The Fulcrum- Volume 77, Issue 23

VOL. 77 ISSUE 23

mar. 23, 2017

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Students reject sfuo exec raises. Pg. 4, 19.

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In this week’s issue And now, a word from the president P.3 Read the Fulcrum’s exclusive interview with the U of O’s president here Eve Film Festival celebrates women in film P.7 U of O prof featured in first edition of feminist film fest

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Global health must stay a priority, regardless of strides made P.8 As World Health Day approaches, we look at why immunization is everyone’s problem

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It’s a rough ride to the top P.10 Gee-Gee turned Saskatchewan Roughrider talks to the Fulcrum about his time at the U of O

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Keeping Up with the Boardashians is back P.15 General Assembly sees most shade thrown so far this season

NEWS

NEWS EDITOR

Graham Robertson news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0061 @_grahamr

Year in review with U of O president Jacques Frémont Frémont talks mental health, sexual violence, and food insecurity with the Fulcrum “We can’t transform everything in one year, but if we can measure that there is progress and that people feel it is a better place in all sorts of respects, then I say I’ve done my job.”—Jacques Frémont, president, University of Ottawa.

savannah awde & Graham robertson

Editor-in-chief & news editor

O

n Thursday, March 16, Jacques Frémont, president of the University of Ottawa, sat down with the Fulcrum to discuss his first year on campus and his vision for the 2017–18 school year.

Frémont shared how he hopes to make mental health services more accessible, how he will address sexual violence and food insecurity on campus, and how his human rights background translates into his work at the U of O. The Fulcrum: The U of O has been subject to scrutiny in the last few years due to sexual assault cases involving the 2013–14 hockey team, as well as the Mélodie Morin case last year. While the university adopted a policy on the prevention of sexual violence last June, how else do you plan on using your new position to prevent sexual violence at the university?

Frémont formerly served as president of the Québec human rights commission.

JF: You know, food security, it’s a sign of the times. It testifies to the real difficulties and challenges some members of our community have, and I think this issue should not be taken lightly.

Certainly we have been working to bring resources ahead in terms of support for the students and student services. Budget-wise, for students in special difficulties, we try to support them.

And if there’s a student initiative in terms of food security—there seems to be—I think we ought to be part of that equation. You can’t study on an empty stomach, let’s be realistic, and the phenomenon is more than an empty stomach. It’s a challenge, and I would say, “Let’s work together.”

Jacques Frémont: It is a concern for every university, and we are part of the pact. As you mentioned, we’ve adopted the policy, and that was after a good process where everyone involved had a word and people negotiated things. I’m not saying that we have the best—I don’t know what is the best sexual violence policy, but we do have one, and certainly my priority is to implement it and see where it works properly.

And I guess we’ll have to see in a few years’ time how it can be improved. And we have to learn with what we’ve done this year. It was voted on in June, which was just before I arrived, so we’re still in the process of making it happen. We’ve taken the measures we said we would in terms of what to do, including having officers dealing with that, including having an internal committee overseeing everything.

We’ve worked with the student association for the (return) to classes in September, and there was some training involved. Everyone took it very seriously, and I think that’s how it should be done, but we should not release the pressure. We should really be on the edge on that issue, and keep working on it, so it’s very important that we do our best in implementing that policy.

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F: As this year ends, what is your vision for the 2017–18 school year, and what are the main goals that you want to accomplish?

JF: Wow, quite a question! I’m not quite there yet. First we have to do a short-term reset in terms of financial conditions, because you know there are challenges there, and we’re not far from a balanced budget, so that is one of the priorities.

Another one of the priorities will be to start implementing the two reports from the two committees. I think we ought to move quickly. Especially (with) internationalization. We have the privilege of having many international students, but the international experience has to be much, much deeper and wider than that. And our relationship with the rest of the world and being an actor in terms of higher education on the world stage is crucial.

We have to make sure that these foreign students are well-integrated, that they are happy and that they will become our ambassadors, (and) we have to internationalize the teaching and the research being conducted on the campus. I think it should penetrate everything we do, we teach, and as we live in a community.

Next year we’ll have a good conversation concerning bilingualism and the Francophone part of the university. Are we doing the best? What are the specific challenges met by Francophone students, and what are their privileges or advantages?

We can’t transform everything in one year, but if we can measure that there is progress and that people feel it is a better place in all sorts of respects, then I say I’ve done my job. It’s easy in universities to talk and talk and talk, and no action. And I like to talk the talk, conversation is very important, but then I want action.

F: How has your human rights background contributed to your work at the U of O this past year, and how will you use it in the coming year?

JF: This year, over and above getting to know the place and the people and how everything works, I had two major projects. One was with internationalization and the other is with diversity and inclusion—that comes directly from that background. I’m in a hurry. I want the place to be a model in Canada in terms of diversity and inclusion.

And there have been various allegations, and some might be right, and some might be wrong—I don’t know. But what I want to identify is, if we want to become a model, where are the systemic blocks? Where are the places which we don’t see, which might seem to appear neutral but still produce discriminatory results in terms of hiring students, in terms of student life, in terms of faculty members’ characteristics.

It’s especially important for the U of O given the diversity of our campus—and that’s striking. That’s one of the smashing surprises I’ve had—how diverse, how rich our campus is. But that in turn imposes duties to have a place free of discrimination and harassment.

JF: Mental health, again, is a huge challenge, and it’s a challenge for all universities in Canada.

But much effort is going into that already. Is it enough? Certainly not. But I know our services are overburdened now, and part of our responsibility is to provide support in a timely manner, really, because time is also of the essence in many cases.

I was discussing that with my team the other day, and part of the challenge (is that) we get nothing from the state, so this has to be taken from the general budget, and it is taken from the general budget, and it’s fine like this. But at some point, we wish we could provide more support.

So I don’t know how we’re going to manage to achieve that, but what’s important is I hope that people in emergency cases have access to all they need. We had an incident yesterday that remind-

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

ed us how fragile the system is, and it’s always a defeat when people face mental health problems and are not taken up by the system. It’s a grave concern.

Issues of accessibility for me are a challenge, and an absolute necessity … the challenges are, if we had a lot of money, it would be much easier to deal with that. Again, the demand is growing year after year, and we have to face that. Not only because it’s the law, but because it’s the decent thing to do.

F: It’s common knowledge that mental health issues run rampant among university students. However, many students feel dissatisfied with the on-campus counselling and support services. Are you currently working on anything to improve mental health services for students?

F: In a recent interview with Mayor Jim Watson, one of our reporters had the opportunity to discuss student food insecurity.

What will you do to mitigate food insecurity on our campus?

I think some of the recommendations of the committee will (be made) during the summer … then it will set an action plan to see year to year how we can progress and how we can measure that progress year to year so that we are a better place.

NEWS | 3

SFUO exec salary raise reversed at historic GA

March 14 assembly sees quorum met for the first time since inception Graham robertson News Editor

The March 14 General Assembly (GA) of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) made history, since quorum was met for the first time since its debut in November 2014.

A motion at the Jan. 15 Board of Administration (BOA) meeting had lowered quorum for GAs from one per cent of the student population (around 350 students) to 0.75 per cent (around 230 students).

Over 280 U of O students filled Marion Auditorium by 7 p.m., the majority standing in opposition to a motion passed at the March 12 Board of Administration (BOA) meeting which increased the SFUO execs’ salaries by 18 per cent.

Following an Indigenous land acknowledgement by chairperson Shawn Philip Hunsdale, the agenda was presented—one that did not include any points on the $6,000 salary increase.

Amendment on general election results Jean-Philippe Dubé, a fourthyear computer science student, kicked off the GA by bringing forward an amendment to the agenda to call into question the results of the 2017 general election, due to several controversies surrounding the election that needed to be further investigated. The majority of the room applauded, echoing Dubé’s sentiments.

However, Hunsdale ruled against Dubé’s amendment, noting that all points on the GA agenda had to be presented in

advance.

Discussion by various members of the audience followed, and the meeting ultimately moved to a vote to uphold Hunsdale’s decision. The vote did not carry, and so Dubé’s amendment to call into question the election results was added to the agenda.

Amendment on reversing executive salary raises Dubé then brought forth another motion which aimed to reverse the salary increases of members of the executive.

Once again, applause followed, and once again, Hunsdale ruled against this amendment to the agenda.

Following a failed vote to uphold Hunsdale’s decision, the amendment on executive pay raises was added to the agenda, and another vote led to these two points being moved to the top of the agenda, ahead of executive updates and the presentation of the budget.

“Students are here tonight to clearly say ‘no’ to the pay raise,” said Jordan Kent, a first-year political science and history student.

Many of the same talking points that have been circulating on social media regarding the pay raises—cuts to club funding, a $0 budget for 101 Week, cuts to staffing, etc.—continued at the GA, where many expressed the idea that the federation simply could not afford to raise executive salaries by a collective $36,000. Many students booed upon hearing the new numbers.

As a compromise, Kathryn LeBlanc, a BOA Faculty of Arts

director and incoming vicepresident of services and communications, who showed vocal opposition to the pay raise initially, suggested that the raise could only apply to executive members with a dependent (i.e. a child).

SFUO president Roméo Ahimakin was in favour of this amendment, noting the federation’s current financial crisis.

However, he said that it was imperative to specify what constitutes a dependant.

After some discussion and voting the wording of the amendment was changed to, “legal dependent.” However, the final vote on the overall amendment did not pass.

A further amendment resulted in the motion reading that executive salaries could only be raised if SFUO staff salaries would be raised as well.

Anticipation filled the room as the vote began on this motion. Ultimately, the vote passed, and students cheered since they effectively reversed the executives’ salary increase.

However, Hunsdale then made an announcement that caught many students off-guard.

Following a vote at the Nov. 6 BOA meeting, it was decided that the GA was no longer the highest decision-making body of the SFUO. Hunsdale specified that the vote on the salary increase would have no legislative authority. Instead it only served to show the views of students, and the vote would have to be ratified by the board at a later date.

In Hunsdale’s words, the board would “strongly consider” the decision of the students.

