12 August 2015

MANITOBAN the

THE OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDENTS’ NEWSPAPER

SPORTS

Bison football breakdown Two and a half pages of memories and buildup for the 2015 season Page 20-22

EDITORIAL

Sounding off Thoughts on abandoning online comments Page 9

NEWS

Profs’ petition Faculty seek to make truth and reconciliation an election issue Page 5

VO L 1 0 2 · N O 3 · AU G U ST 1 2 , 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. 102 NO. 3 August 12, 2015

NEWS

Paying a premium

UMSU approves increase to health and dental fees

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EDITORIAL

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DESIGN

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COMMENT

Perishing prairies

Industrial scars left on the hinterlands need more than a Band-Aid page 10

ARTS & CULTURE

Budding romance

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Andy Che Ryan Stelter Saira Abdulrehman Mat Kleisinger Stephanie Johnston Jeremiah Yarmie

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Local singles look to grow relationships from the ground up

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News

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

Student group loses court challenge against Fair Elections Act Canadian Federation of Students says act will disenfranchise students in federal election DANA HATHERLY, STAFF

PHOTO BY CAROLYNE KROEKER

T

he Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) lost a court challenge late last month that attempted to have the Fair Elections Act ruled unconstitutional in advance of the federal election – leaving many to wonder whether thousands of Canadian students will be disenfranchised by the legislation.

The Ontario Superior Court defeated the injunction, which was requested by the CFS and the Council of Canadians in order to ensure that the bill’s provisions would not apply to the federal election campaign now underway.

When Judge David G. Stinson declined their injunction, the group launched an appeal, which was also denied.

The full Charter challenge of the legislation, which is separate from the attempted injunction to temporarily suspend the act for constitutional reasons, will not be heard until after the federal election.

Bill C-23, commonly referred to as the Fair Elections Act, was approved by Parliament in the midst of controversy.

The bill, which became law in June 2014, toughens voter identification requirements, limits the ability of Elections Canada to communicate with the public, cracks down on robocalls, increases penalties for certain election offences, and adds an advanced voting day.

When it was originally tabled in the spring of 2014, the bill received negative backlash from the Opposition and various experts who claimed it would damage Canadian democracy by limiting Canadians’ constitutional right to vote.

After weeks of heightened criticism, Pierre Poilievre, the minis-

ter of state for democratic reform, announced significant amendments to the act that watered down many of its more controversial provisions.

“We found it very troubling that the federal government, rather than trying to enable those voters to feel like they should be a part of the democratic system, were finding ways to make it more difficult for them to participate” – Bilan Arte, national chairperson, Canadian Federation of Students Among those opposed to the act were CFS and the Council of Canadians, both claiming that the bill damages democracy and encourages voter suppression by the Canadian government.

The two groups jointly filed the injunction along with three individuals who testified against the act based on their own experiences, attempting to demonstrate that these new provisions would inhibit potential voters..

CFS’s stance

Bilan Arte, the national chairper-

son for CFS, told the Manitoban that tion cards in the 2011 federal election.

Thomas said that the fundamental CFS opposes the more stringent voter However, because it was a pilot proj- problem arises from the insistence identification requirements, which ect, it is uncertain how many voters that voters without a valid driver’s she said will disenfranchise students actually needed the cards to prove license or other government idenand other voters who may have dif- their identity and, more importantly, tification card with their current ficulty providing proof of address. their address. address must produce two documents, Under the Fair Elections Act, votincluding one that contains a current ers are required to produce identifi- Expert weighs in address. cation with their name and current Paul Thomas, member of the “The Conservative government address. According to many experts, Elections Canada Advisory Board claims that 39 or more documents proof of address is difficult for people and professor emeritus in the depart- can be used but voters have to present who do not live at a fixed address or ment of political studies at the two official documents, one of which who have recently moved.

University of Manitoba, testified on includes an address. Not everyone While voters can have someone Bill C-23 before both the House of will arrive at the polling station else vouch for them, the process has Commons and the Senate committee with the required documents,” said become more onerous under the act. that examined the bill as it was being Thomas.

Moreover, the act phases out the use reviewed by Parliament last year.

“Attest voting is supposedly the Thomas cited concerns that there safety device that will allow people of voter information cards as valid identification at Canadian polling might be lineups and delays on Oct. to vote without an identification that stations.

19, despite measures that have been includes an address.”

“We found it very troubling that taken to inform voters about new This process, which replaces the the federal government, rather than identification requirements and former vouching system, allows a trying to enable those voters to feel more extensive training for election second person – who has the manlike they should be a part of the dem- officials. datory documentation and lives in ocratic system, were finding ways to “Many of the experts agree that the the same polling district as the person make it more difficult for them to new identification rules will dispro- without identification – to take an participate,” said Arte. portionately affect voting by students, oath vouching for the other elector.

Arte said people without fixed First Nations people, especially those Thomas said that this could be difaddresses – those who are homeless, living on reserves, and senior citizens ficult in practice, and those who are living in student residences, in group living in long-term care facilities,” not inclined to vote may simply walk housing, or in shared living situations Thomas said in an email. away from the polling station.

– will be the hardest hit.

Although Elections Canada has These more restrictive election Arte also cited concerns with how launched some administrative and rules were based on claims that voter the bill restricts Elections Canada procedural initiatives to reduce the impersonation, or other forms of from doing voter information out- potential that disengaged groups voter fraud, had happened or would reach to students on university cam- will be prevented or discouraged happen in the future. puses to ensure that young people, from voting, the Fair Elections Act However, no sound empirical evispecifically those in marginalized prohibits Elections Canada from dence of such fraud or explanation groups, exercise their right to vote. advertising get out the vote initia- for these claims has been presented, Dylan Penner, democracy cam- tives, according to Thomas.

Thomas said, and some Conservative paigner for the Council of Canadians, “With generally declining voter members of Parliament eventually said that a successful court injunction turnouts in national elections we retracted claims that they had witwould have restored voter informa- need to think of new ways to motiv- nessed actual voter fraud. tion cards as valid identification in ate more people to vote, particularly the upcoming federal election. among segments of the population It is estimated that 400,000 regis- who are disengaged from the political tered voters relied on voter informa- process, like students,” Thomas said.

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News

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

Child mental health researcher gets funding boost from feds Canadian Institutes of Health Research gives green light to child maltreatment research project LAUREN SIDDALL, STAFF

Statistics Canada survey on a range of mental health issues, including child abuse, was completed in 2012. But this database, while opening the door for many mental health researchers, is not exhaustive – the survey focuses primarily on physical abuse, sexual abuse, and intimate partner violence.

Therefore, Afifi’s first priority in her research is to create a comprehensive, sophisticated database for Manitoba.

“The child abuse data sets that exist currently, and the ones we’ve used a lot, sometimes measure abuse fairly well but sometimes it’s measured really poorly,” she said.

PHOTO BY LAUREN SIDDALL

T

hree University of Manitoba researchers have become the recipients of over $3 million in health research Foundation Grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), providing longterm, stable support to top Canadian health researchers.

One of the three recipients is Tracie Afifi, associate professor in the department of community health sciences at the U of M, who received $883,855 for her project “Preventing

child maltreatment: Changing a child’s trajectory, improving health, and strengthening families.”

“I find that this area of research is – it’s going to sound strange – easy to talk about, although it’s not easy to talk about. It’s real life. Whether you have kids or don’t have kids, you were a child. There are connections to childhood for everyone,” Afifi said.

There is a vast amount of research illustrating the devastating effects of child maltreatment, which includes

abuse and neglect.

Abuse and neglect are key predictors of poor auditory comprehension and verbal ability, impaired brain development, juvenile delinquency, adult criminality, and conduct disorder, among others.

According to Afifi, there has been a staggering lack of focus on the prevention of child maltreatment in the discipline of epidemiological mental health research. A comprehensive database compiled through a

beginning for Afifi, who would like to use her research to actively prevent child abuse going forward.

“Our thinking is if we could just prevent that abuse from occurring in the first place, an individual would have a far better chance of having better mental health, physical health, and it goes beyond that: it’s related to poor academic functioning and cognition, social relationships, all those sorts of things,” she said.

“Just preventing the child abuse alone would have a big impact in improving someone’s life, even if you kept every other aspect the same.”

Afifi also looks to provide support for those who have already experienced child maltreatment.

“It’s the beginning By analyzing the lives of abuse victims with better socioeconomic of a lifetime of outcomes in adulthood, Afifi hopes work” – Tracie Afifi to develop strategies to help people who’ve experienced childhood maltreatment improve their lives.

“We’re looking at prevention and “They’ll ask questions like ‘were you abused?’ and we don’t really intervention,” she said. know what that means, so it’s hard “Some people who experience to answer accurately. With our expe- child maltreatment will experience rience of working with data sets from all these negative consequences, some other countries and looking at data people will only experience some of sets from Canada, we’re going to be them, and some people will be pretty able to develop a really strong data resilient and can manage effectively set to examine abuse, maltreatment, without experiencing a lot of devasand other adverse childhood events.” tating consequences.”

Because her research is focused on With 32 per cent of Canadians and Manitoba, Afifi has the opportunity 40 per cent of Manitobans reporting to link her data with the administra- being abused as children, Afifi plans tive data from the Manitoba Centre to continue her research even beyond for Health Policy – enabling her to the expiry of the CIHR funding. analyze connections between child “It’s easy to become passionate maltreatment and health, education, about it because child maltreatment and housing outcomes over a lifetime. has such harmful consequences for “That component is really unique to children; trying to improve that Manitoba. We wouldn’t be able to do makes it easy to stay motivated,” she that in other provinces because they said. don’t have an administrative data set “It’s the beginning of a lifetime as sophisticated as the one we have of work.” here,” Afifi said.

But raw data collection is just the

VOL. 102 NO. 3 August 12, 2015

News

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Professors launch Truth and Reconciliation petition Controversial views on residential schools not U of M consensus, say professors ETHAN CABEL, STAFF

U of M English professor Adam Muller

ust in time for the federal elecJtion campaign, four University of

PHOTO BY CAROLYNE KROEKER

convert them to Christianity, effec- raised in the TRC summary report education Rodney Clifton.

Clifton claims that the portrayal tively assimilating them into what around the ongoing impacts of hisThe two professors published a of the schools presented in the TRC Manitoba professors have launched had become the dominant Canadian tories of colonization in general and controversial article on June 4 dis- report is fundamentally inaccurate a petition urging all levels of govern- culture. residential schools in particular [...] puting the predominantly negative and relies on evidence garnered disment in Canada to take concrete steps Pervasive physical and sexual get taken seriously and, as we are now portrayal of the residential school sys- proportionately from former students toward truth and reconciliation with abuse was well-documented by the in a full-on lead-up to an election, tem and the research methodologies who had experienced abuse at the indigenous people.

