3

Frank Appleyard

Letters
Helping co-op students require from any one of the Student
April 2, 2009
opportunity of representing you
Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca

Re: “A co-op student is still a student”
(Opinion, March 19)
DEAR CO-OP STUDENTS,
I’d like to start by saying we sympa-
thize with your point of view on the
accessibility of services to students
who are unable to be on campus from
10 to 5 on weekdays and I would like
to take this opportunity to clarify the
services’ after-hours availability.
As it was mentioned, some of the
Student Federation of the University
of Ottawa (SFUO) services changed
their schedule to stay open after 5 p.m.
and that is something the SFUO is
looking to increase. Many of our ser-
vices are by their nature only offered
after 5 p.m.: Peer Help’s peer support
phone line, Foot Patrol’s walks home,
and most of our activities and out-
reach events for students, including
discussion groups and social events
that take place in the evening.
As for our services that don’t al-
ready have altered schedules, I would
like to let every student know that we
are more than happy to accommo-
date any student on a special-needs
basis. If there is ever a service you
Life Services provided by the SFUO,
please feel free to email us and we can
work something out for you, whether
it’s a special meeting after hours or a
resource pick-up. We will attempt to
better advertise this to students next
year.
Regarding the university services,
the SFUO would work with any stu-
dent that is dissatisfied with the uni-
versity services to ensure students’
needs are met. We are dedicated to
providing the best possible student
life for all students, and we hope to
be able to serve you to the best of our
abilities in the future.
Danika Brisson
SFUO vp student affairs
The challenge called. We answered.
AS YOUR STUDENT Federation of
the University of Ottawa president, I
am going to take this last letter as an
opportunity not to contradict or con-
demn the recent criticisms of some of
my and the executive’s harshest crit-
ics. Instead, I turn to look at what a
changing experience it has been for
the executive and I to have had the
through one of the most challenging
and rewarding years for our federa-
tion.
Code of conduct/Ombudsper-
son: Some would say that killing the
student code of conduct was one of
Allan Rock’s first ambitious actions
as president. Granted, Rock did over-
turn Gilles Patry’s past promise to in-
troduce the code; however, the SFUO
and Graduate Students’ Association
with you put on enough pressure and
protested the code out of contempla-
tion for the U of O. The positive ef-
fects of this came in two forms: an
agreement to work together on a doc-
ument outlining student rights and
approving the creation of the ombud-
sperson office.
Canadian Federation of Students
referendum: A challenging experi-
ence, but one that brought finality to
the question of whether or not to join
our national student organization,
while sparking interest and record in-
volvement (21 per cent voter turnout)
on campus. The SFUO is committed
to taking an active role in the Canadi-
an Federation of Students, as has been
mandated by our students.
Student centre: Rome was not built
this campus, which includes using cord in November 2008 for the CFS
your Jock-Turcot Student Centre levy referendum, we broke it again in the
for the student centre and not pro- February 2009 SFUO elections, with
gramming, and clarifying our equity a new record turnout of 27.2 per cent.
in the building. This increased turnout definitely re-
Ting Ting Wang: One student, flects the involvement we have aimed
among hundreds this year, who we for and hope to maintain in the
helped defend because she was mis- SFUO.
treated by the university. The SFUO I will leave my successors with a
and, more importantly, Ting Ting great quote from Winston Churchill
won this case at the end of March. We that doubles for a good piece of ad-
will always stand up for our students vice: “Never, never, never give up.”
and our principles. Thousands are counting on you. Best
Culture/Social: This year has for the summer.
been a year of growth, accessibil- Dean Haldenby
ity, and inclusiveness for the SFUO. SFUO president
We have developed more accessible
and diverse social programming and
partnerships than ever before, such
as Black History Month, the Dance
Competition, Wake Up and Vote, and
Pandamonium.
Internal restructuring: The SFUO
has gone from a more corporate
model to one that fits the taste of a
student union. We are in the process
of striking our first collective bargain-
ing agreement with our employees,
which will bring a lot more stability
to our organization.
U-Pass/OC Transpo Strike: The
SFUO partnered with the university

Contents
in a semester, and the student centre
will be no exception. One day student
space will be more abundant due to
the work we have done this year and
Emtro The galaxy’s hugest giant the work that will be done in the years
universal newspaper to come. Regardless of its success to
this point, the SFUO brought clarity
to the situation of student space on
Your free copy of Emtro, on stands now.
during the exam period and begin-
ning of the new year to bring you
bus services and fought to ensure you
were not penalized by professors be-
cause you could not make it to cam-
pus.
Election turnout: On the heels of
accomplishing one voter turnout re-

PULLOUT! thefulcrum.ca poll

Thanks to every
News State of the union writer,
The SFUO executive reflects on the year that Last week’s question
was. p. 4–5 photographer, What is your favourite part of spring?
Amanda Shendruk gives physics students
the opportunity to speak. p. 6
illustrator, and Outdoor exercise: 31%
p. 4 proofreader who New wardrobe: 9%
Not freezing walking to class: 59%
Arts Summer’s here contributed to the
Peter Henderson previews the summer
arts season. p. 9 Fulcrum this year.
Sepideh Soltaninia reviews Some Girl(s). p. 14

p. 9 Ben Myers jumps off with the Balconies. p. 10

Sports The cavalry’s here
The best of the Gee-Gees are recognized in
our year-end Cavalry Awards. p. 16
Brad Sinopoli is preparing to become the U of
p. 16 O’s starting quarterback; Andrew Hawley sits
down and talks football with him. p. 19
You rock.
Business Department
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pendent English-language student newpaper,
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members consist of all University of Ottawa
students. The Board of Directors (BOD) of the
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Ian Flett captures the bliss that is spring.
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 4
Emma Godmere

News April 2, 2009

News Editor
news@thefulcrum.ca

SFUO:
year in
review
W
HAT DEFINED THIS past academic
year? According to the 2008–09
Student Federation of the Univer-
sity of Ottawa (SFUO) executive, it
wasn’t the ongoing Student Arbitration Commit-
tee elections appeal, nor was it November’s Ca-
nadian Federation of Students (CFS) referendum.
The six SFUO executives cited achievements in
student involvement, ongoing community proj-
ects, and continued efforts to maintain a healthy
relationship with the University of Ottawa ad-
ministration as the year’s defining elements. The
Fulcrum sat down with the executive to discuss
the successes and shortfalls of 2008–09.

