4 September 2013

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDENTS’ NEWSPAPER

Frosh up your life

n e ws

co m m e n t

s c i e n c e & t e c h n o lo g y

Sinclair inquest Osborne House The new olingo Hospital staff stood by, September break looms

page 4

Everybody's wrong, sexism remains unaddressed page 10

Mammalian species discovered, first in 35 years page 14

page 9

a rts & c u lt u r e

s p o rts

Harvest Moon

Herd-ling on

Music, a "pep rally for bees", and more page 18

Vo l 1 0 0 · N o 4 · s e p t e m b e r 4 , 2 0 1 3 · w w w.t h e m a n i to b a n .co m

Bisons trample bears in season opener page 22

2

Index

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

News

cover image

3

Racism misunderstood

4

Hungry for change

4

Brian Sinclair inquest

5

Syrian conflict continues to escalate

7

University education not the payoff it once was

Editorial

“Bison Pride” by Beibei Lu

Science & Tech

| pa g e s 3 – 7

| pa g e 9

Defensive lineman Evan Gill carries the Bison flag out of the tunnel during the Bisons' historic first game at Investors Group Field on Aug. 30.

14

Newly discovered olinguito

15

Day in the life: western blotting

Arts & Culture

Comment

Accessible art

17

First ever Frosh Music Festival

18

Harvest Moon Festival, 12th year

| pa g e 2 1

| pa g e s 1 0 – 1 3

For other volunteer inquiries, please come to our office in University Centre (across from Tim Horton’s, behind GOSA) or email the editor of the section for which you are interested in writing.

Please direct all other inquiries to editor@themanitoban.com.

| pgs 16–20

16

Diversions Please contact designteam@themanitoban.com if you are interested in submitting a cover image.

| pgs 14–15

Sports 10

Osborne House controversy

11 12

| pa g e s 2 2 – 2 4

22

Prairie wars, Bombers vs. Riders

New university email policy

23

New era of Bison football

Foreign intervention in Syria a mistake

24

Jets refuel, new opportunities

Staff Talkback

Q:

Katerina Tefft

Tom Ingram

Bradly Wohlgemuth

Bryce Hoye

“Use your agenda religiously.”

“Join groups and hang out, especially if you were quiet and reserved in high school.

Classes will take care of themselves”

“Start projects and papers early and record deadlines somewhere constantly visible.”

“Thrust yourself heedlessly into student groups and campus life. You won't know whether you hate swing dancing with the fire of a thousand suns unless you join the campus swing group.”

If you had one piece of advice for new students, what would it be?

Katy Mackinnon, staff

Comment Edi tor

S cience Edi tor

Graphic s Edi tor

Edi tor-in- Chie f

3

Senior News Editor: Quinn Richert News Editor: Katy Mackinnon Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

News

“Racism” misunderstood?

Osborne House CEO, government, and locals in disagreement Katy MacKinnon, staff

O

n Aug. 22, a controversial email from Eric Robinson, Manitoba’s Deputy Premier, came to light. The email was in response to a complaint

by Nahanni Fontaine, Manitoba’s Special Advisor for Aboriginal Women’s Issues.

The email by Fontaine suggested that a burlesque performance within a fundraiser held by Osborne House was inappropriate.

“It’s just so disappointing and honestly beyond comprehension; and as a woman and as an Aboriginal woman, it’s extremely disheartening to see such a blatantly stupid fundraising exercise,” wrote Fontaine.

Robinson fired back a short email, in which he made comments that Barbara Judt, the CEO of Osborne House, found racist. He suggested that the fundraiser demonstrated “the ignorance of do-good white people.”

Judt filed a complaint to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission.

The Manitoba Human Rights Commission (MHRC) states that, “Under The Human Rights Code discrimination is treating someone differently based on a protected char-

acteristic or the failure to reasonably “The Premier must sanction her non-Aboriginal boyfriend. Only tangible effects on populations.”

In an open statement, Nicholson accommodate.” MHRC also notes Robinson for suggesting that Osborne a child at the time, Robinson tried that discriminatory action has “the House and our supporters are in any to assist her to no avail. He has since discussed what she referred to as a effect of denying equality of oppor- way disrespectful to our aboriginal cli- set a personal pledge to work with “structural understanding of racism.” tunity to a person or group.” ents or in any way harm their interests,” Aboriginal women.

She defined racism to encompass the Canadian law does not currently wrote Judt in a statement.

The issue is far from closed. acts of one racial group exploiting contain a structural definition of racJudt told the Manitoban that she is Minister of Family Services and another through power and privilege, ism. However, the Canadian Human “not at all” satisfied with the response Labour Jennifer Howard related to and suggested that Caucasian people Rights Act does specify the grounds in from the NDP government. In order reporters that the province has begun in Canada do not experience racism. which discrimination can occur. to be satisfied, she said she wants “an a review of Osborne House. Osborne On the contrary, Marvin Debra Parkes, associate dean apology and a willingness to sit down House has also conducted its own Boroditsky, the operations manager at of research and graduate studies in at the table and meet with [Osborne review regarding human resources Osborne House commented: “When the faculty of law at the University House administration] so that we can concerns. the government holds the power of of Manitoba, said the comment by resolve these matters.”

Local resident Jacquie Nicholson the checkbook over Osborne House Robinson must be examined to disAccording to Judt, numerous wants to “call Barbara Judt’s bullshit or over any charity or non-profit, then cover whether it was discriminatory requests have been sent to the NDP out in the strongest possible terms” these theories that white people can’t on the basis of race. government for a meeting, all of which and is using Facebook as a method be the victims of racism go out the Parkes referred to the importance have gone unanswered. of organizing supporters. The group window.” He asserted the view that of considering the context surroundRobinson has since apologized wants to address Judt’s response to racism is based on equality between ing human rights complaints, which for his controversial language use, Robinson’s comment, without refer- groups. includes whether groups have been commending the positive commu- ence to the appropriateness of the The Facebook group has braindisadvantaged historically, as well as nity actions carried out by Osborne fundraiser. stormed several plans of action, how individuals and the group have House. In his statement he remained The Facebook group disagrees with including sending Judt a care packbeen affected by the behaviour. in disapproval of the fundraiser, and Judt’s idea of what constitutes racism. age, which might include a letter from “The courts have not said that [dis- has since disagreed that his comments Members of the group believe this social service providers, and a “femicrimination] only applies to histori- were racist . definition “ignores over 500 years of nist care package” including articles cally disadvantaged groups, but that is In an article published by the historical oppression (as well as present and discussions of the idea of reverse the purpose of the law,” she said.

Winnipeg Free Press, Robinson referred and ongoing oppression) by white peo- racism. The members are specifically Judt also encouraged Premier to his personal experiences with rac- ple against indigenous people.” They concerned about the behaviour of Judt, Greg Selinger to take action against ism, relaying a story of his late mother’s further specify, “racism isn’t really and are supportive towards Osborne Robinson. death at 31 years of age at the hands of about being offended; it’s about real, House as a whole.

CREATE H2O First Nations solutions to First Nations issues Alycia Rodrigues, volunteer staff

resulting in serious health implica- from the UN in 2013 as pressure for “I think it’s helpful for First Nations tions for residents. action mounts. to know that some of their own comOne-hundred and ten First CREATE H2O is a step in the munity members are going to get in Nations communities with indoor right direction. The project received the program to help solve problems in plumbing do not have potable tap funding from two agencies: the their own communities, and I think water.

Natural Sciences and Engineering it also helps people to know [that] The World Health Organization Research Council of Canada people outside of their communities, recommends 50-100 litres of water per (NSERC) and the Social Sciences [ . . . ] non-Aboriginal scientists are day per person. The average person in and Humanities Research Council taking an interest in this and saying, Winnipeg uses 180 litres of water per (SSHRC). ‘this matters to us as Canadians and day, while individuals in the Island Former Winnipeg Free Press jour- we want to do something about it,’” Lake region work with about 15 litres nalist Helen Fallding spoke to the said Fallding. of water per day.

Manitoban about the project. Fallding Fallding noted that the UN likely In 2012, the UN and Amnesty served as inspiration for the forma- considered all areas of the developing International criticized Canada’s tion of CREATE H20 after writing world without clean drinking water human rights record and treatment of a series of stories on First Nations and sanitation when they issued the its indigenous peoples. The Canadian communities and speaking with the official recognition of water as a basic photo by: Michael Melgar government argued that other coun- director of the U of M’s Centre for human right. She did not demean tries’ human rights records were worse Human Rights Research, Karen the importance of helping developing than Canada’s, and therefore the UN Busby, regarding the focus of the countries, but did say that looking he University of Manitoba and inaccessible drinking water. into our own backyard and fixing the has just announced CREATE The United Nations Water should be focusing on those countries. centre’s research areas.

“I think it’s commendable that water issues there is just as important H2O, a research project supported Conference (UN) recognized access The UN countered that human rights a government-granting agency is as international issues. by the U of M’s Centre for Human to safe drinking water as a right in an apply equally to everyone.

“The more effective Canada’s funding a project that could have “We need to not forget that in our Rights Research with contributions Action Plan in 1977. In July 2010, the from Trent University, University UN formally reaffirmed this position, system for overseeing and imple- such practical benefits to the people own country, this is a really, really College of the North, the Assembly noting that states are responsible for menting international obligations, in this country whose water services serious issue. It should not be an issue of First Nations, and industry part- providing all citizens access to sani- and the stronger Canada’s record of are lacking. I think we have a bit of an in a wealthy country. We have to look compliance, the more forceful and international reputation for neglect- to our own country and fix this first ners. CREATE H2O is intended tary drinking water. to address the longstanding lack of In June 2011, 24 researchers at credible Canada’s efforts will be to ing First Nations communities and and fix it fast,” said Fallding.

Fallding stated that this water accessible sanitary drinking water the University of Manitoba gath- push other countries to comply with we would like to be part of turning rights research model had potential within First Nations communities. ered at the Water Rights Research and implement their own obligations. that around,” stated Fallding.

First Nations communities and from the beginning to be a template The $2.976 million project, led by Consortium to discuss 3,400 First Better human rights implementation Dr. Annemieke Farenhorst, will work Nations communities throughout in Canada strengthens human rights students will play a huge part in for how to build respectful relationwith 113 First Nations communities in Canada without indoor plumbing. protection in Canada and beyond,” the process: suggesting the angle ships between First Nations, scienCanada. The participants will make Most of these are in Manitoba and stated the 2012 Amnesty International of the research questions, conduct- tists, and engineers in fixing future ing research, and implementing infrastructure as well as social and an effort to improve the infrastruc- northwestern Ontario. Forty per cent Human Rights Agenda report.

Canada will face an intense review solutions. economic issues. ture currently resulting in unsanitary of the water systems have deficiencies,

T

4

News

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

Hungry for change Local organization to address food security, educate public Katy MacKinnon, staff

T

he Manitoba NDP Caucus has [to] access that announced a $100,000 pledge to in a dignified NorWest Community Food Centre manner,” said (NCFC), which plans to open to the McMillan. public in January 2014. The group According to behind the creation of the centre is the Canadian NorWest Co-op Community Health, Community an organization providing health and Health Survey wellness services in Manitoba. in 2004, just The food centre will be “the first over nine per of its kind in Western Canada,” said cent of people Minister of Housing and Community in Canada are Development Kerri Irvin-Ross. The food insecure. centre will be taking a multi-faceted Categorized approach to help families and indi- by ethnicity, a viduals in need. With an outdoor third of the kitchen, low-cost market, bake ovens, Aboriginal and cooking classes, NCFC hopes households in to provide the skills and resources Canada are food necessary for communities to make insecure, while healthy food choices.

