Volume 143 • Issue 26 • April 8, 2010 thebruns.ca

brunswickancanada’s oldest official student publication.

all we do is party hahaha//see our ridiculous spoof inside

UFC 112 Sat April 10 Kitchen is open with 1/2 Price Wings

last class bash MONDAYAPR 12

THE BALLROOMIS OPEN

Science students rescued: ancillary fees frozenHilary Paige SmithNews Reporter

The provincial government has decided to freeze ancillary fees for the 2010-2011 school year.

Donald Arseneault, minister of post-secondary education, training and labour, confirmed the decision with UNBSU president Jon O’Kane by telephone from the provincial legislature last week and encouraged him to spread the word, O’Kane said.

The decision to freeze ancillary fees came after an extensive period of lobbying by

the UNB Student Union in response to the administration’s plan to implement an ancillary fee for science and math students. The proposed fees were announced in February and would have totaled $260 for the average first year science student. The fees would also have applied to engineering and business students taking first year math.

The SU passed a motion in late Janu-ary to lobby at the provincial level to gain control over ancillary fees. Council agreed that ancillary fees are unfair, especially dur-ing a tuition freeze when fees are supposed to be frozen.

“[After the science fees were announced]

we started having conversations with people in government talking university funding in general, but about how these ancillary fees are the sneaky way of indirectly raising tuition during a tuition freeze,” O’Kane said on Monday.

He called the decision “timely,” because the board of governors will soon be meet-ing to finalize budget decisions.

O’Kane said the province has agreed to supplement the income the ancillary fees would have brought in for the university. The province will be including the ancillary fees in the funds they’ve dedicated along with the tuition freeze and the university’s

operating grant. The SU president called the decision

“fantastic news.”“This is a great example of legislators

listening…We were getting a lot of posi-tive feedback on the idea, but nothing had been confirmed…People listened, it worked and luckily we won’t see any fees go up next year,” O’Kane said.

O’Kane also said members of this year’s council and council for the coming year are excited about the province’s decision.

At the time of the decision, the sci-ence ancillary fees were the only fees an-nounced. O’Kane said he was unsure if any

other fees were planned, but that science students especially seem thrilled about the removal of the proposed fees.

O’Kane was unsure about the future of ancillary fees on campus, but said a preced-ent has been set for future years.

“It’s a victory for now, but there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure that it’s a sustained victory and that ancillary fees join the conversation regulation,” he said.

The SU has put forward a proposal to different levels of government to use an Ontario university model of managing fees in which the province regulates tuition rates and ancillary fees are under student control.

Parading through the Boyce Farmers’ Market: a pack of wolves

Alison ClackArts Editor

The Boyce Farmers’ Market saw a busier Sunday than the Saturday market is used to.

This past Sunday, one of Canada’s best kept musical secrets, Montreal indie rockers Wolf Parade, played the unusual venue for a packed audience.

The venue is not a traditional stop for concerts other than the occasional show by ‘80s cover band Pretty in Pink – to whom Wolf Parade gave an unexpected shout out after seeing that they were one of the only other bands to have played there.

Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug, the

band’s founding members and creative team, commented that the band had played the Market twice as many times as they had – which they said was twice if anyone in the audience couldn’t figure that out.

The crowd seemed to be a good gauge of the show. During the opening band, Contrived, the audience was engaged but it seemed that only about a third of the mar-ket’s audience seemed to be pushing to the front of the stage, with another third calmly watching and the final third milling about the back chatting and drinking with friends.

The band themselves put on a good show despite the quality of the vocalist’s mic being a little off. Whether it was the market’s acous-

tics or the sound mixing, the singer could not be clearly heard over the guitar riffs and the pounding bass drum.

Despite the audience’s appreciation for their music, a number of people questioned the band’s heavier ending as a lead in to headliners Wolf Parade.

After a set change that seemed to take forever Wolf Parade finally took the stage. At this point it seemed like the venue’s entire crowd surged forward toward the stage.

Even the crowd members who shuffled back and forth between the bar and the stage during Contrived seemed set on carving out a spot in the crowd for themselves during Wolf Parade.

The bar was being run by AIDS NB and all funds the bar earned over the course of the night went to support the organiza-tion’s work.

“AIDS NB was asked by our friends at Sonic to take care of bar sales so that they could have the Wolf Parade concert at the Market. In order to get a special events per-mit to sell alcohol at the Market you need to host a fundraiser,” said Nick Scott, executive director of AIDS NB.

A number of other events held at the Mar-ket have had similar fundraisers supporting the Fredericton Food Bank and the Chal-mers Foundation at Pretty in Pink shows.

“Concerts at the Farmers’ Market are a

great and unique opportunity for non-profits to raise much needed funds to support their programs and services, beyond the usual requests for donations,” explains Scott.

At print time AIDS NB were not yet certain of how much money had been raised in the night.

Wolf Parade’s set went the show was amazing. The audience was beyond excited as a band of that calibre rarely make their way through Fredericton. The excitement seemed to be felt by the band too as Boeck-ner referred to the audience as “sweet” near the end of their set and seemed genuinely appreciative of the audience, coming out and shaking hands after the band left the stage.

Montreal indie rockers Wolf Parade, are actually mostly from British Columbia. Vocalist Spencer Krug attended Concordia and moved to Montreal where he met up with fellow bandmate Dan Boeckner and proceeded to form the indie rock heavy weight, Wolf Parade. Andrew Meade/ The Brunswickan

brunswickannews2 • Apr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143

�e ALPS (Adult Learners, Part-Time Students) Executive Board of Directors is calling for

nominations for the Spring Election.

Students must be a registered UNBF student with a GPA of 2.0 or above and meet one of the following criteria:

• Be a Registered Part-Time Undergraduate Student on the Fredericton Campus, • Be a Registered Part-Time Undergraduate Student off-Campus/Open Access, • Be a Registered Full-Time Undergraduate Adult Learner.(+25)

�e following positions are available:President

VP Student A�airsVP Social Events

VP AdministrationVP Finance

VP AdministrationSenator

Nomination forms and detailed terms of reference for each position can be picked up at the ALPS office - located at 130A of Marshall d’Avray

Hall. Also, terms of reference can be viewed onthe ALPS website. (http://www.unbf.ca/alps)

The elections will be held from April 19 to the 23, 2010. For more information, contact ALPS at 453-3596 or alps@unb.ca

Ex UNB President dubbed distinguished citizen

Colin McPhailSports Editor

Four of the community’s high profile citizens were recognized at the 2010 Distinguished Citizens Awards. The list of recipients included a former mayor, an ex-NHLer, a well-respected engineer, and UNB’s 17th president and vice-chancellor.

