The Carillon Volume 65, Issue 7

the carillon vol. 65, issue 7

october 6 , 2022

parking REDUX p. 3 welcome back powwow p. 5

carillonregina.com

campus eats p. 8 abuse allegations p. 10

the carillon the staff

editor-in-chief editor@carillonregina.com

holly funk

production manager production@carillonregina.com

shae sackman

227 Riddell Center University of Regina - 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2 www.carillonregina.com Ph: (306) 586 8867 Printed by Star Press Inc, Wainwright, AB

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holden norrie

The Carillon welcomes contributions.

business manager business@carillonregina.com

jacob nelson

communications mehrnoush bahramimehr comms@carillonregina.com technical editor tech@carillonregina.com

thomas czinkota

multimedia/graphics editors multimedia@carillonregina.com graphics@carillonregina.com

safal gangwani lee lim

copy editor copyeditor@carillonregina.com

aurel dumont

news editor news@carillonregina.com

gillian massie

a&c editor arts@carillonregina.com

vacant

s&h editor sports@carillonregina.com

vacant

op-ed editor op-ed@carillonregina.com

hammad ali

distribution manager distribution@carillonregina.com staff writer

chandra wassill amina salah

staff writer

victoria baht

staff writer

bodie robinson

news writer

vacant

a&c writer

jorah bright

s&h writer

sophia stevens

contributors ayodipupo adetola, wren gessner, sarah onyango, amir said board of directors holly funk, jacob nelson and honourary members: shiva souri, jorah bright, hammad ali, shae sackman, and amina salah

vol. 65

the paper

Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are entirely 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. land acknowledgement The Carillon is written on treaty four territory. As such, the staff recognize that we are living, working, and telling stories on and of Indigenous lands. We recognize that we are on the traditional homelands of the Nakota, Lakota, and Dakota peoples, along with the homeland of the Métis nation. The Carillon understands that it is pointless to acknowledge the land on which we work without speaking to our commitment to telling stories and prioritizing voices that further the return of the land to its place sacred place in the cultures of those that live here. the manifesto 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 sixty 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

The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962 october 6, 2022 | volume 65, issue 7 | carillonregina.com

news

Parking Services

We’re really excited to be seeing more engagement from student contributors, and are happy to report that just shy of 20 per cent of the articles in this paper came from those contributions! These students pitched stories on a local corn maze, the Tipi Raising Competition held on campus, URSU’s launching of their Indigenous Sovereignty Committee, and the recurring complaints being raised because a Black woman, Halle Bailey, was cast to play Ariel the mermaid.

news

p. 3

Following up on last week’s article about student experiences parking on campus, Bodie Robinson interviewed Parking Services on where the money goes, and how COVID impacted “the money.”

a&c

Welcome back powwow p. 5

Campus eats

Last week the Late Tony Cote Welcome Back Traditional Powwow was hosted at the First Nations University, and there was nary a dry eye as drums, dancing, and prayers commenced.

Some days there isn’t the time or capacity to pack a lunch before you head to class, so Amina Salah put together this piece on her favourite underrated spots to grab a bite on campus.

op-ed

s&h

a&c

p. 8

It was a joy for our editing staff to read through and work with these pieces, and we hope you find them just as engaging (and, just maybe, are encouraged to contact us about writing your own next issue).

Holly Funk Editor-in-Chief

Lumsden ma(i)ze photos

cover.........................................holly ‘jersey mike’ funk news...................................................................lee lim news.........................................................gillian massie a&c.............................................................amina salah a&c...........................................................wren gessner s&h...........................................manipulated by lee lim op-ed.......................................Henrike Wilhelm via CBC

p.8

This annual corn maze is back in session for the fall, with new activities this year that are sure to keep your whole crew engaged.

Abuse allegations

p. 10

Canada Soccer, Hockey, and Gymnastics Canada are all facing substantial abuse allegations from athletes in their organizations. Meanwhile, Sophia Stevens writes about Allison Forsyth’s talk to student athletes on their rights.

Iranian Guidance Patrol

p.14

An Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini was declared dead because her hair was allegedly visible outside her hijab. Is this a case of bad timing, or the symptom of a fatal societal infection spreading fast?

news

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editor: gillian massie news@carillonregina.com the carillon | october 6, 2022

Students, faculty, and community at the 2022 Tipi Raising Competition Making good use of the Academic Green sarah onyango contributor On a windless Friday morning, students, faculty, and community members came together on the Dr. Lloyd Barber Academic Green in the perfect weather for learning the fundamentals of tipi raising.

Returning to campus this fall, The Glen Anaquod Memorial Tipi Raising Competition made its first in-person return after the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition is coordinated by the tatawâw Student Centre, providing various teams the chance to learn about Indigenous culture and traditions.

The competition was started in 2008 and serves as a fun, welcoming way for the community to experience first-hand the teaching of Indigenous values and customs. There is no outgoing cost for teams to join in the competition, providing no barriers to entering and participating in the event.

The competition is in honor of the late Glen Anaquod (19482011), a culture & tradition advisor from Muscowpetung First Nation. Anaquod started the competition in 2008 as an extension of Treaty 4 Gathering, an annual gathering to reconnect, recognize, and honour the spir-

it and intent of Treaty 4. In his work as a cultural advisor, Anaquod wished to see traditions passed on and to integrate the traditions into campus culture.

Derrick Mann, a competitor on ‘The Champions,’ had a team composed of his colleagues from Sask Energy. The company brought four teams and decided to compete together to boost morale as a bonding activity.

“We brought eight new people this year,” said Mann. “Two completely new people who’ve never done it before at all. We do it for work, all from different departments in the building, and coming together as a community is what it’s all about.”

Mann said he wants to keep the tradition going and appreciates getting to honour Anaquod’s legacy in this way.

Participants are judged on teamwork, communication, form, and effort to honour the rule of not stepping over the poles. Categories spanned high school teams, women’s teams, campus teams, and community teams. Five teams at a time from each category were given 19 pegs, 15 pins, one canvas, a hammer, and 20 minutes to raise a tipi.

The community-based event even served as the connection between old friends and relatives.

Raith Kurk attended the competition to learn more about her cul-

ture and the history of tipi raising.

“I’ve never really had the opportunity to do something like this. My mom encouraged me to come out today because she knew Glen and wanted me to be a part of honoring his legacy, which is something I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of.”

Raith said she’s glad that events like these can now continue after the pandemic, and would like to take more of a leadership role as a student with the tatawâw Student Centre events in the future.

Raith was able to join a community team of four with whom she shared stories and anecdotes about Anaquod passed down from her mother. “I spoke with a woman who knew my mom,” said Raith. “I feel that I’m getting so much out of this experience, I wanted to walk out of this knowing more about myself and I got just that.”

The competition begins with an introduction to the history of the tipi and the meaning of the structure. Participants are led through an in-depth tutorial on how to raise a tipi with helpful tips, anecdotes, and lessons for the task they are about to perform.

An original draft of this article was published on the INK News School of Journalism website.

Team “The Champions” raise their tipi.

Photo: Sarah Onyango

Parking Services cost breakdown Could it just be free? bodie robinson staff writer Many students have expressed frustration with rising parking prices, along with rising tuition fees and a higher cost of living.

Last week, a nursing student explained his reasons for skipping a parking permit and parking his car off campus.

Since 2017, the average cost of parking on campus has increased about 19 per cent. During the same time, Parking Services has turned a profit ranging from about $92,000 to $319,000 per year. An obvious exception is the 2021-2022 school year, when COVID-19 hit. In that year, Parking Services lost nearly a million dollars. I spoke with Manager of Parking & Transportation Services at the University of Regina, Gwen Evans. I wanted to better understand the reason for these price increases, and how Parking Services operates.

In what ways and how much did COVID-19 affect Parking Services’ revenues?

In a way, it was good, because we were able to get some of our capital projects done without displacing a lot of people.

For example, we did work on the Kinesiology parkade ramp and the Riddell parkade ramp. So, it was fortunate because we had to close the ramp for six weeks.

Fewer people parking on campus meant that Parking Services’ revenues decreased. In the U of R’s comprehen-

sive budget for 2021-2022, revenues were about $1.96 million, and expenditures were about $2.94 million. In what ways did Parking Services attempt to recoup these losses after students began to return to campus?

We can’t really recoup the losses. The rates for parking prices were already set in a three-year cycle. We weren’t the only area that lost money, and you can’t recoup that.

Now our sales are back to pre-COVID times. But what is good is that we are not sold out of parking spaces again. It could be due to hybrid classes or different class scheduling, but it’s good in some ways.

Could you please describe what the price of parking reflects?

Our M permits, based on a 20-day work month, works out to $2.87 a day. It’s less for the Green permit, which is about $2.60 a day. That $2.87 price includes snow removal, grating, all maintenance items, light replacements, and curb replacements.

Since 2017, the average prices of parking have increased by 19%.

That’s an increase of nearly one-fifth in four years. In what ways is the price increase justified?

Per year it’s usually a 3 per cent increase, and for the students with M permits, we have always tried to keep at the lowest price increase, […] we charge based on the type of parking. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re a student or an employee, the

Waiting in anticipation to lay the next ticket.

Photo: Lee Lim

price of the permit is the same. This is different from most universities. The justification is the cost of maintaining everything.

With fuel increases, labour increases, and the costs of materials, all those costs. […]

But since we are averaging increases over a large number of things, public parking actually pays for a lot of repairs and things like that. I would say it’s the cost of materials and labour.

What message would you like to send to students frustrated with the prices of parking?

