Professional Documents
Culture Documents
March 15th 2012
March 15th 2012
PAGE 14!
appraise for RENT
Curtain Call Productions RENT delivers a fun-filled show despite technical difficulties
natasha Visosky
Love is love. Thats the bottom line here. Although RENT delves into AIDS, drugs, homosexuality, fear, loss, friendship, music, and art, it always brings us back to understanding why love is always the force that pulls us through hardship. RENT, in its essence, has been around for more than 160 years. In 1851, the novel Scnes de la vie de bohme (Scenes of Bohemian Life) by Henry Murger was published, containing real stories about people he knew. In 1896, La bohme by Giacomo Puccini, based on Murgers book, premiered in Italy. One hundred years later, Jonathan Larson wrote a rock opera based on Puccinis opera, and now we have RENT. Due to its lengthy past and modern cult-like following, RENT can be a little bit intimidating as far as expectations go. It was obvious from the chatter before the show and during intermission that much
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Index
7 Arts & Culture 16 Sports & Health 20 Life 20 Opinion 25 Editorial 26 Crossword 27 Classified
women's dAy
from left, roger davis (will mackenzie), and mark cohen (ronald mckenzie-Lefurgey), look on at awe at tom collinss (marc harwood) completed bottle of malt liquour on the set of RENT.
of the audience was familiar with it. They had seen the movie, another production, or perhaps the original Broadway cast production that passed through Toronto not long ago some were even humming the tunes. The female cast was extremely talented. Kimberly Garrett (playing Maureen Johnson), Tanya Jarmai (Mimi Marquez), and Chanelle Ouellet (Joanne Jefferson) all showcased strong and confident voices. Amongst the male cast members, Marc Harwood (Tom Collins) stood out as an actor with a powerful voice. Unfortunately, the rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule seemed to have taken its toll on Will MacKenzies (Roger Davis) vocal cords, but he persevered, like a rock star. While Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey (Mark Cohen) may not have had the pipes some of the other cast members did, he hit all his notes and was one of the most natural actors onstage, and thats something to appreciate. Kudos goes to Brandon Vollick (Angel Dumott Shunard), RENT being his first
28 Community Listings
nEwS
elections canada flip-flop The Harper government has suddenly changed its position on assigning new and wider reaching powers to Elections Canada. Until Mar. 7, the Harper government has been blocking and ignoring these requests for increased powers to investigate last years federal election. A motion was passed in parliament to ensure Elections Canada will be given the powers it needs to investigate this scandal and future issues within the next six months. This action has come to the bemusement of the opposition parties who are enjoying watching the mixed messages leaving the Harper governments office. (National Post)
marIanne PoIntner
guelph fraternity, the guelph delta epsilon club, donned their heels for walk a mile in her shoes, an event raise money and awareness for guelph-welling women in crisis. read the full article online at www.theontarion.com.
much diversity in how women experience the world and that there are many other types of feminism than there appears to be. Both Yee and Walia made it clear that common understanding of feminism is usually limited to academia, and is inaccessible the majority of people. Its basically understanding the everyday struggle of what sexism is, said Alex Holtom, SHACs education and events coordinator. Ive learned over the past while that a lot of people dont call themselves feminist, even though they might embrace what we might think of are feminist struggles and values. Its just that they are embraced, and stressed in different ways. Although the Grad Lounge is a less visible student space, it turned out to be the perfect venue for the event. Holtom didnt choose the Bullring for Womens Day because it is a high traffic area, and the noise level does not lend itself well to performance and a panel discussion. Initially, SHAC wanted to make the event only available to female identified students, but that it is exceptionally hard to find a campus space what will allow that kind of barrier. We also wanted to make it obvious that we are in support of male allies, said Holtom. I wanted to make it clear that we werent pushing people away. Although Womens Day was a day to be celebrated, the presenters made it clear that there is still a long way to go to establish equality, and for the future of Womens Day.
a year of mourning On Mar. 11 at 2:49 p.m., memorial services across Japan began to mourn the loss of those who died one year ago due to the magnitude of the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated the country. The event took the lives of over 19,000 people and caused the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. To this day, efforts have been focused more on clean-up than reconstruction due to political indecisiveness and uncertainty on how to proceed. However, this has not damped dreams for building anew. As Tadateru Konoe, president of the Japan Red Cross Society-said, its not simply building back as it used to be. Its to build back better. (Toronto Star)
A Guelph Transit media release states that the bus loop disturbances are expected to last until the construction is completed.
makes sense, said Julia Forster, a third-year environmental governance and marketing student. Bruno Mancini from the Centre for Students with Disabilities said he had not heard of any particular issues this posed for students with disabilities, but noted that does not necessarily mean there are none. This is just the latest of a series of building projects undertaken to expand the Universitys School of Engineering. It is expected that the number of students and faculty in the department will double in only a few years. This growth is attributed to the creation of new mechanical, biomedical, and computer engineering programs, as well as increased enrollment in existing programs, and expanding research programs. Details about the temporary platform allocations for each route are available at the Guelph Transit website.
marIanne PoIntner
entering the ring In a few weeks time, the rhetorical battles between the Liberal and Conservative parties will be put to an end in the ring. In a charity event meant to raise money for cancer research, Liberal Justin Trudeau and Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau will step into the boxing ring for this years marquee bout of the Fight for the Cure. The event organizers hope to reach $200,000 with this event, placing Trudeaus years of boxing experience against Brazeaus black belt in karate and experience in the Canadian forces. Whatever happens in this match, when the bell rings both fighters plan on giving it their all. (Globe and Mail)
construction on the Thornborough building has forced the university to place barriers on bus platforms in order to protect pedestrians.
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nEwS
i started the facebook event as an effort to spread awareness, not just about Joseph Kony, but about making a difference, even in a small way.
Rebecca Macdonald
However, there is a growing controversy regarding both the effectiveness and motives of the Invisible Childrens Kony2012 movement, especially regarding the timing of this videos release coinciding with the presidential elections in the states. The groups finances are supporting the Ugandan military, which has allegedly committed similar atrocities to Joseph Konys LRA. Kony2012s call for American military action in Uganda may actually restart the conflict that has been slowly settling in the area, causing more lives to be lost by their actions. I think that this isnt about Kony or the Invisible Children, this is about uniting and trying to make a difference, said MacDonald, when asked about the controversy surrounding the organization and the movement. I am just a person trying to do some good. I am not perfect, maybe I bit off more than I
The timing and questionable repercussions of kony2012 has made the video extremely controversial.
could chew, but I believe in having people raise their voices. People have hated on this cause a lot, and made fun of it, they say its a fad and posting the video was just the cool thing to do Sorry, but I dont believe that love is a fad. I dont believe that caring about, and loving others is dumb.
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marIanne PoIntner
weekly Women and Trans Night handlebars a bit, or limiting your of the season on Thursday, Mar. 22, use of drop handlebars. You wont from 4 to 7p.m. tear down a hill as fast, but you At the very least, if you are a might have more fun in the sack. hardcore cyclist who enjoys biking on a regular basis, you might Arielle blogs about science at want to consider raising your www.salamanderhours.com
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nEwS
fares aL-shammary
advocates for democracy marched to city hall, calling for an investigation into the robocalls in the last federal election.
Several speakers commented on the diverse and energetic crowd, and on the importance of organizing for change. On another level, the goal of this is to bring people together, to feel that connection with other people and to feel the positive energies surrounding democracy, said Barrett-Wood. We can come together as citizens to make change, and to voice our demands to government, who are supposed to represent us. Overall, the organizers saw the rally as a success. There was so much energy and passion in the crowd, said Barrett-Wood. People really care about this, and they got to come together and voice that.