John McLaughlin, the previous UNB president, was very pleased after receiving the honour of distinguished citizen. The awards were handed out March 25 at a banquet put on by the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce.

“It feels really special,” said McLaughlin “It’s a very special award.”

McLaughlin, an Order of New Bruns-wick recipient, was known for closing the gap between the university community and the Fredericton community and improving student life in general on campus. He has worked with different international organ-izations such as the World Bank, and was named Professor Emeritus and President Emeritus of the GGE faculty.

When asked where it ranked on the lists of his many successes, McLaughlin couldn’t give it an exact place, but is still extremely honoured.

“I don’t know, but I’ll just say that I’m awfully proud to be recognized in my hometown.”

McLaughlin was in good company amongst the other recipients. Former mayor Les Hull was recognized for his work as a teacher in the area and his extensive dedica-tion to community and national groups.

Stanley Cup winner Danny Grant was honoured for his commitment in commun-ity sports upon returning from the NHL.

Don Good, a senior transportation planning engineer for ADI, was the fourth and final recipient. Good was quite active in the Fredericton community and was

involved with the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Profes-sional Engineers and Geoscientists for New Brunswick.

While reflecting on his award, Mc-Laughlin humbly noted that his work and successes within the community was not a solitary action.

“I’m not too sure I am a distinguished citizen. A lot of people made a difference. Obviously, I had a position that allowed me to have the visibility and part of the recognition. I think what I tried to do was to bring the university and the community closer together and it was always a part in my agenda. I think that’s what the recogni-tion is for.

“I did very little of this. It’s an amazing community at the university. Look at all the ways students are involved with the com-munity and the way the research impacts the community. A lot of people are involved in trying to strengthen those relationships. I just happened to have a chance to get credit for it.”

McLaughlin is also known for his ex-tensive work in building and promoting the GGE faculty and is impressed at how it has evolved.

“I’m very proud of the program. There’s no question that in the late 1970s it was generally recognized around the world as the top program. Anywhere you went in the world, if you said that you came from UNB, they knew about surveying engineering and later on geomatics engineering. It stood out around the world as a very high profile, very outstanding program.”

McLaughlin was very appreciative of all the support he’s received and strongly believes that he was just able to help facilitate the process.

“That’s what I think an award like this is really for. Not for the individual, but it’s just to recognize a representative of the university.”

On the evening of Friday March 12, the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law hosted its annual charity auction at Ludlow Hall. Benefits from the event went to Special Olympics New Brunswick, represented at the auction by Roger Ryan, community learning facilitator, and his daughter Sandra, an athlete who competes in curling, bowling, basketball and swimming.

The charity auction raised a total of

$3,425, all of which will be donated to Capital Region Special Olympics New Brunswick. A black and white social fund-raiser held afterwards raised an additional $75 for the cause.

Special Olympics provides sport op-portunities to individuals with intellectual challenges, with Capital Region Special Olympics providing opportunities to ap-proximately 100 athletes in seven sports.

Currently Capital Region Special Olym-pics has six athletes and three volunteers training for the Special Olympics National Summer Games to be held in London, On-

tario, from July 13 to 17 this summer. The athletes attending the National Games will be eligible for selection to Team Canada to compete at the 2011 Special Olympics World Games being hosted in Athens, Greece.

Donations to the auction were made by faculty and staff at the law school, law students, members of the community and local businesses. The diverse items up for bidding included goods and services from local businesses, home made desserts from students, and dinners and pub nights hosted by faculty at the school. Interim Dean David Townsend served as the auctioneer.

Amy BestSubmitted

UNB law gives to Special Olympics

The UNB faculty of law gave back to the community in helping out Capital Region Special Olympics in donating the proceeds from a recent aution to the cause. foreversouls/ Flickr CC

brunswickannews Apr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143 • 3

scale before. “Last year, according to Jon

[O’Kane, last year’s vice president external] they sold about $500 worth of furniture, so I’m expecting a decent turn out,” Brideau said.

All money generated from the event will go to the UNBSU’s Haiti fundraiser.

The event wil l be advert ised through Fredericton media, and on kijiji – a popular source to find used furniture. Brideau said that anyone is welcome to volunteer to help run Move Out Madness.

“We have a number of councilors, some general students [offer to vol-unteer]. Anyone is welcome to come

SU organizes move out madness eventMotorists on both the south and north sides of Fredericton are being urged to

prepare for unusual summer traffic.The Princess Margaret Bridge, which

is the main link across the river between Fredericton’s two sides, has entered phase two of the city’s rehabilitation project

to improve the 53-year old structure. Though the bridge is open to traffic, con-struction teams are currently doing prep-aratory work and working on scaffolding for the bridge. Further construction in

Fredericton faces summer traffic jams with bridge closure

Hilary Paige Smith and Lee LarrettNews Department

The Princess Margaret Bridge is the main connection between Fredericton’s north and south sides, and it will be closed for much of this summer for repairs. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

the summer months will lead to the bridge’s closure from June 19 to Aug. 8.

In a media release issued by the city on March 18, transportation minister Denis Landry admitted that the closure of the bridge will have a “major impact” on traffic patterns in the Fredericton area.

He also said the department has been working with the Office of Hu-man Resources to implement flex-time work schedules within other government departments to ease the flow of traffic. He said other businesses in Fredericton should consider implementing similar policies for the construction period.

A traffic management plan is being devised in partnership between The Department of Transportation, the City of Fredericton and ADI Ltd. with input from Emergency First Responders.

Councillor Tony Whalen, chair of the city’s transportation committee, has warned commuters that, “to avoid lengthy traffic delays, all residents should seriously consider changing their driving habits by doing things such as walking, biking, carpooling and using public transit.”

The city is exploring other options to reduce traffic including optimizing traffic signal times, using infrastructure improvements or city street changes, park and go locations and a bus shuttle system in the downtown area. The city has

made it clear that reversing lanes on the Westmorland Street Bridge during peak times is not a viable option. The bridge closing will also likely impact students.

“Obviously it’s going to be an in-convenience. I rarely use the Princess Margaret Bridge, so for me it’ll mean more traffic on the Westmorland,” said Tom Bateman, a second year student at STU who lives on the north side. “I guess I’ll just have to plan for a longer trip across the river. I can’t complain, it takes 10 minutes to get almost any-where in the city, something that isn’t the case in other places.”

Fredericton police and fire officials plan to meet in order to develop pro-cedures designed to clear the bridge quickly in the event of an accident.

Information on traffic management proposals will be unveiled once final-ized. During the closure bridge and traffic updates will be available online and in the media.

