Jamie Arron is pictured on the campaign trial

After what he is now calling a “smear campaign” in the Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) elections, disqualified presidential candidate and winner Jamie Arron will be appealing the $120 in fines against him that led to his disqualification by the DSU elections committee.

Aaron Beale, the VP (academic and external) candidate and winner, was also disqualified and will be appealing all fines laid against him.

Jamie Arron is confident all fines will be repealed.

“The difficult part is the next two months being a current executive and working in this environment,” says Arron.

“I don’t know if you’ve looked much at Punditry.ca, but some people are trying to put a smear campaign against me.”

Arron says he does not hold anything against the elections committee or the chief returning officer because he understands that “they are under a lot of pressure and that pressure was increased by the smear campaign.”

According to the rules of the DSU constitution, any candidate who exceeds $100 in fines is automatically disqualified. No notification of the disqualifications was given to candidates prior to the results being made public.

The DSU elections committee is mandated to not reveal disqualifications until the voting period is over. This ensures that the original results of the votes can be upheld should the disqualifications be overturned in an appeal.

The results of the DSU elections showed that Arron won the presidency with 58.3 per cent of the votes, while Beale won for VP (academic and external) with 61.2 per cent of the votes. Because of the disqualifications, Sarah Bouchard was declared DSU president and Richard Clark was declared VP (academic and external) for next year.

The fines laid against both candidates were for breaking the rules of campaigning as outlined in the DSU constitution.

By the time the elections results were issued, Arron had six fines worth $20 each. Offenses included: having a website active in the pre-campaigning period, using DSU-owned material in his one-minute campaign video, post-campaigning and soliciting in a campus residence.

Chris Saulnier, current president of the DSU, is skeptical of a smear campaign within the student union.

“I wouldn’t say there is a toxic atmosphere in the DSU,” he says. “People are just passionate about these positions and want a chance to have a large impact.”

Arron says he is unable to comment on whether the alleged smear campaign came from within the DSU or not.

In regards to the charges of pre-campaigning, Arron says his campaign website, which was active before the campaign period began, was not promoted in any way and “could not have influenced voters.”

To answer the charges for using the DSU video footage, Arron says the footage actually belonged to an independent director from whom he received permission to use the footage.

In terms of his soliciting in residences, Arron says there is no place in the DSU’s constitution where it indicates that such practices are against the rules. The DSU official statement regarding the disqualifications only says that soliciting for any purpose in residences is against university policy.

Finally, Arron says he can repeal the charges for post-campaigning as they are largely subjective. Arron had posted on his Facebook page that “The DSU is at a crossroads. Will you vote for the same ol’ insiders or for the new wave of engagement? Times are a’changing. Let’s make it happen.” He says the wording of this post does not necessarily indicate campaigning.

“(The elections committee) made the decision quite quickly; they didn’t necessarily have access to all the information,” says Arron.

Beale also hopes his appeals will be heard. He amassed $205 in fines largely for post-campaigning. The elections committee found 29 of the candidate’s handbills issued around Howe Hall in the post-campaign period.

However, Beale says the person who issued the handbills was not a registered member of his campaign and he had no knowledge of their distribution.

He says it is unreasonable to disqualify him for something that was beyond his control.

“People can photocopy handbills and put them up; it’s just impossible to control completely,” he says in an email. “Right now, I could photocopy somebody’s posters, put them somewhere and report them.”

However, Beale does not suspect a smear campaign. He says the person who put up his posters was simply ignorant of the campaign rules.

“I will still have confidence in the election process if my appeal is accepted,” says Beale.

“I worry that if I am disqualified people will lose faith in the DSU’s legitimacy. The institution is at risk of becoming obsolete.”

Now that both candidates have submitted their appeals, the elections committee will set up a meeting to discuss them. If the committee decides to uphold its previous ruling, the disqualified candidates will be given five days to make an appeal to the DSU’s judicial board.

What rhythm, pitch and harmony moves me to joyous tears!

To think such grace once filled the halls and gatherings of state;

Did once the ears and minds and souls of princes (kings!) elate.

Indeed! what better sound t’ inspire the best of nations’ minds?—

Whose majesties mimicked the orchestra as up the scale it climbs!

