Volume 84. Issue 1

news

pp.3. ‘A message of solidarity and hope to trans and gender-diverse people all across the city’: March for Trans Rights draws thousands of supporters

pp.4. Consent: A constant conversation

pp.4.Students and student groups respond to uOshow act harassing of attendees; the U of O’s response

pp.6. “Students over money”: CUPE 2626 plans September rally and petition to break through year-long impasse with University

pp.6. International students struggling to obtain study visas in time for the school year

ARTS

pp.7. As Seen on Your FYP Page: Summer Hits

pp.7. The rise of stadium tours and the fall of accessible concerts

pp.8. Review: ‘Bottoms’ is fresh, funny and full of fists

pp.9. Red, White, and Royal Blue: Book or Movie Battle

CupWire

BREAKING: All TMU men’s soccer activities suspended following reports of ‘concerning behaviour’

by Ilyas Hussein

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has suspended all of its men’s soccer team activities until further notice and has opened an investigation following a report of “serious and concerning behaviour,” the university said in an emailed statement to The Eyeopener on Monday. The university did not confirm any details surrounding the report or the alleged behaviours. “A report has been received by the university alleging serious and concerning behaviour. The university is investigating fully and the activities of the men’s soccer team have been suspended until further notice,” read the full statement. The situation started developing early Saturday morning as the men’s soccer team forfeited both matches on their season-opening weekend against the Laurentian Voyageurs and the Nipissing Lakers. Read more at theeyeopener.com

UCalgary researchers discover a new invasive mosquito species in Calgary carrying the West Nile Virus

by Devinya Nakandala

A group of researchers at the University of Calgary have discovered an invasive species of mosquito. They suspect that due to changes caused by global warming, it will continue to thrive in Calgary. The research group led by Professor Dr. John Soghi-

SPORTS

pp.10. Here is what you missed: Gee-Gees summer sports roundup

pp.11. Student-Approved Strategies for Responsible Drinking at University

SCIENCES

pp.12. U of O researcher discovers weakened immune system in astronauts aboard the ISS

pp.13. Confessions of a biomech major

pp.14. Back to school: Gut me feeling anxious?

OPINIONS

pp.16. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s “War on Bikes” has a new casualty and it’s my mother

pp.16. Bureaucracy and voter turnout: An inverse relationship

pp.17. “RBC is Killing Me”

gian, Ph.D. from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary and works towards identifying these mosquitoes and conducting molecular work to confirm the IDs of these mosquito species, culex pipiens. This team also works with the City of Calgary and collaborates with the City of Edmonton to better understand this species of mosquito. Culex pipiens have lived alongside humans for a long time and is native to Europe and Asia. Read more at thegauntlet.ca

Bill C-18 and its potential effects on Bishop’s University students

by Mikayla Geraghty

Bill C-18, the Online News Act, passed in June 2023 – a law that requires tech companies, such as Meta and Google, to compensate Canadian news outlets whose news links they display on their platforms. Meta has rejected the assumption that they benefit unfairly off of hosting the news links, therefore issuing a ban on Canadian news content on Instagram and Facebook, starting on Aug. 1. Google responded to the bill by stating they would remove links to Canadian news on Google Search and other products, but has yet to carry this out as of the end of August. Read more at thebucampus.ca

Kavi Vidya Achar news.editor@thefulcrum.ca

‘A message of solidarity and hope to trans and gender-diverse people all across the city’: March for Trans Rights draws thousands of supporters

Friday’s march saw over 1500 supporters

On August 25, more than a thousand members of the Ottawa trans and gender-diverse community and their supporters marched through downtown, sending a message of pride, resilience, and solidarity.

What began as an Instagram post asking “trans and gender-diverse folks, the people who love and support them, and other allies” to join them became a sentimental day of celebration for the city’s trans community, as well as a cry for better protection and resources.

Transphobia has increased significantly in recent years around the world, most notably for the Canadian context, the United States where several hundreds of pieces of anti-trans legislation and sentiment have been introduced at the state and local levels in the past year. In Saskatchewan, a policy was introduced demanding parental permission for teachers to use students’ preferred names or pronouns.

Locally, the Ottawa Police Service has reported a 24 per cent increase in hate crimes this year, with the LGBTQ community being one of the most affected groups.

In an interview with the Fulcrum, Fae Johnston, one of the march’s organizer said “We have seen a staggering rise in anti-trans hate in the last three years, and it

has impacted our schools and our young trans folks more than anyone else”

Johnstoneis the executive director of consulting firm Wisdom2Action and a local trans rights activist.

Johnstone believes that now is a crucial time for trans and gender-diverse people, as well as their families, to care for each other and ensure that everyone — including young trans kids — have people to help then grow and thrive.

“I would also say it is time for school board trustees, and especially ministries of education, to redouble their commitment to trans and gender diversity inclusion, because we know our kids are still being bullied in our classrooms…” she said.

Organizers and collaborators of the march outlined seven demands

for the march: “a world free of hate, harassment and indignity”; “universal health care inclusive of live-saving gender-affirming care health care”; “government investment in trans health, community, and social service organizations”; “greater support for trans and gender-diverse refugees”; “safer schools for trans youth”; “housing supports for homeless trans people, especially trans youth”; and “the full decriminalization of sex work”.

Johnstone explained that they wrote the demands in collaboration with the march’s organizing committee and other trans activists in Ottawa.

“These are also a throwback to calls to action that trans communities advocates have been rallying

around for decades,” she said. “So they are both a new iteration and an expression of an advocacy agenda that has been in the works for decades.”

There were several speakers at the rally who detailed their love for the trans community, spoke out against the rising transphobia, and urged Ottawa to take greater action.

“I want you to know that despite what the world keeps telling us: you are beautiful, you are powerful, you are valid. You don’t need me to tell you that!” said Sharp Dopler, a non-binary, niizh-manitowag (two-Spirit) educator and speaker at the march.

Johnstone said that the march is about creating a better world for trans and gender-diverse people, young and old. “I

want to send a message of solidarity and hope to trans and gender-diverse people all across the city,” she said. “I hope that the march shows that 15-yearold trans kid, who might not have a safe home or be surrounded by our community, that we will back them up, that we will defend their rights, and we will fight like hell to make sure that this city is safe for them.”

Amira Benjamin

Photo: Bridget Coady/Fulcrum.

Consent: A constant conversation

“Consent is not just one moment, it is a way of being together”

Content warning for mentions of sexual assault

“Yes means yes”, the saying goes. Since the #MeToo movement, loud and enthusiastic consent is beginning to be seen as the bare minimum requirement for any sexual interaction. However, reported incidents of sexual assault are still on the rise.

Another school year has begun and the U of O is welcoming firstyear students from around the country. As new relationships are formed on and off campus, the principle of loud and enthusiastic consent must always be kept in mind.

“Consent is not just one moment, it is a way of being together,”

says Alyssa Peyton, coordinator for the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU)’s Feminist Resource Centre. Peyton disagrees with the view that consent is a one-time transaction performed only at the beginning of a sexual interaction.

“Consent should be a constant conversation…Not in a way that you should be worrying about it, but more reflecting on whether everyone is having a good time. Are both parties comfortable? Are we going too slow? Are we going too fast? I feel that sex is better that way.”

Every Friday from 5 p.m to 6:30 p.m, the Feminist Resource Centre runs a support group known as The Survivor’s Circle for those who have experienced sexu-

al assault. Additionally, throughout the week, students can drop in and talk to FRC staff about their experiences. All information disclosed will be kept confidential.

The U of O also offers academic accommodations to assault survivors. Students can have their assignments and exams deferred when they make either an informal disclosure or a formal report to the campus Human Rights Office. Any information disclosed will be kept confidential, and professors will be contacted on the students’ behalf. However, the request for academic accommodations cannot be made anonymously.

Anna Gean, a fourth-year international student at the U of O, re-

calls turning to the Human Rights Office for help after experiencing harassment from someone she had previously trusted.

“The Human Rights Office made my life easier…but I still think they could do more,” she says. “I don’t know if it’s a Western thing, but I feel that in Canada, people help you systematically. They help you with certain instructions but they don’t help you at your core…”

“I got a deferral form for my exam…but the core thing is that I got hurt, and I wanted [someone] to care about me as a person.”

