The Carillon Volume 64, Issue 17

the carillon the staff

editor-in-chief editor@carillonregina.com

holly funk

business manager business@carillonregina.com

jacob nelson

production manager production@carillonregina.com

morgan ortman

advertising manager advertising@carillonregina.com

ty cote

technical editor tech@carillonregina.com

shae sackman

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

safal gangwani rooky jedege aurel dumont

news editor news@carillonregina.com

sara birrell

a&c editor aandc@carillonregina.com

hannah eiserman

sports and health editor sports@carillonregina.com

katherine mutschler

op-ed editor op-ed@carillonregina.com

sarah nakonechny

distribution manager distribution@carillonregina.com

vacant

staff writer

hammad ali

staff writer

gillian massie

staff writer

anima salah

news writer

syd mcwilliams

a&c writer

jorah bright

sports writer

victoria baht

contributors amir said and rayanne gwilliam board of directors holly funk, lindsay holitzki, joseph holoein,, dustin smith, jacob nelson and honourary members hammad ali, cassandra byblow, morgan ortman

vol. 64

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 sixty years.

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

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

the people’s friend; the tyrant’s foe

The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962 February 3 - February 9, 2022 | Volume 64, Issue 17 | carillonregina.com

news

Homeless memorial

Welcome back to another issue of the Carillon.

This week, not only do we have an article on burnout, but we are all experiencing it, too! Isn’t that a fun coincidence?

arts

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With the estimated amount of homeless in Regina nearly doubling since 2018, the sixth annual vigil from Regina Homeless Memorial will honour those who lost their lives.

arts

Royal Sask Museum

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Whether you’re in the third grade or your third year of uni, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum makes for a fantastic budget-friendly field trip.

p.9

A show challenging stereotypes of age, gender, race, and class, The Golden Girls continues to delight.

op-ed

op-ed

sports

Golden Girls

Once I’m done writing this blurb, I’m gonna go stare at my ceiling. Hope you can all spiritually join me.

Godspeed comrades, Morgan Ortman Production Manager

photos

cover...................................safal gangwani news.................................nicola fioravanti a&c...........................................muhsatteb a&c.............................................alan light sports........................................kevin kelly op-ed...............................................leo wu op-ed....................................bangyu wang

Dry Feb

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Participate in Dry February to raise money for cancer research and save your liver a little trouble. A double whammy of goodness.

Academic firsts

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Sarah Nakonechny lays out the highs, lows and inbetweens of being the first academic in their family.

Apple vs Android

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The debate is eternal, but Hammad Ali brings his own points to the table. Will you agree?

news

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editor: sara birrell news@carillonregina.com the carillon | feb 3 - feb 9, 2022

Annual homeless memorial honours lives lost to bad policies Homelessness is a policy decision syd mcwilliams news writer In the cold winter months of Saskatchewan, it is easy to take for granted the luxury that is central heating and staying warm and comfortable inside your home as nature rages around you. Unfortunately, it is a luxury that is not affordable to everyone. The issue of homelessness continues to be a problem within the city of Regina and has been exacerbated by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and by issues surrounding income assistance programs.

The city was reminded of this first-hand last October when Camp Hope began in Pepsi Park.

Camp Hope started because an increased number of people were being driven to homelessness due to a change in the Saskatchewan income assistance program. It served as a home for many people until it was taken down on November 15, and although the camp was dismantled, many people remain without shelter in Saskatchewan’s brutal winter.

In a recently conducted count, an estimated 488 people were identified as homeless in Regina, which is an increase from 286 in 2018. Flow Community Projects conducted the count

in partnership with Namerind Housing Corporation as Regina’s Community Entity. This count was conducted in the fall, and a full report is due to be released in early February. Exact or not, the numbers clearly indicate that homelessness remains an issue.

Once again, the Regina Homeless Memorial, a group of volunteers, in conjunction with Street Culture Project and Phoenix society, is hosting their sixth annual candlelight vigil in hon-

illon spoke with Ashley Blythe, a supervisor at the Phoenix Homes program, and one of the organizers for the event.

What can you tell me about the memorial and what you guys want people to take away from it?

This will be the sixth year of our homeless memorial. We put it on every year because we have lost many people over the years to homelessness. We just want to have a memorial to spread awareness that this is still happening in

that affected planning?

We had to do it online last year. With COVID, it’s just been really tricky for us. Normally we do it outside every year, but this time it will be inside the library.

Mugs media has actually teamed up with us to do the pre-recording parts because last year was a little tricky and we’re still learning the technology, but online is not our preferred method.

What are some of the leading causes of homelessness that you

“

Anybody can experience homelessness, really lots of people are one paycheque away from, you know, experiencing homelessness. The lack of affordability of housing is a really big issue here.

– Ashley Blythe

our of those who have lost their lives to homelessness in the city. It will be the second time they have hosted online. The event is being hosted on February 8 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It can be accessed via a Facebook live stream on the Regina Homeless Memorial Facebook page. To get more information on the event and homelessness in the city, the Car-

our city, as well as to honour those whose lives have been lost, but also the awareness piece is a big part. Making sure people know that it’s still a big issue here, and that we have a lot of work to do and letting people know that people can reach out if they want to help out with things.

Is this the first year the vigil is being hosted online, and how has

see in the city?

It really varies. Anybody can experience homelessness, really lots of people are one paycheque away from, you know, experiencing homelessness. The lack of affordability of housing is a really big issue here. The new social services programs, we’re really struggling with the new SIS program, and people not having

enough money to cover some of their rent. It has been a big issue. Domestic violence happens, a death in the family, or fire. All those things are happening daily in Regina. So yeah, it’s a mixture of lots of different things.

Beyond attending the memorial, what would you suggest to people who want to help out or get involved with helping end homelessness in the city?

They could come to either the Phoenix Residential Society or Street Culture. We also take donations to buy warm clothing or other necessities for people experiencing homelessness. We ask not for clothing donations, because we don’t really have the space to hold it, and buy items as we see fit when people need, and people experiencing homelessness deserve new things anyways.

If you or someone you know has lost someone due to homelessness and wish to honour them in a safe space, the Regina Homeless Memorial is encouraging people to send the names of those you want to honour to them via one of their social media channels. The names will be attached to lights as part of the vigil to remember those who passed due to these harsh circumstances.

Nicola Fioravanti via Flickr

Housing is a right.

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news

Canada and U.S. continue to meddle in Ukraine-Russia tensions North Atlantic Terrorism Organization syd mcwilliams news writer As the situation in Ukraine continues to unfold, it has been difficult to get a clear idea of what’s going on without it being muddled by Western media, which has a general bias towards the West and to war in general. Many different factors affect the crisis, including historical components, the implications and politics of warfare, and tension between the West and Russia – namely, that for many people, the Cold War never really ended.

In October of 2021, satellite images showed Russian troops and military equipment amassing on the border with Ukraine.

In subsequent months, additional images were released that showed tens of thousands of soldiers, armoured missiles, and heavy military equipment seemingly lying in wait. Yves Engler, a Canadian foreign policy expert, told the Carillon that a great deal of the tension is due to posturing by Canadian and U.S. forces. “I mean, the big way to look at it is that the Canadian government has basically viewed Ukraine as a proxy to undermine Russian influence.

So how I see what’s going on right now is Washington’s leading, but Canada is very much supporting it – and ramping up support and tension among those in Ukraine who allow themselves to be used to get into conflict with Russia.”

Due to the ongoing conflict in the region, governments, journalists, and foreign affairs

Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada

There’s no war but class war.

ital city of Kyiv against President Viktor Yanukovych and his decision to reject a deal that would allow Ukraine greater economic integration within the European Union. A violent crackdown by state security forces led to an even more significant number of protesters, and the conflict escalated to the president fleeing the country in 2014. Later that year, Russia took control of the Crimea region in Ukraine. Crimea historically was a part of the Soviet Union and became part of Ukraine when Ukraine gained its inde-

to stoke a type of nationalism that’s oriented to being anti-Russian, and there’s a recent history post-collapse of the Soviet Union history, but there’s also a longer tradition that goes all the way back to World War II. This is not good for Ukrainians. I mean, at the end of the day, this is it’s, it’s an easy game for Ottawa, right?

We’re far away. If the worst happens, the consequences for Canadians and Canada are pretty minimal. Canada getting whole hog into this and really just getting right behind the American

The United States, and Britain have been sending aid in military equipment and money (euphemistically called “lethal aid” by the government, a phrase eagerly adopted by many media outlets).

Still, as of right now, they are not intending to get directly involved if fighting breaks out.

The threat of economic sanctions from the United States could have many implications, as sanctions are a form of warfare and collective punishment meant to coerce countries into capitulating to the demands of the Amer-

astronomical.

Canada plays many roles in this situation because not only do they have a long history of relations with Ukraine, Canada’s influence within NATO can give sway to how the situation is ultimately handled. “Canada is quite influential within Ukraine because there’s obviously Canadian soldiers and Canadian police training [there],” Engler said. “They have been right at the heart of building up this new police force since 2014. Ukraine is very shockingly poor. So, you

“

The Canadian government has basically viewed Ukraine as a proxy to undermine Russian influence. So how I see what’s going on right now is Washington’s leading, but Canada is very much supporting it – and ramping up support and tension among those in Ukraine who allow themselves to be used to get into conflict with Russia.

