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T H E O F F IC IA L STUDE NT NE WS PA P E R AT TH E UNIVE R S IT Y OF A LBERTA
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‘I’m feeling a bit at peace:’ Sleiman admits to vote tampering Alex Migdal
news staff @alexem In a stunning reversal, Samer Sleiman admitted Thursday to tampering with votes in the Students’ Union election, hours after dropping his second disqualification appeal amid new allegations of fraudulent voting tactics. In a sit-down interview, a stoic, soft-spoken Sleiman repeatedly cited his “carelessness” for the mounting controversy that has embroiled the executive election since his ouster Friday. When asked whether he tampered with votes, Sleiman paused before conceding. “After reading the emails, I believe that I did, although it was an act of carelessness on my part.” The emails, detailed in the Chief Returning Officer’s second ruling against Sleiman, brought forward 10 students who largely condemned the Vice-President (Operations and Finance) candidate for stripping them of their ballot. Upon reading the fourth email Thursday, Sleiman said he knew he had to concede. “I’m feeling a little bit at peace,” Sleiman said hours later. “I felt like I was almost in a war zone.” In the message that triggered his decision to quit, a student told CRO Jessica Nguyen that Sleiman had approached them in CAB to show them how to vote. “He lent me his phone and I typed in my CCID and he took care of the rest,” the student wrote. “I did not press the buttons myself or see the ballot. I also did not log out.” More damning allegations emerged from other students.
One student admitted to being anxious that Sleiman had the information to access their confidential Bear Tracks and eClass accounts. Another recalled trying to cast a vote for presidential candidate Navneet Khinda before Sleiman pulled the phone away and said “no, no, no.” Sleiman said he couldn’t remember the exchange about Khinda, but said there was no reason not to vote for the now president-elect. “I talked to 300 students over those two days,” he said. “I can’t remember every specific thing.” Sleiman said he secured the consent of every student whose ballot
he cast and stood by their side as he voted. He defined consent as the student having verbally agreed to vote for him.
“I don’t think I should represent a body where students believed they were wronged in the voting process.” Samer Sleiman
2015–16 Vice-President (Operations and Finance) candidate
But Sleiman declined to disclose what took place after students en-
tered their personal information on his cell phone. He also would not reveal the other candidates he voted for on the ballots he cast. Sleiman said none of his campaign volunteers knew about his strategy, although the tenth student in the ruling alleged they were approached by a member of Sleiman’s team. But Sleiman ultimately admitted that he should have been disqualified. “I don’t think I should represent a body where students believed they were wronged in the voting process.” When Nguyen revealed her intent
Coming Clean Samer Sleiman admitted to tampering with SU Ballots this election season.
Spencer Nichols
to disqualify Sleiman a second time Wednesday, Sleiman deemed it a personal attack. He shot back with a formal complaint that slammed Nguyen for abusing her power and showing a “deep disregard” for the SU’s judicial process. On Thursday, he shifted his tone. “One person I must apologize to is Jessica Nguyen,” Sleiman said. “I thought she was a very fair CRO and I think we need to start a new page.” Following Sleiman’s concession, Nguyen said that justice had prevailed, but called the experience disappointing. “I have nothing against Sam as a person. I like him a lot. I just have to do my job,” she said. “I didn’t go into managing this election wanting to disqualify anyone. I don’t think any CRO wants to disqualify anyone.” Sleiman repeatedly apologized to the U of A student body and asked them to have faith in the Students’ Union. He also congratulated his opposing candidate Cody Bondarchuk, who secured 79 per cent of the votes in the VP (Operations and Finance) race against None of the Above. “Cody ran one of the cleanest campaigns I’ve ever seen,” Sleiman said. As the focus shifts to mending an election that the CRO called tainted, Sleiman acknowledged he faces his toughest battle yet. “There’s a famous quote that says, ‘It takes 30 seconds to destroy trust and w20 years to regain it,’” he said. “And my next step is regaining trust with people, whether it takes five minutes for some or 50 years with others.”
U of A Board of Governors approves all five market modifier proposals Richard Catangay-Liew news editor @richardcliew
The Board of Governors approved all five of the University of Alberta’s market modifier proposals Friday, a move intended to “enhance student development” through increases in tuition fees. U of A Acting Provost and VP (Academic) Olive Yonge, VP (Finance and Administration) Phyllis Clark and VP (Facilities and Operations) Don Hickey proposed that the BoG approve the Department of Economics, Faculty of Law, MBA, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy market modifiers the Alberta government passed in December, 2014. U of A President Indira Samarasekera said the market modifier proposals will help maintain the level of education at the U of A and add to the services to students request. “It’s fair to say this is about preventing erosion of quality as opposed to saying all this money will improve quality,” she said. With the market modifiers now approved, the Faculty of Law’s tuition will increase by about $2,000 per academic year, starting in 2015–16. Current tuition for the U of A’s law school sits at $10,121, and
will now be bumped up to $15,995 per year in 2017–18, a 56 per cent increase. Tuition for the MBA program will increase by $11,500 starting in 2015–16, spiking it from $24,439.20 to $34,712.24 by 2017–18, a hike of 42 per cent. The Faculty of Pharmacy applied for an increase of $1,400, raising tuition from $9,987 to $11,387 per year, effective 2017–18, an increase of 14 per cent.
“This is about preventing erosion of quality as opposed to saying all this money will improve quality.” INDIRA samarasekera
President, University of alberta
The MScPT program in the Faculty of Rehabilitation and Medicine will see an increase of $1,482.24, bringing the cost of the program to $19,971.84 by 2016–17, an eight per cent increase. The Department of Economics market modifier is modelled at an increase of $150 per course for domestic students, and an increase of $554 per course for international
students. This would bring current tuition of $5320.80 to $5,770.80 per year by 2018–19, an increase of eight per cent. BoG member Nizar Somji said he’s not opposed to market modifiers, but questioned how the money generated would be spent. “I don’t know what you’re going to do with the money, it’s not written down anywhere,” he said at Friday morning’s meeting. Undergraduate BoG Representative Sangram Hansra motioned that the BoG divide the proposal and separate the Department of Economics market modifier from the other four, which was approved. He said there needs to be a division between professional and non-professional programs, while citing the lack of consultation and accessibility issues in the Department of Economics market modifier proposal. “That $94,000 a student will make in an economics degree won’t matter when they can’t get in the program,” Hansra said. Hansra said tuition increases are a “Band-Aid solution” and that the Department of Economics market modifier proposal had no innovations on how it would innovate and improve education. BoG member Raymond Muzyka said it’s important to have a
“standard” consultative process which all faculties should follow, and “it would be foolish to not take (student) input seriously.” “I want to approve this,” Muzyka said. “But there are some compelling reasons that there are some steps we have to take before we approve it. When I think about our vision and this new vision committed to delivering excellence … approving this motion in its current form is not fulfilling that vision.”
“I don’t know what you’re going to do with the money.” Nizar Somji
Board of GOvernors member, university of alberta
BoG Chair Doug Goss acknowledged the lack of a “standard” consultative process, but noted that whatever comes out of the vote, the process has now been changed for the future. Samarasekera said that if the Department of Economics market modifier is voted down, the provincial government will assume “the university doesn’t need the money.” “You have to think about the signal you’re sending,” Samarasekera said. “If we vote this down, it’s going
to be worse. I’m a huge supporter of students, but my job is to present what the big picture is.” After a two-hour deliberation, Goss called the motion to question. 12 votes were cast in favour of approving the Department of Economics market modifier proposal, with nine opposed. When the other four market modifier proposals were called to question for approval, only three votes were opposed to the motion, with little debate. SU VP (External) and Presidentelect Navneet Khinda, who was sitting on the sidelines and denied a speaking turn by Goss, said the arguments to vote in favour of the market modifier were “silly” and “super faulty.” In Khinda’s year as VP (External), she has advocated and lobbied the government in opposition of market modifiers, tuition increases and the consultation process surrounding them. “I would agree (with Samarasekera). We need to look at the big picture,” Khinda said. “But the picture (Samarasekera) sees is different from the one I see. This talk about the vision of uplifting the whole of people, but the university has a role to play in that, and they’re not taking that responsibility in these meetings.”
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Justine Barber
’06 B Com
Current Occupation: Co-Founder, Poppy Barley What do you miss most about being a U of A student? Spending so much time with my friends — we lived together, studied together and partied together. Favourite campus memory? My first year — I loved the freedom of living on my own, being anonymous in class, studying what I wanted, and going out four nights a week. What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a current U of A student? Once you start your career (or a company), it is difficult to take long periods of time off, so travel, study / work abroad, etc. as much as you can as a student. You’ll never regret graduating a year or two later. Best procrastination activity? Watching Sex and the City with my roommates. Favourite course/professor? I was a reluctant business student with a love of history, so my favourites were History of WW2 and 20th Century Russian History. If you got one university do-over, what would it be? I would have a different mind-set going into calculus (not ‘I am bad at math’) and not fail it the first time. Favourite secret makeout/study spot? St. Joseph’s Library. What did you do to help you stay sane during exam time? Get enough sleep. What impact has the U of A had on your life? It gave me some of the best years of my life and helped set me up for a successful future.
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Validated by voters The BoG voted on and approved the Comprehensive Institutional Plan and new MNIFs.
March 18, 2015
Richard Zhao
Board of Governors approves 2015 CIP, new mandatory fees Richard Catangay-Liew
Leadership program and existing U of A programming.
Peter Lougheed College Update
Alberta Budget 2015
News editor @richardcliew
Leadership
University President Indira Samarasekera said there has been “tremendous progress” since former Prime Minister of Canada Kim Campbell was named the Leadership College’s Founding Principal last April. The Leadership College’s pioneer class, which will begin the program this September, will take post in Lister Schaeffer Hall until Lougheed Hall is constructed in 2017. Samarasekera said that “this is the first time something like this has ever been done before,” by creating a program that is driven to engage all faculties at the university with interdisciplinary relationships. The Alberta government has allocated $35 million to the U of A’s Peter Lougheed Leadership College, and the next step is convincing the Canadian government to contribute to the program and provide matching funding, Samarasekera said. The university has also raised $10 million in private fundraising. The Peter Lougheed Leadership program is focused on undergraduate learning, which makes it unique, President Senior Advisor Martin Ferguson-Pell said, as other programs in Canada that tout leadership as its core programming are catered to graduate students. Samarasekera said there is currently an open invitation for enrollment for third- and fourth-year undergraduate students, with about 300 applications downloaded so far. Ferguson-Pell added that a diverse collection of leadership styles is one of the core principles for application as well as reaching all faculties on campus. Most of the content will be online, which will be developed further after the pioneer class. Students’ Union President William Lau said he appreciates the opportunity to enroll in an intensive program, but said the university needs to work on the relationship between the Peter Lougheed
Samarasekera said transparency in terms of access and answers to questions fielded to the government and other post-secondary institutions have been “remarkable.” Board of Governors Chair Doug Goss said the difference between the budget cuts Alberta faced in 2013 and the impending budget they will face in 2015 are “night and day.” In 2013, Goss said there was no dialogue between the U of A and the provincial government, but said this year is “full of dialogue.” Goss noted the “clear indication” of Alberta Premier Jim Prentice’s reliance on the U of A as a driver for the future of the province’s economy. Goss added this is a “golden time” for the university and he “couldn’t be any more optimistic” about the commitment the government has made to the U of A and post-secondary education. No specific numbers or updates were provided in the Board of Governors open session. Samarasekera will be holding a Campus Forum on March 31 at 3:30 p.m. in Telus 150 to discuss the budget, which will be announced on March 26. 2015 Comprehensive Institutional Plan The BoG approved the U of A’s 2015 Comprehensive Institutional Plan (CIP), which is intended to “enable the university to move toward fulfilling its vision and mission and authorize administration to allocate resources as outlined in the institutional budgets.” The CIP is written to support the university’s mission as outlined in the Dare to Discover and Academic Plan, Dare to Delivery. Under Alberta Innovation and Advanced Education’s guidelines, the CIP incorporates the U of A’s access plan, research plan, capital plan and budgets. The CIP will now
be forwarded to Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education Don Scott for approval. The CIP assumes a zero per cent change to the Campus Alberta grant, a 2.2 per cent increase in general tuition fees and implementation of market modifiers, a 2.3 per cent increase to all mandatory noninstructional fees and marginal growth in investment income. Key expenditure assumptions in the CIP include salary and benefit adjustments subject to ongoing negotiations, a 1.5 per cent increase in overall average cut to faculties and administrative units and an increase in scholarship funding. The university is working to identify and seek alternative sources of revenue to help mantain quality in teaching and research, Samarasekera said. Changes to Mandatory Instructional and Non-Instructional Fees The BoG approved new Mandatory Instructional Fees and changes to current Mandatory Non-Instructional Fees. New Mandatory Student Instructional Support Fees include an increase of $85 per student enrolled in PALEO 201, an increase to the Faculty of Law’s non-refundable deposit from $300 to $1,000 and an increase to the Office of the Registrar’s cost of Parchment Reprint and Request for Early Degrees fee from $60 to $100. Changes to Mandatory Non-Instructional Fees include a bump in the cost of a U-Pass from $129.17 to $135.42 per term, a jump in the Athletics and Recreation Fee from $82 to $83.88 per term, an increase in the Common Student Space, Sustainability and Services fee from $153.08 to $156.60 per term, an increase in the Physical Activity and Wellness Centre fee from $26 to $26.58 per term, a rise in the University Student Services fee from $57.08 to $58.38 per term, and an increase in the University Health Services fee from $27.06 to $27.68 per term.
