Volume 49 Issue 19

Volume 49 | Issue 19 | March 3, 2015

Women’s Issue

Photo by Jenny Fisher. Design by Pat Reddick

INside:

ARTHUR STAFF COLLECTIVE COMMITTEE

ISW No longer?

Ptbo still split on parkway question

Wab Kinew addresses Trent

Analysing the perfect relationship

Contents

Pages 11-13: Women’s Issues Feature cont.

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Back page: Listings & Live Music

Correction: In last week’s issue, Joe Morris’ name mistakenly appeared as John Morris in the headline of Bennett Bedoukian’s article (pg 9).

Arthur Women’s Issues in History (1983-2000) Having an issue dedicated to discussing women’s issues and celebrating feminism is nothing new for Arthur. In fact, the idea dates back more than three decades to 1983 when the first issue of Lilith was published as an Arthur special edition. According to the editors of that original edition of Lilith, the goal was to create a forum “to shed light on the causes and consequences of, and solutions to women’s subordinate position within society.�

This 1983 Lilith also published the story of the mythological heroine from whom it got its name. Lilith is actually an important, albeit lesser-known, character from the Hebrew book of Genesis, she was removed from the Biblical creation story by the later Christian church. “Lilith appears in the original Hebrew version of Genesis,â€? explained the article. “She was Adam’s first wife, created as he was from dust. Adam and Lilith never found peace together for when he wished to lie with her she took offence at the recumbent position‌ and left him.â€? The paper asserted that it chose its name because “her strong character, sense of self, and independence make her an extraordinary role model for women today.â€?

Lilith was published every year from 1983 until 1995, after which the paper went through several new incarnations. In 1996 the Lilith was renamed she thing because of the perception that the issue had become too narrowminded with regards to its view of feminism. “This rep-

resentation of women thru Lilith needs to be looked at critically, as does every other image that we see on TV, in magazines, etc.

In 1997, the women’s issue was renamed for a second time, this time calling itself Third Space as a way to once again open itself up to more diversity both in terms of contributors and contributions. The editors chose that name as an acknowledgement of the cultural theory argument that identity needn’t be either One or the Other, but can exist as something in between.

The editors of Third Space ‘97 wrote: “We felt that the paper should be a space for residents of the third space.

The women’s paper has, in the past, reflected the realities of a specific group of women‌ [R]enaming the paper was an attempt to make the paper an inclusive space for all women to express their resistance in different ways, that have not always been recognized.�

Third Space was published for a total of three years (‘97’99) after which Lilith was reincarnated for one last time in 2000. Since that time Arthur editors have opted to publish special women’s issue supplements instead of dedicating a full paper to the issue.

In this edition of the Women’s Issue, Arthur is happy to bring you more than seven full pages of content and in so doing we are happy to continue Arthur’s tradition of serving as a meaningful platform for the Liliths, she things, and members of the third space to discuss the issues that matter to them.

s ’ r u Arth on the airw ave s!

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CampusNews Orientation Week is the new ISW

By Zachary Cox

With the 2014-15 school year working towards a close, the Trent University Office of Student Affairs is well into planning the week of events that will welcome new students to the institution come September. This year, the event has undergone a name change. What was once Introductory Seminar Week will now be known as Orientation Week.

While the biggest difference is just a title rebranding, the Office of Student Affairs and orientation organizers are implementing some ideas that they believe will make the event more inclusive than ever.

ISW becoming Orientation Week is an attempt to more accurately represent the concept of the event, which has changed over the years.

“We were finding that first year students found ISW a little confusing,” said Nona Robinson, Associate Vice President of Students.

Back before Trent Students would register for all their courses online prior to coming to the university, Introductory Seminar Week used to be exactly that; a week where students would have the chance to attend a variety of different seminars that would help them select courses they wished to take.

Due to Internet-based pre-registration however, this is no longer the case. “We instead offer them as much information before summer, even as they’re applying for courses, as to what each course includes,” said Orientation Coordinator, Sako Khederlarian.

Giving students a chance to experience

a classroom environment and various disciplines during the first week is still beneficial however, and ways to do so are being examined.

“I still love the idea of students being able to have the opportunity to be exposed to a bunch of academic areas. Someone coming in might not necessarily know what Cultural Studies or Anthropology is,” said Robinson. “We will continue to look at different options to increase the academic component of orientation week.”

One method of doing so has been to integrate the Take the University Challenge into the orientation week events, and attendance numbers for the information seminars have shown success.

Actual class information however, is now supplied mostly online and earlier on in the year. “We’re moving a lot of that orientation introductory course stuff earlier on into the year,” said Khederlarian. “Then we’re focusing more on orienting them to the other aspects of the university like the many services we have, the colleges and then connecting to their peers.”

So the name of Orientation Week has been changed to better reflect the content, and it is likely the biggest change to the entire event.

Khederlarian said that no big changes to the programming are envisioned at this point, though there has been a move to include more athletics and wellness events and events that have to do with the clubs and groups that are at Trent.

Likewise, the leadership structure of orientation has remained mostly the same with just a few changes. Khederlarian said that, as has been the case in previous

years, each college will have two co-chairs.

Additionally, however, there have also been athletics co-chairs elected and a First People’s House of Learning co-chair who will be elected shortly.

Rounding out the co-chairs will be the Trent International Program co-chairs and the Trent Central Student Association co-chairs who will be the elected Vice Presidents of the TCSA. Kherderlarian said the positions such as the FPHL and athletics co-chairs are in place in order “to be as inclusive as possible.”

Also in a bid to improve inclusivity, each year steps have been taken to increase ISW’s—and now Orientation Week’s—relevance to off-campus students. Khederlarian said that lots is being done to encour-

age such students to take part in the event: “Everything from offering free meals just to get students on campus, to organizing the buses and scheduling better when they come, to getting off-campus students on campus. We’ve also offered free parking to off-campus students during that week.”

Despite the name change, upper-year students should easily recognize Orientation Week as an event similar to those in previous years. “I think the one thing that people will notice is that they made the decision to call it Orientation Week instead of ISW,” said Robinson.

Khederlarian said he is looking forward to Orientation week, as well as additional summer programming, because as he said, “orientation essentially starts the moment they accept their offer to Trent University.”

Welfare state conference to honour retiring professor

By David Tough

An interdisciplinary conference on the history of the welfare state this weekend will celebrate the career of Canadian Studies professor James Struthers.

The Future History of the Welfare State will be held March 6 and 7, 2015, at Catherine Parr Traill College in honour Professor Struthers, who retired in 2014 after 37 years of service to Trent.

Professor Struthers was a founding figure in historical scholarship on the Canadian welfare state, having completed his PhD on the politics of unemployment in Canada at the University of Toronto in 1979.

He revised the dissertation into a book, No Fault of Their Own: Unemployment and the Canadian Welfare State, 19141941. His second book, The Limits of Affluence: Welfare in Ontario, 1920-1970, traced the development of welfare policy in Ontario.

Struthers was hired by Trent’s Canadian Studies program as a lecturer in 1977 and promoted to Assistant Professor after completing his doctorate in 1979. He taught courses on social policy, multiculturalism, and the history of Ontario.

The conference will feature leading scholars from across Canada discussing their current research projects and reflecting on emerging directions in the field of welfare state history.

Among the twelve presenters are two Trent alumni, Penny Bryden of the University of Victoria and Suzanne Morton of McGill University in Montreal.

Professor Struthers’s influence has extended widely, and his scholarship continues to serve as a model for historians seeking to place the development of relations of care in a wider social context.

The conference is open to the public.

Admission is free.

Photo of Professor Struthers

Volume 49 | Issue 19 | March 3, 2015

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Campus

Ryerson prof Alan Sears highlights OPIRG Peterborough’s AGM

By Will Willis

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) Peterborough held its annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday, February 26, with the keynote speaker being Ryerson University sociology professor Alan Sears. Professor Sears spoke about “Rebuilding Resistance Capacities on the Neoliberal Campus.”

In a brief interview before the meeting, Sears recalled how the “collectivity” that existed when he was an undergrad at Carlton during the ‘70s meant that students would often challenge and negotiate the syllabus when it was handed out in class by the professor.

“Someone would stand up and say: ‘We don’t want a 25 page essay, and there was a sense that others would back you up if you took that risk.’”

Sears observed that university students are more dissatisfied than ever with increasing tuition and debt, but also more depoliticized than ever, compared with the student activist movements of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

He remembered when tuition was so low relative to the cost of living and wages that he and his peers were usually able to pay off tuition as well as have some money saved after a summer of work.

Today, in light of high unemployment and competitive pressure, students are often working part-time during their studies, only to graduate into looming debt.

The bizarre thing, said Sears, is how little we are doing about it.

Could the weakened collective capac-

ity of young people in 2015 be related to how digitally connected, yet socially isolated we are compared to previous generations?

Sears stated that this might be part of it but he said that a lot can happen if you “develop the confidence to trust your guts—otherwise you tend to simply believe the stories you’re told… like the story that bureaucracy and bloated public spending is the problem.”

When asked how he thought major political movements such as the 2012 Quebec student protests were sparked in the very preliminary stages, Sears pointed to

the Public Interest Research GouPIRGs as being useful organizations that help keep people engaged and informed through research, education and action.

The annual general meeting itself had a good turn-out of some thirty people.

Attendees were reminded that anyone who had not opted out of the refundable $12.78 student levy was a member and was entitled to vote on the motions of the meeting.

The moderators began by recounting the year’s events and workshops. These included the campaign to raise the minimum wage in cooperation with the Work-

ers’ Action Centre; the OPIRG delegation to the World Pride March; a film screening of Tear for Gaza in solidarity with Palestine; the Light Your Spark series of workshops including “City Hall 101: How to Hold Your Politicians Accountable”; and a panel discussion of “Why Poverty Matters” organized the Anit-Poverty OPIRG Working Group, among many others. For a full list of their campaign activities, OPIRG has posted their AGM materials on their website.

After summarizing the campaigns, the OPIRG Peterborough’s coordinator, Matthew Davidson, then went on to review its financial report. Some questions were posed to Davidson by Corey LeBlanc, Vice-President of the Trent Conservatives student group, who asked for an explanation with regards to the group’s salary costs.

Davidson responded that OPIRG Peterborough employs eight staff members, including seven students, who are all payed a living wage. He explained that the disparity between the group’s salary figures and their campaign expenses was due to the fact that the staff members are responsible for carrying out most of the group’s services in-house.

He noted that third-party accountant Steven Bark had found nothing of concern in this year’s financial statements.

A new board of directors was also elected at the meeting. OPIRG’s board now comprises Meghan Johnny, Annette Pedlar, Laura Crump, Sabrina Calogeracos, Ysabel Tuason, Montana Mellett, and Crystal Peckford-McGrath.

CUPE 3908 Unit 2 and Trent Trent Northern Studies reach tentative agreement Colloquium returns March 12

By Pat Reddick

Bargaining teams representing student workers—Local 3908 Unit 2 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 3908)—and Trent University’s administration reached a tentative agreement at around 4am Friday morning after 18 hours of bargaining.

The union was in a legal striking position as of midnight, but both teams were willing to keep bargaining for four hours to reach a deal.

“It wasn’t until about 5am that we got everything signed,” said Phil Abbott, Vice-President of Unit 2 and a member of CUPE’s bargaining team.

CUPE 3908 President Stephen Horner characterized it as a “tough” round of bargaining.

In a release, the union blamed underfunding on the part of the Ontario government as the source of difficulty, but maintained “that Trent’s lowest-paid workers shouldn’t be made to pay the price for a lack of funding.”

“We hope this round of bargaining emphasized to Trent’s administration how important student worker issues are,” said Horner.

In the release he stated “we believe that the modest gains of the agreement reflect the determination of members to protect decent working conditions.”

Abbott mentioned that Unit 2’s “big focus was around wages.” As reported previously in Arthur, the university had been pushing for a two year wage freeze for Unit 2 members. In the release, the union con-

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firmed that it avoided this freeze.

Unit 2 primarily represents graduate student workers at Trent, but there are a significant portion of undergraduate markers, teaching, lab, and research assistants represented as well. “Everyone in the unit is a student of some sort” said Abbott.

The union represents 350 members.

In a press release sent by Trent’s Communications Manager Kathryn Verhulst-Rogers, Trent University said it was “pleased to share that a tentative settlement has been reached” and that “classes, labs, and operations will continue as scheduled.”

Because the agreement is subject to ratification by Trent, no one representing the administration can comment further.

At this time, it’s unclear when the ratification vote will happen for either group.

Trent’s administration needs the union to ratify it first before they can do so.

CUPE’s bargaining team hasn’t scheduled the vote yet, but they expect it will happen in mid-March.

The tentative agreement comes at a time when several other universities student teaching unions were at the bargaining table. CUPE 3902 Unit 1—representing contract faculty at the University of Toronto— reached a tentative agreement with their employer, also several hours past their strike deadline on Friday morning. However, the membership rejected the deal and that unit is now on strike.

CUPE 3903 at York University, also representing teaching assistants and contract faculty, has set a strike deadline for Tuesday March 3. They have not yet reached a deal with their employer.

By Emily Willson

The Trent Northern Studies Colloquium is pleased to welcome everyone out to our one day event, showcasing the Canadian North!