8.8 per cent of “We take a very holistic view of non-Aboriginal health,” said Kristina McMillan, households sufdirector of the project. fer from food insecurity. renovation of the Tyndall Avenue NorWest Co-op Community Using a similar model as The Stop, building. Other donors include the Health currently provides a range a community food centre in Toronto, Winnipeg Foundation, the Thomas of programming, including primary NCFC will not contain a food bank. Sill Foundation, and an anonymous care, counselling, and community Community food centres take a dif- donor. Ongoing operating costs will development. The organization ferent approach. be financed by Community Food wished to expand their services to “It’s different in terms of the focus,” Centres Canada and local fundraisinclude programs based on food secu- said McMillan. She specified that ing efforts. rity. This led to the development of food centres include “building in The centre will also include an the centre. skills and education and increasing advocacy program, led by a highly Food security is “the idea that it’s people’s awareness.” trained volunteer. Individuals takpeople’s right to have access to healthy The donation from the Manitoba ing part in the program will receive food that’s culturally appropriate, and government will go towards the assistance and advice on obtaining

necessary social services.

Joyce Slater, assistant professor in the departments of human nutritional sciences and community health sciences at the University of Manitoba, discussed the importance of recognizing an individual’s relationship to the community in terms of food choices and food access.

“Individuals live in communities and communities need to be healthy as well. One of the problems that the health establishments have had for many decades is promoting the idea that healthy living and healthy lifestyles are the responsibility of individuals,” she said.

Slater spoke about barriers to food access in vulnerable communities. She referenced the closing of grocery stores in central Winnipeg, and the potential need for individuals and families to rely on high-priced

convenience stores.

“What they’re struggling with is their ability to access [groceries], either financially or physically,” said Slater.

“People can walk down the street and they can pay $1.50 and get a bag of chips. But what I’m hearing from people is that they don’t have that money in their budget to walk down the street and get lettuce and carrots and oranges that they know that their kids need to help them grow,” McMillan concurred.

Slater understands the complicated process of making decisions about food. Although she advocates spending more time cooking food instead of purchasing convenience foods, she recognizes that learning is imperative to the process.

Manitoba Education mandated physical education courses for grade 11 and 12 students in a process beginning in 2008, and Slater feels that food education should carry similar importance.

The goals of the Community Food Centre model being used by NCFC acknowledges the importance of food education, “by offering multifaceted, integrated and responsive programming in a shared space where people can grow, cook, share and advocate for good food.” photo by: peggy greb

The Brian Sinclair inquest: a summary of the first month Proceedings to resume in October Quinn Richert, staff

T

he first month of the Brian Sinclair inquest wrapped up last week, culminating in the cross-examination of a Health Sciences Centre (HSC) security guard who was told Sinclair had vomited, but did not alert medical staff.

Alain Remillard, who was on patrol in the HSC emergency department during some of Sinclair’s stay, told the inquest that he was approached by a patient who said that Sinclair had

either urinated or “I did not think it was a medical job duties.

HSC medical staff tried to revive vomited. issue.”

“I was assuming at the time that Sinclair, but were unsuccessful. At Closed-circuit Under cross-examination by Vilko he was sleeping, and since he posed that time, it was discovered that no television foot- Zbogar, the lawyer representing the no security concern, I did not see the chart had been created for Sinclair, age shown at the Sinclair family, it was revealed that need to approach him,” explained and he had not been triaged. inquest revealed Remillard had written in an incident Remillard.

Sinclair, who suffered from cognithat Remillard report that he was told Sinclair was Among the other findings made tive and speech disabilities and had walked to the “puking.” in the first 14 days of the inquest was lost both of his legs to frosbite in 2007, seating area of the He had mentioned earlier in the realization that six minutes of was brought by taxi to HSC on Sept. waiting room and his testimony that he did not bring surveillance tape are missing from an 19, 2008 after being referred from a confirmed “a pool Sinclair a kidney basin because he did emergency department camera. It was smaller clinic. Security cameras show of clear liquid at not believe the man was vomiting; he during that six minutes that a security he spoke briefly with a triage aide, and the base of his believed that he was urinating. guard approached Sinclair and discov- then wheeled himself into the waiting wheelchair,” but Remillard also said that he previ- ered he was not breathing. room where he sat for 34 hours withdid not approach ously assumed Sinclair was “intoxiSergeant John O’Donovan of the out being attended to. After efforts to Sinclair, who cated on some substance and sleeping Winnipeg Police Service spent 500 revive him failed, he was found to be appeared to be it off.” hours reviewing the footage, but did carrying a referral note from the clinic sleeping.

The inquest heard during question- not notice the gap in the video until doctor in his pocket.

The first phase of the Sinclair Remillard is ing by Garth Smorang, the lawyer rep- it was pointed out under questioning inquest will continue until February then seen calling housekeeping staff resenting the Manitoba Nurses Union, by Zbogar. to clean up the liquid. He told the that people not awaiting treatment, Norman Schatz, head of security 2014. The first phase of the inquest is inquest that he did not alert nursing such as homeless individuals and fam- at HSC, said this gap was normal, as examining the specific circumstances staff of the incident. ily members of patients, often occupy the cameras only turn on when they surrounding Sinclair’s death, while the second phase, which has not yet been “It has happened before, once in the waiting room. sense motion. a while, where people have soiled The hospital’s policy was to give Gary Francis, the security guard scheduled, will look at how similar themselves in the waiting room, those who had been triaged a wrist- who discovered Sinclair had died in circumstances can be avoided.

The Sinclair inquest will adjourn and it was not necessary to contact band, while those who were await- the waiting room and who spoke to nursing staff then [ . . . ] it has been ing triage would not yet have one. the inquest on Wednesday, Aug. 28, for the month of September, and more of a housekeeping issue in the Remillard said that he did not check stated that, when he reported to nurses recommence on Oct. 7. past,” said Remillard on the witness whether Sinclair had a wristband or on duty that he believed the man was illustration by: bradly wohlgemuth stand. not because the task fell outside of his dead, they thought he was joking.

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

News

5

The year ahead A preview of the most anticipated 2013-2014 campus news quinn richert, staff

O

photo by: debra sweet

Syrian conflict continues to escalate Some states consider military intervention in the wake of alleged use of chemical weapons Norbert Mibirung, volunteer staff

A

ccording to the United port for joining the U.S. in a strike sequences. That is likely why we’ve Nations Human Rights Office, on Assad’s regime. Hollande said been seeing countries, for example, the two-year-old ongoing conflict that France is prepared to take the U.K., reject intervention.” in Syria has killed more than action against Assad regardless of According to James Fergusson, 100,000 people. The recent allega- the U.K.’s stance. professor of political studies and Syria’s three major allies, Russia, director of the centre for defence tions that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have used chemi- China, and Iran, are strictly opposed and securities studies at the U of cal weapons that claimed more than to any third party intervention.

M, it is very unlikely for military Russian Foreign Minister Sergey intervention to end the conflict if 1,400 civilian lives have triggered the possibility of American military Lavrov has rejected the claims that the intervention is limited to a few chemical weapons were used by days of “punishment” air strikes. intervention against Assad.

Reports of chemical weapons Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“This would be insufficient to China has urged all parties to degrade Syrian forces to any sigused against Syrian civilians surfaced when, on Aug. 24, the Paris- refrain from any military strike, nificant degree to affect the milibased international humanitarian as who used the chemical weap- tary balance on the ground,” said agency Doctors Without Borders ons against the civilians remains Fergusson. reported that 3,600 patients uncertain.

“They might drive a wedge Iran has warned that any foreign between senior military command showed symptoms of neurotoxin military intervention in Syria could and the Assad regime, and raise poisoning.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid cause the conflict to spill over into the possibility of a coup leading Moualem denied last week that his the surrounding region. In 2006, to negotiations, but I am doubtful country used chemical weapons on Iran and Syria signed a Mutual here as well. The senior command Defense Treaty. This would bring probably realizes that their future its own citizens.

Washington’s view on “cross- Iran closer to the conflict. rests with Assad, and it may have ing the red line,” in response to George MacLean, associate been senior command rather than Assad’s use of chemical weapons, dean of graduate studies and pro- Assad, who ordered the chemical has propelled the international fessor of political studies at the strikes. Remember, the Syrians community to debate over possible University of Manitoba, told the are likely to be prepared [ . . . ] in military intervention in Syria. Last Manitoban that so far the Arab preparation for an attack.” week, American President Barack League has not called for an interFergusson added, “at a scale Obama began to seek the support vention, in contrast with the case of of punishment strikes, there will of Congress for a military strike Libya. He explained that the UN be no likely significant impact. against Syria. This comes just prior has not mandated anything either. Broader full-scale intervention, In such a situation, said full air strikes in direct support of to the September 2013 G20 summit, to be held in Russia. Russia is one MacLean, Western involvement the rebels, leading to a toppling of of only a few major world powers would be seen as intrusive. the regime, might generate closer supportive of the Assad regime.

“We’d be better off taking the relations with the West by new govAcross the Atlantic, strong sup- billions it would cost to wage an ernment and certainly eliminate the port for the intervention has come air war and putting that towards Iran connection.” from French President Francois humanitarian relief in Turkey, As the U.S. and France gear Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan, using towards military intervention in Hollande.

Hollande told the French news- more forceful diplomacy at the UN, Syria, the question appears to be paper Le Monde that he supported rather than military intervention,” not “if ” but “when” such an intertaking “firm” punitive action argued MacLean. vention occurs. against Syria.

“Any military action would British Prime Minister David undoubtedly be long-term, and Cameron lost his parliament’s sup- could easily present unintended con-

n the first week back on cam- ] we contacted CFS to cancel our pus for most faculties, the aver- day-timer order with them, but age student is likely to find themself were told that we would still be caught in the melee at the bookstore, obliged to pay the $60,000+ total scouring a map for some obscure for our order,” reads the letter. classroom location, or imbibing at Since then, the Manitoban the packed beer gardens at least once has learned that UMSU Council (or at least twice). The first week back has formed an ad hoc CFS review is, as a matter of tradition, chaos. committee.

In such a climate, it is under“That will be an objective review standable, albeit unfortunate, if to see what CFS offers, how it can campus news is the last thing on be better, and what we do and don’t your mind. An exciting news year like,” said Pierce. lies ahead. By way of a “welcome The committee members have back,” then, or perhaps an all-out not been picked yet, but it should introduction to the Manitoban News be set to begin its work by midsection, what follows is a short pre- September. Four student-at-large view of the year ahead—our best positions are available for interested guess at the campus stories that will union members. most matter to you between now Talks will continue to take place and when you next don flip-flops between UMSU, the University of and body paint—or the cap and Winnipeg Students’ Association gown.

(UWSA), and the City of Winnipeg to negotiate a U-Pass deal, but the universal bus pass will not turn into “That will be an a reality this school year.

Christian Pierce told the objective review to Manitoban that it is still unclear see what CFS offers, whether the U-Pass will be included in the City of Winnipeg’s budget, how it can be which is to be officially released better, and what we in December. If the U-Pass does not make it into the budget, the do and don’t like” – U-Pass will not be available for fall 2014 either.

