Issue 21 Volume 50

Volume 50 | Issue 21 | March 28, 2016

INside:

Photography by Samantha Moss

TUMS Battle of the lunch with Michael Black lives matter Trent Film society morse: a review protest coverage Presents: The Fall bands results

Contents Volume 50 | Issue 21 | March 29, 2016

Official masthead by Jackson Creek Press 751 George Street N • Suite 104 Peterborough, ON • K9H 3T2 tel: 705-745-3535 editors@trentarthur.ca • www.trentarthur.ca

Co-Editors Arthurwriters Yumna Leghari Zara Syed

Business Manager Jenna Pilgrim

Proofreader Gurki Bhullar

Photographer Samantha Moss

Betelhem Wondimu Adriana Sierra Tyler Majer Ugyen Wangmo Troy Bordun D Keith Hodder Jordan Porter Keila MacPherson Matthew Douglas

Board of Directors Chair: Keila MacPherson Secretaries: Zachary Cox • Member at Large: Natalie Guttormsson • Caleigh Boyle

Contributors • Jordan Porter • Nona Robinson • Troy Bordun • Keith Hodder • Samantha Moss • Keila MacPherson • Reba Harrison • Tyler Majer • Ugyen Wangmo • Dan Morrison •Alex Karas • Ryan Newman • Alex Murphy • Kristina Dergacheva • Steve McGee • D Dmuchowski• Betelhem Wondimu• • Adriana Sierra

• Matthew Douglas

Conributors are encouraged to attend our weekly story meetings(date TBA) at the Trend Pub at Traill College, or to contact the editors if considering submitting to an upcoming issue. Our email address is editors@trentarthur.ca.

Submission guidelines Articles Articles should be submitted via email to editors@ trentarthur.ca, in the body of the message, or as an *.rtf, *.doc, *.odt, or *.txt attachment. The body should be approximately 800 words. Listings, announcements, or briefs should not exceed 100 words. Feature pieces can be up to 2000, but must be arranged in advance with the editors.

Images Images should be submitted via email, Google Drive, Dropbox, or some other filesharing site. Please save as *.tif, with a dpi of no less than 300 pixels.

Letters Limit letters to the editors to 500 words. Letters longer than 500 words may be published but Arthur reserves the right to edit for length and clarity (but not content),

Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of Arthur staff, volunteers or its Board of Directors. Contributors are encouraged to attend the story meetings or contact the Editors to discuss story ideas. All article submissions are due Thursday at noon. Letters, Listings, Classifieds, and Events are due Thursday at noon and should be sent to listings@trentarthur.ca. Advertisers are encouraged to contact advertising@trentarthur.ca for ad rates and contracts.

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Page 3- 5: Opinion

Pages 11-12: Community

• • • •

• • • •

Pg 3: Letter to the Editor Pg 4: War, terrorism and fear Pg 4:Editorials Pg 5: The Language of Monogamy

Page 5-9: Campus

• Pg • Pg • Pg • Pg • Pg • Pg

5: International Trent Community 5: Campus presentations 6: Islam and the West 7: Battle of the Bands 7: Cultural Outreach 8-9: Feature-Cultural Outreach

Page 10: News • Pg 19: Shooting of Alex Wetlaufer • Pg 14: Black Lives Matter

Pg 11: People without Doctors Pg 11: What would a Feminist do?

Pg 12: Flavoured Chips Pg 12: Trent Film Society

Page 13-14: Arts • Pg • Pg • Pg • Pg

13: Paintings by Shilling Brothers 13:The end of Film 14: A review of Wayne Kennedy 14: A word with Jill Stavely Thank you to Freedom Delivery for your distribution services.

You can contact them for your distribution needs at: 905-531-5564 luchetu@icloud.com

Letters to editors

RE: Arthur’s Issue 20 colleges restructuring article This is in response to last week’s Arthur article, as there were a number of inaccuracies that should be clarified.

Background Over the past decades, there have been many changes at Trent that have impacted the original vision of the colleges as residential communities for students and faculty.

Growth in enrolment has meant that most students live off campus (40 per cent of first years, almost all upper years).

The faculty connection to colleges also waned. Originally, some lived in colleges, students had individual faculty advisors and faculty were affiliated with colleges as “fellows.” Now faculty are more attached to their departments, advising is through academic advisors and more faculty members are part-time.

There have been many reviews of the colleges over the decades. While it was clear for a long time that something needed to be done, change was difficult. Some even questioned why colleges still existed.

I strongly believe in the value of colleges as means to create strong, supportive communities that foster academic and personal growth.

College Planning Committee The January 2012 Trent Academic Plan identified strengthening colleges as a goal.

The provost struck the College Planning Committee (CPC), which began after I started in May 2012.

The committee identified a problem of disengagement with the colleges, among students (particularly off-campus students), faculty, staff and alumni.

The students most closely connected to their colleges were largely the cabinets and orientation leaders. Many students, while still paying college fees, were not engaged.

While many older alumni still felt a close sense of connection, more recent graduates

were less likely to.

Communication was a challenge, as was supporting cabinet student leadership.

College heads being part-time also meant that some found the role difficult to manage. The demands on full-time faculty members’ time meant they were less likely to be able take on college head positions.

The CPC worked through 2012-2013 and produced the College Planning Committee Report, which was submitted to the provost. The final report incorporated community feedback.

Recommendations included developing clear values and goals for the colleges, encouraging unique college identities, supporting student leadership, engaging more off-campus students, developing student support hubs, peer support programming and closer connections with faculty and alumni.

College restructuring In 2013-2014, a new structure for the colleges was developed to implement the recommendations. The staff and the OPSEU union needed to be consulted first.

Individual college assistant responsibilities were streamlined and given to the college heads and the colleges assistant. Heads were made full-time, as were OPSEU, since they were not supervising other administrative staff. The director of colleges position was created to provide a champion and leader for the Symons Campus colleges.

As noted, there was a well-attended forum for student leaders, and the restructuring plan was presented to Trent’s faculty board, senate, board of governors and alumni council.

While there certainly were concerns, the article did not include positive feedback. Senate minutes include that the model represented a sincere and considered attempt to develop campus life and should be applauded, and alumni council minutes recorded that the feedback from councillors was positive.

The college head and college director

positions were posted and hired in spring 2014. The four student cabinet presidents/ prime minister made up the majority of the hiring committee.

Director of colleges, furniture and college reserve fund I was very troubled by the article’s characterization and speculation regarding Barry Townshend’s work and departure.

Barry was director of colleges for a year and a half, not a few months, and was open about leaving for family reasons last December.

During his time at Trent he worked extremely hard to develop new college programs and initiatives. He was passionate about diversity and inclusion and took on additional responsibilities in these areas.

The furniture purchase that was implied as the reason he left took place months before. It was a highly consultative process with student leaders and college heads. Under-used spaces were identified which could be refurbished to increase available college student space.

The space upgrades included: furniture in the Lady Eaton Junior Common Room, Champlain Great Hall, Otonabee Commons and lounge above SC137, and the Gzowski College Atrium; moving the main OC college office to near Wenjack Theatre to increase physical accessibility; expansion of Gzowski College Office; AV in the Champlain Living Learning Commons; and outdoor patio furniture for Champlain and Otonabee.

The furniture was purchased through an approved vendor, who also supplied new residence furniture, and was delivered in the summer. It is designed to be highly durable under intense usage. From observation, this has significantly increased students’ use of college spaces.

The college reserve fund is made up of any unspent college student fees. Over the years, it has become substantial. In 2013, the college heads and I worked on a reserve fund policy and committee which included cabinet student leaders.

The furniture was less than one-fifth of the current reserve, so it has not been severely depleted. The mandate of the fund is “for projects with lasting significance and must demonstrate the long-term benefit to the college.”

Students were also on the hiring commi tting ror the hiring of the new director of colleges. Director-level qualifications need to include significant related experience, particularly when there are many staff, or significant budgets.

The hiring committee unanimously chose Stephanie Muehlethaler based on her impressive employment and educational qualifications, student-centered values, enthusiasm and vision.

AVP students portfolio In terms of the associate vice president students’ portfolio, there have been a number of changes, although the chronologies and scope in the article are inaccurate.

When I started in 2012, the portfolio was extensive, not simply orientation and campus programs, but also careers, academic skills, counselling, health services, accessibility services, Peterborough and Durham student affairs, housing and food, spiritual affairs, crisis response and liaison with student leaders.

In 2013, when the associate dean of undergraduate studies retired, her portfolio was distributed among the academic deans and student services.

The Centre for Academic Testing joined Accessibility Services, and academic advisors came under the AVP students, as well as liaison with the Trent Community Research Centre. Colleges were partially added (jointly with the provost) before being restructured in summer 2014. That year, First People’s House

of Learning also joined student services.

The food services director position was developed to improve food services, and reports to both the AVP students and the VP finance and administration.

In summer 2015, academic skills instructors were moved into the colleges to strengthen college academic support.

Orientation and campus programming staff joined Careers in order to provide more seamless programming for students’ entire academic time here.

Lesley Hulcoop is the administrator of the office of the AVP students, and Waleska Vernon is the director of student transitions and careers.

Most administrative units at Trent are “lean” – with wide scope and relatively little hierarchy. This is largely due to financial prudence, and to the small size of the university, making the AVP students portfolio here similar in scope to other universities.

New college initiatives I’d like to share some of the many new college activities over the past two years. I want to commend the Symons and Traill College heads for their tireless work – I sometimes feel they don’t get enough credit!

Communication with students. In-person and online contact; weekly event digest emails, including academic, community, and skillsbuilding activities, and promotion of cabinet, department and student group events.

Needs assessment surveys of all undergraduate students in Fall 2014 and 2015 semesters, and as noted, a five per cent increase in just one year in students who felt a valuable connection to their college. Helpful feedback on the activities students want to see.

Partnership with academic departments to support events and activities, rebuild faculty connections to the colleges, and to provide both formal and informal interactions for faculty and students.

Major academically-oriented events such as the 3-Minute Paper (highlighting undergraduate research), the Last Lecture and Enweying: An Event About Extraordinary Ideas (highlighting faculty research).

Alumni-College Engagement Task Force met throughout 2014-2015, and proposed a range of opportunities to re-engage alumni.

Off-campus student outreach through the Off-Campus Network, and activities specifically to connect off-campus students.

Student staff opportunities to increase liaison with students, faculty and alumni, and to provide trained frontline student information and support.

Skills-building for students. This ranges from academic workshops, SafeTalk suicide prevention, bystander intervention, conflict resolution, careers, event planning, budgeting and more.

Partnerships with student groups and the Peterborough community to support events, as well a range of diversity-themed activities (e.g. supporting Black History Month, “Space Between Us,” “Why Act(ivism),” Tipi Talks, and so on).

Throughout all this, existing college events, speaker series and traditions have been maintained.

Moving forward I am deeply committed to the success of Trent’s colleges. Each college has its own unique and special character. Colleges are an integral part of our university, and of the student experience.

I believe colleges are well on their way to fulfilling this mandate, and I’m greatly optimistic about their future. It’s an exciting time to be at Trent and colleges are a key part of this.

-Nona Robinson

Volume 50 | Issue 21 | March 28, 2016

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Opinion

Western disparity towards eastern terrorism and grief

By Yumna Leghari

Terrorism is a topic that I have visited many times in Arthur. Terrorism is also something that revisits me, over and over, in the form of breaking news stories that cause a triggering series of pain, confusion and anger.

