Rykiss explained that this year is all about making sure that UMSU’s governing docu ments and election manuals are clearly comprehensible. Matthew Merkel, staff
The Official University of Manitoba Students’ Newspaper Aug. 24, 2022 VOL. 109, NO. 3SINCE 1914 U of W students weigh in on new mask policy News 3 Unmasked Threatens rights of people with disabilities Editorial 6 MAID expandedeligibility Governments need more 2SLGBTQ+ representation Comment 8 Seats and solidarity New album a fresh take on pop country Arts Culture& 11 Jamming at The Secret Beach U of M football starts up this week Sports 13 Bisons, Valour and Bombers Board andstudentrevealsmeetingplansforadvocacyBisonBash
Cont’d p. 3 / First >
The University of Mani toba Students’ Union held its first in-person board meeting this year on Aug. 18. UMSU president Jaron Rykiss said it felt great to meet with the board of dir ectors and share some of the things the executive commit tee has been working on. The weekend before the meeting, the entire executive committee attended the Student Union Development Summit (SUDS) at the University of British Columbia.Afewdays prior to SUDS, UMSU vice-president advocacy Victoria Romero and Rykiss also attended the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) policy and strategy conference at the University of Calgary. Rykiss explained that recently approved CASA policies and action plans will aim to address student issues like mental health supports and student aid, as well as housing and food security. He said these plans will be presented to ministers of federal government in Ottawa inRykissNovember.also revealed that UMSU is in the early stages of developing strategies to improve reach for the Hire a Bison campaign which is a student marketplace for sharing info and resources, and that they are attempting to find ways to simplify parking for students at the U of M’s Bannatyne campus. He also met with U of M administra tors to discuss opportunities to increase financial aid for international students. The UMSU president said that plans are in motion to update the union’s website and governing documents.
photo / AkinboEbunoluwa / staff Summer 2022’s greatest hits The Toban Features A sampling of summertime in the ’Peg on pages 14 to 15



EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ? editor@themanitoban.comGillianBrown BUSINESS MANAGER ? accounts@themanitoban.comDhruvPatel ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR ? ads@themanitoban.comRichardPlant MANAGING EDITOR ? me@themanitoban.comGraceAnnePaizen COPY DESK ? copy@themanitoban.comEzraTaves(ed.) NEWS DESK ? news@themanitoban.comMatthewMerkel(ed.)ColtonMcKillop(ed.) RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY DESK ? research@themanitoban.comElahAjene(ed.) FEATURES DESK ? features@themanitoban.comvacant COMMENT DESK ? comment@themanitoban.comIvanNuñezGamez(ed.) ARTS & CULTURE DESK ? arts@themanitoban.comAlexBraun(ed.) SPORTS DESK ? seesports@themanitoban.comapplicationsopenthemanitoban.com/jobs PHOTO DESK ? photo@themanitoban.comEbunoluwaAkinbo(ed.) DESIGN DESK ? design@themanitoban.comMatthewDoering(ed.) GRAPHICS DESK ? graphics@themanitoban.comDallinChicoine(ed.) AUDIO DESK ? audio@themanitoban.comHarmatpreetBrar(ed.) SOCIAL MEDIA DESK ? social@themanitoban.comJoryThomas(ed.) VOLUNTEERS THIS ISSUE ? VOLUNTEER STAFF ? interested in volunteering? email me@themanitoban.com today! 109THEMANITOBAN.COMHELENGLASSBUILDINGUNIVERSITYOFMANITOBAWINNIPEG,MB204.474.6535
The Manitoban is an independent and democratic student organization, open to participation from all students. It exists to serve its readers as students and citizens. The Manitoban is a member of the Canadian University Press, and our journalistic standards can be found online at toban.news/jsp.
The Manitoban is the official student newspaper of the University of Manitoba. It is published monthly during the summer and each week of regular classes during the academic year by the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.
The newspaper’s primary mandate is to report fairly and objectively on issues and events of importance and interest to the students of the University of Manitoba, to provide an open forum for the free expression and exchange of opinions and ideas and to stimulate meaningful debate on issues that affect or would otherwise be of interest to the student body and/ or society in general. The Manitoban serves as a training ground for students interested in any aspect of journalism. Students and other interested parties are invited to contribute to any section of the newspaper. Please contact the appropriate editor for submission guidelines.
Any individual who qualifies as a volunteer staff member must be voted in by a majority vote at a Manitoban editorial board meeting. Elected representatives and non-students may be excluded from holding votes as volunteer staff members in accordance with the Manitoban Constitution. All contents are ©2022 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.
