8 February 2023

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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.

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The Manitoban is a member of the Canadian University Press, and our journalistic standards can be found on the Manitoban’s website.

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.

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News

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Diversions

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Forum aims to improve refugee policies Panel

will explore Manitoba’s response to newcomers

Colton McKillop, staff

The University of Manitoba’s Centre for Social Science Research and Policy (CSSRP) will host a policy talk examining Manitoba’s response to refugees and other newcomers this Thursday.

Titled “Manitoba’s Response to Refugees: What can we learn?,” the panel will discuss the province’s response to different refugee communities over the last 10 years to explore how policies could be improved.

Shayna Plaut, executive director of the CSSRP, said that this event is part of the centre’s series of bimonthly public policy talks.

“Usually the format that we use is a roundtable,” she explained. “We invite academics, we invite activists, we invite practitioners, we invite people who identify with many of those hats, including people with lived experience regarding the issues.”

Jesse Hajer, an assistant professor of economics and labour studies at the University of Manitoba, and Mona Gambo, a graduate student in economics, will present their ongoing research exploring Manitoba’s response to refugees at the event. Their research compares the support that was pro -

vided to refugees from Syria and Afghanistan, as well as Ukrainians fleeing war in their country.

“We’re looking at the different programs, supports and innovations that have taken place with these waves of newcomers, particularly the large waves that had unified specific responses for particular groups,” Hajer said.

While he and Gambo are still finalizing their research and have no “official findings” yet, Hajer pointed to a number of different steps taken in dealing with Ukrainian newcomers.

There’s been the reception centre at the airport, there’s been a one-stop shop set up at a nearby facility to help them with various needs, including quick access to health cards, support with child care, for example,” he explained. “ Those are some of the highlevel findings.”

He said their research found “similar innovations” in the government’s coordinated response to Syrian refugees, such as additional housing supports.

Hajer and Gambo’s research is part of a partnership grant to study poverty and related topics with a focus on “transformative solutions to poverty.” Several commun-

ity organizations are collaborating in the grant, including Immigration Partnership Winnipeg.

“I think the motivation stems from hope that the new supports that have been made available or the new approaches that have, for example, streamlined access to provincial health benefits for the Ukrainian displaced persons can serve as a model for refugees coming to Manitoba more generally,” Hajer said.

He pointed out that many Syrian refugees’ transportation loans were waived by the government of Canada, but other refugees coming from similar circumstances around the same time did not receive the same benefit.

“So the question became then, well, why are we providing different benefits for a group coming from one country and not providing those same benefits to a group coming from another country?” he said.

“I think those types of questions are coming up again with the response to the Ukrainian situation.”

Hajer emphasized that those fleeing war in Ukraine are technically temporary residents, not refugees, a status granted to them by

UMSU election nominations are now open

the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program.

Plaut called this distinction “a very unique response that’s been offered by the federal government.” This status gives them access to a work visa, which in turns enables them to get a provincial health card.

Other panelists include Shauna Labman, executive director of the University of Winnipeg’s Global College and an expert regarding refugee protection in Canada, Nick Krawetz, a key figure in designing the province’s response to Ukrainian newcomers and Shakila Atayee, an Afghan refugee with almost a decade of experience working with newcomer settlement services.

The roundtable will take place from 7:30 to 9 p.m., Feb. 9 in the Aurora Family Therapy Centre board room of the Rice Centre on Portage Avenue. Those wishing to attend the talk, which will be free, must register through Eventbrite.

Security guards seen maskless at ASBC event

Guards were from external company, U of M says

Colton McKillop, staff

Security guards were seen not wearing masks at the Arts Student Body Council’s (ASBC) Winter Affair event in University Centre near the end of January.

Video taken at the event shows security guards inside and outside the multipurpose room that the event was hosted in not wearing masks.

University of Manitoba’s mask policy states that to fight the spread of COVID-19, masks must be worn in all indoor spaces on campus unless in a food-designated area.

Myrrhanda Novak, acting director of government relations for the University of Manitoba, provided details on the incident to the Manitoban via email and said that UM Security Services “consistently follows and helps to enforce the mask mandate.”

“ The individuals pictured

are external contract guards, hired by event organizers,” she said.

“Event organizers are responsible to ensure that event staff follow COVID policies.”

The security company in question was Impact Security Group.

However, ASBC president Chloe Dreilich-Girard told the Manitoban via email that members of ASBC were never informed by Security Services that it was their responsibility to enforce the use of masks.

“As this is a company vetted directly by UM Security Services and has been used for multiple events on campus, we believed that because of this existing relationship they knew prior to their arrival at the University what the mask mandate is,” she wrote.

“ We did not feel that we were in a position to police an

external security team during an already busy night; furthermore, campus Security Services were also present and did not enforce the mask mandate.”

She said that ASBC feels it is a personal safety concern to expect student volunteers to approach security guards and “attempt to force them to put on a mask.”

“ We could also not request that security leave the event if they did not comply, as their presence is mandated at social events on campus,” she explained.

Dreilich-Girard said that her council adhered to the mask mandate and informed everyone who entered to wear a mask.

“It is a bit confusing that although it is the responsibility of security, the responsibility also somehow falls onto student volunteers who are

Colton McKillop, staff Nominations for the UMSU 2023 general election opened this past Monday, and will remain open until Feb. 17 at 5 p.m.

There are 13 positions on UMSU to be filled in the election including president, vice-president community engagement, vice-president student life, vice-president advocacy, vice-president finance and operations and several community representative positions.

All nomination and candidacy forms can be found at the office of the Chief Returning Officer (CRO), 116 Helen Glass Centre for Nursing, open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

After obtaining a nomination package from the CRO s office, potential candidates must go through the included checklist to ensure all requirements have been fulfilled and must submit their nomination package and completed checklist to the office of the CRO before the Feb. 17 deadline. No late submissions will be accepted.

After completed nomination packages have been submitted, all nominees will attend the All Candidates Meeting to review the next steps in the election process. This meeting is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 17, 6 p.m. in the UMSU chambers at 176 Helen Glass and attendance is mandatory for all nominees and campaign managers.

The election will be held from March 9 at 9 a.m. to March 10 at 5 p.m., and will be conducted using online voting. Official results will be available at umsu.simplyvoting.com after voting closes.

Any questions can be directed to the CRO at cro@ umsu.ca.

not equipped to handle a confrontation should it escalate,” she said. She said that ASBC would not hire this company again and will “endeavor to make sure all external contractors also adhere to university protocol” in the future.

Potential candidates have until Feb. 17 to apply

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

Black History Month events on & off campus

Events to celebrate and honour Black Canadians, communities

Ashley Puchniak, staff

UMSU and other student groups will be hosting events throughout the month of February for Black History Month.

UMSU vice-president student life Tracy Karuhogo highlighted the union’s upcoming event titled the Cosmopolitan, a culture appreciation day that will take place in University Centre on Feb. 9 and will be free to attend.

The event will host different student groups and performers to showcase the many cultures at the U of M, and will feature a fashion show, traditional dancers, free snacks from a variety of cultures and a photo booth.

Karuhogo said that UMSU will also be collaborating with Black History Manitoba to organize a youth debate and research challenge at the Afro-Caribbean Association of Manitoba, 259 Watt Street, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 18.

Additionally, the Black Student Empowerment Society will be hosting its Black Café networking event on Feb. 25 at TableSpace co., 196 Osborne Street. The event will run from

1 p.m. to 3 p.m., during which time Black students will be able to meet and engage in discussion with Black professionals in different career paths.