I have found that writing about the subject eases these emotions and transforms them into logical sets of thoughts and processes.

So, I will be talking about terrorism, again.

In a previous editorial written shortly after the Paris attacks, I explored global terrorism by analyzing statistics from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD). I established how the majority of attacks are carried out in Muslim-majority nations in the Middle East, Africa and Indonesia.

I did not write this piece with the intention to delegitimize the horrors of the Paris attacks; rather, I aimed to put into perspective how problematic selective grief in our society is. This response comes from a place of misunderstanding and fear, stemming from misinformation spread by news entities that are biased in their story telling.

So, why am I writing about this again?

I am writing about terrorism because of the attack in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey with a combined 42 dead. Because of Brussels, Grand Bassam, Maiduguri and Iskanderia with a combined 110 dead.

I am writing this because of Peshawar and Lahore, Pakistan, mourning the deaths of 85 people.

These attacks, and the resulting deaths, have all occurred in the time frame of the past month.

Terrorism is an issue that needs to be revisited, unpacked and explored often.

I cannot deny that a personal pain pulls me to this subject and begs for me to make sense of it all.

As someone who lost a beloved cousin at the hands of a suicide attacker, and as someone who saw her father weep at the loss of a friend in the 9/11 attacks, and as someone who was present during the chaos of the Boston Bombings, I feel as though this issue follows me around and that there is truly no escape. This is an issue that lies too close to home, it is a weed that grows in my backyard, refusing to uproot itself and leave.

All I can do is write and apply logic to something irrational, and appeal to the rest

of you to see through a disparate lens as well. Things are not always as they seem.

I am a visible minority. I am brown, and my name is Arabic. This shapes the initial impression people have on me, before they have even perhaps met me. When I send in a job application, for example, I am hyper-aware of the gender ambiguity of my name to those who are not familiar with Arabic. I am conscious of the fact that I am immediately othered and compartmentalized into a specific demographic, a specific “type” of Canadian.

In juxtaposing this there lies the irony that I represent a people who have been demonized for terrorism simply due to their ethnicity.

Thus, I fit into a contradictory space, and as I navigate tough this world, I find it difficult to reconcile these fabricated realities and perceptions.

So, here I am, in limbo between two spheres. One where my Muslim heritage indicts me to apologize on behalf of global terrorism, and another where I grieve the loss of a family member and countless women, children and men that have been lost to the horrendous acts of the Taliban in my birthplace.

The duality of my existence is hard for some to understand, but in fact, it symbolizes a greater truth that should be regarded with humility. My self has been politicized; apology and explanation are expected from me, but anguish towards terrorism is not. The Western world cannot conceptualize my grief, because terrorism has been made into an issue that threatens the Western, white world.

On March 27, over 65 people were killed and hundreds injured in Pakistan. The attack took place in the form of a suicide bomber in the city of Lahore, where families were enjoying their Easter and weekend in general at Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park.

A Pakistani Taliban faction took credit for the attack. The fairgrounds were full of mostly women and children, who were the primary victims of the blast.

Lahore is the city in which my cousin Heena perished at the hands of a suicide bomber in 2002. It is the city where some of my family members suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder due to this incident. Gulshan-eIqbal Park is a place I have visited several times. It is a lush, green area filled with laughter and joy. This is a real place, with real people, who lead real lives.

My heart is heavy and I am devastated to see my birthplace plagued by terrorism.

I am a Canadian, and what happened in Pakistan is absolutely relative to me, but I am also a human. When flesh and bone is strewn across grass in a heinous and senseless act, it is relevant to all of us.

After all, have we truly morally ascended and matured as a species if we are still squabbling over which lives are more important after thousands of years of warfare and inequity? We must have learned something, right?

It is easy to push attacks outside the Western bubble into the peripheral. It’s easy to disengage and disconnect because it all seems so far away. When the Paris attacks happened, and most recently, the Brussels attacks, the collective Western consciousness was able to cohesively grieve and condemn these acts of terror.

The West is perceived as safe and immune to global tragedies. As a concept, Western civilization aspires to be the safest and most civilized haven on Earth. Therefore, when an attack does occur, it is shocking, devastating and easy to sensationalize as a singular and unique occurrence.

When Boston, Paris and Brussels were reported on, the word terrorism was used in most headlines. “Terrorist Attack,” “ISIS” and “Heinous Act of Terror” are some of the headlines I can recall. When the attacks on Pakistan were reported on, I did not see one headline with the word terrorism in it.

In fact, the ordeal was painted as a random bomb blast. BBC reported it with the headline, “A Pakistani Faction of the Taliban…”

Now, while this is true, the headline, nor the main crux of the story, points towards the reality of the tragedy, that this was a terrorist attack meant to terrorize the public, in the very same way that the attacks in Paris and Brussels were terrorist attacks with the same intention.

When Peterborough’s Masjid Al Salaam was attacked, the incident was not labeled immediately as a hate crime. It was an “alleged arson.” This was an act of hate that was intended to harm those inside. I can guarantee that a Muslim in this town has suffered or lost a family member at the hands of terrorism. The statistics point to it. Therefore, how can anyone retaliate in the name of the Paris attacks, by attacking those who suffer even more greatly from terrorism?

Let’s change the established narrative.

This ‘us versus them’ narrative only fuels and benefits the individuals behind these acts. Our divisive attitude keeps reality fragmented and abstract. It prevents us

from making sense of the actual issues and moving forward with a sensible plan on how to combat this violence. We are all one against this common enemy, and we are all on one front vying for peace and stability.

The Western world will not exclaim, “I am Pakistan.” This is an interesting point I saw someone make on a social media platform, and he is absolutely correct. The Western world will not embed this into the institutional memory and public psyche as an incident they will “never forget” similar to Boston or 9/11, because Pakistan does not conjure images of whiteness and Western wealth.

The media has convoluted perception of the Middle East to the point where the Western world has a hard time humanizing it. Western bodies are allowed peace. They are allotted space for grief and fear in response to terror because their safe haven has been invaded.

This fabricated “safety” is a result of years of settling and colonization. It is a result of dominance that created a sense of superiority and entitlement.

The normalization of non-Western bodies as disposable unworthy of public grief must be dismantled and analyzed.

WTF: war, terrorism and fear

By Dan Morrison

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It’s all senseless isn’t it? Or maybe it just doesn’t make any sense. Is that the same?

Ah, I don’t really care. But people have been killed, rather than died. It is worth thinking about, how it must feel when someone you care about or know dies, not through illness, age or sheer bad luck, but because somebody has tried and succeeded to take the life of that person you care about.

When I think about how it must feel, the world spins, fast, but I’m standing in the middle, motionless. Then the world is motionless, and I am spinning. And repeat.

Sometimes, the world just seems like one massive nonsensical turd.

My whirlwind imaginary bromance with Justin Trudeau peaked recently when he calmly withdrew Canada from killing people in Syria. My heart forgot a few beats when he stated, rather obviously

www.trentarthur.ca

you would think, but hey, it’s politics...“[t] he lethal enemy of barbarism isn’t hatred, its reason.”

Oh Justin, could I have loved you more than I did right then?

He raised an important point though, not just about the way we deal with external threats, but also how try to make some sense of the world during tragic times.

Reasonable responses seem scarce amongst a human tragedy, often turning that event into a means to an insignificantin-the-circumstances end. Take Daily Mail columnist, waste of skin and professional idiot Katie Hopkins, who used the deaths of 30-odd people to berate the left and make the case for the UK’s EU exit. To be fair, we all do it.

And so, with a touch of self-importance, a dollop of pretentiousness and a shred of humanity, I ask you not to waste your words on blaming the West, or Muslims, or refugees, or the EU (?!) or whatever you

feel you have to blame.

If you are going to blame anyone, a good place to start is with the wicked dickheads who did this. But really, now is the time to be compassionate for those who have lost people, express your sorrow.

Even as I write this, I’m not sure my words are of any great use. The ramblings of a sleep deprived, weirdly hairy 20-something student are of little consolation to someone who has just lost somebody, and I’ll probably end up only appealing to those who already hold my view.

But, as much as it pains me to credit the left, solidarity is important. It anchors us to the fact that people care and we are not alone in a rapidly evolving world - evolving for good and for bad. We are reminded that it is the same old world, with the imperfect and awful competing with reason, empathy and decency for dominance. So the world makes a little more sense again.

Even though they actually achieve very

little, this is one the many strengths of hashtags and changing your profile picture, so it is a shame that each terrorist attack isn’t met with the same outpouring of grief in the west, but I guess some is better than none.

So imagine again you’ve lost somebody to a suicide bomb. Then, rather than some journalist coming on the radio to talk about European division of the Middle East 100 years ago, the radio and the news and social media is full of offers of support and compassion and help.

How’d ya feel?

I’ve written this without really proofreading or care for structure. I won’t tell you whether I’m talking about reacting to Brussels or Istanbul or Ankara or Syria or Paris or Iraq or Yemen, because it doesn’t matter.

The fact people have been killed and people have lost is, actually, what should matter.

Column: “The Language of Monogamy”

By Troy Bordun

This column is an ongoing project. I welcome submissions from everyone and anyone. The space can be used for written texts and artistic creations on the subject of language and relationships, particularly compulsory monogamy.

Written submissions can be up to 250 words, and artistic creations can be sent in .jpg format to troybordun@trentu.ca. See last week’s issue of Arthur for more details.

Authors and artists may discuss and present their personal experience(s) with compulsory monogamy or take a stab at developing new words and phrases to

campus

improve our colloquial language around and about relationships. Your submission may be published under your name, a pseudonym or anonymously.

I hope we can all take something away from the below submission. _

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Conversations about sexual preference are endlessly difficult to navigate. My own fluid attraction to genders and bodies is a recognized, though contentious, subject for friends and family. Alternatives to the language of compulsory monogamy aren’t even a blip on the radar.

This isn’t to say the lack of recognition

is intentional; these kinds of oversights are, often, exactly that: oversights. Sometimes they are unintentional slights that can fly under the radar, unnoticed by the person speaking. Sometimes not.

The following passage paraphrases a conversation I recently had with a loved one when they asked me, generally, how things were going in my life.

Myself: I’m great! I had a date with X. Friend: Oh no! So you broke up with Y? Myself: No. Friend: So you’re fighting with Y? Myself: No, everything’s fine.

Friend: So you haven’t told Y about X… And so on. This snowballing situation

opinion

may be familiar to those of us in non-monogamous relationships.

The assumption that a date with a lover means discontent within, or even the end of, a partnership is inherently hurtful. It passes judgement on my capacity to have love for my partner while simultaneously having other romantic experiences.

My suggestion to foster dialogue that is more inclusive of non-monogamous individuals and relationships is this: curb the assumptions, such as the thought that anything other than monogamous behaviour indicates wrongness or sickness in a relationship. Doing so would be a kindness to our partners, our lovers, our friends and ourselves.

The international community at Trent University

By Kristina Dergacheva

Have you ever wondered how to feel at home when you’re far away from home? If so, our amazing international community at Trent will be a perfect fit for you.

If you are a new International Student, first people who you will meet are our welcoming staff from the Trent International Program (TIP) office that will insure your academic and social success by being helpful and welcoming throughout academic year.

