform. his means that
no information is lost. he output of a record
player is analog. It can be fed directly to your
ampliier with no conversion.
Ultimately, electronic music players are of
no comparison to their vinyl predecessors.
he electronic and sharp sounds of CDs just
dont cut it compared to the warm and organic
sound of a record, says Julie-Anne Mascola, a
customer of Vertigo Records and lifelong vinyl
collector and enthusiast from Ottawa.
here is usually no diference between the
price of new CDs and records, but used vinyl is
oten sold at a large discount.
he rise in vinyls popularity can be devastating
to CD sales, which have been declining ever since
programs like Napster rose in popularity. End
Hits has certainly been afected by this drop.
Its something like 1015 per cent drops in
CD sales every year, says Casey. Its only going
to go down.
But vinyl has risen in popularity as a result
of its unconventional but unquestionably supe-
rior way to listen to music, be it a record from
the 60s, or the latest indie rock record.
It is an alternative to CDs, Casey explains.
[It] remains popular mostly with indie fans.
Independent record stores are sadly be-
come a rarity in the conglomerated music in-
dustry. While major corporations like HMV
are buying out other large companies such
as Music World, independent shops offer
competitive prices and alternatives such as
vinyl. Records are considered by many to be
superior in sound quality to any electronic
method of playing music, and the format is
finally regaining the reverence it deserves.
Next time youre hunting down the latest
hit record, avoid the Rideau Centre and take a
quick detour to one of downtown Ottawas lo-
cal independent stores. You wont be let unsat-
isied. he organic sound of vinyl will do your
ears a favour, and you will have contributed
to keeping the local independent record store
scene alive.
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Next Information Sessions:
For the record:
vinyl is back and
still in black
image courtesy sxc.hu
Local record stores
survive and thrive
If youre reading this, you have the attention
to detail we need in our proofreaders.
Come to 631 King Edward
on Tuesday evenings to keep
the Fulcrum error-free.
ARTS
Nov. 13, 2008
13
www.thefulcrum.ca
CFS debate
This Friday, Nov. 14. Noon.
The Unicentre Agora.
The Fulcrum and La Rotonde present a bilingual debate regarding
the upcoming referendum on SFUO membership in the
Canadian Federation of Students.
Representatives of both the Yes and No campaigns will be present
to explain their campaigns and defend their arguments.
by Inari Vaissi Nagy
Fulcrum Staf
THE SMELL OF incense is all that
remains of the ire that ignited late
on Nov. 6 at St. Matthews Anglican
Church (217 First Ave.) in the Glebe.
It took an army to get the building
shipshape for the Ottawa Regional
Youth Choir (ORYC) and Seventeen
Voyces concert on Nov. 7.
Both choirs are Ottawa-based. he
ORYC is a large ensemble with mem-
bers aged 1523 that performs pieces
from the 16th century to today. Sev-
enteen Voyces is a 17-strong chamber
ensemble made up of some of the best
voices in Ottawa that performs music
from all eras. he Nov. 7 concert was
a remembrance of the fallen Canadian
soldiers from the First World War.
he director of the two choirs, Kev-
in Reeves, received a call that morning
from the St. Matthews rector inform-
ing him of the ire, and by noon he had
almost rescheduled the whole afair.
he smell was awful, says Reeves.
It was acrid, acrid smoke. But they
had an army of cleaners come in,
and they knew a concert was on; they
were actually on their cell phones say-
ing We need more people, theres a
concert tonight!
Despite the irewhich was con-
tained primarily to a single room in
the churchs basementand a couple
of minor syncing and microphone is-
sues, the evening was a success, end-
ing with a storm of applause from the
nearly 300-strong audience illing
the sanctuary. As the long history of
choral excellence at St. Matthews at-
tests, there is no better venue for vo-
cal acoustics than a church, and the
evenings show was no exception.
he performance featured Reevess
two choral initiatives in the Ottawa
region. A choirboy with the illustrious
St. Matthews Boys Choir in the late
1960s, Reeves acted as interim direc-
tor at St. Matthews before forming
the chamber choir Seventeen Voyces
in 1997. Reeves, apart from his duties
with Seventeen Voyces, also became
the director of the ORYC in 2007.
he ORYC is a choir for youth 1523
years of age that has collaborated with
the National Arts Centre Orchestra
(NACO), among other powerhouses
of the Ottawa chamber music scene.
he evening show consisted of two
performances that difered in their
approach but were united in their
symbolic commemoration of the First
World War. he irst half of the evening
was a mixed-media tribute devoted to
the courting of Reevess grandparents
ater his grandfather let a note at an
Ontario train station asking for some-
one to write him letters while he was
ighting overseas. he piece is based
on a book published ater the History
Channel, inundated with family histo-
ry documentaries drawn from war let-
ters, rejected a pitch by Reeves based
on this story a few years ago.
A narrated video presentation with
photos and footage from a 1930s trip
back to Vimy Ridge by Reeves grand-
parents, David and Laura Reeves,
was interspersed with live readings
of some of the 100 letters they ex-
changed from 1916 onward and solo
performances of war-time tunes such
as K-K-K-Katy and Well Meet
Again by soprano Barb Delong and
baritone Phillip Holmes.
he second half of the evening was
a performance of Gabriel Faurs Re-
quiem by the two choirs. A requiem
is a song for a funeral mass, and many
composers have explored this form.
Written in 1888, around the time of
the death of Faurs parentsperhaps
another thematic link between the
evenings two performancesthe
piece is innovative for its genre, less
gloomy and more upbeat than a typi-
cal sombre requiem.
Accompanied by a 13-piece orches-
tra formed by cellist Julian Armour,
the Requiem also featured solos from
Holmes and soprano Jennifer Pel-
land. Directed by Reeves, the blended
choirs compellingly expressed the
stirring moments of this moving
piece, anchored by tremendous organ
accompaniment. Soaring descants
and solos uplited the requiems natu-
rally solemn sound.
[It] was supposed to be a Haydn
mass but it turns out that Seventeen
Voyces is being booked to do two
Haydn masses already, back to back,
combining forces with [he hirteen
Strings and Pinchas Zuckerman] in
January, says Reeves. I thought,
well, we cant have three Haydns in a
row, Ill drive them around the bend
so I said lets do Faurs Requiem.
Reeves justiied the juxtaposition
of a very personal piece of family his-
tory centred on WWI with a grave,
religious work like Requiem.
heyre emblematic of the dead,
he says. hats really what both come
to convey.
Faur was not a religious man,
Reeves explains. He wrote this piece
to suit himself, and so in a way, its a
really religious-sounding work, but
the intent is purely musical. heyre
both secular in a way ... but there is a
reverence about the First World War
and all the sacriice [of its soldiers].
As for the upcoming season, Reeves
mentions the ORYCs Stuf and Non-
sense concert on Feb. 27 and Sev-
enteen Voyces March 13 celebration
of the 350th anniversary of the birth
of Henry Purcell, the 17th-century
Baroque composer, as highlights of
the remaining 200809 performance
schedule. Both concerts will be held
at St. Matthews.
For more information visit oryc.on.ca
or seventeenvoyces.ca.
The show must go on
Local choirs sing
through ire and
lames
St. Matthews Anglican Church played host to two Ottawa choirs and one
small re on Nov. 6.
photo courtesy Wikipedia
by Hisham Kelati
Fulcrum Staf
SINCE THE DAWN of time, thousands
of astonishing phenomena and historical
events have occurred: weve seen a man
walk on the moon, the development of the
European Union, a deadly tsunami, and
most recently, the election of an African-
American president. Most events, if not all,
have legitimate explanations to their cause,
such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake,
which was caused by a geological occur-
rence called subduction. his event created
a series of sizeable earthquakes, which con-
sequently created the tsunami that devas-
tated Southeast Asia. his explanation has
been accepted as legitimate by the vast ma-
jority of the worlds population.
But there is a select group of people who
dont believe that the account given is le-
gitimate. hey contend that there are too
many questions let unanswered and that
there are too many holes and discrepan-
cies in the oi cial explanation. Al-Osboa,
a weekly newspaper in Egypt, pointed the
inger not at a geological catastrophe, but
rather a failed scientiic experiment run by
the U.S. Navy.
hose who come up with and believe
these alternate explanations to phenomena
and events are called conspiracy theorists,
and their speculations are labelled conspir-
acy theories.
Conspiracy is a very convoluted and com-
plex word, but according to University of
Ottawa communications professor Dina
Salha, the most basic and universally ac-
cepted deinition of a conspiracy theory is
the following:
It is speculationa hypothesisthat a
group of people who are in a position of
power come together in a secret agreement
to do a wrongful act, which produces an
outcome favourable for them, she said.
Essentially, a conspiracy theory is an
alternative explanation of the powers that
inluenced and shaped an event that tries
to prove there is a more subversive and
deceitful underlining element to the event.
As the alternative account, it attempts to go
against the status quo by questioning the
legitimacy of the oi cial statements made
by a higher authority such as the govern-
ment.
As the idea is oten the opposite of the
given explanations, conspiracy theories
are deemed to be deconstructive history,
ofering an alternate historical account,
explained Floyd Rudmin, a psychologist
at University of Trosm in Norway, in his
2003 article Conspiracy heory as Nave
Deconstructive History in Human Com-
munication Canada.
Rudmin believes that the term conspir-
acy theory has been given a negative and
derogatory connotation by the media.
It discounts a theory by attacking the
motivations and mental competence of
those who advocate the theory, he wrote.
By labelling an explanation of events con-
spiracy theory, evidence and argument
are dismissed because they come from a
mentally or morally deicient personality,
not because they have been shown to be
incorrect.
Such an outlook allows the authority in
question to discredit alternate plausible
and reasonable explanations, leading the
general populace to label the theories as il-
logical, and oten fantastical claims.
In order for a conspiracy theory to be
considered efective in proving the other
side of the argument and justiiable by the
population, it needs to have enough cred-
ibility and proof in order for it to be con-
sidered legitimate.
You irst have to know the entire de-
tailed oi cial story and ind all its discrep-
ancies, explained Salha.
Isolating the inconsistencies in the of-
icial stories allows conspiracy theorists to
plug in their own details to explain those
discrepancies.