Arsalan Khan, a Faculty of Engineering representative on the board, said that the vote of the students was a demonstration of “clear democracy,” and urged his fellow board members to ratify this decision and act in the interests of the students who elected them and whom they represent.

Jeffry Colin, also a board member from the Faculty of Engineering, then pointed out that because the salary increase is not a policy or bylaw issue, it does not pertain to issues which must be voted on by the board.

This meant that the reversal of the executive salary increase did, in fact, pass.

Vet’s Tour motion A motion was then brought forward by the Revolutionary Student Movement to “Combat Organized Rape Culture by Student Associations.”

The motion called for the assembly to set up a committee to investigate the October Vet’s Tour, which was organized by the Science Students’ Association and involved a number of

students from federated bodies across campus.

According to the motion, “the investigation committee (would be) given power to access any SFUO documentation … that may relate to Vet’s Tour,” and that “federated bodies (would) be encouraged to provide full access to documentation, or their status as a federated body will be revoked.”

The motion passed.

However, by this point in the evening the assembly fell short of quorum—just 10 students shy of the necessary 231.

Therefore, the assembly could not vote on members to be part of this investigative committee, and the GA then moved to executive updates.

No other motions could be discussed, including discussion surrounding the election results.

Statement on Black History Month During her executive updates, SFUO vice-president of equity Morissa Ellis emphasized her disappointment in the stu-

dent body and members of the executive for a lack of support for Black History Month events.

More specifically, she said that Ahimakin and vice-president of services and communications Francesco Caruso were not actively engaged in the month’s events.

According to Ellis, while students show a great deal of support for events such as 101 Week and Relay for Life, Black History Month often goes under their radar.

Ellis then brought up “blatant racism” on the BOA, and said that for 12 months her work as a black woman and as vicepresident of equity has gone unnoticed. She also said, now that she has brought forward these sentiments, she would not be accepting any “thank-yous” from students because of their overall lack of support prior to this statement.

Following a presentation of the budget, the GA was adjourned at 10 p.m.

The next official BOA meeting is set to take place on April 2 at 1 p.m. in TBT 083.

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A&C EDITOR Anchal Sharma arts@thefulcrum.ca

ARTS&CULTURE Peterson lecture outlines need for inclusivity in the arts (613) 695-0062 @imtherocks

Students, professors, and activists unite in peaceful protest for trans rights “Jordan Peterson is fully aware of the harm and violence caused by his discourse,” wrote Zac Johnstone, a former University of Ottawa student who attended the protest, in an email to the Fulcrum. “His arguments are being used by social conservatives in the Senate to delay a trans rights bill that’ll have a significant impact on protecting trans and non-binary people in Canada.”

For them, another important factor that helped fuel the protest was the fact that Peterson was speaking at an institution that’s funded by public money.

“Our tax dollars supported this, and I for one am ashamed to see such a respected institution—an institution that has, in recent years, taken step to showcase Indigenous, queer, trans, and other voices from marginalized communities— give a platform to an individual who is promoting bigotry, profiting off it, all while perpetuat-

Anchal Sharma Arts & Culture Editor

O

n Thursday, March 9, students, professors, trans activists and allies came together to protest controversial University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson, who was giving a lecture at the National Gallery.

The main reason for the protest was because Peterson has been outspoken about his opposition to using “they” and “them” pronouns when it comes to gender, which is dismissive of, and offensive to, transgender people. He is also opposed to Bill C-16, which essentially adds gender identity and expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code.

Carleton student Ashley Grenstone (right) speaks to protesters at the National Gallery on Thursday, March 9.

Photo: Kyle Darbyson.

While Peterson’s talk titled “Exploring the psychology of creativity” had nothing to do with his controversial rhetoric, the protest centred less on his qualifications and more on the dangerous reach of his presence and influence in regards to Canada’s transgender community.

Controversy surrounding

Peterson’s transphobic views are not anything new, but they are definitely polarizing, with some making him out to be a proponent of free speech.

However, on March 9 members of the LGBTQ+ community used that same principle to expose the danger of letting these kind of views go unchecked.

ing and encouraging violence against trans and non-binary people.”

One of the speakers at the protest was Leila MoumouniTchouassi, the future vicepresident equity for the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa, who objected to the gallery’s decision to let Peterson speak about a subject that is near and dear to her.

“Art was the first thing that accepted me as a queer woman.

Art was the first thing that mapped out my anxiety and depression,” she said to the 100 or so protesters that gathered outside the entrance to the Gallery on March 9. “Explain to me how a man that has so very openly denied people the right to feel safe can come and discuss the relationship between psychology and the arts.”

Cara Tierney, one of the event organizers, a U of O professor, and a former employee of the National Gallery, expressed

their distaste for the event as well, and explained the ways in which it affected their identity and rights as a trans, non-binary individual.

“For the Gallery to hire this individual sends a very clear message to trans lives that we’re not valued in these spaces, and these are public, federally funded spaces that we should all have equal access to.”

People in positions of power like Peterson are extremely harmful not only to these marginalized groups, but to society as a whole. By allowing discourse like this to continue, especially in Canada’s capital, we’re sending the message that passive oppression is acceptable in our country.

With all the progress we have achieved in modern Canadian society, from technology to science to education, we somehow seem to keep missing the mark when it comes to basic human rights.

Muslim Students Association holds Islam Awareness Week U of O students come together to share art, food, and culture in University Centre Ryan Pepper

Fulcrum Freelancer

From March 13 to 17, the University of Ottawa Muslim Students Association once again filled the University Centre with food, performances, and enriching information for Islam Awareness Week.

Outside of showcasing a cavalcade of authentic cuisine, the annual event served as an opportunity to clear up any common misconceptions about the world’s secondlargest religion by giving U of O students a chance to speak with practicing Muslims about their faith.

“We felt like it could be used as an outlet to get all your questions answered,” said Filsan Nur, a second-year international development student and event coordinator. “I feel like usually when people have questions regarding anything really, our first instinct is to research it on our own. And es-

6 | ARTS & CULTURE

The event featured traditional settings and informative art pieces.

pecially with what’s going on in the world right now, I feel like a lot of things can be very biased or misconstrued.”

The entire event hinged on the over 160 volunteers who signed up, all of whom were enthusiastic to speak about their faith.

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

“We’re all ambassadors of the religion,” summarized Nur. “And the way we carry ourselves is the way people respond to us.”

The event featured information tables on all aspects of Islam, which served to educate students on diverse topics

such as why women wear the hijab, the life of the Prophet and what his message entails, how Islam promotes a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and the truth behind Sharia law (and why it isn’t going to take over Canada).

When explaining the im-

portance of the event, several members of the Muslim Students Association brought up a popular saying in Islam, “actions are but intentions.”

“You’re showing people your character and the beauty of the religion through your actions first,” explained Nur. “And then you can go and clear up misconceptions, or even explain the religion to people.”

“If you have a UCU filled with people who are smiling and offering you chocolate, that’s your first impression of who a Muslim is.”

While the smiles and cordiality went a long way, presenting accurate information was even more pivotal to the event.

All of the volunteers who attended this five-day celebration went to training sessions beforehand to make sure they were learning from credible and unbiased sources.

“Our main focus was on authenticity,” said Nur. “We tried to focus mainly on the Quran

and the sayings of the Prophet, which we call Sunnah.”

Centring on the Quran and the Sunnah also served to remind people that much of the violence the West associates with Islam is not part of the religion itself.

“In the time (that the Quran was revealed), it was normalized in the culture to have violence,” said Nur. “But in reality, there are many, many chapters that do outline that violence is not the answer.”

Overall, the goal of this week-long event was also to help counteract the nearly constant negative media coverage surrounding Islamic culture.

“The first step is knowledge and gaining knowledge, and being aware of what’s going on in your society,” said Nur. “So long as you’re aware and conscious of other religions, and you’re there to respect them, that can really tone down a lot of things.”

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U of O prof premieres documentary at inaugural Eve Film Festival

Dina Salha reconnects with her past through production of Lady in the Garden Rowan Markovitch fulcrum Contributor

Ottawa’s rich artistic community gained a brand new attraction on Friday, March 17, with the first ever Eve Film Festival at the Arts Court Theatre.

What set this two-day event apart from other Ottawa-based film festivals is that all of the featured entries were directed by women, in an effort to offer exposure to rising female talent.

“We all have biases against certain representations for some reason,” explained Allison Smith, one of the event organizers. “(With this event), we’re trying to fight against that.”

Amongst these female directors stands the University of Ottawa’s very own Dina Salha, a Lebanese professor who teaches communications and media studies.

Her first ever film Lady in the Garden aired on Saturday, alongside three other features: Fantassut / Rain

on the Borders by Frederica Fogalia, The Body I live in

by Sam Davis-Boyd, and Muneeza in the Middle by Hoda Elatawi.

Lady in the Garden follows Salha’s own adventures as she pieces together the history of her great aunt, Wadad Rawda El-Balah, an extremely talented but reclusive painter whom Salha was separated from in 1986.

At age 16, Salha fled the Lebanese Civil War while El-Balah remained in the country. When her great aunt did eventually flee, she was forced to leave much of her art behind in Beirut.

As such, the documentary largely covers Salha’s efforts to reclaim her great aunt’s paintings and lost memories from that violent time in Lebanon’s history.

Salha tells the Fulcrum that “the start of the documentary is a letter to Wadad,” a tribute to the profound effect that she’s had on her life. Her active role as a mentor involved telling Salha stories, teaching

“The Bedouin Woman” by El-Balah.

Photo: Courtesy of Ed Kucerak.

her how to draw, and taking her for frequent walks in her beautiful garden, all of which touched Salha deeply.

Throughout the course of the film, Salha makes several discoveries courtesy of her Lebanese relatives, including some of her great

aunt’s paintings which she managed to restore to their former glory.

This process was vital to the film as it opened up Salha’s memories and dreams, ultimately allowing her to connect with her great aunt.

“I’m walking in a dark alley and she’s trying to

tell me something. I’m looking at her mumbling, but I can’t understand. It would be nightmares for some, but to me it was like she was contacting me from the after world.”