Even though it seems like a semester permit costs a lot, […] understand that, when you break it down, it costs $2.87 a day. People don’t often look at it that way.

They just see that price tag. I don’t know

where else you can park where it’s $2.87 a day. There’s some confusion about people thinking tuition goes toward Parking Services also, but [Parking Services] operates on a totally different budget. The main message is break down what [parking costs] are per day that you’re paying, and understand that we’re trying our best.

At this point, my parking was about to expire. It cost me about $2.17 to park in front of Riddell for one hour, by the way.

The $2.87 per day figure certainly puts things into perspective. However, remember that Parking Services is still a reliable money-maker for the university’s ancillary budget. At the very least, students and commuters can be assured that the university’s parking lots are in relatively good condition, and $2.87 per day is a bargain compared to most other prices.

october 6, 2022

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

news

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Insight Project 360 educating students on global issues Bringing unique experiences while students motor between classes

victoria baht staff writer If you have been walking around on campus these last couple of weeks and travelling between Riddell Centre and the Education Building, you may have seen that the rainbow pit has been occupied.

Inside the rainbow pit, there has been a room called Insight 360 Project. This is a project that has been taking place on campus between September 13-29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The purpose of this project was to give a unique experience based on education of global development. The study focused on showing four different short films, all looking at different things. As you took some time out of your day to watch these short films, Kimberley Hartwig was ready to answer any questions.

“

Bringing the world to students’ front doorstep.

Photo: Victoria Baht

around the work of Patience Asiimwe and her accompanying Polio Vaccination Team in a remote village in North Eastern Uganda. Together, the team of doctors, nurses, and trainees work towards the Global Polio Eradication initiative founded by Rotary International over 35 years ago.

The viewer gets an inside look at the daily life of one of many dedicated Rotarians across the globe committed to eradicating the threat of polio forever.”

At first, walking into this atrium with this description I did not know what to expect. I took a seat and started to watch. Right off the bat, no seat “seemed to be the right seat,” because this is a video that plays on the walls around you in a cylindrical room. I had to turn a couple of times to see what was happening, which is what

vaccines to help prevent it. Asiimwe worked on providing vaccine after vaccine from child to child to help them be treated for polio.

Although the vaccine may not have seemed like enough, many individuals that are involved in this community have little-to-no access to healthcare.

The video ended before I could even process everything, all the information that I had just watched and listened to. Overall, it was a great experience. The voice and the graphics of the 360 video made me feel educated and connected to this issue. It takes you through steps, and the video moving along is almost like you were watching it happen in someone’s life. It really gives you a different experience and connection compared to watching YouTube or a movie. For the content it-

cylinder is touring three provinces right now [Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan]. All with the goal of introducing students and whoever comes sees the cylinder. […] It is meant to more engage people in becoming a global citizen, and becoming aware of these issues through a gender and equity lens.

Where do the studies and videos come from?

All the videos are made from non-governmental organizations, […] then this technology comes from Igloo which is a company based out of the UK and it is all funded by the Government of Canada.

What role does your company play?

way. It is a possibility for people to learn about these issues.

What is the main goal about these workshops and videos? Is it to create awareness, or more?

The goal is to create awareness. But the main goal is to go beyond awareness, […] the next step is moving from awareness towards action.

Where can people find more information if they wanted to find more videos or information for a school?

So, more information about the insight project is at insightproject.ca. More information about us is at www.sask.ic.org. this is where any teachers or group

The goal is to create awareness. But the main goal is to go beyond awareness, […] the next step is moving from awareness towards action.”

– Kimberley Hartwig

There were four short films offered that ran from five-ten minutes in length. They were known as Growing a World Wonder, Samuel’s Fairtrade Story, Clouds over Sidra, and Two Drops of Patience.

The one I watched was known as Two Drops of Patience, and here is the description that was provided to me before walking into the atrium (this can be found on Insightproject.ca). Two drop of Patience is a six-minute film that is described as “Two Drops of Patience revolves

made it all a unique experience.

As I began to watch, I was introduced to a women known as Patience Asiimwe, and she was on her way to figure some things out. This video takes you through her life experience and the story that she had that was devastating for many people. The main topic of this video was polio. Many people that were involved in this video were affected by polio a great deal. It put their health at risk, and even interrupted some children’s mobility. Even though there is no cure for polio, there are

self based on the video, I learned quite a bit, and it moved at a good speed that kept me interested in what was happening and the story that was being told.

Shortly after my experience, I spoke with Hartwig.

Can you introduce yourself first?

I am the education’s program coordinator at the Saskatchewan council for international cooperation. My focus right now is running the Insight project, so this

We oversee this whole installation which includes setting it up, taking it down and finding places for it to be housed in the city. Then we also deliver workshops to groups. […] The workshops themselves are designed for Grades 5 through 12, although they can be adapted. These videos are also viewable to the public. Even just by watching the videos, individuals can gain more insight to these issues that are happening around the world and interact with them in a different

leaders can contact me to book a workshop.

Visiting the Insight 360 Project was quite interesting. The goal was to create awareness of issues that are going on around the world, and it does exactly that. It is a unique experience that many students and the public should engage with. Hopefully this article has encouraged you to go check it out one day in the future.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

october 6, 2022

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

news

URSU launches Indigenous Sovereignty Committee

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Promoting decolonization, truth, and reconciliation on campus amir said contributor The University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) has officially launched its Indigenous Sovereignty Committee, which aims to do meaningful and impactful work towards decolonization and reconciliation at the University of Regina. According to official URSU communications, the goal of the committee is to “create spaces for both Indigenous students and settler allies to organize events, campaigns and discussions around how we can make the University of Regina more accessible and respectful to the needs of Indigenous students, staff, and faculty.”

Some of the work that has been done so far includes helping to support the Late Tony Cote Welcome Back Powwow on October 1, and updating URSU’s official land acknowledgement. The revised land acknowledgement, primarily written by Bren Henderson, states that URSU “would also like to acknowledge that true justice and reconciliation will only be achieved when these lands are liberated from white supremacy, colonialism, and capitalism.”

“In addition, our commitment to the aforementioned Nations includes fighting for the Federal government to uphold

their treaty obligations of properly, and fully funding access to post secondary education for all Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island,” reads the acknowledgement.

Mohammad Ali Aumeer, the head of URSU’s Advocacy Department and primary organizer of the committee, believes that this is part of a series of long-overdue changes and actions that URSU and the University of Regina campus must be committed to in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation.

“After the tragedies at James Smith, we launched a workshop on how settler allies can better support Indigenous students.

Coming out of that discussion we formed the Indigenous Sovereignty Committee.” Aumeer said that when he first joined URSU, he was shocked by the amount of people that were unfamiliar with Indigenous issues, with some students and staff not even knowing the location of First Nations University. Olufemi Oluyemi, an international student from Nigeria, said that he did not know anything about Indigenous people “except for what [he] saw in Hollywood movies.” After moving here and attending a powwow at First Nations University, he said he was instantly captivated.

“I wanted to start crying because it is so similar to traditions

A group of URSU members stand at the top of the Riddell balcony, unrolling the new Indigenous Sovereignty Committee Banner.

Photo: Kaoruko Sasaki

in Nigeria, it’s like I am back home. I see them dancing and celebrating, and I want to learn more and be involved.”

Aumeer hopes that the committee and its work will increase awareness on Indigenous issues throughout the University of Regina, with a particular area of focus being engaging and educating international students that were previously unfamiliar with these subjects. “We want to bring in as many groups and individuals on campus to work together as we can,” said Aumeer. “One of our primary goals is to bring togeth-

er students from the U of R and First Nations University, and get students from main campus to go over to FNU, spend time there, go to events.”

One of the primary goals of the committee is to launch a series of events and workshops in January with a focus on “decolonizing our minds” with Indigenous musicians InfoRed and Drezus.

InfoRed, a former President of the First Nations University of Canada Students’ Association, additionally serves as a member of the committee and is one of its key event organizers.

The Indigenous Sovereignty Committee, whose membership includes representatives from organizations such as First Nations University of Canada Students’Association, ta-tawâw Student Centre, and Regina Public Interest Research Group, is open to all students that are interested in getting involved with or learning about Indigenous issues. As the committee continues to grow, the goals and promises laid out by the team will be eagerly awaited by the on-campus community.

Powwows return to FNU campus

Your typical powwow, but with a few pre-historic creatures roaming between the teepees gillian massie news editor A day filled with joy took place on the grounds of the First Nations University, with the Late Tony Cote Welcome Back Traditional Powwow returning as the first powwow back on campus since the pandemic. Many sat in lawn chairs surrounding the large white tent where dancers performed in different events. People of all ages watched as different drum groups took turns singing and playing, accompanying the dancers.

Amanda Leader, President of the First Nations University of Canada Students’ Association, was happy to sit behind the registration table helping people sign in and hand out payments after dancers performed.

“It’s overwhelming,” said Leader. “I was sitting at the registration table with tears in my eyes because it’s just a really emotional day to see all the smiles on everyone’s faces, and who are supporting the students who are coming back onto campus.”

Leader said it felt great to see so many people back together on campus after such a long period away. An event like this took two months to bring together.

“A powwow is a place for us to come together to dance,” said Leader. “Typically, when the dancers are dancing, they are praying. Our powwow here today, the Tony Cote is a traditional powwow, and we like to bring people out here to have a good

time, and just make sure that people are treated equally, and just place a prayer.”