The Manitoban reserves the right to edit all submissions and will not publish any material deemed by its Editorial Board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic or trans-phobic, ableist or libellous.
Opinions expressed in letters and articles are solely those of the authors. Editorials in the Manitoban are signed and represent the opinions of the writer(s), not necessarily those of the Manitoban staff, Editorial Board or the publisher.
2 Vol. 109 No. 3 News pages 3 to 4 Research & Technology page 5 Editorial pages 6 Comment page 8 Diversions page 10 Arts & Culture page 11 Sports page 13 Features pages 14 to 15
A “volunteer staff” member is defined as a person who has had three volunteer articles, photographs or pieces of art of reasonable length and/ or substance published in the current publishing year of the Manitoban.









“[Frosh is] a gendered term first of all that means freshman, so we wanted to eliminate that barrier there and make it accessible for all types of people” — Elishia Ratel, UMSU vice-president community engagement “I feel like I’m the only person in the world that wants to be safe” — Gico Chiu, U of W student news@themanitoban.com
The U of W asks that the university community “exhibit compassion with respect to an individual’s choice regarding masking.” This is an area of definite concern for fifth year theatre and film student Gico Chiu, who had hoped that the university would continue the policies it already had in place, at least while indoors.
“We just find it really interesting that in a university, we’re encouraged to use our critical thinking skills and back up all our claims with research, but the university is seemingly ignoring the research showing how effective masks are.”
This new attitude toward the event extends past the new student-voted name. Security measures and resour ces that address sexual violence will be implemented to protect students. Bison Bash will also feature events throughout the week that are alco hol-free, something Ratel hopes will attract students who prefer a more laid-back experience. graphic / ChicoineDallin / staff A bounce house, karaoke night and an outdoor movie will make up the first three days of Bison Bash. A night market, silent disco and the UMSU street party, an event that showcases UMSU businesses, will close out the week. On Sept. 17, a concert at the Burton Cummings theatre is the final event of Bison Bash. In 2019, hip-hop artists YG and Tyga headlined UMSU’s Frosh event. When asked who this year’s headliner may be Ratel stayed tight-lipped, saving the announcement for a later date. All she was willing to say was that one of the artists is popular on TikTok.
“I still wear a mask when I go into public and there’s just times where mentally I feel like I’m being judged,” he said. “I feel like I’m the only person in the world that wants to be safe.”
Masks will be made available on campus for students, faculty and staff who are more comfortable wearing them. The specific locations where masks will be available were not men tioned in the update. At the U of M, masks were mandatory throughout the summer term and will remain mandatory come fall. KN95 masks are highly recommended, but 3-ply medical grade masks are accepted as well.
First in-person meeting of the year outlines UMSU executives’ fall plans < Cont’d from front page
Tyler Silver, a second year environ mental studies and sciences student at the U of W, said that he had hoped for more of a “middle ground” when it came to campus safety measures.
Elishia Ratel, vice-president com munity engagement, shared news regarding the newly coined Bison Bash. Formerly known as “Frosh,” Bison Bash will feature events and festivities organized by UMSU from Sept. 12 to 17.
Vice-president finance and oper ations Brook Rivard highlighted the first event at VW’s, a wedding, as well as the opening of a new bubble tea shop in IQ’s named “Boba.”
advocacy Victoria Romero announced that UMSU as well as other student unions from Alberta and Saskatchewan were in the process of creating MAPSS Prairie Advocacy, an inter-provincial advocacy initiative that will address student issues across the three provinces. Tracy Karuhogo, vice-president student life, revealed that beginning in September, the UMSU hardship fund, a financial fund for students in desperate need, will undergo restruc turing to “increase accountability into how money is spent” by recipients.
“I’d feel safer if people were wearing masks at school, but at the same time I think last year was a bit overboard,” he said, specifically referring to the university campus being closed to the general public this past year — a restriction that is expected to loosen this Silverfall.plans to keep wearing his mask as fall semester begins and expects those who aren’t comfortable without masks to keep theirs on too.
3 Newsnews@themanitoban.comAugust24,2022
On Aug. 15, the U of W announced in a fall term update that effective Aug. 17, “masking will be highly recommended, but not a mandatory Therequirement.”updatestated that the univer sity will continue to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 in the province and that, if the current situation changes, it will modify its restrictions accordingly.
This is something he said has been put off for several years. Another priority for the UMSU presi dent is the international student guide. Scheduled to be released in January, Rykiss said the document will help increase resource access ibility, optimize the university experience and make it easier for students to connect.
