Baron columnist Simon Jack asks whether the planned new University Commons building will be cost effective.

The new University Commons will (apparently) soon start to rise over the west of campus.  Experienced veterans of the university may scoff at this, remembering the many past occasions when the Commons was going to start construction ‘just next year’.  Nonetheless, it’s apparently true, and the architectural concept is now available for student and faculty perusal.

The architectural concept for the proposed University Commons by firms B+H of Toronto and Sasaki Associates of Boston can be found on the UNB website at
www.unb.ca/saintjohn/universitycommons/_resources/archpres.pdf.  A quick perusal shows a very pretty building – that still seems to carry some significant flaws.

The architectural concept, for those who have not seen it, depicts a large building with one section of three stories and one of two, with about half of the external wall surface as glass.  Open concept is an understatement.  However, a perusal of the floor plan reveals some problems with this.

Firstly, large portions of the possible floor space go completely unused.  About 25% of the second story is devoted to open areas that allow library patrons to look down to the first floor.  Considering the library’s expanding collections, the university’s constant need for more space, and the several departments and offices which there were apparently not room for in the proposed concept, it seems improbable that this space could not be put to use as, well, almost anything.

The entire third-story is empty-space.  There is no floor.  It exists to provide a really high ceiling.  On part of the first-floor, this will mean that the ceiling is three stories high – at minimum, Facilities Management will not enjoy changing the light bulbs.  But even more likely (since, as even poor Arts students like myself know, hot air rises) is that heating the library will involve a lot of energy devoted to heating a third story that sees no use whatsoever – a third story which could, like the empty spaces on the second floor, be put to much better use.  Of the building’s potential floor space, about thirty percent is currently being wasted – but will still require heating.

At minimum, it would seem to make a lot of sense to remove the completely pointless third story.  I have never felt particularly claustrophobic in the current university library, and I am doubtful that the aesthetic benefits of a three-story ceiling are outweighed by the costs associated with one.  Not to mention what a pain they are to keep clean and maintain from two stories below.  Making some use of the third story would also seem perfectly possible, and would not necessarily compromise the aesthetics if done properly.

Second, a large portion of the building’s outside surface is glass.  From what this writer has been able to determine, even the best commercially available glass is inferior in its insulating ability compared to a standard wall.  For a building which sells itself in part on its environmental friendliness, this is something of a problem.  This also raises the specter of increased heating costs, which are a serious issue for a campus as perpetually indebted as ours.  But what’s of far greater concern is how this meets the need for the new building to be a ‘flagship’ of the campus.

A quick perusal of B+H’s portfolio will quickly show that they’re big fans of the ‘throw-more-glass-at-it’ method of making a building stand out.  In fact, a perusal of their portfolio raises the concern of whether the new Commons can be easily told apart from every other building the company has produced within the past few years.  It’s a pretty building, but it doesn’t seem to be a particularly unique one.

B+H seem to have taken a number of common elements in their designs, thrown them together with many of the current buildings at UNB, and knocked off for lunch.  While the student in me marvels at this impressive display of efficiency, this does seem to be problematic if the objective is to create a unique building which will stand out and draw attention to campus.  B+H and Sasaki Associates has produced unique and impressive buildings – and compared to many of them, our potential Commons does not seem to measure up.

In the end, the plan is hardly a terrible one – the university has no doubt spent more money on far less pretty or efficient buildings.  But there appear to be some serious flaws with the design, both in its practical role as a building and its more ephemeral role as an ambassador for the campus.  The university should take care that when the new Commons draws attention it does so because of its impressive strengths, and not because of impressive perceived flaws.

Simon Jack is a staff writer with the Baron.

You don’t need a large budget to perform Shakespeare. That is what the Shoestring theatre has been able to do for the past few years here at UNBSJ. A group of dedicated students with their director come together ever year and perform selected scenes from the famous playwright’s greatest works free of charge. This year with an audience mostly filled of first year students, they held the attention of the audience with humour and romance with each scene they presented. Each one of the actors preformed with care and passion in each one of the scenes. Whether it was in pairs or in the large groups, you could see the love that the actors preformed and the pride they felt on the stage. The audience enjoyed the performance tremendously. From a scene in the Tempest to the ending with all the performers doing a body count and reacting character’s death in a part call Drop Dead Shakespeare, the show was a massive hit.  This is an event that any fan of the works of the bard would love to see. Though this performance has come to an end for this year, there is a chance to catch it on Youtube and view the performances for the past few years as well. All one has to do is search “Shoestring theatre.”

Margaret Keith

With a sweep of the Academy Awards with 6 wins out of 9 nominations (including Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow), The Hurt Locker signifies a step back from big-budget spectacles and closer towards smaller-scale, character-driven films…

By Jonathan Bruce

In a tight-knit race for the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2009, all eyes were on the ex-spouses gunning for the top prize: acclaimed director James Cameron (Avatar) and sadly-underrated Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker). This was the competition between the $237 million dollar sci-fi epic versus the $11 war drama about Iraq. It was the biggest grossing film of all time versus a character-driven movie about a bomb squad which just covered its budget. Eventually, Bigelow took home the gold by becoming the first woman to win for Best Director.