Or whose restraint in things of state was first learned by the motto

Of he who mastered mastery of bow and pizziccato;

Or he whose craft and diligence, who’s calm for want of speed

Was learned from he who learned to play his own self-crafted reed;

Or whose ambassadors’ dealings with the elegant and crass,

The hot and cold, the shy and bold, (and those whom for dandies pass)

First learned the art from the many heights and powers and shades of brass!

But O! no more do improvise the harpsichord and lute

To ease the loads and lives of those who can’t their crowns refute;

No more do lords and duchesses flock to the royal balls

To celebrate a victor in the Hohenzollerns’ halls.

No more the Bourbons patronize the masterful ballet

Whose dancers brought even the Sun into their gracious fray;

No more the Hapsburgs do invite a Mozart to their court

To, through his simple elegance, with brightest sounds consort;

Nor can a George boast any Händel of his realms the best;

Now London, Dublin, Hanover must all themselves think blessed

That they his precious memories only guard while he does rest.

‘Tis true that Frederick rulèd o’er an army with a state

And that King Louis did himself too richly celebrate,

Nor can it be said that any crown’d head (of thrift or modesty)

Was guilty when the fugue enjoyed its popularity,

Nor that “a great man’s” conquests never came to any good—

Those wars that seemed to promise end of rule by God and blood;

No vision do I offer of a Europe free from vice

Of monarchical vanity or royal avarice—

But where abounds those rapturous sounds of living nations great?

Whose guiding hand today commands the sounds that elevate?

Where can one find the brilliant minds whose genius is replete

With all the fruits of art that sends the world to their feet?

Who anymore requires that their leaders learn from kings

Whose power and grace could imitate both timpani and strings?

Where does he dwell whose music quells and soothes the savage soul;

Whose works demand the virtuoso’s delicate control?

Where music free from necessity of what can be cheaply sold?

What harmonies will comfort us when we are grey and old?—

Or does no more the Universe in sounds itself unfold?

Our generation’s strains won’t stand the test of time, I fear,

So forgive me if I much prefer the sounds of yesteryear;

Or if I seek Vivaldi’s airs to quench my ear-drums’ thirst

And longing to escape that which will surely make them burst;

Or that if I must listen to those sounds I do despise,

I’ll eagerly wait what I esteem the higher prize—

Exchange for Bach’s chorales our modern mass-producèd din

And synthesizers for the singing of the violin.

The violin! What melody! does elevate the mind!

Yet on thy fading pedestal forever now reclined.

To think thy voice once filled the halls and palaces of state;

Did once the hearts and souls and minds of princes (kings!) elate.

I ask of thee, Can we be free, who are emancipate—

Free to enjoy that noise that once did Emperors elevate?

Can democratic citizens thee truly contemplate?

Or have our days and changing ways consigned thee to thy fate?

In this episode Judy and Karissa discuss whale conservation and why plants are neat.

To continue the discussion, check out the Selectively Permeable Facebook page.

A year has passed since I first slept with you.

In an afternoon park I’d lay me down

On virgin grounds beyond rough avenues

And all we did to see the ocean view.

Lovely Miss Autumn,

Recall we lived in so silent a town

And we ignored it like imperfections.

Yet by the wind which moments march around,

Colors crown the gown—heart–dissolving ground.

Indeed, Miss Autumn;

Lovely Miss Autumn;

Your ever-growing beauty

Raced Sun’s growing jealousy.

As your rich soil the leaves clothed,

‘ven Beauty itself was moved.

Indeed, Miss Autumn;

Lovely Miss Autumn;

‘twas your grand aspiration

To blanket me your festoon

That I’m a part of you

‘til heaven lost all its blue.

Oh Fall, little Fall,

You never gave up on your leaves.

You kept on breaking Beauty’s laws

Thinking that, from all, you would gain

Were mortals’ awe and confidence.

Oh Fall, little Fall,

I thought you ne’er gave up on me.

Your great pulchritude’s now a loss

And not once did I find again

The warm grounds of love so intense.

Then Winter you were.

Beauty preserved with coldness,

Mortals you did lure.

Pavements here and there,

No more was love so sacred.

Then Spring and Summer

Worms and dandelions crept.

So how-now, o lovely Miss Autumn,

I can no longer climb your beauty’s heights:

A poet could just do so much to love.

All photos submitted courtesy of Normand A. Léger. Click any photo to enter slideshow.

In the end, Dalhousie’s women’s volleyball team was not meant to take home the AUS banner.

The Tigers came into the championship final against Saint Mary’s as unmistakable underdogs, and they left the court as such, losing to the better team. The Huskies, ranked at season’s close as the nation’s second best squad, won AUS supremacy with a 3 – 1 triumph Feb. 19 at the University of Moncton.

Winning this championship helps right a wrong for Saint Mary’s. The league-leading Huskies were surprisingly upset in the 2011 final to UNB and were motivated to avoid the same fate against Dal this weekend.

This is Saint Mary’s fourth title in seven years.

The Tigers made this a contest in the second set, basically matching the Huskies point-for-point to even the match at one apiece. The second set, however, would count as Dal’s only victory.

The Tigers’ deficit in the third set was as many as 10 points, but Dal would claw back from the 22 – 12 climb to only fall 25 – 19 in the end. Dal never had the lead in the deciding fourth set, succumbing to an explosive kill from Kerri Smit to seal Dal’s fate with a 25 – 22 defeat.

Game scores were 25 – 17, 26 – 28, 25 – 19 and 25 – 22.

The victory qualifies the Huskies for the CIS championships. The AUS representative will take on seven other teams in the quest for the national championship Mar. 2-4 at McMaster University.

The three-pronged attack of outside hitters Louise Facca and Raessa Lalani and middle Maggie Li led Dal’s offensive charge with 12 kills each. Kirstie Shepherd added 11 more. Saint Mary’s top offensive contributors were Smit, the first-ever three-time MVP in conference history, and first-team all star Ariel Smith. They each had 17 points.

To make it to the final, both teams won their semifinal the day before. The Tigers came out on top against Memorial with a dominant fifth set, winning 3 – 2. Saint Mary’s pushed aside Moncton 3 – 1 to set the stage for their championship win.

This article will be updated later with player reaction.

Photos above courtesy of Andrew Meade (The Brunswickan). Click any photo to enlarge.

The Dalhousie Tigers would dominate the AUS men’s volleyball championship over the weekend, defeating the UNB Varsity Reds 3 – 1 twice.

Heading into the weekend, the V-Reds sat in second place, with Dal hosting the first game of the championship. It was a hard-fought four-set match in Halifax, where the Tigers first defeated the Reds 3 – 1 (25 – 18, 25 – 22, 28 – 30, 26 – 24).

From there, the fate of the championship title rested in Game 2. If the V-Reds had won, there would have been a third match; if Dal won, the championship title was theirs.

It was a tight game Feb. 19 until the fourth set, when the Varsity Reds fell apart completely.

“That’s just kind of the way we’ve been playing for the last couple of weekends unfortunately,” said UNB head coach Dan McMorran.

“We play some great ball then take some points. And when you’re riding those kinds of waves it’s difficult to generate momentum. When you’re playing against a team like Dalhousie and we’re riding a wave over here, they can pounce on things pretty quick.”

Connor Maessen, far right, aims for the kill in Game 1.
Photo by Rob Grandy

Reminiscent of the last two games in the regular season—where the Varsity Reds also lost against Dal—the team was riding a wave of winning a set then losing the next. Playing as hard as they could, the V-Reds still lost 3 – 1 (28 – 26, 24 – 26, 25 – 19, 25 – 20).

The first two sets were point-for-point, with the first set going to Dal and the second to UNB. In the third set the V-Reds dropped a few points, giving Dal the chance to pull ahead.

By the fourth set, UNB’s momentum was completely gone and it seemed like a different team was playing the Tigers. At the technical timeout, the score sat 16 – 7 in Dal’s favour. The final set score was 25 – 20 after a UNB comeback that came too late.

“We’ve got no excuses,” coach McMorran said. “Dalhousie came out and played with a defensive intensity the last couple of weekends and we struggled to match that.”

Sunday’s game was the last for fifth-year John Sheehan, a disappointing finish to his Varsity Reds career.

“We didn’t play very good today, and they [Dal] played good for the last four games.” Sheehan said after Sunday’s game, “They deserve it.”

“We couldn’t get a pass up, we couldn’t side out on them and, I mean, we just handed them a bunch of points. We didn’t really start going until our backs were against the wall, I think it was 20 – 10, we did a good job at chipping back but still 5 points down.”

With this win, Dalhousie reclaims the AUS championship title that UNB stole from them last year, snapping Dal’s 24-year reign on top of the conference.

“Our conversation will be about not enjoying the taste that’s in your mouth right now, and if that’s the case then it’s about how do we get better and how do we improve upon that,” said coach McMorran.

The Tigers will now represent the conference at the CIS championships March 2-4 at Queen’s University.

Editor’s Note: Our appreciation goes out to The Brunswickan for submitting this article from Fredericton. A Gazette article will follow shortly. 

General Comments

Analysts are now saying that the market has priced in potential Greek default, additional debt downgrades, and other potentially poor economic information into the markets. For instance, last week European Union Finance Ministers cancelled a meeting last Tuesday regarding Greece’s debt without a resulting extreme downturn in European markets.

One commentator even suggested that both leaders and investors “are growing more comfortable with the idea of Greece’s default and its possible departure from the Euro.”  Of course, it is important to remember that this is not the only reason markets did not react strongly to this news. Comments from China’s central bank governor that “China remains prepared to help the euro zone with its debt problems” and statements from Merkelthat she is “optimistic that the finance ministers can find a solution … [and] contribute to the stabilisation of Greece” likely helped propel markets forward last week and stave off significant downwards movements.

On a lighter note, conservatism has been upmost in the minds of many since 2008. This season (or rather next Autumn), it will also be expressed in fashion. At New York fashion week designers were particularly conservative, showing three-piece suits and long evening jackets for women. However, the materials used were luxurious and befitting the high share price of many of these design/retail companies.

Beyond the fashion cycle, this year companies are also trending towards the conservative.

In certain commodities companies, a more conservative strategy (i.e. increased diversification) and high dividends are being used to attract investors. Gold mining companies in particular are increasing dividends (and altering payment systems) in an attempt to reignite investor interest. For instance, AngloGold pays quarterly dividends, and Franco-Nevada makes dividend payments every month.  High gold prices allow this to happen, as they lead to high cash margin and the ability for gold miningcompanies to pay back money to investors through dividends.

North American Markets

Markets exploded on the upside this week, with the Dow approaching the 13,000 mark (not attained since the collapse of Lehman’s). The S&P did similarly well, gaining 1.4% over week (up 8.2% in 2012). On Thursday, an upbeat report on US Jobless claims led to a strong market open, even with negative sentiment regarding European debt and warnings from Moody’s regarding the credit worthiness of global financial firms. In fact, the Dow reached new highs on Thursday (up 1%), just one dayafter taking its worst fall of 2012 (down 0.8%).

While gains over the week were fairly general, the TSX did not close as strong as US markets and lost 0.2% on Friday.

International Markets:

Last week Moody’s investor services “put the UK on “negative outlook“, implying a 30% chance of losing its AAA credit rating within 18 months. France and Austria were also warned while Italy, Spain and Portugal’s ratings were lowered. Even with this news, the FTSE continued to gain and has now closed up six weeks in a row.

On the plus side, Fitch upgraded the credit rating of Iceland, moving the country’s debt from “Junk” status to Investment Grade. Iceland was one of the first European countries to be downgraded in 2008, and has now regained credit worthiness having “completed [its] International Monetary Fund recovery plan with good results.”

Editor’s note: Confused by any of these terms? We’ll have a glossary up of definitions soon! Anything you’d like to see in particular? Email online@dalgazette.com

when I pull the bow.

White road dust swirling

around my fingers

I can smell the land,

the years,

the maker.

Moving up the scales,

mocking birds and rattlesnakes

hum in my ear,

their melody twists

down my arms

in swirls,

staccato, tears

vibrato.

Black descends into rusty sunset.

The Mahogany enters

eyes, ears, mouth.

Takes over spaces behind sight,

silence past the beating drum,

gives a taste like

darkest chocolate.

Held up by string, by bridge,

by sound.

Conforming to my shape,

memories sing to me each time I come.

Each reel, strathspey,

gently rests in my fingertips.

Songs as old as home.

The Tigers meet Saint Mary's to fight for the league title Feb 19. Photo by Shauna Brown

It all comes down to one game for Dalhousie’s women’s volleyball team—and they will face a team as deserving of a spot in the finals as they are.

An AUS banner will be awarded to either the No. 1 ranked Saint Mary’s Huskies or the No. 2 seeded Dalhousie Tigers in a winner-take-all showdown Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. at the University of Moncton.