U of W students voice opinions on mask-optional policy Students hesitant to drop mask mandate
The University of Winnipeg’s de cision to make masks optional has left many students feeling apprehensive about returning to classes in-person this fall.
Gillian Brown, staff
As the university opens to the public, Chiu is even more nervous taking off his mask. “I think that they should keep it the way it is,” he said.
UMSU’s main goal for the guide according to Rykiss is making sure that the information is easy to read and Othercomprehend.UMSUexecutives had a lot to declare as Vice-presidentwell.
When asked why UMSU determined a name change was necessary, Ratel explained that the goal was to make the annual event safer and more inclusive for all students.
“[Frosh is] a gendered term first of all that means freshman, so we wanted to eliminate that barrier there and make it accessible for all types of people,” said “Also,Ratel.there’s just been a negative culture with a lot of Frosh events. She “Wesaid.wanted to remove that idea that’s surrounding Frosh events, and make it a new culture of safety for students and something they can really enjoy.”
Student in religion & culture and geography Demery Broesky, currently in the last year of her degree at the university, thinks that the decision to make masks optional is “really “Itdisappointing.”seemslike the wrong decision given [that] we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, and masks are proven to prevent the spread of COVID,” she Aftercontinued.speaking with other students, Broesky found that they’ve all come to one conclusion: the university is con tradicting its own values by making masks optional.
news@themanitoban.com

Laksh director of events Rushil Nain said that one of the celebration’s highlights was being able to showcase the different cultures within India. He said that the group hopes to hold similar events in the future, not only for Indian students but for other South Asian communities as well.
For many international students, it can be quite difficult to live in a foreign country. Chaudhary explained that taking part in cultural events like Independence Day can help students experiencing isolation reconnect with their “Whenevercommunity.[students] leave their home country and come to Canada, they’re disconnected [from] their culture,” he said. “It is very important to celebrate these types of days so that you remember where you are from.”
The day after the PSA event, Laksh, a U of M student organization for those interested in South Asian culture, held an Indian Independence Day party at the Richmond South Winnipeg Community Centre. Similar to the PSA celebration, a flag hoisting, traditional music, dancing and food were all part of the festivities.
The University of Manitoba will be increasing its number of nursing students by 50 per cent starting in May of 2023 in order to address Manitoba’s shortage of nurses.
news@themanitoban.com
U of M nursing college adds third intake of students Program will be accelerated, adding additional term per year
Pakistani and Indian independence honoured Matthew Merkel, staff Two University of Manitoba student organizations held In dependence Day celebrations in mid August. The Pakistani Stu dents’ Association (PSA) celebrated Pakistani Independence Day on Aug. 12 and 14, while U of M student organ ization Laksh honoured Indian In dependence Day on Aug. 15. PSA president Saud Chaudhary said that with help from the Canada Pakistan Trade and Cultural Association (CPTCA) of Manitoba, the event was a huge success. The festivities kicked off with a formal flag hoisting on Aug. 12. City councillor Janice Lukes, Pakistani-Canadian Progressive Conservative MLA Obby Khan and Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Jon Reyes were all in attendance.
Two days later, another celebration was held at Crescent Drive Park. Traditional songs and dances were performed. Pakistani street food was served as Chaudharywell.said that he has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the event attendees. He added that the PSA looks forward to hosting more events for the Pakistani com munity in the future.
“Certainly there is a high vacancy rate in the nursing positions within the health-care system and the health regions across the province, and that is why we’re really pleased and excited to contribute to addressing photo / McKillopColton / staff that shortage,” Dyck said.
“Our graduates are gaining employment in the province and they’re staying in the province.”
The governing Progressive Conservatives began making substantial cuts to health care in 2017 and have continued to do so as recently as 2021, when they made cuts to acute
Althoughcare.the province has devoted over $110 million in its 2022 budget to improve health care in Manitoba, medical workers’ unions said that the budget did not offer enough to deal with the staffing shortage.
The provincial government is now investing $19.5 million to add 259 nurse training seats at five postsecondary institutions throughout Manitoba — including the 120 seats added to the U of M. The province plans to add roughly 400 seats over the next few years.
Dyck said the nursing college is already working on recruiting “additional faculty and staff to assist with the delivery of the program and ensure quality education for our “We’llstudents.”beready for when the additional students arrive in May of 2023.”
“It was really brilliant,” Nain said. “I have many friends at the University of Manitoba and all over Winnipeg who have been here for the past eight, nine years, and they really haven’t participated in or seen any Indian Independence Day celebration,” he continued. “So, we thought of it.”
