MORNING EDITIONThursday, January 29, 2015 — Vol. 42, No. 6–MCape Breton University, Sydney, NS

K capertimes.ca f fb.com/cprtimes t @caper_timesCape Breton University’s Student Newspaper

Caper Times

Degree Shaming: the act of shaming or bashing another student for the degree they have chosen to pursue. Unfortunately this trend has become popular amongst univer-sity and college students, including those at CBU. The underlying thought behind degree shaming is the idea that one or more degrees should be held to a higher standard or level of importance than others. This results in students putting down others for choosing to work toward a degree that is, in the “sham-er’s” eyes, less respectable than their own.

Degree shaming most commonly occurs on social media networks such as Twitter, or the fairly new Yik Yak app which recently held a disturbing comment feed about the degrees offered at CBU. In this particular occurrence, an anonymous discussion began with a comment about nursing students at CBU; as Yik Yak is a fully anonymous plat-form, no commenters can be held personally responsible for their words and are therefore not afraid of posting disrespectful and hurt-ful statements. The comments on this thread quickly escalated to an argument about whether or not any degree at CBU besides a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Engi-neering is ‘worth your time and money’.

Further comments included the bashing

of degrees such as Arts and Communication as useless and easy, which upset several stu-dents who justly felt that their degrees were as meaningful as any other. This belief that any college or university degree should be held in a higher regard than another is hurt-ful and quite frankly incorrect, and the men-tality behind it needs to be adjusted. The idea of singling out one degree as the only profitable option to Cape Breton University students is rather foolish when you think about it. An arts degree, for example, isn’t going to help you become a micro-biologist, but similarly, a nursing degree isn’t going to help you become a journalist. As CBU students, we should be supportive of one another regardless of the studies we choose to focus on. Students should feel proud of their scholarly pursuits in any program.

Environmentalists and supporters of the energy industry are butting heads once again, this time over the Obama administration’s plans to protect 12.3 mil-lion acres of northern Alaska under the Wilderness Act. The area is part of the 19.8 million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and 1.5 million acres of coastal plains that Obama is seeking to protect is believed to have rich oil and natural gas resources.

The plans still need approval from congress however, and many elected republican officials are opposed to the move on economic grounds. Those that support economic development have cited benefits such as a stabilized and improved Alaskan economy, a reduction of the USA’s foreign trade deficit as well as increased independence since the US relies heavily on foreign oil.

Alaskan Republican and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair-woman Lisa Murkowski called it a “stunning attack” on the Alaskan economy.

"It's clear this administration does not care about us, and sees us as nothing but a territory," Murkowski said in a statement.

"I cannot understand why this administration is willing to negotiate with Iran, but not Alaska," she said. "But we will not be run over like this. We will fight back with every resource at our disposal."

Other statements made by republicans contained the same sentiments, although some were much harsher, one equating the move with “spitting in our faces and telling us it’s raining outside.”

About two thirds of Alaska is designated as federal land and Alaskan politi-cal leaders have been in favour of further exploration and development on the lands to boost the state’s economy. However the “to drill or not to drill” debate in Alaska has been a hot topic for politicians on and off since 1977.

In their recent state- ments, Repub-

GINA MARTELLNEWS EDITOR

Local photographer donates grad photo sitting fee to Capers Helping Capers

Editorial: Degree shaming

As the number of university students who choose to have their graduation pho-tos taken continues to decline, local pro-fessional photographer Warren Gordon of Gordon Photographic Ltd is collabo-rating with the Cape Breton University Student Union to revive student interest.

“I’ve been doing grad photos for over 40 years and originally we would have several hundred of the students get them done, but over the years, the turnout has slacked off. People seem to have a different attitude toward pho-tography,” said Gordon in an interview with Caper Times at his studio on Charlotte St.

Gordon has teamed up with Cape Breton University and its student union many times in the past and this year he’s trying something new for the class of 2015. Gordon Photographic will be bringing the studio to the students, with all the neces-sary equipment on site – students just have to make an appointment and show up.

On campus photo sessions will take place in the executive boardroom in the student union building, the week of February 2-6, from 1pm to 6 pm. Additionally, the entirety of the $20 session fees will be donated to CBUSU’s own Capers Helping Capers.

Mitch Ramsay-Mӓder , one of the brains behind the operation and vice president of promotions for the CBUSU, encourages any CBU students who are graduating this year to get their grad pho-tos taken with Gordon Photographic,

“Warren Gordon is a long established businessman in the community and was gen-erous enough to offer to do the grad photos on site and donate the funds to the union – and we thought it would be a good idea to donate it to Capers Helping Capers,” said Mӓder, “Through our partnership with War-ren, we will hopefully be able to make a size-able contribution to Capers Helping Capers.”