The bridge will be undergoing a number of changes during three con-struction seasons. Workers will remove and replace the bridge deck and guardrail and refurbish and strengthen the 22 bridge piers. The bridge will also undergo sandblasting and painting, along with major work on the steel truss members and bridge bearings. The government of New Brunswick has invested $80 million for the project.

As the school year draws to a close, students are concerned not just with exams, but with their housing arrange-ments. Student housing presents many challenges for graduating students who are moving out, or first year students looking to move on from residence. What to do with that old couch, or where to find one can be a stressful exercise.

Move Out Madness attempts to solve this problem for students, and provide some benefits to the community and environment. Running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 18, 19 and 20, this event put on by the Student Union is a large yard sale for the community.

Students can bring their old furni-ture to the SUB Blue Room, where the event will take place, and other students or community members can come in to buy some furniture as well.

Ryan Brideau, vice president external with the SU, is running the event and said, “it’s simply a way to get furniture off the curb instead of having it sit there or making students bring it to the dump. It is effectively a mini yard sale for the community.”

Brideau explained that students can either bring their furniture to the dump and pay a tipping fee, or leave their fur-niture on the curb and potentially pay a $50 fine as this is against city bylaws.

“So this is a benefit to students in that sense,” Brideau said.

For the community and students moving in during April or May this is an opportunity to buy inexpensive furniture. Also any leftover furniture will go to New Brunswick commun-ity living. From an environmental standpoint, this program decreases the number of large items going to a landfill, and it decreases a dependence on buying new furniture that can be found used, as Brideau explained.

This is the third year for Move Out Madness, and Brideau said that it will be hard to estimate how many people will get to use the program as it has never been run on this large a

out.” For students moving into or out of

student housing this can be a com-plicated time of year, signing leases or trying to recover damage deposits. Brideau said that the Fredericton student housing website has just been completed and launched, and he encouraged students to check it out.

“There’s a resource section that gives a number of different things people can use for everything from how to get a fire [and safety] inspec-tion, to the off campus handbook, and a number of other things as well,” Brideau said. The website can be accessed at www.frederictonstu-denthousing.com.

Along with the usual end of year stresses, students also have to deal with the inevitable lease juggling. The Student Union, in an effort to help ease the madness, has organized a giant community yardsale, scheduled for mid-April, to help out. Andrew Meade/ The Brunswickan

Lee LarrettNews Editor

brunswickanopinionApr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143 • 4

editor@thebruns.ca

Editorial BoardEditor-in-Chief • Sarah RatchfordManaging • Alex DuncanNews • Lee LarrettArts • Alison ClackSports • Colin McPhailPhoto • Andrew MeadeCopy • Sam PerlmutterProduction • Christian Hapgood Online • Doug Estey

Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Dan Gallagher

ContributorsZaheer Abbas, Stephanie Allen, Danielle Bodie, Chris Cameron, Kathryn Chase, Sandy Chase, Alison Clack, Maggie DeWolfe, Dave Evans, Sarah Farquhar, Josh Fleck, Kennie Gathuru, Dan Hagerman, Ayat Abed Isiad, Cody Jack, Jacques Landry, Brandon MacNeil, Cameron Mitchell, Matthew Murray, Sam Perlmutter, Jon Salmon, Brian Savoie, Hilary Paige Smith, Ysabelle Vautour, Alex Wickwire & Valerie Woodman.

The Brunswickan relies primarily on a volunteer base to produce its issues every week. Volunteers can drop by room 35 of the SUB at any time to find out how they can get involved.

About UsThe Brunswickan, in its 143rd year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

We are an autonomous student newspaper owned and operated by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a non-profit, independent body.We are a founding member of the Canadian University Press, and love it so. We are also members of U-Wire, a media exchange of university media throughout North America.

We publish weekly during the academic year with a circulation of 6,000.

LettersMust be submitted by e-mail including your name, letters with pseudonymns will not be printed. Letters must be 400 words at maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m. before each issue.

Editorial PolicyWhile we endeavour to provide an open forum for a variety of viewpoints and ideas, we may refuse any submission considered by the editorial board to be racist, sexist, libellous, or in any way discriminatory.

The opinions and views expressed in this newspaper are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Brunswickan, its Editorial Board, or its Board of Directors.

All editorial content appearing in The Brunswickan is the property of Brunswickan Publishing Inc. Stories, photographs, and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the express, written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

21 Pacey Drive, SUB Suite 35Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3

main office • (506) 447-3388advertising • (506) 452-6099

fax • (506) 453-5073email • editor@thebruns.ca

www.thebruns.ca

the brunswickan

Remember your friendly neighbour-hood sports editor from the beginning of the year? Well, he grew up and is now a man.

I will be leading an excellent group of very talented editors and writers in the Brunswickan’s hundred and forty-fourth year of existence.

My objective is simple: to publish an entertaining and, more importantly, informative newspaper. It will be a newspaper that is fair and balanced and one that offers diverse content that stems from every facet of student life.

Obviously, I realize that the univer-sity community holds many diverse views and I insist on hearing your opinion. There are hundreds of differ-ing voices and each one has the right to be heard. So, please take advantage of our opinion and website comment sections.

I am very thankful to have predeces-

sors such as Sarah Ratchford and Josh O’Kane, who developed a brand new Brunswickan in terms of design and content. The pair eased the company through the transition to tabloid from broadsheet and still managed keep fresh and provocative content.

As Editor in Chief, I plan to follow in their footsteps, but also revolu-tionize the website in the process. As journalism moves steadily towards an online format, thebruns.ca will keep up with the new trend. The website is going to have a sleek new look and offer much more content. Look for the Brunswickan on Twitter and Facebook as well.

Even though I’ll be surrounded by a strong cast of editors and staff members, the success of the paper, in large part, is due to our wonderful vol-unteers. I cannot thank everyone that chipped in this year enough. I urge anyone who’s interested in writing, photography, and design to drop by SUB room 35 and join in on the fun. The Bruns has an open door policy and welcomes everyone.

I’m extremely excited for next year and will do my best to deliver a news-paper suits you, UNB.

Good luck on exams and have a dandy summer.

Outgoing Brunswickan EiC passes the torch

As the year comes to a close, the outgoing Bruns Editor in Chief, Sarah Ratchford, passes the torch to incoming Editor Colin McPhail. Don’t let name fool you, though. McPhail has a ton of great ideas up his sleeve, and you, our lovely readers, can look forward to a wonderful online presence as well. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Well, my tenure as Editor in Chief of this publication has certainly been a time, and I want to thank everyone who helped to make it so.

As with every year, this one has been a series of ups and downs. From caffeine crazed production nights that end at 4:30 a.m. to ((IPN)) working groups, this job has had its irritating moments.

At the same time though, it has been impossibly rewarding. I have had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of individuals, and this paper would be nothing without them. The EiC is merely the person blame comes back to; what keeps the ship sailing is the editorial board.

When I was busy having panic attacks over the little things, where would I have been without Colin’s “DO YOU WANNA BE ON THE PANEL??”, Christian’s reggae selections, or Alison’s hugs and coffee dates?

Where would I have been without Mandre’s cutout wall and Lee’s hilarious political commentary?

I would be nowhere, and you, dear readers, would not have had a campus paper to peruse while you hang out at the SUB or wait for your friends down at the Cellar. I owe everything the Bruns has been to the ed board.

This job has taught me so much, and I’m incredibly thankful for the opportun-ity to have held it. I would not be anything like I am now if I hadn’t started working here. The people I’ve met have taught me about everything from indie music (haha)

to news writing, and a lot of them have become my best friends.

Running the paper has put me in touch with students’ voices and brought their issues to the forefront of my thoughts, and engaging with the student body at this level is an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

While the student body has given me a lot, I hope we were able to put a relevant, entertaining and informative product out there; we’ve certainly tried. Certain people in the arena of student politics might dis-agree with this, and I am fine with that. If a few people didn’t hate me, it would mean I haven’t done my job. Taking criticism for hard work is just another skill I’ve learned in this office, and one I am just as grateful for as the friendships I’ve gained.

We implemented an international sec-tion that lasted most of the year, as well as more health coverage than before. We had an engaged, responsive opinions section most issues, covered each and every student union meeting, created new sports features, and broken away from the indie music scene more than ever before in our arts section.

For all of this I am incredibly proud, not of myself, but of the editors who ac-complished it all.

As you are reading this, I am out of the office for good. I wish I could tell you which continent I’ll be on next year, what I’ll be doing. But I can’t, because life doesn’t always work that way. Life is an adventure, and if you try to fight that, you’ll only wind up haggard, frazzled and generally hatin’ on life.

To those of you who are graduating: remember that. Remain calm, and do what you love to ensure happiness.

To those of you who’ve got some time to go: it’s cliché, but get involved. Put your voice out there somehow; it will help you develop into who you want to be. The best lessons definitely are not those you learn in a classroom.

we’re hiringfor 2010-2011

News ReporterArts Reporter

Staff Photographer

deadline: April 9, 4 p.m.

send your cover letter, resumé and sample pieces (3-5 written

pieces, 5-10 photos) by email to:editor@thebruns.ca

for the following positions:

Colin McPhail

In with the new

Sarah Ratchford

Out with the old

CorrectionIn Volume 143, Issue 25 of the Brunswickan, published March 31, 2010, there was an incident of inaccurate reporting. It was reported that the fall meet and greet for candidates of the SU byelection was organized in such a last minute fashion as to make it impossible for some candidates to attend. This is an untruth, and a statement made based on information previously published in Volume 143, Issue 6 of the Bruns. We were unaware that the information was incorrect until now. A source gave us the information, and it was later found to be unverifiable. For this, we sincerely apologize to our readership and specifically the CRO.

brunswickanopinion Apr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143 • 5

I awoke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, troubled about the worries of the world. The very future of it is strangely uncertain. The relentless suffering has powered on for much of the lifetime of this strange planet, and it shows no signs of slowing, let alone halting altogether. And yet, this is not what is troubling. Impossible to shut out is the terrifying question of whether the youth of the na-tion today can handle these times ahead in the ensuing pages of the most war torn and tormenting text ever attempted to be written.

Faith in the promise of the new world is not something that I have had the pleasure of seeing. And the prospect of acquiring it along the way is dwindling; yet I am always open to being proven wrong, and for once I am longing for this outcome. I suppose an eventful future is what I would like to be a part of. Every generation has hurdles that it must surmount, the crutch

on which it must lean. But whether this generation has the sense of worldly and politically outrage as subsequent ones is a debate which I entertain my mind with on a regular basis. It is quite exasperating, in all honesty.

And lately I arrive at the same reac-tion each time. Ignorance is King. The public is blind to the reality of the horrors inflicted on humanity and this world, yet are as terrified as ever. Petty crime and murderers roam the news media, where famine, poverty and images that seep into your consciousness to remain forever are overlooked.

The true revulsion that the public should feel in their stomach is ignored due to the presence of a war that is waged in our day-to-day lives against one an-other in our society. The minds of the west are preoccupied with their simple sorrows and the ensuing tunnel vision removes their attention from the worsening state of the entire globe.

The strain of these thoughts weighs heavily on a mind, and it leaves me to

think that the stress is not conducive to the long-term health of an individual. But fighting the thoughts is a path that is not to be walked. Understanding and action are the paths that should be trampled with figurative and literal footprints.

What have they done to the earth?What have they done to our fair sister?Ravaged and plundered and ripped her

and bit her Stuck her with knives in the side of the

dawnAnd tied her with fences and dragged

her down - Jim Morrison, 1967Ignorance is bliss. And yet the question on which the fate

of the world rests is whether bliss is the eternal goal that this misguided genera-tion seeks. Spiraling towards the abyss of fashion overpowering critical thinking and unconcerned stances of the well-being of people other than those whose most difficult task is deciding whether to update Twitter or Facebook with what they plan for their evening.

Our only friend, the endJonathan W SalmonStaff Writer

letters to the editor.Report card gets it wrong

Dear Editor,

I’m writing to express my continued frustration and disappointment with the Brunswickan this academic year. 

Last week’s issue contained a report card littered with inconsistencies. For example, the Bruns simultaneously gave an “A” to the VP responsible for SU entertainment while giving an “N/A” to SU Entertainment. Apparently the Bruns Editorial Board is unaware of the responsibilities of executive members, which casts doubt on the reliability of their reporting. 

It is my opinion that the Bruns doesn’t take itself seriously enough. You hold the ears of students; what you publish will remain on file forever online and in the HIL Microforms department. Employers googling prospective employee’s names are going to come across what you print. You have a serious impact on this campus but I don’t see that reflected in the way you report.

I hold the entire Editorial Board ac-countable for what I consider sub-par journalism. You owe Catrin Berghoff a sincere apology for last week’s “F.” Since this letter will also be archived in perpetu-ity, I’m taking this opportunity to give Catrin an “A” for her hard work this year as CRO. And I humbly submit that my opinion is more informed than that of the Bruns - that is to say informed at all.

Sincerely, Ash Furrow

Report card treats swim team unfairly

“In their greatest challenge yet”I would like to call into question the

integrity of the evaluation performed by the Brunswickan’s panel of sports experts. What effort or research was performed in completing their self proclaimed “greatest challenge yet?” I would ask that the panel justifies or explain the criteria used in evaluating the Varsity Red Teams.

In my opinion, and I welcome to be proven wrong, the sports panel cre-ated a report card based only on their thoughts, with no criteria or objective reporting. Should a report card not be based on some sort of measurable data?

history of UNB, New Brunswick and the AUS conference. She was named AUS Rookie of the Meet, AUS Rookie of the Year and AUS Swimmer of the Year. What more would be required by this panel to receive an A or B?

Academic Results?Although academic results are not yet

measurable for this year, expectations are that the team will surpass last year’s mark of eight Academic All Canadians. That means the athletes not only balance 20 plus hours of training per week, vol-unteer work and some aspect of a social life, but also maintain a GPA above 3.5. Three swimmers had GPAs above 4.0 at the mid-point of this year.

Community Involvement?The swimmers were participants in

the “Heads Up with the Reds” and “Reading with the Reds” programs, the Terry Fox Run and raised over $2,000 for cancer research for a Curl for Cancer event.

Lastly, the comments directed to-wards a need for a stronger supporting cast and for the senior swimmers to help out the younger talent shows a lack of knowledge and respect towards my senior athletes.

Three of four graduating athletes were medically advised not to swim due to injuries. Collapsing on deck from physical exertion was partnered with constant trips to a physiotherapist, mas-sage therapist or doctor’s offices to not stop the pain but attempt to merely allow it to be manageable. My senior athletes made me proud to coach them and their complete dedication and passion for their sport deserves more respect than has been provided. Before you call in to ques-tion their leadership and “supporting” role they perform you should have the courtesy and integrity to research your facts prior to printing them.

Based on what criteria did the panel conclude the team’s achievements this year warranted the grades presented?

Reporting on a topic requires more than just your personal thoughts. It is very difficult to not speak up for the ath-letes I watched train so hard. The story printed by this panel seems to be a gross misrepresentation of the unbelievable efforts and achievements of our Varsity Red athletes. The athletes depicted in this article did deserve your “greatest ef-fort yet.” I would ask the panel to analyze their assessment of the teams and either justify their grading system or formerly apologize for printing a story that was void of validity.

Dan MonidHead Coach – UNB Swimming

What were the grading tools used? What would have constituted an A, B, C or D? It appears to me to be a completely arbitrary evaluation.

How would the members of the panel react if their university marks were select-ed at the whim of their professors? The panel should take into account they are reporting on a group of student-athletes that represent this school with pride and dedication.

Have you been to one of coach Baker’s practices to watch his athletes work on play after play? Have you witnessed the extra hours coach Speedy and his athletes put in on shooting and ball handling skills? And has the panel ever experienced giving up their holidays with your family to wake up every morning at 4:40 a.m. to train six hours a day for 10 days? Your review seems to lack any understanding of what it actual means to be a Varsity Reds athlete.

For the remainder of this letter I will speak to my area of expertise - the swim team.

Varsity Swimming: C+What was needed to obtain an A or B?Representation at the CIS Level? We sent five athletes to represent our

school at the CIS Level. To earn your place at nationals you are required to swim a national qualifying standard. The standard is created by taking the averaged time of the sixteenth placed athlete over five years. This means that you have to be faster than the averaged sixteenth place athlete in the country. Well how hard can that be?

The field of athletes that completes at the CIS swim championships are the best in the country. Olympic and Can-adian National Team members led the fields; constantly setting provincial and national records at the meet. The CIS championship has even had a world re-cord set during competition. But surely qualifying for such a meet is void of any real accomplishment.

Strong Conference Results?UNB swimming had four AUS all-

stars; 11 individual medals; four relay medals; 15 total medals - five gold, five silver and five bronze; nine fourth place finishes; 40 top six finishes; (comfort-ably) second in women’s team scoring; fourth in men’s; and second overall in the conference. This was all achieved in a conference that hosts six other university teams.  

Standout performances?Danielle Losier, a top ranked athlete

in the country, set provincial, school and conference records in the 50, 100 and 200 metre breaststroke. She is now the fastest female breaststroker in the

Are we taking the state of the world seriously enough, or are we simply preoccupied with ourselves? Flickr CC

brunswickanopinion6 • Apr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143

“Go to the gym.”

How do you deal with exam stress??

StudentViewpoint.Let everyone know whats on your mind.

“Candy.”

“Take time for music.”

“Hit the bag.”

“Avoid stress by studying.”

“Take Breaks.”

Jessica Bourque

Mark Wasson

Jason Rouse

Greg Fraser

Tim Degaust

Amanda Libby

“Go for a walk.”

“Shoot hoops.” “Coffee and cigarettes.”

Rose Ann Underhill Scott Allison Kailey Fisher

brunswickanartsApr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143 • 7

arts@thebruns.ca

Alison Clack Arts EditorNearly every child grows up dreaming of being a musician, but not every child pursues, let alone achieves, this dream. However, this year another young musician is able to say that he has.

Owen Steel, at the humble age of 21, has produced and released his own album with his band, Owen Steel Et Al.

Other than the obvious inclusion of Steel himself, Owen Steel Et Al

is comprised of Mike “Mumble” Humble (percussion), and Scott Cul-ligan (bass). The trio is joined on a number of tracks by some of their friends and local musicians including vocals by Babette Hayward and Kelly Waterhouse (Dub Antenna).

The self-titled album was engin-eered by Evan Hansen, who also worked with Fredericton locals Weak Size Fish and Olympic Symphonium, at Salty Towers in Saint Andrews. The album was later reworked and mas-tered by J. LaPointe who has worked

with Maritime greats Joel Plaskett and Hot Toddy.

The release is a wonderful retell-ing of Steel’s interpretation of going through life in your early twenties – and his journey in particular.

Steel’s soulful voice belies years beyond his young twenties and adds a wonderful warmth to songs that make you want to lie down in the sunshine.

The release of the album coincides perfectly with the warm, sunny weath-er we have been experiencing in Fredericton. A number of the songs

including: “VW Van,” “Paper Shape,” and “Wild ‘N Free” are the perfect anthems to take road trips to or have some cold beer and hang out with friends on the patio.

The inclusion of xylophone on a handful of tracks gives the songs a wonderful sense of childhood in-nocence and a summertime free of worries.

Owen Steel Et Al have been pro-moting their album the past couple of weeks on a VIA rail tour across Can-ada. However, as the old adage says,

there’s no rest for the wicked and the band will be holding an album release party at the end of the month as well as starting a Maritime tour before the end of the summer.

Owen Steel Et Al was released this past week on April 2. The album’s of-ficial release party will happen at the Capital Complex in Wilser’s Room April 22.

The show will feature opening act Doug Macnearney – who originally wrote the second song on the album, ‘Driving.’ Cover is $7.

Alex KressStaff Writer

My first encounter with Trinitea’s Cup Café was late last August.

My friend’s mother and I took refuge from the rain in the quaint spot on the corner of Regent Street and King Street. It was one of my first visits to downtown Fredericton and it completely replenished my spirits, even if only for the hour we spent there. I had uprooted and replanted myself 4,600 kilometres from home and was feeling the initial empti-ness that creeps up on the bliss of being somewhere new.

Once I had settled into my living quar-ters on my own, I didn’t spend much time there. Instead I spent my days walking. Sometimes I roamed for several hours, and continued to find my way back to Trinitea’s Cup for peanut butter-banana frozen lattés and home made tandoori chicken sandwiches. I wondered how such a gem of a place seemed like such

a secret. Patrick Wilson and Lynn LeBlanc,

the couple who own Trinitea’s Cup, say people still come in and admit they didn’t know the café existed.

“People come in and ask us ‘how long have you been here?’ and we say ‘oh, just four years’,” LeBlanc laughs.

They’re a humble, down-to-earth couple who realized four years ago, rather suddenly, that opening a tea shop in downtown Fredericton was a step in the right direction. Both Wilson and LeBlanc were Wal-Mart managers, but after a visit to a favourite tea room of their daughter’s they decided to start construction on a dream.

“Patrick had a mindset about tea. We only drank tea occasionally, but we had always talked about doing something like this, a café of some sort,” LeBlanc says.

“He said ‘there’s nothing here I want’, and he was brooding and pouting. But about half an hour in, all of a sudden this

look came over him.”Wilson and LeBlanc took three

months to transform the space into the warm country kitchen it is today. They were each working 40 plus hour weeks at Wal-Mart, so any extra time during evenings and weekends they had was dedicated to creating the café. Wilson did all the carpentry work himself, and the couple painted and decorated as a team.

Trinitea’s Cup boasts the largest tea selection in Fredericton with 95 loose leaf teas available from a large number of countries around the world.

“Tea bags lose quality. A tea leaf’s edges are what causes the bitterness. The smaller the pieces and more edges you have, and the more edged surface area you’re going to have, the less space and back surface area you’re going to have as a percentage,” Wilson explains. “So when you have to grind it that fine to go into the teabag, it’s going to have less flavour and more bitterness, so it’s not going to be as smooth.”

The couple offers a marsala chai tea that, according to customer reviews, is the best in the city. It’s brewed from real chai leaves – they don’t use syrup as most places do. Two other very popular choices are the cream earl grey and the Belgian chocolate rooibos tea, which I can vouch for as a palate-pleaser. All tea is served in a French press to ensure the flavour is maximized.

Wilson and LeBlanc blend many of the teas themselves in-house, including mom’s apple pie, which Wilson says tastes just like apple pie with ice cream.

Recently Trinitea’s Cup began brew-ing Java Moose coffee based out of Hampton, New Brunswick.

“It’s local, they roast it there. We tasted the coffee and it’s amazing,” Wilson says.

Trinitea’s also serves sandwiches, soup, hot dogs, wraps, burritos, and offers free wifi.

On top of all of this, Trinitea’s Cup hosts a dinner theatre every second

Saturday. The shows began at the sug-gestion of a past employee, and the first show premiered last summer. They are currently running a show called “Can’t Buy Me Love” based on Beatles songs, and are now casting their next produc-tion written by Saint John native Jen McVicar called “Confessions of a Dinner Theatre,” which lends inspiration from well known musicals like Wicked, Rent and Mamma Mia.

The warmth within the four walls of the café is truly remarkable. During one of my latest visits, the wind was howling outside and violently blew over the Java Moose sign outside. A stranger was walk-ing down Regent and instead of walking past, he bent over and picked up the sign. Wilson noticed and invited the man in for a cup of coffee for his kindness. It clearly brightened the man’s day, and mine too, as it has so often.

Trinitea’s Cup is open Tuesday through Friday until 8 p.m., Mondays until 6 p.m. and Saturdays until 5 p.m.

A second take: Trinitea’s Cup

Saint Andrews native Owen Steel, along with Mike “Mumble” Humble and Scott Culligan, make up the foodclothingsheltermusic band, Owen Steel Et Al. The group released their first, self titled album April 2, 2010. Christian Hapgood/ The Brunswickan

Great, wonderful, awesome, et cetera

brunswickanarts8 • Apr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143 brunswickanarts

Wolf Parade’s set was a mix of new and old songs which can be seen from their set list (top right). Dan Boeckner (vocal, guitar) and the rest of Wolf Parade put on an impressive show during their hour and a half long set (top left) Contrived (bottom left and right) played a heavier set during their opening act.

a photo essay.Wolf Parade & Contrived

By Andrew Meade & Mike Erb

Apr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143 • 9brunswickanarts

Red Steel 2 (wii)Red Steel, one of the release games for the Nintendo Wii, promised realistic sword fighting and smooth gun battles. Needless to say it lied.

The controls were glitchy and the graph-ics were the quality of an N64 game. It was a cold, heartless thief that stole our money, brought it to its throne of lies and bathed in our hopes and dreams of being a bad-ass swordsman.

The heir to the Red Steel throne works to give its players swordsman-oriented wet dreams. Red Steel 2 is everything its daddy promised to be, except this time it actually delivers.

Be aware that you need a Wii Motion Plus (WMP) to play Red Steel 2. So, if you don’t have one be sure to buy the package with the WMP included to avoid extra costs. With the WMP that comes with the game, the controls are much smoother and accurate

when compared to the first game.We join a mysterious stranger in the

desert, banished by his clan and left to die. Shortly after we start, he passes out. He wakes up to see bandits tying his leg to their motorcycle. They drag him through the desert and into a city overrun with gangs, where he escapes by shooting the driver. After wandering the city he meets up with an old friend who asks him to help save the city from its infestation of gangs.

You have a sword and a gun at your disposal and can switch between them at any time. To use your gun, simply point at the screen and press B to fire. To control the sword you need to swing the Wii-mote in any direction and the sword will do the same. Depending on how hard you swing, you will either swing lightly for a light attack or fast for a strong attack. With smooth controls and involving game-play, you will feel like the ass kicking samurai you know you are.

The graphics are okay, but not as smooth or defined as other games on the Wii, (Super Mario Galaxy or Metroid Prime 3) but work for the game-play and complement the western theme of the game.

Sadly the game is very linear. This may take away from the feeling of fighting through a huge western city. In addition, with all the fights you encounter, it may seem repetitive.