What does this signify? First, The Hurt Locker is the first modern war film (specifically, Vietnam War onwards…) since 1978’s The Deer Hunter and 1986’s Platoon to triumph at the Academy Awards. Indeed, James Cameron commented that Locker could very well be “the Platoon for the Iraq War.”

It is no Apocalypse Now by any means, but it is one of the most chillingly realistic films concerning the Iraqi conflict and the efforts of American troops. In addition, it is one of the first films to not be in the top ten weekly domestic box office totals in North America. Although it made its budget and marketing back, it is most likely going to reap more profits in DVD sales, rentals, and pay-per-view showings.

However, it also continues a trend in smaller films to being nominated and winning at the Oscars. Nobody can forget indie films such as Crash, Slumdog Millionaire, Little Miss Sunshine, and American Beauty, which all succeeded in that field. Of course, films like Avatar and The Lord of the Rings are fascinating to watch, but there is something appealing about the films with limited budgets and more emphasis of characters and plot.

In addition, these kind of films enable new talent to be discovered and blossom into the next stars of tomorrow. The old Hollywood studio system died in the 1960s, the era of the Movie Brats lasted from the mid-60s to the early 1980s, and now the age of independent film continues from the 1980s unto the present day. Time will tell what has yet to come…

Jonathon Bruce is a volunteer writer with the Baron.

Jonathan Simmons explains the problem with modern war movies

In Green Zone, Miller (Matt Damon) is an ultra-competent soldier that never wavers from his commitment to a moral imperative that seems at odds with the life of a killer. Soldiering, historically, has been a vocation based around compromises, most of which are necessary if you want a functioning military. Idealists may go to war, but they don’t remain unless they’re delusional. At some point, as a soldier, you have to come to terms with the fact that you’re a tool rather than an agent. This is problematic because humans aren’t very good at being automatons.

We put a lot of pressure on our soldiers and we make a lot of judgments that are better left for our leaders. This is not to say that soldiers aren’t culpable, but expecting them to be our truth-seekers in addition to our defenders is a tall order. As a character, Miller strains credulity, or at least he probably does on the page, which makes casting Damon such a brilliant choice. Damon, unlike most other contemporary actors, lends a credibility to all of his performances that is difficult to articulate.

The success of Green Zone on aesthetic grounds depends almost entirely on whether or not you buy into what Miller (via Damon) is selling. I don’t say this lightly because the story, such as it is, feels very much like a Yellow Journalism exposé wrapped in a parable. Some of the film’s arguments are sound and there is a temptation to revel in moral outrage, but all of us have a limit to how much political proselytizing we’re willing to tolerate. I’m sympathetic to Green Zone’s aims, and I’m no anti-intellectual, but the effort of arousing emotions connected with the Big Lie is sometimes lost on those of us who have already acknowledged the trespass.

It is not enough to say that we require something new—a fresh spin; please, don’t take Oliver Stone’s call. The problem may be with the medium itself: if you abhor talky films you’re going to have to come up with other ways to get the necessary information across visually, and there are a limited number of strategies at your disposal for addressing the complexity of war.

If you must have exposition, you need someone like David Mamet who probably has a license to be wordy, no doubt owing to his work in theatre. The trade-off is that you lose some realism, which is clearly important to director Paul Greengrass. Katherine Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) is currently being lauded for her strategy, unconvincingly described as apolitical, but is that the kind of war film we want to see? Focusing on the working life of a soldier is not a bold move—it’s the easy way out of the problem. I don’t know about you, but I’m not comfortable with soldiers existing in a vacuum, cut-off from the machinations that employ them and send them to their deaths.

I think the soldier suffers from stereotyping, much like the police officer. In the latter case we can be thankful for shows like The Wire for challenging our preconceptions. I’m not sure we have succeeded in addressing the real challenges that soldiers face. Maybe that’s because we don’t want to, or maybe it’s just because war feels like pretend unless it’s on our own shores.

So, we’re left with a parable, the bread and butter of war films. Miller is our moral compass and we follow him as he comes to the realization that what he thinks he stands for can’t bear the weight of history. He follows through on his promise, but at the end he’s disillusioned. Unfortunately, we can’t experience the revelation of betrayal because that’s where we are at the beginning of the film. Miller is supposed to inspire us through his journey despite the outcome, but it ends up feeling like political confectionery. It would be nice if I could discard it as simply an artistic flourish to an otherwise conventional action picture, but I have the impression that Greengrass is serious, and that’s troubling.

Jonathan Simmons is the movie critic for the Baron. He also appears on the pop-culture radio show “From Tucker Park Road” on CFMH 107.3 FM every Tuesday at 3:00 pm.

Technology columnist Wayne Hansen explains why eBooks will are givening paper books a run for their money

On Christmas Day 2009, fortunate Kindle recipients were anxious to venture online to purchase eBooks to read with these new viewers.  As a result Amazon.com reported that eBooks outsold paper books for the very first time that day.  With the proliferation of the Apple iPad and the Kindle, the technology is finally here to make eBooks a practical, and economical, alternative to paper books.  Still, even with these technological improvements the demise of printed text is a long way off.

