OcTOBER
      25,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Engineering
      Students
      Venture
      To
      UNB
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pete
      Grandy
     
     
      Reporter
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      UPEI
      does
      not
      offer
      a
      full
     
     
      engineering
      undergraduate
      degree
      ,
     
     
      engineering
      students
      annually
      visit
      UNB
     
     
      and
      Dal.
      in
      hopes
      of
      answering
      the
     
     
      daunting
      question:
      What
      the
      hell
      am
      I
     
     
      doing
      next
      year?
      Us
      third
      year
      students
     
     
      face
      the
      dilemma
      of
      what
      field
      of
     
     
      engineering
      to
      enter
      and
      whether
      to
      go
     
     
      to
      campus-based
      UNB
      or
      pub-based
     
     
      Dalhousie.
      For
      you,
      the
      reader,
      to
      fully
     
     
      experience
      this
      trip,
      I
      am
      taking
      the
     
     
      liberty
      to
      describe
      it
      from
      a
      third
      year
     
     
      student’s
      perspective.
     
    

    
     
      The
      trip
      begins
      with
      the
      inevitable
     
     
      three
      hour
      drive
      to
      Fredericton.
      We
     
     
      stop
      in
      the
      infamous
      Port
      Elgin
      gas
     
     
      station/grocery/liquor
      store
      for
      our
     
     
      nightly
      booze.
      As
      I
      wait
      in
      line,
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      friendly
      beer-bearing
      locals
      stares
     
     
      myself
      and
      my
      colleagues
      down.
      I
     
     
      interpret
      his
      keen
      eyes
      as
      a
      signal
      to
     
     
      ask
      “How
      she
      going?”
      but
      am
      distracted
     
     
      by
      the
      obscene
      amount
      of
      fireworks
     
     
      lying
      on
      a
      large
      display.
      The
      longer
      I
     
     
      stand
      in
      line,
      the
      more
      I
      envy
      the
     
     
      breathtaking
      culture
      of
      Port
      Elgin.
      We
     
     
      approach
      our
      car
      to
      find
      a
      gift!
      The
      beer
     
     
      bearing
      local
      left
      a
      large
      wad
      of
      mucus
     
     
      on
      the
      passenger
      side
      window.
      My
     
     
      heart
      fills
      with
      warmth
      and
      I
      smile.
      Truly,
     
     
      kings
      among
      men.
     
    

    
     
      We
      arrive
      at
      the
      Lord
      Beaver
     
     
      Brook
      Hotel
      in
      Fredericton.
      Not
      bad.
     
     
      We
      approach
      the
      front
      desk
      and
     
     
      reluctantly
      give
      a
      credit
      card
      number.
     
     
      We
      arrive
      at
      our
      designated
      room
      to
     
     
      be
      greeted
      by
      one
      of
      our
      colleagues.
     
     
      “‘We’ve
      been
      here
      for
      2
      hours
      and
      I’m
     
     
      Fucked.”
      I
      congratulate
      and
      join
      him
      in
     
     
      his
      endeavors
      to
      “get
      loose.”
      After
     
     
      several
      hours
      of
      foolishness,
      my
     
     
      attention
      is
      drawn
      to
      a
      heated
      debate
     
     
      outside
      our
      room.
      I
      investigate
      to
      find
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      youngest
      looking
      28
      year
      old
      I’ve
     
     
      ever
      seen
      arguing
      with
      the
      hotel
     
     
      manager
      about
      missing
      light
      bulbs
      and
     
     
      a
      broken
      door.
     
    

    
     
      At
      this
      point,
      I
      realize
      that
      it
      is
      an
     
     
      appropriate
      time
      to
      hit
      the
      bars.
     
     
      Memory
      gap.
      The
      next
      thing
      I
      know
     
     
      T’min
      one
      of
      my
      old
      high
      school
      buddy’s
     
     
      apartment
      wrestling
      with
      a
      complete
     
     
      stranger.
      The
      apartment
      reeks
      of
     
     
      different
      types
      of
      smoke.
      After
      being
     
     
      yelled
      at
      by
      the
      owner
      of
      the
      wrestling
     
     
      ring
      room,
      I
      leave
      with
      my
     
     
      uncomfortable
      looking
      classmates
      who
     
     
      regretfully
      followed
      me
      to
      the
     
     
      apartment.
      We
      proceed
      to
      the
      UNB
     
     
      student
      union
      bar
      where
      beers
      are
      $2.
     
