6 September 2023

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Provincial parties commit to international student health

If elected, Manitoba NDP and Liberal parties commit to reinstating health coverage

Kyra Campbell, staff

Student voter prior-

ities are at the forefront of concern for UMSU as the 2023 provincial election in October moves closer. One issue currently top of mind is the reinstatement of international student health-care coverage.

In 2018, the Progressive Conservative (PC) government under former premier Brian Pallister cut universal health care for international students to save approximately $3.1 million.

To replace universal health care, international students must pay an annual fee of $1,032 to access coverage.

If elected, both the Manitoba Liberal Party and Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP) have committed to reinstating international student health-care coverage.

Manitoba Liberal Party leader Dougald Lamont believes reinstating international health care is the “humane” thing to do. Without it, it’s inefficient for students to receive proper care.

“ There’s no justification for it, even to save money,” said Lamont. “Every single justification the PCs have offered is false, and frankly, cruel.”

Wab Kinew, leader of the Manitoba NDP, said he wants institutions to have the ability to attract international students choosing between universities like UBC and U of M by letting them know Manitoba will cover their healthcare costs.

“It does take away that competitive advantage that the post secondaries of Manitoba had when they’re making their pitch to international students,” Kinew said.

UMSU international students’ representative Andrea Nguyen, who previously lived in Alberta, where international students are covered by universal health care, said the policy does make other provinces more attractive for post-secondary education.

The PC government does not appear to be changing its position on health care for international students and no members of the PC party were present at a student-led rally about the issue in October 2022.

The office of provincial Minister of Health Audrey Gordon

did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

On UMSU’s advocacy work, vice-president advocacy Liam Pittman said this year the union has met with MLAs from both the NDP and PC parties, where the issue of international student health care is always advocated for in government meetings. The executive also plans to reach out to the Liberal party for a meeting.

While meetings have occurred between UMSU

times the cost of the health care,” Pittman said Nationwide, international students contributed approximately $21.6 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product, and approximately 170,000 jobs across Canada in 2018.

In 2022, the Manitoba Alliance of Post-Secondary Students (MAPSS) sent a brief to Manitoba MLAs urging them to reinstate health-care coverage for international students, citing that the average cost of

reinstating international student health care.

The lack of health care for international students is not just a financial strain. Both Kinew and Lamont noted it is also an issue of human rights and feeling valued within the province.

Lamont said international students are one of the biggest groups of future Manitobans through Manitoba’s Provincial Nominee Program.

“Don’t feel that just because one political party has done this, that everybody feels the same way,”

Lamont said.

“ You belong here, and we want to make sure you stay.”

dents’ Association and UMSU, Nguyen has had to assist students in navigating how to submit claims and be reimbursed for certain health-care services.

Lamont, a former lecturer at the U of W, said policy choices such as the healthcare cut can also have a ripple effect onto other individuals.

“

You’ll have people who are having mental health crises and you know professors are having to step up and support people individually,” said Lamont.

With a provincial election on the horizon, taking action on student issues including health-care coverage can be a crucial point for policy change.

and provincial MLAs, Pittman noted the executive has been unable to secure a meeting with Gordon. However, a meeting between Minister of Advanced Education and Training Sarah Guillemard and UMSU representatives was held on Aug. 23, where UMSU raised the significance of international student coverage.

In 2019 alone, international students brought $400 million into the provincial economy.

“I am no mathematician, but $400 million is over 100

obtaining a degree in Canada as an international student is $135,000. On top of that, Manitoba charges the highest health-care premium out of all participating provinces.

As a solution, MAPSS recommended the province introduce a health care buy-in model. The model would cost international students $595 to buy into and be covered by the provincial health-care system.

In his role as vice-president advocacy, Pittman plans to continue researching other avenues to push the government into the direction of

Instead of the message being sent currently by the province, Kinew said his government would stand behind one oriented toward the future of Manitoba.

“If we say right off the bat to an international student that’s arriving here, ‘you know what, we view you as part of the province, we’re going to work towards covering health services for you because we want you to stay here after graduation,’ I think that’s a strong message,” Kinew said.

Nguyen said the barriers go beyond having to pay for health care itself.

Lamont emphasized that, with a campus of nearly 30,000 students, U of M students need to know they can make a difference in this election on issues like health care.

“Ultimately the thing that will make a difference is electing people who are going to support you, and that can happen,” said Lamont.

International students can also work and volunteer on campaigns. They’re still Manitobans they still have a right to be part of our democracy.”

In her past and current roles within the Science Stunews@themanitoban.com

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

“Don’t feel that just because one political party has done this, that everybody feels the same way”

Dougald Lamont, leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party

Jam-packed week of events welcomes back Bisons

As fall term begins Sept. 6, here’s what’s on offer

International student

Kareem Sowid is nervous yet looking forward to starting the University 1 program as a firstyear student this Wednesday.

Along with Sowid, the University of Manitoba’s Fort Garry campus is ready to begin the 2023-24 academic school year with over 23,000 undergrad students, along with graduate students and faculty, on Sept. 6.

Matt Koop, another firstyear, is set on a degree in history and is hoping that “the classes are a lot more interesting, and it will be really engaging.”

Kailan Au and Luke Silvestri will both be entering the faculty of science, with a shared goal of joining the medical field.

In the hopes of eventually getting an arts degree, Sowid

is “looking forward to [taking] philosophy and political science” as the year begins but is also eager to join clubs and meet new people.

For others, like Au, coming to the U of M as a first-year from Winnipeg means he gets to continue school with his friends from high school. He is also looking forward to participating in the numerous athletic opportunities the U of M has to offer.

University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) presi-

—

dent Tracy Karuhogo said that “school is more than academics — it’s also your experience.”

While not every first-year is ready to begin school, the

around campus

energy surrounding coming back is “hyped,” Koop said.

Karuhogo, along with vice-president community engagement Divya Sharma, is excited to welcome students as the term begins.

Welcome day on Sept. 5 will be the UMSU teams’ vantage point for meeting all first-years and a kickoff to the annual Bison Bash. As Sharma explained, Bison Bash will be a week full of events, where people will “get to connect with like-minded students.”

The Bison Bash week from Sept. 11 to 15 will start with free breakfast in University Centre each morning. Students can also find various student and UMSU groups tabling on the first floor throughout the week. Afternoon and evening events students can participate in will

include a karaoke night and “Bisons on the quad,” ending with the UMSU street party from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sept. 15.

Participating in the Bison Bash week is one way for students to get involved, something Karuhogo encourages all first years to do.

“[Involvement] doesn’t mean only leadership,” she

said. “It could be in student clubs or volunteering.”

“We’re all Bisons at the end of the day and we are very excited to welcome each and every single one,” Sharma concluded.

