Warren McAuley

You could call us a not-for-profit club. Everything we knit we either donate or sell and all the money that we make from sales goes straight into a charity of some sort. The money from commissions doesn’t stay around very long; we use it to buy more yarn for the club so that we can make more items to donate or sell. This year alone we’ve made scarves for the Special Olympics, baby hats for the maternity ward of our local hospital, and all our regular commissions that ranged from clothing items to toys and decorations. We’ve also raised money for the Lethbridge Emergency Shelter, the Lethbridge Humane Society, and the Alberta Cancer Foundation, just to name a few.

Our most recent project was an extremely fun one: a knit bomb! Knit bombing is when you completely cover an object with yarn. The idea to knit bomb the pronghorn originally came from photos we’d seen where people had covered everything from trees to bicycles to that bull statue on Wall Street. Look it up; it’s pretty neat what some people have done.
Knit bombing the pronghorn was definitely a group project. I don’t think any of us were quite prepared for the amount of work that went into it; measuring the pronghorn, knitting the various sections, sewing them together and onto the statue, along with the behind the scenes stuff like getting it approved by security. This was definitely a big project but a very worthwhile one; I wouldn’t be surprised if we decide to make this a yearly project.

There are a lot of options for us in future years and we hope to continue the great things we have accomplished over this year. It just goes to show that this isn’t your grandmother’s knitting anymore.

Rotaract follows the Rotary motto of “Service above self,” but is also focused on building strong relationships between its members. Anyone is free to join this club. There is no cost, no religious affiliation, and no requirement. Typically those who are interested are interested in meeting like-minded people and want to make a difference. The University of Lethbridge Rotaract club has over 200 people on its mailing list and 50-60 active members. The best way to get involved is to send the club an e-mail at rotaract.uleth@gmail.com and let them know you are interested in being on the club mailing list where you can stay updated on meeting and event times/dates/places.

The club meets once every two weeks alternating between Wednesday and Thursday evenings somewhere on campus, typically in Anderson Hall. At the meetings, various speakers come to promote their cause or share different opportunities. The club members speak about the various ongoing projects that they are working on and plan for what is coming up. The club has five committees: local community service, international, youth, membership, and social. Joining a committee is a great way to become more involved. There is no time requirement in this club – you commit to what you can.

The club has had some incredible adventures and done some amazing projects in the past. The biggest event is a dinner and silent auction where they raise money for a cause of their choice. In the past they have raised money for the Flying Doctors of Canada, Malawi Girls on the Move, a resource centre in Iqualuit, and this year to build a school in the world’s newest country, South Sudan.
They team up with the Canadian Cancer Society to host the youth Relay for Life, as well as with the U of L climbing club to climb the equivalent of Mt. Everest and raise money for “Uphill Both Ways,” an educational relief fund organization. The club is a big part of working towards eradicating polio from the world by teaming up with Rotary International and Bill Gates to make this a reality.

They also have several smaller events that support the Southwest Alberta community loan fund, the local food bank, the Boys and Girls Club of Lethbridge, an educational support group “Roots and Wings” in rural Guatemala, Easter Seals, and many more. They are also so lucky to have connections with the local Rotary clubs where they are able to spend time and network with some of the most successful and distinguished members in the community.

Rotaract is a club that offers endless opportunities for its members. They encourage anyone who is even a tiny bit interested to ask questions and come hang out. There truly is something for everyone and together we can make difference for others and for ourselves.

Never fear: we can rectify this.

Meliorist City Ham with Flambéed Orange.

 You’ll need the following:

1 (brined) city ham: a city ham is any packaged ham in a plastic bag labelled “Ready to Serve,” “Partially Cooked,” or a variant of such. Look for one with a nice coating of fat, as this will serve to absorb some of the salt content in the ham, as well as one with a tag such as “Ham in Natural Juices.” A fatty ham is a good ham.

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 cups of dark brown sugar
• 3 oz of good bourbon
• 2 cups of crushed ginger snaps
• 1 tsp of grated nutmeg
• One orange (navel)

Directions:

 Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees F (121 Celsius, which you should never use on your oven).

Remove the ham from its bag, and rinse and drain thoroughly. Place the ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan. Grab your local engineer, and using a small paring knife, cut into the skin and first few layers of fat of the ham from bottom to top, spiralling clockwise as you cut. (If you’re using a paring knife, be careful to only cut through the skin and first few layers of fat. Any more than that and the delicious juices will spill out, ruining a good ham.). Aim for about an inch and a half between the cuts. Once you’ve made it all the way around, move the knife to the other hand and repeat, spiralling counter-clockwise. The aim is to create a diamond pattern all over the ham (don’t worry too much about precision here; it’s just ham, for god’s sake).

