Volume 84. Issue 3

news

pp.3. Police will have a “significant and sustained presence” in Sandy Hill for Panda

pp.3. Take Back the Night Rally 2023

pp.4. UOSU Byelection debates to be held October 11

ARTS

pp.5. Nosy Mag and First Crush: A Homecoming Story

pp.6. Ottawa International Animation Festival Review: ‘Boat People’ is a sobering film about family, survival and Ants

pp.6. Live music venues and hearing health

pp.7. Olivia Rodrigo is Back: GUTS Review

SPORTS

pp.8. Fair-ytale: Gee-Gees top Ravens in Panda Game with 55-Yard field goal from Campbell Fair

pp.12. Guide to the Biggest Rivalry Sports Events of the Year

CupWire

U of A residential school memorial builds toward truth and healing

by Aparajita Rahman

On September 28, students and community members gathered on Main Quad to attend the third annual residential school memorial. This year, the memorial focused on the path forward to reconciliation and healing.

The Indigenous Students’ Union (ISU) planned the memorial in collaboration with the University of Alberta’s Students’ Union (UASU). Indigenous speakers shared their experiences and knowledge, and Indigenous artists performed near the Sweetgrass Bear. Read more at gatewayonline.ca

SCIENCES

pp.13. Talking Space with Trudel

OPINIONS

pp.14. Panda Weekend? More like Police State Weekend pp.14. Students’ greatest villain is Doug Ford, not the U of O Administration

“1, 2, 3, 4 Climate Change is At Our Door”: #EndFossilFuels Climate Action March at StFX

by Naomi Robinson

On Friday, September 15, 2023, the StFX campus and Antigonish community members marched for the global #EndFossilFuels movement. The event was organized by the “Antigonish League of People Advocating for Climate Action” (ALPACA), which is also a student society at X (ALPACA StFX). For context, the #EndFossilFuels movement is a “historical mobilization” that “renews and reinforces the globally coordinated efforts focused on ending the era of fossil fuels”, said in a statement on the official website (fightfossilfuels.net).

Read more at xaverian.ca

‘I’ll be thinking about this

all my life’: Students react to asbestos exposure at McGill

by Shani Laskin

Students at McGill’s Macdonald campus cite feeling frightened, isolated, and frustrated following the release of a report detailing the events that led to the asbestos-related closures of three buildings on the Macdonald campus in Winter 2023. The Internal Audit Final Report, which was released on Sept. 18, shows that Quebec regulators intervened on the Macdonald campus three times between 2021 and 2023, deeming that McGill was not properly following asbestos protocols. Read more at thetribune.ca

Police will have a “significant and sustained presence” in Sandy Hill for Panda

UOSU COMMISSIONERS FOCUSING ON KEEPING PANDA SAFE WHILE PROTECTING STUDENTS’ RIGHTS

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) will have a significant and sustained presence in Sandy Hill, Byward Market, and Old Ottawa South for Panda, the U of O’s homecoming weekend on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

Superintendent François D’Aoust of the OPS said in an interview with The Fulcrum that police will be present for pre and post-Panda activities. The OPS will also be requesting the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police to bolster numbers of officers deployed.

“We’re working closely with our partners, with Ottawa by-law and regulatory services, the Alcohol Gaming Commission

of Ontario and the universities as well to prepare for the Panda festivities,” said D’Aoust.

D’Aoust also discussed the OPS’s messaging for the event, which will be an “aggressive campaign starting on [September] 25.” Police liaison officers will be going doorto-door in Sandy Hill to talk to residents and will have key messages on social media for information and safety tips, including “being a good neighbor, meaning no loud parties,” according to D’Aoust.

“We want to make sure that the students are good neighbors to the other residents at Sandy Hill and in Old Ottawa,” said D’Aoust. “So the messaging is being a good friend, and watching out

Take Back the Night Rally 2023

for the safety and well being of each other.”

Commissioners from the University of Ottawa’s Students’ Union (UOSU) on the other hand, are pushing for a fun and safe Panda where students can have an enjoyable experience while respecting their neighbors.

Interim student life commissioner Rayne Daprato pointed to a necessary balance between the rights and responsibilities of students for Panda weekend.

“We’ve really been working on reminding the non-students of the community that we also have rights,” said Daprato.

Maisy Elspeth, advocacy commissioner for UOSU, agreed with the

importance of reminding students to not trash their neighborhood, but gave equal importance to reminding others that students are valuable members of their community.

“Students of Sandy Hill are members of Sandy Hill,” said Elspeth. Elspeth and Daprato have been discussing Panda activities with both the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, and the OPS in preparation for the weekend.

“There’s gonna be a pre and post-Panda event on campus that is open to students, and they are going to be serving drinks,” said Elspeth.

In terms of the presence of police officers on campus for the event, Elspeth’s original under-

SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS STILL PREVALENT IN CANADA AND IN THE WORLD. THESE PROTESTERS SEEK TO END IT

Content warning: for mentions of sexual assault

On the evening of Sept. 21, the Take Back the Night March of Ottawa was gathered at Minto Park This march is a part of a global demonstration in thirty countries around the world, where protesters gather each year to call for an end to sexual violence.

This year’s rally was organized by the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa (SASCO), an organization that provides virtual and in-person support groups for survivors of sexual assault.

“This year we

standing was that external security would be hired, and expressed a lack of clear communication with the OPS.

“I had to ask multiple times if there will be cops on campus and originally it was ‘no, not at the event’. And then it was, ‘well, yes, but they’re not really gonna be visible unless there’s an issue’,” said Elspeth. “My understanding thus far is that there will be cops on campus, and I think I can say pretty unequivocally that we’re not happy with that.”

In 2022, the cost of policing Panda and preand-post game activities in residential neighborhoods was between $300,000 to $500,000.

Shailee Shah

Ciku Gitonga

Rally at Minto Park. Photo: Ciku Gitonga/Fulcrum.

wanted to focus on amplifying marginalized voices,” said Amina Doreh, the public education coordinator at SASCO.

This commitment to inclusion was apparent in the line-up of rally speakers. Firstly, the MC of the event, Bilan Arte, spoke in both English and French and was accompanied by two sign-language interpreters. The speakers of the night were N’nerjie, a Black queer musician; Marie-Pier Savage, a Francophone activist; and Dahlia Belfer, a disabled r fourth-year student studying social work at Carleton

University.

“We are here to demand safety,” said the Arte. “In our streets, in our homes, in the world.”

N’nerjie began her speech with the confession that she was a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

“It happened for 9 years. Eventually, I made the decision to press charges. This morning, this matter was adjourned to benefit the person who abused me. I’m starting to realize that these systems put in place to protect us don’t actually do that,” said N’nerjie to an emo-

tional crowd.

“To all the survivors here, I want you to know that healing is possible. I want you to know that you can live in your body again. I want you to know that you’re not alone. Have compassion for yourself.”

Dahlia Belfer began her speech by reciting the statistic that disabled women experience sexual assault at 4 times the national average of non-disabled women.

“This was never and will never be acceptable.”