“Horns up, Bisons!”

news@themanitoban.com

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

Sarah Cohen staff

“School is more than academics ― it’s also your experience”

Tracy Karuhogo, UMSU president

Research & Technology

Meet some of the 2023 URA students Summer program enhances student engagement in research

This summer, the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program welcomed over 200 students, allowing them to work alongside researchers across all disciplines.

Third-year biological sciences student Sarah Cameron worked with assistant professor Az Klymiuk as a URA student. Through the research award for undergraduate students that runs from May to August, Cameron was able to study the occurrence of fungi within the root systems of wetland plants.

Cameron’s research journey involved both fieldwork and laboratory work. Alongside Klymiuk and other lab members, Cameron went out to Whiteshell, Nopiming and Duck Mountain provincial parks.

They collected plant roots, which were later processed in the lab. Cameron used clearing, staining and microscopy techniques to examine and count fungi in the roots.

One of the most valuable skills Cameron acquired from her URA experience was effective time management. She planned her research timeline, collected data and completed tasks within a set timeframe, preparing her for the poster competition — where students present their work at the end of the summer.

Looking ahead, Cameron plans to continue her research journey by pursuing a co-op degree and potentially returning to Klymiuk’s lab.

For Lala Rukh and Chase Gurniak, both fourth-year biological science students, the summer research was through the Philip Hultin pedagogy award fund, under Klymiuk’s supervision.

Gurniak’s project assisted in developing new laboratory experiments and techniques for fungi and lichens courses.

His project involved studying the diversity of fungi found in goose dung and developing laboratory protocols on techniques for culturing, isolation, purification and slide preparation. These skills will be shared with students this fall semester.

One of the most valuable takeaways from Gurniak’s research experience was the opportunity to learn and practise a wide array of labora-

tory techniques, from photomicrography to sterile technique and culturing media preparation.

“I’ve just not had the opportunity during my education yet to practise these techniques,” he said.

“I thought that was the best part, being able to work in a setting where I was able to get so much freedom with such a respectable crew of lab mates and professor.”

Rukh’s projects, on the other hand, were geared towards creating new lab experiments and techniques for the plant anatomy course.

She worked on isolating plant cells by removing the cell walls from various plant species, and other experiments to grow miniature plants and tissues in test tubes.

“We’re hoping that this will provide a more greater understanding of students in plant anatomy,” she said.

In addition to lab work, the research program offered a holistic experience for Rukh — including meeting other student researchers, engaging in workshops on scientific skills, learning how to write research papers and gaining insights into the world of academia.

“I feel like undergraduate research is a great opportunity for students because working the summer term, it makes you realize whether you want to do this long term or not, whether it’s something that interests you,” she said.

Maryem Zahra, a fourthyear sociology and criminology student, worked with department of sociology and criminology professor Laura Funk on a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council project titled “Strengthening Care Mobilization in Canada’s Social Welfare State,” which aimed to amplify the voices of individuals who support older adults but may have conflicted or uncertain feelings

conducted individual interviews with participants, transcribed the data and proofread transcripts — sharing her findings with the rest of the team and analyzing the data.

Zahra’s role in the project allowed her to connect with real people facing challenging caregiving situations.

and to potentially transition into policy analysis — aspiring to bridge the gap between research findings and actionable policies and striving to make a tangible impact on society.

jects — one centred on vaccine hesitancy, exploring the factors influencing individuals’ decisions, while the other project delved into housing issues faced by recently resettled African refugees in Canada.

about their caregiving roles.

“The goal is to broaden the range of voices in research on helping older adults and learn how these people provide help or what advice they have for policy makers about caring for older adults,” Zahra explained.

Over the summer, Zahra

“I’m also working on crafting papers in the fall,” she added. “I’m going to be co-authoring a publication alongside Funk which is my favourite part because undergrad students don’t really get many opportunities to author publications.”

Zahra expressed her hope that the data collected would lead to improved policies and support systems for these individuals.

Zahra plans on continuing her journey in research

She encouraged incoming students to explore research opportunities and advised them to take their time discovering their interests and potential research topics, as the URA experience can provide an invaluable head start in a research-oriented career and equip students with essential skills.

Currently in her final year as a psychology student, Kezia Wong first worked with department of sociology and criminology professor Lori Wilkinson under the URA program in 2022.

Wong has a passion for social psychology, which aligned with Wilkinson’s research.

A typical day for Wong involved sorting through literature reviews using resources like Google Scholar and libraries, data analysis and collaboration with other team members.

As Wong reflects on her experience, she encourages prospective students to start early when searching for research opportunities, emphasizing the importance of contacting professors well in advance.

“I think it’s a really great opportunity for any student who’s interested in research.”

For her second summer back on Wilkinson’s team, Wong contributed to two proresearch@themanitoban.com

photos / provided

elah Ajene, staff

“I think it’s a really great opportunity for any student who’s interested in research”

— Kezia Wong, U of M psychology student

Undergraduate biological sciences students Lala Rukh, Chase Gurniak and Sarah Cameron conducting field research.

Fourth-year biological sciences student Chase Gurniak examining specimens through a microscope.

A palliative approach in health care

Rooted in compassion and curiosity

elah Ajene, staff

When Rady faculty of health sciences nursing student Jogminder Sandhu started his clinical in an acute medical surgery unit, he took the principles and approaches learned in his palliative care coursework into practice.

Palliative care is a holistic approach to care aimed at improving the quality of life for people living with a life-threatening illness and their families.

Sandhu recalls his experience with a patient who was receiving aggressive medical treatment despite the fact that their body was no longer responding positively.

Drawing from his palliative care knowledge, Sandhu suggested a palliative approach. This involved comprehensive discussions with the medical team and the patient about the patient’s goals and the need for comfort-focused care rather than curative treatments.

This illustrates a vital point about palliative care it is an approach that can be incorporated into various healthcare settings.

“Students will use this in any setting,” said U of M nursing instructor Jane Kraut.

“We see people with chronic illness or even close to death on any units, in any hospitals or in any communities.”

“We feel that it is a really important approach and a really important thing that we need to talk about with not just nursing students, but all health-care providers.”

Kraut previously worked as a community visiting nurse in the palliative care program of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

The program, designed for individuals with life-limiting

illnesses approaching end of life, focuses on holistic care and offers services within hospital units and hospice facilities.

Kraut’s role as a community visiting nurse took her directly into the lives of patients and their families.

“Our visits were a little bit longer in the community, so we could sit down and we could talk to families,” she said.

The goal was to guide families through difficult conversations about the progression of their loved ones’ illnesses, ensuring they were equipped to make informed decisions about their care.

As a palliative care worker, Kraut coordinated care and supported clients and their families on both a medical and psychosocial level.

