The Cord WeeklyVie tie that binds since 1926 MODERNIZING THE MEDIA SPRING BROKEN? SCHWENDE SPEAKS From the printing press to the digital domain, How to get your body in shape in The Cord talks to Laurier's own pop ... looking at the future of news ... PAGES 16-17 time for Spring Break ... PAGE 19 idol, Tyler Schwende PAGE 30 Volume 49 Issue 18 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009 www.cordweekly.com Students and faculty discuss Gaza In a series of impromptu open forums in the Concourse, Laurier community members debated Israel's actions in the Middle East LAURA TOMKINS EMILY VANDERHEIDE OPPOSING VIEWS - Student Dan Lipworth (left) responded at Thursday's open forum, while a sizeable crowed gathered around Dr. Peter Elgin sharing his views on Friday. HEATHER MACDONALD als shared their opinions in front of that the second daywas much more (UDHR)." Laurier's vision statement de- INTERNATIONAL EDITOR a crowd of over twenty. After Eglin's engaging," stated David McMurray, Eglin stood in front of a copy of clares its "commitment to justice first rally last Tuesday, a series of dean of students. the UDHR mounted on the wall in and sustainability" but Eglin has Last Friday was the 14th day of Is- e-mails were sent to him encourag- Gathering a much larger crowd the concourse as he remindedLau- made it very clear that he doesn't raeli attacks on Gaza. At noon, Dr. ing a discussion between Eglin and than his previous rallies, Eglin rier students of the initial clause of feel the Laurier administration is Peter Eglin, a sociology professor at the administration to create a more made a public appeal to students the document and then proceeded holding true to their values as they Laurier, held his third impromptu structured demonstration. who "want the observance of inter- to update the crowd on Gaza, stat- have not taken a stance against the rally in a week. "The decision was made to allow national law, Geneva conventions, ing, "If [the Israelis] keep on killing war in the Middle East. Eglin held an open discussion in free speech and academic freedom Laurier values and the Univer- people, I'm going to keep on com- the concourse as several individu- to take place in the environment in sal Declaration of Human Rights ing out." SEE GAZA, PAGE 2 Cuts to total $31 million Hawks join Rate ofreturn lower than previously estimated it's pretty clear that if we have to re- move a very large proportion of our Team Canada budget it's going to cut into salaries JEREMY TREMBLAY provincial Harry B. Arthurs Com- and benefits," Blouw said. NEWS EDITOR mission reported to the Ontario Universities across Canada are REBECCA VASLUIANU government in December that facing financial hardships because Andrea Ironside and Andrea Bevan will NEWS EDITOR multi-partner pension plans should of the current economic climate. In be allowed to extend the period of December, the University of Guel- represent Canada at the World Games in China Last week, Laurier president Max amortization for pension plan defi- ph announced a six-month hiring Blouw released a public message cits. No specific exemption for post- freeze on full-time and contract informing the university communi- secondary institutions was given. positions lasting longer than a year. JUSTIN FAUTEUX winter games of importance ty that $31 million in cuts will need Because Laurier is the sole em- The University of Waterloo froze STAFF WRITER second only to the Olympics. to be made to the university's op- ployer holding its pension plan the hiring in October. It involves university athletes erating budget over the next three university will be forced to repay "In Canadian history there are Two members of the Laurier from around the world compet- years. the pension plan's deficit over five very clear patterns [to economic women's hockey team have been ing together. Although VP: Finance Jim But- years. This accounts for $16.4 mil- downturn]," explained Laurier eco- given the rare honour to don the "It's an honour and a privilege," ler had previously announced that lion a year. nomics professor David Johnson. red and white and represent their said Ironside. "It's something that the university would be faced with Cuts will affect every department, "The reality is that we have a lot nation. I never expected, and I'm really a tough financial situation in the but will not be uniform, said Butler. of exports and a lot of them go to Next month, fifth-year defend- looking forward to it." upcoming year, the situation Blouw "We want to be strategic about this, the same place. When they boom, er Andrea Bevan and fourth-year 2009 will be the first year that describes is worse-off than what so it's not an across-the-board cut." we boom. When they bust we bust. forward Andrea Ironside, who women's hockey is an event at was described in November. Additionally, each position that That would also be true of Austria leads the team in points - second the Universiade, and Bevan and The university will now make comes up for hire at the university and Denmark and Germany. That's in the OUA - will travel to Harbin, Ironside will join other top play- cuts assuming a rate of return of will be reviewed before it isrehired. just the nature of the game when China to compete for Canada in ers from all four CIS conferences minus 13 percent; previously, it "We're a people-intensive and you're a small country next to a big the 2009 Winter Universiade. to make up Canada's entry in the had expected a zero percent rate of talent-intensive organization.... one." The Federation Internationale inaugural tournament. return. [Other costs are] 25 percent or less du Sport Universitaire (FISU) Butler also points out that the of our entire operating budget so SEE BUDGET, PAGE 5 holds international summer and SEE HOCKEY, PAGE 13 2News WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14,2009 ■ THE CORD WEEKLY The Cord Weekly - The tie that binds since 1926- phone: (519) 884-1970 ext. 3564 fax:(519)883-0873 email: [email protected] Vie Cord Weekly 75 University Avenue West Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009 VOLUME 49 ISSUE 18 Next Issue: January 21 QUOTE OF THE WEEK "I did the whole box, then threw up." - Sports Editor Lauren Millet, on trying to get drunk off Bailey's filled chocolate. WORD OF THE WEEK Jettison - To throw goods overboard to lighten a ship or aircraft in distress. CONTRIBUTORS Morgan Alan Nick Lachance Alissa Ruetz Devon Butler Jodie Mace losh Smyili Natasha Dilkie Tieja Maclaughlin Geetha Thurairajha Keren Gottfried Henji Milius Rebekah Ludolph Sarah Khalil Paula Millar Alanna Wallace YusufKldwai Don Morgenson Emily Vanderhelde James Popkie WLUSP STAFF NASA - Visible Earth - Copy Editing Manager Meredith Barrett PEACE-ATHABASCA DELTA Located in northeastern Alberta, the Peace-Athabasca Delta's water levels have been in steady decline Copy Editors Ariel Kroon throughout the 20th century. A recently released study was the first to examine change in the delta over thousands of years. Gina Macdonald IT Manager Kayleigh Leßlanc Distribution Manager Nicole Weber Climate change lowering water levels WLUSP ADMINISTRATION President Greg Sacks TARYN ORWEN-PARRISH unprecedented." VP: Advertising Angela Foster be highly funded environmental sci- affects the Canadian economy. VP: Brantford Holly Gibson STAFF WRITER A 4,000 square kilometre fresh- ence projects in Canada in this The oil sands industry Chair of the Board Bryn Ossington extracts bi- Vice Chair Janice Lee water ecosystem, the delta is one decade." tumen - which is refined into oil Board of Directors Brendan McGill Luay Salmon An eight-year study conducted by of Canada's 15 United Nations Ed- Through examining lake sedi- - from freshwater resources such researchers from Wilfrid Laurier ucational, Scientific and Cultural ments from different parts of the as the Athabasca River and the dis- ADVERTISING University (WTJIJ) and the Univer- Organization (UNESCO) World delta, researchers were able to re- appearance of such resources will sity ofWaterloo (UW) has revealed Sites and has long been construct its environmental histo- the All advertising inquiries should be directed to Heritage undoubtedly impact industry. VP: Advertising AngelaFoster at some startling information regard- protected by one of the world's ry and pinpoint climatic patterns As levels of glacier runoff con- 884-0710, ext. 3560 [email protected] ing freshwater levels in Canada. largest national parks, Wood Buf- over the last thousand years. tinue to decline and industries The study focused on the Peace- falo National Park. It ultimately revealed that flood continue to consume dwindling COLOPHON Athabasca Delta, a point of conver- In 1968,BC Hydro built the WAC frequency and lake levels have resources, drying of the delta the Peace Bennett Dam on the Peace River since The Cord Weekly is the officialstudent newspaper of gence for and Athabasca been in steady decline the will continue to increase unless ,h theWilfrid Laurier Universitycommunity. Rivers in northeastern Alberta. It to produce hydroelectricity. Since early 20 century - many years the remaining water is properly climate has its construction, ques- WAC Started in 1926 as the College Cord, The Cord Weekly is an reveals that change several before the Bennett Dam's allocated. editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid caused Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a freshwater levels to decline tions have been raised regarding construction, dismissing the no- Wolfe stressed this point, say- corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors. over the course ofthe 20th century, perceived negative impact on the tion that it is the single cause ofthe ing: "For us this is something that lam ier causing concern for those who rely Peace-Athabasca Delta's hydrol- delta's changing hydrology.