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Volume 105, Issue 29
Campus to re-vote Students’ Union VP (Academic) race Alex Migdal
News Staff @Alexm The Students’ Union judicial board ordered a re-election for the VicePresident (Academic) race last Friday, in a verbal ruling that declared the executive election “tainted.” Campaigning kicked off Monday for VP (Academic) candidates Shakiba Azimi and Fahim Rahman. Votes will be cast this Thursday and Friday on the same ballots as Students’ Council and General Faculties Council (GFC) elections. The results will be released March 20. In a move she called “unconventional,” Azimi applied to the board for a re-vote Thursday after the Chief Returning Officer released 10 new allegations of vote tampering against Vice-President (Operations and Finance) candidate Samer Sleiman. “I’m not doing this because I don’t think the elections were fair. I
absolutely stand by the fact that I ran a clean campaign,” Azimi told the board. “I’m here because I honestly can’t handle any hateful accusations any more.”
“I think it’s really important that we get the right person to be representing over 30,000 students on campus.” Fahim Rahman
VP (Academic) Candidate
Azimi said she’s been “sick” of cheating accusations that largely stem from her use of Sleiman’s defence council at a Discipline, Interpretation and Enforcement (DIE) Board hearing last week.
“Quite frankly, a re-vote is unfair. I’m here to reinstate the integrity of the election that’s essentially been lost.” Azimi said she would only pursue a re-vote if the CRO and Rahman agreed to a joint statement dissolving her of any ties with Sleiman’s campaign. Nguyen maintained that vote tampering could have swayed the outcome of the VP (Academic) race, which Azimi won in the second round with 35 votes. Nguyen’s investigation on Sleiman revealed 42 ballots shared a suspicious pattern, most of which she believed were tainted. Sleiman declined to disclose the candidates he voted for in the ballots he tampered. Nguyen said she had “no reason” to believe Azimi tampered with votes. “Shakiba ran a clean campaign and she followed the rules in the
One More time The DIE Board has reopened the VP (Academic) race between Shakiba Azimi (left) and Fahim Rahman (right).
bylaws.” Following the ruling, Azimi acknowledged the possibility of a loss in the re-vote. “For me now, it’s more important than ever to win,” Azimi said, noting she had intended to run as a councillor if she lost the first time.
“I’m here because I honestly can’t handle any hateful accusations anymore.” SHakiba Azimi
VP (academic) candidate
Both candidates said they expected an “abysmal” voter turnout and neither have decided how to approach students about the awkward context framing the race. “I think it’s really important that we get the right person to be
representing over 30,000 students on campus,” said Rahman, who also lost last year’s VP (Academic) race. “There’s a running joke in my campaign team that we should have a slogan that says, ‘Believe a little more.’” The DIE Board budgeted $275 for each candidate and forbade the use of electronic devices when campaigning. Neither candidates can re-use old campaign materials and must use the same social media accounts. The DIE Board last called a reelection in 2011, after Vice-President (Student Life) candidate David McBean sent a mass email to an Orientation volunteer email list. Opposing candidate Colten Yamagishi argued the email gave McBean an unfair advantage, an appeal that the board upheld. Yamagishi ultimately won the reelection, garnering 50 per cent of the student vote in the first round.
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March 18, 2015
Construction conundrum The construction eyesore in front of SAB will be cleared up by next fall.
Lara kmech
Presidents’ Circle construction restarts, to conclude in the fall Mitch Sorenson
News staff @sonofamitchh
gatewayOPINION
Construction on the University of Alberta’s Presidents’ Circle monument remains blocking a large section of walkway on campus, but construction is back in progress. A year in the making, construction on the project was halted over the chilly winter months. University officials say the Presidents’ Circle located on the northwest side of campus will finally be open to the public in September. The project will celebrate the Alumni Association’s centenary and will be highlighted by a monument deemed The Visionaries, a statue of Alberta’s first premier, Alexander Rutherford, and the U of A’s first president, Henry Marshall Tory. The statue will be surrounded by sitting areas and plaques commemorating the U of A’s 12 past presidents. With all the elements coming together by September, the entire project will be unveiled at next fall’s Alumni Week. “The (Alumni Association) wanted to do something that would be a permanent reflection of the bond between alumni and the university,” Interim Associate Vice-President (Alumni Relations) Robert Moyles
said. “To do something which would reinforce history, traditions, and feelings of pride amongst students, faculty and staff.” U of A Alumna Barbara Paterson has been commissioned to create The Visionaries, which is slated for completion in late summer. After graduating from the U of A 1957 with a Fine Arts Diploma, she returned to full-time studies in 1998 to completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts. After being granted a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000, Paterson has gone on to create many notable works, including the Famous Five statues on Parliament Hill and a noted bronze of Emily Carr in Victoria, British Columbia. The Visionaries will be portrayed in larger-than-life-sized bronze casts in Peterson’s signature realistic figures. The Presidents’ Circle concept won from a selection of commemorative project ideas and was approved by the Alumni Assocations’ Council last year. The total budget for the project was set at $500,000 and will be funded primarily through affinity partnerships between the Alumni Association and corporate partners. Though construction has recently restarted on the site, the Presidents’
Circle will remain closed until its unveiling in September. Once the site is complete, Alumni Association representative Mary Reeleder said she hopes it will be an “ideal gathering place on campus,” but also a part of the University of Alberta Museum’s Art Collection and be included in tours of campus.
“The Presidents’ Circle will be a reminder of the University of Alberta’s historic roots in our province” Mary Reeleder
Alumni Association representative, university of alberta
With the Presidents’ Circle project, the Alumni Association has provided the university with a meeting place, as well as a permanent connection to the university’s past and founding dictums, Reeleder said. “The early grads were inspired by Tory and Rutherford to ‘do great things,’” Reeleder said. “The Presidents’ Circle will be a reminder of the University of Alberta’s historic roots in our province.”
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Volume 105, Issue 29
Water expert vies for more fluid, sustainable water management Richard Catangay-Liew News editor @richardcliew
If the water looks clear and smells fine, most North Americans assume it’s ready for cooking, cleaning or drinking. But they probably don’t realize that same sparkling tap water could still carry pathogens from within our seemingly “secure” plumbing systems. Most of today’s water decontamination is focused on controlling sewage pollutants and fecal matter with “old Roman” methods and infrastructures that were developed 30 years ago, University of Alberta School of Public Health Professor and water expert Nicholas Ashbolt said. But while illnesses such as cholera and typhoid can be prevented, fickle contamination and pathogens, such as Legionella pneumophila that can lead to pneumonia, still develop within our treated and managed water systems. “These pathogens cause a greater burden of disease to our society today,” Ashbolt said. “We haven’t caught up to a newer understanding of these pathogens to control our exposures to water.” Traditional thinking and “dogmatic” practices in water management need to be changed to restrain bacteria such as Legionella pneumphila, Ashbolt said, and the U of A’s Water Week encourages individuals to immerse themselves in water education from March 17 to 22. Water Week provides base knowledge in water conservation and its reuse for students and attendees, Ashbolt said.
Ashbolt will be delivering a public keynote lecture this Water Week entitled, “The Water Revolution: Reimagining our water systems.” It will touch on what’s wrong with current water practices and management systems around the world, what more sustainable water practices could look like and how this generation can get there. Society’s “arcane” water system utilizes pipes that require upwards of $40 billion a year to maintain worldwide, which isn’t economically viable in the current political climate, Ashbolt said. His answer lies in recovering energy in water through residual resources such as nutrients. Hidden water management infrastructures such as pipes in the ground are expensive, but can be converted and re-engineered into energy recovery pipelines where communities can recover electrons for electricity and heat, and nutrients for agriculture. While technology is always advancing, the difficulty is in keeping up with population growth, Ashbolt said. “We’re going backwards because of the higher density of people living in cities and using these old Roman technologies in managing water and waste services that are actually degrading our water more rapidly than 15 or 20 years ago,” he said. After Ashbolt earned a PhD in Agricultural Science from Australia’s University of Tasmania in 1985, he committed his life to convincing others that next-generation municipal water services and resource recovery for improved ecohealth is a
worthwhile endeavour. Ashbolt has been working with students, professionals and consultants to make next-generation municipal water services move forward for 30 years, but added that change requires a group of different skillsets to make that transition happen — and those skillsets could be reached at Water Week.
“We should be more proactive in the way we need to be managing water.” Nicholas Ashbolt
Professor, School of Public Health
With those skillsets, Ashbolt said he hopes to create a proactive strategy in water treatment, as opposed to reactive. The Alberta government has employed a unique Drinking Water Safety Plan assessment tool, which outlines sources of water, how drinking water is treated and how it is stored and distributed. Proactive programs like this could help prevent illnesses caused by Legionella pneumphila and potentially stop diseases such as cholera from resurfacing in our taps and showers. “We should be more proactive in the way we need to be managing water,” Ashbolt said. “We need to work together and have a political will otherwise we’re going to be responding to more disasters in a very inefficient way. “These changes can take decades to build, so we need to start today.”
Streams for ThoughtNicholas Ashbolt will be delivering a keynote lecture on Wednesday in ECHA 2-190 at 5 p.m.
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Fund RUn This year’s Relay for Life will take place in the Butterdome.
Christina Varvis
Canadian Cancer Society prepping ‘15 Relay for Life Collins Maina
staff reporter @Collins_mania The Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraising event is back at the University of Alberta for a fourth year, promising an “uplifting” experience for all participants. Relay for Life first took place in the U of A’s main quad in September 2011, but this year’s edition will be held in the Butterdome for the first time on March 28. The event traditionally requires at least one person in a team of roughly 10 to 15 people to run or walk around a track for 12 hours. But they’re changing it up this year, U of A Relay for Life Committee Chair Nicole Gellner said. This year’s Relay for Life will reduce the event’s time from 12 to six hours to cater to the schedules of university students and staff. “We find that students are really busy and don’t have the time to do a 12-hour relay,” Gellner said. But she said the event’s goal of $40,000 is most important, despite currently sitting at the $10,000 mark. Gellner said she’s hopeful for the upcoming two weeks prior to the event. “We have a long way,” Gellner said of their fundraising efforts thus far. “But I would say that we normally raise anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 at these events, so we are fighting really hard for $40,000.” There are currently 15 teams registered for the event, each responsible for fundraising by their own means whether as individuals,
teams or both. Previous Relay for Life teams have held bake sales, collected pledges and ran bottle drives to raise funds. Aside from the relay, the event will also host different ceremonies to honour victims lost to cancer. Gellner described how one of the ceremonies will involve setting up luminaries along the track, where each light bears the name of a donor’s lost loved one. This year’s event will also feature yoga, zumba sessions and live music in efforts to make it a “fun” atmosphere. “It’s a really nice way to pay tribute to those that have been lost,” she said. Gellner, who has been organizing and attending Relay for Life for the past three years, said the event leaves her feeling “uplifted.” She said she hopes this will also act as a stress relief for students going into finals. A 30-minute block will also be dedicated to competitive Relay for Life runners. But for leisurely strollers, Gellner stressed that “it’s not a race,” and attendees should expect a highly non-competitive atmosphere. Gellner said she’s looking forward to seeing how the event plays out, and hopes it does more than just raise money and awareness for the issue. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate against anyone,” she said. “You are never too young or too old to get cancer, but a lot of people here don’t think about it like that.”
Student leaders meet with government officials at Lobby Con 2015 Richard Catangay-Liew news editor @Richardcliew
Student leaders from the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) are meeting with government officials and MLAs in advance of next year’s budget to pitch what they believe would benefit the 100,000 students they represent. CAUS includes student representatives from the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge, MacEwan University and Mount Royal University. They’re hosting the annual Lobby Conference in a “last effort” to recommend and advocate for Alberta post-secondary students’ interests, Students’ Union Vice-President (External) Navneet Khinda said. “All these goals we have in mind are important to the everyday student,” she said. “We’re asking for money to fix these problems.” In Alberta Budget 2013, post-secondary funding was cut 7.3 per cent.
