The Ontarion - 189.2

189.2 SEPT. 24, 2020

PAG E 1 2

EST. 1951

P6

A FOREST FAIRYTALE Guelph Farmers' Market back in business

P9

A review of a Scholar Strike teach-in

P 15

In conversation with Shyam Selvadurai

OCT 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEWS 3.

COVID-19 Precautions at U of G

5.

ON The Radar

6.

Guelph Farmers' Market

back in business

OPINION 7.

Moving O-Week online

8.

Diary of a Vet Student

9.

A review of a Scholar Strike teach-in

10.

What is Black Lives Matter?

11.

Buzzwords might be influencing

your shopping choices

COVER STORY

UC Pharmacy Where you always talk to the pharmacist Conveniently located on the first floor of the University Centre

12 & 13. A forest fairytale: How the

Canadian government has sold us a

sustainability story

ARTS & CULTURE 14. Tenet marries originality and

convolution, resulting in a

noble failure

15.

In conversation with Shyam Selvadurai

16.

Avengers assemble: A review of

Marvel's Avengers

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Homecoming cancelled at U of G

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Talk Nerdy to Me

FUN STUFF 18.

October To-Do List

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#IWriteTheOntarion

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Pets of the Month

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NEWS

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6 | FARMERS' MARKET

Welcome back to school: COVID-19 precautions at the University of Guelph | PHOTOS AND WORDS BY NICOLAS BUCK With schools and businesses reopening and students returning to the University, the campus has adopted changes and precautions to ensure the safety of everyone returning. From mandatory face coverings to the multiple signs that express the need for social distancing, the campus is sporting a different look this fall.

A sign welcoming back students from across the globe.

Rutherford Conservatory with precaution signs. Signs are posted on the majority of buildings across campus.

One of the many Physical Resources staff making sure the school stays clean.

Gryph N Grille food truck with a sign that shows they only accept cards to minimize the spread of germs.

Markers on the tables at the UC Cafeteria to show where students can and cannot sit to ensure social distancing.

A fountain in the CSA hallway that has been closed to reduce the spread of germs.

A sign placed outside the McLaughlin Library that instructs students to line up. Only one student is allowed to enter at a time.

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ISSUE 1 89. 2 | NEWS

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ON THE RADAR

ontarion@uoguelph.ca Phone 519-824-4120

GUELPH FACE COVERINGS UPDATE

EXPLOSION INSIDE U OF G'S GRYPHON CENTRE ARENA

The Medical Officer of Health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, Dr. Nicola Mercer, has updated the Section 22 Order on mandatory face coverings.

The recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the region has prompted Mercer to add additional establishments to require face coverings.

The updates will go into effect on Sept. 18 and will affect the following establishments: • Galleries and museums • Churches, Mosques, Synagogues, Temples and other places of worship • Banquet halls, convention centres and other event spaces • Public transportation (busses, taxis, ride share, etc.)

“Keeping COVID-19 low in the community is vital to protecting all of us and keeping our schools, businesses and other spaces open this fall,” Dr. Mercer said in a statement.

An explosion took place inside the Gryphon Centre Arena on Sept.

10, resulting in the building being closed until Oct. 13 to repair the damage.

No injuries were reported.

A spokesperson for the University told CTV News Kitchener that the explosion was supposedly caused by a Zamboni, but the director of campus police, fire safety and emergency services, David Lee told the news agency that the cause of the blast remains unknown.

The damage was also reported as minor — contained to the room housing the Zamboni, and to the driver’s side of the vehicle.

The Ontario Fire Marshal is investigating the incident.

UNIVERSITY CENTRE REOPENS FOR FALL SEMESTER

A new course on anti-racism and anti-oppression will be mandatory for new students at the University of Guelph.

“The Principles of Belonging module is an important step forward to assist students, faculty and staff in their anti-Black racism and anti-oppression education,” said Indira Naidoo-Harris, AVP (diversity and human rights) in a news release.

The two-part course, which is accessible through Courselink and takes approximately one hour to complete, will focus on core principles to create inclusive spaces and create a sense of belonging for all members of the community.

The first part of the course focuses on anti-oppression principles including equity and inclusion for community members on and off campus.

The second part focuses on principles of anti-racism, including how to engage in anti-racism on campus, and will focus on key concepts such as: systemic racism, microaggressions, allyship, privilege, power, and cultural appropriation.

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DIREC TORS Alex Lefebvre Tasha Falconer Kanza Shams Miguel Mabalay CONTRIBUTORS Areej Amer Carleigh Cathcart Alyssa Marks Odesia Howlett Jessica Ulbikas Kathryn Nicol Prabhjot Bains Monica Mehmi Tasha Falconer Justin LaGuff The Ontarion is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. Since The Ontarion undertakes the publishing of student work, the opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of The Ontarion staff and Board of Directors. The Ontarion reserves the right to edit or refuse all material deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for publication as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Material of any form appearing in this newspaper is copyrighted 2020 and cannot be reprinted without the approval of the Editor-in-Chief. The Ontarion retains the right of first publication on all material. In the event that an advertiser is not satisfied with an advertisement in the newspaper, they must notify The Ontarion within four working days of publication. The Ontarion will not be held responsible for advertising mistakes beyond the cost of advertisement. The Ontarion is printed by Hamilton Web Printing.

The University Centre (UC) on campus reopened on Sept. 8 with changes to its business operations and enhanced safety measures.

To help combat the spread of COVID-19, the centre — which will be open daily from 6:30 a.m.

– 10:30 p.m., seven days a week — has implemented cashless payments, made face coverings mandatory, put hand sanitizer at all exits and entrances, and put limitations on the amount of people allowed in the UC Chef’s Hall.

The University has also posted COVID-related signage across campus to increase awareness and promote safety.

The UC Services Office will be open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. to accommodate service requests like event bookings, food and beverage services, and meeting room bookings. People are encouraged to email ucservices@uoguelph.ca or call (519) 824-4120 ext. 53300 prior to visiting in person.

ANTI-RACISM COURSE OFFERED AT U OF G

PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP LOAN PROGRAM On Sept. 9 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $221 million in funding for a new entrepreneurship program for Black Canadians.

According to CBC, the program will receive $93 million from the federal government. The other $128 million will come from other financial institutions.

The federal government is working in conjunction with various banks like RBC, Scotiabank, CIBC and TD to create an entrepreneurship program that will allow Black Canadians to receive business loans anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000.

“We’ve heard very clearly from the Black community that economic empowerment is an essential step towards breaking down those barriers and creating true success, not just for the Black community but for our country,” Trudeau said.

U.S. GOVERNMENT BANS TIKTOK AND WECHAT The U.S. government will be banning popular apps TikTok and WeChat. A total ban for WeChat came into effect on Sept. 20 due to national data privacy concerns and national security concerns.

A total ban for TikTok will take place on Nov. 12.

According to CTV News, U.S. security experts voiced their concerns about the apps’ ability to gather information on users like locations, messages and search history. The worry for TikTok and WeChat is that they’re owned

by Chinese company Bytedance Ltd. and that information gathered from the apps could be compromised.

According to CBC, the ban will not affect businesses working with the apps outside of the U.S. In addition, the ban will not affect app stores from offering downloads in places outside of the U.S. U.S. Commerce will not penalize anyone who uses the apps, but lack of access to updates will impact the apps’ functionality.

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5

NEWS | SEPT 24, 2020

6

THE ONTARION

Guelph Farmers' Market back in business The Guelph Farmers’ Market is back up and running with new safety measures in place due to the ongoing pandemic ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY TAYLOR PIPE

S

ince 1827, residents of Guelph and the surrounding area have gathered at the Guelph Farmers’ Market, supporting local businesses by buying fresh produce, artisan crafts and eye-catching floral arrangements.

Along with other shops downtown, the Market had to close its doors in March due to the pandemic. It was able to reopen this past July.

“We had to close for sixteen weeks, just after march break when everything went into quarantine in the world,” said Danna Evans, general manager of the market and manager of culture, tourism and community investment for the City of Guelph.

“We took some time to get organized to make sure we did everything properly. And we opened the first weekend of July.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the market has moved outdoors, backing onto Freshfield St.

Wearing face coverings while attending the market is mandatory, and volunteers with hand sanitizer can be seen throughout the space. The inside of the market reopened on Sept. 5, but most vendors still remain outdoors.

The customer experience at the market is also different this year, compared to previous years.

Due to safety protocol, produce must only be handled by the vendors and customers must practice physical distancing.

“Customers can expect touching less — a little more point and shoot, a little more conversation.

But still access to all of the great things they’re used to from their favourite vendors and of course, new things to try,” Evans said.