Working with a new administration

One of the biggest responsibilities laid

upon the SFUO executive is the adequate
representation of the undergraduate stu-
dent population in dealing with the univer-
sity administration, and this year, SFUO-U
of O relations were at the forefront of the
SFUO’s agenda. When Allan Rock was
introduced as the U of O’s new president
in July, the SFUO executive was quick to
express “cautious optimism” over the ap-
pointment in an interview with the Ful-
crum. As Rock was a former SFUO presi-
dent, many U of O students were hopeful
that the Rock administration might finally
shift its focus to students—especially after
photos by Frank Appleyard
the student code of conduct proposed by
former president Gilles Patry’s administa-
tion was protested by students in April and
eventually dropped by the U of O.
“At the beginning of the summer,
[meeting with Rock] was very positive,”
said SFUO VP Social Joël Larose. “We
had very high expectations, but we wanted
to keep kind of a sense of a reality—that
things might not necessarily go the [way]
we wanted ... [but] we definitely thought
that we would have more leeway and more
strength within our voice than previously
with Gilles Patry.”
The two biggest projects the executive
has been working on with the adminis-
tration, post-code, have been the creation
of a student bill of rights and an ombud-
sperson’s office, which was approved in
an SFUO plebiscite in February 2008. VP
University Affairs Seamus Wolfe indicated
that some progress has been made on both
accounts, but noted his displeasure with
the manner in which the year’s meetings
have continued between the SFUO and
the administration.
“I’ll give credit where credit’s due; Al-
lan Rock has made movements on [the
creation of the ombudsperson position]
and we are finally going to get an ombud-
sperson, but we haven’t gotten it yet,” said
Wolfe. “He’s very good at politicking and
making you seem like something was ac-
complished out of a meeting … You have
to actually look at his track record and not
a whole lot has been done ... To be honest,
I think he’s more interested in the image
of the university than the actual university
itself.”
SFUO President Dean Haldenby, who
has met with Rock on many occasions
throughout the year, indicated that the
new president could work harder to con-
sider the needs of students.
“Rock, I think, has really good inten-
tions for the university. However, I think
he still has a lot of learning to do with re-
gards to our campus and actually identify-
ing with students,” he said. “I don’t think
that he doesn’t try, but I just think that he
needs to have a little bit more empathy
with regard to student needs.”
“There [are] always going to be is-
sues, but I think that’s just the nature of
our relationship,” added a diplomatic VP
Student Affairs Danika Brisson. “We don’t
always defend the same interests, so of
course sometimes we will butt heads.”
Success in community outreach
Student apathy—particularly apparent in
low voter turnout in elections and refer-
endums—is an issue the SFUO has been
tackling for years.
“Especially until this year, a lot of com-
munities on this campus ... were never
involved in what the student federation
did, ever,” said Wolfe. “Now we have those
communities engaged—they come into
our offices, they want to do things with
the SFUO, they want to put on events and
use the SFUO as the tool that they should.
[The groups] are actually engaged with
the SFUO and we’re engaged with in the
issues that they’re [promoting].”
Wolfe attributed the increase in partici-
pation to general outreach.
“You have to target it for the different
communities, you have to do things like
Black History Month for black students to
care about the student federation—and we
did that,” he said. “As soon as you start ac-
tually actively outreaching to those com-
munities, they want to get involved—and
they have.”
“We also see a lot of new faces at every
meeting,” said VP Communications Julie
Séguin. “Whether it’s for organizing Relay
for Life, or organizing events, or recruiting
for the [Promotions] team, recruiting for the
Green Weeks team, there’s always new peo-
ple and new faces, so that’s encouraging.”
VP Finance Roxanne Dubois high-
lighted the new composition of the SFUO
campaigns committee as one of the most
successful ways that the SFUO got stu-
dents involved in its initiatives this year.
“I think that’s really important because
there’s been criticisms in the past from last
year about how the campaigns were arbi-
trary and they would just come out of no-
where,” she said. “I think this is a process
that can be very empowering for students,
and I think that is a key word that we
talked a lot about at the beginning of last
summer—where we want this year to be
the start of an empowering process where
it’s not just six [executives] that decide ev-
erything that’s going on at the [SFUO]; the
[SFUO] is powered by students.”
Haldenby pointed to the high voter turn-
outs in both the November CFS referendum
(21 per cent) and the February SFUO elec-
tions (27.2 per cent) as tangible evidence of
increased student involvement.
“Just when you thought the record
couldn’t be beat, it was beat again, so that’s
a huge success,” he said.
Larose believed this year’s participation
in elections was an effective illustration
of increased awareness on the part of stu-
dents.
“I strongly believe that the voter turnout
kind of reflects how well we did—or on the
opposite side, how pissed off people are,”
he said. “We had a very strong elections
bureau this [year] too so on that front, I
think we reached out very, very well to the
issues that [mattered] to students.”
Faults and flops
“The big goals this year were to kill the
code of conduct; to come up with an om-
budsperson; to bring clarity to the CFS is-
sue on our campus, and we did that; the
student-space issue; some stability within
our organization in terms of restructuring
because we just restructured last year; get-
ting the voter turnout up; trying to be [a]
more inclusive SFUO for everyone; and
the U-Pass,” Haldenby said.
While a significant number of those
goals were achieved, there were sev-
eral that were pushed to the backburner.
Haldenby had been promoting the cre-
ation of a student centre for the majority
of the year before making the decision to
postpone the project in January.
“[With] the student centre, for us, it’s
been a year of clarity. And like I’ve men-
tioned before, Rome was not built in a
semester and neither will a student centre
be, but in the long term I think we will
find our way with that,” he said.
“The U-Pass is a huge success,” he con-
tinued. “It’s not in place yet, but it will
be—give it a year or two. We’ve never got-
ten this far with the Universal Bus Pass.”
Larose explained that an optimal bal-
ance between the SFUO’s numerous cam-
paigns and heavy social programming was
not always achieved.
“I feel like this year, there was a lot of
emphasis put on campaigns, on certain is-
sues on that front, and at times I thought
that the social [calendar] kind of took a
[backseat] to the politically charged ex-
ecutive,” he said. “It’s not necessarily bad;
it was the vision of the executive—but
I think that it kind of fell [through] the
[cracks] at times.”
Haldenby also noted that general com-
munication between the SFUO and stu-
dents was often an issue.
“We—namely I—could’ve done a better
job communicating our reasons for taking
certain positions, our reasons for certain
projects,” he said. “Our projects to begin
with could’ve been better communicated
to students, and I think that that’s going to
be something that the incoming executive
is going to want to work on.”
Brisson echoed Haldenby’s sentiments,
pointing to the pro-union stance the SFUO
took during the OC Transpo transit strike
that began in December as an example of
the miscommunication.
“Messaging is very difficult and we
don’t have a department like the univer-
sity has,” she said. “Sometimes we’re so
busy with what we’re doing ... you’re in
it and it’s so obvious to you, but it’s not
right because not everyone has the same
information.”
“It’s been challenging for sure on many
fronts, and I think there [were] many big
things that happened this year,” Dubois
said. “For me, it’s been a non-stop process,
and I do feel like throughout all of this the
SFUO is becoming stronger. It’s a posi-
tive process ... It’s been challenging for the
SFUO this year but I do believe that it will
come out stronger.”
www.thefulcrum.ca // 04.02.09 // NEWS // 5
 Union calls for more
participation
CUPE 2626 resorts to special
measures to elect executive
by Amanda Shendruk
Fulcrum Staff
FOR THE SECOND consecutive year,
lack of member participation has
caused CUPE 2626—the union rep-
resenting teaching assistants, mark-
ers, demonstrators, lab monitors, and
research assistants at the U of O—to
utilize special measures in order to
elect its executive council (EC).
On March 25, CUPE 2626 held a
special stewards council meeting to
address the 2009–10 EC elections that
were unable to be held at the March 4
CUPE 2626 Annual General Assem-
bly (AGA) due to a loss of quorum.
Sixty-four members arrived at the
meeting; however, when the elections
were held three hours later, fewer than
35 remained, resulting in the cancel-
lation of the AGA.
In order for the union’s AGAs to be
held, two per cent of its membership
—or approximately 61 members—
must attend. According to the CUPE
2626 bylaws, if quorum is lost before
the annual elections can be held, a
stewards council meeting is orga-
nized to select the EC for the upcom-
ing year. There is at least one steward
position to represent 48 departments
at the U of O; however, due to lack of
member interest, these positions are
often not filled. There are currently 60
steward positions, only 28 of which
are filled.
“Nobody is very satisfied,” said cur-
rent chief steward francophone Sean
Kelly. “I think that everybody in the
executive and in the stewards council
would prefer to have a general as-
sembly with quorum to elect our ex-
ecutive on a non-interim basis.” On
March 25 the stewards council chose
Kelly to be CUPE president for the
2009–10 academic years.
“I think one of the reasons [that
members don’t participate] was iden-
tified at the general assembly—a lot of
people aren’t aware of the union and
the general assembly and aren’t aware
6 \\ NEWS \\ 04.02.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca
Retaining physics’
reputation
how it works,” said Kelly. “I think the
second reason is our election proce-
dures are quite long.”
Kelly also noted that the university
has neglected to provide the union
with an up-to-date membership list,
which he claimed has hampered the
ability of the EC to distribute infor-
mation to its members.
Current CUPE 2626 President
Vinay Mulgundmath agreed that the
AGAs are too lengthy but believed
that the current EC made an effort to
contact its members.
“It’s not like we are not reach-
ing across campus. We have reached photo by Frank Appleyard
across campus in every way,” he said. Denis Rancourt has garnered widespread media attention for his pending dismissal from the U of O.
“Members are getting involved—they
know about our union—but they still Globe and Mail are just a handful of Science’s office is locked with a key
don’t want to come and sit for such a Sounding off on of national news organizations that card now. It was never like that. It’s
have recently brought the U of O, because they kept barging in. And
long time … So the only thing that Rancourt’s Rancourt, and the physics depart- [professors] are afraid of talking [to
can happen to improve is by changing
our bylaws and by streamlining our impact on students ment into the spotlight. students]. It’s ridiculous. It bothers
election process.” “Don’t get me wrong, I know why me so much.”
by Amanda Shendruk people support him outside the fac- Phil Vinten, a second-year PhD
“We have members [complain-
Fulcrum Staff ulty,” said Guay. “Because from what student in physics, claimed that
ing] when they have to sit through
three hours twice a year, and they’re they’re hearing from the media, they many physics students feel this way.
IN THE BASEMENT of MacDonald think that [the] guy is finally some- “I’d say that there are more people
not willing to do it,” said CUPE 2626
Hall there is a corkboard covered one representing the students.” with our viewpoint [in the depart-
President of the Assembly Dan Dic-
with torn-out newspaper articles that However, Guay and his peers are ment] than with the opposite view-
aire.
chronicle the four-year saga of sus- trying to set the record straight. They point,” he said.
“At the same time, when you don’t
pended University of Ottawa phys- have no sympathy for Rancourt’s sit- It is not only physics students that
have the leadership coming from your
ics professor Denis Rancourt. The uation, claiming that Rancourt has are concerned about Rancourt’s im-
executive to inspire these people to do
board—once adorned with comics, obstructed their education and dam- pact on life at the U of O—the Sci-
it, then which one is to blame? I think
physics jokes, and conference pic- aged the reputation of the U of O. ence Students’ Association’s official
it’s kind of a self-deprecating cycle
tures—is now a symbol of the statement to the Board of Gov-
that we’ve got right now,” he added.
anger and frustration many ernors regarding the Rancourt
Olivier Desharnais-Roy, who was
physics students feel about situation speaks volumes.
chosen at the March 25 meeting as vp
1 communications for the 2009–10
the situation that they say is “They say they’re “[Rancourt] has created a
EC, noted that this year it is especially
grossly misrepresented in the
media.
fighting for openness, they hostile and unproductive en-
vironment through his lack of
important that members become in-
volved with the union because on Au-
“The media has never say they’re fighting for respect for academia, decorum,
bothered to come and ask the and any sense of courtesy or ci-
gust 30, 2010, the union’s collective
bargaining agreement expires. This
[physics] students about what transparency, but they’re vility,” read the statement. “Not
expiration signals the beginning of an
they thought [about the Ran-
court situation],” explained
only closing doors.” only has Dr. Rancourt compro-
mised the integrity of the fac-
agreement renegotiation period with
first-year Master’s physics Shane Scott, ulty, he has belittled the value
the U of O, in which a CUPE 2626
bargaining committee will draft a re-
student Jean-Michel Guay, Master’s student of our degrees and threatened
who took a quantum mechan- our reputation.”
vised agreement.
ics course under Rancourt in Both Vinten and the Gradu-
“If we are going to [do] a better job
Spring 2008. He said the media has “I’ve never even had any direct ate Students’ Association councillor
at negotiating, we need to engage our
yet to approach the students clos- contact with Dr. Rancourt,” said for physics, Daniel Pohl, were stu-
membership,” said Desharnais-Roy.
est to the pedagogical controver- Shane Scott, a Master’s student and dents in Rancourt’s fall 2007 solid
sy—physics students who took the physics department graduate student state physics class.
classes for which Rancourt has been representative. “But I’ve felt that this “Time-wise, [I feel cheated],”
suspended. has directly affected what I do as a said Vinten, who said he was taught
In over 20 years at the U of O, graduate student and what I do as a almost nothing about physics in
Rancourt has created his own now- physics rep. [His actions have] ham- the class. The department of phys-
defunct course, been deadlocked in pered my job.” ics allowed students to re-take the
disputes with the physics department Scott has experienced both inter- course.
and the university, and been locked rupted and cancelled meetings due “Now I have to take the same
out of his laboratory. In December to the disruptions b Rancourt and course again, for credit, after getting
the U of O suspended Rancourt the handful of students who support an A+ for doing nothing,” he said.
from teaching, banned him from his activist pedagogy. When Guay, Vinten, Scott, and
campus, and recommended him to “[Rancourt and supporters] have Pohl were asked whether they sup-
be fired, for giving A+ grades to all locked up our freedoms [as] students, ported the university’s desire to fire
of his students in a fourth-year phys- in a way. They say they’re fighting for Rancourt, all four answered with a
ics course. At press time, Rancourt’s openness, they say they’re fighting resounding “yes”.
dismissal was pending. for transparency, but they’re only “It’s the best thing the physics de-
CBC, CTV, Maclean’s, and the closing doors,” said Scott. “The Dean partment can hope for,” said Guay.
Vote of confidence

Objects in mirror The Fulcrum is

are closer than they appear
Emma Godmere
News Editor
I MOVED TO Ottawa when I was six years old.
I live downtown now, but my family still lives
in the same tiny neighbourhood of Blackburn
Hamlet, a 12-minute drive east of downtown on
the 417. When I was still an east-end kid, we’d
always drive west along that stretch of Queen-
sway to head downtown at least twice a week,
and we’d take the Nicholas Street exit every time.
The neat thing about the Nicholas Street ramp
is that it’s long and winding and takes you on
a short, perfect tour of downtown Ottawa—you
see the Peace Tower in the distance, ride parallel
to the Rideau Canal and the OC Transpo buses
zooming along the Transitway, and pass by the
south end of the University of Ottawa campus.
As a youngster, I would stick my nose to the
window and gaze in admiration at the build-
ings that towered near the road. The then-brand
new and ridiculously attractive SITE building
impressed me most, looking like a giant glass
citadel guarding the southernmost entrance to
campus. I would sometimes see people sitting at
tables and walking up those giant red staircases,
and while I knew they were university students,
they still seemed so much greater and smarter
than I could ever hope to be. I couldn’t imagine
what it would be like to be a part of the U of
O, a community that seemed so enormous, so
eminent, and so out of reach.
Perspective is a funny thing, isn’t it? I found
myself here after all. I’m now concluding my
second year on this campus, ready to jump into
a third. One would assume that, by now, I should
already be on the road to becoming cynical and
unimpressed with this campus, especially after
covering controversy after controversy for the
past year.
But I’m not.
Despite any criticisms that have appeared in
this space over the past several months, I’m still
that same six-year-old, as impressed with this
university as ever. I love wandering along the
pedestrian walkway between Pérez and Simard
Halls and having the option to go to the rede-
signed Café Alt. I love knowing that I’m welcome
to walk into the Peer Help Centre or the Bon Ap-
hiring for the
2009–10
pétit! Food Bank if I need the help. I love hav-
ing the option of studying in Morisset Library,
or Fauteux Hall, or the Unicentre couch lounge.
I love knowing I can take my time to figure out
publishing year
what course of study I want to pursue. Above If you are interested in the follow-
all, I love being able to call myself a member of a ing positions:
diverse community that is lucky enough to have
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riers to accessibility or racism, but it’s important
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So if you haven’t yet, find something small • Webmaster
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Contact news@thefulcrum.ca for
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613-562-5260
more information or to apply.
This is the final Vote of confidence of the year. Applications are due April 10
To those who have casually flipped through these at 5 p.m. Email a cover letter,
news pages, thank you for reading. I hope this
resumé, and clippings (if appli-
year’s news section has helped spark the very dis-
cussion and debate that lies at the heart of our cable) to news@thefulcrum.ca
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www.thefulcrum.ca // 04.02.09 // NEWS // 7