The TIP office welcomes new international students at TIP Camp, which is an amazing place to have fun and meet new friends. After the first weeks of school go by, TIP office is there to support you.

After the first week of school has passed international students become more exposed to the school system and the beautiful clubs and groups that are available at Trent University. Currently we have six regional groups at Trent that are very active throughout a year. They represent their culture, they help new students to avoid cultural shock and each of them is very supportive to their members and outside

community.

If you are still wondering what regional groups do we have, they are: Organization for Hispanic and Latino Awareness (HOLA) HOLA is dedicated to create a space for students of Latin American background to demonstrate their culture. It also encourages the participation of students of other backgrounds who are interested in learning from and experiencing Latin American culture.

Trent Afro-Caribbean Student Union (TACSU) TACSU is a student group under the Trent International Students’ Association (TISA). The group’s main focus is to provide students within Trent (Canadian and international students alike) with exposure to the cultures of Africa and the Caribbean.

South Asian Association at Trent (SAAT) SAAT is a South Asian organization that acts as an outlet to providing events for people to meet each other, while still preserving the rich culture. It would also act as a means for the greater community to learn about, understand and celebrate the South Asian culture.

Trent University Chinese Student

Association (TUCSA) TUCSA is welcoming group that helps and provides all kinds of information to all international students through events and celebrations. Though most of our group members are Chinese students, all students are welcome!

Trent South East Asian Organization (TSEAO) TSEAO was established with the aim of representing the Southeast Asian students and culture at Trent. They hope to share the rich and highly diversified cultural heritage of Southeast Asian countries in addition to encouraging a higher level of cultural awareness among the Trent and Peterborough community.

Trent University Russian Speaking Association (TURSA) The student group, TURSA, focuses on the creation of a friendly and warm atmosphere for fellow students by recognizing and celebrating different cultural traditions, dances and national cuisines from all Russian-speaking countries.

Trent International Student Association Choir TISA Choir is a very dedicated singing group at Trent University. They exist for the

love of singing despite where you are from.

All of these beautiful regional groups are there for you, to create a safe place for you.

They will provide you with huge amount of diverse educational, as well as fun and formal, events. You name it, they have it!

If you are wondering how to find regional groups, they are under the TISA umbrella.

TISA is an organization at Trent University that represents all full-time undergraduate students. Because we represent an incredibly diverse student community at Trent, our aim is to bridge the gap between people from all corners of the globe by sharing cultural experiences.

Let TISA be the first to welcome you to your new home away from home, or to continue providing events and updates that better your enjoyment here at Trent University. TISA unites domestic students with our international community, and ensures international students are well represented on a higher level.

TISA would not exist without our regional groups that provide to our university and Peterborough community their beautiful cultures. They all contributed the most to create our big international family, come to Trent and join us here!

Three short presentations on aging, sexuality and community

By Troy Bordun

The latest installment of the Suds and Speakers series was held on March 17, at The Trend.

Graduate students at the Frost Centre organized the event. Professors from the Centre for Aging and Society gave 10-minute presentations about their past and ongoing research.

May Chazan’s, of Gender and Women’s Studies, presentation was entitled “From Active to Activist Aging.”

Chazan’s research aims to challenge the dominant discourses around aging. She is particularly interested in two popular conceptions of aging.

The first is the narrative of decline. As boomers grow older, they become a “burden” to others, namely families and the health care system.

The second is the concept of the “successful” or active aged person. Presently, aging individuals are responsible for their own good health and when an aged person maintains this active, sexual lifestyle, they are deemed to be successful in and with their aged body.

Chazan locates this discourse as part of neoliberalism; the compulsion to be individually successful through consumption.

What the discourses of decline and suc-

cessful aging miss is the roles aged persons play in social change.

According to various statistics, people over 60 are the most engaged in political activities. Chazan’s research brings an interdisciplinary humanities lens to study older women as agents of change.

Her three areas of research – activist histories, solidarity across differences and feminist archiving – ultimately lead Chazan to think beyond the discourses of individualism and decline.

Rather than participate in either of these dominant poles, older women often reflect upon and live in such a way that they feel like they’ve made a contribution to the world before they’ve departed from it.

Chazan thus aims to redefine what we mean by successful aging.

Barb Marshall, from the Sociology Dept., discussed the “resexing [of] the [aged] body.” Her research revolves around “virility surveillance,” read: active lifestyles discussed by Chazan.

Using magazines such as Zoomer as cultural objects, Marshall attempts to uncover the “forms of sexual agency on offer for older people.”

What she finds is often less than encouraging. There is a clear “doctrine of sexual health benefits,” and Viagra is the anti-aging drug.

There is also the discourse of looking young; indeed, older celebrities frequently appear on the covers of magazines that then tout the celebrity’s secret to staving off wrinkles.

Further, Marshall studies the “hetero imagination or hetero happy” in representations of older individuals. As the image of the young, happy, heterosexual couple figures prominently in media, most images of older persons appear coupled and heterosexual.

Alongside cultural historian Michel Foucault, Marshall’s guiding research question is whether the discourses around aging and their representation offer aged individuals more pleasure. At the colloquium, she seemed skeptical.

Mark Skinner from the Geography Dept. delivered the final presentation. His work centers on the question of volunteerism, older persons and rural communities. His aptly titled “From Panacea to Paradox: Older Volunteers in Aging Communities” expresses the issue of volunteerism as a solution to aging populations.

On the one hand, volunteers are necessary for an aging community, particularly in instances of food delivery and transportation to doctors’ offices. Skinner puts the romantic idea of the rural retirement community to rest as he unpacks their com-

plexities.

Indeed, the fantasy of rural friendliness is tested by the necessity of support for older individuals. Presently, Skinner has uncovered that some communities work well with volunteers and others simply do not.

The risks of relying on volunteers are threefold.

First, not every person can be helped.

There will be some forms of exclusion and, naturally, resources will dry up.

Second, there is an “uneven capacity for volunteering.” Volunteers burn out or expend money they may want to save for themselves, e.g., gas money to drive older persons to their respective doctors.

Third, when many of the volunteers are also older persons, the whole system operates in a state of uncertainty or instability.

The three short presentations were successful in transmitting overviews of the researchers’ work and their respective fields.

The question and answer session was lively and inclusive, partially due to the suds and informal venue.

Participants were encouraged to read the lecturer’s publications for more detailed accounts of their area of study. For information on the Centre for Aging and Society, visit: http://www.trentu.ca/aging/.

Suds and Speakers will reconvene in the fall.

Volume 50 | Issue 21 | March 28, 2016

5

Campus

Reconciling Islam and the West through knowledge

By Dan Morrison

On March 23, distinguished professors Dr. Anver Emon and Dr. Mohamma Salaama lectured for Trent’s Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility.

The “Embracing Difference in Difficult Times: Rights, Faith, Identity and Muslims” talk comes at a time when Muslims and their faith are coming under increased pressure in the West, with this talk seeking to explore how these problems can be reconciled.

The lecture, which was being televised at Durham College, kicked off with words from President Leo Groarke and then Dr. Mike Alcott, head of Trent International Program (TIP).

First up to speak was Emon. A professor at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law and Guggenheim Fellow in the field of law, Emon is an “internationally recognised authority on Islamic Law and Islamic Legal history.”

His research concentrated on premodern and modern Islamic legal history and theory, premodern modes of governance and adjudication and the role of Shari’a both inside and outside the Muslim world.

Naturally, his talk was based in his legal background, exploring Islamic law to explain how we might achieve greater tolerance and integration. Emon began by highlighting how reductive the discourse on Muslims has become.

Often, the Muslim as “agent” is reduced to the text, with no thought of separateness between other Muslims or between themselves and the text. This means that one Muslim can often be reductively made to represent Muslims as a whole.

So, we must separate the Muslim from

the text, recognizing the context and reality of the text, but that of the Muslim too. It is an important point, when the discourse seems to clump all Muslims together *cough* Donald Trump and Ted Cruz *cough*.

Emon wanted to use Islamic law as a way of exploring how the “Islamic” is viewed in the West.

Particularly, Emon sited the Dhimmi rules, which are ninth to fifteenth century Sunni Islamic texts, regarding the treatment of non-Muslim permanent residents in Islamic lands.

On one hand, is it about how the West views Islam’s treatment of the “other,” and on the other hand it about how it actually implemented in Islamic lands. The question is usually “is Islam tolerant?” rather than “are Muslims tolerant,” a question about your neighbours and friends.

Again, we are not separating people today from a 1,300-year-old religion.

Here, I would also have pondered the question of judging a religion based on the tolerance of today’s morality, when the religion’s context is 1,300 years prior.

Emon sees tolerance as the wrong term, because it hides behind a larger politics of governing. State law essentially determines the other and what we tolerate as the other.

This shapes the way that religion is construed and so we should consider what the state is doing when it adjudicates.

Then came Salaama, another formidable scholar. He is Associate Professor of Arabic and Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literature at San Francisco State University.

Currently he is completing a monograph on Islam and the Culture of Modern Egypt: 1908-1958, a work of primary

research and original scholarship.

He began by drawing attention to the double entendre in his talk’s title, Free Islam, one that acknowledge a free Islam and but also is an imperative: to free to religion from both dogma and Islamophobia.

It is both the destination and the commute, so if we are to have free societies, we must educate our students, the “torchbearers of knowledge,” with these conversations along the way.

“The will to life and the path to freedom is to be found in learning, in thinking and contemplation.”

As well as with ensuring our knowledge, we must eradicate danger from our societies, if we are to be free.

Salaama’s talk was punctuated with lilting Arabic, as he would quote the Qur’an in both Arabic and English, while he read from slides written in Arabic too.

It was refreshing and enlightening.

One could find his or herself thinking that the nauseating Islamophobe could have done with seeing this talk, rather than a room full of interested, educated and probably progressive folk.

Both talks sought to deal with the Islamic in a modern context, and while Emon’s talk may have had more direction, clarity and conviction, it was Salaama’s that might have had a better chance of achieving something.

He showed Islam and Arabic to have just as much beauty as any Western faith or language, that there is indeed nothing to fear from the “other.”

So maybe the way to break down a few barriers is to gently nudge Islam towards those who are resisting it, at the same time that many others incorporated into our societies.

Have lunch with your Prof! Student engagement in Cultural Studies

By Tyler Majer

Cultural Studies Prof. Michael Morse and I recently had lunch. We had joked about writing a bad review of the lunch for the paper.

I decided that the idea was funny enough to actually put into existence. I strive to use the most indulgent tone as possible here, as to emulate what not to do in Michael Morse’s classes.

What is below is mostly satirical…

Mostly.

Michael Morse is a cultural studies professor that works at Trent University on a class-by-class basis. I am currently enrolled in his Music and Society class.

Michael Morse, however, is not just a teacher, but also a chef of sorts. Those that are lucky enough to spark his interest academically may also get the pleasure of being invited over to his house for a meal and conversation.

Almost like a bed n’ breakfast, Morse runs a ‘lunch n’ chat,’ but only on a purely invitational basis. This establishment of his is not open to the public.

One has to work their way into his good books, and only then will you get to experience the ‘Michael Morse’ experience. I, fortunately, had the privilege to do so. Or so at least, I thought.

The lunch started unusually. I met him at Traill College; slowly sneaking into the back of the class I missed. As the class ended, I approached Morse. He seemed happy to see me, as I explained the reasons for my absence. He waved my apologies away, and asked if I was hungry.