“Isaid.have met such amazing people, both from my community and outside of my community, who have taught me so many things and made me a better
“All the family I have here are the people from my community,” Rajpal
— Saud Chaudhary, Pakistani Students’ Association president
“We do survey our graduates six months post-graduation and again 12 months post-graduation, and so we do have a sense for where our graduates are working,” she said.
As of May 2022, 28 per cent of nursing positions at Grace Hospital were unfilled and 18 per cent of positions at the Health Sciences Centre were Thevacant.shortage forced the 22 federally operated nursing stations located in Manitoba’s remote Indigenous communities to only provide emergency care in these areas.
“It is very important to celebrate these types of days so that you actually remember where you are from”
Netha Dyck, the dean of the college of nursing at the University of Manitoba, said that these changes will not affect the quality or content of education students receive and will allow students to complete their program ahead of schedule.
4 News news@themanitoban.comVol.109,No.3
She said this would make more nurses available to the health-care system “a year ahead of regular schedule.”
Student groups host cultural celebrations
UMSU international community representative Kunal Rajpal attended both the PSA and Laksh Independence Day events. He was happy to report that each event ran well, and that he ran into many old friends he had not seen for some time. Rajpal was grateful to be able to cele brate his own Indian heritage, as well as experience his fellow classmates’ Pakistani culture. He said that these cultural gatherings are an important part of a strong student community.
“We’re increasing our seat capacity, and we’re changing and decreasing the time to completion, so there’s really no change to our curriculum,” she Thesaid.nursing college’s curriculum is currently completed over seven terms and Dyck said this would not change, “it’s just that the time to completion will change.”
Dyck expects that the majority of these will remain in the province.
news@themanitoban.com
“That’sperson.whathappens here if we have events like this, where we are celebrat ing ourselves with the community. It strengthens that bond, and that’s what we need the most right now.”
Colton McKillop, staff
The bachelor of nursing program will also accelerate to be delivered over three terms per year, rather than the two terms currently offered, with 120 students added in the fall, winter and spring and summer terms.

“I think it’s really important for us as an organization, TREKK, to try to ensure that children and those caring for them have the best evidence, the latest research, so that they will have the best outcomes,” he said, “and that’s really what it’s all about.”
Research will be used to expand database on illnesses that affect children
COVID-19’s impact on kids’ conditions
Klassen reasoned that some condi tions such as diabetic complications may have gone unrecognized and worsened as families delayed seeking Statisticscare.
Established in 2011 with funding from the Networks of Centres of Excellence Knowledge Mobilization Initiative, TREKK’s goal is to ensure that Canadian children and families visiting emergency departments have access to the same data available at specialized pediatric hospitals.
He said that even though “all the fancy research” takes place in special ized children’s hospitals, health-care professionals need to ensure that the information is accessible to hospitals where more children are likely to be Intreated.addition to researching 10 condi tions relevant to COVID-19, the study will revise the resources available for ailments such as croup, asthma and bronchiolitis, and will add new data to the TREKK database on illnesses like Klassenpneumonia.said that the CIHR-funded study is a “grand opportunity” to examine the wider impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At times during COVID, we almost saw none of the traditional breathing problems that children present with, like asthma or bronchiolitis or croup,” he However,explained.emergency rooms saw an increase in these respiratory problems when pandemic restrictions loosened.
The study’s researchers will survey medical professionals and determine what new topics and information should be included in TREKK’s archive. They will also inquire with parents and children regarding what information they think emergency care providers should know, test the effectiveness of the new resources they develop and photo / provided make any necessary changes.
Canada found that nearly one in three Canadian adults who required health care in the first year of the pandemic delayed seeking assist ance for fear of COVID exposure and overloading the health-care system.
He noted that although the direct impact of the virus on children is now well understood, “disease presenta tion patterns” have been changing in emergency departments, a phenom enon that the new study will explore.
A University of Manitoba re search project seeking to pro vide data on how COVID-19 and related conditions have affect ed children has received over $433,000 in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The study will build on the work of the database and knowledge mobiliz ation network Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids (TREKK).
The TREKK website and app provide parents and medical workers through out Canada with evidence-based data and resources about over 50 subjects related to children’s health care.
Dr. Terry Klassen, CEO and scientific director for the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, pro fessor of pediatrics at the University of Manitoba and the lead investigator involved in the study, pointed out that though there are specialized children’s hospitals throughout the country, general emergency room doctors may not be as familiar with treating kids.
5 Research & Technologyresearch@themanitoban.comAugust24 , 2022 research@themanitoban.com
U of M studies
Colton McKillop, staff
“We have to realize, when we look at it overall in Canada, 85 per cent of the children who seek acute care or emergency care are actually going to general emergency departments, not the children’s hospitals that are in big cities,” Klassen said.


