7 February 2024

Words from Arij Al Khafagi’s appeal hearing

“The struggle to defend the civil space of controversy and political debate has just begun” words continue on pages 6-7

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

Ben Baader

M

any of you may have heard that a discipline committee at the faculty of health sciences has overturned the suspension of the fourth-year nursing student

News

Arij Al Khafagi. The discipline committee was staffed by four faculty members and four student representatives from different schools and programs in health sciences, and it is part of the democratic struc-

3 Editorial

tures of self-government at the University of Manitoba.

The administration — and even university president Michael Benarroch, if he wanted to — does not have the right to intervene into these

12 Comment

independent university disciplinary processes. We can be proud to have these structures of independent self-government, and we should defend them vigorously, if need be.

Thus, I was honoured to be the

Arts & 14 Culture

spokesperson for Al Khafagi at the appeal hearing on Jan. 17, and I would like to share here some of what I said at the hearing.

Cont’d p. 6 / U of M

17 Sports

>

20

On the horizon

Do better

Rotten reputation

For Elise, for everyone

Punch-up in the ‘Peg

New changes coming to Aurora

Embrace critique for yourself and others

Nazis like Eckhardt don’t deserve honours

U of M Lunchbhagg production opens Feb. 6

Bisons women claim Duckworth Challenge win

February 07, 2024

SINCE 1914

VOL. 110, NO. 21

Vol. 110

No. 21

THEMANITOBAN.COM 109 HELEN GLASS BUILDING UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA WINNIPEG, MB 204. 474. 6535 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Gillian Brown

News

pages 3 to 5

Research & Technology

pages 8 to 10

Editorial

page 12

Comment

pages 13 to 15

Diversions

page 16

Arts & Culture

pages 17 to 18

Sports

pages 19 to 20

editor@themanitoban.com BUSINESS MANAGER

Dhruv Patel

accounts@themanitoban.com ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR

Diego Castro

ads@themanitoban.com

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR

vacant

me@themanitoban.com COPY EDITOR

Simon Pensato

copy@themanitoban.com COPY ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Paula Samaniego-Ayllon

Sarah Cohen

news@themanitoban.com NEWS EDITOR

Colton McKillop

news@themanitoban.com RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Elah Ajene research@themanitoban.com COMMENT EDITOR

Jessie Krahn

comment@themanitoban.com ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Jacob Davis

arts@themanitoban.com SPORTS EDITOR

Joshua Brandt

sports@themanitoban.com

DESIGN DESIGN EDITOR Taeran An design@themanitoban.com DESIGN ASSOCIATE

Deveney Jarrow

GRAPHICS EDITOR Teegan Gillich graphics@themanitoban.com GRAPHICS ASSOCIATE

Dallin Chicoine

AUDIO AND VIDEO AUDIO EDITOR

Harmatpreet Brar

The Manitoban is the official student newspaper of the University of Manitoba. It is published monthly during the summer and each week of regular classes during the academic year by the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.

The Manitoban is an independent and democratic student organization, open to participation from all students. It exists to serve its readers as students and citizens.

The Manitoban is a member of the Canadian University Press, and our journalistic standards can be found on the Manitoban’s website.

The newspaper’s primary mandate is to report fairly and objectively on issues and events of importance and interest to the students of the University of Manitoba, to provide an open forum for the free expression and exchange of opinions and ideas and to stimulate meaningful debate on issues that affect or would otherwise be of interest to the student body and/ or society in general. The Manitoban serves as a training ground for students interested in any aspect of journalism.

Students and other interested parties are invited to contribute to any section of the newspaper.

Please contact the appropriate editor for submission guidelines.

audio@themanitoban.com PHOTO EDITOR Ebunoluwa Akinbo photo@themanitoban.com PHOTO ASSOCIATE

Matthew Merkel

VIDEO EDITOR Kennedy Legault video@themanitoban.com SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Violet Baker

social@themanitoban.com

Opinions expressed in letters and articles are solely those of the authors. Editorials in the Manitoban are signed and represent the opinions of the writer(s), not necessarily those of the Manitoban staff, Editorial Board or the publisher.

REPORTERS NEWS

Alicia Rose

NEWS

Kyra Campbell

NEWS

Michaela de Hoop

RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY COMMENT

Braden Bristow

COMMENT

Lakshmisree Shaji

Rhea Bhalla

ARTS & CULTURE

Kelsey Chin

ARTS & CULTURE

Alison Holliday

SPORTS

The Manitoban reserves the right to edit all submissions and will not publish any material deemed by its Editorial Board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic, ableist or libellous.

Quinn Mayhew

VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEER STAFF Bahareh Rashidi, Christina Tran, Romin Cheema Adam Johnston, Michele Melendez VOLUNTEER

A “volunteer staff” member is defined as a person who has had three volunteer articles, photographs or pieces of art of reasonable length and/ or substance published in the current publishing year of the Manitoban.

Any individual who qualifies as a volunteer staff member must be voted in by a majority vote at a Manitoban editorial board meeting. Elected representatives and non-students may be excluded from holding votes as volunteer staff members in accordance with the Manitoban Constitution.

Ben Baader

interested in volunteering? email me@themanitoban.com today!

2

All contents are ©2024 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

News

February 07, 2024 news@themanitoban.com

‘Significant changes’ to come to Aurora Changes to the management system will begin rollout in March

K

eep an eye on your computer, because changes are coming to Aurora beginning in March.

U of M associate registrar and director of service and records Elfie Smith explained that the self-service student records and registration management system will undergo “significant changes” in March and continuing throughout 2024. “The system we’re currently using, it is up for an upgrade,” said Smith.

The changes will be “incremental” throughout 2024, beginning with a new front page that will link back to current Aurora pages under the existing system.

Students should expect to see updates rolled out in a “phased approach,” Smith said. She explained that this will be temporary, and the rollout will continue to replace the old Aurora functions with new ones as the months go on.

“It won’t be everything new all at once, and it’s not wrong if it brings them to something that looks like it’s our previous system. That’s by design.”

Smith described the student experience when navigating Aurora as “fragmented” and said students can find it difficult to locate what they

need.

Victoria Nelson, a U of M student currently pursuing a master’s in human rights said it is difficult to find classes without knowing the course number.

“They’re all just in one large area and it’s kind of disorganized,” she said.

Nelson drew attention to the likelihood that users may find themselves “on a dead end” when looking at the awards and scholarship ssection.

“If you click something and you’re not sure where to go, you have to open more tabs and do all this instead of it directing you somewhere else and it can take a long time to go through all of it,” she said.

Smith said students told them they wanted a more “modern feel” to the website, where all aspects are streamlined for easier accessibility.

Functions like course registration will not see an update until after the summer 2024 registration period, when many students are already registered for courses.

When Smith’s team spoke to students in November about prospective upcoming changes to Aurora, one aspect that caught a lot of attention was the ability to access UM Learn

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

Kyra Campbell, staff

and UM Achieve through Aurora. She said the goal is to make Aurora “A one-stop destination.”

While plans are still “being finalized” and Smith said she could not give a precise timeline for when all changes will be implemented, the goal is to have the transformation “substantially completed” by the end of this year.

“2024 is our big year,” said Smith.

Smith said the new system will be more “mobilefriendly,” and will give stu-

dents the ability to personalize their Aurora experience.

Instead of the current system, students will see a page with cards that will take them to one of the various functions on Aurora. Students can “click and drag” these cards to organize the functions they use the most, positioning them at the top of their Aurora home page.

For students who need assistance using the new features, navigational tools will be available in Aurora’s new launch page.

More information regarding the changes that students can expect when accessing Aurora over the coming months will be communicated after reading week. Students looking for more information on changes coming to Aurora can contact the U of M registrar’s office or visit https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/ ask-umanitoba-contact.

Travelling refugee museum exhibit comes to Winnipeg Exhibition by CMU prof focuses on southeast Asian refugees in Canada Alicia Rose, staff An exhibition featuring the experiences of southeast Asian refugees curated by a professor from Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is currently featured in the Manitoba Museum’s Festival Hall. Run by the Hearts of Freedom project, the exhibition, entitled Hearts of Freedom: Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees, focuses on refugees to Canada during the 1970s and 80s.

The Hearts of Freedom project was founded by members of the Vietnamese community in Canada. The organization soon expanded to include the Laotian and Cambodian communities, as all were affected by the Vietnam War. Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe, a professor of conflict resolution studies at CMU and member of Hearts of Freedom, is the curator of the travelling exhibition.

Stobbe said Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian

people “were part of the mass exodus of people from their home countries, as a result of the violence and persecution that they were experiencing and the lack of freedom in those countries.”

Stobbe and her team spoke with 173 individuals across Canada, conducting interviews in five languages: English, French, Vietnamese, Laotian and Khmer.

“Many of them said that this was the first time that they have ever told their stories,” she said.

“They wanted to be able to share this with their children, as well as their grandchildren, and share it with their communities here in Canada.”

Stobbe emphasized the importance of the project for her, as her own family came to Canada as refugees.

“I came to Canada as a young child, and have experienced warfare, displacement, resettlement and settlement,” she said, “and I really con-

nected to the different people we interviewed for this project.”

Early discussions about the project began in 2015 and it received funding in 2018.

Interviews for the project began in 2019 and were completed in 2021. The majority of the interviewees were former refugees, but also included government officials — including former prime minister Joe Clark — and other sponsors of the organization.

Eventually, Stobbe decided to create a travelling exhibition based on the project.