Belfer rebuked

UOSU Byelection debates to be held October 11

the attitude of dismissal taken by the general public towards the stories of abuse in the disabled community. Towards the end of her speech, she performed a spoken word poem that lingered on the emotions of a mother waiting anxiously for her disabled daughter to come home after a night out.

“Je ne suis pas victime, j’suis pas survivante,” said Marie-Pier Savage, the final speaker of the English, I am not a victim, I am not a survivor.

Arte spoke in a final address, highlighting the intersection of colo-

UOSU executive candidates in contested races to face off in live-streamed debates

The candidates for the University of Ottawa Students’ Union’s (UOSU) byelection have been named. Two of the UOSU exec positions have contested races. To help students discern their votes, debates for the

Communications Commissioner and President positions will be held bilingually on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m at the Fulcrum office (631 King Edward Ave).

The UOSU by-election voting period will begin on Oct. 9 and conclude Oct. 13. Voting will take place through

a link sent to students’ emails or in-person. The Communications Commissioner position will be decided between current Director for the Indigenous Students Association Quanah Traviss and former Director for Engineering Daniel Thorp. The candidates will

debate over their plans for the newly established role.

The Presidential debate will be held between Ryan Vafaei and former Chair of the UOSU Board of Directors Delphine Robitaille. Vafaei has no previous experience with UOSU.

The debate will

nialism, white supremacy, and gender-based violence.

“We must take particular care to defend indigenous women, trans women, racialized women, newcomer women, and women from all marginalized communities.”

After the speeches, the rally became a march, beginning on Lewis Street and ending at the Ottawa City Hall. The night was filled with chants, with singing, with the sound of a community gathered to lift each other up.

be live-streamed on the Fulcrum’s Youtube channel. Each question will be repeated in both French and English by moderators from the Fulcrum and La Rotonde.

Kavi Vidya Achar

Image: UOSU/Provided.

Arts

Nosy Mag and First Crush: A Homecoming Story

This year’s Homecoming Art Market will bring the perfect combo of food, tunes, and all things art.

Ottawa is not a sleepy town. The teams at Nosy Mag and First Crush argue that it is up to us to foster spaces and community for artists and creatives. When we actively tackle this goal, exciting things happen.

The Homecoming: Art Market and Music event is a manifestation of this endeavour. Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter, the Founder of First Crush said in an interview with the Fulcrum, “We tried to respond to the idea that Ottawa was boring by showing that it’s more productive to create opportunities for people to come together.”

On a sunny morning, we met online with representatives from Nosy Mag, First Crush, and one of the many creative vendors to discuss Sunday’s Homecoming event on Oct. 1. The discussion included an overview of what to expect at the art market: wise alumni advice, and a few kitty interruptions. You can’t have an online meeting without some cat shenanigans!

Sarah Jasmine Hodgson, the Nosy Mag Project Director, and Argiropulos-Hunter are part of the team of bright minds managing and planning the showcase.

These passionate artists have known each other for a long time — since their time at the U of O, in fact. Hodgson said “I met [Argiropulos-Hunter] when I was like 18 or 19 at [the University of] Ottawa. So we’ve always been

in the same communities and I’ve watched [Argiropulos-Hunter] grow… I feel like we’ve always been doing very similar things.”

So of course Hodgson and Argiropulos-Hunter would collaborate on this project.

Reflecting on her U of O days, Hodgson describes it as an environment that encourages learning and growing. She enjoys visiting the U of O Visual Arts Building, calling it her “happy place”, where she loves “chatting with all the professors and students.”

When asked about creative life after school and advice for current students Argiropulos-Hunter has some excellent insight. In addition to stressing the importance of fostering patience, she said “I had a teacher once who told me that the job you will have does not exist yet. So, I think the same applies for any creative pursuit. That is motivational.”

On the topic of the art community, Hodgson adds, “We can all help each other out. Most of us end up, if we pursue arts in some way, working in the same sector together.

So it’s important that we help one another out because otherwise, no one really wins.”

The team is very excited for the showcase to bring communities together and for local artists to have a creative space to sell and exhibit their work. Homecoming will give a spotlight to artists from the Ottawa-Gatineau region and raise money for the Minwaashin Lodge,

through their pay-whatyou-can bake sale.

On Sunday, Oct. 1, the Homecoming show-

sale, you’ll be tempted to get at least one thing from everyone. After attending last year’s art market,

mination of Nosy Mag and First Crush to bring the Ottawa art scene to life. The art market brings music

case will take place at the Vanier Hub. The event will be the perfect combination of artistic talent from local musicians and art vendors, like Kayla Eli, the founder and editor of the Birds Lips Zine.

Eli’s inspiration for her recent project came after a creative block that left her “anxious about starting [her] work after school.” A 2022 fine arts graduate, utilised her degree to capture the complexity of her project. The goal of the project was to “tell the story of why I took an abrupt pause from artmaking as I shifted my focus onto writing about things in my life that make me vulnerable. It’s time to get my voice out there.”

Homecoming boasts a wide variety of artistic vendors that provide pottery, paintings, handmade clothing, and so many other options! With such diverse options for

Hodgson jokingly warns, “be careful out there, you might buy too much stuff; everything is so cute!”

In addition to the many vendors, there is much more going on at Homecoming.

Argiropulos-Hunter explains there will be four performing artists. Two artists will be performing live sets and there will be two DJs. One of the DJs is Argiropulos-Hunter herself. She adds “The event is really curated to represent the breadth of creative music”.

We’re so excited for the live music and variety of vendors and to see students, neighbours, and friends gather at Vanier Hub.

You can expect a day filled with lots of art, snacks, and music to keep you entertained!

‘Homecoming’ is a testament to the deter-

and creators of different disciplines together, so there really is something for everyone to enjoy.

Sydney Grenier & Ayai Offor

Image: Nosy Mag/Provided.

Ottawa International Animation Festival Review: ‘Boat People’ is a sobering film about

family, survival and Ants

Ants, much like humans are creatures of great survival

What do you know about ants? And more specifically, what can they do for you?

Co-directed by Thao Lam and Kjell Boersma, Boat People is a short film detailing the voyage of Lam’s family as they flee from Vietnam and cross the South China Sea. The

10-minute film is selected as part of the 2023 Ottawa International Animation

drawing artists, producers, students, and animation aficionados from all over

unique in that the narration largely follows the behaviours of ants — Lam

appear toned-down but it provides great emphasis to a majority of the film, which has quite emotional and sensitive parts.

The consistent colour palettes utilized in combination with the somber musical direction makes the burdens Lam’s family went through feel larger than the people themselves.

This all comes to an emotional peak when Lam finally asks her father, who has been dealing with the lost of his mother since their escape, why did her parents leave Vietnam?

“You,” is the response, and suddenly it all makes sense for Lam, who has her own child on the way.

Festival.

Since 1976, the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) has been one of the world’s major animation festivals. The five-day festival includes screenings, workshops, and entertainment. The event brings together art and industry inviting

Live music venues and hearing health

Hearing loss can be permanent

Hearing loss is a severe issue amongst young adults, with 9 per cent of adults aged 20-39 experiencing audiometrically measurable hearing loss and 40 per cent reported experiencing tinnitus in the past year of the study (as of 2015).

