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OPINIONS
THE CAMPUS FEBRUARY, 13TH 2023
Colin Ahern, Opinions Editor » thecampus.opinions@gmail.com
Winter vs. Fall: A semester review
Christina Lépine - Features Editor
O
n Jan. 11, Bishop’s students came back on campus for the start of the 2023 winter semester. Students had the opportunity to resume classes on campus, rather than remotely. However, this privilege also came with an abrupt reality check as pre-COVID expectations are now enforced on university students that have only known COVID-adapted course loads and accommodations. Since the 2020 winter semester, the university has been in ongoing transition phases as it balanced provincial health guidelines with a desire for in-person classes. Communications between the university and students have been frequent in the past two years to constantly offer updates on the health situation on-campus as classes were conducted in-person and online. As the class syllabi have been presented throughout the first week of class, submission dates are less flexible than previous semesters when there were further accommodations due to online classes and the mental challenges of self-isolation. This semester, professors are encouraging
students to contact them or on-campus mental health resources if needed, but have instated stricter syllabi with higher expectations and more rigid deadlines. As for entertainment, the winter semester offers great opportunities to meet people and enjoy the Bishop’s party experience with Winterfest, the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and the new Gait Night themes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Indeed, the Gait welcomed back all students
with a New Year’s themed party which was very popular. A smaller event was organized on Tuesday Jan. 17 for students in Residence to meet newcomers at the Residence Karaoke Night. Quiet Bar on Tuesdays is also back to offer opportunities to meet other students in a friendly environment. Despite the fact that life on campus has been vibrant since the start of the semester, the winter semester does not stand out the way the fall semester does.
Starting with O-Week that welcomes all newcomers and unites returning students, Club Day that is more crowded in September than in January, and Homecoming Weekend, the atmosphere in the fall is full of excitement compared to winter, as more fatigue is felt after a smaller break. Fortunately, the winter months are soon coming to an end which introduces the spring excitement accompanied by warmer weather and sunny days towards the end of the semester as we get closer to the long summer break. Although the winter semester starts abruptly compared to the fall semester, it is possible to notice the campus coming back to life as it gets warmer, and as we have more occasions to meet and enjoy the Bishop’s student life inside and outside.
Photo Courtesy of Emily Crunican
Thrift shopping is the new fast fashion Fanny Essel - Arts and Culture Editor
T
he thrift shop held at Bishop’s University as part of the Eco-Week programming will be donating to charities in the Eastern Townships. This event, organized by the Environmental Club in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Office, SRC and the CASA fashion show was held on Feb. 6. The thrift shop made me consider my own relationship with shopping and overconsumption. As someone who likes fashion, I have been naturally driven to thrift shopping – the act of discovering some gems in a bunch of unwanted items. For me, it is an awesome way to shop because it does not break the bank, and I am able to wear cute stuff while saving the planet. However, I was shocked to learn only a few items were sold in stores. Indeed, “[…] about 80 to 90 percent of donated clothing isn’t being resold in Canada,” wrote Paul Jay in his CBC article “Here’s where your donated clothing really ends up”. In my opinion, the thrift shopping experience is also enforcing inequity. Unwanted items are sent to emerging countries and landfills. “I don’t think we should be exporting our garbage to developing countries, and I would put donated clothing in pretty much the same bucket,” said
Kate Bahen, Charity Intelligence Canada’s managing director, in the CBC article. This industry is enforcing the status quo between the western “powerful” countries and the emerging countries. Is thrift shopping the new fast fashion? I think so, because the second-hand market is directly linked to overconsumption and capitalism. You may have seen on your social media a lot of consumers denouncing that in some thrift shops, such as in Goodwill, there are even more low-quality items from Shein than before. So, what can we do? No matter how I think about this issue, the answer will never be perfect, yet I think the best way to consume is to engage with and learn more about local initiatives. For example, the thrift shop held at Bishop’s is an interesting event because the clothing items were given by the university’s students. The revenue earned and the unsold articles will be donated to the women’s shelter in Sherbrooke. For me, mending our items is also a more sustainable way to consume. A mending table was put in the Gait, to help students learn about the basics. But ultimately, I think the only way to slow down consumerism, the waste management problem and inequality, is to diminish our way of consumption.
Graphic Courtesy of Leea Rebeca Ruta