The emotional aspect of palliative care might evoke thoughts of sadness and somberness. However, Kraut shares a different perspective.

While acknowledging the presence of challenging moments, Kraut emphasizes the honour she felt in helping patients achieve their final goals and fulfil their last wishes.

“I actually found it to be quite happy,” she said.

“I always found it to be such an honour as we got closer to the end where you’re in this moment, much like labour and delivery nurses where you’re bringing babies into the world, you’re sort of help-

shape the next generation of compassionate and skilled health-care professionals and equipping them with the skills to engage in difficult conversations about death and grief.

She emphasized that effective communication lies at the heart of navigating these conversations. To Kraut, getting to know someone on a personal level and understanding their hopes and fears is the key.

sations with partners, family and friends to normalize discussions about end-of-life wishes.

Kraut also addressed the societal taboo surrounding conversations about death.

She emphasized the importance of incorporating death education into the curriculum, allowing individuals to approach the subject openly and candidly.

In her experience, building a personal rapport and understanding patients’ goals of care were fundamental to providing quality palliative care.

“Taking two or three minutes out of the day to just sit and learn something about your client and their family can really make a difference in terms of understanding what they want out of their care,” she said.

ing someone leave the world in some ways,” she continued.

Today, as a palliative and supportive care instructor at the U of M, Kraut is helping

“I think students, once they know that’s the best way to kind of bridge these conversations, it’s so much easier to do that,” she said.

Kraut and her team integrate practical scenarios into their teaching, encouraging students to initiate conver-

“The earlier we talk about death and dying, it becomes less taboo,” she said.

By familiarizing society with these discussions early on, the fear and uncertainty often associated with death can be mitigated.

Kraut encourages aspiring nurses and students starting off in palliative care to embrace curiosity and compassion, rather than fearing they might say the wrong thing.

“When we start in our education career as nurses, we’re really focused on the patient, getting their vitals, giving their medication,” Sandhu said.

“But palliative has shown me how an individual’s health is beyond just them, and I will take that into account especially going into surgery next semester.”

research@themanitoban.com

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

“The earlier we talk about death and dying, it becomes less taboo”

— Jane Kraut, U of M nursing instructor

Communities need local newspapers Canada cannot allow Postmedia to control access to information

Anybody living in Manitoba from mid-July onward knew about the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MLL) strike for fair wages and what it meant for the province — there was almost no way to get Smirnoff Pink Lemonade coolers, and right in the heat of dock season.

Those who live outside Manitoba probably won’t know that much about the strike. At the time of publication, the Free Press has published at least 16 articles keeping readers updated about it. The Globe and Mail, a major Canadian newspaper, has published two.

It makes sense for Manitoba’s biggest newspaper to have published significantly more on the topic than an Ontario-based newspaper, but that raises the question — what would happen without Manitoba news coverage? How would Manitobans know MLL pulled in a record profit this year but hadn’t negotiated a fair deal with its workers?

That information was not made available to everyone. It was obtained by the Free Press and reported to the public.

The truth is, Manitoba is far from a priority in Canada’s social, political or economic conversations. On the Globe’s website, Manitoba is one of the two mainland provinces that doesn’t have its own category, instead getting lumped in the “Prairies.” In contrast, Toronto and Ontario are two separate categories; so are Vancouver and British Columbia.

We need local publications so that we can inform ourselves when major outlets in the country won’t.

The Free Press is a large paper compared to many others in Canada, especially the others in Manitoba. It has the resources to operate as a daily paper. Compare this with the Opasquia Times in The Pas, Man. The northern Manitoba paper publishes biweekly with a staff of 10 people.

Since its creation in 1978, “the print industry and community have changed,” the Times acknowledges on its website. Yet the paper “continues to serve as the official record of The Pas,” describing itself as “an instrumental piece of the community’s daily life.”

The Opasquia Times is lucky: it’s owned by a smaller company that also owns other papers in the area. Other newspapers in the country — a large portion of them — are

owned by Postmedia.

Postmedia hoards many of Canada’s daily newspapers, including two in Manitoba, 32 in Alberta and another 58 in Ontario. This increasingly monopolistic media landscape is endangering newspapers.

In the nine months ending May 31, 2023, the company had a net loss of $61.5 million. That’s an increased loss of $18.2 million compared to the same period the year prior. This trend will most likely continue.

Why do Postmedia executives want to own these newspapers when they hemorrhage money? It may be a corporate bid to gain control over access to information in Canada. If that’s the case, it’s working.

It’s no secret Postmedia is a conservative company. During federal elections, it runs articles in favour of Conservative candidates in several of its papers. In 2021, at least 20 Postmedia papers all ran identical opinion articles — no, political endorsements — with the headline “Best path has O-Toole leading way.”

Its political influence became so great that in 2015, former National Post editorial board member Andrew Coyne — now a columnist at the Globe — left his position, citing a “disagreement” between himself and Postmedia executives. The paper wouldn’t let him run an op-ed opposing Postmedia’s endorsement of former prime minister and then-candidate Stephen Harper, saying it would have “confused readers and embarrassed the paper,” Coyne reported via X, then known as Twitter.

If opinion editors on national mastheads can’t publish their own political opinions, do freedom of expression and freedom of the press exist anymore in several dozen of Canada’s newspapers?

Along with blocking opinions from being published, Postmedia has the power to strategically block Canadians’ access to information.

The company’s mass acquisition of titles has resulted in newsroom closures and a reduction in full-time reporters across Canada. In Manitoba alone, Postmedia closed community newspapers in Carman, Altona, Gimli, Morden, Selkirk, Stonewall, Teulon and Winkler, eight in total, in just 2020 — a time when misinformation flourished and communities needed reliable information most.

What happens when communities lose their newspapers? Think back to the Opasquia Times, “an instrumental piece of the community’s daily life.”

Aside from often being a social connection, the very glue that holds communities together, when people lose their newspapers, they lose information that can determine every decision they make. Ultimately, it threatens democracy as a whole.

Research shows corruption increases and voter participation declines when communities lose newspapers. The community glue dissolves. It leads to increased political polarization as well, often influenced by the misinformation and distrust in news that comes from a lack of reliable information.

We cannot allow one company to take the well-being of entire communities in its hands.

In 2019, the federal government launched its Local Journalism Initiative, a five-year plan to ensure the survival of community journalism. It had a budget of $50 million. The problem is, it runs out this year. The Free Press received funding for its education reporter. The same goes for the Winnipeg Sun’s northern Manitoba reporter. Come 2024, the fate of these positions is uncertain, and Winnipeg is at risk of losing reliable information on education in the city.