You then go through and create your
own series of plausible episodes in your al-
ternate explanation, and ind any discrep-
ancies you may have, making sure to come
up with solid explanations [for] whatever
may arise, Salha continued.
Conspiracy theorists compare the of-
icial account to the new explanation and
and use reliable sources and documents in
an attempt to prove that it is more legiti-
mate than the oi cial one. However, while
the conspiracy theory may have legitimate
claims, it may not have the substantial
evidence and proof necessary to add clout
to the account. Authority igures back up
their statements with documents available
to the public but can also legitimately keep
iles private. he only way a conspiracy
theory can truly stand as a viable option,
said Salha, is to ind the smoking gun.
he smoking gun is that one key piece of
evidence, that key element, be it iles, tapes,
or even a whistleblower, who can give you
hard evidence that proves your theory, she
said. If you dont have that, then all you
have is speculation and a hypothesis.
An example of a well-developed con-
spiracy theory and its smoking gun can be
found in the 1986 Iran-Contra Afair scan-
dal. Conspiracy theorists believed that the
American government was selling weap-
ons to Iran and using the money to help
fund anti-communist rebel groups in Nica-
ragua. As outlandish as it sounds, it wound
up being true. he whistleblowers in this
case were the investigative journalists at
the Lebanese newspaper Ash-Shiraa. Ater
a leak from an Iranian senior oi cial (later
executed for revealing the information),
Ash-Shiraa came up with documents prov-
ing the connection between the selling of
arms and the funding of the Nicaraguan
rebels: the smoking gun for conspiracy
theorists. What began as a conspiracy the-
ory ultimately became a U.S. Congress-led
investigation that resulted in the convic-
tion of several U.S. oi cials.

he Iran-Contra Afair was a victorious
moment for conspiracy theorists, giving
them a base for credibility. But to truly
understand conspiracy theories, one must
irst understand the type of person who
will readily accept conspiracy theories as
truth.
Its been found that a person who be-
lieves in a single conspiracy theory will be
more likely to believe other types of con-
spiracy theories, wrote Ted Goertzel, a
sociology professor at Rutgers University,
in a 1994 article for the journal Political
Psychology.
he conspiracy theorist is already in a
mindset that the main source of informa-
tion in society is corrupt and theyre more
readily willing to accept an alternate expla-
nation to the events, explained Goertzel.
Michael Strangelove, a professor in the
Department of Communications at the
U of O, explained why certain people are
more willing to believe in conspiracy theo-
ries, and in turn, become conspiracy theo-
rists.
We as a people come to realize that power
is usually exercised in excess
he power we give to centra
ures, such as senior oi cials
ment, are abused, and we su
[abuse] of power, he said.
that there is a great numb
tion that is withheld. Hen
highly classiied iles, hund
[of] redacted iles that wo
for 50-some years. All of thi
ourthe peoplescore val
formation must be known,
must be transparency in te
management, and informati
of the government.
he population is aware th
know every piece of inform
also are aware the governm
dency to, as Strangelove put
out of the light of day, so as
self-interest of the greater
his secrecy gives the pub
reason to question the high
Individuals with a genera
newsregarding governme
corporations, etc.are vari
their education, socio-econo
psychological temperamen
theorists are not necessarily
of people easily pointed out
Dylan Avery, writer and
controversial ilm entitled L
one well-known conspiracy
researching the legitimacy o
9/11 for his ictional ilm, A
came convinced that the fac
to be an inside job. His prio
the U.S. government fueled
to discredit the administrat
Salha explained that one
est inluences on conspirac
people who routinely critici
amongst other things, expla
between the rich and the po
ety. hese conspiracy theoris
let on the political spectrum
capitalist governments that
away from those who need
groups, she said, are those
the version of supposed com
the truth is may really be c
...o
Conspiracy joke
NEWS
Nov. 6, 2008
14
www.thefulcrum.ca
Most conspiracy theories try to unmask a powerful,
dangerous, allappropriating elite who seek nothing
less than unilateral rule and a presumed nefarious
regimentation of the populace that includes slavery
of mind and spirit.
Conspiracy Rhetoric at the Dawn of the New Millennieum
Conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theorists
s of its mandate.
al authority ig-
s of the govern-
ufer under this
We also know
ber of informa-
nce [there are]
dreds of pages
ont be released
is conlicts with
lues that all in-
and that there
erms of policy,
ion, in all levels
hat they cannot
mation and they
ment has a ten-
t it, hide things
to increase the
r government.
lic a legitimate
er authority.
al distrust of the
ents, militaries,
ied in terms of
omic status, and
nt. Conspiracy
a certain breed
on the street.
director of the
Loose Change is
theorist. While
of the events of
Avery soon be-
cts proved 9/11
or skepticism of
his enthusiasm
ion.
e of the great-
cy theories are
ize authority to,
ain the large gap
oor within soci-
sts tend to be far
m and condemn
allocate money
d it most. Other
who challenge
mmon sense that
is orchestrated by the mainstream media to
the general population.
Arguably, the biggest aid to conspiracy the-
ories is the Internet. Strangelove explained
that the Internet has inluenced the lour-
ishing underground of conspiracy theorem
in two ways: by allowing for a collective
pooling of information and by allowing for
communities to come together.
he Internet allowed for a key aspect to
occur, and that is it allowed for a greater
sense of collective memory to happen, said
Strangelove. he archival nature of the In-
ternet allowed for a bigger data source to
be created and added on to and edited for
content and legitimacy.
his pooling of information recalls Salhas
point that more proof leads to more connec-
tions being made. Whereas once someone
might not have been able to ind their smok-
ing gun, the information collected on the In-
ternet increases the likelihood of inding it.
he news treats everything as isolated
and unconnected, said Strangelove. he
moment that no connections can be made,
the theory goes out the window. he In-
ternet rectiies this issue. [It] allows for
an ecosystem of tremendous diversity of
thought to happen and lourish.
he conspiracy theory community grew
dramatically with the introduction of the
Internet in the early 1990s.
Websites for conspiracy theories soon
appeared across the Internet allowing for
a rapid spread of ideas and questions con-
cerning the action of government across
the globe. Newdemocracyworld.org is one
such site. he founders of this site attempt
to spread the importance of revolutionary
ideas built around democractic values via
the use of the Internet. heir mandate ex-
plains that the world needs a revolution-
ary movement based not on politicians but
on ordinary people themselves as the driv-
ing force and leaders of change.
Where once conspiracy theories were
relegated to the fringe press and gossip, the
Internet allowed for these people to come
together in a shared idea that they werent
the only ones out there with this common
belief, said Strangelove.
Sociologist Carl Stempel wrote, in his
article Media Use, Social Structure, and
Belief in 9/11 Conspiracy heories for
Journalism & Mass Communication Quar-
terly, the media do not promote conspira-
cy theories so much by circulating particu-
lar rumors and conspiracies, as by raising
peoples awareness and cynicism about
how much goes on in the back-stages of
governmental and corporate power.
he social-networking aspect of the In-
ternet allows for people to create websites
and foster groups dedicated to conspiracy
theories and proving them. he number of
members on Facebook groups dealing with
conspiracy theories can reach signiicant
numbers. Cover up and conspiracy network
is one such group, boasting 2,617 members.
heres an old adage credited to John Dal-
berg-Acton that says, All power tends to
corrupt and absolute power corrupts abso-
lutely. While citizens may not have signii-
cant power in their ight against corrupt
authority, conspiracy theories provide a
rallying point. All it takes is somebody to
question history and reconstruct it, then
perhaps even the wildest claims may end
up being true.
Steven R. Goldzwig put it most elo-
quently in his article entitled Conspiracy
Rhetoric at the Dawn of the New Millen-
nieum in the fall 2002 Western Journal of
Communication, Most conspiracy theories
try to unmask a powerful, dangerous, all-
appropriating elite who seek nothing less
than unilateral rule and a presumed nefari-
ous regimentation of the populace that in-
cludes slavery of mind and spirit.
coule be out there...
or it might be a load of bull
Famous conspiracy
theories:
Apollo 11 lunar mission: Americas
rst moon landing in 1969 was in fact an
elaborate staged production lmed in a
studio somewhere in New Mexico.
9/11 was an inside job: The Sept. 11
attacks were orchestrated by the U.S.
government as an excuse to invade
a Middle Eastern country in order to
secure a permanent stronghold and
unobstructed access to large deposits
of oil.
Roswell UFO incident: The purported
crash-landing of a weather balloon in
Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 was actu-
ally the crash landing of an extraterres-
trial spacecraft.
JFK was assassinated by the CIA:
While Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested
for the assassination of U.S. President
John F. Kennedy, some believe that the
act was planned by the CIA in conjunc-
tion with the FBI and the KGB.
Princess Diana was murdered by the
Royal Family: In 1997, Princess Diana
and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed were
killed in a car accident planned by the
British Royal Family because of her
supposedly scandalous lifestyle.
es theories
NEWS
Nov. 6, 2008
15
www.thefulcrum.ca
The Internets influence
Theories galore
photos by Tatiana Kallergis
ARTS
Nov. 13, 2008
16
www.thefulcrum.ca
by Peter Henderson
Fulcrum Staf
RON HAWKINS HAS been in the music busi-
ness a long time. As the lead singer and song-
writer of the seminal Canadian alternative-rock
band the Lowest of the Low, he paved the way
for a new generation of Canadian rock with his
soulful melodies and direct, emotional lyrics.
he bands irst album, Shakespeare My Butt, was
named one of the top 10 albums in Canadian
music history by Chart magazine.
Ater the Lowest of the Lows breakup in
the late 1990s, Hawkins went on to form Ron
Hawkins and the Rusty Nails, who provided an-
other showcase for Hawkinss distinctive writing
and performing style. Now a solo performer, he
hasnt forgotten his time as a struggling musi-
cian, and the experience colours his songwriting
to this day.
I seem to have been in a really charmed po-
sition over the years, says Hawkins. I started
out with the Lowest of the Low, just the three of
us busking in the streets. I did a lot of busking
on my own, so I got that downplaying very
stripped-down versions of the songs.
his early acoustic guitar-playing on the To-
ronto streets prepared Hawkins for a life of mu-
sic and informed the style that he uses to this
day.