Capers Helping Capers is a non-for-profit charitable initiative run by CBU students that raises money for four local

charities. This year, all money raised by CHC will be divided amongst the AIDS Coalition of Cape Breton, Habitat for Humanity, the Horizon Achievement Cen-tre, and the Whitney Pier Youth Club.

Theoretically, with 585 potential gradu-ates for spring 2015 as of right now, the event could drum up thousands of dollars for these local charities with enough participation. If every potential grad got their grad photos done with Gordon Photographic that would be $11,700 that directly benefits our community.

“I’m hoping this works out really well and if it does work out the way I hope it does then we’d love to keep going with it and continue collaborating with Caper Helping Capers,” said Gordon,

“Basically the idea is to explain to people that this is a benefit to them, to their parents, and to these charities. It’s also a great and con-venient opportunity – we’ll have everything that they need there for them there on campus”

If you’re not from the area and don’t know where to go for grad photos, don’t know how to initiate the process, have transportation issues or you’re just plain old lazy – this opportunity is for you.

Robes and regalia for all degrees will be available on site, in addition to popular para-phernalia, such as graduation caps and diplo-mas. Students are also not limited to tradi-tional graduation photos – Gordon is ready to accommodate a wide variety of requests. As part of the 12 proofs at no extra charge, students can also take group photos, wear dif-ferent outfits, choose multiple backgrounds from a wide selection, try out a variety of poses, as well as bring in anything they’d like to be photographed with. Gordon’s pre-vious sessions have included photographs with couples, friends and family; students dressed in uniforms and/or holding para-phernalia relevant to their degrees such as scrubs and stethoscopes for nursing students; athletes in their uniforms; students dressed in formal wear and traditional cultural outfits… flexibility is the name of the game. Gordon even photographed one student with a Dun-geons and Dragons prop sword, so don’t be

afraid to let your inner nerd shine either.Gordon is also trying to revive

interest in graduation photos by stress-ing the sentimental value in document-ing life’s milestones with photographs,

“A lot of the students are maybe not as interested in the photographs as their parents would be. So the thing is that the students shouldn’t really think about it as something necessarily right now for them-selves but down the road it’ll be impor-tant to them, and right now the parents would be really pleased to have the thing,”

Many university students have their fam-ily to thank for years of emotional and finan-

cial support and grad photos can be a token of appreciation for some. It’s a lovely photo to make them swell with pride when they show off the copy they have stashed in their wal-let to their friends or whenever they admire the framed photo on their desk at work.

“This is an opportunity to make your family happy – put a smile on your mother’s face,” said Gordon.

And if all you can thank your family for is not aborting you, just do

it for yourself – a fancy photo of you in a fancy gown to go with your fancy uni-versity degree and remind you of how

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4...

Obama makes controversial move to protect potentially oil rich wilderness in AlaskaGINA MARTELLNEWS EDITOR

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2...

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2 Caper TimesThursday, January 29, 2015

Caper Times

Celine CookeCape Breton has always had a fabulous

arts community but the focus always seems to latch on to the music scene rather than any of the other amazing things the com-munity has to offer. For that reason, music is what’s primarily advertised, with visual art and stage performances left to fend for themselves. This seems to be starting to balance out as the musicals at the Savoy Theatre have gained quite a bit of popu-larity. CBU’s Boardmore Theatre seems to not be receiving as much attention as it should however – and not for lack of talent.

The following is the schedule for the remainder of the Boardmore’s 2015 season as well as the Savoy’s upcoming produc-tions, taken from their respective websites.

The PillowmanBy Martin McDonaghDirected by Rod NichollsJanuary 29, 30, 31 at 7:00

pm; February 1 at 2:00 pm The Boardmore Playhouse“Once upon a time, there was a little

boy upon whom his mother and father show-ered nothing but love, kindness, warmth, all that stuff. He had his own little room in a big house in the middle of a pretty forest. He wanted for nothing: all the toys in the world were his; all the paints, all the books, papers, pens. All the seeds of creativity were implanted in him from an early age and it was writing that became his first love: short stories, fairy tales, little novels … and some of them were good, some of them were very good” (The Pillowman). But one day, in an unnamed police state, the writer was arrested and interrogated about the gruesome con-tent of his stories. Needless to say, he didn’t live happily ever after. The Pillowman is both a paranoid whodunit and a horrifying mélange of fairy tales (in the spirit of the Brothers Grimm, Grand Guignol theatre, and David Lynch films). It’s also very funny, but “comedies don’t come any blacker than this spellbinding stunner of a play” (New York Times). So this contemporary masterpiece – winner of both Olivier and Tony awards – will not be appropriate for anyone who is easily offended, shocked, or frightened.