Tent the ham with heavy duty foil (don’t suffocate it), insert a meat or probe thermometer, and cook until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the meat registers 130 degrees F. (If you don’t have a thermometer, aim for about three and a half hours.)

Remove your ham and use tongs to pull away the diamonds of skin and any sheets of fat that come off with them (please, don’t eat the delicious fatty skin. Your doctor would not appreciate the consumption of such porky goodness).

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Dab the ham dry with paper towels, and then brush on a liberal coat of the mustard using a basting brush. Sprinkle on two cups of the brown sugar, packing loosely as you go until the ham is coated.

In a separate bowl, combine the cookies with the nutmeg, and crush the whole thing together. Pat the cookie mixture on top of the sugar, and sprinkle the whole thing with about one ounce of the bourbon. Try to get a fairly even coating, and be sure not to soak the mixture!

Insert the thermometer in a new spot, and return the ham to the oven, sans tin foil. Cook until the interior temperature reaches 140 degrees F, which’ll take about an hour.

Let the roast rest for half an hour before carving. While you wait, slice the orange horizontally into even, whole slices. Cover these with the remaining half cup of brown sugar, and roast them with a propane torch ‘til caramelized. While sugar is melty hot, apply the remaining ounce of bourbon on top. Garnish a slice of ham with an orange, and some mustard.

Sled Island features over 300 artists performing in over 30 venues around Calgary and other art shows including film. The main gigs are at the Olympic Plaza, which is where all the biggest names take to the biggest stage. And these big names have attracted many fans since 2007, with listeners voting Sled Island one of the top 10 music festivals in Canada on CBC Radio 3.

And here are a few names on the line up this year:

Feist
She has sold millions of records and won numerous Juno awards, and she is coming to Calgary. Her second album, Let it Die, won her album and artist of the year at the Junos and had one song and a video also nominated. This success escalated with her album The Reminder, which was nominated for a Grammy. The Toronto artist will be the pride and joy of this year’s Sled Island.

Andrew W.K.
Andrew is a true entertainer who was born for the stage. He is a music artist, a motivational speaker, and a writer. He owns a night club, has his own record label, and has hosted “Destroy Build Destroy.” Andrew has some interesting life views and philosophical understandings, spreading the message of “partying through life.”

The Hold Steady
With increasing fame and prominence, The Hold Steady reached international recognition with their third album, Boys and Girls in America, which had an incredible reception with various publications. With two more studio albums, a live album, and three EPs since, The Hold Steady have only gone up and are ready to rock you in Calgary.

Archers of Loaf
Reuniting in 2011 after their fateful breakup in 1998, the band has re-released two albums on Merge records, so you avid fans will be able to hear all the oldies. So just to be sure, in case of another breakup, be sure to catch them this summer and let them rock your socks.

Whether new to indie music or a diehard fan, Sled Island should be a spot on every summer festival itinerary. Other acts featured are The Sadies, Reigning Sound, Tim Hecker, and many more art exhibits and artists!

Tankborn is the story of best friends Kayla and Mishalla, who have just been separated for their Assignments. They are Genetically Engineered Non-humans, or GENs, and in their society’s strict caste system, that means they are at the very bottom of the ladder. At 15, both Mishalla and Kayla get their Assignments, or jobs, which for Mishalla means caring for a large group of children that disappear in the middle of the night. Kayla, caring for an old man at the head of a very high-ranked family, starts to find unexpected secrets, and friendships. Then a horrible truth reunites Kayla and Mishalla, and it turns out the struggles they faced are nothing compared to what’s coming next.

Sandler really created a unique and interesting world with Tankborn, including massive insect-like creatures that were kind of creepy, a brand new food source, and a unique but believable society. There were a few times when the writing slipped me out of the world she’d created by using colloquialisms like “just to put the icing on the cake,” but it’s a minor complaint, as in other instances Sandler adapts them to her own world, for example, “it’s water down the Sheysa,” or “What if they mix you into the same kettle of kel-grain?”
Anyone looking for a novel with a strong female lead character won’t be disappointed with Kayla; she’s courageous but not perfect, and very easy to relate to. Her romance felt less genuine, as a character seemed to suddenly fall in love after having been so repulsed by her, and I didn’t quite believe it.

Even though Tankborn takes place in an imaginary time, on an imaginary world, Sandler deals eloquently with themes that could just as easily have been drawn from recent times like Nazi Germany. It also asks some interesting questions about genetic engineering, but it doesn’t fall into the lecture category. Instead, it’s an incredibly exciting, page-turning journey, filled with twists and turns, and utterly original. Finally, there is so much to keep the reader busy that even though it works great as a standalone, Tankborn left me lusting for a sequel. I’m hopeful that Sandler decides to write one!

The Decemberists

A prominent group in the indie folk genre, The Decemberists have released six studio albums, eight EPs, and, with We All Raise Our Voices to the Air, their first live album. The album was recorded while on a promotional tour for The King Is Dead. The album is just as pleasing as their albums and has the added feature of a whole ‘nother disc of songs (the short length on their last two albums was my only complaint when they were released). The album, like most live albums, is more fitting to fans but is very well edited, and excellently performed, making it a good buy for any folk fan.

TYGA
Careless World: Rise of the Last King
(Young Money/ Cash Money/ Universal Republic)

This is TYGA’s first album released on a major label and while it has been adequate for some rap fans, it isn’t anything new in the hip-hop/rap area. While I’m ever grateful for TYGA for being not too gangster, I can’t find any way to be impressed with his work. The second track “Lil Homie” has its moments with Pharrell in the chorus but TYGA doesn’t spit anything that warrants the album’s success. For hip-hop fans looking for a mainstream artist that will help the genre reach its potential, they will be sadly disappointed. “Rack City” is probably the album’s worst “accomplishment” and should not be heard under any circumstances.

Kay
My Name Is Kay
(Dumptruck Unicorn)

Kay, from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is on the rise with her single “My Name Is Kay.” While I’d really like to like her because it’s easy to see what she is trying to do, she just doesn’t make the cut. While everything backing her voice is excellent, strong rhythms and a funky bass line, her lyrics and style don’t seem to match the cool grooves of “My Name is Kay.” While this makes her very listenable, I think she has much room to grow as an artist. She could have possible aided her own shortcomings with featuring artists, but sadly she is with other artists that pull her in the completely wrong direction.

DC: Aquaman #7

Aquaman is cool. I don’t care what anybody thinks, he’s cool alright. This is what Geoff Johns thought too, before taking on the king of Atlantis in his own monthly series back at the New 52 reboot. Seven issues in and it’s safe to say that Johns succeeded in making Aquaman cool and relevant in the new DC universe. With this issue we get the setup to Johns’ next arc which involves a mystery team known as The Others, and the return of one of Aquaman’s greatest foes, Black Manta. The issue takes off from the start with the big reveal of Black Manta that shows him as cunning, skilful, and outright ruthless. It’s awesome. The bulk of the issue is filled with action going from jungles to oceans, with some frames that stick out in particular like Aquaman and Mera bringing ships ashore during a storm. Johns has proven his storytelling skills over and over and it looks like this arc won’t disappoint. Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, like always, give beautiful scenes with great art and vibrant colouring. This series should definitely be on your pull list.

IDW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8

Coming hot off recent events, there’s nothing better for Turtle fans than a quality Turtle comic. The new series started by IDW in the summer has impressed fans long and new with its fantastic story and great art. I’ve been more than pleased with this series that’s both held true to the fundamental TMNT canon while also adding in new elements that fit harmoniously with current times. Anyway, this issue picks up from last with mousers infiltrating the Turtles’ home, leaving Splinter and Don incapacitated and Leo struggling to defend them. This issue is packed with things to enjoy. We have mousers, Old Hob after the Turtles, Casey Jones and April O’Neil, talk of The Foot, and Krang striking the fear of God into Baxter Stockman. Pretty much all you could ask for. Here we also have an important plot point with the “first” introduction between the Turtles and April. It’s great seeing the Turtles in action again, especially having them fit into that badass ideal we all remember. Best way to end a great issue too is with a good cliff-hanger. What will become of our beloved Turtles and Master Splinter? Tune in next month to see!

Marvel: Avengers vs. X-Men #0

It’s almost here! Marvel has been campaigning for this epic event for months and it now comes out this week; and just to set the stage, Marvel gives us a #0 issue to prime us for what’s to come. Not much to say about this issue really other than it’s setting the stage for the great fight. We’re shown troubles on both sides with Scarlett Witch and Hope Summers causing all sorts of ruckus. We get a small glimpse at some of the players from both sides and we’re left with the impending threat, and most likely the spark of the battle approaching, the Phoenix. The series has a great team behind it and I’m sure it won’t disappoint. This is one that you might want to sign up for.

So that’s it for this edition of the Comic Corner. As always, when trouble strikes, look to the skies.

Thank you,

Veronica Reeves

Sincerely,

Danika Jorgensen