VP finance-elect decides to stick with LUSU and possibly delay graduation

Stacey Goyan

News Editor

Despite possibly delaying his education, incoming VP Finance Chris Vaillant, says he’s not quitting LUSU.

“I will be remaining the VP Finance-elect, delaying my placement if needs be,” said Vaillant in an interview last week.

On March 25^th, Chief Returning Officer Tomas Valiquette announced to LUSU’s Board of Directors that, because Vaillant did not complete a required course, he would be unable to fulfil his education placement. As a result, he would need to complete both the class and the placement by the spring of 2011 in order to graduate at the end of that year.

For Vaillant to complete his placement, he would need more vacation days than executive positions are allotted.

The board voted against the 15 additional days off, giving Vaillant an ultimatum: put off graduation or quit LUSU. Vaillant had until Monday to inform LUSU of his decision.

Vaillant continued talks with the registrar and the Faculty of Education to look for other options that would allow him to serve as VP Finance and also graduate in the spring of 2011.

“As long as the Faculty of Education can arrange a placement after my term is complete […] I am in the clear. So ultimately, there should no longer be a conflict with my term as VP Finance and my required academics.”

If this does not work out, Vaillant says that he will delay graduation, and subsequently delay starting his teaching career. He also offered his apologies for the situation.

“The VP Finance position has continually been plagued with drama, from the [Johnny] de Bakker debacle in 2007, to the [Ian] Dasti fiasco in 2009, and now the Vaillant matter in 2010.”

“This has obviously been a trial by fire for my upcoming term, and I hope my decision to stay with the union reflects the passion and dedication I will be carrying into this position.”

Vaillant will replace current VP finance, Josh Kolic at the end of April.

What your student union is doing while you’re on vacation

Erin Collins

Argus

As students prepare for a summer of relaxation after a hard year’s work, LUSU will be continuing to work towards improving Lakehead. While current president Dave Grad will be stepping down following the end of term, he offered the student body some insight into what will be going on following his replacement by Mike Snoddon.

“This summer’s going to be a bit busier than last summer, and next summer will probably be busier than this summer. When we [the LUSU executive] came in last summer, we didn’t have a lot of training, and there wasn’t a lot we could have meetings about. This year we’ve planned ahead.”

One of the main initiatives for LUSU this summer is the design and implementation of the strategic plan, says Grad. “The strategic plan basically outlines what we hope to accomplish in the future. It’s kind of fallen by the wayside [with] everything that’s been happening lately. [Incoming president] Mike Snoddon’s going to be in charge of that. We’ve had an initial meeting, we’ve got the ball rolling, and we intend to really focus on it once the school year is finished.”

Dave explains that the plan provides a guideline for the future activities of LUSU. It can be used to set attainable goals for new executive, who may otherwise be unaware of what the student body has been working towards in the past.

“It’s never existed before,” says Grad. “We’re looking at certain areas of focus, including the services we offer, advocating, campaigns, and events. It intends to build on what we’ve accomplished this year and make sure we continue in the same direction… It provides a little more accountability and structure.”

Another major objective for LUSU this summer is the simplification of the constitution.

“The current constitution is a confusing, 200-page bible,” explains Dave. “It contradicts itself, and it’s not really a constitution – technically it’s more just a list of bylaws. We’re looking at it being simplified and making more sense.”

Grad asserts that the reason this summer is so jam-packed is the increased forethought concerning the future of LUSU. “This is one of the first years we haven’t undertaken any major projects,” says Dave. “In the past, coming into this job, most of the executive looked at their budget as how much they can spend in one year, rather than worrying about leaving some for the future. This year, we tried to cut down on spending and leave some money for the next year, planning ahead.”

Although this summer promises to be very busy for the new executive, Grad doesn’t think students will be missing too much. While they may not be able to attend LUSU meetings over the summer, open forums will be presented to the student body with the coming of the new school year. These will mostly be spent finding out what direction students want LUSU to take, and developing a rough draft of the action plan for the next year.

“It’s been a good year,” reflects Dave. “The work this summer will be towards making next year even better.”

Asexual reproduction may seed new approach for agriculture

Anthony Marrelli

Argus

Farmers throughout the world spend an estimated $36 billion a year to buy seeds for crops, especially those with sought-after traits like hardiness and pest resistance. They can’t grow these seeds themselves because the very act of sexual reproduction erases many of those carefully selected traits. So year after year, farmers must purchase new supplies of specially produced seeds.

This problem is sidestepped by some plants, such as dandelions and poplar trees, which reproduce asexually by essentially cloning themselves. Jean-Philippe Vielle-Calzada, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) international research scholar, wondered whether he could learn enough about the genetics of asexual reproduction to apply it to plants that reproduce sexually.