– Yves Engler

specialists started speculating on a possible invasion; even though Moscow denied and still denies their intent to move into Ukraine, at this current moment no one truly knows what the Kremlin is planning. NATO countries, specifically western NATO countries including the United States and Canada, are maintaining a narrative that the Russian invasion of Ukraine to some degree is imminent, with United States intelligence officials releasing official statements that they expect to see something happen as early as February. It’s notable that these countries have largely capitulated to the COVID-19 virus and are facing high rates of inflation, deaths from disease, and unrest from workers, all issues that they are keen to divert attention away from.

To understand the current situation, it’s beneficial to know what has been happening in Ukraine since late 2013. In 2013, protests started in Ukraine’s cap-

pendence in 1991. The majority of the population in Crimea is of Russian descent, or their first language is Russian. Crimea voted in an unofficial referendum to declare independence from Ukraine and was officially annexed by Russia on March 18, 2014. Since the beginning of the conflict, violence between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukraine military has caused over ten thousand deaths.

“To a certain extent, Ukraine is being instrumentalized by Global Affairs Canada, and it’s being instrumentalized to try to weaken Russia.,” said Engler.

“This is not a policy that started yesterday. You can go back to the last two decades where the Canadian government has funded groups in Ukraine and supported groups that are anti-Russia. Of course, it’s important to remember that 30 per cent of Ukrainians’ mother tongue is Russian. So it’s a multi-ethnic place, and Canada has been interested in trying

push has utility for Washington in terms of pressuring the German government. Canada is certainly not irrelevant within NATO. How Trudeau deals with this has quite an impact within NATO.” When Russia initially began moving troops to the border in 2021, the United States released a statement saying that if Russia invaded Ukraine, they would impose severe consequences for Russia, including economic sanctions. Then, in early December of 2021, Moscow released a set of demands that included barring Ukraine from ever joining NATO and that NATO’s involvement in eastern Europe needs to end. The Biden administration rejected these demands flat out because they believe that every country should have the ability to determine their future in regards to alliances and government, unless it interferes with U.S. foreign policy. Attempts to reach a diplomatic solution have been ongoing, and countries such as Canada,

ican state or risk mass starvation and a lack of access to necessary medical and other supplies. It can harm Russia economically, especially if they get removed from the Swiss banking system and have state assets frozen. Situations in which the Nord Stream pipeline gets shut down and Russian energy pulls out of Europe would have severe economic effects for Europe, and it will come down to who can outlast who. There is also a significant chance Russia has been preparing for this for a while and looking for additional markets to sell their energy, such as in China.

A full-scale invasion of Ukraine does not seem likely at the moment. Instead, smaller military action such as Russia supporting and taking control of separatist territories is more likely to occur. However, if a full-scale invasion happened, it would be the first time Europe has seen that level of warfare since World War II, and its implications could be

know, funding is a key, especially with the recent announcement, but there’s been lots of different funding over the years.”

“This stuff is quite consequential, but I think that how Canada positions within NATO and whether we join in with the most aggressive forces in Washington, or if we align more with Paris and Germany, that has quite significant consequences and you know the Americans want and have a lobbying arm to push the Germans and the French in their direction.”

At the moment, it seems like what started as an attempt by Russia to expand Russian influence in the East has turned into a game of chicken between the US and Russia that the world has seen before. Larger powers using smaller countries as proxies to exert influence is not new, but only time will tell how this will end up playing out.

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news

How COVID has altered the academic conference Changes both positive and negative

hammad ali staff writer March 11 will mark two years since the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and our lives changed within the span of a few days. Offices and universities switched to working from home and having classes and meetings virtually. The initial challenges of not having access to a library or a proper workspace have slowly been addressed to varying extents and, two years in, many people continue to live a mostly virtual life. Technology solutions like Zoom have made it easy to port one’s professional life to the virtual space, while those like Instacart have even made it possible to get groceries and supplies without having to step out of the house.

In academia, one major change to the status quo has happened in the realm of conferences. For faculty members, postdocs, and both undergraduate and graduate students engaged in research, conferences are a popular way to publish, present, and discuss their ideas with others in the same field of study. For students wishing to make a career in academia or pursue more

advanced degrees, publishing in conferences and journals is all but a requirement these days.

Conferences are also an opportunity to network with people whose work one has been reading, citing, and possibly challenging. In the past, conferences used to be a lucrative opportunity to travel to some fancy location, prepare and give a talk while possibly

ally paid for by the school and/ or research lab, which is honestly one of the best perks of this career track.

However, this has all changed in the wake of the pandemic.

Conferences moved online, and many universities decided to stop sponsoring conference travel.

What has not changed, though, is the requirement and expectation

ple who have presented in online conferences in the last two years.

“While conference travel would also entail jetlag, it sort of makes up for it with the social aspects. Presenting online for a conference based out of, say, Central Asia, just meant having to work really awkward hours,” said one doctoral candidate at the University of Regina. She adds, “I had

“

While the professional losses are paramount, many also lamented how the more pleasant aspects of seeing a new city, even with the stress of deadlines and presentation, were something they looked forward to – Hammad Ali

jetlagged, and to be able to have an exchange of ideas with fellow researchers. In some fields, it almost appears as if conferences are always hosted in major tourist attractions, most likely to attract submissions. For graduate students like myself, travel to and accommodation at the venue is usu-

that researchers publish and present in conferences, over Zoom or some similar platform. In essence, this has meant that the most stressful parts of the experience have remained constant while the fun parts have been taken out and replaced with brand new stressful parts. We spoke to some peo-

to essentially stay up all night and sleep during the day in order to attend the talks that looked interesting. And then my own talk was scheduled for 2am, hardly the time for intellectual exertions, especially from one’s apartment instead of a lecture hall!”

In addition to the awkward

time differences, there are other professional losses with the move online. Mohammad, another graduate student, talked about how attending online is just not the same. “In a traditional conference, you give your talk and get a few questions within the timeframe allowed. But a lot of the interaction and brainstorming happens during coffee and meal breaks. That is also when you get to just walk up and have a chat with someone whose previous work may have created your entire research area. Online, the breaks are just times when you log off Zoom and make another batch of coffee!” said Mohammad.

While the professional losses are paramount, many also lamented how the more pleasant aspects of seeing a new city, even with the stress of deadlines and presentation, were something they looked forward to. While many professors have expressed their hopes that conferences continue to be offered virtually for the foreseeable future, it would seem that young researchers who are just beginning their careers feel differently on this and wish for a speedy return to some of the more pleasant aspects of conference travel.

Morgan Ortman

Without conferences, who will we show our sign off to?

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news

While the world has moved on, Syrian war still rages

Ten years without peace amina salah staff writer Since 2011, and even before that, Syrian citizens have been at the forefront of dark times. Since the beginning of the civil war in March 2011 with a government crackdown on students peacefully protesting in solidarity with the Arab Spring uprisings in other nations, Syrians have had to deal with human rights abuses, violence, a collapsing system, destruction, and immense grief. According to Human Rights Watch, the Syrian economy experienced turbulence for the majority of 2020. Many Syrians had no access to food, medication, and necessities. This led to 9.3 million Syrians dealing with food insecurity. Over 80 per cent of Syrians are now living below the poverty line. But even prior to the war, the country was, not unlike many Western nations, facing serious inequality, high rates of unemployment, and rising poverty.

Hafez al-Assad had control of the region in 1970. He was from the Alawi, a minority Shia sect that had always been oppressed in Syria. The sect briefly gained access to privileged positions after the First World War, according to Zachary Laub, an associate correspondent at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). By February of 1982, Hafez ensured that the military would forcibly shut down an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood in Hama. This led to a divide whereby those who do not support the regime would rally behind Hama in 2011, and those who support it, such as Hafez and later on his son Bashar, the current President of Syria, would use this as an opportunity to further their agenda.

By 2011, the uprising became a full on civil war. Some groups became staunch allies of the Assad regime, as did countries like Russia, China, and Iran.

Antiimperialistiche Aktion via Flickr

No war on Syria.

“

The U.S. and Russia seem to view the region more as a proxy war than as a country populated by real people with real lives who want to live in peace. The sad truth is that Syrians are in the middle of it all.

– Amina Salah

Some Sunnis (another sect of Islam) also chose to follow suit. The decade-long war has hindered the economy of Syria along with its healthcare system. The pandem-

ic has only made things worse.

With hospitals overwhelmed, they are forced to turn patients down.

Shortages of equipment have only exacerbated this.

By March of 2020, a ceasefire was implemented. Prior to this, the Syrian-Russian military alliance was still focused on Idlib, which was the last anti-govern-

mental installation in Syria. The alliance has been responsible for many attacks leading to the deaths of thousands and millions displaced. According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), around 12 million people have been displaced. Bashar Al Assad’s four-decade long rule does not seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. The reality is that more hardship seems to be underway. Peace talks have been decreasing and many are losing the hope for a change in the regime. The Assad regime continues to hold its power and control over the country with Turkish forces being cooped up in the northeastern part of Syria being governed by Kurdish forces.

By 2020, the number of people who needed humanitarian relief jumped from 11 million to 13.4 million, according to UNICEF. Furthermore, many children were unable to go to school. As a result, an estimated 2.5 million children lost access to education throughout the country. More than 6 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the Syrian civil war.