Gean wishes that U of O mental health services were closely connected with the Human Rights Office so that survivors like her could get im-

mediate referrals to deal with the psychological effects of assault.

“Not everyone is a Canadian citizen,” she adds. While provincial insurance coverage offers a safety net for survivors seeking mental health services off-campus, international students in the same position may have to pay large sums out-ofpocket.

For now, students can access free and confidential listening sessions at the Feminist Resource Centre or the Ottawa Rape Crisis Support line at 613-562-2333.

Students and student groups respond to uOshow act harassing of attendees; the U of O’s response

Content Warning: This article includes a description of sexual harassment and mentions of sexual assault.

On Thursday evening, several Registered Student Governments (RSGs) at the University of Ottawa took to their social media accounts to “share [their] disappointment with the magician at the UOshow” as well as resources for students. A short time later, a statement came from the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU), sharing that while the event had been co-hosted by the Union and administration, UOSU was not allowed to put a stop to the act.

Reports began emerging that the UOshow’s opening act, Nic Gignac had (as part of his magic act) asked for five female volunteers to join him on stage and proceeded to guess the colour of their undergarments. Some observers pointed out that at least one of these volunteers was wearing a red wristband, identifying them as under 18 for 101-week events serving alcohol in Quebec.

UOSU’s statement read, in part: “Allowing such an inappropriate and offensive performance to occur sends a distressing message that the institution is not committed to creating an environment that prioritizes consent and respect on our campus.” UOSU’s

Instagram statement was spread widely by U of O student groups and students themselves, some of whom added their own thoughts.

“soooo uhh when are we all demonstrating on Tabaret to denounce our school’s response to this” asked third-year political science student Jeremiah Langdon. “This is insane. If you let a monkey type on a typewriter they’ll either write Hamlet or write the incoming email they’re drafting [right now] saying ‘oopsie sorry’”.

Emily Coe, a fourth-year anthropology student wrote on their story that they were extremely disappointed and tagged the university, writing to “do better than this.

Take action. Where are the consequences? These are first-years entering uni[versity] for god’s sake. End the normalization of sexually harassing women.”

One third-year student, who was acting as a 101-week guide for their faculty, shared with the Fulcrum that the event was significantly triggering to them as a survivor of sexual violence. In a post to their Instagram story, the student called the university’s response embarrassing and demanded that the university “do better”.

Daphnée Veilleux-Michaud, the vice-president of socials for the Conflict Studies and Human Rights students’ association (CHRA)

shared on her Instagram: “I actively condemn the University of Ottawa for not only hiring this performer without checking its show, but also after he sexually harassed women-presenting student[s] in front of an entire crowd, the university refused to act when our student union ask[ed] them to take him of[f] stage. To top it all, they made a [promotional] post 30 min[utes] after it happened without acknowledging or taking accountability of their action. I am disappointed, frustrated, and ashamed to be a University of Ottawa student.”

Ally Hall, a fourth-year student in Human Kinetics wrote on her story that all 101-week participants (guides and

“I am disappointed, frustrated, and ashamed to be a University of Ottawa student.”

Ciku Gitonga

Bridget Coady

101ers alike) had to “go through sexual prevention training so stuff like this doesn’t happen and then it happens publicly and is ignored.” She tagged the university in her post and said to “apologize to the participants affected and do better.”

The university responded to the UOSU’s Instagram statement in the comment section from its @uottawacampus account, writing: “We have heard that members of our community have expressed serious concerns about one of the performances at this year’s uO-

show. We will be meeting tomorrow to determine what measures need to be taken to address this matter. The uOshow is a highly anticipated event that helps to kick off our academic year, and we want to ensure it is safe and welcoming as possible for all to attend. We are determined to promote fun and inclusive experience at our campus events and anything that falls short of this is contrary to the values we hold dear.”

As of Friday, September 8 at 4 p.m., there has been no further public response from the univer-

sity. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

UPDATE: The university published a statement on Instagram on the 8th. it reads:

“Last night’s uOShow featured one performance that was disturbing to the University and our community, and we apologize to those who understandably were offended by what took place.

The uOShow is a highly anticipated event that marks the beginning of our academic year, and like at all events, the University strives to ensure

a safe, inclusive and enjoyable experience for all who attend.

We will work with the University community to make sure future events reflect our values of diversity and inclusion.

We know some of our students may be feeling distressed after what they experienced, and we want to encourage you to access the support that are available to you, should you need it.

La clinique de counselling sans rendez-vous | The Walk-In Counselling Clinic

https://walkincounselling. com/fr/

• https://walkincounselling.com/

Allô J’écoute | Good 2 Talk – 1 866 925 5454

• https://allojecoute.ca/

• https://good2talk.ca/

Photo: Matthew Osborne/Fulcrum.

“Students over money”: CUPE 2626 plans September rally and petition to break through year-long

impasse with University

Union will organize strike if needed

After their April rally earlier this year, CUPE 2626, the union representing teaching assistants, tutors, residence life workers, and other employees at the University of Ottawa, is planning to pressure the Labor Relations Board of the U of O to reach a new settlement.

On Aug. 31, 2022, the union’s agreement with U of O, which covered issues such as tuition increases, scholarships, and graduate funding, expired. Since the agreement’s expiry, representatives from CUPE 2626 and U of O have met 11 times and exchanged six packages, but have not signed any proposals.

The impasse has caused the union frustration with what Catherine Larocque, CUPE 2626

president and Ph.D. nursing student, describe as U of O’s “clearly predatory financial priorities.”

The deadlock led to both parties moving their meetings online via Zoom, with a mediator relaying information between two separate breakout rooms.

“Quite frankly, the two last sessions have been extremely frustrating,” Larocque said in an interview with the Fulcrum. “Our priorities are not being discussed and the employer is really kind of taking control of the process.”

According to Larocque, U of O has proposed removing graduate students’ winter break, which CUPE 2626 has consistently opposed. As of September 1, this is U of O’s “most important proposal.” The negotiations have stalled in the non-

monetary stage, which includes CUPE 2626’s agenda of adding a land acknowledgement to their collective agreement with U of O and adding Indigenous identity as a protected ground against harassment.

“It’s been a year [since the agreement expired] and we still haven’t gotten to the money,” said Emily Kotow, the liaison officer for CUPE 2626 and a Ph.D. philosophy student.

“We haven’t even talked about freezing tuition for all students, equalizing international tuition, increasing TA hours, and all our other priorities. It’s wild.”

CUPE 2626 will be hosting ice cream social on September 6 at the UCU terrace and a rally on September 26 at 3:30 PM on Tabaret lawn under the slogan “WTF: Where’s the funding.” The slogan aims

to highlight the contrast between the university’s budget cuts and their increased spending on administrator’s salaries. Larocque cited the $443,142 salary of U of O Dean Bernard Jasmin, which is the highest university or college staff salary in the Ottawa area.

The union is also drafting a petition which will include topics of tuition freezes and graduate student salaries. In October, CUPE 2626 plans to mobilize: gathering signatures on the petition, making phone calls to unions on campus and strengthening its ties to U of O’s graduate associations. Additionally, Larocque says the union may plan a oneday walkout of all students in November.

Through the rest of the semester, Larocque believes CUPE 2626 will put pressure on U of O

through bargaining, rallying, petitioning, and growing links within the community.

There is no deadline by which the U of O Labor Relations Board must sign an agreement with CUPE 2626. If negotiations continue to fall short of a signed proposal, the union will file for conciliation with the Ministry of Labor, which means an arbitrator from the province would mediate the two parties’ discussion. If they do not reach an agreement, CUPE 2626 is prepared to organize a strike.

“Of course, a strike is the last resort,” Larocque said. “But we’re preparing ourselves for any eventuality. And if that means we continue to not make any progress and we get to that stage, we want to have the capacity built that would allow us to have a successful strike.”

International students struggling to obtain study visas in time for the school year

UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA SAYS THEY ARE WORKING WITH ACADEMIC UNITS TO DEVELOP CONTINGENCIES FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T RECEIVE THEIR PAPERWORK ON TIME

International students in Canada have been struggling with immigration delays and obtaining study visas in time for their school year. Delays and lengthy security checks have forced students to begin their school year later or miss other opportunities, including students at the University of Ottawa.

