Jan 14 2026

AI does not ask for consent See more on pg. 7

Art show explores life despite wartime See more on pg. 18

A slam dunk for the Bisons See more on pg. 20

PHOTOS BY MIKE THIESSEN / STAFF

News

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5 Editorial

8 Comment

Arts & 12 Culture

17 Sports

19

Caring is essential

What’s in a name?

New year’s revolution

Read it if you write it

New year, new wins

GRW and Women’s Centre hosting essentials drive for Sakeenah Homes

What do brand names have to do with fashion, and do they even matter?

In 2026, commit yourself to taking back your attention span

Local author hosts events for authors to read their works

Bisons women’s volleyball team takes two wins against Cougars

January 14, 2026

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News

January 14, 2026 news@themanitoban.com

UMGPS to host Jan. 16 town hall meeting Students invited to raise concerns and ask questions Roy Albright Obah, staff

T

wo weeks into the start of the 2026 winter term, the U of M Graduate and Postdoctoral Society (UMGPS) will host an in-person town hall meeting on Friday, Jan. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 260 Helen Glass Centre.

Timilehin Oluwajuyitan, UMGPS president, said the meeting was scheduled in response to increased engagement from graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. “The town hall was prompted by a noticeable increase in student questions, concerns and requests for clarity around issues affecting graduate students and postdoctoral fellows,” he said.

Oluwajuyitan said the timing reflects a need for direct engagement early in the academic term. “We recognized that this was an important moment to pause, listen and engage directly with our members in an open and transparent way, rather than relying solely on written updates or informal communication,” he said.

He stated the meeting is intended to address several themes raised by students. “The town hall aims to address concerns related to communication, representation, decisionmaking processes and accountability within UMGPS,” Oluwajuyitan said.

He added that “students have also expressed interest in better understanding ongoing initiatives, governance matters and how their voices are reflected in advocacy efforts,” he said.

Oluwajuyitan said the town hall format provides an opportunity for information to be shared publicly. According to him, it creates a space where “leadership can speak openly, students can ask questions directly and information is communicated consistently to everyone.” He added that the meeting “reinforces accountability” since it ensures that concerns are not addressed “behind closed doors, and that students can hear explanations, context and next steps firsthand,” he said.

As part of the meeting guidelines, students have been invited to submit questions in advance. Oluwajuyitan said this process “helps ensure that complex or sensitive topics are addressed thoughtfully and accurately.” He also noted advance submissions allow for broader participation. “It also gives students who may feel uncomfortable speaking live an equal opportunity to participate,” he said, adding that the process also supports time management.

Students who do not submit questions ahead of time will still be able to participate from the human resources question, your presence during the session. “While office.

Oluwajuyitan matters,” Oluwajuyitan said, prepared questions help encouraged attendance and addressing students who may structure the be uncertain discussion, a b o u t “The town hall was prompted by a noticeable the Town attending. increase in student questions” Hall will “[It] is an also include opportunity to — Timilehin Oluwajuyitan, UMGPS president opportunities stay informed, for live hear directly questions and comments, time hints the meeting will be from your representatives and permitting,” Oluwajuyitan conversational. “We want help shape the future of your said. He mentioned the the session to be interactive student society.” session will be coordinated and inclusive,” he said.

Oluwajuyitan hopes the with support from a mediator “Even if you don’t have a town hall “strengthens trust

GRAPHIC BY EMMA GILLICH / STAFF

[…] and reinforces the idea that UMGPS is a studentdriven organization.”

The town hall is open to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at U of M. Prepared questions for the meeting may be submitted directly to the mediator at Mack.Hastings@umanitoba. ca, using the subject line “Question Submission.”

UMSU’s first BOD meeting of 2026 New updates on UMSU elections and winter semester initiatives Arifah Gheesah, staff UMSU had its first board of directors meeting of the year on Jan. 8, sharing new campus updates.

Carolyn Wang, vice president of finance and operations, shared that she has been working with the Women’s Centre, UMSU executives and Leata Goulet, the UMSU women’s representative, to continue making self-defense classes affordable and accessible for students during the winter semester.

Students who attend four out of six classes will receive

reimbursements. She also reminded the board about the hardship fund applications that are open for UMSU members who are in need. The UMSU community lounge in Helen Glass is still in project and more consultations will be made soon.

Winter orientation kicked off this week with free breakfast, a winter market and the UMSU club fair.

Nominations for the 2026 UMSU elections open on Feb. 2, and voting is on Mar. 5 and 6. Heaven Kaur, vice president of university affairs, shared that, during a meeting with

the director of the office of the vice-president, concerns about anti-choice protestors and UMSU’s current menstrual equity initiative were brought up.

Goulet shared an essentials donation drive in collaboration with Girls Run Club. Donations such as canned food, hygiene products and household essentials can be dropped off in the Women’s Centre lounge in 190 Helen Glass from Jan. 6. to 20. All proceeds will go to Sakeenah Homes, a charity organization that supports women and children.

PHOTO BY EBUNOLUWA AKINBO / STAFF

The Magnificent Women’s Award Gala will be happening on Mar. 14, and nominations

will be posted soon, as well as a search for a photographer and performers for the event.

3

Vol. 112, No. 19 news@themanitoban.com

News

UNICEF chapter opens at U of M Students bring new initiative to advance child rights Arifah Gheesah, staff

U

NICEF opened its chapter in Manitoba on Dec. 1 at the U of M. The launch was held at the J.A. Russell Atrium to celebrate U of M UNICEF with community and conversation.

Harisharn Bahra, president of the club, explained that UNICEF Canada has a chapter in many universities, and what drove them to launching a chapter in Manitoba was a common vision to turn advocacy into action.

When talking about the launch event, Bahra said, “It was supposed to serve as our main concept of advocacy for the year.” The event had a segment where attendees formed into groups and engaged in group discussions following prompts regarding children’s rights.

These prompts included discourse about technology, safety and children.

Officials such as MLAs David Pankratz and Jennifer Chen attended and engaged in discussions with the students at the event. Bahra

emphasized the importance of having such figures at the event as she received positive responses from these officials afterward, offering to meet to talk about enacting change.

“Initiatives to expect would fall along the lines of collaborating with existing organizations,” Bahra explained when asked about this year’s plan for the new club. The club is also looking to help set up educational programs for students with disability needs, as traditional tutoring has not always been able to cater to everyone. U of M UNICEF is also looking to get involved in the foster system and help with things such as food and displacement.

The club is currently in discussion with authority figures of the province to look into youth advocacy within policy.

“I feel like it’s not about today’s political and global climate. Child rights and humanitarian advocacy has mattered since day one,” said Bahra, as she stressed on how infants and younger

U OF M’S UNICEF CHAPTER TEAM.

children cannot speak up for themselves like adults can, making it paramount that we advocate for them.

“That’s a basic necessity,” she said, “We need to be more

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HARISHARN KAUR BAHRA

conscious.”

The goal of U of M UNICEF is to help, even if it is something small, such as making someone feel like there is someone looking out

for them. Anyone is welcome to join U of M UNICEF in these initiatives and contribute to change.

Meet the IC helps students prepare for Manitoban winter International Centre event offers winter clothing guidance and resources Nafisa Al Lilo, staff The U of M International Centre’s (IC) Meet the IC event on Jan. 7 highlighted winter clothing and community support for new students.

Crystal Stewart, the IC international transitions and intercultural program coordinator, shared that the centre always holds this event at the beginning of the fall and winter terms. “We invite all students, but specifically new students, to come.”

Stewart explained that the event goes beyond introductions. It educates students about winter clothing and available resources. “We have all of our winter clothing on display so that we can teach newcomers how to dress properly for the winter,” she said.

A key feature of the event is the winter clothing library, a donation-based program run by the IC. “We rely on people to donate good-condition winter clothes, and then people can shop for free,” Stewart explained.

During the event there were demonstrations of how to dress for cold temperatures, emphasizing layering, wind protection and proper

4

footwear. “Layering is really key. You can always take off layers if you’re too hot, but you can’t add them [while you are out],” Stewart stated.

The display included examples of base layers, thermal shirts, ski pants, jackets, gloves, mitts, scarves, boots and hot hands. Stewart stressed the significance of windproof and waterproof materials, explaining that the wind can make cold temperatures feel harsher.

