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UMFA sets Monday, March 10 as potential strike date
Salary, faculty complement and child care are ‘big issues,’ says UMFA president
Milan Lukes, staff
The University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) has set a potential strike date for Monday, March 10, according to a press release.
The union representing more than 1,300 professors, instructors and librarians has set a bargaining deadline for Thursday, March 6 at 11:59 p.m., with negotiations scheduled for March 3 and 4.
“What we feel is that this is sort of a last push,” said UMFA president Erik Thomson in an interview with the Manitoban on March 1.
Thomson stated that before the strike authorization vote was held from Feb. 5 to 7, which saw 66 per cent of members vote in favour of a strike, the administration’s bargaining team said “there’s absolutely no more money on the table.”
“Funnily enough, once we held a strike vote, they found more money,” he said. “And they found that there actually was a considerable amount more, which is great. They responded to the seriousness that our members feel about this.”
Since the collective agreement between the university and UMFA expired on March 31, 2024, the parties officially entered the bargaining period in January 2024 with active negotiations since October 2024.
On Feb. 19, the university presented a revised fouryear proposal which included adjustments to the maximum salary, such as a $12,000 adjustment to the maximum salary for professor ranks, $3,000 for associate professor and senior instructor ranks and $1,500 for assistant professor, lecturer, Instructor II, Instructor I and librarian ranks.
The revised proposal also included non-monetary offers, such as new language addressing compassionate care leave and new definitions and approaches to in-person and non-in-person course instruction.
as presented in January.
Thomson stated that some “big issues” still remain unresolved — such as salary, faculty complement and child care.
Thomson previously stated that he would like to see the university own up to their stated goal of bringing salaries up to the 25th percentile amongst Canada’s 15 most research-intensive universities.
“By the end of our offer we’ll be at the 25th percentile now, but of course, things are going to keep going up in that time,” he said. Thomson stated he would like to see members at
ing the faculty complement — the number of faculty positions that the university has budgeted for.
“We’d like to see a bit more hiring of professors,” he said. “We think that’s an important one, because we are a research university so having people that do research in their job is important and two, professors tend to do more of the mentoring of graduate students.”
Childcare is also an issue which Thomson said has not been addressed in the latest offer.
“We hope the next week is all-in, intensive bargaining, because we’d really like to get this done”
— Erik Thomson, UMFA president
the 25th percentile for salary at the start of the contract — not near the end.
Despite the new offerings, the general salary increase proposal of 11.25 per cent over four years remains the same
“They have made progress,” he said, “but we would like to get a little bit ahead.”
Thomson stated that another priority is increas-
Thomson said UMFA is seeking childcare with an advanced registration possibility for Mini U programs and daycare spaces at the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses.
“We think that’s particularly important, not only because of the long time that this has been in the collective agreement, but this is a collective agreement that both sides came in with a desire to improve equity at the university,” he said. “We know that
maternity and dealing with young kids often adversely affects women professors […] we’d like them to get some help.”
Thomson said that the bargaining deadline provides for a three-day warning that is needed for strike action under the Labour Relations Act.
“We hope the next week is all-in, intensive bargaining, because we’d really like to get this done,” said Thomson. “I’m not saying it’s a little that [the administration] has to do, but that this is a situation where this week is totally adequate to work out the differences between us and I hope they’re ready to do that.”
“Nobody likes going on a strike,” he added. “I hope the administration recognizes that our membership is serious about some of these goals.”
Since being certified by the Manitoba Labour Board as the bargaining agent for full-time academic staff in November of 1974, UMFA has gone on strike four times — in 1995, 2001, 2016 and 2021.
UMFA members rallied in front of the Administration Building on Jan. 23.
University food bank concert supports students
Inaugural concert night raises funds and food donations
Taycie Adeoti, staff
he U of M’s food bank
Theld their first fundraiser concert, “Rocking with a Cause,” at the John J. Conklin Theatre on campus on Feb. 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The fundraiser featured live music from student performers and community artists, free food, a $500 tuition draw prize and gift baskets valued at $200 each. Tickets were $10 and all profits from the event went toward supporting the U of M food bank.
Anastasiia Bielokolos, an awards officer at financial aid and awards and a supervisor of the U of M food bank, commented on the unprecedented demand for the food bank.
“We have over 600 students a month visiting our services,” said Bielokolos. “This is a really amazing chance for the community to come together, spread awareness and raise more money for our food bank on campus.”
Donations for the fundraiser were accepted by card, cash and non-perishable food items.
Bielokolos considers the food bank’s Instagram page, as well as its ability to showcase student involvement, a major role in connecting the food bank with the university’s community and encouraging others to donate.
The idea for a concert fundraiser was inspired by a colleague and friend of Bielokolos, and was supported by long-term partners of the university, including other sponsors who were fond of the initiative.
Event sponsors included, Aramark, Arts Student Body
Council, Desautels faculty of music, the faculty of arts, Long & McQuade, financial aid and awards, University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU), UMSU Centre for Accessibility Resources and Empowerment and the Undergraduate Psychology Students’ Association.
Bielokolos expressed gratitude toward all supporters, stating that “we wouldn’t be able to have this event without our wonderful sponsors.”
The U of M’s food bank is located on both the Fort Garry campus in room 518 UMSU University Centre and at the Bannatyne Campus through online orders.
Full-time and part-time students are eligible to access the food bank services once every four weeks at no cost.
Donations of canned goods, grains, cereal, oatmeal, jams, coffee, tea, deodorant, body wash, soaps, pads and tampons are some of the items being requested by the food bank.
These goods can be donated in person from Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Fort Garry campus and from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., to the UMSU Answers Booth on the main floor of the Brodie Centre at the Bannatyne Campus.
Financial donations to the food bank are accepted online, with the option of contributing once or monthly.
For any further questions, contact the U of M food bank at foodbank@umanitoba.ca. For more information, visit umanitoba.ca/financial-aidand-awards/u-m-food-bank.
photos / Zulkifl Rafah / staff
Feds invest $23M to boost youth employment
Funding to help youth overcome job barriers through training and work placements
Ngozi Okose, staff
In a move to support youth employment, the Government of Canada has announced over $23 million in funding for the Youth and Employment Skills Strategy (YESS) program. This investment will support more than 35 new projects aimed at helping 1,600 youths to break through employment barriers and secure work opportunities, according to a press release.
The announcement was made at Huddle NorWest youth hub in Winnipeg on Feb. 27 by the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, the Honourable Terry Duguid, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and Kevin Lamoureux, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North.
Martha Peet, an Inuit Elder who has worked with NorWest, led an opening prayer.
Peet said, “the Huddle here in Winnipeg is very important, and I see so many youths come here after school and during the summer, they do crafts, they mix with each other. It gives them the chance to do something together.
“A lot of them are classmates, a lot of them have known each other their whole
lives,” she added. “So, its really important, the Huddle. It remains a big part of NorWest. And it gives the youth a chance.”
The Huddle offers various supports to youth aged 12 to 29, including counselling, workshops, employment support and primary health care.
“Canada is strongest when everyone gets a fair shot at success,” stated Minister Ien.
“Opportunity isn’t a privilege, it’s a right and as a government, we have a responsibility to ensure that every young person has the support they need to thrive.”
“This additional investment will play a huge role in helping youth overcome barriers, gain skills, build the confidence to step into the workforce and shape their own future.”
There are currently four organizations in Winnipeg with YESS projects underway — including NorWest Co-op Community Health. The remaining organizations with the youth-support program include the Elmwood Community Resource Centre, the Momentum Centre Inc. and Pluri-elles (Manitoba) Inc., according to a press release from the federal government.
Additional YESS projects in Winnipeg are set to launch later this year.
These organizations will provide opportunities for 315 youth facing barriers in the city, such as providing them with the skills and experiences they need in order to be successful in the job market. Through the YESS program initiative and funding, young people will overcome barriers to employment through a range of training activities, entailing mentoring, coaching, training, wraparound services and paid work placements in diverse industries.
Duguid highlighted the broader impact of the initiative. “This investment in the Youth Employment and Skills
Strategy is a real boost for youth in Winnipeg,” he stated.
“It’s not just about creating jobs, it’s about giving young people the skills and confidence they need to thrive.
“I’m proud to see these local organizations step up and help shape a stronger future for our community,” he said
According to the Government of Canada, in 2024, youth aged 15 to 24 had an unemployment rate of 13.2 per cent compared to 5.4 per cent for adults aged 25 to 54.
Underrepresented groups face additional challenges, with unemployment rates reaching 16.2 per cent for
racialized youth, 21.5 per cent for Black youth, 17.7 per cent for Indigenous youth and in 2023, 15.8 per cent for youth with disabilities, per the federal government. This additional funding contributes to the government’s $370 million commitment announced in July 2024 for over 200 projects, bringing the total YESS investment to over $393 million for 2024-28. The initiative aligns with the federal government’s goal of creating 90,000 youth job placements and employment support opportunities for the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to a press release.
UMSU election forums
Candidates running in the 2025 UMSU general election had the opportunity to share their visions and aspirations during forums in UMSU University Centre from Feb. 25-27. Voting will take place from March 6-7.
President candidates forum
Vice-president candidates
photo / Zulkifl Rafah / staff
photo / Milan Lukes / staff
photo / Zulkifl Rafah / staff
forum
Community representative candidates forum
Johannson given demerits for pre-campaigning
UMSU presidential candidate cites miscommunication with the CRO
Milan Lukes, staff
U
niversity of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) presidential candidate Robert Johannson has breached pre-campaign election rules, according to a ruling by the chief returning officer (CRO) Jodie Smith.
On Feb. 12, the Johannson campaign made a post to a community bulletin board on Discord requesting nomination signatures — just hours before the nomination period closed. The post was ruled to have breached pre-campaigning election rules, defined as using resources outside of the campaign period (Feb. 24 to March 5) to solicit votes for a candidate.
Students seeking candidacy for a UMSU executive position are required to obtain identifying information of at least 100 nominators who are students of the union.
According to election rules, as part of pre-campaigning, it is prohibited to openly express a specific intention to run or register as a candidate or side through a public forum. It is also prohibited to communicate to groups of more than five members of the union about a candidate’s candidacy from the beginning of the nomination period — both clauses that Johannson was ruled to have breached.
Johannson received a 10-demerit penalty as a result of the violation. The UMSU Election Manual dictates that the CRO will assign demerits to a candidate that has vio -
lated election rules, with a candidate being disqualified from the race if they obtain 50 demerits.
Johannson was previously given a warning for the same offence on Feb. 8 after making a Reddit post, according to a warning email sent by Smith.
The post made to the U of M subreddit read, in part, “I hate asking for this, but 100 signatures is hard to get while remaining within the bizarre and arcane rules UMSU imposes.”
Smith told Johannson in the warning email that the message is not allowed and that “the solicitating for signatures needs to be specifically targeted […] you cannot generally post publicly.”
She added, “I would caution you about commenting negatively about UMSU and the process in general. You are running to work for, and lead, this organization for the next year. Part of being a candidate, is demonstrating the leadership qualities required for this executive position.”
In a statement to the Manitoban on March 1, Johannson said the warning from the CRO led him to believe that posting to a Discord server would be acceptable, “since it’s not exactly a public space.”
“The first thing I’d like to stress is just how vague and difficult to interpret the actual rules around UMSU elections are as a candidate,” he added. “I had assumed that the rule against pre-campaigning only applied to actual campaign-
ing for a campaign before the authorized time, rather than simply seeking nominations.”
In both the Reddit and Discord post, his campaign mentioned that he could not share
further details as that would be against the pre-campaigning rules.
“As of now I recently submitted an appeal on the basis of a miscommunication of the
rules by the CRO,” he stated. Johannson is the first of the 34 candidates running in the 2025 UMSU general election to receive demerits for violating election rules.
Shabir receives demerits for negative campaigning
UMSU candidate describes demerits from presidential forum as ‘harsh’
Milan Lukes, staff
University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) presidential candidate Fatima Shabir has been penalized for engaging in negative campaigning, according to the chief returning officer (CRO) Jodie Smith.
The incident occurred during the UMSU presidential forum on Feb. 25 in UMSU University Centre.
Shabir mentioned on three different occasions that the UMSU executives in the past few years were “incompetent,” per the CRO ruling. The ruling states that in one of those instances, the executive during the past year was singled out.
“Our executive for the past year has been so incompetent,” said Shabir during the forum. “These people are not
going to do anything for you.
I hope you guys understand that.”
Shabir later stated, “we are closer to bankruptcy then ever, and remember, if anything like this happens and the incompetence continues and your finances are going toward the things they shouldn’t be, the only person that is going to be getting bad things from it is you.”
The CRO ruling further states that Shabir was “frequently laughing” when one of the candidates who had been on the executive in the past year was speaking. Shabir is running against Robert Johannson and Prabhnoor Singh who previously served as UMSU vice-president external affairs.
In a statement to the Manitoban after the ruling, Shabir
said, “I apologize if my passion for change was taken as an insult to any specific candidate(s). I did not mean to be critical of my opponents or any other candidate, but instead of an organization which has continued to disappoint the students who pay for its services.
“I think it is important that students-at-large and candidates for UMSU executive positions alike are able to both compliment and criticize the union which is meant to represent us,” she said. “In the forum, I talked about what I have heard other students think are issues with UMSU, trying to elevate student concerns while promoting my solutions to them. I think that criticism is part of a healthy democracy, especially within an election.”
The 2025 UMSU general election nomination package states that negative campaigning is not permitted and will be subject to penalty, including disqualification.
The nomination package defines negative campaigning as materials, comments and/ or advertisements that focus on attacking specific candidates, as opposed to highlighting the merits of one’s own candidacy.
“An example of negative campaigning might include any implication about ‘other’ candidates or campaigns, even if they are not named specifically,” according to the nomination package.
The CRO ruling indicates that candidates running for other positions came to the her after the event “to express their discomfort with this
behaviour.” It also states that candidates expressed “their feelings of fear going into their own forums that something like that could happen to them too.”
Shabir was penalized with 40 demerits — 10 for each instance of negative campaigning during the presidential forum.
“I believe the penalty imposed by the CRO is harsh,” said Shabir. “I have no plans other than to continue in the race in good faith and to abide by the election rules while sharing my platform to students.”
The UMSU Election Manual states that the CRO will assign demerits for violations of the election rules. A candidate will be disqualified if they accumulate 50 demerits.
photo / Milan Lukes / staff
The chief returning officer will assign demerits to candidates who violate election rules, according to the UMSU Elections Manual.
UMSU motion to support UMFA referred to committee
Motion to be voted on by board of directors on March 20, possibly earlier
Milan Lukes, staff
A motion put forward at the Feb. 27 University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) board of directors meeting calling for the union to publicly support the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) has been sent to the governance committee for review.
Motion 0645, which was moved by student-at-large Victoria Romero, called for UMSU to “publicly express solidarity with UMFA and public support of their collective bargaining demands.”
It also asked for UMSU to “officially call on the University of Manitoba administration to accept the UMFA demands of this round of collective bargaining and express official UMSU support for UMFA to the UM administration.”
The motion comes amid continued bargaining efforts between the U of M and UMFA, who have been in active negotiations since October 2024 over a new collective agreement.
After being seconded by Arts Student Body Council UMSU director Gurpahul Kaur, interim board chairperson Yashas Samtani announced that the motion would be referred to governance committee for a twoweek referral period.
“Because the contents of this motion pushes UMSU to take a position, because that is under the purview of governance committee, it would be referred to governance,” said UMSU president Divya Sharma.
Per UMSU’s governance and operations manual, a motion moved by a studentat-large that is seconded will be referred to a relevant
sub-committee at the discretion of the board chair for consideration.
After the referral period, the motion would be reintroduced at the next scheduled board meeting for substantive voting for it to be debated, discussed and voted on, according to Samtani.
Motion not to be voted on until March 20, earlier vote possible
Following the passing of a separate motion directly afterwards, which pushed the next board meeting back one week due to a scheduling conflict, the motion would not be reintroduced to the board until March 20.
Samtani noted that the board chair can expedite the referral period — or waive it entirely — but said that he could not make that call.
“Me not occupying the office of the chair in a permanent capacity, just being here in the interim for the duration of this meeting, [I] do not currently have that discretion or jurisdiction,” he said.
Romero stated she originally submitted the motion as an emergency motion last meeting to the acting chair Christopher Yendt, which was denied and pushed to the current meeting.
The UMSU governance and operations manual dictates that emergency motions may be considered by the board
of directors if the chair rules that the motion is time-sensitive and could not have been brought forward earlier.
“What I’ll do here is just declare a recess of this meeting for 10 minutes while I look over the receipts and the emails and determine whether this motion can be regarded to be initially submitted as an emergency motion,” said Samtani.
“What we decided to do is have this motion resubmitted in an emergency capacity, subsequent to which the acting chair, [Christopher], will implement their discretion to have a special meeting scheduled for next week ideally, on an expedited time frame,” he stated after the recess.
Samtani said that the motion is still referred to governance committee which is expected to operate on the expedited timeframe.
UMFA strike could come as early as March 10
The following day, a press release was sent out by UMFA indicating that the faculty association has set a bargaining deadline of Thursday, March 6 at 11:59 p.m., with a potential to strike starting as early as Monday, March 10. Negotiations between the U of M and UMFA resume on March 3 and 4, according to the press release.
Interim board chairperson Yashas Samtani (centre) seen during the recess at the Feb. 27 board meeting. Samtani called the recess to determine whether Motion 0645 was initially submitted as an emergency motion.
photo / Milan Lukes / staff
Arts Student Group Expo
The Arts Student Body Council and the faculty of arts hosted the first Arts Student Group Expo on Feb. 27 in St. John’s College. The event showcased the creativity of student groups and provided a chance for interested students to learn more about each student group.
photos / Zulkifl Rafah / staff
Research & Technology
The science behind nuclear medicine
Injecting patients with radioactive substances for diagnosis and treatment
Rhea Bhalla, staff
Nuclear medicine involves injecting patients with radioactive substances to create detailed images of their bodies. These images help doctors diagnose various medical conditions.
Sandor Demeter, former member of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission with two decades in clinical nuclear medicine experience, opined that “Nuclear medicine is a fascinating medical specialty.”
Most medical imaging techniques capture structural images of the body by sending energy through the patient in various forms — X-rays for CT scans and radiographs, sound waves for ultrasounds and magnetic fields for MRIs.
Nuclear medicine is different.
“We actually inject small amounts of radiopharmaceuticals, which are handled by the body in a physiologic manner,” Demeter said. “Depending on what we tag to the radiopharmaceutical, we can look at any organ and its function.”
He explained that heart disease and oncology, the study of cancer, are the two largest areas looked at in nuclear medicine. Where other imaging techniques examine the anatomy of body structures, nuclear medicine focuses on physiology, or how those structures function.
After a component of nuclear medicine known as polytron emission tomography (PET) was developed, Demeter was instrumental in building Manitoba’s PET scan program. Since then, PET scans have become a standard of care for lung cancer patients.
“A PET scan would change management in lung cancer patients 40 per cent of the time,” Demeter said. “That’s phenomenal.
“It was much more sensitive in showing where the tumor was, how big it was, had it spread, had it come back, did it respond to therapy — all those things.”
Today, there are two PET scanner machines in Manitoba. Between 15 and 30 patients receive scans every day.
energy than normal body tissues, they use up more of the radioactive sugars. This difference in energy usage is displayed on the medical image, helping doctors identify the location and activity of tumors.
“It’s pretty simple,” said Demeter, “but it’s a game
Beyond medical imaging, nuclear medicine has applications in therapy.
“We can inject a small amount of radioactivity that targets the tissues you want to treat,” Demeter said. “It’s very targeted.”
“We actually inject small amounts of radiopharmaceuticals, which are handled by the body in a physiologic manner”
— Sandor Demeter, former member of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
A PET scan begins by injecting patients with a small, safe amount of radioactive sugar. Because tumors tend to consume more
changer for cancer treatment and helping people figure out what the best path forward is for their treatment.”
Treatment for thyroid problems, for example, involves having patients drink radioactive iodine, as the thyroid picks up 200 times more iodine than neighbouring cells.
New therapies targeting rare neuroendocrine tumors and their receptors are also under development. Prostate cancer is the
subject of promising new research.
A molecular “key” targeting prostate cancer receptor cells can be injected into a patient’s bloodstream. This molecular key will move through the body, searching for and binding to the receptors. Attaching a therapeutic radioactive agent to the key will kill the cancer cells.
This therapy is part of a new branch of nuclear medicine called theranostics.
The term “theranostics” is an amalgamation of the words “therapy” and “diagnostics,” and it describes a process that does both. It uses radioisotopes to first scan a patient’s tumor for diagnosis and then provides targeted treatment for that tumor.
“[These therapies] will be a
game changer, because prostate cancer is so common,” Demeter said. “That’s pretty exciting stuff.”
Nuclear medicine is a small specialty, with only seven certified nuclear medicine physicians practicing in the province of Manitoba.
Increasingly, physicians complete residencies both in nuclear medicine and radiology — a branch of medicine which diagnoses and treats disease using imaging technology. Training in nuclear medicine as well as radiology allows physicians to draw more information from a patient’s medical scans, helping them learn about a patient’s health.
“That’s the evolution of the specialty,” Demeter said.
How genetics shape neurodevelopmental disorders
U of M professor explores the genetic roots of brain disorders
Divyata Gosai, staff
Robert Beattie is an assistant professor of biochemistry and medical genetics in the U of M’s Rady faculty of health science.
Beattie began his undergraduate studies in microbiology at U of M and later joined the science co-op program. One of his first experiences was at the national microbiology laboratory, where he worked on Ebola vaccine development, enhancing his understanding of molecular biology and the significance of virus research.
Beattie studied developmental neurobiology during a co-op term at the Max Planck Institute in Germany.
“It [was] fundamental research and [the] initial experience that set me on this journey to where I am today,” he said.
When Beattie returned to Manitoba, he completed an honours project with Steve Wired, who remains an inspiration and a mentor. Wired taught him key molecular biology skills and the use of advanced technologies in developmental biology.
Beattie then pursued graduate studies in Europe, returning to the lab where he once completed his co-op program.
molecular biology is essential for studying these disorders, he explained. After completing his PhD, he continued his academic journey by pursuing a postdoctoral position in Vienna, Austria, which is a common path in the field of bio -
enzyme FAN1 in conditions like Rett syndrome and Huntington’s disease.
“My past research has been studying neural stem cells and their lin-
brain.”
Beattie continues this research in his current lab, focusing on the genetic factors that con -
“This was split between both the University of Sheffield and the University of Basel in Switzerland. There, I studied neurodevelopment neuro stem cells, and I got to understand why this was a field I wanted to continue with,” he said.
Beattie was drawn to the research due to its potential to benefit many individuals. Defects in neural stem cells can result in conditions such as microcephaly, macrocephaly, autism and psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia.
A solid understanding of
medical sciences.
Beattie credited Simon Hippenmeyer, a professor in the field, for inspiring and mentoring him in the development of advanced technologies used in his lab. Their collaboration resulted in groundbreaking research that brought Beattie back to the U of M, where he established his own lab in the department of biochemistry and medical genetics.
“As
eage in the brain,” he said.
“During my postdoc, we identified some of these regulators that regulate the switch from neurogenic to gliogenic, meaning the production of
those cells over time,” he said. “The mutant cells could be labelled green, the wild-type cells could be labelled red, and then we can watch and see how those cells develop over time in different environments.
“This approach is unique to my lab in Canada.”
Beattie explained that his research also examines what occurs inside a cell when a gene is disrupted. MADM is one of the few technologies that enable the study of health and disease at the single-cell level, making it a powerful tool for research.
In his lab, researchers use this approach to investigate various diseases such as autism, Rett syndrome and schizophrenia, to understand changes occurring at the cellular level.
graphic / Fumnaya Ifeadi / staff
“As we learn more about different diseases or disorders, we begin to realize that there is a lot of cellular heterogeneity,” he explained.
His current research focuses on how large copy number variants contribute to disorders such as microcephaly, autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Additionally, his team investigates neurodevelopmental processes, including the role of the DNA repair
an undergrad student, you have so many opportunities and directions that you can go in, and
it’s
really important to take full advantage of those opportunities at that stage”
— Robert Beattie, assistant professor in the U of M’s Rady faculty of health sciences
neurons to the production of glial. This switch is critical [for] producing the right number of neurons and glial in the
tribute to various neurodevelopmental disorders. His team uses an advanced technique called Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM) to generate genetic mosaics in mice. This approach traces the lineage of stem and progenitor cells in the brain.
“We can create a mouse [with] a mutant cell for any gene we’re interested in studying, and a wild-type cell for the same gene, and track
“When a tissue is affected by a certain disease, not all cells will respond the same. Some cells might not function correctly while other cells continue to function as normal,” he said. “Using these single-cell technologies, we can now study disease at single-cell resolution, and that’s the future of identifying the cause of cellular heterogeneity in disease. But also if we wish to develop future patient-specific therapeutics.”
Beattie encouraged students to explore research opportunities, as they offer valuable experience and guidance.
“As an undergrad student, you have so many opportunities and directions that you can go in, and it’s really important to take full advantage of those opportunities at that stage,” he said.
Why live music still matters
Concerts offer more than just music and you’re missing out if you don’t attend
Nischal Karki, staff
Good music is just a click away. With headphones or earbuds, you get the best sound from your favourite artist, perfectly tuned to your ears. The sound is clear, crisp and feels like the artist is performing just for you. It’s easy, convenient and incredibly satisfying.
But there’s one thing missing from that perfectly curated experience — the energy of being part of something bigger.
According to Steven Caldwell Brown and Don Knox in their study, “Why go to pop concerts? The motivations behind live music attendance,” concert attendance is often motivated by the desire to physically see one’s favourite artists “in the flesh,” with some individuals driven by the chance to meet the band or “shake hands.”
This sentiment resonates with my own experiences. Whenever I attend a concert, I often pause halfway through, look around, and think, “this is it. This is what happiness feels like.”
Surrounded by people who share the same passion for the music, I feel a warm sense of community — a feeling that captures the emotional fulfillment many concertgoers seek when attending live performances.
Another study also notes that with the rise of technology, people no longer need to attend live concerts to enjoy high-quality recordings of their favourite songs, suggesting that the motivation to attend live music events is driven more by social factors than the music itself. However, even with the convenience of quality recordings, live concerts offer something irreplaceable.
Attending a concert means stepping out of your comfort zone, engaging with strangers and experiencing the collective energy that streaming music simply cannot replicate. Plus, jumping, dancing and moving to the music provides not only an emotional release but also a great workout. The live experience brings people together in ways that recordings just can’t match.
And then, in that moment, it all comes together. This moment won’t last forever. And that thought makes the night feel even more intense — more precious, more real. When the song hits at full volume, and the music fills every corner of the venue, it’s like the whole crowd becomes
one. That’s when it really hits me, “we are all here, living a dream, and it’s something that can never be replicated.”
Not in your living room, not on a streaming app and definitely not on the bus with your earbuds in. While there are obviously a lot of people who want to go to see their favourite artist, some factors such as ticket prices might be overwhelming, making
it harder to experience the magic of a concert. But when you do get that chance, it’s unlike anything else.
totally blow you away. You find yourself thinking, “I had no idea who they were, but now I can’t wait to hear more.”
And then, in that moment, it all comes together. This moment won’t last forever. And that thought makes the night feel even more intense — more precious, more real
I love it when sometimes, the opening act ends up being far better than you’d expect. You walk in thinking they’re just a warm-up, but then they
These unknown bands have a unique way of captivating the audience, often with raw energy and talent that might just steal the show. In a few years, they may become the next big band touring here and there.
For instance, Demi Lovato
opening for the Jonas Brothers in 2008 for their Burnin’ Up Tour, or The Beatles opening for Roy Orbison in a 1963 tour of the U.K. after The Beatles had just released their first album Please Please Me. These examples highlight how attending live concerts can lead to unexpected discoveries, introducing audiences to emerging artists who may become the next big thing in the entertainment industry.
photos / Nischal Karki / staff
Living with your parents in your twenties
The fun house is not so fun
Quinn Mayhew, staff
Living with your parents in your twenties is like being in a carnival fun house without the fun. It feels like you’re constantly trapped or living in a phase of your life that you seem to have outgrown.
For me, living with my parents in my twenties is honestly exhausting. Constantly being monitored while abiding by house rules is so draining. Even though I’m a fullyfledged adult, it still feels like I’m 14.
Honestly, if I had enough money to move out I would have long ago. For me, money has always been holding me back from venturing out into the world on my own. Even though I work two jobs and go to school full-time, I never seem to have enough money to move out, nevermind the fact that I can hardly afford gas to put into my car.
For a lot of students, the reality is that you don’t have enough money to move away for school to go to a university you want to go to out of province, because you can’t afford
it, like me. I am now having the problem of not being able to afford the high cost of living, without including rent and utilities.
Living in Winnipeg is on the lower end of the spectrum for the cost of living in Canada, which is still ultimately unmanageable and very costly. The cost of living in Canada, when specifically talking about being a student in Winnipeg, while trying to move out without roommates, is not feasible in the slightest.
in Winnipeg all my life, and I can tell you that you are not finding a good apartment for anything less than $1,000.
This doesn’t even include groceries, utilities, tuition, books and recreational activities. There is simply no feasible way for a student who works a minimum wage job and without parental help
for a magnitude of reasons. Whether it’s family obligations, medical issues, transportation problems, there is a list of reasons why students who want to move out can’t.
If I had enough money to move out I would have long ago [...] Even though I work two jobs and go to school full time, I never seem to have enough money to move out
Being able to afford rent is key to moving out. On top of that, maintaining a healthy diet and keeping up with internet bills to do schoolwork as well as covering recreational activities can be incredibly difficult. Juggling these things while you’re going to school full-time is almost mission impossible.
Overall, for Canadian students, rent comes between $500 and $4,000. I have lived
Beyond a title
Where modern leaders fail
Thandeka Katsika, staff
In our society, leadership is often synonymous with a position or title.
Whenever I think of modern leaders, I immediately associate them with the office in which they were elected rather than any positive impact they may have had on the community.
I acknowledge that on the surface this seems fair. You cannot really be a leader if there is no post that requires a leader, right? Not really.
The way I see it, we did not come up with the concept of having someone in charge to simply have someone in charge. I believe the concept of leadership comes from a desire to effect positive change in our communities. To inspire and encourage progression in society and ultimately improve the lives of the people, and the environment.
Despite this being the primary goal of leadership, so often we neglect the concept of positive change and only focus on the title.
When I think of great leaders, Martin Luther King Jr. is
the first person who comes to mind. A Baptist minister and civil rights activist who delivered one of the greatest speeches in history, “I Have a Dream,” and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the rights of African Americans.
Even now, years after his death Martin Luther King Jr.’s work continues to inspire people all over the world to take up the fight for equality. Most people know these things about him already. What people may not know is that he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization whose aim was to provide new leaders for the rapidly growing civil rights movement. I do not think anyone remembers this great man as the president of a leadership conference. We do not look back at his life and fixate on the titles he was given. Instead, he is remembered for what he did. The powerful and positive impact he had on his community and the rest of the world.
The courage and passion
to be expected to move out, (without eight million roommates) to be able to afford the cost of living.
The reality is that being a student is hard, add the cost of living on top of the student experience, and things get infinitely more stressful and time-consuming when you need two jobs to afford the bare necessities.
Although the cost of living for students is astronomically high, the reality is most students cannot move out
Moving out or trying to move out is a tiring experience and family might not make it any easier. While some people might have a great at-home life, that’s not the reality for many students trying to move away from their home or specifically their parent(s).
Moving away might be a solution to a bigger problem in my experience, since family members can become overbearing, invasive and toxic sometimes. Although this might have been going on throughout your life, you might just realize you’ve outgrown dealing with this behaviour and are no longer a child who has to put up with this behaviour, but must, due to financial strain.
More and more often people are cutting off their toxic par-
ent after leaving home. This is often referred to as “estrangement.” In the BBC article titled “Family estrangement: Why adults are cutting off their parents,” Maddy Savage, explains that, “the term is broadly used for situations in which someone cuts off all communication with one or more relatives, a situation that continues for the long-term, even if those they’ve sought to split from try to re-establish a connection.”
There are a multitude of reasons why someone wants to leave home, or maybe can’t, either financial strain or a hard home life or perhaps you’ve outgrown this stage of your life. Everyone has their reasons for wanting to leave. I think any reasons for wanting to leave home or not leave home are valid reasons. I think you know when you’re ready to leave, but there’s a financial strain to moving out that makes it difficult for students to thrive in a system that’s set up for us to fail.
displayed in the life of Dr. King are evidence to me that he was not simply after upliftment from those around him. Instead, he aimed to uplift his community.
The same can be said of other greats in the history of leadership, such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. These men sacrificed their comfort, safety and even freedom to lead those around them and fight for what they believed in. It is clear to me that their actions were not motivated by receiving recognition or a fancy title, but instead they were working to exact change.
I feel that this selfless attitude has enabled many of the greatest leaders in history, and unfortunately, is becoming increasingly rare in today’s society. There seems to be more emphasis put on having a title than there is on using that title to help others. I find that some of the biggest scandals and controversies of our generation have surrounded men and women who hold the most important titles in their coun-
tries. I believe this is the consequence of power-hungry leaders. People who are concerned with having a position think the job is done once they have been given that title. They have accomplished their goal, because their intention was not to assist those around them, it was to win a title.
I am not saying desiring a title is wrong. But a position does not make a good leader,
good character does. Great leaders are not defined by a successful campaign, a coveted title or the strength of their position, but by how they can inspire and influence change for the people they lead. True leaders devote themselves to the improvement of the lives of others and not their own.
graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff
To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely. In Straights, like Sudoku, no single number 1 to 9 can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. Each compartment must form a “straight.” A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how “straights” are formed.
by: Teegan Gillich
Indigenous land-based learning through exercise
U of M professor leads Indigenous history walk for
Boris Tsun Hang Leung, staff
On Feb. 28, Brian Rice, a professor in the faculty of kinesiology and recreation management, led an Indigenous history walk from Upper Fort Garry to St. Boniface, connecting students to the history of the land on which we live.
Rice, who is Mohawk and part Scandinavian, explained that he has been teaching Indigenous courses at universities for 30 years, before assuming his current role as a land-based educator for the faculty. Though he is a university professor, he believes there is much to be learned outside the classroom.
“I have a PhD in traditional knowledges, and I’ve never really been able to apply some of that knowledge into outdoor settings or such, because we’re always confined to a classroom,” he said, “And I didn’t want to be a professor who was stuck talking about the Indian Act all the time.
And so what I did for my dissertation is I walked about 700 miles through my own territory, knowing all the stories and everything else.”
While many might think of physical activity as purely training the body, Rice highlighted that it can also be a powerful way to educate the mind — especially on local histories. He often takes his students on long walks, introducing them to historically significant sites in the city.
“We might start at Polo Park [and] go down to the Assiniboine residential school. There’s an Indigenous burial ground close by that nobody knows about, and I’ll bring them there, talk about it. [Then we will] walk through Wolseley.”
He explained that many influential English, Scottish and Irish Métis lived along Wolseley and up St. Andrews, and in 1870, there were about 4,500 of them — just 1,000 shy of the more well-known French Métis. They spoke
Bungee, which is an amalgamation of Gaelic, English, Anishinaabe and Cree.
“There’s so many things that we can do in this city and we can learn about because this was really, in a sense, a focal point, a middle ground for all of Canada […] Winnipeg is such an influential point of our Canadian history, so I try and bring that aspect,” said Rice.
Rice also mentioned that physical activity plays a key role in transmitting Indigenous traditions, and students have the opportunity to take part in them. For example, Rice incorporates traditional lacrosse, also known as tewaaraton, as well as Indigenous song and dance into his classes.
Although colonization has tried to erase much of Indigenous culture, Rice believes this is a promising time for amplifying Indigenous voices and perspectives. For instance, when he first started teaching,
students
disciplines such as anthropology and history were separate from Indigenous studies and had histories of appropriating Indigenous knowledge.
“But now we have an opportunity to use all of these disciplines and bring them together. So, if we study a little bit about archaeology when we’re missing a piece from the historical part, we can combine them together, and we
can bring a broader picture to our own native perspectives and everything else,” Rice added.
“I think we’re in a very good place for learning now. As long as our institutions are open to us learning in different ways and not simply just going into a classroom or something. I think we have an advantage there now.”
Village Conservatory presents Inhibition Exhibition Exhibition
will feature projects created by conservatory students and local artists
Carrington Dong, staff
On March 5, Winnipeg’s Village Conservatory for Music Theatre (ViC) will present its 2025 Inhibition Exhibition. Founded in 2018, the conservatory provides young musical theatre performers in Manitoba with theatre, music and dance training in one place.
Daphne Finlayson, festival producer, confirmed that “the big purpose of the ViC is to give Manitoban and Winnipeg artists the chance to have post-secondary professional musical theatre training here at home without having to go to a bigger city like Toronto or Vancouver — basically, making sure that people who don’t want to leave don’t have to.”
“And so, we started the festival as a way to encourage the next generation of artists to get excited about what they can create instead of waiting around for someone to give them a job.”
Finlayson said the ViC has been lucky to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and continue hosting the exhibition, which is now in its fifth year. During the pandemic, the conservatory was able to adapt to the restrictions.
“One of the big things that the ViC has going for it is that
period. The conservatory returned to in-person classes in the 2021-22 academic year and the exhibition resumed in-person performances by 2023.
Aside from providing a platform for the ViC’s students, the Inhibition Exhibition provides a platform for Winnipeg artists who may not have other spaces to share their work.
For example, the Community Cabaret, held on opening night, will feature 10 local acts, ranging from burlesque performances to short films.
“We started the festival as a way to encourage the next generation of artists to get excited about what they can create”
— Daphne Finlayson, festival producer
The Inhibition Exhibition, created in 2021, was designed to give young performers the opportunity to develop their own projects.
“This came about because we noticed that there is a finite amount of work for young performers in our city, and so one of the best ways to counteract that lack of work is to teach people how to make their own,” Finlayson explained.
we’re small, so we’re able to kind of pivot really quickly,” she said. “So, we held out with doing in person lessons as long as we could until we were no longer allowed to do so and it was no longer safe, so then we switched to all-digital instruction for a while.”
The first Inhibition Exhibitions had to be held virtually due to the pandemic, with the ViC adapting by producing 14 short films over a two-month
“We just wanted to create a space where artists of any shape or size could get together and get excited about what the Winnipeg theatre and arts community is doing,” said Finlayson.
Also planned as part of the exhibition are Mindful Mayhem, a showcase of short pieces by current ViC students, a staged reading of Sinking Ship, a new play by local playwright Ethan Stark, and the Should This Be a Musical? cabaret, which will celebrate Broadway flops.
For the first time, the exhibition will take place at the Gar-
goyle Theatre, a venue Finlayson said was a natural fit.
“They are dedicated to platforming new Manitoban theatre,” she explained. “That is their whole jam, that is the reason why they exist, and they became a very natural partner for us […] their mission just totally meshed with ours.”
Ultimately, Finlayson hopes the exhibition will encourage Winnipeggers to engage with the local performing arts scene.
“I just hope that people get excited about the work that is happening in Manitoba, and
how we don’t have to fly to Broadway, we don’t have to go to Toronto,” she said. “There’s so much cool stuff happening right here at home, and it’s my hope that through this festival we can get people excited about what their neighbours and their friends and their loved ones are working on and celebrating what we’ve got going on here at home.”
The 2025 Inhibition Exhibition runs from March 5 to March 9 at the Gargoyle Theatre. For more information, visit villageconservatory. com.
graphic / Teegan
Gillich / staff
photo courtesy of / Justin Landry
Performing Arts Training Lab Showcase 2024
RWB presents Canadian premiere of Jekyll & Hyde ballet
Choreographed by Val Caniparoli,
Carrington Dong, staff
T
he Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) will continue its 85th season with the Canadian premiere of Jekyll & Hyde. An adaptation of the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, the ballet tells the story of London doctor, Dr. Henry Jekyll, who struggles to contain the desires of his evil alter ego, Mr. Edward Hyde.
Choreographer Val Caniparoli had wanted to adapt Stevenson’s novella into a ballet for many years.
“When I was a kid, I loved all those film noir, the black and white horror films […] and Jekyll and Hyde is up there,” he recalled. “Jekyll & Hyde seemed to resonate with every company I ever showed that idea to.”
Caniparoli began developing Jekyll & Hyde after receiving funding from the Kansas City Ballet to workshop the production — an opportunity he described as rare in the ballet world.
The ballet’s development faced unforeseen challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one of the interested ballet companies, the Finnish National Ballet, remained open.
“[Finland] was the only country other than New Zealand that was still open,” said Caniparoli. “And so [Jekyll & Hyde] was created during COVID. Most of this was cre-
ated before I even went [to Finland], via Zoom. I hope I never have to create in my office at three in the morning in Zoom, kicking things over, ever, ever again!”
Caniparoli and his team received clearance from the government to travel to Finland as essential workers, as many people in the country would have been out of work if the production had been canceled. They were required to undergo a two-week quarantine, with only half the usual orchestra, and tickets only being sold to half capacity.
Following its run in Finland, Jekyll & Hyde was picked up by four North American ballet companies, with RWB being the final stop.
“The road to getting [Jekyll & Hyde], even to this point, I’m still pinching myself, because it shouldn’t have happened,”
Caniparoli said, reflecting on its developmental process.
Jekyll & Hyde, according to Caniparoli, is based primarily on the “duality of nature” and the internal battle between good and evil through the character of Dr. Jekyll and his alter ego, Mr. Hyde. “I had an idea of what it would be like for the same person, in this case, two men dancing together, but not just dancing together, they’re the same person, fighting between good and evil,” he said.
In the ballet, Caniparoli highlighted the challenge of
the ballet is an adaptation of Stevenson’s classic
teaching the dancers playing Jekyll and Hyde. The duality of the roles draws comparison to Swan Lake’s dual role of Odette and Odile, with the added challenge of two different performers portraying the same character.
“It’s complex because I keep telling [the dancers playing Jekyll and Hyde], ‘you guys are the same person. There’s good and bad in both of you,’” he said. “It’s not an easy role to do, either one of them.”
A notable aspect of Jekyll & Hyde is its showcase of male-presenting dancers in leading roles. Historically, ballet has been dominated by female-presenting dancers, and some female characters had to be included and developed by Caniparoli to allow for more female-presenting dancers in the cast, as the original novel featured very few female characters. Caniparoli acknowledged that having multiple male-presenting protagonists was unusual in ballet.
The ballet also introduces a new onstage character — Robert Louis Stevenson himself. Caniparoli said the decision highlights the parallels between the author’s personal struggles and the story, noting that Jekyll & Hyde is a semi-autobiographical work.
“[Stevenson] struggled between good and evil for the rest of his life, he was very sickly and he was always on
drugs […] There’s a parallel with the story about struggling with good and evil, and the use of drugs and how it alters your mind,” said Caniparoli, adding that Stevenson wrote the novella while in the hospital. RWB picked up Jekyll & Hyde after Caniparoli connected with RWB associate artistic director, Tara Birtwhistle, who was enthusiastic about the project after seeing it in Kansas City. In the process, Caniparoli has enjoyed working with RWB’s dancers and highlighted their enthusiasm and dedication.
“I’m just struck how open these dancers are and how quick they are,” he said. I’ve been loving going in because I know they’re there, they’re involved, they’re there for it,
and the excitement level in the room — it’s electric.”
Ultimately, Caniparoli is proud of how audiences have been surprised by every aspect of the show.
“I’m really proud of, if you like it or don’t like it, the comment [from the audience] is, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before.’ That’s not easy to do,” he said. “And I love that.”
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s production of Jekyll & Hyde runs from March 6 to March 9 at the Centennial Concert Hall. The production is rated PG-13 for suggestive content. For tickets and more information, visit rwb.org. For more on Val Caniparoli, visit valcaniparoli.com.
Jon Sasaki presents microbial art at U of M
School of Art Gallery unveils
Boris Tsun Hang Leung, staff
On Feb. 27, the School of Art Gallery unveiled its latest exhibitions by Jon Sasaki, a Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist. Homage features a microbial photo series created from artifacts of influential Canadian artists, while I Contain Multitudes shows Sasaki’s responses to works by Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald, a former director of the school of art.
Sasaki holds a bachelor of fine arts from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, where he spent several years painting landscapes. Even though most of his current work is not done en plein air, he remains deeply inspired by nature and the Canadian landscape.
For Homage, Sasaki swabbed the art supplies of artists such as Arthur Lismer and inoculated the microbes onto petri dishes. The bloom-
latest
ing microbial growths were then photographed as landscapes, representing Canadian art on the smallest scale.
“What you’re seeing now is photo documentation of how those petri dishes grew and they became kind of landscapes in and of themselves […] If you step back, some of them actually resemble a forest with trees, and, you know, others are just kind of these amazing ecosystems of all of these different moulds and funguses and bacteria,” he said.
“It actually becomes this sort of very beautiful model of coexistence, and I think that seems to have something to do with Canada, right? If we’re talking about, you know, nature as a way of talking about Canadian identity, I think this sort of idea of productive coexistence has something to do with that.”
The art supplies belonged
multimedia exhibition
to members of the Group of Seven, a collective of Canadian landscape painters from the early 20th century. Sasaki noted that by depicting scenes such as a solitary tree on a windswept island, the group produced stirring paintings of nature and solitude.
I Contain Multitudes also explores themes of nature. Sasaki created eight videos by inserting endoscopes inside the burls of trees near places where FitzGerald lived and worked, including on campus and near his residences in Winnipeg and British Columbia.
In his career, FitzGerald created many detailed studies of trees and seemed interested in drawing parallels between trees and the human body. As such, exploring the inner world of trees seemed like a logical step for Sasaki.
“If this practice is about looking at trees the way one
would look at a human being, then why don’t we use the tools for examining a human body? The same tools that, say, a surgeon would use for examining inside a human body?” he said. The videos, shown on monitors designed to resemble operating room screens, depict pulsating slimes and crawling insects inside trees — even in the depths of winter. I Contain Multitudes, clev-
erly titled after Walt Whitman’s poem, “Song of Myself, 51,” reminds viewers of the strange and complex microscopic world inside trees and our bodies.
Homage and I Contain Multitudes are on display at the School of Art Gallery from Feb. 27 to April 26. Visit umanitoba.ca/art/gallery and jonsasaki.com for more information on Sasaki’s work.
photo / Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios
photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff
Kansas City Ballet Company dancers Cameron Thomas and Gavin Abercrombie in Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll & Hyde.
Men’s volleyball fall to Wesmen in quarterfinal games
Bisons defeated in game two of best-of-three quarterfinal series
Israel Adeogo Abejoye, staff
The U of W Wesmen men’s volleyball team delivered a dominating performance, sweeping the U of M Bisons in two consecutive matches on Thursday, Feb. 27 and Friday, Feb. 28, at the Duckworth Centre.
The Wesmen’s quarterfinal wins marked a significant triumph, with scores of 3-1 and 3-0, respectively.
The first match on Thursday began with a service error by Wesmen’s left side hitter Jaxon Rose, giving the Bisons their first point. However, the Wesmen quickly regained their footing, with Bisons right side hitter Karil Dadash Adeh committing a service error to tie the score 1-1.
The game continued with both teams trading points until the Wesmen scored three consecutive points, creating a gap between them and the Bisons. The Bisons called a timeout, hoping to re-strategize, but the Wesmen continued their momentum, scor-
ing another three consecutive points to extend their lead to 24-18.
Left side Eric Ogaranko added to the Bisons’ points with a kill, but the Wesmen ultimately won the set 25-19, courtesy of a service error by middle Jordon Heppner.
The second set saw the Wesmen winning the first two points due to Dadash Adeh’s service error and left side hitter Spencer Grahame’s attack error. However, Heppner restored the Bisons’ hope with a kill, and both teams began trading points again. The Bisons eventually extended their lead, winning the set 25-20, with the two final points coming from Heppner’s aces.
The third set began with the Bisons winning the first point, but the Wesmen responded with three consecutive points.
The Bisons closed the gap and took the lead 10-7, prompting the Wesmen to call a timeout.
The Wesmen then won three consecutive points, forcing the Bisons to call a timeout as
well.
Both teams continued trading points, but the Wesmen created a margin from 16-15 to 19-15, ultimately winning the set 25-22.
The final set began with the Wesmen winning the first two points, and both teams trading points until the Wesmen broke out, winning four straight points to extend their lead from 17-16 to 21-16. The Bisons were unable to close the gap, and the Wesmen won the set 25-21.
The Bisons finished the match with 45 kills, 124 total attempts and 24 errors, while the Wesmen had 46 kills, 117 total attempts and 17 errors.
The second match on Friday saw the Wesmen dominating the Bisons, winning all three sets. The first set began with the Wesmen winning the first point, and Grahame quickly tied the score. Both teams traded points until the Wesmen created a huge margin from 15-14 to 18-15, and from 18-16 to 21-16. Despite the
Bisons’ efforts to close the gap, the Wesmen won the set 25-18.
The second set began with the Wesmen winning the first point and Grahame tied the score once again. The Wesmen then scored four consecutive points to take a lead of 12-8, further extending their lead to 16-9.
The gap proved too large for the Bisons to close, and the Wesmen won the set 25-21.
The final set saw the Wesmen winning the first point, but the Bisons dominated subsequently, only to see the Wesmen bounce back, scoring
six consecutive points to take a lead from 16-12 to 18-16.
The Wesmen continued to dominate, ultimately winning the set 25-21.
The Bisons finished the match with 31 kills, 98 total attempts and 19 errors, while the Wesmen had 41 kills, 91 total attempts and 13 errors.
The Bisons, despite their efforts, struggled to keep up with the Wesmen’s pace. The team’s errors and inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities ultimately led to their defeat.
Bisons women volleyball outrun the Cougars in playoffs
The herd defeats the Mount Royal University Cougars in the quarterfinals
Faiyaz Chowdhury, staff
The Bisons faced the Mount Royal University Cougars on Feb. 27 for game one of quarterfinals at the Investors Group Athletic Centre, finishing the game 3-0. The first two sets were easy wins, but the Bisons went neck and neck in the third set for the win.
The Bisons started strong in the first set, recording 17 kills with only two errors on 32 total attempts for a 0.469 hitting percentage. Their wellrounded team effort saw key offensive and defensive contributions, helping them secure a 25-21 win. Despite the win, there were some difficulties that the Bisons faced with their rotation.
In the second set, the Bisons continued their domination, taking advantage of the Cougars’ inconsistency. The Bisons’ hitting percentage dropped to 0.257, with 14 kills but five errors on 35 attempts, helping them secure a 25-18 win. The Cougars were not able to catch up or take a lead on the herd.
were outpacing the Bisons and the set was neck and neck. Yet, the herd managed to turn things around, winning the set 25-22. The Bisons recorded 12 kills with four errors alongside 30 total attempts for a 0.267 hitting percentage.
For the Bisons on the offensive side, Raya Surinx excelled with 18 kills and a hitting efficiency of 0.412, marking her as a key attacker for the team. Light Uchechukwu also had a notable offensive performance with 11 kills and a 0.231 hitting efficiency, contributing significantly to the team’s attacking prowess.
Defensively, Andi Almonte stood out with nine digs, helping to stabilize the team’s backcourt play. Julia Arnold
eral outstanding contribution from Eve Catojo, who added five kills and three digs, were instrumental in the Bisons’ clean sweep of 3-0 over the Cougars, with final set scores of 25-21, 25-18 and 25-22.
“We didn’t panic, we just simply kept going. We stuck to the preparation that we had for this team and it turned out for us”
— Ken Bentley, head coach of Bisons women’s volleyball
also played a crucial defensive role with 15 digs, the highest on the team, showcasing her ability to handle the Cougars’ offensive threats.
However, in the third set, it was mostly the Cougars that
Overall, the team’s combined efforts, including a gen-
In a postmatch interview, the Bisons women’s volleyball head coach Ken Bentley was asked about the opposing team’s defensive strategy against Surinx, despite her ability to score 18 kills and achieving a 0.412 hitting percentage. “Raya had a lot of indirect
points because they were sitting on her,” he said. “Rightfully so, but you give other opportunities to other players to get a bit more freedom to hit so that she helps us even when she doesn’t get set.”
“One of the reasons I am really part of this group is just how we stuck together, knowing that we will continue to play better volleyball, we will keep working with a better team that is still chasing this goal,” he said.
Bentley pointed out the Cougars’ competitiveness. “They’re a really good team so you’re not going to be ahead the whole match, and that’s just the reality. And we’re prepared for that, so we just kept
playing, I thought we maintained our poise really well there.”
He continued, “we didn’t panic, we just simply kept going. We stuck to the preparation that we had for this team and it turned out for us.”
The Bisons faced the Cougars again on Friday, Feb. 28 for game two of the quarterfinals and won again with a 3-1 score.
The Bisons will host and participate in the U-Sports women’s volleyball nationals from Friday, March 14 to Sunday, March 16 at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
photo courtesy of / David Larkins
photo courtesy of / Dave Mahussier
The Bisons record loss against the Thunderbirds
The men’s basketball team defeated 87-79 in Canada West championship semifinals
Abdul-Jalilu Ahmed, staff
T
he Bisons men’s basketball team lost 87-79 to the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds in the Canada West championship semifinals on Saturday, March 1 at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
The Thunderbirds took a 5-0 lead at the 8:41 mark of the first quarter, but Brandt Lenz made a three-point jump shot for the Bisons, assisted by Daren Watts, at 8:31 to narrow the gap to 5-3.
At 5:39, Mason Kraus made a three-point jump shot, assisted by Lenz, to tie the game at 13-13. Kraus made a three-point jump shot at 4:59, giving the Bisons a 16-13 lead.
At 2:11, Watts made a threepoint jump shot, assisted by Taven Vigilance, pushing the Bisons ahead 21-15.
However, Micah Jessie made a three-point jump shot for the Thunderbirds at the 0:27 mark to level the game at 21-21.
At 7:30 in the second quarter, Lenz made a jump shot to give the Bisons a 28-21 lead. Fareed Shittu made a dunk at 5:19, putting the Thunderbirds ahead 31-28. At the 2:19 mark, Watts made a layup, assisted by Vigilance, to give the Bisons a 36-35 lead.
Gus Goerzen made a threepoint jump shot at 1:00, pushing the Thunderbirds back
lead to 42-39 at 0:21, but Kraus made two free throws at 0:00 for the Bisons, cutting the deficit to 42-41 as the game headed into halftime.
In the third quarter, Nikola Guzina made a layup at 8:24, giving the Thunderbirds a 50-41 lead. At 3:01, Shittu made a free throw to extend their lead to 60-47. The Bisons responded at 2:09, when Cieran O’Hara made a layup, assisted by Kraus, narrowing the gap to 60-51. O’Hara then added two free throws at 0:18, bringing the score to 62-55.
In the fourth quarter, Kraus made a three-point jump shot at 7:42, narrowing the score to 66-65. At 6:37, Lenz made a three-point jump shot, assisted by O’Hara, giving the Bisons a 70-68 lead.
The Thunderbirds regained control at 2:05 with an 80-70 lead, following two free throws by Victor Radocaj. The Bisons fought back, and at 0:18, Tito Obasoto made a layup, bringing the score to 84-79. However, Tobi Akinkunmi made a free throw at the 0:06 mark, securing an 87-79 victory for the Thunderbirds.
The Bisons men’s basketball coach Kirby Schepp spoke about the game.
“I was really proud of the way the guys battled. We get one more chance of Victoria next week,” said Schepp. “It got to be a little more
just have to get superior numbers in the paint and we were not able to do that.”
Kraus reflected on the match. “Some of our main guys got in foul trouble, like myself, Daren and Cieran, and then they just bodied us on the glass,” he said. “We just had to be more physical, but today we weren’t. They were coming down hard, and we didn’t match their intensity in the game.”
He shared his thoughts on how the Thunderbirds capitalized on their rebounding advantage.
“We were hit and miss. Like the third quarter, we went on a good run, because we started rebounding,” said Kraus. “Then late in the game, they took it away from us, and they started pressing us in. We just got to keep it consistent. We didn’t do that in this game, and so they took it from us.”
He touched on their upcoming game against the Victoria Vikes.
“We have to take out Victoria. That will be an interesting game. We play them at their own gym. They just lost to Calgary, who we split with, so it will be an interesting matchup,” he said.
The Bisons men’s basketball team will play the Victoria Vikes in a bronze medal game on Friday, March 7 at 9 p.m. CST in B.C.