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a departure from the previous Integrated Plan, the provincial governments interest in Strategic Mandate Agreements could mean that these goals become more prescriptive. Holding us to whatever we articulate in that mandate agreement, is a strong provincial objective, according to
Maureen Mancuso, provost and vice-president academic, at Januarys Rumour Mill,. An additional Rumour Mill will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Mar. 30 in Peter Clark Hall, to give students and faculty the opportunity to voice concerns regarding the prospective budget and Integrated Plan.
interested in how the bare essen- doubly as critiques of the stantials that we basically use on our dard colour palette as well as the road signs inform us, said Flynn. traditional canvas. One consisting In a sense, what Flynn exhibited of two C-shaped canvases and at Are We There Yet? was an in- the other of some cubic canvases, terest in something that street art Flynn said they werent originalhas always been concerned with, ly intended to comment on the coupled with a restraint from em- street art subject he adopted for ploying any of the stencils, spray the show, but instead turned out paint, stickers and wheat paste to be happy accidents that came that have become typical of the to contribute to the final orientation of the show. broad genre. The imagery has sort of been inIts just playing with that idea grained in our culture so we can of primary colours as signifiers toread it almost immediately, said wards colour, he said. I try to Flynn. experiment with canvas in ways That kind of response is precisely that people would assume is imwhat confrontational street artists possible at first. like Banksy with his culture jamStill, cubic canvases painted ming stencils and Fairey with with blue, red and yellow lines his deliberately ambiguous OBEY ended up resembling roadmaps, sticker campaign call into ques- while the primary colours also tion with their own work. brought international street culProdding at the mental influence ture into the shows perspective. of sign art as well as the gallery Blue isnt popular in North convention of presenting art on America, but it is in Britain and canvases, Flynns show sum- most of Europe for that matter, moned a median ahead sign and Flynn said. placed it on two self-supporting Perhaps the most impressive L-shaped canvases that he con- piece in Flynns collection was a structed for the show. Presenting stop sign that he rigged up electhe sign on the L-shaped canvas- tronically to shift around inside a es resulted in an obstructed image, box on the gallery floor. As the sign would shift around, forcing audiences to ponder at his presentation of a familiar image letters would disappear, forcing that is often taken for granted. the viewer to read different words Flynns median ahead signs and calling into question the power were just one of his experiments of language and the letters that sigin canvas manipulation. Two other nify it. pieces utilizing canvases Flynn When they saw S-T-O they constructed himself operated started saying sto and the sound
marIanne PoIntner
fine arts student darcy flynn channeled the intentions of street art and its expansive canvases with Are We There Yet?, an exhibit displayed at Zavitz gallery from mar. 5-9.
of the o switched from an ah to an oh. And then theyd see the s disappear and it became top and it became this I dunno mystery. Its a little bit of neuro-aesthetic art happening I guess.
candIce naPoLeone
from left, undergraduates Jennifer graham, angel callander, Jocelyn burke, Lucina Pinto, and vanessa tignanelli presented their papers at this years arthattack! symposium.
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a conversation on collaboration
The Guelph Cultural Arts festival seeks to bridge the gap between university and community
duncan day-myron
On Mar. 10 the city of Guelph inaugurated a new festival, the Guelph Cultural Arts Festival (GCAF). It had a variety of events, both interactive and performative, meant to help highlight the many ways in which arts and culture is important to the Guelph city and campus communities. The festival day began with a series of workshops held around downtown Guelph at Ed Video, 10 Carden and city hall focusing on writing and theatre. The afternoon events included a series of performances, which all took place at the central branch of the Guelph Public Library. It started with a series of spoken word poems which led into a theatrical performance from University of Guelph students. This performance was part of a fourth year class instructed by Jerrard Smith. The class runs annually and usually culminates in an on-campus performance of the work that the class had spent the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festisemester working on. This year, val (GCDF), was another one of the however, Smith ran the course a roundtable speakers. Morriss work little differently. with the dance festival involves her It was a different approach from reaching out to the student compast experience because usually we munity for volunteers, both for the work in the theatre here, said Smith. festival itself and for day camps Wed been discussing, meaning fac- the run during March break and in ulty and different departments, just mid-July. talking about the whole idea of enIn the past there hadnt really gaging with the community [] I been active recruitment of volunwanted to get the students engaged teers from campus, said Morris. in the Guelph community anyway, We are moving in that direction. We [because] to a large extent theyre have an on campus noon hour series not. with the CSA and we have a table set This topic the interaction be- up to try and recruit volunteers and tween the student community and get people interested in the festival. the city community was the topic The GCDF is also looking to inof a roundtable discussion that fol- crease their involvement during lowed the theatrical performances, Orientation week, to help initiate which Smith was a part of. new students both to the festival but When asked about this topic, also to local culture in general. Smith elaborated on his experiences. Morris also spoke on the topic I do see smaller instances of col- from her experience as a student laboration cooperation and working and member of the local dance together between students and the community, rather than simply as city itself, he said. Theres just as a representative of the GCDF. much of a problem the other way. This is a two way street kind Its difficult getting the Guelph com- of idea, to bring the students and munity to come out and take part in university community out of the campus activities, whether its a the- campus but also bringing the comatre performance or sports. munity to the campus, Morris said. Lindsay Morris, a fourth year There isnt a huge presence of cominternational development student munity volunteer organizations or and the volunteer coordinator for the festivals coming right to the source,
aLLIson rostIc
artistic and cultural groups around guelph came together during a roundtable discussing during the gcaf.
which is campus. While the roundtable discussion was informative and sparked some lively discussion with those there, it wasnt without its problems, which Morris highlighted. Starting with these roundtables is great, but the people who come to these roundtables anyway are not the ones we need to be discussing it with, she said. [The question is] how do we access the less involved, the less willing, the less volunteer or community oriented students in these discussions and try and make it better. Involving students in the discussion is an important step, and one which Morris also points out was not present at the GCAF roundtable. It was a bit of a disappointment that there was no active involvement from students in the roundtable. I was the only one and that was by chance. They contacted the dance festival asking for someone to come and I happened to be the one to come. If it wasnt for me, there would have been zero student input on that roundtable, Morris said. It was strange that there was no direct intent to include students in the discussion formally. While the discussion was informative, the topics the GCAF sought to address are not things which can be easily resolved. The events and discussions will be ongoing, and perhaps future events will bring out more student involvement and both the city and university communities will benefit.
album review:
John K. Samson, Provincial 3.5/5
nick mcFarLand
John K. Samson is by no means a newcomer to the Canadian music scene and his debut solo album, Provincial, doesnt stray too far into unfamiliar territory. From his humble beginnings playing bass in punk legends Propagandhi in the early 90s, Samson has made a name for himself as being a gifted songwriter with a masterful taste for storytelling and impressive pop sensibilities. Most notable in putting a new spin on old favourites for those whove hung around a while. All of the old tricks are still present while Samson stretches his feet a bit, testing different waters as he flows between uptempo rock n roll, like the driving Longitudinal Centre, and delicate folk tunes. The most notable pieces are the instrumental variations throughout the songs, like the building horns that accompany Samson in the albums introduction Highway 1 East, the haunting violin in Grace General, and the pleasant, comforting piano duet Taps Reversed. The albums strongest points are the stories within each song, There were many memorable numbers. Tango Maureen was especially well done. The dancers were great, and the chemistry between Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey and Chanelle Ouellet was comical and fun to watch. The charismatic Kimberly Garrett did an excellent job with Over the Moon. It was funny and showcased her voice very well. Seasons of Love, many peoples favorite tune from the show, didnt disappoint. The harmonies were exactly on pitch (not true for some of the other songs), and with the cast standing in a simple line there was nothing to detract from the beautiful melodies. It should also be noted that sniffling could be heard from the audience during the reprise of Ill Cover You, sung by Marc Harwood at Angels funeral. One song that wasnt as good as expected was La Vie Bohme it needed more energy! combining vivid lyrics with love for his home province of wonderfully interesting char- Manitoba, and lack of hesitation acters that are relatable through to introduce quirks and an unusumutual feeling, if not shared ex- ally personal feeling. perience. Laced throughout each While Provincial may not be tale is a lasting feeling of sadness, anything new or groundbreaking, but with a glimmer of faint hope its comforting and easily lovable. and an odd sense of humour, even All the familiar traits of his work in the most crushing moments. I are present, providing catchy, remember how you made me feel, upbeat choruses amid intelligent I was funny, I was thoughtful, I lyrics one second, and completewas rare, croons Samson on The ly halting the pace for beautifully Last And. He laments academic composed folk the next. It is evfrustrations in When I Write My erything one could expect from Masters Thesis while calling for John K. Samsons solo debut, and the induction of Reggie Leach into plays the perfect soundtrack for the hockey hall of fame in www. life, offering an audible hug and ipetitions.com/petition/riverton- escape from your troubles, if only rifle/, displaying his unfaltering for a little while. For a show like this one that carries a message not only about the fight against AIDS but more basically about love, it is important for the audience to feel like theyve taken something away from it. The most stereotypical quote you hear about RENT is the no day but today and I really think that is one of the most important messages you can get from it, said Kaplan. Just really appreciate everything you have and people around you and people you love and to take every moment and live it to its fullest and enjoy it, because you never know when it could be your last. The message I always got from this is that its about friendship, and love is love, it doesnt matter what colour you are, what gender you are, what sexuality you are its all about loving one another, added Jarmai. An emotional show indeed, and a challenging one. Curtain Call Productions did an excellent job, and the rawness of RENTs production may have actually added to the rock and roll, bohemiangrunge feeling of the story. Next years production seems far away, but it is anxiously anticipated by fans.
