Jenny Feniak

managing editor

It is an honour, and an absolute pleasure, to introduce you to Grant MacEwan University’s new student newspaper, The Griff.

Much like MacEwan itself, the student newspaper grew up from humble beginnings as the Intercamp newsletter in the early 1990s when MacEwan was still a community college. This name reflected and united the four individual campuses that make up MacEwan. When MacEwan grew up and into the world and dropped community from its name in 1999, Intercamp was being published as a full-fledged newspaper.

MacEwan has come a long way since then, and to celebrate this evolution, we decided it was time the student newspaper followed suit.

Earlier this year, the seed of transformation was planted, and when we called out for feedback and input from our readers, you responded with a roar.

The one unanimous point was the fact the name Intercamp had to go.

Our readers gave us a great selection of possible names and when it came down to the final five, we had a terrific voter turnout.

On April 7, 2011, The Griff was born.

The name’s most obvious connection is to MacEwan Athletics’ sports teams the Griffins.

But we’re not that dutiful, and actually chose the name for far more fitting reasons. In the late 19th century, griff was used as a slang term for information or a news tip. And that’s exactly where every story you’ll read here starts.

Next September, to coincide with MacEwan’s 40th anniversary, The Griff will be standing on it’s own and at your service. After all, it is the students’ newspaper.

The weekly print edition will still arrive on campus every Thursday, but it’ll offer more columns, editorial pieces and interest features. While The Griff online will have breaking news, updates, sports scores and more.

But just because the school year’s coming to a close, doesn’t mean our time is up.

We love to hear from our readers, so keep in touch with your two cents.

Let us know what you’d love to see in The Griff, or just let us know how your summer’s going.

Email me at feniakj@macewan.ca.

See you in September!

Tisha Raj

writer

Passing by security personnel, one can’t help but notice the static noise coming from their walkie-talkies.

Often seen patrolling campus grounds in pairs, Grant MacEwan University Security Services is committed to sustaining a safe campus environment and improving the quality of life for students, faculty, staff and community members at all four campuses.

The recent spike in criminal activity around campus has put Security Services on high alert, making members even more determined to solve the recent thefts from vehicles in the west parkade, the break-ins of lockers at the Robbins Health Learning Centre and break-ins of offices.

Hot wheels

There was a total of 10 thefts from vehicles reported before the last week of March.

“Three of the thefts we managed to isolate with videos”, said Raymond Williams, supervisor of Security Services.

MacEwan campuses are currently equipped with a total of 164 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras spread over the four campuses.

Security Services was able to confront the perpetrator identified in the video last week. The man did not deny his involvement after seeing the footage.

“With that, we got a hold of our liaison with Edmonton City Police and, of course, with the pictures and a positive identification we (were) able to build a solid case against this person with three charges,” said Williams.

Security Services works closely with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) to prosecute criminals on a regular basis.

Jack-in-the-box

The Robbins Health Learning Centre is no stranger to locker thefts.

Two laptops went missing from the building, with another laptop missing from the Centre for the Arts and Communications (CFAC) campus.

All three thefts are linked to one person familiar to the area.

Security personnel have managed to identify this man and with the help of EPS, determined that there are six files pending against this man.

Trespassers will be prosecuted

In December and January, there have been two break-ins. One took place at MacEwan’s Alberta College Campus and the other one right here at the City Centre Campus.

With the help of CCTV technology, Williams said they managed to isolate the perpetrator, who happens to be known to EPS.

A file has been put together and EPS is working on taking action soon on behalf of Security Services.

Cash and carry

“There have been three occasions where a man had entered offices in building five and took cash,” said Williams.

This person has since been identified and is believed to be linked to five other cases.

This person was confronted, but escaped.

“We’re one hundred per cent sure that he hasn’t been back since then,” said Williams.

The EPS is on high alert for this criminal because it is believed that he might be involved in other crime sprees in the downtown core.

“All in all we had a pretty good roundup of events and we’re pretty happy,” said Williams. “We have been working with the Edmonton Police Services on a regular basis since the latter part of fall and up to March.”

Williams credits the staff and students with the success the Security Services has been having.

“People were paying attention. We’ve had staff, students and faculty that actually said ‘Hey! There’s a guy here and he’s kind of strange. What’s he doing’,” said Williams.

On March 26, a man was reported causing damage to the vending machines on campus.

“We responded to a call of a ‘suspicious person’, and we were able to locate him and he ended up being arrested,” said Williams.

The man, known to EPS, was later charged with two counts and removed from the property.

Williams is proud of the work his officers have been doing and appreciates that everyone is getting more involved in crime prevention.

Security Services can be reached at 780-497-5554 for general inquiries, or for emergencies at 780-497-5555.

writer

As the school year comes to an end, students are scrambling to put finishing touches on projects and do last-minute cramming before finals, with a lot of this activity happening during all hours of the night.

Noticing this activity, Grant MacEwan University is stepping up its game to provide students a place to complete their studying and homework on campus.

Beginning April 11, the west wing of the Robbins Health Learning Centre, known as the Bow, will become a 24-hour study space.

David Drohan, the incoming Students’ Association vice president academic (VPA), thinks 24-hour study spaces are useful for students.

“They allow students to escape from home if home isn’t a conducive environment for studying,” said Drohan. “Basically, they allow you to be at school working right up to your exam or until your paper is due,” added Drohan.

The current VPA, John-Paul Hermano, pushed for a 24-hour study area on the belief that these areas provide students with a distraction-free place to access the school’s resources and work in groups.

“We’ve always realized the need for it, but it’s only since we’ve become a university that the school has begun to prioritize it,” said Hermano.

Hermano is grateful that Drohan will pursue this endeavour when he takes office on May 1. Drohan aspires to implement a permanent 24-hour space that students can access year round.

“It needs to be someplace securable and accessible with all the necessary facilities that can meet the needs of students who want to use it,” said Drohan. “The Bow has a lot of things going for it, but we’re still discussing the permanent location of such a study space.”

There’s a strong need for a dedicated study space for MacEwan students. As Drohan pointed out, students’ dedication to education is not limited to the daytime hours.

“Students are accessing the myMacEwan portal all throughout the night. There are always people online. They’re either getting up early, staying up late or pulling all-nighters,” said Drohan.

The 24-hour study space has become a priority for Drohan and he is dedicated to pursuing the venture started by Hermano and the VPAs before him.

“I think it’s a great initiative and I’m very grateful to the previous VPAs for their contribution to this project. I plan to continue moving it forward,” said Drohan.

Having a place where students can go during the night is a necessity, as many students don’t think they should have to go to other universities’ campuses to study.

“I think it’s a very good idea. I use them all the time,” said Aaron Pattison, University of Alberta student.