Alberta Premier Jim Prentice’s campaign for Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party vowed to “restore Alberta’s post-secondary funding that was cut in 2013.” But with the dwindling prices of barrels of oil, CAUS is anticipating further cuts to post-secondary funding this year. Khinda, who is also chair of CAUS, is recommending that the provincial government remove “loopholes” — such as market modifiers and Mandatory Non-Instructional Fees — in the Tuition and Fee Regulation, so a “true” tuition cap is tied to CPI, which keeps post-secondary education accessible. The U of A’s Board of Governors recently approved all five of their market modifier proposals and a slew of increases to existing Mandatory Non-Instructional Fees on March 13. The current Tuition and Fees Regulation will expire in 2016, and the government has reportedly floated the idea of possibly eliminating the tuition cap, which is “frustrating,”
Khinda said. CAUS is also recommending the tuition cap be implemented back into the Post-Secondary Learning Act. Khinda met with Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education Don Scott on Monday, where he told CAUS there are “no imminent changes to the tuition cap,” she said. Since the Summer Temporary Employment Program for Students is no longer available at the U of A, Alberta is the only province in Canada that doesn’t offer a student employment program. CAUS is suggesting the provincial government create a student and graduate employment program that offers job opportunities to current students and recent graduates. CAUS is also recommending the government provide $3 million a year in student mental health funding to CAUS’ institutions. Peer support counselling, student food banks, destress events and increasing awareness are what CAUS hopes to achieve
CAUS FOR ALARM Students met with the government to discuss budget cuts. with the funding, Khinda said. In terms of student financial assistance, CAUS is asking for $18 million to assist aboriginal, rural and lowincome students. “With this discussion of the economy going down the tank and needing to diversity the economy … education is the silver bullet,” Khinda said. SU Vice-President (External) elect Dylan Hanwell, who will be
William Lau
advocating for student interests during next academic year, said it’s important to lobby the government now and test the political climate before stepping into office. “It’s really important ... especially right before the budget is announced,” Hanwell said. “Just making sure that students are in the backs of the minds of government and the opposition.”
opinion 8
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Opinion Editor Andrew Jeffrey Phone 780.492.6661
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March 18, 2015
Email opinion@gateway.ualberta.ca Twitter @andrew_jeffrey
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editorial comment
NCAA athletes must be properly compensated NCAA basketball scoring is at a record low, attendance has been dwindling the last seven seasons and television ratings aren’t at the level of last year. NCAA Vice-President Dan Gavitt told the Associated Press on March 11 that he had “healthy concerns” regarding the “struggling” and “dire state” of the game. Yet, the upcoming NCAA March Madness Tournament is expected to rake in a colossal $1 billion in ad revenue this month, if not more. Not bad for a “struggling” sport. How is the NCAA able to make that much in revenue despite their “woes?” The athletes — or what the NCAA likes to call them, “amateurs.” March Madness is the second most popular sports showcase for advertisers in America, trailing only the mammoth NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl, per Business Insider. March Madness currently operates on a $10.8 billion deal between the NCAA and CBS and Turner Sports, which runs from 2011 to 2024. That’s $10.8 billion for three weekends of college basketball on TV per year. But make no mistake, no company would advertise during March Madness this year if it wasn’t for dynamic and exciting play from college stars such as Duke University big man Jahlil Okafor or Ohio State University’s point guard DeAngelo Russell. More than 800 NCAA Division I basketball athletes took part in last year’s tournament, which generated $1.15 billion in ad revenue. The average salary of NCAA Division I basketball head coaches who participated in last year’s NCAA Tournament was roughly $1 million in 2014, as per USA Today. Duke University’s Mike Krzyzewski’s salary topped the list at a whopping $9.6 million — the highest in all college sports — while Wofford University’s Mike Young made $171,244 in 2014. But that’s still $171,244 more than what every single NCAA athlete makes — in any sport. Combined. I’m not saying NCAA coaches don’t deserve their pay. Kryzewski is worth every penny. But he wouldn’t be if it weren’t for the student athletes on his roster. I understand the argument against paying student athletes. There are legal ramifications of turning student athletes into “employees,” such as entitlement to medical benefits, plus it hinders the competitive balance in regards to recruitment. There’s also the argument from every other university student saying, “these kids got free education,” or “I worked my way through college.” NCAA President Mark Emmert has repeatedly said NCAA athletes aren’t employees — they’re students, and they’re fully compensated with a full-ride scholarship and education. The difference is that student who was working their way through school wasn’t generating millions of dollars for their school, and billions of dollars for the NCAA. Free education isn’t adequate compensation. The NCAA is stripping players of their commercial rights, using it to their own benefit and turning it into an enterprise for market and television revenue. Exploitation at its finest. Education as payment isn’t sufficient, especially when players are forced to put more time into shooting three-pointers than studying for algebra. Stop practicing that three-pointer and you’re cut from the team — and your scholarship. The best college basketball players in America are worth much more than tuition, and it’s time they benefit from it. After all, as ESPN analyst Mike Wilbon said in a 2011 ESPN.com article, “The student-musician is no less a college student because he struck a lucrative deal. Neither is the student-journalist who spends his nights writing freelance stories and picking up as much money along the way as he can.” Last August, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled that universities should be able to “give athletes a limited share of the revenues generated from use of their names, images and likeness in addition to a full grantin-aid.” Wilken ruled that universities be allowed to create trust funds capped at no less than $5,000, which are derived from a limited share of licensing revenue for football and basketball college athletes. The trust funds would be collected when the athletes leave the university. Plus, the athletes would still be eligible for renewal of their full-ride athletic scholarships in addition to the trust fund. Of course, the NCAA appealed Wilken’s decision on Tuesday and requested a California appeals court overturn the decision, citing an “avocation will become a profession and that athletics will become untethered from the academic experience.” But even if the NCAA’s appeal falls through, there is no quantifiable amount that ensures NCAA athletes get compensated for what they’re worth. And if there is a quantifiable amount, it’s probably very rich — meaning that the athletes will never get equity. That’s what the real struggle in the NCAA is.
Richard Catangay-Liew news editor
jessica hong
letters to the editor from the web Vote tampering’s reflection on the SU Re: “Editorial: Vote tampering allegations a black eye on SU elections,” by Cameron Lewis, March 11. This is the same logic that leads to racist. The negative actions of one individual shouldn’t be used to generalize about the entire group. This is a “black eye” for Sleiman, no one else.
Anon
via web
I’m going to print out an article about this election and show it to anyone who tries to tell me I should ever give a crap about the superficial resume padding circle jerk that is student governance.
J
via web
Why on earth would Sangram’s word lead to “So even though this is the first time somebody has actually been punished for this malpractice, it’s clearly something that has been going on in SU elections for quite some time.” The “everyone else is doing it, so I can too” is a time honoured defense when you’ve been busted, and Sangram provided not one shred of proof to back up that ridiculous claim. You have as much justification to print what you did as you would to print “clearly, Sangram Hansra is a lying dirtbag” only that would be utterly defamatory.
What the last few days provide is that the system works. A candidate’s shameful behaviour resulted in a disqualification, and it did so MUCH faster than the same process occurs at any other level of electoral politics. Shame on you, Mr. Lewis.
Keen Observer via web
Reactions to Sleiman’s controversial admission Re: “‘I’m feeling a little bit at peace:’ Sleiman admits to vote tampering,” by Alex Migdal, March 12. I lost faith in the Student Union. No wonder we have a low voter turnout because they are unable to support an organized and efficient student union compared to other top universities. In addition, these 10 students could have made it up and I question the integrity of these students.
This is Outrageous
Re: “‘Discriminatory gender gap in product prices must end,” by Floyd Robert, February 24. This must be a joke. “This is clear in the discrimination levied against women due to their gender […] Women pay more money for some reason.” Followed by: “Razors produced for women have a more rotund and much larger head to account for the larger surface area being shaved, like a woman’s legs. Also, an inclusion of extra casting on the blades of razors designed for women reduce the incidence of casualties while shaving. Furthermore, the blades on women’s razors are at less of an oblique angle, and designed with a different contour of handle to facilitate greater visibility of scope, so men can see better what they are shaving at.” Maybe they’re paying more for a different product? Nobody is banning women from buying razors and shaving creams marketed for men.
AS
via web
via web
That’s strange… Sam didn’t get elected, so he’s not ‘ the students union’s’. Our voter turn out is average. The election rules caught the unethical student before they got into the student Union
Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@gateway.ualberta.ca The Gateway reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity, and to refuse publication of any letter it deems racist, sexist, libellous, or otherwise hateful in nature. The Gateway also reserves the right to publish letters online. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 350 words, and should include the author’s name, program, year of study, and student ID number to be considered for publication.
I can’t even via web
Gender gap in hygiene pricing non-existent
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opinion 9
Volume 105, Issue 29
“Life Means Life” bill upholds eye-for-an-eye mentality won’t be. And the intention can’t just be to keep dangerous criminals out of the community, because that power already lies with the justice system. So what’s the point then? Harper says he wants to ensure criminals are punished according to the severity of their crimes. But if we intend to uphold the Old Testament eye for an eye mentality, then where’s capital punishment? The bill’s narrow scope only targets criminals who are already likely to see harsh repercussions. If Harper is really trying to dish out justice where it’s due, then perhaps a better solution would be to address the horrendously low conviction rate for sexual assault offenders.
Lisa Szabo
opinion staff Earlier this month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced new legislation that would put criminals convicted of certain “heinous” crimes such as murders involving sexual assault or the killing of police officers, behind bars for up to 35 years before applying to the Public Safety Minister for “exceptional release.” But while the bill claims to protect Canadians from dangerous criminals, it instead ignores real threats to society and plants fear where it’s not warranted. Along with Bill C-51, the “Life Means Life” bill aims to make Canadians feel like we’re in danger, and the only way to safety is through the Conservative government. At first, it might seem like a fine idea to increase jail time for certain offences, but there are many other factors that must be considered.
Along with Bill C-51, the “Life Means Life” bill aims to make Canadians feel like we’re in danger, and the only way to safety is through the Conservative government. It’s expensive, for one thing. It costs, on average, nearly $115,000 to incarcerate a prisoner for one year in a federal prison. It’s also potentially dangerous. Imprisonment with no chance of release gives offenders little incentive to behave well. In order to be granted parole, an inmate must
The intention can’t be to deter people from committing crimes. because it’s pretty obvious already that if 25 years — or morality — wasn’t a deterrent, life in prison with no chance of parole won’t be.
show the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) that he or she poses no threat to public safety, motivating offenders seeking parole to practice acceptable social behaviours while in prison. Harper’s “Life Means Life” convicts will have little reason to pursue decent behaviour, likely posing an increased threat to prison guards and other inmates. Mostly though, it’s just unnecessary. Regarding eligibility for
parole after 25 years, Justice Minister Peter McKay says, “that means that even the worst and most violent offenders do have the opportunity to roam our streets, walk among our innocent and unsuspecting population and potentially kill again.” But McKay is clearly ignoring the full parole grant rates, and more significantly, the rates of recidivism. According to the PBC, only 21.8 per cent of male
Biggunben
offenders and 37.8 per cent of female offenders who applied for full parole in 2012 were granted it. Of those granted parole, only 0.5 per cent reoffended with a violent act. The intention can’t be to deter people from committing crimes, because it’s pretty obvious already that if 25 years — or morality — wasn’t a deterrent, life in prison with no chance of parole certainly
In Canada, approximately one in 10 instances of sexual assault is reported to police, of which only a third will be charged, and approximately half will serve time in prison, meaning an astonishing majority of sex offenders aren’t punished according to the severity of their crimes. This bill addresses a very specific group of people — incidentally the most extreme criminals — when the real justice issues are nowhere to be found. Ultimately, the “Life Means Life” bill is right on par with the AntiTerror Bill and Harper’s comments about niqabs. They push fear for free, hoping you’ll buy the promise of safety with a vote.
Sending letters home to parents of students in GSAs a poor choice Hannah Madsen
Opinion staff Last Tuesday, Bill 10 was passed by the Alberta Legislature, finally requiring schools to allow students to start Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) when requested by students. The Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association, though, recently proposed to send letters home to parents of students who request to join/start a GSA. This will certainly harm more students than it helps, especially those who are closeted and looking for support from peers. The overall passive-aggressive nature of Alberta’s Catholic schools to the bill demonstrates that they’re going to resist every step of the way and make students’ lives difficult in the process. GSAs are incredibly important in high schools, where teenagers become more aware of themselves and begin making their own decisions. Such alliances promote safe spaces and peer support networks that can make all the difference to a student who comes from an unsupportive family environment or needs further support. Furthermore, they reduce prejudice, educating students about LGBTQ issues and allowing
them to gain information from a balanced viewpoint instead of through word-of-mouth or equally untrustworthy sources.