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The response was yes, answered out of both truth and politeness.

We shuffled out of the room and out of Traill College’s Scott House. We walked towards Reid Street, chatting procedurally. He moved quickly for a man of my age, reminding me that I move slowly for a man of mine.

As we crossed Reid Street and approached his residence, the sun bounced off of the rain on the ground.

He opened his back door and the smell of dust and coffee hit my nose.

His house, although not in disarray, was not in order either. The atmosphere, to put it bluntly, was subpar.

I sat down gently at the kitchen table, as Michael began to prepare lunch. He said that the lunch would be simple, as he pulled a Lipton chicken noodle soup package from his cupboard. We began to chat about this and that. Subjects such as: music, work, and politics floated to the surface of our conversation.

The soup bubbled gently on the stove.

He periodically stirred the soup and lectured me about this and that.

It was then that I began to see the point of this lunch.

Its function wasn’t social or intellectual, but rather one of dominance. He aimed to force me into an existential crisis, because

as Sartre said, “Hell is other people.”

Michael wanted to show me this. The peak of this came when he served the food. A bright yellow slather of soup sat in front of me, with a plate of unsalted saltine crackers slightly behind it. A bottle of diet cranberry juice was brought out of the fridge and presented in the form of two husky, crystal glasses.

The rest of the lunch went over fine.

It wasn’t like this lunch was directly and antagonistically awkward, but rather persisted mostly in mediocrity.

The soup was fine. The crackers were fine. The conversation was fine. Nothing spectacular happened, but just enough happened to keep me around. If purgatory were a place, this would be it.

All of this aside, I would like to present an alternative viewpoint.

I think the inadequacies of the lunch may stem from a slight discretion on my part.

I had previously rescheduled our first meeting on the account of some personal issues. It seems that Michael may have taken this as an insult, and proceeded to break down my morale, through serving upon serving of diet cranberry juice and bad crackers, which, although not great, could not directly be attributed to him.

However, I firmly believe I can return to his good graces, something that I will continually strive for. Michael has made his point, and I hope I have done the same.

I hope to ‘lunch n’ chat’ with him once again in order to provide a more accurate account of Michael Morse’s abilities, not only in cooking, but also in life.

campus

TUMS Battle of the Bands 2016

By Jordan Porter

The Trent University Music Society (TUMS) and the Historic Red Dog Tavern hosted the annual Battle of the Bands competition on March 18.

There were prizes set aside for first, second and third places, as well as an additional $50 bonus prize to the band that registered the loudest crowd.

To kick things off, doors opened at 7:30p.m., and the first band started the show at about 8p.m. The Red Dog quickly started to fill up with friends, family, fans and judges, all excited to see what the six bands in the line up had to offer.

The line up for the night featured local bands with some Peterborough locals, current Trent students and some alumni. Some bands were just starting out and others are quickly becoming hometown sensations, including Television Road, Hangman’s Son, Dickie and The Boys, The Outsorcerer, Piss Locusts and The Elements.

In the end, Piss Locusts proved themselves to be the top dog, claiming the grand prize of $500. Television Road came in at a close second place for a well-deserved $300, and The Elements came in third place, clinching a prize of $100, as well as the bonus $50 for loudest crowd.

First place winners: Piss Locusts After the show, Arthur had a chance to meet up with the lead singer of Piss Locusts, Brad Daniels, during the tear down and had to ask him, on behalf of the whole band, how it felt to win big.

“Dude, it’s unreal. I can’t even believe it. After we played, we all felt really good about it, but you never know with these things. We thought we would be in the top three for sure.

But hey, we thought that last year

and we didn’t, so we just had our fingers crossed. To win is just the best feeling in the world, we would have never imagined,” Daniels shared.

In speaking with Daniels, Arthur asked if, when watching the other bands perform, they thought they had their work cut out for them.

“Definitely. Every band was a real contender this year. One that stood out, though, was The Elements. I was blown

away by those guys. I had heard of them before, but hearing them play, they were amazing. Also TV Road – as soon as I saw that they were in the line up I knew they would be the band to beat,” said Daniels.

The Battle of the Bands competition and TUMS seems to have one of the biggest followings for events around Peterborough and the Trent community.

The Red Dog Tavern was absolutely jam packed for this event and for each band, there was a dense crowd of supporters.

Many were attracted by the fact that the event doesn’t charge any cover and the fact that Trent students, much like the Peterborough natives, love to support local events and the arts in general.

You’re sure to have a good time with some good music, and get into some healthy and friendly competition while enjoying a beer alongside almost two hundred of your closest friends from the community.

I would highly recommend attending any event that TUMS has to offer in the future, including next year’s Battle of the Bands competition.

Arthur would also like to extend a big congratulations to all bands that performed last Friday, each of them would have been well deserving of first place and we do not envy the tough decision that the judges had to make.

Cultural Outreach: a performer’s perspective

By Ryan Newman

Stir, stir.. dive and dip, the words of movements from lip to hip.

We speak culture, we see culture, we need culture, we be culture.

Showplace grew a couple inches this past weekend, you could have sworn the roof was raised along with the standards.

Out of ashes came the smoke: lights, cameras, vibrations. Dozens reincarnated the breath of their ancestors, screaming air into heritage, raising every hair up the spine. Feel the appeal to theatrical zeal.

Here, you will find one performer’s story is revealed.

Phantom of the Opera became fandom for the opera. Pulling the strings to the communal jig, the seats became stage as performer swapped spots with spectator.

In this cultural melting pot, we immersed into one cauldron, bubbling and bouncing to the same beat. Some were born to shine, others to sit back, relax and appreciate the flame. On this day, we all found our space.

Was I born to dance? Eh, hard to call. It’s a matter of fact – after this weekend – that I was definitely born to make the attempt. “A for effort,” stamp it on my back. Forehead beaming red: I sweat bullets while shooting for the stars. Best believe it; you gotta trade the shame for the fame.

Leaping along with team TURSA, like a leprechaun on payday, and right in time for St. Paddy’s celebrations. Pot O’ gold dazzled before my very eyes, blinded by the light.

Wee bit of a costume malfunction as a toe sliced through one sensitive ballet slipper.

Couldn’t doubt how adorable we all looked prancing around that performers’ playpen. Oh yes, we kicked things off with a bang.

Curtain calling me backstage to change, I prepared for numero dos. This time taking a trip up Lake Tanganyika, you saw the tip of the iceberg. Oh-na-na, we whined (except for me), and we grind (I had my moments), our way through time. Feeling my place, as the only lad amongst a group of lovely ladies, I wore that cloth as a badge of honour.

Indeed, my mother saw both the best, and the worst, of her son’s movements in this piece. Later, I was to redeem myself.

From inception, whether it be swerving to Soca or bumping to Bollywood, I always clap to the call of my ancestors, I always march to O’Sullivan’s drum. My Celtic roots resonate into my very being.

Familiarizing myself with other cultures has made me more Irish than ever before.

Bagpipes break open my voice box, crack every rib in the cage, clasping my core as these lungs beat to that of the heart. Sending shockwaves through each vein, vibrations penetrate each nerve. Electricity; emotion; ecstasy.

I am awake. By the very call of my creation, I rise to the challenge, by the tune.

All stress withheld throughout the eight weeks of me teaching myself to tap dance was stomped out on stage and thrown at the audience. Feet of flames burned selfdoubt to ash.

Finally, Intermission: peace, quiet, thoughts, silence.

Yeah right! We were the noise, and as act one-performers made their way to the balcony, another wave prepared for show time. Enough Nutri-Grain bars to keep energized, enough water to avoid cramping up, enough laughter to calm the nerves.

Pockets of performers mediated between anxiety and boredom, meditating, concentrating. Months became minutes, rehearsals became reality. Here we go, one last round.

As I stood there, hands gripped upon suspenders, glaring into the arching rays, I felt life in that light. Words, each and every syllable, ringing off the jaw of Sam – Mrs. Right – Banton, struck me.

Shivers down my spine, grabbed the baton, caressed by the warmth of Jennifer Fernando’s palm. Culture catapulted us into humanity. We are all part of one race: the human race.

Quick switch and down to the boogey.

Ou-wee, did our fusion ever hit hard under the spell of that Affribean rhythm. Ampedup became rowdy, we went straight bonkers. Popping to the floor, bopping to the groove, swinging back and forth. Cool, fluid, loose. A couple goofballs pealed and

revealed – eh, you know it’s no party without TACSU! Finale: and you know I’m a proud Vice President. Lego SAAT, we are back!

Fifty per cent dance, 50 per cent drama, Bollywood brought us to another level.

Bhangra stripped the floors and flipped the tables.

At the end of it all, six performances total, this little lad was drained. Until we brought out the drums! Hundreds of us sang and danced our way into the lounge

and throughout the night.

My review can barely be put into words.

Faith is a virtue: Michelle Ann, Mama Rashid, Shivani Patel, some of the greatest ladies in my life, instilled that in me. You cannot buy trust. Whatever I did to earn this from them made me a better dancer, if not a better man. Our memories, will neither be forsaken, nor forgotten.

This is simply one story of Cultural Outreach, and this phantom will never be a ghost of the past.

Pictured: Ryan Newman performing fusion tap dance

Volume 50 | Issue 21 | March 28, 2016

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|Cultural Outreach 2016|

Self Love Week

Self Love Week

Cultural Outreach 2016 celebrates the international community through the performing arts

By Adriana Sierra

Cultural Outreach is a celebration of the diverse and vibrant international student community at Trent University.

Hosted yearly at the Showplace Performance Centre, the student-run show features a number of powerful cultural performances that seek to give international students a platform to share their talent with the wider Peterborough and Trent communities.

Cultural Outreach 2016, The Phantom of the Opera, took place on March 19, and offered two shows at 2p.m. and 7p.m.

An after party that united all international students and featured music from all corners of the world followed the show.

Organized by the Trent International Students Association (TISA), this year’s Cultural Outreach followed the Phantom of the Opera through various regions of the world in his quest to find an act to bring to his theater. However, what he finds is incredible unity and diversity in all acts throughout the show.

Cultural Outreach is the result of months of hard work from both the organizing committee and from performers alike. The organizing committee begins their work in the fall semester: they create and distribute promotional material, work in collaboration with Showplace Performance Centre to learn the ins and outs of backstage management, lighting and sound, and host a series of auditions, tech rehearsals and dress rehearsals throughout the winter semester.

On the day of the show, the organizing committee mans the whole theatre, from lights to onstage props, to photo-ops in the lobby, to ensuring that all performances run

All Photography by Samantha Moss

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smoothly.

For performers, rehearsals also start as soon as the fall semester. Rehearsals include weekly dance practices, learning songs and choreographies, reconnecting with cultural heritage and immersions into other cultures. This year, over 100 performers took the stage at Cultural Outreach.

The diversity in performances and students makes for a vivid backstage scene that encompasses a multitude of languages, traditional clothing and cross-cultural exchanges.

For the packed audience, the show saw flawless execution, lively acts and a cultural exchange of a different, yet equally meaningful kind.

This year, TISA Choir opened the show performing Vuelie, a combination of Saomi yoiking and a Danish Christmas hymn followed by ‘Hope for Resolutions,’ which combined an English cheval chant and a Zulu spiritual song.

The Phantom then travelled to the first region of his trip: Eastern Europe. This section of the show featured a Russian Fold Dance titled ‘Smuglyanka.’