Reactions to the idea of a 24-hour study space are generally positive around MacEwan as well.

Shellie Dowhan, a second-year nursing student guarantees many of her classmates will use it.

“A lot of people have distractions at home, so it’s a great idea for them,” said Dowhan.

Brad Welk and Sean Poitras, both commerce students, feel that having a space to study all night where they won’t be distracted would make a huge difference.

A 24-hour study space on campus can minimize distractions ensuring students study and work hard.

MacEwan’s 24-hour study space runs from April 11 to 21. There is no word yet on when a permanent space will open up on campus.

news editor

Towards the beginning of fall semester, on Oct. 6 and 7, 2010, students hit the polls to vote in their representatives on Students’ Council, the highest governing body of the Students’ Association at Grant MacEwan University.

Since then, many changes have taken place, with council seeing several members resign from their positions as well as numerous others being appointed as replacements.

Students’ Council has 12 positions, with eight representatives from City Centre Campus (CCC), two representatives from the Centre for the Arts and Communications (CFAC) campus and two representatives from MacEwan’s South Campus (MSC).

After votes were tallied from last year’s elections, only 11 spots were filled, appointing all 11 candidates that ran in the election.

A disappointing voter turnout capped out at about seven per cent, with about 800 of the eligible 11,800 students casting a ballot.

The 11 councillors voted in on council are no longer the 11 candidates representing the student body.

Six of the elected candidates have since resigned from their positions, with council appointing their replacements throughout the year.

Yet, even some of the replaced coucillors have resigned from their seats.

One more resignation is scheduled to take place on May 1, as Councillor Kassie Russell (appointed to fill Kinni Sandhar’s position at CCC) will move to her position on executive council, where she will serve as vice-president operations and finance. Max Yuan has been appointed to take Russell’s spot.

Although only eleven members were originally elected to Students’ Council, it has seen 18 candidates take seats throughout the year.

Danika McDonald

arts editor

This year, a total of six councillors have resigned from their positions on Students’ Council — a large number and one that Nils Holmgren, Students’ Association (SA) President has a hard time speaking to.

“I’m not sure,” he said when asked about the trigger that caused such a large councillor turnover this past academic year.

“In many ways, and I’m sure of it, some are due to personal commitments — school and other things. There are a variety of reasons councilors have resigned,” he said.

That’s certainly the sentiment echoed by Trevor Fisher and Joseph Kubelka, former councillors who resigned on March 23.

“I quit because the program I am in began to conflict with the dates of the meetings,” said Fisher.

Kulbeka, who ran for vice-president academic this past executive election, losing to David Drohan, resigned from his position on council for the same reason.

“I took the opportunity to resign from council because I am not available for several of the upcoming meetings and the summer due to my academic commitments, travel and work,” he said, adding there is an advantage to having councillors resign if they are having difficulty meeting their commitments.

“Resigning gives someone an opportunity to step up and serve their fellow students as well as allowing council to work better by reducing the number of councillors required for quorum,” he said.

Holmgren admited that though the situation is frustrating, it isn’t foreign to Students’ Council.

“It’s tough,” Holmgren said. “You always get (the turnover) but not often like this. You always have people resign. Some for good reason and some bad, it’s kind of all over the place.”

Holmgren offered the advice that students thinking of running for council should know what they are getting into. He hinted that perhaps there was a lack of understanding regarding the responsibilities of the councillors from the start.

“I think sometimes, what the problem is, is that not all councillors understand what the scope of their work is. It’s not just going to meetings. It’s far more than that,” said Holmgren.

He hopes next year will be different.

“You need to have that consistency,” said Holmgren. “Part of what the SA really wants is having the same group from start to finish.”

Kubelka and Fisher weighed in on what it takes to successfully sit on Students’ Council.

“Be prepared for meetings on any day of the week and make sure you make your voice heard,” said Fisher.

He believes there are both negative and positive aspects to council due to the natural nature of politics.

“Everyone is going to look at things in different ways and because of that, it is going to cause debates and conflicts,” he added.

Kulbelka suggested having a passion for working with people no matter what the situation.

“Having a passion for working with a diverse group of fellow students on complex, important and often fast-paced items. The need to be comfortable with the policies and bylaws we work under/with,” said Kubelka.

Kubelka looks back on his time as a challenge and a learning opportunity.

“Sitting on council was for sure one of the most challenging things I’ve had the honour of doing and it can sometimes be a steep learning curve. But, keeping an open mind and being willing to change and learn will get anyone through the experience successfully,” he added.

Elections take place at the beginning of the fall semester.

Tisha Raj

writer

On April 4, a new software system called Campus Solutions (PeopleSoft) was launched. Project Phoenix is the brainchild of various individuals from Grant MacEwan University who worked together on the 22-month project implementing a new student information, human resources and financial system.

Stefanie Ivan, associate vice-president of Student Services is excited to announce that under the student information portal, a system, known as myStudentsystem, will track the lifecycle of a student.

“The new system tracks everything. From when a student first inquires to MacEwan through admissions, registration and payment, records to graduation,” said Ivan.

MacEwan students will benefit from the enhanced self-service capabilities. For example, students in the fall will be able to order their transcripts online and those who are graduating will be able to order their gowns online as well.

“They will have the ability to view, through self-service, their MacEwan internal scholarships, awards and bursaries that have been allocated,” said Ivan.

“We have also integrated with the Alberta Students Finance Board so that learners with Alberta loans will have the capacity to view MacEwan tuition amounts and loan remittances online in one place,” she added.

Students will soon be able to register in courses right from their online Academic Advisement screens.

This eliminates registering at WebAdvisor, a system explained to be clumsy and cumbersome.

There are many new self-service capabilities for students that will allow them to access services when they want, without standing in line at the Office of the Registrar or an information centre.

These services will all be accessed through the MyMacEwan portal to ensure that students have a secure point of entry — the safety and security of the transactions performed are essential, according to Ivan.

In addition, Ivan notes students like their information to be on demand.

“Currently, (students) access the portal at all hours, often when the university is closed for the evening or in the wee hours of the morning,” said Ivan.

When Ivan and her team conceived the program, they wanted to implement a more streamlined set of processes and procedures that would make the system more viable and effective.

“In addition to the new self-service capabilities that we are rolling out to students, implementing a new student information system also forced us to think about how we do things and why we do them the way we do,” she said.

An example is the scheme of tuition payments. In the fall of 2011, students will be able to pay tuition on a term-by-term basis, with no deferral fee, instead of for a full year and a system of payment plans will be implemented for students who demonstrate financial hardship.

“In anticipation for continuing student registration, which began Monday, testing has occurred, and we simulated 1,000 students logging into the system at once. The test was a success,” said Ivan about the system withstanding the 40,000 students at MacEwan.

