the carillon
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the staff editor-in-chief editor@carillonregina.com
The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962 November 28 - January 8, 2019 | Volume 62, Issue 13 | carillonregina.com
john loeppky
executive director jacob nelson business@carillonregina.com
cover
production manager jeremy davis production@carillonregina.com advertising manager advertising@carillonregina.com
Who else to ruin your Christmas cheer, but the provost himself. Right, regardless, this week we have a story about the NDP pointing out the lack of protections for health workers, the independent film awards, a number of stories about immigrant students at the U of R and how they came to be in Regina, plus one ball player setting records. Elsewhere, we’re hiring for a new position, web writer, send us a resume at editor@carillonregina. com.
ty cote
technical editor frank nordstrom carillontechnical@carillonregina.com multimedia/Graphics editors kate thiessen sarah carrier morgan ortman multimedia@carillonregina.com graphics@carillonregina.com copy editor hannah senicar copyeditor@carillonregina.com news editor news@carillonregina.com
sara birrell
a&c editor ethan butterfield aandc@carillonregina.com
photos
sports editor tyler meadows sports@carillonregina.com taylor balfour
distribution manager kyle anderson distribution@carillonregina.com staff writer
elisabeth sahlmueller
staff writer
marty grande - sherbert
news writer
ben schneider
a&c writer sports writer
news
op-ed editor op-ed@carillonregina.com
cover......................... morgan ortman page 2........................... haley klassen news.................. gerald r ford school . of public policy a&c................................................... sifa sports.......................... u of r athletics op-ed.............................. jeremy davis
Zilch
errata
holly worby brian palaschuk
Memo-related controversy
Page 4
The NDP called out the Sask governments “Hush Memo” and our editor-in-chief tackles thier clamp down on whistle blowing.
contributors
julia peterson, sonali maria currie, sierra kolodziej, monyror bior, simar sandhu, haley klassen, wynonna allen and garrett lillie
the paper
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a&c
THE CARILLON BOARD OF DIRECTORS Erickka Patmore, Lindsay Holitzki, Maddie Ouelette, Dustin Smith. John Loeppky, Jacob Nelson, and Ethan Butterfield
The Carillon welcomes contributions.
Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are expressly those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. Opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in the Carillon are those of the advertisers, and not necessarily of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. or its staff.
The Carillon is published no less than 11 times each semester during the fall and winter semesters and periodically throughout the summer. The Carillon is published by the Carillon Newspaper Inc., a non-profit organization.
Page 7
The Saskatchewan Independant Film Awards announced their winners. Our current and former production managers had films up for nominations.
sport
Letters should be no more than 350 words, and may be edited for space, clarity, accuracy, and vulgarity. The Carillon is a wholly autonomous organization with no afilliation with the University of Regina Students’ Union.
SIFA’s
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Correspondence can be mailed, emailed, or dropped off in person. Please include your name, address, and telephone number on all letters to the editor. Only the author’s name, title/position (if applicable) and city will be published. Names may be withheld upon request at the discretion of the Carillon.
Ballin’
Page 11
Editor Tyler Meadows chats with Cougar athlete Michaela Kleisinger after she broke a number of records and gained a conference accolade.
the manifesto
op-ed
In keeping with our reckless, devil-may-care image, our office has absolutely no concrete information on the Carillon’s formative years readily available. What follows is the story that’s been passed down from editor to editor for over forty years. In the late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds. One of these proposed buildlings was a beltower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a belltower. The University never got a belltower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.
The People’s Friend; the Tyrant’s Foe
Salvation Army
Page 17
Staff writer Marty Grande-Sherbert breaks down the salvation army’s attitude towards 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
Nadda
in other news
news
3 Editor: sara birrell news@carillonregina.com the carillon | November 28 - January 8, 2019
Panel sheds light on Latin American social revolts
Protests rage on sara birrell news editor
As mass protests against neoliberal economic reforms, violent oppression, and military coups in some Latin American countries turn deadly, the University of Regina hosted a panel discussion about the ongoing social revolts in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile. Dr. Liisa North, Visiting Professor at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences and the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Dr. Miguel Sánchez, Associate Dean and Associate Professor at the University of Regina Faculty of Social Work, Dr. Simon Granovsky-Larsen, Associate Professor in the U of R Dept. of Politics and International Studies, and David Gray-Donald, Journalist and Publisher of Briarpatch Magazine, spoke about the causes and consequences of the people’s uprisings, as well as Canada’s role in the destabilization of the region. North, who co-edited the 2018 book Dominant Elites in Latin America: From Neoliberalism to the ‘Pink Tide,’ spoke
about the protests that took place in Ecuador between Oct. 3 and Oct. 14. “For eleven days Quito . . . and other cities in Ecuador were paralysed by protests against the elimination of a subsidy on diesel fuel and gasoline,” North said. The end of the subsidy, along with massive cuts to wages and benefits for public sector workers, was part of a deal with the IMF to obtain a loan of more than four billion dollars to cover the country’s fiscal deficit. North said an estimated 35,000 people showed up for the largest demonstration, including student groups, labour unions, and 20,000 people from Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE). Initially peaceful, the protests soon turned violent and North said that by the time CONAIE and President Lenin Moreno reached a deal that saw the return of the fuel subsidy and the end of austerity measures, 20 people were dead and more that 1,340 were injured in altercations with the police. Gray-Donald, who also spoke at a solidarity march for Chile and Bolivia on November 16, said the coup in Bolivia was “anti-In-
digenous” as well as being about resource extraction. Although Bolivia is a majority Indigenous nation, recently exiled President Evo Morales was its first Indigenous leader since the Spanish colonized it in the 1500s. He added that mining – an industry that Canada plays an enormous role in – is also a huge factor in the region’s destabilization. In addition to silver, Bolivia is thought to have around 70 per cent of the world’s lithium, a key component in many green technologies, as well as large stores of indium, a component in LCD screens. In Chile, where a group of high school students jumping over subway turnstiles in protest of a hike in transit fares sparked a fire that has turned into a full-scale uprising, Sánchez says it remains unclear how the government of Sebastián Piñera will manage the crisis. Far from being just about subway fares, the situation in Chile is rooted in what Sanchez calls “unrestrained capitalism” and massive inequality. Although Chile is often held up as an example of stability and prosperity in Latin America, hidden behind the economic growth is massive
inequality – Chile is one of the top 20 most unequal countries in the world – and the staggering amount of personal debt owed by lower- and middle-class Chileans. “Everything is privatized,” Sanchez said. From health care to education to water to pensions, Chileans are paying out of pocket and their debt payments are frequently more than they earn every month. Although 23 people are dead, thousands injured, and at least 230 people who have been shot in the eye and blinded by rubber bullets and pellets fired by police, Sanchez said that there has been “absolute silence” from Canada, though this country is quick to condemn Latin American countries that criticize U.S. foreign policy. “Canada’s concern with human rights ends where Canadian corporate interests begin.” Granovsky-Larsen said that none of this should come as a surprise. “There has been a series of coups since 2004,” he said, starting with the US-led overthrow of democratically elected Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He said that the neoliberal governance model that is taking the
place of leftist governments is backlash against the progressive demands that accompanied the so-called “Pink Tide,” which saw a revolutionary shift away from neoliberalism in Latin America between 2000 and 2015. He said that each of these coups has had “the blessing” of the Canadian government. He said that it’s important for Canadians to “double down” on solidarity organizing. “It’s just as important now,” as it ever was, he said. “It has just as much potential.”
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Solidarity
“Canada’s concern with human rights ends where Canadian corporate interests begin.” – Dr. Miguel Sanchez
November 28 - January 8, 2019
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 4
news
NDP publication of health region memo sparks debate
“hush memo” attempts to accountability in the SHA john loeppky editor-in-chief As first reported by numerous media outlets, including CBC’s Adam Hunter, the NDP released a document they had obtained that leaders have labelled a bush memo sent to Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) that advised members communicating in meetings, “If you do not want to see it in the newspaper, then do not include it in the meeting minutes,” raising obvious questions about accountability within the relatively newly amalgamated health region. The document, obtained via the party through a freedom of information request was just one of those obtained through the process that allows for the release of previously held documents. In an interview with the Carillon, NDP leader Ryan Meili said that this memo wasn’t the only area of interest that came from the release of documents, but declined to be drawn on what else they had uncovered “We’d been hearing that there’d been some communications along those lines and we were just investigating a number of things going on within the health authority, this was just one that came to our attention through the FOI.” Meili said that the change in policy, labelled as a “quick review” by health minister Jim Reiter in an interview with Global after the considerable blowback, was unlikely to happen as wanted. “There’s never been whistleblower protections within the health region, so the preexisting health regions didn’t have those and so the SHA also doesn’t, that’s likely going to take more than a quick review, what we should have is a clear promise that folks working within the health system should have the same whistleblower protection as anyone in this government.” Previously, the various health regions were treated as independent associations and those lacked whistleblower protections. Meili said that the Saskatchewan Party government currently in power is one where “there’s a lot of fear.” “A lot of people within various departments, Environment, Social Services, Education, and particularly Health are identifying real problems but they’re not feeling confident that they can speak out about them without potentially losing their employment or losing funding for their work and that’s really created a culture of intimidation and fear.”