This is a Moldovan folk song that glorifies the female partisans of the Russian Civil War, followed by a combination of traditional dances from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakh and the Caucasus titled ‘Traditional Dances of the Post Soviet States,’ and was performed in collaboration with students from these nations.

The Phantom then made his way to the African continent which saw powerful spoken word performances like the ‘Black Manifesto,’ songs like a reinterpretation of John Legend’s ‘Glory’ and dance performances celebrating Africa’s diversity and roots including a West African Interpretation Dance with drumming and an Tanzanian energetic dance that combined traditional and modern African dances.

Cultural Outreach 2016 also saw Latin American students take the stage with a performance that combined Venezuelan and Cuban folklore dances and a representation of modern day Latin America, featuring Bachata and Salsa, two popular styles of dance in the region.

The Caribbean section of the show featured a combination of Caribbean and Brazilian dance that has become increasingly popular from its origins in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In addition, a reggae performance titled ‘Summer Loving,’ in which two individuals told a love story through song, set the tone for a Bahamian dance that reflected life in the Bahamas and Caribbean culture.

When the Phantom travels to Asia, he encounters the Japanese fisherman song, ‘Soran Bushi,’ which portrays the life of a fisherman and imitates the ocean’s waves and movements carried out when fishing.

He also witnesses a Joget dance from Vietnam with impeccable synchrony titled ‘Prosperous Vietnam.’

The South Asians Association at Trent (SAAT) closed the show with a performance that began with an Indian classical dance followed by a mash-up of songs from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and finished with a traditional folk dance from the Punjab State that integrated western songs with traditional movements.

Prominent in the show was also a spoken word piece titled The Human Race, which addressed topics of racism and inequality, and called for an inclusive global community.

Audience members watched two violin pieces highlighted songs from Kazakhstan, medleys from Ireland, Russia and Canada, and a tap performance highlighting Irish heritage.

Performances allowed international students to celebrate their own culture and to immerse themselves in other cultures by participating in dances from different regions of the world.

They give the audience an insight into the talent of the international community and into diverse forms of expression.

Year after year, Cultural Outreach attests to the diversity of Trent’s international student community by providing a platform of expression for international students, a space for cultural exchange both behind the curtain and in the audience, and by celebrating and embracing difference.

Authors Note: Having been a performer, an organizer and an audience member, I would like to personally congratulate all those involved with this year’s show and recognize your hard work and dedication to make Cultural Outreach 2016 yet another amazing statement of the value of multiculturalism.

Volume 50 | Issue 21 | March 29| 2016

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news

Close friend of Sammy Yatim shot by police

By Matt Douglas

A man believed to Sammy Yatim’s best friend was shot and killed by police on the morning of Monday, March 14.

Vice Media was able to identify the man as Alex Wettlaufer. Police responding to a call of two fighting in Villaway Park late Sunday night shot him.

Wettlaufer was reportedly shot twice before being rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead.

The latest reports from the Toronto Star said that the a tactical unit with the Toronto Police negotiated with him for around 15 minutes before shooting Wettlaufer, who was believed to either be carrying a real or replica gun.

The story Wettlaufer’s mother told Vice Media is quite different. She claimed that the original call to police had nothing to

with her son and that two men had jumped him. Police arrived with weapons drawn on him.

She claims to know this because her son called while the police had weapons pulled on him. She said she heard them shout to drop the phone and, almost immediately once the phone was dropped, shots were fired.

Diane Storms, a family friend, spoke out after the shooting saying that Wettlaufer was a good, quiet kid who kept to himself.

For those unfamiliar with the Sammy Yatim case, he was young man who was shot nine times by Officer James Forcillo, while yielding a knife on a Toronto city bus.

That case was full of controversy with video available showing what appears to be an unnecessary and excessive shooting of a man who did not pose an imminent threat to the officer.

In the end, Forcillo was charged with attempted murder, but not second degree murder or manslaughter, which was a confusing verdict considering Yatim died on the scene.

Then there was the matter of the nine shots fired, which the video clearly shows six of which were fired at a man down from the previous shots.

The jury found though those six shots to be excessive, unjustified and attempted murder.

Despite the jury’s verdict Forcillo has not started serving his prison time.

He is out on bail as he awaits court procedure through the appeals process. This now nearly three years after Yatim’s death on July 27, 2013.

Although early reports revealed that Wettlaufer’s death appears to have little in common with the circumstances of Yatim’s

death, it is a stark reminder of that event.

The last year has been a difficult one for justice, where the shooting of unarmed Michael Brown and the proceeding for protests in Ferguson, Missouri has brought attention to police violence throughout North America.

Since being awakened, the problem of police brutality has been a mainstay in news cycles.

It has been a disheartening time for many; abuse of force has been so common.

Writers such as Shaun King have been able to create cottage industries reporting on unjustified police shootings, and the Black Lives Matter movement has been able to gain traction as many realize the gravity of the situation.

We can’t decipher why police can’t stop killing unarmed minorities or why we just started noticing it.

Black Lives Matter protests in Toronto

By Betelhem Wondimu

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On Saturday, March 26 at the 149th hour and seventh day of peaceful protests outside the Toronto Police headquarters marked gains of momentum far and beyond anyone’s imagination, cumulating to one of the largest peaceful protest the city of Toronto has ever witnessed.

Years of systemic discrimination, injustice and police brutality fueled the revolutionary movement, but more importantly love and solidarity triumphed in an effort to dismantle violence and systemic racism.

The peaceful protest was joined by labour unions, students and indigenous groups. The event coincided with a weeklong, and counting, tent city demonstration (#BLMTOtentcity) occupying space outside Toronto’s police headquarters. This followed an announcement days earlier that the police officer who shot and killed 45-year-old Andrew Loku in a Toronto apartment building last July would be neither charged, nor named.

The influx of people forced the police to shut down College Street between Bay and Yonge Streets. The crowd’s spirt was heightened by live entertainment from various artists; many danced and sang along as the night continued.

Loku, described by many has hard working and ambitious, was a father of five, a refugee and former child soldier from South Sudan. He lived in an affordable housing complex where he was confronted by two police officers and gunned down while allegedly walking toward them with a hammer. The only civilian witness to the shooting has disputed the sequence of events as reported by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the body tasked with investigating police-involved crimes, such as shootings.

The #BLMTO demonstrators are calling for justice for Luko, an end to police violence and anti-black racism. The specific demands have been outlined as follows: •The immediate release of the names of the name(s) of the officer(s) who killed Loku and charges to be laid against the officer(s) •An overhaul of the province’s SIU, in consultation with families of victims of police violence and the black communities •A condemnation of Toronto Police’s excessive use of force and ongoing intimidation tactics against Black Lives Matter Toronto protesters.

•The immediate release of the name(s) of the officer(s) who killed Alex Wattlaufer, and charges to be laid

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•A commitment to the full elimination of carding, including: the deletion of all previously recorded data, consistent implementation amongst different police boards, and concrete disciplinary measures for officers who continue to card.

The demands have been praised for addressing all levels of change: service, policy and system. This comprehensive approach is only the beginning to decentralizing power that will enable us to have an inclusive and equitable society. In addition, it marks an important phase within the #BLMTO movement, a movement that has vowed to continue the peaceful protests until demands have been met.

The protest has gained significant success with the restoration of Afro-fest to a two day festival. Previously made a one day festival due to restrictions placed by the city of Toronto, anti-black racism has been pointed out as the root cause of such a restriction by #BLMTO members. Three Toronto councillors have drafted and handed in a motion to city council calling on the province to ensure police services and investigations are fair and transparent as activists continue to protest against the fatal police shooting of a black man in the city last year; an address from the city regarding the demands of #BLMTO is expected on Monday.

Toronto police have been criticized for utilizing unnecessary force, demonstrators said officers were violent as they poured a black tar-like substance over their belongings, including firewood used to help people stay warm.

“We acknowledged as a community that [Monday’s police raid] was a tactic to get the tent city to break down and to destabilize the movement. Since that happened it only served to galvanize the community, and we’ve been able to set everything back up and have been able to withstand police intimidation throughout the week,” Rodeny Diverlus, co-founder of #BLMTO said.

“Every single day there’s something new, whether it’s shutting off the power, whether it’s removing the only public garbage cans in the area…whether it’s coming in and removing materials and signs and constantly intimidating, constantly having their presence known, and really making it very clear that we as protestors aren’t welcome here — while simultaneously going in the media and talking about support for peaceful protests, talking about support for the resisters and the chief of police saying they welcome criticism and welcome residents challenging them.

“So there’s a disconnect between what’s being said by the police and their spokespeople in the media and what actually happens on the ground. The protestors have been really strong and staying put, and really figuring out ways of being flexible when the police are intimidating and attacking us. We know that the police already have power and we already know that the police often wield that power in excess. So for us as black communities, it’s something that we’re already used to. If the police think that we’re going to go away just by creating a really uncomfortable situation for us, I think that [instead] they’re going to see black people’s resilience and strength.”

Despite these challenges #BLMTO support has significantly increased and supporters are encouraged to show solidarity in any way they can, constant updates of needs are made through social media platforms.

The movement has combating violence and racism with love and acceptance with indigenous communities showing solidarity by welcoming the #BLMTO on to their traditional through singing and drumming, homeless persons being provided with food and shelter and people across all identities (women, queer and trans folks) being provided a platform to lead voicing the injustices they face through various forms of expression (music, dancing,

painting etc.).

The movement highlights the constant narrative in mainstream media that justifies the actions of authorities when black people are killed.

“So, for us, we want to shift the narrative from talking about the victims to talking about the perpetrators,” he said.

“So often victims of violence are discredited in the media…to suggest that the victims might have deserved what they got — that the victims had a history of violence, et cetera,” said Diverlus.

He continues to emphasize anti-black racism is not a Toronto isolated case, in fact it is occurs on a national and global case.

“So I always encourage other communities to plug into the movement and to find the ways that anti-black violence and police brutality affects their communities as well,” added Diverlus.

One of the most important lessons we can learn from this movement is that anti-racism- the act of recognizing that it is not enough to not engage in racist behaviour and use of your position of privilege to battle racism while fully comprehending the fact that you will never know the systemic/racist barriers that people of color have to confront in their day to day lives.

It also acknowledges the complex facets race and race relations present, and is an important aspect of dismantling systemic racism. The #BLMTO movement provides the platform to engage in anti-racism efforts, folks can show support through donating money (through blacklivesmatterto@gmail.ca), donating time and keeping up to date with #BLMTO movement through various social media platforms.

Community

People Without Doctors Clinic in full swing!

By Ugyen Wangmo

The People Without Doctors (PWD) Clinic is already in full swing benefiting an average of about 20 patients daily with their expert care and services, not even a month after it opened.

The Peterborough Family Health Team launched the temporary clinic on March 7, and it will remain open till August 22.

“PWD Clinic is basically a data gathering exercise to obtain accurate data so we can lobby for an appropriate long term health care system within our community,” stated Lori Richey, executive director of the Peterborough Family Health Team.

She said that is their “ultimate goal.”

The clinic is steadily busy, but not overwhelmed at this point, reported Richey, and people visiting the clinic are generally those who had not had “care” for quite some time. They are in urgent need of thorough assistance. PWD provides that service or sets the patients up with the local community services.