For more information, Ivan advises students to check their MyMail account for updates on new programs and information.

“I’m truly hoping that students will immediately benefit from the enhancements, especially to self-service capabilities,” said Ivan.

Students who experience any technical difficulties in the new student system can, as always, contact MacEwan’s Technology Support at 780-497-4357.

writer

Grant MacEwan University’s Students’ Association (SA) has been nominated for the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts Sustained Support of the Arts award for its ongoing commitment to supporting the arts in Edmonton.

The Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts is a collaboration between the mayor’s office and the Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton (PACE).

With the encouragement of the SA’s Stephanie Hall, who submitted the application to the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts, the SA will soon be recognized.

“I believe the Students’ Association of MacEwan has made an extraordinary impact through their support of the arts community on campus and within Edmonton,” said Hall, office assistant at MacEwan’s Centre for the Arts and Communications (CFAC). “The Students’ Association of MacEwan supports and encourages a variety of artistic endeavours, which has helped the MacEwan community flourish and enriched Edmonton’s art scene.”

The SA has been supporting the arts for the last 40 years and is committed to helping students succeed.

Some of the programs and events offered to MacEwan students include Will Play for Food, Adopt-a-Painting exhibition, grad shows and other performance opportunities.

These events encourage student participation and showcase their talents.

“I think it’s a great result of the important work that the Students’ Association does with MacEwan and supports the work of the students,” said Cadence Konopaki, manager of programs and services at CFAC. “The Students’ Association supports local arts and entertainment with events such as (a) two-day music festival, open mic nights and the visual art sale fundraisers.”

The SA assists students with finding employment or internships and provides funding assistance for art activities.

Funding was provided for a Peer Support nude calendar that focused on improving body image and self esteem.

“The Students’ Association nomination honours and recognizes the support we offer to students,” said Leanne Olson, director of programs and services at CFAC. “We support our students . . . when they are just starting out and beyond the world of MacEwan and into the community.”

Members of the SA are excited about the nomination and are looking forward to the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts.

Originally, the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts was a luncheon that allowed the business community to showcase Edmonton’s talents and build relationships with local artists.

When Mayor Stephen Mandel was elected, he envisioned the event to be an awards ceremony to honour local artists.

The awards ceremony showcases different artists’ performances by incorporating live musicians and theatre.

“The Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts gives us an opportunity to highlight the arts community in one night,” said Daniel Cournoyer, chair of PACE. “This celebration brings a sense of civic pride to the city and attracts intelligent people in the community that support Edmonton’s vibrant cultural arts scene.”

Show your support for the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts at the Winspear Centre on April 11. Visit www.paceedmonton.com for more details.

writer

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you have no doubt heard about the ongoing murder trial of Mark Twitchell, the man accused of killing Johnny Altinger.

Regardless of the single murder charge, however, the Twitchell trial is being extensively covered by a large number of media outlets across the country, including a few from the U.S.

Both the Edmonton Journal and the Edmonton Sun are publishing daily articles and live updates.

So why is this trial being covered so rigorously?

It’s not like Edmonton hasn’t seen a murder trial before. In fact, there have been 16 homicides this year, and we’re not even halfway through. So why the extensive coverage?

Well, besides being so close to home, it’s the bizarre circumstances and personal reference to TVs Dexter that has the Twitchell trial receiving so much attention.

The similarities between the trial and Twitchell’s own slasher flick is like something out of a movie, so naturally, we’re all going to watch it play out.

But beyond these reasons, there’s something psychological going on here.

We’re all glued to the Twitchell case for the same reason we can’t help but stop and ogle at a bloody car wreck: we’re all fucked.

I don’t want to be the person sprayed across the highway, but I’ll stop and look. I don’t want to be the suicide jumper, but I’ll watch them splat. And I don’t want to be on trial for murder, but it definitely has my attention.

People have a general interest in anything considered taboo and murder is no different. It’s a side of life that the average citizen is rarely exposed to, so whenever a window is provided, we can’t help but look through.

Why do you think gangster flicks are so successful? But what does this say about society in general?

Well, it’s like I mentioned before: we’re all fucked. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it?

I, for one, am glad we don’t live in a society that caters to those who’d rather live with one eye closed.

I prefer to see the world for what it really is, no matter how ugly and morbid that may be.

Kevin Penny

Our government continues to be elected through an unfair advantage without a proportional representation voting system.

The-first-past-the-post system is an awful way to make people’s votes count. Instead of allowing equal representation of individual voters, it crushes any attempt for smaller parties to win seats.

In short, if you vote for someone other than the two main parties, you’re essentially throwing your vote away.

A look at the last general election shows what I’m talking about. The Bloc Quebecois party received almost 10 per cent of the vote and took 49 seats in the House, meanwhile, the Green Party received about 7 per cent of the vote but was still left out of Parliament, in the cold.

It boggles my mind how a Quebec separatist party could have more say in Canadian politics than a party who believes in grass-roots democracy.

Elizabeth May obviously represents a certain portion of Canadians, yet a lack of seats prevents her party from being taken seriously by parties and media outlets alike.

It scares away potential voters when we cooperate with a system that doesn’t give equal representation between parties.

It took me three years to decide to vote because I always thought my vote wouldn’t make a difference. I still know my vote won’t mean shit if I vote for any party other than the Conservatives or the Liberals, but at least I’m trying to show my support against the system.

Not only does our current voting system create a sense of uselessness when supporting smaller parties, but it also encourages people to vote for parties they might not believe in.

Even if someone supported NDP policies, they would be more likely to vote for a Liberal candidate just so the Conservative’s won’t get the vote.

‘Tactical voting’ becomes nothing but a cold, calculating way to encourage political debate within society.

Proportional representation would give our government a better way to decide elections. Instead of the Conservative party receiving 46 per cent of the House from 37 per cent of the vote, they would be represented by the exact amount of people who voted for them.

The whole idea that two provinces hold more seats than the other 11 seems unfair to me.

Changing how our government is voted in won’t cause our society to fall to pieces. Some of the countries with the highest qualities of life — Norway, Australia and Sweden — use proportional representation for their voting system, and they’ve done pretty well so far.

Allowing smaller populations of voters to be represented in government is a smart idea because you are able to see the bigger picture in today’s society.

The 50 people in Canada who want to represent the Marxist-Leninist party won’t change significant policies and laws, but they will give a different opinion to how our country should be operated.

Equally representing the population seems like a pretty sensible idea, yet Canada is left with basically a popularity contest for an election.

I hope to one day see our government controlled by any other party than the Liberals or the Conservatives, but even that’s a stretch in my lifetime.

Kevin Penny is a 21-year-old, second-year journalism student at Grant MacEwan University. As a tenderfoot journalist, he looks to give some straight sense in the world of politics by defending truth, justice and the freedom of choice.