The reality is that the Syrian civil war has been extremely difficult for civilians. It became even more difficult when western countries became involved. The United States has been implementing airstrikes in Syria since 2014 in order to fight Islamic extremists. Russia, on the other hand, entered the war in 2015, deciding to back the Syrian government, and both military powers seem to view the region more as a proxy war than as a country populated by real people with real lives who want to live in peace.

The sad truth is that Syrians are in the middle of it all. They are left to slip through the cracks with the world seemingly forgetting about their struggles.

Wikipedia Commons

arts & culture

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editor: hannah eiserman aandc@carillonregina.com the carillon | feb 3 - feb 9, 2022

Country singer Kendra Kay comes to Regina Rising star talks barrel racing, her new single, and mentorship from Canadian icons

hannah eiserman a&c editor

Country singer Kendra Kay from the small town of Elkhorn, Manitoba is very committed to “living the country lifestyle” she talks about in her music. She “grew up with horses” in a “rodeo family” and travelled a lot because of her parents’ involvement in chuckwagon races. Since the pandemic, Kay has been able to devote time to her barrel racing too. She’s always ridden and competed where she could, but “the past few years [she] really actually got into it deep enough [to be] competitive,” and as a result won a championship buckle last year.

Kay’s new single, “Wild,” which came out January 28, was created by some pretty big names in country music. She said that when she “got pitched” the song, she “was excited to hear it before it even fully finished downloading when [she] got the email because [she] saw the songwriters on it” – Jeff Pardo, Molly Reed, and Carly Pearce. “I’m a big Carly Pearce fan,” Kay says. “I love her sound and her style.”

When asked how she feels about the song, Kay says “it’s very relatable. The song is all about just kind of letting yourself go and letting yourself find somebody and just being free with them. And letting the love run wild, kind of a thing.”

The reception for “Wild” has already been quite positive. “People say it’s a relatable song for, you know, young and old, because it’s kind of that first love, letting go, ‘Wild’ type of feeling,” Kay says.

“And then on the other hand, you have the relationships [of] older couples who have been together for years and years that can think back on the time when they found that moment. It’s been pretty cool to hear [from] people that are connecting with the song. It’s all you could ever ask for.”

Before I interviewed Kay, I noticed that she worked with Terri Clark on her latest EP. As a big fan myself, I had to know all about what that was like. Kay was equally starstruck, and says the experience was “definitely one of the biggest full circle moments [she’s] ever had.”

“Terri Clark was my first concert,” Kay says. “So, I was a Terri Clark fan [as] a little kid, and I vividly remember that first concert my parents ever took me to. It was in Brandon. And I fell in love with her. I still have that concert tee shirt!”

“When I walked into the studio that day, she was sitting there and they were going over some production stuff and I just kind of stopped and I was like, in my head, little eight-year-old Kendra was like ‘oh my god! It’s Terri Clark!’”

Kay said she “really respected” Clark’s guidance because

“

I appreciate a lot of the country music scene and the artists, especially the females, that are paving the way and then helping us young ones also find the way down the path.

– Kendra Kay

of how much she admired her career. Kay says that she would give her style ideas on parts of her songs: “She’d go over the top back mic in the studio and be like ‘hey, try this!’ and she’d sing the part. And I’d just stop and be like, ‘I need to take a second, because Terri Clark is singing my song.’”

“It was all very surreal,” Kay says. “She’s such a beautiful person. I’m so grateful that I have her support in this industry.” The following year they shared the stage at a country music festival,

and Kay recalls being invited to catch up with her on her tour bus.

“She wasn’t Terri Clark; she was just some friend that you’d had for years. I appreciate a lot of the country music scene and the artists, especially the females, that are paving the way and then helping us young ones also find the way down the path.”

Kay is equally starstruck to be sharing the stage with Dean Brody this Saturday (February 5) here in Regina. “Growing up where I did,” she says, “I always

travelled to Regina for pretty much everything. We were closer to Regina than we were Winnipeg, so it was our centre to go for back-to-school shopping and any time we needed a city run for Christmas shopping, Regina was our stop.”

“I grew up always going to Agribition every year,” Kay adds, “so to be able to come and be entertainment in that building is pretty exciting for me, and then [to also be] direct support for Dean Brody is super cool.” It’s

even more of a full circle moment because Dean Brody opened for Terri Clark at Kay’s fateful first concert. “All these connections and moments, they kinda warm my heart,” Kay says. “If I could think back to tell that kid that was sitting in the crowd what she was doing and who she would be working with […] I don’t think I would have ever believed anyone if they told me that.”

Kay gets a lot of inspiration and support from her family. She feels very lucky and tells me that they’ve always had her back, especially since she started her music career so young. She says that she began recording at 17, and being “straight out of high school, [had her] worries of like ‘well what if it doesn’t work out?’ or ‘am I wasting my young years?’ and this and that.” She says her parents “kept [her] going” and “helped [her] realize what [she] truly wants.”

She said “without that, [she] definitely wouldn’t have the strength that [she] do[es].”

She’s also fortunate enough to have a good team behind her.

“They’re wonderful people and they’re all family to me,” Kay says. “And we’ve really created this group that we can all get together and it’s like a family reunion.”

She’s also “been with the same band since [she] started,” and this is their “eighth year playing together.” “The guys and I have kinda grown up together,” Kay says. “They were all in their early twenties… I’ve watched them all get married and have kids and it’s been great to have that.”

Kay is proud to announce she has “lots coming up.” She says that in the “last couple years with not being able to be on the road as much, [she] spent all the time in the studio. So, [she has] a whole whack of new music ready to go” – and she feels it’s her best yet.

“I really truly think that this is the most authentic Kendra Kay that I could have ever done for anybody to listen to,” Kay says.

“I’m so proud of the songs we compiled and the ones that I’ve written and the stories that they all tell.”

After her stop in Regina, she has some shows out west in Alberta as well as a trip planned for Ontario – shows that aren’t even announced yet. On top of that, she even has “a couple trips” to Nashville planned for some more song writing and recording. She hopes that by summer, we’re able to safely go back to full festival seasons. She has booked some tentative shows, “assuming that if numbers are wide open, they’ll be a go.”

The pandemic has allowed Kay to spend time barrel racing, writing, and recording, and she doesn’t feel like it’s wasted time.

But of course, she’s more than ready to get back out on tour. “After the last two years,” Kay says, “I’m just ready to let ‘er buck.”

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carillonregina.com | the carillon |

arts & culture

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Royal Saskatchewan Museum – not just for kids Regina staple surprises and delights at any age

jorah bright a&c writer Growing up, the museum was a place for school field trips and the occasional family trip to do something fun. It can bring back fond memories of playing with interactive exhibits or the gift you brought home from the gift shop.

If you’re a small-town kid, the local museum might remind you of old buildings and old machinery in a grassy area.

For me, despite living close to Regina for the majority of my life I had never been to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Sure, I knew it existed, but I had always pictured it like the museum that I grew up near in my small town: a large area of wooden buildings that was barely holding itself together, a small crew maintaining everything, and a few pedestals with old items and small plaques to explain them.

When I went to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum recently, I was pleasantly surprised. The building itself is very nice and the staff were incredibly kind.

Admission was pay by donation with recommended donation amounts, providing something fun to do without breaking the bank. Family outings can be special and important memories for young children, and it’s always easier to do that without worrying about how much the entire trip will cost.

Like most things right now, The Royal Saskatchewan Museum follows COVID-19 restrictions, as they should. Proof of vaccination was required to enter the museum and there were floor signs directing us where to go to

Muhsatteb via Wikipedia Commons

It’s not every day you get to hang with the dinosaurs and hang in a rainforest.

limit foot traffic. Even if COVID wasn’t an issue, I truly appreciate the floor signs, because I am easily lost and need someone to tell me how to get places.

One of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum’s biggest claims to fame is Megamunch, the half-robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex. According to the museum’s website, he joined the museum crew in 1986. One of the signs at the Megamunch exhibit told of his adventures, including the one

ty. The buttons highlight injuries the T-rex sustained throughout his life, which was genuinely really cool. Not only is Scotty the largest dinosaur in the world, he’s also the oldest. Scotty was found in 1991 and it took 23 years to extract all of his bones from the rocks he was found in.

The ground level of Scotty’s exhibit featured lots of dinosaur facts (perfect for dinosaur kids) and my personal favourite, the interactive Paint the Dinosaur

bly well: you go from Scotty the dinosaur straight into areas about the Late Cretaceous Period. It’s a great transition that flows seamlessly to improve the experience of the museum.

The Earth Sciences exhibit had beautiful models of different dinosaurs, and lots of different fossils from different types of dinosaurs. If you are one of those people who don’t think dinosaurs actually existed, I highly recommend going to the Earth

“

If you are one of those people who don’t think dinosaurs actually existed, I highly recommend going to the Earth Sciences area of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.

– Jorah Bright

time he worked at an airport. Megamunch appears to be a career dinosaur. Little jokes like this really increased the experience of the museum and the humour made the trip more fun.

The next big thing that the Royal Saskatchewan Museum has is Scotty, the world’s largest Tyrannosaurus Rex, who was discovered right here in Saskatchewan. Visitors can view Scotty from a balcony view or a ground view. The balcony has interactive signs, directing museum goers to press a button with their elbow to light up different areas of Scot-

game. You can choose some colours on a small screen, and then lights will project onto a small model of a dinosaur. My friends and I spent a very long time trying to colour the dinosaur and we could have spent even more time doing so. I highly recommend painting the dinosaur.