Our existing care services are in disrepair and instead of looking at ways to allocate more money toward health care, we are accepting budget savings by expanding eligibility for physician-assisted suicide. The aforementioned UN experts suggested in their report that our current public health climate provides such a lack of social support that “free choice may not exist” for people with disabilities faced with the choice between life and Ifdeath.taken in the worst way, there is an argument to be made that pushing people with disabilities into physician-assisted suicide by providing insufficient care is comparable to eugenics, and as such should be strongly condemned.
Alex Braun, staff Canadians, allowing dignity and relief from suffering to be granted to terminal patients who feel that their lives are not worth living anymore.
Accepting the deaths of people who are not in danger of a natural death and who suffer because of our failure as a society to properly care for them is an abject moral failure for Canada. Every person deserves access to the care and resources they need.
is put in stark relief when looking at the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s cost estimate for Bill C-7’s expanded eligibility, which sunnily assesses the increase in deaths as representing a $62 million costs.careinreductionnethealth-
The original amendment that legalized physician-assisted suicide in Canada, Bill C-14 in 2016, restricted its application to cases in which patients endured “intolerable” physical or psychological suffering. They were also required to have reached a point in their affliction where “natural death [had] become reasonably foreseeable,” ensuring that only those likely to die of their ailments could seek to expedite the process.
The concept once seemed like a ridiculous joke to me, but perhaps it is the logical endpoint of an individualistic, capitalist society where we pay no mind to the suffering of large swaths of our populace — if we don’t care of the poor and marginalized in life, why not let them die if they want to.
Medical assistance in dying for those not terminally ill a slippery slope
Writing to the Canadian government, three UN human rights watchdogs expressed their concern regarding the widening of MAID eligibility. Special Rapporteurs Gerard Quinn and Olivier De Schutter as well as independent expert Claudia Mahler argued that normalizing life-ending for those without terminal conditions may lead disabled people to “disproportionately feel the need to end their lives” due to social factors and material Wepressures.havealready
The easy way out of caring for people
editor@themanitoban.com
Prioritizing the right for people with disabilities to commit physicianassisted suicide ahead of their right to lead a comfortable life is a hideous reflection of our society’s values.
In the first episode of Futura ma, our hapless hero Philip J. Fry arrives in the year 2999 and stumbles upon one of the fu ture’s popular suicide booths, where for only 25 cents you can be killed on command.
Medical assistance in dying (MAID) has quite an rightvalueobviousasafor
Or take the case of Roger Foley, a man who suffers from a neurodegenerative disease who testified to the House of Commons that he was “coerced into assisted death by abuse, neglect, lack of care and threats” because his caregivers found caring for him to be too odious of a task.
6 Editorial editor@themanitoban.comVol.109 , No. 3
Providing the option for people with disabilities to seek physicianassisted suicide while refusing to provide sufficient income assistance, affordable housing or reliable care does feel like a nudge in a certain
But Canada’s regulations for MAID have expanded dramatically due to the passing of Bill C-7 in 2021, which removed the stipulation that natural death must be foreseeable and opened MAID eligibility to those with disabilities and other non-terminal afflictions.
graphic / ChicoineDallin / staff
Thisdirection.feeling
seen cases in Canada where people without access to disability care or adequate housing choose death because we as a community have failed to care for them. For instance, a disabled 31-yearold in Toronto was unable to find suitable housing with her insufficient disability stipend, driving her to apply for MAID.


7PMMOVIEOUTDOORNIGHT-11PM Outdoor movie night, location TBD 14
Food trucks will be present to bring fun new eats on campus UMSU 9PMPARTYSTREET-2AM
8PMNIGHTKARAOKE-12AM Karaoke Night at VW Social Club 13
Our
WEDNESDAYTHURSDAY15
Burton announcedartistsTheatre.CummingsFeaturedwillbeshortly 17 SATURDAYUMSU BISON BASHWWW.UMSU.CAWWW.UMSU.CA @MyUMSU@MyUMSUSeptember 12-17
QUAD DAYS
10AM - 4PM Lawn games and daily activities on the Quad 11:30AMFRIDAYTRUCK-2:30PM
F16RIDAY BISON BASH
10AM - 4PM Lawn games and daily activities on the Quad
7PM - 12AM WeekWelcomeconcludes hosted at
Three of our UMSU Businesses will be hosting a Street Party on the 3rd Floor of University Centre, featuring a wide variety of entertainment and activities in each restaurant
TUESDAYQUAD DAYS
with a final concert
M12ONDAYQUAD DAYS
10AM - 4PM Lawn games and daily activities on the Quad
QUAD DAYS 10AM - 4PM Lawn games and daily activities on the Quad
FOOD
QUAD DAYS
10AM - 4PM Lawn games and daily activities on the Quad UMSU 5PMMARKETNIGHT-10PM Local Farmer's Market hosted on the Quad with a Live Music Festival featuring local artists
As deplorable as lies are, I find it more deplorable that society is not ready for someone like me to hold a high-rank ing leadership position for the mere fact that my sexual orientation does not fit the set standards.