Naomie Mubenga is one such student who has been affected by visa delays and a lack of communication with immigration processes. Mubenga moved to Canada from

Congo in January 2023 to study biomedical science at the University of Ottawa.

Mubenga, who was admitted to the U of O for the Fall 2022 semester, was unable to obtain a study visa until November 2022. After asking for a deferral and getting denied, Mubenga was forced to reapply for admission for the following semester.

“Most of my courses didn’t offer an online component. So I decided to just start later on,” said Mubenga.

Not only did this have an effect on when Mubenga would be able to graduate, it affected

her social life as well. “Everybody made friends in the fall and it was more difficult to integrate, especially as an international student…people were not looking to make friends anymore,” said Mubenga. Mubenga also expressed difficulty in being able to navigate the immigration system quickly due to financial constraints.

“[For the permit] my parents had to put together the funds, because you need $20,000 in an account as proof. We had to get a lot of things together.”

Per the Immigration, Refugees and Cit-

izenship Canada website, study permit applicants must prove that they can financially support themselves. The minimum amount of funds required per year, excluding tuition, is $10,000. With living expenses, tuition, and transportation costs, this number can go up to $23,500.

In terms of finding detailed information about delays and how long obtaining a student visa could really take, Mubegna cited difficulties and inconsistent information.

“When I started researching Canadian visas, delays never popped up on the internet for me. It says if you apply before

two months, you should get [your visa] within two months. I thought as long as I gave myself two months and a bit more, I should be able to get my visa on time based on the IRCC website and the steps that I needed to do.”

In response to a request to comment from the Fulcrum, the University of Ottawa shared that it received 40,442 applications from international students in 2022, and of those, 10,656 students were registered.

Read more at thefulcrum.ca

Kavi Vidya Achar

Bridget Coady

Arts

As Seen on Your FYP Page: Summer Hits

Here are the trending songs of summer 2023 that you should check out.

Have you ever fallen down a TikTok rabbit hole and re-entered reality at 1 a.m.? You aren’t alone. Many students have

The problem (apart from delaying course readings and essays) is the quantity of content. It’s impossible to sift through the avalanche of content to find music that will become your new favorite.

This upbeat and deliciously accusatory song has been trending on TikTok over the summer. Founded in Toronto in 2013, The Beaches write about themes such as coming of age, love, and friendship.

Barbie The Album) by Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa’s dancepop hit is featured on Barbie: The Album, the soundtrack album for the 2023 movie Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig. Both the movie and the soundtrack album gained a whirlwind of love online. All things from Barbie has defined summer 2023.

AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM Remix by Beyoncé ft.

Kendrick Lamar

Sunburn. The song previously gained popularity online since it was used to promote the movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The song blends a captivating combo of hip-hop, rap, and pop. You can practically see the animated web-slinger saving New York when the melody hits your ears.

If We Ever Broke Up by Mae Stephens

joined the masses in the trenches of a TikTok binge. However, scrolling your For You Page for hours can have its rewards. In fact, many incredible songs have been discovered this way.

To save you some time, here is a must-checkout compilation of the trending songs of summer 2023.

Blame Brett by The Beaches

Luckily, their recent single is not the only song in their repertoire. Their discography consists of two studio albums, four EPs, and several singles.

Dance the Night (From

Though the song is featured on Beyoncé’s 2022 album Renaissance, the song AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM with its memorable chorus re-surfaced as a hit for summer 2023. The remix with American rapper Kendrick Lamar was adored by fans on TikTok and popularized the iconic first verse.

Mona Lisa by Dominic

Fike

This song was released as a single on June 2 before appearing on Dominic Fike’s new album

The rise of stadium tours and the fall of accessible concerts

Mae Stephens gained popularity on TikTok with her bright and funny disco single If We Broke Up. The song peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in 2023. With 14.3M videos using the song, this was one of the songs that defined summer 2023. Hopefully, this compilation has saved you some time allowing you to focus on the following week of school – all while daydreaming about summer 2023.

Ottawa has few live music venues and stadiums, what does this mean for students with accessibility needs?

Stadium tours are exciting, expensive, and elusive. Especially for anyone who makes minimum wage, and lives outside of the Greater Toronto Area — for example, U of O students.

Perhaps one of the reasons Ottawa is often skipped over is the population size. Ottawa’s population is 1,437,000 while Toronto’s population is 6,372,000. The cost

of putting on a show has increased since the pandemic and filling a stadium has been one way for artists and their teams to counter-balance cost and benefit.

Stadiums can accommodate a large number of fans, often tens of thousands. This allows artists to reach a massive audience in a single performance, making it financially lucrative for both the artists and the promoters. Importantly, the

elusive quality of stadium tours is evident beyond location and expense. The majority of people who are outraged about their city being skipped over often for stadium tours could likely attend the concert of their choice at any venue. Outside of location and price, the possibilities are endless.

However, the list of concerts trims down even more for people with various accessibility

needs. Generally, music and concert venues are built to satisfy a specific group – able-bodied and neurotypical people. The ease with which a person moves through the world is facilitated by infrastructure built with their needs in mind. The same can be said for people who struggle to navigate the world. Concert venues were not built with accessibility as a priority. Stadiums, especially, were designed to fit as many people in one

place for a spectacle. Solutions such as viewing platforms solve some problems, such as safety for those with spatial needs, but isolates these the spectators. Physical accessibility is often considered, however other common barriers such as visual and auditory barriers are rarely eliminated.

Here is a guide to popular live music venues in Ottawa ranked by their accessible features.

Sydney Grenier & Ayai Offar

Sydney Grenier

Image: Archives/Fulcrum.

(1) Bronson Centre 211 Bronson Ave

The Bronson Centre, an important Ottawa community centre, provides an inexpensive venue for not-for-profit groups, people, and creatives. According to Half Acess, last updated in 2019, there are many options for manoeuvring the building including, ramps, elevators and stairs. However, those who wish to use the elevator should

ask for assistance. The events that take place at the Bronson Center are diverse. Therefore, details about reduced volume and pyro effects are unclear.

(2) Art House Cafe 555 Somerset St W

The Art House Cafe has an intimate, openmic atmosphere. You can participate in open mic night, enjoy a show on the patio or simply visit the art

on the walls. The patio is ideal for people who are immunocompromised and don’t want to hang out in a crowded room of people. Wheelchair-accessible seating is available on the patio. However, this is the only accessible seating at this time.

If you choose to visit the cafe as an art gallery to serene ambience is ideal for those who get overstimulated or overwhelmed in loud places.

Review: ‘Bottoms’ is fresh, funny and full of fists Charm, chuckles, and chalk full of violence

There were three films that I was highly anticipating for this summer: the live-action The Little Mermaid (I am a big Halle Bailey fan), the new animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Bottoms. The latter was the only one I was actually able to see, but I do not regret it.

The film is co-written by Canadian director Emma Segliman and American actress Rachel Sennott (The Idol, Bodies Bodies Bodies), who have

previously worked together on the eclectic Shiva Baby. Bottoms first made headlines when it premiered at South by Southwest in March to rave reviews. Along with co-lead Ayo Edebiri coming off her latest season of The Bear in June, it appeared to be a myriad of humourous mayhem. But it is much more than that.

The plot of Bottoms is simple: two high school lesbians are (somewhat) eager to lose their virginity before leaving to college, and (haphazardly) plan to start a fight club to

draw the attention of pretty cheerleaders their way after a “rumour” of them going to juvie is spread around the school.

The chemistry between Josie and PJ (Edebiri and Sennott, respectively) is fantastic. Not only are they hilarious together, but even the parfor-the-course emotional climax of the film made my heart ache for the best friends.

The supporting cast elevate the film to its fullest potential. Hazel (Ruby Cruz), is the awkward yet endearing club organizer, who steals the

(3) House of Targ 1077 Bank St

The House of Targ is a classic arcade, live music venue and pierogi restaurant. Unfortunately, it is located in a basement only accessible by a steep staircase. The bathrooms are too small to accommodate most wheelchairs or mobility aids. The space is dark, loud and overwhelming. Despite their efforts to accommodate any requests, this effort to

make the space accessible is lacking.

A person with accessibility needs is simply a person. One who wants to see their favourite band live. Venues are the ones doing the disabling.

The task is to redesign venues such that the universality of our love of music is reflected in the environment in which we gather.

show as the heart of the film and the fight club.