I think busking really allowed me to come at
songwriting from that [stripped-down] stand-
point, he says. he song has to stand on its
own before it will be any good.
Hawkinss work with the Lowest of the Low
was hugely inluential in the Canadian alterna-
tive rock scene. His second band, Ron Hawkins
and the Rusty Nails, only lasted from 1996 to
2001, but their three albums conirmed Hawk-
inss status as one of Canadas best songwriters.
According to allmusic.com, fans and fellow
musicians alike maintain a respect for him that
borders on reverence.
Hawkins has done extensive work as both a
solo performer and a member of a band.
Ive never really come down on one side or
the other as to which I prefer, he explains. I
really like the position Im in, where I dont have
to choose. In the last ive years, Ive done more
just jumping in a car by myselfor, with Ot-
tawa, jumping on the trainwith my acoustic
guitar and [playing a show]. heres something
incredibly romantic about that, but theres also
something quite lonely about it.
Touring in a band provides a diferent chal-
lenge to Hawkins.
With a band, the challenge is to stay sober
between the time you hit the city and the time
you play your gig. You wind up going, Shit,
were on in 20 minutes! and people are varying
degrees of capable.
Since the dissolution of the Rusty Nails,
Hawkins has released two solo albums, includ-
ing the recent download-only EP Constellations
in March. Its available from his website, ron-
hawkins.com. Making the album download-on-
ly was a big change for Hawkins, but he thinks
its whats necessary in the post-Napster era.
Releasing records seems to be diferent in
the days of downloads, he claims. It seems to
have gone back to, ironically enough, the days of
the grassroots, word-of-mouth approach. A re-
cord doesnt necessarily have a release and then,
six months later, youre out of that envelope and
on to a new one. Now it seems to be going back
to placessomewhere like Ottawa, where a lot
of people the irst time around didnt know I had
the record out.
his new release format has freed Hawkins
from the traditional constraints of a recording
contract.
Now that weve got [the downloading] capa-
bility and recording is so guerilla, it means that
there can be a lot more fresh stuf happening,
he explains. Im trying to see how much I can
totally cut the music industry out of my music.
Its very satisfying to do it on your own, and the
people who come out to shows appreciate it, but
you dont exactly have the clout and the ability
to let as many people know [about the music].
Hawkins plays a solo show at Zaphod Bee-
blebrox on Nov. 14. he early busking that so
deined Hawkinss songwriting is something he
returns to every time he plays a solo show.
I love coming to Ottawa, and Ive just gotten
into this vibe of just jumping on the train and
coming to the show, he says. It just extends
that whole busking feel for me, getting on the
train with an acoustic guitar.
Hawkins loves to visit Ottawa. He doesnt
know whether its just because hes played great
shows and had good experiences here, but he
thinks Ottawa doesnt get the appreciation it
deserves.
I dont know if you guys know this, but you
have the reputation of being an incredibly bor-
ing city, he explains. But when I go there, I
dont ind that at all. Maybe you have to ight to
ind it a little bit more, but theres a lot of great
stuf going on in Ottawa.
Ron Hawkins plays Zaphod Beeblebrox Nov. 14.
Tickets are $12 from ticketweb.com or at the door.
19+.
Canadian alternative-
rock legend Ron Hawkins
lies solo in Ottawa
Hawk rock
If youre reading this, you have
the attention to detail we need
in our proofreaders.
Come to 631 King Edward Ave.
on Tuesday evenings to keep
the Fulcrum error-free.
Ron Hawkins, formerly of the Lowest of the Low and Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails, brings
his one-man show to Zaphod Beeblebrox on Nov. 14.
photo courtesy Ron Hawkins
Students are invited to enter by January 30, 2009
ARTS
Nov. 13, 2008
17
www.thefulcrum.ca
Album reviews
DAMN RIGHT, REBEL Proud is the
buddy you used to drink with who got
a girlfriend and cleaned himself up.
Sure, hes still the same guy, but with-
out the booze and partying its just not
the same. his follow-up to Hank Wil-
liams IIIs debut Straight to Hell throws
away the hard-drinkin and hard-driv-
in punk-country jams that made the
earlier album a genre-spanning classic
and replaces them with a more sober,
intelligent look at life and love. he
man who once sang, Im here to put
the dick in Dixie, and the cunt back
in country seems to have matured
enough to sing, I wish I knew what I
could say or do / that would give me
another chance with you.
he energetic hybrid of punk rock
and country music called hellbilly that
Williams III invented on Straight to
Hell is mostly missing on Damn Right,
Rebel Proud. he songs are slower,
more relaxed, and, unfortunately,
much more traditional than what
youd expect from the man whose last
album was a swit boot in the ass for
the entire country genre. If You Cant
Help Your Own is tame enough to be
a Toby Keith song, though if it were
it would be the best song Toby Keith
ever released. Even his darker songs,
Hank Williams III
Damn Right, Rebel Proud
B
like Candidate for Suicide and
Stoned and Alone, seem somehow
mild and conventional.
Of course, this more-traditional
sound isnt all bad, and there are still
some songs on the album that hearken
back to the raw hellbilly of Straight to
Hell. he Grand Ole Opry (Aint So
Grand) is a country masterpiece with
the classic Hank III attitude. He sings
about his grandfathers ejection from
membership at the Grand Ole Opry,
saying, Hank Williams still aint re-
instated / and thats fucking bullshit!
Pf is a country-rock anthem that
mixes punk with western style and
delivers a solid 10 minutes of party-
ing, drinking, and banjo-plucking.
Williams III has evolved, but he hasnt
totally forgotten his hedonistic roots.
Even on the few boring songs,
Hank IIIs git for melody and lyrics
inherited from his grandfather, the
metaphorical grandfather of modern
country musicmakes every song
listenable and entertaining, even for
those who hate country. Damn Right,
Rebel Proud may not be the hell-rais-
ing soundtrack that Straight to Hell
was, but in this time of passivity and
lag-waving conformity in country
music its a welcome breath of Jack-
Daniels-scented air.
Peter Henderson
JACKSON SQUARE, THE irst full-length album from Hamilton-based indie-
rock band Arkells, is brilliant and diverse. he recorda varied collection of
bright, upbeat tracks like Pullin Punches and Ballad Of Hugo Chavez, and
more rough-edged rock songs like Oh, he Boss Is Coming! and Heart Of
he Cityis shockingly good considering that the band has only been to-
gether since 2006. Lead singer Max Kermans voice adapts well to the diferent
musical tones of the album as he belts out lyrics that are emotional but also
grounded. Jackson Square shows the inluence of several bands Arkells have
shared the stage with; Tragic Flaw mirrors the style of the Strokes and John
Lennon sounds like a more intense Bedouin Soundclash. Arkells have crated
an energetic and promising irst album that is sure to garner them national
attention.
Jaclyn Lytle
ALBERTAS WOMEN SEAMLESSLY twist late-1960s pop with 80s no-wave on
their self-titled debut. Recorded on ghetto-blasters and old tape machines, this
10-song album is a gritty, glorious swirl of vocals, guitars, bass, samples, and
percussion. With its grounded descending guitar-line underscoring white roar
and otherworldly voices, Lawncare is astonishing, eventually segueing into
the tense, driting Woodbine. Group Transport Hall showcases the bands
innate git for melody, plodding sweetly with acoustic guitar, layered vocals,
and xylophone. Shaking Hand thrills with its straining intricacy, and the inal
song, Flashlights, pulverizes with cacophonous noise. Although some songs
feel incomplete and the album is criminally short at around 30 minutes, Wom-
en is spectacular, earnest, and oten vicious art rock. In the words of Norman
Mailer, Women are a young band that show the genre where the hands have
come to on the clock.
Michael Olender
FANTASMA PARASTASIE IS the irst oi cially recorded collaboration between
Tim Hecker and Nadjas Aidan Baker. Both artists have created memorable solo
recordings in the past, but together they have made something that is greater
than the sum of both their catalogues. Bakers music usually involves pushing
an electric guitar to breaking point by manipulating it with heavy distortion,
delay, and resonance. His style meshes perfectly with Heckers laptop-produced
hazy, dream-like tones and textures. At irst, this album may seem like a sound-
scape, but its connections to traditional ambient music are tangential at best.
Refreshingly, the noises on this album move away from the modern clichs
of the avant-garde drone scene, evolving and moving in ways that are never
repetitive. he albums dissonance sounds like a mixture of Robert Ashleys he
Wolfman and last years standout album by Alexandre St-Onge, Mon Animal
est Possible. For mainstream listeners, this album may be challenging, but its
never alienating. If approached with an open mind, Fantasma Parastasie can
be hypnotic bliss.
Danyal Khoral
Arkells
Jackson Square
Women
Women
Aidan Baker &
Tim Hecker
Fantasma
Parastasie
A+
A
A+
Writers.
Photographers.
Illustrators.
Proofreaders.
The Fulcrum needs
volunteers to produce every issue.
Help us out.
No experience necessary.
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Drop in and say hi.
Sudoku
answers
from p. 26
WHEN I WAS a kid, music came in two forms:
audio cassette and compact disc. My mom had
a bunch of old records, but it was all stuf that
I wasnt interested in at the timeCat Stevens,
Jim Croce, the Carpenters. I had my R.E.M.,
Tragically Hip, and U2 tapes, and that was all
I really needed. CDs were a rarity, if only be-
cause, as a child, I couldnt aford them. Tapes
were cheap, and meant to be traded among
friends.
