23 November 2022

Students sowing Seeds

Davis & Jessie Krahn, staff

The U of M department of English, theatre, film & media’s (ETFM) theatre program returns with their first stage production since the spring of 2020 — Seeds by Annabel Soutar.

Directed by ETFM assist ant professor Katrina Dunn, Seeds follows a playwright who is unnamed through out the play, on a mission to refashion interviews into material for the stage. Her chosen subject is Saskatch ewan farmer Percy Schmei ser, who is being hit with law suits by biotech agri-behe moth, Monsanto.

Based on a real court bat tle, the play poses questions about the ethics of rapid sci entific development as it is outsourced to agribusiness and multinational fiefdoms carved out with antiquated patent laws.

The show is a multi-media dramedy of jarring set-pieces which, overall, pull together seamlessly. Cinematic loca tion titles projected on the

back wall, silly music to punc tuate a joke and a hard-work ing lighting crew create an intriguing atmosphere.

The rustic, pastoral set has a few Easter eggs. Audience members with a keen eye will spot a certain book by Naomi Klein tucked into a nook.

Allison Holiday pulls off the heartfelt but at times damagingly one-trackminded playwright. Bill Kerr is exceedingly convin cing as the salt-of-the-earth and homely Percy Schmei ser. Nadine Maranan stands out as the oily lawyer Terry Zakreshi.

These successes extend to all members of the sup porting cast. Everyone’s per formances are energetic. Each cast member success fully shifts between multiple characters throughout the show and makes those alter nate personae distinct, which is no small task.

This return to a live format is replenishing and fun. The play revives the rich history

of student theatre at the U of M while exposing audiences to the medium’s possibilities.

Dunn told the Manitoban that Seeds was born from a desire to introduce audi ences and students to a dif ferent form of theatre. This production is a verbatim play — a genre of play that is docu mentary in nature, with dia logue taken from a collec tion of interviews, court tran scripts and press recordings. Everything is word for word.

Directing a production post-online learning has not been without complications and producing Seeds has not been a simple task.

“Through the pandemic, the university gave us per mission to do some of our classes in person, but that was only a portion of their training,” Dunn explained.

“Students had a lot of Zoom classes and things, and a lot less opportunity to experi ence hands-on physical pro ductions.”

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U of M community hosts Indigenous Students’ Month

UMSU, UMISA, ISC celebrating Indigenous culture in November

Alicia Rose, staff

For the past four years, Indigenous Students’ Month has been celebrated at the U of M.

This year, the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) and the University of Manitoba Indigenous Stu dents’ Association (UMISA) have been holding several events throughout the month to show their support for Indigenous students on cam pus.

An open mic night was held at VW’s on Nov. 1, and on Nov. 14, UMSU and UMISA hosted the A Night With Auntie drag show and speaker night. Two days later, UMISA held a com munity assembly for Indige nous students in the Helen Glass Centre for Nursing.

On Nov. 25, an Indigenous celebration and market event will be held on campus, where there will be drummers, bead work, food and much more.

UMSU Indigenous stu dents’ representative Ish kode Catcheway said that Indigenous Students’ Month is a way to support Indige nous students at the U of M, since many live away from their communities during the school year.

“It’s a big adjustment, so

being able to uplift them in their academic journey is really important,” she explained, adding that the month is also an opportu nity for all students to expand their learning.

“Your learning doesn’t stop in the classroom, it should be ongoing, and this month is also a way to encourage that,” Catcheway said.

The Indigenous Student Centre (ISC), a space on cam pus where Indigenous stu dents from all faculties can gather and be supported in academic and personal ways, has cultural programming throughout the month.

Currently, the ISC is hold ing weekly sharing circles pri marily online, as well as fire side chats that occur every second Tuesday. There are also workshops which focus on financial well-being of stu dents.

On Nov. 24 and 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Migizii Aga mik is hosting a winter mar ket. The free event will show case the talents of Indigenous students. Crafters are encour aged to reach out to Indige nous student advisor Vanessa Lillie to sign up as a vendor for free.

Alicia Rae Kubrakovich, a

fifth-year Indigenous stud ies student, was involved in establishing the first Indige nous Students’ Month in 2019 as then-UMSU Indigenous community representative. She said that a lack of Indige nous programming led to the creation of the month-long event.

Kubrakovich said that a lot of Indigenous students are from smaller northern com munities far from Winnipeg, so coming to university can be

a big adjustment.

“It takes a lot of courage for Indigenous students just to leave their home, pack up their bags, leave their family and all that stuff behind just to come pursue an education,” she said.

Although things have improved since her first year, Kubrakovich said that many barriers and issues still exist for Indigenous students at the university.

However, she is glad to see

that Catcheway and UMISA are continuing to build upon the groundwork that she helped lay four years ago.

“To be able to see that con tinue when I’m not in the posi tion anymore, it really warms my heart,” she said.

news@themanitoban.com

New committee offers Indigenous women safe transport

Indigenous women’s group partners with taxi companies for initiative

Ashley Puchniak, staff

A women’s Indigenous action group has partnered with both Unicity Taxi and Duffy’s Taxi as well as the City of Winnipeg’s Vehicles for Hire program to ensure safer rides for Indigenous individ uals.

The action group, which has yet to be named, said in a press release that Indige nous people, particularly women, girls and two-spir ited individuals, have long had a “strained relationship” with taxi companies in Win nipeg.

Shaneen Robinson-Desjar lais, a member of the commit tee, said that sexual violence and harassment from taxi drivers has affected the Indig enous community for a long time.

“It’s a story that I’ve heard time and time and time and time again, of our young

women being victimized by cab drivers, whether that is soliciting for sexual acts or even physical violence,” she said.

Robinson-Desjarlais explained that many Indig enous women have been left stranded before they reached

this affects Indigenous indivi duals.

their destinations, sometimes at early hours of the morn ing, or have been forced to pay before receiving service.

She said that many Indig enous representatives and groups have called for a solu tion to be found, “but noth ing ever happens and noth ing ever goes anywhere.” The committee engaged in conver sation with the presidents of Unicity Taxi and Duffy’s Taxi, and explained how deeply

“How would you feel if it was your women being treated this way, disregarded in this way, when you’re supposed to provide a service that should provide safe transportation?” Robinson-Desjarlais said According to the group’s press release, cab compa nies and the city “agreed to a statement of commitment to reconcilia tion that con tains some key initiatives.”

These include a new avenue for Indigenous girls, women and two-spirited people to safely file complaints or con cerns about services that the city regulates — such as taxis — as well as options for restor ative justice when Indigenous people are victimized.

The group also suggested that companies should imple ment a required course to understand the effects of colo

nialism.

Ishkode Catcheway, the UMSU Indigenous represen tative, said that many Indige nous youth have fears regard ing taxis and expressed her own hesitancy concerning cabs.

“If I’m going to be com pletely honest with you, I hav en’t taken cabs in a really long time because of my distrust with them,” she said.

Catcheway believes that the program will not only benefit Indigenous students going to

and from university, but also Indigenous youth who attend social events and need a safe ride home.

She said that many Indig enous women keep tabs on each other when taking taxis, as they feel that they cannot trust the person driving them.