Vielle-Calzada and his colleagues have developed research that moves us a step closer to turning sexually-reproducing plants into asexual reproducers, a finding that could have profound implications for agriculture. Agricultural companies and farmers around the world have a tremendous interest in this method; it would allow them to simplify the labour-intensive cross-hybridization methods they currently use.

As with animals, sexual reproduction in plants involves the generation of male and female gametes that each carry half of the new organism’s genes. Flowering plants exhibit the most advanced form of sexual plant reproduction, producing pollen derived sperm cells that join with egg cells to produce seeds. Each seed, then, is genetically unique. By contrast, although there are several types of asexual reproduction in plants, they all produce the same result: genetically identical daughter plants.

Vielle-Calzada’s quest to develop an asexual seed began a decade ago, when he decided to investigate apomixis, a specific type of asexual reproduction. Many species of plants use apomixis to generate viable seeds without the fusion of sperm and egg. This method of asexual reproduction results in the formation of seeds that are essentially clones of the main plant and has great potential for crop improvement.

In apomixis, reproductive cells retain the full complement of chromosomes, rather than losing half their genes via meiosis, as happens in sexual reproduction. About 350 families of flowering plants rely on apomixis to reproduce, but nearly all plants used for food reproduce sexually.

Vielle-Calzada and his team studied apomixis in Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering mustard plant with a compact, well-understood genome. Arabidopsis was also selected because it reproduces sexually; the team’s goal was to induce apomixis in a species that doesn’t naturally practice it.

The researchers netted a number of interesting genes in their screen, but one in particular, Argonaute 9, caught their attention immediately. The large family of Argonaute proteins has gained widespread attention among researchers because the proteins control which gene products (either RNA or proteins) a cell makes. Argonautes do this by slicing up messenger RNA before it can be translated into proteins.

The next step involved mutating the Argonaute 9 gene to produce several gametes, rather than the usual single gamete. Instead of carrying half of the species’ chromosomes, they carried the full complement of genetic material, implying that they had not undergone meiosis.

By cutting off the function of Argonaute, the scientists caused a schizophrenic reaction of the cells in the ovule, which were not supposed to become gametes. It seems that Argonaute normally prevents those cells from being transformed into gamete precursors.

This suggests that Argonaute 9 prevents the initiation of apomixis in Arabidopsis.

The finding raises the possibility that many, or maybe even all, plants have the ability to reproduce through apomixis, but that potential is suppressed by Argonaute 9. It’s possible that plants have an ancient genetic memory that allows them to reproduce asexually.

The team then searched inside the ovule to look for the pieces of RNA that Argonaute 9 degraded. They found that Argonaute chewed up 2,600 snippets of RNA. After mapping those RNA sequences back to the Arabidopsis genome, the team discovered that more than half were produced by transposons. Transposons, also called “jumping genes”, are mobile genetic elements that copy and insert themselves throughout the genome. Their function remains somewhat mysterious, although some evidence suggest they are important in controlling gene expression.

“It seems that Argonaute 9 silences transposons in the ovule of Arabidopsis”, Vielle-Calzada says. The open question now is why this occurs. His working hypothesis is that squelching the transposons prevents apomixis, but his lab is working to prove the connection.

Though he has made great progress, Vielle-Calzada is still working toward creating a fully asexual Arabidopsis plant. His current mutants do not develop completely asexual seeds. But by highlighting the role of Argonaute 9 in plant reproduction, Vielle-Calzada has moved a step closer to a slew of agricultural possibilities.

‘Feminisms at the Lakehead’ explores broad range of topics

Amy Szybalski

News Writer

What do Lady Gaga and First Nations women in World War II have in common? Both will be discussed at the upcoming ‘Feminisms at the Lakehead’ symposium. The symposium, which Lakehead is hosting on Friday April 9^th, will see discussion around a multiplicity of different feminisms. Hosted by a fourth year women’s studies honours class and the Gender issues Centre, the event is an outgrowth out of the class’ collective research.

The organizers aim to bring people working in feminisms together to connect, share ideas, and give feedback on projects. Participants will engage intellectually, musically, and essentially in any way they see fit.

The equivalent women’s studies class of last year had their research presented at an international conference in Liverpool, England. A forthcoming book chapter in an edited collection sprung from that conference.

“This year’s class also had a proposal accepted at a conference much closer - London, Ontario - but none of the group could go because of time constraints,” explained Dr. Jennifer Roth, assistant professor of women’s studies at Lakehead.

The class is additionally preparing a research project for publication in an academic journal. “In lieu of travel to a conference, they thought it would be fun to hold a mini-conference here,” says Roth. “We sent out a call for participants on campus and in the community, for anyone who uses feminisms in their work to come and share what they’re doing.”

Hoping to get a large response from the community in and around Lakehead, the class decided to name the symposium ‘Feminisms at the Lakehead’ as a deliberate inclusion of Thunder Bay as a whole.