Christian Pierce “Transit needs almost a year to buy more bus passes, hire more The University of Manitoba drivers, and increase service routes,” Students’ Union (UMSU) Council explained Pierce. made national news this past April Soon, the U of M will offiwhen they voted to strip Students cially announce what is to be done Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) with the Southwood Golf Course of their official student group status, lands on either side of University effectively banning them from using Crescent, which the school purany UMSU-designated spaces on chased in November 2011. A design campus. competition hosted by the U of M The resolution banning SAIA began in December 2012, which has since expired, however, and asked participants to come up with they are now eligible to re-apply for a “master plan” for the Fort Garry student-group status. Many will campus, including the Southwood undoubtedly be watching to see Lands. whether SAIA attempts to reclaim “In November, we’ll be able to see their official status. In the meantime, the finalists’ and winner’s visions there is also the possibility that the for transforming Southwood into group formerly officially known as Winnipeg’s most sustainable and SAIA will attempt to procure the desirable new live, learn, work, support of students-at-large through and play destination,” said John an unsanctioned presence on cam- Danakas, the U of M’s director of pus (at any scale). marketing communications, in a Even as early as September, it is statement to the Manitoban. easy to predict that much coverage is While all of the above will to follow looking at the relationship make for an interesting news year, between UMSU and the Canadian anticipation will likely build all the Federation of Students (CFS), a pro- way up to Mar. 13, 2014. On that vincial and national organization to day, Neil deGrasse Tyson, science which UMSU belongs. advocate and narrator of the forthUMSU vice-president exter- coming follow-up to Carl Sagan’s nal Christian Pierce published an Cosmos, will be in Winnipeg to open letter in the July 24 issue of the deliver the keynote speech at the U Manitoban raising concerns about of M’s Emerging Leaders Dinner. a contract the union has with CFS. If you don’t manage to make According to the letter, the contract your way into the event, never fear. committed UMSU to purchasing Expect to read all about it in your day-timers with the CFS provider own copy of the official students’ with no opt-out clause. newspaper of the University of “We received numerous offers Manitoba – one way or another, from companies whose prices were we’ll be there. well below the [CFS] provider [ . . .

6

News

Senior News Editor: Quinn Richert News Editor: Katy Mackinnon Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

Senior News Editor: Quinn Richert News Editor: Katy Mackinnon Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

News

7

University education not the payoff it once was CIBC study indicates 30 per cent of degree-holders in Canada earn less than the median national income Kevin Linklater

A

s the summer ends, many young people are returning to universities across the country. However, for a large number of students, the future is uncertain when it comes to securing a job upon graduation – especially one that pays well.

A recent study by CIBC finds that Canadian university graduates are not earning what they once did, and the rising cost of getting that degree is shrinking the payoff even more. The number of Canadians holding university degrees is climbing. Yet according to the study, the proportion of Canadian university graduates who make less than half the national median income is the largest among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) group of advanced economies.

Published on Aug. 26 of this year, the study cites high enrolment rates in fields which do not result in high-paying employment, namely the humanities and social sciences. Graduates

from these fields are less likely to find These fields teach students things like work in their field, are unemployed critical thinking, writing, or commulonger after finishing school, and nication—what some people term are generally earning less over their ‘soft skills’—which are still extremely lifetimes. Additionally, the costs of important in finding success in the obtaining a degree are rising fast – tui- job market. However, these skills are tion fees for undergraduates have risen perhaps not as easily identified by the by an average annual rate of four per students or employers,” said Ness. cent in the past five years, more than Ness also says that in order for double the rate of inflation. students to find success in the workSo, is getting a degree, especially force after graduation, they need to do from a non-technical or professional more than simply attend classes and program, still worth it? get good grades.

David Ness, director of the stu“We encourage students to get dent counselling and career centre at involved in their learning as much as the University of Manitoba, says that possible. Look for other opportunievery degree holds benefits, and will ties to get involved. The university’s make the recipient more employable, co-curricular record, for example, is a but the skills obtained from degrees great way for students to deepen their in the social sciences and humanities experience, and make themselves more are more nuanced. attractive to employers after gradua“When students come out of den- tion,” said Ness. tistry or nursing they know what This extra involvement and effort skills they have. A graduate from an on the part of students has become arts or humanities program, on the essential for students to break into other hand, may not be able to easily the job market. The proliferation of identify the skills they have learned. unpaid internships speaks to the need

for students from non-professional and non-technical fields to make that extra step in transition from school to paid work.

However, even with a good record and extra-curricular involvement, some graduates are still finding it difficult to penetrate the job market.

“The jobs just aren’t there,” says Mike Goodkin, a sociology graduate from the University of Manitoba, who has been looking for work for the past two years, but has had to settle for unpaid internships and is about to embark on another.

“The jobs you do see require at least one to two years of experience, which I have gotten from being an intern, but I still haven’t been able to land a paying job. I’m lucky in that I can afford to do this unpaid work. Some students have debt and don’t have that luxury.”

There are a number of reasons why it is difficult for some graduates to find work. Baby boomers are not retiring at the rates that they should be, and government cuts have increased com-

petition for white-collar jobs. Those that are fresh out of school are at a disadvantage when competing against adults who have 10 or 20 years of work experience already. However, these changes in Canada’s economy open up opportunities for young people who are creative and entrepreneurial, argues Ness.

“Those with specialized skills who see cuts in their fields may not be able to transition to other lines of work as easily as someone who has these socalled ‘soft skills’ that someone with a bachelor of arts has.”

It is clear that a university education no longer ensures a good paying job. A bachelor’s degree, especially one from the humanities or social sciences, should be viewed now as more of a single step in a longer process that could include graduate school, internships, or other training. Students need to be aware of what that piece of paper will get them and what it won’t, and adjust their expectations of what awaits them upon graduation accordingly.

9

Editor-In-Chief:Bryce Hoye Contact: Editor@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

Editorial

Editor-in-Chief Bryce Hoye

editor@themanitoban.com / 474.8293

Business manager Foster Lyle

accounts@themanitoban.com / 474.6535

Advertising Coordinator Daniel Schipper

ads@themanitoban.com / 474.6535

Editorial

Senior News Editor Quinn Richert

news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

News Editor Katy Mackinnon

katy@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

Comment Editor Katerina Tefft

comment@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Managing Editor Fraser Nelund

me@themanitoban.com / 474.6520

science & technology Editor Tom Ingram

science@themanitoban.com/ 474.6529

arts & Culture Editor Kara Passey

artsculture@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Sports Editor Marc Lagace

sports@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Copy Editor Carlyn Schellenberg

copy@themanitoban.com/ 474.6520

Design

Design Editor Silvana Moran

100 years on Getting to know your campus community and student paper bryce hoye, staff

design@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

Graphics Editor Bradly Wohlgemuth

graphics@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

Photo Editor Beibei Lu

photo@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

design associate Vacant graphics associate Vacant

Reporters

News Vacant News Vacant Science Vacant arts & culture Vacant arts & culture Vacant Sports Vacant Assistant copy editor Vacant

Volunteer Contributors

Will Gibson, Keegan Steele, Jon Stinzi, Jodie Layne, Elizabeth Drewnik, Alycia Rodrigues, Matt Giesbrecht, Norbert Mibirung, Kevin Linklater, Heather Kat Cole, Dano Tanaka, Chris Hearn, Philipp Fisch, Devon Hanel, Jeremiah Yarmie, Bram Keast, Gloria Joe, Adil Khalil, Derek Gagnon, Ian T. D. Thomson, David Skeene, Joelle Kidd, David Churchill, Tiff Bartel

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

General Inquiries & Advertising Phone: (204) 474.6535 Fax: (204) 474.7651 Email: manitoban@themanitoban.com National & Multi-Market Advertising Campus Plus Media Services Toll-Free (In Canada): 1.800.265.5372 Email: info@campusplus.com

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #589160 A “volunteer staff” member is defined as a person who has had three volunteer articles, photographs, or pieces of art of reasonable length and/or substance published in three different issues of the current publishing year of the Manitoban. Any individual who qualifies must be voted in by a majority vote at a Manitoban staff meeting. Elected representatives and non-students may be excluded from holding votes as volunteer staff members in accordance with the Manitoban Constitution.

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

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

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

Students and other interested parties are invited to contribute to any section of the newspaper. Please contact the appropriate editor for submission guidelines. The Manitoban reserves the right to edit all submissions and will not publish any material deemed by its editorial board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous. Opinions expressed in letters and articles are solely those of the authors. Editorials in the Manitoban are signed and represent the opinions of the writer(s), not necessarily those of the Manitoban staff, Editorial Board, or the publisher.

All contents are ©2013 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

Yearly subscriptions to the Manitoban are available for $40.

E

ntering our 100th publication year in involved with your resident student newspaper, media theory – “the medium is the message” the campus news business, I’d like to the Manitoban. I was once a naïve U of W being one of the most powerful and timetake an opportunity to share a few anecdotes student who, aside from having the occasional less of them all. An undergraduate educawith the reader. I hope these will illustrate fleeting interest in what was happening on tion in political science, communications, or some of the less obvious, though nonethe- campus, managed to sleepily complete four journalism would be incomplete without his less pertinent, reasons having an institution years of university with very few vivid memo- contributions to the aforementioned fields of like the Manitoban accessible to university ries of the campus community experience. I inquiry. And yet, it was at a modest, smallstudents and community members alike is regret that; however, currently pursuing my time university paper (ahem . . . ) where he cut so important. second undergraduate degree here at the U of his chops as a budding young critical thinker We employees of your student paper— M, I am far happier and more fulfilled being and author. volunteers, reporters, associates, and editors— involved with the campus paper than I ever The National Post’s prominent political are at the beck and call of the U of M student was the first time around. columnist, Andrew Coyne, as well as the body. We have a mandate to serve the stuI’ll spare you the platitudes . . . after just CBC’s foreign affairs expert, Nahlah Ayed, dents by reporting on campus-centric news this one. University is a place to broaden are contemporary examples of former U of M of note, and we are poised to deliver stories your horizons, to challenge and constantly students that took advantage of this platform of interest to our readership, stories perhaps reexamine the many preconceived notions and contributed to the Manitoban. not covered by larger, more prominent media you’ve been led to develop throughout adoMost of our current and past staff first outlets. We’ve done it since 1914; we have no lescence. What better way to do that than to stumbled through our office doors at 105 plans of stopping. read and get involved with an institution like University Centre uncertain of themselves, The student press serves an integral role the Manitoban? unsure as to whether writing for the masses on campuses across Canada. The Manitoban’s Great minds like Graham Spry, former was really the right fit for them. My path raison d'être is to give the student community a editor-in-chief of the Manitoban, got their was about as circuitous and uncertain as they voice and hold accountable the powers that be. start in the pages of this very paper. Spry even- come. However, one thing our many conBut there’s more to it than providing a critical tually went on to work for the then Manitoba tributors likely share is some small spark, a lens through which to view the politicking of Free Press (currently the Winnipeg Free Press), nagging suspicion, a scary urge to be part of university administration. We do something was a political organizer throughout his life, something meaningful. The rest—becoming that the vast majority of students will never championed the role of public broadcasting, an effective and articulate communicator and consider taking advantage of in their time at and was the driving force behind the forma- investigative journalist—comes later. the U of M. tion of the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Immerse yourself in your university Unlike the University of Winnipeg or Commission in 1932 – a commission that later community, lest you live up to the sentiRed River College—the former offering developed into the Canadian Broadcasting ment expressed by McLuhan in his polemic a Rhetoric, Writing and Communication Corporation (CBC). Spry wasn’t your ordi- “Stupid Student Apathy” targeted at his felmajor; the latter a Creative Communications nary university student, but doubtless the low U of M students, and published in the diploma program—the U of M does not offer opportunities he seized a hold of writing for Manitoban almost 80 years ago. an academic setting in which students inter- the Manitoban had a significant influence on ested in developing journalistic skills may the later trajectory of his illustrious career.

Bryce Hoye is the Editor-in-Chief of directly do so. This makes the existence of The philosopher of communication, the Manitoban for the 2013-2014 school the Manitoban all the more crucial.

Marshall McLuhan, too, wrote for the year, and would love if you would Take my advice: force yourself to join stu- 'Toban once upon a time. McLuhan was and drop in and meet your humble student dent groups and movements; keep up with is known for his many pithy tautologies and journalist servants at the 'Toban. the goings-on of your student union; and get aphorisms related to communication and

Comment Editor: Katerina Tefft Contact: comment@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Comment

10

Osborne House controversy reveals ignorance on both sides Questions of sexism as well as racism must be discussed Katerina Tefft, staff

photo by: Dano tanaka

T

he controversy surrounding a “blatantly stupid” and showed a recent Osborne House fundraiser “total disregard for women’s and girls’ rages on, and parties on both sides dignity and sacredness.” Robinson of the debate have some apologiz- replied that the fundraiser was a deming to do. onstration of “the ignorance of doFor those who haven’t been fol- good white people.” Osborne House lowing the news, a series of inter- CEO Barbara Judt has responded by nal emails between Eric Robinson, filing a complaint with the Manitoba Manitoba’s Deputy Premier, and Human Rights Commission, alleging Nahanni Fontaine, the province’s racism and government discriminaSpecial Advisor on Aboriginal tion against Osborne House, which Women’s Issues, were recently has been experiencing funding obtained through a FIPPA request. shortages.