The UM Black Alliance will be hosting an online panel over Zoom on Feb. 15 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event, titled “We signed the Scarborough Charter — now what?” will feature guest speakers from multiple Canadian universities.

Karuhogo believes that Black History Month events will benefit Black students on campus by highlighting what it means to be a Black person in Canadian society and at the U of M.

“I feel when students come together, whether they are Black or not Black, and they come together in a space whereby they are respecting and working together it actually cuts down on any barriers,” Karuhogo said.

“They are given an opportunity to respect those who are Black and to see life from their point of view.”

Karuhogo said that in addition to remembering the his-

tory of Black people in Canada, Black History Month is an important reminder of the responsibility society has to dismantle systemic racism and to ensure that Black people are given equal opportunities.

She added that, as a Black woman who immigrated to Canada, she feels that Black History Month is an important way to recognize the intersectionality of the barriers that she and other Black people may face, and that the month motivates her to try to uplift others in the community.

Karuhogo said that when she thinks of Black history, she asks, “what can I do, how can I take up space and be unapologetically myself, and how can I inspire other Black women to know that they can be in positions of power, or to know that their voice matters?”

Karuhogo believes that Black history should not only be recognized in February, but in all months of the year.

“I think all communities and all individuals should take time and look into themselves and see how they can

U of M hosts first Winter Active week

Alicia Rose, staff

appreciate the Black community at large,” she said.

Olivia Onyemaenu, vice-president advocacy for the Black Students Union, explained the significance that Black History Month holds for her

“Black history for me is the observance, recognition and honour of the contributions and achievements of the country’s Black population and their role in society,” she said via email.

She said that the month also encourages Black people who are immigrants to Canada to embrace their cultures and identities.

Onyemaenu emphasized that Black history is also an internationally important subject.

“Black history teaches us about the positive contributions and accomplishments that Black people have made all over the world, including Canada,” she said.

Indigenous Student Art Program created

Selected artworks will be displayed in UMSU businesses

Kasey Pashe, staff

UMSU is calling on Indigenous students from the U of M to create and submit artworks for its new Indigenous Student Art Program (ISAP). The goal of the project is to create paintings or print artworks that represent the history and repercussions of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous people as a way to work toward reconciliation.

UMSU president Jaron Rykiss collaborated with Ishkode Catcheway, the UMSU Indigenous students’ representative and University of Manitoba Indigenous Students’ Association communications co-ordinator, to organize the initiative.

The program will choose five paintings or print artworks submitted by Indigenous students to be displayed in UMSU businesses and possibly in University Centre. After a year of being on display, the works can be auctioned off, at which time the money will go toward a charity that the artists, Indigenous students’ representative and the UMSU executive will work together to select.

Submissions must come from students at U of M who are Red River Métis, Inuit or First Nations. All submissions must be paintings or prints, and no other mediums will be accepted to ensure that all works can be displayed throughout University Centre. Further rules can be found on UMSU’s website or its Instagram page.

The artists that are chosen will be reimbursed at a flat rate of $150 for the art supplies they use for the creation of the work, and UMSU will provide $250 for each selected artwork. The selected artists must consent to be featured in promotional material as long their art is being displayed.

Rykiss said in an email to the Manitoban that his goal in creating the program is to allow Indigenous students to show off their talent and express their perspectives, as well as to remind students that the university is on Treaty 1 territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation.

The venture is a part of Rykiss’s campaign promise to decorate the university with more art. He stated that it is

important to provide a space where Indigenous students can show off their artwork.

“I promised that I would make an effort to decorate our campus as much as possible with artwork, created by Indigenous students who live on Treaty 1, to ensure that their voice and artistic expression is promoted throughout,” the email read. Rykiss said in his statement that he hopes these artworks will provide perspective for non-Indigenous students, and that they lead non-Indigenous students to ask questions, connect with Indigenous students and learn more about Indigenous history in Canada.

Catcheway said that she has been the primary Indigenous consultant guiding the creation of the ISAP, with Rykiss adding that the project was

The University of Manitoba will be holding activities for the first-ever UM Winter Active event from Feb. 6 to 10.

UM Winter Active comprises different winter activities for students, faculty and staff at the university to participate in. Outdoor activities will be held on campus throughout the week.

Participants can register for events online through the UM Winter Active page. All events are free to attend.

Director of U of M Recreation Services Tanya Angus said that the return of students and staff to campus was one motivation behind the creation of UM Winter Active. She thinks that the event will be a good way to bring people together, and will give those who are new to Canada an opportunity to try out many traditional winter activities such as skating, snowshoeing and cross country skiing.

“It’s really geared toward students and staff getting active and being involved on campus in some of our traditional outdoor activities,” she said.

The Winter-Palooza, an event that will feature numerous activities, is scheduled to be held Thursday, Feb. 9 on the Duckworth Quad from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Those who sign up for ice skating must bring their own skates, however, equipment will be provided for other activities such as snowshoeing and outdoor fat tire biking. The event will also provide free hot chocolate and treats.

She urged those who want to participate in the week’s events to register in advance in order to ensure that there is enough equipment ready for everyone.

developed with the assistance of “many Indigenous faculty and staff.” She said that she would like to see the program continue in future years.

She hopes that Indigenous students apply to the ISAP to increase the representation of Indigenous artwork displayed on campus.

Catcheway said she is “just really encouraging our Indigenous artists at the U of M to apply and get their artwork out in the world.”

Students can apply to the program by going to https:// umsu.formstack.com/forms/ isap. The deadline to apply is Feb. 17 at 11:30 p.m.

Angus said that she finds it exciting to have people back on campus and able to get together for events once again. She hopes that after this year’s event, similar winter activities can take place in the coming years.

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

Research & Technology

When the heart really breaks

Robert Moshe Thompson, staff

The term “broken heart” has been used to refer to the intense sadness that follows rejection and loss for hundreds of years.

In a more literal sense, “broken heart syndrome” is a heart condition that is usually caused by extreme physical or emotional stress.

The condition was first described in Japan, where it was named “takotsubo cardiomyopathy.” It is named after the altered shape of the heart’s left ventricle, which resembles a traditional Japanese octopus trap.

The condition is also often known as “stress cardiomyopathy.”

After experiencing some sort of stressor, patients with this condition suffer weakness in the heart muscles.

The triggers preceding stress cardiomyopathy are diverse. They can be purely physical, such as a recent major surgery or serious injury.

One case of stress cardiomyopathy was caused by excessive consumption of wasabi.

Triggers can also be emotional, such as the loss of a loved one or a heated argument. Even seemingly positive emotions such as surprise can cause the condition.

However, a literature review of cases found that emotional stressors only accounted for 26 per cent of 250 cases examined. In half of all instances, a physical stressor was identified as the cause.

In fact, as many as seven per cent of cases were not preceded by an identifiable physical or emotional stressor at all.

The mechanisms behind stress cardiomyopathy are not well-understood either. Stress hormones such as adrenaline may be the cause of the heart damage.

Excess adrenaline caused by sudden stress can narrow the heart’s blood vessels, which temporarily decreases blood flow to the heart.

Another potential effect of adrenaline is that it can bind directly to the heart’s cells. This causes a wave of calcium to enter the cells, which can disrupt the heart’s ability to pump blood.

Estrogen, which is thought to protect the heart against the negative effects of adrenaline, might also play

a part in the condition’s pathology.

This may explain why the majority of patients are post-menopausal women, whose estrogen levels decline over time. In the aforementioned review of cases, females accounted for 87.5 per cent of stress cardiomyopathy patients.

