16 March 2022

THE M A N I T O B A N photo / Matthew Merkel / staff

19

14

Canada West all-stars

Basketball, hockey, volleyball Bisons honoured

Vol. 108

THE OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDENTS’ NEWSPAPER

Iss. 25

the

est. 1914

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ? editor@themanitoban.com Ty Brass

TOBAN

MANI THEMANITOBAN.COM 109 HELEN GLASS BUILDING

BUSINESS MANAGER ? accounts@themanitoban.com Cindy Nguyen

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR ? ads@themanitoban.com Diego Castro

204. 474. 6535

MANAGING EDITOR ? me@themanitoban.com Sarah Doran

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

COPY DESK ? copy@themanitoban.com Ursula Chojko-Bolec (ed.)

Evan MacNeil NEWS DESK ? news@themanitoban.com Colton McKillop (ed.)

Dimitar Tomovski RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY DESK ? research@themanitoban.com Michael Campbell (ed.)

Emma Rempel COMMENT DESK ? comment@themanitoban.com Lucas Edmond (ed.)

Ivan Nuñez Gamez ARTS & CULTURE DESK ? arts@themanitoban.com Shaylyn Maharaj-Poliah (ed.)

Alex Braun Zoë LeBrun Grace Paizen SPORTS DESK ? sports@themanitoban.com Matthew Merkel (ed.)

Isaiah Wagner PHOTO DESK ? photo@themanitoban.com Basel Abdelaziz (ed.)

Mohammad Arsalan Saeed DESIGN DESK ? design@themanitoban.com Matthew Doering (ed.)

Mikaela Warkentin GRAPHICS DESK ? graphics@themanitoban.com Dallin Chicoine (ed.)

Marina Djurdjevic AUDIO DESK ? audio@themanitoban.com Josh Wesey (ed.)

SOCIAL MEDIA DESK ? social@themanitoban.com Molly Smyth (ed.)

Audra Ashley

WINNIPEG, MB

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

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

Students and other interested parties are invited to contribute to any section of the newspaper.

Please contact the appropriate editor for submission guidelines.

Research & Technology

pages 5 to 7

Editorial

page 8

Comment

pages 10 to 11

Arts & Culture

pages 12 to 14

Sports

pages 15 to 16

Diversions

page 16

The Manitoban reserves the right to edit all submissions and will not publish any material deemed by its Editorial Board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic or trans-phobic, ableist or libellous.

Opinions expressed in letters and articles are solely those of the authors. Editorials in the Manitoban are signed and represent the opinions of the writer(s), not necessarily those of the Manitoban staff, Editorial Board or the publisher.

A “volunteer staff” member is defined as a person who has had three volunteer articles, photographs or pieces of art of reasonable length and/ or substance published in the current publishing year of the Manitoban.

VOLUNTEER STAFF ?

Emily Unrau-Poetker

interested in volunteering? email me@themanitoban.com today!

All contents are ©2022 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

Vol. 108

pages 3 to 4

The Manitoban is a member of the Canadian University Press, and our journalistic standards can be found online at toban.news/jsp.

Any individual who qualifies as a volunteer staff member must be voted in by a majority vote at a Manitoban editorial board meeting. Elected representatives and non-students may be excluded from holding votes as volunteer staff members in accordance with the Manitoban Constitution.

VOLUNTEERS THIS ISSUE ?

News

16

March

2022

Iss. 25

the

MANI

TOBAN

March 16, 2022

UMFA, university hold binding arbitration hearing NEWS

Colton McKillop, staff The University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) entered into binding arbitration with the University of Manitoba over the weekend to settle outstanding issues from the strike in November.

agreed to enter binding arbitration.

The arbitrator, William Kaplan, will announce his decision within 30 days of the final hearing.

“Part of the reason for that was that both UMFA and the university’s administration had provided really comprehensive and detailed briefs to the arbitrator prior to the hearing for the arbitrator to take into consideration,” she explained.

Binding arbitration occurs when two parties in contentious negotiations reach an impasse and refer the issues to a third-party arbitrator whose decision is legally binding.

UMFA president Orvie Dingwall noted it took UMFA calling a strike for the university to consider binding arbitration.

“The university likes to be in control of its decision-making [and] doesn’t like to go to a third-party, but because we were in a strike situation […] they did agree to go,” she said UMFA members voted to authorize strike action in mid-October after hitting a stalemate in negotiations with the university.

After a month-long strike starting Nov. 2 and lasting until Dec. 6, UMFA

The arbitration was scheduled to take place from Friday, March 11 to Sunday, March 13, but Dingwall said they were able to conclude the hearing in “the very early afternoon” on Saturday.

“Much of it had been presented in advance.”

The arbitrator was ordered to ignore any government mandates and aim for the university to make “reasonable advancement towards” the 25th percentile of salaries in the U15, the group of Canada’s fifteen most research-intensive universities – a goal that would take the school from 14th to 11th place.

“That was really important to UMFA, to have [it] explicitly stated that the university couldn’t say that the government was binding them,” said Dingwall.

“Having the government mandate

involved in the bargaining process throughout the summer and into the early fall was definitely a barrier to having resolution earlier in the process.”

The province interfered in UMFA’s contract negotiations in 2016 when they imposed a wage freeze mandate on the university, ordering the university to retract its proposal of a 17.5 per cent salary increase over four years and instead offer a one-year contract with no wage increase.

photo / Basel Abdelaziz / staff

Arbitrator will announce decision within 30 days of final hearing

Under the threat of “financial repercussions” if they did not obey, the university complied, triggering a 21-day strike in November 2016.

A judge recently ordered the province to pay $19.3 million in compensation to UMFA for lost wages and strike costs.

The University of Manitoba has the second-lowest salaries in the U15, which according to UMFA causes retention and recruitment problems — a key issue behind the strike in 2021.

UMFA is requesting an increase that will advance them 90 per cent of the way to the 25th percentile in the U15.

“We saw this as a real opportunity that if the university is serious about staying competitive within the U15,

then we should be […] making big advancement in this moment,” she said.

Dingwall noted reasonable increases would mean different things depending on an UMFA member’s rank, with full-time professors requiring a larger increase to stay competitive than assistant professors.

UMFA is also seeking compensation for wages lost while on strike in 2021.

news@themanitoban.com

Students still facing delays in Manitoba Student Aid Canadian Federation of Students – Manitoba, MLA call for government action NEWS

Dimitar Tomovski, staff With the winter term well underway at the University of Manitoba, many students relying on student aid are still experiencing delays in receiving the funding they need. In December 2021, Manitoba Student Aid systems were temporarily shut down to address a vulnerability in their Java software. Since several systems were unavailable, disbursement of aid was delayed to some students.

“I would say overall [I’m] very disappointed that some students are still experiencing significant delays and are still not yet in receipt of the supports from the Manitoba government for this winter term,” said Alexandra Koslock, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students – Manitoba.

Koslock noted the province is aware of the delay, but did not immediately provide emergency supports to students awaiting funds.

“For the government to not get the resources to students who are most in need is a failure,” Koslock said.

She pointed out Manitoba Student Aid

not only supplements tuition, but also helps individuals with other expenses such as rent, child care and food.

Koslock said the capacity issue at Manitoba Student Aid is the responsibility of the minister of advanced education, skills and immigration.

“We want Minister Reyes right now to pick up the phone and connect with our colleagues from the Manitoba Student Aid office,” said Koslock.

“The student aid application process relies on waiting for a multitude of documentation from external sources — such as a signed loan agreement, pre-authorized debit agreement and academic history — which itself can cause delays,” Brent Batters, a spokesperson for Reyes, wrote in an email to the Manitoban.

Jamie Moses, MLA for St. Vital, said he is disappointed that the province has failed to provide support. “[It’s] failed to provide adequate student aid for students, and these are students who are some of the most vulnerable who are attending post-secondary,” he said.

Koslock said delays in student aid are “a larger structural issue” resulting from a series of cuts to post-secondary education in Manitoba.

“This delay in student aid is just showing the cracks in the provincial supports for students and that students need more resources through grants and bursaries and debt relief to actually succeed in post-secondary education,” she said.

Koslock also noted “the larger issue is the offloading of responsibility” from the Manitoba government to colleges and universities.

Students have been told to connect with their student union as well as their awards departments to seek immediate help.

“The government knew that there was a [technological] breach back in […]

December,” said Koslock.

“They had months to pivot and because they didn’t, they did not get supports needed to vulnerable students.”

Moses said the Student Aid office needs to open so students can easily access information and see what their

options are.

“They need to look at long-term solutions in terms of [making] sure that there’s the proper resources — staffing and technology resources — available to ensure that student aid is fixed, it’s available and accessible for students and that these sorts of problems don’t happen again.”

Moses said he “shares [the] frustration” of students facing delays.

“I think [this happened] because this PC government that we have hasn’t prioritized students, hasn’t prioritized advanced education, and I think that those students who are frustrated need to let that frustration be heard by the minister and by the government who is running the student aid program and by the government who is supporting all of our post-secondary institutions in our province,” he said.

The Manitoba Student Aid office still offers appointment over the phone and will be open for in-person service April 4.

news@themanitoban.com

3

the

est. 1914

MANI

TOBAN

Muslim women and children’s shelter opening in city Sakeenah Homes offers first-of-its-kind specialized safe space NEWS

Dimitar Tomovski, staff A new shelter specifically for Muslim women and children is being built in Winnipeg, the first of its kind in the city.

Zena Chaudhry, CEO of Sakeenah Homes, said the organization’s shelters aim to close the gap in services available to Muslim women.

“We heard stories about Islamophobia, the lack of halal meat, where women had their head scarves taken off, where they weren’t able to pray, they weren’t able to fast and then also the [language barrier],” said Chaudhry.

Sakeenah Homes also offers training in skills such as taking public transit for the first time, using credit cards and applying for cell phone plans.

In addition to these services, Sakeenah Homes offers clothing, toiletries and sports equipment for kids, and school essentials such as backpacks.

“For people who have been born and raised in Canada, these are things that are very basic,” said Chaudhry.

“If you’re new to a country and you have never experienced these things

before, it’s a very different learning curve and especially if you’re already in a very uncomfortable position where you’ve left your home and you’re living in a place [where] you don’t know the people living with you, [so] we try to minimize that discomfort that they may feel.”

Sakeenah Homes also offers free reconciliation services for situations where there is no physical abuse in a relationship, but a mediator or family counsellor is needed.

“We [also] provide safe spaces if they want to pray,” Chaudhry said.

“No one is ever forced to pray or told that they have to pray.”

Shahina Siddiqui, executive director of the Islamic Social Services Association, explained some non-denominational shelters struggled to accommodate specific Muslim needs, such as not serving halal food alongside pork.

“The simple thing is being able to observe your privacy,” said Siddiqui, “to be in a space where there is no alcohol, things like no pork.”

In addition, Sakeenah Homes provides financial assistance for small debts such as cell phone plans and provides access to education by helping individuals process degree equivalencies from overseas.

While opening new shelters in some cities is an effective strategy, Chaudhry said in other circumstances it’s more effective to work with other organizations to ensure services are provided to the Muslim community.

“We have our mental health program, which is available to those in our home and those outside of our home as well, free of cost,” said Chaudhry.

Zahrah Tariq, a member of the University of Manitoba’s Muslim Students’ Association, said in an email to the Manitoban they were excited about the shelter opening.

“What we want to do with a woman is to empower them, to educate them, to clean them, so that they can stand on their own two feet,” said Siddiqui.

Sakeenah Homes already has shelters in Toronto, Brampton, Ottawa and London in Ontario and Montreal, Que. Remote casework is available across the country.

“If we can’t find you a safe space to go to we will put you up in a hotel or motel, get you hot food, get you whatever you need, and then our caseworkers and mental help counsellors will work with you until we can find you long-term stable housing,” explained Chaudhry.

In addition to the new Winnipeg location, a Muslim shelter is being opened in Halifax this year as well.

“The shelter will benefit the U of M Muslim community in multiple ways,” Tariq said.

“This will give female students an option if they are helpless, homeless or stuck in abusive situations. The presence of a shelter will provide our student community with volunteer opportunities and make us more self-aware of the struggles of the most vulnerable in our community.”

While the shelter was created to accommodate the needs of Muslim women, Siddiqui said non-Muslims could access the shelters as long as they agree to abide by its rules.

news@themanitoban.com

Stefanson exaggerated ICU capacity during third wave

Premier denies knowledge of plans to transfer critically ill patients out of province NEWS

Colton McKillop, staff During last year’s third wave of COVID-19, Heather Stefanson claimed Manitoba’s health-care system could handle dozens more critically ill cases five days after a top health official discussed the possibility of out-of-province ICU patient transfers.

Premier Stefanson, who was health minister at the time, denies she was aware of plans to transfer patients until the first person was relocated on May 18 — the same day she told reporters Manitoba hospitals could expand their ICU capacity to 170 beds.

The revelation came during question period last week, after the provincial NDP presented the calendar of Shared Health CEO Adam Topp, which they acquired with a freedom of information request, and accused Stefanson of misleading Manitobans.

According to the calendar, Topp met with Stefanson on May 13 to discuss the province’s intensive-care capacity and later that day held a meeting to review the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s ICU capacity.

However, Stefanson claims she only learned of the ICU patient transfers after clinical health leaders had

4

already decided they were necessary.

Uzoma Asagwara, the Manitoba NDP’s heath critic, called Stefanson’s assertion that she was not aware of the transfers “unconscionable.”

“She claims she wasn’t aware [but] either she knew and she deliberately misled Manitobans or while she was minister of health, she didn’t know what was happening in our healthcare system with some of the sickest patients when it was her responsibility,” Asagwara said.

“Personally, I don’t buy it, but if that is in fact the case […] it reflects her level of disengagement with her role and responsibility while she was minister of health.”

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said the fact that Stefanson is now the premier, despite her handling of the pandemic, “is not a good reflection on this government.”

“The health portfolio is the biggest portfolio in government and certainly during a pandemic, it’s the most important,” said Kinew.

“The fact that the premier doesn’t appear to have been able to do the job of health minister effectively, the fact

that we’re still in a pandemic and that person is now in a leadership role of government, I think should concern people in Manitoba.”

Around this time, health-care workers had already begun warning that regardless of the number of beds and ventilators available, there were not enough trained staff to treat the rising number of COVID cases.

