19 March 2014

news

comment

science & technology

Are you aware? Israeli Apartheid Far out

arts & culture

sports

Ghost Launch

Athlete profile

page 22

LGBTTQ* awareness week

Palestinian liberation in our time?

Dream Big space conference out of this world

Artists collaborate to evoke sites of queer/ feminist literature

page 5

page 10

page 13

page 14

CIS Volleyball Champ Rachel Cockerell

illustration by justin ladia

Vo l 1 0 0 路 N o 2 6 路 M a r c h 1 9 , 2 0 1 4 路 w w w.t h e m a n i to b a n .co m

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Index

VOL. 100 NO. 26 March 19, 2014

Editor-in-Chief Bryce Hoye

editor@themanitoban.com / 474.8293

Business manager Foster Lyle

accounts@themanitoban.com / 474.6535

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Advertising Coordinator Daniel Schipper

ads@themanitoban.com / 474.6535

Editorial

Senior News Editor Quinn Richert

news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770

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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

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science & technology Editor Tom Ingram

science@themanitoban.com/ 474.6529

arts & Culture Editor Kara Passey

arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

Sports Editor Marc Lagace

sports@themanitoban.com / 474.6529

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Copy Editor Carlyn Schellenberg

copy@themanitoban.com/ 474.6520

Design

Design Editor Silvana Moran

design@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

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Graphics Editor Bradly Wohlgemuth

graphics@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

Photo Editor Beibei Lu

photo@themanitoban.com / 474.6775

design associate Aichelle Sayuno

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graphics associate Bram Keast

Reporters

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News Caleigh MacDonald News Kevin Linklater Science Elizabeth Drewnik arts & culture Anastasia Chipelski arts & culture Lukas Thiessen Sports Mike Still Assistant copy editor Angela England

Volunteer Contributors

Will Gibson, Gloria Joe, Keegan Steele, Justin Ladia, Chris Zuk, Randy Savoie, Heather Kat Cole, Michael Lee, Liz Carlyle, Bassam Hozaima, samantha Secter

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

Stone soup’s on

News

photos by katy mackinnon

Chefs come together to fill bellies, support children in need Katy MacKinnon, staff

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ast Wednesday in the Manitoba Hydro building, Winnipeg chefs stirred up some friendly competition for a cause. The Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba (CNCM) held their annual Stone Soup fundraiser to support breakfast and snack programs in Winnipeg schools.

Viola Prowse, executive director of the CNCM, said that the purpose of the organization is to contribute to students’ success.

“At least a third of elementary students aren’t having any breakfast before they go to school, about twothirds of high school students aren’t, and, besides that, there’s a very small percentage of students that are getting the fruits and vegetables they

need throughout the day,” she said. stayed true to the tale, serving side- “Manitoba Pho” with hemp seeds, Prowse spoke to the far-reaching by-side to support children in need. bean sprouts, fresh herbs, and local impact of the program in that chil- This is not to say there was not a little elk – or, as he called it, “happy elk.” dren are receiving nutrition education friendly competition for the silver Neechi Commons’ Talia Syrie along with a meal. This education ladle – a prize awarded for the best served “Three Sisters Soup,” made manifests itself in the lunches some soup in the building based on patrons’ with butternut squash, corn, and children bring to school, she said. votes. beans. The soup was smooth and Breakfast and snack programs Deseo Bistro’s head chef Scott warming with just a hint of spice. allow for a feeling of community Bagshaw joked about a rivalry with Terrace in the Park won the silver and promote a positive school culture, executive chef Ben Kramer from ladle for a second year in a row with since teachers often take time to eat Diversity Foods, who responded, their seafood chowder, a soup made with the students.

“Our rival? Not even close. I think with crab, corn, Manitoba pickerel, The Stone Soup fundraiser is based he meant mentor.” scallops, and shrimp, and garnished on a folktale that provides a lesson in Bagshaw created a vegan and with roasted garlic and tarragon oil. co-operation and togetherness. In the gluten-free wild mushroom bisque – While a diverse group of tale, the community comes together with black trumpet, cremini, oyster, Winnipeggers enjoyed the sampling to produce ingredients for a nourish- and shitake mushrooms, soybeans, of soups—so much so that some chefs ing soup to be enjoyed by all. and truffle oil. ran out—a high school vocal jazz Eleven Winnipeg restaurants Kramer served an inventive group provided entertainment.

Prowse said that, though the CNCM is trying its best to provide for all children in need, for logistical and monetary reasons, some schools are not able to host programs where the need exists.

Securing money for the food is important, but schools also need to have space available to cook the food and wash dishes. Since schools must raise funds for 75 per cent of the costs, the individuals who believe in and work for the cause are essential, said Prowse.

“We only fund at about—in a real good year—25 per cent of the cost of the program. The schools still have to do a lot of work, and that tells you how significant those programs are.”

Forum draws attention to youth unemployment in Canada Student union, labour groups, and policy think tank host forum addressing bleak job market prospects for Canada’s youth Kevin Linklater, staff

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he issue of youth unemployment was front-and-centre last Friday at a forum hosted by the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and several labour unions.

The daylong event featured panels, presentations, and round table discussions on the problem of youth unemployment and underemployment, and also saw participants explore possible solutions.

The issue of youth unemployment was raised at the most recent CFS national convention, and Bilan Arte, Manitoba chairperson for CFS, helped organize Friday’s event.

“The discussion around youth underemployment and unemployment really came to light at our last national general meeting. There were many member locals from Ontario that were talking about this issue of unpaid internships, and the problems that graduates were facing after they finished their degrees,” she said on Friday.

Kevin Chief, provincial Minister for Children and Youth Opportunities,

spoke at the event, highlighting the and technical areas—but that workers young people when it released the pro- costs that businesses incur when trainchallenges faced by young people in his do not have the skills that businesses vincial budget earlier this month. The ing new employees. However, the CJG constituency of Point Douglas. Dave require. budget includes a $5,000 tax credit for will likely defund existing programs Sauer, president of the Winnipeg Several panellists and participants employers who hire apprentices, and that target groups with low labour marLabour Council, also addressed on Friday rejected this assertion, instead also offers incentives for expanding ket participation, such as youth, new attendees. arguing that a sheer lack of jobs is the high school apprenticeship programs. immigrants, Aboriginal Canadians, “The fact that we have had to hold a true problem.

The issue of training was also and the long-term unemployed. forum like this, to come together and Canadian economist Don addressed at last Friday’s forum. Lynne Janet Layte, a career counsellor at talk about this issue, I think speaks to Drummond’s work supports this view. Fernandez of the Canadian Centre for Sara Riel Inc., an organization that the growing urgency of the problem,” A recent report by Drummond found Policy Alternatives spoke about the pri- helps people with mental health issues said Sauer. that there have been no wage spikes in vate sector’s shirking of its traditional re-enter the workforce, can already see “It is very worrying to see these the skilled trades, nor in the scientific or responsibility for training young people, this trend developing. trends, and more needs to be done to technical fields – something one would and the offloading of this task onto the Layte’s organization, which prohelp young people be successful when expect if there were an unmet demand public sector. vides assistance to many young people, they leave university, or college, or high for such workers.

“Why are these employers not pro- has seen its budget cut this year, and school.”

In addition, a Statistics Canada sur- viding training themselves? They are may not be able to help as many people vey of job vacancies from May of last trying to move that responsibility for as in the past.

A cause for concern year found that there were 6.3 unem- training onto our public institutions.

“There’s no doubt that a lot of people The economic impact of unemploy- ployed people for every job vacancy, This is a trend that is definitely very dif- would still be on social assistance or not ment and underemployment among suggesting a lack of openings. ferent from when I was young, where working if they didn’t get help from us Canada’s youth was highlighted in a “Let’s face it, we have too many jobs employers would take the time and or similar organizations,” said Layte. report released last year by TD bank without people, and too many people actually train you,” said Fernandez.

The national youth unemployment senior economist Martin Schwerdtfeger, without jobs,” said Jason Kenney, the The federal government recently rate stands at 13.9 per cent – roughly who estimated the loss in wages to be federal Minister for Employment and reached an agreement with all prov- double the rate of other workers. $10.7 billion over a three-year period.

Social Development, during a speech inces (except Quebec) to implement When you include young people who The federal government previously last year to the Economic Club of the much-publicized Canada Job Grant are underemployed, or have given up claimed that a “skills gap” arose in the Canada.

(CJG). looking for work, the rate jumps to 27.7 labour force; that is, that job vacanThe Manitoba government increased The CJG seeks to encourage the hir- per cent. cies exist—especially in skilled trades funding for trades and job training for ing of more workers by subsidizing the

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News

VOL. 100 NO. 26 March 19, 2014

Five Days for the Homeless surpasses its own expectations

Human rights museum accused of censorship

U of M students raise over $20,000 for local charity

Blog post criticizing Conservative government removed

Quinn Richert, staff

Caleigh MacDonald, staff

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s per tradition, University of Manitoba Asper school of business students camped outside last week in participation with the Canada-wide Five Days for the Homeless (5DH) campaign.

Typically, five Asper students spend five nights in a makeshift shelter outside University Centre, eating only what is given to them by friends, supporters, and passersby.

The rules applied as usual this year, except only four out of five participants were Asper students; Matt Odger, Riley George, Sara Bulloch, and Sam Davidson were joined by political studies student Martin Machalak.

In addition to the campers, many commerce (and non-commerce) students joined in, soliciting donations around campus for Resource Assistance for Youth (RaY), a local non-profit organization the school has partnered with in years past.

“I think the reason we keep going back to them is that they service people who are our age,” said George.

“We’ve had RaY come by every day.

I’ve met a couple of the people they’ve helped, and I can relate to them when they’re 19 years old and I’m 20 years

old,” he continued. raising awareness and we’re raising The students began sleeping out- funds.” side on Sunday night and wrapped As the campaign wound down last up their endeavour Friday night. In Friday, the U of M’s 5DH campaign addition to their highly visible cam- counted a total of $20,701, surpasspaign, a past user of RaY’s services ing their goal of $20,000. A total of visited the U of M on Thursday to $184,969 was raised nationally, with meet with the campers, to describe all schools donating 100 per cent of his own past history with home- proceeds to local charities.

The 5DH campaign has its roots lessness, and to discuss the various services RaY offers to young people at the University of Alberta, whose living without a fixed address. school of business initiated the camDavidson and George acknowl- paign in 2005. By 2011, 22 schools edged that while the response from across Canada were involved.

Reflecting on the second and coldpeople on campus has been mostly supportive, some have shared with est day of the experience, Davidson them their misgivings about the cam- remarked that, if anything, it had paign. One individual told George only made the survival of homethat the five days outside did not truly less youth in Winnipeg seem more mirror the plight of homeless youth; remarkable.

George and Davidson both agreed.

“It really puts things in perspective.

“This isn’t really to simulate home- You have to wonder, after two days for lessness. It’s to create attention,” said us and we’re feeling like this, imagDavidson. ine the people that are in way worse “There is such a negative stigma conditions, doing this for three weeks, associated with homelessness, and three months, three years, or even [5DH] is really to get the conversa- three decades. For us this is sometion going. In the end, when people thing where we can take that personal who aren’t as supportive come talk to sacrifice to create some awareness and us, that’s just it. They’re getting the keep the conversation going.” conversation going [ . . . ] in the end, they may not support it, but we’re

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he Canadian Museum for Disneyland but to provide serious, Human Rights (CMHR) although engaging and accessible, has again come under fire in the observations on the world.”

