11 March 2015

MANITOBAN the

THE OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDENTS’ NEWSPAPER

Editorial

You are what you speak Derogatory language leads to disparaging behaviour Page 9

News

Heated election 2015 UMSU General Election's mixed results Page 3

Sports

Running and reaching out Guy does his part in athletics and the community Page 21

Vo l 1 0 1 · N o 5 4 · M a r c h 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 · w w w.t h e m a n i to b a n .co m

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Index

VOL. 101 NO. 54 March 11, 2015

Comment

Empathy for Vincent Li

A call for responsible treatment of the mentally ill

Arts & Culture

Time to horse around Fools & Horses storms Broadway

Editor-in-Chief Fraser Nelund

editor@themanitoban.com / 474.8293

Business manager Angela England

accounts@themanitoban.com / 474.6535

Advertising Coordinator Sara Bulloch

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Editorial

Senior News Editor Dana Hatherly

page 11

news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

page 18

News Editor Ethan Cabel

news@themanitoban.com/ 474.6770

Comment Editor Tom Ingram

comment@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Managing Editor Craig Adolphe

me@themanitoban.com / 474.6520

science & technology Editor Chantelle Dubois

science@themanitoban.com/ 474.6529

arts & Culture Editor Lauren Siddall

arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Sports Editor Mike Still

sports@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Copy Editor Carlyn Schellenberg

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Design

Design Editor Bradly Wohlgemuth

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Graphics Editor Bram Keast

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Photo Editor Carolyne Kroeker

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design associate Scott Ford

scott@themanitoban.com

graphics associate Evan Tremblay

evan@themanitoban.com

Reporters

News Seamus Hamilton-Pattison News vacant Science Jeremiah Yarmie arts & culture Ian T.D. Thomson arts & culture Alana Trachenko Sports Andy Che Assistant copy editor Kristy Hourd

Volunteer Contributors

Alex Passey Rebecca L. Davis Keegan Steele Kyle Lees Joshua Labossiere Caroline Norman

Science

Monkey machine

Travis Ross Ryan Stelter Jeff Miller

MANITOBAN 105 UN IVERSITY CENTRE U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A N I TO B A WINNIPEG, MB R3T 2N2

Brains decode like Turing's device

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On the rebound

Wyatt Anders, the model of determination

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Design Design Editor: Bradly Wohlgemuth Contact: design@themanitoban.com / 474.6775 Graphics Editor: Bram Keast Contact: graphics@themanitoban.com / 474.6775 Photo Editor: Carolyne Kroeker Contact: photo@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

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News

Senior News Editor: Dana Hatherly News Editor: Ethan Cabel Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

Heated UMSU General Election results in mixed slate executive Both Your UMSU and Clear Slate representatives emerge victorious in neck-and-neck election Seamus Hamilton-Pattison, with files from Mike Still, staff

The issues

T

he 2015 UMSU General Election turned out to be a nail-biter, with students electing five candidates from the two competing executive slates, resulting in a mixed-slate executive.

While last year’s election brought a sweeping victory for the Refresh executive slate by a wide margin, this year’s election resulted in four representatives from the Your UMSU slate and one Clear Slate representative being elected to executive positions.

The election became a heated race this year, with nearly all five candidates winning by very small margins.

University of Manitoba Students’ Union outgoing vice-president internal Jeremiah Kopp won as president with 2,629 votes, or 54 per cent of the vote, beating out Clear Slate candidate Spencer Yasui, who had garnered 2,255, or 46 per cent of the vote.

The race for vice-president external was even closer, with Astitwa Thapa of Your UMSU receiving 2,478 votes, or 51 per cent of the vote, while Reanna Blair received 2,384, or 49 per cent.

Jessica Morrison took the position of vice-president student services with 2,500 votes, or 51 per cent of the total, while Clear Slate candidate Bénédicte LeMaître received 2,372 votes, or 49 per cent of the total.

Rebecca Kunzman from Your UMSU was re-elected as vice-president advocacy, earning 2,725 votes, or 56 per cent of the total as compared to Clear Slate’s Jesse Greenberg, who received 2,156, or 44 per cent of the total.

Zach Leclerc, UMSU’s new vice-president internal, was the only Clear Slate candidate elected. Leclerc beat out Your UMSU’s Christopher Bélanger with 2,570 votes, or 53 per cent of the total to Belanger’s 2,303 votes, or 47 per cent.

Community representatives were their campus.” for a two to three week period and also elected during the general elecThe election was not without its that’s about it. After that, we go on tion. Charles Kimball was elected as share of controversy. and we do work [ . . . ] In the long run LGBTTQ* representative, running In the last week of the campaign, we’re all after the same goal, betteruncontested and receiving 450 votes. critical coverage of Your UMSU ing the student experience, so we’ll Aboriginal students’ representative vice-president internal candidate just sit at the table and work on that.”

Will Landon also went unopposed, Christopher Bélanger was widely According to UMSU’s chief winning the position with 268 votes. circulated on social media. Coverage returning officer Jacqueline Keena, the Andrew Fenwick was elected stu- from the CBC and posts on an anon- close race between executive candidents living with disabilities repre- ymous blog both revealed derogatory dates resulted in a rigorous recounting sentative with 163 votes. Alana Robert comments about women Bélanger of the ballots, which did not conclude was elected as women’s representative had posted on Twitter and the until the next morning at 4:30 a.m. in the election’s only true “landslide” “Arian [sic] pride” he felt over his new As per UMSU bylaws, candidates victory. She received 1,745 votes, or Mercedes Benz car, as recent as 2013. and their representatives may request 73.5 per cent of the vote.

Elected women’s representative recounts if some of the positions are Robert responded to Bélanger’s com- within a four per cent margin of each Close race, mixed results ments immediately following their other. According to Keena, all preDespite the close results, presi- wider circulation on social media: sent decided the best course of action “Even if people say things that are was to begin the recount immediately. dent-elect Jeremiah Kopp told the Manitoban that the elected executive, reflective of those values in the past, if Keena explained the particulars which is primarily composed of Your they show willingness to change and of the recount process in detail to the UMSU candidates, is proof of a posi- they want to contribute to efforts that Manitoban. tive and optimistic mood on campus. do foster equal and inclusive envi“We divided the number of ballot “Your UMSU put forward a clear ronments, I think that’s something counters in half and sent half home, vision of how we can improve the we have to encourage and promote. I just to create a better setting for scrustudent experience here on campus. I think, because comments like these tineers to really look over each one think we articulated that and I think are so frequently made in our soci- of the ballots counted,” Keena said. the results of the election show that ety today, they’re really ingrained “Then we brought in two addias well,” Kopp said. in our culture [ . . . ] That’s why we tional scrutineers from each of the “The sense of optimism that is on need a women’s rights and advocacy executive slates that were already on the university campus now, where representative.” campus. We had them fill out the students feel like we are paving a betLeclerc told the Manitoban that oath and come into the room as well. ter way, like we are able to compare he feels confident about his ability to Then we just meticulously started this to any university [ . . . ] We are going work with the elected Your UMSU recount process where there was a to have a campus that attracts top members in the coming year. scrutineer looking at literally every talent, that puts student experience “I think it’ll be a great working ballot that was counted [ . . . ] We at the forefront and allows students relationship,” he said. started that around 11:30 p.m. and to have a community behind them at “The election gets heated, but it’s we finished around 4 a.m.”

Members of both slates released policy manuals in the first days of the campaigning period. With ticket sales and net financial gains increasing over the past two years, both Clear Slate and Your UMSU promised to continue improving the school’s annual Frosh Fest.

Both slates also stated that they would advocate for a Reading Week during the fall semester, which has been instituted at some Ontario universities.

However, there were some significant differences between the slates going into the election.

Members of Clear Slate talked at length about utilizing campus space more efficiently and advocating for individual student rights and causes.

Your UMSU members, on the other hand, focused on renovating and improving existing UMSU structures and expanding on academic scholarships and bursaries.

Keena estimates voter turnout at approximately 21.9 per cent of eligible students, a comparable turnout to last year’s election.

Keena said she was happy with UMSU and the executive candidates’ efforts to promote the general election and engage the student body.

“I don’t know if it could be emphasized more effectively, but I think the ultimate reason for students to vote is that UMSU does do a lot on their behalf,” she said.

“The executives who are elected to represent them make choices, and when they campaign, they’re letting you know about some of those potential choices they’re going to make on the students’ behalf [ . . . ] It’s really important that students pick who their leadership is.”

Photo by Carolyne Kroeker and Tom Ingram

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News

Senior News Editor: Dana Hatherly News Editor: Ethan Cabel Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

UMSU domain dispute continues Communication breakdown between UMSU and CFS causes protracted web domain issue Tom Ingram, staff

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he University of Manitoba holding $640,000 in fees owed to for the CFS, provided outgoing fer without interruption of service.

Students’ Union (UMSU) is CFS, of which UMSU is a local, with UMSU president Al Turnbull with “We felt that a week would be planning to break away from the those fees having been collected from an authorization code that would more than enough time for CFS to Canadian Federation of Students’ students by UMSU. Pierce stated that allow UMSU to regain administra- provide us with the necessary infor(CFS) web and other services even UMSU has not determined whether tive control of the domain. On Jan. mation; it should only take a few after the apparent resolution of a pro- to now pay CFS the outstanding 21, Dubinski sent a followup message minutes for them to collect it and tracted dispute over administrative fees, as the executive has not yet had after UMSU apparently did not take send it. However, we have received no control of the domain name umsu.ca. a chance to meet as a whole due to any further action on the matter. response to this request whatsoever,” “What concerns UMSU the the election.

“The authorization code permits Turnbull said in an email. most is that extraordinarily simple The dispute between the two transfer of total control over the According to Pierce, the first requests—requests which should take organizations arose in part due to domain including any such associated request for a transfer of control over any competent and well-intentioned CFS’s administrative control over the contact information [as the adminis- umsu.ca was sent in July of 2013. The service provider a few minutes to sat- umsu.ca domain name, which CFS trative contact],” Dubinski told the request was ignored, Turnbull sugisfy—have been met with an astound- had yet to transfer to UMSU’s control Manitoban. gests, and after several failed attempts, ing degree of inattention, delay, and after multiple requests that they do so.

