a vote for darfur

Transcription

a vote for darfur

THE
university
of
Winnipeg
student
17
2006/02/02
The
weekly
I SSUE
VOLUME 60
INSIDE
News
Comments
Diversions
Features
Arts & Culture
Listings
Sports
THE UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG STUDENT WEEKLY
FEBRUARY 2, 2006
VOL. 60
ISSUE 17
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ON THE WEB
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02
06
10
12
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03
ONCE MORE AROUND THE FLOOR
12
DARE WE SAY IT...
16
SWEEPING UP THE SCORE BOARD
23
“A VOTE FOR DARFUR”
STAND CHALLENGES CANADIANS TO THINK BEYOND OUR BORDERS
THE STORY INSIDE THE ROLLER RINK JUST DOWN THE STREET
LOCAL GRINDCORE ACT OFFEND AND ENLIGHTEN
CHECK OUT THE DETAILS OF LAST WEEKEND’S V-BALL GAMES
♼
February 2, 2006
02
contact: uniter @ uniter.ca
The Uniter
NEWS EDITOR: VIVIAN BELIK
E-MAIL: [email protected]
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786-9779
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SENIOR EDITOR: LEIGHTON KLASSEN
NEWS EDITOR: DEREK LESCHASIN
House of Commons a Warped
Reflection of Canada?
FAIR VOTE RELEASES VISION OF NEW PARLIAMENT UNDER A PR SYSTEM
»
»
»
» Whitney Light
» Alan MacKenzie
»
» Mike Lewis
BY DEREK LESCHASIN
NEWS EDITOR
»
»
»
» Nick Weigeldt
» Melody Rogan
»
»
will treat the issue of electoral
support suffer.
reform.
“Our voting system does not
In 2001, Canadian Alliance
anadians have elected a
honour the core democratic prin-
(now Conservative) MP Scott Reid
new Parliament and a new
ciples Canadians believe in... that
wrote an essay for Policy Options, in
government, but does the
we should have honest, legitimate,
which he spoke of creating a coali-
House of Commons truly reflect
majority rule,” says Gordon. “That’s
tion of public figures to argue that
the face of Canada? Not necessarily,
why most major democracies got rid
“fi rst-past-the-post is not accept-
says Larry Gordon, the Executive
of this type of voting between fi fty
able in a mature democracy, and
Director of Fair Vote Canada, an
and a hundred years ago.”
that some kind of electoral reform
C
organisation pushing for electoral
As calculated by Fair Vote, in
is needed.” Reid wrote that a refer-
a proportional electoral system,
endum should be held on whether
On Jan. 23, Canada’s fi rst-past-
Parliament could look quite differ-
to create a commission on electoral
the-post (FPP) system once again
ent. The Conservatives, with 36.3
reform, and a further referendum
produced the sort of results that
per cent of the vote, could receive
should be held on the conclusions
leave
Alberta
113 seats (not 124). The Liberals,
of that commission. He refused to
voters with no chance of help-
with 30.1 per cent, could receive
state what sort of system he would
ing their preferred parties, and
93 (not 103). The NDP, with 17.5
fi nd preferable.
Conservative voters in urban centres
per cent, might get 59 (not 29). The
such as Montreal and Toronto in
Bloc Quebecois, with 10.5 per cent,
will currently exists in the new
the same position. Then too, while
would receive 31 seats (not 51). And
Conservative Party for such initia-
the NDP earned over 17 per cent
the Greens, with with 4.5 per cent,
tives. In their platform for the 2006
of the national vote, their share of
would receive 12, not zero.
election, there is no mention of
reform.
»
parties or parties with more diffuse
non-Conservative
It’s
unclear
whether
the
seats was almost doubled by the
The NDP has traditionally been
investigating a change in the voting
Bloc Quebecois, which only took
the strongest voice for instituting
system. The Conservatives focus on
just over 10 per cent of the vote. The
PR. In October 2005, now-retired
making the Senate an elected body,
Green Party, with over 4 percent of
NDP MP Ed Broadbent presented
and establishing “representation by
the vote, once again failed to elect a
it in a speech as part of the party’s
population” for the provinces, and
single MP.
package of democratic reforms.
also advocate instituting fi xed elec-
Broadbent
tion dates.
“Here’s another train-wreck
advocated
a
mixed
for democracy in Canada,” says
system combining constituency-
THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS
Gordon. While Gordon says he is
based MPs wit h PR.
Jaya Beange, Stephen Grandpre, Dan Hugyabaert,
Jonathan Davis, Shane Gibson, Christine Esselmont,
Iain Ramsey, William O’Donnell, Matt Urban, Lief Gobeil,
Robyn Hiebert, Ksenia Prints, Kalen Qually, Carli Rothman,
Josh Boulding, Aaron Zeghers, Deniz Izzet, Beau Burton,
Ben Macphee-Sigurdson
not surprised at these distortions,
“Our present system does a
parties had at times expressed inter-
“I can still be shocked at some of the
great disservice to Canadian unity
est in Proportional Representation,
things that happen.”
because regional representation in
when
As director of Fair Vote Canada,
the House of Commons... does not
and
Gordon pushes for a form of
reflect Canadian voters’ intentions,”
merged, “their position got watered
Proportional Representation (PR),
Broadbent said at the time.
down a bit.”
The Uniter is the official student newspaper of the University
of Winnipeg and is published by the University of Winnipeg
Students’ Association. The Uniter is editorially autonomous
and the opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect
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LOCATION
Room ORM14
University of Winnipeg
515 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9
COVER IMAGE
Photo By Wade Andrew
See what’s going on at the old roller
rink, just down the street. Senior Editor Leighton Klassen takes a trip to
one of the oldest roller rink floors in
Canada. (pg. 12)
the electoral system used in most
While the NDP
other Western democracies. Such
gained
a system, of which there are many
cant
number
variations, allocates seats in parlia-
seats
last
ment based on the percentage of
the party does not
votes a party receives nationally.
hold a control-
FPP
allocates
seats
based
ling
a
signifiof
week,
Gordon notes that while the
Reform and Canadian Alliance
“
the
Canadian
Progressive
Alliance
Conservatives
Here’s another train-wreck
for democracy in Canada.”
-Larry Gordon
position
However, the make-up of the
Parliament.
new Parliament means that the
solely on ridings won, which means
in
that millions of votes end up not
And it’s uncer-
Conservatives and the NDP may
represented in Parliament - effec-
tain how the
have to work together. Given this
tively wasted. Regional parties end
Conser vat ives
state of affairs, Gordon points out
up over-represented, while smaller
that “about the only policy overlap...
is an interest in democratic reform.”
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
NEWS
03
Students take a STAND for Darfur in Canadian Elections
regarding
BY ROBYN HIEBERT
Darfur.
Survey
million have been displaced.
it is our responsibility to speak
results would then be shared
There are various levels
out, and are determined not to
with election candidates to
to the confl ict. On one level
let the world remain indifferent
anadians often take
educate them on Canadians’
is
between
as hundreds of thousands
pride in their reputa-
views on Darfur. Secondly,
Sudanese rebels, such as the
die in ethnically motivated
tion as “peacekeep-
through the “Darfur Report
Sudan
confl ict in the Darfur region
ers,” yet for many, this has little
Card,”
A r my/Movement
to no impact on their every-
were asked to fi ll out a short
and the Justice and Equality
The situation in Sudan has
day lives. During the recent
questionnaire on their views
Movement (JEM), and the
been referred to as “another
Canadian federal election, the
and policies concerning
national student organization
Darfur. Examples of
STAND challenged Canadians
questions
to think beyond their borders,
“In your opinion, has
act on their convictions, and
Canada done enough
use their ballots to support
to bring to an end to
human rights.
the violence against
C
Students Taking Action
Now:
Darfur
seeks
to
election
candidates
included,
the
fighting
People’s
Liberation
(SPL M)
“
of Sudan.”
Rwanda,”
histor y
What is going on in Darfur is
what future generations will judge
our world by.”
of
Sudan?”
professor
Elia k im
- James Christie, Dean of the Global College
Siba nda
from the University
the University of Winnipeg’s
of
Winnipeg
Global College, describes the
maintains there are
situation in Darfur as both
some
“volatile and tragically stable.”
i mpor ta nt
differences.
civilians in the Darfur
region
however
and
First
Christie
emphasizes
the
Sudanese government. Using
of all, Sibanda is quick to
potential power of students to
point out that the Rwandan
influence international affairs,
educate Canadians and raise
whether or not candidates
state-sponsored
awareness about the volatile
supported such measures as
commonly
as
genocide occurred in a much
and says, “It is tremendously
situation raging in the Darfur
prosecuting
high-ranking
“Janjaweed” militias, the state
more concentrated period of
important for students to
region of Sudan. They hope
Sudanese officials, such as
has endeavored to keep the
time than what is currently
get involved, to say there is
such action can inf luence
the President and Second
rebels at bay. However, the
happening in Darfur.
a problem for the human
the Canadian government’s
Vice-President. These results
Janjaweed militias are widely
“It’s
policies regarding Darfur.
were then posted on STAND’s
acknowledged to be corrupt,
Sibanda
website for voters to read
and compare.
As part of their larger
“Save
Darfur”
campaign,
militias,
referred
to
worse,”
race.” Christie maintains that
Sudan
Canada needs to devote more
and have been charged with
this has been going on for
time to “peacemaking,” as
such atrocities as deliberately
nearly thirty years.” Second,
opposed to peacekeeping, and
targeting civilians, kidnapping,
in terms of numbers, while
reminds students that “what
acknowledging
high
is going on in Darfur is what
getting
adds.
“In
during the lead-up to the
Since 2003, the confl ict in
election, STAND launched its
Darfur has exploded into what
abductions
“A Vote for Darfur” advocacy
the United Nations has dubbed,
restricting humanitarian aid,
death toll of Rwanda, Sibanda
future generations will judge
campaign.
campaign
“the worst humanitarian crisis
and increasingly, rape.
maintains that due to the
our world by.”
involved two main programs.
in the world.” It is estimated
First,
The
of
children,
the
To
learn
more
about
emphasi zes
length of the confl ict, Darfur
that over the past two years,
the importance of creating
ranks much higher in terms of
STAND, the confl ict in Darfur,
encouraged to fi ll out a brief
more
thousand
awareness as a crucial fi rst step
casualties, and describes the
and how to get involved, check
survey to show their support
people have died in relation
towards action, and states, “As
numbers as “nightmarish.”
out www.standcanada.org.
for
to the confl ict, and over 2.5
Canadian students, we believe
Canadians
Canadian
were
involvement
than
200
STA ND
James Christie, Dean of
Employment Opportunity: Chief Elections Commissioner
Volunteer Opportunity: Elections Commission Committee Members
The UWSA is looking for a Chief Elections commissioner to oversee the
The UWSA is looking for several students who are interested in being
UWSA general elections. The Chief Elections Commissioner is responsible
members of the Elections/Referendum Commission. Elections commissioners
for ensuring that all UWSA Elections, By-Elections and Referenda are
are responsible for assisting the Chief Elections commissioner throughout the
conducted with integrity, transparency, honesty and accountability and
UWSA general election cycle. Elections/Referendum Commission members,
are conducted in accordance with the UWSA By-Laws and relevant policy.
as part of the Elections Commission, shall act as the first body of appeal during
This is a paid volunteer position that begins immediately. Visit the UWSA
the Election/Referendum Cycle and shall receive, hear, and where appropriate,
general office for more information regarding duties, qualifications and to
take action upon receipt of any appeals, complaints, concerns, questions,
pick up a complete job posting. Please submit a resume and cover letter
comments pertaining to the elections. The Elections/Referendum Commission
by February 7th, 2006 to:
is responsible for ensuring that all UWSA Elections, By-Elections and Referenda
are conducted with integrity, transparency, honesty and accountability and
Kate Sjoberg
UWSA President
UWSA General office
Room 0R30 Bulman Student Centre
[email protected]
are conducted in accordance with the UWSA By-Laws and relevant policy.
This is a volunteer position. Visit the UWSA general office for more information
regarding duties, qualifications and to pick up a complete volunteer posting. All
decisions regarding appointments to the Elections/Referendum Commissionare
made by the Chief Elections Commissioner and the Chair of the UWSA Board of
Directors. Please submit a resume and cover letter by February 13th, 2006 to:
Klara Labady
UWSA Office Administrator
UWSA General office
[email protected]
February 2, 2006
04
The Uniter
NEWS EDITOR: VIVIAN BELIK
NEWS
SENIOR EDITOR: LEIGHTON KLASSEN
NEWS EDITOR: DEREK LESCHASIN
Going to the End of the Line
RELIGION AND LIFE WEEK ADDRESSES THE LAST HOUR
BY WHITNEY LIGHT
life - how one should live and how
like it’s something that happens to other
eyes as she talked about her late father.
BEAT REPORTER
life’s experiences have shaped their
people,” he said. Islam, he said, teaches
“I don’t know exactly how I would spend
ideas about the end. However, there
a balance of living a good life with the
my last hour, but I hope that I would be
were vulnerable moments for both
realization that life is short. Muslims
living life - learning and having a new
f you had only one more hour to
speakers and audience members as
work hard and honestly to “cultivate” in
experience,” Suché concluded.
live, what would you do? This was
they opened up about their strongest
this life so that in the next life they may
Common to most of the week’s
the question posed at the University
beliefs and anxieties.
“harvest” the benefits. “Every moment
participants was the idea that one’s last
is a precious moment, one that will
hour would not be “the big fi nal bash.”
benefit you, so make use of it.”
“If one has no belief, (the last hour)
I
of Winnipeg’s Religion and Life Week,
Speakers were chosen to represent
that took place on campus from Jan. 23
a variety of faith backgrounds in the
to 27. An annual event that started in
community including First Nations,
the 1960s, the week has been organized
Islam,
Christianity.
Suché, also a U of W alumnus, gave a
for the past 15 years with the leader-
DeLong felt it was important that
much different and perhaps slightly
There were some students, for
ship of Lindwood DeLong, a person
each speaker be of the faith they
unexpected perspective. Introducing
instance, who, when asked to consider
of Christian faith who can be found
would address, rather than students
herself as a “heathen”, Suché explained
working in the university’s library as
communicating
Reference Coordinator.
objective point of view.
Judaism,
and
from
merely
an
“Learning is a life issue,” said
“The purpose is to ask deep
DeLong. “It’s beneficial for a university,
questions about the meaning of human
particularly one with strong programs
existence,” said DeLong. “We have to
in Religious Studies and Theology, to
ask questions about our responsibility
promote life and faith issues outside of
individually and corporately.”
the classroom.”
DeLong’s feeling seemed to prove
Later in the week, Justice Colleen
“
could be a hedonistic pleasure thing,”
DeLong said.
their last hour, said intercourse while
listening to Pink Floyd would be their
most desired way to go. However there
“Every moment is a
precious moment, one that
will benefit you, so make
use of it.”
were others, like Religious Studies
student Melissa Croft, who felt that
such self-consumed behaviour would
be selfish. “What does your pleasure
mean if you’re in your last hour?”
Croft questioned.
This year’s topic “seemed to
correct, as each speaker expressed
strike a chord” with students who
sincerity that held audience attention
helped brainstorm over the event, said
and gave educational insight into
Dave Birrell, a member of the Varsity
multi-cultural religious beliefs. The
she wanted to understand how she
that perhaps putting pen to paper
Christian Fellowship. “It has a personal
week was an opportunity for students
came to her beliefs about death and
would be the best means of expression
aspect to it that’s very appealing,” he
who “are hungry for connecting with
lead the audience through a sometimes
during such a time. “Maybe the written
said. “We all die.”
the spiritual but perhaps not through
humourous account of her early
word is the most appropriate form
an organized religion,” said Birrell.
experiences in the Roman Catholic
for leave-taking,” said DeLong, since
church and her departure from all
it would allow one to temper rather
religious affi liation.
than submit to a physical outpouring of
One
might
assume
that
the
-Sheik Ismaeal Mukthar
The consensus was that thoughts
and actions towards others - friends
and family - should be at the fore and
discussion inspired by such a topic
Sheik Ismaeal Mukthar, a U of
would be somber and morose. In fact
W alumnus and Editor of Manitoba
quite the opposite played out during
Muslim Magazine, stressed that for a
“I’m quite intimidated by the
emotion. As for his fi nal hour, DeLong
each of fi ve noon-hour lectures by
Muslim, every hour is treated as possibly
exercise,” she said. Indeed, Suché’s
says he hopes, in a mundane way, that
various members of the community.
one’s last hour on Earth. “People tend
professional appearance could not
his debts would be paid off and his
Faced with a question about death, the
to think of death as a falsehood...
disguise the tears that came to her
papers organized.
speakers came around to discussing
Abortion-rights activists take Quebec government to court
ONE-THIRD OF WOMEN WHO SEEK ABORTIONS IN QUEBEC ARE FORCED TO TURN TO PRIVATE CLINICS FOR THE PROCEDURE
BY ERIKA MEERE
clinics are not able to meet the demand
the province is also violating its own
avoid waiting for an appointment in the
CUP QUÉBEC BUREAU CHIEF
for abortions in a timely fashion, and as
health insurance laws that guarantee
public health system.
many as one-third of women who seek
universal access to medically necessary
abortions turn to private clinics for the
services.
M
ontreal (CUP) -- Quebec’s
procedure.
Noting how time-sensitive an
abortion procedure is, she emphasized
Quebec’s Ministry of Health and
the importance of accessible abortion
Social Services did not respond to
services to the health of women in
several requests for an interview.
Quebec.
policy of not paying for
According to a statement from the
abortions in private clin-
lawyers representing AAA, the Quebec
ics violates its own laws and prevents
government covers only a small portion
According to Johnston, women
“I would like to see all abortions
accessible and timely procedures, says
– about $28 – of the cost of abortions
seeking abortions at a Centre Locale
in the province paid for and done in a
a group that has taken a class-action
conducted in private clinics. Women
de Services Communitaires (CLSC) are
timely way,” she said.
lawsuit to the Quebec Superior Court.
are left to cover the remainder of the
asked to wait up to ten days before their
cost – between $200 and $600 – out of
fi rst appointment. But this wait can
their own pockets.
lead to serious medical complications,
Like Quebec, Nova Scotia offers
The Association for Access to
Abortion (AAA) is demanding that the
Quebec government reimburse tens of
Ontario
because abortions become riskier once
only limited funding. Meanwhile, in
thousands of Quebec women who, due
government pays the entire cost of
a woman enters her second trimester of
December 2004, a judge in Manitoba
to long wait times in hospitals and
abortions performed in private clinics,
pregnancy.
ruled
public clinics, were forced to pay for
on average about $400 per procedure.
abortions in private clinics.
In
comparison,
the
New Brunswick is the only province
that does not fund private abortions.
“Some people have compared
that
the
government
must
cover the cost of all abortions in
Bruce Johnston, a lawyer from the
[abortions] to knee surgery. I’m sorry,
The association, led by abortion
law fi rm Trudel & Johnston, and one
but this really isn’t the same thing,”
The fi rst part of the AAA class-
activist Henry Morgentaler, is claiming
of the lawyers representing AAA, said
said France Desilets, manager of the
action lawsuit took place between
total damages of between $10- and $15-
that the case underlines the unfair way
Montreal Morgentaler Clinic, one of
January 16 and January 27. The second
million, which would be distributed to
that the Quebec government handles
the private clinics represented by the
part is scheduled for February 6 to
women who aborted in private clinics.
abortions, allowing private clinics to
AAA suit.
February 22.
Abortions in Quebec are covered
charge more than they cost.
Desilets said that although the
under the Régie de l’assurance maladie
“Abortion is the only service
significant cost of abortions at her
du Québec (RAMQ), the province’s
for which the government tolerates
clinic is an obstacle, most women are
public health insurance plan. But public
overbilling,” said Johnston, noting that
able to come up with the money to
the province.
In Quebec, 30 000 abortions are
performed each year.
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
05
NEWS
Away With Words
ENGLISH STUDENT’S ASSOCIATION HOSTS UNDERGRADUATE CONFERENCE
BY KSENIA PRINTS
T
Taylor, president of the ESA. The event
will see what they want to see” from
was organized almost entirely by this
a piece of literature, even if it is in the
student group, with no direct faculty
form of an on-screen adaptation. The
he study of English has always
involvement. Furthermore, the absence
crisis of the Humanities was discussed
been a part of our lives. From
of almost all the English professors
at length by Brian Lee, as the study of
our fi rst words, through grade
due to an emergency meeting was
English presented the Academia with
one’s ‘language arts’ and to university’s
quite noticeable during the fi rst half of
the issue of constraining freedom just
‘English I’, we encounter it wherever we
Friday’s presentations.
by discussing certain subjects. No
go. For some it is a painstaking experi-
Ten students conquered the stage
defi nitive answer was, or could have
ence, as they fi nd themselves trying to
by pairs and presented essay subjects
been reached during these panels, but
struggle through essays and understand
spanning over a wide variety of issues
the words and questions brought up by
symbolism and imagery. But to others,
one would not necessarily expect in
these young authors will undoubtedly
English is a delicate gem, a “gleeful
the English department. Concubine-
continue to resonate.
experience” that “burns in their loins”.
master relationships, African-American
In the second part of the conference
That is how keynote speaker Professor
identity, egocentrism, sex, movies, and
Saturday morning the keynote speaker,
Tanis MacDonald and young play-
desire were only some of the underlying
Tanis MacDonald, went all the way
wright Stephen Whitmore described
themes in the presentations.
with her essay “Towards a Poetics
their encounters with English during
But above all these, the issue of
of Studying.” MacDonald’s love for
the English Students Association (ESA)
English studying and its necessity in our
“studying… reading, writing, and…
Undergraduate Conference, ‘Away With
days seemed to be on the minds of all.
reading and writing about reading and
Words: The Study of English Language
The reader’s involvement in the process,
writing” seemed to be contagious to
and Literature’.
and the desire to study were put under
everyone present. The lively discussion
On the basement floor of the
question on Friday and Saturday. Mary
that followed her speech made one
Bulman Centre, behind a retractable
Ann Loewen spoke of a “spiritual and
think that if not everywhere, at least
plaster wall, the students of one often-
psychological connection to reading”
in the University of Winnipeg people
overlooked department held the fi rst
that is necessary in order to add a
approach the study of English in
part of their conference last Friday.
dimension of “freshness and integrity
particular and study in general with
the term ‘geek’ (in the circus, to clear
This was to be “a forum for discussion
to the field of English literature.”
childish excitement and fervour. After
misconceptions), it was clear that the
about the study of English language
Sharlee Reimer mentioned how “every
much argument over whether or not
ESA Undergraduate Conference would
and literature,” in the words of Susie
spectator will take what they want,
English was cool, and the origins of
become an annual event.