Each academic year students and faculty at Trent University come together for a one-day event dedicated to showcasing, discussing, and celebrating Trent’s excellence in Northern research.

The purpose of the Colloquium is for students to learn about the northern research being conducted by their peers at the university, and to exchange ideas regarding their involvement, and the future of research in the North.

There is a large and growing contingent of young MA, MSc, and PhD researchers studying northern issues at Trent, but we do not often have the opportunity to come together, interact, and learn from one another across our disciplinary boundaries.

The Colloquium seeks to promote balanced, inclusive, and multi-disciplinary understandings of the complex fabric of issues, ideas, agendas, and concerns that affect the North and that are increasingly woven into our work and imaginations as Canadians today.

This day is about Trent University students presenting their research and ideas and providing a forum for students from all disciplines to share and learn from each other.

The day’s events will consist of a series of student oral and poster presentations from the arts, sciences, and social sciences that will be held in the Benedict Gath-

ering Space.

Alongside student presentations we will also get the chance to hear from Cecile Lyall, a student from Nunavut Sivuniksavut (our land our future), which is a college program for Inuit students from Nunavut that teaches them about the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement and Inuit history.

Cecile is very passionate about improving the social issues in Nunavut today including food security, education, and mental health.

She was also involved with Inuit Youth Health Survey as a part of the National Inuit Youth Summit in 2013.

The evening event will include the keynote address from social and ecological scientist, and filmmaker, Dr. Ian Mauro.

Dr. Mauro is an associate professor at the University of Manitoba, and a community-based researcher who has experience working with communities on issues such as climate change and industrial development.

This is a fantastic opportunity for members of the public to come learn more about Canada’s North and its importance to our country’s environment, culture, and development!

The daytime event will take place Thursday March 12, from 9am–4pm at the Benedict Gathering Space in Gzowski College.

The evening event and keynote address will take place from 7pm–9pm at the Canadian Canoe Museum.

The event is free and open to everyone.

Free food and refreshments will be provided.

Campus

Trent admin to shift student services for improved access

than having students seeking such skills only after a crisis has occurred.

The timeliness of the services is also a factor in the changes for the careers department.

“Often they’ll talk to students who are just about to graduate […] at which point it is kind of a bit late,” said Robinson, emphasizing the fact that the earlier a student begins planning their career path, the better.

Having students access the services during earlier years of study “means that we’re helping students think about their academic pathway and their co-curricular pathway a lot earlier” Robinson said.

Hence the creation of the Student Transitions and Careers department, which will work with students from even before they arrive at Trent all the way along to graduation.

However, this is not a tactic to have students lock themselves into a career path before they are ready to do so. Robinson

is adamant that Trent University’s disposition to openness and diversity is a rare asset that needs to be embraced.

The idea behind the Student Transitions and Careers department is simply to help guide students through the many options that can be difficult to navigate.

“This [type of department] is not that common, so this is a bit of an experiment,” said Robinson, but noted that she was hopeful that such a change would be successful based on comments from students, faculty, and other staff.

While the details remain to be worked out, the current idea is that while the Academic Skills Instructors will be moving from their current Champlain location into the college offices, the new Student Transitions and Careers department will remain in Champlain, with the Student Affairs information being moved there from Blackburn Hall.

As for the timeframe, the move will be taking place after the end of the semester, so as to not be overly distracting to students and staff.

Initially there will not be drastic changes in the types of services or their hours, with Robinson wanting to let staff “settle in” and “see how it goes” with the new operational structure before potentially making changes to hours and programming.

Currently, Traill College in downtown Peterborough does not have any academic skills services, but Robinson indicated that she has plans to meet with the Traill College Principal’s Advisory Committee and she is “hopeful that [they] can work out some different options for Traill in order to support the students there.”

progress has been made on the educational system. He conveyed that today, most high school students learn about residential schools, and that in some regions such as Alberta it has been made mandatory from kindergarten to grade twelve.

In terms of media coverage, Mr. Kinew agreed that there is a greater awareness about the TRC events in the media. He argues that there is a lot more attention paid to Indigenous issues, year after year. For instance, media coverage on residential schools survivors’ request for justice, the TRC and the apology, the Ottawa housing crisis, and Idle No More movement are examples of the increasing media attention.

On the other hand, Mr. Kinew also asserted “there is a lot of ground that could be made up in terms of the accuracy and fairness of coverage”.

He recognized two main dynamics at work. First, that the majority of journalists were educated at a time when they did not learn much about Indigenous history and issues.

Mr. Kinew noted that he understands the pressures associated with working on a newsroom since news are filed on a daily deadline and this means that journalists cannot go read a 500-page history and do proper research.

However, he added that the deadlines and focusing only on the immediate crisis without the full context results in the pathologization of the group that you are talking about.

Furthermore, he added that there is also a problem of story selection bias. He explained that mainstream media mostly reports on negative stories in general, and this is harmful in the Indigenous context because, since the majority of Canadians get their information about Indigenous people from the media, they tend to get a negative perception.

“If media are reporting on negative stories about Indigenous people, then the majority of Canadians are getting a negative image and that feeds into stereotypes and judgments and then this influences policy and public perceptions”, he concluded.

In terms of the way forward, Mr. Kinew highlighted the role of education.

He asserted that the main strategy is starting incorporating Indigenous culture and worldviews into the teaching at all levels of Canadian education. Moreover, Mr. Kinew agreed that it could benefit students as they look forward to their careers if they learn that there is other ways of looking at the world.

For the Indigenous community, Mr. Kinew argued that one of the roles of education has to do with capacity building so they can be successful in pursuing whatever career they find fulfilling. He also expressed that education could be a tool to build good institutions of governance and a good economic base for communities.

Having Mr. Kinew engaging with the Trent community was a privilege and his message of reconciliation and social justice was an inspiration for many of us lucky enough to have engaged with him.

By Zachary Cox

Changes to the administrative structure of Trent University’s Academic Skills and Careers department should increase student access to the services.

The changes, which will be implemented at the end of the winter term, involve separating the academic skills aspects from the careers component, and instead having a department of Student Transitions and Careers, distributing the academic skills instructors throughout the colleges. The hope is that doing so will increase student access to the services and provide additional opportunity for programming.

The examination of the current department structure follows the departure of the director of Academic Skills and Careers, Kristi Kerford, who has taken the position of Associate Vice-President of Student Services at Fleming College.

“Careers and academic skills are actually quite different,” said Associate VicePresident Students, Nona Robinson, explaining that the rather odd pairing of services, and the somewhat hidden location in Champlain College, were factors in deciding to make some changes to the administrative structuring.

On the academic skills side, Robinson is looking to increase awareness of the service. “The academic skills advisors are excellent at providing academic skills support for a very wide variety of student needs,” she said, “But people don’t always know that they are there and they don’t always access them.”

Moving Academic Skills Instructors into each of the college offices seems to be

a great method for increasing the visibility and accessibility of their services, and doing so provides additional benefits as well. Adding more services to the college offices will encourage more students to make use of them, and will increase their communal element.

“One of the other things that we’ve been looking at over the last little while is really strengthening the colleges and really trying to make the colleges relevant to all students,” Robinson said. “One of the things that I’ve always got in the back of my head is ‘what more can we put in the colleges so as to increase students’ connection to their college, and the likelihood that they will come by the college offices and hopefully participate in programming?’”

The move could also improve the effectiveness of the services, with students being more likely to access them at an earlier time, therefore having a skill-set to apply to their work habits, which should reduce the likelihood of an academic crisis rather

2015 Jack Matthews Fellow Wab Kinew discusses Indigenous issues

By Renzo Costa

The Jack Matthews Fellowship, created in 2008, honours the contributions that Jack Matthews made to Lakefield College School, Trent University and The Canadian Canoe Museum.

The fellow is chosen based on three criteria: how they bring relevant perspective to the three institutions, how they embody the values of global citizenship, and their value-based engagement with the world.

The fellow stays at Champlain College for about a week and engages in activities at the university, Lakefield College, and the Canoe Museum.

The values that the fellowship expresses are ethical and physical engagement with the Canadian environment, public intellectual engagement, experimental education and social justice.

Previous years fellows have been important national and international figures such as Nikolas Dickner, Joseph Boyden, and Shelagh Rogers. This year, we were honored and privileged of having Wab Kinew with us.

Wab Kinew was born in Kenora and is from the Onigaming First Nation of northwestern Ontario. He has a degree in economics from the University of Manitoba and has pursued a career in broadcast journalism in CBC and Aljazeera America.

Currently, he is working as vice-president for Indigenous relations in the University of Manitoba. Mr. Kinew engages the Canadian public with the key problems of social justices through his broadcasting, his role as a Truth and Reconciliation commission (TRC) witness and his hip-hop music.

In terms of his role as a witness, Mr. Kinew’s expressed that the idea of the hon-

orary witnesses is to carry on the mission of the TRC, especially after the commission ends. He stated that there is a lot that needs to happen about educating people in Canada about the residential school era, about making sure that the survivors’ voices continue to be heard, and about repairing the divisions that happened during that era. He explained that when he does public appearances, he always tries to talk about the residential school experience, how the legacy impacts Canada today, and what can be done to help repair the damage inflicted.

Being a witness is also significant for Mr. Kinew since his father went to a residential school, which he agrees had a big impact in their relationship. “Being a witness reminded me to continue talking about this and making sure my dad’s story is not forgotten. It is a strong commitment I made to keep talking about it”, he added.

On a personal level, Mr. Kinew argued that being a witness helped him solidify his connection to his father and gives him an opportunity to revisit and remember their relationship, how it was impacted by this and how they overcame any dysfunction to develop a friendship.

Talking about the process of reconciliation, Mr. Kinew argued that the biggest

Volume 49 | Issue 19 | March 3, 2015

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LocalPage Why are we still talking about The Parkway?

By Ayesha Barmania

The Parkway is a divisive issue in Peterborough and draws on a long history of controversy. This long history can make it seem like the Parkway has been debated for nigh on 70 years but really, the issue has only surfaced in the last fifteen years when the City proposed a major thoroughfare for the North end using the route planned in 1947.

The Parkway first appeared in 1947 as part of the City’s Official Plan, which laid out an integrated strategy for Peterborough’s growth. The Parkway was part of a larger plan to construct a ring road around the city. This section was intended to connect the North and South sides of the city while bypassing much of the West-end.

During the 1950’s, the city bought the requisite land and designated it for the Parkway Corridor but did not move forward with construction.

The Parkway discussion was ongoing, but meaningfully resurfaced in 2002 in the City’s Transportation Master Plan. It planned on commencing construction on the land purchased for the Parkway. In 2003, City Hall held a referendum to assess whether or not this development was supported by citizens.

At this time Peterborough voted against development of a ‘partial Parkway’. However, this referendum failed to meet a minimum turn out of 50% of eligible voters and the resulting decision was not binding.

Council agreed to not carry out Parkway construction at that time but left it in the Transportation Master Plan.

In 2011, issues of access to the Peterbor-

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ough Regional Health Centre brought the Parkway back into the discussion at City Hall. A Comprehensive Transportation Plan that included the Parkway was completed and approved by City Council.

This year, the Capital Budget for the City of Peterborough included $2.25 million allocated for the creation of detailed plans of the first phase of the Parkway.

Many citizens and civil society groups have repeatedly spoken out against the development of the Parkway. They reference reasons like the preservation of greenspace, watershed ecosystem management, inappropriate use of tax dollars, and that it will be ineffective at solving transportation problems.

Key among these groups is Parks Not Parkways, who had a representative speak to Arthur about the issue. “We don’t think that the Parkway will do what they say it will do,” he said.

Moreover, this representative purchased his home in the North end under the assumption that the greenspace and trails would be preserved and, as he put it, “under the assumption that a public vote means something.” With the construction of the Parkway, he is now considering moving away.

Other critiques of the Parkway question whether or not it is necessary for our contemporary city. Considering that Peterborough has not developed in the same way that was planned in 1947, the Parkway need not be an integral component of city planning today. They argue that there is greater value in having urban greenspace than in a new thoroughfare. Looking at the classic example of Central Park in New

York City, that park fulfills a function in the metropolis that would be impossible to replicate if greenspace was not preserved from an earlier time.

Parks Not Parkways and other advocates have suggested numerous alternatives to the Parkway Corridor. The most strongly advocated plan involves increasing the capacity of a few key roads in the area without building any new thoroughfare. This would leave the greenspace and Jackson Park intact while mitigating the traffic problems that are being used to justify the Parkway.

Other advocates for alternatives are focusing on developments through Jackson Park. Plans are debating whether or not the Parkway would should be built through the park or if a bridge should be built over it. Yet, this is a much smaller debate in the question of whether or not the road should

be built at all.

The larger debate about whether the Parkway is necessary can be stifled in debates about the specifics. The Parks Not Parkways representative said, “The [Environmental Assessment] process is designed to guarantee that engineering projects go ahead. It really doesn’t evaluate if a project is a good one, it just says what the best way to do it is.”

The issue stems from the recurring need for a comprehensive transportation strategy in the city. While this specific thoroughfare has been in the plan for decades, the effects will be immediate and will reach long into the future. The civic engagement and the debates that the Parkway has sparked over the past 15 years go to show how this issue is important to citizens’ interests and will continue to be an issue.

