2
Frank Appleyard
LettersWhat about improv?
Re: Comedy in the Capital
(Arts, Aug. 21)
THIS LETTER IS in response to Tina
Hassannia’s article “Comedy in the
Capital.” I noticed that there was no
mention of the fast-growing improv
scene in the nation’s capital in her
article, especially since the forma-
tion of the award-winning troupe
Insensitivity Training, which Daniel
Harris wrote on in the Fulcrum last
year, teams regularly get together
and battle it out in addition to having
recurring shows. The boys of Insen-
sitivity Training perform a two-hour
show, reminiscent of Whose Line is it
Anyway? every Sunday night at the
Bytown Tavern (292 Elgin St.). It is an
absolutely hilarious and interactive
show. They also have been known to
host workshops, film comedy sketch
videos, and won an award for their
show Naked Famous People at this
summer’s Ottawa Fringe Festival.
Made to Measure/Some Assembly
Required as well as Crystal Basement
and Crush Improv round out Ottawa’s
scene. Each team brings a different
dynamic to the table and all are very
enjoyable to watch. Improv in Ottawa
is on the rise, so I feel that it was very
important to correct the initial over-
sight of not including these deserving
teams in Tina’s original article.
Jessica Rashotte
U of O alumna
Keeping the ‘Canada’ in
Canada’s University
I WAS QUITE thrilled to attend [the
Sept. 6] football game against York
and see our boys on the field com-
pletely dominate. Yet I left the game
with a bitter taste in my mouth. As a
second-year student I have very fond
memories of last year’s 101 Week as I
attended most events and I had one of
the best weeks I have experienced yet
in life. There was not a single issue that
bothered me with the constant cheers
that included every swear possible or
the many sexually suggestive moments
that occurred. This was all done in fun
www.thefulcrum.ca
Business Department
The Fulcrum, the University of Ottawa’s
independent English-language student
newpaper, is published by the Fulcrum
Publishing Society (FPS) Inc., a not-for-
profit corporation whose members consist
of all Univeristy of Ottawa students. The
Board of Directors (BOD) of the FPS gov-
erns all administrative and business ac-
tions of the Fulcrum and consists of the
following individuals: Ross Prusakowski
(President), Andrea Khanjin (Vice-Pres-
ident), Tyler Meredith (Chair), Ramy
Sonbl (Vice-President Internal Communi-
cations), Peter Raaymakers, Nick Taylor-
Vaisey, and Toby Climie.
To contact the Fulcrum’s BOD,
contact Ross Prusakowski at (613)
562-5261.
and guides judged and knew where
our comfort levels were and when to
back off. With such fond memories of
101 Week I was excited to see that the
football game included all the faculties
in 101 Week to help support our team.
This is where my excitement was in-
terrupted however by a young woman,
who chose to show some leadership by
running down in front of the crowd to
lead in some of our cheers. Now I am
making the assumption she was not a
guide, but I may be wrong. I could not
tell because of the horrible t-shirt she
was wearing. She was wearing quite the
patriotic looking Canadian flag on her
shirt but with a massive black X drawn
through it. On the back of her shirt
was the message, “I AM A SEPARAT-
IST! ON OCT. 14 VOTE BLOC QUE-
BECOIS!” Now it takes a lot for me to
get angry, but this display is unaccept-
able. First off, this is a 101 Week event
in which we bring our newest students
to show them “Canada’s University”, or
so we claim. Now this seems strange
to me, having someone running to the
front of the crowd wearing a shirt that
completely contradicts the message of
our proud university. Next we are not
even located in the only province that
can vote for this political party, so I see
no need in why it needed to be worn to
a football game. This is a week of cel-
ebration of certain individuals starting
a new page in life and political beliefs
should not be brought into this situa-
tion.
I am well aware of free-speech
laws, but political correctness and
free speech only go so far before be-
coming ridiculous. If a student wants
to come celebrate our university by
cheering, then by all means do it. This
to me seems like it is a slap in the face
for the very message our university
stands for and proudly uses to en-
courage new students to join us. I for
one would still like us to be known as
“Canada’s University” and be proud
of it. If you are a student here and
promote messages such as this then
maybe you should think again what
values your school holds.
Michael Read
Second-year human
kinetics student
Advertising Department
Deidre Butters,
Advertising Representative
phone: (613) 880-6494
fax: (613) 562-5259
e-mail: ads@thefulcrum.ca
Check out our rate card online.
Go to www.thefulcrum.ca and
follow the link for “Advertisers”.
Multi-market advertisers:
Campus Plus: (800) 265-5372
Campus Plus offers one-stop shopping for
over 90 Canadian student
newspapers.
The Fulcrum is
a proud member of
Canadian University Press:
www.cup.ca
Sept. 11–17, 2008
Censorship, the SFUO,
and the CFS
EARLIER THIS WEEK at Fedstock,
the Student Federation of the Uni-
versity of Ottawa (SFUO) welcomed
first-year students and encouraged
them to be involved in student poli-
tics. But minutes later these same
people told me I had to hide my peti-
tion regarding their decision to make
the U of O a prospective member of
the Canadian Federation of Students
(CFS), because I had not received
their stamp of approval.
My petition was simple enough.
It stated that the SFUO should have
consulted the students of the Uni-
versity of Ottawa before joining
them in prospective membership
with the CFS, and it demanded that
they revisit their decision. One of
the members on the SFUO told me
that their decision was “all about
democracy”. As partial members
in the CFS, the SFUO will allow a
referendum on full membership.
But this referendum itself will cost
thousands of dollars from student’s
incidental fees. Prospective mem-
bership means more than just a
referendum—it means that the CFS
Contents
News
p. 3
Arts
p. 10
Sports
p. 19
Feature
p. 14
Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca
is welcome on our campus to run their own minds about the CFS—all
their campaigns. Beyond that the I’m saying is that students should
CFS will have a direct role in the have been consulted about whether
management and administration of we should have become prospective
the referendum. This is an organiza- members in the CFS.
tion that has routinely faced serious I thought universities are sup-
corruption allegations specifically posed to be arenas of open dialogue
in regard to student elections and and thoughtful debate; and yet, frosh
referendums. Whether giving us week activism was met by censorship.
prospective membership in the CFS If this is what prospective member-
is equivalent to promoting democ- ship in the CFS looks like, I want no
racy is a matter of debate—a debate part of it.
the students should have a voice in. Daniel Gilman
I encourage students to make up Third-year history student
Got something to say?
Send your letters to
editor@thefulcrum.ca
Letters must be under 400 words unless discussed with the
Editor-in-Chief.
Drop off letters at 631 King Edward Ave. or e-mail
editor@thefulcrum.ca.
Letters must include your name, telephone number, year, and program
of study. Pseudonyms may be used after consultation with the Editor-in-
Chief. We correct spelling and grammar to some extent. The Fulcrum will
exercise discretion in printing letters that are deemed racist, homophobic,
or sexist.
We will not even consider hate literature or libellous material. The Editor-in-
Chief reserves the authority on everything printed herein.
Put your student fees to good use
Amanda Shendruk sheds light on the SFUO’s student
services. p. 6–7
Jolene Hansell explores your closest bookstore
options. p. 5
Popping the Cherry
Peter Henderson takes you inside Ottawa’s
revived awards show. p. 10
Inari Vaissi Nagy explores documentary films in a
post-9/11 world. p. 11
The U of O’s Olympic Athlete
Anna Rocoski interviews Rhys Hill, Olympic
kayaker and U of O student. p. 19
Sports Services quietly introduces women-only gym
time. p. 21
Speak like Obama
The art of public speaking is uncovered. p. 14
Dear Di explains the best way to stay connected with
a boyfriend via webcam. p. 24
 News 3
Emma Godmere
News Editor
news@thefulcrum.ca
Sept. 11–17, 2008

Putting prospective membership to use

photo by Frank Appleyard

Ryan Kennery, pictured here at the July 27 meeting of the BOA, plans to introduce three amendments to the CFS constitution and by-laws at the board’s Sept. 14 meeting.

BOA to debate the national student lobby organiza-

CFS constitutional
amendments at
next meeting
by Emma Godmere
Fulcrum Staff
THE SEPT. 14 meeting of the Board of
Administration (BOA) of the Student
Federation of the University of Ot-
tawa (SFUO) can likely expect debate
on a set of three by-law and constitu-
tional amendments to be proposed to
the Canadian Federation of Students
(CFS) at their November semi-annual
general meeting.
Ryan Kennery, a Faculty of Arts
representative of the BOA, has put to-
gether three potential amendments to
tion’s constitution, aiming to improve
their inclusion of bilingualism and as-
pects of their referendum campaigns.
As prospective members of CFS,
“[the SFUO gets] a vote, a voice at
the table, [and] the ability to affect
change,” Kennery said.
The first of his proposals includes
extending the bilingualism require-
ments to not only the national chair-
person of CFS, but also the national
deputy chairperson and the nation-
al treasurer. If the executives cannot
prove their second-language profi-
ciency five weeks before the general
meeting where they would assume
their respective roles, according to
the proposed amendments, their
positions would be declared vacant.
“I want to make sure that we hold
all elected members on the CFS to the
same standard we hold our executive
members,” said Kennery.
Kennery’s other two proposals sur-
rounding membership referendums
would ensure campaign teams are
subject to equal spending limits and
seek to change the period of time
necessary to pass before a member
association can hold a de-federation
referendum. As it stands, member as-
sociations must wait 24 months after
joining before they can potentially
hold a vote to leave CFS.
“Say the SFUO and its students
were to join in March 2009. We
could not even legally look at the is-
sue even until March 2011,” Kennery
explained.
SFUO President Dean Haldenby
expressed his support for BOA mem-
bers proposing changes they would
like to see in the makeup of CFS.
“I think that that’s a really good
thing, and that it’s really positive,”
said Haldenby. “It’s one of the things
that I definitely said would be a good
thing if we were prospective mem-
bers—that if we saw weaknesses in
certain things, we’d be able to change
them.”
The concept of jumping right into
prospective membership with CFS
seems to resonate across the BOA.
“I agree with Ryan in that it’s im-
portant to have the SFUO be active in
this year even before we go to refer-
endum and to take a leadership role
[to show] that we’re serious about the
organization,” said BOA Faculty of
Social Sciences representative Amy
Kishek.
“I disagree with having them
presented sooner [though], just be-
cause I’ve seen the timeline,” said
Kishek.“The CFS meeting isn’t un-
til the end of November. There’s
plenty of time if we address it at the
October 5 meeting and I, person-
ally, would appreciate that, to take
more time to look at [the proposed
amendments].”
Kennery hopes to hold a vote on
the motions at the Sept. 14 meeting.
To do this, he requires the support
of a two-thirds majority of the board
to hold the vote, or else it must wait
until the October meeting. Since the
CFS national executive requires up to
six weeks to add subsequent agenda
points for their semi-annual general
meeting, he intended to present his
amendments as soon as possible in
order to forward them to CFS in time
for the late November meeting.
“We [won’t be] sitting in the corner
there because we’re the new guys,”
Kennery said of the SFUO’s potential
as prospective members at this up-
coming CFS meeting. “We have the
ability to be players.”

U of O supports students’ fight for lower tuition fees

Senate permits students
to miss class on
Nov. 5 day of action
by Emma Godmere
Fulcrum Staff
IN A VOTE that garnered the majority of mem-
bers’ support, the University of Ottawa’s Senate
passed a decision at their Sept. 8 meeting to
allow and support students to take part in the
Canadian Federation of Students (CFS)-run
provincial day of action to lower tuition fees on
Nov. 5.
U of O President Allan Rock, who chaired the
meeting held at Tabaret Hall, explained that the
Senate’s decision would enable students to par-
ticipate in lobbying activities by asking profes-
sors not to schedule exams on Nov. 5 and not
to penalize students for missing class if they are
marked for attendance.
According to the motion, “if an exam or as-
signment must absolutely be held on Nov. 5, stu-
dents will be allowed to write a deferred exam.
The Senate will take responsibility to inform, by
e-mail, all professors, students, and support staff
about this motion.”
The on-campus organization of the Nov.
5 campaign falls under the responsibility of
Student Federation of the University of Ot-
tawa (SFUO) Campaigns Organizer Michael
Cheevers, who was pleased with the gesture of
support from the U of O.
“It’s a lot of progress, I think,” said Cheevers,
who also holds a seat on the Senate.
“Not only that, but to have two administra-
tors, the president and the vp academic actually
defending the motion vis-à-vis a student, that’s
amazing,” he said.
Joseph Wesley Richards II, a newly elected
student on the Senate who brought up the
issue of the campaign’s validity to Rock and
VP Academic Robert Major, and who voted
against the motion, expressed that this partic-
ular demonstration unfairly receives special
treatment over any other cause students may
want to lobby for.
“We, as a university, should not give prefer-
ence to one cause or another,” he said via e-mail.
“For me, human rights concerns are frankly of
greater importance; people’s lives are at risk ver-
sus I have to pay more for my tuition.”
At the meeting, Major brought up the 2006
compromise between the Senate and that aca-
demic year’s SFUO executive, where students
attended the day of action while not cancelling
classes altogether, as the SFUO had desired.
Major explained that events that classes are
cancelled for, such as University of Ottawa Day,
which sees local high school students spend-
ing the day on campus, come “few and far be-
tween”.
Richards, however, was firm in contending
that students should not be permitted to skip
class to take part in the lower tuition lobbying
activities.
“Simply put, I just believe students must
take responsibility for their academic lives,” he
said.
f
If you’re reading this on Thursday, it may
already be too late.

But don’t worry, we have one every week.

Come to the Fulcrum’s staff meetings,

Thursdays at 1 p.m.

Act now, before it’s too late.

 Battle of the bookstores

photo by Martha Pearce

Students line up to purchase their textbooks at Benjamin Books, located at 122 Osgoode St.