Unfortunately, the cassette tapes I was used
to hearing on my familys low-quality ghetto
blaster didnt have near the sound quality of the
high-idelity record player in our basement. It
had been relegated there from the living room
ater the purchase of a smaller, sleeker, CD-
player sound system. It sat downstairs, slowly
gathering dust in its retro wooden casing. It
was a relic of a bygone age in which cover art
was supremely important and breaking a nee-
dle didnt necessarily mean you were a drug
addict. I dont exactly
remember how I irst
made the decision to
try out a record, but
I do know I never
looked back.
he irst record I
really remember lis-
tening to is Sgt. Pep-
pers Lonely Hearts Club Band. I sat transixed
in front of the stereo as the Beatles introduced
me to Billy Shears and the albums cast of bi-
zarre characters. As the majestic inal chord of
A Day in the Life faded away and the locked-
groove loop of noise at the end of the album be-
gan, I knew I was hooked. I opened the cabinet
underneath the stereo and my eyes illed with
wonder. Here was the music Id been missing
all my life without knowing it, in rich, vibrant
sound like Id never heard before. I listened to
the Beach Boys, Paul Simonwhatever I could
pull from my newly discovered treasure trove.
he next day, hidden far at the back, I found
an album that seemed to be about rural farm-
ing communities; at least, thats what the man
with sticks on his back on the cover told me.
he opening drum
rif of Black Dog
blew me away, and
I knew I was on to
s ome t hi ngt hi s
Led Zeppelin band
was pretty damn
good, and Id never
heard music sound
this phenomenal in all my life.
hat was the beginning of my love afair with
vinyl, and we havent been apart since. Ive cre-
ated my own collection by purchasing records
and stealing albums from my mom and older
brothers. Nothing can compare to the analog
sound of a record, and many big artists are now
returning to the old formatyou havent heard
Radioheads In Rainbows until youve heard it on
LP. he digital conversion of modern music
the process by which a song becomes a series
of ones and zeroes to be read by a CD player or
iTunesseems to take away the soul of the mu-
sic. his is not some airy-fairy, nerdy concept.
Records sound better because they keep the
original integrity of the sound wave, unlike CDs
or other digital recordings, which break it down
into individual parts that get the sound mostly
rightbut not perfect. For true music devotees,
theres never a reason to compromise on sound
quality, so theres never a reason to listen to any-
thing but vinyl records.
his year, I have the good fortune of shar-
ing an apartment with a fellow vinyl enthusiast,
and our late-night blaring of everything from
Shostakovich to Dr. Dre is a celebration of the
records dominance as a medium for the true
connoisseur. Records are the best way to experi-
ence music, and their continued existence as a
popular medium is something I embrace whole-
heartedly.
arts@thefulcrum.ca
613-252-2311
ARTS
Nov. 13, 2008
18
www.thefulcrum.ca
Youll never eat brunch in this town again
My love affair with vinyl
Peter Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
Nothing can compare to the
analog sound of a record, and
many big artists are now
returning to the old format
THE FULCRUM
Staff meetings Thursdays at 1 p.m.
Drop by 631 King Edward Ave. and pick up a story.
Nov. 1319, 2008
Sports
David McClelland
Sports Editor
sports@thefulcrum.ca 19
by David McClelland
Fulcrum Staf
AFTER THE OPENING kick-of
pinned the University of Ottawas
mens football team deep in their own
end and the Gee-Gees drive culmi-
nated in a safety, the tone of the game
was set. he Western Mustangs domi-
nated the Gee-Gees 31-17, en route to
a second consecutive Yates Cup vic-
tory.
We [came] to a point where youve
got to play your best game, said Gee-
Gees head coach Denis Pich. A
conference inal is certainly not the
place to not execute well on ofence,
which is exactly what we did. We
couldnt sustain drives, we had a hard
time running the football, [and] we
dropped a lot of footballs.
he irst half was marked by a
strong wind blowing downield,
which the Gee-Gees were forced to
overcome during the opening quar-
ter. he team had trouble moving
the ball against the wind, and rookie
punter Steve Fievetplaying just his
second career Canadian Interuni-
versity Sports gamehad dii culty
sending the ball more than 20 yards
down the ield.
Western, working with the wind at
their backs, were able to score a pair of
touchdowns in the opening quarter,
whichwith the safetywas nearly
enough to win them the game.
[Western] scored 16 early points,
and from there it was just trying to
play catch-up, said ith-year quarter-
back Josh Sacobie. [Being] just one
play of, it can have a big impact on
the game, and we just couldnt gener-
ate any momentum.
he Gees inally put some points on
the board in the second quarter, when
Sacobie connected with third-year
receiver Cyril Adjeity on a 23-yard
pass, but two Mustang ield goals in
the quarter put Western comfortably
ahead 22-7.
With another touchdown in the
third quarter of the game, the Mus-
tangs victory was all but clinched.
Ottawa attempted to mount a late-
game comeback in the fourth quarter,
but Western recovered an attempted
onside kick ater an Ottawa touch-
down with just over three minutes let
to play. he possession gave the Mus-
tangs ample opportunity to run down
the clock.
For Sacobie, along with nine other
veteran players, including linebacker
and defensive captain Joe Barnes and
receiver and ofensive captain Justin
Wood-Roy, this game was their last
with the Gee-Gees, as they have all
played their ith and inal season of
CIS eligibility
As a ith-year, I will be attending
[Canadian Football League] free-
agent camps, where I hopewith a
lot of luck[Ill] catch the eye of one
of the scouts, said Sacobie, speaking
of his post-CIS football plans. I dont
want to leave any regrets, Im going to
go through it and ater that if it still
doesnt work out for me, Im going
to hang the game up, Im okay with
that.
he Gee-Gees will now begin the
process of rebuilding and scouting for
new players for another season.
Were just going to keep doing
what we do. Were going to recruit
and ind the good players and ind
some transfers to come and re-en-
ergize [the team], said Pich. Our
recipe seems to be working, and weve
just got to keep chipping away at it. At
the end of the day, theres 28 teams in
this country and theres only one team
thats going to be fully satisied with
their season.
Sun sets on Gee-Gees post-season
Football team
cant top Western
in Yates Cup
The Gee-Gees offence struggled to execute in the Yates Cup against a tough Western defence
photo by Laura Barclay
by Megan OMeara
Fulcrum Staf
THE GEE-GEES WOMENS soccer
team came away from the Canadian
Interuniversity Sports (CIS) national
championship with a sixth-place in-
ishing, concluding the Nov. 69 tour-
nament at Trinity Western University
with one win and two losses.
In a steady downpour on Nov. 6,
the Gee-Gees faced the top-ranked
Montreal Carabins. Montreal out-
shot the Gee-Gees 8-2 throughout
the game, but Ottawa goalkeeper
Jess Charron managed to protect the
net until Carabins defender Marie-
Michle Bouchard scored the in the
42nd minute. he Gee-Gees were un-
able to score in the second half, falling
1-0 to the Carabins.
Despite letting the goal slip by her,
Charron was named player of the game
for the Gee-Gees. She believed that
Montreals impressive reputation had
an impact on her teams performance.
I think the girls were deinitely
really nervous going into that game,
mostly because Montreal is a really
good team and we really respected
them for that, she said.
he Gee-Gees have made it to the
CIS nationals 10 times in the last
15 seasons, but this loss ended their
hopes of claiming an eighth national
medal. Although they were disap-
pointed, Charron said her team was
not devastated by the loss.
It was only a 1-0 loss, she said. It
was a tough loss, but they didnt blow
us out of the water or anything and I
think being able to take that away is
really important for everybody.
Out of the medal race, the Gee-
Gees played a consolation game the
following day against the defending
national champion Cape Breton Ca-
pers. Gee-Gee striker Josephine De
Jesus connected on a diving header
past the Capers goalkeeper Jessica
MacDermid in the irst half, mark-
ing Ottawas irst and only goal of the
weekend. Despite launching 10 shots
on net in the second half, the Gees
were unable to add to their tally. he
1-0 victory allowed the Gee-Gees to
move on to play in the ith-place
game the next day.
Head coach Steve Johnson felt that
his team put in a good efort, but
needed to push harder to get past
MacDermid.
hat game was quite well played by
us, in almost every facet of the game
we were better than Cape Breton,
Johnson said. We just missed oppor-
tunity ater opportunity to score.
Charron agreed, explaining that
missing opportunities has been a
problem for the team all season.
One of the biggest [problems] that
weve had this season is just capital-
izing on our scoring opportunities,
she said.
Ottawa faced the Laurier Golden
Hawks for ith place in the tourna-
ment on Nov. 8 in a rematch of the
Nov. 2 Ontario University Athlet-
ics inal. While Ottawa outshot the
Hawks 6-5, it was Laurier defender
Erica Homer who found a scoring
touch as she launched a header past
Charron in the second half to score
the only goal of the game.
Although the girls were disappoint-
ed with their sixth place inish, Char-
ron said that they were still proud of
making it to nationals.
Winning a medal is always a great
feeling and experience, but just get-
ting to nationals is an achievement on
its own, so were pretty happy that we
did that.
Disappointing nish
Womens soccer
inishes sixth in
national tournament
The Gee-Gees only managed to score one goal at the CIS national
championships in Langley, BC.
photo courtesy Canadian Interuniversity Sport
by Ben Myers
Fulcrum Staf
THERES NO PLACE like home for
the Gee-Gees mens hockey team.
Nine games into the regular season,
the Garnet and Grey have amassed
a record of 5-4, with eight of those
games played on home ice. Ater de-
feating the Queens Golden Gaels 4-3
in a shootout on Nov. 7, and handling
the RMC Paladins 7-3 on Nov. 8, the
Gees are happy with their weekend
efort as they get ready to hit the road
for the next six games, a stretch that
lasts until Jan. 10.
he Gees displayed their ofensive
depth against RMC, with ive play-
ers collecting two or more points.
Second-year goaltender Riley Whit-
lock also played a solid game, making
12 saves in the third period as RMC
crashed the net in hopes of cutting
into Ottawas comfortable lead.
Ater splitting the pair of games,
head coach Dave Leger noted that
consistency is one area in which his
team could continue to improve as
the season continues.
I think we go into every game,
not playing against another team, but
[playing against] ourselves, said Leger,
following Ottawas win over RMC.
Its been a roller coaster, said
fourth-year centre Dan McDonald,
the Gee-Gees leading scorer with
four goals and 12 assists. Weve been
a bit inconsistent at times, but I think
right now weve got it on track.
Rookie let-winger Sean Smyth tal-
lied three goals against the Paladins,
playing on Ottawas top line with Yan-
ick Charron and McDonald.
Yanick and Danny are the engine of
our team, and we think that they need
a hard-working, speedy guy to be with
them, Leger said of Smyth. Charron
and McDonalds regular linemate, let-
winger Ryne Gove, was injured in the
previous nights game against Queens.
Despite the change-up, there was no
lack of cohesion between McDonald,
Charron, and Smyth.