grand marshal. The second realization I had is that playing pretend is exhausting. The amount of uncomfortable situations I have endured for the sake of fulfilling societal norms are countless at this point. For so long, I have neglected my feelings and no career is worth that. Lastly, I came to realize that if I was going to make a bid for public office someday, I would rather win or lose being unapologetically myself. Having the person I truly love by my side regardless of their gender, and hoping constituents elect or not elect me based on my policies rather than my sexual preference. However, that is something only time will tell. In the meantime, I hope more people break the glass ceiling. I hope there is more visibility in our public servants, and I hope we move past prejudice. As uncomfortable as the conversation may get, living inside a closet is far worse.
Seeing people like Uzoma Asagwara break the glass ceiling as the first black, non-binary person elected to office in Manitoba is a vivid example that tokenism is merely a societal construct based on a falsely assumed lack of capability within the queer community. Since being elected and becoming the Manitoba NDP critic for health, seniors and active living, Asagwara has steadily gained a name of their own not only within their party but also across Manitoba, ultim ately becoming Pride Winnipeg’s graphic / staff comment@themanitoban.com
The problem is that political entities should not seek to please allies, but should instead address the needs of the community they are aiming to help. The best way to do so is through people with first-hand experience, something allies simply do not have.
8 Comment comment@themanitoban com Vol 109, No 3
ChicoineDallin /
As uncomfortable as the conversation may get, living inside a closet is far worse
Allyship should not end at the legislature’s doors
Tokenism is just one of the realities aspiring queer politicians are forced to endure Ivan Nuñez Gamez, staff “Life gets easier once you are out.” That is what is often heard from close family and friends once one decides to come out and start being unapolo getically themselves. Though there is no accurate way to predict the societal consequences of taking such a step on one’s journey, who would blame a straight, cisgender person for having such a naive perception of the lives of queer people? After all, thousands affirm their allyship every year during pride events, the top three federal political parties have each endorsed legislation to protect 2SLGBTQ+ rights at some point and there have been sitting members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) of Manitoba who have identi fied as part of the community. Though I am not one to downplay the evident progress that has been made in recent years, I am unsure we are at a point in time where society has moved past its Sinceprejudice.Iwas
little, I knew I wanted to be involved in politics. I have always tried to advocate in the best interest of my demographic because as a racially diverse immigrant, I have experienced the legal, mental and physical struggle of being a newcomer first-hand. Though it is undeniable that small changes have been made, the only way to achieve meaningful systemic reform is by someday acquiring a position of power, which is a goal I have had since I arrived in this country. But in the back of my head, a recurring fear always surfaces when thinking about my future in the polit ical field: rejection. Right now, there are only two openly queer ministers in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, both of whom occupy minor roles. Out of the 338 seats in the House of Commons, only eight are occupied by members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community despite Canada being home to one million people who identify as such. In a late night conversation with my best friend, I brought forward the possibility of continuing the whole pretending-to-be-straight scheme, and even at some point arranging a fake relationship in order to save my political aspirations.
Though the conversation went back and forth I came to my senses and realized three things. Firstly, society loves pushing the idea of allyship, but not enough to allow for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ com munity to hold positions of power. When they do, they are forced to endure the nonsense that lies within the tokenism argument.
We have more than once encountered someone who takes overwhelming pride in their queer friendships, or seen countless individuals marching in solidarity during pride parades, and of course, we have all seen pol iticians leading pride marches. After all, an ally is a better advocate for the cause than community members themselves, right? We have long deprived queer trail blazers of an adequate platform, and have only granted them the minimum input needed to please the masses.