Dmitry Abramov manipulation by John Loeppky
As recently as August, a Regina Leader-Post article detailed the Saskatchewan’s Health Authority’s want to explore the idea of a reporting hotline for those in violation of policies and procedures. As reported by Arthur White-Crummey, the call for vendors read in part, “The SHA is seeking proposals from vendors to provide a ‘hotline’ service that can be used for anonymous reporting to the organization where employees and others are suspected of violating SHA policies, codes of conduct, or legal requirements.” There is no evidence that this proposed hotline would attempt to alleviate government interference concerns or the lack of public transparency with the SHA. Neither the government nor the opposition are sure whether the talked about changes to whistleblower protections are ones that have to be made through a regulation or an amendment, with one taking much longer than the other. Meili resisted the idea the memo’s stated concern, – outside of limiting publicity addressing privacy concerns, was a legitimate one. “I do not because the memo isn’t really talking about privacy issues and privacy is protected in a number of ways.” Meili pointed to the preexisting legislation (The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act or
PIPEDA) that governs patient privacy, along with the freedom of information request process that involves the redaction of any personal identifying information of the patients. “It’s also just not consistent with the tone of the message. It was very much about making sure that people stayed lock-step with the health authority’s message box and you understand how organizations have a desire to make sure that their messaging is consistent but when it comes to situations where physicians and others are consistently and repeatedly raising legitimate and serious concerns about care provision within the health authority and they aren’t responded to, the right answer isn’t, ‘don’t talk about this anymore,’ the right answer is giving people [a system] one: for the health authority to respond; and two, for people to be fully aware of what’s actually going on.” The main sentence capturing the ire of those who believe that the wrongs of a system should be recorded for the public record read, “If you do not want to see it in the newspaper, then do not include it in the meeting minutes.” Meili, when asked, said that the issue of transparency isn’t just isolated in the health region, but across government more broadly. “I think that statement is particularly offensive, saying to not record the truth because someone might find out. This isn’t about protecting anyone’s private in-
Funny how truthful Photoshop can be
formation, that’s about not identifying and being honest about the real concerns, and there are real problems in our healthcare system. Hallway medicine being practiced constantly in our emergency rooms, we’ve got nowhere near the access to primary care we should have . . . What the SHA should be working on is fixing those problems not in telling people how to hide them.” The Saskatchewan Government released a guide for the writing of whistleblower legislation for municipalities as recently as 2016, speaking to other government employees about the protections currently not in place for those in the health region. “It is also important to note that municipal employees, like all employees in Saskatchewan, currently have rights and protection from reprisal under federal and provincial legislation, such as The Saskatchewan Employment Act and the Criminal Code (Canada). Municipal bylaws and/or policies can build on these existing rights and protections and provide an opportunity for internal disclosure, reporting and resolution before an employee feels the need to report a matter to provincial or federal authorities. This document has been prepared to serve as a guide for municipalities and their employees to better understand the existing legislative protection and frameworks in place in Saskatchewan regarding whistleblowing and to consider
additional internal measures to support this framework and further protect their employees. Municipalities are advised to consult a solicitor to obtain legal advice regarding bylaws and policies developed in this regard.” Meili pointed to parking issues at Regina hospitals – many breaks-ins have occurred as parking costs continue to rise in surrounding areas – and also spoke to the rise of violence and burnout being seen in hospitals as areas of concern that need to be addressed by the government, calling the problems “constant.” The MLA for Saskatoon-Meewasin, himself a physician, didn’t hold back when asked about the government’s approachto instituting whistleblower protections moving forward. “We’ll see, obviously it would be a positive thing, that’s why we proposed adding whistleblower protections, but I think we’re really needing to see a different larger cultural shift. This is a government whose approach to trouble is to tell people to shut up about it instead of urging people to speak up and fix it, and we hear constantly that people are afraid that if they speak up and say what’s really going on they will lose their employment and we just can’t continue in that way.”
What the SHA should be working on is fixing those problems not in telling people how to hide them.” – Ryan Meili
November 28 - January 8, 2019
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 5
news
Tolls of the belltower
Do you hear the stories sing john loeppky editor-in-chief University of Saskatchewan leads water advocacy group A Nov. 18 email from the University of Saskatchewan detailed what the campus is doing to support safe water sources through their Global Water Futures program. “As a proud partner of UNESCO and the UN Water Action Decade, we are continuously looking at ways in which we can lead the country in meeting our sustainable development goals as they relate to water,” said John Pomeroy, USask’s Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change and GWF program director. University of Saskatchewan department member Corinne Shuster-Wallace said in the piece that “If we are to show the world how to achieve water sustainability, Canada first needs to get our own house in order to achieve the water goal SDG #6.” The press release also pointed to the issues facing Indigenous communities face as Canada attempts to renew its commitment to water security “Canada still has not reached universal access to reliable, potable water supplies. While the commitment to eliminating drinking water advisories in First Nation communities will go a long way to achieving this, many more aren’t even served by water treatment systems.” Below is the full description of the research project from the home of the Huskies. “The world’s largest university-led freshwater research program, Global Water Futures is a seven-year, University of Saskatchewan-led program established in 2016 and funded in part by a $77.8 million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund to USask’s Global Institute for Water Security. The GWF research goal is to transform the way communities, governments and industries in Canada and other cold regions of the world prepare for and manage increasing water-related threats. The program is developed and funded in part with three key partners—the University of Waterloo, McMaster University, and Wilfrid Laurier University—and includes hundreds of faculty, researchers and support staff, hundreds of partners, and 18 Canadian universities.” Security password changes Last week, an email was sent to campus advising students that
they will be required to change their university passwords, except for those on banner, as they do not allow for the needed security. The new policy, dated Feb. 26, 2018, means that passwords can only be the same for a full year before needing to be changed. The email detailed the reason for the change. “Information Services at the University of Regina is pleased to announce the University Password Management Policy effective February 26, 2018. The new policy applies more stringent security controls for passwords based on information sensitivity of IT systems accessed by University of Regina users. This policy consolidates password management controls to encompass all University applications and is applicable to all faculty, staff, students, and affiliates.” These requirements were described, both in the email and on the related website, as providing more security for campus users “At a high-level, this policy brings new requirements in terms of minimum password complexity, maximum password age, limits on how passwords can be transmitted and other important changes to improve security.” “University of Regina uses passwords as the primary authentication method for users to access IT systems in the conduct of University activities. The goal is to reduce the probability of compromised accounts being used to access University IT systems. The policy and associated standards are designed to ensure passwords are managed appropriately, both from the end user and system administrator roles, in order to minimize risk to University information assets. Information security is a shared responsibility; strong passwords are a critical part of this responsibility. External research, such as Verizon’s Data Breach Report, have shown that more than 80% of hacking-related breaches used either stolen and/or weak passwords.” The email comes after the vendor used for the University of Regina’s bookstore, now renamed the campus store, was breached twice last year, exposing the data of a number of students. Queen City for All hosts meeting Full disclosure: the author attended the event, but it’s too important to care about a tad bit of nepotism On Nov. 21, members of the Regina community met at the United Way of Regina to discuss the current municipal election cycle, including the races for city
Brett Nielsen
Bing, bong, print media’s (not) dead
counsellors, public school trustees, and the position of mayor. In a Nov. 20, Kent Peterson, spokesperson for the group sent a press release detailing part of the reason for the meeting. “After receiving a petition with over 5,000 signatures calling on Katherine Gagne to be removed as Chair of the Regina Public School Board, Katherine Gagne has so far refused to resign or formally respond to the petition. If Katherine Gagne won’t resign, a community conversation is required about taking steps to defeat her in next year’s school board election and create a more inclusive city.” On Nov. 26 an email was sent by the group highlighting a homophobic petition being supported by Gagne in a bid to keep her in her role as trustee and as the key figure in the lack of support for 2SLGBTQIA+ students in Regina’s public schools. The petition compares supporting LGBT students to Sharia law or forcing Christian doctrine on students [EIC’s note: Got to love the hypocrisy of these people]. In response, Eric Bell pointed to this as just another reason why Regina’s citizens should be concerned. “If Katherine Gagne condones and supports this disgusting petition, then it’s another example of her saying one thing in public, but saying something different in private. Gagne needs to use tomorrow’s [Nov 26] school board meeting to finally tell the truth: does she support LGBTQ+ kids in schools, or does she support the bigots who signed this
horrible petition in her name?” Regina next goes to the polls to choose its city representatives on Nov. 9, 2020. CNIB searching for temporary homes for guide dog trainees The CNIB Foundation has put out a call for puppy raisers. These are people who set the needed foundation before the dogs go off to be trained in supporting those who require a guide dog. In an email to press, the specifics of the program, described as a “interesting opportunity,” were set out. “CNIB is seeking animal lovers in Regina who would like to be Puppy Raisers by taking a puppy into their home from the age of eight weeks to about 12 to 15 months of age, when formal guide dog training begins. The Puppy Raiser’s role is to provide a loving home to a puppy in training and to help prepare the pup through supervised obedience and socialization skills program overseen by CNIB. All costs will be covered by CNIB.” Applications can be found on foundation’s website at CNIB.ca SCEF looking for applicants The University of Regina’s Sustainability and Community Engagement Fund is now accepting applications. The campus program offers $2,000 to successful candidates who offer programs that relate to the fund’s mission, as stated on their website, “to build a culture of sustainability among
the University of Regina campus community while fostering positive impacts in the surrounding community environment.” The website also lists the how the program came to be. “In 2014, eight Partners from our campus joined their efforts to create the Sustainability Community Engagement Fund. Since then additional Faculties and Units, as well as the University Leadership Team (ULT), have provided their support and invested in the SCEF. By investing in the Fund, the ULT have agreed to recognize the leadership of higher education institutions and the importance of working collaboratively and responsively toward our social and environmental sustainability. The Fund will support students in becoming more active citizens, by funding projects that will shift business as usual and foster a stronger engagement for sustainable and socially responsible practices and actions on campus.” Applications opened on Nov. 18 and close on Dec. 11. The application form is available at https://www.uregina.ca/president/campus sustainability/Sustainability-Awards/index.html#fund
At a high-level, this policy brings new requirements in terms of minimum password complexity, maximum password age, limits on how passwords can be transmitted and other important changes to improve security.” – IT Services
November 28 - January 8, 2019
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 6
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Students need to fight back A call to action
sara birrell news editor As Saskatchewan heads into (another) election year, in which there is a non-zero chance that we will see another Sask Party government [Editor’s Note: Scott Moe once killed a woman with his car], post-secondary students should brace for the possibility of more attacks on their institutions – and their wallets. Over the past 12 years, the party has made significant cuts to higher education and there is no reason to think that they won’t continue to do so if elected again. That’s why it’s absolutely critical that students at both Saskatchewan universities start to organize now, so we can be prepared to mobilize in the future. Levi Nilson, who was president of the University of Calgary Students’ Union in 2015 – the year the NDP scored a surprise win in Alberta’s provincial election – said that organizing students to advocate for themselves against funding cuts and tuition hikes, especially in universities across the prairies, where the student bodies are generally “non-militant and non-mobilized” is an enormous challenge, but there’s a payoff if you can get it done. “It takes effort and it’s not easy and it can be exhausting,” Nilson said of
Morgan Ortman
Power dynamics be damned
mobilizing students against administration and the government. “But it’s possible. You just have to find some comrades and move forward like that.” During Nilson’s tenure as VP external in 2014 and President of the CSU in 2015, the student body went head to head with the government and university administrators over both tuition hikes and a massive dispute over the student building, which ended up turning into a $200 million lawsuit. Nilson said that when it came to organizing, the CSU was essentially starting a movement from scratch. “One of the things that was a big problem for me and my colleagues was that there wasn’t really much precedent that we could look at for what worked and what didn’t work in terms of organizing. It wasn’t that students didn’t respond to organizing efforts it’s just that there [weren’t many] efforts at all.” Still, “We were able to actually organize a protest in Edmonton against tuition increases that the PC govt was looking to pass before the election,” he said. But it was difficult work, and it required boots on the ground and a wide range of tactics. “We went around to classrooms, we talked to different lecturers, we had local
student-led town halls,” he said. “We had a lot of media attention, we had a protest, we had social media campaigns, we had letter writing campaigns to deans of different departments.” Nilson said the only way for students to get a fair deal from administrations and the government is to “disrupt the way they do work.” Otherwise, “They’re never, ever going to listen to you and change anything that they were already going to do.” He said that part of the problem is the way student unions conduct business. “Advocacy on a student union level these days is dealing with administrators and MLAs and MPs and taking a photo and putting it on Twitter after.” He said that student unions playing nice will get them nowhere. “The only incentive [administrators] have to meet with you is so they can say they were ‘collaborative.’ They have so much more power than students in those situations,” he added. “So you have to push consistently and make it a problem for them.” He said that students on the prairies should be looking towards Quebec for inspiration when it comes to student movements against governments and administrations. The protest culture is much different and much, much better,” Nilson said.