     
      Memory
      gap.
      I
      find
      myself
      looking
     
     
      around
      the
      bar
      for
      my
      fellow
      engineering
     
     
      students
      only
      to
      realize
      they
      have
      left
     
     
      an
      hour
      ago.
      Frustrated
      I
      continue
     
     
      drinking
      my
      cheap
      beer.
      Somehow
      I
     
     
      end
      up
      at
      the
      bar
      in
      which
      all
      the
      other
     
     
      engineering
      students
      are
      found
      getting
     
     
      down.
      Memory
      gap.
      I
      wake
      up
      next
      to
     
     
      a
      second
      year
      student
      who
      is,
      without
     
     
      my
      consent,
      sharing
      a
      pillow
      with
      me.
     
     
      Perhaps
      mistaking
      me
      for
      the
      girl
      who
     
     
      is
      supposed
      to
      be
      sharing
      the
      room
      with
     
     
      him,
      I
      forgive
      him
      by
      shoving
      him
      the
     
     
      hell
      over.
      I
      decide
      it
      might
      be
      best
      to
     
     
      sleep
      on
      top
      of
      the
      covers.
     
    

    
     
      I
      am
      awakened
      by
      a
      sloppy
     
     
      looking
      individual
      named
      Thorse.
      The
     
     
      engineering
      group
      gets
      ready
      to
      depart
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘for
      UNB.
      As
      we
      approach
      the
      front
     
    
   
   
    
     
      desk
      to
      check
      out,
      we
      find
      the
      same
     
     
      youthful
      28
      year
      old,
      again
      arguing
      with
     
     
      one
      of
      the
      hotel
      managers.
      Apparently,
     
     
      the
      hinge
      of
      a
      door
      and
      three
      sets
      of
     
     
      hallway
      light
      bulbs
      went
      missing
      the
     
     
      previous
      evening.
      How
      does
      the
      hotel
     
     
      management
      react
      to
      this
      relentless
     
     
      crime?
      They
      charge
      each
      of
      the
      twelve
     
     
      rooms
      $100.
      I
      review
      the
      logistics
      of
     
     
      this
      surcharge
      in
      my
      head.
      $1,200
      -
      $50
     
     
      door
      hinge
      =
      $1,150
      remaining.
      15
     
     
      Light
      bulbs
      x
      3
      sets
      =
      45
      light
      bulbs.
     
     
      $1,150/45
      light
      bulbs
      =
      $25.55
      a
      bulb
     
    

    
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      19
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      6
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Haiti?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Faiz
      Ahmed
     
     
      Contributor
     
    

    
     
      The
      people
      of
      Haiti
      find
     
     
      themselves
      in
      a
      peculiar
      struggle.
      Their
     
     
      democratically
      elected
      government
      was
     
     
      overthrown
      by
      Haitian
      exiles
      from
     
     
      Miami
      in
      February
      of
      2004
      with
      the
     
     
      support
      of
      the
      Canadian,
      French,
      and
     
     
      American
      governments
      and
      was
     
     
      subsequently
      placed
      under
      the
      mandate
     
     
      of
      the
      United
      Nations
      five
      months
      later.
     
     
      Today,
      the
      country
      is
      in
      a
      chaotic
      state.
     
     
      Supporters
      of
      the
      overthrown
     
     
      government
      are
      being
      silenced,
      all
      too
     
     
      often
      through
      violence.
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      difficult
      to
      criticize
      the
     
     
      international
      community’s
      involvement
     
     
      in
      Haiti
      because
      the
      occupation
      now
      has
     
     
      the
      stamp
      of
      the
      United
      Nations
      on
      it.
      I
     
     
      would
      suggest,
      however,
      that
     
     
      international
      intervention
      in
      Haiti
      is
     
     
      symptomatic
      of
      the
      re-ordering
      of
      global
     
     
      politics
      since
      the
      American
      led
      invasion
     
     
      of
      [raq
      in
      2003.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      does
      Haiti
      have
      to
      do
      with
     
     
      Iraq?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      United
      States’
      doctrine
      of
     