Blood drive at McGill shut down after protest
DEMONSTRATORS TAKE ON HÉMA-QUÉBEC’S BLOOD SCREENING
BY SARAH COLGROVE
people who were eligible to invent
unprotected sex can?” asked Jamie
to shut out the demonstrators. But at
THE MCGILL DAILY (MCGILL UNIVERSITY)
unusual circumstances that might
Cudmore, a second-year International
3:30 p.m., he shut down the entire blood
prevent them from donating.
Development Studies student.
drive, saying it would open again in
M
“People
are
going
to
lie...in
Some
other
demonstrators
the morning.
ontreal (CUP) -- Héma-
order to expose the sexual prejudices
targeted policies that prevent people
Freeman said the student union
Québec
its
underlying the exclusion policies,”
who have spent more than three days
would be increasing its pressure on
on-campus blood drive at
explained Adrian Bondy, a third-year
in jail or have performed sexual acts
Héma-Québec to revisit its policy in
McGill this week after students lined
Linguistics student. “We’re not trying
in exchange for money from donating
the coming weeks, beginning with a
up in drag and blasted “Tainted Love”
to include anyone who couldn’t donate
blood.
meeting with the blood organization’s
to protest the collection agency’s policy
under the current restrictions.”
shut
down
“I’m going to ask explicit questions
chair. Last semester, the student
that excludes men who have had sex
Bondy said that the current policy
about what counts as having sex and
council sent a letter requesting a
with men (MSM) from donating blood.
is left over from early conceptions of
give descriptions and examples,” said
reevaluation, but Héma-Québec has
About 30 would-be donors, half
AIDS that equated homosexuality and
Josh
taken no action so far.
deviance with the virus.
Science and Women’s Studies student.
of them demonstrators, had registered
Pavan,
second-year
Political
Marcel
Beaudere,
who
has
and were waiting to see a nurse when
“This is part of a larger homophobic
“If that falls through, I’ll tell them I
volunteered for eight years with Héma-
the blood drive was closed, about an
and sex-phobic AIDS response in
was in prison for 24 hours and got
Québec, reiterated Héma-Québec’s
hour after demonstrators lined up
Canada for the past 20 years,” Bondy
raped, but I’m not sure if it was by a
stance that MSM are the highest-risk
inside the building where the drive was
said. “This is overt discrimination that
woman or a man.”
group for HIV infection, and that
taking place.
limits the blood supply.”
In an impromptu meeting at
excluding them from donating blood
were
the beginning of the demonstration,
protects blood recipients. He added
said he had received a tip that people
planning to say that they were women
Héma-Québec organizers said that
that nurses may mark a donation if they
would appear and lie about their sexual
who had had sex with a MSM, and to
they would not close down the drive
think that a recipient is lying, and that
history. Posters that appeared across
ask why they were eligible, while their
as long as demonstrators did not lie
it might be thrown away.
campus on Tuesday invited students
partner would not be.
during the screening process.
Héma Québec director Pierre Julien
Some
demonstrators
to “act faggy, do drag, and lie about
Héma-Québec’s current policy
[their] sexual history,” in solidarity
permanently bans any man who has
President
with MSM.
had sex with a man since 1977 from
Communications
and
to
One Héma-Québec employee, who
However when student union
Adam
Conter
and
Events
spoke under the condition of anonymity
VP
because employees are not allowed to
Roz
speak to the press, speculated that the
that
blood drive was closed to save money.
“We cannot accept people who are
donating blood, whereas a woman who
Freeman
lying – we can’t take that risk,” said
has had sex with a MSM is excluded for
demonstrators would only lie to make a
“If those people give blood, their
Julien before he closed the drive. He
only one year.
tried
explain
statement, not to become eligible, Julien
samples are going to be questionable,
“Why can an MSM who has
threatened to block demonstrators
and if we have to throw away a bag of
However, demonstrators said they
always worn protection not give blood
from giving blood. The executives
blood, [that’s] between 300 and 400
were not encouraging ineligible people
whereas a woman who has always had
said that they convinced Julien not
dollars,” said the employee.
refused to comment further.
to lie and donate blood, but urging
February 2, 2006
06
COMMENTS EDITOR: DANIEL BLAKIE
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
The Uniter
COMMENTS
Music to My Ears…
NOISE FOR ANYONE ELSE AROUND
In case anyone is wondering how I
at me. I didn’t really think much of it
have even heard any of these talks with
until I sat down to fi ll out the transcript
my ear buds turned to the max… these
order form at the table right by the
were the rare occasions where I either
Student Records Office desk. Thinking
forgot about putting my CD player/MP3
I couldn’t hear anything because my
‘imposed
player in my bag or when my batteries
ear buds where still in she said, “See, I
voyeurism’. Usually the boyfriend’s
have died on me. The consequence has
went and looked. Her eyebrows are way
just got his arm draped over his
es I admit it! I listen to my CD
been my being forced to hear strangers
too thin. She should be drawing them
girlfriend’s shoulder. But sometimes
Walkman, and more recently
talk when I don’t want to at all. On the
in with an eyebrow pencil… see mine.
it’s much worse. They start making out,
my MP3 Player at the highest
bus, I just want to get where I’m going
Not only are they better. At least I know
and lucky me gets a full on view of
decibel possible on the bus. It’s not so
and be left alone… hence the loud
how to do my eyebrows the right way…”
their action. Hopefully, anyone reading
every person around me on the bus
music device nestled in my ear canal.
F*&%, even girls I don’t know have the
this is starting to understand my pump
can hear what I am listening to… I just
I know the bus is a public space where
nerve to say shit about me when they
UP the volume distraction technique.
people can talk about what ever they
think I’m not listening. After, I was
want, provided they don’t endanger any
trying not to smile or laugh when I
DENIZ IZZET
Y
3.
Young
love
or
want to tune out all the annoying, and
really boring, bus chit chat, while being
4. Odd stuff. I think anyone who
a passenger on our Winnipeg Transit
of their fellow bus passengers or piss
went to hand in my transcript form and
has ridden the bus has run into the guy
Bus system. Here are the main reasons/
off the bus driver. So, if you don’t like
then pay for it.
that loudly talks to himself, and really
scenarios that cause me to TURN UP
hearing my musique… all I can say is:
doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Find somewhere else to sit.
the volume…
Fellow readers, don’t assume that
when a person has their headphone
Finally, the reason I sometimes
or ear buds on that their player is on.
5. Cellphone talkers. I’ve had
the
walk around plugged into my MP3
Wearing your headphones on your ears
the pleasure of listening to a nasty
morning; about 5:30am to around
player is to hear what people say when
is a really great way to hear the things
argument between a couple, hearing
8:30am. There is either dead silence
they think I can’t hear them saying it.
people are willing to say behind your
someone talking to their girlfriend
or two out of a bus load of passengers
Recently, I was in the Student Records
back. Try it sometime. You might be
about their STD results, and a group of
having their daily bus convo… just a
office to pay for some transcripts,
surprised by what is said when people
mostly teenage guys talking about who
part of their day to day, going through
but before I fi lled out the form I took
think you are listening to your noisy
they have been with and what girl they
the motions.
sometime checking out the many
boom box player.
think is a slut.
pamphlets on the wall with my MP3
1.
Bus
conversations
in
2. High school student blather.
player off and my ear buds still in my
This is a response piece to The Boom
6. Creepy old men. There is the
The topics mostly consist of homework,
ears. One of the student office girls
Box Bus by the Uniter’s Comments
occasional old guy who tries to have
who’s dating who, the current gossip
walked by me down the hall, and took
Editor Daniel Blaikie in the
a conversation with anyone who will
going around.
a look at me; then came straight back
Nov.3rd/05 Issue.
talk to them.
down the hall and took another look
To Aldo…With sincere best wishes…
CHRISTINE ESSELMONT
I
t was only recently that I began to
realize my book buying habits were
becoming an economic liability
- and a significant one at that. Between
McNally’s halogen-lit towers of classics
begging to be read and its shelves of narratives decrying the state of democracy and
the fragility of relationships, much money
has indeed been spent. Never mind the
consequences wreaked by the ease of
online shopping. The problem is that the
purchase of books is easily rationalized as
a type of noble consumerism. This isn’t a
fur-lined Nordic sweater being bought this is Crime and Punishment- a purchase
sure to enrich the mind, stir the soul, and
inspire you to new heights of scholarly
insight. Despite the non-monetary value
of my purchases, the financial costs
continued to mount, and I was drawn to
the Exchange District of Winnipeg; to the
renown Winnipeg institution, Red River
Books, supplementing those trips with
others to our own beloved Pet Sole.
Though there are, of course,
specialty books that neither could
provide, I unearthed many volumes
of poetry, and purchased many well
worn, but still usable, novels at prices
much more compatible with my newly
imposed budget. As I brought my new
treasures home and began to read, I
some cold prairie night. Perhaps it was
Doris, Xmas 1944.” Aldo obviously took
quickly discovered the virtues of a used
a night when the anonymous reader
good care of his books, or just didn’t
book. Take, for example, my blue and
could read no more, and lit a candle
read them, and Lloyd (or most likely
gold book of John Donne’s poetry. Some
before bed, but as a poor student had
Doris, who probably bought the book)
pages were hardly worn, and others
no holder, and hence, the wax ring on
undoubtedly had taste and class. I
were creased and bent with care, as if
the book’s cover. Spines are also telling
wonder how often Aldo read this book,
the reader had often found solace on
- the black paper is creased to about
and which poems were his favourite. As
page seven and 29. Sometimes a poem
page 400, at which point, apathy set in
I leaf through the yellowed, waxy pages,
would be blank, the margins kept in
and Anna was laid to rest.
I feel satisfaction at having maintained
their virgin state, and other times, the
I recently picked up a deep blue,
my thrifty ways, but I also realize that,
words would be decorated carefully
textured, leather-bound volume of The
though I’ve saved a few dollars, I have
with ink of many colours - black for
Poetical Works of Tennyson for $7. I
something far more valuable than a
underlining, an exercise of emphatics,
brought it home, and opened the cover
new book. I have one that’s living and
and red for geometric shapes used to
page to notice what I hadn’t noticed
has lived - one that whispers to me its
encase a word or sentence, serving to
before, an inscription: “To Aldo, with
unwritten word.
remind oneself and all future readers
sincere best wishes, from Lloyd and
of the universal truth of the line. Love’s
Deity is so marked, with red bestowed
upon three lines “I must love her, that
loves not me; Love ‘til I love her, that
loves me; I should love her, who loves
not me.” What was it that compelled
this love, I wonder - was it natural and
unrequited, or in some sense obligatory,
and non-reciprocal? Is love of the latter
type even rightly love at all?
Sometimes it isn’t the content and
comments that are so interesting, as
the condition of the book itself. My $5
copy of Anna Karenina is graced with
a cranberry-coloured ring that gives
forth the scent of berries whenever
you open the cover. Tolstoy’s classic, it
seems, also served as a candle stand on
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
COMMENTS
I am not ‘The Man’:
SO STI C K IT TO SOM EON E ELS E
CARLI ROTHMAN
I fear though, that innocent people,
like myself, are beginning to feel the
W
ithin every generation, in
every city, and on every
university
campus,
there
has always been a small group of
individuals that have dedicated the bulk
of their years to opposing conformity,
or for those more apt in pop-culture slang,
“sticking it to The Man”. Not an entirely
new concept altogether, however only in
recent years has the persecution of this
alleged “Man” blossomed into a fiery
discord between the “them’s” and the
“us’s” of society.
Not to sound ignorant, but simply
from the perspective of a concerned,
confused and apparently (or so I can’t
help but suspect) accused member of
society, I feel that I am entitled to ask a
few innocuous questions. Fair?
To begin; who is this “Man” and
what did he do to you? Well, it is clear
that I myself do not know, and I’m quite
confident in the fact that I will probably
never be “cool” (or should I say Anticool) enough to be sure. Nonetheless,
whoever this guy is, there certainly
seems to be a great deal of people who
are relentlessly attempting to stick “it”
to him (what “it” is I’ll also never know).
affects of the consequence on account
of mistaken identity. Somehow, I have
become this “Man”. I cannot help but
notice the disapproving glares I receive
every time I walk into school with my
Old Navy jacket and my non-eco friendly
Starbucks cup.
I would like to take this opportunity
now to clear things up once and for all. I
am not this “Man”. I am certain of this
because I know that, first and foremost,
I am a woman, I’ve got all the bits and
pieces to prove it, and secondly, even
if I was a man, I do not believe that I,
as a singular entity, would have done
anything remarkable enough to merit
such title. Furthermore, for the sake of
argument, suppose for a moment that I
was this “Man”, in all of his conformist
glory, who the hell are you to judge?
I myself have the utmost respect
for the brawn and propriety of the
idiosyncratic “individual”. However,
many of today’s “Man”-hating insurgents
have neglected to see the contradictions
of their intent. Today’s societal mutineer,
more commonly referred to as “The
Hipster”, is not a new phenomenon, and
as a matter of fact, my writing about them
at this late stage of the game is probably
07
only confirming my non-hipness. They
coin just so that you can hear Death Cab
strive to be different, unique, and not
for Cutie bellyache to the melody of synth
only separate from conventional society,
and snare drum all day long. How can
but from everyone in general - even that
you expect anyone to take you seriously
other hipster standing right next to him
when you say “down with conformity”
in line for the Gluten-free, Meat-free,
and all the while a pair of Mac-buds are
Soy-composed, organically produced
dangling from your gauged ears?
Hot Dogs outside the school.
Usually, I’d mind my own business,
It
may
appear
somewhat
hypocritical to project such hostility
but I feel that I am constantly suffering
whilst
second-hand embarrassment every time
discrimination, but I plead self-defence!
it becomes more and more apparent to
This time however, as an alternative to
me that most of these people just don’t
simply critiquing the irrationality of your
even have a clue. Their mission in life
“revolutionary” mission like many other
as a hipster has gotten lost somewhere
commentaries of this nature, I would
in the translation, and I cannot help
like to make a peace offering instead.
but wonder how these well read, hyper-
I personally feel debased every time I
cultured, and self-deprecatingly witty
get the once-over from a girl in a pair of
people can’t seem to figure it out. It
pencil pants, Converse high tops and a
must be hard to reject conformity while
Monroe piercing. I don’t shake my head
conforming at the same time to a new
at you, so why shake your head at me?
mainstream breed of social norm.
I’m sure I speak for anyone who has ever
addressing
the
matter
of
Take a look around you! Everyone
listened to the Coldplay CD (and liked it),
wants a piece of the hipster pie; the
owned a pair of Ugg Boots or shopped
most emo-alt-tronic music collection,
at The Gap when I say, give us a break.
the most tight-fitting wardrobe, the
Stop imposing your post-modernist,
most outspoken, passionate political
artsy fartsy, non-conformist views upon
views and of course, the most peculiar
us mainstream folk. Look, we get it.
haircut, (that when in combination with
YOU’RE UNIQUE! Fabulous. But here’s
the wardrobe creates a very confused,
a suggestion: why not do everyone a
new-age Flock of Seagulls meets Buddy
favour and try something truly different
Holly subspecies).
for a change. Take a break from that
However, I would just like to point
tedious
More-Hipsterish-Than-Thou
out the fact that in this present day and
attitude and find something better to do
age, you need an iPod to listen to your
with your time.
anomalous, whiny music. That’s right,
you need to shell out a good fist full of
I’d recommend smiling, for starters.
February 2, 2006
08
COMMENTS EDITOR: DANIEL BLAKIE
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
The Uniter
COMMENTS
Resist Operation Charging Bison
BEAU BURTON
H
ave you heard? Five hundred
troops, supported by helicopters, armoured vehicles, and
artillery are going to turn our downtown
into an armed camp as part of the biggest
military exercise in Canada’s history.
It’s called Operation Charging
Bison and it will last seven days and
nights beginning April 30, 2006.
Thankfully they won’t be using live
ammunition
though,
only
lasers,
blanks and “harmless projectiles”. I
didn’t think the words “harmless” and
“projectile” would ever go together.
In the Free Press article (“Army
to occupy downtown”, Dec. 27, 2005,
David O’Brien) Col. Kelly Woiden,
commander of the 38th brigade, stated
elected government. RCMP have been
zero transparency with the city in
that “The drill is designed to simulate
training the Haitian National Police
regards to whether we want Operation
the kind of complex conditions soldiers
who have been murdering unarmed
Charging Bison to take place. This
would encounter in places such as
protesters and jailing hundreds of
event will affect so many people and
Afghanistan and Iraq.” We do have
political prisoners.
our government has made a unilateral
troops in Afghanistan already, but
The puppet-regime put in place
decision with zero input from residents
Iraq is out of the question considering
by the U.S. and Canada is headed by
in the downtown area who will have to
the Canadian public is so opposed
a man who lived in Florida before his
live with the disturbance.
to putting troops in there. However,
promotion to interim Prime Minster
A group has formed opposed to
recently with Stephen Harper being
of Haiti. The interim government had
Charging Bison and posters will begin
elected, the United Nations has asked
expressed its desire to hold elections
to go up around the city informing
for more Canadian Troops to be sent
as soon as possible, however they have
people of what will be taking place.
to Haiti.
been postponed over three times since
The Canadian government and
the coup, two years ago in February.
Beau Burton is a member of the
Winnipeg Canada Haiti Action
media have relied on zero-transparency
Suppressing democracy, jailing
for the crimes committed in Haiti by the
political dissidents and murdering
Network and the ice-PIRG (Public
Canadian Government. Canada’s Joint
unarmed protesters is not “peace
Interest Research Group) at the
Task Force 2 secured the airport and the
keeping” but an extension of the
University of Manitoba.
neighborhood of Port-au-Prince during
colonial project currently transforming
www.outofhaiti.ca
the illegal coup of the democratically
Haiti. Our governments have had
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
COMMENTS
Letter to
the Editor
Chow down: the NDP is not an option for the Left
A
lthough the issue of what to do with your 2006
“working families” while in opposition, but what would
federal election ballot is now moot, I couldn’t
stop a federal NDP government from doing the same?
help but respond to Daniel Blaikie’s editorial
- The Doer government has waged such a successful
“Food, or Thought?” because it seemed so condescend-
struggle against capitalism in Manitoba (ahem). To
ing, unrealistic and shamefully apologetic for the NDP.
which the NDP-loyalist will proclaim, “You simply need
Of course, anyone who has read any of Blaikie’s articles
to work within the party to push it farther to the left”.
should know how much he loves defending the “respectable” left and deriding any form of direct action that
outflanks him on the gauche. No surprises there. Well
let’s turn to the topics at hand...
First off, Blaikie’s article could have been entitled
“Why I’m pissed off that all leftists aren’t voting NDP”
Well here’s a newsflash; the NDP ain’t a leftist party.
It’s a watered down social-democratic party that has
no fundamental objection to capitalism. And as to
‘hardcore’ Lefties using a “consumerist” approach to
politics by not wanting to support the NDP, maybe it’s
more likely that the ‘hardcores’ are disgusted by what
the NDP has become.
Well pardon me if the histories of the Waffle and NPI
- Layton has publicly defended and endorsed the
use of Canadian military in Afghanistan. Nothing like a
little imperialism while humming the “internationale”
eh comrade?
- Layton campaigned on having 16 years-olds
charged with weapons offenses tried as adults. Since
when is the NDP taking pages out of Republican policy
manuals?
- In some provinces the NDP has used back-to-work
legislation to break strikes. It’s easy to talk big about
Finally, Blaikie refers to our ballots as our “best
tools against capitalism” and claims that “tak[ing] on
the powers that be with your best hand tied behind
your back...[is] stupid.” Well I’ll tell you what’s more
than stupid, it’s believing that the rich will allow you to
vote away their wealth. Sorry Daniel but there is no safe
electoral road to socialism (assuming that you’re even
along for the trip). No successful social revolution has
ever been made by simply dropping pieces of paper in a
tool, but as a collective of social movements, we’ll have
to use many tools to build a new society. At the core
though, we need to emphasize the capacity of people
to control their own social, political and economic lives
while challenging the rule of capital and the state. This
ain’t shadow boxing and nobody is going to “represent”
us on the frontlines but ourselves.
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written a piece arguing that the NDP is
the Christian Heritage Party and other
the Left’s best or only hope. My writing
political parties can be, and many are,
in The Uniter has argued against free-
involved with other groups. The illusion
disagrees with me as to the efficacy
market capitalism and taken a strong
of mutual exclusivity is only that.
of electoral politics vis-à-vis social
stand in favour of engaging in the elec-
The Left is not alone in having a
change, however, I think his comments
toral process. The NDP need not – and
radical wing. The neo-conservative
conflate two important issues. These
in fact, does not – have a monopoly on
Right has one as well. They are the same
are the advocacy of electoral politics
electoral opposition to market capital-
who broke with the PC Party to form the
in general, and advocacy of a political
ism, nor is this opposition uniform;
Reform Party, and soon after became
party, here the NDP, in particular.
as I’m sure anyone in the Canadian
the Official Opposition in Canada.
Mr. McGuire’s supposition that I
Action Party, Communist Party, or
They now have a powerful voice in
am an NDP supporter is correct. I have
the David Orchard Club would gladly
government, and while Canada will not
been a fi rm – though not uncritical
tell you. There are opportunities to
become a neo-conservative paradise
– supporter of the NDP for as long as
change organizations from within, but
tomorrow, it’s one – maybe two – steps
I’ve been politically active and have yet
the argument only goes so far before it
closer than it was a few years back.
to be presented with an argument for
turns into advocating for a one party
Neo-conservatives too have strong
withdrawing that support compelling
state (Incidentally, this often occurs in
grassroots organizations pushing their
enough to move me. This doesn’t mean
‘revolutionary’ countries).
leaders to be less moderate, and they’re
I
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yes, the NDP, but also the Liberals, the,
can appreciate that Mr. McGuire
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box. It involves struggle and action.
Besides which, I have not ever
COMMENTS EDITOR
ADVERTISE YOUR
LOCAL BUSINESS
HERE
It’s a dead end.
What’s in a Name?
BY DANIEL BLAIKIE
Classifieds
haven’t taught us anything about the nature of the NDP.
Personally, I favour the general strike as our best
For example:
09
that I should have to preface every
Indeed, the road to socialism will
growing in strength and influence, not
political statement I make with an
require the use of many tools. I’m not
by forsaking electoral politics, but by
apologia for the NDP, nor does it mean
arguing against direct action. Far from
using it. And the radical Right is no less
that I agree with every thing, policy, or
it. I think the mistake of many on the
opposed to government or enamoured
person in the group.
Left is to see public protest and elec-
of direct democracy than the radical
toral politics as incompatible. People in,
Left.
IS YOUR BIRTHDAY IN APRIL? First March-born
U of W student to e-mail us wins Taste-the-World
“all-you-can-eat” buffet for two ($30 value)
plus $25 betting voucher to spend in our Las
Vegas-style big-screen horseplaying area at
Assiniboia Downs. Five others win $10 betting
vouchers. [email protected]. Watch
this space each issue for new birthday months!
