The AthenaEUm
Issue 84.4 March 2020 Acadia University
The AthenaEUm
Making The World A Better Place Rylie Moscato
Editor in Chief
Axel Eschholz Jack Spicer Dylan Abel Benjamin O’Toole Soyini Edwards
Managing Editor Copy Editor Business Manager Productions Manager Photography Manager
SECTION EDITORS Kate Robart Jenna Bouwman Tanvi Dabas Max Gustafson Katie Winters Liddy Greer
Arts & Culture News Editor Science Creative Opinions Sports & Wellness
“All the news from the hill” Acadia’s Student Newspaper 1887-2021
Opinion:
Put Your Money Where Your Posts Are: Performance Activism By:Katie Winters
To make things very clear, you don’t actually have to put your money where your posts are. There are many ways to be a meaningful ally
2 Opinion
or activist without needing to donate money. This is just an expression similar to “put your money where your mouth is”. This phrase typically means that people need to prove their intentions are genuine through their actions, not just empty infographics and black squares on Instagram. Think back to the summer of 2020, discussions about police brutality and police abolition had finally made their way into mainstream media and conversations. To be clear, many Black folks have been murdered at the hands of systemic racism prior to the summer of 2020 but the murder of George Floyd being captured on camera opened the eyes of a lot previously ignorant folks. His murder on May 25th, 2020 triggered demonstrations and educational campaigns internationally. The trial against his murderer is scheduled to begin in late August of this year. Not long after the murder of George Floyd, celebrities, influencers, and regular users took to Instagram to post a photo of a black square in participation of “Blackout Tuesday”. The intention was to encourage people to stop posting their regular content and make space for activists and organizers to share resources like reading materials and supply runs for demonstrators. Although likely well-intentioned, it ended with people clogging the Instagram feed with countless black squares. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more were full of infographics on anti-racism and potential resources and bail funds. Companies created Black Lives Matter campaigns and promised to incorporate
diversity initiatives into their hiring and marketing practices. Let’s fast-forward to February 2021. Breonna Taylor has had a bill passed in her name, but her murderer has not been arrested or charged for her death. The Instagram posts and hashtags have fizzled out. Companies have gone back to their previous marketing techniques geared towards Eurocentric ideals. Kids at the United States border are still in cages. Black trans women are still being killed at disproportionate rates. Indigenous folks are still fighting against environmental racism. All of this is very much still happening, but the support has dwindled significantly. Did you post an anti-racist infographic on your Instagram story in June 2020 but haven’t read (and I mean actually read) a single thing about anti-racism since? Do you ignore racist microaggressions in your school or workplace because you don’t think it’s worthy to confront? Performative activism was at its height in the summer of 2020. To be a real and meaningful ally, donate money to Black-led organizations when you are able. Help with supply runs for demonstrators and land defenders. Check those around you (and maybe even cut them off ) for their racism. Engage constantly in anti-racist thought and readings. It’s not enough to post a photoset to your Instagram story or snap a photo at a march. Anti-racism is not a trend that you pick up and put down as you please. Put your money where your posts are.
Opinion
Ten Things To Discuss About Depression by Kiara Sexton
Over the entire course of my depression experience, especially when I was officially diagnosed, I always assumed the way that I experienced my depression was drastically different than others. It was not until I started opening up with others who have depression that I realized that my experience was not abnormal. These are all the things I wished were discussed about depression. If this resonates with you, welcome to the warriors’ club and if you have not experienced depression, here are things that you should know about our experiences. 1. Disassociation: This is literally an out-ofbody experience. Your mind and your body become separate entities that you are forced to navigate regardless of if you know how. They often fight with each other. 2. Numbness: This does not only apply to the mental state either. You physically cannot feel anything. Not your stomach begging you for food, not the hot water burning your skin, and during the act of sex you must imagine what it used to feel like because you cannot feel that either. This can last for months at a time. 3. “The Sunken Place”: Not just a metaphor of interracial dating with awful intentions. It literally feels like the “you” that everyone knows is getting pulled deeper and deeper while someone you do not recognize takes control while you are gone. They say the eyes are the window to the soul but what happens when your soul is no longer there? What do people see? 4. Questioning: Constantly wondering if you truly feel this way or if you are confusing this moment for something else. This becomes an internal debate about your own depression. It does not help that people question your experience either. It is almost like they need to see you in a body bag to grasp the full picture. 5. Energy: People assume we isolate ourselves because we are too sad. This is only a fraction of what is going on. People’s presence is overbearing. It requires too much energy to even look at a person let alone have a conversation with them.