They revealed that Fontaine wrote to her colleagues that the women’s ACCUSATIONS OF shelter fundraiser, organized by local “RACISM” OFF BASE clothing store The Foxy Shoppe and featuring a burlesque act by local It is hard to take sides in this performer Angela La Muse, was debate because all three individuals

have behaved poorly. sincere apology from Robinson and dation. These women are not lesser Firstly, Judt is demonstrating a Fontaine for their insulting and people for what they choose to do very narrow and incomplete under- uninformed comments. with their own bodies, do not necstanding of the concept of racism essarily view themselves as being and how it operates in our society. Sexism in email exchange exploited, and are still allowed to Institutional racism—the commonly remains unaddressed care deeply about feminist causes. accepted understanding of racism Fontaine’s words were disapwithin academic, leftist, and feminist It is also unfortunate that, with pointing. It is troubling that our circles—can be defined as a system all of the media hubbub surrounding province’s Special Advisor on of power and privilege that puts one Judt’s misguided human rights com- Aboriginal Women’s Issues holds group (white people) at an advantage, plaint, another such an archaic and another group (people of colour) important eleattitude toward While it certainly at a disadvantage in society. Under ment of this female bodily this definition it is, therefore, impos- story is being lost. autonomy. A wasn’t racist, sible for an Aboriginal person to be While it certainly woman or girl’s racist against a white person. Under wasn’t racist, “ d i g n it y a nd what was written institutional racism, Aboriginal peo- what was writsacredness” is in Robinson and ple, being historically and currently ten in Robinson never determined oppressed and marginalized, are on and Fontaine’s by where, when, Fontaine’s email the receiving end of racism, while email exchange or how often she exchange was still white people benefit from racism was still highly chooses to take and thereby maintain their dominant problematic her clothes off. highly problematic This position in society. This is the crux of from a feminist body policfrom a feminist the concept of white privilege. perspective. It ing contributes to This definition, of course, is not must be rememwomen’s oppresperspective the only definition of racism, but it bered that what sion; third-wave is the most useful and meaningful in they were speciffeminism has terms of social analysis and activism. ically discussing rou nd ly conIt is, therefore, alarming that Judt, was not the leadership of Osborne demned it as slut-shaming, and as someone who is involved in social House, but whether a fundraiser Fontaine of all people should work and feminist causes, appears to featuring a burlesque performance know better. Her perspective is a be completely ignorant of these ideas. was appropriate for a women’s shelter relic of the old guard of feminism She fails to realize that she, as a white fundraiser. that is being challenged as modperson, cannot be systematically marDespite Robinson and Fontaine’s ern young feminists embrace the ginalized and discriminated against preconceived ideas, burlesque is radical notion that how they choose based on her skin colour in a society viewed by many as a form of female to express their sexuality does not shaped by institutional racism, which empowerment through which define their worth. is why any human rights complaint women are encouraged to embrace alleging racism against a white person their sexuality and can express it in Apologies warshould be automatically dismissed. A a fun, supportive atmosphere. ranted all around more self-aware and educated perBurlesque is an art form that is spective should be expected of some- female-dominated across the board, As for Robinson, he, as a man, one running a shelter that serves a from organization to attendance at has no right to an opinion about large number of Aboriginal women. shows. It is known for including whether anything a woman freely Her crusade against Robinson and women of all sizes, ages, and colours. chooses to do with her own body is the provincial government shows It does not have the problematic con- exploitative. This is the exact same highly questionable judgment. notation of frequently featuring vul- principle that applies to Judt, who, Robinson’s words were not evi- nerable women performing solely for as a white person, has no right to dence of racism but clearly an expres- male pleasure. accuse a person of colour of racism. sion of legitimate frustration with a Burlesque performers, like all Policing women’s bodies under the certain type of behaviour and attitude women, have autonomy over their guise of benevolence and concern is common among white people. He, own bodies. They should be free to still sexism, and sexism should not as an Aboriginal person living in a express themselves and their sexual- be excused simply because somewhite-dominated racist society, has ity in whichever way they are com- one else’s problematic behaviour is every right and reason to feel that fortable, and should never be shamed overshadowing it. frustration, and express it in those for doing so. The assertion that a The discussion about racism straightforward terms without having woman performing a striptease is that has stemmed from this conto censor himself so as not to offend inherently exploited disregards her troversy is valuable and necessary. oversensitive white people who don’t bodily autonomy as well as the fact It is a teachable moment that raises want to acknowledge their privilege. that perhaps she has chosen to do so important questions about why so Judt ought to take a step back and for her own reasons, not to please or many social services primarily view Robinson’s comments within service anyone else. serving people of colour are run by the broader context of his lived expeThe contention that funds raised white people, and whether people rience and of society. by a burlesque performance are not of colour have an adequate say in It is, however, unfortunate that fit to be donated to a women’s shelter how they operate.

Robinson, before making his com- is even more insulting. This fundIt must also be emphasized that ments, did not investigate this fund- raiser was about women supporting slut-shaming is unacceptable no raiser a little deeper; if he had, he women, and that is the bottom line. matter who it is coming from – but would have discovered that it was Different women may have different especially if that person is a speconceived and organized by Pamela comfort levels or personal prefer- cial advisor on Aboriginal women’s Fox, the owner of The Foxy Shoppe, ences with regards to nudity and sex, issues. This story has involved diswho happens to be a woman of colour. but female solidarity should tran- appointing behaviour from parties She organized the fundraiser partly scend that. If this were a story about, on both sides, and apologies are because Osborne House helped her for example, exotic dancers raising warranted all around. after she suffered from years of money for a shelter, their efforts domestic abuse, and she is owed a would still be worthy of commen-

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

Comment

11

University email change misguided New policy is troublesome and will not protect your privacy Tom Ingram, staff

T

he University of Manitoba is adopting a new email policy.

Starting Sept. 1, all communications between students and faculty or staff must go through official U of M email accounts. Students will no longer be able to use personal email accounts to communicate with professors, academic advisors, or other university employees. Additionally, the university will be implementing a new email system. All new addresses will be @myumanitoba.ca, existing addresses are to be migrated to the new system over the next year.

T he old email system was pretty dire, but it had its uses.

The university—and related organizations like UMSU—likes to send out messages about meetings, protests, lectures, and other things that only the most oppressively dreary among us can work up the energy to care about. There are some important announcements, too, but these are sufficiently redundant, so you can get by without them.

The old system provided a handy place to sequester these messages where you would never have to see them, which freed you to use your uncluttered personal email account for all serious interactions with the university. This new policy changes all that. Depending on how you care to look at it, it’s either annoying or malicious.

If university staff refuse to acknowledge emails sent from your private address, you will be forced to actually use your U of M email account. This means that the mounds of unsolicited messages the university sends will be unavoidable. It also breaks everyone’s workflow by forcing a new system into the mix. Two groups are likely to be hit especially hard: first, those few unfortunate souls who actually used the old email system as intended and had something invested in it; second, those in smaller faculties where there are students in constant contact with staff at varying levels of formality, and a large number of adjunct professors with only loose ties to the university.

The myumanitoba system will inevitably be frustrating to use. Large organizations in general, and the University of Manitoba in particular, are known for their inability to avoid hair-rippingly bad enterprise software. Students shudder to hear the words Jump, Aurora, or Angel – abominations hacked together from bad JavaScript and Kafkaesque spaghetti code. The myumanitoba email accounts are based on Microsoft’s web-based Outlook software. It is

indeed an improvement from the old system, but not much of one.

An important lesson that service providers of all kinds have difficulty

learning is that if you can’t do something well, you should at least do it consistently.

If you’re not going to help your users out, the very least you can do is screw them in the same way every time so they know what to look out for. Like fast food restaurants trying to class up their menus with yam fries, the university has revealed with this policy change that it does not quite understand why we do business with them.

They want us to interact with them on their terms, and think of them the way they’d like to be thought of.

It would be infinitely preferable to transfer all accounts to a new email system without mandating its use.

The university contains a large number of people with widely varying needs, habits, and technical abilities.

The only one who knows the best way to cater to the needs of any particular person is that person. Changes that take away options, when they’re not otherwise backed up by sound reasoning, are a bad idea.

Let’s take a look at some of the U of M’s reasons for this policy change.

One central justification was concern over privacy. In particular, they want to make sure that outgoing emails reach the intended recipient and that incoming emails from students are actually from the person who purportedly sent them.

The first issue is rather strange because under the current policy, official communications are already sent to U of M email addresses by default. The only reason a staff member would use your personal address, then, is if you initiated contact and— presumably—proved your identity, making the whole issue irrelevant.

The second issue is presumably meant to prevent cheating. But what’s to stop a potential cheater from giving someone else access to his email account? Or, for that matter, using his email account to send material he didn’t write? The additional security

in this case is illusory, like locking the the very unlikely scenario of a student against the possible disclosure of your doors on a windowless Jeep. deactivating their Hotmail account data including, without limitation, There are a few other reasons for in the middle of a conversation with against possible disclosures of data in the policy change, though none so U of M staff. accordance with the laws of a foreign clearly thought Another concern is that external jurisdiction.” out as those email addresses may be “inappropriIt is simply bizarre, in the wake two. For ate [ . . . ] or unprofessional.” This is of all the recent revelations about instance, another non-problem because there is privacy and the disclosure of data, one con- an accepted convention that students that the university would claim to be cern is are not expected to be as formal or protecting our privacy by requiring that the professional as professors or univer- us to store more and more personal university sity staff. Students do not ordinar- data on their servers. In particucannot ily write exams wearing a gown and lar, a legal disclaimer like the one guarantee sword belt, and yet I am aware of no above is chilling, especially given the persis- dress code amendment initiatives that Microsoft—which operates the tence of, say, aiming to change that. In any case, Outlook Web App—was the very a Gmail or it’s not clear what this concern has first company to get involved in the Hotmail to do with streamlining processes or NSA’s Prism program. It’s debatable address. protecting students’ privacy. whether the new email policy will A stuactually make anything easier for dent U of M unable to guaranyone – though it’s very unlikely it might antee your privacy will make things easier for students use an In fact, the new email policy will or faculty. However, it certainly is not external actively harm students’ privacy. The going to protect anyone’s privacy. account to university already has large amounts contact the of personal data stored on its servers. For more information about the university With this policy, they are asking for new email policy and how to and then deacti- more. Their reasons for asking are migrate your email account to the vate it, at which point dubious and they have no intention new system, see the web version of someone else could claim the address. of protecting this data. According this article on themanitoban.com.