TRC, with thousands of former stu- we’ll see if that does happen or if it used by the TRC to gather evidence. schools.

The petition, which has received dents testifying to the commission doesn’t.”

The article resulted in a response He claims that many students had 1,464 signatures of its 2,000-signature about their treatment at the hands from U of M professors published a positive experience and were able to goal, is a direct response to the Truth of school officials. by the National Post on June 5, which speak their native languages and see and Reconciliation Commission The condition at the schools, as “The system disputed Clifton and Rubenstein’s their parents on weekends and during (TRC) report, which made 94 recom- well as their fundamental objective, characterization of the residential the summer. was predicated mendations about how governments have led many, including TRC chair school system. Seventy-nine profes“Most of the white supervisors, on the idea that can address the legacy of the Indian Justice Murray Sinclair, to describe sors eventually added their signatures as with myself, decided not to go residential school system. the residential school system as an to this letter to the editor, which was because we knew what would happen Aboriginal life was a “We [...] call upon the country’s attempt at the “cultural genocide” of uploaded online. if we went and presented,” Clifton political parties to consider incorpo- Canada’s indigenous peoples.

Clifton and Rubenstein then pub- said of the TRC hearings, arguing problem, that it was rating the TRC’s recommendations “The system was predicated on the lished a response to the 79 professors that the Commission facilitated an into their respective platforms,” the idea that Aboriginal life was a prob- something in need and other critics, published on June 22. environment where emotions ran too petition reads, in part. lem, that it was something in need of “The way to solve disagreements hot for rational discussion. of overcoming, and The petition was launched by overcoming, and that it was through in academia is to debate them rather “There was no way of getting a that it was through associate English professor Adam education that indigenous people than to denounce people that dis- more sensible or reasonable discusMuller, history professor Adele Perry, could be civilized and assimilated agree with you, and we have been sion of both the good and the bad of education that native studies assistant professor into central Canadian life,” Muller denounced rather than argued with,” the residential schools under a situaindigenous people Clifton told the Manitoban.

Niigaanwewidam Sinclair, and soci- said. tion like that.” ology professor Andrew Woolford.

“That impulse, that impulse to “About one third of Aboriginal Clifton views the TRC as flawed could be civilized “We think the recommendations deracinate and re-acculturate, is a children during this 120-year period social science based on a flawed are quite pointed and clear, and we genocidal impulse.” went to residential schools, the aver- conception of the problems facing and assimilated into don’t have to wait until after a general Among the 94 recommendations age child went for four years, and we indigenous Canadians, which he central Canadian election to see government take con- of the TRC report are several major think that is not enough time to cre- argues are based on colonial dependcrete steps to address the concerns for changes to the way the federal gov- life” – Adam ate all of the pathologies that we see ency. As for the 94 recommendations which the recommendations speak,” ernment interacts with First Nation in Aboriginal societies today.” of the TRC report, which would Muller, associate said Muller, adding that the country communities across the country, Clifton worked as the senior involve a great deal of new governhas not taken the TRC report as seri- including greater sovereignty for boys’ supervisor in Stringer Hall, ment spending, Clifton says they English professor ously as it should.

Canada’s First Nations, increased the Anglican residence of a resi- “sound a lot like dependency.”

The TRC has spent the last seven education funding for children livdential school in Inuvik, Northwest “I don’t like the idea that we have years crisscrossing the nation, gath- ing on reserves, and a new framework Territories, from 1966-1967. He 94 recommendations, costing an ering evidence about the Indian for health, child welfare and justice The other side also lived at Old Sun, the Anglican unknown amount of money, each one residential school system, which saw policies affecting indigenous people.

According to Muller and Perry, residential school in the Blackfoot of equal value and each one being 150,000 indigenous children forced to “The petition is obviously just one the petition is in part a response to reserve in Alberta for four months funded,” he said. attend mandatory boarding schools small piece of a wider, ongoing dis- two articles published in the National in 1966.

“I don’t think that’s reasonable.” from the 1880s to the mid-1990s. cussion,” said Perry, one of the four Post by retired U of M anthropology Clifton’s wife, a Blackfoot indigThe schools sought to teach indig- professors who launched the petition. professor Hymie Rubenstein and enous woman, attended the Old Sun enous children English or French and “I hope that the issues that are professor emeritus in the faculty of residential school from 1951 to 1961.

6

News

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

Cape Breton University Students’ Union loses court case Nova Scotia union weighing options after being ordered to pay CFS $400,000 CRAIG ADOLPHE, STAFF

no additional cost to the union.

The judge went on to note that there was no “evidence of prejudice to the students if the vote were delayed to September except for a possible loss of publicity for Mr. Lindsay.”

Weighing options

Brandon Ellis, CBUSU president

T

he Cape Breton University Students’ Union (CBUSU) is considering declaring bankruptcy a month after a court ruling which found them responsible for damages and court costs to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) amounting to roughly $400,000.

The award included damages for unpaid memberships dating back to 2008 amounting to $293,159.13, as well as roughly $100,000 in legal expenses for CFS. The case is the culmination of a dispute about the validity of CBUSU’s 2008 defederation referendum in which 92 per cent of those casting ballots voted in favour of leaving CFS. The judge overseeing the case found that the referendum broke rules laid out in the CFS bylaws and is invalid as a result, meaning that CBUSU continues to be a voting member of CFS with all the responsibilities this implies.

The judge noted that the motion to hold a referendum was moved by the union’s president, a member of the executive, who would be expected to act in the best interests of the CFS on campus, and not a student councillor.

Additionally, CBUSU failed to remit all applicable outstanding fees prior to the referendum. Notice from CBUSU of a defederation referendum was not, at that time, accompanied by a petition signed by at least 10

which CBUSU is also a member, released a statement supporting CBUSU and condemning the actions of CFS, calling them anti-democratic.

For its part, CFS claims that it is simply enforcing its membership rules and wants students at Cape Breton University to have full access to the benefits of CFS membership.

“I hope that the executive of CBUSU will prioritize the best interests of students and work with the federation to find a solution that's in the best interest of all students,” said Bilan Arte, national chairperson for CFS, in an email.

Since 2008, the fees, which had previously been collected and sent to CFS, have been collected and spent

by CBUSU directly in providing other student services. The $400,000 owed to CFS will have to be taken out of the union’s annual budget, which amounts to roughly $500,000 a year according to current CBUSU President Brandon Ellis.

The U of M connection Although early reports mistakenly The University of Manitoba claimed that the students’ union had Graduate Students’ Association already declared bankruptcy, Ellis (UMGSA) has been in a similar disconfirms that the student union is pute with CFS for several years. After still weighing its options. researching the history of UMGSA’s Ellis explained that the union is relationship with CFS and compiling first appealing the ruling – a pro- a report in 2012 UMGSA has taken cess he claims may take anywhere the position that it was technically between six months and a year. never a member of CFS. Should that process fail, CBUSU will The report argues that the original have to either arrange a payment plan agreement between UMGSA and PHOTO BY CAROLYNE KROEKER with CFS or declare bankruptcy.

CFS was made before the former “If we go bankrupt it’s essentially established itself as autonomous from per cent of the individual members – a requirement according to CFS’s signing a death sentence for the stu- the University of Manitoba Students’ dents’ union. We would cease to be a Union and is thus void. Further, it bylaws. corporation, we would cease to exist,” argues that the individual who acted he said. as a signatory for UMGSA didn’t “We’d lose 80 jobs. We’d lose all have the authority to serve in that “If we go bankrupt of the progress we’ve made over the capacity and that the union didn’t pay it’s essentially last 41 years of being. It would be a any fees until years later when CFS massive and devastating loss for us.” approached a new executive who had signing a death While Ellis is limited in what he a limited understanding of the two sentence for the can say about ongoing discussions unions’ history. between CBUSU and CFS, he Despite UMGSA’s position, CFS students’ union. It acknowledged that other student holds that UMGSA remains a memwould be a massive unions that have had disputes with ber of the federation and continues CFS have been offered payment plans to list them as a member on their and devastating loss in the past. website, although fees have not been “They offer payment plans and remitted since 2011. for us” – Brandon repayment plans to student associaDespite the ongoing dispute, last Ellis, president, Cape tions who are behind on their pay- year UMGSA collaborated with ments. And the reason they offer CFS and a number of other orgaBreton University them is if [a student union] has a big nizations – including the Canadian Students’ Union damages award against them, [they] Union of Public Employees Local cannot hold a referendum to leave 3909, the University of Manitoba CFS until those outstanding fees are Students’ Union, and the University of Manitoba Faculty Association – Ultimately, the judge found that paid off,” Ellis said. “there is no bad faith on the part of “That would be greatly limiting in coordinating the Stop the Cuts CFS,” adding that “if there was [the] democracy of the students [...] campaign, which aimed to prevent any bad faith, it is [on] the part of We’d be locked in for the term of the department cuts which came as part of the university’s budget. the CBUSU’s [2007-08] executive,” payment plan.” referring to his findings that thenOther groups have voiced support UMGSA President Kristjan president Ian Walker Lindsay didn’t for CBUSU in the dispute.

Mann said the collaboration hadn’t inform CBUSU’s student council In June 2014 Cape Breton changed UMGSA’s position on that the validity of the referendum University’s Board of Governors membership within CFS. “UMGSA’s primary goal is to was being contested or that CFS approved a motion to support would recognize the referendum as the students’ union. Additionally, advocate and provide services for U valid if they agreed to hold it at a StudentsNS, the province’s other of M students. I have no problem later date – in September 2008 – at leading student union alliance, of teaming up with external organiza-

tions that have similar goals to ours on campus or nationally [...] We have no issue dealing with them as partners. But that in no way indicates membership in that organization.”

“I think the recent events that happened with the Cape Breton students’ union kind of highlights some of our basic reasons for not wanting to be members. It doesn’t seem like they have the best interests of students at heart if they’re bankrupting student organizations,” said Mann.

However, Arte pointed out that CBUSU has not filed for bankruptcy and that CFS is working with them to establish a payment plan.

“It has never been and never will be the intent of the federation to put any students’ union in any position of financial constraint or bankruptcy,” said Arte, “The federation is committed to ensuring students at Cape Breton University have access to the local, provincial, and federal representation to which they are entitled.”

