3 October 2012

United embassy

Canadian, UK combination proposal draws controversy page 3

The bus driver that inspired us all to be better people

Laser worms

Lung

Science Briefs brings a story of worms and lasers Leah Horlick in Winnipeg to launch new book

We've got all the counterNHL-programming you need

15 page 18

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“Allison” by Lisa Wood

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To see more paintings by Lisa Wood and others, go to the Flux Gallery at aceartinc. from Oct. 10-27 for the Queer Perspectives exhibition.

Toban Talkback

Rachel Wood, staff

MP’s emails cause concerns regarding privacy

Recipients claim emails are a form of partisan propaganda

Rachel Wood, staff

Two Conservative MPs made headlines last week when they were accused of breaching individual’s privacy through email.

Jason Kenney, Immigration Minister and MP for Calgary Southeast, distributed an email from his MP office on Sept. 21 to members of the LBGT community. Individuals who received this email were concerned about how Kenney received their email information and knew about their sexual orientation.

Kenney’s email focused on describing the Conservative government’s achievements and support for the LGBT community, specifically support for LGBT refugees from Iran. Critics are now accusing this email as being a form of pink washing – an attempt to have individuals perceive the government as leaders in

gay rights and protectors of LGBT Iranian refugees.

The CBC spoke with Datejie Green, a recipient of the email, who said “I wasn’t just disturbed, I was frightened, because they’re clearly stockpiling lists of particular constituencies of Canadians, for their propaganda.”

Many pointed to an online petition on change.org as the source of the email addresses. Recipients of Kenney’s email came forward saying that they also signed the petition, which supported a homosexual Nicaraguan artist who was facing deportation from Canada.

Joyce Bateman, MP for Winnipeg South Centre, was also criticized when her contingency assistant sent an email to over 1,500 individuals, exposing all of the addresses rather than blind carbon copying.

Additionally, many individuals spoke out against this email due to the fact that they were not subscribers to Bateman’s bulletins.

Ashley Ford, a Winnipeg resident, explains that she received the email from Bateman’s office at two of her personal email addresses. Ford previously used one address to correspond with Bateman’s office, but is unsure of how they received her other address.

“On top of receiving an unsolicited mass email, which I am pretty sure would make it qualify as spam, my email has been given to a bunch of people I do not know. Email addresses are equivalent to telephone numbers. I doubt Ms. Bateman would appreciate over a thousand people knowing her home phone number,” said Ford.

Dougald Lamont was another

recipient of the email. He reacted by responding to Bateman’s offer in the email to contact her with questions. Lamont responded with questions ranging from the Conservatives stance on torture, democracy, and detention without charge.

“I understand that it was a clerical error. But it illustrates a fundamental problem with people collecting data. It can be released by accident, or someone can hack into it,” Lamont said of the email.

When asked how the situation should be rectified, Lamont argued that the privacy act should apply to political parties and urged for transparency within the government. Bateman told the Manitoban that her office does not solicit email addresses and the ones that were included in the email were addresses that individuals had used to contact her office previously.

“Our office takes all constituent inquiries very seriously and we take every opportunity to communicate with constituents on matters that are important to them. Any individual who wishes to be removed from our email list can contact our office to have their email address removed,” said Bateman.

The federal Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, told the CBC that Canadians have no legal rights in regards to their personal information being used by political parties for partisan purposes.

The email controversies come after the federal Conservatives introduced Bill C30 in February, which proposes increased access to Canadian’s personal information for police and national security agencies.

Uniting Canadian and UK embassies has many concerned

Sharing with the Brits not so smart, says experts

Jill Patte R son, staff

T

alks about possibly joining Canadian and United Kingdom embassies in various countries have many people outraged and concerned over the consequences this could potentially have for Canada.

News of such a possibility was announced early last week and was met with wide spread skepticism.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird the move was motivated by purely administrative cost cutting reasons, and will not affect Canadian foreign policy in any way.

“In select locations, this simply allows Canadian diplomats to do their good work faster and at a lower cost to [ . . . ] taxpayers,” said Baird.

The move towards shared embassies was discussed in Ottawa during a meeting between Baird and the British Foreign Secretary William Hague. Hague, who is of the same opinion of Baird, claimed that the move would not affect the policy of either Canada or Britain.

“As we seek to have representation in both places, of course it makes sense for friendly countries to work together. But it doesn’t in any way change their independence of policy,” said Hague. Despite these reassuring comments from government employees there has

still been much criticism raised over the issue.

Fen Hampson, director of global security at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, claims that such an act will reflect badly on Canada.

“There are countries poorer than us that don’t do this kind of thing [ . . . ] this is a nickel and diming approach to diplomacy that I don’t think speaks well of Canada. We don’t do diplomacy out of reasons of efficiency. This is bringing an accountant’s mentality to one of the most important func tions of the nation,” Hampson.

Similarly, Tom Mulcair, the leader of the NDP party, made the claim that, “u nder this agreement, Britain will be the de facto face of Canada in world. Canada’s foreign policy will be difficult to distinguish from that of the British. It’s all very nice to be nostalgic for the great British Empire, but there are limits.”

According to George Maclean, U

of M associate dean of the faculty of graduate studies and a professor of international relations, some of the concerns raised over uniting these embassies are legitimate concerns.

As stated by Maclean, one issue we should be concerned over, as pointed out by Mulcair, is that of distinguishing Canadian policy from that of Britain’s.

“They are not going to be staffing these embassies evenly with Canadians

ter of representation muddy in that there will be people who may not be working directly for Canada but will be working on Canada’s interests.”

Related to this is the fact that, according to Maclean, “if we are partnering with the UK we will be the junior partner, there’s no question about it, we’re smaller militarily, we’re smaller economically.”

Maclean also made the point that Canada does not share all of the same policies with the United Kingdom, which will make agreement and representation a difficult issue.

“We don’t have lock step policies, we didn’t agree with the ’03 invasion of Iraq, whereas the Brits were all for it, as one example,” said Maclean.

Much of the concern raised over this issue also has to do with the fear of Canada losing its sovereignty and being consumed by British sovereignty. However, according to Maclean, Canadian sovereignty is not the issue that we need

“This [uniting of embassies] won’t have much affect on Canadian sovereignty. Canada will still remain sovereign, we will still have our own independent policy, but representation will be much smaller,” stated Maclean.

What we should be keep in mind, said Maclean, is the fact that Britain, historically, was a colonial power. This could potentially affect the relations Canada has with other countries if we were to be partnered up with Britain.

“A lot of these countries are going to be countries where Britain was a colonial power [ . . . ] there’s a different attitude toward Great Britain than there is toward Canada. In international polls on attitudes towards nationalities and countries Canada always ranks towards the top.”

Finally, Maclean also says that for Canada this move is very poorly timed.

“We are effectively reducing our exposure to the international system at a time when it has never been more important for Canada to be present in the global system.”

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By Jill Patterson, staff

Chinese politiCian expelled from Communist party

The Communist Party leader of the city of Chongqing has been expelled from the party for charges of corruption and abuse of power.

Bo Xilia is expected to be criminally charged and spend some length of time in jail.

Xilia’s wife, Gu Kailai, had been convicted of murdering a British businessman, Neil Heywood, and received a suspended death sentence in August.

Along with accusations of abusing power, Xilia has been accused of having multiple affairs and accepting bribes.

According to an official statement by the party, “Bo’s behaviour brought serious consequences, badly undermined the reputation of the party and the country, created very negative impact at home and abroad and significantly damaged the cause of the party and people.”

Bank of ameriCa pays $2.4 Billion over merrill lynCh lawsuit

During the midst of the financial crisis the Bank of America merged with Merrill Lynch and experienced tremendous loss.

Many investors have accused Bank of America of making false

statement about the health and productivity of the two banks. However, Bank of America has denied making such claims.

The Bank of America has agreed, however, to pay $2.4 billion to investors to settle the dispute and hasten the end of the lawsuit.

An official statement from the BoA claimed, “Bank of America denies the allegations and is entering into this settlement to eliminate the uncertainties, burden and expense of further protracted litigation.”

The settlement is taking place in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

franCe to tax wealthy instead of Cutting spending

The government of France has revealed its budget for 2013 and has decided to tax the wealthy and corporations rather than focusing on cutting its spending.