Pointing to thinner outer layers designed to block wind, she noted insulation alone is not always enough. “Although [thin ski pants] won’t give you the insulation and the warmth, it’s still helpful to block the wind, because a lot of the wind chill can be really cutting,” she explained.

Gloves were another major focus. “You want to get something waterproof, or my favourite is the woollined leather exterior gloves,” Steward said.

Budgeting was also included in the conversation.

“You don’t need to have a $1,000 Canada Goose jacket to be warm enough for this weather,” she said. “If you can’t afford the one you

PHOTO BY NAFISA AL LILO / STAFF

want, look for it on Facebook marketplace, get it used.”

Fopefoluwa Ikufisile, a student volunteer, said he was “helping new students navigate and understand the things they’re going to encounter as a new student.”

Ikufisile wanted students to know how important communication is. “It’s very good to ask questions, don’t keep it to yourself […] and also

make friends” he said.

Thakshila Perera, another volunteer, said her own experience as an international student motivated her to help others. “I joined the International Centre as a volunteer for the first time, and so I’m here to help new students [by] describing my winter experience,” Perera explained.

Perera, who is in her fourth

year and is from Sri Lanka, said, “When you come here, it will be a nice experience [to] prepare for the winter.”

Stewart explained that Meet the IC is just one of many events offered by the IC. “We started off with orientation on Monday, and we have events every single day for the next couple of weeks and over the next month,” she said.

January 14, 2026 news@themanitoban.com

News

GRW and Women’s Centre support Sakeenah Homes Community group collects household essentials for Sakeenah Homes Nafisa Al Lilo, staff Girls Run Winnipeg is partnering with the U of M Women’s Centre to run an essentials drive in support of Sakeenah Homes, a Winnipegbased women’s shelter for survivors of domestic violence.

Rimsha Sohail, a coordinator with Girls Run Winnipeg, confirmed the initiative is a collaborative effort with the Women’s Centre to support Sakeenah Homes as they continue to provide communal housing to women who have experienced domestic abuse.

The organization relies on donations to support residents’ daily needs. The drive is collecting household and personal care items, including non-perishable foods and hygiene products, such as “canned food, body wash, shampoo, deodorant, laundry detergent, toilet paper, things like that, that are just essential to a household,” Sohail explained.

Donations are being collected from Jan. 5 to 20 at the Women’s Centre at 190 Helen Glass Centre and will be delivered to Sakeenah Homes later in the month.

Nadiya Karimi, another coordinator with Girls Run Winnipeg, said Sakeenah Homes was chosen because of the various supports it offers to women beyond emergency shelter.

“Not only do they offer shelter, meals, clothes, hygiene products and medication, they also provide security,” Karimi explained.

“They also help with skill development for the women, so they engage in art therapy, digital literacy and mindful workshops.” Karimi added that they also offer workshops for the children of women the organization supports.

Eman Ismael, a coordinator with Girls Run Winnipeg, worked with the Women’s Centre to coordinate the logistics of the drive.

Ismael said the group decided to support a single shelter to manage donations effectively. Sakeenah Homes is a confidential domestic violence shelter and they do not want many to know the

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GIRLS RUN

location, which is why the organization is sending the donations with one individual.

Founded in October 2024, Girls Run Winnipeg began as a running group and has since grown into a women-

led community that organizes wellness events, workshops and volunteer initiatives across Winnipeg. While the group is not officially affiliated with the U of M, many of its organizers and participants

are students.

In addition to community events, the group operates a merchandise line where proceeds from sweater sales are donated to Sakeenah Homes.

“Everything is appreciated for the drive,” Ismael said. “No matter how big or small the donation is.”

5

Research & Technology

Vol. 112, No. 19 research@themanitoban.com

A closer look at early modern theatre Tracing how clerical culture shaped emotional conflict on the Shakespearean stage Mansura Akter Meghla, staff

G

lenn Clark is an associate professor in the department of english, theatre, film & media at the U of M. Clark’s research focuses on late-medieval through 17th-century English drama, with particular attention to Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

According to him, early modern drama offers a detailed record of how people in Shakespeare’s time understood conflict, responsibility and emotional life.

Clark’s current book project examines the relationship between post-reformation English clergy and Shakespearean-era drama.

He said he is drawn to how plays from this period depict emotional conflicts that characters struggle to express.

Clark said these tensions reflect those faced by clergy in early-modern England, who often felt deep responsibility for their congregations alongside frustration or anger.

These clerical tensions take the form of what he described as “protodramas.” Clergy regularly navigated emotionally charged interactions with parishioners, balancing moral authority, compassion and personal doubt. Playwrights adapted these relational patterns and transferred them into dramatic form, Clark explained. Importantly, these moments are often given to characters who are not clergy at all. Figures such as Hamlet engage in dialogue and selfreflection that echo clerical speech, allowing playwrights to deepen the psychological realism of their characters while maintaining audience engagement.

One of Clark’s key research contributions is his argument that this dynamic complicates how scholars categorize early modern drama. The plays resist being labelled

6

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GLENN CLARK

strictly religious or secular. By governance, developed by the importance of clergy to embedding clerical modes of thinkers such as Max Weber, early modern drama.

Alongside this project, interaction into non-clerical Sigmund Freud and Michel Clark is developing a research characters, playwrights Foucault. blurred those boundaries, Clark argued while these program that brings social creating works that draw theorists emphasized secular psychology into dialogue with theatre. from religious culture without systems of control, they also Shakespearean-era In a recent being confined article on Ben to it.

“I certainly believe it is important to teach Jonson’s The C l a r k Alchemist, he explored these students and readers about the complexities examined how ideas further in of history and historical art and literature. what social his upcoming psychologists a r t i c l e , This is my own foundational perspective” call the “see“Clergy,” to be effect” published in — Glenn Clark, associate professor in the U of M’s saw appears in the Routledge 17thcentur y Companion to department of english, theatre, film & media c o m e d y .

Shakespeare This effect and Religion. patterns of In the piece, he investigated relied on models shaped describes influence, why clerical figures have by clerical authority, often interpersonal received relatively little imagining clerical interactions where characters alternately attention in Shakespeare in strikingly dramatic terms. gain and lose power in social studies. He traced this According to him, their interactions. Clark argued that playwrights oversight to 20th-century work inadvertently offered a early-modern observed these theories of self-discipline and framework for understanding carefully

dynamics and used them to generate suspense and realism on stage, reflecting experiences familiar to their audiences.

Clark has also begun connecting early modern drama to contemporary political frameworks. In a recent article on The Tempest, he drew on Indigenous activism and decolonizing theory, particularly the concept of land-based resurgence. He argued that the character of Caliban anticipated the pain of deterritorialization while also expressing hope through continued attachment to land and memory. Unlike other characters who redirect loyalty toward authority figures, Caliban insists on loving the land itself, a stance Clark observed as resonating with Indigenous perspectives on land and identity.

While Clark remained cautious about imposing modern ideas on historical texts, he challenged what he called narrow forms of “presentism” that dismiss the relevance of the past.

He argued that historical literature can illuminate contemporary conditions, just as encounters between different modern cultures can deepen understanding.

When older works resonate with present-day experiences, Clark sees an opportunity to learn more about both eras.

He believes that early modern drama, especially tragedy, allows audiences to recognize emotional contradictions within characters and societies.

Clark wants us to know he “certainly believe[s] it is important to teach students and readers about the complexities of history and historical art and literature.”

He added, “This is my own foundational perspective.”

January 14, 2026 research@themanitoban.com

Research & Technology

AI nudification tools present safety and privacy threats Elon Musk faces global backlash over intimate deepfake productions through Grok Nawal Semir, staff

A

n alarming rise in artificial intelligence (AI) intimate deepfakes has resulted in global backlash against chatbots and raised serious concerns over “nudification” applications.

Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok has most recently been under fire for generating sexually explicit images of women and children. This issue surfaced in December 2025 when Grok Imagine, Musk’s image and video generation tool, was used to non-consensually alter images of X users on a large scale. These images are readily available to all users on X. Trends over the past several weeks suggest that Grok currently generates one non-consensual intimate deepfake image every minute.

