11 January 2023

The Official University of Manitoba Students’ Newspaper

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The Manitoban cover contest

This issue’s cover art, entitled “Their Yellow Album,” was created by Francine Martin. Francine Martin, who works at the Clinical Learning and Simulation Facility at the Bannatyne campus of the University of Manitoba, is a multi-disciplinary artist with a fondness for birds, working mainly in collage and assemblage. Francine’s work is visually playful, bold and bright while sometimes exploring dark themes relating to gender, class, capitalism and loss.

The Manitoban’s cover contest aims to showcase art created by the talent at the U of M on a wide scale. The next deadline to enter will be Feb. 15. Contest instructions can be found on our Instagram, @themanitoban, or inside most issues of the paper.

U of M extends mask mandate into the winter semester

Students and staff voice opinions on mandate

Alicia Rose, staff

After upholding its mask mandate throughout the fall semester, the University of Manitoba is extending the rule moving into the new year.

On Dec. 12, U of M president Michael Benarroch released a statement announcing the extension. Benarroch explained that the decision was made after receiving feedback from the university’s community and from public health experts.

The U of M currently requires masks to be worn by students in all indoor spaces, except when alone in a closed area, or eating food or drinking beverages in a food-designated area.

Benarroch explained that the university will continue to observe and assess the current COVID-19 situation, and said that it will adjust the mandate when it is safe to do so.

Laurie Schnarr, vice-provost students at the U of M, said that there has been a lot of support for the decision to keep masks on campus.

“Keeping students, staff and faculty safe is the greatest priority, but also […] not contributing to the significant strain that we are already seeing on our health-care system,” she said.

“We want to do our part as members of this community.”

Reactions to the mask mandate extension

Matthew Hamilton, a political science instructor at the University of Winnipeg who has taught at the U of M in the past, voiced his support for the mask mandate extension at the university.

Hamilton explained that he has experienced different mask policies, having taught at both the U of W and U of M campuses. The U of W recommends masks be worn but does not require them.

He said that having masks in large classes was comforting, since he is a parent to young children. However, he noted that masks make it harder to communicate with others.

During his lectures at the U of W, Hamilton said that he has not worn a mask because of the smaller class sizes and large rooms. He also said that he has taught an evening class where there has been less stu-

dent interaction.

Even though the U of M allows instructors to remove their masks while lecturing, Hamilton chose to wear his while teaching there. He said that he feels the mandate extension at the U of M is a

However, he felt that when he was at the U of M, the university could have done more to make masks accessible to students and faculty in case they forgot their masks, such as having them available at all U of M entrances.

in class sometimes made learning more difficult, as they made it harder to understanding what was being said.

them.

good idea because of the large classes compared to the U of W, large amount of interaction and the number of people who come to campus that may constantly travel.

“I think that the decision is appropriate for an institution the size of the University of Manitoba,” Hamilton said.

Vaibhav Varma, president of the University of Manitoba Campus Conservatives, is against the mandatory mask mandate being extended into the winter term.

He said that the policy is not in line with other universities in Manitoba, such as the U of W and Brandon University, where masks are recommended but not mandatory.

Varma said that last semester, he felt that wearing masks

He believes that a mask mandate is no longer reflective of life in Manitoba, as people can go to restaurants, grocery stores and other places without wearing masks, but still must wear one on campus.

“We just think that it should be up to the students’ choice and the professors’ choice, whether or not they are wanting to wear a mask,” Varma said.

“We’re not telling people not to wear masks, we just shouldn’t be enforcing it.”

Joy Olusanya, a third-year criminology student at the U of M, said that both wearing masks and having two years of online university have made it difficult to get to know professors and to communicate with

However, she said that if the rule is in place to keep people safe, then she feels that masks should be worn.

Lupo Plaza, a third-year student at the U of M and the president of the University of Manitoba Latinx-Hispanic Student Association expressed his support regarding the mask extension policy.

“I do strongly agree with the extension of the mask mandate,” he said.

“I believe that it is a matter of communal respect, for of course our fellow peers, and fellow faculty members.”

We want to do our part as members of this community”

— Laurie Schnarr, University of Manitoba vice-provost students

photos / Faith Peters / staff

International student community mourns student death

RRC Polytech student Javed Musharraf passed in mid-December

Matthew Merkel, staff

Manitoba’s international student community is in mourning following the Dec. 15 passing of a Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) international student. 22-year-old Javed Musharraf died after being involved in a collision with a front-end loader while riding his bike near Mission Street and Plinguet Street at approximately 10:20 p.m.

In an email statement released following Musharraf’s death, RRC Polytech vice-president academic Christine Watson said, “our hearts go out to Javed’s family and friends, and to the wider community that has been shaken by this tragedy.”

“ We extend our condolences to his family and all who knew him. RRC Polytech’s priority is to support our community and provide counselling and other supports for our students and faculty who have been affected.”

University of Manitoba Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) president Abdul Ahad said that he met Musharraf a couple of times at community events. Ahad stated that Musharraf was “really social” and had a “sweet personality.”

“Every time I met [him], he always had a big smile on his face,” he said.

With Musharraf’s death occurring during the fall term exam period, Ahad said that he and fellow students did not feel that his passing was garnering enough attention from the student community.

Because of this, Ahad said that the international community, Muslim community and the Manitoba Islamic Association took the lead in planning Musharraf’s prayer and burial.

“We actually wanted to present the fact that, as the different groups from the university, we are all for him, and we are standing behind him,” he said.

“We are always there to advocate to the university to ensure that they are also helping the kids as much as possible.”

University of Manitoba international students’ representative Kunal Rajpal said that none of Musharraf’s relatives were able to attend his funeral, and that this is a common issue for international students. He added that because international students live so far away from their homes, many are without reliable support systems in Manitoba.

For this reason, he helped Ahad hold a vigil for Musharraf inside the Price faculty of engineering building on the U of M Fort Garry campus. Although Rajpal wishes they could have held the vigil on one of the RRC Polytechnic campuses, he is glad that one was held regardless.

“Mourning for someone is a very important part of the process,” he said. “I wanted to

make sure that his memory is respected. That, even though Javed is not with us and that’s sad, that there is someone who can say, ‘I’m sorry that you are gone, but we are there for you.’”

Moving forward, Ahad said he hopes to see universities provide financial support so that students who die while studying away from their home and families can have a proper funeral. He said that burials are expensive, and that unexpected burials in the Islamic tradition can be particularly hard to raise funds for, as the body of a deceased person must be buried as quickly as possible. He added that many international students already spend high amounts of money on tuition.

Ahad said that universities act as a second home for many international students, and he believes that funding for funeral expenses would help individual’s families and the community through trag-

U of M updates sexual violence policy

edy. Also, he would like to see universities take the lead to hold vigils for students who pass away, and to contact their families to offer support.