Hearing Health Alliance Canada has gone on to say “Canada is on the cusp of a potential public health crisis.”

There are sev-

eral things people can do to prevent hearing loss, including reduced volume and use of headphones.

It is suggested that live music venues, which routinely expose their patrons to dangerously loud music, take measures that advocate for their hearing health. Here are a few examples of how these venues can implement measures to protect the hearing of their patrons.

Selling Ear Plugs at Live Venues

the world.

The OIAF transforms the ByTowne Cinema, Arts Court, Club SAW, Strathcona Park, the National Arts Centre, Château Laurier, and the Ottawa Art Gallery into the centre of animation from Sept. 20 to 24.

The film is

described how her mother saved ants from bowls of sugar water as a young girl — and how these ants guided Lam’s family to safety during a brutal attack.

The animation, which is a mixture of 2D, stop-motion multiplane and 3D rendering, might

Leaving home, especially one wrought with political turmoil, is difficult for everyone. But many of us can appreciate the sacrifices our families have made to ensure safety and opportunity for their children…with some help from ants.

Nicholas Socholotiuk

Amira Benjamin

Hearing loss is a severe issue amongst young adults. Image: Sanjida Rashid/The Fulcrum.

Image: National Film Board of Canada/Provided.

This is an easy measure to implement. Live venues should sell earplugs to their patrons. There are so many kinds of earplugs, varying in loudness reduction, music quality, comfort, and purpose, amongst others. These could be sold at the same locations where merch is sold, which would make them easy to find. While they are long-lasting, live

venues are constantly seeing new concertgoers. Plus, it is always good to have spare sets.

Sound Distribution Charts / Areas of Exposure

This is very important for festivals and concerts that attract new attendees to their venues. Regardless of who is playing, the acoustics will not be changing all too much.

Olivia Rodrigo is Back: GUTS Review

Having an accessible diagram of which parts of the venue will be loud can help concertgoers make educated decisions on which seats they purchase or where they position themselves during the performance.

Warning of Hearing Loss

While it may seem obvious, it deserves recognition. Hearing loss is

not talked about enough, and live venues take part of the responsibility in preventing injuries to their attendees. Warning attendees that they are at risk of permanent hearing loss is due diligence. There are several more things live venues could do to ensure the hearing of their patrons are well protected. Live music venues are just part

of the problem. There needs to be greater advocacy in protecting the hearing loss of citizens, whether that be informing them of ways hearing loss can occur, greater access to facilities to test hearing ability, and more. For now, hearing loss prevention starts with learning about it.

GUTS was a highly anticipated 12-track album that we can’t stop listening to. Here are our favorite songs.

are our favorite songs.

“all-american bitch”

Olivia Rodrigo is taking the world by storm. From Spotify, the Billboard charts to the VMAs, she hasn’t left our conversations since her 2021 freshman album, Sour. Sour gave Rodrigo the platform that she has now, and won her three Grammys, a Juno Award and seven

The tone of this song is incredibly fierce, and a bright light shines on Rodrigo’s true tigress. Furthermore, we can spot a massive contradiction in this song, when she clarifies why she is the ideal woman in America. She doesn’t get angry, she is light, empathetic, with

ty. Firstly, she explains that she wants to be back with her past relationship. On the other hand, she contradicts this by wanting to get back at him.

lacy

“lacy” is the most underrated song on Guts. There are many speculations as to what the song is about, but many believe that she is describing an

Billboard Music Awards. Most importantly, she’s won our hearts and our streams.

On Sept. 8, Rodrigo released her sophomore album, Guts. It was a highly anticipated 12-track album that we can’t stop listening to. Here some of

hips and lips. She has it all; “I know my place and this is it!”

“get him back!”

In “get him back!”, Rodrigo takes us through her mixed feelings, and approaches them with a strong feroci-

ideal woman that she feels she needs to be. She sings “I despise my rotten mind and how much it worships you.”

the grudge

“the grudge” consumes you, beautifully illustrating how Rodri-

go continually tries to be the “bigger person”, how she tries to be “fine”, but she can’t. She finishes her song stating: “It takes strength to forgive but,” leaving us wondering what will happen next. Rodrigo herself might not even know what she wants to do next. Does she forgive who once was the love of her life? Or, does she say goodbye to the hopeless nights?

teenage dream

The last song in this award-winning album does not disappoint. “teenage dream” takes us through Rodrigo’s thoughts on turning 19, and how she contrarily

believes that she’s already lived the best part of her life. How now, to continue living life as it is, may not be everything everyone claims it to be, due to what happened in the before. Rodrigo has, once again, successfully given us many more songs to cry to the night before our finals, songs to scream to when we lack sanity. Personally, we couldn’t

imagine a greater gift with the beginning of a new school year. Although, we’re sure we can’t all help but wonder —how does it get better than this?

Chiara Bramante & Annabel Holman

On Sept. 8, Olivia released her sophmore album GUTS. Image: Sanjida Rashid/The Fulcrum.

Fair-ytale: Gee-Gees top Ravens in Panda Game with 55-Yard field goal from Campbell Fair

“It means everything. It’s so much. Celebrating after the game with everyone – people are coming up, taking pic-

Two teams with identical records facing off in a game that has massive playoff implications. Homecoming for two massive Canadian universities. 25 degrees, sunny, and a sold-out crowd. Martin Scorcese couldn’t script it any better than what the setting was for the 54th annual Panda Game. Although the Gees were coming off of a tough 50-17 loss to Western, there existed reason for optimism at the U of O. U SPORTS rookie quarterback Josh Janssen was 19-

the pocket.

The Carleton Ravens won the coin toss at the beginning of the game and elected to kickoff to the Gee-Gees, saving their return for the second half. As fireworks erupted, Charles Asselin took the deep kick all the way to the 40-yard line, but fumbled the ball, setting the Ravens up with excellent field position.

After a 16-yard pass from quarterback

Tristan Lefebvre, the Ravens set up on the 20-yard line. The passes just kept coming for Lefebvre, as he then threw a pass for a

into the endzone for the first touchdown of the game, barely a minute in.

Josh Janssen finally took the field after a short return by Asselin. but was unable to make up any ground as the Gees went two-and-out. Campbell Fair sent a great punt all the way to the 40yard line, and the Ravens proceeded to collect a penalty for a block to the back. And the Ravens just couldn’t keep their hands to themselves, picking up a holding penalty on their next run.

Staring at a 1st and 20, the Ravens picked

and punted to the Gees. The Ravens took yet another penalty, which Amlicar Polk seemingly took offence to. Polk dashed for 37-yards, deep into Carleton territory, which brought forth deafening cheers from the U of O stands. Polk came into the game second in U SPORTS with a 145.3 yards per game average.

After throwing for a loss of one yard, Janssen was promptly sacked by the Ravens, setting Campbell Fair up for a tough 43-yard field goal attempt. Fair missed the long field goal try, giving

population, seemingly aren’t great learners. They took another penalty, leaving them with yet another first-and-long, which they again couldn’t get out of, with credit due to a great tackle from Eric Cumberbatch.

