The Carillon Volume 63, Issue 8

the carillon the staff

editor-in-chief editor@carillonregina.com

taylor balfour

executive director business@carillonregina.com

jacob nelson

production manager production@carillonregina.com

morgan ortman

advertising manager advertising@carillonregina.com

ty cote

technical editor shae shackman carillontechnical@carillonregina.com multimedia/Graphics editors

kate thiessen sarah carrier mercedes redman

multimedia@carillonregina.com graphics@carillonregina.com copy editor copyeditor@carillonregina.com

hannah senicar

news editor news@carillonregina.com

sara birrell

a&c editor aandc@carillonregina.com

julia peterson

sports editor sports@carillonregina.com

ethan butterfield

op-ed editor op-ed@carillonregina.com

marty grande-sherbert

distribution manager distribution@carillonregina.com staff writer staff writer news writer

holly worby

reese estwick

a&c writer

kyle anderson

issac tamlin joseph holoein

sports writer

sarah nakonechny

web writer

gillian massie contributors hammad ali, isaac adeoluwa atayero, florence hwang and ahmereen salim

vol. 63

board of directors taylor balfour, lindsay holitzki, maddie ouelette, dustin smith. marty grande-sherbert, and jacob nelson

the paper

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 The Carillon welcomes contributions.

Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are expressly those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. Opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in the Carillon are those of the advertisers, and not necessarily of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. or its staff.

The Carillon is published no less than 11 times each semester during the fall and winter semesters and periodically throughout the summer. The Carillon is published by the Carillon Newspaper Inc., a non-profit organization. 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 forty years.

In the late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds. One of these proposed buildlings was a beltower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a belltower.

The University never got a belltower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.

the people’s friend; the tyrant’s foe

The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962 MONTH 8 - MONTH 14, 2020 | Volume 63, Issue 8 | carillonregina.com

news

Orange shirt day Welcome back!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

This semester, albeit different, seems to be slipping on by. As always, special thanks to Sarah on our graphics team for another amazing cover.

If any students are interested in contributing art, writing, poetry or photography for their student paper, please reach out to myself or any of our section editors.

news

p.5

Orange Shirt Day is about more than just a t-shirt. Gillian Massie discusses the power, importance, and reconciliation of the day.

arts

Flu shots: a primer

arts

p.5

If you haven’t already been getting your yearly flu shots, now is definitely the time to start. Luckily, Isaac Tamlin has written up a helpful primer on when and where to get one.

Artist profile: Zweii

p.6

Oghenetega Egona, known by his stagename Zweii, speaks to us about his upcoming debut album, his inspirations and collaborators.

op-ed

sports

We’re always excited to host your work.

Enjoy another issue!

Taylor Balfour Editor-in-Chief

photos

cover......................................sarah carrier news...............................................pxhere news........nuclear regulatory commissions a&c....................................rezoona gipani a&c................................................carillon sports...............................ethan butterfield op-ed..............................................pickpic

HIKC: Online classes

p.8

How Hummad Ali keeps calm: With a lack of structure and no in-person classes, Hammad finds fufillment in online courses.

Campus sports?

p.10

Where have all the sports gone? Athletes aren’t the only ones missing campus sports this year, the fans are, too.

Trump 1946-2020

p.15

Donald Trump has caused so much suffering, is it so wrong to celebrate his?

news

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editor: sara birrell news@carillonregina.com the carillon | october 8 - october 14, 2020

Q & A with the Faculty of Arts’ new dean One-on-one with Shannon Dea

isaac tamlin news writer What did you used to do?

My degree is in philosophy but I actually had a big nine year gap between degrees. I dropped out of school twice before I found my footing and started grad school. In the gap between high school and my undergrad and my undergrad and grad school I was a school photographer, a server for many years, an autoglass dispatcher, a yoga teacher, a physiotherapy aid and a whole bunch of other things. I have a much more varied CV than your typical dean.

How are you settling into Saskatchewan?

I am finding it strangely familiar. I lived in Ontario my whole life except for a couple of years in Quebec when I was a little kid and then a year in England for when I was on sabbatical three years ago. I wasn’t sure what the shift would be like but I actually grew up in rural Ontario and am struck by the similarities. Certainly there are fewer trees here and a different landscape but I’m in love with Regina, the green space, the lake, the Ledge. I’m discovering the curry and the pizza and stuff I like, so it’s exciting, but it feels strange that I am having lots of new exciting experiences while everyone else is finding life like a slodge [sic] because of COVID. What made you decide to take this position?

So there’s a couple of things.

I am passionate about Canadian universities. I do a lot of work on the principles of academic freedom and collegial government as part of my research and part of my public scholarship and something I have learned over the years is the Canadian university system is head and shoulders about any university system when it comes to things like collegial governments – that idea that the university should be directed in its academic vision by scholars rather than managed like a bank is managed. Most of that world has gone for that bank management structure but Canada still has that strong collegial governance approach and I think that is crucially important to depend [upon] right now.

I like academic administration. I’m good at it. I’m at the career stage where I feel like I’m at the right time to throw myself in it in a big way, that aligns with some values I have about academia. With respect to Regina I love the diversity, and I love the comparative size of the faculty [of arts]. This is a university where arts is still very much an influential faculty and one that the university takes very seriously and we’ve got two senior administrators and the president and the associate vice-president academic who are both from the arts as well so its an extraordinarily arts-cen-

tric and diverse faculty with lots of folks who apply the research they do in the community and are committed to social justice.

As well it’s the only university in the country where both official languages and Indigenous peoples have institutions that are partnered together so it’s a microcosm of what the Canadian university should be.

What was your first impression of the University of Regina and the Arts Department?

I arrived the day COVID did so I had an unusual impression. I arrived on March 16 and it was normal and by the time I arrived on campus for my interview and my public talk on the 17 everything had stopped due to COVID. I was amazed that people were so supportive and enthusiastic and flexible in dealing with this prospective dean on a day when all hell was breaking loose. Catering was cancelled so a few of us crammed together in a lunchroom and had a sandwich and a coke and it meant that I felt like I was in the mix right away.

It removed any kind of feeling of distance and formality so I felt comfortable right away.

Goals for the Faculty of Arts?

I have a few. We have 13 departments, some of them quite small. Every department needs to have a head [and] once you’re a head of a department you do less teaching and less research and no one ever went to grad school to become a head. They went to grad school because they’re passionate about history, or Japanese.

I don’t think collegial governance should be set up in such a way where we punish people who fulfil the leadership roles by making it impossible to pursue their passions. So I’m trying to find a way to distribute the workload so being the head of a department isn’t such a burden.

I would also like to find ways to support an increase in research intensity and graduate education.

In a very small department, it can be really hard to have a graduate program and not having a grad program can limit the kind of research you can do. I’m interested in thinking about creative ways to support graduate education and research even if it means having small diverse departments. And we need to support interdisciplinary [studies] in departments.

The big thing I want to do is try to create opportunities for students, staff and faculty to come together and develop their own visions for the faculty and find ways to put those visions into practice, I’m more interested in that rather than giving down orders from on high. I want to set up lots of opportunities for workshops and informal meetings.

I think there is an opportunity right now is some frustration

University of Regina

Shannon Dea

with obstacles and I think having a new dean from outside the university gives everybody a chance to press the reset button and have new conversations of what the faculty is like so lets have these conversations and see what faculty we can build together.

Views on the gutting of the humanities departments?

It’s the biggest challenge affecting the Faculty of Arts today.

We are seeing less enrolment in the Faculty of Arts. We have seen government targeting arts scholarships and arts programs.

We are seeing a world shift so it’s not something we can deal with at Regina alone. One of the big world historical factor is the rise of neoliberalism where everybody has to be thought of in what types of profit they can turn out instead of human beings. The arts is closely associated in peoples’ mind with soul building and we are at a point in time where society disvalues that kind of thing.

Here’s my optimistic thought though: we have more and more people in university who aren’t wealthy and who view university as a vocational training, to be able to get a job to put food on the table and that’s a good thing, that university is no longer just the providence of the wealthy. But it’s important that the art faculty shows students why they can be

confident pursuing an arts education, showing them why they don’t have to be afraid of it.

Thoughts on the precarious employment of academics, especially sessional teachers?

There’s a widening gap between tenure and session scholars.

This is one of those things where there is a world historical shift and we have to do the very best to hold on to what is good in the face of issues much larger than just the U of R. Do you have any plans for improving enrolment and engagement in the Faculty of Arts?

That’s something that is best started as a conversation among students and alumni and faculty and staff and look for who we’re failing to reach out to and who we’ve succeeded reaching out to. I would love to find a way to connect with alumni to show examples of what can be done with an arts degree. Somehow we’re not getting the word out to art students and prospective students and we need to do a better job at that.

What do you anticipate will be the biggest challenge of taking on this role?

Trying to keep the vigorous healthy collegial government that is the hallmark of the U of R

while trying to build off that sense of community of shared identity, it’s hard to do vigorous governance if you all just agree. So I think striking that balance in having a shared identity and shared visions while keeping that really fruitful disagreement and robust government. It’s a really hard but important balance to strike.

But the biggest challenge for any dean of arts right now is the combination of fiscal constraints and dropping student enrolment so realistically that’s the huge challenge.

You position is sure to be stressful. What do you like to do to relax?

I’ve decided that if I’m going to be a COVID dean in a city with a long hard winter I need to get into some good habits so I bought an exercise bike and have been exercising on it. I’ve bought a house with a fireplace because I find it super relaxing to sit in front of a fire. I cook when I can and I find that really really relaxing.