6. It is Deadly: While this may be obvious to some of you, what is not is how deadly it really is. It has so far killed more people than warfare, terrorism, gun violence, domestic abuse, and assault (p. 25 “Reasons to Stay Alive”). 7. Illness: Shocking to some but no surprise to others is that depression weakens your immune system. This makes it easier for you to get sick and be sick more often. 8. Food: Depressed people’s bodie s either cannot get enough of eating food (hence why they need to eat so much) or their body rejects it. What is even more complex is some folks go through waves where they experience both extremes. Solids tend to not be my friend during these moments. 9. Genetics: Not only does genetics play a role in who is more likely to have a mental illness, your genes are constantly altering to deal with it. These changes in genetics will be passed down to your offspring. Whether or not they experience mental illness will be determined on their environment and how they react to it. Good news is that there are ways to fix that! 10. Class, Race, and Gender: One’s intersections will determine how one may express and experience depression. Those who are marginalized, from low-income households, and navigate life through a male lens will be more likely to experience depression through aggression, outbursts, physical pain, discomfort, and so on. Everyone’s depression experience and how extreme they feel will vary from person to person based on many factors. Regardless of how your depression experience is, know that your experience is valid and deserves to be understood. The notion that we must explain all the above to our support systems when we have reached the point that all we want to do is off ourselves is something that can take a lot of energy, strength, and courage. If you do this, be extremely proud of yourself. If you cannot, no worries, send this article to them. I got you covered. We are losing way too many people for folks to continue to downplay depression. We must no longer allow people to suffer and die in silence. Making The World A Better Place 3
‘Islam is a Religion in Crisis’: A True Statement that Cannot Be Taken at Face Value by Peyton Baird
The Golden Age of Islam
The Golden Age of Islam lasted for over 400 years, from the 8th to the 13th century, and exerted influence over northern Africa, western Asia and the Middle East. It was initiated by Harun al-Rishad, who was Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate. He inaugurated the House of Wisdom in the Caliphate’s capital of Baghdad which was the largest city in the world at the time and is now the capital of modern-day Iraq. The Islamic Golden Age is one of the great periods of cultural, economic and scientific prosperity in human history. One major influence on the success of this Golden Age was the Caliphate’s inclusivity of scholars and polymaths, who came from different cultures and would travel to Baghdad in order to translate the world’s classical knowledge into the Arabic and Persian languages. The Caliphate wanted to assimilate the scientific knowledge of the civilizations it had conquered and wanted to attract some of their brightest minds to further develop these scientific achievements. Another influence to consider is Islam’s unhindered focus and dedication to scientific discovery, which encouraged and attracted some of the best minds of the age to convene in Baghdad and further develop their areas of study. In a time when conquest and rivalry were paramount to the success of an empire, the ruling Muslims of this Golden Age dedicated enormous resources to the assimilation and development of cultural, economic and scientific research. During the 400-year tenure of this Golden Age, the religion and culture of Islam became one of inclusivity, scientific development, and education. The Golden Age of Islam is said to have truly come to an end after a Mongol horde pillaged and ransacked much of the Arab world, culminating in the siege and entire destruction of Baghdad in 1258. This led to the dissolution of the Abbasid Caliphate, many wars, and the eventual rise of the Ottoman Empire.