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his work with punk-tinged indie band, The Weakerthans. Provincial is a combination of reinvented songs previously released on a series of EPs and fresh material, bringing those who are new to his work up to speed, while be, nothing too complicated. Good use was made of the vertical space: there were multiple platforms and a larger space up front to accommodate the ensemble. While this show was good enough to see twice, it must be said that the sound of the production was a problem. A reoccurring problem from previous years, the mics kept cutting out. It was distracting and lines were often lost to the oblivion, something that was often enough to snap the audience out of the story. Also, some new arrangement needs to be conceived for the band, as it was difficult to hear over them in the first few rows, and farther back, the drums were still too loud. This is important because RENT is a full rock opera, so singing is pretty constant and so is the music. However, the production is commendable for keeping everything in sync, and taking virtually no breaks.
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large-scale production. Cast in the role of a drag queen, he wore more makeup than all the other guys, danced in heels, and shared several on-stage kisses with his male love interest, Tom Collins (played by Marc Harwood). Its easy to see how his confidence may have been shaky, but with experience he will undoubtedly become more confident in himself, which is what the role of Angel needed. Jacob Citron (Benjamin Coffin III) succeeded at playing the antagonist without being too unlikeable, and demonstrated his chops as a singer. The ensemble was also very talented in their choral singing as well as their many solos. We wanted to use a large ensemble and lots of people and give them lots of opportunities, said Kyra Kaplan, executive producer. The set was just what it needed to
hoLLy gIannoccarro
tom collins (marc harwood) leads the ensemble in a song and dance number on the stage of RENT.
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[Topanga] were the spicy meat in a tasty indie-rock sandwich between Boys who Say no, and local act Bill Killionaire.
Their song writing is also inspired by Mabu, Babcocks rickety car that has survived several misadventures, including being driven into a lake and braving questionable roads in the Northwest Territories. The car is currently being held together with a ballpoint pen. The band has only been together for about a year, but has gained rapid success thanks to the support of Hollerado, who asked them to tour and signed them to their label, Royal Mountain Records. Oceans was produced by
marIanne PoIntner
visiting from toronto, the folk-rock band, the strumbellas, drew a crowd as part of the csa noon concert hour series.
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katIe maZ
katIe maZ
a second gaIn music festival was held mar. 8 at van goghs ear. The festival featured performances from arkham awaits (left), medicine hat (above), wakeless, your neck of the woods, The sweet mack, Patrick mccauley, The humanzees, The decay, among millions, The baxters, andrew coombes, tyson and his gameboy, Thunderhawks, and solid oak tree.
PHOTO CONTEST!
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movies ever
orite sports
tom (arts)
You really dont have to be a football fan to enjoy this sports movie. The movie achieves depth for its documentation of the life of the individual athletes and the
obstacles they must overcome both on and off the field to make it to the state championship game. The depiction of player-to-player and player-to-coach relationships is another one of the successes of the movie. Not to mention the amazing soundtrack, written almost entirely by Explosions in the Sky. There are many scenes in the movie that could hold their own as music videos, said Tom Beedham, arts and culture editor at The Ontarion.
Air Bud
Starring a young dog and a talented stray boy who... I mean a young boy and a talented stray dog who is amazing at basketball.
marianne (Photos)
Lords of dogtown
This 2005 remake spotlighting the controversial sport of skateboarding is the ultimate sports movie. Following the sport through its rocky emergence in the early seventies, this movie addresses the heated topic of the legitimacy of professional skateboarding that was given much criticism because of its connection to Venice, Californias infamous community known as Dogtown. The catch is that this movie remake was written by Stacy Peralta, previously a professional skateboarder raised in none other than Venice during the early seventies. He chose to cameo as a TV director, leaving his own character to be played by John Robinson. What really drives Lords of Dogtown home as the ultimate sports movie is the quality soundtrack, on par with the hits among skateboards in Dogtown at the time. Some widely loved and really recognizable tracks like Jimi Hendrixs Fire and Voodoo Child, the Allman Brothers cover of One Way Out, David Bowies
Ali
Sports generally dont interest me, and consequentially, I dont watch many sports movies. The 2001 Muhammad Ali biopic earns its place as my number one sports movie mainly because it focuses on someone I consider to be the most engaging sports figure of all time. I am also a sucker for films about individual sports because they are generally less predictable and clich-ridden than those about teams (I said generally I realize we have Rocky to blame for the ugly sports montages that find their way onto our screens) and because they allow an opportunity to experience more character development. Although some might argue Alis creation might have been unnecessary (a.k.a. Cassius Clay and When We Were Kings had previously documented the boxers refusal to serve in the Vietnam war and the Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight championship fight against George Foreman, respectively), Ali offers a highly watchable relation of the boxers life that combines observations provided in previous films, also presenting a survey of the various social and political milieus the boxer experienced throughout his lifetime.
duncan (eIc)
The Sandlot (1993)
The Sandlot might be more of a coming-of-age movie than a sports movie, but the story of the kids growing up and learning all kinds of crazy lessons is inseparable from baseball. Its through baseball that they learn all those wonderful, Hollywood lessons about friendship and responsibility. At its core, its about a new kid who comes to town and makes friends with some other kids who do nothing but play baseball. Seriously, like eight hours a day minimum and somehow only one of them is any good. This little champ loses a ball signed by the Great Bambino and hijinks involving a giant dog (with giant, pendulous dog testicles) running amok through quaint 1950s Americatown ensue. Comedy gold. In my life, I have probably used more quotes and references to the Sandlot than anything else. I will love this movie forever. For. Ev. Er.
beth (news)
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit is a classic underdog story of a little horse that wins the biggest match race of the century against the undefeated racehorse at the time, War Admiral. The movie takes place during the Depression, and also traces the lives of people who help Seabiscuit rise to the top. Its important to remember that there are two types of Seabiscuit fans: people who like the film, and people who ride horses. For those non-horsey types, this movie is still a great film to get some inspiration. the movie follows Jimmy Dodge Connelly, and the Duluth Bulldogs in their attempts to establish themselves as a professional football team. They recruit Carter, a Princeton graduate and selfproclaimed war hero, in order to bring funding to the team. Despite the focus on football, the real sport of the movie seems to be winning the affections of Chicago Tribune reporter, Lexie Littleton. Dont know the rules of football? Dont worry, neither do the main characters in the film. The establishment of a professional league brought something that Dodge didnt expect: standardized rules. Leatherheads is full of humour, and is a great sports movie for non-sports fans.