The Winnipeg Sun is owned by Postmedia, yet still received funding for local journalism. In 2021, with different government funding initiatives combined, Postmedia received over $52 million to stay afloat.

Outlet ownership must be broken up. Instead of federal funding continuously buoying a drowning corporation, the Canadian government should ensure community newspapers currently owned by Postmedia are independent both in operation and editorial content. The papers should receive funding directly, not through a company that refers to the newspapers as “brands.” And the feds should do so for more than five years.

The operating costs of rigorous journalism haven’t disappeared since the Local Journalism Initiative was launched. As the media coverage of the MLL strike is followed by a provincial election in Manitoba this fall, it’s clear that the need for atten-

tive coverage of local politics spans political cycles.

One particular incident covered by both the Free Press and the Globe was when Progressive Conservative premier Heather Stefanson and MLA Andrew Smith, whose portfolio includes MLL, took shots at the Manitoba New Democratic Party, with Smith blaming the party “and their union friends” for the strike.

The Free Press article was one in a series of updates about the labour dispute, while the Globe saved its coverage for an attention-grabbing headline that wasn’t even written by its own reporter. It was a wire story from the Canadian Press written by a reporter in Edmonton, Alta.

Population-wise, Manitoba is smaller than Ontario, Quebec, B.C. and Alberta. That’s a good enough reason for the Globe not to devote too much newsprint to it. But people in Manitoba need access to up-to-date, regional coverage in order to be politically educated. That’s why we need local newspapers.

Holding our government to account is always necessary, but at a time when the public will determine who runs our province for the next few years, now it is absolutely vital, and it needs to be done by reporters on the front lines.

We need to be able to make informed decisions. Our communities depend on it.

editor@themanitoban.com

graphic / Bahareh Rashidi / volunteer

Gillian brown, staff

Facing the first year of university in a post-pandemic era

Personal reflections from a former first-year

As the school year begins, I can’t help but reminisce about the past few years. I often think about how our lives and university experiences changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, I think about how difficult first-year students have it now.

As a student who graduated high school during the COVID-19 pandemic, my journey into university life was far from ordinary. I was one of many students who started university during the isolated and lonely time of social distancing. The pandemic shifted the trajectory of our academic lives, and the effects can still be felt three years after it began.

For one thing, the shift to remote learning during lockdowns reduced the number of in-person interactions students had, our chances to meet other students and our opportunities to participating in extracurricular activities at the university. The social aspect of university was diminished.

Over the course of the pandemic, many aspects of university life went online. From virtual orientation events to virtual classes, it seems that almost everything had a digital alternative. There are downsides to this shift. Virtual resources can be a blessing to some, but a burden for others.

It is undeniable that this new aspect of university has

had a huge effect on students. Relying on virtual tools reduces many students’ chances of in-person interaction with their classmates.

It can be very challenging for first-year students to navigate the vast amount of supports available online. While the university has an abundance of resources and many helpful support staff, finding the correct support can be challenging, especially for those new to the university environment.

Navigating my way through my first year of university was a challenge.

As a first-generation university student in Canada, my unfamiliarity with the university system combined with the restrictions of the pandemic made accessing the correct resources a challenge. I had no idea who to turn to when I needed help or what to Google when I looked for options available to me.

I remember spending countless hours Googling, scouring my inbox to find the correct emails I needed and browsing Reddit to see if any of my peers had the same questions.

The results of my searches were astounding.

There was a recurring pattern in the results I found. Many virtual resources were inaccessible. Many students had the same questions I had and needed the same help I needed. However, many students had trouble using resources effectively because

they did not know they existed.

For example, finding the correct credentials and steps for signing into the university’s Wi-Fi is difficult. While there is a page on the Information Services and Technology section of the U of M’s website to help with Wi-Fi issues, many students do not know that this resource exists.

Resources such as Aurora and a complicated process for signing into Wi-Fi have caused barriers in accessibility. Some students run into errors when they use Aurora or log in to Wi-Fi, and so are unable to complete their tasks.

There are many pages on the university website and in emails sent by the university that help students use the campus Wi-Fi and Aurora efficiently. However, many students are not informed about how to find these pages because emails get lost or buried quickly, or because students do not even know these resources exist.

I believe this points to a bigger issue in the picture. Rather than a lack of resources for first-years, there is a lack of guidance in accessing these resources, contributing to a significant barrier in accessing these supports. Students are left to figure things out on their own.

As a result, many first-year students do not know what they have access to at the university or simply are unable to access these resources because they do not know how. There

is an abundance of resources available for students. However, many of these resources remain unused because of the lack of knowledge. For example, many first-year students are unfamiliar with the services offered by student advisors or visiting IST to get help with logging in to the student Wi-Fi.

It is extremely important that we prioritize increasing access to these resources, because many of them are crucial for first-year students. Barriers should not prevent students from accessing information

by requiring them to attend a mandatory presentation, or by sending out multiple emails with the list of resources available.

Furthermore, another idea that can be implemented is creating a course on UMLearn with all available resources available. This could address the issue of emails being lost and the lack of knowledge when Googling for a resource. Until there is increased support for first-year students, accessing resources will always be a barrier for some of them.

We can take steps to improve accessibility by educating first-year students about the resources available to them during orientation comment@themanitoban.com

Carolyn Wang, volunteer

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

The indignity of grad students’ frozen federal funds

Student status obscures labouring in poverty

Returning to campus for the fall semester, many of us will ignore displeased hissing as the most miserable members of the U of M retreat under sunny streams of shimmering dust motes into the shadows. Poring over their hardbound Heideggers and grease-caked centrifuges, these are graduate students.

Grad students aren’t just students, they’re early-career researchers with none of the recognition or benefits. They’re apprentice researchers and professionals, expected to dedicate their full attention to their programs. Except unlike an electrician apprenticeship, for example, grad students are considered lucky if they’re paid at all.

Domestic master’s students at the U of M generally pay almost $3,000 minimum during the fall and winter terms for their first year in tuition, and PhD students pay $3,000 for the fall and winter terms for their first two years. Every summer term and every subsequent winter and fall term after that, graduate students face a $553 continuing fee plus the laundry list of other fees every student must pay.

Continuing fees skim a few extra million dollars off the graduate student population when they are finished their coursework. Woe betide anyone who wants to be a dentist, physical therapist or otherwise enroll in any other professional master’s program. Not even those programs’ $5,000 to $13,000 tuition charges will exonerate you from paying continuing fees.

Grad school does not have to be as financially cumbersome as it is at the U of M. While some Canadian universities like York or the University of Toronto offer most full-time graduate students a base level of funding, the U of M does not.

Working conditions like this take a toll globally. Graduate students in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia all report financial stress affecting their daily life. Research shows that in grad school, as with any other work environment, greater financial distress is associated with depressive symptoms.