This kind of sentiment was depicted on film in an especially moving mo-

ment when the man who buried El-Balah after she passed away offers to show Salha and her family the grave in her old garden.

“We found some bones, but we weren’t sure if they were human—no body— but as I said in the film, the garden was her refuge.

She didn’t want to leave,” Salha explained, confident that her great aunt was buried in the place she had always loved.

For Salha, this project also encompassed feminism to a fault by identifying the works of El-Bahal without diminishing their quality based on her gender.

“We exhumed her from the ground up. We allowed her to be recognized as a person, and not someone in the margins,” said Salha.

For more information about the Eve Film Festival, you can visit their official website at www.evefilmfestival.ca.

Hollywood’s tired remakes need to go

Lack of originality in film industry leaves no room for diversity or growth Anchal Sharma Arts & Culture Editor

It’s a tale as old as time, and no I’m not just talking about the new release of the Beauty and the Beast remake that came out last weekend.

The film industry has been milking the same ideas for decades. Whether it’s Disney’s reiterations of century old fairy tales, pointless additions to big blockbuster franchises like The Matrix, or superhero retellings, filmmaking has become less and less about the art and increasingly about the money game.

What makes this such an issue is that even with a new generation of talented actors and filmmakers, we’re still hearing the same stories that we’ve always been told. And somehow, even with decade-long gaps, the characters never evolve.

“You want a biracial Peter Parker? Sorry, not possible. Because that would go

thefulcrum.ca

Hollywood needs to stop making terrible remakes.

against the fictional world already created in the comic books this entire franchise is based on. But, you know what would be cool? If we just kept him in high school forever,” said some Hollywood producer, somewhere, probably.

Did someone say Id-

Illustration: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

ris Elba could be the next James Bond? What an outrage! Even a rumour about nontraditional casting roles can’t go without controversy. Hell, Beauty and the Beast is facing backlash for having a gay character.

Not to mention the whole hullaballoo over a black

Hermione Granger.

And it’s not just the fact that Hollywood is spending money on movies we’ve already seen, and expanding cinematic universes that already exist. Sometimes, once they’ve exhausted all their options (namely books and classic movies), they’ll

switch it up by distastefully borrowing from other cultures.

Take Ghost in the Shell for instance, which is set to be released on March 31. The original sci-fi Japanese anime, based on a manga from 1989, is sprinkled with philosophical ideology including speculation on a future of artificial intelligence.

It’s groundbreaking stuff, a franchise that inspired the minds behind the original Matrix.

But the story is set in Japan for a reason. The social and political context surrounding the plot are what make this Japanese franchise so notable, and without all that good stuff it’s completely void of meaning.

By recycling movie ideas we’re not giving them new life, we’re just attempting to re-create artful masterpieces that were done better the first time, and failing miserably.

And don’t even get me

started on pointless sequels and naked cash grabs.

I remember feeling so disappointed after The Dark Knight Rises came out because I had waited for a movie, that was a part of my favourite franchise, to blow my mind. Instead it just blew its budget for a plot that made no sense. But the film still got the job done— ushering herds of Batman fans (myself included) into a theatre for $12 a ticket.

And someone needs to say it: The Fast and the Furious needs to die, and Pirates of the Caribbean would have been better as a stand-alone movie. Also, I just can’t watch anymore “saving Matt Damon” movies or another live-action “re-imagining” of a classic fairytale.

Maybe it’s time for Hollywood to broaden its horizons and strive to tell more than just one story for the next generation, rather than relying on nostalgia to sell stale remakes.

ARTS & Culture | 7

One for all, all for one Immunizing against incorrect information Tiyahna Ridley-Padmore Staff Contributor April 7 marks World Health Day, an annual occasion used to draw awareness to the importance of global health and shine a spotlight on the international aspects of healthcare.

For example, one of the most game-changing discoveries in modern medical history is the widespread production and distribution of vaccinations, which has greatly reduced the mortality rate of a variety of dangerous infections from smallpox to the mumps.

Basically, vaccines are made from weak or inactive strands of a virus or bacteria that causes a disease. In small doses, these biological compounds allow the immune system to produce the antibodies necessary to fight off future contact with the disease.

However, in recent years an anti-vaccine movement has been gaining steam in the Western world, and we’ve even seen a resurgence of diseases like meningitis as a result. Some parents have joined the movement in an effort to protect their autonomy in their child’s health. And while autonomy is something to be valued, those principles don’t seem to protect children from developing and spreading cases of polio or the measles.

As the rates of infectious disease grow in our nation, a solid public health education system has become increasingly important.

Vaccinations have been influential in keeping the Canadian public safe from highly contagious diseases over the past century. But as more and more people lose faith in immunization, will we see resurgence of age-old ailments?

The earliest form of vaccination dates back to 10th century China, where physicians used an older form of vaccination called variolation. They sought to lessen the impact of smallpox by exposing healthy people to scabs caused by the disease.

Immunization didn’t make an appearance in Western Europe until the 1700s in England. British physician Edward Jenner “discovered” vaccinations in their modern form in 1796, helping to boost the scientific credibility of immunization at the same time. People violently opposed the medical procedure in the 1870s, doubting its efficacy and fearing the loss of personal freedoms, which just goes to show that opposition to vaccination isn’t a new phenomenon.

In the decades that followed, more and more vaccines for deadly infections were created, and healthy policies evolved around the world.

“The truth is that immunization against communicable disease is (one of the) greatest medical achievement of the past 10 decades with countless lives saved. Period,” said Dr. Sanni Yaya, a University of Ottawa professor of economics and global health.

Since vaccines are among the most highly regulated medical products in Canada, Kristiana Bruneau, a child health officer for RESULTS Canada, says that it has been built into our healthcare system.

“In theory, all Canadians have access (or subsidized access) to this core package of vaccines, which makes getting vaccinated easier and a normal practice in health maintenance/disease prevention.”

A stroke of genius In order to truly appreciate how far the medical community has come, it’s always helpful to look to the past.

While a certain amount of skepticism is healthy, what’s important to remember about infectious diseases is that protecting the herd is of the utmost importance. Since infectious diseases are transmitted person-to-person, there is a collective effort needed to stop the spread.

“Treating all Canadians, no matter their background, with the same healthcare, means that all Canadians benefit,” said Bruneau.

Herd immunity refers to communities that are protected from contagious diseases when most of the community has been immunized and a disease can’t spread. Herd immunity is achieved when 95 per cent of the community is vaccinated against an infection.

With that being said, complete immunization doesn’t necessarily mean eradication of the disease as some diseases can live in environmental reservoirs. So far, smallpox is the only disease that has been completely eradicated, and polio is the next target. But as long as the disease still exists in some form there is a risk of an outbreak, which is why the immunization of communities is so important.

“Healthcare isn’t just about the individual, it is about the community—especially in the case of vaccines,” said Bruneau.

Today there are vaccinations against measles, mumps, human papillomavirus infection (HPV), swine flu, seasonal flu, hepatitis A and B, polio, and lots of other scary contagions. There are so many available vaccines in Canada and so few visible viral diseases that it sometimes becomes easy to forget that infectious diseases are still a very real threat.

What goes around comes around Despite the decades of immunization success, there is a growing rate of Canadians who are not getting themselves or their children vaccinated.

Immunization rates in Canada range from 73 per cent for vaccines against meningitis to 91 per cent for vaccines against polio. These rates might seem high, but they still don’t meet the 95 per cent threshold needed to prevent an outbreak.

Among those who decide not to get themselves or their children vaccinated are a subgroup known as “anti-vaxxers,” who vehemently blame vaccines for causing allergies, learning disabilities, and a wide range of other conditions that are difficult to identify root causes for.

Anti-vaxxers have been around for as long as vaccines have, but their rhetoric is on the rise thanks to controversial online forums, high-profile celebrity endorsements, and a wildly inaccurate pieces of media like the 2016 documentary Vaxxed.

For a medical professional like Yaya, the situation is a lot more black and white.

“I strongly believe immunization is necessary to keep diseases like measles and even polio from making a comeback,” he said. “When it comes to healthcare, misinformation can be deadly.”

As with all innovations, the benefits of vaccines do come with side effects and risks. However, most of these risks are mild and short-term.

Take the available vaccine against HPV for example.

There’s a 90 per cent chance that people vaccinated against HPV will experience soreness, a 33 per cent chance of swelling or redness, a 10 per cent chance of fever, and a 33 per cent chance of headache. So why get vaccinated against HPV in the first place? Well, because most sexually active people will contract HPV at some point in their lives and most strains carry invisible symptoms that are extremely difficult to detect, making treatment difficult.

The HPV vaccine, targeted primarily at girls between the ages of 11 and 26, is highly effective in preventing the contraction of strains that commonly result in cervical cancers and genital warts.

So while fear of a sore arm may scare you from getting the shot, the potential benefits objectively outweigh the potential risks.

The ghost of infections past With falling rates of immunization, public health officials have to now consider the possible resurgence of a deadly disease of Canada’s past—polio.

Polio is a prehistoric viral disease that invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis in a matter of hours. Polio was one of the most feared diseases of the 20th century, causing paralysis and death in all parts of the world. But polio, unlike most diseases, can’t survive outside of the human body, which means that if everybody was vaccinated the virus could be eradicated.

Aggressive mass immunization campaigns in the 2000s helped eliminate the disease from the Western world. As a result, less than 40 children were infected with the disease in 2016, compared to the 40 children who were infected by polio every hour in 1998.

“Polio basically is proof that vaccines work,” said Bruneau. “(However) as people don’t have to deal with polio in Canada anymore, they tend to forget the impor-

tance of vaccines and disease prevention. As a result, people are forgoing getting vaccinated or vaccinating their children because they don’t feel it is necessary.”

While this widespread apathy towards diseases like polio represents incredible progress and is a tribute to the effectiveness of immunization, it doesn’t mean that we should stop talking about it. The disease remains endemic in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, and there is no cure. This means vaccines are our best bet so far in making polio extinct.