After a short return, Janssen found Malenfant for an 8-yard gain, leaving the Gees just short of a first down near the 55-yard line. But Polk couldn’t break through for a gain, and Campbell Fair was back to punt. The Ravens took the ball at their own 30-yard line.

The Gees

for-23 in that game, and looked very comfortable both inside and outside of

gain of nine yards. On second-and-one the quarterback threw a high, arching spiral that took the Ravens

up some much-needed ground, but were unable to make it all the way to the first down marker

the ball back to the Ravens at their 20-yard line.

The Ravens, much like their student

stopped the Ravens again on second down and would again receive a punt from deep in Carleton ter-

Andrew Wilimek

Photo: Matt Osborne/Fulcrum.

ritory. Asselin dropped the punt, but luckily recovered the ball before the Ravens could snatch the fumble.

Janssen then found Malenfant near the sidelines for a gain of six yards, but Polk

one. In his first appearance of the year, Gabriel Leroux took out the returner, and the ball squirted out in the process, but it was followed by two penalty flags, which resulted in a

yard line. Lefebvre looked deep yet again, and Gees star defensive back Patrick Cumberbatch, twin of Eric, again batted it away. The Ravens looked for a short pass next, and Max

the returner, picking up a rouge good for the Gee’s first point of the day. The Ravens would start their next drive with the ball placed at the 35-yard line. Lefebvre, not learning his lesson, sent a deep ball down the right side of the field that was nearly snatched up by the Gees. After a 2 and out, the Ravens punted.

found an open receiver up the middle on a 22-yard pass, good for a Gee-Gees touchdown. The rouge came into play here, as the touchdown gave the Gees a one-point lead.

was again stopped short of a first down, forcing the U of O to punt.

After back-toback runs, Carleton finally snuck through the Gee’s defence and found a first down, which ended the first quarter. On second-and-seven, Charlie Tittley pressured Lefebrve and took him to the ground, though he got the pass off just in time to avoid a sack.

The Gees started their first drive of the second quarter on their 23-yard line. Polk took the ball, and danced to his left, around a couple of Ravens defenders, and through a few more, for a gain of nine. Janssen gave it back to Polk, who bullied his way to a first down.

Janssen took the ball from the 34-yard line and slid for a short gain, evading tackles. Facing a second-and-long, Polk wasn’t quite able to make it to the marker, and the Gees were punting from their 30. And it was a good

15-yard penalty against the Gees.

Lefebvre started to look deep, sending a deep pass on secondand-one that was batted down by the Gees. Now at the midfield line, the Ravens decided to go for it. The Ravens tried a sneaky play, as they faked a sneak but again looked deep. The ball was again batted down by the Gees, giving them the ball, still placed at the midfield line.

It looked like a huge gain for the Gees as Janssen spotted Kerwin Guiste downfield, but as Guiste came down with the ball it was forced out of his hands. Nevertheless, Janssen didn’t give up. He found Gendron up the middle for a 30-yard gain, and the Gees fans erupted again.

However, Janssen’s luck ended there, as his next deep pass found the hands of Ravens back Malik Yusuf. The Gees turned the ball over again, this time at the Raven’s 10-

Charbonneau was having none of it, laying out the Ravens receiver. Charbonneau came into the game leading U SPORTS with 8.5 tackles per game.

Carleton punted from their own endzone, and this time Asselin took it past the 55-yard line, juking and spinning his way to a good gain. Janssen gave the ball to his star running back, and Polk didn’t disappoint, powering his way to a nine-yard gain. On second-and-one, Janssen snuck his way to a first down for the Gees, ending up at the Raven’s 42-yard line.

After a false start, though the Gees were looking up at a second-and-long. Janssen seemingly had a wideopen receiver in Avery, but his pass sailed over the receiver’s head, and the punting unit was back on the field, this time hoping to pin the Ravens in their own territory. The punt sailed into the endzone, and two Gee-Gees tackled

Asselin dropped his third punt of the day but recovered it nicely for a few yards. The Gees went two-and-out on this drive though and would punt from their 40-yard line. And again, it was a good one from Campbell Fair. His punt took the Ravens out of bounds around their 18-yard line. The Gees were winning the territory battle but didn’t have much to show for it yet.

But the Gees defence shone yet again, this time on a second down sack by Braeden Cruji and Anas Faid. After another good return by Asselin, Janssen took the ball himself on play-action for six yards. Again, almost within Fair’s kicking range, the Gees took a timeout to regroup. This was likely the most important play of the half for the garnet-andwhite-clad boys.

Head coach Marcel Bellefeuille wisely called Polk’s number, and the power back took the ball for a good gain and first down. Janssen then found Malenfant for a gain of seven up the middle, leaving the Gees with a second-and-three. After a fake, Janssen found an open man by the sideline for another Gee-Gees first down.

After a failed passing attempt on first down, Janssen didn’t make the same mistake on the second down. He

The Ravens proceeded to run out the short amount of time left on the game clock, confirming the U of O 8-7 lead at the end of the first half. The Gees had seven first downs to the Ravens four, with neither converting a third down. Polk went into the half with 68 yards on ten attempts, which led the game at that point.

Josh Janssen’s completions showed 7-for-13 with 81 yards to his name, and a touchdown and interception each.

Zachary Copeland started off the second half by kicking the ball into the Ravens endzone. After a gain of just one yard, Lefebvre took the ball up the middle himself for a first down. A short pass and a good rush allowed the Ravens another first down, with the ball on their own 53. On second-and-eight, Lefebvre got too confident, trying to take the ball himself once again. This time Lefebvre was stopped well short of a first down, and the Ravens would have to punt.

Janssen found his favourite target, Maxim Malenfant, once again, on a pass that would be good for five yards. On his next drop back, his pass again found Carleton’s hands, but they weren’t sicky enough to reel in the interception.

After a 7-yard rush, the Ravens stuck with the ground game. Thanks to Kevin Anderson however, they would have to wait for their first down. But they wouldn’t have to wait too long, as they snuck the ball past the marker on the very next

Photo: Matt Osborne/Fulcrum.

play. Ravens running back Josh Ferguson was excelling in the short run game. After a 15-yard pass and first down, Lefebvre went back to the air. This time, the ball sailed well past the intended target Hunter Brown. Far from field goal territory, the second down pass was completed, but receiver Jaden Simon ended up no where close to a first down.

Polk took the ball for a short gain, setting up a second-and-seven. This time, Janssen found Robin Collioud for a 12-yard pass, good for a Gees first down. And then, Janssen

making it all the way to Carleton’s 13-yard line.

Keeping with the passing theme, Janssen then found Scott Fulton to his left, and Fulton dived past the endzone marker for a Gee-Gees touchdown. Fair nailed the extra point, sending a bullet through the uprights, and it was 15-7 Gee-Gees.