A Funny Thing Hap-pened On the Way to the Forum

Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart

Music and Lyrics by Stephen SondheimDirected by Bruce CathcartMusical Direction by Barb StetterFebruary 25, 25, 26, 27, 28

at 7:00 pm; March 1 at 2:00 pm The Boardmore PlayhouseInspired by the farces of the ancient

Roman playwright Plautus (251 -183BC), the musical tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The plot displays many classic elements of farce, including puns, the slamming of doors, cases of mis-taken identity, and satirical comments about social class. The title derives from the line that vaudeville comedians often used to begin a story: “ A funny thing happened on the way to the theatre”. The musical’s original 1962 Broadway run won several Broadway and West End revivals and was made into a successful film starring the original lead of the musical, Zero Mostel.

The Elizabeth Board-more One Act Play Festival

March 19, 20, 21, 22 (full schedule TBA) The Boardmore PlayhouseThis annual festival is eagerly awaited

by CBU students, faculty, and com-munity members. The festival provides new and experienced writers, directors, and actors with an opportunity to show-case their talents, and gives the public a chance to see several quality productions from numerous theatrical styles. Stay tuned for a full schedule of One Act Plays.

Youth Theatre FestivalApril 13 to19 (full schedule TBA) The Boardmore PlayhouseThe Youth Theatre Festival is an annual

event held at the CBU Boardmore Playhouse. This year, young theatre practitioners from Class Acts Drama School and other com-munity youth drama groups take to the stage and perform in a series of scripted produc-tions. The Festival allows our local theatre community to celebrate the vitality and dedi-cation of our young theatre professionals.

Into The WoodsMay 22, 23, 26 at 7:00 pm May 24 at 2:00 pmThe Savoy TheatreThe Brothers Grimm hit the stage with

an epic fairy-tale about wishes, family and the choices we make. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favor-ite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless yet relevant piece and rare modern classic. The TONY Award-

winning book and score are both enchanting and touching. The story follows a child-less baker and his wife who endeavor to lift their family curse by journeying into the woods, where they encounter Rapun-zel (and her witchy “mother”), Cinderella, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Little Red Riding Hood and other classic fairy tale charac-ters, and they all must learn the responsibil-ity that comes with getting what you want.

Bluenose (a play for young audiences)By Emil SherDirected by Scott SharplinApril 27,28,29,30, May1– 10:00am,

May 2 – 7:00pm, May 3 – 2:00pm The Boardmore PlayhouseAll aboard the Shark de Triomphe, in

search of pirate plunder and clownish blun-der! Ratt, Spatt, and Knat are three red-nosed pirates who think the island of Pakamula is theirs for the pillaging. But the incompetent crew meet their match in Ku, a blue-nosed native who teaches them a lesson about accepting difference and learning to share. A treasure chest bursting with song and slap-stick, “Bluenose” is a delightful voyage, no matter your age or the colour of your nose!

The Tortoise and the HarePresented by Weirdbeard Troupewritten by Joanie Cun-

ningham & Bernadette BordenMay 11 & 13 – 10:00am, May

15 – 7:00pm , May 17-2:00pmThe Boardmore PlayhouseThe classic tale of the Tortoise and

the Hare is retold in a very weird way by our very own Mr WeirdBeard! Shelly the tortoise, Chase the hare, Ms Jazzy Bear the music teacher, and Iggy the sly sales-man are all part of the Big Race. There are a few distractions along the way and a big surprise waiting at the finish line!

Cape Breton on stageCELINE COOKEARTS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR

OBAMA CON’T...licans have also shown little regard for how development may affect the livelihood of Alaska’s indigenous peoples and wildlife, instead perceiving the difference of values as an all-out war against the state and its peo-ple. The area is of high ecological and cul-tural significance, a pristine natural habitat for countless species upon which the aborigi-nal peoples of the area are dependent upon to conserve their traditional ways of life.

However Obama’s plans could be eco-nomically beneficial as well, although per-haps not to the same extent as fully taking advantage of the area’s production poten-tial. In the past, designated “national monu-ments,” such as the Grand Canyon, have been shown to improve local economies with an increase in tourism. This rings true here in Cape Breton – much of our economy is dependent upon tourists that come to Cape Breton in the summer for its well-preserved historic and natural beauty.

In a White House video, President Obama said he was seeking the designation "so that we can make sure that this amazing wonder is preserved for future generations."