According to French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault there will be a new 75 per cent tax on both people and corporations who make an annual income of more than one million euros (or US $1.3 million).

France, unlike some of its other European counterparts, is attempting to avoid harsh austerity measures, which include reducing spending to

minimize debt.

It is projected that the government will create revenue of 20 billion euros from the tax hikes, and an additional 10 billion from spending cuts.

syria moving ChemiCal weapons amid reBel uproar

The Syrian government has moved its stockpile of chemical weapons to safety as battles with rebel forces continue to escalate.

It is believed that Syria is in possession of mustard gas and sarin, which is a highly toxic nerve agent.

According to Leon Panetta, United States Defense Secretary, “We continue to have a concern about the security of the CBW [chemical and biological weapons] sites.”

However, the major sites still remain secured by the Syrian military.

The latest confrontations between the military and rebel forces have revolved around the city of Aleppo. It’s been more than a month that the fight has been in a stalemate where the government has been unable to expel the rebel forces and the rebels have been unable to take over the city.

Crime statistics from June 1 –Sept. 27 on the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses illustrate the constant need for students to err on the side of caution in order to protect themselves and their belongings.

Doug Heinrichs, community liaison officer at the U of M security services, explains that there were 37 reports of theft during this time period. These thefts included eight bikes, three phones and five laptops.

Phone, wallet and computer theft often occurred when the owners left their possessions unattended, explains Heinrichs.

There were four instances of

thefts of aftermarket emblems from vehicles in the U of M parking lots.

Cash, items from classrooms and student group offices, and materials from construction sites were also among items reported stolen.

“Security services strongly urges everyone to keep their valuables [ . . . ] with them at all times,” said Heinrichs.

Twenty-six reports of mischief occurred during these months, including vandalism to buildings and vehicles. Eight car windows were broken and four vehicles were keyed. Additionally, fire extinguishers were discharged and the parkade gate arms on both cam-

puses were damaged.

Alcohol played a factor in several incidents during the summer months. There were eight instances where an individual had to receive medical attention or have someone else take care of them due to alcohol-related issues. Security services reported that the majority of these incidents occurred during U of M events since the beginning of the semester.

Two assaults were reported. One took place on a Winnipeg transit bus as it arrived on campus. The other occurred at the campus pub, the Hub, when patrons assaulted a security guard.

Motion 312 no longer in motion

House of Commons rules out motion for research on when life begins

a lycia Rod Rigues , staff

Amotion to research the time human life starts was defeated on Sept. 26 in the House of Commons.

The initial motion, led by conservative MP Stephen Woodworth this past February, received a 203-91 vote against.

The intent of initiating this motion was to assess the adequacy of the Criminal Code’s definition of when human life truly begins. The --law in question, found under the homicide section, currently states that a child is considered human after birth.

Woodworth believed that the long-standing definition of human life was out-dated and argued that a discussion surrounding the issue was needed.

“A respectful dialogue to update a 400-year- old definition of human being with the aid of twenty-first century information will benefit everyone,” said Woodworth.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not support the motion yet allowed his cabinet to vote in support-of or against the motion at their discretion.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, Status of Women Minister Rona Ambrose, House Leader Peter Van Loan, among others, voted in support of the motion.

Winnipeg North Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureaux also voted in support of Motion 312.

In Canada the law does not regulate abortion but it is subject to medical policies and codes of ethics, explained Joyce Arthur, executive

director of Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada.

Currently, typical abortions are available up to 20 weeks during theinto a pregnancy, anything after that is considered under special circumstances. These special circumstances involve extreme medical conditions, such as severe fetal abnormalities that insure the baby will not survive birth.

Reactions to the voting occurred immediately after through social media.

Niki Ashton, NDP status of women critic, tweeted, “Shocked that Min of Status of Women supported clawing back women’s rights. Time for a new minister. Time for an NDP Government.”

scientists agree and have proof that life begins at conception. This proof comes in the form of ultrasounds that make it possible to view the pregnancy throughout each stage.

To the coalition, the motion was not a question of abortion but a question of the rights of babies killed due to abortion. Douglas said the option to kill a child is not available when a child is three, four, or even one years of age.

“It sometimes feels like they want to punish women who have sex with a pregnancy and a child. Children should be a punishment and that’s just so twisted and so wrong.”

Opinions regarding the motion were voiced in the days preceding the vote by different organizations and individuals.

The Campaign Life Coalition, who endorsed two conservative MP’s in Manitoba, fully backed the motion, arguing that a child is a human at conception.

Mary Douglas, national organizer of the coalition, stated that most

The option of abortion at the time of conception constitutes the same principle for Douglas. Douglas said that there are options available for mothers who are in compromising situations due to rape or addiction and are unable to keep or take care of the child. She argued that there are many loving people out there who want the opportunity to adopt children.

“The child is the one that dies, and the woman is saying I want the right to say whether my child lives or dies,” stated Douglas.

According to Douglas, a woman’s body is no longer her body once there is a child inside. Once conception is complete and the pregnancy is under-

way, the woman is now responsible for another human being. Douglas argues that abortions are getting rid of our children and our future.

Douglas equates abortion to slavery in that African American people were deemed to be inhuman and had no rights. This belief caused the coalition to state that the law was ridiculous and in need of revision.

The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, who received 20,000 signatures on a petition against the motion, disagreed with the Campaign Life Coalition

Joyce Arthur, executive director of Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, stated that motion 312 is offensive on a personal level to all women.

The motion states, according to Arthur, that women do not have the mental capacity to decide what is right. She argues that it takes the humanity away from women and by giving rights to a baby before it is even born takes away all rights of the woman.

Arthur argued that women are fully capable of speaking on behalf of the fetus without the interjection of government law or others.

Arthur equated forcing women to having babies as equivalent of reproductive slavery in response to the analogy by Douglas of abortion being equivalent to slavery. An average woman would have 10-15 babies if there were no contraceptives or abortions available to women who are regularly sexually active. This would force them to totally devote

their lives to their children, leaving no opportunity for a woman to pursue independent activities that have been fought so hard for.

“It sometimes feels like they want to punish women who have sex with a pregnancy and a child. [It feels like they believe] children should be a punishment and that’s just so twisted and so wrong,” said Arthur.

Arthur stated the choice for some women is difficult, whereas the choice for other women is easy. It all depends on the woman and what kind of a situation she is in. Sometimes there are pre-existing mental issues or problems with the relationship with the father.

Yet, according to Arthur, most of the psychological stress for women has to do with finding out about the unwanted pregnancy. Once the decision is made and abortion is complete psychological distress tends to dissipate and most women are happy with the decision.

“The pro-life and pro-choice arguments are on totally different wavelengths. They just want to ban abortion by law. It’s about controlling women, and if they can’t control them, they’ll punish them instead. Whereas our point of view is very pro women rights, pro equality,” said Arthur.

The NDP caucus as a whole opposed the motion.

If successful, the motion would have called for a committee to examine the law surrounding human life.

The theory and practice of praytheism

Reconciling disbelief with religious activity

W

e’ve all had that cringeworthy moment in which we witness two people with diametrically opposite perspectives on religion arguing about it with each other. In a university atmosphere, it usually plays out like this:

THEIST:

Faith has done the world a lot of good. Anyone who disagrees has been misled.

ATHEIST:

You call us misled? How about you for letting that voice in your head tell you what to think?

THEIST:

How dare you! At least I have values!

ATHEIST:

So why don’t you value science?

THEIST:

Why don’t you value your soul?

BOTH:

Why don’t you value the world?!

EVERYONE ELSE: (drink)

This week I’m going to tell you about a segment of “everyone else” that I have dubbed the “praytheists.” You might say they represent the middle ground between the above two loudmouths, if we assume a middle ground between them is at all possible. The loudmouths won’t assume so, I’m sure.

First of all, a praytheist is characterized by their belief that the existence of a deity is impossible to determine, and would not live their life any differently if it were. The question simply has no bearing on their worldview. They are the first to break out the alcohol when someone argues for or against the supernatural side of religion, and have occasionally made the mistake of openly asking “Who cares?” when the mudslinging described

above takes place. You may have heard such a person described as an “apatheist,” which is accurate (how I wish more people used that word!), but there’s more to being a praytheist than that.