Amazon.com’s holiday sales numbers prove that consumers are willing to invest in eBook technology and with these technological improvements eBooks sales will continue to climb. While sales numbers are already impressive experts are telling us this is just the tip of the iceberg.

One of the biggest obstacles facing eBooks was the fact that many people simply prefer the look and the feel of actual paper books. In fact, there seems to be a real dislike towards reading texts electronically. We see it all the time at Universities where students prefer to print a document rather than simply reading it off the computer screen. There is an undeniable quality to holding a paper book in your hand but improved technology makes reading electronically much more enjoyable and that is changing everything.

eBooks have a couple of key advantages that make them appealing to many users. Building your collection of eBooks is much easier than building a collection of traditional paper books and you do not have to worry about storage space – well storage space in a traditional sense anyway.

Any book lover that has moved at some point in their life will tell you that one of the biggest obstacles is in bringing their beloved books with them. This is certainly not an issue with electronic books where the only storage space you need to worry about is the amount of available memory on your eBook reader. Secondly, eBooks are accessible anytime and anywhere through the simple click of a button.  eBooks are available on demand. No more driving to the local bookstore or waiting for an order to arrive in the mail, these books are delivered electronically in mere seconds.

These features of eBooks that have consumers changing their reading habits are precisely the features that have libraries investing in the same technology. Take the Ward Chipman library for example. According to librarian David Ross it took the WCL about forty years to grow the paper collection to about 150,000 volumes. Conversely, the electronic collection was built to 100,000 volumes in just the last five years. If these new volumes had been physical books, space would have become a major issue – instead with absolutely no storage space we can all access these volumes anytime and anywhere.

It seems that while eBooks are gaining popularity we have not seen the peak just yet. According to Ross, “eBooks will really take off when they become easy and convenient to read through a web browser”. Currently, the Kindle (and soon the iPad) make reading these electronic books enjoyable but ask anyone who has read an eBook through their web browser and they will be sure to tell you that their experience is much less enjoyable.

Adopting eBooks allows libraries to investigate a number of new initiatives, perhaps none as exciting as the idea of patron driven selection. Here is how it works. According to Ross, libraries currently buy a number of titles that may or may not ever be read by library patrons. With patron driven selection, patrons are exposed, through database searches, to eBooks that are currently not held in the libraries collection.

These titles appear in the search and can be previewed, for free, a certain number of times. If this title is chosen a defined number of times for electronic delivery then the library automatically purchases the book and it becomes part of the permanent collection. No more wasted space and no more purchasing titles that simply never get read.

I recently wrote an article in which I argue that communication technologies do not replace their predecessors but instead these technologies complement each other. For example, television did not replace radio, and radio did not replace printed text, instead they all co-exist, with each technology finding its own its own niche. Paper books and eBooks will coexist in the exactly the same manner. I thoroughly enjoy purchasing books.

I enjoy walking through a bookstore, meandering through the aisles and browsing the titles. I often buy books I never intended to buy simply because they caught my eye for one reason or another. I enjoy handling books and giving books as presents and there are many other book lovers just like me.

On the other hand, I can also see the advantages of having access to eBooks, especially in larger scale operations such as libraries. The popularity of eBooks will continue to grow as technology makes them easier to read but paper books will always have their place. I guess that means I will still have a lot of books to carry during the next move I make.

Wayne Hansen is the Manager of Student Technology at UNBSJ and a regular contributor to The Baron. He can also be heard on CFMH107.3 on Thursday at 6PM with Departures.

Team pulls out win in hard fought game against the Holland College Hurricanes

By Delsie Burke

This year UNBSJ was honoured to have our men’s volleyball come out on top in the ACAA championship and bring the banner home to our university. These strong and proud athletes fought long and hard for their championship and, thanks to teamwork, prevailed in the end.

The final game was against the Holland College Hurricanes and according to player Colin Rouse the boys knew they were going to have to work hard to come out on top, “…we knew that Holland College was not going to give us the game without putting up a fight.” And they did put up a good fight; there were times in the game where Holland College were in the lead and both teams were close in score but, according to ACAA player of the year and team captain Chika Ikejiani, there was never a turning point in the game and the team always stayed on top competitively.

Watching from the sidelines, the proud team manager, Stephanie Guimon, could see the enthusiasm and determination the boys were displaying, “The boys were on fire, they had a good thing going for them on the final set and you could tell they wouldn’t give it up for anything.” “We all knew that we were capable of winning,” says Chika.  “It was the drive to go out and win our second ACAA championship in a row which was of the main concern.”

The boys ended up coming out on top with final scores of 25-19, 25-19 and 25-23 and resulting in a 3-0 match. According to Colin, who started playing college ball three years ago, this is an incredible feat, but he attributes the win to hard work, training and “…our desire not only to win games but to establish ourselves as a perennial powerhouse in the ACAA.” Stephanie says that the win was not only a triumph for the veteran players on the team but it was a “thrilling” win for the new players who had never won this big before, “ They are aware and proud of the fact that they not only did it for themselves but for all the volleyball athletes that came before them…”

For the boys, winning the game was a great experience and they agree that the cheering fans in the audience had a huge impact on the outcome of the game. The crowd was large, loud and proud of their UNBSJ players and the team is grateful for their support. “I would just like to thank the fans that we had throughout the season and also the great turnout by international and local students for the ACAA Championships,” says Colin, “The atmosphere in the gym boosted us to do what had to be done to bring home the banner.”