On May 18, Stefanson told reporters Manitoba could accept an additional 50 ICU patients — for a total of 170 — but later that day, Shared Health announced ICU beds were at capacity and two patients were sent to Thunder Bay.

Asagwara said Manitoba’s need to send patients to other jurisdictions is “a direct result” of the government’s cuts to health care before and during the pandemic.

Kinew pointed out the Progressive Conservatives closed several emergency rooms before the pandemic, “each of which had ICU beds in them.”

The province ultimately sent 57 COVID-19 patients to other provinces throughout the third wave, with 12 dying while receiving treatment outside Manitoba.

Kinew said the government’s handling of the pandemic “has been a failure.”

Despite Stefanson’s claims of ignorance, Shared Health was aware the province couldn’t handle 170 ICU patients well before the meeting regarding Thunder Bay on May 13.

“I think Manitobans generally are very frustrated with the way the government has responded to the pandemic [and] feel like it’s been poorly handled by the PCs,” he said.

On May 7, then-chief nursing officer for the province Lanette Siragusa called a plan developed during the second wave to staff 173 ICU beds a “paper exercise” that did not reflect the reality of Manitoba’s capacity.

Premier Stefanson was absent from question period last Tuesday and her office did not respond to requests for comment.

Additionally, 34 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to Manitoba’s ICUs, nearly half of the province’s pre-pandemc capacity, between May 13 and 17.

news@themanitoban.com

the

TOBAN

MANI

March 16, 2022

Economist releases optimistic report on inflation RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY Michael Campbell, staff

Inflation has affected all Manitobans over the past several months. Whether you have watched your rent skyrocket or experienced sticker shock at the grocery store, you may be wondering how to keep ahead of expenses while prices keep going up.

Jesse Hajer, assistant professor in the department of economics and the labour studies program, has been studying the effect of inflation on Manitobans. On Monday, Hajer released a report at an event hosted by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Among Hajer’s findings, he notes that Canada’s recent stark rise in inflation is not all doom and gloom for low-wage earners.

Hajer sees our current inflation as being directly linked to the change in consumer behaviours due to the pandemic. Companies closed or slowed operations during the pandemic, triggering a cascading effect further down the supply chain.

Also, due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, producers were reluctant to ramp up operations, fearing additional waves of COVID. Meanwhile, demand exploded back up to near pre-pandemic levels. High demand during a time of lower supply has led to higher prices.

“The inflation then that we’re seeing is really tied back to this pandemic and these shocks,” Hajer said.

“One other thing I emphasized in the report is that the year-over-year inflation we’re seeing now — the five per cent for example […] that we saw

we’re having that bounce-back effect.”

This “bounce-back” inflation has not occurred uniformly across Canada. A recent report cited by Hajer indicated Canada’s national annual inflation rate was 5.1 per cent, compared to 5.5 per cent in Manitoba. The reason for this discrepancy is that inflation is calculated by bundling a number of goods and services. The cost of things like rent, gasoline and groceries is determined at the provincial level and then calculated against the cost of those items in previous years.

Inflation isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the economy overall. The interruption in the restaurant industry, for example, has meant that many employees have reskilled into higher paying, more stable professions. This means that for restaurants to attract employees, they must pay more per hour.

“In my mind, that’s a great thing, because those workers were really struggling,” Hajer said.

“They’re in precarious, low-pay work and we know that consequences of being in that type of poverty — that working poverty — are harmful in many, many ways.”

Hajer is optimistic that by enacting progressive policies that support workers, the province of Manitoba can spur lasting economic growth.

He points to the policy recommendations made by the CCPA. The centre releases alternative budgets that tap into latent capacity within the economy by reducing barriers that

“One way is to […] invest in people, invest in education, grow the economy. And yeah, that’s going to create a little bit more inflation” — Jesse Hajer, economics professor

in January being announced — it’s important to remember that the year before that, we had the lowest inflation we’ve seen for decades.”

“Because of the pandemic, prices actually stayed very low […] and what’s happening this year is that

image / Jesse Hajer / provided

Students stand to benefit from current economy

prevent certain groups of people — like artists and caregivers — from reaching their fullest potential. These alternative budget items include investing in arts and culture, child care and Indigenous communities that have been historically excluded from training opportunities.

The goal is to make strategic investments that repay their capital over time, not overzealously creating debt to hand out money indiscriminately.

These investments, when done right, may inflate the cost of goods and services, but salary increases will outpace this inflation.

“One way is to […] invest in people, invest in education, grow the economy,” Hajer said.

of goods, higher wages reduce the overall burden of personal debt.

“If you have a lot of debt, it’s in dollar terms,” Hajer said.

“It’s not indexed to inflation. And debt is a huge problem for low- and middle-class Manitobans and Canadians.

“So, there’s some upsides to inflation, too.”

“And yeah, that’s going to create a little bit more inflation. But that’s one way to get out of that huge amount of debt.”

One of the principles guiding public spending during the pandemic asserted that so long as interest rates are lower than growth in the economy, governments can incur debt to promote spending during the pandemic. Hajer argues this applies not only to governments, but also to people.

If a low-income earner with high debt — for example, a student — were to benefit from wages that have increased during the pandemic, their debt in proportion to their income would shrink.

In short, inflation has caused many low- and middle-class wages to increase, and despite the higher cost

research@themanitoban.com

5

Be the change today’s patients need.

Learn how to lead the movement to transform lives using integrative, whole-person chiropractic care.

Join us for Discovery Day on March 26 at 9 a.m.

Register today: nwhealth.edu/manitoban

the

TOBAN

MANI

March 16, 2022

Engineering food for a healthier future

Canada research chair studies smart peptides RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY Imagine a future where the food we eat has the power to prevent and treat diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Rotimi Aluko, a professor in the University of Manitoba’s department of food and human nutritional sciences, is working to make this future a reality.

Aluko has been appointed Canada research chair (CRC) in bioactive peptides, tier 1. This means he has been granted funds to study the power of proteins to improve human health and nutrition.

graphic / Marina Djurdjevic / staff

Emma Rempel, staff

Aluko’s principal research area is in food proteins. His research looks at ways to make food more powerful and to keep us away from the doctor’s office. Of interest to Aluko are smaller molecules composed of amino acids encrypted within food proteins, called peptides. Aluko describes peptides as “smart molecules,” which can influence the human digestive, endocrine, cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems when they are activated.

Smart or bioactive peptides could be harnessed to treat an array of human diseases. These smart molecules are already in some of the foods we eat. The peptides are extracted and refined from one food source and inserted into another to obtain health benefits.

“These smart peptides [can provide] nutritional and health benefits to human beings beyond what a normal protein can do,” said Aluko.

Peptides are inactive when they are part of the greater protein chain, as they naturally are in food. The trick is to find ways to unleash peptides from the larger protein so they can become activated. To do this, Aluko has explored using digestion.

Within our digestive tract are a variety of molecules called enzymes. Think of them as a set of biological scissors, which work by cutting proteins down into smaller fragments that can enter the bloodstream. We have a limited number of types of enzymes in our digestive tract. On our own, we can’t activate most of the bioactive peptides in the foods we eat.

“In our system, most of the time what we produce is always the same thing because we have the same scissors,” explained Aluko.

A wider variety of enzymes are synthesized in laboratories. These enzymes can be fine-tuned to cut proteins more precisely.

“In the lab, we have access to all our biological scissors that really are smarter, more effective [and] can give us the types of smart peptides we are looking for,” said Aluko.

The potential of this research has been recognized by provincial and

federal governments. Manitoba has established the Manitoba Protein Advantage Strategy, a program launched to make it the go-to province for protein food producers and developers. Aluko’s status as CRC in bioactive peptides speaks to the economic and health importance of proteins.

His research as a CRC is divided into two major components. The first is to tie form to function, to determine how the arrangement of amino acids in a peptide influences the function of the peptide as a smart molecule. This will help scientists choose the appropriate enzymes to produce peptides with powerful effects.

“What we’re looking for is peptides that are really very, very active that can compete with [pharmaceutical] drugs,” said Aluko.

Aluko has already identified bioactive peptides that can reduce blood pressure. He and other researchers are looking at ways to harness peptides to prevent the occurrence of other illnesses, like Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists understand some of the root causes of this disease and are investigating ways for bioactive peptides to attack them.

Bioactive peptides can also be used to manage chronic diseases like diabetes.

Certain peptides have been found to lower blood sugar and reduce body weight, which would help manage and reduce the severity of diabetes symptoms. Others have used peptides to treat cancer in research studies. In this scenario, peptides would be activated to target and kill cancer cells, without the need for chemotherapy and its negative side effects.

“To do that, we need to be able to figure out what arrangement is necessary to give this peptide the power to do its job.”

“In some cases, some of these peptides can actually either supplement or even replace our traditional drugs in terms of treating or [preventing] diseases,” said Aluko.

The second component will examine how bioactive peptides influence the functions of the human body, including the mechanisms of disease prevention and treatment.

One delivery method for bioactive peptides would be in the form of daily pills or capsules called nutraceuticals.

These products would deliver similar benefits to drugs, but without the

negative side effects.

The other method of delivery would be foods enriched with bioactive peptides. Some of these smart foods are already available on grocery store shelves, like yogurt and orange juice.

Aluko describes these products as “functional foods,” or foods whose health benefits extend beyond basic balanced nutrition.

Aluko envisions functional foods as an essential part of a preventative diet, in which people would proactively limit the occurrence of disease through the food they eat. He hopes Canadians won’t overlook the importance of food in regular health maintenance and disease prevention.

“It’s food,” Aluko said.

“It’s just that we have made it more powerful […] to help us stay away from the physician’s office.”

research@themanitoban.com

7

the

est. 1914

MANI

TOBAN

Reflections about virtual reality during COVID-19 Virtual reality offers the community many were missing during pandemic

EDITORIAL The pandemic taught me a lot about the importance of communities and friendships as support systems. The problem was, as the lockdowns got tighter, I saw people far less frequently. I recently found myself hanging out in virtual

in Zuckerberg’s philosophy on the metaverse, I was fascinated by the steps Meta is taking through Oculus — a type of VR headset — to make VR technology more affordable and accessible so people can engage with the systems they are creating.

I decided to explore the current communities and the worlds that exist within my VR headset.

Strapping in and finding VRChat on the Oculus store was an accessible, easy and intuitive experience. It felt seamless and the only uncomfortable part of the experience was having to put the VR headset over my glasses, but there are options that can put lens prescriptions in VR headsets.

Following my purchase, I spent most of my time in VRChat. This is what blew my mind about the unlimited possibilities in the VR space.

reality (VR) communities like VRChat — an interactive forum where players can customize their avatars and create their own worlds to spend time with others — and meeting random strangers from around the world through the image of their avatars.

Initially, I decided to check VR communities out after I listened to a Mark Zuckerberg podcast about his vison for the metaverse. He explained how VR and augmented reality experiences are being streamlined to build communities and foster spaces for interaction. While I am not interested

8

Picture my first social experience in VR: I was in a restaurant world that was textured just like a five-star restaurant. I spawned at the front door and walked into the building gazing at the walls and the varieties of wood and glass finishes that coated the structure. The room was very well lit and there were tables, bars and booths for people to sit in. To my left, a group of avatars were clumped up and I overheard them talking about a variety of topics that ranged from a party they were planning to their favourite food in the real world. I walked into the middle of the group shyly and waved to introduce myself.

Some of them responded and invited me to sit with them. They knew that I was new because the avatar I picked was a popular one for newcomers.

As I was making my introduction, one of them opened a portal to another world. Upon stepping into the portal, I realized we were in an avatar world — a world created for players to pick a variety of avatars and to try them on like you would with clothes at a store.

There were mirrors that helped me see what I looked like as I flipped through the options. I found myself stuck there for what felt like a couple hours before I finally picked an avatar. We headed back to the restaurant and the others were waiting for us.

by. The possibilities were endless so my social interactions were enriched.

VR offers people who are still worried about the dangers that COVID-19 poses to their health an outlet to maintain their social lives without traditional contact. While Zoom simply doesn’t cut it, VR has been a community I could rely on as the real world became more unpredictable.

My first impression of the VR universe was that it was wholesome and inviting. While still isolated in the real

world, I was happy to find a community of people that I could gather with.

What fascinates me about this technology is the opportunity for endless possibilities in terms of bridging connections with others in a world without limitations. In VRChat, I spent time in a world that was jet-pilot themed for people who loved the serene experience of flying through mountain peaks and canyons. In a world where travelling has been a distant memory for most during the pandemic, VR offered a taste of normalcy and excitement. Flying was just one world in a universe of full of possibilities.

In the time I spent in these VR environments, I found myself connecting with other players with similar interests in the themes and environments we were surrounded

graphic / Marina Djurdjevic / staff words / Josh Wesey / staff

WWW.UMSU.CA

@MyUMSU

Follow UMSU on Social Media!

@MyUMSU

NOW OPEN Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Vote for your 2022 Election Candidates!

Voting Days: March 31 and April 1 WWW.UMSU.CA

@MyUMSU

est. 1914

the

MANI

TOBAN

Addressing global warming means socializing housing Winnipeg is caught in a double bind, but there is a way forward COMMENT

Environmentally conscious people often encourage individual action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While many people are aware that living a sustainable lifestyle will not be enough to solve global warming without a systemic movement away from fossil fuels, doing so is a matter of principle for some. Leading by example should never be discouraged, but those who want to reduce their carbon consumption must consider that their socioeconomic privilege may give them an opportunity to transition to a greener lifestyle which many of those who continue to engage in carbon-consuming habits do not.

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

Lucas Edmond, staff

Any lifestyle change is expensive, but when our cities are designed to encourage high carbon output, it makes this transition particularly difficult to bear. Most everyday carbon consumption comes directly from the necessity of driving and the natural gases we use to heat our homes.

When our dwellings are retrofitted with gas-consuming heating systems and the cheapest housing options are far from the city centre, many people have no option but to accept that they may not be able to afford a carbon-neutral lifestyle.

You would think, considering the current climate crisis, that municipal governments would be more focused on reducing new developments’ dependency on vehicles and dirty heating systems, but the vast majority of new neighbourhoods are sprawling outward from the city centre, have little access to bus routes and suffer a notable lack of amenities, which further pushes people to drive long distances.

From 2001 to 2021, Winnipeg’s population grew by 132,906 people. In 2001, the metropolitan area extended 328 square kilometres. By 2021, although the population only grew by 19 per cent, urban sprawl grew by 41.5 per cent. Meanwhile, overall city density dropped by nearly 13 per cent. These numbers indicate more people are living further away from everyday amenities and are more dependent on cars than ever before.

Research has shown that in high amenity-dense neighbourhoods in Winnipeg, most residents choose to commute by biking, walking or using the public transit system. Due to their close proximity to amenities and services, 55 per cent of residents in these high-density zones follow sustainable lifestyles, whether they are conscious of this fact or not. For comparison, only 18 per cent of people situated in low amenity-dense neighbourhoods opt to walk, bike or bus.

Since 2001, 89 per cent of housing developments have been low-density neighbourhoods. This kind of city planning has radically hampered

10

Winnipeg must look beyond traditional market strategies to address these issues together and reduce inequality Winnipeg’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20 per cent by 2030 relative to 2011 levels. As a result, in 2018 the city announced its plan to improve density by making infill projects in urban settings 50 per cent of the city’s residential development focus by 2030.

Unfortunately, infill developments have their own environmental and social impacts. When the city chooses to demolish older buildings in central neighbourhoods in order to replace them with expensive and environmentally conscious buildings, it isolates lower-income people from accessing these neighbourhoods and pushes them further from the city. In other words, higher-income people may move back into the city, but by hollowing traditionally low-income areas out of affordable properties, these developments simultaneously force more desperate folks out and force them to rely on high-carbon lifestyles. This is the most troubling

paradox of building green.

Further, gentrification does not always lead to a simple move from urban to suburban settings — it perpetuates houselessness, too. Take Vancouver as an example: although it is one of the leading green cities in the world, environmentally conscious gentrification — though not the only cause — contributes to a housing crisis that is out of control. The lack of affordable housing in Vancouver has made it one of Canada’s leaders in houselessness rates per capita.

So, the market logic that many municipalities function under produces a double bind — either help ameliorate the housing crisis by developing affordable housing that encourages pollution, or develop greener neighbourhoods that make the housing crisis worse and segregate low-income people from vital resources. As retired Vancouver city councillor Andrea Reimer reflected after her 10-year

career with the city, “you can’t solve the worst problems of capitalism with more capitalism.”

The climate crisis may be the best reason for socializing housing.

Winnipeg must look beyond traditional market strategies to address these issues together and reduce the inequality. This means the city must take it upon itself to build affordable and climate-friendly housing for low-income earners in high-density neighbourhoods. Alternatively, for people with a natural preference for suburban settings, the city must ensure that developments are designed to be self-sufficient, with a high number of amenities to incentivize clean transportation. Going forward, housing cannot have space for private profit.

comment@themanitoban.com

the

MANI

TOBAN

March 16, 2022

Women need better representation in politics International Women’s Day should not be a holiday we overlook COMMENT

From an early age, I questioned the inequality in my very conservative and machista home country, Honduras — which, until November of last year, had never elected a woman as president. Both of my grandmas were single moms who strove to provide their children with the best education possible while continuing to pursue their own goals. My mom is a successful industrial engineer who leads one of Honduras’s first hydroelectric companies.

Their examples and strength showed me the positive influence that women have in our world, helping me embrace women’s importance to society. As I reflect on this year’s International Women’s Day, I wonder if Canada and the world are doing enough to promote women’s success in the political arena.

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

Ivan Nuñez Gamez, staff

Canada has a long history of suppressing the voices of women. Many nations have had prominent female political leaders — for example, the United Kingdom had Margaret Thatcher and the United States currently has Vice President Kamala Harris — but women in Canada still haven’t felt that satisfaction.

Despite having had 23 prime ministers in its 155-year political history, the federal Parliament has only had one female prime minister — Kim Campbell — whose tenure is one of the shortest in Canadian history, having served in the position for less than six months.

Progress was made following Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party’s election. Trudeau succeeded in creating a “gender-equal” cabinet.

Beyond appointing equal numbers of men and women to the cabinet, he also appointed a number of women to meaningful and senior-level cabinet positions like the ministries of finance, foreign affairs and national defence. However, more must be done for women, especially women of colour, who are still attempting to break the glass ceiling.

Women in provincial politics face similar challenges, yet resilience prevails. The U of M’s Jelynn Dela Cruz is a positive example for women pursuing careers in politics.

From her early days as director of social programming in the Arts Student Body Council to being the president of the University of Manitoba Students’ Union for the 2020-21 academic term, Dela Cruz is taking the next step in her political career and vying for the provincial New Democratic Party Radisson nomination.

Dela Cruz has experienced success in a field that has primarily been dominated by men, but her success has not come cheap. She has faced

Though the path to a successful career in politics is not the same for all — especially for women, who face additional gender-based barriers — it is important that we encourage strong women who are active community leaders discrimination from male co-workers and government partners in her political career and many of her successes have been overtly sexualized by her critics, which she attributes to their “internalized insecurities.”

Though the path to a successful career in politics is not the same for all — especially for women, who face additional gender-based barriers — it

is important that we encourage strong women who are active community leaders to pursue their ambitions.

Though progress is slow, we need to start and continue breaking the constructs that have oppressed women. Let this be a reminder that International Women’s Day is not a meaningless reason to congratulate the female figures in your life. Rather, let’s make it a daily goal to empower

women and offer our authentic support for them so that they can achieve their vision of a more equitable world.

comment@themanitoban.com

11

est. 1914

the

MANI

TOBAN

A tasteful fusion of culture and comedy ARTS & CULTURE Zoë LeBrun, staff

March 25 will see the release of Salma Hindy’s debut stand-up album Born On 9/11. Recorded live in Toronto, Ont., the album will be released through Comedy Records, Canada’s first record label dedicated to comedy albums.

A graduate of the stand-up comedy program at the Second City Training Centre in Toronto, Hindy is a first-generation Egyptian-Canadian comedian who tackles a variety of topics in the 13 tracks that make up Born On 9/11.

A prominent, ever-present theme throughout the album is Hindy’s culture, wherein her personal experience of living as “a Muslim woman who just happened to be born on [Sept.

11] in a post-9/11 world” is embedded.

Witty and authentic, Hindy shares her stories and jokes with an air of lightness and enthusiasm you can’t help but love, introducing you to her life, family and Muslim culture along

12

the way.

Through Hindy’s animated storytelling, her audience gets to laugh alongside her as she discusses her relationship with her overprotective Muslim parents, her opinions on polygamy, bidets and hijabs, navigating holidays like Halloween and, of course, the universal struggle of dating in the 21st century.

A highlight from Born On 9/11 is track number three, which is simply titled “Growing Up.” Within it, Hindy discusses Halloween — in particular, her father’s reaction to the holiday — and her gradual loss of innocence over the years, from unsolicited direct messages on Instagram to sketchy torrent websites.

Another favourite moment from Born On 9/11 is a story Hindy tells about going on a blind date in the presence of her father, who had set her up with

a mystery suitor. Full of twists and turns and on-point comedic timing, this playful anecdote encapsulates everything that is so fantastic about Hindy’s album as well as what makes her so enjoyable to listen to.

There is a very likeable and relatable factor to Hindy’s album, which is rooted in her ability to know exactly how much information to give us when setting up her jokes. She knows where to pause and let you fill in the blanks as an audience, and she is able to cleverly introduce more specific aspects of Muslim culture and religion in a way that allows you to understand her experiences in a fuller and more nuanced sense without taking away from her comedic timing.

On top of this, it’s clear even via recording that Hindy has excellent stage presence — throughout Born On 9/11, she is able to communicate and interact with the audience attending her show in a way that keeps them invested in her show and yet doesn’t exclude the audience who may be

image / Comedy Records / provided

Egyptian-Canadian comedian Salma Hindy releases debut album

listening through their headphones.

Salma Hindy’s debut comedy album Born On 9/11 will be available March 25 via Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music and more.

arts@themanitoban.com

the

MANI

TOBAN

March 16, 2022

A duo of digital theatre productions

Prairie Theatre Exchange explores different modes of storytelling ARTS & CULTURE

Shaylyn Maharaj-Poliah, staff After the live production of Bad Parent by Ins Choi was cancelled, Prairie Theatre Exchange (PTE) is presenting a duo of digital theatre shows to run throughout the month of March and the beginning of April. The projects are available to view for free on the company’s website.

PTE’s artistic director Thomas Morgan Jones maintains that although the physical theatre space is closed, the company is still thriving despite these unprecedented times.

“While our live theatre is quiet for a little while longer, we wanted to offer these two stories and voices to our community,” Jones said in a recent press release.

The first presentation, Places We Go by Hazel Venzon and David Oro, takes the form of an animated live-action film.

Told in both English and Tagalog, the story follows a young girl named Grace who lives in Manila while her mother is working in Canada, specifically in Winnipeg. The film was incrementally released over the first week or so of March but is currently available in its entirety on the PTE website. Running only 30 minutes long and perfect for all ages, you can’t go wrong with this innovative piece of theatre.

The film is a unique blend of drawn animation and live theatre. Hazel Venzon plays Grace — as well as every other role in the film — highlighted only by her silhouette as she inhabits and interacts with a cartoon world through green-screen technology. The audience joins her on an adventure to buy her mother the perfect birthday present — a plane ticket home so they can be together again. Accompanied by twinkling, dreamlike music created

by Venzon and Edgardo Esteban and exploring the themes of loneliness,

image / Prairie Theatre Exchange / provided

the relationship between mothers and daughters and the lengths we go to for the people we care about, Places We Go will move you to tears one moment and warm your heart the next.

While Places We Go is sweet and uplifting, A Dance to the End of the World is its tonal opposite. An audio drama written by Jones, the story takes place during a deadly plague in the distant past. The 60-minute production follows a desperate father, his young daughter and the dangerous deals they make just to survive. This gripping cautionary tale is accompanied by a digital collection of illustrations depicting each scene — created by local Indigenous tattoo artist Josh Murdock — to be enjoyed during the listening experience or on its own.

On the duo of digital presentations, Jones said, “Both of these productions speak urgently to the time we’re living in and through […] It’s never been more important to tell stories, and we’re thrilled these two plays can reach audiences directly in their homes or on their phones, here in Manitoba or anywhere in the world.”

Prairie Theatre Exchange’s free digital productions of Places We Go and A Dance to the End of the World will run until March 31 and April 10 respectively. For more information, please visit pte. mb.ca.

arts@themanitoban.com

All hail ‘the Queen of Basketball’ ARTS & CULTURE Grace Paizen, staff

Representation matters.

In fact, on the heels of some calling for the cancellation of women’s hockey in the Olympics because the scores are lopsided toward the North American women’s programs, an Oscar-nominated short documentary inadvertently showcases the ongoing struggle for women’s representation in sport while celebrating one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

The Queen of Basketball by Canadian filmmaker Ben Proudfoot is the inspiring story of Lusia “Lucy” Harris from her childhood in Minter City, Miss. to her induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The documentary is a clinic in how to pack important information into such a short timeframe. In fact, the short format creates a captivating atmosphere where Harris’s history-making career stats come rapidly one after another.

Though teased as a child about her height — “long and tall, and that’s all” — Harris learned to love her six-footthree frame through basketball.

Being the only family in her community with a basketball hoop, Harris was a basketball superfan from her childhood, staying up late on school nights to watch NBA games — especially her favourite player, Oscar Robertson.

Deciding to go to a university that had a women’s basketball program, Harris and company went on to win three consecutive national championships.

Harris became the star of the team, accumulating swaths of points every game, her height becoming her ultimate weapon for rebounding.

In another Canadian connection, apart from the director himself, Harris made history when women’s basketball was first implemented in the Olympics in the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, Que. Not only did Harris bring home a silver medal, she made the first basket ever in women’s Olympic basketball.

Harris was also the first and only woman officially drafted in the NBA. Though Denise Long was a draft pick of the then-San Francisco Warriors in 1969, then-NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy blocked the draft, making Harris the first official draft pick in 1977.

The then-New Orleans Jazz drafted Harris seventh overall. However, Harris believed her draft was “a publicity stunt” and decided against playing for the team.

Harris claimed she didn’t “regret not going” to the NBA, “not even a little bit.” However, the fact that there

wasn’t a Women’s National Basketball Association clearly lingered for her.

This is the point that athletic associations still seem to struggle to understand: inequality is as simple as not creating opportunities for those underrepresented in sports.

As Harris said herself, the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball stars of her time that went on to become NBA stars were millionaires.

“I certainly would have had money,” Harris jokingly said.

These moments in the film are so important, such a short documentary speaking so loudly of the inequalities in athletics — from Harris having to choose a different university to attend simply to pursue basketball, to her basketball career ending because there were no opportunities for women in basketball outside of PR stunts.

In this way, The Queen of Basketball speaks to the importance of seeing someone who looks like you succeeding and being granted the same opportunities to pursue an goal to those already privileged enough to have them.

As for the film itself, the editing is superb. The pictures, old footage and newspaper clippings are a collage of an inspiring career.

image / Breakwater Studios / provided

Oscar-nominated doc explores Lucy Harris’s historic career

The music is also perfectly synced with the action on screen — particularly the use of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” mass music during footage of Harris’s Delta State University team playing its first national final championship game against the Catholic Immaculata University three-time champs whose superfans were nuns.

Sadly, Harris passed in January of this year and won’t see if the film about her illustrious, record-shattering career will win the highest achievement in cinema.

Up for best documentary short at the Oscars on March 27, with Harris’s winning record, Proudfoot and company have the “Queen of Basketball” on their side.

The Queen of Basketball is currently available on streaming platforms. arts@themanitoban.com

13

the

est. 1914

TOBAN

MANI

Rainy Day Ritual and post-internet music ARTS & CULTURE Alex Braun, staff

Rainy Day Ritual is the brainchild of Samwauw, or just Sam, a young artist with a lot on his mind. Since releasing its first mixtape last year and a new EP About August in February, Rainy Day Ritual has started picking up attention in the Winnipeg indie scene, nabbing an opening spot for Montreal’s Braids and Winnipeg’s Living Hour at the West End Cultural Centre on March 26, a high-profile slot for such a new project.

After releasing some music under the name Samwauw, the Rainy Day Ritual project started in order for Sam to build a space where he could bounce ideas off others freely, but without the constraints of working in the structure of a band.

Listening to their music, it’s easy to tell why they’ve started picking up heat. Each song is overflowing with ideas — distorted synths, guitars, hyperactive beats, auto-tuned vocals and unexpected samples careen out of the mix at a rapid clip. It’s exciting stuff, conveying this wide-eyed feeling of the thrill of creation. Talking to Sam over Zoom, his excitement and ambition are palpable.

Most of the collaboration Sam does with Rainy Day Ritual is inherently idea-based, rather than musical.

Sam got his start as a drummer in a band, but when he took it upon himself to buy home recording equipment, he was excited by the possibilities of recording and making music on his own.

“I got into synths and got […] Reaper, just some freeware [stuff] […] It’s just been a process of expanding for the past four years.”

“I’m always in the process of trying to sort this out,” he said. “I think four months ago it was a band, and now I think it’s just me getting my friends to help me write stuff.”

“I guess [it’s] still collaboration nonetheless, but I don’t think in that regard I would call it a band,” he said.

“You think of a band, there’s like two to four people up there with their guitars and then there’s the drummer and I’ve been trying to almost get away from that […] I loved playing in a band as I did, but I know I’ve got more stuff to do.”

Instead, Sam bounces ideas and tracks off friends in a Discord server, allowing for a wider collaboration on the grounds of ideas and aesthetics, while he still writes and records everything the project puts out.

image / Rainy Day Ritual / provided

New musical project looks to break down artistic barriers

Talking about this idea-based work on artistic ideology and aesthetic consideration, Sam brings up a series of rants he wrote about the project “The Re-Think” volumes one through three.

“I talked a lot about how I can’t shy away from what I grew up on […] [808s & Heartbreak]-era Kanye, T-Pain, Kesha, all this stuff that we see right now and we’re like, ‘Oh my God, that’s so out of date, that’s so uncool,’ but I love [it] to death,” he said.

“I can’t shy away from that because that’s my formation as a musician […] like Black Eyed Peas, ridiculously over-the-top hard synth pop stuff, and I love that stuff.”

“Nothing is really uncool now — we’re in a great place where everything is sort of ‘in’ and that’s wonderful and horrifying but it allows you to do whatever […] you want, and so that’s

what I do. I want to be, or at least I wanted to be on the last EP, like a sort of bridge between T-Pain and Kesha and Animal Collective and Deerhunter.”

While the project is still just beginning, Sam made sure to note there is much more to come.

“I’ve got cool ideas and I think a lot about this […] And maybe if it’s not as awesome as I want it to be now, it will be.”

The new Rainy Day Ritual EP About August is available on all streaming platforms. Tickets for the show on March 26 are available at reallovewpg.com.

arts@themanitoban.com

’Toban turntable ARTS & CULTURE Alex Braun, staff

3.5/5 stars Multidisciplinary artist Maylee Todd has had a wild, varied career. Beginning her career as a comedian, she has since branched out into performance art, animation and music. All these elements come together on her ambitious new project Maloo.

The record is pitched as a sort of concept album, with a storyline as baffling as the uncanny digital avatar that appears on its cover — a smooth, grey humanoid creature with massive aquatic ears.

According to the press materials, “Maloo tells the story of a conscious AI observer summoned into being by the Children of Ew, creators of the metaverse. In this Age of Energy, empathy, mental health and creativity are the core elements for survival. [Maloo] travels to the Infinite Program, a planet whose sustainability is dependent on the well-being of

14

its inhabitants.”

Given her comedic background and her work with notorious absurdist Eric Andre, it can be assumed the silliness is intentional, but the album also has serious intentions of interrogating our encroaching sci-fi metaverse reality.

She examines the impact of the virtual space on our lives and explores identity, sexuality and mental health.

Musically, Maloo notably draws from Japanese ambient and environmental music, applying the glassy, melancholy and retro-futurist sounds of early digital synthesizers to more modern pop structures with a healthy dose of neo-soul and jazz influence as well. It is reminiscent of Mac DeMarco or labelmate Jerry Paper’s woozy songwriting.

The third track “Grab Your Guts” looks at the loneliness of virtual living, as well as the dichotomy of living more and more in a virtual space while still having a physical body to take care of, with a repeated mantra of “I grab my

image / Take Aim Media / provided

Maylee Todd — ‘Maloo’

guts and my hardwire, still manning up.” Other songs, like the slow jam “No Other,” seem to abandon the sci-fi plotline, muddying Todd’s overall concept. Considering how all-in the rest of the album is, “No Other” is a glaring oversight.

The metaverse largely fills me with dread and confusion, but Todd seems to have an optimistic view of our virtual future. Even as the album

contains melancholy and skepticism, she chooses to end the album with “Absolute Time and Space,” a comforting song about getting through confusing, troubling times by holding on to the ones you love. And maybe in the metaverse, all we need is love.

arts@themanitoban.com

the

TOBAN

MANI

March 16, 2022

Bison athletes garner all-star recognition SPORTS

Matthew Merkel, staff On March 3, the University of Manitoba men’s basketball team had its season cut short by the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat in the first round of the Canada West basketball playoff tournament.

Although the early elimination was disappointing, the announcement that Bison teammates James Wagner and Mason Kraus had been awarded for their exemplary play was a small consolation.

The only forward named a firstteam all-star, Wagner was the herd’s primary weapon this season. The fifth-year player averaged 16.8 points per game, ranked fourth in Canada West in field goals as well as sixth in minutes per game averaged.

Defensively Wagner was also a force, ranking ninth in defensive rebounds and being a shutdown player all season.

When asked how valuable Wagner is to the Bisons, Kraus praised his teammate’s work ethic and leadership.

“James was a first-team all-star for a reason,” said Kraus.

“He puts his work in on and off the court. He was [our] key player this year and personally the best player I’ve played with. He carried us as much as he could this season and we wouldn’t even [have won] half the games we won without him.”

Named to the all-rookie team, Kraus was also one of the U of M’s best players this season.

As a true freshman, Kraus was a presence on the floor for the herd.

Starting all 16 games for the herd, Kraus had the most assists and steals on the team and ranked third on the

team in minutes played, blocks and points per game.

After having an excellent first season, Kraus says he is just grateful to be on a competitive team that pushes him every day to be his best. He is thankful for his teammates allowing him to grow as a player and as a person.

photo / Matthew Merkel / staff

Hockey, basketball, volleyball players honoured by Canada West

“I knew when I was committing to U of M, I would be able to show what I have […] and would be joining a team that will push me not just as a player but as a person,” said Kraus.

“My teammates were allowing me to go through some of the growing pains throughout the season and would make sure and help me understand what I need to do to improve. I felt that everyone had a voice this year, and not just seniors helping me but my fellow rookies helping me learn and telling me what they see.”

After having a disappointing playoff, the Bisons men’s basketball team will look to go even further into the post-season next year. Even though the Bisons will be losing graduating players Wagner, Keiran Zziwa and Risto Zimbakov, Kraus believes the herd will be a competitive team come fall. He said he is ready to step up and be one of the Bisons’ main scoring threats and points to a fresh group of first-year teammates that are ready to take Canada West by storm.

“I’m excited for next year. I know I have something to prove as being one of our main scoring options next year and our team, I think, can compete for a [Canada West] championship,” said Kraus.

“We have a lot of young guys in all positions and I know the work that we all put in will show why we are not a team to play with.”

“James was a first team allstar for a reason” — Mason Kraus, Bison basketball player

More Bisons honoured The day before Wagner and Kraus won their awards, Bisons women’s hockey captain Lauren Warkentin was named a second-team all-star by Canada West.

This season, the blue-liner was a defensive stalwart for her team, playing the most minutes on her team and being an excellent puck mover in her own end. The oldest player on a team of mostly first and second-year players, the fifth-year defenceman’s leadership will certainly be missed. In 2018, she was a member of the Bisons women’s hockey team that brought home the first national championship in program history.

Warkentin wasn’t the only Bison hockey player to be honoured in the announcement — teammate Ashley Keller was named to the conference all-rookie team. In her first season as a Bison, Keller notched six goals and five assists, good for third in Canada West rookie scoring. She will be a key player on the women’s hockey team for years to come.

A week later, a pair of Bison volleyball players received recognition for exemplary freshman seasons. Katreena Bentley and Spencer Grahame were each named to the Canada West allrookie team.

In her first year as the Bisons’ setter, Bentley had a historically significant season. She led the nation in assists per set with 10.53, a stat that ranks eighth all time in Canada West history. After the women’s volleyball team went winless in the first round

of pool play, Bentley will look to carry her squad deeper into the post-season in 2023.

Since joining the team, Grahame has been one of the Bisons’ most productive players. Playing on the left side, Grahame has been efficient on offence, ranking second on the team with 2.45 kills per set and third in total attacks with 345. He has also been effective defensively, racking up 29 blocks and 61 digs. Hosting the U Sports men’s volleyball championship March 25 to 27, Grahame and his teammates will look to capture the program’s 11th national title.

Wagner, Kraus, Warkentin, Keller, Bentley and Grahame join an impressive list of Bison athletes that have been awarded by Canada West within the last six months.

In late October, women’s soccer player Bianca Cavalcanti was named to both the Canada West all-rookie team and second-team all-stars.

Hailee Morisseau earned a second-team all-star nod after placing 14th at the Canada West cross country championships.

Six players on the Bisons football team were also named all-stars.

Ryder Klisowsky, Gavin Cobb, Brock Gowanlock, Nick Thomas, Cole Adamson and Marcel Arruda-Welch were all honoured by the conference.

sports@themanitoban.com

15

MJHL, MMJHL teams in city ready to make championship run but we compete hard night in and night out,” Mathez said.

SPORTS

Isaiah Wagner, staff For most Winnipeggers, spring signals the coming of warmer days and more time outside in the sun. As junior hockey leagues kick off their playoffs, many fans and players in the city will choose to spend their time in cold rinks watching the province’s best battle for a championship.

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) has not begun its playoffs yet, but only a handful of games are left in its regular season.

The MJHL has a couple teams based in Winnipeg, including the Winnipeg Freeze and the Winnipeg Blues.

The Freeze sits dead last in the league and do not have a chance to make the playoffs. However, the Blues are a different story.

The Blues are one of the most explosive teams in the league. Led by all-star players Josiah Vanderhooft

and Brayden Foreman, the team has already clinched a playoff spot and will look to make a run in the playoffs after the conclusion of the regular season in late March. Moving on to a different league, the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League (MMJHL) has already begun its playoffs.

The MMJHL is a league that is made up of a variety of different teams in or near Winnipeg.

The St. James Jr. Canucks finished first in the regular season, while the Pembina Valley Twisters, the last team to win a league championship, sit in third. One team to look out for in the playoffs is the Fort Garry/Fort Rouge Twins. The team finished in the middle of the pack this season, but according to defenceman Derek Mathez, the team is a dark horse to go deep into the playoffs.

“This season we have quite a young team in [comparison] to years past,

“I would say that our greatest asset is the way that we rise to the occasion and do whatever it takes to win big games.”

Overall, everyone is just excited to be playing hockey again. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the shutdown of many hockey leagues around the country throughout the past couple years. Thankfully, this season did not have many interruptions.

“After two challenging years, it was great to be playing a full regular season,” Mathez said.

“We were fortunate to be able to have our family and friends attend each game which made it even better.”

With the smell of playoff hockey back in the air, the competitive spirit of teams and fans has returned to Winnipeg rinks. Mathez and the Twins are excited to once again battle for a championship.

photo / Matthew Merkel / staff

“Around the [MMJHL], I think that everyone is just excited to play some meaningful hockey games,” Mathez said.

“In the playoffs, nobody cares about the stat sheet. People care about who came out on top. With playoffs beginning, there are some butterflies as I am near the end of my junior career.

However, once the puck drops, it’s just hockey.”

The Twins begin its playoff run with a series against the Pembina Valley Twisters.

sports@themanitoban.com

Diversions

Answer to last issue’s Hidoku

More than one unique solution may be possible. Puzzle by M. Doering.

SUDOKU No. 565

1

6

3

4

8 SUDOKU No.4 565

5

43

1 9 63

3

4

9

4

3

2

The solutions will be published Puzzle

by Syndicated Puzzleshere in the next issue.

3 16

1 8 6 3

61

8 5 1 7 4 3 6 2 9

6 1 2 5 9 7 3 2 8 9 3 1 4 6 3 7 6 4 8 2 5 9 4 8 1 6 3 2 1 9 3 6 5 8 7 8 5 Answer 7 2 4 9 to 1 last 7 2 4 8 3 5 9 issue’s Sudoku 5Previous 3 1 9 solution 7 6 4 - Medium 4 6 5 7 2 1 8

4 8 6 1 2 5 9 7 4 2 3 8 3 8 5hints 7 and 2 4 9 For many6strategies, tips, visit 1 www.sudokuwiki.org 6 7 2 4 8 3 5 8 2 5 3 1 9 7 6 If you like Str8ts check out our 3 9 4 Apps 6 5 and 7 2 1 books, iPhone/iPad

9 15 2 7

81

4 7 9 5 2 6 1 8 3

9 1 2

6 Tough

1

8 1 8 46 3

Previous solution - Medium

© 2021 Syndicated Puzzles

5

Tough

To complete Sudoku, 7 5 2 8fill9the3 1 board by entering numbers 1 to 9 9 1 3 column 7 6 4and8 such that each row, 5 7 9 4 number 8 1 6 3x3 box contains every uniquely. 2 4 1 9 3 6 5

And even though it all went wrong / I’ll stand before the lord of song / with nothing on my tongue but ‘I don’t understand, I swear I backed up my keyboard config before messing with it’ xkcd.com

3 6 5 2 7 1 9 4 8

much more on our store.

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

email graphics@themanitoban.com 4 Got graphics?

5 Create cartoons? for volunteering info!

7 For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org 4 8 2 1 If you like Str8ts check out our 021 Syndicated Puzzles

lack e at a set e in ck tion t part

TOBAN

MANI

Winnipeg junior hockey teams set to begin playoffs

r can ut... by black These rs that t is a set an be in n black n option e not part olution to

n

the

est. 1914