It was learned that many of the people visiting the temporary clinic have mental health issues, anxiety or different health addiction issues, explained Richey.

“We are certainly finding people that

really need some support or people that need to be linked out.”

The clinic is for anyone without a local doctor, or for someone who has a doctor from another community, explained the executive director, but ideally for Trent University students.

She emphasized to Trent students that the clinic is their second option. If they can’t get in at Trent Health Services, their second option is often to go to the emergency room.

Besides this recently opened temporary clinic, the only other walk in clinic is the Lansdowne Place Walk-In Clinic. But the difference is the linkage to other services that the PWD provides, pointed out Richey. It’s definitely better than going to the emergency room.

Richey shared with Arthur how this project got started in the first place.

According to her, Peterborough itself was declared a “not under-serviced area,” meaning that they cannot add any additional positions within the current model of health care.

But the healthcare practitioners were aware of the grave truth that there are thousands of people within the community who are without a doctor.

As Richey informed, the PWD clinic is a data gathering exercise to lobby for appropriate positions. An ideal health care is a system is one where everybody has a regular primary care provider (within their choice), medical records are shared among the teams and patients are able to access interdisciplinary health care professional, she explained.

When asked about the temporary status of the clinic and its fate after the end of the six months, Richey responded by saying that “community will once again go back to emergency. It is not ideal, but that is something that is not really within our mandate.”

“This initiative is something which we have taken [on] with the hope to make a difference. So all we can focus on right now is that we will be successful,” she added.

She assured the community that they would do their best to lobby heavily and get some patient stories. They are also hopeful to get some backlash from the community, which will indicate the need, and help them drive their case towards receiving some action and permanent healthcare support.

But if someone is truly very ill, or homeless or in situations such as that, they link them with another provider who will

take on their care, shared Richey.

“We are going that extra mile so at the end of that six months we have done what we can to give them some support.”

It is fulfilling to see the patients are generally extremely grateful for the time spent with them to have them connected to the services; they are feeling supported, or they feel like they are being heard and cared for. All in all, so far, they have been very successful and managed to help people navigate the complexity of the health system, said Richey.

However, she cautioned that people need to be mindful about the health system dollars and try to seek appropriate care whenever possible.

“We are breaking our health care system financially.”

Three retired and semi-retired family physicians, two registered practical nurses (RPN) and two administrative staff currently run the PWD. An addition of another physician is confirmed come this April.

Only one family physician at a time is made available for service; the RPN is the one spending a lot of time with the patients and helping link the patients with other services they may benefit from.

#WWAFD: What would a feminist do? ing the print and online publications of employment agencies.

Dika and Kent further analyzed the detailing services and programs alongside other publications to understand how these agencies depict and represent certain groups of people in terms of age, race, class and gender.

This research can help Peterborough employment agencies fix any inequalities and other issues in their representation and programs.

Some students looked into the Trent University community for their answers.

By Reba Harrison

Host the Feminist Research Cafe, of course!

Dr. May Chazan has led the students of WMST 3031 Doing Feminist Research throughout the winter semester to carry out their own research projects.

Each of these students took a required preliminary women’s studies course, Discovering Feminist Research, in order to learn about the ethics involved with research and the feminist research methodology that constantly takes ethics into consideration. Throughout the preliminary course, students created a research proposal.

Now in Doing Feminist Research, the students carried out a portion of their research. The experience, combined with required readings and lectures, has helped the students build their skills as researchers for social change.

The influence of anti-oppressive and critical race perspectives on feminist research practice is highlighted, the syllabus reads.

In some cases, topics shifted as many students chose to work in pairs or small groups. In all cases, the students provided a local organization the research they conducted.

Access to research could do many things for an organization. Students Tori De Schiffart and Eugenia Ochoa have worked together this semester to discover whether women face issues or barriers in accessing the Drop-in program at The Stop Community Food Centre.

I, a student, looked to the Bachelor of Arts undergraduate students at Trent to understand the attitudes and perceptions that exist towards sex work.

These are just some of the dedicated women that will be presenting their findings to the Trent community on March 31, from 10 a.m. to noon in the OC Commons.

All are invited to attend.

The students will be happy to explain their research story and answer any questions you may have.

In the spirit of a true research café, light refreshments and snacks will be available!

This research can provide direct and personal insight to The Stop Community Food Centre.

Students Alicia Popelier, Staffany Trites and Joy Doonan worked together throughout the semester to focus on experiences of women incarcerated in remand programs.

These women are held in some form of custody before their trial. The group of students discovered systematic flaws, which can affect criminalized women more severely than criminalized men.

This research could be shared with a number of organizations advocating for incarcerated women.

Some research is more specific to the community of Peterborough. Melissa Hunt and Breanna Webb led a focus group with a staff and student placement, both worked at the Cameron House.

The purpose was to learn what kind of support and training are currently in place for the shelter staff of Peterborough.

The support and training that Hunt and Webb specifically looked at were that which assisted staff in working with survivors of domestic violence and who have a mental illness, principally PTSD. The two further looked to discover what resources the staff felt should be provided to them to enhance their knowledge. Hunt and Webb found that funding cuts are affecting the culture of Peterborough’s shelters and wish to further understand how they are adapting.

Students Danielle Dika and Abigail Kent also looked into the Peterborough community by closely analyz-

Volume 50 | Issue 21 | March 28| 2016

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community

Sweet and savoury with Tyler Majer: flavoured chips

By Tyler Majer

Okay, let’s get one thing on the table. I am fat. So as you read this, realize that this comes from the perspective of somebody that has been eating chips their whole life.

Every observation, and statement of shock and awe that I mention here is made all the more reliable by the fact that those crispy god-like potato wafers are not uncommon to my taste buds.

However, what is uncommon is the number of flavours on the market that try to emulate real food. When a person eats potato chips, they do not do so for the nutritional value (at least I hope not), but rather simply for the fact that they want to taste potato chips.

Up until a few years ago, at least as far as I can recall, potato chips came in maybe five or 10 different flavours.

The most extravagant type available was probably something like all-dressed or sour cream and onion. However, Lays and Ruffles have been creating more and more specialty flavours. These flavours are based

Arts

At one point in Indian director Tarsem Singh’s The Fall, a question is brought up: what is an epic?

Although just shy of two hours in length, The Fall itself is without a doubt an epic in the true sense of the word, meaning a grand-scale story about heroism and adventure.

It is hard to describe the ambitious scope of this film; you have to see it for yourself.

A pet project of Singh’s, who worked for 17 years filming commercials and music videos to save up the funding for the project, the filming of this movie took place over four years, almost two-dozen countries and several continents. If that isn’t epic, we don’t know what is. But let’s get to the story first before delving into that.

Like Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, the film uses a framing device of a story set in the real world to tell a story about a fantastical world, where the narrative goes back and forth between each.

The film begins in 1915, in a hospital in Los Angeles, where Alexandria, a little girl with a broken arm (Catinca Untaru), befriends a fellow patient, a stuntman named Roy (Lee Pace).

Badly injured and paralyzed from a dangerous stunt gone wrong, Roy is washed up, depressed, addicted to morphine and sui-

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of food, but to me, only a small fraction of it is chip worthy.

However, each year a new flavour pops up that pushes the boundaries of what chips can be (Cappucino Lays). Chips are truly becoming a transcendent food and something indicative of the future of food technology.

Although, where there is awe, there is also concern. The fact that a potato chip can taste so easily like a Harvey’s Cheeseburger or a chicken wing is a little concerning.

It raises concern of what is going into the chips and how manipulated the potato has become from its original form.

Now, this may seem like a silly article, and at the heart of it is a joke. But to be serious for a second, specialty flavours remind me of the concept of flavour capsules.

These are small pills that emulate the flavours of food and take you through the course of a meal through a small pill form.

I know a bag of chips is not as small as a pill, and you are only getting one flavour at a time, but this flavour manipulation shows

us how far technology has come, even in the world of food, and if you think hard enough about it, where it might be heading.

Yep, they actually exist.

Trent Film Society Presents: The Fall (2006)

By Alex Karas

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off of actual dishes that actually exist in the real world, and not just the ambiguous ‘barbecue,’ and ‘all-dressed.’ These include incredibly specific flavours, such as ‘loaded baked potato skins,’ ‘poutine,’ ‘hot wings’ and ‘Harvey’s cheeseburger.’

The only real response for this is…what the fuck?

Every year, Lays and Ruffles have contests to determine what new flavours will hit the market. The most recent one just closed voting, and I voted for paprika, and Pico de Gallo flavours.

The plethora of flavours is large and still growing. It is truly amazing to see the abundance of random flavours that pop up, and how close the flavour-makers get to the actual flavour.

Now, it may not seem totally out of the ordinary, because we have been accustomed to seeing new flavours pop up everyday, but when you really think about it…what the fuck?

How do these people keep coming up with new flavours? I know the world is filled with an abundance of different types

cidal. As the two bond and form an unlikely friendship, Roy begins to tell her a story of his own invention about a swashbuckling group of heroes, which captivates her.

Not realizing that Roy is saving up his pain medication with the intention of committing suicide, she delivers morphine to him from the dispensary and returns every day to hear the next installment of the story, a kind of inverted One Thousand and One Nights plot.

The film makes heavy use of improvised dialogue and method acting: Untaru could not speak English before making the film, and Pace spent most of the shoot in his hospital bed, convincing many of the crew he really was paraplegic.

The film was also shot sequentially, adding to the realism of their performances as the actors began to know each other along with their characters.

In the fantasy world dreamed up by Roy, he is a masked bandit who seeks revenge for the death of his brother and is followed by a band of adventurers who all share a common grudge against the evil Lord Odious.

Among this ragtag bunch of misfits are an Indian swordsman, an Italian grenadier, an escaped slave, a aboriginal shaman and a young, beardless Charles Darwin (yes, really).

Having been exiled by Odious to a desert

island, they set out on a quest to find and kill the man who wronged each of them.

Although Alexandria is too naïve to realize it due to her young age, it soon becomes apparent that Roy’s fictional story is really an outlet for his own internal conflicts and his feelings about the other people in his life including the fiancée who left him because of his injury, a fellow actor he despises and his insufferable fellow patients (including an overly dramatic hypochondriac with a vindictive streak).

Over the course of their journey, the heroes face hordes of Odious’ black knights and survive by their own cunning and skill, motivated by justice and a desire for revenge.

They travel through countless dazzling landscapes including deserts, forests and ancient ruins from all over the world.

Singh’s native India provides much of the setting (including many shots of landmarks such as the Taj Mahal) as well as Spain, Indonesia and many others.

Amazingly, there is no computer-generated imagery in the whole movie; everything we see in the movie was done with practical effects. All of the palaces and ancient cities portrayed in the film are real places, including a town in India that is entirely painted blue, a massive reservoir full of winding stairs and an Escher-like labyrinth of stone towers.

Singh’s devotion to his craft and his creative use of camera trickery is what elevates this film from a mere adventure story to one that will stir your sense of wonder.

Over the course of the film, the line between reality and fantasy becomes increasingly blurred as Alexandria takes part in the story as well, playing the masked bandit’s daughter, as Roy becomes a surrogate father to her.

His narration becomes unreliable and prone to retcons as he is forced to admit some uncomfortable truths about himself to her.

The scenes between the two in the hospital are not filler either; we see that both have tragedy in their backstories, which is what allows them to form such a strong connection.