This is not the first time media, this time due to accusations by historian Veronica Strong-Boag CMHR content has faced criticism. that the organization engaged in Aboriginal groups have expressed censorship when it removed a anger that the crimes committed commissioned blog post she had in the past against them will not be written criticizing the Conservative labelled as genocide. Disagreements persist over how much space should government.

In the original post, titled be allocated to different historical “International Women’s Day (IWD) atrocities.

The initial proposal of havand Human Rights 2014,” StrongBoag detailed the history of IWD ing a permanent, separate exhibit from its inception to the current devoted to the Holocaust raised the ire of other groups who wanted all day.

Strong-Boag—whose primary genocides to be grouped together research interests include the his- in one exhibit room.

Ukrainian interest groups have tory of education, gender studies, and children and youth—wrote in been advocating for separate exhibthe post in question about the per- its for both the Holodomor—the ceived “anti-woman record” of the genocide of Ukrainians under Canadian government, citing the Stalin—and the mass Ukrainian termination of plans for a national internment by the Canadian govchild-care program, defunding to ernment during WWI. The museum, which is schedStatus of Women Canada, civil servants being prohibited from uled to open this fall, has also seen “taking pay equity complaints” to the departure of a number of its the Canadian Human Rights staff, some of whom have claimed Commission, the lack of funding that the museum’s content is being for international abortion, and softened to reflect a more positive funding cuts to public services that Canadian history. The museum has employ and provide assistance to denied these claims.

Such problems have led some to women.

The post was live on the blog for believe that the CMHR is tied too several hours before CMHR staff closely to the federal government, from which a significant portion removed it.

Angela Cassie, director of com- of its funding comes.

In her correspondence with munications at the CMHR, wrote to Strong-Boag expressing her apol- Cassie, Strong-Boag stated that ogies for the confusion, and stating Cassie’s “attempt at an explanation that “CMHR blogs are intended for censorship suggests the museum to consist of interesting short sto- needs to engage in some serious ries on human rights themes and self-reflection about its mandate topics, ideally from a first-person and its apparent subordination to perspective, written primarily by political masters.”

Despite Strong-Hoag’s allegaCMHR staff as an opportunity to showcase the depth and diversity of tions, Ken McDonald, a retired lawyer, maintains that the museum their work and experiences.”

She further explained that what has done nothing legally wrong.

“What’s important to remember the CMHR had intended for the blog was “anecdotal accounts of in this particular case is the confirst-person experiences that illumi- text of the situation. The blog is the nate human rights themes, and that museum’s and they are allowed to they include ‘rich media’ relevant to put what they want on it. Whatever the story (photos, images),” and that your personal opinion is of the “guest blogs [should] not be used government’s policies—whether as, or be perceived as, a platform you think they’re anti-women or for political positions or partisan not—the museum is allowed to refuse to broadcast your opinion. statements.”

Strong-Boag responded, argu- You can go get your own blog,” said ing that such limitations were “both McDonald.

“I think that the kind of discusnaive and pedagogically unsound for a museum supposedly dedi- sion that [Strong-Boag] was trying cated to (the promotion of) human to instigate is an interesting one, but given where the museum gets rights.”

“It suggests,” wrote the historian, its funding, and the fact that it’s a “that human rights are almost purely public place that already gets a lot of about entertainment and that attention for showing a lot of govauthors can pretend impartiality in ernments at their worst [ . . . ] it’s dealing with them [ . . . ] museums not really that surprising that they and institutions of public memory didn’t want to have that discussion are not normally intended to imitate on their website.”

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

News

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Rainbow Pride Mosaic holds LGBTTQ* Awareness Week Event promotes recognition and social change Caleigh MacDonald, staff

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ast week, UMSU student group Rainbow Pride Mosaic (RPM) hosted their annual LGBTTQ* Awareness Week on the University of Manitoba campus.

The event is designed to create a positive understanding of LGBTTQ*

Walls Could Talk 2,” is a drama that provide pertinent information about This is why the RPM exists, follows the stories of three genera- sexual health to those who identify according to its members. tions of lesbian women as they navi- as LGBTTQ*.

“RPM is just a kind of safe place gate through life.

According to an MLA Member’s for anyone who needs it. You can just Tuesday’s “For the Bible Tells Me Statement by Allan, this population come here and play video games, or So” is a documentary about the clash constitutes over 1,100 (four per cent) do your homework or whatever, and between religion and homosexual- of University of Manitoba students you don’t have to worry about any ity. It focuses primarily on religious and employees. of the shit out there. You can just parents with children who expressed Thursday featured a panel dis- relax and be whoever you are,” said non-traditional sexual orientations. cussion titled “Gender Identity and a member who wished to remain Nancy Allan, NDP MLA and Fluidity: Breaking the Binary,” which anonymous. former Minister of Education, spoke was followed by the games carnival Allan expressed similar feelings on Wednesday about Bill 18. The bill on Friday. in her Member’s Statement. was passed by the provincial governOverall, RPM member Steph “We see time and time again the ment in September of last year.

Knelsen considered the activities importance of having groups that Bill 18, otherwise known as the of the group’s awareness week very advocate for and provide resources Public Schools Amendment Act effective. to the LGBTTQ* community. By (Safe and Inclusive Schools), requires “The effect we hope to have is providing a safe space and engaging schools to establish a policy that to enlighten the community on people in meaningful dialogue, RPM directly encourages respect for diver- the LGBTTQ* community and is creating a more inclusive learning sity, and forces educators to become everything we stand for: equality, environment so that all students reach involved in cases of bullying. It respect, individualism, [and] accep- their full potential,” she wrote. requires all schools to provide support tance of diversity,” Knelsen told the Knelsen admitted that it’s difficult to any students wishing to initiate Manitoban. to objectively track the progress made illustration by samantha secter or lead actions that promote gender “I think that [these values] need to by the organization in changing attiequity, anti-racism, and awareness be reinforced at the U of M. We are tudes and sentiment towards memcommunity members and the issues and advocacy for LGBTTQ* or dis- on the right track, but not quite there bers of the LGBTTQ* community. abled students. [ . . . ] there are still a lot of people But she is optimistic. they face.

On Wednesday, RPM held an who are not well-informed on our “Success to me is informing Monday and Tuesday featured the creation of a “Mosaic of Diversity” open house at the Student Group community, and don’t quite under- even just one person [about] the at the RPM art table, as well as the Resource Centre in 180 Helen Glass. stand what it is to be LGBTTQ*. LGBTTQ* community,” she said.

The RPM office is not only a safe Because of this, they can’t really treat “So I’m hopeful.” screening of two films.

Monday’s film, titled “If These space, but also has resources that us as equals.”

Nancy Allan speaks at LGBTTQ* Awareness Week MLA and students speak on importance of Bill 18 Kevin Linklater, staff

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ancy Allan, former Manitoba Minister of Education and current MLA for St. Vital, spoke at the University of Manitoba last Wednesday as part of LGBTTQ* Awareness Week.

On Sept. 13 of last year, the provincial government ratified anti-bullying legislation with the passage of Bill 18 – The Public Schools Amendment Act (Safe and Inclusive Schools). Allan

spearheaded the passage of the bill, and shared her experiences at the U of M in a keynote speech.

“It was a long struggle from start to finish. But it was something I felt really strongly about. If young people aren’t safe in school and don’t feel accepted, they cannot learn. It was something we had to address.”

The legislation was contentious to some because it required schools to

Allan’s office. Todd committed suicide from Steinbach and a close friend of in October of 2012 after being bullied Wiens’, was present in the audience online and at school. on Wednesday.

“We started to talk about it in my “I think this has had an impact office, and I said to my staff, ‘I think at my old high school; the attitudes we need to have a response to this pro- have gotten better. Some people would vincially’ [ . . . ] we need to be there always tear down the posters, and I to support young people; regardless heard [that] at the beginning of this of who they are, we need to support most recent school year, people actuthem.” ally got suspended temporarily when Allan introduced the bill in the they were caught.” fall of 2012. Over the next year, a Opposition stemmed strongly from protracted battle developed between the Southland Community Church supporters and opponents of the in Steinbach, where the pastor, Ray legislation.

Duerksen, called Bill 18 “the biggest “It was an incredible journey [ . . . challenge the Canadian church has ] it galvanized the people who were ever faced.” against Bill 18, but more importantly, During the public hearings stage of it galvanized the people who were for the legislative process, MLAs heard it. It was probably the most important from 260 speakers. photo by beibei lu human rights debate that we have had “In Manitoba, we’re the only jurisin this province since we passed a law diction in Canada that has a public accommodate students who wanted to implement same-sex marriage.” process where every piece of legislation to start anti-bullying clubs, including One of the most visible propo- goes through a public hearing at the the formation and promotion of gay- nents to emerge in the debate was legislature, and anyone who wants to straight alliances.

Evan Wiens, a high school student speak to a piece of legislation can come Some Manitobans opposed the bill, from Steinbach Regional Secondary and speak,” said Allan. arguing that these clubs would oppose School.

“It was gruelling at times, but my their religious beliefs, and that requirWiens was barred from advertising caucus stood beside me. Even those ing schools to allow such clubs would a gay-straight alliance group he started who were religious stood beside me infringe on religious freedom. at his school. The group has since been and supported me. They knew this Allan said the death of Amanda allowed to advertise their presence. needed to be done. They knew this Todd sparked a conversation within Danny Enright, a U of M student was about human rights.”

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News

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

‘Will Ukraine survive Yanukovych?’

Alexander Motyl provides theories on threat posed by Putin Bryce hoye, staff

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ill Uk raine sur v ive Yanukovych? Such was the name of a talk Alexander Motyl delivered last Friday on the U of M campus.

Motyl, a professor of political science at Rutgers University, spoke to the institutional devastation suffered by the Ukraine at the hands of former President Viktor Yanukovych and an oligarchic elite, and the prospect of a post-Yanukovych democratic state in Ukraine.

Motyl began by framing the recent revolt in the Ukraine within a broader cultural context.

“Yanukovych created a political system that resembled a hub and spokes with him at the centre, and almost all key political appointees directly responsible to him,” Motyl told the audience. “Such a regime is and was intrinsically brittle and unstable [ . . . ] it is incompatible with both a modern economy and society, which can be governed only with flexible and effective institutions and it is also incompatible with an increasingly globalised world – within which the free flow of information defines effective government.”

By Motyl’s own admission, the Yanukovych regime’s official dissolution in late February was inevitabile.

“A weak regime confronted a strong civil society for the period from early 2010, when Yanukovych was elected, to late 2013. When Yanukovych turned his back on the association agreement with the European Union, he pushed popular discontent over the edge,” said Motyl. “The important thing to remember is the discontent was there: it was latent, it was active [ . . . ] all it needed was a spark.”

Klavida Tatar was present for Motyl’s lecture. Tatar, a master’s student in the U of M’s department of history and a Ukrainian native, grew up in Kyiv and studied political science in Russia for five years, where she was involved with the local Ukrainian activist community.