Hes a big body. He complements
myself and Yanick really well, Mc-
Donald said of Smyth. We can just
stay outside, move the puck around,
and feed him in front. I think all his
goals came within ive feet of the net.
Leger has implemented a quick,
simple ofensive system for his for-
wards recently.
We talked about not forcing the
puck [through] the middle of the ice,
unless there was a clear-cut pass, he
said. We talked about just patiently
cycling in the corner and [having]
our players move into position for a
quick-passing option.
In the coming months, the Gee-
Gees face their toughest opponent
yet: the road. Starting Nov. 14 when
they visit the Queens Golden Gaels in
Kingston, the Gees wont play another
home game for eight weeks, including
the holiday break.
his is where it gets tough, Mc-
Donald said of the teams upcoming
string of away games. heyre always
gritty wins on the road.
To help them through the next few
weeks, he Gee-Gees are hoping to
see the return of a few injured players,
including Gove and fourth-year cen-
tre Brandon McBride, who should be
well rested and ready to hit the road.
hese returning players will likely add
to Ottawas ofence, an area where the
Gee-Geesa team known more for
its toughnesshave lacked in previ-
ous seasons.
Weve got lots of bodies that are
just in the stands ready to come back,
Leger said.
We inally have enough ofensive
depth on our team. I think over the
last two years weve struggled to gen-
erate ofence, Leger said, adding that
rookie let-winger Matthieu Methot
and McBride will be counted on to
complement the scoring of McDon-
ald and Charron as the season con-
tinues.
Spreading the wealth
Gee-Gees
prepare for long
stretch of road
games
Gee-Gees rookie forward Sean Smyth scored a hat-trick against RMC, one of ve Gees to collect two or more
points.
photo by Alex Smyth
SPORTS
Nov. 13, 2008
21
www.thefulcrum.ca
by Hilary Caton
Fulcrum Staf
ON THE EVENING of Nov. 8, Mont-
petit Gym was illed with students
participating in a charity fundraiser
by playing basketball and volleyball.
he event was hosted by Begin 2 Be-
lieve, an organization that holds sports
events to raise money for charity.
Proceeds received from registration
fees were donated to the Ottawa Food
Bank and the Ottawa Hospital Reha-
bilitation Centre, the main beneicia-
ries of the event.
he gym was split into three sec-
tions: two for volleyball and one for
basketball. Each section had com-
petitive pools and non-competitive
pools so that skilled teams wouldnt
dominate less-skilled teams, with 10
basketball teams and 16 volleyball
teams competing. Each team consist-
ed of ive to seven players who paid
$20 each to register their team for the
fundraiser.
Begin 2 Believe is an organization
composed of Ottawa-area university
students, that works to raise funds
for local charities as well as inform
students of volunteering opportuni-
ties in the local area. David Nguyen
created the organization in April
2008 ater he was inspired to contrib-
ute ater hearing about the millions
of dollars the Friends of the Ottawa
Hospital have raised to help patients
at the Ottawa Hospital. Nguyen or-
ganized a charity dodgeball tourna-
ment, and ater its success, decided
to continue holding similar events.
he organizations name comes from
one of their core mission statements:
You need to begin to believe in your-
self before you can make a diference.
So far weve had over six tourna-
ments of beach volleyball, indoor
volleyball, dodgeball, and basketball,
said Alyssa Fong, Begin 2 Believes vp
communications, who was also over-
seeing the Nov. 5 events. he tourna-
ment had an impressive turnout with
160 people competing and raising
money for charity.
Students from all over came to
this fundraiser tonight, [and] not just
Ottawa students; some are from club
leagues in the Ottawa region as well,
explained Fong.
Begin 2 Believes fundraisers arent
just for a good cause, as they can be a
great social event as well.
Its a great way to get out and meet
people, especially for irst-year stu-
dents, said irst-year Faculty of Arts
student Rea Coster, who was partici-
pating in the volleyball tournament.
I irst heard about the fundraiser
through my residence. here was a
poster up in the lobby and my friends
and I thought it would be fun and its
for a great cause, so why not partici-
pate?
Begin 2 Believe raised an estimated
$3,200 Saturday night from registration
fees alone. For more information about
their upcoming events as well as their
preferred charities, check out their web-
site at begin2believe.com.
Believing in the power of sports
One hundred-sixty people competed in various sports at Montpetit Gym
to raise money for Ottawa Fundraising Group Begin 2 Believe.
photo by Alex Martin
Charity volleyball and
basketball tournament
raises money for local
organizations
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believe in yourself
before you can make
a difference.
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SPORTS
Nov. 13, 2008
22
www.thefulcrum.ca
by Sarah Leavitt
Fulcrum Staf
AMINATA DIALLO, A power on
the Gee-Gees womens volleyball
team, steadies herself by the net,
follows the path of the ball with her
eyes, and with ease and grace, spikes
it hard over the net. Celebrating the
point with her teammates, she is all
smiles. Diallo has come a long way
from her adolescence in a war-torn
country.
Diallo grew up in Bosnia and
Herzegovina during the 1980s. For-
merly part of the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina gained independence
during the Yugoslav wars of the ear-
ly 1990s. he Bosnian Wara con-
lict involving aggression by Croatia
and Serbia and Montenegro to re-
distribute Bosnia and Herzegovina
between the two countriesbegan
in March 1992 when Diallo was
only 10 years old. he Serbian army
invaded and attacked Bosnian cit-
ies, including Diallos hometown of
Travnik.
We had no electricity, no run-
ning water, [and] we were living
on all powder food, she said. We
use to make a joke that we hoped
no wind would come because it
would blow [all our food] away. We
were really relying on humanitarian
[aid].
Everyday life changed dramati-
cally with the start of the war, and
Diallo and her siblings did not go to
school or stray far from their back-
yard. Attacks occurred at all hours
of the day, and because Diallos fam-
ily lived near refugee hideout areas
their apartment building was oten
directly in the line of ire.
Our apartment building got
hit four times and was destroyed.
We used to have sirens go of that
meant there was an attack, so you
were supposed to stay at home, she
explained. Most of the time, dur-
ing the war, wed stay in the base-
ment, in a dark room.
It wasnt long before Diallos
mother felt it was too dangerous to
stay at home and moved her family
to a refugee camp located at a former
army base in Bosnia. While waiting
for refugee status to be granted by
Canada, Diallo irst encountered
volleyball in a unique way.
We were living in an old army
ield so they only had a soccer
ield, she explained. hey would
put a rope in the middle and wed
hit a ball around with our hands
and feet.
Playing this loose variation of vol-
leyball kept Diallo and her younger
brother and sister busy during their
time at the army base. Finally, ater
several months of waiting, the fam-
ilys refugee status in Canada was
granted.
he family settled in Hull, Que-
bec in 1994. Diallos father, who
died when she was young, was orig-
inally from the Republic of Mali in
West Africa, and Diallos mother
wanted her children to remember
him through his language: French.
Diallo was enrolled in a year of
French classes in order to be able
to converse with other students her
age. She experienced dii culty ad-
justing to her new life.
[In Hull,] I was in a class where
I had to reintegrate myself within
my new community and explain
[my situation] with new people,
she said. [I] always sort of felt let
out.
Volleyball kept Diallo busy dur-
ing her irst years in Canada. While
she only played recreationally in
secondary school, Diallo got her
competitive start at CGEP de
lOutaouais. Despite her lack of ex-
perience with a competitive team,
she was picked up for her enthusi-
asm for the sport.
[he team] saw potential in me
because Im tall and I work hard,
she said.
Diallo started her masters in
social work at the University of
Ottawa this fall ater complet-
ing her undergraduate degree at
the University of Laval and, at 26,
calls herself the oldest rookie on
the Gee-Gees womens volleyball
team. Gee-Gees head coach Lionel
Woods invited her to pre-tryouts
in August to see how she would it
with the team and started her in
the power position.
Im usually a middle player and
[Woods] already had four middles
so he was wondering if I would
mind playing another position, she
said. I tried the power position and
I was really happy he put me [there].
So far, [it has been] amazing.
Despite the hard times Diallo
had to endure in her adolescence,
she has embraced her extraordinary
experiences.
I take the good of Bosnia but I
also take the good of Canada, she
said.
The long and difcult road of Aminata Diallo
Gee-Gee discovered
volleyball during
Bosnian War
We had no
electricity, no
running water,
[and] we were
living on all
powder food.
Aminata Diallo
Aminata Diallo, a rookie power for the Gee-Gees volleyball team, (far right) left Bosnia and Herzegovina in the middle of a war to nd peace in Canada.
photo by Lihang Nong
SPORTS
Nov. 13, 2008
23
www.thefulcrum.ca
Womens basketball sparks wins
THE UNIT MAY have played only
three games, but the Gee-Gees wom-
ens basketball team is already miles
ahead of last year. With a 72-71 win
over the Western Mustangs on Nov.
7 and a 62-60 win over the Wind-
sor Lancers the following day, the
Gee-Gees now have two wins, one
less than they amassed in the entire
200809 season.
he wins also mark the irst Ca-
nadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS)
victories for new head coach Andy
Sparks, who joined the team in July.
Despite not having enough time to
recruit new players for the season and
working with virtually the same ros-
ter as last year, he has already begun
reversing the teams fortunes.
Against the Mustangs, the Gees
built upon a 28-point second quar-
ter to earn the victory, clinched by
a basket from second-year guard
Emilie Morasse in the inal minute.
hird-year guard Melina Wishart was
outstanding for Ottawa, recording 23
points in the game.
On Nov. 8, the Gee-Gees upset a
the third-ranked team in the CIS: the
Windsor Lancers. he Garnet and
Grey were led by second-year post
Hannah Sunley-Paisley, who inished
the game with 19 points and 12 re-
bounds.
he Gees now hold a 2-1 record,
and are tied for fourth place in the
Ontario University Athletics east divi-
sion. hey play next on Nov. 14, when
they host the McMaster Marauders at
6 p.m. in Montpetit Gym. Tickets are
$4 for students.
David McClelland
A pair of shutouts for womens
hockey
THE GEE-GEES WOMENS hockey
team was shut out by the Concordia
Stingers 2-0 on Nov. 8, but followed
up the loss by shutting out their cross-
town rival Carleton Ravens 3-0 on
Nov. 9.
