Photo by Cole Breiland

Esa Keltamaki

Copy Editor

If you were to add all the energy in our solar system together, you equal the output of only one supernova.

On Oct. 22^nd, Dr. Chris Pritchet, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Victoria, visited Lakehead to give insight into supernovae, dark energy, and the history of astronomy in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy.

On the 400^th anniversary of Galileo first turning a telescope to the sky, Dr. Pritchet’s presentation primarily focused on the “colossal explosion of stars,” and their importance in the universe. “We are living in universe that is dominated by stuff processed in supernovae eons ago,” Pritchet said. He also briefly touched upon remnants of supernovae, including nebulae, black holes, and neutron stars. “If you took our sun, and turned it into a neutron star, it would be about 10 kms across,” Pritchet estimated.

The well-attended event also touched upon the development and deployment of observatories and their telescopes.

Pritchet described Canada, who has shares in the Gemini and Canada-France Hawaiian Telescope on Mauna Kea, as a world leader in adaptive optics, a technology that compensates for distortions introduced by the Earth’s atmosphere. Canadian astronomers also use a world-best five giga-pixel camera. Pritchet also added that Canada hopes to have a share in the thirty-meter telescope (TMT).

Construction of the TMT, which will dwarf the famous twin ten-meter Keck telescopes, is expected to begin with two years, and is predicted to be finished by 2020.

The discussion ended with an open question period, with inquiries regarding the big bang, which “happened everywhere,” sub-atomic particles, dark energy, and our solar system.

Photo by Cole Breiland

Employers flock to Lakehead to recruit from student body

Amy Szybalski

News Writer

This past Friday the sights in the Lakehead Agora and the Bill Tamblyn Centennial Building were very encouraging in today’s rough economic situation. “It doesn’t look like a recession here today,” said Rosanna Scaffeo, one of the organisers of the annual Lakehead Career fair. 50 different employers were present, and actively recruiting, throughout the day, for any number of jobs.

Employers ranging from the City of Thunder Bay, to the District Health unit, and even CSIS, were recruiting Lakehead students for summer jobs, part time jobs, and full time jobs. An estimated twenty-five percent of Lakehead students came through the fair, in a steady stream, to discover the potential careers awaiting them.

“They’re recruiting for all kinds of disciplines,” said Scaffeo, “engineering, nursing, accounting students, it doesn’t end. The government is recruiting all kinds of disciplines so this career day event is for everyone.”

The staff at student services not only organises the annual career day, but they also help students to prepare for employment. “I’m a firm believer, if you know how to network, if you have a resume and cover letter, that you have tailored per organization here, you are increasing your chances in getting an interview,” commented Scaffeo. In fact at least one employer booked three interview rooms here at Lakehead, to interview students who they received resumes from at the fair.

For all students that were unavailable to make it through the fair on Friday, Rosanna Scaffeo and the staff at the Lakehead University Career and Co-op Services are encouraging all students to visit http://jobs.lakeheadu.ca/main.shtml and check out the full list of employers in the online job bank. The Career and Co-op Services office is located in UC 2024.

Ms Scaffeo would also “like to encourage all employers to utilize the services of Career and Co-op Services, by posting on our website. Our students want jobs, and if they have opportunities we are always willing to talk to an employer.”

So perhaps even in the dim of the economic recession, there is a ray of hope for students needing employment.

Photo by Ian Kaufman

Students, politicians take to the streets for action

Ian Kaufman

Features Editor

In his seminal, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams suggested that the answer to “life, the universe, and everything” was 42. However, U.S. author and environmental activist, Bill McKibben, is emerging as a vocal critic of Adams’s contention, referring to 350 as “the most important number in the world”.

Why 350? It’s the highest safe concentration of carbon dioxide in our planet’s atmosphere, measured in parts per million, suggested by NASA climatologist James Hansen. Organizations and individuals around the world have grouped around 350 as a rallying point in the struggle for an adequate governmental response to climate change. Its supporters hope to see that target embraced at December’s international climate change conference in Copenhagen, which will determine a follow-up to the Kyoto Accord. Atmospheric concentration is currently approaching 390 ppm and, without restrictions, will continue to rise.