“I wanted to bring it back to the communities, to the people who we interviewed across Canada, so that they can share with their families and friends, and with their communities,” she said.

Stobbe hopes that in the future, the exhibit will find a permanent home in Canada.

These stories and issues are “still very important and relevant today,” she said, due to

photo / Matthew Merkel / staff

the continuing problems of war and displacement.

“We need to really continue to look at these issues and looking at ways we can help refugees,” said Stobbe. She said that with recent refugees in Canada, it is important to look at the services they need to help them integrate to their new country and overcome language barriers.

She said that it is important to “highlight the positive stories of integration and the contributions that these former refugees and their descendants are making” in Canada.

After finishing the exhibition in January of 2023, it was launched at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, QC. The Hearts of Freedom exhibition has been travelling across the country since.

The Hearts of Freedom exhibition will remain at the Manitoba Museum from Jan. 5 to April 7. To get tickets please visit my.manitobamuseum.ca

3

Vol. 110, No. 21 news@themanitoban.com

News

UM hosts panel of experts discusses generative AI U of M profs discuss artificial intelligence that can chat, write, compose music Colton McKillop, staff of the potential use of AI in Applied Ethics at U of M UM Knowledge legal practice and argued that Neil McArthur’s research on Exchange panel discus- it was only capable of mimick- AI focuses on its impact in sion last Wednesday brought ing what writing is supposed human interactions and the together experts from a var- to look like based on statistical development of relationships iety of backgrounds to explore likelihood. between humans and AI. Durthe challenges generative artiAt the panel, Szilagyi said ing Wednesday’s panel he ficial intelligence (AI) poses to while some argue lawyers noted that people often “freak artists, legal professionals and should make the most of the out when it comes to our relaothers. latest technology to provide tionships” with technology Entitled “Next Steps with good service to clients, some — drawing particular attenGenerative AI,” the presenta- judges question how the use tion to robots and AI. People tion featured U of M profes- of AI impacts the duties of a also worry that technology sors with expertise on the lawyer. will “invade our society and topic. The event took place at She highlighted a recent destroy our relationships with Degrees Diner in University story concerning a British Col- each other,” he said.

Centre. umbia lawyer who used ChatHe said that some people The panel was moderated by GPT to prepare legal briefs have begun to form relationDavid Gerhard, head of the U for a B.C. Supreme Court civil ships with chat bots, includof M computer science depart- case. The AI was found to have ing intimate relationships. ment. Gerhard said while the “hallucinated” legal cases that “They’re looking to them as “core technologies” behind AI had never happened, which therapists, they’re looking to have been in development for were subsequently included them as friends, they’re lookdecades, it caught the public’s in the brief. ing to them as grief counselattention in the past few years “When you submit that as a lors and they’re looking to with the rise them as reliof models that “These models could create images based on gious leaders could “generor religious any description or attempt ate content.” gods,” he said.

“The fact He urged to answer any question” that these people to avoid models could stigmatizing — David Gerhard, create images humans formbased on any ing attachpanel moderator, head of U of M’s department description ments to AI, of computer science or attempt to and instead, answer any embrace the question, the public became lawyer, there’s duties of ethics technology while being realvery excited about these mod- that are implicated there,” she istic about its limitations, els,” he said. said to the panel. pointing to possible companKatie Szilagyi, an assistant Associate professor of phil- ionship, and the “therapeutic professor at U of M’s faculty of osophy and director of the uses” of AI. law, said she is “pretty critical” Centre for Professional and McArthur told the Mani-

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

A

toban that one of his biggest misgivings about the possible negative effects of this technology is privacy concerns.

He recommends “strong regulation” for private AI companies.

“When you’re divulging these kinds of personal details to an AI, I think that the security of your information and how it’s being used becomes very important,” he said. Örjan Sandred, a professor of music composition at the faculty of music, uses generative AI to explore “new ways of structuring music for [himself].”

“I strongly believe that the tools you use will affect your output,” he said.

In his portion of the panel discussion, Sandred explored

whether generative AI could compose music without the help of a human. He argued that simply showing an AI a particular type of music, such as compositions by Mozart, would simply result in music that sounded similar to Mozart rather than anything original, unless the computer makes a mistake.

By teaching an AI the rules of music theory, however, Sandred argued a composer could then “start to tweak” the rules in order to “create music that no one ever heard before.”

The panel was followed by questions from Gerhard and the audience.

Lectures explore colonialism, Indigenous activism Distinguished visiting lecturer examines Red Power Movement, colonialism’s impact The University of Manitoba labour studies department hosted a two-part lecture series on Indigenous political issues and engagement in Canada last week as part of the U of M’s Distinguished Visiting Lecturer Program.

Professor emeritus of Canadian studies at Trent University Bryan Palmer presented the series, holding one talk titled “Colonialism, Capitalism, and Canada, 1500-2023: How the Past is Before Us” on Jan. 30 and another called “Red Power in the 1960s and Now: Situating Indigenous Protest and its Legacies Historically and Politically” on Feb. 1.

The first part of the lecture series at U of M looked at the exploitation faced by various people in Canada, from Indigenous peoples to working class and immigrant Canadians, that came as a result

4

of colonialism and capitalism. The second part of the lecture series focused on the Red Power Movement, a wave of Indigenous activism in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Red Power Movement included a series of protests addressing the mistreatment of Indigenous people across North America, over concerns about education, land rights and other issues.

Palmer highlighted the importance of history in social movements.

“I have always regarded historical scholarship as something that can be useful in current struggles around social justice and transformation,” he said.

He described the Red Power Movement as an “invigorating and exciting explosion of youthful Indigenous militancy,” and described its efforts to form connections with other youth movements

as “the kind of thing that needs to be rebuilt.”

He said that reseaching Indigenous protest offered “exciting” explanations on the ways Indigenous people have been “structured” into a position of marginalization and showcased their resilience in continuing “to exist and fight in spite of the incredible effort and energy” put into keeping them in that position.

Palmer said the lectures originated from a Canadian publisher’s request that he write a book on capitalism’s history in Canada, but according to Palmer, “you can’t really do that unless you write about capitalism and colonialism, because the one is integrally related to the other,” he said.

Palmer is currently working on that book, one that he described as “a long history” of Canadian colonialism and capitalism.

“It looks at how colonialism

photo provided

Michaela de Hoop, staff

and capitalism were, in some senses, intwined from the very beginning in the emergence of what would become Canada,” said Palmer.

Palmer explained his research on the topic was an attempt to highlight what he called the “common cause” many different people share to “change society,” in terms of issues including working class alienation, poverty,

wealth inequality and the oppression of ethnic and sexual minorities.

“As a historian and an academic, if I can write something and publish things that move people to see the necessity of fighting around certain issues then I’ve done my small bit for the moment,” he said.

February 07, 2024 news@themanitoban.com

News

Students receive delayed charges from UM food vendor Credit card charges caused by processing delay, will be waived for affected students Alicia Rose, staff ome students at the University of Manitoba received delayed credit card charges at the end of last month from purchases made in the fall.

Aramark, a food distribution company, has overseen dining and food services on campus since entering a tenyear contract with the U of M in April 2014. Students who purchased goods from the Snack Exchange in the Asper school of business from September to October 2023 were not charged for their purchases until January.

Japnjot Singh, general manager for Aramark Canada, said in an email statement that “these charges are not fraudulent or duplicate charges” and that the delayed charges were a result of processing delays.

“Dining Services recognizes that this is unacceptable and has decided to void these charges so that impacted customers will not be responsible for paying them. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused,” Singh said.

graphic / Simon Pensato / staff

S

5

Vol. 110, No. 21 features@themanitoban.com

Features

U of M professor Ben Baader on academic freedom, antisemitism and Israel-Palestine <

Cont’d from front page

Al Khafagi’s social media posts and the charges of discrimination and antisemitism The social media posts on the basis of which Arij Al Khafagi was suspended were neither hateful nor threatening. They were forceful political commentary in a dramatic historical situation.

They were not discriminatory.

In fact, the word “discriminatory” is misplaced in respect to Al Khafagi’s posts.

“Discrimination,” according to the U of M Disclosures and Complaints Policy that defines these terms for the Respectful Work and Learning Environment Policy, is “differential treatment” of individuals or groups.

In general, this does not apply here. And in particular, Al Khafagi’s posts did not constitute discrimination against Jews. Al Khafagi’s critical commentary did not target Jews as Jews, or even Israelis as Israelis. Her posts critiqued Israeli soldiers and the Israeli government.

This is evident from the posts themselves. And it is made even more obvious in Al Khafagi’s follow-up posts, in which she applauded Jews who publicly demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. Arguably, Al Khafagi calling Israel “Shitrael” is disrespectful, but her posts featured neither threats, nor anti-Jewish stereotypes, nor any hostility against Jews.

In fact, many Jews hold political positions in line with Al Khafagi’s posts.

What is playing out here is a political disagreement, with both Jews and non-Jews on either side of the fence. All of this has nothing at all to do with religion or faith, or even Jewishness as an ethnicity.

The most controversial post might be the one that shows an Israeli soldier pointing a gun at a woman in a hijab on the ground, and in the mirror in front of them, a Nazi soldier pointing a gun at an emaciated Jewish man. And the caption reads, “the irony of becoming what you once hated.” This type of political commentary that accuses Israelis of behaving like Nazis is commonplace among Jews and non-Jews.

Similar statements and comparisons have been part of Jewish and Israeli political discourses for decades, at least since the Israeli public intellectual Yeshayahu Leibowitz, a committed Zionist (d. 1994), coined the term “Judeo-Nazis.”