Devious football player Tim (Miles Fowler) not-so-subtlety schemes to ruin the lives of Josie and PJ, while compassionate cheerleader Isabel (Havana Rose Lin) adds levity and laughs to her scenes.

The overall production of the film stands out as well. The costumes feel like they’re straight from the 90s (think Ferris Bueller) but with a touch of modern inspiration. The musical direction, co-ordinated by composer Leo Birenberg and genre-bend-

ing pop star Charli XCX, is fantastic. Bottoms included the best use of ‘Complicated’ by Avril Lavigne I’ve seen.

Although the premise of the film is hilariously pathetic, the bonds formed between the club members — and the resulting fallout — are genuinely and tastefully crafted. If there’s one thing you should take away from Bottoms, it should be that the people you meet unexpectedly and care for are worth it. Also, fighting crazy football players is totally worth it.

Amira Benjamin

Image: Orion Pictures/Provided.

Red, White, and Royal Blue: Book or Movie Battle

Alex is shorter than Henry, and other inaccuracies in the Amazon Prime movie

Whether it be in line at the grocery store or buying last-minute treats at the corner store, you cannot escape the increasing absurdity of cheap tabloids. Splashed across the magazine in yellow letters, it reads something like this:

‘Famous Lady and her third husband divorced!

Famous Lady fights for custody.

Famous Lady loses weight, and you can too!’

I always wonder if any of those stories are true at all. I find myself concerned for ‘Famous Lady’ on the way home. What if the media is just lying and making her life worse?

Red, White, and

Royal Blue takes readers behind the curtain of those tabloids and attempts to remind us of the human element of celebrity and politics.

The novel is a queer rom-com by American author Casey McQuinston, which was originally published in 2019. Recently, the beloved story was adapted into a movie produced by Amazon Prime Video. The movie was directed by Matthew Lopez, the American playwright and screenwriter whose work includes The Inheritance (2018) and The Whipping Man (2009).

Starring Nicholas Galizine and Taylor Zakhar Perez as Henry and Alex respectively, the plot recounts a detrimental and hostile relationship between the American President’s son and Britain’s prince. To keep the

peace between their two countries, the political figures are forced into a media-manufactured friendship, which eventually turns feelings of hate into something else entirely.

One of the film’s central issues lies in its departure from the book’s progressive and destigmatizing themes, a key element that made the book so revolutionary. Notable deviations include replacing a female monarch with a king, omitting the important plotline of Bea’s (Henry’s sister) struggle with addiction, and inexplicably sidestepping discussions of homophobia. The only evident consequence of their secret relationship is the effect on their popularity and politics. The homophobia they encounter in public life that is engrained in the monarchy is not confront-

ed as the cause of this ‘poor’ publicity.

The book delves into a more comprehensive examination of the reasons behind the conflicts within the lives of its characters, notably rooted in the intricate dynamics of American politics, the Electoral College, and the British monarchy.

Many changes to the characters were made in the film adaptation. These changes include the notable absence of the character June (Alex’s sister and best friend) who plays a major role in supporting Alex’s emotional health throughout the challenges he faces. The characters in the book come across as authentically genuine, their shared humour and banter adding depth to the narrative. This is not the case in the film. Henry

is portrayed as a smoothtalking politician, which comes in stark contrast to the book’s portrayal of him as a soft-hearted and sincere individual. The film adaptation tends to reduce them to caricatures designed for mass appeal. Also, fans of the book are outraged that Henry and Alex are nearly the same height in the movie. This change undercuts many natural moments of teasing, banter, and connection in the book.

With all of these details, both significant like destigmatizing addiction, and less crucial like Alex’s height, the importance of remaining loyal to the source material in film adaptations is evident.

Sydney Grenier

A romance between the British Prince and the First Son of the USA…what could go wrong?/Photo: Amazon Prime & St Martin’s Griffin/Provided.

Here is what you missed: Gee-Gees summer sports roundup

New coaches, new alumni donations, and new victories

Women’s Rugby

MAY: The U of O names Duncan McNaughton as the head coach of the women’s rugby team. The appointment came after an internal review of the program, which led to the exit of former coach Jen Boyd. The university did not comment further, apart from saying a new safe sport program will be put in place for this season. McNaughton comes from the Canadian Wom-

Gee-Gee Claire Gallagher makes her debut for the Canadian Women’s 15s side in July at TD Place. The World Rugby Pacific Four Series packed the stadium, selling 10,000 tickets for their loss against New Zealand, and 4,000 for their win against Australia. It was in this win that Gallagher scored her first international try. The games were televised on TSN.

Men’s Football

MAY: Former Gee-Gee Youcef Lekadir

the Telfer School of Management. The donation provides extra help to students with rent, tuition, and books. It also provides each Gee-Gee player with a new pair of cleats to start the season. In addition, Lekadir started a scholarship fund for any Gee-Gee who is studying accounting at Telfer.

Men’s Basketball

JUNE: Former Gee-Gee and reigning CEBL Canadian player of the year Caleb Agada signs with the Ottawa Black-

an exhibition game over a powerhouse USA squad featuring Kevin Durant and Damien Lillard. Agada won the USPORTS Defensive Player of the Year award twice while at the U of O, and currently plays for Prometey of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League.

AUGUST: The Gees take down Harvard in an exhibition game, 6552. The game was part of Harvard’s tour of Canada, where they started in Montreal, and finished in Toronto, via Ottawa. The

from deep. Brock Newton racked up 6 points, 5 steals, and 5 rebounds. Kevin Otoo chipped in with 12 points and 7 rebounds.

Women’s Hockey

JULY: The U of O announces Stefanie McKeough as the new head coach of the Women’s Hockey team, the seventh in team history. McKeough has served as the assistant coach since the 2020-21 season. The move comes after former head coach Chelsea Grills stepped down following a 16-7-2

en’s team and has been an assistant coach for the program since he left the Gee-Gees back in 2017.

JULY: Outgoing

donates $175,000 to the Football team at the U of O. Youcef, a managing partner at Lekadir LLP, played for the team from 2007-10 while attending

Jacks for the remainder of the summer. Agada is best known for representing Nigeria at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where he led the team to a win in

Crimson finished .500 on the trip, losing against the U of T, and taking down Carleton and McGill. Cole Newton led the way with 14 points and went 4-of-7

season. The Fulcrum had a chance to sit down with Stefanie and talk about the upcoming season.

Andrew Wilimek

Image: Kai Holub/Fulcrum.

Men’s Rugby

AUGUST: The U of O is selected as the hosts of the 2024 Canadian University Men’s Rugby

Championship (CUMRC).

The Championship will be hosted at Matt Anthony Field, and will feature 8 teams from across the

country, including the Gee-Gees, who receive automatic entry as host. The 2023 edition will be hosted by Trinity Western

University in Langley, BC from November 15 – 19.

Student-Approved Strategies for Responsible Drinking at University

Ten tips for safe alcohol consumption

liver cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, among many others.

Depending on who you ask, alcohol is a poison or a tonic. The merits of drinking have been debated for centuries and will probably be debated long after our lifetimes. For most, drinking is a social activity.

But the facts are simple. In 2020, a Canadian study found that 84 per cent of college and university students drank alcohol within the past 12 months, and 60 per cent had engaged in “heavy drinking” (defined as four drinks on one occasion for females and five for males in one sitting) within the past month. Students, on average, drink more than the rest of the population.

Therefore, abstinence is not an effective strategy for mitigating the risks of alcohol use at university. And yes, there are risks. Most students drink well in excess of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions guideline of two drinks per week.

These guidelines are aimed at preventing two different types of harm that alcohol use perpetuates. The first is acute harm. This covers things like violence, driving under the influence, impulsive actions, risky behaviour, and alcohol poisoning.

The second is long-term harm. Cancer risks rise with an increase in drinks per week. The main types of cancer associated with drinking are female breast cancer,

There are so many other risks associated with drinking, including roofied drinks, mental health issues, addiction, and further drug use. While not encouraging drinking or binge drinking, if you do choose to partake, I have compiled a list of tips to keep you healthier, happier, and safer this year.

Tip #1: Put the keys away and have a backup plan. It’s important to have a backup plan if things change when you are out drinking. You’d much rather wake up on a friend’s couch than at the police station in the morning. Driving under the influence, while being morally reprehensible, is extremely dangerous for you, others, and your wallet.