February 2, 2006
10
The Uniter
HUMOUR EDITOR: MATT COHEN
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
DIVERSIONS
Almost
A Thought
WILLIAM O’ DONNELL
PSHUNT.KEENSPACE.COM
I
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prepared a meal for my girlfriend. I dubbed it a “work
of art”. She didn’t agree until I added one more stroke
of red paint to the top left corner.
yoga instructor guiding me through some meditation asked me to close my eyes and fi nd my power
animal. What I saw were those Transformers that
combine to form one big Transformer. I was asked either
to try again or leave.
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
DIVERSIONS
STRAIGHT FACED
MATT COHEN
tough resolution to stick to. Fortunately,
HUMOUR EDITOR
there’s a defense.
I
“I want to lose weight.” – According
t’s four weeks into 2006 and
to physics, we become weightless when
that can only mean one thing;
we’re suspended in the air. Jump up and
statistically most of you have
down my friends and you’ve followed
broken your resolutions. I know how
though on that resolution.
you feel. I’ve been there. That’s why
“I want to lose X amount this year.”
this year I decided to start my reso-
– Again, not time specific. You have until
lutions Feb. 1. I’m a month ahead of
Dec. 31 to cross that one off your list.
the competition and I haven’t even
If you lost and gained a pound a week,
started yet.
you would have lost that amount within
For those of you who have had a
twelve months.
lapse on your route to becoming a “better
People seem to want to improve their
person”, this week’s Straight Faced is a
minds by reading more or taking a course
guide on how to justify your slip.
in something. This is an admirable
Quitting smoking seems at the top
venture, but if you find yourself mid-year
of the list of things people should give
regretting not following through, you can
up. I agree, but most “soon to be ex-
always use the following:
smokers” are vague in the phrasing of
“I want to take a class.” - Try picking
their resolution. This gives you the perfect
up an undercover cop posing as a
chance to capitalize.
prostitute. You’ll be sentenced to take a
“I want to quit smoking this year.”
– Not time specific. Even if you set a quit
“John” class and the fine is competitive
with most night school fees.
date, you still have the whole year to
“I’m going to read more.” – As much
follow through. If it sticks for a while but
as we’d all like more leisure time to read,
you start up again, technically, you still
it’s hard to find. Why not try going out
quit that year.
for supper more often. Even if it’s only
“I am not going to smoke anymore.”
menus, you’ll be reading more.
– When friends question you on why
Finally, the first couple of weeks after
you started again, tell them you’re not
declaring your resolution are the hardest.
smoking, you’re “dusting the ostrich”.
Most people feel they let themselves down
Then proceed to constantly refer to
when they fail, moping around gloomily
smoking as that until your friends stop
after they ate an entire cheesecake or
pestering you.
chain-smoked four cartons of menthols.
Losing weight and getting into shape
But remember, as bad as you may feel
seem to be a top priority every year. It’s a
right now, you can always bullshit
enough to make it seem okay.
11
February 2, 2006
12
The Uniter
FEATURES
LEIGHTON KLASSEN
booth, nestled into a small corner attached to
just torn off. Her wrinkled hands count the money in
“Since I’ve bought it, it’s been very important to
SENIOR EDITOR
The Floor.
the till. I walk around to the opening and stick my head
run it the best I could – I wanted to be the best at what
in. She puts a loonie down, her brown eyes gaze up
I did and it’s a gratifying experience, watching people
– she’s trying to remember her count.
coming in during birthdays and smiling from ear-to-ear
“When I’m thinking about it,” he begins, leaning
The lighting’s dim, reserved to the diner-like set
on the DJ booth table – a round light shining from the
up of the sitting area – baby blue booths, black and
roof above, with The Floor ahead, completely dark.
“Ohhhh, hi,” she says to me. Her name is Hazel
white pictures of 1950s teenyboppers with bouffant
“My whole world changed and then I started thinking
Griffin and she works double-duty on Sunday mornings
Small bulbs drape from the roof and cover the
hairdos, their skinny legs tipped with stark white roller
about all the people that were going and the ones who
working both the admissions and the concessions,
entire surface area of the rink – just one of the many
skates – all encompassed by a vast area of darkness
were going to come and about the people who are
bringing all her 85 years of experience to the table.
upgrades Atkinson has dressed the rink up with. His
– The Floor.
going to miss it.”
He looks at the darkness, The Floor, and his
The Floor, the centre piece comprised of strips
of pale gold maple wood, acting as the nerve centre
head jolts back to me.
“I feel somewhat responsible because (the
of the building – the roller skating rink called The
Galaxy, located at 595 Portage Avenue. The photos on
“I started skating in 1934 when it was called
eyes widen, his hand shifts to a control panel and he
the Winnipeg Roller Rink,” she confidently says. “We
flicks a switch – colours – red, green, blue, white,
were in the carnivals in 1939…my picture is up on the
flicker on the roof erratically and singe The Floor with
wall…and then the war came along, and we came back
specks of light.
new owners) aren’t
in ‘45, and in the
wearing dresses, men
“We did that,” Atkinson loudly belts out with a
smile, looking at the roof. “Me and my friend made
the wall show the building, beside the streets
lined with streetcars, women
and to leave happy – that’s what does it for me.”
those lights…they’re outdoor
ONCE MORE
Christmas lights and
AROUND THE FLOOR
wearing trench coats
S K AT I N G T O T H E S I G H T S A N D S O U N D S O F G O L D E N M E M O R I E S
O N S U N D AY S AT T H E G A L A X Y
system with1300 volts.” He says
PHOTOS: WADE ANDREW
and fedoras, and where lights,
he also upgraded the stereo system that 81-
crosswalks, red-light cameras and McDonalds are
still embryos of economy.
It’s 3 p.m. on a Wednesday and an echoing voice
comes from behind the concession desk. It’s Andre
going
to
The music’s blaring – some organ-like waltzing
enough money and it’s not a smart business move.”
war I worked a bit and then raised a family and I didn’t
circus music– the sound of wheels whirling and
skate for 40 years.”
bodies swaying back and forth, pushing off on The
He tells me all the days the rink is open are
special, but there’s one that stands out.
music screaming from the overhead speakers, and the
floor isn’t rolling with wheels – just a faint voice in the
what happens,” he says, with a pointed smile. “On
background, spilling out to the whole place.
Sunday mornings there’s people that come out that
blue booths and shows me a picture.
She pauses, smiles proudly and talks about
Floor, circling, circling around, and…Bang…a
her wheels – the only pair she’s ever
guy dressed in a grey sweatshirt
owned.
flies off the carpet leading to
“I still have my original
The Floor from the booth
have been coming since the ‘40s and they play the
stakes that I had paid $25
area, dragging one foot
music they used to skate to.”
dollars for the boots…so
behind, trying to keep
balance. He skits to a
“That’s us, right there,” he points with a
…Sunday. 10:30 a.m. The lights are on,
you’re looking at about 69
smile, his small eyes gleaming, to the picture – the
illuminating the maple wood, The Floor is whirring
years worth of boot still
street cars, the trench coats, walking in front of the
with wheels whizzing by with smiles, grey hair, all
worthwhile.”
building, then called the Winnipeg Roller Rink back
worked by the wonky legs. And the speaker speaks to
in the early 1900s.
the crowd with a deep ‘30s-tuned voice from the Patsy
got back from the war,
Cline classic.
her and her husband went to
…And then there’ll be a picture somewhere
“Crazy for thinking
else in about two years, where someone else will be
Hazel Griffen and Robert Cruse skate
together at the Galaxy roller rink. Cruse
says he skates there every Sunday,
but “sometimes I forget.”
She says when she
hault. It’s Cliff Wood,
a regular Joe at the
rink on Sundays. For
him, roller skating cut
out his ice skating career.
different rinks around the city,
“A friend of mine talked
showing it and saying, ‘That’s what used to be on this
that my love could
many of which played the music from
lot, oh, way back when.’
hold you, I’m crazy
their era, but she understood when the music makers
for
catered to the younger crowd.
Two years is the slated death of The Building.
year-old Peter Gamble mans.
married a sailor, and when we came back after the
“Sundays; ya gotta come out on Sunday and see
He gets off the phone, walks over to the baby
meantime I
keep it – they’re not going to do it, it just doesn’t make
Atkinson, he’s the owner and he’s booking a gig. Right
now the place isn’t electric – no flashing lights, no
it’s on a 24-channel
me into coming because I used to ice
skate, and I did come down one day and then I
gave up ice skating,” he says, while a group of elderly
Earlier this month the city came in and said the
“They played some of our older music, but we
are tying skates just behind him. “It doesn’t hurt as
place wasn’t safe – needed a constructional overhaul
couldn’t blame them when the younger people came
much when you fall down and we all fall down,” he
– reconstructive surgery. But the price tag to save the
along because they didn’t want to listen to all that
says with a laugh.
building – which was built in the 1800s, first serving
bunk,” she says wide-eyed with a laugh.
And then his partner, Ruth Alderson, a petite
But then the Sunday night accolade began.
brunette lady, skates over from the booths, grabs
and did sell it. He did it just last week
During the mingling at the different rinks, Griffin
him and takes him onto The Floor – a good song
and he remembers the phone call quite
heard about Sunday mornings back in the early ‘90s,
is playing.
vividly – the phone call has booked
when Atkinson bought the rink from Bob Beach – he’s
Hazel’s mingling, now walking around in her
walking around right now mingling with the senior
archaic stark white boots – no rollers attached just
as a stable – is too much and Atkinson had to
the date with the wrecking ball. We
folk – in 1990.
walk over to the DJ
yet – noses in the air on the rink, as the music blares,
“It was suggested to us that we come
and the skaters gracefully sway their body parts to the
on a Sunday morning and that’s when the
rhythms, their smiles plastered, and Peter Gamble is
Senior Association was formed and we’ve
feeding the tape cassette machines with the music
been coming ever since.”
– the music, the source of electricity.
Now the music stops, the place is
“Aww, the music is just so great here,” Ruth
desolate, it’s just me and
Alderson says, while standing beside Cliff Wood.
Andre, back on that
“I’d like to go over to his house and get some of
Wednesday afternoon.
his tapes.”
“I worked for
He’s going mad, manning the dials, adjusting
Bob Beach and
the levels, finding the right song. The sound board is
started in 1974,”
sizzling, and Peter’s got a big smile on his face, but
he
his tone is serious and authoritative – he performs his
says,
still
leaning over the DJ
“You can come here and you’re not going to
as a youngster and then just asked
have your mind blown out…we play everything from
him if he would sell it.”
the ‘30s to the present day and we don’t play hard
trying and crazy for crying, And I’m
crazy for loooooooving youuuuuuuuuu.”
And he did – to a guy that’s put
in his hours and his rounds on the rink.
There’s a woman with short, curly grey
HAZEL GRIFFEN laces up her roller
skates, which she bought in 1937.
“I’ve
mandate – when he talks about The Music.
booth, The Floor dark. “I started
been
here
Atkinson
says.
for
rock, rap, or hip-hop,” says the official oldest roller
rink DJ in Canada.
my
He’s one of the first people in the building
hair standing behind a sheet of plexiglass – the
life,”
when
Sunday, getting the tapes ready, the sound system
admissions booth. She’s wearing a cherry-red dress
I was working in other places, I’d come here in
warmed up for the highlight of many of these
jacket with gold buttons – looks like the plastic was
the evening and skate.”
peoples’ week.
“Even
all
FEATURES EDITOR: LORI EBBITT
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
“It’s a social thing,” he says smiling, “and if you
like roller skating it just gets in your blood…it just
gets ya. All Sunday morning is volunteer – the owner
gives us the key and we look after the place.”
It’s just a way of life, he says, and music titles
weren’t the only thing the music maker was looking at
during his roller skating career.
“Oh, the good looking girls,” he says of some of
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
FEATURES
“Well, we can do a two-step.”
“No no,” Cliff says to Ruth. “He’s talking
about here.”
13
It’s given John Wilbech ravishing skin burns,
to die in Winnipeg,” he says. “When this one’s gone,
it’s been the platform where teenagers – the now-old
there’s only one other one and that’s not going to
folk – met their solemates while holding hands, to the
last forever.”
“Oh, well,” she looks at him. “We can tango.”
sound of music and wheels rolling. It’s where people
Back to The Rink, Sunday. Peter’s playing his
“We try anything,” Cliff says with a smile.
met, they danced, they waltzed, and they caught
last numbers, some people are sitting at the booths,
I ask Ruth if Cliff’s good at dancing. She looks
up with the freshest gossip. All at The Floor. It’s an
talking about the rest of their daily agenda and Hazel
allegory of life and a fossil of so many storylines of
is finally done balancing her float – her eyes are wide,
the Roller Skaters. Atkinson knows that.
her body seemingly stiff – a look of concentration on
at him, nods – he’s ear-to-ear smiling.
“Yeah, he’s good.”
his best memories at the rink. “At the old Auditorium,
her face – her red coat slightly flapping as she slowly
that’s where I met my wife and then you get married
makes her way around The Floor. Her hand tightly
and that’s the way it was. It was a place where guys
holds Robert Cruse’s – one of her, as she says, ‘stall-
meet girls and girls meet guys and roller skating was
work’ skaters, but sporadically, her face brightens with
second. You find one and then you start your roller
a smile, as she makes her rounds around The Floor.
skating career.”
The song slowly fizzles out, caresses to a silence.
A stream of people are constantly spilling out
“Well, that’s all,” Peter’s voice says from
from the booth area – The Music’s got them. One of
the speaker. “I hope you enjoyed it, see you all
them stops to chat. It’s a tall burly man – his name is
next Sunday.”
John Wilsbech and he’s a ‘born-again-skater.’
It only takes a few moments before the lights are
“This is my second go around,” he says, the
back off, darkness pours onto The Floor – the maple
words just sputtering out of his mouth in a boyish
no longer visible – an abyss of blackness, except the
Denmark accent. “I skated in the early ‘60s and early
glimmer from the DJ booth where Peter can be heard
‘70s…I love the music they play here, I absolutely
putting the plastic tape cassettes back in their cases.
love it and I’ve been skating since I was 8 years old
Hazel has taken her skates off – walking around in just
over in Europe so when I found the roller rink here I
the white boots – and is back at the concessions.
just couldn’t stay away.”
“Wheeeuu,” a sigh of exhaustion, she leans
And he’s gotten quite intimate with The Floor,
heavily on one arm planted on the concession table.
literally, when he speaks of his memories.
“You know I thought I could have had everything
“It goes back to the hardwood floors with the
hardwood wheels…sometimes at night they would
have gentlemen only and you get to skate as fast as
you wanted, man I’ve had some terrific wipe-outs
done, but you know, but I couldn’t keep him waiting
PETER GAMBLE poses with a pair of roller skates at the Galaxy roller rink. Peter
works the DJ booth at the Galaxy, and at 86 is the oldest roller skating DJ in Canada.
here,” he says. “I remember ripping my polyester
pants back in the ‘70s,” he laughs. “My skin was fine
but I slide for about a 30-foot slide…just go like mad,
it was a blast.”
Ruth and Cliff let the wheels cool down, come
back to the carpeted area to talk about their dancing
diva ways.
“Yeah we dance sometimes,” Cliff says.
Ruth interjects.
all morning,” she says with a laugh. And continues to
count the money.
“Some days I get up and go ‘awweeee’ should I
get up so early, and we do, and we enjoy it.”
“Oh, she’s reaaaal good,” Cliff says with a laugh.
And off they go back to The Floor.
Hazel is back at the concessions. It’s about 11
now, an hour until shutdown.
“I’ll miss it,” he says, shaking his head. “But I
want to take The Floor.”
Peter leaves the DJ booth – the nerve centre
– walking away with the speaker candy – a small
He says he wants to put it somewhere else
briefcase of cassette tapes and walks out the door.
– start up another rink, but he fears roller skating is
Silence, only the sound of the giant fans from above
“If I get my money counted at the canteen I
dying like many other leisurely activities being melted
the dark Floor and a coin dropping out of Hazel’s hand
usually go on the floor at about 11:30 and have some
down by the age of modernism – causing an extinction
into the till at the back of the concessions. Silence,
very stall-work skaters to go with,” she says from
of the activity due to high costs of operation.
darkness…until next Sunday.
behind the canteen. “I don’t want to take a chance.”
(L-R) Frank George, Peter Gamble and Elton Morrison relax in a booth at the Galaxy roller rink.
“If people aren’t careful, roller skating is going
February 2, 2006
14
The Uniter
FEATURES EDITOR: LORI EBBITT
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
FEATURES
Waverly West :
area with a population of almost two million whose
Wavering Plans for an Uncertain Future
AARON ZEGHERS
Take a stroll through downtown Winnipeg these
days, and what do you see…thriving businesses, crowds
of people, and attractively restored buildings? All right,
we’re not quite there yet, but over the last couple of
years Winnipeg has seen a real positive shift towards
inner-city development. Whether it is the restoration
of the Exchange, the community-based development of
the Wolseley area, or the bustling social life of Osborne
Village, downtown has seen a real improvement in
recent years.
For Martin Grady, a senior planner at the City
of Winnipeg’s Planning, Property and Development
Department, this is a great success, especially
considering he is a resident of Wolseley himself. It
might seem strange then, that Grady is the city’s head
planner of what is to be Winnipeg’s newest suburban
development: Waverly West.
Waverly West is an initiative brought forward
almost two years ago that plans to turn almost 3,000
acres of farmland in the south-west portion of the city
into a new residential suburb. Since its beginnings it has
been a controversial topic, sparking debate throughout
Winnipeg. In early 2005 the plan was approved by both
the city and provincial governments, and construction of
the first portion of the massive development is slated to
begin near the end of this year.
Martin Grady, as well as other city officials onboard
the project, believe that Waverly West is a necessity for
Winnipeg and Winnipeggers. “I think there are two things
going on,” Grady said in a recent interview. “There is one
kind of people that want the new neighbourhood, and a
new house, and another kind that want an apartment or
condo, and the benefits of living downtown.”
Opposition to the Waverly West initiative views
this situation much differently. They see the expansion
as part of the ongoing and ill-planned suburban sprawl
that plagues Winnipeg. Kate Sjoberg, a vocal critic of
the Waverly West development and recent author of
“3,000 Acres of Phony Demand,” found many problems
in the Waverly West plans that have been ignored by
developers and city planners alike. In her report, she
highlights the fact that the Waverly West development
will create somewhere between 15,000 and 24,000
lots, which is somewhere between five to eight lots per
acre. Not only are these lot sizes roughly the same as
“traditional suburbs,” such as River Heights or Linden
Woods, but what Sjoberg found most surprising was
the approximately 32,500 unused or greenfield lots in
Winnipeg already. The reason that this has not been
seen as a viable option, says Grady, is because “a
lot of inner-city land is privately owned, and
so we ignored much of that in our study.”
The bottom line is that it would be a
lot of work to get the rights to this
land, and expanding beyond city
borders will be much easier
for both the city and its
developers.
“3,000 Acres of Phony Demand” also shows the
holes in the arguments for Waverly West. One of the
major arguments of Waverly West supporters, such as
Grady, is that the new development will help offset the
huge costs of infrastructure in our city. “We compared
the cost-benefit effect of having Waverly West and found
that it would be a financial benefit for the city,” Grady
said regarding the financial analysis done of Waverly
West. In this analysis, the City of Winnipeg found that
Waverly West would contribute a little over $70 million
to the city over the first 80 years of its existence if
everything goes as planned. The problem with this
estimated $70 million over 80 years, says Sjoberg, is not
only that it will amount to less than $1 million a year, but,
compared to the $330 million spent on city infrastructure
this year, or the $298 million city deficit, it really isn’t
much money. “It’s interesting how people can take
numbers and make them work the way they want them
to,” said Sjoberg regarding many of the city’s studies.
The real underlying problem that Sjoberg sees in
Winnipeg is not this manipulation of facts and numbers,
or ignorance of alternatives, but the overall poor
planning of city officials like Grady. “I really think that
there is an urban planning problem in Winnipeg, and I
think Winnipeggers are conscious of it,” Sjoberg said. In
her report, she addresses the direct effects that poor city
planning has on the residents of Winnipeg: “Potholes,
water quality, school capacity, lack of low-income and
affordable housing, mass public transport, deteriorating
infrastructure, the social problems exacerbated and
encouraged by inner city decay, traffic, and more, are
all problems very familiar to Winnipeggers and they
can all be linked, at least in part, to inadequate urban
planning.”
The problem with Waverly West is that
most Winnipeggers won’t realize the negative
effects that the development could have
until it is too late. The lack of awareness
about the situation is mostly because
no one is raising questions about
these potential problems,
including the city and
provincial governments.
However, this is what
Sjoberg is trying
to do. One of
the most
obvious
risks
t o
Winnipeg
and
its
residents is the
fact that the city
is already struggling
to pay for the costs of
infrastructure maintenance,
and many people are worried
that the 3,000 acres of new
infrastructure will just be an added
burden that is unsustainable. There
is also a fear amongst many downtown
residents that the opening of Waverly West will
shift people away from the inner-city, bringing
downtown development to a halt. When asked about
this concern, Grady replied that “Waverly West won’t
have any affect on downtown at all,” but Sjoberg is still
wondering how this all fits in to the overall development
plan for Winnipeg.
In fact, many people recently are asking what the
development plan for Winnipeg is. On one hand we have
inner-city development that came with the new arena and
the regentrification plans in the Exchange, and on the
other hand we have a gigantic new suburb being planned
for the outskirts of Winnipeg. Sjoberg believes this to be
proof of the fact that “the leaders of Winnipeg don’t have
a sense of what Winnipeg will look like in 25 years.” The
truth is that most Winnipeggers probably feel similarly,
regardless of which side of the Waverly West argument
they stand on.
Grady rationalizes the entire development scheme
by theorizing that “cities will keep expanding and,
unfortunately, the downtown will keep suffering, until
they reach a critical mass, about 800,000 to one
million. At this point the city will stop expanding
and start to fill in again.” Under this theory,
Winnipeg would continue to expand outward,
until the people of Winnipeg, and not the
developers or city leaders, forced
the development of downtown by
choosing to live there.
So what road should
city planners take when
deciding how to
further develop
Winnipeg?
Christopher
Leo,
a
Professor
of Politics at
the U of W, and
Katie Anderson,
an employee at the
Institute of Urban
Studies at the U of W,
may have the solution, or
at least some suggestions.