The Rise of Islamic Extremism
The rise of Islamic extremism can be attributed to a failure in post-colonialism transitioning,
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military interventions by Western powers, and poor leadership in Arab countries. Firstly, the post-colonial transitioning. After World War I, the Ottoman Empire was broken up by the allied victors with the Treaty of Sèvres and the Treaty of Lausanne. These treaties created the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon, the British Mandate of Palestine and the British Mandate of Mesopotamia, now known as Iraq. The ‘mandate’, simply refers to mandatory power, denoting which allied victor would occupy each new territory while they developed independent governments. The issue with this post-colonial transitioning, from the Ottoman Empire to independent territories, was that the leading families who had amassed power and wealth during the Empire’s 600-year reign kept and eventually expanded their wealth. This transition from Empire to independent territories saw minimal wealth or power distribution. This failed the middle and lower classes, who were promised equity by the mandating powers, but instead had to get used to a ‘new normal’. This involved families of power and relation to ex-royals being able to pull their vast wealth and power from the Ottoman Empire into the new territories, and continue into the new world. Secondly, the Middle East has played host to countless military interventions by Western countries, but also by nations within the region. In 1980, Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded Iran, starting the Iran-Iraq war which lasted for eight years and claimed over one million lives. This was immediately followed by the Gulf War, wherein the US and coalition forces worked to end the Hussein regime, followed by the Iraq War, in which the US and coalition forces had to fight against an insurgency which rose up to defy the occupiers and the newly created government. These conflicts, in most cases, have left the host countries worse off than they were. While the US-led toppling of the Iraqi dictator was meant to stabilize the area and bring freedom to Iraqi citizens, it instead created an unsecured power vacuum and has led to an increase in lawlessness and subsequent foreign interference. The military interferences of western counties in
the middle east over the last 30 years have created two generations of citizens who are poor, uneducated and carry with them a hatred for the US and for many Western countries. The pure grief, anguish, and unrelenting hopelessness that is felt by much of these generations creates the possibility for terrorist-Jihadism and terrorist groups who are hellbent on bringing destruction to western nations in retribution for the destruction Western nations have brought to their own, while also seeking to expand their radical ideologies to their areas of operation. It is important to understand the difference between the Holy Quran’s denotation of Jihadism and the idea of Jihadism used by terror groups. The most proper understanding of Jihad is that it refers to ‘struggle’. This struggle can be any sort of struggle experienced during day-to-day life or throughout one’s life, albeit one of significant importance. Terror groups have mutated the meaning of Jihadism into a struggle of holy war which they choose to wage based on their own repugnant ideologies. Thirdly, poor leadership of Arab countries, leaders which were unable to deliver meaningful outcomes to their people. In being objective, Arab nations such as Syria, Iraq, Sudan and Egypt have had leaders who were unable to deliver meaningful outcomes to their people. The lack of distribution of wealth and power, the futile attempts at participation in politics by citizens, the absence of progressive societal changes and the sheer aversion for adaptation to the modern world by these leaders have pitted their citizens against them, and have forced their citizens to congregate for political change outside of political institutions, usually in Mosques. For citizens that have been terrorized by foreign militaries, their recuperation is usually to be taken into their own hands, with limited help or support from the government. The alienation of an already unhappy population by the leading people has created a direct relation between this misery and religion. This creates a breeding ground for terrorist-led Jihadism and terrorist groups who can be created using rhetoric that sounds surprisingly reasonable, despite its entirely unreasonable nature.
Arts & Culture
Islam: A Religion in Crisis
After the beheading of Samuel Paty, a French educator who was teaching a class on freedom of expression – where he showed cartoons of the Prophet Muħammad, the French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that Islam is a religion in crisis. This comment caused both condonation and condemnation from the Muslim world. To many Muslim s, it is, of course, entirely improper to have their religion degraded by a non-Muslim and leader of a western country. However, proper context must be applied to President Macrons’ words, which he provided in an interview with Aljazeera, a Qatari-based Arab news agency. Islam is a religion in crisis not because it is inferior or faulty, but rather because of its multiple terrorist branches, such as ISIL, Boko Haram or Al-Qaeda, and because of terrorist acts committed in the name of Islam such as the 9/11 attacks in America, ISIL massacres in Syria, the Easter Bombings in Sri Lanka, and most recently, the beheading of Samuel Paty and the attacks in France and Austria. Radical Islam is real and is caused in part by the three attributions listed earlier. It is also a global issue with attacks happening in countries such as Canada, America, France, Germany, Russia, China, Japan and Australia, to name a few. Radical Islam is not at all condoned by Muslims as a whole, and the ideals of these terror groups are
repugnant to Muslims as a whole as well. These groups are not a reflection of Islam but are rather the product of many years of maltreatment, suffering and injustice.
Drawing the Prophet Muħammad
The issue of drawing the Prophet Muħammad has recently received widespread coverage. It caused the beheading of Samuel Paty and creates a deep misunderstanding of Islam by westerners. This issue is serious and is reported on without providing the public with enough information, which is unacceptable given its apparent severity and relation to life or death when dealing with radical Islamists. The Prophet Muħammad requested his followers not draw him for fear of eventually being worshiped as God and not as a messenger of God. Muslims abide by this principle and extend it to other prophets such as ‘Īsā ( Jesus) or Mūsā (Moses) – to draw one of Allāh’s prophets is unthinkable. This is an aspect of the Islamic religion that should be understood and respected. Christianity, which is centred around Jesus, who is also the Prophet ‘Īsā, encourages the drawings and depictions of Jesus, who is regarded as the human form of god. This is what the Islamic prophets wanted to avoid, and this is why drawings of the prophets are unacceptable in the eyes of Islamic worshipers.