The film is prone to meta-levels of awareness as well; there is some light-hearted mocking of the film industry and film itself as well as respectful homage to the adventure and fantasy genres.

It becomes clear that Singh himself knows film on a deeper level than many better-known directors. Despite this, the film got mixed reviews from critics despite a screening at TIFF and a four-star rating from Roger Ebert.

Trent Film Society is showing Tarsem Singh’s The Fall at Artspace on March 30, at 8p.m. As always, admission is free.

arts

Self Love Week

Paintings by the Shilling Brothers at Christensen Fine Art

By Troy Bordun

Bewabon and Travis Shilling are painters from Rama First Nations in Orillia. The brothers follow the same path as their late father Arthur Shilling. A curated collection of Arthur Shilling’s paintings are on display now at the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

Nadia McLaren, an artist and friend of the brothers, selected a number of their paintings for an exhibition to run concurrently with their father’s exhibition.

Bewabon and Travis also share their late father’s studio. The two relish in the fact that they “share light with dad.”

Bewabon graduated from OCAD in 2001, and Travis, in addition to painting, is also a filmmaker and playwright.

Both have exhibited their arts nationally and internationally. Their exhibition at Christensen Fine Art, simply titled Shilling, is their first Peterborough show.

McLaren curated some 10 paintings by each artist.

Bewabon’s collection is mostly comprised of works from his Field Series Revisited.

However, McLaren begins the exhibition with paintings that were evidently composed prior to this series.

Landscape with Tree is the inspiration for the later series. In the bottom third of the canvas are short brush strokes of oranges and browns; a solitary tree is dwarfed by the sky above.

In Early Landscape, Bewabon uses the same technique of short, single brush strokes or dabs to paint what looks like an autumn landscape. Now, however, these dabs of color comprise three-quarters of the canvas.

Finally, the Field Series is entirely abstract. While the color motifs of orange, yellow and brown recall those frequently employed by his father in #8 and #4, Bewabon also explores the relationship

Current exhibition at the Art Gallery of Peterborough: Arthur Shilling, Ojibway Dreams (Self- Portrait) Photo: Michael Cullen

between these colors and different shades of blue in #5 and #7.

The result is a feast for the eyes. The colors dance on the canvas and our eyes are simultaneously drawn to the repetitive brush strokes, the possibility of a pattern and the tactile quality of the paint (some of the strokes leave more paint than others).

The works also draw attention to the

process and materiality of painting itself.

Travis’s paintings are a different sort.

These works aim to tell a story.

The Bear depicts a hunter and his trophy. Out of this dead animal emerges what may be its spirit. This bear-spirit has donned a mask and is walking upright away from its shell.

Bear and Man shows the latter floating on a chunk of ice accompanied by the

former, or the reverse may be equally as true. The bear looks askance as the man appears to be drinking bottle after bottle of alcohol.

Travis’s interest in the bear anthropomorphized takes its strongest form in Untitled. Here it appears a bear has mobilized an old film camera to document something in the woods, perhaps whatever has happened to cause the smoke in the background.

This canvas evoked the idea of a possible documentary film shot by animals rather than humans. Imagine then, a documentary not presenting the effect of capitalism on animals, such as the destruction of habitat.

Instead, the story in this canvas might ask us to consider the effect of capitalism on human beings as told from the perspective of animals. Such a thought experiment is frightening.

McLaren chose to exhibit the Shillings’ paintings side by side. It was worthwhile to see their distinct styles and painting techniques. Bewabon and Travis have set themselves apart from their father as well as from each other.

The layout of Christensen Fine Arts certainly directs viewers to view specific paintings and spend less time with others.

The ground floor exhibition space is spacious and welcoming and the top floor, complete with a couch and studio, should allow spectators enough time and relative privacy to view the larger canvases at length. Unfortunately two painters were hung on the stairway.

Pop into Christensen Fine Arts to see the paintings for yourself. Hours are weekdays 10a.m. to 5:30p.m., and Saturdays 10a.m. to 4p.m. Shilling runs until March 31.

For a review of the opening of Arthur Shilling’s exhibition at the AGP, see “Arthur Shilling and more at the AGP” on trentarthur.ca.

Screening room: the end of film as we know it Pictured: Sean Parker

By Keith Hodder It’s

a familiar scene for filmgoers: the dark room, the galaxy of glittering dust in the projector’s light and the presence of strangers.

It’s the candy-coated, sticky-fingered tradition of movie theaters that is known and loved. It’s a 100-year-old tradition that has shown no signs of stopping.

That is unless Napster founder Sean Parker’s new startup, Screening Room, launches like a box office hit.

Last week Variety announced the service that would allow home audiences to watch movies on the same day they hit theaters via an anti-piracy equipped set-top box. The estimated costs for the required hardware is $150, with each

movie costing $50 per view within a 48hour viewing window.

These costs may seem steep to some, but it’s worth noting that Screening Room isn’t chasing the typical teenaged audience. They’re focused on capturing an older demographic who might have responsibilities that prevent them from leaving home.

Considering current ticket prices, Screening Room could very well be a competitive alternative for families.

Incentives have also been tailored for exhibitors. Not only would they receive as much as $20 from the $50 fee, but customers would also receive two tickets for the film at a theater of their choice.

All of this before Screening Room takes its own 10 per cent fee. It has also been reported that distributors would receive up to 20 per cent of the overall proceeds.

The company is currently meeting with studios and exhibitors. While the Universal, Fox and Sony have expressed interest, Disney doesn’t wish to be involved.

AMC is apparently close to reaching a deal, but the Art House Convergence, a group of specialty theaters and the National Association of Theater Owners have spoken against the concept.

The former cites fears of piracy, and the latter the disruption of the theatrical release window, which allows new movies to become blockbuster events.

Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorcese and J.J. Abrams have signed on to support the

project while Christopher Nolan, James Cameron and his producing partner Jon Landau, have spoken on record against it.

“Both Jim and I remain committed to the sanctity of the in-theater experience…

We don’t understand why the industry would want to provide audiences an incentive to skip the best form to experience the art that we work so hard to create,” said Landau in an interview with Deadline.

Given the divide it has carved through Hollywood in the minds of filmmakers, theater owners and distributors, Screening Room is picking up steam, but is it a threat?

According to the MPAA’s 2014 theatrical market statistics report, 2014 saw a total U.S./Canada box office of $10.4 billion, which was a five per cent drop from the $10.9 billion earned in 2013. A similar drop occurred in 2011, to $10.2 billion, which later saw an increase to $10.8 billion in 2012. The average tickets sold per person declined six per cent, while the price increased by four cents.

The report also stated that the average ticket price for a family of four was $32.68 (USD), which is below Screening Room’s $50 fee. It’s worth noting that the MPAA’s numbers did not include concessions.

In terms of age demographics, 21 per cent of the movie-going population was 25-39 and 60+ years of age in both Canada and the United States combined.

On the surface the numbers certainly support Screening Room’s mission, but

are they enough to overthrow the filmgoing experience as we know it?

Only 11 per cent of audiences go to the movie theaters once a month or more.

Their tickets account for 51 per cent of all tickets sold in Canada and the U.S. The other 57 per cent of audiences - as 32 per cent don’t go to the movies - are divided by those that see movies less than once a month and those who see only one film a year.

Suddenly $150 dollars for a set-top box and $50 per film seems outlandish. Sure, there may be the 25-39 and 60+ yearold niches, but it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where that 11 per cent is enough to support Screening Room’s venture.

Why they didn’t tap into the slew of devices audiences already have – ranging from video game consoles to streaming boxes – is another question all together.

And ignoring the fact that Screening Room’s set-top box is made to avoid piracy, what stops a viewer from recording their television screen in full HD at home? The pirating possibilities are tragically endless.

At the end of the day a simple question comes to mind: If many refuse to pay $13+ dollars to see a film so that they may torrent it in poor, hand-held quality at home, what will make them want to spend $50?

Keith Hodder is an award-winning writer/ filmmaker who has written for Sharp Magazine. Follow him @KeithHodder.

Volume 50 | Issue 21| March 29| 2016

13

arts By

Wayne Kennedy: a review of Train Wrecks

Steve Mcgee

Arthur has been talking about Wayne Kennedy a lot as of late. Be it two separate opinion pieces on the state of Wayne Kennedy’s $2 Punk shows and charity work, or a full-length interview with Kennedy earlier this year, Kennedy has been an influential source in the Peterborough music scene.

Whether negative or positive, his name keeps popping up in controversy and praise.

However, one thing that seems to be left out a lot of the time is Kennedy’s music itself. It seems us journalists have been caught up in the political side of things, that we have forgotten that at the end of the day, he is a musician.

Therefore, this review will try to be as impartial as possible, take no political stand, but rather look at the music. What can be said about Kennedy’s punk shows has already been said. Now let’s focus on the music, for good or for bad.

He recently released a three-song EP entitled Train Wrecks. Originally scheduled for release April 2, the EP was released online on March 10.

Three songs, although short, is quite indicative of the punk style: let’s get it out there, let’s do it quickly and let’s not give a fuck about the consequences.

The cover consists of a caricature of Kennedy. The illustration is in simple

14

www.trentarthur.ca

black and white. His pants look almost like leather with a presumably leather jacket paired on top. Both are strewn with uneven white and black lines to emulate the creases in articles of clothing. His hair stands straight up comically, as he sports an almost smug smile. A cigarette dangles from the caricature’s mouth.

At first glance, the cover seems simple.

It is a simple drawing of Kennedy. However, this drawing may be the complete embodiment of him; Kennedy at his most punk and his most ‘in your face.’

The caricature is slightly embellished, but maybe that’s the point. It represents an ‘I’m gonna be me’ viewpoint, which is something that he has increasingly tried to purvey in recent months with his contemplations of leaving the punk shows behind and focusing on his solo work.

Train Wrecks, without even taking a listen, seems to say something about truth.

Be yourself, as drastic as that can be.

The first song ‘Train Wrecks’ is a short one minute and 35 seconds. Frantic guitar strumming is mixed with Kennedy’s snarl-like vocals. A simple background refrain of, ‘hey, hey, hey’ keeps the song catchy.

The chorus claims, “We’re just a couple of train wrecks/ we don’t care what happens next,” showcasing the typical punk aesthetic of nihilism and destruction.

The song is not unusual. It sounds like a typical punk song, but he utilizes the

absence of a band in a way that makes his sound unique.

It is fast, very fast, something that most acoustic punk lacks. Acoustic punk is usually called just that because it draws from punk influence, but does not fit closely into the mold of typical punk.

However, Kennedy’s punk could fit neatly in the band. He just chooses to play on his own.

The second song is entitled ‘Anxiety,’ and runs two minutes and eight seconds.

This song starts with a very melodic riff that sits in place of a chorus. The subject matter draws a little bit less from typical punk.

It is not angst-filled, but doubt filled.

Kennedy admits his weaknesses here with lyrics, such as, “save from me from myself,” and the one-word summation of his thoughts and worries, “Anxiety!”

Although, as much as this song is a song about weakness, it is also a song about working through it and prospering, which is something Kennedy has been trying to do for a long time.

The third song, Right Back to You, is the longest at two minutes and 41 seconds. The typical punk sound is back. Fast strumming and rough vocals continue.

The absence of a band is noted here and this song, albeit not weak, is not strong either.

