The Cadre

Sam Roberts Plays Music Sometimes, Isn’t Bad at It

By Josh Dixon

Over the past decade, Sam Roberts has undeniably become one of Canada’s proudest rock music icons. He has garnered international acclaim while keeping to his humble Canadian roots. 2011 saw the release of Collider, arguably his best album to date, as well as a whirlwind of touring across the globe. Such success would obviously lead the common man to an ego-trip of epic proportions, but Sam Roberts is not a common man.  Au contraire, Robert’s success seems to have had the opposite effect on him. As the Collider tour rolled into Charlottetown this month, Sam and his band took time out of their busy schedules to stop by local record store Back Alley Music to meet with fans and play some acoustic numbers. 

As the man of the hour entered the room, there was a look of genuine surprise and appreciation upon his face as he greeted the many fans that had showed up. He took his spot at the front of the room with his pal and guitarist Dave Nugent, and began playing some of our favorite songs, from recent hits such as “I Feel You” and “Without a Map” to earlier staples like “Brother Down”. In between songs, he chatted with the crowd about how happy they were to be back on the Island and told us stories of their first show here almost ten years ago at Baba’s Lounge.  He took requests from the small crowd, talked about singing techniques, and essentially let us into a world that not many get to experience as we all shared in this very intimate experience. 

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GIRLS RULE, GUYS DROOL: PLAYOFF SURPRISES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS

By Jenn Beaton & Connor Simpson

GUY’S HOCKEY

On Wednesday February 29th, the Men’s UPEI Panthers were defeated in overtime 3-2 by the UNB Reds in Game 3 of the Subway AUS Semi Final. This was the last game of an otherwise promising season for the Men’s hockey Panthers.

Here’s what happened: The Panthers’ struggles started in the first period of the semifinal match. The Panthers gave one up early and gave the UNB Reds a 1-0 lead. During the second period our Panthers came to life, with shots clocking in 19-10 in their favour. The Panthers had opportunities, but could not seem to catch a break.

When the third period came around, the Panthers’ consistent energy and effort from the second period started to pay off with a power play goal from at 8:12 Matt Carter, and assisted by Alex Wall and Harrison McIver. 1-1, tie ball game. The Panthers continued to make great plays, and managed to take the lead over the Reds at 17:12 in the third. Quickly after UPEI took the lead, UNB’s Nick MacNeil scored, which tied the game once again. The teams headed into overtime, and UNB’s Jordan Clendenning scored at 5:02, winning the game for the Reds and finishing the Panthers’ 2011-12 season. During the game, goalies Travis Fullerton for UNB and Mavric Parks for the Panthers were both exceptional, stopping 29 and 41 shots respectively.

There were three players who made the list of AUS Awards. 3rd year Jared Gomes was named a 1st team AUS All Star, Matt Carter was named a 2nd team All Star, and Chris Desousa was named to the AUS All Rookie Team.

The UPEI Panthers men’s hockey team says they would like to thank all their fans this season, and that the playoff games were so exciting with so many fans in attendance.

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Top 10 Reasons to Impeach the President (One Month Before he Leaves Office Anyway)

By Student Reporter

Now that Rob Livingstone will soon be deposed and the press (read: The Cadre) no longer has to fear his KGB assassins, we are finally at liberty to explain why all Free Students of UPEI should rise up and impeach the President.

1. Rob Livingstone, traitor to the State, is first and foremost a major in chemistry. Chemistry, a science formerly known as alchemy, is indistinguishable from magic. If this is not an impeachable offense, we should at least be able to try him for witchcraft.

2. Livingstone agreed to continue to burden the free peoples of UPEI with student fees for the UPEI health plan, unlike former Mount Royal University Student Union President Meghan Melnyk, who robbed a bank instead. I mean Christ! This is Canada we live in. We don’t pay for healthcare! That’s why we kick ass in the first place.

3. He has not had any sex scandals, which is itself scandalous.

4. Livingstone has claimed to be able to shuffle, though he has repeatedly declined to demonstrate such skill in public.

5. Other members of the Student Union executive have reported seeing goat horns hidden beneath his luscious, luscious hair.

6. He is active in anarcho-communist circles[citation needed]. 

7. He stopped returning my calls after I filed a police report saying he had broken and entered into my house, downloaded all of Justin Bieber’s music onto my laptop, and eaten the last of my roommate’s ice cream.