(GSAs) promote safe spaces and peer support networks that can make all the difference to a student that comes from an unsupportive family environment. Sending letters home to students’ parents potentially hinders students from taking advantage of the safe space that a GSA can provide. A student seeking the support that a GSA offers may not have a terrible home life — they may have supportive parents and may just be looking for the extra connections and welcome that a group of open-minded peers can provide. But schools (and school boards) shouldn’t assume that LGBTQ-friendly home lives are the norm for high school students, even if members of this trustees’ association are willing to take the risk. Students who lack family support need GSAs the most, and the Alberta Catholic School Trustees are putting them at the highest risk. Even a student who joins a GSA
that isn’t necessarily LGBTQ may have parents who are homophobic, so straight students in repressive home environments could also be put at risk. Beyond the establishment of GSAs, school administrators should not be allowed to regulate or repress students’ ability to be informed and active in safe spaces that facilitate their growth and awareness as adults. Teenagers in high school are becoming more autonomous. Keeping them under the thumbs of their parents is detrimental to the ability of those students to come into their own and be happy while doing so. GSAs need to be present at all schools, especially those that aren’t necessarily open to LGBTQ students or whose constituencies are lacking in that support network. The desire of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees to send letters home regarding the students that they profess to protect instead endangers vulnerable members of their student body and are invasive to those students’ privacy. A person’s sexuality is their business and nobody else’s. Administrative officials and public figures need to understand that and respect it, because otherwise school systems and other societal networks will never be the open, welcoming spaces that people need to be healthy, whole individuals free of criticism and repression.
kevin schenk
opinion 10
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March 18, 2015
Government’s plan to conserve bison in Banff is a farce Jamie Sarkonak
opinion staff
Last May, the federal government pledged $6.4 million to the National Conservation Plan (NCP). The fiveyear plan consists of two things: “restoring ecological integrity” and “connecting Canadians with nature.” On March 6, the government announced the plan would focus on reintroducing bison to Banff National Park. But of all the conservation projects to give $6.4 million, this was a poor choice. To start, the park has already tried bison. They were contained in a 500 square kilometre range with high fencing, only to be phased out in 1997. Turns out, if you seal a large area off, you interfere with every other species trying to move through the range. Banff’s bison caused the opposite of “ecological integrity.” Even so, the fence removal was a step in the right direction. Now, the absence of bison is considered a problem. When it comes to conservation, indecision is costly for the animals and the taxpayers.
the burlap
zach
COMPILED BY Zach Borutski In current events this week, Taber, Alberta, has turned into the town from Footloose. I wish I was
This particular project is supposed to last five years. Last time around, Banff had between 1885 and 1997 to figure out how to “restore ecological integrity.” I’d say five years is a little conservative if they failed after a century. But hey, this is going to connect Canadians with nature, so maybe it’s all worth it in the end. I can’t wait to see amateur Facebook photographers demonstrate their daredevil techniques by taking macro shots of wild 2,000 lb. bison. I like their phrase, “connecting Canadians with nature.” How nice of them to make something spontaneous and natural, like love for the outdoors, become a structured government initiative. But if you’re going to romanticize the notion of a truly “wild” outdoors, at least do it to benefit species in need. We already have a decent bison population in agriculture and other national parks – Alberta’s Wood Buffalo National Park and Elk Island National Park have about 6,000 bison combined. I can see why that’s not good enough though, since they aren’t so popular with tourists. No one comes to Canada to journey up to Wood Buffalo. It can’t be a coincidence that of all the places to receive this funding, it was Canada’s most visited
national park. Way to show off your excellent conservation skills, guys. Something that could really use $6.4 million right now would be the woodland caribou: in the past 10 years, they’ve dropped in number by 60 per cent. Seeing how the NCP is a national project, the endangered caribou could easily qualify. Most of them don’t live in national parks though, so maybe that’s why they’re not a national concern. They’re certainly not a provincial concern. The Alberta Wilderness Association found that since 2004, 33,000 square kilometres of caribou range has been leased to energy companies; not exactly ideal for a species whose main threat is habitat destruction. I would say use the $6.4 million to buy that land instead of leasing it, but it’s already government-owned. Conservation in Alberta is a farce — even if the habitat essential for survival is government-owned, it’s got a good chance of being destroyed for profit. I like bison, but I’m really sad to see the vanishing caribou losing out to a once-failed reintroduction project in a popular tourist destination. We should be funding the recovery of what caribou we have left in the province, not playing Zoo Tycoon in Banff.
joking. Instead of banning dancing, the town has stated it will start issuing fines for swearing, as well as banning gatherings of three or more people, if the police believe there’s a high likelihood of a disturbance. You may as well ban dancing to go along with it, if you’re going to start monitoring actions that
arbitrary. The swearing law kind of makes sense once you read the official language. Basically, if you’re standing on a street corner screaming obscenities at people, you’ll be fined. Sure, I’m all for public decency, but this makes it sounds like the town wasn’t doing anything about that before these laws came into
WHAT’S ON AT UALBERTA? Mar 22 3 pm
Raga Unveiled The Indian Music Ensemble with special guests Dhruba Ghosh, Grammy-award winning sarangi artist, and Yogesh Samsi, leading tabla artist. Winspear Centre
A Dream Play By August Strindberg
Adaptation by Caryl Churchill
Agnes, daughter of the Vedic god Indra, descends to Earth to bear witness to the human experience. U of A Studio Theatre Timms Centre for the Arts
Mar 29 3 p.m.
Mar 26 to Apr 4 7:30 pm
Eine Kleine Night Serenade
The University Symphony Orchestra performs Britten’s Serenade featuring Juno-award winning tenor John Tessier. Winspear Centre
ualberta.ca/artshows
supplied
effect. What about public indecency laws? But really, the main thing that puts the burlap in my sack is the law about gatherings of people. I’m willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and say that not all groups of three or more are planning nefarious deeds, in fact, if I’m out late at night, I’m more
inclined to feel safe in a large group of people. Maybe Taber needs Kevin Bacon to come along and start screaming “FUCK THE POLICE” in the middle of Main Street.
The Burlap Zach is a semi-regular feature, in which Sports Writer Zach Borutski finds an axe and grinds the hell out of it. Youbetcha.
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opinion 11
Volume 105, Issue 29
Public shaming of racist fraternity chants deserved Oumar Salifou
multimedia editor Public shaming is rampant in today’s media. The court of public opinion surpasses logical thinking when ruling against immoral behaviour. Recently, a Canadian man faced death threats for clubbing an unsuspecting fish and throwing it back into a lake. This action is certainly wrong and reasonably uncalled for, but it didn’t warrant the backlash it received. Parallel to this is an Oklahoma fraternity which was recently banned after a video surfaced of members chanting a racist song. If you think the public gave the fish guy a hard time these fraternity
members were basically crucified. People shouldn’t be crucified because their actions aren’t justified by public opinion. But when actions are as harsh and controversial as the SAE fraternities chant, they deserve some serious public backlash. The use of the n-word was rampant within the song, but what attracted the most controversy was the direct reference to killing African Americans. This is a touchy subject in light of recent incidents of police brutality, and because Americans are still dealing with past wounds of segregation and the distant nightmare of slavery. Racism is a highly flammable topic, and when it’s perpetrated by a group or individual, the public backlash is swift and almost uniform. The media jumped on every chance they had to criticize the fraternity’s behaviour and they were completely justified in doing so. Anything
short of public shaming was completely warranted. This backlash is deserved because the chant refers to a dark time in America’s history where segregation, violence, and lynching were more acceptable ideas of behaviour by some groups in America. It’s taken decades for African Americans to attain justice, and when chants like that are made, they inevitably put progress a few steps backward. When people yell that they would rather see someone lynched rather than having them join their fraternity there needs to be serious repercussions. I’m sure that the SAE members don’t actually want to see an African American lynched or violently attacked because of the colour of their skin. But by chanting such barbaric things they open themselves up for comparison with past hate.
Greek racism A fraternity house like this one was accused of racism
supplied — dori
Canadians shouldn’t assume superiority over US cultural boiling pot Victoria Wicks
The varsity — University of Toronto TORONTO (NUW) — When discussing race relations, I find that fellow students often assume and emphasize Canada’s superiority over the United States. They argue that since we had never institutionalized slavery or segregation, Canada is more equitable towards our black population. More broadly, Canadian identity is supposedly founded upon an inherently tolerant “mosaic,” instead of an aggressive, assimilationpromoting “melting pot” in the US. This explicit commitment to diversity certainly deserves a pat on the back. Yet, it is incredibly arrogant to repeatedly emphasize these achievements as trumping the US. Such rhetoric absolves us of any responsibility to investigate Canada’s colonial past and how racial oppression manifests today. For example, we often boast that Canada was a refuge for slaves fleeing the US. However, simply focusing on Canada as a “haven from racism” erases how black people faced de facto segregation after arriving in Canada. In 1911, the Edmonton city council passed a resolution to ban black people from the city. Similarly, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court legitimized racially segregated movie theatres in 1946. Such systematic discrimination
supplied: Shahin S. Imtiaz — The Varsity
continues today — in Toronto for example, our police stop and question black people at disproportionately higher rates than others. In one patrol zone, the likelihood of being “carded” was 17.1 times higher for black people than white people. This is not to mention Canada’s abhorrent treatment of its Aboriginal people. Our country is marred by the legacy of residential schools, stolen children, and land appropriation, and this state-sanctioned violence is hardly a relic of the past. In particular, there are a disproportionate number of Aboriginals in
#3LF
prison currently — they make up almost a quarter of all inmates but constitute only four per cent of our population. We are also facing a crisis of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, for which Prime Minister Stephen Harper callously refuses to pursue a public inquiry. Being cocooned in U of T’s ivory towers, we are easily preoccupied with grand political theories and distant historical texts. As such, it is easy to forget how much racism translates into the daily experiences of fellow students on campus. Consider what happened
in 2009: five students not only showed up to a U of T–affiliated Halloween party in blackface, but also received the best costume prize. More recently,EngSoc held a questionable “fiesta-themed” pub night this year, which many criticized for encouraging racial stereotypes. I’ve also heard countless disparaging comments about U of T being “too Asian,” as if Asian identity is somehow homogenous and undesirable. These anecdotes are neither anomalous nor trivial. They accumulate daily, creating a hostile social climate for many racialized
students. Indeed, “The Final Report of the Task Force on Campus Racism” published by the Canadian Federation of Students in 2010 has catalogued the numerous and multi-faceted ways racism continues to affect students and faculty across Canada. Moving forward, we need to be more proactive in fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for our peers. For instance, professors can add equity statements in syllabi and discuss them at the beginning of their course. This would remind students of how certain behaviours or remarks can be discriminatory, while also informing students of procedures for reporting any racism they may face or observe. Colleges and student unions should also mandate anti-oppression education for elected student representatives. This would not only ensure our student leaders are sufficiently informed about how racism operates on campus, but would also empower them to intervene where racism occurs. Above all, we need to listen. Specifically, when our peers speak out about their lived experiences of racism, it is crucial to recognize and uplift their stories as valuable insight into the problem, instead of accusing them of being “too sensitive.” Let’s not fall prey to the idea that Canada’s race relations are necessarily better than the US’. Even if we were, that’s no excuse for social stagnation — we can always do better.
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Sleiman is a slimy fucker #notslanderifitstrue Unbreakable They alive, dammit It’s a miracle Unbreakable They alive dammit But females are strong as hell academia is the opiate of the masses I just UNLIKED the U of A Orientation Facebook Page. Go fuck yourselves, you homophobic, non-inclusive assholes. Thanks for nothing. James W. Fernandez: WHYYYYYY?
mofo, yoyo mofo. but seriously mofo, fu. Okay, so pride week ended. Now it’s back to the normal heteronormativity and non-inclusive spaces!!!! YAY #queerproblems Sangram’s pulling all the strings With a campaign slogan like ‘notoriously good’ SAMER SLEIMAN GOT WHAT HE DESERVED Political Harmonies : MLA Candidate Roberto Maglalang stokes the political fire, encourages deeper participation and invites U of A students to experience his campaign
We trust our politicians to get their jobs done, not to be honest with their constituents, however ideal that would be. If Sleiman is not going to be an SU Exec, it should be because his platform sucks, not because of his personal ethics. This entire issue was an attack on Samer. After disqualification got overturned the CRO wanted to fetch for any sort of evidence by asking each person about their personal communication with Samer. The CRO took these measures because she desperately wanted him to be defeated.