He also said that next fall he will advocate for the University of Manitoba to create a program that addresses these issues. Since the U of M is the largest university in the province, Ahad believes that other colleges and universities in Manitoba would likely make similar changes if such a program was introduced.

Ahad encourages international students to come together, help each other and take advantage of as many resources as possible. He believes that by doing this, international students can help keep themselves, and each other, safe.

Changes focus on compulsory referrals to the Sexual Violence Resource Centre

Ashley Puchniak, staff

The U of M has updated its sexual violence policy regarding disclosures of sexual violence.

The updated policies require that, upon receiving a disclosure from someone that sexual violence has occurred, supervisors or managers at the U of M must direct the person who made the disclosure to the Sexual Violence Resource Centre (SVRC) immediately.

Bre Woligroski, co-ordinator of the SVRC, explained that the policies were updated due to confusion surrounding what next steps should be taken after receiving a disclosure of sexual violence.

She said that for those at the managerial or supervisor level at the university, “there was some uncertainty about what next steps should be.”

The policy updates reflect the university’s desire to be survivor-centred by giving priority to making supports available to survivors, and also enabling them to make a report if they want to.

Woligroski noted that the updated policy states that if there is a threat of immediate danger, the person receiving the disclosure must contact security services or 911 for the individual’s safety.

The SVRC meets by appointment with students, faculty and staff who have been affected by sexual violence to discuss options for support and any action they might wish to take.

“It is a confidential service, and we do our best to create a space that is safe and is trauma informed and survivor centred,” Woligroski said, adding that the centre prioritizes the needs of survivors and does its best to “make sure that they have as much power in the situation as possible.”

Sophia Sacco, a science

student at the University of Manitoba, explained that she believes this is a positive change, noting that victims often struggle to deal with the trauma on their own and having professional help available can be critical.

“Everybody who is a victim is impacted differently, but it will change their entire life,” she said.

When asked what the U of M can do to make a safer environment for students, Sacco said that she hopes the university can raise awareness that sexual violence is not solely perpetrated by

men, and that there are many different forms of sexual violence.

Woligroski said that people who contact the SVRC don’t have to provide their name or student number. “We don’t want that to be a barrier,” she said.

“They can also call us, and sometimes people like that because it might be a little more anonymous,” she continued.

Woligroski added that appointments with the SVRC are also available on Zoom.

“We know life is complicated and people may not

have time during business days,” she said, “so we’re super open to meeting evenings and weekends also, in whatever way feels most safe for them.”

More information can be found online on the Sexual Violence Resource Centre website. If you know of anyone in immediate danger, contact campus security at (204) 4749341 or call 911.

photo

Research & Technology

U of M professor studies dietary behavior across MB

Growing food and nutrition insecurity found in youths

Elah Ajene, staff

What we consume directly influences our overall health and well-being. A healthy diet is vital in supplying our body with fuel for effective work, required nutrients for growth and development and in reducing the risk of chronic medical conditions.

Canada’s food guide — a Health Canada eating plan — highlights guidelines and recommendations for healthy eating.

However, the lack of access to or availability of sufficient resources needed to obtain food, otherwise termed “food insecurity,” is a growing population health issue in Canada today, with select regions facing food inflation and significantly higher costs of groceries.

Multiple households in northern Manitoba have been faced with an increased food security crisis, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Food and Nutrition Security for Manitoba Youth (FANS) study, led by University of Manitoba professor in the department of food

and human nutritional sciences Joyce Slater, focused on food security status and dietary patterns of adolescents in Manitoba.

The FANS study, which was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, surveyed a cohort of over 1,500 grade nine students in 14 school divisions across the province.

Participants, aged 13 to 16, self-reported their food behaviours and dietary intakes using an online “diet recall” program.

“We were able to compare what students ate in our study to what is recommended they eat in terms of the four food groups,” Slater explained.

According to Slater, the majority of students did not meet the dietary guidelines’ recommended intake for vegetables and fruits, three-quarters lacked the required milk and alternatives and up to 60 per cent were not getting meat and alternatives.

Additionally, over 90 per cent of the cohort did not meet their fibre requirements and low levels of nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium and folate were observed.

Using the Healthy Eating Index — a computerized

“We certainly have an indication that there [are] different rates of food security in the different regions that our study participants live in,” she said.

She added that around 20 per cent of students were classified as having food insecurity in urban areas, while 36 per cent faced food insecurity in northern parts of Manitoba.

may include providing quality food and nutrition education in schools, and developing policies needed to improve these food environments.

“We’d really like to start a conversation with decision makers about what we can do to address what we’ve found here in Manitoba,” she explained.

Slater is currently working with graduate students on different aspects of the project, and developing a report with infographics in collaboration with her community partners.

measure of an individual’s diet quality — Slater found that only two per cent of students were in the “good” category, while the majority fell into the “needs improvement” and “poor” categories.

“There’s some real concerns about the dietary intake of young people in our study,” she said.

Slater also found that students who resided in the northern regions of the province had higher rates of food insecurity than students in urban areas.

Slater highlighted a two prong strategy to deal with the unhealthy dietary patterns among adolescents, beginning with addressing food insecurity.

“We need to look at availability in northern and remote communities of healthy food and what the cost of that food is, and maybe to do things like subsidize that food,” she said.

As the majority of young people within the province are not meeting nutritional requirements, Slater also proposed a broad-based strategy in assisting them. This

“It’s definitely a policy challenge, but I think we need to have those conversations,” she said. “I think the results from our study will contribute to that conversation.”

“We really want to create environments that make it easy for people to eat healthier.”

“We really want to create environments that make it easy for people to eat healthier”

— Joyce Slater,

U of M professor in the department of food and human nutritional sciences

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

Science entertainment creates lifelong scientific interests

Sci-fi movies and novels may inspire future career paths

Robert Moshe Thompson, staff

Humans have been enjoying science entertainment since ancient times.

An early form of this type of entertainment was the science fiction story. Arguably, the first science fiction tale was written in Greek by Lucian of Samosata, titled True History, or True Story in 2 CE It is a now-typical first encounter story with extraterrestrials and space exploration.

The rise of cinema in the late 1800s provided a new medium for this type of content. Georges Méliès’s 1902 film called Le Voyage dans la Lune, translated as A Trip to the Moon, is possibly the first science fiction movie.

Like True History, A Trip to the Moon is a journey to the moon with extraterrestrial encounters.

Another common theme in science fiction is advanced, visually pleasing technology. This includes time travel, long-distance space exploration and virtual reality.

The 1993 movie Jurassic Park is about a theme park filled with dinosaurs. In the film, the dinosaurs were brought back from extinc-

tion by making clones with ancient DNA.

Many children’s movies and television shows feature dinosaurs, such as The Land Before Time (1988), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) and The Good Dinosaur (2015). Some movies may have used real-life prehistoric events as inspiration for plot devices.