Arts & Culture April 2, 2009
The summer of ‘09
by Peter Henderson
Fulcrum Staff
AS CLASSES WIND down, Ottawa gears up for the summer festival season. The nation’s capital plays host to dozens of music, theatre,
and variety festivals, large and small. But there’s more to summer in the city than the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest and the Tulip Festival.
Here’s the Fulcrum’s guide to upcoming summer events you might have missed hearing about.
The New Art Festival
Formerly known as Art in the Park, the New Art Festival is a not-for-profit outdoor art exhibi-
tion that showcases the Ottawa arts community. Last year’s event brought out over 250 artists
with more than 800 works on display in rows of booths. Central Park in the Glebe will host the
festival June 6–7. For the first time, the entire festival will be juried, which means that every
submission will be eligible for the final awards. There will be prizes awarded for Best Two-Di-
mensional Artist, Best Three-Dimensional Artist, and Best Student Artist. Admission is free.
For more information, visit artinfoboy.org.
Pride Week
The first Ottawa gay pride celebration was held in 1986, and since then the event has grown to a
week-long celebration of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community in the capital. Origi-
nally organized by a loose collective, the Capital Pride organization now runs the event. The first
official Pride Week occurred in 1989, and Capital Pride now puts on events year-round throughout
the city. This year’s edition of the festival will occur in August, though dates and events have yet to
be announced. The annual pride parade is a summer institution, and drew more than 55,000 people
in 2002. Last year’s event included a film festival, a human rights vigil, and even a cabaret show, and
the 2009 edition should continue this tradition of mixing entertainment with important issues.
For more information, visit capitalpride.ca.
9
Peter Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
arts@thefulcrum.ca
Magnetic North Theatre Festival
For those who missed the University of Ottawa’s production of Don’t Blame the Bedouins,
which recently played at the Alumni Auditorium, it is returning on June 5 as part of the Mag-
netic North Theatre Festival (MNTF). The MNTF is a yearly festival dedicated to contem-
porary Canadian English theatre. The location changes annually, and this year Ottawa hosts
the festival. The MNTF is a showcase for the diversity of Canadian theatre, with professional
companies from all over the country coming to the capital June 3–13 to perform at venues like
the National Arts Centre, the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, and the Uni-
versity of Ottawa’s Academic Hall. Tickets can be bought for individual
shows, and passes are available for the entire festival.
For tickets and more information,
visit magneticnorthfestival.ca
illustration by Amlake Tedla-Digaf
Ottawa International Buskerfest
Every summer, musicians and performers from across Canada and the world descend on Sparks
Street as part of the annual Ottawa International Buskerfest, the second largest busker festival in the
country. Dancing, juggling, and all forms of music are on the menu from July 30–Aug. 3. Originally
started by Carleton University radio station CKCU 93.1 FM, the Buskerfest now draws thousands of
tourists to watch dozens of performers. Buskerfest costs only what you want to pay. Past participants
include Peter Rabbit, a drumming prodigy who grew up to drum for Kanye West on the College
Dropout tour; Dream State Circus, a duo that performs acrobatic comedy; and Montreal’s Rafael
Sebastian, a street performer with over 15 years experience who combines comedy, juggling, and
circus acts. Buskerfest is the most diverse festival of the summer, and with over 40 performances a
day on the five-block stretch, there’s sure to be something for everyone.
For more information, visit sparksstreetmall.com
 Music from above
The Balconies combine
classical training with
stripped-down rock
by Ben Myers
Fulcrum Staff

THE BALCONIES HAVE no problem

dissecting their songwriting process.
Former U of O music student Liam
Jaeger and siblings and current mu-
sic students Jacquie and Steve Neville
spend most of their time deconstruct-
ing music already. But when it comes
to analyzing their own sound, the pop-
rock trio prefers to keep it simple.
“I really liked analysis class,” says
Jaeger, who, despite his role as drum-
mer in the band, displays the over-
grown right-hand fingernails of a
classically trained guitarist. “I really
liked listening to music and trying
to pick it apart. But if you try to do
that while you’re writing stuff, it’s not
constructive, because you won’t get
anywhere.”
Jacquie, whose academic study of
the viola translates to blistering guitar
riffs on stage, thinks that rock music
should never be too cerebral.
“If you think too hard about it…”
she begins.
“…then you can’t make art,” con-
cludes Steve, a double bassist in the photo by Ben Myers
classroom and The Balconies’ bassist. Don’t let their piano skills fool you; (left to right) Jacquie Neville, Steve Neville, and Liam Jaeger know how to rock an Ottawa stage.
The music was getting complicated part and parcel of their philosophy of recordings on her computer,” says Jae- says. “For our newest song, Steve had
in Jacquie’s other band, indie rockers truth, simplicity, and fun. ger. “Then I’ll come home after work, a bridge and I said, ‘No, that bridge is
Jetplanes of Abraham, and in Jaeger’s
now-defunct alternative band For the
“I’ve seen bands where there are and I’ll hear all this stuff that she’s do- the chorus’.”
five people,” he says. “One guitarist is ing and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, that’s really Although they try to avoid making
“We often try to be
Mathematics, so the three formed The really dominant and there’s another cool’. their music too complicated, it’s hard very honest with
Balconies in early 2008 as a way to get
their songwriting back to its bare essen-
guitarist that just sits back, or the bass “Steve’s always got ideas in his for these three students of arrange-
player just kind of sits in the corner head,” Jaeger continues. “He’s got ment, rhythm, and melody to avoid
our music, and with
tials. The band is currently recording its and doesn’t do anything. With us, ev- everything on paper, and just in his digging into their own material. how we try to
first full-length album, and they hope to
release it sometime this summer.
erything is right out there. mind. He’ll say ‘Oh! I’ve got this new “I guess that’s what happens, when
“We choose not to hide anything song’, and he’ll play the whole song on you study music,” Jaeger says. “You
present ourselves:
“In a way, [our process and our about ourselves,” he continues. “We the bass and sing it.” really get into the analysis.” in a very honest
music] are simpler,” Jaeger begins. often try to be very honest with our Jaeger prefers to work on his lap-
“We eliminated [several] instru- music, and with how we try to present top, after which he and his bandmates The Balconies play Café Dekcuf (221 way.”
ments. Even if you have two guitarists ourselves: in a very honest way.” debate how their respective contribu- Rideau St.) with the Urban Aesthet- Liam Jaeger
on stage…” Jaeger and Jacquie have been a cou- tions can be woven together into a ics and Dinosaur Bones on April 10. The Balconies
“…it changes the sound complete- ple for about two years, though they song. Doors open at 8 p.m. 19+. $8. For
ly,” Jacquie chimes in. prefer to write songs individually. “When we have a new song, we more information, visit myspace.com/
According to Jaeger, simplicity is “Jacquie’s always doing multi-track just sort of debate structures,” Jaeger thebalconies

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10 \\ ARTS \\ 04.02.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca

Murder
most
funny
Eddie May murder
mysteries put the
play in foul play
by Peter Henderson
Fulcrum Staff
IF ANY DETECTIVE has a good case for early
retirement, it’s Eddie May. After 25 years of ser-
vice, May has solved thousands of murders, and
he never fails to solve the case. Unfortunately
for May, he’s a fictional character, and his retire-
ment looks to be a long way off.
May is the titular detective from the Eddie
May murder mysteries, dinner theatre perfor-
mances produced by the Ottawa-based Eddie
May Entertainment theatre company. This year
marks the 25th anniversary of the shows. There
are two types of Eddie May performances: the
weekly shows at Scarlett’s Dinner Theatre (62
York St.) and the occasional private shows where
the murder comes to you.
The interactive Eddie May show features
music, singing, dancing, and a healthy dose of
humour. As it’s dinner theatre, the price of the
ticket includes a three-course meal. An actor is
murdered early on in the show, and the other
players must try to find out who the murderer is
before he or she strikes again. There are several
scripted scenes, but there are extended breaks
between these scenes in which the actors move
amongst the tables and the audience is encour-
aged to interact with the characters in the story.
The troupe has performed many different scripts
over the years—the latest is called Without a
Clue and is a spoof of the popular Clue board-
Dinner theatre from Eddie May Entertainment provides mastication, mirth, and murder.
game—and, thanks to the improvised nature of
the show, every performance is different.
The Eddie May troupe has a working group
of 30 to 40 actors, with a core group of 16 who
work at Scarlett’s. Some do only private shows,
some only work seasonally, and some prefer the
steady gig at Scarlett’s Dinner Theatre.
“It’s a very diverse group of people,” says
Noel Counsil, the director and self-proclaimed
“crime minister” of Eddie May Entertainment
who has spent almost 22 years with the organi-
zation. “[They’re from] all types of backgrounds,
[they have] all types of abilities. They all are very
gifted in their own way.”
“The company itself used to be mostly im-
prov-based,” says Natalie Joy Quesnel, one of
six people who have graduated with a Master’s
of Fine Arts in Directing from the University of
Ottawa. Quesnel is heavily involved as both an
actress and director in Eddie May shows.
“Now we’ve got people from all walks of the-
atre life: People who are dancers, people who are
singers, people who love the improv, and peo-
ple who are much more comfortable with the
printed text,” she says. “It’s evolved throughout
the years.”
It’s been 25 years since the first Eddie May
Murder Mystery premiered in the spring of
1984. The idea for Eddie May came from Mark
Monahan, now the executive director of the Ot-
tawa Bluesfest organization. The weekly show
moved to its current location in 2005, and it re-
mains as popular as ever. Counsil and Quesnel
have different ideas about what gives the show
its popularity and longevity.
“[The show] is interactive, it’s comedic,” says
Counsil. “Even if we’re in the business of killing
people, it’s always funny. We have a niche in this
town, and nobody else does it.”
photo courtesy Eddie May Entertainment
“It’s the breaking of the fourth wall that’s so energy level was so intense, you just couldn’t
exciting about [Eddie May shows],” explains stay in your seat through [the performance].”
Quesnel, referring to the imaginary barrier be- The Rubber Chicken may be theirs, but
tween the audience and the stage. “Even though
it is very scripted, there’s always elements of
Counsil won’t let the acclaim go to his or his ac-
tors’ heads. Eddie May Entertainment has been
improvisation. You don’t know what’s going to around for 25 years, and it looks like Eddie May
happen, so there’s always an element of surprise, will be solving crimes for the foreseeable future.
there’s always an element of unpredictability. According to Counsil, the secret of their success
You don’t really get that from watching the same is just a few simple ideas.
movie five times.” “Keep doing what we’re doing, [and] listen to
Eddie May Entertainment is putting on sever- the audience,” he explains. “Our aim is to ensure
al special events for its 25th anniversary. There that [the audience] has a grand time. As long as
will be a VIP night on May 23 for local luminar- we keep doing that, as long as we never forget
ies and a charity show on May 29 at which all the it’s about those folks, I don’t worry about [the
proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity. Other future]. [We want] to keep them laughing.”
events are planned for later in the year.
The troupe kicked off their year-long anni- For news, events, and ticket information, visit ed-
versary celebrations with a performance at the diemay.com.
Ottawa Theatre Challenge at the National Arts
Centre (NAC), which was a part of the NAC’s
celebration of International World Theatre Day.
Eddie May Entertainment received the coveted
Rubber Chicken award for placing first in the
competition with a five-minute version of their
typically three-hour show.
“We performed essentially an entire Eddie
May show in the span of five minutes: two mur-
ders, investigations, a half-time song and dance
number, and a full-on summation involving
solving the crime,” explains Quesnel. “On top
of that, because we do dinner theatre, our crew
also served a three-course meal complete with
dessert to the judges. It was a microcosm of what
we do in three hours, done in five minutes.”
“It was crazy, I can tell you that,” says Counsil.
“They actually condensed some of our best and
worst moments into a five-minute running gag.
It was astonishing to watch—I’ve never seen
people move so fast or talk so fast in my life. The
www.thefulcrum.ca // 04.02.09 // ARTS // 11
 Winter
melts
into
spring
photos by Ian Flett
page 12 | the fulcrum
T
HE U OF O campus comes to life with the emergence of spring,
and students wake from their winter slumber to enjoy the great
the fulcrum | page 13