Suffragette City, Neil Youngs Old Man, Creams cover of Strange Brew, and the list just goes on. Between the crazy tricks, dramatic relationship struggles among the rising star athletes, and the totally romanticized (yet entertaining) cultural outlook on an era, Lords of Dogtown has all bases covered.
cal (associate)
Rollerball (1975)
Jo-na-than! Jo-na-than! Jo-nathan! The crowd chants their adoration, and the corporate suits who sit atop the collectivist society of the future feel a growing unease. Theyve designed this sport to show the futility of individualism no individual can be allowed to become a hero. Soon the word comes from on high that Jonathan E (James Caan), master of the sport of rollerball, must retire. When even an insane supercomputer, a staple of 1970s science fiction movies, cant help, the soft-spoken Jonathan fights back the only way he knows how: rollerskating in circles and killing people. People also shoot some trees with a gun. That scenes just kinda thrown in there.
Cinderella Man
Although the films title is a dead giveaway to the fate of heavyweight boxing champion James Braddocks career as well as fairly reliant on the convention of the three-act dramatic structure, Cinderella Man depicts an honest mans ability to come out on top amidst the Great Depression. A boxers boxer, Braddock lives by the Queensberry rules both inside and out of the rink, and its great to see him come out on top.
Leatherheads
Leatherheads is a comedy about the beginnings of the National Football League. Set in the 1920s,
Fou r sup erh ero es and vil lai ns we d lov e to see in liv e-a cti on mo vie s
To m B e e d h a m
Wonder Woman
With an arsenal of Batman and Superman films, and a flick about Green Lantern that might see some sequels, its only a matter of time before we get a movie about the warrior princess of the Amazons. Lets just hope the character gets drawn up with a little more taste than the failed 2011 pilot for NBC. Class has been envisioned as the first film in a new trilogy, with Matthew Vaughn and Bryan Singer confirmed to return to direct and produce the first sequel), it can focus its energies on the alternate future timeline that comes to collide with that of the X-Men weve already seen on the big screen. With that alternate future, Bishop is a harbinger of some substantial struggle, which the X-Men living in the regular timeline arguably could have foregone, so an appearance from the character could make for some great inner conflict amongst Xaviers team.
Fem al es in or ju st su
SaSha odeSSe
Madame Web
One of the few (and only?) elderly female characters in the Marvel universe to maintain some kind of power, Madame Web is a telepathic, clairvoyant, and precognitive mutant. The grandmother of the fourth Spider-Woman, Charlotte Witter, Web is one of the most enigmatic and interesting characters in the SpiderMan comic book series. Considering that shes paralyzed and blind, she might not make for the best character to cast in a title role, but it might be cool to see her play a supporting role confusing Spider-Man with some cryptic messages about the future.
Black Mask
A former businessman that loathed Bruce Wayne and his father, after he was forced to give up his company to Wayne Enterprises, Roman Sionis adopted his new identity as the crime lord Black Mask and assembled dozens of criminals into what he referred to as the False Face Society. Even forced by his parents to become friends with Bruce as a child, Sioniss history with Wayne would make for undeniable plot fodder in a future Batman film.
Bishop
Maybe when Fox is done pumping money out of the success of X-Men: First Class (First
Female portrayal in comics has alwa hotly debated topic. With the Avengers m out there seems to be one question in part around: what is the purpose of Scarlett Johan ter Black Widow, if not just eye candy? The bigger issue here though seems to b objectification and violence against female acters. Whether its Batwoman being shot or the boob windows on female superhe costumes, it seems that women just cant male gaze. Kelsi Morris a fourth year University o student suggests that the problem may stem of female writers and artists in the comic co Ive heard it said that the worst enemy of w ics is bad writing, said Allanah Vokes, a second comic fan. Wonder Woman is a good example Vokes explained that Wonder Women is on female characters who exist on Women in Ref website created by Gail Simone, one of Wond writers. [Women in Refrigerators] is pretty much women in comics who have been treated poorly mindboggling how many female characters have thing terrible happen to them, said Vokes. No male characters dont have that, but they ten back a lot faster. While few improvements have been m der Woman, Vokes favourite character, Bat been making progress. Batwoman is the only character that is both really well written. She was originally just a love of Batman back in the 60s and 70s, and then w rebooted they completely changed her character a lesbian and she has an awesome back story. Vokes attributes this to the current writer of J.H Williams III, whose illustrations are actuall proportioned theres no exaggeration of T&A.
themes I strive to have out, proud, happy, queer characters who are the main stars in my books. If queer comics are your bag, or something you want to find out more about, this years Toronto Comic Arts Festival is going to have a strong focus on queer comics and queer comic book creators. Check out torontocomics.com for more info.
The com
dunca
Old as the decades awa book favour comics are e the concept b tlingly little in themes, chara evolve, they a the same thin ers, heroes an so reliably sim which comic superhero com peoples radar For starter larity of film Despite the f comic book f (with the not Woman) we look forward ing Avengers actor portray we have a reb Spider-Man
be the explicit comic chart in the spine, ero and villain t escape the
of Guelph ms from a lack ommunity. women in comd year U of G of that. ne of the many frigerators, a der Womans
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To m B e e d h a m
While patently indicative of faculties that are beyond our grasp, superpowers are often presented to us as exhibited by characters that we are intended to imagine could exist in the same world as our own. As a consequence, superpowers have to make sense. We need to be able to relate superpowers back to the scientific conditions of our own world in order to entertain the characters that exhibit them.
Spider-Mans webbing
Inspired by Spider-Mans ability to traverse Manhattan blocks at a time, in a heavily math-laden academic journal titled How Does Spider-Man Move So Fast, Ben Tippett analyzed the elasticity of SpiderMans webbing fiber in 2010. Tippetts findings showed that if Spider-Mans webbing maintained a constant length throughout the duration of a swing, his average horizontal velocity would not be enough to justify his decision to forego taking a cab or the subway. He ascertains that Spider-Man clearly uses the elastic properties of his webbing to achieve a higher average velocity. From this information, he is able to project that Spider-Mans web filaments must immediately constrict upon tethering to a surface, and that in order to do so, the webbing must start out as some variation of a stretched spring. Furthermore, this must require some rapid chemical reaction to occur upon emerging from Spidermans web shooters (or wrists, depending on what school you follow).
a n d a y- m yr o n
ey are were only a couple ay from most of our comic rites turning 100 superhero enduringly popular. At its core, behind them has changed starn the past 70-odd years. While acters and styles all change and are still the same size and about ng: action, mystery, super pownd villains. Despite that they are milar, there are a few ways in books specifically mainstream mic books are getting back on rs. rs, there is the ongoing popuadaptations of comic books. fact that almost every major franchise has been produced table exception of Wonder still have so much more to to. In addition to the upcomfilm (which features the third ying the Hulk in a decade), boot of both Superman and to look forward to the second
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chris muLLer
marc Legace
The gryphons track and field team placed second at the canadian national championships in winnepeg over the weekend #gryphpride
Moulton also thanks Guelph university level, the Gryphons, coming weeks and will also send like their facilities, will be under- athletes to the North and Central Athletics support staff for orgoing a transition in the coming American championships in Mex- ganizing the logistics of the trip, year. Moulton and the rest of the ico later this year. allowing for the team to focus on coaching staff will look to a strong With the abundance of nation- what it does best competing. recruiting class to help add depth ally elite athletes and Olympic You always want to strive for hopefuls in the Gryphon pro- the best, said Moulton. With next to the Gryphon roster. However, the bittersweet finish gram, the team should have little years championships in Alberin Winnipeg will not be the end of difficulty rebounding from the ta, Guelph will strive to claim the some athletes seasons. The Gry- second place finish in the national crown that was narrowly lost this phons will send athletes to the championships. year. You can guarantee the teams world university cross country It was a great experience for our 364 day countdown until then is championships in Poland in the team, said Moulton. already well underway.
gryphons in history
sasha odesse
Published in The Ontarion on October 12, 1976. University of Guelph student and horsemans society club member, Dianne Quarrier shows off her first place ribbon at the societys first ever horse show at the U of G. The show was a great success overall and brought in competitors from the surrounding Guelph area, as well as Oakville and Mount Forest. With a wide range of events including Western and English games, pleasure horse classes and jumping there was sure to be something for everyone, and certainly plenty of action for spectators.