The 2000 movie Dinosaur is a story about a dinosaur whose family home was destroyed by meteorites.

This is reminiscent of the asteroid that many scientists believe caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Dhuranka Wijesinghe, a U of M biology graduate and aspiring paleontologist, grew up watching dinosaur movies like Jurassic Park with his cousins.

“I used to have colouring books and picture books of dinosaurs,” Wijesinghe said.

“There was a time in my third, fourth grade where everyone in the class was interested in dinosaurs and things like that, and then slowly I

sort of moved to documentaries. Both animal and dinosaur documentaries, and this was before I used to have internet.”

Wijesinghe said that where he grew up in Sri Lanka, movies were one of the only ways that some of his peers learned about paleontology and dinosaurs. He feels that it is important to stimulate the curiosity of young people regarding the sciences, so that they will not lose interest.

Wijesinghe still continues to enjoy dinosaur-related entertainment. He recently visited the town of Morden, Man., to see Bruce the Mosasaur, the largest Mosasaur fossil on display in the world.

Wijesinghe often watches PBS Eons, a YouTube channel about prehistory, produced collaboratively with PBS digital studios. He praises the program for making advanced paleontology research accessible. The videos are brief, usually no more than ten minutes, and each is focused on a single narrow topic.

Wijesinghe first became interested in Spinosaurus after watching Jurassic Park 3. He was inspired by a fight scene in which a Spinosaurus battled a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

This demonstrates that childhood exposure to science fiction has the potential to turn into a research interest.

Like many paleontologists, Wijesinghe thinks he may be a university professor someday. However, he does not see teaching as a burden and said he would be excited to have students of his own.

Wijesinghe’s lifelong passion for dinosaurs, which began by watching Jurassic Park, is the motivation behind his career choice.

Eventually, Wijesinghe went on to study biology at the U of M. He graduated in Winter 2022, and plans to travel to either Alberta or Ontario for his master’s in paleontology.

To gain research experience, Wijesinghe collaborated with a master’s student who was studying microvertebrates, a very small fossilized vertebrate. He took up tasks like sorting fossil samples. Even as an adult,

“I love the content,” Wijesinghe said. “The way they showcase the content is very accessible to anybody. You don’t have to necessarily have a very big mind.”

One of Wijesinghe’s favourite dinosaurs is Spinosaurus. Since the genus has an obscure fossil record, he was pleased to find out that PBS Eons covered the topic. He hopes to research this genus as a paleontologist.

“I do all this because I enjoy it,” he explained. “For your career, you want to do something that you actually enjoy.”

“You’re going to live most of your life working, so you don’t want to bore yourself to death.”

research@themanitoban.com

“I used to have colouring books and picture books of dinosaurs”

— Dhuranka Wijesinghe, U of M biology graduate

In defence

Braun, staff

Theodor W. Adorno and Max Horkheimer, leading philosophers of the group of researchers known as the Frankfurt school, defined their idea of the culture industry in their landmark 1947 book Dialectic of Enlightenment. The gist of their take is that, in the modern world of culture, our cultural desires are manipulated by industry, which acts as a conglomerate in tandem with the interests of government and capital.

The two argue that we no longer choose what we want to consume. Rather, we are given things to consume and told that we want them, becoming subjects to the views and desired worldview of our overlords.

In Adorno’s words, “the culture industry intentionally integrates its consumers from above.” Through this integration, the powers that be can reproduce and naturalize existing ideology, using art and culture to trap us in existing capitalist thought structures.

Right now, I think it’s hard to dispute that we are being increasingly told what to watch or read, and when to watch or read it. The most popular means of cultural consumption — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, etc. — all work using algorithms, shovelling content slop into the mouths of the user based on our tolerance of things that they shoved at us previously.

Even outside of digital algorithmic platforms, film and television have become increasingly dominated by a few mega-corporations.

Disney is the most wellknown example, spending the past few years gobbling up other studios and then paring their film releases down to a carefully selected array of blockbusters based almost entirely on existing properties.

In 2019, Disney released only 13 films, and of those 13, four were remakes and five were sequels. The few original properties were released directly to streaming rather than being given a proper theatrical release.

Even worse, the most popular of these films, the ones being seen by millions and millions of adults, are films for babies being enjoyed by legions of adult children — superhero movies, remakes and sequels for animated films drenched in nostalgia for the ’90s kids now in adulthood.

In music too, there has been a harsh critical turn over the past 20 years toward “poptimism,” a movement

that aims to praise and celebrate the most popular music rather than promoting and searching for new, small, experimental acts. Another cultural push to homogenize and consolidate cultural capital to the domain of the mega-corporations.

This is all to say that we are being given very little choice in the culture pellets we are given, and more and more the culture industry is tightening its grip around us. Which is why I say that being discerning in your cultural diet, being a snob, is an act of self-defence and radical self-respect.

Along with our dumbed-down, repetitive and undemocratic cultural landscape, there is an increase in anti-snob rhetoric. Social media is full of calls to “let people enjoy things,” as if skepticism and critique of popular cultural products is an attack on the people who enjoy the products. I say the opposite is true — being angry at the low-quality slop being fed to us in culture is an act of love for my fellow human beings, who are made to smile when they consume the slop.

We all deserve better than what we are being given, and respecting ourselves enough to say so is a morally good and righteous thing. And if you’re unhappy with the way of the world politically, as you should be, pushing back against the culture industry is a push against the dominant political ideology as well — a hand pushed in the face of mega-corporations trying to control your mind.

The way I see it, political action and revolution is a process of creativity, and one that is fostered by being shown new views of the world through exciting, new and independent art. If we can imagine these new perspectives, we can imagine new ways of life and new systems of societal organization that can get us out of this mess.

So, be a snob. Don’t go see the new Marvel movie, or listen to the new Drake album just because you feel like you have to. Don’t click on whatever is number one on Netflix, or at the top of your “for you” page on TikTok.

Take a second, think about what you deserve and what you want out of life, and search for the good stuff. Read art criticism, think critically about what you’re consuming, expand your cultural horizons. It’s good for your health!

Alex

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

Being discerning is our last defence in the fight for

Historic environmental agreement struck at COP15

The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, hosted by Canada in Montreal, Que., concluded on Dec. 19 with the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Representatives from 188 governments worldwide reached the agreement — its defining characteristic being the commitment to protect 30 per cent of the planet’s land, coasts, inland waters and oceans by 2030.

The need for a post-2020 biodiversity agreement was in response to Earth’s palpable loss of biodiversity and the failure of governments’ past commitments. A 2020 United Nations international report looked at national governments’ efforts from 20112020 to fulfill the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets agreed upon at COP10 in 2010. The report concluded that no targets were fully achieved, and only six were partially achieved.

The need for a new and improved agreement has intensified. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report of 2020 recognized loss of biodiversity, specif-

ically human-driven loss, as one of the most urgent threats facing our planet.

The 2022 agreement stipulates 23 environmental targets for governments to achieve.

Target 3, the protection of at least 30 per cent of the Earth’s ecosystems by 2030, is unprecedented, as currently over 17 per cent of land and 7.7 per cent of oceans are protected.

Other targets, such as number 10, seek governments’ assurance to sustainably manage fisheries, agriculture, aquaculture and forestry, in order to maintain food security without depleting ecosystems’ functions and services.

The commitments to these targets from all 188 representatives did not come easily.

Joseph Onoja, a Nigerian conservationist and director of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, pointed out the hypocrisy of colonial countries that built their wealth upon the exploitation of resources around the globe telling developing countries to cease development in order to preserve the environment. He argued that these same countries should be held accountable for their past environmental actions.

As frustrations culminated, representatives from Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia walked out of meetings.

Despite these frustrations, financial support was eventually determined. The agreement stipulates that by 2030, developed countries should be providing US$30 billion in annual biodiversity-related funding to developing countries.

Canada itself announced $255 million to help developing countries combat climate change, protect the environment and support their economies, adding to an already announced $350 million of funding to support biodiversity in these countries. During the conference, Canada signed the Canada-Yukon Nature Agreement. The agreement is set to advance conservation and protection across the Yukon, with Indigenous leadership having a guiding hand.

A similar agreement has been struck involving Canada and the Manitoba provincial government, as well as a partnership of four First Nations known as the Seal River Watershed Alliance. These groups will take steps toward implementing an Indigenous protected area

within the Seal River watershed, located in northern Manitoba. The area is one of the world’s most significant carbon sinks — an area that absorbs more carbon dioxide than it releases.

To show their commitment to the new biodiversity framework, the Canadian government has implemented immediate change.

Effective Dec. 20, 2022, the import of certain harmful single-use plastics such as checkout bags, cutlery and straws has been prohibited in Canada. The government projects that this will lead to the elimination of 22,000 tonnes of plastic pollution over the next 10 years.

Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault compared the COP15 agreement’s significance to the Paris Agreement on climate change, signed in 2015.

While ambitious, the agreement struck at COP 15 is a positive step forward in the international order, and hopefully the conference will set the tone of world affairs when dealing with environmental issues for decades to come.

Lucas Gomes, volunteer

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

Supercars and inflated egos

How the cars you choose and idealize impact the planet

Sarah Cohen, staff

’ve been to a number of car shows and car meets across Southern California. While I didn’t go by choice, I’ve found that there is a lot to learn at these events if you observe the right things. However, the thing that stands out above all else is that supercars are stupid.

I

To name a few, supercars are all the multi-coloured Aston Martins, Lamborghinis and Corvettes that race around barely half a foot from the ground with stupid-rich people inside.

Supercars are a collector’s item, allowing the one per cent to bask in their wealth and put it on display for the general population to view. I have no clue what this experience is like for the people who own the cars. My many mornings at the Malibu Country Mart with Jay Leno’s cars lined up against others gave me a glimpse into that world, and I can’t understand it.

I can’t lie, though. There was one holographic-wrapped

Lamborghini that always caught my eye, and my general attitude was, “that colour is nice.”

All kinds of cars contribute in some way to the climate crisis our planet is facing, and that’s impossible to deny. When people talk about emissions and why they’re bad for the planet, they are talking about the amount of gaseous waste such as carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere. Like a greenhouse, those gases keep heat inside our planet’s atmosphere.

A typical car emits, on average, 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year. Manufacturing cars can have a carbon footprint of anywhere from six to 35 metric tons per vehicle. Either way, cars are bad for the environment. Especially if you are buying them for show and tell purposes.

Electric cars help the world

because they don’t use gasoline, and so do not produce tailpipe emissions. Hybrid cars help the world because they are more fuel efficient

Many of Tate’s followers fail to see his anti-women rhetoric, and believe that there is an agenda against “truth-sayers” such as Tate.

have speculated — and is now being held in custody in Romania. If he could only see himself now.

than gas-only vehicles. Supercars don’t help the world at all, aside from boosting the egos of rich people.

As the world saw last month, infamous influencer Andrew Tate took to Twitter to boast about his collection of cars and their emissions to climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Misogyny and sexism seem to be on the rise on social media, and people like Andrew Tate — who has said that women are the property of men and bear some responsibility for being sexually assaulted — feed that with their misogynistic messaging.

Tate’s message to his target audience of primarily young men has the power to expand misogynistic oppression. Some of that messaging is subliminal, and sometimes it sounds like genuinely encouraging young men to be good people.

The more followers Tate has — even if those followers just want to check out his collection of supercars — the more power Tate has to spread the dangerous rhetoric or actions that he puts into the world.

In the Twitter feud between the two, Tate commented that Thunberg was probably sitting bitterly in a cold room. Ironically, Tate was arrested a few days after the exchange — though not because of the tweets, as internet sleuths

There is and was no need for Tate or anyone to buy supercars for any other purpose than to boost an image and ego. Humble yourselves. Be conscientious about the cars you purchase and the reasons you choose them, and be critical of who you follow on social media. Remember that as individuals, we have the power to reduce our own carbon footprints and think for ourselves.

At the end of the day, supercars inflate the egos of misogynists, and are also bad for the environment. We’d all be better off on a bike, using public transportation or a trusted Prius, rather than driving some misogynistic millionaire’s version of a Barbie car.

Be conscientious about the cars you purchase and the reasons you choose them

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

There’s no time like the present

Stop romanticizing the past or future and live in the now

Dina Hamid, staff

As 2023 is upon on us and a fresh set of resolutions are made for the upcoming year, we can’t help but reflect on the past year and look forward to the possibilities of the coming months.

Perhaps you are still reminiscing about 2022 because it was the best year for you professionally, socially, romantically or financially. Or perhaps, last year was the worst 12-month period of your life, and you’re eager for what 2023 has in store.

These small comparative reflections are important to keep us on track and remind us of what we really want out of life. However, sometimes these comparisons can get out of hand when they stop us from living in the present moment.

These comparisons of the present to the past are what gave birth to the infamous “I was born in the wrong decade” attitude often found in most YouTube comment sections of musical artists like the Beatles, Ella Fitzgerald or Bob Dylan. This sentiment comes from both the appreciation and glorification of the eras that came before us.

However, when people romanticize the 1950s — the era when you could go to your local dance hall to do the twist or jitterbug with your friends to Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” — they forget the sexism and racism that was widely prevalent, and that pervaded so many people’s daily lives.

While the present has its own problems that seem impending and overwhelming at times, such as climate change, the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and the looming threat of a nuclear war, there has never been an

era without problems.

There have been countless wars, revolutions, famines, pandemics and social injustices. Viewing our past through rose-colored glasses can prevent us from perceiving the true reality of our history. To do that, we need to recognize that the past was not perfect, and that romanticizing it can be problematic. Only then can we appreciate what we have now.

Besides, only the individuals from the past are gone. There are still remnants of their lives left behind for us to relish today. The music, clothing, movies and other aspects of those decades are still accessible for us to consume at the click of a button or a drive to Value Village. You don’t have to be living in the 50s, 70s or 90s to appreciate them.

On the flipside, it can be just as damaging to glorify the future as it might be to romanticize the past.

When we place too much emphasis on an idealized vision of the future, we run the risk of missing out on the experiences and happiness that can be found right in front of us.

Even if planning for tomorrow creates expectations that can help us set goals to progress toward our dreams, living in the future prevents us from fully appreciating the present.

Since the future is an unknown goal post that is constantly changing, idealizing something so indefinite and fickle can lead to dissatisfaction or disappointment about what could have been.

While I hope we can continue to advance and develop

into a better society, that’s not a given. The only thing that is definite is the here and now.

Even if our current reality can occasionally feel depressing, I think that there are things to be thankful for.

Improvements to health care, medicine and technology have made it possible to easily access virtually infinite amounts of information, and there is greater access to rights for those who

have historically been disadvantaged.

As Drake once famously put it, “what a time to be alive.” Those are words to live by. Things do not seem to be the best right now, but they could be worse.

It’s easier to fall in love with an era that you’ve never lived through, or live in a daydream of a potential future, than to live in the present. Ignorance is bliss.

Besides, the past is still there for us to observe and enjoy, while the future,

although uncertain, is inevitably coming. Thus, this new year’s resolution should be to live in the moment and enjoy the now.

Adopting positivity and gratitude is the only way we can be truly appreciative and happy with what we’ve got.

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

You don’t have to be living in the

50s,

70s or

90s to appreciate them

Science tip: Scientists hardly ever use the two-dot division sign, and when they do it often doesn’t even mean division, but they still get REALLY mad when you repurpose it to write stuff like SALE! ALL SHOES 30÷ OFF!

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

In Hidato, fill the board by continuing the chain of numbers from 1 to 100 moving any direction or diagonally to the next number.

In Straits, like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a “straight.” A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how “straights” are formed.

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely. For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

phdcomics.com

Sudoku Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles

Hidato Puzzle by M.J.D. Doering Straights

by Syndicated Puzzles

Horoscopes for the week of Jan. 11

Zodiac tips for surviving life at the U of M

Damien Davis staff

ARIES

Your tarot card for the week is the Tower. Things have not gone the way you wanted them to go. You’ve found yourself falling into line time and time again. Through sideways pupils, you’ve seen the future you crave so deeply on the horizon, but can’t seem to make it up the hill. Stop resisting. This is not a time of senseless chaos, but a catalyst for personal transformation. Shave down the coat you’ve been stuck in since last year. Start fresh.

TAURUS

Your tarot card for the week is the Sun. Have you seen a farm with fields of cattle in your dreams? The Sun beckons you to embrace your inner child and to rear your horns toward the sky. The first week back at school will test your might and patience, but you know what it means to have absolute control.

GEMINI

Your tarot card for the week is the Moon. The fear that is burrowing itself inside you and your inner self will finally be purged. Know that you know yourself best, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. Twins symbol ize duality. Show your peers what it means to be both kind and cruel when necessary. Consult the ever-shifting librarians of Elizabeth Dafoe on what it means to be whole.

’Toban Tips

CANCER

Your tarot card for the week is the Magician. Who are you when you are not performing for others? At the bottom of the ocean, you wonder what a life without the water’s reflection could be like. This card asks you to reach the surface and find out for yourself. What good is it, sitting around and wondering about the what ifs? Approach the new year with the knowledge that you could do more than survive, you could thrive.

LEO

Your tarot card for the week is the Fool. Caution is your friend again. Meticulous planning with the hope of a relaxed week is your best chance at preparation this term. You’ll find yourself gravitating to the busy corridors of University Centre. There is a comfort in walking invisible among strangers, not because you’re nobody, but because you choose not to be seen. This card asks you: if the universe has your back, why don’t you take what you want?

VIRGO

Your tarot card for the week is the Emperor. With the moon in your sign at a waning gibbous, now is the time to feel grateful for all that brought you here. You’re known for your logic and practicality. The Emperor asks: how do you apply the wisdom and guidance from past men tors to your current situation? Never for get your elders. Never forget the warnings of writing on the walls.

LIBRA

Your tarot card for the week is Death. When Persephone found herself locked in the underworld, she made it her own. You too will be surprised at what can grow and flourish in the darkest of times. The scales do not tilt unless you wish them to. What would your childhood self say if they saw you now? Remember that order is not for the good of humanity, but for you.

SCORPIO

Your tarot card for the week is Judgement. You are on the precipice of change. Scorpions can go months without nutrients. Their stingers reach for the sky, and they bow in the face of the universe. It is not in your nature to hate, but rather to behold the wonders of the universe and your place within it. This week will challenge you, but you can handle it.

SAGITTARIUS

Your tarot card for the week is the Fool. When was the last time you had real fun? Did you release all of your ten - sion and stress during the break, or were you so caught up in making sure you had fun that you were unable to truly relax? The need for things to be just so can be overwhelming. This week, you should focus on the excitement of going to new classes. Put down the bow, archer, and remember what it felt like to be free.

CAPRICORN

Your tarot card for the week is the Chariot. This week, you should practise making a decision and sticking to it. You are not in a place to be acting impulsively. Gather your things and consult your mentors. There is truly nothing more satisfying than knowing that you made the right choice. The Chariot asks: do you hold the reins of your destiny, or does someone else?

AQUARIUS

Your tarot card for the week is the Devil. In the new year, you are peeling off all that limited you from last term. These chains you put on yourself in attempts to be free do not serve you anymore, and it is time to rid of them. You’re known for your independence, but it’s never wrong to ask for help, especially when you’re struggling. Rest easy, water bearer. All will be well in the end.

PISCES

Your tarot card is the Hermit. If you felt that you barely got through the fall term, or were overwhelmed by any chaos near its end, the Hermit is here to tell you that it’s time to put your toys away. Sometimes we have to do things that others may see as odd in order to ensure success for ourselves. As a Pisces, you’re used to solitude, but that doesn’t mean you always have to aim for it. Even Diogenes had a friend, surely.

How to help a friend in a toxic relationship

Dear Toby,

During winter break, I brought my boyfriend to my family’s Christmas Eve dinner. However, he made some problematic comments that made my family uncomfortable.

I wonder if this is something to expect from him in the future, or if it was a fluke. If it is what I should expect, I don’t know what to do!

I’m not okay with that behaviour. How do I resolve

things with him and my family?

Help, Troubled girlfriend

Dear Troubled girlfriend,

I am sorry you are dealing with this issue. It’s always uncomfortable when your partner doesn’t get along with your family, especially when they’re the ones in the wrong.

Communication is key. Ask your boyfriend what he meant by his comments in private. He may have spoken out of

pure ignorance, and may not have understood why what he said was problematic. If that is the case, he might be willing to apologize for his actions and educate himself so that he can do better in the future.

However, it’s also possible that your boyfriend knew what he was saying and was purposely being problematic. If that is the case, you have to make an important decision about your relationship. We should not surround ourselves with hateful or spite-

ful people. People can change, but only if they want to. If you do end up making the choice to leave him, explain why. Per haps it will give him some thing to think about, and hopefully his future partners will not have to experience what you did.

Wishing you luck, Toby the Bison

To ask Toby a question, email comment@ themanitoban.com.

The best Canadian albums of 2022

Alex Braun, staff

Alvvays — Blue Rev

Alvvays has reclaimed its rightful spot as indie-pop royalty. Since its first record in 2014, the band has pumped out perfect pop gems at a frustratingly slow pace. Blue Rev comes after an excruciating five-year gap, but any wait would be worth it for an album like this — 14 perfect songs that somehow get more perfect the more you listen to them.

Each song has such a strong base — beautiful, wide vocal melodies matched with clever, observant lyrics. And Alvvays keeps building on top, piling on ingenious instrumental parts, perfectly timed key changes, bridges that cut through like rays of sunshine and little blips and melodies that appear for a second, then disappear.

It’s breathtaking songwriting and an absolute masterclass in craft and production.

Fellow Canadian super producer Shawn Everett’s mix is pitch-perfect,

with constant little details that boggle the mind but never distract from the neatly built songs at the core. It’s a magic trick of an album, a rare alchemic accident, an incandescent bright blue potion that rockets you out of time like the sugar-rush alcopop that gave the album its name. Drink it up.

The Weeknd — Dawn FM

The Weeknd is probably the best living pop star. In a world of sleepy pastiche peddlers, trend-chasing TikTok phenoms and washed-up hangers-on, the Weeknd is one of the brave few really pushing forward. And nowhere is that more apparent than on his admirably ambitious album Dawn FM.

Reuniting with experimental electronic darling Oneohtrix Point Never, we are led through a dance mix presented by the official radio station of the purgatorial afterlife, Dawn FM, hosted by none other than Jim Carrey.

This is another case of a great songwriter and performer flexing his muscles. Abel Tesfaye pulls from ’80s synth pop, ’90s Eurodance, modern R&B and house seamlessly, without ever indulging in imitation. And the hit rate over the 16 tracks is remarkably high, especially in the sterling opening sequence from “Gasoline” through “Sacrifice.”

Chastity — Suffer Summer

The so-called pop-punk revival is still limping along after a couple years of relevance. Pop artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Machine Gun

Kelly have embraced the sounds of ’00s stars like Avril Lavigne or blink-182 by making the music even more poppy and artificial. However, Chastity grasped the real object of pop-punk on Suffer Summer, fusing together classic power pop and actually edgy punk music with style.

Project mastermind Brandon Williams managed to make an album both harrowingly honest and effortlessly catchy, with songs so sugary that you don’t notice that you’re swallowing some truly bitter pills. Like on “Happy Face,” a song about a friend’s overdose death that somehow still goes down like an ice-cold Coke on a hot summer day.

Living Hour — Someday Is Today

Someday Is Today marked a big leap forward for Winnipeg’s premier indie rock band. After two albums of solid but uniform dream pop, the band leaped out of its previously defined patterns to deliver an album of varied and consistently excellent pop and rock songs.

These songs run the gamut from fuzzed-out rock to gentle instrumentals to woozy, steadily building guitar pop, introducing whole new worlds of texture and structure to the band’s already gorgeous sound. And somehow, even as the band expands to new genre frontiers, it always fits perfectly and never feels like trying on a costume. When Living Hour returns to its signature dreamy sound, it is deeper and more breathtaking than ever.

Destroyer — LABYRINTHITIS

Dan Bejar is a journeyman musician, a real standard-bearer of Canadian indie. On his 13th album, LABYRINTHITIS, he once again demonstrates his constant restlessness and increasing wiliness in his middle age.

The album can be seen as a synthesis of some of Bejar’s previous adventures, mixing the herky-jerky, uncanny electronics and dry, surreal humour of 2020’s Have We Met with the smooth, glammy sound of albums Kaputt or Poison Season

But in that synthesis, Bejar arrives at something completely new and exciting. From the hypnotic opener “It’s in Your Heart Now” to the heartbreaking closer, aptly titled “The Last Song,” Destroyer offers up some of his most elusive songwriting paired with some of the tightest and catchiest arrangements of his long and varied career.

’Toban picks for the best music to come out of our beautiful nation last year

What to play before the

semester weighs you down

Space out with these gravity and physics-based video games

Jessie Krahn, staff

While January is past the longest night of the year, many students still have weeks of scarce sunlight and burning the midnight oil ahead.

These four space-themed games immerse you in zero gravity and starry nights. Hopefully, they’ll lift your spirits, give you a different perspective on the darkness and lighten the burden of schoolwork.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a 2D space shooter with up to four-player couch co-op. You and your crew of little nubbin-limbed Tic Tacshaped “spacenauts” must navigate spherical ships through asteroid belts and perilous caves to rescue captive creatures from insectoid and fishy aliens.

Each player controls one function of the ship, such as its movement, guns or shield. However, Lovers does require a level of co-ordination and teamwork that always melts down into hilarious consequences when the ship is surrounded by 40 angry, flying acid-spewing beetles.

Combat in Lovers is ridiculous. You can mix and match different gun upgrades to create anything from a bouncing buzzsaw cannon to springloaded laser-shooting flails. Because missions can take a while to complete, even with an efficient team, the price of failure is steeper than other stress-fun couch co-op games like Overcooked

The game is cathartically silly, like a road trip through space with your best friends. Playing with two or more people is a guaranteed bonding experience, as your team will shriek and giggle trying to destroy extraterrestrial fish while the brave soul who volunteered to drive crashes into asteroids.

Slime Rancher

Slime Rancher’s setting isn’t exactly celestial, but it does take place on a far-off planet. The player character, Beatrix, is a rancher tasked with collecting plorts, a special resource to sell to a voracious off-world market.

Most of the game’s mechanics involve corralling and farming the source of plorts — slimes, giggly little animated liquid critters. Once fed, the slimes will poop out precious

crystalline plorts, which can either be sold for profit to upgrade the ranch or used as material to construct gadgets to explore the slimes’ home world.

The game is technically a first-person shooter, as your vacuum gun is capable of sucking up and firing out your giggling slimes like a militarized shipping container.

Slime Rancher offers a calming, lush and rainbow-hued open world and equips you with a jetpack that allows you to float through it.

My one criticism is that Slime Rancher puts forth the capitalist and colonialist myths that colonized lands are improved through resource extraction and refinement, which are too often tacitly endorsed in the farming simulation genre.

However, if you’ve exhausted everything to do in Stardew Valley, Slime Rancher is a kooky, floatier alternative that’ll scratch the same itch.

Gravity Ghost

Gravity Ghost is a relaxing puzzle game and a feel-good gem. In it, you play as a little spectral girl named Iona as she works through residual grief in the afterlife, guiding

animal spirits along the way.

Beating a level seems simple — just collect stars.

The catch is, you have to figure out how to work with the game’s gravity by flinging Iona into the orbit of heavenly bodies with enough momentum to cause the path she is on as she hurls through space to precisely align with a star.

Building up enough force to land in just the right spot is tricky, but super rewarding as you grow accustomed to the game’s physics.

For me, whipping the ghost around until she became a human satellite was soothing in a way I imagine knitting or needlework must be for patient people.

Heavenly Bodies

In Heavenly Bodies, you play as a cosmonaut who must fix space stations, flying through space collecting resources and doing simple tasks that zero gravity renders monumentally difficult.

What’s more, you have to do all of that while controlling your cosmonaut’s arms and legs separately. Pulling a lever, for instance, is broken down into several steps — kick off a wall to float to the lever, lift your arm, grab the lever and

hope physics is on your side. Experienced through the magic of couch co-op, the physics-based gameplay of Heavenly Bodies is comically absurd.

Either I or my co-op partner usually try and fail to regain control over the game’s twisted physics, while the other miraculously carries us through to the end of the level.

Spinning in a circle for 10 minutes while someone else single-handedly fixes a space station — possibly while literally dragging your character through the level by the foot — is humbling in the best way possible.

As I watch my little cosmonaut kick and flail desperately, whirling out into the star-speckled cosmos, the burden of deadlines doesn’t seem so heavy. I think about thousands of little nubbins rushing to complete arbitrary tasks while soaring through the dark abyss on our little Earth, and I just can’t help but laugh.

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

New student group aims to build community

Black Student Empowerment Society hosts cultural, professionalization events

Damien Davis, staff

There is always a need for support, community and guidance among students at the U of M, and this need is not exclusive to one type of student. The Black Student Empowerment Society (BSES) is all too familiar with this need.

The group, co-chaired by El-shaddai Nyakiir and Mily Baliho, was officially formed in September of 2020 during the pandemic. Baliho said that the group formed out of a feeling expressed by herself and other Black individuals — a combination of a lack of community, support and connection within academia.

“UMSU has also historically never been very good at celebrating things like Black History Month,” Baliho said.

“We’ve only really ever had one celebration of that a few years ago and it went not very well to my memory, so there’s a lacking feeling of connec-

tion both by the university and then among individuals.”

“We decided that because there’s no way to create generational ties, that we wanted to create a student group that kind of addresses [that], and we could be the community ties that other Black individuals in the student collective cannot inherently have,” she explained.

During its early days amid COVID-19, the group held events online, from Zoom parties to discussion forums and campaigns for Black History Month. While these are things that Baliho likes to reminisce about, another goal has always been at the heart of the BSES’s formation.

“We want to bridge a connection between students and between professionals and alumni that are both Black-identified,” Baliho said.

Baliho highlighted an upcoming event in February called “The Black Café,”

which will host a simple coffee house-styled setup for Black students to meet and connect with Black mentors of later years. The students will be able to ask questions about academia and their futures, not only for educational support but for emotional support as well.

The BSES also recently debuted its Afrobeats Night event on Jan. 5 at the Good Will Social Club, kicking off the winter term for the group.

Baliho said that her biggest hope for the future of the BSES is to make up for the feeling of loss and hopelessness that people in her years have felt regarding their degrees. She said that this feeling is a personal experience for a lot of students, but that there are extra layers to it for students like her who may be the first in their families to go to university.

“It does feel aimless, and we don’t have those tiny bits of

support and affirmation from people who have done what we wanted to prior,” Baliho explained.

“Although we can’t make generational connections, we

can be our own connection, because everybody knows maybe one little thing.”

arts@themanitoban.com

graphic / provided

Moose swept in New Year’s Eve series

The Abbotsford Canucks outpaced depleted Moose in front of raucous home crowd

Matthew Merkel, staff

I n their final series of 2022, the Manitoba Moose were swept by the Abbotsford Canucks. Although the Moose were supported by an enthusiastic crowd both nights, the Canucks dominated, winning game one 4-2 and the second game 5-2.

After winning their last four straight games heading into the holiday break, the Moose were second place in the Central Division.

However, injury trouble for the Moose’s parent club, the Winnipeg Jets, and the commencement of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Halifax, N.S. and Moncton, N.B. meant that a number of key Manitoba players would not be in the lineup.

Kevin Stenlund, Ville Heinola, Kristian Reichel and Jansen Harkins were all with the big club, while Chaz Lucius and Brad Lambert had both been loaned to their respective countries.

Luckily for the Moose, the Jets loaned Dominic Toninato to their affiliate, providing Manitoba National Hockey League experience for the teams opening faceoff against Abbotsford.

In game one, each team traded chances for the majority of the first period. With just over two minutes left in the frame, a holding penalty against the Canucks gave Manitoba their first man advantage of the game.

In the dying seconds of the powerplay, centreman Tyler Boland carried the puck end to end before firing a low wrister past Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs for his first career American Hockey League goal.

The Canucks responded forcefully in the second period, scoring three goals on 13 shots. Justin Dowling kicked off Abbotsford’s offence by roofing it past Moose goalie Arvid Holm in tight, followed by Linus Karlsson on the powerplay, then Danila Klimovich in the second half of the period.

Down by two, the Moose had a sense of urgency in the third, putting up 14 shots in the frame. With the Manitoba net empty, Boland shot his second of the game past a screened Silovs to close the Canucks lead.

Unfortunately, that was as close as the Moose would get to winning. Canucks winger Phil Di Giuseppe scored an insurance marker on an out of

Sports teams’ schedules

U of M Bisons — Women’s Basketball

Bisons @ UNBC Timberwolves

position Holm with a minute and a half left, giving Abbotsford a 4-2 victory.

The next night in the Moose’s annual New Year’s Eve game was a similar result.

In the first period, Cole Maier slipped past the Canucks defence to open the scoring for Manitoba, before Abbotsford captain Chase Wouters banged in a loose puck past Moose goalie Oskari Salminen.

Nearly seven and a half minutes later, Evan Polei tucked a shot glove side past Silovs to regain the lead for Manitoba.

In the second, Wouters picked up a Klimovich rebound and fired it past Salminen to even the score.

With the score tied up, the Canucks took over in the third.

Midway through the frame, Winnipeg native Jett Woo finished off a nice pass from Klimovich on a two-on-one to give Abbotsford the lead.

As the Canucks dictated the play, Manitoba was limited to only three shots in the period.

Even with the net empty, the Moose were unable to close the lead. Nils Höglander and Dowling each scored empty net goals for Abbotsford to make it 5-2, helping the

Canucks sweep the weekend. Moose assistant coach Eric Dubois was happy with his club’s effort, but noted that the Moose did not execute in the last two games. He remarked that it appeared that the team’s first line was out of energy due to much of the club’s depth recalled to the Jets, which made it difficult to keep up with the quick Abbotsford team.

enjoyed.

“The guys could feel the excitement and the energy,” Dubois said.

“Obviously we didn’t respond as well for the home crowd, but nevertheless the players enjoyed very much to have those big crowds.”

The next home game for the Moose is Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. against the Chicago Wolves.

Dubois had high praise for the crowd at each game that weekend. There was a buzz in the air thanks to the holidays, something that Dubois said that players and coaches alike sports@themanitoban.com

U of M Bisons — Men’s Hockey

Jan. 6 — Final: 49 – 85

Bisons @ UNBC Timberwolves Jan. 7 — Final: 69 – 82

Bisons @ Brandon Bobcats Jan. 13 — 6 p.m.

Bisons @ Brandon Bobcats Jan. 14 — 7 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Women’s Hockey

Bisons @ Regina Cougars

Bisons @ Regina Cougars

Regina Cougars @ Bisons

Jan. 6 — Final: 8 – 0

Regina Cougars @ Bisons Jan. 7 — Final: 3 – 2 / SO

Ukrainian U25 National Team @ Bisons

Jan. 6 — Final: 1 – 2

Jan. 7 — Final: 5 – 1

Mount Royal Cougars @ Bisons Jan. 13 — 7 p.m.

Mount Royal Cougars @ Bisons Jan. 14 — 2 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Women’s Volleyball

MacEwan Griffins @ Bisons

MacEwan Griffins @ Bisons

Jan. 9 — Final: 5 – 1

Bisons @ Mount Royal Cougars Jan. 13 — 7 p.m. Bisons @ Mount Royal Cougars Jan. 14 — 3 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Men’s Volleyball

MacEwan Griffins @ Bisons

MacEwan Griffins @ Bisons

Jan. 6 — Final: 0 – 3

Jan. 7 — Final: 0 – 3

Alberta Pandas @ Bisons Jan. 13 — 7:45 p.m.

Alberta Pandas @ Bisons

U of M Bisons — Men’s Basketball

Bisons @ UNBC Timberwolves

Bisons @ UNBC Timberwolves

Bisons @ Brandon Bobcats

Jan. 6 — Final: 0 – 3

Jan. 7 — Final: 1 – 3

Alberta Golden Bears @ Bisons Jan. 13 — 6 p.m.

Alberta Golden Bears @ Bisons Jan. 14 — 5 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Track and Field

Bison Grand Prix #1

Jan. 14 — 6:45 p.m.

Jan. 6 — Final: 98 – 87

Jan. 7 — Final: 80 – 70

Jan. 13 — 8 p.m.

Bisons @ Brandon Bobcats Jan. 14 — 7 p.m.

Jan. 11

Sanderson Classic Jan. 13–14

Winnipeg Jets

Calgary Flames @ Jets

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Jets

Vancouver Canucks @ Jets

Jets @ Detroit Red Wings

Jan. 3 — Final: 2 – 3

Jan. 6 — Final: 2 – 4

Jan. 8 — Final: 4 – 7

Jan. 10 — 6 p.m.

Jets @ Buffalo Sabres Jan. 12 — 6 p.m.

Jets @ Pittsburgh Penguins

Arizona Coyotes @ Jets

Jan. 13 — 6 p.m.

Jan. 15 — 6 p.m.

photo / Matthew Merkel / staff

A beautiful international hockey friendship

Bisons last leg on charity “Hockey Can’t Stop Tour” for Ukraine

Quinn Mayhew staff

The University of Manitoba Bisons welcomed the Ukrainian U25 Men’s National Team Monday night, with Winnipeg, Man. being the last stop of the four-game tour.

Canada West teams consisting of the University of Alberta Golden Bears, Saskatchewan Huskies, Manitoba Bisons and Calgary Dinos have played host in the “Hockey Can’t Stop Tour” — a friendly tournament that started off in Saskatchewan on Dec. 30 and ended in Manitoba on Jan. 9.

Each university played one game against the Ukrainian U25 Men’s National Team, with all profits from ticket sales going toward relief and charitable funds to Ukrainian grassroots organizations in Canada and toward humanitarian causes in Ukraine.

With more than 7,000

tickets sold for Monday’s game and with 4,000 Ukrainian refugees attending, the turnout for the Bisons’ leg of the tour was quite successful.

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began last year on Feb. 24, some Ukrainian professional hockey players left hockey behind to serve their country.

Arenas in the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts — provinces of Ukraine — have also been destroyed due to shelling.

Though, the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine is determined for the sport to remain despite the less than ideal circumstances. The federation has continued to play with six teams competing in its national championship.

With most men between the ages of 18 to 60 in Ukraine expected to serve in the general mobilization of the country, it is a rarity for these young men to be able leave Ukraine.

The idea of the team coming to Canada came about through communications between TSN play-by-play

sponsors, eventually turned a chance for the Ukrainian squad to practice into the four-game western Canada tour.

The Ukrainian U25 team was even recognized Sunday evening at the Canada Life Centre with a puck drop before the commencement of the Winnipeg Jets game.

commentator Gord Miller and representatives of the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine after the Ukrainian U25 team qualified for the 2023 International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games held in Lake Placid, New York from Jan. 11-24. Miller’s contacts in the National Hockey League and U Sports, as well as various

Monday’s hockey game on Jan. 9 against the Bisons men’s team, concluded the Canada West tournament, and the Ukrainian U25 team will go on to partake in the World University Games.

This tour gave the herd an opportunity to play an international game with the intent to gain experience from a different roster of players. The hope is to establish a better,

lasting hockey relationship between Ukraine and Canada. The Ukrainians dominated from the drop of the puck, scoring twice in the first and second period and taking a 4-0 lead into the third frame. Bison forward Devon Skoleski would score early in the third to take the shutout from Ukrainian goaltender Dmytro Kubrytskyi. Two minutes later, Ukrainian forward Mykhailo Simchuk would score his second goal of the night. The Ukrainian team would go on to win 5-1.

The hope is to establish a better, lasting hockey relationship between Ukraine and Canada

photos

/ Matthew Merkel / staff