weather. As winter recedes and the end of the semester is in

sight, the campus becomes a vibrant setting for socializing,
studying, or simply sitting in the sun’s warm rays.
 Mending broken hearts
Some Girl(s)
explores the funny
side of heartbreak
by Sepideh Soltaninia
Fulcrum Contributor
MISTAKES MADE IN past relation-
ships are difficult to forget and even
more tiresome to mend. But in the
play Some Girl(s), a 2005 romance
by Neil LaBute, one man attempts to
right his wrongs by travelling across
the United States to meet with ex-girl-
friends in search of closure before he
gets married. The story that unfolds is
much like any relationship—compli-
cated, bizarre, and comical.
Directed by local theatre veteran
Ken Godmere and produced by Ot-
tawa’s Vision Theatre, Some Girl(s) is
set in several ambiguous and empty
hotel rooms throughout the U.S. The
play stars Ottawa actor Joe Marques,
a nameless writer whose life, includ-
ing his romantic endeavours, is the
basis for much of his work. The witty
and sharply written play follows this
conflicted writer as he reunites with
four old flings: his high school sweet-
heart, a sultry former college flame,
a much-older and married professor
who taught him, and a doctor from
photo by Tim Ginley Los Angeles. More selfish than noble,
Miriam Westland and Joe Marques star in Some Girl(s), a humourous look the man’s convoluted emotions and
at one imprefect man’s quest for true love. his search for the true love he thinks
he has lost are both hilarious and pro-
found.
Marques, in the role of the protag-
onist, deftly explores his character’s
complex nature. He manages to stay
consistent and believable as the scenes
become increasingly complicated and
amusing. Brilliant scenes by Ottawa
actresses Miriam Westland and Jan
Murray demonstrate the intimate
chemistry of the cast, who truly seem
to have years of history together.
Westland, who plays the college
ex-girlfriend Tyler, delivers her lines
with great timing and attitude. She
shines throughout her scene and her
bravado and youthfulness are a great
contrast to the more reserved behav-
iour of the other characters. Murray
portrays Lindsay, the older, married
professor, and exceptionally captures
both her character’s intelligence and
awkwardness. Her acting is that of a
seasoned professional, so it’s an in-
credible surprise that this is Murray’s
first public performance.
Although Some Girl(s) is well-di-
rected on the whole, some scenes lose
their punch because of poor place-
ment of the actors. The dialogue-
heavy nature of the play forces actors
to face each other often, making it
sometimes difficult for the audience
to see their facial expressions or hear
their lines. Nonetheless, Godmere
expertly uses the physical space be-
tween characters in order to dem-
onstrate both their current and past
relationship. The hotel-room setting,
though dull and impersonal, helps to
place the audience’s focus squarely on
the characters’ diverse relationships.
Although constrained by the limited
space on stage and the intentionally
blasé backdrop, Godmere keeps the
audience engaged with the tense con-
versation and by playing up the well-
written script. The long scenes, each
of which contains only two actors,
crackle with tension and energy, and
the play manages to explore heavy
subjects without losing its sense of
humour.
Some Girl(s) is a wonderfully writ-
ten play, which is to be expected
considering LaBute’s pedigree. An
accomplished screenwriter, Hol-
lywood director, and the author of
over a dozen plays, LaBute has an
ear for realistic dialogue and knows
how to write plays that explore the
fundamentals of human emotion
like In the Company of Men and The
Shape of Things. Some Girl(s) is no
exception, and LaBute demonstrates
the pitfalls of miscommunication
through superbly crafted comic
scenes. Godmere uses LaBute’s ex-
cellent foundation to construct a
funny and touching play that teaches
us that it’s important to learn from—
and laugh at—past relationships.
Some Girl(s) plays at the Arts Court
Theatre (2 Daly Ave) until April 4.
Tickets are $20 for students. For tickets
and more information, visit visionthe-
atre.ca.

Album reviews
Lamb of God Julie Doiron
Propaghandi
Wrath I Can Wonder What You
Supporting Caste
Did With Your Day

A A+ A

METALHEADS REJOICE! AMERICAN heavy-metal group
Lamb of God is back, darker, louder, and faster than ever
with their sixth release, Wrath. It is everything you would
expect, and more, from these gods of metal. The entire al-
bum is heavy and complex, filled with awe-inspiring gui-
tar solos, head-banging breakdowns, and demonic vocals.
Drummer Chris Adler delivers highly technical beats with
his double-kick pedal that are the the highlight of the re-
cord, most impressively on “Broken Hands”. “Dead Seeds”
is a classic Lamb of God tune, with hard-driving guitars and
hostile lyrics like “Betray your prophets, dead seeds buried
deep / an army of men will prey on the weak”. It’s also a great
display of the growling, screaming narrative ability of vo-
calist David Blythe, who sounds like Lucifer with a micro-
phone. The instrumentation is sharp as well—both “In Your
Words” and “Grace” feature some intricate yet surprisingly
soothing guitar work, a hallmark of the band. Heed this
warning: prepare to feel the wrath of Lamb of God.
—Andrew Champagne
CANADIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER JULIE Doiron re-
turns with her 10th solo album, I Can Wonder What You
Did With Your Day, and it’s one of the finest Canadian al-
bums to come out since the turn of the century. Doiron dis-
plays her sultry and versatile voice in quiet acoustic ballads
and fuzzed-out rock songs, which harken back to the sound
of her former band Eric’s Trip. Her solo albums have typi-
cally been subdued and quiet works—some abandoning the
electric guitar almost entirely—but thanks to the presence
of former Eric’s Trip bandmate Rick White as producer and
guitarist, this is one of the most sonically diverse albums she
has ever made. The album sounds like it was recorded in
a basement, but the lo-fi production lets the quality of the
material and her beautiful voice shine. Lead single “Conso-
lation Prize” and the brilliant “Spill Yer Lungs” combine the
loud and quiet elements of her signature sound, and con-
trast noisy punk riffs with her ephemeral yet clear vocals.
Doiron sings about unrequited love, domestic life, and Ca-
nadian culture in songs like “Nice to Come Home” and the
more subdued “Heavy Snow”. In I Can Wonder What You
Did With Your Day, Doiron has created a soon-to-be-classic
album which improves with each listen.
—Nick Rudiak
THERE ARE CERTAIN things you can expect every time
you pick up a Propaghandi album. Loud, fast, and catchy
punk songs with lyrics centred on political activism have
been their hallmark since their 1993 debut How to Clean
Everything. Their sound has evolved over the years, and
Supporting Caste is a further step away from their punk
roots towards a heavier, more metal sound, showcased on
songs like “Potemkin City Limits” and “Banger’s Embrace”.
The band has reached a new level of polish and confidence
here, making this their most mature album yet. The lyrics
no longer have the same sense of humour that was displayed
on older songs like “I was a Pre-Teen McCarthyist” or “Ska
Sucks”, and are more ferociously political than ever before. A
line like “history exalts only the pornography of force / that
of murderers and psychopaths” from the title track is more
direct and aggressive than anything Propagandhi has come
out with before, but the album never comes off as obnoxious
or preachy. Propaghandi is still the same band at their core,
and there’s no mistaking the punk influence on songs like
“Night Letters” and “Dear Coach’s Corner”. In all, Supporting
Caste shows a faster, heavier version of Propagandhi than
we’ve heard before, and it’s their best album yet.
—Nick Rudiak

14 \\ ARTS \\ 04.02.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca

You’ll never eat brunch in this town again

Emerging Ottawa
Peter Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
PARTING IS SUCH sweet sorrow—
bittersweet, really. My last column as
arts and culture editor is bitter be-
cause I’m leaving the greatest job I’ve
ever had, and sweet because I’ve had
phenomenal experiences that will stay
with me for the rest of my life. Over
my five years at this university, I’ve
seen the local arts and culture scene
blossom, with resurgent galleries, tal-
ented up-and-coming bands, and new
events challenge the misconception
that Ottawa is a city without a soul.
When I first arrived in Ottawa in
2003 from my hometown of Brantford,
I knew nothing about the local arts
scene and, like many other first-year
students, I bought in to the idea that
there was nothing to do in the capital
besides legislate. I first got involved in
the local arts community through con-
certs at Zaphod Beeblebrox (27 York
St.) and then through the local cover-
age in the Fulcrum and the Xpress. For-
tunately, as my knowledge of the local
arts and culture scene grew, so too did
the Ottawa scene grow into the thriv-
ing community of artists and perform-
ers we see today.
The theatre scene, already bur-
geoning when I arrived in Ottawa,
has seen substantial growth over the
past five years. The Irving Greenberg
Theatre Centre (1233 Wellington St.)
that opened in September 2007 is a
state-of-the-art home for the Great
Canadian Theatre Company and the
Third Wall Theatre company, and it
also plays host to concerts presented
by the Ottawa Folk Festival organiza-
tion. A new awards show, the Rideau
Awards, debuted in 2008 with a
mandate to recognize the best in Ot-
tawa theatre. Theatre has become so
popular that it’s even coming to local
taverns thanks to two new compa-
nies, SevenThirty Productions and
Chamber Theatre. There’s never been
a better time to be a theatre fan in
Ottawa.
The music scene in Ottawa has
seen immense changes as well. In
my first year in Ottawa, there were a
paltry number of quality local bands,
and bars often featured headliners
from out of town. Now, local acts like
TokyoSexWhale, My Dad vs. Yours,
and the Hilotrons headline shows ev-
ery other week, and the music com-
munity has been fostered with the
help of a strong online presence, with
the flagship website being punkot-
tawa.com. The Dominion Tavern (33
York St.), Irene’s Pub (885 Bank St.),
Avant-Garde Bar (135 1/2 Besserer
St), and Mavericks (221 Rideau St.)
welcome local bands with open arms
and allow newcomers to get the stage
experience they so desperately need.
The music scene may not compare to
Toronto or Montreal, but music lov-
ers have a lot to look forward to if the
current growth keeps up.
Our city’s art galleries have also
experienced a renaissance. La Petite
Mort (306 Cumberland St.) is just
one of the new galleries that have re-
defined this city as a home for avant-
garde art. The National Gallery of
Canada (380 Sussex Dr.) is a great
showcase for mainstream works, but
for those looking for art that’s more
off the beaten path, cutting-edge and
innovative pieces are being shown at
new places like the Wall Space Gal-
SUMMER
JOBS
COLLEGE PRO PAINTERS
is presently looking for responsible / hard-
working University or College
students for:
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May - August
No experience required,
we will train you to paint.
Positions available in your area.
If interested call 1-888-277-9787
or apply online at www.collegepro.com
lery (358 Richmond Rd.) and Cube we still have a ways to go. We’re not
Gallery (7 Hamilton Ave. N.). Art lov- a cultural Mecca yet, but we’re on our
ers have never had more varied selec- way to greatness like Led Zeppelin in
tion, and I’m excited about the future 1968. Get out and support your local
of fine art in Ottawa. arts community, and together we can
I’m graduating from the U of O forever destroy the misconceptions
and moving on with my life, but I’m about Ottawa. Long live Ottawa arts
definitely going to stay in Ottawa. I and culture.
love what our arts community has be-
come, and I couldn’t be more excited arts@thefulcrum.ca
for the future. Don’t get me wrong, 613-252-2311

University of Ottawa

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www.thefulcrum.ca // 04.02.09 // ARTS // 15

 16
David McClelland

Sports April 2, 2009

Sports Editor
sports@thefulcrum.ca

The Cavalry Awards The best of the Gee-Gees in 2008–09

Varsity team of the year:

men’s basketball
While no varsity teams at the U of O had a truly bad
season, none were quite so successful as the men’s
basketball team.
Last season, the Gee-Gees compiled an impres-
sive 16-6 regular season record. They won two
games in the playoffs, but were eliminated by the
Brock Badgers in the Ontario University Athletics
(OUA) third-place game and did not qualify for the
Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship
tournament.
While some might have been satisfied with that
result, head coach Dave DeAveiro was not. Under his
guidance, and with help from former National Col-
legiate Athletic Association Syracuse Orange point
guard Josh Wright, the Gees surged to a 19-3 record
this year and qualified for nationals. They dropped
their opening game to the Western Mustangs, but
went on to best the St. Francis Xavier X-Men and
Concordia Stingers to win the consolation final. It
was one of the most successful seasons in the team’s
history, and could lay a foundation for even greater
heights in the future.