Moving Forward
Moving forward, it is important for non-Muslims to understand Islam in its proper stance; as a religion of tolerance, peace, equality and social justice. You can do your part by sharing this publication, which can serve as a paper on basic understanding. It is also important for Muslims to understand how most non-Muslims view Islam as product of what our news has shown us. These uneducated views should not be met with hostility, but rather with empathy and education. To change these views for the better, there must be education, and for there to be education, there must be those willing to teach. Prior to researching Islam and talking with Muslims to write this paper, I knew almost none of what I have now written about. I now have a basic understanding of Islam, and I will be a better person because of it. I implore non-Muslims to educate themselves on Islam, the world’s second-largest religion, and I implore Muslims to help educate those who possess distorted or misguided views of Islam. As a religion in crisis, it is also a religion that can be repaired. There will be a second Islamic Golden Age and humanity will be entirely better off as a result.
Making The World A Better Place 5
FEATURE
IMPACT OVER INTENT
by Kate Robart
While the ‘white saviour’ complex is a relatively new term, the behaviour has been around for decades. A ‘white saviour’ complex: when a white person attempts to help a non-white person in an attempt to fulfill their own needs. While the act of helping others alone is in no way harmful and rarely selfish, the belief that only we, as white people, can save others from their disastrous situations (and that they need saving in the first place) is extremely twisted. This complex is often seen in voluntourism, and is also common in the film industry, as it sneaks its way into popular movies like The Blind Side. It affects Indigenous lives in Canada as well, like when government officials go into Indigenous communities in an attempt to quickly fix problems without first understanding the issues. The white saviour complex has harmful effects and is rarely helpful for anyone, which is exactly why it’s important to talk about One of the biggest problems with this behaviour is that it expects people to be unable to help themselves. By saying things like we’re ‘the voices for the voiceless’, we degrade BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of colour) into powerless beings without autonomy. This also claims that white people are better than people of colour since it claims that white voices are so much more important and knowledgeable than BIPOC opinions. Not only does this way of thinking assume that very real human beings are incapable of helping themselves and that white people are so powerful that only they can save others, it also neglects to address the fact that white people have caused most of these issues for BIPOC in the first place. There’s no doubt that helping others is not in and of itself bad. But causing something bad to happen to others, neglecting to take responsibility for it (or at the very least address it), and then asserting that you alone can fix what you’ve done and that those you’ve done these things to are weak is 6 Feature
undeniably wrong. This is why the saying ‘impact over intent’ is so relevant to the idea of the white saviour – while someone’s intentions may be good, the impacts can still be detrimental, and that’s what truly matters. Twitter user Teju Cole wrote, “I deeply respect American sentimentality, the way one respects a wounded hippo. You must keep an eye on it, for you know it is deadly”. Studies have shown that racism by white people has consistently disadvantaged other races in a lot of areas, often leading to poverty, battles with mental health, unequal opportunities, and more. In this way, the racism that we, as white people, have caused, is directly correlated to the ‘saving’ that apparently only we can do, further discounting the abilities of those who were both disadvantaged and hurt by us in the first place. Without solving the deep-rooted racism that exists within our societies, our attempts to save those that we believe are in need will never be helpful, and will most definitely not ever be enough. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve seen aspects of the white saviour complex in my own life, and that I’ve at times subconsciously believed that my own power and privilege as a white person was what other BIPOC needed. I’ve seen people around me participate in poverty porn, the act of objectifying people in media in order to incentivize donations, insinuating that those people are victims unable of helping themselves. I have friends who’ve publicly exhibited their white saviour complex, posting pictures with non-white children in third-world countries in self-fulfilling attempts to seem benevolent and admirable. But while all of these people (myself included) were most likely well-intended, our actions fell short of being productive or useful in addressing the real issue. Systemic racism has led to inequality for centuries, and without first understanding that idea and admitting that we’ve contributed to the problem, the white saviour complex will always
be present. But this demeaning way of thinking of white people as all-powerful is extremely problematic So how can helping people who are less well-off than us who also happen to be BIPOC ever be truly helpful? Well, first of all, I think that openly admitting our own privilege and addressing the fact that it doesn’t make us in any way better than others, as well as working to fight against the systemic racism that white people have helped cause are both important steps as a basis for helping BIPOC. Recognizing, too, that they’re in many ways smarter, more capable, more skilled than us, and therefore not in need of our saving, is also important. Lately, more and more people have been travelling to third-world countries to help teach local leaders, help develop their pre-existing skills and learn new ideas in order to help their own communities. By looking at the history of communities and supporting them in their pre-existing skills, we can amplify their voices as we stand-in as secondary voices. In this way, white people are not attempting to fix anything, rather, they simply support others in their journeys to improving their own talents and careers, an act that has a ripple-effect on entire communities and towns. This is just one of the ways white people can stand behind BIPOC without attempting to speak or act for them. It can sometimes feel like there is no ‘right answer’ when it comes to helping BIPOC. But if the idea of walking into a random white person’s home, picking up their kids and taking pictures with them, reconstructing their house, and then leaving makes you uncomfortable, then it might be time to take a look into how you see yourself as a white person. Much of the work that white people do is good work. And this is not to say that white people can’t help BIPOC and make a difference in their lives. But if your intentions are good and the impact you’re having on the lives of people of colour is not, it’s never worth it.