In a League of Conservation Voters ques-tionnaire, the president also said, "I strongly reject drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because it would irreversibly damage a protected national wildlife refuge without

creating sufficient oil supplies to meaning-fully affect the global market price or have a discernible impact on U.S. energy security."

In 2008, regarding Alaskan oil drilling controversies, Senator John McCain was quoted saying, "…I don't want to drill in the Grand Canyon, and I don't want to drill in the Everglades. This is one of the most pristine and beautiful parts of the world."

The Wilderness Act was put in place under President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and sought to preserve America’s dwin-dling wild areas by designating them as pro-tected wilderness areas under federal law. The preservation of land for future genera-tions due to its educational, scientific, aes-thetic, ecological and historical value was a radical concept at the time but received widespread support from environmentalists.

If congress approves the plans, the area would be the largest piece of land set aside under the Wilderness Act since it was put in place.

STEVE JURVETSON

3 Caper TimesThursday, January , 2015

Team Toews Defeats Team Foligno in Unspectacular All-Star GameThe master orator and famous polemi-

cist, Christopher Hitchens, delivered one of his best performances to an audience in Can-ada in 2006. The city was Toronto and the topic was free speech – one Hitchens felt had come under attack in the months and years leading up to his visit to the Great White North. He opened by exempting himself from the moderator’s “kind offer of protec-tion” from those wishing to be hostile with the British-American – to the satisfaction of the audience, he followed up with a bit of humor: “Anyone who wants to say anything abusive about or to me is quite free to do so and welcome, in fact...at their own risk.”

Hitchens went on to summarize what he called the “classic texts” on the subject (John Milton's Areopagitica, Thomas Paine's introduction to the Age of Reason and John Stuart Mill's essay on liberty) in the follow-ing way: “It’s not just the right of the per-son who speaks to be heard, it is the right of everyone in the audience to listen and to hear and every time you silence some-body, you make yourself a prisoner of your own action because you deny yourself the right to hear something.” He then demon-strates just how far the shield protecting free speech ought to travel should we be faced with a holocaust denier in the 21st century:

“And (if) one person gets up and says, ‘You know, about this Holocaust, I’m not sure it even happened. In fact, I’m pretty certain it didn’t. Indeed, I begin to wonder if the only thing is that the Jews brought a little bit of violence on themselves.’ ...That person doesn't just have a right to speak, that person’s right to speak must be given extra protection because what he has to say must have taken him some effort to come up with, might contain a grain of histori-

cal truth, might, in any case, give people to think about why do they know what they already think they know? How do I know that I know this, except that I've always been taught this and never heard anything else?”

“The Hitch” as he was known to friends, moves to warn: “Don’t take refuge in the false security of consensus and the feel-ing that whatever you think you’re bound to be okay because you’re in the safely moral majority.” He then criticizes Austria’s imprisonment of David Irving, a holocaust denier and World War II historian, for the crime of thought and writing, calling it “a scandal”. He remarks that he usually can’t get a seconder when he motions this way but that he doesn’t need one – noting that his own opinion is good enough for him.

This was Hitchens at his best – sur-veying a simple, yet important idea like free speech and forcing us to check our intuitions: challenge our tendencies and think differently. An eloquent speech on an important and ever-timely topic – this is why I miss Hitch. In light of the recent attacks in France at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, I know I speak for many when I say I would have loved to watch Hitchens open one of his mystifying speeches with a vibrant and enthusiastic “Je suis Charlie!”.

Christopher Hitchens’ Toronto speech is available at: http://www.you-t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = j y o O f R o g 1 E M

Super Bowl 49 will feature the AFC Champion New England Patriots against the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks in what is unquestionably the biggest sport-ing event of the year on Sunday, February 1. The Seahawks are the defending champions, having drubbed the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48, while the Patriots have won 3 titles under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, but none since 2004. Both teams are well-matched, and both sport strong pass-ing and running games, as well as solid sec-ondaries. Most sports books brand the game as a tossup, with no team the clear favorite. In many ways this is a matchup of the old guard vs the new in the NFL, as the Patriots and Brady are looking to cement their legacy, and Seahawks quarterback, 26 year old Russell Wilson, is looking to create one of his own.

The Patriots’ season began poorly, going 2-2, and after an embarrassing 41-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in week four, many began to suspect that the Brady/Belichick era was finally coming to an end. The media and fans panicked, but the Patri-ots went on to win seven straight, includ-ing impressive wins over top AFC rivals Denver and Indianapolis respectively. The offense showed shades of the team’s 2007 campaign, where Brady and his receivers broke several records, and the run saw the Patriots frequently put up 35+ points against helpless defenses. The winning streak was finally broken by Green Bay in week thir-teen, but New England rebounded by win-ning their next three, clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They dropped their final game of the season to Buffalo - an inconsequential game for both teams - and saw the Patriots rest most of their regulars. They finished with a 12-4 record.