The risk of developing the disease increases fivefold after age 55. The group most diagnosed with the condition are people between the ages of 60 and 69.

The symptoms of stress cardiomyopathy can resemble those of a heart attack. This includes chest pain and shortness of breath.

The symptoms can also be similar to other cardiovascular conditions such as acute pericarditis — inflammation of the fluid-filled pouch surrounding the heart —

or a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs. The main difference between the stress cardiomyopathy and a heart attack is that heart attacks typically involve the partial or total blockage of a coronary artery. On the other hand, stress cardiomyopathy patients usually have healthy coronary arteries.

This means that the conditions can be distinguished using a coronary angiogram, which observes the blood vessels to check if they are blocked.

Although the syndrome may be distressing, the majority of stress cardiomyopathy patients survive without long-term damage to the heart muscle. Some patients — about five per cent

— may experience the condition more than once.

The expected outcome is generally predicted to be worse for patients who had physical rather than emotional triggers.

However, death from the syndrome is relatively rare.

April Stempien-Otero, a cardiologist at the University of Washington Medical Center, explained in an informational video that emotional events can have a direct effect on our heart health.

She said she is often moved by seeing her patients realize how much emotions can affect people physically.

“It’s just a real, I think, moment for people of recognizing that heart-mind connection and what it can really do to us,” she explained.

research@themanitoban.com

How emotional and physical stress can cause ‘broken heart syndrome’

graphic / Jenna Solomon / staff

Companies blame us to avoid accountability

How corporations shift blame to consumers for problems they perpetuate

Ezra Taves, staff

Living in the days of rapidly worsening climate change, many people may be familiar with the idea of having a carbon footprint.

The term, which describes the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by individuals or groups, has been widely adopted as a way to quantify the impact that we as individuals have on the changing climate. Various organizations — including the United Nations — offer carbon footprint calculation tools to assess the effects that one’s household has on the environment.

Many may be less familiar with the fact that the carbon footprint calculator was originally created as a marketing tool — by an oil company, no less.

BP, one of the largest oil giants in the world, hired an ad company in 2004 to help shift the focus of emissions and climate change from oil companies to individuals. This collaboration created the carbon footprint calculator and popularized the notion of a carbon footprint.

This doesn’t mean that trying to measure and reduce one’s own contribution to climate change is a bad thing. Individuals certainly contribute to climate change, there is no doubt about that.

The real problem with tactics like this — regardless of which company or industry is involved — is that by pushing responsibility onto the individual, companies are attempting to avoid being held accountable for their actions, and are able to buy themselves time to continue harmful practices in the pursuit of profit.

Take Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical company behind the opioid OxyContin, as an example.

In 2020, Purdue pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to knowingly promoting opioids — a highly addictive class of painkillers — to doctors suspected of writing illegal prescriptions, and to bribing doctors with kickbacks to increase the prescription of opioids. The company also admitted to obstructing the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s efforts to take on the growing opioid crisis.

When Purdue was just beginning to attract scrutiny for its pill-pushing, the company used a strategy very reminiscent in tone to BP’s approach to climate change.

“We have to hammer on abusers in every way possible,” wrote Richard Sackler,

the then-president of Purdue, in an internal email. “They are the culprits and the problem. They are reckless criminals.”

Human society is addicted to the fossil fuels that oil companies produce. And, as with Purdue and the opioid crisis, oil companies are working very hard to make sure it stays that way.

In the states, for instance, oil industry lobby groups have been going to great lengths in recent years to oppose infrastructure projects and tax incentives that would support electric cars. Further, last year a U.S. congressional investigation found that the oil industry has been deceiving the general public by continuing to invest massively in fossil fuel production, all while touting its commitment to more renewable energy.

It’s a bit rich for oil giants to try to place the blame for climate change on individuals while simultaneously working to limit the environmentally friendly options available and expanding the fossil fuel industry.

Moreover, oil companies have been aware of the harm

that their industry causes to the planet for decades. In the late 1970s, researchers for Exxon — another of the world’s largest oil companies — predicted the future effects that fossil fuels would have on the climate with incredible accuracy. Despite this, the company ran ad campaigns for years questioning the validity of climate change research.

This is similar to Purdue’s role in the opioid crisis. Purdue knew that OxyContin was causing harm due to widespread abuse soon after it was introduced to the market, but kept this information a secret.

Companies like these are motivated by greed to obscure the fact that their actions cause harm. When that no longer works, they attempt to divert any responsibility for the harm they have helped cause to consumers.

We are the symptom, but corporations actively working against positive change in the name of profit are the disease.

So, what can be done about this?

money on products tied to corporate bad actors. This idea is good in theory, but ineffective in practice.

According to the Northwestern Institute for Policy Research, consumer boycotts rarely ever impact a company’s bottom line. Considering the fact that big oil’s profits are currently at an alltime high, something tells me that a boycott would be like water off a duck’s back.

Still, if it helps with your conscience, then by all means vote with your wallet. But if you want to actually make a difference, vote with your vote.

Purdue was held accountable by a government, not because of consumer boycotts. It’s high time that the oil industry is, too.

Elect politicians who will commit to holding the fossil fuel industry accountable for its actions. If there don’t seem to be any, run to become one. Vote out those who refuse to act.

But for the sake of the climate, do it fast. We are running out of time.

One solution that many people might point toward is the idea of “voting with one’s wallet,” or refusing to spend editor@themanitoban.com

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

We are the symptom, but corporations actively working against positive change in the name of profit are the disease

UMSU EXECUTIVE OFFICE HOURS (Winter 2023)

Thursday, February 9th | 11am-2pm

✦ Join us February 9th for our multicultural event on campus to learn and engage with the different communities we have at the University of Manitoba. ✦ Featuring cultural dances and a fashion show! ✦ Everyone is welcome!

Vote for your 2023 Election Candidates!

Nominations Open: February 6-17 for Executive and Community Representative Positions

Voting Days: March 9-10

Black artists are the blueprint of music

A look at my favourite influential Black artists and their impact

Dina Hamid, staff

Black musicians have shaped and moulded the musical landscape into what it is today. As I reflect on a few of my personal favourite musicians, it is so glaringly obvious that music history is Black history.

Born and cultivated in the Black communities of New Orleans, La., jazz is a criminally overlooked genre in today’s age that has transcended its boundaries to influence R&B, pop, hip hop and rap with its harmonies and rhythms.

John Coltrane with his saxo-

phone and Miles Davis with his trumpet have immortalized themselves as influential figures in jazz. Davis acted as the conductor of the genre, changing its trajectory several times with his ever-evolving style. Davis’s close collaborator Coltrane also revolutionized jazz with his introduction of innovative techniques that aided his distinctive saxophone.

Another pillar of jazz is Louis Armstrong, a trumpet player and singer who left his mark on instrumentalists and singers alike with his skill as a soloist and his rich, gritty, bewitching voice.

His vocal influence can be seen in the music of artists such as Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, as well as Ella Fitzgerald, another jazz favour -

ite who gained acclaim for her velvet vocals and scat singing. Armstrong and Fitzgerald duets remind me of perfect Sundays.

Often overlooked, gospel singer and guitar prodigy Sister Rosetta Tharpe sensationalized her unique style into a genre and cemented herself as the godmother of rock ‘n’ roll. Her influence carried on to other musicians like Chuck Berry, who then became the prototype for a generation of brilliant guitarists and musicians including Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles.

a singer who brought gospel rhythm to mainstream audiences with his silky smooth vocals. Many icons followed in his footsteps, including Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson.

hip hop. He was a trendsetter and a revered rapper on the East Coast for his wit and flow, which have made his music a staple in my and many others’ playlists since his death.

