2008/0

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VOLUME 62

ThE UniVErsiTy Of WinnipEg sTUdEnT WEEkLy

Page 6: Debating freedom of speech: Is there such thing as too much? Page 2: Read all about it: Low literacy could be a problem for our fastest growing urban population. Page 8: Get the Lo down on Winnipeg’s newest music venue.

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t h i s w e e k’s c o n t r i bu to r s

Curran Feris, Aaron Epp, Kelly Nickie, Holly Rose, Kenton Smith, Tom Llewellin, Brooke Dmytriw, Andrew Kress, Julienne Isaacs, Ben Wickstrom,

Sepher Cadiz, Cory Falvo, Dan Phelps, Adam Peleshaty, Stephanie Christie, Andrew McMonagle, Trevor Hagan

Artist: Bleak “Untitled”

Now showing at Walls Deep at the Label Gallery until Feb. 10

Photo by Colin Vandenberg

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NEWSJanuary 24, 2008

02contact : uniter@uniter.caThe Uniter

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Beat rePorterJames Janzen » james@uniter.ca

UNITER STAFF

James JanzenBeaT RepoRTeR

Last week did away with primaries in Michigan, caucuses in Nevada, and Republican primaries in South Caro-

lina, leaving both the Democrat and the Re-publican parties with little more than further indecision.

Republican nominee Mitt Romney took strong wins in both Michigan and Nevada. In Nevada he was the only Republican to put in a serious campaign effort, pulling on the state’s large Mormon minority, while the other nominees poured their time and money into the key southern state of South Carolina. Al-though Romney won big in Nevada with 51 per cent of the Republican caucus vote and currently holds the most delegates nationally, it may not be enough to slow John McCain’s campaign, which has been gaining speed across the country.

With Romney cleaning up Nevada, the media focused its attention on the hotly contested South Carolina primaries where McCain beat the war drums (politically and

literally – McCain is a staunch supporter of prolonging the Iraq engagement) and narrowly edged out a victory over Mike Huckabee. This was an integral win for McCain who, accord-ing the national polls conducted last weekend, now sits as the Republican frontrunner, closely followed by Huckabee, with Romney lagging behind in third. Every Republican presidential hopeful who has won the South Carolina pri-maries since 1980 has gone on to become the party’s candidate.

While the Republican race has been heated, the intensity has paled in comparison to the Democratic side of the electoral circus. Clinton, Obama, and Edwards all campaigned heavily in Nevada and the relentless media coverage coming out of Las Vegas was stacked with a full house of gambling references; can-didates had “aces up their sleeves,” every move was referred to as a “crapshoot,” and exit polls may have well asked who voters thought had a better poker face. This student reporter, for one, was ready to bet next year’s tuition against never having to hear Wolf Blitzer deliver an-other poker pun.

Race and gender came to the forefront of the Democratic nomination with voters and

news anchors squabbling over, for example, where the black

female vote will go. Hillary Clinton kept the smile on and talked nice while Bill was dis-patched to other speaking events where he took pot shots at Obama on everything from a mildly positive comment Obama made about Ronald Reagan to minor inconsistencies in his proud record in opposition to the war in Iraq.

All of these factors played into the tightly fought battle in Nevada where Clinton pulled ahead with 51 per cent of the vote to Obama’s 45 per cent (consequently, both candidates squeaked the same amount of delegates out of the state). Nationally, Clinton was scraping ahead of Obama in most of the weekend polls and all eyes are on the South Carolina Demo-cratic primaries this Saturday, a state with a large black population that might prove to be a key win for Obama.

a weekly roundup of all that matters electorally, south-of-the-border‘Pegging the Vote ‘08

sTephanie ChRisTie VolUnTeeR sTaff

Literacy rates among off-reserve aboriginal people living in urban Manitoba and Sas-katchewan are much lower than those of

their non-aboriginal counterparts, according to a recent report by Statistics Canada. This leaves some experts concerned about the lack of invest-ment into literacy and employment programs for aboriginal people in urban centres.

Results from the International Adult Lit-eracy and Skills Survey show First Nations and Métis people scoring at often significantly lower rates of literacy than non-aboriginal people. Ac-cording to the IALSS, Level 3 is considered to be the minimum level of literacy needed in order to be “successful in a complex knowledge and in-formation based society.” Results that show 72 per cent of First Nations people coming in under this benchmark are a cause for concern.

Stephen Britton of the Urban Circle Train-ing Centre sees several reasons for these findings, one of which is the fact that for many aboriginals living in urban Manitoba, extreme poverty limits access to a proper education. Many aboriginals coming to the city from reserves find the adjust-ment extremely difficult. They often find them-selves relocating to the competitive city job mar-ket without a complete high school education, making it difficult to get ahead.

“They often have trouble adapting to urban culture since there are no resources in place when they get here,” said Britton. “Often what hap-pens is that they are trapped, in that they come from families where unemployment and under-employment is chronic.”

Britton says another reason for the low literacy rates may have to do with the fact that often English is a second language. Mary Young of the University of Winnipeg Aboriginal Stu-dent Centre agrees.

“When you look at people who come from other countries to Canada, I think educational institutions make it available for these particular

students to be ESL students,” said Young. “Why can’t we do that for aboriginal students?”

Statistics Canada acknowledges that this is one of the difficulties in getting an accurate representation of literacy rates, stating in the report that it is “fundamental to recognize that the multiple literacies that are part of the First Nations’ and Métis’ cultures are not reflected in the literacy scores derived from IALSS.” How-ever, they go on to say that “one also needs to acknowledge the relative importance of people’s literacy skills such as those measured by IALSS in order to successfully navigate the demands of life in an urban context.”

Access to a proper education appears to be vital in obtaining and maintaining strong literacy skills and future success. In fact, according to the Statistics Canada profile, a strong foundation in literacy is closely linked to educational success. Those who pursued higher levels of education often ranked highest in areas of literacy. Fifty-three per cent of First Nations people and 75 per cent of Métis people over the age of 16 with a post-secondary education reached a Level 3 rate of literacy in the prose category, significantly higher than those who did not complete their high school education.

Young and Britton agree that the problems

present in the current education system may be having a detrimental effect on aboriginal stu-dents and how they view education.

“I suspect that many aboriginal students still don’t feel a sense of belonging in classrooms,” said Young. “If we don’t make that classroom a safe and comfortable environment, students are not going to learn.”

In order for aboriginal students to be suc-cessful in reaching their full potential, changes need to be made, according to Britton.

“Schools are primarily a white, middle class institution,” said Britton. “We need to make cul-tural difference and diversity a part of the school programs.”

low literacy rates for aboriginals alarming

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It’S tImE to broadEN thE dEfINItIoN of ESL, Say ExpErtS

“When you look at people who come from other countries to Canada, I think educational institutions make it available for these particular students to be ESL students. Why can’t we do that for aboriginal students?”—Mary Young, UWASC

NEWSJanuary 24, 2008The Unitercontact : uniter@uniter.ca

James JanzenBeaT RepoRTeR

Last week a group of over 30 Winnipeggers met and forged the beginnings of

what is to become the Winnipeg Rapid Transit Coalition.

Spearheaded by the Sierra Club of Canada’s Winnipeg chap-ter, the group hopes to launch new rounds of civic discussion over the implementation of a rapid transit system.

Varied faces from around the city filled the Manitoba Eco-Net-work’s boardroom to capacity last Monday, including city councilor representatives, university profes-sors, environmentalists, and con-cerned citizens.

Reasons for interest in the co-alition were as diverse as those in-volved. Concerns over greenhouse gas emissions, lagging commute times, Winnipeg’s lack of vibrancy and “walkability,” and a recent re-port that stating gas prices will jump to $1.50/litre in the near fu-ture were all brought to the table.

“The response has been incred-ible,” said Paul Hesse, the meeting’s coordinator.

With an air of mobilization in the room, Hesse and fellow SCC representative Jim Chapryk said they were excited to see what was going to happen once the backroom rumblings of eco-conscious citizens turned into action.

Plans for a rapid transit system in Winnipeg have been bouncing around for over 30 years. The most recent push ended when Sam Katz’s

administration took office and the Rapid Transit Task Force’s 2005 report was shelved, University of Winnipeg civic politics professor Christopher Leo said.

“Katz is in theory supportive of the system,” Leo said. In practice, however, he said the mayor is not interested in moving forward on the issue.

Leo said he saw “no good justification” for why Winnipeg is among the few major Canadian cit-ies still lacking rapid transit.

“There’s a reciprocal relation-ship between transit and develop-ment . . . it changes the develop-ment picture,” he said.

According to Leo, a proper transit system in Winnipeg would promote a “more compact . . . more viable infrastructure” that would include mixed-use areas and en-vironmentally conscious develop-ment options.

Instead, we are “building our-selves into oblivion,” he said, where car culture has become the norm.

Leo pointed to the southwest corridor between the Via Rail sta-tion and the University of Mani-toba as the city’s most viable first option.

Despite the importance of establishing a rapid transit system, Leo had several precautions. He spoke of the importance of keep-ing options open, focusing on one transit line at a time, and not selling the city short with express busses instead of real rapid transit.

Katz, Leo said, is prone to quoting final costs of a rapid transit system that sit in the hundreds of millions. Instead, there should be a

focus on incremental changes and the realization that bus rapid tran-sit does not close the door on other options, such as light rail.

Indeed, last week’s meeting brought up cities such as Ottawa, where an integrated rapid transit system has been built consisting of both rail and bus lines depend-ing on what was more feasible in a given area.

The Sierra Club of Canada

is an environmental group active across the country and deals with a variety of environment-related is-sues. SCC membership information is available through Jim Chapryk at jchapryk@mts.net.

For those interested in joining or knowing more about the Win-nipeg Rapid Transit Coalition, Paul Hesse can be reached by e-mail at paul_hesse@hotmail.com.

No rEaSoN for Lack of rapId traNSIt, SayS NEW coaLItIoN

rising gas prices can change our city

03

international news Briefs Compiled by Brooke Dmytriw

AfghAn women limited in wArdrobe And tAilors

KABUL, Afghanistan: Muslim clergymen banned male tailors from fitting women for clothing. The local ruling, taking place in the northeastern Takhar province of Afghanistan, appears to follow the line of Taliban conservatism.

Although Afghan women do occupy dressmaking positions, men dominate the trade. According to Reuters, the clergy also approached President Karzai about banning soap operas aired on national television because they consider them un-Islamic, and is seeking re-establishment of public executions.

eAstern-europeAn pipeline mAintAins russiAn oil control

SOFIA, Bulgaria: Russia and Bulgaria signed a deal to construct a natural gas pipeline that would feed European energy needs.

The deal effectively undercuts a project sponsored by the United States and European Union, and maintains Russia as the dominant player in energy supplies.

The planned South Stream pipeline will cross Russia, go under the Black Sea into Bulgaria and continue into Europe.

Ownership of the pipeline was decided as 50/50. OAO Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned gas company sought 51 per cent ownership but gave in to Bulgaria’s insistence, reported the Associated Press.

Russia currently supplies 40 per cent of Europe’s gas and provides as much as a third of some European countries’ oil imports.

dying for the environmentTAEAN, South Korea: A fishmonger

attempted suicide at a rally protesting the oil spill that ruined an eco-system on South Korea’s west coast.

Ji Chang-hwan consumed an herbicide and then lit himself on fire during a protest for compensating communities affected by the spill. Two other fish farmers have killed themselves in protest already.

The spill occurred in December when a tug boat’s barge broke loose and ran into a tanker, spilling 10,500 tons of crude oil and destroying coastline flora and fauna.

According to BBC News, residents of Taean County are seeking compensation from the companies responsible for the spill.

This spill is the largest in South Korea’s history; its size has been assessed as approximately a third of the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil slick in Alaska.

so pretty it hurtsCANBERRA, Australia: A 20-year old

man will likely need to have his arm amputated after waving at two young women.

Reuters reported the man waved to the women while he was seated in the passenger side of a pickup truck.

His arm was severed when the driver made a right turn and the exposed arm was clipped by an oncoming vehicle.

u.s. blAcklisted in cAnAdiAn diplomAtic mAnuAl

TORONTO, Canada: The Department of Foreign Affairs listed the United States as a possible torture site in its diplomatic manual.

The U.S. and its Guantanamo Bay base are listed along with Israel, China, Afghanistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Syria and Iran as torture-risk nations, reported the Canadian Press.

The booklet was inadvertently released to lawyers representing Amnesty International and who are working on a lawsuit involving allegations of torturing detainees in Afghanistan.

U.S. ambassador David Wilkens spoke out about the list, noting it was offensive to be among the company of countries like China and Iran.

Israel and the United States deny the use of torture and are expected to be removed from the list.

CameRon mCleanBeaT RepoRTeR

Do you know your rights when interact-ing with police? If the police stopped you on the street and demanded to

search your bag, would you know what to do? What if they came to your house? If the police wanted to arrest you, would you know your rights?

The truth is many people do not know what rights are guaranteed to them by our laws and constitution. And unfortunately, what the police are supposed to do and what they actually do are not always the same thing, according to defence lawyer Jeff Gindin.

He says that is why it’s important for or-dinary citizens to be aware of their rights, and to be on the lookout for police misconduct and abuse.

Gindin has been a defence lawyer for 36 years, and has taught at the University of Mani-toba law school for 30 years. He specializes in teaching the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Many high-profile wrongful convictions, like those of David Milgaard and Thomas So-phonow, likely would have been avoided if there had been a Charter of Rights and Freedoms at the time, Gindin told a recent Know Your Rights Workshop, held at the Magnus Eliason Recre-ation Centre.

The Charter sets out rules for police when investigating a suspect and protects against the

use of illegally obtained evidence.But even with these guidelines in place, it

can often be difficult for defendants to prove that the police have stepped out of bounds.

“In courtrooms, police officers are believed much more often than the average citizen is,” said Gindin.

The workshop was put on by the Winnipeg chapter of Copwatch, an international volunteer organization that monitors police activity on the streets. Part of the rationale behind Copwatch is that by observing police, they can be held ac-countable for their actions, which will help to prevent future abuse.

“Everybody should let the police know that we’re watching and that it’s not okay for them to do whatever they want,” said Ken Gerrard, media relations person for Copwatch.

According to Gerrard, the people that are most often affected by police misconduct are generally low-income people or members of vis-ible minorities.

In their November 2007 report, “Racial-ized Communities and Police Services,” the Manitoba Human Rights Commission details the experiences of visible minorities, particularly aboriginals and African immigrants, with police. During the public consultations that preceded the report, many people came forward with com-plaints of police harassment and discrimination based on the colour of their skin.

Constable Jeff Norman, media relations person for the Winnipeg Police Service, says that the WPS does not engage in racial profiling. Al-

though he hasn’t read the RCAPS report, he says that Winnipeg officers adhere to a “bias-free” model of policing.

“It means, we aren’t concerning ourselves, and we don’t concern ourselves with in regards to race, gender, creed, it’s bias-free,” said Norman.

Gerrard blames ineffective complaints pro-cesses, such as the Law Enforcement Review Agency (LERA), for failing to acknowledge the problem of racial discrimination.

“(LERA) collects complaints from people but they don’t actually track the race of people who make complaints, so they don’t really have that information,” he said.

However, even in cases where racial dis-crimination has occurred, it can be difficult to do anything about it.

“The police will never admit that (a person’s race) was the single reason (for stopping them),” said Gindin. “Not only do you have to present (your case) with reasoned arguments, you have to get a judge to agree with you.”

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“There’s a reciprocal relationship between transit and development . . . it changes the development picture,” —Christopher Leo, U of W politics professor

local lawyer coaches citizens on policing the police

For those that do find themselves confronted by police, Gindin offers these pieces of advice:

Be careful where you go and who you hang •around with.Be polite.•Be reasonable.•Ask questions.•Contact a lawyer and follow their advice.•Police need a warrant to come into your •home. Read it.Make notes.•

January 24, 2008

04The Uniter contact : uniter@uniter.ca

NEWS

Tom llewellinVolUnTeeR sTaff

Fort Rouge councillor Jenny Gerbasi introduced a mo-tion last Friday requiring city

council to look at options for limit-ing trans fat usage in Winnipeg’s food industry.

The motion instructs a com-mittee to investigate the possibility of either forcing restaurants to post written warnings about the dam-aging fats, or to stop using them altogether.

The motion, brought before the City of Winnipeg’s Protection and Community Services committee, passed by a 5-0 vote.

“People should have a choice, at the very minimum, to know what’s in their food,” Gerbasi said. “It’s a legitimate policy issue.”

Trans fats, most often found in frying oil, margarine and pastries, are a by-product of the partial hydroge-nation process in which liquid veg-etable oils are converted into semi-solid saturated fats. This lowers the fats’ manufacturing costs, al-lows using them as substitution for butter and lard, and extends their shelf life. Small amounts of trans fats may naturally occur in most red meats and cheeses.

Unlike naturally-occurring fats, trans fats carry no health benefits while increasing the levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood. They also put their consumers at increased risk for heart disease.

An ingredients listing containing hydroge-nated or partially hydrogenated oils is a red flag for the presence of trans fats, according to Health Canada.

Restaurants were identified as a major trans fat culprit in 2005, when a federal government task force determined that 22 per cent of the av-erage person’s trans fat consumption is a result of

eating out. The task force also suggested that the maximum amount of trans fats allowed in oils and margarine be set at 2 per cent, with a limit of 5 per cent for solid animal-based fats.

Calgary decided to take these recommen-dations to heart, implementing the decisions on New Year’s Day in the city’s restaurants and then ensuring strict enforcement. The reception has so far been overwhelmingly positive, with many res-taurants embracing the opportunity to ride the wave of positive press that has resulted.

Gerbasi acknowledged that Calgary’s ex-ample—which included public consultations—would be a good lead to follow.

In Winnipeg, the regulation question seems to have strong support behind it.

“I think it’s the city’s duty to protect people [from] things that could hurt them, and that includes food,” said Jessica Beeston, a first-year Arts U of W student.

“We’ve been trans fat-free for a year and a half,” stated U of W food services director Heidi Gerrard. She added that fried items are cooked in a proprietary canola oil blend, but was unable to provide further details.

Salisbury House and Chester Fried restau-rants, with offerings heavy on fried foods, also recently switched to trans fat-free cooking oil.

Winnipeg’s committee will investigate the feasibility of activating the regulations over the coming months, and issue their initial report Apr. 11.

city considers limiting trans fats

bY Jenette Martens

Do you think a carbon tax is an effective way to reDuce green house gases?

Vitaliy Suprunov 3rd year biochemistry Yes, that would put pressure on people to use public transport.

Adam Johnston 1st year economics Yes, I think a carbon tax would be incentive for people not to drive their cars or pollute the planet.

Mike Payment 5th year education No, because it’s just another tax that will be passed onto individuals. It will just increase the price of goods.

Nora Haines 1st year No, I think it’s a money grab. It’s taking advantage of the environmental situation.

Amanda Skleplwich 4th year education No, I think people are just going to pay for it and prices will go up. I don’t think a tax would stop a large company and make them try to reduce.

Tessa Blaikie 1st year For businesses certainly. I think businesses should have to pay a penalty for not recycling that exceeds the cost of recycling.

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News editor: ksenia Prints

e-mail: Newsprod@uNiter.ca phoNe: 786-9497

Fax: 783-7080

winnipeg politics students Argue Arctic sovereignty

Political studies students and current affairs junkies should check out the annual Political Studies Students’ Conference happening at the University of Manitoba on Jan. 30-Feb. 1.

This year’s conference, the 24th consecutive one, is titled Arctic Security: Challenges and Options. Conference themes usually deal with contemporary issues in global politics and international conflict.

The conference will feature a mix of speakers and panel discussions, including academics from the U of M and across the country and military officials involved in arctic defense.

The day-long conference will be held Thursday to Saturday in the Great Hall in University College. For more info see their website at www.umpssc.ca.

cAnAdiAns dying fAsterDust off your black suit and practice your

grieving face: new data from Statistics Canada shows Canadians are dying at faster rates every year.

According to the data, Canada’s death-rate experienced its fastest increase in three years in 2005. A total of 230,132 people died in Canada in 2005, up 1.6 per cent from 2004.

On the bright side, for men at least, the data shows a narrowing gender gap. In 2005, Canadian men and women appeared in almost equal numbers in the data, with 102 male deaths recorded for every 100 female deaths, compared to 135 men for every 100 women in 1979.

The steadily rising death rate is being blamed on Canada’s growing and aging population. However, in 2005, death rates among people aged 50 and older actually declined, while death rates among younger people increased.

A chAnge in mAnitobAn birthsIn order to combat identity theft and fraud

Manitoba government is issuing new, high-security birth certificates.

The new, larger-sized certificates will feature many of the security features already found in passports and currency, such as new polymer paper which is more difficult to rip or tamper with.

“The security features make it difficult to modify or duplicate, resulting in a more secure and reliable birth certificate,” said Manitoba Finance Minister Greg Selinger in a provincial news release Jan. 14.

Current birth certificates will remain valid, while the $25 fee for issuing new birth certificates will remain the same.

The new birth certificates became available Jan. 21.

community involvement good for inner-city residents

A new study found participation in community-based programs has many benefits for inner-city residents.

The study, conducted by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in conjunction with Community Led Organizations United Together, included a total of 91 participants from eight different inner-city organizations. The participants were asked for their perspective on the outcomes they, their families, and their neighbourhoods experienced as a result of their community activities.

The study’s authors found that participation in community-based organizations (CBOs) provided individuals with a valuable support network, as well as providing them with leadership skills and a sense of belonging.

Aboriginal participants benefited greatly from programs which incorporated aboriginal teachings.

Although CBOs play an important role in building communities, the report stresses they are not the final answer.

“We must not underestimate the need for unconditional support and guidance of family and for those who do not have this, CBOs and agency social workers can be an important proxy,” said Shauna MacKinnon, CCPA director and co-author of the report.

local news Briefs Compiled by Cameron MacLean

January 24, 2008The Unitercontact : uniter@uniter.ca

campUS NEWSNews editor: stacy cardigan smith e-mail: News@uNiter.ca phoNe: 786-9497 Fax: 783-7080 05

Campus News

JeneTTe maRTensBeaT RepoRTeR

A former University of Mani-toba fine arts student has received a $150,000 com-

mission from the Winnipeg Arts Council to build two sculptures at the U of W, one of which will double as a bus shelter.

The commission, considered one of the city’s most prestigious art projects, will be David Perrett’s first permanent public artwork in Winnipeg.

The sculptor described it as, “by far the most important project I’m working on at the moment.”

The sculptures will be located on Ellice and Portage to serve as gateways into the U of W. Construc-tion is tentatively set to begin in the middle of April, with installation of the structures scheduled for August.

The university is providing a large pile of sandstone and limestone left over from recent expansion proj-ects for Perrett to incorporate into his structures.

Tricia Wasney, the manager of public art at the Winnipeg Art Council, said that approximately a dozen artists applied for the com-mission and Perrett was chosen for his eagerness and his ability to work with stone.

“We wanted to select an artist based on their previous work . . . and

on their enthusiasm and experience with the site itself,” she said.

Perrett’s project is still in its de-sign phase. His plans will have to be approved by the university, the city, and the Winnipeg Transit system be-fore they can go ahead. Community groups will also have a say in what the gateways will look like.

The project’s building process is expected to be difficult. Perrett will have to work simultaneously on two sites in close cooperation with Win-nipeg Transit to make sure one of the structures can also work as a bus shelter.

Perrett’s enthusiasm is not dulled by the complexities. He is excited for the new challenge of working with community input and is “very curious to see what kind of inspiration that will insert into the project.”

“One of my big interests is the reintegration of the public with con-temporary art,” Perrett said.

Perrett said that in his experi-ence, average people feel they are not educated enough to critique art and often shy away from expressing their opinions. He wants to bring art back to the public and hear people’s opin-ions about his artwork, be they good or bad.

“In my own view, if I’m a Ca-nadian artist, I should be making art for Canadians,” he said, referring the average Canadian, not just those with art degrees.

According to Wasney, the U of W was chosen as the location

of these structures primarily for its leading role in revitalizing down-town. The WAC likes their art to relate to changes in areas of the city that are in the midst of a transforma-tion process.

The WAC has been involved

in the installation of other artworks around Winnipeg, including pieces at Vimy Ridge Park, the Millenium Library and Assiniboine Park. They have just announced plans for an en-vironmental project at Bishop Gran-din Greenway.

Wac spearheads huge public art investment

david perrett will begin construction on stone sculptures this spring.

sTaCy CaRdigan smiThnews assignmenT ediToR

Who says board meetings are boring? Below is a list of some notable mo-ments from the University of Winni-

peg Students’ Association’s Jan. 14 board meeting.

University’s expansion needs a check-up, says UWSA pres

UWSA president David Jacks was critical of university administration’s continuing program of capital expansion, specifically concerning the re-cent acquisition of the United Army Surplus Sales building.

“[The university is] well aware of the funding crisis and yet they are expanding once again,” Jacks told the crowd.

According to Jacks’ president’s report, UWSA representatives told a Dec. 13 board of regents meeting that “moving forward with yet another large capital investment (the lease of the former United Army building) is fiscally irresponsible at this time.”

“The university is currently beyond capac-ity to be able to financially support all current expansion, and it was important to relay that the operational costs required to sustain another new facility would drive the university into a deficit,” read Jacks’ report.

Although aware of the costs associated with further expansion, the university is confident with its decision to lease the United Army building.

“We are committed to building a plan in which we can maximize our savings in operating

so that the cost of operating the United Army Sur-plus building [will not cause] a significant hit to the operating budget of the university,” said Bill Balan, U of W’s acting vice-president of finance and administration.

Although Balan understands Jacks’ concerns, savings in other areas will ensure the expansion’s success, he said.

For example, he said, the university currently rents six or seven locations which can likely be scaled back. This would require some rearranging, of course.

Other areas in which money can be ac-quired include renting out some of the space in the United Army building to outside tenants, or increasing the book store’s revenue should it be transferred to the new location.

Increased classes the norm for board execs?

The board granted vice-president student ser-vices Amanda Shiplack permission to enroll in an extra class, meaning half of the executives are now taking more classes than prescribed by UWSA by-laws.

According to by-law 2.33.iii, UWSA execu-tive directors can take a maximum of three credit hours per term unless they receive board permis-sion to take more.

Shiplack was granted permission to enroll in six credit hours in the winter term.

A similar motion was passed in November allowing vice-president advocate Vinay Iyer to en-roll in an additional three credit hours in each of the fall, winter and spring terms, also for a total of six credit hours per term.

“If Vinay’s doing it, why can’t Amanda?” said environmental ethics director Kisti Thomas.

However, the situation for each executive was slightly different: if Iyer had not received the ap-proval to enroll in a total of 18 credit hours over the year, he would have risked losing his student visa. Shiplack requested an increase in classes due to personal reasons.

Shiplack also received permission to take her remaining 10 vacation days when she desires; ex-ecutive directors are generally required to receive board permission before taking a vacation.

Inappropriate commentary

Parts of vice-president internal Scott Nosaty’s personnel reports had to be stricken from board records due to unacceptable content in the form of personal narratives.

Although the monies requested by the fi-nance committee were approved by the board, the narrative at the beginning of the report was removed from the record.

The personnel committee’s report included an error and had to be postponed for consider-ation until the next meeting. However, the narra-tive within it was also stricken from record.

So what did the controversial narratives con-sist of?

The first was a letter berating the UWSA for their meeting times, among other things; the second was “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General,” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pi-rates of Penzance.

“My apologies for the unprofessionalism of my reports,” Norsaty said.

They were an “attempt to lighten up the mood,” he later explained.

report from the board

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disAbility pAnel touches heArts And minds

Disability Awareness Week concluded with a panel discussion and slideshow presentation on Friday, Jan. 18.

The evening, hosted by the Disability Advisory Group and the UWSA, included panelists Jane Burpee of the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society; Colleen Watters, a researcher from the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies in Winnipeg and provincial council member of the Manitoba League of People with Disabilities; and Grace O’Farrell, a U of W business and administration professor.

The panel discussed people with mental illnesses and the challenges they encounter, transit accessibility, and the financial difficulties resulting from disabilities. O’Farrell contributed her unique perspective as a teacher and a victim of Lupus—a disability classified both as “visible” and “invisible.”

The panel was followed by a short movie made by the Disability Advisory Group, composed mainly of interviews with local students with disabilities.

For more information on students with disabilities visit the Disability Resource Centre in 0GM12, directly below the Academic Advising Office.

free yogA helps students relAx

The UWSA’s Do it Yourself yoga workshop is returning for the 2008 winter semester.

Meant to relieve students of mental and physical stress, the class was brought back due to demand for a free, interactive yoga class, said UWSA vice-president student services Amanda Shiplack.

A similar class is offered at the Duckworth Centre for a $40 fee.

The workshop’s location is still undecided, but the UWSA is trying to book a carpeted classroom for students without yoga mats.

Yoga will be held weekly on Mondays during the free period starting Jan. 28, with Yoga North teacher Susan Marshall.

For more information, contact Amanda Shiplack at uwsavpss@uwinnipeg.ca.

uwsA to report At town hAll meeting

An important UWSA town hall meeting will take place at 12:30 on Jan. 30 in the foyer of the Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall.

It is a time for students to hear and comment on what the UWSA has been doing since November, when the last town hall meeting took place.

David Jacks, the UWSA president, said that “it’s [coming to the town hall] a really good opportunity to see what the student association has been doing and what we’re planning on doing in the future.”

To be discussed at the meeting are: the First Aid for Student Aid campaign, the Canadian Blood Services campaign, disability awareness week, SNO-week, the UWSA café, and more.

Campus news Briefs Compiled by Andrew Kress and Jenette Martens

January 24, 2008

06The Uniter

commENtScontact : uniter@uniter.ca

Comments commeNts editor : ben wood

e-mail: commeNts@uNiter.ca

FRee SPeecH: HoW MucH IS Too MucH?Last fall Macleans magazine printed an excerpt from Mark Steyn’s book, America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It, that has been accused of being anti-Islam. The Canadian Islamic Congress has filed complaints with both Macleans and the Human Rights Commission demanding that the laws of a multicultural, democratic society should prohibit the publication of such prejudice attitudes. Steyn, however, is arguing that we live in a society that should promote diverse opinions. This week the Uniter explores the issue of free speech, freedom of expression, and crossing the lines of discrimination, and tolerating intolerance. Can we limit free speech, or is that a contradiction of terms?

PoINT

PoINTcouNTeR

JUlienne isaaCs

Mark Steyn is not an American, though his latest book, America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It, en-

trenches him firmly in the ranks of North Amer-ica’s most radical right-wing commentators.

Born in Canada and raised in the UK, Steyn got his big break as an arts commenta-tor for Hollinger, where he made friends with Canada’s own Conrad Black. Steyn’s lack of post-secondary education did not stop him from quickly climbing the ladder of journalistic fame to become one of North America’s best-known and most popular political pundits.

But lately Steyn’s sharp tongue has been getting him into trouble. In October 2007 Ma-cleans magazine printed an excerpt from America Alone, which argues that the decreasing native European population (and the entire Western world) will soon be replaced by a new, aggres-sively fundamentalist Muslim generation. It is less Steyn’s actual argument (demographics) and more the tone of his argument that makes it dif-ficult. His rhetoric is all Us vs. Them: “…In the old days, the Injuns had bows and arrows and the cavalry had rifles. In today’s Indian territory, countries that can’t feed their own people have nuclear weapons.” Steyn even sees a threat in the form of women wearing headscarves.

The fallout from Canadian human rights watchdogs has been colourful to say the least. The Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) has launched a double attack at Macleans, submit-ting complaints to the Human Rights Commis-sions of B.C. and Ontario, citing the article’s “Islamophobia” and “hatred and contempt” for Canadian Muslims.

At the centre of the controversy Steyn stands unrepentant, and insists on his right to freedom of speech. In a follow-up blog post ad-dressing the Canadian outrage at his comments, Steyn wrote: “Let’s take it as read that I am, as claimed, `offensive.’ That’s the point. It’s offen-sive speech that requires legal protection. As a general rule, Barney the Dinosaur singing `Shar-ing is Caring’ can rub along just fine…”

Steyn is correct in some measure in saying that difficult opinions cannot be outlawed by a free society just because they are difficult. But there is a difference that Steyn fails to recognize between difficult comments and comments fu-elled by fear, intolerance, and—at the core—a subtle, insinuating form of hate.

There are a lot of things that are worrisome about the idea of freedom of speech. Obviously, it is problematic that the intolerant get to say whatever they want in the name of freedom of expression. It is also dangerous that there are rarely clear-cut lines between what is acceptable and what is inappropriate. And it is also trou-bling that the ideal of political correctness has the potential to stymie valuable and constructive

criticism. But it’s pretty clear that Mark Steyn doesn’t

know what constructive criticism means. Steyn’s rhetoric is sloppy and vicious at the same time, in keeping with Macleans magazine’s signature style. His language swims around in 9/11 wreck-age, hinting that “September 10 institutions like the UN and the EU” are irrelevant in the new warlike international environment, and slather-ing politically incorrect phrases around like but-ter on bread.

But who does Steyn think his audience is exactly? He seems to envision, here in troubled North America, a sort of remnant Anglo Saxon population striving to remain relevant—and alive—in the midst of a maelstrom of aggressive “foreign” cultural invasions. What he’s appar-ently forgotten is that both the United States and Canada are nations built by immigrants, and in Canada at least, the concept of multiculturalism is cherished. If Canada has difficulty expressing a national identity to the world, we don’t have difficulty celebrating our national diversity.

When the shit (Steyn’s bitter prose) first hit the fan (the CIC’s sensitive radar) last Decem-ber, the Guardian’s Ali Eteraz commented, “The CIC should understand that there is no likeli-hood of Steyn-inspired mass deportations…it should focus on grooming a culture of open-ness and debate within its members. It should train its individuals to be individuals and not beholden to the herd mentality of an organiza-tion.” Eteraz openly acknowledges that Steyn’s rhetoric is repulsive, but makes the point that a negatively framed return attack by the CIC will not prove productive in the long run.

Steyn and his friends see other cultures as swiftly multiplying threats to “our way of think-ing,” completely disregarding the fact that not everyone in North American thinks the same way (thank God). In Canada, our diversity has long been considered one of our greatest strengths. And diversity is an ideal that Steyn regularly puts to death. The real kicker of Steyn’s article comes at the end, when he argues the following:

“In a few years, as millions of Muslim teenagers are entering their voting booths, some European countries will not be living formally under sharia, but—as much as parts of Nigeria, they will have reached an accommodation with their radicalized Islamic compatriots, who like many intolerant types are expert at exploiting the `tolerance’ of pluralist societies.”

Like many intolerant types, Steyn is an expert at exploiting the `tolerance’ of pluralist societies. And because we believe in freedom of speech we must believe in Steyn’s right to speak—and yes, protect it. But let’s return his attack with a reaffirmation of Canada’s best characteristic—our diversity—and turn the ta-bles on Islamophobia. The best defense against intolerance is friendship.

DeFeNDING DIVeRSITy Ben wiCksTRöm

There are two key reasons why we must resist the temptation to regulate or place limits on the freedom of expression.

Someone has aptly put one reason this way: “If we don’t believe in free expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”

If each individual desires the ability to hold unorthodox and unpopular beliefs, as a conse-quence they must accept that everyone else must hold that right. By relinquishing the right to impose controls on the thought and speech of others we receive a guarantee that they will not attempt to impose controls on ours. As there have been some who held opinions that at dif-ferent times and different places were considered blasphemous or revolutionary, there continue to be some who hold opinions that, although are no longer generally seen as threatening to the state, may not be held by the majority of Ca-nadians. I think that such a social and political arrangement is most preferable when it comes to the regulation of expression. For my belief in freedom of expression to be meaningful I have to extend that freedom of expression to everyone who holds opinions that I believe are wrong, dis-gusting or even immoral.

The other reason was eloquently defended in arguing, “But we have nothing to fear from the demoralizing reasonings of some, if others are left free to demonstrate their errors.” It’s the belief that even if we feel some ideas have a toxic effect, little harm will be done by allowing wrong, disgusting and immoral ideas to be expressed when we leave others the freedom to challenge, dispute and correct them. It’s predicated on a be-lief that it would be unacceptable for one person or a group of persons to decide for a society what is the truth and regulate expression accordingly. Humans are flawed and imperfect beings, prone to error, and no individual, group or text will be a satisfactory judge to everyone. Because this is the case, it is in everyone’s interest to allow for a free exchange of ideas because this process is the likeliest to proffer the best outcome.

Use of the federal and provincial human rights commissions to restrain Mark Steyn is an abuse of the commissions and violates these principles. These commissions function largely to protect Canadians from discrimination in institutions not covered under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Universities, schools and places of employment are areas in which most Canadians have seen this function carried out. In most cases the human rights commissions have furthered the equality of Canadians. Many opponents of the human rights commissions are using this case of jurisdictional overreach to discredit the role of the commissions in Cana-dian society. The present problem can easily be fixed by a modest legislative amendment to their governing statutes and not with an equal over-

reach that would see the end of these valuable institutions.

These commissions were not created to protect individuals or groups from becoming the target of speech that the individual or group feels is offensive. The decision to consider this case is outside the role for which they were envi-sioned. As has been said elsewhere, the fact that “reasonable belief ” or that “it’s the truth,”—a likely defense that Steyn would provide—are not defenses in Human Rights Commission cases should point to the narrow scope under which these tribunals are supposed to operate. They don’t exist to make judgments on the value or validity of the expression of individuals, groups or publications. That is the responsibility of an informed and engaged citizenry. The fact that this case has been brought by law students, who well know this is not the purpose these com-missions serve, reinforces the perception among many Canadians that lawyers use the law to serve their, or their clients, personal purposes, and not the purpose of justice.

This is not to say that what these law stu-dents and the Canadian Islamic Congress has said about Mark Steyn or Maclean’s magazine is without merit. Maclean’s magazine and Steyn in particular have a remarkably antagonistic comportment towards Canadian Muslims and Muslims around the world. Calling it intolerant is not unreasonable. Steyn conceives of a battle between the West and Islam in much the same way a battle between the West and communism was conceived 20 years ago. It was the same ar-gument made by English Canadian Protestants against French Canadian Catholics. It’s an old argument, an argument that makes the other a threatening stranger that we can only deal with as an enemy. It’s a dehumanization of the other and a belief that the other will be the source of apocalyptic social calamity.

Steyn prefers this Manichean system of moral certainty to the humanist balance re-quired to live peacefully in what is manifestly a multicultural world. This doesn’t require cultural relativism, but it does require tolerance and un-derstanding. He seeks to create division where there is none and to make the extreme posi-tions of some Westerners on the one hand and of some Muslims on the other into the essence of our cultural exchange. Being a Westerner and being a Muslim are mutually exclusive identities for Steyn. He is not aware that Islam is a Cana-dian religion as much as it is an Arab, Persian or Pakistani one. Steyn and many of his ideological supporters are rightly arguing that the Human Rights Commission investigations presently tak-ing place are a threat to free expression and an open society. In this they are correct. But their own generalized hostility to the presence of Mus-lims in the West is also a threat to the multi-culturalism that is also the hallmark of our open society. Both need to be confronted with equal vigour.

THe MISuSe oF THe HuMAN RIGHTS coMMISSIoN

commeNts editor : ben wood

e-mail: commeNts@uNiter.caJanuary 24, 2008The Uniter

commENtScontact : uniter@uniter.ca

07

Ben woodCommenTs ediToR

Politics is about identity because identity is political. Ide-ally, identity can encompass an individual’s political stance, moral values, profession, marital status, and income. It com-

pounds and simplifies the complexities and contradictory nature of human beings so that we are able to quickly determine whom we are similar to, whom we can be friends with, whom we should hate, whom we should pity, and whom we should vote for.

The buzz around two of the U.S. Democratic presidential candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, has proved that not only is identity inherently political, but the inability to prop-erly label a candidate can be politically disastrous.

Identity can be useful in politics. A political party, for ex-ample, is meant to entice voters by appealing to people of a certain identity and certain values. It is broad enough so that it maintains a large base of appeal but narrow enough so that a distinction can be made between it and the other parties. Politically speaking, this seems to be a more necessary kind of identity when compared with the media’s inability to determine what kind of woman Clinton really is or how important it is that Obama is biracial.

Media coverage of these two candidates has shown that not only are gender and race integral in choosing a presidential can-didate but that the identity norms that we hold people to, either knowingly or subconsciously, may be the salient feature of political

candidates. While the U.S. can claim they have “granted” women the choice to be a strong, independent entrepreneur or a mom who does not work so that she may look after her children, a woman must ultimately fit into one of these categories. Once an identity has either been chosen by the individual or, and more likely, once an identity has been attached to the individual, she must consis-tently play the part.

These rigid female stereotypes are precisely the reason why Clinton was accused of faking her tears in New Hampshire. Clinton as the intelligent, rational, and assertive female (qualities that are generally ascribed to men) would surely never cry. She is accused of rarely showing her “feminine” side (which assumes that there is a clearly defined and absolute feminine character), and as such, her waterworks in New Hampshire must be a political ploy to appeal to the other feminine characters she has alienated herself from.

This inability to transcend character roles may also explain why Barack Obama, while rarely mentioning his race, is accused by others of not being black enough; that is, of not being able to be clearly identified as a single race.

But why does all this matter? If the electoral body of the U.S. has decided that it is the issues they are really concerned with, then why does it matter if these candidates can’t clearly be identified?

First, it is because the identity of a politician will give some indication of their political beliefs, such as their response to the Iraq war or their position on immigration policy. The title of Mi-chael Moore’s book Stupid White Men alludes to this idea. It sug-gests that the status quo is maintained because the same kind of politician keeps entering office. These same old white men all are

politically alike because their personal experiences, the result of their gender, race, education, and wealth, are akin.

Second, identity politics is important, especially in the U.S. presidential race, because of the historic role of women and Afri-can Americans. The mistreatment of women and African Ameri-cans, the years of oppression and prejudice, and the lingering ef-fect of these racist and sexist attitudes increase the significance of the prospect of the first woman or African American president. Moreover, this may be the incentive needed for the non-voters or un-political alike to cast their ballot. Paired with the overwhelming disapproval of Bush, these identity politics are really causing an increase in political awareness.

In their political battle via message boards and blogs, U.S. rappers Rhymefest and Lupe Fiasco have been debating Obama vs. Clinton and implicitly discussing the importance of identity poli-tics. On his myspace blog, Illinois rapper Rhymefest wrote that he feels a sense of pride that Obama, being “the only black Senator from Illinois,” is a presidential candidate. While Fiasco, who states that he will not vote because he doesn’t believe in its political ef-fectiveness, openly supports Clinton and believes that “a woman leading the strongest nation in the world will have unforeseen side effects and may act as a catalyst for change…more so than that of a black man.”

Identity makes politics and politicians accessible. There is no need to research their political history or experience, their stance on corporate taxes, or their military record if they can be easily labeled as black or as female. This will tell you all you need to know.

PReSIDeNTIAL cANDIDATeS MuST SHoW THeIR I.D.

sepheR Cadiz

Recently, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy released a report advising the federal and provin-

cial governments to immediately begin negotiat-ing a national price on a carbon tax. Or should I take away the sugarcoated language and call it what the initiative really is—a CO2 tax (Sim-ply ignoring the oxygen atoms in carbon which

blend with the earth’s atmosphere is like calling water hydrogen). It’s outrageously overrated just like the after-party after already ‘partay-ing’ in 2008 with good looking women, free sushi, beer, champagne, and red wine. I repeat—the car-bon emission craze is outrageously overrated! So fasten your seat belt, slap on a bulletproof vest, jockstrap, helmet, and cheer, “Hip-hip-hooray for no carbon tax!”

The National Round Table is convinced that the “big bad CO2 wolf” is the main prob-lem in the climate change crisis, which I under-

stand, because hell, I’ve been there too. But after experiencing one of my famous sporadic spurts of agoraphobia where I choose to lock myself in a basement for weeks, the “environmental-ist” spirit took over my entire hung-over body, helping me to realize that Nobel Peace Prize win-ner Al Gore and his so-called “solution” to stop climate change isn’t a solution after all. Don’t get me wrong, there is no way I’m denying that climate change is happening, but I believe that the main problem in the climate change debate is the very “solution” that seems to be hijacking the true movement. And as much as Stephen Harper’s weird-blue-eyed lizard-face gives me the heebie-jeebies, his decision to reject the CO2 tax deserves a “hip-hip-hooray!”

Hip-hip-hooray for showing some degree of intelligence and saving the second most impor-tant greenhouse gas, which becomes the organic molecular backbone of all life on this beauti-ful planet. Hip-hip-hooray for Harper having the common sense to know that any decrease in CO2 curtails potential plant growth. And hip-hip-hooray for the bulletproof vest I wear today, which gives me the courage to disagree with global-environmental-shepard-private-jet-flying-multiple-house-sporting-let’s-gather-all-the-wrong-pop-stars-to-fight-climate-change-Al Gore, who illogically aims to reduce CO2 emis-sions to 385 parts per million, which is only one third of what our plants need to keep all animals, you, I, and our jockstraps alive via beautiful photosynthesis!

And hip-hip-hooray for my sporadic spurts of agoraphobia that has helped me discover that Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth premise negates

the fact that planet Earth is recovering from a mini-ice age, and is subject to a hotter/brighter sun which in fact is at its strongest in the past 60 years, resulting in an overall solar system warm-ing. He also fails to mention the fact that Glacier Kilimanjaro has been melting for 11,000 years (before SUV’s!), thus leading me to believe that Kilimanjaro is melting because of deforestation, droughts, and sublimation, not CO2.

Yet today millions of dollars are being spent on CO2 initiatives or advertisements based on Al Gore rather than spending it on, say, protecting the boreal forests of Canada from the pine beetle who attack the tree phloem layer, cutting off the flow of water and nutrients until ultimately, the trees starve to death. Get this, if we don’t stop the pine beetle epidemic by 2013, 80 per cent of all mature trees in BC and Alberta will die, mean-ing, bye-bye to North American lungs! Other vital topics of climate change are out there, rang-ing from the importance of maintaining our topsoil to eliminating the geothermal toxins that are being dumped under water, causing heat un-derneath to mix with cooler currents above, thus creating natural disasters. And the list goes on, minus Barry Bond’s huge head, Hillary Clinton’s fake tears, and Toronto Raptor Andre Bargnani’s poor sophomore season.

And just think, at the start of this article you wondered what a granola environmentalist-looking young gent who consistently throws on a maroon knitted sweater before trekking to the bus stop everyday was doing chanting, “No to Co2 tax!” Simple: I’m “climate change” complicated.

denis vrignon-tessier

THe co2 cRAze IS HIJAckING THe eNVIRoNMeNTAL MoVeMeNT

november 1, 2007

08The Uniter

SEctIoNcontact : uniter@uniter.caJanuary 24, 2008

08The Uniter contact : uniter@uniter.ca

artS & cULtUrE

Arts & Culture arts & culture editor: whitney Light

e-mail: arts@uNiter.ca

CURRan faRis VolUnTeeR sTaff

Hidden away from the store-front of Ellice Avenue and tucked behind the brand

new Hostelling International guest house, you might walk right past the Lo Pub Winnipeg’s latest live music venue, art gallery, and, well, pub. Oc-cupying the space that was once home to the terrifically shady Downtowner bar and beer vendor, Lo Pub repre-sents a refreshing change for club-goers and for downtown Winnipeg in general, a change that doesn’t involve $9.00 drinks, dress codes, or metal detectors.

Those who may be apprehensive about hanging out at the old Down-towner can rest assured the place has been completely turned around. The last King Can has been emptied from the 40-ft. long cooler and the VLTs and pool table are on their way out. They have been replaced with a spot-less bar, friendly staff, a stage for live bands, and a décor rich in character. Just a quick stroll from the U of W campus, the bar is ideal for the univer-sity crowd, and plans to hold a weekly student night complete with hip music and drink specials.

Winnipeg bands and music fans alike may have a new favourite haunt

with Lo Pub as well. The city’s inde-pendent music community has been in limbo in the wake of the closing of The Collective Cabaret on Osborne and so Lo Pub was designed specifically with musicians and music lovers in mind. Jack Jonasson, the new proprietor and a former member of The Paperbacks and current member of Novillero, got many of his ideas for Lo Pub while on tour, haggling with club owners who could care less about the band.

“There just aren’t a lot of com-fortable places for bands to play in this city,” said Jonasson. “I want to treat bands the way I would like to be treated.”

Jonasson has even worked out a deal with Hostelling International to provide touring bands with room and board after playing at the pub.

Likewise, there aren’t many com-fortable places to watch bands play in this city. Lo Pub is big enough that you can stand up against the stage, rock out to some home-grown indie rock and develop tinnitus, or carry out a comfortable conversation at the back of the room in front of the bar—a unique design indeed.

More than providing indie rock-ers with an excellent venue, Jonasson is concerned with creating an envi-ronment that people want to come to and feel safe. “I really want this to be the place you can come to with your friends, have a good time, and spend

the evening,” he said. Jonasson’s passion for the revital-

ization of downtown Winnipeg is evi-dent. He hopes the establishment of Lo Pub will encourage Winnipeggers to look beyond the stigma attached to the downtown area.

“I want to be a part of mak-ing downtown a place people want to go and want to live. But some people will always think it’s a sketchy proposition.”

While the establishment of Lo Pub in the downtown community is unlikely to inspire throngs of people to feel safe downtown, it is a step in the right direction. The revitalization of Winnipeg’s downtown isn’t going to happen overnight, no matter how many billboards the city raises. Change is going to come from building and supporting positive communities in our downtown.

Lo Pub already has some events lined up: Sat. Jan 26 - Get Down at the Lo w/ The Beat! (DJs Mod Marty and Indier-awker) Sat. Feb 2 - The Jogging Club

feat. ex-Good Form DJs Rob Vilar and Leigh Alfred an indie-karaoke night on Feb. 13 and a Valentine’s Day show with Novillero and the Telepathic Butterflies.

Students and music fans have a new hangout in The Lo Pub

SITTING coMFoRTABLy

Jack Jonasson plans to be part of the downtown revitalization effort with his new live music venue and social hot spot, the lo pub on ellice and Kennedy.

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arts & culture editor: whitney Light

e-mail: arts@uNiter.canovember 1, 2007The Uniter

SEctIoNcontact : uniter@uniter.ca

09January 24, 2008The Unitercontact : uniter@uniter.ca

09artS & cULtUrE

aaRon epp VolUnTeeR sTaff

There’s obsessed, and then there’s obsessed. When it comes to the guitar, local

singer-songwriter Michael Peters falls into the latter category.

Peters owns more than 10 of them. On the back of his new CD, there’s a picture of him holding his guitar case, and it’s handcuffed to his wrist. Friends say he’s literally slept with his guitar. So why did it take the 33-year-old half his life to put out his first CD?

“It just took,” he said, pausing to take a sip from his tea at an Osborne Village restaurant. “It took that long for me to become comfortable as a singer.”

Peters took a moment to think about what he’d just said. He wasn’t happy with the statement.

“I really don’t like self-depreca-tion,” he explained. “It reflects poorly on the record I just put out.”

The eight-song CD he’s refer-ring to came out in November. Peters released it independently, and said it was an experiment with a very specific sound—an “ambient, acoustic-guitar-and-pedal-steel vibe.” The production is sparse, focusing on his voice and guitar playing. The acoustic guitar tones are clean and warm, and the pedal steel playing of Ron Halldorson (Lenny Breau Trio) and Bill Western gives the songs texture.

“In some places, you can hear me being uncomfortable about being a singer,” said Peters, who makes his liv-ing teaching guitar lessons and playing music for cancer patients at St. Boni-face Hospital and Health Sciences Centre. Some days he thinks the CD’s great, “and some days I don’t want to hear it at all, which I think everyone is like with something that they make.”

Peters began playing the piano when he was 12. Inspired by Eddie

Van Halen’s guitar solo in the Michael Jackson song “Beat It,” he picked up the guitar four years later and became “obsessed.”

He formed various bands and songwriting partnerships with friends. He’d play guitar, and someone else would write and sing the lyrics. Noth-ing ever came of those projects, how-ever, because his friends lacked the same commitment he had. Self-iden-tifying as a guitarist, he found himself

singing out of necessity.“It was just a kind of prejudice,”

he said when asked why he had never sung before. “I just had this very rock solid prejudice against being a singer.”

Then one day, he listened to him-self on tape and said, “Shit, I sound great.” Peters the singer was born.

Kim McMechan has been friends with Peters for 10 years. She said his development as a singer has affected more than just his music.

“I think for him, learning to sing strongly and beautifully was a process of him learning about himself,” said McMechan, a B.C.-based singer-song-writer who used to live in Winnipeg. She contributed vocals to four songs on the CD.

“In learning to trust his voice, he’s become more skillful, and every-thing is better as a result.”

A lot of us have deep-seated be-liefs that hold us back unnecessarily. Peters said that if he’s learned anything about himself, it’s how substantial these can be—and what a great sur-prise it is when we find out they are nonsense.

Now that he’s grown into his role as a singer, he’s looking forward to supporting the CD with a tour in the summer. He also can’t wait to release more music.

“I’ve got a lot of backlogged ma-terial that I want to get out,” he said. “In five years, I’d like to have another five records out.”

He’s already begun recording more acoustic solo material, which he said could be released as soon as May. He’s collaborating with local singer-songwriter Vanessa Kuzina on a recording of traditional, old-time mountain songs, and he said he has “a full-blown rock record” ready to be recorded as well.

“Music is completely a meaning-of-life issue for me,” he said. “It’s cer-tainly not a hobby.”

See Michael Peters at Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club on Jan. 31 with Vanessa Kuzina and Allison de Groot. Visit www.myspace.com/michaelpetersisadaydreamer.

A GReAT SuRPRISe

Local singer- songwriter finds his voice on debut CD

“Music is completely a meaning-of-life issue for me. it’s certainly not a hobby.” —Michael peters

January 24, 2008

10The Uniter contact : uniter@uniter.ca

artS & cULtUrE

whiTney lighT aRTs ediToR

Printmaking, its technical side, is always fascinating. The cur-rent show at Martha Street

Studio shows that it is also a terrific mode of expressing abstract ideas. In Restructuring the Past, featuring Mani-toba artists Calvin Yarush and Frank Mikuska, we’re asked to look in and look back. Dealing with memory, this art (which traveled to a show in Bel-fast, Ireland last spring) lifts traces of the past from internal depths and onto paper.

Intellectual and artistic affinities brought Mikuska and Yarush together here, but like their finished pieces, their techniques differ greatly, and in their evident concern with process and technique we find our guide to the ideas of the printmakers and to our own internal experience of the art. Comparison and contrast is central to the curatorial idea here. We find a vi-sually and emotionally striking experi-ence in the artists’ contrasting styles. Considering the harmonies of colours, shapes, textures, and of each artist’s process opens a space for reflection, and to simply enjoy the dynamics of each.

“Restructuring” seems a par-ticularly fit word for Mikuska’s work. A graduate of the U of M School of Art during the 1950s (a decade, as Di-anne Scoles has noted, that brought the school modern artistic currents from America and produced highly successful students), Mikuska shows mono-prints. Made by applying paint to glass, which is then run through a press, the works are evoking of a past being rebuilt from building blocks (black, red and yellow) that don’t quite piece together. They reflect the tendency of time to corrupt the clar-ity of initial experience, leaving mainly feelings and imperfect remembered glimpses of particulars.

In “Black Table,” a small and dense black rectangle hovers just above the bottom edge of the paper, perhaps the table of its title. Three other black rectangles line the upper right and its opposite corner, while the large centre

of the paper is vibrant with swaths of harvest yellow and orange. Simple yet meticulous, it seems to speak the language of a critical—slightly dis-tanced—observer, cautiously but not unfeelingly articulating things past.

Then, like a release, we see Yar-ush’s passionately crafted prints, a series called Nightmap. Also a U of M graduate, but from the School of Architecture and of a later generation, Yarush employs a technique that is de-cidedly non-traditional. Taking long rectangles of heavy paper and a rubber mallet to memory-related locations, he has pounded in the textures of vari-ous environments. One series was beat in at his stomping grounds in Minaki,

the textures including the area’s rocks and tree stumps. Over these textures are several layers of symbolically used drawing and colouring materials (such as carpenter’s chalk because it is con-ventionally used to mark significant points and lines).

The overwhelming colour, how-ever, is black—India ink swept over the papers in broad strokes of varying den-sity. Only glimpses of white paper and red and yellow colour poke through.

Here the past seems close, vast, and raw, and its observer vulnerable; only coming intimately close to the paper’s surface reveals what is there.

Stepping in and stepping away, new perceptions arise. Traversing darkness and light, order and chaos, earthly paths and conceptual ones, un-derstanding memory is not easy. But that is what this art is about: we can’t and shouldn’t forget, even if we can’t remember what.

ReMeMBRANce oF THINGS PAST

above: “congress: Memory Forum,” 2007, Frank Mikuska. below: “celebration: icon day,” Frank Mikuska. bottom: from the nightmap series, calvin Yarush

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the uniter fashion streeter is an ongoing documentation of creative fashion in winnipeg inspired by the helsinki fashion blog www.hel-looks.com. each week will feature a new look from our city’s streets and bars in an attempt to encourage individual expression and cele-brate that you are really, really good looking. want to show off your style? contact arts@uniter.ca

Tito

“I like to make bold statements when I dress. I often wear lots of patterns. This hat I found in my attic. In general, my style is punk rock.”

november 1, 2007The Uniter

SEctIoNcontact : uniter@uniter.ca

011January 24, 2008The Unitercontact : uniter@uniter.ca

11artS & cULtUrE

kelly niCkie VolUnTeeR sTaff

Becoming the outsider who ob-serves the private life of the fam-ily is the theme of Richard Hines’

exhibition at Platform Center for Pho-tographic and Digital Arts, Pictures from (Inside).

A series of photos mine the secrets behind the shuttered blinds of a house and its inhabitants. Large in scale, the photographs explore what may seem to be stepping the boundaries between what is public and what is private. They also attempt to explain the sociological per-spectives of what the “perfect” nuclear family is. The viewer is the voyeur and psychoanalyst in this exhibit, analyz-ing what each photo is depicting. Hines purposefully puts elements of psychology into the works in order to fully explain the dramatics that the nuclear family can sometimes hide from the public behind their perfect exterior.

In the photographs, Hines poses himself in scenes with his wife, Claire, and son, Jacob. One displays the classic nuclear family pose—the three of them not smiling or intimately close. An-other, “Guitar,” shows Jacob with a sol-emn grin but widened eyes, looking up at the viewer as he’s stopped playing his instrument. There is a psychological di-mension to every image, each question-ing the traditional role of the family and making everyday activities, such as eating breakfast (“Waffles”) or having an argu-ment (“After a Long Day”), seem strange.

It makes the viewer wonder whether these themes are inspired by the everyday life that Hines sees through others’ or his own family.

Many of the photos have been taken from the outside looking into the home of Hines’s family, but some, like “Leaves in Front of Face, Ojibway,” deviate from this perspective. Instead “Leaves” looks outside into a forest where Jacob hides. Looking both inside and out, we become intimately familiar with the family and their environ-ment, showing the voyeur that secrets are not always behind the shuttered blinds but also hidden in nature.

The voyeuristic feeling of the exhibi-tion is heightened by the photographs’ de-tail and vivid color. Many of them, such as “Guitar,” not only focus on the inhabitant, but on the surrounding details that seem important to the understanding of the psy-chological situation. In “Guitar,” one can see behind Jacob his vast record and CD collection, perhaps his means to escape ev-eryday life through music.

Another photo, “Calling Jacob for Lunch,” shows Claire washing dishes and calling for Jacob. Claire is calling Jacob from the porch; Jacob hides invisibly be-neath the house railing. A simple descrip-tion of a photo, but much more lays in the meaning of the subject matter. The psy-chological meaning behind these photos is what Hines asks us to think about. The external appearance of the “perfect” family may differ from what is not shown to the outside world. Pictures from (Inside) is showing at Plat-form, 121-100 Arthur Street until Feb. 22. An artist talk with Richard Hines will be held Feb. 22.

Richard Hines explores the home through not-so-traditional family photos

PHoTo VoyeuR

richard hines, “calling Jacob for lunch,” 2005 (c-print)

left: richard hines, “chess,” 2005 (c-print)

arts & culture editor: whitney Light

e-mail: arts@uNiter.canovember 1, 2007

12The Uniter contact : uniter@uniter.ca

SEctIoNJanuary 24, 2008

12The Uniter contact : uniter@uniter.ca

artS & cULtUrE

Cd ReViews BURial Untrue Cargo records

lighTspeed Championgalaxy of the lost epDomino records

aren’t ready For The

Country is The Diableros’

follow up to their critically

acclaimed debut disc, You

Can’t Break the Strings in

our olympic Hearts. much

like their album titles,

their songs and lyrics tend to be meandering, clumsy

and inane. This record sounds like it was conceived in

a board room full of fat and bald record execs: “I hear

this Parkade Fire group is real popular with all the hip-

ster kids right now. Let’s make one of those ‘indie’

albums and wait for the cash to roll in. Cigars for every-

one!” The incessantly shrill organ playing in the back-

ground of every song is excruciating, but I suppose

it’s a fitting accompaniment to the unbearably off-key

vocals. With the glut of indie rock records being released

these days, there’s really no reason to pick up this one.

—rob mcgregor

It is abundantly clear

from the album cover

that Devonte Hynes (the

front man of Lightspeed

Champion) doesn’t take

himself too seriously, but

he does make some se-

riously good music. Hynes is a former member of the

defunct post-dance-punk-art-core band Test Icicles.