Mitch Cooper

The modern world is full of a wide variety of democratic models and systems in which the people choose their governments. In Canada ,we have a Parliamentary democracy which selects candidates from 308 different ridings and in most cases, the party with the largest number of members forms government.

The system is also first-past-the-post (FPTP), which means candidates in any given riding only have to pick up the highest number of votes in the seat to be declared the victor.

For several years, there have been complaints our system is outdated and that Canada should adopt what several European countries have, which is a proportional representation system (PR).

A PR system elects its members of parliament as a percentage of the total nationwide vote. If a party receives 20 per cent of the vote, their party will receive 20 per cent of the available seats.

While PR appears to be more democratic, there are reasons — good reasons — Canada uses a FPTP system. FPTP reduces the amount of fringe parties within a democracy by forcing parties to be mainstream enough to win a high concentration of votes from several small areas instead of a broader national collective as PR.

As European examples show, PR tends to elect radical right- or left-wing parties. Not only do polarized parties appear in parliament, several different parties tend to be elected which means majority governments are rare and coalitions governments become the norm.

Coalition governments are technically legitimate, but also have tendencies to be unstable. As well, when crucial votes are needed, the fringe parties in parliament tend to hold too much power in the final decision making.

PR is also a less-localized system of representation. While there are different models available to make the candidates selected come from local ridings, the system usually selects candidates from general lists. People select a party instead of a person to represent them.

FPTP, on the other hand, directly elects a representative. In Canada there are 308 individual elections where each riding selects its own representative. Several seats in our current government elect members, not based on party affiliation, but based on the trust and support of the constituency.

This is an important aspect of democracy. To lose what personal connection the electorate might have with its elected member by nationalizing the election, instead of maintaining our current localized system, would be a backward step for Canada. Our electoral system should remain local. Elected representatives must be held accountable to the people they represent. That aspect is lost in a PR system but maintained within FPTP.

Government must be controlled and operated at a local level. Similar to economics, local is more efficient than national. Grand, overarching, national electoral systems, such as PR, take the personal aspect of governance out of the system and it weakens our democracy. Canada’s FPTP system is not perfect, but it represents the people of 308 individual ridings the best and allows for stable mainstream governments to govern our great nation.

Mitchell Cooper is a 22-year-old, third-year Grant MacEwan University political science student with ambitions to attend law school. He’s worked two years in government, and on several political campaigns. He hopes to have the privilege of holding public office one day.

Dough Johnson

writer

Sooner or later the U.S. is going to have to realize that the word “public” doesn’t always mean “socialist.”

I get that they’re proud of their free-market economy (for whatever reason) but there’s a time and a place for everything.

The United States House of Representatives recently passed a bill prohibiting federal funding for Nation Public (“commie”) Radio (NPR), and preventing public radio stations from using federal grant money to pay NPR dues.

Go figure, the House voted mostly along party-lines; the conservatives, firm believers in a free-market, want NPR to re-work its business model — they want the NPR to make money.

Whatever your political reservations, think what this “business model” means to legitimate journalism — to honest news.

How can a news source make money by telling the truth? Hell, how can anyone make money telling the truth? This bill will, essentially, mean that broadcasters in America will have to market themselves or sell out to businesses already well-versed in lying — we can look forward to Coca-Cola World News.

As it is completely publicly funded (literally no commercials on its radio and TV broadcasts), the BBC doesn’t need to rely on the same kind of marketing that the NPR will in the coming years.

Of course, the BBC has its own problems. Some claim that it has a left-wing bias. Others (I imagine some free-marketeers fall into this category) claim it’s a tool of the British government. How true these allegations are is debatable.

So this is a good time to expose what an ideal broadcaster should be. First off, every journalist should be encouraged to be an asshole and to hate every political ideology equally.

This ensures fair coverage. With this in mind, catering to a specific demographic or being funded by some company with a vested interest is counter-productive.

So, like it or not, the ideal kind of funding for, say, the NPR, is public. However, immediately after giving a public broadcaster money, the government should back off and let it do its damn job.

So, the BBC might not be perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.

But what does the NPR funding bar mean for Canada? Well, possibly nothing. If the Conservative party pulls a miracle out of its ass for the federal election in May, the CBC might see a move towards a more American model of broadcasting.

But then, it’s been awhile since any political party increased the CBCs funding. Granted, I can’t imagine a government giving money to an institution that, in its ideal form, objectively covers its actions.

Nor can I see anyone voting for a party that wants to supply tax-payer money to the press when there are other problems in Canada — and when it’s easier just to Google, say, why there’s another election anyway.

But legitimate reporting is damn important. We can’t leave it up to the market to decide what is newsworthy anymore than we can trust some random bloggers take on the Bloc Quebecois.

Public funding like the BBC isn’t without its faults, but it’s ideologically head and shoulders above what the U.S. is doing to the NPR.

If the U.S. can’t see any importance in publicly funded press (the country’s bizarre boner for Fox News is an indicator it can’t) then at least Canada can take a big step back, and try to make the CBC as reliable as possible.

Logan Robicheau

writer

NATO’s involvement in Libya is becoming a touchy subject.

When we first heard that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was killing his own people for rebelling against his dictatorial regime, like many of you, my thoughts were, and still are, “this guy is a tyrant, he’s crazy, and he needs to go.”

But my thoughts have changed in to. “Wait. If we’re in Libya, why weren’t we in Egypt? Why aren’t we helping more in Sudan? Why did we choose Libya instead of Syria?”

The decision to intervene happened so quickly, it was almost as if we had no time to debate and give opinions on this issue at all, which was probably the methodology behind it.

So once it was agreed upon by the United Nations Security Council (excluding China and Russia) to initiate a “no-fly zone” over Libya, operation “protect civilians” (not really called that) was now in motion.

So you may ask yourself what exactly a no-fly zone is?

Well, it’s military intervention. Basically you’re bombing the crap out of a countries unlucky air force and not allowing any planes to fly over this zone, so that the enemy has to rely on ground forces, seriously crippling any advantage Gadhafi may have against the rebels.

So now that we know what a no-fly zone is I think we can all assume that this isn’t just an act of moral duty that we have to help innocents, but this is an act of war. Just like Afghanistan and Iraq, we are to believe that we should go to war because of our moral duty as a good ‘liberal democracy.’

The ‘moral police’ may have had support in Afghanistan — they even had support by many in Iraq — but the third time is not the charm.

People are tired of listening to what I call “Liberal Jesus Propaganda.” We are there to help Libya free it’s people, to protect the people and to show them the light by helping them attain equality and civil rights.