Which leads me to the second half of the definition: the “pray” half. A praytheist is capable of participating in all manner of religious rituals without feeling any pressure to interpret it literally. This is, of course, easier to do in progressive wings of mainstream religions, where the emphasis is on abiding by the broadest aspects of the religion in question (compassion, peace, respect, etc.). A praytheist can say the prayers, read the book, decorate their house with the ceremonial objects, even follow the dietary laws, and never wonder if any of it is necessary or correct. They just enjoy it.

But, you might ask, what’s the point of enjoying it if you don’t believe it? Doesn’t that make you a hypocrite? Not at all. A praytheist does all of the above for social reasons. Sitting in a place of worship is a great way to meet like-minded people who share traditions with you. Preparing a full-scale holiday party or dinner—the kind you had when you were seven years old and just learning how to set a table—is one of the most effective ways to bond with your family. Taking your significant other to a choral performance or charitable outing enables the two of you to envision a new side to the life you want to build together.

I don’t tell you any of this because I’m trying to get more people to go to a church/synagogue/mosque/etc., I’m telling you because of the widespread and unfortunate idea that anyone who doesn’t believe in God is required to avoid religion at all costs. They’re not. If you have fond memories of doing religious stuff as a child, give in to your nostalgia some time. I promise it won’t make you want to drink.

For those who are concerned

Motion 312

Joshua Van b entheM

Canada's law on abortion was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1988. It has not been replaced with anything. This means that abortions can be obtained up at any point up to the time when a baby is born. The mind-set reflected in this situation is exemplified by a case in Alberta where a woman had committed infanticide and was able to escape without jail time. "while many Canadians undoubtedly view abortion as a less than ideal solution to unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancy, they generally understand, accept, and sympathize with the onerous demands pregnancy and childbirth exact from mothers, especially mothers without support,” said the judge overseeing that case.The judge had no laws to use for guidance, and decided that Canadians, in accepting abortion, would accept a mother killing her child.

Evaluating when human life begins is what Motion 312 was all about.

Many people think that abortion in Canada is illegal during the third trimester, but it’s not.

The Motion called for a re-evaluation of Subsection 223(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada. This Subsection states that a baby is not considered a full person until they are fully born, regardless of whether they could survive on their own. While this does not directly influence the legality of the abortion procedure itself, it does foil any attempts to call that legality into question through existing laws concerning murder. Motion 312 proposed that this section of the Criminal Code be re-examined by a committee composed of members of the Ruling and Opposition parties in light of medical evidence to come to a conclusion regarding its validity. The points the committee was to address were the following:

(iv) what are the options available to Parliament in the exercise of its legislative authority in accordance with the Constitution and decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada to affirm, amend, or replace Subsection 223(1)?”

There needs to be a line. Many people think that abortion in Canada is illegal during the third trimester, but it’s not. It’s still legal, due only to vagaries of our political system, not any convincing arguments. These children are no longer just “a clump of tissue,” they are in many cases viable outside of the womb. If animals can have protection in the womb, why are humans denied that right? Because we have a law that says they aren’t human yet.

“(i) what medical evidence exists to demonstrate that a child is or is not a human being before the moment of complete birth?,

(ii) is the preponderance of medical evidence consistent with the declaration in Subsection 223(1) that a child is only a human being at the moment of complete birth?,

(iii) what are the legal impact and consequences of Subsection 223(1) on the fundamental human rights of a child before the moment of complete birth?,

The committee was not being asked to consider legal precedent in their decision, merely the medical facts. Once a child is capable of independent life, I believe it is as worthy, under any criteria, of being considered alive as a newborn. If the preborn child is considered a human being, by the law, while not yet born, he or she could benefit from all the same protection from being destroyed as you or I do. I think that could inspire many Canadians to demand laws protecting unborn children. Therein would have lain the most critical fact of this motion. I think that it would have threatened to banish the one idea, the one mental shield that allows abortion to be palatable to many people. The idea that they are simply excising a mass of foreign tissue, rather than ending a life just months, days, or seconds from birth. The way I see it, this would cause many of us to be challenged to answer the question of whether it is permissible for one person to end the life of another who cannot raise their voice in their own defense.

For now, they remain silent. Maybe, in the future, the law can speak for them.

Of shoes and inspiration

A Winnipeg feel good story

ch Ris h ea Rn, volunteeR staff

When Kris Doubledee stopped the city bus he was driving one day, stepped off, and gave his shoes to a man that did not have any, he really did show the best of what humankind can offer in a time when it’s easy to give up all faith in humanity.

The other day, I heard a CBC interview with Doubledee and he said, “Anybody would have done it.” No, not everybody would have done that. As the story goes, Mr. Doubledee noticed a man walking along the sidewalk with no shoes. The next day, he saw him again and decided to stop and talk to him. He asked the man if he would wear his shoes if he gave them to him. He said yes. So, he gave them to him.

Would anyone do that? Well, did anyone in the 24-hour period between when Mr. Doubledee first saw him and the time he gave him his shoes? Nope. Who knows how many other people saw that man walking without shoes. And, those who noticed, what would they have thought? First impulse would probably be “That guy is crazy!” and steer clear of him. Or, they would just think he was another homeless drunk. Or, perhaps they went by him and didn’t even notice that he was there, let alone that he had no shoes.

No, it’s fair to say that not every-

one would give their shoes to a complete stranger on the street. In fact, I think the number of people who would do that would be few and far between in our society. I even ask myself if I would have done it. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have even thought about it, and I consider myself to be someone who is supposed to care about these things. I talk a lot about human rights, peace, justice, and caring, but I have never given anyone the shoes off my feet. I often don’t even give out change, sadly. I feel suspicious about where the money is going instead of thinking as though I am helping someone. Why? I suppose I am caught up in the world of stereotyping as many of us are, and face it, we all know what those stereotypes are. But Kris Doubledee has got me thinking about this. Have I passed anyone without shoes? If I did, why

didn’t I help?! Why didn’t I notice? What if it was me without shoes and what if Kris Doubledee wasn’t around? Would someone else fill his shoes, pardon the pun? The answer is, not many would.

No, Mr. Doubledee, you really did do something special. You really did do something that many of us other humans would not do. But, I think that every time we hear a feel good story of human kindness it does, or at least probably should, get us thinking about our own actions in this world, even just for a short bit. And the more we hear about these stories, the more we will be inspired to follow suit. It’s fair to say that this man has inspired many, given the international attention he has received – every bit of it deserved. You’re a good man, Mr. Doubledee. You’ve done a good thing. Thank you.

Staying true to our values

Speaking out against the Iranian Regime

sPence R fe Rnando, staff

T

hese are the words of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

“Israel must be wiped off the map […]. The establishment of a Zionist regime was a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world. The skirmishes in the occupied land are part of the war of destiny. The outcome of hundreds of years of war will be defined in Palestinian land.”

“Israel is destined for destruction and will soon disappear” Israel is “a contradiction to nature, we foresee its rapid disappearance and destruction.”

‘’We say that this fake regime (Israel) cannot not logically continue to live. Open the doors (of Europe) and let the Jews go back to their own countries.”

“The world powers established this filthy bacteria, the Zionist regime, which is lashing out at the nations in the region like a wild beast. … “[Israel] won support [from the other nations] which created it as a scarecrow, so as to keep the people of this area under control.”

“The Zionist regime wants to establish its base upon the ruins of the civilizations of the region...The uniform shout of the Iranian nation is forever ‘Death to Israel.’...”

“The Zionist regime’s establishment was based on numerous deceptions and lies and one of the biggest lies was the Holocaust."

These vile remarks would be expected from a neo-nazi hate group, not the President of a large nation. Sadly, these are the words of the Iranian President, a member of a regime not only spreading hate, but also seeking nuclear weapons.

The ruthless Iranian regime has denied Israel’s right to exist. They have mocked and denied the Holocaust. They have threatened to wipe Israel from the face of the earth.

These remarks are an affront to all who support peace and justice. They are also profoundly sad, as many of us would hope that our world has moved beyond expressions of hate.

As Canadians, and as a generation that prides ourselves on our respect for the human rights of all individuals, I believe that our deepest values of respect for human rights and human dignity compel us to speak out against the anti-semitism of the Iranian President and the regime of which he is a part.

Imagine if it was Canada that faced these threats of violence and genocide. Imagine how you would feel if a ruthless regime was seeking weapons that would give them the power to carry out their genocidal threats.

To live under the constant threat of annihilation is a fate that no person or nation deserves.

