Editorial ® DECEMBER 03 2009
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81,9(56,7<2)&$/*$5< 92/80( _ ,668( 12 _ '(&(0%(5 _ editorial ® DECEMBER 03 2009 Editor-in-Chief: Cam Cotton-O’Brien 403-220-7752 [email protected] News Editor: Katy Anderson 403-220-4318 [email protected] A note from the departed News Assistants: Noah Miller, Brent Constantin and Annalise Klingbeil Entertainment: Jordyn Marcellus 403-220-4376 [email protected] Sports: Jon Roe 403-220-2298 The queen is dead, long live the queen [email protected] Opinions: Ryan Pike 403-220-2298 [email protected] Features: Sarelle Azuelos 403-220-4376 ood advice is worth re- help people get informed about [email protected] peating twice — or more. the world they live in. Photography: Chris ‘Doc’ Pedersen 403-220-4376 When I fi rst got to uni- Being involved in the commu- [email protected] G Production: Ændrew Rininsland 403-220-2298 versity — aft er four and a half nity around you — on campus [email protected] years as a McManager, and a short that could be through the Stu- Illustrations: Jen Grond 403-220-2298 stint travelling — someone told dents’ Union, TriMedia or even [email protected] me that the best part of being a the Video Game Club — cre- Academic Probation: Brad Halasz 403-220-2298 student is that you’re allowed to ates empowerment to help [email protected] make mistakes. make the changes to the things Three Lines Free: Meagan Meiklejohn 403-220-2298 [email protected] From the $2,300 worth of we all complain about. As class sizes Business Manager: Evelyn Cone 403-220-7380 dropped classes to the countless grow and the province attempts to [email protected] published typos I’ve made (I’m backtrack on their promise that Advertising Manager: John Harbidge 403-220-7751 sorry dear, sweet readers) I’ve re- tuition would be linked to infl a- [email protected] Graphic Artist: Ken Clarke 403-220-7755 alized how true this is. If I hadn’t tion, students should take care [email protected] stumbled up those long stairs to to guard their quality of educa- Network Manager: Ben Li the Gauntlet offi ce as a disoriented tion. It’s not hard, pay attention to Contributors fi rst-year, I would never have got- your Students’ Union, who speaks Emily Ask • Isaac Azuelos • Trevor Bacque ten to where I am today — agoniz- for you to the government, watch Amy Badry • Laura Bardsley • Chris Blatch Allison Cully • Nicole Dionne • Allison Drinnan ing over what clichéd advice I can what administration says and then Jordan Fritz • Savannah Hall • Rhiannon Kirkland Cailynn Klingbeil • Richard Lam • Sierra Love impart as deadline creeps closer what they actually do and vote — Eric Mathison • Matt McGuigan • Ayla Musial Kim Nursall • Daniel Pagan • Carey Puglak and closer and getting ready to at the very least. Kimberley Richards • Rob Siewert • Alastair Starke quit (or “pause” as my mom pre- At risk of losing what little re- Sydney Stokoe • Chris Tait • Alicia Ward • Andy Williams fers me to say) school to work as spect you may have had for me, Golden Spatula Volunteer D, who is great. an overworked/underpaid jour- the young Aerosmith fan in me Furor Arma Ministrat nalist in a new city. (and the realization that as this is Room 319, MacEwan Students’ Centre But, seriously, university is the my last student “journalist” piece, University of Calgary 2500 University Drive NW time to try everything you can I’ll never get away with this many Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 General inquiries: 403-220-7750 think of, from how much Den beer ry about the mess you make later. adventures I’ve had are the ones clichés again) can’t help but say http://thegauntlet.ca you can drink while still standing And, what doesn’t kill you . that have popped up along the life’s a journey, not a destination. The Gauntlet is the offi cial student newspaper of the University of Calgary, published most Thursdays throughout the year by the to attempting that bazillion-page Having a plan is a great way to way. I never planned on being a Gauntlet Publications Society, an autonomous, incorporated body. Membership in the society is open to undergraduate students at the research paper on the thing that make sure you rise above your lazy writer, but as a poli-sci kid, the one Katy Anderson U of C, but all members of the university community are encouraged to contribute. Opinions contained herein are those of the individual interests you most — you can wor- self, at least for me, but the best thing I knew I wanted to do was News Editor writers, and do not necessarily represent the views of the entire Gauntlet staff. Editorials are chosen by the majority of the editorial board. The Gauntlet is a forum open to all U of C students but may refuse any submission judged to be racist, sexist, homophobic, libelous, or containing attacks of a strictly personal nature. We reserve the right to edit for brevity. Grievances regarding the Gauntlet Congrats to new News Editors Brent Constantin and Noah Miller! They’ll start in 2010! follow a three-step process which requires written decisions from the Editor, the GPS Board of Directors, and the Ombudsboard. The complete Grievance Policy is online at: http://thegauntlet.ca. The Gauntlet is printed on recycled paper and uses departure-based Farewell, Katy! The Gauntlet wishes you well in all your future endeavours! ink. We urge you to recycle/move the Gauntlet to Vancouver. Letter Policy Letters must be typed, double-spaced and received by Monday at 4 p.m., and must include the author’s name, student ID number, telephone number and signature. Letters will not be printed if they include attacks of a strictly personal nature, statements that discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or sexual orientation, or libelous or defamatory material. All letters should be addressed to “Editor, the Gauntlet,” and be no longer contents than 300 words. The Gauntlet retains the right to edit submissions. Letters can be delivered or mailed to the Gauntlet offi ce, Room 319 cover MacEwan Students’ Centre, or sent by email to [email protected]. The Cover The holiday season is almost upon us! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chuanukah, Tet, Photo by Chris Tait (below); design by Chris Pedersen Kwanzaa or any other holiday, the Gauntlet wishes you a great winter break. See you in 2010! news features opinions entertainment News Editor Katy Ander- Alternative medicine isn’t all vi- Christmas shopping! Cine- Calgary’s all ages venue son’s last news section ever, tamin water and sweat lodges. matography! Islamophobia! crunch, the decade in review page 4. Nicole Dionne argues in fa- Google! By gosh, we got a and the Gauntlet’s gift guide. vour of increased regulations, lot of stuff here, page 13. Also, more CD reviews than page 11. you can shake a stick at start- ing on page 25. Dinos lose Vanier Cup, Sports is on page 19. TLFs are on page 29. Comics are on page 30. Only 5 weeks until next issue! 4 DECEMBER 03.09 GAUNTLET Editor: Katy Anderson—[email protected] news Education needs to fi ght for its freedom Trevor Bacque and integrity continue to this day. Gauntlet News Anne Stalker, Th e University of Calgary Faculty Association president, says the heart n a world where misinformation, politi- of any university should be research and ex- cal corruption, war and other social prob- ploration. Ilems exist, the academy is seen in many “Research is about the thing itself, not the ways as a bastion of free speech and thought goal,” she said. — where unbiased research exists for its own Stalker feels universities are dogged by sake. many problems today, including a lack of Th us we enter into the world of academic government money for research. freedom and all its many facets. Th e scant government funding ushers pri- Academic freedom is the life-blood of vate companies into the fray. Th ese business- modern universities. It is the right to teach, es off er to bankroll research which has caused learn, study and publish free of orthodoxy or its fair share of moral dilemmas. threat of reprisal and/or discrimination. Th is “Researchers have had to scramble money Gauntlet fi le photo freedom includes the right to criticize the from wherever they can,” said John Baker, university and the right to participate in its Faculty Association president Anne Stalker says a lack of government research fund- CAUT treasurer and U of C philosophy pro- governance. Tenure provides a foundation for ing has pushed private companies into the fray, a fact that can lead to moral dilemmas. fessor. academic freedom by ensuring that academic Baker pointed the fi nger at pharmaceuti- staff cannot be dismissed without just cause His organization deals with issues on a a way of resolving disputes.” cals citing research funded by such compa- and rigourous due process, according to the case-by-case basis and most problems are re- CAUT currently has 65,000 members nies which have skewed results in the past. Canadian Association of University Teachers. solved before they reach his doorstep. amongst the 121 colleges and universities it “It’s a subtle interference.” CAUT executive director James Turk says “[Universities] have grievance arbitration represents across Canada, and it continues to While the interference may be hard to de- the organization is a defender of academic procedures [and] clear, concise language set grow. tect, it can a have massive impact, such was freedom. up as well to avoid these kinds of things.” Beginning in 1951, the organization saw the case with University of Toronto professor “Th e only way we make advances as a soci- Th e research heavy University of Calgary it’s fi rst case of academic freedom being im- Nancy Oliveri.