Despite the similarities between CBUSU and UMGSA, UMGSA has taken measures to protect themselves in the case of a lawsuit. They continue to collect fees, equivalent to those member unions pay to CFS, which they hold in an “external relations fund.”

“We attempted to hedge our bets by continuing to collect an amount equal to CFS membership fees in the event that they do try [to] unreasonably sue UMGSA for what they feel are lost membership fees,” Mann explained.

“We’re working with a lawyer and a portfolio manager to invest that money and have the returns further fund the operating budget for UMGSA and increase services such as awards and conference grants.”

Ellis commented that UMGSA’s decision to continue to collect and hold fees for long-term investment was smart.

“We’d received legal advice that our referendum was valid so the students’ union’s executives from 2008 on didn’t feel the need to put any of the money aside that we could have put aside to prepare for litigation or a possible damage reward. But that was all under the basis of what our legal counsel had told us,” said Ellis.

VOL. 102 NO. 3 August 12, 2015

News

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Health and dental premium hike approved by student union UMSU agrees to premium hike with StudentCare, Manitoba Blue Cross ETHAN CABEL, STAFF

S

tudents at the University of “hopefully” increase by no more than over the last two years to an almost Manitoba will be paying more for inflation in a few years’ time. one-to-one ratio of student fees to their health and dental insurance this Leclerc said that the premium benefit claims. year after the University of Manitoba increase is necessary due to a large “Recognizing that a fee increase Students’ Union (UMSU) finished uptick in plan enrolments and benefit is always a touchy topic, our fellow negotiations with insurance broker claims over the last two years. students are benefiting from this and StudentCare and provider Manitoba that was the initial mandate and purBlue Cross for a new annual rate. pose of this group insurance plan,” “Recognizing that a The premium increase will amount Leclerc said. to $45.25 annually for students enter- fee increase is always Earlier this summer, UMSU ing university in the fall term, with sent out a survey to students seeka touchy topic, our the combined health and dental ing input on potential changes to insurance premium increasing from the health and dental insurance plan. fellow students are $246.75 to $292. Students entering the After receiving approximately 800 winter term will pay $194.65, up from responses, UMSU determined that benefiting from $164.50 last year. a premium increase was preferable this and that was Students on family insurance to benefit cuts. plans, which are charged a rate 1.5 A c c ord i n g to L e c l e rc , the initial mandate times the rate charged to students StudentCare was provided with the and purpose of this on the individual plan, will also see results of the survey, and the broker their annual rate increase. then provided UMSU with three group insurance options, including re-signing with The premium increase comes one plan” – Zach year into a five-year contract between Manitoba Blue Cross for another year.

UMSU and StudentCare, a for-profit “Manitoba Blue Cross still proLeclerc, UMSU viceinsurance broker that specializes in vided the best offer with their securing group insurance plans for increase,” Leclerc said. president internal university students from various The survey also asked students whether they would be amenable providers.

Leclerc told the Manitoban that to segregating undergraduate and The contract with StudentCare gave UMSU a one-time $100,000 this increase in claims can be attrib- graduate students into two separate donation for the 2014-15 school year uted to the plan’s ease of use, ensuring health and dental plans.

The current plan includes both and $10,000 in annual sponsorships. that the plan is providing benefits The contract was touted by UMSU to more students than the previous undergraduate and graduate students, at the time as providing long-term provider, Greenshield. but the survey claims that U of M Greenshield provided insurance undergrads heavily subsidize the rate stability, but rates will be renegotiated through StudentCare for each to UMSU through the Canadian health and dental benefits of graduof the next three years after increas- Federation of Students’ (CFS) bro- ate students. ing for 2015-16. ker from 2002 to 2013 before UMSU While Leclerc ruled out a segreAccording to Zach Leclerc, vice- switched to StudentCare and gated plan in the near future, Kristjan president internal for UMSU, the Manitoba Blue Cross for one year. In Mann, the president of the University union hopes that further increases the subsequent year, the union signed of Manitoba Graduate Students’ a five-year contract with StudentCare. Association (UMGSA) is exerciswon’t be necessary.

Leclerc said that Manitoba Blue ing caution in the event that UMSU “I feel we’re reaching a plateau point [...] where the number of Cross is not penalizing U of M stu- changes its mind. students enrolled levels off and the dents with a premium increase, but “We feel all students should be overall claims toward the plan levels rather seeking to break even in their treated equally and have equal access off,” he said, adding that the plan will operations after dental claims shot up to services regardless of factors such

GRAPHIC BY BRAM KEAST

as what they choose to study and at what level they do so; and we believe that our colleagues at UMSU feel the same way,” Mann said in a statement to the Manitoban.

“That being said, we are taking action to obtain our own independent quotes from various brokers that will ensure that grad students do not experience a lapse in coverage in the event that UMSU decides to segregate the health and dental plan.”

When UMSU switched from the CFS broker Morneau Shepell and subsequently signed a multi-year deal with StudentCare, the move came with its share of controversy.

The union had to amend the UMSU Policy Manual in order to give it the ability to sign a multi-year

contract for insurance.

Moreover, the deal with StudentCare was approved in the middle of the summer with only 27 of 44 council members present at the meeting to approve the contract.

The University of Winnipeg Students’ Association remains with the CFS broker and their provider, Greenshield.

Students at the U of W pay significantly less than University of Manitoba students for health and dental insurance. A full-time single student entering university in the fall pays $204.60 annually compared with the new UMSU rate of $292.

9

Weighing in

Editorial Editor-In-Chief: Craig Adolphe Contact: Editor@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

Some thoughts on web comments as we remove ours TOM INGRAM, STAFF

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ver the last month we’ve been hard at work on the back end of our website. Among other things, we have switched to a new web host that provides a better service than we were previously getting. The Manitoban’s web traffic has grown by an order of magnitude in the last few years and we’ve become too big for the space we had at the old host.

As a regular reader of the Manitoban, you shouldn’t notice any difference except for faster load times and a lack of server errors at peak hours. Only one major change has been made to the functionality of our website: the removal of comments.

If you look at the Manitoban’s website now, you will notice that there is no longer a form to post comments to articles (comments that have already been published remain in place, of course). This is a decision we made late last year for a number of reasons.

The first and most important consideration is the fact that we don’t get very many comments, and we get far more spam and trolling comments than legitimate ones. So online comments have always been a marginal aspect of the Manitoban’s operations; we are shutting down a service that not very many people used.

A related reason is that although comments are the responsibility of our editors, we as a publication don’t get much use out of any individual comment. It’s our job to ensure that

comments are accurate, civil, and not be taken as representative of the not defamatory – it’s sometimes a Manitoban’s decision-making process. more difficult job than you’d think, Ubiquitous comment sections are despite the low volume. A number a child of Web 2.0, which was among of potentially interesting comments other things a movement toward have languished in our spam queue user-curated or even user-created for days or even weeks because editors content. YouTube, Facebook, and were unable to source their claims.

Wikipedia are examples of some of Determining whether a comment the most successful sites to emerge is publishable is a low priority for us from that movement. Web 2.0 was a because, however interesting they frantic indulgence of the creative urge may or may not be, the likelihood and resulted in heavy investment of that anyone will see any particular intellectual, social, and financial capcomment is small. Despite doomsay- ital almost without regard for what ing about the death of print publica- people actually needed or wanted. tion, student newspapers still have folded sheets of dead tree at the centre of their operations. Anything that It is now common doesn’t go in print is of less value to wisdom that, except us and to our readers, especially if it is complicated for our editors to when visiting the deal with.

Another reason to remove com- few places that ments is that online habits have deliberately cultivate shifted. These days, if readers have something to say about an article, a community, you they will usually say it on a social netshould never look working site like Facebook. Here they are speaking to people they know at the comments and can engage in meaningful conversation, while posting a comment directly on an article is more like One of the unhappy results was bellowing full-voiced into the night. that the traditionally cranky content of the newspaper letters page spilled uncurated onto the Internet as every Web 2.0’s detritus There are also some more philo- news website installed a comment sophical reasons to question the section whether or not they had value of comment sections, though any interest in maintaining it. It is of course my idle ravings should now common wisdom that, except

when visiting the few places that be reviewed by an editor between deliberately cultivate a community, submission and publication means you should never look at the com- that letters generally represent a more ments. Still from time to time we all reflective, post-critical view. glance. It’s like cracking open some Under our new system, readers proscribed book or rubbernecking at will have to talk to someone before a car crash: we can’t help ourselves. their thoughts are published. This has And what do we find? Naked numerous practical advantages – for racism of the kind my elementary example, we can clarify wording if school teachers told me was gone we are unsure what is being said and from the world. A distressing inabil- ask for sources for uncertain factual ity to comprehend humour or irony. claims.

Top of mind responses that not only But I like to think it has a more express the same sentiment as thou- long-term moral advantage as well sands of others, but even use the same in that it pushes us away from reliwords. ance on the wisdom of crowds. As The comment form is an invitation a persuasive writer, encountering to our predetermined top of mind resistance, even the mild resistance responses to claw their way out and of clarifying questions, is edifying. loose themselves upon the world. It’s If your ideas are tenable, they take an invitation to the crank, the rubber- on a sharper focus and become even necker, the guffawing boor within more persuasive. If they are not, they ourselves. The world in which we live crumble and you realize that you do now, the Web 2.0 world of comments not actually believe what you thought and tags and AJAX and upvoting, you believed. Either way, the world conspires to train these ignoble parts has become a slightly better place. of ourselves, sharpen their talons and These days it’s hard to keep one’s amplify their hollers. faith in Web 2.0. We’ve all seen what The central distinction between has happened to Reddit, the great a comment and a letter to the editor Web 2.0 outpost that is utterly reliant is the lag between completion and on user contributions and user curapublication. Usually your comment tion through upvotes and downvotes: is completed, sent, and published it has become a cesspit in which the within a few minutes of you reading most revolting sections of humanthe article, and usually it represents ity wallow and gurgle publicly for a raw brain dump. On the other the amusement of ghoulish readhand, a letter takes longer to write ers. Perhaps it is time to reconsider and may not be sent the moment it is whether the crowds are that wise completed. The fact that letters will after all.