Leibowitz warned that Israeli soldiers who served in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip after Israel captured these territories in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war

6

became “Judeo-Nazis” when tories) published the Jerusa- other. Therefore, the U of M’s violently dominating another lem Declaration on Antisem- Respectful Work and Learning itism in 2020, which provides Environment Policy stresses people.

Many Holocaust survivors a more specific, and less pol- the values of dignity and and their descendants have iticized definition of antisem- self-esteem, diversity, equity made statements along the itism. According to the Jeru- and inclusion.

But the only two violations same lines. In fact, in a rather salem Declaration, Al Khafinflationary comparison, Reu- agi’s comparison of an Israeli that the policy is concerned ben Moscowitz, who survived soldier to a Nazi soldier is not with are discrimination and harassment. The policy is not the Shoah in Rumania, went antisemitic.

Academic institutions designed to protect students, as far as to state in 2010 that “what I went through during have since struggled under staff or faculty from ideas or the Holocaust ... the besieged the pressure of various inter- opinions of other members Palestinian children [in Gaza] est groups that urge them to of the university community are going through.” Academic adopt one or the other def- that they disagree with or find Norman G. Finkelstein com- inition of antisemitism. An offensive.

And this is the way things pared Israel’s military occupa- exemplary case is the University of Toronto, which in need to be, because, as the U tion to the Nazi regime.

Thus, one might find it 2020 installed an Antisemit- of T report quotes from the inappropriate or even offen- ism Working Group. In its final University’s Statement of sive for a non-Jew to com- report, the working group rec- Institutional Purpose, “in the pare Israelis to Nazis, but this ommended that the U of T not unique university context, the most cruis not threatcial […] rights ening, does are the rights not stereotype, Any compsomise on the free expression of freedom of and it does not of political views and of controversial speech, acatarget Jews as demic freedom a group, reliperspectives on current or past political and freedom of gious or otherevents jeopardizes the educational and research. […] wise. AccordThese rights ing to estabscholarly essence of the academy are meaninglished stanless unless dards of what constitutes antisemitism, this adopt any of the recently pro- they entail the right to raise posed definitions on antisem- deeply disturbing questions is not antisemitic.

Along the same lines, call- itism. It noted that the univer- and” at times challenge “chering Israel “Shitrael” is disre- sity is “a place in which diffi- ished beliefs.”

This means that discomfort spectful, but it is not antisem- cult and controversial quesitic. And calling the Israeli tions” need to be addressed and hurt feelings are at times the price of open debate, and government and army “ter- freely.

And the working group they do not constitute disrorist” is sharp political commentary in dark and dramatic pointed to the university’s crimination. These facts are times, but it is not antisemitic. principled commitment to also beautifully and clearly In fact, the Pope himself has “freedom of inquiry and put into words by the 2019 recently called the Israeli acts open debate [...] The univer- Statement on Freedom of sity does not take positions on Expression at the University in Gaza terrorist. social or political issues, apart of Alberta: from those directly pertin“Members of the university The controversy about ent to higher education and community have the right to defining antisemitism academic research. Instead, criticize and question other I use a scholarly, well-estab- its role is to provide a forum views expressed on our camlished definition of antisem- within which issues can be puses, but may not obstruct itism. Yet in 2016, the Inter- studied carefully and debated or otherwise interfere with national Holocaust Remem- vigorously.” others’ freedom of expression. brance Alliance (IHRA) forThese principles should Debate or deliberation may mulated an expanded and be honoured at the Univer- not be suppressed because the politicized definition of anti- sity of Manitoba, too. Thus, I ideas put forward are thought semitism, according to which applaud the faculty of health by some, or even most, to be certain critical statements, sciences appeal committee for offensive, unwise, immoral or including “comparisons of exonerating Al Khafagi from misguided. contemporary Israeli policy the politicized charges of anti“It is for individuals, not to that of the Nazis” are anti- semitism and discrimination the institution, to make semitic. and for thereby defending the those judgments for themIn the past decade, the freedom of political contesta- selves and to act not by seekcommunity-driven IHRA has tion at the university. ing to suppress expression, engaged in extensive lobbut by openly and vigorously bying. As a result, a significontesting the ideas they About free political cant number of institutions oppose. The university does expression and codes and governments, including not attempt to shield memthat enforce civility the government of Manitoba, bers of the university communNow, let me talk briefly ity from ideas or opinions they have adopted the non-legally the relationship disagree with or find offensive. binding IHRA definition of about between the civil space of pol- Mutual respect and civility are antisemitism.

However, this definition is itical contestation, and the valued, but their absence does widely contested, most vehe- concept of a respectful work not constitute sufficient justifimently in the academic world. and learning environment, cation to limit free expression 128 scholars, who called which was evoked in the pro- (emphasis mine).” the IHRA definition “vague ceedings against Arij Al KhafAt the University of Maniand weaponized,” urged the agi. toba, we are in dire need of a In fact, the ideal of a polite, policy that enshrines and proUnited Nations not to adopt it. and con- tects the right of free expresLikewise, 210 of the most well-tempered distinguished scholars in flict-free work and learning sion for everyone on camJewish studies, Middle East environment and the princi- pus along the lines that this studies and Holocaust hist- ple of open political debate U of A Statement on Freeory (today about 350 signa- exist in some tension to each dom of Expression and the U

of T Statement of Institutional Purpose do.

The entanglement of emotions and political interests Finally, I wish to address the issue of safety, or more precisely, the issue that members of the university community reported feeling unsafe or frightened by Al Khafagi’s posts.

First of all, these are terrible times, and anyone who has some connection to the Middle East lives in a state of anxiety and is emotionally strained. The horrific massacres, rapes and abductions of Israelis by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 have triggered massive fears among Jews.

As a scholar of Jewish history, I could tell much about the history of persecution and discrimination that East European Jews faced in the past 300 years, while at other times Jews have often experienced centuries of stability, peace and prosperity.

Yet Canadian Jewry stems for the most part from Eastern Europe, including a very large group of Holocaust survivors, and its historical memory is understandably shaped by these events. It is fair to say that Canadian Jews as a group live with significant ancestral trauma.

Moreover, Canadian Jewry has experienced more than a century of substantial antisemitic discrimination and hostility within Canada. This only really shifted with the rise of multiculturalism in the 1970s. University quotas and restrictions on beaches and real estate, for instance, were lifted in Canada much later than in the United States.

Against this background, the founding of the state of Israel after the Shoah (Holocaust) has played an immense role for the self-esteem and sense of security of Canadian Jews as a group. Many Jews intensely identify with Israel.

They believe that Israel guarantees the safety of diaspora Jews, and that critique of Israeli politics endangers them. These feelings are real as feelings, and they have fuelled the accusations against Al Khafagi.

Yet on the other side, what is currently unfolding in the Middle East during the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, the enormous death toll of civilians, and the suffering and starvation of the population, is also horrific. And Palestinians, Muslims and other non-Jews with Middle Eastern roots, are in distress, along with Jews and Israelis.

Cont’d p. 7 / As

>

February 07, 2024 features@themanitoban.com

<

Features

Cont’d from p.6

As a group, Palestinians and Muslims have their own history of displacement and colonial violence in Palestine and beyond, and many have lived through discrimination and racist assaults in Canada. They are frightened, too.

Thus, everyone is emotionally on edge, and rightfully so.

Some experience the Palestinian flag as menacing, while others feel that way about the Israeli flag.

This is the context in which Al Khafagi made her social media posts, and it is the context of the accusations against her.

Yet feelings are not all that is at play here. Entangled with emotions are real political interests. Thus, some Zionist faculty at the University of Manitoba, and the Jewish student organization Hillel, hand-in-hand with the off-campus organization B’nai Brith, engage in a campaign of reporting what they experience as hateful and frightening speech, and what they consider antisemitic.

They do so out of fear for

Israel and for themselves, and in a calculated maneuver to support the current Israeli war effort. This local engagement here in Winnipeg is part of a larger campaign across North American campuses.

On the other side of course, the public support for Al Khafagi has been partially driven by political sympathies for the Palestinian cause. But not everyone who has expressed concern about this case is committed to pro-Palestinian or anti-colonial politics.

For many, what is at stake here, most importantly, is the right of free political contestation in a dramatic situation of war and destruction. The conflict in the Middle East is long standing and enormously complex, and in a university setting there needs to be space for a large range of views and political expressions about this conflict — including expressions that make some of us uncomfortable.

Afterword Arij Al Khafagi’s social media posts were neither

hateful, nor threatening or discriminatory, and they did not deploy antisemitic stereotypes. They were forceful political commentary in an extraordinarily tense historical moment. Thus, it is only reasonable and fair that Al Khafagi was cleared of all charges of discrimination and antisemitism and that she was reinstated as a student in good standing. This outcome is good for all of us. Al Khafagi’s right of free political expression is Haskel Greenfield’s right to insult me publicly.

However, not everything is fine now. Can we trust that the ruling of the health sciences appeal committee will set a precedent for a university-wide approach of how allegations of antisemitism and discrimination are handled, when Israeli politics or actions are being criticized?

And even if this was the case, students in professional programs need to be aware that the codes of conduct or codes of ethics of their school can be used against them. In fact, all students have to be wary of charges of non-aca-

demic misconduct, which the recently revised Student Non-Academic Misconduct and Concerning Behaviour Procedure defines rather broadly.

Moreover, the Procedure declares “electronic communications, including communications through social media, where matters regarding the University or members of the University Community are a significant focus” to be “University Matters.”