What Libya doesn’t realize is that if they are going to try and emulate the ways of the West with this idea of “freedom”, they will have to do it to the West’s terms, which is to secure energy needs for the future — oil.

We are assuming that once Gadhafi is out of power a new regime will be put in place that echo’s a voice of reason, when in fact, it could be quite the opposite and a regime of thugs could be the new rulers.

Interfering in a civil war is never warranted. NATO could be making an already-unstable area even more unstable which will undermine NATO’s credibility in Arab leaders and in the civilians themselves. Are we better off without Gadhafi? Absolutely. But let’s let the Libyan people decide his fate.

writer

It is becoming more and more common for bands to release music on vinyl. Artists such as The Black Keys, The National and Radiohead all saw substantial success selling music on vinyl in 2010. Why are we seeing a departure from digital music and CDs in the music scene?

The answer to this question lies in the decline in music quality between MP3s and vinyl.

With vinyl, the sound is warmer and fuller. MP3s use a technique called ‘lossy compression’ by taking the original music file and compressing it into a smaller file by excluding music information that it believes the listener is less likely to notice, which in some cases, results in whole instruments being secluded from the final product.

Also, producers now use ‘Dynamic Range Compression’, which reduces the difference between the softest and loudest parts of a song, so the music sounds good coming out of laptop speakers rather than high end stereo speakers designed for high quality playback.

The verses are just as loud as the chorus (listen to Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Scar Tissue to see this), and the song has no soft part, just sections that are ‘less loud’.

MP3s leave the music sounding hollow and lifeless, whereas vinyl presents the music often how the original artist intended for it to be heard.

For musicians on the independent scene, releasing vinyl either shows an acknowledgement of the decreasing quality of music with the industry’s decision to turn to digital, or shows a desire to get music to fans at the highest possible quality.

When CDs slowly replaced vinyl in the late ’80s to early ’90s, the music quality suffered a little, but it wasn’t a substantial amount. I would argue people were willing to sacrifice a little of the sound quality for the convenience CDs offered.

Vinyl is fragile, scratches easily and isn’t as transportable as a wallet containing 200 CDs is. The music still sounded superb, so CD was a welcome new format.

However, when MP3s came around, there was a noticeably substantial loss in quality from CDs, so much so that people began seeking out higher-quality formats and naturally went back to the highest quality — vinyl.

The rise of vinyl is getting money back to the artist — a move illegal downloading isn’t concerned with whatsoever. And unlike downloading, it isn’t a looming threat to the entire industry. So why fight it?

And there is a plus side. If enough of us start listening to vinyl and make it more mainstream, hipsters will stop listening to it and will naturally gravitate to the format that no one else is listening to, which in this case would be MP3s. iTunes wouldn’t know what hit them. Hipsters would be seen crowding Apple stores instead of our record stores. Even Steve Jobs will be ironically sporting a thin wispy moustache and listening to bands you’ve never heard of. Everybody wins.

features editor

Hello sun! We’ve missed you. Summer is almost upon us after a brutally long winter and, once again, we are actually able to participate in activities outside.

Whether you want to head out and explore the city’s many walking trails or volunteer with one of its many community-based programs, there is no better time to do it than the summer.

Sports teams are starting up to help you lose that winter weight and bar patios are reopening to serve the masses.

Many students work their summer jobs, knowing they won’t last long, so there is plenty of free time in the evenings.

Savour these four months, friends, because once you’re back in school, it won’t be long until the depression of November hits you square in the face.

The following pages are broken up into sections, to help you look at some of the options you could take advantage of on your precious time off this summer.

Lizzy Walters

writer

Congratulations students, just a few more weeks! Are you looking forward to a summer filled with drinking booze, beach days and homework-free nights?

Well, before you give yourself entirely away to the alluring freedom, you might want to consider boosting your karma with some volunteering this summer.

You may need to make money this summer by getting a real job, but before you flock to the nearest Starbucks, you may want to consider volunteering. Volunteering looks great on a resume and can actually be fun.

Now, volunteering doesn’t have to be a long-term job. You can get a weekend stint at Edmonton’s Folk Festival where you guard the beer tent for a few hours in the burning sun and then have the rest of your time free to watch the folk artists perform. If you are inclined to hang out with a bunch of old hippies on a hill, holding candles and singing, you will love the Folk Fest.

You could also volunteer for the Fringe Festival and take advantage of the plays and fun atmosphere, or The Works Art and Design Festival, which hosts local artists. If you were hoping to broaden your mind this summer, these are the perfect places to do so.

If food is more your style, try your hand at volunteering for the Taste of Edmonton. You can find the best local restaurants in the city, while trying unique cuisine.

As you can see, there are a lot of fun options out there. But maybe you want a long-term opportunity.

In that case, you could volunteer for the Edmonton Humane Society. This position could offer you something as simple as taking dogs on walks or having animals waiting for adoption live in your home.

If you love animals, this is sure to be a positive and fun experience. If you have the time, you could also take on one of the more complicated jobs, such as assisting with annual fundraisers and special events.

However, if you’re not an animal person, there are other options. You could try the Red Cross and volunteer as a prevention educator, or work with at-risk youth or the creativity team, where you would create posters and artwork for the cause.

If you want more adventure, Greenpeace could be for you. To start off, you can sign up for the volunteer newsletter.

This will provide you with notifications for events that you can get involved in. If you really love the organization and want to contribute more, you can also join the Greenpeace Local Group.

In Edmonton, this could mean you end up hanging from the side of Shell for hours in the cold, but if you’re OK with that, go for it.

There are also many volunteer opportunities abroad, although many of them cost a significant amount of money.

However, if volunteering isn’t for you but you still want the karma boost to make up for your binge drinking, try the quick and dirty version: go and donate your blood. Sure it hurts, but that just means your karma will be even better.

Danika McDonald

arts editor

There’s more to developing your skills in the arts than simply sitting in your drafty basement stumbling through guitar tabs.

Practicing your craft alone does build technique, but during the summer when you’re itching for entertainment, it’s hard to sit at home and sketch.

This spring and summer, take advantage of the conventional and somewhat unconventional arts programs going on in Edmonton.

There’s a lot to be said for keeping your mind sharp while interacting with the community. Education can be found in some surprising places if you approach it with the right attitude.

Poetry Slam

Every Tuesday, join the Breath In Poetry Collective (BIP Collective) at Rouge Lounge for an old-school poetry slam, like the beat poets of Ginsberg’s time.

Poets are reviewed and offered advice and the best poets are often given prizes for participating. This is a great way for writers and poets alike to work on their poetry and creativity skills.

It’s also great practice for songwriters looking to develop writing abilities for lyrics. The slams kick off around 9 p.m. weekly.

DZANC Day Creative Writing Workshop

The Edmonton Public library (ELP) confirms that learning continues even after the semester has come to a close, but to kick things off this spring, they are hosting a creative writing workshop on April 9.

The goal of the workshop is to create the perfect short story, a feat that is both challenging and rewarding.

From 3 to 5 p.m. at the Stanley Milner branch of the EPL, join Jason Lee Norman for tips on perfecting your short story.

Shakespeare in the Park

If you’ve only experienced Shakespeare in dumpy old high school books and BBC specials, this is your chance to experience Elizabethan theatre live.

Sticking with tradition, the River City Shakespeare festival will alternate between a drama and a comedy, for the evenings of June 30 to July 24.

This year, they will be presenting Othello and Twelfth Night, a perfect opportunity if you missed the Grant MacEwan University presentation this spring, in Hawrelak Park.

The Works Art and Design Festival

Any art teacher will tell you the best way to become an artist is to learn the technique of others.

The Works Art and Design Festival allows for that opportunity in a fun exciting way. The 13-day event, running from June 23 to July 5, brings artists from all mediums together in Churchill Square.

From stain glass to sidewalk chalk learning art is as simple as checking it out.

Want to perform at the works? If your band is interested in being involved first hand in supporting visual artists in Edmonton, deliver your CD to The Works office downtown before June 8.

For more details visit http://www.theworks.ab.ca. Compensation is offered for playing a 45-minute set during festival hours.

Stand-up comedy

Take your pick: The Druid on Sunday nights at 7 p.m. or Celli’s Irish Pub on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m.

Both venues offer an array of amateur stand-up comedians and also regularly let newbies up to perform.

Practicing stand-up comedy is a great way to develop quick wit and charisma. It may be a crash-course in embarrassment for some, but for others it’s a way to keep the mind sharp while getting a few laughs out of the deal.

Call Jordan Chtzowksi for more details at 780-940-6238 as he searches for the world’s funniest human being this summer.

The Heritage Festival

Edmonton is known as being Festival City for a reason with a major crowd-pleasing favourite being the Heritage Festival.

From July 30 to Aug. 4, Hawrelak Park undergoes an exotic transformation with colourful tents representing nearly every culture imaginable. Is there education to be gained in this? Sure! There are dance showcases and workshops, crafts and general knowledge to be gained at each stop.

Bus down and donate to Edmonton’s Food Bank to reduce your environmental footprint and give back to the community.

Or. perhaps bring a racist grandparent down and either shock the hell out of them or ease them into a new understanding.

news editor

Although the summer break allows students to escape from the education-related stress associated with exams, assignments and making the grade, many students long for meaningful experience.

Sometimes, this experience isn’t easy to find in employment, especially if you are only a first-year student just developing your skills and job-related expertise.

A great way to build your resume and take part in relevant experiences is to lend your hand at volunteering.

Lucky for you, the City of Edmonton is filled to the brim with volunteer opportunities that can directly relate to your education.

If you are having trouble finding something that you are interested in, try speaking with aninstructor for some ideas.

Perhaps find organizations that you might consider working for and give them a call or check them out online to see what volunteer opportunities they offer.

Volunteer opportunities

May 12 — Festival Volunteer Fair

www.volunteeredmonton.com

Several arts and cultural festivals will be showcasing their volunteer opportunities, including festivals celebrating dance, music, culture, film, theatre and more at City Hall between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

April 16 — Edmonton Volunteer Fair

www.volunteeredmonton.com

Volunteering is a great way to build your resume and get involved in worthwhile causes in your community. The Edmonton Volunteer Fair, happening at the West Edmonton Mall between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., features 100 different non-profit organizations presenting their volunteer opportunities.

City of Edmonton

www.edmonton.ca

Volunteer opportunities are available for a variety of departments, including Capital City Clean Up, park patrol and River Valley Clean Up.

Edmonton’s Food Bank

www.edmontonsfoodbank.com

Edmonton’s Food Bank is the premier food bank in the city, assisting hundreds of people who are in need of food every day. A volunteer has the opportunity to work with clients, gain reception experience and even organize special events.

Edmonton Police Service

www.edmontonpolice.ca/joinEPS/Volunteering

Volunteering with the Edmonton Police Service will give you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the service and give back to your community.

Edmonton Public Library

www.epl.ca/volunteer

The Edmonton Public Library is a resource frequented by students when prepping for exams and assignments. Why not give back? Volunteer opportunities exist to assist those with disabilities and take part in fundraising efforts.

Edmonton Humane Society

www.edmontonhumanesociety.com

Sometimes, people can be a bit overwhelming. But that’s where the Edmonton Humane Society comes in. You can spend a day caring for the various animals and helping people out in the adoption process.

Edmonton’s Valley Zoo

www.valleyzoo.ca

Volunteering at the Valley Zoo will give you the opportunity to interact with various animals and people, get involved with the City of Edmonton and most importantly, have fun.

Greenpeace

Volunteer-action.greenpeace.ca/Edmonton

If the environment and social justice is your passion, Greenpeace is the place for you. Getting involved is easy, and you are given the freedom to get involved in causes you holdclose to your heart.

Red Cross

www.redcross.ca

The Canadian Red Cross looks for all sorts of volunteers, from those looking to gain experience in disaster relief, to those looking to gain administrative experience.

Parkland Institute

www.parklandinstitute.ca/volunteer

The Parkland Institute is a research network that studies a variety of issues, from economic to cultural to political.

Conferences and forums

April 7 — A Research Agenda for Social Media Surveillance

The department of sociology brings students an overview of surveillance features on social media and looks at the relationship between social media and policing features. The event takes place the University of Alberta’s Tory Building at 12 p.m.

April 7 — Feed the Fight: The Role of Nutrition in Cancer

Students and various speakers will present their research on the importance of nutrition and health, with a specific focus on the role of nutrition with cancer.

The event takes place at Dinwoodie Lounge and Myer Horowitz Theatre at the University of Alberta between 9 a.m. and 4: 30 p.m.

April 11 — Getting back to basics; recommendations for U.S. immigration reform in the modern economy

Patrick Forrest from the U.S. department of Homeland Security will be speaking on immigration systems and the consequences of the broken system.

The event takes place at Telus Centre at the University of Alberta at 12 p.m.

April 14 — Percolate. Brewing ideas with Jeff Melanson

Jeff Melanson is the executive director and co-CEO of Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto and will be in speaking at the Percolate 2011 Speakers Series, where he will discuss ways that the arts sector can better evolve in the world.

The event takes place at the Matrix Hotel (10640 100 Ave.) at 6 p.m. Tickets are free, but you must reserve your spot by visiting www.tixonthesquare.ca.

May 2 to 3 — Domination: an undergraduate conference about globalizing ideologies

www.macewan.ca/web/services/domination

MacEwan’s department of anthropology, economics and political science present this conference, with focus on various themes, from food to neoliberalism, tourism and music and film.

