The Cord WeeklyThe tie thatbinds since 1926 DELIVERING HOPE BASKETBALL BONKERS WATCHMEN DIVIDES New photo exhibition conveys Our in-depth preview of the upcoming NCAA A group review of Watchmen, the ... horrors in Africa PAGE 9 March Madness tournament... PAGE 12 latest comic book movie ... PAGE 27 Volume 49 Issue 25 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009 www.cordweekly.com Alumnus facing terrorism charges Laurier MBA graduate Suresh Sriskandarajah may face extradition to the US, pending appeals LINDA GIVETASH goods - such as military software STAFF WRITER - into Sri Lanka. In 2006, the US alleged Sris- Last Thursday, 28-year-old Suresh kandarajah was associated with Sriskandarajah was ordered to be the Liberation Tigers of Tamil extradited to the United States. Eelam, which it considers a ter- Sriskandarajah holds an MBA rorist group. At the time, he was from Wilfrid Laurier and was completing a degree in electrical awarded a CIBC Leaders in En- engineering at the University of trepeneurship Award in May of Waterloo. last year. A joint investigation by the Sriskandarajah had to enter RCMP and FBI led to 12 arrests in Staying custody following Thursday's rul- the US and Canada. ing. He was released on Friday Included in those arrests are pending an appeal of the extra- two other former University of dition, which could take place Waterloo students who face ex- silent in a year or later, after posting tradition to the US. $445,000 bail. Charges against him include SEE EXTRADITION, PAGE 6 to speak money laundering and smuggling RYAN STEWART DEVON BUTLER ing safer schools and accepting last night in the Paul Martin Cen- versus radical methods, the neo- embracing both sides of issues and STAFF WRITER environments. tre for an event titled "Speak before liberalism movement to violence not getting too extreme. Initially, the primary message the Silence: Oath of Silence speaker against women and lesbian, gay, "It is about educating and Today, thousands ofstudents across for the campaign focused on dis- panel." bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) spreading awareness. By taking the North America will remain silent crimination based on gender orien- The panel included Dr. Helen Ra- rights. oath of silence, you are shedding for the day to actively participate tation and expression. mirez, aWLU Women's Studies Pro- Engaging inopen discussion with light on a variety of issues people in Oath of Silence Day. On campus, When the WLU Rainbow Centre fessor; Jacob Pries, a fifth-year Lau- the audience, the panel largely dis- face everyday. It is not about speak- the event co-ordinated by Laurier's adopted the campaign in 2007, they rier student activist and Will Rowe, cussed the Oath of Silence, what it ing on behalf of other people." Rainbow Centre is designed to raise felt the need to expand and include currently studying at McMaster means to be silent and whether this Rather, Hafeez sees the campaign awareness for those facing oppres- individuals and communities fa- who "turned from radical lesbian is the most effective form for raising as a medium allowing those who sion and discrimination. cing prejudice, discrimination or to transvestite post-structuralist." awareness. are often silent on a daily basis to The idea for Oath of Silence Day intolerance based on their gender, The panel discussion ranged in Waleed Hafeez, events and activ- express themselves. originated in 1996 in the United race, religion, ethnicity or culture. topics from the proper approaches ities co-ordinator for the Rainbow States with the focus of creat- Similar issues were discussed to campaigning for a cause: silent Centre, believes the cause is about - SEE SILENCE, PAGE 6 Area residents concerned by development, by-law enforcement MORGAN ALAN enforcement, community groups, "Our focus has been primarily on STAFF WRITER students and permanent residents. first-year students. We're currently "The city has been very limited in discussion with several private Last night at St. Michael's Church, in the amount of control it has to developers ... to add approximately City of Waterloo Ward Six Coun- make things better. We just don't 460 beds for first-year and return- cillor Jan d'Ailly held a town hall have the power that we need," said ing students," he said. meeting on the topic of communi- d'Ailly. Trevor Mayoh, WLUSU's current ty-building and city initiatives. In May 2008, Waterloo City vice president of student affairs, The meeting was dominated by Council voted not to re-zone hous- was the sole student representative an hour-long roundtable on the ing surrounding Laurier and UW. on the panel. Mayoh spoke about growth of student housing into The decision was widely opposed the role that students play in Wa- what was formerly single-family by permanent residents of the area, terloo in both a community and housing. who believed that the expansion of economic sense. According to d'Ailly, perma- student housing into their neigh- "We all recognize that there are nent residents of neighbourhoods bourhoods was having a negative challenges in our community ... around the city's two universities impact on their property values but we're all partners in solutions have voiced their concerns over and quality of life. to these problems," he said. passive by-law enforcement, noise, David McMurray, dean of stu- In the following question-and- trash and aesthetically displeasing dents and member of the roundta- answer period, both long-term student housing. ble panel, spoke of Laurier's efforts residents and students voiced their to rectify the housing issue, outlin- concerns to the panel. The roundtable included repre- RYAN STEWART sentatives from Laurier, UW, city ing Laurier's plans to increase on- HOUSING - Panellists discussed student housing at the town hall. planning, regional police, by-law campus residence space. SEE CITY, PAGE 7 2 News WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11,2009 ■ THE CORD WEEKLY The Cord Weekly -The tie that binds since 1926 ~ "We need to have phone: (519) 884-1970 ext. 3564 fax:(519)883-0873 email: [email protected] The Cord Weekly a better story than 75 University Avenue West Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5 the MARCH market": May WEDNESDAY, 11, 2009 VOLUME 49 ISSUE 25 Next Issue: March 18 On Thursday, Elizabeth May spoke about society, QUOTE OF THE WEEK "I'm pretty done with the wrath and the environment and the the plagues ... let's move on!" religion at seminary - Print Production Manager Sydney Helland as God abandoning the Old Testament. REBECCA VASLUIANU May continued, stating that en- WORD OF THE WEEK NEWS EDITOR vironmental questions are funda- Gall-Bold, impudentbehaviour. mentally those that threaten the Last week, Green Party leader "integrity of creation." CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth May spoke to a packed She raised the example of a crowd of students and community Catholic bishop from Northern Al- Morgan Alan YusufKidwai Trevor Schicdel Sheena Archie NickLachance KatrinaSchmidt Chris Baluschak Trevor Loughborough Alison Schofield members at Waterloo Lutheran berta named Luc Bouchard, who Shannon Rusta Will Main Mara Silvestri Devon Butler Kareem Larcher Josh Smyth Seminary bringing a religious per- spoke in religious terms against Melissa Cupovic Tieja MacLaughlin Jaclyn Stief Kim Elworthy Sarah Murphy Wade Thompson spective to the issue extraction Man English HenjiMilius Alanna Wallace controversial the of oil from the Atha- lustinFauteux JamieNeugebauer Lyla Wilson Linda Givetash lennifer Rae of climate change. basca oil sands in Alberta, a pro- Kevin Hatch Sam Ritehes May, who is studying to become cess that is gaining much criticism WLUSP STAFF an Anglican minister, began by due to the large amounts of green- clarifying that she was not speak- house gases it produces. ing as a member ofthe Green Party Bouchard released a statement Copy Editing Manager Meredith Barrett Copy Editors Caitlin Henderson of Canada. about thepractice, saying: "The in- Ariel Kroon Gina Macdonald "I won't be speaking with that tegrity of creation is clearly being Natasja Pannecoucke Kristen Rowatt hat on," she said. sacrificed for monetary gain." "This is the personal reflection According to May, his actions of an environmentalist, a politi- are an example of the potential cian and a practicing Christian," a religious approach to environ- WLUSP ADMINISTRATION she continued. mental awareness has to "awaken President Greg Sacks in [individuals of faith] to VP: Advertising Angela Foster Speaking the silent chapel, something VP: Brantford Holly Gibson May explained that she wanted to they would not have heard from Chair of the Board Bryn Ossington Vice Chair Janice Lee begin by clarifying a misconcep- Greenpeace." Board ofDirectors Brendan McGill KAREEM LARCHER Luay tion commonly harboured - that "It's something that can happen Salmon REFLECTIONS - Elizabeth May spoke at the seminary on Thursday. Judeo-Christian tradition rooted block by block, town by town and ADVERTISING in Genesis was the source of hu- parish by parish." manity's ideas of exploitation. The trusting and attentive audi- ligion can have is to help shift the the market has become the biggest All advertising inquiries should be directed to VP: Advertising Angela Foster at Citing the writings of Reverend ence that spiritual centres have in values of society. and most important story in the 884-0710, ext. 3560 [email protected] Thomas Berry, May urged that their members is the perfect set- "We have seen a tipping on its world, there are other more im- Genesis encourages the opposite ting in which awareness can be head of what we used to consider portant stories, such as those told COLOPHON of exploitation; it encourages the spread about environmental is- virtues and vices," she said, ex- through religion. respect of all of God's creatures. said that con- that "the The Cord Weekly is theofficial student newspaperof sues, May, adding plaining bottom line" "To find meaning in life we need the WilfridLaurier University community.