Women’s Issues Feature The invisible knife

The words written on these women’s faces are personal to each one in some way. The purpose of this photo essay is to show the societal hatred towards women that strongly exists in language. During this project it came to my attention that many of the models felt surprisingly uncomfortable having the words they have been called written on their faces. Inspired by The Gabbie Show/Vines a Youtube channel. By Jenny Fisher.

By Daisy Komujuni and Zara Syed

Malcolm X once compared racism to a knife jammed in the back of the oppressed, which the oppressors refused to admit, existed. After hundreds of years of dealing with the scourge of racism, there are some who would believe that it is no longer a problem.

Though I am a woman of colour, I cannot speak on behalf of marginalized groups when I say this, however it is a great concern to me the more and more this opinion becomes prominent. “That there is no race issue, we are in the 21st century, sexism doesn’t exist, and feminism is moot.”

It is a growing concern for me in everyday life, every time I see a headline in the news. With Harper’s Bill C-51 taking center stage, and the rate of missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada continuing to grow; I often wonder what Bill would ever be proposed to protect them.

There are issues I become aware about, not through prominent media outlets, such as the Tyendinega, a mohawk community near Napanee which does not have access to clean water. These people have to take buses to have showers, or to have basic access to what you and I take for granted every day. Canada is depicted as a country where slums are few and far between, but one doesn’t have to look far to see the limited access of resources these oppressed minorities face.

It is no different in the States how this cycle of systematic racism is perpetuated.

As visible minorities are visibly climb-

ing the political ladder of success, society seems more open and integrated than ever before. However, if we were about to breathe a sigh of relief, blatantly prejudiced media coverage of the Mike Brown and Eric Garner murders, not to mention the following refusal of the judicial system to punish the perpetrators appropriately in spite of damning video evidence, was enough to remind us that this problem runs far deeper than segregated bathroom spaces.

The intersectionality of racism is seen in examples of lack of media coverage surrounding women of colour, specifically Aboriginal women in Canada, and their abduction and mortality rates. Women like Rekia Boyd or even the young seven-yearold Aiyana Jones who was shot while sleeping on her couch during a police drug bust.

It’s hard to determine where this stems from. Whether it comes from a Tyler Perry movie or from our grandmothers who constantly train us that we must maintain tolerance in order to hold together stable relationships, this toxic image paints us as less vulnerable and needing of support.

Couple this with sexism and racism and you have a recipe for disaster such as the situation in the states.

In terms of being a woman, it is almost as though the standard can never be met.

Another example where race and gender equality intersect is this very week where Raina El- Alloul, a woman adorning the hijab during a court proceeding, was told by the judge that he would refuse to hear her case because she was “not suitably dressed.”

It seems though no matter what, women everywhere are constantly being bombarded by an unending mantra of “what you look like, it’s never good enough.” If a woman had worn a skimpy outfit to court, that too would be deemed inappropriate or not “suitable for court.”

Is it about the headscarf, or is it about a dictatorship on what a woman is wearing? There seems to always be a controversial news story about a girl being sent home from school or the prom because her attire is inappropriate, when really it’s our perception that we can dictate what a woman can and cannot do with her body that speaks volumes about how far we have progressed in equal rights. Slut Walk, a protest that arose in response to a Toronto Police officer offering the advice of ‘not dressing like a slut’ in order to avoid unwanted attention and being rape, is a direct response to this sexism that still permeates society.

This never-ending focus on our outward aesthetic does not end with clothing. Our bodies are constantly up for review whether at the gym or in the line at McDonald’s.

We are told that we are not worthy of love, respect or success unless we fit within the borders of physical beauty drawn by the patriarchal media. If this standard of beauty is difficult for white women to reach, it is certainly impossible for women of colour as it very rarely includes us. The media holds a unique position in our society. It has the power to either uplift us or to completely poison us intellectually. Communities of colour have been ingesting this toxin

for decades, which is why it is no surprise that we now exist in a world where women of colour rarely see themselves as beautiful and men of colour see it as the ultimate success to date outside their race.

My biggest concern with North American media is that it continues to put emphasis on the female aesthetic rather than intellect. The constant youth obsession has made women afraid of age and the associated wisdom that it brings while the feminine brain is never given the importance it deserves. This all serves to subliminally translate to young girls that they will only be valuable as long as they are sexually viable. The result? A hyper-sexualised society that is comfortable with the disrespect and degradation of female bodies.

Daily, we sit in silent acceptance of numerous micro-aggressions against women of colour sometimes by white feminists, men of colour or other marginalized groups. These acts are often disregarded because it is assumed that minority groups are automatically in solidarity with each other. However, the truth of the matter is that different layers of privilege restrict us from truly sharing in each other’s experiences.

Refusal to acknowledge this is the reason why some women can claim they no longer need feminism since they are no longer victims of discrimination. We must remember that feminism is not just a movement for white upper class women and if we continue to ignore the knife, the wound will eventually fester to form an infection that shall never heal.

Volume 49 | Issue 19 | March 3, 2015

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Women’s Issues Feature

Defining feminism: What it is and why we all need it

By Caitlin Coe

A girl I know recently proclaimed on social media that she “hated feminists”, and it boggled my mind. The stigma around feminism needs to end, and it needs to end now.

Feminists are not all angry women who hate men. Not all feminists are loud, shove their beliefs down the throats of non-believers, and think women are special. Unfortunately, this is what is portrayed to us in the media. To be a feminist you must only believe in one thing; every one should have equal social, political, and economic rights. That’s all there is to it.

Feminism is treating women with respect. Women shouldn’t be afraid to walk alone at night, nor should they be blamed for rape and feel ashamed based on what they were wearing or if they were drunk, and have to be taught how to defend themselves. Rape also happens to men, and they should be given acknowledgement too.

Both genders should be taught respect and that rape jokes are in no way appropriate. Ever. Feminism is teaching guys that catcalling is not a compliment, it is insulting and is never acceptable, though many guys think it is and have done it.

Feminism is needed because abortion has always been a controversial debate, but the government shouldn’t be telling women what they can and can’t do with their bodies; they should have the liberty of choice. Because women should be able to wear what they want, without being labeled a slut. Because men are congratulated on the number of “hook ups” they’ve had, while girls are simply

called whores… what’s wrong with that image?

Because women in developed countries today still often get paid less than men. Even in the same exact job and with the same level of education, women are inferior. They should be able to do jobs that men often do without being questioned.

Women work just as hard, do all the same things just as well as men do, so this shouldn’t still be a problem. Recognition should be given to the fact that women want careers but also want to raise a family. Choosing one or the other is fine but why be judged for doing both?

We need feminism because women are greatly underrepresented in politics. In the United States the representation is 1/5, ranking 78th for representation, below China, Iraq, and Rwanda, nondemocratic countries with less than stellar women’s rights.

The world requires feminism because

in developing countries women do not have the same education and work opportunities we take for granted here in Canada. Arranged child marriage and genital mutilation are still prominent and a huge issue. Because sons are preferred, some women go to dangerous lengths to have an abortion if they’re having a daughter.

Men are outnumbering women and are now struggling to find partners, leading to women being sold, and men getting into dangerous activities such as crime and drugs. However, the image is that men provide income, while girls get married (while having to pay an expensive dowry). Feminism and equality is absolutely necessary if these countries want to make any progress.

Feminism is realizing that both genders have issues, and that they should all be addressed. Jobs, activities, or character traits shouldn’t be assigned to a specific gender. Feminists do not want to belittle

or punish men, they believe in abolishing stereotypical gender roles that have been put in place in society, for women, and men too. If a guy wants to dance or be a nurse, which can both be construed as traditionally considered “feminine”, that’s awesome!

Men deal with self-esteem issues just like women, and go through mental illnesses such as depression too. But they’re just told to “man up”, and when men show sentiment, they are called girls, associating the word with weakness. This is just insulting and demeaning to both sexes.

Men should be able to get the same support as women and be able to talk about it while not feeling embarrassed.

Feminism and equality are needed because even though all college kids are on tight budgets, it is still the guy who is expected to pay for everything. Why not each pay for your own stuff or take turns paying?

I want to live in a world where my son can have emotions and play with a “girl’s toy” from the McDonalds happy meal if he wants, and where my daughter can play sports with boys and care more about what’s in her head than how she looks. And if she doesn’t want to marry?

Good for her!

Women don’t need to be dependent on men. Wake up people, feminism IS for everyone, and needs cooperation from both sexes to work. It is respecting both sexes and giving them the freedom to be who they want to be without judgment.

Feminism believes that people shouldn’t be told they can or can’t do something based on their gender, and everyone should be given the same opportunities.

KWIC and KSAC to hold International Women’s Day celebration

By Sara Desmarais

March 8 marks the annual celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD).

Devoted to acknowledging and celebrating the achievements of women worldwide, IWD inspires women across the globe, reminding us that we are capable of accomplishing great things, regardless of our ethnic, national, cultural, sexual orientation, linguistic, political, or economic backgrounds.

The UN’s official theme for International Women’s Day is “Empowering Women - Empowering Humanity: Picture It!” With this theme, it becomes obvious that women worldwide are still experiencing challenges that prevent them from pursuing happy, healthy, and hopeful lives. The fact that we have to “Picture” how empowering women empowers humanity reminds us that issues like gender inequality are holding back humanity from reaching its full potential to be peaceful, happy, and just. While IDW reminds us that women have accomplished so much, it also reminds us that we have a lot of work to do to ensure that all women have the same opportunities as men to pursue their goals.

Gender Inequality creates barriers for access to a wide range of basic needs, such as: healthcare, education, food security, housing, economic pursuits, and protection from sexual and violent acts. When we think of gender inequality, I think many of us glance at

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developing nations as being the culprits of this inequality. But if we stop and look around, we can see that gender inequality is in our own backyard; it’s all around us.

In October 2014, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released their report “Progress on Women’s Rights: Missing in Action: A Shadow Report on Canada’s Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action”.

While the report reveals that Canadian women have achieved high levels of health and education, these levels are not distributed evenly amongst Canadian women.

A large factor of gender inequality in Canada is economic related. The report states that: “Employment levels are lower yet among some groups of women in Canada. Immigrant women’s employment lags seven percent behind Canadian born women and 14 percent behind that of immigrant men.

Aboriginal women’s employment rates are five percent below that of Aboriginal men and 11 percent below that of nonAboriginal women.” When employment opportunities are not evenly distributed across all groups, it does not take long for an individual to fall into poverty.

Another inequality factor that greatly affects women in Canada is domestic abuse and sexual assault. Northern provinces and territories have the highest rates of sexual assault and domestic abuse, compared to the rest of Canada.

Workplace violence is also a serious problem facing women. The fact that

“over a million women in Canada report having experienced either sexual assault or intimate partner violence in the past five years” is very disheartening.

These factors highlight the need for us to work together to end the gap in gender equality. So, as IWD approaches, we should all take the time to reflect on how we can end gender inequality on both a local and global scale. It is much to my delight that I can inform you about an International Women’s Day presentation and celebration that is happening a couple of days before IWD, to get you inspired!

Presented by the Kawartha World Issues Centre and the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, “Mending the Gap in

Gender Equality” is an IWD celebration on March 6, at SEEDS OF CHANGE (534 George Street North, Peterborough). The doors open at 5:30pm, and at 6pm, there will be a potluck, music, and celebration.

The panel presentation and discussion will be at 7pm. There is a pretty great lineup of special guests as well: The Raging Grannies, Hattie Edwards: Akwesasne First Nation, Amy Keating: Trent Feminist Society, Kristen Mommertz: Courage Peterborough/Hollaback Movement, Margaret McGraw: Trent University Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, Aisha Jamal: Independent Film Maker, and more.

This event is FREE, and all are welcome in this gender and child friendly space.

Women’s Issues Feature

Women’s issues poetry Men They say We are made in God’s image Building us up from dust -sorry Building man from dust From his own

Ribs

Women They say Are made from Man And in his image I stay Unable to stand alone.

Yet somehow we find comfort Knowing we are His masterpiece Permanently defined In his image It is because He sculpted us That we know He loves us That is what you called it But you used a different word A word so tender Describing affection, respect If this is love I want to be alone forever To never hear that word

You can not erase the marks You can not see A selfish act In which you presented me You do not get to own me My body isn’t for bid It belongs to myself Your marks are temporary Men Using their God given right To recreate us For their own purpose Women We will be marked But never broken Standing beautiful and strong Answering to no man There is no god Only ourselves Only human We create ourselves Our brushes stroking Our canvass The finished product for us alone

Like Him you claimed artistry Using your power Drunken with inspiration You used your hands

Growing more beautiful each day We will never answer To those who think they have a right To our bodies

Using them to mould and sculpt My body Into whatever your imagination dreamt up Claiming something other than your own

We are made in god’s image -False!