“So, I really hope that that comes to an end with this pro gram that they’re doing.”

news@themanitoban.com

photo / Faith Peters / staff

“It’s a story that I’ve heard time and time and time and time again of our young women being victimized by cab drivers”

— Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, safe transportation committee member

Students at the Community Assembly for Indigenous Students held on Nov. 16.

UMSU board meeting update Nov. 17

Holiday hampers, referendum presentation delays, student advocacy, student events

Matthew Merkel, staff

The University of Mani toba Students’ Union (UMSU) held their biweekly board meeting on Thursday, Nov. 17.

UMSU Holiday Hamper

UMSU vice-president com munity engagement Elishia Ratel and vice-president stu dent life Tracy Karuhogo detailed plans for the annual UMSU Holiday Hampers Pro gram, which helps out stu dents and their families by providing food and toys dur ing the holiday season.

This year, the program will supply student appli cants with a mix of grocery gift cards and small hampers containing toys and hygiene products.

Ratel explained that the inclusion of gift cards for gro ceries instead of food was implemented during the pandemic, and that hamper recipients appreciated the ability to tailor their hampers to suit their needs.

Donations of new toys for children up to 14 years of age, as well as hygiene products specified on the UMSU Holi day Hamper webpage can be made in-person at the UMSU Service Centre.

Additionally, financial donations can be made both in-person and online.

UMSU will also be hosting a few fundraising events in December in support of the hamper program, like a movie night and a holiday-themed karaoke night.

The deadline for all ham per donations will be Dec. 4 at 11:59 p.m.

“It’s a very basic program but it does really help a lot of

students in need,” Ratel said.

Referendum presentations

Eric Johnson, chief returning officer of UMSU’s recent referendum regarding the Canadian Federation of Students, noted that the side in favour of leaving the feder ation came out as the winner, and that around 25 per cent of UMSU members voted.

He went over the entire ref erendum process and made recommendations, which included the recommenda tion that future CROs be hired up to two months in advance of a referendum.

Reports of the executive

Rykiss’s report detailed that equity, diversity and inclu sion training for UMSU staff had been delayed, but will be rescheduled for a future date.

UMSU vice-president advo cacy Victoria Romero shared that she and Rykiss would be attending the Canadian Alli ance of Student Associations Advocacy Week in Ottawa, Ont. from Nov. 21 to 25. At the conference they will both receive advocacy and lobby training, and meet with mem bers of Parliament as well as senators.

She also reported that the Manitoba Alliance of Post-Sec ondary Students (MAPSS) is continuing to fight for free international student health care, and added that the organization has included free international health coverage in its budget policy recom mendation document, which will be presented to members of the legislative assembly.

Ratel’s report highlighted a

Nov. 29 event put on by UM Career Servi ces and Onyx Initiative, an organization that supports Black students in their career development and prospects. The event will allow students to learn more about Onyx and opportun ities within the organization, and students can register in advance online.

Ratel also discussed a couple of events put on by the U of M information services and technology department aimed at testing the wireless capabilities on the Bannatyne and Fort Garry campuses.

Participants must register for each event, both of which are limited to 100 people. Attendees will stress test the

Wi-Fi by streaming simultan eously. The events will take place on Nov. 29 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in room 122 of the Drake Centre, as well as Nov. 30 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Theatre B at the Bannatyne campus.

Students who attend can expect free food and a chance at several $50 U of M bookstore prizes. UMSU vice-president finance and operations Brook Rivard detailed the schedule for murals to be added to the third floor of University Cen tre. A call for submissions will take place from the end

of November until January. Selected pieces are scheduled to be painted during winter reading week. Karuhogo announced plans to table with UMSU women’s representative Christine Yasay in University Centre in honour of the International Day of the Elimination of Vio lence against Women.

On Nov. 25 at 11 a.m., a tree will be set up where students will be able to read stories and calls to action of victims and survivors of violence, and also write their own messages.

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

“

It’s a very basic program but it does really help a lot of students in need”

— Elishia Ratel, UMSU vice-president community engagement

UMSU referendum presentation at federation postponed

Presentation in Ottawa to be rescheduled virtually

Matthew Merkel staff

The University of Mani toba Students’ Union (UMSU) was unable to present its recent referendum results at the Canadian Federation of Students’ National General Meeting in Ottawa, Ont. near the start of the fall term break.

The presentation did not occur because the conference was unexpectedly suspended for unrelated reasons.

UMSU’s referendum, which asked students to vote on whether the union should remain a member of the Can adian Federation of Students, saw the UMSU-board-sup ported “vote no” side emerge victorious with just over 54 per cent of the vote.

After the referendum, UMSU presi dent Jaron Rykiss stated that the results would be pre sented in Ottawa dur ing the federa tion’s national conference, and was ada mant that the

federation would need to accept the referendum results and allow UMSU to defeder ate.

In an email sent on Nov. 15, Canadian Federation of Students chairperson Marie Dolcetti-Koros said that the National General Meeting had “temporarily recessed, as pro gramming was altered dur ing the in-person meeting in order to attend to various delegate needs that arose.”

She said that a virtual meet ing will be scheduled soon, at which time UMSU would be able to present the results of its referendum.

At a Nov. 17 UMSU board

of directors meeting, Rykiss announced that the union had brought forward an emer gency motion to leave the Canadian Federation of Stu dents. The motion was sup posed to be presented at the closing session of the confer ence, but was not due to the session being delayed.

When asked why the clos ing plenary was delayed, Rykiss said he had not been given a reason.

“I can’t comment necessar ily on why because they didn’t tell us why they cancelled it,” Rykiss said.

“What we know is that it was cancelled the night of or the night before. There were some issues that went on at the confer ence. I’m not going to com ment on them now,” he said.

“I will say UMSU was not involved in the issues that had happened.”

Rykiss said he was told that the clos ing plenary

session would now take the form of a virtual meeting, although he stated that he did not know when it will take place or how it will work.

He added that as long as the Canadian Federation of Students still allows UMSU to present its motion at the virtual closing plenary, the motion should still be debated during the session.

“Our team continues to maintain that the [Canadian Federation of Students] is not adequately serving the needs of University of Manitoba stu dents, and that withdrawing

from this organization is the best course of action in ser vice to our members.”

While UMSU continues its attempts to leave the Can adian Federation of Students, the union is being sued by the federation over $1 million in owed membership dues, which the federation alleges UMSU has not paid since 2018.

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

“Our team continues to maintain that the [Canadian Federation of Students] is not adequately serving the needs of University of Manitoba students, and that withdrawing from this organization is the best course of action in service to our members”

— Jaron Rykiss, UMSU president

Province pauses performance-based funding plans

Proposed funding model has faced fierce opposition from post-secondary faculty

Colton McKillop, staff

The provincial govern ment has halted plans to implement a perform ance-based funding model for Manitoba’s post-secondary institutions.

Last Tuesday’s throne speech did not mention the funding model, and later that day Premier Heather Stefan son told reporters that the province needed to take a step back from that approach.

Manitoba currently funds schools through annual grants, but the governing Pro gressive Conservatives (PC) have proposed moving toward a performance-based funding system modelled after Ten nessee in recent years.

Such a model would see public funding for higher edu cation allocated according to performance metrics such as retention and course or degree completion, although the province has offered few details on which metrics it would use, the amount of funding that would be tied to performance or what the timeline for implementation would look like.

Michael Shaw, a senior instructor in the department of biological sciences at the University of Manitoba and an executive member of the Manitoba Organization of Fac ulty Associations (MOFA) — an organization representing around 1600 post-secondary faculty members throughout Manitoba — is encouraged by the province’s announce ment, but worries that the PCs might still try to roll out per formance-based funding in the future.

“I’m very worried that they might implement this type of model, they’ve been very keen on it since it was first brought up by Brian Pallister,” he said.

He noted that Stefan son’s statements on the pro posal were “nowhere near as emphatic” as her repudiation of Bill 64, a controversial edu cation reform bill proposed under previous premier Brian Pallister.

In her comments to repor ters on Tuesday, Stefanson said that although she still supports performance meas ures, the province was step ping back from implementing them to focus on what schools need to continue operating in the wake of challenges caused by COVID-19.

Brant Batters, press secre tary for Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Immi gration Jon Reyes, told the Manitoban in an email that “our government is commit ted to improving Manitoba’s public post-secondary edu cation funding to ensure stu

“An audit by the Office of the Auditor General in 2020 recommended the province should be tracking institu tional outcomes using resultsbased performance metrics.”

Post-secondary faculty vocally opposed

The model is no stran ger to controversy. Since first brought forward, faculty asso ciations, university presidents and student groups have been vocal in their opposition to perform ance-based funding.

Accord ing to Scott Forbes, presi dent of MOFA and biology professor at the U of W, the research makes it clear per formance-based funding “simply doesn’t work.”

“The whole idea is that institutions are supposed to get more efficient at churning out graduates, you churn them out better, faster, cheaper,” he said.

However, Forbes argued that university administrators instead “screen students for academic quality” to manipu late the numbers and game the system. Research on the fund ing model in American insti tutions shows that it has little to no impact on retention and graduation rates, shifts fund ing away from support for low-income students to schol arships for high-achievers and raises entrance standards.

“The data shows that as you introduce these systems, it

reduces diversity within the student population,” Forbes explained.

“It favors the wealthy and the white, to be blunt about it, and it raises barriers for trad itionally marginalized stu dents.”

Forbes argued that this model also gives right-leaning governments “political cover” to justify cutting post-second ary funding by placing the blame on institutions for fail ing to meet performance stan dards. He described it as “a tool to defund higher educa tion.”

“More often than not, the introduction of perform

to attend were removed.

University presidents speak out

The presidents of the Uni versity of Manitoba and Bran don University (BU) both sent letters to the government this year expressing their objec tions to the measures being proposed.

University of Manitoba president Michael Benarroch wrote to the government in August following a June con sultation meeting, and asked the government to “refrain from specifically tying fund ing to metrics” in order to avoid unintended conse quences such as reducing accessibility.

He also stated that “as an access institution,” the school services many mature stu dents, who may take longer to graduate as they are returning to school or learning new skills for their careers. Additionally, many Indigenous students may come to school seeking employable skills rather than a degree.

Docherty also pointed out that using post-graduate earn ings as a metric ignores the many BU students who return to rural communities for work, where pay is often lower than in cities.

Research shows that per formance-based funding increases financial disparities between smaller and larger institutions.

ance-based funding is associ ated with cuts to public higher education,” he said.

A decrease in public fund ing can shift the burden of funding universities onto stu dents in the form of tuition increases.

Forbes said that the gov ernment formulated its plans without “a great deal of con sultation” with post-second ary faculty.

The University of Win nipeg Faculty Association left partway through a vir tual consultation regard ing the province’s post-sec ondary accountability frame work in June, due to frustra tion that their objections to performance-based funding were being ignored. MOFA representatives said that they were not invited to the meet ing, and those who managed

He also asked the province not to impose metrics based on factors outside of univer sities’ control, such as the employment and income of graduates.

The Oct. 14 letter from BU president David Docherty explained that because the university admits any student who completes Grade 12 in order to provide education for those “who would otherwise be left out of the system,” its measurements on some aca demic metrics are lower than other schools.

Docherty objected to the use of graduation rates as a performance metric, arguing that many who begin school ing at BU move on to other larger institutions after they choose a specialization, and that looking only at gradua tion rates would obscure the contributions BU made to their education.

“The larger institutions with more financial capacity are able to respond more flexibly and shift resources around to work with the per formance metrics,” Forbes said.

He explained that smaller universities like BU are the ones that “really suffer.”

“We know that people in the Brandon University com munity are concerned that if this goes ahead, Brandon Uni versity might not survive,” he said.

Shaw believes the govern ment doesn’t “want to anger people who have been very clear” in their opposition to its plans, and has backed off for now in order to focus on issues that are more likely to help them in elections.

“I’m cautiously optimistic, but I’m not going to be fully optimistic until the next prov incial election has occurred.”

dents have access to afford able, high quality education while strengthening over sight of post-secondary insti tutions.”

photo / Faith Peters / staff

“I’m cautiously optimistic, but I’m not going to be fully optimistic until the next provincial election has occurred”

— Michael Shaw, Manitoba Organization of Faculty Association member

Toronto professor talks unconscious biases in academia

Seminar emphasized the need for diversity and inclusion

Elah Ajene, staff

Last Tuesday, the U of M faculty of science hosted a seminar on “Recognizing and Mitigating Unconscious Bias in Academia” at its Fort Garry campus. The session featured guest speaker Maydianne Andrade, a biology professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough and president of the Canadian Black Scientists Network.

Andrade discussed the ways our biases, stereotypes and preconceptions can uncon sciously have an impact on our decisions and cause us to support systems that exclude specific groups of people from academia, specifically in the sciences.

“In Canada, we’ve been talking for a long time about diversity in very vague and quiet ways, usually with out any demonstration of the data,” Andrade said.

“But really, diversity is just a statistic,” she explained.

“What pro portion of people do we see in our organizations from entry level through to leadership, and ideally, does that reflect the pro portion of different identity groups we see on the side walks of our cities?”

Equity is embedded in the law in Canada and supported by legal frameworks. Edu cational institutions like the University of Manitoba have statements regarding their commitment to equity, inclu sion and diversity.

“Despite those kinds of statements, despite our laws, it is the case that under

representation is common in the academy, and in every sec tor we look at in Canada, cer tain groups are underrepre sented,” Andrade said.

Although there have been advances in gender equity across other disciplines, Andrade highlighted that this progress has been slower in science, technology, engin eering and mathematics in comparison, and additionally, “progress has been primar ily for white women, not for women of intersectional iden tities.”

A significant problem, which Andrade described as a “logical fallacy,” is the com monality of assuming that when women or certain racial ized or cultural groups are underrepresented in a specific field, it is simply due to a lack of group interest.

“People look at patterns of representation and they slip into this mindset where that is an explanation for the under

in the email, with a greater degree of bias against anyone perceived to not be a white man.

The speaker also high lighted a student evalua tion survey given in the early days of classes, in which female professors were con sidered less knowledgeable than their male counterparts despite classes having only just started.

These biases reiterate an assumed lack of competence and knowledge, where often times women of colour need to prove themselves again and again in academia.

Andrade also noted gen der differences in letters of recommendation, in which women are often described in terms of being hard-work ing or friendly, whereas men are often described in terms of their intellect, talent and out comes.

representation,” she said.

These patterns of uncon scious associations and biases arise toward marginalized and underrepresented groups, often leading to consistent negative outcomes.

Andrade cited an experi ment with cold emails sent to graduate school professors in the United States, which showed racialized and gen dered differences in response rates based on the names used

These gender biases result in negative effects within aca demia, and end up filter ing people out of the system. Andrade stressed the need to acknowledge and recognize barriers that certain groups face due to these biases.

“This is not a problem of just one group of people, this is a problem of people,” she said.

“That’s why I talk to indi viduals,” Andrade continued. “Structures are important, but individuals can actually have a huge effect on inclusion in their local environments.”

To combat these barriers, Andrade encourages individ ual effort and equitable intake

in academia to reverse mono typic classrooms and defi cit narratives that reinforce unconscious biases.

“We need everyone to be responsible for equity inclu sion, it can’t just rest on the shoulders of the people from the underrepresented groups,” she said.

Andrade emphasized that diversity is not the final objec tive.

valued and used in the orga nizations to improve our out comes,” she said.

“We will only get the ben efits of diversity if people of diverse backgrounds have a seat at the table, if they’re actually being listened to, and their ideas and their innova tions are being considered in our decision making.”

“The end goal is that the people that we see in our orga nizations also feel that they are valued, and from a self ish perspective, that we have structures that allow us to ensure that their unique ideas and capacities are actually research@themanitoban.com

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

“We need everyone to be responsible for equity inclusion, it can’t just rest on the shoulders of the people from the underrepresented groups”

— Maydianne Andrade, president of the Canadian Black Scientists Network

What it takes to research an Indigenous language

Mutual respect, relationship building an important part of research

Robert Moshe Thompson, staff

The number of speakers of Indigenous languages in Canada has fallen steadily over time. However, increased attention to these languages has changed that.

Since 2006, the total num ber of Indigenous people in Canada who can speak an Indigenous language rose by 3.1 per cent. Census data sug gests that young people in particular have been learn ing Indigenous languages as a second language.

Four of the nine research professors in the U of M’s lin guistics department have experience with at least one Indigenous language.

Nicole Rosen, head of the linguistics department at the U of M, wrote her doctoral thesis on Michif, one of the languages spoken by Métis people.

Although it is often thought of as one language, there are multiple varieties of Michif. According to Rosen, aware ness of the diversity of Michif has increased since she first began her research over a dec

ade ago.

Back then, there was very little research specifically on Métis topics such as health research. Before this changed, Métis communities were often not consulted or involved in such investigations.

Rosen stated that it is important for Indigenous communities to take the lead in the research process, and for linguists of settler des cent to respect the wishes of Indigenous communities.

Sometimes, this involves stepping back from research altogether.

is important to give time and space to researchers from the community, while still being available to provide support if communities ask for it.

Another major change in the past 20 years is that for mal research ethics protocols have been developed by and for Métis people.

For example, the Métis Cen tre of the National Aboriginal Health Organization created

First Nations or Inuit peoples. Many linguists develop long-lasting relationships as a result of their field work. Rosen has become close friends with Michif speakers she has worked with, and such friendships would not be pos sible without mutual respect.

At the U of M, fourth-year linguistics students have the opportunity to take a course called Field Methods. In this course, they learn how to do field work by interacting with a speaker of an unfamil iar language.

ing data to linguists — a pro cess known as elicitation — can still be tiresome. In Rus sell’s paper about Paraguayan Guaraní, he referred to the speakers’ patience as “super human.”

To avoid elicitation exhaus tion, Russell normally only works with each consult ant for an hour or two total. Because of this, linguistic field work cannot be completed in a few days or weeks.

Russell has also made longtime friends as a result of his research in Indigenous lan guages.

Nicole Rosen,

linguistics department head at the U of M

“In my opin ion, you want to do the work so that you’re not needed anymore, and so that you’re not involved anymore,” she explained. “It should be empowering.”

Now that more Métis people are doing research them selves, Rosen spends less time studying Michif. As a non-In digenous person, she feels it

a document that describes guidelines for ethical Métis research, and which outlines six principles that a researcher should follow when investi gating Métis topics.

The document also addresses the specific needs of Métis communities. These needs may differ for other Indigenous peoples such as

In Win ter 2023, Field Methods will be taught by Kevin Russell, an associate professor in the U of M’s department of linguis tics. He has done field work in Indigenous languages such as Guaraní, a language of Para guay.

“The Cree speaker I’ve worked with the most has become one of my best friends, the Guaraní speaker I’ve worked with the most has become one of my best friends,” he said.

“If you’re spending that much time together, if you’re remotely compatible as people, you’re not going to end up as strangers.”

Although the university has standards to ensure the well-being of consultants in research projects, provid research@themanitoban.com

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

“In my opinion, you want to do the work so that you’re not needed anymore, and so you’re not involved anymore”

—

Plans are not set in stone

What you need may not be what you think

staff

I think that most of us reading this are at the age where we feel like we are doing what we think we need to do, but not what we actually need to do.

Coming from an academic ally rigid college town on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Cal ifornia, it always seemed like my path was clearly laid out for me. I would finish high school, go to a four-year uni versity, get a graduate degree, then start a career. Life would fall into place from there.

That was my plan. Dur ing November of my senior year, I applied to the Univer sity of Oregon, the University of La Verne and the Univer sity of Manitoba. I got into all three, with the two state-side schools offering me substan tial financial aid. The path was laid out in front of me.

Hesitant about moving to Winnipeg, I accepted the offer from the University of La Verne. Shortly after the calen dar turned to March 13, 2020.

The early months of the pandemic were tough in Cal ifornia. I finished high school at 10 p.m. on a Wednesday, slumped on a couch. My future felt like it was paused.

During summer 2020, I decided to defer from La

Verne until they could assure in-person classes. The weekby-week flipping from asyn chronous to synchronous brought no peace of mind to myself or any of my class mates going through the same process.

I allowed myself to realize that my plan was not neces sary for me to succeed.

By September, things were looking up. I was nannying two brilliant girls, working at a preschool and enjoying time off from university. However, I still felt as if some things were missing in my life.

I realized what those things were in February of 2021. A few mornings a week, a good friend and I would hike the Sycamore Canyon trail, a seven-kilometre path with steep elevation. She and I talked about complex things in our lives, as well as books we were reading. We spent hours getting away from electron ics and truly enjoying nature.

Hiking made us feel good, and thankfully we didn’t run into some of the more poisonous California wildlife.

Moreover, I was able to be with someone I genuinely enjoyed spending time with.

Looking back on that period of time, I can truly say that I was doing what my mind and body needed me to do.

During the mornings when we didn’t hike, as well as after my friend left for school, I spent a couple of hours on the deck tanning with a book. California spring — February through April — is the per fect climate to spend hours in the sun. I spent hours outside reading book after book, fill ing my Goodreads shelf in no time at all.

I also read while watching the girls I nannied. We would read together. I would read to them and I read while they did their work, even half-reading while they watched Good Luck Charlie and Big Time Rush

Still, I felt as if I was missing something.

I realized that my mind wasn’t getting the workout it desired. I needed to learn. I registered for some asyn chronous, interest-piquing courses at Pasadena City Col lege and began learning at my own pace.

The rest of the school year

went by without a hitch. I loved every day that I spent hiking, tanning and learning.

The pandemic halted the seven years of competitive fig ure skating I had under my belt. Then in July of 2021, a former co-worker asked me if I wanted to work as a figure skating coach at the ice rink where I had skated my entire life. I accepted, and I abso lutely loved coaching. I made my own schedule and wage, and I got to pass on my love of ice skating to kids.

I was doing everything that I needed. I was being active, working, doing things I found joy in and exercising my mind.

So, you are probably con fused about how I ended up in Winnipeg. My life was estab lished, and I was doing what made me happy — and in the right place to be a sun-baby.

I believe that the best way to get everything out of the short years we have on earth is to prioritize things that make us happy.

I wanted change. So, I reapplied to the U of M and decided to move up north. However, I am here for school, as my parents emphasize

the importance of getting a degree.

While I do think that degrees are important, I think you should pursue a degree in a subject that you are passion ate about.

Thinking about the past three years, I can see how happy I was. I needed change, but was that move what I actually needed? In some ways. It taught me independ ence and made me insanely grateful for what I had at home.

So you may be wondering, “Sarah, what is your point?” My point is this: things you actually need, like socializ ation, fresh air, exercise and doing whatever you enjoy doing are just as important as doing what you think you need.

Do what makes you happy. Get that degree in whatever subject will make you happi est. Go on that trip, get that pet, read that book.

Prioritize what brings you joy and don’t let life’s stress overwhelm you in the pursuit of what you think you need.

Sarah Cohen,

I allowed myself to realize that my plan was not necessary for me to succeed

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

Performance-based funding harms education

Model sees education as a luxury rather than a necessity

Braden Bristow, staff

Performance-based

funding — an educa tional funding system where funds are based largely on how “successful” a school is determined to be — is a con cept likely to hurt our educa tion system that has been con sidered by Manitoba govern ments in the past few years.

Under this model, the pro portion of graduates to dropouts, number of credit hours completed and other markers of classroom success are used to determine the majority of funding universities receive. In short, the better you do regarding these metrics, the more money you get.

The general idea is that using money as a reward for schools that perform well will itself raise performance in schools, as well as help the province to determine which institutions are deserving of more funding. However, this raises a lot of issues and ques

tions.

For one, a perform ance-based funding scheme can create a scenario in which education financing is a com petition rather than a neces sity.

The fact of the matter is that there is only so much money to go around. With multiple pub lic universities in Manitoba, a performance-based funding arrangement could create a major issue, as each of these institutions would likely need to find ways to improve their success metrics to stay competitive with one another.

One of those methods may involve making education more exclusive.

Scott Forbes, U of W biol ogy professor and president of the Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations, stated that universities with this

funding model prioritize the acceptance of students who are already likely to get high grades and graduate in a short amount of time.

One could, and should, readily critique a university for creating barriers-to-entry for marginalized peoples, and this is what the perform ance-based funding scheme may encourage. It is a fact that economically marginal ized and Indigenous peoples in Canada often experience lower rates of graduation and academic success because of social factors such as poverty.

Forbes said that in a per formance-based fund ing arrangement, it is pos sible that people belonging to these groups could experi

ence greater exclusion, as their forecasted success may not align with an institution’s desired results.

Performance-based fund ing may also result in less funding overall for post-sec ondary institutions. Alberta has already instituted per formance-based funding, and following this action, post-sec ondary schools experienced severe finan cial cuts. If we are not care ful, this could be repeated in Manitoba and across Canada.

Universities educate stu dents and provide oppor tunities for those that attend them that otherwise would not be available. Post-second ary education fills an import ant economic and social role in our society that should not be incentivized to exclude cer tain individuals for cash.

Post-secondary education

is important to everyone in the province, especially stu dents and educators. Hav ing an accessible institution in which one can gain access to opportunities and push the boundaries of knowledge is critical. A performance-based funding arrangement could change all this for the worse.

If our province truly cares about education, it should leave the funding arrange ment alone, or better yet, fund institutions based on needs and opportunity for growth.

We should be creating an environment where educa tion is treated with import ance and respect, and where institutions are not forced to dance for the support of the provincial government.

comment@themanitoban.com

We should be creating an environment in which education is treated with importance and respect

CAN you get out of U.S. politics?

Canadian residents’ meddling in U.S. politics

Sarah Cohen, staff

I’ve noticed how invested Canadians are in U.S. pol itics, and how that investment has turned to involvement.

I have a foot in both camps. I am American and Canadian, and have lived in Canada the last six months. Since being in Canada, I have heard and cared more about U.S. politics than when I lived in the U.S. It makes sense. More than 90 per cent of Canadian residents are living within about 160 kilometres of the U.S.-Canadian border, and it seems like many Canadians have relatives living in the states or who hold citizenship in both countries.

Additionally, recent U.S. politics are proving the genre of speculative fiction. Abor tion bans across multiple states are restrictive and deadly. In the recent U.S. mid term elections, Louisiana voted against banning slavery.

Currently, rights concern ing autonomy, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and diversity

are all being put into ques tion. And then there is the recent presidential campaign announcement from former president Donald Trump.

I am concerned about all of these things, and I think I have every reason to be. Though, all I can personally do in my pos ition is vote. I did and I will again in every future election.

However, Canadians have been taking U.S. matters into their own hands. Back in 2020, a Que bec woman was accused of mailing a poison known as ricin to then-President Trump. Ricin can kill humans within hours of exposure. The woman is also facing 16 char ges for attempting to send this poison to Texas officials.

More recently, a Can adian-born man is facing charges of elder abuse, assault and attempted kidnapping after a violent attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of then-

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The assault left him hospitalized for several days.

These attacks are not just on a single party. Trump belongs to the Republican party and Pelosi is a Democrat. These events don’t change anything about the political climate in the states, they only hurt indi vidual people. Republicans and Democrats will both con tinue to produce legislation

that each and every one has a connection to one of them whether we are aware of it or not. And those four things are just the tip of the iceberg. But then again, I do see why Canadians are concerned with what goes on in the United States.

The U.S. and Canada serve as key allies to each other. They have an enormous trade relationship, and they share a border and environmental ecosystems.

dynamic — a “the U.S. did it, so why can’t we” type of rela tionship. I do understand the global interest in U.S. politics, I just believe that meddling in the politics of other countries is dangerous and ineffective.

that can harm the country.

Why are Canadians so invested in the states? Canada has more important things to worry about beyond the U.S. political landscape.

Canada is facing issues involving equitable housing, policing and addiction, to name a few. These issues are present in the immediate life of Canadians, and I am sure

I understand how the U.S. serves as the perfect case study for a multitude of his torical, sociological, political and economic concepts.

A large portion of Can adians also worry about U.S. democracy — something I res onate with — and what its cur rent state and tenuous future will mean for Canada.

I feel like the states and Canada have an almost older-younger sibling power

If you are eligible to vote in U.S. politics, do it, locally and federally. As a U.S. citizen, you can inspire legislation, call your representatives regard ing important issues, sign petitions, and lobby to make your voice heard. If you’re Canadian and want a hand in U.S. politics, support peo ple from the states, encourage them to vote and help spread correct information.

Absolutely nothing good will come from violently try ing to take matters into your own hands.

Absolutely nothing good will come from violently trying to take matters into your own hands

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

More people, more problems

Overpopulation must be addressed during climate discussions

Dina Hamid, staff

he earth hit the popu lation milestone of eight billion people on Nov. 15. According to the United Nations, the world’s popu lation will reach 9.7 billion people in 2050, and may peak at about 11 billion by the end of the century.