8. Despite having the muscles of Thor, he did not help any of our sports teams (figuratively literally or literally literally) crush the competition.

9. Ever since Ben chose Courtney on the Bachelor, I’ve really just lost faith in humanity, and nothing really restores it like a good ol’ impeachment.

10. Because my order of Rob Livingstone complacency picket signs was misprinted from “I’m peachy, Rob!” to “Impeach Rob!” (The bastards didn’t even remember the oxford comma.) 

Cousins - The Palm at the End of the Mind

By Josh Dixon

The opening guitar riffs of Cousins latest album The Palm at the End of the Mind make it clear you’re in for a musical joyride. The guitars are loud, the bass is heavy, and the drums are pulsing. As the vocals chime in, your foot involuntarily begins to tap. It’s lo-fi garage rock at it’s finest. It makes you want to dance. It makes you want to break stuff. It makes you want to fuck on the floor.

There’s a sense of joyful rebellion echoing effortlessly throughout. The album flows from track to track seamlessly as the sound takes hold of your mind and forces you into submission. That’s okay though, because this album is damn good. It’s loud and it’s grimy, but it all works perfectly. 

The first two tracks are a rambunctious collection of sounds and annoyances that combine into a swirling mosh pit of the mind. Things slow down as the third track “Kyber” begins, and it’s here the band’s lyrical charms shine through. 

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Beth Takes Fun Trip to Japan, Makes Us Totally Jealous

By Beth Koughan

I recently (yesterday) returned home from Japan, where I and 215 students from 52 countries participated in the first ever “Japan Study Program” (or as we affectionately called it, “United Nations, University Version”). Organized by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the program sought to raise awareness about the post-disaster situation in Japan, and to reestablish the country as a destination for travel and study. 

The program consisted of a rigorous schedule of activities, each balanced  out with an equally long seminar or lecture. Lecture topics included (but were not limited to): Current Situation of Tourism in Japan; Promotion of International Student Exchange; Responding to the Great East Japan Earthquake; and Tokyo’s Bid to Host the 2020 Olympic Games. These lectures were meticulously prepared with accompanying Powerpoints, and those of us non-Japanese speakers got to enjoy simultaneous English translation via an earpiece (torturous). 

What made this experience better still was the borderline sleep deprivation that nearly all the participants were subjected to. This lack of sleep is explained by the fact that MEXT, when organizing the Program, did not factor “free time” into the schedule, thinking it too dangerous to trust eager international students to their own devices in the world’s largest city. Nevertheless, when the 12 hours of lectures and learning came to an end, most students would take to the streets of Tokyo with their new international BFFs for some exploring, then return to the hotel for a few hoursè sleep and do it all again the next day. 

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Wind Symphony to Perform Final Recital Tonight

By Kate Thompson

 The UPEI Wind Symphony will perform its final recital of the academic year tonight, Thursday, March 29th at 7:30 PM at UPEI’s Dr. Steel Recital Hall.  This has been a particularly busy and musically rewarding year for the Wind Symphony, with highly acclaimed performances of The Lord of the Rings during the fall and winter, a successful concert tour of Nova Scotia, and a nomination for a 2012 Music PEI Award for Achievement in Classical Music.

 Graduating Wind Symphony members Sarah McCormack, saxophone; Nicole Green, piano; and Spencer Matheson, french horn.

 This recital will feature contemporary works for the modern wind band by American, English, and Australian composers. The acoustics of the Dr. Steel Recital Hall will be put to the test with Ron Nelson’s “Epiphanies”, a festive piece of extreme dynamic range that moves from dissonance to consonance while exploiting the tonal colours of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. 

In contrast, English composer Guy Woolfenden’s “Illyrian Dances” is a suite of pieces based on 17th century dance types; hence, the dynamic range is much more limited. 

“Firefly” by Ryan George is a programmatic work that portrays the busy flight of this insect with swirling woodwind runs punctuated by brass and percussion effects. 

Originally written for trombone choir, “Eviler Elves” by James Kazik conjures images of snarky sounds through the use of mutes and dissonant intervals. 

“Children’s March” by Australian Percy Grainger is among the first wind band works to use piano. Grainger uses the full coloristic resources of the woodwind family and his unique approach to harmony in this engaging tune.

 This recital will be the final Wind Symphony performance for three of its graduating students – Sarah McCormack, saxophone; Nicole Green, piano; and, Spencer Matheson, french horn.  All three have made significant contributions to UPEI, and the Wind Symphony in particular, throughout their undergraduate careers.