News
Clothing Companies are Destroying and Trashing Unsold Merchandise by: Jenna Bouwman
Imagine a system where you destroy leftover goods instead of distributing them to those in need. Now, open your eyes and look around you; look at all your favourite stores, and probably the shoes on your feet right now. The majority of these companies contribute to wasteful and neglectful practices. In August 2020, the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) conducted a survey suggesting that 5 percent of Canadians have been homeless themselves, while another 31 percent know someone who has been homeless. Moreover, one in seven Canadians say they live in a place that does not meet their needs but cannot afford to move elsewhere. Additionally, one in six Canadians cannot afford to buy new clothes and good-quality groceries. Canadians across the country are experiencing deprivation due to lack of funds, and while this is an entirely different social issue on its own, we cannot be destroying perfectly good quality clothing that would tremendously help those who are struggling financially. However, the problem continues, usually hid-
den by corporations and avoided by people who are unwilling to address the problem. Unfortunately, burning or cutting unsold clothing is fashion’s best kept secret, and although luxury brands like British Burberry admitted to destroying $36.8 million worth of its own merchandise, many other brands participate. Even Canadian favourites, like Winners and Marshalls, refused to comment in an interview with Global News when asked if the company destroys their products before throwing them away. Louis Vuitton and Nike are also major contributors to the issue, and H&M burned 60 tons worth of new and unsold clothes between 2013 and 2018. Also, whistleblowers have addressed that these practices also take place at Urban Outfitters, Walmart, Eddie Bauer, Michael Kors and Victoria Secret. In the same article from Global News, a former employee of Carter’s Inc. was interviewed about her horrifying discoveries as a retail manager in the clothing industry. Patricia said, “You have to make sure and it’s part of the policy to ensure the
product cannot be used if someone were to find it in the garbage.”
being shredded, burned or ripped beyond repair.
If someone is looking in the garbage, they could probably benefit from clothing, and the cruelest part of this policy is that, in theory, if a person finds needed clothing in the garbage or in the streets, it is damaged beyond the point of use. The policies do not just apply to specific clothing items, they apply to all merchandise … including shoes and winter coats.
Furthermore, forcing employees, most of them making minimum wage, to cut up and throw away perfectly good clothes, shoes and coats is cruel, especially when you consider the dismal statistics indicating that one in six Canadians struggle to afford new clothes and good-quality groceries.
The World Resources Institute says that it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt. 2,700 liters of water is approximately how much water one person will drink in the span of two and a half years. On the other hand, while polyester clothing uses less water, the HuffPost says polyester production released 1.5 trillion pounds of greenhouse gases in 2015. If withholding new clothing from those in need isn’t enough, the fashion industry is one of the world’s worst polluters, so all this pollution is for nothing if a significant amount of the products being made are just
While many companies in the last year or two have begun to develop more environmentally friendly ways of making their clothing and recycling their fabrics, the fashion industry was still one of the top contributors to pollution in 2020 and continues to be in 2021. While there are some companies who have changed their policy and stopped destroying unsold items, it was an action only sparked by customers boycotting and the threat of bankruptcy. Also, many companies have hidden these practices from the public for decades, so don’t be so quick to applaud businesses like H&M for advertising their updated policies. Making The World A Better Place 7
Lockdown due to Pandemic led to Cleaner air Across Cities of Canada by Tanvi Dabas Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cities around the world were shutdown, which not only affected their functioning, but also the way residents would socialize. Lockdown led to millions of people staying home and not commuting to work which made vehicle traffic across Canada plummet. The reduction in the usage of vehicles, made a significant impact on the quality of air in major Canadian cities. A study by Concordia University monitored data from the downtown cores of the major Canadian cities including Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and St. John’s. They compared the cities’ concentration levels of nitrogen dioxide (N02), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) which were measured between the months of February and August 2020 to the data recorded in the same months in years 2018 and 2019. The researchers concluded that they found a drastic drop in the emission level over the course of pandemic. The most remarkable decline occurred in the week of March 15th, 2020 when the national lockdown measures were implemented. There were significant reductions in traffic congestion in various cities such as a 69 percent decrease in traffic congestion levels in Toronto, while in Montreal a 75 percent drop was observed as compared to the year 2019. Less gasoline usage led to the lower pollution figures. A similar pattern was noticed in the case of carbon dioxide emissions. Gasoline production fell by almost half during the pandemic’s early weeks. Apart from providing an opportunity for scenario analysis of a particularly unusual period, this data can also provide aid to the government in assessing the long-term impact of replacing gas burning vehicles with the electric operated vehicles in the streets of Canadian cities. Due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, at least Earth got a break from the constant human hustle and found an opportunity to heal from the damages mankind has made. Hopefully this will serve as an eye opener for the citizens and help towards reducing pollution and making it a better place to live.