Grok is not the only culprit of generating intimate deepfakes. Nudification apps, accessible through social media and search engines, produce nude images of real individuals using generative AI. The democratization of AI image generation has led to increased accessibility of the deepfake tools. With this,

“Trends over the past several weeks suggest that Grok currently generates one nonconsensual intimate deepfake image every minute” AI service providers such as OpenAI have been working to greatly improve the quality of their deepfake technology.

These improvements mean that intimate deepfakes are often highly realistic, jeopardizing the privacy of non-consenting subjects. Of these generated deepfakes, an estimated 98 per cent depict nude subjects, and an estimated 99 per cent of nude deepfakes are of women and girls. An October 2024 study conducted by the non-profit Internet Matters highlighted that, as the volume of deepfakes has rapidly increased, the evidence suggests that the majority of deepfakes are used for harmful purposes.

In response to this problem, governmental committees are urging their governments to clarify their response to the issue of intimate deepfakes generated by AI. In 2024, the Australian government announced its plan to impose a “digital duty of care” on tech companies,

aiming to reduce their online harms. Generally, a duty of care forms the basis of the law of negligence, creating an onus on parties to ensure the safety of the beneficiary by avoiding foreseeable harms. This new proposed duty would require tech companies to carry out regular risk assessments to proactively identify and address harmful content.

Since this proposition, the intimate deepfake problem in Australia has increased.

In June 2025, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner reported that complaints involving deepfakes and other digitally manipulated images of individuals under 18 have more than doubled over the past 18 months. Despite this, it is not a crime to develop, host or promote the use of nudification tools, whether it is used for the creation of adult or child content. Despite the introduction of a bill to criminalize and ban the solicitation and use of these AI abuse apps, the Australian government has retained its focus on introducing the digital duty of care. However, the government is yet to provide a solid time frame for when its ban will come into effect.

The UK government has followed suit in identifying intimate deepfake production as an issue. In June 2025, the UK government enacted the Data (Use and Access) Act (the Act) in order to comprehensively protect its citizens’ data, amending several pieces of existing data and privacy legislation.

Despite the Act’s enaction, the government has warned that changes could take upwards of 12 months to be affected, and commencement regulations will determine the exact date of animation for each measure.

Included in the Act is a provision that would make it an offence to use AI to generate intimate images without the subject’s consent.

This provision is yet to come into force, and the UK government has not provided any timeframe for its proposed ban of nudification tools.

Responding to the UK intimate deepfake issue, the UK’s Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said this past week that she would support the Office of Communications in banning UK’s access to Elon Musk’s X platform.

Australia and the UK are not the only countries voicing their responses — France, Ireland, Brazil and India have all indicated investigations or possible regulatory action

GRAPHIC BY TEEGAN GILLICH / STAFF

against X in response to Grok’s AI-generated intimate deepfakes.

At home, deepfakes have previously been identified as “a real threat to a Canadian future” by the Canadian government, and a threat to Canadian democracy.

However, Canada has

remained silent amid the current deepfake scandal.

With no present considerations of additional regulations against X in relation to the backlash, Canadian ministers and departments are still active on the platform. It is important to note that there is currently

no legislation governing AI models and Canada’s privacy legislation has not been updated in the last 40 years.

The rapid proliferation of AI-generated intimate deepfakes exposes significant gaps in existing legal and regulatory frameworks worldwide.

7

Editorial

Vol. 112, No. 19 editor@themanitoban.com

Do brands matter?

Rethinking fashion in a world obsessed with labels Roy Albright Obah, staff

T

he world of fashion today is deeply influenced by brands. Across social media, in shopping malls and even on university campuses, brand names are proudly displayed and carefully discussed. For many people, what they wear is not just about clothing but about identity, status and belonging.

Growing up, I always had an interest in fashion. I liked looking good and feeling confident in what I wore, and I still do. However, I was never fully consumed by the craze for brand names. For me, fashion has always been more about personal comfort, fit and visual appeal than about labels.

When I buy clothing, my decisions are guided by how aesthetically pleasing the items are. I pay attention to how well something fits me and whether it complements my body and style. Once these boxes are checked, my decision is usually made. The brand name rarely plays a significant role in my choice.

This perspective often surprises people around me. In conversations about fashion, one question dominates — “What brand is it?” When I fail to respond with a recognizable or popular

brand name, I am often met with confusion or disbelief.

Sometimes, this reaction makes me wonder whether I am out of touch with modern fashion trends or simply choosing not to participate in them.

When asked about the brand, I often find myself asking a different question — Does it really matter? Does the value of clothing lie in the label stitched inside it, or in how it makes

the wearer feel? This question continues to shape how I view fashion and branding.

That said, I respond to these situations without shame. I confidently explain that I prioritize comfort, fit and appearance over brand prestige. In doing so, I have

come to realize that fashion, like many other aspects of life, is truly personal.

What matters to one person may not matter t o

another.

In recent times, however, the idea of branding has evolved. People are no longer drawn

solely to brand names because they are popular or expensive. Instead, they are increasingly interested in what brands represent.

Reputation, ethics, sustainability and quality now play major roles in shaping consumer choices.

A brand that lacks integrity or fails to meet expectations may lose its loyal

customers, regardless of how long it has existed or how widely it is known.

In this sense, brands are not very different from individuals.

Just as people are judged by their character and actions rather than their titles, brands are judged by their values and consistency. A good reputation takes time to build, but it can be lost quickly.

For me, this builds my belief that brands do matter — but only to a certain extent. They matter when they stand for quality, responsibility and authenticity. They matter when they respect their consumers and contribute positively to society. They do not matter when they become tools for exclusion, pressure or unnecessary competition.

Fashion should be about self-expression, not validation.

Whether one chooses to wear luxury brands, local designs or unbranded clothing, what truly matters to me are the two big “Cs” — Confidence and Comfort.

Brands may influence trends, but they should never define worth.

So, do brands matter?

Yes, but not more than individuality, integrity and the freedom to choose what feels right.

GRAPHIC BY EMMA GILLICH / STAFF

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Comment

Vol. 112, No. 19 comment@themanitoban.com

The academic dilemma Why we’re energy depleted, and it’s only week two Thandeka Katsika, staff

W

e wrote our Fall semester final exams only a few weeks ago. I still vividly remember the outrageous level of stress I felt during that period and the many all-nighters I pulled.

Now here I am, a few weeks later, asking myself, where is all that zeal? It is the beginning of the Winter semester, and all the motivation and energy I had to do well are nowhere to be found. I have noticed this as a pattern for many other students. When we overextend ourselves trying to achieve good grades, we’re left feeling burnt out following the holidays. Some may argue this could be diagnosed as a “laziness” syndrome — which may be that we work harder during finals because it requires significant energy only at the end. While I believe there is some truth to this, I think the issue is much bigger.

I think many students are academically burnt out. A few years ago, the Uniter did a survey showing that among

students aged 22 or older, one in two students felt stressed every single day of the year and among students 18-19 years old, 47 per cent genuinely considered dropping out of university in 2022 due to the high stress levels. Universities Canada also reported that 89 per cent of students in post-secondary studies feel overwhelmed.

CTV News recently published an article headlined, “More than 75 per cent of postsecondary students struggle with mental health.”

There is a tremendous amount of pressure on students to perform well academically while a l s o

juggling personal responsibilities. For every student, the obligations look different, but for many of us, the impact is the same.

We face a flood of emotions, sensations and physical tension that make it hard to focus or feel capable of completing anything. We are burnt out.

Academic burnout leads to a decline in motivation and academic performance and causes emotional avoidance to develop among students.

Sometimes, we look at our lack of desire to attend lectures or even study as being a

character flaw. But in reality, these behaviours may arise as a protective response.

Emotionally-based avoidance is when students try to minimize the uncomfortable feelings associated with school by avoiding it. When I feel anxious about a difficult course, I tend to overlook it altogether. Logically, this makes no sense. In practice, I don’t like the feeling of stress and anxiety that comes with having to look over information and still not understand it, or feel the “you are definitely failing this” thought that creeps up on me, so I avoid it altogether.