In Canada, many graduate students are driven by the hope of some sort of financial stability to spend weeks of their lives writing grant applications for meagre tri-agency fellowships. The awards are so

named for the three composite bodies that confer them — the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Tri-agency funding theoretically makes research possible even if that research is not yet commercially viable. However, the tri-agency graduate scholarships have not increased in value since they were introduced in 2003. A master’s level SSHRC award is currently valued at $17,500. Using the Bank of Canada’s inflation calculator, that award should be valued at almost $27,000 in 2023.

Tri-agency awards available to PhD students — SSHRC’s are valued at $20,000 and $35,000 per year for three years each — also have not increased since 2003. One of the most prestigious federal scholarships is the Vanier scholarship, an award for PhD candidates that amounts to $50,000 a year for three years. It too has been frozen at that amount since its introduction in 2008, and only 166 PhD candidates maximum receive

the award annually.

After deducting the cost of tuition or continuing fees, as well as living expenses like rent, groceries, cell phone and internet bills, there is barely anything left to live without stress even in Manitoba for those who win these tri-council awards.

Imagine the increased stress for students who do not win tri-agency funding, are not offered other stipends or live in cities like Toronto or Vancouver where the average price of a one-bedroom apartment is $2,500 and $3,000 per month respectively.

The value of these awards can make grad school sound like a sweet deal But these awards are not granted to students to sit in a lecture hall for two to four years. Grad students are expected to conduct original research, to juggle teaching classes with that research, to share their work at conferences, to participate in university life and often to publish their work while living on stipends. $20,000 a year before rent and tuition is not enough money to live in dignity, let alone conduct rigorous research.

Labelling graduate researchers “students” and what are effectively their salaries as “scholarships” obscures the reality that they

are being exploited.

A recent movement called Support our Science has been protesting abysmal federal funding packages for grad students in Canada. One of their important asks is for the feds to increase the quantity of triagency awards.

Census data shows increasing proportions of the population are graduating with master’s degrees and doctorates every year. Between 2016 and 2021, the proportion of the Canadian population with master’s degrees increased from 4.6 per cent to 5.7 per cent. Yet the number of tri-agency awards offered decreased in 2010.

In other words, tri-agency funding has become scarcer while the real value of the awards diminishes and competition grows steadily more fierce.

Economic downturn and uncertainty fomented by the pandemic inspired a drastic increase in the number of applications for graduate schools by 2021. Even so, the rate of postgraduate attainment in Canada trails behind other G7 nations.

Those who don’t currently have plans to go to grad school might find these issues hard to care about, but it is increasingly likely it will affect you in the future. Personally, I didn’t always plan to do a master’s degree, and then a brain parasite took residence in my corpus callosum. After

almost dropping out of university when I was 19, I never imagined finishing a master’s degree until I actually did it.

This system is exploitative, forcing people who are passionate about their fields to effectively pay to do research for universities. Because we associate the label of “student” with absorbing rather than generating new information, there is no political will to improve grad students’ situations. In fact, it seems like many people think grad students deserve to work in poverty, because people don’t consider being a student a real job.

But the problems affecting grad students are just a taste of wider problems in not only Canada but the world, including decayed social safety nets, the steep cost of living and a general devaluing of researching and learning.

Grad students are helping society better understand the past, develop treatment for diseases, deal with ethical problems and think critically, among other things. If we don’t support the student researchers who keep universities ticking, we’ll all suffer for it down the line.

Jessie Krahn, staff

graphic / Bahareh Rashidi / volunteer

$20,000 a year before rent and tuition is not enough money to live in dignity, let alone conduct rigorous research

• Chukwuma (Chuck) Abara, Northern Health Authority

Canada

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA)

• Connie Newman, Manitoba Association of Senior Communities

• Denis Fortier, Shared Health

• Elizabeth Toller**, Health

• Ian Alexander, Department of Family Medicine, University of Manitoba & Selkirk Medical Associates

• Ganesan Abbu, Manitoba College of Family Physicians (MCFP)

• Ian Whetter, Ongomiizwin Health Services

• Jeanette Edwards, Manitoba Health

• Jennifer Major**, Healthcare Excellence

Canada

• Joanne Maier, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba

• Jocelyne Voisin**, Health Canada

• John Feeley**, Canadian Medical Association

• Jose Francois, Department of Family Medicine, University of Manitoba

• Joss Reimer, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA)

• Karen Appel, University of Manitoba

• Karen Cook, Office of community Engagement, University of Manitoba

• Keir Johnson, Doctors Manitoba

• Lisa Goss, Manitoba College of Family Physicians (MCFP)

• Mandy Buss, Department of Family Medicine, University of Manitoba

• Melanie MacKinnon, Ongomiizwin Institute of Health and Healing, University of Manitoba

• Melanie Osmack**, Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada

• Mike Nader, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA)

• Moira Teed**, Canadian Medical Association

• Mpho Begin, Pan-Canadian

• Mike Loudon, Interlake-Eastern Health Authority

Patient Council

• Nathan Coleman, Department of Family Medicine, University of Manitoba

• Phil Jarman, Manitoba Health

• Rebecca Mueller, Department of Family Medicine, University of Manitoba

• Rick Glazier**, Canadian Institute for Health Research

• Susannah Taylor**, Health Canada

• Vikas Sethi, Shared Health.

• Sara Goulet, University of Manitoba

• Scott Sinclair, Manitoba Ministry of Health

Letter to U of M president David Benarroch from UMFA

RE: Masking, ventilation standards, and other health and safety matters

Orvie Dingwall, UMFA president

Dear president Benarroch, Despite much of the normalcy that has resumed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 is not a trivial ailment, even for healthy people who are up to date with their vaccinations, and it continues to pose a severe threat to the most vulnerable among us. The ongoing circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in Winnipeg makes it a workplace hazard, but one that can be mitigated.

On April 24, 2023, you announced that the mandatory mask mandate would be lifted as of May 1, 2023. It was replaced with the imperative to respect the decision of others to individually determine whether or not to wear a mask in University of Manitoba (UM) spaces.

As we are all aware, masking is especially important for reducing transmission of COVID-19 because it is most infectious before individuals develop symptoms. While it remains imperative for UM administration to direct people with symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home when

sick, this is insufficient to prevent transmission on UM campuses.