T

These figures raise con cerns about overpopulation, which has long been warned of as a threat to our society. As our population continues to grow every year, we face ques tions about what this means for us, our environment and our future.

The good news is the world population’s rate of increase has been steadily declin ing since the 1960s, from two per cent to just under one per cent in the last 50 years, and developed countries includ ing Canada are seeing fertility rates drop.

So, where is most of the current growth happening? Most of the population growth seen in 2021 was observed in sub-Saharan Africa, fol lowed by Central and South ern Asia and then Eastern and South-Eastern Asia. However, even in these regions there has been an overall decline in fertility rates compared to previous decades.

Even though the numbers suggest that we are moving in the right direction, we must take into account the fact that while our population is grow ing, resources are being used up at an unsustainable rate due to overconsumption.

This is alarming, since the problem of overpopula tion will put further strain on our depleting pool of resour ces and produce more emis sions. However, overpopula tion is currently being over looked in favour of the over consumption problem that many developed countries are facing.

This problem is trouble

some by itself, since humans are presently using the resour ces of about 1.75 planets, and consumption will only be fur ther exacerbated as the popu lation increases by one or two billion in the upcoming dec ades.

Although the two issues may not appear to be related because overconsumption is more pronounced in wealthy developed nations where growth has slowed, 34 per cent of immigrants from develop ing nations move to developed nations. This impacts the population density of these locations, and will therefore have an effect on the amount of resources consumed in those regions, as more people will require homes, food, clothing and energy.

Additionally, immigrants to developed nations who would have been causing less emis sions before relocating will eventually adopt their high er-emitting neighbours’ hab its and lifestyles, which in turn will contribute to a faster depletion of resources.

This is all to say that over population is a global issue, and is not just contained within developing regions. Just because birth rates are significantly lower here does not mean we are free from the consequences that overpopu lation has on our environ ment.

We are doing a great disser vice to our planet by ignor ing overpopulation and pit ting it against overconsump tion. Climate change is not a

multiple-choice question with only one right answer. The cli mate catastrophe is being caused by a variety of reasons, all of which must be addressed if we are to have the maximum chance of surviving.

Even though population growth is inevitable at this point, there are still steps that can be taken to further slow it down while simultaneously reducing our ecological foot print.

Nations should support and fund family planning initia tives, encourage and facili tate access for more women and girls to receive education, provide more employment opportunities for women, pro vide sex education and make contraceptives more readily available.

All of these things are bene fits that are mutually advanta geous to nations and their cit izens, while also supporting the health and development of these regions and reducing the global birth rate.

I don’t advocate for control ling and limiting birth rates or stopping immigration, but if there are practical, ethic ally sound and advantageous ways to moderate the popu lation growth, I don’t see why we shouldn’t at least try.

As billions more people will be born in the upcoming dec ades, what state will the world be in when they get here?

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

How to annoy scientists: refer to all hypotheses as “fan theories”

The universe fandom is great. Such sweet and enthusiastic people.

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box con tains every number uniquely

In Hidato, fill the board by continuing the chain of numbers from 1 to 100 mov ing any direction or diag onally to the next number.

In Straits, like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are div ided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a “straight.” A straight is a set of num bers 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 - Tough Answer to last issue’s Straights

Sudoku

Horoscopes for the week of Nov. 23

Zodiac tips for navigating life at the U of M

Damien Davis, staff

ARIES

When the smoke clears and you’ve done all you can do, who is it that takes care of you? Do not be a victim of your own deter mination. Getting A’s is satis fying, sure, but not at the cost of your well-being. When studying in Dafoe on the second floor, remember — the stacks can hear you sigh. Politely ask the older books to muffle the noise of other students and they will.

TAURUS

The tunnels are not your friends this week, though normally they would be. Something lurks in there between the shuffle and shov ing of students and the static of the ever-present radio. You will find yourself too tired, and too late for your classes. Remember — you’re not known for looking behind you, only stubbornly going ahead. Do not listen to the echoes of concrete walls. Tune in to 101.5 UMFM to learn secrets of the underground.

GEMINI

What comes to you this week will come in twos, as it has your whole life. When making your deci sions, rely not on what you understand as instinct. Do not second-guess your major. Remember what pas sions brought you here, and when on the path between St. Paul’s and St. John’s, sit between them under the trees and think carefully on your next move. What good comes from your impulsivity?

CANCER

Creativity and stability are ready to be your companions, but remember to exercise careful thinking. When water starts to rise, return to your burrow. Heed the patterns of the tides. Should you require inspir ation to let loose your thoughts to paper and break from your everyday life, go to the School of Art Gallery. Gaze at Open Structure and discover what it means to rid yourself of the confines of your hardened shell.

LEO

Why is striving for perfection seen as a flaw? You perform at your peak, academically and socially. When you laugh with your friends in your study group on campus, you laugh loudly and clearly. This week will chal lenge your per spective on pri orities. Did you remember to check the due dates for your assign ments? Tie your hair back and assess your plans.

VIRGO

Not everything can be logical, you must leave room for imagina tion. Blackbirds may rest on tele phone wires, but you are constantly on the move. If you find yourself rest less, you should turn that feeling into productivity that nurtures the spirit. Perhaps in the blue water of the campus swim ming pool you can exhaust the tension. Take to the shallow waters, watch the light move.

LIBRA

Balancing acts are what you’re meant to excel at, and this week that proves true. Yes, the academic year hasn’t been kind to you, but you’ve pulled through magnificently. You’ve woven and patched together an ecosystem of success in every class. Where else can you find a circle on campus? Go there and stand directly in the mid dle, within the sparkling snow. Think about this: do you prioritize beauty or success?

SCORPIO

The visions you’ve seen when staring up at the stained-glass windows in Tier will not come to pass. The things that haunt the interior of our skulls do not always stem from truth, but rather out of mel ancholy. This week, try not to focus on the success of others. Worth is not meant to be measured. Drinking the poison from your own tail used to be fun, but surely, it’s lost its charm.

SAGITTARIUS

With the new moon in Sagittar ius, you will find it easier to manifest and rejuvenate. What is it you desire? And do you have the courage to take it? All that worries you will fade into the sound of laughter and comfort. Slide into a booth at VW’s dur day and gaze out the snow-covered prairies — you will be at peace with yourself. Your intellect isn’t under appreciated or misunder stood, but don’t weaken it with pointless arguments.

ETFM theatre program returns to in-person format

< Cont’d from front page

“So, for some of our stu dents, even if they’re in second or third year, they’ve never worked on a ‘show’ show before, but they’ve been learning theatre.”

While full-production shows are making a return, there has been discussion within the university’s the atre department on how they are meant to look and run post-pandemic.

Dunn said that the decision to offer free admission was a “logistic” one — the mech anisms previously in place to set up a box office and sell tickets were lost to the pan demic. Whether the disrup

tion will become a perma nent change is still up for dis cussion among U of M theatre staff.

“I think it’s a question for us in the theatre program, as we kind of look at going for ward, whether payment for shows will come back or not,” she said. “While paid admis sion has been the history at the university, it could be the next change for the theatre post-pandemic.