This event takes place in the Robbins Health Learning Centre.

May 4 — Canadian Institutes of Health Research — Institute of Population and Public Health

Speakers from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research will be presenting policies, programs and practices in public health and other sectors.

The event takes place at the Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation at the University of Alberta at 2:30 p.m.

May 7 — Child Care Conference

www.childcare.macewan.ca

The annual Child Care Conference provides delegates with an opportunity to learn, reflect and grow in childcare-related professions.

The event takes place at Grant MacEwan University’s City Centre Campus from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 19 — Percolate. Brewing ideas with Nancy Noble

Nancy Noble is the CEO of the Museum of Vancouver and will be in speaking at the Percolate 2011 Speakers Series, where she will discuss how the Museum of Vancouver is becoming more relevant and sustainable through community engagement.

The event takes place at the Matrix Hotel (10640 100 Ave.) at 6 p.m. Tickets are free, but you must reserve your spot by visiting www.tixonthesquare.ca.

Kevin Penny

writer

Spring has begun to melt away the cold winter, and with it, has brought a whole new season of sports to follow.

Hockey season is almost over and football season is a ways away, but there are still plenty of sports in Edmonton to follow during the downtime.

The lesser-publicized sports such as baseball, rugby and basketball are all set to begin their seasons in the next month or two.

Baseball teams are getting ready to play ball in May, although it might be difficult to register since most late registrations have passed for Edmonton’s little league.

Some softball tryouts are still going on, such as the ladies’ fastball team, Edmonton Warriors Pride. Their training camp ends on April 17.

If you were interested in watching a professional baseball league, then the Edmonton Capitals would be the team to support.

They have recently joined the North American League (NAL) independent circuit, a newly created baseball league. The NAL is made up of three separate leagues: the western Golden League, the Northern League from Illinois, and the United League from Texas.

The Capitals are currently warming up for their 96-game season, set to open May 25.

Edmonton’s rugby scene is one of the oldest in the city. Teams such as the Leprauchaun–Tigers and the Pirates have been around since the 1950s, and rugby itself has been played in the city since 1891.

It’s even speculated that the long-standing sports rivalry between Edmonton and Calgary was started through the first official rugby match that same year.

The deadline to register for rugby is April 23 and the season starts May 7.

Basketball season might start in May, but it’s no reason you can’t start playing today.

Gyms and parks all around the city have nets set up year-round, and all it takes is two people and a basketball to start up a game.

The Edmonton Energy is all set to play another season, complete with a brand new dance team.

Former Energy player Skouson Harker is the team’s new coach, taking over for Paul Sir who resigned last season after posting an impressive 31-10 record over his two years. The Energy’s first game is on May 13 against the Albany Legends.

The summer season isn’t just limited to team sports. Take a hike through the river valley or visit your local pool if you’re looking for some exercise, or pick up a club and play a few rounds of golf.

Just make sure to take advantage of the few months of summer Edmonton has to offer.

Brad Hudson

writer

Canadian indie band Said The Whale has been roundly blessed and cursed so far in 2011.

The band was robbed of over $8,000 worth of gear and luggage while touring in Sacramento, Calif. Included were full cymbal sets, guitar pedals, two acoustic guitars, and guitarist/vocalist Tyler Bancroft’s entire wardrobe.

They promptly went to local pawnshops in Sacramento submitting serial numbers in case anyone attempted to pawn their gear.

“It was a pain in the ass, to say the least,” Bancroft admits of the experience.

Luckily, no shows had to be cancelled, but it did set the band back financially.

On the flipside, Said The Whale was awarded the Juno Award for New Group of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards in Toronto, which aired on March 27.

“It’s a huge honour,” Bancroft humbly says. “(We had) one of the best weekends of our lives. We partied hard . . . we are very proud of each other and proud of ourselves.”

In addition to winning the Juno, the band is also beginning a cross-Canada tour, having just recently returned to Canadian soil.

On its tour, Said The Whale will be stopping at The Starlite Room to play both April 18 and 19 with fellow Canadian indie acts Tokyo Police Club and Dinosaur Bones.

“Expect to see three bands that are really stoked to be on the road together,” Bancroft promises.

“We are really big fans of each other’s music,” he added.

The band’s latest album Islands Disappear was an entirely different experience for the band from its experience writing for and recording its EP Taking Abalonia.

“Recording-wise it was a lot different because we had more time to record the songs, which was nice”, Bancroft admits.

He also spoke of his anticipation of laying down tracks for a new Said The Whale album. He hopes to begin working on it as early as this summer.

Bancroft promises that the band will be playing some of those new songs at both of The Starlite Room shows later this month.

Bancroft’s humility is apparent when you get a chance to talk to him. One of the main things Bancroft hopes for Said The Whale is that its music achieves longevity with listeners.

“We write songs from the heart that mean a lot to us,” he admits.

“Every musician’s goal is to withstand the test of time. I hope we are always able to play music for people, whether it’s 10 people or a thousand people.”

Bancroft speakes highly of the company they have had on their tours.

“It’s an honour to share the stage with friends of our’s that we respect so highly,” he says, referring to eastern Canadian acts Hollerado (who was also nominated alongside Said The Whale in the New Group of the Year category at the Junos) and Stars.

Whatever the future holds for Said The Whale, one thing is certain — winning a Juno this early in its career is a good indicator of the musical talent and an even stronger indicator of its developing career.

arts editor

Grant MacEwan University has covered a lot of ground in the arts this year. Everything from massive installation pieces, to plays like Company, to the graduation recitals happening until mid-May.

But lets not forget a more modern genre of visual art, sometimes forgotten because of its adaptable nature.

The MacEwan Design Studies Portfolio Show features the true chameleons of the art world.

Students with majors in illustration, digital media, photography, motion image and exhibit presentation will be showing off the hard work they did in an elegant gallery-like setting this April.

It’s an opportunity for students to see some of the cool programs MacEwan has to offer and the fruits they produce, especially when they haven’t had a chance all year.

Laura Smiley, third-year photography student, reflected via the design studies blog she feels sad to be leaving her fellow classmates but is excited for the future.

Smiley adds that final projects have been demanding this year.

“Throughout the program, I have always loved when students from other programs ask how my midterms/exams are going and replying with a simple ‘Exams? We don’t do those!” Smiley jokes.

“The reply to this was often that of intense jealousy, but we do our fair share of work in replacement of time spent studying for exams,” says Smiley.

“Hours upon hours are spent on design projects — with very little time left over to let our batteries recharge,” she adds.

Colin Labonte, second-year visual media student, can certainly agree with that, having taken many classes in digital media and worked freelancing while in school.