“It’s part of the reason their tuition is so much lower. Because they ask for it and they demand it. Nobody else demands it.” Tuition for Quebec residents is the lowest in the country, and less than half the national average. Elsewhere in Canada, “Everybody asks nicely and then they’re disappointed when they don’t get [what they asked for].” Students wanting to organize should approach labour unions as well, Nilson said. “They’re going to have resources and people there who will be more than happy to fill you in” on mobilization tactics. This doesn’t just go for students in higher education – the K-12 student climate strikers could also benefit from collaboration with labour unions who know how to withhold labour and stop production in order get those in power to pay attention. “Wherever you can put pressure, you put pressure,” he said. “If we keep lying down and letting it happen, it’s going to continue to happen,” Nilson said of the need for students to form a cohesive unit to push back against punishing austerity measures and skyrocketing tuition. “We know this stuff isn’t right, now what can we do about it?” He added that students and student unions need to remember that governments and ad-
ministrators are adversaries, and they need to be approached as such. “When they’re playing nice, they’re absolutely just pulling the wool over your eyes,” he said. “They’re never going to do the right thing just because you asked them to. They’ll do the right thing if they’re forced to.” “And students have that power.”
“wherever you can put pressure, you put pressure.” – Levi Nilson, former President of the University of Calgary Students’ Union
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7 Editor: ethan butterfield aandc@carillonregina.com the carillon | November 28 - January 8, 2019
Saskatchewan Independent Film Awards announces winners
Honouring those in the industry ethan butterfield a&c editor The sixth Annual Saskatchewan Independent Film Awards were held on Nov. 22 in Saskatoon. The event honoured some of the best and brightest that Saskatchewan had to offer Winners in seven specific accounts were announced: “Best Short Film,” “Best Student Film,” “Best Acting,” “Best Feature Film,” “Best Technical Achievement,” “Best Web Series,” and last but not least, “Audience Choice.” We’ll start things off with “Best Student Film,”. The award this year was given to the film My World is No Longer the World I Knew by Weiye Su. Other nominees included: A Man Replaced by Joel Tabak, Follow Leader by Scott Johnson, Prairie Dreams by DJ Carnegie, and To Call My Own by Morgan Jones. Next up we have “Best Web Series.” Rick Anthony, director of the 2016 local film Patient 62 was named the winner. Pieces: Camp by Sophie Kokott was also nominated. Anthony said the award meant a lot to him as a local artist. “My team and I were really excited to be nominated for the
SIFA for ‘Best Web Series’ this year, and to win is really amazing! It is great to have such strong support and enthusiasm from our home base and to be in such talented company as we were with this festival. Rock Bottom was so much fun to work on that it has been fantastic to see it appreciated in such a way. Between the SIFA Award and the love this project was given at Just For Laughs this summer, I feel like there is a good possibility we’ll see season two in the works shortly!” Moving away from films and heading into the more technical specs of the industry, former Carillon employee Elian Mikkola found success at the SIFA’s with an award for “Best Technical Achievement” for Sound Design in Magdaleena. Other nominees for this category were: Gavin Baird, Cinematography in Begonia, Dylan Crosby & Kyler Wilton, Editing in GOOD MORNING, Morgan Jones, Creative Use of Imaging in To Call My Own, Ava Wild, and Score in The Acreage & The Ambush. Although Mikkola wasn’t able to comment on their win, they spoke about how it felt to be nominated overall. “I feel very grateful to be nominated this year, specifically
SIFA
with this film. It was my graduation film from the MFA program at the U of R and a lot of hard work went into it. It’s truly a local film. There’s a lot of community and local talent involvement that went into making this film what it is today and that’s why it feels so great to screen the film in Saskatoon and be a part of this years SIFA’s.” Moving right along we find
ourselves at “Best Short Film” and “Best Feature Film”, which were won for ahkâmêyimo nitânis (Keep Going My Daughter) by Candy Fox and Begonia by Gavin Baird, respectively. Other categories included: Best Short Film: The Diggers by George Hupka, Magdaleena by Elian Mikkola, and Unfold by John Graham Best Feature Film: Audacity
Awarding to say the least
by Jeremy Cole Bastion, and Run Wolf, Run by Carli Robertson
Cinderella at the Globe
A classic makes its way to Regina ethan butterfield a&c editor The Regina Globe Theatre, known for being both well-respected and well-versed in its quality of production and artistry, always seems to bring in shows for attendees to fall in love with. Whether it was the recent showing of Chicago or the curious, but all the same wonderful tale of The Hobbit, the Globe Theatre has certainly been on the money lately. Hopefully this will continue with its newest upcoming project, Cinderella, which runs Nov. 27 to Dec. 29. For those who aren’t familiar with the fairy tale, The Globe Theatre website was able to give a clear explanation of what people should expect from their take on it: “This re-telling of the timeless fairy tale will delight audiences of all ages. After losing her mother at a young age, Cinderella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and jealous stepsisters. Burdened with endless chores, she longs to escape her weary life. When her stepmother prevents her from attending a royal ball, the spirit of her mother appears and with endless love, magic, and help from some ani-
mal friends, Cinderella just might find the courage to live her own adventure.” Interim Artistic Director Geoffrey Whynot said the production is something recognizable for those who find comfort in the original. “Globe’s production of Cinderella this December is a wonderful retelling of that favourite story. The script maintains those classic elements of the story that we all hold dear, and tells that story in a timeless setting with characters that feel contemporary and fresh. Director Ruth Smillie and her excellent designers have built the kind of play that Globe does better than anyone. The audience is close to the action, the story moves with fantastic energy, and the setting is magical in a way that Globe audiences will love.” That team of creatives gracing the stage includes Katie Abramovic (Zinnia), Rebecca Auerbach (Pepper/Fairy Mother), Gaelan Beatty (Victor, Fight Captain), Helen Belay (Asha), Sarah Bergbusch (Rosa), Rachel Jones (Sigrid), Amy Matysio (Constance), Jaire Olmos (Grey), and Hal Wesley Rogers (Bodhi). According to the press release, a certain set piece took a significant amount of skill to create “The magical tree took five
people six weeks to build and involved the cooperation of set, props, lx and paint to realize. It had to be hung/rigged to be worked on then rehung in the space.” Also noted was that two performers, “Katie Abramovic (Zinnia) and Sara Bergbusch (Rosa) are alumnae of Globe Theatre School. This is their debut on Globe Theatre’s Main Stage.” Tickets are available from the box office at 306.525.6400.
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Cindella takes downtown by storm
November 28 - January 8, 2019
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Time again to talk about “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
Another take on the controversial tune. holly worby a&c writer The holidays are nearly here, bringing with them merriment, glad tidings, and the annual discussion of whether or not “Baby It’s Cold Outside” promotes coercion and rape. It’s a song that’s been around for 75 years now and has only really been under heat for the last 15. The earliest article I could find on the song was done by Canada’s National Post in 2004 where they spent their words critiquing the song based on political correctness. They later claimed that the article was a tongue-incheek joke, but it’s prompted over a decade of debate surrounding the song’s interpretations and has even led to radio stations like CBC pulling it from rotation to avoid association with the song’s perceived message. John Legend and Kelly Clarkson came out with a parody of the song this year, making an effort to change the lyrics to show what should really be done when consent isn’t given. The song tells the story of Clarkson saying she should go and Legend calling her a ride, and them having a respectful, romantic conversation while she waits. There’s still flirting and banter, littered with lines like “it’s your body and it’s your choice,” really driving home the idea that even though his advances were turned down he’s still going to treat her as an equal and a friend while helping to make sure she gets home safe. Rape culture and incel ideology preach that women who turn down sexual advances
have no worth (to put it mildly); rather than having an adult temper tantrum because he didn’t get his way, Legend still valued Clarkson after the fact which is a lovely example to have in this time. SNL also took a jab at the song in their holiday special “Special Offer” by having the man (played by Kenan Thompson) dress in a Cosby-like sweater to reference Cosby’s sexual assault and rape allegations. When the woman (played by Tina Fey) sings “What’s in this drink?” Thompson as Cosby stutters on about it being “like a vitamin for when you’re bummed out,” which motivates Fey to quickly hand back the drink and leave amid shouts that he “only” wants to show her his penis. SNL has never shied away from boundaries or dark humour, and by comparing the male role to a convicted rapist they show quite clearly the common thoughts on the controversy. The cultural interpretation of that line has done a 180-flip from the time it was written. Nowadays when you ask what’s in a drink it could mean everything from the drink being too strong, tasting suspiciously off (as if someone’s spiked/drugged it), or you just don’t recognize the mix. In a Tumblr post from 2017 a former English teacher under the screen name “bigbutterandeggman” posted a short analysis on what the line would’ve meant when it was written in the mid‘40s. The teacher claimed that the line was “a stock joke at the time, and the punchline was invariably that there’s actually pretty much nothing in the drink, not even a significant amount of alcohol.”