However, since the university already to a disclaimer that is shown when illustration by: heather kat cole defaults to using your U of M address you claim your myumanitoba account, for outgoing mail, it’s not clear how “The University of Manitoba cannot this would be a problem, except in and does not guarantee protection

12

Comment

Comment Editor: Katerina Tefft Contact: comment@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Foreign intervention in Syria a mistake Conflict should be solved by regional powers Chris Hearn

I

t seems things have deteriorated to in intervention; At home, a point in the Syrian civil war that the number the U.S. is chemical weapons have been used has since more still slowly against civilians. As with much in than doubled. recovering the Syrian war, there is some mystery Many in the from near ecoand confusion surrounding the event. Middle East nomic disasEstimated death tolls have ranged don’t support ter, as well as from hundreds to over a thousand. U.S. interventwo extremely John Kerry put the number at 1,429 tion, including costly, longon Aug 30. No one seems 100 per cent Assad loyalists running, and certain who actually used the weap- in Syria. China, bloody wars of ons, though all signs appear to point Russia, and questionable to the Assad regime, which delayed Iran are also success. And, UN inspections in order to destroy not in favour after the U.S. evidence. of it. got involved Now all eyes are focused on the The last cenin the Arab U.S. and Barack Obama. A year ago, tury of foreign Spring in Libya, when speaking about the conflict in intervention the Americans Syria, Obama said that the “red line” has done nothing but foster a deep to Iraq being invaded, and question- suffered another blow when the U.S. would be the wide-scale use of chemi- disdain for the West in the Middle ing if America’s intelligence on the Ambassador to Libya and three of his cal weapons, and now that has hap- East and Northern Africa, from the Syrian chemical attack is legitimate. staff members were killed. There isn’t pened. The time has come to make dividing up of the fallen Ottoman Some are already using terms like a large appetite for more of this. Still, a decision.

Empire by Western powers to the “imperialism” and “neo-colonialism” any call for international intervention Frankly, few really want the U.S. creation of Israel and military inter- to describe any move by Western will likely revolve around the U.S. or the West anywhere near this con- vention in Libya. Bush’s war in Iraq powers to intervene. Obama has been The plight of the Syrian people is flict. The American people don’t want was the last straw. lambasted and he hasn’t even made moving, but I also feel that Western it – one poll said that a whopping nine Right now, many online are bring- a military move yet, at least not as I intervention should be off the table. I per cent of Americans were interested ing up the WMD lie fiasco that led write this. foresee nothing but bad coming from

this. For one, although the Assad government is brutal, it’s who might take control in its absence that raises a huge question mark. There appears to be no shortage of groups in Syria fighting for power, from hardcore Islamists to those who want freedom and democracy.

The U.S. should stay far away from Syria, as should Canada. Canada stands to accomplish nothing but making enemies and making itself vulnerable to attacks by a new generation of people disenfranchised by the West meddling in Middle Eastern affairs. There has to be an end to the bloodshed in Syria, and it is tragic that it has been going on for two years already, with estimates of 100,000 dead and millions of people being made refugees. But this is an issue that should be solved within the region by regional powers. It’s time for the West to stop making enemies, even when it’s trying to do the right thing. illustration by: philipp fisch

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

Comment

13

Science & Technology Editor: Tom Ingram Contact: science@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Science & technology

14

Open access “tipping point” 50 per cent of science articles freely available within two years Devon Hanel

A

recent study funded by the availability. No doubt this is major European Commission and news for a publishing industry traundertaken by analysts at Science- ditionally accustomed to regular Metrix, a Montreal-based company subscription fees in exchange for that assesses science and technology scholarly research. organizations, has concluded that “The open access movement has half of all published academic papers reached a kind of critical mass,” says become freely available in no more Archambault. than two years.

“It’s only going to accelerate. There According to the study, the year are a lot of people behind it: govern2011 is a milestone for open access. ments, academia, even publishers to By this analysis, 50 per cent of all an extent. It’s here, and it’s here to scientific articles published in 2011 stay.” are currently available in some open In a world with increasingly easy access form or another, and the trend access to information via the Internet, is toward more and more articles the old ways of subscription-based becoming open access. journals are on the way out. Just as the The study says that the “free avail- need to pay for volumes of an encyability of a majority of articles has clopaedia has largely been replaced been reached in general science and by the convenience of Wikipedia, so technology, in biomedical research, too will academic journals by their biology, and mathematics and online counterparts – and with a statistics.” greater demand for open access.

According to the study’s lead But just how much pressure author and Science-Metrix president is there for academic research to Éric Archambault, these results indi- become open access? One source of cate a “tipping point” in open access pressure causing trends toward open

access is boycotting, most notably to the publishing process.” and recently involving Elsevier, the Another source of pressure toward largest scientific publishing company open access is from government. In in the world. the United States this year the White Nearly 14,000 researchers have House released a directive to “make signed The Cost of Knowledge, a the published results of federally pledge to refrain from publishing, funded research freely available to the refereeing, or being involved in the public within one year of publication.” editorial process (signees may commit Similarly in Britain, any papers parto one or all of these positions) of any tially or wholly funded by one of the Elsevier journal. The primary reason government’s seven research councils cited was that Elsevier charges “exor- must be made open access within six bitantly high prices for subscriptions months of publication. to individual journals.”

There has been a trend seen not There is no longer a legitimate just by governments but also on the reason to pay publishing compa- international level; for instance, the nies such high fees in the age of 2003 Berlin Declaration on open the Internet, especially considering access to knowledge in the sciences that the researchers and referees are and humanities now has over 440 themselves typically submitting their signatories. Other bodies are recefforts for free. In 2005, for example, ognizing open access, such as the a Deutsche Bank analyst examining Canadian Cancer Society, stating, Reed Elsevier – Elsevier’s parent com- “researchers supported in whole or in pany – found that there was no way to part through the Canadian Cancer justify the company’s excessively high Society are required to make the margins and stated, “we believe the published results of their work pubpublisher adds relatively little value licly available [ . . . ] no later than 12

months after the final publication date.” The University of California just recently adopted an open access policy for all publications authored by its researchers.

There seems to be no doubt at this point that the future of academia is shifting towards the public’s best interest, away from arguably gratuitous and obsolete publishing companies, and to a greater dissemination of information.

As Archambault noted, this truly is a revolutionary change for the publishing industry, but also for the openness of academia in relation to those outside, just as open access reference texts and online courses—like Khan Academy, Harvard’s Open Learning Initiative, or MIT’s OpenCourseWare—do the same. For as much as open access is liberating to scholars, so too is it for laypeople. They may now peer through the cracking edifice of academia’s ivory tower, thereby improving the freedom of thought, idea, and information, which allows societies to flourish.

The newly discovered (and adorable) olinguito First new mammal found in decades Jeremiah Yarmie

H

iding in the Western and Helgen and Central Andes of Colombia and his team of Ecuador is the most adorable animal eight scienthat you will ever see. The olinguito is tists 10 years to a newly discovered carnivorous mam- complete. The mal that resides in Central and South project was first America. It has been 35 years since conceived by the last time a new mammalian spe- Helgen in 2003 cies has been found in the Western when he found Hemisphere. The discovery of the a mislabelled olinguito was long overdue. collection of The olinguito is a furry, red, two- olinguito pelts pound mammal that births one off- a nd sk u l ls spring at a time. They reside in the in Chicago’s foggy Colombian and Ecuadorian Field Museum cloud forests, which inspired their of Nat u ra l scientific name, Bassaricyon neblina – History. “neblina” is the Spanish word for fog.

Helgen’s The olinguito is a new species in the work brought order Carnivora, which includes cats, his team to 18 dogs, and bears, and is the smallest museums to member of the family Procyonidae, examine more to which raccoons and kinkajous than 90 per also belong. New mammalian spe- cent of the cies are rare to come by, and new car- world’s olingo nivorous mammals even more so. The specimens. discovery of the olinguito marks the These speciidentification of the first new mam- mens were believed to be odd-looking malian species in the Americas since olingos, larger tree-living carnivores the Colombian weasel in 1978. that are closely related to olinguitos.

Evidence of the olinguito’s sta- Helgen noticed that these odd specitus as a distinct species was given by mens had smaller teeth, longer fur, Kris Helgen, curator of mammals at and were smaller in size than olingos. the Smithsonian National Museum The olinguito specimens were found of Natural History. This work took at much higher elevations than those

where the two species live in the same locations in parts of the Andes without interbreeding. In a unique case study, a female olinguito, mistaken for an olingo, which lived in various American z oos f rom 1967-76, would not breed with male olingos after numerous attempts to encourage it to do so.

Along with anatomical differences, olinguitos were distinguished at which olingos usually reside. from olingos by DNA evidence.

The evidence made it apparent to Blood samples from olingos and the Helgen team that these speci- olinguitos showed that they share mens were not normal olingos. A around 90 per cent of their DNA. sign that olinguitos are not simply This was far less than expected, as odd-looking olingos is the fact that the two species were thought to be the two do not interbreed. There is more genetically similar. evidence of this shown in the field, The name “olinguito” comes

from “olingo” with the Spanish suffix “-ito,” an affectionate ending meaning “little.” A rough translation of olinguito, then, is “adorable little olingo.” Despite being in the taxonomic order Carnivora, olinguitos tend to eat mostly plants. They are nocturnally active animals, foraging for fruit at night. As they are newly discovered, the behaviour of olinguitos is not well understood. They are, however, not aggressive, and appear to be rather shy.

Not only was the olinguito unknown to the scientific community, it was also unknown to the locals of the region. Andeans rarely differentiate between olingos and kinkajous, so distinguishing between olinguitos and olingos likely did not occur. At certain elevations, kinkajous, olingos, and olinguitos can all be present in the same habitats, which can add to the confusion between the three species.

The discovery of the olinguito has caught the attention of the scientific community and lovers of adorable animals alike. By learning more about olinguitos, hopefully scientists and conservationists can protect this newly discovered species. illustration by: bram keast

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

Science & Technology

15

Boiled alive Findings suggest crustaceans experience the sensation of pain Ian T. D. Thomson

R

illustration by: caroline norman

A day in the life: Western blotting An introduction to protein detection Elizabeth Drewnik, volunteer staff

Hello again, dear readers!

This issue, we will be exploring the world of Western blotting. Before we do a Western blot, let’s get acquainted with some of the basic terms and principles behind this procedure.

S

Though proteins are chains of amino acids, they do not remain chains when in their final form. The individual amino acids of the protein chains interact with one another, and allow the proteins to fold into a particular structure, referred to as a tertiary structure. What’s more, groups of tertiary structures can then interact together and form quaternary structures. An example of this is the protein hemoglobin found in our red blood cells.

Thus, when measuring protein size, we have to ask ourselves what we are measuring. Is it the unfolded chains of amino acids, the individual folded chains, or multiple folded chains? For this reason, there are two standard Western blotting techniques: One technique focuses on the size of unfolded (denatured) proteins, while the second technique focuses on folded (natural) proteins.

In a later issue, we will be looking at the technique involving denatured proteins.

We detect proteins with antibodies. Antibodies are the tools our bodies use to fight against infection.

Generally, antibodies used in the lab are derived from mice, rabbits, goats, or horses. Antibodies have a specific affinity for specific proteins.

For example: Antibody A is added to a mixture of protein A, protein B, and protein C. Since antibody A has specificity for only protein A, that is all that it will bind to.

This property of specific detection is what makes antibodies ideal lab tools for Western blotting.

ome of you may have heard of the more commonly taught Southern blotting technique. The story behind Southern blotting has relevance to Western blotting. In 1975, a scientist by the name of Edwin Southern discovered a method to visualize DNA bands after running a gel, similar to the method explored in the previous issue. Southern’s method was a great success, and the technique was named after him. Following the advent of Southern blotting, techniques for visualizing RNA and protein bands were also determined – respectively, Northern blotting and Western blotting, named in a whimsical homage to Dr. Southern. Never say that molecular biologists do not have a sense of humour.

Protein bands are measured in kilodaltons (kDa), a unit of mass on a molecular scale. However, measuring protein size is not as simple as it initially sounds. Proteins are often arranged in complex patterns.

To understand this, let’s have a small review on proteins and their structure.

Proteins are aggregations of amino acids. Generally, amino acid chains are considered to be proteins when there are at least 200 amino acids present. Otherwise, the chain is referred to as a polypeptide. There are 20 standard amino acids in Next issue, we’ll get into the specific our bodies, grouped according to procedures for Western blotting. their charge, acidity, basicity, and structure.

esearch presented at the the study states: “pain facilitates animals such as humans.

International Ethological long-term protection because of The research presented by Conference, known as Behaviour the ease with which animals learn Elwood challenges past findings 2013, in Newcastle, U.K. earlier to avoid that situation and avoid that invertebrates do not feel pain. this August has shown there may future damage.” In other words, A 2005 study from the Norwegian be more to crustacean nervous the capacity to experience pain Scientific Committee for Food systems than previously known. proves to be adaptive for such crus- Safety cites the difference in cenRobert Elwood, a researcher taceans, as it is with most higher tral nervous systems and cognifrom Queen’s University Belfast, level sentient animals. tive abilities between invertebrates announced at the conference that The outcomes of the study and vertebrates as evidence that there is evidence that crustaceans, showed that the crabs were able to crustaceans have varying levels of such as lobsters and crabs, experi- distinguish between the two shel- complexity associated with their ence the sensation of pain. This ters provided and ultimately decide function. With this in mind, the finding is contrary to previously to use the non-shock shelter. This Norwegian study states that “it is held beliefs that crustaceans feel meant that the crab had to change uncertain if these animals can feel no pain and raises questions sur- a previously preferred direction pain consistent with the concept of rounding the treatment of these of travel to keep away from the pain we know from humans” and shock shelter and underwent “swift that invertebrates may simply react animals as a delicacy.

The basis behind this idea was avoidance learning,” a key indica- to detrimental stimuli through brought to light in several “shock tor of pain-evasion behaviour. nociception, an unconscious In a related experiment by response to a potential threat. avoidance” studies. In one study, shore crabs were placed in a glass Elwood, hermit crabs were preElwood’s research casts doubt tank with the option of choos- sented two shell options, one being on the idea that noiciception is the ing from two different shelters. a common shell that most hermit only factor behind the crustacean’s Through randomization, the shelter crabs prefer. A shock was admin- actions. As he puts it, there is a it first selected would either act as istered when the crab entered the “long term-motivational change [in the “shock shelter,” where an elec- shell, which led the crab to make these experiments] that is entirely tric shock was administered to the a swift exit when another shell consistent with the idea of pain.” crab when it entered that particular became available. Similar to the The recent findings present new shelter, or a “non-shock shelter,” other study, the crab’s shocking ethical questions regarding the where no shock was administered. experience altered its future behav- treatment of crustaceans and how At the start of each trial, the crab iour and gave it an apparent moti- they are slaughtered for consumpwas placed in the centre of the vation to move to the new shell. tion – lobsters and crabs are genercontainer and given the option to Crustaceans are a subphylum ally boiled alive. While mammals enter the shock or non-shock shel- of arthropods with a hard, chitin- and other vertebrates have stanous exoskeleton. Most crustaceans dards in place for protection from ter. This was repeated 10 times.

The research article splits the are free-ranging marine animals. harm in various fields of scientific concept of pain into two compo- They are invertebrates, and their research, crustaceans specifically, nents: nociception and the nega- lack of a spine leads to differences and invertebrates generally, do not. tive affective state. Nociception, in cognitive ability and nervous With these new findings, regulaan unconscious response to an system complexity compared to tions for more humane treatment unpleasant stimulus, allows ani- vertebrates. may need to be considered.

The outcomes of the studies mals to react immediately and provides protection from possible were not only consistent with the dangers. In comparing just nocice- criteria for pain experience, but the ption alone with the feeling of pain, pain experience that is observed in

Arts & Culture Editor: Kara Passey Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Arts & Culture

16

Experimental, low-fidelity cinema Open City Cinema presents: Basement Media Fest Joelle Kidd

O

photo by: David Churchill

Accessible art for all Local artists look to fill “hole” in Winnipeg’s art scene Kara Passey, staff

A

s everyone and their dog is through their neighbourhood. aware, the 100 Masters exhibit “Walking our various everywas on display at the Winnipeg Art day routes and paths we spotted a Gallery (WAG) all summer and hole in a wall, a gap in the bricks came to a close this past weekend. located just below eye level. [The Don’t get me wrong, it was really hole] had enough space to insert exciting that Winnipeg would get objects and to hold small paintings such a collection installed in our and drawings,” says Churchill. “In city. But, when I got my chance to this spirit we decided to transform go view the work, the atmosphere the hole into an impromptu micro put me off. art gallery.”

I was most excited to see Van The hole is welcome for artists Gogh’s “Vase with Zinnias and of any level or background to parGeraniums” (1886), and when I ticipate in – the first installment leaned in to get a closer look at took place on Sunday, Aug. 11 and his chunky brush stokes I felt a was done by Cliff Eyland, an assopresence of someone approaching ciate professor in painting at the behind me and then the serious University of Manitoba. Eyland is tone of voice: no stranger to showing in DIY or “Can you please step back from secret spaces; while he is the artist the painting.” responsible for the installment of Really? I paid $22.00 to view over 1,000 index card sized paintpaintings in a public art gallery but ings at the Millenium Library, only from a certain distance? Do he has been known to leave work people really take in art this way? tucked inside of library books to be Art is a language that should found by unaware strangers. be accessible to everyone – luckily “This is what artists should be the WAG isn’t the only place you doing: taking charge, finding their can find it. own venues, having their own “Winnipeg is filled with gaps, shows,” says Eyland. “David and empty spaces, cracked surfaces, Frank are doing something new and crumbling buildings. At one and unexpected with the Hole in level this urban reality speaks to the the Wall Gallery. I love art that is economic realities of the city and both public and secret.” the incremental abandonment and On Sunday, Aug. 25, artist Dany decay of its infrastructure. Yet these Reede installed a small sculpture he bits of the urban landscape are also designed specifically for the hole. sites of possibility for creation [and] Reede, who exhibits in solo and critical engagement,” says David group shows regularly and is the Churchill, co-founder of a new DIY creator of the Manitoban-featured installment space called the Hole Baby Hands comic strip, finds most in the Wall Gallery. of his inspiration from garbage he “Our motivation was then to finds on the ground. His sculpture reconfigure these neglected spaces involved several tiny claw-like and to help facilitate something hands made out of Sculpey, a browhimsical.” ken light bulb, sewing pins, and It’s exactly as it sounds: off of wooden matchsticks all bound the corner of Portage Avenue and together with candle wax.

Arlington Street there is an alleyIf you are interested in followway with a brick wall containing a ing the Hole in the Wall Gallery not-so-glorious hole. Since their or even submitting work of your first installation on Aug. 11, every own, you can find their group Sunday afternoon a new artist puts on Facebook. They meet in the a piece of artwork in the hole and alleyway every Sunday afternoon leaves it there unattended, its fate to install a new piece of artwork. left to be determined by the ele- And next time you go out for a walk, ments and passersby. keep an eye out; you never know The hole was discovered by when you’ll stumble across some Churchill and his partner Frank secret art.

Livingston—both artists and enthusiasts—while walking

n Tuesday, Sept. 3, Winnipeg’s Raw Gallery will be hosting the Basement Media Fest, a screening event showcasing experimental, low-fidelity cinema. The annual show, which was first conceived in 2010 by LJ Frezza and Nicholas Tamburo of Brooklyn, NY, is a travelling program of experimental cinema.

Basement #3—the current iteration of the festival—has so far played in New York and Baltimore, Maryland and will be showing in Boston after its stop in Winnipeg.

Open City Cinema is a collective aiming to introduce Winnipeg to experimental and underground cinema, with an emphasis on showcasing local artists. In June of this year, Open City Cinema screened the first Winnipeg Underground Film Festival, and more recently began a screening series called Open City Lite, featuring “debatable classics that are unintentionally watchable based almost entirely [on] how bad they are.” Basement Media Fest continues the focus on experimental cinema and features work from local artists Clint Enns and Scott Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick is part of Open City Cinema, and is involved in organizing the event. His piece for Basement

Media Fest is “an ode to a misunderstood font” entitled Wingdings Love Letter. The film was made in Microsoft paint and animated by printing directly onto 16mm film.

Enns’ films, which are often created using broken or outdated technology, have been shown at festivals and microcinemas in Canada and internationally. His piece for Basement Media Fest, entitled Ten S-K-I-E-S, was made by doctoring director James Benning’s 2004 film, Ten Skies. The original film contains only ten 10-minute shots of sky edited together, while Enns’ version removes the portions containing sky, “leaving nothing but clouds.”

The 10 films featured in Basement Media Fest are described as “low-fi, low-def, low-tech.” Several foundfootage films will be making use of source materials as diverse as home movies, archival footage, old 16mm film scraps, and recent Hollywood blockbusters. Other films in the festival use analog techniques and repurpose outdated or easily accessible technologies.

I Can’t Wait to Meet You There, by Texas-based Michael A. Morris, combines footage of Kurt Cobain with images from a guitar-playing video game to create an elegy for

the deceased musician and a comment on public mourning. Another piece, from Toronto’s Christine Lucy Latimer, is made using specialized analog techniques, by projecting found film footage through a broken glass plate and recording the projection using two video cameras.

The film, titled The Pool, shows 1950s footage of swimmers diving into “video-infested waters.” Live Free or Die Hard (Project 12 8/12) by Dirian Lyons repurposes recent footage by inserting statements from President Barack Obama into the fictional presidential montage from the 2007 Hollywood film of the same name.

Other artists showcased in the event include Vancouver-based Josh Hite, Alan Riley, Jon Perez, Ohiobased Jonathan Johnson, and Paul Turano.

The films being showcased through Basement Media Fest use accessible technologies to create works of experimental art, with tongue-in-cheek nostalgia and a doit-yourself approach to filmmaking.

Basement Media Fest will be showing at the Raw Gallery at 290 McDermot Ave on Sept. 3. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

Arts & Culture

17

Fantasies and desires Jodie Layne, volunteer staff

O

ne thing that seems to weird prodding and analysis, but studies people out and can be hard also show that people feel a lot of to understand is fantasy: how it guilt and shame about their fantaworks, and in which ways it can sies. People who are partners, too, can feel a lot of anxiety around the make our sex lives richer.

Most people who aren’t asex- fantasies of the person or people ual have some sort of fantasy life. they are in a relationship with. The Whether it’s getting freaky with fact of the matter is that most peosome leather daddies, doing it ple never want to actually make a somewhere in public, or being fantasy a reality. Our fantasies are swept up in the arms of Patrick just that and are even sometimes Swayze circa 1987, if it arouses you better left untested. You might and turns you on, it is a fantasy. have all the hot, steamy ideas of From the very vanilla to the most what a threesome would be like, explicit, we all have things that get and then find that it is quite a bit us feeling a little tingly between less sexy in real life with all of the legs. everyone’s parts everywhere and In Alfred Kinsey’s legendary wondering what do with your 1948 and 1953 sexual studies, 64 hands. Chances are you are really per cent of women and 89 per cent in love with and attracted to your of men admitted to using sexual partner, but that doesn’t stop the fantasy as a part of masturbation images and ideas of other kinds of – two per cent of ladies were even people from turning you on.

Fantasy can help us be better able to reach orgasm by fantasizing alone. Fantasy is not only in tune with our own needs or something universal, but obviously inspire different and fun sexual really powerful. encounters for not only our own Here’s the thing about our solo pleasure, but for the sex we sexual dream lives, though – fan- share. Our partner’s pleasure and tasies can be fraught with mean- our own pleasure should be tantaing or absolutely erroneous. For mount. We shouldn’t feel shame example, BDSM (bondage, dis- over the things that make us feel cipline/dominance, sadism, and good, and we shouldn’t get upset masochism) fantasies can say a about the things that turn our lot about a desire to lose or take partners on – while still respectcontrol. Fantasizing about having ing our own boundaries and, obvianonymous sex with strangers can ously, the law. In fact, we should be a sign of our desire to break free be excited that we’re turned on and from our inhibitions and shed the tuned into our bodies and minds view that others have of us – or it and able to titillate ourselves. can be a sign that we’re really not You can confidentially subinto commitment.

It’s hard to know without some mit a question or topic pretty in-depth psychological to jodie.m.w.layne@gmail.com.

Electric Soul, Mariachi Ghost, and DJ King Cabernet David Skene, volunteer staff

I

n the world of music there are two kinds of shows.

Type one we will call the “typical show.” This is where a couple of bands and their friends show up at a venue,

music is played, alcohol is consumed, and merch is sold. At 2:00 a.m. the lights come on and everybody goes home happy but the night is quickly forgotten.

First-ever Frosh Music Festival to be held on Fort Garry campus Hip-hop star Childish Gambino to headline Quinn Richert, staff

L

ast year, the slate formerly known as Fresh promised, during their run for the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) executive, to bolster school spirit to an unprecedented degree. Right off the bat, they are making good on that commitment in a big way.

The first days of the fall term are now “Frosh Week” (formerly Orientation Week). Frosh Music Festival, the “largest student-run music festival in the country,” according to UMSU, will occur on Friday, Sept. 13, during the end of the first full week of school.

UMSU has managed to draw in major Canadian acts such as Dragonette and Emerson Drive to play at the festival. New-school hiphop star Childish Gambino (see: Community and Derrick Comedy) will headline. The bill is rounded out by Chromeo, Tim Hicks, eLDee, Rukus, and Winnipeg’s The Lytics.

“We’ve decided to go very diverse in terms of genres,” UMSU vicepresident external Christian Pierce told the Manitoban. “In the past it has been just hip-hop or just

rock. We find this makes for a careful not to write off the tradition more festival-type atmosphere,” of featuring local bands in univerhe continued. sity celebrations.

The festival will also feature Beer “The majority of our artists are Olympics which, due to a Manitoba local on the fifth and sixth,” says Liquor Control Commission Pierce.

(MLCC) regulation, will be carried Ditch, a hip-hop artist who also out with non-alcoholic beer. plays for the Bisons football team, Additionally, students living in will be featured on the pedway residence at the U of M will be able between the engineering complex to purchase food tickets on their and University Centre, as well as meal plan prior to the festival, Winnipeg funk-jazz-pop group which they can redeem inside.

Moses Mayes.

A ticket into the Frosh Music The music festival is set to take Festival will cost a student $35. place rain or shine – nothing short But many free events, including of a lightning storm, according to music, will also run throughout Pierce, will stop the University the week.

Stadium show from going on.

The quad in front of the Tier Taking on a more serious tone, Building will host a series of aero- Pierce was careful to explain to bics classes. A dodgeball tourna- the Manitoban that, while Frosh ment will also commence on Sept. Week and the music festival are all 7 – one of the first events of the first about students having fun, they U of M University Cup. are also serving another important “Each faculty can put in a team, purpose. or multiple teams,” says Pierce.

“I can say from my own personal There will be musical acts along experience that there is a lot of the pedway on Sept. 5 and 6. apathy around the campus. I think Although UMSU is excited this is really going to unite a lot of about drawing in big names to people, including [those] from the entertain students, they have been different campuses.”

Type two we will call the “full-on joining forces with Mariachi Ghost party.” This possesses all the char- and King Cabernet to get those brain acteristics of type one but there is juices a bubblin’ and the synapses a something more—something inef- firing like fireworks on the fourth fable—that drives the performers of July. to play that much harder, the audiElectric Soul is a psych-rock ence to party like there is no tomor- band that’s been around since 2011. row, and when the lights come on Their modus operandi is the progressive at 2:00 a.m., it’s not just the end of fusion of rock, jazz, and funk meant the show – it’s the end of the god- to satisfy the heart, hips, and head. By damn world. gigging hard and recording with Juno Ladies and gents, on Friday, Sept. nominee/Western Canadian Music 6 at the Windsor Hotel Blues Bar, Award winner Lenny Milne (Romi those psychedelic freaks in Electric Mayes, Perpetrators) Electric Soul Soul have a “full-on party” planned has created a gem of an album that for you. To celebrate the release of makes good on all their promises and their brand-spanking-new album, lives up to a live show that may be one Second Paradise, Electric Soul is of the tightest in the city.

Rounding out the night we have Mariachi Ghost, a band that has to be seen to be believed – they are so viscerally affecting that when it’s over, you will be asking yourself, “Did that really happen?” Mariachi Ghost mixes Mexican folk with theatrical rock and roll. Adorned with Day of the Dead face paint and accompanied by dancers, I can honestly say that nobody is doing what Mariachi Ghost does.

Last but not least we have local DJ King Cabernet spinning the best psych and prog tracks until the night ends. Yes, you read that right – a DJ is closing the night, because this ain’t no show until it’s a full-on party.

18

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor: Kara Passey Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Fair trade food and music from across Manitoba The Harvest Moon Festival gears up for their 12th year Tiff Bartel, volunteer staff

F

rom Sept. 13 to 15, Harvest Moon Festival will celebrate 12 years of bringing people together from across Manitoba to enjoy great music, delicious food, camping with friends, and fun activities for the entire family. The cozy town of Clearwater, Manitoba hosts the annual festival, which places an emphasis on education, sharing, and sustainability.

This year, the community will warmly welcome a wide array of

long-time Harvest Mooner or a first plight of the honeybee in North on-site – don’t forget to bring your time attendee, there is guaranteed to America. It’s true, performance art own reusable container. be something for everyone at the fes- doesn’t usually get a lot of attention Make sure to bring cash, as there tival this harvest season. from the animals, but we hope to help is no bank or ATM in Clearwater!

Sheldon Birnie, local author, musi- out this year’s new bees with an elaboHarvest Moon Festival has been cian, and communications director for rated Pollination Ritual, planned for growing steadily over the years, and the festival, has experience with the sometime Saturday night. I guess you last year’s festival nearly sold out, so organization going back many years. could think of it as a pep rally for the it is advisable to purchase your tick“Harvest Moon Festival is one of bees; hopefully they will get some- ets in advance if you are planning on Manitoba’s finest. A beautiful location, thing out of it.” attending. Tickets are available at excellent organization, and a focus on If you are considering attending Mondragon and Organic Planet: $65 sustainability and local food produc- Harvest Moon for the first time this for an adult weekend pass, or $45 for tion is something that I really value, year, here are a few tips to keep in youths aged 12-17. Camping passes and am always pleased to take part mind when preparing for the trip to are $10 for an adult or $5 for a youth. in as a performer, a festival goer, or Clearwater: There will be limited tickets availvolunteer,” says Birnie.

As autumn is fast approaching, able at the gate of the festival; two The performers, both old and new, temperatures can f luctuate any- hours is a long way to drive, so it’s are excited for a weekend of new expe- where from -5 Celsius to +25 C, so emphasized by festival staff that last riences and reunions. make sure you pack both your wool minute attendees should confirm via “I can tell you we’re pretty pumped socks and your flip-flops. A Therm-a- the Facebook group or by emailing on Harvest Moon, it really seems Rest, plenty of blankets, and a cuddle info@harvestmoonfestival.ca. talented performers including local like our kind of place. [The Riel buddy will keep you toasty warm as Children under 12 are invited favourites Cannon Bros., Chic Gentlemen’s Choir is] singing with the nights grow chillier to attend the festival for free. All Gamine, Shotgun Jimmie, Mama Flying Fox again, and [we] are super If you are musically-inclined, proceeds go back into running the Cutsworth, Boats, Animal Teeth, the excited to be singing with Chic bring an instrument or two for festival and help to fund grassroots, Riel Gentlemen’s Choir, and many Gamine for a bit – we’ve also recruited friendly evening jams and the community-based projects. more. There will also be a number of Alexa Dirks to join us for our gospel acoustic Hootenanny stage, open to free, hands-on workshops, a farm- breakfast set, whatever it means to everyone er’s market, a fair trade fair, a kids’ have the gospel for breakfast,” says You may want to bring an article For more information, including a area, and a number of food vendors Jesse Krause of the Riel Gentlemen’s of clothing to screen-print your very full price list, performance schedule, offering locally-produced goodies to Choir. own Harvest Moon souvenirs at the and directions to the festival, please enjoy amid the natural beauty of the “But our main goal at the festival special printing station visit the Harvest Moon website at Pembina Valley. Whether you are a will be to do something about the Clean drinking water is available www.harvestmoonfestival.ca.

Arts & Culture

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

event Listings The arts events to attend this weekend

music Keep On Keepin’ On by RISK MSK Thursday, Aug. 15 until Oct. 15 The Graffiti Gallery (109 Higgins Ave.).

visual art Small Show by Melanie Wesley Friday, Sept. 6 553 – 70 Arthur Street

The Bros. Landreth/ Red Moon Road/ Daniel Champagne Thursday Sept.5 The West End Cultural Centre

Slutwalk Winnipeg Saturday, Sept. 7 The Scotiabank Stage at the Forks

other Paper, Scissors, Glue by Anthony Nelson Friday, Sept. 6 Tara Davis Studio Boutique

The Crooked Brothers Saturday, Sept. 7 Red River Co-Op Speedway DarkCross 2013 www.darkcross.ca

19

20

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor: Kara Passey Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

21

Graphics Editor: Bradly Wohlgemuth Contact: graphics@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

Diversions

Sports Editor: Marc Lagace Contact: sports@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Sports

22

Home, sweet home!

Bisons win big in IGF home opener marc lagace, staff

photo by: beibei lu

I

t was a night of firsts at Investors the end zone from anywhere on the out there,” said coach Brian Dobie.

Anthony Coombs was the star of “There was a lot of distractions Group Field on Aug. 30, as the field.

“Schwartz did a great job for Alberta. the night. On the Bisons’ first play this week, so I’m really glad we still Manitoba Bisons embarked on a new That offensive prowess was on He was player of the game for them of the second half, Coombs left the came out and played and lived up to era for the university’s storied football full display on Friday, as the Bisons in a heartbeat. I was really impressed Alberta defenders in his dust with an the hype,” said Coombs. program with a 65-41 win over the stomped the Golden Bears in the first with him.” incredible 84-yard touchdown run.

“Now we can just move forward and Alberta Golden Bears in front of an half. Alberta took the first lead of The Golden Bears cut the Bison Just four minutes later, Coombs was focus on football.” announced crowd of 10,199 cheering the game with a Stephen Fabian field lead to just one point, until Yantz off to the races again, this time findAs good as Coombs, Demski, and fans. goal on the opening drive, but then connected with Coombs on a 37-yard ing a hole and running 62 yards for the rest of the offence was, Yantz took Jordan Yantz, playing in his first Yantz and the Bisons went straight to touchdown passing play. On the ensu- his second rushing touchdown of the some time to praise the effort put in ever CIS football game after a record- work. Demski tore off a 62-yard run, ing Alberta drive, Bison safety Tyler night. Coombs led all players with 271 by the Bison offensive line. setting CJFL career, got the start and going out at the Alberta one, setting Fong jumped in front of a Schwartz all-purpose yards and three touch“Those guys are the guys on the led the high-powered Bison offence, up a one-yard touchdown plunge sideline pass, returning it 75 yards to downs. When the final whistle blew, team who are banging 24/7 through which features arguably the strongest for LaFrance that put the Bisons up the house. Already up by 15 points, the Bisons had given local football two-a-days all through training camp running back trio in the conference. 7-3. Yantz extended the Bisons lead Manitoba got one more shot at the fans something they’ve been wait- and all week. It’s one group that really Anthony Coombs, a two-time on their next possession, capping a end zone before the end of the half. ing all summer to witness: a win at doesn’t get enough credit,” said Yantz, CIS All-Canadian, and Kienan 75-yard drive with a seven-yard strike Yantz capitalized, hitting Demski Investors Group Field. adding, “Those guys went above and LaFrance split the majority of time in to Andrew Smith. in the corner of the end zone with a “It was a really special event and beyond blocking for Anthony and the backfield. Both in their third year Alberta pivot Ryan Schwartz was throw of pinpoint accuracy. one of the highlights of my life, to be blocking for me as well and giving at the U of M, the two have become impressive, doing all he could to keep Yantz was outstanding in the first able to do this for the Bison football me time to deliver the football.” the backbone of the Bisons offence. his team in the game. He threw a half of his debut. He threw for over club,” said Yantz.

“This was an emotional night and an Along with Nic Demski—who was pair of touchdown passes to Aundrey 200 yards and four touchdowns, helpLuckily, all the hype surround- emotional win for us,” Dobie explained. converted into a slot back receiver Webster and showed his elusive- ing set a new team record for most ing the first game at the new stadium “Away we go. It was awesome.” for this season—the Bisons have a ness by running in for a touchdown points scored in a half as the teams didn’t appear to affect the team’s The season continues Sept. 7, when core group of players who are capable untouched from 23 yards out. headed to the locker room with the preparation for what they needed to the Bisons host the Saskatchewan of juking and sprinting their way to “Our defence had a tough night Bisons leading 46-24. do out on the field.

Huskies at 5 p.m.

Prairie wars Labour Day is no day off for Bomber and Rider fans Marc lagace, staff

L

abour Day weekend is not typ- eagerly await throughout the year. of the green and white. This year’s shared the same stadium during the ically one of the holidays that That is just one of the things that edition featured more of the same. same weekend. Both teams were in folks circle on their calendar and make the prairie rivalry between The Riders crushed the Bombers Toronto for the Vanier Cup and Grey Saskatchewan and Manitoba 48-25, to the dismay of the hundreds Cup games, respectively, with the unique. of blue and gold boosters who make Bisons taking care of business 28-14 This past week- the trek out to Regina for the game. over the Saint Mary’s Huskies. The end marked the This weekend, the University of Bombers on the other hand . . . let’s 50th edition of Manitoba will play host to the first of just say the 2007 Grey Cup is a game the Labour Day many Labour Day Classic rematches Saskatchewan fans will never let Classic, the annual between the Riders and Bombers. Winnipeg forget.

CFL game that As usual, the Bombers will be out for Here’s a breakdown of the Banjo pits the Winnipeg revenge, but this year Bison Sports Bowl festivities you’ll want to check Blue Bombers against has jumped into the mix. out: their archrivals, the For the first time, in what is On Friday, Sept. 6, there’s an Saskatchewan Roughriders. expected to become a new tradi- event at McPhillips Station Casino Of all the CFL Labour tion, the Bisons will be joining in where you can meet the Blue Bomber Day matchups, the prairie on the Banjo Bowl weekend fun players and check out the Banjo rivalry has always been with their own rivalry game against Bowl Trophy up close. the most intense. Sadly a Saskatchewan opponent, the U of S On Saturday, the Bombers for Bomber fans, for the Huskies on Saturday evening. will host their Fan Appreciation past nine years it’s been Fans might recall 2007, the Day ahead of the Bisons-Huskies utterly one-sided in favour last time the Bisons and Bombers game at 5 p.m. UMSU’s Bison on

a Boat party would be the perfect post-game party; buses leave from University Centre at 10:30 p.m., with the boat party running from 11 p.m. until 2 a.m. Tickets are $15 and available from Answers.

Sunday, the 10th annual Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Banjo Bowl kicks off at 3 p.m. For the first time, the Bombers have organized tailgating zones—one for families and the other for the 18+ crowd—which open at 11 a.m. The Banjo Bowl—which sold out—will feature a halftime show from local musical act Bad Country. illustration by: gloria joe

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

Sports

23

photo by: bryce hoye

Bison athlete profile UMSU president Al Turnbull Bryce Hoye, staff

A

illustration by: ADIL KHALIL

The new era of Bison Football Investors Group Field provides new experience for U of M students Marc Lagace, staff

I

t’s been a long time coming, but the new era of Bison Football has finally arrived. Investors Group Stadium (IGF) has opened its doors, and the first Bisons game has been played in front of a raucous crowd of thousands of football fans.

“There was a moment when they showed the attendance and it was just a special moment because we’ve played in the Butler Hut (at the old University Stadium), which was just a garbage facility,” running back Anthony Coombs said with a laugh. “Coach Dobie always keeps on talking about ‘it’s a new era,’ but at that moment it felt like we had stepped into that new era.”

“We have the fan base, the new players and the new facilities. It felt really good.”

With an approximate 33,000seat venue to play in, selling out the place is totally unrealistic. But with an announced attendance of 10,199 for the first game, Bison Sports hopes to maintain those sorts of numbers.

“I knew we’d get a good crowd, but I didn’t expect anything like that,” explained Bison head coach Brian Dobie. “I’m so proud of all the football fans of Winnipeg to be true fans and come out and support us as well.”

For those who had attended Bison home games at University

Stadium, attending a Bison game at IGF is like being transported to an alternate universe. From the HD scoreboards with video replays, to a roomy concourse with nice washrooms and concessions to simpler pleasures—individual seats as opposed to wooden benches—the Bison Football game day experience has been completely transformed. All the staff and volunteers who worked to put on a memorable game day experience for Bison home games did a fantastic job on their first run.

Now with school in session, it’s time for the university community to do its part, get out to the three remaining home football games and support the team. The faculty of music was represented at the home opener by a pep band, and it was great to see (and hear) members of the university community get out to the stadium and have some fun supporting the Bisons.

“I hope that our students and our campus just flood in here and make this part of an experience,” said Dobie. “There’s four home games.

If I were a student, I would come out to this palace and cheer my team that represents our university.

I would party in the stands and have an experience with my buddies. Why? Because you can. It’s sitting right here in the middle of our campus.”

“Why would you not take advantage of that? Why would you not take pride in that? Why would you not have fun with it?”

The Bisons’ next opponents are the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, renown among the Canada West conference for the great support they receive from the University of Saskatchewan student body and community. There’s a good chance that there will be Huskies supporters on campus to take in the Banjo Bowl festivities this weekend.

“They’re the only school in the west where the student body comes out like crazy. They load it up,” explained Dobie. “I want our students of Manitoba to kick the University of Saskatchewan’s student body’s butt in terms of coming out and being football partygoers and having fun and having that student experience on campus.”

“I think the university embraces so many successes – from research, to teaching, to athletics. And it’s something that, again, with this stadium, we can embrace. I hope that our professors and our support staff, as well as our students, come out and feel that they are a part of it.”

The new era of Bison football continues at Investors Group Field Saturday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m.

t this time of year, most stu- I’d call ‘school spirit.’ One of our dents are gearing up for the big platform points was to make assault of classes and coursework. sure that we, [the current executive], For Al Turnbull, fall semester holds came in and increased student spirit. the requisite challenge of being a What a way to spearhead it with student, as well as moonlighting this stadium.” as UMSU president and a Bison Turnbull added that generatFootball team linebacker. ing that interest cannot be solely On Aug. 27, the Bison Football achieved from the top-down. He organization held a press conference is convinced the new stadium to announce the appointment of six will act as a catalyst for creating a captains to the team for the 2013 NCCA-style collegial atmosphere season, and Turnbull was among with respect to the U of M’s sports them. Turnbull is a fourth-year teams. linebacker and was made captain of “The seventh is going to be a big special teams. “He has more power day,” Turnbull told the Manitoban, than anyone else in this room [ . referring to the Bison Football . . ] roughly 30,000 students and game slated to take place Sept. 7. he’s the boss of them,” head coach He’s confident the student body Brian Dobie quipped to the crowd is apt to start paying more attention to their campus football team of media present. “[Turnbull] plays a large [role] on once classes are in session starting all facets of special teams and had Sept. 4.

10.0 total tackles in 2012. He has “I’d like to see 10,000 people been durable by playing in 15 of 16 at the game on [Sept. 7]. It’s durconference regular seasons games ing orientation. You really have to over the past two seasons,” reads a make people feel like there’s no other option [than attending the Bison Sports press release.

Dobie referred to Turnbull as a game]. That’s something that exists utility player with a strong presence down south. Students don’t have an and influence on and off the field. option: they go to the game, it’s part Regarding the rationale for select- of the culture.”

Referring to the Winnipeg Blue ing Turnbull for one of the captain positions, Dobie related that such Bombers’ current regular season an appointment is not based strictly woes, Turnbull remarked how there on skill. are “a lot of slightly disinterested “In fact, in two of these cases, fans that are looking for another those guys have limited offensive- team to cheer for, and what better defensive [roles]. Al Turnbull [ . . . team [than the Bisons].”

“The Jets aren’t for a couple weeks, ] is not a starter, [but is still] a huge special teams contributor. So, it’s so people need to get excited about not just about being the best [ . . . something,” said Turnbull.

“We see what the U of M lacks, ] it’s representing our program, it’s representing the teammates in the because scholastically we’re a very locker room, and it’s the respon- strong school, we have one of the sibility of leadership that comes lower rates of tuition. I think there’s with that.” satisfaction in general with the [U When asked about the positive of M]. But one thing that goes impact the new Investors Group without saying is that there’s a bit Stadium will have on the Bison of a lack of school spirit, and that’s Football club, Turnbull responded an element I think our team can that “it’s not just the Bisons, too, it’s bring.”

According to Turnbull, the the whole U of M [that benefits].

I think [the U of M is] really on University of Manitoba is budthe rise.” geting more money this year as a “We’re one of the winningest way to try and emulate universiprograms in the last few decades ties like Laval and the University and we just want to make sure that of Saskatchewan that manage to that reputation continues, and it fill their seats and foster something starts this year with a new stadium akin to that NCAA collegial spirit.

As UMSU’s president and a Bisons and a new home.”

As UMSU president, Turnbull linebacker, Turnbull is uniquely spoke about how the opening of positioned to help make that a the IGF is “huge” for campus life. reality.

“The U of M has always lacked what

24

Sports

VOL. 100 NO. 4 September 4, 2013

Jets refuel, retool roster in the off-season 2013-14 season begins in October with fresh faces and new opportunities Derek Gagnon

A

fter a season in which the Winnipeg Jets finished just one position out of the playoffs, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has made a few changes in the offseason.

The hope is that the team that takes the ice for the 2013-2014 season has what it takes to get over that final hurdle and into the playoffs.

This past off-season saw the departure of big money contracts belonging to team scapegoats Nik Antropov and Ron Hainsey. While Jets fans moaned at the relative inactivity in going after free agents, the team made a pair of solid acquisitions in depth forward Michael Frolik—a reliable two-way player—and Devin Setoguchi, who should get the opportunity to line up alongside the team’s scoring ace, Evander Kane.

The Jets are also hoping to bolster their roster from within their own organization. Prized prospects Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba seem poised to make the leap to professional hockey this year.

photo by: Matt Giesbrecht

Scheifele is coming off of a very successful season with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), in which he scored 39 goals and 40 assists in 45 regular season games, while adding another 41 points in 21 playoff games. He also

represented Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships, coming in 10th in tournament scoring with eight points in six games.

Trouba dominated in his first season with the University of Michigan, as the big defender picked up 29

points in 27 games in his freshman year. He was selected to play for Team USA at the World Junior tournament, winning the gold medal while posting nine points in seven games, good for seventh overall in tournament scoring.

Neither of these players are locks to make the roster, as Trouba has to earn playing time with some veterans with big contracts, while Scheifele has to show he has what it takes to skate with the big boys in the NHL after dominating lesser competition in the OHL. He will be in the mix to gain the second line centre spot, though veteran Olli Jokinen might have a thing or two to say about that.

Aside from the new blood, the Jets also made it very clear who their core group of players are going forward, as they signed Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, and Zach Bogosian to lengthy big money contracts that will see them in Jets colours for quite some time.

If the Jets want to make the playoffs this year, it will be in a new division with close geographical rivals like Minnesota and Chicago. The puck drops on the Jets’ season on Oct. 1 in Edmonton. The preseason gets underway on Sept. 14 when the Jets take on the Washington Capitals in Belleville, Ontario.