I’m still wondering what Zachary Copeland’s leg day routine could possibly entail, because he sent the kickoff a staggering 74-yards, and it ended up deep into the Ravens endzone. The extra field position ended up important for the Gee-Gees,

sent the Ravens to the Gee-Gee’s 19-yard line. Running back Alex Gayle took the ball and ran almost all those yards, before he was stopped by a crucial Eric Cumberbatch tackle, leaving them with one yard to go and three downs to get there. But six different Gee-Gees tackled Gayle on his rush attempt, losing them two yards. Knowing that, Lefebvre decided to take a shot at a pass, which was knocked down by Marc Rondeau. On third down, the Ravens decided to take another shot at the run game. But Samuel Desir had other plans as he

to go thanks to a ridiculous defensive effort from the Gees. The third quarter was over, the teams switched sides, and the Gees had the ball on their own 1-yard line after the turnover on downs.

But after taking over in their own end zone, the Gees were in trouble. Attempting a run, Polk was tackled for a Carleton safety, giving two points and the ball to the Ravens. After another couple of solid defensive efforts from the Gees, the Ravens went two-and-out.

The Gees had a 2-and-out of their own and it looked to everyone in at-

the ball, sprinting down the right side of the field for a first down.

The fake would prove crucial for the garnet and grey. After a short gain by Polk, Janssen spotted a wide-open Noah Avery up the middle for 23 yards. Polk gained four yards, and Janssen completed a pass to Collioud for five, and the Gees were facing a third-and-one deep in the Raven’s nest. Matt Mahler was tapped to sneak the ball for a first down, and he succeeded, gaining the yard and then some.

After another short gain by Polk, the Gees were facing second-

decided to look downfield. He found a streaking, wide open, Gendron for a 60yard pass. Gendron took extra yards after the catch,

because the Ravens would then proceed to pick up four first downs on their next drive.

The first downs

tendance as if they would again punt from their 35yard line. But trickster Campbell Fair fooled the defence and took off with

and-nine. Janssen’s pass attempt found the intended receiver’s left hand but bounced away to the Raven’s Xavier Malone. It

Photo: Matt Osborne/Fulcrum.

would go down as Janssen’s second interception of the day. With just over seven minutes left, the intensity was heating up in TD Place as Carleton looked to overcome the six-point deficit.

After back-toback medium passes, the Ravens went back to the ground. Josh Ferguson took the ball past multiple Gee-Gees and began sprinting down the sideline. Braeden Cruji caught up, but the damage was done. Ferguson added a 26-yard rush to his tally, his longest of the day.

Then, Lefebvre showed off his improvising abilities. He pumpfaked, spun, and found a wide-open receiver for the first down, at the U of O’s 1-yard line. The Gees couldn’t stop this one, and backup quarterback Tristan Rinaldis dashed in for a Raven’s touchdown, their first since just minutes into the game. After nailing the extra point, the Ravens had a one-point lead.

After a solid return by Asselin, the Gees would start their next drive on their own 24. Janssen threw a low pass to Collioud, which was good for 6 yards. He spotted Collioud again on his next drop back, and Collioud backtracked before burning the defenders on him and picking up a first down.

Janssen showed off his accuracy again on the next play, as he found Gendron for a 21-yard gain down the left side. Then it was Polk’s turn for a gain, as he took the ball six yards to the Carleton 54. But Janssen had nowhere to go on his next drop back, choosing instead to run into coverage and be sacked.

Although Fair’s punt was good, the Gees took another penalty on a punt, leaving the Ravens to start their drive at their 31. After a pair of runs from Gayle, the Ravens had another first down, this time on their 43.

But the Raven’s running success would end there, as Riley Hildebrant tacked Gayle for a four-yard loss. Lefebvre then decided to pass, and again lost yards. The Ravens would punt with 50 seconds on the clock.

Starting with the ball on their own 43, Janssen spotted an open receiver, but the pass landed just outside his reach for an incompletion. After a 9-yard pass to Noah Avery brought them almost to the midfield line, Janssen completed another pass to Nicholas Gendron, this time for ten yards.

The clock read just four seconds, and Campbell Fair was tapped by Bellefeuille to lead the kicking unit onto the field. Fair began preparing for

the kick but was iced by a Carleton timeout. The Ravens faithful, showing a lack of basic football understanding, began storming the field. Chaos ensued as security attempted to remove the fans from the field to Campbell Fair kick the ball.

When Fair finally stepped up to the ball, he was looking at a 55yard try, which would tie the longest of his career, set last year against Laurier (also a game winner). This would be just four yards short of the longest U SPORTS field goal of all time, behind Niko DiFonte of UBC in 2017.

Fair showed off his mighty leg, which he also used in 2021 to kick the Gees to victory and nailed the kick. The ball seemed to hang in the air forever, and it cleared the bar by just a couple of feet. The Gees had walked it off. Then, the fans from the opposite side of the stadium stormed the field. Bellefeuille said postgame that he was sending Fair out “no matter what.”

When asked about what the crowd means to him postgame, Fair was almost at a loss for words. “It means everything. It’s so much. Celebrating after the game with everyone – people are coming up, taking pictures, people I don’t know – but I feel like I know them.”

When asked about his plans for next year (considering he took training camp with the Canadian Football League’s Stampeders and was also signed by the RoughRiders this summer), Fair was hopeful.

“CFL has been my goal my whole university career. I’m just going to keep going until I get my shot.” And when The Fulcrum inquired about Fair’s

drink of choice tonight, a clear winner emerged. “It’s going to have be a beer. I’m not sure what [beer] yet, we’ll find something.”

Janssen finished the contest 18-for-28, good for 251 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Starting the year as the third-string quarterback and moving up the depth chart due to injuries, Janssen was thankful for the opportunity to play in the Panda Game. “The coaches do a great job of keeping everyone ready, third string to start the year but you never know when the opportunity is going to come, so I’m very grateful, and glad we got the win”.

Speaking about Janssen, Bellefeuille said “I was impressed with his performance. You take back the two turnovers,

that would be great, but outside of that he pushed the ball downfield and was composed. And he’s only going to get better from playing in these games”.

Nicholas Gendron, he of 191 yards last Panda Game, racked up 121 on just four receptions. Polk led the game with 83 rushing yards, on just 15 attempts. And Max Charbonneau continued to dominate, putting up 9.5 tackles on the day.

Photo: Matt Osborne/Fulcrum.

Photo: Matt Osborne/Fulcrum.

Guide to the Biggest Rivalry Sports Events of the Year

Pedro was the coveted prize in a 1955 match between the two schools, and since then, this game has evolved into a cherished tradition, epitomizing the Gee-Gees’ rivalry with the Ravens

Welcome back to campus, everyone! As the new school year kicks off, so does the exciting GeeGees sports season, offering a plethora of thrilling events throughout the fall and winter semesters. Don’t miss out on the best sporting action of the year. Here’s a guide to help you plan your sports calendar:

Panda Game — Oct. 1

Ah yes, the Panda Game. This iconic event takes center stage as one of the most anticipated happenings on the academic calendar. Scheduled for Oct. 1 at TD Place, this annual event draws students and alumni from both the University of Ot-

tawa and Carleton University for an epic showdown.

The Panda Game traces its roots back to a mythical stuffed panda named Pedro (yes, we double-checked, and it’s true). Pedro was the coveted prize in a 1955 match between the two schools, and since then, this game has evolved into a cherished tradition, epitomizing the Gee-Gees’ rivalry with the Ravens.Check out

Make sure to check out PandaFest, a vibrant pre-game tailgate party and post-game celebration designed for students to revel in school spirit and have a blast. Last year, a staggering 24,000 students joined the festivities, and we’re hoping for an even larger turnout this

year.