Together,theyhaverece
ntlyreleasedastudynamed“Being
Realistic about Urban Growth” that
analyzes the planning of Winnipeg
developments and then compared it to
Vancouver, a city that is taking a much more
sustainable and thought-out approach to its
developments. They begin their argument by
attacking the mindset that city leaders all across
North America seem to have. “Growth is to North
American civic leaders what publicity is to Hollywood
stars: there is no such thing as bad growth, and no such
thing as too much of it. If we take local media seriously,
we may come away with the impression that growth is
the elixir that cures all ills, from potholes to poverty,
and that any city that is not growing rapidly is being `left
behind’.” This is not true, they argue, and Winnipeg,
along with other slow growing or declining cities such as
Rome, Copenhagen, Vienna, Brussels, and Milan, has its
own benefits that it should capitalize on. For example,
Winnipeg has extremely low housing costs, as was just
shown on the cover of the Jan. 26 issue of the Winnipeg
Free Press, and Manitobans also have the second
lowest unemployment rate in Canada this year. To Leo
and Anderson these are things that Winnipeggers, and
specifically those on city council, should capitalize on
instead of trying to become another Toronto or Montreal.
“Vancouver and Winnipeg are facing very different
challenges and opportunities,” say Leo and Anderson
in their paper. “Vancouver will not have the benefit of
Winnipeg’s affordable housing and Winnipeg will not
enjoy Vancouver’s impunity in dictating terms to mobile
corporations. However, given intelligent management…
there is no serious reason why both cities cannot enjoy
high-quality services and infrastructure.”
As they begin to compare Vancouver to Winnipeg,
it becomes easy to see that the two cities are obviously
quite different. “Vancouver is a Pacific Rim metropolitan
population grew 8.5 per cent between
1996 and 2001 and Winnipeg is a
prairie metropolitan area of
almost 700,000 that grew
0.6 per cent over
the same time
p erio d.”
At the
s a m e
time there
are many things
that are very unique
about
Vancouver’s
development plans, many
of which could be useful to
Winnipeg.
In 1972 Vancouver, being
surrounded by mountains, realized
that urban sprawl was to blame for the
very limited supply of agricultural land that
remained surrounding it. It was because of this
that the city put strict boundaries on possible city
expansion. The city also forced any new developers
to meet a certain density requirement when building
new areas inside the city. All of this, in turn, forced the
city’s density to increase to a level that is now almost
four times higher than that of Winnipeg’s. It is precisely
because of this higher density that Vancouver is able
to afford things that would be considered luxuries
in Winnipeg, such as a multitude of parks, public
space, bike trails, a successful rapid transit, and well
maintained roads and sidewalks.
The problem with this scenario in Winnipeg is that
there is no reason for the city to ever stop expanding,
because “we’ve got so much space it just seems like,
`Why not?’.” says Sjoberg, “We are prioritizing outward
growth, and not cultivating inward growth. Why do we do
this?” Sjoberg, as well as Leo and Anderson, attribute
this to the city council of Winnipeg rolling over too
quickly for developing companies, such as ND Lea, the
leading developer of Waverly West.
There is some good news in all of this, though.
Many progressive development tactics are being talked
about for Waverly West, including mixed income housing,
higher density population, town centres which incorporate
local businesses, pedestrian and bike routes, and easily
accessible public transportation. All of this has been
worked over and talked about, but not much of it has yet
been cast in stone. There will be some mixed income
housing, but the density doesn’t look to be much greater
than that of River Heights. The still unnamed, 340 acre
north-east neighbourhood, which is scheduled to begin
construction near the end of the year, will be a system
of loops, cul-de-sacs, and `cookie cutter houses’ that
have become traditional with new developments. The
town centre will not be constructed until later on…
sometime… and the plans for it are still quite vague.
When asked if there was still hope that Waverly
West could turn into a positive attribute for Winnipeg,
Sjoberg replied, “That’s what I’m hoping, but I’d have
to say that the way we’re going about it at this point,
it doesn’t look good if you are interested in smart
growth.”
For almost a year now, since its approval, the
debate over whether Waverly West should be allowed
to be developed has been over. Since then it has
disappeared from the spotlight as if the battle of “smart
growth” had been lost. The open house meetings to
discuss what the new development will look like have
drawn a minimal crowd, and the developers and the city
have still not released any real information as to what
Waverly West will look like. As a result it seems that,
once again, the developers, with full cooperation from
the city and province, will get their traditional suburban
development, possibly even with a couple of extra bells
and whistles thrown in.
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
ARTS & CULTURE
Employment Opportunity:
Chief Elections Commissioner
15
TEDIOUS MINUTIAE
Or: Ineffectively Detailing One’s Cultural Consumption for the Uncaring
Installment #14
The UWSA is looking for a Chief Elections commissioner to oversee the UWSA general elections. The Chief
Elections Commissioner is responsible for ensuring that all UWSA Elections, By-Elections and Referenda are
BEN MACPHEE-SIGURDSON
conducted with integrity, transparency, honesty and accountability and are conducted in accordance with the
UWSA By-Laws and relevant policy. This is a paid volunteer position that begins immediately. Visit the UWSA
Pondered:
general office for more information regarding duties, qualifications and to pick up a complete job posting.
Please submit a resume and cover letter by February 7th, 2006 to:
Jian
Ghomeshi/The
National Playlist
Administered: insulin injections,
Kate Sjoberg
feline diabetes
UWSA President
UWSA General office
[email protected]
First off, apologies for last week’s
column… I realize that self-deprecating blathering of that ilk is nothing more
than cleverly concealed self-aggrandiz-
Volunteer Opportunity:
Elections Commission Committee Members
ing,
‘pay-attention-to-me’
posturing.
Won’t happen again, I swear. Moving
right along.
I was watching The Hour on CBC
Newsworld the other day (tied for my
The UWSA is looking for several students who are interested in being members of the Elections/Referendum
Commission. Elections commissioners are responsible for assisting the Chief Elections commissioner throughout the UWSA general election cycle. Elections/Referendum Commission members, as part of the Elections
favourite
channel,
with
CPAC,
the
Canadian Public Affairs Channel), and
Commission, shall act as the first body of appeal during the Election/Referendum Cycle and shall receive, hear,
Mr. Ghomeshi appeared in conjunction
and where appropriate, take action upon receipt of any appeals, complaints, concerns, questions, comments
with his Radio One program entitled The
pertaining to the elections. The Elections/Referendum Commission is responsible for ensuring that all UWSA
National Playlist. He and The Hour host
Elections, By-Elections and Referenda are conducted with integrity, transparency, honesty and accountability
George Stromboulopoulos chatted about
and are conducted in accordance with the UWSA By-Laws and relevant policy.
said playlist.
So what is the National Playlist?
This is a volunteer position. Visit the UWSA general office for more information regarding duties, qualifications
and to pick up a complete volunteer posting. All decisions regarding appointments to the Elections/Referendum Commissionare made by the Chief Elections Commissioner and the Chair of the UWSA Board of Directors. Please submit a resume and cover letter by February 13th, 2006 to:
Well, it’s a Top 10 list of songs compiled
by listener and guest nominations. Songs
are debated, listeners vote online (http://
www.cbc.ca/nationalplaylist),
and
the
Klara Labady
four songs that receive the least amount
UWSA Office Administrator
of support are turfed.
UWSA General office
[email protected]
The whole notion of a national playlist is a bit of a strange one. First off, the
debate happens weekly at 11:30 a.m. on
CBC Radio One. Not exactly a ripping time
slot, and you’ll notice AM radio (home of
We want to
know want
you think!
CBC Radio One) has about three stations
on it. In a few years AM radio won’t exist.
Yet for some reason almost everyone I
know listens to the show.
Secondly, it’s not clear what the
songs are supposed to represent. They’re
not exclusively Canadian, they’re not
exclusively old or new, not exactly all
rock or contemporary popular artists,
etc. Nowhere on the National Playlist’s
website does it say what the mandate of
The UWSA is accepting budget submissions for the
UWSA 2006-2007 operating budget. Let us know what
want to see your student union prioritise for next year.
the list is.
The list of panelists is dominated
by men; male panelists outnumber their
female counterparts two to one (at least
Budget committee dates:
February 8th, 2006 at 12:30 p.m.
February 23rd, 2006 at 2: 00 p.m.
those listed on the website), and the only
actual musicians listed are male. Oh, and
please… Rick Campanelli? Gross.
As for the host, Jian Ghomeshi, there
is little doubt that his background lends
itself to this sort of programming. His
Come to a budget committee meeting or send your
ideas and comments to Tanya McFadyen at:
[email protected]
credentials are really quite impressive:
he’s hosted >play on CBC Newsworld for
three years, as well as hosting the very
popular 50 Tracks series on CBC Radio;
he’s published all over the place, has a
history of television appearances, and
was very active in his student days at York
University.
Let’s just all try and forget that he
was in the brutally brutal Moxy Früvous,
OK?
I guess the reason I hold some sort
of grudge against Jian Ghomeshi is that I
really just want his job. I sat and scowled
as he and George debated songs from the
playlist on The Hour. Jian had nominated
“Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens the week
prior, which is a phenomenal song and
has been getting spins on campus radio
stations for months already.
The only other real beef I have with
Jian Ghomeshi, besides raging envy and
jealousy, is that he comes across as just a
little too perfectly manicured and important. His hair and clothes are always messy
in exactly the right places, his manner of
speaking calculatedly passionate.
The National Playlist just leaves me
confused as to its purpose, and is unendingly frustrating. Even through my acrid
envy, I monitor it like a hawk. I guess they
must be doing something right.
*****
Recently, one of my cats was diagnosed with diabetes. Clearly something
was wrong: one cat lost weight while the
other didn’t, and the now-slimmer cat was
ravenous all the time and having monster
human-sized pees.
After trying him out on diabetic cat
food and pills, the vet deduced that we
would have to switch to injecting him with
two units (is that the right term?) of insulin twice a day, as well as check his blood
sugar levels weekly using a glucometer.
Administering the shots is very easy,
and he doesn’t even seem to notice when it
happens. I’ve gotten insulin on my hands
once or twice, and it’s got this smell that
reminds me of something I just can’t put
my fi nger on.
The glucometer is no fun, and I
have this morbid curiosity about my own
blood sugar. But, as per usual, the terror
of discovering there is actually something wrong with me always triumphs.
Hypochondriphobia perhaps? When I had
to go to a walk-in clinic last year to repair
a beer bottle-damaged fi nger (damn Stella
Artois) the receptionist asked me who my
doctor was, and I gave her the name of my
family doctor. She told me he had moved
away years ago. That’s how often I visit
doctors.
Virus-free emails only:
[email protected]
Real-time election blog and other musings: tediousminutiae.blogspot.com
February 2, 2006
16
ARTS EDITOR: MIKE LEWIS
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
The Uniter
ARTS & CULTURE
We Dare Not Speak Its Name….
MIKE LEWIS
ARTS EDITOR
“Are you having blood?” she asks.
I smile and shake my head, no, thank
you. The ghostly apparition, bathed in
confl icting strands of acquiescent ivory
and attacking crimson, continues onward
into the crowd. The dead have risen and
they have flocked to the Royal Albert. One
could think of more meaningful locales
for the recently re-animated like say, the
German countryside, Transylvania or even
Disneyworld. Just imagine thousands of
tiny corpses chanting ‘it’s a necro-world
after all’ to the tune of distant pipe organs
as you ride the boat down the river Styx.
This night however, it’s something far
less ominous. This group of onlookers has
unwittingly arrived to be part of an experiment. It’s an experiment whose main goal
is to try to comprehend the mindset of the
PHOTOS: WADE ANDREW
people in the crowd, to take it out, point
at it, and laugh. And the governing body
CUNT PUNISHER live at the Royal Albert
CUNT PUNISHER’S JEFF LEWIS
of this sociological outing is none other
than Winnipeg’s newest grind-core band,
Cunt Punisher. Yeah, it’s a harsh name, but
ily laden with growling Satanic diatribes
the least. And don’t let the band’s
funny. It somehow loses all of its menace.
that’s the point.
against
concept fool you. The name may be a
I think it is way more menacing to see a
joke, but the music isn’t. They take it
normal human being sink to the depths of
very seriously.
insanity for 3 minutes and then come back
In preparing for this story, a canvass
Christianity
that
are
almost
always poorly recorded.
It’s the visual characteristics of the
of fellow staff members, students, and
to being normal. It’s a lot of work.”
power
genre that usually draw the stares and/or
Daniel and Ben started the whole
behind the name. The results were, for
snickers from the general public. Band
mess as a way to be able to just write on
the most part, less than surprising. Most
members and fans alike cover themselves in
the spot; as a release. They recruited Lewis
women thought it was a reference to rape.
“corpse-paint”, because let’s face it, music
shortly thereafter and then found a vocal-
Most men thought it had to do with rough
can only be more fun when you imperson-
ist in Konwalchuk, who, up until the offer
sex. One rather unique perspective was
ate the dead. Just look at the Rolling Stones.
to join, was primarily a drummer himself.
about it: it clocks in at 9 minutes and
that it described a girl having to lay there in
Even taking into account the showman-
The name came from necessity. A show
47 seconds. Most importantly though,
bed and endure a particularly bad perfor-
ship factor, it’s the fact that both bands
had been booked and they had to call
the album completely, 100 percent repre-
mance from some dude. Each answer
and fans alike totally buy in to what they’re
themselves something. Originally called
sents the live show. The sound is brutal,
revealed something about that person.
doing that makes it so silly. They believe
Wombkick, the name was changed when
the vocals are indecipherable. The song
And as guitarist Jeff Lewis points out, “it’s a
they are the walking dead come to occupy
Stewart decided that taking it as far into
titles, such as “Terri Hatcher’s Passion
really good conversation piece.”
music-scenesters
revealed
the
Inspired
by
the
overwhelming
amount of support, Cunt Punisher hit
the studio last October to cut an eight
song demo. And here’s the cool part
a venue for an evening before retreating
the extreme as possible was the only way to
Sled”, “Raised by Bears”, or “Ed Gein’s Coin
But to understand Cunt Punisher and
to their mom’s basements to curl up with
go. Hence, Cunt Punisher.
Purse” are of absolutely no help. But that’s
their mission, one must fi rst understand
a good book. Happiness is a warm copy of
“We’re just making fun of bands that
how it’s supposed to be. And if the front
the target audience. And by target audi-
the Necronomicon. That being said, they’re
take themselves seriously with names like
row of a Cunt Punisher show is any indi-
ence, I mean those they are targeting for
very polite about who they cover with the
that,” explains Stewart. “Bands like Dying
cation, the album is more than just a 10-
ridicule, not for popularity: Black Metal
fake blood, which is good, because that shit
Fetus, Dead Jesus, and Anal Dissection.
minute novelty. People are actually listen-
bands and fans.
doesn’t come off easily.
We’re making fun of the people who think
ing to it over and over, and then screaming
that it’s cool as well as the people who are
the lyrics right back in Konwalchuk’s face
so avidly against it.”
throughout the show.
The term “black metal” was purport-
So, how does Cunt Punisher fit into
edly invented by the band Venom as a play
this? The band is comprised of four of the
on “black magic” for their Black Metal
most normal guys one could meet, includ-
The name alone has proven to be
The next few months are looking to
album back in 1982. It came to represent
ing Lewis and Daniel Stewart on guitar, Ben
quite a lightning rod for controversy. As can
be fairly active for the band, with several
a genre whose main sonic characteris-
Silmon on the drums, and Jeff Konwalchuk
be expected, initial reaction was decidedly
shows and even a tour of western Canada
tics consist of blazingly fast songs, heav-
on vocals. There’s no praising of Satan, no
negative, even among friends of the band.
in May. Not bad considering that the band
talk of how cool
At their fi rst show at the Collective last fall,
had originally planned to simply try and
it would be to kill
band members ran into friends who had no
survive one show and then call it a day.
themselves,
and
idea the guys were in Cunt Punisher. They
Asked whether or not the band will go over
not one of them
were simply there to protest those “imma-
outside of the protective bubble that is
bitches
95.9 FM CKUW CAMPUS/
COMMUNITY RADIO
TOP 10 CD - ALBUMS
JANUARY 22 - 28, 2006
! = Local content * = Canadian Content *NB: RE=Re Entry NE = New Entry
LW TW Artist Recording Label
1
2
7
6
3
11
5
10
9
8
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
! The Hummers • Modern Entrance • Sisyphus
Various Artists • Northern Faction 3 • Balanced
! Subcity Dwellers • Out On the Streets • Steel Capped
* Wolf Parade • Wolf Parade • Sub Pop
! The Quiffs • The Quiffs • Independent
! The Farrell Bros. • This is a Riot • Stumble
* Ladytron • Witching Hour • Ryko
! Afterbeat • Personals • Bacteria Buffet
Johnny Cash • The Legend of Johnny Cash • Universal
! Absent Sound • It’s All True • No List
about
ture little 16 year olds” who thought having
hometown, Konwalchuk replies “it’s infec-
their parents. In
an offensive name was supposed to be cool.
tious to watch anyone get on stage and have
fact, a couple of
When the curtain went up and the band
a good time regardless of what the hell is
the parents come
took the stage, protests were immediately
happening. It just seems like people want
to the shows on
silenced. And people fucking loved it.
any excuse to misbehave.”
basis.
“A lot of people make fun of us until
Either way, it’s like any other contro-
Cunt Punisher is
they hear how tight we are,” says Lewis.
versial situation. If you want to be offended
simply a way for
“Not anybody can play grind-core or
by something, you will be offended. If you
the members to
scream like [Konwalchuk].” Crowd reac-
choose to look for the humour in some-
vent for anywhere
tion has been strictly positive thus far and
thing, you will fi nd it.
from 45 seconds
the crowds are only getting bigger with
to 2 minutes at
each show. It bears noting that the male
The band will take the stage at The
a time. Some of
to female split in attendance is usually
Collective on February 4th. For more
the members are
50/50. So how does the band explain the
on Cunt Punisher, including audio clips
in
growing appeal?
from
a
regular
other
bands
like Red Blanket
“We’re just trying to provide a contrast
Querkus,
to [the black metal scene]” Konwalchuk
grind-
says. “You don’t have to live it to play it. I
core isn’t heavily
was inspired by old bands like Immortal
explored
Possession. It struck me that it was pretty
or
where
to
say
It’s up to you.
their
forthcoming
demo,
www.myspace.com/cuntpunisher
visit
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
ARTS & CULTURE
17
In the Wake of Disaster… Beauty.
haunt each of the photographs and serve
JAYA BEANGE
to intensify the sense of destruction.
We take a certain painful delight in
There is a new show on at Gallery 1C03.
viewing this scene, and yet David’s work
David McMillan has kindly shared with
transcends this confused appreciation
us ‘Mexico’, a series of his photographs
that is consequent to the viewing of
of the Yucatan peninsula. These photos
human loss.
were taken during a research visit he
The
series
is
eerie,
but
an
made following the catastrophic storm
unidentifi able element of the simple
of Sept. 22, 2002 and one week after the
artistic process of enclosing the scene
infamous Mexican festival of the dead.
within a square border gives order to
This work is fitting with his oeuvre in
the chaos, and the aesthetic experience
general – he is known for documenting the
becomes not merely sublime (as we are
disaster in Chernobyl and has now made
engaged by horrific news items) but is
11 trips to that site. This time the havoc
also beautiful. It’s fascinating that the
recorded on fi lm is wrought by natural
translation from reality to image can
powers. There was something fortuitous,
change the grotesque into a thing of
as inappropriate as it is to make such a
beauty. The formal composition, the
claim, that David was scheduled alongside
movement and the colours, framed and
other artists to travel to the place of this
hung as art present to us something worthy
lamentable event. One would have to feel
of contemplation. In one photograph (the
fortunate to have at one’s disposal such a
weighty and striking subject matter.
GALLERY 1C03 - David McMillan’s “Lobby, Resort Hotel, Telchac Puerto.”
The scenes depicted, of a resort, its
surroundings and cemetery grounds,
primary subject matter. The salmon pink
and its consequences. In this work and
appear silent and abandoned with random
and aquamarine – colours of the culture
in the photographs from Chernobyl, one
household objects strewn about. Yet the
– recur in different locations, in cemetery
enters an abandoned scene that is frozen
ghostly movements of sheets and palm
stones and furniture and in the sky, and
in time. It is the colour and the movement
trees occupy it. The artist’s intention,
the contrast helps to make the experience
of the draperies (set free from the barriers
through the use of slow exposure was to
of viewing them slightly unsettling.
presented by glass panes now broken), of
shoot at a time of day when the sun would
Photographers sometimes concern
the trees and the skies that, against the
not be so intense as to distract from the
themselves with the depiction of time
subtlety of other objects in the scene,
artist’s favourite of the series) we await a
theatrical performance.
In another we are beckoned along a
sandy road where it looks as though we
will eventually fall off the edge of the
earth. But we are not frightened.
Go take a look, enter into each
photograph, to contemplate death but
also to enjoy the mysterious serenity
of it all.
FILM REVIEWS
Henri Langlois :
The Phantom of the Cinematheque
Directed by Jacques Richard
210 minutes
REVIEW BY DAN HUGYABAERT
“To love cinema is to love life.” - Henri Langlois. This quote from
Jacques Richard’s film perhaps best sums up the reasons for the student
protests in Paris in 1968, fuelled by the dismissal of Langlois as head of the
Cinematheque Francaise, as well as other social and political conditions at the
time. Richard’s film follows the life of Langlois, as well as the history of the
Cinematheque, in a straightforward chronology, dotted with incredible archival
footage (including Langlois pinning the Legion of Honor on Alfred Hitchcock) and interviews with such noted people
as Claude Chabrol. Langlois may have been a shy slovenly type (it didn’t help that his hair looked like it hadn’t been
washed in a week), but it was his incredible wit and intelligence, alongside his intense desire to “show shadows of
the living coexisting with the shadows of the dead” that lends an insatiable charm to this documentary.
To say that Langlois was an important figure in the history of cinema is really an understatement. He single
handedly invented film preservation. Films back then were destroyed after their theatrical release for fear of
being pirated (how ironic nowadays). As a result, he founded the Cinematheque in the 1930s, saving The Cabinet of
Dr. Caligari, Buster Keaton movies with Czech titles and perhaps even La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc (the most haunting
movie I have ever laid eyes on) from destruction along the way. During the Nazi occupation, he was forced to hide
his films, carting them around in baby carriages, for films such as Chaplin’s The Great Dictator were sought after
by the Nazis. During this time he saved The Blue Angel, thanks in large part to some comedic espionage and a Nazi
film lover. The recollections of the people in this film made you wish you were there, for their spirit comes off the
screen.
Most importantly though, not only did Langlois save these films, he showed them. Considering this was a time
prior to the invention of DVDs and VCRs, if there was a film you wanted to see, you simply went, for you wouldn’t get
the chance to see it again for another 10 years, due to the 50,000 films collected at that time. Because of this factor,
and the quality of films being shown there, Cinematheque Francaise was always full.
To Langlois, everything was worth saving, for he was one of the first people to regard cinema not only
as art, but a reflection of our culture: a recording of our culture that is far superior to newsreel footage, which,
Langlois notes, only shows “a head of state or a horse.”