Lightspeed Champion takes a radical departure from

Defonte’s former band’s sound, offering one that is me-

lodic, acoustic pop with a heavy Fleetwood mac influ-

ence. The vocals are what really stand out for me. They’re

silky smooth and slightly raspy at the same time, which

makes for a damned sexy combination. The vocals are so

good in fact, that when he sings about getting drunk and

puking in his girl’s mouth when she kisses him, he makes

it sound kinda romantic. after listening to this eP about a

dozen times I’m hotly anticipating Lightspeed Champion’s

debut long-play Falling off The Lavender Bridge, set for

February release.

—rob mcgregor

The diaBleRosaren’t Ready for The CountryBaudelaire

I’ll be honest: I don’t like

dance music. I don’t go to

the clubs, and I definitely

don’t dance. Yet there is

something about Burial’s

music that I find alluring. It

would be inaccurate to clas-

sify Burial as dance music, unless your idea of a dance

party is in a dark and gritty nightclub at the heart of some

industrial wasteland, where instead of elaborate light dis-

plays, chic ambiance and expensive drinks, you have a

bare light bulb swaying from the ceiling of an abandoned

building, peeling paint, and crumbling drywall. Hailing

from the UK, Burial’s new album is filled with dark, grimy,

clattering beats. very urban sounding—not urban like the

r&B section at Hmv, but urban in that Untrue feels like the

soundtrack to a big city: dark, depressing, lonely, over-

bearing, and potentially dangerous. amongst the skittering

beats and haunting strings are layered, processed vocals

giving Untrue vocal hooks as well as a strange, disembod-

ied narrative. Throw on a decent pair of headphones and

listen to Burial on a dark bus ride home or during the wee

hours of the night. Highly recommended.

—Curran Faris

95.9 FM CKUW CAMPUs/CoMMUNITY RADIo ToP 10 CD – ALBUMsJANuARy 16 - 22, 2008! = Local content * = Canadian Content RE=Re Entry NE = New Entry

LW TW Artist Recording Label

1 1 Gaudi + nusrat fateh ali Khan dub Qawwali six degrees

2 2 *evaporators Gassy Jack Mint

7 3 *Bella no one Will Know Mint

10 4 *cuff the duke sidelines of the city hardwood

3 5 *stars in our Bedroom arts & crafts

12 6 Go team! Proof of youth sub Pop

5 7 *clock strikes Music clock strikes Music independent

6 8 sigur ros hvarf/heim Xl recordings

11 9 !Weakerthans reunion tour anti/epitaph

4 10 !Various artists Manitoba Music independent

CLaSSIFIeDSAs part of our expansion program, our company is looking for part time Work from home account managers and sales representatives, it pays a minimum of $2000 a month plus benefits and takes only little of your time. Please contact us for more details. Requirements - Should be a computer Literate. 2-3 hours access to the internet weekly. Must be honest and loyal. Must be efficient and dedicated. If you are interested and need more information, Contact Michael J Sloan, Email: mjsloan01@aol.com

sex, drugs, And whAm!At last, we will know everything we

ever needed or wanted to know about George Michael. In 2009, the lewd dude pop star will release his autobiography through Harper Collins. The CBC reported that it’s one of the biggest publishing deals in UK history. The singer has had ins and outs with drugs, and the press has questioned his sexuality his entire career. Not that it’s any of our business. Except that everything is our business all the time. Michael’s famous hits were “Careless Whisper” (awesome), “Faith,” (sexy) and the uplifting and choral “Freedom” (yes please). But who could ever forget, “Wake me up before you go go.” Wham, bam, thank you George Michael.

nbc writers’ strike through the eyes of conAn

Yes, there is still a writers’ strike happening at NBC, though all of our favourite shows have started to go it alone. Finding details about the strike has proven difficult, though it’s clear no deadline has been officially set for negotiations, leaving the writers and producers in limbo. To shine a light on the situation is late night fat cat Conan O’Brien. His strike diary, detailing the turmoil of an individual without NBC, can and should be read at EntertainmentWeekly.com. You can also monitor the growth of his strike beard, similar to that of a hockey play-off beard, or an I’m-too-lazy-to-shave beard.

locAl celeb hits the big Apple, big time

Keri Latimer of local roots quartet Nathan, is doing something we all wish we could be doing right now—avoiding one of the coldest winters ever. But, the singer-songwriter isn’t in New York City for nothing, she’s writing a film score for an indie feature called The Frozen River. The movie is a directorial first for Memphis native Courtney Hunt who scouted Latimer out after hearing, and loving, her songs. Lucky for us we can read all about Keri’s wild adventures in the Free Press as she catalogues her star shinning days in the Big Apple.

sex-botsDavid Levy, an internationally renowned

expert on artificial intelligence, suggests that in the year 2050 humans will be able to fall in love with robots. Not only that, but he predicts the technology will be ready within the next decade for humans to use robots for sex. In his new book, Love and Sex with Robots, Levy says that robots will become so sophisticated in the future that people will be able to develop emotional relationships with them. Thus, loneliness could quite possibly be eliminated from our human experience (as if). Of course, the sex-bots are highly experimental, and out of everyone’s price range. Levy assures readers however, that in the future they will be as cheap as VCRs, whatever those are. Check out Harper Collins online to order your copy of Levy’s book.

aRTs BRiefscompILEd by Jo SNydEr

november 1, 2007The Unitercontact : uniter@uniter.ca

13SEctIoNJanuary 24, 2008The Unitercontact : uniter@uniter.ca

13artS & cULtUrE

holly Rose VolUnTeeR sTaff

With our discretionary in-come virtually eaten up by the holiday season,

wardrobe updates are limited. The easiest, cheapest and most practical way to update your closet is with a new pair of boots which will give your current wardrobe versatility through the rest of our joyous winter and right into spring.

There are a number of boot trends for winter/spring ‘08, most of which are surprisingly practical and versatile:

The Ankle Boot This boot is considered to be

this winter’s most sought-after acces-sory. The shorter version of the classic knee-high boot cuts away at the ankle, which means it looks great with jeans, dresses, leggings and tights. The nice

thing about this style is that it not only comes in the classic sexy stiletto heel, but also in a thicker, more substantial heel or flat boot, allowing you to find your own look within the style.

The Cavalier/Biker BootPractical yet chic, the cavalier

or biker boot is an ideal choice if you want utility as well as elegance. This boot is usually made to go above the knee and is loose enough to be folded down below the knee—think chic Puss in Boots. This look comes in both flat and heeled versions, offering you the option to dress up the look with tights and a jersey dress, or dress it down in jeans and a tunic.

The Sexy Boot

This look has long been asso-ciated with glamour and sexiness. Heeled, knee-high boots can make ordinary legs look lean and toned and offer variety to the wardrobe when paired with anything from cropped pants and trousers to skinny jeans,

dresses, tights and skirts.

The Equestrian Boot The equestrian or riding

boot has been around for de-cades on the feet of horseback riders, but it only reached mainstream fashion last year. Comfortable and practical, the equestrian boot looks best paired with jeans, leggings, or tights.

Although you can find all of these looks at the mall, investing in a well-made pair from one of our local bou-tiques will likely give you way

more bang for your buck. In my own hunt for boots, I found a number of great pairs in a variety of styles, tex-tures and colours at the following stores:

Para Mix 108-100 Osborne St., 453-8626 With boots imported from Asia, Para Mix has a large collection of origi-nal boots in a number of brands and styles with prices ranging $70-$180.

Cha Cha Palace 173 Lilac St, 284-4128 With an array of boot styles avail-able, Cha Cha Palace carries brands such as London Fly, Miss Mooz and Campers in prices ranging from $70-$400.

Hush Clothing & Accessories 203-99 Osborne Street, 474-1208 Well made and affordable, the fantastic boots and shoes at Hush include styles from Blossom, Jacobies and Gomax with prices ranging from $55-$90.

Candie & Dolls 101-52 Albert St., 956-2293 It is definitely worth the trip downtown to Candie & Dolls to check out their cur-rent collection, which includes Kenneth Cole boots ranging from $220-$270.

THe STyLe BeAT: BooT IT! gomax boot, $79.99 at hush.

leather tinker boot, $64.99 at hush.

small patton lace-up oxford, $74 at para Mix.

Wedged ankle boot, $85 at paramix.

arts & culture editor: whitney Light

e-mail: arts@uNiter.canovember 1, 2007

14The Uniter contact : uniter@uniter.ca

SEctIoNartS & cULtUrEJanuary 24, 2008

14contact : uniter@uniter.caThe Uniter

kenTon smiTh VolUnTeeR sTaff

It’s probably true that every famous artist gets pigeon-holed. Take the prodigious, Pulitzer Prize-winning

playwright, filmmaker, and sometime essayist, poet, novelist and political cartoonist David Mamet. It has be-come downright cliché to write about his supposed preoccupation with tough guys, criminals and con men. Certainly attendees of MametFest can see these themes in American Buffalo and Glengarry Glen Ross. Mamet can do comedy too, however, as the cur-rent MametFest production of Boston Marriage and the recent New York premiere November attest.

On the other hand, another thing often cited about Mamet is his obscenity and epithet-laden dialogue, which is in good supply in Romance. One scene in particular reminds me

of the YouTube “Goodfellas in 5 Sec-onds” clip, which re-edits the entire movie down to instances of the word fuck. For good measure, there are also plenty of religious and ethnic slurs. Be warned: nothing’s sacred in this play, and the easily offended may not last until intermission.

Romance concerns the assault trial of a chiropractor (Scott Pang-man), while distant sirens serve as con-stant reminder of a concurrent Middle East peace conference. The prosecutor (Ray Strachan) doggedly grills the de-fendant, despite the pleas for settle-ment by the weary, far from impartial, doped-up judge (Ken Rudderham). Things don’t look good for the defen-dant until he comes up with an inspired scheme for obstruction. We also learn something unexpected about the pros-ecutor. And then all hell breaks loose. On the one hand, Romance is pure farce. On the other, there are weight-ier themes present. Mamet’s One Big Idea is that lack of empathy and com-munication leads to chaos: the char-acters see each other only as Jew, goy, gay, and black, nobody listens to each other, everyone blames each other, and there’s no due process. The consistent allusions to Mid-East peace confer-ences hint at the large scale and violent logical outcome.

It’s a theme Mamet has explored before, most ferociously in the noto-rious Oleanna. But that is a play that ultimately expresses its ideas through the actions of believable characters in a believable scenario. In Romance, the point becomes obvious long before the end, and while a raucous farce need not ooze plausibility, it also shouldn’t feel as self-conscious and belaboured as this. Mamet’s dialogue is well-known for its naturalistic rhythm, which approximates the awkwardness of everyday speech, but as in a lot of his recent plays, it feels like Mamet’s doing a self-parody. Additionally, there

ever seem to be much at stake. I never much cared about any of the char-acters, nor the outcome of the trial. But it would be unfair to call Romance a failure. There can be something gen-uinely cathartic about violating taboos in comedy (just try to get through Gilbert Gottfried’s telling of “The Aristocrats” without cracking up). Our ears may burn at some moments in Romance, but we’re often laughing uproariously at the same time. The hu-mour isn’t all of a provocative nature either; there are bits of verbal wordplay worthy of the Marx Brothers, such as when the slippery defendant flusters

the prosecutor by conceding that the “symbol” on the signature line of a document “certainly resembles” his name. And there are plenty of quot-able lines, such as when the defendant asks counsel why he bothered going to law school if he doesn’t want to lie. If you’re looking for truly affecting theatre during MametFest, you would, ironically, be better off with the plays about thieves, grifters, and lowlifes. Ro-mance satisfies, but it doesn’t nourish.

Romance is showing at the Gas Station Theatre, 445 River Ave., until Jan. 26. Visit www.mametfest.com.

A RAucouS Romance

black hole theatre company perform Mamet's romance. left to right: Jeff strome as the defense, Mike trakalo as the bailiff, Jessica hamulka as the court recorder, Ken rudderham as the Judge, and scott pangman as the defendant.

TheaTRe ReView

andRew mCmonagleVolUnTeeR sTaff

David Mamet is the focus of this year’s Eighth Annual Master Playwright Fes-tival by The Manitoba Theatre Centre,

MametFest. A multi-talented Chicago-born artist,

Mamet has wowed audiences as a playwright, director, filmmaker, novelist, poet and essayist. His works include the play American Buffalo, the eerily relevant film Wag The Dog, and a recent

book, Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose and Practice of the Movie Business. He’s focused on the art of the con, the true nature of American business, and he is not shy about his opinions on the film industry.

One of Mamet’s plays, Glengarry Glen Ross opens this week at the MTC Warehouse. The story follows a group of Chicago real estate salesmen in a competition for prizes, poster-ity… and their jobs. As the situation gets des-perate, desperate acts are considered in this masculine “winners only” environment. Each intriguing character is driven by different mo-tives, yet they share a common goal: to win a competition set up by Mitch and Murray, the faceless Big Bosses.

Shelly Levine (Harry Nelken) is a once-prolific salesman who’s in a major slump and is willing to do just about anything to keep his job and make some money. Nelken said he can appreciate the characters and their dia-logue in GGR. “Saying his (Levine’s) words is not uncomfortable in the least,” Nelken said. “It’s really about the poetry of the street.”

John Williamson (Graham Ashmore) is the office manager who hands out the leads. Ashmore also affirms that Mamet creates pow-erful diction. “It’s very musical. Mamet loves how men talk. They relish the language.”

The play is being directed by Len Cariou, who hails from Winnipeg and is former artis-tic director of the MTC. Lamenting that he missed the 2000 Mamet revival in New York, Cariou said he jumped on the offer to be a part of the production in his home town.

“I really wanted to act in and direct something for MTC’s 50th year.” After re-cently acting in MTC’s Our Town and now directing GGR, Cariou can be satisfied with the completion of these goals. Now based in New York, Cariou is able to offer a unique perspective.

“Winnipeg audiences are smart theatre-goers, unlike the mainly touristy Broadway audiences.”

Cariou says he enjoys GGR because “the

play is well-structured, even though there are a couple of ambiguous areas that Mamet lets lie there and doesn’t solve. It’s up to us to make the choice how or if we resolve them at all.” For this production, he’s remaining faithful to the origi-nal play and not to the movie it spawned (which included an extra character written for Alec Bald-

win). “It’s the director’s responsibility to see that the playwright’s intentions are carried out,” said Cariou. Glengarry Glen Ross opens on Jan. 24 and runs until Feb. 9. Go to www.mtc.mb.ca or call 942-6537 for show times and tickets.

TheaTRe pReView

RomanCeBlack hole Theatre Companymametfest 2008

Len Cariou directs Glengarry Glen Ross for mametfest

len cariou is director of glengarry glen ross, which is being performed at Mtc Warehouse for MametFest.

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DeSPeRATe AcTS

1. thursday—imAx u2 in 3d! Show times are at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

2. thursday through saturday—last chance to see fiddler on the roof, on at the mtc.

3. saturday—rump shaker co–op and hunnicut 90s party at the pyramid.

4. thursday—we Are wolves play the royal Albert. Plus they have a cool poster.

5. monday and tuesday (not really the weekend anymore, depending on your job)—michael Azerrad’s masterpiece, kurt cobain: About a son. 7pm at the Cinematheque.

YOJIMBO, 7 p.m.; CONTROL, 9:30 p.m. • Jan 27: Cabin Fever: THE DOG WHO STOPPED THE WAR with “Cleo” The St. Bernard live! – Free!, 2 p.m.; THRONE OF BLOOD, 7 p.m.; CONTROL, 9:30 p.m. • Jan 28 & 29: KURT COBAIN: ABOUT A SON, 7 p.m.; ROCKET SCIENCE, 9 p.m. • Jan 30 & 31: LES BONS DEBARRAS, 7 p.m.; ROCKET SCIENCE, 9:30 p.m.

GLOBE CINEMA Portage Place Now playing: Juno, The Bucket List, The Kite Runner. Call 69-GLOBE for details.

PARK THEATRE 698 Osborne St. 478-7275 Jan 25: Rocket Circus • Jan 27: Hand Drums Rhythm • Jan 29: Premier of Bloody Winters by Patrick Gallagher • Jan 30: Manitoba Eco-Network Film Night.

MAMETFEST Until Feb 10. Explore the world of American playwright David Mamet through stage plays, film screenings, readings and the MametFest lecture series. For a complete list of festival offerings, please visit www.mametfest.com. To buy a MametPass or to obtain a free program, please call the MTC Box Office at 942-6537.

WINNIPEG CONTEMPORARY DANCERS’ 2ND ANNUAL MENTORED CHOREOGRAPHIC WORKSHOP Jan 25 & 26, 8 p.m. at the WCD studio. Tickets $5 by calling 452-0229 or tickets@winnipegscontemporarydancers.ca. Cash only at the door, rush seating.

MANITOBA THEATRE CENTRE 174 Market Ave 942-6537 Fiddler on the Roof, until Jan 26.

COMEDY LOSER Jan 29, 9 p.m. at the King’s Head Pub, 120 King St. Free alternative comedy hosted by Ryan McMahon

COMEDY AT THE CAVERN 112 Osborne Jan 30, 9 p.m. Free Stand up comedy hosted by John B. Duff

soAP sCUM PRoDUCTIoNs presents space Quest, an improvised space comedy on Mondays at the Park Theater 698 Osborne St. at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 and available at the door.

MCNALLY ROBINSON GRANT PARK Jan 26: Richard Brignall, launching Forever Champions: The Enduring Legacy of the Edmonton Grads Women’s

Basketball Team, 10:30 a.m. Ira Nadel, discussing his new biography David Mamet: A Life in Theater, 1 p.m. • Jan 30: Glen Dresser, reading from Cor-rection Road, 8 p.m.

AUTHOR H. NIGEL THOMAS will be touring across Canada for his acclaimed new novel Return to Arcadia, making two stops in Winnipeg. Mon, Feb 11, 8 p.m. at McNally Robinson Grant Park, 1120 Grant Ave - Feature reading and discussion. And Tues, Feb 12, 6 p.m. at the Caribbean Council of Manitoba, 1100 Fife st - Meet the author celebration evening; all welcome.

ENTER THE ANNUAL CV2 2-DAY POEM CONTEST Test your poetic prowess! Now in its sixth year, Contemporary Verse 2: The Canadian Journal of Poetry and Critical Writing is proud to offer the international 2-Day Poem Contest. Registration is $10 and takes place online at www.contemporaryverse2.ca. Deadline is March 28. For more information contact Clarise Foster 949-1365 or contestsatCV2@mts.net.

ACEARTINC 2nd floor, 290 McDermot Ave 944-9763. Vanishing Point, Jarod Charzewski & Colleen Ludwig. Until Feb 23. Gallery hours: Tues-Sat 12-5.

THE EDGE ARTIST VILLAGE & GALLERY 611 Main St. 947-2992. Commu-nity-driven non-profit organization for the arts.

GRAFFITI GALLERY 109 Higgins 667-9960. Not-for-profit community youth art centre.

KEEPSAKES GALLERY 264 McDermot Ave 257-0374 Non-profit art gallery. Handmade art, pottery, candles, cards, paintings, photography.

GALLERY LACOSSE 169 Lilac St. 284-0726. New work by gallery artists. Hours: Tues-Fri 11-6, Sat 10-5.

OUTWORKS GALLERY 290 McDermot Ave 949-0274 Aphrodesia: a night of art-action and belly dance featuring shifra soria Tobiasch and the shanti Belly Dance Troupe. Feb 8, 7:30 p.m. A 2$ donation per person is requested for the dancers. Art on exhibition remains open to the public Feb 9 to 23. Hours: Thurs-Sat 12 – 4 p.m.

PLUG IN INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART 286 McDermot Ave 942-1043 Wildflowers of Manitoba, Noam Gonick & Luis Jacob, until Jan 26.

URBAN SHAMAN 203-290 McDermot Ave 94-2674 Until March 1: Christi Belcourt - Off The Map: Perspective of Land, Water and Metis People • Jason Baerg - The Plain Truth. Hours: Tues-Fri 11-5, Sat 12-5.

WAYNE ARTHUR GALLERY 186 Provencher Blvd. Gallery closed Jan 20-28. Hours: Tues-Sat 11-5

WINNIPEG ART GALLERY 300 Memorial Blvd. 789-1760. Opening Jan 26: Edward Burtynsky: In the Pursuit of Progress. Internation-ally acclaimed photographer Edward Burtynsky documents the toll our

listiNgs coordiNator: kristine askhoLm e-mail: listiNgs@uNiter.ca phoNe: 786-9497 Fax: 783-7080

want to submit your listing to Uniter listings? email your listings to listings@uniter.ca 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.

2008 UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA POLITICAL STUDIES STUDENT CONFERENCE Arctic Security: Challenges and Options. Jan 30 - Feb 1 at the Great Hall, University College, University of Manitoba. This year’s conference will bring together eighteen speakers on six panels to explore some of the more salient contemporary challenges facing Canada’s Arctic security and defence. For more information, call 275-0179, email umranas@cc.umanitoba.ca, or visit www.umpssc.ca.

ABORIGINAL GOVERNANCE & GLOBALIZATION SYMPOSIUM Jan 31-Feb 2. Keynote speakers: Mr. Herb George (Satsan), President, National Centre for First Nations Governance; and Dr. Ronni Alexander, Professor, Kobe University, Graduate school of International Cooperation studies. Everyone is welcome to attend at no charge. As space is limited, you are asked to register (as an individual, group or school) online in advance. Admission will be determined on a first come, first served basis. https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/conf-aggsymposium-registration

THE LEGACY AND FUTURE OF THE CHURCH IN THE UNIVERSITY Dis-tinguished Lecture series. Panel Guests: The Very Rev. Dr. Lois Wilson, The Hon. William Blaikie, Dr. Alan Mills. Moderator: Dr. Nolan Reilly. Jan 31, 7 p.m. Convocation Hall - Second floor Wesley Hall. Everyone Welcome!

ECO MAFIA PRESENTS THE 11th HOUR Wedensday Jan 30, 2:30 p.m. In the Bulman student centre. FREE FOOD.

YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE UW CAMPUS CLUB Meets every 1st and 4th Wed at 5:30 p.m., U of W Buffeteria (4th floor top of escalators). Next meetings are Feb 6 and Feb 27. E-mail us at ycl_manitobaycl.ljc.ca for more info.

ECOECLECTICA! The U of W EcoMAFIA’s annual fundraising concert. Fri,Feb 8 at the Pyramid Cabaret, 176 Fort St. Doors at 8, show at 9. Featuring, Perse, Malcolm’s X, Universe, and Patrick Alexander and the F Holes. All proceeds go to the Spence Neighborhood Association Kid’s Community Garden. Tickets $6 in advance, $8 at the door, available at the UWsA Infobooth.

PEER SUPPORT is currently accepting applications for new volunteers. We are a student group dedicated to providing students with a safe and comfortable environment to discuss concerns from any area of life. This is a great opportunity to help others, get involved on campus, and meet new people. For more information and applications, drop by our office, ORM13. You can also contact us at 786-9867 and uofwpeersupport@gmail.com. Applications are due Jan 30.

MAKE YOURSELF HEARD AT THE PEER SUPPORT COFFEE HOUSE!

Peer support is teaming up with soma Café to host a coffee house in support of the University of Winnipeg food bank. We are looking for volunteer acts of all kinds, such as band performances, poetry readings, skits and stand up comedy. This is a great opportunity to make yourself heard by your fellow students. For more information, drop by our office, ORM13. You can also contact us at 786-9867 and uofwpeersupport@gmail.com

KAPATID IN-SCHOOL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM Partnering university students with Filipino new comer high school students as in-school mentors. Weekly Mon-Thurs from 4-5 p.m. Learn how to become eligible for the UWFsA Bursary. To volunteer email the University of Winnipeg Filipino Students’ Association at uw_fsa@yahoo.ca for more information.

NDIDI ONUKWULU Sat, Jan 26 at the West End Cultural Centre. Doors 7:15 p.m. Show 8 p.m. Tickets $17 in advance @ the WECC & Ticketmaster

KIM BARLOW WITH JORDY WALKER Tues, Jan 29 at the West End Cultural Centre. Doors 7:15 p.m. Show 8 p.m. Tickets $12 in advance @ the WECC & Ticketmaster

AN EVENING WITH MARTYN JOSEPH Thurs, Jan 31 at the West End Cul-tural Centre. Doors 7:15 p.m. Show 8 p.m. Tickets $17 in advance @ the WECC & Ticketmaster

BLUE SKY ADDICTS with the Liptonians, The Furr and Codename: The Sharks! Fri, Feb 1 at The Church Basement, 230 Provencher Blvd. Doors 7, show 7:30. Tickets $8 at door. All-Ages.

DOWN TOWN COFFEE GROUND COMMUNITY COFFEE HOUSE Feb 4 at the Red Road Lodge, 631 Main St. (back entrance). Headliner Paegan Sunflow-ers with special guests Ryelee. Opening act TBA. Doors 6:45 p.m. Show 7:30. Open mic from 8 to 9. $6 suggested donation. For info visit www.mysweetspotproductions.com or call 480-8565.

THE RIPPERZ with The Furr and Codename: The Sharks! Fri, Feb 8 at The Cavern 112 Osborne. Doors 10 p.m. $3.

PICTURES OF SELF-HARM Free showing Thurs, Jan 24, 7 p.m. at the Win-nipeg Art Gallery. This film is an intense and frank look at the disturbing action of self-damage and the social response to it. A discussion will follow the screening.

CINEMATHEQUE 100 Arthur St. 925-3457 Jan 25: LAKEBOAT (presented with MametFest) 7 p.m.; CONTROL, 9:30 p.m. • Jan 26: LAKEBOAT, 2 p.m.;

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LIStINGS @uniter.caThe Uniter January 24, 2008

15contact : uniter@uniter.ca

UNITER’S TOP 5 for the weekenD

“want it all” society is taking on the environment. • Until Feb 10: PostSecret by Frank Warren. • Until Mar 2: 18 Illuminations: Contemporary Art and Light. • Until Mar 9: Inuit Games and Into the Collection: Tony Tascona.

THE ROYAL ALBERT ARMS 48 Albert St. Jan 24: We Are Wolves/Tigerrr Beat. • Jan 25: Nutty Klub. • Jan 26: Asado/Cry of the Afflicted/The Hearse-men/The Education/In Two months. • Feb 1: Nutty Klub. • Feb 2: The Gorgon CD Release. • Feb 9: LA Riots.

ACADEMY FOOR DRINKS MUSIC 437 Stradbrook Jan 25: SPF 90 • Jan 26: Where’s the Funk • Jan 27: Women’s Coffee house • Jan 28: Del Barber • Jan 29: Ministers of Cool • Jan 30: Jazz Brazil Trio • Jan 31: The Ruffigans and Pure Karma

THE LO PUB 330 Kennedy St. Jan 26: Get Down at the Lo w/ The Beat! (DJs Mod Marty & Indierawker) • Feb 2: The Jogging Club feat. DJs Rob Vilar & Leigh Alfred • Feb 8: The Nutty Klub • Feb 13: “Indie Rock Karaoke” w/ Bob Somers • Feb 14: Novillero w/ Telepathic Butterflies & Old Folks Home • Feb 16: Kayla Luky and Friends • Feb 22: The Paperbacks w/ Guests • Feb 23: Get Down at the Lo w/ The Beat! (Djs Mod Marty & Indierawker)

CANDOR SHOP 390-K Provencher Blvd. Jan 25: Ray St.Germain (Book Reading and Performance) 7:30 p.m. Free Admission. • Feb 5: Speaking Crow - Open Mic Poetry Series Featuring Rosanna Deerchild. 8 p.m. Free Admission.

KING’S HEAD PUB 100 King St. Every Sunday: All the Kings Men

MCNALLY ROBINSON GRANT PARK Jan 25: Jonathan Stevens Trio • Jan 26:

Taste of New Orleans. Shows at 8 p.m.

MCNALLY ROBINSON PORTAGE PLACE Jan 25: The Burton Trio, 6:30 p.m.

OZZY’S 160 Osborne Downstairs Jan 26: Somastate, with guests

PYRAMID CABARET 176 Fort St. Jan 26: Rump Shaker Co-op and Hunnicut 90s party. • Feb 4: Jaegermeister Unplugged with Silverstein, Protest the Hero and Ill Scarlett

REGAL BEAGLE 331 Smith St. Every Wed at 9 p.m. The Marlborough Men. Thurs at 9 p.m. shandra and Jason

SHANNON’S IRISH PUB 175 Carlton St. Jan 24: Ash • Jan 25: B.U.M.P. • Jan 26: Lloyd Peterson Band • Jan 27: Neal Pinto • Jan 28: J. Williamez • Jan 29: Filbatross • Jan 30: Vanessa Kuzina • Jan 31: Jodie Borle

TIMES CHANGED HIGH AND LONESOME CLUB 234 Main St. Jan 26: Paul Bergman • Jan 27: Jam with Big Dave Mclean

WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE 586 Ellice Ave Jan 24: U of W Collegiate Coffeehouse • Jan 25: Unite CD Release Party • Jan 26: Ndidi Onukwulu w/ Marco Castillo • Jan 29: Kim Barlow and Jordy Walker

THE ZOO Osborne Village Inn 160 Osborne St. Jan 24 & 25: Dreadnaut, with guests • Jan 26: Port Amoral, Scarlet Halo, Tyrant’s Demise, Discovenant

VINYL VAULT OPEN HOUSE 100s of Hip Hop/bass/dance/jazz CDs ($4), 1,000s of LPs for sale ($3), all styles. Sat, Jan 26 from 10 to 5. Basement 428 Portage Ave.

BANNOCK & TEA TUESDAYS - Training workshops and networking with an Aboriginal focus. Walk a Mile in My Moccasins, facilitated by Louise Chippe-way and Dan Highway. The goal of the workshop is to build bridges between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to create stronger and effective rela-tionships. Tues, Jan 29, 12-5 p.m. Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. 455 McDermot Ave. Admission: $5 for ACI and MCCA members, $10 non-members. Includes a delicious traditional lunch from Neechi Foods Co-op Ltd. Call to register: 927 ARTS (2787).

WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFGHANISTAN The Winnipeg Chapter for UNIFEM announces a special evening to hear Diana Youdell, Special Advi-sor to the Director General Afghanistan Task Force, on Tues, Jan 29 at the University Women’s Club, 54 West Gate, from 7 to 9 p.m. All are welcome. For further information phone Mary Scott at 888 2996, or e-mail unifem@shaw.ca.

DINE ABOUT WINNIPEG Feb 3-14. Showcasing around 30 restaurants throughout the city, with each location having a set, three-course menu at a fixed price of $15, $25, or $35. The head chef will create an exquisite menu for the evening, which will feature an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Many restaurants feature Manitoba products. Full list of participating restaurants and menus, as well as reservations at www.ciaowinnipeg.com.

FREE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CLASS An opportunity to meet with other students and Canadian friends while learning English and the Bible. Elim Chapel 546 Portage Ave at Spence St. (enter from rear parking lot) Sundays noon-1:30 p.m. For information call Val & Veda Chacko 257-1670.

SEE HOW FAR YOU CAN GO WITH TEAM DIABETES CANADA Experience an Irish Adventure with the Dublin City Marathon or Enjoy the 36th Aloha Marathon (42K and 10K) in Scenic Honolulu! Come and join a free informa-tion session to learn more about Team Diabetes Canada. sessions will be held on Tues, Feb 19 and Tues, Mar 18 at 6 p.m. at 200-310 Broadway. Please R.S.V.P. by contacting Donna Paterson at 925-3800, ext. 236 or email donna.paterson@diabetes.ca.

THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS To work with newcom-er children and youth in the following programs: 1. sports Club - Tuesdays from 6-8 pm @ Sacre-Coeur; 2. After School Education (ESL) – Wednesdays from 5-7pm @ 511 Ellice Ave; 3. Youth Empowerment (cooking/art classes) – Fridays from 5-7:30pm @ Int. Centre; 4. Youth Leadership Training (games, volunteer/job skills) – Saturdays (Jan 19-Feb 23) from 1-5pm @ U of W. For more info, contact Si il: siilp@international-centre.ca or 943-9158 ext. 285. To apply contact Marsha: marshap@internal-centre.ca or 943-9158 ext. 260. The International Centre is located at 406 Edmonton St.

NEEDS CENTRE FOR WAR AFFECTED FAMILIES is looking for volunteers to work with immigrant and refugee children and youth. The Needs Centre provides accessible services and programs to children/youth from the ages 5-18. Programming includes arts, crafts, music, computer skills, employ-ment, educational and EAL activities. For more information, contact Jodi Alderson, Volunteer Coordinator at 940-1265 or email volunteers@needsinc.ca.

BE A VOLUNTEER LITERACY TUTOR WITH FRONTIER COLLEGE! Work with children, youth and adults in schools and community centres around the University of Winnipeg. The commitment is one hour per week through the school year. Call 253-7993 or email cgartside@frontiercollege.ca for more information. Literacy is an essential skill in today’s world. At Frontier College, we believe it’s a fundamental right. 42% of adult Canadians have trouble with everyday tasks that involve reading. Through a network of thousands of volunteers, Frontier College is helping people to realize their potential and seize the opportunities that come their way. see www.frontiercollege.ca.

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38- Needlefish; 39- rare metallic element; 42- Falsehood; 43- Impulse to act; 45- Hire; 46- musical drama; 48- Toothless; 50- Newspaper executive; 51- Shooting marble; 52- Underwater worker; 54- Spire; 58- ornamental window drapery; 62- alert, knowing; 63- Well-behaved; 65- Tides that attain the least height; 66- Cleave; 67- Land measure; 68- Flexible tube; 69- Sows; 70- 24 hour periods; 71- Poker stake;

DoWN1- Stalk; 2- Bright star; 3- Not fer; 4- Noblest knight of the round Table; 5- orange zircon; 6- Standard of perfection; 7- DC bigwig; 8- get an a, say; 9- eats grass; 10- Becomes less severe; 11- Having wings; 12- Info; 13- Corp. vIP, briefly; 21- Courageous; 23- Farewell; 25- Longed for; 27- Dispute; 28- Flat slab of wood; 29- Big;

31- grow together; 32- Bay; 33- Capital of egypt; 34- Chucked weapon; 36- Keep it, to an editor; 40- Fishing net; 41- Standard for comparison; 44- Went in; 47- Predatory South american fish; 49- Thin candles; 50- Dodges; 53- Tusks; 54- Disrespectful back talk; 55- affectedly dainty; 56- roof overhang; 57- old-fashioned exclamation of surprise; 59- Inert gas; 60- Stage crew; 61- Fencing sword; 64- Wood sorrel;

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January 24, 2008 contact : uniter@uniter.caThe Uniter

LIStINGS @uniter.ca16 want to submit your listing to Uniter listings? email your listings to listings@uniter.ca 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.

awaRds & finanCial aid The awards and financial aid staff of the University of winnipeg provides our student body with current information on award opportunities. This information is updated weekly.

UNIverSITY oF WINNIPeg

INTerNaL aWarDS:uNIVeRSITy oF WINNIPeG GeNeRAL BuRSARy APPLIcATIoNS

General Bursary Application Forms are now in the Awards office located in Graham Hall or at Student Central in Centennial Hall.

Bursaries are small, supplementary financial assistance awards, normally $300 - $750 in value. In order to be considered, you must prove financial need and you must be making satisfactory academic progress (i.e. maintaining a “C” average). Because funds are limited, not everyone who qualifies will receive a bursary. These University of Win-nipeg bursaries are available to our students in any year of their program.

Deadline date: January 31, 2008.

DR. DouGLAS W. LeATHeRDALe GLoBAL cITIzeN INTeRNSHIP PRoGRAM

The Dr. Douglas W. Leatherdale Global Citizen Internship Program provides study periods of six weeks to three months to U of Winnipeg students looking to study abroad, and to international students wanting to pursue their studies at The University of Winnipeg. The program is designed to support students who want to augment their degree programs with credits they obtain through international studies/activities in Human Rights and Global Studies, Health and Human Potential, or other topics relevant to Global College activities.

Applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

• Satisfactory academic performance (B average or higher; GPA 3.00) • Demonstrated commitment to the community • Demonstrated leadership qualities • Successful completion of at least 30 credit hours in pursuit of an undergraduate degree. Recipients will likely be in the second or third year of a 4-year or Honours degree program. • Pursuit of one of the focus areas of the Global College Institutes • Proposed program of study or activity in selected international institution must be for university credit. should recipients wish to participate in an international practicum or work placement, arrangements must be made with a University of Winnipeg academic department to grant degree credit for the practicum. • Special consideration will be given to applicants under 25 years of age who elect to self-identify.

Application and all supporting documents should be submitted to The University of Winnipeg Global College 1W01, Wesley Hall - 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg MB R3B2E9 Deadline: January 30, 2008.

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:

• Have a minimum GPA of 3.55 in the previous academic year. • 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. • Have documented financial need: a Canada student Loan/Provincial Loan or a student line of credit at a banking institution. • Full-time and part-time students may apply.

Applications are available in the Awards office located in student services and will be accepted beginning November 15, 2007. 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.

eXTerNaL aWarDS: AUCC AWARDs

The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada provides 150 scholarship pro-grams on behalf of the Federal Government, domestic and foreign agencies, and private sector companies. Check out website www.aucc.ca Look under the heading scholarships open to the public. Deadlines: various.

youTH SeRVeS MANIToBA PRoGRAM

Youth Serves Manitoba (YSM) encour-ages post-secondary students to engage in meaningful, part-time community service with incorporated non-profit or registered charitable organizations. Upon successful completion of 100 hours of service, approved students will receive a $500 bursary towards tuition or student loans. students who have completed 100 community service hours on or before January 11, 2008 may apply to the program to increase their community service to 200 hours and be eligible for an additional $500 bursary. To apply, students must forward a letter of request signed by the student and an organization representative along with their completed Hours of Service Record. You must be a full-time student and returning in the next academic year, 16 years of age or over, legally entitled to work in Canada and be approved by the YsM staff before beginning your community service hours for this program. For more information or to apply, go on-line at

http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/youth/employers/Youthserves.html

Deadline: January 25, 2008.

FoReIGN GoVeRNMeNT AWARDS

Countries- Chile, Colombia, Korea, Russia and Philippines

Awards are available to Canadian citizens for graduate studies or research abroad at the master’s, doctoral or post-doctoral level. For most countries, applicants must have completed a first degree or, for post-doctoral fellowships, a Ph.D., by the beginning of the tenure of the award. Applications must be submitted on-line via the website, www.scholarships.gc.ca Please note that the governments of Italy, Japan, The Netherlands and spain also offer awards to Canadian graduate students. The embassies of these countries in Canada are responsible for the administration of their respective scholar-ships.

Deadline: January 28, 2008 for awards beginning academic year 2008-2009.

THe DATATeL ScHoLARS FouNDATIoN ScHoLARSHIPS

The University of Winnipeg is a new Datatel client institution and as such, Datatel is offering unique scholarships ranging in value from $1,000 to $2,500 to students from our institution.

Datatel scholars Foundation scholarships - for outstanding students currently attending eligible Datatel client institutions.

Returning student scholarships - for outstanding students currently attending eligible Datatel client institutions, who have returned to higher education after an absence of five years or more.

Nancy Goodhue Lynch scholarships - for outstanding undergraduate students majoring in Information Technology related curriculum programs at eligible Datatel client institutions.

Apply online at www.datatel.com.

Deadline: January 31, 2008.

ToM LoNGBoAT AWARDS

Tom Longboat was one of the most celebrated and accomplished athletes in Canadian history. A member of the onondaga Nation who resided in six nations of the Grand River, Tom Longboat was one of the most gifted long distance runners of his time.

The Aboriginal sports Circle annually recog-nizes the achievements of gifted Aboriginal athletes. Every year, the top male and female Aboriginal athletes from each province/territory are selected for the Tom Longboat Regional Awards. The regional recipients automatically advance as nominees for the prestigious National Award that is presented to the most outstanding male and female Aboriginal Athlete in Canada.

Nominations are invited from all levels of sport. To be eligible athletes must meet the following criteria:

• Must be of Aboriginal descent • Must have amateur status in the sport which they are nominated • Must be for athletic achievements within the calendar year • Must submit a completed nomination form online or by mail before the annual deadline (to the appropriate Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal sport Body or Aboriginal sport Circle).

For more information go online at: http://www.aboriginalsportcircle.ca/main/tomlong-boatawards.html

Deadline: January 31, 2008

cANADIAN HARD oF HeARING ASSocIA-TIoN

The purpose of these awards are to offer financial assistance and recognition to hard of hearing and deafened students registered in a full time program at a recognized Canadian college or university, in any area of study, with the ultimate goal of obtaining a di-ploma or degree. Applicants are requested to read the criteria for eligibility and to provide all the information required to complete the application. Applications are available either in the U of W Awards office located in Graham Hall, or on-line at http://www.chha.ca/chha/scholarships-index.php

Deadline: January 31, 2008.

cANADIAN NoRTHeRN STuDIeS TRuST AWARDS

Awards are available to undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing studies in the northern regions of Canada including NWT, Nunavut, Yukon and the Provincial North. Awards are also available for those students pursuing masters or doctoral degrees in northern studies.

Application information can be found on-line at http://www.acuns.ca/

Deadline: January 31, 2008.

The killam Fellowship Program

The Killam Fellowship Program is a scholar-ship program that allows undergraduate students from accredited degree granting colleges and universities to participate in a bi-national residential exchange program between Canada and the United states of America. scholarship recipients spend either one semester or a full academic year as an exchange student in the other country. The benefits of this award include: Us $10,000 for the full academic year, or Us $5,000 for one semester, $500 in the host country’s de-nomination for Health Insurance Allowance, and $1,000 in host country’s denomination for in-country travel allowance.

To be eligible you must be a full-time undergraduate student in good standing, in any field of study, have citizenship in the home country, have superior academic achievement, be proficient in English, and have permission from your home university.

For more information or to apply online go to http://www.killamfellowships.com/

Deadline: January 31, 2008 (for awards to be taken up during the 2008-2009 academic year).

MARITIMe DAIRy INDuSTRy ScHoLAR-SHIP

students who have completed at least two years of post-secondary education and are currently enrolled in a program that has application to the dairy industry are eligible to make application for this scholarship. Two scholarships of $2,000 will be awarded. For more information email mroy@dfc-plc.ca

Applications are available on-line at http://www.dairygoodness.ca/

Deadline: January 31, 2008.

RBc ABoRIGINAL STuDeNT AWARDS PRoGRAM

Each year, eight students will receive $4,000 annually for their education expenses, to a maximum of four years at university or two years at college, in disciplines related (but not restricted) to the financial services industry. If you are a status Indian, Non-status Indian, Inuit or Metis, you may apply for this award provided you meet the following qualifica-tions: you are a permanent residence/citizen of Canada, can provide proof of acceptance to an accredited post-secondary institution, in a discipline relevant to the banking industry (e.g. business, economics, computer science) or other industry not relevant to banking, a full-time student, and are in need of financial assistance.

Applications are available either in the U of W Awards Office located in Graham Hall, or on-line at

http://www.rbc.com/uniquecareers/campus/aboriginal-student-awards.html

Deadline: January 31, 2008.

SoRoPTIMIST FouNDATIoN oF cANADA

Are offering its Grants for Women Awards for women enrolled in a graduate program of studies at Canadian universities. The aim is to assist women in financial-need to complete their studies for careers in a field that will improve the quality of women’s lives. Ap-plication forms for 2008 are available on-line at http://www.soroptimistfoundation.ca/

Deadline: January 31, 2008.

kIN cANADA BuRSARIeS

Awards are available to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants who plan to register as a full-time student in september of the upcoming school year at a recognized university, community college, technical institute or other post-secondary institution for advanced learning. $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to students who demonstrate high ideals and qualities of citizenship. Ap-plications should be submitted to a Kinsmen, Kinette or Kin Club nearest your permanent residence by February 1st. Applications are available either in the U of W Awards office located in Graham Hall, or on-line at http://www.bursary.ca/ Deadline: February 1, 2008.

MAckeNzIe kING ScHoLARSHIP PRoGRAM

The open scholarship is available to gradu-ates of Canadian universities who pursue graduate study in any discipline, in Canada or elsewhere. one open scholarship is awarded each year. The value has recently been about $10,000 but it is subject to change.

The Traveling scholarship is available to graduates of Canadian universities who pursue graduate study in the United states or the United Kingdom in the areas of international relations or industrial relations. Recently four scholarships of $11,000 each have been awarded annually, but the number and the amount are subject to change.

Applications are available either in the U of W Awards Office located in Graham Hall, or on-line at www.mkingscholarships.ca Deadline: February 1, 2008.

THe TALk ABouT cANADA ScHoLARSHIP QuIz

The Talk About Canada! Scholarship Quiz is a national contest for students who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada who wish to earn scholarship money for tuition. The quiz has fifty-one multiple-choice questions on Canadian subjects. Any student who answers fifty questions correctly will be included in the draw for scholarships. There will be one $5,000 prize, twenty $1,000 prizes, and forty prizes of $500.

For more information go to http://www.operation-dialogue.com/e/tac/s.html

The next Talk About Canada! Scholarship Quiz will be online 10:00 EST January 14, 2008 to 10:00 EST February 25, 2008.

eXPoRT DeVeLoPMeNT cANADA (eDc)

EDC is a Crown corporation with a mandate to develop Canada’s capacity to engage in international trade. Through our Education and Youth Employment Strategy, EDC helps build the capacity of the next generation of business leaders by awarding scholarships to students with a demonstrated interest in international business.

The award includes: a $3,000 scholarship awarded in the spring 2008, as well as the possibility of a four-month work term with mentoring from leading experts at EDC, worth approximately $10,000. Work terms will be available for summer 2008.

To be eligible you must be:

• A Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada • Currently enrolled in full-time studies at a Canadian university • In second or third year of an undergraduate program • Enrolled in studies in international business, economics, or combined business with sustainable management or environmental studies • Returning to full-time undergraduate studies in the 2008-2009 academic year; and have an excellent academic record.

Apply on-line at http://www.edc.ca/english/student_scholarships.htm?cid=red1528

Deadline: February 4th, 2008.

THe MANIToBA LeGISLATIVe ASSeMBLy INTeRNSHIP PRoGRAM

Established in 1985 by the Manitoba Legisla-tive Assembly, the internship program is intended to serve three broad purposes. The program provides graduates of Manitoba’s universities or graduates of other universities who are permanent residents of Manitoba with an opportunity to experience firsthand the legislative process within the Manitoba Legislature. In addition to being directly involved with the legislative process, the Interns participate in a series of seminars dealing with all aspects of the governmental process.