As long as one person is infected with polio, outbreaks can easily cross borders and impact communities that have eliminated the disease. Given the very contagious nature of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that an outbreak of as many as 200,000 new cases of polio a year for the next ten years could happen if efforts are not made to completely eradicate the disease.

and the continued spreading of misinformation are distressing trends, certain initiatives are fighting back.

As global citizens we can call on our government to invest more in global health solutions. For example ,there will be an official pledging moment for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in June. Citizens can visit the Parliament website and show their support for an additional pledge to finally bring an end to polio. First started in 1988, the Initiative has the backing of several national governments, WHO, Rotary International, the United States’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

But in the meantime, individuals can make a lot of progress on their own by getting themselves, and their children vaccinated. An immunity against false facts can do a lot in the fight against infectious disease.

“Canadians should care about polio because an outbreak like polio could happen again— and it very well could if vaccines are not available to all, or people are choosing not to get vaccinated,” said Bruneau.

If you’re still skeptical about polio making a comeback in Canada, look at the resurgence of the measles.

Measles, once thought to be eliminated in North America in the 1990s, has made its way back to American and Canadian communities with low vaccination rates. In 2011, Quebec had 678 confirmed cases of measles. In 2015, there were over 400 cases of measles in British Columbia, and 17 confirmed cases in Ontario.

Yaya proposes three reasons for the recent measles outbreak in Canada.

“First, a general lack of interest for immunization (means) less and less children are vaccinated. Second, the rise of alternative medicine and rampant critics against the effects chemicals (produce) in the body (for example autism is attributed by some to immunization).

Third, the large population of migrants coming from areas where those diseases are still prevalent.”

According to Bruneau, “Growing public disinterest in vaccines is allowing governments to rationalize cutting back on spending in health and disease prevention which, in turn, makes it harder for citizens to get immunized.”

If vaccination rates continue to drop, the world will continue to see outbreaks and resurgences of diseases that once seemed obscure.

We’re all in this together While the unwelcome return of diseases like polio

Illustrations: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR Nico Laliberté sports@thefulcrum.ca

(613) 695-0062 @FulcrumSports

Jen Boyd named Rugby Canada female coach of the year Boyd credits hard work, constant improvement as keys to her success season, this format presents its own unique set of challenges for Boyd to overcome.

“It’s very different from fifteens, just the build-up to it, and then the preparation between games. You play two games a day and the games are really short. Everything’s just so short. You’ve got to be really efficient and tactical with what you’re doing.”

When asked what makes her a successful coach, Boyd didn’t hesitate to identify hard work as the key.

“There really is no substitute.

I’ve always thought that my teams work harder than everybody else in terms of number of practices, how hard we work at practice,” she said.

“We do a lot of conditioning. I’m constantly looking for professional development opportunities, talking with other coaches, conferences, websites, conversations. Every day we want to be better, and every day we have been better as a university program in particular.”

Boyd identified her team’s attack as the key area she’d like to improve

Nico Laliberté Sports Editor

J

en Boyd, head coach of the University of Ottawa women’s rugby team, is Rugby Canada’s female coach of the year for 2016. Boyd was officially announced as the winner at Rugby Canada’s annual awards held in Vancouver on March 9.

Boyd said that traveling to Vancouver to receive the award was special because she got to share it with people she knew, including assistant coach Duncan McNaughton and former players Natasha Watcham-Roy and Irene Patrinos.

“It was great. I’ve been to a lot of Rugby Canada events, just as a former athlete and a national team coach. But it was nice to be with other award recipients,” she said. “So there was a lot of Ottawa U representation.”

Outside of this award, Boyd’s year was full of highlights, including her

Jen Boyd led the Gees to a national silver this fall.

Photo: Courtesy of Ian MacAlpine.

coaching of Canada’s 2016 Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) World University Rugby Sevens Championships team to a silver medal in the summer, and guiding the Gee-Gees to a U Sports silver medal this fall.

The experience of coaching for Canada at FISU was challenging for Boyd, but it did help her continue to develop as a coach. For example, since FISU rugby is played with seven players per side, instead of the 15 per side in the Gees’ regular

heading into next season. That improvement will come through a combination of recruiting, and if current players decide to step up.

“Last year we had a really good recruiting class and I’m hoping to get a really strong recruiting class this year to have a program that will be competitive for the next three to four years.”

Since she’s taken over as head coach of the Gees in 2013, Boyd has succeeded in bringing the team one step closer to a national championship every year. After finishing fourth overall in 2014, they followed up with a third-overall finish in 2015, and finally a second-overall finish in 2016.

“It’s been great to see the progress in that department, and I think the girls learn a lot of valuable lessons off-field. And I would say rugby’s just a venue that I use to give strong messages, to women in particular, about working hard and perseverance and building confidence.”

“So it’s been a great four years at Ottawa U so far.”

Nordic ski club takes aim at competitive club status Members hope to officially compete against other universities though the number can fluctuate throughout the year.

The ski club participated in two major tournaments this year: the Canadian Eastern Championships from Feb. 3 to 5, and the Ontario University Athletic (OUA) Nordic Championships on Feb. 24.

For the members of the U of O’s Nordic ski club, the biggest disappointment was only being able to compete in the exhibition race at the OUAs. That’s where the competitive club status comes in. First-year student and Nordic ski club member Nathan Forestell said that the main goal is just to get recognition from the university.

“Certainly we are competitive at a varsity level. I mean we were at OUA championships and (during) the 10km skate race every single member of our team beat the entire U of T ski team, and we ranked highly among other universities. So I think it would be awesome, first and foremost, (to get) an acknowl-

Nico Laliberté Sports Editor

In just its second year, the University of Ottawa Nordic ski club is still at the earliest stage of development. But that’s not a concern for the members of the group, who are determined to get themselves “competitive club” status from the university.

Fourth-year student Jesse Williams explained that he founded the club last year to fill a gap that he saw in the school’s sports system. “(The) U of O did have a varsity ski club in the far past and it was something that the university was lacking,” he said. “The cross-country ski community in Ottawa is the largest in eastern Canada, if not all of Canada, and Carleton has one of the strongest cross-country ski teams in the Ontario university circuit. So it was something that there was definitely a want for.”

Williams said that the club currently has about 12 members,

10 | SPORTS

university funding would be great, they are much more interested in obtaining competitive club status, just to be able to officially go headto-head with other universities.

“We are quite self-sufficient, but without the competitive club status we’re not technically OUA status,” said Sinclair.

Sinclair and the rest of the team are going to keep trying to get competitive club status for possibly as soon as next year. She feels that competitive status could help persuade skiers who are currently attending the U of O as students to join the club.

“What we’re looking for is the status to attract higher-level skiers. Because a lot of really high-level skiers actually do attend the University of Ottawa, but they outsource to other coaches and clubs.”

“I think the fact that we’re selfsufficient, and we train hard, and we’re dedicated athletes, hopefully will be enough for the criteria for them.”

Three Gee-Gees (right) finished third at the OUA exhibition relays. Photo: Courtesy of Jesse Williams.

edgement from the university that we are being competitive at this level.”

The club is currently meeting with Sports Services to begin the process of being recognized as a competitive club. Williams feels that gaining this status could even increase the university’s enrolment.

“Because this is one of the largest communities for skiing in the country, a lot of people who I know from

clubs in the region tend to go to (Carleton), which happens to have a varsity team, but it would definitely increase the likelihood of people coming here.”

Meg Sinclair, who’s in her first year of teacher’s college, has filled in as a coach for the team. Sinclair said that the team is planning on submitting a formal proposal to Sports Services by March 30.

Sinclair emphasized that while

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Former Gee Mitchell Baines talks life after varsity The Fulcrum sat down with the Gees receiver to discuss his time at the U of O and signing with the Roughriders

zack goobie

associate Sports Editor This year, Mitchell Baines emerged as a lethal downfield weapon for the University of Ottawa men’s football team. The fifth-year receiver averaged 123 yards per game and collected eight touchdowns, clinching stats good enough to place him first and second in each category, respectively, in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference.

Following his breakout year, Baines was named a first-team OUA all-star and second-team U Sports All-Canadian. His great numbers and awards earned him some recognition professionally, since he was recently signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and will attend training camp in May. The transition in five years for Baines has been amazing. Going from no receptions in his first year to averaging 8.1 per game is nothing to sneeze at. His long receptions will definitely be missed.

The Fulcrum sat down with him to talk about his experience with the Gee-Gees and what he expects going forward in his career.

lot of emphasis on?

MB: I mean, coach (Jamie) Barresi is the best offensive mind I have ever been around, and he put a lot of emphasis on the passing game.

He kind of knew our strengths. He knows we have Derek, who probably is the best quarterback in the country. He’s going to do his best to take advantage of that. He’s always finding the holes in the defense.

He’s always figuring out the adjustment we have to make this game.

Coach Barresi definitely played a huge part in our passing game.

F: What does it mean to get signed with the Roughriders, following five years of U Sports football?

MB: To me it means everything.

It’s my lifelong dream and I know the hard work is just beginning. I haven’t been guaranteed anything.

I have to go to the training camp. I got to do well there, and I’m working my butt off to make sure everything happens at this point so I can actually suit up for them.

F: What’s one of your best memories with the Gee-Gees over the past five years?

MB: I would say my first year starting, in 2014, in my first ever playoff game: we were playing against Windsor. Earlier in the year they had beat us by like 30 points.

I had been sick all week (prior to the playoff game), so I wasn’t able to practice. We go (to Windsor) as huge underdogs. I ended up scoring the first touchdown of the game.

We attempted an onside kick, and I recovered the onside kick, and I remember I was so sick at that point, I just felt like throwing up all over the field. Everyone was staring at me. I don’t think they realized how sick I was during that game.

F: While averaging more than 13 yards per catch in your U Sports career, you were definitely considered a deep threat. Is that something that you want to bring to the Roughriders?

MB: I definitely do consider myself a deep threat. For me it’s just

every single time there is a jump ball, a 50/50 ball, i’m telling myself I’m going to win this battle. I never want to lose a 50/50 battle.

Worst case it’s an incomplete. Best case I’m coming down with it. If it’s a 50/50 ball, I always want to win that.