It must be made clear that there is no moral equivalency between a nation that threatens to destroy others, and a nation that seeks only to secure a peaceful life for it's people. As Canadians, we believe in a balanced approach to world issues. Balance does not mean neutrality. Neutrality between one nation fighting for it's right to survive, and a regime threatening genocide is not balance, and it is not justice. A balanced approach means that we respect Israel’s right to defend itself from destruction, while at the same time hoping for, and supporting a peaceful end to Iran’s nuclear program. We do not want to look back on this era and recall that, even with the benefit of history’s clear lessons, we failed to speak up on behalf of the Jewish people. We do not want to look back and recall that we were silent in the face of anti-Semitism and incitements to genocide. This is not a legacy we want to leave. While we condemn the comments and actions of the Iranian regime, we must recognize that while the Iranian Regime is a disgrace to all who support peace, the Iranian people are not defined by it. Iranians have suffered the worst under the oppression of the regime, and we cannot confuse the condemnation of Ahmadinejad and the regime with condemning the Iranian people on the whole. The Iranian people do not deserve to suffer.

With our freedom and relative security comes a responsibility to speak out for those who are in danger, and to stay true to the values we hold. If we are courageous enough to speak the truth, and if we recognize that every individual and every nation deserves the right to be acknowledged, the right to exist, and the right to live in peace, I believe that, slowly but surely, we will move our world toward a brighter future.

Spencer Fernando is the Comment Editor of the Manitoban

Marijuana as cancer therapy?

Make way for the next generation of chemotherapeutics

e lizabeth dRe Wnik

Marijuana as a cancer therapeutic? This has got to be a scam, right? Well, before we make any hasty decisions and throw the marijuana out with the bath salts, let us consider what is really going on here – at the molecular level.

We all know that cancer—“the big C”—is the disease that everybody wants to avoid. We all know that many who are unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with aggressive cancers don’t survive. But what exactly is cancer?

The simplest way to define cancer would be to say that it is uncontrolled cell division; that cells which are differentiated to perform a specific task in the body have de-differentiated to become non-specific. What’s so bad about that, you may ask? Imagine your kidney: there are myriad different cell types specified to perform unique and individual tasks, all working together in a synchronized unit to help filter your blood, excrete impurities along with your urine, and even help maintain your blood pressure. Now imag-

ine that one of those cells lost their specificity. Do you think your kidney would still be able to commit to those functions?

What if a car’s tires were replaced with windows? Well, the car wouldn’t be able to function the way it should, despite the fact that every other part of the car has still maintained its differentiated purpose. In the same way, cancer cells that are de-differentiated cause monumental problems to your body, simply because the function of a particular organ, the synchronicity of the cells to control that particular function, are lost.

But the horror does not end there.

Cancer is able to metastasize, which means that those nasty cancer cells are able to move to other parts of the body, invade and continue the spread of the disease. This metastasis to other tissues of the body is the final and fatal step of the disease, and is the least understood genetically. There are many things that can make a cell become cancerous, and more so metastatic; most commonly,

mutagens from the environment can have certain effects on cells to prompt them in the direction of the cancer pathway.

There are also specific genes involved in the expression of cancer properties. It was discovered recently by scientists Pierre-Yves Desprez and Sean D. McAllister that an increase in Id-1 gene expression was shown to be associated with these metastatic properties. This simply means that cancer cells were found to have a higher amount of gene products as compared to noncancer cells.

Now, how does marijuana fit into all of this?

It has been discov-

ered, by the same scientists, that there is a chemical compound called Cannabidiol (CBD) isolated from the Cannabis plant that provides a non-toxic and non-psychoactive role in the reduction of metastasis in breast cancer. As the drug is non-toxic, it is not harmful to the body, and makes an ideal therapeutic; the non-psychoactive property of CBD dictates that the drug does not result in the “high” one would experience from smoking the marijuana plant.

In a more recent publication by the same scientists, discoveries have been made that this treatment is also quite effective against other aggressive cancers, such

as brain and prostate cancer. CBD down-regulates the Id-1 gene – it turns the gene off, resulting in a decreased amount of gene product, and thus a decrease in the metastatic phenotype associated with the gene.

This does not mean that you should start smoking marijuana as treatment or as a preventative measure against aggressive metastatic cancers. The natural concentration of CBD within the Cannabis plant is so low, it would have no effect as a treatment whatsoever.

Up till now, the scientists have had to grow the plants in order to isolate and concentrate the CBD compound to use if for their experiments. Now, researchers are looking into methods of synthesizing CBD in the lab in order to begin human clinical trials, and potentially encapsulate the compound to release it into the pharmaceutical market.

iLLustRatiON by aiCheLLe sayuNO

ACTIVE LIVING CENTRE GROUNDBREAKING CELEBRATION

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012

ACTIVITIES BEGIN AT 10:45 AM X LOT, FRANK KENNEDY CENTRE, 17 DAFOE ROAD

Join us to celebrate the exciting start of the Active Living Centre’s construction and learn how this world-class health, wellness and tness centre will enhance the student experience at the University of Manitoba.

JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION! Prize giveaways

Pep rally atmosphere

Live music by DJ Sallyboo

Get invigorated with active living demonstrations

All attending will receive a 2-day Recreation Services pass

Higgs boson update

What you missed over the summer

This year has been an exciting time in the field of particle physics. A few months ago, scientists in China measured theta-13, a previously unknown mathematical parameter that helps explain neutrino oscillations.

In March, physicists from

Fermilab analyzing old data from the defunct Tevatron particle accelerator announced they had discovered a promising hint of the Higgs boson. In February, the research director of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, said that by the end of the year, “we will either know that a Higgs particle exists or have ruled out the existence of a Standard Model Higgs.”

Since that time there have been even more developments, the news of which has trickled down to the public in a confusing and ludicrously grandiose form. Since we have not yet covered these new advances, here is an update and explanation of what has happened in particle physics over the summer.

In order to confirm a discovery of the Higgs particle, the CERN scientists must achieve two goals.

Goal #1 is to verify that there is in fact a particle with the mass they expect the Higgs to have. They do this by firing particles at each other, carefully controlling the energy with

which they collide, and measuring the results of the collision. Goal #2 is to check that this particle behaves the way theory predicts – i.e., whether they’ve actually discovered the Higgs boson or some other particle that would call for a rethinking of the Standard Model of particle physics. This involves a lot more complex and long-winded analysis of data.

Early this year, the Fermilab scientists came close to realizing the first goal. The Higgs particle exists only fleetingly, and must be inferred from the presence of other particles it is likely to decay into. Analysis of the Tevatron data showed unusually high numbers of these particles in certain regions, indicating a Higgs with a mass between 115-135 gigaelectronvolts (we use GeV, a unit of energy, to measure the mass of the particles because, by Einstein’s famous equation, mass and energy are essentially the same quantity). This was consistent with the narrower range of 124-126 GeV suggested by preliminary data from the Large Hadron

Collider.

The problem with the Tevatron result was that it was not statistically significant. That means that, assuming the Higgs boson did not exist, the probability of seeing these results by random background fluctuation alone was unacceptably high. The excesses measured by Tevatron were 2.2 standard deviations above background expectations. The accepted threshold for a discovery in particle physics is five standard deviations, or approximately a one in three million chance of seeing these results in a world with no Higgs boson.

On July 4 of this year, two CERN particle detecting experiments, ATLAS and CMS, made an announcement: they had discovered, with a significance of five standard deviations, a particle with a mass of around 125.3 GeV. It was a landmark moment in the history of physics, but it is still only half the battle: they have only achieved goal #1.

Goal #2 means more experiments and a hard slog through mountains of

data. To this end, the Large Hadron Collider, which had been scheduled for a long shutdown at the end of the year, has had its run extended until February, 2013. It’s just the nature of these discoveries that they do not come in one instantaneous moment of clarity, especially not when the experiment is 27 kilometres (km) long and involves thousands of scientists.

If the Standard Model is definitively confirmed or ruled out, the implications, while far-reaching, will take quite some time to become clear. Various theories will become more or less tenable, long unanswered questions will be solved or superseded, and new questions will arise. The discovery of this particle, whatever it may turn out to be, is certainly important, but we should not blow it out of proportion. No fundamental secrets of the universe have been discovered, no fields of knowledge have been instantly built up or toppled in one fell swoop, and life continues much as it had been.

