The Ontarion - 190.2

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190.2 | FEBRUARY 2021

P5

February 2021 recognized as Black Heritage Month in Guelph P 8-9

The best films of 2020

P 16-17

Keeping love alive during a global pandemic

THEONTARION.COM

FEB 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS 3.

Hygiene kits for homeless youth

3.

Happy Lunar New Year!

4.

CSA election pivots to online format

5.

February 2021 recognized as

Black Heritage Month in Guelph

6.

ON the Radar

6.

Canadian politicians face criticism after

their ill-advised holiday getaways

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ARTS & CULTURE 7.

Mammy: Unpacking anti-Blackness

in Canadian food advertising history

8 & 9.

The best films of 2020

10.

Canadian National Flag Day

11.

Floriography: The language of flowers

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12 & 13. Women in science at U of G

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14 & 15. Adding unique effects to your pictures

in Photoshop

15.

Happy Galentine’s Day!

18.

How Purim is celebrated in Guelph:

Past and future

LOVE & SEX 16 & 17. Keeping love alive during a

global pandemic

19.

Cozy up with at-home date nights

20.

Colourful dinner ideas for a delicious

Valentine’s Day

21.

Valentine’s Day chocolates at home

22.

Should you watch porn?

22.

Singleness is nothing to mourn

The Ontarion Inc. University Centre Room 264 University of Guelph 50 Stone Road East Guelph ON, Canada N1G 2W1 ontarion@uoguelph.ca

OFFICE STAFF

CONTRIBUTORS

Executive Director Aaron Jacklin

Phone 519-824-4120 Editorial: x 58250 Advertising: x 58267 Accounts: x 53534

Marketing Manager Patrick Sutherland

Rachel Fioret Josh Szweras Anne O’Keefe Carleigh Cathcart Natalie Bieniarz Sarah Krolewski Daisy Stewart Laila El Mugammar Tasha Falconer Alyssa Marks Prabhjot Bains

EDITORIAL STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Business Coordinator Lorrie Taylor

Circulation Director Salvador Moran

SPORTS & HEALTH 23.

Changing the menstruation conversation

24.

The road to Super Bowl LV

OPINION 25.

The pandemic doesn’t care about your

COVID-fatigue

26.

Terror on Capitol Hill

27.

Show some love to your vet care team

FUN STUFF 28.

February To-Do List

29 & 30. Fun Pages

Editor-in-Chief Ellyse McGarr Print Editor Taylor Pace Digital Editor Eleni Kopsaftis Staff Reporters Allan Sloan Taylor Pipe

President Alex Lefebvre Chair of the Board Miguel Mabalay Vice President Finance Anne O’Keefe Vice Preseident Communications Kanza Shams Staff Representative Taylor Pipe

PRODUCTION STAFF Multimedia Content Creator Nicolas Buck Graphic Designer Brubey Hu

DIRECTORS Tasha Falconer Josh Szweras

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.

NEWS

THEONTARION.COM

4 | ONLINE CSA ELECTION

5 | BLACK HERITAGE MONTH

3

6 | CANADIAN POLITICIANS FACE CRITICISM

Happy Lunar New Year!

THE ONTARION

T

he Spring Festival, as it is traditionally called, celebrates the turning of the lunisolar calendar which varies in dates from year to year. Measuring the 15th full moon of the cycle, the Lunar New Year can fall anywhere between Jan. 21 to Feb. 20.

This year’s Lunar New Year falls on Feb. 12, and it is celebrating the Year of the Ox.

U of G student Kartikay Pabbi (far right) and other members of the Hygiene for Homeless (H4H) team pictured at Covenant House Toronto where they delivered hygiene kits for homeless youth.

CREDIT: KARTIKAY PABBI

Like many zodiac signs, what the Ox symbolizes is largely up for interpretation. The Ox is most commonly regarded for its hard work, honesty, and intelligence.

According to chinesenewyear. net, 2021’s Year of the Ox may be turbulent, but one can overcome any hardships they encounter by cultivating their personal relationships and strengthening their morale.

Hygiene kits for homeless youth U of G biomedical student Kartikay Pabbi volunteers in the GTA to provide hygiene kits for young homeless people ELENI KOPSAFTIS

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s fall semester classes at U of G came to a close, biomedical student Kartikay Pabbi geared up to spend his winter break in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) handing out hygiene kits to homeless youth.

Now in his second year of university, in pursuit of becoming a doctor and entrepreneur, Pabbi uses his time outside classes to contribute toward Hygiene for the Homeless (H4H), a national non-profit organization dedicated to “giving the homeless people of our communities reassurance that it is not too late,” according to their website.

The organization was created in Vancouver in 2016, and Pabbi was recruited for the Toronto branch as a founding member and director of communications and outreach. The H4H team has been handing out hygiene kits to homeless youth centres through donation drives since April 2020.

Each kit includes one toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, deodorant, body wash, razors, one reusable face mask, and hand sanitizer. The kits designed specifically for girls and women also contain feminine products.

“The homeless are often forgotten in our society,” said Pabbi in a U of G news release. “To be able to do this amidst a global pandemic and impact hundreds of lives, to see their reactions and what it meant for them to receive just a simple kit, we were truly taken aback and humbled. It was a really gratifying feeling and very moving.”

In the Toronto branch’s August drive, President Sameer Madan and Director of Operations Jeffrey Blake assembled 50 kits by themselves due to COVID-19 restrictions.

For the December drive, Pabbi told The Ontarion that H4H outsourced the kits which “took more resources” but otherwise “saved time and ensured safety,” allowing 300 kits to be distributed.

The success of this drive has inspired the H4H team to “be more ambitious.”

Pabbi states that the Toronto branch is already planning to deliver more kits in the spring.

The team also wants to continue working with organizations like Youth Without Shelter and Covenant House Toronto, but are also hoping to expand their outreach

and work with new organizations.

There are no current plans to extend the service to Guelph, although Pabbi is optimistic that he can expand H4H’s impact to the region.

“Being in this pre-med journey, every minute is very precious but I chose to get highly involved in H4H because I am passionate about helping the less fortunate and making a positive difference in the community,” Pabbi told The Ontarion.

“This role is dedicated to service, as is a career in the medical field, and I am proud to be a part of this student-led initiative.

By being involved in H4H, not only am I helping face the major issue of homelessness, but from a health and social standpoint, I am helping spread good hygiene in the community — a basic necessity that we should all have.”

Visit their website at hygiene4homeless.ca for more information on Hygiene for the Homeless or to get involved with their cause.

This year’s Lunar New Year falls on Feb. 12, and it is celebrating the Year of the Ox. CREDIT: UNSPLASH

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LOVE & SEX ISSUE | JA N . 28, 202 1

THE ONTARION

CSA election pivots to online format The new virtual format makes getting approved as a candidate easier, but creates campaigning barriers TAYLOR PIPE

T

he pandemic has put many things on hold for the foreseeable future, but the CSA election is not one of them.

The election, which usually consists of halls filled with campaign posters and campaigners visiting lecture halls, will be moving completely online for the winter semester.

In an email to The Ontarion, current CSA President Tyler Poirer outlined some of the ways in which the election will be changing.

Typically, prospective candidates for executive positions would collect 100 signatures from undergraduate students and present them in addition to any visual campaign materials.

The general election has all executive and director positions available. On Jan. 25, nominations were announced and campaigning takes place from Feb. 1 to Feb 11 with a voting period taking place Feb. 8 to Feb. 11.

“We would hold our Executive Forum in the University Centre where students could bring questions forward to candidates running in the election,” Poirer said.

“The most hectic week was voting week. All candidates were running to classes between their own, while the CSA’s social media and all staff were at full tilt promoting it in order to reach the coveted quorum for votes.”

This year, the number of signatures needed has been reduced to 50 due to accessibility issues and potential for barriers during campaigning.

“We feel this strikes a balance between accountability of potential candidates and electoral fairness in procedure,” said Poirer.

Due to lack of students on campus, there will be no on-campus promotion this year. All campaigning will be done virtually through various meetings, class-talks and forums. The CSA is also ramping up its social media presence during the election to amplify candidates’ voices.

“We switched to an online election back in September, when VP Academic Sean Mitchell was elected, and we learned a lot,” said Poirer. “We have a great set of election’s staff ready for the W21 General Election, and we’re excited for University of Guelph student leaders to step forward during the election.”

Candidates have to get all promotional materials approved by the CSA, but are allowed to conduct their own outreach with students by working with professors and arranging times for class-talks. Students can also post to their own social media after posts have been approved by the CSA.

“There might be some individuals who are really adept with social media, and may enjoy using it a lot,” said Poirer. “We’ve also loosened some of the restrictions on the use of it because in the past some of our rules and policies were a little bit restrictive… This allows people to get a little more interaction online.”

It’s not just the election that’s shifted to online formats.

While The Bullring and Guelph Student FoodBank are the only programs operating on campus, the CSA clubs staff, and Student Help and Advocacy Centre have shifted to a virtual format.

The CSA had also been streaming performances on Twitch this past fall, but due to new restrictions the association is working creatively to still provide entertainment to students.

“So much has changed, but the work doesn’t stop. Things take longer in a virtual space, and we’re working through the semester the best we can,” Poirer said.

Poirer reflected on his time as President of the CSA and said “it’s an awesome opportunity for so many reasons.”

“I can’t explain how amazing the experience has been specifically as an executive,” he said. “Regardless of what degree you are in, these positions will offer you something that I’ve never experienced.

It’s going to be useful, no matter where you go.”

We have a great set of election’s staff ready for the W21 General Election, and we’re excited for University of Guelph student leaders to step forward during the election.

— Tyler Poirer, CSA President

I can’t explain how amazing the experience has been specifically as an executive, regardless of what degree you are in, these positions will offer you something that I’ve never experienced. It’s going to be useful, no matter where you go.

— Tyler Poirer, CSA President

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ISSUE 190. 2 | NEWS

THEONTARION.COM

5

February 2021 recognized as Black Heritage Month in Guelph Wanting to distance negative connotations and celebrate past and present achievements, local organizations are swapping ‘History’ for ‘Heritage’ TAYLOR PACE

L

ocal groups are recognizing this February as Black Heritage Month in an effort to celebrate both past and present accomplishments within the Black community.

Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) President Denise Francis first brought the idea forward, and the group is working in collaboration with the U of G’s Cultural Diversity Office and the Guelph Black Students Association.

In a press release, the GBHS noted that “celebrating the past has always been the focal point of Black History Month,” and that celebrating heritage allows them to look beyond just history and towards a bright future.

“While we will continue to acknowledge the resilience and bravery of those who came before us, we must recognize that Black history and experiences are much more than the narrative of slavery,” they said in the release.

In an interview with The Ontarion, Francis said that the slavery narrative is often the main focus of Black history, especially when learning about it in school.

By recognizing February as Black Heritage Month, “we’re honouring the past, we’re celebrating today, and we’re looking towards the future,” she said.

“Without losing sight of Black history, we hope this year to focus February programming and conversations on the experiences and contributions of Black Canadians today and beyond,” the office said in an email.

“The significance of recognizing Black heritage is that it allows us to reframe this year’s conversation and direct attention to how the Black Canadian experience today is shaped by each individual’s heritage, our collective history, and our ongoing efforts toward racial justice.”

Francis said this year felt like the right time to make the change since — along with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement — 2020 was a year full of change.

“As an organization we had struggled with the whole concept of Black History Month for many years, and just felt that now is the time for us to change the narrative so that we can control how our stories are being told,” Francis said.

The initiative has been received positively by local politicians, like MP Lloyd Longfield.

“In Guelph, Black Heritage Month celebrates not only the history of the underground railroad and settlement of Black people in Guelph, but also the present and future contributions including removing systemic racism and building a more equitable society,” Longfield said.

U of G Professor Jade Ferguson, who was involved in The Black Past in Guelph, a “university-community research collaboration,” as described on its website, said that the change to “heritage” marks an important moment in recognizing Black Canadian con tributions and achievements.

“The recognition of Black — Jade Ferguson, History was — and still is — imU of G Professor portant to contest the notion that The Cultural Diversity Of- Black people in Canada have been fice within the Department of a recent (20th century) phenomStudent Experience at U of G told enon, but, in fact, Black people The Ontarion that the change was have been in what was to become “with the intention of shifting the Canada for over 400 years,” Ferconcentration of this year’s pro- guson said. gramming towards contemporary “Black history has in some experiences of anti-Black racism.” ways been about contesting the

Black history has in some ways been about contesting the erasure of this historical presence in Canada.

erasure of this historical presence in Canada.”

Ferguson said that an examination of Black Canadian history “provides countless stories of individual and collective resilience, determination, resourcefulness, and dedication to make Canada be its best self.”

“These stories are the heritage of Black Canadians in the present moment fighting for justice, healing, and freedom for future generations of Black people in Canada and across the globe,” she said.

President of the Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) Denise Francis believes 2020 was a year full of change, especially with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

CREDIT: UNSPLASH

brought to Canada by sleeping car porters, of whom the majority were Black men who often travelled to and from the U.S.

The first known celebration event in Canada was in 1950 and organized by Stanley G. Grizzle, president of the Toronto CPR division of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters — a union THE HISTORY BEHIND eventually created for Black emTHE MONTH ployees after they were prevented

For over 25 years, February from joining the Canadian Brothhas been referred to as Black erhood of Railway Employees, the History Month in Canada, follow- most powerful railway union at ing a motion introduced by the the time.

Honourable Jean Augustine — Kay Livingstone was one of the first Black Canadian woman three speakers at the event, and elected to Parliament. later established the Canadian

Black History Month was Negro Women’s Association — first conceived as Negro Histo- now the Congress of Black Womry Week in the U.S. by African en of Canada — which continued American historian Carter G. organizing Black History Week Woodson in 1926. events for years to come.

In 1978, the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) was established, and the founders petitioned Toronto to formally declare February as Black History Month.

The city agreed, and the following year marked the first-ever Canadian proclamation of Black History Month.

By 1993, the OBHS petitioned Ontario to do the same.

They introduced the idea to MP and Parliamentary Secretary Jean Augustine, who “enthusiastically supported the idea.”

In December of 1995, the According to The Canadian motion was unanimously passed Encyclopedia, by the 1970s Black in the House of Commons, and History Week was celebrated in February 1996 became the first cities across the U.S. at the mu- national declaration of Black Hisnicipal level, until 1976 when tory Month in Canada.

President Gerald Ford declared Senator Donald Oliver, the February to be national Black first Black man appointed to the History Month. The Canadian Senate, introduced a motion to Encyclopedia offers an overview have February officially recognized of the origins of Black History as Black History Month by the Month in Canada, beginning with Senate. The motion was adopted its roots in railway union activity. the following month, which com It is believed that the concept pleted Canada’s parliamentary poof Black History Week was first sition on Black History Month in

Canada, according to the Government of Canada website.

CELEBRATING BLACK HERITAGE AND ACTING AS AN ALLY Francis said one of the best things to do is give local Black organizations your support.

“Come out to our events, learn more about our community, and don’t be afraid to ask questions because that’s why we’re here,” she said.

Icons by Iconfinder

Further resources on allyship and anti-Black racism can be found on the Cultural Diversity Office website, with links to Black scholars, activists, and leaders in the community: uoguelph.ca/studentexperience/allyship To celebrate Black Heritage Month this February, look to your local organizations to see what kinds of events they are holding.

The GBHS, Cultural Diversity Office, and GBSA have collaboratively developed a month full of programming, from a Keynote speech by MPP Dr. Laura Mae Lindo to a cooking class.

A list of Black Heritage Month events can be found here: uoguelph.ca/studentexperience/black-heritage-month-2021 For their #ChangeStartsNow Top 100 list: guelphblackheritage.ca/ changestartsnow/

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LOVE & SEX ISSUE | JA N . 28, 202 1

@ T H E O N TA R I O N THE U.S. SAYS GOODBYE TO TRUMP; BIDEN WASTES NO TIME GETTING TO WORK On Jan. 20 the world watched as the U.S. said goodbye to it’s 45th president, Donald Trump, and welcomed Joe Biden as its 46th, along with Kamala Harris as vice-president.

Trump did not attend the inauguration ceremony, making him the first president to skip the swearing in of his successor in a century and half.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and potential threat of violence from Trump supporters, flags took the place of audience members, and 25,000 National Guard members stood by on security watch.

Biden and Harris, the first female, Black, and South Asian vice-president, were sworn in at noon.

The new president wasted no time in getting to work, signing 15 executive orders just hours after being sworn in.

The orders included a mask

ON THE RADAR mandate, halting the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization, re-entering the Paris accord, and revoking the presidential permit granted to the Keystone XL oil pipeline. He also halted the building of the border wall and ended a travel ban on some majority-Muslim countries, according to CTV News.

PRESIDENT TRUMP IMPEACHED FOR A SECOND TIME FOLLOWING CAPITOL HILL VIOLENCE

On Jan. 13 former president Donald Trump was impeached for a second time making him the first President of the United States to face two impeachments.

According to CNN, The House voted 232 to 197 to impeach Trump, charging him with “incitement of insurrection” following the riots at the U.S. Capitol.

The charge refers to the Capitol Hill insurrections on Jan. 6 in which pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol as congress

Canadian politicians face criticism after their ill-advised holiday getaways Government officials travel abroad despite federally mandated travel advisories ALYSSA MARKS

W

hile at the height of Canada’s second wave of the global pandemic, a number of Canadian politicians and lawmakers, across all parties, have admitted to international travel over the winter holidays. Government officials have claimed to have travelled abroad to visit sick or dying family members and attend memorial services, while others opted to enjoy sunny tropical vacations, according to Politico.

THE ONTARION

Canada is experiencing a deadly second wave with thousands of positive cases and deaths throughout the country. Restrictions have been implemented to indoor gatherings and places of business, along with a province-wide lockdown in Ontario.

Travel advisories have also been mandated by the federal government in light of a drastic increase in COVID-19 cases. They have stated that for travellers departing Canada, “Canadian citi-

FORD ANNOUNCES SECOND STATE OF EMERGENCY; ISSUES STAY-AT-HOME ORDER

voted to determine the legitimacy of the U.S. presidential election.

According to the Washington Post, the rioters had been encouraged by Trump on social media.

Five people died, House members were evacuated, and the National Guard was called in.

Congress reconvened later that night once rioters were mostly cleared from the grounds, and House members affirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.

Following tweets that violated Twitter’s policy against “glorification of violence,” the now former president’s account was suspended indefinitely on Jan. 8.

After his second impeachment, Trump released a video calling for calm, yet did not mention the impeachment. He condemned the violence and vandalism that occurred during the Capitol Hill riots.

Over 200 participants involved in the attack on Capitol Hill are currently under investigation by the FBI.

According to CNN, Trump’s second Senate impeachment trial is scheduled to begin on Feb. 9.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that as of Jan. 14 at 12:01 a.m. a province wide stay-at-home order would be put in effect.

The order restricts movement to essential needs like grocery shopping, health-care, exercise or essential work. The government has stated that businesses must ensure any employee who can work from home do so.

The new limitations and state of emergency order are in place for 28 days, effectively extending the lockdown period until at least Feb. 11, 2021.

The Ontario government has stated the following restriction measures: • Outdoor organized public gatherings and social gatherings are further restricted to a limit of five people with limited exceptions.

• Individuals are required to wear a mask or face covering in the indoor areas of busi-

zens and permanent residents are advised to avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice to limit the spread of COVID-19.”

Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips was the first of many Canadian politicians to resign.

CTV Toronto reported that after his two week Carribean vacation in St. Barts, Phillips admitted to a “significant error in judgement” and resigned from his position of finance minister. Premier Doug Ford received criticism for failing to take action and respond appropriately and in a timely fashion to Phillips’ trip.

CBC News reported that Alberta Premier Jason Kenney also received criticism for failing to penalize members of his party and his top officials for travelling internationally despite travel restrictions. Many of his top aides vacationed to Hawaii, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

Kenney stated that his government’s decision to protect the health and safety of Canadians during the pandemic included the travel sector. He later took responsibility for not explicitly stating to his aides that trips abroad are prohibited. Amidst the criticism, many of Kenney’s top aides resigned.

Prime Minister Trudeau stat-

ed that he was disappointed by the actions of Canadian officials who travelled abroad during the winter holidays.

“Canadians were so disappointed to see so many examples of folks who should have known better doing things that put us all at risk,” Trudeau said during a Jan. 5 news conference.

Canadians have voiced their outrage at the double standard the vacation-bound politicians have set. Christine Straehle, a professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa, told the New York Times that “their trips also disrespected Canada’s vaunted socialized healthcare system, by potentially bringing back a virus and overloading that system.”

Many Canadians have voiced this point of criticism on social media, arguing that the Canadian healthcare system is a national point of pride, and the officials who vacationed during the pandemic jeopardized the function of protecting Canadians who rely on the healthcare system.

Canadians have utilized Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to communicate their disappointment in the politicians.

One Twitter user wrote, “it is amazing to me that 37 million Canadians understood what ‘no non-essential travel’ meant. EX-

#ONTHE R ADAR nesses or organizations that are open. Wearing a mask or face covering is now recommended outdoors when you can’t physically distance more than two metres.

• All non-essential retail stores, including hardware stores, alcohol retailers, and those offering curbside pickup or delivery, must open no earlier than 7 a.m. and close no later than 8 p.m. The restricted hours of operation do not apply to stores that primarily sell food, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, and restaurants for takeout or delivery.

• Non-essential construction is further restricted, including below-grade construction, exempting survey.

Ontarians caught violating the stay-at-home order could face a fine and prosecution under the Reopening Ontario Act and the Emergency Management and Civil Emergency Management (EMPCA).

CREDIT: UNSPLASH

CEPT...get this...the politicians who made the recommendations.”

Another user wrote, “Canadians dealing with dying, ailing and lonely seniors [and] family members [and] living the heartbreaking situation of not being able to comfort them in person. . . . It’s not essential travel just because you’re a politician. PERIOD. It’s full-on entitlement & hypocrisy.”

In many of the cases, the politicians have resigned from their post or provided a formal apology. The political consequences are ongoing, with more officials being exposed for ill-advised travel, and an overall conviction of cynicism.

According to the New York Times, Mark Holland, the whip of the federal Liberal Party, said, “If we don’t take those measures exceptionally seriously, I don’t see how we can ask others to.”

ARTS & CULTURE 12 & 13 | WOMEN IN STEM

14 & 15 | PHOTOSHOP EFFECTS

18 | PURIM

 SELECTIONS FROM ARCHIVAL AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Mammy: Unpacking anti-Blackness in Canadian food advertising history A spotlight on the history of the ‘mammy’ caricature as she appears in a Canadian advertising cookbook LAILA EL MUGAMMAR

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lack Heritage Month is an opportune time to spotlight archival material that contains evidence of a long history of anti-Blackness. Specifically, Canadian advertising cookbooks in the early 20th century offer unique insight into the role Blackness played in Canada’s imagined, or socially constructed, community.

Advertisements featuring caricatures of Black people provide a timely reminder that hate is not the sole signifier of anti-Blackness. Sometimes it’s masked as endearment, as with the Crisco-wielding mammies of the Dear Old South whose lives were characterized by feeding white mouths. Other times, it is pity for the ‘starving African children’ that voluntourism (a form of tourism in which travelers participate in volunteer work, typically for a charity, according to World Vision) weaves into a mosaic of flies and distended bellies.

The Black presence is a chalk outline on the tarmac of Canadian food history. We need only a keen eye to spot it.

The Bliss Cook Book was published by Montreal-based Alonzo O. Bliss Medical Company in the early 20th century. The chapter “Old Fashioned Southern Preserves’’ is punctuated by the smiling face of a mammy, a Black nursemaid or nanny working and serving in a white household. She is canning jam in a checkered dress, and her scarf and head wrap mirror the garb in early renditions of Aunt Jemima, who Quaker Oats is now retiring as the figurehead of their pancake products.

This image of a mammy romanticizes the roles enslaved Black women held. However, because the mammy was a cultural import from the United States, Canadians could participate in the perpetuation of this caricature without having to take accountability for it and thus maintain the illusion of a racism-free country. It was inherently anti-Black stereotypes such as the mam-

my that connected Canadians to the imagined community of Antebellum America.

The mammy is not a misremembering of the past: she is a fabrication designed to placate white folk who were anxious about the new roles of the formerly enslaved. Worries about equal rights and miscegenation (reproduction between people of different races) disappeared when they reminisced about a Black figure who asked nothing of them.

Black manumission (slaves being freed by their owners) and Black social mobility devastated Canada and America alike, leading some to seek reassurance that Black folk enjoyed back-breaking domestic labour. Historian Micki McElya challenges this falsehood with an anecdote in Clinging to Mammy: The Faithful Slave in Twentieth Century America (2007):

A woman identified only as “A Negro Nurse” described to a journalist oppressively long days and terrible wages as a live-in servant in an unnamed Southern city in 1912. She was allowed only one Sunday afternoon every two weeks with her children, who in turn were prohibited from visiting her at the home she worked and lived in. Except for those afternoons, she was on duty twenty-four hours a day. “It’s ‘Mammy, do this,’ or ‘Mammy, do that,’ or ‘Mammy, do the other,’ from my mistress all the time. So it is not strange to see ‘Mammy’ water-ing the lawn in front with the garden hose, sweeping the sidewalk, mopping the porch and halls, dusting around the house, helping the cook, or darning stockings … You might as well say that I’m on duty all the time—from sunrise to sunrise, every day in the week.

I am the slave, body and soul, of this family.

Black writers are under immense pressure to avoid discussing race issues that are perceived as unfixable, making historical anti-Blackness an unpopular topic; but we cannot erase the mam-

Old Fashioned Southern Preserves. Bliss Cook Book - Livre De Cuisine De Bliss (Alonzo O. Bliss Medical Co., circa 1910), A&SC, University of Guelph Library, TX715.6 ZZ921.

my from Canada’s past — nor should we want to.

Going forward, we must give credence to those whose work disrupts the idea of Canada as a racism-free space, not just those who construct Canada as a safe haven.

7

All of the texts mentioned here are available for viewing on the “What Canada Ate” website: whatcanadaate.lib.uoguelph.ca/, a digital repository of historic cookbooks from Archival & Special Collections’ Culinary Collection.

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LOVE & SEX ISSUE | JA N . 28, 202 1

THE ONTARION

As a self-proclaimed cinephile, Prabhjot Bains believes that while 2020 shattered our foundations of normalcy, it also gave us films that provided us solace from hardship.

CREDIT: UNSPLASH

The best films of 2020 From life-affirming to heartbreaking, here are the greatest cinematic experiences of this past year PRABHJOT BAINS

U

nprecedented, unrivaled, and troubling: a few words that have been exhausted in our attempt to describe what this year meant to us and what it will go down as in our collective history.

While these last twelve months effectively shattered our foundations of normalcy and comfort, they also gave us films that provided us solace from the cold and exacting world, albeit in a new way. These experiences reached us in the comfort of our beds and couches as the silver screen remained shuttered for the better part of the year. While this remains to be the case, theatres, and their explosive IMAX screens, will soon be back with full force — as the moments of joy, introspection, and empathy they afford us are much too valuable to be erased from our cultural framework.

So, here’s to a more uplifting

2021, where the crunch of popcorn will complement the gasps and laughter we share with each other in our return to collective cinematic experiences.

Before diving in, here are five honourable mentions that didn’t make the list, but are still worthy of your time: First Cow: Kelly Reichardt’s slow, lyrical, and contemplative depiction of an unlikely friendship in the 1820s pacific northwest, in which two vagabonds secretly rely on the use of milk from a landowner’s esteemed dairy cow.

It won’t be for everyone, but it will make you swoon with emotion just the same.

Mank: David Fincher’s first movie in six years is a flawed but masterful look at how the supposed ‘greatest movie of all time,’ Citizen Kane, was conceived through the experiences of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, in opposition to its famed director Orson

Welles, in Hollywood during the 1930s and early 40s.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow: Jim Cummings’ sophomore effort blends relatable family drama with the traditional monster flick, resulting in a mesmerizing feature that shouldn’t work, but does, due to its extreme violence, emotion, and humour.

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets: A pseudo-documentary that details the closing night of a community bar, showcasing the poetry inherent in ‘bar talk’ and the melancholy that is laced within every sip of hard liquor.

Possessor: A cerebral foray into body-horror that pushes the limit of gore in a sci-fi tale that views self-identity as a catalyst for a war that wages in our minds. It raises the question of if we truly are the masters of our own invention or if we’re always controlled by someone who sees the “bigger picture.”

Without further ado, here

are the ten best films that 2020 had to offer:

10. PALM SPRINGS Time-loop movies have been pretty much exhausted at this point, with movies like Groundhog Day (1993), Source Code (2011), and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). But Palm Springs revitalizes this sub-genre by injecting it with sharp humour and wit that refreshingly comments on the reciprocal and ever-changing nature of relationships, romantic or otherwise.

Taking place during a wedding that is doomed to repeat itself, Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) slowly resign themselves to their fate as a time-loop presents them with the opportunity to experience a life that is devoid of consequence. As more experiences are shared between them, romance inevitably develops between the two.

The worst American come-

dies too frequently showcase established comedic actors talking with each other in blandly shot scenes, but Palm Springs tosses these conventions out the window by utilizing ingenious editing and an inventive lens that allows this outrageous scenario to feel wholly relatable and memorable, resulting in one of the best comedies of our generation.

9. RED, WHITE AND BLUE Steve McQueen’s Small-Axe, an anthology of five films centered around the West-Indian community of England, sparked questions amongst large film publications, cinephiles, and awards shows of what a movie truly is after the anthology was labelled a TV-series. The third film of the series, Red, White, and Blue touched me and, in my opinion, sparked the most reflection.

The film focuses on Leroy Logan (John Boyega), an educat-

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ed child of Jamaican immigrants who longs for real change in his crime-ridden and neglected community in the early 1980s. Against the wishes of his strict father, he joins the police force, becoming the first Black police officer in his neighbourhood.

What results is a profoundly nuanced commentary on police reform and finding a sense of place that offers no easy answers.

McQueen’s contemplative direction and framing allows the audience to take in the world just as our protagonist does — putting us in his shoes, feeling every uproarious and devastating moment as Logan tries to find his way in the world as a man who doesn’t quite fit in the community he came from, nor the new one he’s trying to foster.

8. PIECES OF A WOMAN

Kornél Mundruczó’s harrowing Pieces of a Woman contains one of the greatest opening scenes in film history. A meticulous 23-minute shot detailing a home birth is one that will not leave the recesses of your mind for quite some time, as it simultaneously showcases the profoundness of birth and the fragile line on which relationships walk. This masterful framing and mise-enscène continues throughout the film, fully realizing its thematic and emotional ambitions in a way that is wholly resonant.

What cements this film as one of the year’s best is Vanessa Kirby’s vibrant and realistic performance as a woman who is dealing with profound loss while deciding to start a family or keep the one she already has. Yet, this bravura performance is supported by ones that are just as great, as Shia LaBeouf plays Kirby’s flawed partner and Ellen Burstyn plays her mother who doesn’t see eyeto-eye with her family’s decisions.

While the second half of the film is not as strong as the first, it is still an emotional journey worth taking and will leave you longing for more love in your life.

7. BACURAU

A Brazilian acid-western following a small rural community that is plagued by strange occurrences and deranged tourists that are trying to kill them after the town matriarch dies of old age.

Sounds heavy, I know.

On the surface, the film unfolds as a thriller paying homage to John Carpenter’s films of the 80s; underneath, it’s a bold commentary on the resilience of small communities in the face of larger, oppressive forces that seek to destroy their unity.

The film faced a lot of backlash from Brazil’s authoritative government, and rightly so, as it condemns their policies and actions in ways that are best served

via film. It has impressive direction, intoxicating cinematography, and most of all, a kickass soundtrack. Don’t let the subtitles serve as a barrier, but as a lifejacket which allows you to joyfully drift in this film’s gleeful madness.

of them is — and how selfish the other is — ­ the friendship conveyed here is one that meaningfully comments on the greatest relationships that define us and how much sway they hold over our lives.

6. MINARI

3. I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS

The immigrant experience is captured with a unique authenticity and humility in Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari, where a Korean family moves to an Arkansas farm during the 1980s in search of the widely sought after “American Dream.”

This film could have easily fallen into the trap of being too schmaltzy, but the film instead presents us with tender vignettes that convey the complex domestic turmoil that every family has faced at one point or another.

Families fail and succeed together, but above all else, they are resilient. Chung’s film nails the portrayal of this reality through impressive writing, sturdy acting, and an empathetic lens that glides us along the trials and tribulations this family faces. Minari is Korean for water celery, a plant whose roots are spread wide and deep, emulating what this family seeks to do in this foreign land.

5. THE NEST

After three viewings, I still don’t truly know what this film is about. But, with the sheer quality of acting, directing, and writing on display, who cares?

Charlie Kauffman takes us through the annals of fading romance, the pain families inflict, and the gargantuan effect remorse has on our psyche as we age, all within a drive to and from a single Thanksgiving dinner.

The surreal imagery within a supposed mundane dinner creates an unsettling feeling for the audience, forcing us to realize that something more profound lies beneath the surface, as is the case with all the experiences that shape our lives: never has frustration felt this good.

2. ANOTHER ROUND

The second foreign film to grace this list, Thomas Vinterberg’s take on drinking culture in Denmark and throughout the

Western world leaves the audience with a whirlwind of emotion in which we experience intoxicating highs and devastating lows.

It follows four friends who decide to test a theory where keeping a consistent blood-alcohol level of 0.5 per cent will allow them to lead more fulfilling lives. While it begins joyously, it slowly descends into a meaningful observation of what role alcohol plays in our daily lives and the level of significance it has on us when we reach the ever-looming mid-life crisis.

The mesmerising and subdued performance by Mads Mikkelsen creates powerful emotion in the subtlest of movements, while Vinterberg’s assured direction keeps us on our toes and constantly asking whether our protagonists are doing the right thing. Vinterberg’s conclusion points to the idea that alcohol isn’t the problem, but rather, the type of person drinking it. Featuring the best ending this year, Another Round will leave you in awe, enriched with an uplifting view on the numerous directions your life could possibly take.

with your sense of self that you can’t live without it? How do you move past such a profound loss?

Darius Marder’s The Sound of Metal attempts to answer this question, and it does so with tact, compassion, and a sense of humanity. Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed), a recovering addict and metal drummer who uses his passion for music to move past his substance abuse issues, is thrown into existential turmoil when he begins losing his hearing.

With insights into the heartbreaking realization of going deaf, Marder taps into the resiliency that is inherent in humanity.

These harrowing themes of loss, regret, and change transcend into greatness through this year’s greatest performance by Ahmed, who’s expressive eyes and languished face force us to understand the gravity of the loss Ruben is experiencing.

The Sound of Metal is the best film of 2020, not just because it comments on these complex themes in a refreshing way, but because it allows us to understand how we can eventually heal from living through brutal times.

1. THE SOUND OF METAL

What happens when you lose something so deeply intertwined

Another family drama set in the 1980s, but not quite as tender.

Sean Durkin’s The Nest follows an unravelling relationship between Rory and Allison (Jude Law and Carrie Coon) where both parties, and their children, are too invested in their own lives to see the warning signs of familial conflict.

Everything is going swell until Rory seizes a business opportunity that would require the family to relocate to England. Once this move happens, the fragile foundations of their nuclear family begin to crumble.

Rory makes luxurious purchases, like buying a mansion, to showcase his status of wealth — except, it’s a sham, he’s not rich and this realization and its gradual effect on the family is expertly conveyed through Durkin’s restrained and subtle direction.

4. THE CLIMB

The Climb is the rare independent film that uses budgetary constraints to its benefit, in which a complex friendship between two men is showcased with technical mastery that rivals the most expensive of Hollywood movies.

The evolving and troubling story is broken into seven distinct chapters that are all filmed in long, impressive takes. They force the audience to focus on the details of every laugh, cry, and act of infidelity permeating the key moments that define the two characters’ friendship.

No matter how selfless one

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From Red, White and Blue to I’m Thinking of Ending Things, 2020 proved to be a reflective and emotional year in cinema.

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THE ONTARION

Canadian National Flag Day Learn about how our country’s flag was designed and ways to celebrate it on Feb. 15 RACHEL FIORET

PHOTO CREDIT: UNSPLASH

What is National Flag Day?

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he National Flag of Canada represents the country on behalf of military services, political actions, and citizen patriotism. Although it possesses significance to the nation, the present day flag is a fairly new addition to our country as it was created years after Canada joined confederation. The development of our nation’s flag was a long process and it underwent many design variations. Fifty-six years later we celebrate George Stanley’s creation on Feb. 15.

Timeline of the National Flag According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the original historic flags used in Canada were the flags from European countries which the settlers brought with them when they arrived on the land. The Government of Canada created a timeline of the development of the flag, which is referenced below: In 1871, the Canadian Red Ensign, a combination of the Union Jack and the shield of Canada, became the unofficial flag of Canada.

By 1892 the Canadian Red Ensign was the official flag on Canadian ships, though it remained an unofficial flag on land.

The United Kingdom’s Royal Union Flag was used by Canada for decades after joining confederation. Over time there were modifications to the flag as new provinces joined the country, and they created unique variations of the flag including wreaths and beavers.

Greater change began when King George V granted Canada a coat of arms in 1921. He also officialized white and red as the national colours of the country.

By 1925, the idea of creating a unique national flag was discussed, however it was quickly postponed.

The idea occurred again in 1946, however it was cancelled by Prime Minister Mackenzie King.

It was not until 1964 that there was active change, and a new flag was implemented before 1965.

The idea to develop a new flag was resparked as a result of the societal changes that occurred during the 1950-60s. The design of the flag was a detailed brainstorming process resulting in an abundance of proposals, many of

which included the maple leaf symbol. The government of Canada even allowed citizens to submit their ideas. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the committee involved voted on the design created by George Stanley.

It was later certified by Queen Elizabeth II in a proclamation on Jan. 28, 1965 and is the present flag that represents Canada.

Feb. 15, 1996 was declared the first official National Flag Day of Canada to celebrate the first raising of the flag.

Symbolism in the National Flag The design of the Canadian flag contains symbolism representative of the country in both the colours and the maple leaf. It represents the foundation of Canada as well as what it stands for.

The colours red and white Red and white had been established as the national colours of Canada years before the flag was designed. According to the Government of Canada, the significance of the colours began during the First Crusade in the 11th

century, though it was not until later Crusades that individual groups were distinguished by the colours on their crosses. France was represented by red and England was represented by white, which is why Canada is associated with both colours.

The Government of Canada also said that the Société SaintJean-Baptiste officialized the maple leaf as their symbol in 1834.

From 1876-1901, the maple leaf was implemented on all Canadian coins and became a distinguishing characteristic. The maple leaf was also used in WWI and WWII on the Canadian troops’ equipment, and grew to symbolize pride, courage, and loyalty.

Celebrate the National Flag Icons by Iconfinder

The 11 point maple leaf The maple leaf is a distinct symbol of Canada dating back to before the country was an official nation. According to the Government of Canada, Indigenous groups in Canada had discovered the benefit of maple trees and had been harvesting the maple sap in the early spring which they later turned into maple syrup. From the 1800s to the present, there is evidence that Canadians have emphasized the maple leaf as an important symbol.

To celebrate National Flag Day, participate in the photo challenge. Take a picture with a Canadian flag and post it with the hashtag #CanadianFlag.

The Government of Canada has developed unofficial etiquette established through practice in regards to use of the Canadian flag, all pertaining to treating it with respect. Do not cover the flag with objects, add writing to it, or modify its colouring or the size of its elements.

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HOUSEPLANT CORNER

Floriography: The language of flowers From symbolizing love to misfortune, flowers hold meaning beyond just looking pretty DAISY STEWART

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here are few people who will turn up their nose at a bouquet of flowers. It’s the sort of gift that works for all occasions and situations. Is your friend graduating? Flowers. Grandma’s birthday? Flowers. Need to apologize for breaking your roommate’s favourite cup? Flowers.

You may have noticed that different flowers seem to speak to different occasions. Maybe you wouldn’t buy your BFF a dozen long-stem roses for their graduation, but you’d give them to a lover on their birthday. A striking bouquet of bright orange flowers accented by Birds of Paradise might not scream ‘Merry Christmas,’ but a festive basket of poinsettias brings a warm holiday welcome.

In fact, there is even a ‘language’ of flowers called floriography. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, read on to learn about flower symbolism that may help you find the perfect bouquet for your loved one.

ROSES Let’s start with a classic — roses! Roses symbolize love and passion, but pay attention to the colour you choose. Classic red is a safe bet to tell your valentine that you’re crazy about them. That’s why the red rose is a staple in V-day symbolism and continues to reign supreme. If you’re looking to tell your partner that you’re all in — buy orange roses to show your enthusiastic desire, and purple to tell them it was love at first sight. Don’t want to come on too strong? A white rose means innocence and humility.

Get a pal yellow roses for friendship and joy, or pink roses to tell them you admire them and appreciate the things they do for you.

TULIPS Tulips are more romantic than you might think. Yellow tulips mean cheerful thoughts,

purple means royalty, and white means forgiveness. Like roses, red tulips carry strong feelings of love.

In fact, red tulips symbolize perfect love. A Turkish legend may be the origin for this symbolism.

In the legend, Prince Farhad, devastated by the news that his lover Shirin has passed away, rode his horse off a cliff and fell to his death. It was said that red tulips grew from each drop of his blood.

ORCHIDS Looking for a spicier sentiment? Orchids symbolize sexuality, fertility, love, beauty, and strength. Orchids are a great gift for a person who has trouble saying goodbye to cut flowers. They make fantastic houseplants and they’re widely available.

That being said, I would recommend purchasing an orchid for your valentine at a nursery as opposed to a flower shop or grocery store. Many commercially available orchids are packaged in floral foam, which ends up killing your beautiful gift. Take a look to make sure the orchid is packaged in bark or moss, and you’ll be off to the races. Oh and one more thing — NEVER WATER AN ORCHID WITH ICE CUBES!

CARNATIONS Carnations have a lot to say for themselves. Back in the day, giving a potential lover a striped carnation meant “thanks, but no thanks,” while a solid one was an enthusiastic “yes.” Red carnations were given to say “my heart aches for you,” while pink ones told the recipient they were unforgettable.

Stay away from the yellow ones, though: giving someone a yellow carnation is a rejection or a way to say “you disappoint me.”

LILIES Lilies are common in Valentine’s Day bouquets, carrying

Different flowers hold different meanings. Consider the message you want to send your loved one before scooping up your next bouquet.

CREDIT: UNSPLASH

messages of beauty (calla), purity (white lilies), and joy (yellow lilies). Look out for the orange ones! Tiger lilies are a symbol of wealth and pride, but orange lilies convey hatred.

SNAPDRAGON The stunning snapdragon is a sight to behold, but you may want to think twice about sending these to your partner. Snapdragons symbolize deviousness.

Where were you last night? Who are you texting? If you do have something to apologize for, make sure you also include a hyacinth (symbolizes sincerity) with your snapdragons to communicate that you regret your misstep.

DAFFODILS

Gifting a bunch of daffodils symbolizes happiness, but giving someone a single daffodil represents misfortune.

ANTHURIUM PLANTS

Anthurium plants are a great alternative to cut flowers. These plants have heart-shaped blooms and stand for long-lasting love and friendship. Not only are they on-brand for the holiday, they’re great for purifying the air and very easy to care for. Some humidity, some indirect sunlight, and allowing the anthurium plant to dry slightly between waterings will keep your adorable plant blooming all year.

While flowers are expressive and convey many different meanings, most Valentine’s Day bouquets are a safe bet and won’t unintentionally tell your lover that you think they stink. Red, white, and pink flowers are typically expressions of love. Floriography is inconsistent at times, showing flowers with multiple different meanings which can be contradictory.

Take lavender, for example.

This sweet smelling herb invokes

calm and peace for a lot of people, but giving someone lavender symbolizes distrust. For me, it means a good sleep.

Guelph is home to many talented small flower shops. Don’t forget to place your orders with plenty of time to spare to ensure you can get your bouquets by Valentine’s Day. If your friends, partners, or family members hate saying goodbye to beautiful flowers, consider a houseplant instead!

Make your cut flower bouquets last longer by cutting the stems (on an angle is best), removing any petals below the waterline, putting them in fresh water with the provided plant food mixed in, and keeping them away from heat, drafts, direct sunlight, and fruit.

Ripening fruit releases a bit of ethylene gas which can interfere with your bouquet’s longevity!

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mong the school’s numerous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs are women, both faculty and students, who work tirelessly in the pursuit of research. As one of Canada’s top 20 research universities, U of G, and its scientific ventures, overflows with female talent.

In 2020, U of G celebrated International Day of Women and Girls in STEM on Feb. 11 by featuring student profiles from the College of Biological Science.

This year, The Ontarion spotlights a few more women from the university’s staff and student body who pursue science.

DR. JOANNE O’MEARA PHYSICS PROFESSOR AND SECOND YEAR COORDINATOR

Before joining the U of G faculty, Dr. Joanne O’Meara taught at McMaster University where she also obtained her B.Sc with honours in applied physics in 1995. Her studies were fostered by a love for science and math dating back to her elementary school days. Though her longterm plans weren’t always clear, she knew she wanted to pursue science.

“I ended up going to McMaster because they didn’t make me choose a major in first year,” O’Meara told The Ontarion. “I knew it would be science-based but I didn’t know what exactly.”

“I really enjoyed physics and math in first year so I ended up following that and was lucky to get a summer job working with a professor in medical physics between first and second year. I never really had much of a plan – just kept following where my interests led me.”

From 2000 to 2001, she was also a postdoctoral associate in the department of nuclear engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S.

In 2002, O’Meara finally joined U of G as assistant professor in the department of physics.

“It was a great move professionally because I joined a group of physicists who are really committed to excellence in teaching as well as in research,” she said.

Since then, O’Meara has become an associate professor with tenure as well as a second year coordinator for the department of physics. While she isn’t currently working on any research projects, her focus at U of G has been the use of X-ray fluorescence in quantitative measurements of elements in materials ranging from the dairy cows at the Ontario Veterinary College to the soil on Mars.

“It is a very versatile analysis technique,” said O’Meara. “But the challenge is always in opti-

THE ONTARION

Women in science at U of G For the International Day of Women and Girls in STEM, The Ontarion is featuring women among U of G’s faculty and students ELENI KOPSAFTIS mizing the system so that it can detect the smallest quantities possible for the given bulk material and geometry.”

O’Meara is currently spending her time teaching while also establishing Royal City Science, a not-for-profit organization offering science programs with a goal to develop a science centre in Guelph. Its website states that it will “serve as a hub for informal STEM education to ignite curiosity, build confidence, and inspire the scientist in us all.”

Though she says it’s cliché, O’Meara urges women pursuing STEM to follow their passions.

“I think it’s really important to choose a program that you are excited about. In every major there will be struggles, but if you can step back and look at the big picture of why you love the program, it will help you get through.”

DR. TAMI A. MARTINO DISTINGUISHED CHAIR IN MOLECULAR CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH AND BIOMEDICAL PROFESSOR Dr. Tami A. Martino completed her B.Sc at McMaster Health Sciences and then pursued her M.Sc at the Hospital for Sick Children in the department of microbiology at the University of Toronto. There, she investigated verocytotoxin producing E. coli, the causative agent of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome.

When she was recruited as assistant professor at U of G in 2009, Martino pioneered circadian medicine, a new field of medicine that explores how the daily rhythms of organs, such as the rhythm of heartbeats, affects health.

Martino’s research focuses on “translating fundamental knowledge about the circadian biology of the cardiovascular system into clinical applications,” and her team investigates how circadian dysregulation contributes to heart diseases.

“I love being a woman in STEM,” Martino told The Ontarion.

“I am a PhD scientist and professor. I do innovative research on cardiovascular disease, and circa-

dian medicine. I’ve met amazing people, and gotten to travel to fabulous places.”

In 2014, Martino was promoted to associate professor, and then became the founding director of the Centre for Cardiovascular Investigations in 2015.

Martino has spoken at TedX Talks and has been granted multiple awards, such as the career investigator award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada in 2019, the distinguished chair in molecular cardiovascular research award in 2020, and a Guelph Y woman of distinction title.

“It’s never a direct path, even if it looks like that to others on the outside,” said Martino. “I’ve changed universities, I’ve changed majors, I’ve gotten married and had two children during my graduate studies, I spent some time in industry before returning to academics. But ultimately I am very fortunate to be recruited to the University of Guelph.”

Martino wants women interested in science to know how amazing the field is. As a scientist, she gets to use state-of-theart (i.e. “really cool,” according to Martino) equipment and techniques such as echocardiography, bioinformatics, and more.

She’s also been able travel all around the world and meet “fabulous and inspiring women” such as U of G’s own president Charlotte Yates.

“Even if you’re not interested in an academic career like me, you can use your skills to do all sorts of other fabulous work,” said Martino.

“Scientists are needed in academic settings, but also government agencies, industry, and private organizations. If your path is different from your friends’ paths — that’s OK — find what is uniquely you. Do what you love, love what you do, and work with others to pursue excellence together.”

ALYCIA DONOVAN FOURTH-YEAR APPLIED HUMAN NUTRITION STUDENT Fourth-year undergraduate student Alycia Donovan studies applied human nutrition (AHN), one of the only fields in STEM at

U of G where more than half of the faculty are women.

Her focus is on dietetics, a program that combines hard sciences like biochemistry and microbiology with social sciences like psychology and sociology.

“Oddly enough, I was not the strongest science student in high school,” said Donovan. “There were aspects to each science that I enjoyed which was reflected in my grades. I had a passion for nutrition and its relationship with the body and that was what made me want to pursue the program rather than a general love of science that encouraged my pursuit.”

After she graduates, Donovan plans on becoming a registered dietician, an idea she’s been pursuing after taking a course on “older adults in a food-focused setting.”

She states that she connected with this portion of the population, and so she plans on learning more about its demographic so that she can better assist her future clientele.

“Building a background creates comfort and familiarity with subject matters and concerns relevant to this portion of the population to ensure the best quality of services,” said Donovan.

However, she also acknowledges that the circumstances of learning can present its own unique challenges.

“I think that asking for help is a traditionally challenging subject that is stigmatized,” she said.

“Therefore, it feels like your intelligence is at risk when you admit weakness when it is not. This is something I am continuously learning.”

Icon by Iconfinder

Donovan explains that while lots of women are interested in science, societal pressures can hinder their pursuits. However, she urges other women to go for it.

“You are brilliant, you de-

serve the opportunity to show that to the world,” Donovan said.

“There are some highly admirable women in science who have paved the way and history likes to hide them. Refuse to be ignored and let your passion guide you.”

KRISTEN ASHWORTH THIRD-YEAR BIOMEDICAL STUDENT Kristen Ashworth is in her third year studying biomedical science at U of G, and like many other STEM majors, she’s always been interested in the way things work.

Driven by this interest, Ashworth explored as many STEM fields as she could in high school.

She was on the robotics team, took part in math competitions, and was even a student leader on the STEM Council. But more than any other avenue of science, she had an “unwavering passion” for the mechanical and physiological functions of the human body.

Now pursuing that passion in her studies, Ashworth’s dream is to work as a medical researcher in the field of childhood cancer and to become a pediatrician at SickKids.

Ashworth said that she wants “nothing else but to help hospitalized children that have just as much potential as any other child.

I want to heal these children so that they can live a life all children deserve — in health and in happiness.”

Along with her passions, Ashworth also juggles the quick pace and heightened workload that accompanies post-secondary studies. Ashworth states that the transition between high school and university “felt like someone was turning the treadmill speed from level one to level ten in a couple of seconds.”

Having attended an all-girls school for 12 years, Ashworth believes that women are capable of accomplishing anything they set their minds to, so she encourages other women to never question their capabilities because of their gender.

“If you even see the slightest bit of yourself in the role of a groundbreaking scientist, accomplished mathematician, or revolutionary engineer, take the leap and make yourself part of that world,” said Ashworth.

“Don’t allow yourself to be held back because of a stereotype, a stigma, or a social standard.

Do what makes you happy, and do it with confidence. As an empowered female, empower those around you and never stop. We can be trailblazers independently, but when we, as strong women, lift each other up, we collectively change the world.”

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If you can step back and look at the big picture of why you love the program, it will help you get through.

Do what you love, love what you do, and work with others to pursue excellence together.

Dr. Joanne O’Meara, Physics professor and second year coordinator

Dr. Tami A. Martino, Distinguished chair in molecular cardiovascular research and biomedical professor

Refuse to be ignored and let your passion guide you.

When we, as strong women, lift each other up, we collectively change the world.

Alycia Donovan, Fourth-year applied human nutrition student

Kristen Ashworth, Third-year biomedical student

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THE ONTARION

 DOUBLE EXPOSURE A double exposure photo is a photo that is masked within a photo (A ‘mask’ allows two layers to be visible in the same photo, where the top layer would only be shown in areas that were traced over with a selection tool).

Step 1

Place a photo over another photo and lower the opacity on the top photo temporarily so you can line up where you want the top photo to be shown in the bottom photo.

Step 2

Trace the main portion of the photo on the bottom layer and when that is done, click the Mask button on the top photo (this will only reveal a portion of the top photo within the selection you made on the bottom photo).

 GLOW EFFECT

Step 1

Select the object you want to glow and make three duplicates of it while adding a Gaussian Blur under the filter tab (5px to the first duplicate - 150px to the second - 300px to the third). Then go to blending mode on each duplicate layer and change the mode to Screen.

Step 2

Add hue and saturation to change the colour of the glow.

Step 3

Darken the exposure of the image — but not the glowed object.

Step 4

Lightly brush areas around the glowing object to make it seem more natural (brush on the exposed layer).

Step 3

Blend the photos by changing the opacity on the brush to get a clean look.  DISPERSION EFFECT

Double Exposure

Adding unique effects to your pictures in Photoshop Short tutorials on how to make a picture stand out with Photoshop manipulation ARTICLE AND IMAGES BY NICOLAS BUCK

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here are a ton of interesting effects that you can add to your photos to make them more unique and appealing to a viewer.

Many of these effects can be created in Adobe Photoshop through easy photo manipulation tutorials.

Learning how to use these effects not only helps make your photos stand out, but they teach you helpful tools that can be used in future projects. Here are a few of my favourite effects that can be accomplished within Photoshop.

You can also search each of these on YouTube to find more in-depth or visual tutorials.

 SKY REPLACEMENT

Step 1

Mask out the original sky (use Select and Mask found on the upper tool bar after clicking the Quick Selection tool. Then click Refine Edge Brush to get harder areas such as tree branches).

Step 2

Place the new sky behind the foreground layer.

Step 3

Definitions

Mask: A mask will appear beside a layer after you click “add layer mask.” The white portions of the mask will show what is visible, and the black portions of the mask show what is hidden. While on the mask layer, tracing over the photo with a white brush will reveal, and tracing over with a black brush will hide (you can change the opacity of the brush at the top toolbar).

Select and Mask: This is for more accurate selection. You click this at the top toolbar after making your original selection.

Match color: Image - Adjustments - Match color, will allow you to match the colour tones of a selected layer to another layer within the Photoshop file.

Blending mode: This will be found at the top of the layer menu where you can select between different blending options for the layer that is selected (ex. Screen, Multiply, Overlay, etc.) each has a different purpose to experiment with.

Adjustment layer: Found at the bottom of the layer menu, here you will find different effects to add to your layer (ex. Hue and Saturation, Exposure, Curves, etc.).

Colour match the foreground to the sky to get a more natural look.

Sky Replacement

Step 1

Cut out the main image that you want to disperse and paste it onto a background.

Step 2

Duplicate the dispersion image, and, on the bottom duplicate layer, add a Liquify Effect under the filter tab to stretch out the image.

Step 3

Add a black mask to the stretched image and a white mask to the top image. Use a particle brush to hide some of the top image and reveal some of the bottom image.

ISSUE 190. 2 | ARTS & CULTURE

THEONTARION.COM

Happy Galentine’s Day! The importance of platonic love NATALIE BIENIARZ

A

Glow Effect

Dispersion Effect

ccording to a 2020 Good Housekeeping article, Galentine’s Day (celebrated on Feb. 13) is a holiday that originated from the television series Parks and Recreation.

In a 2010 episode, lead character Leslie Knope invented the holiday because she wanted to show her friends and coworkers how much she loved and appreciated them in a platonic way.

In my opinion, celebrating platonic love is an excellent idea. Sometimes we get caught up in our busy lives and we may forget to show our friends just how much we appreciate them.

This day reminds us to do exactly that.

Another positive aspect of this holiday is that it tells people that they don’t need romance to be happy. It’s a very refreshing message for people who feel pressured into performing romantic and/or sexual actions, especially those who are aromantic and/or asexual.

Here are three ideas to celebrate Galentine’s Day this year: • Make some sweet treats.

Fruits are a healthy and tasty choice. Toss a few different kinds together in a fruit salad and drizzle with chocolate or yogurt, or use them as toppings for waffles, cereal, ice cream, etc. Honey is another good choice of topping, especially on soft ginger cookies.

Fruits, honey, and ginger are all good foods to eat when you’re sick, according

to Healthline.com.

Make cards. If you have spare construction paper and art supplies at home, you can make some cards.

Good Housekeeping has a list of 20 Galentine’s Day card ideas to check out online. To give your friend the card, mail it to them, or take a picture of it with your phone and send it to them. It’s okay if you don’t have a lot of supplies — you can still use blank paper and spruce it up with pencil crayons, markers, stickers, glitter, etc.

• Buy some plushies/ stuffed animals. Plushies are soft, cuddly and adorable. You can use sewing materials to make your own toy, or you can buy them online. According to a 2020 Guardian article, plushies can bring people of all ages emotional comfort. You can scrap the whole “plushies are only for kids” mindset.

Send your friends some plushies, and expect their faces to light up instantly.

These are just three out of the many ideas that you can do to celebrate Galentine’s Day. Whatever you decide to do, it’s important to remember a few key points: • You can still enjoy the holiday without a romantic partner.

• Romantic love is not automatically better than platonic love.

• Your worth is not determined by romance.

•

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LOVE & SEX ISSUE | JA N . 28, 202 1

THE ONTARION

Keeping love alive during a global pandemic Why it’s time to ditch the stigma around couples therapy, and look at what it can do for you TAYLOR PACE

O

ver the past 12 months, the pandemic has forced many of us into navigating new relationship territory, from learning to abruptly live together or stay apart for lengths of time, to working at home or being laid off.

Research has shown that periods of stress can increase tension in relationships, especially when that stress is related to economic hardship and unemployment, according to the Vanier Institute.

CBC reported that law firms like Toronto-based Shulman & Partners have seen a 40 per cent increase in calls from couples seeking divorce since the pandemic began.

“This is a tremendously stressful time in ways that many of us have never faced like this before. Additionally, we’re in a rough part of the year for seasonal depression,” Ruthie Neustifter, the academic program director for the Couple & Family Therapy Centre at the U of G told The Ontarion.

“Taking care of ourselves and our relationships is a complicated thing, and unfortunately there’s

no quick or easy magic trick to getting through this.”

With this in mind, one would expect couples therapy to be a booming industry right now — but that’s not entirely the case.

In a survey The Ontarion conducted with 80 respondents, 51 per cent said that they had experienced increased strain in their relationships with their partners since the pandemic began. Yet only 17.5 per cent considered couples therapy as a solution, and only 9 per cent had attended a couples therapy session during the pandemic — meaning 82.5 per cent of respondents had not considered couples therapy, and 91 per cent had not attended a session during the pandemic, despite over half of respondents claiming to feel more stress in their relationship.

When asked why, the two most common responses were cost concerns and that it wasn’t needed in the relationship yet. Several respondents also said that one partner wanted to go to couples therapy, but the other didn’t.

These responses were not entirely surprising. According

to renowned marriage and relationship expert John Gottman, the average couple is unhappy for six years before turning to couples therapy.

Registered social worker Victoria Bonanno told The Ontarion she thinks the reason is that people view couples therapy as something only for relationships in crisis.

She noted that many people

view couples counselling as a courtroom where you have to prove your guilt or innocence — another common misconception. Your therapist is not going to tell you what to do; they’re not life coaches or referees, but rather, act as a moderator to help you work through your problems as a couple.

“Some people might not want to admit that they’re struggling, and contacting a therapist feels

like acknowledging that,” Neustifter said.

“Therapy can also be very expensive, which is part of why services like ours are so important. It may also feel odd to think about telling a stranger such personal things about your life and relationship; thankfully a good therapist is trained to help make it feel safe to do so.”

COVID-19 and relationships

Charts represent the responses of 80 participants who filled out a SurveyMonkey survey administered by The Ontarion via Facebook.

17.5% 49%

9%

51% experienced increased strain in their relationships

82.5% have not considered couples therapy

91%

have not attended a therapy session

ISSUE 190. 2 | ARTS & CULTURE

THEONTARION.COM

So the question is, is couples therapy for you?

The short answer is, probably.

Most experts believe that therapy can be an important part of your relationship, and that couples should seek therapy long before they think they “need” to.

According to child, youth, and adult counselor Jordan Coles, “a lot of people view couples therapy as a last attempt before they end it. It’s like being on a ventilator.”

However, he agrees that it shouldn’t be.

“Therapy shouldn’t be a last resort for a relationship, but for a lot of people it is, and that usually makes it one-sided by the time they get there.”

The internet is abound with studies, articles, and experts all pointing to couples therapy as a key tool in your relationship at any stage.

“Relationship therapy is a wonderful way to invest in supporting the success of your relationship, whether you’re struggling, wanting to grow your relationship, or could simply use a place to process things with someone who doesn’t take sides or spread gossip,” Neustifter said.

“While many people wait to see us until they’re quite distressed, we are always happy when people come in before that point.”

Coles noted that it’s OK to be nervous when meeting a counselor for the first time, and that they’re trained to listen without judgement.

“It can be good to have a third party who isn’t emotionally involved to bounce what you’re saying back to you and your partner, and in a lot of cases just saying things out loud can relieve a lot of tension in a relationship,” he said.

He added that it’s also important to shop around for a counselor.

“It’s like finding a good hairdresser. No one will be offended if you cancel or book with someone you connect with more,” Coles said.

Changes and challenges during COVID-19:

Despite a seemingly common resistance to couples therapy and an increased interest in divorce, some practices have seen an increase in their client numbers.

While Bonanno’s practice saw an initial drop-off at the beginning of the pandemic when everything was moved to an online format, Registered Psychotherapist Hari Chettiar’s Guelph-based practice has seen the ratio of couples to individuals increase from three out of 10 to around six out of 10 since the pandemic began.

He believes the increase is likely due in part to the fact that our pre-pandemic coping mechanisms, which allowed us to take time apart or to de-stress, aren’t accessible right now.

“People are being contained within their homes without coping strategies. [Couples counselling] just becomes such a necessity, and people are willing to be and try whatever they need to,” he said.

There are a myriad of challenges that come with online counselling, though.

Chettiar and Bonanno both agreed that video sessions limit their ability to take note of the physical cues (like foot tapping or fidgeting, for example) that they would usually be looking for.

When sessions are in person, masks also prevent them from seeing the clients’ facial expressions.

What experts recommend to maintain a healthy relationship during COVID-19

Because the pandemic has changed all of our routines so much, Bonanno says that flexibility is key for maintaining healthy relationships right now, and to balance your time accordingly: it’s important to remember that we are all in new and changing situations, and everyone is experiencing the effects of the pandemic differently.

For long-distance relationships, she suggests regularly checking in with texts and video calls, and even doing “cheesy stuff like sending something in the mail.” The important part, she says, is that you are taking time to intentionally connect.

For those who are living in close-quarters with their significant others, she suggests being intentional about taking independent time for yourself, “whether that means going for a walk or reading a book or calling your own friends.”

However, she also notes that it’s important to be intentional about the time spent together.

“Sometimes people think, well, I’ve been around you all day,” she says, but have only been doing things in proximity to each other, and the time spent hasn’t been intimate in any way. To maintain your relationship, she suggests regularly taking time to do something together where you’re completely present.

Beyond couples therapy, Chettiar suggests being aware of the three gauges in your relationship: connection, distress and anxiety in the relationship, and the workload.

Chettiar says that the first two gauges, respectively, tend to

Ruthie Neustifter, academic program director for the Couple & Family Therapy Centre at the U of G, encourages couples to think about the feelings they would like to have more of in their relationship again, and what those feelings mean to them as individuals and as a couple.

CREDIT: PEXELS

work opposite each other.

“When the connection gauge goes down, distress and anxiety in the relationship go up,” he said.

“So when people are fighting over the little things like laundry or whatever, that’s when connection is low and stress is higher in the relationship. When the connection is higher, the distress tends to be lower, so that’s when we’re able to casually brush things off.”

What often tends to influence this fluctuation is the third gauge: “When the workload is really high, more often than not, what tends to happen is the connection starts to go down because we don’t have the time and energy, and distress is high.”

However, he notes that when you become aware of where your gauges are, “you can consciously take an audit of your life situation.” Put simply, it’s helpful for people to be aware of how much they are throwing themselves into work and their level of connection with their partner.

Similarly, Neustifter emphasized strengthening the connection between partners.

“I’d encourage folks to take some time to gently think about the feelings they would like to have more of in their relationship again, and what those feelings mean to them as individuals and couples,” they said.

“Next, what little things help address that meaning and give that feeling, and how can we add the easiest ones into our days.”

Related resources for people in Guelph:  Services at Couple & Family Therapy Centre at U of G: “We are currently offering online therapy sessions to Ontario clients who are not in crisis. We specialize in relational therapy including families and intimate relationships of all types, and we also work with individuals. We strive to be financially accessible with a very affordable sliding scale based on need. Our therapist interns are all graduate students in training, and are supervised by a skilled and experienced group of supervisors.

I am always so impressed by the work that our interns do and their dedication to serving our communities. People see us for a wide variety of concerns, and with very diverse backgrounds,” Neustifter said.  To learn more about their services, you can contact the centre by email: cftcentre.uoguelph.ca or on their website cftcentre.uoguelph.ca/  Chettiar Counselling and Associates chettiarcounselling.ca/  MyLife Counselling counselling-guelph.ca/  Greg Dorter Counselling and Therapy guelphtherapist.ca/  Family Counselling and Support Services for Guelph-Wellington familyserviceguelph.on.ca/  Counselling Guelph counsellingguelph.com/  Spacious Mind Counselling spaciousmindcounselling.com/  Jen Rosa-Dupuis jenrosadupuis.com/  Eve Tesluk counsellinginguelph.ca/

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LOVE & SEX ISSUE | JA N . 28, 202 1

THE ONTARION

How Purim is celebrated in Guelph: Past and future Jewish leaders in Guelph describe some Jewish traditions for Purim and discuss changes to how they will celebrate this year JOSH SZWERAS

P

urim is a Jewish holiday celebrated every year. Often seen as Jewish Mardi Gras or Jewish Halloween, it is a celebration that unfortunately has been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Most people typically celebrate by partying, eating, and doing charitable acts around the community. The celebration of Purim is often a fun time, however, the actual history behind the holiday is a little more complicated and heavy.

In biblical times, the Jews were exiled from their ancient homeland and sent off to Persia.

Persian advisor to the King, Haman, demanded that everyone bow down to him as a sign of respect. However, a Jew named Mordecai refused, as it was against his religion.

In retaliation, Haman planned to exterminate all the Jews, and the King of Persia agreed to his plan, setting an execution date for them all. Esther, the newly appointed queen and Mordecai’s niece, heard of the news and sprung into action to save the Jewish people. She went to the King and begged him to defy Haman’s request. The King listened, and Haman was publicly executed, thus saving the Jewish people of Persia. Mordecai later took Haman’s role as advisor to the King.

Today, some of the most popular traditions include eating Hamantaschens (triangular filled cookies which represent Haman’s hat), giving mishloach manot (food baskets) to family and friends, and telling Mordecai’s story. When Haman’s name is spoken during the story, everyone spins gragger or ratchets that make a loud noise.

Chabad of Guelph and Guelph Hillel are two local Jewish organizations that run religious,

social, and community events for Jewish people in Guelph.

Rabbi Raphi Steiner of Chabad of Guelph spoke fondly of Purim, reminiscing about “getting all dressed up with [his] dad and delivering mishloach manot to family and friends.”

Steiner told The Ontarion that like the story of Mordecai, “no matter how bleak things are… it can always turn around.”

For this reason, Steiner believes the holiday is a happy one.

“It’s only happy because of the struggle,” said Steiner. “Other Jewish holidays, like Passover, we eat bitter herbs at the Seder to recall the struggle, but Purim is completely celebrating the victory — the outcome.”

While celebrations are spent “having fun with friends,” Chabad board member Erin Rudolph recalls Mordecai’s struggle.

“It’s a happy holiday at the end of the day, but it is a tragedy that the Jewish people were in that position in the first place,” she told The Ontarion. “It reminds me of the increasing amount of anti-Semitism in the world today — it’s scary.”

Still, the story serves as one of Rudolph’s favourite Purim traditions: yelling “boo” and spinning the gragger everytime Haman’s name is said.

“You are all so unified yelling ‘boo,’” she said.

While the context is entirely different, the tradition of yelling “boo” is undoubtedly reminiscent of Halloween, but the two holidays are very different.

“I see people compare the two because they both have costume elements,” said Steiner, whose Bell payphone booth costume was among his best. “My memories of costume planning with my parents and siblings and then getting dressed up are some of my fondest [traditions].”

Rabbi Raphi Steiner of Chabad of Guelph.

CREDIT: RAPHI STEINER

However, Steiner explains that the purpose of costumes is “to recognize the miracle of Purim is hidden within the natural course of events. There were no ten plagues or splitting of the seas like there is on Passover. There was no open miracle, it was all hidden within ‘the norm.’ This symbolizes God hiding within nature and the natural course of events.”

This year’s festivities have Jewish community members “getting creative” due to COVID-19, said Steiner.

Usually, he celebrates Purim by performing four mitzvot which includes reading the Megillah, having a celebration feast, gifting food to friends and family, and giving charity to the poor.

“We typically have a party with university students and then later with the greater Jewish community of Guelph,” said Steiner.

But this year, Chabad of Guelph are in talks of a “drive-in party” instead. Steiner says they’re still planning, but they have ideas for transmitting music to cars, having party lights, and delivering food.

For Rudolph, usual celebrations of gathering with friends, family, or Chabad and dressing up are instead being replaced with making Hamantaschens with her

roommates.

Steiner offered another dish to make and enjoy during the holiday.

“While I’m sure everyone said Hamantaschen [are the best Purim food] – which I agree are excellent, another yummy Pu-

rim food is called kreplach,” said Steiner. “Like a dumpling, the meat hidden in the dough symbolizes the hidden miracle, continuing with the theme that God pulled the strings behind the scenes.”

Erin Rudolph is a Chabad of Guelph board member.

CREDIT: ERIN RUDOLPH

THEONTARION.COM

LOVE & SEX

20 | COLOURFUL DINNER IDEAS

Staff Reporter Taylor Pipe suggests three at-home date night ideas to enjoy during lockdown.

Cozy up with athome date nights Ideas to keep your romance alive during the most romantic month of the year — even during lockdown ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY TAYLOR PIPE

I

f you’re like me, you love going out on the town with your significant other. My partner and I would make lists of all the different places we wanted to go and things we wanted to see together.

Then COVID-19 hit.

For a little background information, we moved to Guelph on March 15, 2020. Since we were completely new to the area, we had a list of things we wanted to do, which included: U of G Homecoming, Riverfest in Elora, Oktoberfest in Kitchener, and the Scottish Games in Fergus.

However, as fate would have it, we were confined to our small two bedroom apartment in downtown Guelph with nothing to do.

This forced us to get creative with our date nights. There were a lot of failures, but it was a lot of fun and a good way to break up the monotony that has become our life.

Lockdown is upon us, and romance is in the air… but so is COVID-19, so that’s why I’ve come up with three at-home date night ideas to get you and your boo cozied up together this winter!

Making a nice breakfast with your partner can lift your spirits and fill your tummy!

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22 | SHOULD YOU WATCH PORN?

22 | SINGLENESS

A NICE MEAL AT HOME

WINE TASTING

MOVIE NIGHT

One of the things my partner and I did religiously before the pandemic was go out for breakfast. We would try to go out at least once a month for a classic bacon-and-egg meal.

This time around I tried to wake up early and have everything mostly done by the time they woke up. I had even put in extra effort and cut up some potatoes for homefries.

However, I’m a very clumsy, loud person and my partner woke up before I could surprise them, but it worked in my favour because I got them to set up the table while I finished our meal.

I made a simple breakfast: bacon, eggs, toast, and homefries. We set up the table with some electric tealights, wine glasses, and pinecones. I put on a “Saturday morning jazz” playlist on Spotify.

The mood was set, and we sat and ate breakfast together. It felt like a nice treat for us to do something so simple, but with an elegant flair.

With our spirits lifted it set us up for an enjoyable day and gave us a bright outlook on our weekend at home. We knew we could make simple things fun and bring some sparks back.

Your meal doesn’t have to be breakfast. It doesn’t even have to be fancy. It could be as simple as making grilled cheese and a bowl of tomato soup for your loved one.

Either way, it shows you care and sitting at the table for a meal instead of in front of a TV is a great way to reconnect.

I’ll be honest, I very much look forward to drinks on a Friday night. Especially during lockdown, Fridays have become my favourite day of the week.

But I’ll also admit that I often overindulge, which is why a wine-tasting night is a great idea.

I specifically picked Ontario wines for our endeavour. I also made sure to get small bottles for our tasting, because moderation is key.

This one might have been my favourite.

I know movie night doesn’t sound too out-of-the-box, and let’s face it, any night can be movie night during a pandemic, but we put a fun twist on it.

Remember blanket forts?

Turns out they’re a lot easier to make as an adult with some strategic thinking skills.

Originally we were going to set up a picnic area in our living

Get small bottles of local wines for a fun wine-tasting night.

We tried different wines and played different games. I even came up with a relationship-themed game of Scattergories that asked us questions like, “where have we gone on dates,” “which bands have we seen live,” and “our friends’ pets’ names.”

Another fun thing we did for our wine tasting night was draw portraits of each other after a few glasses. It was a giggle-fest that ended in us on the floor singing along to the radio.

Overall, I think wine night is a good way to be silly with your partner while also trying new things. I specifically picked wines that I knew we hadn’t tried and it was also quite an enjoyable way to support local wineries.

room, but we decided to make a blanket castle around our TV to make it a true viewing experience.

It’s amazing what you can do with some chairs, brooms, and a bunch of blankets.

The other thing we made sure to do for movie night was pick a light-hearted film. We figured that during these tumultuous times, the thing we could use most was a laugh and a snuggle in an adult-sized blanket fort.

At-home date nights are becoming increasingly important during a time where we’re stuck inside our houses, getting on each others’ nerves.

But doing little things, like making a loved one a bangin’ breakfast, getting wine drunk on a Friday night, or watching Forrest Gump in a blanket fort while binging on junk food makes having to stay home to protect our communities a little bit easier.

With our spirits lifted it set us up for an enjoyable day and gave us a bright outlook on our weekend at home. We knew we could make simple things fun and bring some sparks back.

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LOVE & SEX ISSUE | JA N . 28, 202 1

Colourful dinner ideas for a delicious Valentine’s Day Consider cooking any of these three vibrant recipes for you and your partner to enjoy

I

SALMON WITH PURPLE PUREED POTATOES AND FRENCH GREEN BEANS via Carrie Portman on Allrecipes.com

Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce ¼ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup white miso paste ¼ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon dry white wine, or to taste 1 pinch red pepper flakes 2 (3 ounce) fillets salmon fillets 1 pound purple potatoes, cut into small chunks ¼ cup 2% milk, or to taste 2 tablespoons butter, softened, or to taste salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ pound French green beans, trimmed 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon butter

Icons by Flaticon and Iconfinder

PURPLE CAULIFLOWER THAI GREEN COCONUT CURRY WITH CARROT NOODLES via Inspiralized.com

Ingredients: • • • • • •

ELENI KOPSAFTIS n Jan. 2020, The Ontarion released a survey on social media. Guelph residents were asked to share their Valentine’s Day plans, and the results revealed that most were planning a simple dinner at home.

Many indicated that Ontario’s stay-at-home order was responsible for their dining plans.

However, even though we’re in lockdown, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be dull.

If you don’t live with your partner but have the resources, you can still enjoy dinner together by dropping off a plate of food at their doorstep, and/or hosting a virtual dinner date night. If you don’t have a partner, a nice meal is still viable for treating yourself or your roommates.

Here are a few unique and colourful dishes you can prepare on Feb. 14.

THE ONTARION

Directions:

1. Mix soy sauce, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, miso paste, brown sugar, white wine, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl to make a marinade.

2. Place salmon fillets in a shallow dish. Add enough marinade to cover, reserving the remaining marinade. Marinate salmon in the refrigerator, about 10 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly oil a cast iron skillet or grill pan and place in the oven while it preheats. (A countertop induction oven can be used in place of the oven.

Preheat on the medium-high grill setting.)

4. Remove salmon from marinade, reserving the marinade, and place skin-side up on the hot cast iron skillet; cook until bottom of salmon is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip salmon and continue cooking until fish flakes easily with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes more.

(For the countertop induction oven, add salmon to grill pan, reserving marinade, and cook, skin-side down, for 1 1/2 minutes. Flip salmon and cook until fish flakes easily with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.)

5. Pour reserved marinade into a saucepan and heat until boiling; remove from heat.

6. Heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter together in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Pour milk mixture over potatoes, a few tablespoons at a time, and mash using a potato masher until potatoes are desired chunkiness.

7. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green beans and garlic; cook and stir until beans turn bright green and are lightly browned in places, about 5 minutes; stir in 1 teaspoon butter, salt, and pepper.

8. Serve mashed potatoes and green beans alongside salmon. Drizzle reserved cooked marinade over the top.

• • • • •

florets from 1 head of purple cauliflower 1 tablespoon virgin, unrefined coconut oil ¾ cup diced white onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger 2.5 tablespoons Thai green curry paste 1 14oz can coconut milk salt and pepper, to taste juice of half a lime 1 large carrot, peeled into long thin strips 1.5 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Bring a medium saucepan halfway full of water to a boil. Once boiling, add in the cauliflower florets and cook for 2-3 minutes or until more easily pierced with a fork, but still slightly tender. Drain into a colander, pat dry and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil heats, add in the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for about 3 minutes or until onion becomes translucent.

Then, add in the curry paste and stir continuously until paste covers the onions.

Then, add in the coconut solids from the first half of the coconut milk can. Season with salt and pepper and cook about 2 minutes until bubbling.

3. Then, add in the rest of the coconut milk (the oil). Lower to a simmer and add in the cauliflower. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes and then add in the lime juice and carrot noodles and cook for another 5 minutes or until carrot noodles soften to al dente.

4. Serve garnished with parsley.

Have fun in the kitchen this Valentine’s Day by making a meal full of colour.

CREDIT: PEXELS

PEANUT-KALE BLACK RICE BOWL via Kathy Patalsky on HappyHealthyLife.com

Directions:

Ingredients: • • • • • • • •

4 cups kale leaves, torn (about one half of a large bunch of kale) 1 1/2 cups cooked black or purple or “forbidden” rice 1 tbsp peanut butter, organic 2 tsp maple syrup, grade B (or agave or brown rice syrup) juice of a lime pinch of salt and pepper optional: pinch of fresh grated ginger or cayenne for spice garnish: crushed raw jungle peanuts and lime wedges

1. Cook your black rice. Use about one part rice for every two parts water (see instructions on your rice package).

2. Drain rice of any excess liquid and place in the fridge to set and chill overnight for best texture.

3. Combine dressing ingredients in a small cup. Warm the dressing in the microwave for about fifteen seconds.

4. Place all washed, dried, and torn kale leaves in a large mixing bowl and pour warmed dressing over top.

Massage the dressing into the kale. The kale should wilt a bit and soften as it becomes marinated with the peanut dressing.

5. Fold in the rice. Toss well.

Serve with crushed peanuts over top and lime wedges.

ISSUE 190. 2 | LOVE & SEX

THEONTARION.COM

21

Valentine’s Day chocolates at home Valentine’s chocolates are something anyone can make and enjoy, regardless of whether you have a partner or not ARTICLE AND PHOTO BY SARAH KROLEWSKI

V

alentine’s Day is widely known to be reserved for couples, which tends to leave a lot of people out of the equation. Making chocolates is something that anyone can do for Valentines, whether you are in a relationship or not.

It’s a great way to show someone you care; for instance, I have been making Valentines chocolates for my parents for the past five years.

Whether you are unsure what to get your partner for Valentines, or just want to show someone that you appreciate them, chocolates are a great gift idea. It sounds intimidating, but I promise it isn’t that bad, and you can make your chocolates as simple or as complex as you’d like. If you think it may be a challenge, another great idea would be to invite your partner or loved one to make them with you!

There are two ways to make homemade chocolates: completely from scratch or by using storebought chocolate. Making them from scratch can be a little more difficult, and is usually best in bar form, while using store-bought chocolate allows you to make your own fillings.

FROM SCRATCH

Requirements: • • • • •

Cocoa nibs Sugar Milk powder (optional) Food processor or Blender Tupperware lid or bar mold

Steps:

1. Roast the cocoa nibs on a pan at 325 degrees Celsius for eight to ten minutes, or until browned and fragrant.

2. Pour the roasted nibs into a blender or food processor, then add in sugar as you blend to taste. Blend until the mixture becomes a paste, then a liquid.

3. Pour into Tupperware containers or bar molds, then refrigerate until set.

In industrial chocolate factories, a conching machine is used to make the chocolate smooth and thick. This process cannot be recreated in a typical kitchen, which means that any chocolate that is made from scratch will be harder to temper, as well as harder to use

if you choose to add fillings to it.

You can still add extracts or nuts to this chocolate if you would like to mix things up, though!

WITH STORE-BOUGHT CHOCOLATE

Requirements: • • •

Ice cube tray or chocolate molds Chocolate chips or finely chopped bars Fillings of your choice

Steps:

1. Melt your desired amount of chocolate in a double-broiler or in 15-second intervals in the microwave until most, but not all, chocolate is melted.

Mix the chocolate until there are no more lumps. If you are fine with your chocolate not being tempered, you can pour it straight into the molds.

Tempered Chocolate: Chocolate that sets at room temperature and has a glossy finish.

If you would like your chocolate tempered, there are a few ways to do so. On YouTube, the channel HowToCookThat has a video titled “Chocolate Secrets,” which goes over tempering methods in great detail.

What I tend to find easiest is to melt my chocolate, then add in some unmelted chocolate and stir until the mixture thickens. I then put some of that chocolate on a piece of paper and wait a couple of minutes to see if it sets at room temperature. If chocolate is improperly tempered, there may be blooms of white on it, but don’t worry; that’s just the cocoa butter separating.

2. Once the chocolate is in the molds, tap the tray on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles. Then, flip the tray over and let the excess chocolate drip back into a bowl for later use. This is so that your chocolates will have a hollow centre for fillings. Clean up the edges of the molds and place the tray in the fridge to harden the chocolate.

Sarah Krolewski suggests two ways to make Valentine’s Day chocolates: from scratch or with store-bought chocolate.

3. While the chocolate is hardening, you can prepare your fillings. A popular filling in my family is mint. To make it, I mix half a cup of powdered sugar with a couple drops of mint extract. Then, I sparingly add milk until the mixture forms a paste. There are many different fillings you can use, such as caramel, toffee, peanut butter, and Nutella. If you plan on using online recipes, I recommend halving or even quartering the recipe, since chocolates do not need a lot of filling (although having excess isn’t a bad thing).

4. Once the chocolate in the fridge has set, remove the tray and spoon or pipe in the fillings of your choice. Make sure not to fill the molds too much, since you will need to add more chocolate on top.

5. Once filled, add more chocolate on top (If you tempered your chocolate, you may need to re-melt it as it will probably be hard by now). You can

scrape any excess chocolate off the top with a flat surface, such as a bench scraper or the back of a knife.

Icon by Iconfinder

Once you have finished your chocolates, you can choose to decorate them. I like to use edible gold dust or white chocolate to add some small details.

You could even colour your white chocolate (by melting it and mixing in food colouring) to make some cool patterns.

For presentation, the dollar store has plenty of small boxes, which you can line with tissue paper and place your chocolates in.

The presentation can be as extravagant or as simple as you like.

Tempering tends to be what scares most people away from chocolate making, and if you are just beginning it can be intimidating. If you choose to not temper your chocolates, make sure you keep them in the refrigerator so that they don’t melt. And remember, no matter how your chocolates turn out, whoever receives them is lucky to have you!

Other filling suggestions: Caramel pretzel, cookies and cream, coconut macaroon, orange fondant, dark chocolate raspberry, cookie caramel, chewy toffee, chocolate ganache, and sponge toffee. Ann Reardon from the channel HowToCookThat on YouTube has some great chocolate filling ideas, too.

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LOVE & SEX ISSUE | JA N . 28, 202 1

THE ONTARION

Singleness is nothing to mourn As Valentine’s Day approaches, we need to rebut the assumption that being single is an unfortunate lifestyle ALYSSA MARKS

F Watch porn on your own terms, but keep in mind that some is produced more ethically than others.

CREDIT: UNSPLASH

Should you watch porn?

The moral and ethical implications associated with porn use TASHA FALCONER

S

hould you watch porn?

Well, it’s really up to you.

There are discussions about the potential moral and ethical issues surrounding pornography, but you get to choose where you stand on these issues.

Gallup, an analytics firm, found in 2020 that 36 per cent of individuals surveyed in the U.S. found pornography use to be acceptable, while 61 per cent found it unacceptable. Generally, Gallup has found that acceptability for pornography has been increasing since they started asking in 2011. There was a slight increase of acceptability in 2018, where 43 per cent found pornography acceptable.

Many moral objections to pornography are based on religious ideologies. Studies have consistently found that people who have moral objections to pornography view pornography less or not at all. So, if you feel that pornography is immoral, you can choose not to view it.

While there may be many people who state that they find porn morally unacceptable, there can be inconsistency between what is indicated in public and what people do in private. Samuel Perry, a researcher at the University of Oklahoma, wrote in an article that 10 per cent of study par-

ticipants had viewed porn in the previous year, and had stated that porn was always morally wrong.

Perry noted that women were less likely to experience incongruence between their view of pornography and their use. This may be because women use pornography less than men overall and there is a larger stigma associated with women’s use of pornography.

While pornography can be an opportunity to explore your sexuality and experience pleasure, for individuals who have moral objections to pornography use, viewing pornography may cause them problems.

Those that experience this incongruence may experience more shame and internal conflict associated with their porn use than those who use pornography, but do not have moral objections.

Karol Lewczuk, a researcher in Poland, and colleagues wrote in a ScienceDirect article that those who experience moral incongruence are more likely to think they are addicted to porn and are more likely to engage in problematic pornography use, which includes guilt around use of pornography and using pornography more than they want to.

Another consideration is ethical concerns. Some people may find that mainstream porn

(e.g. Pornhub) raises ethical concerns, however, there are many other options for viewing sexually explicit material.

Ethical porn is porn that is created with all people in mind, shows a diverse range of people, depicts real pleasure, and is created consensually and with fair pay.

How do you figure out if the porn you’re watching is ethical? Given that ethical porn is based on production, do some research about the production company and see if they exemplify the aforementioned characteristics.

It is important to note that if you are looking for ethical porn, you are likely going to have to pay for it. There are many companies and individuals that create ethical porn. One such company is Cine Sinclaire, which is based in Canada. You can also go directly to the performers through online platforms such as OnlyFans.

The takeaway is to view porn on your own terms. You don’t necessarily have to watch porn to have a good time. But some feel it enhances their overall sexual experience. Finding ethical porn ensures you feel good sexually, but also feel good about the content you’re choosing to watch as it was ethically sourced.

or those who are not in a romantic relationship, Valentine’s Day can sometimes serve as a reminder that they are not meeting the societal expectations of the holiday.

Through the commercialization, perpetual advertising, and social media hype of partnership, the expectation is to assume that being in a relationship is the norm.

There is some stigma attached to being single this time of year, that being single on Valentine’s Day is sad, and maybe even embarrassing. These notions may lead people to apprehensively search for a relationship in hopes of alleviating their loneliness.

Others may turn to Tinder for a quick hookup, consuming copious amounts of alcohol while watching The Bachelor, or any other means to distract them from the realization that they are ‘alone’ on this day.

They may find themselves reaffirming their singlehood every year with the “next year I’ll find somebody” mantra. These limiting beliefs come from a wide breadth of origins.

Social media is often used to broadcast one’s own happiness and success, and in response we see this happiness as something we don’t have — but another person’s happiness does not have to result in a deficit of your own.

Coming-of-age films, romcoms, and most romantic movies in general can perpetuate limiting beliefs surrounding singlehood. These films habitually portray a storyline that assumes being single is bad and that experiencing a happy ending always comes from being in a relationship or finding a partner.

Perhaps a less noticeable influence is one’s underlying and internalized codependency on validation. The belief that being single is bad follows the mindset of deriving self worth from adornment, attention, being in a relationship, or “I am only worthy if somebody else finds me worthy.”

Liberation from dependence on validation is realizing that one’s worth is not determined by other’s approval. Worthiness is present regardless of validation.

The pressures of being in a relationship during Valentine’s Day are sometimes rooted in a feeling of unfulfillment in life.

The solution is often disguised as the need to be in a romantic relationship. Finding a loving partner is amazing, and can bring lots of happiness into your life, but a change in relationship status cannot solely remedy your sense of unfulfillment, and it does not automatically guarantee happiness. Do things for yourself that can bring you fulfillment and happiness, like creating a pampering self-care routine, or practicing gratitude for the existing relationships in your life.

This is not to ignore that the feeling of longing is a natural response to being single during this time of year. Allow yourself to feel and experience these emotions, but also remind yourself that happiness and longing can occupy the same space. These two experiences are not mutually exclusive; there is a constant ebb and flow of these emotions, and acknowledging and accepting this allows you to understand your feelings about being single, and the relationship you have with yourself.

Single people should approach Valentine’s Day with excitement, and enjoy the other avenues of love and connection in their lives. Singlehood is not synonymous with loneliness.

This holiday is meant to spread love, so whether you’re single or not, FaceTime a friend, spend some time with your housemates or family, or just show yourself some love!

Valentine’s Day should not be an opportunity to routinely participate in self-deprecating rhetoric; use this day to appreciate your self worth and to celebrate the love you have for those who are in your life right now.

SPORTS & HEALTH 24 | SUPER BOWL LV

Changing the menstruation conversation Local organizations work to provide education and reduce stigma surrounding menstruation TASHA FALCONER

PHOTO CREDIT: PEXELS

T

here is a stigma around menstruation.

According to a 2019 Healthline article, menstrual blood is viewed as more dirty or aversive than other bodily fluids.

While there are many large organizations, such as the United Nations (UN), advocating for an end to period stigmas around the world, there are also many local organizations working towards changing the conversation around menstruation and reducing period poverty, which affects millions of people in developed and developing countries, according to a 2021 Global Citizen article.

Furthermore, the UN reports that across the globe, “12.8% of women and girls live in poverty and struggle to access the resources to manage their periods.”

In 2020, Queen’s University student Isabela Rittinger created Bleed the North, a non-profit that fights menstrual stigma and period poverty. Through donations, Bleed the North gives out free menstrual products to those that request them. Additionally, the organization aims to educate people about menstruation and plans to create a toolkit for teachers. On Nov. 7 of 2020, Bleed the North created events around National Period Day, the first in Canada.

Waterloo-based social enterprise Changing the Flow was founded in 2019.

Through awareness and education, members hope to achieve menstrual equity.

They offer consultation services for organizations wishing to achieve period equity, and accept monetary donations for “period packs” which they deliver to organizations in need. Changing the Flow has a period game available for purchase, which helps

players learn more about the menstrual cycle. They also have an initiative called The Period Project which sells period shirts with period-related icons on them, including a tampon, pad, or menstrual cup. Profits are used to donate period products to organizations in the Waterloo region and Guelph community.

In Guelph, Holly Mastrogiacomo of Smitten Apparel has embraced Tampon Tuesday since 2016, and provides boxes of free menstrual hygiene products to community hubs across Guelph. In May 2019, Mastrogiacomo organized an event for Menstrual Hygiene Day which raised awareness to reduce stigma around menstruation.

Menstruation REDefined is an organization that brings awareness to menstrual inequity and accessibility. Larissa Maltese, a third-year arts and science major at the University of Guelph, is the president of the Guelph chapter. They held a holiday drive and raffle in December 2020 to support Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.

All of these great organizations are helping to decrease the stigma around menstruation and increase accessibility to menstrual products. What can you do to help?

Check out these organizations: follow them on social media, donate, or volunteer: • Sign Bleed the North’s petition that asks the federal government to subsidize menstrual products during the COVID-19 crisis.

• Talk publicly about menstruation.

• Teach children (of all genders) about menstruation.

• Check out the documentary

Period. End of Sentence.

Brisson, Leis & Associates

OPTOMETRISTS Judith A. Brisson, O.D. P. Lynne Leis, O.D. Reita Thomas-Parel, O.D. Violet Zawada, O.D. Jianchang (Iris) Shen, Optometrist

Serving the U of G community for 40 years, we provide personalized eye care including comprehensive examinations, contact lenses and eyewear.

Exams available in English, French, Polish, Mandarin and Cantonese.

21 College Avenue West, Guelph (across from OVC) TEL (519) 822-2710 · FAX (519) 822-7877 www.eyesoncollege.ca · brisson.leis@rogers.com

23

24

LOVE & SEX ISSUE | JA N . 28, 202 1

THE ONTARION

Super Bowl LV is set to take place on Feb. 7 in Tampa, Florida.

CREDIT: PEXELS

The road to Super Bowl LV The biggest football game of the year is on despite the COVID-19 pandemic JANAN SHOJA DOOST

W

hen the 54th Super Bowl took place last February between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, nobody knew that the future of sports was about to change drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, the National Football League (NFL) has faced many challenges along the way, including major postponements of the 2020 football season, cancellation of international events, and COVID-19 outbreaks across certain teams.

Yet, spurred on by the fundamental principles of football — hard work and perseverance — NFL officials have been able to make every fan’s dream come true.

Yes, everything is on the right track – football season has never looked better, and Super Bowl LV is set to take place in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 7.

The 2020 football season was off to a late start when the season opener was rescheduled from early September to late October. Much work was done behind the scenes to make transition to live games as smooth and safe as possible for everyone involved, and thankfully, everything is now almost back to where it was pre-COVID. Health and safety approaches taken by the NFL are rather interesting when it comes to how the league has decided to keep the notorious virus under control. Players are tested every day except on game days, while sur-

prisingly fans are allowed into stadiums to cheer for their favourite teams as long as they maintain social distancing.

The teams themselves have been training hard – some underdogs came out on top this season, but only the best of the best get to battle each other for the prestigious Lombardi Trophy handed out every Super Bowl.

As usual, the teams from the National (NFC) and American Football Conferences (AFC) have faced off against each other in their own divisions to ultimately claim championship of their corresponding Conference. This year at Super Bowl LV, the NFC brought its best teams to fruition, as the newly-throned Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face off against the former Super Bowl and current AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite major challenges

faced by the league, the Buccaneers were off to a great start in 2020.

After major trades made with the New England Patriots to claim the iconic tight-end player Rob Gronkowski and legendary quarterback Tom Brady, it seemed like the team was essentially bulletproof against all challenges brought forward by opposing teams on the road to the NFC championships.

Moving forward, Tampa Bay need not have to worry about falling behind. Brady’s masterful strategizing has allowed the team to bounce back during critical moments of games in the fourth quarter. As a result, the Buccaneers are projected to be a huge favourite in the Super Bowl, as even though the exact game plan of the team is almost impossible to predict, the players will always deliver despite tough times and dangerous opponents.

The Kansas City Chiefs hold the key to success this season on many different levels – from being the reigning Super Bowl champions to having the talented quarterback and previous MVP Patrick Mahomes on their team, and holding the record for having had the score lead in 60 consecutive games.

Icons by Flaticon

The team has improved greatly since last season, diversifying their game plan through maintaining proper balance of offence and defence as opposed to favouring the latter like last year. Moreover, the toughness of the Chiefs extends beyond athleticism, as Mahomes suffered a major blow to the head during divisional games yet continued to play in subsequent games, leading the team in the best way possible.

Now, will Tom Brady show that he is the absolute greatest by adding another Super Bowl ring to his previous collection of four, or will the 25-year-old Patrick Mahomes prove to everybody that it is never too early to start building your football legacy? Regardless, we are all in for a treat – football has never looked better, and we are truly lucky to be witnessing such sports greatness during these challenging times.

OPINION

THEONTARION.COM

26 | TERROR ON CAPITOL HILL

25

27 | SHOW LOVE TO VETS

The pandemic doesn’t care about your COVID-fatigue You might be tired of being on lockdown, wearing masks, and social distancing, but you should still do it ALLAN SLOAN

I

’m going to start this off by saying that the pandemic is still not over. Despite the vaccine roll-out and fewer reported cases in the news, people are still getting infected, people are still dying, and once this lockdown is lifted, the pandemic will not be over.

Let me repeat this again for those in the back: The pandemic will not be over for some time.

I say this with frustration because people do not seem to get what their role in all of this is. It’s pretty simple — stay at home. If you do need to go out, keep your distance and wear a mask.

According to the Government of Canada, the estimated incubation period of the virus ranges from 1-14 days. The lockdown order grants us a month to stay home and keep ourselves and our loved one’s healthy. It’s not a lot to ask considering the last lockdown lasted most of 2020.

We have a vaccine that is gradually rolling out — and while it currently holds a short supply, and is being administered to vulnerable populations and frontline workers first, there is still a multitude of misinformation about it.

What I’ve been seeing online more than anything else is denial, conspiracy, a want for more information and then a scoff at the delivery of it.

Let’s quickly examine how vaccines work, according to the World Health Organization: Vaccines contain weakened or inactive parts of a particular organism (antigen) that triggers an immune response within the body. Newer vaccines contain the blueprint for producing antigens rather than the antigen itself. Regardless of whether the vaccine is made up of the antigen itself or the blueprint so that the body will produce the antigen, this weakened version will not cause the disease in the person receiving the vaccine, but it will prompt their immune system to respond much as it would have on its first reaction to the actual pathogen.

To break it down, a vaccine tells your body how to fight; that’s all. No microchips, no active diseases, just a blueprint for your body to follow in case of infection. What else is there to possibly know?

Now, you could claim that you don’t know the ingredients, or how it’s made, but tell me, how many off-the-shelf Tylenol did you take in the last month? Advil?

Allergy medication? Vitamins?

Now, without looking, tell me exactly what’s in it and how it’s made. If you can then I applaud your research and memory, but I’m willing to bet that 90 per cent of you couldn’t be bothered, so how can you possibly care about what is going into this vaccine if it gets the job done?

I am disappointed and angered by people’s stubborn inclination to boycott the legitimacy and efficacy of the vaccine, but what really grates on my nerves is the apparent inability for people to accept others’ experiences during this time.

To the people who haven’t been directly affected by this virus, whether personally or through a

Icons by Iconfinder

loved one or acquaintance: consider yourselves very lucky.

Your experience may just entail having to wear a mask when you go out to the store — a thin, sometimes scratchy, sometimes bothersome piece of fabric on your face.

However, the tens of thousands infected have not been so lucky.

How many of them could have been protected if they or others had just stayed home? How many could have just worn a mask when they went grocery shopping and prevented somebody else from getting infected?

As someone just trying to do anything they can to keep themselves and others healthy, it’s sickening, maddening, frustrating, and sad.

I want my life to go back to something equating to normal. I want to go to a movie, see a friend, visit my family, walk through the mall without being paranoid that I might get sick, as I’m sure all of you do too.

But the only way, and I do mean the only way, that we’ll get through all of this is together.

I’m hopeful that there will be a light at the end of this tunnel soon, but we need to help each other through it in the meantime by realizing one thing; It’s not about you, it’s about everyone around you.

“To the people who haven’t been directly affected by this virus, whether personally or through a loved one or acquaintance: consider yourselves very lucky,” writes Staff Reporter Allan Sloan.

CREDIT: UNSPLASH

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LOVE & SEX ISSUE | JA N . 28, 202 1

THE ONTARION

Following the Capitol Hill riots, it will be up to newly elected U.S. president Joe Biden, and his administration, to heal a deeply divided nation, writes Anne O’Keefe.

CREDIT: UNSPLASH

Terror on Capitol Hill Looking at the invasion perpetrated against the U.S. Capitol, and its implications to American democracy ANNE O’KEEFE

W

hat began as a somewhat normal day for Americans was soon disrupted as the nation, and the world, watched in utter disbelief as the U.S. Capitol was invaded by its own people — by supporters of former president Donald Trump.

A mass demonstration thrown by many loyal Trump supporters was organized in protest of Congress confirming President Joe Biden’s win of this past November’s federal election.

Thousands of protesters from across America traveled to the nation’s capital to dispute the election outcome and wreak havoc.

The raid, which The New York Times reported was formally organized by far-right groups via social media, was the culmination of years of suppressed feelings felt by these Americans.

On Jan. 6 at roughly 1 p.m., the chanting crowd of Trump supporters marched their way to the Capitol Hill building, flags in tote, prepared to challenge the election result. While officers struggled to keep the crowds at bay, their effort proved useless as the mob broke

through the barricades around 2:30 p.m., not long after arriving on scene. Once inside, the group immediately made its way into the building and headed for the House and Senate chambers.

The angry crowd chanted in unison as they entered the building shouting, “stop the steal.” The situation soon escalated as rioters began scaling the building and breaking into the individual offices, including house speaker Nancy Pelosi’s.

One video captured from ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore showed Moore questioning a protester about the purpose of storming the congress building. His response was, “because they work for us; they don’t get to steal it from us, they don’t get to tell us we didn’t see what we saw.” This was in reference to the disproven claims of election rigging that took place during the 2020 presidential election.

As the afternoon progressed, the members of the house security team began barricading the doors to the chamber where Congress was previously in session. In the meantime, protesters continued to

wreak havoc on the building, looting and vandalizing throughout. It wasn’t until later in the evening, around 6 p.m., that the violence was quelled, and further law enforcement was brought onto the scene. While the chaos ensued, members of government pleaded for former president Trump to publicly abate the actions of his followers.

At around 4 p.m. the former president finally shared a pre-recorded video on his Twitter account in which he said, “you have to go home now; we have to have peace. So go home. We love you.”

The video, which was posted to the former president’s Twitter account, was removed shortly after due to concerns that it incited violence. The company then permanently suspended his account altogether as a result of his behavior violating a number of their company policies including their Glorification of Violence policy.

What is left to show from this infamous day in American history?

The riots resulted in the deaths of five people, the arrests of 100 (with countless more investigations underway, according to

the FBI), and wounds from a violent insurrection against democracy. The question that stands now is why did these people choose to do this?

For months now former president Trump has been on a tyrannical quest to prove that this past election was “rigged” and stolen by the Democrats. Shortly following Nov. 6, dozens of lawsuits were filed in response to these claims, the majority of them being thrown out for lack of evidence and proof in the weeks following.

Despite the lack of evidence to his claims, Trump has continued to speak openly about the flaws in the election process and how his adversaries would do (and, he believes, seemingly have done) everything to stop him from being re-elected.

Three days prior to the storming, Trump spoke openly at one of his rallies saying, “all of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats, which is what they’re doing. And stolen by the fake news media. That’s what they’ve done and what they’re doing. We will never give up; we will

never concede.”

This statement from Trump solidifies the fact that no matter the outcome, he will never accept defeat. No matter what is said, no matter how much this conflict splits the Republican party and the U.S., Trump has driven his message into the hearts of his supporters. In Trump’s eyes, and now the eyes of many Americans, the U.S. is a corrupt nation being strangled by the blue hand of the Democratic Party.

But what is to come this year? At what point will the political violence and tyranny end?

Following President Joe Biden’s inauguration, it will be up to him and his administration to heal this deeply divided nation.

This unification will be in the hope that Americans stop classifying one another based on their political party, and so that they can finally feel confident they live in a fair and equal democracy. While this battle for unity might be one that stretches onward for years to come, it is incumbent upon us as citizens to try our best to work for a better tomorrow, every day.

ISSUE 190. 2 | OPINION

THEONTARION.COM

27

 DIARY OF A VET STUDENT

Unlike some businesses, vet care has fortunately remained an essential service, but operations under pandemic constraints have left staff overworked and emotionally drained.

CREDIT: PEXELS

Show some love to your vet care team Now more than ever, a little kindness goes a long way CARLEIGH CATHCART

A

s Valentine’s Day approaches, The Ontarion once again gears up for its Love Issue. Though we typically think of “love” in a romantic context, the reality is that almost all interactions in life are based on some form of a relationship, be it romantic, friendship, professional, etc.

Given the unprecedented challeng-

es our society has faced this past year, I thought it might be a good time to highlight why (and how) to appreciate the individuals providing care for your furry friends.

As is true for numerous industries, the veterinary field has been hit hard by the effects of COVID-19. Unlike some businesses, vet care has fortunately remained

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an essential and busy service. However, operations under the constraints of constantly changing protocols have left even the most adaptable of staff overworked, frustrated, and emotionally drained. Here are some things to keep in mind as a pet/animal owner seeking veterinary care.  We don’t like the rules any more

than you do

The common policy at most clinics these days includes restricted client access to the building, phone calls as the main form of vet-client communication, and preor parking lot payment. These are not arbitrary rules put in place to make your or anyone else’s life difficult, but are a combination of directives, recommendations, and regional status for each clinic.

As a vet student I can confidently say that these rules make your vets lives more difficult, too. As soon as it is safe to do so, many of us will be relieved to welcome clients into the exam rooms once again. (Full disclosure: I lament client-less appointments, even though I understand their necessity. I think they seriously impede the relationship and communication between client and veterinarian. I will be ecstatic once we can resume in-person appointments).  If one goes down, we all do

The reason that veterinary clinics must be particularly adherent to infection mitigation is because they experience the consequences of an infection disproportionately.

Given the relatively small working environments of clinics, combined with limited staff and close-proximity interaction (ex. surgery, animal restraint), a single positive case can result in the closure of an entire clinic. It is not just about the physical threat to staff, but also the interruption in the ability to provide essential services to clients and their pets in the event of an unexpected closure.  We appreciate your support

We don’t blame you for being frustrated.

We’ve had over 10 long months of distancing, mask-wearing, isolation, and interruption to our regular lives. Most of us don’t want you to have to wait in your car

in minus 10 C (or plus 30) weather while we vaccinate Fido. We don’t want to call you five times between getting a history, explaining our findings, obtaining your consent for treatment, and arranging payment.

And we definitely do not want to increase the stress for you or your animal by separating you at the clinic. But right now, we simply do not have much of a choice.

It’s hard to be patient these days, and we understand that. But please remember that the receptionist on the phone, or the tech bringing Buster inside, or the assistant carrying your food order, isn’t responsible for the rules (or, for that matter, this virus).

We come into work every day, pandemic or not, because we love our jobs and your pets. We’re not the conventional “health care hero,” and don’t expect to be labeled as such.

We’re just asking for a little respect (and thankfully, most of you are providing it!).  There’s nothing suspicious going

on behind closed doors

This may not be on the top of most minds, but I noticed an interesting trend of late where clients’ question, sometimes directly to staff, how they can know that their pet is receiving x-y-z vaccine/treatment/ exam for which they’re scheduled. The honest answer is that you need to trust us.

You need to trust the clinic you’ve been bringing your animals to still strives to provide the best care possible. You need to trust that a heavily regulated, high-standards profession such as veterinary medicine will deliver what is right and what is promised. You need to trust that our doctors – individuals with almost a decade of education who have sworn an oath to serving animals ethically and competently – are doing what they say.

Like many others, I am desperate to return to normal human interaction. This is as true in my professional life as it is in my personal life, and I resent the negative impacts of this pandemic on veterinary staff, clients, and patients. Until the day I can gush over Bella’s adorable face right in front of yours, all I ask is for your kindness and understanding.

FUN STUFF

28

THE ONTARION

29 & 30 | FUN PAGES

FEBRUARY Disclaimer: The events listed are happening and abide by regional COVID-19 restrictions as of Jan. 27, 2021.

FEB 1 Aftershock Art Display By: Guelph Black Heritage Society A virtual mixed media art installation showcasing local talent.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

On eventbrite.ca

FEB 10

FEB 14

The Anti-Black Racism Workshop with Selam Debs By: Guelph Black Heritage Society A discussion on anti-racism with Selam Debs, speaking from her lived experience and her study in Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression, Black Sovereignty and Critical Race Theory.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

On eventbrite.ca

Online Valentine’s Day Special: Chocolate Truffle Workshop By: Shiela’s Treat yourself and your loved ones to a one of a kind chocolate truffle workshop in the comfort of your own kitchens! Spend the afternoon learning how to make three types of truffles with me via Zoom.

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

On eventbrite.ca

CWOW Speaker Series: Marva Wisdom By: CWOW - Collaborative Women of Wellington County A presentation from the founding member of the Guelph Black Heritage Society on female empowerment, leadership, engagement and diversity.

9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Tickets at: www.ticketscene.ca/ events/35884

FEB 4 Black Leadership in Anti-Black Spaces with MPP Laura Mae Lindo By: Guelph Black Heritage Society A conversation with Dr. Laura May Lindo, (NDP - MPP Kitchener Centre) about Black leadership.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

On eventbrite.ca

FEB 9 Guelph Virtual Job Fair By: Jobs Canada Fair Canadian job seekers are invited to attend a virtual job fair for people in the Guelph area.

Register online at: https://bit. ly/34TytsL 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

FEB 11 2021 Rural Symposium By: Sara Epp The Rural Symposium is an annual conference showcasing research by University of Guelph graduate students.

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

On eventbrite.ca

FEB 17 Free Painting Tutorials - Simply Elegant Cherry Blossoms By: Artists’s Palette Durham Region and Vera Malitskaya Join Vera for some painting fun!

This is beginner friendly. Supplies needed are: canvas of any size or media art paper, acrylic paints of primary yellow, blue, red, black and white, a few brushes, a water cup, and paper towel.

6:30 p.m. / On YouTube

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The Kramdens – Digital Performance By: River Run Centre and The Kramdens Virtual Tips for Heightening Guelph five-piece, The Kramdens Your Winter Nature Walks perform live at the River Run Centre and celebrate local music.

Program By: The Arboretum, University of 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

On riverrun.ca/whats-on/ Guelph The U of G Arboretum is offering the-kramdens/ a virtual program entitled Tips for Heightening Your Winter Nature Walks. Program Instructor, Ben will guide participants through some meaningful and fun invitations to ease participants out of their mind and into full body senses.

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. / On Zoom, $15.00 + H.S.T. per person register via uoguelph.ca/arboretum/educationandevents/workshops.

FEB 1 - 28 Flamingo Market By: Flamingo Market Flamingo Market makes it possible to shop local and support the LGBTQ2SIA+ community from the comfort of your own home!

12:00 a.m. - 11:45 p.m.

On flamingomarket.ca

VOLUNTEER WITH THE ONTARION   @TheOntarion

 @Ontarion

 TheOntarion.com/volunteer

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For your chance to win two Bobsdogs and two pops, just complete an EASY crossword, snap a picture, and send it to puzzles@theontarion.com by Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. Winners and anyone else who fills in the crossword correctly are announced in the paper each issue. Winners can arrange a physically distanced pickup of their voucher by emailing the same address.

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57–Element #10 58–Noted duck 60–Red flower 61–Camaro model 62–Art supporter 63–At hand 64–King of pop?

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CONNECT WITH US   @TheOntarion

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SUDOKU ANSWERS FROM ISSUE 190.1

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1–Biting 2–Lavish affection (on) 3–Actor Baldwin 4–Norton Sound city 5–Like some inspections 6–More recent 7–”A Horse With No Name” band 8–Humble dwelling 9–Allot 10–Give it ___!

11–Divination deck 12–”South Pacific” hero 13–Ruhr Valley city 21–Nose bone 23–Short messages 26–One of the Cartwrights 27–Touch on 28–Trevi Fountain site 29–King of tragedy 31–French 101 verb 34–Spellbound 36–Church feature 37–Microscopic arachnid 38–Cabinet dept.

39–Some NCOs 41–Circus sights 43–The x-coordinate of a point 46–Marine crustacean 49–Size up 51–Bert Bobbsey’s twin 52–Puppeteer Lewis 53–Recorded, in a way 54–Aggregate of qualities that make good character 55–Street show 57–Cheri of “Saturday Night Live” 60–”Get Smart” baddies 61–The wolf ___ the door 62–Fiddling emperor 63–Recover from a sprint 66–Prepared

STEP 1: Check Your

: e t o V o t w Ho

Get ready to make your vote count in your CSA Winter 2021 General Elections - it just takes 3 easy steps!

STEP 2: Read the candidate

STEP 3: Make sure you see

Gryphmail for a "Central

bios via the link at the top of

the "your response has been

Student Association Ballot -

the ballot and vote for your

recorded" message. Bonus:

VOTE!" email and select the

preferred candidate!

Remind a friend to vote too!

"click here to vote" link!

VOT I N G I S O P E N F E B R UA RY 8 - 1 1 !

FOR MORE INFO, VISIT CSAONLINE.CA/ELECTIONS

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