10 Diversions graphics@themanitoban com Vol 109, No 3 4538 19 56 5132 8274 849 21383847© 2022 Syndicated Puzzles587246319 692137584 143589672 428915736 765328941 319764258 236451897 954872163 871693425 rows and columns are divided by black . These need to be filled in with numbers that is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to SUDOKU To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number Foruniquely.many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.The solutions will be published here in the next issue.www.str8ts.com No. 610 Tough Previous solution - Medium Answer to last issue’s Hidato xkcd.com From our archives 100 years ago 723 963 8681 36 639 548 294 76© 2022 Syndicated Puzzles56 83 STR8TS No. 610 Easy 143562 432687 4523789 3257468 6497853 7958612 6783241 876435 3654215 2917 How to beat Str8ts –Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed. Previous solution - Medium SUDOKU The solutionsYou can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com No. 610 723 96 868 363 4 24538 19 56 5132 8274 849 21383847© 2022 Syndicated Puzzles587246319 692137584 143589672 428915736 765328941 319764258 236451897 954872163 871693425 STR8TS 610 Easy 432687 4523789 15 Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black . These need to be filled in with numbers that is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to SUDOKU To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number Foruniquely.many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.The solutions will be published here in the next issue.can find more help, tips and hints at No. 610 Tough Previous solution - MediumAnswer to last issue’s Sudoku 723 963 365627Puzzles STR8TS No. 610 Easy 143562 432687 4523789 3257468 6497853 7958612 6783241 876435 3654215 2917
columns
How to beat Str8ts –Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and are by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set
In Hidato, fill the board by continuing the chain of numbers from 1 to 100 moving any direction or diagonally to the next
Sudoku Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles
divided
“My parents were both recombination,”gotwhichomnitaurs,ishowIinterestedinsaidthenormalhuman
Hidato Puzzle by M.J.D. Doering Straights Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles
number.@FilbertCartoons
Previous solution - MediumAnswer to last issue’s Straights To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely In Straits, like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are divided by black squares into com partments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a “straight.” A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how “straights” are formed.

















While he is unafraid to stretch past traditionalist production limits, Erenberg grounds his work in a “strong basis of the song, the lyrics [and] the story being the spine of the whole “Maybething.”it’s pop-folk-country,” Erenberg said. “There’s a lot of guitars going on and a lot of G chords.” But paired with this folk or country sound are plenty of synthesizers and swirling Mellotrons.
“I had put out this music before under my own name, and then I was playing with so many different people and was showing up with a band and then calling it my own music, which didn’t really make too much sense to me,” he Hissaid.studio, the Secret Beach, located on an actual secret beach, was the namesake he chose instead. This new name allowed more credit to be shared with his collaborators, and made the title of the first Secret Beach album, Songs From The Secret Beach, work in a few ways. The songs were recorded by The Secret Beach at the secret beach and influenced by the secret beach as a place, as Erenberg remarked that the studio itself carries a special energy.
And even beyond those mean ing-laden walls, Erenberg notes that the “Secret Beach vibe” carried over to the other locations of recording, following him around. Erenberg said this loose association means things can be “more fluid, and more people can be involved,” adding that although this first album is comprised of his songs, he hopes to open things up to include songs from others that come through the studio or enter communion with the Secret Beach vibe.
The album also boasts mixing credits from Rob Schnapf, a producer involved in numerous classics within the indiesphere including records by Beck and Elliott Smith, both of whom Erenberg cited as important touch stones for the project.
arts@themanitoban.comarts@themanitoban.com
New project from Micah Erenberg offers a fresh, loose take on folk and country Alex Braun, staff
“With this album in particular, I made almost all of it in the same studio space that I’ve been working in since I was a teenager, since I was a kid really,” he said. “So, there’s definitely an ambience of the environment that sounds very similar to things I did when I was 14 or 15 years old.”
Songs From The Secret Beach is streaming on major platforms Aug. 24 with a release show the same day at Blue Note Park.
11 Arts & Culturearts@themanitoban.comAugust24 , 2022
The Secret Beach — a place, a band, a song, a vibe
The contributors list for Songs From The Secret Beach is quite star-studded, with appearances from Winnipeg’s Boy Golden, Kacy Lee Anderson of the wonderful Kacy & Clayton.
Matlock, Man.’s Micah Erenberg has been a fixture of the Mani toba indie, country and folk scenes for years, and has re leased a few excellent albums that have shown off his sharp song writing abilities, dry, witty delivery and keen ear for production.
Though these genre and project boundaries might sound vague and confused, Songs From The Secret Beach is completely coherent thanks largely to Erenberg’s impeccable song photo / Killbeat / provided
Despite operating in genres domin ated by singer-songwriters performing under their own names, Erenberg has always felt uncomfortable being the one name put to his music.
