News

U of M gives fee deadline extension to Iranian students

In Iran, police crack down on university protests

Colton McKillop, staff

The University of Manitoba has extended the fall fee deadline for international students from Iran, as the Iranian government has been shutting down internet connections throughout the country in response to the protests. These blackouts have made it difficult for students to contact their families and access financial support. “When we find students in a crisis, for example what our Iranian students are going through right now, the university always looks at ways to sort of ease the financial distress at the moment,” said Jane Lastra, associate registrar and director of financial aid and awards at the U of M, “and right now, of course, that’s the fall tuition deadline.”

“We all thought it was important and manageable to extend the fee deadline to allow the time for students to transfer the funds from back home if that was the case during the blackouts that are being experienced.”

An Iranian U of M student who asked to remain anonymous in order to avoid scrutiny from the regime said that they “really appreciate this extension on the deadline of the tuition fee,” but hoped the university could do more.

They said that they personally have had difficulty contacting their family due to internet censorship.

In Iran

A number of students at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran were arrested and injured by police Sunday, Oct. 2 amid protests over the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini.

The protests at Sharif University are part of a more than two-week-long wave of demonstrations across Iran after Amini died in police custody.

Amini was arrested in Tehran on Sept. 13 by Iran’s morality police, who accused her of violating laws requiring women to wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothes.

Witnesses said she was beaten while being transported to a detention centre. She fell into a coma and died in hospital on Sept. 16.

The Iranian police denied the allegations that they beat Amini, and said that she died due to heart failure, which Iran’s interior minister claimed was caused by pre-existing health issues.

Her father, however, told news outlets that Amini had no serious health problems, and that she had bruises on her legs.

Demonstrations in reaction to Amini’s death began in her hometown of Saqqez on Sept. 17 and have continued in more than 45 cities throughout the country.

The unnamed Iranian student said that “the most important thing that they are demonstrating for is freedom.”

“In the previous protests a few years ago, we were seeing that the most primary [demands] of people were economic problems that they were facing,” they said.

“But right now in this protest, which is very important to notice, is that they are demanding their freedom and the most basic human rights.”

The crackdown at Sharif University was triggered by students staging a walkout and chanting anti-regime slogans.

As hundreds of protestors gathered on campus and streets nearby, videos posted to Twitter showed riot police using tear gas on students, with what appeared to be gunshots audible in the distance.

While riot police eventually cleared the Sharif University campus, protestors filled the streets until after midnight.

“All of these students in this university are some of the brightest students or some of the brightest and elite people in Iran,” said the anonymous Iranian student.

“These are the most prestigious universities in Iran [and] it is not easy to get into [them],” they explained. “So killing and attacking these students[…],it’s like in Canada [if] police forces attacked stu-

/ staff Gillian Brown photo /

dents in Toronto.”

Sharif University was one of numerous universities in Iran where protests broke out on Oct. 2 , including schools in cities like Yazd, Mashhad, Shiraz, Kermanshah and Sanandaj.

Lastra said that the decision to extend the deadline comes from the office of the vice-provost, which alongside UMSU and the University of Manitoba Graduate Students’ Association has worked to provide students with information on what financial supports are available and how to access them.

“We have emergency loan programs, we have emergency bursary programs, we operate a food bank that’s open Monday through Friday,” Lastra said.

She also highlighted additional bursaries currently offered by the university, and said that students are welcome to come to the financial aid and awards office to discuss their financial concerns “face to face.”

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UMSU hosts healthy sexuality week

Campaign aimed to educate students on variety of sex-based topics

Matthew Merkel, staff

The University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) held an awareness campaign about healthy sexuality from Oct. 3 to 7.

UMSU vice-president student life Tracy Karuhogo said that the campaign’s goal was to help make discussions surrounding sex on campus informative and less intimidating.

She said that the U of M should be a welcoming place for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation, a theme that helped influence UMSU’s slogan for the week, “cum as you are.”

“They should be able to feel comfortable in their sexuality,” Karuhogo said.

The goal for Karuhogo was to “raise awareness, and to just create an environment where people can comfortably talk about sex as well and be able to learn more about it,”

Like previous healthy sexuality week promotions, this year’s iteration featured events and free condoms.

UMSU handed out sex toys on Tuesday night during “Sexy Sexual Health Trivia with Samantha Bitty,” a free event hosted by sexual health speaker Samantha Bitty at the VW Social Club in University Centre.

The toys were purchased using a discount provided by Love Nest, a locally owned chain of stores that specializes in sexual pleasure and relationship-based products.

UMSU also partnered with both Klinic Community Health, which provided sexual health products, and Respect Educate Empower Survivors (REES), an online platform for reporting sexual assault, harassment and misconduct.

UMSU also tabled in UC, where representatives handed out lube and condoms. Karuhogo said these free items were all a part of UMSU’s plan to help educate students about sex.

Throughout the week, UMSU posted sexual health infographics and videos.

The basics of healthy sexuality were featured on Monday. Vaginal and breast health was covered on Tuesday. The next day, testicular health and 2SLGBTQIA+ sexual health was discussed. Thursday featured information about consent and sexual violence, while Friday was centred around birth control and safe sex.

Karuhogo encouraged students to share the week’s content and refer back to it in the future. She said that UMSU will also be having more educational health promotions this year, including a mental health campaign from Nov. 14 to 18 and a second healthy sexuality week in the winter.

Sexual health resources listed by the University of Manitoba

University Health Service: 204-474-8411

Student Counselling Centre: 474 UMSU University Centre, 204-474-8592

Health and Wellness Office: 469 UMSU University Centre

Nine Circles Community Health Centre: 204-940-6000

Women’s Health Clinic: 204-947-1517

Klinic Community Health: 204-784-4090 bedsider.org

Sexual Education Resource Centre Manitoba

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