Black artists have continued to be the blueprint, foundation and pillars of the music industry for decades

Muddy Waters, a prominent figure in post-war American blues, electrified the genre and served as inspiration for rock through his contribution to the creation of Chicago blues. If it wasn’t for Waters, bands like The Rolling Stones wouldn’t exist.

As we move along to soul, Sam Cooke served as the blueprint. Cooke was

We cannot talk about soul without mentioning the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. Franklin merged gospel, blues, jazz and R&B, and is still listened to and sampled by artists today. Using her music and influence, she was also actively involved in the American civil rights movement alongside Nina Simone, a gifted vocalist and pianist. Simone was one of the most bold and outspoken musicians during this time with her protest songs, and was a force to be reckoned with on and off the stage.

New York City was deemed the birthplace of hip hop when MCing was brought to life at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx. Since then, many notable rappers have emerged from its boroughs, including Nas.

Drawing inspiration from blues and jazz, Nas’s debut album Illmatic sent ripples through hip hop with his poetic introspective lyrics and rhymes.

Over in the West, 2pac reigned with his political lyricism and poetic knowledge that helped him dominate. 2pac received a lot of his influence from Public Enemy, a hip hop group from Long Island, N.Y. that radicalized the world of rap with political messages and beats.

Another noteworthy group is the Fugees and member Lauryn Hill, who broke barriers for female rappers with her sublime blend of hip hop and neo soul that won many people over. Hill’s debut record broke ground at the Grammy Awards for women musicians and hip hop as a genre.

A generation of the current R&B scene is said to have been inspired by Sade, a band led by Nigerian-British lead singer Helen Folasade Adu. Another significantly impactful musician on modern R&B was the late Aaliyah, who became known as the princess of R&B due to how her brief seven-year career changed the course of pop, hip hop and R&B. Rihanna and Beyoncé are among artists whose work has been influenced by hers.

Black artists have continued to be the blueprint, foundation and pillars of the music industry for decades.

The Notorious B.I.G. is another New Yorker who made waves in comment@themanitoban.com

images / provided

Classifieds Section

Part of a student group on campus? Send your event details to me@themanitoban.com to be included in the Classifieds!

Arts Tribune Submissions Open

Calling

by

Arts Student Body Council and the faculty of arts. We accept submissions from students in any faculty for short stories (up to 2000 words, no minimum), poetry (up to 2 pages), memoirs, photography, music, short film and artwork.

Our theme this winter is “Unearthly,” open to your interpretation. Please email your work to uofmartstribune@ gmail.com by midnight on Feb. 24. To stay up to date, or DM us any questions, you can follow our Instagram @theartstribune.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Love, the only thing that matters

Relationships and love are the most important parts of being human

Braden Bristow, staff

Our relationships with others are the most important part of being human. I did not realize this until I was an adult. I enjoy writing, listening to music, learning new skills and numerous other hobbies or time wasters, but compared to the relationships I have with other people, they are meaningless.

The most important part of my life is my relationships with my friends, family and boyfriend. While I personally feel that romantic relationships are very powerful, there is no obligation to pursue romance exclusively. If you find com fort in friends and family but not a romantic partner, that is completely okay.

These kinds of relationships give meaning to human life, not just my own. Materialism, wealth, strong individualism and addiction to personal achievement are misdirected ways of finding meaning.

Now, enjoying a paycheque or the latest gadget does not mean you are failing at life, but pursuing those kinds of things instead of relationships will leave you empty. A big paycheque has never made me truly happy — though it is possible I just haven’t received one big enough yet. What has made me truly happy

is the time I’ve spent with my mom and dad, my friends and especially the time spent with my boyfriend, Tyler. These relationships give me a reason to keep moving forward and keep living. I simply cannot imagine any kind

of future where I am alone, or a world in which I am happy without the company of others. Platonic, romantic and familial relationships are the most beautiful parts of my life.

I would argue, with some measure of certainty, that those who claim that money or success is what drives them are fooling themselves. Studies have found that life satisfaction is significantly connected to a sense of community and belonging. People have an inherent need — yes,

need — to form bonds with each other, and a lack of these connections is correlated to physical and mental health problems.

Community ties are critical, and all communities are a network of relationships. If a network of relationships is critical to mental and physical well-being, then so are the relationships that make up that network. The fact of the matter is we cannot help but want to love each other.

In addition to the positive aspects of community and relationships there has also been research done on what happens when we lack relationships. Well-known sociologist Émile Durkheim found in his 1897 work Suicide that something as extreme as suicide is strongly correlated to a lack of integration in society. When we consider this, it puts

The casualties of modern dating

This Valentine’s Day, re-evaluate dating post-lockdown

Sarah Cohen, staff

Happy Valentine’s Day, Bisons. Whether you have a person by your side this year or not, remember that this holiday is about the love all around us.

I find that people I’ve known throughout the years, as well as people on social media, have used Valentine’s Day as a way of complaining about being single or about people in relationships.

Some have even dubbed it “single awareness day” as a way to snub those with a partner, which feels more like a day for self-pity than a day to enjoy the people around you, and that is really unfortunate. Having love in our lives is what we all long for. So, this Valentine’s Day if you find yourself single, take time to celebrate the less obvious loves in your life.

I’ve spent many Valentine’s Days not in a relationship, a couple with a partner and one or two wishing I was single, but this year is the first year I’ll be in the dating pool mid-February. I find myself doubting if dating in this post-lockdown era is even worth it.

I think dating should be a journey to find the person you

want to invest in, but modern dating in western countries is often online, dominated by hookup culture and is a process where no one lets anything happen naturally, among other things.

The pandemic restrictions left us trapped in quarantines and lockdowns during such a formative time in our social lives. Many of us graduated high school virtually and began university virtually.

We learned how to function solely as online beings. I know that I spent a year seeing only one or two people socially outside my family, and that was a commonality for others I know as well. I think that left a lot of my fellow gen-Zers with social anxiety.

Long gone are the days of passing notes in class, flirting with Starbucks baristas, meeting people in public or giving strangers your phone number. Welcome to the age of mindless motions of “hot or not” on Tinder, Hinge or Bumble.

We’ve gone from When Harry Met Sally to The Tinder Swindler.

The dating scene now is absolutely dominated by hookup culture. Hookup culture consists of sneaky links,

one-time or casual encounters or people that genuinely will do anything to add another name to the list. I’m all for sexual freedom, but the difference between sex and dating should not be a blurred line. Dating now is almost entirely hookup culture with a socially acceptable title.

I went on dating sites after picking myself up from being completely blindsided in an intense breakup. I thought I would find a person here or there that would make me feel good. Instead, I was met with people hiding girlfriends back home and only looking for casual encounters, with very few making it past the first date.

I had the thought that perhaps if I put something on my Instagram story asking for people to pitch their best date idea, I’d take them up on it. Maybe it would convince me that dating could be different.

I think I expected that at least one of the suggestions would be my perfect first date, simple coffee and a walk or at least something that would make me think the person legitimately cared about making the date as good as it could be. That did not happen.

I had the thought that maybe I needed to lower my expectations, but we shouldn’t lower our expectations for anyone. This experience and experiment has only reinforced all of my reasons to dislike modern dating. So, I deleted Tinder, I deleted Hinge and I left things open for the universe to decide.