Vendors participating in the market feel that the community has rallied together to support shopping local.

Icon by Iconfinder

“The local community has been very supportive of us, and other local small businesses,” Tom Herdes from Baroque Botanicals Lavender said in an email.

“Since the re-opening of the farmers markets, the local community has really come out to buy local. We are thrilled by the support we, and other local farms and businesses, have received from our community.”

Karen Mansfield has been a vendor at the market with Majestic Water Buffalo for three years.

The market is only allowing vendors to touch produce up until the time of purchase.

Her business sells water buffalo meat from bovine raised in Erin, Ont. Mansfield said her business has shifted to mostly online orders due to a large business loss at the beginning of the pandemic.

“We expanded our online sales and saw more people adopt that way of shopping. We did home delivery and saw more people coming to the farm to pick-up pre-orders,” Mansfield said in an email. “We have learned a lot and will keep learning how our locally raised and nutritious food can be a staple in the 'new normal'.”

Mansfield said she was thankful for the spotlight that the COVID-19 pandemic placed on supporting local businesses and shopping for local food.

“Buying local supports local, it reduces transit and the associated costs, it gets nutritious food to consumers when it is fresh and the most nutritious. COVID has encouraged people to research what is local and they have found great food in their own communities,” Mansfield said.

The Guelph Farmers' Market is open to the public on Saturdays from 7 a.m. - 12 p.m.

The market offers a variety of fresh, locally sourced seasonal produce in addition to artisanal crafts, meat products and flowers.

Baroque Botanicals Lavender is a Moffat, Ont. based vendor that specializes in lavender products for bath, body and home.

Since the re-opening of the farmers markets, the local community has really come out to buy local. We are thrilled by the support we, and other local farms and businesses, have received from our community.

Vendors set up eye-pleasing stations to attract customers while keeping a social distance.

— Tom Herdes, Baroque Botanicals Lavender

OPINION

THEONTARION.COM

9 | SCHOLAR STRIKE

8 | VET SCHOOL

7

10 | BLACK LIVES MATTER

Moving O-week online College of Arts Student Union members hope their success in planning online O-Week events can inspire and encourage fellow student leaders and anyone looking to participate in online events AREEJ AMER

F

or myself, Orientation Week (O-Week) was an amazing introduction to university life. A million things happen around you, you can make best friends in the span of an hour, and you may find yourself staying up until dawn in your new dorm after the adrenaline rush of a pep rally.

Orientation Week was the experience of a lifetime, so the task of planning this year’s O-Week event — online, during COVID-19 — was even more daunting.

I wanted to make sure that the incoming class of 2024 felt the love, friendship and the unity that my peers and I felt when it was our O-Week. Myself and the other members of the College of Arts Student Union knew it would be hard since the majority of O-Week events revolve around meeting new people and building connections, so we got to work planning a COVID-friendly O-Week.

The main thing we focused on while planning was student engagement. How

could we get students to participate in our online events? Even though the situation regarding an online O-Week is unfortunate, it does have the potential to maximize student engagement during the week-long event. Many students could access the event from anywhere which meant that, with careful planning and promotion, we had a chance of maximizing the students participation and their connections made online.

Promoting the events were also a huge component of planning a successful online O-Week. We used all of our social media platforms and started promoting the events in August to make sure that students knew the events were taking place.

We wanted the events to feel exciting and we wanted to create incentive for students to attend.

Putting ourselves in the students’ shoes really helped with imagining what the incoming students would want for their O-Week events. Would I attend an online

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event? If I wouldn’t, what would be the reason? What would I find fun and exciting during an online event?

My team and I went through these questions together and tailored our O-Week events according to what we would’ve liked to attend if this was our O-Week.

Since this was our first time planning online events, there were some things that were up in the air. The fear that students would not attend or participate, or that they would be bored during the event and not attend other events hosted by our organization were a couple of the worries we had.

We knew these questions would only be answered after the events took place and we made sure to not set our expectations too high in terms of student engagement.

When our first event started, we were mentally prepared to not have that many students show up, but we were pleasantly surprised when students started rolling in right after the event started. We were ecstatic that students were coming to the event and participating. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as well.

With the use of the chat feature on Microsoft Teams (where all the online O-Week events were held), students started talking to each other and making connections just like we had hoped. The constant incentive of having multiple rounds of ac-

tivities and many opportunities for students to win prizes was successful in keeping them excited and engaged. Many students expressed that they had fun, and, since Microsoft Teams allowed us to monitor who was joining the event, it was a safe and fun space for students to meet each other.

With the constant support of the amazing orientation team, we were successful in creating fun, safe and exciting online events for O-Week that ended up reaching many incoming students.

Through this experience I learned if you are planning an online event, make sure to focus on promotion and outreach.

Keep your event short and sweet with opportunities for students to win a prize to increase excitement. Break the ice by asking the students questions to encourage them to participate in the event. Interact with the students to keep them engaged throughout your event, and above all just have fun!

These are the strategies that we will be implementing when planning events during the Fall of 2020 and hopefully they are helpful to student leaders feeling lost with where to start when planning their own online events!

Areej Amer is the president of the College of Arts Student Union.

OPINION | SEPT 24, 2020

8

THE ONTARION

 DIARY OF A VET STUDENT

Vet school with a virus How COVID-19 has drastically altered the DVM program ARTICLE AND PHOTO BY CARLEIGH CATHCART year, and there is no doubt that some snags and suggestions for improvement will occur along the way.

For those entering the program this year, please know that while your upper-year colleagues may be less physically present than usual, we are still here. There is the ‘Ask an Upper Year’ Facebook group specifically for OVC students, and you can join to receive many email updates from the leaders of student clubs, councils, etc. regarding student life involvement for this year. I similarly encourage you to consider joining the Omega Tau Sigma (OTS) professional veterinary fraternity, which provides mentorship and support for members across all years.

Vet school is hard at the best of times, and the uncharted territory we are currently facing leaves a looming question mark over an already daunting period of our lives. In future columns I plan on explaining to the general public what the phases of OVC usually look like, and how they have been changed by COVID-19. For today, I am reminding vet students – and all U of G Gryphons – that in this time of uncertain-

“The transition from new vet student to impending graduate is a whirlwind at the best of times, and a question mark amid a global pandemic.”

I

n early 2020, I wrote a Diary of a Vet Student column with some brutal honesty about the demands of vet school and the toll they can take on students’ mental and physical health. In a subsequent column, I attempted to counteract some of that harsh reality by outlining the many rewarding aspects of the veterinary program at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), and highlighted some of the significant events and experiences awaiting me as I neared the end of my third year.

On the same day that column was published, its contents were rendered irrelevant. The very things serving as the light at the end of the tunnel of a very difficult year were at first postponed, and later cancelled outright. The community events, professional ceremonies, class celebrations, and peer activities disappeared from our calendars in the blink of an eye; months of anticipation and excitement instead crushed by disappointment.

A global pandemic has thrown even the most developed countries into unprecedented challenges, and there is nary a soul unaffected by this virus in one way or another. Education at all ages and in all subjects has suffered, and my heart goes out to every student who has had the already difficult university experience upended by drastic changes.

Things are no different here at the OVC, where the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program has been forced into novel pedagogical approaches for its students. While important to note that the chips have not yet all fallen where they may, the 2020-2021 school year is shaping up to be a foreign, frustrating one for DVM students (even if the reasons behind the changes are arguably understandable).

Veterinary medicine is very much a hands-on discipline. There are many concepts and skills that cannot be adequately taught in a virtual setting, including anatomy, surgical procedures, physical exams, and laboratory exercises. For this reason, DVM students at the OVC will be delivered a ‘hybrid’ curriculum this year, with some on-campus activities interspersed with virtual learning. This was a problematic transition in March, where many practical and technological issues interfered with the teaching process. One can only hope many of these wrinkles have since been ironed out if the expectation is to host an entire academic year on such a platform.

It is impossible at this point to say what vet school will look like this year, as the ‘phases’, or years, were all very different from one another before COVID. Students at all stages of the DVM program are still awaiting information on the logistics of this

ty and isolation, it is more important than ever to reach out if needed.

You can email me personally with any questions or concerns at ccathcar@ uoguelph.ca. I wouldn’t have survived this far without the help of others, and now it’s my turn to give back.

Carleigh Cathcart is a Phase 4 veterinary student at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ont. She is the regular author of The Ontarion’s Diary of a Vet Student column.

ISSUE 1 89. 2 | OPINION

THEONTARION.COM

9

A review of a Scholar Strike teach-in Organized teach-in hosted by Dr. Pamala D. Palmater encourages allies to recognize and challenge race-based prejudice in Canada ALYSSA MARKS

T

he Scholar Strike is a justice advocacy strike that took place from Sept. 9-10.

It called for the pause of academic duties and to use the space/time to focus on anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in Canada. Over the course of the two days, public “teach-ins” were hosted online, where speakers discussed various issues surrounding race-based prejudice in Canada. All of the teach-ins can be found on the Scholar Strike Canada Youtube channel.

One of the teach-ins, called ‘Legacy of Policing Indigenous Lands and Bodies in Canada,’ was hosted by Dr. Pamala D. Palmater, a Mi’kmaw citizen, lawyer, associate professor, and Chair in the Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University.

Palmater spoke about Canada’s democractic responsibility to advocate for marginalized groups during times of injustice. She further spoke about the relationship between the Canadian government, its institutions, and white supremacy, mainly discussing how the two entities actively govern Indigenous communities. Below are a few key takeaways from the discussion: 1. Tools of racial supremacy have been upheld and idolized in the Canadian justice system.

2. The “a few bad apples” argument is an illusionary technique to mitigate the hardships of marginalized communities.

3. A future of accountable power starts with confronting racial prejudice that is entrenched in Canada’s social, political, and environmental institutions.

4. Oppression begins with rewarding white supremacy and the brutalization and punishment of those who do not fit within the standards of white supremacy.

5. The policing system in Canada has been designed to oppress. The concept and placement of white supremacy in the policing force is intentional and actively supported by officials. This institution inherently practices corrupt power, and will refuse to relinquish this privilege unless otherwise physically forced.

6. Canada’s police force fails to address state-sanctioned assaults against Indigenous people, and in doing so, it makes the entirety of the institution culpable for the violence perpetrated against First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities.

Palmater also highlighted what action can look like for allies. She emphasized that everyone has the obligation to self-educate on issues that are disproportionately affecting Indigenous peoples. Willful ignorance is not an option, considering the amount of resources that are available. Individuals with wealth and/or educational and/or positional power must take the steps necessary to advocate for equity-seeking groups.

This could entail using one’s privilege to donate, organize, volunteer, etc., or to simply spread the word about current events.

The Scholar Strike advocates a crucial message by actively promoting education and action to challenge and dismantle all forms of racism and race-based violence in our institutions. It would be productive to include information from their teachins in school curriculums across Canada.

Canadians must learn about the racist nature of their government — and how to support the communities that have been disenfranchised — mainly by becoming an active ally.

The Scholar Strike provided a platform for these types of discussions, broadcasting information and experiences from marginalized groups. This is important in

The Scholar Strike that took place in Canada hoped to help educate and motivate communities to take action on racial injustice.

CREDIT: PIXABAY

evolving the public discourse surrounding anti-Black and anti-Indigenous sentiments, and working towards dismantling current discriminatory systems. Creating a space for these topics is essential in the ongoing fight for justice.

VOLUNTEER FOR THE ONTARION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS See theontarion.com/board for more information.

EST. 1951

OPINION | SEPT 24, 2020

10

THE ONTARION

 BLACK LIVES MATTER

What is Black Lives Matter?

ODESIA HOWLETT

B

lack Lives Matter (BLM) is an organization, a movement, and a rally cry.

BLM - Canada was co-founded in 2014 by Janaya Khan and Yusra Ali.

“Black Lives Matter - Canada is the Canadian chapter of #BlackLivesMatter, an international organization and movement fighting police state violence and anti-Black racism,” the organization’s website states.

Its parent organization, co-founded in 2013 in the U.S.

by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi , unified millions and spread to Canada and the United Kingdom with the goal of dismantling any and all forms of anti-Black racism, affirming Black existence, and fighting for justice. BLM is an organization created as a response to centuries of oppression.

Many people are seeing the resurgence of the BLM movement due to what happened to George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a Minneapolis police of-

ficer who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

However, many injustices have happened in Canada this year, including the deaths of D’andre Campbell, Eishia Hudson, Jason Collins, Chantel Moore, and Ejaz Ahmed Choudry.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) community members have suffered an extensive history of murder and oppression, including here in Canada, and this has led many activists to begin demanding for police services to be defunded and abolished completely. They believe funding should be reallocated to community-based programs and education to be able to bring biases and discrimination to the forefront in order to work through and overcome racist ideologies.

Above all else, BLM is a unifying idea that all Black lives are worthy of respect and dignity on par with white lives. It’s not that only Black lives matter, but rather that Black lives matter too.

With protests and rallies taking

place all over the world, “Black Lives Matter” is used as a definitive statement, a plea, and an acknowledgement of the oppression of millions.

All kinds of Black people need to be respected. Black women, Black trans folks, Black queer people, Black people with disabilities, Black people experiencing poverty, Black people who didn’t get a post-secondary education, and all other intersecting marginalised communities deserve to be respected.

I am a Black woman, and this past few months, I've grown more and more aware of the significance of my Blackness. It’s time to listen to Black voices when we say we deserve more. The BLM movement gives us the chance to be more than another statistic of police brutality.

Say their names: George Floyd, D’andre Campbell, Eishia Hudson, Jason Collins, Chantel Moore, Ejaz Ahmed Choudry.

BLM is a movement that aims to dismantle all forms of anti-Black racism and oppression, CREDIT: PIXABAY

Everything you need to show your spirit!

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ISSUE 1 89. 2 | OPINION

THEONTARION.COM

11

Buzzwords might be influencing your shopping choices There’s more to your foods than the label suggests | JESSICA ULBIKAS

Take a look past the allure of food labels as certain buzzwords may be deceiving. | CREDIT: UNSPLASH

G

rocery shopping is a part of my weekly routine I look forward to. It gives me a short escape from my busy schedule, an opportunity to buy ingredients I can enjoy and have fun cooking with, and it presents a challenge to find the best deals I can get my hands on. Flyers from most stores usually stick to just listing sale prices, but one day a particularly unique section of a store flyer caught my attention.

The section was titled “Natural Foods,” listing items such as organic bananas, yellow onions, coconut yogurt, and popcorn.

What makes those certain foods natural? Does that mean other foods not listed on this page — like lettuce, pork chops, or rice — are not natural? What does natural food even mean? These questions ran through my head as I scoured the flyer, trying to find an explanation to the questions I had. The flyer didn’t give me an immediate answer, but it did leave me thinking about it for days to come.

By no means am I an expert on food labelling and product

advertising, but I’ve been paying more attention to the subject matter since receiving and onslaught of food and lifestyle posts on my Instagram feed, and because of the lectures I’ve had on food labels and health myths in my nutrition classes. I’m curious as to what other shoppers think of when they see food packages or marketing, and I wonder if others put as much meticulous and scrutinizing thought into it as I do. I’ve come to the assumption that at some point, everyone must have questioned food labels or scratched their heads at advertising to some degree.

Food product developers, grocers, the food service industry,

and so on use these kinds of buzzwords to attract your attention and draw in business. They utilize language in a way that takes advantage of what’s popular and desirable in society to generate a particular response in the consumer. A cultural shift has happened — and continues to happen — towards being more health-conscious, where people tend to buy healthier items to avoid non-communicable and chronic conditions or even simply to live healthier and more enjoyable lives. The rise of the latest miracle superfood, the hottest health trend, and the newest ‘quick-fix’ product is immersed in the types of foods, labels, advertisements, and media pieces we see. It presents a chance for shoppers to quickly and easily associate these exciting and culturally-relevant buzzwords with measurable improvements on their health. For a long time, I’ve correlated terminology such as ‘low-fat,’ ‘no preservatives,’ ‘low-calorie,’ ‘non-GMOs,’ or ‘gluten-free’ with better health, and I still sometimes find myself buying products solely on the basis of

these words.

You might not realize it, but the words written across your favourite breakfast cereal, in the flyer headings at your local store, or in a social media post have the potential to invoke a discernible response in you that impacts your choices. Buying orange juice with a ‘certified non-GMO’ seal on the label might make you feel satisfied in your health-conscious and eco-friendly purchase. You might reach for that bottle of organic paprika that’s a few dollars more instead of the paprika you used to buy since your favourite influencer said that organic is better. You may get sugar-free cookies to align yourself with your New Year’s resolution of consuming less refined sugar.

Something else that should be brought into the conversation around the impacts of language on food labels and in advertising is how words are interpreted. The definitions of words and phrases used to describe food, along with many other products, are inherent to understanding but are not always as clear-cut as the diction-

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ary makes them out to be. Words to describe and market food have various connotations and subtle nuances that differ whether you take the perspective of a food company selling their product, the everyday consumer acquiring goods, or even the government regulating packaging, labelling and advertising.