Tatar feels a sense of optimism growing out of the local UkrainianCanadian community in the face of Yanukovych’s overthrow; however, present entanglements with Russia have her worried.

“Russia’s invasion of Crimea sets a precedent in modern history, one that is unacceptable for the 21st century, as it endangers Ukraine’s transformation, even its unity,” said Tatar. “I am afraid that Russia won’t be satisfied with Crimea, and the South-Eastern regions of Ukraine are under no less threat. All these regions are also predominantly Russian-speaking, with a large percentage of ethnic Russians. Even though they consider themselves Ukrainian, there is nothing to pre-

vent Russia from doing just what it is doing in Crimea [elsewhere in Ukraine].”

Putin, Right Sector, Svoboda In light of recent developments on the ground in Crimea—a republic in the southwest of Ukraine— Motyl opted to shift the focus of his talk toward the imminent threat presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin’s brand of fascism poses the biggest challenge to a vulnerable Ukraine.

Ukrainian far-right nationalist factions such as Svoboda and the Right Sector—groups criticized for having xenophobic or neo-Nazis values— are of less concern to Motyl.

Svoboda and the Right Sector “are not fascist [organizations],” according to Motyl.

“What I can say is they [Svoboda] sound more like right-wing republican Tea Party characters. Now I wouldn’t want America to be ruled by right-wing republican Tea Party members; on the other hand, they’re not fascists,” Motyl told the Manitoban. “They are [Right Sector] opposed to the European Union, but they’re pro-democracy, and they’re actually more liberal and tolerant than Svoboda,” said Motyl.

“To me, what makes a fascists primarily is behaviour. It is partly what you say, but it’s mostly what you do.

I’m not sure that what Svoboda and the Right Sector has said they’ll do is necessarily fascistic, although it’s certainly Tea Party-ish. To me the burden of proof is on the people who say they are [fascists]. Putin, absolutely – he’s created the state. He has a whole system, an apparatus.

These guys, I’m not sure: they’ve got to be monitored, you have to keep an eye on them [ . . . ] I don’t want them to be in power, but then they’re not. The [Ukraine] is being run by a far larger coalition and they’re just a small part of it.”

During the question period following the lecture, Motyl entertained the notion of whether loosing Crimea to Russia ought to be considered a loss or a benefit to Ukraine in the long run. “My fear isn’t losing Crimea, frankly [. . . ] I am worried about the southeast of Ukraine. As unlikely as I think a full scale war will be, I am still very worried about it, because a five per cent chance is roughly five per cent too much.”

Earlier this week Crimeans voted overwhelmingly in favour of leaving Ukraine and joining Russia. The vote has been called illegitimate by some, as the referendum took place while Crimea was under occupation

by Russian forces. The Manitoban will be providing updates on developments in the Ukraine as they unfold.

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Failure to act

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

Editorial

The historical and ongoing oppression of Canada’s Aboriginal people Kara Passey, staff

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ast fall, my friends and I were leaving the The reserve system was established in on March 7, 2014. A sensible person might bar at the Windsor Hotel making our way 1830 so First Nations couldn’t block future set- wonder if such an apathetic government home in the early hours of the morning. We tlements. Aboriginals were pushed onto small could have done an inquiry justice in the came across an Aboriginal woman passed out reserves with poor living conditions – many of first place. in the doorway of a building. Passed out— which still exist and are in use today.

The 2004 General Social Survey (Statistics not tucked in for the night—with her purse The Civilization of Indian Tribes Act Canada) reported that “Aboriginal women strewn out next to her, and a hospital bracelet was passed in 1857 by the colonial government experience much higher rates of violence than on her wrist. as a first attempt to assimilate Aboriginal non-Aboriginal women.” This report included A couple stood near her, and as we people. If an Indian man were to pledge to statistics on race and gender-based violence, approached we asked if they were with her “live as a white” he could have the right “to vote, as well as accounts of family-based violence. and if everything was alright. They didn’t own property, and serve on juries” – but he While working on her PhD in law, respond, and—in a reaction common among would have to give up his status.

Maryanne Pearce wrote her thesis “An Winnipeggers—gave us looks like, “Hell no, The Indian Act was made in 1876 and Awkward Silence: Missing and Murdered I’m not taking any responsibility for this.” while it was never translated into any native Vulnerable Women and the Canadian Justice “Come on,” the woman said to her partner. tongue, it set out the rules and regulations System,” which lists key factors of violence “Someone probably called already.” that status Indians had to follow: status, land, against Aboriginal women to include And they walked away. resources, wills, education, band adminis- street prostitution, addiction, and insecure No one called. We called. It took five tration, etc. Later revisions also banned housing. minutes for an ambulance to show up and Aboriginal people from practising their A disturbing and informative article by we continued on our way. culture.

Jacqueline Lynne and Melissa Farley entitled This past January I boarded a bus, and an residential schools “Prostitution of Indigenous Women: Sex Aboriginal woman was seated up front with In 1923 First Nations children were taken Inequality and the Colonization of Canada’s a freshly beaten face and not looking so well. from their families and legally forced to First Nations Women” outlines how capitalUnfortunately, the bus was crowded and I attend residential schools, where through ism has contributed to the commodification got quickly pushed to the back. The bus was abuse they were forced to forget their lan- of Aboriginal women’s bodies. The article en route to the Health Sciences Centre, and guage and culture. also includes statistics such as the fact that I remember thinking that maybe she was okay It wasn’t until 1951 that the ban on ceremo- 80-90 per cent of single Aboriginal mothers and on her way to get herself some help. At nies was lifted, or until 1960 that Aboriginal (in urban Winnipeg, Regina, and Saskatoon) the end of my 20-minute bus ride—and after men got the right to vote in federal elections, were living below poverty level, and that “84 noticing that she hadn’t gotten off, especially or even until 1996 that the last residential per cent of Aboriginal households on reserves not at the stop for the HSC—I pushed my school in Canada closed. If you think of it did not have sufficient income to cover housway to the front to discover her completely in terms of generations, there are children ing.” When Aboriginal sex workers are asked passed out. whose parents or grandparents have attended for a list of needs to escape prostitution, stable I asked the man sitting next to her if she residential schools in our school system today housing is at the top. was with him; he wasn’t. I told the bus driver – children who, if they aren’t well connected Possible preventative measures start to and an ambulance was called. A lot of per- with their community, are still learning inac- become visible when examining the causes fectly capable people had stood by watching curate histories about their own people. of violence: the string of historical—and and doing nothing – okay, not nothing: one And as these intergenerational oppressions ongoing—acts of assimilation and oppression guy poked her and laughed to himself. still affect First Nations and Métis people— set up Aboriginal people for a life of poverty I have a lot of stories like this, and I don’t leaving them to cope with poverty and mental and poor living conditions. share them to have people tell me that I’m illness in a country which has insufficient Poverty contributes to issues with mensome kind of hero. I share them because I’m supports for either—there are still events tal and physical health (as does the abuse frustrated that the bare minimum of compas- continuing to unfold and contribute to the that survivors of residential schools are still sion is lacking, and that the status quo is to oppression of Canada’s Aboriginal people. in recovery from today), which can lead to respond with apathy, thus contributing to the This didn’t happen a thousand years ago; self-medication and addiction. Education in reality that is an unsafe world for Aboriginal in fact, we are living it now. low-income neighbourhoods is significantly women.

Research done by master’s student poorer and the changing character of the I also work alongside the school system, so Christine Stark last year reported that indig- job market today makes it difficult to find I am aware that not much has changed when enous women (and children, and babies), espe- full-time work – or any at all. Affordable it comes to educating people on the culture, cially from northern reserves, are victims of housing is almost nonexistent, so families and history, and genocide of Canada’s indigenous sex trafficking, and are sold into the sex trade communities suffer, and the conditions that people – certainly not much has changed on ships along Lake Superior. lead to gangs are created as a byproduct; as when it comes to teaching that white people In the spring of 2011, Manitoba officials you can expect, with gangs comes sex work, still benefit from it today. School-aged kids diverted flood water from the Assiniboine illegal drugs, and related violence. are still taught racism towards Aboriginal River to protect the city of Winnipeg, which By framing the relationship between people—including slurs—and their knowl- subsequently destroyed the 140-year-old poverty and violence as a complex issue and edge of Aboriginal culture usually consists reserve of Lake St. Martin. Evacuees are still examining its contributing factors, we can of taking a workshop on how to make a living in Winnipeg hotels and “temporary” begin to assess the needs of those who are dreamcatcher. One wonders how future housing today. Protesters for the rights of affected by it. In addition to acknowledging generations can not repeat the mistakes of Aboriginals and participants in movements the rights of Aboriginal people—and workhistory when they receive a watered down, like Idle No More are treated as terrorists and ing with them to form solutions—the federal one-sided interpretation of how their country arrested on their own land. government needs to appropriately address was established.

Most recently, the demand for a national the complexities of poverty and violence.

I still hear grown adults saying things like, inquiry on missing and murdered Aboriginal Asset-based community development that “Who cares? That happened like a thousand women was high, and the Conservative involves the input of those who access these years ago.” government fought hard against it, claiming services could include affordable housing Crash course: how we’ve that existing initiatives were sufficient. Peter (rental and social), a living wage, accessible failed and exploited Canada’s MacKay, Canada’s Minister of Justice, was health care (including sufficient health care indigenous people quoted as saying, “With the greatest respect, for those living with a mental illness and/ the biggest mistake that we could make on or addiction), access to healthy food, and The Royal Proclamation was issued this issue would be to spend more time study- support to restore those involved with gangby King George III in 1763, stating that First ing it.” related crimes are all concepts that could be Nations people have title to land until ceded The initiatives mentioned focused mostly addressed in a preventative action plan against by treaty. European settlers are given permis- on a DNA database for missing persons, police violence and poverty. sion to colonize and purchase First Nation presence, convictions, and not on preventative It goes without saying, I hope, that the first lands. While the Royal Proclamation gave measures. “We need more substantive tools step would be the acknowledgment that we First Nations rights and title to land, it was for police to investigate violent crime, to hold are still living in a society actively denying made by colonists to establish a monopoly over offenders accountable,” added MacKay. genocide and contributing to the oppression First Nation land by the British Crown.

The call for a national inquiry was rejected of Aboriginal people.

“With the greatest respect, the biggest mistake that we could make on this issue would be to spend more time studying it” – Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice

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Editor-in-Chief: Bryce Hoye Contact: editor@themanitoban.com / 474.8293

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

Comment

Rape culture on campuses a reality Men must play an active role in the solution Michael Lee, volunteer staff

illustration by bram keast

Trigger warning: rape

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ith the help of the media, coverage of rape culture on university campuses is increasingly being brought to the fore. Rape culture is most certainly real and to simply sweep it under the rug does a great disservice to those who have been victims of sexual assault.

Unfortunately, there are still those who think otherwise.

Earlier this month, Barbara Kay of the National Post and Margaret Wente of the Globe and Mail offered their own critiques of the growing awareness, and fear, of rape culture.

