Photo by Cole Breiland

Meal Exchange looks for student volunteers and non-perishable goods

Stacey Goyan

News Editor

Usually seeing a twenty-something trick or treater at your door isn’t a good thing. The typical reaction is “aren’t they too old for this?” Meal Exchange says no.

Trick or Eat involves students canvassing door to door for canned goods instead of candy. When they hear “trick or eat,” people are asked to donate non-perishable goods to help families in the city who struggle with hunger and poverty.

“Being in a university-type setting, we’re not always used to seeing the poverty that’s out there,” says Scott Read, Trick or Eat organizer.

Read, who is taking education at Lakehead, says that once he decided he wanted to be involved, he contacted the Regional Food Distribution Association and took a leading role in planning the event.

According to Read, last year’s Trick or Eat event was a huge success, raising over $7000 in food. Read says trick or eaters are typically very well received in the community.

Meal Exchange is a student and youth centered charity focused on solving hunger problems on a local level. Active since 1993, the charity is present on over 50 campuses throughout the country, and has raised over $2.4 million in food.

Their 2009 goal is to raise $400,000 worth of food and $30,000 in online donations.

Read points out that so far registration has been slow. Despite this, he is hopeful that as Halloween approaches, interest will pick up. Last year the group was able to attract roughly forty volunteers.

The Trick or Eat drive will kick off with at talk from the Regional Food Distribution Association on the afternoon of October 31^st, 2009 at 4:30 in the Agora.

Trick or eaters will depart at 5pm. The volunteers will haunt the streets until approximately 8pm, scaring up food that will go to local families in need. Afterward, the food will be counted up and then distributed to food banks in Northwestern Ontario.

Students wishing to sign up can do so on the Trick or Eat website. Students can sign up anytime before the event.

Community members are asked to donate non-perishable goods or pledge to a trick or eater this Halloween. Volunteers are also needed to dress up and scare up food and donations. More information can be found at www.trickoreat.ca.

Lakehead University unveils new branding campaign

Kyle Less

Office Assistant and Illustrator

“I think for myself” is the slogan of the new branding campaign that has been unveiled by Lakehead University for the 2009-10 academic year to attract potential students.

The campaign, which is running both in print and online via iwillthinkformyself.com, mylakehead.ca, and Facebook, is being helped along by many university alumni, including: Michael Rapino, CEO of live Nation; Shy-Anne Hovorka, six-time Aboriginal Peoples Choice Award nominee; and Duncan Weller, author of the Governer General’s award-winning “The Boy from the Sun.”

“It’s a wonderful way to highlight some of our graduates and the success stories they present… it’s not just the university talking about itself,” say Fred Gilbert, President of Lakehead University.

“I had always hoped that we would get to the stage where we would demonstrate, as well as be able to [work with] our alumni.”

The campaign is costing the university $112,000, which is, according to Gilbert, a modest sum when compared to the advertising costs of competing institutions. The main focus is on Southern Ontario, which is currently experiencing a boom in regard to university-bound youths.

Photo by Cole Breiland

Don Thompson says that Alberta oil sands are black gold

Amy Szybalski

News Writer

“My message is that you are all key stake holders in this,” said Don Thompson in a lecture last Thursday entitled Setting the Record Straight. Thompson presented the various economic benefits and environmental challenges facing the future of one of Canada’s largest natural resources.

Thompson said the Alberta oil sands project was a key issue for students as it was a major factor in energy security, as well as the economy.

His talk greatly focused on the economic benefits of the project. He highlighted that the “oil sands are a great resource not only to Alberta, but to the people all across this country.”

People have flocked to Fort McMurray for the available jobs in construction, manufacturing, and the trades all associated with the mining and refinement of crude oil.

Why are so many jobs available? According to Thompson, “In the face of arguably one of the worst recessions I’ve ever known, my employer is spending 1.6 billion dollars to retrofit the technologies to limit emissions.”

These retrofits, and the development of the new technologies are the source of many of the available jobs.

In using new mining technology, such as in-situ technologies, the Oil Sands Developers Group has been able to limit the environmental impacts of the extraction process, and at the same time make a greater amount of the oil available for mining.

In-situ technologies do not require mine pits or tailings ponds, both of which present great environmental challenges. The technology also allows the company to gain access to oil reserves up to seventy meters deep.

That being said, the new technologies are not perfect. Emissions are still produced, and the final product is still a culprit in the production of carbon emissions as it is shipped across the world.

Thompson did point out that, “the oil sands industry has reduced its emissions intensity by more than 30% since 1990 and Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to legislate industrial green house gas emissions.”

When asked to comment on the environmental impact of the mines on the Lubicon Lake First Nations Reserve, Thompson skirted the question by denying that the oil sands development had any effect on the reserve. He argued that his company, as well as others, employed a great number of aboriginal people.

LUCF gathers to pray over Lakehead and TBay

Miko Oyakawa

It’s 6:15AM, dark out, and very early. The LU Agora is silent and deserted, glowing in that yellow light. Two guys clamour in through the front doors, one a biology student, the other in his pro year of education. Their arms are full of guitar cases and pieces of a drum set.

Shortly after, their engineering friend swings in with his guitar, and that outdoor rec girl from residence strolls in by Lake Tamblyn and sets up her keyboard. Sound system, check. Voice, check. They start to play. The music fills the open room, flows up the stairs past Security, and people with tie-dyed “LUCF” t-shirts trickle in, joining them in song.

Last Wednesday, the Lakehead University Christian Fellowship group, also known as LUCF, got together for their “See You at the Pole” event between 7am and 10am.