He is credited with being the father of the French New Wave, when budding directors like Jean-Luc Godard,
Francois Truffaut and Eric Rohmer were regulars at the cinema. He witnessed the birth of the auteur theory, through
his screenings of the complete works of John Ford and Howard Hawks; all this on a meager budget and barely any
government funding. When he was ousted as Cinematheque boss in 1968, not only did the aforementioned filmmakers
rise in protest, the film world did as well and Langlois was reinstated. Orson Welles and Charlie Chaplin were among
his many supporters, threatening to pull their films from the Cinematheque if he was let go. He was eventually
reinstated, and even taught at universities in North America, particularly in Montreal. He won an honorary Oscar in
1973, four years before his death. His grave in the Montparnasse area of Paris is a mural of still shots from some
of the greatest movies.
If you love movies, this is an important documentary, and although it clocks in at a long 210 minutes, true
movie buffs will find the time flies by, and will probably want more.
The Phantom of the Cinematheque is playing at the Cinematheque Feb. 6 to 9, 7pm
VISIONS OF THE END:
THE APOCALYPTIC CANADIAN CINEMA SERIES
AT THE CINEMATHEQUE FEB. 3-5
REVIEW BY MIKE LEWIS
Crime Wave
Directed by John Paizs
80 minutes
Few men actually make it to the Top. Screenwriter Steve Penny is one of them. Steve’s journey
is a difficult one. He has what is likely a common problem among writers: he has trouble with “the
middles.” Typing by the light cast by a streetlamp through the window of his garage-attic apartment,
Steve churns out beginnings and conclusions of his colour crime drama Crime Wave over and over
again.
Steve’s biggest fan is the young Kim, whose parents have put Steve up in their garage. One
morning she comes across the crumpled yellow papers containing Steve’s rejected beginnings and
endings. Over the following weeks, Kim saves every single one, eventually having one gift wrapped
straight from the would-be writer himself. The two hit it off, with Kim becoming Steve’s biggest
fan and supporter. She reads us the beginnings and endings, shows us what a colour crime drama
actually is, and helps Steve through his writer’s block.
And then it gets weird……
In the seemingly never-ending quest to complete his script for Crime Wave, Penny undergoes
a Kafkaesque metamorphosis from simple art-bum living over someone’s garage to half-man/halfstreet light. Along the way, Steve is captured by a crazed cowboy who’d posed as a man looking
to fund Steve’s film. What ensues is the most bizarre sequence to appear outside of a David Lynch
film.
This film is set in Winnipeg and\while being somewhat esoteric, it’s funny, poignant, and makes
good use of our fair city.
Crime Wave is playing at the Cinematheque Feb. 3, 7pm A panel discussion hosted by series
curator Jonathon Ball will take place after the film. The discussion may be filmed by Vancouver-based
Soapbox Productions for a film on the making of Crime Wave.
February 2, 2006
18
The Uniter
ARTS EDITOR: MIKE LEWIS
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
ARTS & CULTURE
CD REVIEWS
Various Artists
Manitoba Roots Volume 3
MARIA
2005
If you’re looking for an easily attainable
new year’s resolution to get 2006 off the ground,
might I suggest supporting the large reserve of
independent music talent we have here on the
Manitoba prairies. All it takes is the occasional
night out at a local concert, or a trip down to the
numerous watering holes we have here in the city
- and in case you’re choosing to give your body a
rest from the assault of alcohol, then a trip to the
local record store to pick up the latest independent
album will do. And if you can’t quite decide on which
artist you truly feel akin to - or if you like all of them
- grab a copy of Manitoba Roots Volume 3, out on
the Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association
(MARIA) label.
In a virtual showcase of all that is country,
bluegrass, and roots, Manitoba Roots Vol. 3 gives
us 19 of some of the more well-known independent
musicians. Included are Grammy winners The
Duhks, Juno winners The Wailin’ Jennys, and roots
girl of the moment, Alana Levandoski. Over a wide
range of sweet prairie grass sounds to rockabilly
country, with a sprinkling of the global roots sound
of Madrigaia, anyone listening to this disc for
the first time is given a solid lesson in Manitoba
music.
The programming is enjoyable from start
to finish, and keeps the pace at a reasonable
foot-tapping tone. One notable song has to be the
hillbilly wailings of the D. Rangers with “We Stay
High and Lonesome”. It’s easy to imagine, at the
BOOK REVIEWS
time of writing, the Rangers might have been sitting
outside on the front porch, rocking in their chairs,
with a bottle of moonshine by their sides getting
wild and rowdy.
So if this new year’s resolution sounds like
something you can get behind, make sure you do.
There’s a wide range of talent on this disc, and
much more out there to discover as well. Manitoba
Roots Volume 3 will prove to be the perfect primer
for anyone who believes in independent music.
(www.manitobamusic.com)
-Jon Davis
Sandy Foster
Marooned
Independent
2005
Sandy Foster’s Marooned is a typical jazz
album. Only, to our pleasant surprise, the artist has
written most of her own material – a rare thing it
seems with vocal jazz artists (and, alas, too many
other artists) these days, to have both a voice
worthy of the music and also the ability to write
songs worthy of the voice; it’s a wonderful talent.
She explains, “Many of these songs speak of the
consequences and tendencies of people to isolate
themselves, the feelings that arise when conflict in
some form or another inevitably arrives in life.” But
the conflict is well hidden. The album is boppy.
One envisions oneself bouncing to the beat at a
live venue – though some songs could very well be
enjoyed while sitting next to a warm hearth.
(www.paperbagz.com)
-Jaya Beange
Trampled Underfoot:
Brian Flynn’s “Belfast Portraits”
BY STEPHEN GRANDPRE
For years historians, journalists,
literary critics and political activists
have been waging a war against the ‘Irish
cliché’: that of a country resembling some
Avalonian rural wonderland, undisturbed
by the onslaught of modernity.
Hollywood is largely to blame for
this misconception. The Irish pastoral,
the dramatic tradition concerning itself
with portrayals of thatched cottages, fluffy
sheep, and brave Republican freedom
fighters, has been sold and repackaged
countless times to mostly North American
audiences. Its success has, however, come
at the expense of reality.
Many commentators continue to
speak out against the way in which life
in the north of Ireland, largely defi ned by
sectarianism, bigotry, and violence, has
and continues to be viewed as a topic of
romantic political intrigue
rather than
what it is – civil war. Brian Flynn’s excellent
project, entitled Belfast Portraits,
on display until Feb. 25 at aceart.inc,
strives to do with visual art what writers
have done with letters. The exhibit is
a bold critique of the aforementioned
conventional perception, as well as
a powerful portrayal of the human
dimension of Belfast life.
The quality of the exhibition reflects
the strong degree of personal connection
between artist and subject. Born and
raised in Canada of Irish parentage, Brian
Flynn began his career in Alberta, studying
fi ne art at the University of Calgary.
After a number of years displaying his
work throughout Canada, the UK, and
Ireland, Flynn eventually made his way
to Belfast, studying for a graduate degree
and setting up his own studio. Although
he is currently living and working back
in Calgary, Flynn remains a committed
observer of the confl ict through his
family contacts and frequent trips to the
northern province.
His exposure to the often grim
truths of the political confl ict
influenced him to
express his art in
an unconventional
way. Using large
pieces of carpet
underlay,
Flynn
has crafted stark,
bl ac k-a nd-w h ite
portraits of Belfast
Kill The Robot
Maggie MacDonald
McGilligan Books, 2005
118 pages
REVIEW BY JO SNYDER
Kill the Robot is the indie rock equivalent of Canadian
contemporary literature.
First-time novelist Maggie MacDonald tells the story of Moore
White, an exceptionally bright and disgruntled young woman, in a
world where things aren’t quite what they seem, and the TeeVee
is always on. Televisions pathologize us, though in Kill the Robot
technology has changed, has been renamed and revamped for a bigger conspiracy. This is the struggle that
Moore White faces as infomercials melt her brain and her mother becomes engaged to one of the country’s most
powerful men.
The narrative is set up when Moore White is still in grade school. The story is based on events that could’ve
happened, or that almost happened, and objects and technology that is similar to what we have now. President
Reagan has been assassinated and the country is reassessing its notion of security, internalizing the threat. Young
Moore takes a special interest in Russia, physics, and nuclear weapons, a fascination that lands her in trouble
and marks her for surveillance.
The story takes hold of the reader with an Orwellian tone. The protagonist is suspicious of and singled out
by the national government as she slowly comes to realize that the mysterious hum that underlies everything is
affecting her. It’s affecting everybody. From the humming of the TeeVee to sex with her oddly robotic boyfriend,
Moore White becomes obsessed with uncovering this strange transformation in society. From high school to
Moscow, through a lust for books, and the allure of punk rock, Kill the Robot, uses themes and objects that are
familiar to us. Fear. Conformist difference. Hope. Apathy. Consumption.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the story is the way in which the main character’s robotic transformation,
and seemingly all robotic transformation, takes place. Men are the primary machines. Transformation takes places
through sex, the organic inside turns to metal. In this, MacDonald’s book takes on the eerie tone of a true science
fiction novel, but with feminist undertones. The sex scenes are so well told that they are instantly (and sadly)
relatable. The authorities identify those who have been “turned on” in the mechanical sense, and those who are
“turned off”.
The book is informed by philosophy, the study of Artificial Intelligence, feminism, and security studies.
However, MacDonald is also telling a story about deterioration not only of society, but of human relationships. Kill
the Robot speaks with an acute awareness of the pain of space between people, the mechanical motions that strip
us from our dignity and the consumerist distractions that prevent us from noticing.
MacDonald studied politics at the University of Toronto in the early 00s. However, after taking a course
on artificial intelligence and cognitive science, she was uncomfortably stirred by the discourse surrounding the
relationship between the mind and the body.
“It changed the way I think about politics,” she says. “There is a contradiction, culturally, about how we
treat the mind and the body.” In one example of this, she explains how the competitive academic environment
treats the body as separate from the mind. MacDonald’s feeling that the two cannot be separated plays out in Kill
the Robot through the main character’s struggle with her internal transformation, and figuring out what that is
and what it means. But the latent meaning of the book runs deeper than this familiar binary. It is also about fear
and our perception of technology.
“Our parents had more faith in technology,” says MacDonald, “we grew up with technological failure.” She
observes the impact that Chernobyl and the Challenger disaster had on people in their mid 20s. We can’t see the
subtle changes, argues MacDonald, just like Moore White in the novel we are focused on the big disasters, we
are obsessed with them so much so that incremental changes happen and we don’t even notice. In this sense,
MacDonald’s work is unique. It goes beyond the craft of writing, which she has done well, and challenges us
readers, not only to ask questions, but to open our eyes and turn off.
Maggie MacDonald will be reading from Kill the Robot at Prairie Ink Café in McNally Robinson’s,
Portage Place, Feb. 8 at 4:30 p.m. See listings for more details.
residents by hand-picking fragments of
carpet away to produce the images. Flynn
used a number of different sources for the
portraits: newspaper clippings, personal
photographs, as well as images from the
many political murals found throughout
both Republican and Loyalist areas of
the city. All are of real people, with no
indication as to which side of the divide they
are on (or, indeed, have been condemned
to). The pieces are almost sinister in their
presentation: one, an elderly gentleman
radiating a pleasant smile, is countered
with another of an equally contented and
smiling middle-aged man. The latter,
however, is a picture taken
from a political mural - one
is left wondering what he
might have done to give him
that jovial grin.
When asked why the
gallery chose to display
Flynn’s work, Liz Garlicki,
the gallery assistant at aceart.
inc, explained, “We were all
enamored with the portraits,
especially the sheer
size of them. His art
is very different, very
cutting edge, really
everything you’d want
in new visual art.” By
combining a traditional
a r t i s t ic
me d iu m,
portraiture,
with
a
BELFAST - BELFAST PORTRAITS EXHIBIT, BY BRIAN FLYNN. ALL OF THE PORTAITS ARE UNNAMED.
novel, fresh method,
in this case the mass-produced carpet
underlay, Flynn perfectly captures an
Ireland caught between the popularized,
traditional past, and a modern present.
“It deals with political subject matter,”
said Garlicki, “with traditional portraiture
presented through a new medium – the
carpet underlay – which of course is not
traditional at all.”
aceartinc.’s presentation of Flynn’s
work may also hint at future shows
exhibiting works by Irish artists. Flynn’s
work was well received by gallery patrons,
and Platform Gallery, a local Exchange
visual arts studio, will be welcoming an
Irish resident, photographic artist Ursula
Burke, in late March.
“There’s a buzz in Winnipeg arts right
now about Ireland,” continued Garlicki.
“aceart is going to be doing a national
lecture series in the future, and a couple of
the speakers are from Ireland. We’re trying
to reach out, because we’re interested in
what’s going on elsewhere and we’d like to
bring it to Winnipeg.”
After viewing the exhibit, one is
struck by the thought that reality, however
uncomfortable, must be confronted if
Ireland is to get anywhere. The fiction
which makes up much of the Irish story has
been too comforting for too long, and must
be exposed for what it is. If Brian Flynn’s
Belfast Portraits is to serve as a litmus test
for that long-overdue venture, the results
will be very satisfying indeed.
LISTINGS COORDINATOR: NICK WEIGELDT
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
FOR FEBRUARY 2 ONWARDS.
ON CAMPUS/ONGOING
Want to submit your listing to Uniter Listings? Email your listings to [email protected]
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS is Wednesday, eight days before the issue you’d like your
listing to first appear in. The Uniter publishes on Thursdays, 25 times a year.
what happens when we have so much to
say and lack the ability to actually communicate. People with delicate sensibilities should stay far away from this play.
No offense.
THE UNITER
will hold General Contributor Meetings the
first Monday of every month. These meetings will be for those who are interested in
contributing to the paper and need some
direction, or want to write for several different sections. It is also an opportunity
to meet Uniter staff and other Uniter contributors. Meetings are held in the Uniter
office, located on the mezzanine level of
the Bulman Centre, 0RM14. Everyone is
welcome to attend.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PARTNERS
needed in the English Language program,
U of W Continuing Education Massey
Building, 294 William Avenue. Language
partners are native (or fluent) English
speaking volunteers who give ESL (English as a Second Language) students an
opportunity to practice English outside of
the classroom and to learn more about the
Canadian way of life. The day and time
partners meet is decided by the student
and the Language partner. Time commitment 1-2 hrs/week. A letter of reference is
available after completion of the program.
Contact Rina Monchka, 982-1151, email
[email protected]
DO YOU SPEAK
ENGLISH?
Are you taking even a single course through
the English department? If you answered
yes to either of the above questions, then
the English Students Association wants
you! Speak English with like-minded
people, consult our semi-professional
paper-editors, party like a poet. The ESA
meets every Wednesday during the free period in 2A47, the English studies common
room. Join us there or e-mail our simply
amazing president, Susie Taylor, at
[email protected] for more details.
EVENTS
READING CULTURES
SPEAKERS SERIES
presented by the Department of English.
A literary and cultural studies faculty colloquium. February 3 12:30-2pm in room
2M70: Peter Melville, professor of English
at the U of W presents “Mice, Hospitality,
and the Romantic Poet(ess).”
PUBLIC LECTURE – The
Salmon Forest.
February 3, 12:30-1:15pm in room 1L13.
Dr. Reimchen’s research group has observed that black bears and grizzly bears
throughout the British Columbia coast
transfer large quantities of salmon carcasses from rivers into forests and that
these nutrients are incorporated into a
broad diversity of plant and animal taxa.
PUBLIC LECTURE – Underwater Flora and Fauna of
Vancouver.
February 3, 2:30 – 3:30pm in room 3M61.
A slideshow of recent underwater photography by Dr. T.E. Reimchen of the Department of Biology, University of Victoria.
Everyone welcome.
SUNSET FORUMS
FOR ACTION
Seeds of Change – Video, Discussion and
Debate. 6 – 9pm in room 3C01. Join us to
see the video ‘Seeds of Change’, hear from
the creators and ask questions of those
involved with the project. The evening
will focus not only on the issues of food
security brought out by the video but also
concerns around academic freedom and
the level of environmental responsibility
our universities ought to maintain. Bring
your questions and some friends. Admission is free.
VIRTUOSI CONCERTS
Guy Few, trumpet & piano, Stephanie
Mara, piano. February 4 Eckhardt-Grammatté Hall, University of Winnipeg. Tickets
$28 adults / $26 seniors / $16 students
at 786-9000.
THEATRE PRODUCTION:
NO OFFENSE
February 7 – 11, 8pm nightly at Gas Station Theatre (445 River). Free admission
but registration is recommended – call
786-9152 or visit http://theatre.uwinnipeg.ca. No Offense is a biting comedic
look at the consequences of our overly
polite, afraid to offend society. Winnipeg
playwright Michael Nathanson examines
GEORGE ELLIOTT
CLARKE
Prairie Fire Press and the University
of Winnipeg are pleased to present
George Elliott Clarke, award-winning poet and scholar. Please join
us for a poetry reading on Thursday,
February 9th at 7:00 pm at McNally
Robinson Booksellers (Grant Park),
and a public lecture on Friday,
February 10th at 12:00 pm at the
University of Winnipeg (EckhardtGramatte Hall, 3rd Floor Centennial
Hall). For more information contact
Prairie Fire at 943-9066, or e-mail:
[email protected]. Both events are free
and open to the public.
CKUW
7th Annual Fundrive
2006. February 10. CKUW, The University
of Winnipeg’s campus and community radio station, launches its seventh annual
fundraising campaign. The goal for 2006
is $39,000 in seven days! Call in your
pledge at 774-6877 or check out www.
ckuw.ca for more information.
BROWN BAG
LECTURE SERIES
Dr Larry Chartrand, Department of Politics. February 20, 12:30 – 1pm in room
3C01. Please join the Office of the VicePresident (Research, International & External Affairs) for the 3rd Annual “Brown
Bag Lecture Series”. This event is open to
the general public. Everyone is welcome to
bring their lunch and join us for this informal gathering to highlight Dr. Chartrand’s
research and share in his success.
COSMIC CURRENT
February 22, 12:30-1:20 in room 2M77.
When a life-threatening illness strikes his
family, Indo-Canadian filmmaker Anand
Ramayya finds himself on a modern-day
spiritual pilgrimage to India. He’s joined
by his traditional Hindu mother, Jaya, his
psychologist/filmmaker father Ray, and
his Japanese rock star brother Raj. From
Saskatchewan and Japan to the south of
India, what unfolds is an intimate and
entertaining portrait of a family trying to
reconnect. Presented by the International
Office. Free event, all welcome.
DIVISION OF CONTINUING
EDUCATION
Title: Public Relations Fundamentals I
Instructor: Carl Radimer
Date: February 18-March 25, 2006
Time: 6 Saturdays, 9:00am- 4:00pm
Cost: $350.00
Location: 294 William Ave
Registration or Information: 982-6633
Summary: In today’s fast-changing world
individuals who can apply the principles
of public relations in a strategic way are
becoming increasingly valuable to many
organizations. This introductory course
lays a solid foundation for a career in public relations by familiarizing the student
with the basic concepts and principles of
the profession. The professional, ethical
and legal responsibilities of public relations practitioners will be discussed.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DO YOU LIKE WORKING
WITH NEWCOMER
CHILDREN?
Do you believe you can change our community? If you said Yes, you are invited our
Programs as a volunteer! The Citizenship
Council of Manitoba Inc. International
Centre is looking for student volunteers to
help new arrivals to Canada learn English
and feel welcome in our country. Opportunities exist for volunteers to give their time
and support to the Centre’s Immigrant
Children and Youth Programs including
Sports Activities for Newcomer Kids, Empowerment for Newcomer Kids and Newcomer Kids Welcome Program. If you’d like
to help out, contact Si-il Park at 943-9158
or at [email protected].
AROUND TOWN/CONCERTS
THE WAKING EYES
February 3 The Pyramid Cabaret w/ The
Morning After, Patrick Keenan. Tickets $5
in advance, $7 at the door.
BLOU
February 3 Centre culturel franco-manitobain 8pm. A night of music inspired by
their Acadian roots. Tickets $18 per person
or $125 for a table of eight. Call 233-8972
for more information.
JAZZ WINNIPEG
Canadian Jazz Concerts. February 3
Phil Dwyer and Rob Piltch, 8pm. In the
Salle Pauline-Boutal at the CCFM (340
Provencher Blvd.) Tickets Adult $22.50
(advance), $25 at the door, students/seniors $15 and available at CCFM (2338972) or McNally Robinson Grant Park.
CAREER RESOURCE CENTRE
THE NEW
PORNOGRAPHERS
February 20 The Venue (Ramada Conference Centre) 8pm. Presented by CKUW
95.9, Uptown and WECC with guests Novillero. Tickets $23 plus fees in advance at
Ticketmaste, Into The Music and WECC.
CONNIE KALDOR
February 23 West End Cultural Centre
8pm. Tickets $22 in advance at Ticketmaster and the WECC.
COMEDY
RUMOR’S
COMEDY CLUB
2025 Corydon Ave Until Feb 11: J.P. Brow.
Feb 16 – 18: Paul Provenza.
IMPROV SUPPER CLUB
Mondays, Toad in the Hole Pub & Eatery,
8, 9, 10, 11pm.
JACK ‘UM AND ATTACK
‘EM IMPROV
featuring Ron Moore. Tuesdays, The Park
Theatre & Movie Café, 8pm. $4.99.
PULFORD STREET
IMPROV PALACE
Weekly shows and workshops. All shows/
workshops $4.99 at the door. SHOWS: Fridays, 12am (midnight): Rotating performances by Outside Joke, The Jist, George,
Young Lungs and more. Saturdays, 8pm:
Showcasing Winnipeg’s newest improvisers and some “brand spanking new”
improv troupes with the support of the
Manitoba Improv League. Hosted by Stephen Sim. All ages. Saturdays, 10 pm:
The world reknowned CRUMBS! DROP-IN
WORKSHOPS: Sundays, 1:30-2:30pm :
The Ladie’s Room (an improv comedy
workshop for Ladies only). Sundays 3 4pm The Social Hall (an improv comedy
workshop for Ladie’s and Gentlemen only).
The Pulford Street Improv Palace can be
found at 109 Pulford St (Augustine Church
across from the Gas Station Theatre), side
door, second floor.
TRAILER PARK BOYS
RANDY IS BEAUTIFUL
TOUR
February 3 at 7pm. Burton Cummings
Theatre. Tickets $34.50 through Ticketmaster.
FILM
THE BLACK MARIA
February 4 The Venue (Ramada
Conference Centre 5pm. Other bands
playing include The New Aesthetic,
Domenica, The Alibi, Giv’r, Pushed,
First Time Since, and many more.
Tickets $12 in advance, $15 at
the door.
Resume Writing
Workshop:
February 7, 11:30am – 12:20pm in room
2C11. Free registration required; call
786-9231.
GOGOL BORDELLO
8pm. New York Gypsy punk. Tickets $12
in advance at Ticketmater, WECC, Into the
Music and Music Trader; $15 at the door.