In Kay’s article, “Rape culture and the delusions of the feminist mind,” she provides a blunt characterization of rape culture by stating, “The fact is that ‘rape culture’ is a form of popular mania like so many others before it. It does not exist. Or if it does, nobody has yet brought forward evidence of it.”

To Kay, then, the fear surrounding rape is one brought about by “ideology attached to a great deal of personal narrative regarding unwanted or regretted sex,” that, while “compelling,” is “unsupported by evidence.”

Kay does offer a brief moment of empathy by suggesting that no woman should ever be sexually assaulted. However, she suggests to young women to exercise a bit of caution: to “not drink to excess,” to be “prudent about the kinds of parties they attend,” and to be “selective about their sexual partners in general.” She seems to adhere to the notion that, while there is no real danger, one must still be cautious – to not panic but still be suspicious about that guy across the room at a party.

Does this not propagate the very over-heightened fear that Kay argues rape culture promotes? Should a woman not be able to navigate freely without fear? Instead of blaming women, perhaps a solution lies in changing the actions and perceptions of men.

Kay appears to place all of the

responsibility on women while so that they do not rape in the first absolving any responsibility from place. men. This is what I believe to be Jackson Katz, an anti-sexism the greatest misstep in altering our educator, touches on this very issue. perceptions of rape culture. Rape In a 2012 TED Talk aptly named is not solely a women’s problem or “Violence against women – it’s a a feminists’ problem – it is also a men’s issue,” Katz offers a spirited men’s problem. and thought-provoking analysis Wente’s article in the Globe and whereby he questions society’s perMail—“Can she consent to sex after ceptions of rape. drinking?”—takes a slightly different Not only do we blame the victim, approach compared to Kay’s piece. Katz argues, but we are also asking Wente argues that alcohol is the the wrong questions. Instead, we real issue at hand here. The Campus should be asking, “Why is domesSexual Assault Study, which she tic violence still a big problem in references, has shown that the vast majority of sexual assaults involve alcohol, but adds that not only do the vast majority of these women victims not believe they were raped, but two-thirds did not even think the incident serious enough to report to the authorities.

In an earlier article for the Globe and Mail titled “When rape culture and booze culture meet,” Wente offers some advice for young women to avoid what she refers to as “the perils of ‘rape culture’”: “Don’t get drunk.”

Advocating for women to not “get drunk” nor to “binge drink” is an entirely misguided approach to combating rape; although, the Campus Sexual Assault Study does suggest “combining sexual assault prevention education with alcohol and drug education programming.”

However, one point that Wente fails to consider is whether men should forgo alcohol as well. If “drunken men in groups often behave worse than drunken men on their own, because they’re full of bravado and egg each other on,” as she suggests in “When rape culture and booze culture meet,” should we then not similarly tell men to not get drunk?

Regardless of whether alcohol is involved or not, the fact still remains that men are raping women, and this is what needs to change. While educating people on responsible drinking will certainly lead to progress, the conversation must delve even deeper. We must also consider how we can alter the mindsets of men

the United States and all over the world? [ . . . ] Why do so many men abuse—physically, emotionally, verbally, and other ways—the women and girls, and the men and boys, that they claim to love? What’s going on with men?”

These are the more salient questions that should be asked and once we are able to tackle these issues, we should see a dramatic shift towards the better.

I refuse to accept that men should not play a part in eliminating sexual assault. On the contrary, men

should play just as active of a role as women. Men and women should fight together against this rape mentality.

Later in the talk, Katz says, “[It’s] not just understanding these issues as men’s issues, but they’re also leadership issues for men.” I agree that proper male—and female— leadership is the key in helping future generations fight back against the preventable tragedy of sexual assault.

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Comment

VOL. 100 NO. 26 March 19, 2014

Palestinian liberation in our time

illustration by justin ladia

Resurgence of global grassroots activism to end Israeli apartheid Liz Carlyle and Bassam Hozaima

“We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” – Nelson Mandela

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magine living in cramped quarters, with little water and infrastructure, under a crushing military occupation that controls every aspect of your life.

Imagine living with a largely powerless local government and the daily threat of crop destruction, home demolition, family separation, and annexation of more of your land.

Imagine all this next door to comfortable settlements with four times the water you’re allowed as a Palestinian, protected by a high-tech military, drones, a checkpoint-and-pass system, a 26-foot-tall concrete wall equipped with gun towers and surveillance, and racially segregated roads and transportation networks.

Welcome to apartheid Israel.

Like the South African apartheid regime, Israel was established in 1948.

As far as Israel’s promotional materials are concerned, it is a beacon of democracy in a sea of hostile Arab nations, and its citizens, including what it calls Israeli Arabs, have an equal vote and voice in the political process. There are, after all, Palestinian Arabs in the national parliament (the Knesset), and Palestinian Arabs have equal standing in Israeli courts. Surely, it is misguided to consider Israel an apartheid state.

However, as Jewish academic and activist Uri Davis states, “pointing to these facts alone is tantamount to an exercise in misrepresentation, manipulating these significant features in order to veil the fundamental apartheid structures” of Israel.

Davis goes further: “All that pertains to the right to inherit property;

to access the material resources of the state (notably, land and water); and to access the welfare resources of the state (for example religious services and child benefits) [ . . . ] fully [justifies] the classification of the State of Israel as an apartheid state.”

When Israel was established on Palestinian, Syrian, and other countries’ lands in 1948, at least 700,000 Palestinians were violently dispossessed as part of a planned campaign of ethnic cleansing. The Palestinians call the most cataclysmic moment of this dispossession—on May 15—Al Nakba, or “the catastrophe,” while Israel celebrates this date as its Independence Day. Palestinians walked for days with almost no food or water; many died, and were raped or injured by Zionist militia fighters. Many families had little to show for their former lives but the key to their former front door.

These keys became a symbol of their hope to one day return to their homes.

Many Palestinians ended up in refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon, or they fled into Egypt, other countries in the region, or elsewhere all over the world. More than 400 Palestinian villages were destroyed or depopulated to make way for Israeli settlers, as historian Walid Khalidi details in his book All That Remains. Eventually, the Palestinians were left with chunks of land in the new Israel that became known as the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT), namely the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Sadly, since 1948, and in spite of internationally brokered accords, peace talks, and cease-fires, Palestinian territories have been shrunk down to almost nothing. This has been carried out through attacks (killing civilians,

including many children), industrial apartheid movements were demonized, and housing developments, and con- and activists were branded as terrorstant military control. ists. The Canadian government was The apartheid wall that increasingly only converted to the Mandela-as-hero pens in Palestinians snakes jaggedly message late in the struggle against the around to ensure Israeli control of water racist regime. and land. The West Bank and Gaza Then, as now, Canada is out of step are disconnected communities within with more forward-thinking counwhich it can take hours to move a few tries. Late in 2012, the United Nations hundred metres. From restrictions on overwhelmingly accepted Palestine as access to work, education, and medical a non-member observer state. Canada care, Palestinians have little control was among the few members to oppose over their daily lives and few means of the motion, and our federal governsubsistence. Families and friends even ment took the trouble to make a speech end up separated by checkpoints and about its pro-apartheid stance. the wall. Palestinians who leave Israel The government of Israel was the or the OPT are unlikely to be allowed first and last friend of the racist South back in.

African apartheid regime. Israel also Primarily because of Israel’s con- entered into discussions to sell nuclear tinued military, demographic, and weapons to the South African apartgeographic expansion into the OPT, heid regime. attempts at an internationally-brokered Canada, for its part, has been resolution to the Israel-Palestine con- dubbed by author and activist Yves flict have utterly failed.

Engler as “the world’s most pro-Israel There has been much said about a country.” one-state versus a two-state solution In his book, Canada and Israel: to the conflict, but the reality is that, Building Apartheid, Engler details the whatever the solution to the crisis, the rise of Canadian support for the Israeli occupation must end for any resolution apartheid regime. to have a chance of succeeding. Racist Engler calls it the “culmination of military occupation has led to extremist six decades of one-sided support” for responses and this has only increased Israel. When Israel builds settlements the tension. deemed illegal under international law, While many students on campus Canada refuses to condemn the regime. today are unfamiliar with the anti- Canada demonizes the Palestinian apartheid struggle of South Africans, Authority and elected Arab governthey are likely familiar with Nelson ments in the Middle East because these Mandela. governments oppose the Israeli regime.

The great activist passed away Possibly more shocking is the fact that late last year amid good wishes and Canada wholeheartedly supported the condolences from world leaders of all brutal Israeli military attack on Gaza stripes. Mandela was one of those rare that started in December 2008. individuals who could bring people This long history of supporting together. But it wasn’t always that way: Israeli apartheid places an additional Mandela and the South African anti- responsibility on Canadians to take

action. It becomes even more important when one considers the ugly history of Canada’s First Nations reserve and control system, which was used as a model for South Africa’s apartheid Bantustans – the territories set aside for black people.

The Bantustans, in turn, inspired Israel to segregate Palestinians. Canada is tied up in apartheid and segregation at home and internationally.

Grassroots movements to oppose Israeli apartheid have taken on new life and are being driven by young Palestinians in the OPT, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Europe, North America, and elsewhere. A new generation of Palestinians has seen negotiations and international diplomacy fail, and has felt the crushing oppression of post-911 Islamophobia and the mighty U.S.-Israel military machine.

They know that Palestinians are outmatched in the military arena, but they also know the power of community organizing.

One of the campaigns gathering steam is the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which took inspiration from the South African anti-apartheid movement.

Supported by legendary South African Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu—as well as more and more academics and artists who refuse to prop up the Israeli regime—Israeli Apartheid Week and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement offer a newly hopeful approach: get to the root of the human rights and military-industrial abuses, and a free Palestine will be possible in our time!

Israeli Apartheid Week will take place March 17-23 in Winnipeg.

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

Science & technology

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‘Keep lookin’ up’ UFO phenomena discussed by expert Chris Rutkowski Carlyn Schellenberg, staff

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photos by beibei lu

n March 11, ufologist Chris Rutkowski whom Rutkowski co-wrote the 2006 book gave a presentation on UFOs at the The Canadian UFO Report—analyze and University of Manitoba as part of Dream Big, release the data each year. last week’s series of space-related events.

The survey reports that there were 1,180 In addition to being a communications reported UFO sightings in Canada in 2013, officer for the U of Manitoba’s marketing which amounts to around three per day. communications office, Rutkowski has a “[This] is the second highest number of UFO degree in science (astronomy), and has writ- reports reported in a single year since we ten several books on the topic of UFOs. His began doing this survey 25 years ago,” said recent works include The Big Book of UFOs Rutkowski. He speculated on why the reports and the young adult book I Saw It Too! have increased, suggesting that the Internet Rutkowski’s talk was titled “UFO has helped make reporting easier.

Phenomena in Canada,” and focused on three In a graph in his slideshow, Rutkowski main topics: the facts about UFO reports, illustrated the occurrence of UFO reports skeptical objections, and why science should by month. Reports tend to be higher in the be concerned with UFOs. summer months because people spend more “UFOs exist. When I say UFO, what I time outdoors, he said. However, in January, mean is unidentified flying object, and that reports are as high as in May and higher than is pretty broad. I’m not talking necessarily in August. about alien spacecraft. I’m simply reporting One of the arguments the UFO expert that people see unidentified objects in the sky addressed was that people who report UFO that they can’t explain,” Rutkowski said. sightings do not know any better. Rutkowski UFOlogy Research of Manitoba released explained that people from all walks of life the 2013 Canadian UFO Survey last week. file reports, including pilots and air traffic Rutkowski and Geoff Dittman—with controllers who have an intimate knowledge

of what is in the sky.