ontarIon archIves
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unsaintly behaviour
nfL commissioner Roger Goodell will be looking to make an example of the new Orleans Saints, who offered cash incentives to players for injuring their opposition
jeFF sehL
By now, even the most casual sports fan has heard of the most recent NFL scandal. It has been alleged that former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams and as many as 27 defensive players ran a bounty system between 2009 and 2011, offering cash rewards to defensive players for making big plays. Such cash bribes led to the injuring of high profile players from opposing teams including the likes of Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and Aaron Rodgers. The amount of money players received was determined by the severity of the injury caused. Players would purportedly receive $1000 when an opposing player had to be carted off of the field, and $1500 if the injured player was unable to return to the game. As well, apparently the prices rose with the importance of the game. While receiving cash incentives for making important plays, like causing a turnover or sacking a quarterback definitely isnt new to the NFL, this is the first time a team has ever been caught offering players money to cause physical harm to their opponents at this scale. Does that mean this is the first time a bounty system has ever been put in place in an NFL locker room? Probably not. Is this the last time that a bounty system will be used in the NFL? I dont think so. At this point in the leagues history, violent behaviour like this is likely engrained too deeply into the sport to fully eradicate it, but dont be surprised if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell makes an example of Williams and the Saints. Since being appointed commissioner, Goodell has placed a much greater emphasis on player safety, striving to reduce violence in the NFL by imposing heavy fines and suspensions for hits deemed exceedingly violent. After putting such an emphasis on player safety in recent years, you can expect that he will penalize the Saints as severely as possible. It has been speculated that the Saints will be punished through loss of draft picks, fines, and suspensions; a hefty price considering it is almost a guarantee that the Saints are not the first team to ever use a bounty system, and they wont be the last. In my opinion, however, its important to send a message to the rest of the league, and I think using an extremely popular team like the Saints as an example is what is necessary to do so. Using a high profile team like the Saints sends the message that everyone will be held accountable for their actions. Obviously football is intrinsically a violent sport just because
marIanne PoIntner
of the nature of the game and that shouldnt change. But there is no room for exaggerated violence such as this in any team sport, especially during the concussion epidemic that contact sports like
football and hockey are presently dealing with. Players put their bodies at risk day in and day out for their teams, but at no point should that risk be increased by a reckless player looking to earn a quick buck.
emma wILson
have a ridiculously fun time, said Guerra. A particularly interesting aspect of ultimate Frisbee club is what Guerra calls the spirit of the game. Since the sport has no referees, spirit of the game is implemented, a system built on sportsmanship. The players are trusted to have impartial judgment and are expected to make fair calls for both teams, so it is ensured that the game is fair and fun. I really think spirit of the game is something ingrained in the sport, states Guerra. We practice hard, we play hard and we want to win but we do it with as much integrity as possible, she adds. Its empowering to know that youre winning games because you are a better player and not because you got away with a cheap shot behind the referees back. As for the future of the club and its sport, Guerra believes Ultimate Frisbee is exploding.
Since 2008 weve had a substantial increase in the number of people coming out for tryouts, said Guerra, who also mentioned that the number of students trying out for the team has almost doubled since then. Along with this explosion, Guerra has a goal in mind for the club to achieve. We are continuing to try and become a varsity recognized sport, said Guerra, trying to follow other university ultimate Frisbee teams, like Queens or Ottawa. We have been in discussion with our athletic department but as it stands now well remain a club team [for the next couple of years], said Guerra. This does not seem to affect the club too badly however, as ultimately the team is perfectly content with the returning warm weather and are counting down the days until they can compete for nationals again.
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sina woerthLe
marIanne PoIntner
levels and proper immune function. Some other foods worth the switch to organic include bell peppers, nectarines, lettuce, blueberries and others which do not have a thick, natural barrier against the harsh chemicals used to keep them healthy and looking beautiful. Now that youve familiarized yourself with some examples of the dirty dozen, check out the choices of produce on which you can save a few bucks by buying conventional. The clean fifteen are those that according to the Environmental Working Group, contain little to no hints of pesticides and are safe to consume in the conventional form. These foods are unlikely to cause harm to the consumer, often due to the thick layer of natural protection that reduces the penetration of sprays. This includes fruits such as watermelon, pineapples, corn, cantaloupes and cabbages, to name a few. Through these foods, you can still get all the great health benefits without needing to worry about pesticides. Environmentally speaking, of course, there is still a significant benefit of choosing these when they are organically grown.
Although organic foods may be slightly more costly, E. Ann Clark, emeritus associate professor of plant agriculture at the University of Guelph, has some great tips for students still wanting to purchase organic foods other than those listed in the dirty dozen. As far as the budget goes, buying in bulk, buying in season, canning and freezing and making from scratch, can essentially override the higher cost of most, if not all, organic foodstuffs, explains Clark. At its heart, [organic agriculture] is designing systems to address problems at source the actual cause, rather than what most of what we do in agriculture today, which is fixing symptoms, without addressing the actual cause. Resolving issues at the source may be the solution to many environmental problems the world is facing today and the same goes for health issues. The environmental, as well as health benefits of making the switch to certain organic foods can outweigh the costs, and little conscious changes in diet will result in overall better health and a more enjoyable life.
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emma wILson
solution together (i.e. earplugs, nose strips, sleeping position, etc.) said Harding. She knows from experience that when someone is snoring right next to you, it can cause you to lay awake all night and be very tired in the morning. So be honest, respectful and willing to work with them to find a solution! Snoring, caused by the vibration of the respiratory structures during breathing, is usually made worse by sickness causing obstruction of the nasal passageway. As well, relaxants like alcohol and drugs can also relax the muscles of the throat, causing snoring. There are a number of different methods available to alleviate snoring, from nasal strips to surgical procedures, but snoring can also be indicative of a more serious disorder called sleep apnea, usually afflicting overweight individuals (but not always!). Remember, dont be afraid to visit the health services or talk to your health provider if your snoring is concerning you or others.
gryPhon athLetIcs
This years canadian national championship rugby team your guelph gryphons were recently invited to the national Invitational university 7s rugby championships where they demonstrated their dominance and prowess on the field. The team outscored their opponents 205-0 and went undefeated throughout the tournament, giving them their second national championship title. The tournament was held in Langford, british columbia with players caitlin beaton, britt benn, bethany chekay, daria keane, Jane kirby, morganne Linthwaite, katie mcnally, Jacey murphy, brittany Priddle and sharon rafferty, making the trip out west to compete. while there were only five teams in the event this year, coach mcauley hopes that the other canadian universities will see the benefit that this event provides for both the development of the 7s game in canada and for individual player development, reports gryphons.ca. each of the 10 team members brought their own individual talents to the tournament, helping the team to secure the title once again.
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LIfe
Photoshop tip: tilt shift
marianne Pointner
This fad effect is much more simple than it appears, and does not require the most recent version of Photoshop. The only real challenge when creating a tilt shift image, is picking an image where the effect will have an impact. I find that landscape images work especially well when they include people or objects and are taken from an elevated point of view. Begin with your chosen image, it can be of a landscape or portrait orientation, as long as it is well focused. Capture motion images will not translate well. From the menu bar select: Filter Blur Lens Blur. Play with the adjustments to tweak the amount of blur in the image. When you are happy with the image, click OK then press: apple key D/ control D to deselect.
The final step is to make some basic adjustments to the Curves (Image Adjustments Curves) and Saturation (Image Adjustments Hue/Saturation) of your image. For curves, I suggest creating an S shape in the RGB channel:
marIanne PoIntner
authentic inner voice. Kerouac himself set down 30 essentials to spontaneous writing in something he called Belief and Technique for Modern Prose. Journal writing can also benefit ones organizational and selfmanagement skills in a way that goes beyond the simple practice of keeping an up-to-date planner can. Self-reflection allows authors to put themselves in a self-critical mind-set, and the
practice of writing things down can allow one to document their aptitude at task-management and completion. Others have abstained from diary-type writing because they believe that it hones a skill that their career paths do not call for. But at the same time, professionaltypes like doctors, nurses, social workers, teachers, and others working in compassionate services have been encouraged to pursue reflective writing for its assumed ability to benefit ones empathy. According to this teaching, through the practice of writing and telling stories, one can become more attuned to picking up, registering, and responding to the stories of patients and colleagues. If youre having trouble leaving your journal at home, why not seek out a notebook size that is more convenient to travel with? Vincent van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Oscar Wilde all kept travelling journals on their person most of the time. You might as well pick a travel-friendly medium as well: at the same time as it is beneficial to immerse oneself in the practice of self-reflection, it is always important for a healthy mind to experience the world, and surround itself with voices that are not its own. After all, youre going to want something to write about, and most of us saw how Kevin Spacey ended up in Se7en.