The administration is obligated to take every reasonable measure to protect people from workplace hazards. Given the above factors, UMFA takes the position that the mandate should be expanded from its current form and enable UMFA members to mandate mask use in the laboratories, classrooms and office spaces over which they have direct control while performing their university duties. The Association further holds that students who are immunocompromised, or can otherwise demonstrate a need for accommodation with respect to protection from exposure to COVID-19, can apply through Student Accessibility Services to have a mask mandate imposed on particular learning spaces, as arranged in consultation with UMFA members per the university’s student accessibility policy and procedures. Accommodations such as these already exist for individuals with

severe allergies (e.g. mandating peanut-free or scent-free spaces) and expanding such measures to include mandatory masking is an appropriate response based on what we have learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The administration has also communicated to the university community that its ventilation systems have been reviewed in the past few months and that almost all university spaces are up to acceptable standards. However, the Association continues to be concerned that the administration’s air testing techniques are flawed and inappropriate (e.g. testing air quality in empty buildings), and continues to question whether the standards being tested against are those that have been updated since the start of the pandemic. Ensuring the quality of the air in classrooms, labs, offices and other spaces on campus is essential, and the administration should be open and transparent with all testing procedures used and their results. The Association continues to hold that university-wide

ventilation standards should utilize the most up-to-date air quality standards to minimize the circulation of COVID-19, and we note that the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has recently approved Standard 241, “Control of Infectious Aerosols,” which the university should adopt. The administration should create publicly accessible webpages where the locations, dates and results of air-quality testing are reported. In the event that a space does not meet the new ASHRAE standards, the administration should immediately acquire, and pay for from central funds, portable ventilation units to immediately improve the indoor air-quality until a more permanent ventilation solution can be implemented.

The administration has taken some steps toward reminding members of the university committee of the benefits of wearing masks and the importance of staying home when sick. To help ensure these directives are effective the administration

Letter from president Benarroch to UMFA

should redouble its efforts to advertise the benefits of mask use and to make available KN95 or equivalent masks, and should redouble its efforts to encourage staff and students to stay home when they experience COVID-19 or flulike symptoms. To this end we request that the administration develop an appropriate plan of action on these issues, to be implemented in the lead up to the fall 2023 semester when it is reasonable to anticipate cases of COVID-19 will again be on the rise.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity of clean air in our indoor spaces, and the administration must act expediently to ensure our workplace is safe, and not ignore the vitally important lessons we have learned over the last three years.

Sincerely,

Orvie Dingwall President, University of Manitoba Faculty Association

letters@themanitoban.com

RE: Your correspondence of July 17, 2023 (masking, ventilation standards, and Other Health and Safety Matters)

b

Dear Orvie,

Thank you for your correspondence. As we head into the fall term, I am happy to provide the following information in response to your questions and recommendations.

The health and safety of our community remains of utmost importance, and we continue to monitor and abide by all public health requirements and regulations set out by the province of Manitoba. University of Manitoba campuses remain mask-friendly environments, and those who wish to wear a mask are supported in doing so. We will continue to make masks available at no charge until supplies are depleted.

Additionally, the university continues to encourage staff and students to follow the province of Manitoba’s recommendations to get vaccinated, wash hands frequently and stay home when sick, and to remind everyone that we all have a part to play in keep-

ing our campus safe. Staff and faculty who require medical accommodation should connect with Employee Health and Wellness. Students who require medical accommodation should connect with Student Accessibility Services.

Regarding air quality and ventilation, we have and will continue to demonstrate our commitment to this priority.

The Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO) has a program in place to address any health and safety concerns University building occupants may have within their workspace. Revisions to the Indoor Air Quality program have included information on how indoor air quality is represented in the field of occupational health, as well as our testing methods and the standards and guidelines used across Canada. As a proactive approach, the EHSO has also included an indoor air quality survey (IAQ) of all university facilities in order to identify any potential con-

ditions that may contribute to workplace health and safety concerns.

If at any point during testing, indoor air quality results indicate the need to further investigate, EHSO will work with Physical Plant and building occupants to review environmental factors such as the ventilation systems, building seals and other sources of contaminants such as construction, research or any other activities within or external to the facility being addressed. After the investigation has taken place, EHSO can address any identified sources affecting indoor air quality

Michael Benarroch President, University of Manitoba

letters@themanitoban.com

michael

enarroch, U of M president

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 Straights, like Sudoku, no single number 1 to 9 can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. Each compartment must form a “straight.” A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. 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.

Straights Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles

Basement Mixtapes for Bisons: Back toschool

A mixtape to survive the first week back

Jacob Davis, staff

Back to school season, particularly the first week back, has always felt like a time of renewal to me. Summer has technically passed but you’re waiting for the weather to get the memo. Beach towels are getting replaced with jack-o’lanterns and backpacks but the sun feels hotter than it was back in July.

It’s a transitionary period that comes with so many possibilities. Who, or what, will you be in the 2023-24 academic year? The excitement and anticipation of a new year doesn’t last long due to the natural weight of academia coming in fast by the first week of October, but it’s important to enjoy those feelings while they last.

This playlist, curated in the basement of Helen Glass at the Manitoban office, features mostly fast-paced and upbeat tracks from a variety of musicians, including one from Winnipeg. These tracks all have an aura of that mourning period that comes with summer ending and returning as somebody else to a place you know well.

Most of them share genres, but there’s some noisy guitar in here too so you have something to seethe to while grinding your teeth in line at the UM Bookstore, because we both know you put off buying your textbooks.

Starting off ironically with “Campus” by Vampire Weekend and ending with “Bodys” by Car Seat Headrest, remem-

ber to cherish the nuances and feelings that can only come with this time of year. You’ll be wishing you did by the winter term.

Rest assured, all you Taylor Swift fans out there trying to just make it through University Centre alive: a track is in here for you too.

Whether it’s your first year or your sixth, remember to observe the leaves changing colour, embrace the thrill of buying new highlighters and savour the satisfaction of strategically picking a locker closest to your study spot.

Campus — Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend Lost — Frank Ocean, channel ORANGE

American Teenager —

Ethel Cain, Preacher’s Daughter

Aside — The Weakerthans, Left and Leaving

Savage Good Boy —

Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars — Mitski, Puberty 2

This Year — The Mountain Goats, The Sunset Tree

Clay Pigeons — Michael Cera, true that ARE WE STILL FRIENDS? — Tyler, The Creator, IGOR

Cruel Summer — Taylor Swift, Lover

Good Days — SZA, SOS

Grace, Too — The Tragically Hip, Day for Night

It Almost Worked — TV Girl, The Night in Question: French Exit Outtakes

Everybody Wants to Rule the World — Tears For Fears, Songs From The Big Chair Dance Yrself Clean — LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening

Bodys — Car Seat Headrest, Twin Fantasy (Face to Face

What Once Was — Hers, Songs of Her’s arts@themanitoban.com

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

Unstacking the Deck exhibit deals its hand

Exploring female pioneers in Manitoba architecture history

Jacob Davis, staff

Tucked away in the Dafoe library’s Icelandic Reading Room, the Unstacking the Deck exhibition honours the first women architecture graduates from the University of Manitoba and the call to move beyond binaries, beyond borders and toward Indigenous sovereignty in design. Attendees have until Sept. 15 to see the doubledeck playing cards depicting photographs and biographies of influential female graduates.

