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.

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`.”

Community has the chance to shape Thunder Bay culture

Amy Szybalski

News Writer

For the first time, the city of Thunder Bay is forming a municipal plan to direct the cultural path the city will take over the next ten years. Municipal culture planning is a process that leverages a community’s cultural resources to support economic development and integrate culture across all facets of local planning and decision-making.

The process will try to look at every aspect of Thunder Bay culture, both from the point of view of an outside consultant and through the eyes of its citizens. It will then be decided what steps need to be taken to protect and develop our culture to highlight the great diversity that exists here.

On March 29^th and 30^th, public forums were held in the Community Auditorium. The event on the 29^th was an open house where community members came to hear speakers discuss what course the plan would take.

“It’s wonderful to see the members of our community out and supporting our cultural centres,” said Leah Bayly of the city’s Cultural Services department in her opening speech.

Mayor Lynn Peterson was also thrilled to see so many people come out to the event. The mayor described the municipal culture plan as “an exciting project for our city that will serve to identify needs and priorities relating to culture, and understand the role of the cultural sector in sustainable development.”

Peterson continued that the city “is thrilled to extend the opportunity to the public to engage early in the planning process to help create shared vision for the future of culture in Thunder Bay.”

The next step in the plan is dealing with the “seven drivers for change” identified by the steering committee. These elements will dictate the direction taken in the next stages of the plan. These include enabling leadership, fostering arts heritage, and attracting youth and young professionals, among others.

In addition to the speeches, attendees at the open house also took part in an interactive panel session. Participants got to tell the committee what cultural assets they see in Thunder Bay, as well as what assets they believe could be better highlighted in the future.

This community input, as well as what came out of the sessions that followed on the 30^th, will help to form the foundation of the strategic plan. A draft of the plan should be drawn up in the fall, and the city is hoping to launch the plan next spring.

Photo by Cole Breiland

Budget ratified and CUPE challenges board

Stacey Goyan

News Editor

Vice-president finance drama erupted at board on Thursday night when issues surrounding VP finance-elect Chris Vaillant’s ability to fulfill his term were brought to light.

Outgoing Chief Returning Officer, Tomas Valiquette, distributed packages to the board containing emails received from Dr. Phillip Allingham, an associate professor in the Faculty of Education.

The emails revealed that because Vaillant did not complete one of his crucial education courses, he is required to retake it before being allowed to do his teaching placement.

While Vaillant would be permitted to take courses as a LUSU executive, if he took his placement later than March 2011, he would be forced to graduate in November of that year and be unable to teach until September of 2012.

Valiquette presented the board with two options: first, the board could vote to allow Vaillant an additional 15 days of holidays above the 10 that are allotted, and the second option would be for Vaillant to either put off graduation or resign the position of VP Finance.

Vaillant argued that he felt able to fulfill his responsibilities as VP finance despite having to complete his placement.

President-elect Mike Snoddon admitted he was torn regarding the situation, but stressed that the board should think of students when making their decision.

Concern was raised around the precedent set if Vaillant was allowed the additional time off. Some members of the board argued that if Vaillant were permitted the additional time off, then this would allow both present and future executives to have extended time away from the office.

The board explored various options, including revoking pay for the days off, or requiring Vaillant to make up the time. Once the question was called, the board decided in a tight vote not to allow Vaillant the additional days off. The vote was 7 for, 6 against, and 1 abstention.

Vaillant agreed that he would notify LUSU of his decision by Monday.

CUPE talks back

In response to last week’s decision to revoke their space, members of CUPE came to board to question their decision.

CUPE president, Ron Berg addressed the board, offering that they were willing to share space with the chemistry club, despite concerns about confidential documents that the union houses.

VP finance, Josh Kolic, admitted that he did not know that a chemistry club existed prior to the controversy. Kolic noted that he had not received a constitution or club package from a chemistry club, or permitted them to have the space.

Despite this, the VP Finance revealed that after meetings with the chemistry club, it was agreed that the two groups would share the space until the end of the year. LUSU would then look into a new space for either the chemistry club or CUPE. Kolic said this would be decided when the two clubs meet with LUSU to discuss the issue.

Berg retorted that the chemistry club has been using the space for study purposes, while CUPE has used it to run their day-to-day operations. He argued that not all faculties have access to exclusive study space.

Vice-president student issues Trevor Cava felt that it was inappropriate to privilege CUPE’s work over the chemistry club’s work.

Budget frozen, approved, but not available online

Kolic presented board with next year’s operating budget to be ratified. The VP Finance stated that despite small increases, the budget will be frozen, or relatively unchanged from last year. Kolic noted that any increases in the budget were made to reflect the actual costs of the budget lines, as opposed to what had been projected.

One exception was a substantial cut from $50,500 to $18,000 in the sustainability budget. Sustainability’s budget returned to the original $18,000 that was provided by the referenda, after a $27,000 grant that allowed the initiative to operate full-time expired.

Director Louise Haukeness argued that the board should take a week to review the budget, because many board members had only received it a few hours before the meeting.

Kolic pointed out that with the last meeting of the year taking place the following week, board could risk ending the year without a ratified budget. The board voted and accepted the budget.

Representative from BDO Dunwoody, Blair Smith, attended the meeting to discuss the feasibility of putting LUSU’s operational budget online.

Smith said that it is not common practice among student unions and non-profit organizations to put operational budgets online, because it could release confidential information such as wages, which are protected by privacy laws

As well, Smith pointed out that making budgets for The Outpost, and The Study available online could give important information away to competitors, hurting business.

The board voted down the motion to put the budgets available online later in the meeting.

Photo by Cole Breiland

Lakehead’s president reflects on the last twelve years before stepping down

Stacey Goyan

News Editor

After twelve years at Lakehead University, President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Fred Gilbert will be stepping down at the end of July 2010.

Since Dr. Gilbert took office in 1998, Lakehead has seen the introduction of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, the Advanced Technology and Academic Centre (ATAC), the Orillia campus, and a strategic plan for Lakehead’s future. At the same time, Gilbert’s term has not gone without controversy, including international attention regarding the “Yale Shmale” campaign and the ban of wireless technology on campus, and local criticism regarding the land swap deal in 2007.

Love him or hate him, Dr. Gilbert has had a profound effect on Lakehead University. The Argus sat down with Lakehead’s fifth president to reflect on the last twelve years.

Argus: So how do you feel coming to the end of your term?

Fred Gilbert: Mixed emotions I think anyone would have. A sense of both relief and disappointment I guess, disappointment that it’s over, because it has had its moments, no question about it. Relief that I can actually do something different and not have the obligations, and there are an awful lot of obligations that go with the position that are always there and always part of my personal agenda.

A: Do you feel that anything has been left unfinished?

FG: Well the one thing that’s still unfinished is the law school and there’s no question that it’s going to happen sometime. It would have been nice to have it in place by now. The other thing we’re still working on is research building. So in terms of the kind of agenda that I had set out in terms of my expectations of finishing major things before I step down, those are the two important ones, in my mind, that are still outstanding.

A: What are your plans for retirement?

FG: I don’t have any. I think the worst thing you can do while you’re still working is plan for your retirement. I don’t intend to stop working. I’ll find something else to do. I’m not someone who’s not going to go into a life of leisure now. I’ll find some things that I find personally attractive and put my energy into those. Some of those may be consulting opportunities, some of those might be opportunities to engage in things that I find particularly relevant and important to pursue.

A: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment over the last twelve years?

FG: The University has changed over the last twelve years. I think its more confident institution. I think that the expectation that the university now has is perhaps greater than it was when I first arrived. I do believe that all relates to people. Not to say there’s anything wrong with the people who were here when I arrived, it’s just that they had different expectations at that time than they might have now. So [my] greatest accomplishment might be attracting people, including students, to the university.

A: How would you describe that change in thinking?

FG: We’re now truly a research-intensive university. I think we’re a full dimensional university. The university always had broad programming but it was predominantly undergraduate. To ensure that you have all of the attributes of a fine institution, you have to have that research component. You don’t put it above the teaching, but you have an expectation that your faculty are engaged in meaningful research. I think we’ve reached that and we’re still looking to grow even more in that direction.

A: Looking back, if you could have done something differently, what would it be?

FG: I would like to have been able to fully explain tri-party proposal for the high school on the Thunder Bay Country Club, and in effect, the provision of some land temporarily for the country club. This is the key component that we couldn’t make public at the time, with the expectation built into any legal arrangement, that the university would have the first right of refusal on any country club when it went up for sale and in some time in the future its’ going to go up for sale.

What that would have done was two really important things for the university. One was land for expansion, land that would meet any needs that we could foresee for the institution for any time in the future. Secondly since much of that land is flood plane land, it would allow the opportunity to grow the natural area on the campus. [What] most people could see at that point in time was the short term potential losses opposed to the long-term gain. Since it was tied up in the legal discussion at the time, I couldn’t make that part public. It would have been nice to have been able to somehow get the full message through to both this community and the Thunder Bay community in terms of what the long-term benefits were.

That’s one. Other things that I might do differently… this position engages so much of your time that you don’t have the opportunity to spend as much time just interfacing and interacting with individuals around the campus. In a less fraught and less demanding environment it would be nice just to go around on a regular basis and interface with people on the campus. Most of what I get is a “hi” to people as I walk around campus from one meeting to another meeting, as opposed to dropping in and seeing how things are going in particular labs and in classrooms. I think that’s the part that maybe I find most disappointing in terms of the last twelve years.

A: So on this topic, you’ve had your share of controversy, including the land swap deal, wireless, the faculty closure. Do you think students will remember you for your successes or your controversies?

FG: People tend to remember the things that impact them the most. I suspect that it’ll likely be the wireless controversy that I’ll [be] remembered for, primarily with the students. I think that history will determine whether the president was right or whether the students were right. I feel very confident that we did make the right decision in invoking the precautionary principle, because all the evidence has simply mounted to indicate that there are long-term health issues that are there. If you can do some things that avoid the accumulating exposure that people are having to EMF microwave radiation, then you’re doing a service. All the students [can see], for the most part – and there are exceptions– that we’re making things inconvenient, and in their minds there isn’t an issue. I can assure you there is an issue, and the issues will become more clear and more pronounced as we start to get into litigation just as we did with tobacco in the early days.

A: What’s something that student’s don’t know about you?

FG: They don’t know a lot about me, some of them don’t even know who I am. At the end of the day we are all individuals with our own foibles, our own strengths and our own weaknesses. I don’t think very many students got to know me as a person, and for whatever it’s worth, I think that I’m not ogre, I’m not a egomaniac. I’ve done what I’ve done hopefully to try and make Lakehead University a better place everyone.

A: Any parting words for students?

FG: You’ll never have the level of freedom and opportunity for growth in your life again, whether it’s at the graduate and undergraduate level, that you’ll have as a student. So many students don’t appreciate that and don’t take advantage of that. The social opportunities, the learning opportunities are wonderful and you don’t’ realize just how important those opportunities are until you are locked into a job later on. All of those freedoms tend to become constrained by the job itself. So the advice to students is to appreciate, enjoy and take advantage of the opportunities, whether they’re academic or social, that you have as a student.

Photo by Cole Breiland

Anyone lost a pair of Dora the Explorer socks?

Ian Kaufman

Features Editor

The last howl of winter subsided just in time for a group of volunteers to perform a cleanup of the McIntyre River on Sunday. But the cleanup, for those who participated, was much more than a warm and fuzzy do-gooder mop-up job. It was also a de facto archaeological study of the McIntyre River, a sociological experiment in kitsch. What did this investigation reveal about the river’s “user group?” The answers were equal parts hilarious, puzzling, infuriating, and disheartening.

Some finds were predictable: the cornucopia of marijuana paraphernalia showcased the inventiveness and ingenuity of Lakehead students. Discarded beer cans, water bottles, and candy wrappers testified to the impatience of travellers in search of a garbage can. One of the most common finds was clothing left over from impromptu camps set up in the fall, pointing to the popularity of the area with Thunder Bay’s homeless. The origins behind other debris were more difficult to deduce: a roasted boot, children’s toys, a pair of ‘Dora the Explorer’ socks discovered in the brush, and a plastic lobster.

The cleanup was organized by students in the Lakehead Leaders program, a new initiative designed to “empower [students] through skills-based seminars, community engagement activities, and specialized leadership training.” It was a small-scale effort, acknowledged student ambassador Chris Zaiser, but he believes these kinds of small initiatives can add up to foster a culture of volunteering and involvement. And if any of you cynics needed proof, the cleanup proved that it pays to do good deeds – one girl happened upon a cool $10.