He referenced several reported Canadian UFO encounters, including the 1967 Falcon Lake incident, in which an engineer reported witnessing the landing of a flying saucer. The engineer heard squeaky voices, and when he spoke to the saucer, it took off, leaving a mark in the ground and second- and thirddegree burns on his body. The incident was classified as unexplained in a study by the U.S. Air Force.

Rutkowski ended the talk by stressing that the government should take a closer look at UFO phenomena. “[Myself] and a few others are the only ones who are gathering the data and entering them into a database. [There are] some colleagues across the country, but there’s no guidelines that have been set.”

When asked about his own beliefs, Rutkowski told the Manitoban, “I understand why people would think there’s a structured craft that’s moving around in ways that we can’t [ . . . ] I think it’s a possibility, but I have to say I need the proof.”

The string’s the thing U of W physicist Andrew Frey lectures on string theory Tom Ingram, staff

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photos by beibei lu

ast week’s Dream Big conference featured a number of events aimed at a general audience, but one was definitely for the physics in-crowd. On March 11, Andrew Frey, assistant professor of physics at the University of Winnipeg and director of the Winnipeg Institute for Theoretical Physics, gave a talk on string theory.

String theory, which is in the mainstream of physics but hotly contested, posits that the “point-like” particles that make up matter can be modelled as strings. It began, Frey noted, as an explanation for the strong nuclear force – the force that holds nuclear particles (protons and neutrons) together.

The theory failed for this purpose because it gave very strange-looking results, and a better theory known as quantum chromodynamics emerged.

String theory was later adopted because it provides a theory of quantum gravity.

Gravity is problematic for quantum physics because our understanding of it is based on

Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which by Stephen Hawking concerning black operates in a framework of classical physics. holes and the conservation of information.

Quantum physics provides a very different Certain problems in physics—for example, explanation of the world, and unifying the superconductors—can be made easier to two is a notoriously tricky problem. understand using string theory.

Explaining gravity in terms of conIf there was anything about the talk ventional quantum physics would require that one could complain about, it is that it taking an impractically large number of was clearly directed at an audience with a measurements – infinite measurements, in physics background. String theory—and fact. “That’s no good, because then you can’t physics in general—requires you to think predict anything. I’m not going to spend the about things in unintuitive ways. Basic elerest of my life doing an infinite number of ments of our perception of the universe are experiments,” said Frey. “I’d be here liter- turned on their head or viewed through a ally forever.” frame so radically different that they seem By contrast, string theory is attractive completely alien. because it provides a way to model gravity at For a physics student who has already the quantum level using only one rule. “You done this conceptual restructuring, casual could in principle make only one measure- talk about extra dimensions is unremarkable. ment,” Frey said. “It’s something that we The rest of us need some help. can make sense of.”

Although it may have been hard to follow Frey went on to explain some of the at times, Frey’s talk was always interesting other features of string theory. It provides and a fine introduction to this fascinating a possible solution to an old problem posed topic in physics.

VOL. 100 NO. 26 March 19, 2014

Science & Technology

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Pluto killer on campus Neil deGrasse Tyson regales Investors Group Centre audience with space science lecture Bryce hoye, staff

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Photo by Barry Panas

ock star expositor of astrophysics Neil deGrasse Tyson delivered his first public lecture in Canada last Thursday, March 13 on the U of M campus.

Thousands of Winnipeggers lined up outside Investors Group Centre in anticipation of the Cosmos host’s free presentation, which celebrated the history of space science while also warning of “the dangers of inaction” with respect to not funding space research programs.

Pluto killer After a few words from General Walter Natynczyk, Canadian Space Agency President, Tyson sought, in his animated fashion, to address those in the audience potentially still bitter about the role he played in robbing Pluto of planethood in the early 2000s.

“Some of you may know that I have a checkered relationship with Pluto [ . . . ] I just wanted to say Pluto is still not a planet – get over it,” said Tyson, as a lone voice in the crowd yawped “Come on?!”

“We opened a new facility [in the Hayden Planetarium] in the year 2000 and read where things were headed.

We did something different with Pluto – organized it and placed it with the rest of the icy bodies in the outer solar system in the Kuiper Belt of comets.

That’s all we did. Well, that hit page one of the New York Times: ‘Pluto not a planet.’ For six years I got hate mail from elementary school children,” said Tyson.

Tyson added that the former planet’s demotion is a result of its

comparatively diminutive stature, its predominantly icy composition, as well as its very unplanetlike orbital pattern.

“Pluto’s orbit crosses the orbit of another planet. How misbehaved can you get? Comets cross the orbits of other planets. So we just reassigned Pluto to join other icy brethren in the outer solar system,” said Tyson. “Now there are thousands of these frozen bodies in the outer solar system. I think Pluto is happier there; it’s with friends and is one of the biggest of its kind out there, rather than being the puniest planet.”

According to Tyson, often we are either blinded by the fruits of modern ingenuity and believe “our” time to be a pinnacle of technological achievement, or the pendulum swings in the other direction and we (often journalists) are quick to make prophesies that the passage of time later proves to be wildly misplaced. “‘By the year 2000, 50,000 people will be working and living in space,’” said Tyson, again reading from a headline, this time from the mid-1980s.

“How many people were living and working in space in the year 2000?

Three. The three astronauts on the Poor judges of the future space station. There’s also this tenFrom there it was a smattering of dency to oversell achievements, and it’s anecdotes about how hostile the uni- mixed in with a faulty memory when verse is toward life, the perils of con- we don’t even know what’s driving ventional wisdom, and the importance [technological advancements].” of supporting science and technology research.

Valuing science “[In the past] no one had any underAlthough the focus of Tyson’s talk standing of the importance of technol- was not always clear, the subtext to the ogy or how creative we are as a species, lecture boiled down to the importance or how resources, when properly allo- of supporting the sciences. cated in a nation, can actually [push] a Tyson concluded by reading an oftpace of discovery far beyond what you cited passage from Pale Blue Dot, a might have imagined,” said Tyson. book penned by the late cosmologist An embarrassing list of predictions Carl Sagan, inviting us to take stock of plucked from newspaper headlines over where we stand in the universe. the past 115 years was offered up as a “Our posturing, our imagined selfreflection of how poor we are at reliably importance, the delusion that we projecting the progress and impact of have some privileged position in the various technologies into even the near universe, [is] challenged by this point future. of pale light [Earth]. Our planet is a “‘Man will never reach the moon, lonely speck in the great enveloping regardless of all future scientific cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all advances,’” Tyson read from a newspa- of this vastness, there is no hint that per headline from 1957. The Americans help will come from elsewhere to save walked on the moon just over a decade us from ourselves.” later.

Careers in Space Experts talk about space science Elizabeth Drewnik, staff

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n March 12, the University of Manitoba held the event “Careers in Space,” for which a panel of individuals involved in the space science community discussed their roles and contributions within space science, the importance behind a career in space, and what it takes to get involved in the field. The event was accompanied by posters and presentations from various space-science-oriented groups, including the University of Manitoba Space Applications and Technology Society (UMSATS).

The panel featured various speakers from a broad spectrum of space science careers, including Éric Laliberté (Director General, Space Science and Technology, Canadian Space Agency (CSA)), Samar Safi-Harb (U of M department of physics and astronomy), Maria Nickel (Frontier School Division teacher and Director of the Interlake

Community Space Program), Phil research that got her “hooked to the said that the work done by Magellan levels at the ISS. Their voice is equal, Ferguson (Magellan Aerospace engi- field of astronomy.”

Aerospace “changes not just the way and so I was representing Canada’s neer), and Guy Bujold (former CSA “One of the things I find most Canadians look at the earth, but people position on the issues being discussed. president). rewarding about my job is really inter- all over the world use radar satellite data That’s pretty heavy stuff.”

The first speaker, Laliberté, talked acting with students, especially with every single day.”

“For the first time in my long career, about the importance of his mechani- the young people from undergraduate He also talked about the significance I had a job that had a tremendous cool cal engineering background for his level, even from high school level, all the of Manitoba’s contribution to space sci- factor,” said Bujold. line of work, and how the degree had way up to graduate students and even ence. Ferguson said that when he met He stressed that “the more that opened many doors for his career in post-docs.” Safi-Harb said that “these CSA president Walter Natynczyk ear- space permeates so much of what we space science. are the people who really work on this lier that day, Natynczyk “made a strong do, I think I’ve come to the conclusion “What you need in deciding a career data, and even make discoveries.” point of saying that ‘we in Winnipeg that there are careers in space from is passion. You need to have something The third speaker, Nickel, spoke take for granted how great we are.’” every field of activity.” that drives you, you need the curiosity about her focus on introducing space “We are very lucky. You look at what Bujold also emphasized that “we will to explore different things, to try out science to elementary school children we have here at the U of M, look at the continue to do space exploration simply different things,” he said. through various hands-on activities. industries that are here – it’s fantastic, because space is there.”

Safi-Harb, the second speaker, dis“Interlake communities have the and we need to take advantage of that.”

Pawel Glowacki, a member of cussed her research on supernova rem- highest rate of Aboriginal foster care The final speaker, Bujold, talked UMSATS and a master’s student with nants – the leftovers of exploded stars. population in the province,” said Nickel. about representing Canada at the an engineering focus at the U of M, told She is currently involved in a project “You have kids that are damaged, that International Space Station (ISS) dur- the Manitoban that the panel “offered on x-ray data of neutron stars, which have not a lot of things going on for ing his time as CSA president. “Canada very good words of wisdom and also she describes as “one of the most exotic them, so the space club for some of them is the third nation in space, and it is a of inspiration in order to get the [next] objects we know currently in the uni- is their light.” member of the ISS. When you’re there, generation excited about space.” verse.” Safi-Harb said that it was this Ferguson, the fourth panelist, these countries contribute at different

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

Arts & Culture

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Calling for justice by walking with art Art exhibit responds to unsolved cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women Lukas Thiessen, staff

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he Native Women’s Association of Canada created a database of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls, and as of March 31, 2010, it had gathered information on nearly 600 cases.

University of Ottawa PhD candidate (faculty of law) Maryanne Pearce has compiled a list of the missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada, and the stagger-

nous Aboriginal art rooted in many providers and others were looking at Aboriginal cultures. The exhibition doing other activities to bring attenWalking with our Sisters (WWOS) tion to this issue. It was suggested that opens later this month. we look at using art, and through the The exhibit showcases a variety of Urban Shaman and Facebook, Daina vamps, also called uppers, which are and I became aware of this project. decorations on the top of moccasins. Through Urban Shaman we contacted A call was first put out for over 600 Christi Belcourt [lead coordinator for pairs in June 2013, but in the end 1,725 WWOS] and asked to ensure that the pairs of vamps were fashioned by 1,372 exhibition comes to Winnipeg at the artists from around the world. Most gallery.” of the vamps (1,385 pairs) came from There are often candlelight vigils at residents of Canada. Three hundred the Manitoba legislature in memory of and thirty-one came from the United the many women who are missing or States, and nine came from Scotland, have been murdered in the province.