Ottawa was shocked by Concordias
victory, as they were winless on the
season. Stingers goaltender Audrey
Doyon-Lessard stopped 35 shots to
keep the Gee-Gees of the scoreboard.
Forwards Mallory Lawton and Donna
Ringrose both solved irst-year Gees
goaltender Marie-Hlne Malenfant
to secure the victory for Concordia.
he Garnet and Grey shook of
the loss and topped the Ravens the
next day. Fith-year goaltender Jes-
sika Audet recorded the shutout for
the Gee-Gees, stopping 25 shots in
the game, while fourth-year forward
Joyce Spruyt scored twice for Ottawa.
hird-year forward Joelle Charle-
bois added a power-play goal for the
Gees.
he Gee-Gees now have a 4-2-1
record, and hold second place in the
Quebec Student Sports Federation.
hey next play Nov. 21 when they
host the Dalhousie Tigers in an ex-
hibition game at the Sports Complex
Arena at 7 p.m. he cost of tickets was
not available at press time.
David McClelland
Mens basketball
of to an uneven start
A 20-POINT LOSS was not how the
University of Ottawa mens basketball
team wanted to begin their season, as
they dropped their opener 73-53 to
the Western Mustangs on Nov. 7 in
London.
Despite jumping to an early 8-2
lead, the Gee-Gees were unable to
maintain the pressure and trailed 29-
24 at haltime. he Mustangs proved
untouchable in the second half, and
ran away with the victory. Rookie for-
ward Warren Ward was the lone high-
light for Ottawa, recording 16 points
in the game.
he next day, the Gee-Gees tipped
of against the Windsor Lancers and
were able to shake of the opening-
game jitters that plagued them against
Western. Fourth-year guard Don-
nie Gibson won the game, sinking a
three-pointer with 12 seconds let to
give Ottawa a 77-75 victory. Second-
year guard Jacob Gibson-Bascombe
played an impressive game, scoring
22 points.
he Gee-Gees will play their irst
home game of the season on Nov. 14
when they host the McMaster Mau-
raders at 8 p.m. in Montpetit Gym.
Tickets are $4 for students.
David McClelland
Womens volleyball splits road
trip
AFTER FALLING IN straight sets to
the McMaster Marauders on Nov. 8
and then toughing out a 3-2 victory
against the Guelph Gryphons on Nov.
9, the University of Ottawa womens
volleyball team is still searching for its
A-game.
he Marauders made short work of
the Gee-Gees, needing just 69 min-
utes to secure the victory, with scores
of 25-13, 25-17, and 25-22. Fith-year
letside hitter Karine Gangon was Ot-
tawas strongest player, recording six
kills and ive digs.
he Gee-Gees played much better
against Guelph the next day. Ater
losing the opening set 25-23, the Gees
pulled together and won the next two
sets 25-21 and 25-20. While the Gry-
phons snatched a 25-21 win in the
fourth set, the Gee-Gees inished of
the match with a 15-7 victory in the
inal set. Fith-year rightside/letside
hitter Ariane hibault had 11 kills
and 11 digs for Ottawa in the match.
he Gee-Gees now have a 6-2 re-
cord and sit irst in the Ontario Uni-
versity Athletics east division. hey
next play Nov. 22 when they host the
York Lions at 2:30 p.m. in Montpetit
Gym. Tickets are $4 for students.
David McClelland
NOV. 4 WAS AN important day, as it was, of
course, the day that the City of Ottawa released
its 2009 drat budget (I think something may
have happened in the United States too).
If you follow municipal politics, you know
that Ottawa has been struggling with budget
problems in light of Mayor Larry OBriens
promise to keep tax increases to a minimum.
Unfortunately, that means that one of the op-
tions being tabled is to increase user fees for
city facilities and services, including city-owned
sports facilities. User fees are what city residents
pay to help ofset the cost of services to make
up for what isnt covered by tax revenue, and in-
clude transit fares, water bills, and facility rent-
als, among other things.
Now, there are a lot
of reasons to criticize
increased user fees as a
replacement for tax in-
creases, but hitting lo-
cal athletics programs
strikes me as particu-
larly alarming. Whats
worse is the fact that fees
afecting youth would be
increasing the most.
A City document
titled Option One: In-
crease User Fees to Re-
duce Level of Subsidization from Property Tax-
es details some of the proposed changes. Rental
fees for minor hockey would be increased from
$122 per hour to $185 per hour, compared to
$210 per hour to $231 per hour for adult hockey.
Meanwhile, the fee for sports ield rentals would
see a substantial increase, from $5.45 per hour
for youths and $15.08 per hour for adults to
$24.30 for youths and $29.70 for adults. Swim-
ming pools, community halls, and gymnasiums
would also have their hourly rental fees hiked
signiicantly.
Personally, I cant
believe that the City of
Ottawa would even con-
sider such drastic fee
hikes. Sports and athlet-
ics are a very important
part of our community,
especially for the citys
youth, and forcing rent-
al increases upon them
could prove to be disas-
trous. Ater all, these in-
creases would get passed
on to participants in recreational sports leagues,
and in the case of youth sports, to the parents
and coaches who already volunteer a lot of time
and money to ensure things run smoothly.
Many recreational leagues are already becom-
ing too expensive for children from low-income
families, and these increases could put athlet-
ics even further out of reach. hese children
tend to have a much greater risk of becoming
involved in criminal activity or abusing drugs
and alcohol, and involvement in sports can be
an excellent way of mitigating these problems.
Additionally, childhood obesity is an increasing
concern in our society, and surely we should be
encouraging children to exercise and participate
in sports, not making it more dii cult.
Ottawa City Council really needs to step back
and consider what they are doing before com-
mitting to these fee increases. Should they go
up, registration fees for local leagues will surely
follow, which could easily mean that many kids
are no longer able to participate. Mayor OBrien
needs to take a step back and realize that some-
times raising taxes is a necessity if he wants Ot-
tawa continue to be an attractive place to live.
he health of our community and its youth
should not be jeopardized by his desire to save
face.
sports@thefulcrum.ca
613-562-5931
Lighting the lamp
Youth shouldnt pay for citys problems
David McClelland
Sports Editor
Around the
horn
Childhood obesity is an
increasing concern in our
society, and surely we should
be encouraging children to
exercise and play sports, not
making it more difcult.
Nov. 1319, 2008
Opinion
Michael Olender
Executive Editor
executive@thefulcrum.ca 24
by Renaud-Philippe Garner
Fulcrum Contributor
EARLIER THIS YEAR, I wrote several letters
to the student media in support of the Cana-
dian Federation of Students (CFS). I sought to
defend an organization that stood for demo-
cratic empowerment and the interests of all
students. I attacked what I thought were un-
just accusations about the underhanded tactics
used by the CFS. Brothers, sisters, comrades: I
was wrong.
Here are my reasons: Following an absurd
proposal by the CFS representatives of a two-
page disaffiliation question on the ballots, the
CFS dragged Kwantlen Polytechnic Univer-
sitys Kwantlen Student Association into court
on March 14. The CFS petition sought to de-
lay the associations disaffiliation referendum
until the fall, after the oversight committee
composed of two CFS delegates and two del-
egates from the student unionwas unable to
reach a consensus. This petition was rejected
by Judge Marc McEwan. Can any reasonable
person offer an explanation as to the obvious
display of bad faith by the CFS delegates in
the negotiations? Can CFS sympathizers pro-
vide an answer as to how such an absurdly
long question could be anything but an insult
to fairness? Perhaps, one should inquire as to
why the CFS is proposing a 100-word ques-
tion to students at the University of Ottawa
and a two-page question to those seeking in-
dependence? I hold that we cannot trust those
who will put forth such an insult to the spirit
of compromise and fairness.
It seems to me that such actions demon-
strate the lack of respect the CFS has for the
students it claims to defend. It seems to me
rather odd that an organization that claims to
defend the welfare of students should force a
student association into court, incurring legal
costs to the very same students that it claims
are too poor to finance their education. Drop
fees indeed.
A fair referendum should have a spending
cap. Such a measure would ensure that ideas and
not cash sway voters and therefore allow equal
access to democracy, for rich and poor. he
campaign for the Student Federation of the Uni-
versity of Ottawa (SFUO) to gain full member-
ship in the CFS has no such cap. Our very own
referendum oversight committee, composed of
SFUO President Dean Haldenby, Political, In-
ternational, and Development Studies Student
Association President Faris Lehn, and two CFS
oi cials, made this decision. We have Haldenby
and Lehn to thank for this, since neither took
advantage of the necessary consensus to protect
the right to a balanced debate by putting a cap
on spending.
It should be noted that the CFS has a multi-
million dollar budget. This means that profes-
sional campaigners with a war chest will be
fighting volunteer students and their No cam-
paign. Were Haldenby and Lehn unaware of
this budget? Must we deduce that they judged
it insignificant? Perhaps our enlightened
leaders believe that the No campaign will sell
enough chocolate bars to make up the differ-
ence.
Of course, one must also consider the date.
The campaign period begins two days after
the events of Nov. 5. The official explana-
tion that was offered is quite odd. The over-
sight committee simply stated that they had
to avoid the SFUO general elections and that
March was too close to the end of the academ-
ic year. Why adding such a vital issue to the
general elections would be harmful is beyond
me. Students should be able to vote for their
representatives based on their interests. Does
anyone dare say that this affiliation is not re-
lated to the interests of the students? Does the
oversight committee
have such contempt
for the intelligence
of students that they
believe that this will
become a single-issue
election?
Might I add that the
oversight committee
has deemed the press
unit to moderate the
debates as they are bi-
ased (see La Rotondes
Nov. 3 editorial). Were
the journalists who
contributed to the CFS
newspaper Campus
Action, which can be
found on the U of O
campus, biased?
he students unit-
ed, will never be de-
feated! Indeed.
by Ted Horton
Fulcrum Contributor
I HATE THE Canadian Federation of Students
(CFS). Well, I used toand I still dont love it
today. While it is a lawed institution, its mer-
its and potential beneits ultimately outweigh
its laws. On Nov. 18, Ill be voting yes on full
membership.