SLEIMAN YOU LIAR. YOU REMEMBER EVERYTHING. FREE PIZZA IN QUAD Props to Sleiman for coming clean no point in drawing out a losing battle sangram should apologize for his conduct throughout this whole SU elections process SU Elections. Provincial Elections. Who Cares. Idgaf about your man, sit on my face already. married to the game but she broke her vows listen to my mixtape this summer
Take your feet off the chairs in lecture halls. It’s rude and makes everything dirty. RICHARD I was going to say we should go to the gym, but then I imagined us in the gym. - Sami Girl, Id make you cashew chicken and coconut rice May 1, you and me and The Avengers Im drunk and on three lines free!!! It takes some stones to request a revote after you’ve already won. class act shakiba Cheaters never prosper you honey
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intelligent theatre for interesting people WORLD PREMIERE CATALYST THEATRE PRODUCTION PLAYING UNTIL MARCH 29
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Terrible roommates who have horrified us and let us down “PERHAPS THE GREATEST PLAY OF ITS TIME” THE INDEPENDENT, UK
Opinion Staff
MARCH 21 - APRIL 12
group commentary
TWO BEST FRIENDS, NO HOLDS BARRED
APRIL 8 - 19
winners and losers WHAT YOU WEREN’T TOLD GROWING UP APRIL 25 - MAY 24
TICKETS $ AS LOW AS
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A bad roommate can be a real drag, man. They’re a detriment to your life and, at times, a real burden. Bad roommates can keep you up at night, wreak havoc on your productivity, lower your self-esteem, leave you stressed and anxious or just disappear when you need them most. Many of us here at The Gateway, have had to deal with roommates that have let us down time and again. So after a lot of venting and complaining, we decided to reminisce on our worst experiences with old roommate foes.
Zach Popowich The longer I live in this house with my roommates, the more I wonder if I’d like to be murdered by Jason Voorhees or Steve Urkel. At least the benefit with Jason is that all I have to fear is the gleam of a machete and then it’s all over. With Steve, I have to fear for my life in some sort of Final Destination style hijinks before I die. To get it out of the way, it’s not that I don’t like my roommate, it’s the opposite, in fact. He’s always timely with the rent, doesn’t have any particularly offensive habits and generally keeps the music to a reasonable volume. The trouble, however, lies in his uncanny knack for causing accidents that could make the writers of Final Destination roll their eyes. In the span of two hours, he managed to set a pot and a wok on fire with two distinct cooking oils. He also managed to leave a hot element on for the entire day and even managed to leave the front door open while no one was home. Thankfully, we have smoke detectors, luck and low crime rates to keep us safe. Yet, I can’t help but fear that one day I’ll meet my end in some Rube Goldberg-esque accident while
dying to the sound of a nasally voice asking “did I do that?” But Brutus is an honourable man. I like my roommate, in fact, I think as far as roommates go, I’ve lucked out. Yet some days all I want to yell is “GET OUT OF MY HOUSE STEVE!”
Josh Greschner Her name was Whitney. She had drab hair and her shoes were orthopaedic. We showed her the room, then she sat on the couch in the living room. She couldn’t stop talking. It was either out of nervousness or because she read in a book with “Success” in the title, the first line of a paragraph beginning “Chatting is good for first impressions,” without finishing the rest of the paragraph. She didn’t seem to be the type to finish paragraphs. We got to talking about atheism and she said that, you know, she was like, kind of Christian and stuff, but not, like, that much. She assured us her church really didn’t have that strong of a hold over her. We weren’t particularly interested. But she got the room. Then she went to some party and she got into the pot. Hard. She made a gravity bong out of a bucket and half a pop bottle, and smoked in the garage. She was high all the time. She told stories about going up to random people on Jasper Ave and asking them for a pinch of weed. When she went to the garage at four in the morning to smoke, she left the back door open as the cats ran to the Telus World of Science. After getting high, she’d practice juggling outside or play her keyboard. She knew where all the C notes were. She really liked playing C notes. She drank pickle juice. She not-so-secretly ate pizza crusts off our plates waiting to be washed while we were still in the kitchen. She left her diary open in the living room once. “No thinking about boys,” it said, “no thinking about sex. Only think about God if you want to be successful.” I hope
she finds success. But god forbid she finishes these paragraphs.
Lisa Szabo Roommates are like pets without the benefit of a loving companion. You have to clean up after them, they smell bad and they wreck your stuff. Or in my case, they just give it away. I had a roommate who moved in with me after spending a year abroad. He was pretty nomadic and so showed up at my door with only a sleeping bag and backpack. He didn’t intend to stick around for more than a few months, so I told him he could take my futon — my only couch — to his room in the basement and sleep on it for as long as he stayed. Six months went by, and it was time for him to get the fuck out. The day before he left, two of his friends came over, and the three of them proceeded to carry my futon up the stairs and out the door. “What are you doing?” I asked, confused. “Oh,” one friend cheerily replied, “Jonathan is giving Joel his futon.” His futon? His futon? MY fucking futon! I was too confounded to say anything like “HEY! THAT’S MINE!” or “THIEVES! THIEVES!” So instead I pressed my face against the window pane as the imaginary rain pounded against the glass, and watched my futon get carried away in the back of Joel’s truck. If you give a dog a toy, it will love it and cherish it and then tear it to pieces. If you lend a roommate a futon, he will give it to Joel, and you’ll be left couchless and bitter forever.
Andrew Jeffrey All I know is I woke up one morning with the faint outline of a pentagram drawn on my fridge that never quite washed off completely. The culprit was never found, and could still be out there, living in other people’s houses to this very day.
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feature 13
Volume 105, Issue 29
The Dewey's Debacle Written by parker ali • with files from kate black • Photos by lara kmech • Layout by Jessica Hong
The lounge inside the Old Power Plant building has been losing the Students' Union's money for years. Why do they keep it around?
W
ith the 2013 and 2014 fiscal years yielding a net deficit of $108,686, Dewey’s has put a noticeable hole in the Students’ Union’s pocket — and this trend isn’t new. The restaurant and lounge in the Old Power Plant building has been losing the SU money since 2002, with the worst financial spell occurring in 2007 and 2008, when the business lost almost $400,000 in two years. The SU depends on its businesses for 56 per cent of its revenue, with only 29 per cent coming from Students’ Union fees paid by students. Why then, with growing concerns about poor service, would the SU continue running this financially toxic asset?
The use of the building dates back to 1978 when it was renovated for use by the Graduate Students Association (GSA) to operate a
restaurant and music venue, the PowerPlant. The GSA eventually found the location unprofitable and the SU took the reins of the failing business in 1997, making it the first SU business outside the SU building. The SU’s current Vice-President (Operations and Finance) Cory Hodgson says that Dewey’s “as we know it” has only been in operation since 2008. In 2007, the university took back control over the west side of the bar, in exchange for reducing rental fees for the SU. Following the size reduction, Hodgson says the space has become “fundamentally different” than the nightclub atmosphere it once was, shifting to more of a “bistro-style lunch bar.” The Old Power Plant building is owned by the university, while the SU pays $76,000 a year in rent and utilities for the space. Dewey’s is the only SU business which pays full rent, and Hodgson says this affords Dewey’s different challenges not necessarily faced by other SU businesses. “Even the space we have right now is sometimes difficult to work with. There are limited things we can do with it because it’s not our space,” he says. Aside from the significant costs pressing Dewey’s, other factors, like location, impact the bar’s success, compared to Room At The Top (RATT). RATT has not lost the money Dewey’s has — in fact, it has turned a profit for the SU every year since 2004, when it lost $20,000. In addition to not paying rent, RATT is able to also draw more customers to the other businesses located inside SUB. Based on focus groups conducted by the SU, Hodgson speculates that SUB is already densely populated, whereas less people casually hang out in the Dewey’s area. Dewey’s is also limited by a pub policy imposed by the university which many bars are not subject to. The lounge’s manager, Monique Vulic, says the bar is unable to offer specials on shooters, and that last call is no later than 1 a.m. Despite the challenges, leaving the building is off the table. The SU’s dedication to the Old Power Plant has not wavered through the past few years of hardship, having just resigned a five-plus-five year lease, in 2013 Hodgson is dedicated to the SU maintaining stakeholder status with the Old Power Plant building to ensure future developments in the building benefit students. “I don’t think it’s advisable (for the SU to leave the building), because we won’t be at the table when we talk about the future of the building,” Hodgson says. “Part of the important part of us running that operation is maintaining a stake
in that building and being tenants there.” Hodgson mentions the safety of students is part of the SU’s “philosophy” of having campus bars. Venues like Dewey’s, he says, give students an option on campus to “engage in the behaviour they’re going to engage in.” “(At) other places, their primary focus is profit and that’s all they care about. They don’t have those kind of safety considerations that we put in first,” he says. “So I think sometimes a direct comparison isn’t exactly fair because we operate them to make money, but that’s not the be all end-all for us.” Coming off a rocky history in the red, Hodgson believes the campus eatery is slowly improving. “We’re seeing really positive results this year,” he says. “This year, we’ve done a lot better revenue-wise, but expenses are high that we don’t have at RATT.” Early sales figures are looking good, according to Vulic. The staff at Dewey’s increased too, from 14 last year to 19 this fall. Hiring only 35 per cent more staff, Dewey’s saw a 50 per cent increase in sales between September 2013 and this year — a near- $24,000 increase — and 30 per cent in October. Part of the 50 per cent percent sales increase from last year at Dewey’s included a five per cent increase in food sales. The drop in sales as the semester moves forward is characteristic of the usual trend, with students spending more time and money in Dewey’s near the start of the term. After arriving at Dewey’s in 2013, Vulic helped implement an overhaul of the lounge’s operations. Most of the changes under Vulic
were made this past summer under advisory from the Business Advisory Group (BAG), established by last year’s Vice-President (Operations and Finance) Josh Le. Changes included the removal of several pool tables to increase the bar’s seating capacity and the removal of carpet flooring with the addition of several loveseats in the upper loft. Perhaps most noticeably, Dewey’s switched to a table service under recommendation from BAG, which found that students were often turned off by the long line-ups, and would leave the establishment before even sitting down. Despite its criticisms — including long wait times and incorrect orders — both Hodgson and Vulic are confident that the switch to table service is benefitting the business. “It’s all new staff, new point of sale, new service model,” Vulic says. “The transition period is expected, but we’re definitely improving, I think ... our team is great. They’re motivated, and they’re excited. “I think the changes we’ve made will probably stick. We just need to work on our customer service standards and benchmarks. It’s just to reach those goals.” Because bottom-line revenue information for Dewey’s won’t be available until the end of the year, we are yet to see if the SU has managed to turn the struggling lounge around. In the meantime, all there’s left to do is hope for the best — and maybe grab a burger at the quaint campus lounge between classes. “I feel really positive about the direction that we’re headed,” says Hodgson. “We really have had revenue numbers skyrocket quite a bit.”
feature 14
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arts & culture 15
Volume 105, Issue 29
Arts & Culture
A & C Editor Kieran Chrysler Email entertainment@gateway.ualberta.ca
Phone 780.492.6661 Twitter @chryslerrr
Volunteer Arts meetings every Wednesday at 4pm
social intercourse COMPILED BY Maggie Schmidt
Mile Zero Dance AIR: Kevin Jesuino 10816 95 Street Thursday, Mar. 19 at 7 p.m. $15 (milezerodance.com) Kevin Jesuino is an emerging Canadian artist who focuses his creativity on choreographing dance numbers in various “found” spaces across the world. For the past two weeks, Jesuino has stood as the Artist In Residence with Mile Zero Dance Studio, allowing him to come up with a performance that truly represents Edmonton. Titled Being Together, the performance combines various forms of art to look at how Edmontonians move and evolve with the city. Seating is limited, so make sure to get your tickets in advance.
Scenic Route to Alaska w/ Nature Of, The Velveteins, The Tourist Company Pawn Shop (10549 82 Avenue) Friday, Mar. 20 at 8 p.m. $12 at the door Scenic Route to Alaska is a trio of Edmonton hunks whose indie-pop hits have been winning over the hearts of the city for years. Supported by the fantastic Nature Of, emerging youngsters of The Velveteins and Vancouver’s The Tourist Company, it’s going to be a night of sweet melodies. It’s a lineup that may very well facilitate falling in love with a stranger you’ve made eye contact with across the room, so be sure to wear your heart on your sleeve.
Dada Plan w/ Artisan Loyalist, Feverfew Wunderbar (8120 101 Street) Friday, Mar. 20 at 9 p.m. $10 at the door There isn’t a lot of information about Dada Plan online. Their website, an artistic masterpiece, raises more questions about the band than it answers, and only two songs are released on Soundcloud. However, even without Facebook, the Vancouver-based band has generated a lot of buzz. Supported by Edmonton’s own ambient Artisan Loyalist and the experimental “harp-hop” band Feverfew, it’s a night of untapped musical genres and the inevitable mindexpansion that comes from broadening your horizons.