Bulgaria, Germany, and Australia.

One of the goals of this project is Walking with our Sisters is now to raise awareness in efforts to lead booked up for the coming six years, the Government of Canada towards with shows planned at nearly 30 mandating a national inquiry into the Image provided by Urban Shaman institutions. deaths and unsolved cases of missing Marcel Balfour, board member at Aboriginal women in the country. ing numbers include over 800 people. Urban Shaman, and Daina Warren, While there is a collective call from She dedicated her 2013 thesis to the the centre’s co-director, were instru- people across Canada, including chiefs women whose murders and disap- mental in ensuring the exhibit stops and Amnesty International, to instipearances she investigated. “May in Winnipeg. tute a national inquiry, the federal govjustice be yours,” she writes in the “For the Winnipeg visit, I don’t ernment has yet to respond in favour know if you recall about two years of the suggestion. dedication.

Urban Shaman gallery will be ago the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs In the meantime, Balfour encourhosting an exhibition dedicated to was doing a number of rallies regard- ages the public to become aware and working toward this goal. Urban ing missing and murdered indigenous get involved. “I think community Shaman, an artist-run centre, women,” says Balfour. events would help – not only just ralshowcases contemporary indige“At that time, a coalition of service lying, but other activities.”

“We have also involved the Grandmothers Council to provide guidance and advice on ceremonial aspects,” says Balfour. “As well, we have identified Keepers of the Vamps who are to look after them. We identified a number of elders for this role, along with Sherry Farrell Racette, who is a member of the national WWOS committee.”

“We have also engaged the wider Winnipeg community, and have had four community conversations where about 65 people per meeting attended to get involved and inform how Winnipeg would received and present the project,” says Balfour.

The day after the exhibit opens, Urban Shaman will be hosting Walking Beyond. The event is a daylong series of “free, interactive, and participatory arts-based workshops, ceremony, and fun.” The goal is to create art as a group that focuses on responding to violence in our communities.

Opening ceremonies for the exhibit will occur on March 21, and the show runs until April 12, at Urban Shaman (203-290 McDermot Avenue). Check out WWOS on Twitter @WWOS1.

VOL. 100 NO. 26 March 19, 2014

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Out of the gallery, into homes and streets Kimiwan ’‘zine launch party highlights accessible indigenous art and writing Anastasia Chipelski, staff

language) with her cousin Mika Lafond. The collective that currently creates the ’zine is comprised of Joi T. Arcand, Leah Arcand, Jarita Greyeyes, and Melody Wood.

M: Many of your past launches were held in Saskatoon (Treaty 6 territory). What inspired the decision to launch this issue in Winnipeg (Treaty 1 territory)?

KZ: Winnipeg is home to the largest urban indigenous population in Canada, and the weekend of March 21-23 [ . . . ] is full of exciting events drawing a national crowd to the city.

Friday, March 21 is the opening of the Walking with Our Sisters exhibit at the Urban Shaman gallery, and the Indspire Awards is being held that evening as well. Our cover artist for issue sixxx is Kent Monkman who will be recognized by Indspire for his contributions to the arts.

We wanted to bring the ’zine to a vibrant city that has a strong indigenous and arts community.

In the fall of 2013 we held an event in Vancouver, and are looking forward to bringing kimiwan ’zine productions to other cities across North America in the upcoming year.

M: Is there currently anywhere in Winnipeg to check out kimiwan ’zine?

KZ: [We also] travel to other cities to develop relationships with potential supporters of kimiwan. In addition to the launch event at Union Sound Hall, we will also be having a pop-up ’zine shop at Neechi Niche (inside Neechi Commons) [ . . . ] from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on March 21.

If you can’t make it to either event, we will update www.kimiwan-zine. com with places to purchase the ’zine in Winnipeg.

M: How far-reaching are the submissions for the ’zine?

KZ: The majority of our submissions come from Canada and the United States but we have had submissions that come from around the world, including Hawaii and New Zealand.

It’s an amazing feeling knowing that people across the globe want to contribute to what we are building.

M: How did the partnership with the Native Youth Sexual Health Network Image provided by kimiwan 'zine come about for this issue?

KZ: Our sixth issue titled “samikēwin” n March 22, a launch party like sible, and reflective of community. are a great way to take art out of the (touch) is a collaboration with the no other will be held at Union What binds the collective and gallery and into people’s homes and Native Youth Sexual Health Network (NYSHN).

Sound Hall. Hosted by Wab Kinew contributors together is the idea that into the streets,” says Arcand.

[The Native Youth Sexual Health and featuring New Orleans’ own Big indigenous peoples have much to “I think when Redwire (a Canadian Freedia, the party is in celebration of contribute to the world – whether that native youth magazine) stopped Network] strongly supports media kimiwan ’zine’s issue sixxx. be through visual or literary artistic printing, it left a real void in terms and arts justice initiatives that proThe kimiwan ’zine’s collective contributions or through volunteering of providing an uncensored space for vide creative spaces for indigenous spoke with the Manitoban about the to bring the vision that was kimiwan young indigenous writers and art- communities to tell stories about our history of the ’zine and their hopes ’zine to fruition. We hope that when ists,” explains Arcand. “Kimiwan bodies and the spaces they are in.

We have deep respect for the for the event. people see kimiwan ’zine and hear will never replicate what Redwire The Manitoban: Why do you our story that they think, “I can do did—there are differences between work that NYSHN undertakes, parbelieve that it’s important to bring the this too!” the publications—but Redwire was ticularly as they have a dedicated arts written word and visual art together M: Which ’zines or other publica- such an inspiration to me as a youth justice program and often have art in this ’zine? tions do you draw inspiration from and to thousands of youth across the workshops on sexual health [ . . . ] Kimiwan ‘zine: Kimiwan ’zine for kimiwan ’zine? continent; it carries on a bit of that Artwork is a catalyst for drawing connections between issues that might was created because we wanted to KZ: Kimiwan ’zine was founded by spirit as well.” see something in our community that Joi. T. Arcand. Several years ago, When she returned home to seem unrelated on the surface. We didn’t exist. We came together, and while Joi was living in Vancouver, Saskatchewan, Joi created kimiwan partnered with them as it’s a natural continue to work together, because she became involved in the RAIN ’zine (which translates as simply “rain” fit in terms of arts and sexual health, we believe that art should be acces- (radical art in nature) zine. “Zines in the nehiyawewin or Plains Cree which is exactly what our issue

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sixxx—samikēwin—tackles.

M: Your issue five/one-year anniversary launch party looked like a big, awesome party. Are you hoping to keep that momentum going with this event?

KZ: As an unfunded and volunteerdriven organization, we rely upon community support to continue to produce the ’zine. Events serve a dual purpose; they allows us to bring together performance artists that we love, while raising funds to continue to create future issues.

In February we had an incredible event that brought together a diverse group of people for an evening of music and dancing. As we gear up for our Winnipeg launch party, we certainly want to keep the momentum going forward [ . . . ] It is our hope that people associate kimiwan ’zine with energetic events with worldclass talent that shines a light on the work we are doing.

M: Can you tell me a bit about how kimiwan connected with Big Freedia, and about your vision for this event?

KZ: Since issue sixxx is focused on our sexual and gender identities, Big Freedia, who is an incredibly talented performer (and also happens to be transgender), would be a great fit.

Plus, we love bounce music, and have been practising our twerking!

It is really important that when we go to a new territory that we are welcomed by the people from that place. We are thankful that Wab Kinew is going to be our host for the event. Wab is committed to the community, and we are happy to have his support.

This issue is special to us as it pushes boundaries, but it will hopefully create conversations about sexual identity and sexual health. Melody Wood adds, “As the queer member of kimiwan ’zine, this issue and event is super important to me and I hope in the end that young indigenous queer minds and hearts are filled with pride and increased personal responsibility in regards to sexual health.”

M: Will you all be making the trip here for the big event as well?

KZ: We are very excited that the four of us are all heading to Winnipeg, and will all be in attendance at the lunch event on Saturday, March 22. One of our members, Jarita, is an [alumna] of the University of Winnipeg and spent many years in Winnipeg.

“I’m excited to return to Winnipeg to share the work that we have done with kimiwan ’zine. We have received so much support and encouragement for the launch and can’t wait to share issue sixxx with a city that definitely knows how to keep warm on the coldest winter nights,” says Jarita.

For more information about kimiwan, check out www.kimiwan-zine.com.

For more about NYSHN please visit: www.nativeyouthsexualhealth.com

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Arts & Culture

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

image provided by Steven Leyden Cochrane

Ghost Launch Artists collaborate to evoke sites of queer/feminist literature Lukas Thiessen, staff

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ear the intersection of River Avenue and Osborne Street, on the west side of Osborne, once was a feminist bookstore.

It has been 20 years since that shop, Bold Print, closed.

Today, a group of Winnipegbased artists is reminding the public that while feminist and queer bookstores, and small bookstores in general, are not prevalent on our streets, memories of them are.

You cannot walk around Winnipeg long enough to find a queer/feminist bookstore. If you pass the time online, however, you will be rewarded.

Steven Leyden Cochrane, alongside local writer Roewan Crowe, has started Ghost Launch: an interactive, online focal point for memories of these vanished literary locales.

The project is connected to My Monument, an exhibition currently on at Gallery 1C03 at the University of Winnipeg.

The exhibition grew out of the recent book Quivering Land, a queer western written by Crowe with images by Paul Robles.

“Roewan was still working on Quivering Land early last year when she put out an informal request for help developing a website for the book/exhibition, which I responded to,” says Cochrane.

“When we first met to discuss the web project, which eventually became Ghost Launch, she already had the sense that she wanted its focus to extend beyond her and Paul’s collaboration on the book and was already considering ways to engage with the history/memory of vanished queer and women’s bookstores.”

Cochrane, who completed his MFA at the University of Windsor in 2009, is also a sessional fine arts instructor at the University of Manitoba, and a weekly freelance columnist at the Winnipeg Free Press. He explains that his academic research and art practice are related to Ghost Launch. “[They] concerned a particular set of strategies employed by artists of colour, queer, and women artists working

since the 60s.”

“In the course of researching vanished women’s bookstores in Canada, I ended up searching for their former locations on Google Street View, and those images became the anchor for the website and my installation at 1C03,” says Cochrane.

“Instead of focusing on the sites themselves, which have all changed hands or been rebuilt, I decided to try and approximate the view from inside each of [the] dozen or so stores I was able to locate.”

“That became the header for the website, and the project solidified around the idea of ‘restocking’ or ‘reoccupying’ those sites – with artifacts, ephemera, etc., personal recollections, as well as new and speculative work that either respond to the idea/memory of the bookstores and works that might have found a platform at the bookstores, if they still existed,” says Cochrane.

“In addition to serving as a repository for written/oral history, ephemera, etc., the hope is that, over the next year or so, it will be a platform for writers and artists to virtually launch works that might have otherwise found a home at feminist/queer bookstores. If additional [in real life] ‘Ghost Launches’ like Saturday’s event end up taking place at the sites of other vanished bookstores, the site would serve as a place to record and document those as well.”