Coronavirus, open-access particle physics, worm brains manipulated by lasers

toM i ng R a M , staff

new Coronavirus emerges

Public health officials are wary as news of a new type of coronavirus emerges. The discovery of the virus was announced on Sept. 15 by Ali Mohamed Zaki of the Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A 60-year-old Saudi man died of pneumonia in July and sputum samples from his body tested negative for several common viruses. The tests seemed to suggest a coronavirus, and when a lab in the Netherlands sequenced the virus’s genome, it became clear that it was a variety previously unknown in humans.

At least one other person has been infected, a 49-year-old Qatari man who had been in Saudi Arabia and is currently being treated in the UK. The two patients became infected three months apart from each other, so neither one could have been infected by the other. British health authorities have turned up no evidence that the virus is contagious. No one who had been in contact with the second patient, including health care workers, has been infected.

Coronaviruses are associated with respiratory illnesses in humans and

animals – most notably, a coronavirus was the cause of the SARS pandemic of 2002-03. Ron Fouchier, the Dutch virologist who sequenced the new virus’s genome, advised caution in an interview with the journal Science: “There are now six known human coronaviruses; one of them is SARS, but four cause the common cold and are quite innocuous. So let’s keep both feet on the ground and not blow this out of proportion.”

partiCle physiCs goes open-aCCess

The Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics (SCOAP3), an organization that represents laboratories, libraries, and science funding agencies around the world, has entered into an agreement with several journals that will see most new research in the field of particle physics published as open access articles. Currently, most articles in the field are made freely available on the arXiv preprint server before publication, but the final article as it appears in a peer-reviewed journal can only be read with an expensive institutional subscription or a hefty one-time fee.

This deal, finalized after six years of negotiation, will change that.

SCOAP3 intends to fund the initiative with money contributed by libraries, research organizations, and research funders. Twelve journals are involved in the agreement, with six of them switching over entirely to open access publishing. This will make 90 per cent of all articles in the field freely available. The contract is being renegotiated in 2016, at which point more journals could be added in.

Particle physics might be uniquely positioned to make this sort of largescale deal, because most of its papers are published in a small number of journals, and the individual scientists can be easily coordinated by the large organizations like CERN that dominate the field. While open access advocates are excited by this development, they warn that something similar may not be possible in more diffuse fields.

worm Brains manipulated

By lasers

Scientists at Harvard have found a way to manipulate the nervous system of a species of worms using precisely

targeted lasers. Caenorhabditis elegans, a small, transparent roundworm of microscopic size, is frequently used in laboratory experiments because of its convenience – it is small, easy to maintain, quick to reproduce, and, while its physiological systems are very simple, they are complex enough to shed light on more complicated animals.

C. elegans uses a combination of turns and changes of direction to track food sources in its environment. The researchers’ goal was to discover whether the worm’s movement can be controlled by stimulating a small number of these neurons. They found that only a single interneuron pair needed to be controlled in order to force the worms to move.

cially bred to be light sensitive. This fooled the worms into sensing and moving toward a nonexistent food source.

“By manipulating the neural system of this animal, we can make it turn left, we can make it turn right, we can make it go in a loop, we can make it think there is food nearby,” said Sharad Ramanatham, the team’s leader.

The researchers used a blue laser to drive certain patterns of activity in the nervous systems of worms spe-

This research is a step forward in understanding animal nervous systems, and could eventually lead to insights into our own brains. Ramantham and his team plan to improve their experimental setup to operate more quickly. Once this is done, they can begin to control other, more complex animals.

iLLustRatiON by siLVaNa mORaN

Queer Perspectives

Interior and exterior portraits of queer youth

k a R a Passey, staff

L

isa Wood has just completed a yearlong project in partnership with the Rainbow Resource Centre, as part of the WITH ART Community Program put together by the Winnipeg Arts Council.

“Over the course of the year, I have worked with ten different youth –each amazingly strong, intelligent, well-spoken, and self-aware for their years. On top of being a teen, the participants are facing huge challenges asserting their queer identity – figuring out what being queer means for them, finding acceptance among their family and friends, and looking for often-absent role models in popular culture,” says Wood, a Winnipeg based artist who specializes in oil portraits.

WITH ART matches an artist with a community group to work on community identity, issues, and shared goals through the development of an art project. Wood and participants from the Rainbow Resource Centre have completed a body of work, which will be released as a publication called Queer Perspectives as well as installed in the Flux Gallery at aceartinc. from Oct. 10 to 27.

The Rainbow Resource Centre runs a Peer Project for Youth (PPY) program that offers LGBTTQA* youth a safe, fun place to learn new skills, create projects and celebrate their identities. The PPY interviewed

artists and hand-selected Wood to work with them on their project. Wood was paired with Alison Burdeny, Julian Kirchmann, Sheila Mogg, and Vic Peters to complete

that creating art would bring out their voice in a new and dynamic way,” says Wood. Through weekly meetings, the group decided against doing one

collaborative work on their identities and community experiences.

“ I was really excited by the opportunity to work with this group and get to know their interests, concerns, and issues. I was particularly excited after that initial interview – the teens [that] were asking me questions were so engaged, intelligent, and inquisitive. I knew they had a lot to say, and

collaborative artwork with a singular message. The decision was made to create identity-based work in the forms of self-portraits – in paint or mixed media on canvas. Wood painted life-size figurative portraits of each participant to accompany their work. Wood’s portraits show the exterior of each person as strong and confident, using oil painting’s

sentiment of power and authority. Each participant also completed a piece that is an interior take on self portraiture, which allowed each person to express their identity, individuality, and humanity.

“Having Lisa paint portraits of each of us gave us a better idea of how one can view us so differently than we view ourselves. I was so amazed with Lisa’s incredible portrait of myself, seeing it move from a photo, to a sketch, to a beautiful painting was like watching the many layers of myself being put together. I feel strong when looking at the painting of me, something I don’t usually feel in my day-to-day life,” says Mogg. Wood’s paintings use the authoritative historical expectations of oil painting to respect those depicted. Her subjects in this series, often feel vulnerable, powerless and at the mercy of change – but Wood’s paintings depict them as trailblazers. The results are a frozen moment in the participants’ lives, worth

remembering.

“ The project represents a year together. It represents a lot of searching, discussing, and exploring. It proves to me the power of art to communicate visually something that could not be communicated any other way. The participants all dug deep within themselves to come up with works that expressed their identity, their journey,” says Wood.

Her subjects, in this series, often feel vulnerable, powerless and at the mercy of change – but Wood’s paintings depict them as trailblazers.

“I’m really proud of the book [we] created together – I feel [it] helps to give context to the process of the WITH ART project. The book will be distributed to libraries, resource centers and schools across Winnipeg to give the project a wide reach and longevity. We hope that when the book finds its way to other queer or questioning youth they will feel a sense of community, and that when the book finds its way to people outside the queer community they will take pause and feel respect and understanding for the participants."

There are so many barriers that can hold us back from expressing our sexuality in the way that is most true to our desire and that prevents us from having the kind of sexual relationship(s) we would like to be having – luckily we have the power to change them. I’ll be doing Ditch your hookup hang-ups columns intermittently as a way to discuss common issues that can hold you back from fulfilling your wildest (or tamest!) sexy dreams. When I was 16, my bookshelves were lined with books with titles such as Every Young Woman’s Battle and How I Kissed Dating Goodbye I had taken the “True Love Waits” pledge to remain a virgin until marriage – I was right in the thick of purity culture. There was even a point where I had a pastor’s wife as a “masturbation accountability partner”

because even thinking about having sex was a sin.

If there is anyone who should have sexual shame or guilt, it’s me – so when asked to cover the topic of sexual guilt, I felt compelled to. The views that are impressed onto us as children can haunt us our whole lives, and when preparing to enter into sexual relationships we must be willing to do the legwork to shed any damaging values. One of the important things to remember is that there is a difference between shame and guilt. Essentially,

No one’s values are wrong or right – the only time they are wrong is when we impress them on someone else.

shame is “I am bad” and guilt is “I have done something bad.” Both are natural feelings when it comes to having sex outside of the way you were raised to believe sexuality should look like. However, dwelling on these feelings can be damaging to yourself and your sex life. It’s important to recognize that humans have sexual urges and desires – it is normal and there is nothing wrong with you, so long as they do not hurt or harm anyone. Next, you need to determine what your sexual values are. This

can consist of sitting down alone and writing down the sex acts/sexual thoughts and fantasies that you are comfortable with and those you are not. Spend as long as you need, going through each scenario and asking yourself why you feel comfortable or uncomfortable with it. Try to determine whether that feeling reflects what you believe to be true about your sexuality or if it reflects values that someone else impressed on you.