Enter quickmask mode by pressing the Q key. At this point you need to add a gradient mask over your image by using the gradient tool, the shortcut for this is G. To use the gradient tool, simply draw a vertical line over a portion of your image (my line was about a third of the images height). The gradient mask will appear on your image once you have finished drawing your line.
For saturation, drag the icon towards the positive end, increasing the color according to your liking.
Next, press the Q key again to release quickmask mode. At this point you will notice a marching ants selection around the areas outside of the gradient area you previously selected.
LifE
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a perfect pavlova
aBigeL Lemak
Pavlova is a wonderfully lightweight dessert consisting of a meringue base which is generally topped with fresh cream and fruits. This is the only desert I can consistently make well. And it seems to please dinner guests. The ingredient list for this recipe is relatively short, it has a quick prep time and provides a wonderful combination of crunchy, sour, sweet and creamy. This dish is sure to impress anyone with a passion for fruit desserts. step unless confident you have whisked enough (approximately 3-5 minutes). 5 large eggs 3. Scoop onto baking sheet lined 1 C fine sugar 1-2 cups of chopped fruit and/or with wax paper and spike the berries meringue. This is the fun part, but whipped cream dont play with it too much or the meringue will lose its oomph. DeInstructions: pending on how many layers you want to make your pavlova, di1. Preheat oven to 300F vide the meringue up accordingly. 2. Whisk egg whites in a large About an inch and a half in height bowl until they form stiff peaks and will allow for it to cook evenly. slowly add sugar. Test by tentative4. Bake for one hour, checking in ly flipping the bowl upside down. If periodically. Check to see if its done the mixture stays put, youre good with a toothpick. If theres goo on to go. Note: do not proceed to this the end of the toothpick, its not Ingredients:
fahara f
ready. Pavlova should be dry and crisp, depending on what you like. On days where Im more impatient, I allow for the pavlova to be a bit more chewy. Note: on rainy days it may be harder to achieve crispy perfection, as the humidity in the air is too high. 5.Place the meringue base on your platter of choice, and throw it all together. Layering the pavlova with cream and berries until it looks ready to eat! (Cut the pavlova as you would a cake.) Enjoy after a heavy meal on a hot day. Perfection.
is there something that youre just dying for your partner to try? A nonthreatening suggestion could be made once youve turned up the heat.
Keep in mind, if you bring up something a little out of your typical repertoire like bringing in other partners or engaging in rough sex play, youre going to need a hands off conversation before you actually go through with it. Just because your partner seems into the idea of your friend joining you two in bed doesnt mean you have permission to invite them home with you. Find out where your partner stands on the issue outside of the heat of the moment if you want to experiment. The post-game replay: While it might not look the same for all couples, the time spent together after sex can be a chance to debrief and regroup. This is also the perfect time for you to encourage what you really enjoyed your partner doing, and what you might be interested in trying another time. If you going to offer them some constructive criticism try to frame it between two good things so it doesnt feel like an attack or a complaint, but rather some kind of collaborative effort to improve your sexual experiences.
courtesy
Take the hole punch and make thread the stem through the spout two holes on opposite sides of the of the jug, so the roots are inside jug. Thread a piece of string through the container. Holding the jug upboth holes and secure with a knot. side down, carefully fill it with soil. Choosing your tomato: You may find its easier to water it There are dozens of varieties of as you go so the soil stays close totomatoes, all with different shapes, gether. Hang it on the corner of your colours, flavours and sizes. For this porch that gets the most sun, and craft however, its best to use a wait for the plant to do its work. dwarf variety such as Patio, Tumbler, Sweet Million or early fruit producers such as Early Girl. Since you are growing your plants upside down, you dont want your plants to get too big. There are also a lot of online tips for pruning and tomato care. When you buy your tomato, its best to buy a smaller plant in a cell pack (a pack of four). This is because it will be smaller, and less likely to get damaged as you make your craft. When you have the tomato,
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LifE
a selection of sandwiches
duncan day-myron
Regardless of race, religion or ethnicity, all of us are connected through our love of sandwiches. Its the human condition. Perhaps the most perfect food invention of all time, the sandwich is infinitely adaptable and can accommodate any meal or diet. But some of my favourite sandwich fillings you wont be finding at Quiznos any time soon, but theyre still pretty damn fantastic. Worth trying The first is liverwurst or liver sausage. A paste made primarily of liver pig is the most common, but also chicken, veal and beef are sometimes used. While meats in tubes arent always so visually appetizing, the contents here differ only slightly from most partythrown-by-mom-and-dad pts, just without the jelly on top. Spread it on a cracker and see. Or, better still, some untoasted bread with a lot of salt, cucumber and salad cream. (Salad cream cannot be replaced with mayonnaise. It could be an article in itself, but instead just trust me and buy some.) Another fine, if uncommon, sandwich ingredient is tongue. Tongue
weekly dog
mark busse
has waned a great deal in popularity since the war ration days (when it came in tins and lasted forever). Tongue nowadays is best bought pre-cooked and deli sliced. The only place Ive seen it in Guelph is from the Hungarian folks who sell various meats at the Farmers Market, and theirs might be the best Ive ever had. Third, and perhaps the most uniformly reviled and misunderstood, is headcheese. Kind of a misnomer, headcheese contains no cheese at all. It does include plenty of head
though. The head and face meat (and face meat especially the cheeks is a delicacy) are cooked and removed from the skull in pieces (oh yeah) and then put into a mold which is then filled with aspic, a jelly usually made by boiling bones and cartilage (mmm). It is then unmolded, sliced and consumed. Its not for everyone, and if the texture of aspic turns you off then pass on the headcheese, but if youre into new things and can handle a bit of jelly on your sandwich, then go for it. It is far tastier than its name might imply.
heather mIedema
oPInIon
gadget review: nintendo 3ds
Bakz awan
Just recently, I was given the chance to experiment with a Nintendo 3DS. Despite Nintendos ability to bring back priceless childhood memories of gaming with its previous devices (primarily due to its lacking hardware components) I found the 3DS to be a poorly executed product. Game Boy advanced, its plastic felt cheap and did not feel comfortable or grip too well in my hands. Also, this plastic, combined with an already lightweight device, did not allow the 3DS to establish its presence in my hands as I was holding it. Put quite simply, it was an uninspiring product design. Besides the material of the product itself, the experience of the 3D hardware feature was half-baked. While you will notice that the graphics are indeed 3D, the screen is too small to allow you to fully appreciate it. Not to mention, you have to keep the screen at a certain angle and distance from your eyes, otherwise it becomes blurry. It was annoying to have to pause the game every time I would move my hand at the slightest or readjust the angle of my body. This also takes away from the social experience of the device; I found that I had to turn 3D mode off in order to share what was going on in the game to friends crowding around the device. Finally, as the biggest set-back, similar to a movie being turned into 3D to generate a quick buck, I felt the 3D experience for the gaming device to be an unoriginal feature and really the only thing separating the 3DS from its DS
Three simple steps to a successful fashion shoot, courtesy of syd: open your mouth, look disinterested, and rent a wind machine. The first two are optional.