During my irst year at the University of Ot-
tawa, I ignored student politics and heard little
of the CFS. It seemed like one more proposed
fee on top of an already high tuition; a service
that would be beneicial to some but have little
impact on many. I asked myself why we would
join. I had a host of concerns, such as the i-
nancial cost, the loss of Student Federation of
the University of Ottawa (SFUO) autonomy,
and the dii culties of leaving if we decided to
terminate our membership. One by one, these
concerns have been reconciled, and I now un-
derstand the value of a united student advo-
cacy group.
We speak so oten of the student voice. he
CFS is not the student voice. he CFS is the stu-
dent conversation. It is how we speak to each
other across the nation, and how, when we have
our consensus, we speak out. It is a conversation
worth having, because it will be had without us,
and our valuable words and ideas will be let un-
spoken and unheard.
Why bother coming together? Because the
student voice is stronger united. here are a host
of student voices and opinions, and the CFS is
not the entirety of the student movement. It is a
tool to be used by students to make themselves
heard, whatever they wish to say. Students can
debate and change the message. Only by being
part of the dialogue within the CFS can we help
to choose the words.
If the CFS lobbies already, why join? Because
the CFS is already speaking for us and every
university student.
Because it is the larg-
est student advocacy
body in Canada, the
CFS speaks forcefully
to those who hold the
power. To try to have a
signiicant impact out-
side of the CFS is akin
to, for an apt metaphor,
holding a one-student
protest on Nov. 5 across
the street from the Drop
Fees rally. he SFUOs
voice is too small, and
better suited to the
wider conversation on
issues of the CFS than
the occasional cry of
concern we can raise
on our own.
If the CFS takes on
other issues, why sup-
port? We wont lose our autonomy. Student
unions are not obligated to adopt campaigns or
not adopt their own. here are CFS campaigns
worth supporting, such as increasing awareness
of date rape (No Means No), to advocating for
a fairer student grant system and opposing rac-
ism. here are important things worth saying
together.
his is not to suggest that the CFS will bring
about great change. Or fair tuition. It will not
end date rape, cause politicians to care about
students, or end cuts to education transfer pay-
ments. But it will help. Equally, joining will not
bring us to pay for useless servicesoptions like
the ISIC discount card and bulk purchasing may,
in the end, save us (individually and collective-
ly) money. he CFS is a lawed organization like
any other. One can argue against its bureaucracy
and sometimes unrealistic goals. he campaigns
may seem one-dimensional; Drop Fees as a
chant does not address a litany of issues in the
debate. Any dialogue has faults, but we should
not walk away from it. We correct it, and speak
out louder in the future.
he CFS is far from perfect, but it is what we
make of it. It is a stage to stand on, a rolled-up
newspaper with which to shout our concerns a
little bit louder. We may agree or disagree with
the words being shouted, but the means, this
advocacy institution, is a method to make our-
selves heardno matter what it is that we wish
to say.
he most important thing today is the same
as when we irst decided to become prospective
membersthat students be able to make an in-
formed choice in a fair referendum. Bitterness
and hostility should not be allowed to sour what
could be a spirited campaign. he inal victory is
not whether we become members of the CFS or
not, but that we hold the most positive and fair
referendum we can, and that students leave the
voting station informed and involved.
A united student
voice: awed but
functional
Honour truth
above our friends
Yes to the CFS No to the CFS
illustration by Alex Martin
OPINION
Nov. 13, 2008
25
www.thefulcrum.ca
by Jessica Carter
Fulcrum Contributor
AFTER THE NOV. 5 Drop Fees pro-
test, students are probably pretty fa-
miliar with the campaign catchphrase
Education is a right. he Univer-
sal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) also states that education is
a right. But usually when people talk
about the right to education, they are
just referring to the right to primary
and secondary education. Do stu-
dents have a right to post-secondary
education as well?
Although the UDHR recognizes
that higher education shall be equal-
ly accessible to all on the basis of
merit, it places more emphasis on the
importance of free, compulsory edu-
cation for the fundamental stages.
Clearly, this bias towards basic, gen-
eral education is pretty reasonable.
Life for someone who cant read or
write is a lot more dii cult than it is
for someone who skipped university.
As a result, university education is of-
ten seen as the icing on the cake: once
youve inished high school, youre
supposed to have all the education
you need, and anything on top of that
is essentially a privilege.
Rising tuition fees reinforce the
idea that post-secondary education
is a privilege. Since 2006, fees in On-
tario have risen by between 20 and
36 per cent, increasing the debt load
of students and presenting a signii-
cant inancial barrier for applying to
universities. he provincial govern-
ment is deining higher education as
a privilege for those who are prepared
to grit their teeth and pay more for
their degree.
But university education should
not be a privilege accessible only to
those who can aford it; it should be
a quality experience available to those
who are capable of completing their
degree. In other words, post-second-
ary education should be a right for
anyone who can complete a degree.
At the most simplistic level, educa-
tion is important because it empow-
ers students to learn about and par-
ticipate in society, and university is a
crucial component in sustaining this.
Socrates put it most appropriately
when he said, he unexamined life is
not worth living.
Beyond the ideological value of
education, a university degree is also
a ticket to employment. More em-
ployers are demanding a degree as
a minimum requirement for many
jobs, meaning that if students are un-
able to aford a university education,
they will be excluded from industries
demanding university graduates and,
more and more, industries that dont
require a degree are favouring gradu-
ates.
Some people choose to not attend
university and enjoy successful lives
without a degree; it would be nave to
assume that a degree is the key pre-
requisite for good quality of life. But
this choice itself is the crucial point.
University education should be acces-
sible and afordable so that students
can exercise their right to choose it.
Furthermore, the quality of the uni-
versity experience should not depend
upon the fees a student pays: lower tu-
ition costs or free education shouldnt
lead to a less valuable university ex-
perience. One criticism oten cast
towards countries where post-sec-
ondary education is free is that their
system devalues a university educa-
tion by making it less competitive, as
anyone can get a degree. But the logic
in that criticism is lawed. In Swe-
denwhere university education is
freehigher education has expanded
rapidly in the last 20 years, yet inter-
nal audits have not demonstrated any
deterioration in the quality of courses
and programs ofered, because of
high levels of public funding invested
in post-secondary education.
Like other forms of education,
post-secondary education also ofers
a valuable role for both the individual
and society. Equating high fees with
higher education is a slippery slope
leading to elitism rather than quality
learning. Students in Ontario deserve
an afordable, high quality univer-
sity experience, achieved through
reduced tuition fees and greater in-
vestment from the provincial govern-
ment in universities. he Drop Fees
slogan raises an important point and
reminds us that post-secondary edu-
cation is a right, just as much as any
other level of education.
Why university education is a right
photo by Ian Flett
by Dave Atkinson
Fulcrum Contributor
WE BROKE UP with them! So why crawl back?
Why is the Student Federation of the Univer-
sity of Ottawa (SFUO) thinking about getting
back together with the Canadian Federation
of Students (CFS)? We tried that relationship
a while ago, and the CFS used all our towels,
didnt pull their weight, never vacuumed, and
spent all our money on shiny crap that took up
room in the apartment while doing nothing for
the relationship. We broke up with them, and
now were the ones crawling back? Why? It feels
like a self-esteem issue on our part and so, like
an insecure teenager, the SFUO just needs to be
reminded of what it can do without the CFS.
he SFUO is a big association, represent-
ing the interests of over 30,000 undergraduate
students. Its budget is large, it ofers a plethora
of services, and its campaigns and initiatives
when well handledmake a big diference
in student life. Recall SFUO President Dean
Haldenbys recent trip to City Hall with his
questionable hair and unquestionably sharp
suit to rock the Transit Committees world
and push the U-Pass to the next step. he CFS
didnt help there: the campaigns, the referen-
dum, the representationwe did that all by
ourselves. Last years Green Week and the re-
cent Green Weeks were large, well-organized
events, and Fedstock is a massive annual un-
dertaking that runs smoothly and successfully.
Were perfectly capable of doing anything we
want on our own.
When it pulls up its socks and works at it,
the SFUO is a substantial entity capable of sub-
stantial things, so joining the CFS is expensive
and unnecessary. he SFUO has a much better
record of achieving what it sets out to do than
the CFS has. Remember that the CFSs largest
campaign, the Drop Fees campaign, has been
an annual failure. I say that its a failure based
on the following question: Do fees go down?
No. Fees dont go down. Ever. But every year
the same signs, T-shirts, marching routes, and
drums come out to try again. Every year the
campaign fails to do anything at all, and the
CFS wants us to pay for the privilege
of joining it. To put everything into
perspective, the CFS is like a bad
garage band trying annually to sell
its shitty album, failing every year,
and borrowing money from its
friends to try again and again. he
organizationwhose main concern
is lowering our tuitionwants us to
pay membership fees if we join. Kind
of like trying to put out a ire by setting
it on ire, really.
So if I understand correctly, a good-looking
and successful student government with a
gleam in their eye and a few modest songs un-
der its belt has been asked to play bass for a ga-
rage band that has been playing the same song
for over 20 years without making it big. And
students are thinking of saying yes? We do not
need the CFS, we can do just as much without
them, and if we dont join we all save a little bit
of money. Not a lot of money per student... but
a lot more than the CFS has ever managed to
get into our pockets.
Look who came
crawling back
HECKLES:
Nov. 1319, 2008
Distractions
Sarah Leavitt
Features Editor
features@thefulcrum.ca 26
Dear Di,
My girlfriend and I have been hav-
ing sex for half a year now and its awe-
some, but theres one thing thats not
working too well. We both love show-
ering, so naturally both of us want to
have sex in the shower. Problem is,
Im 62 and shes 55, so if we want to
fuck Id have to hold her up against
the wall. Were both a bit afraid to try
in case we fall. Do you think slipping
is a possibility? Do we have to give up
on trying to bang in the shower?
Save Water, Shower Together
Dear SWST,
he only thing better than hot, steamy
sex is adding a bit of scalding water and
immersing yourselves in actual steam.
Personally, I love aqua-coitus, but there
are a few things to keep in mind. First
things irst: ind a shower that is clean,
spacious, and safe. he roominess is
necessary to avoid elbows to the head.