Your nearby,
neighbourhood
textbook-buying
options
by Jolene Hansell
Fulcrum Contributor
IT IS AT this time of year, when classes
are starting, that students’ wallets get
hit the hardest. Many first-year stu-
dents do not predict the overall cost
of course material, nor do they realize
the importance of searching to find
the cheapest prices. In an attempt to
find the best deals for students, the
Fulcrum investigated the three closest
bookstores to campus: the University
Bookstore, the Agora Bookstore, and
Benjamin Books.
Situated smack in the middle of
campus, the University Bookstore on
the first floor of the Unicentre is nor-
mally the most convenient choice for
students due to its location. While the
store stocks all books ordered by pro-
fessors, the prices of textbooks here
are often more expensive than they are
at the Student Federation of the Uni-
versity of Ottawa (SFUO)-run Agora
Bookstore.
For example, the Basics of Social
Research textbook required by sec-
ond-year students in social sciences
is sold for $102.55 at the University
Bookstore, while the same textbook
is sold for $99.92 at Agora. There is a
similar price difference with the Gen-
eral Chemistry textbook required by all
first-year chemistry students, costing
$123.45 at the Bookstore and $120.85
at Agora. Although the difference in
price is only a couple of dollars, stu-
dents who purchase textbooks worth
hundreds of dollars can see that ev-
ery dollar counts. The most expensive
place to buy this particular textbook is
Benjamin Books, where the same Gen-
eral Chemistry book costs $131.99.
Although the store’s price for text-
books can be a little steeper, Benjamin
Books is often the first choice for pro-
fessors who order course material in
English and the social sciences. Some
of the classic literature often required
for English classes, such as Franken-
stein and The Lord of the Rings, is of-
fered at prices ranging from $7.95 to
$12.
Benjamin Books promotes their
more extensive collection of books and
higher level of customer service as the
reasons why students should choose
their location to purchase course ma-
terial.
“It’s the professors who usually
choose us, and they choose us usu-
ally because we’ve been fairly priced
for over 20 years now,” said Mordy
Bubis, owner of Benjamin Books. “We
provide excellent customer service,
and we know what we’re selling, so
students get the right information and
find it very convenient.”
The University Bookstore and Ago-
ra also attempt to draw in students by
offering buyback services. The stores
will buy course material from students
at a lower price than it was purchased
at, and re-sell it at a reduced price.
Steve Chéné, one of the managers
of the University Bookstore, explained
that their buyback program “tries best
to serve all the students on campus so
they can sell their books as much as
possible.”
Students may be limited if they are
looking to purchase a particular edi-
tion of a book because the Univer-
sity Bookstore only buys back books
that will be used for the upcoming
term. Books that can be sold back to
the original publishing company are
posted online and are specified by edi-
tion, meaning the Bookstore will only
accept specific versions of a given text-
book.
Agora, on the other hand, is more
accommodating. This year the store
launched a consignment service that is
dedicated to letting students buy and
sell their books on their own terms.
Students are able to set their own pric-
es for their used textbooks and receive
80 per cent of the cost the books were
originally sold for. Agora’s consign-
ment service accepts both current and
older editions of textbooks, giving stu-
dents more flexibility in getting rid of
older books.
Students must keep in mind, how-
ever, that these services do come at an-
other cost. As part of the student levy
for the 2008–09 academic year, full-
time students pay $9.32 per semester
to keep the bookstore running.
The general overseeing of the Agora
Bookstore falls under the responsibility
of SFUO VP Finance Roxanne Dubois.
“What’s cool about the Agora is that
it does give students an option and it has
actually given concrete results in terms
of saving students’ money,” she said.
“It’s great to see the big line-ups
[there] because it means more profs
are ordering more books at the Agora,
which means more students can profit
from the [student-run bookstore].”

University of Ottawa

The Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, in collaboration

with The Centre for International Policy Studies, presents the following
lectures by internationally-acclaimed scholars.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Margaret MacMillan, Warden of St-Antony’s College,
University of Oxford will present a lecture entitled Friends
or Something Else? China and the West in the 21st century.
Monday, September 29, 2008 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Dr. Phillip Bobbitt, Herbert Wechsler Professor of Jurisprudence
and Director of the Center for National Security at Columbia
University will present a lecture entitled Terror and Consent.

Both lectures will take place in Tabaret Hall, Room 112, 550 Cumberland Street, Ottawa

Parking available on campus

For further information on these lectures, please contact api@uOttawa.ca
Les deux conférences seront présentées en anglais. | Both lectures will be presented in English.

www.thefulcrum.ca Sept. 11, 2008 NEWS 5

 SFUO services support students
by Amanda Shendruk
Fulcrum Staff
THE STUDENT FEDERATION of the Uni-
versity of Ottawa (SFUO) provides a number
of valuable services for undergraduate students
on campus. The Fulcrum visited these services
and spoke with the people who work there in
order to find out how they can assist with your
personal and academic needs and enrich your
experience at the U of O.
Student Appeals Centre
You didn’t get the grade you felt you deserved?
Your professor is treating you unfairly? Accused
of academic fraud? The Student Appeals Centre
can speak for you.
Student Appeals Centre Coordinator Mireille
Gervais indicated that the centre exists as a
portal through which students can access and
navigate the complex world of the U of O’s ad-
ministration.
“It is there to represent students and advocate
on their behalf,” she said.
Students who wish to appeal decisions made
by the administration, lodge complaints, or re-
ceive assistance in navigating the network of
administrative processes are encouraged to visit
the centre as a starting point. The staff, which
is well acquainted with university policies and
regulations, offers free support during these of-
ten long and complicated processes. The centre
also offers guidance in regards to writing effec-
tive appeal letters and provides a staff member
to accompany students to meetings with admin-
istrative committees.
The Student Appeals Centre welcomes un-
dergraduate and graduate students, as well as
prospective students and alumni. They can be
found in room 101 of the Unicentre.
st
1 tan free
233-2tan
2nd floor, U of O Sports Complex
6 NEWS Sept. 11, 2008
Foot Patrol
Foot Patrol plays an essential safety role both
on- and off-campus. As a joint initiative be-
tween the SFUO and Protection Services, the
service provides volunteers who will safely walk
individuals or groups in the community to their
destinations. Anyone within a 45-minute walk-
ing radius of campus can request accompani-
ment.
“And that doesn’t mean that a walk has to
start or end on campus,” said Matt Ugray, the
service’s coordinator.
Foot Patrol’s main function is to provide safe
escorts, but when not accompanying people, vol-
unteers patrol campus with lights and radios.
“It’s all about personal safety,” said Ugray. “We
hear stories every year about somebody who has
been attacked and the stories are always about
somebody who was on their own ... so by having
that extra person there, we have safety in num-
bers and it’s a major deterrent.”
If you are interested in having a Foot Patrol
volunteer walk you to your destination, contact
the service at (613) 562-5800 ext. 7433, or push
the yellow button on most campus payphones
(it’s free!).
The Foot Patrol office is in room 08A of the
Unicentre.
International House
At International House, international and ex-
change students can socialize, share their expe-
riences, and adjust to life in Canada.
“We promote multiculturalism on campus,
and we celebrate diversity,” said Liliana Godoy,
service coordinator for International House.
This is accomplished, she explained, through
social activities such as potlucks, movie nights,
workshops, and trips to cities within Canada
and the United States. The centre isn’t just a
www. utan.ca
no appointments / no hassle
photo by Martha Pearce
Offices for many of the SFUO services can be found in the Unicentre second-floor Terminus.
social group, however. This year International and celebrating sexual diversity.
House hopes to strengthen its global awareness “The process of coming out to yourself and
campaigns by focusing on international stu- coming out to other people can be very intimi-
dents’ issues and rights. dating,” said Evan Hazenburg, service coordina-
While the majority of people who frequent tor at the Pride Centre. “It’s really helpful to have
the service are international or exchange stu- a place where you can come and be yourself with
dents, Godoy wants to stress that domestic stu- no pressure.”
dents are welcome to attend events and celebrate The centre, which has a strict confidentiality
cultural differences. policy, provides both active listening and so-
“It’s open to anyone and everyone,” she said. cial programming. During the week staff host
International House can be found in the Uni- a number of social events, such as discussion
centre, room 211E. groups, games, workshops, themed parties,
movie nights, and queer-sensitivity training.
Pride Centre
The SFUO Pride Centre is a safe drop-in centre Services
where students can socialize while discussing continued on p. 7
The Fulcrum is looking for students
to join our board of directors.
If you have an interest in publishing, finance, or
business management, contact
Business Manager Ross Prusakowski at
business.manager@thefulcrum.ca for eligibility
requirements and further information.
utan
Buy 12 tans &
get $24 OFF product
Must redeem coupon at time of sale.
Exp. Sept 25th, 08. Non-shareable
Cannot be combined with other promotions.
utan
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Cannot be combined with other promotions.
www.thefulcrum.ca

Services
continued from p. 6
The SFUO’s Pride Centre is open to anyone.
Undergraduate, graduate, and high school stu-
dents, as well as members of the community, are
encouraged to participate in scheduled events.
The Pride Centre can be found in room 215E
of the Unicentre.
Bilingualism Centre
Since September 2007, the Bilingualism Centre
has strived to balance the presence of Canada’s
two official languages on the University of Otta-
wa campus. It advocates for adequate represen-
tation of both French and English in all aspects
of student life and raises awareness about the
reality of bilingualism on campus.
“We are trying to build a community that is
not necessarily bilingual, but that is ready to
include the other language, the other cultures,”
said Eve Ferreira-Aganier, coordinator of the Bi-
lingualism Centre.
The centre offers services to both English- and
French-speaking students, including discus-
sion groups, awareness days, music and movie
nights, and student linguistic pairings.
Ferreira-Aganier said the Bilingualism Cen-
tre is open to anyone who believes in creating a
respectful university environment.
“We want to have an open-minded campus,”
she said. “We want to have a campus without
discrimination, where everyone can be respect-
ed no matter their language.”
The Bilingualism Centre is in room 211B of
the Unicentre.
Bon Appétit! Student Food Bank
The mandate of the Bon Appétit! Student Food
Bank is simple—to provide food for students in
need.
Bon Appétit! receives shipments once a week
from the Ottawa Food Bank. Students—both grad-
uate and undergraduate—and alumni who are in
tight financial situations (or will be in the foresee-
able future) may visit the food bank once a month
in order to receive a three-day supply of food.
As well as providing food, the student food bank
also works in conjunction with the Centretown
Community Health Centre on an initiative called
the Good Food Box, which allows students and
community members to order boxes of fruits and
vegetables at lower-than-average prices.
Patricia Laliberté, a volunteer at the Bon Ap-
pétit! Student Food Bank, said the program is not
only beneficial for those who receive food por-
tions, but also for those who decide to help out.
“It’s good that students help students,” she
said. “Students that have it easier can help some-
one next to them.”
The service is located in the basement of the
Unicentre, room 0015.
www.thefulcrum.ca
photo by Martha Pearce
“We work to increase the inclusion of stu- academic life at the U of O.
Women’s Resource Centre dents with disabilities in student life,” said Vir- “We help students that have a hard time ad-
ginie Corneau St-Hilaire, the centre’s service justing to university life, whether that be with
The Women’s Resource Centre is a place where coordinator. classes or personal [life],” said Mélissa Borduas,
both women and those who identify as women “Disability is a topic that’s often forgotten,” she Peer Support Phone Line supervisor.
can receive support. This SFUO service endeav- said. “A lot of people forget that they’re just stu- The centre offers tutor referrals, peer editing,
ours to develop a comfortable drop-in environ- dents like anyone else and they have a right to par- active listening, a peer support phone line, a
ment where women can receive active listening ticipate in student life and we just want to make youth mentoring program, conversational Eng-
and crisis referrals, develop lasting friendships, sure that everyone gets the potential for the same lish and French services, academic workshops,
discuss gender-specific issues, breast-feed in opportunities in their university experience.” and a resource centre.
private, or just hang out between classes with In addition to promoting the inclusion of stu- The tutor referral service is one of the more
a cup of coffee. dents with disabilities in all aspects of campus popular programs the centre offers, said Bord-
The centre offers a number of social events life, the centre also helps students find on- and uas. She explained that the Peer Support Phone
throughout the year, including the weekly off-campus resources to assist in managing their Line has also been a success. Open Monday
“stitch ‘n’ bitch” and workshops on zine-making disabilities. to Friday from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., students can
and self-defense. The centre also puts on an an- The service can be found in room 211F of the phone to talk about absolutely anything—from
nual production of The Vagina Monologues. Unicentre. discussing homesickness to inquiring about
The centre’s advocacy officer, Sarah McKin- class locations. If you’re in need of an ear, Bord-
non, said the Women’s Resource Centre plays an Peer Help Centre uas encourages students to call the line at (613)
essential role at the U of O. 562-5604.
“It’s one space, one resource on campus that The Peer Help Centre is comprised of ser- The Peer Help Centre is located in room 211D
is just for women, and especially when we still vices aimed at improving both personal and of the Unicentre.
haven’t achieved equality in all senses of the
term,” she said. “I think it’s great that we have
this place that’s a positive space.”
The Women’s Resource Centre can be found
in room 220 of the Unicentre.
The Centre for Equity and Human Rights
Like the Bilingualism Centre, the Centre for
Equity and Human Rights is only in its second
year. Regardless of age, the service already has a
grand vision.
Francine Page, the centre’s director, said the
role of the centre is “to promote a campus at-
mosphere where everyone can expect to be re-
spected, where students can live and study un-
hindered by any discriminatory practices—one
that fosters equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
Students who are victims of discrimination,
harassment, hate crimes, or misconduct issues
on campus can visit the Centre for Equity and
Human Rights, where they will have a confi-
dential opportunity to share their experiences,
receive support, and be informed of their rights
and responsibilities. While the centre is not a
counselling or legal service, staff can help stu-
dents develop action plans for the complaint
process and are guided through their options.
The centre also has a strong educational ele-
ment. It promotes human rights through speak-
ing engagements, presentations, diversity cam-
paigns, and partnership initiatives.
The Centre for Equity and Human Rights is
located in the Unicentre, room 211G.
Centre for Students with Disabilities
The Centre for Students with Disabilities is a
service available to undergraduate students who
have physical or mental disabilities.
The service’s priority is to assist campus orga-
nizations in designing events that are accessible
to all students.
Sept. 11, 2008 NEWS 7
 News in brief

photo by Joe Howell

U of T strike averted at 11th hour
TORONTO (CUP) – UNITED
STEELWORKERS (USW) LOCAL
1998 and the University of Toronto’s
administration reached a tentative
agreement on Sept. 7, only hours be-
fore the strike deadline and a day be-
fore classes began.
Everything is running as it should
be, assuming the agreement—the
details of which have not been re-
leased—is ratified by the same union
members who voted by an over-
whelming 87 per cent to give their
union a strike mandate.
Allison Dubarry, president of USW
Local 1998, explained the group is “in
the process of arraigning a ratifying
vote” and that “the university would
have found it very difficult to func-
tion without our members’ work—
we’re everywhere.”
Members of USW Local 1998 as-
sist with U of T’s research, fundrais-
ing, technical support, administrative
duties, and almost anything else not
directly related to academics.
According to Dubarry, the union
did not want to strike and instead was
focused on reaching a deal with the U
of T administration.
—Joe Howell,
Ontario Bureau Chief
Federal government reveals
new loan repayment plan
ST. JOHN’S (CUP) – UNVEILED ON
AUG. 15, the federal government’s
new strategy for student loans details
that repayments be based on the bor-
rower’s income and amount of debt.
Starting in 2009, former students
in serious financial trouble can use
the new plan to wait for up to five
years without having to make pay-
ments on their loan. After that, the
government can request payments
of up to 20 per cent of a person’s
income. The payback period maxes
out at 15 years with the government
picking up the slack if 20 per cent
over 15 years does not cover the
loan.
Canadian Federation of Students
Newfoundland and Labrador Repre-
sentative Daniel Smith believes that
while the strategy is a “step in the
right direction”, the funding would be
better used to increase the new fed-
eral grant program.
Although he says debt is a deter-
rent to those seeking higher educa-
tion, Smith believes the more impor-
tant issue is making post-secondary
education more accessible.
—Ian MacDonald, The Muse
Strike closes part of UVic’s
student building
VICTORIA (CUP) – ON SEPT. 4,
150 unionized student employees of
the University of Victoria’s Student
Union Building (UVSUB) began a
legal strike over wage disputes. The
workers were negotiating for a raise
that would cost nearly $300,000 over
two years.
The union’s Bargaining Com-
mittee and Acting Union President
Michael Ryan noted the cost is not
that high in reality, considering the
union has not seen “a substantial
raise in such a long time [and] we’re
just catching up to where we should
be now.”
Compared to the other two large
universities in B.C., UVSUB’s current
lowest-wage bracket is in the mid-
range.
From the management side, Caitlin
Meggs, chair of the University of Vic-
toria Students’ Society, argued that
they “can’t increase the wage without
cutting that money out somewhere
else.”
The students of the University of
Victoria began classes on Sept. 3 and
no classes were affected by the strike.
However, many services run by the
union were closed.
In the following weeks, mediated
negotiations are expected to continue
between the union and the board.
—Sam VanSchie,
Western Bureau Chief
Listeriosis outbreak likely won’t
affect students, says doctor
ST. JOHN’S (CUP) – MOUNTING
CONCERN OVER the recent list-
eriosis outbreaks need not be cause
for alarm for most students, says Dr.
Norman Lee, chief physician at Me-
morial University. Consuming con-
taminated products is not fatal for
most adults with uncompromised
immune systems, but is a danger for
the elderly, young children, pregnant
women, and anyone with a weakened
immune system.
A highly contagious bacterial
infection, listeriosis has an incuba-
tion period between six hours and
90 days. In most cases symptoms
will arise within 24 hours, and
may include vomiting, diarrhea,
cramps, severe headaches, and a
persistent fever. The infection may
lead to meningitis if left untreat-
ed, but may be dealt with using
antibiotics. To avoid the bacteria,
students should avoid the recently
recalled products, wash all pro-
duce before consumption and re-
turn or throw out any food about
which they are uncertain, since
refrigeration does not prevent the
bacteria from multiplying. For the
full list of recalled products, go to
inspection.gc.ca.
—Ashley Lockyer, The Muse