Some terms also have larger room for interpretation, or a ‘grey area’ in how they are perceived.

For instance, the word ‘natural’ in an everyday context is an adjective describing something created or living in nature. You might easily conclude that a food deemed natural is good for you based on this dictionary definition. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), ‘natural’ foods don’t contain added vitamins, minerals, additives or flavours and aren’t significantly processed (except for water removal), which doesn’t necessarily address how the food was grown or processed.

Another term is ‘low fat,’ which the CFIA has defined as a food containing equal to or less than three grams of fat per serving size.

The definition sounds straightforward — and makes the product sound automatically healthier — but that same product most likely has additional sugar or salt to compensate for the lower amount of fat.

Next time you read a grocery flyer, food package, or health article, I encourage you to give some thought as to what message it’s trying to tell you. If you are unsure about the wording or are simply curious, look at its meaning from credible sources. Misinformation — and more importantly, miscommunication — in the food and health industry is becoming commonplace. Doing some investigating enables you to make informed decisions based on your own understanding, and not because of a company, influencer, or trending article.

A claim, phrase, or buzzword on a food product or in advertising doesn’t solely indicate its effects on your health. Assessing information with a healthy dose of skepticism, along with evaluating how something makes you feel and how it works for you is the best option. I hope this article makes you think twice about the language you see in your local store, in your favourite restaurant, or on your social media feed, so you can make educated food choices and can take charge of your purchases and health.

A FOREST FA

How the Canadian governmen

Gaps in federal legislation have masked the logging industry’s destructive effect o

I

f the Liberal government’s favourite colour isn’t red, then it’s green.

A quick scroll through the Liberal Party of Canada’s social media pages displays Justin Trudeau and his cabinet posing in front of sprawling marine vistas and dramatic mountain ranges. One of their most buzzworthy platform goals of the last election was the “two billion trees over 10 years” — an ambitious plan to plant a net additional two billion trees to offset deforestation and increase carbon holdings.

Even amidst the continuing pandemic, Trudeau said in an August news conference that “this is our chance to build a more resilient Canada: a Canada that is healthier and safer, greener and more competitive.”

The balance of environmental and economic goals is an increasingly significant arena for Canadian politics. More voters are recognizing the reality of their unsustainable lives, and in turn, the Liberal government is recognizing the political value of emphasizing their environmental priorities.

The prevailing narrative of being ecologically and financially focused helps them resonate with constituents from coast to coast.

Especially in modern times, placing green policy at the forefront of government activity is a calculated and effective decision.

However, with climate and scien-

tific deadlines looming, we can’t allow any more illusions or empty words. How much of what the Liberal government says is inadequate pageantry, and how much is real, actionable change?

The Canadian boreal forest is inconceivably vast, covering more than one billion acres, and stretching across the nation from the shores of British Columbia to the cliffs of Newfoundland.

The forest is a haven to delicate lichens, impenetrable brush cover, ancient trees, and mysterious wetlands. According to Hinterland Who’s Who, it is home to over 80 percent of Canada’s Indigenous peoples, whose rich heritage has been wholly entwined with the forest for millennia. It is an environment of incredible scientific, economic, cultural, and spiritual value, and it is also emerging as one of our best solutions to the climate crisis.

The boreal forest is a phenomenal carbon storehouse, like many other forested ecosystems in the world.

The process of photosynthesis — a plant’s ability to suck carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into oxygen — allows boreal plants to store massive amounts of carbon in their leaves, branches, and roots, which make up their biomass. As this biomass degrades over the plant’s lifetime, the carbon slips slowly into the soil, where another massive carbon

Cut 'em all down.

holding exists. The same concept exists in the abundant wetlands which, due to their water-rich and oxygen-poor conditions, are also excellent at keeping carbon locked deep within their decaying slime.

What’s special about the Canadian boreal forest is that it is very cold and has thousands — if not millions — of wetlands, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) 2018 Pandora’s Box report.

The report outlines that these two factors ensure atmospheric carbon is comfortably sequestered in the forest for a long period of time, essentially restricting its exodus into the air, where the carbon dioxide absorbs heat trying to escape the planet. This heat absorption scalds the atmosphere, which results in gradual worldwide warming and accelerated change of the global climate.

The report further outlines that, in total, every part of the Canadian boreal forest (including its soils, biomass, wetlands) holds an estimated 306.6 billion tons of carbon stock, and is therefore preventing those 306.6 billion tons from entering the atmosphere.

The magnitude of this is almost incomprehensible. To compare, a single car emits only 4.6 tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which is a trillionth of a percent of the stored carbon found in the boreal forest.

A section in The Logging Loophole, a report published in July by the NRDC, Environmental Defense, and Nature Canada on the Canadian logging industries, states that “a pervasive and misguided narrative, based on selective science and misleading assumptions, has made its way into federal and provincial policy in Canada.”

The report details the fallacies of Canadian carbon emission reporting, and how the Canadian government and the logging industry have unknowingly joined forces to paint a sustainable image of Canadian logging.

Jennifer Skene is the principal author of the report and a Yale-educated environmental law fellow that works with the NRDC.

In the report she writes that for years, the NRDC has been

concerned with the way Canada has been ignoring carbon emissions from its boreal forests, and neglecting to count them in carbon accounting reports.

The logging industries have seized upon this opportunity, and have used these discrepancies to bolster their claims that logging is climate-friendly.

The entire process of sequestration can be disrupted when forests are harvested in incorret ways.

Canada uses a model rather than direct data to calculate its forest emission data, and uses the findings to make assumptions about uncertainties. According to Skene's report, one of the largest, most damaging assumptions made by provincial governments is that every single tree cut down grows back.

Any child working on a school project growing sunflowers can tell you this is not true: nature does not have a 100 percent success rate. However, this appears to be one assumption that Canada's climate policies were written on, and one that is dangerously contra-science.

Even if this assumption was true, and every tree removed was replaced by another exact copy, this harvest would still signify a release of carbon. According to Skene’s report, the carbon sequestration abilities of the boreal forest are related to age, as trees do not stop isolating carbon as their lives continue. Older trees hold more carbon, and it takes decades for newly planted trees to reach the original level of carbon holdings. Even if every felled tree had a healthy replacement, the loss of the original tree means a massive initial expulsion of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, and a slow recovery. Old-growth — or intact forests — are forests that remain largely untouched by human footprint, and contain most of these older trees that are so good at holding carbon.

The “one tree replaces anoth-

er” concept is also a very narrow viewpoint as the entire ecosystem is not being considered. We have seen how decaying biomass in the soils and wetlands are remarkable keepers of carbon. The Pandora’s Box report states that anthropogenic activities such as harvesting and clear-cutting upset the careful balance between organisms, no matter the scale.

The entire process of carbon sequestration can be disrupted when forests are harvested in incorrect ways: by removing too many trees, disturbing the forest floor, or removing too much of the biomass under trees. Any of these actions can cause changes in sunlight and temperature which can disrupt the entire ecosystem and can lead to stored carbon chemically transitioning to carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide then escapes and rises into the atmosphere, adding to Canada’s carbon footprint.

Conservation is seen as a long-term plan. However, given the extent of the climate crisis and the lack of breathing room that world powers have to operate in, this is not the case.

Conserving intact forests is a short-term solution.

The Liberal government’s promise of planting two billion trees over ten years, while commendable, carries next to no benefits in the time frame that we need them. However, keeping forests intact and untouched ensures that the carbon stored in them will not get released into the atmosphere. Tenaciously holding onto these forests with the goal of keeping them out of danger is one of our best solutions to the climate crisis. It’s cheap, easy, and feasible — criteria that every government looks for.

A video entitled Harvesting in the boreal forest on the Natural Resources Canada (NRC) Youtube channel follows scientist Doug Pitt as he talks earnestly about the benefits of clearcutting.

“One of the primary goals of our silviculture is to emulate natural disturbances ... species such as jack pine, black spruce, and aspen have all evolved requiring more or less full sunlight to regenerate and grow properly,” Pitt says.

His voice is interspersed with swooping helicopter shots of

AIRYTALE:

nt has sold us a sustainability story

on the boreal forest | KATHRYN NICOL

healthy forests, people skiing in the woods, and green-soaked trees swaying peacefully in the wind.

“You have to understand that our boreal forest consists of stands (aggregation of trees) that are relatively even-aged. The ecological benefit of a clearcut is to create the environment required to regenerate and grow an even-age stand,” Pitt says.

“When a forest is managed sustainably, only the growth of the forest is harvested... if we harvest more than that, we’re not sustaining that forest.”

The federal government is presenting an image of sustainability by only focusing on the alleged benefits of clearcutting.

A 2007 New Phytologist review states that clearcutting is one of the most destructive disturbances to an intact forest.

The idea that clearcutting mimics the natural state of the forest in untouched conditions gives a false sense of renewability which is unsupported by science.

Again, the government is focusing a spotlight on single-organisms, choosing to discuss tree species — like jack pines — that can potentially benefit from access to more sunlight and higher temperatures.

Again, the entire ecosystem view is largely ignored, omitting the truth that clear-cutting damages an ecosystem for decades.

The ecosystem is put in the position where it could potentially never totally recover. As men-

Through green images projected on their social media, the government can potentially lead Canadians to believe that their government is enthusiastically committed to protecting the environment. tioned in the Pandora’s Box report, just one clearcut acre of jack pine-dominated boreal forest releases almost 30 tons of carbon dioxide over a 13-year time span, something unmentioned in any of the Natural Resources Canada Youtube videos.

This disconnect between sound science and government policy is an excellent example of the power of perception and preconceived notions, which is a power that the federal government has been exploiting since day one. Through green images projected on their social media, the government can potentially lead Canadians to believe that their government is enthusiastically committed to protecting the environment.

The logging industry has gladly stepped to the side of the climate change debate. Its fiery cousin, the fossil-fuel industry, is much louder, far easier to dislike and commands the attention of environmentalists and pro-pipeliners alike. The noise effectively obscures the massive carbon emissions released by the Canadian logging industry.

Skene’s report found that "the government has left significant policy gaps around mitigating the logging industry’s emissions and protecting intact forests.” This enables the logging

industry to unleash unregulated, under-counted carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

However, we need Canadian logging. It has a place in a sustainable future, unlike the fossil-fuel industry. The forestry industry is inevitably linked with our society. We are desperately reliant on paper, construction materials, and the millions of other uses wood products have in our lives.

The logging industry also has a major impact on our economy. According to Statistics Canada, more than 30,000 jobs were attributed to the forestry/logging sector in 2019. According to NRC, the industry controls over 10 billion salary dollars. Especially today, in a time of unprecedented economic downturn and uncertainty, we cannot afford to eliminate any positions.

A balance between environmental concerns and economic realities must be achieved by federal and provincial governments and logging companies working together, potentially by introducing a tax on logging carbon emissions. The heavily promoted Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (2018) prices carbon at $20 a ton, but ignores logging

industry emissions, according to Skene's report.

Integrating the logging industry into the Pollution Pricing Act would create room for a financial incentive to reduce emissions, placing a larger obligation on the industry itself to adopt more climate-friendly practices.

To be fair, there is no evidence that the aforementioned gaps in the legislation were a conscious decision on any one entity’s part. Skene concedes that Canada’s forest systems are vast, and it is difficult to keep track of what is happening on the ground at all times.

“What’s really troubling,” she writes, “is that Canada and the provinces are full steam ahead on logging, and in many cases expanding operations and deregulating.”

This careless ambition is where blame can be attributed.

The federal government needs to self-scrutinize exactly how they are benefiting from these operations. These loopholes provide

the bonus of misrepresentation, of creating an idea that logging — in any form — is inherently sustainable. This has been a tale decades-long in the making, authored by federal policy writers and logging industries, collaborating to keep the fiction of sustainability in the minds of Canadians.

Unlike the fossil fuel industry, the logging industry has the potential to become a part of a renewable tomorrow. Through tightening environmental regulations and improving carbon emissions reporting, as well as being publicly honest about the genuine toll of Canadian logging, we can welcome forestry as a part of modern Canadian society. It’s the perfect opportunity for the government to reduce their carbon footprint, improve their green accountability, and become the hero of the story.

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ARTS & CULTURE

16 | MARVEL'S AVENGERS

15 | SHYAM SELVADURAI

Tenet marries originality and convolution, resulting in a noble failure Christoper Nolan’s Tenet attempts to save the movie theatre industry with stunning IMAX cinematography but fails to offer much else in plot structure, sound design, or character development PRABHJOT BAINS

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hristopher Nolan’s highly anticipated spiritual successor to his smash hit Inception (2010) is finally here.

It only took three delays from its original release date of July 17 and an ever-increasing swarm of fan theories and heated debates to get it into our grubby and impatient hands. However, this time much of the discussion surrounding the film was not centred around its content, but about the state of the movie-going experience as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Movie theatres have been closed since March, and for film lovers around the world it only signified one thing. The death knell of the cinematic experience and the continued rise of the impersonal and mediocre streaming giants. However, there was light at the end of this dark tunnel and its rays spelled out Tenet. Christopher Nolan was back to “save cinema” and he was dead set on releasing the film theatrically.

Nolan’s influence as a serious filmmaker allowed him to pressure the studios out of a digital release so he could protect his vision of seeing audiences return to the theatres for decades to come. Thus, as the eventual premiere of the film neared after three delays, the conversation around the film began describing it as a “saviour of cinema” that would allow the industry to come out of the pandemic running with full energy. So, is this film cinema’s bastion for a positive future?

Well, not really.

Tenet is wholeheartedly an experience that is jaw-dropping at times, which is especially enhanced by a large IMAX screen.

However, Nolan’s penchant for emphasizing style over substance creates an experience that is more frustrating than entertaining, leaving the audience simultaneously dazzled and exhausted.

Its originality is something to be marveled at, as Nolan creates sequences that even the most visionary could not have even fathomed. Even so, it’s this grandiose ambition that hinders the film from becoming an experience that people will want to return to after its theatrical run is over. This is a

CREDIT: UNSPLASH

major problem for a film that sees itself as a work of art that begs for perpetual re-watches.

Nolan has never been a filmmaker that wants to make his audience feel comfortable, creating movies like Memento, Inception and The Prestige that constantly force the audience to pay attention to every frame so they can solve the puzzle at the end. In Tenet, Nolan strives to do the same, but never achieves it. This is because, unlike those films, Tenet does not have engaging characters nor a strong sense of narrative cohesion.

The film takes us from one scene to another without any pause for character building or emotional resonance. This failure to involve the audience into the characters’ plight is even worse as the time-inverting plot about preventing the outbreak of World War III is nearly incomprehensible.

Nolan is in such a rush to exhilarate the audience with beautiful and intricate set pieces that he fails to make the audience care about why it is happening in the first place. He doesn’t even take time to name the main character, as he is just called the Protagonist

(John David Washington) which makes the already hammy plot more so.

In addition to all these issues with the film’s plot and direction, what really cements the film as one of the worst in Nolan’s celebrated catalogue is its atrocious sound mixing. This issue has always been prevalent in Nolan’s filmography to differing degrees, but its prevalence has increased since the release of Interstellar.

Many scenes in the film feature indecipherable dialogue. This wouldn’t be as big an issue if the film was simpler in nature. But the complicated plot, featuring time-travel, has many points of crucial dialogue being drowned in large ambient noise and a thunderous score. This leaves the audience in a complicated haze that increasingly makes it harder to catch up to the film’s ever-changing storyline.

Besides the issues with Tenet’s screenplay and direction, the technical mastery alone makes the trip to the theatre worth it. In this respect, Nolan has achieved a minor victory for movie theatres amid this pandemic.

Hoyte Van Hoytema’s simultaneously measured and intricate cinematography adds a level of sophisticated sheen to Nolan’s vision of classy sci-fi. Hoytema’s lens glides across the vivid landscapes and brings us closer to the set pieces unfolding across the screen in a manner that not only immerses the audience, but entertainingly forces us to fathom the impossibility of what’s happening in front of us. The photography of the film is so impressive it begs the question why Nolan didn’t film it entirely in IMAX, as many scenes revert to the basic 35mm framing.

The cast also does a serviceable job in anchoring the film’s human stakes. But make no mistake, this is not an actor’s film, as Nolan’s overarching style smothers any possibility of the cast stealing the show away.

John David Washington and Kenneth Branagh are fine as the protagonist and antagonist respectively. Dimple Kapadia also adds a level of sophistication to the more exotic locations of the film.

But if someone had to choose the best performance, it would be

Robert Pattinson, whose energetic eyes liven not only the action set pieces but the rare dialogue sequences as well.

Tenet is going to go down as one of the lesser films in Nolan’s catalogue, even though it’s his most expensive original project to date, at a budget of $200 million.

It’s a cinematic experience that everyone should have in theatres, but its impact won’t be felt much longer after the credits roll and the popcorn gets cleaned up.

The film is indicative of the fact that when directors’ budgets balloon to huge figures, quality won’t necessarily follow. However, Tenet should still be celebrated for its originality, even though much of it is hollow. It is a noble failure whose ambitions of saving the movie-going experience should be appreciated and built upon.

Cinematography: 2/2 Direction: 1/2 Screenplay: 1/2 Performances: 1/2 Entertainment Factor: 1/2 Total: 6/10

ISSUE 1 89. 2 | ARTS & CULTURE

THEONTARION.COM

15

In conversation with Shyam Selvadurai The Funny Boy author on his experience growing up in Canada as a gay, Sri Lankan refugee MONICA MEHMI

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his year’s fourth annual Gryphons Read book is Funny Boy, a novel by Shyam Selvadurai. Funny Boy chronicles seven years in the life of a young Tamil boy named Arjie as he discovers his sexuality, and is set against a backdrop of rising tensions between the Sinhalese and Tamil people that lead to the 1983 riots in Sri Lanka, known as Black July.

Selvadurai was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1965 and immigrated to Canada at 19. His writing is fictional, but largely autobiographical — readers can draw parallels between his real life and the lives of his protagonists.

I spoke with Selvadurai about Funny Boy in early September, and learned a bit about his life, along with his motivations for writing the book.

According to Selvadurai, his household growing up was a happy one, but also “unusual,” as several things set his family apart from the traditional and cultural norms of the time, rendering them “different from other people.” The first was that his parents had a marriage based on love rather than an arranged one.

They were also a mixed marriage, his mother being Sinhalese and his father a Tamil.

His mother was a medical doctor, which set her apart from all of his aunts, and further differentiated his immediate family as an unusual bunch.

“There was a high tolerance for difference, and a high tolerance for plurality, having already been built into my family,” Selvadurai said.

As a child, Selvadurai was precocious and creative. Growing up in an upper-middle class household where differences were tolerated, his creativity was celebrated and he was encouraged to do theatre, elocution and ballet.

Like Arjie in Funny Boy, Selvadurai would play the Bride-Bride game that he wrote about in the novel, “except I would want to be the wedding planner and arrange it, and boss all of the girl cousins around,” he recalled, with a laugh.

In the novel, when Arjie is discovered in a sari playing the role of the bride, his father worries that he may be “funny” and his mother forces him to play cricket instead of playing with the girls.

Selvadurai’s own father knew his son was gay from a young age.

“He never emasculated me, ever, but he was quite stern with me in the sense that he felt I was a timid kid and I needed to know how to handle myself as a man,” he laughed, “so, I had to play tennis. Going to the club is my first childhood memory, going to the club in my pram with my iron.”

Similar to Arjie’s experience in the novel, the Tamil and Sinhalese conflict rose during Selvadurai’s youth.

“From the mid-seventies onwards, I became increasingly aware of the threat of being Tamil. Your friends were Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and some of them were foreign and some of them were burgher. The things that bound you were the English that you spoke and the schools you went to. That was more of an identity than being Tamil, really, but it became an identity that was pushed on me,” Selvadurai said.

When I write gay characters it's a way to give visibility to something that's invisible.

— Shyam Selvadurai

“Just like when you come to this country and you suddenly find yourself a racialized minority. It’s an identity that you don’t choose but you’re actually racialized and it became increasingly difficult for us to live there.”

After speaking openly about his childhood, Selvadurai became guarded on the subject of leaving Sri Lanka.

“I don’t talk very much about what happened because I don’t like to. It’s kind of a personal thing and it’s also a place of pain from which I write my novels, it’s precious. But we had to leave the country, we lost everything.”

At that time, he said, the Canadian government was offering an expedited immigration program, “but really it was a refugee program.” His family applied, and they got it. Upon their arrival in Canada, Selvadurai went straight to York University where he studied theatre. He worked throughout university to pay his way through school.

“I was happy to be in Canada, I was happy to be studying theatre and then when I came

out at 21, I was very happy to come out.”

It was during a play writing class that he discovered his love for writing and realized he wanted to be a writer.

“At that time there were no racialized minorities as actors or a chance to put on theatre, and so I really switched to creative writing.”

After taking a course in creative writing he moved to Montreal where it was cheaper to live, to focus on writing. It was there where he wrote Funny Boy.

However, his transition as an immigrant came with challenges.

“The trauma catches up to you later. About four years in, I began to really think about it a lot, and I think I started to realize that my life was here, and you know, I think that was kind of a shock, and a very hard thing to accept,” Selvadurai said.

“Racism was much more [prominent] than it is now. I mean it was subtle, but crushing at the same time. But because I spoke English really well and went to university, I already had middle class aspirations and knew how to negotiate the system as a middle-class person. It was good and bad.”

I asked Selvadurai how he came to terms with the many aspects of his identity: being a gay man, and a Sri Lankan immigrant in Canada.

During the early 90’s the identity politics movement was gaining momentum. Much like today, outrage stirred in the streets over police brutality after the highly publicized Rodney King beating. Then, closer to home for Selvadurai, the fatal police shooting of Raymond Constantine Lawrence, a black man in Toronto, which sparked the Yonge Street Riot.

Selvadurai said that as he grew tired of racism in the gay community, he discovered Khush, a South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association, where he was able to meet other like-minded queer South Asians, who shared stories and learned from one another.

He was also one of the founding members of Desh Pardesh, a progressive, multidisciplinary South Asian Arts Festival which, according to their website, was dedicated to “providing a venue for the underrepresented and marginalized voices within the South Asian diaspora.”

“All of [my] identities sort of

Written by Shyam Selvadurai, Funny Boy details the journey of a young boy discovering his sexuality.

CREDIT: KEVIN KELLY

came together [in those groups], and solidified so that I was able to then go out into the world with a clear sense of who I was, and understand that an identity can be formed and celebrated in opposition to the mainstream identity, and that that could be your identity, and it could act and function in opposition,” Selvadurai said.

At that time, the members of Desh Pardesh had banded together and made a support system for each other so that it could make positive and progressive changes for the South Asian diaspora.

To Selvadurai, it’s puzzling that young people today still identify with Funny Boy.

“I don’t really understand the reception of any of my books because they are so personal. I don’t understand why one book does better than another or why people identify with it, but I am so glad they do.”

So, what did writing this book mean to Selvadurai as a member of the LGBTQ community?

“Part of being in Desh Pardesh and Khush was meeting other South Asian men and exchanging stories about what it was like to grow up queer in South Asia and the diaspora. I began to realize and regret that when I was growing up there were no examples of how to be gay for a young South Asian queer person and so writing the book was a way to fill that void,” he said.

“I wrote it for those young people who might pick up the book by some chance and find

themselves in it. When I write gay characters it’s a way to give visibility to something that’s invisible.”

However, the message he wants to convey the most with Funny Boy deals with power.

“Why do some people get to decide what is right and what is wrong? It has to do with power.

So then, can you not seize power too?” he said.

After over two decades in print, and writing a script for the novel himself, Selvadurai had Indo-Canadian director Deepa Mehta come on board to adapt Funny Boy into a movie.

“It was a wonderful experience working with her. She is very passionate about what she does and so am I, so it was a good match. There was nothing we wouldn’t do for the film, between the two of us,” Selvadurai said.

Though it hasn’t been released yet, Selvadurai has already watched the finished product.

“I think it’s extraordinary actually, and I think it’s a really wonderful film.”

The movie was to be released this year, but due to COVID-19 its release date has been pushed back and it is now set to debut at TIFF next fall.

Along with several events scheduled this month for Gryphons Read, Selvadurai is also back this fall as a professor for the creative writing department at the University of Guelph, teaching second and fourth year courses.

ARTS & CULTURE | SEPT 24, 2020

16

THE ONTARION

Avengers Assemble: A review of Marvel’s Avengers Marvel’s Avengers offers players the chance to see their favourite superheroes in action through two different game modes, various playstyle options, and opportunities for more customization in future releases ALLAN SLOAN

E

ver since Insomniac Games teased The Avengers’ existence in a video game format, many have waited with baited breath for Marvel’s Avengers

by Square-Enix and Crystal Dynamics. After several delays and a buggy but playable beta, Marvel’s Avengers is here for the world to play. While it may not be the greatest Marvel video game ever created, there is a sincere love and passion for the source material that True Believers will respect, despite the lackluster “game as a service” model and the grind-style post-game that players may be familiar with from the likes of Destiny and The Division.

ANOTHER SOLID AVENGERS STORY

Marvel’s Avengers has two modes to play. First up is the campaign mode. With an all new Avengers story set in it’s own universe — separate from both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Insomniac’s Spider-Man — Marvel’s Avengers puts you in the shoes of Kamala Kahn a.k.a Ms. Marvel.

Kamala is an Avengers Superfan. Star-struck by the likes of Captain America, Thor, and Black Widow, Kamala brings a consistently refreshing view to the world of Superheroes with her childlike wonder and constant excitement of being able to work alongside her lifelong heroes.

The true charm of this roughly 14-hour-long story is Kamala’s tense-at-first relationship with Dr. Bruce Banner a.k.a The Hulk. Their back and forth mentor/mentee interactions only seem to encourage Kamala to be a better member of the team.

Slowly but surely, the campaign mode adds more and more Avengers to your roster of playable characters, usually with an introductory mission on how to play that particular character.

The story features massive set-piece scenarios with the high octane action that fans have come to expect from Marvel stories.

The care and respect that Crystal Dynamics puts into the little details really shows with the likes of collectible comic books featuring cover art spanning the 80+ year history of Marvel Comics. There are also audio files and documents to collect and read which further expand this iteration of the Marvel Universe.

FIGHT LIKE A SUPERHERO

Marvel’s Avengers is a combat-heavy game. With wave after wave of baddies to fight, there is no shortage of enemies to punch, kick, shoot, or throw your Star-Spangled shield at in an effort to win the day.

Every hero plays differently, despite the basic controls being the same. Hulk plays like an unstoppable force, with every punch and slam feeling like they have the weight of a Mack Truck behind them. Black Widow is your hit-and-run support damage character, serving to build on the damage done by your teammates, while looking for the best opening to unleash her own heavy critical attacks. Iron Man serves as your run and gun character, flying through the skies only to land in the center of the fray and unleash devastation with his famous Hulkbuster Armour.

The importance of skills also comes into play as each character has three skill trees: Basic, Specialty, and Mastery. Basic holds everything that the character can do in a fight like extended combos, additional abilities, and ways to maneuver those abilities together. The Specialty and Mastery skill trees are where you finetune your character to your play style. These trees serve to alter the abilities learned in the Basic tree, such as: increasing stun damage, increasing the frequency of being able to pull off devastating Takedowns, increasing how fast your ultimate and heroic abilities charge up, and increasing you or your parties’ melee or ranged combat damage.

For example, I fine-tuned my Black Widow to focus heavily on massive Area of Effect damage at close range. When all of her abilities are spent, my strategy with her is to run away and take out the outliers, until my abilities recharge to do it again. Earlier on in the game I focused primarily on her gunplay, staying at a distance in order to best keep her

The new Marvel game sets out to prove that it is a game worth fighting for | CREDIT: PIXABAY

alive and to support the rest of the team from the sidelines.

This flexibility is core to Marvel’s Avengers as it ensures no two Ironmen or Hulks will play exactly the same way and encourages you to mix things up.

On Sept. 17 Crystal Dynamics announced on the Square Enix website that they had released a patch addressing over 1000 issues players were experiencing.

MR. STARK SHOULD FOCUS ON MARK II

To anyone familiar with the likes of Destiny and The Division, the live-service type of gameplay offered in Marvel's Avengers should be familiar to you. For those who aren’t, after completing the campaign mode you are sent to the multiplayer-focused — but not required, due to the option to use A.I. companions — Avengers Initiative mode.

The purpose of this mode is to play with friends while you play less story-focused missions of baddie-smashing and objective completing in order to make your character as strong as possible.

The current level cap is 50, with a power cap of 150. Your characters will be anywhere from 10 to 15 upon completion of the Campaign, giving you a decent amount of information to decide which characters you prefer to play as.

Missions typically have the same basic cycles: enter the level, fight bad guys, complete an objective, explore the map to find chests containing better gear to complete missions on a higher difficulty level, and so on, and so forth.

This gameplay loop is inconsistent with Marvel’s Avengers Cam-

Despite its strengths, Marvel’s Avengers is far from a perfect game. Several times throughout my playthrough of the campaign, I suffered from massive framerate loss during cutscenes, which led me to have to restart the game.

This annoyance was made easier to swallow due to the fact that the game has a very forgiving auto-save feature which allows you to continue from your last checkpoint. These checkpoints are generously given out after every combat encounter and cutscene.

There are also issues with unlocked costumes, emotes, and other cosmetic costumes disappearing from your inventory. Due to the random nature of the unlocks in the game, it can be frustrating to lose something that you can only acquire every once in a while, forcing you to have to wait and see if you’re fortunate enough to obtain it again.

There have also been times where my character would fall through the floor, only to be consumed by an endless void, causing another restart and reload from a previous checkpoint.

ENDGAME (NOT ‘THAT’ ENDGAME)

paign mode which offered a cinematic story told with care, depth, and excitement. At times it can feel hollow when the campaign is over, however, this hollowness feels much less obvious when playing with a friend or three.

The endgame does a good job of capturing the spirit of the Avengers, but only when there are other humans playing with you online. The coordination and team synergy does wonders for a game that can, at times, feel like nothing more than a Marvel flavoured beat’em up.

VERDICT Marvel’s Avengers isn’t a perfect game — by a long shot. The stellar and beautiful single-player campaign is subverted by a mostly hollow endgame experience which feels like Crystal Dynamics couldn’t put everything into the game that they wanted.

Crystal Dynamics and Square-Enix have said that new heroes and missions will be coming at a regular basis after launch for free. However, holding interest in the game long enough may prove to be an issue outside of the story mode.

Overall, Marvel’s Avengers is a fun game for what it set out to be, but with the game feeling like it currently lacks direction beyond the power grind, Marvel’s Avengers may be fighting an uphill battle to reach the greatness of the heroes it so lovingly portrays.

SPORTS & HEALTH 

Homecoming cancelled at U of G Students may still find a variety of fitness and wellness resources online

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   TALK NERDY TO ME   

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TASHA FALCONER

Q: Why is sex painful as a female?



TASHA FALCONER

I

n Guelph, September usually means an should keep groups small, limiting gathinflux of students coming to and mov- erings to less than 10 people. While we ing about the city. September is also may be taking measures to protect our usually when Homecoming occurs. But community, we can still stay engaged by this year, with the COVID-19 pandem- getting involved with the many virtual ic and associated social distancing rules, events happening, including virtual clubs.

University of Guelph’s Homecoming won’t be happening. While other universities such as Western, Lakehead, Queen’s, and Laurier brought their Homecoming (HOCO) online, Guelph did not.

If you're looking to keep active, the University’s fitness and recreation centre is opening in stages. You can currently buy a membership and workout with a booked spot. Additionally, intramurals are back.

A Gryphon Fitness On-Demand Website has also launched, so you can do

The Ontario University Athletics an- fitness classes from home. Student Wellnounced that all sports would be cancelled ness has transitioned their services online, until Dec. 31, but there was always a cer- so your well-being will be supported virtutain excitement about Homecoming that ally. made it more than just a game. Homecom- While sports may look different this ing is about community, Gryphon spirit, fall, we can still make the most of the enand of course, parties. Out of 36 people vironment we find ourselves in. Gryphon polled on The Ontarion’s Instagram, Football has created a social media cammost people (72%) were going to miss the paign, Unpaused, which takes a look at HOCO parties the most, while only 28% what the season would have been, and has said they would miss the game more. players talk about the opportunity that the

changes amid COVID-19 create. Addition ally, the Guelph Gryphons have created a

podcast called Gryph Nation Radio, that

discusses a range of Gryphon related top ics, including many interviews with past

and present Gryphons. We can still con nect with each other and show our Gryph on spirit online!

This year we will have to show our Gryphon spirit in different ways. HOCO parties are a big part of Homecoming, but this year, we shouldn’t be having them.

Dr. Nicola Mercer, the medical officer of health at Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, stated that Gryphons Icons by Simpleicon, Iconlibrary and Iconfinder

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

A look into why sex can be painful for females and possible solutions that could take place.

CREDIT: UNSPLASH

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While it is common for females to experience painful sex at some point in their lives, it is often short lived and during times of sexual change, such as early sexual experiences, after giving birth, or after menopause.

Sex should not be painful.

Like any other pain, pain experienced during sex likely indicates that something is wrong. Many reasons for pain during sex can be resolved.

Evaluating what is happening when sex is painful will help you to figure out why it is painful. In 2019 Dr. Allison Carter and colleagues published a study where they found that speaking to your partner about the pain experienced during sex can help to reduce the pain and increase pleasure during sexual activity. Unfortunately, they also found that only half of their participants told their partner when sex was painful.

Seeing a doctor may help to determine the cause of the pain.



The study further explained that pain during sex can be due to something physical, such as a lack of sexual arousal, a lack of lubrication, an infection, an uncomfortable position or a genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder. Genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorders include vaginismus, which are vaginal muscle spasms, and dyspareunia, which is genital pain.

Sexual pain can also be related to relationship issues, sexual trauma, and anxiety.