“A Canadian in Berlin – A
Reflection on a
Foreign Service Career”.
Presented by Mr Robert Vanderloo,
Canada’s ambassador to Germany. Learn
about a career in the Canadian Foreign
Service. February 10, 12:30 – 1:20pm in
room 1L08.
VALENTINE CABARET
February 10 The Irish Club, 654 Erin St
6pm. Toora-loora-lay presents musical
theatre favourites and jazz & pop standards. Free admission / cash bar; dinner
extra and reservations required. Call 4524982.
Information Session:
Public Service Commission is holding an
all-day session. February 11, 7am – 7pm
in rooms 4M31, 4M37, 4M39.
MY BLOODY
VALENTINES DAY
CELEBRATION
A tribute to the music of the ‘shoegazer’
era featuring Novillero, National Monument, Absent Sound. February 11, 10pm
at The Pyramid Cabaret. Tickets $8.
THE CROSSEYED
RASCALS
clean improv comedy – “Long Lost Love”,
a Rascal reunion show. February 10, 8pm
at PTE’s Colin Jackson Studio (3rd floor
Portage Place). Tickets $8 at the door, $6
in advance at Hull’s Family Bookstore, 372
Graham Ave. Call 669-4404 for more info.
WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS
DEPARTMENT OF
ENGLISH
presents “Breaking into the Writing Business”, a workshop with Kent Bruyneel,
Editor-in-Chief of Grain Magazine. February 3, 2:30-3:30pm in room 1L08. Everyone welcome, contact Candida Rifkind at
786-9954 for more details.
GARNET ROGERS
8pm. Tickets $20 in advance at Ticketmaster and the WECC.
TORN
w/ The
February
Portage
all ages.
INTO
Resistance, The Downfall.
10, The Label Gallery (510
Ave) 7:30pm. Tickets $7,
CINEMATHEQUE
100 Arthur St Sundays at 2pm: Cabin
Fever! Free Films for children: Feb 5
– Mysterious Island by Cy Endfield. Feb
12 – A Night at the Opera by Sam Wood
from 1935 featuring the Marx Brothers.
Apocalyptic Canadian Cinema: Visions
of the End, Feb 3-5. Curated by Jonathon
Ball. Feb 3, 7pm: Crime Wave by John
Paizs. Followed by a panel discussion. Feb
3, 9:30pm: Atom Egoyan’s Family Viewing 1987. Feb 4, 7pm: Doomsayer: The
apocalyptic shorts of Arthur Lipsett. Feb
4, 9pm: The Nature of Nicholas 2002, by
Jeffrey Erbach. Feb 5, 7pm: Apocalyptic
Winnipeg Cinema featuring six short films
by Winnipeggers including Guy Maddin.
Feb 5, 9pm: Last Night 1998 by Don McKellar. Feb 6 – 9, 7pm: Henri Langlois: The
Phantom of The Cinematheque 2004 by
Jacques Richard. A portrait of the eccentric founder and visionary of the Cinematheque Francaise. Feb 10, 7:30pm: Call
Me: 3rd Annual Gala Fundraising Event:
The Short films of Daniel McIvor. With a
post-screening conversation with Sean
Garrity. Mr McIvor will be in attendance.
Tickets $50 with all proceeds going to the
WFG and Cinematheque.
PARK THEATRE
698 Osborne St 478-7275 Neighbourhood
theatre and venue. Free matinee shows
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
LISTINGS @ uniter.ca
during the week. Feb 5: The Superbowl.
Feb 10: Pizza & a Movie. All day.
ELLICE CAFÉ
& THEATRE
585 Ellice St 975-0800 Neighbourhood
theatre and restaurant. Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesdays – free movies. On weekends, local musical acts.
THE HAITI UNDER THE
GUN FILM FESTIVAL
presented by the Canada-Haiti Action Network (CHAN). The festival marks two years
since the Canadian, French and US coup
against the democratically elected Haitian government. All films will be shown
on Thursdays at 7:30pm in room 1L11 at
the University of Winnipeg. Films are free
of charge though donations are gratefully accepted. Feb 2: Mickey Mouse Goes
to Haiti (1997) and Burn! (1970). Feb 9:
Aristide: The Endless Revolution (2005).
Feb 16: The Birthright Crisis (2005) and
Haiti: The Untold Story (2005). Feb 23: The
Agronomist (2005).
THEATRE, DANCE
& PERFORMANCE
THE GRIND
Every second Thursday at Ellice Café &
Theatre (585 Ellice Ave) The Grind, a venue
to encourage and develop performers and
their ideas through the presentation of
scenes, sketches, monologues, spoken
word, short film, stand-up and music in
front of a live audience. 7pm, $4 per person. Next event: February 16.
THE CERCLE MOLIERE
THEATRE SEASON
The dramatic comedy ‘Visites à M. Green’
by Jeff Baron. Until Feb 4 at Theatre de la
Chapelle 825 Rue St Joseph. Tickets $1129.50. Call 233-8053 or email reception@
cerclemoliere.com.
MANITOBA THEATRE
CENTRE
presents the world premiere of ‘The Innocent Eye Test’ by Michael Healey, directed
by Christopher Newton. February 9– March
4. Tickets available at 942-6537.
MANITOBA THEATRE CENTRE WAREHOUSE
presents, as part of O’NeillFest 2006, ‘Long
Day’s Journey Into Night’. Until February 4.
Tickets available by calling 942-6537.
O’NEILLFEST 2006
Master Playwright Festival. Various events
around the city from January 19 – February 5. A Reading of ‘The Iceman Cometh’
at the King’s Head, Feb 5, 5pm. Visit
www.oneillfest.com for a complete list of
events, plays and performances.
PARK THEATRE
presents, s part of MTC’s O’NeillFest 2006,
‘The Hairy Ape’. February 1 - 4 at 8pm. Admission $10. Call 952-1533.
PRAIRIE THEATRE
EXCHANGE
presents Daniel MacIvor’s ‘Marion Bridge’.
February 15 – March 5. Tickets $22.47
- $32, or $18.19 on Wednesdays (rush
seating). Call 942-5483 or visit www.pte.
mb.ca.
THEATRE PROJECTS
MANITOBA
presents ‘The Confessions of Punch and
Judy’ from February 15 – 19 at the Contemporary Dancers Studio Theatre. Tickets
available by calling 989-2400.
VIRTUOSI CONCERTS
Guy Few, trumpet & piano, Stephanie
Mara, piano. February 4 Eckhardt-Grammatté Hall, University of Winnipeg. Tickets
$28 adults / $26 seniors / $16 students
at 786-9000.
JAZZ WINNIPEG
and Global Arts Concerts present Flamenco in Concert – Paco Peña. Thursday
February 2 at 8pm at Pantages Playhouse
Theatre. Tickets $39.50 plus taxes through
Ticketmaster.
JAZZ WINNIPEG
Canadian Jazz Concerts. February 3
Phil Dwyer and Rob Piltch, 8pm. In the
Salle Pauline-Boutal at the CCFM (340
Provencher Blvd.) Tickets Adult $22.50
(advance), $25 at the door, students/seniors $15 and available at CCFM (2338972) or McNally Robinson Grant Park.
19
WINNIPEG CLASSICAL
GUITAR SOCIETY
INTERNATIONAL
ARTIST CONCERT
SERIES
featuring Lukasz Kuropaczewski (Poland)solo recital. February 11, 8pm at The
Planetarium Auditorium, The Museum of
Man and Nature, 190 Rupert Ave. Advance
Purchase through the Winnipeg Guitar
Society: Adults $15 / WCGS Members $10
/ Students $10 / WCGS Students $5. call
775-0809.
WINNIPEG JAZZ
ORCHESTRA
‘Falling in Love With Love’ February 12,
2pm at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Tickets
$25 or $15 for students and seniors. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.
WINNIPEG SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
February 4, 8pm: City Classics Homecoming. Feb 5, 2pm: Great West Life Sundays with the family. Bach to the Future
featuring Platypus Theatre. Feb 11 – 18:
Centara Corporation International New
Music Festival. For ticket information call
949-3999.
MUSIC ‘N
MAVENS SERIES
All shows begin at 2pm at Rady Jewish Community Centre, 123 Doncaster
St. Tickets $5/$7 available at 4777510 or www.radyjcc.com. Feb 2: Judy
Kehler Siebert and Guillame Tardif on
the piano and violin. Feb 7: “Musical Suppression in the Third Reich”.
Feb 9: “Canadian Writers and Artists During the Great Depression” with Candida
Rifkind, Dept of English at the University
of Winnipeg.
TRIP DANCE
The Company of One featuring three solos
and two choreographers. February 3 and
4, 8pm at the CanWest Global Performing Arts Centre, 2 Forks Road. Tickets at
942-8898.
WINNIPEG CONTEMPORARY DANCERS
present Peggy Baker Dance Projects ‘The
Heart Moves’ from February 16– 18 at the
Gas Station Theatre. Tickets available by
calling 452-0229 or email [email protected].
LITERARY
McNALLY ROBINSON
BOOKSELLERS
(GRANT PARK) Feb 2: Talk and Q&A on
Lady Detectives by Arlene Young of the U
of M English Department. 7:30pm. Feb 2:
Tami Jacoby presents and signs Women in
Zones of Conflict: Power and Resistance in
Israel, 8pm. Feb 3 & 4, 10am: Bring your
curiosity for a special storytime of Curious
George. Feb 7: Launch of Henry Culihall’s
autobiography, After the Fall, about the
challenges of living with a severe disability, 8pm. Feb 8: John Perry and Ezat Mossallanejed will talk, take Q & A and sign
their books Torture: Religious Ethics and
National Security and Torture in the Age
of Fear. 8pm. Feb 9: George Elliott Clarke,
7pm. See Listing in this section for further
info. Feb 10: Allen Wyler’s novel Deadly Errors, 7pm. Feb 13: Ian MacDonald & Bob
Haverluck present Living Waters: Daily Reflections for Lent at 7:30pm. Feb 13: Sharon Rose launches Who Needs Enemies?
A Beryl Swallows Mystery at 8pm. Feb 14:
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre at 7:30pm
featuring readings by David Annandale’s
Kornukopia and Michael Van Rooy’s An Ordinary Decent Criminal. (PORTAGE PLACE):
Feb 8: Maggie MacDonald will be reading
and signing Kill the Robot, a punk novel’s
rallying cry against consumerism.
SPEAKING CROW
OPEN-MIC POETRY
First Tuesday of the month at Academy Bar
& Eatery. 8pm. Free admission. February 7
– featured reader Tanis MacDonald. Tanis
MacDonald is the author of two books of
poetry as well as three chapter books. She
was also the winner of the 2003 Bliss Carman Poetry Award. She currently teaches
English and Creative Writing at the University of Winnipeg. Two-open mic sets to
follow.
AQUA BOOKS
89 Princess St The Stone Soup Storytellers’ Circle, veteran Winnipeg storytellers,
meets for storytelling once a month on
Saturdays at 7:30pm. All are welcome.
Next get-together is on February 11.
ideaExchange: Aqua Books, in conjunction with St. Benedict’s Table, is pleased
to present our award-winning monthly
conversation series dealing with issues
of faith, life, theology and pop culture.
February 2, 2006
20
The Uniter
Come early as seating and parking will
be limited. Admission is free. February
18: “The Ad-Man Meets Jesus: Unpacking
the Christianity Industry” with Will Braun,
editor of Geez Magazine and Aiden Enns,
publisher of Geez and former editor of
Adbusters.
STORY TELLING/STORY
THEATRE
at Bread & Circuses 238 Lilac St. Audience participation in creating characters,
finding costumes and getting involved in
the action. 6:30pm Friday evenings.
WORDS PERFORMED
A monthly event of Spoken Word where
open-mic and slam poetry are re-invented. Calling all Spoken Word artists (and
those that love them). Spoken Word is: *
theatre pieces * monologues * story telling * performance art * group pieces * rap
* poetry *. Words Performed is a monthly
event where open mic and slam poetry are
re-invented. The first half of the evening
is open-mic style, where participants can
‘sign-up’ prior to the event via email or at
the door the night of the event. If you want
to use props or read/perform pieces written by someone other than you, go right
ahead. Anything Spoken Word is possible
within 5 minutes (for longer pieces contact the organizer). The second half of the
night is feisty, competive original Spoken
Word! The time limit is three minutes and
you can use props. There are no scor cards
or time penalties, but there is still a prize
and a ‘winner’! Prizes sponsored by Sugar
Vintage, Winnipeg’s newest vintage shop.
There will only be one round so come prepared. For more additional info or to ‘sign
up’ for either half of the evening, contact
[email protected] or [email protected].
OUT LOUD
is an open mic opportunity for you to give
your words voice. Every two weeks a special guest will kick off the evening after
which the mic is open for your words of any
genre in five minutes or less. Runs every
second Tuesday at the new Millenium Library after that. Sign up is at 7pm. Free.
AD LIB
is an evening of improv style word games.
Every night is guaranteed to be different
and full of laughs. From round stories to
fridge magnet poetry, from opening lines
to creating new endings, there’s no limit to
the places these games – or your writing
– can go. Runs every second Tuesday, alternating with Out Loud. 7:30pm. Free.
GEORGE ELLIOTT CLARKE
Prairie Fire Press and the University of
Winnipeg are pleased to present George
Elliott Clarke, award-winning poet and
scholar. Please join us for a poetry reading on Thursday, February 9th at 7:00 pm
at McNally Robinson Booksellers (Grant
Park), and a public lecture on Friday, February 10th at 12:00 pm at the University
of Winnipeg (Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall, 3rd
Floor Centennial Hall). For more information contact Prairie Fire at 943-9066, or
e-mail: [email protected]. Both events are
free and open to the public.
GALLERIES & EXHIBITIONS
ACE ART INC.
290 McDermot St 944-9763 Tues-Sat
12-5. Until February 25: Brian Flynn uses
carpet underlay and his fingers to produce
these huge portraits by removing the black
bits in ‘Belfast Portraits’. Until March 19th
in the Flux Gallery project room at aceartinc: “Saltwatch Experiments” – Elvira
Finnigan. Visit also www.saltwatch.ca.
THE ALBERT HUB
www.thealberthub.com Artist-run multimedia gallery.
THE ANNEX GALLERY
594 Main St 284-0673 Tues-Sat 12-5.
Contemporary art.
ART CITY
616 Broadway Ave 775-9856 Mon 5-8
,Tues-Fri 4-8, Sat 12-4. Featuring high
quality artistic programming for kids and
adults.
GALLERY
1C03 Centennial Hall, University of Winnipeg 515 Portage Ave 786-9253 Mon-Fri
12-4, Sat 1-4. Non-profit public gallery
providing everyone opportunities to learn
about visual art. Until February 18: David
McMillan – ‘Mexico’.
GALLERY LACOSSE
169 Lilac St 284-0726 Tues-Fri 10-6, Sat
10-5. Small neighbourhood gallery.
GALLERY ONE ONE ONE
Main Floor Fitzgerald Building, School of
Art U of Manitoba 474-9322 February 9
– March 10: “26”, or “Two Sicks”, or “Toosix” – the Winnipeg collection participate
in their first museum show. Successful
artists with street cred and art world
sanction.
GRAFFITI GALLERY
109 Higgins Ave 667-9960 A not-for-profit
community youth art center, using art as a
tool for community, social, economic and
individual growth. On now: ‘The Archives’
– photos of train graffiti by railway worker
Ed Hay. Until March 20.
KEN SEGAL GALLERY
4-433 River Ave 477-4527 Tues-Fri 10-6,
Sat 10-5. Showcase of original contemporary art. Until February 11: The 5th Annual
International Print Exchange and Exhibition – ‘The Year of the Dog’ with over 80
artists from all across Canada, China and
Japan, including 20 Manitoba artists.
LA GALERIE
at the CENTRE CULTUREL FRANCO-MANITOBAIN 340 Provencher Blvd 233-8972
Mon-Fri 8am-10pm, Sat-Sun 12pm10pm.
LABEL GALLERY
510 Portage Ave 772-5165 Tues-Sat 12-5.
On now: Join the Label as they kick off their
5th year as an emerging artist gallery with
“Double Visions”, featuring more than a
dozen artists.
THE LION AND THE ROSE
GALLERY
2nd Floor 70 Albert St 452-5350 Mon-Fri
11-5, Thursday evenings 6-8pm. February
9 – 24: “Painted Love”, paintings by newly
arrived Winnipeg artist Ludolf R. Grollé de
Rôchefort. Meet the artist Feb 9, 7-9pm.
MANITOBA CRAFTS
COUNCIL EXHIBITION
GALLERY
214 McDermot Ave 487-6114 Tues-Fri 115, Sat 11-4.
MARTHA STREET
STUDIO
11 Martha St 772-6253 Mon-Fri
10-5. Showcasing the fine art of
printmaking.
MEDEA GALLERY
132 Osborne St 453-1115 Mon-Sat 10:305, Sun 1-4. Until February 11th: ‘Winter
Pastels’ Paintings in Watercolour & Pastel
in the Colours of Winter by Maureen Johnson. Feb 12 – 25: Winona King.
MILLENIUM LIBRARY
251 Donald St 986-6450 Until February
8: Text Art 2006 - The Millennium Library
presents a visual arts show − with a
twist! Photos, drawings and sculpture will
be accompanied by poetry and prose created by the writers and artists themselves.
The show features works by Winnipeg Public Library Writers’ Circle members Brenda
Sciberras, Sandra Stechisen and Ron
Romanowski, with special guest Writers’
Circle alumnus Agatha Grant. Check it out
at the main floor Reader Services.
OSBORNE VILLAGE CULTURAL CENTRE
445 River @ Osborne St 284-9477 Now
showing: Works by Yisa the Artist.
OUTWORKS GALLERY
3rd Floor 290 McDermot Ave 949-0274 Artist-run studio and exhibition space in the
Exchange. ‘No Flow’ - until Feb 11 featuring several artists.
PLATFORM (CENTRE FOR
PHOTOGRAPHIC AND
DIGITAL ARTS)
121-100 Arthur St 942-8183 Tues-Sat
12-5. Until February 17: Meera Margaret Singh – ‘You’re All That I Ever Think
About’.
PLUG-IN ICA
286 McDermot Ave 942-1043 Until Feb
11th: ’VOLCANA Icelandic Panorama’
Drawing upon his frequent travels in
Iceland and the relationships he has
cultivated here, guest curator Kevin Kelly
explores lingering traces of this mysterious land in the work of five female artists
dividing their lives between Reykjavik and
New York. On February 4, the Conversations series invites Louise Jonasson to discuss the exhibit. 2pm. On February 9 and
11 at 8pm, Plugin presents performances
of “New Icelander – The Search for Sesselja” at WCD Studio, 204-211 Bannatyne
Ave. Tickets $5 at the door. Call 942-1043
for more information.
URBAN SHAMAN
203-290 McDermot Ave 942-2674 Until
March 3: ‘Sacred Feminine’, a photographic testament to the ancestral lands
of the Dakota people by Lita Fontaine.
guests. Feb 10: 500 lb Furnace, Domenica,
Inwolven, Pornocracy. Feb 11: CKUW Fundrive Kickoff. Annual fundraising campaign. Bands TBA. Feb 17: Tornado Seeds.
Feb 18: The Resistance, Torn Into, The New
Aesthetic, The Alibi.
VIDEO POOL MEDIA ARTS
CENTRE
300-100 Arthur St 949-9134 Contemporary media art.
DYLAN O’CONNOR IRISH
PUB
2609 Portage Ave Mondays: Open mic
night w/ The St. John’s Jammers. Tuesdays: Pat Alexander. Wednesdays: Guity
Pleasures. Feb 3: Absurd Machine.
WAH-SA GALLERY
302 Fort St 942-5121 Contemporary
Aboriginal art. February 16 – March 4::
Mixed-media artists Carl Fontaine and
Terry Young.
WAYNE ARTHUR
GALLERY
186 Provencher Blvd 477-5249 Manitobabased art gallery. February 5 – March 1:
‘Open Minds’ by David Cooper, Bill Lucenkiw, Omar DeWandel.
WINNIPEG ART
GALLERY
300 Memorial Blvd 786-6641 Until Mar 5:
Selected Works 1980-2004 of Nancy Edell,
including rug-hooking, paintings and
prints. Until Mar 19: ‘Aliyah Suite by Salvador Dali. Commissioned to commemorate
the 20th anniversary of the independence
of the State of Israel, these works combine
biblical texts with references to the Second
World War, creating images at once both
tragic and hopeful. Until April 2: ‘Early
Masters’ a collection of Inuit Sculptures.
Until May 14: ‘supernovas’, an eclectic explosion of art by Winnipeg’s emerging new
artists--performance, video, audio, installation, sculpture, painting, drawing, and
craft. Throughtful and provocative with a
distinct Winnipeg sensibility. January to
March: Ione Thorkelsson ‘Arboreal Fragments’. Manitoba’s leading glass artist,
positions familiar objects in unexpected
contexts, thus removing the familiar and
suggesting new possible meanings.
WINNIPEG INTERNATIONAL ART GALLERY
(WYG) (formerly Cream Gallery) 264 McDermot Ave 488-8699 On now: “Three
Guys in a Truck” featuring works by Winnipeggers Kevin Friedrich, John White
and Dan Donaldson. Also open is the new
“Eight-Inch Gallery”, a sub-exhibition of
small works.
WOODLANDS GALLERY
535 Academy Road 947-0700 Feb 2 – 18:
Art works by emerging artists from the
University of Manitoba School of Art.
BARS, CAFES & VENUES
ACADEMY BAR & EATERY
414 Academy Rd Mondays: Student Night.
First Tuesday of the month: Speaking Crow
poetry night. Feb 2: Blue Sky Addicts. Feb
3: Mike Poetker. Feb 4: Plain Salt. Feb 5:
Funday Night. Feb 6: Jenn Jozwiak and
friends. Feb 7: Speaking Crow Poetry.
Feb 8: Jazz with Glenn Buhr and Jason
Bernstein. Feb 9: Little Hawk. Feb 10: MB
Songwriters’ Circle. Feb 11: Satchel Paige
and Grubbs.
BARCA CLUB
423 McMillan Mondays: Live hip hop/R$B/
soul & open mic with Breeze and the Nu
Funk Federation. Wednesdays: Back to the
Lab DJ Night.
BAR ITALIA
737 Corydon Wednesdays: Joints & Jam w/
Hot Sauce Duo. Thursdays: D-LO. Fridays:
DJ TwentyTwenty. Saturdays: My Generation
featuring djharrychan. Sundays: Sindays
featuring Spitz and ICQRI of Mood Ruff.
BELLA VISTA
53 Maryland St Wednesdays: Scott Nolan.
Feb 3 & 4: The Perpetrators.
BILLABONG AUSTRALIAN
BAR & BISTRO
D-121 Osborne St. First Monday of the
month: Open Mic.