i felt the 3d experience for the gaming device to be an unoriginal feature and really the only thing separating the 3dS from its dS predecessor
The hardware components of the Nintendo 3DS did not excite me. Unlike the firmer materials of the Game Boy Colour and
predecessor which I dont think stePhen Van erVe is worth it. As a final note, the stylus This coming Saturday will be a day hardware component felt too of great celebration. Many people primitive. At times, it was an- will be partying with their friends noying to have to pull out the and having a good time, as peostylus when I am so used to using ple dress in green and share in the my fingers to interact with most Irish enthusiasm of St. Patricks devices. A stylus made me think Day. So, what made this Patrick less of Nintendos ability to keep fellow so great to be remembered up with changes in the consumer by so many people now, 1500 years electronics landscape. after his death? Patrick was not a There were, however, some as- great king, politician, or war hero. pects that I enjoyed. First off, the He was a Catholic missionary. game play experience was exPatrick began his life in England traordinary. Mario Kart 7 was just growing up in a Roman Chrisas much fun as ever and likewise tian household. At a young age with many of the other games he was captured from his home I had a chance to play on the and taken into slavery in Ireland. device. The charging dock was While in Ireland, he experienced superior; I liked just placing the many of the brutalities of slavery, 3DS inside of the dock and not but more importantly he came to having to plug a USB cable into love those who held him captive a device for once. and the Celtic people as a whole. All and all, the Nintendo 3DS Upon escaping, Patrick sought out featured a poorly crafted product religious training in France and design, a lacking 3D experience, was eventually ordained a priest. and should not have included a Through a dream, he felt a calling stylus. This ruined the user ex- back to Ireland to evangelize the perience for me and did not allow people there and Patrick returned me to enjoy the product. While to the land which once held him the game play was just as fun as captive and began preaching the ever, I did not see the point in Gospel to the men and women of purchasing the device as com- Ireland. It was during this time pared to its predecessor. The 3DS that many of the events that St. was a poorly executed product Patrick is remembered for ocand did not provide me with a curred and his great fame was run for my money. established.
OPiniOn
niamh waLL
When my roommates and I first decided to go away together for reading week, we never expected the experience to leave such a lasting impression. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that seeks to eliminate substandard housing. The University of Guelph chapter runs reading week trips every year to the United States and South America. After waiting hours in line to sign up for a spot on a trip, our hopes of going to Louisiana were quickly forgotten as we frantically scrambled to sign up for a trip all three of us could go on together and we approached the Jacksonville, Fla. trip table and signed up. Though it was never our first choice, we really couldnt have asked for a better trip. Limited funding has usually been the factor stopping me from going away for reading week. That and, as an environmentalist,
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OPiniOn
monotonously recorded daily activActing as a connoisseur of judgeities, events, opinions, song lyrics, ment, gossip and social labelling, photos and meaningless likes. The Facebook gradually started to magic of running into someone and lose its once blinding appeal. The catching up, because you genuinely bigger picture of Facebook was had no idea what they had been up being ignored, as most people to, turned into an extinct possibil- indulged in meaningless gossip ity. This is because you were most which Facebook so easily facillikely already well informed on ev- itated on a communal platform. erything right up to how they spent As somewhat of a public journal their spring break, and what com- for everyone to pronounce upon, prised of their lunch that day all Facebook began its transformathanks to the unfailingly resource- tion into a page which condoned ful news feed. It leaves nothing to ridiculous and uncalled for asthe imagination. The world went sumptions. Comments, likes, from flat, to round, to almost profile pictures, tagged photos dimension-less. and photo albums became indicators of whether person A was living a more fulfilling and exciting life versus person B. It all snowballed into one huge, out-ofcontrol, ugly popularity contest. None of it made any logical sense, as it occurred to me personally, that time could certainly be put to better use. Facebook-ing became a prerequisite to normal everyday activity. A session before starting daily tasks, a commitment to be logged into during daily tasks, and a ritual to be followed subsequent to daily tasks. It creepily began its journey to take over daily life, and re-define your existence, as a user of Facebook from a being on this earth. Facebooks momentum robbed the mystery out of lifes experiences, and created a relentless need to constantly showcase every social gathering, outfit of the day, and the idiosyncrasies of living. So, I finally reached a climax after coming across two thought-provoking articles published by Time magazine: Is Facebook Overrated? and What Facebook Users Share: Lower Grades, by Anita Hamilton. As mentioned in the second article, according to a new study by doctoral candidate Aryn Karpinski of Ohio State University and her co-author Adam Duberstein of Ohio Dominican University, college students who use the social network have significantly lower grade-point averages (GPAs) than those who do not. I couldnt help but acknowledge how Facebook had revolutionized our personal, social and professional lives. Used efficiently as a networking tool, Facebook can be greatly enriching, but for those in the general population who succumb to its flaws, it is better avoided than misused. Overall, the cons unquestionably outweighed the pros, and so it was a decision well pronounced. Now, living Facebook free, life has that thrilling spark again, while my human instincts seem to have returned to me- I blissfully live in a reality dictated by the universe, rather than an awkward combination of a HTML based virtual time warp.
my post-facebook world
why i quit the infamous social network and rejoined reality
shwetha chandrasekhar
In a nutshell, Facebook can be defined as a social network of 250 million self-loving exhibitionists. Now, its not wrong to revel as an exhibitionist, as long as youre aware of your audience. Although, after a four-year-long, time consuming relationship with Facebook, and religious usage, I found myself at a crossroads with a choice of matter how trivial with the world whether to continue as a hostage wide web. of one of the most game-changing Yet, I cannot deny the beauty companies out there, or jump off the of its basic concept. Mr. Zuckerbandwagon of the social networking berg definitely hit a pot of gold. The frenzy. I went with the latter. It was alchemy of Facebook lies in its abila trade-off I was willing to make. ity to re-connect long-lost friends, Ironically, if you do not identify relatives, make and break relationyourself as a Facebook user you may ships and friendships and act as a be labelled as a social outcast, and platform of exposure, both negafind yourself as a minute percent- tive and positive. However, it has that prospect of age of the existing population. Its that look of confusion that washes taking the spontaneity out of life. over someones face when they fi- Thats exclusively why I decided nally absorb the fact that youre not to part ways with the notoriously constantly logged on and sharing well known social media tool. Faceyour every thought and activity no book started feeling like a matrix of
edItorIaL
making kony famous
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On Mar. 5, a 30-minute video from them for service in their army. Kony 2012, Invisible Children re- camp, others are more skeptia group called Invisible Children The message of Kony 2012 and plied to some of the claims made cal of what an increased military surfaced on the web denounc- Invisible Children seems well in- against their video. According to presence in those countries would ing the at large status of Joseph tended, but almost as quickly as a critiques page on their web- actually result in, saying that inKony, the leader of a Ugandan the video gained popularity, it site, Invisible Children aims at tervention would almost certainly rebel group called the Lords Re- saw onslaughts of criticism from making Joseph Kony a household bring the deaths of child soldiers. sistance Army (LRA). It points a advocacy groups, activists, jour- name in order to gain support for For an organization that supfinger at Joseph Konys war crimes nalists, historians and Ugandans a request to the United States gov- posedly names itself after children and encourages viewers to spread themselves. ernment for the deployment of that are made invisible by a vilits word with the purpose of makAccording to the Associated U.S. advisers and the provision lainous figure, it is curious that ing him a household name. Press, critics have complained that of intelligence and other support Invisible Children is in favour of an Since its first day