Carter and colleagues found that those with vulvas who experience pain, generally experience the pain at the vaginal entrance or inside the vagina. Pain is often associated with penetrative intercourse.

Additionally, it was found that females considered the pain normal, unproblematic, or inconsequential. In the study, Carter and colleagues noted that “pain should not be expected or considered normal, even in those who have considerable experience.”

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FUN STUFF

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22 | #IWRITETHEONTARION

20 & 21 | FUN PAGES

THE ONTARION

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OCTOBER OCTOBER SU N M O N TU E WE D TH U

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Guelph Little Theatre 85th Year Celebration A party in the Guelph Little Theatre Parking lot with various forms of entertainment to celebrate the company’s 85th year.

2 PM - 4 PM, Guelph Little Theatre Parking Lot

EatStreet: A Moveable Brunch

By Taste Detours This tour will take a deep dive into Guelph’s agricultural roots.

After sampling from a few different Guelph Farmers’ Market purveyors, several stops will be made in downtown Guelph.

9:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Downtown Guelph, 99 Woolwich Street

Selfish Things w/ Hold Close + Certainty in Guelph Live music.

Oct 22, 9 PM - Oct 23, 2 AM, The eBar & Greenroom

Sunday Antique Market The Sunday-exclusive market hosts 100+ quality dealers here for the entire season. Joining them, 30+ visiting dealers set up on a week-by-week basis.

Sundays at 8 AM, Aberfoyle Antique Market

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Icons by Simpleicon and Iconfinder

OCT 15 Little Bites Appy Tour

By Taste Detours Visit a few of our food purveyors to feast on their tastiest morsels and sample local spirits. Little feasts and beer/wine tastings.

5:15 PM - 7:45 PM, Downtown Guelph, 99 Woolwich Street

OCT 16 OCT 1 Gwelf Early Days

By Jay Walking Guelph Recitations and stories from Guelph’s rich past, told where they happened.

7 PM - 8:15 PM, Market Square

OCT 2 The Unfortunate Man

By Jay Walking Guelph Recitations and stories from Guelph’s rich past, told where they happened.

7 PM - 8:15 PM, Douglas Street University of Guelph DTM Alumni Golf Tournament

By University of Guelph Turf Club Annual golf tournament for current/former students and faculty of the DTM program at the University of Guelph. $65 =18 holes, cart and lunch.

10 AM - 6 PM, Victoria Park East Golf Club

OCT 3 Handstands + Bodyweight Skills 101

By Barres + Bells A simple, strong and fun bodyweight exercise practice.

12 PM - 3 PM, Online

OCT 5 Virtual fall landscape watercolour painting By the Arboretum Learn how to translate any landscape into watercolour step-bystep with watercolour artist Candice Leyland.

7 PM - 9 PM, online

Fitness Kickboxing Partner Class

By Loyobo Fit This class will incorporate punches, kicks, strength and cardio conditioning exercises to give you a total body workout 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM, 199 Victoria Rd S.

Scandal On the Speed River

By Jay Walking Guelph Recitations and stories from Guelph’s rich past, told where they happened.

7 PM - 8:15 PM, The Boathouse Parking Lot

Wild Mushroom Identification and Foraging

By Minga Skill Building Hub Come on a walk in the woods with experienced forager and biologist Luke Eckstein to explore the amazing world of fungi and mushrooms this fall!

10 AM - 1 PM, 42 Carden St.

OCT 27 HOPE Stylin’ Clothing Market

By HOPE House We have gently used clothing for women, men, and children.

1 PM - 3:30 PM, 10 Cork St. E.

OCT 17 Guelph’s Favourite Fall Market

By Savvy Events Canada Shop for goodies made by Ontario artisans.

10 AM - 3 PM, 601 Scottsdale Drive Skillz N Thrillz

By Crystal Quartz Showcase your Skillz n Thrillz and win a $50 Gift Certificate to Onyx.

8 PM - 12 AM, 12 Wyndham Street North

OCT 6

OCT 24

OCT 19 Virtual fall landscape watercolour painting By the Arboretum Learn how to translate any landscape into watercolour step-bystep with watercolour artist Candice Leyland.

7 PM - 9 PM, online

OCT 30 The Unfortunate Man Tour.

Special Halloween Edition

By Jay Walking Guelph Recitations and stories from Guelph’s rich past, told where they happened.

5 PM - 6:30 PM, The Red Brick Cafe

OCT 31 rolodex darko, Islands & Empires, Septic Abscess of Putrefaction Live music.

7 PM - 11 PM, Silence

Thank you for helping to keep us safe!

The Ontarion would like to thank the Physical Resources staff for their constant efforts to sanitize surfaces around campus.

We appreciate everything you do!

EST. 1951

You should write for

The Ontarion We can help you build your confidence and improve your communication skills! Whether you are a seasoned pro or have never published anything in your life, we want your: News stories, opinions, letters to the editor, movie reviews, game reviews, any kind of reviews! Pictures, drawings, puzzles, poems, and anything else that can go in print or online.

Seriously, pitch us anything!

Write about sports, entertainment, politics, campus life, celebrities, off campus life, arts, music, science, nature, or even write an opinion piece on something you care about.

We are here to help you connect with your community and to share whatever you are passionate about.

To learn more: Email our Editor-in-Chief, Ellyse: emcgarr@theontarion.com or go to theontarion.com/volunteer.

EST. 1951

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FUN STUFF | SEPT 24, 2020

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The Ontarion Crossword Bob's Dogs Contests is on hold until further notice. For you chance to win bragging rights, snap a picture of a completed crossword and email it to puzzles@ theontarion.com by Oct 27 at 3pm. Winners and anyone else who fills in the crossword correctly are announced in the paper each issue.

No winners from last issue.

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ANSWERS FROM ISSUE 189.1

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THE ONTARION

#IWriteTheOntarion • • •

MONICA MEHMI Bachelor of Arts English major with a minor in creative writing, 5th year.

Will be graduating at the end of this term.

Diploma in radio broadcasting from Humber College

A:

Q: What is your favourite part about writing for The Ontarion?

My favorite part about writing for The Ontarion is that I love getting to interview people and speak to them about themselves, finding the story within them, and sharing it with others.

Q: What is one of your favourite things that you've covered for The Ontarion?

I did an opinion piece about my COVID experience at the beginning of the lockdown and that was something that I really needed to get off my chest, because it was difficult and because I couldn’t believe that testing was so hard to get. I think that was important for me to share. I really loved getting to interview Shyam Selvadurai for this month's issue. He is a professor of mine as well, so it was a wonderful experience to get to talk to him one on one about his life and about writing Funny Boy. Books are so important to me.

A:

A:

Q: What are you favourite things about the Guelph community?

I love the Guelph community. I love living here, it has always felt like home for me. I love the food choices here in Guelph, there’s so much variety. I love the bars, coffee shops, concerts, and comedy nights.

I love living on the river and taking my dog to the different parks we have in our neighborhood. Guelph is a beautiful city.

A:

Q: Tell us one fun fact about yourself?

I love films and I am a huge movie nerd. I have a collection of over 500 movies on DVD and Blu-ray.

LILLY , lovingly referred to by her human as Lilly-Bear or Lil'

PET OF THE K WEE

Breed: Schnoodle, Schnauzer-Poodle cross Human, and photo by: Monica Mehmi Pets Age: 9 Fun Fact: Lilly is a wonderful swimmer, and she loves fetching sticks in the river. If someone lifts her up out of the water while she is swimming, but water is still around her, she will keep moving her little paws as if she is swimming until she is back on land or put back into the water.

When she isn't swimming or playing fetch in nearby parks, Lilly enjoys long naps, eating treats, and chewing on smelly socks.

Breed: Rabbit Human, and photo by: Patrick & Krystabel Pets Age: Unknown, but young at heart Fun Fact: People are often surprised to learn that bunnies are very social creatures and Cinnabun is no different.

Always curious and ready to explore his surroundings, he likes to play and interact with his humans. In fact, Cinnabun is so social you can follow him on Twitter (@CinnabunHop).

PET OF THE WEEK

STELLA Breed: Tabby Cat Human, and photo by: Taylor Pipe Pets Age: 3 Fun Fact: Stella grew up in a research facility before being adopted, and has a tattoo in each ear.

PET OF THE WEEK

CINNABUN

ontarion fall 19 CORRECTED FINAL.pdf

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97 Wyndham St N. 519-265-7094

987 Gordon St. 519-836-2727

20 Clair Road W. 519-265-5979

35 Harvard Rd. 519-823-5197

253 Woodlawn Rd. W. 519-823-2695

@HospitalityUofG