For Chika, this will be his final year with the team as he is pursuing a career in policing and he is quite nostalgic about his team and his time here at UNBSJ, “I wish my guys the best of luck for next year and I will be watching and cheering them on!” Chika says that the team has had a great year and it can largely be attributed to teamwork, coaching and to families and friends who were there for the guys when they were needed. Chika says that the team is especially thankful to the professors who allowed them to leave during midterm season.

The goal of the team next year is to make it to nationals again and with the leadership of a strong captain, manager and coach I have no doubt that they will prevail in the future. Stephanie also says that she would like the team to do even better at nationals next year and she would also like to show to the other ACAA teams that, “…the east coast has something to offer besides just good seafood!” The team would also like to build a nationally competitive program to eventually reach the goal of having top rankings in Canada. Both Chika and Colin do agree that two big factors in the team’s success next year will be teamwork and smart recruiting decisions.

In closing I would like to say that we at UNBSJ are proud to have such great athletes representing us at the national level and it’s not just staff and students that are proud of the guys. Stephanie says that “These boys, they are a fantastic bunch of guys. They worked hard as a team and I am proud and appreciative to get to be a part of it all.” The team is also proud of each other, “… we have to thank each other for playing our hearts out and leaving nothing to waste” says Chika. “They have heart and drive,” says Stephanie, “and that is exactly what it takes to be an ACAA Champion!”

Delsie Burke is a staff writer with the Baron.

March 16

Campus Ministry Meet and Greet

Meet and Greet Free food and refreshments Tuesday, March 16 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Across from Tim Hortons Hosted by Campus Ministry

Contact: Ken Craft Phone: 648-5690 Email: kcraft@unbsj.ca

Times & Locations: Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 11:00 – 13:00 at Across from campus Tim Hortons

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Fitness Class Schedule – Winter Term

Description: The fitness class schedule for the winter term is as follows:

Tuesday – Yoga-Flex with Kathy

All 50-minute classes take place in the gym with the exception of Yoga-Flex which takes place in the Table Tennis Room (G. Forbes Elliot Athletics Centre).

Contact: Donna McCullum Phone: 648-5520 Email: dmccullu@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 12:00 – 12:50 at Gymnasium, except for Tuesday’s class in Table Tennis Room

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Title: UNB Alumni & Student Movie Night

Description: The UNB Associated Alumni and Student Representative Council at UNB Saint John are pleased to offer a special UNB Alumni & Student viewing of the upcoming blockbuster movie Alice in Wonderland in 3D.

Tickets for the UNB Alumni movie night are $7.00 per person for UNB students; $10.00 per person for alumni and $7.00 for children under 14.

Contact: Mary Duffley Phone: 648-5906 Email: duffleym@unbsj.ca

Times & Locations: Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 19:00 – 21:00 at Empire Theatres, McAllister Drive, Saint John

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Title: W.C. Desmond Pacey Memorial Lecture

Description: The W.C. Desmond Pacey Memorial Lecture is a public lecture by Noah Augustine, Chief of the Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation, titled “The Future of First Nations in Atlantic Canada.”

Contact: Sharon Smith Phone: 648-5560 Email: shaslett@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 17:30 – 19:30 at Hazen Hall Lecture Theatre

March 17

Title: “Ladies Only” Exercise Class

Description: This 50-minute class will consist of floor exercises and use of weights. The classes are open to all women and will be conducted under Islamic guidelines (no male spectators, curtains drawn, no need to undress, etc

Contact: Bonnie Sudul Phone: 648-5952 Email: bsudul@unbsj.ca

Times & Locations: Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 16:15 – 17:00 at Athletics Centre, Table Tennis Room

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Fitness Class Schedule – Winter Term

Description: The fitness class schedule for the winter term is as follows:

Wednesday – Strength Training with Kim

All 50-minute classes take place in the gym with the exception of Yoga-Flex which takes place in the Table Tennis Room (G. Forbes Elliot Athletics Centre).

Contact: Donna McCullum Phone: 648-5520 Email: dmccullu@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 12:00 – 12:50 at Gymnasium, except for Tuesday’s class in Table Tennis Room

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Tim Hortons “Talk English Cafe”

Description: Practice and improve your English skills in a relaxed setting. Meet other students and improve your pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, while enjoying a FREE Tim Hortons coffee.

Contact: Bonnie Sudul Phone: 648-5952 Email: bsudul@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 14:00 – 15:00 at Faculty-Staff Club, Ward Chipman Library Building

March 18

Title: BIOL 6000

Description: Steve Melvin, UNB Saint John Biology, will present “To Cut or Not to Cut: Can Alternative Methods Effectively Replace Animal Dissection for Biological Education?”