Tip #2: Mix in a water. No, seriously. Although it has been debated if drinking water helps you avoid hangovers, it will still help you on your journey to not feeling like a corpse the next day. Drinking before, during, and after alcohol will help settle your stomach, help you pace yourself, and re-hydrate you.

Tip #3: Tone down the sugar intake. Again, while it has been debated if sugar actually causes stronger hangovers, it is still important to avoid sugary drinks for a few reasons. Sugar

can cause a hangover of its own, with similar symptoms to an alcohol-induced hangover. Sugar can also cause you to drink far more alcohol (and in turn, sugar) than you intend to, because it masks the taste of alcohol. You wouldn’t drink multiple cans of Coke late at night. So don’t mix multiple cans of Coke with rum late at night.

Tip #4: Keep an eye on your friends. Only drink in good company. Keep a trusted friend around so that you can keep an eye on each other, especially at the bar or club. If you see a friend overdoing it, make sure they drink water and have something to eat. Have an exit plan, don’t leave anyone’s drink unattended, and only get in the car with a sober driver.

Tip #5: Don’t pressure people into drinking. There are all kinds of reasons why someone may choose to abstain from drinking, be it. Let them be, don’t make it a big deal, and most important of all, still invite them to your social activities.

Tip #6: Don’t drink on an empty stomach. It’s well known that everyone absorbs alcohol at a different rate. Age, sex, weight, and tolerance levels are the usual suspects. But stomach content also has a lot to do with it. Food in your stomach helps to absorb the alcohol taken in, and

therefore your body is able to deal with it in a more manageable way. Alcohol can also irritate the stomach lining, so a layer of food offers a good layer of protection.

Tip #7: Take your vitamins.

If you have spent a lot of time in crowded bars and house parties, you will know they aren’t the most sanitary place. And midterm season is no time to be stuck in your dorm room deathly sick. Along with washing your hands, sleeping well, and eating fruits and vegetables, vitamins are a good way to minimize the risks of sickness. Regular vitamin C usage can shorten colds and lessen symptoms. Vitamin D supplementation can help prevent upper respiratory infections.

Tip #8: Figure out your limits.

Nothing is worse than throwing up the dining hall’s sometimes-edible food in an unfamiliar toilet (though on the record, I would have no way to confirm this). Don’t overdo it at the bar or an unfamiliar house. It doesn’t leave a very good impression.

Tip #9: Alcohol won’t resolve your problems.

If you’re looking for an answer at the bottom of the bottle, you’re not going to find it. Your problems are not going to simply disappear just because you forget about them. In fact,

there’s a chance you’ll wake up with a new set of problems.

Tip #10: “I’m never drinking again” is probably a lie.

When you wake up with a vicious hangover, and swear off the juice for good, you’re probably going to change your mind. Maybe even within the next day or two. It takes time to learn good responsible drinking skills. You will probably still have some rough nights, and likely even a few 3 a.m. visits to Three Brothers. But listen to your body –it will know when you’ve had too much. If you lose count of how much you’ve drank – you’ve likely had enough.

Andrew Wilimek

U of O researcher discovers weakened immune system in astronauts aboard the ISS SPACE IS SICK

and bone marrow composition.

transcriptome response in leukocytes.

A study led by U of O professor Odette Laneuville (PhD) suggests that astronauts have a weakened immune system while in the extreme conditions of space. The Fulcrum spoke with Laneuville, a researcher and

Laneuville explained that leukocytes are simply another name for white blood cells. For the purpose of her research, they use these cells because they have a nucleus, and thus a genome, that can be transcribed.

To understand

She continued,

“a recipe is a transcript or a gene being transcribed. Once they’ve left the library, this is equivalent to a cell sending transcripts outside the nucleus into the cell cytoplasm where they’re going to be translated.”

Methodology: Separation, extraction, sequencing, and more!

Astronauts with missions to the International Space Station (ISS) had ten blood samples collected across the three periods of the study: one pre-flight (PF), four while in-flight (IF) on the ISS, and five after returning

(or else it will float away), ensuring not a single drop leaks, not to mention the added task of spinning it down (centrifuging) and freezing.

“They have to be extremely careful to take their blood, because there’s no nurse, there’s no physician, they’re on their own,” she said.

expert in the biology of rehabilitation, to discuss her study in more detail.

She has done extensive work with fellow U of O professor Guy Trudel on rehabilitation and joint mobility, eventually leading to a study with the Canadian European Space Agencies on the effects of microgravity on bedrest

what transcriptomes are, consider the genome as the library and the transcriptome as a cookbook with a whole bunch of recipes. This cookbook, as Laneuville explained, “you cannot take it out…all you can do is photocopy pages or recipes.” In this case, the recipes are the RNA sequence that play a role in cell activity, and the

She is interested in looking at all those recipes that are copied from the genome, and determining their nature and how many copies are present. This is done by looking at different time points and identifying copies including those that happened to be immune-related genes.

to Earth (R). This is to ensure they had all the at each time point in order to compare them.

Collecting blood on Earth with medical staff takes around two minutes. However, in space, it takes 40 minutes. Laneuville explained this task goes from simple to rather precarious — they need to secure the sample and the needle

The centrifuge is what allowed astronauts to separate the white blood cells from other cells in our blood (red blood cells, platelets, and platelets).

“Since red blood cells have no nucleus during the spinning down process, they’ll be found packed below a gel located at the bottom of the

Nicholas Socholotiuk

Image: Odette Laneuville/ Provided.

test tube. On top of the gel, you’ll have your white blood cells which are too big to get through the gel and the plasma because the speed of centrifugation is not fast enough.” added Laneuville. Once the frozen samples are back on Earth, they’ll be thawed and then resuspended in order for the white blood cells to be isolated and RNA extracted.

Following separation and extraction, she continued with sequencing or isolation of the transcripts (RNA or nucleic acid) of the white blood cells resulting in two clusters. She went into further detail to explain the analysis of the sequencing results she performed.

Genes in the first cluster which code for proteins related to immunity were dialled down when reaching space and back up when returning to Earth, while genes in the second tied to cellular structure and function followed the opposite pattern.

The results

Let’s consid-

er all the transcripts at each time point (PF, IF, R). “[Since] we knew the composition, we could now compare them, and what we noticed was that the immune related genes were downregulated to 112, meaning fewer copies were made while in space. Upon returning to Earth, the number of immune related genes went up (upregulation) to 135, and eventually back to what we had at the baseline with zero genes differentially expressed.”

When they compared the genes changing when going to space to those changing when returning from space they found most were the same gene and many regulating immune functions.

This is interesting because it tells researchers when to look for changes during spaceflight. Based on the results of this study, most of the changes are occurring during the transition from Earth to space and from space back to Earth. However, while they’re in space there’s very little change in expression.

Confessions of a biomech major NO, THEY CAN’T MAKE KILLER ROBOTS, WE DIDN’T

Ever wondered what’s going on inside the mind of a biomech student? You’re in luck! The Fulcrum, sat down with Marissa Ruth (MR) and Ginger Pakrul (GP) — third-year U of O biomedical mechanical engineering (yes, that’s the whole name) students — to help us gain insight into a program that many aren’t very familiar with.

Why did you pick this program?

What causes gene expression changes?

When asked to elaborate on what about space causes changes in gene expression, Laneuville responded, “I can say with confidence it would be [the very fact] they’re in space. In other words, I believe it’s the microgravity component that contributes to the change in the profile of gene expression.” She knows microgravity is important for the transcriptome response since her group published similar findings from an Earth model of microgravity in which they studied participants to a bed rest study.

“However, I cannot eliminate other factors such as cosmic radiation, disturbed sleep cycle, increased stress, and a different diet. There’s a lot left to understand and my approach to look at gene expression will generate some interesting hypotheses, but broadly we should see genetic and physiological changes coincide, [though] it’s not a direct cause-effect relationship.”

What’s the story with herpesvirus?

According to Laneuville, the changes of immune-related genes while transiting to and from space and then back to baseline is important because the results are in agreement with clinical evidence of a phenomenon known as the reactivation of latent viruses.