Ottawatch Student Loans Program to create an

FORMER DEFENCE MINISTER Da-
vid Pratt has been selected as the Lib-
eral Party’s candidate for the riding of
Ottawa-West Nepean for the Oct. 14
election. Pratt was recommended by
the local riding association as the can-
didate most likely to win and received
the national party’s endorsement on
Sept. 4.
The Liberals’ appointment of a star
candidate reflects their determination
to win back the Ottawa-West Nepean
riding, which they held for 16 years
prior to the last election in 2006. Con-
servative Environment Minister John
Baird currently holds the riding. Local
Liberal officials had hoped that former
Ottawa mayor Bob Chiarelli would
run against Baird, but when he de-
clined, the party turned to Pratt.
Pratt, a former municipal politician,
was the federal Member of Parliament
for Nepean-Carleton between 1997
and 2004 and served as defence minis-
ter from Dec. 2003 to May 2004 under
Prime Minister Paul Martin.
Political observers are anticipating a
fierce contest between Pratt and Baird.
Baird, a high-profile Conservative MP,
has been touted in recent Conservative
radio ads as someone who “gets things
done for Ottawa”. In comments to the
Ottawa Citizen, Pratt indicated that he
would portray himself as a pragmatic
consensus-builder while attacking
Baird’s political record and aggressive
partisanship.
—Steven Ryan
OVER 30 SITTING MPS will not be
running for re-election on Oct. 14.
That number includes three Con-
servative cabinet ministers: Human
Resources and Social Development
Minister Monte Solberg, Foreign Af-
fairs Minister David Emerson, and
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Loyola
Hearn.
Solberg was in charge of his minis-
try during its overhaul of several pro-
grams impacting post-secondary edu-
cation in Canada. The Conservatives’
2008 budget introduced more grants
for students and altered the Canada
income-contingent loan repayment
plan. It also extended the Registered
Education Savings Plan contribution
Staff meetings.
period. Thursdays at 1 p.m.
After winning the 2006 election
for Vancouver-Kingsway as a Liberal, The Fulcrum.
Emerson crossed the floor to take the
international trade portfolio as a Con-
servative. This past May, he took over
as minister of foreign affairs after the
resignation of disgraced Quebec MP
Maxime Bernier. Emerson has recent-
ly announced he will be co-chairing
the Conservative party campaign for
the Oct. 14 election.
Hearn retires from his Newfound-
land and Labrador riding in the midst
of a strong anti-Harper push by Pro-
gressive Conservative Premier Danny
Williams. Williams is now running
an “Anything But Conservative” cam-
paign, while Hearn recently stated that
the premier runs a “dictatorship.”
Other incumbents not seeking
re-election include old political cats
such as former NDP leader Alexa Mc-
Donough, former prime minister Paul
Martin, and current Deputy Speaker of
the House of Commons Bill Blaikie.
—Carl Meyer

8 NEWS Sept. 11, 2008 www.thefulcrum.ca

Vote of confidence
Prepare for the fall of democracy, part II
Emma Godmere
News Editor
LAST WEEK, JUST in case you didn’t
get it, I was referring to the autumn
season when I titled my column “The
fall of democracy”.
This week, I am absolutely, posi-
tively referring to the crumbling foun-
dation of our free and equal federal
governmental system.
The CBC announced on Sept. 8 that
Green Party leader Elizabeth May has
been outright denied an invitation to
participate in the televised leaders’
debates planned for Oct. 1 and Oct.
2. Citing three unnamed political par-
ties’ opposition to her inclusion, the
consortium of national broadcasters
that made the decision said in their
press release, “it became clear that if
the Green party were included, there
would be no leaders’ debate.”
While some party leaders have ca-
sually expressed their opposition to their apparent refusal to debate with fully) intelligent debate, the leaders are in the debate.
May’s potential inclusion in the debate, the now more-than-deserving Greens. denying Canadians the opportunity to I should clarify that while I am
they were apparently still too fright- What kind of country is this? Taking witness the statements and arguments clearly campaigning for May’s right
ened to formally reveal themselves into account the Green Party’s increase of all five major parties, each of which to be included in the debate, I am not
through this media consortium, and in support from the public, their multi- is recognized by Elections Canada as a necessarily promising my vote to the
obviously remain too scared to come issue platform, and their first Member major party and which receives the re- Green party. I won’t say I know who
face-to-face with another viable politi- of Parliament representing them in the quired funding and support to deserve I’ll be voting for on Oct. 14, but I will
cal party in televised debate. House of Commons (before Parlia- that major party status. say this: To the NDP, who confirmed
The statement from Some may that Jack Layton said he would not at-
the media group that argue that if tend the debates if May were present;
included CBC/Radio- you open the to the Conservatives, whose leader
Canada, TVA, CTV, Three of the country’s political parties are too door for one Stephen Harper claimed having “a sec-
and Global continued: scared to come face-to-face with another viable extra party, ond Liberal candidate” at the debates is
“In the interest of Ca- you’re open- unfair (the Greens and Grits have col-
nadians, the consortium
political party in televised debate. ing the door laborated on several points for the up-
has determined that it is for them all. coming election); and to the Bloc Qué-
better to broadcast the I disagree. I bécois, whose leader Gilles Duceppe
debates with the four major party lead- ment was dissolved, of course), there will reiterate what I stated last week: apparently considers his party more
ers, rather than not at all.” is absolutely no reason why the Greens The Greens have the funds, a signifi- significant than the Greens: Get off
First, the Bloc Québécois shouldn’t should be banned from the debates cant number of candidates, and sup- your high, partisan horses. In a federal
be considered a major party when the and why three other party leaders port from the Canadian public—sup- election, it’s your duty to present your-
Green Party apparently isn’t allowed to should be so ignorant toward their po- port that has doubled since the 2006 selves and inform the Canadian public
be, either. The Greens are running 306 tential debate participation. election—and most importantly, a in a fair and equal manner. Threaten-
candidates across the country to the The leaders of the Conservatives, seat in the House of Commons, which ing to back away from a televised de-
Bloc’s 68 solely in the province of Que- the NDP, and the Bloc are being out- evidently sets them apart from other, bate, should another party leader show
bec. Second, there are several groups right cowards when it comes to ac- smaller political parties. up, only demonstrates how threatened
to blame here—the television net- knowledging that another party will The Greens are not giving up on the and vulnerable you feel in this elec-
works that no longer have any excuse be running in this race. All three ob- debates just yet. May has announced tion, and that is not something you
whatsoever to exclude May from the viously feel threatened by this other her party will lodge an official com- want to reveal to the Canadian public
debates, especially since the Greens are reputable option for voters, one that is plaint with the Canadian Radio-tele- mere days into the campaign.
now represented in the House of Com- gaining momentum across the coun- vision and Telecommunications Com-
mons; and the three partisan parties try. Instead of rising to the challenge mission, and if need be, follow up with news@thefulcrum.ca
who have stooped to a lower level with and respectably facing off in (hope- a court challenge to ensure her place 613-562-5260
Sept. 11, 2008 NEWS 9
 Arts & Culture 10
Peter Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
arts@thefulcrum.ca
Sept. 11–17, 2008

Popping the top off the

by Peter Henderson
Golden Cherry Awards
Fulcrum Staff

OTTAWA’S ARTISTIC REVOLUTION got an-

other boost from this year’s edition of the Golden
Cherry Awards, Ottawa’s own Oscars for the arts.
More than 200 people attended the four-hour gala
event, which included performances by Canadian
folk artists Kyrie Kristmanson and Oni the Hai-
tian Sensation. The night was a smash hit, and the
diverse crowd at the venue, an old church in the
ByWard Market, was lively and boisterous. It was
the start of a new tradition of recognizing artistic
achievements in Ottawa.
This year’s event marks a break with the way the
Golden Cherry Awards have been run in previous
editions in 2004 and 2005. The voting was pre-
ivously open to all members of the public, but this
year’s winners were selected by an academy of the
artistic elite from Ottawa and the city’s surround-
ing area. Stefan St. Laurent, one of the organizers
of the event, the curator of SAW Gallery, and a
member of the voting academy, explained that this
new system was initiated to help the lesser-known
artists.
“We tried to transform the awards this year by
creating an academy that voted instead of having
the public vote,” he said. “I think it really helped
artists we would never have encountered other-
wise, so underdogs got nominated, and that’s what
we like about these awards—that anybody has a
chance of winning.”
St. Laurent was the driving force behind the
new approach to the awards, which went on hiatus
for the last two years to make time for the rethink
of the process.
“We didn’t have one last year because we wanted
to take time to figure out some new plans for the
Golden Cherries,” he said. “Obviously the com-
munity really wanted a proper awards show to
celebrate people in all the disciplines, so we took
our time and figured out that having an academy
would probably be our best bet.”
The venue for this year’s edition of the Golden
Cherry Awards was St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts
and Humanities, located at the corner of Cumber-
land St. and Murray St. The church held its last
mass in 2007, but continues on as a community
centre. Much of the Catholic iconography remains
Jim Thompson receives the award for Craft Artist of the Year.
Muffler Crunch entertained the crowd with upbeat rock reminiscent of the White Stripes by way of Black Sabbath.
in the church, which led to the bizarre sight of sev-
eral daringly dressed fashionistas drinking beer
under a giant, bleeding statue of Jesus.
This year’s nominees reflected the diverse and
cosmopolitan nature of the Ottawa arts scene.
Nomination categories included Artist of the Year,
Choreographer of the Year, Most Dedicated Vol-
unteer, Most Arts-friendly Institution, and many
others in the fields of theatre, dance, architecture,
and design. Established local arts institutions like
the National Arts Centre (NAC) and Westfest
were nominated alongside newcomers like Festi-
val X and Vision Theatre.
St. Laurent made an effort to have the categories
and nominees reflect the diversity of the arts scene
in Ottawa.
“Each year the awards and the nominees change,
and we really try to keep up with new categories
and things that emerge in the city.”
Holding the event in a former church led to the bizarre
sight of several daringly dressed fashionistas
drinking beer under a giant, bleeding statue of Jesus.
Winners included SAW Gallery for Arts Orga-
nization of the Year, Paul Gessell from the Ottawa
Citizen for Critic of the Year, and the production
of Macbeth by the English Theatre at the NAC for
Production of the Year.
The Golden Cherry Awards intend to recog-
nize the work of local artists in Ottawa but they
have another goal as well. Many think that the
awards are an important step towards national
and international recognition of Ottawa as a
cultural hub, and will help destroy Ottawa’s un-
deserved reputation as a city of boring bureau-
crats. St. Laurent hopes the Golden Cherries can
change public perceptions.
“We have a bad reputation on the national
scene. People think it’s only bureaucrats that live
here, and it’s very much the opposite,” he said.
“Ottawa is so vibrant, and these awards are just
a small representation of what’s going on here.
There’s an incredible boom in the art world in
Ottawa right now, and our next step is to take our
place on the national and international scene.”
Theo Pelmus, the winner of the Performance
Artist of the Year award and a recent immigrant
to Ottawa, agrees that Ottawa’s uptight reputation
does not live up to the reality.
“Once you get involved, you see that the arts
scene is very vibrant. I lived in Toronto, too, so I
can compare it to here. Here you can find really
good artists who are more radical instead of the
more mainstream stuff from Toronto, and that’s
not recognized as much as it deserves to be.”
The arts scene in Ottawa is small and tight-
knit, as opposed to the more sprawling arts
communities in Montreal. This is an advantage
though, because according to local artists there
photos by Ming Wu
is much more cross-pollination between different
mediums and performers. Pelmus says that this is
one of Ottawa’s great strengths compared to the
other cultural centres in Canada.
“Here, the artists feed off each other more eas-
ily, from artistic medium to artistic medium,” he
said. “Once you get in, it’s amazing, you don’t
get bored. Because there’s a community, barriers
can be broken more easily—it’s not so much in-
stitutionalized. Sometimes that can be good, but
sometimes that makes freedom not so welcome.”
St. Laurent agreed, saying that the Golden
Cherries were run this year with an aim toward
enhancing that community spirit.
“We live in a smaller city, so we connect in
much different ways and it’s much easier to meet
new people,” he said. “That’s one of the good
aspects of this awards show. It brings everyone
from all disciplines together, and we don’t always
get the chance to do it.”
The 2008 edition of the Golden Cherry Awards
was a resounding success, and the after-party at
Club SAW brought artists from all parts of the
Ottawa community together for drinking and
dancing amid cutting-edge artwork. St. Laurent
thinks that the Golden Cherries just might be the
thing to galvanize participation in the Ottawa
arts scene, and he thinks the University of Ottawa
students shouldn’t be left out.
“You’ll only get something from your com-
munity if you give something to it. If you don’t
make an effort to open your horizons and see
things you wouldn’t normally seek out, you’re go-
ing to have a boring time in Ottawa. If you feel
like you’re part of a community, anything is pos-
sible.”
 Documentary films