Seattle began the season 2-1, racking up impressive wins over Green Bay and

going on to beat Denver in a Super Bowl 48 rematch. After beating the Washington Red-skins in week five, they dropped their next two games to Dallas and St. Louis, bring-ing their record to 3-3 and leading many to question whether or not the previous sea-son was a fluke. However, like the Patri-ots, they responded on the field, going 9-1 to finish the season, and brining their final record to 12-4, on par with New England.

Both teams received byes in the first round of the playoffs and in the divisional round, New England and Seattle matched up against Baltimore and Carolina respec-tively. Seattle won comfortably 31-17, but New England struggled early against their frequent playoff opponents. The Ravens led by seven points at the half, but the Patriots put up fourteen points in the third quarter, including a 51 yard trick touchdown pass by wide receiver Julian Edelman, which at the time tied the game. The defense stepped up in the final quarter, holding Baltimore to a field goal, and Brady added a touchdown to seal the game, which will undoubtedly go down as an NFL post-season classic.

The Indianapolis Colts upset Denver in the other AFC divisional game and were matched up against the Patriots for a spot in the Super Bowl. Green Bay beat Detroit to set up the other match up, and led Seattle deep into the fourth quarter. Green Bay Led by nine at the two minute warning, before Seattle scored a touchdown, and imme-diately got the ball back after a success-ful on-side kick. They tied the game with a field goal, sending the game into over-time, also scoring a touchdown on their first possession to win the game and send them to their second Super Bowl in a row.

The Patriots had a much easier confer-ence championship game, demolishing the Colts 45-7. The win, however, was tainted by allegations that Brady and the Patri-ots had deflated their game balls, suppos-edly to make the balls easier to throw and

catch, sparking the explosion of the media scandal known as “deflategate”. However, given the lopsided outcome of the game, it is highly unlikely that any tampering would have made a substantial difference and Brady and Belichick both denied any involvement. The plausible theory that the weather had naturally deflated the balls was brought forth in their defense. Regardless, Super Bowl 49 is set to be the most excit-ing in years and any question that either team is undeserving is completely absurd.

It would be impossible to try to pre-dict the outcome of the game - the massive over-analysis that is bound to take place in the week leading up to the game will get us no closer to the truth. What we do know is that both teams have elite quarterbacks who exhibit different styles: Brady being an accu-rate tactical genius and Russell being more mobile and adaptive. Marshawn Lynch leads the Seahawks’ running game, whereas the Patriots make use of several half backs, most notably LeGarrette Blount. While Lynch is certainly the best of the group, he spent most of his career in Buffalo, a division rival and frequent opponent of the Patriots - New Eng-land will be well prepared for him. Brady is known for making excellent use of his receiv-

ers, and will have several options to throw to, including Edelman, Danny Amendola, and star tight end Rob Gronkowski. It will be up to Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, the self-proclaimed “best corner in the game” to stop the passing game, and his performance in the game will be a key deciding factor.

The game is set to be wildly unpredict-able. It could be either a low scoring affair, or a high scoring shootout. What is certain is that it will be close and that anyone who claims to be able to predict the outcome of the game is a fool. New England has lost

their last two Super Bowl appearances, but a win in Super Bowl 49 would cement the Brady/Belichick era as one of the greatest sports dynasties of all time - however Seattle is a formidable opponent, and Wilson and co. are intent on building a dynasty of their own. Regardless of the outcome, the tens of mil-lions of people who will tune into the game on Sunday are assured an entertaining affair.

Patriots and Seahawks set for Super Bowl clashAARON SAMPSONSPORTS REPORTER

Why I miss HitchDENNIS CURRIECONTRIBUTER

AARON SAMPSONSPORTS REPORTER

The NHL recently held its first all-star game since 2012, and like the several pre-vious iterations, it had very little substance in terms of entertainment and relevancy. Unlike other major sports leagues’ all-star games, which pit the best players from each conference against each other, the NHL has elected since 2011 to determine the rosters through a fantasy style draft. Players are voted on by the fans and are then drafted by arbitrarily chosen captains during a live TV special that is more of a bore than the game itself. This year’s captains were Chi-cago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ hometown favorite Nick Foligno. Team Toews beat team Foligno 17-12, breaking the record for most goals scored in a single all-star game.

All major sports have struggled to keep their all-star games relevant and interest-ing. In the past, they served as a way to let fans see players that they normally couldn’t, due to the lack of games broad-cast on television. However, with the rise of cable TV and the internet, it is incred-ibly easy to watch whichever player one desires to see, thus the novelty and appeal of all-star games has been lost. Neverthe-less, they bring in revenue and leagues have stuck with them, trying everything they can to make them more entertaining.

The NHL, however, has gone in the complete opposite direction, taking a game that meant nothing and somehow making it mean even less. Before 2011, the game was contested between the Eastern and West-

ern conferences, and between players from North America and players from the rest of the world between 1998 and 2002. Both formats are vastly superior to the current fantasy draft model, which more or less dis-tributes the rosters randomly, as the captains make no effort to draft based on skill or loca-tion. This leaves the game being contested between two hastily assembled rosters with no coherence or connection, making it dif-ficult to take a rooting interest in the game. This, combined with the fact that the game itself is a slow paced, low intensity, low con-tact affair where the players barely even try, has turned the entire event into a joke. Play-ers recognize this as well. Many stars, such as Sidney Crosby, opt not to play, citing injuries or fatigue, and even the ones who do show up would probably prefer to spend the break from the regular season with their families.

The NHL has proven itself to be an ambitious league, constantly seeking new opportunities for expansion and ways to popularize the game outside of Canada. However, it is time for them to recognize that the all-star game in its current configuration is a failed experiment and not the type of product they want to try and sell to budding hockey fans. If the all-star game is to exist at all, the NHL must either bring back the old format or come up with an innovation that actually works. Otherwise, the league will see interest in the game continue to decline.

PHILIP ROBERTSON

4 Caper TimesThursday, January , 2015

Alexis Tsipras, head of the radical leftist Syriza party and newly elected prime minis-ter of Greece, has revealed that he intends to leave the country’s past tough-love economic policies in the dust. Only two seats short of a majority government, Tsipras agreed to form a coalition government with right-wing fringe party, the Independent Greeks. Tsipras' choice of the Independent Greeks – thought to be a strongly anti-European party - as an ally rather than the centrist Potami party has caused concern that he could take a hardline approach in negotiations with rescue lenders.

Tsipras opted to be sworn in with a secular oath rather than the traditional Greek Orthodox religious ceremony, a con-troversial act that may herald the begin-ning of Greece’s new era of radical rule.

Tsipras told Greeks that his win meant an end to the austerity and humiliation that has been present in Greece since the collapse of its economy. A resented 240 billion-euro bailout plan has been credited with keeping the Greek economy afloat since 2010; how-ever it came at the cost of deep public spend-ing, salary and pension cuts and a series of tax hikes, without which Greece would not have qualified for bailout. The adverse effect the plan has had on the lives of Greeks has resulted in widespread dissent in the country.

Continued international financial aid for the Greeks is contingent on the their abid-ing by the terms of the agreement made in 2010, however citizens seem to be sick of these sacrifices, having now been encap-tivated by the anti-bailout rhetoric of the

Syriza party. The party’s election platform relied heavily on promising Greeks a rene-gotiation of the bailout’s terms, fueling the doubts of foreign leaders that Greece will emerge from their financial crisis any-time soon. Economists, investors, credi-tors and markets alike are concerned about the potential ramifications of the new gov-ernment’s economic policies, which could affect the European economy as a whole.

Other election promises made by Tsipras have included an unheeding stance towards Greece’s creditors, which the party has referred to as “foreign conquerors”; press-ing Germany for war reparations; eradicat-ing politician’s immunity from persecution; and cracking down on the corruption of pub-lic officials. While the new alliance between the Independent Greeks and the Syriza party has created concerns over potential conflicts concerning ideological differences, the two appear to share common ground in their overall goals. However the parties’ differing opinions on immigration issues could create conflict, with the Independent Greeks favour-ing a curbing of immigration while the Syriza party seeks to strengthen migrant rights.

Syriza is the first anti-austerity party to take power in a Eurozone country, reject-ing the implementation of harsh economic policies to meet the demands of creditors. Their near-majority election has sent a warn-ing to the rest of Europe, where continuing economic weakness has stirred a populist backlash: voters are increasingly fed up with policies that have required deep sacri-fices on the part of individuals but that have failed to uplift the economy and create jobs.

Nevertheless the new government is not in a strategically favourable position to deliver on its election promises at the moment, facing an immediate cash shortage

with a dwindling primary surplus, upcoming loan repayments, and limits on the money it can raise using treasury bill auctions. Without financial support from interna-tional creditors, they may not even be able to run day-to-day government operations.