Runners up: Women’s basketball, women’s soccer

—Andrew Hawley

Male rookie of the year: Breakout player of the year:
Matthieu Methot, men’s hockey Emilie Morasse, women’s basketball
It’s not often that a rookie at the CIS level has an enor-
mous impact on his or her team. In his first year, left-
winger Matthieu Methot has demonstrated leadership
and a scoring touch for the U of O’s men’s hockey team.
It was an unspectacular but solid season for the
team, who went 12-11-5 in the regular season, finish-
ing in fifth place in the OUA Far East division. The
Gees scored a combined 86 goals during the year,
and five of those came off Methot’s stick.
The Ottawa native wasted no time in lighting up
the scoreboard. Methot grabbed an assist in his first
game as a Gee-Gee, and scored his first goal in the
next game. He would finish as a point-a-game player,
scoring 13 points in his 12 games played. Methot
played a vital role when the Gees faced off against
McGill in the OUA playoffs, leading the Gees to their
lone victory with a three-point game. Methot will no
doubt become a key part of the Gee-Gees offence in
the years to come.
In a season marked by many remarkable turn-
arounds for the women’s basketball team, second-
year guard Emilie Morasse was one of the team’s
most instrumental players. While she put up respect-
able numbers in her rookie season last year, she truly
came into her own in 2008–09. In 20 games last
season, Morasse averaged 6.75 points and just under
22 minutes of court time per game. In 22 games this
season, she nearly doubled her point production to
13.36 per game and saw her court time increased
to nearly 32 minutes per game. With three years of
eligibility left, Morasse is poised to become a leader
on the resurgent women’s basketball team.
Runner up: Davie Mason, men’s football
—David McClelland
Coach of the year:
Andy Sparks, women’s basketball
A year ago, the women’s basketball team was in a
rough place, limping to the end of the season with a
3-19 record and a dismal-looking future. Enter Andy
Sparks. Under his leadership, the team smashed
expectations and soared to a 15-7 regular season
record. The team defeated both the Carleton Ravens
and Toronto Varsity Blues in the OUA playoffs, and
qualified for a berth at CIS nationals for the first time
since 2004. And all along, it was not new players or
increased funding that generated change. The one
who taught, inspired, and led the team back to glory
was Sparks.
Runners up: Dave DeAveiro (men’s basketball), Steve
Johnson (women’s soccer)
—Andrew Hawley

Runner up: Warren Ward (men’s basketball)