And this is the nerdiest thing ever but I bought a waterpik because it makes me so happy when I have healthy gums! So I’m hoping the combination of wood fires and healthy gums and cardio and cooking and maybe some caffeine will help to keep me a happy balanced, low-stress dean.

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

carillonregina.com | the carillon | 4

news

Pandemic creates unique opportunity to see how things could be different

COVID created basic income experiment

holly worby staff writer Where would the Canadian government find the money for a universal basic income (UBI)? What would the program have to look like to be successful? Would it actually be helpful in eradicating poverty and creating a fairer and more equitable society? As promised, here’s the second piece in the series on UBI. While I’m not an economist or sociologist, I’ve had the pleasure of consulting some, and they were able to shed some light on the subject.

“One of the appealing parts of a Universal Basic Income is that it would replace any other income support programs,” said Brett Dolter, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Regina. “This would simplify the delivery of the programs and should, in theory, reduce (government) administration costs.” By replacing other income support programs like Employment Insurance or Saskatchewan Income Support, the UBI would have the opportunity to absorb their intended purpose, while reducing the amount of resources required for the administration of multiple means-tested income programs.

Paul Gingrich, a retired faculty member from the University of Regina who works with Poverty Free Saskatchewan, pointed out that there would have to be cooperation between federal and provincial governments to be truly effective. The federal government has more taxing ability than provinces do, so some costs would have to come from the federal side, but many income support programs that would be replaced by a UBI are provincially run.

“Personally, I would like a federal program,” said Gingrich, “ so

PXFuel

UBI

there’s some uniformity across the country and some sort of consistency, so some provinces wouldn’t try to short their people or add tougher regulations.” A universal, federally-administered program would avoid the inequalities that have arisen with CERB, where SAID recipients in Saskatchewan who collected the federal pandemic aid had their benefits clawed back while recipients of provincial income support programs elsewhere in Canada did not.

One common argument against a UBI involves the cost of creating the program and maintaining it. While it would com-

“

to a country where they’ll hardly be taxed, and where very little (if any) of the taxes they pay will go back into the economies they sell their products to. Essentially they make products as cheaply as possible in countries that have been deliberately underdeveloped by imperialism, mark them up as high as possible to sell in wealthier nations, and avoid taxation here so they can pocket more of their profit. The solution offered is a globalized taxation system where the companies would be taxed by each country according to the income they received from that country. To illustrate that, if 15 per cent of Nintendo’s sales came

gram like EI and social assistance.

This application process requires a lot of administration and so has a high cost to deliver.” Dolter also mentioned that according to his understanding the program would only be eligible for those under a certain annual income amount (likely the market basket measure described in the first UBI article), and those earning above that amount could either opt out of receiving their UBI payments, or pay them back during income tax season. This would give those who truly need additional income a way to acquire it without having to jump through the hoops our current system has in place, and

We’re at a historic turn in a way because this pandemic crisis has made people realize that something needs to change.

It’s not on people’s radars when things are good, so this is a historic opportunity for Canadians to create a better system whether it’s a basic income or something else.

– Paul Gingrich bine social assistance programs, those programs clearly weren’t doing enough anyway, so more funding would be needed for the program to live up to its full potential. James Warren, an assistant professor of sociology and social studies at the University of Regina, thinks the answer lies in the theories of French economist Thomas Piketty.

In the documentary Capital in the 21st Century on Netflix, Piketty explains that since we have a globalization of capital but not a globalized taxation system, businesses don’t have to work very hard to move their headquarters

from Canada, 15 per cent of Nintendo’s profit would be taxed under Canadian policy, and any payment owed would be given to Canada. While a globalized taxation system may be decades down the road if it’s in the cards at all, it would do a great deal to balance the rapidly increasing global income gap, and would give our federal government extra wiggle room in the budget that could be used for a UBI program.

Dolter said his understanding of a UBI would be a program that includes everyone “by default.”

Dolter said that “Currently, you need to apply to get into a pro-

would prevent those already earning an adequate amount from taking advantage of a system not designed for their aid.

According to Warren, “We’re living in a giant universal basic income experiment right now.”

The social assistance programs that have been put in place to aid those whose incomes have been impacted by the pandemic are, essentially, basic income programs. Gingrich commented that he thinks “the current crisis has demonstrated that our current system of support is inadequate [...] We’re at a historic turn in a way because this pandemic

crisis has made people realize that something needs to change.

It’s not on people’s radars when things are good, so this is a historic opportunity for Canadians to create a better system whether it’s a basic income or something else.”

I believe that the benefits of a properly run universal basic income program would far outweigh the costs (literally and figuratively). Let’s talk about health and well-being. According to the report “Health Disparity in Saskatoon: Analysis to Intervention”

by Mark Lemstra and Cory Neudorf, children between the ages of 10-15 who live beneath the poverty line were 1,140 per cent more likely than their peers to have started smoking cigarettes.

Low-income residents were 448 per cent more likely than middle-income residents to have an infant die within its first year.

Low-income adults were 367 per cent more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, and 1,458 per cent more likely to attempt suicide.

Those numbers aren’t there by coincidence. Poverty has a cost, ironic as that is. Poverty impacts a person’s perspective of their self, the way they’re received (or not) by society, the ways they’re able to cope with life’s hardships, their ability to provide for their family, and both their physical and emotional health. Poverty is not a problem that will be solved simply by throwing money at it. However, since income is part of the problem it must be included in the solution, and a good place to start would be guaranteeing every person enough to live a dignified life.

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

carillonregina.com | the carillon | 5

news

“Orange Shirt Day” recognizes trauma inflicted upon children in residential schools

Every child matters gillian massie web writer September 30 has officially been recognized as “Orange Shirt Day” to acknowledge the harm done to Indigenous children who lived in residential schools. Annually, people all across the country don their orange shirts to show support for Indigenous children that were stripped of their culture in residential schools.

The event was started in 2013

by Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor who wanted to raise awareness of the trauma inflicted upon children who were taken from their families and often abused in the schools. “Every Child Matters” is written in blue print across the shirt signifying the message behind the organization.

Her inspiration for Orange Shirt Day was sparked by the memory of the orange shirt that was stripped from her when she entered the Mission school in British Columbia. Her grandmother had saved enough money for her to get a new outfit for the first day of school and she was immediately drawn to the joyful orange color, but when she arrived at the school, all of her clothes were taken and she never saw the orange shirt again.

Phyllis’ experience in the

residential school sparked a long health recovery. She had her first child at age 13 and she explained how difficult it was to be a mother, not only because she was so young, but because she never watched somebody nurture a child before. Both her mother and grandmother had been taken to residential schools and never had the opportunity to raise their children in a loving home.

Residential schools were first implemented by John A. Macdonald in the 1870s in a violent attempt to “civilize” First Nations children. Many Indigenous children were ripped away from their families and sent to the schools to be assimilated to European standards. The results of the residential schools were disastrous, out of the 150,000 children that entered the school, approximately 6,000 children died. Due to insufficient record taking this is only an estimated amount. Many children experienced physical and sexual abuse during their time at the schools and due to the underfunding from the government many children died from malnutrition.

The last residential school closed in 1996 in Saskatchewan, only 24 years ago. In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged the harm done to Indigenous peoples of Canada.

While the apology was neces-

PX Here

Orange shirt day

sary, it has been criticized by Indigenous communities who want to see action on behalf of the Government of Canada for programming to aid First Nations communities. Indigenous Peoples in Canada show a higher level of chronic illness, unemployment rates, suicide rates, and incarceration rates. They also rank lower in areas of education and substantial living areas because of systemic barriers.

The assimilation practices inflicted upon Indigenous people have resulted in intergenerational trauma. Orange Shirt Day tells the stories of those who experienced the horrors of residential schools, while acknowledging the trauma that has been passed down to the present.

Phyllis now speaks all over the country about her experiences in residential school and has written a book called The Orange Shirt

Story, as well as a children’s book called Phyllis’s Orange Shirt. Her organization allows for the “recognition of the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well being, and as an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that everyone around us matters.”

When and where to get your flu shot this year It’s flu (shot) season isaac tamlin news writer

Flu clinics will begin on October 19 this year. During the pandemic, it is more important than ever to get your flu shot. Here’s your important need-to-know information for this year as things will be a little different from years past.

First of all this year, flu shots are by appointment only, so call your local clinic or pharmacy Nuclear Regulatory Commissions

Shots! Shots! Shots!

ahead of time to book your flu shot in advance. For more information on where you can get your flu shot check the Sask Health Authority Website.

For residents of Regina, starting October 19, 2020 the International Trade Center at Evraz Place will be set up as a flu clinic.

Call ahead of time at 306-7664000 to book your appointment.

The entrance is on Lewvan Drive and 11th Avenue. It will be open every day for three weeks from

October 19 to November 9. If you have your health card, bring it. If you don’t have a health card don’t worry. They will still give you a flu shot and there is no cost.

A flu vaccine is more important than ever this year. The flu always has the potential to be deadly, and even if not can lead to serious health problems like pneumonia. While a vaccine might not keep you from getting the flu, it can make the symptoms milder and lower the risk of other

health problems.

When should you not get the vaccine? According to the Sask Health Authority website only if: - You have a severe allergy to any part of the vaccine - Have had a serious reaction to the vaccine in the past - Have had Guillain-Barre Syndrome - Are already sick Flu Shot FAQ - The flu shot contains a killed form of several types of flu

viruses that causes your immune system to make antibodies. That way, if you’re exposed to the flu later, the antibodies can attack and destroy the virus.

- You have to get the flu shot yearly as flu strains are constantly changing. The types of strains used for the vaccine are the strains epidemiologists anticipate will be most common that year.

- It takes 2 weeks for your body to produce antibodies so it’s important to get the flu shot early.

- You cannot get the flu from the vaccine. However, you may have a fever and muscle aches for a day or two after you get the shot.

For people who don’t like needles there are other options, such as Intanza. Intanza is a much smaller needle that injects the vaccines into the skin instead of into a muscle, so it is less painful. People who are 18 years old or older can get this shot but it may not be available everywhere so call ahead of time and ask. There is also a nasal spray flu vaccine. It can cause mild side effects such as runny nose, headache, fever, sore throat, cough, or muscle aches.

The risks involved with a flu shot are very small but the help it provides is very large. Getting your flu shot is an easy way to keep you, and the people around you healthy this flu season.

arts & culture

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editor: julia peterson aandc@carillonregina.com the carillon | october 8 - october 14, 2020

Artist profile: Zweii The artist’s debut album is forthcoming

isaac adeoluwa atayero contributer Music-making is a journey of evolution.

The best musicians know you are supposed to grow, learn and relearn until you arrive at the “perfect sound.” One of those musicians is the third-year University of Regina student of Economics, Oghenetega Egona.

Known by his stage name Zweii, his journey with music-making dates back to when he was 10 and would “listen and take in various genres, which inspired me to begin songwriting.”

For young Zweii growing up in Nigeria, it was the melodies and words of artists like Asa, Elton John, Yanni and Wizkid that showed him the possibilities of a new world that he could conquer.

The necessary ingredients were brewing in the stew but it would take years for Zweii to finally step out on his own and officially release his debut single, “Hasanna.”

“Hasanna,” Zweii’s slick Afro-fusion inspired love letter, was made available on all streaming platforms on July 10 and has already amassed more than one thousand streams on Spotify. This is worthy to mention granted the fact that it took Zweii so long to step out on his own because he was insecure about what the reception of the sound would be.

“I always doubted myself and I’ve been my most vicious critic from time,” he said. “’Hasanna’ was also not fully formed until this year when I went through a breakup but met someone special in the midst of it.”

While “Hasanna” was Zweii’s first official solo effort, he has been a presence on the music of other artists for many years, especially in recent history. Whether it is the multiple features on Oboise’s projects or collaborations with Pacifique, TOVA, Rooky, KEAD and D4wn, Zweii is able to bring a new level of dynamism to all his guest spots with a signature suave and flow.

Being a part of an active music community has enabled Zweii to increase his portfolio of music-making abilities. Whether it is beat-making or vocal production, Zweii has made himself an indispensable persona both inside and outside the studio for his peers. Zweii credits this increase in music knowledge partially to his many frequent trips across the country to meet different musicians and experiment with new soundscapes.

“I have travelled to Saskatoon, Edmonton and Ottawa to catch new vibes, gain new experiences and work on demos for future releases,” he said. “I am a firm believer in the truth that no knowledge is wasted and that the best way to truly stand out is to keep fortifying yourself with as

many skills as possible.”

An integral part of Zweii’s music community would definitely be the FXRGN collective. The FXRGN group consists of Zweii, virtuoso singer/songwriters Drino, Uadamen, Wole, and maven producer, Eman. The collective has worked together on a handful of songs for not just themselves, but also for other artists.

The group began as a handful of friends who enjoyed making music together and were individually looking for like minds to grow with and learn from.

“We were all students at the University of Saskatchewan and were always up to shenanigans.

The group started with four of us singers writing songs while Eman would make the beats,” he said.

“It all happened organically after I introduced Eman to beat making software. He took the craft seriously from there and has come so far ever since. The group truly came to form as a result of everyone freestyling on his beats.”

After spending so many years creating and collaborating, the ace musician is hoping that the quality of music in his debut album will showcase true mastery.

Zweii exclusively disclosed details of his upcoming debut album, Yang, for the first time.

“Yang has been in the works for four years. It is a documentation of my spiritual and mental journey so far”, Zweii said. “I hope that people who take time to listen will be inspired to make sense of life and find their own inner light and talents, as well as follow their dreams.

He also promised that Yang will feature an eclectic mix of genres and sonic combinations.

“I do not conform to a genre and you will see in my future releases, especially in my debut album, that my sound palette is really wide”, he said. “I cannot describe or define the sound so I don’t even try.”

Another facet of his music that he does not try to put a label on is his incorporation of the Nigerian sound into his music.

“My Nigerian identity is

Rezoona Gipani

Before the pandemic, Zweii had been expanding his musical horizons through travel

An essential part of remaining authentic for Zweii has also been not hopping on trends or hot topics because everyone else is doing so. Whether it is the new wave of public discourse issues or

said.

A frequent collaborator, Eman, said Zweii’s creativity and attention to detail is an inspiration to fellow music-markers.

“He’s one of the most versa-

“

My Nigerian identity is something I am learning to experience and express through my Afro-fusion sound which I have been experimenting with lately.

– Zweii

something I am learning to experience and express through my Afro-fusion sound which I have been experimenting with lately” he shared. “That is one part of my musical journey I am definitely excited about because I strive to ensure that my music is as authentic to who I am as possible.”

social justice movements, Zweii has chosen to speak only when he has something genuine to contribute to the conversation or has enough information to share his perspective on. “I do my best to keep my music as real as possible so I would not speak on something I’m uninformed about,” he

tile artists I’ve ever worked with, knows how to envision a song from even the production details to bodying the song, whether he’s rapping or singing [he] always knows how to fit the vibe of the track and kill it,” said Eman.

“Also, not many people know, but if not for Zweii I wouldn’t be pro-

ducing today.”

Zweii’s next release is a song with FXRGN member, Wole, called “Don’t Mind” and it is a release that both his fans and colleagues are eagerly anticipating.

Fellow student artist and frequent collaborator, TOVA, is especially excited to hear Zweii’s new music, as well as share some of his own new music which was coproduced with Zweii.

“Zweii is a genius. He dedicates a lot of time and effort towards perfecting his craft and he is one of the brightest people I’ve had the privilege to work with”, TOVA said. “His versatility makes him a very crucial member of any team and project that he’s working on. I especially enjoy working with him because he always has his eye on what the next big sound is.”

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

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Nigerian artist obsessed with singing – and Disney Adeoluwa Atayero grew up surrounded by music florence hwang contributer Adeoluwa Atayero recalls the Space Jam DVD his mom bought him when he was a boy.

“I would wake up in the middle of the night and I’d be singing at the top of my lungs,” he recalled. “Every single day. It used to really piss [my mom] off because I was just like this little kid, probably singing incorrectly, always yelling. I don’t remember what I was doing, but I do

Atayero has been making music ever since.

It was also in high school where he discovered pop music, like Michael Johnson, Whitney Houston and Beyonce, music icons that he greatly admires.

Another big influence on his work is Nigerian music. Currently, his favourite artist is Adekunle Gold. Atayero admires Gold’s evolution as an artist.

Gospel music has also continued to have an impact on him.

“The storytelling aspect of

“ remember that song. Always, always played it.”

He grew up in Nigeria surrounded by music and singing gospels in church. His uncle often played music for him, but Atayero is the only musician in his immediate family. It wasn’t until he was in high school that he began to take singing more seriously.

“I did an independent study project, to make an album,” he said. “Making an album turned out to be harder than I thought it would be in my 15-year-old brain.

So it was an EP of seven songs.

That was my first real body of work released into the world.”

One of the reasons he’s a huge fan of Disney music is because of the way the songs are built. They create this escapism and fantasy that feels very real to him.

“I think that those songs have some of the most memorable lyrics because even though like again, they’re Disney and it’s like manufactured pop, whatever. But, like, I still feel like there’s nostalgia,” he said.

Another element of Disney that is appealing to Atayero is the

For Atayero, visuals in videos are an integral part of creating music. One of his favourite Disney films is Aladdin, which inspired one of his music videos aptly called “Escape.” The video depicts a couple holding hands while running through a desert landscape with a starry blue night sky, superimposed with a woman singing and swaying to the beat of the music. It’s a catchy and lyrical pop song with a soul feel to it.

He is very intentional of all visual elements in his music vid-

always playing something in my head and I’m always like I perceive it from like a camera angle.

And so for me, visual components of music are as integral as the sound, which is why, again, Disney and the top people are integral to me because it’s like I’m a very visual person as much as I am a musical person. So the visuals that those acts were able to create I think that really stuck with me,” he said.

In mid-September, Atayero dropped an EP that features three

When I sing, I want people to leave a bit of whatever it is their current reality is.

– Adeoluwa Atayero

gospel music is something I’ve carried with me consciously with me for the majority of my life,” said Atayero, who will receive his Masters in Journalism from the University of Regina this fall.

Along with these musical influences, he has a fascination with everything related to Disney.

“I have my obsession with Disney Channel music and Disney Channel pop, which for the life of me, I thought I would outgrow but I am still unable to outgrow … So even to today like there’s like the few songs I have the Frozen Two albums soundtrack on my phone,” he said.

escapism it provides - it reminds him of what he loves to get out of his own music. When he is on stage, he says he feels transported to another place.

“When I sing, I want people to leave a bit of whatever it is their current reality is,” he said.

When he was younger, he felt it wasn’t “cool” to like Disney.

Now, he owns it.

He also loves Disney because of those memorable on-screen moments, like in Lion King, where Mufasa lets go of Simba, when Mufasa dies, or how Cinderella’s dress is transformed from rags to a beautiful blue ball-gown.

eos.

“When I create my own stuff, my album artwork that I’ve released so far, so far they are very specific, they are very direct. I really like the choice of colors [and] characters because, again, I’m a very visual person. So I tried as much as I could to translate that into what I create,” he explained.

The way Atayero perceives reality is like an ongoing music video in his mind.

“So in my regular life, if I’m talking to someone, if I’m meeting someone for the first time or someone I’ve known or just like walking down the street there’s

remixes from his album and one new song. He performed at The Exchange this past summer with his band, People Under the Sun. The EP was supposed to be released during the quarantine period, but because his team were in Nigeria, Canada and the U.S., it took longer than planned.

As for future projects, Atayero says he’s always creating something new. His band has a project coming out in October.

He’s working on more new material that will be released later this year or early next year.

Adeoluwa Atayero

For Atayero, visuals in videos are an integral part of creating music.

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

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arts & culture

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A glance into the wedding industry during COVID Which uncle or aunty will be the 30th guest is only one facet of the nightmare joseph holoein arts writer Despite everything going on in the world right now, many couples are still getting married in 2020.

From secret weddings bringing together numbers of people far beyond the provincial limit to livestreams with four guests—Saskatchewan has had it all.

If you are planning your wedding in 2020, then you know it is no simple task. Deciding which uncle or aunty will be the 30th guest is only one facet of the nightmare. What about the honeymoon?

But 2020 has also brought out an intimate and special side of many weddings. Perhaps your wedding only has five guests, but those are five you will never forget. Also, live streams are an option you might have only considered due to the presence of a global pandemic, but this allows guests from far away to make the wedding without the uncomfortable flight. So there are some upsides, too.

A steep pain for some however, is that according to weddingwire.ca, “the average wedding cost in Canada is roughly $29,450.” Add another $10,000 and that’s the total cost of some wedding’s flowers—and that is not a stretch.

While the number of dollars

spent could technically symbolize a small tangible fraction of your love for your spouse-to-be, it also could be perceived as, “just a big flex” – but who cares! Weddings are all about the excessive — you did not need those six pampas grass plumes or a dessert table of eight cakes, but you did it anyway.

It is about embracing the day and its magic.

I asked Shannon Chu about her thoughts as a photographer in the industry, “Wedding season is a lot less busy this year thanks to COVID-19,” she said. “But that allowed me to spend more time coming up with creative ideas for photoshoots.”

Additionally, Chu said, “I photographed a wedding in Ottawa this past weekend and while the fall colours and scenery were absolutely breathtaking, the entire wedding party consisted of no more than 20 people–all wore masks for the entire wedding, including a majority of the photoshoots.”

Other photographers have had similar experiences. The industry as a whole has been given a great amount of time to really think about branding and technique.

Although I got married a year ago, the wedding celebration was supposed to take place August 15, 2020. However, with COVID, we

Rockbamboo Photo & Film

An Ottawa wedding party celebrates on October 3rd, 2020

decided to postpone until next year. Like seventy percent of my own clients, we decided it just was not worth the risk. This has given my wife and I all the time we need to get the details perfect for the actual day.

And as photographers, our 2021 is packed.

We have clients who moved their dates and clients who booked in advance.

If you would have asked

us a year ago, we never would have imagined what a pandemic could do to the wedding industry, and we are still finding out how far-reaching the impacts will be.

Some couples hire photographers from different countries and many photographers found themselves in awkward situations where they are not able to fly to that particular country under the current circumstances—with a no-refund policy on retainer fees,

yet having collected thousands of dollars from multiple clients prior to weddings, some photographers had to return tens of thousands of dollars to clients due to the special circumstances of COVID. Thankfully COVID has been more positive for our business than negative due to the overall time it provided us, and being in Saskatchewan helped tremendously due to our open space and relatively relaxed people

How I keep calm: Online classes

A series featuring the different ways students are finding peace and contentment during the pandemic

hummad ali contributer Even the people who love me the most would never accuse me of being calm in the face of stress.

If you have known me for longer than an hour, you have seen me stress about things both in and beyond my control. If you are a close friend, you have helped me through several moments of paralyzing anxiety. So, how is someone like me faring in 2020?

To be honest, when the lockdown started in March, I was anxious about everything. Finances, having to be indoors all day for who knows how long, having to occasionally go outside to get essential supplies. Toward the end of Winter 2020, I still had one class to finish, and trying to get everything done on my less than stellar laptop was an added stress.

I would like to tell you that I got on top of everything within a few weeks, and have been performing at my peak since then.

How have you been keeping calm during the pandemic?

However, I would also like to not lie, and those two goals are rather contradictory. However, I can say in all honestly that over time, I started doing better. There are still days, even weeks, when getting out of bed is the last thing I want to do. But as someone once told me, those days will always be

very hard to detach myself. While in normal times I love reading and movies, at such times I need something more mentally taxing, to sort of not have any spare brain cycles to stress, in a manner of speaking. Well, one of the silver linings of the last six months has been that I found something

riety of topics ranging from math to neuroscience, critical thinking to project management. Trying to fill my hours, I signed up for a few.

One of the first courses I signed up for, and finished, was called “Managing Your Mental Health During Covid-19”, offered by the University of Toronto on Cour-

“

I soon noticed that watching a small lecture, and then answering some questions, gave me a sense of accomplishment that made the rest of my day easier.

– Hammad Ali

there. We just work on making them less frequent, and of lesser duration. That is a goal I work towards, and in this I would like to share what has worked for me.

This might just be me, but when I am caught in a feedback loop of stress and anxiety, I find it

that works.

Soon into the lockdown, I got an email from my old alma mater back in Bangladesh. They were entering a partnership with several online teaching websites, to offer students and alumni the opportunity to take classes on a va-

sera. The class was barely five hours, but it was the perfect class to begin with. I soon noticed that watching a small lecture, and then answering some questions, gave me a sense of accomplishment that made the rest of my day easier. I was able to better focus on

schoolwork, with that small win as the wind on my back. Once the class on mental health was done, I signed up for a class on mathematical thinking, and a more general one on how we learn best.

None of this related to my schoolwork, but I think that is why it works as the perfect palate cleanser. And unlike books or movies, I find it easier to be drawn completely in, knowing I will soon have to take a pop quiz to show I learned the material. In fact, once I have spent as little as 15-20 minutes to make some progress on the current course I am taking, I find it a lot easier to focus on work, on household chores, and even reading a book. I guess it goes to back that cliched but apparently true statement – sometimes you need a win. For me, a short lecture online followed by a quick MCQ , has been that win. It is keeping me calm and helping me do better. I will definitely be trying out a lot more courses!

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

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arts & culture

9

The Miracle Morning and 168 Hours Book some time to get organized

hummad ali contributer For many of us, life is pretty chaotic these days. We are pulled at from many different directions, and are living a fragmented existence.

My personal antidote to chaos has always been to read. I read pretty much everything, at least a little every day. In fact, one genre of books I have been reading a lot recently has to do with productivity, doing meaningful work, and achieving a work life balance.

Two books I’ve recently read on the topic of optimizing your time are The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, and 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam. One tackles this theme by taking a step back and looking at the number of hours in a week, and the other focuses on having the best mornings possible, which then cascade into a productive day.

Laura Vanderkam starts by talking about a typical week in her life, filled with writing and meetings but also time spent with family, whether on a walk with her husband or reading a book to her children. For me, this was a hook. I have few commitments on my day, and yet end most days and weeks feeling like I could have done more. So what is her strategy?

Laura talks in concrete numbers. There are 168 hours in a week. If you work 40 hours, and sleep 8 hours a day, that still leaves us with another 72 hours. No one is claiming we are wasting all of it, yet it is going somewhere. According to Laura, the first trick is to figure out where. On the companion website for her book,

See-ming Lee (Flickr)

Ahh… So peaceful… So colour-coordinated...

she provides a weekly time sheet to meticulously log every activity we do over a week, and tally what things we do and for how long. She does warn that most of us will not like the results, and argue that what we logged was not a typical week. As Laura points out, there is no typical week.

From her own early time sheets, Laura points out several observations. Most of us do not work as long as we think we do.

It just feels longer because we do not give ourselves a cutoff time.

We spend fragmented evenings checking email every hour, nei-

“

out mentally and do something else, again with 100 per cent involvement. Go for a walk, pursue one of your hobbies, or run some errands. But make sure you really clock out. You can always make up these hours later, in time you cleared up by getting chores done now. Likewise, when relaxing, relax completely. Put your phone and laptop away. Do not feel obligated to check up on work. Do this for one evening, and you may realize that work can actually wait.

One part of the book where she loses me is towards the final

other chores. I personally was disappointed that an otherwise solid book culminated in some unhelpful advice along the lines of “throw money at your problems”.

Hal Elrod, on the other hand, has relatively simple advice. To use a cliché, instead of counting hours, he focuses on making each hour count. In fact, he focuses on the first hour of each morning.

Hal, a life coach who formerly worked in sales, has recovered from a bankruptcy, and before that, a car accident that left his skull fractured. Maybe that is why he knows every hour counts? He

Make and respect boundaries for yourself: When working, focus on work for the hours you committed to.

ther focusing on work nor taking a break. We spend time with loved ones, but we are also checking our phones for news, mail, and other things. At the end of the evening, we feel we did not spend enough time. Yet the hours are there.

What is missing is the quality of those hours.

Her recommendation? Make and respect boundaries for yourself. When working, focus on work for the hours you committed to. Do not casually websurf, or watch the news, or catch up on phone calls. If you are supposed to create something at work and the ideas are not coming, clock

chapters, where Laura talks about how large chunks of our time is spent on household chores, cooking, grocery runs etc. Her solution is surprisingly unhelpful – hire someone to do these things for you. While she mentions specific businesses in her city that will get your groceries, do your laundry, or clean the house, I wonder what percentage of the population can afford this. I personally feel that the time spent on chores and errands can be planned ahead for. I keep a running grocery list all week, and have set days and times for getting them, all free of charge. Same with meal prep and

recommends getting up an hour earlier each day, and spending that hour on six things. He even suggests an acronym, playing a little trick to make that work.

Hal recommends starting the day with SAVERS. He begins with Silence, just sitting there, mindful of everything, noticing the little things around. The day, with all its demands, will come soon enough. So he starts by taking ten minutes to unplug. Then, he goes through Affirmations on things he wants to get done, results he wants. Then, in what many might dismiss as a New Age trope, he Visualizes the day

ahead, focusing on how he wants to meet the challenges of the day while staying in control of his emotions and attention. Then, he spends another ten minutes Exercising. Nothing too fancy, just being active and warming up. Then he sits down to Read.

While he chooses to read on ideas for self-growth, he mentions that anything that helps one find focus, meaning, and life lessons is an option. Finally, the trick. The last thing he does is write in his journal. However, I completely agree with Hal that SAVERW sounds odd. So, he refers to this last item on his “miracle hour” as Scribing, where he writes in his journal as a way to organize his thoughts.

Everything on that list is something we know will help if we do it regularly. The challenge is to do them. Laura’s advice would be to find 7 hours out of 168 in which those things go, and then plan around those hours. Hal of course says the same thing, except he strongly recommends that it be the first hour of the day, cutting back on sleep if necessary. The key difference may be that Laura has advice for the rest of the day as well, while Hal contends that the miracle hour itself will create momentum for the rest of the day.

Personally, I feel it best to combine these approaches, with a little more bias towards Hal’s strategy simply because I like my days to be flexible. However, there is no argument that both have their points, and I highly recommend both books to anyone trying to get more control over their schedules!

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editor: ethan butterfield sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | october 8 - october 14, 2020

U of R sporting frustration Lack of campus sports brings unease

sarah nakonechny sports writer With the academic semester hitting its stride, many athletes should be hitting their stride in their respected seasons. However, this is not the case for these hardworking students this season. With seasons being cancelled many athletes are left sitting on the sidelines longing for their return. But what about their fans? Several students used these events as ways to connect and get involved with their university community, as a break from the endless hours of studying and as a way to become inspired to join recreational leagues in their spare time. With fans being forced to stay home and watch replays of old season highlights it is time we turn to them to hear their seasonless blues.

It is important to understand the impact that university teams can have on the student community atmosphere. Many students know these athletes personally through courses they are taking or other mutual activities. The ability to support someone you know who is doing something they are passionate about that you already enjoy fosters a strong feeling of togetherness and assists in strengthening communal relationships. For those who do not know any of the athletes, it

is still used as a great opportunity to go do something – that is not studying – with your friends. No matter the reason that brings you into the stands, fans demonstrate a high level of pride they have for their Cougars and Rams teams.

They believe that they will perform well and provide them with something to become excited about, like their inevitable victory. This feeling of togetherness cannot be found in old highlight reels and stories from the good old days. This is something that is a here and now experience that the fans are missing out on. From facepaint to tailgate parties and everything in between our fans are missing out on an opportunity to grow and celebrate their community connections.

When asked what about these seasons cancellations are hitting them the hardest, many students responded with the increased feelings of isolation they are causing. As everything else is online, students are already having a hard time connecting to one another. These events promoted socialization for fans which has now been taken away. Many students used these events as a way to maintain connections with current friends and to meet people with similar interests. With that opportunity being severed at the same time as so many other social opportunities, it is hitting fans in a

very impactful way.

Others, like third-year student Victoria Baht, mentioned that it is the feeling of unease and lack of safety that looms in the distant future, with the talk of when seasons may resume play being the most concerning. Although there is nothing confirmed about when seasons may resume, many students feel the same concerns as Baht. There are high levels of uncertainty about how the safety precautions may look moving forward and high hopes that we can feel as safe as we once did at these events. Even though all fans want to be back in the stands as soon as possible, they would rather wait and ensure that effective precautions are in place to ensure maximum levels of safety.

Many eager fans are hopeful that enough action will take place in time for a winter season to start up. The idea of precautions being put in place for both players and fans is something that is on the forefront of everyone’s minds as a desperate attempt to get people back in the stands.

Those hopeful for this to happen have accepted that masks will be required for those who choose to attend games. Fans are also aware of the likelihood that seats would have to be reserved ahead of time to ensure that social distancing can happen between groups of fans. But what do we do about

Ethan Butterfield

A not-so lively scene

the players? There are some, like Baht, who have stated that keeping within the same province would be the best course of action for the time being. Even though this solution may not bring forth a regular season, fans are itching to get back to their seats even to witness a friendly scrimmage take place.

With many things to consider, the University of Regina is do-

ing everything they can to ensure the safety of everyone who may attend these future events. In the meantime fans are forced to sit and wait until final decisions have been made. Never fear, your athletes will be back before you even know it. Until then replace your old foam finger, work on your face paint skills and update those signs for next season.

Stanley Cup champions: The Tampa Bay Lightning And they say lightning never strikes twice ethan butterfield sports editor Well everyone, that’s a wrap for the National Hockey League playoffs. It was an interesting year to be sure, not just with everything going on right now, but with regards to the incredible performances and match-ups that we got to witness on the way to the Stanley Cup. Whether it was the (once again) impressive run of the Las Vegas Golden Knights that inevitably led to heartbreak, the defending champion St. Louis Blues getting knocked off in the first round, or the Dallas Stars making it all the way to the final to nearly capture their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, it was never a dull moment.

Personally, I think it was wonderful watching three Canadian teams (the Flames, the Canadians, and the Canucks) enter with a chance at the Cup only to be immediately eliminated (with the expectation of the Vancouver Canucks) right off the hop. It’s heart-breaking, sure, but that’s how it is when it comes to hockey in Canada, especially if you’re a Leafs or Oilers fan.

Moving along though, despite news of the Lightning’s win being

over a week old at this point, it’s nevertheless worthy of discussion.

Looking back at the history of the Tampa Bay Lightning, this franchise has only won the Cup once before back in 2004 (Huh, I was a poet and I didn’t even know it). Much like their victory in the ‘COVID playoffs’ of this year, the Lightning’s win 16 years ago was also earned in debatable fashion – that is, assuming you’re a Calgary Flames fan.

Turning back the clock back a bit (quite a bit), Game 6, 2004, the score is tied 2-2 with around 6 minutes left on the clock. The Bolts were down one game to the Flames in the best of seven series. Martin Gelinas of the Flame slides into the vicinity of the Tampa Bay goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, the puck collides with Gelinas’s skate and heads toward the net.

Khabibulin kicks out and makes the “supposed” save. The play is shown on the jumbotron and it looks like the goal has clearly crossed the line. The play was never reviewed during the actual game, but it was shown to be a good call by the refs (as in no goal) via CGI analysis that the NHL conducted. However, to this day, the Flames feel that they were robbed by both NHL officials and

the Lightning of their very own second Stanley Cup. All of this to say, the two Stanley Cups the Lightning have won have certainly been the subject of controversy. Should the NHL season even have moved forward with COVID? Should the Lightning even have this Cup considering the teams were not in the same headspace going into this playoff series as they were during the regular season? Going back, should the Flames goal have counted? Should the Lightning even have their first cup? All interesting things to consider.

Conspiracies aside, as far as local love goes with regards to the Lightning’s win, two Saskatchewan players will have their names placed in the history books alongside the Cup. Both Braydon Coburn and Luke Schenn (from Shaunavon and Saskatoon respectively) can now celebrate being champions. Interestingly enough, the Lightning also had a Saskatoon player on their championship team back in 2004 (Cory Sarich). Perhaps the lucky charm for the Lightning is a little bit of skill from Saskatoon.

Regardless, congrats go out to the Tampa Bay Lightning for their win.

Wikipedia Commons

Ol’ Stanley never goes out of style.

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

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sports

The Butterfield Breakdown

ethan butterfield sports editor Hey all, I’m back yet again with another sports update regarding the happenings of the various major leagues and whatnot. Another week has come and gone with its own set of twists and turns. Yes, major developments are coming out of several areas making for good conversation. Whether it’s about the (sure to be over by the time this article is released) NBA finals, the continuing developing landscape of the NFL, or ongoing MLB playoffs, those interested can find the news just below: NHL: Well the NHL season is all wrapped up, The Tampa Bay Lightning have won the Stanley Cup. Moving forward, it looks like it’s going to be all free agency talks and contract extensions.

I mentioned it a few updates ago, but there’s certainly names worth keeping an eye on in this free agency. Taylor Hall is a big one being thrown around. At this point, considering the COVIDstrained budget of the NHL teams, it’s anyone’s guess to where he’ll end up (the Canadiens and the Avalanche are two potential spots with a solid budget). Torey Krug of the Bruins and Tyson Barrie of the Leafs are a couple of others, along with a handful of goalies that are on the market. Braden Holtby of the Capitals, Robin Lehner of the Golden Knights, Jakob Markstrom of the Canucks, Anton Khudobin of

Ethan Butterfield

Keeping up with the current happenings.

the Stars (who I cannot hype up enough), and Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks.

NFL: Week 4 has now rolled around in the National Football League, boasting more of the great match-ups that come as a result of the week-to-week system of the NFL (an oddly familiar sentence for readers of these articles).

First up, Cam Newton, who’s been having a solid run with the Patriots, was diagnosed with

upset there isn’t a Jets and Giants game on the schedule somewhere, because I feel that would be a real treat for fans of either franchise.

In rapid-fire updates, Tom Brady absolutely astonishes by bringing back the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 5 TD run. The Seattle Seahawks and the Buffalo Bills remain undefeated now going 4-0 in the season. The Cleveland Browns show some fire this Sunday with a commanding win over the Dallas Cowboys, 49-38.

Joe Burrow finally gets his first

wagoners that I can’t stand. All of the sudden you have hundreds of thousands of Blue Jays fans coming out of nowhere to support a team that has a Canadian city in front of it.

Moving on, though. The Wild Card Series has been wrapped up in the postseason with the following teams moving on to the next round.

The Oakland A’s will be moving forward after defeating the Chicago White Sox to take on the Houston Astros, a team that

“

...the highlight of my week was watching The Toronto Blue Jays get eliminated.

– Ethan Butterfield

COVID-19. The game between the Patriots and Kansas City hasn’t been cancelled despite the news though, as it will take place this (at the time of writing) Monday night alongside the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers (a game I’m sure the Falcons won’t lose, specifically in the fourth quarter).

In other news, the Jets and Giants have officially both gone 0-4 in what I am now deeming “New York’s Battle of the Worst.” Honestly, I’m kind of

win over the floundering Jacksonville Jaguars, putting the Bengals at 1-2-1 for the season. And, lastly, Phillip Rivers apparently decides to show he’s relevant now by defeating the previously undefeated Chicago Bears (da Bears).

MLB: It’s playoff time in Major League Baseball, and I could not be more excited. Why? Because the highlight of my week was watching the Toronto Blue Jays get eliminated. I don’t hate the team mind you, it’s the band-

I’m sure most baseball fans are still not quite happy with considering their sign stealing scandal.

The Tampa Bay Rays, who eliminated the Blue Jays, are going up against the New York Yankees, who, as a fifth seed team, knocked off a fourth seed Cleveland team.

Next, The Los Angeles Dodgers will go up against the San Diego Padres in what’s sure to be a solid match-up, and, lastly, a sixth seed Miami Marlins team, who trounced the third seed Chicago Cubs, will take on the Atlanta

Braves.

NBA: Once again we have the same issue that we had with the Dallas Stars in the NHL. The Los Angeles Lakers were heading into Game 3 of the NBA Finals with a comfortable 2-0 advantage.

However, the Miami Heat have decided that they aren’t going to go without a fight and have decided to win Game 3 115-104. Had the Lakers won, I would’ve been comfortable enough with saying; “And the Lakers are your new NBA champions,” but now the Heat have gone and made it all interesting.

Also, for Miami Heat fans out there, give some extra positivity to Jimmy Butler who, during Game 3, threw up 40 points on his own. To put that in perspective, Lebron James and Anthony Davis, the two all-stars of the Lakers team, put up 40 points together. Crazy times.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this rundown, fingers crossed that there was, once again, enough in it to hold your attention. I do my best to keep the news as relevant or ‘up and coming’ as possible but sometimes there can be things that end up being a bit stale. Regardless, I look forward to continuing to bring you the major news of the major leagues from week to week.

sports

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

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Do-It-Yourself home workouts Home workouts have never been easier

sarah nakonechny sports writer With the chilly months creeping up on us so is that inevitable winter weight. But who wants to pay those pricey gym fees and brave the icy wind to get there? That does not sound desirable to anyone if you ask me. I present to you, workouts on a dime. All you need is some everyday household items and enough motivation to collect them!

First, you will need a couple two litre milk jugs. Doesn’t matter whether you drink 2% or skim.

Just make sure you aren’t using the flimsy cardboard cartons for this.

Next, you’ll want to ensure that you’ve drank all the milk out of these as you won’t want to be crying over spilt milk later on. Normally I would suggest filling these with sand; however the ground is now pretty frozen, so filling them with water will also do the trick.

You will want to fill both of them with the same amount of water.

Don’t fill them with more water than you think you’ll be able to easily carry. Now that you’re set up it’s time for everyone’s favourite thing, bicep curls! Just because the sun isn’t out doesn’t mean that the guns can’t be out. Ensure that you tuck your elbows close to the body to minimize risk of injury and if you need to swing to lift them drink some of that water because it’s too heavy for you.

For all you shoe hoarders this next one is for you. You know that old pair of heels you bought 3 years ago that are just slightly too high for you to walk in without looking like a deer on ice? You’re going to want to grab those badboys and put them on. Place yourself next to a wall or grab a chair to help stabilize yourself and squat like your life depends on it. This raised squat will help burn out your calves and quads like never before. For a little bit more of a challenge sink it really low into that squat and pulse. If you can still walk to the next day you aren’t trying hard enough.

This next one is for all my gamers. Don’t panic though, you

Kari Shea (Unsplash)

Like a zoom lecture, but more rewarding.

“

I present to you, workouts on a dime. All you need is some everyday household items and enough motivation to collect them!

– Sarah Nakonechny

still get to sit for this one so you’re not too far out of your comfort zone. During the matches of your respected game, you will need to set yourself up on the floor. For the entire duration of your match you will need to plant your feet on the floor so your knees are bent before leaning your torso back at a 45 degree angle. Don’t forget to keep your chest up (don’t fold yourself up like the Costco breakfast burritos you keep microwaving at 3 a.m.). Hold this pose until

your match is done. You will have abs of steel by the time you’re done this.

Most people have pets that get curious as soon as you get down to their level on the floor, or at the very least a younger sibling that will do the trick. Grab your pet or sibling of choice and find yourself a coffee table or kitchen chair, whichever is better for your height. Time to work on those tricep dips! Set your hands on the edge of your furniture of choice with your face looking towards

the ceiling. All you’re going to do is move your arms so you’re pushing yourself up before bringing yourself back down. Where does your creature of choice come into play you ask? Well they’re going to be curious as to what you’re doing and want to climb on you and smell you or cuddle up underneath you. You need to keep going until either your arms collapse and you threaten squishing your poor companion or until they leave. For your sake I hope you all have cats that could care

less what you’re up to.

Finally for my absolute favourite exercise. You’re going to go into your kitchen and grab some bread: white, whole wheat, rye, whatever you want. Then grab some turkey, mustard and lettuce.

Throw as much as you want onto one of the slices of bread before gently setting the other one on top. You will then proceed to briskly walk from your kitchen into your living room. Slowly squatting, as you didn’t do enough of those earlier, you’ll ease down

onto the couch you’ll use your very tired abdominal muscles to lean back. Curling those very sore biceps you’ll bring what is more commonly known as a sandwich up to your mouth to enjoy. Once you have completed this daunting task you will proceed to kick back and relax every muscle, including your eyelids for a recommended 45 minutes. For optimal results bring your companion of choice with you.

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

carillonregina.com | the carillon | 13

sports

Sports and rage: yelling at pixels Screaming yourself hoarse (like an adult)

holly worby staff writer Sports fans tend to get a rush of emotions when they see their team performing well. The die hard fans are invested enough to follow the careers of their favourite athletes, to know the stats from the most recent games, and can legitimately have to work through some difficult emotions if their favourite athletes do poorly. It’s more than just an emotional investment when it comes to sports – It’s a personal investment that gives fans a sense of identity, as well as unity with other fans. This investment can give a boost to the ego when your team is kicking ass, but it can also devastate your ego when your team is having their asses handed to them. What does this ego devastation look like?

Fans yelling at a screen and having a meltdown that rivals a toddler’s tantrum.

On some level, I get it. The sense of identity and unity the fans get when their team is doing well is threatened when the team starts to do poorly, because your buddy Jeff who cheers for the other team (what a dummy) won’t ever let you live it down if his team whoops yours. Sports fans also talk about their favourite teams with possessive language.

“My team whooped yours,” “We did great last game,” and “We traded so-and-so” all show that the fans are so personally invested they talk about the teams like they’re part of them, and take their teams’ successes and failures as personal wins or losses.

Ethan Butterfield

Visible frustration.

While I can understand why it happens, I also understand that watching your Uncle Bruno lose his shit during Thanksgiving dinner because so-and-so fumbled doesn’t exactly make for a pleasant get-together, so here are some great alternatives to screaming at the television like a teenager who just got grounded.

First, please remember that it’s just a game that in no way actually changes your identity.

That is, unless you let it. There’s a choice involved here – do you really want to be the relative that

not to. Try spending that betting money on game snacks for the family instead, and maybe they won’t make fun of your lack of emotional regulation as much?

Second, let’s talk about what the anger you’re feeling actually is. Dr. Faith G Harper wrote an incredibly insightful book called “Unf*ck Your Anger (Using Science to Understand Frustration, Rage, and Forgiveness)” where she uses the research of R. Douglas Fields on nine different rage-triggers to explain what actually goes on physiologically and

to keep up. The good news is that through practice, you can learn to catch yourself before the “rage” phase if you can identify what’s setting you off. I believe three of these rage-triggers can come into play while watching sports, and I’ll describe them so you can be mindful of them next time you feel personally insulted and want to let those pixels know just how badly they’re screwing up.

The first is “Insult,” which is triggered when social orders are disrupted, or when disrespect is anticipated/experienced. A huge

“

What does this ego devastation look like? Fans yelling at a screen and having a meltdown that rivals a toddler’s tantrum.

– Holly Worby

gets made fun of in the kitchen after dinner because you were yelling at pixels on a screen like they could actually hear you?

While it might feel like a personal insult when your team loses on a technicality, it says nothing about you personally. Unless you’re one of those people who bets on the games, in which case, maybe stop? If you’re constantly whining about how much money you’re losing and blaming it on the team, remember you’re the one who chose to make that bet and you can just as easily choose

subconsciously when we’re angry.

Dr. Harper says that “we can see in a literal way how the different rage circuits fire off in the brain, activating our stress hormones.

Which means this isn’t a theoretical listing of anger triggers, but categories based on our evolutionary survival instincts.” The main problem with these instincts is that not all of them serve as beneficial coping strategies in our current world, mostly because our current world has evolved so quickly in the last couple centuries that our brains haven’t been able

part of sports is the “bragging rights” the winning team’s fans are entitled to; when that winning team isn’t yours, it’s likely you’ll be subject to some insults from opposing fans, which causes anticipatory anxiety when your team begins to do poorly. Ergo, anger.

The second is “Tribe,” because humans naturally (and normally maladaptively) group into “us” and “them” categories.

Anyone in the “us” category is protected like family, and anyone from the “them” category is seen

as a threat. People use possessive terms when talking about their favourite teams because part of their identity lies in that team’s standing, so when that standing is threatened they themselves feel threatened. Ergo, anger.

The third is “Stopped,” which is the instinct all animals have to fight against restraint, and is part of “why people can really lose it while being stuck in a long line.” according to Dr. Harper. This rage-trigger comes in during playoffs because if your favourite team loses and is done for the season you no longer have that potential ego boost to keep you invested. The “Stopped” rage trigger rarely occurs without “Insult” and “Tribe” alongside it, making playoff games the perfect storm. Ergo, anger.

My third and final tip is this: you might just have to acknowledge that the other team played better. I mean, what’s the harm there? Remember, sports only impact you personally if you let them. They only get you mad enough to yell at a screen because you let them. While you have no control over the players, coaches, or the referees, you always have the choice to take control of your reactions to their choices. So if you’re a fan of people looking at you funny because you can’t watch a game without emotionally exploding, that’s fine, just own the fact that you made the choice to react like that.

op-ed

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editor: marty grande-sherbert op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | october 8 - october 14, 2020

Justice for Joyce means justice for our whole healthcare system We must treat the anti-Indigenous disease

Bret Kavanaugh via Unsplash

No one should have to factor racism into their quality of care.

Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw mother of seven, died in a Joliette, Quebec hospital on September 28. One of her last acts was to record hospital staff, including a nurse and an orderly who were later fired, making vicious and degrading racist taunts towards her, including telling Echaquan she’d be better off dead. Echaquan’s death – the cause of which has not been determined at press time – and the horrific circumstances in which she died have so far launched a public inquiry in Quebec as well as a lawsuit against the hospital by Echaquan’s family. But the limitations of a public inquiry when it comes to providing justice or systemic change should be immediately obvious, given that Echaquan

died almost a year to the day after another, similar public inquiry in Quebec. This was the inquiry which released 142 recommendations meant to improve Indigenous peoples’ access to government services in that province.

One of the recommendations of the Viens Commission – the inquiry that released results a year before Echaquan died – was “the adoption by the National Assembly of a motion to recognize and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,

as well as the adoption of a law to ensure that the provisions of this Declaration are incorporated into Québec’s legislative corpus.” UNDRIP turned 13 years in September, and the recommendation that it now be formally adopted and enshrined in Quebec law is a reminder of how long colonial governments and governing bodies have been dragging their feet on making the barest minimum of commitments to ensuring the rights of Indigenous people are not violated when they access services on their own land.

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called “upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to acknowledge that the current

requested them.

In not implementing these recommendations swiftly and uniformly, the government sends the message to healthcare providers that it’s okay to discriminate against Indigenous people, that it’s okay to provide them with substandard care. This isn’t to say that racist healthcare providers are not responsible for their actions and should not be held accountable for them, only that it is much easier to get away with and justify being racist when you work in a racist institution.

Settler Canadians should be outraged at the treatment that Echaquan experienced as she died, but they also need to recognize that her experience was not an

genocide with public funds.

Joyce Echaquan left behind a husband, seven children, and a community that loved her. Her life mattered and her death is a loss. The institutional, structural, and social changes that are necessary for building a healthcare system that does not allow people like her to die as she died are known to us. So when people do die as she died, we should see that as intentional. Perhaps the Canadian government and Joliette hospital didn’t set out to let Joyce Echaquan, specifically, die under horrific circumstances, but they created and maintained a system in which they knew that people like her would die under horrific circumstances.

In the face of hundreds of recom-

“

...it is much easier to get away with and justify being racist when you work in a racist institution.

– Sara Birrell

state of Aboriginal health in Canada is a direct result of previous Canadian government policies, including residential schools, and to recognize and implement the health-care rights of Aboriginal people as identified in international law and constitutional law, and under the Treaties.”

The TRC also called on the federal government to provide funding for Aboriginal healing centres and to recognize the value of Indigenous healing practices and ensure that they would be incorporated into the treatment of any Indigenous person who

aberration from the norm, but a standard component of the care that Indigenous people experience in Canadian medical institutions. For many Indigenous people in Canada, the hospital or medical centre is a site of violence at the same time that it is a site of necessary treatment. There is no one in any position of power or authority in this country who is unaware of this. And for people like Joyce Echaquan, Brian Sinclair, and the hundreds of women who were sterilized against their will, the hospital is a site where the state carries out

mendations, countless inquiries, and a UN declaration, the provincial and federal governments of Canada have knowingly upheld a healthcare system that discriminates against Indigenous people to the point that they may lose their lives. And for as long as this goes on, this country can’t say it has universal healthcare.

sara birrell news editor

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

op-ed

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

15

“Trump 1946-2020” still sounds pretty good

“Wish him a speedy recovery?” No Round, round Hitler’s grave, Round and round we go, Gonna lay that poor boy down; He won’t get up no more.

A few days ago I woke up to a video on my twitter timeline of a bunch of crabs dancing joyfully to the news that Trump had COVID-19, along with tweets from my friends expressing that they had been waiting – In fact, praying – to see this exact video all year. As many of us know, this news practically lit twitter on fire, and “poetic justice” was among the most common phrases I read. There are no doubt still memes being created as I write this, ones that not only make light of Trump’s condition but gleefully anticipate his death.

Of course, this was going to prompt a reaction to the reaction, especially on a website like Twitter where everything is up for commentary. Many people, including prominent political figures, responded to the news by wishing Trump and his family a speedy recovery, adding that “they wouldn’t wish COVID-10 on anyone.”

Others directly shamed any celebration of a person’s potential death. At the end of the day, a dominant conversation became: what’s the moral status of wanting a person to die?

Well, as it pertains to Trump, at the moment the point of such a conversation is basically moot, since earlier today it was announced that he had left his multi-room decorated suite in a military hospital to return to the White House. He is – many would say unfortunately – back to work.

But no one can forget how excited so many people were while they wondered if we’d ever see him again. Was this an indictment of the cruelty of others on the internet, vitriol powered by twitter’s anonymity and a

mob mentality that caused us all to forget about the sanctity of human life? ...No! I danced to the Trump has COVID crab rave! Of course I did! To say that someone should be ashamed for wanting his life to be in danger strikes me as hugely disingenuous for two main reasons: one, there’s nothing new about this kind of death wish, and two, caring about preserving human life is a big reason a lot of people want this bastard gone in the first place.

How is there anything unique about rejoicing over the mortality of a political enemy? The lyrics I began this article with,

the period, who condemned it as needlessly violent.

“But that’s obviously different,” you may say. We aren’t in the midst of a world war (although the United States and Canada are both involved in several armed conflicts and military endeavors), Trump isn’t literally Hitler (although nobody is “literally Hitler” except Hitler, so if that’s our bar for who’s actually a fascist we’ll logically never encounter another one), and the atrocities involved are not the same.

Of course they aren’t. No two serial violators of human rights are the same.

No monster grows the same head twice.

“

...when a person in power can so easily create systems that breed death...one could inversely argue that cheering for the Trump administration encourages the deaths of human beings.

– Marty Grande-Sherbert

written in the 1940s by folk singers Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, reflected a similar sentiment directed at not just the German chancellor but his entire army and generals during WWII. Images of Hitler being boiled alive, shot, and hanged, among others, were gleefully sung by not just the writers but hundreds of people who passed the song on. At this time in history, fascism in Germany was not the vague idea taught to us in North American schools today; such fascists really lived, and the genocide they perpetrated was ongoing. I have no doubt that there were people in that time, hearing this song which is now such a staple of

But people have been saying for years that the patterns of Trump’s campaign reek of fascism, and genocidal practices are in fact being investigated under his administration at this very moment.

The aim of this article is not to equate two fascists, although I insist upon calling a spade a spade. What I aim to do is point out that wishing death upon a political figure has in the past, and still does, represent an outcry against the many, many deaths brought about by their policies. More recently (as in, more recently than the 1940s), in the week that Margaret Thatcher died in the UK, “Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead”

rose to number 10 in the nation’s charts.

It is not the death, necessarily, that is the source of joy; rather, it is the survival of the people who suffered because of the politicians actions, who may very well have died because of the choices they made.

In fact, when a person in power can so easily create systems that breed death – more so than ever during COVID-19, where essential workers, incarcerated people, and migrants in detention contracted the illness – one could inversely argue that cheering for the Trump administration takes lightly the deaths of human beings.

When you argue, for example, as Trump has, that the Black Lives Matter movement should be met with military force, is that not an immoral celebration of death?

When you deny people the right to move freely across borders as they flee violence and disease, is that not an immoral celebration of death? When you defend increasing funding to police and prisons as institutions – as many are doing here in Regina, each time the budget is renewed – despite the repeated instances of police harming the people, is that not an immoral celebration of death?

Even though Trump’s stay in the hospital was yet another reminder of how much more safety and care those like him are afforded, I’m glad a lot of people online, people who have been bearing unbelievable mourning and grief because of his policies, got to know he suffered. If you want to shame someone’s moral principles, there are plenty of better places you can start. Otherwise, it’s clear that to you, only some deaths, possible or otherwise, are worth any measure of respect.

marty grande-sherbert op-ed editor

Pickpic

...and there was much rejoicing.

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

op-ed

16

Protests in Red Deer show anti-racist education is needed Will our government stand up to white supremacists?

An anti-racism event that took place in Red Deer, Alberta, on September 20 last month was violently crashed by what protestors described as white supremacists. Watching the infiltration of a peaceful, anti-racist protest be radicalized by counter-protestors shows how far we need to go to combat racism in Canada.

The peace walk was organized by the Black and Indigenous Alliance Alberta and Red Deer Against Racism, who planned to represent discriminated groups in Alberta and protest racist attitudes in the province.

It ended, however, with the police separating these parties from counter-protestors, in a head-to-head yelling match where some protestors were attacked. The event, which was intended to promote the importance of equality among all people, resulted in disaster and violent ignorance.

Watching people react so violently to an event meant to eliminate racism is sickening. Why is it that people are scared or angry at the thought of anti-racist events? I find it difficult to believe that racist individuals do not believe systematic racism exists.

In fact, I think their violence is a way of disguising their fear that they will become a part of a minority group themselves. But then, if that is what they’re afraid of, why not advocate against discrimination? “All Lives Matter,” a stance repeated by those like these counter-protestors, is a hypocritical statement all on its own which ignores racism and intergenerational trauma. If all lives did in fact matter, those who believed such a thing would be concerned for the endangered lives of Black and Indigenous people.

The thing I am most scared of in this world is a group of ignorant people like

this, people who cannot accept issues of systematic racism, but accept and enforce white supremacy. They anger me to no end.

That being said, we all have a part to play. I cannot ever understand the effects of systematic racism on the level of a Black or Indigenous person because of my whiteness. For the same reason, I was uneducated about racism when I first began my post-secondary education. Although I did not go out of my way to enforce racist beliefs at the time, I did not go out of my

ucate yourself, so you don’t do harm again.

In terms of further education on systematic racism, in light of racist attitudes in Canada, I would like to see the government act on funding more education on how to combat racist beliefs. I watched Prime Minister Trudeau walk in a Black Lives Matter peace walk, but how has he made real efforts to change previous policies that are harmful to Black and Indigenous communities? Jagmeet Singh was thrown out of the House of Commons for calling a Bloc MP racist, because that MP would not

“

The thing I am most scared of in this world is a group of ignorant people like this; people who cannot accept issues of systematic racism, but accept and enforce white supremacy – Gillian Massie

way to prevent them, either. I realize now that it was foolish of me to remain motionless while watching discrimination and violence, like the kind in Red Deer, unfold in front of me. Even though I do not understand everything about systematic racism and racial injustices, I am still willing to learn and speak against it. I have some catching up to do.

“Education trumps ignorance,” said my coworker Reese Estwick on the matter.

In other words, not only do you have to be willing to learn what your faults are, you need to be able to unlearn them and re-ed-

acknowledge the existing systemic racism in the RCMP. Singh was penalized because he called it out, so what does this say about our government?

I would like to see immediate action on the government’s part to eliminate systematic racism. Rome was not built in a day, and it will take time to impliment these policies. However, I also know the government has immediately reacted in other situations which do not involve racism, and I do not understand why equal rights and laws against discrimination and violence like the kind in Red Deer would not be at

the top of their list.

The way the peace walk in Alberta was covered in the mainstream media also disappoints me. Although it is important to outline the details of what occurred during the interference of the event and the violence that occurred, focusing on the counter-protestors instead of the protesters themselves takes the publicity away from the original value of the peace walk.

Furthermore, this fuels white supremacists’ egos, as they want to frighten people into parting with their anti-racist beliefs in fear of being harmed. I would like to see a heavier focus on the beliefs and goals of the peace walk demonstrators, for the benefit of Black and Indigenous communities they represent.

People explaining how their racist actions are justifiable infuriates me. Counter-protesters may claim they were offering an “alternate” or “opposite” perspective, but when it comes to white supremacist violence, “That’s not just demonstrating an alternate perspective, that’s just being racist,” Reese Estwick also said.

On Sunday October 4, the Black and Indigenous Alliance Alberta and Red Deer Against Racism in Alberta had a second go at their peace walk; it was deemed successful, and demonstrators could walk the streets without harm. However, a counter-protest still occurred, separated by RCMP.

gillian massie web writer

Kevin M Klerks (via Flickr)

A peaceful park in Red Deer, Alberta.

oct 7 - oct 14, 2020

carillonregina.com | the carillon |17

op-ed

Keep your eyes on Uighurs in Xinjiang Human rights concerns continue

Wikimedia Commons

Xinjiang from above.

Each time genocide occurs, whether it be in Armenia, Rwanda, Germany or anywhere else, we hear similar declarations about how humanity must prevent such events from occurring in the future. Still, humanity finds itself in the midst of genocide again; this time, it is found in the persecution of Uighur Muslims in China.

In a time where people are constantly worried about a global pandemic, it is easy to overlook the other atrocities taking over our world. However, the persecution of Uighurs in Xinjiang, China, requires immediate attention by all global governments and particularly human rights groups. Uighurs are a predominantly Muslim Turkic ethnicity, and a significant percentage of them

forcibly detain an estimated one million people?

The answer is simple: the government have reused age old-tactics of antagonism and fear-mongering. Under the guise of “curbing religious extremism”, the Chinese government has been successful in the surveillance and arrest of Turkic and Uighur peoples under suspicion of “extremism,” where this suspicion is solely based on their ethnicity or religious activity. The camps are characterized as being “anti-terrorist” and “de-radicalization measures” to ensure the safety of Chinese people. With this characterization, the government is antagonizing Turkic peoples and justifying their persecution. Nonetheless, the government

“ live in Xinjiang. There are about 11 million Uighurs in this region of China. While the “re-education” camps in the area that Uighurs attend have only recently been covered by news sources, persecution of Uighurs and attempts to destroy their belief systems have been occurring for several years. These mass persecutions began as early as 2014, with the second wave carried out by the Chinese government in 2017.

This persecution is not a new phenomenon, and is ongoing in Xinjiang. So, how has the Chinese government been able to

ing “reciting and texting Quranic verses, and attending mosque services.” In reality, these people are not radical, but have been characterized as such for simply practicing their religion. Of the camps that exist, “30 have been confirmed,” but estimates have ranged in higher numbers.

As previously stated, it is difficult to determine the exact situation taking place in the camps in Xinjiang. Nonetheless, testimony by some who have fled the camps and granted asylum, like Sayragul Sauytbay, reveals that a common occurrence is forcing detainees to pledge alliagence to the CCP and renounce Islam. There is said to be forcing of the consumption of pork and alcohol, unhygienic conditions, and constant

However, when documents were released that proved people were being held against their will, they admitted to their existence but claimed such camps were voluntary and exist simply to prevent extremism.

Global organizations, including the United Nations and the European Union have condemned this mass human rights infringement. They are pressuring China to respect religious freedom and answer for their actions. Still, the genocidal actions continue, and decisions to combat this mass imprisonment have not been made on an institutional level. The world has a moral obligation to confront such accusations of organ harvesting, sexual abuse, forced detainment, and genocide in Xin-

...human rights should always take priority over economic concerns.

– Sara Birrell

claim these camps are simply to educate individuals on Chinese language and culture.

Because of the lack of direct media coverage, exact numbers of detainees are difficult to determine. However, estimates range from one to over two million people being detained. Uighur individuals are being detained for arbitrary reasons such as installing WhatsApp on their phone, and are left without any legal avenues to challenge their detainment. People have been held for numerous reasons revolving around any connection to Islam, includ-

surveillance and punishment. Sauytbay, a Kazakh woman who worked as a teacher in the camps, reported to Haaretz that she witnessed sexual assault from guards.

She also recounts the abuses she witnessed as punishments, including “beatings and food deprivation”. Recently, in September 2020, a group called The China Tribunal claimed that “human organs were being harvested in the camps,” and urged the United Nations to investigate.

Upon initial discovery, Chinese officials denied the existence of the camps.

jiang. Global governments are hesitant to confront China because of their economic ties to the country. However, human rights should always take priority over economic concerns. Failure to determine legitimate solutions in situations like these has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and will continue to result in deaths, unless decisive action is taken on a global scale.

ahmereen salim contributer

graphics

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editors: sarah carrier, mercedes redman, kate thiessen graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | october 8 - october 14, 2020