Colonel By Classic — TBD

For avid hockey enthusiasts seeking action-packed games, the Colonel By Classic is a must-see. This doubleheader features both the men’s and women’s hockey teams facing off against the Carleton Ravens, determining the city’s ultimate hockey supremacy. Played at TD Place, this tournament takes its name from Colonel By Drive, the roadway connecting the U of O to Carleton. The men’s teams battled it out in 2016, while the women’s teams clashed in 2018.

Last year marked the first time both teams played on the same night,

and we’re crossing our fingers for a repeat this year.

If you crave powerful hits, graceful dekes, and thrilling goals, keep an eye out for these tickets to go on sale. The women play for the Alerts Cup, a name derived from a pioneering women’s hockey team in Ottawa.

Capital Hoops Classic —

Feb. 2 2024

The Capital Hoops Classic is a basketball extravaganza that promises epic showdowns. This event unfolds at TD Place featuring a head-tohead battle between the U of O and, you guessed it, Carleton University. Established in 2007, this event has consistently shattered attendance records in U

SPORTS history over its 16year history. With around 8,000-10,000 fans filling the stadium, this incredible rivalry never fails to deliver high-octane action.

The Gee-Gees men’s team has clinched victory three times, while the women’s team has celebrated success five times. Join us this year as they aim for their fourth and sixth triumphs, respectively.

With these thrilling events on the horizon, students have numerous opportunities to support their teams, enjoy memorable moments with friends, and create lasting memories. Don’t miss out on the excitement!

Tyler Beauchesne

Image: Sanjida Rashid/Fulcrum.

Talking Space with Trudel

Discussing current events in space news and the history behind it

Space has long been an object of human fascination and mild romanticism. Perhaps as a result, this has led to our centuries-long study of the cosmos that has left us humbled yet exhilarated. The Fulcrum had the pleasure of sitting down with science historian, writer and U of O professor, Jean-Louis Trudel. With a vast background spanning multiple degrees, novels, research and accolades, we discussed key topics in the world of space-exploration.

The genesis of his fascination with space began in his early school years — gathered amongst his classmates anxiously watching the first flight of ‘Space Shuttle Columbia’ (1981). As time passed an abundance of space-related media caught his eye citing Carl Sagan’s TV series Cosmos, reruns of I Dream of Jeannie, Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine and of course, the first Star Wars movie. Notably, this occurred during “NASA’s 1970s propaganda effort geared towards gaining sympathy,” according to Trudel.

The New Space Race

It’s hard to ignore the ongoing Artemis 2 mission which is set to launch in 2024. Not only is it expected to perform a flyby of the Moon, but will also set the stage for a much grander mission: Mars. As well as recent international efforts of countries and private corporations to reach the Moon in search

of ice on its south pole. Many have begun to name these efforts as “The New Space Race”.

In Trudel’s opinion, these missions are long delayed.

Throughout his PhD work, “there were reasons to go back to the moon and people who wanted to mine the moon crust for helium three. One of the hopeful topics – back then we’re talking the 1990s, was to have on the far side of the moon, some automated [radio] telescopes.”

Trudel stated Canada’s place in the broad scheme of things and among the efforts of nations and companies to advance the exploration of space, “we are along for the ride, which is not a bad place to be.”

The Commercialization of Space

For one, Trudel found himself very envious about the people who get to leave the planet, mentioning when William Shatner went up into space and Canadian billionaire Guy Laliberte even before him.

He continued,“ it’s all part of making access to space easier and… people are going to take advantage of the fact” that billionaires can provide easier funding to space exploration projects than government-controlled programs.

Trudel drew historical parallels of technological advances made possible through generous and wealthy patrons gradually becoming ves-

sels of common use over time. Such as with early planes, Spanish voyages into the Americas and China becoming the vessels of common pirates. This is not the first time a passion project required funding from wealthy interested parties — I’m looking at you, Christopher Columbus.

Sustainability of Space Exploration/Travel

In the past, space exploration had fallen out of public interest due to several reasons, the largest being the cost (the Apollo program costing over $ 200 billion in modern US dollars).

With a recent resurgence in space research and private space enterprises, the Fulcrum asked if space research should be approached more sustainably.“There’s always been a large amount of waste of resources that is unfortunately, implicit in what is known to physicists as the Rocket Equation,” said Trudel.

He also mentioned that compared to the Apollo program, we have made significant advancements in technology. Factoring in size, “the computing power of the Apollo modules was basically what you have in a small calculator, and much less was much less than what you have in a phone nowadays.”

Trudel noted the Artemis missions are going to resemble that of the Apollo ones, but the cost of research is a necessary long-term investment — which throughout the his-

tory of science have often paid off.

The success of the Apollo missions opened up new avenues for discovery and laid the foundation for further work. However, currently the next year’s budget for the Artemis missions would include $8 billion. Whether the idea of a potential payoff is better than investing in one with no clear one is up to the individual. However, Trudel is confident the payoff is worth it.

On the other hand, there are emerging negative effects of production costs. With news of potential debris cage trapping humans on earth for several years, and the risks the increased frequency of rocket launches now pose on ozone depletion.

Trudel mentioned some of the ideas over the years, from the recyclable rocket to the Delta Clipper project (DCX) of the 90s to SpaceX experimenting with more recyclable rockets. All in all, there seems to be much work to be done before space exploration becomes more sustainable.

Extraterrestrial Life

UFOs (now referred to as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) and extraterrestrial life have remained a prevalent topic in all discussions about space according to Trudel who pointed out, “the [conversation] has lasted at least a few centuries.”

Amongst the Greek and medieval philosophers, he mentioned

Lucretius of Roman antiquity and Nicholas de Cusa in the 14th century who both made mention of this “thesis of the plurality of worlds, and the idea that there might be equivalents of other Earth”.

Interesting talks about the ancient science fiction stories of Earth being caught in a battle between inhabitants of the Moon and Sun, the absence of stories following the fall of the Roman Empire, its return to prevalence with the invention of the telescope in the 17th century, and the lunar hoax around the 1830s, Trudel closed the discussion with a quote by Carl Sagan: “extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.”

In his words, there is an evident and shared romanticism that compels us to study the sky. It is perhaps what leads us to name billion-dollar spacecrafts after figures thousands of years old, and name celestial objects hundreds of thousands of kilometres away after those important to us.

Nicholas Socholotiuk

Opinions

Panda Weekend? More like Police State Weekend

OH BOY, HERE WE GO AGAIN!

“We want to make sure that the students are good neighbours to the other residents at Sandy Hill”

Superintendent

François D’Aoust of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS)

We hear this sort of rhetoric each year when it comes time for that historic homecoming game against Carleton and U of O. Each year we see the same response.

Why is it that each and every October, OPS seems to have just remembered that Panda Game exists? Is there a reason why police have to march through the streets in military formation?

Where was this choreography when the Freedom Convoy stumbled into the city and decided to illegally occupy us?