—Andrew Hawley
THERE WERE NO national championship victories for the Gee-Gees in 2008–09, Competitive club of the year:
but that does not mean the season was unworthy of celebration. Now, it’s time women’s fastball
to hand out the Fulcrum’s semi-annual Cavalry Awards, for the best individuals When looking at the Gee-Gees’ competitive clubs,
and teams at the University of Ottawa.
Male athlete of the year:
Dax Dessureault,
men’s basketball
Dax Dessureault has been a force in the paint for the
Gees over the past five years, and in his final year of
CIS eligibility, he came up with the best season of
his career. Dessureault scored 335 points during the
2008–09 season—averaging 15.23 points per game,
making him one of the top centres in Ontario—and
led the Gee-Gees in points during the CIS cham-
pionship tournament. Dessureault was also named
the team’s MVP in all three playoff games. Although
Dessureault was unable to lead his team to a national
championship, he still capped his university career
with an impressive performance, setting the bar high
for future Gee-Gees centres
Runners up: Davie Mason (men’s football), Josh
Gibson-Bascombe (men’s basketball), Dan McDonald
(men’s hockey)
—Anna Rocoski
the women’s fastball team stands out as one of the
most successful. The Gee-Gees were among the
Female athlete of the year:
Julia Tousaw, track
In just her second season running at the CIS level,
Julia Tousaw brought home the Gee-Gees’ first gold
medal in track and field at the national level since
1999. On top of her win in the 600 metres, Tou-
saw was also a member the silver-medal-winning
women’s 4x800-metre relay team, and took home a
gold, two silvers, and a bronze from the OUA-level
meet. With three more years of eligibility, Tousaw is a
rising star who could win Ottawa many more medals
in future seasons.
Runners up: Emilie Morasse (women’s basketball),
Catherine Scott (women’s soccer)
—Anna Rocoski
www.thefulcrum.ca // 04.02.09 //
cream of the crop in the Ontario Intercollegiate
Women’s Fastball Association (OIWFA) regular
season, collecting an impressive 14-4 record by the
season’s end. In the playoffs, the Gees were almost
unstoppable, defeating the Laurier Golden Hawks,
Queen’s Golden Gaels, and Windsor Lancers in the
round-robin portion of the OIWFA championships.
Although the team ultimately fell 5-1 to the Western
Mustangs in the championship game, this did not
marr an otherwise excellent season. The team are
perennial medal contenders in OIWFA, and this year
has added to their string of success.
Runners up: Rowing team, synchronized swimming
team
—David McClelland
Graduating player of the year:
Josh Sacobie, men’s football
Although his last season with the team was marred
by a seemingly never-ending string of injuries to his
corps of receivers, quarterback Josh Sacobie’s con-
tributions to the Gee-Gees men’s football program
cannot be understated. Over his five-season career,
Sacobie tossed 9,885 passing yards, good for third
all-time in the CIS, and first all-time in the OUA.
Sacobie was the master of the long bomb, routinely
launching dramatic 60- or 70-yard touchdown
passes. In 2008, he had 2,976 passing yards and 19
touchdown passes in eight regular-season games.
While he never hoisted the Vanier Cup during his
career, he did help the team bring home a Yates Cup
in 2006, and the team will certainly miss his golden
arm.
Runners up: Jessika Audet (women’s hockey), Dax
Dessureault, (men’s basketball), Dan McDonald (men’s
hockey)
—David McClelland
Female rookie of the year:
Fannie Desforges,
women’s hockey
Throughout Shelley Coolidge’s tenure as head coach,
the Gee-Gees women’s hockey team has not relied
on a star player to fill the opposition’s net, typically
scoring by committee instead. But every year there
are always a few players who shine. Rookie foward
Fannie Desforges was one of those players in the
2008–09 season.
Desforges was a standout early in the season,
recording a hat trick in her second game at the CIS
level. Since then, Desforges has played a key role
for the Gees, amassing 10 points—second-best on
the team—during the regular season, in which the
team finished second in the Quebec Student Sports
Federation. Desforges has shown leadership on the
ice, and with six assists throughout the season, has
been an important part of the offence even when
she can’t find the net. With a few more seasons of
experience, Desforges could become a star player for
the Gee-Gees.
Runners up: Josephine de Jesus (women’s soccer), Jodi
Reinholcz (women’s hockey)
—David McClelland
SPORTS // 17
Lighting the lamp
Bottom of the ninth, two out...
David McClelland
Sports Editor
I WAS NEVER much of an athlete.
I can hit the button on the curling
rink, and I always managed to not hit
singles in baseball, but that’s more or
less the extent of my sporting abili-
ties. Nevertheless, as regular read-
ers of this space are no doubt aware,
I love sports, and while I can’t run I
can write. Thanks to my job as sports
editor here at the Fulcrum for the past
year, I’ve been able to live vicariously
through the Gee-Gees, immersed in
university sports weekend after week-
end.
Due to the wide variety of teams
and sports on campus, I feel like I’ve
witnessed pretty much everything:
I’ve been on the field for celebra-
tions following crucial wins, and I’ve
done my best to try not to feel like a
heel when interviewing athletes after
devastating losses. And, increasingly,
I can’t help but notice when I see
an athlete playing in his or her final
game.
University sports are a strange
and transient thing. You have a finite
amount of time to break into a team,
get comfortable there, and establish
yourself in a key role before your ca-
reer ends abruptly after your fifth year
www.thefulcrum.ca
18 \\ SPORTS \\ 04.02.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca
of eligibility. I’ve always wondered
what it must be like, to be out on the
field, court or ice, knowing that you
are playing in a garnet-and-grey jer-
sey for the last time.
In a way, I guess I do know what
it’s like. While, as I said, I was never a
terrific athlete, I’ve been on a number
of teams and played my share of final
games. Playing those games elicits a bit-
tersweet feeling, because you’re doing
something you enjoy, but you also know
that you’re doing it for the last time with
that group of people. And let’s face it,
when you’re a member of a close-knit
team you form a pretty strong connec-
tion with your teammates, so it can be
difficult to leave.
Of course, it’s important to remem-
ber that an athlete’s final game isn’t
just an ending; it’s also a beginning.
Josh Sacobie, Dan McDonald, Jessika
Audet, Dax Dessureault and a num-
ber of other Gee-Gees have all fin-
ished their university sports careers
over the course of the 2008–09 sea-
son, and all of them have a younger
counterpart waiting for their chance
to take the spotlight.
It’s been a great year for sports at
the U of O, and I’ve had a great time
covering them. This is the last time I’ll
be penning Lighting the Lamp, and I
can only hope that I’ve done my part
to promote, challenge, and make stu-
dents think about the sporting com-
munity here at the U of O and in the
City of Ottawa. But all good things
must come to an end, and my ten-
ure as sports editor is no exception.
Thanks for reading, and please—keep
supporting the Gee-Gees.
sports@thefulcrum.ca
613-562-5931
Defending until the end
Women’s hockey captain
Danika Smith reaches the
end of the line
by Anna Rocoski
Fulcrum Staff
DEFENDER DANIKA SMITH has
come a long way from being cut from
the University of Ottawa’s women’s
hockey team the first time she tried
out. The Munster-native had been
in contact with then-Gee-Gees head
coach Marco Ouellette, but by the
time she got to the U of O, he had
been replaced by Shelley Coolidge,
who cut her from the team.
Thankfully, Smith had other reasons
for attending the U of O.
“It was close enough to home, but
far enough away that I could move
downtown and have a different type photo by Martha Pearce
of life,” said Smith, who is currently or have as many games. Having such a source of inspiration throughout her
finishing up a Master’s in sport and competitive team that fits so well with university sports career.
exercise psychology. “I wanted to your other schedules is [a] pretty neat “I can’t believe how much she can
make sure I kept up my French. That experience. So absolutely I am going get done and her vision of where she
was important to me. I didn’t really to miss it.” wants the hockey program to go,” said
come to the university specifically for For Smith, being a part of the hock- Smith. “It’s not just about recruiting
the team but it ended up working out ey team opened an opportunity to be players and developing a hockey plan.
that way in my second year [when] I active in the local community. She She’s always looking on how to do
wound up making the team [for the has been involved with the Running outreach in the community. She’s def-
2004–05 season].” and Reading program, which encour- initely a role model. When you think
Since then, Smith has risen through ages reading and a healthy lifestyle you have so much on your plate she is
the ranks to become team captain for amongst children at local elementary able to fit just something else in there.
her last two seasons. Having finished schools, and also chairs the U of O’s She’s a pretty amazing women.”
her fifth year of Canadian Interuni- Student-Athlete Council. Smith’s Smith may be leaving the Gee-Gees
versity Sport (CIS) eligibility Smith’s contributions to her school and com- at the end of the school year, but she
university hockey career ended on munity were recognized at the CIS has left a lasting impression on the
March 22 with a 5-4 overtime loss awards ceremony on March 18, when women’s hockey team.
to the St. Francis Xavier X-Women. she was given the Marion Hilliard “From our perspective we wish her
Smith found her experience with the award for community involvement. well in whatever her future career is
Gee-Gees to be totally different from “They announce your name and my and hope that she continues on in
any other team she’d been on. whole team was there all cheering and sports as a player and a coach,” said
“There’s not a lot places you can I [got] up there [as] they started read- Coolidge. “Anything she chooses to
play [hockey] and have [the] hockey ing out [my] bio and then they said ‘you do she is going to be exceptional at
team cater to the rest of your life,” can say a few words,’” recalled Smith. it.”
said Smith, “We practice at six in the “But when I got up there I just blanked “My experience has been a pretty
morning [which] doesn’t conflict with out and didn’t know what to say. I mean positive one and there are always
school or anything else. Our schedule
reflects our school load as well. Dur-
ing exams we don’t practice as much
I was happy and I thanked my team-
mates but I was pretty surprised.”
Smith has found Coolidge to be a
things that you can improve on,” said
Smith. “I am sure I will not be too far
from here in the future anyway.”
 Blitzing Brad Sinopoli Sweet poison?
Many people erroneously believe that drink-
The dangers of ing diet soda is a healthy alternative to regular
soda. In fact, diet soda has the same ingredients
drinking too much soda as regular soda, but to maintain a similar taste,
by Parastoo Badie HFCS is substituted with calorie-reduced arti-
Fulcrum Contributor ficial sweeteners such as aspartame. Aspartame
is 200 times sweeter than sugar and has stirred
IT’S ONE OF the world’s most popular bever- up controversy since it was first approved for
ages. You can find it almost anywhere, and we use. While claims of side effects such as cancer
drink it without even thinking about it. But few and brain damage remain unsubstaniated, there
people truly understand the possible health ef- are many scientists who believe that further
fects of soda, something that should be consid- research into the chemical’s effect on human
ered before cracking open a can of this ubiqui- health is needed. Additionally, there is reason
tous beverage. to believe that diet sodas can cause cravings for
photo by Frank Appleyard Many people don’t know what exactly goes more sweet foods and drinks.
Brad Sinopoli (12) is expected to take over as the U of O’s starting quarterback for the into soda, or what it can do to their bodies. This “[Some] research suggests that artificial
2009 season. becomes a problem when healthy drinks, such sweeteners may lead to increased intake of the
by Andrew Hawley After spending two years as a backup quarter- as milk, juice, and water are replaced with soda. diet soft drinks because they may interfere with
Fulcrum Staff back with the Gee-Gees, Sinopoli has seen some The average Canadian drinks 95.2 litres of soft the body’s ability to properly assess caloric in-
time on the field, throwing for 355 yards with drinks per year, according take, leading to overeat-
AT OUR SMALL table in the Royal Oak on four touchdowns in six games in 2008. He’s also to Statistics Canada, yet ing,” said Spanner.
Laurier Avenue, I sit across from Brad Sinopoli, had a lot of time to watch Sacobie, who is leav- most probably don’t know Some sodas, like cola
a second-year human kinetics student from ing the team after playing out his fifth-year of just what it is they’re con- and root beers, are a
Peterborough, Ont. Next year he will shoulder eligibility in 2008, and having amassed 9,885 ca- suming. Soda is an artificial common choice amongst
the load of becoming the starting quarterback reer passing yards—third-best in Canadian In- beverage consisting of sev- students because the caf-
for the Gee-Gees men’s football team, emerging teruniversity Sport (CIS) history. For Sinopoli, eral ingredients, including feine temporarily im-
from the shadow of former five-time team MVP Sacobie has been an important role model. water, sweeteners, caffeine, proves alertness. But it is
Josh Sacobie. With that kind of challenge ahead, “In my two years here, I think Josh has been citric and phosphoric acid, important to remember
Sinopoli cuts a surprisingly humble and unas- the best quarterback in Canada. I learned a lot carbon dioxide, preserva- that long-term caffeine
suming figure. from him, but I’m not going to try to be him. He tives, sodium, and artificial consumption can cause
The sizing up begins when Sinopoli and I dis- was his own player. I need to take what I learned flavorings and colorings. withdrawal when the
cuss the origins of his passion in football. from him and apply it to myself. I’m not worried The sweetener in soda is consumption is stopped,
“It started with my dad, when I was young- or sitting here feeling pressure, I just want to go usually a high-fructose corn resulting in severe head-
er,” the 20-year-old began. “He was the football out and play.” syrup (HFCS)—milled corn aches and exhaustion.
coach at my high school, and I got to see him Sinopoli acknowledged that he and his pre- which is processed into a “While a moderate
every day when he was coaching. Just to be on decessor have different leadership styles, though sweet syrup. While actual amount of caffeine per
the field, around the players, seeing the fun they Sinopoli will be tasked with commanding a sim- sugar is used in Canadian day is relatively harmless
had … I wanted to be in their position. There ilar-looking squad. soda, HFCS is a much more for most people, some in-
was something about that atmosphere. My fa- “Josh is a vocal guy. I’m more of a lead-by- important sweetening agent, dividuals may be sensitive
ther’s pretty much 100 per cent of why I love example kind of guy. I think you need both to and can have a detrimental to the effects of caffeine
football.” be an effective leader. He was well-spoken and effect on health. [in] very small doses, and
Sinopoli elaborated on the positive atmo- talented at motivating people, and that’s some- “The molecular structure [of HFCS] differs pregnancy and aging can [make people more
sphere at Crestwood Secondary School. thing I need to work on.” from [table sugar] and some say that’s critical in sensitive],” said Beth Mansfield, a nutritionist at
“The coaches created the atmosphere. We Sinopoli does have one thing in common its effect on the human body [as] there may be Peak Performance, an Ottawa-based health pro-
were a small school, in a small town. But we with Sacobie; aspirations of winning the Vanier a link between HFCS and diabetes, and obesity,” motion company.
had packed stands [at] every game. There was Cup—a goal that Sacobie did not achieve. explained Evelyn Spanner, a medical research Ultimately, if drink soda make sure you
a great football tradition [at Crestwood], and I “At the end of the day, it’s not about the num- developer at the London Health Sciences Centre don’t overdo it. Soft drinks are only detrimen-
was lucky enough to be a part of it.” bers; it’s whether the team wins or loses. I just at the University of Western Ontario. tal to health when consumed in excess, so the
He found a similar atmosphere at the U of want to help my team be the best it can, whether Ingesting HFCS and sugar in moderate quan- main thing to do is to consume them respon-
O and immediately made a strong connection we win by 50 or by one. I want to get to the play- tities does not lead directly to diabetes, but can sibly.
with Gee-Gees head coach Denis Piché. offs, and get to the Vanier Cup. That’s what it’s play a significant role in the development of the Spanner agreed that there is nothing wrong
“There was something about the values of about.” condition, while both HFCS and sugar have with the occasional soft drink, but noted that it
coach Piché and his staff the way they ran prac- In the months ahead, Sinopoli will have to step been linked directly to obesity. Just one 355ml must be balanced by a healthy lifestyle.
tices, and interacted with the players; [it] felt past his former teammate Sacobie, and make the can of soda contains eight to 15 teaspoons of “All foods and beverages including sodas can
right. I didn’t have to think about [coming here]. position his own, starting on Sept. 6, when the sugars, and the consumption of one can a day play a role in a healthy diet if they’re consumed
I knew right away this was the place I wanted Gee-Gees will kick off their 2009 season against for a year is equivalent to 51,100 calories, which in moderation coupled with regular exercise to
to be.” the Western Mustangs at Lansdowne Park. can become up to 14 pounds of body fat. maintain a healthy weight.”

The Fulcrum is hiring a Business Manager

The Fulcrum Publishing Society is hiring a Business
Manager for a one-year term running from May 1,
2009 to April 30, 2010.
If you have experience or interest in basic book-
keeping, dealing with Mac computer environments,
print production processes, non-profit governance
and enjoy working in a student environment, you
may be our ideal candidate.
Applications must consist of a cover letter and
resumé. These should be submitted to the atten-
tion of the “Business Manager Hiring Committee”
either by email to business.manager@thefulcrum.
ca, by fax to 613.562.5259 or to Fulcrum’s mail-
box at 631 King Edward Ave.
Applications must be received by Friday April 3rd
2009 by 5 p.m. Late applications will not be
considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be
contacted. sudoku answers from p. 20