The joke was that the lady isn’t normally so bold, and in a time where it wasn’t socially acceptable for a woman to be bold about her needs she was jokingly blaming her bold behaviour on the lightly-poured drink. “So it’s not actually a song about rape” further stated bigbutterandeggman, “in fact it’s a song about a woman finding a way to exercise sexual agency in a patriarchal society designed to stop her from doing so. But it’s also, at the same time, one of the best illustrations of rape culture that pop culture has ever produced. It’s a song about a society where women aren’t allowed to say yes . . . which happens to mean it’s also a society where women don’t have a clear and unambiguous way to say no.” While the song interpreted through current societal norms absolutely sounds like it’s promoting coercion and rape, it’s actually more of a commentary on what happens when both parties want to have that interaction but women have no sexual agency. She sings of how grand the night’s been yet what she “ought” not to do, because in that time a woman staying overnight simply because she wanted to wasn’t seen as a good enough reason. Women were pressured to stay chaste and say no to every advance, even when they personally wanted to go through with it, and with the historical context it’s possible that the man was simply offering her excuses to give others when they would inevitably shame her about spending the evening. The song from 1944 and this year’s parody have much the
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He can have all of us
same message when interpreted through the time period in which they were written. The original depicts a woman who wants to stay the night but is painfully aware of the societal consequences, so the man is helping to provide reasons she could give as to why she stayed, because her simply wanting to won’t be a respected response. The parody depicts a woman who’s had a nice time and wants to go home, so the man respects that and helps to ensure
she’ll get home safe while continuing to build their relationship. In the original song the woman is fighting against society’s expectations, and in the remake Legend fights the misogynistic pressures to react out of anger when rejected. I think in the original, when the woman sings “I wish I knew how to break the spell,” she was really singing about breaking the patriarchy all along.
November 28 - January 8, 2019
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Mixed (and messy) responses to Pokémon Sword and Shield Expectations for this Pokémon game were higher than Shuckle’s defense stat marty grande-sherbert staff writer The long-awaited Pokémon Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch are finally here, the first ever main series Pokémon games for a console (well, a half-console) in Nintendo’s history. New features in the eighth generation include an expansive wild area of Pokémon, “Pokémon Camp,” where you can make your Pokémon curry dishes, Gigantamaxing, where your Pokémon can become gigantic and battle in epic arenas, and lots of improvements to Pokémon Centres that make things a heck of a lot more convenient. When the game was first announced, people were particularly excited by the adorable sheep Pokémon, Wooloo – as it quickly became a wholesome meme – and also looked forward to the “UK-themed” new Galar region. There were many jokes to be had at the expense of “Brit culture,” after all, and captioning pictures of Pokémon trainers with over-the-top cockney accents were the source of many a chuckle. In other words, there were high, high hopes for this game before it hit the eShop on Nov. 15; in fact, perhaps the hopes were too high. There has been a considerable amount of disappointment surrounding certain aspects of the game since its release, particularly following the announcement that in future Pokémon games, it will not be possible to collect every Pokémon from every previous game. In previous games, in addition to the regional Pokédex that encompassed all the Pokémon in the region, players could also complete a National Pokédex, which included every Pokémon in the franchise. This meant that players could go on to trade with friends until they had all the Pokémon, even ones that weren’t available in-game. If you were playing Pokémon Sun and Moon in Alola but you wanted to adventure with your old Swampert from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, that was totally fine – and it was the best part of Pokémon for some who loved to take their best Pokémon with them in every new generation. However, this will no longer be possible going forward. At the Nintendo Treehouse conference for Pokémon Sword and Shield, the developers announced that only the Pokémon in Sword and Shield’s “regional dex” are actually coded into the game, so
playing with a Pokémon not in the regional dex is impossible. This was received as somewhat of a scandal in the Pokémon fan world, to the point that there is an actual name for it: “Dexit.” Yes, I also hate this. It’s understandable that Dexit, if we must call it that, makes many players disappointed. For some, this new development means that we might not even get to play with our favourite Pokémon on the Nintendo Switch, and since the Switch is such a unique and personalized console it’s a shame to lose that chance. Junichi Masada, the producer of Pokémon Sword and Shield, said that the reason for this unfortunate development is a necessity to cut down on the number of 3D models that programmers will have to create for each game. Indeed, after about 1,000 Pokémon, it starts to be significantly labour-intensive to make a full 3D model, walking animations, and attack animations for every single one. Cutting back on this workload, Masada argued, would leave more room and resources for the team to make the graphics in Sword and Shield up to standard. However, many players are more assertively upset, even angry at the development team despite this explanation from the team. Kellan Matthews, a U of R film student who has been playing the game, echoed many of the counter-arguments that have been circulating on twitter: “A lot of the graphics are just gross . . . and a lot of the animations are just lazy. The wild area has gotten lots of praise but personally I find it kind of empty . . . it’s a good concept but should have been expanded on more . . . it needs to be way more open for a home console game.” Matthews also commented that “Dexit is definitely an issue.” The graphics in particular have come under heavy fire from fans, particularly the way trees look in the wild area. However, while some of these responses are simply critiques amongst other praise of the game (Matthews added that there is definite love put into the games, that the new Pokémon all look great, and “the music slaps,” with which I agree), some of the criticism crosses into outright hostility and what many are calling entitlement on the part of the players. Developers at Game Freak have actually received death threats from gamers online, according to several articles on Metacrit-
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The gaming horde is among us and we’re all at risk
ic and Kotaku, and recently the hashtag “#GameFreakLied” was circulating. There was also the hashtag #ThankYouGameFreak in response, though, as other fans were (I think, as they should be) embarrassed that Pokémon fans would be violent over a game not meeting their standards. In an article for Kotaku entitled “Pokémon Fans, I Need Y’all To Shut Up About Dexit,” Natalie Degraffinreid implores the adults who are playing Pokémon to settle down when it comes to the game. She cites the harassment of Game Freak staff despite their intense workload as unacceptable behaviour, which is particularly relevant since in the past few months there have been a lot of discussions about unfair labour standards in the gaming industry. “Crunch time” for developers, for example, is incredibly intense in the weeks leading up to a game’s scheduled release. When it comes to Pokémon, probably the most anticipated games in Nintendo’s arsenal, one can only imagine how much pressure these workers
are under. Degraffinreid says it well: “I realize some of y’all are real attached to this data you’ve been carrying forward year-to-year since childhood, but my dusty old Charizard is tired. He can rest instead of being brought to yet another country to be pummeled by Bubble Beams and Rock Slides for the sake of winning a ribbon and some clout.” As for the graphics and whatever other errors pile up in Sword and Shield, I think we have to realize that first of all, this game was objectively rushed because of the nature of the Pokémon franchise. Fans demand release dates and updates. Additionally, these games are at the end of the day intended for children – children who probably don’t give a damn about whether or not their trees have good graphics. If you have fun playing Sword and Shield (which Matthews did, which I certainly do), then the game has done its job. Gamers certainly have high standards, and that makes games good in a lot
of ways, but if we’re expecting Pokémon to perfectly reinvent the wheel with every single iteration, Dexit has taught us that it’s probably necessary to centre fun instead of perfection for the sake of everyone involved.
“A lot of the graphics are just gross . . . and a lot of the animations are just lazy. – Kellan Matthews
sports
10 Editor: tyler meadows sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | November 21 - November 27, 2019
Cougars battle hard for charity at annual Shine On game Although the Cougars suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the rival Huskies, this is one night where there are bigger things than hockey. brian palaschuk sports writer Cougar men’s hockey was back in action against the rival University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday, November. 22, and although they eventually fell 3-1, the energy in the building was tremendous. This is because nearly 1,000 Regina fans came not only to cheer on the Green and Gold, but to support Regina’s own Shine On Foundation at their annual awareness game. Friday night made for an exciting and action-packed bounceback from the previous week’s 0-9 romping by the Golden Bears. The Huskies got on the board early with two quick goals in the first period, but the Cougar men battled back hard. Goaltender Brandon Holtby was solid in the pipes once again, keeping it close. The U of S sucked some of the life out of the Cougars with a tough shorthanded goal late in the second, but the Cougars finished on a high note. Captain Tristan Frei scored his seventh goal of the season to give the huge crowd something to celebrate. While the game admittedly didn’t go the Cougars way on Friday, for Frei, this is one where there are bigger things than hockey. “Obviously the game didn’t go our way, but we were playing for more than the game. I think a lot of the time we forget how lucky we are to be healthy athletes and not have to worry about any medical conditions. It was just a way to give back and show appreciation for how we can use the sport to raise money for cancer awareness.” For Frei, this year’s event was another great success. “Every year it’s a huge turnout, the community really comes together for the game. We get a lot of minor hockey teams and kids and organizations who come by, a lot of money is raised, and there’s volunteering opportunities throughout the week to promote the game.” Shine On was founded by Blair Ledingham in 2013. A Regina local and Cougars hockey alumnus, Ledingham was inspired to help families struggling with late stage cancer diagnoses after the battle fought by his late wife Chantelle. During their cancer experience, numerous donators contributed financially so that the Ledinghams could undertake
memorable trips as a family, as well as undergo expensive out of country medical procedures. The foundation strives to help mothers with advanced cancer diagnoses both in their battle with the disease, as well as to help their families and children. For Ledingham, it is all about paying it forward. “During her cancer battle we had many people support us to help us explore medical options outside of Canada and help us to take some trips to some memorable places for the children and ourselves. When Chantelle passed away, myself and my family made the decision to pay forward that kindness and generosity. “ Ledingham’s words echo in those of Cougars captain Frei. Paying it forward is what its all about for the Cougars Hockey team. “Its huge for us because Blair’s wife passed away from cancer a few years ago. Whenever we get an opportunity to give back to some of our alumni its big because that alumni program does so many wonderful things for us.” Frei also talks about the personal connections that the Shine On game is built on, the same connections that build and drive the foundation. “It’s important for our team as well, because there’s many guys in our dressing room who’ve had someone affected by cancer in some way. Whether it’s a player, trainer, coach or family member, everybody knows somebody who’s been affected.” Shine On has been hugely successful in its mission, helping 25 families since 2015. The foundation also does many community events, not limited to the Cougar’s Shine On game. Ledingham reiterated the importance of paying it forward in this community involvement. “We do some partnerships on a one-off basis, but the primary background for the partnerships that happen are families that we’ve helped in the past. We do help people in a pretty big way, so the impact we’ve made in their lives often makes them want to pay it forward as well.” While Shine On does many community events, the Cougar’s Shine On game is the foundation’s only ongoing event, one that they have been participating in since 2014. “We were all for it as a relatively young charity at the time.
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Some things are just bigger than hockey
The idea was to give a bunch of tickets away to my children’s school and other schools in the area and hockey teams.” Since then, the event has only grown and for Ledingham, his past team was a perfect match for early community outreach. “It seemed like a good fit; it was something that allowed the U of R men’s hockey team to give back to the community and it was something from our perspective that allowed greater exposure.” “From an awareness perspective it’s been very, very good for the foundation. It’s given us more exposure to a younger group, those who are attending University.” Ledingham also sees it as a way to give back to the Cougars organization. “It’s helped the men’s hockey program as well, to give them greater exposure to people who maybe wouldn’t go watch those hockey games to realize what a high level of hockey it is. I view it as a win-win, it’s something I am hopeful we will be able to continue to do as we move forward.” Win-win it is. Friday’s rendition of the Shine On game’s attendance of 1000 eager spectators is easily a season high for the struggling Cougars who usually average only a few hundred. Ledingham also touches on another important point. It is a ton of fun. “It’s a fun event overall. It’s a fun event for us from a foundation perspective and I think its fun for the players to have that type of atmosphere.” Alumni connections like those that the Cougars maintain
with Ledingham are huge for the organization, which something Frei can attest to. “I remember my first-year walking onto the Cougars. I didn’t even know they had an alumni organization. Now that I’m fourth year and captain, I’ve grown a huge relationship with the alumni. We are all students and sometimes school can get busy but when the game is incorporated into our season its an easy way to give back and give a good effort.” Shine On is not the only community programing that the Cougar men’s hockey team is involved in. They also have a three-year partnership with the Red Cross, where they do anti-bullying presentations to minor hockey teams and at schools. This year they will also be doing Christmas hampers for families in need. Frei takes pride in his team’s commitment to the community. “We try to keep busy and give back where we see fit. At the end of the day, it’s all about winning some hockey games and going to school but we enjoy giving back when we can.” In part from the hockey games, the Shine On Foundation has grown tremendously in its short six years. Something that Ledingham also attributes to great donor support. “Initially, we did it as a southern Saskatchewan-based charity, because we wanted to make sure it was sustainable so that if people came to us, we would be able to help them if they met our criteria. As of last December, we expanded to province wide, so now
we have helped some individuals in the Northern part of the province.” These individuals now stretch from Regina and Saskatoon, all the way to communities in the north of the province, some of whose incredible stories can be read in full at Shinonfoundation. ca. With the foundation growing year to year, what’s next for the Shine On Foundation? “We are now province wide, and I think as we continue to move forward, provided we continue to get community and provincial donor support, we would like to expand to be interprovincial as well.” Ledingham reaffirms that even with new growth, the charity’s mission statement remains the same. It’s all about giving back to parents and their families. “Our focus will continue to be on later stage cancers, where there’s obviously still hope for recovery but where it’s a tough diagnosis. We will continue to support those families who have younger children.” If readers are interested in supporting the Shine On Foundation, or applying for support, they can do so at shineonfoundation.ca. The foundation is also happy to announce that now donations are being matched up to $100,000 by an anonymous donor. For the Cougars, their next action will be away against the dominant Calgary Dinos. They were swept by U of C in their home opener and will look to battle back in Alberta.
“During her cancer battle we had many people support us to help us explore medical options outside of Canada and help us to take some trips to some memorable places for the children and ourselves. When Chantelle passed away, myself and my family made the decision to pay forward that kindness and generosity. “ – Blair Ledingham
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Kleisinger records first Canada West triple doubles Plus, a basketball roundup for the holiday season tyler meadows sports editor
Michaela Kleisinger had an alltime accomplishment the weekend of Nov. 15, becoming the first in Canada West and program history to record a triple double (meaning she had double digits in three statistical categories: points, rebounds, and assists). To make her accomplishment even more impressive, she did it in back-toback wins versus Winnipeg. The Cougars guard went on to be named. “It was really an incredible feeling when I learned I was the first player to accomplish that feat. I have been watching Cougar games for many years and have seen many players (who in my opinion are better basketball players than I) break records and make history. For one week it was pretty crazy to be put in the same category as some of those amazing women. The wins do matter most to me, and it was a great weekend for our team to get some wins under our belt and feel what it is like to play ‘Cougar basketball’. Both triple doubles do not happen if my teammates don’t put the ball in the hoop, so I was obviously very grateful for their efforts all weekend. To be recognized nationally by USPORTS was really the cherry on top. I was not anticipating such high praise
and it was truly an honour to be mentioned and compared to the top performers across Canada that week.” The next games after the record weekend were in Saskatoon against the rival U of S, the top team in CanWest, and the team could not overcome their strong opponent, losing both games (7445 and 73-59). Michaela detailed what went wrong – if it was the defense that gave them trouble, or if it was just a bad shooting night. I also asked what they learned from the defeat. “The Huskies are definitely a strong team. I think through those games we learned a lot about how we can score and execute plays better against a good team like that. We played pretty solid defence through the entire weekend and stuck to the game plan in that respect for most of the time. Our offence struggled at times, but we know now how to execute better and play for the entire 40 minutes. “They they are the number one team in the country so their defence definitely plays a role in the shooting percentage and the turnovers. I think lots of those stats have to do with our lower numbers right now. We have a few players injured so people are playing different positions than they are used to. This causes people to be shooting from different spots on the floor with different looks in the offence which could affect their shooting percentage. I also
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Triple (double) threat
know that the lack of people puts people out of place and causes them to make different decisions. But in reality, those turnovers are much too high and the shooting percentage much too low. Both need to improve for us to win the important games!” Finally, the Cougars play the University of Alberta at home this weekend, Michaela provid-
ed a short scouting report of the team ahead of the matchup. “U of A is a very talented team who works extremely hard. They are the kind of team that plays gritty and tough no matter the time of game or the score. They have a talented post who puts up big rebounding numbers for them, and a guard who has been scoring the ball at an
incredible clip recently. They are coached really well and have always been a top team in the conference so should be a good matchup and a good weekend of basketball.”
Swim teams bring their best to CanWest
Small but mighty in the water julia peterson contributor The University of Regina men’s and women’s swim teams made a splash at the Canada West Championships last weekend in Lethbridge, Alberta, bringing home a total of seven medals and naming three swimmers to all-star teams. They were competing against students from The University of Lethbridge, which hosted the meet, the University of Manitoba, The University of British Colombia, and other university teams in western Canada. “The meet was great,” said Etienne Paquin-Foisy, a third-year engineering student who competed in the three-day event. “It’s always a fun experience to go there, because everybody is really hyped to swim fast, and it’s the first big meet of the year for most of us. It’s good to see how fast we can swim and what we can do.” On the men’s team, PaquinFoisy placed first in the 200-metre butterfly and third in the 100-metre butterfly, and fourth-year Campion College science student Brian Palaschuk earned silver medals in the 200-metre freestyle, 200-metre individual medley, and the 400-metre individual medley.
“With a team of nine men, we managed to finish fifth in the conference, so that’s great,” said assistant coach Daniel Gomez. Third-year Luther College Faculty of Arts student Bree Crookshanks represented the women’s team with silver medals in the 100 and 200-metre breaststroke. Other universities may have brought more swimmers to the meet, but Paquin-Foisy says that the U of R team is small but mighty. “Even though we’re pretty small and not the most wellknown team at U of R and at CanWest, everybody on the team is really passionate about swimming and wants to improve on their best all the time,” he said. “We’re like a big family, and it’s a great atmosphere.” Gomez emphasized that, as much as these victories represent individual accomplishments, they also speak to how well the team has been working and training together. “It’s not just about the three people who were named all-stars, or who won medals,” he said. “Swimming seems like an individual sport, but it really isn’t; without their teammates, it would be difficult to win any medals at all, so the whole team is part of those
Elian Mikkola
Cougars at home in the H2O
medals that were won. It’s about the process of pushing each other and elevating each other.” This year’s team, including first-years Brenan Alejado – who won the B final of the 100-metre butterfly on Saturday – Mitchell Brough, Martin Cheung, Aden Dickinson and Firas Saidi have been training together since August, before the school year began. “Swimming is a sport where
you train 11 and a half [months] out of the 12 months of the year,” said Gomez. “I don’t know who trains harder than us in the country.” In January, the University of Regina will be hosting a swim meet, the College Cup, for the first time in the program’s history. The team hopes that their friends and supporters in the city will give them a home-crowd advantage. “It will be huge in promoting
the sport of swimming in Regina at a university level,” Gomez said. “And the cheering . . . really fires up the guys and girls to swim even faster than they could have otherwise.”