I am made in my own image And I am beautiful

Your greedy hands Finding their opportunity As my body broke down Alcohol, frozen in time

A masterpiece Standing alone Strong

There I lay As still as the sculpture you made Half closed eyes Cloudy vision and tears streaking my face

Agoraphobia

By Jasmine Harrison

I left my face in the birth canal As my bloody body slid Into the white waspy gloves of the nurse That wept through my coronation Into white middle class privilege She swaddled me with oblivion plush Conformity Cradle I left my face in the birth canal When I realized my bones Fat with stock market marrow Groped by the black suits My Femur works for the F.T.C And I left my bones in the birth canal Other days it is my skin Sliming subservient flesh Melting in a placental pudding Yes I left my skin in the birth canal too Maybe If I was Agoraphobic I would have stayed home And kept My face

- Anonymous (but still here)

Your careful eyes Seeing no wrong in your work As you set my shape Unable to break out of this form My voice lost Another woman’s voice lost To the man who manipulates her body Her being I am unleashed onto the world Critical eyes look over me Interpreting what they will from my frame My outside structure The only thing holding me together Knowing what you did Was not art You are not an artist You are an amateur Knowing that I did not conform to your creation You try to erase me To cover up the marks that were made The mistakes If only the cuts were deeper Maybe others would criticize How I was forced into This box in which I do not fit

Carnage

By Caleigh Boyle

Cries drain from the speakers till there’s nothing left to hear, crippled by clinking bottles delicately stacked on top. The frame droops and decays displaying rotted roots tangled ‘round liver and lungs, corroded by waterfalls of resentment. Four months in and 40 minutes till midnight.

Swallowed secrets now echo in the halls of sewers, spraying blasphemy into the streets leaving stains on the bottoms of our shoes. With nothing left hidden, a naked body now exposed to alleyways and dead ends. Beware the broken glass, corsets and cocks. Four months in and 40 minutes til midnight-but sobriety was swallowed when the captain set sail. Leaving behind nothing but carnage and burns, adds another bottle to the tower. And while the waves crash against the concrete, the forecasted tears murder any remaining sympathy.

Now the only home left is with the secrets in the sewer.

Volume 49 | Issue 19 | March 3, 2015

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Women’s Issues Feature

Maryam Monsef on women in politics and her Liberal aspirations

By Zara Syed

So, why the Liberals?

I have knocked on thousands of doors in this riding and believe the Liberals are our best change at replacing Harper as a leader.

I know that Justin is not perfect, none of the candidates are, but I can relate to him and his vision. I look at the people the party has attracted and they are people from all walks of life that I could see myself working with. I believe my voice is a progressive one and it will have great impact within the Liberal caucus.

When I ran for the mayoral election I received a lot of the same criticism Justin did for being too young, too inexperienced. He made me feel like if he could do it, so could I. What are the barriers you have faced in politics as a woman?

Because of all the work women and men have been doing for decades, what I have experienced as an immigrant woman, even as a young woman, has been great.

They told me, ‘you have to grow very thick skin because you’re an Afghan woman’. I was ready for a viciousness that never came and it was because I was surrounded by such incredible people. It was because of all the great women and men paving the path for you and me.

themselves in you”. And these guys who believed in me saw their mothers and their daughters and sisters.

What was the biggest support you received in this Federal nomination?

Cammie Jaquays, a brilliant inspiring woman. Without her, I wouldn’t be here.

She said to me, “You know Maryam I’ve worked very hard, I’ve run an excellent campaign, but I believe you can do it and I am willing to step aside and put my support behind you 1000 percent.” For somebody like her to believe in me, as well as there being a great generosity of spirit in her gesture, it’s a really exciting time to be a woman in politics.

We are willing to work together and support each other. Where we can communicate with each other through technology, throughout generations, in ways we’ve never been able. How long has it been, how many people have struggled and paved this path? I don’t take that privilege lightly.

So… Bill C51. How do you feel about it?

So how do I feel about protecting the country against terrorists and extremists?

And as someone whose family has been directly affected by terrorists and extremists I think it’s a country’s obligation to protect its people.

So you received a lot of support from both women and men?

I only ask because the Liberals have taken a clear stance for it. Do you find the bill to be problematic at all?

One of the best pieces of advice I got was, “Just remember, whether they love you or hate you it’s because they see parts of

What I think is problematic is how Mr. Harper has gone about providing CISIS with such power that I think we are miss-

ing Parliamentary oversight. We are missing an opportunity to learn from some of our strongest allies in fighting terrorism: The United States and Great Britain.

They’ve introduced Parliamentary Oversight or Congressional Oversight and it’s working really well in balancing individual rights with the needs to protect the public. Why aren’t we doing that? I do support protecting the people of this country.

What I don’t support is that much power without that oversight.

On the definition of terrorism…

As Peter McKay reminded us a few weeks ago we need to “re-examine our definition of Terrorism.” That piece around the operational definition of what Terrorism is is very important and then if we are going to include Muslims in that definition…

If we are going to include cultural groups in that definition, let’s look at what’s happening to radicalize these young men and women and let’s focus on the kind of outreach that is happening to address that dynamic.

We know that empowering women is a great tool to reduce this radicalization and educating the masses and their communities. If we’re going to look at solution to address terrorism, we need to address everything from Parliamentary oversight.

It’s a battle box issue. This election, Parliamentary oversight is key.

On the discussion of Muslims and xenophobia in the proposed Bill Voices like mine where I feel like I could be a benefit answering that question. It would be good to understand Islam. Un-

derstand it as a religion and as a culture and recognize that the majority of Muslims denounce these activities and that the people who call themselves Muslims and then kill other people are by definition not Muslims.

Then there is this operational definition of terrorism and we need to figure out what that means because these are lives at stake, people’s sons and daughters.

International Women’s Day is approaching.

Who are the women that inspire you?

I hope that I am one of those women that [are] paving the path. The Red Pashmina website. There is a Women of Impact list, the Peterborough community has nominated over the last four years. Ordinary women doing extraordinary things. Every single one of these women has a powerful story, doing things behind the scenes without seeking the spotlight. There are the women who inspire me.

More recently: Cammie Jaquways inspires me. My mother inspires me every single day, my five year-old niece inspires me. She reminds me of the kind of world to want to help build. Lynn Zimmer, Betsey McGregor. Linda Slavin, a woman who’s generations ahead of her time, inspires me.

These women are everywhere in our community.

And the Malalas of the world. During the Mayoral election when things were getting a bit heated- this girl stood up and spoke truth to power even though he had a gun to her head. That really inspired me.

I thought, if she could do that then I can try to do just a little bit of that. Throughout history these women have laid the tracks that you and I are both walking on.

Empowerment or sexism? Women in the rock music scene

By Yumna Leghari

Women have been present in rock since it’s beginning, with musicians such as Big Mama Thornton, Janis Joplin, and Grace Slick fronting well known bands.

Since then, the rise of women in rock has only increased. Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Suzi Quattro, Patti Smith, and Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart, are all women who have continually defied the notion that Rock ‘n’ Roll is a male-centric genre.

The medium of punk, and rock, was a way for many early feminists to gain ground in voicing their societal woes.

Bands like The Slits and The Raincoats challenged the patriarchal dominancy of punk-rock as well as the expectation of how women should behave.

These were the early years of the second wave of Feminism; birth control was finally a thing, and women were taking their futures into their own hands. The common narrative of women finding a man, getting married, having children and becoming a serene housewife was transforming into a generation of young women who had liberated themselves.

The tide has only gained strength since women entered the rock scene, with modern day rockers like Taylor Momsen of the Pretty Reckless, Evanescence, Emily Haines of Metric, and Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams belting it out.

All-girl bands have become common as well, with acts like Warpaint and Tegan and Sara.

Women have proved that their musical merit and talent exceeds any gender biases in the music industry. The terminology surrounding women in the music

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scene has been scrutinized as problematic by some, who view tags like “all-girl band” and “female-fronted” as distinctions that male rock musicians do not experience.

Why is gender a significant factor that must be pointed out?

Some argue that to acknowledge women in rock as an entity is empowering, while other view it as blatant sexism, believing that women should be viewed as equal members in the rock scene whose gender is irrelevant.

This is an important dialogue that has taken place; many courses at Trent such as Music and Society and Early Punk in England encourages debate on the topic, as do Women’s Studies courses focusing on the presence of women in public spaces.

If music is used as a vehicle to discuss feminist issues by women in rock, then gender is a relevant factor. Yet, many women simply want to play an instrument, or

sing about topics completely disengaged from gender-politics, so where does that leave them in this labeling of women in rock as a feminist occurrence?

An issue that is certainly identifiable concerning women in rock is the “gimmick.” As an involved member of the local music scene, I can’t count how many times I’ve come across male musicians actively seeking a female vocalist or instrumentalist to boost their image. “Chicks in bands are a rare thing, man. It makes you stand out,” is a common thing I hear.

I spoke to Sara Ostrowska, frontwoman of Peterborough band Television Rd, to gain some insight. She shared her thoughts.

“My band was actively seeking a female vocalist but I never felt like a gimmick,” she said. “They were influenced by female musicians and thought the songs could only be sung by a girl. And I agree. Diversity shakes up a band. If a bunch of guys want a

girl in their band, I think it’s a good thing.

Because they recognize that their music is missing a different perspective. I think that girls are better singers anyway. When I read that there is a girl singer in a band, I think that band is better than a band without a girl. So the ‘all-girl’ or ‘female fronted’ genres just mean to me: ‘the best kind of bands’ genre. Girls rule!”

I also spoke to Natalie Paproski-Rubianes, the vocalist and bassist of Watershed Hour, a Peterborough punk/garagerock duo comprised of two women. She provided some perspective.

“I feel like there are too many ‘all-girl rock!’ shows. It’s as if female musicians are a genre; especially female vocalists. People will like a band or promote a band because they’re girls, and shows will be based around girl bands. My gender doesn’t dictate my bands sound or genre. Laura [the band’s drummer] and I rarely fit in with other ‘girl bands’ but we constantly get grouped in with that theme. I feel that it delegitimizes females in bands; it’s total backwards affirmative action,” she said.

“Furthermore, neither Laura nor I actually buy into gender, and neither of us feel like girls. So it’s frustrating that people try and use us as selling points or gimmicks to say “look at these two chicks jamming out!!’ because our gender doesn’t matter.”

There are varying views and vast avenues of discussion concerning women in rock, and music in general. Through music, women found a stage to scream out their challenge to a gender stereotyped culture, so at one point, it was undeniably a feminist and political phenomenon. Ultimately, as this debate rages on, women simply want to play their music, and they want to play it well.

65 and sexy?

By Kelly Davey

Think of your grandmother; now think of a friend’s grandmother. Is she sexy? Why? Why not? In our current culture, women over the age of 65, and even younger, are often thought of as non-sexual beings.

Why is that? It’s because they are old. But what about aging removes us from sexual literature and erotic imagery?

This is just one of many issues that older women face in our current culture. Aging isn’t good, and it certainly isn’t good looking, but it’s inevitable and just like women’s gender, race, and class issues, sexual ageism is one to be addressed as well.

Our culture surrounds itself with antiaging therapies, be it creams or medical procedures. We are told to remain youthful, but what about sexy? In order to remain sexy, one must be thought of as a sexual being, and while the younger generation would rather not think of our sweet innocent grandmothers getting it on raunchy with our grandfathers – it happens.

One reason elderly women face discrimination in the sexually active world is due to ageist discrimination, but there is some science involved as well. Elderly women face biological aging issues that affect their sexual ability, but this does not mean these issues are not combated.

According to a survey conducted by Web-

MD, 67% of women between the ages of 50 and 70 report having menopause-induced sexual symptoms. These symptoms include vaginal dryness, low libido, and pain during sex.

But these issues too have solutions. As women age, our estrogen levels decrease, reducing natural vaginal lubrication and elasticity, as well as our testosterone levels, reducing sexual desire. There are vaginal rings, creams, tablets for women to take to increase their estrogen levels and lubricant production. As for testosterone, an increase in testosterone can create unsightly problems for women, such as increased facial hair, but that does not mean desire cannot be combated. Surprise!

You’ve now entered the time in your relationship where you need to work at your sexual relationship with your partner – make it exciting, and one another’s desire.

But, part of elderly women being undesirable is due to the negative implications of visual aging.

As we age, our bodies change and those changes are often undesired, but what makes wrinkles a bad thing? While men are often thought of distinguished and wise with their grey hair, women spend billions on hair and skin care to reduce the signs of aging. But there are more natural solutions to these problems as well – and they involve SEX! According to Cosmopolitan (and the

Women’s Issues Feature

scientists involved) there are obvious benefits to having sex. Sexual activity reduces and balances hormone levels, controlling acne and uneven skin. Sex boosts collagen production, reducing age spots and skin sagging. Sex is also a great physical workout that keeps the body in motion.

And the more sex you have, the easier it is to produce lubricant! Not to mention Cosmo’s suggestion of letting your man’s swimmers get up close and personal with your skin.

In an article called “Is it good for your skin when he comes on your face?” we find that semen contains urea, found in urine, and works as a natural toner used in skin care products. Semen also contains protein, which acts as a skin-tightening agent

reducing wrinkles, as well as zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and fructose, which nourish the skin.

So, while rubbing your man’s little men on your face may not exactly be desirable, it has natural anti-aging benefits, and hey, you get to have sex! But if that’s not for you, just think of all the other physical benefits you can receive just from taking a break to hop in the sack. And if reduced age spots and skin sagging, acne control, and enhanced physical ability aren’t enough to get you hot and heavy, then wait for female Viagra.

In the mean time, challenge your partner to a battle of desire and end the social stigma surrounding elderly sexual activity! The aged are sexy too.

Towards ending sexual assault on campus

By Ugyen Wangmo

Sexual assault on campus is a subject that has manifested quite frequently in the recent headlines. Sexual assault is an issue that has been a concern for over decades, not only on campus but in society in general.

Any discussion around the issue is always complex and sensitive. However, understanding that for any university student campus safety is of utmost importance, Arthur lays out the services which are currently available at Trent, and the university’s commitment to make Trent a safer campus, as difficult as it may be to summarize simply.

“Sexual assault does happen and it is an issue that needs to be handled with care,” said the Clinical Team Leader of Trent student health services, Ruth E. Walker.

It is a very complex issue that tends to be under-reported, but survivors need to feel supported, so we continue to focus on strategies and education to that end, she said.

Walker is the main point of contact on the Peterborough campus for responding to the sexual assault of a student. She will meet with the student in her office, listen to them and support them. She will assess the student’s needs and refers them for further care according to their situation and wishes. If it is a recent sexual assault, she liaises with the women’s health care centre (WHCC) and sends the student to the Peterborough Regional Health Care Centre, where they will meet with a sexual assault response nurse. If it is for a past assault that they are seeking support, she will link them to healthcare and Wellness Centre supports based on their individual needs.

All assault is unacceptable. But what sets sexual assault apart from other campus offenses is that sexual assault is extremely violating, said Walker. It has physical, emotional, and psychological impacts, and it affects the person’s sense of security. Survivors of sexual assault often

feel negatively about themselves. Sexual assault is not about the sex – it is about power. It takes something that is supposed to be fun, safe, pleasurable, and enjoyable and makes it a very negative experience, explained Walker.

In terms of campus safety, Trent has improved lighting on campus and has many emergency phones. Trent has a walkhome program, there are trained staff and volunteers in a number of departments who can respond to students, such as security, housing dons, and the team at the Wellness Centre.

As pointed out by Walker, education and awareness on sexual assault starts at the beginning of the academic year. The Wellness Centre provides education and prevention workshops. For instance, this past year all first year students received a presentation that focused on consent, drug facilitated sexual assault, as well as bystander intervention training.

She explained, “Consent is the informed, voluntary, and active agreement to engage in sexual activity. Consent may be withdrawn at any time during a sexual encounter.”

Further, Residence Dons received a session with similar information, tailored to them. In addition, a Sexual Assault Prevention Campaign has been consistently done in the past few years during the start of the academic year.

On a broader scale, Trent has a website (trentu.ca/sexualassault) dedicated to help increase information about the issue.

The content development was a collaborative approach with input from different departments, including health services and counseling, noted Walker. The university recognizes that sexual assault is a serious issue, and as such is committed to providing a safe environment for everyone who is on campus, and is a part of the Trent community.

Further, there are multiple supports in place. Students can access help at different points, namely campus security, Trent counseling centre, Trent housing services,

or by contacting residence don/college residence life co-coordinators, she said.

Walker stated that everyone involved and concerned should strive to make Trent a place safe from sexual assault.

Meanwhile, Trent will continue with prevention and education, continue to raise the issue and equip students with the ability to intervene and improve their understanding of consent.

“Be an intervener, if you see someone might be in an uncomfortable or a potentially dangerous situation, intervene,” requested Walker. “You could ask to talk with them for a minute, and check in with them or directly ask the other person to leave them alone,” and to talk to friends about preventing sexual assault and come up with a plan to be safe if going out together.

She suggested to watch out for oneself and others when partying, not to leave drinks unattended, and to keep an eye out for friends.

It was added that one should be aware of building safety in residential settings, not propping doors open, or to contact campus security if suspicious about someone. Avoid combining sex and drinking, says Walker, for when someone is under the influence of alcohol or drugs they cannot legally consent to sexual activity.

Most importantly, if someone one you know has experienced sexual assault then listen to them, support them unconditionally, help them find resources that can support them, she added.

Talking to Arthur, Associate VicePresident Students, Nona Robinson said, one of the main concerns around sexual assault is ensuring that people are aware of “consent”, such as how to seek consent, what consent looks like, and how to make sure that the partner wants to have sex.

Being a victim can be devastating for an individual, she said. And among other things it can also negatively impact individuals’ academic experience at the university.

So, besides making sure that the uni-

versities are working to address this issue, it also needs to be seen in the context of broader society since sexual assault is a problem everywhere, says Robinson.

When asked to point out the nature of sexual assault that sets it apart from other campus crimes, she said that, for one, it is largely gendered, and it often happens behind closed doors making it difficult to report. In addition there is still a lot of stigma around it, and in some cases there is even a lack of understanding as to what sexual assault is.

Students should feel safe reporting sexual assaults and in seeking help, and Trent services work with the person reporting to determine what support they need and what steps they want to take. “The nature of sexual assault is so complex and challenging, and the last thing we want is for someone who has been assaulted to be revictimized,” said Robinson.

Campus sexual assault is going to be different for each case, to some extent. Often it is drug facilitated assault. Quite often when people arrive on campus they are not necessarily as accustomed to drinking as they might be with more experience. In addition, vulnerability and the pressure on students to have sex, which is seen as a social norm, are reasons for sexual assault on campus, she said. But the question she would ask everybody to keep in mind is, “Is it worth having this usually quick sexual encounter if there is a possibility that your partner is going to be very hurt by it, to a point where he or she might end up dropping out of school,” asked Robinson.

“How to prevent it” is the main challenge Robinson said, and strongly emphasized that this is key . A campus community with a strong culture of encouraging consent and of intervening in situations where people might be in danger can make a big difference.

Meanwhile, various information on policies around sexual assault that will help in directing towards appropriate resources can be found at trentu.ca/sexualassault.

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Volume 49 | Issue 19 | March 3, 2015

ArtsPages Reading the Filmstrip: A workshop with Kelly Egan

By Caleigh Boyle

For all you out there who are interested in learning more about film, on Saturday March 7, Trent University Professor Kelly Egan will be running a workshop titled Reading the Film Strip: Basic Techniques for Identifying and Preserving Film. This workshop is part of a series called On The Edge that has been organized by Artspace and supported by Trent’s department of Cultural Studies and Media Studies.

“We are at a point where people have old films from their grandparents or old films that they just don’t know what to do with. Part of the workshop is to help people know how to conserve these films,” explains Egan.

This will include learning how to properly store the film and how to identify what kind of film stock you may have. “Different film stock require different types of conservation,” says Egan.

Much can be learned from a strip of film. Along with the images or story the film is projecting, the actual film itself is telling its own story.

When looking at a film strip you can discover when it was made, how many times it has been projected, the condition of a film strip can tell how well the film has been stored, and so on. All of this and more will be taught at the workshop.

While there will be samples of film provided, Egan encourages anyone who wishes to attend to bring in their own film strips and discover what stores may lie within the images.

In this day and age where digital media has commandeered the television and movie industries, one might wonder why film continues to remain relevant.

“While I can recommend places for

people to go to get digital copies made of their film, I wouldn’t suggest tossing the film afterwards because the digital copy is harder to preserve,” says Egan.

Why would this be? Egan has all the answers for you at the workshop. “100 years after the film has been made, even without the projector you can still hold the film up to the light and see the images.”

There is an economic aspect to film.

Nowadays it is very easy for anyone to take out their phone or digital camera and make a video recoding, and we can easily take for granted this freedom to capture every single moment.

However this is not the case with film.

One has to be very aware of the fact that there is only so much film, which forces the person shooting the film to be very conservative.

“There are things you can do with a film strip, with a material object that you cannot do with an ephemeral object,” says

Egan.

One can collage on a film strip, colour a film strip or even write sound on a film strip, this cannot be done for instance with a DVD. “Film is often thought of as a precious object and people are often scared to take it out of their reels. Film actually needs to breath, it needs to be unwound, it needs to be looked at in order to live. In order to read film it is just a matter of becoming comfortable with how to handle and I will show people how to handle it without damaging the film strip,” Egan says.

Egan is going to talk about how to store your film, what proper cans to use and how to recognize when those cans are in such bad condition that they may actually be detrimental to the film strip.

“Films can catch disease; they are alive.

The two most common diseases are vinegar syndrome and butter syndrome. Vinegar syndrome is the most common and

is easily recognizable because it smells like vinegar,” explains Egan.

An interesting aspect of film is the personal relationship that is created between the film and the person using it, and the material engagement. Unlike with digital, film allows for more room to play, film can be manipulated; in a way film is a work in and of itself.

Egan will show attendees how to identify film, how to date film and how to preserve film while learning do-it-yourself methods for preservation. She will also be teaching about how to determine the condition of a filmstrip based on the symbols, signs and structure embedded in the film.

Essentially Egan will be going over the basic entry points on learning how to handle and deal with film.

Film continues, and will continue to be relevant simply because of the history that it offers, says Egan. “Film gives you a visual history of life. You can tell a lot by what people are wearing. You can tell a lot by how people are interacting. You can tell a lot about the social history, about the political environment just by looking at filmstrips. So these are very important cultural objects to maintain.”

Even if they are just your family’s, you never know what is on your filmstrip.

“Film is pretty cool, even if you don’t know anything about it, this is good way to get a basic understanding of it and to really touch it or see it if you’ve never done so before. You can learn a lot from just touching it and seeing it.”

This workshop is presented by Artspace in partnership with Gallery in the Attic, where the workshop will be held on Saturday March 7 from 1-5pm. The cost is $10 at the door or pay what you can.

Trent’s Senate approves Arts Administration masters program

By Brian Hough

At the 441st meeting of the Trent University Senate in January, the Senate voted to approve approve a proposal for an Master of Arts program in Arts Administration.

The proposal was based on research from a working group established in 2012 as well an external reviewer’s assessment and having a ‘desk audit’ performed by York University Professor, Dr. Jody Berland.

Dr. Berlan’s report called the program “innovative” and “incontrovertibly useful”.

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The program would be the first of its kind in Ontario and, according to the Senate report, combine “scholarly knowledge and practical, job-related skills” and “will offer students a broad understanding of the arts and the administrative needs of the cultural sector in Canada.”

Among its recommendations are that, “A portion of the program curriculum will be delivered by a non‐academic teacher, a community consultant with connections to diverse arts management resources.”

There was also some debate over whether there should be a required half-credit

in arts writing or theoretical writing, with some suggesting that there should be a required element and others suggesting that it might be an unnecessary demand for a 12-month, intensive program focused on management skills and project leadership.

Assuming an intake of 20 students per year, the report projects a net profit of approx. $64,000 a year, with a budget of about $113,000 a year.

The program would have one required two-credit course,’ The Arts Management Colloquium: Foundations and Futures Arts Management 1 and Arts Management

Lab’ which the report describes as “A twocredit modular core course, and various workshops and presentations by visiting professionals and specialists in the field”.

The program would also require one half-credit elective, one credit of field placement and two required half courses, “Cultural Policy: History, Theory, and Context” and “Arts Management 2: Arts Administration and Management Practice”.

Components of these courses would cover a wide variety of skills and knowledge including financial management, marketing and audience development, and human resources management.

Among the faculty affiliated with the program are Dhavina Bhandar (Canadian Studies), Alan O’Connor (Cultural Studies), Nadine Changfoot (Political Studies), Sally Chivers (English), Jonathan Bordo (Cultural Studies), Chris Dummitt (History), Finis Dunaway (History), Michael Epp (English) and Julia Harrison (Anthropology).

The program, if bought to fruition, would open in 2016.

Unfortunately for interested students however, “since Trent University is over its quota of funded graduate spots, no funding package will be offered to students at this time,” meaning that there won’t be any research or fellowship grants for students.

Like other Masters of Arts programs, the program would be based out of Traill College.

Arts

Movie Review: Focus - Somehow the title seems more like a plea

By Brian Lukaszewicz

The crowning moment of most caper films is the reveal of the long con. Someone, somewhere has left something up their sleeve, and the payoff needs to surprise not only the other characters in this movie, but the audience too.

As it turns out, the only real con in Focus, starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie, is that we’re watching a romance instead of a heist… or perhaps, to put it more simply, that any of this was ever going anywhere in the first place.

Focus follows Nicky “Mellow” Spurgeon (Will Smith), an experienced conman who has perfected the pickpocket and turned it into big business. After deceiving his way into a swanky restaurant, he meets a young wannabe grifter named Jess Barrett (Margot Robbie), who, after an unsuccessful attempt to pull one over on him, asks to join his crew.

The two take to New Orleans, home of one of those off-brand movie Super Bowls – you know, the ones with the distractingly unrecognizable teams playing – and, along with the rest of Nicky’s team, rob tourists and gamblers like it’s a sport.

Nicky and Jess start to get close as they bond over the allure of their criminal exploits (aka being the assholes who stole your credit card number). However, with the film needing to be movie length, Nicky inexplicably leaves her when the job is over.

It’s some crap about conmen never falling in love or something… basically a riff off of Robert De Niro’s character in Heat, except without any of what made that movie interesting.

Anyway, since the love story in this movie is in no way earned, it was hard to

be surprised (or care) that much when he leaves her. Oh, you’re week long relationship ended abruptly? I’m sure there’s a middle schooler somewhere who can help you get over that.

But that aside, Focus at least had my attention up until that point. You had to think one of these characters had something up their sleeve, right? That budding way too fast relationship has got to be part of some con in a movie about professional conman.

Wrong. And that’s Focus in a nutshell. It can hold you for a little while, mainly because we’ve been trained to expect something clever is coming – that it’s all part of somebody’s game – but once you realize how hollow this movie really is, there’s no

going back. It’s all flash and no sizzle.

Not that that flash doesn’t have its moments. There’s definitely an appeal in watching these cons go down. The Ocean’s Eleven of this world exist for a reason – the art of tricking people is quite fun.

But would I say Focus does that better than any of the other heist films that came before it? Not really. There’s nothing here you haven’t seen in some form or another a million times before. And when it comes to the film’s big heists – which I probably don’t need to say are sort of important – the movie skews towards the status of underachiever. In fact, it starts to downright strain credibility.

Which adds to another problem – even in its least plausible moments the film is

obsessed with its own cleverness. It seems to bask in every smug moment it thinks it’s pulled a fast one over the audience. Perhaps that’s just a staple of the genre and maybe Focus’s only crime was adopting it, but – and in all the wrong moments – these heists feel like they work out just because some screenwriter said that they did. That’s not super rewarding.

Really what Focus ends up trying to do is coast off Will Smith’s charisma. And with no intended knock on Smith – I don’t know who could have saved this one – that’s just not enough. It takes more than a few flashy named cons and a cool guy delivery to make up for a plot this dull.

Opposite Smith, Robbie doesn’t do all that much better, though in her defense the writing should probably take a brunt of the blame for that. Her character is pathetically weak – her whole purpose just to stare wide eyed at Smith as he explains to her (and by proxy the audience) just how clever these schemes are. Right until the end I was hoping for something more for Jess, but that payoff never came.

What was left was just some bland romance that never quite justifies itself. I don’t know if it’s a lack of chemistry between Smith and Robbie more than they’re characters are just written as that couple you wouldn’t want to be seated next to in a restaurant… or at a fake Super Bowl.

The truth is, a film like Focus needs to be a lot more fun than it ended up being.

The characters are rote, the plot unfulfilling, and the comedy portion of this selfproclaimed dark comedy is sorely missing.

Plain and simple, Focus is a dud.

Call to Submit: Trent Arts Issue If you’re a student and an artist, we’ve got an opportunity for you to showcase your work!

Issue 21 is going to have a very unique arts section. We’re looking for student artists to submit work to be included in a unique printexhibition.

While you have to be a student to submit work, we’re not specific about the media you use. Painting, drawing, pastels, charcoal, lino cuts, digital art, sculpture, mixed media, poetry, fiction, something I haven’t thought of—it’s all fine by us. For paintings, scultures and things like that, we’ll take a photograph of the the work, under the best conditions possible.

Dance, performance art, music, and other stuff that don’t lend themselves well to print might be tricky though. That said, send us your music and we could play it on our radio show.

Individuals interested in submitting art are more than welcome to contact us if they want any more information or to discuss ideas by email (editors@trentarthur.ca), by phone (705-745-3535), or in-person at our office Monday and Wednesday-Friday 11-4pm.

We will only use one piece per artist, but feel free to submit several works for us to consider. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday March 11 at Midnight.

Furthermore, we will, of course, be curating this issue and using only a select amount of works based on the space we have available and with the intention of showcasing works from the broadest amount of media and artists possible.

We’ve written editorials condemning this shit in the past, but we are not able to pay for any of the art we showcase. You have to do it “for exposure” or whatever. However, feel free to use the issue as a way to sell your art. Just let us know how much and how to pass on inquires.

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Volume 49 | Issue 19 | March 3, 2015

Opinionpages

Editorial: ISW name change makes sense

By Pat Reddick

Any change made to Introductory Seminar Week (ISW) seems to be a point of contention for the Trent community.

There’s a good reason for this: introductory seminars are what make our version of university orientation unique. Few other universities give you a chance to have a conversation with faculty from any department that sounds interesting to you.

They’re an important academic aspect to a week that, in other places, can be primarily about parties and drinking.

The Office of Student Affairs must really be asking for the hate mail by taking them out of the name entirely, opting instead for the more standard “Orientation Week.”

Except, maybe it’s time we challenge this one of our beloved traditions at Trent.

After all, the OSA isn’t doing away with the seminars, they’re just acknowledging they’re no longer the week’s main focus.

Introductory seminars were great in a time before the Internet made so much information readily accessible. But by the time they get here, new students have probably learned all they need to know about the departments they’re interested in at Trent.

I’m not just talking about reading the Canadian Studies or Biology departmental website, either.

The summer before I came to Trent I sent an email to the head of the English department asking about whether using second-hand novels was acceptable to do. In his reply, he criticized the bookstore and recommended I buy as many books second-hand as I can, though the page numbers might be off from the lecture slides.

That, to me, is a very “Trent” interaction

Letters to the editors

Need a national inquiry – NOW!

When there is a federal government that can ignore the reality of almost 1200 missing and murdered Indigenous women, we are in deep trouble as a ‘civilization’.

It is in response to this national crisis that The Sacred Water Circle; the Kawartha Truth and Reconciliation Support Group, KTRSG; Nibi Emosaawdimojig (“Those Who Walk for the Water”); and the Peterborough and Kawarthas chapter of the Council of Canadians are demanding a national inquiry. a) Despite being only 4.3% of the national population, a heavily disproportionate number of Indigenous women have gone missing or been murdered b) According to Statistics Canada, Indigenous women are seven times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women c) Even the RCMP has acknowledged a total of nearly 1200 Indigenous cases over the past 30 years, continuing over the past year.

This is a horrendous series of events that would not likely be tolerated if it was occurring within the mainstream population.

So far, the federal government has not recognized this national crisis.

Popular momentum for such a national inquiry has been building. There is a need to understand the root causes and develop a badly needed action plan, as First Nations National Chief, Perry Bellegarde, has stated. Canada should be a land of justice with a federal government that makes the protection of all people a priority; however it has failed so far to acknowledge the na-

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to have with a professor. (Full disclosure, I ended up an English Major, though I came here originally for Computer Studies and took Calculus, Sociology, and Philosophy in first year.)

In years past, there’s no doubt this would have happened in ISW. But for me it happened in late-July, two months before I would even set foot for the first time in Peterborough.

While discovering the major you had never even dreamed of in an introductory seminar was a common narrative a few years ago (everyone I know who started here between 1995 and 2005 has told me their version of this story), folks in my cohort, and most people who started after me, almost never tell that tale (my co-editor is a notable exception).

I did attend seminars during ISW, but I felt as though everything that was said in the one given by the English department was something I was aware of from some other source. I enjoyed the seminar, but it certainly wasn’t necessary for me.

Most people I knew in residence didn’t even attend a single one, though we were told they were mandatory. I’ve heard this blamed on the rise of professional programs at Trent, but in my experience it’s actually these students keeping them alive.

I can’t tell you how useful these seminars are for Nursing or Forensics majors who can’t decide on which course to take as their elective.

There’s no doubt the seminars are an important piece of orientation activities at Trent. But it’s been a long time since they’ve been the focal point of the week to the same degree that they once were.

There’s no problem, in my mind, in acknowledging that. tional crisis. On February 27, there was an opportunity to do so as families of missing and murdered Indigenous women were in Ottawa to meet Indigenous organizations and the provincial and territorial Premiers.

The federal government should exhibit both compassion and leadership by announcing a national inquiry.

Sincerely, The Sacred Water Circle; The Kawartha Truth and Reconciliation Support Group, KTRSG; Nibi Emosaawdimojig – Those Who Walk for the Water; and Council of Canadians, Peterborough and Kawarthas

The Power of the Front Cover

What has been on the cover of Arthur Newspaper this year? A bunch of buildings, furniture, and white people.

The front cover is a powerful space, and in general the paper’s contents is a reflection of different powers, privileges, and perspectives. The representation of people of marginalized groups in the media is a problem in general, but as a progressive newspaper with an anti-oppression mandate, Arthur should know better.

I mean, Arthur couldn’t even get it right for Black History Month. In Issue 17 (the Self Love issue) a tub selfie made the cover instead of two other more cover-worthy stories. One option was the local art campaign picturing Indigenous women called “Unmask the Silence” about missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada.

The other was an article for a campaign on campus called “Africa is Not a Country.”

Editorial: There’s no place for harrassment in the Trent community

By Matthew Rappolt

Several weeks ago, in issue 15, I wrote my weekly editorial on the importance of nurturing responsible debate within our contemporary communities. Specifically, the editorial discussed how our public education system, from primary schools on through universities, should look to do more to encourage productive and respectful interaction between our young citizens.

Universities should be bastions of passionate, yet thoughtful, discussion involving a community of aspiring scholars and, for the most part, Trent’s student community has proven time and time again that it is both compassionate and open-minded.

One need only look at the many examples of positive political activism that have take place this academic year, from the recent Self Love Week activities, to the November’s incredibly successful Slut Walk, to the collaboration between TACSU and the TCSA for the Africa is Not a Country campaign, to Sustainable Trent’s ongoing fight to wean Trent off its fossil fuel investments, in order to understand that this university is full of student leaders looking for ways to shape their communities into better, more inclusive places.

Unfortunately, the recent political fallout from the screenshots concerning now former TCSA President Braden Freer and Trent Conservatives Vice-President Corey LeBlanc (see the cover of issue 18) has illuminated a darker side of Trent’s student culture and shown us first hand the dangers political discussion in the digital world.

The picture that accompanied that article would have made a great front page cover representing both self-love and black history month. As a past editor, that picture was an obvious front cover to me. (If you don’t put the picture next to the article, the picture in question is of a black woman proudly draping herself in the flag of the country she was born.) So why didn’t the editors think so?

This isn’t an isolated issue. In issue 11, the cover was just a large text joke about Chartwells. Inside that newspaper was a story about the Trans Day of Remembrance in Peterborough, pictures of Afrobana (a night of entertainment ran by the Trent African and Caribbean Student Association), Simon Semchuk’s story about statelessness and racism, and Renzo Costa’s story on the inclusiveness of varsity sports at Trent and the lack of international students on varsity teams. Issue 12 had a picture of a cat on the front cover instead of the story about the desecration of the tipi on the east bank.

In Issue 10, the Trent Slut Walk made the front cover but the article about the event failed to mention the significant contributions of the TCSA Women’s Commissioner Betty Wondimu. In fact, later on the cover of Issue 14 is Trent Men’s Hockey team instead of the story of Betty Wondimu addressing Premier Kathleen Wynne about sexual assaults and harassment on small university campuses across Ontario.

These were all issues worthy of the front page, but somehow didn’t strike Arthur as cover-worthy. Don’t even get me started on the cover of Issue Zero being an Arthur

Those following the heated debates that arose on Facebook last week undoubtedly witnessed repeated instances of online harassment, cyber-bullying, and outright disrespect for the opinions, beliefs, and identities of others. This behaviour was evident from multiple sources, including the hardline proponents of both sides of the political spectrum who sought to embellish their arguments using the usual reactionary partisanship and ad hominem attacks.

By Tuesday evening, less than 48 hours after Arthur’s issue 18 was published online, Pat and I were forced to remove three separate articles from Arthur’s Facebook page over fears that the comment sections had become hostile and unsafe environments for community discussion.

Even more frustrating was the fact that students and community members looking to contribute respectfully to the discussions were often being marginalized and targeted by those parties uninterested in productive debate.

Put bluntly, there is absolutely no place for harassment (be it physical, sexual, verbal, or cyber) within the Trent community, or within any community for that matter. The goal of political discussion, especially within a community of scholars, should be to broaden one’s intellectual understanding and expand one’s pre-established worldview.

As Trent students, regardless of discipline, we are continuously reminded of the necessity of open-minded inquiry and compassionate disagreement. Surely we should all be able to apply these ideals outside of the classroom and in our everyday lives.

editor selfie – C’mon! Aside from issues of representation of marginalized groups on the front cover, whether it is a picture or a news story, Arthur has an issue in its choice of content.

Issue 16’s cover was a picture for a story about divesting from fossil fuels; this might have been the right cover for the newspaper, but the bigger story that week was the TCSA President trying to remove the anti-racism commissioner position and remove the decision-making power of the other equity commissioner positions. And Arthur failed to make a story of it. The motion was mentioned very briefly in two articles but did not receive any special attention in terms of a headline or a story dedicated to the removal of the anti-racism commissioner position.

Arthur did not hesitate to sensationalize the story about Braden Freer’s conservative takeover of the TCSA, but avoided calling attention to this race issue.

All in all, I’m not surprised but I think it’s important to call to attention implicit biases and how they affect representation of marginalized groups in the media.

What’s news to white men will be different than what’s news to men and women of marginalized groups.

But at least try and put some colour on the front page, please.

-Sara (Ostrowska) Shahsavari

Send your letters to: editors@trentarthur.ca

Opinion

Holding hands: A perfect relationship?

By Ahad Kashif

Last week as I meandered down the streets of Toronto, with its bespangled skyline littered with towering buildings, enjoying my newly established dalliance with caramel macchiatos.

I paused momentarily and stood there on the intersection of Richmond and Spadina, admiring the spectacle of the amber sun setting behind the cascade of clouds, and obscured by the gigantic concrete structures symbolic of this sprawling city.

The mellow evening sky emblazoned with the modest yellow of the sun canvassed a spectacular kaleidoscope of colours. It was as if the mighty sun was genuflecting to the timid moon, accepting its fate and destiny.

The panoramic scenery, quite uncanny I must say, reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend of mine whom I have always been really fond of and I adore from the four chambers of my heart. She had just broken up with the love of her life and I still recall how those warm tears, precipitated in her light blue eyes, on the cusp of rolling down her olive toned cheeks, slightly caressing her dimples as they strolled down, leaving a vestige of memories on her face that those tears once encapsulated.

It was what followed that has perturbed my rational self since then. As she struggled with the paroxysm of grief that had overwhelmed her, she said, “Who will I hold hands with now?”

People have always pondered over the ideation of love, the relentless search for the ‘one’, and a seething desire for an everlasting relationship. I for one believe that the concept of love is quixotic, regardless of all the hosannas young lovers might sing of it.

The idea of the ‘one’ is more of a fable and finds its provenance in folklore. It

is all in your mind. You make someone the ‘one’. That means if you can let go off the ‘one’ then that certain individual was never the ‘one’ in the first place or else you wouldn’t be scouting for a new partner.

Secondly, people have to realize that in order for their relationships to succeed, they need to have more faith in Vodka rather than in holding hands.

I’m not generalizing, but a certain cohort of love-struck individuals actually emphasizes holding hands as a way to ward off other individuals who might fancy a drink with their partners. That is

the problem. You have to act a bit mature about it.

Many people might disagree with my perspective, but I’d rather have my girl represent me at a social gathering with all her intellectuality and wisdom than hold hands with me.

My interactions with people have also led me to believe that human beings are inherently codified to find love or someone who displays sentiments of care and compassion towards them. Well, sometimes you just have to wait.

And please do not get into ‘long distance relationships’. They are bound to end. It’s equivalent to falling in love with a unicorn or mortgaging a house you are never going to live in. Imagine if one day you’d fall in love with a martian from Mars, what then?

A proper relationship elicits a sense of maturity, rationality, and responsibility.

As long as your belief dictates that you can fight dragons or rescue princesses locked away in towers, your relationship is destined for failure.

Think of your potential partner as a human being with dreams, goals, and a passion that you can help them in achieving, rather than an individual who portrays himself as Prince Charming, or for that matter, herself as Cinderella.

Election

Arthur’s spring elections are happening soon!

Arthur Spring Elections are coming up!

That means that it is time to elect the editor(s) and three Staff Collective Board directors for the upcoming academic year.

For more information about these positions, please consult the Arthur Policies and Procedures.

You can also contact the Arthur board at board@trentarthur.ca.

Time and Place The election has not yet been scheduled,

but as always it will be in the Lecture Hall of Sadleir House (room 106 - wheelchair accessible). Refreshments will be provided.

Agenda The Adgenda is usually as follows:

1. Editor(s) Remarks 2. Presentations of candidates for editor(s) platforms (10 minute limit per set of candidates) 3. Question Period 4. Election of Editor(s) 5. Election of three Board directors by the Staff Collective 6. Adjournment

Who can vote Only those who are on the staff collective at the time of the election can vote.

- Who the Staff Collective member is voting for (or the Staff Collective member can allow the proxy holder to choose who to vote for).

Who’s on the Staff Collective? Who can run for editor?

You are considered part of the staff Candidates for the position of editor(s) collective if you have contributed to the production of at least 15% of the issues of Arthur released before the election. For our purposes that means you must have contributed to at least three.

must be members of the Staff Collective at the time of the election. Two Staff Collective members may choose to run as co-editors.

They must have been running together to fill the positions of co-editors together.

Proxy Votes Who can Run for the Board?

In accordance with section 6e of the Anyone who is a member of the Staff Arthur bylaws, staff collective members may participate in the election through means of proxy vote. They may appoint, in writing, a proxy holder to vote for them in the election. The proxy holder does not need to be a member of the staff collective.

Proxies must bring: - The signature of the Staff Collective member - The date the proxy is signed - Who the proxy is giving the voting powers to and from

Collective at the time of the election.

Deadlines The deadline for nominations for editors will

be announced in the next issue. All sets of editorial candidates must submit a position platform (800 word limit) and photograph.

These will be published in an issue of Arthur before the election. Those wanting to run as Staff Collective directors on the board can be nominated at the Spring Election meeting.

Volume 49 Staff Collective as of Issue 19

Pat Reddick Matthew Rappolt Jesse Woods Renzo Costa Simon Turner Quinn Ferentzy Lindsay Thackeray Emma Cullen Adriana Sierra Calvin Beauchesne James Kerr Steve Snow Pei Hsu

Keila MacPherson Ayesha Barmania Ugyen Wangmo Caleigh Boyle George Peregudov Jack Smye Nathan Prendergast Jade Willington-Watson Jenny Fisher Brian Lukaszewicz Brian Hough Kristina Dergacheva Patrick Assink

Daniel Martin Zachary Cox Michael Eamon Sara Desmaris Hannah Collins Reba Harrison Zara Syed Crystal Peckford-McGrath Danielle Bimmer Will Willis Yumna Leghari Elizabeth Thipphawong You?

One contribution needed: Sarah McDonald Andrew Tan Thomas Willington Melissa Zubrickas Allie Dafoe Matt Douglas Olga Kuznietsova Jeffrey Stewart Stelios Pappas Nick Ferrio Chelsea Desrochers Leighton Schubert Helen McCarthy Hayley Raymond Boykin Smith

“

David Foster Wallace There is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some Diehard’s vote.”

Matthew Davidson Corey LeBlanc Bakhtawar Riaz Matthew Seaby Caitlin Coe

There are 72 people who need two more contributions. You can contact us if you’re unsure if that includes you.

Should you be on this list?

Email editors@trentarthur.ca Want to be on this list? Just contriubte to Arthur!

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Volume 49 | Issue 19 | March 3, 2015

Clubs&Groups

By Pei Hsu

“What will you do when something as disastrous as an avalanche happens? Are we expected to perform differently based on our gender?”

That is the question Östlund is trying to ask in Force Majeure by putting a Swedish couple and their two little kids in a ski resort in the French Alps. The picture of a perfectly happy family on a patio facing the majestic white mountains starts to crack after a dramatic but physically harmless avalanche occurs.

In the aftermath of the avalanche, Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and Tomas (Johannes

Bah Kuhnke) find themselves in an awkward situation where their accounts of what happened on the patio differ. The awkwardness soon turns into distrust and confrontation during dinner, in which Ebba and Tomas are in the company of friends.

Ebba blames Tomas for not prioritizing the safety of their children while Tomas at first refuses to admit that he runs away from his family, then later defends himself with the idea of a “survival instinct.”

Although the couple tries not to deal with their frustration in front of their children, the unusual tension between the two parents is still detected, and the children become restless and anxious as the mar-

riage falls apart.

The plot sounds like a usual family melodrama, but with each passing confrontation between Ebba and Tomas, the audience, as well as the other couples in the film, start to imagine and question their respective partner’s reaction in a hypothetical avalanche.

The distance between the camera and the character also allows the audience to follow and reflect on the gender roles exemplified by the relationship rupture, without being too stirred by the emotional breakdown.

In fact, the film looks perfectly staged and unreal at times despite the realistic and

natural performances from the cast. The coldness and remoteness that overshadows the entire film not only comes from the snow, but also from the sharp precision of mise-en-scene and the camera angles that make the characters seem trivial compared to their formidable natural surroundings.

That being said, there is some dark humor that breaks the awkward and uncomfortable situation from time to time.

There are also musical intervals in between scenes that are bizarre and almost comical, relieving some of the tension that builds up over the film.

With Ebba and Tomas’s experience, Östlund offers an ambivalent understanding of a relationship undergoing crisis in this film where there is neither solace nor penance.

While Ebba and Tomas suffer from their socially assigned gender roles, they do not seek to subvert it.

Following their dispute is a process of readjustment and reintegration with the hope of making Tomas’s ego compatible again with his role as the male leader of the family. With this resolution, the film fulfills its task of examining the complexity of marriage and socialization of self without critically challenging the ordinary perception on family values and gender norms.

Please join us for a free screening of Ruben Östlund’s Force Majeure, Wednesday March 11, at 8pm at Artspace, 378 Aylmer Street (between Hunter and Simcoe). All are welcome!

Trent Radio: An exploration of the cassette tape

By James Kerr

Ages on, my audio cassette player still works, even as my CD player and mp3 player have both bit the dust. The poorest of the poor in audio fidelity, yet still it doggedly survives.

Listening to cassettes, I always feel like I’m listening to something happening in the next room. I don’t feel present in the sound; the sound is happening somewhere close by, just beyond my reach. It makes me feel voyeuristic, like I live one room away from a fancy illegal jazz club and hear Ella Fitzgerald by pressing my ear against a hole drilled in the wall by my walkman.

It may only play when I press the button, but a cassette never felt like it was playing for me. I’m not sure if it feels like it’s for someone else, exactly—maybe collective others.

Perhaps my cassette plays for an audience whose presence I feel but can never quite see.

18

www.trentarthur.ca

And as the tape degrades, over long years and long plays—slowly losing its magnetic sense—it feels like the echo. I only ever heard the echo, not the voice. It drifts slightly farther away with each play, and though I can hear it I know that it has a death. The echo of it is dying.

For a little while, because I’m in the right place, and hold in my hands a yellow 1982 Sport Mega-Travel XXB portable audio cassette player, I am able to hear a dying voice.

I never felt the same way about mp3s.

They always reminded me of someone in the same room, but talking much too close to you.

Being so close, I recognize the flatness of the sound, like the close-talker is only two-inches thick. But listening is a personal experience, and leaves its own imprints.

No one else needs to be around for you to listen to your mp3 player, and have someone sit in your room with you, on the edge of your bed, and sing you to sleep. It’s up to

you to supply the imagined space.

For me, a big part of that was always the radio. Anything the radio plays, that’s what we hear. I remember going to bed early as a child (I was so cool and popular!) only to sit in the darkness and listen to the radio.

It’s not entirely truthful to say I was visualizing what I heard, trying to conjure images from sound. What I heard existed on the cusp of image, but stretched out fully on the horizon of an audioscape. I needed to appreciate something somewhere just beyond understanding. I didn’t have the words for it then, and I’m only closer now.

What inspired me was this: unlike recorded material, the radio was a living thing. The voice on the other end was talking from somewhere, actively, only seconds delayed and a few miles distant.

This had nothing to do with audio fidelity, and perhaps the distinction was only relevant in my own mind, but when the radio reported snow days, it was this day.

When the radio says a dog is missing,

they are out there somewhere. When the radio says there has been a death, it is now that someone has died. Recorded music can be the very echo of the dead, the same capture mimetically decaying gradually to silence. But live radio lives. That is ours; ours among the living; ours to hear and know in the present.

Enjoy sound; it’s always coming. You could sit in the middle of the orchestra of a vinyl record, yourself only a visiting phantom.

Or, you could listen to the music from the taboo jazz club next door on cassette deck.

Or, you could turn on your radio to your own Trent Radio, 92.7 FM, and listen to all the silly mistakes and quiet wonders made by listeners doing radio.

These are the fabulous weirdoes given a microphone for a little while, to be recklessly beautiful and living.

Ages on it will still work, even when recordings have turned to fuzz and silence.

SportsPage Tough bronze medal loss for Trent’s Women’s Volleyball ends another great season

By Pat Reddick

Trent’s women’s volleyball team ended their remarkable season Saturday afternoon, but returned to Peterborough empty-handed after a tough loss to the Niagara Knights in the bronze medal match of the OCAA Championships.

While Trent put up a good fight, the match was decisive with the Knights taking it in three straight sets 25-12, 25-12, and 25-9.

It’s hard to feel too badly about the loss.

The Knights were a tournament favourite, but couldn’t make it to championship play after an upset from the Cambrian Golden Shield.

It wasn’t the only game Trent played over the weekend though. The championships were in a tournament structure, with the top eight teams receiving invites.

Trent fought four matches while they were in Toronto, with the tournament being hosted at Redeemer University College.

Excalibur players fought hard all weekend, led by Sarah MacLaren, whose 56 kills across four games were key to their two victories. But let’s not forget Jamie Fryer who ended the regular season ninth

overall in terms of kills, and was a crucial member of the team this weekend as well.

The women started things off on Thursday February 26 against the Redeemer Royals, going down after four tough sets (13-25, 18-25, 29-27, 24-26).

Friday they turned it around in another close match, this time against the Sheridan Bruins. It took five sets for Trent to come out on top, and things looked bad after the Bruins took a 2-1 set lead, but McLaren’s incredible 17 kills helped seal the deal. The scores were 25-18, 12-25, 20-25, 25-22, and 15-11.

Saturday was a busy day for the team as they played twice—once against Cambrian, and once against Niagara. While they put away Cambrian 3-1 (25-21, 14-25, 2519 and 25-18), they just couldn’t eke out a win against the Knights of Niagara.

Trent’s women’s volleyball team are coming off another strong season that saw them win 13 matches and lose only five to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place overall, and second in the East division.

Medal or not, there’s no doubt the women accomplished a lot this year, and have a lot of success to build off of moving forward to next season.

Samantha Belsey (13) and Sarah McLaren (14) help block a shot from Niagara Knights player Lucy McLay (6).

Photo courtesy of the Redeemer Royals.

Varsity Volleyball Final Standings Women’s Volleyball - OCAA Overall Wins

Losses

Draws

Points

Humber (G) *

18

0

0

36

Georgian *

16

2

0

32

Niagara (B) *

15

3

0

30

Canadore

13

5

0

26

Trent * Durham (S) * Seneca Redeemer * St. Clair

13 13 13 12

0 0 0 0 0

26 26 26 24

12

5 5 5 6 6

Sheridan * Cambrian *

12 8

6 10

0 0

24 16

Algonquin

7

11

0

14

Loyalist

7

11

0

14

Team

24

George Brown

5

13

0

10

Fanshawe Conestoga Mohawk La Cite Boreal

5 4 4 3

0 0 0 0 0

10 8 8 6

0

13 14 14 15 18

Fleming

0

18

0

0

Nipissing

0

0

0

0

* - Playoff Team G - Gold Medal Team

0

S - Silver Medal Team B - Bronze Medal Team

Upcoming Matches Home

Sport Men’s Hockey Tounament

Men’s Hockey Men’s Hockey Tounament

Away

Date/Time

Georgian

Trent

March 5

Trent

UOIT

March 11 @ 10pm

St Lawrence

Trent

March 19, 20

Comic

By Paul Sanderson

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Volume 49 | Issue 19 | March 3, 2015

listings Clubs & Groups Vegetable Gardening 101. Wednesday March 4 from 4:30 - 6:00 @ the Spoon. $5 or pwyc.

Always wanted to have a Vegetable Garden?

Not sure where to start? Then this workshop is for you! Everything you need to know about how to get started, what to grow and and how to plan your garden! Perfect for those with little gardening knowledge or those wanting to expand their gardening know how. email spoonvolunteers@gmail.com for more info Russian Cuisine - Come Cook with Us. Monday March 9 from 4:30-6:30pm @ The Spoon. $8 or pwyc. In Collaboration with the Russian Speakers Association, the next come cook with us class will be about Russian food.

Come prepared to learn about traditional Russian recipes and cook a number of Russian dishes together! Learn all the tips and tricks from the experts! Email spoonvolunteers@gmail.com for more info International Women’s Day celebration and presentation: Mending the Gap on Gender Inequality. Friday March 6: Music & Potluck begins @ 6pm; Panel Discussion @ 7pm, 534 George St (Seeds of Change). Free. Everyone welcome. Family Friendly. More info at kwic.info or kawarthasexualassaultcentre.com.

Learn to Fence! Practices are Thursday 6:30-8:15pm and Sunday 7-9pm in the Main Gym. No experience required. You need to arrive in workout gear with athletic shoes, all other equipment is provided.

It is $20 for the semester. For more information go to trentu.ca/fencing or email courtneypeeters@outlook.com Weekly Open Mics EVERY Thursday evening at 8pm at the Trend pub in Traill college!

Hosted by the Trent University Music Society. Bring your instruments or just come to listen for a night of good music and good company. Free admission, all welcome! More info: trentumusic@gmail.com.

Come learn basic to advanced Arabic! Our classes cover reading, writing and speaking. Weekly Arabic classes every Tuesday from 5-6pm at GCS 108. Absolutely free!

Sadleir House All events in this section take place at 751 George St N in Peterborough.

Come visit the Sadleir House Library Open Mondays 11am-4pm, 6-9pm, Tuesday 1-9pm, Wednesday 12-9pm, Thursday 1-6pm, Friday 11am-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm in Room 107 (wheelchair accessible). The Sadleir House Library is a free lending library open to all students and community members. With over 4000 books covering general academic interest and 2000 films focusing on international titles, documentaries, art house, and LGBT interest.

SUDOKU

Back Room Cabaret: Performing Stories of Love. Thursday, March 5, 9pm-12am in the Dining Hall (room 209). “It’s not a love story, it’s a story about falling in love”.

On March 5 spend your night at Sadleir

House to experience The Back Room Cabaret: Performing Stories of Love. Organized by upper year English students, we present a modern cabaret complete with songs, dancing, and creative performances that demonstrate how the expression of love can transcend beyond the pages of literature.

This is an all ages event with bar services available.

How Can we Create a More “Liveable” Peterborough? Tuesday, March 10, 6:30pm.

Lecture Hall (room 106, wheelchair accessible). Facilitated by Brianna Salmon of Peterborough GreenUp and Tessa Nasca of B!KE. BYO mug. Transition Skills Forum.

Join us for this session. Everyone is welcome. $5 or pay what you can, preferably in Kawartha Loons. Pre- registration is requested. Contact Patricia 705 876 -6873 or patremy@bluewin.ch. The Transition Skills Forum is an all-volunteer initiative of Transition Town Peterborough and is Sponsored by Sustainable Trent. The TSF is a member of the Kawartha Loon Exchange Full Metal Booty Noise Jam - Sadleir House Pub Night. Thursday, March 12, 9pm-12am in the Dining Hall (room 209). Visual delights and dolphin voice soundscape crimson of strings open jam listen carefully and integrate your rhythm into a full noise experiment. Free (donations gratefully accepted) Knitting with Bonnie Jull. Tuesday, March 24, 6:30pm in the Lecture Hall (room 106, wheelchair accessible). For one and all: Learn to Knit. Refresh your skills. Learn a new technique. Bring your own supplies and a mug! Transition Skills Forum. Join us for this session; everyone is welcome. $5 or pay what you can, preferably in Kawartha Loons. Pre-registration is requested.

Contact Patricia 705 876 -6873 or patremy@ bluewin.ch The Transition Skills Forum is an all-volunteer initiative of Transition Town Peterborough and is Sponsored by Sustainable Trent. The TSF is a member of the Kawartha Loon Exchange

Trent Centre for Human Rights, Equity, and Accessibility (CHREA): MV-1 Services. The MV-1 Vehicle provides shuttle services for Trent students, staff, and faculty with a wide range of disabilities. Passengers are individuals experiencing challenges in negotiating distances, topography and pitch that are inherent in the physical landscape of Trent’s campus. The MV-1 service is free-of-charge and can take you anywhere you need to go on any Trent campus (Symons, Traill, or Water St. Residence); rides can be booked online through http:// www.trentu.ca/ohrea/mv1.php. If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact Trent’s Andrea Walsh (Accessibility Advisor) at 705-748-1011 Ext. 6002.

Walkhome—Trent’s safe walk service. Late class? Working in the lab? Call us for a walk; 25 minutes from Symons or Traill (downtown) Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 7pm to 1am, Saturday & Sunday: 9pm to 1am 705-748-1748 Walkhome—Pre-book your safe walk. Do you regularly have practice Monday night, work in the Library Tuesday night or go

send yours to listings@trentarthur.ca

downtown Friday night? Our team of volunteers walkers can meet you, on campus or downtown. Monday to Friday: 7pm to 1am, Saturday & Sunday: 9pm to 1am. Call us 705- 748-1748 or email walkhome@tretnu.ca to Prebook a walk.

Worried about a course this semester? We want to help! Register for the Academic Mentoring Program to request an upper-year student mentor. Mentors meet regularly with students to discuss course concepts and build an understanding of course material. To request a mentor, or to volunteer, visit trentu.ca/academicskills/ peermentoring.php.

Do you find your class readings overwhelming? Could you use a little help organizing your study time? The Academic Skills Centre is the best place to come to get your daily academic life under control! Book an appointment online through your Student Experience Portal at trentu.ca/sep. Click on “Book Appointments” and select “Academic Skills”. We’re located at Suite 206 in Champlain College and our services are always free!

Local Development Drinks at St Veronus, hosted

by Jamaican Self Help. Join Jamaican SelfHelp, a local NPO, on the last the last Tuesday of every month (except for April) for Development Drinks. This an open forum to discuss current topics and issues in International Development. Open to anyone interested. The next event will be held on March 31.

An eclectic group of editors and writers, we meet the last Monday of every month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Princess Gardens in Peterborough, Ontario.

We network and share training and educational opportunities. We also bring in speakers and learn from one another. Trent students who are interested in learning more about editing or business writing are welcome. No dues or fees. We’re an open, not-for-profit organization. Contact: Jane Davidson 705-772-7692. bestwritecom@gmail. com. www.bestwritecommunications.net Travel AND work over the summer - get certified during Reading Week! Travel/ Teach English -TEFL Certification with The TESL Trainer at One World ESL School. www.tesltrainer.ca Contact: tesltrainer@sympatico. ca ESLHelp & Editing.

Contact: worldeslschool@sympatico.ca

one-

St. John’s Ambulance Standard First Aid Our Standard Certificate is valid for 3 years! Includes CPR and AED training! This course provides a certificate in Standard First Aid & a CPR/AED certificate. 13 to 14.5 hours of instructional time (2 days); includes 435-page First Aid/CPR/AED book. **This course is required by the WSIB if your place of work employs more than 5 employees per shift.** Upcoming sessions: Weekdays(8:30-4) March 4-5, 19-20, 25-26, or Combo Course SFA/Level-C CPR (8:30-5:00) Feb 28-Mar 1, Mar 4-5, 7-8, 14-15, 19-20, 21-22, 25-26, 28-29, Contact: sjapeterborough@bellnet.ca, 705-745-0331, sja.ca

Thursday

St. John’s Ambulance CPR Recertification (Weekdays at 6:30 pm, or Saturdays at 1:00) Mar 7, 10, or 21. Call for additional dates, or organize your own group at a convenient time at any location--discounts for groups! sjapeterborough@bellnet.ca, 705-745-0331, sja.ca

Arts Kris & Will: Arenalodge. Exhibition runs until March 28 at Artspace, 378 Aylmer Street North.

Collage party Hosted by Curated and Emily Wilkins. Friday, March 13, 7pm at Curated (203 Simcoe Street, Unit 5, Charlotte Mews) Free! https://www.facebook.com/ events/788206394607494 The Peterborough Storytellers usually meet on the third Wednesday of the month, from 7 to 9 at the Peterborough Public Library.

Our next meeting will be on March 18 (World storytelling day. Theme “Wishes”).

Collage party Hosted by Curated and Emily Wilkins. Friday, March 13, 7pm at Curated (203 Simcoe Street, Unit 5, Charlotte Mews) Free! More info: https://www.facebook.com/ events/788206394607494 5Rhythms Waves Classes and Weekend Workshops. Rock yourself right down into your hips, out of your head and into your heart!

Come put your body into motion and re-awaken to your soulful self. Gabriel Roth’s dynamic movement meditation practice, www.5rhythms.com, is offered every Monday night in Peterborough 7-8:30pm, $15, at All Saints Anglican Church Hall 235 Rubidge St. Peterborough K9J 3N9. Weekend workshop in the 5Rhythms Fri. March 27 7-9pm & Sat. March 28 11am-5pm. Contact katehuband@ gmail.com 705.304 6186 www.5rhythms.com/ teachers/Kate+Huband The Theatre on King is happy to welcome Dianne Latchford and her new class Intro to Tap Dance running every week through March 16 from 7pm - 8:30pm. Only $10! Haven’t you always wanted to try tap dance? It looks like so much fun. Well – here’s the good news – it is! TTOK, 159 King Street, #120 (around back) Yacht Rock Party at The Gordon Best Theatre. March 6 at 9pm. $10. The Rebirth of the Uncool-Smooth Music for All. Dave Tough and Kelly McMichael are pleased to present a heartfelt tribute to the smooth and sophisticated sound of yacht rock, the middle-of-the-road pop-rock heard on commercial radio and personal watercraft throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The band is happy to announce we will be performing with special guest singers and sax-man Andy Cragg, along with the usual hot backing of Daniel Banoub (lead guitar), Rico Browne (bass) and Marcus Browne (drums).

Put on your best 1980’s leisure suit/onesie/short-shorts and let us bring you back to a time when ace session players and back-up vocalists were able to purchase catamarans with session fees on records by the likes of Steely Dan, Hall and Oates, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, and more.

Send your listings to: listings@trentarthur.ca

Friday

t TUMS Open Mic @ The t Day of The Dude OffiTrend (8pm) cial Celebration @ Pappas Billiards (8pm) t Arkells with Dear Rogue @ The Venue (8pm) t The Kruger Brothers @ Showplace (9pm) t Jill Barber @ Showplace (8pm) t Yacht Rock Party withg Dave Tough and t Milo McMahon, Tele- Kelly McMichael @ The vision Rd, Kyle Chivers Spill (9pm) @ The Spill (9pm) t JJ and the Pillars @ The Red Dog (9pm)

This Weekend in Live Music: presented by ElectricCityLive.ca

Saturday t Dance and Dine with Knightshift @ Mark’s Finer Diner (2:30-10pm) t BA Johnston with Beef Boys and The Lonely Parade @ Pigs Ear Tavern (10pm)