The group has already received various works and is still accepting submissions.

“We’ve gotten personal artifacts and ephemera, written accounts, personal narratives, and one poem.

We’ve also received artist projects responding to other vanished queer spaces and the intersection of feminism and the written word.”

My Monument runs until April 5.

Ghost Launch will continue accepting submissions of personal accounts, historical ephemera, writing, and more throughout the year. Go to www.ghostlaunch.ca for more details.

VOL. 100 NO. 26 March 19, 2014

Screening the truth Gimme Some Truth highlights the art of documentary by experienced and emerging filmmakers Anastasia Chipelski, staff

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ocal filmmakers, film connoisseurs, and any others who feel the gravitational pull towards the stories not often told or the roads less travelled should set their sights on Cinematheque this weekend, host to the sixth annual Gimme Some Truth Documentary Festival.

“Gimme Some Truth was created to showcase the world’s most challenging, uncompromising, and poignant documentary, and to invite the most renowned veteran documentary filmmakers to Winnipeg to share that history with our local emerging filmmakers,” says Kier-La Janisse, one of the festival’s organizers. Gimme Some Truth is put on through the Winnipeg Film Group, and is a collective effort between Janisse, Jaimz Asmundson, Dave Barber, and Alex Rogalski.

Documentary films often live in a grey area between news and art, and can have a lasting, transformative effect on audiences, igniting passions and changing worldviews.

“Growing up watching Joe Berlinger’s Paradise Lost (1996) made me realize the potential power of documentary not only as an art form but as a politically charged document that can create actual changes in our world,” says Asmundson.

“I think it was at that point that I realized at a young age that documentary films were not one-sided news pieces but were powerful works of art that could be dangerous, controversial, and inspiring in ways that narrative film can never be.”

The festival will also feature panellists and speakers like John Greyson, who is seen by Barber

as “one of the bravest independent Canadian filmmakers.” Greyson will be part of a panel on personal and political filmmaking, bringing his recent experience of having spent seven weeks in an Egyptian prison with him, as well as the documentary Rebel in the Night (The Human Rights Shorts of John Greyson).

Local talent will also be highlighted throughout Gimme Some Truth. Says Asmundson, “We have an immense pool of talented artists in Winnipeg and it’s important to highlight the continually amazing output from our local filmmakers as well as their successes abroad.”

Specifically, two local films will be making their world premieres this weekend.On the Trail of the Far Fur Country by Kevin Nikkel is “an epic piece of research into the 1920 silent film that follows a film crew’s epic journey across Canada’s North,” and will be showing on March 23 at 7 p.m.

A “hilarious and in-depth look at the mark our local music scene left on [the] punk landscape in the late 70s and early 80s,” Kathryn Martin’s Piss on You: Winnipeg’s Early Punk Scene has already sold out of the first screening, and festival organizers have added a second showing at 11 p.m. on March 22.

The relative democratization of technology has opened up new possibilities in the field of documentary making, which is an exciting development for those passionate about the form.

Dave Barber believes the medium of documentary is especially relevant because “you can explore the truth and tell a story in many creative ways through documentary filmmaking and can manipulate imagery in very subtle,

imaginative ways. With the rise of digital cameras the craft is really open to anyone with a good idea who is careful in how they assemble the film.”

There is a lot more to documentary making than simply grabbing a camera and capturing footage of events, however, and the art of storytelling and selection is showcased in films selected for Gimme Some Truth.

“I wanted to show that documentary filmmaking is not just a means of recording, but of knowing what to record, and knowing how to read it,” says Janisse. “Documentary is wrongly assumed by many to be an “easy” stepping stone to making narrative films. But documentary is an art form, and when I first envisioned Gimme Some Truth it was to make filmmakers push themselves a bit harder to meet that standard.”

On the more visually spectacular end of the spectrum, festival organizers are excited to screen Picture of Light by Peter Mettler, which Asmundson describes as “one of the most remarkably gorgeous documentations of the Northern Lights in Churchill to be ever captured on film.”

Beyond offering exquisite renderings of the Aurora Borealis and capturing an earlier version of our local punks, Gimme Some Truth hopes to provide the chance for film fans to connect with filmmakers, their works, and their process. Asmundson promises, “This is not your typical weekend at Cinematheque!”

Gimme Some Truth is held from March 20-23 at Cinematheque, 100 Arthur Street. Visit www.gimmesometruth.ca for more information.

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Arts & Culture

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

Performing unpublished pages Theatre by the River and SpurFest present the fifth Wine and Words event Lukas Thiessen, staff

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here is always time for more Hosted in the past at Red and his/her peers. Reading and hard work. In the midst of River College, and last year at the writing should be shared. I think her third year as a PhD student University of Winnipeg’s Asper we should all strive to make conin the department of English, Centre for Theatre and Film, Wine nections, to know our neighbours film, and theatre at the University & Words is now in its fifth year, and and the things they are passionate of Manitoba, Kendra Magnus- they are planning to remount this about,” she explains.

Johnston is exerting her talents to show as their season launch this The organizers are adamant co-ordinate Wine & Words, an coming fall. The event is a bound- about presenting the works as a innovative event for the company ary-crossing smorgasbord. tribute to the authors who devoted Theatre by the River that combines “There will be pieces from poets, their time to crafting them. theatre, literature, and wine. play wrights, f ilmmakers, and Magnus-Johnston emphasizes Magnus-Johnston is on the board authors of fiction and non-fiction,” the importance of sharing an for Theatre by the River and works says Magnus-Johnston. “Some opportunity as well as physical and as their promotions and market- pieces are slow, others are rhyth- ideological space among people in ing coordinator. She also recently mic, still others are downright sad, various fields, citing faculty mergers worked as chief returning officer while others are comedic.” All of at the university level and funding for the U of M Graduate Students’ the pieces are written and per- cuts to different departments. “The Association elections, and serves on formed by locals. [interdisciplinary quality] of the the boards of the Graduate Students’ Do not expect traditional the- festival is a political and tangible Association and the Association of atrical fare. subject that we should be talking Graduate English Students.

“Audience members should about,” she asserts.

She serves on the board of direc- note that these are ‘staged readThere will be a panel discussion tors for the quarterly-published ings’ – that means very minimalist,” before the performances begin.

Contemporary Verse 2: The Canadian Magnus-Johnston explains. “No The speakers—Paul Holdengräber Journal of Poetry and Critical Writing. sets and no costumes. Just actors (Live from the New York Public She also volunteers with the and local celebrities who are reading Library), George Prochnik (author Manitoba Editors’ Association, and the pieces in tribute to the authors of In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for is a research and teaching assistant who’ve written them.”

Meaning in a World of Noise) and with the University of Winnipeg A variety of local artists from Arthur Schafer (director of the in the department of Women’s different fields have contributed to centre for professional and applied and Gender Studies. Her work the event in various genres. “George ethics, U of M)—are going to dishas been published in the Journal Toles recently pitched that I include cuss “the search for meaning in a of Folklore Research, Children’s his Facebook status posts in the saturated world.”

Literature Association Quarterly, showcase; I will admit, the idea Marvels & Tales, and Young Scholars has stuck with me,” says Magnus- Wine & Words takes place March in Writing.

Johnston, imagining a future oppor- 20 at 8:30 p.m. at the Winnipeg Art The event is produced in conjunc- tunity for this idea.

Gallery (300 Memorial Boulevard). tion with the Spur festival. Spur Other artists whose written work The panel discussion is at 7 p.m. is interdisciplinary in nature and will be part of the event include Tickets are $25 and available at promoted as “a festival of politics, filmmaker Guy Maddin and pho- www.brownpapertickets.com or art, and ideas.” The Spur festival is tographer Leif Norman, and writers by using your Spur weekend pass. conceptualized as a living magazine, Sally Ito and Steve Locke. showcased in the form of debates, She sees the event as an opportuconversations, book readings, walk- nity to give back to the community. ing tours, literary cabarets, parties, “Art should be shared. It should exist and more. to enrich the life of the producer

Image provided by Wine & Words

Do not expect traditional theatrical fare

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

Diversions

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

Friday night lights for real

Sports

Bison DBs Brett MacFarlane and Jayden McKoy give their thoughts on playing south of the border Mike Still, staff

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ootball never stops. This is a the same time as in Canada. The big“I relished in it,” he said emphati- the throws are quicker. Transition a common saying all across the gest difference came in the summer. cally. “Growing up in Winnipeg, I kid from Canada to playing on that United States, and for many people, Coming from Winnipeg, would always get frustrated because [American] field, and he’ll do a lot it extends beyond a passion for the MacFarlane, a quarterback at the there was a part of me that knew there better, just because of the range.” game. It becomes a way of life. time, was used to having the sum- was something better and bigger. If I Fellow Bison defensive back Bison halfback Brett MacFarlane mer off after the season, and return- would have stayed, I wouldn’t be the Jayden McKoy’s American football can speak firsthand to the contrast in ing to camp in experience playing/coaching styles down South, mid-August. occurred in a compared to Canada. He spent 10 The case was slightly differmonths in Menifee, California, par- far different at ent form. This ticipating in his sophomore season Paloma Valley. past February, with the Paloma Valley Wildcats “Every he competed in 2007-08. The former Grant Park day you have as one of the Pirate noticed the change of intensity workouts with 60 members immediately. your team, five on Canada’s “It’s such a big difference in the days a week, U19 junior culture, and the coaching, and expec- and on the national roster tations they have. The players are so weekends you against Team conditioned to it. I was just kind of have passing USA as part jumped in the stream and went with tournaments of the 2014 what everybody else was doing,” com- where you go International mented MacFarlane. “You have your to different parts around Southern player I am now. I don’t know if I’d Bowl series. The game was played at season. Once your season is done, California, different schools within even be a university football player.” the University of Texas-Arlington. they have two weeks off and then your district,” mentioned the seaWhile MacFarlane favoured the Much like MacFarlane, he enjoyed they have workouts.” soned DB. attitude taken to the game in America, the difference in playing style.

The training in Menifee consisted While the change in training defi- he also preferred the playing style.

“I’d say I prefer to play the of base workouts, aimed to increase nitely came as a shock, MacFarlane “Playing quarterback in the American game, because you get to be strength, power, and endurance. took pleasure in honing his craft and American game is a lot better, because right in the guy’s face,” noted McKoy. Following that was spring football, at improving as a football player. the field is a lot more condensed, and “As a defensive back, it makes it a lot

easier, because [the receiver] really has nowhere to go, you’re already right up on him.”

Both McKoy and MacFarlane also touched on the somewhat complicated coverage systems run by the Bison secondary. In America, with a smaller field and different assignments, the game became slightly simplified.

“I feel like it’s easier, because there’s literally less room for error. If you’re covering someone, or you have a zone, your zone is so much smaller,” added McKoy. “There’s less options for the quarterback, so that gives you less to think through.”

The effect that playing in the United States had on both players is quite evident. While they may prefer the playing style in America, there is no doubt that what they’ve learned can—and already does—apply to their performance on the field in Canada.

Photos by Beibei Lu and Randy Savoie

Road to recovery U of M associate professor Bill Diehl-Jones returns to Boston Marathon one year following bombings Mike Still, staff

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pril 21 will be an emotional day in Boston, as the 118th Boston Athletic Association Marathon gets underway. It has been nearly a year since the tragic Boston Marathon bombings at the 2013 race, which took the lives of three people and injured hundreds of others.

The marathon is the longest running and most prestigious annual marathon in the world. As a result, there is a certain level of honour in being able to compete in the event.

A total of 36,000 marathoners from across the globe run in the race.

The attacks at the Boston Marathon sent shock waves around the world, and put a massive damper on what was supposed to be a celebration of life, and a culmination of the years of hard work for many. Bill Diehl-Jones, an associate professor at the University of Manitoba, was there that day.

To understand the importance of Diehl-Jones’ presence at the marathon, we must go back 11 years prior.

The avid marathoner’s impressive running career began at the 2003 Manitoba Marathon, where he posted a finishing time of 3:15 and qualified for Boston. This accomplishment was even more inspiring,

illustration by heather kat cole

considering the health news Diehl- mented Diehl-Jones with a smile.

Manitoban.

Jones’ received just one year prior.

“It’s got all this lush history of “I was going to run with my buddy At that time, Diehl-Jones’ cardiol- world-class runners. So, I thought, Kevin Donnelly. He had to slow ogist told him that he was hyperten- ‘I’m not a world-class runner, but I’d down because he was injured. If I sive, a condition that could threaten love to rub shoulders with them, and had run with Kevin, we would have his life. Hearing this, Diehl-Jones just see,’ so my second marathon was kept up pace I think, and he was made the decision to start training Boston. Ever since then, I’ve made it right there when the explosions went for long-distance running. a point to qualify every year, whether off, just past the line.”

Having qualified for the Boston I run or not.”

Diehl-Jones vividly recalls the Marathon, an acquaintance of his Last year, Diehl-Jones did not unity of his friends and running suggested he run Boston. run. His decision had big implica- partners, who were all shaken up “I asked, ‘What’s the big deal tions, considering what happened. following what happened. with Boston?’ Then I realized it’s “I decided on the day of the mara“It was a very emotional time for the granddaddy, it’s the oldest, lon- thon not to actually run it, because all of us. I was there cheering, my gest running one; it’s historic,” com- I was injured,” Diehl-Jones told the friends were all there running, and

I remember that night. Everything was on lockdown, and we just sat in the hotel, and hugged each other, and cried, and talked. It was an incredible experience.”

After successfully qualifying for the race yet this year, DiehlJones will be going to Boston again, along with his comrades, without any fear.

“We all want to go back, because we want to show if you want to intimidate a group of marathoners, we’re the wrong people to try that with. I also want to make the statement that human potential, and spirit, and good, is stronger than evil.”

“You can’t live life in fear, and you have to go for it,” Diehl-Jones added.

This year’s event will mark the 35th marathon in the past 12 years for Diehl-Jones. While finishing each marathon is tremendous, this one adds extra meaning.

“I know all of us, when we run down Boylston Street past that place across the line, and we all will, there’s going to be a lot of emotion.

There always is at the end of a marathon, but this will be special.”

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Sports

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

Bison athlete profile Catching up with CIS tournament MVP Rachel Cockrell Marc Lagace, staff

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his year has been pretty good to As far as the mindset that we Rachel Cockrell and the Bison had when we were playing, we women’s volleyball team. worried about playing in the presThe Bisons capped off a 14-8 regu- ent. We didn’t worry about the lar season with a silver medal at the future, and we didn’t let the past Canada West championships, and affect how we played. I thought that a golden performance at the CIS was very important going into this women’s volleyball championships tournament. in Regina. Cockrell, in her third year of eligibility with the Bisons, finished M: Obviously UBC is a very the tournament with 43 kills through good team, not only in the nine sets, and was at her best against conference but nationally. After the UBC Thunderbirds in the CIS losing to them in the Canada finals.

West final, heading into the CIS Cockrell was also named tourna- final, what did you know that you ment MVP for her efforts, and named needed to do well or differently CIS female athlete of the week. to win this time around?

The Manitoban caught up with Cockrell a few days after the big win RC: I think we just needed to to get her perspective on the tourna- minimize our errors, and we ment and her journey thus far as a stuck to our game plan really Bison athlete. well. The difference between the Canada West final and the CIS The Manitoban: The team final is we had more variation finished second at the Canada West in our attacking. We had more tournament, and entered the CIS roll shots and tips to keep them championships as the second seed. moving on defence, so it was What was your mindset heading more difficult for them to defend. into the national tournament?

That was our biggest difference.

Rachel Cockrell: As a team,

our mindset was obviously to win a national championship. In our meetings before the tournament, our main focus was to beat whatever team was in our way.

M: When I was talking with

take in this moment and experience it all together.

M: A couple seasons ago, you missed an entire season to injury. To come back from that, and not only help your team win a championship but also be named tournament MVP, can you describe your journey as a Bison thus far?

RC: It was definitely a long journey coming back from that injury.

It took a lot of hard work and effort to get back to where I was, so it was definitely rewarding to get to where we were and win a national championship. Honestly, I wouldn’t have gotten this far if it wasn’t for my teammates and all the encouragement and positivity. It’s a really great group of girls and I’m very thankful to be a part of a team with them.

M: Obviously the team put in a

solid effort all season, but how awesome was that feeling to beat UBC, the six-time defending national champions?

RC: It was pretty awesome, but

they were just another team in the coach Ken Bentley, he mentioned way of our end goal. More than that being closer to home was anything, we just really wanted to an advantage. Having played so win a national championship and many matches it didn’t matter in Regina, it who we played felt a little bit in the final. But “Our mindset was more like a it was nice to home game in play them again; to win a national ways according to beat them championship. to Bentley. was definitely exciting.

In our meetings RC: Yeah, it was before the for sure great. It M: After takwas definitely ing the first two tournament, our nice to be pretty matches of the main focus was close to home. national tournaWe took the bus ment in straight to beat whatever there, so there sets, when you was no f lying, guys went up 2-0 team was in our which gets tiragainst UBC in way” – Rachel ing. It was really the finals, did nice and to our you get that Cockrell advantage to sense that this play so close to was going to home; we were happen? able to have lots of fans come out and cheer us on, like our parents and RC: I wouldn’t say that. They’re students around campus. a good team and are able to fight The Big Horns [ . . . ] drove out to back. Every set that a team loses, Regina. Obviously it was very bene- they fight back harder and harder. I ficial that it was only a six-hour drive, don’t think any of us had that mindwhereas if [the national tournament] set, “Oh, we got this, we’re going was in Ontario or somewhere out to win.” Our coach always says the West, they wouldn’t have been able game is not over until the refs blow to come. the whistle, and we definitely had that mentality.

M: How special was that moment, winning in front of so many fans M: With the season now offiand family? cially over, what are your plans for the summer months?

RC: It was very surreal. Honestly, everything still hasn’t sunken in, RC: That’s a good question. Honestly, but it was nice that each and every I haven’t put too much thought into one of the athletes on our team had it yet. I’m hoping to play beach volparents there, or friends there that leyball, but now that indoor is done, they were able to celebrate with I’m just going to figure those things afterward. It was really rewarding out and let everything sink in. for everyone. It’s not just the team, but our family and friends can also photo by chris zuk

VOL. 100 NO. 26 March 19, 2014

Sports

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What goes up must come down Winnipeg and Vancouver are franchises heading in opposite directions Marc Lagace, staff

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hen the Vancouver Canucks visited the Winnipeg Jets, the two teams found themselves tied in the standings. Both teams were in the throes of an untimely losing streak and looking to get things going with less than 15 games remaining in the schedule.

The Jets seemed to have things figured out under head coach Paul Maurice. They had won nine out of 13 games under him, heading into the Olympic break, and won their first two games when the season resumed. When young centre Mark Scheifele went down during an overtime loss to the New York Islanders, the wheels seemed to come off the proverbial bus. Over the next five games, the Jets managed just two points coming in overtime losses since Scheifele’s injury – including the 3-2 shootout loss to the Canucks on March 12.

The Canucks on the other hand entered the game in Winnipeg only having won two of their last 10 games, and had been outscored 14-6 by opponents since trading Roberto Luongo to the Florida Panthers before the trade deadline on March 4. Their win against the Jets put them just ahead of Winnipeg going into the final playoff spot sprint.

It’s an odd sight to see the Canucks battling the Jets for that spot. Since this is Winnipeg’s first year in the Western Conference, it’s never been a possibility before.

It’s also strange to see the Canucks scraping by just to qualify Olympics he raised more eyebrows for playoffs. Vancouver is peren- when he was forced to apologize nially considered a threat to win after stating he was cheering for the Stanley Cup, qualifying for the Sweden over Canada in the men’s playoffs six times since the 2004-05 hockey gold medal game.

On the ice, the Canucks have NHL lockout. But there has been some big changes in Van City of struggled under Tortorella. They are late, starting at the very top of the currently fifth in the Pacific division, and have scored the fifth-least goals organization.

Mike Gillis joined the Canucks across the league so far this seaas general manager in 2008, and son. In net, the goalie controversy under his tutelage, the team has that has haunted the Vancouver won five straight North-West Canucks for years has resulted in division titles, set team records for both Corey Schneider and Roberto wins, and made it to the Stanley Luongo being traded away. When Cup final for the second time in the Canucks were blown out 6-1 by the Dallas Stars just two days after franchise history.

This year, Gillis made some big trading Luongo to the Panthers, moves that shook things up. He Luongo took to Twitter, sharing, fired head coach Alain Vigneault “If I was still back up I coulda came after the Canucks were swept in the in [sic] and mopped this game up first round of the 2012-13 playoffs, nicely.” and hired John Tortorella to replace The Canucks have been dealhim. Tortorella is one of the most ing with injuries as well, notably contentious coaches in the NHL, Hendrik Sedin who has been sufnotorious for his aggressive atti- fering through a rib injury since Jan. tude and outbursts in front of the 16 and was shut down by the club media. in early February. But the brunt of Tortorella’s antics followed him the fault for this catastrophe-laden to Vancouver where he was sus- season falls at the feet of Gillis, who pended for 15 days after trying to most recently dodged questions enter the Calgary Flames’ locker about Tortorella’s position with room to confront opposing players the team moving forward. Like after a brawl on the ice. During the his dealings with the Luongo-

Schneider issue, Gillis’ actions and comments have done little to placate speculations surrounding the team’s direction.

Meanwhile, back in Winnipeg, things seem to be shaping up nicely for the future. The club has to be impressed with the change Maurice has brought in. Young stars like Scheifele and Jacob Trouba are leaders on the ice—when healthy— which bodes well for the team’s future.

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will be considering a contract extension for Maurice based on his limited time with the club. If Maurice is back next season, it will be interesting to see how he leads through a full year. He has so far coached the Jets to a 12-7-5 record since taking over.

The Jets have a number of big games down the stretch against division opponents, including a five-game western road trip from March 24-April 1. While a playoff spot will likely remain just out of reach for the Jets, a strong finish will help the team heading into the off-season. photos by beibei lu