CENTRE CULTUREL
FRANCO-MANITOBAIN
340 Provencher Blvd Mardi Jazz, Tuesdays
in Salle Antoine Gaborieau (2nd Floor)
at 8:30pm. Free admission. Upcoming
shows: February 7: Brian Klowak. Feb 14:
closed for the Festival du Voyageur. Every
second Thursday: Keith Price Trio and Invitees jam session, 8:30pm.
COLLECTIVE CABARET /
DIE MASCHINE CABARET
108 Osborne St Thursdays: ‘80s and ‘90s
Night. Fridays: Goth/Industrial. Saturdays:
WinnipegJungle.com presents DJs Dexx,
Whupass, Krisco, Gumby Buzblaze and
ELEPHANT & CASTLE PUB
350 St Mary Ave Fridays: Jazz guitar and
vocals by Lawrence Patzer. Sundays: Student Night. Feb 5: John Platt. Feb 12: Jo
Snyder and Andrew Fylik. Feb 19: Jenny
Moore.
munity Events for details. Feb 17: Mark
Bannister. Grant Park: All shows at 8pm.
Feb 3: Rosemarie Todaschuk jazz trio.
Feb 4: The Grant Jones Trio. Feb 10: Sister
Dorothy. Feb 11: The Bob Watts Trio.
OSBORNE FREEHOUSE
437 Osborne St Mondays: Jazz Hang Nights
with Steve & Anna Lisa Kirby and various
other artists, 8-11pm. Wednesdays: ‘Why
Not Wednesdays?’ Live local and touring
music. Feb 8: Karla Adolphe. Feb 15: Justin
Waterman & Spectoral Echoes.
PARK THEATRE
698 Osborne St Tuesdays: Jack ‘Em & Attack ‘Um Improv. Feb 8 & 9: JP Hoe & The
Truly Richards. Live recording. $6 at 7pm.
Feb 11: In Sisto – Drumming Live at the
Park. 4, 7, 9pm. Feb 13: Karla Adolphe,
6:30pm.
PYRAMID CABARET
176 Fort St Thursdays: The Mod Club w/ DJ
Sean Allum and the Invisible Man, doors
at 8pm. Sundays: Ra NRG VIII. Feb 3: The
Waking Eyes w/ The Morning After. Feb 4:
Scott Hinkson CD Release. Feb 8: ECOMAFIA Awareness Event Fundraiser. Feb 10:
National Monument. Feb 11th: Novillero,
National Monument, Absent Sound, $8.
See Concerts for more details. Feb 13: The
Awesome Team. Feb 14: Belly Dancers.
ELLICE CAFÉ
& THEATRE
587 Ellice Ave. Neighbourhood café
and theatre showing films and
showcasing local talent. Every second Thursday starting Feb 16: The
Grind performance event. $4. As part
of MTC’s O’NeillFest 2006: Feb 3 at
7:30pm; Feb 5 at 1pm: A performance
of ‘Here Before You’ by The Hen Coöp/
Seeking Productions. Admission $10.
As part of MTC’s O’NeillFest 2006:
Feb 2, 4 at 7:30pm; Jan 20, 25, 27,
Feb 1 at 9pm: A performance of
‘Hughie’ by Lyndesfarne Productions.
Admission $10.
FINN’S PUB
210-25 Forks Market Rd Johnson Terminal
Tuesdays: Ego Spank – Jazz w/ Murray Pulver, Marc Arnould, Gilles Fournier, Daniel
Roy, 10:30pm-2am. Wednesdays: Open
Mic w/ Guy Abraham.
FOLK EXCHANGE
211 Bannatyne Ave First Monday of the
month: Festival Folk Club. $4.99. Anything
and everything for the love of performing
folk music. Open mics, guest performers,
folk jams and more. Second Monday of the
month: Folk Workshop Series. $25. Third
Monday of the month: Traditional Singers
Circle. $2. Fourth Monday of the month:
Hand Drumming Circle. $5. Feb 10: Ben
Sures, $8.
REGAL BEAGLE
331 Smith St Tuesdays: Hatfield McCoy.
Wednesdays: Open Mic Nights.
ROYAL ALBERT ARMS
48 Albert St Mondays: Karaoke. Saturday
Afternoons: Blues Jam, 4-7. Feb 3: Vav
Jungle / Space Amazon & The Warrior
Queens. Feb 11: Sylvie, Ghosts of Modern
Man, Anthem Red. Feb 23: You Say Party!
We Say Die!
SHANNON’S IRISH PUB
175 Carlton St Sundays: fascade@137dps.
Mondays: Patrick Keenan. Wednesdays:
Sons of York. Thursdays: Power Thursdays
– various bands. Feb 17: Castrati, The
Morning After.
TIMES CHANGE(D) HIGH
AND LONESOME CLUB
Main St @ St. Mary Ave Sundays 9:30pm:
Jam with Big Dave McLean. Feb 2: Leeroy
Stagger and The Sinking Hearts. Feb 3:
Nathan with L’il Buddies. Feb 4: Nathan
with The D.Rangers. Feb 7: Elliot Brood.
Closed Feb 8 – 16. Feb 21: Katie Murphy
CD Release w/ Dominique Reynolds.
TOAD IN THE HOLE / THE
CAVERN
108 Osborne St Sundays: Vinyl Drip w/
Uncle Albert. Mondays: Improv Supper
Club hosted by Steve McIntyre.
GIO’S
155 Smith St Mondays: Student Night.
Wednesdays: Karaoke. Thursdays: DJ Perry.
Fridays: DJ Chris. 1st and 3rd Saturdays of
each month: Womyn’s Night. 2nd Saturday
of each month: live lounge music. 2nd
Sunday each month: Prime Pages book
club, 5pm. Feb 11: Valentine’s Nite.
INN AT THE FORKS – THE
CURRENT LOUNGE
1 Forks Market Road Thursdays-Saturdays: January 24-26: Jodie Borlé.
KING’S HEAD PUB
100 King St 1st three Wednesdays of the
month: Filliment Funk, 8-11pm. Last
Wednesday of the month: Papo Mambo
Latin Jazz Night. Sundays: All The King’s
Men. Feb 3: River City Hum. Feb 4: Scott
Nolan Band. Feb 5: As part of O’NeillFest
2006, a reading of ‘The Iceman Cometh’,
5pm. Feb 10: Zandra C & The Kosmic K9’s.
McNALLY ROBINSON
BOOKSELLERS –
PRAIRIE INK
RESTAURANT:
Portage Place All music at 6:30pm. Feb 3:
Latin music with Amorykano. Feb 10: Greg
Gardner. Feb 16: Hostelling 101. See Com-
COMMUNITY EVENTS
MOUNTAIN
EQUIPMENT
CO-OP SKI WAXING
CLINICS
Join us for free in-store waxing demos every Saturday morning in the Ski Dept. Find
out how to prep, wax and maintain your
x-country skis from our knowledgeable
staff. Call the Member Services Desk at
943-4202 for more info. Saturday mornings, 9am at MEC, 303 Portage Ave.
ATTENTION WINTER CYCLISTS:
The Bike Dump will be open all winter,
providing free help fixing your bike and
free recycled parts. Stop by any Sunday
between 12-6pm at 594 Main St. -- access through the back lane off King or
Logan. Visit: http://bike-dump.ca for more
info.
MANITOBA MUSEUM
Until March 19 presents: ‘Opium: The
Heavenly Demon’ a new controversial
exhibit from the Vancouver Museum. The
exhibit explores all sides of the drug’s
colourful history. Learn why this valuable
substance, harvested from innocentlooking poppies, caused such upheaval
throughout history. And on Sunday, January 29 at 1:30pm, come to the Museum
to celebrate Chinese New Year with traditional lion dance, performed by the Ching
Wu Athletic Association, to be followed by
a lecture by U of M Professor of Chinese
History Dr. Tina Chen and her Masters student Nick Simon as the discuss The History and Cultural Meanings of Opium. The
exhibit, performance and lecture are all
included in the price of regular Museum
admission.
SKYWALK CONCERT SERIES AND LECTURES
Co-presented with the University of Winnipeg, the Skywalk Concerts and Lectures
series is held every Wednesday for lectures
and Thursday for music from 12:10 until
12:50pm at the Carol Shields Auditorium,
2nd floor, Millennium Library. Bring your
bag lunch and be informed, entertained
and enlightened! Free admission. Seating is limited. Upcoming events: Feb 2:
Concert – Classical Clarinet performed
by Connie Gitlin. Feb 8: Lecture: ‘Urban
Reserves: Pro & Con” by Larry Chartrand,
UW Indigenous Governance Program. Feb
9: Concert: BAFANA – Traditional West African Drumming.
SCIENCE EDUCATION
REFORM: WHERE HAVE WE
BEEN AND WHERE ARE
WE GOING?
Dr G. Lederman of the Illinois Institute of
Technology. February 2, 7:30 – 9pm, Room
224, Education Building, U of Manitoba.
Everybody welcome, free admission.
MANITOBA NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY
Indoor Program. Pauline Boutal Theatre,
Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre 340
Provencher Blvd. 7:30pm, $2 for members,
$6 for non-members. Call the MNS office
at 943-9029. February 6: Research and
Recreation in the Boreal Shild – Canada’s
Experimental Lakes Area featuring John
Shearer, biologist with Dept of Fisheries
and Oceans.
HEMP ROCK CAFÉ
302 Notre Dame Ave Feb 3: Attire Optional,
Public Fallout, Cunt Punisher, TNF, AbNegative, Best Foot Forward, The Manhattan Project.
HOOLIGAN’S NEIGHBOURHOOD PUB
61 Sherbrook St Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays: Karaoke. Wednesdays: The Perpetrators. Thursdays: Andrew Neville and the
Poor Choices. Sundays: Blues Jam with
Scotty Hills and Curtis Newton. Feb 4:
Reckless Rudolf, Darktown Tango, Daniel
J. $5 at the door.
LISTINGS COORDINATOR: NICK WEIGELDT
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
WEST END CULTURAL
CENTRE
Ellice Ave @ Sherbrook Feb 9: Paper
Moon CD Release w/ The Bonaduces,
The Honeybuckets. Tickets $6/$8. Feb
10: Gogol Bordello. See Concerts for
details. Feb 21: The Birthday Massacre. Tickets $14 through Ticketmaster.
Feb 23: Connie Kaldor. See Concerts
for details.
WINDSOR HOTEL
187 Garry St Mondays: Jams with Tim
Butler. Tuesdays: Latin Jazz Night featuring Jeff Presslaff, Rodrigo Muñoz, Julian
Bradford, 10pm. Wednesdays: Jams with
Big Dave McLean. Saturdays: The Perpetrators. Feb 2: Rumblefish. Feb 3 & 4: Jack
Semple. Feb 9 & 10: Billy Joe Green. Feb 16
– 18: The Perpetrators.
WOODBINE HOTEL
466 Main St Historic downtown hotel bar.
Tuesdays: Karaoke and 3Ball Tournament.
THE ZOO / OSBORNE VILLAGE INN
160 Osborne St Tuesdays: Heavy Metal &
Draft Night. Fridays and Saturdays: Stripfest. Feb 3: Dreadnaut w/ guests. Feb 4:
Cunt Punisher, Aerocar Model Four, Devoid
and TMF. Feb 18: F*ck Winter Reunion and
Dinner Bash. Tickets $7.
HOSTELLING
INTERNATIONAL
MANITOBA PRESENTS
Travel Talks 2005/06. Slide show presentations and travel talks featuring a world
of travel opportunities. Travel Nights are
held at the Sport Manitoba Building, 200
Main Street 7:30-9pm. Everyone Welcome! FREE Admission. Donations gratefully accepted. For more information call
784-1131. February 8: The Basque Region
of France and Spain.
AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL
Public Meeting: Torture: Post 9/11 w/ Winnipeg lawyer David Matas. February 9,
7-9pm at the Welcome Place, 397 Carlton
Ave. Free admission, all are welcome. Call
Dan at 957-1789.
ST VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER AND DANCE
Latin American cultural show, live entertainment, dinner and dance. February 10,
8pm – 1am, Pampanga Restaurant Grill
& Banquet Hall, 349 Henry Ave at Lizzie St.
Tickets $12 including meal available by
calling 261-0935 or 942-8313.
UNIVERSITY OF
MANITOBA LIBRARIES
BOOK SALE
February 8 10am-8pm, Manitoba Room,
University Centre, 65 Chancellors Circle,
Fort Garry Campus. Thousands of books in
the bargain section: mysteries, romance,
sci-fi, biographies, pocketbooks, academic and popular non-fiction, literature. Visit
www.umanitoba.ca/libraries/booksale.
BHAKTI YOGA: Kirtan and
Karma-Free Feast:
Sundays at 5:30, 11 Alloway Avenue. For
more information phone Vrinda at 9470289 or email [email protected].
STILL MAKING
POVERTY HISTORY
International Development Week Fundraising Dinner featuring panel discussion.
February 12, 1pm, Ivory Restaurant 200
Main St at York. Tickets $45, tax receipt
for $20. Sponsored by MATCH International-Manitoba.
CALLING ALL SILVER
HEIGHTS COLLEGIATE
GRADS!
50th Reunion is being planned for September 2007. Send your contact info, including email address, mailing address, and
if applicable, married/maiden names, to
[email protected].
BEGINNER’S ZEN
Introductory Workshop. February 12, 1:30
– 3:30pm, Yoga Centre Winnipeg, 915
Grosvenor Ave. Included will be a background on Zen Buddhism, instruction on
zazen (Zen meditation), a quiet sitting
and tea & discussion. Cost $20 (for space
rental). TO REGISTER CALL JANICE at 2377442.
CALL FOR
SUBMISSIONS – FOR THE
WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL
HAND-MADE VILLAGE
The Hand-Made Village features artisans
who design and produce their own work.
Our primary basis for selection is the overall originality, aesthetics and quality of
the work. Other important considerations
are the professional presentation of your
application and the overall balance of
work in the show. All applications must
include high quality photos or samples of
your work for the selection committee. The
application deadline is February 9. If you
have any questions, please contact Arwen
Helene at ahelene@winnipegfolkfestival.
ca or (204) 231-0096. We look forward to
receiving your application. Visit www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca.
HOSTELLING 101
February 16, 7-8pm at McNally Robinson
Booksellers Portage Place. Hosted by
Hostelling International – An experienced
traveler will be here to answer all of your
travel and hostelling questions.
PASSIONATE
CONNECTIONS
presented by the Alliance for Arts Education in Manitoba. Explore connections
and passions in the arts with visual artists, dancers, poets, film makers, musicians, dramatists, teachers and students
through workshops, performances, panels
and stimulating conversations. Featuring keynote speaker Buffy Sainte-Marie,
renowned singer/songwriter/artist. At
the Caboto Centre, 1055 Wilkes Avenue.
Thursday evening February 16 and all
day Friday, February 17. Luncheon and
refreshments provided. Fee for members:
$125; fee for non-members $140 (includes membership). For more information
contact Sylvie Cottee at scottee_aaem@
shaw.ca.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
& OPPORTUNITIES
BECOME A MENTOR
at the Immigrant Women’s Association
of Manitoba. Being a Mentor will entail
speaking to a variety of audiences on how
being a first or second-generation immigrant has impacted your life, along with
your personal challenges and choices.
Advantages of being an IWAM Mentor include receiving a generous honorarium,
learning new skills, making new contacts
and meeting interesting people. Please
call the Immigrant Women’s Association
of Manitoba’s office at 989-5800 or email
[email protected].
CONVERSATION CIRCLES
Practice speaking English, make new
friends and visit the library. The Library’s
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Conversation Circles program returns
this winter. The program is intended for
adults who can understand English spoken at an almost normal rate and who can
speak in short sentences. Join others who
are interested in improving their English
conversational skills. All meetings are led
by a trained ESL volunteer from the International Centre of Winnipeg. Millennium
Library Meeting Room 1. Wednesdays,
January 11 - March 8 from 6:30 -8pmpm.
To register call 986-6475.
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITY
Manitoba Artists in Healthcare is looking
for musicians willing to volunteer to play
in hospitals. For details please call Shirley
Grierson at 475-8085 between the hours
of noon and 6pm.
FRONTIER COLLEGE
There are one-hundred and sixty-eight
hours in a week. We are asking for one!
Frontier College is a non-profit literacy organization that recruits volunteers to act
as tutors to work with children, youth and
adults who want to improve their literacy
skills. Frontier College aims to strengthen
communities by enhancing the pride,
self-esteem, and confidence in individuals and their families. We run a variety of
fun literacy programs in various Winnipeg
neighbourhoods and schools. Programs
are one hour once a week and run from
October through to December and January through to April. Training and on-site
support are provided. For more information please visit our website at www.frontiercollege.ca or contact us at 253-7993 or
[email protected].
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT
THE BIKE DUMP
Come spring 2006, the Bike Dump would
like to expand the number of days we’re
open to three, or at least two. To do this,
we’ll need more volunteers knowledgeable
about bikes to help others out. Even if
you’re new to bike repair and maintenance, if you’re interested, get in touch
by writing to [email protected]
and we’ll see if we can help get your skills
honed in time.
WEST CENTRAL WOMEN’S
RESOURCE CENTRE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FROM WOMEN ARTISTS
interested in engaging our membership
in a collaborative art-making project.
Proposed activities will take place in eight
Wednesday afternoon sessions beginning
on March 15. Email [email protected] or call Tammy at 775-7238 for a
detailed request for proposals. Application
deadline February 15.
INTERNATIONAL
CENTRE
is looking for ten volunteers to work with
immigrants and new Canadian youth and
children living in the inner city to help
these young people become comfortable
and familiar with their new culture and
environment, as well as encouraging them
to maintain pride in their own cultures. All
programs run for a period of 16 weeks.
Student volunteers will have the opportunity to interact with different cultures,
build leadership skills, experience community development and provide mentorship to newcomer children and youth. For
more information contact Si-il Park, Program Co-ordinator at 943-9158 extension
285 or email [email protected].
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
21
AWARDS & FINANCIAL AID: INFORMATION
AWARDS & FINANCIAL AID:
INFORMATION UPDATED WEEKLY
UNIVERSITY
OF WINNIPEG
INTERNAL AWARDS:
THE CLIFFORD J. ROBSON MEMORIAL AWARD
FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING:
Nominations will be received from all segments of the University community such as
students, alumni, faculty members and the
administration. To be eligible, a nominee must
be teaching at this University. Candidates will
be appraised in terms of their undergraduate
teaching above the Grade XII level. No candidate is eligible to receive this award more
than once. Copies of the nomination form are
available in the Awards office in Graham Hall,
Student Central in Centennial Hall, and the Information Booth. Nominations should be sent
to the Director of Awards: Judy Dyck 1G05A
Deadline: February 27, 2006.
UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG GRADUATE &
PROFESSIONAL STUDIES APPLICATION
EXPENSES BURSARY:
This bursary assists students with respect
to the high costs associated with applying to Graduate and Professional Schools.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
1) have a minimum GPA of 3.55
in the previous academic year.
2) be registered in the final year of
an honours or four-year degree program in Arts or Science, or in the final
year of the Integrated B.Ed program.
3) have documented financial need: a
Canada Student Loan/Provincial Loan or a
Student line of credit at a banking institution.
4) both full-time and part-time students may
apply.
Applications are available in the Awards
office located in Student Services and will
be accepted beginning October 15, 2005.
Students may apply any time during the
Fall/Winter academic year, providing that
funding is available for this bursary. Applications will be evaluated on a first come, first
serve basis.
CANADIAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW
UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS APPLICATION
Applications for this University of Winnipeg
Scholarship are available in Student Services
in Graham Hall.
The Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University Asper Scholarship has been established
to encourage students to spend part of their
academic careers at the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem in Israel. These scholarships are
open to any University of Winnipeg students
who have completed at least 30 credit hours,
are studying history, political science, or
other areas of the social sciences, and who
intend to complete their degrees at the University of Winnipeg. Scholarships for study in
Israel may be awarded for either a six-week
or a one-year program.
ISABELLE & LEW MILES CANADIAN FRIENDS
OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship has been established by Isabelle Miles to encourage students to spend
part of their academic careers at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem in Israel. These
scholarships are open to any University of
Winnipeg students who have completed at
least 30 credit hours, are studying humanities or social sciences, and who intend to
complete their degrees at the University of
Winnipeg. Scholarships for study in Israel
may be awarded for either a six-week or a
one-year program.
Scholarship value: $1000 for the 6-week
program, $5000 for the one-year program.
To be eligible, you must have achieved an
overall GPA of 3.00 as well as an average of
3.00 on the most recent 30 credit hours you
have completed.
Applicants should contact the Canadian
Friends of the Hebrew University, at 9423085 to register their interest in attending
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and to
inquire about programs.
Completed application forms should be delivered to the Awards & Financial Aid Office.
Deadline: April 13,2006
EXTERNAL AWARDS:
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA GRADUATE
FELLOWSHIPS:
Application forms for University of Manitoba
Graduate studies are available on the web
www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/graduate_
studies. You can fill out the necessary forms
directly on-line. Hard copies are available in
the Awards office. Applications must be received in the Faculty of Graduate Studies by
Deadline: February 10, 2006.
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA:
ESC TRAVEL AWARDS 2006:
Scholarships up to the maximum of $2,000
will provide an opportunity for students to
undertake research or course work pertinent to their thesis subject that could not
be carried out at their own institutions, and
that represents a significant addition to the
planned thesis research or course work.
To be eligible, you must be enrolled as a
full-time graduate student, studying at a
Canadian University, and pursing scientific
studies on insects or other related terrestrial arthropods. Print your application from
www.esc-sec.org/form.pdf Deadline: Feb.
13, 2006
THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME:
The Manitoba Legislative Assembly Internship is open to individuals studying in any
discipline at one of the Manitoba universities
and permanent residents of Manitoba studying outside the province who have graduated
or will do so before September 2005. Six
Interns will gain first hand experience of
the legislative process and provide research
assistance to Members of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly and their caucuses. The
program includes a 10-month Internship,
bi-weekly stipend of $1033.74, study tour of
the House of Commons, Ottawa, study tour of
the Minnesota State Legislature, and regular
special interest seminars. Applicants should
meet the following criteria:
1 have a university degree with academic
excellence in any discipline by the time of the
start of the internship year
2 have facility in written and oral communication in English
3 knowledge of written and spoken French
will be considered a strong asset
4 show ability to conduct independent research and write reports
5 applicants invited for interview will be
asked to do a short written assignment following the interview
6 demonstrate evidence of involvement in
extracurricular activities.
A complete application must include 7 copies
of each of the following:
1 a completed application form
2 a statement of motivation of not more than
250 words
3 three letters of reference from academics
4 copies of the university transcripts of the
applicant
5 one page résumé
Applications available online at www.gov.
mb.ca . You will have to go to the Legislative
Assembly link: About the Assembly – Internship programme. Deadline: Feb 14, 2006.