8 Science
Science Fact: One million species at risk of extinction according to UN
Science
Biologists reveal forests’ surprising role in climate change
ed highlights the role of forests and their ecosystems in climate change. Forests provide us with ecosystem services which can be a lot of things such as recreation, timber, industry etc. They demonstrated how forests carry out another very essential service, acting as ‘sinks’ for carbon dioxide. It is evident from the research that forests consume large amounts of carbon dioxide globally. If the trees didn’t conduct this function, then more carbon dioxide would go up into the air and build up in the atmosphere even more than the current levels, furthering climate change. The study by West Virginia University emphasizes yet another reason to not only preserve but maintain our forests and to keep them healthy.
A research study conducted by the biologists of West Virginia University shows that the trees around the world are consuming more carbon dioxide than reported in previous data. This demonstrates how essential forests are in regulating the Earth’s atmosphere and should change our mindset about climate change. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study found a positive correlation between atmospheric carbon dioxide and trees’ water use efficiency. An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the past century have caused an uptick in trees’ water-use efficiency: the ratio of carbon dioxide taken up by photosynthesis to the water lost by transpiration, essentially the act of trees “breathing out” water vapor. The study conduct-
Scientists previously believed that trees took up water more efficiently over the past 10 years through reduced stomatal conductance, meaning that trees were thought to retain more moisture when the pores present in their leaves began closing slightly under rising levels of carbon dioxide. Though after conducting an analysis using carbon and oxygen isotopes in tree rings from 1901 to 2015 from 36 tree species at 84 sites around the globe, scientists found that in 83% of cases the major driver of trees increased water efficiency led to increased photosynthesis. This shows that they were processing more carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis turns out to be an overwhelming driver in increasing tree water use efficiency. This information however contradicts the previously conducted studies. This will potentially have a global impact on the carbon cycle if the transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to trees continues with the current or increased rate. The results depict a rise in carbon dioxide as the main factor in making trees use water more efficiently, but the results also depend on various factors such as temperature, precipitation, etc. of the atmosphere. This data can be used in the future to predict the effects of climate change on the global carbon and water cycles.
Making The World A Better Place 9
Intervening Inaccessibility in Isolation:
by Liddy Greer
Breaking the Stigma of Asking for Mental Health Help During a Pandemic Concerning Physical Health
*Trigger warning for sensitive subject matter* COVID-19 has crashed down on people’s social life, academia, frosh, and graduation experiences that mark the beginnings and ends of our University careers, and most importantly it has crashed down on our mental well-being. During these trying times where people’s batteries may already feel low, regulations expect people to isolate for weeks at a time, sometimes even back-to-back for travel. Two weeks of confinement may put people in danger, especially those who were already at risk for suicidal or selfharm tendencies. Some may argue that people can keep an extra eye out for those who have voiced these tendencies, but not all feel comfortable speaking up about their mental health in this manner because of any stigma. For those who suffer alone without anyone to talk to, the isolation period may feel like an eternity. Although the pandemic has cast our physical well-being into the spotlight, in the shadows lies people’s deteriorating mental health. Mental-health resources should be more prominent during isolation periods for people to reach out to, in addition to the lines to call for physical symptoms of COVID-19. Most times, if people express concern for another’s mental well-being then a wellness check is performed at the individual’s house or room (depending on if they live on-campus or not); however, circumstances prevent people from receiving them. Usually, close friends and family members call for the wellness checks, but they are now absent due to isolation periods and COVID-19 restrictions. For Indigenous communities especially, wellness checks have shown to have a bad rep due to instances of racialized violence where the person meant to be checked on ends up hurt by the police. The fear of police resorting to violence prevents many from calling them in the first place. This understandable reluctance leaves the communities isolated during the trying times of COVID-19. Luckily, in Canada, other resources are available such as the Red Cross for wellness checks. On the Red Cross page, they express their resources for not only COVID-19 but how they relay those resources to First Nations communities, as well: “thousands of supplies have been delivered to First Nations communities across the province. The supplies, including cleaning kits, cots, blankets, pillows and hygiene kits, will help maintain a level of cleanliness in elder care homes, health offices and homes of vulnerable community members, and support self-isolation needs within First Nations communities (If you are looking for information or help related to COVID-19 outbreak, visit our page How the Red). Speaking of elder care homes, many residents in homes suffer during COVID-19 while their families socially distance to keep them safe. Without the usual visits from family and friends, they tend to feel lonely and less enthused. Many people find two weeks of self-isolating rather gruesome, and for the el-
10 Sports & Wellness