The project, which was created by Lisa Landrum, associate professor and associate dean of research for the faculty of architecture at the U of M, has a long history going as far back as 2011.

Pinpointing its conception to a comment made by a student on the lack of representation of women in architecture teaching, Landrum responded by creating a lecture first. She then made a predecessor to the current deck, featuring primarily North American and European women, which was showcased at the 2019 Winnipeg Design Festival. However, after a conversation with Marieke Gruwel, an

art historian working with the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation who had done research on women in architecture in Manitoba specifically, Landrum decided she wanted to do a deck of cards celebrating and highlighting the women in her own region in particular, women who were first graduates from the architecture and design programs at the U of M.

“It has a long backstory but then it really got off the ground in 2021, after communicating with Marieke Gruwel at Winnipeg Architecture Foundation and then with the support of students, including the support of a creative works grant at the University of Manitoba,” Landrum said.

The struggles of women graduates isn’t where the deck stops, however.

“Gender questions are there in the cards and definitely the focus is on women graduates, but there are also the cards highlighting the work that remains to be done in diversity with international students, diversity and agency for Indigenous populations, as well as LGBTQ2S+ populations,” Landrum said.

Accessibility is another

factor Landrum wanted to explore for the deck, saying at one point she had the idea of making a braille set of cards. “There’s also an ableist perspective which is so far not yet represented in this project, but could and should be,” she said.

These perspectives are things that Landrum would like to see added in the future and she welcomes collaborators to take them on.

“The fun thing about the playing card motif is it’s something that you kind of deal out and it’s a game that requires multiple players,” she said.

“If somebody would like to take this up, I would happily share an InDesign file with them and they can take it on.”

Asha Stott, a fourth-year faculty of architecture student working with Landrum through the undergraduate research award, said that at the start of researching for this project she had looked at archival pieces and one in particular from a 1974 Winnipeg Tribune article initially shocked her.

“The first line started with how the supremacy of the male has been threatened, which I think is probably not

something that we would read nowadays — I hope not,” Stott said.

She said the article highlighted the progress and difference between then and now.

“Obviously we’ve made strides and broken barriers, but there’s still progress to be made and it just makes me wonder how different things might be another several decades from now.”

There’s a weight carried with these playing cards, their history and the exhibit itself, and both Landrum and Stott have expressed a desire for that to be recognized.

“I think it’s crucial for people to see themselves reflected in these professional and academic settings, because it kind of reinforces our freedom to exist, create and achieve the things we want to,” Stott said, saying the project participates in honouring history while also being aware of contemporary times.

The importance of archives and libraries being a takeaway from the exhibit was also on Landrum’s mind. “Certainly, archives, there’s an important decolonization and divers-

ity perspective to unpacking the contents of libraries, but there is a lot of content in the archives that can help tell the untold stories of underrepresented groups if people go to archives with new questions,” she said.

Landrum said she also hopes people take away their own ideas about creative research and how research can be made accessible.

“I also hope that people will look to their own disciplines not just design fields, architecture, city planning, et cetera, but look to their own design fields — and ask questions about intersectional justice and diversity,” she said.

The Dr. Paul H.T. Thorkalson Gallery will feature Unstacking the Deck until Sept. 15 at the Icelandic Reading Room, 3rd floor, Elizabeth Dafoe Library, from Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

arts@themanitoban.com

photo / Asha Stott / provided

Get to know your Bisons: AK Gassama

Football, wide receiver

Grace Anne paizen, staff

S

ierra Leone-born and Winnipeg-raised, the 2022-23 Bisons Male Athlete of the Year and fourth-year football wide receiver AK Gassama didn’t always have dreams for the gridiron after having fallen “in love with basketball” when he was young.

“I wanted to be Allen Iverson,” Gassama said, “I wanted to be like Kobe Bryant.”

And coming from an athletic family, Gassama was also involved with track and field. But Gassama’s love for football grew while playing with his friends during lunchtime in elementary school, and hearing about his friends playing organized football on the weekend with their respective teams made him want to join the sport to get in on the fun.

In fact, the father of a friend who was coaching told Gassama to “come out and play football” because he was so athletic.

“My dad wasn’t really familiar with football, when I told him ‘football’ he told me ‘oh, you want to play soccer,’” Gassama said.

“And I was like ‘no, the one where they, you know, they’re hitting each other.’”

And so Gassama pursued what his father endearingly titled “American rugby”

U

with the Fort Garry Lions in the Manitoba Minor Football Association. In fact, Gassama started off on the defensive side of the ball first, as a safety before his speed was noticed by coaches.

“Speed has always kind of been in my game,” Gassama explained.

“I moved to running back when they needed more of an offensive threat.”

It was in junior high that Gassama switched to receiver when he played for the under16 (U16) provincial team, his speed once again being noticed by the coach. Gassama noted he was even cut by the team before being placed on the practice roster but believes this adversity is what made him into the receiver he is today.

“I ended up actually being put back on the team, just because as I was a practice player, I was coming out every day, I started making plays, I was making progress every day,” Gassama explained.

Gassama’s journey to the Bisons started with his involvement with Recruit Ready — a program based in Winnipeg that prepares the next group of young recruits for the game. By being part of the Recruit Ready program, Gassama was able to play against high school athletes

in the United States and knew if he didn’t pursue a college career in the States, he wanted to become part of the herd.

“Coach [Brian] Dobie and I had a relationship since my second year of U16,” Gassama said.

“And then, also my coaches at Recruit Ready, the majority of them are all ex-Bisons, ex-Vanier Cup champions, and so it was really just like, the Bisons were a family already.”

Including the 2023 season, Gassama has six touchdowns with the team and has already amassed 512 yards receiving over his career with the Bisons.

Gassama’s average yards per carry has grown significantly every year over the past three seasons, from 8.3 to 15.3 to a whopping 37 yards per carry average in 2022. In the 2023 season home opener on Friday alone, Gassama had 72 yards receiving, 45 yards rushing and a spectacular 52-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

According to Gassama, the secret to his success is his strong work ethic.

“I always knew what made me good was just work,” Gassama said, “so that’s what I always fall back on.

“Confidence, like they say, comes from preparation.”

His goals for the 2023 season are to continue to work on his speed control and to stay calm and controlled in highstakes moments. And with the Bisons making the last four post-seasons, Gassama has faith in the herd to make another deep run in the playoffs.

“We have the horses,” Gassama said.

Already a 2024 Canadian Football League prospect, Gassama’s future is bright. He intends to make a career for himself not just on the U Sports gridiron, but also on the professional gridiron.

“When we need plays, when we need that big catch down the stretch, when we need a touchdown, we need a return, like, I want to be that guy to rely on,” Gassama explained.

Sports teams’ schedules

— Women’s Soccer

U of M Bisons — Cross Country

M Bisons — Football

“Post this season, I want to make that jump. I believe that I’m ready to go and play pro football. I want that challenge. I want to embark on that journey.”

However, his ultimate goal is to leave a legacy behind of helping the next generation of players succeed by becoming a mentor.

“I want to be a person of service,” Gassama said. “I feel like I had so many great mentors growing up that, you know, it’s kind of been instilled in me to be a leader.

“So post football, you know, being able to use what football has given me to be able to give back.”

sports@themanitoban.com

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

For the herd — the power of your student number

From free Bisons games to accessing sports and rec facilities on campus

Grace Anne paizen staff

While back-to-school usually comes with images of waiting in long lines at the bookstore, prepping notes for classes and searching for classrooms, planning some valuable personal time should be just as high a priority as collecting required texts for courses.

Between busy class schedules and studying, students should take full advantage of their access to not only campus facilities, but to the recreational side offered through the power of their student number.

Current U of M students get free tickets — yes, free — to all Bisons games. The Bisons have gone digital with their tickets, so a Ticketmaster account is required. To get your free tickets, just go to the Bisons website, find the “Tickets” drop down menu and simply follow the prompts.

The student promo code for

this year is UMSTUDENT23. Just plug that into the filter before purchasing your tickets and your cart will automatically record the ticket as $0. It is limited to one free ticket per student per game and do keep your student card handy at the gate just in case.

If you have friends who have recently graduated from the U of M and want to catch, say, a women’s soccer game at IG Field on a Friday night, there is also a U of M alumni promo code, which also gives alumni free tickets to all 202324 Bisons games. The alumni promo code is UMALUMNI23 and allows up to four tickets per game.

Tickets include all Bisons sports, from football to hockey to swimming and everything in between, so go cheer on your fellow student athletes: you may just be in the same classes as them.

Your student number also gives you the power to access

Bison briefs

Grace Anne paizen, staff

Bisons football

While the Bisons football team had a fantastic pre-season game, stomping the University of Regina Rams 26-7 and with kicker Maya Turner continuing to make history by recording both a 39-yard and a 15-yard field goal, the home opener on Friday night at IG Field was a heartbreaker.

The herd put up 25 points in the first half against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies — who the Bisons have not beaten since 2019 — only to fall 30-27 after the hounds roared back in the second half of the game.

Bisons receiver AK Gassama was a star in the game, as was running back Breydon Stubbs, who carried the ball eight times for 33 yards, including a huge 19-yard scamper in the second quarter.

And although kicker Vinny De Rosa missed two field goal attempts, he was able to remain in the game after a vicious Huskies hit in the second quarter that led to a roughing the kicker penalty, allowing the Bisons to continue their possession and ultimately score a touchdown.

Starting quarterback Jackson Tachinski recorded 208 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

The defence were fantas-

sports and recreation facilities on both the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses.

The Sport and Rec fee that students pay in their tuition covers their access to multiple facilities — from Fort Garry campus’ Active Living Centre, boasting a 35-foot climbing wall, 200-metre running track and a plethora of free weights and training equipment, to the Joyce Fromson Pool that reopens Oct. 1 and even access to outdoor tennis courts operating through autumn.

On the Bannatyne campus, students have access to the Joe Doupe Recreation Centre, complete with a multi-purpose gymnasium and studio, indoor track, fitness centre and cycle studio.

For students who feel more comfortable exercising at home, the U of M continues to offer virtual options. The UM Home Workout offers students guided workouts from professional trainers, as well

as tips for keeping healthy while working through the student grind.

Virtual workouts are available for every fitness level from intense kettlebell training sessions to the more chill — and equally as important — stretching techniques.

fellow gym-goers or sports enthusiasts, even just to get out of the library or a dorm room for a few hours.

You’re already paying the Sport and Rec fee — you may as well make the most of money spent.

Welcome back to campus, Bisons.

Remember, taking time for your own personal health can help you not only weather classes with better ease, but can build a community of sports@themanitoban.com

tic from the start, with interceptions from defensive backs Nick Conway and Sebastien Reid, the latter intercepting Huskies quarterback Anton Amundrud’s first throw of the game.

Bisons golf

The Bisons golf team spent the weekend at the Augsburg Invitational hosted by Augsburg University at the Majestic Oaks Golf Course in Ham Lake, Minn. The herd finished mid-pack, seventh overall in the 12-school tournament, shooting a team total of +47.

Veteran golfer Cole Peters

finished the best for the herd individually, tied for ninth overall with an impressive +6 over the two-day tournament.

Fellow veteran Trent Robertson finished not far behind, tied for 18th overall and shooting +9.

The Bisons had three individual players join their squad for the tournament. Chase Jonas and Jose Mekish-Lacquette both tied for 26th overall, shooting an impressive +11. In fact, Jonas had nine fewer strokes and Mekish-Lacquette shot seven fewer strokes on their respective day twos of the tournament.

The third individual player,

Jack

As for the other three returning Bisons, Derek Benson shot +15, Lachlan Allerton shot +19 and Brent Ingram shot +25, with all three players improving their scores on the second day of the tournament.

Bisons women’s soccer

its first game of the season but quickly bounced back in its second game on Aug. 27 against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.

The Bisons beat the Pronghorns 2-1 with both goals coming from forward Camila Goldsztein. Goldsztein kept up the offensive output in her next game against the University of Alberta Pandas Saturday at IG Field in the herd’s home opener. Though the Bisons fell 2-1 to the Pandas, Goldsztein’s pass to forward Janelle Chomini off a steal from midfielder Jessica Tsai led to Chomini’s goal. Veteran goalkeeper Karina Bagi was also integral to keeping the herd in the game, with fantastic stops against the Pandas throughout the second half.

The herd started better in its final game of the weekend on Sunday against the MacEwan University Griffins. Bisons veteran forward Nicole Davis scored the opening goal early in the game off a header by Tsai. But the Griffins, who had been on a dominating 3-0 run in the standings, tied the score in the opening half before scoring again in the second, beating the herd 2-1.

The Bisons are now 1-3 on the season.

The Bisons women’s soccer team started the 2023 campaign out of town Aug. 26 against the University of Calgary Dinos. The herd fell to the dinosaurs 4-0 in sports@themanitoban.com

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

Rudick, finished with +16, with four fewer strokes on day two.

photo / Matthew Merkel / volunteer