in the
post-9/11 world
image courtesy THINKFilm
by Inari Vaissi Nagy the documentary style. His ideas evolved and
Fulcrum Contributor helped shape the progress of the French cin-
ema vérité movement of the 1950s and 1960s,
DOCUMENTARY FILM IS an often over- a filmmaking style that aimed for immediacy
looked genre that has undergone a renaissance and an unfiltered view into the lives of ordi-
over the last two decades. The genre used to nary people. D.A. Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan
be associated with boring films about French- film Don’t Look Back is a popular example of
Canadian history or cane toads in Oceania, but this direct, simple style. The French style was
it’s now a profitable and political genre that influential in both fiction and non-fiction films,
has impacted numer- and the lessons
ous facets of public and learned through
private life. Documen- the works of di-
taries have become the rectors like Pierre
predominant avenue Sept. 11, 2001 was more than Perrault and
for those who want to an American tragedy—it was Gillo Pontecorvo
promote socially re-
sponsible change in
the start date of a minor were applied to
the style of the
our society, and docu- cinematic revolution. traditional docu-
mentarians have found mentarians.
much to report in the The 1980s saw
wake of the American a huge rise in the
war on terror. popularity of documentaries, with watershed
Sept. 11, 2001 was more than an American films such as Errol Morris’s The Thin Blue Line,
tragedy—it was the start date of a minor cin- a 1988 picture that exposed the wrongful con-
ematic revolution. The aftermath of 9/11 and viction of a Texas man for murder and helped
the Bush administration’s war on terror have to free him. Though documentaries were always
become fertile ground for political filmmakers. an established genre, they were not widely re-
The new emphasis on political cinema, with top- leased in theatres until the 1980s, and the lack
ics including the civilian impact of the war in of home video before then severely curtailed
Iraq, the actions of American politicians, radical their potential viewership. A number of docu-
Islamism, terrorism, and the extreme Christian mentary film festivals were established around
right in the United States, can arguably be said the world, including Paris’s Cinéma du Réel in
to be a product of, and reaction to, September 1978 and Toronto’s Hot Docs festival in 1993.
11th and the American reaction to that tragedy. Despite the new sheen on non-fiction film fare,
To understand the new wave of post-9/11 however, documentaries were probably not the
political films, it is important to know how the first choice for a Friday night rental before the
documentary form got started. The Scotland- turn of the century.
born founder of the National Film Board of
Canada, John Grierson, was instrumental in
establishing documentary film as a viable genre
during the 1920s and 1930s. His vision of using
Documentaries
the relatively new film medium to entertain continued on p. 12
and inform the public marked the beginning of

www.thefulcrum.ca Sept. 11, 2008 ARTS 11


Documentaries
continued
The current obsession with ‘reality’
in entertainment, with supposed re-
alism, candid honesty, and truth, in
all its ugly and shocking and touch-
ing glory, is likely partly responsible
for the recent rise of the documen-
tary. The desire for gritty non-fiction
is perhaps at the heart of the present
popularity of documentaries whose
subjects range from wheelchair rugby
in Murderball to Tupac Shakur in Tu-
pac: Resurrection, as well as historical
drama and dramatization in Show-
time’s The Tudors and HBO’s Rome,
not to mention mockumentaries like
Borat and The Office.
But what about political documen-
taries? Why the appearance of big-
budget documentaries with funding in
the millions and respectable box office
revenues? The American war on terror
seems to have reignited the fires of po-
litical opposition in the entertainment
industry: open dissent and political
activism are once again acceptable and
profitable.
2005’s Why We Fight and 2007’s Taxi
12 ARTS
Documentary and Best Song, and is dency towards personal vendettas and earlier low-budget documentaries—
the fourth highest-grossing documen- conspiracy theories, blatant emotional were funded by major motion-picture
tary film of all time.
Four of the five top-grossing docu-
exploitation, heavy editing occasional
dishonesty, and the use of his own
distributors, including Lionsgate and
the Weinstein brothers. His movies
from p. 11 mentaries fall under the heading of image (that smacks of megalomania), were not released straight to DVD or
political cinema, and three of them are Moore has managed to slap America in small independent cinemas, but as
to the Dark Side are films that examine, the handiwork of one writer/director: in the face with enough force to rouse major theatrical releases.
respectively, the American military- Michael Moore. It takes only a quick both Left and Right to a degree that Whatever his more controversial
industrial complex and the in-custody investigation of the many documen- mere reasoned argument would prob- techniques—and Moore has admitted
beating death of an ably never achieve. on a number of occasions that enter-
Afghan taxi driver. His major re- tainment is as much a goal as truth
They are two of many leases, 2002’s Bowling and persuasion—the Moore factor
non-fiction pictures for Columbine, 2004’s has made documentary film glamor-
that have sprung from
the post-9/11 and
The new lustre of political activism Fahrenheit 9/11 and
2007’s Sicko secured
ous and mainstream. The new lustre
of political activism and non-fiction
post-Iraq invasion and non-fiction films has paved the way budgets between $4- films has paved the way for the success
environment, and
they are both fiercely for the success of films like and $9 million; Fahren-
heit 9/11 is the highest-
of films like of An Inconvenient Truth.
That the second highest-grossing
critical of the way the An Inconvenient Truth. grossing documentary documentary in history is the family
government has ad- release of all time, cash- friendly flick about penguin migra-
dressed these issues ing in at over $222 mil- tion, March of the Penguins, released in
of national security. lion. It is a rambling 2005 and grossing $127 million world-
Other political critique of the Bush ad- wide, serves to further demonstrate
documentaries re- tary responses spawned by Moore’s ministration’s policies both before and that this renaissance can be attributed
leased since 2001 deal with other con- controversial films—Fahrenhype 9/11, after September 11th, but it struck a as much to the value of entertainment
troversial issues: animal rights, labour This Divided State, Manufacturing Dis- chord with the general public. Bowling and sentimentalism as to divisive po-
action, the Israel-Palestine conflict, sent, and the not-so-eloquent Michael for Columbine won the 2003 Oscar for litical insight.
the desperate situations in Darfur, Moore Hates America, to name a few— Best Documentary Feature, and Fahr- In the wake of the largest foreign
Laos, and Tibet, and, of course, global to get a sense of the galvanizing impact enheit 9/11 snagged the Cannes Film attack on American soil, Moore and
warming. Al Gore’s 2006 film An In- of his work. Festival Palme d’Or in 2004. his contemporaries continue to strive
convenient Truth earned over US$49 Ever since 1989’s Roger & Me, Moore Such success is unprecedented in for the goal set out by Grierson almost
million in worldwide ticket sales. It has been a contentious force in docu- the realm of documentary filmmak- nine decades ago: to enlighten—or at
won two Academy Awards, for Best mentary filmmaking. Despite his ten- ing. Moore’s films—as opposed to least, shake up—the public.
www.thefulcrum.ca, it’s a website.
Sept. 11, 2008 www.thefulcrum.ca
 TV’s most popular zip code is back
90210 returns
to prime time
by Hilary Caton
Fulcrum Contributor
FANS OF WATCHING the young,
rich, and privileged deal with real-
life teen drama can get their fix with
the highly anticipated series pre-
miere of the new 90210. This spinoff
of the hugely popular 90s hit, Bever-
ly Hills, 90210, aired its first episode
on Sept. 2 and gave fans of the orig-
inal series two full hours of hook-
ups, breakups, and dust-ups. It fol-
lows the lives of wholesome siblings
Annie and Dixon, jock Ethan, pop-
ular Naomi, and outcasts Silver and
Navid, all of whom attend the same
school as the original series, West
Beverly Hills High.
Buzz has been building around
90210 for many months, with talks of
cameo appearances or recurring roles
for the original cast. Jennie Garth, an
original cast member, plays a more
mature version of her character Kelly
Taylor, and Shannen Doherty—an-
other original cast member—plays a
friend of Kelly’s (though not Doherty’s
character on the original show). There
were rumours that Tori Spelling, who
got her big break on the original show,
13 ARTS
was to have a role as a shopkeeper, but
the talk quickly faded once Doherty
joined the cast. Their personal feud
from the earlier series is legendary,
and Spelling was rumoured to have
demanded the same level of pay for a
supporting role as the other original
cast members would receive for their
larger roles.
Just days before the debut of the
new 90210, producers of the show
announced that they would not al-
low TV critics to screen the two-
hour premiere. This prompted dis-
cussion in the media that the show
would not live up to the massive
hype that’s been built around it, and
that it would pale in comparison to
the original. Despite this speculation
about the quality of the show, 90210
still pulled in 5.14 million viewers
on its Tuesday night premiere. This
was the highest rating in history for
a premiere on CW, the network that image courtesy CW network
broadcasts 90210 and the hit show
Gossip Girl. Producer Gabe Sachs has which was based on a down-to-earth off, the new 90210 has an edgier, who love Gossip Girl and The Hills for
seemingly concocted the perfect mix family adjusting to the glamorous life more modern appeal. Even if view- the remake of the show that started it
for teen drama: a hint of escapism, a of Beverly Hills. The family in both ers haven’t seen a single episode from all? Only time will tell for these new
dash of jealousy, the two D’s—drama editions of 90210 consists of one son the original series, they can still enjoy teens on the block. If the ratings are
and drugs—and, of course, the ir- and daughter, but the twist in the new all the weekly drama that the spin- any indication, this new 90210 is here
resistible allure of the lavishly rich series is that the son, Dixon, is adopt- off has to offer. Those who saw the to stay. Let’s face it—no one can resist
lifestyle of the elite living in Beverly ed. Even the popular hangout from the original series should enjoy the way the gossip and drama of the affluent
Hills. original, The Peach Pit, was revamped the original cast members have been American teenager.
Unfortunately, there is not much and plugged back into the show. woven into the plot.
originality in this new spin-off. It re- Despite the apparent similarities But the question remains: Will Tune in to 90210 Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on
cycles the main plot of the original, between the original and the spin- there be a place in the hearts of fans Global to watch the drama unfold.
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Sept. 11, 2008 www.thefulcrum.ca
 Eloquen
by Sarah Leavitt
Fulcrum Staff
THERE IS A Jerry Seinfeld joke that goes: “According to most studies, people’s
number one fear is public speaking ... Death is number two. This means to the
average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket
than doing the eulogy.” Seinfeld’s joke may seem a tad over-the-top, but pub-
lic speaking haunts a majority of the world’s population. According to a 2007
study on speech anxiety published in Communications Research Reports, the
number is 70 per cent.
Whether it be the president of a company, a math teacher, a consultant, or
a student; each must address a crowd at some point in their career. However,
public speaking skills are also useful outside of business situations, such as
when giving a toast at a wedding or simply addressing your friends.
You might not think about it, but the basics of public speaking, from the
actual speech writing to the delivery, might seem simple, but overcoming a fear
of the audience, mistakes, or yourself on stage, is debilitating for many. Not
everybody is the class clown, the outgoing friend who knows everybody, or the
genius in class answering questions. Fortunately, there are solutions.
Sifting through
historical rhetoric
Daniel Mroz, professor of theatre at the U of O, believes the dawn of public
communication, if not speaking, can be found as far back as the time of the
Neanderthal.
“I think that our creation of meaning and trying to communicate it to an-
other person—that oration or expression can be seen as pre-language human
communication,” he said. “You’ve got sound, you’ve got movement and you’ve
got response.”
It was not until 400 BCE, in ancient Greece, that there was any structured
thinking regarding the art of speaking. An early mention of rhetoric (the art
of speaking and writing effectively) and oratory (the art of public speaking)
can be found in Homer’s Iliad. Well-known protagonists such as Achilles and
Odysseus were praised and honoured in the tale for their uncanny ability for
influential speech-making in front of crowds.
It was in Athens only decades later, that public speaking ability reached its
full significance with the emergence of the new political system of democracy.
Speeches became the medium through which citizens gained political influ-
ence. Philosophers such as Plato and his student Aristotle taught through pub-
lic talks. Most of what we know of them comes from the writings of students
who attended their speeches.
Perhaps modern day politics serve as a more familiar example of the influ-
ence of speech. A political speech can captivate the imagination, start a riot, or
fail to inspire any sort of reaction at all. Certain speeches have shaped history.
Consider Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963: an inspira-
tion that brought the American civil rights movement to its peak. A speaker
with captivating stage presence and eloquent diction can certainly reach celeb-
rity status.
14 FEATURE Sept. 11, 2008
An investigation in
experience of p
Terrorized by words
The grasp of anxiety is suffocating; the sudden closing in of the walls and the rapid
increase of the heartbeat against the chest can be overwhelming. A 2006 study pub-
lished in the Southern Communication Journal notes the physiological symptoms
of speech anxiety as increased heart rate, trembling, sweating palms, and stomach
cramps and pains. These symptoms can be so debilitating that you fail to notice your
surroundings and this can affect the delivery of your words.
According to the study, the majority of students do not have acute anxiety. The
research found that these students can be called “habituators” because they respond
to the physiological and psychological symptoms that arise from the anxiety in a
positive manner and use it to acclimate into the role of public speaker. They manage
their reactions by habituating to them and turning them into useful clues concerning
the situation they find themselves in. This is the healthy response that most students
take.
According to Dr. Diana Koszycki, research director of the Stress and Anxiety Clini-
cal Research Unit at the Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research and professor of
psychiatry at the University of Ottawa, it is true that the majority of students are in
the middle range, fearing only the couple of minutes or hours before a presentation.
However, there are some students whose fear is so overwhelming that it begins to
interfere with their choices and daily activities.
“People who experience very extreme anxiety to the point where it is very painful
for them to give a presentation and they worry days ahead of the presentation or even
decide to not take certain courses in order to avoid presentations, have more of what
we call a phobia,” Koszycki explained. “This is more extreme than having the normal
performance anxiety that everybody might feel before giving a talk.”
For the students who are on the extreme end of the performance-anxiety scale, all
is not lost. There are various effective ways to reduce speech anxiety. Relaxation tech-
niques such as breathing exercises are usually quite helpful with the sudden onset of
panic, as long as they are practised on a regular basis. As with most things, one needs
to practise in order to gain experience and the more speeches one gives, the more
comfortable and at ease they find themselves with doing it.
Koszycki also discussed a valuable type of therapy for those with acute performance
anxiety. Her research focuses on the way those suffering from speech anxiety seem
to constantly put themselves down with negative thoughts, and cognitive therapy can
do just that. This therapy involves sessions with a psychologist who guides the patient
into more positive thinking.
“If you are going into a situation with [negative] thoughts, you are going to feel
anxious,” she said. “So one of the things this therapy does is help you look at your
thinking, looking at how distorted the thinking might be, [looking at] the correct
thinking.”
www.thefulcrum.ca
nt speech
nto the daunting
public speaking
The toast of the night
Many organizations exist around the globe that aid people in overcoming their
speech anxiety. Perhaps the most prominent is Toastmasters International, an or-
ganization that has boasted over four million members since 1924. The organiza-
tion’s mandate, according to their website, (toastmasters.org), is to “help men and
women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking—vital skills that pro-
mote self-actualization, enhance leadership potential, foster human understand-
ing and contribute to the betterment of [human]kind.” Ottawa has more than 20
Toastmasters clubs.
One such group is the Parliament Hill Toastmasters, who meet every Thursday
at the Montgomery Legion at 330 Kent St. Carolyn Tapp, president of the group,
believes that the organization is a great place to practise public speaking for a
variety of people, including students.
“The communication and leadership skills acquired in Toastmasters are direct-
ly transferable to the workplace, volunteer organizations [and] school,” she said.
“For example, Toastmasters develops impromptu speaking skills which are neces-
sary when you are called upon to give presentations on short notice.”
The majority of Toastmasters members joined with one purpose in mind: to
become a public speaker. Encouragement is abundant in a situation where most
members have anxiety related to public speaking. This common fear makes for a
greater level of understanding among members. They are willing and able to help
members and guests who come in for advice. Entering the fold is relatively easy
with mentors helping you along the way. Once you become a member, Toastmas-
ters has a very structured path to follow.
“The first milestone on the [Toastmasters Education program] communica-
tion track is the ‘competent communicator.’ That requires 10 speeches and each
of these speeches focuses on developing a different skill. For example, you might
have a speech that focuses on vocal variety, or gestures, or another one on orga-
nizing your speech,” Tapp explained.
Toastmasters is just one of the ways to hone your skills or gain confidence in
speaking and is one option out of many available to people in the Ottawa area.
The U of O has a Public Speaking Development Club which is associated with
Toastmasters International. All students are welcome.
www.thefulcrum.ca
Point/counterpoint
Once one is accustomed to giving speeches and the sudden moment of nausea has
passed, people often try debating to improve their arguments and diction. Debating
is, essentially, a professional way of having an argument but it is an effective way of
honing one’s public speaking skills and impromptu thinking.
Ranjan Agarwal is currently a lawyer in the litigation group at Bennett Jones
L.L.P. in Toronto. He graduated from the Joint LL.B./M.A. (in International Affairs)
program at the Faculty of Law at the U of O in 2004.
Agarwal was the top individual speaker at the 2002 North American debating
championship and the 2000 national champion. With his friend Sunil Mathaj in
2003, he became the first non-European to win the Cambridge University inter-
varsity debating tournament. While at the U of O, Agarwal was president of the
English Debating Society and the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate
Debate.
Agarwal was not always eloquent with his speech. He struggled through high
school because of his quiet demeanour. It wasn’t until Grade 10 that his father sug-
gested he join the debate team.
“I was a very shy student and my father encouraged me to try debating, as he
thought it would bring out my personality,” Agarwal said. “As it turns out, I really
enjoyed both public speaking and talking about national and international issues.”
Debating helps people learn to express themselves fully and politely. It is not as
free-wheeling as speeches can be because there are rules that have to be followed.
Agarwal has it down to a science.
“In debating (or in any public speaking), I always try to focus on the rule of three.
I always have three arguments, and my arguments are broken down into three parts:
headline, explanation and example,” he explained. “This helps my presentation stay
focused and I keep within the times. I’m generally a fast talker so I can only do so
much, but I always try to take deep breaths and pause between my sentences.”
Wisdom to impart
Speech anxiety is common and is not something to be ashamed of. There are
ways to alleviate stress and other symptoms. The majority of students passing
through university must give a speech or presentation at some point during
their degree and it’s better to go at it with a new sense of confidence. That ex-
pression can be found in every person and our fears of sounding foolish, insin-
cere, or unintelligent can be relieved.
“It’s not a question of taking a shovel and extracting the fear of [a shy person]
and after that they’ll be fine,” Mroz explained. “But if you have somebody who
is gentle and soft-spoken, you have to find the best way for them to commu-
nicate credibly. You don’t want to turn everybody into an aggressive person
who is going to be extremely extroverted and communicate in an extremely
assertive way. It’s more a matter of finding the appropriate expression for each
individual person.”
The Student Academic Success Service offers personal counselling on a wide range
of problems as well as workshops that focus on stress and anxiety. Check out their
website at www.sass.uottawa.ca.
Sept. 11, 2008 FEATURE 15
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You’ll never eat brunch in this town again
How I became a pirate on the digital sea
Peter Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
IT ALL STARTED with a Simpsons reference.
In an Internet discussion about an NFL line-
backer’s knee, someone said that this may be
the first year in which we see a player’s leg
fly off in glorious high definition. This is a
perfect reference to the Simpsons episode
where that exact thing happens, though on
the Simpsons the leg belonged to a placekick-
er. I searched high and low for a clip of said
episode, or even the episode itself, but it was
nowhere to be found. Imagine my chagrin
when I found out there was nowhere on the
Internet for legal, free streaming of old Simp-
sons episodes. If you’re in the United States,
they’re freely available on Fox.com, but here
in Canada we get the proverbial shaft. The
same can be said for episodes of The Office,
30 Rock, or any other quality show that’s not
on the Comedy Network. This raises a hugely
important question, one that will define the
future of broadcasting: Where the hell is the
legal alternative for television-watching on-
line?
A recent article on HotHardware.com
claimed that 20 per cent of all primetime tele-
vision is now watched online. Considering
the lack of legal alternatives available to Ca-
nadians, when you extrapolate that statistic
across the nation it means that a whole lot of
people are turning to illegal online streaming
sites for their television fix. These streaming
websites are hugely popular, yet the corporate
response is to try and shut them down, not
replace them with official and legal versions.
You’d have to wake up pretty early to
pull one over on the Internet nerds who
run these illegal sites, because they stay up
all night. Instead of fighting a losing battle
against these pirates, the major media com-
panies should step in with their own, better
University of Ottawa
14 Outlets | 4 Restaurants | 1 Bar | 2 Food Courts | 1 C-Store | and much more...
www.thefulcrum.ca
Album reviews
alternatives. Pirate websites are full of bro-
ken links, porno pop-ups, and poor-quality
videos—surely the movie and television
studios can do better. And, to their credit,
some of them do—but nowhere outside of
the United States.
If I want to watch a Simpsons episode from
2002, in this digital age I should be able to do
so easily. On-demand television and personal
video recorders allow me to do so in my own
home, so why is the Internet so different? I
realize the challenges of advertising on the
Internet, including but not limited to unreli-
able user statistics and the low price of cur-
rent banner advertising, but surely this isn’t a
problem too big for the army of lawyers and
programmers that are employed by every ma-
jor corporation concerned.
I know I’m not alone when I say I wouldn’t
mind watching commercials or seeing banner
ads if I could watch every show I wanted for
free, anytime. ComedyNetwork.ca has hun-
dreds of episodes of dozens of shows avail-
able on its website, which is easy to use and
predominately ad-supported. It’s easier than
visiting some illegal site where half the links
don’t work, and it’s what the future of televi-
sion will be.
Unfortunately, the Comedy Network’s
model hasn’t been followed by others. NBC
has a website with inconsistent functional-
ity that’s not available in Canada. Fox has a
slightly better website that’s not available in
Canada. You get the idea—what little con-
tent there is to be had isn’t even available
outside the United States. All the English-
speaking countries around the world that
depend on America’s cultural hegemony for
their entertainment are left high and dry.
These restrictions are undoubtedly due to
different advertising and acting contracts
worldwide, but are we to assume the media
conglomerates can dominate the world of
entertainment yet don’t have enough law-
yers to negotiate a contract for Canada or
Britain? I doubt it, and until they do, I’ll
be watching some illegally streamed televi-
sion.
arts@thefulcrum.ca
613-562-5931
Hungry or thirsty?
With over 22 food services locations, in addition to food and cold beverage vending
machines across campus, you are sure to find what you are looking for.
www.foodservices.uOttawa.ca
The Verve
Forth
ELEVEN YEARS OF waiting for the Verve’s
next album and all we get is cool cover art and
disappointment. Forth is overproduced and ge-
neric; every song reminds you vaguely of some-
thing you’ve heard before. Creativity is lacking
throughout the album, even with the lyrics. They
don’t inspire, they baffle: “I was blind, couldn’t
see / We are one incomplete / I was blind, in the
city / Waiting for light wind to be saved”. The in-
struments are played in a workman-like and un-
FemBots
Calling out
ON CALLING OUT, FemBots’ fourth saunter
into banality, any hope of perfection is left cas-
trated and dying in the dark. The instruments on
the album unite to create a leaden, tired sound
and seem like they have sonic rheumatism. The
songs become repetitive and lumber along with
rudimentary beats, and the vocalist has a re-
served voice full of faux-pathos and involuntary
cynicism. The lyrics are dull: In “Good Days”,
the vocalist states “All you Christian soldiers /
You got it wrong / And all you Muslim martyrs
Ghostkeeper
And the Children of the Great Northern Muskeg
CALGARY’S GHOSTKEEPER HAS recorded
a peculiar gem filled with many small, magic
moments: the phantom keyboards in “Lady
of the Sky” segue into a carousing guitar and
drum romp; the lap steel guitar in the middle
of “The Introduction” blasts into a primal
groove; all of “Solid Gold”; when drummer
Sarah Houle chirps “Don’t dance with boys
that like to shake…” in “Afternoon Girl” and
Mardeen
Read Less Minds
READ LESS MINDS is a confident, carefully
crafted rock album. The four young, poised
Cape Bretoners in Mardeen must have stud-
ied notorious hooksters Guided By Voices and
Weezer because their precise melodic pop songs
are textbook alt-pop. The opener, “Kids”, is an
anthemic rock track with heroic vocals, glossed
guitars, titanic bass, and colossal drums. “Keep
On” is similarly mighty, especially in its final cli-
mactic scramble. The outright winner, however,
Sept. 11, 2008
D+
inspired manner. As the album progresses the
listener begins to wonder how such low-quality
songs made the final cut. The only song worth
praise is “Noise Epic.” It’s a nostalgic attempt at
aping those psychedelic tunes your parents lis-
tened to back in the day. Besides that one piece,
not one song is memorable—they just encour-
age sleep. Better to hold on to the glory days of
“Bittersweet Symphony” and let this one go.
—Livia Nassius
F
/ You got it wrong / ‘Cause life is good”. Extrapo-
late that pretentious and pseudo-profound men-
tality over 49 minutes and you’ll be calling out
for a better album. Calling Out is like a shaggy-
haired disaster, wearing an inappropriate blazer
and sandals, quoting lame nihilist catchphrases.
Somehow, FemBots have managed to craft an
experience that is tantamount to spending a
horrid evening with that exact type of douche
bag. Avoid this album.
— Danyal Khoral
B+
guitarist Shane Ghostkeeper’s gritty vocals
take over; and the tongue clacking and acous-
tic folk-guitar noodling in “The Boxes and the
Bottles”. Surrounding the magic moments on
And the Children of the Great Northern Muskeg
is shaky, inspired blues-rock and candid story-
telling—only further proof that Ghostkeeper
deserves your ear.
—Michael Olender
B-
is “Howling”: its pretty, harmonized chorus line
is better than anything I’ve heard from Weezer
frontman Rivers Cuomo in years. But unlike the
best albums by Guided by Voice and Weezer,
Read Less Minds sounds too calculated, some-
times even formulaic. With the decision to craft
a polished, polite record, Mardeen forfeited
the spontaneity and looseness that made those
bands so special.
—Michael Olender
ARTS 17
 Ga
aming evolved Spore gives gamers the power to play god
by Danyal Khoral Cell Stage into something more complex. Add ture stage. Instead of controlling one Space Stage
Fulcrum Contributor a flagella or a spike to make the crea- creature, a player controls a tribe of
It all starts here—the player begins ture faster or more dangerous. Once creatures. This portion is far too sim- The space stage allows the player to
WHEN IT COMES to computer games, as a strain of bacteria that, by chance, the little organism has evolved and ple and quickly becomes repetitive. visit an endess amount of worlds and
it seems Will Wright can do no wrong. happens to land on a habitable planet become big enough it sprouts legs, The gameplay consists of gathering interact with both user-generated
As the founder of the video game com- thanks to a meteor. The gameplay and leaves the water, and walks on land. food and fighting with or befriend- creatures and creatures developed by
pany Maxis, Wright is behind the incred- mechanics of this stage are simple, ad- ing other tribes with larger, more the Spore programmers. Players can
ibly successful Sim series of games from dictive, and rewarding. Users create a Creature Stage elaborate, song and dance routines. destroy or befriend developed civili-
the early years single-celled or- This is entertaining for brief periods, zations or even shape evolving ones.
of SimCity to the ganism that, The creature stage opens as the or- but seems to be more aimed at more With enough cash, users can even al-
massive sensation depending on a ganism begins to walk on land and of a casual gamer who would pick ter or destroy worlds. The player will
that is The Sims. In Spore, the player can go choice, can be a creates a nest. Depending on how this up for minutes at a time. For still need to do some lame missions
In his latest game, from being a single-celled carnivore, her- the creature was created, it will in- someone more serious about video and resource collection but that’s a
Spore, the player teract with its surroundings with the games, willing to devote hours at a
progresses from a
organism living in a drop of bivore, or omni-
vore, eating other attributes the player gave it. This is time, it’s very easy to exhaust the op-
minor quibble given the expansive-
ness of the rest of the gameplay in
single-celled or- water to a galactic god. living things or where the gameplay starts to become portunities for fun. this stage. The space stage is the best
ganism living in a portions of float- annoying and tedious. The user con- reason to play Spore, and there’s nev-
drop of water to a ing leaves. As the trols one creation at a time. The goal Civilization Stage er been a game quite like it.
galactic god, con- character eats, it is to go off into the big world and
quering other civilizations and altering gets bigger and receives DNA points. either kill other species or befriend The civilization stage continues the Spore’s gameplay isn’t consistently
the evolution of other species. Spore is As the player gets more DNA points, a them with song and dance, all for simplistic trend of the earlier stages, engaging, but it’s such an ambitious
divided into five distinct segments that mating call can be performed. After the more evolution points. This simple with the same benefits and draw- undertaking that its shortcomings
give the player almost unlimited free- organism has successfully fornicated task is all the player does, and it be- backs. It deals with cities instead are forgiveable. The idea of creating
dom. How does this free-form approach with another member of its species, comes quite repetitive. As the player of villages and the goal is to gather a game in which the player truly be-
to gaming work on a practical level? the player can evolve its simple design finishes quests, the creature’s brain resources, and fight, religiously con- comes a god is almost hubristic, but
will get bigger, it will make love vert, or buy other cities. Everything Maxis has made a reasonable attempt
Tomorrow’s Professionals with other members of its species in the city is customizable. As the at it. In spite of the boring and re-
and, over generations, the user can player collects more resources, more petitive gameplay at some stages, the
Apply Today! reshape its appearance and charac- money is earned to create units to game still looks and sounds great de-
teristics. manipulate as desired. There is no spite the occasional visual bugs. As a
real challenge here. Eventually, the package, Spore will keep people busy

Apply Online! Tribal Stage

The tribal stage is similar to the crea-

creature’s city earns enough cash to
create a customizable spaceship, and
the gameplay becomes fun again.
for a long time if players are creative
and don’t mind slogging through the
early portions.

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Ontario Medical School Application Service
September 15, 2008: Last day to register for
online applications
October 1, 2008: Application deadline

www.ouac.on.ca/olsas/ OLSAS
Ontario Law School Application Service
November 3, 2008: Application deadline – First year
May 1, 2009: Application deadline – Upper year

TEAS www.ouac.on.ca/teas/
Teacher Education Application Service
November 28, 2008: Application deadline

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Ontario Rehabilitation Sciences Programs
Application Service
(Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy/Physiotherapy,
Speech-Language Pathology)
January 9, 2009: Application deadline

170 Research Lane

Guelph ON N1G 5E2
www.ouac.on.ca image courtesy EA Games

18 ARTS Sept. 11, 2008 www.thefulcrum.ca

 Sports 19
David McClelland
Sports Editor
sports@thefulcrum.ca
Sept. 11–17, 2008

An Olympian in our midst

by Anna Rocoski
Fulcrum Contributor
THE UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa is
lucky enough to call an Olympic
athlete one of its own. Fourth-year
student Rhys Hill competed for
Canada at the 2008 Beijing Games
in the K-4 1000 m kayaking event,
which features four-person kayaks.
Hill’s team finished ninth in the
10-team final.
The Beijing Games were Hill’s first
Olympic experience. To get there, he
had to work his way through bantam,
national, junior and senior interna-
tional kayaking events and is deter-
mined to continue working hard to
push his way to the top of more in-
ternational events, including future
Olympics and the World Cup of ca-
noeing and kayaking. In addition to
training for multiple international
events, Hill is currently studying hu-
man resource management at the U
of O, and hopes to eventually earn a
degree in business.
Fulcrum: What got you into kayak-
ing instead of a mainstream sport
like soccer or hockey?
Hill: I just started when I was about
10 years old. It was a summer camp
and you would go kayaking from
9–12 in the morning and it was just
fun for me to do as a kid. I went with
my sister for the first year and every
weekend there were local regattas,
and we would go to those. I just start-
ed racing there and liked it.
How many hours a week do you
train?
[I train at] 10 paddling sessions a
week. This is when we are on the wa-
ter in the summer in Florida. Each
one of these sessions is about an
hour-and-a-half to two hours and
then we do races and stuff three to
four times a week. It averages out
to be 20 to 25 hours a week in total.
During our short off-season we still
photo by Frank Appleyard
train about the same [amount] just Rhys Hill finished ninth in the K-4 1000 kayaking event at the Beijing Games.
doing other sports such as cross-
country skiing. So we’re moving our legs like crazy competitive kayaker? three months [to train].
and we’re paddling at 120 strokes per
How does competing in the K-4 minute but when you’re in a single, I don’t get to go to school that much What was your most memorable
1000 compare to kayaking solo? you’re just kind of doing your own because paddling comes first right moment at the Beijing Olympics?
thing. now—well it did in the last couple
It’s a different feel. What you’re try-
ing to do is be perfectly synchronized Do you find it difficult to balance
years. I would take a few classes in the
fall and no classes in the winter be-
Hill
with the other four guys in the boat. your university studies with being a cause I would go to Florida for two to continued on p. 22

Men’s rugby splits series with

Will Gee-Gees fans take the bait?
NCAA opponent

photo by Frank Appleyard image courtesy Sports Services

The Gee-Gees battle their way down the field against the Syracuse Hammerheads.
by Mike Gribbon
Fulcrum Contributor
THE UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa men’s rugby
team battled the National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) Division One Syracuse
Hammerheads on Sept. 7. The clubs played two
back-to-back matches, sending out their start-
ing squads (A-side) for one game, and backups
(B-side) for the second at Matt Anthony Field.
Syracuse and Ottawa split the victories.
In the A-side match, the Gees came out
strong and dominated the first half, scoring
early and often to build a 24-5 lead at half-
time. Although they looked to continue that
success in the second half of the game and
further dominate the Hammerheads, the lead
began to diminish as Syracuse changed their
strategy on offence and were noticeably more
refined in their play. Syracuse was able to cap-
italize on a near-complete meltdown by the
Gee-Gees, and multiple penalties led to two
Ottawa players being yellow-carded.
Playing one man down due to penalty trou-
ble, the Gees could do little more than watch
as Syracuse chipped away at the massive lead.
Gee-Gees head coach Stewart Robinson be-
lieved discipline was the primary issue in the
lackluster effort of the second half.
“We lacked attention, and were in cruise
control. We gave up penalties and began to
lose discipline, heart, and communication.
I think the players thought that they had al-
ready won the game,” said Robinson.
Rugby
continued on p. 22
by Hilary Caton
Fulcrum Contributor
THE GEE-GEES REWARDS program is the lat-
est promotional plan to surface from the Univer-
sity of Ottawa’s Sports Services, designed to give
students greater incentive to attend Gee-Gees
home games and other events at the university.
The program is geared toward getting U of
O students excited about athletics, and sup-
porting their classmates and friends in what
they love to do most—play sports. However,
the rewards program is by no means limited to
Gee-Gees games. Sports Services has teamed
up with Community Life Service (CLS) to in-
clude their events like the Art Walk to take
part in the rewards program. The program
has even been taken a step further by working
with the Student Federation of the University
of Ottawa (SFUO) to branch out into to all ar-
eas of student events, encouraging students to
attend multiple events on campus.
But, what is this program exactly? In a nut-
shell, whenever U of O students attend a Gee-
Gees game or a CLS event they can have their
student card scanned, which in turn earns them
points and eligibility to win various prizes, up
to a grand prize worth more than $2,000. Each
game and event rewards students with different
levels of points.
“It is a program designed to reward fans that
have been attending games, and provide incen-
tive for other students to attend as well,” said
Sports Services’ Assistant Director of Commu-
nications and Marketing Julie Tam, who created
the program.
Rewards
continued on p. 20

Rewards
continued from p. 19
Although many students are unaware
of this program until they actually
attend a game, Tam is banking on
word of mouth to make the program
a success.
“Once students hear about it, we’re
hoping to see more of them attend-
ing more games, and expand the
Gee-Gees fan base,” she explained.
Tam was enthusiastic about what
the program may achieve: “More
Gee-Gees pride! We want students to
be proud to be a Gee-Gee, whether
you’re participating in the sport or
cheering them on.”
It’s not a secret that game atten-
dance has been poor in recent years,
but Sports Services hopes the program
will change that and give the U of O’s
athletes a well-deserved fan base.
“Getting more people out to games
enhances the playing environment for
our athletes, so that they feel we value
their contribution to the university and
the effort they put into being a student
as well as an athlete,” said Tam.
While the SFUO has yet to for-
malize their role within the Gee- port at games and events, and pro-
Gees Rewards program, President vide an incentive for more people to
Dean Haldenby said he would like come out and show their support,”
to become more involved with it, said Tam confidently of the pro-
and hoped it would be a success. gram’s motives.
“We’ve been working to try and It remains to be seen whether stu-
get more people out to events, dents will take the bait or not, but the
and I hope that this does work,” results should soon be visible in the
said Haldenby. “Unfortunately we stands at Gee-Gees games.
weren’t able to coordinate with them
on it in time for 101 Week, but we’re For more information about the
looking at getting involved with it new Gee-Gees Rewards program in-
and seeing where [it goes].” cluding a complete list of events at
“We want to increase school spirit which points will be awarded, as well
and thank the fans that have been as to register for the program, visit
coming out and showing their sup- primesgeegees.ca.

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20
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SPORTS
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Sept. 11, 2008 www.thefulcrum.ca
 Sacobie cruises into record books
Offence rips past Lions
for 71-3 victory
by David McClelland
Fulcrum Staff
FIFTH-YEAR QUARTERBACK Josh
Sacobie only needed half the game to
move into first place on the Ontario
University Athletics (OUA) list of
career touchdown passes as the Uni-
versity of Ottawa men’s football team
crushed the York University Lions 71-3
on Sept. 6 at Frank Clair Stadium.
Sacobie, who made way at halftime
for backup quarterback Brad Sinopoli,
entered the game with 64 touchdown
passes, one behind the OUA record
set by Wilfrid Laurier University’s
Bill Kubas between 1990 and 1994. It
didn’t take long for Sacobie to equal
that mark, finding fifth-year receiver
Ivan Birungi for an 80-yard bomb only
58 seconds into the game.
Shortly after a 42-yard rush by
running back Davie Mason gave the
Gee-Gees a 14-0 lead, Sacobie con-
nected with receiver Ezra Millington
to move into sole possession of first
place on the career touchdown pass
photo by Frank Appleyard
list. The Gees would score three more
touchdowns in the half—including
Gee-Gees quarterback Josh Sacobie completed 13 of 16 passes, and threw
Sacobie’s 67th career touchdown
his 67th career touchdown pass—an OUA record.
pass—and two field goals from rookie
kicker Matt Falvo—giving the Gee-
Gees a 48-0 lead at halftime.
“I actually didn’t know about [the
record] until a week ago, when some-
one wrote about it,” said a humble Sa-
cobie following the game. “A record
like that, it’s something you truly have
to enjoy with all the receivers [and of-
fensive linemen] that helped you.”
“I’m not a numbers chaser,
I’m a Vanier Cup chaser.”
Josh Sacobie
Gee-Gees quarterback
With third-year quarterback Si-
nopoli in to complete the game for
Ottawa, the Gee-Gees did not let up.
The Gees scored two more touch-
downs on passes from Sinopoli as
well as a trio of field goals, one by
Falvo and two by fellow rookie Luigi
De Lellis in the fourth quarter.
Sacobie expressed no hard feelings
towards his teammate for replacing
him in the second half.
“I think [Sinopoli] would start on
any team in Canada, he’s a heck of a
player,” he said selflessly, attempting to
put the team before his own records.
“I’m not a numbers chaser, I’m a Vani-
er Cup chaser.”
Gee-Gees head coach Denis Piché
was happy with his team’s perfor-
mance, especially in light of the disap-
pointing 35-31 loss to the University of
Western Ontario Mustangs on Sept. 1.
“We wanted to improve ourselves
as a team [from last week], and we
did that today,” said Piché. “On top of
that, we even got a chance to play all
the young guys.”
Piché was not too surprised by the
large margin of victory.
“We expect to win every week,” he
said. “If we do what we’re supposed to
do, we can do a lot of things. We like
to say ‘We’re going to a track meet’ be-
cause we have lots of athletes here, and
we saw a track meet today.”
Second-year defensive back Marc-
Andre St-Hilaire, who replaced Mil-
lington following a first-quarter injury,
spoke highly of his team’s play.
“We don’t stop playing,” said St-
Hilaire, who received two touchdown
passes from Sinopoli in the second
half, “even if we’re winning by a lot.”
The win evens the Gee-Gees record
at 1-1, while York falls to 0-2. The Gee-
Gees, who are now in a four-way tie for
second place in the OUA, will next play
on Sept. 13, when they visit the McMas-
ter University Marauders in Hamilton.
The game is will be broadcast at 7 p.m.
on the Score.

Male?
Sorry, come again another time
Women-only times
introduced at
U of O fitness facilities
by David McClelland
Fulcrum Staff
ON SEPT. 9, women-only gym time was in-
troduced at the University of Ottawa, with the
Montpetit Fitness Centre closed to men 7–8:30
a.m.
The Tuesday morning women-only session is
one of two such weekly sessions at the Montpetit
facility, with the other occurring every Friday
during the same time slot. Similarly, a wom-
en-only lane-swim time has been set aside on
Wednesday mornings 10–11 a.m.
Colin Timm, assistant director of programs
and services at Sports Services, stressed that the
program was being implemented on a pilot ba-
sis, and that it would be evaluated through user
feedback throughout the year.
“What we really looked at was … how can we
provide easy access into an environment that
normally can be quite intimidating for women?”
said Timm. “Some individuals expressed a desire
to be in an environment where they didn’t feel
like they were being gawked at, or … they didn’t
feel intimidated about moving into a cycle that’s
already existing at the gym.”
Men will be able to work out at the Sports
Complex’s Health and Lifestyle Centre during
the women-only times, added Timm.
Pam Hrick, president of the Student Federa-
tion of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) during
the 2007–08 academic year, was part of a group
of student leaders who lobbied Sports Services to
introduce these times at the gym.
“I’m glad to see that Sports Services is finally
implementing this, and I think it’s something
that a lot of women will be very pleased to hear
about,” said Hrick, who noted that women of var-
ious religious faiths, such as Muslims, as well as
transgendered students would particularly wel-
come the opportunity for their own gym time.
Sarah McKinnon, advocacy officer for the
SFUO’s Women’s Resource Centre, was also en-
thusiastic about the new initiative.
“Unfortunately, we were advocating [for] 10
hours [a week], and it’s only three, but it’s a start
and it’s definitely something that we welcome,”
said McKinnon.
Both McKinnon and Hrick welcomed the new
hours as an important step forward for women
on campus.
“I think women can sometimes feel intimi-
dated and not feel comfortable at the gym, so
it’s definitely a space for them,” said McKin-
non. “It’s a step towards creating more space
on campus where women feel comfortable and
welcomed.”
“Every student at the university pays for [the
gym], and some women or women-identified
people don’t feel comfortable taking advantage
of these services they don’t have a choice but to
pay for,” said Hrick. “So now, with this move,
this is opening up these facilities for which
these students pay to feel comfortable usingg
them.”
—with files from Frank Appleyard

www.thefulcrum.ca Sept. 11, 2008 SPORTS 21

 Rugby Hill
continued from p. 19 continued from p. 19

In the final moment of the game, with
the score 32-29 for Syracuse, it ap-
peared that Ottawa had scored a dra-
matic, game-winning try but the ref-
eree ruled the play had been pushed
out of bounds. The match ended with
the score 32-29 in favour of the Ham-
merheads.
The second match, immediately
following the first, featured the B-
side teams. Veterans Barret Karam
and Ryan Jones led the younger
of the U of O teams onto the field
where they avenged the earlier de-
feat of the A-side with a command-
ing 34-7 win. The Garnet and Grey
stepped up their in front of fans and
A-side teammates and demonstrated
plenty of heart.
“We got off to a good start in the
first half and kept the pressure com-
ing throughout the second half. It was
an improved follow-up to the first
game. We were more disciplined, took
[fewer] penalties and didn’t give them
a chance to capitalize,” said Karam,
who played a strong game highlighted
by solid tackles and lengthy support
runs for the Gees.
The Man of the Match award was
handed out to Jones for scoring a try
and leading the young squad. Further
standouts were DeMeyer Lottering
with aggressive runs and great line-
out catches and Patrick Sinclair with
excellent defensive tackling and two
goal-line tackles.
Gee-Gees captain Chris Seyler
took Man of the Match honours for
his role in the A-side game for scoring
two tries after splitting his brow early
in the contest. An additional player of
note was Mackenzie Conacher, who
demonstrated great defensive deter-
mination with tackles and defensive
steals.
The Gee-Gees next play on Sept. 21,
when they will face the McGill Redmen
at Matt Anthony Field.
Besides the racing, it would be the open-
ing and closing ceremonies. The closing
ceremonies we got to see more, because
during the opening the athletes did not
make an entrance into the stadium un-
til the end. There was something like
90,000 people in the stadium and 4 bil-
lion people watching. They all watched
the Canadian athletes walk in.
How did it feel to represent Canada
with so many people watching?
It was like a dream come true. All
summer it was kind of hard to believe
that I was actually going to get to the
Olympics and then when we got to
walk in to the Opening Ceremonies,
it felt like … the real deal. It was in-
credible walking into there.
Is paddling in Beijing different from
kayaking in Canada?
It was a pretty big shocker when we
first got there, because it was really
hot and there was a fog mixed with
pollution. At [first] it was difficult
but we got used to it pretty quickly.
It was good, though, because by the
time we had to race the fog or pol-
lution all cleared up. The first time I
paddled it was really hard to breathe.
You can usually see to the end of the 2
km runs and you could only see about
400m ahead.
What are the feelings you get when
you go through the motions of a
race?
It all depends how the race is going
so far. If I look around and there is no
one is in sight it can be pretty excit-
ing, especially if we feel we can get to
the finish line at that same pace. If we
find ourselves at the back of the pack
then it’s a different story. We need to
keep ourselves motivated through-
out the whole race, even when we
are completely exhausted and out of
touch with the leaders. Each race is
going to hurt like hell, but how you
did in that race can determine how
much you actually feel it afterwards.
Winning definitely takes some of the
pain away. There’s no greater feeling
than that of putting together a great
race.
If there is one thing you would want
students at the U of O to know about
the Olympics, what would it be?
There are a lot of sports out there
and everyone can find one that
they are good at and if they really
want to excel at it they just have
to keep trying as hard as they can.
They will get good at it and they
could eventually go to the Olym-
pics. It was an incredible experi-
ence for me to race there and worth
every sacrifice I had to make to get
there.

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22 ARTS Sept. 11, 2008 www.thefulcrum.ca

Lighting the lamp

Finally, a step in the right direction

their student card for every home Another argument in favour of re- gram is an initial success, then the Having large crowds at home games
game they attend. The most commit- ward points is the glaring fact that Sports Services staff can’t simply rest requires Sports Services to build a
ted of fans will be awarded prizes when right now, students are not attending on their laurels, hoping that the ini- sporting culture at the university,
they reach a certain number of points, Gee-Gees games, and the rewards sys- tial attendance increases will magi- something we here at the Fulcrum are
as well as entered in grand prize draws tem will hopefully change that. Look- cally continue. No, the secret to mak- more than willing to support. We may
with increasingly valuable rewards. ing at the empty stands at Frank Clair ing Gee-Gees games truly successful, never reach the fierce level of fan dedi-
Students will also receive points for Stadium, or looking at the consistently well-attended events is to continue cation seen at American universities,
attending events held by the Student low attendance numbers in Canadian to actively promote our varsity teams but it certainly doesn’t hurt to try.
Federation of the throughout the year.
University of Ottawa These do not have to sports@thefulcrum.ca
David McClelland
Sports Editor
and Community Life The idea and goals of the Gee-Gees be expensive or elabo- 613-562-5931

FOR WHAT SEEMS like untold ages,

sports editors past and present have
bemoaned the lack of fan support at
Gee-Gees games while wishing that
Sports Services would do more to pro-
mote our athletes. It seemed as though
nothing was ever done—until now.
With the recent announcement
of the Gee-Gees Rewards program,
Sports Services is taking a bold step in
the right direction towards generating
fan support, and moving beyond sim-
ply standing by and letting the clearly
unacceptable status quo of recent years
continue. Gee-Gees Rewards provides
incentive for new fans to attend games,
and does it with a slick logo, website,
and promotional campaign.
The basis of the program is to build
fan support, and reward loyal Gee-
Gees fans who will receive points on
Services.
Some, of course,
Rewards program are rate campaigns. There
should be extensive
might see this as a nowhere near shallow. postering before sig-
bribe, replacing fan nificant regular season
loyalty with a prize games for example,
system designed to entice uninterested Interunivesity Sports box scores, it is instead of just for one-off events like
students. If you ask me though, the evident that the U of O has a problem. the Capital Hoops Classic. Regularly
idea and goals of this program are no- This program could act as a gateway, setting up tables with information and
where near shallow. enticing students out to games, but Gee-Gees merchandise in high traffic
For one thing, this sort of program ultimately hooking them on the thrill areas around campus would be an-
is in no way unique to the Gee-Gees of seeing such high-calibre athlet- other way to increase the visibility of
or even university sports—teams at all ics played at their own university. Of varsity sports. Sports that are already
levels of play run all sorts of promo- course, whether or not this will work popular, like men’s basketball and
tional campaigns to entice fans out to ultimately depends on if the prizes are men’s football, should be promoted
games, from small community teams worth the effort, and if Sports Services even further: conduct presentations
in minor leagues, all the way up to the can successfully get the word out about for first-year classes, let students know
National Hockey League and Major the program. what’s out there, and above all, keep
League Baseball. The Ottawa Senators, It’s important to remember that this them informed.
for example, run a points promotion should only be the first step if Sports In the end, what matters most is get-
in conjunction with MasterCard, and Services truly wants to increase the ting people out to games and support-
while the details may differ, it’s nice to number of fans in the stands at home ing the home side. Greater numbers of
see Sports Services finally catching on. game. If the Gee-Gees Rewards pro- fans make for more spirited crowds.

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www.thefulcrum.ca Sept. 11, 2008 SPORTS 23

 Distractions 24
Sarah Leavitt
Features Editor
features@thefulcrum.ca
Sept. 11–17, 2008

Dear Di If you have a question for Di,

Dear Di,
It’s been a week at this school and
already I miss my boyfriend way too
much. He moved away to Bishop’s
University and he sounds like he’s
having a great time. I don’t want
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There are too many webcam strip
teases on Pornhub that start off with,
“This is for you, Jeremy.” You see, boys
are awful. There’s a chance that if you
two break up, your boyfriend will put
up videos of you teasing as so-called
“revenge”. Now, I think that stripping
and dancing suggestively on camera
is a great way to keep the fire in both
your loins burning and keep the emo-
tional connection strong, but getting
naked on webcams isn’t about love—
it’s about trust. If you’re going to go
through with the webcam connection,
make sure you trust your boyfriend to
keep any files he might save to himself
(you don’t want him showing them
to friends) and judge whether or not
he could be spiteful after a breakup.
If you even have the slightest doubt,
don’t get the cam. But if you do trust
him, go ahead and enjoy. From one
woman to another: Just in case, get
him to get a webcam as well, for your
enjoyment. Coax him into masturbat-
ing on-screen for you and save a file of
him jacking off. That’s great leverage if
he ever turns out to be a blackmailing
jerk. Enjoy!
Love,
Di
e-mail deardi@thefulcrum.ca.
Dear Di,
It feels like I’m pissing razor-
blades and my testicles are swollen!
I got wasted and slept with a lovely
young lady on Wednesday after the
pub crawl, and over the weekend
I’ve been in pain and I think some-
thing is up. E-mail me back ASAP.
—Save My Cock
Dear SMC,
This is easy: Get tested. What do I al-
ways tell you kids? During oral, vaginal,
and anal sex, always wear a condom and
know how to use one correctly (read
the instructions on the box!). With oral
on women, use a dental dam and hold
it firmly in place while exploring. Lis-
ten, it sounds like you’ve got symptoms
of chlamydia. According to Health
Canada, infection rates of the sexually
transmitted infection have been rising
steadily since 1997, suggesting that a lot
of kids are not using condoms, just like
you. It’s known as the ‘silent disease’, as
more than 50 per cent of infected males
and 70 per cent of infected females have
no symptoms and no clue they have
the disease. Transmitted through vagi-
nal, anal, and oral sex, it can scar your
urethra and can make you sterile. (For
women, untreated chlamydia can lead
to pelvic inflammatory disease, and its
effects can scar the fallopian tubes and
cause infertility, among other things.)
All you have to do is take a urine test.
If you test positive, there is an effective
single-dose antibiotic treatment avail-
able. The University of Ottawa’s Health
Services Clinic is located at 100 Marie
Curie Pr. (call 613-564-3950 for an
appointment), and students can visit
the Health Services Resource Centre
in room 203 of the Unicentre to learn
more about STIs.
Love,
Di
Thryllabus
Thursday, Sept. 11
Taxi to the Dark Side. 7 p.m.
ByTowne Cinema. 325 Rideau St.
$7 advance. $10 at the door. All
proceeds go to NOWAR-PAIX
and the Justice for Mohamed
Harket Committee.
Friday, Sept. 12
Magazine issue launch: Gue-
rilla #17. 7 p.m. Enriched Bread
Artists Studios.
951 Gladstone Ave. Free.
Musical evening with stories.
Fundraiser for Walk For Justice.
8 p.m. Umi Café. 610 Somerset St.
Pay what you can.
Saturday, Sept. 13
Ecology Ottawa hosts Un-
plugged BBQ. 2-5 p.m. Central
Park. 19 Clemow Ave. Donations.
Women’s hockey: Ottawa vs. Jr.
Sens Inter. AA. 2:30 p.m.
Sports Complex.
Free.
Hearsay
by Jordan Moffat
Sunday, Sept. 14
Women’s soccer: Ottawa vs.
Ryerson. 3 p.m. Sports Complex.
$4 for students.
Think Things
by Jocelyn Robitaille www.thinkthings.ca
Monday, Sept. 15
Divergence Movie Night
presents The Year of Paper. 7 p.m.
Club SAW. 67 Nicholas St. Free.
Tuesday, Sept 16.
Seminar: U of O faculty of
Medicine discusses stem cell
research. 7:30 p.m. Library and
Archives Canada, Room A. 395
Wellington St. Free. Reserve at
melissa@weizmann.ca.
Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Part-time job fair. 12 p.m.
UCU Terminus. Free.
The World According to Mon-
santo. 4 p.m. Alumni Auditorium.
Free.
sudoku answers on p. 20
 Opinions
Point
The sport of boxing is invincible
THE OPENING SEQUENCE of Martin
Scorcese’s Raging Bull almost makes me cry.
Strings swell while a hooded Robert DeNiro
portrays famed boxer Jake LaMotta, hopping
around in slow motion in preparation for a bout
in the hazy boxing ring. A flashbulb pops, LaM-
otta pummels air, the nimble strings soar higher.
Sure, the film follows the epic rise and fall of
LaMotta due to his taking a fall
in exchange for a quick pay-
day, but the spirit of a tre-
mendous fighter shines
through, even in 2008.
When boxers enter
the stadium there is
an aura of respect. The
fighters meet in the
ring, the referee explains
what’s legal, the compet-
itors touch gloves, and
the fight begins. There
is a certain nobility to
boxing; there is remark-
able strength, footwork,
and personal style and
strategy that require in-
tense practice. Boxing
is not just a glorified
fist fight—there is more
skill and finesse than a
schoolyard brawl. The
intention to inflict seri-
ous injury is there, but
there is also sportsmanship and mutual respect.
The sport is practiced all around the world, and
amateur boxing is an Olympic event.
Now, this writer will admit that professional
boxing bouts are motivated by money—fight-
ers compete for huge sums, promoters charge
to watch, and spectators often bet on the out-
come. Regardless, professional boxing has cre-
ated some of the most memorable sporting
moments and personalities of all time. Mu-
hammad Ali and Mike Tyson became some
of the sporting world’s most electric, quotable
celebrities. Watching their fights on YouTube
is mesmerizing. These men were human weap-
ons. In 1999, Ali was crowned “Sportsman of
the Century” by Sports Illustrated and the BBC.
The argument that boxing is currently in a
freefall can be made. As it relies heavily on name
recognition, this writer suspects that it’s a transi-
tion period for the sport—boxing is looking for
its next star.
Pitting boxing against
mixed martial arts
Sept. 11–17, 2008
The supposed decline of professional box-
ing has made room for the emergence of mixed
martial arts (MMA) and the Ultimate Fighting
Championship (UFC), something more animal-
istic and less interesting. UFC and its brand of
mixed martial arts is brutal and sensational-
istic. The fireworks, the cage, and the bizarre
headlocks and takedowns are reminiscent of
the spectacles of World Wrestling Entertain-
ment, with President Dana White acting
as a more egoistic Vince McMahon.
Consider the event: In a corner, one
man is sitting on another man’s stom-
ach and mechanically punching him in the face,
the sound of the blows echoing throughout the
room. That is not how men fight. Republican
presidential hopeful John McCain was sent a
tape of the first UFC bouts and called it “human
cockfighting”. He was so disturbed that he led a
campaign to completely ban it from the United
States, leading the UFC to reform their rules. In
Canada, MMA events are legal only in Alberta
and Quebec, suggesting repulsion. The cherry
on top is the comically transparent reality-TV
show-like interviews between fights. The UFC
shamelessly uses glitz to cover up the abhor-
rence of the competition.
The UFC will never be a highly respected
sports organization. It will never create vener-
ated champions like boxing has and will. It will
remain a sensation, and nothing more than a
passing fad. No respectable actor would ever
waste his or her time portraying a UFC fighter.
—Michael Olender
25
Michael Olender
Executive Editor
executive@thefulcrum.ca
Counterpoint
Mixed martial arts will sucker-
punch boxing very, very soon
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (MMA) fighting is
the next big thing. MMA tournaments have be-
come big business in the last few years and the
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has
quickly grown into a media empire. MMA fight-
ing is superior to its predecessor—boxing—in
every way, and the surge in popularity MMA is
receiving is proof that it’s far more entertaining.
Boxing is a simple sport, requiring only the
perfection of known techniques in order to ex-
cel. MMA is so much more: a mixture of styles
both ancient and modern, Eastern and Western.
Karate experts square off against judo masters,
American boxers square off against Brazilian jiu-
jitsu practitioners, and the strengths and weak-
nesses of each technique are put on full display.
Because of this mixture of styles, almost anything
can happen in a fight. It can be a high-kicking,
counter-punching melee of epic proportions or it
can be a highly technical ground match, devoted
to the exploration of the chess-like strategies of
wrestling and grappling. An MMA match can
even be a straight-up boxing match, though the
boring and outdated boxing style is particularly
ill suited to ultimate fighting.
The administration of boxing and ultimate
fighting reveals another area in which boxing is
clearly inferior. New boxers, especially those con-
sidered camera-friendly, often have their records
padded with fights against aging, easily beatable
fighters known as “tomato cans”. Not so in ulti-
mate fighting. Brock Lesnar, a huge star in World
Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and a former
NCAA-champion wrestler, entered the UFC with
a pre-packaged audience of millions of viewers.
Had the UFC set him up against a tomato can
or two, he would surely have become one of the
most popular fighters for the franchise. However,
the UFC put Lesnar up against just the kind of
fighter who could beat him: an experienced and
tough former UFC champion, Frank Mir. Lesnar
lost the fight and the UFC gained credibility—the
organization doesn’t care who you are, all it cares
about is your skills. Compare that
to the trash-talking world of profes-
sional boxing, where name recogni-
tion is everything. Mike Tyson still
made millions fighting long after his
prime, but Brock Lesnar has to prove
his worth as an MMA fighter time
and time again.
Boxing’s long history is also over-
shadowed by the influence of orga-
nized crime. Don King, the audacious
manager of some of the greatest names
in boxing from Muhammad Ali to
Evander Holyfield, spent four years
in prison for shooting two men—one
who tried to rob him and another who
owed him money. Richie Melito Jr., a
young fighter from New York, had
his reputation destroyed when it was
revealed that more than a dozen of his
25 fights had been fixed, including one on the un-
dercard of a nationally televised event.
Even Olympic boxing is not free from scandal.
Rudel Obreja, a Romanian Olympic technical
judge and vice-president of the Amateur Inter-
national Boxing Association (AIBA), was em-
broiled in scandal this year after he was accused
of manipulating the selections for Olympic judg-
ing panels. He countered this allegation at a press
conference where he claimed that top-ranking
boxing officials were involved in fight-fixing and
bribery. He has since been suspended from his
position in the AIBA, and his accusations have
been strenuously denied by top officials.
Boxing has been reduced to a shadow of its
former self through criminal influence. MMA is
faster, more diverse, and scandal-free. And re-
ally, if you can’t be sure the outcome isn’t fixed,
why watch the match at all? MMA wins this
round by a knockout.
—Peter Henderson
illustration by Curt Van De Ligt
 HECKLES: We’re not in Kansas anymore
Seriously, everyone,
we were never in
Kansas. Stop it.
by David McClelland
Fulcrum Staff
WHILE ON AN OC Transpo bus
travelling towards Campus station,
those who are aware of their sur-
roundings may be momentarily star-
tled hearing the bus driver announce
the next stop as “Ottawa University”.
There are two possibilities: One, the
bus you are on is the 95 Orleans via
Kansas, or the bus driver is under the
illusion that he or she is, in fact, in
What’s strange, though, is that many
people here in Ottawa, Ontario, in-
cluding students, members of the
public, and even some employees of
the University of Ottawa consistently
say “Ottawa U”, seemingly believ-
ing that they are actually attending
Ottawa University in east-central
Kansas.
Perhaps the constant references I
hear to “Ottawa U” come from the
fact that people are simply confused.
Maybe they really do believe they are
in Kansas. After all, the fertile agri-
cultural land found in the Ottawa
Valley certainly looks like it could be
Kansas, but surely the Gatineau Hills
are a giveaway that we’re in Ontario.
school wrong, would it? I mean, you
don’t hear people talking about “Brit-
ish Columbia University” or “Toronto
U”, do you?
Whatever the reason, I would ad-
vise anyone who is unsure of which
part of North America he or she cur-
rently inhabits to answer “yes” or “no”
to the following questions:
1. Does the city you live in have
just over 1,000,000 inhabitants, not
just over 10,000?
2. Is your university sports team
called the Gee-Gees, not the Braves?
3. Have you ever noticed copious
numbers of francophones on your
university campus?
4. Is the Parliament of Canada
within a 15-minute walk of your
university campus?
If you answered “yes” to one or
more of those questions, then you are
attending the University of Ottawa,
and should correct your pronun-
ciation of the school’s name accord-
ingly. If you didn’t answer “yes” to
any questions, then you actually are
in Kansas attending Ottawa Univer-
sity—and evidently you’re part of a
vastly expanded Fulcrum readership.
Students are invited to send 400 words
on what makes their blood boil to
executive@thefulcrum.ca.