While the day was filled with happiness, the powwow remembered the late Tony Cote who died in 2019. Cote was a Korean War veteran that helped in establishing the First Nations University of Canada. Originally born at Cote First Nation, they were credited with increasing Indigenous participation in sports. During the grand procession of the event, the Cote family was gifted a star blanket.

“It was definitely tough for the university community to lose such an amazing person,” said Leader. “Such a big support for our community. But of course, we rally together, and we make sure that there is that support there, and we are definitely happy that we are here to do this for the family today.”

While the event centred around the commemoration of Cote, Leader wanted to make sure the day was extra fun, which especially showed up with the “Dinosaur Dance Off’ consisting of six or seven dancers that donned inflatable dinosaur suits and danced to the beat of the drum. While some of the costumes made it all the way through the performance without losing any air, some were holding up the sagged T-Rex heads less that halfway before the dance finished.

The powwow took place on October 1 after the second annual Truth and Reconciliation Day, where Leader and the FNUniv

Students’ Association sold orange sweaters on September 29 to wear on TRC Day. Leader said while she spent lots of Truth and Reconciliation Day doing some extra planning for the powwow, it was wonderful to see all the events that took place in Regina.

Leader said Truth and Reconciliation Day is about celebrating Indigenous people, while being able to recognize the harms done through colonization.

“I think the main point of it is balance. I was speaking with a couple of my family members last

night about TRC. I think a lot of it is to remember for us Indigenous people to keep in mind the past that we had to go through, and the strides that we have made to come this far, and how resilient we are, as a people.”

Spectators surround a white tent as two teepees sit in behind them.

Photo: Gillian Massie

arts & culture

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editor: vacant arts@carillonregina.com the carillon | october 6, 2022

Netflix’s Dahmer receives backlash Though directors claim to have the victim’s best interests at heart, the victim’s families beg to differ amina salah staff writer Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is a limited series streaming on Netflix. It was released onto the platform on September 21, 2022. The show is created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, who are both known for Glee, Scream Queens, and American Horror Story. Starring Evan Peters, the show focuses on the life of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. It follows the childhood of Dahmer and the motives behind his murders from 1978 to 1991. The show has broken Netflix’s record, becoming the platform’s mostwatched first week for a new series, surpassing even Squid Game.

With only 8 episodes, the show is extremely graphic and requires many trigger warnings prior to viewing.

The show has received mixed reviews, with some praising it for Peters’s performance, whereas others have criticized it for exploiting the pain of victims. It has a 73 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a 40 per cent audience score. The reality is that pop culture has evolved over the last few decades. The culture of film and TV has vastly changed within the last few years alone. Trauma is something that sells.

Streaming platforms have commodified trauma into a show for public consumption without regard for the victims who have been affected. We are witnessing the rise of true crime. Whether it is through podcasts or YouTube videos, creators are telling stories of gruesome crimes through makeup or skincare. It has become a way for people to bond.

The real stories of victims are being turned into juicy gossip for the public to view right before our own eyes. Netflix’s Dahmer is a visual of this.

A scroll through TikTok alone leads you into a world where people are bragging about not being affected by the show.

Some even wish that the show had more gruesome scenes, as if Dahmer drinking blood is not enough. The most disturbing aspect of this are the fan-made edits romanticizing a serial killer.

These fan edits minimize the story, portray it as a story of love and not murder and abuse. Dahmer is a deeply disturbed individual who murdered and molested 17 people, many of whom were Black men and boys. The fact that edits are being created is not surpris-

“

ing. We all remember the days of Tumblr, and the rabid serial killer fans that existed back then.

They’re still here. They live amongst us. Only now, they’re on Twitter and TikTok. In the words of William Shakespeare, “hell is empty and all the devils are here.”

The sad truth is that commodification of true crime has made us more insensitive. It has made capitalist corporations such as Netflix money-hungry.

Many family members of the victims have spoken out, criticizing Netflix for its action. The family of Errol Lindsey have been vocal about their concerns. His cousin, Eric, posted on twitter: “I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge right now, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are pissed about this show. It’s re-traumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/ documentaries do we need?”

Although the show operates under the façade of being concerned about victims, that is far from the truth. The story has never been about the victims. It has been about re-traumatizing the families of the victims by alienating them from their own stories.

This is not Netflix’s story to tell.

When you tell a story, you are owning the narrative. Netflix has absolutely no right to do this. It is up to the families of the victims to own the narrative surrounding their stories. It is theirs to tell. Eric also stated “So, when they say they’re doing this ‘with respect to the victims’ or ‘honoring the dignity of the families,’ no one contacts them. My cousins wake up every few months at this point with a bunch of calls and messages and they know there’s another Dahmer show. It’s cruel.”

On September 26, 2022, Insider published an essay based on their conversation with Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey.

In it, Isbell highlighted that she was bothered and uncomfortable watching the re-enactment scene of her court statement at Dahmer’s sentencing in 1992. “It felt like reliving it all over again.

It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then,” Isbell noted. “But I’m not money hungry, and that’s what this show is about, Netflix trying to get paid,” she emphasized.

If Netflix claims that they went about creating this show with the victims in mind, why is it that the family members of the victims were never notified? “I

Have you heard that Netflix originally tagged the show LGBTQ? Illustration: Lee Lim

was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn’t ask me anything. They just did it.” Isbell stated. “If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought it was me. Her hair was like mine, she had on the same clothes. That’s why it felt like reliving it all over again. It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then.

It’s sad that they’re just making money off this tragedy. That’s just

greed.”

As a result of the show, there have been talks to figure out ways to honour the victims in Milwaukee. Although the mayor of Milwaukee, Cavalier Johnson, is on board with the idea, he has shown concern that the memorial could be turned into a Mecca for Dahmer fans.

The reality is that Murphy’s show has only done more harm than the good it has claimed to do. It has re-traumatized the fam-

ilies of victims, forcing them to re-live traumatic moments over again. Netflix is not concerned about them despite pretending that their goal is to honour the victims. The only way this will change is through legislation that protects victims and their families from corporations that want to turn their stories into dramatizations.

Although the show operates under the façade of being concerned about victims, that is far from the truth. The story has never been about the victims. It has been about re-traumatizing the families of the victims by alienating them from their own stories. This is not Netflix’s story to tell.”

– Amina Salah

october 6, 2022

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

arts & culture

Scandals shake Twitch From assault allegations to gambling scams, there’s never a dull moment

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jorah bright a&c writer Twitch is the world’s largest video game live-streaming platform.

It was launched in 2011 and acquired by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million. It’s incredibly popular and hosts some of the world’s biggest streamers.

In the last couple of weeks or so, a lot has been happening on Twitch, and I mean a lot. Some of the biggest creators are being put on blast, and Twitch has been making major policy changes that could lead to its top creators leaving the platform.

All of the issues started during ShitCamp. ShitCamp is an event hosted by popular streamer QTCinderella where several creators meet up and make content over a series of days. It was announced on August 29, 2022, and not everyone was looking forward to it.

Last year at the first ShitCamp, a highlight for viewers was streamer SodaPoppin. Soda was not able to make it to this year’s ShitCamp, and people were upset about it.

But, the replacement this year was xQc. xQc is one of the biggest streamers on Twitch. He has a huge audience. xQc decided not to go to ShitCamp the day before, and said it was because “Soda gone and all, dont [sic] feel like it / its [sic] a lot of people, i [sic] need someone like soda to run good stuff.” With Soda not going and now xQc not going, things weren’t looking great for ShitCamp, but the event ended up going well. Except for ERobb.

ERobb is a large content creator who was invited to ShitCamp and, while there, he made a joke in his chat to a viewer that when he went to TwitchCon, he would

beat up this viewer. This comment got ERobb banned from Twitch for seven days. Then, Twitch changed the ban from seven days to 30 days. Many people saw this ban as having no basis because ERobb was joking, and the viewer knew that.

The problems with xQc kept going when Soda said on a podcast that he told xQc months before ShitCamp that he wasn’t going. When xQc saw that clip of the podcast, he said that he had to deal with personal matters. This ended up being about his girlfriend and fellow streamer, Adept. Then Adept saw that clip of xQc saying there were personal matters, which led to Adept and xQc breaking up very publicly

and even going live and having a very personal conversation that led to Adept saying “you are not a victim here, you have never been a victim.”

While this was happening, another streamer named ItsSliker, completely unrelated to ShitCamp, was revealed to be a scammer with a gambling addiction. Sliker scammed more than 50 people out of more than $380,000, including one viewer who was going through chemotherapy, so he could pay for his gambling addiction.

As a result of Sliker’s scamming coming out, people started campaigning for Twitch to ban gambling on the platform. In the last several months many popu-

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lar streamers have been getting huge sponsorships to gamble on their streams. A couple of popular streamers tweeted out “like if Twitch should ban gambling,” which led to something else.

One of the streamers that tweeted that was Mizkif, who is a huge streamer on Twitch. Mizkif replied to a streamer called Trainwreck who was talking about gambling on Twitch, saying that he should get banned for something he did, and Trainwreck responded to Mizkif saying “are you going to send [two other streamers] to railroad and blackmail me like you did those girls to cover up all those sexual assaults.”

Trainwreck was referring to a streamer called CrazySlick (a different Slick) who is close friends with Mizkif. Over a year ago, a streamer named Adrianah Lee accused CrazySlick of inappropriately touching her while she was passed out drunk. Slick said that he was checking her pulse, but people who were there said it was inappropriate. Adrianah posted a statement on Twitter shortly after about the situation, and it died out quickly.

Part of this was that Mizkif sent two streamers to Adriannah to make sure the post didn’t paint Slick in too bad of a light. CrazySlick continued afterwards to be inappropriately sexual with women through private messages and faced almost no consequences at the time for what he did to Adrianah. A clip surfaced of Mizkif saying that no one stopped hanging out with Slick because of what he did to Adrianah. He didn’t lose any friends from it.

Mizkif said that at worst what Slick did was sexual harassment, and not a big deal. Adrianah has stated recently that she did not realize that what Slick did was sexual assault until very recently, and she spoke about how the assault has affected her during another stream. If you want more about Adrianah specifically, I would rec-

ommend checking out some of the things that she has said.

Following this, another streamer named IcePoseidon (who has his own issues) published DM’s between him and Mizkif from 2018 and 2019 that were full of Mizkif saying slurs – a lot of slurs. Mizkif released an apology on September 21, but spelled Adrianah’s name wrong in it.

On September 20, as a response to what happened with Sliker, Twitch updated their gambling policy to ban slots, roulette, dice games, and most of the websites that big streamers were using to gamble.

Banning gambling was a huge win for Twitch and everyone was super stoked, but then Twitch made another decision that was not received as well. Twitch announced that they were changing how they paid their streamers.

On Twitch, larger streamers have a 70/30 pay cut with Twitch.

They get 70 per cent and Twitch gets 30 per cent. Smaller creators are on a 50/50 split with Twitch.

Twitch said that big streamers will keep their 70/30 split for the first $100,000 they make, and then go down to the 50/50. Twitch claims that the reason they’re changing its pay is that it’s unfair for smaller streamers that big streamers get a 70/30, and that it is very expensive for them to be hosted on Amazon’s servers and they need money for that.

In the midst of all of this are the chess scandals happening.

Hans Niemann is a chess player and a Twitch streamer who recently faced Magnus Carlsen, the world’s best chess player, and won. When Niemann and Carlsen faced off again, Carlsen quit part way through the match.

People have been claiming that Niemann cheated, but there’s been no proof of this. Niemann has vehemently denied the cheating allegations.

october 6, 2022

arts & culture

Top underrated eat spots on campus

carillonregina.com | the carillon | 8

Whether you require a halal diet or exclusively consume plant-based foods, there are options within these halls amina salah staff writer The University of Regina is home to many cafés and dining options.

Whether you eat halal, kosher, are vegan or pescatarian, there is something for everyone. Gone are the days when you could only rely on Tim Hortons and Subway’s fake tuna and suspicious tasting/ looking cheese. With the new Gong Cha location rumoured to be opening on campus, students are excited that there is going to be something new. It is great to have a variety of options. Throughout my time at the university, I have witnessed the dwindling of dining options. If you remember Brewed Awakening, you may be entitled to compensation. As the kids love to say, you are an O.G. Although there is Extreme Pita, Tim Hortons, The Lab Café, The Lazy Owl, and Subway, my favourite and the most underrated eats on campus remain to be Common Ground, Mia Fresco, Robin’s, and Grill & Co. Located in Riddell Centre, Common Ground is a small café that also serves Starbucks. They offer coffee, lattes, matcha, strudels, muffins, and everything in

between. I am a huge fan of their iced matcha latte. I prefer it to Tim Hortons because they have options such as soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, and oat milk.

Tim Hortons does not offer nearly as many plant-based milk options.

Additionally, they make amazing muffins. I particularly enjoy their coffee muffin and their raspberry yoghurt muffin. All in all, I would rate Common Ground an 8/10.

Riddell Centre also houses Grill & Co. They offer burgers, sandwiches, fries, and more. Every once in a while, I love to treat myself with the best meal on their menu, the lightlife burger, which is a beyond meat burger. I eat a plant-based diet, thus I do not eat beef or chicken. Of all the burger joints in the city, nothing tops Grill & Co. I mean, they use toasted brioche for God’s sake.

The burger is crispy, tender, and juicy. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

On the other side of campus at Campion College, there is Mia Fresco. This is one of the best places to get bubble tea on campus. They have many flavours ranging from passion fruit and honeydew melon to peach and taro. They also offer soups, salads, flatbread, and wraps. The

only reason I drop in every time I’m at Campion College is strictly for their bubble tea.

Right next to it, there is Robin’s which has the best Nanaimo bars and samosas. They have donuts, muffins, pies, and more.

They are also able to warm up any of their baked goods for you.

Their drink options are also pretty good.

The University of Regina has many options for dining depending on your dietary requirements. Many of my friends and I are Muslims, and it is great that we are able to find options across campus. Although I do not eat meat, but my friends do, and it is great that there are places on campus to find halal meat such as The Lazy Owl. My only wish is for the university to offer more plant-based options on campus that don’t include salad. We need more creativity in terms of cuisine. I wish there were more options catering to cuisines from different countries. I believe it would be a good investment for the university.

The best hidey-hole spots to visit if you’re looking to stuff yours.

Photo: Amina Salah

Happy Hollow Corn Maze begins again An annual fixture for those familiar, with a few added twists this year wren gessner contributor Anyone looking for a casual day out with family or friends is sure to have a good time at the Happy Hollow Corn Maze. Located in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, the Happy Hollow is just a short drive from Regina, with a scenic view to boot. No matter the age, there is a variety of activities to suit anyone who decides to venture out.

At $15 general admission, visiting the farm attraction is a cheap and easy way to get out of the city for a day.

If you are looking for a view of the farm, taking the tractor ride is the best way to do it in style. As someone who grew up on a farm, riding around behind a tractor definitely brought me back, making it one of my favourite activities of the day. The tractor takes groups on short rides through the trees, past rivers, and by the corn maze, all in the safety of a trailer. Riders have the opportunity to sit on hay bales throughout the ride, making it a classic farm experience. Tips are welcome in the open tip jar, but there is no fee to ride.

For a more unique experience, check out the jumping pillow and corn cannon. Situated next to one another, these activities are not ones to miss.

The jumping pillow welcomes all ages, children and adults alike. If you’re interested in going for a bounce, don’t be intimidated by the kids. There is plenty of room for all, and it is made all the more fun with friends.

The corn cannon is the only activity in Happy Hollow that requires an additional fee. However, at $2 per two shots, it is well worth the experience. There are several metal targets to shoot at, and if you manage to hit one, you might even win a free chocolate bar. Who would want to miss that deal?

For the older crowds, be sure to check out musician Robert Eddy on stage. This guy is one of the friendliest people you’ll meet. Playing a variety of songs from blues to Irish songs, there is a little bit for everyone. He loves

to interact with his audience and tells stories about himself and his father. At times, there are songs the audience can even participate in. He welcomes requests, and even when he doesn’t know a song well, he loves to give it a shot. With the leaves turning colours and blowing across an open stage, this is a concert that you are unlikely to forget.

Now, for the thing you’ve all been waiting for: the corn maze.

Walking through this tall crop brought back plenty of childhood memories, searching my way through corn mazes, struggling to

find my way out. Reliving this experience as an adult has made me realize the Happy Hollow corn maze is relatively simple, comparatively. It does not take long to walk through, particularly with friends. However, hearing the screams and laughter of kids was enough to convince me this was an awesome attraction for other ages. It is a quick walk and you needn’t worry about getting tired or thirsty, which is a plus for the majority of people visiting Happy Hollow. I would consider this to be a very accessible corn maze for everyone, whether young or old.

With all the activities to explore, be sure to end the day with a fresh piece of pumpkin pie. The gift shop offers large slices that are rich and creamy, and staff offer as much whipped cream as anyone could possibly desire. If pumpkin pie isn’t your thing, there are a variety of drinks available all for a reasonable cost. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a regular returning for a bit of childhood nostalgia, Happy Hollow is sure to satisfy.

The blind leading the blind? We love to see it.

Photo: Wren Gessner

october 6, 2022

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

arts & culture

9

Trisha Paytas gives birth to daughter Malibu Barbie

Despite claims that exploitation of children is abhorrent, this YouTube star is already sharing content of their newborn

jorah bright a&c writer When it comes to people with a lot of internet drama, Trisha Paytas is one of the front-runners.

Trisha has been on YouTube since 2007 and has accumulated 5 million subscribers on her main channel, and over a billion views (if you include all the videos she’s deleted). As a quick disclaimer, Trisha’s pronouns have been a hot topic in the past; I will be using she/they pronouns for them as it is stated in her Instagram bio.

Trisha has had drama with at least 153 different people. By drama, I mean she has publicly insulted them, attacked them, or had internet beef with them at some point. 153 is a lot of people, so it’s no wonder people don’t like Trisha.

Trisha also has a very long history of lying. They have admitted on the Frenemies podcast that she used to co-host with Ethan Klein that they used to have a problem with frequent lying to people. It is clear from evidence

that she still has an issue with lying.

Here’s a quick recap on some of her biggest scandals.

During Frenemies, she claimed that one of their previous teachers sexually assaulted her. They give the name of that teacher several times and tell people to look up the teacher because he was arrested, and it’s public record.

This was not true. There was no record of this teacher being arrested. Trisha never apologized for this action.

Trisha has a huge history of racism. There is a video of her admitting that she is racist. They use terms like ‘ghetto’ in derogatory ways. They cosplayed as a Black person (multiple times), an Indigenous woman, and a Hispanic woman. In 2012, she posted a video while in blackface.

She has said the N-word several times in videos. Trisha has shown anti-Semitic behavior for years.

She has a video called “How to seduce a Hebrew man” that she uploaded in 2020 and was full of

racist stereotypes. She had previously uploaded a video in 2013 called “My thoughts on Hitler” where she praised and defended Hitler.

She has stated that she is sexually attracted to her husband Moses becuase he is Jewish. Because of her marriage with Moses, Trisha claims that they are “Jewish by insemination” so they can say whatever they want about Jewish people. Trisha has tweeted

“

ary of 2022, Trisha stated in videos that after going to the doctor, they had no issues with their tubes that could stop them from getting pregnant. In the past, Trisha has said that she thinks she would not be a good mother, and that she would have a baby for YouTube money and fame.

Trisha gave birth to her daughter Malibu Barbie Paytas-Hacmon on September 14, 2022. In 2017, Trisha tweeted

In the past, Trisha has said that she thinks she would not be a good mother, and that she would have a baby for YouTube money and fame.”

– Jorah Bright

Don’t know about you, but we’re still betting she’s Queen Liz reincarnate.

Illustration: Lee Lim

several times throughout the years about being sexually attracted to Jewish people because of their penises, and that they pretend to be Jewish in order to date Jewish men. In 2013 they tweeted “if you’re born Jewish can you still choose to be Catholic??? or is it like a race?”

Because this article is ultimately about Trisha’s new baby, it’s important to bring up Trisha’s past of domestic violence and

abuse. In her previous relationship with YouTuber Jason Nash, Trisha hit Jason several times, made him fear for his life, stated that she had sex with Jason while he was asleep and unable to consent, and drove her car into his house while high. There is video evidence of this. In her relationship with their current husband Moses Hacmon, Trisha has stated that she punched Moses, and in a TikTok Moses admitted that Trisha forced him into having sex and threatened suicide if Moses left.

Trisha’s husband and father of her child Moses Hacmon is not free from scandal either. They started dating in August of 2020.

They were engaged in December of 2020 and married in December of 2021. Moses has said that he is an architect, but does not have the qualifications to be an architect. Moses has been accused of sexually assualting women through stealthing, which is removing a condom during sex without the consent of the sex partner. Before Moses and Trisha got married, a text thread was leaked stating that Moses planned to “give [Trisha] a baby and collect child support.”

Trisha and Moses announced their pregnancy in February of 2022. Trisha claimed for years that she could not have kids. In 2016, she uploaded a video called “Why I Can’t Have Children” and said that because of her experiences with STIs, she was unable to have kids. They claimed that all the STIs gave her Pelvic Inflammatory Disease that caused the infertility. This was unclear because Trisha said she got PID at 19, but the story she was telling put her in her mid 20’s when she got PID. She claimed in a different video that they had miscarried in 2012, but later on claimed that she had never been pregnant.

In 2020, they claimed that they could not get pregnant. In Janu-

“la gon [sic] be fucked for our lil [sic] baby girl. We are naming her something real while [sic] trash like Malibu or Bambi or something,” and then proceeded to name her daughter Malibu Barbie. In the past, Trisha has said that she “thinks it’s weird to put kids out on the internet every single day” and “[she] doesn’t know if [she] would do that.”

In another instance, Trisha said that “it was messed up” to make kids work through vlogging. In another video, Trisha said that it was disgusting that parents would force their children to be in videos for monetization.

Since giving birth and as of the writing of this article (September 30), Trisha has uploaded 17 videos featuring the newborn Malibu. In 16 days, she has uploaded 17 videos, not including two on her ASMR channel that are baby-related but don’t feature Malibu. Trisha has uploaded 14 TikToks to her account since Malibu’s birth featuring her baby.

She’s posted nine instagram posts featuring Malibu.

This child isn’t even three weeks old and has had her entire life posted to the internet. Before she was even born, Trisha posted several videos about her pregnancy. On her main channel, she posted 69 videos throughout her pregnancy directly relating to her pregnancy through either the title or thumbnail. On the Paytas-Hacmon Family Channel, they have uploaded 55 videos about her pregnancy throughout the pregnancy. This totals 124 videos about baby Malibu before she was born.

This child’s life was on the internet from the moment Trisha’s pregnancy was announced.

Despite Trisha’s prior claims, she and Moses are still posting absolutely everything they possibly can about their daughter. It is child exploitation at its finest.

sports & health

10

editor: vacant sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | october 6, 2022

U of R student athletes reminded of their rights Abuse allegations have been made across multiple Canadian athletic organizations

sophia stevens s&h writer Former Whitecaps and U20 Women’s National Team coach Bob Birarda will be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one count of touching a young person for a sexual purpose. The offences reported happened between 1998 and 2008. In 2008, Birarda was let go from Canada Soccer and the Whitecaps, but was then able to find employment at Coastal FC where he was hired on as the intake coach for U13 girls.

In July of 2022, a McLaren Global Sport Solution report was conducted as an independent review of Canada Soccer’s handling of sexual misconduct in 2007 and 2008. The report found that there was a lack of familiarity of the harassment policy among Canada Soccer senior officials in 2008, and that harassment was not a

“

If you’re losing your mind over the upside down leaves, you’re really missing the point, my guy.

Image: CIker-Free-Vector-Images via Pixabay and mohammad_hassan via Pixabay, manipulated by Lee Lim

stem from a group sexual assault that was reportedly recorded on video. Lisa Gotell, a leading expert on sexual assault consent law in Canada, told CBC News that “individuals’ memories of a video can be used as evidence to help prosecute a case.” She also said that “the mounting allegations against elite hockey players in Canada would suggest a disturbing pattern of behaviour if they turned out to be true.”

Police in Halifax have opened an investigation into the allegations of sexual assault in July due to the investigative reporting done by TSN. There is another allegation of a group sexual assault with four players at the 2014 Gatineau Olympiques. The 2018, a World Junior case also involved an allegation of a group rape.

The reported cases all involve a group of players assaulting and degrading a lone, intoxicated woman. Police in London, Ontario and Quebec City have reopened an

years. Pearson is calling on independent investigation of the sport, and how this conduct has been allowed to continue. Dave Brubaker was Canada’s 2016 Rio Olympic coach but was suspended in 2017 after he was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual crimes. After an internal investigation was conducted, Brubaker was handed a lifetime ban by the national governing body. Elizabeth Brubaker was given a suspension in 2019 which will remain in effect until 2024.

A recent lawsuit by former gymnasts alleged that Gymnastics Canada and six affiliate provincial organizations decided to turn a blind eye to the abusive culture that existed within their organizations. The lawsuit alleges that gymnasts were exposed to inappropriate touching by coaches, being forced to train while being injured, and being threatened and humiliated. In March, over 70 current and former Cana-

an coach Bertrand Charest. In 2017, Charest was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexual crimes against young skiers.

In a recent interview with CBC News, Forsyth explained “I wish I could say all decisions being made right now are being made by people with lived experiences and survivors of abuse, yet they’re not. I’m not here to make anyone wrong for that.

I believe there are a lot of very good people trying to help with this massive issue.”

During her speech to U of R athletes, Forsyth expressed the importance of teaching athletes and coaches about their rights to try to prevent future misconduct by coaches and players. This means giving athletes the tools to understand their relationship with their coaches and how certain sport attitudes can affect an athlete’s understanding of their rights.

For instance, not showing weakness can have serious implications. In her inter-

Sport needs to break that culture of silence. I hope all the measures we’re taking help do this. I want to salute the courage these athletes had to speak out. That’s why we’re making changes.”

– Allison Forsyth

top priority issue at the time among the leadership team. The review also cited that Birarda had abused his position of power in order to groom, intimidate, threaten, and sexually harass certain players. Some people believe that his lack of misconduct post-2008 was due to him coaching his daughter throughout the following years.

Soccer isn’t the only sport making headlines for misconduct, sexual assault, and abuse by coaches and players. Canada Hockey was recently caught up in a scandal involving the 2003 and 2018 World Junior teams, where accusations of rape were brought to the public’s attention. The case of the 2003 World Juniors team allegations

investigation regarding these allegations. In response to these allegations, many major sponsors have cut ties with Canada Hockey, and the federal government of Canada has frozen its funding to Canada Hockey.

A parliamentary committee has also been created to launch public hearings on how the organization handled these claims of sexual assault. No charges have been laid as of the time of writing in all three cases.

In May of 2022, former Canadian gymnast Abby Pearson Spadafora came forward, alleging that her Olympic coaches Dave Brubaker and Elizabeth Brubaker had physically, verbally, psychologically, and sexually abused over the course of

dian gymnasts called for an independent investigation into a toxic culture and abusive practices within their sport.

In response to the recent allegations against multiple sports bodies, the University of Regina brought Allison Forsyth as a guest speaker at athlete orientation to discuss the importance of Safe Sport. Forsyth is a pioneer in the Safe Sport community and has worked with Canadian governing bodies in trying to provide safer sport environments for athletes. Forsyth is a former alpine skier for Canada who has first-hand experience of how a coach-athlete power dynamic can lead to abuse; she alleges that she was sexually abused by Alpine Canadi-

view with CBC News, Forsyth stated that “We need to break the culture of silence.

Sport needs to break that culture of silence.

I hope all the measures we’re taking help do this. I want to salute the courage these athletes had to speak out. That’s why we’re making changes.” It is important that future athletes understand their rights and that coaches and players who step out of line are held accountable for their actions – and their inactions.

october 6, 2022

carillonregina.com | the carillon | 11

sports & health

City of Regina switches swim lesson provider

A transition has been made to the Lifesaving Society after being Red Cross faithful for decades panies.

Recently, it has been discovered the new company that will be providing swimming lessons will be a company known as the Lifesaving Society. Based on the Lifesaving Society’s website, they are under the Saskatchewan branch. This company is a notfor-profit organization. The focus of this team is to “prevent drowning and other related injuries in Canada.” Now that you know a bit about the background of the Lifesaving Society, the Carillon did an interview with Kelsey Gallagher over the phone to help and get you insight, and get excited about, the courses that are being offered.

What is your job position for the Lifesaving Society and what importance does it serve?

I am the Saskatchewan branch’s administration manager and one of the public education coordinators. […] I am responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Saskatchewan branch office. It can include processing and work towards educating the public on how to be safe around water.

You know you’re in trouble when the lifeguard’s standing like a pop star.

Illustration: Oped-Clipart-Vectors via Pixabay, manipulated by Lee Lim

victoria baht staff writer For many years, a company known as the Red Cross has been providing swimming lessons in the city. Based on the Red Cross’s

website, they offered and focused on providing and giving networks, programs, and services to help and serve local communities.

Even though the Red Cross has been giving swimming lessons for years, the city decided to take a change in pace and change com-

What are some of your company’s differences when compared to the Red Cross that those in the community can look forward too?

The Lifesaving Society has been around in Canada since 1894, and the Saskatchewan branch since 1964. We have had

a long history when it comes to water safety, and our main mission is to prevent drowning and reduce water related injuries.

The main difference between the Red Cross and Lifesaving Society is just that portion. […] Specifically to the swimming program, there is not a ton of changes that patrons may notice based on the content and competency that are required in swimming lessons. The main difference will be noticed in the names or programs. Although essentially both programs work towards the same goal for the candidates to achieve in certain swimming goals, […] when it comes to the content of the swimming lesson it is relatively the same.

What kind of accommodation is your team ready to provide for all different kinds of children and adults?

Since the Swim for Life program has been running in Canada for over 20 years, it is adaptable to suit all different levels. Specifically, we even have adult swimming programs to give adults the chance to learn skills as well.

What is your team looking forward to as being the new agency for swimming lessons throughout the city?

We are excited that it is going to be based all around one program now and one organization. […] We are really excited to have strong consistency around all Saskatchewan. We now get the chance to start at the very begin-

ning through the city of Regina, start with parents and toddler lessons all the way up to the swimmer lessons. […] We are hoping this will reduce any confusion between the two programs, and provide a nice steady flow for all the patrons in the city of Regina.

Where can people find resources to access information about said swimming lesson?

The Lifesaving Society website has a Swim for Life page as well as a swim transition page.

So, the transition from the Red Cross to the Lifesaving Society is being called swim transition. So on that swim transition page, we have all the information based on advanced swimming lessons and how to transition as well as the swim registration chart.

It appears that this Lifesaving Society is really looking forward to this transition and helping as many patrons as possible in Regina. Gallagher also wanted to add at the end of the conversation that “We are not starting from scratch.

We have already been implanted for many years in places like Yorkton, Prince Albert, and Swift Current. I really want people to understand that we are not facilitating this program; it already existed, and we are hoping to create and have a smooth and easy transition for the patrons. Our main goal is drowning prevention, so we are mainly focusing on people having those essential life skills.”

Bike lane revamp planned for Regina

The city’s announced a four-phase plan, and residents have mixed reviews sophia stevens s&h writer In 2017, the Regina City Council adopted a plan to improve Regina’s transportation system over the next 25 years. This plan included a city-wide cycling network in Regina. In 2018, the city undertook an internal prioritization study that helped to indicate which areas of the city would benefit from being the first to have that city-wide network built. The highest priority city-wide network was deemed to be the route that connected central neighbourhoods to Regina’s downtown core.

The Crosstown Bike Route plan execution was divided into four phases of implementation.

Phase one deals with western Cathedral, where construction was expected to begin in 2021. The bike lanes are planned to be established on 13th Avenue from Forget Street to York Street, and 14th Avenue from Edward Street to Montague Street.

Phase two covers eastern Cathedral, Centre Square, and Downtown, where construction is set to begin in 2023. This phase will only continue once a twoyear evaluation of 14th Avenue

is completed. The idea is that the bike lanes in phase 2 will continue to the rest of Cathedral, and to at least as far as Lorne Street downtown.

In 2024, phase three is expected to begin, which would include areas such as Centre Square, Downtown, Heritage, and Al Ritchie. This phase will go as far as Arcola Avenue.

The last phase will be an ongoing monitoring and adjustment phase, which is expected to run from 2025 onwards. In the 2017 Transportation Master Plan, the City of Regina cites constructed pathways and bike lanes are funded through specific annual budget requests. There is no dedicated funding with regards to the construction of active transportation facilities.

The report also highlights ways to promote active transportation to promote healthier communities, which includes the use of on-street bicycle facilities. The city is also looking into the use of road routes through inclusion of bike lanes in order to reduce vehicular lanes on roads to improve safety and facilitate other modes of transportation. Other major Canadian cities such as Vancouver, Montreal, Saskatoon, and Ottawa have implemented

Biking hard or hardly biking?

Photo: Chris Campbell via Flickr

bike lanes to encourage healthier modes of transportation.

After the completion of phase 1 in 2021, CTV Regina found that many residents had mixed reviews about the new bike lanes.

The mixed reviews stem from losing on-street parking spaces, as the bike lanes now take up the old spots. In a 2021 interview with CTV Regina, Shanie Leugner – who, in 2021, was the manager of infrastructure engineering with the city – said “We always have to find kind of the sweet spot to

implement the right kind of infrastructure for what context we are working with.” This was regarding understanding that there are requirements in how bike lanes, travel lanes, and parking lanes can exist and co-exist.

In an interview with CBC News, Shanie Leugner also stated that the city was looking at “a lower-cost solution to install cycling infrastructure on low-volume streets.” Geoff Ellis, who was the president of Wascana Freewheelers recreational cycling, was

interviewed by CBC News in 2021 and stated: “This particular one is unusual. I have not personally encountered that type of bike lane that they are describing.”

Although people have mixed reviews about whether the bike lanes will work, or if they’ll cause more trouble than they’re worth, or if they’re practical, hopefully they will encourage people to think about healthier, cheaper ways that they can move around the city.

october 6, 2022

carillonregina.com | the carillon | 12

sports & health

Dale Pitura on board involvement within athletic organizations

The new chair and president of the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators shares just how he got here

holly funk editor-in-chief The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) has recently announced that Dale Pitura, a previous head therapist for Cougars athletes at the University of Regina, will be the chair of their board and president of their organization. We sat down for an interview with Pitura earlier this month to learn more about how he got involved in board governance in the first place, on the situation he’ll be walking into as the chair and president at CAPR, and how board engagement at this level compares to the board involvement opportunities available to most students.

At this point in the semester I identify much more with the chameleon than the presenter.

Illustration: 6957614 via Pixabay

different boards in the sporting world. Primarily in Saskatchewan, such as the Saskatchewan Games Council recently I was on, previously I was on the Saskatchewan Sports Science Council.

We’ve got the Athletic Therapy Association in Saskatchewan that I was involved with for a while as well as nationally, so it’s just been many different volunteer boards over the years.

Those boards that have some element of governance to them. How would you say that would compare to the experience students could be getting on boards at this point?

There’s typically two differ-

to put it that way. [...] A strategic board is the board of directors are more involved simply in setting the direction of the organization, creating the strategic plan and the outcomes that they want, and then having the staff – typically a CEO or executive director – implement that.

There would be different skill development or at least different skills you’d need in the strategic versus the operational boards, so if there are university students who are wanting to go a similar route and get involved in that, how could they start honing those skills at the stage they’re at now?

term you want to use to say “Okay, we’re giving that direction to the staff, and they’re the ones that have to implement it. We can’t be down there telling them what to do. We can’t be there questioning their every move, we’re the ones that just give them direction and it’s the staff, the executive director and the CEO and their staff, that have the ideas and the implementation.” [...] I think we all know that we notice doers in the world, they like to get their hands dirty and they like to get right in there, and there’s others that are ideas people and they back up a little bit, and throw out a thousand ideas. Maybe only one or two of them are good, but they have a thousand of them. So, you’ve got

iotherapy regulators across the country. Physiotherapy in each of the different provinces and territories is self-regulated. So, like doctors or lawyers or nurses, if one of the members gets in trouble the membership itself disciplines those members and looks after any complaints that would come to the organization. Also, the regulators across the provinces and territories are responsible for evaluating new therapists that are coming into the profession.

Example would be, I’ll give you another profession, lawyers have to write the bar exam to become a full-fledged lawyer, accountants write certain exams to become different levels of accountants.

That evaluation or examina-

“

…as the chair of the board or the president, many people think that you’re all powerful and you’re at the top of the heap and you get to run the show, but that’s not what it is. As a matter of fact, you don’t get a vote, right?”

– Dale Pitura

Before this board, what set you up for getting to a president role on something like this? What do you think will be strengths to you in this role?

I’ve been involved in a number of boards over my years, a number of different associations starting way back when I was actually involved in the Husky athletic association back in university, so that was many years ago. And then just throughout my physiotherapy career, have always been associated with different boards.

I’ve done a lot of sports, I’ve been involved in a lot of sports therapy, and so have been involved with

ent types of boards that a person would be involved with. One is more of an operational board, so typically they’re smaller organizations and the board of directors do a lot of the leg work, the operational work each day. I would anticipate that many of the organizations in a university setting, you’ll have your different clubs and associations that function like that at the university, and many of those boards would be operational type boards. As an organization grows, and I think many organizations nowadays that can afford some level of staffing, then to more of a strategic board or a governance board if you want

Oftentimes it’s a matter of your thought process, right? You need to be someone who wants to get involved, right? You need to be somebody who has ideas, and would love to share those ideas and share those skill sets, but when you’re trying to hone your skills to maybe move to more of a strategic planning board, you have to change your mindset a little bit. You have to change your mindset from “I’ll do this” to “This is an idea of what we could do,” “This is the direction I think the organization should go.”

Then, you also have to be, I don’t know what word I might use, patient? Forgiving? Whatever

to have both in my mind to be on the board, but you have to know where you’re at and what type of board you’re dealing with to understand if you have to step back and just throw out the ideas, or if you’ve got to roll up your sleeves and play in the dirt a little bit.

So, when it comes to the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators, what’s the situation that you’re stepping into?

The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators is a pan-Canadian organization made up of the different phys-

tion of the therapists coming into the profession, the physiotherapists, that was one of the main reasons that the alliance started way back 30 years ago. [...] The other thing that the alliance does is they look at the credentials from internationally trained physiotherapists to see if the credentials from an outside country match the minimal standards that the education programs within Canada would provide. That’s kind of the first step, if those education requirements match then that internationally trained therapist can go on to write their exams.

october 6, 2022

sports & health

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

13

That’s not all, folks

The Carillon’s interview with CAPR’s new president and chair, continued... holly funk editor-in-chief How did you come into this role specifically at CAPR? Probably virtually on every board, I’ve ended up in the president role on every board I’ve been at. In that role, as the chair of the board or the president, many people think that you’re all powerful and you’re at the top of the heap and you get to run the show, but that’s not what it is. As a matter of fact, you don’t get a vote, right? When you’re the chair you don’t get to vote unless there’s a certain special circumstance, so your job really is to ensure that all the board members get a say in whatever decision you’re trying to make, that you get to set the agenda along with the CEO or ED [executive director] to make sure that you’re working on the priorities that need to be worked on.

You’re obviously the spokesperson for the organization if anybody needs to ask questions or whatever, so you need to have an understanding of the organization and where they’re at and what they’re trying to do, but you know the big thing is to kind of facilitate conversation, make sure that everybody gets a say so that you come to a strong consensus of the decisions you’re trying to make.

Right, yeah, the transparency with boundaries maintained throughout the whole thing. It’s a fine line at times.

Exactly yeah, it is a fine line, and you know you talk about transparency because that’s a huge topic in the world these days. Everybody thinks everything should be transparent and out and about, but sometimes to make decisions you have to have difficult discussions, right? [...]

Some decisions require hard discussions that have to go through different iterations and then people come to a consensus and make a decision. But if you just take one portion of that discussion you can make it look not good. Or, you can make it look good, or like “They don’t know what they’re talking about, and I do because…” I mean, lots of political ads pull out one little snippet and run a campaign on it, so that’s why transparency is tough.

You have to be transparent, you have to let people know how you came to that decision, but sometimes the details of that decision, how do you portray those?

You can’t give context without risking people then taking that out of context; it all ties in.

And you need, I mean, the people around your board table, you need them to be open and honest, and willing to, I don’t know if I’d use the word risk, but willing to portray their ideas and be in a respectful environment.

And also be able to understand

that if their idea isn’t the one that everybody decides on, that’s okay.

It’s still an idea and we need all ideas out, and as the chair that’s what you have to try to facilitate, that almost risk-free environment for your board members to take risks in sending out their information, in giving out their ideas.

Yeah, it’s good when you can have the ability to not even see it as a mistake when it’s just a silly idea, it’s just part of the process of getting the good ones out there.

Yep and you know, some people say there’s no silly questions, there are no silly ideas, right? Oftentimes every idea builds, one on the other, even if it seems way out in left field. “Oh, but part of that comes back to this,” and suddenly you’ve built a decision around those comments.

You were head therapist at the U of R for a time, so I wonder if you could talk just a little bit about what you actually did when you were at the U of R. Yeah, so I think I was at the U of R from I want to say almost seven or eight years, I think it was from 1999-2007 or somewhere in that range. I started at the university just as a part time contract physiotherapist, coming in and treating the Cougar athletes. [...]

In the Kinesiology building right now where the equipment room is, that used to be a storage room back behind there that was very small, and that’s actually where we started as our clinic. Well, I guess I shouldn’t say that, where we actually started was up on the second floor of the Kinesiology building in the old wing, they used to have the Fitness and Lifestyle Centre there initially, and it was across the hallway from the old Dr. Paul Schwann Centre. I don’t know what it is now, I think it’s offices or something or maybe it’s one of the gyms.

Anyway, there was just a small office there that fit one bed in there, and that’s where we started, and then we moved into the huge storage room. And then it was in 2003 or 2005 when the Canada Games came to Regina, that’s when they built the new Kinesiology facility, what you see now. At that point we partnered with the university and developed the Allied Health Centre at the time. [...] We created kind of a multidisciplinary facility in there with specialists and doctors. So, I was involved with all of that with many other people, but all through that time continuing to be the therapist with the Cougars.

So it was a lot of fun, it was nice to see the growth there, it’s always a pleasure to work with the athletes.

Always a little “What now, what’s next?” sort of excitement with the athletes?

How does that apply to the board dynamics you work with currently?

The ideas that come from the huge organizations versus the ideas that come from the small, they all blend together and turn out to be a large organization that’s been around for 30 years, helping to service the different regulators in each of the different provinces. You’re all in university and you have to write millions of exams, right, that’s how lots of people evaluate you, lots of courses and professors that evaluate you, and you think “Oh that’s all it is, you just write up an exam and that’s the way it is.” But the evaluation of looking at evaluation and entry into healthcare professions, it’s huge.

Right now the alliance has an expert panel from across the world actually, people from Australia, the United States, Canada that are looking at our current evaluation and how do we best do it. Is looking at your skills, how you perform a skill, the actual best way to understand if you’re going to be a good therapist, a confident therapist going forward? So, it is quite fun if I put it that way, when you get involved at that level and have that many ideas coming to the forefront, trying to sort out what the best ideas to go forth with are going to be.

Would you say those evaluative measures you’re trying to come up with, is that going to be one of your priorities going forward?

Right now probably our three biggest priorities, two priorities for sure, is just reviewing our governance, right? We talk kind of broad strokes about operational governance, operational boards or strategic boards, so then it’s what’s the makeup of those boards? How do you get the right people in there to make sure that you’re progressing all the time? So we’re going through a governance review right now, so that will be a large priority for us over the next couple years, and then the other thing is this evalua-

tion services where we’re looking at this expert panel and looking at trying to decide and determine how best to evaluate therapists as we go forward.

COVID was kind of a blessing in disguise a little bit for us in that we couldn’t do what we normally do, right? We couldn’t do what we normally do because we normally would evaluate people in face-to-face situations for their clinical evaluations. Well, we couldn’t do that with COVID, right, so we attempted some other options virtually which we found out at the size and scope of what we wanted to do, the number of therapists that we wanted to evaluate, just couldn’t find the virtual platforms to allow us to do that. [...] We realized that, you know, we’d have a lot more work to do trying to do this virtually with the size and scope that we had, but it also showed us some issues that were ways that we couldn’t do things. So, like I said, a little blessing in disguise to give us that turbo boost that we moved into more evaluation and expert panel to figure out exactly what we wanted to offer, how we wanted to offer that. And then come right back to the alliance, pan-Canadian, pan-international, pan-world, whatever terms you want to use, to figure this out. And that’s the great thing about many boards and many organizations, especially this organization, it’s an alliance. It’s a group of people getting together, allies, to figure out solutions to problems, and it’s fun to be involved with for sure.

you have a word like that in your title, in your organizational title, it always brings you back to that.

It brings you back to the fact that we are allies, all just trying to solve problems that we all have, find solutions to issues we have across the country, right? [...] That’s similar to athletics even if it’s recreational athletics, a weekend floor hockey team or volleyball team. It’s the team, it’s the group, it’s all those people are together, after the same solution, whether that’s winning the volleyball game or creating the best evaluation services that you can.

Do you think that having “alliance” instead of something like “group” or “org” does actually impact the mindset a little differently?

Don’t be worried about it, get involved, and whether you’re the doer in the dirt or the ideas person, get involved and enjoy it because we’re all social. We love to be social as humans, and it’s a way to get involved and have some social interaction, and explore your ideas without a doubt.

I think so, yeah, without a doubt, and especially when you go back in the history of this particular organization. It was a group of people, a group of allies who came together to solve problems that they had; everybody had that same problem. So, when

Were there any details or tidbits I haven’t asked about that you’d like to leave before we go, or are you feeling content?

I think the only thing I would say, you did ask some questions about students and getting involved. Get involved, right? Be bold with your ideas, right? Understand that if you get into certain places, don’t worry if all your ideas don’t get accepted. You might end up on a board where there’s been people there for 40 years and they say “Oh that’ll never work!” Don’t matter, keep throwing them out there because we need ideas. You can’t rule the world from 60 years ago because today’s world isn’t 60 years ago.

But, in the same breath, you can’t forget about what happened 60 years ago because that’s going to inform what you do going forward.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

For when your muscles are tight in ways you didn’t know were possible.

Illustration: ThinKin_MKDEABH via Pixabay

op-ed

14

editor: hammad ali op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | october 6, 2022

Iran amidst civil unrest and protests

Will the death of Mahsa Amini usher in a more equitable society for Iran?

bodie robinson staff writer In Iran, they’re called the Guidance Patrol.

It’s classic doublespeak. Iran’s morality police were established in 2005, though they have previous incarnations going back decades. The morality police were established for the main purpose of enforcing “Islamic virtue.” Unsurprisingly, the Guidance Patrol spends most of its time policing the behaviour and dress of Iranian women, specifically the “correct” usage of the hijab.

Each year, the Guidance Patrol stops millions of Iranians on the streets to issue “guidance” and “warnings” for not complying with dress code. Iran’s Ministry of Interior stated that in 2014 about 3.6 million people were stopped by the Guidance Patrol. Some of these escalate into fines, detainments, arrests, and even lashings.

But, most of the time, the Guidance Patrol just stops women on the street and lectures them about the dress code and the virtue of modesty.

On September 13, the Guidance Patrol in Tehran arrested a young Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini for failing to comply with the Islamic dress code. Allegedly, Amini had not concealed her hair properly. For this so-called crime, Amini was arrested, put in a van, and taken to a police station. Three days later, she was declared dead.

Iranian authorities claim that Amini was taken to the police station to undergo a “briefing class” on the Islamic dress code, and that she would be released in about an hour. Amini’s brother waited at the police station for several hours, then he was informed that his sister had collapsed, suffering a heart attack and brain seizure. Amini was taken to the intensive care unit of a Tehran hospital. She fell into a coma for two days, and on September 16, she died.

This placard looks like the answer to “What are things fascist theocratic regimes do not approve of?”

Photo: Henrike Wilhelm via CBC

Amini’s family and those who were detained alongside her claim, to no one’s shock, that the Guidance Patrol had severely beaten Amini during her arrest. It is very uncommon for healthy 22-year-old women to suddenly die from a heart attack and brain seizure. So, the truth is that the Guidance Patrol beat a woman to death for wearing the hijab “incorrectly.”

Like any authoritarian government, the Islamic Republic of Iran expends a lot of state resources ensuring Iranians adhere to the theocracy’s version of reality: their version of politics, their version of history, and their version of Islam. And yet, the Guidance Patrol – which is effectively a kind of thought police – must stop millions of Iranians on the street to remind them what that reality is.

Until February of this year, Iran was the most sanctioned country in the world.

Now, Iran is only surpassed by Russia as the most sanctioned country, whose invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. Try as they might, the so-called international community inevitably punishes the general population of Iran – or any country’s population, for that matter – when they impose sanctions. Add inflation and an increasingly insecure government, and the situation easily invites civil unrest and social turmoil.

Since Amini’s death, there have been widespread protests in Iran. When people found out Amini had died due to injuries she received from the Guidance Patrol, they gathered outside the Tehran hospital where she died. These protests have even spread to Amini’s home province, Kurdistan, in the northwest of Iran.

Although they are still unconfirmed, video footage indicates that protests in 16 of Iran’s 31 provinces have broken out.

Iran Human Rights – a non-profit organi-

zation that observes human rights abuses in Iran – claims that over 90 people have been killed by the Iranian government during these protests. The organization also claims that thousands have been arrested. Since September 19, the government has imposed internet restrictions and even internet blackouts in order to quell the protests and undermine any effective organizing.

The government has responded to the protests with increasingly brutal measures, but some civilians have also come to support the Iranian government. The Guardian reported that pro-government demonstrators call the protestors “Israel’s soldiers,” along with chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Chillingly, some of these pro-government demonstrations include chants saying that “Offenders of the Qur’an must be executed.”

On one hand, there are protestors hoping for the end of the Islamic Republic of Iran. They want, among other things, liberal democracy, secularism, and more personal freedom. On the other hand, there are people in the streets showing support for the government. Rallies in favour of the government indicate that, under the present Islamist regime, there are still people in the country with something to lose.

In the final analysis, this tragedy is not merely about women’s autonomy and the hijab. This is a symptom. It’s about a nation that, along with North Korea, is one of the most isolated and despised in the world. Iran’s status as a pariah state has only solidified since its revolution in 1979.

Protests such as these happen at least once every few years. In fact, protests against compulsory hijab wearing have been pretty regular since the law was imposed on women in 1979, shortly after the revolution.

Similar protests demanding secularism and

democracy have erupted in recent years, notably in 2017.

It is easy for us westerners to collapse this issue into a simple morality play, where the Iranian government represents a reactionary version of Islam and the people represent a progressive force demanding secularism and democracy. A weakened economy, inflation, and sanctions exacerbate unrest. Dissatisfaction with the regime in Iran does not necessarily mean that the solution is to become more western in politics and values. It remains to be seen whether this recent wave of protests will prove to be different than previous waves.

One thing is for certain, though. The Islamic Republic of Iran, no matter how hard they try, is failing to enforce its version of reality on the Iranian people. The regime and its opponents are digging in their heels. The battle lines have been firmly drawn, and one side will have to budge eventually. If history is a teacher, then it has shown us that excessively authoritarian governments like Iran’s do not last.

Let’s remember what Voltaire wrote in his Treatise on Toleration. It was true when he wrote it in 1763, and it’s still true today: “It would be the height of folly to pretend to improve all [people] to the point that they think in a uniform manner about metaphysics. It would be easier to subjugate the entire universe through force of arms than to subjugate the minds of a single village.”

october 6, 2022

carillonregina.com | the carillon | 15

op-ed

The Little Mermaid under controversea

People on the internet are mad about a fictional character not looking the way they wanted her to ayodipupo adetola contributor Disney’s recent live-action remake is making waves on the internet due to their casting decision. Namely, this version of Ariel is to be portrayed by Halle Bailey: an accomplished songstress, actress, and small business owner. However, Halle happens to be Black, which is a cardinal sin on the internet.

According to various Twitter screeds, Halle is taking red-haired representation from little redheaded girls. Never mind that Anna (Frozen, Frozen II) and Merida (Brave) still exist, and that’s only if we’re strictly referring to Disney “princesses.”

There’s also Giselle of Enchanted, Jessie from Toy Story, and Megara from Hercules. I could name more, but the definition of ‘red’ hair can be subjective, so I’ll stick to the indisputable ones. And of course,

naturally, the people that are all mad about this casting decision wouldn’t like such a natural solution because the outrage isn’t really about red hair. The problem, they claim, is ‘blackwashing’ or ‘racebending’.

Suffice to say, I do not find this to be a good reason. These people rant and rave and pose the question: “what if we replaced POC characters with White actors?” As if that hasn’t been a problem for centuries and up till and including now. One need only take a look at the Wikipedia page for ‘whitewashing’ in cinema to see where the real problem lies. The entire concept of blackface and yellowface makes it difficult to see why this particular casting bothers people so much.

Did these people have the same energy when Sir Laurence Olivier played Othello? Or when Mickey Rooney played a (very offensive) caricature of a Japanese man in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Or the more

stopped folks on the internet.

The reality is that people are very angry. The trailer for The Little Mermaid received a whopping 1.5 million dislikes in only 2 days after its release. Amazingly, one Twitter user even made an AI to replace Bailey in the trailer with a White, redhaired actress, and promised to do so for the entire film once it releases in 2023. This is, of course, a completely normal, mature adult’s reaction to a children’s movie about a mythical creature.

Some say that this casting is disrespectful of the Danish origin of the story. In that case, they should then be pretty angry that Sebastian is apparently a singing Jamaican lobster, which I’m sure aren’t native to Denmark. I also feel that it must be said – mermaids aren’t real . Others argue that the casting is a calculated move, just like the remake itself: using nostalgia and recent social justice movements to get as

the stories aren’t changing majorly, so there isn’t any novelty. But their diehard fans will still pay to watch them.

In conclusion…? I’m not entirely sure what my point is anymore. But to summarize: Disney’s ‘live-action’ remakes are creatively bankrupt.

The people mad about the casting are (mostly) just mad racists.

Don’t support these remakes because then Disney will keep making them.

Most importantly: making Ariel Black in this particular movie doesn’t fundamentally change anything about her character.

Disney isn’t going to go around to everyone’s house with guns, take back copies of the original animated film, and burn them in front of your children at the town square; it’s still there. No one has to watch this remake. In fact, part of me is conflicted – on principle, I want to tell everyone not

“

The trailer for The Little Mermaid “earned” a whopping 1.5 million dislikes in only 2 days after its release. Amazingly, one Twitter user even made an AI to replace Bailey in the trailer with a White, red-haired actress and promised to do so for the entire film once it releases.”

– Ayodipupo Adetola

even in this remake, she still has red hair.

Meanwhile, little Black girls have one such character representing them: Tiana.

But that’s completely fine . For context, redhaired people represent about 2 per cent of the world’s population, while Black people represent about 17 per cent. So, if we really wanted to be fair, we’d need approximately 44 more Black Disney princesses as leads before it would be proportional . But,

recent examples of White actors portraying characters of colour (namely Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt, Justin Chatwin, Johnny Depp…)? NO, the arguments made for these castings were that they were the best suited to said roles, and that merit matters more than race. Assuming that is true, ipso facto, there should then be no problem with Ariel’s casting either. Unfortunately, that sound logic hasn’t

much money as possible, and that Disney is devoid of creativity.

I actually more or less agree with this. I think that the remakes are soulless travesties and that there is no lack of old children’s stories to rip off to make a buck.

Disney has hit pay dirt with this trend, taking their old properties and making them again, except they’re worse since they don’t have the charm of the old animation and

to watch it (because Disney can get bent), but on the other hand, it would really piss off the racists on Twitter if it did well. Decisions, decisions…

A beautiful sculpture, yet someone somewhere is probably mad right now about how it misrepresents history.

Photo: BreakDownPictures via Pixabay