F: Going into your training camp, is there one specific thing

that you are trying to work on?

MB: For me … I’m trying to stay strong in the gym. For the pro game it’s so fast, and that’s why I’m doing a lot of speed training. I got to make sure I’m up to speed at that level. So for me … I got to stay as strong and fast as possible, because you are going up against pros now, not against a bunch of college kids.

“I know the hard work is just beginning. I haven’t been guaranteed anything. I have to go to the training camp. I got to do well there, and I’m working my butt off to make sure everything happens at this point so I can actually suit up for them.”—Mitchell Baines, receiver

The Fulcrum: Can you talk about your progression from year one to five?

Mitchell Baines: Every single year I tried to get better. A lot of it too is who you are playing beside. I was with Ian Stewart before, who was first team All-Canadian, so you’re not going to get the amount of opportunities when you have a guy like that on your team. So when he graduated, I went into the year knowing that I would probably be the guy, so I pretty much did everything I could so I could be able to replace this guy.

F: Could you talk about your relationship with Gee-Gees exquarterback Derek Wendel?

MB: He came in with me my first-year, so we were rookies together. I’ve known Derek for pretty much forever now. We clicked well. We work together all the time in the off-season. We are almost in each other’s head at this point. He knows when I’m going to make an adjustment on a route and I know what he expects from me too.

F: With your team leading the OUA in throwing yards, was that something that your coach put a

thefulcrum.ca

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

Sports | 11

The best running and biking trails around campus

Whether you want a light walk or a hard run, we’ve got a path for you but make sure you don’t end up on the Alexandra Bridge. Instead, head left (west) to the Ottawa River Pathway section of the Trans Canada Trail and take that back towards the university.

Cross the canal at the locks, and take the RC Western Pathway back to the Corktown Footbridge.

Nico Laliberté Sports Editor

With the weather turning warmer and the days getting longer, the Fulcrum thought it would be a good idea to outline a number of paths around campus that are great for walking, running, or biking.

Whether you’re looking for a light stroll, or want to do some serious long-distance training, there’s no excuse to not take advantage of our university’s prime location in the nation’s capital.

All of these route recommendations assume your starting point is Marion Auditorium, and that you head under Nicholas Street and across Colonel By Drive.

Confederation Park: 2km trail To start things off, this is a shorter trail—perfect for a leisurely walk or a light run. After crossing Colonel By Drive, take the Corktown Footbridge across the canal. Turn right (west) on the Rideau Canal (RC) Western Pathway and follow this route under the Laurier Avenue

With the days getting longer, here are some places to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

Bridge. When you see Confederation Park on your left, cross to it.

If you’re not tired yet, or you want to extend your walk, you can even do the big loop at Confederation Park once or twice. To change things up on your way

Commissioners Park: 10km trail Are you even more than just an “light biker” or an “avid runner?” Well, fear not, because this is the path for you.

Cross the canal at the Corktown Footbridge and turn left (east) on the RC Western Pathway. You can follow the Pathway all the way down past Bronson Avenue to Dow’s Lake.

Take a moment to enjoy the scenic setting—you deserve it after that long trek. If you’ve still got some juice left in the tank, you can explore Commissioners Park. If you have the chance to go there in May the tulips will be in full bloom.

Retrace your steps to get back to campus. Congratulate yourself with a large piece of cake.

Photo: Marta Kierkus.

back, take the boardwalk immediately next to the canal.

route, head to the RC Eastern Pathway after crossing Colonel

By Drive and turn right (west).

Take the Pathway all the way past the Chateau Laurier to Major’s Hill Park (will be on the right).

Go through Major’s Hill Park,

Major’s Hill Park: 4km trail This is a good trail if you’re looking for a more substantial run or a short bike ride. For this

Fitness equipment on a student-friendly budget

Turn your household possessions into no-stress exercise equipment Medicine ball Making your own medicine ball is as simple as finding an old basketball. Drill a hole in the black line of the basketball and use a funnel to filter some sand inside. Once the ball is firm and full, be sure to cover the hole up with duct tape.

You can do lots of different exercises with this improvised medicine ball. An easy technique to start off with is to do sit-ups with the ball held out in front of you. Not only does the added weight help to tone your arms, but it helps you work your abdominal muscles as well.

Jordan Scott

Fulcrum Contributor Not everyone can afford fancy exercise equipment on a student budget. Here are a few home-made solutions to help keep you fit and healthy throughout exam season.

Yoga mat If you don’t want to buy an expensive yoga mat, then a kitchen shelf liner will work perfectly, especially since it sticks to the floor a whole lot better.

After you get your hands on a roll of non-slip kitchen shelf liner, select a roll that’s five feet long and one inch thick.

Put your new “yoga mat” to the test by trying out a warrior one pose. Stand in a lunge position with your body facing forward, lean over your front leg, and move your arms up to reach the sky.

If you can perform this basic move without slipping all over the place, then you should be good to go.

12 | SPORTS

No need to waste money on expensive weights and dumbbells.

Yoga block Once you’ve created your own yoga mat, you can save even more money by using a book as a yoga block. By this point in your university career you’ve probably got a

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

couple extra textbooks laying around, so you might have a few different sizes and shapes to choose from.

Try the warrior one pose as previously described, but this time put the block between your hands and push

in while reaching for the sky.

Use books of varying weights to change the difficulty level.

This technique will create resistance and will improve your posture by lengthening the spine.

Hand weights If you’re feeling the need to “pump some iron,” water bottles are a great way to save money on weights. Simply fill two bottles with water and they effectively double as hand weights. Obviously, the bigger the bottles the more intense the workout.

For added weight, first fill the bottles with sand then add water until the sand won’t absorb any more.

Once you’ve got two bottles set up, simply rotate your arms so your inner elbow is facing forward and lift them to your shoulders. Follow this routine, and you’ll be lean in no time.

Hand weights for lunges Rather than buying dumbbells, you can finally put all those heavy engineering textbooks to good use.

All you need to do is fill two reusable grocery bags with textbooks, and then carry them in each hand while doing walking lunges. This will add some weight to your leg exercises and increase the intensity of your work out.

Also, it’s probably best to use the texts you haven’t yet opened this semester, so you are at least getting some use out of them.

thefulcrum.ca

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR Eric Davidson

opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @eric_davidson93

The ugly secret behind “empowering” beauty campaigns We need to demand companies walk the talk behind their feminist advertising Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi features Editor

W

hen I first saw Under Armour’s latest ad campaign, I did a double take. Are they seriously trying to encourage women to buy their exercise gear by declaring #ImPretty?

When I finally clicked for more information I discovered they were actually trying to play on sexist tropes, not express them.

This got me thinking about how feminist advertising has become a staple in recent years. It seems like a girl can’t buy soap, shampoo, or clothes without getting a spritz of female empowerment with the vanilla or lavender. There’s also a growing body of research on the trend of marketplace feminism, or “empowertising” as coined by Bitch Magazine founder Andi Ziesler.

As soon as feminism took off in the early 19th century, advertisers began to adapt feminist slogans for their products. A great example is the American Tobacco Industry’s 1929

campaign that encouraged women to smoke in public—an activity previously reserved to harlots and trollops.

With this campaign, cigarettes were called “torches of freedom” and stylish women were paid to strut down the New York City Easter Parade.

With the second wave of feminism in the 1960s, feminist leaders were loudly critical of empowertising. With Betty Friedan’s 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique, feminists saw advertising as a primary way that patriarchal views of women were communicated.

However, during this time we also saw a lot more women starting to work at ad agencies. As a result, ads became even more outrageously “feminist.” Revlon’s 1970s ads for Charlie perfume were another example, featuring an assertive, confident young woman galavanting around town. One such ad showed a woman grabbing a man’s butt, because apparently the pinnacle of gender equality is being able to sexually assault someone of the opposite sex without consequences.

Empowertising has really been gathering steam in the last few years, and in the year of “Pussy Grabs Back”

It’s time to look at corporations’ use of feminism in advertising campaigns.

there’s no signs of it stopping.

After all, women control 85 per cent of household purchasing decisions, and they know what they want to see. According to a survey conducted by SheKnows, 71 per cent of the respondents said brands should use ad campaigns to promote positive messages to women and girls.

The Holy Grail of empowertising is by far Dove’s campaign for Real Beauty that sells body moisturizer to women. Their multitude of commercials have achieved viral success, and

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

helped change the modern feminist advertising playing field.

But as Ziesler writes for Salon (and in her book), when it comes to empowertising there’s more than meets the celebrity endorsement.

“In the past year, ads for Dove, Pantene, and GoldieBlox have made similar overtures to the progressive consciousness, with widely shared, overwhelmingly lauded videos crafted for maximum virality.”

Dove brings to light an important point of feminist advertising: what is the company itself doing about it?

When feminists first asked this question, they got a disturbing answer.

Dove’s parent company Unilever is also one of the biggest peddlers of skin whitening cream in South Asia.

Similarly H&M, which has its own slew of feminist ads featuring gender non-conforming models and armpit hair, has also been implicated in various factory controversies.

Empowertising’s focus has always been on individual women, and how they defy stereotypes, it’s time we turn the focus on corporations themselves, and instead ask them how feminist they are. What we find is that the treatment of wealthier, whiter, more upper-class Western women is very different from their poorer or ethnic counterparts in other parts of the world.

While I know that it’s impossible for us to all stop shopping at our favourite stores, I still believe it’s important to shine a spotlight on how corporations conduct their business and try to force them to be accountable.

So it’s time to lean in, turn corporate business practices into the next feminist frontier, and make sure our purchases do the most to help as many people as possible.

Remember: future GAs will be important too

Salary drama or not, these assemblies give you tools to help fix the student union Eric Davidson opinions editor

After years of failed attempts, the SFUO held its first proper General Assembly (GA) on March 14. It was successful.

Motions were passed. People cheered. Someone even mooed at one point.

So I know what you’re thinking: how will future GAs live up to that? Why would I want to show up to a GA where there’s no big controversy over salaries?