EXPLORE BURSARY TO STUDY FRENCH:
Come to Trois-Pistoles French Immersion
School and receive a credit in French from
The University of Western Ontario. Choose
between one of two five-week sessions,
Spring: May 9 – June 10 2005, Summer:
July4 – August 5 2005. The Explore Bursary
covers all costs of the five-week immersion
program except for the deposit, travel and
personal spending. You qualify if you are a
Canadian citizen or permanent resident at the
time of application and you must be enrolled
as a student with a minimum of 60% course
load. Applications available on the web at
www.myexplore.ca. More information can
be found at [email protected] or by phoning
519-661-3637. Deadline: February 15, 2006.
CWRA GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS IN WATER
RESOURCES:
Five scholarships will be offered to graduate students whose programs of study focus upon applied, natural or social science
aspects of water resources. Values: $5,000
Dillon Consulting Scholarship, $2000 Ken
Thomson Scholarship, and CWRA offers
three scholarships of $1500. To be eligible,
you must meet the following crieteria: - be
a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant
- attend a Canadian University or College -
be enrolled in full-time graduate studies in
any discipline in both fall and winter terms
of the 2005-2006 academic year. Only one
applicant from any department in a Canadian
university will be accepted. More details and
application forms can be found at www.cwra.
org. Deadline date: Feb 15, 2006
TALK ABOUT CANADA SCHOLARSHIP QUIZ:
Operation Dialogue is a Canadian non-profit
organization with a mission to get students
interested in learning about Canadian history, politics, geography and popular culture
through an online quiz with scholarship opportunities. Students who participate in this
quiz will be eligible for scholarships. The quiz
will take place from January 23 – February 20, 2006 and will be entirely online. It is
multiple choice and each answer has a link
to information on the web. Over $45,000 in
scholarships to be won: 1@ $5000, 20 @
$1000, 40@ $500. Go to www.talkaboutcanada.ca to participate.
Deadline: February 20, 2006
FOLK ARTS COUNCIL OF WINNIPEG:
MARK & DOROTHY DANZKER SCHOLARSHIPS
Five scholarships of $1,000 will be awarded
to students who demonstrate excellence for
the preservation of cultural heritage through
volunteering in a cultural activity in the general community and who perform well academically with a 3.0 GPA or better. You must
be accepted or be currently enrolled in a
university, college or other recognized postsecondary institution within Canada. You
must be between the age of 17 and 25. You
must be a resident of Manitoba for at least
50% of your life. Applications are available in
the Awards and financial Aid Office in Graham Hall or on the website www.folklorama.
ca Deadline: Feb 24, 2006
EPILEPSY CANADA SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS:
These $1000.00 scholarships are open to
students 16 to 29 years of age who are
Canadian citizens or who have landed immigrant status and who are currently under
a Canadian physician’s care for the treatment
of epilepsy. Please note that visa students
are not eligible for this award. The application form will also require a resume and a
600-1200 word essay, Theme: “How I can
personally help increase epilepsy education
in my community”.
Applications forms at www.epilepsy.ca
toll-free 1-877-734-0873 or email Epilepsy
Canada at [email protected] Deadline:
February 25, 2006
ROBERT KAUFMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP:
These 20 undergraduate scholarships are
valued at $250.00 - $5,000 for students
studying in the area of accounting, attending
a recognized accounting program. Selection
is on monetary need. For more information
contact: Independent Accountants International Educational Foundation, 9200 South
Dadeland Blvd. Suite 510, Miami FL, 33156
Deadline is February 28, 2006.
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF MANITOBA ABORIGINAL EDUCATION AWARDS:
If you are of Aboriginal ancestry you are
eligible to apply for the Business Council of
Manitoba Aboriginal Education Award (maximum of $3,000 value for university students),
provided you meet the following criteria:
1. You are a citizen of Canada and permanent resident of Manitoba, having resided in
Manitoba for the last 12 months.
2. You plan to attend a Manitoba public postsecondary institution, in any discipline in the
next academic year.
3. You plan to maintain full-time status (at
least a 60% course load).
4. You are in need of financial assistance.
Attach a brief essay in your own handwriting, a copy of your most recent transcript
or academic history and a resume. You are
to also enclose proof of your acceptance to
a university or college for the award to be
released. Download an application form at
www.businesscouncilmb.ca or pick up one
at the U of W Awards office in Graham hall
Deadline Date: March 1 2006 – Return completed application to Awards office only.
J. ARMAND BOMBARDIER INTERNATIONALIST
FELLOWSHIPS:
Fellowships for Canadians to study, research
and work abroad in order to build their international competence and to enhance
Canada’s participation in the world economy
of the third millennium. You must be a Cana-
dian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
and hold at least one university degree, or
are in the final year of a degree program.
The latest degree must have been awarded
no longer than five years from the date of
application. Applicants must have achieved
high academic standing. Value: Fellowships
are valued at $10,000 and are non-renewable. Other awards may be held concurrently.
Applications are available online or send
electronically at www.cbie.ca/bombardier For more information, contact E-mail:
[email protected]
Deadline: March 1 2006
DALTON CAMP AWARDS:
FRIENDS OF CAN. BROADCASTING
Each year, the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting give up to three awards to Canadians
selected to win a $5,000 prize for excellence
in essay-writing on the link between democratic values and the quality of the media
in Canada. For details on the Dalton Camp
Awards visit website www.friends.ca/DCA
Deadline: March 3, 2006
THE MANITOBA COOPERATOR SCHOLARSHIP:
The Manitoba Co-operator will provide a
$1,000 scholarship to a Manitoba resident
enrolled full-time or part-time in his or her
first or subsequent year of a post-secondary program in journalism, communications
or broadcasting anywhere in Canada. Submit
your essay of no more than 1,250 words on
one of three pre-determined topics of importance to rural Manitoba:
1. Do government controls on agricultural
commodity production (choose either foreign
or domestic) have a direct impact on your
daily life? If so, which ones — and how?
2. Other than insurance and stabilization programs such as CAIS, what should Manitoba
farmers do to insure themselves against disastrous drops in income or production?
3. Should there be increased public (federal
and/or provincial) investment to sustain or
improve small communities in rural Manitoba? Why or why not?
-PRIZES: First prize $1,000 scholarship and a
paid one-year membership in the Manitoba
Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association,
second and third prizes of $150.
-Essays can be submitted one of three ways:
by regular mail to “Manitoba Co-operator
Scholarship”, Box 9800, Winnipeg, MB., R3C
3K7; by fax to 204-954-1422; or by e-mail to
[email protected]
- More information can be found at website, www.manitobacooperator.ca Deadline:
March 31 2006.
SURFING FOR MORE DOLLARS?
Try these websites for more possibilities! These two sites will lead you through
Canadian-based scholarship searches.
www.studentawards.com www.scholarshipscanada.com
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
MANITOBA STUDENT AID SECOND
DISBURSEMENT:
When you receive your Manitoba Student
Loan document in the mail, the University of
Winnipeg will have electronically confirmed
your full-time enrollment and deducted fees
that you owe to the University of Winnipeg.
Bring this document to the Manitoba Student
Aid office located on the fourth floor of 1181
Portage Ave. for processing.
You will need to bring the following
documentation:
1 your SIN card
2 some photo ID
3 bank transit information
Please note: if you have reduced your course
load, these changes will affect your Manitoba
Student Loan assessment.
DID YOU KNOW..... you can check the status
of your student aid application, find out what
documentation is still outstanding, update
your address information and much more
on line? Go to MySAO to log into your existing
account. Go to www.studentaid.gov.mb.ca
DID YOU KNOW.... Manitoba Student Aid staff
is on campus regularly on Fridays 1 - 4
p.m. You can book an appointment by coming to student services or phone Tanis at
786-9984.
February 2, 2006
22
The Uniter
SPORTS EDITOR: MIKE P YL
PHONE: 786-9497
FAX: 783-7080
SPORTS
Winnipeg’s Latest Golden Boy: Dustin Boyd
BY KALEN QUALLY
Boyd: I think so. I think playing in the
between the guy that came to camp a
said that he wasn’t even part of the game
Western Hockey League, playing in
year ago and the player you are now?
plan going into the gold medal game. Did
all-star games you get a little media
It may have been difficult, but for
attention. I think you learn to deal with
the second consecutive year Canada
it. For me being at the World Junior
Boyd: I think it’s just the experience and
not being nervous. I knew this year that
I had a great shot at making the team,
the team just take it upon themselves to
shut him down and try to throw him off
his game?
finished with gold at the World Junior
Camp last year there was a lot of media
Championships. In comparison to last
attention. It kind of just builds on you.
and last year was the best team probably
Boyd: I think so. We don’t want to key in
ever assembled. My chances were a
on just one player; they had a lot of good
was identical. But in contrast, they
Uniter: During the first tournament
little bit slim with the NHL being gone
players on their team. When our line
couldn’t have looked any more different.
game, Pierre McGuire compared you to
and guys like (Patrice) Bergeron coming
was playing against him you wanted to
Last year, the Canadian Junior team
long time NHLer Steve Larmer. Are you
back. I think it was just that I had more
keep him in check, limit all his offensive
boasted the likes of current NHL players
familiar with Larmer?
confidence and I was less nervous.
opportunities.
Boyd: Definitely, actually. My grandma’s
Uniter: You also know how disappointing
Uniter: What was it like playing on one
sister actually used to live beside Steve
it can be to be a final cut. Was there
of Canada’s most important lines with
Larmer. He signed a hockey card for me
anything you said to teammate Kendall
(Steve) Downie and (Blake) Comeau?
so I definitely know who he is. He’s a
McCardle after he was cut this year?
year’s team, the result of the tournament
Dion Phaneuf, Patrice Bergeron, and
Sidney Crosby. Quite remarkably, 13
members of last year’s team have played
at least one NHL game this season. But
much less remarkable was the fact that
only one member returned for this year’s
tournament.
The Americans looked very
strong and Russia boasted the “best player
outside the NHL,” the dynamic Evgeni
Malkin. Winning would require many
new players to step up and play key roles.
One of those players was Winnipeg’s own
Dustin Boyd. He scored Canada’s first goal
great player.
Boyd: Just that, “You got a shot next year,
You never expect to be playing against
Uniter: Is there any current NHL player
if you work hard this year and have a
Evgeni Malkin and playing with two
you look up to or even try to play like?
good camp next year, and a good start to
good players like Comeau and Downie.
next year’s season; you’ll be on the team
I think you put anyone with those guys
for sure.” He just asked me how it went
and you’ll be one of the top lines and
and stuff like that.
definitely contribute.
well in all areas of the game. He’s just one
Uniter: In the media, Brent Sutter is
Uniter: There were times in your junior
of the best players.
made out to be a bit of a hard ass. What’s
career when maybe you should have
he really like?
been getting a little more recognition.
Boyd: I think like Joe Sakic, probably
one of the best players in the NHL. He’s
lethal, he has a lethal shot, and he plays
of the tournament and finished among
Uniter: During the tournament McGuire
the team’s leading scorers. Boyd was one
wasn’t your only fan. Printed in the
Boyd: Away from the media and the
of coach Brent Sutter’s most dependable
papers, your possible future coach in
camera he’s a really good guy, easy to talk
players, being sent out for penalty kill,
Calgary, Darryl Sutter, called you a “200-
to. Always told jokes. Once game time
power play, and face-off duties. He also
foot player”. To quote him, “There’s some
comes it’s business and you have to do
helped form one of the most effective
other guys that get a lot of splash because
what it takes to win. He knows how to
lines in the tournament centering Blake
they’re spectacular when they have the
win and we followed him.
Comeau, who led Canada in scoring,
puck but he’s a good player in all areas
and Steve Downie, who was selected as
of the game.” How does that make you
a tournament all-star. Now that Boyd is
feel, to be getting complimented by your
finally back with the WHL’s Moose Jaw
most important critic?
Warriors, I got a chance to speak with
Winnipeg’s Canadian Junior star:
Boyd: I think that’s something special
and an honour, to have him say those
Uniter: You had a great tournament and
words about me. Hopefully I can live up
with that came plenty of well-deserved
to every expectation that he has.
media attention, which you normally
wouldn’t get playing in Moose Jaw. Do
Uniter: Being one of Canada’s last cuts a
you think you were prepared for all of it?
year ago you know what it takes to make
the team. What’s the biggest difference
T H E
Uniter: It seems Sutter is a big advocate
of leadership and role players. Did he tell
you anything specific as far as what he
expected of you?
Women’s Volleyball
(10-6, 2nd in Great Plains,
unranked)
Thursday, January 26
Wesmen 3 Brandon 0
(25-23, 25-21, 25-19)
Friday, January 27
Regina 3 Wesmen 0
(25-16, 25-17, 25-19)
Friday, January 27
Wesmen 3 Regina 0
(27-25, 25-21, 25-22)
Saturday, January 28
Wesmen 3
Regina 2
(27-25, 22-25, 19-25, 25-14, 1513)
Women’s Basketball (11-5,
1st in Great Plains, no. 5 CIS
Coaches’ Poll)
You weren’t picked to play in the Top
Prospects Game and you weren’t selected
for the Under-18 (World Championship)
team. Does that make this gold medal
any sweeter for you?
Boyd: I think it definitely does. I’ve been
overlooked a little bit in my junior career,
whether that be the Top Prospects Game
or the Under-18’s. Playing for the World
Junior team and playing for the gold
medal just shows that I never quit.
Boyd: He said you have to be strong
defensively; you have to work every shift.
You’ve just got to buy into the program
and everything will work.
Uniter: Evgeni Malkin is supposedly the
best player outside the NHL. Yet, Sutter
SCORE
Men’s Volleyball (10-8, 2nd in
Great Plains, no. 5 CIS Coaches’ Poll)
Wesmen 3 Regina 0
(25-20, 25-14, 25-18)
Boyd: It was just something unreal.
Friday, January 27
Regina 67 Wesmen 48
Wesmen 65 Regina 59
Men’s Basketball (6-10, 3rd
in Great Plains, unranked)
Friday, January 27
Regina 94 Wesmen 88
Regina 77 Wesmen 75
COMING UP
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Away vs. Alberta (no. 5) – Feb
3 & 4 @ 7:00
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Bye
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Home vs. Brandon – Feb 2 @
6:15pm
Away vs. Brandon – Feb 4 @
6:15pm
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Home vs. Brandon – Feb 2 @
8:00pm
Away vs. Brandon – Feb 4 @
8:00pm
The Uniter
February 2, 2006
SPORTS
Women Swept While Men Sweep
The Wesmen jumped ahead again
“It wasn’t a tremendous performance by
in the third set, leading by their largest
us,” said Larry McKay, head coach of the
margin of 4 (6-2) right before the fi rst
Wesmen, on Friday’s performance. “Prob-
technical timeout. Regina came back
with 6 unanswered points, however,
and remained thereafter in the lead.
The Wesmen just couldn’t hold their line
together and fell for the third time 25-19.
Kristin Brisebois led with 13 kills.
L
ast weekend’s games began the
home stretch for the University
of Winnipeg women’s volleyball
team. Those last half dozen games that
may decide just who plays who in the
playoffs began at home for the Wesmen,
against the Regina Cougars.
The previous week had seen them
lose two matches to the University of
Manitoba Bisons, the fi rst in a disappointing sweep (0-3) during the week and the
second in five sets, with Manitoba pulling
ahead in the fi fth.
These losses put the Wesmen in a
precarious position, falling back to a 9-5
record before they played the Cougars.
With changes having been made before
Saturday’s game, including replacing
Jodi Clemons with Shanti Plett in the
libero position, the Wesmen seemed to
play better. Not good enough to win, but
better.
Friday night, unfortunately, the
team regressed. The game was fi lled with
hitting errors, net errors, missed blocks
and wide balls. The team totaled a dismal
0.017 kill percentage for the game. The
difference was clear, with Regina only
making 7 errors to the Wesmen’s huge
total of 31.
“The biggest problem was our offensive execution by some players,” said
Diane Scott, head coach for the Wesmen.
“Too many hitting errors by Nicola Dirks,
too many hitting errors by Lee Hrenchuk.
There were too many unforced errors.”
Scott dug into her bench early,
taking out Hrenchuk after she missed her
fi rst few hits. Replacing her was Claire
Willerton, who came in when the Cougars
went to 17-10, leading the Wesmen from
the start.
“Willerton went in and played
great for a fi rst-year, who’s playing an
entirely new position,” said Scott. “Dayna
be the fi rst replacement to step into the
game. Her all-around game melds well
with the starters on the court. However,
she sprained her right ankle in practice
The wins improve the men’s record to 10-8.
The women will travel next weekend, play-
With the split this weekend, the Wesmen
22-25, 19-25, 25-14, 15-13). This brings the
women kept breath in their playoff hopes,
Wesmen to a record of 10-6, good enough
but they may soon be dashed should they
Friday and Saturday night 27-25, 25-21, 25-
Normally, Jamie Menzies would
both nights with 13 kills each night.
the Wesmen to pull out the win (27-25,
Cougars, sweeping their opponents both
make any errors, she did a good job.”
Shaw also saw play. Ben Schellenberg led
3rd place team in the Canada West Division.
The men’s team also played the Regina
[Kiesman] at the end went in. She didn’t
tion during Friday’s match, though Trevor
ing a pair of games in Alberta against the
points and leading Regina by four.
BY JOSH BOULDING
Marc De Spiegelaere was in the libero posi-
though it still took until the fi fth set for
points, falling behind the Bisons by two
RICHARD WIEBE SPIKES ONE PAST COUGAR COLIN FRASER.
ably a below average match for us.”
Saturday’s match went over better,
for a 6th spot in the Canada West with 20
PHOTO: WADE ANDREW
23
lose in the next week.
The men will have the next week off from
regular season play, but will meet Calgary
at home at the Duckworth Centre on Feb.
11 and 12 in their final two matches of the
season.
22 and 25-20, 25-14, 25-18 respectively.
Kobe’s 81 by
the Numbers
BY MIKE PYL
a week and a half prior to the weekend’s
games and was sorely missed.
“She [Menzies] is normally the fi rst
player off the bench. Whether this had a
psychological presence or not, for sure
that’s a big deal,” Scott said.
“My ankle will affect how much I
can practice and how many reps I can
get,” said Menzies. She had been walking
without crutches during the day, putting
weight on it for the fi rst time consistently
since the injury. “Hopefully I can get back
in time for playoffs.”
The fi rst set had Regina leading the
Wesmen throughout the entire set. They
went up 8-5 at the fi rst technical timeout
and stayed ahead. Regina had the Wesmen
by the throats at the second technical 169, and they fi nished off the set 25-16.
The second set began with the
Wesmen going up but quickly falling
behind as the Cougars reached the fi rst
(8-6) and second (16-11) technical timeouts once again in the lead. Kiesman
was rotated in to serve a few times as the
Wesmen tried to combat their errors.
During the fi rst and second set there
were some questionable calls.
“We get more calls going our way
playing in Regina than in our own gym!”
said Scott, frustration evident in her voice.
Especially with the referee after several
momentum slaughtering calls and a line
call that had the entire crowd jeering.
(Ultimately though) the referee doesn’t
win or lose the match for you.”
Between these and the Wesmen’s
multitude of errors, the Cougars held
their lead easily and remained on top to
win the second set 25-17.
The aftermath of Los Angeles Laker Kobe
Bryant’s 81-point game has produced a lot of
numbers. The sheer quantity produced in this
122-104 win over the Toronto Raptors is enough
to overwhelm a statistician. But luckily, Uniter
Sports is here to break them all down for you,
beyond just the big 8-1:
81: Second-best in NBA history.
28: Field goals scored by Kobe, of which 7 were
threes.
18: Free throws scored by Kobe, on 20 attempts.
26: First half points by Kobe. While it nearly
matched his per game average, in retrospect,
doesn’t it seem a little modest, like something
a sixth-man would put up on a good night? But
had he quit the game at this point, he still would
have tied Raptor Mike James as the game’s
highest scorer.
55: Second half points by Kobe, second-most
in a single half in NBA history. The record still
stands at 59. The number dwarfs the 41 put up
by the entire Toronto squad.
100: Highest number of points ever scored in a
single NBA game, set by Philadelphia 76er Wilt
Chamberlain. Established in 1962, it has long
been considered one of sports’ untouchable records that will never be broken, along with Joe
DiMaggio’s 56-game hits streak.
4: Number of players not named Wilt Chamberlain (who now can only lay claim to four of the
top five single game scoring performances) to
score 70 points in one game (Kobe - 81; David
Thompson - 73; David Robinson - 71; Elgin
Baylor - 71).
32: Percentage of Laker shots taken by Kobe
thus far this season.
52: Percentage of Laker shots taken by Kobe
en route to his record-setting performance.
In all, he jacked up 46 field goal attempts, or
roughly the same amount as Toronto’s star forward Chris Bosh, who averages 15 attempts,
would in three games.
11: The number of years it’s been since we’ve
seen as high a scoring game as the 152-149
Sonics-Suns double OT shootout. Possibly
the game of the year, but it’s been completely
overshadowed as it fell on the same day.
29: Day in November following a 9-of-33 loss
to the San Antonio Spurs when Bryant was
quoted as saying his “missed shots provided
shot opportunities for his teammates off the offensive boards.”
2: Number of Bryant assists this game. That’s
right, 81 points… two assists. Now that’s ball
distribution.
7: Minutes remaining in the fourth quarter
when Lamar Odom, undeniably the Lakers’
second-best player, scored his first and only
field goal of the game.
23 and 10.5: Laker wins this season (despite
Kobe averaging nearly 36 ppg, they’re only
seventh in the conference), and games back of
the first-place Spurs.
0: Single-game 40-point scorers on the Spurs
this season.
What does this all add up to?
0: Number of players not named Wilt Chamberlain to score 80 points in one game, before
Kobe.
14: Disgruntled teammates wishing he had
in fact signed with the Clippers a few years
back.
69: Highest number of points Michael Jordan
ever scored in a single game. For the record, it
came in a 117-113 overtime victory against the
Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1989-90, a campaign
that saw Jordan stuck with a supporting cast almost as mediocre as the 2005-06 Lakers.
2.6: Seconds spent by Shaquille O’Neal wishing he was still playing with Kobe, before remembering he’s now playing with a guard that
actually passes.
62: Number of points Bryant finished with in
a game earlier in the season against Dallas.
Following the game, Kobe said he could have
gone for 80. However, coach Phil Jackson took
him out at the beginning of the fourth with the
Lakers winning in a rout. Consequently, Jackson was lambasted for the decision, with critics
arguing he robbed Bryant of a chance to make
history. Hey, what’s more important, protecting
your only valuable asset, or him forcing off-balance 20-footers in running up the score?
0: Laker championship rings in the foreseeable
future.
February 2, 2006
The Uniter

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