Justina Smith Art Show w/ F&M, Caity Fisher Artery (9535 Jasper Avenue) Saturday, Mar. 21 at 8 p.m. $15 at the door Justina Smith is a household name for Edmonton fine art, with paintings displayed all around Edmonton and in the homes of people who can afford to decorate with original artwork. The walls of the Artery are going to be graced for the last time with her beautiful paintings, so come celebrate the unveiling of the gallery. Folk legends F&M are proud to provide entertainment. Local sweetheart Caity Fisher is even going to perform a rare solo set. If your taste in art is limited to music and movies, it’s about time to expand into the realm of visual art.
Spencer Nichols
Iconoclast Koffiehuis changes café game Lisa Szabo
arts & culture staff Iconoclast Koffiehuis is tucked away in an industrial area just North of Oliver. Keeping with its location, the café throws out an industrial minimalist vibe, with exposed brick walls and a burly wooden coffee bar. A smattering of tables and chairs loosely fill the huge space, while an Industrial-Revolutionera-looking coffee roaster hangs out near the back. From the pair of 50-something-year-olds discussing woodworking over a regular coffee to the students gulping down Tolstoy alongside their second or third cappuccino, the cafe appeals to a broad range of people — which is just what owner Ryan Arcand wants. In 2008, after discovering his love for Italian coffee, Arcand started Iconoclast as a wholesale roasting company. Seven years later, it’s a coffee house that works the beans through nearly every step of production — from roasting the green beans that arrive six or seven bags at a time from West Coast suppliers to handcrafting the latte in your hands — and remains locally and quality minded. Arcand describes Iconoclast’s vision as revolving around practicality and quality, and says that small-batch roasting ultimately produces a consistently high-calibre product. Although small batches permit more variability in flavour, keeping production small-scale ensures that quality-minded
people are following the coffee every step of the way. Iconoclast roasts small batches of coffee in-house four days a week, and has espresso pouring all seven. While the hip café may appear to cater to a younger demographic, Ryan hopes to make anyone feel welcome. He insists he is not a “coffee snob,” and instead of trying to convert all coffee drinkers to smallbatch brewing, he says he just wants people to feel comfortable enjoying coffee. “(If) somebody walks into our place and says ‘I want a dark roast cup of coffee,’ I’m going to give them a dark roast cup of coffee. I’m not going to tell anyone how to enjoy their coffee. My idea of coffee is (that it’s) one of life’s simple pleasures,” says Arcand. His vision for the coffee house is modest but genuine, and focuses on people rather than dramatically changing Edmonton’s coffee scene. “I don’t have intentions to be the biggest,” he says. “If anything, my motivations lie with doing real things with real people — interesting things.” Aside from hosting private events like small weddings, product launches and even birthday parties, Iconoclast offers a ping pong table with plenty of room to swing, a chess board, and a free games night once a month. Last month they hosted a “Sherriff of Nottingham” tournament, where the winner took home a free copy of the game. The next games night, which will be held March 26, won’t focus on one game, but will be open-
house style, and a good opportunity to bring a friend for a cup of coffee. As far as the city’s growing coffee culture, Arcand says “Edmonton has experienced the same bloom of café culture that every other city on the continent and in the West has.” (So don’t worry folks, we’re not so far behind Seattle after all.) He also notes the progression toward “scratch-production,” which is easily recognized in Iconoclast’s small-scale and home-grown approach. “I think there’s this renaissance of mercantile economy and production where people are going back to school to get their butchers tickets, training themselves to be bakers ... in a way that it’s become cool and hip, and maybe profitable. I don’t know, but it makes sense that more small businesses would turn to producing goods — coffee included,” Arcand says. Iconoclast’s old-world vibe is also felt through their ongoing collaboration with Red Bike. To create a bike-positive environment, the café sells bikes — which are coolly displayed on the walls — and this spring, they will begin carrying bike accessories. Once the weather warms up, the cafe will open up their two dock doors, and cyclists can roll their bikes right into the shop while they enjoy a game of table tennis. Arcand notes “this idea of the third wave of coffee culture has blossomed and taken root,” so if you’re interested in reaping the benefits of quality coffee, Iconoclast Koffeehuis is a good place to start.
arts & culture 16
the
the
brew crew
written by Jason Timmons
Bootlegger Ale Brewery: Prohibition Brewing Co.
gateway
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March 18, 2015
fashion streeters compiled & photographed by
Christina Varvis
Available at: Sherbrooke Liquor Store (11819 St. Albert Trail)
Caitlyne Hawrelak
morning walk of shame in Lister. The taste is nothing special, but you’ve had much worse. The only place Bootlegger Ale surprises you is with the aftertaste, which rests heavy with carbonation on your tongue long after the last sip. If you’re looking for an alcoholic friend with no surprises, Bootlegger Ale will suit you just fine. It may not be your best beer, but it certainly won’t be your worst. It’s that basic friend who thrives on mediocrity. It’s the Coors Light of craft beer. It’s so basic that it makes you cringe a little bit but you love it just the same. It’s Bootlegger Ale, and it’s not half bad.
We all have that one friend who can only be described as basic. We don’t mean it as an insult, in fact, we say it with love. They have no hidden features or quirks, they simply are what they say they are. Bootlegger Ale is that basic friend, a solid, reliable brew with no surprises, one that you can go back to time and time again and be confident that nothing has changed. The pour is as bubbly as a tipsy white girl; the gorgeous amber colour is her spray tan. The head, much like a pair of Ugg boots, is tan and devout of taste. On the nose we have malt and light flowery notes, not unlike the smell of an early
business V
ALBUM REVIEW
Joel Plaskett
Joel Plaskett and the Park Avenue Sobriety Test
Pheromone Records joelplaskett.com Danielle Carlson Arts & Culture staff In an attempt to please everyone, Joel Plaskett fails to please anyone with his newest album Joel Plaskett And The Park Avenue Sobriety Test. The folk singer branches away from his genre to prove that he’s capable of more. Unfortunately, his attempts are as half-baked as RATT’s hot wings. Plaskett seems too preoccupied with trying different genres in this album and there is no harmony between his songs. Each one is a
different sound from new-age blues, to classic rock, to lounge music. An album should be consistent in genre from start to finish. When listening to folk music, you shouldn’t be assaulted by a Metallica-worthy electric guitar solo in the middle of one song. Which brings up the next issue with Plaskett. Like the whole album, the individual songs are at odds with themselves and are a mess of fiddle rifts, piano keys, and
Vino Bitches Some wines are meant to be enjoyed with company, and the best company for Masi Masianco’s white blend is pizza and Netflix. This rich and complex wine is the perfect drink for a relaxing Friday — or any day of the week — night in. A combination of Pinot Grigio and Verduzzo, Masi Masianco has a baroque style label that is not too garish. Grape vines are drawn around the name like an emblem in olive greens and yellow parchment colours. More than Microsoft was needed to make this design. Masi Masianco is a modest white-gold that smells like summertime with pears, apples, white blossoms and a rich oak underline. It also has a hint of citrus that slightly surprised me. The label claims that the Verduzzo is from a full-bodied variety, but I suspect it is sharper than that. Regardless, I am not disappointed with this wine so far. The taste hardly deviates from the aroma. The initially bold fruit flavours are well-balanced with rich notes of oak and almonds. I was right about the Verduzzo. The wine is slightly dryer than a full-bodied white should be, but that only makes this drink more complex and enjoyable. Brief tannin has the satisfying flavour linger for a moment longer. This wine could go without any company at all. It’s perfectly enjoyable by itself and so good you might not share it with anyone else. With that being said, Masi Masianco can satisfy any company that you are trying to impress and goes great with pastas and light and mildly seasoned meats. But, if you’re like me, you’ll agree that Masi Masianco tastes its best with a homemade cheese-and-mushroom pizza you and your friends decide to pick up and party with plastic.
Price:
$18.99
Available at:
Liquor Depot
Wine:
twanging banjos, as Plaskett croons and howls through it all like the lovechild of Bob Dylan and Brad Paisley. Everything is out of sync. The electric guitar solo emerges near the end of “Captains of Industry.” A smooth piece, the song seems appropriate for a mellow country bar, when suddenly, in the last quarter, echoing guitar strings drown everything out and ruin the chill atmosphere developed in the beginning. It’s clear from Plaskett’s previous work that he is capable of creating good music and Park Avenue Sobriety Tests proves that he is not afraid to break boundaries by combining genres. However, if he had just stuck to one theme, he could have had a better-developed album. Right now, Plaskett needs to spend a lot more time at the drawing board.
Masi Masianco’s Pinot Grigio and Verduzzo
Written by: Danielle Carlson
Describe what you’re wearing. I’m wearing a white pleated maxi skirt with a black simple tank top. And a vintage denim jacket. gateway: Where’s your favourite place to shop in the city? Hawrelak: I love Oak and Fort. I’m a little biased because I work there but I love the style. It’s very Parisian and I feel like I plan outfits like “if it’s going to work in Paris it would work for me today.”
gateway: Hawrelak:
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arts & culture 17
Volume 105, Issue 29
What was your favourite childhood anime on television? Arts & Culture Staff
group commentary
After a long argument about whether the new Sailor Moon reboot is warranted or not, The Gateway’s arts and culture writers started reminiscing about the best anime shows that they watched as children. Here is a compilation of our favourites.
Holly Detilleux She was fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight and undeniably a childhood favourite. Arguably one of the best installments in the Magical Girl genre of anime, Sailor Moon provided both a highly memorable cast of characters and a stunning visual experience. The show features a group of middle school to high-school-aged girls who possessed magical powers
ALBUM REVIEW
that were accessed by harnessing the power of the planets. In order to access their powers they enter a sparkly, swirly transformation sequence, which injected an unexpected dose of glamour into the premise of the show. Ultimately, with every enemy they faced, they were tasked with fighting an evil that threatened the earth. However, by day they were normal girls. It was both relatable and otherworldly, sparking the imagination of the kids who watched it. Sailor Moon is an ultimately great series for the generation that was infatuated with it.
Maggie Schmidt As somebody who grew up without any influence of culture, my introduction to the world of anime came from the Americanmade Avatar: The Last Airbender. The three-season epic follows the story of a boy who has the power to unite a world that is divided into different kingdoms. With loads of action and cool elemental-based magic, it kept me entertained
AWOLNATION Run
Redbull Records awolnationmusic.com Jason Timmons
arts & Culture Staff @journophobic The rigid confines of genre can be suffocating for an artist, sometimes forcing them to make musical
sacrifices in order to conform to the boundaries of their style. AWOLNATION ignores the pressure
while also teaching me to question the government. Basically, it stood alone from other cartoons at the time because it had a welldeveloped plot that combined fantasy with real-world context. Years after the wonderfully puttogether finale, the creators released a sequel, Korra, which only further encourages kids to question authority. The Avatar enterprise (excluding the horribly white-washed live action movie) is not only a great introduction to anime, but also helps shape young minds to think freely.
show each had an animal friend that helped them navigate the DigiWorld, where the main characters find various evil Digimon who try to take over the world. With the help of their small DigiFriends, the group overcomes adversity. Each DigiFriend can evolve and devolve when they’re weak or strong, making them a lot more realistic than Pokemon, who just leveled up and then died. Overall, it was the best anime to teach kids about the value of friendship.
In the realm of anime children’s shows about pets that fight battles for their human friends, Digimon: Digital Monsters was the ultimate show. Pokémon saw humans treating their pets like slaves, pitting them against each other in what was essentially glorified dog fights. Not exactly a good lesson to be teaching kids. This is where Digimon proved it was the best. The kids in the
You know what made the Paranormal Activity movies scary? The waiting. You waited for like an hour and a half and listened to creaks and moans and that weird old computer sound until finally something really crazy happened and you jumped out of your seat, paralyzed in fear. That’s also why Dragon Ball Z was great. Hours upon hours of exposition and dialogue to eventually lead to a couple minutes of really intense
to conform to one genre, delivering an eclectic mix of dance-rock and electronica with their newest album, Run. Rarely do we see an album as ambitiously directionless as Run. Ranging from feel-good acoustic tracks to eardrum-shattering rock anthems and everything in between, this album is a rollercoaster of uncertainty and pleasant surprises. AWOLNATION declares no loyalty to genre with this release, jumping between styles track after track
to achieve a beautifully chaotic aesthetic. Fans who fell in love with the ferocity of previous AWOLNATION work like “Sail” will feel right at home with the title track, “Run,” which features a punk-influenced breakdown that brings up the intensity of the record. Listeners who favour a more relaxed experience can kick back and enjoy the acoustic sing-along “Headrest for my Soul,” or the vaguely dream-pop “Holy Roller.” No matter what genre tickles
your fancy, if you appreciate soothing vocals and occasional screams, you’ll find something to enjoy on Run. AWOLNATION doesn’t care what genre of music you like — they just want you to party. And that’s exactly what you’ll do if you let this album envelope you with its eclectic nature and unpredictable sonic sexiness. Run is an aimless album filled with twists and turns that head nowhere, and for that reason, it’s AWOLNATION’s most ambitious — and rewarding — release to date.