Well, you don’t need to worry. As somebody who’s covered multiple failed GAs, I can tell you that there’s plenty of reason to show up when it comes to less controversial events—even if you’re not as big of a nerd as I am.

First of all, there’s the budget.

The SFUO’s GA on March 14 was its first to reach quorum.

Photo: Eric Davidson, CC, Ross Dunn. Edits: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but SFUO finances have been the subject of constant controversy over the years, so it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on that.

And if you’re concerned about SFUO dollars, the GA is

the place to be. Every assembly features the vice-president finance going over the budget in front of the crowd.

They’re often in the room after the event to answer additional questions you might have.

If you want to discuss serious problems like last year’s near-bankruptcy, or talk about financial troubles that are brewing, this is the perfect time to raise questions.

You can save yourself, and all of your fellow students, a big headache down the road.

Second, if you do decide to go and the event reaches quorum, this recent GA has shown that you can pass motions yourself, despite a new rule that reduces power to the GAs. If you have a concern involving the SFUO there’s a real chance you can make a solution happen yourself, if you can back it up. And it doesn’t need to be over something as dramatic as SFUO pay raises.

Third, the GA is the place where you, an individual student, can make your voice heard across campus. There are many points during this meeting where you are allowed to address the room, and many others where you have the opportunity to talk directly to executive members of the SFUO. And if that’s not enough, you can have your message spread throughout social media.

Several attendees of the recent GA live-streamed the event, and it got significant reach, since many students already had the assembly on their mind. And of course, the campus media will always be present to report

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important points from the meeting, whether it’s dramafilled or not.

And finally, an event like the GA is the best way to get involved with student politics if you’re busy. While it may sound like a two- or three-hour long meeting will take up a lot of your time, it’s nothing compared to the SFUO’s policy-setting Board of Administration meetings, which can last seven to nine hours.

So in the end, if you’re worried that future GAs won’t live up to the hype, don’t be. Whether or not the climate in student politics is boiling or balmy, the GA is a useful tool for you to help fix problems you see in our student union.

OPINIONS | 13

Is it time to ditch the LSAT?

A look at the notorious test and its effects across schools in North America Peter Baccin-Smith Fulcrum contributor

A new era has dawned for prospective law students. Two weeks ago Harvard Law School, one of the world’s most prestigious post-secondary institutions, announced it is willing to accept Graduate Record Examination (GRE) exams in place of a Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score for applications.

This is a momentous change for students expecting to write the LSAT—a long, gruelling multiple choice test designed to engage logic and reasoning skills. It is also bell curved based on the results of every other student worldwide.

The system is now being replaced at Harvard by the GRE, which is designed for most American master’s programs. The only downside to this option is the math section, which isn’t a skill set cultivated by law students.

The reasoning behind this change? To ease the financial burden of taking two expensive tests, allowing for increased applications from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds.

This comes following a study by Harvard Law School showing that the GRE and the LSAT were equal indicators of success in a law program. This study convinced Harvard to make the jump as the second American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school to accept the GRE in lieu of the LSAT— just behind the University of Arizona.

At the University of Arizona, the main reason for the change was not socio-economic reasons, but rather a case of dropping enrolment. A December 2014 ABA report revealed that law school applications to American universities dropped by 28 per cent in the last four years, the lowest in

Harvard is leading the charge to drop the LSAT in America.

four decades. This was attributed to a tighter job market and rising tuition costs. For many American students, a law degree amounts to an additional $250,000 in debt with no job prospects at the finish line.

Now, the real question: why has Canada

not jumped on this bandwagon to help its prospective law students? Canadian universities might not cost quite as much as American post-secondary institutions, but Canadian law schools can still carry a significant price tag.

However, they have no current plans to change

Photo: Marta Kierkus.

their LSAT models. Lorne Sossin, Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto stated on March 16 that, “If you’re looking at the leading trend in admissions in Canada, it’s not going to be a reaction to the Harvard move.”

Put simply, less Americans may be applying to

American law schools, but there are more than enough Canadians applying to Canadian law schools.

What can be done to help relieve the stress of applying to law school? Dropping the LSAT might be appealing, considering the time it takes to prepare, but Canadian law schools already take a holistic approach to applicants.

LSATs and grades are still important in judging applicants, but Canadian law schools also consider employment, volunteering, life experience, background, and recommendations. These elements already carry weight at most Canadian law schools, and over time may eclipse the LSAT. Canadian law programs will only follow Harvard’s lead if they have their own economic reason to drop the LSAT test, like declining enrolment. But hopefully it doesn’t have to come to that.

Weight a second—what’s the best way to measure health?

We need to be more critical when it comes to how we gauge our physical health Eric Davidson Opinions Editor

The debate over Carleton removing scales from its gyms is raging on—but that’s not what I want to talk about.

Whether or not that was a good move has already been debated ad nauseum online, but it does bring up a larger discussion on how we think about health in general.

As a society we could all benefit from being more critical about how we measure our physical health in general. With a plethora of options to measure our health, from our weight to the girth of our muscles and beyond, there’s a lot to examine.

Perhaps the most talked about measure of health today is called Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by comparing a person’s weight and height. Despite the fact that BMI tends to

14 | OPINIONS

The jury’s still out on the best way to measure health.

be known as a trusted way of measuring how healthy people are, it’s far from perfect.

For example, it can misclassify someone who’s simply muscular as overweight.

It can also categorize a person as healthy when they have a concentration of fat

Photo: Tristain Pollard, CC, theterrifictc. Edits: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

in the wrong place.

The scariest thing is just how much this measure is trusted, even though it is marred by serious flaws.

And despite the fact that it was invented in the 1800s, BMI is still trusted by the likes of physicians, governments and drug companies.

The legitimacy of BMI is even brought into question by organizations like the Centers for Disease Control, who note on their website that “At an individual level, BMI can be used as a screening tool but is not diagnostic of the body fatness or the health of an individual.”

Even the way we define obesity should be examined with scrutiny.

One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes that the definitions of overweight and obesity have changed over the years, leading to confusion in how information is presented to the public, both in scientific and lay publications.

And while a variety of literature exists on this area of health research, there is still a debate over how to properly define obesity.

The same can be said for how we look at nutrition.

For example, there has been controversy in Ontario as the province is adding calorie counts to menus. While intended to better inform customers, it seems the reform could just sow more confusion.

Not only do people not have a good intuition of what a given calorie count implies, but it turns out

many of these counts may be wrong anyway, as original methods of measuring calories have been called into question. And some people might be better served looking at totally different markers, like sodium.

In this light, we need to be more critical of the methods we use to measure health, especially since different people have different goals, from getting a good summer body to training for a powerlifting competition.

The bottom line here is that, despite what people might think, there is no perfect way to measure how healthy we are. There are commonly used methods, sure, but they all have their flaws, and people need to bear that in mind.

As individuals we should be skeptical and, as a society, we should seek more information and context when it comes to different measures of health.

thefulcrum.ca

MTV airs episode two of Keeping Up with the Boardashians New entry in SFUO-based reality TV series shows students wielding pitchforks at GA Graham Robertson Tomato Reporter On Monday, March 20, MTV aired the mid-season finale of Keeping Up with the Boardashians, the new reality television show starring members of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO).

The two-hour special chronicled the events of the federation’s spring General Assembly (GA), which was shaping up to be the season’s most highly anticipated episode yet.

In the opening shot of the episode, members of the executive were seen filing into Marion Auditorium for the GA. SFUO president Roméo Hahamakin and vice-president social Wadi Hess were both covered in bandages and walking on crutches following their brawl at the end of the series premiere.

To viewers’ surprise, Hahamakin and Hess took their seats side-

by-side at the front of the room.

“I did it so students would know the strength of my character and that I can stand firm in the face of adversity,” Hess said during a video confessional. “People will hate you, rate you, shake you, and break you, but how strong you sit is what makes you.”

An outtake at the end of the episode showed Hess telling the camera crew, “Can someone send me a copy of that confessional? I want to post it on Facebook!”

The assembly—which did not meet quorum to begin with—started out with vice-president finance Richie Lachic giving a presentation of the federation’s annual budget.

“Here we have the costs for the U-Pass, the health plan, and—oh, hang on, that’s not supposed to be there,” Lachic said, fumbling with the projector remote.

A graph then appeared on the screen showing the expenses of Lachic’s weekly trips to Le Nordik

Spa, much to his surprise.

In a video confessional following the GA, Lachic claims that, “It must have been our comptroller general. I knew he was out to get me. I can’t believe he tampered with my PowerPoint like that!”

Cameras then turned to the main entrance of the auditorium, where a mob of students charged in wielding pitchforks and torches.

There were just enough students in this mob to push quorum over the edge so that the meeting could officially begin.

Once the dust cleared, a single student approached the microphone. All eyes in the room were on him.

“Hi, Nordan Gent here. Most of you probably already know who I am.”

Silence followed. Someone in the audience played an audio clip of crickets on their phone.

Hess reached forward and picked up his microphone. “Actu-

ally, no, I don’t know who you are.

And what’s with the pitchforks and torches? It’s 2017.”

Gent continued in spite of these interruptions.

“We’re here to protest the new executive salary raise and the free U-Passes for board members and to put students first!” Cheers followed from the mob of students. Cameras turned to show Hahamakin smirk.

Within minutes, an impassioned back-and-forth had erupted between students and members of the executive, with the mob throwing tomatoes and other fresh produce at the execs.

“Wait, wait!” said Kathryn LeSwank, a board member and SFUO food bank employee, as she emerged from the crowd.

“Don’t waste those vegetables.

Donate them to the food bank!

We need pasta, canned vegetables, soup…”

LeSwank was cut off mid-sentence as she was forced to duck,

an errant pear whizzing past her head.

Since the GA was plagued with so many distractions and interruptions, none of the items on the agenda could be properly addressed.

“Oh, what a shame,” said Hess as the clock struck 10 p.m. “Unfortunately we ran out of time, so we can’t discuss our salary raises. You should have brought a motion to discuss it at the top of the agenda!”

The students gathered in the auditorium collectively groaned, knowing they had lost this battle.