Pseudo-melodic “na’s” are heard and the song moves forward quickly and

without abandon. However, any intricacies that the song may have are lost due to the singularity of his style. Solo-acoustic punk needs a delicate balance in order to not only sound good, but also be unique.

What is unique in Kennedy’s sound, as heard in both ‘Anxiety,’ and ‘Train Wrecks,’ is the way he transcends what is considered acoustic, while drawing on punk influence.

What is not unique is when his sound seems stagnant and held in place by a lack of personnel. Both are found in the EP. The short album is worth a listen, but subsequent releases are needed in order for his audience to realize the true manifestation of his sound.

listings Clubs & Groups Trent Ukelele Club: Practices are Fridays at 2pm in the Champlain JCR. Bring ideas for music and activities you want to do throughout the year. There will be FREE PIZZA! Bring your ukulele if you have one and there are extras if you don’t. Ukulele club perks include- ukuleles, free lunches at the seasoned spoon on Fridays whenever you go there to jam, usually snacks or pizza, stress relief, amazing quirky friends, a non-judgemental safe space, as well as HAPPINESS and JOY that follows ukulele playing and the ability to spread it

Sadleir House

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.

The OPIRG Free Market. Wednesdays 3-5pm, Thursday & Fridays 1-5pm. Located in the basement of Sadleir House, right across from the Food Cupboard at 751 George St. N. Thanks to the dedication of OPIRG volunteers, the Free Market and Food Cupboard are open several days a week, year round.

We now have a drop off bin permanently located at the entrance of Bata Library. When you have clothes, household goods, books or non perishable food…drop them off in the Free Market bin at Bata library, Trent University or bring them to the basement of Sadleir House. All items will end up in the Free Market, to be given away at no cost to whoever needs the items.

Improv Class with Matt Davidson: Wednesday, 7pm-8:30pm. Want to try improv?

Come out to Intro to Improv for Wednesday night drop in classes. Improv is fun, come out and join in! (Please note that this is a drop-in space, so while you’re more than welcome and encouraged to come for the entire two hours, you’re also more than welcome to stop by for a shorter time!) Adults: $10 Students $5 Babe-lesqu: Thursdays at 6 until April 14.

Ever wonder about the fascinating and exciting world of burlesque? Ever wanted to shake your tail feathers on stage? Ever felt like a boa could be your new best friend? Intro to Babe-Lesque is a class for anyBODY. The class is designed to teach the fundamentals of classic burlesque all while helping to develop of a love and appreciation for your own beautiful body.

Whether you want to perform onstage, wish to learn a fun new skill or just want to explore new levels of Self Love, this class is for you! Classes at Sadleir House!

OPIRG Social Justice Potluck-Jolly Hangman Pub Night: Thursday March 31 to Friday April 1 at the Dining Hall at Sadleir House. Join us for an evening celebration of social and environmental justice activity in Peterborough! Network with other activists and promote what’s coming up next. There will be a series of games and activities. Please bring a snack to share with others attending. This is an open forum and all are welcome! Any questions? opirgpeterborough@gmail.com. Recreating the cultural hub that was the Peter Robinson College Pub, The Jolly Hangman, Sadleir House hosts a pub night each Thursday night of the academic year in our Dining Hall with different student and community groups co-hosting each week. We’ve had latin & swing dance nights, open mics,

bluegrass concerts and more!

TVAN SPARK Photo Festival Exhibit. Trent Visual Arts Network (TVAN) “Bringing Artistic minds together.” This network was founded on building a community through visual art. This year we have created a diverse photography exhibit, inspired by many topics and parts of the world. We hope that both Trent Students and the Peterborough community can be brought together to enjoy this showcase of student talent.

The exhibit is open to the public during regular Sadleir House opening hours: Monday - Thursday 9am-9pm Friday 9am-6pm Saturday 10am-4pm.

Trent

Academic Skills in the Colleges: There is now an academic skills instructor at each college office. Writing papers and/ or labs? We can help: from starting the writing process, revising a draft or any stage in-between. You can make an in-person or an “online” appointment at www. trentu.ca/sep.

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 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!

Academic Skills in the Colleges: There is now an academic skills instructor at each college office. Writing papers and/ or labs? We can help: from starting the writing process, revising a draft or any stage in-between. You can make an in-person or an “online” appointment at wwww.trentu.ca/sep.

How to stay politically involved between elections: Thursday March 31, 4pm at The Celie. Interested in politics? Did you work on an election campaign? Don’t know how to stay involved? Don’t know how to get involved? This event is for you! Join us for nachos and drinks at the Ceilie to discuss how you can stay involved with party politics, local campaigns and your representative between elections. This is a multi-partisan event and we welcome all of those with different experiences or no experience at all! Contact Rebecca Hubble for more information and RSVP to save a seat at the table. rebeccahubble@trentu.ca or 705-927-5683.

HOLI Festival! Holi is an ancient Hindu religious festival, known as the festival of colours or the festival of love.

send yours to listings@trentarthur.ca

The festival is said to signify the victory of good over evil, and the arrival of spring. It’s celebrated all over India and now around the world, and is all about partying and enjoyment. Location: Lady Eaton College Parking Lot. Friday April 1 at noon. Refreshments will be provided.

Media Studies Graduation Celebration: This year marks a special year for the Media Studies program! We have our first wave of graduates who have both started and finished their degree as Media Studies majors! Whether you are graduating or not, come join us to celebrate all of our graduating students! Anyone from any major is welcome, and feel free to bring your friends! There will be free food on us! If you are a Media Studies major, or if you are interested in Media - specifically, in Video Games, you might want to join us for our talk preceding the party! Join us as Liam Mitchell and Kelly Egan lead a seminar entitled “Video Games, Media Art, and Time” April 7, from 6-9pm at BE at The Trend.

Local Free Nights at the Canoe Museum: Thursdays, 5pm-8pm. Tour starting at 7pm. on’t miss out on this unique opportunity to visit this amazing collection of canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft absolutely FREE! Watch for Upcoming Events listings for news and dates for seasonal holiday activities on select Thursday evenings at canoemuseum.ca/upcoming-events.

Wednesday Writing Workshop hosted by Peterborough Poetry Slam: Sadleir House every other Wednesday from 7pm-9pm. Free of charge, and hosted by various members of the Peterborough Poetry Collective.

Come out to reflect on time and for an opportunity to share your words with a small group if you so choose.

Chains Across The Border: Policing and Prisons In Central Ontario, Canada, and the United States: Thursday, April 7th, 7:30 PM-9:30 PM, Peterborough Public Library Auditorium A panel discussion bringing together scholars and community members to discuss policing’s impact on communities, and incarceration policy.

It will provide an opportunity for those affected by these issues to meet, share ideas, and to compare and contrast local, national, and international situations.

Free, everyone welcome. Reception to follow at Artspace.

Hosted by the School for the Study of Canada. For more info, please contact canadianstudies@trentu.ca Seasoned Spoon is hiring: The Seasoned Spoon Café is a not-for-profit cooperative that serves locally grown, organic food at Trent University.

We are currently hiring TWSP eligible students to work during the 2016/17 school year. The application deadline is Monday, April 4th at 12pm. Cover letters and resumes can be sent to seasonedspoon@trentu. ca. Visit our website for more details www. seasonedspoon.ca Ecological Disease and Pest Management: Join the Trent Vegetable Gardens and Seasoned Spoon Cafe for this informative workshop on how to solve persistent problems in the garden. As the past coordinator of the Trent Vegetable Gardens, CSA operator and owner of Dan Ledandan foods, Dan Legault has the experience and know-how to deal with some of the toughest trouble shooting in the garden.

Learn the basics of pest prevention, including cucumber beetles and leek moths, critter control, attracting beneficial organisms, and how to get rid of fungus and mildews! This workshop may just be the key to breathing easy in the garden all

season long! March 30 from 5:00-7:00pm. $5 or PWYC. Annual Pashmina Walk: The 6th annual Red Pashmina Walk, Sunday, April 17 at George Street United Church. Registration is from 2 to 2:45 p.m. and the walk begins at 3 p.m. For pledge sheets and further information, email peterborough@CW4WAfghan.ca.

Proceeds to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, supporting the education of women of girls in Afghanistan.

Free Introductory Talks on Transcendental Meditation: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays in April, May and June from 7:00pm-9:00pm at Market Hall, Peterborough. This free introductory talk will help you find out everything you need to know about the TM technique and how to learn if you are interested. Space is limited. Email: mmacleod@tm.org for more information or if you have any questions. To pre-register and reserve a spot: http://ca.tm.org/web/ peterborough/introductory-talks.

Arts Fat Plant Presents: Fet.Nat, Watershed Hour, Everett, and Puberty Hands at The Spill. Thursday March 31 at 9pm. $8.

Listening Party #15: Liam Kennedy-Slaney hosts Listening Party #15! Head to Curated at 203 Simcoe St, Unit #5. April 19 at 8:00. Bring your headphones!

Cold Tea Records Presents: Clairvoyant (Toronto Indie Rock), Cleopatrick (Cobourg Rock Duo) ,C.Clarkin & The Residents (Peterborough Indie Blues), and Jesse Foster, (Psychadelic Indie Rock). April 1 at The Spill. $5 at the door.

Rising Appalachia: Head to George Street United Church on April 7 from 6:30 to 10:30. Experience some spoken word, banjo tunes, fiddles, and a wealth of variety in the form of Appalachian Music.

Theatre Guild Auditions Notice: The Peterborough Theatre Guild is proud to announce auditions for ECLIPSED by Patricia Burke Brogan. Auditions will be held March 29 & 30 from 7:00pm until 9:00pm and on April 12 &13 from 6:30pm until 8:30pm in the Gwen Brown Studio (Studio A) at the Peterborough Theatre Guild located at 364 Rogers St. ECLIPSED set in 1963 Ireland, explores the tragic history of 5 young Irish girls placed in a Magdalene Laundry.

Unwed mothers, whether they were orphaned or considered mentally unfit, these young Irish girls were forced to wash the sins from their souls while washing the country’s laundry. ECLIPSED is a story begging to be told! The casting requirements for ECLIPSED are: 5 Women aged 16 - 30. 1 Woman aged 20 - 30. 1 Woman aged 50+. ECLIPSED will be produced at The Peterborough Theatre Guild November 4 to 19.

Artspace Curator’s Talk//Meryl McMasterWanderings: Join Artspace’s Director Jon Lockyer to hear about his curatorial work for the centre’s current exhibtion. The event is free and all are welcome.Thursday March 31 at 7pm. Wanderings is a new body of work by the Ottawa-based artist Meryl McMaster that represents an aesthetic and conceptual progression in the artist’s practice, which draws in equal parts from sculpture, performance, and photography.

McMaster’s work functions as an evolving exploration of the artist’s own relationship to cultural identity within the larger framework of historical and contemporary identity politics. As a person with both Indigenous and European familial lineages, her father is Plains Cree, her mother is British and Dutch, McMaster treats identity subjectively, as something that is never complete, always in process, but invariably shaped by both internal and external factors and actions.

Attention: Arthur Elections are near!

Location: Sadleir House Lecture Hall Date: Wednesday April 6, 2016 Time: 7:00pm

The public is welcome, and if you have submitted three times or more, you are staff collective.

The last day to get platforms in for those wishing to run for editor for next volume is MARCH 31.

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Volume 50 | Issue 21 |March 28| 2016