on the In- the video glosses over a compli- that can help locate and bring Kony intervention strategy that would ternet, the video has gone viral. cated history that made it possible to justice. The ultimate aim is to likely result in the ultimate erasure With many having passed it onto for Kony to rise to the notoriety have Kony arrested, tried by the of many of those same children. friends and associates through that he has today. International Criminal Court, and While many have caught onto The video makes it known that prosecuted for his war crimes. social media platforms like Twitand followed the critical reception ter and Facebook, as of Mar. 14, Kony and the LRA began its atTheir motivations are ques- of Invisible Childrens video, Kony Kony 2012 has received over 78 tacks in Uganda in the 1980s in an tionable, as Obama deployed 100 2012 is still being passed around million hits. attempt to overthrow the govern- military advsors to Uganda, the without question, and an event Others are simply directing peo- ment, but it skips over the fact that Central African Republic, the in support of Invisible Children is ple to kony2012.com, which urges this resistance was against Ugan- Democratic Republic of Congo, and scheduled in Guelph in April. visitors to sign the pledge to help das army, whose human rights South Sudan in 2011. Those miliPublishing out of a university us bring Kony to justice in 2012. record has been deemed just as tary efforts have been combined campus with plenty of resources Pledging is meant to indicate that brutal as Konys own by critics. with a propaganda campaign to that can offer further insights into the visitor acknowledges that JoPushed out of Uganda in 2006, convince Konys remaining fol- complicated issues like those that are involved with arresting Kony, seph Kony is one of the worlds Kony has since terrorized villag- lowers to jump ship. worst war criminals and [they] es in the Democratic Republic of Some have criticized Invisible The Ontarion encourages all of its support the international effort to Congo, the Central African Repub- Children for accepting pledges readers to take all sensational reparrest him, disarm the LRA and lic, and South Sudan, but it has from supporters because of the resentations of issues especially bring the child soldiers home. diminished significantly in size presence America already has in those that the balance of human Kony and the LRA are notori- something that can be traced back the countries that Kony is said to life depend on with a grain of ous for taking young women into to the fact that Kony is in hiding operate out of. With past attempts salt, to check sources, and develop sexual slavery and forcing children as a wanted criminal. at intervention having resulted in their own critical opinions. to commit heinous acts, abducting Following critical responses to violent outbursts from the Kony
board of directors President Curtis Van Laecke Treasurer Lisa Kellenberger Chairperson Marshal McLernon Secretary Andrew Goloida directors
Antik dey david Evans Lisa McLean
contributors
RS TO UR LETTE SEND YO FOR AT 4 P.M. ONDAYS LINE IS M EKS ISSUE DEAD THAT WE MAX 300 WORD
fares Al-shammary Shwetha Chandrasekhar Andrea Connell Arielle duhaime-Ross Stephen fournier Holly Giannoccarro Mark Gottheil Alicja Grzadkowska Kevin Kilarski Andrea Lamarre Marc Legace Michael Long nick Mcfarland Heather Miedema
Chris Muller Candice napoleone Shireen noble Seamus Ogden nick Revington Allison Rostic Jeff Sehl Jordan Sloggett Stephen van Erve natasha Visosky niamh wall Andrew whitfield Emma wilson Sina woerthle
The Ontarion is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of directors. Since the Ontarion undertakes the publishing of student work, the opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Ontarion Board of directors. The Ontarion reserves the right to edit or refuse all material deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for publication as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Material of any form appearing in this newspaper is copyrighted 2011 and cannot be reprinted without the approval of the Editor-inChief. The Ontarion retains the right of first publication on all material. in the event that an advertiser is not satisfied with an advertisement in the newspaper, they must notify the Ontarion within four working days of publication. The Ontarion will not be held responsible for advertising mistakes beyond the cost of advertisement. The Ontarion is printed by the Guelph Mercury.
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w w w. t h e on ta r ion . c om
crossword
Last week's Solution
Quote in a box
Created by Kate Murphy The letters in each column will go into the boxes immediately below but
not necessarily in the given order. A black box indicates the end of a word. The quote is read across the page.
submit your completed quote by no later than Monday, March 19th at 4Pm for a chance to win two free bob's dogs!
Congratulations to this week's crossword winner: John mcLean. Stop by the Ontarion office to pick up your prize!
sudoku
2 3 5 4 6 8 7 9 1 7 4 6 5 1 9 8 2 3 1 9 8 7 2 3 6 4 5 4 5 2 3 7 1 9 6 8 8 6 3 9 5 2 4 1 7 9 1 7 6 8 4 5 3 2 5 7 9 2 3 6 1 8 4 3 8 4 1 9 5 2 7 6 6 2 1 8 4 7 3 5 9
frank sPum
comIc
difficulty level: 15
65 Gordon Street
cLassIfIeds
for saLe 2011 Toyota Yaris driven only 2700 km. Paid $22,677 will sell for $19,500. Senior owner can no longer drive. Call 519 824-3993; clara.marett@sympatico.ca servIces Editing Specialists! Research and Editing Experts At Your Service. All levels, all subjects. Post-graduates in most fields available to help you get the job done right! 1-888-345-8295 www.customessay.com voLunteer oPPortunItIes Save a life...or 3! Canadian Blood Services is looking for donors at the University of Guelph. Clinic held in PCH March 23 from 10-3:30.
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Under University student plan, co-payment has been waived. Dentistry Asleep. FREE CUSTOM TEETH WHITENING! Invisalign from $1900!
Thursday march 15
communIty LIstIngs
donations gratefully appreciated. Everyone welcome! friday march 16 Want to learn how to make a healthy breakfast? Why not come out to MINS 214 from 10-12 and cook 3 healthy breakfast options for only $3 with an on campus Registered Dietitian! Presented by HEAL from the Wellness Centre. Register today at kjeffers@ uoguelph.ca saturday march 17
Guelph Civic Museum Military History Lecture Series. This month: Matt Symes speaks on War in the Abstract: Art as a Window into Canadas Military Past. 7:30 pm at the new Guelph Civic Museum. Doors open 6:30pm. Free admission. 52 Norfolk St. Contact: 519-836-1221 x2775. Macdonald Stewart Art Centre Exhibit - Suzy Lake: Political Poetics. March 15-April 29th. Artist talk and opening reception Thursday, March 15, 4-6pm. Walkabout Artist Talk with Suzy Lake: Tuesday, March 27 at noon. 358 Gordon St. 519-837-0010, www.msac.ca Thursday At Noon Concert Series. celebrating over 40 years of music making . Concerts start at 12:00p.m. Thursdays in Mackinnon room 107 (Goldschmidt room). Admission free
open mic & slam are at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm. All Ages. Cover $10/ Students 2 for 1 guelphspokenword.com sunday march 18 Guelph Hiking Trail Club hike: Hanlon Creek Conservation Area, 2-3 hrs, Level 2. Speed Moderate. Meet in the parking lot in front of the new Legends restaurant at the SW corner of Kortright and Edinburgh at 1:30pm. All welcome. Leader: Dave 519-716-8273. wednesday march 21
Professional, Community Members. www.legacy.ewb.ca/en/ whatyoucando/uoguelph/index. html Mayor Karen Farbridge will deliver a State of the City address at 10 Carden Street, 7-9 pm. Presented by the Guelph Civic League. Free and open to the public. Beverages and light snacks will be served. info@guelphcivicleague.ca or www.guelphcivicleague.ca Falun Dafa free Qigong instruction. Soothe the mind, heal the body. All ages welcome, no experience needed. 7pm-9pm. University Centre Room # 333. Info: Mai (519)823-2422. friday march 23 Fourth Fridays Random acts of creativity and community in downtown Guelph the fourth Friday of every month. 7-10pm. www.fourthfridaysguelph.ca
tuesday march 27 Stress Less for Tests program begins at 5:30 pm. Learn how to enhance exam performance by decreasing anxiety, improving focus and curbing worry. Details at www.uoguelph.ca/~ksomers. Macdonald Stewart Art Centre Exhibit - Suzy Lake: Political Poetics. March 15-April 29. Walkabout Artist Talk with Suzy Lake: Tuesday, March 27 at noon. 358 Gordon St. 519-837-0010, www.msac.ca ongoing: Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) is encouraging all Ontarians to register their consent to become organ and tissue donors. By registering as a donor, you could one day save up to eight lives and enhance as many as 75 more. Online donor registration is now available at BeADonor.ca. Its easy and it only takes 3 minutes to register. www.beadonor.ca
Falun Dafa free Qigong instruction. Soothe the mind, heal the body. All ages welcome, no experience needed. 10am-Noon. University Centre Room # 332. Info: Mai (519)823-2422 Guelph Spoken Word presents THE GUELPH POETRY SLAM Featuring Christian Drake eBar (41 Quebec St.). Doors and sign Up for
Engineers Without Borders present Water and Wine: A Toast to Global Water Security. Engaging speakers discussing challenges to water security in Canada and abroad. All proceeds directly fund our chapter leadership programs. 7pm at OAC Centennial Arboretum Center. Tickets: $15/ UofG Students, $30/Faculty,