THE GATEWAY volume XCVII number 44 OPINION 11 Red light for the Elizabeth May doesn’t stand a chance against Peter McKay in

ELIZABETH to this past attempt recently by taking in Central Nova, or the rest of the MCMILLAN a stab at her opponent, stating that, Maritimes that matter. Last January, “To be brutally honest, Peter MacKay the Green Party registered just 2.6 per is no Allan MacEachern.” cent of the vote in Nova Scotia, com- May made her announcement from pared to 5.5 per cent nationally. In the Tall and Small Café, an indepen- Central Nova, Green candidate David dently owned Fair Trade coffee shop Orton received 671 votes—a mere 1.6 home to local hippies and students in per cent. This doesn’t exactly make for the heart of Antigonish—easily the an environmental hotbed. ast week Green Party leader most left-leaning part of Central Nova. Even if May already had a strong Elizabeth May announced her May told the small crowd, “This national presence, it’s unlikely she L intention to run in Central where I am from and this is where my could mobilize a victory based on her Nova, NS—Peter Mackay’s riding—in heart’s at, and I wanted to run where position as a figurehead for a party that the next federal election. Well good I am comfortable.” Not surprisingly, has no seats in the House of Commons. luck, I say, because constituents there May found a receptive audience at a Perhaps May’s only hope is that she can will pick MacKay over an upstart envi- liberal refuge in what is an otherwise capture the NDP vote and convince ronmentalist any day. traditional conservative riding. Liberals to support her platform to While May’s confidence is com- come in a healthy second place. mendable—she’s running head-first Unfortunately, May will lose simply into the Conservative Party’s golden In Atlantic-Canadian because it will be too much for the boy—her tactic is political suicide. discourse, she’s still majority of the population in Central Having grown up in PEI, I can tell Nova to vote for an untested female you that politics in the Maritimes is a ‘from away,’ meaning candidate running for a party that still blood sport. You’re born into either a she is, and will remain, holds connotations of pot-smoking Tory-blue or Grits-red legacy—it’s as hippies, idealistic environmentalists, simple as that. And when party lines an outsider. troublesome protesters and outspoken run that deep, you need a lot more students. than cheery optimism. But to many constituents, May isn’t Central Nova still thinks it needs This is not to say that May is at home in this region, because she MacKay and that Atlantic Canada needs unqualified. A member of the Order never lived in Central Nova. While a high-profile Cabinet Minister to pre- of Canada, she holds a law degree, she grew up on , vent from forgetting them was awarded two honourary doctor- she was actually born in the US. In completely. This isn’t entirely without ates and is nationally recognized for Atlantic-Canadian discourse, she’s merit. But what the people of Atlantic her environmental work. She’s also still “from away,” meaning she is, and Canada also need is a government who the author of several books, including will remain, an outsider. In contrast, will acknowledge the crippling effects 2006’s How to Save the World in Your MacKay comes from a wealthy farm- of a high unemployment rate, falter- Free Time. No one said she wasn’t ing family in the region—one that ing social programs and the potential ambitious. also happens to lead a local political devastation on an agriculture- and fish- May first ran in Nova Scotia in dynasty. MacKay’s father, Elmer, held based economy if the environment 1980 at age 25, back when she still the seat for Central Nova from 1971– doesn’t become a priority. worked as a waitress. She challenged 1993, and many constituents still vote Don’t try telling that to the back- then-deputy prime minister Alan J for “Elmer’s boy.” room boys of local politics, though: MacEachern in the nearby riding Cape What’s more, the Green Party has they made up their minds the day they Breton Highlands-Canso. May alluded virtually no presence or credibility were born. Better luck next time May.

LETTERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 produced a great film that would have average from which anyone can interpret delighted both child and adult audiences. achievement in their own way. Mimsy adaptation nothing As for Edmonton’s film reviewers’ Many professional schools consider inability to mention the source of this dull a B+ to be mediocre if not the minimum but Jabberwocky piece of fluff: shame. [Though] Padgett’s allowable grade for admission. But how story is credited at both the beginning and can someone who achieved a 90 per cent (Re: “Mimzy preaches a dull environmen- end credits, even a cursory Wikipedia be considered mediocre? Why should he tal mantra,” 22 March). Perhaps it is my search would have yielded enough mate- be penalized based on what others have inner geek that is writing this letter, but I rial to satisfy science fiction fans and achieved on a curve? The basic purpose of am surprised that not a single reviewer of provide a context with which to properly a University is to foster learning, not com- the film The Last Mimzy, including that by critique the film. petition. I believe that the way grades and Maria Kotovych, even mentions that this transcripts are created at this University film is adapted from a very famous sci- DAVID NICKLIN encourages competition, rivalry, jealousy ence fiction short story (“Mimsy Were Arts XVII(!) and secrecy—all of which are detrimental the Borogoves”) by Lewis Padgett. Then to learning and against the very core phi- again, considering the horrible adaptation Curve system doesn’t make losophy of a university. Many of the stu- by [director] Robert Shaye, the film is not dents and instructors that I have spoken at all recognizable as having anything to the grade to agree with this. do with the original story. Please at least consider allowing per- Sadly, reviewers like Kotovych have I was a graduate student here at the centage grades to be included in our tran- missed a golden opportunity to point University. I decided to come here after scripts at our request. This will at least readers in the direction of the original story hearing about the school’s reputation give professional schools or graduate (which can be found in almost any “Best and programs. To be honest, I do not like schools an idea of the amount of effort of” Science Fiction anthology). “Mimsy how grades are given and recorded. a student personally puts in, as opposed Were the Borogoves” stands as one of the Like almost every student here at the to where they stand in a lineup. It will not seminal classics of the genre and I for one University, I have worked extremely hard. cost any more to print the transcripts, but am depressed and astonished that such a Not just to be the best that I can be, but to will make a world of difference to us, the famous work should be so badly adapted get into other competitive programs. I per- students at [the] U of A. to film (the only recognizable feature is formed quite well, earning high marks in all the toys from the future) and perverted to my courses. However, my joy was turned FAIZAL KASSAM make some sort of “environmental state- into great frustration when I saw that all Graduate Studies ment” while trotting out the spectre of ter- my grades were curved to a rather medio- rorism so popular these days. cre, uncompetitive letter grade according Letters to the editor should be dropped These themes are not only inane but to the University’s grading scale. off at room 3-04 of the Students’ Union gratuitous, representing modern cine- I believe that the transcripts should (at Building, sent via carrier owl or e-mailed ma’s inability to do anything other than the student’s request) show the percent- to [email protected]. pander to the lowest common denomi- age mark as well. This would show how The Gateway reserves the right to edit nator and attempt to seem socially con- well the student accomplished certain letters for length and clarity, and to refuse scious at the same time. objectives, not just how he ranks in com- publication of any letter it deems racist, Pagett’s work, on the other hand, has parison to other students. This way, the sexist, libellous or otherwise hateful in much to say on the nature of childhood, reader of the transcript can determine nature. The Gateway also reserves the the inherent intelligence of children, the how “good” the student is, instead of right to publish letters online. way that adults often dismiss the wisdom assuming his competence based on a Letters to the editor should be no longer of children and their views of the world, letter grade. than 350 words, and should include the as well as extremely clever references to [This] is being done at McGill author’s name, program, year of study Lewis Caroll. A more intelligent and care- University: the student is given a numeri- and student identification number to be ful adaptation of “Mimsy” could have cal and letter grade, as well as the class considered for publication.