“See You at the Pole” is an open event run on campuses across Canada, the U.S. and Australia at which time students gather at their campus flagpole to pray for their school, local churches and community.

The morning began with an hour of music and singing indoors, followed by prayer time outside by the flagpole. It was a chilly morning, but the group offered hot beverages and donuts inside the Agora. “I thought it was really good. It was a small group, but I liked it because it felt like we were a little family getting together,” shared Elisa, a first year Northern Studies student.

The LUCF group gets together every Friday night at 7pm and have speaker nights, dinner nights, game nights, and discussion nights with a different focus or theme every month. Then every Monday night there is a guys’ bible study at 7pm in The Study and girls’ bible study at 8pm in an Agora side room.

The fall and winter retreats are also a highlight of the school year as the group packs up and drives out of the city to spend a peaceful and fun weekend by the lake.

LUCF is a dynamic group, ranging in ages, ethnicities, and areas of study at Lakehead; it’s cool how that a common belief in Jesus brings everyone together.

If you’d like to get involved with LUCF, or have any curiosity, visit www.lucfblog.blogspot.com, e-mail: lucfmail@gmail.com, drop in the office (up the stairs from The Study, across from Multi-Cultural Centre), or just show up an event.

Centre looks for ways to keep students coming and bellies full

Stacey Goyan

News Editor

Food Bank Coordinator Beth Robinson says this October marked the barest she’s ever seen the shelves in the centre. Robinson has also says student use of the Food Bank has increased.

The Food Bank provides non-perishable goods to students in need of food. Every Thursday, the Food Bank holds The People’s Potato, a free hot vegan lunch students can enjoy.

Robinson notes that the increase is the result of multiple factors, including inflated food prices, clothing costs, and tuition fees. Advertising, says Robinson, could also account for more student interest.

The Food Bank’s resources come from various donations, including Trick or Eat and Food Fight—in which other centers competed to collect non-perishable foods. Faculty, students and community members also donate to the food bank.

Robinson notes that it is often hard to get donations, as many large grocery retailers support larger local food banks.

Robinson estimates that between thirty and forty people came out for last week’s People’s Potato. Some weeks she has had to turn people away, others times she has been left with a mass of leftovers.

According to Robinson, the coordinator directly determines the success of the centre. She is presently in the process of securing food donations from around the community, including the Regional Food Distribution Association. While it is uncertain as to whether the Food Bank will qualify, Robinson says it is worth trying.

Robinson has been involved with the LUSU Food Bank since her first year of university. Now in her third year, she has taken on the role of coordinator and plans on making improvements to the centre.

To start, she says she wants to cheer up the room. She plans on brightening up the shelves with a fresh coat of paint, and generally making the centre more welcoming.

Robinson also says that keeping students aware of the Food Bank and its services is crucial. She hopes that with greater awareness of the Food Bank, more students will make use of it.

Students can use the Food Bank once a month to pick up food. Single students are permitted one bag each while students with children and families are permitted two.

The Food Bank is hidden in the tunnels in UC 0017B. It is near the ESS and Pride Central. The center is open from 10am until 4pm Monday to Friday. Students are also welcome to stop by for the People’s Potato Thursdays from 11:30am until 1pm. Donations are also welcome.

Photo by Cole Breiland

Movember November marks men’s health

Stacey Goyan

News Editor

Nichola Ellis observed a strange phenomenon during her time in Australia. Every November, men would grow robust moustaches and come December, they were gone.

Once she learned that this was a fundraising event to support prostate cancer charities, she brought the idea back to Lakehead University.

Movember is a month-long fundraiser for prostate cancer awareness. Ellis says that instead of wearing a ribbon, men grow their own “hairy ribbon” and serve as walking billboards for the cause.

A “mo-bro” starts the month clean-shaven, and grows their moustache all month long. The best moustache will be declared the Man of November. The event has been in Austrailia for six years, and in Canada for the last three.

Ellis says the point of the month is to educate students on the importance of men’s health issues. She admits it can be tricky to get men talking about their health.

Vice-President of Student Issues, Trevor Cava, says the LUSU executive will grow moustaches to support the cause. Cava says he hopes to emulate George Clooney’s moustache in his latest movie, “The Men Who Stare at Goats.”

The VPSI says he has challenged Tom Warden, Director of Athletics, as to who can grow the best moustache. Cava has also attempted to involve various varsity teams in Movember. Cava could not confirm whether any teams were officially involved.

Women are also encouraged to participate by being “mo-sistas.” Some mo-sistas have volunteered to not shave their legs for the month of November to participate, while others support their mo-bro.

Funds raised during Movember will be donated to Prostate Cancer Canada. The focus of the non-profit charity is to fundraise for prostate cancer awareness, and education. The charity also promotes empowering patients to manage their disease.

According to the Prostate Cancer Canada website, 25,500 men be diagnosed this year, while 4,400 will die of the disease.

Prostate cancer typically affects men in their forties. Prostate cancer is the most common type among men. The website also states that 90% of cases can be cured if caught early.

Movember will begin with a kickoff event on November 2^nd where “before” pictures will be taken. The month will finish with a gala where the men will take “after” pictures and vote on the best moustache.

The winner will be dubbed the “best mo on campus,” and have a chance to be Canada’s Man of November.

Ellis says that interest in Movember has been good, but more mo-bros and mo-sistas are needed. Interested students should contact Nichola at nmellis@lakeheadu.ca or head down to the LUSU office.