www.thefulcrum.ca // 04.02.09 // SPORTS // 19


Distractions
Thryllabus
Thursday, April 2
Vernissage: Trojan Horse.
5 p.m. Ottawa School of Art
Gallery. 85 George St. Free.
Friday, April 3
Concert: The Divorcees.
8 p.m. Zaphod Beeblebrox.
27 York St. 19+. $10.
Play: Some Girl(s). 8 p.m.
Arts Court. 2 Daly Ave.
$20 for students.
Saturday, April 4
Concert: Ottawa Turkish Mu-
sic Ensemble. 8 p.m. Alumni
Theatre. $10 for students.
Sunday, April 5
National Tartan Day
celebrations. 12 p.m.
Parliament Hill. Free.
Monday, April 6
Film: Cinema Paradiso. 8:50
p.m. ByTowne Cinema. 325
Rideau St. $9, $6 for members.
April 2, 2009
sudoku answers on p. 19
Tuesday, April 7
Slam Poetry: Serge Lamothe.
6 p.m. Alliance Française.
352 Maclaren St. Free.
Wednesday, April 8
Play: The Blue Dragon.
7:30 p.m. National Arts
Center. 53 Elgin St.
$14.25 for students.
Sarah Leavitt
Features Editor
features@thefulcrum.ca
Dear Di
If you have a question for Di, e-mail deardi@thefulcrum.ca.
It’s the last issue so I’m purging my inbox! Thank
you to everyone who wrote in this year. Enjoy
your hot and sweaty summer sexy time!
Dear Di,
What are some good emergency lubes
(when I run out and still want my boyfriend
to boink me)?
—Sand Clam
Dear SC,
Stay away from motor oil and hummus!
In a pinch I usually just spit and shine.
If that’s not your style, here are some
items you might have about your boudoir:
• Baby oil: It’s pretty diluted and you’ll have
to use a lot to have any meaningful, long-
lasting effects. It gets pretty messy.
• Vaseline (petroleum jelly): Not just for dry
hands anymore.
• Cold Cream: It’s an emulsion of water and
fat. If that doesn’t get your motor going I
don’t know what will.
I should add that any oil-based lube should not
be used with condoms as it weakens them. And,
if you’re always running out, why not just buy
in bulk?
Love,
Di
Dear Di,
My partner always wants to have sex with
the lights on. It makes me feel so uncomfort-
able and I feel fat. Eventually, I just end up
turning the lights off to his disappointment.
How can I overcome this?
—Doing It In The Dark
Dear DIITD,
Sex in the light can make some people feel like
all their flaws are on display. But think of it this
way: your partner obviously loves your body as
is, otherwise he/she wouldn’t be having sex with
you—regardless of whether the lights are on or
off. Try starting with some clothes on to cover up
whatever makes you the most self-conscious. Try
smaller lamps or candles to start. The more com-
fortable and accepting of your body you become,
the more you’ll have great, uninhibited sex.
Love,
Di
Dear Di,
How deep is a vagina? Does it go all the way
up to their stomach, like if you just reach in?
—Poon Probin’
20
Dear PP,
I see someone fell asleep in sex-ed.
Vaginal depth is as variable as penis
length. And, like a flesh flute, during
arousal the vagina expands in prepa-
ration for intercourse. In a recent survey
published in Men’s Health, the average North
American cooter measured between six and sev-
en-and-a-half inches, while the maximum was
about nine inches. The vagina ends at the cervix,
which is located in the centre of the pelvis and
in no way connects to the stomach. It connects
instead to the womb, where babies come from. As
for “reaching in”, that’s called fisting.
Love,
Di
Dear Di,
I want to rename my apartment Fucking-
ham Palace. Where can I get some discreet
signs made?
—Queenly Shagging Quarters
Dear QSQ,
I’m not sure why you would want the sign to
be discreet. I mean, how will people know how
to get to “Fuckingham Palace” if they can’t find
your sign? I say get a neon sign. It can be off in
the day and so very on in the nighttime.
Love,
Di
Dear Di,
I think I have a flabby poonani and I’m
considering getting labiaplasty. What do you
think about surgery?
—Loose Lips
Dear LL,
I just don’t understand this new phenom-
enon of women getting cosmetic surgery to
reduce the size and even change the colour of
their labia. Where do women get these ideas
that their private parts aren’t good enough?
Are you comparing yourself to women in porn
videos and magazines? The surgery can help
with legitimate health problems, like repair-
ing the labia after childbirth and injury, but
it is most popular for simply allowing women
to reconstruct their vaginas to their liking
(like most unnecessary cosmetic procedures).
While I understand that having elongated labia
might embarrass some women, even decrease
their self-esteem or their libido, I think you all
should know that most men don’t give a damn
about the size of your labia—they’re just happy
to be with you. As with any cosmetic surgery,
there are risks: loss of sensation, asymmetry,
and scarring. If you can avoid these risks, why
wouldn’t you? Listen, you’re beautiful the way
you are, so please don’t go under the knife if
you don’t have to.
Love,
Di

Opinion
So long, fuckers!
Reflecting on four
years of time served
at the U of O
by Dave Atkinson
Fulcrum Contributor
SEPTEMBER 2005 WAS a simpler time, when
iPods were slightly larger and only hippies were
calling George W. Bush a war criminal. I had
arrived at the University of Ottawa with noth-
ing but a towel, two pairs of pants, book money,
and a pocketful of dreams. Now it’s 2009. I have
replaced the towel, bought a third pair of pants,
and I’m balder, exactly as rotund, and a scant
few weeks away from a bachelor’s degree. After
four academic years, a deep plunge into debt,
and more beer and inexpensive instant noodle
products than I care to recall, I find myself a
grizzled U of O veteran faced with entering the
dreaded “real world” (featuring crippling reces-
sion!) and putting this place behind me. I have
a lot to say before I leave this party. If allowed to
let loose I could fill this entire newspaper with
compliments and gripes, but I’ll limit myself to
talking about a few things since my arrival that
made the university experience memorable and
what has made it almost unbearable.
The best
The construction of Desmarais Hall:
When I arrived, there was a dirt parking lot
across from the Laurier bus stop. Now there’s a
big office tower shaped like a toilet. Some may
cry foul at the fact that most of the building is
dedicated to office space rather than classrooms
or the fact that other buildings on campus are
in such awful condition that falling through the
floor and into a philosophy seminar is a dis-
tinct possibility, but I say shut your damn traps.
Desmarais Hall adds some glitz and makes us
look like a grown-up school full of grown-up
people. Filling the building with shirt-and-tie-
wearing business students allows the university
to distract people from what students are really
like: drunken morons trying to memorize just
enough information to pass classes. As for nam-
ing the building after one rich donor and the
school of management within it after another,
that’s fine by me. This may be an unpopular
stance, but I’m all for sponsorship. If it means I
have nice new facilities and resources, I’ll gladly
go to class in the Pepsico Tampax Microsoft
Starbucks Centre and scoff at the nay-saying
hippies from my princely corporate tower. Ku-
dos to the U of O administration for making
Desmarais Hall a success.
Rabaska:
Kids, let me tell you a story about a piece of
software pulled from the arse of Lucifer him-
self and then reprogrammed by a crack squad
of glue-huffing monkeys. It was called Registra-
tion Navigator, and before Rabaska was intro-
duced in early 2007 the system was used by U
of O students to register for courses. Your de-
21
Michael Olender
April 2, 2009
Executive Editor
executive@thefulcrum.ca
gree would appear as a series of “islands” where
the different kinds of courses would live. There
was philosophy island, essay-writing island, and
the wild and crazy pastel purple elective island!
If you actually wanted to register for a course,
you would have to click through a never-ending
series of prompt windows that would typically
freeze due to some horrible Java glitch, forc-
ing you to start all over. Many a computer was
hurled through a window. If none of that made
sense to you, thank your lucky stars. Just know
that Rabaska is one of the greatest things ever to
happen to U of O students.
The worst
The SFUO (sort of):
In the last two years, I’ve sounded more and
more like an old man in a hardware store (“Hell
in a hand basket, that’s where we’re headed,
Earl!”) when it comes to talking about the Stu-
dent Federation of the University of Ottawa
(SFUO). While the SFUO does a lot of good
on campus through its services and events, the
way the SFUO executive conducts itself leaves
something to be desired. As I’m leaving forever,
it’s time I touched a torch to this fucking bridge
once and for all. The SFUO executive has been
full of shit for the past two years. They rage
against a lack of transparency in the adminis-
tration, and then hold closed-door meetings for
everything from hiring to what kind of muffins
to buy for the office Christmas party. They claim
neutrality in any number of issues while clearly
and blatantly choosing a side. They’ve turned
the campus bar into their clubhouse and hire
chiefly within their group of friends. They are
closing off student government to the students
and defining hypocrisy over and over again. I
know I’m just a blowhard asshole for saying this
on my way out, but my being a blowhard doesn’t
make any of what I just said untrue. With the
shenanigans surrounding SFUO executive elec-
tions this year, all I have to say is: enjoy the shit
to come, kids.
Dealing with the U of O administration:
I’ve stood in endless lines and received advice
that turned out to be untrue, and then I had to photo by Alex Smyth
stand in more lines only to be told that the only
person who is capable of fixing my scheduling
problem loves four-hour lunch breaks and tak-
ing Fridays off. All of the above is standard For four years I’ve lived in the university bubble where what
operating procedure when dealing with the the SFUO does really matters, a professor being a jerk could
U of O administration. I’ve taken two class-
es I didn’t need to take because an academic make an entire year miserable, and spending more on booze
advisor hadn’t read the course requirements than furniture made perfect sense. But as much fun as it has
and I’ve waited in line for hours just to give been, this experience has to end sometime. This is it: I’ll soon
the university my money! Why not hire more have the piece of paper I came for, so it’s time to pop the
people, train them well, and for the love of god
put some of this shit online? I mean, why am
bubble and let the rest of the world into mine. I’m finished
I waiting four hours to get two rubber stamps with this place, I’ve gotten what I wanted, and now I’m diving
on a form and a surly grunt from the one poor into the moving getaway car and never looking back. Thanks
sucker who’s working the financial aid desk? for the laughs. Enjoy the mess I left, and don’t call me in the
I hope everybody I’m leaving behind has got morning.
So long, fuckers!
comfortable shoes and a lot of patience. I’m
happy to say that I will never, ever, stand for
hours holding a little number ticket at InfoS-
ervice again.
 All good things…
Lord Jones is dead

Frank Appleyard
Editor-in-Chief
THIS ISSUE BRINGS to an end the Fulcrum’s
2008–09 publishing year, wrapping up a 27-issue
run that has aimed to provide University of Ot-
tawa students with a window on their commu-
nity by exploring the events and individuals that
have shaped the U of O in the last 12 months.
Since its inception in 1942, the Fulcrum has al-
ways sought to be a student voice and a platform
for involvement, debate, and the presentation of
alternate viewpoints. These are values that will
certainly not disappear with the end of this pub-
lishing year, but will endure throughout this
newspaper’s existence.
This issue is especially meaningful for me,
as it will be my last as the editor-in-chief of the
Fulcrum, and the culmination of three years of
continuous writing for its pages. Since my first
day as a student at the U of O I have been a part
of this newspaper, and while I was very much a
U of O outsider when I arrived, through writ-
ing for the Fulcrum I have developed a distinct
connection to the campus community. This
connection is made up of equal parts curios-
ity to understand how the community operates
and interacts, and desire to see improvement,
growth, and success in every element of the U of
O student experience.
Throughout my time at the Fulcrum I have as-
pired to better inform and connect the U of O
community, and I have shared my own experi-
ences, thoughts, and encounters in hopes of fos-
tering in each and every reader the same passion
for this campus that I hold dear. I have commit-
ted myself to covering the events and personali-
ties that have shaped this campus, and the words
I have written and edited have become a part of
my life. While I know they could not possibly
mean as much to anyone else, I am hopeful that
they have indeed helped readers to better under-
stand the community in which we live.
Naturally, the stories that have appeared in the
Fulcrum would never have existed if not for the
presence of the countless personalities that de-
fine this community. The U of O is blessed with
a wealth of intelligent, passionate, and gifted in-
dividuals committed to improving the student
experience and to ensuring that the U of O is far
more than the sum of its lecture halls and degrees
conferred. This diverse group of student and com-
munity leaders has brought life to the U of O, and I
have nothing but the deepest respect for them.
In all, the Fulcrum has been more than just
my employer—it has been my passion. And after
spending three years ardently covering stories
from every corner of this campus for its pages, I
feel as if I am leaving a home. As I depart, I wish
I had some sort of profound message or over-
arching thought to offer about life at the U of O,
but I feel that all I have learned is that on a cam-
pus as diverse as this, the experiences that define
each student’s life at the U of O are as inherently
different as each of us.
I only hope that each and every student is for-
tunate enough to find a source of incredible expe-
riences that will define your time at the U of O in
the way that the Fulcrum has defined mine.
Thank you for reading.
editor@thefulcrum.ca
613-562-5261