derly, in their homes, they endure weeks on end to protect their health; however, dwindling mental health goes along with these protocols. On a lighter note, a CBC news article reports that “residents who were at home self-isolating arranged through social media to flash their lights at 9:30 p.m., as a show of solidarity and to signal they were okay” (Wellness checks are a challenge during COVID-19 isolation | CBC News). The warm lights marking the streets show the power significance of checkins and show the importance of daily wellness checks with your loved ones, even if only a flash of light. For isolating Acadia University students, Safety and Security directs them to their residence room upon arrival to spend two weeks in their dorm room. Students retrieve meals by marching one by one in a line up the Acadia hill to grab their food from Wheelock Dining Hall and leave. Back in their room, they eat alone facing the walls that fence them in. During self-isolation periods, certain groups of people spend their time getting ahead in school, but others find grappling with the loneliness of isolation to be too consuming to indulge in external or academic activities. Lighter activities such as going out for their allotted outdoor time to build snowmen or learning how to meditate in your room make for mindful ways of spending your time without exhausting your brain when alone with your thoughts. Instead, trying light exercise or mindfulness releases any weighing thoughts and allows you space to breathe and clear your mind. Resident Assistants and off-campus students have described isolation periods in the following ways: “I found that it was difficult by the second week upon realizing
Sports & Wellness
things, and I was confined to my four walls. Having had to do two full 2-week isolations, the surprise third one that was imposed by the government, after I had already been back and out with friends, was even harder. As it felt like I was being forced into isolation instead of choosing to do it.” -Joe Woytiuk “My mental health to start out was pretty good. I kind of tried to look at it as a two-week vacation to really work on myself. But, when I got a few days into the second week, that’s when my depression started to hit pretty hard that carried through when I was out of isolation.” -Sydney “Isolation was way too long to be locked in a room by myself it most definitely had a negative effect on my mental health. I mainly spent all my time watching Netflix, playing guitar, and on zoom to pass the time.” -Oscar Leishman
how many days it had been, but I looked at it as two-weeks of productivity and self-care. RA training kept me fairly busy, and I took up new tasks that I never had the time for before, such as learning headstands, arts and crafts, and spending time outside which helped me the most. Having that connection with nature and sunlight made me feel less alone. I am a big advocate for going outside for 30 minutes a day, and I often did work outside on a yoga mat. Two months of quarantining in 2020 (four times) teaches you the importance of outdoor time in isolation.” -Monet Streit “During isolation, I had a really challenging time managing my mental health. The first semester was not as bad, but when I returned in January it was a lot harder due to the weather and how long it stayed dark. I had a lot that I needed to work on at this time and due to my mental health struggles, I did not get nearly enough done. Since I live off-campus there is not a designated place for me to go outside so I was stuck inside for 14 days by myself. Not only was my general mental health struggling but I also had a lot of personal situations happening, which made isolation even harder as I didn’t have anyone to go through it with, and that is what I needed.” -Lara Hartman “My daily routine in isolation consisted of learning yoga, playing Plants VS. Zombies, decorating, and playing volleyball in my room, and I tried out self-care by painting my nails. SRA training kept me occupied, along with meal hall coordination for my Seminary House isolating residents.” -Sneh Yadav “Being in isolation is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Being an extroverted person who enjoys being out and spending time with people made the experience mentally, and emotionally taxing knowing other people were out doing
Altogether, isolation leads to a rollercoaster of emotions, but with these notable perspectives and creative solutions to keep busy, isolation may pass by faster. Thank you to the people who were vulnerable and shared their genuine reflections and struggles throughout isolation. If you do experience any troubles with mental health during your isolation period, please reach out. If you live on-campus, you can contact your RA online, and if you live off-campus, reach out to your roommates, friends, neighbours, or family on the phone. Additionally, here are a selection of numbers to call if you feel at risk of harming yourself or need to talk to someone: Good2Talk (a confidential online resource in Ontario and NS free of charge): tel:1-833-292-3698 OR text GOOD2TALKNS to 686868 Provincial Mental Health Crisis Line toll-free (available 24/7): 1-888-429-8167 First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help line: 1-855242-3310 And for long-term support, the Acadia counselling centre is currently seeing clients virtually, by phone, and in-person if deemed necessary by the Counselling Centre. They have a selection of counsellors with descriptions dependent on your needs online at https://www2.acadiau.ca/student-life/health-wellness/mental-health/staff.html After picking a counsellor fit for you, contact counselling@acadiau.ca As well, some people do not know, but if you think after your first appointment that another counsellor might be better for you, do not hesitate to reach out via email to have your counsellor switched. Stay safe. Citations “If You Are Looking for Informations or Help Related to COVID-19 Outbreak, Visit Our Page How the Red.” Red Cross Canada, www.redcross.ca/in-your-community/saskatchewan/ how-red-cross-is-responding-to-covid-19-in-saskatchewan. “Wellness Checks Are a Challenge during COVID-19 Isolation | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 26 Mar. 2020, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/vulnerable-seniors-wellness-checks-1.5510114.
Making The World A Better Place 11
Water - by Taryn Muldoon Where I come from the cedars strain yellow for want of water. Thirst locks the throat dampens the limbs, every summer a scorched sun rumbles through the dry-sweater sky. I spool through the fraying husk of a creek bed bare-ankled in the stinging nettle as the land groans and waits for rain. When it comes, this land will breathe water, will yearn for the full-bodied dance of raindrops. How it has missed soaking us with its lifetimes of falling and rising. Rain is the perfect reincarnation. And this land remembers how to live. Because there was water here. Drenching, quenching, brimming the eaves, sending the worms squirming from their wet womb of soil, moss dripping from the trees. For weeks, rain would pull over us like a painter’s apron and splash colour over the land. Around us the ocean would rot the foundations of houses built too close to the belief that water could resist the shore. Now, in these sweat-curled summers ash clings to the air like mist grays the bitter water of the ocean cinched around this land, of this temperate rainforest crisping as fir needles fall like prayers like raindrops from these drought-loosened trees, and the island cups its hands and waits
14 Creative
Creative
Light - by Rylie Moscato Even in the darkest of worlds, a light will show the way. Forests might continually burn, but activists will work towards change. Covid is killing many at once, so the scientists focus on vaccines. A single mother may struggle to provide, but her perseverance will pay off indeed. Black lives continue to die, the fight against police won’t cease. Struggles do not insure suffering, hard work will pave a new path. The world is what its inhabitants make it. Change may not happen overnight, but commitment towards change creates movement. Movements are our light on Earth – the darkest of worlds.
Making The World A Better Place 13
This Might Evoke Guilt And I Am Not Sorry: You call us strong because you want to call us loud. You try to mask our fresh wounds and silence our voices that are heavy with emotion. You slap on a band aid labelled, “strong Black woman” Are we really loud or are you just too guilty to confront the emotion that you recognise in our voices? Why do you recognise this emotion? Not because you share in the experiences that cause it but maybe because you are the experiences. The Truth Is: Our strength will not mask reality Our vulnerability is allowed. Because sometimes we will bleed through that band aid and the world needs to accept that as a plausible reality. Our resilience does not make your actions okay. It is an almost inevitable by-product, and not a justification. Black Women: Can be strong Can be vulnerable CAN BE LOUD can be silent Black women should be allowed to simply be. Without relation to the politics of our existence. by Fikayo Kayode
15 Creative
The Socialite Response By: Arctic Mooley Somewhere east a child suffers from need or a extremist regime. Full of sympathy I wish I could relate, it’s not my fault I live the American dream. So the cheque book opens, and I scribble zero after zero. I donate to many and fill with pride, my gut says I’m ‘the socialite hero’. Only later are scams revealed companies who front as charities. Those crooks hold my money preying on my financial security. The funds long gone, I have no more to spare. The children still suffer, and I still care. These thoughts are now pushed away I have many parties and people to meet. Yet, I become overwhelmed with shame when girl approaches the poor on the street. The girl is broke, broker than me; but gives up her change willingly. We make eye contact, my heart quickly breaks I wish I could undo my many mistakes.
by Artic Mooley
Making The World A Better Place 16
Any time that is not spent on love is wasted. - Tasso.