Next, I visited the Earth Sciences gallery. This exhibit was so fun that I didn’t really process that I was learning about earth sciences until I left the museum.

It was in this exhibit that I started to realise the flow of the museum. The museum flows incredi-

Sciences area of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (Editor’s note: We recently found out that dinosaur conspiracy theorists exist and we’re disappointed, not surprised).

Next, the exhibits flow into the First Nations gallery. Honestly, I wish the First Nations gallery was bigger. Indigenous people are incredibly important to the history of Canada, and thus a museum about the history of Saskatchewan should have a larger section about Indigenous history.

The First Nations gallery is the same size as the Earth Sciences

exhibit and half the size of the Life Sciences gallery, according to the museum’s floor plan.

My favourite part of the First Nations gallery was the artwork.

The walls in the exhibit were covered in artwork made by Indigenous artists. The artwork was beautifully made, and all the pieces flowed together incredibly well.

The final exhibit at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum was the Life Sciences gallery. The Life Sciences area explores the four ecozones of Saskatchewan. Displays show the different plant life and animal life within each ecozone. The whole gallery feels like a giant game of I Spy. You read about a bug or an animal and then set off to find it within the diorama. This game is incredibly fun for both children and adults alike. My personal favourite was the snake den. It was fascinating to see all the different snakes found in Saskatchewan and to look through the small hole to see what the inside of the snake den looks like.

Overall, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum is really fun. It’s a great family activity, whether it be you and your children, or you and your found family of friends.

They have fun events and activities every month – some directed at kids, and some directed at adults – for you to experience and fun contests for you to enter. They also have a T. Rex Discovery Centre which is not currently open, but it is projected to open on May 21. The Royal Saskatchewan Museum is open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is located at 2445 Albert St in Regina.

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The Golden Girls and aging tastefully Why adoration for the pioneers of female-fronted television endures today

amina salah staff writer The Golden Girls, a sitcom that ran for seven seasons with 180 episodes, has received various awards such as Golden Globes and Emmys, stars a killer cast, and was a hit the moment it started airing. Actresses such as Betty White (Rose Nylund), Bea Arthur (Dorothy Zbornak), Estelle Getty (Sophia Petrillo), and Rue McClanahan (Blanche Devereaux) made their characters come to life. Furthermore, its killer guest actors such as George Clooney, Alex Trebek, Mario Lopez, Burt Reynolds, and Dick Van Dyke made the show riveting; somehow, through it all, the main characters of the show were always the ones who shined.

What made The Golden Girls iconic was its unique premise – to showcase four senior women living together and the many adventures they went through as a collective. In an industry that promotes youth and discourages aging, Golden Girls was ground-breaking. In many ways, it was inspiring.

The impeccable writing also set the show apart from many others on the air at the time. It was raw, fierce, and audacious, and took many risks by shedding light on important topics. In an interview with Out Magazine, Susan Harris, the show creator stated, “[w]e liked to tackle – not outrageous issues – but important

issues. Things that I knew that people went through that hadn’t been addressed on television.”

Harris is a visionary in television for the creation of The Golden Girls but also for writing the emblematic abortion episode on Maude.

This episode led to her being recognized for the Humanitas Prize, an award for writing in film and television that emphasizes on human dignity, safety, and freedom.

In a 2010 interview, Harris stated, “I think everybody including younger people when they

portant message: women don’t need to be in romantic relationships to be happy. Marriage or a being in a romantic relationship does not ensure that you will always live with your partner. Divorce can happen, as shown in the case of Dorothy. Death can happen, in the case of Rose, Blanche, and Sophia. The show emphasized the importance of cultivating friendships with other like-minded women. A soul mate is not just your romantic partner. A soulmate can be your best

complex and unique to everyone.

In an episode titled “Rose Fights Back,” viewers see the harsh reality that happens when Rose is unfortunately removed from her deceased husband’s pension plan.

As a result, she is forced to find a new job. The episode focuses on age discrimination as Rose worries about how she will be able to pay her portion of rent. After seeing an older woman going through the trash, Rose tells the other ladies, “I wondered, what did she do to get herself into a

“

A soul mate isn’t just your romantic partner. A soulmate can be your best friend, and that’s what The Golden Girls showed us all.

– Amina Salah

reach an age when they feel alienated – the thought of being alone, and spending your life alone, is terrifying. These women were at an age where they were alone and were likely to stay alone until they found each other… They encouraged each other and had a life together. It showed that you didn’t need the customary, traditional relationship to be happy. It paints a picture of all the possibilities for family. I also think young people like Sophia because she says whatever pops into her head!”

The show highlighted an im-

friend, and that’s what The Golden Girls showed us all. The older you get, the lonelier life can get – and amidst it all, everyone needs people who understand them, people who will always be there for them, who will make room for them to be vulnerable, and to be accepted by those loved by them. Ultimately, the little things are what make life special and that is what many fans found in The Golden Girls.

The show was also a success due to its depiction of aging. Aging is not linear and there is not just one way of aging. Aging is

fix like that? I thought, well, she must be lazy, or she must be pretty stupid to let something like this happen to her. The truth is: she’s me.” This is a powerful example of reckoning with ageism in our society.

Another episode focuses on Sophia’s new friend, Alvin, who has Alzheimer’s disease. After finding out, Sophia tells Dorothy, “People think if you live to be my age you should be grateful just to be alive. Well, that’s not how it works. You need a reason to get up in the morning and sometimes

even after you find one, life can turn right around and spit in your face.” The episode highlights the reality that life is simply just not fair.

Another episode introduced viewers to Viola “Mammy” Watkins. Viola discloses that she had an affair with Blanche’s father.

“In another time and place, we would have been married. But at that time in the South, it wasn’t an option.” The episode showcased how easy it is for white children to forget the racial complexities of the society they live in whilst simultaneously being attached to their Black caretakers. The Golden Girls was innovative for choosing to display topics relating to race in an authentic manner.

Over the span of seven years, The Golden Girls racked up 68 Emmy nominations with 11 wins. Today, it is among only four shows in television history where all its main actors won Emmys for their roles. The reality is that without The Golden Girls, many shows would not exist today. It’s The Golden Girls that made shows such as Sex and the City, And Just Like That, Grace and Frankie, Hot in Cleveland, and more possible today. As a result, The Golden Girls will always be known as a pioneer in entertainment, film, and television. In a culture that views mature women negatively, it was refreshing to finally have a show that unapologetically appreciated ageing and female friendships, making both the centre of the show.

Alan Light via Flickr

Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.

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Escape Club review Board game café and escape room outlet

Joshua Hoehne via Unsplash

I think I can (beat your ass in Monopoly).

jorah bright a&c writer Board game cafés are a great place to hang out and drink with your friends, whether you opt for an alcoholic beverage or not.

Appealing because of their wide array of games to play, kind and fun-loving staff, welcoming environment, and added escape rooms, board game cafes are on the rise.

Right here in Regina is the Escape Club. Home to six different escape rooms and 365 board games, there’s lots for you and your friends to do. The hours are great for people who work or are in school. From Monday to Saturday Escape Club is open from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

I recently went to the Escape Club with my friends to play some board games and we all had an amazing experience. The atmosphere of the board game café is fantastic. It feels cozy and homey, and I felt comfortable to sit and hang out.

Worried about what games they might have or if you’ll know how to play any of them? Their website has the entire list of games so you can choose what you want to play before you get there or find out if they have the game you really want to play.

When you get to Escape Club, each game is labeled according to their labeling system, which has an incredibly easy to follow guide.

What was really important for me is how inclusive and accessible Escape Club is. It’s truly

a 2SLGBTQ+ safe space. The bathrooms are gender neutral, labeled in theme with the escape rooms instead of by gender. Four of the escape rooms are wheelchair accessible and staff are incredibly accommodating. Even for those who are afraid of being locked in an escape room, there’s always a way out. The website lists trigger warnings like fear and flashing lights right on their website.

The escape rooms themselves are made for lots of different groups. You can have up to 16 people in the biggest room, but they are made for 4 to 16 people.

The first room they have is called Spellbound. It’s a large room meant for 8 to 16 players and focuses on solving the disappearance of a man. It’s a supernatural

themed escape room for ages 13 and up.

The next room is called Dr. Jones and the Tomb of Life. This hidden tomb is meant for 8 players, but 4 to 12 people is the recommended group size. It has a 17 per cent success rate and is restricted to ages seven and up. Following that is a room called SeCure. This room lets you escape from “an underground Russian medical research facility experimenting with reanimating dead cells.” Similar to the Tomb of Life, SeCure is meant for 8 players, but recommends 4 to 12. It’s meant for ages 13 and up and has a 13 per cent success rate.

For smaller groups, Miss Fortune is meant for 2 players, but is recommended for 2 to 6. Miss Fortune takes place in a fortune

teller’s parlor, is restricted to ages seven and up, and has a 29 per cent success rate. The highest success rate at 34 per cent is Old Mac’s Farm. Themed around the children’s rhyme, players must find Old Mac’s most beloved animals and explore a classroom to find the missing animals. This room is for 2 to 10 players and is restricted to ages seven and up.

Escape Club is an incredibly fun place to be, and the staff are incredibly kind and dedicated to guests having the most fun possible. Located at 2410 Dewdney Ave, I highly recommend an escape room or some board games at Escape Club for your next outing with family, friends, or for team building.