An example of one of these viruses is chickenpox (a member of the herpesvirus family) and individuals with it cannot overcome that infection entirely. Rather, it will remain dormant with our nerves along the spine until later in life when we encounter a stress that can trigger a reactivation of the dormant virus and subsequently give rise to shingles. This is what some astronauts can expect to face (reactivation of latent viruses and evolution towards severe symptoms) — nothing says welcome back like getting shingles. Although few astronauts develop symptoms while in space or come home with symptoms such as skin lesions,

Laneuville explained it is, “not necessarily to the point of inducing severe symptoms. Longer spaceflight needed to reach Mars might lead to more severe symptoms. It also means that an individual can be contagious when returning from space.”

Getting shingles in space opens up a whole can of worms, since access to doctors and medications you might need to control the infection could be very limited.

According to Laneuville’s discoveries, the reduction in immune-related genes was consistent with the reactivation of those latent viruses while in space and within a few weeks after returning to Earth. In addition, when back on Earth it was observed that immune genes returned to pre-flight levels of expression and correlates to resolving those infections.

MR: I was interested in math as well as science. Originally, I was more involved in medical sciences but I didn’t want to lose a lot of the math courses (calculus). So I moved to engineering and found biomedical engineering and I knew this was something I wanted to do.

GP: [While researching programs in high school] I liked how broad it was, it meant later down the road if I didn’t want to do more medical stuff, I could go a more mechanical route. The [flexibility]

opens a lot of doors for where you want to branch off eventually.

What’s one misconcep-

tion about your major?

GP: I think the main one is the name itself, [when you hear] biomedical mechanical

engineering you think it’s going to be a lot of medical (biology) focus, which there are some courses like anatomy, health sci-

Emma Williams

Photo: Matthew Osborne/Fulcrum.

ences, etc. But when you get into the program I find there’s more of a focus on the mechanical side. Not that it changes anything about how I feel about the program but it’s something I wish I knew before.

Has the program met your expectations so far/ are you satisfied with your choice?

MR: I’m definitely happy with my choice, I will admit in first-year I

was iffy about it because it was mostly mechanical courses, but after second-year we dove further into biomedical topics and I was sure that this is what I wanted to keep doing. Since their firstyear was online, Pakrul feels like she missed out on the full campus experience which included missing hands-on labs and tutorials. However, overall she feels much better about her second and

third-year.

What’s something you’d tell your past self about this program?

MR: I would tell myself to go for those group projects more, or even just to try working with other people more. In order to get a more varied perspective on what we’re learning.

GP: This might sound cliché but, I’d tell myself university is not like

Back to school: Gut me feeling anxious?

ANXIETY UNFORTUNATELY CAN’T BE CURED WITH A SPOONFUL OF YOGURT

they’ll say stuff like, “you need good gut bacteria.”

high school and that it’s much harder. [I’d say] to emphasize learning skills and be ready to be adaptive to different classes, projects, and subjects.

Who would you recommend this program to?

MR: I would recommend this to someone who has multiple interests in engineering, math and biology. Although biology is not covered as much, having the motivation to

learn about a lot of different subjects is important.

GP: I would recommend this program to someone who is willing to be open-minded about the variety of courses they might have to take. Although the name is medical mechanical you’ll take circuit courses and others that are more abstract.

If you spend a little time on the internet, you’ll find lots of people talking about gut health. Some are doctors, patients, scientists and

Sometimes they emphasize how gut bacteria can help with gut conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Some, though, are making much bigger claims, stating both

“good and bad bacteria living inside your gut can affect your mental health.”

While some suggestions to improve gut health involve eating or drinking more fermented things (like kimchi or kombucha), other people are

recommending dietary supplements and regimens of expensive pills. Is this all part of an exploitative growing gut health industry worth billions of dollars? Or is there anything to these claims? There’s definitely

some interesting science here but there are also lots of mysteries left to solve. Big questions like: What is a gut feeling? And what exactly is the link between the gut and mood or mental health?

Emma Williams

Image: Kai Holub/Fulcrum.

What’s the research?

Our tour into the research begins in the early 2010s, when scientists noticed that some individuals with gut conditions like IBS also had stress or anxiety; this leads them to wonder if that’s due to the fact that gut problems are extremely unpleasant or if there’s something more at play here? Was the gut somehow influencing emotions?

They designed an experiment that relied on the quirks of lab mice, where some have different strains or temperaments from other mouse strains. For the purpose of this study, two different strains were chosen specifically for their temperaments. One tends to be more timid and show more anxiety-like behaviours, and another strain that tends to be much more bold and exploratory.

In order to understand how a mouse is feeling, there are a range of different tests that can be performed. One of these starts by putting mice in different boxes: one dark and one full of light. The bolder mice tend to explore more in the brighter room, while the anxious and timid mice stay still in the darkness.

Here’s where it gets really interesting. Could swapping the gut bacteria of the “bold” and “shy” mouse also change how anxious or stressed a mouse was? Would changing the contents of the gut affect these “personality traits”?

The researchers

used a technique called a fecal microbiota transplant, which at the most basic level involves taking poop from one gut and putting it into another. If all goes well, the microorganisms from the donor gut will then spread in the recipients guts.

Once the swap was complete, they ran their mouse personality test again. They found that when they changed the gut microbiome, the bolder mice became shyer and vice-versa. Now, this wasn’t a remake of Freaky Friday—the personalities were not totally swapped, just a small change in their tendencies.

Still, even without a complete personality reversal, the shifts in timidity and boldness are pretty impressive. This study from 2011 was one of the first to clearly show that behaviours could be transferred with the gut microbiome, at least with mice.

Follow up studies

There have since been follow-up studies drawing more connections. However, while scientists do research on mice because we share a lot of similar organs and develop in similar ways, mice and humans are also very different. The next question would be, does the human gut microbiome make similar contributions to mood or emotions?

Consider another study where they took the gut microbiota from humans that are

depressed and then colonized the guts of mice with these bacteria. They found that the mice showed symptoms characteristic of depression in both their physiology and behaviour. One of the ways researchers measure depression in mice is pretty controversial. They’ll put them in a tank full of water and see how long they swim — pretty grim. This is called the forced swim test. It’s used to determine how much the animal is willing to struggle and how much motivation they have before they give up.

They found that mice that received gut microbiomes from humans with depression gave up faster than mice with gut microbes from humans without depression. Similarly, the animals colonized with gut microbiota from people who were depressed also showed a more pro-inflammatory profile. Meaning, their immune system was more eager or more reactive to their environments and seeing more threats. Therefore, they saw changes at the physiological level that seem to match what you might expect from a human with depression. All of this suggests that gut microbiomes may play some role in depression — even in humans.

But knowing that the gut plays a role, doesn’t answer why it plays a role or how. The answer might lie in something called the enteric nervous

system (ENS), Dr. Michael Gershon, a long-time gut researcher, explained that the ENS has a brain of its own (almost). Meaning, a whole separate division of the nervous system is sometimes referred to as a “second brain” due to its unusual number of nerve cells.

His research over the years began to show that the gut is like a middle manager and the brain is like a handsoff CEO, in that it doesn’t like to get involved in the messy details of what goes on in the bowel. Instead, it delegates to the middle manager (millions of cells known as the enteric nervous system) via the vagus nerve (VS). It deals with the small details of how to get the hamburger you just ate down into your stomach, digested appropriately, nutrients absorbed, and waste dealt with.

Previous research using mice showed that the central line of communication (vagus nerve) is crucial for sending important information related to influencing mood and anxiety; where the gut microbiome creates signals that are then passed up to the brain by the VS and then brought to the emotion centres of the brain.

However, there still isn’t a clear consensus on whether it’s microbes or certain chemicals that affect how we feel at the molecular level. There’s still lots left to learn about what kinds of signals are being passed along. What

is clear at least is that it’s currently too early in the research to make extremely specific claims.

Probiotics

To speak to the market of products that are piggy-backing off this growing gut health phenomenon, there’s a big focus on one called a probiotic. They essentially introduce a number of organisms (bacteria) into your gut — no fecal transplant required. The story being told online is that these products can improve your mood dramatically, help with stress, depression, anxiety, weight loss, anti-aging,etc. Although there are valid reasons to believe our gut has an influence on our mood because it’s at the centre of our physiology, nervous system, and hormones, a word of caution might be needed. It’s important to remember that our gut microbiomes are still only one piece of a much larger mental health puzzle. They are not the sole cause of something like depression or anxiety. In other words, anxiety unfortunately can’t just be cured with a spoonful of yogurt, hard as we might try.