 Tickets for this performance may be acquired in advance at UPEI’s music department or at the door prior to the recital at a cost of $5 for students and seniors and $10 for adults.

Letters to the Editor: #Kony2012

Invisible Children, Kony 2012, Jason Russell too closely intertwined
 
When Kony 2012 hit the internet, my Facebook news feed (like everyone’s, I’m sure) became littered with posts sharing the link on YouTube. Just as quickly as posts promoting the film surfaced, negative publicity surrounding the Kony 2012 film and Invisible Children organization appeared as well.

Criticisms towards the film are centered mostly on its simple depiction of a complex situation, with an even simpler proposed resolution, and how Invisible Children are commercializing the suffering of Northern Ugandans. The latter was demonstrated in a recording of Northern Ugandans as they gathered in their community to watch Kony 2012 for the first time. Different men were interviewed at the screening, but one man in particular stated that, “If people in those countries care about us, they will not wear t-shirts with pictures of Joseph Kony for any reason. That would celebrate our suffering.”

The most recent controversy to cast a shadow over the campaign is Jason Russell’s blunder on the streets of San Diego. Russell is the co-founder of Invisible Children and the filmmaker and face behind the Kony 2012 campaign. He was caught running back and forth naked on a street corner in broad daylight. There are videos of him yelling, pounding the sidewalk with his hands, and allegedly masturbating. Russell’s wife and Ben Keesey, the CEO of Invisible Children, are claiming that in response to the backlash of the campaign, he suffered from dehydration, malnutrition, and exhaustion. These factors are what they’re claiming led him to his absurd behaviour. Russell is reported to now be receiving medical attention.

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A Handful of Letters to the Editor

Concerning the West Prince Campus Proposal, and Why it is Not a Good Idea

Recently, many people have been talking about the proposal for a UPEI campus in West Prince. This proposal is not a good idea. Some aspects of it are not feasible and may be harmful to the long term future of UPEI.

According to this proposal, UPEI will offer an English Academic Preparation (EAP) program and a full suite of first year courses at the proposed West Prince campus. Homestay and student housing situations would give international students the experience of rural life. This could be problematic, since almost all international students are from urban areas, and they may just be curious about but not want to experience rural life. Most international students prefer off-campus apartments over homestay or campus dormitories, since they are usually less expensive and less restrictive. 

As the monitor of exchange students from Sichuan University, I find that most of the international students, usually newcomers, live in homestay for less than three months. Most leave as soon as possible after they find alternative accommodations. Compared to local students, international students need more time to adjust to fit the new learning style. The main UPEI campus will be their first choice because of its excellent studying environment. What is more, the lack of facilities such as malls, apartments, transportation services, and international food stores will likely cause a lot of inconvenience and drive current and potential international students to leave UPEI.

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The Best of the UPEI Fox Meme

The @UPEI mascot is a panther? How cute.

— UPEI Fox (@UPEIFox) March 26, 2012

Trying to avoid parking fines on the @upei campus? Try parking in trees instead.

— UPEI Fox (@UPEIFox) March 26, 2012

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Stay Golden Aims to be Newest Clothing Trend Olds Don’t Understand

By Connor Simpson

An 18-year-old started the biggest clothing trend on PEI since boot cut jeans at Colonel Gray High School last year, and a group of three new entrepreneurs are tackling a different market and trying to replicate their success. Yes, there’s another t-shirt company in town.

Coltin Handrahan is in grade 12, Alex Khan is in grade 11, and Devin MacGregor is a freshman. They’re sitting in swivel chairs around a two-level, L-shaped glass desk that has a dual-monitored computer set up (with a laptop plugged in for good measure) all in the newly renovated Student Council office at Colonel Gray. 

The three were friends before they started Stay Golden, the latest t-shirt company from CGHS, together. Coltin is the current Student Council President, Kahn is running to replace him next year, and both are trying to get Devin to help out more. 

Coltin is pale with short hair, and thin in the face that way 18-year-olds always are. Alex is bigger and has darker skin, darker hair, and a Montreal Canadiens jersey on. I try not to hold it against him. Devin is smaller with medium length brown hair, just enough to flow out of the back of his backwards hat.

There’s a dark wooden counter separating the visitors from the guys. A girl is there buying a shirt. I instantly feel my old.

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