November 28 - January 8, 2019
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sports
Beyond self-defense: The way of life Karate a strong support system for campus researcher
garrett lillie contrilutor “The true aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants” – Gichin Funakoshi I find that when people think of karate, they often first think of the battles of Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, or the “wax on, wax off” teaching of Mr. Miyagi in The (original) Karate Kid. Hollywood has been pumping out martial arts movies for decades and while they have certainly given us a representation of traditional karate, it has not necessarily been the correct one. At its core, traditional karate is the pursuit of mastery of one’s self: of one’s mind, body and spirit. Karate is more than just a sport; it is a way of life that brings out the best in yourself both in and outside of the dojo and has helped me grow into the person that I am today. To perfect one’s self, one must develop their body, mind and spirit. Conveying the physical aspect of karate is fairly straightforward; it should be no surprise that karate features a significant physical component and classes usually begin with both aerobic and anaerobic workouts to warm up. One can then expect to do a multitude of techniques ranging
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from punches and kicks to various partner drills and other exercises specific to the topic of the night. What is harder to explain, is the mind and spirit that one must work to develop in karate. When I consider how to represent the mental and spiritual aspects of karate, I like to think of a particular scene in the first Matrix movie. In the first, Laurence Fishburne’s character, Morpheus, is trying to explain the rules of the Matrix to Neo played by Keaneu Reeves. Morpheus instructs Neo to jump from the ledge of a skyscraper, across a busy street, to a skyscraper on the other side. A seemingly impossible feat that Morpheus accomplishes without a second thought. Trailing behind, Neo tells himself repeatedly that he can do it and that he just needs to “free the mind.” Now, being a movie where the hero is explicitly referred to as “the chosen one,” and “is capable of anything,” it should be pretty obvious what happens next. After a few deep breaths, Neo runs, jumps and . . . Falls to the street below (Is this a spoiler? The movie has been out for two decades. I’m saying it’s not). Dismayed, both the audience and Neo ask themselves “why didn’t that work? Why couldn’t he make the jump?” The
answer is simple: he didn’t believe that he could. This brings me to a revelation that I have had, and continue to have, regarding not only karate, but life itself: it is not enough to simply tell yourself that you can do it, you need to believe that you can, but it’s alright to fail when you can’t. Failure is an unavoidable aspect of life and karate certainly gives one plenty of experience in it. Aside from the plethora of difficult physical challenges one will face (like the three sets of stairs to even get to class), karate will continue to challenge you as long as you continue. At gradings, one performs in front of representatives from the international governing body in hopes of earning a new belt. Similarly, provincial tournaments offer the opportunity to compete against athletes from all over Saskatchewan. These events taught me from a young age to deal with failure and although it may sometimes feel like it, failure is not the end, failure means that you still have room to grow and more to learn. One of the core principles of traditional karate is that you never stop learning and this principle manifests in the black belt system. Many people are surprised to learn that there are actually ten black belts to earn in karate.
Even more people are surprised to learn that, in order to obtain your tenth and final black belt, you must have your ninth-degree black belt and die. The reason for this it to promote the idea that we are always learning, we will never learn everything. These philosophies in traditional karate are easy to forget, but can and must be applied to everyday life; karate and life are not separate but rather, karate is a way of life, a way of being. That got a lot deeper than I intended. Let’s move on. When kids come to their first class, they are often eager to try flying kicks and punch through boards, but their classes usually start simpler as they learn basic stances and movements. Adults, on the other hand, usually begin their first class more reserved, happy to have just survived the climb up the three flights of stairs leading to the dojo. Upon stepping foot on the dojo floor, everyone will be greeted by a large, open room with mirrors covering one wall, an opportunity to reflect upon the self. The dojo kun hang above the mirrors at the front of the room in both English and Japanese, a set of rules to guide us in the improvement of ourselves: “Seek Perfection of Character. Respect Others. Be faithful. Endeavor. Refrain from Violent
Defense against the dark arts
Behavior.” Right in the centre of the front of the room hangs a picture of Master Gichin Funakoshi, founder of traditional karate. When I was younger, I was told that this picture was magic: when you were happy with how you did in class, Master Funakoshi would smile, and when you were disappointed, he would frown. For me, however, what I see most when I walk into the dojo, is home. Having been training for most of my life, the dojo is a second home to me and my instructors are a second family. Those that know me will often remark on my energy and sociable nature, but I never used to be this way. In high school, I thought that I was introverted, shy and timid, but this wasn’t really me. As I trained karate, I eventually started teaching and through teaching, training and competing for years, I was forced to be myself to succeed, my trueself, someone who is sociable and not afraid to get up in front of a crowd. Karate helped me become who I am today, who I really am.
“Karate is more than just a sport; it is a way of life that brings out the best in yourself both in and outside of the dojo and has helped me grow into the person that I am today.” – Garrett Lillie
November 28 - January 8, 2019
sports
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |
Life of a (soccer athlete)
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From the soccer pitch to a writing one
sierra kolodziej contributor You may be asking how we do it, or if this is even possible. Sometimes we are even unsure of how we will get through the day, BUT with the hands and hearts of our teammates, we find a way to persevere through each day. We hold our heads high and strive above and beyond to reach our potential. Being a student-athlete is not easy. It comes with challenges, stressors, and setbacks. To be a successful student-athlete you need to have the dedication, determination, and motivation to persevere through each challenge life throws at you. The dedication required for balancing schoolwork and practice is the most difficult part of being a student-athlete. Everyone thinks it’s just an easy ride when you’re an athlete at the University of Regina. The thing is, they couldn’t be farther from the truth. It was very difficult for me to adjust to the changes and the intense schedule of preseason in August. I am from Kelowna, BC and making the huge transition of moving to a different province was not easy and being away from my family added more stress to the start of a crazy, eventful, and amazing rookie year. I arrived at the University of Regina on July 28, 2019, everything was so much bigger and a lot more stressful, let me tell you.
University of Regina Athletics
Kickin’ it
As I was moving my stuff into my dorm, my nerves and anxiety had never been worse. I was anxious about passing all of these fitness tests, timid about living on my own with some teammates and girls who I have never met before, and scared of letting myself, my teammates, parents, and my coaches down. All I wanted to do was be and do the best I could and show everyone why I belonged here. Honestly, it was very stressful at the beginning, but being a student-athlete has made me stronger and taught me how to work efficiently on the bus when hammering out homework assignments for each of my five classes, how to use my “free” time as MORE study time and understanding that any mark above a 75 per cent is pretty good. Being a student-athlete has been one of the best experiences ever. I was astonished by how welcome I was when I came in as a rookie. I was unsure of what to do and how to act, but the girls and the team atmosphere was something that I will always remember and ensure that it never changes. The first few weeks and months of September were very hard for me. I was and still am taking a full course load while playing soccer. My first season with the team was an amazing experience. Being a rookie and starting almost every game was way more than I expected. I worked super hard all season
to ensure that when I stepped on that field I was giving my team 110 per cent of what I had in me that day. When I stepped into that team locker room I was welcomed with open hands and even though I had never met most of these girls before I knew I was part of an instant family. There are so many reasons why I wanted to be a student-athlete at the University of Regina. I grew up with athletics; my dad played basketball, volleyball, and baseball while my mom ran track, played basketball, volleyball, and soccer. I played every high school sport that was offered from grade 1-12. Soccer has always been my passion and it was my dream to play university-level soccer. I was the Junior Athlete of the Year in grade 9 and 10, I worked extremely hard to win the Senior Athlete of the Year in my grade 12 year and when the time came where I had to make a decision about where I would spend the next 6 years of my life I was flustered. I had other offers to play on a scholarship for soccer, but the University of Regina was an easy choice for me. The University of Regina is one of the top three schools in Canada for the education program and that was really what caught my eye because as my mom would tell me: “Choose the university for the degree that you want to pur-
sue.” I am now in a joint kinesiology/educatuib program where I will have a major in physical education and a minor in mathematics. With Regina being the only school to have this joint degree option, my mind was mostly made up of where I would begin my adult journey. Yes, the program was and is amazing, but I also based my decision on the team atmosphere and the coaches for the Cougar soccer program. I have never met a team that is more cohesive and determined than the Cougars. Both the coaches, Robert Maltman and Rob McCaffrey push me to my limits each and every day, making me not only a better player on the field but just a better person and friend to others in general. There are a few things I will never forget from both my coaches, never doubt myself, always play with a smile on my face and be SASK TOUGH! In my first season with the Cougars, I struggled from severe pre-game anxiety. I would throw up before each game whether it was in the locker room or on the sideline before the start of each game, and it was hard for me to catch my breath and control my breathing. I had a major anxiety attack before our game against the UBC Thunderbirds and the only way I got through it was the support of my teammates. I will never forget when one of my close
friends and teammate, Natalia McCollough, looked at me and said: “Sierra you are playing because you have worked so hard to be in the position that you are in right now and nobody is going to take that away from you. Go show everyone why you are meant to be here” When she said that I felt so much better, my anxiety levels were still high, but my confidence grew tremendously. Being a Cougar is one of the best decisions that I have made so far, and I would not go back and change any part of it. I made more friends than I thought I would, I instantly had a family and a support system behind my back at all times and more importantly I was smiling and happy to be playing the sport that I love. None of this would have come without hard work, dedication, determination, and motivation. Every day I wake up and I give 110 per cent in that moment. Although, the workouts and practices feel that they never stop, hard work pays off. If there is one message that I could tell anyone, it would be, dream big, hold your head high and always strive that one step higher.
“The dedication required for balancing schoolwork and practice is the most difficult part of being a student-athlete. Everyone thinks it’s just an easy ride when you’re an athlete at the University of Regina. The thing is, they couldn’t be farther from the truth.” – Sierra Kolodziej
op-ed
14 Editor: taylor balfor op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | November 28 - January 8, 2019
Being the new girl in Regina What happens when you get off that plane which flew you miles from your home country to Canada, the land of opportunities? Do you visualize maple syrup, snow-clad houses and a smiling face of Trudeau Jr.? Well, I have news for you: Canada is more than just the above, with Regina holding a special place in its vast expanse of prairie land. Whether it’s spring, fall or winter, be ready for surprises! Assuming your immigration goes smoothly and you land at night in Regina at a friend’s place or Airbnb, chances are exceedingly high you will miss breakfast and wake up around lunchtime, only to sink into bed immediately afterwards. A significant initial observation about Regina is that people here love to talk, and they love to hear you as well. But sadly, since you can hardly keep awake, the conversation around you seems like a scene from an early 1900s silent movie. You understand the phenomenon of jetlag when no amount of coffee is enough to keep those eyelids from closing. The next couple of days will pass in a flurry as you search and finalize your housing. One is spoiled with choices for accommodation options in Regina. Apartments, townhouses, suites, studio; Regina has it all. What’s interesting about living in a rented place is that you can be paired with a per-
son from a different culture or nation. An Asian living with a Mexican or a European living with a South American, it gives one the chance to engage with different cultures. Imagine this situation: you enter the kitchen and smell a pasta-like dish. Your European roommate tells you its gnocchi that she’s making which leaves you amazed since you had never heard of it even though you’ve frequented places with international cuisine before. Living in your home country, there is rarely such a close intermingling of experiences. Being open and interested in such occasions helps immensely. Next, you will want to venture out on your own to places beyond the university. You keep hearing about this happening pub downtown and so you Google its location and transit route. You say to yourself, well that seems easy! Waiting at the bus stop you glance at your phone nervously to make sure you don’t miss it, only to see the bus flying past in the opposite direction. This is when you realize the importance of the cardinal points and its relevance in the Regina transit system. The faster you can master navigating north, south, east and west, the easier your movement will be in Regina. Good internet data and Regina TransitLive will be your best
buddies before you switch over to driving. Regina, with its four distinct seasons, picturesque Wascana Lake, and well-manicured lawns and parks, is a treat to all residents. For a new girl in Regina, your first few weeks will be overwhelming and replete with new experiences. One aspect is sure though – your life is destined to change forever and in a positive way!
sonali maria currie contributor
“For a new girl in Regina, your first few weeks will be overwhelming and replete with new experiences.” – Sonali Maria Currie
Jeremy Davis
November 28 - January 8, 2019
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 15
a&c
Here’s the thing about #wexit The aftermath of the 2019 federal election has resulted in an interesting, but tense and potentially problematic, political environment. There is major concern regarding political stability, evident not only by the reelection of the Liberals, who hold power as a minority government, but also the significant presence of the Bloc Quebecois, a party whose main premise is to work towards Quebec’s best interests, in the House of Commons. Additionally, there is also a great deal of dissatisfaction, disappointment, and anger among Saskatchewan and Alberta residents, who feel that the west is underappreciated, ignored and under-represented in the Canadian federal political system. Although these feelings of the west are on some levels valid, the proposed solution to exit, or separate from Canada is ridiculous, impractical, immature, and highly illogical. Over the past few years, anger towards the federal government has significantly risen within the western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan due to the fact that many new political policies and decisions are formulated without considering western Canadian interests. For example, the decision to not build the trans-mountain pipeline. This decision would greatly affect the gas and oil sectors of Saskatchewan and Alberta which have recently experienced difficult times and as a result, this decision could lead to high unemployment. According to a recent Ipsos survey, 65 per cent of Albertans and 62 per cent of Saskatchewan residents believe that the provinces don’t get a fair share as part of the Canadian Federation. Another example would be the equalization payment system, which Saskatchewan and Alberta contribute to, but don’t actually receive any money from. Results from the same survey demonstrates that 68 per cent of Saskatchewanians and 71 per cent of Albertans feel that the equalization payment system is unfair. As a result of these situations and others, ideas about potential western separation have emerged and gained attention, evident by the previous “should Alberta ditch Canada?” campaign and the circulation of #wexit (influenced by Brexit) western exit, following Trudeau’s re-election as Canadian prime minister. Founded and led by Albertan resident and former RCMP, Peter Downing, a political side group has formed in Alberta which not only believes that the west would be better off without the rest of Canada, but is also seeking official
political recognition and status in order to actually work towards western separation. This group also has four main demands, which include the end of Alberta’s contract with the RCMP, the prohibition of federal payment deductions, the withdrawal from the federal employment insurance plan, and a change to the existing equalization payment formula. Albertan premier, Jason Kenney has also spoken out emphasizing that western interests, especially in regard to changing the equalization formula, need to be taken more seriously. Kenney has threatened to hold a separation referendum if the federal government doesn’t agree to his demands, which entail replacing Kathryn McKella as environmental minister (which I don’t understand) and agreeing to the construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Even though Kenney is working towards western benefits, as pointed out by Mark Critch, from This Hour Has 22 Minutes, he is making himself look stupid in the process in two ways. Firstly, according to federal political conventions, no single province has the political authority to change the equalization payment formula. Secondly, the equalization payment formula was last changed by the Conservatives in 2009, which Kenney was involved in. Even though some Albertans and Saskatchewanians believe that the west would be better off on its own, I strongly disagree. If the west was separated from the rest of Canada, it would make essential services like trade, healthcare, transportation, and education much more difficult. It would require various details to be worked out and negotiated, which would likely take a lengthy period of time, creating stress, frustration, and anger for everyone involved. Additionally, separating from Canada would be a completely selfish and immature course of action. While I am not trying to defend, or justify the bad decisions or policies which Canadian prime ministers have made and implemented, I do want to emphasize my belief that being a prime minister of a country would not be an easy job. Not only are there a lot of factors to consider, but there is also a 99 per cent chance that whatever direction is taken will not please the entire country’s population. As a prime minister, the most important element to consider is what is in the best interest of the country, or at least its majority, and unfortunately, at times this will always upset some individu-
als. It is not as though Trudeau is trying to purposefully and inconsiderately harm the west, but rather is trying to make the decisions he feels would best benefit Canada as a whole. For the west to decide to leave simply because the situation doesn’t work to their advantage is a very immature response. Instead of aiming towards western separation, I believe that the western government should be putting their efforts towards working with individuals within the federal government. This alternate approach would allow the voices of the west to be better heard, which could lead to improvements in the west, as well as a better Canada overall. At the same time, while
western separation is likely not a possibility, evident by the Ipsos poll, demonstrating that only 33 per cent of Albertans and 27 per cent of Saskatchewanians support a western exit, the existing western anger and dissatisfaction has created a challenging situation for the federal government, especially since there are no Liberal representatives in the west, which can’t be ignored. Moving forward, the federal government should consider western Canada in policy and decision-making and the west should also choose a better course of action. Every Canadian province has, at some point, experienced issues or problems with the federal government and if each had tried to separate, Canada would
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no longer exist as it does today. Canada is a strong country strengthened by the cooperation between the provincial and federal government. Instead of working against each other, why not work together?
elisabeth sahlmueller staff writer
“Moving forward, the federal government should consider western Canada in policy and decision making and the west should also choose a better course of action.” – Elisabeth Sahlmueller
November 28 - January 8, 2019
op-ed
The dangers of biking in Regina
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |
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Jeremy davis
One of the first things that I did when I moved to Regina this fall was get my bike set up. As someone who doesn’t own a car and doesn’t usually have the time to wait half an hour for the bus, I rely on my bike as my primary mode of transportation around the city. Having spent the summer living and working in Vancouver – where I regularly biked at least two hours every weekday for my commute – I was excited to be living somewhere much flatter, where biking anywhere I wanted to go would be so easy I would hardly have to think about it. Unfortunately, I have since discovered that Regina is an absolutely terrible city for cyclists. I suppose my first warning should have come when I started applying for jobs my first week here. Most places I applied to asked about my access to transportation, and when I said I biked, people looked at me as though I had grown another (helmeted) head. I thought these potential employers were just presuming that I didn’t know what winter cycling conditions would be like, but I’m no stranger to biking in the snow, and I thought they were just being overly cautious. And then the first snowfall hit in mid-September, and I realized that it isn’t the weather that’s the main problem here – it’s the drivers. When biking in snowy or slushy conditions, it’s much safer to follow the tracks that cars have already made on the roads, since they’ve already pushed away most of the slippery muck and flattened down
what’s left. However, this means that I can’t bike as far to the side of the road as I might like to if conditions were clear. It’s also critically important for me to bike a little slower, since going too fast means that I might skid instead of stop when applying the brakes. Within our first week of snow this year, I had drivers passing so close to me that their mirrors nearly clipped my handlebars, as though they hadn’t realized that I was also in their lane. In one memorable instance earlier this month, I had a driver shout at me to move over to the side. Unfortunately, there was nowhere for me to go except for right into an iced-over snowbank, where I probably would have skidded and fallen if I had taken that driver’s advice rather than just letting her past. I understand that everybody is in a hurry and just wants to get to where they’re going, but bicycles on the road are vehicles too, and we have as much a right to be there as anybody else. We want to get to our destinations safely too. And to the drivers who act rudely or recklessly toward me and other cyclists because they’re in a rush, I say this: I promise, if you knock me off my bike or push me into dangerous conditions where I fall, it will take you much longer to call an ambulance than it will for you to drive a little slower for a block or two until one of us turns off. Non-cyclists might be wondering: “if the drivers in Regina are such a problem, why not just use the bike paths?” Well, the bike paths here have their
own pile of problems. For one, bike path options are quite limited. While the city does plan to implement 30 kilometres of new bike infrastructure by 2023, the current routes leave much to be desired – many places I want to go in the city have no bike path access at all. For another, many of the options that do exist are completely unusable in the winter. A few of the routes that Google Maps identifies as bike paths are just lumpy, potholed dirt tracks through farmland – somewhat challenging terrain under perfect conditions, and impossible in the snow when the wheels can’t get a grip on anything solid. Other paths, particularly the ones around Wascana Lake, get dangerously icy every time the temperature drops below zero. There are plenty of options that other snowy Canadian cities have explored to make winter biking a viable possibility – building new covered bike paths, altering snow-clearing procedures to ensure that snow doesn’t get pushed over into the bike lanes and left there, and spraying bike routes with diluted salt solutions to keep them clear, for example. Any or all of these options would be a boon to winter cyclists here. But even in warmer weather, the bike paths in this city are nothing to write home about. I remember one night in October when I was working late in an unfamiliar location and had decided to bike home since I wasn’t sure the buses would still be running. When I got to the bike path, I realized that it was so poorly lit that I could
barely see a metre in front of me, even with my lights turned on. I could only count myself lucky that no one else would be foolish enough to be on the bike path at that time of night, since I might not have seen them coming! And when I finally got to the end of the path and was preparing to merge back into traffic, I was in for quite the surprise. That section of the bike path didn’t end in a cut curb, so I had a significant and unexpected drop to the road level – I still have a bruise on my inner thigh that hasn’t quite faded. The most frustrating thing is that Regina should be an absolutely wonderful city to bike in. It’s flat and relatively compact, so with better bike paths and friendlier drivers, we could be a city full of cyclists zipping around, keeping fit, reducing our travel times, and commuting in an ecologically sustainable way. But if we want to make that vision a reality, we’re all going to have to get in gear.
julia peterson contributor
“There are plenty of options that other snowy Canadian cities have explored to make winter biking a viable possibility.” – Julia Peterson
November 28 - January 8, 2019
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |
op-ed
Don’t give money to the Salvation Army Content Warning: Transphobic violence and mentions of death As the last issue of Carillon before the holidays arrives, now is the time to address that in December we’re about to start seeing a lot more bell-ringers and charity drives. While it is “the season for giving,” sometimes it can be hard to know how to put extra funds to the most productive use. There is no objective way to determine what does the most good,” after all. However, we can increase the amount of good we do by making sure that we are not, at least, giving our money to organizations that are doing harm. One of those organizations to avoid, especially around the holidays, is the Salvation Army (SA), a church organization with a terrible reputation – especially concerning the harm it does to 2S and LGBTQ+ people. This harm goes beyond homophobic attitudes or biased treatment; it has been proven to be deadly. Rafaella Gunz at Gay Star Support expands in an article on the harmful history of the SA, including its direct link to the death of one of the people it claims to serve. In 2008, the Salvation Army refused Jennifer Gale entry to the women’s area of one of their homeless centres. They did this because she was transgender and told her she would have to stay with the men. As last week was the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we have just been reminded of the reality that trans women are at a tremendous risk for violence in situations like the one presented to Gale. Rather than put herself at that risk, Gale slept outside that night in freezing temperatures, which contributed to a heart attack that killed her. Gale’s death has since motivated many to fight anti-trans discrimination in shelters, specifically.
For me, this “charity’s” direct responsibility for a woman’s death is reason enough to direct my resources away from the SA. In fact, it is incredibly and horribly likely that what happened to Gale is one of multiple cases where their policies have resulted in death. However, it does not end (or begin) in 2008. In 1998 in the United States, the SA collected signatures in an attempt to stop the decriminalization of homosexuality. They have included links on their website to conversion therapy organizations as resources for “sex addiction.” Their church’s official stance is that “scripture opposes homosexual practices by direct comment and also by clearly implied disapproval. The Bible treats such practices as self-evidently abnormal . . . Attempts to establish or promote such relationships as viable alternatives to heterosexually-based family life do not conform to God’s will for society.” As a church with this stance, everything the Salvation Army does opposes the rights of 2S and LGBTQ+ people. For those who do find themselves its care, firsthand testimony has also been damning: @ milknmuffins on Twitter started a thread documenting her experiences which included black mold in the facilities, stealing the clothing of women who stay in its shelters and selling it in their thrift stores, and people at the shelters being thrown out by staff for reasons like asking staff to keep their voices down. This thread was screenshotted and shared, but has since been taken down because the user was harassed after speaking out. So where can you give your money if not to those bell-ringers? This writer personally recommends being as direct as possible. When you see a person who needs money that you have – whether it be a stranger in person or online, or a person in
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your social circle – literally just give them that money. Do not trust organizations that you don’t absolutely understand to use your resources on behalf of others, especially not when people are most knowledgeable about their own needs. Provide the means for people to provide for themselves, in proportion with what you are able to give, and most importantly, do this throughout
the entire year. Have a nice December, and remember to hold each other up.
marty grande-sherbert staff writer
From South Sudan to the U of R Across the world today, life is not favouring all people. Some of the world’s inhabitants are being faced by numerous influences. Today’s world is ill-disposed because of the created or natural upheavals. Canadian people don’t hesitate to intervene in helping those groups of people who are traumatized by the above-mentioned disasters. Their humanitarian hearts do not go unnoticed by people who know what it’s to be in need. As an immigrant from the affected war zone in South Sudan, I feel the urge to express my gratitude to the Canadian students who have given some part of their efforts to lift me from the deep pit of poverty, trauma and the suffering I have been through. I would like to tell the University of Regina students my education journey of hope which might have some inspiration to some Canadian youth. As per now, I attend classrooms with modern technology and better resources. But that was not how my education started. I started my elementary schooling in a remote village in Jonglei State, South Sudan in 2003 at the age of 10. The first time I went to school was when my father sent me to go and look for our goat that had gotten lost the previous day. Instead of
going to look for the goat, I was influenced by some of my peers who were allowed by their fathers to be in school, but dad didn’t allow me. He made his decision because it was his sole responsibility to teach me as his first-born male child, as stipulated in our cultural norms. The first-born male child was to take care of the family property and his parents when they reach their old age. I arrived at school that morning and everything was new to me. I was not wearing any pieces of clothing. In fact, I was not the only one dressing in God’s dress. Virtually all the children were like me except few, who either possessed a pair of shorts or a t-shirt and barely anyone was wearing sandals or shoes. I went to the class and the teacher entered, all the children stood up and started to sing songs (in English) I didn’t even comprehend a single word. After singing, the children sat, and the teacher started the lesson. He was teaching numeracy and he clearly wrote numbers from 1 to 20 which seemed like decorations to me because I had never seen them. He then read them to the learners, and they read after him. While in the class my brain was in its own world because I was thinking how my dad would react if he found out that I was in school instead of looking for the goat.
Lunchtime came and the children could go back to their homes. I was completely in a confused state. No goat to bring back home and nothing interesting gained in the school. Due to the certainty that if my dad gets the news that I was in school instead of searching for the goat, he will surely punish me, I started crying even without someone inflicting physical pain. I went to the nearby village to look for the goat after leaving school. Unfortunately, my neighbour’s son who went to school together with me in the morning, went home before me and my father asked him if he had seen me anywhere. He said I was in school with him. I arrived home at 6:00 pm pretending to be very tired from walking the whole day looking for the goat. Without even spending any time dad called, and I knew there was danger ahead. I rushed quickly and stood before him. He cleared his throat and asked, “Where were you the whole day?” I was in dilemma either to say the truth or to lie. I decided to tell him the truth that I was in school, but that answer didn’t cure the imminent punishment I was going to receive. He cleared his throat again, “hur, hur, hur, you must bring that goat right now.” Just
imagine: it was already night, how could I find something in darkness? He did it to fuel his anger. I stood there helplessly, he picked a stick he had already prepared and seeing that, I started running away as the only alternative I could do but in vain. He just caught me within seconds. He beat me hard. The following morning, I woke up very early to go and search for the goat and eventually got it at noon hours from the nearby village. That beating didn’t jeopardize my desire to be in school and learn like my age mate. Dad eventually gave up and allowed me to go to school as long I came back home early to help him bring back the cattle to their yard. I think he got some advice somewhere because I didn’t have time to ask him after all because he died in 2009 before I finished my education. I wish he was there to taste my struggle and the sweetness of education. I didn’t know it at the time, but now I think what gave me strength to violate dad’s authority was the Canadian “spirit” which guided me throughout my life and eventually led me up to here. Cont...
“As an immigrant from the affected war zone in South Sudan, I feel the urge to express my gratitude to the Canadian students who have given some part of their efforts to lift me from the deep pit of poverty, trauma and the suffering I have been through.” – Monyror Bior
November 28 - January 8, 2019
op-ed
From South Sudan to the U of R cont.... Cont... In late 2005, our village was invaded by a neighbouring tribe who raided all our cattle and killed many people across the villages. That picture will always remain printed in my brain though it has no effect now. We fled to the main town where we sought refuge. A year later my cousin who left the village in 1980s as a child soldier came from Kenya to visit his parents and found us already displaced from our village. He informed my father and my uncle that he was taking me and his brother who is my age mate with him to Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where we would access better education compared to what is offered in Sudan. We left for Kakuma on 30 December, 2006 and I was so exultant hoping for the best in life and seeing a new environment which people in our locality termed as “up”. This is because people who come from that part of East Africa were termed as civilized and educated. In Kakuma refugee camp the expectations I had were not all met, but it was not like Sudan which possessed huge issues especially lack of social services and ideal security. Kakuma had the following encounters; there was inadequate clean water, food and harsh climate characterized by windy and hot temperature. Though security was better but there were some forms of harassments from Kenyan authorities.
I embarked on my education like someone who has a thirst of three days. I went through my elementary education with high expectations which I exceeded in 2010. The grades I obtained from grade eight motivated Jesuit Refugee service (JRS) a non-profit organization which was offering secondary education to refugee students out of the camp. JRS sponsored me until my grade twelve which ended in 2014. In December 2014, I went back to South Sudan, but I didn’t find my family members as they had fled the country after the conflict erupted on 15 of December, 2013. I tried to establish myself by looking for a job but in vain. I decided to follow my family members to Uganda, the neighbouring country which is hosting most South Sudanese refugees. I reunited with them and this is the place where my hope rejuvenated again after months of frustration in South Sudan. I fully involved myself in the community as a volunteer with other UN-implementing agencies where I also linked up with community school as volunteer teacher for one year. After seeing my commitment, an organization called Windle International awarded me a scholarship to study as a professional teacher for two years. (2016-2017). After completion, they employed me as a classroom teacher, and I could give my time and effort.
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The Canadian spirit of kind, humble and committed Canadian students’ hearts reached Uganda in November 2018 through World University Service Canada (WUSC) to which I applied, and I was successful with the interviews and finally knew my days as a nationless citizen would come to an end. Their concern for humanity, for the needy and youth who desperately need higher education has brought me to study in one of the greatest universities (University of Regina) the Queen’s city of Saskatchewan. This opportunity to me was an unexpected dream because in Ugandan’s refugee camps, there were no countries taking refugees for re-settlement or sponsorship. I believe in my ability and I will continue with my education at higher level so that I can secure better job in future which will propel me to bring up my future family and my extended family members who really need my help as the head of the family according to our societal norms and values. Honestly the joy I have, made me even lack good terminologies to express my gratefulness to you, but the following few words can describe you; you are humble, kind, trustworthy and well trained by your forefathers who envisioned the future of the next generations. Thank you very, very much for making me a worthy person because a person with little education con-
tributed less to the society and if educated becomes an important asset to the community and the nation. My message to you is that continue with the same spirit of generosity inculcated in you by your parents and forefathers. You took the initiative initiated by your parents boldly and denied yourself time for leisure to sponsor us to taste the greatness of your country. Canada as a modest and concerned nation about the wellbeing of others has done her best to to make people who are persecuted because of their religions or ethnicity feel at home. It’s upon us now, the immigrants, to give Canadian authorities ample time to carry out their duties without hassle.
monyror bior contributor
Jeremy davis
humor
19 Editor: taylor balfor op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | November 28 - January 8, 2019
Wynonna Allen
Wynonna Allen
November 28 - January 8, 2019
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