Additionally, I think that social anxiety mixed with the online approach has created a mindset that we are all entitled to someone. That entitlement turns into dismissing the best part of dating — the chase. When you feel that you are entitled to having a relationship, the thought that flirting goes beyond the first date flies out the window.

Buying someone flowers or standing with a boombox outside a person’s window to win them over is extinct. Or maybe it’s just my choice in men. Where did that chase go? Yet another reason why modern dating is seriously not worth it.

I’ve found that with the sense of entitlement some

things in perspective.

Regardless of who you are, you need others and there is nothing wrong with that. Love for others is the most beautiful part of being alive. If you focus your life on some kind of material gain or lone wolf mentality instead of relationships, you miss out on such a critical part of being human. If we have no one, then we have nothing.

This Valentine’s Day, and every day after, focus on what is important — friends, family, lovers, coworkers and any other person blessed to know you. Do not let yourself become consumed by material wealth or some other measure of value that people convince themselves is critical to their self-worth. By being human, you are not only worthy of love but in need of love.

themanitoban.com

have comes the idea that we are empty beings unless we have a person. That leads to rushing things and not letting emotional connections form, a situation that can become toxic quickly and leave us with trauma we never needed.

I think that we would all end up happier and in healthier relationships if we left things to happen naturally, giving ourselves time to grow with people of interest. Some things are meant to be, others are not.

If you’re feeling the way I am, I encourage you to do what I’ve done. Delete all the apps. Leave it up to the universe. When you are ready, whether you know it or not, the universe will put the person who makes your cheeks hurt from smiling into your life. Who knows, maybe they’re already there. comment@themanitoban.com

By being human, you are not only worthy of love but in need of love

How to beat Str8ts –

Spacetime soccer got a lot of criticism for how many play- ers fell into the gravity well, but what ultimately doomed it was the advanced mathematics required to figure out the offsides rule. Spacetime Soccer, known outside the United States as “4D Football” is a now-defunct sport. Infamous for referee decisions hinging on inconsistent definitions of simultaneity, it is also known for the disappearance of many top players during... [more]

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.

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

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.

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. The solutions will be published here in the next issue. can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com

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

4 9 1 7

562387

How to beat Str8ts

phdcomics.com

Sudoku

Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles

Hidato

Puzzle by M.J.D. Doering

Straights

Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles

Horoscopes for the week of Feb. 8

Romantic valentine tips for surviving life at the U of M

Damien Davis, staff ARIES

Your tarot card for the week is the Magician. You have the essence of a wise, experienced partner. Your working hands and kind smile reveal someone who knows that paying attention to detail makes all the difference. Strangers feel like they’ve known you their entire lives. You’re careful and precise in all forms. However, don’t allow yourself to be typecast. Being the master of something doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be taken care of, so allow the hands of someone else to run through your curls. Relinquish yourself just a little.

TAURUS

Your tarot card for the week is the Sun. Are you ashamed of wanting attention? There’s nothing wrong in wanting to be cared for and spoiled. This week, you’ll find yourself channelling celestial sensuality and paying respect to the spirits guiding you. It is the polite thing to do. Keep acorns by your window and honour the plants beneath the ice, they have wisdom for you. Sunflowers crave and face the sun even when they’re dying and so will your soulmate when you enter your classroom.

GEMINI

Your tarot card for the week is Strength. Ecstasy and liberation go hand-in-hand with this card. There is pleasure, joy, divinity and harmony in nurturing your body. Your dualities will strengthen each other: masculine and feminine, human and animal, earth and machine. When your fingers brush against another’s, the electricity in the air is real and it’s the universe spilling out of you. Some may not be able to handle a whole cosmos living inside a person, but were they ever worthy to see it in the first place?

’Toban Tips

CANCER

Your tarot card for the week is the High Priestess. People divulge their secrets to you all the time. They seek you out for comfort and advice, but do they ever get to know you? You might feel like the supporting role in someone else’s story. At the party you hold yourself like a longlost lover and catch glimpses of your reflection with bated breath. This week you’ll realize that the person who has carried you this far, recognized your beauty and tended to your wounds throughout the years has been you all along. Put honey in your coffee and let it carry you to kinder, sweeter and more whimsical horizons.

LEO

Your tarot card for the week is the Hanged Man. Pushing yourself to your limits appears like suffering to the untrained eye, but you know what you’re doing. The feeling of going farther than ever before consumes you. You’re chasing a feeling from the past that you can’t readily let go of. Blood rises to the surface. Remember — these violent delights have violent ends, but communication with those you let drink from your collar bones can change your fate.

VIRGO

Your tarot card for the week is the World. You are starting over; you are shedding off the negativity and hardships of past relationships and transitioning into the next phase of your life. You are celebrating this week. It’s time to dust off your dancing shoes, put on your gold jewelry and drink in the atmosphere of a room full of laughter and music. You are never truly alone on a dance floor and true to your Virgo nature, once you’ve set your mind on something — or someone — there’s no stopping you.

Valentine’s Day advice

Dear Toby, I have a massive crush on a boy who works at the Starbucks I go to every morning. Whenever I see him, I get nervous and I hope he’s looking at me too. Sometimes he takes my order and I feel the room stop! How do I talk to him? Is there a way for me to ask him out or see if he’s single without making him feel uncomfortable in his workplace? If he’s not interested, can I ever go back to that Starbucks?

Thank you, Crushed and concerned

Dear Crushed and concerned, There’s a chance he’s looking at you, too. If you are a regular at the coffee shop, then you can make some flirty small talk when you order or when you get your drink and work your way up to having some rapport with this barista. Then, if you’re feeling a reciprocating energy, you can offer your social media, or if you’re feeling brave, your phone number.

You won’t know if he’s single until you ask, but if he’s taken, be respectful. And even if he isn’t interested, of course you can go back to that Starbucks! There is an element of confidence in that.

All the luck in the world, Toby the Bison

LIBRA

Your tarot card for the week is Justice. You are committed to perfect harmony and aren’t a believer in one-sided treatment. Do unto others what they do unto you. When kissed on the cheek, you kiss back. When gazed at with devotion, you gaze back. You do not love in a solo manner. While this has always been your strong suit, you need to make sure you’re giving yourself the time to simply live in the moment and enjoy the fruits fed to you without the worry of whether things are equal. Stop worrying about if it’s perfect. Start closing your eyes.

SCORPIO

Your tarot card for the week is the Awakening. Contrary to your scorpion nature, you love wholeheartedly and you drink up affection and flirtatious manners like someone starving in the desert. You crack pomegranates in half with your bare hands and offer them up like sacrifices to hungry gods. You are the definition of passion. It’s time, however, to try moderation. Don’t lose your passion, but know where and how to use it. You know how to control and steer a room, use that to harness the wild fever that runs through you when your eyelashes meet the sunlight.

SAGITTARIUS

Your tarot card for the week is the Lovers. It’s time to stop running. You’ve made it this long being satisfied with yearning from afar, with thinking that you’re not made for the long-term. You think that you pass through the night never being permanent in someone else’s life, but this is all untrue. Without even realizing it, you’ve started to unravel the red string tightly coiled within you. It’s made its way across the universe and tied itself around the wrist of someone who cannot wait to cherish the very air you breathe. Is it so wrong to take a journey as two, instead of one?

Dear Toby,

Since the pandemic began, I’ve found it difficult to get back into the dating pool. I feel like social anxiety is holding me back, but I really want to get back out there. What should I do?

Help, Depressed romantic

Dear Depressed romantic, The pandemic certainly has made the dating scene an anxious playground. If you want to ease your way back into it, download a dating app or two. You could also put yourself out there and talk to people in public places. It may be easier if they are places you don’t frequent. When out,

CAPRICORN

Your tarot card for the week is the Tower. You are feeling vulnerable, and while others may enjoy being at the whims of another, perhaps you’re having second thoughts. You understand that there’s no coming back from our choices, but that we can always make informed ones. Be sure that the person you’re giving your heart to has the decency to kiss it, flesh and all, without being a coward. Remember — anything can be a pact or declaration of loyalty if you give it that intention.

AQUARIUS

Your tarot card for the week is the High Priest. It’s natural to feel less experienced than others. Life does not go the same direction for everyone and some of us have had to make sacrifices that others haven’t. But you are not being left behind, waterbearer. You’re an adept learner, and despite what you may have been told love isn’t something you can fail at. Empathy and understanding, listening and paying attention, these are all traits that if harnessed allow you to see into the hearts of others just as easily as your peers. Don’t be nervous and don’t be afraid, drink from the cup knowing you can handle its potency.

PISCES

Your tarot card for the week is Wheel of Fortune. Make careful choices and take a few risks. Your ability to be open to the unknown benefits you greatly. Where others are afraid, you are thrilled. Fate and its seasons work in your favour and people are attracted to that. They can see the universe guiding you when you pass through the halls with confidence. Now is the time to self-explore — do you know yourself the same way future companions would? Or do you hide a piece of yourself so that you always have the upper hand? Basil was once considered a herb of love, sprinkle it on your meals for a helping hand if needed.

try to express open and welcoming body language and a willingness for people to talk to you.

You can also try classes and activities centred around things you like to find like-minded people to connect with, which can help you get one step closer to finding your special person. If you want more thoughts on the topic, check out this week’s comment section!

Good luck, Toby the Bison

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

The ’Toban staff’s super romantic Valentine’s Day picks

The best movies to cuddle up and watch with your sweetie

Moonstruck (1987)

While perhaps not the most conventional romcom, Moonstruck is by far my favourite. But how could it be conventional when the leads are Cher and Nicolas Cage?

The plot follows Cher’s widowed character, who becomes engaged to a bumbling fool before falling in love with her fiancé’s brother — played by Cage in one of his best roles of all time — while her fiancé is out of town.

What makes this film so special is how perfectly every character is cast, and the realness with which they are portrayed. In fact, it’s the authenticity of the performances — the genuine sarcasm, the one-liners, the Italian curses — that makes this film so great.

And, in my opinion, this film boasts one of the greatest supporting characters of all time, played by John Mahoney of Frasier fame. Though Moonstruck came out well before the Cheers spinoff sitcom, it is seeing Mahoney’s range going from playing the sleazy older professor who dates his young students in the film to the lovable, blue-collared Mar tin Crane in the tele vision series that for me, as his fan, show cases what a fantas tic actor he was.

From beginning to end, Moonstruck the comedy of real life.

Cher won an Academy Award for her performance, what more convincing does one need?

— Grace Anne Paizen, managing editor

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Pride & Prejudice is one of the greatest adaptations of a classic novel in the modern era.

Starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, the film tells the timeless love story of the 1813 Jane Austen novel of the same name. Knight ley as Elizabeth Bennet and Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy must overcome their own pride and prejudices in order to fall in love.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that while it seems like your stereotypical, run-of-the-mill male-oriented romance at the surface, Austen’s tales satirize the popular novels of sensibility from the time period.

The 2005 adaptation stays true to the purpose of the source material, depicting Darcy as an awkward, antisocial but incredibly wealthy oaf and poking fun at Mrs. Bennet’s obsession with the family’s social standing.

The film depicts Elizabeth as a strong female lead working within the confines of class hierarchy that existed during the Regency era, something skillfully highlighted through set and costume design. Despite not behaving exactly as she should and not prioritizing love and marriage above all else, Elizabeth marries a wealthy man and achieves love without sacrificing her own values.

This Valentine’s Day, watch this gorgeous period piece that tells the story of a strong, independent woman (who thinks a little bit about falling madly in love sometimes).

— Gillian Brown, editor-in-chief

High Fidelity (2000)

High Fidelity was recommended to me by my parents at a tender age, I think as a guide for pitfalls they wanted me to avoid. From the movie’s first line — “what came first, the music or the misery?” — I knew it knew something about me.

My fave, John Cusack stars as Rob, the curmudgeonly owner of Championship Vinyl in Chicago, Ill. After a being dumped by a long-term partner, he reorganizes his record collection autobiographically — by the order in which he purchased them. This exercise in nostalgia causes him to wonder about all the women he left behind in his dating career.

On the advice of Bruce Springsteen, Rob sets about catching up with all his exes and going over what went wrong, discovering in the process that (shocker) he was the problem all along!

What follows is all heartwarming personal growth, Jack Black being silly and deep cut music references that would impress even the staunchest of snobs. It’s a real delight and perfect viewing for lonely hipsters this Valentine’s Day.

— Alex Braun, arts and culture editor

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Bros (2022)

When I went with my boyfriend to see Bros I expected a gay comedy that copy and pasted the typical romantic comedy formula but swapped the sexuality. But it defied my expectations more than once, and while it didn’t break the mold, it was worth the run time.

The film pays its respect to the numerous 2SLGBTQIA+ subcultures, identities and sexualities while also manag ing to, at times, meaningfully reflect on the culture itself.

These reflections and in-jokes are much more appreciated if one is actually a part of the homo sexual under ground, so to speak.

While the main romantic pair of Bobby and Aaron have a genu inely engaging relationship dynamic, the film suffers from romantic comedy tropes that you will either love or hate. Namely, initial falling in love, then conflict and finally beautiful resolution.

The film also tackles topics such as monogamy, prejudice, masculinity and sexuality. Which, to the films credit, are not often touched upon in hetero romcoms.

2022’s Bros is a pretty decent gay romantic comedy. From the outset, the film seems cynical and self-aware. However, through periods of sincere self-reflection on romance and more than one raunchy sex scene, Bros finds its footing.

— Braden Bristow, columnist

The classic romcom How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days gives some unconventional advice on what not to do in the dating world.

The plot of this film follows magazine columnist Andie and advertising specialist Ben. Andie bets a friend that she can lose a guy in 10 days based off her previous failures, and Ben bets that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days.

Although these methods seem to get Andie her dream guy at the end, they would not be applicable in today’s world. Unless of course you want to create some real life rom-

Andie gives Ben stuffed animals, fakes vegetarianism, gifts Ben a “love fern” and buys him a puppy, while Ben decides to put up with these unconventional practices because his ego is bigger than his

So, would this work in today’s complicated dating world, outside of the alternate realm of romcom films?

The short answer is: most likely not. No romantic relationship can take off if ego is prioritized over legitimate feelings.

Long story short, be yourself. Don’t force anything this Valentine’s Day. The right person will fall for your crazy antics, even if they involve a love fern.

— Ashley Puchniak, news reporter

Dallin Chicoine and Jenna Solomon / staff

’Toban tracks — Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?

Tunes for Bisons casting love spells

Damien Davis, staff

Romantic comedies are often considered the quintessential Valentine’s Day films.

Stories about couples meeting, falling in love, engaging in some shenanigans and finding their way to a happy ending. It’s a straightforward formula.

While this isn’t a bad thing and I think that romcoms get a little too much hate, I would argue that it reinforces a long-standing tradition of Valentine’s Day being cheesy and lighthearted when it holds the potential to be so much darker and romantic than that — more magical.

Anna Biller’s The Love Witch is always on my mind when this season comes around. It’s a film that encapsulates an atmosphere of obsession, sensuality, desire, cravings, darkness and, of course, witchcraft.

Halloween isn’t the only

this Valentine’s Day

day for casting spells and summoning spirits. Why can’t Valentine’s Day be another holiday with whimsy and mystique?

People create love spells around this time, buy charms and amulets to attract potential suitors and even wear certain crystals just to increase their likelihood of securing a date.

There’s something so old world and mystical about the whole concept of people lighting candles and channeling something from beyond to bring them closer to love, and I think that’s what’s missing from Valentine’s Day. We have to put the romance back in “necromancy.”

This playlist was made with these themes in mind, as well as the fact that there can only be so many playlists about magic that feature Stevie Nicks and Lana Del Rey.

So for a fresher listening experience, I brought

’Toban cornertable

some electronic and alternative tracks into the picture. From Cocteau Twins ethereal vocals, to the desperation in Yves Tumor screaming its devotion against the backdrop of one of the most ridiculous guitar solos on the album Heaven To A Tortured Mind, this is an ode not just to The Love Witch but to everyone who needs a little magic in their love life this week.

So, whether it’s for summoning a soulmate from beyond the grave or getting ready for a date, enjoy getting lost in some dreamy, romantic, whimsical and obsessive tracks.

Sea, Swallow Me — Cocteau Twins, Harold Budd, The Moon and the Melodies Genesis Grimes, Visions Road Head Japanese Breakfast, Soft Sounds from Another Planet Kerosene! Yves Tumor, Heaven To A Tortured Mind

Joshua Whitehead — Making Love with the Land

Jessie Krahn, staff

I like Valentine’s Day because it gives me an excuse to watch people talk about their loved ones. Their eyes start to rove around the room as they smile a little in spite of themselves and their shoulders relax. People are endearing when they talk about what is dear to them.

But the loves we celebrate at this time of year tend to rest around the same temperature — hot, heavy and romantic. Feb. 14 ought to be a time for us to celebrate all kinds of loves, past and present.

After making waves with Jonny Appleseed in 2018, Treaty 1 storyteller Joshua Whitehead’s latest virtuosic collection of essays Making Love with the Land certifies his visionary capacities while paying tribute to a variety of great loves in the writer’s life.

Part tribute to a love postbreak-up and part generous disclosure of the storyteller’s journey to self-love, Making Love is a pensive assemblage of many of Whitehead’s cherished memories with people he loves.

Essay collections can be Frankensteinian in their make-up, often lassoing scattered published and unfinished pieces across an author’s life and ordering

them together as loosely related opinion writing. But Whitehead’s essays cohere in style and subject, not just as afterthoughts piled together.

The essays also entirely sidestep divisions between fiction and nonfiction, and deploy an authorial voice of many attitudes rather than a monolithic one.

At times intimately confessional and at others just saucy, the voice brings the reader into confidence about everything from his reservations in private conversations to his euphoric connection to his two-spirit identity, as well as ongoing bereavements for loves long lost.

Making Love’s prose periodically drifts into a verselike place and back again throughout. The result is a breathtakingly lyrical style that doesn’t just flow but soars through Whitehead’s ruminations. The collection begins with this musicality at the fore. The first paragraph in the opening essay “Who Names the Rez Dog Rez?” needs to be read aloud to let its rhythm breathe fully and to appreciate the alliteration spilling out of every line.

This musicality and detail in Whitehead’s writing extends to the multiple languages of Making Love. The

book switches between Cree romanizations, syllabics and English often within single sentences.

“A Geography of Queer Woundings” in particular bubbles with Cree vocabulary and hops so quickly between languages that new words started to hold meaning for me not long after they were introduced.

As the inclusion of Cree romanizations suggests, Making Love’s bilingualism invites non-Indigenous — particularly white settler — readers to grasp the opportunity to learn and understand Indigenous languages and cultures outside of colonial languages. While Whitehead’s focus is often joyful, colonialism stains many treasured memories.

In “My Body Is a Hinterland” Whitehead describes bringing his partner to Gimli, Man. as a way of sharing the dearer parts of Treaty 1 with him. What ought to have been a romantic evening is spoiled as the pair overhear other patrons at a bar making queerphobic and racist comments.

After that, Whitehead describes the poisonous amount of bird excrement in the nearby lake, resulting from flocks of gulls attracted to fishermen’s garbage. The

Me and Your Mama Childish Gambino, “Awaken, My Love!”

Gotham Love BAKGROUND, LT-GLOBE-XXX Give Me a Reason Boy

Harsher, The Runner (Original Soundtrack)

Nightcall — Kavinsky, Nightcall

Romanticist — Yves

Tumor, Heaven To A Tortured Mind

Japanese Breakfast, Polyvinyl 4-Track Singles Series, Vol. 3 Teardrop — Massive Attack, Mezzanine Scorpio — Mareux, Scorpio Can you kiss me first — College, Teenage color EP Polycephaly — Doon Kanda, Polycephaly

Posing in Bondage — arts@themanitoban.com

author likens his body to the lake and the bigotry he has experienced to feces.

The reek of scat — ongoing colonial violence — can’t be ignored, and likewise the motif of crap runs throughout the collection.

However, the love Whitehead’s authorial voice holds for his culture, community and even himself makes life not only survivable but joyful.

“My Aunties Are Wolverines” is a powerful description of Whitehead’s grief in the wake of one of his matriarchs’ passing that wells up with a deep and abiding love for his late aunt.

The book offers the best experience the creative essay genre can give too — a feeling of connection with a kindred spirit.

Making Love has the precise focus of a documentary. Whitehead notates the most minute slices of his life into little histories with an attention to detail that weaves readers completely into the fabric of the writer’s inner world. The result is a multi-dimensional, highly sympathetic and profoundly human point of view.

“The Year in Video Gaming,” for example, is a reassuring testimonial on the normality of forming deep and

medicinal attachments to Fire Emblem characters.

From long-term weather-worn residents of Manitoba to insomniac grad students, to anyone who has been subject to an ekphrastic exercise — writing poetry about art — in a writing workshop, Making Love extends a hand to a diverse audience.

The final essay in the collection briefly touches on one terrible Valentine’s Day Whitehead experienced post-break up, but like the rest of Making Love the essay gestures to the expansive possibilities for love and life beyond single romantic relationships without succumbing to cynicism toward romantic love altogether.

Making Love breaks the boundaries of genre, showing Whitehead’s breadth as a writer and a focused, unwaning voice.

It is at once a generous memoir, a critical intervention and a compendium of Indigenous knowledge wrapped in symphonic ecstasies.

Making Love with the Land is available at major retailers.

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graphic / Dallin chicoine / staff

Sports teams’ schedules

Bisons finish strong at Jim Daly Classic

The herd dominates two-day meet

Quinn Mayhew, staff

The herd hosted the Jim Daly Bison Classic this Feb. 3 and 4 at Max Bell Centre.

As a whole, the meet was very successful. Many Bison athletes earned new season bests or personal bests.

The meet started on Friday with the Bison relays absolutely dominating this yearly track classic, which included the 4x200 metre. The women had the third fastest time for the 4x200 in the Canada West Conference (CanWest).

Saturday afternoon was a chance for the track and field team to improve its standings, and to earn personal bests on home turf. With the Bisons hosting this meet, the herd was looking for podium finishes on home soil.

With both the men and women ranking in the top ten in the U-Sports rankings, the expectations continue to mount going into the upcoming Canada West Championships at the end of February.

The men are currently ranked second in the U-Sports standings, with 65.5 points and the women are ranked

ninth with 27 points, just one point shy of the Dalhousie University Tigers who are currently in eighth place.

Rachel Mann, who competed in the 60-metre hurdles for the U of M, said, “the team as a whole did really well, pretty much everyone had a season’s best or personal best.”

Indeed, going forward the team has all the momentum it needs to continue to climb the U-Sports rankings.

As the end of the track and field season fast approaches, the team looks fierce in both the individual and group races.

When it comes to shot put there’s none better than Anna McConnell, who has reached and even out-performed the national standard, frequently throwing over 14 metres, with an outstanding 14.44 metre best.

Overall, the track and field team continued to impress with Chioma Nwagbo ranked tenth in U-Sports and fourth in the CanWest Conference for the Women’s 600 metre race.

Mann went on to add, “our relays, we have a really strong

pool, and we have pretty much in every event, we should have one or two people in finals.”

With the U of M men’s team currently sitting third in the U-Sports rankings for the 4x200 men’s relay, as well as the women currently sitting in ninth place in the U-Sports 4x200 metre standings, it’s safe to say expectations will be high for both the men’s and women’s teams in this much-anticipated event.

Another notable duo from this year’s track and field roster is Dawson Mann and Tristan Allen, who currently rank fourth and fifth for the men’s 600 metre race, boasting individual times of 1:18.25 for Mann and 1:18.47 for Allen.

With the U of M working hard to dominate both track and field events, the herd is set for a blazing finish to this track and field season as it ends.

Sports fans can continue to cheer on the herd as the track and field team looks forward to the CanWest Championships on Feb. 24 and 25 in Saskatchewan.

The herd will try to improve their rankings this week at the South Dakota State University Invitational from Feb. 10 to 11.

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff sports@themanitoban.com

“The team as a whole did really well, pretty much everyone had a season’s best or personal best”

— Rachel Mann, Bisons track and field team

Bisons series with Wesmen ends in draw

Redemption’s the word as women’s volleyball team ace matinee

Joshua Brandt, staff

On Feb. 2, the U of M women’s volleyball team made the short cross-town trip to the Duckworth Centre to take on its bitter rival, the University of Winnipeg Wesmen.

Going into the match, the herd were on a roll, having won six games in a row.

Out of the gate, the Wesmen nabbed the first two sets to take a 2-0 lead, looking for the sweep.

However, the Bisons stormed back to take the third set 25-18.

Ultimately, that would be the only set the herd would win, as the Wesmen prevailed in the fourth to take the game 3-1, ending the Bisons’ six game winning streak.

The statistical leaders for the herd on Feb. 2 were Julia Arnold, who collected 20 digs, Katreena Bentley who dished out 37 assists, Ella Gray who blocked five Wesmen attacks and rookie Raya Surinx who recorded 11 kills.

The game at home on Feb. 4, however, was a different story altogether.

The Bisons thundered out to an early 1-0 lead, snatching the first set 25-18 with relative ease.

At one point in the second set, the Bisons trailed the Wesmen 19-13. But a prudent time out call and the savvy substitution of Light Uchechukwu into the game facilitated the Bisons’ 29-27 comeback victory in thrilling back and forth action.

In the third and final set, the Bisons steamrolled a defeated Wesmen squad 25-19 to take the match 3-0 and improve its record to 13-7.

With the victory, head coach Ken Bentley also picked up win number 1,100 with the Bisons.

When asked if the team plays with extra motivation against a rival like the Wesmen, Bison second-year Eve Catojo said, “it’s really ingrained in our team philosophy to stay even keel,” and that “we’re not playing the team, we’re playing the rotation and the number, so it doesn’t matter who’s on the other side of the net, we’re playing everyone the same.”

Catojo was named player of the match, recording five kills, three blocks and an assist, making her presence felt in the middle.

“I did everything I could out there to help my team win,” Catojo said.

Bison briefs

Joshua Brandt, staff Bisons hockey

On Feb. 3 and 4, in the thick of a tightly contested race for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Canada West Conference, the U of M men’s hockey team lost two critical games against the first place University of Calgary Dinos.

On Feb. 3, the herd lost 5-1, with Winnipeg native Hayden Ostir tallying its only goal. On Feb. 4, the team managed to close the gap a touch, losing 5-3 instead. Scoring a hat-trick on Feb. 4. — and the sole goal scorer over the weekend — for an aggregate total of four goals in two games, Ostir should quite possibly consider a career in paleontology after he’s through with hockey, as Dinos seem to suit his talents.

Mired in eighth place, the herd has two games left in the regular season.

To qualify for the playoffs, the Bisons will need to win at least one game against the second place University of Alberta Golden Bears. The Bisons play the Golden Bears this weekend, Feb. 10 and 11, at home.

Along with a victory of its own, the herd will need some external aid. The University of Regina Cougars and the MacEwan University Griffins must also lose both their remaining games for the herd to make the playoffs.

The women’s team also played the Dinos over the weekend — at home in frigid Manitoba.

The results of the women’s team’s games were similar to the men’s, in that the herd lost both.

However, she was swift to point out that individual awards are only reflective of team success, stating, “it’s not a one-man show, it’s volleyball.”

Alongside Catojo, Arnold was also a key performer in Saturday’s match.

Arnold duplicated her dig output on Feb. 2, once again scrounging up 20 Wesmen attacks, many of which in the spectacular one-armed lunge style.

Catojo praised Arnold’s excellent performance, saying, “I just love playing with her.”

The Bisons are well pos-

itioned heading into the playoffs. The top eight teams make the playoffs, and the team currently resides in sixth place in the Canada West Conference (CanWest) standings, coming in at 13-7.

The top four teams in CanWest will also host playoff games beginning Feb. 24. The Bisons trail the Wesmen and the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, who sit fourth and fifth respectively, each with a record of 14-6.

Catojo said the mindset for the team heading into the last two weekends of the regular season is “basically just nose to the grindstone.”

She emphasized that the team is focused on “making sure every play that we do in

practice is perfect and everything is done with intensity and intention.”

“It’s a good environment to be in, you know, the pressure’s on so we’ve got to really perform,” she said.

Investors Group Athletic Centre has been a fortress for the Bisons this season, as the team boasts an extraordinary 11-0 record when playing at home.

The team’s prowess at home makes securing a home playoff match all the more important.

The herd’s next games are Feb. 10 and 11 against the Fraser Valley Cascades at Investors Group Athletic Centre.

sports@themanitoban.com

On Feb. 3, the Bisons did put up a stiff challenge, leading the game 2-1 at one point with Ashley Keller notching her third of the season, before ultimately losing 3-2.

On Feb. 4, it was not the Dinos, but the herd’s offence that went extinct, as the team lost 4-0.

Unlike the men’s team, whose playoff wick has nearly been smothered, the women’s playoff hopes are still smoldering.

The seventh place Bisons play the second place University of Alberta Pandas in Edmonton on Feb. 10 and 11. To make the playoffs, the herd must win at least one game.

Although both the women’s and the men’s team have slim odds of making the playoffs, Bisons hockey supporters should channel the words of Jim Carrey: “so you’re telling me there’s a chance!”

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photos

/ Matthew Merkel / volunteer

“It’s not a one man show, it’s volleyball”

— Eve Catojo, Bisons women’s volleyball team