Despite fears of anti-European for-eign policy from the new party, Tsipras struck a conciliatory note in one of his speeches, saying, "The new Greek govern-ment will be ready to co-operate and negoti-ate for the first time with our peers a just, mutually beneficial and viable solution,"

Several Eurozone leaders have expressed a willingness to negotiate ways of lightening the burden of Greece’s debts, although others like Germany are opposed to making concessions and believe Greece should stick to the terms of the bailout plan. Some fear that softening of the Eurozone’s stance on Greece may inspire demands for concessions from other Eurozone countries that are wrought with debt, bringing down the more prosperous nations with them.

Megan Greene, the chief econo-mist at Manulife Asset Management, suggests that cooperation is the only viable solution for all parties involved, even if it seems unlikely to happen,

"Syriza and its creditors are stuck in a Gordian Knot, and both sides will need to cave on something. Neither Greece nor its creditors want Greece to default or exit the Eurozone, so a compromise will probably be found," The new alliance, she said, "suggests the new government will engage in danger-ous brinkmanship with Greece's creditors as it tries to negotiate funding to stave off utter bankruptcy over the next few months."

After almost two years of declining ratings, weak cards, and injuries, the Ulti-mate Fighting Championship is set to have one of the strongest months in its history. After Light Heavyweight Champion and consensus top pound-for-pound fighter in the world Jon “Bones” Jones defended his title against Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in Las Vegas, they are following up with an equally compelling Vegas bout. This match will see octagon great Anderson Silva make his long awaited UFC return against the controversial Nick Diaz at UFC 183.

Anderson Silva’s run in the UFC is perhaps the most dominating in the his-tory of combat sports. He won his first fif-teen fights with the promotion, going unde-feated for over six years and defending the UFC Middleweight title a record ten times. His streak was snapped by current middle-weight champ, Chris Wideman, after he was knocked out in the second round of their July 2013 bout. Silva was given an immediate rematch, which took place on December 28, 2013, and despite the ear-lier loss to Wideman, was heavily favored to win. However, in the first round, Wide-man checked a leg kick of Silva’s, causing Silva’s leg to snap in one of the most grue-

some injuries in sports history. Silva has not fought since, but despite being almost 40 years old, still hopes to climb back up the middleweight ladder and reclaim his title.

Nick Diaz has had an even longer layoff than Silva - he was the Strikeforce wel-terweight champion and defended the title three times before Strikeforce was bought out by the UFC. He made his UFC debut against legend and future hall-of-famer B.J. Penn, dominating him with a unanimous win. When Canadian UFC welterweight cham-pion Georges St-Pierre tore his ACL, Diaz was placed in an interim title match against Carlos Condit, which he lost via decision. After St-Pierre returned and won the unifi-cation bout against Condit, Diaz was given the next title shot. On March 16, 2013, after being frustrated and dominated by St-Pierre for another decision loss, Diaz announced that he would be retiring from MMA; but on July 24, 2014 he came out of retire-ment, and the fight with Silva was booked.

Silva should be considered the overwhelming favorite to win the bout, as he has both the size and technical advan-tage over Diaz. Silva normally fights at the middleweight level (185 lbs) but has occa-sionally gone up to light heavyweight (205), whereas Diaz, normally a welterweight (170) will fight in Silva’s usual weight class. Silva’s greatest strength is his striking; uti-

lizing his kickboxing and Muay Thai to produce highlight reel finishes. He is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, frequently sub-mitting opponents when they manage to take him down. Diaz on the other hand is a boxer, who uses his incredible stamina to frustrate his opponents with an endless onslaught of weak punches. He, like Silva, is an excellent grappler and would not be uncomfortable if the fight goes to the ground. For Diaz to win, he must exasperate Silva with punches from medium range, making sure to not get too close and fall victim to hits with strikes from the clinch, or get too far and allow Silva to take advantage of his superior reach.

Diaz would likely be able to out grap-ple Silva, but will ultimately find it diffi-cult to take him down. Silva has the obvi-ous style advantage, and despite his age, a win should be expected. Should he win, he will almost certainly receive a title match against the winner of Wideman’s upcoming fight with Vitor Belfort, who Silva knocked out in astonishing fashion in 2012. Should he lose, there will likely be calls for his retirement. Regardless of what happens, Silva will go down as one of the great-est, if not the greatest, mixed martial artist of all time. Even though his best days are behind him, he still guarantees an exciting fight every time he steps into the octagon.