GRAPHIC BY BRAM KEAST

Comment Comment Editor: Evan Tremblay Contact: comment@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

10

Landscapes of extraction Musings on remediation SAIRA ABDULREHMAN

GRAPHIC BY SAIRA ABDULREHMAN

Extraction landscapes are the of healthy ecosystems and ecologimost prominent landscape type in cal strength, offering the quickest modern prairie ecologies. With only and easiest solution to industrialized five per cent of grasslands remaining landscapes. Draglines, for example, in pre-agricultural and pre-settle- will pile up extracted soil in order ment condition, the nostalgia for this to encourage water retention so untouched ‘hinterland’ landscape is the mounds of land “green up” at a one for a thing that no longer exists. quicker pace. The artificial hilly landThe idea of hinterland beyond scape, which develops forested areas the city edge is loaded with conno- that bear no relation to the flat, grassy, tations – unexplored, a back country plains they replace, save that some full of mystery. This concept of the form of vegetation has returned. The landscape which surrounds us carries manner in which the petrochemical dangerous connotations because of industry scars the landscape and defaits blatant disregard for the indig- miliarizes it from our historical and enous peoples of Canada. There is cultural understanding is the most no landscape in the prairies that is blatant example of a process which uncharted or unexplored; the First occurs in all landscapes of extraction.

Nations have inhabited this land for The prairie functioned as a cohethousands of years. sive ecosystem for thousands of years In Canada, it is required that min- as an inherently resilient ecological ing companies remediate (return to assemblage. European settlement an undamaged ecological state) the of the prairies saw the hinterland landscape after resource extraction. transform from open plains to 90 But a political ecology and desire to per cent agricultural and range land. set standards and to monitor this The imposed quarter-section grid of remediation has not emerged. The the settlers organized the majority of sites are “greened” without thought the landscape into rigid geometries,

framing and enclosing the prairie hinterland into fixed hectares of production. Remediation must confront the fact that there can be no return to a virgin state.

The complete annihilation of bison in the Western Canadian landscape, and as a factor in the ecology of that landscape, is one pivotal reason that the nostalgic prairie can never be restored. This illustrates the fundamental flaw in the practice of hinterland preservation in the prairies; the yearning for something no longer possible.

This hinterland, bound to industrialization and urbanization, forgets its cultural and ecological heritage.

Mining and quarrying move billions of tons of land every year, at a physical and temporal scale far in excess of the slow, steady flow of water, wind, and ice which shaped the plains. With the displacement of land at such vast magnitudes, what then becomes of hinterland? Of the plants, animals, and human ecologies which were an integral part of it?

Approaching resource extraction by treating the hinterland as a provider for global economies isolates the local communities from their land, often excluding them from jobs and wealth associated with the resource industry as well as excluding them from use of the physical resource.

With extraction of resources increasingly for exports and global use, regionally the benefits of extraction landscapes are rarely reaped.

We should challenge our historically colonial attitude towards landscapes of extraction – at the least, we should think of them as something other than a helpless hinterland, waiting to be returned by us to a vanished past.

EDITORIAL COMIC BY EVAN TREMBLAY

VOL. 102 NO. 3 August 12, 2015

Comment

11

Protest! The conscience demands it On speaking loudly without raising your voice EVAN TREMBLAY, STAFF

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here are a lot of things to protest. focused on the actions we can ourTake your pick: environmental selves take, not the actions not taken degradation, wealth inequality, insti- by others. tutional racism, war, intolerance, hate.

All the bad things, new and old. For Affirmation every individual conscience, there is One of the best examples of this I an individual vision of how the world can think of – morality lived, rejecshould be more just. tion of injustice couched in affirmaThere are a lot of ways to protest, tion – is the Unist'ot'en camp, which too. They run the gamut from per- is both an ongoing confrontation of sonal reformation to violent uprising. injustice, and a lived alternative to Picking how we protest is much more that injustice. difficult than picking what we protest.

First, some background. The We all have a vision – fostered camp is located in the territory of the in good part by an unsympathetic Wet'suwet'en, in British Columbia – media – of what a protest looks like. land which was never ceded to the People blocking streets, loud chant- crown of either the United Kingdom ing, signs, slogans, police and tear or Canada. Through this land, whose gas. Protestors being dragged away sovereignty was never extinguished, by police, police being assaulted by lies the proposed route of several pipelines which will carry petroprotestors.

Even when we admit that most leum products from the Oil Sands protests do not swell to such con- of Alberta to the ports of B.C. fusion – that they are mostly just The First Nations inhabitants of assemblages of people, listening to this land have made clear their absospeakers – we see them as something lute rejection of any pipelines passing through their territory, unless they out of the ordinary.

When we see them in person, they can be guaranteed to pose no “irrepaare jolting – an inversion of how we rable environmental impacts,” as is expected to find public space used. their right. They have made clear that When we see them through the lens any plans by the federal government of the media, they are presented as which calls for the pipelines passing a flare-up, not as a concentration of through their territory without concontinuing grievances. An intrusion sent is a violation of their sovereignty.

Despite the justice of their posion ordinary life, not a part of it.

This is a certain kind of protest – tion, however, there is no evidence public – which springs up eternally, in that the powers that be pay them any all times and places. It seldom bears heed. Surveyors for oil companies fruit; it places its hope in shaming the trespass, and must be ejected from powers of society into justice, who are their lands.

The body which will approve or usually the chief cause of injustice.

The shameless will know shame – if reject the route of these pipelines is only there are enough of us, if only the National Energy Board (NEB). our chants are succinct enough, if It has been described as a “captured industry regulator” by Marc Eliesen, only our solidarity is firm enough.

If we dissever what true pro- former CEO of BC Hydro, who test is (speaking truth to injustice) resigned his part in NEB consultafrom what we are used to seeing it tions in protest, and as being stacked as (loudly and publicly speaking of with members of the oil industry. The injustice) it is found to already be a most recent appointee to the NEB, part of our everyday lives.

Steven Kelly, is an industry consulWhen we spend a little bit more, tant who authored Kinder Morgan’s take a little more time, show a little economic justification for its promore restraint, because we believe posed pipeline expansion. There is to not do so is wrong, that is a pro- little reason to hope that traditional test. Every time we make a conscious protest – the pointing out of unbearchoice to do what we know is just, able injustice – will bear any weight even though that may be unusual or in the decisions of the NEB. The paths of the proposed unpopular – that is a silent, personal Enbridge and Pacific Trail pipelines protest.

If we truly believe that we have would pass through structures of the identified an ill, we should not hesi- Unist'ot'en camp. As described on the tate to change our lives so that they camp’s website: are free of it – “if thy right eye offend “The Unist'ot'en homestead is not a thee, pluck it out.” We will often find, protest or demonstration. Our clan is in the necessary contemplation and occupying and using our traditional self-examination, that we are our- territory as it has for centuries. Our selves more connected to what we fee prior and informed consent prodespise than we had thought. It is tocol is in place at the entrance of harder to silently change than loudly or territory as an expression of our chant. But our conscience demands it. jurisdiction and our inherent right In heeding our conscience – and to both give and refuse consent. Our what, other than that, is the purpose homestead is a peaceful expression of of having consciousness? – we will our connection to our territory.”

Consisting of a bunk house, healfind a path clear before us. This is the path of protest, of differentia- ing center, and dining hall, the camp tion form the norm. Not of calling exists for purposes beyond pipeline out, but of turning away. True protest, opposition; it is a venue for living lives the kind that seeks change, must be that, through positive affirmation of more affirmation than negation. It is their values, are their own protest. If

not the loudest form of protest, this is surely the one which has the greatest chance of success. An example to be followed is better for effecting change than an error highlighted.

Negation

The Wet'suwet'en, though in a hard spot, are lucky. They belong to a living tradition that offers an alternative to the injustice brought upon them by the elites in our society. Many of us are not so fortunate.

We were born, raised, and live in the same society whose wrongs we would protest. It is nothing so clear as an assault on our sovereignty that we must overcome; the enemy is, in large part, ourselves.

Whatever we can protest, it is connected to everything we do and are.

If we really want to be an example of change, if we really want to reject injustice, rather than just whine about it, we have to change our lifestyles.

We cannot protest – demand change – and be unchanged ourselves. Our lives, if dedicated to a thing or dedicated to the elimination of a thing, must become radical. Truly moral people, who have thought long and deeply about justice, and what a just society looks like, stand out in a crowd.

They dress differently – not because they want to attract attention, but because if you want to avoid petroleum-based synthetics, child labour, exploitative fashions, poor quality of work – you cannot wear the clothes you buy at Walmart, or the mall, or pretty much anywhere.

They eat differently – not because they are picky or think themselves too good for common fare, but because if you want to avoid meat that comes from creatures who lived dark nightmare lives of suffering, food laced with carcinogenic pesticides and herbicides, or sugar and salt in amounts our bodies simply did not evolve to handle, you cannot eat what most people eat, or buy groceries where most people buy groceries.

They spend their time differently – not because they have different likes or dislikes than others, but because spending money, watching television, shopping, and consumption are like narcotics; they are fun, and bring gratification, but come at the price of physical addiction and mental sloth.

Truly moral people stand out by what they don’t do.

If you see something wrong in the world, something you know should be different: don’t shout, don’t make signs, don’t point frantically. Draw your line in the sand; your silent rejection of crossing it will speak louder than traditional protests ever could.

Be the change you want to see in the world, and the world will be changed, one person at a time.

GRAPHIC BY EVAN TREMBLAY

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

The new jocks The rise of competitive gaming CHANTELLE DUBOIS, STAFF

and quickly growing by providing virtual prizes unlocked companies are operating with mas- country running competitions. And industry. by accurate tournament predictions sive success, and viewership has sky- when I tell people about those things Valve and the completion of various chal- rocketed. Seemingly out of nowhere they think it’s awesome, but when I Corporation, the lenges. The compendium cost viewers eSporting events are now executed mention I also play a game competicompany respon- US$12.50, 25 per cent of which goes with the same professionalism as tively I get made fun of, and labeled as sible for the Steam towards the tournament’s prize pool. mainstream sports,” Doak told the a ‘geek’ and that somehow invalidates video game dis- As the prize pool increases, new vir- Manitoban. my other qualities” said Scott. tribution platform tual prizes for fans who purchased the Businesses are even investing in “I think that people who compete and the Half-Life compendium are unlocked. In 2014, arenas built specifically for eSports in eSports are ahead of the curve. and Portal game US$10 million was raised through fan events. Last spring, Gfinity and Vue Like it or not, it’s becoming larger, franchises, hosted purchases of the compendium.

Cinema opened the Gfinity Arena and now there are scholarships at the International, a Other high profile eSports events in London, the first of its kind in the universities to be a player on their Dota 2 tournament, include the League of Legends World United Kingdom. university team. These scholarships in early August at Championship and the Electronic “It’s exciting to see eSports becom- are handed out to talented players. It the KeyArena in Sports League Counter-Strike: Global ing so popular, but I think it will still won’t be too long before there’s highly Seattle, Wash.

Offensive World Championship. take a while before people accept it paid ‘cyber atheletes’ that will attain GRAPHIC BY TIFF BARTEL This e v e nt Both of these events will be held in as being normal or compare watch- somewhat of a celebrity status in boasted the largest Germany this year, in Berlin and ing an eSports tournament to a game society.” he sports section of the Manitoban prize pool of any eSports event held Cologne respectively. of football or baseball,” said Filip may begin to change in the near to date, offering over US$18 million Matt Doak is founder of Podkański, a U of M alumnus and For anyone interested in getting future. Alongside Bison briefs, you for competitors from 16 teams. It is BecomeTheGamer, a local startup competitive video game enthusiast. involved with the local eSport commay begin to see profiles on local estimated over 20 million viewers currently being developed to connect “People still seem to look at me munity, Skullspace offers a free eSport professional gamers, or the results worldwide tuned in to watch the local players to resources to improve funny when I say I’m going to watch LAN event every Thursday at 6 p.m. from the latest League of Legends competition, and 10,000 fans filled their gaming ability. Fully immersed a Counter-Strike tournament on a Contact Matt Doak at matt@becothe KeyArena. Competing teams in the local competitive Dota 2 gam- Saturday morning, while if I say I’m methegamer.com for more information. tournament.

All jokes aside, competitive gam- came from the USA, Europe, and ing community, Doak believes the going to a bar to watch a soccer game ing, also known as eSports, has China. ability to capitalize on eSports is I get a completely different reaction.” rapidly risen in popularity over the An interesting fact about the helping drive investors to sponsor Robin Scott, a local who plays past decade. Competitive gaming International is that over US$15 mil- big events like the International.

Ultra Street Fighter 4 and Team has grown from an activity reserved lion of the prize money was raised “The biggest transition I’ve seen Fortress 2 at the competitive level, for enthusiasts to encompass legiti- through viewer contributions with is that eSports are no longer driven experiences a similar reaction when mate sporting events with millions the purchase of a virtual compen- solely by the companies that develop discussing competitive gaming. of dollars at stake, and there is no dium. This in-game item allows view- the games. eSports betting com“[I] have played on soccer teams, doubt that it is now a mainstream ers to engage with the competition panies are in, eSports tournament ultimate frisbee teams, done cross-

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Wearing nothing but a smile Why are we attracted to a significant other who rubs our funny bone?

LAUREN SIDDALL, STAFF

Bressler et al., men prefer women who a re receptive to their humour and women prefer men who can ma ke them laugh.

Further, when t he st udy was recently replicated and modified

by Hone , Hurwitz, and Lieberman, GRAPHIC BY SAM SECTOR they found t hat men hile the early bird may get the listed humour responsiveness as a worm, the funny man always necessity when describing their ideal seems to get the girl. Countless partner, while humour production movies depict the awkward, funny was cited as a luxury. Women, on guy attracting the attention of the the other hand, stated the opposite beautiful girl seemingly by magic: – consistent with the theory that prefhe says something witty and clever, erence in humour is shaped by sexual and suddenly she’s smitten. But is selection. there science behind the desirability Some theorists believe women of someone who leaves your sides are attracted to humour because it splitting, or is it just movie magic? signifies intelligence in a potential According to a 2006 study by mate, with the idea being that men

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who are quick to find a punchline will also boast a higher IQ , and that more intelligent men are more likely to make good parents and providers.

Men listed humour responsiveness as a necessity when describing their ideal partner, while humour production was cited as a luxury If this were the only reason for women preferring funny men, however, this preference would likely disappear as women move toward a more equal status with men. But according to a recent study published

by Christopher Wilbur and Lorne Campbell, the tendency to prefer funny men is still alive and thriving.

For their research, Wilbur and Campbell analyzed the Lavalife.com profiles of 266 Canadian singles ranging in age from 21 to 35, 133 of each sex. They looked for key features in

Smiling and laughing cause the the profiles relating to humour, specifically how often a person claimed brain to release dopamine – the to be funny or tried to be funny and neurotransmitter responsible for the how often they requested a partner brain’s reward and pleasure centers. with a funny bone.

Research has found that men generNot surprisingly, men were ally have higher levels of dopamine much more likely to claim they than women do – supported by men’s have a great sense of humour and greater susceptibility to dopamine women were much more inclined to related disorders, such as schizophrerequest a funny partner – but those nia, addiction, and ADHD. Perhaps, who claimed to have a good sense then, women seek men who make of humour were not the ones who them laugh as a mechanism to boost wished to date someone funny; these dopamine levels. traits were sex specific.

Laughing also acts as a natural Moreover, the researchers found stress reliever, causing levels of corthat men whose profiles included tisol – a major player in the classical humour significantly increased the stress hormone response – to decrease. romantic interest of women while Women, whose reported levels of adding humour to a woman’s profile stress have been steadily on the rise, did little to attract the attention of may then look to use laughter as a men. means of reducing their stress, which If humour were strictly linked would sustain humour as a desirable to perceived intelligence, it would trait in a significant other, even when no longer make sense for humour women no longer need to heavily rely to hold such desirability only in a on an intelligent man for financial woman’s search for a significant other. support.

In economically unstable times, it The moral of the story? Pick up would, in theory, play a larger role in a copy of Anchorman or Zoolander a man’s search for a significant other and take notes. Making her laugh too, as they would also seek financial is psychologically and evolutionarily security. proven to help spark a romance.

But there is another piece to the puzzle.

VOL. 102 NO. 3 August 12, 2015

Science & Technology 13

Science briefs Nintendo is healthy, screams are scary, flatworms are weird JEREMIAH YARMIE

Nintendo wants to improve your quality of life

Last month a Nintendo patent was noticed online in part due to its interesting design. This device, distinct from Nintendo’s new upcoming video game console, appears to be geared towards promoting a healthy lifestyle.

The patent, which was filed in January 2014, describes an alarm clock-sized docking station with speakers and a ceiling projector.

Some people speculate that this device may be a sleep monitor that Nintendo had mentioned last year in a company leadership statement.

The patent describes the device’s ability to obtain physiological information about the owner as they sleep, such as pulse rate and body temper-

HEY! WHY ARE YOU SCARED?

There is something ineffable about a human scream. They are particularly good at making us feel uneasy

and alarmed.

Recent research has discovered why screams are so much better at putting you on high alert when compared to other loud and high-pitched noises.

Human screams are unique in that Auto-fertilization they possess a distinct acoustic prop- from a self-inflicted erty called roughness. This acoustic wound to the head property is not found in any other For most animals, not being able kind of human vocalization. to copulate with a mate effectively Roughness refers to a high rate terminates its opportunities to of change in a sound’s loudness reproduce. For the aquatic flatworm over small periods of time. Human Macrostomum hystrix, it means that screams tend to change much more the only thing left to do is to get freaky with itself. rapidly than normal speech.

Using clips of human screams M. hystrix is a hermaphroditic taken from movies, YouTube videos, worm, meaning it possesses both as well as volunteers in a sound booth, male and female reproductive organs. the researchers analyzed how screamM. hystrix’s stylet, the male copuing effects the human brain. latory organ found near the tail, is The researchers found that the very similar to a needle in its design. roughness of a human scream pro- This allows for a mating strategy duced a response from the amygdala, called hypodermic insemination, a part of the brain that is responsible where sperm is introduced into a for the fear response. mate’s body through a traumatic It is likely that this specific reac- wound. tion to human screams helped our When faced with total isolation ancestors remain alive in perilous from mates, these worms will do situations. something bizarre and super-duper The researchers noted that this kinky: they use their needle-like discovery can help improve things stylet to inject sperm into their own like car and house alarms, as well as heads. making movie screams more realistic, While some animals are designed by imitating these qualities. in a way that allows their male and female gametes to float towards each other to allow for fertilization, M. hystrix is not so lucky. These worms

ature. This would be a rough gauge of how well the user is sleeping.

The device would then send the collected information to Nintendo servers where it can be analyzed.

A sleep score would be sent back to the device and projected onto the ceiling. The ceiling projector may also include suggestions on how to improve your sleep, such as a different diet or exercise regime.

This device would be a stepping point in Nintendo’s hopes of developing a quality of life venture. Don’t worry – they still plan on making video games.

have to poke themselves with their stylet because their male and female reproductive bits are physically isolated from each other.

When mating with another worm, these puncture wounds are typically close to the female reproductive parts.

But when there isn’t a mate around, the sperm don’t mind making the longer journey from the head.

When mating with oneself, the puncture wound has to be in the head because that is the only part of the worm where the stylet can reach.

Not surprisingly, this is the first documented case of animals injecting sperm into their own heads.

Reproducing with oneself is usually less desirable than mating, as your offspring are less genetically diverse and are often less likely to survive variable environments. In the animal world, however, having offspring of any kind is usually better than having no offspring at all.

GRAPHICS BY ALDO RIOS

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

14

IVORY BUFFALO THE

University sees jump in administrative costs Vice-president defends increased funding for administration’s bouncy castles MURV BERKLEY, STAFF

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he University of Manitoba’s sity administration who are feeling department of administrative extremely underappreciated, given perks has seen a 400 per cent increase recent events,” said Hanerd. in their budget over the last three “Faculty and students have spent months, according to financial state- the better part of the last year organments obtained by the Ivory Buffalo. izing to stop these cuts without any The funding increase has been consideration of how that impacts largely tied to rentals of bouncy senior administrators. I don’t think castles and cotton candy machines, they realize how much time they available only to the university’s spent working to slash these budgets. administration.

They’re in here cutting department Gerrard Hanerd, the depart- budgets eight, 10, sometimes 12 hours ment’s vice-president called the added a day. We want them to know that expenditures necessary, citing low their efforts are appreciated.” morale among senior administrators.

David Chalmers, U of M account“We have high-ranking univer- ing professor, has been critical of the

department’s funding increase.

“I question the necessity of a funding increase of this magnitude,” Chalmers said.

“The university’s administration has spent tens of thousands a week renting bouncy castles through the summer. Why aren’t we looking at purchasing these bouncy castles or at least leasing them? That would be the fiscally responsible thing to do.”

Hanerd was unavailable to respond to Chalmers’ concerns prior to publication, as it was his turn in the bouncy castle.

PHOTO BY CAROLYNE KROEKER

VOL. 102 NO. 3 August 12, 2015

Diversions

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Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor: Seamus Hamilton-Pattison Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

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Getting by with a little help from your friends A photo essay of music festivals experienced both north and south of the border MAT KLEISINGER

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usic festivals are a tradition I look forward to all year long. Each year, it seems more and more festivals are popping up all over North America, each one with its own unique lineup of performers. While the performers at a festival are a big draw, at the end of the day it’s not the most important part, at least not to me. Every festival has something special to offer in terms of its culture and design. The Winnipeg Folk Festival has an amazing family-oriented atmosphere. Forest canopies at the smaller stages present an opportunity to escape from the heat. Bonnaroo has a massive ferris wheel you can use to scope out the festival grounds and a giant mushroom fountain you can run through to cool off. The experience is shaped by making memories with the friends you travel with as well as with the new festival-goers that you meet.

PHOTOS BY MAT KLEISINGER

VOL. 102 NO. 3 August 12, 2015

Speed dating with a dirty twist Local singles embrace organic alternative to traditional speed dating

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ZenFri Inc. creates ‘anomaly’ in mobile gaming Locally produced game uses augmented reality technology

STEPHANIE JOHNSTON

SEAMUS HAMILTON-PATTISON, STAFF

PHOTO BY ERICA YOUNG

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n an era where Tinder and online dating sites are the norm, a more natural approach to dating is beginning to sprout up in Winnipeg.

“Weed Dating” is hitting the scene, and there are plenty of singles looking to grow some love.

The Winnipeg event is hosted by avid gardener and advocate for love Erica Young, and is set to take place on Saturday Aug. 15 from 2-5 p.m. on a small farm near Beausejour.

It’s not just an event for farmers; in fact, no gardening experience is necessary to attend. Young hopes that the event will appeal to a wide variety of people.

“There is no formula to the organization of meeting people,” Young said. “Everyone will meet everyone, even people they might not be attracted to. There will be a range of ages, genders, and orientation. It will be a fun way to bring strangers together.”

Following the idea of traditional speed dating, Weed Dating assigns one group a plot of land, and has the other group rotate every few minutes. As each pair works to rid the field of weeds, they have the opportunity to connect and get to know each other like any regular date.

“A garden is a lovely place. It’s a mix of beauty and practicality,” said Young. “Great conversations happen in the garden when pulling weeds, and there is less pressure to chat for a long time.”

This twist on the traditional promises to be a great way to meet someone with a green thumb.

Weed Dating appears to be the most recent in a stream of unconventional dating events popping up throughout Winnipeg. It comes just months after the wildly popular Safeway Singles Night which saw hundreds of singles flocking to the Osborne Village Safeway in hopes of picking up more than just some fresh produce. If Weed Dating is anything like its grocery-shopping

counterpart, it is sure to be a big hit.

Young also sees the benefit in having an activity to do while meeting new people; she suggests that having something to do with your hands can be a welcome distraction.

“It’s [also] nice to be in a setting where it’s known that everyone is interested in dating, it makes it less awkward.”

The success of other Weed Dating events across the country is what inspired Young to bring the event to a farm a little closer to home.

A more natural approach to dating is beginning to sprout up in Winnipeg A quick Google search for “weed dating” shares more about dating someone with the same passion for drugs than it does of those who have an affinity for gardening, but some refinements result in a rather interesting history of many successful “weeding” events.

This unique dating concept began on a farm in Vermont, and quickly spread across state lines to Ohio and Wisconsin. Weeders enjoy the opportunity to spend time outdoors, meet new people, and get their hands dirty, regardless of the dating outcome. However, the concept of meeting someone with similar interests while engaging in a low-pressure activity has proved for many weeders to be the way to grow a budding romance.

Those interested in going Weed Dating are asked to RSVP to the Facebook event page, and are encouraged to “get some dirt under your nails. Meet new friends, and maybe even your new sweet pea.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY COREY KING

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ocal creative company ZenFri Inc. has just launched their first video game, Clandestine: Anomaly on both iOS and Android platforms. The title was first made available for iPhones and iPads at the App Store on July 7 and can also be purchased for Android devices via Google Play as of July 31.

Upon a first glance at the gameplay, Clandestine: Anomaly appears to be a cut-and-dry tower-defense game along the lines of mobile gaming hits Plants vs. Zombies and geoDefense. While the game does bear the “buy some turrets, then help them shoot down waves of baddies” aesthetic typical of its genre, Clandestine’s unique, location-based features add a level of immersion to the game far greater than what one may expect from stylistically similar mobile games.

Upon starting a new game, the game simulates a “hack” of the player’s mobile device, the player’s screen sputtering and f lashing seemingly random symbols and colours before revealing a spherical, robotic alien known as “NUNCIO.” NUNCIO informs the player that his or her ship, the ECOS, is under attack by a hostile alien race and they require the player’s help in choosing a location to crash-land.

As the player, you will be shown a map of your immediate area, with a GPS marker on your current location. Here, the player must make a permanent choice of where their “command center” will be located for the duration of the game. After this has been done, the player must then select a small grid of the area surrounding their command center for the game to take place.

Once you’ve selected your field of play, the game truly begins; it looks

like you’ve got a hostile alien inva- based aspects can create a very sion in your own neighbourhood. immersive experience for the player, The first section of the game they are not explicitly required to focuses primarily on familiarizing complete the game. the player with the more conven“It’s partly because we live in tional aspects of the game like what Winnipeg and it can be very cold, weapons are available, how they but we didn’t want to make a game can be upgraded, and the type of that said you had to go outside or enemies the player will face. After you had to walk no matter what. this, according to Corey King, You want to have the biggest audiZenFri’s co-founder and Chief ence possible and you want to Executive Artist, the more unique incentivize them to do what you and immersive features of the game want to do, not force them,” King are introduced. explained.

“We present the game as if it’s your real phone, it’s not a gun, you’re really you, and we extend “Everything that that to the mechanics. A battleyou see on the field commander can control towers remotely, so that part will always map will be in a be playable from anywhere. The 3D environment, augmented-reality component will require you to be at those real with proper scale locations.”

King closed with a few encourand orientation aging words applicable to aspiring to your real-world students eager to break into any sort of creative field. position” – Corey “My wife and I created this game King, co-founder/ where we’ve been able to travel to conferences in Germany and Chief Executive Barcelona and attract talent like Artist, ZenFri Inc. Josh Ortega [Gears of War comic series, Spider-Man Unlimited, Star Wars Tales] and I had a film degree.

“Mission four is when you’ll No programming experience, no unlock the augmented reality abil- experience raising funds or anyity [...] Everything that you see on thing. I did it in Winnipeg. Some the map in terms of your charac- people get ‘degree envy’ in school, ters and stuff like that will be in or worry that it’s going to be useless,” a 3D environment, with proper King said. scale and orientation to your real“You can do it here, if you have world position. You can use that the right level of tenacity and to – initially – just fire a laser, but ambition. You can get stuff off the eventually you’ll get other weapons ground here.” to destroy enemies.”

King went on to state that although Clandestine’s location-

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Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor: Seamus Hamilton-Pattison Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Plaid to the bone Criticizing the critiques of hipster fashion NATALIE SERAFINI, THE OTHER PRESS

The grass looks greener outside city limits An exploration of why we love to hate Winnipeg LAUREN SIDDALL, STAFF

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GRAPHIC BY ED APPLEBY

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. – Hipsters are the worst, am I right? The way they try to be ohso-original – liking obscure bands that you probably haven’t heard of, drinking fancy craft beer instead of a classic Caribou, and getting all their “vintage” clothing from outlet stores.

Um, well now. This is rather awkward. As my glasses, plethora of plaid, and aesthetic construction would suggest, I like hipster fashion – and I get a little frustrated at its public denigration.

Complaints seem to perpetually be about how contrived hipsters are; how they put so much effort into the selection of thick frames, vinyl, and ukuleles they don’t actually play.

The problem with this line of criticism, though, is that all style is constructed; we make conscious choices when shopping, selecting items that suit our values and style.

When we shop for clothing, we do so in an effort to represent ourselves, or at least our sense of style. Very few people walk around wearing a garbage bag, and even that would make a statement (Google the ‘80s “punk” movement for that). Whether you’re choosing thick-rimmed glasses, Ugg boots, or basketball shorts, each item says something about yourself and the image you want to present to the world. Saying one sense of style is “too constructed” makes no sense when all fashion is purposeful – in other words, contrived.

Maybe the problem is that hipsters appear to be inauthentic. They shop at Urban Outfitters, while overtly shirking the mainstream.

They put so much effort into their

appearances, while heaving sighs tinct, to stand out in certain ways. over people who exclusively fre- That’s been the case just about since quent high-end stores. These sorts the inception of “mainstream.” of contradictions would mean hipGoth, grunge, punk, hippie, sters are hypocritical at best, and beatnik – wait a second! All of entirely fake at worst. these styles have something in comBut style is made up of choices, mon: they began as alternative, and which are sometimes contradic- then were co-opted by the maintory. Hell, life is made up of choices stream as they grew in popularity. that are sometimes contradictory. I Hipster fashion began as a way of don’t eat meat, but I will occasion- subverting what’s popular, doing ally buy higher quality leather shoes. quaint little things like shopping Does that mean I’m inauthentic? at second-hand stores and making Or does it mean that leather shoes DIYs. As more people began weartend to last longer? So many choices ing increasingly big glasses, it made go into a person’s style, but some- sense for companies to take note times it’s a simple matter of liking and begin selling those items. And how something looks. So what if a thus, vinyl became more widely vintage-looking lace dress is from available outside of dusty old record Top Shop, rather than the result of stores, and finding the perfect plaid hours spent hunting through bins became a simple matter of trudging of stained, torn, second-hand cloth- down to TNA. ing. Who cares?

I’m perfectly fine with admitting that my style is constructed. I own a ukulele that I only pick up When we shop for occasionally, I like taking pictures of my food, and when my bank clothing, we do account isn’t hurting so much, I like stopping by Urban Outfitters and so in an effort to salivating over stuff I shouldn’t buy. represent ourselves, The choices I make in fashion are no more and no less contrived than the or at least our choices other people make. Even sense of style someone who purposely buys noname brand, or wears clothing they inherited from an ancestor makes How about that desire to be a statement about subverting conunique – that can be pretty annoy- sumerism. We’re all constructing ing, when someone’s choices are our appearances, for ourselves and predicated on being alternative, our public image. indie, or out of the ordinary. Yet, The next time you want to wanting to be original isn’t particu- laugh over silly hipsters, consider larly new or noteworthy. If I showed what choices are behind your own up wearing some hot little number, wardrobe. only to be wearing the exact same thing someone else is, I’d be pretty – National University Wire frustrated. We all want to be dis-

he raindrops race each other down the window while the sky continuously sends new waves of runners. This is the third day of rain in a row; I want my summer vacation back. With each new raindrop that hits the glass, another location gets added to my list of places I’d rather be.

Paris.

Florence.

Montreal.

Berlin.

The list goes on.

There are more places on my “To travel to” list than there are weeks in the year. I think the draw of adding to the list is starting to plan the trip – looking up the best breakfast joints, finding out where the architectural masterpieces are hidden, and looking at enough pictures of the buildings that it’s like I’ve already been there, that sort of thing – even though I know I’ll lose my itinerary before I even book my flight, if I ever book my flight.

But still, I lust over the idea of waking up at a repulsive time of day (is it considered “day” at 3 a.m.?) to go to the airport, sit for hours on end in a metal tube while some overly comfortable stranger lets their leg touch mine no matter how far away from them I try to sit, watch some terrible reality show on the six-inch TV screen fastened to the back of a chair that gets jostled whenever the occupant breaths, and eventually arrive at an airport where everyone is sort of sweaty and no one knows where they’re going so we all follow the most competent-looking person

until we finally reach the exit.

Then you’re there. And it doesn’t matter where exactly there is as long as it’s not here.

We are always so happy to escape here – maybe because our mantra is “I hate Winnipeg.” But I think it’s deeper than that: we love to hate Winnipeg. We get some sort of perverted sense of pride from hating our city. We will cheer our hearts out for the beloved Jets, and then yell at the TV when they lose in the playoffs because “the Jets suck.” We have a tumultuous romance with the city dependent on hockey, the weather, and the roads.

But there is more to our island on the prairies. Unlike most European cities, whose culture is set in stone (sometimes literally), we are in the position to help create our cultural identity. We’re practically bursting with potential, waiting to be tapped into and recognized.

Maybe that’s why some people claim to hate Winnipeg: because it seems to some that “nothing happens here.” But in reality, there is a monumental amount of activity buzzing just under the surface.

Eclectic new restaurants continue to pop up – think the Merchant Kitchen or SMITH, among others.

Phenomenal cultural festivals continue to take the city by storm. We are cultivating eminent local artists and musicians.

The cultural landscape we are creating is thriving, if you look in the right places.

We may not be quite there yet, but it will be worth the wait.

PHOTO BY LAUREN SIDDALL

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Sports

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

A huge commitment From Team Canada to UND and back, Zack Williams’s recruitment journey is a long one MIKE STILL, STAFF

yourself on the ting serious with his training in the turf in a hurry. off-season, putting on an extra 30 Williams’s pounds. That’s when things changed football jour- for the better. ney is an interesting one. He played the game “I feel right now, it’s from age seven a good shot this until 12, but then stopped year to win a Vanier” in order to pursue hockey. – Zack Williams Football caught his attention again in high Williams ended up starting every school, though, game at left tackle the following seaand he chose son for Murdoch, and also earned to take it up a spot on Team Manitoba for the in grade 10 2013 Football Canada Cup, where at Murdoch he played in every game at his more PHOTO PROVIDED BY ZACK WILLIAMS MacKay natural position of right tackle.

Collegiate.

He would earn the nod for Team ack Williams is one of the most Things didn’t go as planned in his Manitoba again in 2014, and was humble, polite individuals you sophomore season, unfortunately, also selected to Team Canada later will meet. Once he hits the gridiron, as he saw little to no game action. that summer. To cap things off, he however, the six-foot-six, 285-pound Instead of getting down, Williams chose to forgo his grade 12 season at offensive lineman turns a switch on, took his lack of playing time as Murdoch and instead played for the and if you’re in his way, you’ll find motivation – working hard and get- CJFL’s Winnipeg Rifles, where he

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was named PFC Rookie of the year. fortable with his choice to stay at With all the accolades Williams home, and the entire coaching staff was gaining, it’s no surprise that likely is too – none more than head he was highly recruited. He talked coach Brian Dobie though, with to every single CIS football team whom Williams has a very strong heading into his senior year, except relationship. those in the RSEQ conference.

“We have a strong connection. He Ultimately, he decided to commit to was very welcoming right off the hop, the University of North Dakota, a and a very nice guy,” Williams said.

“He makes you feel like a part of the Division 1 American school.

Things looked great going for- team right away.” ward, but Williams knew that his With Williams’s recent decision decision to commit to UND wasn’t to play for Manitoba, the Bisons now wholehearted. have few different options at the cur“Deep down, I wanted to go to the rently vacant right tackle position.

[University of Manitoba] Bisons, but The soft-spoken lineman would like the pressure I guess you could say, to fill that void immediately, and sucked me down,” Williams said. help bring the Vanier Cup back to “Even before the [recruiting] pro- the prairies. Given his track record, cess, I thought that I wanted to stay he has a good shot. home.”

“I feel right now, it’s a good shot Because Williams committed this year to win a Vanier,” Williams before grade 12, he had a whole year said. “I want to do what I can to go to ponder his choice. Just under a out and win one.” month ago, he opted to de-commit, for a variety of personal reasons. Not too long after that, he became a Bison.

Williams stated that he’s com-

European soccer preview How the top four leagues will break down RYAN STELTER

Atlético Madrid has an outside Manager Arsène Wenger brought shot at grabbing the league title, but in Petr Čech, formerly of Chelsea, I think this will be a two horse race. to guard the net and shore up a very Atlético lost its main striker in Mario good defense and excellent midfield.

Mandžukić, but bought Jackson Attack remains the only question Martínez and added many pieces to mark. their defense, so they have the potenManchester City has added tial to raise a few eyebrows.

Raheem Sterling to their attack and they will be looking to take back their 2014 crown. The team can count on The team from a very good attack, but their spotty defense might be costly, and Joe Hart Turin has worn can only do so much in goal.

the Scudetto on their shirts for the past four seasons

England

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he beautiful game is set to return to countries all over Europe this winter, and it should be thrilling as always. With the season looming, the Manitoban decided to give fans a look into what the four big leagues across Europe should look like come the end of the season.

Spain

Barcelona is coming off another historic treble, winning La Liga, the Copa Del Rey and the coveted

GRAPHIC BY JEN GOERTZEN

Champions League title. They don’t look like they’ll be slowing down, either. With the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, Barcelona will be terrorizing Spain, and the rest of Europe, with their attacking might.

Real Madrid, however, will be standing in Barcelona’s way. With Rafael Benítez as their new coach, and the dynamic Cristiano Ronaldo, they will be contending for the title this year as well.

The Barclays Premier League is always wildly entertaining, but last year we saw Chelsea dominate the top of the table for much of the season.

Of course, they are the favourite to do it again. This season Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City all look poised to take a run at the title as well.

United has brought in a wealth of new signings, including German legend Bastian Schweinsteiger and young Dutch phenom Memphis Depay. They look like they have the best chance of nabbing the title this year.

Arsenal also has a very good squad, but injuries really hit them last season.

Italy

Juventus went through a massive overhaul this summer, losing Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez, and Arturo Vidal.

The “Old Lady” still looks like the team to beat in Italy, though.

The team from Turin has worn the Scudetto on their shirts for the past four seasons and could possibly do it for a fifth time this year. Led by Paul Pogba in midfield, the Italian giants don’t look as if they will falter.

Inter Milan, AC Milan, Lazio, and Roma will all most likely fall under Juventus, but in what position?

Roma has brought in Wojciech Szczęsny on loan from Arsenal, so that should help them out in goal.

With Mohamed Salah in attack, this Roma team might give Juve a bit of a scare.

AC Milan has spent some money this transfer window, bringing in Andrea Bertolacci from Roma. The Italian midfielder will be a big boost

for the Milan side as they hope to regain their former glory. They might fight for a spot in Europe with their other Milan rival, Inter.

Germany

Powerhouse Bayern Munich has dominated the German Bundesliga for the last three seasons, with the Bavarian club taking home the title in each of those three. It doesn’t look like that trend will be changing, either.

The Munich club has let go of their longtime leader, Schweinsteiger, and brought in Arturo Vidal, a significant upgrade. They also added Brazilian Douglas Costa to provide depth on the wings.

Wolfsburg seems to be Bayern’s biggest threat at the moment. The Wolves took home their first ever DFB-Pokal in 2015 and will be hungry for more trophies. With Belgian superstar Kevin De Bruyne and newly signed Max Kruse in attack, Wolfsburg could take the title away.

Leverkusen, Dortmund, and Borussia Mönchengladbach are all outside bets to win the Bundesliga but will most likely duke it out for one of the top four places.

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Leading the charge Bison football players to watch in 2015-16 MIKE STILL, STAFF

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ith the start of the CIS football field for the herd. The starting middle regular season just around the linebacker tallied 40 solo tackles in corner, the University of Manitoba 2014, which was third in the entire Bisons are primed and ready to begin Canada West conference. He also their defence of the Hardy Cup. recorded a sack, fumble recovery, With a few key players now gradu- and 26-yard interception return for ated, including perennial all-stars a touchdown.

Jordan Yantz, Evan Gill, and Nic Demski, the 2015 edition will have Fong has racked up some big shoes to fill. Thankfully, Manitoba boasts significant depth five interceptions at every position, and with a number of playmakers returning, the herd over his first two should be Vanier Cup contenders seasons with the again this year.

Below are a few Bison players herd, and is simply to look for when the regular seaa hard working, son begins on Friday, Sept. 4, in Saskatchewan.

Draft-eligible players will be difference makers

Manitoba will have seven CFL draft-eligible players on their roster for the coming year. Each individual has proven their worth with the Bisons in previous seasons, and will be looked upon for leadership in 2015.

Knowing it’s their draft year will also provide additional motivation.

Three of these players (DJ Lalama, Cam Teschuk, and Alex McKay) will likely be captains for the upcoming campaign.

Lalama has stepped up all over the

and will likely pick up right where Stalwart defensive tackle David he left off in terms of experience and Onyemata, left guard Nevin guidance. The St.Paul’s High School Gamblin, and receivers Alex Vitt and grad doesn’t have the size of a lock- Dustin Pedersen were all starters in down cornerback, at just five-foot- 2014, and that won’t change in 2015. eight, but makes up for his stature by Onyemata and Pedersen joined simply playing smart, technical ball. Lalama and McKay at the East He had three pass knockdowns West-Bowl this past May. Onyemata in 2014, and alongside Tremaine specifically will be one to watch this Apperley, the duo become two of the season. He’s ranked as one of, if not toughest players to go deep against. the, best defensive tackle prospects His ability to read the field and help in all of Canada, and rightfully so. his teammates adjust as the season goes along will be instrumental.

Lalama is one of McKay will anchor an offensive line that will be one of the biggest the conference’s strengths for the herd in 2015, with most well-rounded three returning hoggies.

The veteran left tackle is a players, and his intelligent player no-brainer to assume leadership athleticism places PHOTO PROVIDED BY TYLER FONG responsibilities for a now-graduated The previous year, he was a Robert Smith. He’s been a CJFL All- him in a category Football Reporters of Canada Canadian, Canada West All-Star, almost all on his own The future of Bison football Conference All-Star as a specialist, and most recently, East-West Bowl Jayden McKoy, Tyler Fong, Theo after totalling 27 special teams tackles, participant. three fumble recoveries, two blocked McKay has also had two of his Deezar, and Alex Christie, have The native of Lagos, Nigeria has made their names known for varipunts, and two touchdowns. former running backs get drafted Lalama is one of the confer- into the CFL (Anthony Coombs played the game for less than five ous reasons with Manitoba. They’ll ence’s most well-rounded players, and Kienan LaFrance). With a track years, and in that time, has become all be expected to step up in 2015, and and his athleticism places him in a record like that, it’s hard not to lean a mainstay in the front four with the beyond this year as well. category almost all on his own. He’s on the big man.

Bisons. He’s recorded 44.5 tackles McKoy and Fong were both part already shown he can be a difference Along with the three aforemen- over the past two seasons, and his of a stalwart Bisons secondary in 2014, maker, and he’ll be the vocal leader tioned athletes, Manitoba’s other four hulking frame forces teams to double and will lead the way again this year, Manitoba needs. draft-eligible players should also fac- him on almost every snap. This frees along with Teschuk. up other players to go in unblocked, Fong has racked up five interTeschuk was a captain last year, tor in big this season. effectively stuffing most opponents ceptions over his first two seasons run games entirely. with the herd, and is simply a hard The last time the Bisons had a working, intelligent player. He’s defensive tackle this highly touted consistently in the right place at the was when a guy named Israel Idonije right time, and the 21-year-old safety strapped on the pads, and with has quickly become a necessity for Onyemata’s progression, he could Manitoba in the deep third. ultimately end up in the NFL one McKoy made a name for himself day, much like his predecessor. at halfback in quick fashion in 2014.

Pedersen and Vitt will anchor this After redshirting the year prior, he year’s receiving corps. The former was amassed five interceptions in his first hampered by nagging injuries last full year of eligibility, good for second season, but showed what he’s capable in the conference. He’s yet another of midway through 2014, after a sea- smart, sound player who rarely makes son-high seven-reception, 103-yard a big mistake, and his poise will be performance against a stingy Calgary valuable yet again as a starter.

Dinos team, in game four.

While Fong and McKoy will be After an invite to the East-West instrumental on defence, Deezar Bowl, and the graduation of his for- and Christie will provide a powerful mer Vancouver Island counterpart, punch on offence.

Matt Sawyer, Pedersen should be Both players are stepping in as able to take over the versatility role starters for the first time, but have at wideout in 2015. already shown they can get the job Vitt is a legitimate Canada West done.

All-Star contender at slotback for Christie was a punt-blocking Manitoba. He started in seven of the machine in 2014, totalling four, and team’s eight regular season games in demonstrating his impressive acceler2014, before being sidelined with a ation, while Deezar stepped up when leg injury. In that time, he put up 489 Yantz was injured last year, and now receiving yards, which was good for has full control of the helm. second overall with the Bisons.

With a fierce offensive line, both With Nic Demski now with the of these players’ jobs will likely be Roughriders, and Vitt back to 100 per made easier, giving them a chance cent, the future looks bright for the to contribute in a big way.

205-pounder.

Gamblin will return to the left guard spot, which he patrolled for all of 2014. The Brandon native is capable of playing guard as well, which is invaluable for this team. He’ll be playing alongside McKay, who he also played junior football with. The duo’s chemistry makes the Bisons left side one of the most feared in all of the CIS, without a doubt.

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Sports

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

A team in photos Memories from the 2014-15 Bison football season

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he University of Manitoba Bisons teammate Tremaine Apperley (#8). football team enjoyed a tremen- McKoy would add four more pics as dous run to the National semi-finals the 2014 campaign progressed, finlast season. Despite a few roadblocks ishing the year second in the Canada along the way, the herd came together West conference. as a group, and generated an impresMiddle left photo: The herd sive post-season run. There were proved all season long why they many highlights, and below are just were not only a team, but a fama few memories from 2014. ily. Receiver Zach Regert (#88, Top photo: Jayden McKoy was seated), and linebacker DJ Lalama a phenom at the halfback position (#25, standing) demonstrate just for the Bisons last year. Above, he one example of this, with a friendly celebrates his first career CIS inter- embrace on the sidelines after a big ception, alongside cornerback, and play, as Kent Hicks (#95, standing)

looks on.

Middle right photo: Regert also has a cannon for a leg, proven by this big boot against the Saskatchewan Huskies. He averaged 37 yards per punt in 2014, with a longest of 67.

Bottom photo: Theo Deezar will step into the starting quarterback position in 2015, now that Jordan Yantz has graduated. Here he is, showing his scrambling abilities in game action against the Huskies.

PHOTOS BY JEFF MILLER

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Second time’s the charm?

KHL could be key to a successful Burmistrov return ANDY CHE

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lexander Burmistrov’s return to ity to create offensive cornerstones the Winnipeg Jets best exem- out of younger NHLers will help plifies both general manager Kevin Burmistrov to reach his scoring Cheveldayoff’s patience with youth, potential sooner rather than later. as well as Burmistrov’s commitment The coach of 11 years previously to the franchise he calls home. mentored the likes of Jeff Skinner, The 23-year-old forward departed Eric Staal and Alex Steen early in Winnipeg in favour of playing in the their NHL careers.

Russian Kontinental Hockey League The comeback will also compen(KHL) in 2013. This past summer, sate for the loss of Michael Frolík Burmistrov inked a two-year con- to free agency this past summer. tract worth US$3.1 million with the Although Burmistrov doesn’t posJets, and will lace up the skates in sess the forechecking ability of Frolík, Winnipeg for the second spell of his his mobility alone is an upgrade on NHL career this season. the Calgary-bound Czech.

Selected eighth overall in the 2010 Burmistrov should surpass the NHL Entry Draft, Burmistrov, was 40-point barrier for 2015-16 – a figdeemed NHL-ready by the Atlanta ure which Frolík reached twice in Thrashers at 19 years old, despite his two seasons as a Jet. He is expected 5-foot-11, 157-pound frame. to center the third line alongside Though blessed with speed and Adam Lowry, which will complesoft hands, he tallied a dismal 20 ment the playing style of both players. points in 74 games during his rookie Relentless as a forechecker, Lowry season. With limited maturation after can handle the physical aspect while two years in Winnipeg, a Russian Burmistrov’s speed creates open ice. rendezvous saw him tally 64 points Under a new contract, in 108 KHL regular season games – a Cheveldayoff is continuing to be great improvement on his 58 points patient with Burmistrov. Yet with an in 194 games as an NHLer. annual average value of US$1.55 milThere is no reason why Burmistrov lion over the next two years, the Jets shouldn’t be a consistent second or aren’t taking the risk of a long-term third line playmaker for the Jets. deal in case little progress is made.

Head coach Paul Maurice By doing this, Winnipeg could still will come as a welcome relief to offload Burmistrov to another team, Winnipeg’s returnee. His abil- as his price tag isn’t overwhelming,

and he’s still rather young.

Cheveldayoff’s no-rush approach also differs from the road taken by Burmistrov’s draft colleagues, Nino Niederreiter and Brett Connolly.

Selected fifth and sixth overall in 2010 respectively, both players failed to adjust with the franchises that drafted them and were subsequently traded.

A similar scenario is unlikely to occur with Burmistrov, especially taking into consideration his lowrisk salary. Jets management would probably prefer to see more Burmie for their buck.

The KHL could be key

Perhaps Burmistrov’s greatest weapon to enduring a successful return to the NHL are the two years of experience he gained in the KHL – a route taken by others along with and after him as well.

Selected eight positions after Burmistrov in the 2010 Draft, Vladimir Tarasenko rose as one of the NHL’s leading point-getters this past season. The St. Louis Blues’ sniper is also one of the best Russian NHLers to have emerged since Burmistov’s draft year.

Recently in the NHL, there has been an underlying pattern between the early NHL success of Russian

Alongside Colorado’s Mikhail Grigorenko and Edmonton’s 2012 first overall selection Nail Yakupov, Burmistrov continued junior hockey by entering the CHL through the import draft. Perhaps it was a step backward in his development, playing against juniors of a similar age while having previously played against professionals in the KHL. Burmistrov has tallied an NHL career point-per-game average of 0.30, while Grigorenko and Yakupov average 0.21 and 0.46 points per game, respectively.

Having returned to the NHL on the back of two seasons performing against KHL opponents, Burmistrov can embrace the challenge of toplevel hockey once again with reinvigorated confidence. Surely the native of Kazan will be looking to avenge the dismal 10-point season he tallied during his last campaign in the NHL. His brief hiatus from Winnipeg, however, does not absolutely guarantee he will return an improved hockey player in every attribute of his game.

Yet, it does control some damage inflicted by the Atlanta Thrashers when the club introduced Burmistrov into the NHL prematurely.

Don’t forget that he never endured an AHL spell in Atlanta and only spent 22 games with the St. John’s IceCaps as a Jet. A reintroduction into North American hockey fresh off KHL action will perhaps be an easier transition for Burmistrov, similar to the adjustment Tarasenko underwent.

A positive change in Burmistrov’s game would be more than welcome for a franchise undergoing somewhat of a youth movement. Criticized in GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE NORMAN the past for underperforming, he players and their junior development. enters a new era with a playoff-conTarasenko is one of the very few tending franchise and will even wear Russian NHLers not to have devel- new digits since Jacob Trouba now oped his North American game in wears his number eight. the CHL. Instead, he honed his skills The Jet’s newest number six on the in six years as a KHLer. This past roster is an old face with a fresh start season, the Yaroslavl native tallied an and will discover the true outcome of NHL 10th-best 73 points in 77 games. his KHL stint beginning on opening Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov night. also opted to reject the CHL in favor of KHL development and played an integral role in the Capitals’ playoff run this season.

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Sports

VOL. 102 NO. 3 August 12, 2015