Kieran Chrysler
Cam Lewis
Hi-Def Hitchcock
Also on screen this week: Reservoir Dogs - Gateway to Cinema Psycho II - Metro Bizarro Tales from the Organ Trade - Science in Cinema The Voices Prairie Tales 16 - Free admission UHF - Cult Cinema
Student Admission Evenings $9 Matinees $6
Spotlight: Studio Ghibli
Rear Window L.B. Jeffries (Jeff) is a man of action who has been laid up in his apartment with a broken leg. Jeff’s apartment window shares a courtyard with many other windows. As Jeff convalesces, he becomes familiar with some of the other tenants, including Thorvald, a man whose bed-bound wife makes his life miserable. When the wife vanishes Jeff begins to suspect there has been a murder. Sitting in his wheelchair, holding a camera with a telephoto lens, he looks and scans the scene like a movie camera would. What he sees, we see. What conclusions he draws, we draw – all without words, because the pictures add up to a montage of suspicion.
Christina Varvis “Wind, Rain, Shadow, Wood, Sword, Thunder, Power, Sleep, Cardcaptors of the Clow, Expect the unexpected now!” There you have just a couple of the lyrics to the Cardcaptors theme song that were stuck in my head for a good five years of my childhood. The show was about Sakura, a young girl who accidentally opened the Book of Clow, unleashing all the mystical Clow Cards, each with their unique form and ability. Of course, she then had to hunt them down and seal them back into the book. This show had everything — action, comedy, romance — and can we talk about how absolutely cute Li’s crush for Sakura was?! The whole show was the best. *Sighs*
Metro Cinema at the Garneau 8712 109 Street, Edmonton, AB 780 425 9212 | metrocinema.org Facebook.com/metrocinema | Pinterest.com/metrocinema Twitter & Instagram @themetrocinema
March 21 at 7:00 March 22 at 1:00 March 25 at 9:15
buff dude fighting action. There isn’t a better superhero than Goku, either. The guy gave no fucks, but also gave a lot of fucks at the same time, if that makes any sense. He could absolutely destroy Superman. No doubt.
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
March 21 at 9:30 March 22 at 3:30 March 26 at 9:30
Set in a future Los Angeles where the glare of car headlights and video billboards provides the only relief from perpetually rain-darkened skies, the film follows Deckard, a “blade runner” assigned to track down and kill six rebel replicants – androids who are “more human than human.” Manufactured for slave labour on earth colonies, they are supplied with artificial memories and set to break down after four years, before they can develop human emotions. The resulting conflicts are both literal and existential. Although the film met with popular and critical acclaim upon its original release, Ridley Scott expressed dissatisfaction with elements that were supposedly imposed by the studio. Scott’s Final Cut is the only version over which he had complete artistic control. The result is an immersive experience that is at once bleaker and more wonderful in the truest sense.
Once upon a time, three uniquely gifted filmmakers dreamt of establishing a magical kingdom of imagination and storytelling, where legend and fantasy would be drawn into animated life. After more than thirty years, Studio Ghibli has established a reputation for its whimsical and universally affective animation and narrative style. Mami Sunada’s new documentary, The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, delves into the personalities and passions behind the Studio’s acclaimed films, while Metro’s Spotlight affords you the opportunity to see for yourself how the Ghibli magic is manifested.
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness March 20 at 7:00 March 21 at 4:30 March 22 & 23 at 9:15
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
March 21 at 2:00 March 22 at 6:45
Spirited Away March 20 at 9:15 March 23 at 7:00
Visit metrocinema.org for full listings!
arts & culture 18
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FLYING ARTS PANDA
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Christina Varvis
Best places to grab a coffee in #yeg Maggie Schmidt Arts & Culture staff
Finals season is just around the corner, and it’s already warm enough to walk farther than Starbucks for coffee to fuel your study session. The city has a surprisingly extensive coffee-obsessed subculture, with independently run coffee houses open all over the city. Each one is unique and has something great to offer, so support your local cafes and check out the best that Edmonton has to offer. 5. Remedy (8631 109 Street) In a way, Remedy is sort of an Edmonton-only version of Starbucks. It seems like no matter where you go, there’s a Remedy on the block. The café is well known for its delicious Westernized Indian food and assortment of chai teas, and also serves coffee that is brewed to your preference with a variety of equipment. With so many locations, there’s usually one within walking distance of wherever you are, making it one of the most accessible locally-run coffee shops in Edmonton.
COMING the
HORIZON
4. Transcend (8708 109 Street)
2. HXGN (10123 Whyte Avenue)
Transcend is the closest café to the university worth checking out. Two blocks past East Campus Village, Transcend is usually bumping with students working on coursework or going on awkward first dates. With a few pastry, sandwich and soup options, it’s an ideal place to hang out if your schedule leaves you with a few extra hours between classes. The prices are comparable to Starbucks but the quality of the coffee is superior, so it’s definitely worth the extra five-minute walk from HUB.
Not too many university students wander east of the train tracks on Whyte Avenue on their drunken escapades. If you’re willing to break out of your comfort zone, Hexagon Café is the most fun coffee shop in Edmonton. It’s a board game café, you can stick around and play the widest variety of games in the city with your friends or strangers. It’s open late, so you can drink coffee and play games to your heart’s content before catching a show at Wunderbar, which is just around the corner.
3. Credo (10350 124 Street)
1. Elm Café (10140 117 Street)
Located in the trendy 124 Street and 104 Street neighbourhoods, Credo is the best place in Edmonton to spot young, cool, successful people. Comfortable seating and an intimate atmosphere give the café a very mature feel. There’s an assortment of fresh pastries to help sweeten your palate, and the coffee is always brewed to perfection. If you’re trying to impress anybody, Credo is definitely the place to take them.
Hole-in-the-wall Elm Café doesn’t look like much from outside. Tucked in half a block from the uncool part of Jasper, Elm is only detectable from its big glass windows and the crowd hanging out at the tables out front. The inside is just as small and unassuming, leaving you with as little space to move around as the baristas on the other side of the counter. The coffee and daily sandwich options are absolutely delicious, making the experience worth the claustrophobia.
datapp written by
Zach Borutski
Drizzy Keyboard COST Free PLATFORM
iPhone,
Let me set the scene for all you lonely people out there like myself: it’s Friday night, you’re sitting in your beanbag chair in your basement, browsing Tinder. You’ve tried several smooth icebreakers such as “How much does a polar bear weigh?” and “There’s a sale on pants at my place, they’re 100 per cent off.” You’ve been rejected at every opportunity (shockingly), and you’re starting to get discouraged. Fear not, however, for your salvation is here in the form of Drizzy,
the app that lets you substitute your own awful pickup lines for the silky smooth vocal stylings of Toronto’s own professional rapper and heartthrob, Drake. Instead of a keyboard, the app brings up a list of various Drake lyrics that you can select to text to the lucky object of your desire. This is good news, because, lets be honest, Drake is much smoother and more in-tune with his emotions than you or I will ever be. With six different categories for lyrics from “Feels” to “Hustle,” there is a verse to be sent for any occasion. With that being the case, why not let him do all of the talking for you? Added bonus, Drizzy will play you the song that the lyric belongs to. Happy hunting, friends. Let Drizzy guide you.
Dat App is a semi-regular feature where Gateway writers help your GPA go down through pointless diversions on your iPhone like apps that rap at your friends.
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Volume 105, Issue 29
Christina Varvis
Doin’ You: Stylish felted mittens
Finally have something to talk about by flaunting your impressive sewing skills Adrianna Stanski Arts & Culture Writer
Despite the good weather, winter is bound to make one last surprise appearance before we are greeted with summer. Cheer your pessimistic self up and keep your hands toasty warm when it inevitably snows again by crafting your own custom felted mittens. The decoration possibilities are endless and they make a classy, yet surprisingly cheap gift that will impress your friends. What you’ll need: A wool sweater Scissors A needle Thread A permanent marker Paper Step 1: Hit up Goodwill or Value Village to find a cheap sweater. Check the label to make sure it’s 100 per cent wool. This is also a golden opportunity to get rid of that repulsive wool sweater that your roommate claims is trendy. Tell them you shrunk it by accident and thought you might as well repurpose it. Step 2: Throw your sweater in the washing machine and wash it in hot
water on a normal cycle. This will shrink it and turn the fabric into nice fuzzy felt. Pop it in the dryer and you’re ready to go. Step 3: Use your hands as a stencil to draw mitten shapes on your paper to make your pattern. Make sure you draw the thumb longer than you think it should be and give your fingers lots of wiggle room. Cut out your simple but elegant pattern. Step 4: Turn your sweater inside out, find a spot where your pattern will fit and trace it with your marker. If you use the bottom of the sweater as your straight edge, you won’t have to worry about cutting a perfectly straight line. Repeat for the other mitten and cut out both mitten shapes. You will have to cut through two layers of sweater. When you’re done you should have four mitten-shaped pieces of felt. Step 5: Make sure the front and back pieces of your mittens are lined up evenly. On each pair of mitten pieces, follow the curves of the mitten to trace a line that is about 1 cm from the edges. This line will be your nifty guide for where to sew together the mittens.
Step 6: Double thread your needle. To do this, string your needle onto the thread like you’re making a needle necklace and tie a knot at the end. Make sure your needle is sharp and sturdy because the felt can be pretty dense, much like any member of the Kardashian clan. Step 7: Start sewing along your marker line with a running stitch, a strong stitch that won’t fall out and that’s easy to master. To sew using running stitch, start by making a regular stitch, but the next time your needle pokes through the fabric, poke it up in the middle of your first stitch. Continue like this so that each stitch starts in the middle of the previous one. This step will take a while, so I’d recommend putting on a movie or binge-watching your new favourite show on Netflix. Step 8: Turn your mittens right side out and admire your final product. If they’re a bit messy, you can marvel at their authenticity and rustic charm. If you feel like they are a little short, you can cut off the cuffs of your sweater, and sew them onto your mittens. Colourful buttons also make a festive decoration.
sports 20
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March 18, 2015
Email sports@gateway.ualberta.ca Twitter @cooom
Volunteer Sports meetings every Wednesday at 5pm
Bears hockey is golden yet again after dominating nationals Andrew Jeffrey
opinion editor @andrew_jeffrey Fittingly, the U of A Golden Bears hockey team ended its season by securing its 15th national championship on March 15. The Bears capped off an undefeated post-season run with a win against the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds on Sunday evening in Halifax, securing their second consecutive CIS championship. This added to the Bears’ CIS record for most men’s hockey national championships, and was the first back-to-back national championship win since the U of A themselves did it nearly a decade ago in 2005 and 2006. To Bears head coach Ian Herbers, it was the team’s preparation, shown in their 25-3-1 regular season record, and the program’s storied history, that helped them raise yet another banner to the rafters of the Clare Drake Arena “A lot of great people have come through to set those standards, and we’re just trying to build on it and keep trying to find ways to make it better,” Herbers said. “The character in our dressing room, the commitment, the dedication, the leadership, it’s just outstanding in the Bears dressing room, and I’m glad the guys have been rewarded for all the hard work they’ve done since last year’s nationals. “This isn’t something we just turn on in September or just step up to in playoff time. It’s something we build all season long.” After being ranked as the top
list, our entire team stepped up.” UNB looked to be a formidable opponent in the Bears’ efforts to bring home another national championship. The Varsity Reds have won a national championship every other year since 2007 — totalling four in that time period — before the U of A broke that streak this year. Besides the U of A’s win, the tournament saw the University of Guelph beat UQTR 3-2 in the close bronze medal matchup. Guelph reached that point after eliminating the Bears’ provincial rivals, the University of Calgary Dinos, by a score of 3-1 in the first game of the tournament. Looking ahead, the Bears will return next season with a slightly different lineup, losing the goalie that backstopped their win over UNB, Kurtis Mucha, and Craige, who was named the 2015 CIS golden yet again The Bears hockey team dominated their way to a second straight CIS Championship. Mona ghiz defenceman of the year. The cycle “I think we surprised a lot of was named tournament MVP after leading to the Bears taking their seed of the national championship tournament, and impressive 5-1 people out in the Maritimes, because contributing four points in three shot at a third straight CIS title will wins over both St. Francis Xavier and all they see are their Maritime games during the tournament. He begin for the team soon enough. “We plan to compete for a national the Universite du Quebec a Trois- teams,” Herbers said. “We shocked was joined on the Tournament AllRivieres, the Bears came into the them with our speed and our quick Star team by fourth-year forward title every year. That’s our focus and final game of their season looking transition, and how tenacious and Jordan Hickmott, who scored four our goal. I guess we’ve set a tough like the favourite to win. The Bears relentless we are on pucks, and how goals and two assists, and fifth-year standard for ourselves now, with 14 in ‘14 and 15 in ‘15. Now it’s about 16 didn’t disappoint, scoring twice we just keep getting stronger as defenceman Jesse Craige. “I have to give credits to my two in ‘16,” Herbers said. within the first 10 minutes of the games go on, where in most cases “We know we’re going to be game, and never relinquishing that it’s the other way around where you linemates, Johnny Lazo and Levko lead en route to a 6-3 victory. The start on fire and fade as the game Koper. I thought we played really pushed and there will be a target well all tournament, and I was pretty on our backs, so we’ll have to make Bears’ special teams shined against progresses.” Another major factor in the lucky to ride their coattails and they sure we have a great recruiting class. UNB, successfully killing all seven of the U of A’s penalties and going 2-5 Bears’ success was their top players played tremendous,” Reddick said. We’re working even harder this on the power play. The Bears looked excelling at the most crucial “Brett Ferguson is another guy who summertime, getting focused and impressive defensively as well, point of the season during this played awesome. Kurtis Mucha and prepared, maybe looking at different holding the Varsity Reds to just nine tournament. Team captain and Luke Siemens in net, they held down things we can do system-wise. We’re fourth-year forward Kruise Reddick the fort for us. I could go down the never happy with the status quo.” shots on Sunday night.
mona ghiz
CIS Men’s Hockey Championship Scores
Quarterfinals 5-1
Semifinals 5-1
Finals 6-2
Mona ghiz
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Volume 105, Issue 29
Puck Pandas gain valuable experience at CIS nationals Cam Lewis
sports editor @cooom The last thing anybody wants to do after they’ve been eliminated from a national tournament is wake up early the next morning and play in a consolation game. Unfortunately for the Pandas hockey team, that’s exactly what they had to do after they dropped a tight quarterfinal match with the Montreal Carabins by a score of 4-3 at CIS nationals in Calgary on Friday. The Pandas then went on to drop their consolation game 4-1 to the Moncton Bleus, putting an end to their season.
and when that goal is nullified it’s hard to bounce back and play at the top of your game. “They really put everything they had into it, but it just wasn’t enough in the end.” Draper said this year was a success because the team reached both of their goals: finishing the season with the best record in Canada
West and winning the conference playoffs. While winning nationals is an obvious goal, Draper knew heading in that it was a steep hill to climb. “I think everything would have needed to fall into place for us to win a national championship this weekend,” he said. “We have a very good team. We believed that we
could win, but at no time did any of us feel that we were going to go in and knock everybody’s socks off.” Draper said another important thing to gain from the team’s performance was the realization of just how much they’ve improved since last season. “I really feel like we grew from last year and when you’re trying to
“There’s going to be more competition, in practice and in games, which will help us play the game at a higher tempo on a more consistent basis.”
“The reality is, you train all year to win a gold medal or to win a championship and when that goal is nullified it’s hard to bounce back and play at the top of your game.”
Howie draper
head coach, Pandas hockey
Howie draper
head coach, Pandas hockey
Pandas head coach Howie Draper said he isn’t a fan of the consolation game format, and despite the disappointing finish, he was impressed by his team’s character after having their championship aspirations eliminated the night before. “I’ll start by saying I’m not a real fan of continuing to play after you’ve been shut out of medal contention,” he said. “The reality is, you train all year to win a gold medal or to win a championship
help a program develop, you want to see those incremental improvements, and I think we’re better now than we were last year,” he said. The Pandas are in fantastic shape heading into next season. Only one player is graduating, meaning next year’s roster will consist of a group with the experience of winning Canada West and playing in nationals.
not quite there The Pandas lost both of their games at nationals last weekend.
ruilin fu
“It’s going to be a very exciting year,” Draper said. “It’s going to be a different feel on our team. There’s going to be more competition, in practice and in games, which will help us play the game at a higher tempo on a more consistent basis.” Draper also noted that with a good portion of the team heading into their final year of eligibility, the best from this current group is yet to come. “It’s very common for a fifth-year player to bring their absolute best in their final year,” he said. “It’s all of the development and the maturity over the course of their careers, but they really want it. “Given what I saw from our fourth year players last weekend, I think next year is going to be a really good year to win.”
Looking for work this summer where you will be selling or serving liquor?
FIREFIGHTER Between March 1 to March 31, 2015, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is accepting applications from individuals interested in becoming a firefighter. If you’re interested in a challenging and rewarding career, visit www.edmonton.ca/firerecruitment for more information about the application process. Join Edmonton Fire Rescue Services in our mission to protect life, property and the environment. Apply now.
THE CITY OF
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March 11, 2015 15-0138
Whether you’re a bartender, a waitress, security staff or working at a liquor store, you’ll need to have ProServe Liquor Staff Training. More than 295,000 liquor industry workers in Alberta have already completed ProServe to ensure that liquor sales and service are done responsibly. To take ProServe or to find out about other AGLC required responsible liquor and gaming certification courses, go to smartprograms.aglc.ca
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Steps to follow in order to put together a flawless bracket Jason Shergill sports staff
1. Use common sense: Plain and simple, don’t pick any 16 seeds. Or 15 seeds. Or 14 seeds. And in most cases don’t pick 13 seeds either. You know who those teams play? The teams that are among the favourites to win the championship. If you get one of these incredibly easy picks wrong, you run the risk of screwing up every round that those contenders will go through after beating your Cinderella story. Games to use this tip: any game involving teams with seeds 14, 15 or 16. 2. Pick some upsets: With that said, outside of those near-guarantees there are a ton of upsets. Don’t be afraid to be bold, and remember that a lot of the time these games end up being a crapshoot. In fact, these games can be toss-ups so often that 12 seeds win their games more often than 11, 10, or 9 seeds. Plus, it’s no fun to only pick the favourites. Picking upsets gives you an excuse to cheer for the underdogs. Teams to use this tip: 12 seed teams are the most common upsets, so feel free to sprinkle one or two of those into your bracket.
3. Have some fun with your bracket: Don’t know who to pick? Choose the team with your favourite colours, or the coolest mascot, or whichever team from a city you really like. Frankly, no one follows closely enough to have an opinion on every team, so it’s common practice to use non-basketball related ways to pick teams. Teams to use this tip: I’m not going to pretend to know what your favourite colours or animals are, but if you’re looking for a team with similar mascot and colours to the University of Alberta’s, look no further than Baylor University, who also sports green and gold and is known as the Bears. 4. Pick the hot teams: If you don’t follow college basketball until March Madness starts, then you probably aren’t aware that every college conference has a tournament the week before. These tournaments, while with lower stakes, can be just as nervewracking as the big dance. Since teams will have to play three to four days in a row just to get a chance to make the final 64, teams can often either band together and gain some momentum just in time, or unravel and be well on their way to an early exit. How they do in the conference tournaments can often give some
insight on how they will do in the National Tournament. Teams to use this tip: The Wisconsin Badgers (just won the Big Ten in a dramatic, gutsy comeback) and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (took down a couple of monsters in the ACC tournament) are good bets to go far. 5. Check for home court advantage: Playing at home is always an advantage in sports, but this becomes a much bigger deal for college basketball. Teams will be playing all around America, so no one usually gets this advantage, but some lucky teams get to play in a city very close to their campus. Since these teams are given a pseudo-home court advantage, it should be factored in where teams are from, and how far they are from their games. Teams to use this tip: Wichita State and Oklahoma State both have first round games with similarly talented teams, but should have the upper hand given that they both don’t have to travel far with games in Omaha. 6. Avoid inexperienced teams: Remember, this is college basketball. While some of these players will have successful NBA careers ahead of them, some just flat out won’t be ready for the pressure. To put it in perspective, imagine yourself as a first year student, playing in front of millions
with the future of your career in the balance as you’re forced to continuously make snap-judgments. I bet you, just like the players, would do significantly better after having been through this a couple times as a 21 year old senior than as an 18 year old freshman doing it for the first time. Teams to use this tip: Kansas starts four first or second year players, and choked early on last year. It would not be surprising to see them do so again. 7. If in doubt, pick Kentucky: The team is 34-0, and since March Madness expanded to 64 teams, no team has entered the tournament undefeated until now. They have six players expected to be selected in this year’s NBA draft, including top three projected pick Karl Anthony-Towns, and have they one of the best coaches in the sport in John Calipari. 8. Don’t take your bracket too seriously: It’s always important to understand beforehand that you won’t get a perfect bracket and you’d have to be insane to expect that you would. Some random team X will beat perceived juggernaut Y and bust the majority of people’s brackets anyway. Sometimes fans will get so wound up that they forget to enjoy the incredibly entertaining basketball that they’re watching.
If you don’t want to make a bracket, you can still hop on a bandwagon The Harvard Crimson: If you like cheering for guys who win, jump on the Harvard Crimson bandwagon. They may be a No. 13 seed who aren’t favoured to even make it past the first round, but last year as a No. 12 seed, they upset the Cincinnati Bearcats, and they can do it again. Aside from that, even if they don’t win at basketball, all of these players win at life. I mean, you’re attending Harvard, so participating in March Madness is something you do for fun in between creating groundbreaking social media platforms and yachting. Also, I’ve heard that the Winklevoss twins — two guys who know a lot about winning — may be coming out of retirement to make an appearance off the bench. — Cam Lewis The Davidson Wildcats: Everyone loves the three point shot. That is a fact. I’m hitching my tournament wagon to No. 10 seed Davidson Wildcats on that fact alone. Seeing as Davidson pretty much solely relies on the outside shot — because their tallest player is only 6’7” — I know exactly what to expect. While opponents may know as well, the last time Davidson made a deep run in the tournament, they had a little known point guard named Stephen Curry. So if nothing else, their school has some serious three-point shooting pedigree. — Zach Borutski The Gonzaga Bulldogs: If you don’t know who to cheer for in this year’s NCAA College Basketball Tournament, it’s always best to cheer for the home team. Obviously, I don’t
mean the Golden Bears, but the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Not only are they the closest team geographically to us, but they also happen to have a history of recruiting Canadian players. Gonzaga’s current Canadians feature their two best players, Kevin Pangos and Kyle Wiltjer (both of whom are on Canada’s national development team), as well as Dustin Triano, son of Jay, the coach of Canada’s National team. Also,
just a few years ago Gonzaga included Edmonton-based talent Mangisto Arop, and has previously housed current NBA players from Canada including Boston Celtic Kelly Olynyk and Los Angeles Laker Robert Sacre. — Jason Shergill Ohio State Buckeyes: “Jesus was hated too,” former Buckeye Evan Turner said on Dec. 15, 2014 in reference to being booed by
Philadelphia 76er fans. That same night Black Messiah was dropped by neo-soul icon D’Angelo. Is it a coincidence that current Buckeye’s star goes by the same name? Was Evan Turner eluding to something bigger than we thought? The signs are there. Ignore them if you want, but brackets are tough and unforgiving. It helps to have a Black Messiah. Ohio State has that in D’Angelo Russell, whose garnered
supplied
generous comparisons to Brandon Roy. And that’s not just because he was born without knee caps — this kid can ball! — Steven Andrais Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns : Whether or not you enjoy eating spicy food, you will certainly enjoy worshipping the smug looking pepper—Cayenne—of the Louisiana Lafayette Raging Cajuns. The naysayers say the mascot resembles Satan, while the positive pepper fans of the south say Cayenne resembles the sweet and spicy flavours of Louisiana’s popular Creole cuisine. Hotter than a plate of nachos you just took out of the microwave, this is the team to cheer for. Ignore the fact the Raging Cajuns aren’t going to make it past the first round, live in the goddamn moment for once and join the bandwagon while it’s still hot. — Taylor Evans Purdue Boilermakers: Join Local 146! Support your Boilermakers! But seriously, with a name like that, you know Purdue is going far in this year’s tournament. Yeah, they’ll probably face Kentucky in the third round but everyone knows to look to the working men for an upset win. Let’s be honest, you don’t actually want Kentucky to come out of this thing on top. Aside from having the best name in the NCAA, their 173 team blocks make them a force to be reckoned with on defence. So let them play spoiler while they make your boiler, and pick Purdue as your March Madness champs for 2015. — Mitch Sorensen
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Volume 105, Issue 29
gatewaySPORTS
Feeling March sadness? Come to the office for March madness. Written by Cam lewis and steven andrais. designed by cam lewis
Volunteer for sports. Meetings every Wednesday at 5pm.
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Diversions modern asian family BY stefano jun
mediocre at best BY jimmy nguyen
desktop ink BY derek shultz
i need help BY shelley tian
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Volume 105, Issue 29
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Diversion puzzles Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.65)
sudoku (hard) generated bY opensky.ca
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cat maze by miss. dolores umbridge
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slide and unscramble the image by t.mcguire
guess the phrase by B)
connect the dots BY jimmy nguyen
puzzle BY shelley tian
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fill in the blanks BY jimmy nguyen
diversions 27
advertisement 28
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