A bunch of drunk university students running around obviously isn’t ideal. There are ways to mitigate damages instead of smothering young Ottawa residents with police.

As someone who has lived in Sandy Hill for years; Panda Game feels like we are being occupied by a foreign power. Last year, much like when Laura Secord alerted Canadi-

an militias of approaching American troops, I would alert my fellow students of where the cops were.

“Students of Sandy Hill are members of Sandy Hill”

Maisy Elspeth, Advocacy Commissioner for the University of Ottawa Student Union (UOSU)

many times does the OPS need to learn this same lesson? The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again. We can’t treat this like a crime issue, because it’s not really a crime issue. It’s a crowd control issue.

You have a massive crowd of drunk young people who want to party and have something to do;

cheaper than the up to half a million dollars the city spent last year on their annual tradition of cosplaying as fascists. Students will drink, they will party, and they will be loud. You cannot just send the police to fix an issue without an actual plan. The plan in previous years was to just push students out of

Sandy Hill for this years Panda Game, there will be a sanctioned tailgate party on campus. Every year we have a pre-Panda party but never a post, and this year the administration is finally giving us a post party.

This is that “something to do” and it’s a relatively good sign that for the first time in literally decades that we are actually seeing ideas beyond just a police presence.

“My understanding thus far is that there will be cops on campus, and I think I can say pretty unequivocally that we’re not happy with that.”

Maisy Elspeth, Advocacy Commissioner for UOSU

It’s obviously important to note that not just students live in Sandy Hill. We share this neighbourhood. One of those neighbours is City Councillor, Stephanie Planté. Each year the OPS and the City of Ottawa throw more police into Sandy Hill and does it work?

It does not! We know it doesn’t — how

you have to direct that energy towards something–anything. If you fill an area up with police that energy will be used to avoid or confront police because it becomes a game.

You have to give students a whole separate location to go to at night, and you need to make it at least somewhat enticing. It certainly would be

the neighbourhood and restrict their movement. That plan just doesn’t work; we know that, we’ve known it for years. Now it’s time for a new plan and it seems like the U of O administration, City of Ottawa and the OPS seem to partly agree.

Now despite the police planning a “more aggressive” presence in

Students’ greatest villain is Doug Ford, not the U of O Administration STUDENTS PAY THE PRICE FOR PROVINCIAL FUNDING CUTS

Ethan GottesmanKaplun

There’s a general feeling that the uncaring, out-of-touch, stingy administration of our university is just letting every-

thing fall apart while they laugh from their ivory tower.

However, a look through the 2023-24 university budget paints a

Now, we still have a long way to go because this Panda Game will see one of the most aggressive police responses in the history of the game. But it’s a baby step. Considering that it’s taken almost 70 years to come up with the idea of giving drunk student’s a place to go instead of attempting to keep them out of the neighbourhood most of them live in; at least we are getting somewhere.

somewhat different picture, showing that the administration is very much aware of the declining quality of education and services. Page 13 of the

budget identifies six key areas that lack adequate funding: (1) indirect costs related to research; (2) bilingualism; (3) support for students with disabilities

Things at U of O are getting worse. I’ve certainly noticed it and you

probably have too.

Keith de Silvia-Legault

Students at this year’s uOShow. Photo: Pavel Nangfack/Fulcrum.

or special needs; (4) mental health; (5) anti-racism and efforts to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion; and (6) maintenance and replacement of capital and IT infrastructure. Sounds about right! But if the university is aware of these issues, why do they continue to persist, year after year?

The answer lies in Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s cuts to postsecondary education. In 2019, the Ford government announced a 10 per cent cut to tuition rates for Ontario students, and has frozen those rates ever since.

This sounds like a win for students, but the province never made up the funding that universities lost in tuition revenues. And yet, operating costs have increased at record rates during the past few years of high inflation.

If universities are expected to pay for a consistent quality of education and services, the money has to come from somewhere — a reality that our ‘fiscally responsible’ government continues to ignore.

If in-province tuition had increased with inflation every year since

the 2016-17 school year, Ontario students would now be paying an additional $884 every semester. That $884, multiplied by thousands of full-time students, constitutes a lot of missing revenue for the university. Since the province has refused to replace that funding, the university has patched the budget hole with a combination of huge increases to out-ofprovince and international tuition, and cuts to scholarships and services. As a result, U of O students suffer.

Between a lack of mental health resourc-

es, worsening building facilities, expanding service wait times, increasing class sizes, replacing fulltime profs with part-timers, and increasing tuition, students are paying more for less.

Of course, we shouldn’t let the U of O administration off the hook. There is no shortage of examples of the administration demonstrating how out of touch it can be with regard to the concerns of students. Look no further than University President Jacques Frémont’s generic and insensitive responses to racism in classrooms

and the suicide epidemic on campus.

But most problems at the U of O are not rooted in bad management or misallocation of money. The truth is, there just isn’t enough money to go around. And only the province can fix that.

The next opportunity to vote out this anti-student government is on June 4, 2026. Don’t stay home — your education depends on it.

Image: Sanjida Rashid/Fulcrum.

OC Transpo to use raccoons as part of new solutions to constant shutdowns

SOLIDARITY WITH RACCOON WORKERS!

Following another shutdown on O-Train Line 1, OC Transpo has announced that to decrease delays during shutdowns and closures, they will recruit from the city’s raccoon population. The announcement came following not only an increasing demand to find solutions to the near-consistent shutdowns of Ottawa’s infamous LRT, but also calls to address the rising unemployment rate amongst the city’s wildlife population.

“Raccoons are small, abundant, and considering they roam the streets of Ottawa freely I assume they know the tracks and lines quite

well,” said an OCTranspo spokesperson early Tuesday morning. “They’re also most active at night so we’d be able to employ them during their peak hours to have lines repaired and running again whilst the city sleeps, ensuring minimal disruption.”

The local chapter of CURE (the Canadian Union of Raccoon Employees) responded enthusiastically to the news, citing new job opportunities for the growing raccoon population.

“Before today, we struggled to find employment across the city. It was only in places like waste management services, and fast-food locations could raccoons find

proper employment,” commented Don McRonald, a local raccoon fastfood worker. “We have long demanded that the city give us the same opportunities as our fellow raccoons in Toronto, who are employed at places like Union Station. Now that opportunity is here!”

Negotiations between OCTranspo and CURE are ongoing as of Thursday afternoon. However, the City of Ottawa has produced a tentative working document outlining how raccoons will enter the transit workforce.

According to city council, raccoons will largely be employed in the maintenance and repair sectors, using their more diminutive stature,

maneuverability and nocturnal working schedule to ensure that the O-Train continues functioning with minimal interruptions.

Sectors relating to the maintenance and upkeep of the O-Train’s tracks, railcars, and electrical lines are set to become largely raccoon-based workforces. Humans already employed within these sectors will largely be moved to other areas of OCTranspo, becoming bus operators, station workers, transit security officers, and other positions.

While some have contested that raccoons are simply being used as low-wage maintenance workers, CURE has assured that as part of their nego-

tiations, they are working to ensure that raccoons will receive above minimum-wage pay with benefits, and a guarantee of future opportunities to seek employment in other parts of OC Transpo should workers wish to.“It’s really a win-win situation,” says Mayor Sark Mutcliffe.