Dunn hopes viewers walk away with a new perspec tive on where their food comes from and an apprecia tion for the hard work of art ists adjusting to a new theatre world after COVID-19 shut downs.

“It is political theatre,” she said. “As with any political theory, you hope people come away discussing things. I don’t want people to shy away from the show just because they think they don’t maybe have the same opinions as what [they think] the show’s state ment is, because this style of theatre shows all different sides.”

Seeds runs until Nov. 26. Admission is free. arts@themanitoban.com

CAPRICORN

Do not be greedy this week. Be humble and graceful in your accom plishments and opportunities. Should you forget this, the Earth will remind you. Can you face yourself in all your faults and acknow ledge that this is what it means to be human? Accept that graduation will be a long road and you will find that it’ll come faster.

AQUARIUS

You’ll find your self craving knowledge this week. You will be dissatisfied with your stud ies and will crave information more than ever. You anticipate a future of freedom without chains, but freedom starts inside yourself first. Don’t seek the guidance of graffiti on washroom stalls. The oracles of the Fletcher Argue bathrooms can’t help you with your goals.

PISCES

This week, people will take your solitude and silence as weakness, but friends know that’s not true. When you walk through the overwhelming crowds of University Centre, you do it fluidly. You’re not invisible, you’ve simply mastered your environment and the people that exist within it.

People underesti mate fish because they don’t know what lies in the deep sea. You do know.

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

UMFM show spotlight: ‘Signal Distortion’

Host Luc Mayor explores internet-core

Alex Braun staff

Growing up in the world of rhythm gaming and the online forums surround ing it, computer engineer ing student Luc Mayor built an interest in the unique, genre-bending sounds of the internet, which he terms “internet-core.”

Mayor was inspired to start his radio show on UMFM — Signal Distortion, which airs Thursdays at 2 p.m. — by “a lack of programming on UMFM that was correlating to [his] musical interest.” Start ing only a few months ago in September 2022, Mayor has already developed a unique voice in playlisting.

Mayor’s chief inter est, his clas sification of internet-core, is not defined by traditional genre markers, but rather by the niche online communities that make up its fanbase.

For Mayor, the unifying communities of fans are “a demographic of people online that listen to very, very musi cal artists spanning over a number of genres that have no correlation to one another.”

These fans, congregating on sites like Rate Your Music, Last.fm, Twitter and Discord, form the chief fanbase for the new and niche genres that Mayor’s internet-core concept encompasses.

“The community that I really made this show mostly for, hyperpop and digicore, all of their music is, their com

emo.

Recent episodes of Signal Distortion have featured art ists like yeule, Parannoul, Drain Gang, Radiohead, Charli XCX, 8485 and Black Country, New Road in the wide-ranging mixes.

In fact, the name for the show came from this eclecti cism.

“The sounds were very clash-y, bombastic kind of sounds, which can be kind of equivalent to a sort of distor tion,” Mayor said.

Genres like hyperpop have seen some mainstream accep tance in recent years, but their influence is still mostly marginal.

munity is wholeheartedly on Discord,” he said.

Other genres cited by Mayor as part of his vision include Plugg, shoegaze and Midwest

Mayor feels that this niche status is just due to a lack of exposure.

“While this appeals to a very niche subset of listen ers, I think that really, the rea son that it’s appealing to only

this niche group of people is because it hasn’t seen that light-of-day exposure,” he explained.

“I don’t like to be the type of person to gatekeep artists or stuff like that, so I think that I really personally like sharing music with people.”

Signal Distortion airs Thursdays at 2 p.m. on 101.5 UMFM. Archival

arts@themanitoban.com

episodes can be streamed on umfm.com.

photo / Luc Mayor / provided

“I really personally like sharing music with people”

— Luc Mayor, Host of ‘Signal Distortion’

Manitoba Furries persists through COVID paw-in-paw

How fandom builds community in hard times

Jessie Krahn, staff

W hen circumstances get hairy, humans rely on each other for support. Fandoms offer a place for people to forge those crucial and supportive connections based on mutual interests.

Manitoba is home to a thriving furry fandom. “Fur ries” is a term that applies to anyone with an interest in anthropomorphic creatures like Bugs Bunny. While the fandom encompasses all lev els of interest, some furries are just fans.

Some furries’ engagement with the fandom goes deeper. Furries sometimes choose a “fursona” — an animal-in spired persona — for self-rep resentation. Perhaps the most famous form of expression in the furry community is the construction of fursuits. The suits are elaborate and very costly costumes.

Manitoba Furries is a group organized by individuals who act as dedicated liaisons, event planners and more for the furry community in the province. Tyler Neplyk, com munity director of Manitoba Furries, explained that he is tasked with anything from intra-group conflict resolu tion to acting as the first point of contact for new members of the community.

Neplyk described his role as the “fetching of other ani

mals and organizing meets, and discussing stuff with communities and removing drama.”

He estimated that Mani toba Furries is comprised of over 500 members, but added that it is difficult to truly deter mine membership numbers across different social media services.

Manitoba Furries generally participates in three kinds of in-per son events. First, public fur meets are often located at Assiniboine park, a bowling alley, movie theatre or some other public space.

Second, semi-private fur meets are held at the home of one of the group members, and invite members to partici pate in baking, movie nights or art.

Third are the less-frequent conventions, with panels, game rooms and other activ ities.

Manitoba Furries has even offered advice to parents of children who are furries and have a budding interest in the fandom.

The COVID-19 pandemic has periodically disrupted the group’s programming.

However, Neplyk said that adapting to constantly shift ing safety protocols during

lockdowns was relatively easy to do because of his standard organizational practices. In particular, contact tracing was nearly identical to Neplyk’s eight-year-long habit of ask ing attendees to sign in at meet-ups.

For in-person events throughout the pandemic, Neplyk stressed that abid ing by the provincial and fed eral governments’ mandates and ensuring members’ safety has been of the utmost impor tance.

“Every time we would have a meet, we would always start off with, ‘if you’re feeling sick, don’t come over,’” Neplyk said.

“We made sure that it was safe for everyone.”

The group strove to combat social atomization through uncertain times by translating some of its typical program ming into virtual formats.

“We have to socialize, we’re animals!” Neplyk empha sized. “We’ve got to meet each other, we’ve got to see what’s going on, and so literally we just found ways to communi cate, and a lot of them were online.”

Though, Neplyk added that Manitoba Furries’ adherence to social distancing and mask ing during in-person events received backlash from some members of the community.

“Those people have either been separated from our group since then or have still been belligerent about what has been happening recently,” he explained. “And we’ve tried to make it work for them, but they are still — long story short, they’ve kind of been quiet.”

Part of Neplyk’s job is to defang threats to the com munity’s safety who seek to infiltrate and take advan tage of the group’s culture of acceptance.

“We’re good with dealing with dangerous groups like zoophiles and neo-Nazis and pedophiles,” he said. “They’re like, ‘hey, I’m with you guys too,’ and then we learn that they’re a skinhead or some thing and I gotta kick them out.”

Neplyk said that many non-furries erroneously con flate furry fandom with zoo philia.

“I always ask [non-fur ries], ‘what is the rudest thing you know about furries and how did you first hear about them?’” Neplyk said. “It’s

almost always like, ‘oh, they screw dogs and they all get in costume and have sex in a giant room because I saw that on CSI.’”