In what could turn out to be a galvanizing moment, an “international day of climate action” was organized last Saturday, comprising thousands of rallies in over 150 countries – one of the largest-ever global protests. Thunder Bay was not about to be left out, holding its own rally at Waverley Park in downtown Port Arthur. Organized by Alex Boulet, LUSU’s Sustainability Initiative Commissioner, the rally was attended by Thunder Bay’s two MPs and over a hundred community members.

The crowd was composed of a broad cross-section of the community – politicians, students, seniors, and canines turned out to show their support, while the weather cooperated to provide a rare sunny day.

After Boulet’s introductory remarks, climatologist Graham Saunders explained the gravity of the situation: “I liken this to our planet having a fever,” he said. Gaining two degrees Celsius is serious for planets as for humans, while four degrees is deadly. The 350ppm target is generally projected to halt global warming around two degrees (since the start of the industrial revolution). “We don’t want to see what happens with [a four-degree increase],” he warned.

Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Bruce Hyer, the NDP’s deputy environment critic, took the stage to speak about sustainability in the federal context. His proposed Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act, would legislate an 80% cut in greenhouse gasses from 1990 levels by 2050, with %25 cut by 2020.

An earlier version of the bill (with the same targets) was already passed by the house, but the election of 2008 dissolved parliament before a senate vote could take place. The current version again passed first and second readings; only days before the rally, however, Conservative and Liberal MPs voted to delay third reading, allegedly to further study the bill.

Critics suggest the vote was designed to avoid legislation tying Canada to specific commitments before the Copenhagen climate conference. This leaves Canada “standing naked before the world with Stephen Harper’s terrible position on climate change,” in the vivid words of Jack Layton - an uncomfortable position in which to find oneself on a Danish December.

City Councillor and acting Mayor, Rebecca Johnson, painted a hopeful picture of Thunder Bay as a city developing environmental consciousness. When she began her career as a councillor, she said, there was very little concern over environmental activities. “Finally,” she says, “councillors are asking questions and looking for answers.”

Although rarely considered, the role of municipal governments in climate action is significant, she continued: over half of Canada’s emissions are under their control. She pointed to Thunder Bay’s newly minted Community Environmental Action Plan as evidence of the city’s emerging commitment to environmental issues.

The last to speak was John Cutfeet of the Wildlands League, who advises northern communities on mining issues. Cutfeet is a member and former councillor of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) first nation, located about 600km north of Thunder Bay. The KI nation has been embroiled in legal battles with Canadian mining company Platinex Inc. for several years over their resistance to the company’s mining operations on their territory. They fear the operation would devastate the surrounding environment.

“Indigenous Peoples throughout the world have watched resources being extracted from their territories, creating great wealth to others while we live on islands of poverty,” he told the crowd. “Science tells us that we as human beings are living beyond the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems.” Last April, he attended the Indigenous People’s Global Summit on Climate Change in Alaska, which called for the eventual phasing out of fossil fuels.

Boulet referred to the Thunder Bay demonstration as “a modest but very beautiful success”. It concluded by borrowing the Ottawa rally’s vow to “fill the hill” with a march up to Hillcrest Park, looking out over the city to Sleeping Giant and Lake Superior. It’s worth noting that, modesty aside, Thunder Bay’s turnout matched that of the nation’s capital, proportionally at least - a sign that Johnson’s hopefulness may be justified.

Copyright 2009 from Hometown Music

The Resinators introduce a new, blues album

Brandi Cameron

Editor-in-Chief

Oh the sounds of a sweet summer night; this includes guitar riffs, a great beat, and the feel of being involved in a performance. The Resinators are a local, Thunder Bay band, and this is their fourth album with the current band members. This album, however, has a very different vibe then the previous ones.

The album, Resinator Blues, is produced by lead guitarist and vocals, Andy Wolff, and arranged in collaboration with the rest of the band. This album merges classic blues, with some soft and hard rock, and is accompanied by flawless vocals and melodies.

Perhaps the most surprising harmonies are in the song “Givin’ The Dog A Bone, featuring Buddy and Jasper, Wolff’s two dogs, “The Harmony Howlers.”

The album consists of Paul Cherwonick on rhythm guitar, Luke Maloney on drums, dunbec, bongos and tambourine, as well as Darryl Murray on bass guitar.

Also on the album, features Rick Baran on lap steel guitar, Lyndie Norhagen on electric piano and hammond organ, plus Mike Bradica with bass guitar solos.

Wolff also plays slide guitar, as well as the harmonica, to add to the bluesy sound of this dynamic album.

The montage of fantastic instrumentals, and well-seasoned vocals, allows for this band to give a genuine experience during every song. Even in concert, The Resinators perform for the audience, and are extreme in their talent and showmanship.

The Resinators can be seen in P.A usually at The Office or at Kilroys; for more information visit their website at www.resinators.cjb.net.

DefSup hosts the Hunger cabaret 2009 to support local artists here in Thunder Bay

Derek Wall and Brandi Cameron

A&E Editor and Editor-in-Chief

The Hunger V.4 includes 3 venues, 39 acts and 24 bands, all for the price of just $10. This is all occurring on Halloween, this upcoming Saturday; it’s like trick-or-treating for art, eye and ear candy at its best.

Halloween is always best when an entire community gets involved in the action and that is what DefSup has been aiming to do every year, more and more.

The Hunger has been around as early as 1998, although the names varied in its earlier incarnations. It wasn’t until 4 years ago that The Hunger Cabaret became more of the event it is recognized as today; a massive, 3-venue party in downtown, Port Arthur.

A party – that size– has a few benefits: for DefSup, selling that many tickets is a very good thing for their not-for-profit gallery, and allows them to keep their doors open and continue charging their pay-what-you-can standard the rest of the year.

The ticket sales smashed records last year clocking in at approximately 1600 tickets sold. For a band, this means that you are guaranteed to get a good audience. In fact, bands abroad have begun manipulating their schedule to ensure that they land in Thunder Bay for Halloween.

The DefSup is very pleased by this; of course, it means their event is gaining some national buzz but also because it allows the gallery to help musical talents locally and abroad, part of the gallery’s mandate.

The gallery has been around long enough to note that some huge changes are happening in the local scene.

Dave Karasiewicz, from the gallery, states that, “Back in the day there was Crocs and Rolls and three local cover bands. Now there are forty plus original bands.”

The event will include multi-genres of music, as well as different styles of those genres– definitely something for everyone.

The money raised by the Hunger Cabaret helps DefSup maintain local artistry. Dave comments that it ensures that “[We] are able to pay professional artists fees in the fields of Music, Visual arts, Literary Publications, Performance, Film and more. But it’s also the way we are able to sustain and retain the very talented younger artists living here in Thunder Bay. An audience goer from last year’s event said this was something that they thought they could only see in a city like Toronto, Montreal or New York…they were highly impressed that this was produced and presented here in Thunder Bay, something we should all be very proud of.”

The Hunger Cabaret is not only one “Massive Halloween Party,” but also a cause worth supporting. Thunder Bay has many local artists, and this is one unique night to have a smorgasbord of them at your table to choose from.

An interview with the band

Derek Wall
A&E Editor

Maybe part of the universal success Lund’s music has brought him has to do with his motives in writing songs. Each tune Lund writes contains something personal.
On his web page, Lund said, “you write about what is familiar to you and do a good job of it, the specifics fade away and the universality of the message comes through. When I was younger, listening to Springsteen singing about the slums of New Jersey, that was alien to me, but I got it, because the music is so good. That’s what I aspire to – to paint a picture that’s intriguing.”
If that is the case, it may explain why Lund and The Hurtin’ Albertans (Lund’s backing band) have been so successful, not just in Canada, but in the States, Europe, and Australia, despite their Canadian prairie-heavy material.
There’s something else to Lund’s tunes however, that seems to have to do with why people might put their preconceived country notions aside.
On his previous album, Horse Soldier, the title track served as a five-minute ballad to the employment of horse soldiers throughout history, ranging from the Mongolian Hordes, all the way through to the Canadian Mounted Forces recently deployed in Afghanistan, who were the inspiration for the tune. To have something so historically researched articulated in a country song makes listening to it, strangely enough, somewhat of an intellectual experience. This is certainly not the norm for the genre, as anyone who has tuned into a pop-country station lately can attest to.
None of Lund’s tunes have that “another little ditty” feeling to them; each example of the Calgary rancher’s repertoire carries weight and some form of urgency. This has been seen in classic country stars before like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.
As for his inspiration, Lund turns to his family: “my grandpas used to sing all these old western cowboy ballads … my grandpas knew all those songs. The first song I ever knew was called ‘The Strawberry Roan,’ (a cowboy song that’s at least 150 years old.)”