No one’s values are wrong or right –the only time they are wrong is when we impress them on someone else. The only way to break down this wall is piece by piece.

Have patience with yourself and find a partner who will as well – and then practice! Do things alone or with a partner that make you feel good sexually, that you can reconcile with your newly-discovered sexual

values. Whenever you are feeling guilty or shameful, try and deconstruct why you are feeling that way and who taught you to feel that way. Talk to your partner(s) about the views you grew up with and how they make you feel – be honest and ask them to help navigate your way out of sexual shame.

Sex can be a positive part of a healthy life, but if it is causing you mental or emotional anguish you need to seek professional help. Dr. Reece Malone is Manitoba’s only certified sexologist and an expert sex therapist, but there are also plenty of free or low cost counseling services available at places like Klinic or Women’s Health Clinic. Whatever you do, don’t give up or blame yourself. Keep pushing through and be kind to yourself and find partners who will be too.

Keeping up with the Girth

The Girth to release their self-titled album on Oct. 6

tiff ba R tel

The Girth frontman, Steve Basham, likes to keep busy.

Right on the heels of his own solo album, Don’t Swimmin’, and the Girth’s improvisational EP, the Girth Diaries—both of which were released on the opening night of his visual art exhibition, Cardbored, at the Edge Gallery—comes the Girth’s self-titled debut album, set to be released at the Cavern on Oct. 6. The selfrecorded album was produced by their bass player, Arthur Antony, and features 13 tracks.

“We wanted to go for live sound on the album, something representative of how we [sound] without too much window dressing, just the songs captured at their best.” explains Basham.

nificantly expanded and developed through countless hours in the Girth basement. The album is made up of those songs that we felt we had really changed and made into something of our own, as well as Girth originals that were conceived and incubated in our collective womb.”

“Though this is our first band together, there is a long incestuous history of musical inbreeding and mutual admiration.”

“Since we got together initially to play a solo EP release of mine, we started off playing mostly solo songs from my weird little back catalogue, though these were sig-

As for the recordings themselves, the band diverged from the tried-andtrue yet again, instead opting for a more novel approach. Rather than recording tracks for one song at a time, they recorded them in three song batches over the course of a few weekends. Each day, they would lay down the bed tracks for all three songs, and then spend the remainder of the day laying down the rest of the tracks. By the end of the day they would have three complete songs, this afforded them a chance to do something different each time.

“I will say that in just about every

case, I ended up nearly last in line to do the lead vocals, usually in the 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. range, so that when the time came to sing, I’d spent the better part of the night sipping bourbon waiting for my turn, so every 'cut' is a little half cut you could say – and sometimes just cut, or even split in twain,” says Basham.

It may be hard to believe that the Girth have only been around for a year and a half, but members of the band share a long history.

“I met most of those guys through my old band the Fo!ps, as we used to play with Toby, Ivar, and Arthur’s band, the Upsides, all the time. More recently, our drummer Toby and I played together in J.R. Hill & the Oktars. Basically, though this is our first band together, there is a long incestuous history of musical inbreeding and mutual admiration,” says Basham.

The Girth’s much-anticipated full-length musical offering will be available for the first time at their album release party, where they will be sharing the stage with special guests the Bad Nerves (formerly the Nob Gobblers) and Mahogany Frog. This diverse line-up promises something for every connoisseur of musical

eclecticism – even Basham himself is excited.

“Although each band is quite different, I think it’s kind of nice that there will be at least one synth on stage at all times. I think it’s appropriate to have a punky band and a

proggy

Riot Lung

Leah Horlick comes to Winnipeg to launch her new book

Jodie l ayne, staff

Screen printing, pap smears, family vacations, and racism – just a few of the disparate topics that wordsmith/poet/writer/feminist/lesbian Leah Horlick can weave together with ease. Horlick, a seamstress of words, has a new book called Riot Lung, which will launch in Winnipeg on Oct. 12 at Mondragon (91 Albert St.). This is not her first visit to Winnipeg – she says she fell in love with the city in 2011 during the RebELLEs young feminist gathering.

“Consequently I think the Winnipeg I have in my head is kind of a feminist utopia, which I know is entirely inaccurate – I can’t help but cling to it a bit though,” says Horlick.

This is Horlick's first book –although she does have a self-published chapbook and several pieces in anthologies to her name.

Horlick says that she has only recently— and accidentally—allowed the title of poet to become part of her identity.

“I had a super lovely moment the other day where a barista recognized me from an event and said “are you a poet?” I was surprised to be recognized, and also surprised at the readiness of my [answer],” says Horlick.

Horlick cites the privilege of being surrounded by books, having plenty of time in a car commuting, and getting along with her brother as the reason she began writing at a young age.

"Maybe if [my brother and I] had picked on each other more I wouldn’t have had so much time," she jokingly reminisces.

The word privilege is used frequently in Horlick’s interview and in her slam poetry clips on her website. This is no doubt due to her involvement in the feminist community and a topic she handles with grace, humility, and stunning self-awareness in a poem called “Streetcrossing.” Horlick describes in detail in a narrative all too familiar, what it feels like to be a woman alone at night on a street and how that experience collides with the potential equal fear of a solo black man she meets on the street.

Her identity as a queer woman is evident and adds richness to, but is not the primary focus of her work.

The title poem, “Riot Lung,” is full of the conflicting hope and uncertainty that come with being—and loving—an activist personified explicitly in the standout line; “I can’t afford to go to jail right now; but if I’m not arrested

by Saturday, I’m doing something wrong.”

The way that Horlick disassembles and dissects experiences that are transferrable and recognizable to a majority of her audience teeters on the edge of vulnerability and strength.

In her poem “Two Things I’ve Never Been Told Before” she does this most beautifully, conjuring up both the confidence needed and the uncertainty that is inevitable as the result of being a queer woman going for a pap smear. Her identity as a queer woman is evident and adds richness to, but is not the primary focus of her work.

Past, present, and future

25 years of entertainment at the WECC

Jenna d iubaldo, staff

he West End Cultural Centre

T

(WECC) is celebrating its 25th year in the Winnipeg music scene with a weekend of music that you won’t want to miss.

Established in 1987, this 80-yearold former church has undergone many changes over the years. Most recently, the venue was able to expand with an extreme renovation, which included improvements such as a bigger stage, a larger lobby, brand spanking new sound and lighting equipment, more accessible washrooms (they used to be right beside the stage, which was a bit awkward to say the least), larger audience capacity, wheelchair accessibility, and a swanky new backstage

area for artists, just to name a few.

The building is also now greener than ever, built with recycled and reclaimed items, and boasting environmentally friendly geothermal heating.

“The renovations have definitely made for a better experience for artists and patrons,” said Jason Hooper, artistic director for the WECC.

“It’s no small thing to have a music venue, of any kind or size, endure for that length of time.”

“The venue is a more attractive place, no doubt about it.”

The WECC’s recent renovation has not only made it one of Winnipeg’s most sophisticated music venues, but has also made the facility more accessible to the community.

“The WECC has engaged in outreach programming for several

years but the new facility provides a dedicated community space in the Assiniboine Credit Union Hall,” states general manager, Meg McGimpsey.

“Our after-school music lessons [ . . . ] are no longer forced downstairs on the evening of a concert. Instead this program and programs such as our daytime workshop series for neighbourhood schools and community groups have a space reserved that meets their needs,” said McGimpsey.

The West End Cultural Centre will be celebrating a quarter-century with a weekend of music that not only showcases some of the leading names in Winnipeg’s current music scene, but also tips a hat to the bands that have graced the stage at the WECC and supported the venue over the past 25 years.

“ We wanted to put something together that included the past but not at the expense of our present and

“I don’t know if I would have kept writing poems if I wasn’t a lesbian. I may not have needed to. But I do,” says Horlick.

For someone whose words are so powerful when spoken aloud, Horlick makes the transition to page well, something she was intent upon mastering.

“Ideally, I would love for folks to consider the possibilities of what can be told, and what can be written out of their lives [ . . . ] hopefully the book will be [encouraging] for readers who ask that question of themselves. That’s my wish.”

“I had to work with line breaks and italics instead of inflection, and even cut out particular moments for emphasis. It was so difficult and so empowering to develop that poem into a creature that sat well on the page without losing any of its magic,” says Horlick. So whether seen at her reading or whether Riot Lung is devoured by your eyes and mind at home, her poems will deliver the moments of emotional intensity, the nostalgia, and the hope that Horlick wraps her words in.

future,” said Hooper. “It had to be something that celebrated success in all its forms and recognized the incredible talent and diversity of the musical culture of Winnipeg and Manitoba.”

The WECC’s 25th anniversary weekend will kick off Friday, Oct. 19 with a performance from Propagandhi, Winnipeg’s most beloved iconic punk band, who are currently touring on their newest release, Failed States. Support for this show will be provided by local grindcore band Head Hits Concrete, and surf-noir trio, This Hisses.

The following day, the WECC will be taken over by a smorgasbord of some of Winnipeg’s most talented and relevant musicians. Some artists scheduled to perform include: Nicky Mehta (The Wailin’ Jennys), Keri Latimer (Nathan), Alexa Dirks & Ariane Jean (Chic Gamine), Vanessa Kuzina & MJ Dandenau (Oh My Darling), Lloyd Peterson, Greg

Macpherson, Scott Nolan, and much more.

So, what does 25 years mean for the West End Cultural Centre?

“In part, it is a vindication of the vision of that was made reality 25 years ago,” states Hooper. “It’s no small thing to have a music venue, of any kind or size, endure for that length of time. For the WECC it is an opportunity to take stock of our success, to measure the obstacles that have been overcome, and recognize that none of it would be possible without the support and strength of great music, culture, and community.”

Catch Propagandhi with Head Hits Concrete and This Hisses at the WECC on Oct. 19 – if you can find tickets. Tickets for the West End Cultural Centre’s 25th Anniversary Concert on Oct. 20 are available through the West End Cultural Centre, Ticketmaster, Music Trader, and the Winnipeg Folk Festival Music Store

Bits & Pieces

New work by Melanie Wesley at the Tara Davis Studio Boutique

Jodie l ayne, staff

Melanie Wesley has been creating for over 25 years and she doesn’t make mistakes anymore –well, kind of.

Wesley is a self-identified craftswoman, a title she wears with pride, and she tackles both large and smallscale pieces with equal gusto and mastership. She will display those pieces big and small at her first solo show at Tara Davis Studio Boutique (located at 246 McDermot Ave.), opening on Oct. 5. The show will display Wesley’s work from the past year, including the piece she is most proud of – a hand-stitched, dyed, and painted dress entitled “Grounded.”

“I feel like I’m working straight from my heart, and there can’t be any mistakes when you do that.”

feel like I am okay with everything that comes out and I have made room for things to be imperfect. I feel like I’m working straight from my heart, and there can’t be any mistakes when you do that.” The raw edges, loose threads, and unfinished seams that Wesley does not consider mistakes play off of the delicate painted flowers and hand stitching that adorn the piece. Wesley says that the piece defines where she is feeling in her practice as an artist; the roots attached to the dress make it clear that she is creating from a truly grounded place.

“I used to be the kind of person that used to obsess about making a mistake, but in the past year I decided that I wasn’t going to think about mistakes,” admits Wesley and adds that she stopped over-planning

“Bits & Pieces perfectly describes Melanie’s work; she draws from her many talents and has created a body of work that seems very diverse –however when those ‘bits and pieces’ come together they exemplify the strong visual and cohesive aesthetic that is Melanie Wesley,” says cura-

and sketching her work and decided to focus on working intuitively.

“I don’t want this to sound pretentious or conceited, but I don’t really feel like I make mistakes. I

tor Jennifer Smith.

This is exemplified perfectly in her incredibly detailed dolls, which appear as a theme in Wesley’s work and marry perfectly her various

skills in crafting and her art practice. She began as a seamstress and progressed from there, refusing to classify or label her work as either art or craft specifically, and her art dolls exemplify that. The multi-media pieces feature the same attention to and care for the small details with excellent embroidery, needle felting, and sewing; but, also convey the value of fun and play that Wesley uses as guiding principles in her practice.

“Growing up I probably played with dolls until I was too old – I made their clothes, made paper dolls and then I had three boys who were not interested in dolls. I spent a long time thinking ‘I am too old to be playing with dolls?’ It makes me happy [though] so I do it,” says Wesley.

Wesley’s work is overtly feminine and her decision to identify herself as a craftswoman was one that was made intentionally. A stay-at-home, home-schooling mother, she was originally hesitant to embrace these roles with pride. Although she was never ashamed of her life decisions, she was hesitant to define herself by them. The title of craftswoman reflects the comfort she has not only with her practice, but with the work that she chooses to do.

“I did a lot of traditional ‘woman’s work.’ I felt like it was a struggle for me – I didn’t want to feel like all I had to offer the world was taking care of babies and a house and doing my little crafts on the side. I got wrapped up in it and didn’t feel like I had much to offer.”

Now that her boys are grown and “turning into amazing men” she sees the value in her work in their lives and how fulfilling it has been to pursue the things she truly enjoys.

After feeling discomfort with trying to fit herself into slots or roles, Wesley is just happy to be creating in a way that feels authentic to who she is. Regardless of how you would label her show, the year’s work of this talented, skilled, dynamic woman are certainly bits and pieces worth devouring.

Swinging for the fences Teams

jockeying for the MLB post-season

a da M Peleshaty, volunteeR staff

W

hen the temperature starts to dip in fall, Major League Baseball starts heating up. Here’s a brief breakdown of the teams still vying for the post season:

AL EAST:

NEW YORk YANkEES

It comes as no surprise to find the Yankees in a playoff position in early October. They lead the MLB in home runs this year and are top-five in average, onbase percentage, and runs scored. Curtis Granderson has hit 40 home runs this season and Derek Jeter leads the MLB in hits.

but they are also ranked second in MLB for home runs.

AL CENTRAL:

DETROIT TIGERS

The Tigers should be feared if they win the AL Central. Miguel Cabrera is currently on a quest to become the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years, Prince Fielder is third in the majors in onbase percentage, while Justin Verlander and Matt Scherzer rank one-two in strikeouts throughout the majors.

BALTImORE ORIOLES

The Orioles weren’t expected to chase the Yankees for the AL East title. One of the main reasons for their success is their impeccable record in extra innings, winning 16 out of 18 extra inning games this year,

CHICAGO

WHITE SOx

The White Sox have done well in Robin Ventura’s first year as manager. Adam Dunn has hit 41 home runs, and the team is third in the majors in that category. Neither team is in line to get a wild-card spot, so a division title is their only shot at the post-season.

AL WEST:

TEx AS R ANGERS

The Rangers are hoping to reach the World Series for the third straight season and are close to the AL West crown. The team leads the AL in average and runs batted in (RBI) while Josh Hamilton is one of the league leaders in home runs and RBI. Matt Harrison and Yu Darvish are also two of the AL’s best starters.

OAkLAND ATHLETICS

The Oakland A’s have the second-best team ERA in the AL, Josh Reddick has had a breakout year with the A’s, hitting 31 home runs while Yoenis Cespedes has become one of the AL’s best rookies.

L.A. ANGELS OF ANAHEIm

The L.A. Angels of Anaheim are top-five in the majors in runs scored, hits, RBI, and batting average. Mike Trout is a favourite for AL Rookie of the Year, leading MLB in stolen bases and among the top of the league in batting average. Jered Weaver leads all AL starting pitchers in batting average against.

Both the A’s and Angels may possibly have a shot for one, if not both wild-card spots.

Got a hockey habit? Kick it!

Let English soccer fill the void during the NHL lockout

Has the NHL lockout got you down? Are you going through hockey withdrawal? Just be thankful this didn’t happen last year in the Jets’ inaugural season in Winnipeg. The Jets will be back, but in the meantime, what is a die-hard hockey fan to do in winter without pro hockey?

If you really miss prima-donnaspoilt-brat-millionaire athletes behaving badly on a weekly basis, I have just the alternative for you: start watching English soccer.

It’s the world’s most viewed spectator sport and the English Premier League comes up with staggering amounts of money to attract the world’s top players. In addition to the beauty of the game—a veritable ballet on grass—there are plenty of player shenanigans that add more intrigue.

There are many similarities between the two sports, enough so that hockey fans can jump in quite easily. Just like hockey, the main objective is to get the ball, like the puck, into the back of the net.

Soccer is free flowing; the action is uninterrupted during each fortyfive minute half. That means no time outs or commercial breaks, subjecting you to mind-numbing advertising for teeth-whitening toothpaste.

Then there is the way the

English leagues (and most other European leagues for that matter) are structured.

The English Premier League consists of twenty teams, but these teams change each year. The three teams that finish the season in the standings basement are relegated to a lower league, currently known as the English Championship League. The top three teams from the Championship League take their place as they are promoted to the Premier League. This system of relegation and promotion is a structure found throughout most European soccer leagues.

So if you’re going to watch you’ll need a team to pledge your undying allegiance. It’s easy for the English, you generally follow the team from your home town. So if you’re from Burnley in Lancashire, you’ll follow Burnley no matter how bad they are. But for a frustrated Canadian hockey fan convulsing from pangs of withdrawal may I offer the following guide of the bigger teams to help you pick a team to follow:

NL WEST:

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

The Giants have already clinched the NL West title thanks in no small part to the now suspended Melky Cabrera. The team is one of the best in the majors in average, but dead last in home runs. Buster Posey will attempt to fill the void Cabrera has left in the lineup during the postseason.

NL CENTRAL:

CINCINNATI REDS

The Reds have already clinched the NL Central. The team ran away with the division title and could be a threat to the NL title. Jay Bruce has hit 34 home runs this year, and paired with Joey Votto, the two could make a huge impact in the playoffs. They have the second-best team ERA in the NL and starter Johnny Cueto has become one of MLB’s best.

ST. LOuIS C ARDINALS

The reigning world champion St. Louis Cardinals are competing for a wild-card berth. Kyle Lohse has posted an impressive 16-3 record as a starter and Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday, and Yadier Molina will be expected to provide the offence should they reach the postseason.

arsenal

One of six London teams currently playing in the Premier League, Arsenal—named after a former London munitions factory—have won it on three occasions.

manager: Arsene Wenger top players: Gervinho, Theo Walcott, Abou Diaby, Olivier Giroud famous fans: Michael Moore, Prince Harry

Chelsea

Another rich London team, Chelsea is a three-time winner of the Premier League. Currently in first place, but can they keep it up?

manager: Roberto DiMatteo

top players: Fernando Torres, John Terry, Frank Lampard

famous fans: London Olympics honcho Seb Coe , Michael Caine

Everton

The other team from Liverpool and one of the original twelve teams who formed the first football league back in 1888.

manager: David Moyes

top players: Phil Neville, Marouane Fellaini

famous fans: Sylvester Stallone, Paul McCartney

Liverpool

A powerhouse of the seventies, they’ve struggled to find form as of late. Always a potent threat, though. Follow them and you’ll never walk alone.

manager: Brendan Rodgers top players: Luis Suarez, Steven

Gerrard

famous fans: Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Dr. Dre

NL EAST:

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

The Nationals were the first team in MLB to clinch a berth in the postseason and this team may be a favourite to reach the World Series. Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche, and rookie phenom Bryce Harper provide Washington with a potent offense. Despite controversially shutting down Stephen Strasburg for the remainder of the season, 21-game winner Gio Gonzalez has proven to be a capable replacement as the team’s number-one starter.

ATLANTA BRAVES

The Braves have clinched a playoff spot thanks to a 17-7 mark in September. Michael Bourn leads the NL in stolen bases while Freddie Freeman leads the team with 93 RBI. They also have the third-best ERA in the majors after the seventh inning and have two good relief pitchers in Eric O’Flaherty and Craig Kimbrel.

manchester City

Manchester City has emerged from the shadow of United with a new trillion-dollar owner. Big spending to procure an influx of top talent proved enough to win the Premiership last year, snatching it from their crosstown rivals United.

manager: Roberto Mancini

top players: Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli

famous fans: Ricky Hatton, Liam and Noel Gallagher

manchester united Man U is England’s most consistently successful team. Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992 United have won it a staggering twelve times.

manager: Sir Alex Ferguson top players: Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie.

famous fans: Thom Yorke, Usain Bolt

Most English Premier League games are played on Saturday afternoons at 3:00 p.m., UK time, which is 9:00 a.m., Saturday morning for Winnipeggers. You may have to curtail that late night partying on Friday nights. It’s not easy being an armchair athlete! iLLustRatiON by mathieu bOuLet

FOLLOWING THE HERD

Rough road trips for Bison teams

Football, hockey, and soccer teams all lose

Ma Rc l agace, staff

It was a forgettable trip for Bison teams this weekend, as the football, soccer, and men’s hockey team went winless through the five combined games played this weekend.

In the football game, the Bisons were unable to put away Marc Mueller and the Regina Rams, as the fifth-year quarterback put together a 95-yard drive in the final two minutes. Mueller found Connor Haas for the game winning score on a 23-yard passing play that put the Rams up 30-27 with 20 seconds left to play.

This came after Cam Clark and the Bison offence stormed back from a 23-13 deficit. Clark threw touchdown passes to Anthony Coombs and Brendon Bowman, both in the span of two minutes, which gave Manitoba their first lead of the game with 2:03 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The loss drops the Bisons to third in the Canada West standings with a 3-2 record. With three games remaining on the schedule, the Bisons head into the conference bye with a playoff spot in their sights. Their next game will come on the road on Oct. 12 against the 2-3 Saskatchewan Huskies.

The Bison men’s hockey team got off to a rough start on the road against the U of Alberta Golden Bears. In their first of two games on Sept. 28, the Bisons gave up the first of four Alberta goals 1:27 into the first period. Dane Crowley scored the first goal of the Bisons season on the power play late in the first, but the team found themselves down 3-1 through most of the game.

Blair Macaulay—the reigning Canada West MVP—scored a shorthanded goal midway through the third while the Bisons were down two skaters that made the score

3-2, but that was as close as the Bisons would get. Alberta scored an empty netter that made the final score 4-2 for the home side.

The following day, the Bisons got off to a better start but ended up on the wrong side of a 7-2 blowout. Travis Bobbee and Luke Cain scored goals just over a minute apart from each other late in the first period that gave the Bisons 2-1 lead.

The lead quickly evaporated, as the Bears scored 1:14 into the second period, and never looked back.

Manitoba is on the conference bye next weekend, returning to conference play on Oct 12-13 when they host the Saskatchewan Huskies for their first home games of the 2012-13 season.

The Bison soccer team continued their disappointing slide this past weekend, losing back-to-back games against the U of Fraser Valley and the U of Victoria.

In their game on Friday, the Fraser Valley Cascades cruised past the Bisons in a 2-0 victory, as Manitoba was held off the score sheet for the fifth straight game. Allison Kastner had two shots on goal for the Bisons, but was unable to find the back of the net.

The following day, the Bisons finally managed to tally a goal as Sarah Haiko found the twine for the first time since Manitoba dominated UNBC 11-0 three weeks ago. Technically, the Bisons scored two goals on the day – only problem is the other was an own goal.

The Bisons dropped the game 5-1, and fall to 2-6 on the season. The Bisons will have to regroup while on the conference bye this weekend before hosting Lethbridge in a pair of games on Oct. 12-13.

UPCOMING GAMES ALBERTA ALBERTA 7:00pm 7:00pm mAX BELL ARENA mAX BELL ARENA

BISON FOOTBALL, SOCCER, AND MEN'S HOCKEY TEAMS ARE ALL ON THE CONFERENCE BYE THIS WEEK. THEY RETURN TO CANADA WEST CONFERENCE PLAY OCT 12-13.

ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE...

The Bison golf team wrapped up a successful 2012 Fall season at the 2012 Twin Cities Classic. For the third time this season, Charlie Boyechko finished atop the standings, this time beating out a field of 89 fellow golfers. Boyechko finished the three day tournament with a final result of -3, as the Bison team placed second overall among the 17 total teams competing. Throughout the 2012 fall season, the U of M golf team racked up four consecutive team titles, and never finished a tournament lower than fourth. They will next compete at a qualifier for the 2013 Canadian University/College Championship.

—Marc Lagace