Opinions

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s “War on Bikes” has a new casualty and it’s my mother

SHE’S 64 YEARS-OLD MARK! TAKE IT EASY!

Lise Legault: lifelong biker, the latest victim of Mark Sutcliffe’s war on bikes and my mother. She has never owned a car in her life and in her own words, “my bike is my car.” She even biked from Calgary to Sudbury back in the 80’s.

For my sixth birthday, I remember walking outside and being surprised with a tandem bike that my mother had purchased for the both of us. That tandem bike was my family’s minivan; it brought us anywhere we needed to go.

A decade and a half later, my 64-year-old mom owns two bikes: a large trike with a big storage bin in the back and an e-bike. In late August my mom went on a trip to the Walmart at Bayshore, which is a routine activity for her on a Tuesday.

As she was turning off of Carling Avenue

onto Bayshore Drive (a street without a proper bike lane) her front wheel got caught in a sinkhole. She flew off her bike and hit her knee, which fractured her tibia.

The only warning about the sinkhole the city left was a spray-painted blue circle. My mother claimed it was “unhelpful” as she didn’t even see it until after the sinkhole had caused her to crash.

She immediately started yelling in frustration on the side of the road. Frustration with the city; frustration with herself because as a biker in Ottawa, she knows that she should’ve been paying more attention. She knows this because the city certainly doesn’t seem to care for her or any other biker’s safety.

Last year, less than a month before the 2022 Ottawa Municipal Election, now Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, was quoted as saying that he’s “not going to declare a war on cars” in reference

to prioritizing better bike lanes in the city.

We have fantastic recreational bike lanes in Ottawa, but for

cliffe may not have taken a hammer to my mom’s knee and gone to town. His lack of action, though, makes him complicit in her

I worry every day as my mother’s son that one day, she’ll be at the wrong place at the wrong time and something terri-

somebody like my mother whose bike IS her car, her bike is much more than recreational. We need to prioritize better bike infrastructure for those who use biking as a primary mode of transportation.

Between 20182021, over 60 cyclists were either killed or seriously injured. Mayor Sut-

injury and any future injury or fatality of any biker in the city.

Bike-friendly infrastructure is something completely possible for a city like Ottawa.We know that because just two hours away we have Montreal, one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world.

Bureaucracy and voter turnout: An inverse relationship

UOS-Who?

I begin and end this piece by holding the following statements as true: voting is important; student governance is important; and a democratic body having the freedom to criticize its elected representatives is important.

I am fighting the urge to be defensive as I tell this story. It feels natural to brace myself—to

pad the corners of my statements—for the criticism that often comes when the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) faces scrutiny.

Nevertheless, I am practicing the virtues of humility and honesty when I admit that voting can be hard when it comes to student governance.

Look, I know there are methods of staying up to date with student politics. There are

meetings available for the public to view. There are systems in place to ensure transparency.

We’ve all received the annual swarm of name-underscore-UOSU-candidate Instagram accounts, each accompanied by their own slew of fresh-off-the-Canva-press posts.

However, when I asked my Instagram followers what they knew about UOSU the other day,

the responses revealed a truth I suspected: most people don’t know much at all, if anything.

Mia Trinh, a fourth-year student in the French political science and juris doctor (J.D) program, says that, despite her three years here, she knows “nothing” and feels “like they’re useless.”

Vanessa Hagan, a fourth-year student in the French-to-English translation program, echoes

ble will happen. But she’ll never get off that bike — nor should she. She’s been biking all her life. Why should she stop now?

Many people like my mom exist and are residents of this city, they deserve to be represented in council too. People have rights — cars do not.

Trinh’s lack of comprehension.

“They supposedly advocate for students and protest things that aren’t great for the student body (i.e., tuition hikes). I do know that their countless emails are annoying as hell and look/read like scam emails, lowkey,” stated Hagan.

“I honestly don’t see the point in voting for the [executives] since I need to know who/what

Keith de Silvia-Legault

Sanjida Rashid

Photo: Matthew Osborne/Fulcrum.

I’m voting for, and UOSU doesn’t really make it obvious who their candidates are, besides giving out their names. How can I judge someone’s ability to run a union without knowing anything about their personal values or goals for the school?”

What’s worse is that many people are afraid to admit to this lack of knowledge — including myself. Many people are reticent to have their name associated with criticism of UOSU — also including myself.

Read it and weep: the statistics would have it that the only people who didn’t express a lack of knowledge were UOSU members.

Lukas Redmond is a fourth-year political science and public administration student, as well as deputy clubs and services commissioner

with UOSU. He claims he knows “too much it hurts.”

Hannah Avril Wiedrick is a fifth-year honours psychology student and former Arts director for the union’s board of directors. She, like Redmond, knows “literally so much.”

Redmond, however, acknowledges the gap in communication.

“UOSU’s executive team is replacing the clubs and services commissioner with a communications commissioner. I, along with the executive and management team, wrote a report on the need for one at the June board meeting and it was officially motioned at the July 23rd meeting. I and the rest of UOSU want to show that we recognize our communication sucks and that it’s a priority for this year and years to come.”

While that state-

ment acknowledges room for growth in their communication, I believe there are two larger issues unaddressed still.

The first issue is rooted in Redmond’s statement itself, though it is but one example of it. This statement, like UOSU itself, is saturated in bureaucracy. Most people don’t know what commissioners there are, let alone that there was a change. They don’t attend meetings because they don’t appeal to them, and many can’t even begin to understand it. They don’t know who Robert is, nor why UOSU insists we follow his rules.

While there is value to order and systems, there is value, too, to being accessible to the very population you represent — and that is a population that is larger than the political science stu-

dent community. That is not to say that only political science students know or like Robert’s Rules — some hate it. That ‘some’ definitely includes me.

Something needs to be done to make the work of UOSU easily digestible and engaging. If you ask me, this commitment to bureaucracy belongs amongst the aspiring career politicians of Model Parliament Simulation Parlementaire (MPSP), not UOSU.

The second issue is how intimidating UOSU can be — especially when it comes to voicing a complaint.

Largely in life, it can be daunting to admit that you don’t know something; that you don’t like something. It is even more daunting to do so in a student publication you know UOSU members might read.

So, it came as no surprise that many people who expressed feelings very similar to Trinh and Hagan weren’t comfortable being named in this piece. I was a bit afraid, too.

This begs the question: has UOSU’s communication in the past modeled an openness to constructive criticism? What can be done to remedy this, and is UOSU prepared to do so?

Again, voting is important; student governance is important; and a democratic body having the freedom to criticize their elected representatives is important.

UOSU’s general election had a 3.8 per cent turnout. It remains to be seen whether their upcoming byelection will reach double digits.

“We owe it to future generations to do everything we can today to mitigate the effects of climate change while we can still have an impact,” University of Ottawa President Jacques Frémont said when discussing the University’s efforts toward divesting from fossil fuel investments.

I would love to ask him how allowing the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) to take up valuable campus space, to push credit cards and finance fossil fuels is doing ‘everything we can’.

It was a sweltering first day of the University of Ottawa’s Clubs (and Wellness) Fair – it being 31°C and feeling like 40°C. A friend let me know some

students were protesting RBC. The first thing I saw when I made it to the Grande Allée was an ‘RBC is Killing Me’ poster taped to the sign which pointed to the RBC branch. There were two protection officers looking at the poster, who proceeded to take it off the sign.

Before I arrived, RBC had threatened to call the police even though we weren’t doing much besides standing there, smiling at our fellow students walking past. Actually seeing protection there set a certain tone to the event.

As soon as I got there, I grabbed a poster to hold and stood in front of the booth as people walked through the alley. My friends and I were in a cheery mood considering the angry conversation between RBC employees

and protection services happening behind us. If students asked about the posters or looked interested, we explained that we want RBC off campus and why.

People walking past with their friends would laugh and point as they walked by, amused by us protesting RBC right in front of their table. Getting the message out there is what is important. Appealing to the causes the student body cares about is important. We found that explaining the RBC branch used to be a 24hour student lounge is the way into the hearts of the student body.

It is incredibly ironic that RBC was tabling under the guise of the wellness fair – they are definitely not a club.They are the largest financier

of fossil fuels in Canada, and fifth worldwide. THAT DOESN’T HELP MY WELLNESS, RBC! If anything it harms it.

As a student who is minoring in environmental studies, this cause is incredibly important to me. Even before it was my minor, I was very concerned about the climate crisis and the state of the world going forward. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, and anxiety-inducing to wake up every single day and see climate catastrophes happening across the world.

But taking action, showing up to a protest, signing petitions, and calling on the University of Ottawa to support their students’ futures and the world they are inheriting is something that helps me sleep easier at night.

While this protest may have been four people standing in front of a table with posters thrown together in 15 minutes, it brought needed attention to an issue that affects the students who are currently studying on the university campus and their futures.

“RBC is Killing Me” YOU’RE NOT HELPING MY WELLNESS, RBC!

Sarah Donnelly

U of O starts construction just in time to welcome students back to campus

Why not more?

In anticipation of students returning to campus, U of O has begun construction around the Laurier Department of Visual Art (LRR), in addition to the five-year construction project on Tabaret Hall.

Following decisions determined by throwing dice, U of O began unannounced construction on the facility in late July / early August. “We really wanted to be proactive this year, with students only a month away from enjoying campus life”, a construction worker with two belts informed us.

Amongst conversations with students, there was contention about the right time to start construction. “The u of O is not doing a decent enough job with their [construction] projects falling on important academic events,” said Dig N. Holes, a second-year economics student, told us. “I want to be unable to take any pictures around campus come graduation time.”

Bill Dozer, a fourth-year civil engineering student was willing to forgive Uof O’s mismanagement of time, “Whatever their reasons, I am coming around to forgiving them. I missed the big black tarp that was around Montpetit two years ago. It’s really nice to see it back”.

Nicholas Socholotiuk

Image: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum.

Dear DJ

Bed too big? Have a threesome!

WHY HAVE ONE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE TWO?

DJ Daniels

Dear DJ,

I am single and promiscuous, and having sex with one person just isn’t enough as I have a king-sized bed; how do I get a third person in my bed?

Sincerely,

Horny with Free-time

Dear HF,

You’ve come to the right place, my friend — I’m a multi-tasker and I’m not just talking about having a record on each hand, if y’know what I’m saying.

All you gotta do is hop on Tinder, Bumble, or even Hinge (WARNING: Hinge may lead to a love triangle, so please proceed with caution). Now start swiping right vigorously. Swipe until the app doesn’t let you anymore or until your finger develops callouses – whatever comes first.

Now when you’re done, you may have at least two matches. If that isn’t the case… I don’t know what to tell you, buddy. I think maybe you should focus on getting just one person in your bed first before going for the double-barrel – but that’s just a thought.

Now; you’re going to want to find two people that know each other – you don’t want best friends though, just people who are acquaintances with each other. Figure this out by just straight up asking them if they know the other person. This may take multiple attempts and don’t just ask straight away – that’s creepy.

Now let’s say you’ve managed to find two people who are in a class together and know each other by name. It’s time to pop the question. Add them both to a group chat called “a proposition” where it’s just the three of you and text “hi”.

Sincerely,

DJ Daniels

EDITORIAL: Bill C-18, the nail in the coffin of Canadian journalism

Bill C-18 and its ramifications have been the stressor of the summer

Writers, broadcasters, and artists involved in all aspects of the already dwindling Canadian journalism industry have been scrambling to adapt to the consequences of the Online News Act, or Bill C-18.

The bill requires digital companies, such as Google and Meta, to pay news organizations whenever a user clicks on a link to read online articles — those which aren’t already paywalled.

The goal of the bill is to “support balanced negotiations between the businesses that operate dominant digital news intermediaries and the businesses responsible for the news outlets that produce this news content.”

What has resulted is the shattering of what is left of Canadian journalism, especially for aspiring reporters. Bell

had cut 1,300 jobs and six radio stations in June, only 40 per cent of Canadians trust most news they consume, and dozens of newspapers have not survived the pandemic.

Despite the government’s best intentions — as great as intentions behind government policies can be — Bill C-18 has, thus far, had an adverse effect. Meta swiftly blocked access (including links and individual posts) to news organizations on both Instagram and Facebook — us unfortunately included. Google has said it is preparing to follow suit, but the results are already devastating.

From legacy outlets to student newspapers, all of us who were forced to adapt to social media and online journalism, their existence has disappeared in an instant. Although some accounts have survived Meta’s

heavy hand, news in Canada via social media is effectively gone.

What does this mean for the Fulcrum?

We’re still here; we’ve survived the threat of the Student Choice Initiative and we’ll survive this too. However, this just means that readers will have to go the extra mile (ie. regularly checking our website) for our latest stories.

We’re planning to expand our content to TikTok and YouTube, with multimedia pieces being crafted more consistently. We’re also planning to re-vitalize our free, bi-weekly email newsletter, which will gather new pieces over the week. This is all in addition to our bi-weekly PDFs that we’ll continue to publish.

But we have lost access to one of our more accessible places to post

new articles, share story call-outs, and ultimately engage with our audience.

What does this mean for Canadian news?

Unfortunately, in the middle of the rising prominence of conspiracy theories and misinformation, things will likely get worse before they get better. Despite the promise of permanence and personality attached to the internet, verified news sources are incredibly limited on these platforms. But it also means that the Canadian government should have done more to protect their news outlets.

In 2021, Australian news organizations, the government, and Meta were able to reach a negotiation after the threat of visible news links lingered over the country. Some argue it’s because the Australian government left themselves with room to

negotiate. Although Australia is not Canada, the situation did leave a lasting impression on news organizations around the world.

No digital company, Meta, Facebook, or even Twitter/X, should wield that much power over content that is fundamentally intended to inform its audience. This energy could easily be put into improving policies that are designed to keep users safe, such as loopholes within harassment policies. News outlets need help, not sheltering, in navigating financial stress and online platforms that promote twisted clickbait rather than valuable news. Freedom of the press is integral to the existence of any democratic nation.

And student newspapers should not have been caught in the crosshairs. We are directly paid by student fees and serve the student population — and are barely a threat to the UOSU elections, much less Meta’s bottom line.

Editorials are written by the Fulcrum’s 17 person editorial board and express the shared views and opinions of the Fulcrum’s editorial staff. To share your own views, email editor@thefulcrum.ca.

Image: Archives/Fulcrum.

AcknowledgementS

CONTRIBUTORS

The Fulcrum would like to thank

Sarah Donnelly for their contributions to this issue.

EDITORIAL BOARD

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bridget “FSS plant wall” Coady (she/her) editor@thefulcrum.ca

MANAGING EDITOR

Amira “UCU vending machines” Benjamin (they/she) managingeditor@thefulcrum.ca

Production Manager

Mattew “SITE Tim Hortons” McConkey (he/him) production@thefulcrum.ca

News Editors

Kavi “Learning Crossroads” Vidya Achar (they/them) news.editor@thefulcrum.ca

Shailee “CRX study room” Shah (she/her) news@thefulcrum.ca

Arts & Culture Editor

Sydney “Tabaret Lawn” Grenier (she/her) arts@thefulcrum.ca

Sports EDITOR

Andrew “90U basement” Wilimek (he/him) sports@thefulcrum.ca

Sports Reporter

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

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Emma “BSC fishtank” Williams (she/her) science@thefulcrum.ca

Opinions EDITOR

Keith “The Batcave” de Silvia-Legault (they/them) opinions@thefulcrum.ca

Staff Writers

Ciku “Wellness Centre” Gitonga (she/her) staff.writer@thefulcrum.ca

Nicholas “5th floor Morisset” Socholotiuk (he/him) reporter@thefulcrum.ca

Graphic Designers

Kai “Not Laurier Staircase” Holub (they/he) multimedia@thefulcrum.ca

Sanjida “Campus hotdog stand” Rashid (she/her) social@thefulcrum.ca

Photographer

Matthew “uOttawa LRT station” Osborne (he/him) photographer@thefulcrum.ca

Videographer

Pavel “University Square” Nangfak (he/him) videographer@thefulcrum.ca

Online Editor

Ayai “3rd floor Hamelin” Offor (she/her) online@thefulcrum.ca