So, does the second make up for the first? Well yes, in the game-play department it reigns supreme and will leave you feeling mostly awesome. But the lack of story and sub-par dialogue makes me wonder if the game-play was the only thing they really worked on. Personally, I love this game just for the game-play, but is it worth the $50 price tag? To some I suppose it would be, but I’d recommend renting it, cause if you play it, you may never go back for a second play-through.

Wild wild west

Nick FitzpatrickStaff Writer

Secret Fredericton: vintage shop gems

Alison ClackArts Editor

Hidden gems, there are some in every city. While a city’s size may affect their frequency in appearing, every city, town and village has at least one.

Fredericton has several.As far as specific gems go Frederic-

ton’s vintage shops make up a number of its offerings. Across the city there are a number of locally owned second-hand and consignment shops to dig into.

If it is your first time shopping for vintage finds you might find comfort in the vaguely familiar Value Village. While it may take you a bit longer to sift through the rows and rows of clothes in the big box store, it will probably be the most familiar to those who have never been in a vintage store before.

Next along the line would be Jin-gler’s. Located off Prospect Street, this family owned business is one of the best known second-hand stores in Fredericton. The clothes in this store are organized according to clothing type into bins, but beyond that the organization stops. This is probably not your best bet if you don’t feel like sift-ing through piles of clothing; however, come Christmas time this is the best place to pick up some ugly Christmas sweaters.

If you feel like venturing out a little bit head out to the Hanwell Road and

visit The Vintage Rose. The boutique carries a wide variety of jewellery and other accessories as well as beautiful vintage frocks.

If you would rather head somewhere a little closer to campus, head down-town to reNeu Boutique or Changes.

Located in the Tannery, reNeu gets a ton of attention for the free days it holds a couple Saturdays every year. This store is the best for those who don’t have the time to sift through bundles of junk to get some treasures. The owner, Heather Ogilvie, has a dis-cerning eye and sells items on consign-ment as well as finding treasures on her own, occasionally altering them. The store also has a selection of new American Apparel tees and hoodies, as well as items from designers across the Maritimes.

If you feel like giving a little bit back to the community while doing some second-hand shopping you should head over to Changes. The store is a registered charity and gives employ-ment opportunities to people who have struggled in the past with maintaining employment. This store has everything: children’s toys, VHS, clothing, jewel-lery and household items.

There are tons of other stores in the Fredericton area. Next time you feel like going for a stroll grab your reusable shopping bag and wander off to find your own gems.

thebruns.ca

brunswickansportsApr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143 • 10

sports@thebruns.ca

Behind the Red: Daine Todd

Upcoming Varsity Reds star DaineTodd (number 16) was out last season with a shoulder injury, but was a key player this season finishing sixth in scoring with 11 goals and 28 points. The second year forward comes to the Reds after five years in the CHL and will play an important role in his remaing years as a Red. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Christopher CameronStaff Writer

What has been the biggest sports story of the year (Sept. 2009-April 2010)?the panel

the brunswickan presents

voice your opinion

Oh, what a year it has been. There’s almost too many stories to choose from, but gun to my head I would have to say the Olympics take the gold in this event. It was not only an incredible Olympics that stirred many emotions for every country, but it was also Canada’s coming out party on the Olympic stage. From Bilodeau to Crosby’s golden goal, it was an amazing two weeks.

As much as I’d like to say it was the Olympics or the Saints winning the Super Bowl, Tiger Woods’ fall from grace was easily the biggest story of the past eight months. It was remarkable to see how quickly Woods went from belov-ed superstar to global punchline.His return this week will be inter-esting.

Hockey head trauma. Yes, the Olympics were huge and the superbowl was wild; but the NHL finally dealing with the issue of players’ brains turning into jello will be a major story for a long time.

The year the Olympics takes place you might think that would be the most exciting story, but what, the Saints won the Superbowl? Yes, that is the story of the year. First time in the big game in their his-tory, Drew Brees coming back after his injury, that does it for me. Let’s just say that was my most ex-citing sports moment of the year.

Colin McPhailSports Editor

Tony von RichterCUP Sports Bureau Chief

Alex WickwireSpors Reporter

Christopher CameronSports Writer

For the final instalment of “Behind the Red” for the year, The Brunswickan had the opportunity to sit down with men’s hockey player Daine Todd.

Todd, a second year chemical engineer-ing student, hails from Red Deer, Alberta. In his first full season with the Reds he finished sixth on the team in scoring with 28 points.

Todd discusses his history in hockey and his time spent at UNB.

Brunswickan: To start off, how have you been able to manage chemical engin-eering and hockey?

Daine Todd: Actually I’ve been here

two years now. My first year I took busi-ness, found it was okay, just not something I wanted to pursue. I knew engineering was something I always wanted to pursue, but did not know if I could with hockey. I figured I’d give it a shot this year, maybe just not taking the course load people are taking in chemical engineering. But it’s definitely been a learning experience for the first bit. I’ve just been trying to get into some good study habits, but it’s been working out for both sides so far.

B: How did you get into hockey? Was it the first sport you tried out?

DT: It was always something I did when I was little. My dad always liked to play and he got me and my brother skating at an early age on the hockey rink in the back-

yard. I’ve been skating since I was three years old and have just grown from there.

B: What other high level hockey have you played aside from playing in the AUS?

DT: I played in the CHL in the WHL for five years with the Medicine Hat Tigers. Other than that I’ve been to a few NHL camps, but that is the highest I’ve been so far. The NHL camps have been on and off, but I just had a few good years and was given the opportunity to go. Last year in particular, I was given the opportunity to go to the Phoenix Coyotes training camp.

B: Being such a high level player with multiple options for school, what brought you to UNB?

DT: The coach does a lot of recruitment. Most guys here are very good hockey

players coming from very good junior programs. UNB has given the opportun-ity to some guys to play pro after as well. I came here for the hockey program and you’re able to get better and take a degree, with the possibility of a shot at the pros. I felt this place was the best in Canada for doing that.

B: Who’s your roommate on the road, and are pranks a regular occurrence on the road?

DT: Most of last year it was Jordan Clendenning and this year it was Alex Aldred for a bit. We do tend to pull pranks, much the same as in junior. The old bucket of water leaning against the door is prob-ably the most common one I’d say.

B: What is your best moment as a V-

Red thus far?DT: When we won the championship

last year. Unfortunately I was out last year with a shoulder injury, but still just being able to watch the guys and be a part of that was great. Second would be the run we went on this year and a great regular season, but it just didn’t work out in the playoffs.

B: Was there any shock coming here to Fredericton from Red Deer?