Second, to ensure it is safe, make sure
theres a rubber bathmat to avoid slips
and falls. To address the height difer-
ence between you two, I want you to try
stand up doggy style (you may have to
bend your knees to align your cock with
her pink palace) or the easy-rider (you
stand as she wraps her legs around you
and does most of the thrusting work).
I dont recommend propping her up
against the wall, as the weight and the
water could equal an epic fall. All that
water may wash away her natural juice,
so be sure to keep some Astroglide just
outside the shower. Avoid the tempta-
tion to use soap or other shower prod-
ucts for the same purposeit could af-
fect her vaginas pH level, which could
lead to discomfort and possibly a yeast
infection. If the height remains an issue,
remember that oral sex in the hot wa-
ter and steam can be just as fabulous as
penetration. Enjoy!
Love,
Di
Dear Di,
I am a 43-year-old male and found
out not too long ago that a lot of
males lose their erections ater ejac-
ulation. I can have many ejacula-
tions and keep my erection without
any problem. What is the percent-
age of males like me? I was always
perplexed when hearing women
complain about men who experi-
enced pre-
mature ejaculation. I
didnt understand, I
thought you could just
continue until the next
ejaculation and the next... until
your partner is satisied.
Hard Up For Answers
Dear HUFA,
Typically, when a man ejaculates,
the blood leaves his penis and the erec-
tion disappears ater a minute or two.
Following ejaculation, there is a length
of time during which another erection
is virtually impossible. his is called
the refractory period. To be honest,
science has not completely answered
this question. It seems that certain
chemicals that are released at the time
of orgasm inhibit a mans ability to be-
come erect again for some time. But
what the full picture may be, or how
one might shorten or lengthen the
refractory period, is less clear, said Dr.
Debby Herbenick, writing for the Kin-
sey Institute. Sometimes the period
is 15 minutes, sometimes its a whole
day. here are factors that inluence
this length of time, such as fatigue,
stress, sexual interest, and age. Typi-
cally, the period gets longer as men
age. I wasnt able to ind a percentage
for you, but if you want more informa-
tion on refractory periods, visit kin-
seyconfidential.org/2008/04/17/qa-
erection-remains-after-ejaculation/.
heres absolutely nothing wrong
with you, HUFA. You have a very
short refractory period, if none at all.
If anything, you should feel lucky, es-
pecially concerning your age. Please
note: I hope youre not confusing your
non-existent refractory period with
Priapism, which is a painful and po-
tentially harmful medical condition. If
you are having sustained erections for
more than four hours, please see your
doctor immediately.
Love,
Di
Ive gotten more letters in
response to Wanting Fith Floor
Fun, which can be read alongside my
responses at thefulcrum.ca/timeout.
hanks to everyone who wrote in!
Dear Di
If you have a question for Di,
e-mail deardi@thefulcrum.ca.
hursday, Nov. 13
Academic Writing Help Centre
workshop: Building a strong paper.
1 p.m. 110 University. Free.
Mexican cinema:
Reed, Mxico insurgente. 7 p.m.
Arts Hall. Room 257. Free.
Friday, Nov. 14
Womens basketball: Ottawa vs.
McMaster. 6 p.m. Montpetit gym.
Students $4.
Community Life movie night:
Step Brothers. 8 p.m.
Alumni Auditorium. $2.
Saturday, Nov. 15
Mens basketball: Ottawa vs.
Lakehead. 8 p.m. Montpetit gym.
Students $4.
Sunday, Nov. 16
Masters recital: Soprano
Marie-Claire Fafard-Blais. 4 p.m.
Tabaret Hall. Room 112. Free.
Monday, Nov. 17
Ottawa Jazz presents: P.J. Perry.
7 p.m. National Arts Centre.
53 Elgin St. $21.
Serena Ryder. 8 p.m. Zaphod
Beeblebrox. 27 York St. $20.
Tuesday, Nov. 18
German cinema: Sophie Scholl
he Final Days. 7 p.m.
Marion Auditorium. Free.
Wednesday, Nov. 19

Peoples Republic of Delicious
Vegan Lunch. 12:15 p.m.
Unicentre Agora. Free.
United Way beneit concert.
7 p.m. Alumni auditorium.
$2 and voluntary contributions.
Thryllabus
Think Things by Jocelyn Robitaille
sudoku answers on p. 17
Work on Campus - Earn $10/hour!
The program will visit University of Ottawa from November 24 - 27.
Students must be available to attend a paid training session on
Sunday, November 23 from 5 - 8 pm..
Apply online before November 20 at www.knowthescore.ca/on/jobs.cfm
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is looking for students
with great interpersonal skills to assist with Know the Score, an
interactive awareness program designed to prevent gambling-
related problems among young adults.
Frank vancouver grizzlies Appleyard
Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca
Ben ottawa renegades Myers
Production Manager
production@thefulcrum.ca
Michael winnipeg jets Olender
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design@thefulcrum.ca
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news@thefulcrum.ca
Peter the steagles Henderson
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arts@thefulcrum.ca
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Sarah montreal expos Leavitt
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features@thefulcrum.ca
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Volume 69 - Issue 13
Nov. 1319, 2008
phone: (613) 562-5261
fax: (613) 562-5259
631 King Edward Ave.
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
editor@thefulcrum.ca
www.thefulcrum.ca
Recycle this paper or Jim
Balsillie will move us to Hamilton.
Staff
Evan greenville grrrowl Abrams
Dave los angeles xtreme Atkinson
Laura seattle supersonics Barclay
Jessica las vegas outlaws Carter
Hilary chicago enforcers Caton
Ian new jersey hitmen Flett
Renaud-Philippe orlando rage Garner
Ted louisiana icegators Horton
Tatiana erie panthers Kallergis
Hisham greensboro generals Kelati
Danyal macon whoopee Khoral
Jaclyn virginia lancers Lytle
Carl pee dee pride Meyer
Lihang new orleans brass Nong
Maria jackson bandits Rondon
Nigel toledo storm Smith
Kalin roanoke express Smith
Alex miami matadors Smyth
Contributors
cover photo by
Martha Pearce
f
Threatening to relocate to
Oklahoma City since 1942.
A voice against
Nov. 1319, 2008
Editorial
Frank Appleyard
Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca 27
THE REFERENDUM ON Student Federation of
the University of Ottawa (SFUO) membership in
the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) comes
down to a balance of costs and beneits associated
with joining the national lobby group. Full-time
University of Ottawa undergraduate students are
well aware that the total inancial cost of member-
ship is $14.30 for the academic year, and have likely
heard much about the array of oferingsthe bene-
itsthat the CFS provides in return.
However, there is another concept of cost that
oten goes unmentioned in discussions about the
CFS: the potential cost to individual students
voices. he CFS gives every member student union
equal say in the organizations decisions pertaining
to policy, campaigns, and lobbying eforts, regard-
less of the size of the unions membership. Such a
system undervalues the SFUOs considerable size
and inluence and would underrepresent U of O
undergrads in the CFS.
Currently, there are 36 full-member unions in
CFS-Ontario, representing approximately 300,000
students. If added, U of O undergrads would make
up roughly 11 per cent of CFS-Ontarios total mem-
bership. However, U of O undergrads would receive
only 2.7 per cent of the total vote.
At the national level, the numbers are equally
disproportionate. While the SFUO would make
up approximately six per cent of the CFSs national
membership, U of O undergrads voting powers
would amount to a mere 1.2 per cent.
he SFUOs 30,000-plus members would have as
much say in CFS decisions as the U of O Gradu-
ate Students Associations 4,000 members. U of O
undergrads would pay the same as other CFS mem-
bers but would receive less representation.
Consider that the SFUO spent considerable time
and efort last year to overhaul its own Board of Ad-
ministration (BOA) to improve student representa-
tion. Previously, one board director could represent
as many as 1,380 students, while across the table an
equally powerful director could represent only 145
students. Under the new system, representatives are
divided among the faculties proportionally, based
on enrolment. Each vote represents the same num-
ber of students.
In short, the CFSs system of representation is
lodged firmly in the SFUOs past, declaring that
its members are not equal. The SFUOs reform of
the BOA revealed the value U of O students hold
in ensuring that individual students are both
heard and represented equally in the decision-
making process. In the CFS, the SFUO wouldnt
wield the true influence its 30,000 members
should represent. It would be just one voice
among many in decisions that will directly affect
U of O students.
And strength in numbers is appealing only if ev-
ery individual has an equal say.
One would expect some indisputable beneit of
CFS membership to outweigh the disappointing
representation and lure uncertain student unions
such as the SFUO into the fold. However, the CFS
doesnt seem to have that one standout ofering in
its arsenal. he overall success of its government
lobbying efortsthe organizations raison dtre
is the subject of much debate; participation in its
campaigns is open to any student union regardless
of membership; members efectively save a meagre
$2 on an ISIC card; and the impact of its mass dem-
onstrationswhile visually impressiveis dii cult
to quantify.
Meanwhile, full-time U of O undergrads give the
SFUO a total of $141.80 during the fall and win-
ter semesters to run campaigns, work on students
behalf, and provide services. In recent years, the
SFUO has used this money to run its own locally
geared campaigns and participate in national CFS-
run campaigns, lobby and meet with individuals
at various levels of government, and run its own
student-geared businesses and services. In short,
the SFUO has worked to meet the demands of its
membership and has been largely successful in do-
ing so, as demonstrated through its recent securing
of municipal support for the U-Pass and its diverse
catalogue of student services on campus.
he CFSthrough its $14.30 membership fee
is asking U of O undergraduate students to increase
their overall contribution to student government by
10 per cent next year. his is a signiicant increase,
and students expect an equally signiicant gain in
the quantiiable beneits they will receive. he CFSs
ability to provide such an increase on top of the
SFUOs already impressive oferings is arguable.
Asking students to accept an inferior level of rep-
resentation in accessing and administering these
perceived beneits tips the scales.
Surrendering even the smallest portion of stu-
dents individual voices or inluence in accepting
membership in the CFS is not the right move for
a sizable and inluential organization such as the
SFUO. In the balance of cost vs. beneit, the CFS
doesnt ofer enough beneits to overcome the cost
to students individual voices in the CFS forum. As
such, the Fulcrum does not support SFUO mem-
bership in the CFS.
editor@thefulcrum.ca
illustration by Martha Pearce