“The response was fantastic, much higher than we anticipated, which speaks to the diverse range of ways people are working with feminisms – here on campus and in other community spaces,” said Roth.

“The topics to be covered are incredibly diverse” adds Roth, “Presentations will be on past and present women’s collectives in Thunder Bay, working with women in Cuba, Palestinian women poets, possible generational differences in the perception of women’s issues, Twilight, women in leadership, Lady Gaga, First Nations women in World War II, and many more.”

A full schedule of the symposium can be seen in the Gender Issues Centre.

Photo by Cole Breiland

Practical tips for maintaining your sanity during exams

Christina Battaglia

Alas, classes are quickly coming to an end. Students are rushing, staying up late, and pulling long hours to get their last assignments completed. This means it is time once again for exams.

Students may experience the anxiety trips, panic attacks, and of course the sleepless nights due to the stresses of exams. There are three major factors that can help during “crunch time” that may benefit students.

Avoid or loosen stress levels

Try to stay away from stressful situations, like taking on a massive work load. Make sure to give yourself enough time for studying so you’re not panicking frantically at the last minute. It is essential to have time-management skills for planning days with a few hours dedicated to studying, as well as enough time for breaks to unwind any built-up tension. A helpful tip is to have notes written down on a board or a calendar of the subject to study.

Allow a minimum of two hours dedicated to one subject with a one-hour break before the next two-hour block of studying. This will avoid cramming everything in and will still allow you a few hours of free time to run errands – or even have a bit of a social life.

If you feel that tension persists, it may be time to visit a doctor. Students can access services at the Student Health and Counseling centre located on campus, or a walk-in clinic.

Take care of your health

A proper diet and exercise can increase your odds of staying healthy. Many students use the excuse of exam time to indulge in pizza, poutine, and brownies or the ten cups of coffee to pull an all-nighter – only to later realize that none of the information read was retained. Try to avoid high levels of caffeine; instead, drink water to stay hydrated and remember, plenty of sleep is key.

As a young energized student, stay active when taking a break from studying. Enjoy the fresh air and beautiful weather by going on walks. Being determined in a regular exercise routine can improve your mood and could defeat the physical effects of stress.

Other relaxation techniques, such as focusing on breathing and relaxing muscles by stretching arms, shoulders, back, and legs, can be done indoors. Maintaining a healthy body will provide for a healthy mind, and ultimately better results.

Keep a solid study environment

Exams are a whole year’s worth of knowledge condensed into a couple of hours. Having an organized study environment is important. Try to study in smaller doses over a long period of time. Having a wide timeframe will help make it easier to break down all the notes from the course. Be aware of all the information that was given throughout the course. If any concerns about the material arise, make sure to contact your teacher for clarification.

The last and final piece would be to avoid missing your exam. You may think it couldn’t happen, but it does. Whether your study habits involve working alone or in a group, sitting in silence or listening to music, just be aware of your physical and mental needs. Engage in lots of relaxation exercises and a stress free environment for a positive outlook going into exams. Best of luck to everyone!

Thunder Bay draws more students to stay in town over the summer months

Erin Collins

Argus

April can often be a painful time of goodbyes for residence students. After living amongst the same group of people for an entire school year, many come to refer to the members of their residence as a “second family.” An amazing and often life-changing experience at Lakehead can often prompt students to choose to remain in residence over the summer.

Unfortunately, many students are unaware of the services and facilities available after the end of winter term. As well as getting ahead on course requirements, many students are able to obtain employment in the city and maintain their position in the fall term. This can be a lot easier than spending four months at home job-seeking, only to return and have to find a new employer for the school year.

What kind of lifestyle do summer residents have, and how does it compare to the fall and winter? Residence Life Coordinator Shannon Foster comments, “we take the students that are staying and put them together. As there are a lot less students in the summer than the rest of the year, those that do stay often become very close.”

“As well as taking classes on campus, the majority of students work in the city and spend a lot of time there. They also spend most of their free time in the city taking part in all the outdoor activities available in Thunder Bay. “

Foster also emphasized that residence costs are one-third cheaper over the summer. He then went on to talk about the activities offered to residence students. He explains that the basic “residence structure” is maintained throughout the summer: residence assistants are still available to students, and barbecues and other group activities are planned.

Kevin McDonald, a first-year student in the combined H.B.A/B.Ed Program, is considering staying over the summer in residence. “Residence is just easier,” explains Kevin. “You don’t need to take the buses and commute to class. In the summer it’s also a lot cheaper.”

Foster encourages every residence student to at least spend one summer in Thunder Bay. “In summer, students can take advantage of all that Thunder Bay and the region have to offer. They have the opportunity to have a city-focused experience rather than the campus-focused experience that is offered throughout the rest of the year. Summer basically gives them a chance to get the `whole deal`.”