Kansas.
Ottawa University—as everyone
knows—is a small Baptist university
specializing in liberal arts education,
and located in the small town of Ot-
tawa, Kansas (population 12,597).
What’s got your goat? Why did you have
a goat in the first place?
Write for HECKLES.
executive@thefulcrum.ca
Mailing it in on Nov. 5
One would think that Gatineau itself
should clue people in, as neighbour-
ing Missouri has a population with a
French ancestry of just 3.5 per cent.
It wouldn’t make sense that people
are simply getting the name of our Portman a few years ago, and hooray, everybody knows the
rhyme and is ready to start missing the point.
The SFUO, taking their lead from the Canadian Federa-
tion of Students (CFS), is planning to take part in a prov-
ince-wide rally on Nov. 5, coincidentally Guy Fawkes Day
(the day Guy Fawkes was caught in the basement with a
whole bunch of explosives, ending the plot). They’re going

STUDENT SPECIAL
to march to protest high tuition fees. Well, good. Tuition
is expensive and action must be taken, right? So why not
evoke the concept of blowing Parliament the fuck up and
killing everyone inside! It makes no sense and is in bad
taste to suggest you’re going to kill everyone in the Parlia-
ment buildings in a massive, fiery explosion. Why do I have
to explain this?

Join Today! You may say that the SFUO is not doing that, that they
just think it’s a catchy line that they heard in a movie and
thought it would be a cool way to get students to remember
the date of the rally. Well, sorry. That rhyme refers to trai-
tors killing their leaders to get their way, something I quite
ONLY hope is not advocated by the SFUO, the CFS, or anybody

$
319
involved.
I maintain that hyperbole, drum circles, and excessive
dancing are crippling protest as a form of expression. Do
you know what the people in charge think when you vague-
ly suggest you’re going to blow them up, then show up, play
drums, dance a lot, and leave? They think you’re full of shit,
illustration by Martha Pearce and they do what they want anyway. I maintain that 500

+GST Remember, remember the fifth of November, people quietly standing in business suits holding banners
will trump 4,000 hemp-clad, dreadlocked, mud-soaked

and receive Gunpowder, treason

and plot.
twentysomethings dancing wildly to the sound of way too
many djembes.

a FREE
FIT KIT*
*Must be 18 years of age or older with a valid student ID. Platinum and platinum plus clubs excluded.
Membership expires 8 months from date of purchase. Offer ends September 30th, 2008. Other
restrictions may apply, see club for details.
The people in charge are used to protests and they con-
I see no reason the sider them commonplace. They aren’t impressed anymore.
gunpowder, treason They even plan around them as a matter of routine.
Should ever be forgot… So on Nov. 5, if you want the people who run the prov-
ince to hear you, clog their mailroom. Seriously, on Nov.
by Dave Atkinson 5, buy a stamp, and mail them a letter saying tuition is too
Fulcrum Contributor high and that you think they should help you. If every per-
son that marches mails a letter, they will take note of it, be-
THE STUDENT FEDERATION of the University of Ot- cause their secretary will be buried under a massive pile of
tawa (SFUO), more specifically the Campaigns Commit- angry letters. Leaders drive by protests daily; protesters are
tee led by VP University Affairs Seamus Wolfe and Cam- no more remarkable than the lawn to these people. Having
paigns Coordinator Michael Cheevers, have used the first to drag four bags of letters to the recycling bin will be re-
line of this rhyme to rally student support for a provincial membered a lot more than a rhyme from a movie you saw
day of action against high tuition fees. I assume because it that had several sword fights.
sounds cool. The alternative is a bit strange, you see. If you want the people in charge to remember the fifth
That rhyme is about a bunch of guys who wanted to kill of November, make it the day they drove past a big pro-
the political leaders of Britain because they were Protes- test as usual, then got into the office and got no work
tant. Seriously, that is what it’s about—look it up. It refers done because they had to sort through a metric tonne
to Guy Fawkes, a Catholic revolutionary who decided to of letters.
blow up the Houses of Parliament in London in 1605. This
story was used by Alan Moore in his dystopian graphic Send your letters to:
novel V for Vendetta, which was a commentary on Thatch- John Milloy
erism. A nice, fictional story to show the future that Moore Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
saw coming to pass if Britain kept electing people like 900 Bay St., 3rd Flr, Mowat Blk
Margaret Thatcher. They made a movie with a bald Natalie Toronto ON M7A 1L2

26 OPINION Sept. 11, 2008 www.thefulcrum.ca

 27
Frank Appleyard

Editorial Sept. 11–17, 2008

Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca

f
Raging against work-out
machines since 1942.
Volume 69 - Issue 4
Sept. 11–17, 2008
phone: (613) 562-5261
fax: (613) 562-5259
631 King Edward Ave.,
Ottawa, ON K1N6N5
editor@thefulcrum.ca
www.thefulcrum.ca
Recycle this paper or we’ll
blast your quads.
Staff
Frank ‘deltoids’ Appleyard
Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca
Ben ‘biceps’ Myers
Production Manager
production@thefulcrum.ca
Michael ‘triceps’ Olender
Executive Editor
executive@thefulcrum.ca
Martha ‘pectoralis’ Pearce
Art Director
design@thefulcrum.ca
Emma ‘abdominal’ Godmere
News Editor
news@thefulcrum.ca
Peter ‘latissimus’ Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
arts@thefulcrum.ca
David ‘dorsi’ McClelland
Sports Editor
sports@thefulcrum.ca
Sarah ‘flexor’ Leavitt
Features Editor
features@thefulcrum.ca
Danielle ‘rhomboids’ Blab
Laurel ‘quadriceps’ Hogan
Copy Editors
Amanda ‘hamstrings’ Shendruk
Associate News Editor
associatenews@thefulcrum.ca
James ‘gastrocnemius’ Edwards
Webmaster
webmaster@thefulcrum.ca
Jessica ‘soleus’ Sukstorf
Volunteer & Visibility
Coordinator
volunteer@thefulcrum.ca
Deidre ‘gluteus’ Butters
Advertising Representative
ads@thefulcrum.ca
No penises allowed
THE WOMEN-ONLY (emphasis
courtesy of Sports Services) gym and
pool times revealed on the Sports Ser-
vices website on Sept. 5 are a highly
contentious issue around the Fulcrum
offices. So much so that work on the
issue that you’re currently reading
came to a complete halt while the
editors debated both the angle this
editorial should take and the extent to
which it should offer suggestions or
condemn the pilot project outright.
My opinion, not shared by some
members of the editorial board, is that
the women-only fitness time is sexist
to both men and women at worst and
poorly explained (and thought out)
by Sports Services at best. In a reply to
an e-mail I personally sent to Sports
Services, Colin Timm, assistant di-
rector of programs and services, ex-
plained in the vaguest of terms that
the pilot project was meant to better
serve the clients of the U of O, while
evading the explanation that I specifi-
cally requested. He dodged my ques-
tion: What is this really about?
My first guess: There has been a
recent string of sexually inappropri-
ate conduct in the weight rooms. If so,
couldn’t this issue be better addressed
through an awareness campaign à la
the Student Federation of the Univer-
sity of Ottawa (SFUO)-adopted safe
streets initiative Take Back the Night?
That initiative didn’t aim to ban penises
from certain areas of campus after dark
and call it a “pilot project.” Instead, the
illustration by Devin A. Beauregard
issue was addressed intelligently, by
bringing the issue—the right of both Montpetit fitness centre and pool for prevent some women from work- realistic images from both the media
men and women to feel safe on cam- certain periods without consultation ing out or swimming in proximity and our peers that tell us to develop
pus at all times—to public light and from the student body at large—not to men. That’s acceptable, but then our abs, glutes, and biceps rather than
raise awareness of a problem that does just the SFUO—Sports Services has why not label the time as a period in our brains. If you want to work out
not discriminate between genders. The effectively silenced discussion on a se- which the facilities are to be used ex- in an atmosphere that is truly non-
objective is to make the campus safer rious issue and, for lack of a better ex- clusively by Muslim women or others judgmental, go running with a friend
while not demonizing men. planation at this time, labeled all men with similar beliefs regarding gender or buy a set of weights and work out
In the case of the fitness centre, a as potential serial sexually inappropri- separation? Then all people sharing on your own until you have the confi-
safer environment could mean hav- ate perpetrators. That’s a label and a those beliefs can congregate at the dence and strength to lift a 15-pound
ing a better-trained staff. People who stigma that I don’t deserve to carry. same time in an atmosphere that is weight in the presence of others. No
are both aware of the signs of inappro- This issue goes far beyond three hours the most comfortable for them, and matter how you slice it, the source of
priate conduct, gestures, or looks, and of gym time each week. It’s about the there will be no question as to why self-confidence is within.
able to discern it from other gym-ap- fight for true equality—a cause I believe men are not around. In the case of Finally, I must admit that this is
propriate activities, and call protection all well-intentioned and open-minded the gym, such a time should not take perhaps the most fearful I have ever
or speak with the offender if necessary. activists strive for—especially on uni- away from regular gym hours, much been while writing an article. Fearful
Let’s face it, both men and women of- versity campuses, where male students like Sports Services has ensured with of what supporters of this gym and
ten go to the gym to meet people they are becoming a minority. Until Sports the women-only swim program that pool time may say. Will I be labeled as
may be interested in starting a relation- Services publicly and explicitly states is being implemented concurrently. a misogynist, sexist, or a bigot? But I
ship with. Other than the tight pants its reason for this measure, and creates My third guess: Women are self realize both opponents and support-
or gym shorts, Montpetit is no differ- both time and a forum for all students conscious, and this dedicated time ers of this measure have the same
ent from any other gathering place to debate this issue, there is no mandate will help them begin their fitness goals in mind: defy sexist definitions,
on campus in this way. Never mind for this measure and thus no need for regime in a non-judgmental atmo- cast off labels, and create a society
the fact that the first case of same-sex a trial period. Although most men, I sphere. News flash: Men are self- that does not judge a person based on
sexual harassment throws the pilot suspect, don’t mind this measure, it cer- conscious too, and a woman is just their gender. Don’t let this sort of sex-
project’s means of accomplishing its tainly does set a precedent for all sorts as likely to comment on your big butt ism start here.
ill-defined objective out the window. of discrimination. or belly as a man, and it hurts just as —Ben Myers
By banning men from both the My second guess: Religious reasons much. We are all bombarded with un- Production Manager

Ross ‘trapezius’ Prusakowski Contributors

Business Manager
business.manager@thefulcrum.ca Evan ‘risorius’ Abrams
Dave ‘extensor’ Atkinson
Travis ‘scalenus’ Boisvenue
Jess ‘abductor’ Carter
This issue of the Fulcrum was powered by Hilary ‘masseter’ Caton
turbines using steam generated Anna ‘scalenus’ Coutts
by heated debate. Mike ‘mentalis’ Gribbon
Jolene ‘carpi’ Hansell
Ted ‘nasi’ Horton
Danyal ‘popliteus’ Khoral
Carl ‘longus’ Meyer
Jordan ‘oblique’ Moffatt
Livia ‘quadratus’ Nassius
Diana ‘anguli’ Phung
Jocelyn ‘omohyoid’ Robitaille
Anna ‘colli’ Rocoski
Steven ‘brevi’ Ryan
Emilie ‘stapedius’ Sartoretto
Sasha ‘levator’ Speranzini
Nicholas ‘maximus’ Taylor-Vaisey
Inari ‘pronator’ Vaissi Nagy
Ming ‘femoris’ Wu
cover by
Frank Appleyard & Martha Pearce
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