Many of my friends say they do the same thing. I think because of burnout and the negative emotions we associate with academics like anxiety, fear of failure and shame, our brains begin to perceive school as a threat and, thus, take

protective measures against it.

These effects of academic burnout are made more difficult to deal with when society teaches us that they are symptoms of laziness and that enough willpower could reverse them. But this is simply not true. No amount of hard work, resolution or determination can overhaul a nervous system response.

In fact, diagnosing yourself as lazy or incapable may only add to the amount of stress, pressure and depletion you feel — worsening the problem instead of making it better.

I think a more realistic strategy is to first recognize when you feel academically burnt out. Understand that it is not a result of some personal flaw and that you are not alone in feeling so.

Next, it can be helpful to look into time management strategies, identify certain triggers associated with your academics, and to even take a few days off to completely rest and recuperate.

GRAPHIC BY TEEGAN GILLICH/ STAFF

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Vol. 112, No. 19 comment@themanitoban.com

Comment

Reclaim your attention in a disinformation age Treat focus as civic health, and rebuild it with reading and reflection Kyra Campbell, staff

J

anuary has arrived, and everyone has made new plans to reinvent themselves. Gym memberships spike, steps get counted and diets get renamed. Physical health matters, but these rituals often skip a different kind of fitness — the one that determines whether you can tell what is true, what is propaganda and what is designed to exhaust you.

This omission in your New Year’s routine is not neutral.

In an age of acceleration toward authoritarianism and political instability, power does not only move through laws and police forces — it also moves through attention.

Leaders, parties and influence networks benefit when people feel too burned out to read past a headline, too distracted to finish a long paragraph and too cynical to believe that learning can change anything. If you feel constantly overwhelmed or numb, you become easier to manage.

The first weeks of the year have already delivered the kind of news that makes people want to tune out.

The unlawful invasion of Venezuela by the U.S. has sparked debates about war, legality and who will be invaded next. In the same breath, we hear of uprisings in Iran and renewed Russian missile strikes on Ukraine.

At home, the ongoing churn of domestic crises does not cease. When the world feels so unstable, distraction can feel like self-preservation.

But constant distraction does not protect you. When every issue arrives as a flood of hot takes, you lose the habit of asking basic questions and become more easily absorbed by the disinformation environment.

Instead, it’s important to slow down and ask, “What happened, according to whom?

What evidence supports it? What does a source gain by framing it this way? What facts remain uncertain?”

This is where the new year can be more than a wellness kick. It can be a commitment to mental habits that preserve your freedom. That sounds dramatic, but it is mostly small and boring, which is why it works. The skills that defend a democratic culture are not abstract. They are reading, writing and thinking out loud with others.

Start at the simplest level.

Read at least one page a day of something physical — a book,

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GRAPHIC BY TEEGAN GILLICH / STAFF

a magazine or a longform article that you print out. A page sounds trivial, and that is the point. You are not trying to become a different person overnight. You are rebuilding attention. One page becomes two, then ten. Ten becomes a habit you can rely on when the news cycle tries to flatten everything into slogans.

Then write a few sentences.

Not a diary entry and not a manifesto — just a short reflection that forces your brain to reflect critically, as this skill can be lost among hours of mindless scrolling. Ask questions like,

“What is the author’s claim?

What evidence supports it?

What seems to be missing?

How does this connect to something I already know?”

Over time, you build a record of your thinking. That record helps counter the feeling that you never learn anything and that nothing ever changes.

Finally, talk about what you read and write with someone else. Disinformation thrives in isolation. Conversation, on the other hand, builds community, and community builds resilience. All you need is one friend, one classmate or one family member you trust

enough to say, “I read this, I think it means this, what do you think?” Do that regularly and you will notice a shift.

You become less reactive, more curious and harder to manipulate.

Our information culture has shifted so greatly that some people frame calls for reading and reflection as elitist. That framing does real damage because it treats literacy as a luxury. However, when academics or teachers emphasize the importance of habits, they are defending the baseline of an educated society.

Democratic societies depend on widespread literacy, not only the ability to decode words, but the ability to evaluate claims and argue carefully. When we treat these skills as out of reach, we hand society to the loudest and most shameless voices.

So yes, set your physical goals. Move your body, sleep more and drink water. But set one goal for your mind that treats attention as a form of health and a form of resistance. Read a page.

Write a few lines. Have one real conversation. Do it again tomorrow.

January 14, 2026 comment@themanitoban.com

Comment

Days of the week If you were a day of the week, which day would you be?

Quinn Mayhew, staff

Monday If you happen to find yourself in a pickle, Mondays are always there — loyal, resilient and constant. If you’re a Monday person, you value the quieter moments over chaos. You value privacy, and you prefer a good bubble bath as opposed to going out.

Tuesday If you ever need a little quiet chaos in your life, Tuesdays are your match.

You are optimistic and openminded to change. You seek out moments of opportunity and know when to take risks. However, those risks may sometimes lead you to trouble.

Wednesday Chaos seeks you at the bingo table. As a Wednesday person, you enjoy the simpler things in life. You enjoy confronting obstacles head-on and taking action instead of sitting back.

You thrive under pressure and make the effort to get to know others.

Thursday My dear sweet summer child, Thursday — you are ever the most loving person in the room. You love a good night in alone but also enjoy socializing at your local pub.

You go the extra mile for people you care about, friends, family and even strangers and it shows in the way you greet life with a smile.

Friday You are the embodiment of the song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper.

You love to have fun, and you enjoy hitting the town while the nights are still young.

You’re always charming, and you know it. You are outgoing and bubbly — people are drawn to your radiant personality.

Saturday You love the spotlight and everyone knows it. You thrive best in the middle of chaos, and you’re always the centre of attention. You capture everyone’s focus wherever you go and have the personality of a movie star. You prefer loud environments surrounded by people and music over a night in.

Sunday Dear Sunday, you are always stressed out. Despite being stressed, you always make time for the people you care about and are generous. While you may be a little naive at times, you make up for it with your larger-than-life humour and hilarious jokes.

GRAPHIC BY EMMA GILLICH / STAFF

Consider my advice series Your unprompted weekly advice column Quinn Mayhew, staff

D

ear Reader, This week’s advice would be to stop taking things so seriously.

Things are rarely that serious, whether it’s you fighting with your friend, your boss being mad at you or you receiving a bad grade.

Throughout life, I have learned one important thing — life usually happens to you, not with you. Things may not always go to plan, but the most important thing is that you learn how to pivot, maybe take a different path

instead. I never take things that seriously because I never want to get hurt. My advice to anyone reading this is to start taking more chances and learning how to adapt to problems when they arise. For instance, I recently realized I wouldn’t graduate when I had planned.

However, I recognized that not graduating when I wanted would give me the opportunity to stay with my friends a little longer. There’s a bright side to almost everything. So, try to adjust your thinking and find the positive in the negative.

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

SUDOKU

© 2026 Syndicated Puzzles

No. 788

Previous solution - Medium

Easy

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© 2026 Syndicated Puzzles

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I am still In the same room On the same floor Under the same roof.

I could hear my laughter turn into a cry I could feel my blood turn into water And my voice turn into a chant.

A chant that I hear everytime I go to sleep.

Only to wake up restlessly.

And I see the faces of the people I loved Turning into stone or melting like mold.

Just as my heart melted with the heat of hate and uncertainty.

I’m still angry that I’m still in the same room on the same page in the same air.

5 7 6 8 7 8 5

My best friend says that she does not feel beautiful, But I have never met anyone like her Someone who would let me know I have a shoulder if I get my heartbroken.

My voice cracks because I love her so much, My voice cracks when a loser lets her down Because I can hear her silence to me it’s loud I was so wrong to think being the same blood mattered.

Because, when I think of her, I feel like I matter I am still ashamed of myself for not being there everytime she cried Even if we weren’t friends at that time So, I always ended up hating timelines I was deep down in a well and she rescued me She does not know, she does not know what she did for me.

If you ask me what she means to me, I would say everytime I am proud of her for only existing, I’m proud of her for only being.

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1

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I loved you like the night loves the moon, I loved you when it was dark, too.

You could not see me standing in the clear daylight while I loved your shadow too, And I remember you from the day we met The day I lost myself to you.

But love is supposed to make u feel like you won.

Like you already won the mountains and the sun.

Please try to rub your eyes and see me, I am still standing in the daylight waiting.

I can only love from afar; I love you without even seeing you, Or knowing too much.

For your tird eyes tell me your story, and my heart tells me they lie to you too, They lie to you to when you smile and make yourself look like you are alright.

But to me you are so peaceful like the moon while I am scattered like the stars around you.

I do not even want to win the mountains and the sun. If you saw me, I already won.

14

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4

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No. 787

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No. 787

9

Vol. 112, No. 19 graphics@themanitoban.com © 2026 Syndicated Puzzles

SUDOKU

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Diversions

in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to The solutions will be published here in the ne see how ‘straights’ are formed.

I could smell it everytime, I would cook the dish I once loved.

I can sense everything as if it happening right now, everytime I pick myself up But then I crawl as I get tired and lie down in my bed Only to hear the chants repeat all over again But I pick myself up And yesterday I felt like someone else picked me up I was so wrong.

Cause they dragged me to the same place where I did not want to go But I still smile at them and I say thank you Thank you for the care I felt even if it was for a second or two I overlooked and overloved that was all my fault So I’m left on the same Floor Of the same room Whose roof is going to fall.

You are not 16 anymore And the mean girl you knew from high school is now in the other part of the world. you talk to her sometimes and realize She was never angry or evil Just miserable.

If only someone asked what happened to her at home If only Someone asked her if she even had a mom Then coming up with the same line that trauma makes u strong But maybe it made her weak So weak that she had to put you down to be able to feel seen From sleeping in class to waking up night U were never in her shoes so you have no right No right to call her a failure when The world failed her too, She was good in sports money snatched away; So she was only left wih some digits in her mind.

She was just kid who needed love and time But, labelling her was their favourite crime.

Maryam Beg volunteer Do you have a poem you’d like to submit to the Manitoban?

Email your poem to arts@themanitoban.com

January 14, 2026 arts@themanitoban.com

Arts & Culture

The Empower Women Show seeks guests for season 3 Hosted by Jayne Trimble, Rogers TV-produced show highlights successful women Carrington Dong, staff important to me because I Discussions on the show ogers TV is seeking want all women to recover centre on lifestyle, mindset guests for the third from ‘playing small’ and and personal growth, with season of The Empower accepting crumbs,” Trimble topics including body image, Women Show. explained. family and relationships, Hosted by Jayne Trimble The Empower Women financial literacy and fertility and based in Saskatoon, Show premiered last April journeys. These stories are Saskatchewan, The Empower and has recently been picked shared to inspire women, Women Show consists of up by AccessNow TV to be challenge popular narratives 15-minute episodes where broadcasted to more viewers. about women’s potential, Trimble interviews women Since its premiere, the show educate and promote financial from across Canada who are has been viewed nearly literacy among women and leaders, professionals and 200,000 times on YouTube, promote women-owned entrepreneurs. along with 96,000 views on businesses.

Trimble, a musician — Instagram and 83,000 views One notable episode, under the stage name OXLIP on Facebook. aired Nov. 19, 2025, was — businesswoman and owner The show’s mission is in collaboration with of the women-centred record to “elevate and promote” Women Entrepreneurs of label World Saskatchewan.

“Empowering women is important to me Peach Records, The episode is passionate featured five because I want all women to recover from about helping entrepreneurs ‘playing small’ and accepting crumbs” women pursue who came and achieve from rural their dreams. — Jayne Trimble, host of The Empower Women Show communities The record in the label was founded in 2015 to women through interviewing province. respond to a lack of female them, providing them with As stated in a document representation in the music a platform to share their summarizing the show’s industry. Through World stories and showcase their purpose, The Empower Peach Records, Trimble activities and businesses. Women Show intends to has helped artists tour This is summed up by the demonstrate that “women internationally and play show’s official Instagram bio, can be businesswomen and major festivals, such as SXSW which states, “Queens belong mothers” and “we can have it and Canadian Music Week. on thrones — let’s put them all.” The program has received “Empowering women is there.” praise, such as from Bell

R

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DAVID WHITE

Media’s Sophie Kerenedis who said, “It’s always great to see women supporting women on television!”

The Empower Women Show is open to all women who might wish to appear on the upcoming third season.

There is a special interest in highlighting women in non-traditional roles such as in agriculture and STEM. Those who are interested in applying, or in nominating someone to be a guest, are encouraged to fill out the application and nomination

form, which can be found in the show’s Instagram bio.

“I host The Empower Women Show because I want to see all women living with purpose,” Trimble’s statement reads. “The show will be a message of hope.”

Episodes of The Empower Women Show air daily on Rogers TV. For more information, follow @ theempowerwomenshow on Instagram. For more on Jayne Trimble, follow @oxlipmusic.

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Vol. 112, No. 19 arts@themanitoban.com

Arts & Culture

RMTC presents Murder on the Orient Express Company’s first production of 2026 adapted from novel by Agatha Christie Carrington Dong, staff

F

or their first production of the 2026 calendar year, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre is presenting the play Murder on the Orient Express in partnership with Citadel Theatre.

Adapted by Ken Ludwig from the famous novel by the “Queen of Crime” Agatha Christie, the play follows detective Hercule Poirot’s trip on the Orient Express. During the trip, a fellow passenger is found murdered, leading Poirot to investigate the train’s intriguing passengers.

Ray Strachan, an alumnus of U of M and of the Black Hole Theatre Company, plays the role of Constantine Bouc, who runs the Orient Express and is an old friend of Poirot. He described M. Bouc as a “bon vivant” and comedic relief who keeps the audience on track with the mystery.

“He’s the audience’s eye on the stage [because] a lot of things go by really fast,” Strachan explained. “A lot of times you have questions, and if you miss it, then you’re done. So, it’s a nice way to add a little bit of levity, a little bit of comedy, and to make sure

the audience is clear on what’s going on.”

Strachan said one of the highlights of playing M. Bouc is the opportunity to perform a comedic role, drawing inspiration from performers such as Cab Calloway. Known for dramatic performances in The Mountaintop and appearing in Shakespearean plays, Strachan expressed that he has not had the chance to play comedic roles often. “[M. Bouc is] just so fun […] He has a great spirit,” Strachan stated. “He knows when people are down, he doesn’t like when people are down around him […] He just loves everyone to be in a good mood and happy and feel like they’re taken care of.”

Strachan stated that most of his castmates were familiar with Christie’s novel. However, he stated that he chose to primarily work from the play’s script alone. He acknowledged that this approach was not for everyone.

“I’m one of the actors [who], when I do a play or movie, I don’t read the book [it’s based on]. I’ll do some research, but I […] like a blank slate,” he explained.

In working on Murder on the Orient Express, Strachan expressed enjoyment in working with his castmates, many of whom he had never worked with before. For example, Strachan had not worked closely with fellow actor Alex Poch Goldin, who plays Poirot. Despite this, Strachan said it felt like they had worked together for years.

“It really felt like the first day of school when we did our first read,” he recalled. “We say that in theatre, ‘first day feels,’ but this was really ‘first day feels’ with a lot of new faces from out of town […]

They bring a new vibe.”

When asked what he thinks audiences will love about Murder on the Orient Express, he highlighted the show’s story and the diverse cast of characters from various countries, referring to it as the “accent Olympics.” He also mentioned the overall stage design — set, lighting and sound — done by Brian Perchaluk, Dave Clarke and Hugh Conacher.

While much of the play focuses on the mystery, the play can spark discussion on justice and how to carry it out.

“It’s not just a comedy [or]

PHOTO PROVIDED BY RACHELLE BLATTA

murder-mystery. There’s a real introspective look in the mirror about what you think justice is and what [it] means to carry out justice,” Strachan reflected.

Strachan finished by encouraging U of M students to not only support professional theatre, but to support student actors, like those at the U of M theatre program where he started. “If you’re on campus […] go and support [them] because they’re the artists of

the future,” he urged. “That’s where I came from. And it’s so gratifying to see people of your own age supporting you and other students.”

Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of Murder on the Orient Express opens on Jan. 14 and runs through Feb. 7. For tickets and more information, visit royalmtc.com.

Big Fuzz releases debut single “FEARS” Rock musician Anthony Cenerini launches solo career in Winnipeg Boris Tsun Hang Leung, staff Big Fuzz, the solo project of Anthony Cenerini, is set to release its first single on Jan. 16, marking the start of Cenerini’s new career in Winnipeg as a rock musician.

Cenerini is originally from Winnipeg but moved to British Colombia to work as a music producer. He spent eight years running a commercial recording studio before his life turned upside down after sustaining a back injury on Vancouver Island last year. “[I] had to get [a] stretcher out of my hotel room, couldn’t walk, and from there, weeks later, got evicted. No fault of our own, but kind of ran out of options, and we’re like, ‘Hey, [let’s] go back to my hometown and start over there,’” explained Cenerini.

“It was probably the toughest couple months of my life. But […] you look back on it now, and it’s all worked out the way it’s supposed to, and I’m really happy to be back in Winnipeg.”

Cenerini compared Big Fuzz’s sound to modern rock

16

bands such as Royal Blood and Dead Poet Society, and he also incorporates “more poppy synth textures,” similar to indie pop artists such as Lola Young and Sombr.

Big Fuzz was originally a duo in British Columbia but became a one-man band when Cenerini relocated to Winnipeg. He wrote, performed and produced “FEARS” entirely on his own, but this transition was not without its challenges, which Cenerini explores in the track.

“I was a drummer at the time. I was not singing and playing guitar, and I am terrified of doing both. So the song is literally about that, having social anxiety, then being forced to confront it whether in life or literally stepping from behind a drum set and performing, being in front of the stage instead of the back of the stage,” he said.

“Even though it’s a pretty personal song to me, I hope other people can relate to anxiety and know that you can do it. The hardest part for me in rewatching this project was

going from zero to one, from everything crashing down to just starting again and being ready to perform and ready to write songs and release songs and do all that.”

Right now, Big Fuzz has big but not-so-fuzzy plans for the future — Cenerini is currently recording an EP for release later this year, and listeners can expect a second single in late February or early March.

“I’m really fortunate to be at a point in my career where I do music full time, so I plan on hitting it as hard as I can, right? And the goal is to play festivals and tour and do all that,” he stated.

“My hope is to start playing locally in probably May or June, and then [just go] out there and see what it does.

No expectations, [I just have to] do it and see what it looks like.”

“FEARS” is available on all major streaming platforms starting Jan. 16. Learn more about Big Fuzz at bigfuzz.ca.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ANTHONY CENERINI

January 14, 2026 arts@themanitoban.com

Arts & Culture

Taproom reading series highlights local authors Sheldon Birnie hosts Wednesday of Wild & Wonderful Words Boris Tsun Hang Leung, staff

W

ednesday of Wild & Wonderful Words, a recurring reading series, is set to take place at Sookram’s Brewing Company near Confusion Corner next week.

Hosted by Sheldon Birnie, these events are an opportunity for local writers to present their work in a “lowkey, low stakes way” without the pressure of academic or highly structured events.

“I try to get four or five [writers] together. Each of those writers gets up to ten minutes to read […] They can read something either that’s been published or they’re working on. It’s up to them.

The focus is fiction or prose as opposed to poetry or free verse,” Birnie explained.

“It’s local writers for the most part. This reading, coming up on Jan. 21, we’ve got an out-of-province writer coming in from Thunder Bay, which may be something we see more of in the future, who knows. But the focus is always

on local writers.”

The event is free and open to all ages. Birnie added that it could be a chance for novice writers to see what others are working on.

Birnie holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from U of M and currently works as a community journalist for the Winnipeg Free Press.

He started his career by volunteering and working at the Manitoban, but eventually found himself wanting to do more with creative writing.

Birnie also noted a lack of reading events in Winnipeg despite its fair share of local writers.

“I noticed, especially in the past few years […] that there were a lot of cool-looking reading series going on in different cities in the States, but there wasn’t anything exactly like that happening in Winnipeg, [which] is a very literary city. There’s lots of writers here doing cool things, and [I] figured that might be an opportunity to meet some

of these writers that I didn’t know, or to platform writers that I was aware of and like their work, and just make an evening of it,” he said.

Birnie has published several books set in or focused on Winnipeg and western Canada, including his 2015 publication Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock 1990-2001. His latest book, Where the Pavement Turns to Sand, is an anthology of short stories that take place in the backcountry of the Canadian prairies.

“I love Winnipeg for a lot of reasons. I’ve got family from here and that, plus the music scene, originally drew me into spending more time and eventually living in Winnipeg. And that goes across all the arts, the music scene, the visual arts, dance theatre, literary arts. It’s a very supportive city,” Birnie stated.

“We’ve got stuff to say and a lot of people do so in their own way in a very high level, and lots of quality and

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SHELDON BIRNIE

creativity comes out of the city. It’s relatively affordable still, compared to other major Canadian cities, and we often fly under the radar. So I feel it’s great and important, or fun at least, to celebrate what we’ve got here that many people might not realize or pay attention to.”

The next instalment of Wednesday of Wild & Wonderful Words will take place on Jan. 21 at Sookram’s Brewing Company from 7 to 8 p.m. Contact wildwonderfulwords@gmail. com for more information.

Synthetic Friend explores coming-of-age on debut EP Winnipeg indie rock band releases Catching the Outlines Jordan Anglin, staff Local indie rock band Synthetic Friend will release its debut EP on Jan. 16.

Catching the Outlines contains four tracks written about young adult experiences of vulnerability and learning to understand oneself. It is preceded by two singles, “Nanaimo” and “Potion Seller.”

Vocalist Emma Stevens commented, “I’m really excited for this EP to come out.” They added, “I’m excited to have more music out in the world, and to also keep writing and recording music, which we’ll definitely do.”

Stevens, bassist Kaity Cummings and guitarist Aaron Simard formed the band roughly three years ago while they were in an acting course together. They expanded their lineup with the addition of drummer Tomi Lawrie and guitarist Ashton Fontaine.

Stevens is especially proud of their dynamic performance in the second track, “Renovations.”

They typically sing with a noticeably soft and lilting voice, reminiscent of singers in other dreampop bands.

However, the distinct chorus and outro of “Renovations”

feature a stronger projection.

It was inspired by old home videos of their mother (Delina Rissin), whom they recall was a talented singer with a very loud voice. Stevens achieved a similarly impressive volume by telling themself, “I’m just going to channel my mom.”

The song also addresses Stevens’ grief of having never been able to meet their uncle Todd, who passed away before they were born. The covers of the EP and singles are photographs taken by him.

“I learned so many things about him through my grandma and through my dad,” they explained. “I have no other family who was in theatre, and so it’s like I have this weird connection with this person who I’ve never met before.”

The other currentlyunreleased track, “Baby, You’re My Microwave,” showcases a more comedic approach to songwriting — as the title would suggest. The microwave theme is employed as a vehicle to symbolize toxic relationships.

The song’s instrumentals were written prior to the lyrics, with a riff that reminded Stevens’ bandmates of a microwave. They decided to

SYNTHETIC FRIEND’S DEBUT EP RELEASES JAN. 16.

use the comparison for lyrical inspiration. “Baby, You’re My Microwave” is also notably the first song Synthetic Friend has ever written as a group.

“It just came together, and it was so funny.” Stevens said, “I never thought that it would actually end up being a song that we continued writing or used for anything, but then it ended up being so catchy and so fun that we were like, ‘Well,

we have to.’”

The songs were recorded and produced locally by Adam Fuhr at House of Wonders Records. “Potion Seller” was notably recorded in as few takes as possible, in a process inspired by tape recording. The band and Fuhr had originally planned to record the song on tape, but the machine malfunctioned.

However, they chose to keep

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SYNTHETIC FRIEND

the mentality as if they were using tape anyway. “[Recording] was eyeopening,” Stevens recalled.

“You listen to music all the time, but you don’t really think about how they’re doing it.”

Follow Synthetic Friend on Instagram at @syntheticfriend.

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Vol. 112, No. 19 arts@themanitoban.com

Arts & Culture

CMU gallery hosts display of Palestinian resistance Show features works by Bisan Dasuki, U of M fine art student Jordan Anglin, staff

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he MHC Gallery at the Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) opened their latest show on Jan. 9, The Land Remembers Palestine: Courage, Resilience, Resistance. Upon entry, visitors are met with a recreation of a military checkpoint. Once they are passed through, the show is divided into zones: Palestinian history before and after Zionist attacks in 1948, 38 Palestinian artists, two memorials to artists and children killed by Zionist forces and art created by local activists.

The show’s lead curator is Rana Abdulla, who is also the co-owner of Yafa Café. Many of the antiques displayed in the historical sections are personal belongings from her family, brought from Palestine, including the collection of tatreez dresses.

“This is a collection by my late mother,” Abdulla told.

“She thought after the 1967 war and the death of [Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser], ‘There’s no way that somebody is going to defend Palestine as it is, so I have to start collecting this because our identity is threatened by erasure’ […] And when I came to Canada in the late ’80s, she said, ‘You take them with you,’ and she joined me after the Gulf War with my dad and we continued this work. And those are fabrics that bear witness and memory.”

One of the featured Palestinian artists is U of M fine art student Bisan Dasuki.

A display case showcases four of her conceptual works, two of which — “Box of Palestine” and “Massacre Blooms” — were also featured in the U of M student gallery last October.

Dasuki created each piece as part of her coursework at

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PHOTOS BY MIKE THIESSEN / STAFF

WORK BY U OF M FINE ART STUDENT BISAN DASUKI CAN BE SEEN IN THE LAND REMEMBERS.

the university. While some classmates had passiveaggressive responses, most were positive.

The largest work, “Box of Palestine,” is a wooden box in the shape of Palestine, depicting a pre-1948 map of major cities with their names in both Arabic and English.

A watermelon is also painted on the lid because the colours of the fruit represent the Palestinian flag. Another

artwork, “Massacre Blooms,” is a jar filled with poppies, which are native to Palestine.

The red and white poppies are placed in rings, depicting a target, with a red handprint pressed onto the jar. It was inspired by the Flour Massacre in Gaza where Zionist forces injured 760 individuals on Feb. 29, 2024 as they attempted to collect flour.

Dasuki’s third sculpture, “Inventory of a Genocide

(Gaza),” depicts an ice cream truck. It calls attention to their use in Gaza for storing corpses after the mortuary fridges were full.

“It was very disturbing to see an ice cream truck that’s supposed to be for kids […] carrying bodies. It stuck with me, and that’s why I wanted to make art about it,” Dasuki recalled.

Finally, “Kufiyah” is an image of the back of a person

wearing a keffiyeh, featuring explanations of the garment’s symbolism. Specifically, it has comparisons to fishnets, olive leaves and trade routes.

Dasuki draws attention to these origins to disprove claims that the garment was created by Zionists.

The Land Remembers will remain in the MHC Gallery until Feb. 28.

Sports

January 14, 2026 sports@themanitoban.com

Bisons clash against the Mount Royal Cougars Bisons women’s volleyball loses game one 86–60, rebounds to win game two 67–58 Faiyaz Chowdhury, staff

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he Bisons women’s basketball team played against the Mount Royal Cougars in Calgary, Alberta on Thursday, Jan. 8 and Friday, Jan. 9. The herd lost the first game 86-60 but won the second game 67-58.

The Cougars won the first game thanks to building an early lead and pulling away late.​The game started with Asha Donnelly getting a quick 3-0 lead for the Cougars, which was quickly answered

by Bisons’ Kyu Fust’s threepointer to tie it at 3-3. Donnelly and Nora Luca added jumpers to push the Cougars ahead to 12-5, while the herd tried to catch up. The Cougars were able to push the lead to 27-14 by the end.

The Bisons opened the second quarter with Fust’s jumper to make 27-16, but the Cougars kept on coming and, with a jump shot from Luca, they were 30-18. In this quarter, the herd struggled heavily with free throws, getting FTM-A of 42.9 per cent, missing huge opportunities to

close the distance. However, there was improvement in defence from the previous quarter. The second quarter ended 48-29.

The Cougars kept the pressure on early in the third quarter with Donnelly’s layup for a 50-29 lead, but the Bisons found wind in their sails.

The herd went on to score 23 points in this quarter whilst only conceding eight. This reduced the huge gap to 56-52.

The herd lost their momentum in the fourth quarter and only scored eight points whilst the Cougars scored 30 points, leading to an 86-60 victory for the Cougars.

In this game, the herd struggled with rebounding and turnovers and allowed the opponent team to dominate.

In the second game, the Bisons grabbed a 67-58 victory over the Cougars. The herd led narrowly after one quarter and held off the Cougars’ push to even the series.​The Bisons’ Taylor Schepp opened with a jumper for a 2-0 lead, but the Cougars’ Jenessa Ramsoomair tied it quickly with a tip-in.

Darya Rom scored six points, giving the edge for a 17-16 lead for the herd.​ In the second quarter, both teams were almost equal in terms of scoring, 14 by the Cougars and 15 by the herd.

However, the Cougars showed significant advantage in being able to convert free throws into points with FTM-A of 75 per cent. The score was 32-30 at halftime.​ The Bisons started the third quarter with Anna Miko’s layup for 34-30. Both teams in this quarter were also close in terms of scoring, 13 by the Cougars and 12 by the herd.

The score was extremely close, 44-43.

The Bisons dominated the fourth quarter by scoring 23 points, creating a massive gap in the final quarter to win the game 67-58. In the second game, the Cougars struggled and were hurt by poor secondhalf execution after trailing narrowly.​ In the first game, Luca stood out as the Cougars’ star player with 19 points and 7 rebounds, driving key scoring runs, while

PHOTO BY MIKE THIESSEN / STAFF

the Bisons’ Fust (14 points) and Miko (12 points) were the top standouts. In the second game, Rom emerged as the herd’s star player coming off the bench to score 20 points, while Paige Schatkowsky (12 points) and Schepp (9 points) also made immense

contributions to the Bisons.

The Bisons women’s basketball team will next play against the University of Alberta Pandas on Friday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. CT and Saturday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. CT in Edmonton, Alberta.

Bisons start new year with two wins against the Cougars Women’s volleyball team wins 3-1, 3-1 against the Mount Royal Cougars last weekend Israel Adeogo Abejoye, staff 25-15. The Bisons’ momentum often [...] but just throwing it The Bisons women’s carried over into the third set and waiting. That’s something volleyball team kicked off where they maintained a lead, that I find really helps, because when you throw and the new year with a bang, winning 25-19. securing two 3-1 victories over In the fourth set, the Bisons go all in one motion, that’s the Mount Royal Cougars in a jumped to a 7-1 lead, but the when the ball can get behind thrilling weekend series. The Cougars mounted a strong you and you can adjust, so just Bisons dominated the court, comeback, tying the score at being patient,” she explained.

On Saturday, Jan. 10, showcasing their skill and 10-10. The Bisons regained determination in a match that their footing, trading points the Bisons continued their kept fans on the edge of their with the Cougars before winning streak, winning the seats. securing the set 25-23 and first and second sets 25-22, 25-15, losing the third set On Friday, Jan. 9, the Bisons taking the match. took the court with a strong Bisons star player for the 22-25, and winning the fourth set 25-16. offence after The Bisons losing the first “I was just trying to think of ways I can better led the first set 23-25, then winning 25-15, the ball for my teammates and lift the weight” set 20-15 but faced a Cougar 25-19 and 25-23. comeback, The match — Raya Surinx, Bisons women’s volleyball player which was began with thwarted by a Eve Catojo scoring the Bisons’ first night, Raya Surinx, shared, Bisons timeout. They regained point, which set the tone “we were wanting to reset for control and won the set.

The second set recorded for a competitive game. The this semester and try to play Cougars quickly responded, Bisons volleyball and get back the Bisons’ domination as and the teams traded points, to what we know because they struck the first three and created an keeping the score neck and we got kind of scrambly at points margin, neck. However, the Cougars the end of last semester, so insurmountable won the first set 23-25. [we were] just starting fresh, winning 25-15. The Cougars fought back in the third set, The Bisons bounced back getting ready for playoffs.” in the second set, striking Surinx, whose serve and 18 took the lead and won 22-25.

However, in the fourth set, first with two consecutive kills helped the Bisons win points and creating a four- the game, explained the trick the Bisons took the first three point margin from 6-6 to 10-6. behind her hard-to-return points, maintained control The Cougars called a timeout, services. “My approach for and closed the match with a but the Bisons continued to serving would be to get a 25-16 win. dominate, winning the set consistent serve in the court

PHOTOS BY ZULKIFL RAFAH / STAFF

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Vol. 112, No. 19 sports@themanitoban.com

Sports

Bisons fall short against Saskatchewan Huskies Bisons drop 2-3, 4-5 decisions to the Huskies in weekend series Israel Adeogo Abejoye, staff

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he Bisons men’s hockey team gave a valiant effort against the Saskatchewan Huskies, but ultimately fell short in a 2-3, 4-5 weekend series loss. Despite the setback, the Bisons showed flashes of brilliance, particularly in their attacking plays.

The Bisons got off to a great start in the opening game on Friday, scoring in the 12th minute (12:54). But in the fourth minute (4:17), Sam Borschowa of the Bisons was sent off for tripping, while Cole Jordan of the Huskies was sent off for interference in the ninth minute (9:36). With a goal by Codey Behun, the Bisons expanded their lead early in the second period (01:01). Chantz Petruic of the Huskies was thrown out for too many men in the 13th minute (13:39). The Huskies scored in less than a minute (00:59) in the third period, boosting the team’s spirits. The game got competitive. Caden Zaplitny was sent to the penalty box for boarding in the eighth minute

(08:02).

Later in the game, Cade Hayes of the Huskies was sent off for tripping in the 11th minute (11:22). The Huskies persisted until Chase Bertholet’s goal in the 16th minute (16:43) gave them the equalizer. After that, the game was in overtime. The Huskies won thanks to a goal by Liam Keeler in the first minute (1:53).

The Bisons were resolute in the rematch on Saturday, holding the Huskies down until Keeler gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute (11:34). But it was not before Kaycee Coyle of the Bisons was sent off for interference in the sixth minute (6:37).

Blake Swerlikoff of the Bisons quickly tied the score in the 13th minute (13:29).

After two minutes (15:07), Bisons’ Zaplitny and Huskies’ Petruic and Ben Tkachuk were sent to the penalty box for roughing. Skyler Bruce of the Bisons used a powerplay to put his team 2-1 ahead one minute later (16:17).

Jonny Hooker of the Bisons was sent to the penalty box for cross-checking in the 17th minute (17:55). A few seconds before the first period ended (19:15), the Huskies tied the game 2-2 thanks to a powerplay goal from Dawson Holt.

In the second period, Bruce of the Bisons was sent off for high sticking in the 12th minute (12:37), while Huskies’ Jarrett Penner was sent to the penalty box for unsportsmanlike behaviour in the fifth minute (5:01).

Neither side scored during the powerplay, but Lucas Brennan’s goal in the last minute of the second period (18:59) gave the Bisons a 3-2 lead. The Huskies were unable to tie the score when Zaplitny of the Bisons was sent to the penalty box for high sticking and Conner Roulette of the Huskies was sent off for slashing a few seconds later (19:10).

Both teams were unable to score in the third period until the 11th minute (11:09), when

PHOTO BY ANTHONY NARDELLA / VOLUNTEER

Bisons’ Bruce gave his team a 4-2 lead. However, Huskies’ Roulette was sent to the penalty box in the 12th minute (12:41) for interference with the goaltender and Brennan of the Bisons was sent to the penalty box for interfering a few seconds later (13:16). Holt then scored to make it 4-3 for

the Huskies in a powerplay in the 14th minute (14:45). After then, Logan Bairos tied the score at 4-4 in the 16th minute (16:35), and Roulette gave the Huskies the victory in the 19th minute (19:14). The Bisons were outshot 40–25 by the Huskies.

Bisons men’s basketball secures back-to-back win Bisons defeat the Mount Royal Cougars 86-77 in game one, 88-72 in game two Abdul-Jalilu Ahmed, staff The Bisons men’s basketball team defeated Mount Royal University’s Cougars 86-77 on Thursday, Jan. 8.

The Cougars opened the game with a 5-0 lead at the 8:09 mark in the first quarter.

Bisons forward Cieran O’Hara responded with a layup at 7:45 to make it 5-2. Daren Watts made a layup at 7:45, cutting the deficit to 5-4. At 6:28, Kole Scott hit a free throw for the Cougars to give them a 10-4 advantage. Jean-Nelson Pigoue made a layup for the Cougars at 6:15 to extend their lead to 12-4. At 6:13, Manyang Tong made a three-point jump shot for the Bisons, assisted

by Mason Kraus, to reduce the deficit to 12-7. Tong added another three-point jump shot at 4:47, with an assist from Ramogi Nyagudi, to make the score 15-10. At 3:22, Taven Vigilance made a free throw to tie the game 16-16. Bisons guard Tito Obasoto made a free throw at 2:17 to level the game 20-20. At 0:05, Jacob McLellan scored on a layup for the Cougars to give them a 27-22 lead.

Watts hit two free throws at 8:18 in the second quarter to slash the deficit 27-24. At 4:42, Vigilance made a three-point

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jump shot to put the Bisons ahead 31-29. Obasoto followed with a tip-in at 3:59 to extend the lead to 33-29. Obasoto then made a layup at 3:27 as the score moved to 35-32. Jonam Kazadi closed the half with a layup at 0:32, keeping the Bisons in front 37-36 at the break.

McLellan opened the third quarter, scoring with a layup at 8:25, giving the Cougars a 39-37 advantage. Kuach Gajak made a layup at 8:04 to extend their advantage to 41-37. At 6:31, Nyagudi made a jump shot, assisted by Kraus, to cut the margin to 43-39. Gajak added another layup at 5:33, pushing the Cougars ahead 47-39. At 3:57, Watts brought the Bisons back with two free throws to tie the game 50-50.

Watts added a layup at 0:43 to level the game 61-61, but Gajak made a layup at 0:28 to put the Cougars back in front, 63-61.

Kraus tied the game with a layup at the 9:24 mark in the fourth quarter, making it 63-63. Watts put the Bisons ahead with a layup at 8:31, then added a free throw at 8:19 to extend the lead to 66-63. At 6:22, Tong made a three-point jump shot, assisted by Brandt Lenz, to push the lead to 71-67.

Watts made a three-point jump shot, assisted by Tong,

at 2:44 as the Bisons pulled ahead 76-69. At 0:54, Lenz made a three-point jump shot, assisted by Tong, to make it 82-73. Samuel Jansen sealed the result with two free throws at 0:13, lifting the Bisons to victory, 86-77.

The Bisons carried their momentum straight into a second victory, defeating the Cougars 88-72 on Friday, Jan. 9.

At 8:03 in the first quarter, Watts scored on a layup to give the Bisons a 5-4 lead. The Cougars answered with an 11-8 lead after Sam Barnie made a three-point jump shot at 6:03.

The Bisons tied the game 15-15 at 2:31 when Kraus hit a threepoint jump shot, assisted by Obasoto. Scott then made a jump shot at 0:15 to give the Cougars a 21-19 lead at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Cougars extended their lead to 30-21 at 7:30, but Kraus hit a three-point jump shot, assisted by Watts, at 1:54 to tie the game 34-34. Kraus then added two free throws at 0:25, giving the Bisons a 42-38 lead going into the break.

At 5:13 in the third quarter, the Bisons widened their lead to 57-49 following a free throw from O’Hara. Watts added a layup at 1:29, pushing the

PHOTOS BY MIKE THIESSEN / STAFF

advantage to 67-54.

Watts made a free throw at 5:00 in the fourth quarter, extending their advantage to 80-64. Watts made a tap-in at 3:46 to keep the Bisons ahead 82-67. At 1:19, O’Hara delivered a dunk, assisted by Kraus, to move the score to 88-70. Gajack made a layup

for the Cougars at 0:46, but the Bisons held on for an 88-72 win.

The Bisons men’s basketball team will play the Alberta Golden Bears on Friday, Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. CT and Saturday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. CT in Edmonton, Alberta.