Chairperson Shade Philip Hunsdale announced that students could bring their grievances to the next Board of Administration meeting, though he did not inform them of where it would take place.

As students made their way out of the auditorium, the cameras zoomed in on Hess as he signed off with his signature catch phrase, “Bye, Felicia!”

U of O removes microwaves over spying fears

Students on the brink of starvation now that kitchen appliances are under lock and key Ryan Pepper Tomato Freelancer In the wake of Kellyanne Conway’s recent mind-bending news conference, where she revealed we can’t trust our own kitchen appliances, the University of Ottawa has ordered all microwaves be removed from campus.

U of O president Jacques Frémont said that these actions are being taken to counter fears of students being spied on as they heated up their Mr. Noodles.

“With recent revelations south of the border, we felt it was in our students’ best interests if we removed any devices capable of conducting espionage on campus,” Frémont said in a statement to the Tomato.

Students are desperately trying to figure out who is the mastermind behind this new alleged spying technology, with everyone putting

forward their own ideas.

As of this publication, most groups have ganged up against the Department of Computer Science, and Frémont issued an investigation while reheating his dinner from the night before on a 30-yearold hot plate. Sources confirmed it was a piece of tourtière.

While student groups are pointing fingers, many are ignoring the all-too-real consequences on the ground.

“You can hardly fall asleep on a Friday night, there’s just so much stress,” said first-year chemistry student Mo Mungry. “You know when you wake up, there won’t be any way to make food tomorrow.

It’s scary.”

Many older students have opened “microwave shelters” in their off-campus homes so students living on campus will be able to gain access to much-needed nour-

thefulcrum.ca

To protect students’ privacy, microwaves are being banned from campus.

Photo: CC, Anka Friedrich. Edits: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

ishment from their Uncle Ben’s rice and Kraft Dinner cups.

“Yeah, it can be scary in those shelters,” said Mungry. “It’s all in the eyes, that hungry gaze. You know they need this microwave.”

A small, but vocal, group of student activists have been trying to raise awareness of the functioning stovetops that are found in all residences, but their activism has largely gone unnoticed.

“I just wish my mom was here,” said first-year Telfer student Connor Nocook. “I think she knows what an oven is. But hey, they say stout is like a meal, right? And a stout is like a PBR, right?”

One student said he’s been forced to eat shawarma for nearly every meal (which, if I may editorialize, seems more like a blessing than a curse), without any OSAP, which means he continues to struggle to make ends meet.

“Yes, it’s hard,” said the student, who wished to remain anonymous.

“I can’t afford to be eating out everyday, and I just have food at home going to waste, food that needs to be warmed up.”

“We’re going to have a revolution on our hands if things don’t change soon,” said Nocook, as he tended a microwave shelter that’s remained packed full of sickly students since Day one of the microwave ban.

THE TOMATo | 15

DISTRACTIONS Dear Di,

Dear Di

FEATURES EDITOR Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi

features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @nadsdeb

Dear Di,

My girlfriend always looks bored when I’m giving her oral sex. I don’t know if she just isn’t into foreplay or if I’m doing it wrong. Any tips?

I’ve started to feel like I need to spice up my oral sex game.

My partners seem to enjoy my blowjobs, but I think there’s room for improvement. Any tips on how to up my technique?

-Fellatio Fanatic

-Tongue Twister Dear TT,

Dear FF,

Don’t worry, it takes time and practice to figure out your partner and what gets her going. Although everyone has different preferences regarding cunnilingus, here’s a few tips that seem to be universal when it comes to tongue action.

For one thing, it’s crucial that your girlfriend feels as comfortable as possible with someone going down on her. Unfortunately, a lot of women feel pressured by societal standards of how a vagina should smell or look. This kind of standard makes a lot of women uncomfortable with having someone stick their face down there. You’ll want to try easing this anxiety by reminding your girlfriend how sexy she is and how much you love pleasuring her.

By doing so you’ll be guaranteed to not only enhance her experience, but aid her self-confidence in bed.

As far as technique goes, remember this: there’s more to a vulva (which is the appropriate name for the entire female genitalia) than a clitoris.

Although it is a sweet spot, make sure you don’t fixate on it exclusively and forget about the rest. Vulvas are beautifully complex, and can be stimulated in all sorts of ways. Focusing on one specific part might make your eatingout game a little redundant, so go ahead and explore the area in its entirety.

Fingering and cunnilingus are also a match made in heaven, so don’t hesitate to throw in a little finger action down there. By providing vaginal and clitoral stimulation simultaneously, you’re guaranteed to take your partner to sexual nirvana.

Overall, you just have to make sure that your partner knows that you like going down on her. Mix that in with some variety in your technique and gone will be the days where your partner looks bored during oral sex.

You’re not alone in worrying about your oral sex abilities. This is a constant source of anxiety for a lot of people. However, here are a few tips on how to bring a little spice into your blowjob game.

A good way to enhance your blowjob skills is to create intimacy between you and your partner. Let him know that you enjoy playing with him by making eye contact, communicating with him, or even moaning. If he knows that you’re having fun, you’re guaranteed to turn him on.

You might also want to give different positions a try during a blowjob. If you always stay in the same position you run the risk of making foreplay feel repetitive and routine-like, which may dampen its desired effects. Get comfortable and creative, and feel free to explore different ways to place your body.

Now let’s talk about rhythm. You want to make sure that there’s some variance in speed when you go down on your partner. Go slow, go fast, but most importantly, make sure your flow isn’t constant or you risk not only making it redundant for your partner, you’ll probably get tired of it yourself. Ultimately, remember that everyone is different, and you’ll want to check in with your partner to see if your new technique is doing the trick.

All in all, it’s great that you care about giving your partner a satisfying sexual experience. However, make sure that said experience is just as fun and exciting for you. Keep trying new things and being adventurous during foreplay, but allow yourself to remain comfortable and stress-free.

Love, Di

Love, Di

16 | DISTRACTIONS

thefulcrum.ca

March 23–30, 2017

THRYLLABUS

MUSIC arts Sports

FUN Thinking

Thursday, March 23

Media and antisocial behaviour, free admission, Social Sciences Building (FSS 4004)—12:30 p.m.

Development’s Darkest Secret: Sanctions, Human Rights, and Activism in North Korea, free admission, Social Sciences Building (FSS 5028)—4 p.m.

Ottawa Senators vs.

Pittsburgh Penguins, Canadian Tire Centre—7:30 p.m.

Kedi (cat documentary), ByTowne Cinema—9:20 p.m.

Friday, March 24

Pet Therapy, free admission, 90 University (room 152)—11 a.m.

Binghamton Senators vs. Toronto Marlies (American Hockey League game), Canadian Tire Centre—7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 25

Saturday Morning AllYou-Can-Eat-Cereal Cartoon Party Vol. 11, Mayfair Theatre—10 a.m.

VERSefest: Factory Reading Series presenting Faizal Deen and Marilyn Irwin, $10, Knox Presbyterian Church—1 p.m.

Sunday, March 26

The Sense of an Ending (based on a Julian Barnes novel), ByTowne Cinema—4:15 p.m.

Monday, March 27

Face Time art show, free admission, Cube Gallery—10:30 a.m.

Poutine Festival (opening day), Social Sciences Building—11 a.m.

Tuesday, March 28

The soft and the pliable will defeat the hard and

the strong art show, free admission, Gallery 101— 2 p.m.

NEM and First Nations Communities (how can engineers assist First Nations communities) free admission, Colonel

By Hall (B109A)—6 p.m.

Wednesday, March 29

Makerspace Challenge: Steam Punk Innovations, free admission, SITE Cafeteria—8 a.m.

How Black Mothers Say I Love You (opening night), Shenkman Arts Centre—7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 30

Yoga for Anxiety, free admission, 90 University (room 140)—11:45 a.m.

Thunder From Down Under (erotic dance show for women), Centrepointe Theatre— 7 p.m.

Vigliante (preview), National Arts Centre—7:30 p.m.

thefulcrum.ca

DISTRACTIONS | 17

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

To the U of O administration: Please make mental health a top priority

My name is Soheila Homayed. I am a fourth-year student in international development at the University of Ottawa.

I’m writing to you today on the matter of the tragedy that occurred last week. As I’m sure you are aware, a fellow student took his own life in one of the buildings on campus. I didn’t know the student, but I really wish I had so I could have offered support to him—support at the U of O is greatly lacking. The situation on hand leaves me furious. How many students have to be affected before the school acknowledges that its current method of treating mental health is not working?

Regarding my own experiences, the Student Academic Success Service (SASS) hasn’t offered me any support.

Over the course of my time here, I have repeatedly approached SASS for mental health services. I believe it’s incredibly beneficial to seek therapy in times of distress. However, each time I was “assessed” by a SASS counsellor, the result remained the same: the university was unable to provide proper services for the kind of counselling that I was seeking and I was encouraged to look beyond the U of O for help.

This response is extremely frustrating. I pay for SASS services. My tuition money covers my medical costs, including mental health costs. When my mental health is failing because I feel incredibly stressed and overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities of being a post-secondary student, I expect the university to offer proper counselling services. As a student, it’s unreasonable for me to be expected to pay $80100 an hour on outside psychological support. It is simply unrealistic.

Unfortunately, my story is not unique. Many U of O students are struggling. We face a multitude of stressors everyday with no available, reliable, or capable mental health services. I’m afraid that if nothing changes, we will lose more students to this negligence. This is not a future I will accept.

Last year one of my closest friends tried to take her own life. This occurred after she sought help from the U of O’s services, and told them

she was having suicidal thoughts.

My friend has had multiple appointments cancelled on her after waiting weeks to get them. She suffered without medication as her family doctor was unavailable and the pharmacy wouldn’t renew her prescription. In addition, when she told medical personnel that she was having thoughts of killing herself, she was simply placed on a wait list to get a referral to a psychologist. Furthermore, some of her professors weren’t understanding the gravity of her situation, which led to more stress during her hospitalization.

The call she had been desperately waiting for, the one announcing that she had secured an appointment to meet with a psychologist at the U of O, came the day after she tried to commit suicide. She was still in the hospital. By these events, it’s evident that the university is lacking the resources to properly treat mental health issues. How many students have to suffer “too late” before the U of O takes action? Enough is enough.

I didn’t get an email about the tragedy last week. I didn’t hear about any grief groups, nor any counseling or grieving services set up for traumatized students. Nothing. Instead, we were informed via the Fulcrum, where there was little information available about what happened and nobody to answer our questions or discuss our feelings with.

Mental health affects us all. I personally know many students struggling with this issue every day, and I am terrified of the consequences that will occur because they weren’t able to receive adequate help.

Therefore, I am asking you, as a student of the U of O who has spent countless hours researching mental health, and as someone who struggles with the issue herself, to make mental health a top priority. Lives are at stake.

The SFUO U-Pass controversy continues Dear Editor,

While the SFUO seems ready to put the U-Pass scandal all behind them, there are still fundamental questions that must be answered to ensure something nefarious did not happen. I took a look at the Disciplinary Committee report, and here are my views on the report.

The brevity of the report in regards to Mr. Wess is extremely concerning. How does Mr. Wess become eligible for the U-Pass program when the program is only available to full-time students? We know that Mr. Wess is not a full-time student, as he has told the BOA he is only taking two classes a semester, thereby making him a part-time student. It is my hope that Mr. Wess clarifies our concerns. If Mr. Wess shared how he obtained a U-Pass as a part-time student, this could help other part-time students receive one so they too can enjoy the benefits of the U-Pass!

The report on Ms. Dorimain raises a couple of concerns as well. Firstly, when notified she was suspended from the U-Pass portfolio she refused to follow the orders of the Disciplinary Committee. One hopes the executives of the SFUO have respect for the constitution of the organization. Secondly, the report does not explicitly address when or if Ms. Dorimain returned the U-Pass in her name when the “grey period” came to an end. It is my wish that Ms. Dorimain addresses the concerns raised above.

The record on Mr. Rachiq lacks sufficient evidence to support claims. If Mr. Rachiq was not aware of the U-Passes being held by

other executives, then he certainly cannot be held to account. However, if he knowingly turned a blind eye to the situation, then, in his capacity in human resources, he willfully condoned harmful actions to the organization’s reputation.

In the case of Ms. Ellis, it is very clear that she used the system to her advantage and that is in direct contradiction of the terms of use of the U-Pass. The U-Pass program is explicit that if a student drops from full-time to part-time, they MUST return their U-Pass. Ms. Ellis registered as fulltime then received her card, soon after she dropped down to part-time but did not return her U-Pass. The Disciplinary Committee recommended no action be taken, and this is a reckless decision. At the very least Ms. Ellis should pay the penalty under Bylaw 2007-268, and reimburse OC Transpo for their lost revenue.

In sum, the Disciplinary Committee report on U-Pass fraud allegations lacks detail and any recommendations to make sure something like this does not happen again in the future. Students have questions, and I hope that the executives address the questions in this letter. Four pages are not enough to express and explain the breadth of the allegations. The Disciplinary Committee is attempting to keep this ordeal hush-hush. Instead, the report has only produced more questions, and leaving students wondering is not the answer.

—Davis Schwartz, fourth-year political science and United States studies student at the U of O.

—Soheila Homayed, fourth-year international development student at the U of O.

18 | LETTERS

thefulcrum.ca

Volume 77, Issue 23, mar. 23, 2017 Starting drama since 1942.

Phone: (613) 695-0061 | Fax: (613) 695-9006 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this, or we’ll send the microwaves.

Savannah “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Awde Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Kim “The Bachelor” Wiens Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Kyle “Kenny vs. Spenny” Darbyson Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Graham “Keeping up with the Boardashians” Robertson News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Anchal “The Real Housewives” Sharma Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Nadia “My Strange Addiction” Drissi El-Bouzaidi Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Nico “Amazing Race” Laliberte Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca Eric “Top Chef” Davidson Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca

EDITORIAL

Dear BOA, remember your purpose— listen to student voices post-GA

In an unprecedented showing of political engagement at the University of Ottawa, over 280 students came out to the March 14 Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) General Assembly (GA), and motions were debated as the GA met quorum for the first time since its inception in November 2014.

A clear point of concern among attendees of this GA was the SFUO executive salary raises, which resulted from a motion proposed by current and incoming vicepresident of finance Rizki Rachiq being passed at the March 12 Board of Administration (BOA) meeting.

This action by the board

Jaclyn “16 and Pregnant” McRaeSadik Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca David “Survivor” Campion-Smith Social Media Coordinator social@thefulcrum.ca Zainab “Pimp My Ride” Al-Mehdar Associate News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca Zack “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Goobie Associate Sports Editor associatesports@thefulcrum.ca Jodie “America’s Next Top Model” Coté-Marshall Associate Features Editor associate.features@thefulcrum.ca Marta “Fear Factor” Kierkus Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Lucas “Having an office beside Shanèl” Ghosn General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca Shanèl “Bad Girls Club” Dear Advertising Representative ads@thefulcrum.ca Reine “Duck Dynasty” Tejares Webmaster webmaster@thefulcrum.ca

Contributors

Ryan “The Real World” Pepper Rowan “American Idol” Markovitch Jordan “Jersey Shore” Scott Tiyahna “Dancing with the Stars” RidleyPadmore Peter “The Voice” Baccin-Smith Amitesh “Deadliest Catch” Malhotra Tristain “Shark Tank” Pollard

Board of Directors

Raghad “The Hills” Sheikh-Khalil Will “Dance Moms” Hume Kate “Big Brother” Murray Jonathan “Punk’d” Rausseo Mackenzie “The Biggest Loser” Gray Niharika “The X Factor” Namulla Thivya “So You Think You Can Dance” Naganathan Julia “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” Miraflores Fadi “Hoarders” Azzi Spencer “Teen Mom” Murdock Marguerite “Pawn Stars” Gollish Cover: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

thefulcrum.ca

came shortly after the rejection of a similar motion to increase the wages of SFUO employees to a $15 minimum wage at an earlier BOA meeting, and during a year where the SFUO has cut club funding, services, and the social budget as part of austerity measures.

On the night of the GA, once chairperson Shawn Philip Hunsdale read the agenda, students immediately demanded an amendment in order to discuss the executive salary raise. With a vote in favour of adding the executive salary discussion to the agenda, students took the opportunity to pointedly voice their discontent with this decision made by the BOA.

One can only hope that the SFUO’s BOA will take these concerns seriously, given their role in ensuring the SFUO meets their mission of “post-secondary education which recognizes the legitimacy and validity of student rights and representation.”

Even though the SFUO cannot vote against the will of the students at the next BOA meeting, since the salary increase is not technically a policy or bylaw issue, we wouldn’t be surprised if they trotted out some obscure rule or regulation to further their own agenda. The fact we feel the need to write this editorial speaks volumes about student trust in the SFUO. But if the SFUO wants to

convince students that they have any legitimate influence in the affairs of their own federation, they must uphold the decision made at the GA to reverse the salary increases. The GA, once the highest decision-making body of our student federation, is one of the few chances students have to make their voice heard by the SFUO executive. If student voices aren’t respected or held as a significant factor in the federation’s decision-making process, there is very little reason for students to believe in their federation.

After all, the SFUO only exists in order to defend the rights of students who put their hard-earned money towards this academic institution—and we pay for that defence every semester in our tuition bill. If the SFUO is going to operate autonomously from the very population that gives it a reason to exist, why buy into this system at all?

You might argue that students don’t understand the complexity of the decision making behind the pay raise.

And maybe you’re right! But if anything has become clear in the Fulcrum’s constant coverage of the SFUO’s BOA meetings, supporting documentation for oral reports and other activity at the meetings are incredibly difficult to access. Not to mention complaints around the lack of availability of SFUO executives, specifically—you guessed it!—Rachiq not holding enough meetings with the federated bodies’ vicepresidents of finance.

If what Rachiq says in this executive salary motion is true, and SFUO execs really and truly are making less than the average hourly wage of student federation execs across the country, the onus is on him to reach out to the student body and convince them of that using his financial reports.

Unsurprisingly, this isn’t what happened. Rachiq presented a case to the BOA and executive—a case which had questionable legitimacy—but

didn’t do enough outreach to explain his motion to the student body, made clear by the immense turnout opposing his motion at the GA. Although it might sound like we’re stating the obvious, the Fulcrum believes that it’s time that the SFUO executives and BOA remember who it is they’re meant to serve. Presenting a motion to raise executive salaries, after quickly dismissing a motion to bring SFUO staff salaries up to a living wage and failing to consult properly with the student body, comes across as underhanded and authoritarian.

Since Rachiq will be returning to the SFUO executive next year as vice-president of finance, he would do well to start engaging students, or at least the VP finances of federated bodies, on major changes in the SFUO’s financial strategy. It should be common sense that a motion to increase executive salaries by a large margin might not be well-received if not well-explained—so make the effort to reach out and find a middle ground.

When our student government takes the time to perform their basic duty of engaging and consulting with their constituency, perhaps the SFUO will once again function as a democratic structure.

But if the SFUO exec continues to forgo student consultation, attempts to pass controversial motions at BOA meetings, all while hoping that students won’t notice these motions in the U of O’s student media or will be too busy to voice their opinion at the GAs, they will continue to operate autonomously from its own constituency. And if that’s the case, then why have a student federation in the first place?

This is why we, the Fulcrum, are calling on the SFUO’s BOA to uphold the motion passed by students who attended the GA to reverse the executive salary increase. Your status as a democratic institution will be stronger for it.

EDITORIAL | 19

#PlayoffRace

Thursday, March 23 @ 7:30 PM

Tuesday, April 4 @ 7:30 PM

Saturday, April 8 @ 12:30 PM

Alumni & Throwback Thursday Get a $1 hot dog and $1 regular-sized Coke® before 7 pm!

Bobblehead Night presented by Vistaprint

Fan Appreciation

25th Anniversary Poster Night presented by Bell

First 2,500 fans receive a Laurie Boschman Bobblehead!

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