Silva Set to Face Diaz in Return Bout

New radical left-wing government in Greece

AARON SAMPSONSPORTS REPORTER

GINA MARTELL NEWS EDITOR

WARREN GORDON CON’T... much you’ve accom- plished on your own. Treat yo’self.

If you want to make sure you get an experienced and personable professional photographer for your grad photos – look no further than Warren Gordon. Although he doesn’t like to toot his own horn, Gordon’s body of work and awards for both his pho-tography and business speak for themselves. His work has been featured in a variety of publications and his books and calendars have sold enough copies in Canada to be considered best-sellers. Gordon began his career as a student in 1974, taking photos for the yearbook and student newspaper at St. Francis Xavier Junior College, otherwise known as Cape Breton’s modest beginnings as a satellite of the St. FX campus in Anti-

gonish. Now with over 40 years of photog-raphy experience, he has taken all kinds of photographs all over the world, although his main focus is photographing the events, peo-ple, and natural beauty of Cape Breton. Gor-don also seems to have a knack for putting clients at ease – chatty, good natured, highly accommodating as well as remarkably hum-ble for such a reputable photographer - he’s your man if you want to feel comfortable and confident when you’re in front of the camera.

If you’re interested in this opportu-nity, you can contact Warren Gordon at his studio by phone or email (see ad for con-tact details) if you have any questions or to schedule an on campus or studio photo session. Gordon may also return for a sec-

ond week of sessions, depending upon how successful the first week is. For those of you that miss the opportunity to have your photographs taken on campus, the session fees of any grad photos taken in Gordon’s studio will be donated to CHC as well.

Proofs will be available for students about a week after photographs are taken, after which students can choose from a variety of packages, with packages starting from $115.

To learn more about War-ren Gordon and his business you can also visit www.gordonphoto.com.

Professors cheat too

OTTAWA (CUP) - “Beware of plagia-rism!” reads the University of Ottawa’s offi-cial handout on academic fraud. “It’s easy, it’s tempting… but it can be very costly!”

It’s a warning that all students have heard before. But what about professors, arguably the most distinguished members of any uni-versity? If you give them the chance, do they not bend the rules? And if they are caught com-mitting academic fraud, do they get expelled?

More often than you think, the answer is no. Last year alone, three dif-ferent cases revealed the difference in the way plagiarism is handled when the perpetrators are university staff.

In April, assistant professor Vanessa Ryan from Brown University was caught for having plagiarized materials more than 30 times in her 2012 book Thinking Without Thinking in the Victorian Novel. According to the Brown Daily Herald, Ryan called the incidents of plagiarism “inadvertent errors of attribution,” even though lengthy passages were used verba-tim from the original source without quota-tion marks. In the end, a review committee deemed Ryan’s mistakes unintentional and, as punishment, she later was named associ-ate dean of the university’s graduate school.

In May, Matthew C. Whitaker, a history professor from Arizona State University, was accused of plagiarism for a second time. Despite being a multiple offender on this front, the university eventually decided not to pursue punitive action, despite massive protests from students and professors alike.

Another case was made public in Novem-ber, when former University of Regina engi-neering student Arjun Paul accused Professor Shahid Azam of having plagiarized passages from his master’s thesis. Even though a CBC investigative team found that as much as 24 per cent of the article had been plagia-rized, Azam insists he wrote most of Paul’s thesis himself. Despite Azam’s claims, his publisher decided to retract the plagiarized article. But the school? Nothing so far.

How can this be? What would have been done to a student who had commit-ted similar errors in judgment? He or she would have certainly been treated as hav-ing committed a crime of the highest order, punishable by death of reputation or banishment from the land of academia. So why is an erring professor offered clemency when it comes to plagiarism?

In a recent article for CBC News, Pro-fessor Benson Honig of McMaster Univer-sity’s business school said this double stan-dard is a matter of administrations trying to save face: “My observation is the insti-tutions have much more interest in pursu-ing student ethical violations than faculty violations because the faculty violations reflect on their institution.” But doesn’t a university’s reputation also suffer when it tolerates academic fraud from its staff?

These recent examples of professor pla-giarism reflect a larger lack of transparency and accountability on behalf of post-second-ary institutions. Most of us will have seen the “Beware of Plagiarism!” document, and its contents are widely discussed on the U of O campus. But there exists no specific regula-tions for staff regarding plagiarism at this university, nor is there a set disciplinary pro-cess for professors who are caught cheating.

The problem, in other words, is act-ing as though profs are beyond reproach, when in reality, they too will occasion-ally break the rules. And when they do, there’s no reason that the cost of pla-giarism should be any less for them.

JUSTIN DALLAIRETHE FULCRUM