The program includes a 10-month internship from september through June, a bi-weekly salary of $1,050.43, study tours to Ottawa and Minnesota to meet political leaders, as well as opportunities to participate in seminars with Manitoba political, business and cultural leaders. You will also have an

opportunity to produce a public academic paper and a graduate level course credit is possible.

Applicants should:

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 com-munication in English; knowledge of written and spoken French will be considered a strong asset 3. show ability to conduct independent research and write reports. Applicants invited for interview will be asked to do a short written assignment following the interview. 4. Demonstrate evidence of involvement in extracurricular activities.

Applications are available either in the U of W Awards Office located in Graham Hall, or on-line at http://www.manitoba.ca/legislature/info/internship

Deadline: February 14, 2008.

uNIVeRSITy oF MANIToBA GRADuATe FeLLoWSHIPS

The faculty of Graduate Studies offers $2.2M in new and continuing University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships (UMFG) each year to meritorious students for full-time and/or research (which includes works that are considered creative endeavors) leading to a graduate degree. Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence, and are open to students who will be registered as full-time graduate students (Masters or Ph.D.) at the University of Manitoba regardless of nationality or discipline during tenure of the award. The value for a 12-month period will be $16,000 for a Ph.D. and $12,000 toward a Masters.

Eligibility requirements include:

• a minimum GPA of 3.75 in the last two full years of study (minimum of 48 credit hours in a Bachelor degree) at a recognized university. • Canadian citizens and permanent residents are encouraged to apply to CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC scholarships, if they are eligible for funding from these research councils.

Applications are available either in the U of W Awards Office located in Graham Hall, or on-line at http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/graduate_studies/funding/112.htm

Deadline: February 22, 2008

MANIToBA STuDeNT AID PRoGRAM (MSAP)

DID YoU KNoW... You can still apply for a 2007/2008 government student loan online at website www.manitobastudentaid.ca

DID YoU KNoW... You can check the status of your student aid application, find out what documentation is still outstanding, and update your address information and much more on line? Go to www.manitobastuden-taid.ca My sAo to log into your existing account.

DID YoU KNoW… If you are a student who has had past Government student Loans and you are currently a full-time student, please fill out a Schedule 2 document to remain in non-payment status. Please come to student services in Graham hall, where front counter staff can help you with this form.

DID YOU KNOW…. 2008 Winter Terms Disbursements of Manitoba student Loans: Confirmation of Enrollment will be done electronically in the Awards & Financial Aid office.

Revision to your needs assessment. You should be aware that new information, such as verification of your summer income, may increase or decrease your MsAP needs assessment and the resulting loan amounts you are eligible to receive. similarly, if your current course load is different from that on your Notice of Assistance letter, the amount of loan you are eligible to receive may change.

DID YoU KNoW... Manitoba student Aid staff is on campus on Fridays from 1 - 4p.m. To set up an appointment time, phone 786-9458.

The Awards and Financial Aid staff at the University of Winnipeg will continue to keep you informed of available awards, scholar-ships and bursary opportunities.

Financial Aid Websites

Canlearn site www.canlearn.ca

Manitoba student Aid Program www.manitobastudentaid.ca

Surfing for dollars? Try these two websites for more award opportunities.

www.studentawards.com

www.scholarshipscanada.com

listiNgs coordiNator: kristine askhoLm e-mail: listiNgs@uNiter.ca phoNe: 786-9497 Fax: 783-7080

want to submit your listing to Uniter listings? email your listings to listings@uniter.ca 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. LIStINGS @uniter.ca 17January 24, 2008The Unitercontact : uniter@uniter.ca

november 1, 2007

18The Uniter contact : uniter@uniter.ca

SEctIoN

Sports sports editor: kaLen QuaLLy

e-mail: sports@uNiter.ca

kalen qUallyspoRTs ediToR You’ve heard it before, right?

“It’s always harder to defend a title than to win one.”

It’s even truer for collegiate programs when dealing with eligibil-

ity and recruiting issues. Neither has greatly affected the Wesmen men’s vol-leyball team over the last year, so while a year can ravage some championship programs, it has only made the Wes-men stronger.

Which is a scary thought for the rest of the CIS.

“Our progression has been good,” said Dustin Addison-Schneider about how the team is improving on a championship season. “We have just been building on every aspect of our team. If we peak at the right time we’ll have a lot of things. I think that’s the strength of our team: we have a lot of balance.”

While the Wesmen haven’t had to worry as much as other programs about losing and grooming new play-ers, they still aren’t impervious to these issues. While “Big” Ben Schellenberg and Addison-Schneider have returned, there is still some adjusting with the few new players on the team.

“We have some new guys on the court from last year,” admitted Addi-son-Schneider. “It’s not like it takes a long time to get used to (the new play-ers) because playing with those guys every game, you just get used to each other.”

The balanced Wesmen attack was on in full force this past weekend against the Saskatchewan Huskies, who were handled in straight sets on

Friday, Jan. 18, then again three sets to one the following night. Saskatchewan isn’t the strongest opponent on the Wesmen schedule though, now sit-ting at 1-13. For most of both games, neither Schellenberg nor Addison-Schneider were to be found on the court and instead turned to the bench, including their few first-year players.

The recipe for a title defense, as the ‘98 Red Wings or the 2005 Patri-ots will attest, is to take it a game at a time.

“We’ve just got to focus game by game,” said Addison-Schneider. While the Wesmen now sit at 10-2, which is good enough for a second-place national ranking, they’re not get-ting ahead of themselves. “If you start looking ahead then you’re going to get

into trouble against weaker teams and you’re going to lose matches.”

That focus has showed on the court. “We’re playing pretty consis-tent,” said assistant coach Kris Funk. “There’s not too many ups and downs and that’s important in volleyball.”

But they haven’t been perfect. There is always room for improve-ment, even after winning it all.

“We have to get to the next level in every area in our game,” said Funk. “But one thing in particular is our serving, hitting targets, and just challenging the other team more. As well as defense and blocking, too. But they’re getting better.”

“Everything is getting better.” Which is a scary thought for the

rest of the CIS.

Men’s volleyball title defense on trackPRoGRAM oF eXceLLeNce

andrew town serves it up against the university of saskatchewan.

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‘big’ ben schellenberg takes it to the huskies in the opening game sweep.

Marlee bragg punishes the huskies with a kill in the opening game of a Wesmen series sweep.

kalen qUallyspoRTs ediToR

“Nothing beats losing like winning.”

Wesmen women’s volleyball coach Diane Scott was blunt and succinct in her response when asked how it felt to win the first of two against the Saskatchewan Huskies last weekend. The Wesmen had been on a six-game losing streak prior to sweep-ing the Huskies on Jan. 18 and 19, helping boost their record to 4-12.

“Certainly they should feel more confident after tonight’s performance. We were pretty solid,” said Scott.

“Winning is a great deodorant.” These weren’t the words of Wes-

men coach Scott, but rather of Hall of Fame football coach John Madden. Madden, of course, is referring to the fact that winning can sometimes mask how much a team really “stinks.” First-year Lauren Sears doesn’t feel that is the case, however.

“This win shows that we know how to stick together. We’re still try-ing to figure things out as a team,” said Sears.

“(Coach Scott) keeps pushing us,” said Sears, crediting Scott for keeping them focused and account-able despite a poor season to this point. “She believes in us as a team. She knows we have a lot of potential and she keeps telling us we have a lot of potential. She’s making us believe that we do. We have to keep it up.”

Things were different this week for the Wesmen against the University of Saskatchewan. And surprisingly, it started with a loss. As coach Scott explained, “We had a better week in training and there was a better mood. I think it started last Saturday. There was a better performance, even in a loss to (University of Alberta). Sat-urday’s match was a little more fight, and that led into this weekend (against University of Saskatchewan).”

“Winning is a habit. Unfortu-nately so is losing.”

These words were from another legendary football coach: Vince Lom-bardi. Losing had, unfortunately, be-come habit for the Wesmen as of late with a losing streak dating back to Nov. 30. The regular season has largely been a disappointment, considering the team’s 4-5 record in pre-season play. What is to blame for the Wes-

men’s poor results? “Perhaps I haven’t challenged

them enough when I felt I have. Per-haps they haven’t taken it as seriously as they should have,” offered Scott as a possible explanation. “I think they’re doing that now. They’re smart enough. This team is athletic enough and I think they’re skilled enough (to win).”

“Winning isn’t everything…it’s the only thing.”

If you haven’t heard this quote before, it’s also from the great Lom-bardi. While the Wesmen are a fairly young team, there is no time to look to next season. “The only thing” to do is to worry about the remaining matches on the schedule.

“Right now we’re trying to con-centrate on our next coming matches,” explained Sears. “Next year we’re still building. We have seven or eight rookies on our team. We are thinking about the future, but right now we’re worrying about this season.”

The Wesmen wrap up their sea-son with a pair of games in Regina, followed by a home-and-home series against Brandon. Their final home game of the season will be on Feb. 7 when they play host to the Brandon Bobcats.

LookING FoR WINS LATe IN THe SeASoN Women’s volleyball finally getting

it together

contact : uniter@uniter.ca The Uniter January 24, 2008

19SportS

adam peleshaTyVolUnTeeR sTaff

Some pro-Canadian po-litical pundits will tell you that Canadian sovereignty

is often threatened by American influence and, sooner or later, our cultures will homogenize and there will be little or no differ-ence between the two countries whatsoever.

At least, in university sports, there won’t be.

Recently, during their an-nual convention in Nashville, Tennessee, the National Colle-giate Athletic Association voted overwhelmingly (258-9) in fa-vour of allowing Canadian schools admission into mainly division II athletics.

While this is only a pilot program, schools can apply to the NCAA by June 1 in order to begin play by the 2008-2009 academic year. Schools like the University of British Colum-bia, the University of Alberta, and Simon Fraser University have shown interest.

If these three universities have their way, they could be in the NCAA by next year. The question now becomes, if those schools are going to the NCAA, what will happen to Canadian Interuniversity Sport, let alone the Canadian West Conference?

A major difference between the two orga-nizations is that the NCAA grants full athletic scholarships to student athletes, while the CIS grants partial athletic scholarships to those with good academic standing. This creates a problem. While it may be a better caliber of athlete that plays in the NCAA, academi-cally, their athletes have little to show for their

non-athletic future. By seceding from the CIS, academic quality is compromised, leading to lower test scores. At least in our national orga-nization, you must earn your athletic scholar-ship by hitting the books and going to class. That is why the CIS has fewer academic sus-pensions than the NCAA, and in the CIS, no star player will get special treatment from his or her teachers just so they can win a champi-onship. If you don’t pass, you don’t play.

Universities in Canada with hockey pro-grams will especially be attracted to the lure of playing teams south of the border. There is no division II hockey in the NCAA; therefore, teams play in division I against the power-house universities of Maine, Alaska, Colorado and Michigan. However, Canadian universi-ties have players with experience in the Ca-nadian Junior Hockey League and by NCAA rules, these players are ineligible. This, as a re-sult, will have many players transferring to the

CIS where they face limited roster spots and they will find fewer places to play hockey and advance their education.

As stated earlier, three western Canadian universities want to join the NCAA. All three universities are in the Canadian West Confer-ence. By subtracting three teams, the future of the conference would be in jeopardy. Rivalries with the University of Alberta, UBC and SFU would be lost, creating a lack of competition. The CIS would be forced to accept colleges and private schools in Canada to fill the void (Red River College, Canadian Mennonite University, for example).

The NCAA programs are at least as good as or better than the CIS’s, and expanding into Canada would be good for those who want to see a higher level of competition and the chance for Canadian players to defeat their American counterparts. However, expanding into Canada could render the CIS second-rate. With the NCAA, who is the national cham-pion of Canada if some of our universities play in an organization based in the United States? It should be the CIS and its member programs that have the best athletic programs and ven-ues in Canada.

Also, the NCAA would have to change their name, wouldn’t they? Maybe replace the “N” with an “I” for International?

more than just national identity at stakeWHy THe NcAA WILL Be A THReAT To THe cIS

Compiled By kalen qUally

mAn Arrested for tAping pAckers jersey to his son

According to TheStar.com, a Wisconsin man, upset over the fact that his seven-year old son would not wear a Green Bay Packers jersey during the team’s playoff victory, restrained the boy for an hour and taped the jersey to him. Thirty-six-year old Matthew Kowald was cited for disorderly conduct in connection with the incident and was arrested after his wife told authorities what had happened. Kowald commented that the incident was merely a joke that went too far. “[He] couldn’t get out and he got upset and that’s it. It lasted a minute,” he said. “I didn’t mean no harm, and he knows that, but I haven’t been able to tell him that.”

The Quebec Nordiques tried to tape a jersey to Eric Lindros after drafting him in 1991 with similar results. (TheStar.com)

oiler fAns supposedly burned pronger’s crib

While a guest on the Jim Rome radio show on Jan. 16, the Anaheim Ducks’ Chris Pronger leaked a story that Edmonton Oiler fans supposedly broke into his home after he demanded a trade and burned his rental furniture, including his child’s crib. As quoted on Jim Rome’s sports talk show, Pronger said: “There’s obviously a few things that didn’t sit well with me. For instance, taking the furniture that I had in my house and burning it and having a ‘Burn Chris Pronger’s Furniture Day’, that didn’t sit well with me very much. They burned my kid’s crib, and things like that.”

Jim Rome would continue to blow up the situation in a rant. Rome said: “To go into my house and get my furniture out and to burn it and to burn my kid’s crib—that’s messed up.” (sports.aol.com)

ncAA not welcome in our province

As you’ll read in this week’s article by Adam Peleshaty, the National Collegiate Athletic Association will be accepting applications by post-secondary institutions in Canada for inclusion within three years. While there has been warm reception and interest by some schools, most notably the universities of British Columbia and Alberta, the schools close to home here have outright rejected the notion. According to the Winnipeg Sun, University of Manitoba athletic director Coleen Dufresne responded by saying, “No, not really interested. What we have at the CIS level and at the Canada West level is very good. The competition is strong and more importantly, it’s Canadian.” The University of Winnipeg athletic director Bill Wedlake was short and to the point with his view. In the Winnipeg Sun’s article, Wedlake simply answered “No” to the NCAA’s proposition. (Winnipeg Sun)

“no seinfeld for you!”In a strange underhanded tactic taken on

by the Fox affiliate in Green Bay, no reruns of Seinfeld were aired in the week prior to the New York Giants-Green Bay Packers playoff game. Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning supposedly has an obsession with the show Seinfeld, so station general manager Jay Zollar tried his best to shake Eli’s pre-game routine. According to newsday.com, Zollar proclaimed in a video on the station’s website, “Eli! No Seinfeld for you!”

“We don’t want to give any comfort to the enemy whatsoever when they come into town,” Zollar said. “We know laughter is good medicine, and we decided we’re not going to give that to him.” (newsday.com)

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Kalen and Jo discuss the furious and frost bitten face of New York giants’ coach Tom Coughlin during his team’s playoff victory over the green Bay Packers.

kalen: Did you see Tom Coughlin’s face? Throughout the game, but I noticed it especially in the second half. That guy was beat red! He had third degree frost bite! It was brutal. His face was so red it looked like an asthma attack crossed with pneumonia. Jo: Plus the angry face he makes all the time.

Ultra mega Take of the week

Kalen Qually and Jo Villaverde host The Ultra Mega Sports Show every Monday at 1:30pm on CKUW 95.9 FM. You can download the show at CKUW.ca or join the Facebook group, The Ultra Mega Sports Show.

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