The majority of Labonte’s work is usually kept to the computer, something he jokes never gets appreciated.

“A lot of your stuff has never really been seen before by anyone but yourself and a few classmates, so it’s exciting to finally have something to show off,” he says speaking to the Portfolio Show.

Labonte adds he often has a hard time describing to people what he’s doing in school because of its unconventional nature.

“I’m showing a few video pieces on my laptop then pretty much everyone, will be showing some print pieces,” explains Labonte.

“The show will be a mixture of a lot of different mediums.”

Now print pieces in media might not be seen as fine art, but Labonte sees the value in his digital prints and illustrations.

He also sees the value in getting to see what his fellow design peers have been up to.

For students studying at the City Centre Campus, the Design Studies Portfolio Show is coming to the convenient location of the Robbins Health Learning Centre on April 26.

The exhibit is open from 7 to 10 p.m. for the public.

writer

With increasing media appearances and a recent Juno nomination, Tokyo Police Club isn’t having a hard time keeping busy or securing a prominent position on Canada’s independent music scene.

The band is in the middle of its final tour to promote its second LP Champ. They will be making a two-night stop at The Starlite Room April 18 and 19.

The band agreed to play two nights instead of one in response to the overwhelming demand for tickets.

Guitarist Josh Hook comments that it “is a very welcome surprise.”

The new LP is filled with songs that are quick and concise, a trademark of Tokyo Police Club’s entire catalogue.

The album jumps around with different styles, but remains true throughout.

“There is definitely some experimentation that happens naturally,” Hook mentions with regards to how the songwriting has evolved within Tokyo Police Club.

“The real difference (between recordings) was the writing process of each album.”

Tokyo Police Club’s last LP Elephant Shell was produced a bit differently.

“(It was a) shortened, really fragmented writing process,” admits Hook.

“We’d start a song, work on it for a week, then leave for two weeks, then come back and completely forget where the song was going or where we wanted to take it,” he says. “With Champ, we knew how we didn’t want to write an album, (and) we were able to see each song from start to finish.”

The band recently played on stage at the 2011 Juno Awards on March 27, and was also nominated in the Alternative Album of the Year category for Champ.

“It was great, and definitely an amazing experience,” Hook says.

“It’s a little more nerve wracking then playing any other TV event, especially when you have The Arcade Fire sitting next to you and Shania Twain on the other side.”

The band is also no stranger to festivals.

Tokyo Police Club has been included in the roster of numerous festivals, which has garnered the band a dedicated following.

“They have all been amazing experiences,” Hook comments.

The band is scheduled to play festivals this year such as the Sasquatch! Music Festival and Edgefest 2011.

Tokyo Police Club has also received its fair share of publicity, with appearances on Desperate Housewives and The Late Show With David Letterman.

As the band becomes increasingly commercial, fans are starting to feel that Tokyo Police Club is losing touch with its roots. Hook assures this isn’t the case.

“It’s easy to see those comments coming from someone who hasn’t been there every step of the way,” he adds.

However, frontman David Monks told Spinner magazine recently that fans shouldn’t be surprised when their favourite artists commercialize their work in order to earn an income when their fans illegally download their music. Losing the income from music sales puts the artist in a tight spot.

“It’s a changed market”, Hook says in response to Monk’s comment.

“But come drive with us 16 hours overnight and you’ll see differently. It’s not like we’re flying first class across Canada.”

Listening to Champ makes this comment evident.

The band may be becoming more commercial, but the music isn’t sacrificing its authenticity in order to do so, which is what really matters in the heart of true music fans.

features editor

Cassette is back, baby.

Two Edmonton artists have upcoming cassette-only releases scheduled for April. On April 9, Mark Templeton will release Scotch Heart and on April 10, Liam Trimble will be releasing Ultra Rare EP.

There are several reasons why the medium has been chosen for both these artists’ new releases.

“It’s cost effective, it’s nostalgic and it’s easy to make look professional,” says Trimble of his Old Ugly release. “It’s slightly cheaper than CDs, but you can get them in smaller quantities, whereas with most CD pressing plants you can only get shipments of 500 to 1,000 to 2,000. With cassettes you can order any amount that you want.”

With CDs being harder to sell these days because of file-sharing, limited pressings of albums is one way of creating hype around the album.

This sentiment is reiterated by Mark Templeton, whose upcoming release is on the label Sweat Lodge Guru Records and Tapes.

Sweat Lodge only releases cassettes and vinyl and they only print a certain amount — once it’s sold out, it’s sold out. It makes you want to pay attention to what they’re releasing a little more, says Templeton.

“Artists and labels are trying to find a way to get people to purchase their work,” Templeton says. “It becomes an item that’s collectible — that only a certain group of individuals would purchase. People who are appreciative of a specific artist.”

Trimble admits, though, that it will probably only appeal to a certain type of music consumer.

“The kind of person that would be interested in it would probably be a hipster,” jokes Timble. “It’s kitschy, it’s cool, it’s certainly DIY. You pretty much have to put the whole package together yourself, which lends a craft aspect to it.”

Perhaps it is hipsters who will appreciate it, but music lovers have to admit that there is a certain amount of charm to cassettes, says Trimble.

Also, it is the only method of music consumption that caters to the crappy-car demographic.

“Most people my age — the ones I envision listening to my music — still drive shitty, old cars that have cassette decks,” says Trimble. “Cassette decks still came standard in cars as recently as 10 years ago. So 80 per cent of cars out there have cassette decks. They’re ready to go — ready to listen to my tunes.”

Templeton agrees that there is a certain charm to the dying formats.

“In today’s day and age, we consume things so quickly that formats like vinyl or tape are consumed as a listener in a different way,” he explains.

“It requires a little bit more effort on the listeners part, but when I use the word effort I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.”

Though both of the artists are excited about their upcoming releases being on cassette, they have different favourite ways of listening to music.

“Probably digital,” Trimble says. “I mostly listen to music while walking around, when I am in transit. Digitally on whatever device. When I’m at home I’m usually not listening to music because I’m making music.”

Templeton, on the other hand, prefers an even older medium.

“Vinyl,” he asserts. “I like the idea of having to, first of all, put the vinyl on the turntable and then the amount of time you listen to it, then you have to pay attention to it and flip to the other side.

“You just become a lot more aware of what you’re listening to. It becomes more of the foreground as opposed to the background. I like how closely I listen to it when I listen to vinyl,” says Templeton.

If you feel like getting nostalgic while experiencing fresh, new music you can check out Mark Templeton’s “sound art or experimental” music April 9 at The Artery (9535 Jasper Ave).

The next night, April 10, you can check out Liam Trimble’s eclectic pop, which includes a style described as “medieval trance” on one track, at The Pourhouse (10354 82 Ave).