Open yourself to opportunity

What I’ve learned
by Hisham Kelati
Fulcrum Staff
AFTER FOUR LONG, tough years,
I’m finally on my way out. I’m facing a
shrunken job market, a momentarily
useless degree, and a completely new
career path. But I’m ready for the tran-
sition because I took the best parts of
my university experience and used
them to make me a better and stron-
ger person. And in an act of solidar-
ity, I’m going to offer some sage words
of advice so that when you graduate
you’ll be as ready as I am. Memorize
everything written below, for they are
true words of wisdom from someone
who has seen it all.
The best bathrooms on campus can
be found in the basement of Marion
Hall, the basement of Colonel By Hall,
and on the third floor of Arts Hall.
Additionally, all bathrooms in D’Iorio
Hall and Pérez Hall are fantastic.
Unless you’re in some sort of engi-
neering program, a Grade 8 math
level will carry you far in life. You do
not need calculus.
Writing for the Fulcrum has been the
best part of my university experience.
Go ahead and join a school club,
sport or activity. You’ll meet friends,
have fun, and maybe learn something
along the way. Try the Knit-Wits
(knitting group), International So-
cialists (revolutionary group) or hey,
why not write for the Fulcrum?
The bookworms are the biggest freaks
in the sack. That’s right, I’m talking
about you, history/philosophy/hu-
manities students.
Facebook destroys lives. Abandon it
before it destroys yours.
There is a high statistical probabil-
ity that during your university years
you’ll find both your best friend and
your arch-enemy. In my case, they are
one and the same: Carl Chan.
In 35 years, a few dozen scientific pa-
pers will be published that will prove
without a shadow of a doubt that U of
O cafeteria food is the shittiest food
in existence.
If you attend a Gee-Gees home win,
your chances of getting laid by anoth-
er Gees fan are proportionate to the
extent of your devotion to the team
and the significance of the game. The
more garnet and grey that covers your
body and the closer to the finals, the
higher your chances of bucking like a
stallion.
Sucking up does have its advantages,
especially in university.
Forget relying on classes to get smart-
er; you’ll know you’ve reached the
highest level of mental clarity when
you can watch Blade Runner in its en-
tirety and at the end say, “I get it.”
Later in life, you may find yourself
in a situation where you will be de-
fined by the best university story that
you’ve got. This happens because af-
ter university, most people never get
a chance to get down and dirty again.
I once got into a bar fight over an is-
sue of Esquire. I’ve won a karaoke
competition by singing The Who’s
“The Seeker” but was too drunk to
remember the experience. I’ve got-
ten an A+ in a class I never went to,
other than for the midterm and final.
And I dated a girl for over five weeks
without knowing her name. Have as
much fun as you can, go as wild as
you can, and see how much you can
get away with while you still have the
chance.
on campus
by Ben Myers
Fulcrum Staff
I CAME TO the University of Ottawa
fresh out of high school in 2004. It
was practically a clean break for me—
almost everyone I knew had gone to
Carleton University. But instead of
embracing the opportunity to rede-
fine myself, I turned inward and, for
almost three years, I took no pride in
being a student at this university. So
here’s the message I would give my-
self if I could communicate with that
naive first-year I used to be.
Stop listening to Rage Against the
Machine. Stop it right now. That shit
is turning you into a liberal neo-anar-
chist and making you hate everyone
around you. So take those earphones
out of your ears and stop separating
yourself from campus. Universities,
your fellow students, and professors
are not evil. They’re not out to steal
your money either, so stop thinking
that everyone’s an asshole and try
having a conversation with some-
body. Anybody!
You know those kinetic frosh
leaders that say that they’re so happy
If you’re reading this, you have the attention to detail we need in our proofreaders.
But it’s the end of the publishing year, so go be meticulous somewhere else.
that they got involved? They’re right.
So stop immediately bussing home
after class every day, and commit
yourself to this university. Commit
yourself to improving your mind,
your perspectives, and your fashion
sense (please!). There are so many
opportunities waiting on this cam-
pus and all you have to do is scrape
away your own blinding cynicism to
see them.
Sure, you might fuck up. You might
make an ass of yourself, and you might
barf all over someone’s bathroom. But
you’ve got to find some sort of catalyst
to make this whole university thing
worthwhile, so start looking. The ran-
dom, obscure facts that are fed to you
are only a small part of the fleeting
experience.
You might not know what you
want to do at the end of your four- or
five-year career (yeah, sorry about
that…) but the mental tools and self-
confidence that you gather along the
way are worth more than your in-
flated ego.
And, can I recommend a song for
you? “Imagine” by John Lennon. It’s
gonna blow your fucking mind.

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22 \\ OPINION \\ 04.02.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca


Editorial
f
Strategic restructuring
each April since 1942.
Volume 69 - Issue 27
April 2, 2009
phone: (613) 562-5261
fax: (613) 562-5259
631 King Edward Ave.
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
editor@thefulcrum.ca
www.thefulcrum.ca
Recycle this paper or
you’ll be fired... out of a cannon.
Staff
Frank ‘given the axe’ Appleyard
Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca
Ben ‘terminated’ Myers
Production Manager
production@thefulcrum.ca
Michael ‘given notice’ Olender
Executive Editor
executive@thefulcrum.ca
Martha ‘sacked’ Pearce
Art Director
design@thefulcrum.ca
Emma ‘redundant’ Godmere
News Editor
news@thefulcrum.ca
Peter ‘streamlined out’ Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
arts@thefulcrum.ca
David ‘downsized’ McClelland
Sports Editor
sports@thefulcrum.ca
Sarah ‘replaced’ Leavitt
Features Editor
features@thefulcrum.ca
Danielle ‘outsourced’ Blab
Laurel ‘to india’ Hogan
Copy Editors
Amanda ‘pink-slipped’ Shendruk
Associate News Editor
associatenews@thefulcrum.ca
James ‘let go’ Edwards
Webmaster
webmaster@thefulcrum.ca
Jessica ‘two weeks’ Sukstorf
Volunteer & Visibility
Coordinator
volunteer@thefulcrum.ca
Megan ‘canned’ O’Meara
Staff Writer
Alex ‘sent away’ Martin
Staff Illustrator
Inari ‘shit-canned’ Vaissi Nagy
Jiselle ‘clean out your office’ Bakker
Ombudsgirls
ombudsgirl@thefulcrum.ca
Travis ‘escorted out’ Boisvenue
Ombudsboy
ombudsboy@thefulcrum.ca
Nicole ‘forced out’ Gall
Staff Proofreader
Robert ‘obsolete’ Olender
On-campus Distributor
Deidre ‘laid off’ Butters
Advertising Representative
ads@thefulcrum.ca
Ross ‘forcibly removed’ Prusakowski
Business Manager
business.manager@thefulcrum.ca
April 2, 2009
Making every
voice count
W
HILE IT IS a fact largely
forgotten amid the poli-
tics playing out only a few
blocks from campus on Par-
liament Hill, the University of Ottawa stu-
dent community is an active representative
democracy. The Student Federation of the
University of Ottawa (SFUO) and Graduate
Students’ Association (GSAÉD) are both
headed by elected leaders with a mandate to
connect and represent their constituents in
dealings with the university administration
and organizations beyond campus.
This mandate is undoubtedly a heady one.
Accurately representing the views, needs, and
opinions of 35,000 unique students on an in-
credibly diverse campus is no easy feat, but
this is the responsibility with which the U of
O’s student leaders are entrusted. Through-
out the year, U of O students have watched as
their elected leaders have attempted to bal-
ance common student values in every deci-
sion made on our behalves. And ultimately,
the organizations’ approaches to student
representation have influenced many of the
most significant events that have occurred at
the U of O this year.
The coordinated efforts by the SFUO and
GSAÉD to force the university administra-
tion to retract the proposed student code
of conduct were perhaps the best example
of student interests represented accurately.
The code was identified by student leaders
for what it was: a thinly veiled attempt to
impose a glut of restrictions on U of O stu-
dents, and the actions to have it abolished
were indeed indicative of the sentiments of
students across campus.
The SFUO’s lobbying efforts to secure
a Universal Bus Pass for undergrads also
stands as a triumph of the campus’s demo-
cratic system. The SFUO took a project that
was overwhelmingly approved by students
in a referendum and passionately pitched it
to city officials in hopes of seeing it imple-
mented. The student leaders’ passionate
Evan ‘kicked to the curb’ Abrams
Dave ‘moving in a new direction’ Atkinson
Parastoo ‘not working out’ Badie
Andrew ‘sent home’ Champagne
Katie ‘transitioned out’ DeClerq
Kristyn ‘simplifying’ Filip
Ian ‘the long walk’ Flett
Desmond ‘replaced by automation’ Fisher
Andrew ‘no longer needed’ Hawley
Hisham ‘decomissioned’ Kelati
editor@thefulcrum.ca
lobbying efforts—and the sparkling im-
pression of U of O students that was fos-
tered among city councillors through their
efforts—should be a source of pride for all
U of O students.
However, alongside the success stories
came several failures in the campus’s demo-
cratic system, where the representation of
students’ voices was far from comprehen-
sive.
The Canadian Federation of Students
(CFS) referendum that took over under-
graduate life in November was focused en-
tirely on a perceived need for U of O stu-
dents’ voices to be represented on a national
level. But the ideal that all U of O under-
graduates could be accurately represented
by the left-leaning CFS turned out to be
something of a myth, as close to 49 per cent
of students that voted in the referendum did
not want to accept membership in the na-
tional lobby group.
The SFUO’s January decision to support
the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279
in the recent OC Transpo strike similarly
didn’t take the sentiments of all—or even
the majority—of U of O undergrads into
account. In standing in solidarity with the
drivers precisely because they are a fellow
union, the SFUO managed to split public
opinion on campus. Simply put, the SFUO
should have opted to stay out of the politi-
cally charged dispute, and focus solely on
their work of ensuring students’ lives saw
minimal disruptions.
In analyzing each of these events—and
countless others this year—political ideol-
ogy has proven to be the determining fac-
tor in the effectiveness of representation of
the U of O student body. U of O students’
greatest successes came when personal poli-
tics was cast aside in favour of working in
support of our common interests—such as
abolishing the code of conduct.
Our greatest failures have come from po-
litical maelstroms, such as the one spawned
Contributors
Kaitlin ‘got the boot’ Milroy
Anna ‘chao youyu’ Rocoski
Maria ‘RIFing’ Rondon
Nick ‘dismissed’ Rudiak
Émilie ‘discharged’ Sartoretto
Len ‘expelled’ Smirnov
Alex ‘rationalizing’ Smyth
Sepideh ‘reduced hours’ Soltaninia
Amlaké ‘eject’ Tedla-Digaf
23
Frank Appleyard
Editor-in-Chief
by hopes that CFS membership would en-
compass all U of O undergrads’ voices—
hopes that disappeared as the membership
debate degenerated into a divisive battle
between students of opposing political
stripes.
By virtue of attending the U of O, every
student—whether apolitical, ardently con-
servative, or far-left socialist—is a member
of either the SFUO or GSAÉD and pays
fees to support their organization. Each has
a right to see their money spent on initia-
tives and views that they can support as
students—not as political entities. With
such a diverse and often ideologically op-
posed membership, the SFUO and GSAÉD
must be continuously careful to ensure that
their actions and decisions do not alienate
swaths of their membership. Politics is in-
credibly personal, and U of O students are
seemingly never more divided than in their
political views. As our student unions exist
to connect us and allow us to speak with
one voice, it is essential that student lead-
ers leave personal politics outside of their
duty to represent the community’s common
interests.
This is not to say that an apolitical student
union must be an irrelevant student union.
Inclusive initiatives like Wake Up and Vote,
Take Back the Night, and Green Weeks have
proven that student unions can be active in
political and progressive causes without
ideology compromising the ties that funda-
mentally bind us as students.
Ultimately, the successes for U of O stu-
dents this year did not come from politically
soaked initiatives, but rather from ensuring
that the needs and views that connect us as
students were placed above all else. We have
seen this year that student unions are most
effective and most representative when stu-
dent values are paramount to the politics of
the organization’s leaders.
editor@thefulcrum.ca
Cover photo by
Frank Appleyard
 The SFUO’s employees and
volunteers would like to thank
all students for making this
another fantastic year!
good luck on your exams,
and we’ll see you in September!
On Thursday April 9th, join us FOR the
last party of the year…
SFUO’s End of Year Bash!
Tickets are $5 at the SFUO Office

Remember to stay on top of summer and

fall SFUO activities by visiting our website: www.sfuo.ca

And if you’re up to the challenge…

Become a 101 Guide, for those first years coming
in September 2009! Contact volunteers@sfuo.ca

You can also get in touch with your student association

to be a 101 guide with your own faculty!