Dubinski also stated that, the executive decided to give up and belligerence,” said Christian Pierce, A comment piece published in although CFS technically has the try again the next year. outgoing vice-president external for the Manitoban on Feb. 11 provided ability to unilaterally transfer the In July of 2014, an UMSU staffer UMSU, in an email to the Manitoban. some technical details on the dispute domain without any further action contacted CFS again, asking for the “As with all services formerly and argued that CFS should transfer on UMSU’s part, they have never authorization code required to transprovided by CFS, for the benefit of administrative control of the domain done that as it would run afoul of fer control of the domain along with the union, its members and its staff, as soon as possible. Since then, the their policies.

DNS records related to the domain.

UMSU will continue to transition Manitoban has learned that the disWhen asked for an update on the The University of Manitoba Students’ their implementation to professional, pute has been in large part resolved. situation from UMSU’s point of view, Union has sent repeated requests for The Manitoban obtained an email Turnbull stated that as of Feb. 23, he the DNS records since that time, responsive, cost-effective, and courteous service providers.” dated Jan. 9—just days after the dis- had asked CFS for the domain name according to Pierce, and has only In early January, the Manitoban pute was first made public—in which server (DNS) records that UMSU just recently received a response. The reported that UMSU has been with- Anna Dubinski, national treasurer needs in order to complete the trans- authorization code was provided to

UMSU on Jan. 9.

On March 3, just after Turnbull made his statement about the dispute, CFS responded to UMSU. In the response, Dubinski provided Pierce with the requested DNS information. Dubinski noted that this information is readily available through public lookup utilities or by contacting their web host.

Pierce told the Manitoban that best practices demand up-to-date DNS information directly from the web host, as the publicly available information may not be current.

Since UMSU’s web host is CFS, Pierce described Dubinski’s statement as “dumbfounding.”

VOL. 101 NO. 54 March 11, 2015

News

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National union demands changes in economics department Two months after scathing report, CAUT still pressing university for reforms Ethan Cabel, staff

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ver two months after the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) released a controversial report on tensions within the department of economics, the national union is calling on the university to act immediately on its recommendations.

“The administration can bluster all it wants, but at the end of the day there’s still a problem that needs to be solved and we stand ready to work with the administration and the [faculty] association to find a way forward,” said David Robinson, CAUT executive director.

The report on the department of economics was compiled on the basis of an investigation conducted in the spring and summer of 2013. The report ultimately concluded that nonmainstream or “heterodox” economics professors had been systematically marginalized in the department since 2006, violating both the traditions of the department up until that point and the academic freedom of the professors in question.

The CAUT economics report was Photo by Carolyne Kroeker the first of two released about the maintains with her husband, Ryan, University of Manitoba since the labour studies broke from the econom- differences has made things much The other side beginning of this year. The second, ics department in 2010 after what the worse,” Chernomas said.

The CAUT report has been met also a U of M economics professor.

“We’ve been suppressed and iso- with consternation by both senior When contacted by the Manitoban, which detailed disputes within the CAUT report describes as harassment faculty of architecture, recommended on the part of mainstream economists lated and the department is being administration and several faculty she vigorously defended the silence that dean Ralph Stern be dismissed toward their labour studies counter- changed without any regard to our members in the department of of her colleagues. economics.

“Spending time responding to this from any administrative or supervi- parts. Furthermore, reviews of both the rights and interests.” sory role in the faculty. undergraduate and graduate programChernomas provided the University of Manitoba president and going through the recommendaThe Manitoban reported last week ming within the department excluded Manitoban with a letter signed by six David Barnard would not comment tions they made when it’s being made that Stern would not be seeking re- heterodox professors, according to the members of the U of M economics when contacted by the Manitoban on biased information to begin with appointment as dean when his term CAUT report, and thus established department outlining what they view through marketing and communi- doesn’t seem to be a valid use of time, ends on Aug. 31. curriculum changes that favoured as an inadequate response from U of cations last week. However, he has in my opinion,” Compton said.

“I think this whole report should “I think with the architecture mainstream economic approaches.

M senior administration to the rec- provided several detailed statements These disputes between the two ommendations in the CAUT report. on the matter to the University of have just been ignored.” program there was a lesson learned Manitoba senate and to the wider In particular, Compton maintains [ . . . ] I hope now that we see some opposing camps extend into personaction on the economics program,” nel matters such as the hiring of a campus community. that changes to the undergraduate and professor in Canadian economic pol- “The administration “We do find ways in our society graduate curricula were made through Robinson said.

The report on the department icy, whereby the dean of the faculty of and in our academic communities to a collaborative process that ultimately can bluster all it protect against the ongoing disadvan- benefits the department and responds of economics makes several claims arts allegedly ensured that the hiring about the working conditions and committee would be dominated by taging of minorities by the majority, directly to student needs. wants but at the end often taking longer than many of us ideological direction of economics mainstream economists. The report At the undergraduate level, the also goes into considerable detail at the U of M since 2006. of the day there’s still would like to bring changes about. department has increased quantiBut we do this when there is clear tative requirements by bolstering The report makes a fundamental about internal disputes over the seleca problem that needs evidence of inequity,” Barnard said economic theory and econometrics. distinction between heterodox and tion of a department head mainstream, or “orthodox,” econoRobert Chernomas, a heterodox These changes will take effect this fall. to be solved” – David in a statement. mists. Generally speaking, heterodox economics professor at the U of M, “It is reckless to suggest that a At the graduate level, the departRobinson, CAUT majority of members of an academic ment has removed some heterodox economists are seen to occupy the left was interviewed by CAUT during side of the political spectrum, focus- its investigation and his concerns are unit acting through established col- and mainstream elective requireexecutive director legial processes is being tyrannical, ments, reducing the overall numing on the influence of power dynam- cited at length in the report. ics on the distribution of resources.

Among those concerns was a without a great deal of evidence in ber of courses needed to graduate.

Mainstream or orthodox econo- grievance filed by Chernomas and The recommendations revolve hand—and carefully weighed—to According to Compton, those mists, on the other hand, are largely the University of Manitoba Faculty around a perceived restoration of bal- support that conclusion. There is no changes will likely be implemented seen by the heterodox economists as Association in 2009 claiming that the ance within the department, ensuring indication in the report that the com- in the 2016-17 academic year.

“This is out of a desire of the majoroccupying the right or the centre of process for selecting a department that both heterodox and mainstream mittee had such evidence.” the political spectrum. They study the head was “contrary to the collective professors are well represented on All faculty and administrative staff ity of the department to have stanmarket economy, using mathemati- agreement, unfair, unreasonable, and committees responsible for curricu- were informed of the investigation and dards that are consistent with the cal and statistical models in hopes of biased in relation to Dr. Chernomas.” lum development and faculty hires. encouraged by CAUT to participate. other economics departments across predicting the aggregate behaviour of Chernomas had applied for the job However, CAUT also recommends However, most chose to remain silent. the country so that our graduates are but was not shortlisted by the com- that an acting head from outside the According to Janice Compton, an trained in the same quantitative skills individual buyers and sellers.

The CAUT report outlines myr- mittee, which CAUT describes as department be appointed to replace economics professor at the U of M, that the other graduates have,” she iad disputes within the department being dominated by “members who Bose, that the curriculum be imme- their refusal to participate stems from said of the curriculum changes. between these two groups, arguing favoured mainstream economics.” The diately reviewed with heterodox input, a perception of bias on the part of the “It has moved toward a more stanthat heterodox economists have been committee eventually selected Pinaki and that the next three department investigators. dard curriculum that is similar to Compton was particularly outspo- other universities.” marginalized over time and no longer Bose, an economics professor from the hires should be heterodox economists. hold positions of authority or influ- University of Memphis, in 2010.

Despite the CAUT recommenda- ken about the CAUT report, writing ence in the department.

“The department head that came in tions, Bose is seeking a renewal of his a scathing critique of the national union’s investigation on a blog she Revelations include the fact that here with the promise of reconciling term as department head.

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News

Senior News Editor: Dana Hatherly News Editor: Ethan Cabel Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

American deserter speaks at U of M Joshua Key seeks refugee status after fleeing to Canada Mike Still, staff

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ormer United States solider Joshua Key delivered a speech to a near-capacity crowd at the University of Manitoba last week, describing his experience as an army deserter and war resister living in Canada. Key, who is seeking refugee status from the Canadian government in order to avoid court martial in the United States, described what he calls his fight for freedom during the campus event.

Joining Key was Amar Khoday, an assistant professor in the faculty of law, who provided insight into the requirements for refugee status in Canada.

the first thing he did was call a military lawyer, demanding that he not go back to Iraq.

“We were the aggressors, we were the terrorists, not them,” Key said.

The lawyer told him he could get back on the plane to Iraq or go to prison.

Key ran. He spent 14 months hiding in the U.S., before fleeing to Canada.

Applying for refugee status in Canada

Key arrived in Canada in 2005, spending six months in Toronto, before moving to British Columbia, then Saskatchewan, and finally Key’s story Manitoba. He had his first hearing At age 20, Key was a welder mak- with the Immigration and Refugee ing $7 an hour and a father of two Board of Canada on Oct. 20, 2006, children with a third on the way. He but was denied refugee status. knew he was going to need a better “They wouldn’t let me talk job to support his family. He chose about the legality of the war, they the army, enlisting in 2002, a year wouldn’t let me bring in the Geneva before the Iraq War. Conventions’ international law; they “When I signed on the dotted line, basically stated, ‘You’re just a mere I didn’t sign for money for college. foot soldier. Anything you’re told to The only thing I wanted was steady do, you have to do it,’” he said. pay, and health care for my family,” Over the course of the next four Key said. years, Key continued to fight for refuHe said he attended basic train- gee status, but was turned down again ing under the assumption that he by the Immigration and Refugee would be a bridge builder. Once he Board, who held that, since he signed arrived, he was trained in landmines a contract, he had a commitment to the U.S. military. and explosives.

“People break contracts every day,” Key was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado, the closest location to his Key said. “But since I had one with family. He also assumed that he the U.S. military, then it’s alright, would not be sent to Iraq because of and you need to go back to prison.” his choice of station in Fort Carson.

Key wrote a book about his expeHowever, he was deployed to the riences during his time in Canada.

Middle East for the 2003 invasion of Entitled The Deserter’s Tale, it was Iraq along with over 100,000 other published in 15 different countries, troops from the American volunteer in 13 different languages. army.

“In the military standpoint, you “When you sign the contract did the worst thing ever,” Key said. before basic training, they make “You wrote about your experiences one thing very clear,” Key said. “You in war, you ran to another country. are no longer a citizen of the United You’re still U.S. government propStates of America; you are now U.S. erty, and you’re going to talk about government property. You no longer it, and then you’re going to write a have a bill of rights.” book about it. I didn’t think about it As soon as Key got to Iraq, he took at the time.” his military contract to the lieutenant, While Key’s actions placed him questioning him about its contents in a difficult situation, he was not the and promises he felt were made to first American army deserter to speak him. Key said the lieutenant brushed out in Canada. him off, and told him that he simply “There’s been about 21 of us on didn’t know the military way of life record that sort of did what I did, yet. which is talk about it, and do eve“For weeks after that I was hazed, rything they can to alert Canadians hazed severely to the point where I of why we’re here,” Key said. “Many never questioned anything. I shut my have been sent back to prison.” mouth, and I did my job and that’s “The standard involves being outexactly how I took it day by day,” Key side of your country of nationality or said. residence, and/or unable, or unwilling Key served as a combat engineer to return to that country on account for eight months in Iraq. He claims of a well-founded fear of prosecution that he witnessed a number of brutal for reasons of race, religion, nationalacts inflicted upon citizens, including ity, membership in a particular social unnecessary raids and bombings of group, or politically,” Khoday said of houses and vehicles, resulting in a Canada’s refugee status requirements. significant death toll.

When Key returned to Fort Carson for his two weeks of leave,

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Watch your mouth

Editorial Editor-In-Chief: Fraser Nelund Contact: Editor@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

Derogatory speech leads to disparaging actions Lauren Siddall, staff

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he concept of linguistic relativ- depressive disorder lives a signifiism—despite infiltrating the cantly different life than someone disciplines of cognitive psychology, who cracked the back of their phone linguistics, anthropology, and phi- and is now “depressed.” The hyperlosophy—has yet to reach the para- bolizing of situations—as we so digm of everyday discourse. Also often do in our society—is offensive known as the Sapir-Whorf hypoth- to people living in that situation. esis, the theory postulates that the You are showing firstly, that you do language spoken by an individual in not understand what they are going turn affects the way they think and through, and secondly, that you do conceptualize the world around them. not take it seriously.

The language we use creates a framework for the way we process other information, as well as perceive When did situations and individuals, which makes sense. Language is the way “retardation” mutate in which we communicate, converse, from a clinical and express ourselves. Therefore, description to a term this means of expression is bound to actively affect our cognitions. of derogation?

What happens, then, when our language is infused with derogatory terms and offensive slang?

Ironically, though many platforms Mental disorders are being used as have been established to help stop the adjectives, misogynistic and andro- stigmatization of mental disorders, centric terms are being used to convey the usage of the language has never weakness or inferiority, and homo- been higher. It does not matter that phobic words are being used as insults. you tweeted “#BellLetsTalk” if you The popularization of this language turn around the next day saying, “I’m sets the stage for an abhorrent soci- so OCD.” Using OCD in this manety. The more we conceptualize these ner trivializes the legitimacy of what words in harmful ways, the more we other people are experiencing. perpetuate the stigmatization of Unfortunately, using the living these people. situation of an individual as derogaWhen did “retardation” mutate tory slang extends to realms beyond from a clinical description to a term mental illness. of derogation? The original introDespite movement towards equalduction of “mental retardation” as ity, it is still an alarmingly common a medical term was to signify an practice to use misogynistic and individual with profound intellec- androcentric language as insults to tual disabilities who was virtually convey weakness or inferiority. These unable to survive unassisted. In the terms and phrases range from “You Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of throw like a girl” to “Stop acting like Mental Disorders (DSM), this intel- a girl,” and everyone knows what you lectual disability was demarcated by mean when you refer to someone this an IQ result of approximately two way. standard deviations below the general population, which equates to around 70. The DSM also outlines the effect Mental disorders the disorder has on conceptual, social, are being used and practical domains.

The DSM has removed the term as adjectives, “mental retardation” from the latest misogynistic and publication in 2013.

The replacement of the clinical androcentric terms term with “intellectual developmental disorder” reflects several changes are being used to of the way in which society uses the convey weakness word and other pejorative forms of it, such as “retard” or “retarded.” The or inferiority, and use of these terms marginalizes indihomophobic viduals who suffer from intellectual disabilities, bolsters societal stigma- words are being tization, and contributes to harmful used as insults stereotypes.

The popularization of mental disorders as adjectives spreads far beyond the r-word. People who are I think part of the issue is that not as happy as usual refer to them- the English language is designed in selves as depressed, people experienc- an androcentric manner. There are ing mood swings claim to be bipolar, numerous “gender neutral” pronouns and people feeling fidgety refer to that are nowhere near egalitarian stathemselves as having ADHD. Not tus; think “mankind” or “fireman.” only is this use of these medical terms This vocabulary that is engrained into inaccurate, it also alienates individu- our language favours males. In addials with the disorder, leads to further tion, as a society, we do not simply denunciation of mental disorders, and call all individuals working in the paints faulty stereotypes. field of theatre “actors,” we ostracize It also presents mental disorders the women in this field by calling a joke. An individual with major them “actresses.” The suffixes added

graphic by Bram Keast

imply inferiority and belittle the reactive, the more we perpetuate an women they are applied to; they are androcentric and patriarchal society. almost actors in their own right, but The same goes for use of deroganot quite. tory terms referring to LGBTTQ* We also lack a grammatically cor- people, especially when these terms rect word to encompass “he or she” are so often used to describe somein the English language. Thus, the one doing something unintelligent latter often gets dropped for the sake or not agreeable. Calling someone of convenience and laziness. “queer” for not wanting to particiThis primes us for a society in pate in a given event contributes to which masculinity is considered the marginalization of homosexual synonymous with strength and logic, individuals. and femininity with weakness and The term “faggot,” or “fag,” etyemotionality. Even the association of mologically originates from a term women with nature, such as “Mother meaning “bundle of sticks.” This was Nature,” contributes to this percep- applied to male homosexuals because tion by paralleling women with prim- they used to be burned at the stake, itiveness and thereby distancing them because being homosexual was a capifrom logic. tal offence. It has extremely strong These stereotypical representa- connotations of execution, and yet tions are then further embedded is tossed into everyday language as into societal perception when we though it means nothing. continue to use being female as an The issue is that the use of these insult. The more females are repre- words has become habitual. We sented as inferior and emotionally throw them into conversation with-

out realizing their harmful effects or offensive connotations. We have become so used to these disparaging terms that we do not bat an eye, which I think speaks volumes about our behaviour as a society.

Calling your friend a “retard” when they forgot their phone at home, telling your teammate that they “throw like a girl,” and referring to someone as a “fag” is not acceptable. Yet we use these words and wonder why the world is so hostile.

Inhospitable thoughts lead to inhospitable behaviour. To create a more inclusive society, we need to create a more inclusive language.

Comment Comment Editor: Tom Ingram Contact: comment@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

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Leave the tweets out of it Anti-Bélanger campaign should not provide a model for future UMSU elections Tom Ingram, staff

merit to them. Bélanger did something stupid and it bit him in the ass.

Justice is served.

But looking at things from a long-term point of view, there’s a more troubling issue here. If these social media-based character assassinations become a widely accepted annual occurrence, it will create a toxic environment for campus politics at the University of Manitoba.

I do not want an UMSU where anyone who puts their name forward as an executive candidate is immediately subjected to this kind of in-depth personal investigation.

All this will do is discourage people from seeking nomination, further limiting our options to riffraff with media consultants and a hypertrophied sense of self.

Some background checking is understandable, but you don’t find posts like these unless you‘re looking for them

graphic by Evan Tremblay

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hortly after Christopher grossly inappropriate and unbecomBélanger confirmed his candi- ing, but they were republished with dacy for the position of vice-presi- a transparently ulterior motive: in dent internal of the University of the one case, the discrediting of a Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU), recently elected official; in the other a set of screenshots of offensive tweets case, providing a platform for politimade by Bélanger in 2012 and 2013 cal point-scoring during an electoral began to circulate. After that, many campaign. denounced him as an unsuitable candidate for the UMSU executive.

Let’s get a few things straight: I If this is the very am no fan of the Your UMSU slate. worst dirt that I did not vote for them, and I hope you didn’t either. I also do not wish could be dug up, to defend sexism or cast aspersions at we need to get the work of feminists generally.

But this nonsense is in danger a better class of of becoming a Winnipeg electoral tradition. whisper campaigner During the recent mayoral election someone dug up an old Facebook post by Lorrie Steeves, wife of canNow it is Bélanger’s turn. The didate Gord Steeves, that contained comments that were singled out for a racist remark. People immediately censure included Bélanger’s medidemanded that Gord Steeves explain tations on the subjects of “skinny and apologize for the post, thus bitches” and “booteyy.” One picture ending Winnipeg’s racism problem from Instagram depicted a Mercedesforever.

Benz car with the caption “Arian [sic] On a more down-home scale, pride. Benz for life.” shortly after Al Turnbull began his These screenshots have been pubfirst term as UMSU president in lished by the anonymous person or 2013, someone leaked an old photo people who run the blog This is Our of him wearing a T-shirt that said, UMSU. The blog makes some fairly “Cool story, babe. Now go make me hefty accusations against the current a sandwich.”

UMSU executive; any concerned Obviously these two remarks are UMSU member should be aware of

and read it.

But the rhetoric about Bélanger coming from This is Our UMSU is a touch overblown. We are not talking about a Watergate scenario here.

I hate to be the one to have to say this, but here it is: the comments that Bélanger made on Twitter and Instagram are not as bad as we’re being told.

The worst that can be said about them is that they are vulgar and crass.

Sexist, certainly, though describing some of the comments that way is reaching; to call them racist is dislocating your shoulder. If this is the very worst dirt that could be dug up, we need to get a better class of whisper campaigner.

The most recent of the tweets dates back to August of 2013, which was nearly two years ago. The oldest is nearly three years old. It is important to take responsibility for one’s past, but as university students most of us are young and all of us are on a journey of intellectual upheaval.

People frequently find that they are not the same person six months into university as they were when they started. If your views on anything have not changed significantly in two years of university study I would have to question whether you’re doing it right.

This is not to say that Bélanger has

changed his ways in that time – I have no way of knowing if he has, and I don’t much care. But it’s not utterly ridiculous to believe he might have.

I hope I’m not alone in admitting that I’ve said and done things I’m not proud of within the last two to three years. Some of these things were said online and are still available to anyone who might be looking for them.

This whole episode trivializes sexism by using legitimate social justice concern as a cover for petty political manoeuvring We are the first generation that has had our routine social utterances from our teenage years onward recorded for posterity. The impact of this technological change has not yet fully been felt. The upshot is our past selves will be more readily available to the present than ever before. This is a decidedly mixed blessing.

I think the accusations against Bélanger are flawed. But even I have to admit that they have a fair bit of

Some background checking is understandable, but you don’t find posts like these unless you’re looking for them – i.e., you have some pre-existing reason to want to discredit someone, and you’re looking for anything that will do the job. The bar for unforgivable offensiveness is set rather low, and if the badness of the comments themselves is not enough, you can always surround them with text that suggests they’re worse than they are.

The issue here is not sexism. In fact this whole episode trivializes sexism by using legitimate social justice concern as a cover for petty political manoeuvring. Those who are honestly offended by Bélanger’s remarks are being taken advantage of, to the detriment of the entire student body.

Who can withstand this kind of scrutiny? I certainly can’t. My friends can’t. I wonder whether the people disseminating these screenshots can.

Bélanger can’t, either. I’m not suggesting that we should be soft in our judgment of his comments (though I am suggesting we be proportional), but they should never have reached us in the first place. They only did because the UMSU elections have recently been a place for bickering, grandstanding, and unseemly external influence.

Instead of judging candidates based on years-old Twitter posts, why don’t we judge them on their policies and their actions? Those factors alone gave us more than enough reason to seek alternative candidates for the UMSU executive.

VOL. 101 NO. 54 March 11, 2015

Comment 11

A higher empathy It’s harder to feel Vincent Li’s pain, which is why it’s so important Alex Passey, volunteer staff

graphic by Evan Tremblay

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incent Li has been a household empathy for McLean and his family. name for years now, and has We can easily imagine the horror that been the source of much debate in McLean must have felt that night on Manitoba, and all across Canada. the bus. We have all suffered the loss In 2008, Li was arrested for killing of a person we love, and so we can and beheading a man named Tim share in the grief of a family who not McLean on a Greyhound bus. Li only lost their son, but had him taken was found not criminally responsible from them. And we can all empathize for the crime and was remanded to with the family’s need for some sort of Selkirk Mental Health Centre. retribution after they were the victims Li’s case is an issue of a man and of such a horrible event. an illness, and it has been commented These are the things that are easy on by people who are not doctors ad for us to do, because we are all very nauseam. much like McLean and his famNevertheless, I feel there is a per- ily. When we put ourselves in the spective that is lost on many people shoes of anyone in this situation, it in regards to Li, and so I will add is invariably these victims. But there my own to the cacophony of voices is another victim here, and that is speaking about Li’s situation, for Li, only he is much more difficult to whatever it’s worth. empathize with.

I think that at its core this is a matIt is fairly obvious why we have ter of empathy. Every single thinking such a difficult time empathizing and feeling decent human being will with Li. We look at what he did that examine this case and feel instant night on the Greyhound bus, and of

course none of us can even imagine ever doing something so horrible. But the problem with that is that we are trying to imagine this while in our right minds, because that is all our minds are capable of knowing.

It is an impossible thing to try to extrapolate our own experience into an understanding of the untreated schizophrenic mind It is an impossible thing to try to extrapolate our own experience into an understanding of the untreated schizophrenic mind, and yet so many

people are quick to pass judgment on Li despite this fact. The only people who have a real window of understanding into Li’s condition are mental health professionals. Li has spent years with such experts now, and they agree that, like you, when in his right mind, Li would never do something like he did to McLean, and is no danger to the general public.

They are also confident that they have come up with a mechanism to keep Li in his right mind. And considering that in Manitoba no person found not criminally responsible for a killing due to mental illness has ever committed a violent crime after being released, I would say our experts have a pretty good record of being right.

Empathy is a wonderful and powerful thing, and it is the reason that we identify immediately with McLean and his family, and they deserve all the support we can give

them. Unfortunately in cases like this, empathy is a double-edged sword, for it is also what brings some of us to see only the horrible deed that Li committed, and not recognize the disease beneath. There are also those of us who see the disease as well, who recognize that Li was not in his right mind that night, but still feel that someone still needs to pay for this crime.

These people have also fallen short of the level of empathy we should strive for. We need to remember that there is a man underneath that disease, a man who isn’t a criminal and whose doctors believe can be a productive and peaceful member of society. Vincent Li will always suffer from the deed and the disease, but it is up to us how much more he has to suffer from.

Science & technology 12 Science & Technology Editor: Chantelle Dubois Contact: science@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Asymmetrical organocatalysis Researcher profile: Rebecca Davis Jeremiah Yarmie, staff

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Photos provided by Rebecca L. Davis

ebecca Davis is an assistant professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Manitoba. She completed her BSc in chemistry at Washington State University and her PhD at the University of California, Davis.

“I am a physical organic chemist,” Davis told the Manitoban. “Our research is in studying the mechanisms of organic reactions and using that information to develop new reactions and new catalysts.

“Physical organic chemistry is a very small field – there aren’t a lot of us in it. For me it’s fun to think about how mechanisms work and how two molecules come together to make a new one.”

Davis’ work focuses on asymmetric organocatalysis.

“This field actually has developed essentially in the same amount of time as I have,” said Davis. “It’s a young field and an exciting one to be in.”

“Organo-” refers to organic molecules – those that contain carbon atoms.

In chemistry, catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions by changing the energy requirements of the interactions.

Catalysts are not consumed in the chemical reaction and are recycled

at the reaction’s end.

This leaves us with the idea of asymmetry. If you look at your right and left hands, you notice that they are very similar but not identical. You cannot find a way to place them on top of each other so that they look the same – they are non-superimposable mirror images.

Non-superimposable mirror images occur in organic molecules all the time. These complementary molecules are known as enantiomers.

By understanding how asymmetric organocatalysis works, we can understand how to utilize it in the synthesis of enantiomeric compounds.

“In order for this field to develop much further and become a prevalent field of organic chemistry, we have to understand how these catalysts work on a molecular level,” said Davis.

Through understanding those mechanisms of action, not only can chemists develop new catalysts and apply them to new reactions, but also use current catalysts in new ways.

“We’re looking into expanding the field of reactions that known catalysts can be used in.

“Asymmetric catalysis is the underpinning of most pharmaceuticals at this point,” said Davis.

When it comes to certain drugs, enantiomeric form can mean the

difference between medicine that helps you feel better and medicine that causes harmful side effects.

Like any new professor, Davis was tasked with the development of her own lab.

“I was really drawn to having the opportunity to do the research that I wanted to do,” said Davis. “One of the reasons I was looking in Canada for a position was because I like the research environment here.”

Any new Winnipegger is burdened with at least one question about the cold. Davis was no exception.

“I didn’t know cold got this cold,” she joked.

Davis commented on how the department of chemistry and its faculty have been very helpful regarding her new responsibilities as a professor.

“As a researcher, you don’t have any administrative duties; you’re just doing research. This job has many more factors to it,” said Davis. “The faculty is very supportive; it is one of the reasons I wanted to come here.”

Davis has also enjoyed her first few terms of teaching.

“One of the reasons I wanted to become a professor was I enjoy watching people learn, and knowing that I have had an influence in their lives and taught them something.”

Bright lights Scientists unsure what bright spots detected on Ceres are Chantelle Dubois, Staff

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graphic by Bram Keast

right spots on Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, have left scientists puzzled as to what they could be.

The bright spots were first detected on Jan. 13 in one of Ceres’ craters. One spot is notably brighter than the other.

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet Ceres on the morning of March 6 to begin surveying its surface and taking photographs.

Dawn travelled 4.9 billion kilometres over 7.5 years to reach Ceres.

Before making its journey to Ceres, Dawn first orbited around Vesta, another large object in the asteroid belt, analyzing the surface for 14 months.

These tasks make Dawn the first spacecraft to orbit around two celestial objects in the solar system, this has also been the first NASA project to use ion propulsion to obtain orbit.

The purpose of the Dawn mission is to visit proto-planets and collect data, which may provide scientists with more information on how planets are formed.

Both Vesta and Ceres are considered proto-planets – planets that failed to completely form.

It is thought that Ceres is composed of 25 per cent water hidden beneath the surface, which would mean there is more water on Ceres than freshwater on Earth.

Some theories on what the bright spots could be include: Salt – The simplest explanation of the bright spots would be a mineral deposit left by an impact or perhaps from a time when the dwarf planet may once have been covered with water. Salt is a reflective mineral.

Metal – One of the biggest motivators for exploring asteroids is the possibility of mining resources. The possibility of aluminum or silver being found on an asteroid is not completely far out. Since metals are reflective (especially if polished) this could be a possible explanation.

Ice – Scientists believe there is an abundance of water on Ceres, and so it would not be unreasonable to find ice on its surface. Ice is highly reflective.

Water vapour – Plumes of water have been previously detected on Ceres by the European Herschel telescope in 2014. Perhaps these bright spots are related.

Cryovolcanoes – Initial specula-

tion was that the bright spots were active cryovolcanoes, volcanoes that emit water, ammonia, or methane as opposed to magma. However, due to the lack of other indicators of volcanic activity, such as volcanic peaks or dust, this theory has been dismissed.

Headlights – Of course, the two bright spots next to each other resemble headlights, and some wilder theories suggest these lights may be artificial in nature. Some imaginations tend to run wild when unknown objects in the universe are encountered.

It seems most likely the bright spots are a reflective material and are not emitting light themselves, as they appear to fade and then disappear on the night side of Ceres.

As Dawn is now currently decreasing its orbit around Ceres, getting closer and closer to its surface, it will only be a matter of time before the spacecraft is able to provide closerange photographs.

VOL. 101 NO. 54 March 11, 2015

Science & Technology 13

The Turing brain The brain decides like Alan Turing’s statistical analysis solved the Enigma code Chantelle Dubois, Staff

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esearchers from Columbia Some of the messages had predict- the monkey’s brains showed that neuUniversity recently discovered able pieces of information (such as, ron activity was linked to the confithat the brains of rhesus monkeys “the weather report for today is…”) dence the monkey had in the clue make decisions using the same algo- and so those letters were given high being correct. If the clue did not have rithms as Alan Turing’s decoding probabilities for being correctly a strong association with the reward, machine utilized during World War deciphered. the neuron activity would not be as II. Once enough letters were deci- impactful. If the clue had a strong For those unfamiliar, Turing phered, the overall weight of the code association with the reward, the neuhelped decipher encrypted messages would break the accepted threshold ron activity had a higher impact.

Nazi Germany used to relay infor- and the code was then considered The monkey would then make a mation in secrecy. This information cracked. decision based on its confidence in included weather reports, military Neuroscientists at Columbia the clue’s correctness, either rejecting intelligence, and other information found that the brain assesses evidence or accepting the location the clues that ended up being critical in helping in the same way. suggested the reward was hidden. the Allies win the war.

Monkeys were presented clues on The researchers believe this is similar Turing used a form of statistical where to find a reward on a screen, to how humans make decisions. analysis called “Banburismus,” which which would only be shown to them Statistical analysis is used in gave each letter a weight. Some letters for a brief period of time. Some of everyday life to determine informawere more common than others and these clues were reliable, while oth- tion that many take for granted. had higher weights. ers were not.

In weather forecasting, models use When analyzing encrypted inforThe monkeys would then use what statistics from past weather condimation, the machine accumulated the they knew about the correctness of tions and current weather conditions probability of the decryption being the clues to try and determine the to predict future weather conditions. correct. If the probability was too low, reward’s location.

The more recent the data, the more the solution was rejected.

A study of the neural activity in confident the forecast is, which is

graphic by Aldo Rios

why forecasting is only reliable for the near future.

Insurance is also determined by statistical analysis. When determining an insurance rate, companies will use information about the likelihood of that insurance being claimed based on data by others insured for similar reasons. For example, homes in areas at a high risk for natural hazards would have a higher insurance rate due to the likelihood of damage,

compared to a home in an area of low risk for natural hazards.

Statistical analysis is also used by stock market analysts to determine economic activity.

Overall, the brain appears to use the most fundamental method of determining the correctness of data by using statistical analysis. This occurs subconsciously, so studying for your STATS 1000 final is still advised.

Hot pepper pain relief How capsaicin pain relief works Jeremiah Yarmie, staff

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ecent research from Rutgers atoms—in the neurons that possess it. the nociceptors entering a refracNew Jersey Medical School has When this calcium influx occurs tory phase where they are no longer helped us understand how chili pep- in pain-sensing neurons called noci- responsive to pain-causing stimuli. ceptors, it results in changes to the So why do chili peppers create pers alleviate pain.

The research, published in Science molecules which compose the cellular capsaicin at all?

Signalling, looked at the molecular membrane. Certain fat components, Capsaicin, also known by its action of capsaicin, the compound called phosphoinositides, are cut chemical name 8-methyl-N-vanillylresponsible for the spiciness of chilis. out of the cellular membrane by a 6-nonenamide, is a member of the Capsaicin has been used in pain relief protein called phospholipase C. This vanilloid family. This family includes ointments for a while now, with its process was not observed when cal- the molecules responsible for some first extraction from chilis in the early cium wasn’t present surrounding the of the flavours of vanilla, bay leaves, 1800s, but the mechanism of this cells, indicating that phospholipase and ginger. calming effect has not been investi- C activity was dependent on calcium Capsaicin naturally acts as a detergated until recently. signalling. rent for mammalian species like Capsaicin binds to a heat-sensing This reduction in phosphoinositi- humans. Capsaicin is most concenreceptor called transient receptor des results in the inhibition of two ion trated in the white pith of the pepper, potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) found channels called Piezo1 and Piezo2, which is where the chili seeds are on pain and heat-sensing neurons. which detect mechanical changes to found.

This is why you experience a burning the cell membrane. These mechanical Birds typically spread chili plants sensation when you eat sriracha or use changes, usually stretching, typically between areas because their digesa capsaicin ointment. occur during pain-causing events. tive tracts do not damage any seeds.

Temperatures between 37 and 45 The two Piezo channels likely rely This is possible because the TRPV1 degrees Celsius typically activate on phosphoinositides when detect- channel does not react to capsaicin TRPV1. TRPV1 activation results in a ing pain. in birds. large influx of calcium ions—charged This inhibition effect results in Mammals, on the other hand,

tend to crush up seeds with their teeth. It is likely because of this that capsaicin developed to be reactive in mammals.

Capsaicin’s flavour is due to its long hydrocarbon tail. It also doesn’t mix with water very well, which is why water doesn’t relieve an overly hot mouth.

Everyone has heard that a glass of milk helps calm down your mouth if you have accidentally eaten too much spicy food.

Hydrophobic proteins in milk called caseins help alleviate the burning sensation by mopping up the excess capsaicin that is hanging out on your tongue. graphic by Keegan Steele In this way, caseins act similarly to detergents when they mop up grease in a sink. “insanity pepper“ Homer Simpson It is still unknown whether eats at a chili cook-off, but we will milk will help after a run-in keep you posted. with the Merciless Peppers of Quetzalacatenango, the fictional

Diversions Graphics Editor: Bram Keast Contact: graphics@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

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VOL. 101 NO. 52 February 25, 2015

Diversions

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Arts & Culture Arts & Culture Editor: Lauren Siddall Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

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Fishing in the dark done right

Lake Shaker promises to be a night of winter fun Alana Trachenko, staff

Photo by Alana Trachenko

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undraising is an essential tool in any non-profit’s belt, so it is always important to create events that are worth coming to. FortWhyte Alive has had no trouble with that, as their Lake Shaker event sold out three weeks before the event. It is no wonder when looking at what the night entails: skating, sledding, ice fishing, and live music – all on the frozen lake.

Sarah Carson, the event’s co-ordinator, said that the event is brought together by a team of staff and volunteers, and all proceeds support

FortWhyte Alive’s environmental FortWhyte Alive as a place to go for a ment of interest, in case the party on education programs. hike, go ice fishing, or have a bonfire the lake did not have that covered.

“As a non-profit organization, we with friends – but that’s a big part of The menu is street food style and rely on these kinds of fundraising what we do here every day,” she said. provided by Diversity Foods, while events to continue doing the work “For many, this will be FortWhyte local band the Reverend Rambler will that we do each and every day,” Alive like they’ve never seen it be playing live music.

Carson said. before. And there has been a lot of The event, like many others in Not only is there snow bocce and excitement around hatchet throwing. Winnipeg, has the effect of remindcocktails, but the added benefit of The toboggan slide is incredible, and ing us that winter can be fun, and knowing that ticket sales are going definitely not just for kids.” that ice and snow are less obstacles to a good cause.

The toboggan slide in question is than they are new materials for Carson said that for those attend- the Richardson Rrrun, Winnipeg’s entertainment. ing, the night will be a nostalgic tallest toboggan slide that rockets “I think it’s important to showreminder of field trips as kids. tobogganers onto the frozen lake. case what winter in Winnipeg can “I think most people don’t think of It certainly does add another ele- be,” Carson said. “And I think people

really are craving those authentic ‘winter experiences’ – having the event sell out three weeks in advance, I think, is a testament to that.”

The FortWhyte Alive Lake Shaker will take place on March 14 at 7 p.m. All funds raised will support FortWhyte Alive’s environmental education programs. To get involved, visit fortwhyte.org

A Walrus of a night Walrus Talks is hosting their first event in Winnipeg at the WAG Alana Trachenko, staff

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he Walrus Talks is making its first appearance in Winnipeg since the event began in 2012.

Co-ordinated by the Canadian magazine, the Walrus, the presentations take place in 15-20 cities across the country. The night happens in two parts: first, eight speakers present on

topics that are related to their field of work for approximately 80 minutes, followed by a reception during which audience members and presenters are free to discuss the ideas that have been shared.

David Leonard, the director of events at the Walrus, said that the

reception is meant to be educational, “The idea behind the Walrus but not academic. The lines between Talks is that we always want to take presenter and listener are erased once the overarching theme of the night, the presentations are over, in the which is a matter that is vital to hopes that dialogue can take place Canadians,” Leonard said. and cause change in the areas that are This year, the focus of the presendiscussed, such as housing, urbaniza- tations is the Arctic and the unique tion, and sovereignty. challenges that those living there are faced with.

“What keeps coming back to us is, climate change is huge, housing, culture,” said Leonard. “As well as the collision between the North and South, and between tradition and modernity.”

Speakers include artists, historians, authors, and architects. Speakers are chosen based on their ability to bring something new to the topic they are speaking on, and diversity among speakers is emphasized as well.

“In some cases, the speakers have a lot of experience presenting, and with someone like Tanya Tagaq, you usually see her singing on stage, so you get the opportunity to now hear her speak on stage,” Leonard said.

“You want to get different perspectives on stage.”

Leonard said that while 80 minutes is not enough time to adequately discuss all the issues pertaining to the Arctic, the Talks are meant to stimulate conversation and shed light on areas that Canadians should be Photo collage provided by The Walrus paying attention to.

“The hope is that, with high-level ideas from the right people, you can get to the heart of the matter, and the audience, who is curious and thoughtful and engaged, will go out and do some reading,” Leonard said.

“Maybe they’ll take another step and be more engaged in the issue. All of a sudden, the issue moves forward.”

The events are meant to be an extension of the type of editorial content that the Walrus is known for; Leonard’s job is to find speakers and presentations that translate onto the stage the way that the magazine reads. There is a focus on diversifying perspectives and informative content.

Another element is added with speakers who are proficient in their fields, discussing topics about which they are passionate.

The reception also acts as an invitation to the community, urging them to get involved and illustrating why it is important to do so.

The Walrus Talks will take place at the WAG on March 26 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for students and are available at thewalrus.ca/the-walrustalks-arctic. The event coincides with Arctic Adaptations: Nunavut, currently exhibited at the gallery.

VOL. 101 NO. 54 March 11, 2015

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From Magnetic Zeroes to classic folk heroes 2015 Winnipeg Folk Festival artist lineup announced Ian T.D. Thomson

photo byTravis Ross

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n March 5, the Winnipeg Folk with their single “Home,” a song that Festival announced the lineup was played on both college and top 10 for its 2015 event. Artists such as radio stations. Following the release Wilco, Jenny Lewis, Arlo Guthrie, of their debut album Up from Below Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic in 2009, the band’s latest release is Zeros, Jose Gonzalez, Kurt Vile, a compilation album of the band’s Shakey Graves, and Bahamas will live recordings entitled Live in No take the stage in Birds Hill Park in Particular Order: 2009 – 2014.

July.

“With this lineup, we are honouring folk music by embracing the While Wilco evolution of folk while staying true frontman Tweedy to the traditions of Folk Fest,” said Folk Festival artistic director Chris has played the Frayer to the press. festival in previous “Modern folk artists are playing with the genre and pushing it in new years as a solo directions and this lineup will be an exciting representation of that.” artist, this will be

The headliners

the first time Wilco

Headlining this year’s festival will take the stage will be alternative-country act Wilco, at the Winnipeg indie-folk band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and the classic Folk Festival Arlo Guthrie.

Wilco is an established alternative rock outfit from Chicago, led by Arlo Guthrie will be better known singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy. Wilco to the boomer generation as a folk formed in 1994 and has gone on to hero for his songs of social protest. release eight studio albums.

His 18-minute blues ballad “Alice’s The band’s most noteworthy Restaurant Massacre” is sure to be a release is 2002’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. crowd favourite for all ages. Gutherie This release saw the band gain both is currently on tour as “Alice’s critical and commercial success with Restaurant Massacre” celebrates its an experimental, yet accessible sound. 50th anniversary.

This album featured the now classic songs by the band, including “Jesus, The eclecticism etc.” and “I am trying to break your The 2015 lineup includes an eclecheart.” The album has been cited as tic mixture of artists spanning many one of the best and influential albums genres. From indie freak folk bands of the 2000s. such as Dan Mangan + Blacksmith, While Wilco frontman Tweedy to high-tempo bluegrass bands such has played the festival in previous as Trampled by Turtles and Shred years as a solo artist, this will be the Kelly, the 2015 Folk Fest will have first time Wilco will take the stage at something for everyone. the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

The festival is also presenting the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic up-and-coming such as artist Steph Zeros are a 10-piece indie-folk band Cameron. The Saskatchewan-born based out of Los Angeles, California. artist brings prowling folk music couLed by singer-songwriter Alex Ebert, pled with banjo-style fingerpicking the group gained notoriety in 2009 on her acoustic guitar. After busk-

ing throughout Canada, Cameron went to Toronto to record a single song entitled “Goodbye Molly.” As the recording session progressed, the artist soon found herself recording 13 songs. These tracks, recorded on a retro two-inch tape, comprise her debut album Sad-Eyed Lonesome Lady, released back in September of 2014.

World music artists are also present on this year’s lineup. Nahko and Medicine for the People, a worldmusic collective who promote indigenous-led causes such as “Honor the Treaties,” as well as India-based group the Barmer Boys are representatives of the current world music scene.

As the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the organization has not forgotten local artists on the 2015 lineup. Indie electronic outfit Royal Canoe, salsainspired the Mariachi Ghost, and singer-songwriter Slow Leaves share the bill alongside the international and world-renowned headliners.

A four-day folk fest

In October of 2014, it was announced that the festival would return to its previous four-day format.

The festival added the fifth day in 2009 in order to book English singersongwriter Elvis Costello.

“In fact, a four-day festival gives us a more concentrated artistic budget to bring in the acts audiences want to see,” explained the organization’s blog.

With an extra day removed from the scheduling, the festival was also able to bring down the early bird festival ticket price by $40 to $185 for the full four days.

Hear all year

The Winnipeg Folk Festival is a non-profit organization that helps promote folk, roots, and singersongwriter musical events in the One Great City! The organization continues to expand into new ventures in a city with eight months of winter.

On Jan. 15, Folk Fest Thursdays was announced – a bi-weekly concert series at the Good Will Social Club. On April 8, the Winnipeg Folk Festival will be presenting Australian ska and jazz band Cat Empire at the Burton Cummings Theatre.

The 2015 Winnipeg Folk Festival takes place July 9-12 at Birds Hill Park.

Early bird tickets are now on sale for $185 for the full four days. Tickets are available at the Winnipeg Folk Festival Music Store (211 Bannatyne Ave.), through Ticketmaster or over the phone (1-888-655-5354). For more information regarding ticket pricing and for the full list of performers, visit winnipegfolkfestival.ca

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Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor: Lauren Siddall Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Hard work is for Fools & Horses Winnipeg’s newest coffee break destination Lauren Siddall, staff

A

midst a tumult of business transactions, impending deadlines, and difficult co-workers is the perfect reprieve: Fools & Horses – named after the beloved British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, about a group of people who spend all their time trying to come up with “get rich quick schemes” and, ironically, work all the time.

“The idea of being called Fools & Horses is a take on this idea that we all live to work, we don’t work to live, so we want this to be a place where people can focus on enjoying themselves,” said Fools & Horses co-owner James Magnus-Johnston.

“I think that speaks to millennials today; they’re spending so much time trying to figure out how to use the degree that they spent so much money on, they’re trying to find ways to make a simple living. We came to the conclusion that if we’re destined for simple livelihood, maybe we should try and do something good with that livelihood.”

Anchoring the idea is the modbar – essentially an under-the-counter espresso machine that allows you to profile it based on pressure and volume. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, the new technology should lead to a higher quality coffee product. Designed by engineers turned musicians, the modbar has permeated the market on the West Coast and is slowly creeping into other metropolitan areas.

“Conceptually, the modbar will be very interesting; it’s very unique.

But then also the idea of this being a social enterprise, something that reinvests in the community and catalyzes jobs for young entrepreneurs,” said Magnus-Johnston.

With this, the mandate of Fools & Horses was born. The business is pillared on three main ideologies: social, environmental, and economic. Not only is Fools & Horses designed to serve as a refuge from the stresses of everyday, it has also been constructed to help young entrepreneurs and businesses find their footing by creating a large network of local suppliers, which has the added benefit of reducing fossil fuel requirements.

On the roster so far: Miss Browns and Shawarma Khan on sandwiches, Jonnies Sticky Buns providing pastries, and up-and-coming baker Michael Harms providing bread for gourmet toast – with charcuterie and yogurt parfaits both on the menu as well.

Owners of the shop have also been working with local dairies and meat providers to cater only the best quality, while being as locally-sourced as possible.

As part of this mandate, Fools & Horses is teaming up with the dairy processing facility at the University of Manitoba for fresh yogurt for their parfaits. These partnerships, while contributing to lower carbon emissions, are also a way to create connections within the community.

“To me, that’s where innovation

is now. To innovate is to reconnect to people now, which is kind of sad.

You’ve got all these large monopolies now so you have to reconnect to the community.”

And what better way to connect than over coffee, wine, and beer.

“The other thing that’s going to be unique about this is we’re focusing primarily on coffee but then we’re also going to have other drinks on tap: beer and wine will be on tap too.”

Starting at noon, the taps will open to serve beer from Half Pints, Lake of the Woods, and Paddock Wood brewing companies, as well as wine from Vineland Estates Winery – making Fools & Horses one of the first establishments in Manitoba to serve wine from a keg.

Although the feat was far from easy, Magnus-Johnston said that finding wine to be served in a keg was important to the company not purely from an innovation standpoint, but for keeping fossil fuel requirements and waste to a minimum – it’s low carbon wine.

While new to Winnipeg, the idea of serving coffee, beer, and wine together has proven to be successful across the pond.

“In Europe, there are these places in Denmark and Belgium, and the Netherlands; there’s this concept that translates loosely to ‘the good life’ but also it means ‘coziness.’ And it’s centred on the great drinks: coffee, beer, and wine. Those are the kind of things that bring people together,” said Magnus-Johnston.

“We’re trying to figure out how to make that happen in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg can thrive; it is thriving.

We just need to create venues for those great things to happen. We don’t need to move to those places, you just need to create it and then it becomes a part of the culture.”

No strangers to culture, the owners of the shop are working to establish Fools & Horses as a hub of cultural activity, intending for the location to open after-hours in order to serve as the venue for art and music enthusiasts.

“One of the things that Fools & Horses is going to try and achieve is acting as an intimate venue for really excellent arts and culture. A really great jazz trio is not going to rent out Burton Cummings; they need a small, intimate venue. You can do some really neat things. I think it could be so innovative,” said Magnus-Johnston.

“We’ll start with really good coffee, and grow from there.”

Fools & Horses is located at 379 Broadway and is slated to open in late March, with hours from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday.

Photo provided by Fools & Horses

Photo provided by Fools & Horses

VOL. 101 NO. 54 March 11, 2015

Arts & Culture

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Review: Gnarr The story of how Icelandic comedian Jón Gnarr became the mayor of Reykjavik Craig Adolphe, staff

Gnarr was not a conventional Jónpolitician.

But, after a seemingly

ing the law of gravity, paying off Canada’s public debt with an American Express card, and paving over Manitoba to make a parking lot; Jello Biafra running for mayor of San Francisco; Stephen Colbert’s televised 2012 presidential candidacy; or even the University of Manitoba’s own Aaron Griffiths, who ran his “No More Tears” campaign in the UMSU General Election in 2012.

The one major difference is that Jón Gnarr won. The Best Party finished first with 34.7 per cent of the vote.

sporadic decision to enter politics with a comical and unconventional campaign, the stand-up comedian and actor was elected mayor of Reykjavik, Iceland’s largest city and capital, in 2010.

After a single term, Gnarr left office in early 2014, subsequently releasing his book Gnarr: How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World.

Gnarr, a self-described armchair anarchist and political pacifist, was a passionate figure in Reykjavik’s arts scene. After the 2008 financial collapse hit Iceland, Gnarr began asking Gnarr is a fittingly people what effects bailouts—which unconventional were said to be coming—would have on his community. book from the The answer he got from friends was that the country would probably unconventional see austerity conditions imposed, cutting funding to the arts and privatiz- former mayor ing national resources and services.

Fearing cuts and unhappy with the failure of the elites to predict or Reykjavik’s electoral process prevent the financial crisis in Iceland, requires that if no party holds a Gnarr decided to create his own majority of the votes they be required political party: the Best Party. to form a coalition government with Relying on his own friends— other parties in order to govern. mostly other members of the arts Gnarr insisted that he would not community—for support, Gnarr’s form a coalition with anyone who team navigated the legal process to had not watched The Wire. In the proregister a party and began making cess of the Best Party’s negotiating a outlandish promises to draw atten- coalition to govern with the social tion to their campaign. democratic party, Samfylkingin, After the Left-Green party prom- Gnarr remarked of the social demoised to provide teens with free access crat leader Dagur Eggertsson, “He to pools, the Best Party promised must watch The Wire [ . . . ] What to provide free access to the city’s am I to talk to him about otherwise pools for all citizens and a free towel. – socialism?”

Gnarr facetiously proposed to bring Gnarr suggested that in the proa Disneyland to Iceland, saying that cess of negotiating a coalition—aside it would provide jobs and that peo- from continuing to insist Eggertsson ple would enjoy being able to take get caught up on The Wire—the pictures with Mickey Mouse. He Best Party’s priorities were focused promised to stop corruption by “par- on making the city “more human, ticipating in it openly” and vowed to more welcoming, and more modern” make Parliament drug-free by 2020. while the social democrats prioritized He even had his party design a labour and education policy, which website that was meant to be the ugli- the Best Party endorsed in principle est party website on the Internet. as well.

They capped it all off by promising that the Best Party would not keep Analysis any of their promises – effectively Gnarr is sometimes over the top, nullifying their previous campaign making utopian predictions of the promises. future in which nobody ever dies and This glib attitude continued until where people are able to stop in at the final weeks of the campaign the local bank to have money printed when the party, by then leading in as a free service. Other times, he’s the polls, began to tone down their more direct and analytical, railing use of humour and begin engaging in against privatization and the neolibwhat Gnarr acknowledged to be the eral agenda or loss of Icelandic sov“pure theatre” of more conventional ereignty through EU encroachment. politics. Although he did maintain He does not provide a complete, enough humour to, just before the cogent, or comprehensive vision for election, make a speech announcing an alternative; his ideas are fragthe Best Party’s withdrawal from the mented and contradictory at times. race before yelling out “Joke!” to roars But Gnarr is not a book you will want of laughter. for its sociological or political theory.

The story of Gnarr and the Best Gnarr’s memoirs tell a story. They are Party parallels some other comedic a vivid example of how a group of candidates to grace ballots over the artists, with no political background, years. were worried about cuts to something It draws to mind Canada’s own they cared about and were able to Rhino party—their greatest years organize and protect their interests behind them—who campaigned (University of Manitoba Student on promises that included repeal- Action Network take note).

Gnarr’s team reached people not acknowledges that even up until tak- the race, and later job, he has comby parroting the neutered, vanilla ing the seat he “had no idea what a mitted himself to. language of a detached political class, mayor actually did.”

Gnarr alternates between a sense but by actively speaking to people on of certainty and seriousness—relatheir own terms: using humour to tively speaking—in his political mock the process and its conventional essays to bouts of doubt and cunplayers, and discussing the issues that ningly timed antics in his memoirs The story of Gnarr relate most directly to people. from the campaign trail. His sincerity They used their comedic and artis- and the Best Party and openness about his own ignotic talents to wrestle power away from rance of the process and occasional parallels some other the political class and catapult themself-doubt makes the narrative much selves into city council, with Gnarr, more engaging – it often appears comedic candidates as mayor, at the helm. unclear to the reader, and perhaps The book does not do much to elu- to grace ballots over even to Gnarr, what the intended cidate the philosophy behind Gnarr’s outcome of his actions are. the years. The one rejection of the social democratic He jumps off the page like a social party. He acknowledges shared inter- major difference is savant – unintentionally taking his est, or at least a willing acceptance, of island-home by storm. Several times that Jón Gnarr won their platform points before forming while reading the book, I would be a coalition with them. openly laughing at the antics of Gnarr Gnarr hints at several reasons in Reaction and his Best Party compatriots. the book. He suggests the political With the party’s policy guide, Gnarr is a short book, at only 177 class was overly calcified, with even moral code, and a letter to U.S. pages. It can easily be read in a day those of a sympathetic ideology being president Barack Obama squeezed or two, depending on your reading at least moderately complicit in the between short memoirs, anecdotes speed. It may be unconventional to lead-up to the financial crisis. He also about Facebook and the 2008 finan- have such an eclectic assortment of highlights how, as a matter of culture, cial crash, and political essays about content interjected between chaphe wants those from the artistic com- democracy and world peace, Gnarr: ters, but it works for Gnarr. I cannot munity to receive respect for their How I Became the Mayor of a Large imagine finding a more entertaining contributions.

City in Iceland and Changed the World book chronicling a municipal election However, ignorance may be just is a fittingly unconventional book in Scandinavia. as big a factor, as he acknowledges from the unconventional former he knew virtually nothing about the mayor.

Gnarr: How I Became the Mayor local political players before decidAlthough the sections tend to of a Large City in Iceland and ing to run. jump quickly from one to the next, Changed the World is availGnarr tells the story of having with no chapter lasting more than able through the Winnipeg Public run into a woman during the cam- 12 pages, they form a narrative that Library and for sale at McNally paign that he did not realize was is coherent enough to appreciate the Robinson as a hardcover for $23.95. the incumbent mayor of Reykjavík, build-up of events and empathize Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir. He later with Gnarr’s situation as he navigates

graphic by Caroline Norman

20

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor: Lauren Siddall Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

21

One step ahead

Sports Sports Editor: Mike Still Contact: sports@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Detailing Bison track and field athlete Eric Guy’s impressive background Mike Still, staff

photos provided by Bison Sports

E

ric Guy does it all. Whether it’s it’s just so real to be around these little 60-metre hurdles (silver), and another on the track or in the community, guys who are asking the simple ques- in the pentathlon (gold). the sprinter has earned the respect tions and want to just have fun.”

His accomplishments on the track and admiration of anyone who meets One day, Guy and his friend Wade were enough to garner him Canada him.

Ryplanski–who also volunteers [in West Rookie of the Year honours, as Guy started running when he was the oncology unit] at the Children’s well as a trip to CIS nationals later nine years old, and has progressed Hospital—came up with an idea this month. every year since. He set provincial to raise money for CancerCare While Guy was happy to receive records in his age class in both the Manitoba, after being affected in 60- and 110-metre hurdles, and was a positive way, by all of the people part of Vincent Massey’s “AAAA” they came in contact with while provincial track and field champi- volunteering. onship teams, in both 2012 and 2013.

“The reason we did CancerCare He was also a double medallist is because it’s such a common thing. at the 2013 Canadian Junior Track People know about it,” Guy said. and Field Championships, placing “Our initial goal was to raise $500, third in both the and we knew we’d men’s 100- and raise more than “I love working 400-metre hurthat. We kind of dles. Despite all thought we’d be with kids. I think of his high school around $1,000, it’s refreshing. accomplishments, and then it just Guy maintained kind of took off.”

It’s just so real a humble attitude.

At the end of to be around “ You ne ver their campaign really worry about on Feb. 20, Guy these little guys records and stuff,” and Ryplanksi who are asking Guy said. “You had raised over kind of just worry $3,000, which was the simple about running quite impressive, your best, and considering the questions and hitting specific timespan. want to just have marks.”

“The majority of That humbleour $3,300 came fun” – Eric Guy ness translates to within an 11-day Guy’s personal period,” Guy said. life as well, where he volunteers his “It started off, we marketed to our time at various locations, such as friends and family and stuff. Once the Children’s Hospital, with kids we got a couple hundred bucks, we between the ages of six and 17. He threw the tweets out, and made the started volunteering there roughly a Facebook statuses.” year and a half ago.

Guy’s hard work earned him Along with the Children’s some well-deserved recognition at Hospital, Guy also helps out with the Canada West track and field yearSpecial Olympics Manitoba, as well end banquet, where he was selected as as Mini U. For the Vincent Massey the male Community Service Award alum, being in contact with kids on a winner. consistent basis helps him reconnect His committed work ethic was with the basic joys of life, after long also demonstrated with the herd days on the track or in school. this year, where he earned two med“I love working with kids. I think als at the Canada West Track and it’s refreshing,” Guy said. “With kids Field Championships – one in the

the award, he also noted that he wants to continue fundraising going forward, and help out other charities down the line.

“My hope would be to continue doing some form of fundraising every year, kind of like an annual event,” Guy said.

Not matter what Guy plans to do in the future, it’s a near certainty that he will put all of his effort into it, and continue to effect change in a positive way for those around him.

22

Sports

Sports Editor: Mike Still Contact: sports@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Barricaded in Alberta Bison women’s hockey falls to Pandas in Canada West final Andy Che, staff

The past

Throughout the 2014-15 season, the University of Manitoba Bison women’s hockey team was highlighted by the high-flying line of Maggie Litchfield-Medd, Alana Serhan, and Alanna Sharman. The trio combined for 83 points in the regular season, making Manitoba one of the most feared oppositions in the Canada West conference.

The pressure of the playoffs did little to deter Manitoba’s top line from continuing in their offensive fashion. Though a very young team, the Bisons have taken the post-season with the same level of intensity and character as displayed in the regular season.

Manitoba head coach Jon Rempel mentioned at the playoffs’ start, “I told them not to change too much.

Your team’s personality is what it is, and you have to play that way for the whole year.” However, a stingy Alberta Pandas team were well aware of Manitoba’s talents, and shut them down right from the start of the series.

The present

If the series could be defined in just 20 minutes of hockey, the opening frame of the Canada West

of CIS eligibility. ing. Her graduation from the CIS finals would do both teams justice. Manitoba dropped the game 4-0.

The Bisons were hoping to take With that many young stars, the will not come as an insurmountable Manitoba created plenty of chances but were denied on several occasions inspiration from their comeback future of this talent crop is bright. The loss to the Bisons, however, as rookie by an in-form Lindsey Post in the series against UBC into game two cream of the crop is rookie Alanna Erica Rieder and sophomore Caitlyn Pandas’ goal, and Alberta capitalized on Feb. 7.

Sharman, whose league-leading 41 Fyten are capable of playing an offenThe herd broke a 100-minute points earned her CIS Rookie of the sive-style game from the back end. on the few chances they had.

Both players combined for seven The Alberta goaltender may non-scoring streak early in the third Year honours. The last freshman to period when accomplish that feat was the legend- goals and 20 points in the regular have been the defender Jayden ary Hayley Wickenheiser. season and are expected to elevate one defining facSkoleski scored In her fifth and final year of CIS tor over the two their point total even further for the “Your team’s only her second eligibility is Bison captain Maggie upcoming campaign. games, as she personality is has been a staple goal of the cam- Litchfield-Medd. With next season Although the Bisons could not in the Pandas’ paign. Though just around the corner, the Bisons will extend their Cinderella run in the what it is, and defence, which the lead gave potentially have to name a successor. post-season, coach Rempel can sleep ranks fourth in Manitoba hopes The most likely scenario for an unex- easy knowing that the youthful exuyou have to play the league. Post of extending the perienced team is to promote one of berance of his team has only started that way for the collected a sparseries, Alberta their young guns, such as Sharman or to cast its shadow on CIS hockey. kling 10 shutouts rallied for a late Alana Serhan to alternate captaincy, Speed and skill are two elements of whole year” – Jon in 27 regular seacomeback and while the most likely veteran candi- the game which Manitoba puts to Rempel, head won game two date to be named captain is defender full use every night. son games.

Game one took by a 3-1 score.

Lindsay Blight.

The consistency at which these coach, women’s place on Friday, Yet, Rempel and his staff could incredible hockey players are displayhockey Feb 6. The Bisons The future take the matter one step further and ing game-in and game-out marks the never recovered Perhaps the hand the coveted “C” to Serhan or beginning of a very exciting new era from a 1-0 first Manitoba Bisons Sharman, who have exemplified a for Manitoba Bison women’s hockey. period deficit for the entire series, had outdone themselves during the youthful, raw, on-ice leadership As the 2015-16 season approaches, one consistently playing catch-up hockey. 2014-2015 season, having gone this far equivalent to NHLers Gabriel can only wonder what’s in store.

For only the third time through- into the playoffs. I would be willing Landeskog and Steven Stamkos. out the entire campaign, Manitoba to bet not many, if anyone, would Along with Litchfield-Medd, the was held off the scoresheet. After have predicted Manitoba would Bisons also lose veteran Michelle conceding four goals on 23 shots, make this deep of a post-season run, Pawluk on defence. With 19 points Bisons goalie Rachel Dyck was pulled considering 10 of the 23 players on this season, Pawluk ranked third midway through the third period and the roster are only in their first year overall amongst defencemen in scor-

Bison Briefs End of year awards and recognition Mike Still, staff

Teammates Rachel Dyck and Michelle Pawluk also gained recognition – both were selected as second team all-stars.

Cockrell selected CIS women’s volleyball Player of the Year

For the first time since the 2001-02 season, a Manitoba Bison was named CIS women’s graphic by Bradly Wohlgemuth volleyball Player of the Year, as Rachel Cockrell secured the t was another successful year for award in her final year with the herd.

Bison sports, and a number of playShe was first in the country in kills ers were recently awarded for their per set (5.06), total kills (471), total hard work, both on and off the court, points (535.5), and points per set (5.8). ice, and field.

The award is the final feather on the cap for Cockrell, who was also named Sharman named Canada MVP of last year’s CIS championship, West Rookie of the Year in which Manitoba won.

First-year women’s hockey pheIn her four years with the Bisons, nom Alanna Sharman has been a Cockrell has also been named to dynamic player all year for Manitoba, the CIS All-Rookie Team (2010-11), and her abilities on the ice garnered and was a CIS Second Team Allher the nod as Canada West Rookie Canadian in 2012-13. of the Year. She finished first in conference scoring, with 40 points, and DePape named 2014-15 was also tied for second in game- Canada West men’s hockey Student-Athlete Community winning goals, with five.

Along with her Rookie of the Service Award winner Year nod, Sharman was also named Jordan DePape capped off another a Canada West First Team All-Star. strong campaign with the herd, by

I

receiving some off-ice recognition, as he was named the Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner in the Canada West.

DePape has been highly involved in the community, including being a CanU mentor, Siloam Mission volunteer, diabetes educator, and Junior Bison hockey coach. DePape also maintains a 3.3 grade point average, majoring in criminology.

On the ice, he was seventh in conference scoring, with 27 points, and was also a member of Team Canada at the 2015 Winter Universiade, where the squad took home a bronze medal.

Nine Bison football players selected to CFL regional or national combines

Nine Bison football members were rewarded for their hard work on the gridiron, with selections to either a CFL regional combine, or the national combine.

Six members of the herd (Jordan Linnen, Tremaine Apperley, Mitchell Harrison, Jonathan Jones, Robert Smith, and Matt Sawyer) will be heading to the Edmonton regional combine on March 17, while three (Jordan Yantz, Nic Demski, and Kienan LaFrance) have been invited straight to the CFL national com-

bine, taking place in Toronto from March 21-23.

A strong performance at the CFL regional combine could merit any of the six Bisons a spot at the national combine a few days later. Former

Manitoba linebacker Thomas Miles took advantage of the opportunity at the regional combine last year, eventually getting drafted by the Toronto Argonauts, and spending time on the special teams unit as a rookie.

VOL. 101 NO. 54 March 11, 2015

Sports

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Hardcourt commitment The story of Bison basketball forward Wyatt Anders Mike Still, staff

I

t’s incredibly hard to miss Bison playing in the CIS, but he kept the Anders’ hard work earned him basketball co-captain Wyatt connection, which was smart on his significant minutes in his first year Anders on the hardcourt. With his part.” with the Bisons, and while his playsix-foot-seven frame and signature While his grades still weren’t ing time decreased in his second year mohawk, he makes his presence felt excellent at CMU, Anders worked his with the team, he stayed patient and week in and week out for the herd. tail off every day, and was rewarded continued to work hard. This eventuWhat you may not know, though, with a full-ride athletic scholarship ally earned him a starring role this is that Anders wasn’t originally in 2013, to play for Schepp, the same season, with Anders putting up big recruited to play for Manitoba. In person who turned him down just a numbers, averaging 9.1 rebounds and fact, he almost quit the sport entirely, few years prior.

10 points, along with being on the back in high school. court for roughly 30 minutes a game.

“I got cut in Grade 9, Grade 11 I It was an impressive turnaround “Right now, I’m quit, and was like, this just isn’t for for a guy who was only getting 15 me,” Anders said. “Grade 12 I wasn’t minutes a game in his first year. an academic alleven going to play, but a couple peoInterestingly, it wasn’t the first Canadian. It’s a ple persuaded me to play.” time Anders had to fight for his time After finishing off his senior on the court. very big turnaround season, Anders chose to attend the “Opportunity is a funny thing,” for basketball and University of Manitoba for school.

Anders said. “There was a guy that He played pickup basketball on the was ahead of me at CMU that was school” – Wyatt side, but was not a member of the better. We were splitting minutes, Anders, forward, Bisons in his first year. then he left the team. All of a sudSchool was a struggle at first for den they needed me more, and so I Manitoba Bison Anders, whose grades weren’t strong got more touches and more playing in University 1. time. All of a sudden, I became a basketball “[In my] first year at U of M, I really good player.” failed a course, plus got a C in another If there’s one thing Anders has course, and dropped another. It was a As the season was beginning, learned throughout his athletic jourvery bad start,” Anders said.

Schepp had a discussion with Anders ney, it’s simply to trust in your abiliAfter an ugly beginning, Anders about his schooling. ties and believe that things will work chose to attend Canadian Mennonite “I remember Schepp looking at out, whether that be on the court or University, where he played on their my grades, and going, ‘you gotta in the classroom. basketball squad for two seasons, pick up your grades.’ I said, ‘Schepp, “It’s funny how opportunity presand made his name known. He was you trusted me to be on this team. ents itself,” Anders said with a grin. named the male rookie of the year You trusted me on that, and you can in his first year in 2011, and followed trust me on the grades.’ Ever since, that up by being named MVP in 2012. he never said anything,” Anders said.

“The first year at U of M, I was The Sturgeon Heights grad stayed walking by, and the coach at CMU true to his word, not only improving was working at the desk, and asked in the classroom, but excelling. if I wanted to redshirt,” Anders said.

“Right now, I’m an academic all“Kirby Schepp [head coach of the Canadian. It’s a very big turnaround Bison men’s basketball team] didn’t for basketball and school,” Anders want me as a redshirt, I asked him. said. “I matured more, and really put He really didn’t think I would be in the hard work.”

photo by Jeff Miller for Bison Sports

After deadline day How the Jets shape up in the aftermath of the deadline Ryan Stelter, volunteer

T

he NHL trade deadline is behind us, and with that the season is heading into the final 20 games of the year. A total of 24 deals were completed last Monday; the Jets made none. However, they made a few key moves prior to the deadline.

Genera l manager Kev in Cheveldayoff made a big move a couple weeks before the deadline, sending Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian to the Buffalo Sabres for lanky defenceman Tyler Myers, and gritty forward Drew Stafford.

Chevy wasn’t done yet, acquiring Jiri Tlusty and Lee Stempniak prior to the March 2 deadline. Although not major deals, the Jets added some depth up front, getting them relatively cheap. If Winnipeg is to make the playoffs, adding these players should provide head coach Paul

Maurice with some options.

Jets have to grab at least six points Big Buff is the man for the Jets, Everyone on the Jets’ back end will In previous years at this stage in over that span to stay in the hunt. a power play quarterback who have to step up and help fill the void. plays huge minthe season, the The biggest question mark for Jets have been utes. Can Tyler Winnipeg is goaltending. Ondrej on the outside of Myers f ill the Pavelec, or Michael Hutchinson?

In previous years at this stage in the the playoff picmassive hole that Hutchinson seems to be the hotter season, the Jets have been on the outside ture looking in.

Byfuglien leaves? goalie at the moment, but will he However, they I don’t think so. finally be given the chance to start of the playoff picture looking in; however, look to be in good Byfuglien is a the majority of the games down the they look to be in good shape this year shape this year, one-of-a-kind stretch? Who knows, but the goalcurrently sitting player; he’s a skat- tending question is something that in the second wild ing refrigerator. needs to be answered. card spot, and just seven points back Winnipeg has been playing poorly He takes no prisoners and is a fan Will the Jets make it into the playof Chicago in the Central Division. of late, winning just two out of their favourite for his bone-crunching hits. offs for the first time since returning The Jets face several teams cur- last five games, but they have colByfuglien is also a massive con- to Winnipeg? I believe they will. If rently in playoff position during this lected points in four of them. At tributor offensively, scoring 15 goals unproven Hutchinson can get hot stretch run, so the road to the post- this stage in the season, dropping and providing 27 assists thus far in and the depth that Chevy added can season will not be easy. Winnipeg is points can be critical. With Mathieu the season. Despite this, the Jets have step up, the Jets could even do some about to embark on a four-game road Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien on shown in the past they can play when damage in the once they get there. trip that could essentially make or the shelf for a long period of time, shorthanded on the blue line, playing break their season. Playing three of that could hurt the Jets in their push without four of their top defencethe top four teams in the NHL, the for the playoffs. men for a large part of December.