Contact: Colette Keith Phone: 506.648.5565 Email: keith@unbsj.ca

Times & Locations: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 11:30 – 12:30 at K.C. Irving Hall 101

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Title: Prior Learning Assessment at UNB: A Workshop for Faculty Assessors

Description: This workshop will explore best practices and provide some building blocks for assessing non-formal learning through the PLA process.

You will have an opportunity to share current practices and establish some assessment guidelines that are appropriate to your faculty.

Times & Locations: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 13:30 – 15:30 at Ward Chipman Library, Room 232

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Title: ZUMBA fitness class

Description: The Zumba® program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program that will blow you away.

Contact: Donna McCullum Phone: 648-5520 Email: dmccullu@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 12:00 – 12:50 at Gymnasium, G. Forbes Elliot Athletics Centre

March 19

Title: Beth Powning Closes the Lorenzo Reading Series Season 2009 – 2010

Description: The final author in this season’s Lorenzo Reading Series is New Brunswick’s own Beth Powning, reading from her new novel, “The Sea Captain’s Wife.”

Contact: Pat Joas Phone: 648-5540 Email: sjbooks@unbsj.ca

Times & Locations: Friday, March 19, 2010, starting 19:00 at Ganong Hall Lecture Theatre, UNB Saint John

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Title: Poley Mountain Ski/Snowboard Chili/Karaoke Night

Description: UNB Saint John Student Council, Saint John College, and Student Services present “Poley Night” on Friday, March 19.

We are offering a FREE bus trip to Poley Mountain for students. The bus will leave campus promptly at 2:30 p.m., returning at 10 p.m.

Then join us in the Whitebone Lounge for FREE chili, cappuccino and Karaoke! Spaces are limited so sign up early in Oland Hall, Rooms G13 and G14. For more information, contact B. Sudul: bsudul@unb.ca

Campus: Saint John Contact: Bonnie Sudul Phone: 648-5952 Email: bsudul@unb.ca Times & Locations: Friday, March 19, 2010, 14:30 – 12:00

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Title: Student Party Nights

Description: Why pay for a cab, high cover and drink prices when you can cut down your cost and still have a great time right here at Col Tuckers. Cover is $2 Doors at 10PM Coat Check Available

Contact: Anthony Enman Phone: 648-5981 Email: src-social@unbsj.ca

Times & Locations: Friday, March 19, 2010, 22:00 – 02:00 at Colonel Tucker’s Bar

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Title: UNB Saint John Toastmasters Club

Description: If you dread speaking in front of people, then the new, UNB Saint John Toastmasters Club is for you. Until now, this kind of support has not been available at UNBSJ but, on Fridays, support will be available. A student run chapter of Toastmasters had its first meeting on Friday January 22. The club will be offering the skills needed to transform you from a person with cold sweats and shaking knees into a person who can approach a presentation with confidence and, YES, even enjoyment!

Contact: Michelle Scott Phone: 648-5833 Email: mscott@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Friday, March 19, 2010, 12:00 – 13:15 at Canadian Rivers Institute, Room 222

March 22

Fitness Class Schedule – Winter Term

Description: The fitness class schedule for the winter term is as follows:

Monday – Step Class with Scott

All 50-minute classes take place in the gym with the exception of Yoga-Flex which takes place in the Table Tennis Room (G. Forbes Elliot Athletics Centre).

Contact: Donna McCullum Phone: 648-5520 Email: dmccullu@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Monday, March 22, 2010, 12:00 – 12:50 at Gymnasium, except for Tuesday’s class in Table Tennis Room

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Title: Open Mic Mondays

Description: Come out to Tucker’s every Monday Night for some live tunes as we host Open Mic Mondays. Enjoy the live entertainment and some drinks with friends.

Contact: Anthony Enman Phone: 648-5981 Email: src-social@unbsj.ca

Times & Locations: Monday, March 22, 2010, 20:00 – 23:00 at Colonel Tucker’s Bar

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Title: SRC Council Meetings

Description: The regular bi-weekly meeting of your Students’ Representative Council is held in the meeting room of the SRC Office. All are welcome to attend.

Contact: Anthony Enman Phone: 648-5981 Email: b118w@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Monday, March 22, 2010, 15:00 – 16:00 at HUME Council Chambers

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Tim Hortons “Talk English Cafe”

See March 17 for Description

March 23

Fitness Class Schedule – Winter Term

See March 16 for Description

March 24

“Ladies Only” Exercise Class

See March 17 for Description

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Fitness Class Schedule – Winter Term

See March 17 for Description

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Tim Hortons “Talk English Café”

See March 17 for Description

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Title: Display for Elimination of Racism and World Water Day

Description: Display for Elimination of Racism and World Water Day Wednesday, March 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Ward Chipman, across from Tim Hortons.

Contact: Ken Craft Phone: 648-5690 Email: kcraft@unbsj.ca

Times & Locations: Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 10:30 – 13:15 at Across from campus Tim Hortons

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President’s Medal and Distinguished Service Awards Ceremony

Description: Drs. Eddy Campbell and Robert MacKinnon will present the 2010 President’s Medal to Dr. Jack Terhune and Distinguished Service Awards to Dr. Philip Backman, Dr. Michael Bradley, Ms. Kelly Cummings and Ms. Tanya Pitt.

Contact: Tara Smith Phone: 648-5582 Email: tls@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 15:30 – 17:00 at Whitebone Lounge, Thomas J. Condon Student Centre

March 25

ZUMBA fitness class

See March 18 for Description

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Saint John String Quartet Recital

Description: Members of the Saint John String Quartet will present Schubert, String Quartet in d minor, D810 “Death and the Maiden.”

Contact: Kara Stonehouse Phone: 648-5889 Email: kjs@unb.ca

Times & Locations: Thursday, March 25, 2010, starting 13:00 at Whitebone Lounge, Thomas J. Condon Student Centre

March 26

Student Party Nights

See March 19 for Description

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UNB Saint John Toastmaster Club

See March 19 for Description

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Dineen Lecture 2010

Description: “Wonders of Scientific Simulation”

Suhas V. Patankar, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Dept of Mechanical Engineering University of Minnesota and President, Innovative Research, Inc. patankar@inres.com

This lecture is intended for a general audience. You will find the lecture easy-to-understand, interesting, and entertaining. Begin with an introduction to the physical processes of heat transfer and fluid flow. The lecture will include a brief history of scientific simulation, describe its benefits, show a large number of interesting examples, and give some comparisons of simulated results with actual measurements. Finally, as a very specific example of the power of simulation, the topic of airflow and cooling in a data center will be presented.

Contact: D. Roach Phone: 648-5823 Email: eng@unbsj.ca

Times & Locations: Friday, March 26, 2010, 14:30 – 15:30 at Hazen Hall Lecture Theatre

March 29

Fitnes Class Schedule – Winter Term

See March 22 for Description

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Open Mic Mondays

See March 22 for Description

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Tim Hortons “Talk English Café”

See March 17 for Description

Simon Jack and Delsie Burke describe their experience in Montreal over Spring Break

Montreal was once the most important city in Canada.  The centre of Canada’s financial markets and cultural life.  Visiting Montreal is still an opportunity to see the face of the old Canada, enjoy exciting cultural and historical experiences, and enjoy the delightful thrill of people talking another language while still being able to speak your own if necessary.  There’s also good pastry.

You can fly or drive to Montreal, but we elected to take the train, if only for the experience.  Our vacation began in Moncton waiting for the train to pull into the VIA Rail station.  Despite what conventional wisdom would have you expect, there were massive numbers of people waiting for the train, most of them travelling economy class in upright seats.

Once the train had arrived, the economy and first-class (read: everyone who gets to lie down) passengers boarded and the journey began.  The VIA Rail train we were riding on was called the Ocean.  It runs from Halifax to Montreal overnight, then back to Halifax the next night, and is the oldest continuously running passenger train in North America at over a hundred years.  Its route takes it over a thousand kilometres from end to end, and it makes twenty-nine stops on its way.

Riding on the train is certainly a unique experience.  There are a variety of options available – all involve some form of upright seating of varying sizes.  Berths give you a large bench opposite another passenger (also on a large bench), with fold down bunks for the evening.  Roomettes give you a seat, toilet and bed of your own in a private cubicle.  And rooms give you…a room.  That bit is less surprising.  We had opted for the berths.

The train’s use of space is quite economical – hallways are small, and a lot of things fold out into something else or hide away in the wall until needed.  The Ocean runs past some beautiful scenery in New Brunswick and Quebec (and presumably Nova Scotia), and the sight of a mountainside river in Quebec at night is truly impressive.  The downside is that the train can rattle and shake a lot, especially in the winter and especially before they add additional cars in Northern New Brunswick (which stabilizes things somewhat).  If you are easily made motion sick, a train ride can be very unpleasant.

Once in Montreal itself, the easiest way to travel is the Metro (the bus and subway system).  Unfortunately, the very useful tourist passes (which allowed unlimited rides for a fixed time at a fixed price) are no longer available.  Instead, you must buy and load a Metro card or pay with exact change – both of which can be somewhat inconvenient.

The subway portion of the Metro is clearly laid out, though the bus system can be downright arcane, and much more difficult to get the hang of.  A map of the bus system would be a good investment for anyone attempting to venture too far from the subway.  A knowledge of French would be useful, but about half the population speaks English, so making your way around is very possible.  Signs, while in French, are usually not too hard to work out – so long as you paid any attention in grade school, or even are good at guessing, you should be fine.

Our first stop after visiting with friends and family was Chinatown, or the Quartier Chinois, in the heart of downtown Montreal.  Downtown Montreal in general features a wide variety of architecture both old and new.  Many of the city’s fine old churches have been preserved, as have the towering skyscrapers that mark both Montreal’s past as the financial center of Canada and its continued importance today.  Montreal’s Chinatown was originally for Chinese immigrant railroad workers.

Its Chinese character has remained strong over time, and the architecture, people and goods available still display the area’s Chinese heritage in sights and sounds, as well as that of a variety of other Asian cultures (notably Vietnamese).  A variety of shops are prepared to offer you a variety of expensive and inexpensive Chinese imports, and the excellent food draws people from across the city.  We were most impressed by the inexpensive but delicious noodles and Vietnamese sandwiches available, and by the variety of sweet baked goods offered by the Chinese bakeries.

After Chinatown, we next visited the Basilique de Notre Dame de Montreal.  Notre Dame is a Gothic cathedral that was built in the early years of the 1800s.  A church has stood on the site since 1672.  The Basilica is an architectural wonder which demonstrates the faith and dedication of Catholicism within Montreal.  Each piece of wall and ceiling is a work of art – intricate carvings, stained glass, and detailed paintings adorn almost every surface.  Although we took pictures (which are, surprisingly, allowed), they simply do not do the Basilica justice.

The next day, we visited Montreal’s Olympic Park in order to see the Biodome and Botanical Gardens (which include Montreal’s Insectarium).  The Biodome features ecosystems from around the world – the tropical forest, the Laurentian forest, the St. Lawrence marine ecosystem, the arctic and the antarctic.  The ecosystems are presented in full with fenced paths allowing visitors to walk through.  Though the Biodome presents both animal and plant life, the animal life is usually the focus of the visitors.  A visit to the Biodome is an exciting opportunity to experience animals in something approximating their natural habitats, which was a deeply satisfying experience even with the crowds.

The Botanical Gardens not far from the Biodome. The gardens are a massive greenhouse displaying plants from around the world, with sections for desert plants, bonsai gardens, and a variety of tropical and other plants.  A walk through the exhibits can be very soothing.  The highlight of the gardens is the appropriately-named butterfly room, where hundreds of butterflies fly freely around the room – some of them are even friendly enough to land on you.

The problem was that everyone in Montreal knew this too, and children had been brought there for a March Break visit.  The line was at least half an hour long – which seems lengthy for a room the size of a lecture theatre, even one full of butterflies.  The Insectarium is set up inside the gardens and allows you to experience the many wonders of insect life (although mostly in the form of dead bugs pinned to the wall).  It is also the last resting place of casualties from the butterfly room.

One of the best experiences of Montreal was going to see “Bodies: The Exhibition” at the Eaton Centre.  Bodies is a world renowned exhibition and is featured across North America (only in Montreal and Toronto for Canadians).  The exhibition uses real human bodies, which are preserved through a process called plastination so they don’t decompose.  The bodies are then dissected in various ways to display bones, muscles and organs.  Seeing Bodies was a great educational experience and is one that should be repeated by every student.

The bodies were displayed in many ways, the most notable ones were full human body specimens who were posed in such ways as to show off the specific stretch of a muscle and how it interacts with bones and ligaments. Also notable in the exhibition were cross sections of brains and organs inflicted with cancer and other diseases, full digestive systems, an entire nervous system, and various appendages with ligaments, tendons and veins carefully highlighted and exposed.

The human development room showed the development of human embryos over the course of pregnancy.  Sadly, we were not allowed to take any pictures (but they were more than happy to allow visitors the opportunity to acquire a book of pictures of the exhibits).  Even without pictures, the experience was very interesting and provided real insight into the human body.

Unfortunately, our time in Montreal came to an end after this, and we returned to New Brunswick with a ridiculous number of pictures, many happy memories, and more souvenirs than was entirely wise.  Which, really, is the sign of a very good trip.

Simon Jack and Delsie Burke are Baron contributors.

Baron movie critic Jonathan Simmons explains why The Wolfman honors the legacy of classic horror films

Horror films were different in the ’30s and ’40s than they are now. Maybe they were more frightening or perhaps the audiences were just more naive. I grew up with a love for the Universal monsters, as creaky as they may seem today. I was fond of running around our house wearing a mask based on Lon Chaney’s gruesome visage in Phantom of the Opera. I will permanently have an image of the Phantom’s upturned nose and sunken eyes ingrained in my memory.

The Wolf Man was released in 1941, and whether you’re aware of it or not, many of your conceptions of the werewolf began in the mind of its screenwriter Curt Siodmak. Given my appreciation for these classic films, you can imagine my trepidation when I heard that it was going be remade. Benicio del Toro was attached early on, which gave me some hope as he’s known as a huge fan of the original film. Mark Romanek was hired to direct, but he left the project before production could get started, apparently because of a budget dispute. Several names were thrown around as replacements, all of them inappropriate. Joe Johnston finally took the helm, sending many horror fans and critics into a rage. By the time I heard that Johnston had employed David Self to do rewrites I had more or less given up on the project.

There’s something to be said for a film being able to stand on its own, free of the trappings of nostalgia, at least if you want to capture a mainstream audience’s attention, but being exclusive, detailed, and uncompromising has its fans as well. Sharing the sheer joy the filmmakers evidently had in paying homage to the 1941 film is not something I get to experience very often without being unsettled for all the wrong reasons, e.g., Superman Returns.

The best way to approach The Wolfman is to view it as a love letter to an older style of filmmaking with some contemporary flourishes. This is as much its strength as its flaw, in the sense that it’s unlikely most people are interested in seeing a traditional werewolf film, but for genre fans that have affection for the old studio system it’s a treat.

The violence in The Wolfman is not trivial, despite the absurdity of a half-man/half-wolf monstrosity roaming the countryside. Through careful editing and at times realistic gore, you’re never completely absorbed into the violence. It’s disturbing enough to not be exploitative, but there’s a mischievous quality to how it’s displayed as well. Many contemporary horror films rely on the startle reflex for scares, and there is a little of that, but it is more about iconography than cheap-thrills. This probably sounds disappointing, but the horror of The Wolfman is not meant to replicate an amusement park ride.

The Wolfman is a tragedy, but this doesn’t mean that it isn’t fun. There’s a unique pleasure in watching the damned go about their lives, hurting themselves as well as others. This is morbid, I admit, but it is at the core of all good horror. It’s much like catching sight of a car accident or watching a child tear the wings off a fly: You’re repelled by your own fascination. If you experience anything resembling fear it is the kind you get when you have a conversation with someone that’s a “little off” or when you hear a strange noise while passing a graveyard.

My grandfather was fond of reminiscing about sneaking into Universal’s Frankenstein. He was so frightened at the end of the film that he didn’t want to walk home in the dark. Later in life he laughed at horror films, never quite able to get back to that place of innocence that colored his experiences prior to World War II. I’m not sure if The Wolfman would have kept my grandfather up at night, but I think he would have enjoyed it all the same.

Jonathan Simmons is the movie critic for the Baron. He also appears on the pop-culture radio show “From Tucker Park Road” on CFMH 107.3 FM every Tuesday at 3:00 pm.

One of the most successful student events of the year ended with a bang

By Rafał Szymański

The long awaited night finally came.  On February 23^rd, after a rigorous month of competition, a winner was crowned.  That winner turned out to be Kendra Breedveld and Zoe Nadj.  Kendra spoke to the Baron about her joys of winning UNBSJ’s Got Talent.

When asked about the competition Kendra was very surprised and “had no idea what the outcome would be because everyone performed so well that last night, and the cheering was so loud!”

To make the final night of the competition even more electric and entertaining, K100’s Jay Delong joined host, Nigel Wiles, as master of ceremonies.

The evening began with Melissa Colwell singing Black Velvet, by Alannah Myles.  The change of performance style revealed just how influential the judges had been on Mellisa.  The crowd enjoyed the performance and showed their appreciation.

There was also the surprise fourth judge who liked Melissa’s second performance: Hallelujah, written by Leonard Cohen.  Even though it is an incredibly difficult song to perform Melissa took a huge gamble with her final choice.

The judges were once again very impressed with the execution of such a hard song, saying that she “left the best for last”, and that “this was the one [they] wanted.”

Patricia Harrity performed her own country version of “That’s what I Like About You”.  The immense crowd support immediately revealed Patricia to be fore-runner in the competition.  The auditorium went wild with screaming and howling.

Patricia had fun on stage, enjoyed the song, entertained the crowd, but was criticized for once again continuing the competition with a country song.

Her costume change for the second performance revealed she was taking this competition seriously.   It was no surprise that her second song was country, but this time, a sad song.

Kendra Breedveld and Zoe Nadj’s first performance was “I Know You’re There” by Casting Crowns and delivered yet another impassioned performance.  Kendra’s voice seemed to improve with her every performance.  Whether it was a growing confidence or lessons learned from the judges, the quality of harmonies produced by the sisters was felt by all.

The judges, rightfully gave equal credit to the performers, although mentioned that Zoe would have to let loose on stage a bit more if she was going to take the prize.  Words like “fabulous, terrific, and great” were common place when discussing their performance.

What is more impressive is that the judges realized just how far the two had come during the duration of the competition.  Two out of the four judges claimed that they had “easily made the most progress throughout the competition.”

When asked about the difficulty of the competition Kendra had no reservations.

“It was definitely a challenge.  The judges were great because they forced us to come out of our shells, and loosen up a bit, and we knew that they were expecting more each week.”

The second performance solidified their victory.  The final harmony of the song was as close to perfection as the competition has seen.

The judges realized just how intently the competitors took their words, Zoe looked energized and at peace on stage, at moments even looking like she was “having a fantastic time.”  One judge even called their sound “Rankinish.”

“The competitors were great.  It was fun to hang out all together backstage while waiting for our turns.  Everyone was very encouraging.”

The guest performers were very entertaining and gave a good amount of time for reflection and voting to occur.

A nice touch was bringing a semi-finalist, Jordan Kennedy, back to play a Neil Young song, “Helpless”, while incorporating the finalists as back-up singers.  Jordan Kennedy surprised everybody listening, including the finalists, who kept turning around to watch him sing.

Anthony was introduced onto the stage and after thanking everyone for coming to, helping at, and supporting the show, presented the envelope to Nigel Wiles.

The competition being over, Kendra was asked on how the music they sang was chosen.  She revealed just how important what she sang was to her and her sister.

“Well, we wanted to sing Christian music each week because we wanted to show our faith is important to us and that we want to live what we sing about.”

The courage to captivate an audience with Christian music revealed just the right amount of confidence.  It proved to be a positive turn, as the confidence of both artists peaked at their final performances.  Their performances were believable and very personal, an attribute the other competitors simply lacked.

Rafał Szymański is a staff writer with the Baron.