This understanding of what constitutes University Matters opens the door to the scrutiny of even personal social media accounts. Thus, the generally vague and expansive language of the procedure and clauses such as the one defining University Matters are more than concerning. Together, they pose a threat to free speech and to unencumbered political contestation at the university.

The struggle to defend the civil space of controversy and political debate has just begun. Of course, true discrimination or harassment cannot be tolerated. And I call

on all of us to be as respectful as we can and to consider as much as possible the feelings and experiences of those with whom we disagree.

However, any compromise on the free expression of political views and of controversial perspectives on current or past political events jeopardizes the educational and scholarly essence of the academy. Inquiry into and vigorous argument about complex and uncomfortable issues are crucial to the mission of the university.

As the battle about what can be said and written about the war and the decades-long conflict in the Middle East rages on university campuses worldwide, it is our task to defend and to cultivate the civil space of unfettered debate, academic freedom and free political expression at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Benjamin M. Baader is an associate professor in the history department at the University of Manitoba, specializing in European history and Jewish history.

7

Research & Technology

Vol. 110, No. 21 research@themanitoban.com

Advancing equity in cancer care Assistant professor seeks to address barriers to lung cancer care with new project Elah Ajene, staff

L

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

ast month, U of M assistant professor in the college of nursing Tara Horrill was among the winners of the Canadian Cancer Society’s 2023 Emerging Scholar Research Grants competition, receiving funding for her research aimed at addressing barriers faced by socially disadvantaged individuals dealing with lung cancer.

Horrill’s work revolves around the broader theme of advancing equity in cancer care, focusing on understanding why certain groups, often socially disadvantaged, face challenges in accessing timely and quality cancer services.

As Horrill delved into her upcoming lung cancer study, she explained the correlation between lung cancer, geography and income. She highlighted that individuals with lower incomes residing in more remote areas are disproportionately diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and face challenges in accessing treatment in Canada.

Horrill’s curiosity lies in understanding the reasons behind this disparity — emphasizing the need to explore how socioeconomic factors impact access to treat- with patients, Horrill shared Although research is still ment. her commitment to address- underway, the study has idenThe project, beginning this ing health-care inequalities. tified that cancer care services February, aims to engage with “It’s really challenging to often neglect the social conboth patients and health-care hear about, and it’s much text of individuals, leading to providers to identify chal- more challenging for them to challenges for those experienlenges and ultimately inform experience,” she said, “I think cing homelessness or unstable changes in health-care poli- hearing those stories always housing situations. cies and servi“There’s this ces. f u ndamen“There’s this fundamental mismatch Horrill outtal mismatch lined the between how services are designed and the between how upcoming services are actual needs of people” lung cancer designed and study as the the actual — Tara Horrill, next step in a needs of U of M assistant professor in the college of nursing people who are broader strategy to design experiencing and implement interventions fuels my interest and my drive various forms of disadvanthat improve access to care. to make some sort of positive tage,” Horrill said.

Horrill’s background as a change.”

Additionally, Horrill disregistered nurse working in Her most current project cussed the pressure to reduce the field of oncology for 10 investigates barriers to cancer wait times within the healthyears inspired her to bridge care within two large urban care system, emphasizing that the gap between clinical prac- areas of a province in West- such efforts can disproportice and research to under- ern Canada, focusing on the tionately affect already disstand and address disparities impact of health systems and advantaged individuals. Poliin cancer care. Reflecting on organizational factors on can- cies aimed at efficiency, such her experiences interacting cer care accessibility. as strict rules around keeping

8

appointments, may inadvertently hinder access to essential cancer treatments for those facing the most barriers, she explained.

The physical and clinical spaces also play a crucial role.

Horrill noted that hospital environments can feel “cold and institutional.” This may act as a deterrent for specific populations, such as Indigenous people who have undergone experiences in residential schools or foster care, from seeking care.

“When a building feels like an institution, it can mean that people don’t want to access care there,” she said.

The study further underscored the pervasive issue of racism, stigma and discrimination affecting individuals seeking cancer services.

“Sometimes they experience that when they’re trying to access cancer services, but sometimes they’ve experi-

enced that many times over the course of their lifetime,” Horrill said.

“That makes them not want to go back if they’re anticipating some form of negative treatment.”

Recognizing the prevailing distrust toward healthcare providers, institutions and researchers, particularly in settings studying disadvantaged populations, Horrill stressed the importance of establishing strong foundations through relationship-building within the community.

“It’s a really important first step,” she said. “Hearing from the people that are most affected by these problems can make your research more meaningful, and hopefully, more impactful in the long run.”

UMSU EXECUTIVE OFFICE HOURS (Winter 2024)

Liam Pittman

Divya Sharma

Tracy Karuhogo

Christine Yasay

Vaibhav Varma

VP Advocacy

VP Community Engagement

President

VP Student Life

VP Finance & Operations

THURSDAY @ 12-1PM

WEDNESDAYS @ 12-1PM

TUESDAYS @ 12-1PM

MONDAYS @ 12-1PM

TUESDAYS @ 12-1PM

UMSU table near Fireside Lounge 1st Floor - UMSU University Centre

UMSU table near Fireside Lounge 1st Floor - UMSU University Centre

UMSU table near Fireside Lounge 1st Floor - UMSU University Centre

UMSU table near Fireside Lounge 1st Floor - UMSU University Centre

UMSU table – 3rd Floor UMSU University Centre

Vote for your 2024 Election Candidates!

Nominations Open: February 5-15 for Executive and Community Representative Positions

Voting Days: March 7-8

STUDENT LEADER Interested in an UMSU Leadership role?

Stop by our job fair to speak with current executives and community representatives and learn more about each role!

@myumsu

Fireside Lounge, 1st floor UMSU University Centre Thursday, February 8 11:30AM to 1:30PM

www.UMSU.ca

Vol. 110, No. 21 research@themanitoban.com

Research & Technology

The future of meat U of M associate professor talks meat and sustainability Rhea Bhalla, staff

A

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

rgenis RodasGonzález, a former farmowner, fled Venezuela with his family amid threats of kidnapping and ransom. As a professor, researcher and ranch consultant with a degree in veterinary medicine, he immigrated to the United States, where he completed a PhD in animal science at Texas Tech University.

Now an associate professor in the U of M department of animal science, Rodas-González’s research focuses on domesticated and exotic meat animal species to improve meat quality.

Aided by his experience researching water buffalo in Venezuela, Rodas-González began studying bison. His work focused on extending the shelf-life of bison meat and improving its colour.

“The problem with bison is in a few hours the dark red colour becomes brown,” said A second study used next generation of pigs.

Rodas-González. “It’s a rapid high-voltage electrical stimu“What is the potential of deterioration.” lation to improve shelf-life, that boar to provide those genWhile traits other than col- while a third used various etics to the next generation?” our are related to shelf-life, he packaging types. Nitrile film said Rodas-González. “We explained that colour is the packaging, which directly were evaluating the differmain trait that drives consum- contacts the meat’s surface ent boars, different estimated ers’ decisions. Unless it is fro- and allows nitrite (a chem- value, and segregating the zen, the shelfanimal accordlife of bison ing to the feed “Livestock producers and companies meat is usually conversion five days. related to livestock production […] are doing [ratio].”

“If I can Feed conour best to produce sustainable, efficient extend it from version ratio five to seven, I is the weight products to the consumer” gain two more of feed given days where divided by the — Argenis Rodas-González, the meat is weight gained U of M associate professor of animal science going to have by the animal the opportunin a certain ity to be purchased by the ical compound formed by the period of time. Animals with consumer, instead of getting oxidation of ammonia, often high feed conversion ratios brown,” he explained. used in meat as a preserva- are able to efficiently convert In one study co-authored tive) to dissolve into the meat their food into muscle and fat

by Rodas-González, research- juices, was especially success- on their bodies. ers used plant extracts to ful.

“If we apply these genextend the shelf-life of bison Another one of Rodas- etics tools, estimating breedstrip-loin steaks. Oregano and González’s projects involved ing value for that particular rosemary extracts were found work with a genetic company trait, feed conversion rate, the to increase the stability of the focused on pigs. The company meaning is the boar is going to colour and reduce discolour- used CT scans to evaluate and provide that genetic material ation due to their antioxidant select boars that would pro- to the offspring,” Rodasproperties. vide genetic material for the González said. “And they are

10

going to require less feed to grow.”

His work involved the exploration of factors related to a pig’s feed conversion ratio. Examining the animal’s microbiome, his team detected a strain of bacteria called lactobacillus that improved the animal’s ability to absorb food passing through its digestive tract.

He found that highly efficient animals are better able to digest key nutrients such as protein, calcium, and phosphorus. When expelled from animals in manure, nutrients like phosphorous can contribute to major ecological problems like algal blooms. “[Highly efficient] animals, if they are excreting less protein, less calcium, less phosphorus,” said RodasGonzález, they will produce “less contamination.”

Feed conversion ratio, Rodas-González explained, is “not a new term.”

“But now, it’s taking on more relevance because we are talking about environ-

ment impact, sustainability.”

Conserving feed, he noted, is “another metric for sustainability.”

One study found that investing in feed efficiency can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of cattle in the Nordic region by approximately 20 per cent by the year 2050.

Another study found that breeding higher efficiency Angus steers reduces their methane emissions by 25 per cent.

The meat industry accounts for approximately 15 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers like RodasGonzález aim to alleviate the environmental burden of this large sector of the Canadian economy.

“From my side, I can guarantee livestock producers and companies related to livestock production […] are doing our best to produce sustainable, efficient products to the consumer,” said Rodas-González.

“We care.”

Editorial

Vol. 110, No. 21 editor@themanitoban.com

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

Critique confidently to construct a better world Learning how to give constructive criticism is a necessary skill Simon Pensato, staff

C

an I offer you some constructive criticism?

Many readers may reflexively cringe at that question, which makes sense. For many of us, criticism feels primarily like a threat. As someone who relies on student loans and wage labour to get by, if I get too much “constructive criticism” from my profs or my boss, I could fail out of school or lose my job, and therefore wouldn’t have money to buy groceries or pay the bills.

Capitalism teaches us to especially fear criticism from authority figures at school and work, but also from our friends, family and other community members. Like losing a job, if we lose our friends and family, we could be stranded without a social safety net that gets us through hard times and makes grinding away at school and work worthwhile.

All this understandable anxiety around being criticized translates to fear around criticizing others, too. We’re trained to people-please, avoid making mistakes and smooth over conflict, so we develop fear around bringing up concerns directly with other people — you wouldn’t want to send someone else into an anxiety spiral.

The problem is that we all mess up sometimes. From time to time, everyone needs a little constructive criticism.

No matter how much we try to perfect our tasks or our relationships, we will make mistakes.

12

The people around us will these crises don’t always bring to change things in a direction also make mistakes. People out the best in people. When that is more just for everyone. are sometimes forgetful, conflicts come up among folks Changes happen for betunkind or ill-prepared. But I’m organizing with, none of ter or worse when we encounwhen we live our lives fearing us know how to handle it. ter contradictions and have to criticism, it’s incredibly difAfter one particularly deal with them, but they don’t ficult to offer feedback when heated venting session in the happen smoothly — change it’s needed or receive it when Signal chat, a comrade sug- can be painful, terrifying and we’re the ones who goofed. gested that I read a book that exhausting.

All of this creates a tangled has since changed my life, All of our actions and reacweb of neuroses. We’re des- Constructive Criticism: A tions are connected to our perate not to hurt each other Handbook by Vicki Legion, social world — we’re trained to and we feel like garbage when which I think everyone should react to situations in particuwe do, which lar ways, and sometimes our environFrom time to time, everyone needs means the ments provide a little constructive criticism injured party a limited set of must console possibilities to the one who’s done the hurt- read. Originally written in work with. ing. What a mess.

1974, the book is based on Part one of the book sets I’ve lived my life as a major Legion’s work as an organizer up a theoretical basis for what people-pleaser, to mixed in the communist, women’s follows, and part two is full success. While I try to be a and gay liberation, antiracist of practical examples of how good friend and partner, be and anti-war movements. to deconstruct knee-jerk pasthoughtful and efficient at Despite the 50 years of separ- sive-aggressive responses to work and school and main- ation, the issues Legion deals conflict, respond to feedback tain a genial attitude towards with in this text feel familiar and ultimately, communicate strangers on the bus, it’s to me as an aspiring organizer effectively with friends and impossible to go through life in all of these areas and as a comrades. Essentially, Legion without hurting people. worker under capitalism. re-orients the goal of offerThis year, I’ve started to get Legion writes about the ing feedback from keeping involved in community organ- ways vectors of oppression “everyone feeling good and izing and activism after years play into our understand- [keeping] everything running of being politicized under the ing of the world and the ways smoothly” to ensuring that thumb of crappy landlords, we interact with each other, movements work effectively living through a pandemic including where and when for liberation. that no one in power seems it can be helpful to engage in Not all of us are organizto care about, seeing friends criticism. She says it’s best to ers or revolutionaries, but the struggle with crisis after crisis engage in this process “among principles Legion outlines — without support and wit- friends and allies” — people criticizing ideas and actions nessing major world lead- you’ve committed to sup- rather than “separating one ers, including our own prime porting and mutually learning person from another,” groundminister, shrug at and enable and growing with. ing critiques in “objective Israel’s genocidal war on PalA key idea she works with observations” rather than bad estine. is that “everything changes.” faith interpretations, describLives and livelihoods are People and material condi- ing feelings and identifying on the line, but unfortunately, tions are in a constant state of their sources rather than supthe high stakes of dealing with flux and flow, and we can work pressing them and expressing

what specifically you want to change and what the purpose of that change is — apply to all kinds of conflicts.

Legion also spends a fair bit of time talking about how to receive criticism. When it’s in good faith, criticism can help us grow and change and become better people. When you receive it, paraphrasing criticism to understand it better and to show empathy to someone who makes a more heated criticism can be helpful.

Reacting defensively to criticism can show others that criticism is dangerous, which erodes trust. So Legion recommends receiving criticism, especially from friends and comrades, with the assumption that it is given in good faith.

Ultimately, both giving and receiving criticism is hard but necessary work. We can’t change without coming into conflict. Throughout our lives, we discard old ideas and adopt new ones, learn new skills and create relationships which make things possible that are impossible on our own. A better world is necessary and achievable, if we learn to work on our flaws and help others overcome theirs.

Constructive Criticism: A Handbook is available for free on Marxists.org

Comment

February 07, 2024 comment@themanitoban.com

Arij Al Khafagi proof that safe spaces in academia are vital Political freedom in academic setting must include dissent Lakshmisree Shaji, staff side of the internet is enough purported to have a left-leanollowing the reinstat- to inform anyone about the ing bias, and yet Al Khafagi ing of Arij Al Khafagi after right wing’s obsession with was suspended. almost two months of suspen- free speech that often masks U of M should not have sion, it is clear that there needs hate speech. encroached on Al Khafagi’s to be more focused conversaThe argument that higher freedom of speech by puntions on the political identity education institutions are ishing her, arguing her social of students and censorship in largely left-leaning and, media post was antisemitic academic institutions. hence, hostile to conservative when it wasn’t. The reinstateAl Khafagi was suspended voices is not new. The Mac- ment should make us think for sharing an Instagram post donald-Laurier Institute, a about what matters in the that depicted a cartoon com- non-partisan thinktank, con- face of an ongoing conflict paring an IDF soldier to a Nazi ducted a statistical survey to the university — the menwith the caption “the irony which suggested that, largely, tal and physical well-being of of becoming what you once this point was true. So, enfor- our students, or appeasing the hated.” This was deemed anti- cing absolute free speech, for national interests of the counsemitic by the university. She the advocates, becomes an try? was also removed from the outlet to further the systemic Peterson, following rightNursing Students’ Association inequalities imposed on the leaning-free-speech pundits, council, and a motion that she marginalized in academic set- was also up in arms against brought to the UMSU board tings. safe spaces on campuses. Safe of directors meeting on Dec. Those in favour of free spaces are spaces — not neces14 requesting that the union speech do not represent a sarily physical — that cenrelease a statement affirming population that faces dis- tre the mental and physical students’ rights to freedom of crimination due to vari- well-being of the marginalexpression was ruled out of ous sociopolitical reasons. ized. In a class where the topic order.

Instead, they are upset that of discussion is racism and the The importance of freedom they cannot share sexist, history of Canadian imperto express political opinions homophobic, classist, anti- ialism, it is only natural that in an academic environment semitic, Islamophobic, trans- those who are the victims of cannot be overstated. phobic and racist views with- these systems are respected However, at all times. So that also many of our The importance of freedom to express launches us friends and into inevitably colleagues political opinions in an academic environment have talking about been cannot be overstated the conservaffected by ative talking the conflict in point of 2017 — free speech out being held accountable.

Gaza. Therefore, we must creversus safe spaces. This was The irony that free speech ate safe spaces for discussing also the only year Jordan might not hold the same it inside and outside the camPeterson probably ever pro- meaning for different people pus. duced a coherent argument, in society because of the It is my opinion and experiof course while being hateful power imbalance caused by ence that the U of M generand obtuse. the imperialist, racist hist- ally provides a healthy space Half an hour spent on the ory of this country is not lost for political discussion and Matt Walsh and Ben Shapiro on me either. Universities are encourages political literacy

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

F

on campus. This is vital to the existence of any educational institution. In the face of active political turmoil, an institution cannot and should not remain politically neutral, and neither can people associate with it.

Academic freedom and safe spaces encourage political discussions and are essential for any educational institution. These spaces promote the asking of uncomfortable

questions and the responsible handling of evidence when discussing history. Due to shared academic freedom, all stakeholders of the institution — including administrative staff, faculty and students — have the responsibility to listen and speak carefully.

13

Vol. 110, No. 21 comment@themanitoban.com

Comment

Eckhardt’s name is a humiliating stain Winnipeg institutions should have wiped Nazi’s name long ago Braden Bristow, staff omehow, seemingly without anyone realizing, the Winnipeg Art GalleryQaumajuq (WAG-Qaumajuq), the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg honoured a Nazi sympathizer and fascist, Ferdinand Eckhardt, by etching his name into their buildings. These organizations only began to reckon with their honouring of Eckhardt after the Walrus published an article by Conrad Sweatman on Nov. 9, 2023 exposing this fact.

I use the term “sympathizer” because, while Eckhardt technically was not a card-carrying member of the Nazi party, he was part of a group with 87 others who made a public pledge to Adolf Hitler in 1933. Pledging allegiance to Hitler is effectively equivalent to joining the Nazi party itself.

Not only did Eckhardt pledge allegiance to Hitler himself, but, as Sweatman details, Eckhardt also worked for Bayer IG-Farben for several years before and during the Second World War. Bayer IG-Farben supported Hitler’s regime and also participated in crimes against humanity as the regime conducted human experimentation and murdered prisoners in concentration camps.

Regardless of whether Eckhardt was involved with those crimes, he still actively worked for this company. As an employee of Bayer IG-Farben, Eckhardt directly and financially benefitted from the Holocaust.

Sweatman shows additional pieces of evidence indicating Eckhardt’s sympathy for Nazi and fascist ideas. However, these two details are damning in and of themselves. All the organizations who honoured a man willing to support to Hitler and assist such a horrific company should be ashamed of themselves. Eckhardt was a Nazi. I have not found evidence that he ever once publicly renounced his past or denounced the Nazi party.

Eckhardt pledged his allegiance to Hitler, he worked for a company complicit in genocide and never showed any sign of guilt.

Meanwhile, for years, Eckhardt’s name draped numerous respectable institutions across Winnipeg. The WAG-Qaumajuq, the U of M and the U of W each honoured the man. Admittedly, they honoured his achievements following his move to Canada, after which he served as director of the gallery from 1953 to 1974.

Both the U of M and the U of

14

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

S

W have stated spaces named after Eckhardt are under review, including those bearing the names of Eckhardt and his wife, Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté.

Eckhardt and EckhardtGramatté contributed to Canadian society at large through their art and art preservation.

Eckhardt held his position as WAG director for 21 years, and under his tenure the WAG purchased numerous pieces of Indigenous art, held Canada’s first public display of First Nations art in an art gallery and moved the WAG into its current blocky building.

Eckhardt-Gramatté, in her own right, was a prolific and award winning composer. She made such a contribution to the music scene of the previous century Brandon University awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Music However, their names are permanently tainted

by Eckhardt’s association with the Nazis and Eckhardt-Gramatté’s tolerance of this. It might seem harsh to wipe away contributions because of political affiliation, but when the affiliation is with

the most heinous ideology on earth, it is far from harsh.

Having said that, no number of achievements can wipe away the immense shame that accompanies supporting the Nazi party. Eckhardt’s legacy should never have been honoured in the first place, and his appointment as director of the WAG is a stain on such an important part of Winnipeg’s art scene. Eckhardt-Gramatté may not have been a Nazi, but she was more than happy marrying one. Scrub both Eckhardt’s and Eckhardt-Gramatté’s names from anything they are associated with.

Each of these institutions had decades to realize their failures, and it took a popular article to finally push them in the right direction. Any location associated with Ferdinand Eckhardt either through bearing his wife’s name or his own is an insult to those killed or impacted by the Nazis. I think honouring any other Canadian artist would be better for anything named after these two.

The Eckhardt-Gramatté Music Library at the U of M could be renamed to the Ala-

nis Morissette Music Hall, for God’s sake. While the Morissette Music Hall is just an example, of course — though the name does roll off the tongue pretty well — any artist who has contributed to Canadian culture could be honoured.

Rather than make any change, the U of M has yet to permanently remove Eckhardt’s name. The U of M instead opted to lazily slap a piece of paper over it.

As previously reported in the Manitoban, U of M spokesperson Eleanor Coopsammy stated regarding the issue that any painting or plaque with Eckhardt’s name on it will remain covered until a review is finished. This vague statement combined with the U of M’s inaction is an embarrassment to everyone associated with the U of M. Numerous students at the U of M would be reviled by the Nazi party Eckhardt was so fond of. Jewish students are first to come to mind, however, there are also disabled students, Black students, 2SLGBTQIA+ students and many others. Sending a mes-

sage to all these students that Nazis have no place at the U of M seems much more important than ensuring there is no disrespect to a Nazi’s legacy, but that’s just my opinion.

The U of W is similarly waiting for a review to be conducted on Eckhardt despite the quite damning evidence of his Nazi past. A quick internet search shows that the Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall at the U of W and U of M retain their original names online.

As far as I am concerned, there is hardly any need for review. Educational institutions should be places of progress, diversity and learning.

The U of M certainly claims this is its goal with diversity and positive change being important values. Unfortunately, this is tough to believe when a Nazi’s name is scrawled on signs.

The U of W and U of M continue to drag their feet on taking real action. Meanwhile, Eckhardt’s name sits behind the U of M’s piece of paper, staining the walls of what should be a place of progress.

Letters

February 07, 2024 letters@themanitoban.com

Re: Zionism, Hindutva and the fascist brotherhood Dear Editor,

Dear editor,

I’m so sorry that Lakshmisree Shaji is so uninformed about Zionism. Zionism is built upon the yearning by Jews to live and pray in the land of their ancestors. Zionism can be interpreted as the foundation of Judaism. NonJews who support the existence of Israel are also Zionists.

There is no supremacism in the Jewish religion. Judaism’s holy books and teachings never mention other religions like Christianity and Islam.

God’s promise to make Jews the chosen people has never become part of their religious observances. Most Jews are rueful about the chosen people shtick, echoing Fiddler on the Roof’s Tevye who said, “I know, I know. We are Your chosen people. But, once in a while, can’t You choose someone else?”

Lakshmisree Shaji is obviously totally unfamiliar with Judaism. Judaism is based on the 3,500 year old Jewish Bible, a.k.a. the Old Testament.

The Jewish Bible’s foundational narrative centres around the Jewish people’s return to Zion — what today is Israel. It is not complicated: Zionism is Judaism. That is why Jerusalem is mentioned more than 660 times in the Jewish Bible. F.Y.I. — the word “Jerusalem” does not appear even once in the Quran.That is why for over 2,000 years, Jews at the Passover Seder — as they will April 22 — have stood and loudly and proudly prayed the ultimate Zionist prayer, “Next year in Jerusalem.” To claim that Zionism is not Judaism is to deny the singular 3,500-year-old foundational narrative of the Jewish Bible and to wallow in antisemitism.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr. understood that Judaism is Zionism when he said at Cambridge, Mass. shortly before his death: “Israel’s right to exist as a state in security is incontestable.”

Second, nothing could be more ahistorical than Shaji’s use of the term “historical Palestine.” In recorded history there has never been an internationally legally recognized country called Palestine.

Palestine — actually Syria Palaestina — was a Roman designation of an area, not a country, a name specifically created to obliterate 1,500 years of Indigenous Jewish culture including what the area had been called, Judea.

Following the First World War, there

toric connection to the land on the condition that the civic and religious rights of the Muslims and Christians be respected.”

Jewish people’s right, Rostow says, “to settle in the West Bank has never been terminated” and is “protected by Article 80 of the United Nations Charter and hence necessarily part of the domestic law of the West Bank.”

Professors and students on college campuses embrace today by their public support of Hamas. Meanwhile, article 7 of the old Covenant of Hamas — which Hamas used between 1988 and 2017 —requires every member and supporter of Hamas to kill every Jew on earth. Neither Israel, Zionists nor “the occupation” is mentioned in Article 7.

Having rejected endless offers of an independent state which the Jews accepted, it is obvious that Palestinians’ concern is not about land. It is an existential dispute about the existence of the Jewish people. Once all the land is Judenrein, Palestinians will declare peace.

On Nov. 30, 1947 when Palestinians rejected an independent state offered by the UN General Assembly which the Jews accepted, their leader, Nazi war criminal the Grand Mufti Amin al Husseini, commanded the Arabs to: “Kill the Jews wherever you find them.”

It is unlikely Shaji knows much about the “Palestinian people.”

— Richard Sherman, Margate, Fla.

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

— Larry Shapiro, Calgary, Alta.

was the British mandate for Palestine (1917-1948) — a trust, not a country.

In fact Palestinians have rejected an independent state, whether called Palestine or anything else, in 1937, 1947, 2000, 2008, 2019 and 2020. The Palestinian Authority is not a country.

Opining for non-existent historical “Palestine,” though, does not change history.

Further, Shaji ignores the fact that Article 80 of the United Nations Charter, which affirms the agreements of all current mandates at the time of 1945. This includes the 1922 League of Nations Palestine Mandate, which declared all of what was then Palestine to be the reconstituted homeland of the Jewish people, recognizing the Jewish people’s 3,500 year historical presence on the land. Simply put, one cannot annex or occupy one’s own territory. As an international treaty, the UN Charter supersedes any and all resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly that may conflict with it.

As Eugene Rostow, Dean of Yale Law School (1955-1965) and under secretary of state in the Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic administration writes: “Legally the West Bank and Gaza are unallocated parts of the Palestine Mandate” and “it must be remembered that, in contrast to other League of Nations mandates, the Palestine Mandate was not established as a trust for the Indigenous population of the area, to be terminated when the population was ready for self-government.

Rather, Rostow continues, “It was set up […] as a trust for the Jewish people, in recognition of their his-

15

Diversions

Vol. 110, No. 21 graphics@themanitoban.com

Diversions

© 2024 Syndicated Puzzles

6 4 3

1 2 6 8 7 9 5 4 3

5 8 9 3 4 2 1 7 6

4 7 3 1 5 6 9 8 2

2 5 4 6 8 7 3 1 9

6 3 8 9 1 5 7 2 4

9 1 7 2 3 4 8 6 5

8 9 1 4 6 3 2 5 7

3 4 5 7 2 8 6 9 1

7 6 2 5 9 1 4 3 8

Sudoku Solution

© 2024 Syndicated Puzzles

8

1 2

15 by 40 orthogonal maze

2024 Alance AB

© 2024 Syndicated Puzzles

Str8ts Solution

5 6 7 3 2 4 1

9 2 1

2 7 9 9 8 7 8 6 7 1 5 3 4 4 2 8 5 4 6 3 9 2

6

9 8 6 7 3 5 4

1

4 3 3 1 2 2 3 1 2 4 5 5 6 9 6 7 8 8 7 5 6

© 2024 Syndicated Puzzles

Sudoku Solution

3

How to beat Str8ts – 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. 2 1 4 Each compartment must form a straight 6 4 5 For many strategies, hints and tips, a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be 4 5 visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

4 3 6 2 remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight.

3 5 2 1 If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ 2 1 3 books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store. are formed.

5 3 2 2 1 1 5 4

Provided by: Michele Melendez

16

7 6 2 5 9 1 4 3 8

7 3

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

xkcd.com

3 4 5 7 2 8 6 9 1

4 5 4 5 3 2 5 2 1 6 2 1 5 2 1 4 1 3

1 5

5 8

8 9 1 4 6 3 2 5 7

ny row

1 4 8

6

9 1 7 2 3 4 8 6 5

6 8 3 9 7 5 8 3 6 9 5 8 1 8 4 7 1 6 3 6 1

3

6 3 8 9 1 5 7 2 4

1

1

2 9

2 5 4 6 8 7 3 1 9

5 4

6

3 7 4

by entering numbers 1 to 9 such Medium that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains 5 every number uniquely.3 7 In Straights, like Sudoku, no 1 repeat4 single number51 to 9 can in 6 any row or 4column. But rows and columns are divided by black Straights Solution 8 3 into compartments.

9 squares Each compartment must form 5 A 8straight is3 a set 6 of 9 a7“straight.” numbers with no gaps 5 but it can8 1 be in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues 8number 4 in black cells remove that as an option in that row and 7 1 6 column, and are not part of any straight.

3 6 Glance at the solution to1 see how “straights” are formed.

Medium

4 7 3 1 5 6 9 8 2

5

Sudoku Solution 5 8 9 3 4 2 1 7 6

Medium

SUDOKU To complete Sudoku, fill the board

Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles

1 2 6 8 7 9 5 4 3

dium

STR8TS

Straights

Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles

xkcd.com

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

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

Copyright © 2024 Alance AB, https://www.mazegenerator.net/

xkcd.com

9 8 6 7 6 5 4 5 6 3 4 7 8 3 2 1 3 4 2 2 1

SUDOKU

Sudoku

Vol. 110, No.21 graphics@themanitoban.com

Arts & Culture

February 07, 2024 arts@themanitoban.com

Intertwining human connections, student theatre, For Elise Director Catarina Mello Schultz discusses her Lunchbhagg

A

bustling scene unfolds in the green room of the John J. Conklin Theatre as students return to rehearsals for the third student-led show of the year, colloquially known as a LunchBHAGG: For Elise by Brazilian playwright Grace Passô, translated by Daniel Hahn, and directed by Catarina Mello Schultz. The show will open its doors to audiences Feb. 6 and 7.

The play follows five characters’ intertwining lives as they live, work and interact all within the same neighbourhood.

A housewife, played by Emang Tlale, tells the audience the tales of her neighbours — a woman and a garbage man, played by Martina Caceres and Rodrigo Córdova, chase each other across the stage. An official known by no other title, played by Kirstin Caguioa, searches for a sick dog while a man, played by Zane Lindberg, begins barking.

Each character has their own fully realized story and

is given a moment to shine, interacting with one another or appearing onstage alone.

The show is playful, energetic and filled with childlike wonder. It portrays a bizarre and vibrant tapestry of life, even though we are only able to witness brief moments.

In only 45 minutes, these characters come together in a story about the cruciality of human connection. Characters move through the feelings their relationships provoke, experiencing fear or love as the story blurs the lines between the emotional and rational, the human and the animal.

“I think the biggest idea of the story is to show how people connect,” Mello Schultz said.

“We are all going on with our lives but we will connect to other people, and some people might try not to get involved with anyone else, with anything, maybe to spare themselves. But it’s hard not to.”

When Schultz applied to direct one of the U of M theatre program’s student-led shows,

her main priority was to find a Brazilian-written show.

The search was fuelled by a desire to see a story that she could not only connect with more, but enhanced that connection in regard to her own culture and language. So when given the opportunity to direct a show herself, she chose to introduce her classmates to “something closer to home.”

During her process of directing the play, Mello Schultz found herself inspired by the other theatre classes she is taking. Her inspirations come from discussions on books like I Hope We Choose Love by Kai Cheng Thom, or the Seven Teachings she learned in her Canadian Indigenous theatre course taught by Ian Ross.

Mello Shultz spoke fondly of her professors and classmates in the program, emphasising that “it wouldn’t be theatre without community.”

The theme of community relates heavily to For Elise.

The learning process and student theatre were vital for Mello Schultz embracing the

photos / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

Alison Holliday, staff

actors’ human moments to heighten the performance.

Mello Shultz’s choice of play and Passô’s clever writing emphasize the importance of reading more stories, trying new things and opening ourselves up to connection.

For Elise will be playing at the John J. Conklin Theatre, Gail Asper Performing Arts Hall on the third floor of Taché Arts Centre on Feb. 6 at 12 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

17

Vol. 110, No. 21 arts@themanitoban.com

Arts & Culture

Travel in other dimensions through Re-Sound Paint & Play Art and music experience takes audience members to another dimension

I

n Re-Sound Paint & Play, the Desautels faculty of music and the school of art come together to present an exhibit unlike any other.

Victoria Sparks, instructor of percussion at the Desautels faculty of music, told the Manitoban that the event is a series of concerts. Last year, Re-Sound was done by the faculty in connection with the Winnipeg New Music Festival as a way to provide free concerts that allowed people to see what students at the U of M and the faculty of music were doing.

This time, the program and school brought together students from both disciplines to create a live visual and aural experience, separated into three parts that only build one upon the other.

In the first part, the musicians started playing their music to inspire the painters, who then began creating their work collaboratively on a large white piece of paper taped to one end of the art room.

The musicians played sounds directly to one side and in front of the event space, which mimicked a sort of surround sound, connecting with

the title of the performance.

The sounds were surreal and something akin to a fantasy anime, like I was a character transported into a different dimension of my own, despite being in a crowded room.

They had a mystical and beckoning feel that produced an odd sensation, like being in a trance. Painters used rollers, paint brushes and even a rake to make their strokes on the paper, sticking to blacks, greys and whites with a dappling of blue.

The musical piece had its light and airy notes that drew listeners toward those feelings.

However, there were strong elements of warning and foreboding laced in the music that reminded audience members that not everything was as it seemed.

The less traditional ways of creating sound were the most striking. For example, some musicians had cymbal-like instruments which they spun on the floor until they came to a resounding stop.

The sound they created got more and more intense as it spun itself closer and closer to the ground and nearly left

me wracked with heart palpitations.

The second part of the event, which saw the musicians creating a new piece based on the finished artwork, was no less panic-inducing.

The sounds in the second part were very ominous, destitute and animalistic. There were sounds of screeching birds and elephant calls.

Then came a signal, lost on the radio. Again, it sounded almost as if I was in another dimension where something was very, very wrong.

Contrastingly, towards the end of this second piece of the performance, attendees were guided towards something calmer and more uplifting, which was a nice break but also strange, considering the amount of time we’d spent in a state of panic and surrealism.

Finally coming to the third part of the performance, things essentially turned into a sensory overload.

Musicians and painters worked at the same time to draw upon one another’s work and the result was a cacophony of everything happening everywhere, all at once.

This wasn’t a bad thing in itself, it was just intense. It

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

Kelsey Chin, staff

gets in viewers’ heads, and makes your heart and mind race.

Like the second piece of the performance, there are parts later on where it settled down a bit, with a remnant of dread that felt like the calm before the storm.

Chanson Lussier and Kelsen Hadder, two of the musicians playing at the show and both students from the faculty of music, told the Manitoban their own experiences with the performance after the show.

“You’re kind of building the plane as it’s taking off, is the

feeling,” said Hadder. “Laying down the train tracks as you’re going there.”

This interpretation of the music resonates with my own: a little bit alarming, a little bit panicked, but definitely an experience.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen until it happens and so that freedom is fun but also scary,” said Lussier.

Despite still recovering from the experience, all in all, Re-Sound Paint & Play was an event that I would lend my ear again in a heartbeat, palpitations and all.

Calling all Cake-Clubbers!

The U of M Cake Club spins yarns, events and hopes for the new year Kelsey Chin, staff While the U of M Cake Club may sound delicious, don’t be fooled by its name alone.

Cake, which stands for Crochet and Knitting Enthusiasts, hosts meetups every Thursday in room 302 of the Tier Building for crochet and knitting enthusiasts alike to socialize, but it is also open to individuals who would prefer to drop in and simply meet new people.

The space has a welcoming and community-driven atmosphere for those who want to come out and unwind, work on some projects or to spend some time with friends.

“It’s very casual,” said Brooke Sullivan, vice-president of U of M Cake. “You can just stop by […] You don’t even have to crochet or knit, you can just show up if you want to hang out.”

“If you do any kind of crafts, you’re absolutely welcome.

It’s lots of fun,” she said.

The club, which held its first meeting of the new year on Jan. 25, not only strives to

18

bring campus knitters and crocheters together but to also hold fun events for members, particularly those with fun pun-based names, such as a bowling event they hope to host tentatively called “Pins and Needles.”

Another initiative the club champions is creating blankets for local animal rescue shelters.

Sullivan said that it is one of the club’s goals to “help out some of the smaller rescues in the city” that may have less support than larger rescues and that it’s “nice” to see some of the adopted animals “go home with a little treat” that they take with them after adoption.

“It’s nice because sometimes we get to see people start a blanket, and we get to see the progress on that blanket and then it eventually goes to an animal or a shelter in need, which is amazing,” said Sullivan.

She said that one of the highlights of being a part of the club is simply being able to see the progress people

make.

Rachel Dupas, president of the club, agreed.

“It’s amazing to see how we’ve taught someone this skill that they’ll never forget now […] It warms my heart,” she said. “Even though that sounds corny, it’s true.”

Sullivan told the Manitoban that in the prior year, the club saw plenty of attendance, including a lot of firsttime U of M Cake-goers. She said that seeing that turnout was “amazing” and is looking forward to seeing how things go for the remainder of the year.

“I’m very excited to see how it goes this year and I hope we get the opportunity to hang out and teach more people how to do a fun activity,” said Sullivan.

She also wanted to emphasize that the club is free in every sense of the word.

“It’s low commitment. You can drop in for 30 minutes if you’re busy, you don’t have to come to every single meeting, it’s very casual and it costs you no money.”

photo / Matthew Merkel / staff

In addition to club participation itself being free, supplies such as knitting needles, crochet hooks and yarn are available for members to use at no cost.

“Don’t be shy coming to the meetings,” said Dupas.

“Even if you’re too shy to talk, there’s always some sort

of entertaining conversation happening somewhere in the room that you could find somewhere to jump in on. It’s a very welcoming community.”

U of M Cake meets Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 302 Tier Building.

Sports

February 07, 2024 sports@themanitoban.com

Women’s volleyball bests Wesmen, wins Duckworth Challenge Bisons women win both games while men lose both against rival U of W Quinn Mayhew, staff

B

oth the Bisons women’s and men’s volleyball teams played against the U of W Wesmen this past weekend in the volleyball portion of the Duckworth Challenge.

Overall, the women’s team had an amazing weekend series against the Wesmen.

To begin the action, the Bisons, who are the thirdranked team nationally, bumped off the Winnipeg Wesmen on Friday night in a four-set nail-biter.

In the process, the U of M also won the 32nd annual Duckworth Challenge, reclaiming victory after cooling off for a year.

Julia Arnold was Manitoba’s best player of this weekend’s Duckworth Challenge.

In the first set, the herd committed eight errors, which kept the Wesmen in the game.

Nevertheless, Raya Surinx managed to end the first set with a cross-court kill from the right side, giving the herd a 25-22 victory.

The U of W clapped back in the second set, however, beating the U of M 25-22 and forcing the game to go at least four sets.

In the third set, the herd rallied and pushed forward with momentum.

Katreena Bentley played great, accumulating a total of 45 assists on the night.

The herd crushed the Wesmen in the third set, winning easily 25-13. It was much the same story in the fourth set, too, as the herd trounced the Wesmen 25-8, taking the match 3-1.

In the second match, Surinx led the herd with 24 kills, and led the charge in the first set, contributing often as the herd took it 25-20.

U of M began to dominate over the Wesmen in the second set, who made six errors, naturally setting them up to fall short of the herd. The U of M finished the second set 25-21.

Nevertheless, the Wesmen made a comeback in the third set, beating the Bisons 25-23, once again sending both teams to a fourth set.

In the fourth set, the University of Manitoba beat the Wesmen 25-18, triumphing over the U of W for the second match in a row.

Men’s team The first match between the Bisons and the U of W was a story of serving.

The herd struggled in the

photos / Matthew Merkel / staff

Women’s team

first match, committing 19 service errors. The Wesmen, in turn, detonated the herd with 12 aces, while the U of M fell short with just 2.

In the first set the Wesmen got six aces alone, seemingly pulling a fast one over the U of M who let the U of W take the reins of the match.

With such a drastic serving disparity, the Wesmen naturally beat the herd 25-23 in the first set, as Manitoba struggled to gain momentum.

In the second set, libero Josh Jehle rose to the occasion, making many spectacular digs to keep rallies going.

However, his valiant efforts were not enough, as the Wesmen took the second set 25-22.

Entering the third set, those 18 service errors were sorely felt, as they greatly affected the U of M’s performance.

The Bisons finished off the third set by losing to the Wesmen 25-20.

In the rematch, the Bisons wanted to make a comeback against the Wesmen. The first set started off promising, with the U of M hitting .440 while attaining 14 kills.

The hot hitting facilitated some Manitoban success, for it beat the Wesmen in the first

set 25-21.

Sammy Ludwig was brilliant in the first set and carried the offensive load throughout the match, as he dished out 33 assists.

Manitoba played a relatively clean game in the second set, but ultimately fell short, 25-21, due to U of W’s stellar hitters.

The Bisons went into the third hoping to beat Wesmen, but the herd struggled to keep rallies going. Consequently, the Wesmen beat the Bisons in the third 25-22, sending the match to a fourth set.

The fourth set was also

a struggle for the herd who fell off compared to the U of W, who continued to build momentum.

Ultimately, the fourth set finished 25-17 in favour of the Wesmen, who took the match 3-1 and swept the herd in this past weekend’s series.

The University of Manitoba women’s and men’s volleyball teams next games will play against the University of Alberta Pandas and Golden Bears on Feb. 9 and 10.

19

Vol. 110, No. 21 sports@themanitoban.com

Sports

Women’s basketball edges Wesmen while men disappoint Women have first win against U of W since ‘08, men miss as Hildebrandt injured Joshua Brandt, staff

W

ith crucial playoff seeding at stake, the University of Manitoba basketball teams each faced off against bitter rival, the U of W Wesmen, this past week in the basketball leg of the annual Duckworth Challenge.

Women’s team

photo / Matthew Merkel / staff

Looking to move into the 12th and final playoff spot in the CanWest conference, the herd needed to beat rival U of W — something it had not done for years.

Coming out extremely motivated, Emerson Martin was excellent in the first game, pouring in 20 points, eight rebounds, and sinking three three-pointers.

Making up for a dismal shooting night, Lauren Bartlett also distributed a stellar 11 assists, time and time again sifting deft passes through the Wesmen defence with near-clairvoyance.

Off the herd’s bench, firstyear forward Anna Miko 4.8 assists per game, Bison fate is still very much in its chipped in with nine points guard Bartlett is now first in own hooves the CanWest conference in and seven rebounds.

The game was a back-and- assists per game.

Men’s team Coming off the bench again, forth, nail-biting affair until Looking to climb into the the herd went on a remarkable though not to be outdone, 7-0 run in the dying minutes Miko shot the lights out, going top four of the CanWest standto escape the Duckworth Cen- eight for 11 from the field, five ings to automatically secure tre with a narrow 73-66 road for five from the free-throw a spot in the quarterfinals for line and even notching a soli- the CanWest men’s basketball victory. tournament, the men’s team The win marked the first tary triple.

Overall, she contributed 22 sought to distance itself from time the herd defeated its cross-city rival in CanWest points — doubling her previ- inner-city rival U of W. Unforesee regular seaably, however, son play since Lauren Bartlett was on another level, things did not 2008. go exactly to Riding the recording a double-double with 26 huge plan. high of its hispoints and 11 exquisite assists In the first toric win, the game, the herd herd’s offence gave a hearty effort and looked was firing on all cylinders in ous career-high of 11.

Ultimately, the herd’s good at times, though the stelthe second game.

Seemingly making a dis- offence just could not be lar play and 22 points of the U tinct effort to make up for her stopped, piling up 98 points to of W’s Donald Stewart led the uninspired shooting perform- edge the Wesmen 98-82 in the Wesmen to an 86-79 victory.

Daren Watts led the squad ance in the previous game, second game, recording backin scoring with 15, but he Bartlett was on another level, to-back wins in the process.

With the pair of wins went 0-9 from three, which recording a double-double with 26 huge points and 11 against the Wesmen, the herd encapsulated the Bisons’ exquisite assists. She also is now placed precipitously in night.

In the second game, it knocked down a new career- the final playoff spot in CanWest. Although, with two looked as though the herd had high five three-pointers.

Dishing out an average of games remaining, its playoff bounced back from its pre-

20

vious loss, and was going to cruise to an easy victory, for in the third quarter, it led by as much as 15.

It was in the third that Watts, once again the herd’s leading scorer, did most of his damage as well —totalling 26 points on the night.

Nevertheless, the Wesmen clamped down on defence in the fourth quarter, held the herd to just 12 points — while it pulled in 32 — and snatched an 88-78 victory from the hands of a visibly discouraged Bisons team.

Back-to-back losses to its bitter rival were not the only factor in the herd’s discouragement, however.

The team’s most valuable player, Simon Hildebrandt, left the final game late in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be some kind of “lower-body-injury,” as they say in the business.

He collided with a Wesmen player and required the assistance of his teammates to make it off the court.

Naturally, any extended

absence on his part would be a devastating blow to the team. He is currently scoring about 17 points per game, and those 17 would be tough to make up.

Moreover, as the herd hosts the men’s CanWest basketball tournament in a couple of weeks, Hildebrandt’s status looms large.

The team very likely aspires to win the tournament on its home court.

Yet, without its star player — “The Golden Boy,” as he’s known locally — one would have to concede that its chances of doing so diminish considerably.

Both the women’s and men’s teams will close out CanWest regular season play at the Investors Group Athletic Centre this weekend, Feb. 9 and 10, as they face off against the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat.