Issue 13 Volume 50

tdsa demands freeze

postsecret coming to peterborough

PM Trudeau Visits masjid Al-salaam

Students overcharged tuition

INside:

Volume 50 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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Page 19: Listings & Street Style

Upcoming Special Issues in 2016 Issue 16 (Feb 4): Self-love Issue Issue 19 (Feb 25): Trent Arts Issue Issue 20 (Mar 3):Women’s Issues Issue February issues will have content relevant to Black History Month.

The success of our special issues depend heavily on volunteer submissions. If you’ve ever wanted to write something for Arthur, this can be your chance. Email editors@trentarthur.ca for more info.

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Opinion

Letter to the Editor Some of us will have noticed flyers in the cafs calling for the return of, I believe: 2,000 utensils, 1,000 plates, and 800 eco-trays… or something like that.

Obviously those products should be returned to their “homes” - at the very least, because they clutter up our already-cluttered residence rooms. However, there are a few choice things I’d like to get back from Chartwells first.

On the little signs by every cash register, Chartwells swears you’ll only need to spend $23 a day on food, and only five days a week at that!

Said amount is how they calculate our meal plans: $23 dollars a day multiplied by five days a week, multiplied by the number of weeks in the school year. Wonderful!

Except for those students who are already two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through their meal plan at present, and there are a number of us, myself included.

Apparently students are only supposed to eat twice a day and aren’t expected to eat on the weekends at all…or over the exam period (for those of us here to the bitter end). I wish Chartwells would give me the phone number of the nutritionist who came up with the math so I could get a note for my stomach, explaining why I can’t have three healthy meals a day, or any meals at all on the weekends!

I may be a lightweight rower, but I still need to eat! Even as a lightweight (150 lb.), I need food so I can study and train hard! My friends who are heavyweights are in afar worse state - particularly the taller ones. We don’t pig out and buy disgusting amounts of food, but enough to satisfy our hunger when he rumbles. Living in residence this year wasn’t an ideal choice for me – it’s like living in a hotel and eating

out all the time. Except any travel advisor would tell you to allocate $10 for breakfast, $15 for lunch, and $15 for dinner (drinks included). The only way you can spend under $23 a day eating on this campus is sticking to toast, soup, and pizza! Even yogurt is at least twice the price it should be, the caf is always out of the healthy stuff, and students are charged for even the smallest toppings! Perhaps if the food was reasonably priced, $23 a day (once you added in weekends) would be achievable. But when milk, meat, fruits, and vegetables are $1-2 more than they are at comparable locations… it simply isn’t.

We all know Chartwells is a cold-hearted, money-grubbing business in the vein of Ebenezer Scrooge (not its employees though, who are very nice and understanding). However, when we hear from older students about the all-you-can-eat meals and chocolate milk fountain of the preChartwell era… well, it’s like hearing about the promised land and being unable to go there!

My message to Chartwells: 1) Redo your bloody calculations to acknowledge the fact, which might surprise you, that students actually eat on the weekends; 2) Proceed to reimburse the students who bought food on the weekends when there wasn’t money allotted for that; 3) Stop charging for cheese and avocado; 4) Get more healthy options, including healthy snack options; 5) Take a good hard look at your overall prices and see if you can’t return to the golden days of old. Trent is a great school, but has yet to learn that if there are certain components of a system that are popular - they should be reused, not reduced or chucked in the bin!

Brendan Edge Trent U (LEC) 514-708-1343

Trent students, Please be advised that the TCSA has launched a Qualtrics survey to see what coffee vendor students would like to see in the Student Centre.

Based on prior feedback, the TCSA believes that students at Trent are interested in having a full Starbucks in the new Student Centre.

Our suggestion to the Trent Board of Governors would be to replace the partial Starbucks in Gzowski College with a local coffee alternative, and operate a full Starbucks in the new Student Centre.

In order to accurately reflect student opinion, we would like to ask you to vote on your desire to have a full Starbucks in the new Student Centre. The survey is available on the TCSA Facebook page, and on the TCSA website on the front page under News, and will be open until Friday January 22nd at 9am.

Please contact president@trentcentral.ca if you have trouble accessing the survey or if you have any questions/concerns.”

Thank you so, so much! TCSA will write a full article with the results for the next issue Volume 50 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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Durham News

TDSA demands tuition freeze

By Christopher Fernlund Vice President of University Affairs at TDSA

There is common misconception that the average student is able to pay for their education by working hard before they go away to school.

One could argue that if a student worked full-time over the four-month summer at the current minimum wage, they could make just enough to cover the bare cost of tuition. However, the reality is that students are not just covering tuition; they are paying for rent, food, transit, and a slew of other costs associated with “being a person” that even the industrious, hardworking student described above can’t cover without being in the red.

According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, in 1990, the after-tax income of a middle-income family was $48,000 and the average one-year tuition in Ontario was $2,500. In 2011, the same family was making an average of $54,000 and tuition had risen to $6,500. Middleincomes have risen about 12.5% while the cost of tuition has risen about 260%! How did we end up with such a large increase in tuition rates?

In the 1990s, the Ontario government relinquished control over-regulated tuition and universities were free to raise their costs to competitive rates compared to those internationally. The post-secondary student financial aid budget must then have been raised to compensate for this deregulation of tuition. The assumption is semi-correct.

While the current government has subsidized 30% of average tuition in the form of a grant for those families who make less than $160,000, and OSAP has been adjusted to inflation, to date there has been no real correction in the up-front price paid by students who are covering over 50% of universitys’ operating budgets.

As tuition continues to rise at a faster rate than incomes while provincial contributions remain stagnant, students are forced into working more and longer hours

and/or taking on larger amounts of debt.

In 2003, the average repayable debt for an undergraduate was $20,875. Our student members reported ten years later that they had an average debt load of $26,887.

The Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP) has increased its own caps to address the rising tuition costs, but unfortunately its calculations do not accurately reflect the costs student incur as a result of their post-secondary education. This is a triple negative problem: students are faced with high, rising tuition bills; cannot make enough money to cover all the necessitates; and are forced to take out larger amounts of student financial assistance.

Over the past half-decade, tuition has been allowed to rise by 3-5%. At Trent, the typical raise has been 3%. If you are in your fourth year, your tuition will have risen almost 10% since your first year. This is faster than inflation, faster than government contributions, and faster than students can afford.

Over the next three days, in partnership with the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), the Trent Durham Student Association (TDSA) is campaigning for a fully-funded tuition freeze. “Fullyfunded” might sound like a confusing qualifier, but it’s an important one. We at TDSA and OUSA are asking that the government to continue funding universities, so that they are able to provide the highquality academic experience we have right now, while reducing the contributor that comes from the pockets of students. We are asking that the government cover that 3-5% increase to make university more affordable for you.

We want to tip the scales back so the government is responsible for maintaining the publicly funded system.

While we recognize that students should have a financial stake in their education, we want a cost-sharing model that’s fair for everyone and reflects Ontario’s values.

We’re asking for a time-out on unfair costsharing, a time-out on mounting debt, and a time-out on tuition hikes.

WORK YOUR DEGREE WITH A POSTGRAD Our postgraduate certificates help you accelerate your career by providing specialized training that builds on your previous degree or diploma combined with the opportunity to gain practical experience taking on real-world challenges.

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Campus

Over 400 people pack Wenjack for Syrian Symposium

All photos by Samantha Moss

By Reba Harrison

In September, Peterborough’s New Canadian Centre (NCC) held a workshop on Refugee Sponsorship. The outcome was so successful that almost forty private sponsorship groups exist in and around Peterborough County.

These groups came together on Thursday, January 7 to “celebrate their work and offer a forum for learning, discussion, and brainstorming,” read the press release issued on January 4.

Cam Douglas and Chantal Bouillon, in partnership with the NCC, organized the symposium. Over 400 people crowded the Wenjack Theatre, eager to help Syrian families coming to Canada.

Liberal MP Maryam Monsef opened the symposium by acknowledging the

stolen Indigenous Land upon which we are living, working, and learning. Her recognition of the land, led into her presentation about the importance of sharing the land, and respecting and welcoming one other.

“We are coming together as a community. We are coming together as a country… That is a gift,” said Monsef, with a look of pride towards the attendees.

Presentations by Hajni Hos and Michael VanDerHerberg of the NCC, Bishop William McGrattan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough, and Dr. Kenzu Abdella, President of the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association, followed.

Representatives of the NCC described the refugee sponsorship groups as telephone posts allowing and assisting new Canadian families to connect to their new way of life, Douglas reminisced over a phone interview on January 14.

Dr. Abdella explained the Mosque’s efforts to provide translators for new families, and Bishop McGrattan presented the ways in which the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough is supporting new families and sponsorship groups.

Following presentations, attendees divided into eleven groups throughout the Trent University campus to discuss and share ideas, experiences, and challenges.

Douglas describes the main challenges as relating to resource access, including interpretations and school integration.

Ensuring that Peterborough schools are prepared to accommodate and welcome Syrian children is one of the many large tasks that the sponsoring groups are working to complete.

The NCC regularly pairs new Canadians with community volunteers to help improve their skills and understand-

ing of English or French. English tutors and English-Arabic interpreters are in high demand right now with some refugee families already settled in Peterborough and still more to arrive!

NCC employees and volunteers assist with training, funding, answering questions, and helping to allocate donations and housing in order to ease the transition into a new life.

NCC is looking for landlords interested in providing low-cost or free housing for Peterborough’s arriving families (temporary or long-term).

Community members able to donation their time by providing transportation or helping to move and/or lift are wanted, too.

Peterborough’s Habitat for Humanity is accepting furniture and appliances, while St. Vincent de Paul is accepting clothing, toys, and other small items.

Volume 50 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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Campus

OPIRG and SAID present : readings by Paula Butler and Yves Engler

By Adriana Sierra

This Thursday, January 21st, Canada’s positive international image in regards to Africa will be challenged.

OPIRG, The Council of Canadians, and the Student Association for International Development (SAID) have come together in a collaborative event that will feature book readings from Trent University Professor, Paula Butler, and from “Canada’s version of Noam Chomsky,” Yves Engler.

Paula Butler will be reading from her most recent book, Colonial Extractions: Race and Canadian Mining in Contemporary Africa. The book explores the discourses and narratives through which Canadian mining activities in Africa are legitimized and provides a sharp critique of Canada’s mining industry overseas.

Actively challenging the myth of Canadian benevolence, Butler uses critical

race and post-colonial theory to argue that Canada’s mining industry operates within a continued colonial mindset over resource ownership and racialized dominance of people of color and indigenous peoples.

Bonnie Campbell of the Universite du Quebec has noted, “Not all will welcome the analysis presented…. Colonial Extractions is a ground-breaking contribution that will serve as a landmark for years to come.”

Also critiquing Canada’s foreign affairs in the African context, Yves Engler will be reading from one of his multiple books on the issue, Canada In Africa: 300 Years of Aid and Exploitation. The book presents an analysis of the past and the present of Canadian foreign policy. This analysis centers around the mining complex and Canada’s role in the process of resource extraction abroad, domestic shares, and the ability to influence politics within the African nations in which its mining companies

Green your campus!

By Nick Weissflog

There are many excellent courses at Trent which allow students to engage in course themes and topics through applied projects which address specific real problems.

This is excellent at reifying theory to create an understanding of praxis, however, in many cases (there are exceptions, e.g.

TCRC or honours thesis courses), there is not the funds or institutional support to implement many of these excellent ideas.

This is why the Green Team, a working group of Sustainable Trent, is organizing a competition to solicit your ideas for projects which can make the Trent campus more sustainable.

This competition, titled the “Trent Green Your Campus Competition”, offers implementation funds to at least one idea and the creator(s) of the idea are under no obligation after the presentation of their idea to implement it.

There are no restrictions on who can enter, all that is required to register is a brief email with your name(s), the title of your project and a brief description, sent to trentgreenteam@gmail.com by February 29th, 2016.

The group or individual entering must then create a poster (size) detailing the specifics of the project idea they are proposing

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(e.g. what is your idea, how much would it cost, how would you measure the success of your project, how would it augment campus sustainability, etc...).

This poster will then be presented to a panel of judges at the on-campus sustainability conference which shall take place on March the 12th in Gzowksi College. For more information you can check out the “Trent Green Your Campus Competition” Facebook page.

operate.

Concluding that Canada is an imperialist abuser of human rights, Engler’s analysis includes Canada’s opposition to a number of colonial struggles and its support for the apartheid in South Africa. He also writes on Canada’s involvement in the imposition of neoliberal prescriptions in Africa and in the violence that occurred in Somalia, Rwanda and in Congo. Additionally, Engler notes that the nation’s ongoing indifference to climate change will have significant repercussion in the African continent.

Jim Miles from the Foreign Policy Journal wrote “If you ever wondered why Africa remains mired in poverty, war, and terrorist exploitation, Canada in Africa delivers a strong answer,” in his review of the book.

Both authors deliver a highly controversial view of Canada that directly challenges the nation’s widespread benevolent image.

By shedding light primarily on Canada’s mining activity and its multiple compo-

nents, Engler and Butler present a complex and little-known analysis of Canada’s contentious foreign policy.

The book reading will be held in the Gathering Space in Gzowski College on Thursday, January 21st from 7pm – 9pm.

The renowned authors will be introduced

by International Development Professor, Baris Karaagac, and will read sections of their books. The event will also feature ample time for questions and discussion with the authors themselves.

Additionally, both, Colonial Extractions: Race and Canadian Mining in Contemporary Africa and Canada In Africa: 300 Years of Aid and Exploitation will be available for purchase at this event.

Whether you agree or not with Butler and Engler’s daunting views of Canada’s involvement in Africa, the event is sure to spur debate and provide for an interesting evening full of controversy and enlightenment.

Bookstorenowofferspricematching!

By Keila MacPherson

It’s the start of a new semester and what does any student dread more than impending essays and assignments? Buying textbooks, of course!

It can be detrimental to our already malnourished bank accounts and a burden on our backs as we carry heavy books around campus.

This year, the Trent University Bookstore has gone where every grocery store and Walmart has… they now offer Price Match on textbooks!

It is a new system in place, and with any great deal, there are rules.

The next few paragraphs will lay out what this feature is all about and what is and isn’t allowed.

Where can you price match?

You are in luck as long as you are looking on Canadian websites, such as Amazon.ca or Indigo.ca. All you have to do is bring in proof of the price, that the company sells it, and that it is “In-Stock” online, and you can match its price at the Bookstore!

You cannot price match on a peer-to-peer (P2P) website or from the publisher’s website.

How does it work?

When you bring in the proof of a lower price, you take the book you need off the shelf, bring it to the cashier, and they will calculate the price difference.

You then pay the full price for the book, and if the difference is $5 or more, you will get a store credit gift card with the difference; you can use the gift card on anything in the store, even other textbooks! If it is less than $5, you will get the money in cash.

If you already bought your textbook and found it cheaper online after, there is no need to go through the hassle of returning the book and waiting for it to ship to your house.

You have seven days to go back to the bookstore with your receipt and proof to get your store credit.

What happens if you drop the class and don’t need the textbook anymore?

Simple. Just bring in the book and gift card with the receipt and do a regular return.

To save yourself some time, before you bring in your proof on your phone or printed, make sure the book is the exact same as the one in store.

The Bookstore cannot price match hard copies on older editions or digital copies.

Look at the ISBN on the site and the back of the book above the barcode.

Also, price match can only be done instore, not for online orders.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask any Bookstore associate! Happy shopping (and reading)!

campus PostSecret is coming to Peterborough thanks to the TCSA!

By Yumna Leghari

On Monday, February 8, Post Secret will be coming through town. Yes, that’s right. The Frank Warren will be speaking at The Venue. If you’ve never heard of PostSecret, we must remedy this.

In 2005, Warren unknowingly founded one of the most popular blogs on the internet today. Ten years later, and PostSecret is going strong. What is Post Secret, and why is it so popular?

Post Secret is a medium through which people can mail in anonymous postcard with their deepest secrets written on them.

In turn, Warren chooses a select few and posts them online every Sunday. There are new secrets every week.

The postcards are always home-made, thus Post Secret is identified as an ongoing community mail art project. The secrets range from very serious to quite humourous in tone. Post Secret has published several books filled with secrets and has been featured in museum exhibits.

Post Secret has raised awareness on mental health issues, and has created a dialogue discussing suicide and suicide prevention.

Warren donated over $1 million in the cause of suicide prevention, and many of his talks center around mental health.

Arthur spoke to Hilary Stafford, VP of Campaigns and Equity at the TCSA, who

is behind the organization of this event.

Stafford provided some insight into the formation of the event, and described why such an event is important and beneficial to Peterborough and Trent students.

What inspired you to organize this event?

I was originally introduced to Post Secret by the TCSA’s Association Resource Manager Stephanie Laing McKay, when she showed me the website one day. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I found the whole idea of sending someone an anonymous secret very interesting because it seemed like a great way to express yourself on an anonymous platform.

I also liked reading other people’s secrets because it made me realize that many of the struggles that we let define us, may actually be experienced by a number of other people.

I decided to organize a Post Secret event this year because I believe that is important for Trent students and the Peterborough community to realize that they are not alone in their struggles, and I believe that this event will really help to bring our community together and discuss the important topic of mental health.

What do you think the significance of Post Secret is?

I think Post Secret provides people with

a way to express themselves, when they may not necessarily want the attention that would come with telling a secret publicly, hence why it is a secret.

The anonymity of the project means that people are made aware of resources to help themselves, while also having the opportunity to connect with people in a setting where they will not be judged. A secret is still a secret, but Post Secret also provides a way to get that secret off of someone’s chest.

Frank Warren (the founder of Post Secret) and the National Speakers Bureau have been great to work with, and I have also received great support from a number of people in the Peterborough and Trent communities.

I have a number of people to thank for helping me make this possible and I also have a number of sponsors who have been very generous. I am extremely excited for this event and I hope the community is as well.

Why do you think the community should care about this?

I think this event will benefit the community because my goal is to have it jump start a conversation surrounding mental health. There are many great resources for people struggling with mental illness and so I hope that this event will raise awareness of those resources while also encouraging people to get the help that they need.

I also think that this event will increase the sense of community here in Peterborough and at Trent because there will be opportunities for individuals to participate in the discussion and I believe that it will create a great sense of community.

What was it like organizing the event?

Organizing this event was really interesting because of all of the great individuals that I have gotten to work with. Both

Volume 50 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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Campus

Migration: Exploring roots and routes

By Renzo Costa

The ninth edition of the Community Movements Conference (CMC) is taking place on February 5-7. Organized by the Student Association for International Development (SAID), this year’s conference focus will be on issues surrounding migration in their political, economic, social, and environmental contexts.

This is extremely timely, as the world struggles to understand the nuances of migration and human mobility as shown by the rising racist and discriminatory views surrounding migrants that are based on a politics of ignorance and fear.

As it is now tradition for the CMCs, the critical discussions, panels, workshops, and table conversations will be engaging and challenging to all members of the community. The CMC organizing committee strives to provide an open and safe space for all to join in on the conversation.

This year’s two keynote speakers are Harsha Walia, co-founder of the Vancou-

ver chapter of No One Is illegal, and Gloria Nafziger, from Amnesty Canada. The conference is proud to be able to bring speakers of such caliber, and it goes to show the high level of professionalism of the CMC organizing committee.

One of the highlights of this year’s edition will be the introduction of a “Challenge for Change”. Participants, divided in teams, will be able to hear and discuss on two panels, one on movement building, and another on policy development.

A professor and community organization in both areas will present, and then the Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration (PPCII) will introduce a challenge for the participants to look at and address.

The idea behind this exercise will be to ground the issues discussed in the workshops and panels, and to allow participants to look at real life situations and the application of the issues discussed. Following a feedback session by the PPCII and the pan-

els, raffle prizes will be handed out.

Another highlight of this annual conference is the delightful food brought by Food Not Bombs.

There has been an enormous amount of hard work and planning put in by the organizing committee since early September. The committee is sub-divided into the Speakers, Marketing, Budgeting, Logistics, and the Challenge for Change sub- committees. Arthur talked to one of the most recent members of the committee.

Teanna Allen-Lisk, a first year student, talked to Arthur about the exciting and rewarding experience of being a part of the committee.

She joined after the SAID Meet and Greet at the beginning of the year and expressed that it was a way of being involved in the community in an exciting manner.

Allen-Lisk explained how the conference organizing committee has allowed her to meet other first year students, upper year students, and faculty within the program,

which brings friendly faces around campus and has really helped with the transition into university.

“Being involved in the conference gives students something to focus on other then just academics through the year and allows students to be part of something bigger and community based”, Allen-Lisk added.

Moreover, she specifically pointed out at how being a member has helped her practice and develop skills such as public speaking. Allen-Lisk said, “The conference has really allowed [me] to come out of my shell and get myself out there into the community. It has truly been one of the highlights of my first year, allowing me to build skills, make new friends, and gain new experiences as well as being able to be a part of something that allows the community to come together.”

As in previous editions, this year’s Community Movements Conference is a must and will be one of the highlights of the year in the Peterborough community.

Enweying 2016: Don’t miss out on a learning experience

By Keila MacPherson

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of assignments and deadlines, it can be easy to forget that part of university is about broadening your mind and making meaningful connections with professionals in the field.

That is why Peter Gzowski College is running the Enweying event for the second year in a row.

“We think extraordinary ideas are constantly changing and it’s so much fun to hear what all of these different people are working on,” said Brenna Farren, Gzowski College Community Liaison.

It is being held on Saturday, January 23, from 9:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m.

This year’s event, Enweying 2016: An Event About Extraordinary Ideas, features nine Trent professors from a variety of departments; Rhonda Smith and Barry Saville from the Forensic Science Department, Christopher Dummitt from the Canadian Studies and History Departments, Nadine Changfoot from Political Science, Dan Longboat and James Wilkes from Indigenous Studies, Eric Sager from Environmental Resources and Indigenous Environmental Studies, Robyne Hanley-Dafoe of the Psychology Department as well as the Centre for Teaching and Learning.

According to Farren, each faculty member will have 15 minutes to talk about what they are interested in and passionate about.

“They are nominated based on their pas-

sion, their connections with students outside the classroom, and their general ability to make a student sit back and go ‘wow’,” said Farren.

Arthur was able to contact a few of the professors speaking at Saturday’s event and find out what their passions are and a little bit about how they connect to the Trent student community outside of class hours.

Dummitt is a Trent alumnus and current professor. He teaches first year history and many upper year Canadian history courses.

He spoke at last year’s Enweying event and said he “loved it.”

Dummitt told Arthur he will be speaking about his book The People Unfooled: Mackenzie King’s Secret Life and the Making of an Irreverent Democracy, and his various passions about Canadian history.

“I have been obsessed with Mackenzie King’s secret life and what the revelations about it in the 1960s and 1970s tell us about how Canadians came to treat their political leaders much less deferentially,” explained Dummitt.

“I’m starting a new book on the history of the (first) Trudeau government’s Omnibus bill that reformed the criminal code back in 1969. This was the reform that decriminalized homosexuality and birth control, and partially opened up abortion law.

It strikes me as a real turning point in modern Canadian history,” he said.

Dummitt often organizes field trips for Canadian Studies students to the McMi-

chael gallery and often engages with students that need help or are eager to learn more.

Hanley-Dafoe, a post-secondary teacher still involved in the elementary school community, is speaking at this event for the first time.

She is passionate about students as a whole, but more specifically their learning experiences and connecting with them on an intellectual level.

“I absolutely love designing my courses for students to be successful. There is a terrific blend of optimal challenge, rigour, and course curriculum that motivates and challenges my students to achieve deep and lasting learning. So much of what we see and hear comes and goes with little anchoring. I believe we must connect learning to life, to our own values, and sense of self then, it is with us for a lifetime,” she told Arthur.

Smith has been teaching at Trent since 2009, and as a lawyer, she teaches law to the students taking forensics courses. This is her first year participating in the event.

Although she teaches in law, she is passionate about active learning.

“My talk is entitled: The Space Between You and I: Connecting in Undergraduate Education. The general gist of the talk is about the importance of being actively involved in our own learning, owning our thoughts, and connecting with others to facilitate our own excellence.

I am really passionate about encouraging students to develop through sharing their thinking with others,” Smith said.

She connects with students during her office hours and offers assistance to those aspiring to go on to law school. She hopes to bring back the Pre-Law Society that was started at Trent some years ago.

“I am excited to be part of Enweying this year – I love the fact that it translates to ‘the way we speak together,’” shared Smith.

“Often how we speak to each other is the space between us and rather than seeing it as a linear ‘back and forth,’ I want us to see it as a space that is three-dimensional – it expands and contracts, changes shape, and encompasses room for many voices.”

And Hanley-Dafoe emphasizes that even in the academic world, we are stronger when we work together. “[W]e are a community of learners and our ideas and knowledge are strongest when we respect one another and are humble enough to learn from one another,” she said.

Dummitt said he wants students to come out to this event because it will allow students to connect with and see their professors in a way that they wouldn’t normally be able to in a classroom setting.

Enweying 2016 is a free event; all you have to do is pick up tickets in your affiliated college office to reserve a spot for the day. There will also be catering provided by Black Honey and door prizes.

World University Service of Canada (WUSC)

By Ryan Newman

2015 WUSCrazy, 2016 will be Mayhem… and we’re ready for it!

Reflecting upon this past semester, it can be said that the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) has experienced tremendous growth here at Trent.

We settled two students through the Student Refugee Program (SRP) last semester.

As a result, our SRP committee has grown from two members to four, thereby ensuring a strong support system. There are currently over a dozen WUSC members at Trent, which includes executives, faculty, and volunteers. Growing awareness is evident on campus: at Clubs and Groups day in September, we received more interest

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than ever before.

This growth is largely due to the strength of our local committee and the commitment from our partners. The successful de-stress bake sale in December proved the former point with Syria: Looking Back, Moving Forward (a collaborative event involving KWIC, SAID, and yours truly) proving the latter. We here at WUSC cherish these bonds and welcome future relationships with open arms. In fact, our committee solidified a brand new partnership this past autumn. Lakefield College School welcomed five WUSCies into their chapel in November for a speech and WUSC presentation. That Saturday, our members were welcome back to Lakefield for a Cof-

fee Night Fundraiser, with all proceeds going towards our SRP. The experience benefited both institutions: aside from raising funds, all participants witnessed the giving nature of the people in our community. We anticipate a great partnership with Lakefield College School moving forward, along with other post-secondary institutions.

Moving forward, 2016 will be our biggest year without a doubt. The #TRENTUHELPS campaign contributed over $35,000 to our SRP and we are very proud of this achievement. By effect, we will be settling four SRP students this year.

Meanwhile, our focus in other areas will remain intact. The annual Shine-a-Light Campaign will be kicking off this spring.

This will include a glow-party in February alongside other fundraisers. We are in talks with regional groups to host other collaborative events and fundraisers, so keep an ear open for updates!

Finally, WUSC is jumpstarting the #educationchangestheworld campaign this January. The point of this campaign is to appreciate the privilege we have as Trent students. We promote the idea that education is entitled to all while recognizing that education helps us grow as people. For further details on this campaign, keep up with WUSC editions in college newsletters.

Again, we thank all members and supporters. Here’s to another great year for WUSC at Trent!

Campus

Trent Muslim Association hosts Islam Awareness Week

by Dan Morrison

This week is Islam awareness week, run

by Trent Muslim Students Association (TMSA) to discuss Islam and to encourage a better understanding of the lives of Muslims in Canada. As complicated as it is to try to articulate the nature of any religion, the timing of the week makes it particularly important.

Throughout Western countries, Muslims are coming under greater pressure, whether it is due to the stereotypes of refugees in Europe or due to those fanatically dull and cruel hillbillies pillaging Syria and Iraq, giving their religion a perception it does not merit, and acting without the mercy Islam preaches. In turn, this has led to rising levels of Islamophobia in the West. This was the subject of Wednesday’s talk.

Dr. Kenzu Abdella gave the talk. Associate Professor of Mathematics at Trent, he is also the President of Kawartha Muslims Religious Association. In this role, he was at the centre of Peterborough’s own outburst of Islamophobia: the recent arson attack on Peterborough’s mosque.

After beginning wittily with his own equation for Islamophobia, Abdella went on to explain exactly what Islamophobia is, and where anti-Islamic sentiment comes from. Islamophobia is the irrational fear of Muslims and Islam. As per most phobias of particular groups of people whether based on religion, ethnicity, race, gender or sexual orientation - the phobia stems from ignorance, partly wilful and partly through lack of exposure to the

world. Both are difficult to counteract.

Today more than ever, the cycle of the wilful “informing” the unexposed, and the unexposed reinforcing the wilful, is exacerbating the rising Islamophobia in the West. As has been the case with the Conservative debate surrounding the burqa, and the right wing press in the UK and United States, much of the press has managed to cultivate a violent and extreme image of Islam amongst sizeable pockets of western communities.

As said by Muhammed Arif Khan, President of Trent Muslim Students Association, “In daily lives, there are lots of misconceptions around Islam” - unfortunately, a lot of these misconceptions come from the media’s portrayal of Muslims.

Abdella’s talk sought to break down various issues, deconstructing myths and separating the Islamic from the specific cultural practices. As he said, when Muslims from all backgrounds come together in Peterborough, the Islam they practice is the same. Many of the misconceptions come when particular cultural norms in a country or region are seen as specifically Islamic.

The lecture was simple, sensible and insightful, the layman or woman would have garnered as much from the talk as the scholar. Indeed, the audience seemed to span these ends.

He refuted the claim that Islam is an inherently violent religion. He cited World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics on homicides per capita, with no Muslim country in the top fifteen, and that none of the ten largest genocides in history have

been associated with Islam. Indeed, only two mass shootings in the U.S. were committed by Muslims - there were a total of 335.

For reducing the incidence of Islamophobia, Abdella had several solutions.

Following his eminently sensible route, the government, media, and Muslims themselves were at the heart of reducing Islamophobia.

Firstly, all governments should work closely with Islamic organisations and Muslim communities.

Government should listen to the communities’ fears and how they can address them, and then they would be more aware of how their policies affect Muslims.

Next, he said that the media must improve their reporting of Muslims. Particularly, a “far more balanced view” is needed, and when talking about terrorism, it should avoid associating it with Muslims and Islam. In light of the Oregon militia’s occupying of a government building and the South Carolina killer Dylann Roof ’s mass shooting, this aspect of media coverage has been well documented. If Muslims had committed these acts, their religion would be invoked and terrorism the crime.

It is an important hypocrisy that needs to be addressed, as a lot of ignorance stems from this kind of reporting.

Furthermore, schools should take stronger action in educating about world faiths.

Arguably, your experiences in school will mould your world view more than anything. You can’t really instil open-mindedness too early, nor can judging folks on their actions be encouraged too soon.

Finally, Abdella made a very strong point of referring to the important role that Muslims have in reducing Islamophobia. If the ignorant don’t want to educate themselves, Muslims can just bring the education to them.

As well as maintaining security and remaining vigilant, cooperating with the law regarding extremism, Muslims should look to provide their own positive narrative media. In my mind, it seems absurd that Muslims should have to at all. Christians, Jews, Sikhs, and Rastafarians aren’t encouraged to do this for their own faiths, but I guess this is the unfortunate climate we live in.

An event like Islam Awareness week is an excellent example.

In 630 A.D., the Prophet Muhammed took over Mecca with his army of Muslims and allied tribes. After the Meccans conceded defeat, he took the city without bloodshed and without forcing anybody to convert to Islam. It is thus a lovely irony that Islamophobes could do with a bit of Islam, a religion and a history preaching peace in times of war.

This is why events like Islam Awareness week are so important, to break down extremely complex faiths and to dispel myths. No religions is perfect - in fact, most are far from it - but they still provide important lessons for us all to bear in mind, for fundamentalist atheists and believers, and for the fundamentally unconvinced.

Well done and thank you to Dr. Abdella for an interesting and accessible talk.

Celebrating excellence at Trent University

By Adam Guzkowski

Every year, Trent University celebrates teaching excellence with awards that honour exceptional contributions to teaching and learning. As the nomination deadline draws near for most of Trent’s teaching awards, it is worth reflecting on what the awards celebrate, and the inspiring educators who were the recipients of the 2015 awards.

As President Leo Groarke noted at the Celebration of Teaching Excellence in April 2015, “You can see what an institution cares about by looking at what it celebrates.”

The Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching is Trent’s most prestigious teaching award, and recognizes faculty and staff members who stand out from others in encouraging learning, bringing unique experiences to the teaching space, challenging students to do their best work, serving as inspiration for students, and demonstrating exemplary concern for students.

The 2015 recipient was Marg Hobbs, an Associate Professor in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies.

The teaching and learning interactions that Hobbs shapes at the undergraduate and graduate levels were lauded for their warmth, their rich and diverse content, and their candour, compassion, and creativity.

When her receipt of the award was celebrated, Marg Hobbs described Trent as a place where professors care about students and know their names, and are passionate not only about their scholarship, but also about their teaching.

The Award for Educational Leadership and Innovation recognizes faculty and staff members who make a distinctive impact through their leadership, teaching,

innovation, and successful communication of strategies and scholarship related to teaching and learning. The 2015 recipient was Asaf Zohar, an Associate Professor in the Business Administration Program.

At the Celebration of Teaching Excellence, Zohar said that the Award for Educational Leadership and Innovation “is a celebration of Trent’s commitment to finding new ways of bringing our best out in our students.” He was recognized for his successful efforts in a number of areas, including his work in creating innovative experiential education opportunities for Business Administration undergraduate students, and his leadership and vision as the founding director of the Masters of Arts in Sustainability Studies.

The Award for Excellence in Teaching Assistance recognizes teaching assistants who excel at encouraging learning in workshop, tutorial, seminar, laboratory or field settings. The 2015 recipient was Joshua Noiseux, a graduate student teaching assistant in the Department of Political Studies.

Noiseux was honoured for using a variety of teaching methods to enable student participation and success, and for facilitating energetic debate and discussion in seminars that allowed students to carefully consider issues, concepts, and new possibilities.

When presented with his award, Noiseux commented that he always tries “to emphasize the relational interdependence of teaching and learning,” which he sees as a collaborative relationship between his students and himself.

The CUPE 3908-1 Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented to a member of the part-time faculty at Trent University, represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3908 - Unit 1. The award

recognizes the positive impact contract instructors have on students and their learning.

The 2015 recipient was Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, who has taught as a contract instructor in the Psychology department since 2007.

She was honoured for the extraordinary effort, enthusiasm, and energy she puts into her teaching, and for the care, passion, and concern she demonstrates for students. When receiving her award, Hanley-Dafoe spoke about the lasting impact that educational experiences can have on teachers and students, and the importance

for educators to create positive and memorable learning environments.

To nominate someone for any of the four Trent teaching awards, you can visit trentu.ca/teaching. The deadline for nominations for three of the awards is January 22, 2016, while the deadline for nominations for the CUPE 3908-1 Award is March 1, 2016.

This year’s Celebration of Teaching Excellence will take place on Thursday, March 31, 2016 from 3:30PM to 5PM in the Great Hall of Champlain College. The event is open to the entire Trent community.

Volume 49 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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Students Overcharged in Compulsory Ancillary Fee

By Ugyen Wangmo

The Trent University administration has realized that students were charged slightly above its minimum stipulated amount in Ancillary fees for the 2015/16 academic year.

The University was notified about the discrepancy in the calculation of the nontuition-related compulsory ancillary fees by one of the student leaders, who is also a member of CASSC. As per the budget outlined in the 2014/15 Colleges Year-End Report: “In 2015/16, the college fee will change by 2.4% to reflect a cost of living increase.” The report specifically stated that the current college fees of $235 that every full-time undergraduate student pays annually has been decided to be increased for the coming year based on the consumer price index (CPI).

As of the 2006-2007 academic year, the categories of the non-tuition-related compulsory ancillary fees charged to students of Trent University in Peterborough (and in Oshawa, if so designated) are namely: Wellness, Athletics, Athletic Capital Development, College, Convocation, Campus Card, Introductory Seminar Week, Residence and Meal Plan.

However, in keeping with the Trent Non-Tuition-Related Compulsory Ancillary Fee protocol 2011-2015, “Athletics, Colleges, and Housing Fees will be subject to a Utilities and OPSEU [Ontario Public Service Employees Union] increase clause,” and not the CPI. As explained by the protocol, increases to base ancillary fees for Athletics, Colleges, and Housing Fees will occur automatically to cover inflationary items such as salaries as determined by the collective agreement between the University and OPSEU, and the annual utility rates as determined by the government. Wellness, Convocation, Campus Card, and Introductory Seminar Week are subject to CPI increase clause.

Talking to Arthur, Associate Vice President (AVP) Students Nona Robinson discussed how the issue was brought to her attention by one of the student members of CASSC. “I was made aware that we have brought forward a budget for Colleges and Housing with the cost of living increases without realizing that the mentioned categories have a slightly different approval set-up,” acknowledged Robinson.

What should have happened (which they thought was automatic) according to her, was the CASSC should have had a vote for those budgets in question, that they wanted it to increase by the CPI instead of the automatic Utilities and OPSEU increase clause.

Robinson described CASSC as the stu-

All photos by Samantha Moss

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dent representative body around ancillary fees among other responsibilities. According to the mandate and responsibility of CASSC, it is the mechanism by which fee increases are approved for ancillary fees.

Trent Colleges and Student Services Committee (CASSC) Terms of reference 2013-2014 defines CASSC as “[t]he standing advisory committee to the Associate Vice President of Student Services. CASSC recommendations are forwarded by the AVP of Student Services to the appropriate Vice President (Academic, Administration or External Relations and Advancement).”

As per the update provided by Robinson, the University is currently in the process of recalculating the discrepancy, and that is expected to be completed shortly. Financial Services are looking at recalculating what the actual increase would have been if they had not overlooked the differences in the process to increase the base ancillary fees for different categories.

However, according to the rough calculation developed by Robinson, although not accurate, she speculated the difference is not large. On receiving the exact figures from the financial services, she will be taking it back to CASSC. “I have already apologized to the CASSC because I should have caught it, all of us should have caught it,” acknowledged Robinson. “I will take responsibility for this because as the AVP of students and CASSC advisor, I should have caught it.”

Robinson informed Arthur, they will discuss what they want to do about it – some options are to either pass the motion to retroactively approve the increase, or look at what are the ways of reimbursing the difference or balance it out with the fees in the current year.

“I personally would like to say that I am extremely sorry both on behalf of CASSC last year, and myself that it has happened,” apologized Robinson.

However, everyone involved is equally responsible for the discrepancy, according to the information outlined in CASSC Terms of Reference 2013-2014. It states that “each active sub-committee is responsible for developing the recommendations for ancillary fees associated with the budget area that the sub-committee represents, and for presenting the recommendations to CASSC.” The students have been made aware of this discrepancy through their student representatives, even though there has not been a formal communication about it, said Robinson. She explained that it is because the University didn’t have the exact figure, CASSC has not decided what to do about it yet.

Further, it was also discussed with Arthur that the question of investigating the ancillary fee increases from the past years would definitely be raised at the CASSC.

Feature

Traill goes under review: a special message from the President of Trent Traill Review is whether Traill should be managed and organized in the way that colleges on the Symons campus are, or should retain (or even recover) the college tradition at Trent and elsewhere? This basic question raises many others. What should the primary mandate and goals of Traill be?

Should Traill continue to be a graduate college? Should some aspects of the Symons campus colleges be instituted at Traill?

Should Traill have a particular mandate (e.g. community outreach, off-campus students, experiential education)?

2. If Traill were to be a more traditional college, how should it operate?

Should the position of Principal at Traill be a position which assumes academic credentials and highlights academic programming and pursuits? Should the mandate of the College be broadened to include programming and services it does not currently include? How could Traill promote college-focused interdisciplinary learning and teaching? How could faculty be integrated into college teaching, both formally and informally? Should some component of the teaching be done, as it is in many colleges, by individuals whose prime responsibility is the College (rather than academic departments defined by scholarly disciplines)? How could residential life be integrated into the Traill experience?

Talking to Vice President of Gzowski Cabinet, Taylor Williams, the CASSC member who uncovered the discrepancy in the first instance, he said he came across the issue while looking through the ancillary fee policy. He noticed how the colleges were not subjected to CPI when the recent college report specifically said that it was increased based on the cost of living.

Williams then discussed the issue with other student leaders and took it to Robinson, AVP students.

He agreed with the earlier statements made by the AVP students. For example, since she had looked into it, it was acknowledged that there was an error in how the procedure had gone about. She is currently looking into the extent of the increase by which they have gone above what is permitted, too, added Williams.

“We are still waiting for financial services to determine the extra percentage charged, although it is expected that the difference will be quite small.”

According to Williams, Nona also mentioned that there was some concern that possibly the athletics and housing budgets may have some issue as well. However, since then, it has been verified that Athletic was calculated based on OPSEU/Utilities.

Barry Townsend, who recently resigned from the Head of Colleges position, was in charge of the budgets. Williams explained briefly how it works at CASSC. “I was on CASSC last year. We all thought that college budget was subject to CPI and turns out it was not. It was a mistake, and all of the parties involved share a certain degree of responsibility,” said Williams.

Vice President University and College Affairs Pippa O’Brien, who is also a CASSC member, had raised the issue during the TCSA Board of Directors meeting held on December 6, 2015.

O’Brien wanted a straw poll in order to see which way the Board was leaning towards on this issue. During deliberation, according to the minutes of the meeting, Ethical Standards Commissioner Alexander McKee said the refund would not have a positive effect. He reasoned that, considering the cost associated with refunding, the refund would be devalued and would take away the benefit of having the refund occur.

He pointed out that the Athletics Centre, for example, budgeted according to what they have, and to refund the extra money allocated would only hurt them.

During the meeting, TCSA decided that, if the amount owed to students was under $10, the refund might not be necessary as it takes time and money to issue refunds, but that Trent should issue a formal apology. However, if the amount owed is over $10, TCSA will re-discuss what action they would like to take.

Meanwhile, the next CASSC open meeting is scheduled to take place on January 20, 2016 at 11AM., and Robinson hopes that the recalculated amounts will be available for that meeting.

If students are interested in the outcome of the meeting and the actual numbers, the meeting is open to the public. Without observant student representation that Williams has demonstrated, the fees students were overcharged could have remained unnoticed.

This incident stresses the importance of student representation in decisions involving student money, who is accountable for spending them, and where this money ends up going.

With important changes coming up this year such as the Traill College and the International Program reviews, it is clear how important this very student representation is.

By Dr. Leo Groarke

Trent is famous (and, in some quarters, infamous) for the history of its colleges. One of them – (Catharine Parr) Traill College – will be externally reviewed this winter.

This introduction to that review is an invitation – to Trent students, staff, faculty, alumni, Board Members, retirees, and members of the Peterborough community – to participate.

The Traill review will examine issues that need to be addressed to ensure it is a successful and sustainable part of Trent. Some of the issues are financial, but the heart of the review is a set of questions about the Trent experience and how it should be organized and delivered there. The review will be an opportunity to renew Traill and its importance in transformational ways.

I probably do not need to say that the history of our downtown colleges is especially controversial. I watched from elsewhere when issues were raised in the 1990s. The Board’s decision to close Peter Robinson College for fiscal reasons remains controversial, as does the decision to turn Traill into a college for graduate students.

I have listened with interest as many alumni, faculty, staff, Board members, students, and residents of Peterborough have shared different (sometimes radically different) views of Trent’s colleges. The debate over the changes made downtown will continue in the history books. Inevitably, the current review of Traill will be informed by it, but the review’s aim is conclusions about the future rather than the past.

The external reviewer of Traill will be Professor Christopher Tindale. He will be known to many, having worked at Trent for

many years. He was senior tutor at Traill before his subsequent appointment as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Windsor. I have asked Dr. Tindale to do the review because he has an insider’s knowledge of Traill and is sympathetic to its past, but does not have a vested interest in the outcome of the review. Ashley Horne, the Executive Assistant to Trent’s Vice-President of Finance and Administration, will support Dr. Tindale in the review.

The aim of the review will be a set of recommendations on how we can best ensure that Traill becomes a financially and academically successful component of Trent.

The recommendations will be taken seriously, but they will be only recommendations. Decisions about the future of Traill will have to be made via the University’s normal decision-making processes.

The following are four issues I am asking Dr. Tindale to consider:

3. How can Traill’s budget issues be resolved?

A viable Traill must be financially and academically sustainable. A review of Traill needs, therefore, to consider whether its budget is operating the way it should. In Trent’s current situation, this raises two issues that warrant note.

A. College Ancillary Fees. The undergraduate colleges at Trent are well funded, largely because of college fees that support their operations. One consequence of the decision to remove undergraduate students from Traill was the removal of this source of revenue from the College (it was replaced by fees from graduate students, but graduate students pay $15 a year in college fees; undergraduate students pay $241). In order to manage the operations of Traill, the University annually transfers college fees that are paid by students at the undergraduate colleges. This is not a fair or viable funding model. It raises the question how Traill’s budget can be organized so that it has sustainable long-term funding.

B. Deferred Maintenance. Another major budget issue at Traill is deferred mainte-

nance. Some of the older buildings at Traill need significant upgrades if they are to be maintained as viable university buildings (even more so, if they are to embrace the environmental and accessibility standards that Trent embraces). In a time of limited resources, how can this be managed?

4. Is Traill a successful Trent connection to downtown Peterborough?

Trent’s success in Peterborough is founded on its connection to the community.

This needs to be established with a vibrant community in the North end, but also with connections to the downtown. Some have told me that Traill and its activities are a key contribution to downtown, but that the community, and especially the downtown community, sees the matter differently.

They locate the centre of downtown at the intersection of George and Simcoe, and see Traill’s operations as of marginal relevance.

What they want from Trent is a presence that places Trent students and faculty much closer to the heart of the downtown. Are there ways to use Traill to better integrate Trent into downtown Peterborough, making it more plausibly seen as a “downtown” college?

There are many other questions which might usefully be discussed in the course of the Traill review.

If you believe there are some, I invite you to bring them up with Dr. Tindale. Everyone is welcome to make written submissions to the review.

He will also try to accommodate, time willing, individuals and groups who wish to meet with him.

Anyone interested in contacting him can do so through Ashley Horne at <ashleyhorne@trentu.ca>.

1. What kind of college should Traill be?

Shortly before I began my term as President, Trent changed the way its colleges operate. The new model, common at many universities, emphasizes the role of professional managers and student services in running colleges and the residences attached to them.

This model has been successful, but it is a step away from the traditional model of a college. The latter envisions a college as a small residential community with a Principal who oversees professors, tutorial leaders, assistants, and (undergraduate and graduate) students. The life of a college is defined by its academic and cultural traditions, and its strong ties to its alumni.

The central question that motivates the

Volume 50 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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community

All about the Peterborough Area Roller Derby

Photos by Simon Spivey

By Jeanine Crowe

Sharp whistle blasts and music echo off gymnasium walls as skaters call back and forth, and skate wheels clack, whir, and grind over the track surface, punctuated occasionally by the slap of thick protective knee pads hitting the floor. These are the sounds of Peterborough Area Roller Derby (PARDy) as weekly practice begins.

Under the direction of “Coach Dawesome” and training committee members “Hell Bunny”, “Pip Tatters”, and “Saria Stark”, veteran skaters work along with ‘Fresh Meat’, as skaters new to derby are called, as well as skaters who’ve recently graduated from Fresh Meat by passing minimum skills testing, becoming eligible for rostering in bouts (as derby matches are called) for the upcoming season. Exercises in conditioning and skills development flow into game play drills that work on team cohesion and strategy, with the occasional game of dodgeball and European hand towel on skates thrown in to relax and finish off a practice.

Roller Derby is the fastest growing sport in North America, and there are many leagues and teams competing in Ontario at various levels. The sport is primarily played on a flat oval track, with skaters wearing quad skates (4 wheels on each skate, set in pairs) and protective gear. Teams generally have 13-15 players, with most players leaning towards proficiency as a jammer, or point scorer, or a blocker, those who try to keep the other team’s jammer from scoring points. In simple terms, the jammers

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are the balls in play, and it is the blockers’ job to keep the opposing ball from scoring points by blocking it from getting past, or by knocking it out-of-bounds, while protecting their own ball and helping it move forward.

Gone is the 1970s scripted spectacle of Skinny Minny Miller and bloody noses, and the fairy tale anarchy of 2009’s Whip It. The derby athletes of this millennium are working hard to craft a professional sport based on skill, safety, inclusion, and empowerment. Skaters come in all shapes and sizes – they just need to bring dedication and a positive attitude along with them. What a film such as Whip It does portray convincingly perhaps is the possibility of comradery that derby provides, and the success that can be found through hard work, team-bonding, and following through on your passions.

Veteran skater and elected skater rep, Erin “Shots O’Plenty”, came to derby “because I was in the right place at the right time. I kept going back because no matter what kind of day I was having, if I dragged myself to practice, I always feel happy and accomplished at the end.” She continued, “Derby is a place I can be myself and the only expectation is that I try my best and play nice with my teammates.”

Recently graduated fresh meat Jeff, or “Elmer Thudd”, found similar satisfaction when looking for a new challenge and social experience: “It’s exciting and great exercise, all while surrounding yourself with a great group of supportive and positive people. The teachers are fantastic.” Jeff was

also drawn to the history of the sport – which stretches back to the 1940s and ‘50s, taking women out of the house and making them rock stars.

PARDy was officially launched in 2015, with the merging of two local leagues – Peterborough Roller Derby and Area 705 Roller Derby – both of whom have been skating in Peterborough for a number of years. Home games for PARDy are played from May to August in the Douro Arena, just outside of Peterborough, though the league travel team goes across Ontario for games throughout the season, and was very successful in 2015, moving quickly up the provincial standings.

Several skaters from PARDy have been also drafted to play with the Atom Smashers, Durham Region Roller Derby’s top team (ranked 17th in Canada of 58 teams), while PARDy’s Pip Tatters has also been chosen as an alternate for Team Ontario.

Throughout the winter months, PARDy meets weekly on Tuesdays to train at the Village on Argyle in Peterborough for open practice, and also runs a Fresh Meat intake program offered Wednesdays at St. James Church in Peterborough. The next Fresh Meat session begins on January 20, and requires a commitment for the entire 12-week course. The course teaches the basis of roller skating, and the skills required for derby play – culminating in a minimum skills testing.

The cost is $150 plus insurance and gear, and is open to anyone, regardless of gender identification. New in 2016, skaters between 16 and 18 years of age are also invited

to participate, with permission of a guardian. Skaters interested in referring are also encouraged to join up. Once minimum skills testing has been passed, rookies will be eligible to compete in the “Fresh & Furious” tournament in Toronto in July, which hosts teams from across Eastern Canada.

PARDy encourages those curious about the sport or wanting to volunteer to get in touch. Volunteers are always needed for home games, and it is a great way to get introduced to the sport, or to gain high school volunteer hours.

Possible duties include working the door, helping with venue set-up and tear-down, or being right in the thick of the action, working as a non-skating official or NSO – one of the team of officials needed to run about: score keepers, penalty box officials, time keepers. Sponsors are also welcome, and sponsor benefits can include promotion on our Cogeco broadcast games depending on the sponsorship level chosen.

You can find out more by visiting our website: http://www.pard-rollerderby.com, or by liking us on Facebook at “PARD Peterborough Area Roller Derby” where contests for free tickets also run!

Roller Derby is still a game of punny names and crazy make-up, but these ‘sparkles’ are now more an expression of individuality than a tired travelling roadshow of fake wrestling smack-ups and drama queen meltdowns.

Derby gains more mileage each year, and it’s only getting better. Take a chance and try it out for yourself – it’s not too late to be your own best rock star.

comic by Ad Astra comix

arts

Maryam Monsef job summit

By Jordan Porter

On Monday, January 11, 2016, close to 120 members of the Peterborough and surrounding community braved the snow and almost -20c weather to be part of an open conversation regarding the economic future of Peterborough-Kawartha, led by none other than Hon. Maryam Monsef and her esteemed staff. With some people coming from even as far as the GTA’s west-end, it’s easy to say this new town hall style approach to leadership was very well received by residents.

This town hall meeting was held at Trinity Church on Reid Street on the western side of the downtown core. The focus of the event was to gain some community perspective on how they saw Peterborough today, but more importantly, how they would like to see the Peterborough of tomorrow, with regards to local jobs, economic priorities, and which of Peterborough-Kawartha’s many assets could be accentuated further.

I went into the summit and promptly

took my seat, pen in hand, ready to bar down on as much information as I could for the two-and-a-half hour talk. With the expectation of hearing from a number of community officials, I was mentally prepared to decipher some political jargon about Peterborough’s economic state, followed by rhetoric on how everything is on the up-and-up. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I, along with the rest of the crowd, was quickly instructed to form small groups of three in order to speak with someone new on pre-determined questions regarding the economic state of our struggling city.

Each group member was given three minutes to answer questions, such as what we, individually, thought were the crossroads at which we stood in our community, and where did we see ourselves going?

I spoke with many interesting people on Monday night. It was a real pleasure to do so, and to hear the way people, from all walks of life, see their home.

“We are worried,” said one of my group

Cold weather and Trent Radio

By James Kerr

There is a place that is not cold nor wet nor flurried, and it can be reached from the comfort of your heated home, just by turning on the radio. Trent Radio is warming.

We’re that friendly, clumsy, well-meaning friend that walked through the snow to see you, so you could stay comfy under blankets. Aren’t we nice? We even brought cookies! We may have eaten them along the way… but that’s radio, baby.

Hey, I can’t promise we won’t be a jerk sometimes; say some inappropriate things, or be condescending (hey, sometimes informative!) or sing out of tune. This is one big trigger warning for being our friend.

Thing is, we have many minds - more than 100 programmers, the vast majority of them students. Students busied with classes and stresses and using this little radio as a way to indulge in their interests. As a guest, we’re loud. We switch topics sporadically;

maybe talking politics one minute and heavy metal the next, then onto short stories then bluegrass.

We can be a bit much, we know. But at least we never overstay our welcome. You can be rid of Trent Radio just by turning off that dial. Maybe you got us by listening to the stream at trentradio.ca or through our nifty iPhone app, but the result is the same if you don’t want our clamour, just say.

But if you want us, we’re sincere. We care a lot about this community and what’s going on in it, about culture, about inspiration and friendship. You don’t need to trudge through the snow and freeze your cheeks to find someone friendly; it’s as easy as turning on the radio.

Don’t get cold feet, listen to Trent Radio 92.7 fm, CFFF in Peterborough, sponsored and operated by the students of Trent University. We’re here for you in the cold. We’re the perfect cold weather friend, really. Except for the cookies, sorry about that.

members, Paul, a retired 40-year employee of Peterborough’s General Electric. “We want the Peterborough I knew when I was a kid.”

Paul identified a main theme that seemed to be consistent with many of the retirees I spoke with that night: they love this town, but their children are now struggling to find employment, and while they don’t want to sabotage their children’s prosperity, they don’t want to leave their city either. This, evidently, is one way down that crossroad.

There was also a noticeable young presence, which was very nice to see. These residents came with parents, or on their own accord, and also had some very interesting outlooks on how they would like to see their hometown grow into some place where they could raise a family some day.

The idea I got from a lot of these attendees was that they would like to see more community events, such as music festivals at Del Crary Park, which appeal more to a young crowd, and would also attract tour-

ism during the summer months.

“Some of the days I look forward to most all year, are events where George Street is closed [due] to traffic. This is a time where you really get to know and mingle with the amazing residents of Peterborough, but also share this time with out-of-towners experiencing our city for the first time,” said Samantha, a 19-year-old Peterborough native.

It’s no secret that there needs to be a drastic change in Peterborough-Kawartha if we intend to preserve the sense of community that makes summits like these possible. It was amazing to see such a good turn-out of concerned citizens who genuinely want to take action in making their home a better place, not just for them, but for generations to come.

I commend Maryam Monsef and her team for taking the time out of what must be a truly hectic schedule, in order to get real feedback, from real people who matter and who collectively voted her into an office she undoubtedly deserves.

Operators needed

By James Kerr

So, are you doing anything Friday night?

Trent Radio is sponsored and operated by the students of Trent University, and depends on volunteers to make it all happen. That involves taking responsibility for the airwaves, taking ownership of the airwaves;, and making the airwaves your own.

That’s where “Operators” come in. That’s where you come in.

Operators are volunteers who come into Trent Radio once a week for a shift where they are in charge of pretty much the entire magical radio universe. An Operator hangs around in the kitchen, drinks coffee, does their homework, and is there to support the hosts in their artistic struggle from afar. Operators are not usually in the booth, they’re there in case someone ducks their head out and says: “Help! What does this button do!?” or, “Fire!” Operators are in charge, they are all-powerful. Operators

are cool.

So, wanna be an Operator? (This is where you come in.)

Trent Radio has live programming from about 9 in the morning until midnight each day. There are over 100 volunteer programmers right now, pursuing their own glorious selfishly artistic dreams. This requires a lot of support from Operators to make sure everything comes together.

“But,” you say, “yae, verily, I am not experienced enough to be an Operator. I knowith nothing of Trent Radio and its strange ways!”

To this I say: “Pffffffft.” You’ll be fine. It’s not important to have radio experience to be an Operator. Just reading this article you now know the most important part - community comes down to you. All you need to be an Operator is interest, competence, and a little heart.

So, Friday night. Wadda ya think? (Is this where you come in?)

If you’d like to volunteer for Trent Radio, contact Programme Director James Kerr at jkerr@trentradio.ca for more information!

Volume 50 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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arts

PM Justin Trudeau visits Masjid Al-Salaam

Photo by Sofie Andreou

Photos below taken by Samantha Moss

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Arts&Culture

Control: a review of Jessica Jones *trigger warning: discussion on rape and violence

Over the last couple of years, entertainment journalists have been flooding the web with articles detailing the lack of a significant female presence both on and off the screen.

Their words have merit. This is a problem that Hollywood has been struggling to rectify. Ask even the most avid cinephiles and they will struggle to list 10 prominent female directors in the film industry. Ask general audiences and most will fail to come up with one. This is not to say that there isn’t a slew of female filmmakers and producers making notable content. The problem lies in the fact that they simply are not being granted the same amount of attention and support as their male counterparts. This needs to change.

Here’s a few names to stir the pot – Kathleen Kennedy, who has produced over 93 films, beginning with E.T. and who now runs LucasFilm Ltd, Gale Ann Hurd, who has produced Terminator, Aliens, and currently The Walking Dead, and Kathryn Bigelow, who won an Academy Award for directing The Hurt Locker. These names, and these amazing women, are just a very small percentile of women who contribute to the entertainment industry with their immense amount of talent.

These behind-the-scenes statistics matter because it directly influences what we, as audience members, see on the big and small screen. Based off Rotten Tomatoes’ Top 10 TV shows over the past 4 years, roughly 18 out of 40 shows are led by female characters.

On paper, those numbers don’t seem that bad, but it should be noted that, on some occasions, the same show was listed more than once in different years, such as Game of Thrones, Orange is the New Black, Girls, and The American. With that said, many of the titles, with a few exceptions, still have a significant male presence, and it is rare to come across a predominantly femaleled show that reaches beyond a majority female audience.

Enter Jessica Jones, Marvel and Netflix’s newest entry in their small screen superhero universe. Krysten Ritter (Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) stars as the titular character, a former superhero turned alcoholic private eye who seeks out Kilgrave (David Tennant – Doctor Who), the man who ruined her life, and the lives of others, with his dangerous telepathic abilities. Don’t let the comic book premise fool you, there’s a lot to like here. Jessica Jones unapologetically tackles issues that many shows shy away from.

Jones, for example, was a past victim of Kilgrave, a twisted and evil villain whose vocal commands compels his victims to do whatever he pleases. For Jessica, that meant she became his gun for hire, his mistress, and a woman who, against her will, was forced to love and sleep with him. Yes, you

read that right. Jessica Jones was raped.

Repeatedly. The word is never said, but it’s evident, and both Marvel and Netflix tackle the issue in stride, showcasing a very real character that, despite his superhuman abilities, is dealing with a very sensitive and often closeted human issue.

In many ways, Jessica Jones is thematically about control. It tells the stories of characters that wish to assert it, of some who have lost it, and of others who have had it taken from them and struggle to reclaim their former selves. In most ways, this theme is a carefully and respectfully orchestrated veil that encapsulates the difficulties and tragedies that face victims of rape. Where Jessica, and many other victims of Kilgrave, deal with the posttraumatic stress that is a direct result of their victimization, one in particular doles out the punishment due to

a similarly traumatic childhood event. The tortured become the torturers – both of others and of self.

Each episode is supported by a cast of characters who are dealing with this issue in some form or fashion, and that’s what drives Jessica Jones, as each character copes with it differently – defining their actions.

Performances from Krysten Ritter and David Tennant are particularly strong, with most, if not all, of the other supporting cast contributing without failure. This goes a long way, as not only can a noir-ish premise and atmosphere threaten to throw the cheesiness scales off the charts, but its blend with the superhero motif in the hands of an inexperienced writer could have sunk the show completely.

Fortunately, this ship didn’t sink, and its captain was forever in control. Similar to Netflix and Marvel’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones takes the Marvel Cinematic Universe into much darker territory. After all, they’re not looking to sell toys that can compete with the oversaturated and glossy Avengers; no, this is a much more somber world, rife with alcoholism and brutal murders. There’s no room for Saturday morning cartoons here. Jessica Jones will shock you, but it doesn’t feel gratuitous or without sufficient motivation. Many of the horrors surround Tennant’s Kilgrave, but in doing so, the creators have finally given life to a Marvel villain that is both threatening and flawed.

Take note, Joss Whedon.

Though rape is a tragic issue that stretches beyond the female sex, Jessica Jones proves that creators must take more risks in the characters and stories they bring to the screen – both male and female.

By doing such, by allowing more creatives to have a voice and to have a say in the entertainment industry, we are granting control to the silent, to the oppressed, and to those that have something profound to share. By highlighting female creators, we are opening the floodgates of stories that have been held back for far too long.

Reframe is around the corner

By Keith Hodder

When one thinks of cinema and Peterborough, there isn’t much that the imagination can conjure up. With Toronto next door, the industry has had no need to jump ship, but when it comes to a film-going community, the upcoming ReFrame Peterborough International Film Festival gives TIFF a run for its money.

The film festival, dedicated to short and feature-length documentaries from around the world, will open its doors on Friday, January 29 to Sunday, January 31. Not only is the event popular in Peterborough, but it draws in a slew of movie-lovers from across the world.

There’s a lot of reasons to love and support ReFrame. Not only does it showcase a slew of voices from international filmmakers, but the festival supports the filmmakers financially as well, which is incredibly rare to come by in the film festival circuit.

Not to mention, they’ve got a brilliant idea for their festival passes. Most film festivals charge you per movie, but their festival

pass ($20 for students or the unemployed) grants holders with priority seating and allows them to see whichever movies they please. They can also be purchased online.

With over 60 films to choose from, this is an amazing deal.

Those looking to get more involved with the festival can volunteer, which is ReFrame’s lifeblood. They heavily depend on and appreciate the work of volunteers to keep the festival running.

The team behind the festival is incredibly dedicated to the filmmakers and volunteers, and ensures that all involved learn and benefit from the experience. Those looking to support the festival in other ways can visit ReFrame’s website to donate.

Leading up to festival, Arthur will be covering the event further.

Be sure to return for film reviews that should help you figure out which titles you’d like to see, along with a detailed list of which films are screening.

For more information on the ReFrame Film Festival, visit: reframefilmfestival.ca

Volume 50 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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Trent Film Society: Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

By Tumelo Drametu

Hello, Trent Cinephiles! We here at the Trent Film Society (TFS) hope that you all had a wonderful holiday break and a great first semester of the school year. It’s pretty bizarre how quickly the year is going by for us here, but it has been a really fun year so far, especially when it came to our wonderful film screenings that all of you attended.

While we are saddened that the Fall semester has quickly come to a close, we are also very excited to share our Winter film lineup with you all. We have some exciting film screenings coming up that will be sure to entertain us as well as educate.

For those of you who were unable to join us for our first two screenings of the month (Jee Woon-Kim’s The Good, The Bad, The Weird and Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs.

The World), we at TFS had decided to kickstart the month of January with those two over-the-top and enigmatic comedies as a funny way to start off the semester. We figured that the best way to enter the cold and wintery school atmosphere this semester was to start off with some films that would provide a nice laugh and an all-around fun time for you cinephiles, and we thank all

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of the students and Peterborough residents who were able to join us for those screenings and make them such a success.

Now that those two films have been shown, we now plan on going into slightly darker territory with our following two screenings. Our screening that is taking place this upcoming Wednesday will be of the film Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter, which is directed by David Zellner. Based off of events from the fictional Coen Brothers film Fargo (1996), the movie follows Kumiko, a Japanese office worker who travels to North Dakota in search of a treasure

that was hidden in her favourite fictional film, which she believes is a documentary.

The film is based off of an urban legend surrounding a woman named Tokako Konishi, a woman who was believed to have died while traversing Detroit Lakes, Minnesota in search for the briefcase laden with cash that was hidden by Steve Buscemi’s character in Fargo.

With an urban legend such as this as the basis for the film’s story, Zellner is able to utilize a very unique perspective here towards the theme of the power of cinema and how it can affect one person’s life. With

Kumiko, Zellner and lead actress Rinko Kikuchi are able to craft a powerful character that embodies a character longing for a life that plays much like the characters in her favourite films, a theme that may ring true for many film fans across the world.

While it may seem depressing based off of its description, the film is able to finely make a tight balance between being a precautionary tale about the dangers of being consumed by fantasy escapism, and a celebration of the power that cinema can have on a film viewer.

Through its fable-like feel and its reverent blend of optimism and tragedy towards the theme of film escapism, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is hands down a film tailor-made to film fans, and it should definitely be watched by anyone who loves the art of cinema and has once imagined to themselves: What if life were just like our favourite movies?

The screening will take place at Artspace on Wednesday, January 20 at 8PM. Like all of our other screenings, there is no admission (FREE!), and we encourage everyone who can make it to join us for this special little film.

See you all on Wednesday!

Arts

Peter Bosma’s new book on the art of film curation

By Troy Bordun

The pages of Arthur have been littered with articles relating to film and film culture.

Trent Film Society (TFS) presents us with their weekly programming, Keith Hodder provides reviews of Netflix offerings as well as articles on film culture, and a number of Trent students have submitted their thoughts on the fare at our local Cineplex.

What do these articles have in common? Someone, somewhere, programs and curates these films. Netflix has a team of marketing managers and staff, and their programmes are supervised by the Chief Content Officer. Cineplex similarly employs a number of marketers, coordinators, and content advisors to decide upon the weekly premieres. Due to its scale, TFS is a little more organizationally straightforward. The team of co-directors can arrange artistically-motived programmes.

Note the difference in terminology: Netflix has content officers; I titled myself a co-director and programmer while working with TFS. One manages the content for a large audience and the other curates a selection of socially, culturally, and aesthetically valuable work from the history of cinema.

Regardless of the scale or size of audience, film curation is an underappreciated art. Many purport to practice it but few attempt to research it. In his new book Film Programming: Curating for Theatres, Film Festivals, Archives (2015), Peter Bosma provides a thorough introduction to curation for the big-screen by way of three programming centres: for the theatre, film festival, and in the archive. The author’s emphasis is on the former two, although his chapter on the film archive demonstrates the importance of careful archiving for the practice of curation.

Bosma’s book, number 59 in the excellent

Short Cuts series published by Wallflower Press, situates the conceptual curator in a ‘network of intermediaries’ that include distributors, copyright issues, film critics, and other programmers and archivists.

An expert curator would not only have an extraordinary knowledge of the history of cinema, but would have comprehensive knowledge of film business and their peers’ programmes, be well-read in film criticism

and reception studies, and be able to keep a watchful eye on the status of film preservation, restoration, and presentation. Bosma pays close attention to each of these aspects of curatorial practice with countless examples of original programming.

What is most interesting about film curation is the degree of innovation from the mind of the curator. Curation is the art of selecting a director, actor, producer, director of photography, composer, nation, city, genre, movement, style or theme, and arranging a programme of films that are culturally valuable, historically relevant, and/ or engage audiences in social issues. The curator is not merely a ‘scheduler of screenings,’ but searches out films for an established audience, ‘as many films as possible within the given setting.’ Perhaps the profession is best likened to the ‘found footage’ artist and, in fact, one of Bosma’s curatorial case studies unpacks programmes in this trend.

The status of film art can be critically and theoretically discussed by critics, academics, and scholars, but without the hard work of curators to bring us contemporary films, forgotten classics, and hidden gems from other nations, we would have very little to write about. With the decrease of screen time for foreign-language films in North America, good curators are needed now more than ever.

Next time you’re scrolling through the poorly organized selection of Netflix films, standing in front of the ticket counter at Cineplex, perusing the schedule for the upcoming ReFrame Film Festival, or scanning the TFS programme, think about the people behind the scenes who make tough decisions about which films to bring to the screens for us to enjoy.

Film Programming is available through Wallflower Press (wallflowerpress.co.uk) and other outlets.

J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free at the AGO

By Troy Bordun

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), in collaboration with the Tate in London, has curated an exhibition of J.M.W. Turner’s final works. Turner (1775-1851) is one of the 19th century’s finest artists. He gained early fame for his paintings of landscapes, seascapes, and historical and religious paintings. These were common themes for painters in the early and mid-1800s; however, the AGO exhibition reveals a later Turner more oriented towards abstraction and experimentation with light and colour, in both oil and watercolour. The last fifteen years of his life were indeed very productive Titled J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free, the AGO exhibition consists of 50 largescale paintings and watercolours, as well as sketches and drawings. The preliminary studies and larger works mark Turner’s efforts in radicalizing the use of colour, light, and canvas. Akin to many innovative painters in the mid-19th century, Édouard Manet famously, Turner also received much criticism for his experimentation.

The exhibition thus recounts his innovations and its historical criticism, even reproducing cartoons and quotations explicitly debasing Turner’s style. Rather than deal with Turner chronologically, Painting Set Free organizes the material thematically: watercolours, sketches, seascapes, ships, fishing, and historical and religious paintings. Curated in this fashion, the exhibition becomes less about biography and gleaning facts – as many documentary films are prone to do – but puts paintings

Image courtesy of Tate website

side-by-side to foster an aesthetic appreciation of each individual piece and as a part of Turner’s thematic interests.

Naturally the exhibition contains some information about the man and his travels, his companion, and his habits, but these placards usually reveal something about an artwork rather than simply existing as biographical facts.

This method of collecting biography and artwork resonates with Mike Leigh’s wellreceived biopic Mr. Turner (2014). Leigh was less concerned about generating a list of biographical facts than he was with giving us a feeling or tone of what it might have been like to be Turner.

Painting Set Free hangs a number of screens showcasing Leigh’s film and Timothy Spall’s wonderful performance. One

clip depicts the fictional Turner hard at work and provides a commentary by Spall on what it means to be a passionate painter; another presents perhaps the most famous happenings in the artist’s life.

Turner wanted to see and feel an eye of a storm for a new painting. He therefore had himself fastened to the mast of a ship during a torrential storm, reportedly for several hours. This personal study of the weather translated into one of Turner’s most famous works on display at the AGO, Snow Storm – Steam Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth (1842).

The painting is one of Turner’s studies of the swirl, a painting in which colour and shade spiral inward to reveal some object (usually in the center).

Turner seems to have captured an essence of a storm in this 1842 work. Art

historian E.H. Gombrich observes, “We almost feel the rush of the wind and the impact of the waves. We have no time to look for details. They are swallowed up by the dazzling light and the dark shadows of the storm cloud… We feel small and overwhelmed in the face of the powers we cannot control, and are compelled to admire the artist who had nature’s forces at his command” (The Story of Art).

Similarly, The Angel Standing in the Sun (1846) features a swirl of golds, browns, and blues to emphasize the Archangel Michael with his flaming sword on the Day of Judgment. The bottom of the canvas depicts obscured figures from the Old Testament.

Other highlights include one of the greatest watercolours ever produced, according to critics – The Blue Rigi, Sunrise (1842). This famous work is surrounded by Turner’s small watercolour studies of the Rigi; to be a master, visitors learn, one must have patience and perseverance to complete preliminary studies again and again, from different angles with different light and different colours.

Sunrise with Sea Monsters (c. 1845) grabbed my attention as well. The background contains a number of brushed yellows, and the strange shape at the lower centre of the painting – referred to as the monster – is likely a depiction of fish. Nevertheless, this painting allows us to free associate and is a departure from the romanticism of Turner’s time.

I recommend taking a trip to Toronto to see these wonderful paintings. Painting Set Free runs until January 31. For more information, visit ago.net.

Volume 50 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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arts 2015

Artspace: where the artist thrives

Photos by Matt + Steph

I entered the facility to a quiet, eerie ambience of electronic and jazz music. I looked around the room, and noticed minimalist and abstract works of art; each highlighting a criticism of everyday life through the use of collage, found objects, and almost jagged, and disorienting shapes. A quick scan around the room left me with an overwhelming feeling of discomfort, but in a way that provoked a sense of freedom.

Jon Lockyer, Artspace’s director and curator soon greeted me. We sat down to chat about Artspace’s general vision, and place within the artistic culture of Peterborough.

We sat in the office type area located directly behind the walls of the exhibition room. The room had a feeling of progress, with papers, and art materials scattered

around this eclectic workspace. Beside me sat two seafood ramen bowls (the meal of artistic inspiration), and Jon began to tell me about Artspace, and its vision.

Artspace’s beginnings are just as much about the artists themselves, as they are about the community that said artists reside in. Artspace was created as space for up-and-coming and established artists to present their work in a variety of disciplines, and to a variety of people. Artspace was founded in 1974.

Artists themselves run the venue, which presents a vibe of community and support.

Their mission statement is one of advocacy.

Not only do they exist to provide a space for artists to present their work, but also as a place of assistance, mentorship, and critique.

They will give you a space to present your work, but also, a place to get your work looked at, by people that are actually invested in the progress of art on a local level.

Their mission statements, which can be found on their website, include topics as the fight for artistic rights, leadership, critical investigation, and dialogue. Artspace is not your typical art gallery. There is not a theme of pretension, or academia there, but rather an atmosphere of inclusiveness, and necessity. Their pairings with many local businesses, artist, musicians, and even Trent University itself fosters the creation of the contemporary art that line its walls, and provides a place for presentation.

Their exhibition on display right now is entitled: ‘Sometimes the Story is Obvious.’

This exhibition is concerned with personal stories, and experience through the realm of craft. Each piece tells a story that is contained with the materiality of the objects involved, and the story that physicality gives to the actual objects.

Sometimes-13Carolyn Code, Brette Gabel, and Sarah Gibeault, although assumingly not working together, create a trifecta of experience, and nostalgia that is highlighted by the depiction of everyday objects held in stagnation. I also got an overwhelming notion of the inaccuracy of memory by some of the pieces.

The next event, which opens on January 16th, is an exhibition on the Central East Correctional Facility (Lindsay’s super jail), and concerns itself with the theme of confinement, and authority.

With the ongoing debate on refugees, this showcase is of the utmost importance (considering that the Lindsay jail is detaining a large number of immigrants). This exhibition opens in the coming month, and is presented by Artspace, and Artist Sheena Hoszko.

Overall, Artspace’s role in Peterborough is one of support, and conversation.

They engage with artists, and introduce a discourse between different artists, medi-

ums, and subject matter. Artspace is a place where artists can feel comfortable stepping out of their comfort soon, and can seek out help from other artists.

They also can engage with artists of other mediums, and critics in order to better themselves, their work, and the world around them. Artspace is a place of inclusion, and is truly where the artist can thrive.

Bertolt Brecht in Cordwainer’s American Idiot the Musical

By Dylan O’Hagan

A live band onstage, a non-existent fourth wall, and necessary audience interpretation of Cordwainer Productions’ American Idiot, helped make this production more than just entertainment, but rather epic theatre.

Co- directed by Dane Shumack and Jamie Schaffel, this energy-fueled rock opera was originally released in 2010 and follows the lives of three Americans’ coming of age and teenage angst.

The production includes every song from Green Day’s album American Idiot, and a few from their subsequent album, 21st Century Breakdown.

The action is non-linear, but explores very real and familiar themes that many young people face as they come of age.

The show has limited dialogue and no intermissions, leaving the audience to interpret the action on stage for themselves.

Not only this, the production featured a band on-stage, completely visible to the audience.

These theatre and anti-illusion techniques are typical of German playwright Bertolt Brecht and what is called epic theatre.

Bertolt Brecht’s theory on theatre in the 20th century turned the theatre world on its head. Previously dominated by Kon-

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stantin Stanislavsky’s realist and naturalist theatre techniques, Brecht’s epic theatre worked against the normality of the time during the early 20th century.

Naturalism works to recreate the lived experience of the audience to create a portrait of reality.

On the other hand, epic theatre works to provoke rational self-reflection and a critical view of the action on-stage and one’s own society.

As Brecht said, “Art is not a mirror with which to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” And it did this primarily through storytelling, said Trent Professor Emeritus, Ian McLachlan.

“The primary difference is in the importance given to the idea of a story. It’s primarily storytelling theatre.

Everything about epic theatre is to focus attention on the story rather than the illusion of reality created on stage,” McLachlan said.

Watching Cordwainer’s American Idiot, I didn’t get too emotionally caught up in the characters on stage, but rather thought about how real and close to home some of the issues were.

Certainly, some of the techniques used screamed Brecht, but it wasn’t inherently intentional, said Director Dane Shumak.

“I usually actually reject Brecht but we followed the script in terms of audience addresses and the like, which gave it that

kind of feeling - we fought against it via additions of catharsis through choreography, etc. Often, I seek to do the opposite - as opposed to alienate, to include.

When I break the fourth wall, in most productions, it’s to include the audience rather than to recognize the unreality of the piece. But the script was written in an inherently Brechtian way,” said Shumak.

Indeed, from the opening song, the whole cast jumped into action to deliver a methodically choreographed scene. Not only a visual spectacle, it opened the show by setting the scene within a punk-rock subculture.

The whole cast sang and dance with brilliant energy during this scene, which translated into reaching out and grabbing the attention of the audience.

The choreography, although excellently performed by the entire cast, did not add to the story and does not typically appear in epic theatre.

However, the choreography was an excellent anti-illusion technique, which helped the audience stay grounded in the idea that they were watching a performance rather than getting sucked into the portrait of reality.

This was also, as Shumak called it, “a pull from the closet kind of production,” as most of the cast’s costumes came from their own wardrobe.

Nonetheless, you felt emerged in the

punk-rock subculture with the constant tears, plaid patterns, jeans and jean jackets, and sewed-in patches. Taking what they had and using them certainly did the job, a common theatre technique used in epic theatre as McLachlan explains.

“Only have the type of clothes people live in, not live with.... If you’re going to have clothes (in epic theatre), have clothes that are worn like real people wear their clothes,” McLachlan said.

The most unique and most arguably Brechtian element of the entire show was the band playing in complete view of the audience behind the action of the actors.

Most stages have a music pit for the orchestra or accompanying music to play in.

The pit is typically below and in front of the stage.

However, for American Idiot, the band was on-stage behind the actors, providing a rock show at the same time as a well-choreographed musical.

Epic theatre strictly separates music from the action and makes the songs unique from the original.

American Idiot did this and more as the story itself was lead through the music, leaving the audience to interpret the action for themselves.

The end result was a brilliantly told story through the performances of the entire cast and band members, and a modern day example of epic theatre.

listings: Want your event in the paper? Send yours to listings@trentarthur.ca

classifieds

Electric City Gardens offers a 40% Student Discount on all Entrees. Daily changing menu featuring lovingly prepared seasonally-inspired dishes. Can cater to any special dietary requirements (vegan, gluten-free, etc) and culinary cravings. (Advanced notice appreciated for menu alte rations). ECG offers attentive service in an intimate setting. Find us on Facebook.L.G.B.T. friendly. LLBO Licensed. Reservations strongly recommended: 705-7491909.

Interested in Learning how to play guitar, uke, or bass? Take lessons with Nick Ferrio at Hank to Hendrix Guitar Co. Personalized one on one instruction for beginners or intermediate players.

Contact: 70-768-7544 or nicholas.ferrio@gmail.com Contact Improvisation Dance Jam: A dance form based in mindful awareness, authentic expression, and touch. Beginners are welcome, instructions provided.

Contact: 416-996-3195.

Friday Jan. 29.

7:00pm-8:30pm

local KWIC AGM and Appreciation Celebration: After the Paris Climate Talks: What’s Next? With special guest Al Slavin & music by Glen

Caradus. January 21. Doors open at 6:30 pm @ Sadleir House{751 George

campus St N}. Free with donations accepted at the door. Everyone welcome.

Exiting Opportunity! THE SEASONED SPOON IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS! Our volunteer crew did such an amazing job last semester of keeping the Spoon ship sailing! We are so grateful for their support. While many of our volunteers are staying aboard this semester, there are some new openings as well. We are excited to offer the opportunity for new volunteers to join our team! If you are interested in food issues, sustainable food systems, cooking, or simply getting involved in community building and non-profit work, volunteering at the Spoon may be the right opportunity for you! Please email spoonvolunteers@gmail.com if you are interested or for more information.

Russian Cooking: Wed January 27th 5:00 – 7:00pm at The Seasoned Spoon .$5 or pwyc. Learn how to make delicious Russian cuisine with the Trent University Russian Speakers Association. The secrets of the famous and much loved pierogi will be unveiled in this workshop as well as other traditional Russian recipes! Find out all the tips and tricks from the experts!

Essential Oils Workshop: Wed Feb. 3 7:00-8:30pm. Learn how to enhance your physical & emotional health this winter with essential oils. In this workshop you will, learn about the properties of various essential oils and different ways to use them in building strong immunity, fighting off colds and balancing your mood during the dark winter season’s dark winter days.

We will make some blends together as a group and you will be provided with recipes to take home in order to bring essential oils into your everyday life.

Book Launch: OPIRG, Student Association for Inernational Development and Council of Canadians are putting on a joint collaboration for Yves Engler’s book launch.

On January 21, from 7m-9pm there will be a book launch for “Canada in Africa: 300 Years of Exploitation” and Paula Butler’s “Colonial Extractions”.

Happening at the Gathering Space.

Trent Sustainability: Project Animal Farm with Sonia Faruqi Reception, 6:30 pm/Talk at 7pm. Bagnani Lecture Hall, 310 London Street. Donations accepted. Organized by Trent Sustainable Agriculture & Sustainability Studies departments with the Kawartha

arts World Issues Centre. January KWIC World Issues Cafe with

street style

27.

Ca-

leb Behn: Law and Policy in the Anthropocene: “Fractured Land” as Advocacy 2.0. In partnership with ReFrame Sat night feature film @ 7pm, ShowPlace Peterborough. Free entry with ReFrame Film Festival Pass. Caleb will speak after the documentary screening. Jan. 30 Canadian Filmmaker Bruce LaBruce visits Peterborough: On February 25th, LaBruce’s Gerontophilia (2014) will be screened at Market Hall at 8pm.

The fictional film tells the story of a young man’s relationship with an elderly man. On February 26th at 10am at Traill College, LaBruce will give a seminar on his work. More details to follow. For updates email troybordun@trentu.ca Artspace Volunteer Drop-In: Join Artspace for our bi-monthly Volunteer Drop-In Saturday, January 23rd from noon - 4pm at Artspace (378 Aylmer).

We love having volunteers at Artspace and we could always use a hand around the gallery. We are currently in the process of renovating our library and could use help painting, organizing our collection of books and assisting with administrative tasks.

Artspace-arc.org.

Stand Up by Jordan Foisey: Trent alumni and now a stand-up living in Toronto and Vice Canada contributor. He is on his first independent headlining tour this January and is kicking it off The Garnet on January 22nd.

Featured this week in Street Style is Thomas Fiala, captured alongside Kerr House at Traill College. Thomas, you’re making us miss Fall! We’re already reminiscing the casual plaid and scarf aesthetic.

Paired with simple jeans and a t-shirt, this basic brown belt ties his whole outfit together.

Also, can we talk about the laniard please? Fantastic.

Attention: ARTS WEEK Contest!

Issue 19 of Arthur will be our annual Arts Week Issue.

This year, we are having a contest!

Send in your artwork, and it just might make cover!

The staff of Arthur will vote on the “best” art-work recieved, and you will have your work featured as the official cover of Arts-Issue. There will also be a secret prize!

So, start sending in your Photo by Samantha Moss

work to editors@trentarthur.ca

Volume 50 | Issue 13 | January 18, 2016

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