Bishop’s Student Representative Council has heavily invested in this year’s welcome weekend, proven from the marketing and name change.  “Carnival seems more associated with what’s just outside,” explained the SRC’s Director of Finance and Operations, Nick Venditti. “We wanted the name to reflect better the spirit of the event.”

There is a strong reflection of an inside and outside mix to the weekend this year, notably with a concert by Toronto electronic duo Zeds Dead, who are booked to play at the Gait on Sat., Jan. 21.  Following a talented performance by Classified last year, Venditti and the team of student organizers stumbled across Zeds Dead by word-of-mouth from the students.  Venditti describes their pitch to the band as “a shot in the dark,” though a successful one nonetheless. At press time 200 tickets to the concert were sold, with an increase in the last few days.

Other highlights of the four days include a day trip for skiing and/or water sliding at Jay’s Peak in Vermont, a rock tribute band, a traditional Quebecois breakfast, and the return of the highly anticipated Rail Jam.

This year some serious upgrading –and a serious boost from the SRC- has expanded the Rail Jam of yesteryear from “kind of a big deal” to “one hell of a big deal”.  This year’s set-up moved from student-constructed to professionally-built.  While the liability is down, the costs are up – from $4000 last year to over $9000- the SRC hopes with a new campaign and a ton of activities, it’ll be just the way to savour the snow this weekend.

Bishop’s University’s Student Representative Council (SRC) is delighted to present a Winter Carnival to bring the community together. The SRC has planned activities for all ages at 2600 College St.from Thursday, Jan. 19 inthe evening and through to Sunday, Jan. 22.
For those with young children, the SRC has arranged horse drawn sleigh rides around campus and games, which run on Saturday from about 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. There are no admission costs. The Big Buddies group on campus will be participating in the outdoor events with the kids.
Snowboarders and skiers 16 and over won’t want to miss Saturday’s event from 12:30-6:00 p.m. Admission to the SRC’s Rail Jam is $1 and that provides access to what resembles a snow park where participants will compete. Those 18 or older are invited to sign up and show their skills and, hopefully, win a prize.
The outdoor courtyard, commonly known as The Quad, is located near the entrance of the campus and will have a tent village. The village will offer beverages and other goodies such as beaver tails. The work of a professional will be featured.
The Gait will host two concerts for the weekend. For $5.00 you can enjoy a Daft Punk tribute band on Thursday (doors open at 11 p.m.). On Saturday you can catch the world-renowned D.J. Zeds Dead for $25. Doors will open for this concert at 10 p.m.
The organizers wish to thank all the volunteers for helping out and putting together a varied program. The goal of the weekend is to bring the Bishop’s and Champlain students together, and to include the community members of Lennoxville and their families. So make sure you bundle up and come out to enjoy the activities!

We don’t have a uniform here, but some days it seems we might as well: Bishop’s sweatshirt (go Gaiters!) with sweatpants or Spandex leggings tucked into UGG boots. While you love your UGGs and I have to admit, the one pair I tried on was very comfortable in the store, they are just not made to survive harsh Canadian winters. UGGs have been in vogue since about 2003, which, depending on personal opinion, is fine…just not as winter boots.

Sheepskin boots called UGGs were known in ruralAustraliaandNew Zealandsince the 1920s. In the 1960s, they became popular among competitive surfers to keep their feet warm. This just goes to show: UGGs are not, nor were they ever intended to be, winter boots! If you need any more proof along these lines, ask yourself this simple question: How often do Aussies have snow storms?

UGG boots are made of shearling sheepskin, which is what makes them so luxuriously comfortable, giving them that slipper feeling. Unfortunately for Canadian wearers, it is also what makes them vulnerable to water damage. One of the greatest shortcomings of UGG boots is that they’re not waterproof, which, as this winter season in Lennoxville has proven, is a must for wintry climates. You can pay extra for a special waterproofing cream to somewhat protect the sheepskin, but the salt on our roads will more than make up for any damage saved there. You end up with white veins all over the tops and sides of your boots, and by the time spring rolls around, they are damp and ruined, and not even close to their original colour. Even that soft, furry shearling lining, which seemed so appealing back in October, has become matted and grey by March.

Research has shown that UGG boots are also bad for posture and have caused the same amount of damage as walking around in stilettos every day does. I’m sure we’ve all seen it: the UGG shuffle, that pigeon-toed walk that actually looks painful to everyone around the wearer. When you walk in them, your feet slide around, which flattens the arch of the feet and causes back pain and, over time, joint problems. This can actually lead to early onset arthritis, so no matter how comfortable they seem, you shouldn’t wear your UGGs every day.

Another drawback to the still-vibrant trend is the cost. Genuine UGGs cost anywhere from $150 to $275 per pair, which can get really steep as it becomes necessary to purchase replacement pairs each winter.

While the classic sheepskin UGGs are just not practical forQuebecwinters, if you really love the brand, you don’t have to give it up: the company UGG Australia does make what they call performance and cold weather boots, which have appropriate ankle support, along with more of a tread than their classic boots do. These are winter bootsCanadaapproves of: tall and double laced, and at least in this reporter’s opinion, far cuter than the classic sheepskin look. Jeans tucked into these would be an original UGG style, which this season so far has shaped into an oxymoron. Price is still high, but if you’re going to spend the money on UGGs anyways, these are the tough older brother of the pair most of campus seems to possess. Here’s to dry feet and cute shoes.

¼ cup butter
2 cloves garlic; finely chopped
Shallots or ½ of small white onion
¼ cup flour
Salt and pepper
Other seasoning suggestions:
¼ tsp cinnamon, ½ tbsp oregano, paprika/ chilli powder, dash of nutmeg
1 cup milk
¾ cup chicken broth
2 chicken breasts
Vegetables of you’re choosing, may I suggest;
2 peppers any colour (besides green, they’re gross)
Hot peppers, chopped
Couple handfuls of baby carrots
Mushrooms if you’re into that sort of thing.

1. in a large pot sauté onions and garlic; add vegetables
2. stir in flour salt and pepper and other seasonings of your choice
3. stir in milk, broth
4. add chicken and hot peppers
5. bring to boil , reduce heat and cook until chicken is no longer pink
6. bake in pie crusts or serve with pasta and cooked bacon? Or bread

Bon Appetite!

I don’t know exactly what I want to do when I graduate from Bishop’s. I bet a lot of you don’t either. I struggled with this when I first got here, thinking I had to know exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go to do it. As I started to relax and make new friends, however, I realized that life would take me wherever I needed to go, and all I have to do is do the best job I possibly can wherever I am right now.

There is at least one other Bishop’s alumnus who had this realization. Jason Kacprzak graduated from Bishop’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, after which, according to his website, he decided to follow his true passion and pursue a career in cooking. Today he is the proud owner of successful restaurant Bistro KapZak in Sherbrooke, serving “home cooking with a modern European flare.”

The Campus interviewed Kacprzak, owner and head chef, about what he did to ensure his success while still studying here at Bishop’s. He tells us, “Prior to graduation, I always worked hard on my studies, but equally hard at my part-time jobs to ensure upon graduation, I had enough experience in the work force to be able to attack it head on.” As anyone will tell you in this age of recession, getting a job is difficult not only because of their scarcity, but also because of the phenomenon of experience: if you have none, you won’t get hired, but if no one will hire you, how can you be expected to have experience? Kacprzak’s advice will help all of us: if you don’t have a part-time job, it’s important to look and ensure you have sufficient experience in the “real” working world to be able to tread water when you graduate.

You might not think a science degree in physics has anything at all to do with managing a restaurant and serving as a chef, but Chef Jason Kacprzak will tell you that it does. “Majoring in physics allowed me to easily do all my cost calculations and programming for the systems and so forth. It also allowed me to look at situations objectively, assess problems and come to logical outcomes,” he says. Considering his background as a chef, he adds, “A few chemistry classes gave me a better understanding of how to balance acids and bases, such as [when mixing] vinaigrettes and marinades.”

When asked what the greatest experience at Bishop’s University was, Kacprzak gives us a touching answer. “My greatest experience was, I think, when I helped organize, with other classmates and professors, the science show at Bishop’s for the high school science fair finalist. Helping the kids and seeing their will to learn encouraged me the most.” He seems to suggest that we should be involved in extracurricular activities as well.

It’s important for us as students to understand that a university degree is a gateway. When we walk across the stage and receive our diplomas, they don’t come with a slip of paper with the job we’re going to have printed on them. We have to figure that out for ourselves, and the education our diploma represents is simply a key to the doors we want to walk through. Education also occurs outside the classroom, in situations like part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, and simply hanging out with your friends. Success in all areas of life consists of previous successes, and it’s never too late to keep building that resume. Kacprzak adds some final words of encouragement: “Keep your head up, no matter how hard it gets, and as much as possible, gain work experience on the way because the combination of grades and experience will put you over the other competition.”

Our school song may express a fond desire never to leave our home here on the Massawippi, but that day will come, and the best thing we can do for ourselves and our friends is to be as prepared as possible.

The School of Education has some exciting projects to address global education and Education for Sustainable Development with The Sustainability Walk of the “Seats of Knowledge.” This project was a collaborative effort of final year Education students in the B.ED program. The installations were researched and designed in the context of the course in Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning. A part of Bishop’s education program is to engage students in thinking about the power of education and their individual role as a teacher.

Linda Radford and Avril Aitken teach the Elementary and Secondary sections of the course, respectively. Aitken said, “We are particularly interested in the role of education in promoting increased understanding of the far-reaching social implications of choices we all make as consumers.” The goal of this educational process was to create an assignment through where students could create an informal experience on campus.

The seat part of the project has a rather interesting story. After selecting an issue or question, students were required to research its relationship to social, economic, and environmental factors. From there, they had to design a “seat of knowledge,” using a chair in some way. Again, Bishop’s has a knack for getting creative, which comes across in this interesting assignment.

Adam Young, B.E.S.T. (Bishop’s Experiential or Service Term) recipient for this sustainable education project, and Lauri Lidstone, the sustainability intern, both presented to the students before the process began. Bishop’s has been taking a step towards sustainability. You may have noticed the community garden project and the Gaiter Gears. Also, with the removal of bottled water on campus, progress is always being made.

In the two courses which focus on the projects (EDU419 and 420) students are responsible for creating awareness through education in elementary and secondary schools. The goal is to promote sustainable living and critical thinking among students. Think about it, when did you start caring about the environment? Were you young? Not likely. It’s important to educate the younger generations in order to foster behavioural changes.

Sustainable living has become a trendy issue within our society. People are starting to realize the importance of maintaining an environment that is healthy, safe, and hopefully long-lasting. For those who are unaware, sustainable development is a pattern of resource use and ideas. It aims to meet our needs while remaining friendly to the environment. Bishop’s is making a great effort to help educate our community and other individuals about the importance of such living. It is important to meet the needs of today without compromising the needs of future generations.

Dragons’ Den is one of the most successful Canadian TV shows on the air and has been running for 6 seasons. It features entrepreneurs pitching their business proposals to a panel of ‘dragons,’ who in return will provide funding for a stake in the entrepreneurs company. This year at Bishops, one of the most outspoken dragons, Kevin O’Leary, gave a riveting and inspiring lecture on entrepreneurship while providing insight into the future of business.

SIFE Bishop’s has a relatively long history of hosting Dragons’ Den.  It has evolved from a small classroom presentation into a University-wide event with 80 people attending. BU Dragons’ Den has grown substantially over the last four years, taking in more students and heightening the competition. The best student groups of Bishop’s entrepreneurship classes, BMG 214, are to compete with each other for this opportunity first in the class room and than on to a much larger stage; in front of their fellow peers, colleagues, professors and Dragons.

Mark your agenda and enjoy the show, take a short break from studying and get inspired by your peers.  This is something you don’t want to miss!

For more information please go to:  http://sifebishops.ca/dragons-den/

Bishop’s University Mentoring and Tutoring (BUMT) is an SRC club. The club promotes literacy and learning within the local community, as participants are paired up with a student in the area. The programs are in connection with Sherbrooke Elementary School, Lennoxville Elementary School, and Alexander Galt Regional High School. The tutors are matched up with a student in an age group they choose. The groups meet once a week for an hour or so.

BUMT is also responsible for a Reading Circle program. This after school program is for the Lennoxville Elementary School’s students. Held Friday afternoons at the Lennoxville Library, it’s a way BU students can give back to the students.

Michelle Frise, president of BUMT, said, “We often refer to our members as ‘tutors,’ [and] we also encourage our members to embrace the ‘mentoring’ aspect.” It’s important that the students learn from their older mentor. The goal is that the younger student feels comfortable and able to confide in the person they are paired with.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, it is a great way to get involved. The process includes an application, interview, and criminal record check. The executive members of the team include seven people, four of which will be graduating this year. The executive members include Alex Wisdom (Finance), Chrystal Scott (Social Events), Skylar LePoidevin (Sherbrooke Elementary School Coordinator), Kaitlyn O’Connor (Reading Circle Coordinator), Audrey Keating (Reading Circle Coordinator), and Leah Wynn (Galt Coordinator).

BUMT has organized a fundraiser called Feed to Read. The pancake breakfast will be held at the Cornerstone Church (across from the Lennoxville library). It is by donation. The event will take place December 3 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Local students have crafts and baking for sale. Feeling artsy? You can participate in some crafts too!

To clarify:

What: BUMT Pancake Breakfast

When: Decemember 3 (10 a.m. – 12 p.m.)

Where: Cornerstone Church in Lennoxville

Why: To support a great cause, get some food in your belly, check out/make crafts with local students

Students and staff of Bishops University now have a new medium to stay informed about the academic world of Bishops; the good ol’ radio.

Community radio station CJMQ has newly added Moving Thoughts, an hour-long interview session between host Michael Mykolyshyn and various faculty members of Bishop’s. Mykolyshyn is a Psychology and Religion student at Bishop’s, keeping him involved in multiple areas of the academic world at Bishop’s. He found interest for the radio show in the ideas and inspirations of his professors.

The program has now been running for five weeks,and so far the guests have been varied, and the audiences receptive.

Mykolyshyn was first motivated to begin Moving Thoughts because he wanted to reveal to the greater community the academia of Bishop’s. Bishop’s has maintained a “party school” image, and he found it was time for others to learn about the strength of the school’s professors and their undeniable affect on their students.

“We are all here because of education.” Says Mykolyshyn. He noticed how we spend much of our time here celebrating sports and our social life and wanted to turn some celebration to academics.  The radio program was formatted to explore the Bishop’s professors outside of class and find out why they teach their desired subjects and any outside research they have been involved in.

Mykolyshyn wants to intrigue the surrounding community about Bishop’s academic programs, the professors and its administration. It bothers him that Bishop’s carries the image it does, and in creating the show he wanted to guide the focus away from the party culture and back to the main connection of everyone at Bishop’s – education. While others write Bishop’s off as a school that only focuses on only the social life, there’s more beneath the surface.

Moving Thoughts is a stepping-stone to what Mykolyshyn wants to accomplish. He has been happy to have our principal, Michael Goldbloom on the show recently, learning about his pathway to Bishop’s and the unification he has noticed between Bishop’s and the Eastern Townships, especially noticeable when Bishop’s was not at its peak. This semester has been a foundation for the host Mykolyshyn upcoming work he will be doing. He’s hoping to further be to discussion tables that tie in views and oppositions by other students as well as professors.

Tune into Moving Thoughts every Wednesday at 6pm on CJMQ, 88.9 FM.

We’ve all been there before. You’re at a booth or a store at the mall for Bell, Telus, Rogers or some other place, and you’ve got to choose from one of the major manufacturers. iPhone, Blackberry or Android? On top of that, Windows has recently entered the scene with its smartphone operating system, Windows 7 Mobile. Which is the best suited for your communication needs? Today, we’ll take a look at what each has to offer, and what makes each so special.

First, there’s the iPhone, the perennial favourite. Sleek design inside and out have always been Apple’s strongpoint, just as it is here. It’s incredibly ergonomic and so simple even a child could use it; the controls are almost intuitive. The keyboard is easy to use and the sheer number of applications on it is mindboggling. Need to neuter your cat? There’s an app for that! The main drawbacks are, obviously, the price, and the ruggedness. If you want to have the new iPhone 4S, I hope you’re ready to shell out a ridiculous sum of money after waiting four hours in line. If you’re lucky, you won’t drop it.

Second, there are the Blackberries, ranging from the basic Pearl all the way up to the Torch. What’s particular about Research in Motions’ offerings are that many, if not the majority, have physical keyboards. This can be handy for texting; it offers more precision than a digital keyboard. However, a lack of touch screen capabilities plagues the Blackberries; lesser models like the Bold and Curve still don’t have a track pad, though RIM is working to change that. Of course, there are some interesting applications, like Blackberry Messenger and the easy to use Blackberry email, but there is nowhere near as many apps for theses phones as there are for the iPhone.

Third, there are the Androids, phones with Google operating systems, ranging from Motorola, HTC and Samsung. Each have their own plusses and minuses, but in brief, they all offer simple design and an impressive app market, though they still don’t rival Apple’s. Still, being able to Google something without opening a browser is a definite advantage. One standout is the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G. Besides being a mouthful, it offers an excellent high definition screen. In addition, these phones (as well as Blackberries) can run Flash, meaning better internet surfing.

Finally, there are the new Windows 7 based phones. These offer a fresh new take on how we use Smartphones, offering a desktop based on a block design. It makes it really easy to browse through the many programs. It also allows you to synch up to an Xbox Live account, allowing you to have access to Xbox Lives’ online arcade games from anywhere. However, since Microsoft is new to the smartphone game, they have a small, though rapidly growing, library of applications. Again, like Androids, many companies offer Windows as an operating system, like Samsung, HTC and LG.

In closing, which one is the best? In this reporters’ opinion, it’s really down to personal taste. Each ones have their advantages and disadvantages, but each one can make calls, text people and check Facebook. Seeing as these are probably the things you’ll be doing most, it’s best to pick the one you like. Remember to do your research, ask questions, play with the testers and read the fine print on your contract and everything will work out just fine.