Before either team confirmed their spots in the championship, the Tigers and Huskies cleaned up in the semifinals the day before.

Memorial gave Dal a challenge in their semifinal. After four back-and-forth sets resulting in a 2 – 2 tie, the Tigers saved their best for last. Dal punched their ticket to the finals with a tremendous

.409 hitting percentage to win the final set 15 – 4. Tara Gowan led the Tigers with 13 kills. She was closely followed by the 12 kills of Maggie Li and 11 from Louise Facca.

Game scores were 25 – 18, 22 – 25, 27 – 25, 21 – 25 and 15 – 4.

Saint Mary’s, the CIS No. 2 ranked outfit, had an easier time with their opponent than what Dal encountered. The Huskies beat the Moncton Aigles Bleus 3 – 1, with only a faulty third set preventing Saint Mary’s from the sweep.

The 14 – 3 Tigers will enter the championship as clear underdogs. Led by three-time conference MVP Kerri Smit, Saint Mary’s nearly had an undefeated season if not for a disappointing hiccup against the Tigers Jan. 29. After being upset in the championship last season, SMU will be motivated to avoid facing a humiliating defeat once again.

Dalhousie, of course, won’t be slouches themselves. They are, after all, the only team to have solved Saint Mary’s this season, and they’ll hope to do it again when it matters most.

Dal’s last championship was in 2005. Saint Mary’s has won three league banners since then (2006, 2007 and 2010).

A webcast of the Feb. 19 game can be watched here: http://playerv2.streamit.ca/PlayerV2.aspx?eventid=83

Click here for an updated story.

First-year Connor Maessen, far right, aims for the kill.
Photo by Rob Grandy

The Dalhousie Tigers are one game away from reclaiming men’s volleyball supremacy.

It took four sets for Dal to knock the Varsity Reds aside Feb. 17, which perhaps should have been accomplished in three sets, as the streaking Tigers find themselves playing well at the right time, beating UNB 3 – 1 in Game 1 of the best-of-three AUS championship series.

The victory makes it three in a row for the Tigers against the V-Reds. Dal swept the season-ending series last weekend to earn home court advantage in the finals.

The luxury of opening the series at the Dalpex wasn’t taken lightly by the Tigers, said graduating senior Graeme Higgins.

“Last weekend they didn’t play too well in our gym. We had a lot of fans out and the crowd was great again tonight,” he said. “It’s a great feeling to get this win out of the way.”

The slumping Varsity Reds must find a way to win their next two matches if the defending champs want to add another banner to their repertoire.

“The guys have to take a good, hard look at themselves if they want to continue their season; if they want to fight and try to earn another berth to the CIS championships,” said UNB’s head coach Dan McMorran. “It’s on their shoulders right now.”

After regularly playing bridesmaid to the Tigers during Dal’s 24-year reign on top of the conference, UNB snapped that illustrious streak last season. They did so by winning four straight games against Dal, two at the end of the regular season and then two more in the playoffs. The Tigers are now poised to lay the same beating on the Varsity Reds, aiming for their fourth consecutive victory Feb. 19.

Daniel You and Kenneth Rauwerda go up for the block.
Photo by Rob Grandy

UNB fourth-year Matt Sweet doesn’t intend to let that happen.

“We’ve got to let this taste stay in our mouth a bit for Sunday. Remember how this loss feels and come out, change it, and bring it back here for a Game 3,” said Sweet, who paced UNB in the match with 16 kills.

The Tigers should have actually swept the match, if not for some unforced errors at the end of the third set, including two serves that sailed past the court. Dal had three match points in that set but they failed in each attempt, falling 30 – 28 in the end.

The black and gold squeaked out of the fourth set, 26 – 24, to take the game 3 – 1.

Despite the victory, Dal expected a better evening.

“We know we didn’t play our best tonight and, in some respects, we were kind of lucky to win some of those sets,” Higgins conceded. “To still be close even when we weren’t playing very good in that third set is nice.”

The three previous matches between the two rivals have been closely contested, but Higgins says his side has the capability of beating the V-Reds handily.

“I think our team believes that if we play well it’s not going to be that close. You know, we’re expecting a battle, but we know that if we play well we can blow them out.”

The Tigers will hope for a victory Feb. 19 to reclaim the league banner. It won’t matter to them how they get it in the end, blowout or not.

Click here for an updated story.