     
      “pre-emptive
      war’
      was
      the
      impetus
      for
     
     
      their
      decision
      to
      invade
      Iraq
      in
      March
     
     
      of
      2003.
      The
      invasion
      of
      Iraq
      created
     
     
      perhaps
      the
      largest
      political
      schism
      the
     
     
      world
      has
      witnessed
      since
      World
      War
     
     
      II.
      Although
      governments
      have
      publicly
     
     
      opposed
      foreign
      led
      wars
      in
      the
      past
     
     
      (recall
      Korea,
      Vietnam,
      Iraq
      I,
     
     
      Yugoslavia,
      and
      Afghanistan
      II),
      this
     
     
      opposition
      has
      largely
      been
      voiced
      by
     
     
      countries
      in
      the
      underdeveloped
      world
     
     
      (with
      the
      exceptions
      of
      the
      Soviet
     
     
      invasion
      of
      Afghanistan
      and
      the
      Iraqi
     
     
      invasion
      of
      Kuwait).
     
    

    
     
      The
      impending
      war
      on
      Iraq
      in
     
     
      2003
      was
      different
      because
     
     
      governments
      within
      the
      Western
      World
     
     
      publicly
      opposed
      it.
      France
      and
     
     
      Germany
      were
      perhaps
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      loudest
      voices
      against
      an
      invasion.
     
     
      Canada,
      in
      the
      face
      of
      immense
     
     
      pressure
      from
      the
      United
      States
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      England,
      decided
      not
      to
      invade.
     
     
      Furthermore,
      public
      opinion
      throughout
     
     
      the
      world
      was
      overwhelmingly
      against
     
     
      war.
      Many
      countries
      saw
      massive
     
     
      demonstrations.
      For
      example,
      London
     
     
      was
      the
      site
      of
      the
      largest
      public
     
     
      demonstration
      against
      war
      in
      England’s
     
     
      history
      (over
      1,500,000
      people).
      The
     
     
      convergence
      of
      both
      state
      and
      popular
     
     
      opposition
      to
      the
      war
      on
      Iraq
      had
      an
     
     
      insularizing
      affect
      on
      the
      United
      States.
     
     
      Campaigns
      such
      as
      the
      “Freedom
      Fries
     
     
      Bill”
      became
      quite
      popular,
      as
      did
     
     
      notions
      of
      “an
      Old
      Europe,”
      which
     
     
      seeped
      into
      the
      common
      vernacular.
     
    

    
     
      The
      U.S.
      administration,
     
     
      realizing
      that
      Iraq
      posed
      no
      threat,
      have
     
     
      changed
      their
      rationale
      for
      waging
      the
     
     
      war
      from
      something
      tangible,
      i.e.
      finding
     
     
      “weapons
      of
      mass
      destruction,”
      to
     
     
      something
      theoretical,
      ‘promoting
     
     
      democracy’.
      As
      a
      result,
      the
      concept
     
     
      of
      the
      “failed
      and
      failing
      state”
      has
      been
     
     
      introduced
      into
      the
      lexicon
      of
      global
     
     
      politics.
      The
      “failed
      state”
      is
     
     
      controversial
      not
      least
      because
      its
     
     
      defining
      characteristics
      are
      open
      to
     
     
      interpretation,
      but
      also
      because
     
     
      questions
      of
      who
      have
      the
      authority
      to
     
     
      label
      countries
      as
      “failed”
      are
      not:
     
     
      addressed.
      However,
      the
      utility
      of
      a
     
     
      “failed
      or
      failing
      state”
      is
      that
      it
      provides
     
     
      a
      justification
      for
      “pre-emptive
      warfare”
     
     
      and
      America,
      it
      seems,
      is
      now
     
     
      threatened
      less
      by
      conquering
      states
     
     
      than
      by
      failing
      ones.
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      in
      this
      context
      that
      the
     
     
      American,
      Canadian,
      and
      French
     
     
      invasion
      of
      Haiti
      in
      2004
      becomes
     
     
      relevant.
      .
      :
     
    

    
     
      The
      invasion
      of
      Haiti
      was
     
     
      rationalized
      by
      it
      being
      declared
      a
      “failed
     
     
      state.”
      Examinations
      of
      the
      post-
     
     
      invasion
      alliances,
      which
      have
      formed
     
     
      in
      its
      wake,
      indicate
      a
      political
     
     
      rapprochement
      of
      Western
      countries.
     
     
      Haiti
      provided
      a
      venue
      for
      France,
     
     
      Canada,
      and
      the
      United
      States
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      18