“The population of raccoons is growing; this will help them become productive contributors to a city they share with us. There’s no doubt in my mind that the raccoons of Ottawa are also committed to delivering to Ottawa the safe, reliable system we expect and deserve.”

— Mayor Sark Mutcliffe

Ryan Chang

Image: Kai Holub/Fulcrum.

The Rough and Tumble Life of Pedro Panda

pandanapping and got the publicity ball rolling.

Originally Published Oct. 16, 1980

Why laud a stinky ugly teddy? Well he’s helped us look beyond the realms of the football field or the local bar. The stuffed bear is a symbol which has allowed students to display school pride, something few will publicly admit they have. The little guy has brought two schools closer in his own strange way. Pedro is a living history lesson and here is his story: Panda game is thought of as the culmination of a long fought rivalry between Ottawa and Carleton universities. Actually, it started as a publicity scheme to boost attendance at the RavensGee-Gees Thanksgiving Day game of October 10 1955.

The brains behind the sham was Brian McA’Nulty, the SFUO’s publicity director, who, after meeting with Carleton frosh week representatives, decided the game needed more press coverage.

McA’Nulty rounded up an unusual trophy, a three foot panda, from local businessman Jack Snow, who displayed the new mascot in the window of his jewelry shop on Sparks Street.

The panda was christened Pedro after a late night fight with common sense at the local watering hole, the Albion Hotel. MaC’Nulty and his cohorts then executed the first daring noon-hour

The tricky U of O team snatched the bear from its Sparks street perch and their schoolmates, thinking it was a dirty Carleton deed, were enraged. SFUO President, Peter Tanuay, in a statement prepared by his enterprising publicity agent, lashed out at the Ravens for resorting to “one of the dirtiest tricks” he had ever seen.

The Ravens’ “denial”, also prepared by MaC’Nulty, insulted the Gee-Gees mascot by saying “A scaley old stuffed bear? We wouldn’t be found dead with it.”

Pedro became the symbol of honour which the Garnet and Grey would defend. The Fulcrum pre-Panda issue of October 1955 read: “So let’s not go out and die for old Varsity; let’s go out and kill for old Pedro.”

When plans to drop Pedro from a helicopter failed to materialize, he made a daring parachute leap from the roof of the Lansdowne Park Grandstand. Thousands looked on as the Carleton cheerleaders carried him away and a tradition was born.

In 1957, at the tender age of two, Pedro ran for president of Carleton Student council. A year later, tired of making the rough transition from Carleton to Ottawa U., the black and white Ambassador of Good Will embarked on a grand tour of North American universities. The globe-trotting teddy visited Mcgill, Université de Montréal, Bish-

op’s, Queen’s, Dalhousie, Western, Alabama State and God knows where else until he was discovered, exhausted and penniless, by his custodian, Marcel Prud’homme, at UBC and brought back home to a tearful reunion at the swanky Albion.

Having been the property of the GeeGees for seven consecutive years, Pedro was very much in demand by Ravens’ fans in 1964. He watched the game and massive halftime riot from the confines of an armoured truck. Over-exuberant Carletonites, overcome by the combination of the joy of victory and a over-indulgence in alcohol, overturned and burned a Volkswagen driven by an unassuming U of O student, Robin Conway. His passenger, an equally helpless Paul Gaffney, had both ankles broken in the incident.

During the rebellious 60’s, the U of O-Carleton rivalry was in full swing. Vigilante groups performed daring commando-like raids in search of Pedro. Thousands of dollars in damage to school property resulted. Administration threatened to cancel the annual challenge match. Our terrified teenage teddy found it necesssary to seek exile, buried beneath a football field, for an entire year.

As time went on, the game took a backseat to the festivities. In the 70’s, largely due to stepped-up security measures, the aging Pedro limited himself to being the victim of countless pan-

danappings, beer showers and other crass indignities occasioned by school spirit.

Last year, shortly before his silver anniversary, the ragged Panda mysteriously appeared at La Rotonde. After overseeing another Gee-Gees victory, he made his final appearance at Lansdowne Park. Pedro’s 25 year reign came to an end as he was crated up and sent to the Canadian Football Hall Of Fame in Hamilton. The eulogy was washed away in

As the opening whistle blows and the pigskin fliles, a rotting 26 year old stuffed panda with bad breath and BO will suffer the most brutal injury of his hectic career, a broken heart.

A single devastating tear will fall from his ailing eye, run off his mutilated cheek and soak onto his beer-stained chest with a million other memories. Perdro is history. Unless we pandanap him one last time…

the storm of protest over the Fulcrum’s bare breast cover photo.

A bronze replica has taken Pedro’s place. A shiny hunk of metal replaces our symbolic, tattered teddy. The 80’s have slapped the romantics in the face.

How can we enjoy this year’s Panda Game knowing that the weary, pot-bellied, droopy-eared prize will sit out his first game in a quarter of a century?

Pedro sits alone, helpless, in a darkened room far away from his home. His sad eyes beg us to let him attend one last game, just one last victory celebration. But the please go unanswered.

Facts about this article:

André Picard‘s journalism career began at the Fulcrum where he would go on to serve as EIC from 1982-83.

Picard is the health columnist for the Globe and Mail, where he has worked for 36 years.

Picard said he became a journalist “To provide Canadians with information to improve their health and their lives, and to promote better policy choices by decision-makers.“

André Picard

Image: Kai Holub/Fulcrum.

AcknowledgementS

CONTRIBUTORS

The Fulcrum would like to thank

Chiara Bramante

Annabel Holman

Ethan Gottesman-Kaplun

Ryan Chang

for their contributions to this issue.

EDITORIAL BOARD

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bridget Coady (she/her) editor@thefulcrum.ca

MANAGING EDITOR

Amira Benjamin (they/she) managingeditor@thefulcrum.ca

Production Manager

Mattew McConkey (he/him) production@thefulcrum.ca

News Editors

Kavi Vidya Achar (they/them) news.editor@thefulcrum.ca

Shailee Shah (she/her) news@thefulcrum.ca

Arts & Culture Editor

Sydney Grenier (she/her) arts@thefulcrum.ca

Sports EDITOR

Andrew Wilimek (he/him) sports@thefulcrum.ca

Sports Reporter

Tyler Beauchesne (he/him) associate.sports@thefulcrum.ca

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Emma Williams (she/her) science@thefulcrum.ca

Opinions EDITOR

Keith de Silvia-Legault (they/them) opinions@thefulcrum.ca

Staff Writers Ciku Gitonga (she/her) staff.writer@thefulcrum.ca

Nicholas Socholotiuk (he/him) reporter@thefulcrum.ca

Graphic Designers

Kai Holub (they/he) multimedia@thefulcrum.ca

Sanjida Rashid (she/her) social@thefulcrum.ca

Photographer

Matthew Osborne (he/him) photographer@thefulcrum.ca

Videographer

Pavel Nangfak (he/him) videographer@thefulcrum.ca

Online Editor Ayai Offor (she/her) online@thefulcrum.ca