#StillNotOverIt: Don’t F**k with Cats Hunting an internet killer still “knocks our socks off ”

gillian massie staff writer

The true crime series Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer absolutely knocked my socks off when I watched it for the first time. A twisted story about internet activists on the hunt for who made a cat killing video for clout turns into a bigger than anticipated investigation for a murderer. Nothing is more frightening than the kitty-kat killer/internet narcissist Luka Magnotta – and I could not look away from my screen until it was over.

The documentary begins with a video called “1 boy 2 kittens,” which showed the first two cats being killed and gained national attention after being launched on the internet. The

public outrage caused two cat lovers, Deanna Thompson and John Green (not the author), to form a Facebook group attempting to decode who the murderer was and serve justice for the two kittens.

Here unfolds the internet manhunt to find the kitten-killer. The Facebook group gained traction from many other followers and every step forward in the investigation led two steps back. In one attempt to narrow down a suspect Thompson and Green prematurely convicted the kitty-killer, which resulted in members of the Facebook group attacking the suspect. Thompson and Green tried to backtrack when they realized that they had convicted the wrong person, but pressure from the group caused the suspect to commit suicide – a scene that is very quickly brushed

off as an accident but is truly disturbing considering this is a true crime docuseries about murder.

Little did Thompson and Green know that the killer had been watching them all along.

The kitty-killer, who was still at large, began baiting the Facebook group through two more cat-killing videos, each more horrific than the last. It is intriguing to see a group of internet sleuths who are much more invested in the case than the general police.

Even before police involvement, the Facebook group had decoded the diversionary tactics of much of the initial videos and eventually identified who the killer was.

While they continued to identify the killer’s clues, they were always one step behind Magnotta, who only let them know as much as he wanted. Much like many

other animal murderers, it was not long before a video appeared of the cat-killer morphing into a full-fledged murderer – the footage containing the pivotal point where Magnotta murders Lin Jun. This was when police enforcement entered, who almost muddled the story even more and ignored the Facebook group’s advice. Panic ensued when the Liberal and Conservative parties were mailed limbs of Jun’s body. I find this documentary so intriguing because I remember watching the chaos of the limb-mailing unfold on the news as a child. While I didn’t know the whole situation then, it completely blew me away learning the full story 10 years later.

Watching the documentary makes you flip through emotions

at a rapid pace, from feeling heartbreak, to anger, to fright in a matter of minutes. Despite the intensity of the docuseries, I watched it all the way through without realizing three hours had gone by. It does a great job of making you question Hollywood (and society’s) obsession with absurd true crime series – which is especially important considering serial killer profiles are often romanticised. Magnotta’s own motives relate to his own selfishness and hurt on his behalf of never finding fame in the film industry.

The documentary gives Magnotta his fame and poses a rhetorical question to audiences: why the fuck are we capitalizing on his actions when that’s what he wanted all along?

Manja Vitolic via Unsplash

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editor: katie mutschler sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | feb 3 - feb 9, 2022

The Beijing Winter Games: what you need to know Time for world-wide competitions to get people suddenly interested in sports

katherine mutschler s&h editor As of January 27, Canadian Olympians have been arriving in Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The games bring lots of excitement and controversy during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the games will still go forward despite critiques of pandemic protocols causing some complications. The events will begin on February 2 with various games before the opening ceremonies on February 4. It may feel like such a short time since the last games, which took place in Tokyo in 2021, but it is time for the next round of celebrations to happen.

In this article, you will find out about some of the symbols China used for their mascot and torch, some notable Saskatchewan athletes who will be competing, and how and where to broadcast the games.

One of the most exciting parts of the Olympics is the torch relay. The lighting ceremony took place in October of 2021 and was broadcast as the flame journeyed from Greece to Beijing. This year, the torch relay will have some restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19; the run will take place on a closed loop outdoors track, and there will be a reduced course and fewer runners than initially planned. The relay will take place from February 2 to February 4 and will conclude with the opening ceremonies, which will be broadcast on the Olympics official website, CBC, and the CBC Olympics App. The torch’s design has many references to Chinese culture. According to the official Winter Bei-

Vytautas Dranginis via Unsplash

And we’re off to the races...

jing website, the torch has a few references to the summer Olympics design from 2008, which also took place in Beijing. The torch bears resemblance through the same white and red colour scheme. On the torch, there is a winding design that represents the Great Wall of China and the courses for the ski slopes. On the bottom of the torch, there are designs in white and red that represent paper cutting, a folk art that originated in China. The torch’s design is meant to represent growth, comradery, and the gen-

for ice sports. This 2022 mascot is also a nod to the 2008 summer mascot, as a panda was one of the mascots for that year (and the panda is the national animal of China).

There will be some notable athletes with Saskatchewan ties competing in the Winter Olympics this year. Jay Dearborn, a former athlete for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, is going to be featured on the bobsledding team this year. According to CBC news, Dearborn suffered an injury while playing football, and turned to

ganizations, including the SJHL. Many of Saskatchewan’s athletes, coaches, and support staff have previously competed in the Olympics. This includes Marsha Hudey (speed skater) and Mark McMorris (snowboarding) who will be in their third Olympics.

Todd McClements and Adam Burwell will be featured as coaches for some of the teams for the 2022 games. The long track speed skating team will have Mark Jesney, who is a physiotherapist, accompany them for the upcoming Winter Games.

“

Let the Winter Games be the catalyst to learn about other cultures, and show sportsmanship towards the people around you.

– Katherine Mutschler

eral spirit of the Olympics.

Beijing’s winter mascot, Bing Dwen Dwen, also has some references to Chinese culture. “Bing” in this context is translated to “ice” in English. “Dwen Dwen” means robust and lively, which are meant to encapsulate the games. The friendly panda mascot bears a suit of ice to represent the Games themselves, but also the advancements in technology that China has been making. The colourful design on Bing Dwen Dwen’s face is meant to be a reference to the technological methods that Olympics have been making

bobsledding as an alternative. After COVID-19 restrictions were beginning to be implemented and football games were being canceled, he returned to bobsledding, and was eventually invited to join the Canadian team. Bobsledding will begin to broadcast on February 10 at midnight CST. Discover Humboldt features many Saskatchewan athletes who are going to the 2022 Winter games. Cianna Lieffers, who is from Cudworth, will be representing Saskatchewan on the women’s hockey team. She is involved in many hockey or-

Broadcasting of the games will take place on many platforms, including CBC television broadcast, the CBC website, and the official Olympics website. The opening ceremonies will premiere at 5:30 am CST on February 4.

If that is too early for you, some platforms such as Peacock will have VODs and highlights to stream (although it will cost money). On the CBC website, streaming can be searched by day, event, and also by television event. If you want to only tune into figure skating, you can easily access the times on the CBC Olympics web-

site. The official Olympics website has more information on how to access the games depending on which country you live in and suggests various providers.

If none of these options are available, the games are meant to be celebrated with other people.

Following COVID-19 protocols, maybe stream the games with a friend. If a family member has cable television (do people still use that?) go over and watch with them. During all the uncertainty of the pandemic, the Olympics, with warts and all, can bring us together. This is the perfect time to learn about the symbols and cultures of other countries who are competing. It is time to learn about inspiring athletes from your own country or from other countries. Maybe look up the athletes who will be competing (or have competed) from your province.

With access to the internet, you can learn everything you need to about controversies, policies, athletes, and companionship of the Olympic games. In 2018, I was walking on the U of R campus during the Soccer World Cup, and I witnessed a group of students surrounding a television in lab building cheering for their own teams and spending time together. The competition between people on campus brought me joy and made me excited for worldwide sporting events. Let the Winter Games be the catalyst to learn about other cultures, and show sportsmanship towards the people around you.

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sports & health

Dry February: stop drinking for a good cause (and your health) I will probably do better on my finals if I don’t party as much victoria baht s&h writer Hey there, Carillon readers! Happy month of February. I want you to take a second and think to yourself about what the month of February entails. Is it the month of love? Is it the coldest month of the year? How about the shortest month of the year? What about “Dry February?” Well, all of those are correct, but today in the Sports & Health section, we are going to talk about what “Dry February” is and why you should partake in it. “Dry February” is a fundraiser for cancer that encourages people to go alcohol-free for a month.

“Why the month of February?” you may ask (and no, the answer is not because it is the shortest month so it’s easier to abstain). It is because February 4 is World Cancer Day! Here is a brief explanation of what cancer is: cancer is a disease that occurs and changes normal cells inside of your body. It can lead to uncontrolled growth of cells, which can progress into a tumour. If

these cells do not get treatment, they can spread to other cells inside of the body by using your circulatory systems. Cancer affects many Canadians, and I am sure you know someone who has been affected by the disease, or you have been affected yourself.

“Dry February” is a fundraiser that is run by The Canadian Cancer Society. Not only do you avoid alcohol for the month, but you can raise money for cancer treatment! There is a reason why the Canadian Cancer society uses alcohol abstinence as a fundraiser.

Did you know any type of alcohol increases your risk of head, neck, breast, stomach, pancreatic, colorectal and liver cancers? Now you do! So, there is a fun fact for you and a reason why you should partake in “Dry February.”

Why else should you or your friends partake in “Dry February?” The reason may be because cancer has affected or affects someone you know. Maybe you have chosen to see what health benefits there are to giving up alcohol for a month. There are some benefits to partaking in

“Dry February.” Some people may experience improvement in their sleep patterns (and really, who doesn’t need that?). They may feel they are hydrated, which means not only are they maintaining more water in their daily intake, but being more hydrated can influence physical performance and give you more energy.

Another reason to not drink is to improve blood pressure rates.

Now, what is a benefit that is not for your health? The most obvious is to save money! If you partake in “Dry February,” not only can you fundraise money for cancer research and patients, but maybe you can save money that you would have spent on alcohol on a trip, family event, or a fitness journey.

So why should you partake in “Dry February?” The answers are endless. Why not join in? Start now and you help raise money for cancer and gain benefits for your own health! Partake by yourself or with a group of friends. Share this article with them and get a whole group to partake in “Dry February” together!

Kevin Kelly via Unsplash

Which wine pairs best with these chicken nuggets?

NBA 75th all-star lineup is announced We’re gonna shake it into overtime

amkir said contributor

The all-star game has always been one of the National Basketball Association’s most popular events, and this year’s might be the most important and highly-anticipated one in recent history. From marking a significant anniversary to having some of the biggest names in the sport’s record, this game is set to make history.

This year’s game commemorates the 75th anniversary of the NBA, a major milestone in the history of one of the most influential athletic organizations in the world. While the game itself is the 71st edition of the event, it still commemorates the league’s anniversary and is expected to provide an unforgettable spectacle.

Fun fact: the game is being held in Cleveland, Ohio, where the NBA’s 50th anniversary game was held in 1997.

As a quick summary for the selection process of all-star players, NBA players from the western and eastern conference teams get chosen to be part of the starting roster through a voting process consisting of fan, media, and player votes.

The player with the most votes in each of the two conferences is also appointed captain and gets to draft his team from the roster. The same players tend to get voted in during consecutive years, with these typically being household names like LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

However, this year’s event has a couple of exciting new picks that will be making their all-star debut.

The starting lineups of the Western and Eastern conferences were announced on January 27, with the inclusion of some names being very predictable and some rather surprising. The list is as follows: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, with this being his

18th time being picked as an allstar player. (western, captain) Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, 12th. (eastern, captain) Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors, 8th. (western) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 6th. (eastern) DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls, 5th. (eastern) Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, 5th. (eastern) Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets, 4th. (western) Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks, 2nd. (eastern) Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors, 1st. (western) Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 1st. (western) Wiggins and Morant have been selected for the first time in their careers after both being named Rookie of the Year in the 2014-15 and 2019-20 seasons respectively. As the only Canadian on the all-star roster, and the third

Canadian ever selected as an allstar, hopefully Wiggins will make us proud!

As of this article being written, the reserves have yet to be announced. As another quick refresher, after the starters are selected, the reserves are selected to fill in the remaining spots on both teams. However, unlike the democratic selection process of the starting roster in which fans and the media are directly involved in picking players, the reserves are selected by the NBA’s head coaches.

As I have no idea who will be selected for the reserves, I’ve jotted down a few predictions: Luka Dončić: scoring and ball-handling expert; one of the best offensive players in the league right now. (Dallas Mavericks) Klay Thompson: incredibly talented shooter, with his and Stephen Curry’s chemistry being some of the strongest in the league and instrumental to the team’s re-

cent success. (Golden State Warriors) LaMelo Ball: exceptionally talented rookie with phenomenal scoring power for his age. (Charlotte Hornets) Fred VanVleet: all-around excellent defender and teammate; in all honesty, this is just wishful thinking from a diehard Raptors fan…

This game will be the second one to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is unclear as to how many restrictions will be in place this year. Regardless, for those of us (including me, unfortunately) who can’t make it to Cleveland this February, the game will be televised live as always. Who will win, Team James or Team Durant? Will Curry make physics-defying shots with or without Thompson? Will the Raptors get some love this year? Find out at the 2022 NBA all-star game.

Markus Spiske via Unsplash

Let’s get ready to rumble

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Gym review series: Wheelhouse Cycle Club I may not be able to ride away from my problems, but at least the music is good

victoria baht s&h writer If you have been following along for the month of January, you know about my gym review series. If you have not, do not feel discouraged; we will tell you what is going on and what you have missed. I have been going around to gyms in Regina and doing a review and an interview with a trainer or instructor. You have heard of my experience on a yoga mat at Oxygen Yoga, on a ballerina bar at Fit Project, on an exercise mat at Kettlebell Kickboxing, and now I will be on a stationary bike at Wheelhouse Cycle Club.

There are two locations of Wheelhouse Cycle Club in Regina: the “central” location on 1735 7th Avenue, and the “east” location on 2005 Prince of Wales Drive.

So, now that you know where to go, what is the experience like? At both locations you are greeted by staff who help you check in. How you check in is based on an iPad system: you check the iPad and look for your name, and it will tell you what bike you are on. Before you go and find what bike you are on, you need to get a pair of shoes. The bikes Wheelhouse Cycle Club use involve a special shoe where they use a “clip and lock” technique. Your foot clicks directly into the foot pedal of the bike.

That way your foot does not fall off. Grab those shoes, go find your bike, then click yourself in.

Once you’re clicked in, get a feel for the bike and make sure that you feel comfortable. If you look down in front of you there will be

a screen. This can help guide how far you have biked and how many calories you have burned, if you are interested in that (although, note that these numbers are just an estimation). Just below the screen there is a tightening dial that you can twist left or right to change the resistance. There are three handrails for you to grab onto: two directly in front of you that are basically shoulder width apart like a normal bike, and an inner one closer to the screen, as well two bottom ones under the connection. All of these handrails are good and used for you to grab onto once you are

and up down, lean to the left and right or back and forth, as well stay in one constant spot. It is really unique to think about, and once you have the hang of it, it is hard to lose the flow. Having your legs move to the beat and moving your upper body as well is super unique.

It is easy to get into the music even if you are not a music driven person.

Once you have the cycling down pat (or maybe you don’t – just more reason to come back) you can add weight. About halfway through the class I was wondering to myself, “I have not used those

my thoughts, let’s get some information from an expert. If you attend Wheelhouse, I have a feeling you definitely know Jenna Kress, as she is amazing at what she does and she makes her classes lots of fun!

What do you like about teaching classes?

Overall, it’s the people and the energy that we create in such an empowering, fun, and nurturing space. We are free to explore, challenge ourselves through the choices we make, and we get to ride to loud music that we choose. We also have Virtual Wheelhouse Live

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Exercise is a great way for us to experience how we can tap into our greatest potentials and how we can conquer our struggles.

– Jenna Krass

moving and dancing in the class. If you look and feel just below your seat, you will notice that there are weights there that you can use in the class when instructed.

Now that you know where all the equipment is and you have a feel for the bike, let’s start the class!

This biking class is music based. To each beat of the music is a stroke with your leg to help you stay on beat. Once you have a hang of the music, the instructor will guide you through different movements to do. You can put your hands in different positions, you can move

weights, when will I use them?” I should not have asked that question! The Wheelhouse does a couple of minutes of just arm work, and trust me it is deadly.

Wheelhouse Cycle Club is a unique gym where you get a great cardio workout by trying to keep up with the beat. It is a great leg workout as you tighten up the resistance on your legs. It is also a great ab workout as you move through movements on your bike and maintain balance – plus a killer arm workout that only lasts a few minutes. Now that you know

platform that allows us to connect with new people globally!

What keeps you motivated to be a fitness instructor?

Exercise is a tool for me to help me feel good internally; it keeps me sane, so I’m always doing some type of movement daily.

Exercise is a great way for us to experience how we can tap into our greatest potentials and how we can conquer our struggles; it allows us to experience how strong we really are.

What is some advice you would give someone who is

wanting to try your gym for the first time?

Come with no expectation and just try to experiment and do your best where you are at. Also ask questions if you need help with anything!

We all know January is the month for “new year, new me.” What are some suggestions you have for people to not only have a new me, but to improve their healthy habits and lifestyle?

“New year, new me” isn’t something I personally connect with. I believe incorporating healthy habits or making positive changes in a lifestyle helps you actually be you, and you can make change at any point of time when you are motivated to do so, but in saying that, the new year can definitely be a good motivating factor.

Does the gym have any special promotions going on right now? If so, can you explain them?

Your first ride is free. There are also student discounts and a variety of ride packages. We film live rides of our Wheelhouse Live Platform and those are also free – we just ask you bring the energy.

There you go, Carillon readers. Now you have heard my experience of four different gyms to go to in Regina, and what it takes to get into the gym. If these articles did not get you motivated to try out a gym, maybe you can check out some I didn’t talk about. Good luck, readers! I would also like to shout out and say thank you to all the gyms for partaking in this fun series.

Intenza Fitness

Spain without the a…

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editor: sarah nakonechny op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | feb 3 - feb 9, 2022

Braving the elements as a first-generation academic

I may not know much, but what I do know is that this process is hard It’s an interesting and challenging experience being the first member of your family to pursue a university education. Looking out at the world now, it is a large expectation that individuals pursue post-secondary education. However, the experience of university is very different from the experience had when pursuing higher education in trades work. It is not as direct, takes many more years, and the expectations for what next steps look like are not always outlined in as clear of a way.

In my case, I am the first person in my immediate family to complete as high a level of university education as I have, as I am nearing the end of my undergraduate degrees. This is something that I am extremely proud of as I hope that the work and dedication I have put into my education show my family the appreciation I have for the hard work they have put in to ensure I have the capacity to pursue such endeavors. It is also something that I realize not everyone experiences in the same way I have. While there was no expectation for me to pursue any kind of university education, I recognize that those who come from families with various levels of higher education have a very different reality as they are expected to pursue more education.

In some ways, I don’t envy those who were pushed by their relatives into the university experience. Being able to choose freely if I wanted more education, where that education came from, or if jumping into the workforce was where my desires fell was a freeing experience that is becoming more uncommon. However, it has come with its own sets of challenges that must be overcome as well.

One of the most notable challenges

has been the lack of information regarding the procedures and expectations of the university experience. I walked into my first year with the understanding that one must complete their degree in 4 years, not realizing that you could be a part time student, take terms off, participate in co-op terms, or work on multiple different degrees or certificates at one time. Discovering all of this was shocking and wrapping my head around all the new opportunities

ly. Of course, nobody wants to fail courses or fail out of their desired program; this stress increases when you are fumbling through the processes on your own for the first time with the words of your family ringing in your ears. My family all jumped into the workforce immediately after they finished high school, and this process has worked out successfully for them. They were able to gain certificates as they needed and have been able to work their way up

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When you don’t know what kinds of information you should be looking for, you have no idea what you’re missing.

– Sarah Nakonechny

this allowed for was overwhelming. Something that seems obvious now but certainly wasn’t at the beginning was the process of building a schedule every term and the idea that courses may not occur at the same time every single semester, or even every day in the week. All of this sounds horrendously obvious to me now, but when you don’t have anyone who knows what these processes look like it is a very large shock to first encounter.

A challenge that everyone experiences, but that I feel presents itself differently when you are the first to embark on this endeavour is the stress of ensuring that you are able to complete the process successful-

the chain of command in their respected areas. Not doing this and instead spending thousands of dollars chasing a fancy piece of paper is difficult to understand when that hasn’t been needed, and the pressure to ensure that I’m successful to justify that this decision wasn’t a mistake can be suffocating at times. Nobody wants to feel like they’re letting their family down, but it feels like a lot more is riding on it when you’re the first one to brave the elements and embark on that journey. If I can survive the process and be successful, it will open up a world of opportunities for myself and my family that didn’t seem possible prior.

One of the things that my experience

has shown me is the giant holes in information that are present within the system and the unbelievable challenges that are faced by students who do not have the luxury of leaning on those who have experienced it before. When you don’t know what kinds of information you should be looking for, you have no idea what you’re missing. Of course, we can tell people how to study, take proper notes, and craft professional emails. What we should be telling them are the things that may seem like common knowledge once you know them but are life changing when you have no idea that they exist. This means ensuring that students know we have a writing center, that there are student groups for their departments and faculties that they can engage with, and the importance of interacting with your professors about more than just an exam grade but about their research, and possibilities within the area you’re pursuing. I am hopeful that I have been able to provide ways, even if they are small, for those gaps to be closed just a little bit.

I am forever grateful for being able to embark on this absolutely terrifying journey that is an undergraduate education, and the faith that my family has that I will be successful in my attempts. What that success will look like in the end? I don’t think I’m qualified to decide right now – but I am cautiously optimistic that it will be alright when everything is all said and done.

sarah nakonechny op-ed editor Leon Wu via Unsplash

You worked so hard just to be able to take this photo.

feb 3 - feb 9, 2022

op-ed

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

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The never-ending dance between Android and Apple Comparing the pros and cons brought forth by Apple and Android products

Bangyu Wang via Unsplash

Samsung who? It’s Apple’s time.

People seem to just love having debates.

The only thing they love more than debates, are debates that they have reduced to exactly two options. Maybe it has something to do with the cognitive difficulty of comparing three or more things, or the fact that if you start allowing for nuance and finer distinctions, then the debate is a little more academic than visceral, and thus calls for more work. Whatever the reason, dichotomies seem to be all around us. We hear about Messi vs Ronaldo, DC vs Marvel, and the list goes on.

One such dichotomy that has been around over the last decade or so, is that of which smartphone operating system is superior. Put in more everyday terms, I refer to the Apple vs Android debate. As with most debates of this nature, the conversation tends to be extremely polarized. There are people who seriously doubt the intellect of anyone who buys an iPhone, and there are those who mourn the lack of refinement and taste of Android users.

Firstly, as a lifelong advocate against false dichotomies, I feel the need to point something out. While it makes some sense to cluster the entire range of iPhones offered in any given year under the same umbrella, this simply makes no sense when it comes to an Android phone. Every single iPhone, across the entire price range, is designed by Apple. They are manufactured under the supervision of Apple engineers, to run an operating system called the iOS, also designed by Apple. Contrast this with what we refer to as Android phones. This is at best an umbrella term that covers a wide range of physical devices, all of which run the Android Operating System designed by Google.

Other than the Pixel brand, Google does not make any of the other physical phones running their system. Anyone familiar with the challenges of designing software should immediately see the potential challenges here. When the team that builds the software is under the same company that builds the device to run it on,

like they do at Apple, there is room for twoway communication at every phase of the process. The software team can tweak their product to work better with the screen size, while the device team can make design decisions based on how the exact software will look and run for the end user. This is an opportunity most Android device manufacturers do not get to the same extent.

When designing their device, all they have for testing is the latest publicly released version of the operating system, and no guarantees how their product will do with the very next version.

Speaking of device manufacturers, this is a very wide spectrum for Android.

There are of course the biggest names in

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peting products is based on widely divergent philosophies. Apple is trying to build the best product they can, subject to the constraint that one needs to be using their other products for other aspects of their life to get the most out of their offerings.

Transferring files to and from your iPhone will work best if you also own a MacBook.

If you are using a PC, that experience will range anywhere between mildly infuriating to downright impossible to do without calling up your friend who is a Computer Science major. If you own an iPad and like to read on it before bed, you will also be able to pick up where you left off on your iPhone during a bus ride the next morning. If you are using a non-Apple

Having seen both sides of the issue, then, I am still unable to pick a favourite.

– Hammad Ali

that niche, like Samsung, LG, and Google themselves, as mentioned above. But most phones running Android are designed by smaller companies across the world. My first Android phone was manufactured by a company called Symphony, based out of China and in collaboration with Bangladesh. It costed me all of $180 CDN. Surely one can see the futility of comparing that brand of Android with even the most basic iPhone. To be fair, when most people are making a comparison, they are thinking of Samsung, which is possibly the most premium brand of Android phones.

But even then, the comparison is too simplistic and loses nuance. At the core of it, even the software design for these two com-

reading app though, once again the world will seem like a much bleaker place. Not to mention that Android vendors, particularly Samsung, often pack in a lot of experimental features. Often this means their phones are less stable than the iPhone – but at the same time, wireless charging, fingerprint/ face ID, and many other features came to Android phones a good two or three years before Apple catches on!

Then we come to the world of wearable technology, the two biggest ones being activity trackers and wireless earphones/ headphones. Once again, Apple has a somewhat closed system. They design their own earphones and headphones, the Airpod and Airpod Pro Max. While these

work with Android phones too, anecdotal evidence seems to be that using them with Apple devices is far more seamless and smooth. Even with the Beats headphones, Apple offers a much smoother experience than Android, possibly because Apple now owns Beats. On the other hand, I do have to concede that for most headphones/ earphones, Android needs some vendor provided app to get the most out of the devices. However, this also means that regardless of which Android phone you have, the experience will be standard. In my many phone upgrades, this has often been a crucial factor. I want to be able to switch phones without worrying if all my other gadgets will work with them.

Which brings me to activity trackers, and my own phone choices over the last five years. In the activity tracker market, the two big names are Apple Watch and the company Fitbit, which offers a wide range of trackers with varying features and capabilities. For four out of the last five years, I have used iPhones. For the first one year, I owned a Fitbit. I needed the Fitbit app, but the transition from Android to iPhone was easy. Then my Fitbit broke, and I replaced it with an Apple Watch. Far superior product, but once again, it did cost nearly twice as much as the Fitbit!

Then when it was time for a phone upgrade, I realized with great dismay that unless I choose another iPhone, I would have to give up my Apple Watch. I bit the bullet and picked one. However, by the time I needed another upgrade, this “closed ecosystem” was bothering me; so, I moved back to Androids with a Samsung Note 20 Ultra, paired recently with a Fitbit Inspire 2. Having seen both sides of the issue, then, I am still unable to pick a favourite. I can say that for me, in 2022, Android makes the most sense. But I would be lying if I said I do not see why someone would ever get an iPhone...

hammad ali staff writer

feb 3 - feb 9, 2022

carillonregina.com | the carillon |

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Combatting the effects of burnout

Suggestions for how to prevent the onset of burnout and how to care for yourself when you’re experiencing it

Elisa Ventur via Unsplash

Why look stressed at your computer when you can look happily at your phone instead?

Essays, exams, extracurriculars, expectations; we juggle them all throughout the year. When there’s a collection of them all piling together, it’s impossible to not notice the growing mountain and not be impacted by it. There’s so much scheduling and planning that goes into determining what is due when, how long it should take to complete, etc. Unfortunately, time management and estimations don’t exactly work well together, since one of them is usually wrong. Not to mention that having full access to your whole year schedule and having it well organized enough to recall everything is a feat I doubt many have mastered.

Inevitability, once you get it done and over with you start the whole process over again, which feels a little counterproductive. However, combatting the problem before it becomes one can help somewhat. A tip on how to do that? Don’t wait until the last minute to do assignments – easier said than done, I know.

Keeping class assignment lists like a lifeline helps, and so does accessing the Student Success Centre, as they are there to help you succeed. Another thing is to use the University of Regina’s app. It has a lot of useful features to keep you organized, like a schedule, and all you need is your phone.

Keep a look out for events and special classes offered through the Student Success Centre, as there may be something helpful to you in getting things done in a timelier manner.

Don’t overlook events that are hosted by the school or student groups and allow yourself to go have fun at those, too.

Side note - many of us work while in school, often retail due to the hours we can be available. However, a stressful job prone to burnout doesn’t help. While working in a retail location is often necessary, I highly recommend

you try to get a position that consists mostly of background work with as minimal requirements for dealing with customers as possible.

Another thing is to find an outlet when you are dealing with the uncomfortable feelings that contribute to burnout, or just other unpleasant emotions. Whether it’s listening to music, spending time in nature, with family, friends, or a pet; having a hobby like painting, video games, tinkering with something, etc. It is important to have something to channel these feelings into.

Now let’s say you’ve done these things and you still manage to hit the jackpot – lucky you – and you’re experiencing burnout anyway.

Some things to keep in mind: it’s natural to feel, especially when you’re juggling a lot of tasks.

There’s nothing wrong with you for experiencing it, or anything else like it for that matter.

Even if you’re struggling, you’re still fully capable of being satisfied with your life, the degree of help you need regarding that doesn’t matter.

Despite this, feeling and/or feelings of burnout suck. What else can be done about them? One of the biggest things is taking a break from what’s causing you to feel burnt out. If doing anything makes you feel burnt out, then do nothing. Take a nap, watch some Netflix, meditate, whatever, just relax yourself.

If you can, consider going to a spa for some special treatment: a message, facial, manicure, pedicure, etc. If you’re still struggling don’t be afraid or ashamed to talk to a therapist, or a counsellor. Sometimes a professional’s opinion helps a lot in making you feel validated.

rayanne gwilliam contributor

Yes, this is my child. Yes, he is a cat

Observing the ways my cat chooses to share his affection

Sarah Nakonechny

The calm before the inevitable hairball storm

One of the best things about owning a pet is when you figure out how they show you love.

Of course, there are the usual ways in which most pets will show this: coming to the door or waiting at the window when you come home, wanting to be pet, and just generally wanting to be around you. For those who have a pet, you know that there are specific little things that they do that are outside of the norm to show you how much they specifically care about you.

I get to experience this love from my little cat, Harley. I’ve had him for almost 14 years, and he has been this small little support for me through most major events in my life. To say that he has gotten quirky in his old age is an understatement, but it adds to his charm. The way that he expresses his affection has changed throughout the years as he has grown older, which is something that I have found incredible to watch. To acknowledge that the development of his character shares features to human development regarding personality and expression of affection has been fascinating.

For those who have met my cat, one of the first actions that will be commented on is his fascination with swimming in his water dish. He will sit there for roughly five minutes at a time and proceed to dip his one paw into the water dish over and over. Once he is done, he will proceed to come over to me and set his paw on me as though he wants my help with drying it off. No matter what I’m doing, I will end up with a wet paw on me and his little face looking up at me waiting for assistance.

While I have been unable to win the wet paw war, we have come to a mutual understanding – mostly – about where he can lay when I’m working. Like most pets, my cat wants to be held at the most inconvenient times. Whether I am in class, writing a pa-

per, or attending a meeting, he wants to be there and needs to be held like a baby. As he is so small, oftentimes I must use one of my hands to support him to ensure he doesn’t slide off. After years of moving him so I can use both of my hands on my keyboard he has learned to position himself between my arms on my desk. This way he can use me as a pillow while still allowing me to get work done. Now this might have been learned out of pure annoyance from being kicked off, but I’m choosing to believe he does it out of love.

Most recently, he has taken to sleeping near my head at night which is the most notable change from when he was a kitten. He has always been very persistent on sleeping in the same room as me, forcing his way through closed doors if he must. However, he has typically stayed near my feet once he has successfully infiltrated my sleep quarters.

Within the last year, after he recovered from a surgery to remove a lump from one of his hind legs, he has begun to sleep beside my head or directly on my back. This change in behaviour given the timing of its occurrence feels like a child who wants to sleep in their parent’s bed when they’re sick – wanting to be close to the one who protects you and makes you feel better. I’d like to think that’s what’s happening when he does this.

Being able to see the distinctive ways that my cat has changed his behaviours and the little ways that I interpret his affection bring me such joy. It really is accurate when people describe their pets as being their children, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

sarah nakonechny op-ed editor

feb 3 - feb 9, 2022

carillonregina.com | the carillon |19

op-ed

Combatting the winter blues Ways to help beat that dreaded winter slump Invest in gold star stickers. Every year in the middle of January, I get the impending sense of “when will this month end?”

With the semester off to a rocky start and continuing to work from home, I find it difficult to keep my spirits up. January has felt like it has gone on for three months at this point, and the crummy weather has made it difficult to roll out of bed for school and work. As much as I love staying in my pajamas for class, it is hard to not procrastinate through dark periods. Here is a list of things I do to keep myself motivated: 1.Make attainable goals Lots of the time when I try to help

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term goals can change your week. One of my goals for Sunday is to organize my files on my desktop into my folders so I can start with a clean slate at the beginning of every week. Healthy goals tend to come in small doses.

2. Keep your space clean I cannot emphasize enough how much easier it is to work in a clean space. I find that when I let things get messy enough in my space, all I do is I sit and stew over the fact that I am uncomfortable in my working and learning space. I cannot think properly because I am so distracted by my own area. It is important to acknowledge

sort of functionality in my space.

3. Create encouraging rewards It is easy to start procrastinating different tasks when you start to lose motivation or burn out. Online classes have been tough for me so far this winter semester because I do not have the balance between a work and rest space.

It is very easy to get distracted with chores or activities in my room when I am supposed to be focused on the tasks that I need to be doing.

Having a balance between your work, school, and personal life is important so you can allocate enough time for each as-

avoiding burnout. Sometimes I feel like I could sleep for 14 hours at a time. It is my weakness that when I have free time, I like to lay on my bed on my phone. Finding different activities to do during free time makes a difference in your alertness throughout the day. When I sit around for all the breaks I have, I find that it is harder to get started on a new task. Now, if I am in the mood to watch Netflix, I am normally doing something stimulating like crocheting or a puzzle.

This is not to discredit rest periods.

Sometimes the best way to rest and recharge is to lay down and do something

One of my goals for Sunday is to organize my files on my desktop into my folders so I can start with a clean slate at the beginning of every week. Healthy goals tend to come in small doses.

– Gillian Massie

myself, I go for the absolute most extreme lifestyle flip and stick with it for three days before reverting to my old habits. There is a reason why this does not work, and it is because you are putting your body into circumstances that it does not understand and would rather return to its old ways than adapt. For example, this fall I was determined to start running. I probably ran for a week before I had to quit because my shins hurt so badly and spent another two weeks trying to recover. When I went back, I had a better plan. I would walk to start up, and then I would slow jog for about five minutes of every run I did. Slowly, I worked my way up longer distances with more running incorporated.

It takes 21 days to form a habit, but it makes it so much easier when that habit turns into a hobby. Running is a long-term goal but developing two or three short-

that messiness can also be a good part of the creative process – but when my messiness extends over days, I know it does not help my productivity.

I live in a shoebox. I have a single dorm with enough room for my bed, desk, and a chair. While I love my shoebox, I am in a constant state of sweeping and folding to make sure I have enough room for everything in here. Sometimes, when I let it go too far and let it look like a car fire, it reflects my inner turmoil or worries. Cleaning can be the hardest part of my day, which is why I choose to have Sunday afternoons as my tidying period. It is so easy to let simple upkeeping habits go when you are having a big week. Many of those simple housekeeping chores are aiding your productivity. Now, my most busy weeks are times when my room is the cleanest because I know I cannot focus without some

pect. It’s important to reward yourself for getting activities done throughout the day, so get creative with your rewards. This can come in the form of materialistic things or things that can help you with your work.

For example, if I was to choose a materialistic thing for myself, I would probably hit up the Starbucks drive thru. For hobbies, I know that when I hit my 500 miles run mark, I am going to buy a new roller so I can roll my legs in my room rather than at the gym. Some rewards are smaller than others - I often like to make a checklist of three things to get through before I take a break. When I complete a task on my list, I put a little star sticker next to it. It is a small gesture, but it keeps me motivated throughout the rest of my day to keep achieving more tasks.

4. Active resting periods Creating time for rest is essential for

mindless like scrolling through social media. I am someone who really struggles to keep a good routine for themselves and when I get a day off, instead of sleeping in until 10 am, I will sleep until noon. When my sleep schedule gets thrown off, I can stay up until early hours of the morning.

My best advice on how to knock yourself out is so simple: books. Reading is something I do not do enough, but often get my hours in trying to fall asleep. However, this means not reading off your phone, tablet, or Kindle. Grab the paperback copy of the book that has been sitting on your shelf and I promise you will be out in no time.

gillian massie staff writer

Josh Hild via Unsplash

Who knew postcard scenes could be so unmotivating?

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editors: safal gangwani, rooky jegede graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | feb 3 - feb 9, 2022