’Toban turntable Kiwi Jr., ‘Chopper’ Alex Braun, staff 4.5/5 Stars Toronto indie-rock group Kiwi Jr. is back once again with an other batch of sticky, smartly constructed songs. The band popped on the scene with 2019’s Football Money, drawing the attention of reviewers everywhere with its extremely rock-critic-friendly sound that combined the loose literary witticisms of Pavement, the exuberant jangle of C86 and the scrappy melodi cism of ’80s Kiwi bands like The Clean and The Bats. But on Chopper, Kiwi Jr. breaks free from its jangle-pop chains and swings for the Teamingfences.upwith Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Arcade Fire fame on production, the band takes clear inspiration from the anthemic sounds of ’00s indie and power-pop — think The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, of Montreal or The New Pornographers.
Kiwi Jr.’s Chopper is currently streaming on major platforms.
Opener “Unspeakable Things” starts big and keeps getting bigger. Singer Jeremy Gaudet, once a strict adherent to snotty talk-singing, now almost croons, adopting a faux British accent and channeling a new romantic melancholy overtop of soaring synth Thismelodies.isnot to say the band has become any less sharp and elliptical. Gaudet is still constantly dropping one-liners too dense with in-references to fully grasp, but too clever to not love. Like “flirting with the human scorpion jacket from Drive / he’s a haircut aiming a jar of gin” on “The Extra Sees the Film,” or “trapped in a downtown area storage facility overnight / Christ on the cross sees the sunrise for a second time” from “Downtown Area TheBlues.”difference on Chopper is that these too-cool nuggets of loose poetry are couched in massive hooks, deliv ered with a refreshingly sincere, vital energy and occasionally only part of a more traditionally structured lyric. Take for example the Strokes-aping “Night Vision,” a driving, noctur nal beauty that follows an almost relatable narrative of relationship anxieties and slacker striving, or the swooning meditation on nostalgia via pop culture reference “The Sound of Music.” Chopper is real indie-rock bliss, scratching every itch you want scratched in a record like this. It’s anthemic but never overwrought, smirking and superior without being pretentious and obviously derivative but exciting and fresh. graphic / PopSub / provided Erenberg sums up the sound of The Secret Beach as “pop country but not what you’re thinking”
In his Instagram bio, Erenberg sums up the sound of The Secret Beach as “pop country but not what you’re thinking,” he clarified it’s not Florida Georgia Line pop country, but Gram Parsons, Beck pop country.
Hiscraft.plainly stated lyrics are refresh ing, and though the wide-ranging genre touchpoints are evident the production never threatens to distract from the songs, only ever tastefully adding to the story.



13 Sportssports@themanitoban.comAugust24 , 2022 U of M Bisons — Women’s Soccer Bisons @ Bemidji State Beavers Aug. 9 — Final: 3 – 1 Bisons @ Regina Cougars Aug. 26 — 8 p.m. Bisons @ Saskatchewan Huskies Aug. 27 — 6 p.m. Valour FC Valour @ HFX Wanderers Aug. 13 — Final: 0 – 1 Edmonton @ Valour Aug. 21 — Final: 1 – 1 Pacific @ Valour Aug. 28 — 2 p.m. Forge @ Valour Aug. 31 — 7 p.m. Forge @ Valour Sept. 4 — 1 p.m. Winnipeg sports teams’ schedules Winnipeg Blue Bombers Montréal Alouettes @ Blue Bombers Aug. 11 — Final: 20 – 17 /OT Calgary Stampeders @ Blue Bombers Aug. 25 — 7:30 p.m. Blue Bombers @ Saskatchewan Roughriders Sept. 4 — 5 p.m * All times CDT U of M Bisons — Men’s Football Bisons @ Saskatchewan Huskies Aug. 25 — 8 p.m. Regina Rams @ Bisons Sept. 2 — 7 p.m. In the house of the back-to-back Grey Cup champs. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers took on the Montréal Alouettes at IG Field Aug. 11. photos / PaizenAnneGrace / staff


14 Features features@themanitoban com Vol 109, No 3
Summer 2022’s greatest hits A look back at the break Ebunoluwa Akinbo, staff Only a few weeks remain until the end of summer 2022 and it has been a beautiful, colourful season. It’s been great compensation for one of the worst winters in years!
Here are some photos of a few things people have enjoyed this summer. Sitting in the sun, taking the dog on a walk, dancing outdoors, playing tennis, the beautiful blooming summer flowers, the bees taking in all the nectar and of course, the geese. These photos are about the beauty of this summer and how much Winnipeggers have made of it. features@themanitoban.com





15 Featuresfeatures@themanitoban.comAugust24 , 2022