DT: It’s not too bad. I grew up in a smaller city so I was kind of used to it. I wouldn’t say Fredericton is too small. It’s smaller than I thought it was, but just living out here for the past few years I’ve really enjoyed it. The people are great and I’m really glad I decided to come out here.

brunswickansports Apr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143 • 11

Finally, a team’s fate doesn’t rely on a coin flip.

On March 23, 2010 NFL team owners voted 28-4 in favour of playoff overtime rule changes.

The idea behind the rule change is to try and take the importance of winning the coin toss away from the game. Instead of being able to win the coin toss and march down the field to win, the new rule states that if one team wins the coin toss and scores, the other team gets the ball. If the second team scores an equal amount of points, play continues under the previous sudden death overtime rules.

Although my team, the New Orleans Saints, beat Minnesota in overtime in last season’s NFC Championship, winning my approval, the change to the rule is a giant

step in the right direction. In last year’s post-season overtime was

needed in two of the nine games. That may not seem like a significant amount, but when it is a win or go home situation in each matchup, a coin toss should not be the final verdict.

At first when you hear a rule change no matter what sport, there tends to be a negative impression that goes along with it. This rule in particular has had very little backlash as the fans and analysts alike have not put up much stink. The reason for such little backlash can be answered with simple statistics. In the report released by the NFL, the team that correctly called the coin toss won 60 per cent of the overtime games played in the last 15 years.

I agree and most everyone else can see how foolish it is that a coin toss determines the game. Yes, the team receiving needs to

get within field goal range, but honestly how often does a team struggle to do that? Not often. The only other way this issue has a slight chance of being debated is if after four quarters and sixty minutes of play it is tied, get it over with already. I hate to compare it to baseball, but after three hours of watching nine innings and the game is still tied you really don’t want to watch them anymore.

The same can be argued for football; saying that this will extend play, but at least a coin is not the determinant. If anyone feels the NFL messed up the rule change and wants to complain about the new rule, flip a coin and get over yourself. This rule was not changed for protection of players or to make the game more popular, simply for the love of the game and to give teams a better chance at the prestigious Vince Lombardi trophy.

No longer up to chance: thumbs up to NFL OTChristopher CameronAn Opinion

As fans anticipate the 2010 NFL season, they will be in for some changes. Starting next season there will be a new rule in place taking away from the importance of an OT coin toss. Zruda / Flickr CC

WINNIPEG (CUP) — A very simple concept could make you healthier, and shoe companies should be thankful that it hasn’t become more popular.

Take your daily run or jog, but leave the shoes behind.

By running the way the human body was designed to run, barefoot running is becoming more and more accepted and is now practiced by runners of both the casual and competitive nature.

For those wondering why something as bizarre as barefoot running is gaining popu-larity, just ask barefoot runner and advocate, David Sypniewski.

“Running barefoot really helped me fall back in love with running,” Sypniewski said. “I was happy to start running again after a year of pain with shoes.”

Before becoming a barefoot runner in 2002, Sypniewski fell victim to numerous leg injuries, which hindered his ability to run long distances.

“I just started having one injury after another,” Sypniewski said. “I went to special-ists, I had expensive orthotics made for me, I went for massages, I went for deep tissue therapy and nothing helped.”

He came across barefoot running on the Internet and it just made sense to him. He re-calls the first time he tried running barefoot.

“I grabbed a pair of aqua socks from my bag of snorkeling gear just to be safe. I went to a local park and I just ran back and forth on the grass for probably about 25 minutes, and I was just amazed that the knee pain and the thigh pain that I had for a year of wearing shoes was just gone.”

Sypniewski’s first attempt at running

barefoot was on a soft grassy surface, but he then progressed to hard pavement surfaces.

When first starting on pavement, run-ners should not overdo it. According to barefootrunner.com, an average runner’s first barefoot run should be between five and 10 minutes. Because of different posture and foot strike-points, different muscles are used and need to be developed; they will likely be sore at first.

The concept of barefoot running does go beyond people’s daily jogs, as the strat-egy has been employed in competition as well. Two of the most notable competitive barefoot runners are Abebe Bikila and Zola Budd-Pieterse.

Bikila trained and competed barefoot on his way to an Olympic gold medal as a marathoner in 1960. He also won gold in 1964 but didn’t run barefoot in that race.

Budd-Pieterse is another accomplished runner who trained and competed on bare feet. In 1985 she broke the women’s 5000-meter world record.

The natural feeling of running barefoot is appealing, but it’s the health aspect that really sells it. According to physiotherapist Michael Warburton in a Sportscience paper, barefoot running reduces the risk of ankle injuries and reduces energy exertion by four per cent. This extra energy allows barefoot runners to run longer distances than they would if they wore shoes. Shoes add excess weight, making each stride slightly more tiring.

Though barefoot running does have its advocates, there are those who say it’s better to run with shoes.

Jim Norris, an athletic therapist based in Winnipeg, is one example.

“Running barefoot exposes your feet to injury,” Norris said. “If you are running

outside, there are rocks and pebbles, glass and other hazards that can injure your feet. If your foot gets cut two miles from home, how do you get back?

“Rather than having people chuck their shoes, they should be educated in proper running technique which is safe and ef-ficient,” he said.

The negative effects apply primarily to the soles of the feet. Scrapes, bruises and punctures can occur when the soles are not protected.

However, Sypniewski disagrees. “I’ve never had an injury or a gash or cut from running barefoot. I’ve only had blisters from overdoing it sometimes.”

Other negative effects include sensitiv-ity to colder temperatures and, obviously, dirty feet.

Karly Melnyk, a physical therapist from Winnipeg, finds a balance between Sypniewski’s and Norris’ views.

“The muscle and joints’ ability to sense movement, surfaces and terrains improves when running barefoot,” Melnyk said. “But some feet require that extra cushioning and absorption that a good quality running shoe can provide.”

Running barefoot has been forbidden in some running organizations and competi-tions. The Manitoba Runners’ Association, however, has no policy on barefoot running.

James Slade, past-president of the Mani-toba Runners’ Association and occasional barefoot runner, said, “In some races you might not be allowed to participate if you’re barefoot, that’s up to each individual race director. If they decide to allow barefoot runners in their event then go for it.”

He then added jokingly, “Just don’t get stepped on.”

Fleet on naked feetSean AngusThe Projector

The George Street Middle School Boy’s Volleyball participates in a volleyball clinic hosted by the Reds Men’s squad. Red’s (left to right) Stephane Fontaine, Coach Dan McMorran, Andrew Costa, Brett Wat-son, John Sheehan, Jean-Pierre de Vink, Jacob Kilpatrick, Julio Fernandez, Joel Garcia. Submitted

UNB MEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM GETS INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY

brunswickansports12 • Apr. 8, 2010 • Issue 26 • Volume 143