Neplyk also highlighted a study that found that nearly 80 per cent of furries do not identify as straight, and noted that the stigma attached to the community may be driven by homophobia.

“I’ve also heard the one that all furries have AIDS because we’re all gay,” he continued.

For Neplyk, a self-described extrovert, the furry fandom gives him ample opportunity to connect.

“I’m wrangling a zoo of creatures,” he said. “It’s fun to have a zoo!”

Neplyk added that while it would be nice to be paid for his efforts, he is serving as Manitoba Furries’ community director for reasons other than money.

“I’m doing it strictly to get people interested in the fan dom, being happier about themselves and being open about themselves and just hav ing a good time,” he empha sized. “I just want to find more people to party with.”

Manitoba Furries can be found at https://manitoba furries.org/.

“We have to socialize, we’re animals”

— Tyler Neplyk, Community director for Manitoba Furries

photo / Ebunoluwa

Akinbo / staff

Bison quarterback sets passing yard record

Des Catellier leaves his mark on and off the field

Katie Kirkwood staff

D es Catellier heads out of his final season leav ing behind a legacy that will change how the Bisons play football for years to come.

Catellier is the Bisons’ star quarterback. He has been with the Bisons through thick and thin throughout his seven years on the team. Starting off as a rookie when he was just 18 years old, over the years he has grown into the strong, fearless leader he is today.

As one can expect how ever, those seven years were not entirely smooth sailing. In the 2021 season opener game against the University of Regina Rams — the first game back since COVID began — Catellier took a nasty hit to the lower half of his body, resulting in an ACL tear.

In the nine months that fol lowed, Catellier made sure to show up for himself and the team. He never missed a rehab or training session and built back his strength, confi dence and ability day by day.

Catellier emphasized the fact that improvement was not seen every day. Healing his injury was about “not los ing sight, not thinking too big picture.”

All of his hard work paid off,

as he had one of the best sea sons of his life this year.

Despite this being Catel lier’s last year with the Bisons, he went out with a bang, set ting an all-time program rec ord for passing yards. This was a large feat to achieve, and yet he still has bigger and better dreams of going pro and play ing with the big boys in the Canadian Football League.

“I want to play in the CFL,” Catellier said. “That’s what I’m going to take on for the next year, at least.”

“It’s always been a goal of mine, it’s always been a dream of mine, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do for sure. You don’t see a lot of Canadian quarterbacks make it pro.“

He knows all the challenges he will face, but he is just as motivated as ever to eat, sleep and breathe football.

When asked about how the culture of the team has changed over the years, Catel lier said that when he first started, there seemed to be a disconnect between the older and younger players. He saw that this was causing some issues on the field and addressed it with some of his teammates and the coaches.

From that point on, the Bisons worked on becoming

a family on and off the field, resulting in major rewards like making championships, set ting records and growing its program’s reputation.

It’s times like these that Catellier looks back on fondly. He loves the environment in the locker room, and even calls it home. Catellier is ori ginally from Calgary, and has spent his whole adult life find ing comfort and inspiration in the Bison locker room, an environment that was created from his hard work and dedi cation to his teammates.

The games, the laughs and the love that was shared between teammates is some thing that he will carry with him for life.

A perfect example of this camaraderie comes from offensive lineman Halem Hrizai, who discussed some of his favourite memories with Catellier. Hrizai joined the program a few years after Catellier and has always looked up to him, except for when it comes to ping-pong.

Playing ping-pong is a cru cial part of being a Bisons football player and according to Hrizai, Catellier is “a very mediocre ping-pong player.”

Catellier made sure to clear up the rumours, and clari

Sports teams’ schedules

U of M Bisons — Women’s Basketball

Bisons @ Regina Cougars Nov. 25 — 7 p.m.

Bisons @ Regina Cougars Nov. 26 — 7 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Women’s Hockey

Bisons @ MacEwan Griffins

Nov. 18 — Final: 3 – 2

Bisons @ MacEwan Griffins Nov. 19 — Final: 5 – 1

Saskatchewan Huskies @ Bisons Nov. 25 — 7 p.m.

Saskatchewan Huskies @ Bisons Nov. 26 — 3 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Women’s Volleyball

Brandon Bobcats @ Bisons

Nov. 18 — Final: 0 – 3

Brandon Bobcats @ Bisons Nov. 19 — Final: 0 – 3

Regina Cougars @ Bisons Nov. 25 — 6 p.m.

Regina Cougars @ Bisons Nov. 26 — 5 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Men’s Basketball

Bisons @ Regina Cougars

Nov. 25 — 9 p.m.

Bisons @ Regina Cougars Nov. 26 — 9 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Men’s Hockey

MacEwan Griffins @ Bisons

Nov. 18 — Final: 1 – 7

MacEwan Griffins @ Bisons Nov. 19 — Final: 2 – 7

Bisons @ Saskatchewan Huskies Nov. 25 — 7 p.m.

Bisons @ Saskatchewan Huskies Nov. 26 — 7 p.m.

Bison briefs

fied that he is “definitely an A-league, top-tier ping-pong player.”

We may never know who to believe, but this is just one example of the fun and love the players on the Bisons foot ball team have for one another that is sure to have helped the team bond into a multi-year playoff run caliber club.

Bisons volleyball

This past weekend both the Bisons men’s and women’s volleyball teams went headto-head with the Brandon University Bobcats. Both teams played at the Investors Group Athletic Centre on Nov. 18 and 19.

The women’s team took home two wins despite its recent losses against the Uni versity of British Columbia Okanagan Heat. In the first game of the weekend, the Bobcats put up a good fight with set scores of 18-25, 22-25 and 12-25, but the U of M won them all. Great hits were seen by Ella Gray, who had 11 kills this game.

As for the team’s second game of the weekend, there was a greater point differential than the game from the previ ous night. The Bisons swept up all three sets again, showing no remorse on the court. This game, Raya Surinx cleaned up with 11 kills and two aces. This put the women’s volleyball team at a game ratio of 4-4.

The men’s volleyball team was not as lucky in the first game, losing all three sets to the Bobcats. Coach Arnd Lud wig said this game was the result of injuries that kept the team from practicing as a complete unit last week. Despite this, the herd fought hard, coming close in all three sets but just missing the edge that would have secured a win.

U of M Bisons — Men’s Volleyball

Nov. 18 — Final: 3 – 0 Brandon Bobcats @ Bisons Nov. 19 — Final: 2 – 3

Brandon Bobcats @ Bisons

Anaheim

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The team didn’t let this first night discourage it, as it came back even more fiercely than the day before in the second game against the Bobcats. This game went into five sets, with U of M winning the first, U of Brandon winning the next two, and U of M finishing it off by winning the last two sets to secure the win.

This game was intense and exciting to watch as each team put up a great fight, both wanting to win more than any thing. Redeeming itself from its loss the night before, the Bisons left the court glowing, improving its record to 4-6.

Winnipeg Jets

Nov. 25 — 7:30 p.m. Jets @ Chicago Blackhawks Nov. 27 — 6 p.m.

Colorado Avalanche @ Jets Nov. 29 — 7 p.m.

The women’s next game is Nov. 25 against the Univer sity of Regina Cougars and the men’s next game is Dec. 2 against the Mount Royal Uni versity Cougars.

Katie Kirkwood, staff

sports@themanitoban.com

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff