Issue 23 Volume 50 by Trent Arthur

Premier of dollhouse

exploring poverty in peterborough

Review of La hacienda

interview with TCSA president alaine spiwak

INside:

Volume 50 | Issue 23 | April 11, 2016

Independent Press

The Peterborough & Trent University

A Trent student photographer shows us the magical side of campus. Look inside for a one on one with Horace Ng and an insight into his process.

Contents

Page 3- 4: Opinion Volume 50 | Issue 23 | April 11, 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 • Ad Astra • Troy Bordun • Keith Hodder • Samantha Moss • Keila MacPherson • Reba Harrison • Tyler Majer • Ugyen Wangmo • Dan Morrison • Katherine Heigh • Alex Murphy • TUSC Writing Group • Leina Amatsuji-Berry D Dmuchowski• Pippa O’brien •OPIRG • • 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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• • • •

Pg 3:Open Letter from CRRC Pg 3: Betty Luster Column

• Pg 9: Interview with Horace NG • Pg 10: Horace NG Photo Spread

Page 11- 13: Community

• Pg Pg 4: Social Media and the Proletariat • Pg • Pg • Pg • Pg 4: Bench Vandalism • Pg • Pg 5: The Last Lecture • Pg • Pg 5: Community Based Research • Pg 6: Student Survey • Pg • Pg 7: Champlain Faculty Fellows • Pg • Pg 7: TCSA Spring Election Results • Pg 8: Interview with Alaine Spiwak Pg 4:First World Problems

Page 4-10: Campus

11: La Hacienda Review 12: Murray Street 12: New government, new policies 13: Housing the homeless 14: Dollhouse 14: Intronaut

Pages 15: Arts 15: Hollywood with Hodder 15: Interview with Jeff Macklin

Page 16: Listings

Corrections for Issue 22: We have reprinted last weeks article “Social Media and the Proletariat” which you can find on pg. 4 of this issue. As well, photos for the Champlain faculty fellows has been reprinted on pg.7. Last week, Arthur’s feature titled “Trent University celebrates annual excellence in teaching awards” was accompanied by photos of the Champlain faculty fellows event. Though a write up did contextualize the photos, the title, as well as the pairing of the images with the Teaching Awards piece was cause for confusion. The article has been reprinted with the appropriate credits. Apologies to those who put this fine evevent together.

Opinion

Response to: An Open Letter to the Closed Space Discussion By CRRC

There are two components to the letter in Arthur’s Issue 22 and each, while different, is reflective of a common reactionary and assumptive response to closed spaces. The first component is reflective of the Community and Race Relations Committee’s (CRRC) history of holding closed spaced discussions. Responses that suggest that these spaces exclude white people are not unusual. I have personally witnessed this response that people in positions of power are excluded as common to all closed spaces. I am writing as the coordinator of the CRRC of Peterborough. We partnered with members of the Trent community, including equity commissioners of the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA), to organize this important and closed space for members of the Trent community that experience racialized and colonial barriers in both the Trent and Peterborough community. The CRRC is a city funded community organization that has a long history of working within the Trent community. In 2011, we received a Trent Student levy, which indicated to us that the majority of Trent students wanted to support the work we do in the community and see a greater presence on campus. Our mandate focuses primarily on public education and we also offer advocacy services for members of our community that experience racism and/or barriers due to their race and/or indigenous status. I say this because, quite frankly, most of the work we do (and the work of the individuals and groups we partnered with for this event do) are in spaces for white folks to learn about racism and colonialism. These spaces are most often filled with white folks who, while may have great intentions, take up a lot of space learning about antiracism and how to be better allies to racialized and indigenous folks. What does it mean if white settlers feel entitled to every space in which people of colour and indigenous people are speaking

about racism and colonialism? What does it mean when white settlers can so easily find themselves in spaces where there are only other white settlers but have such hurt feelings when people of colour and indigenous people want to, and need to, create these spaces for themselves? Closed spaces originate from these concerns, they often exist with the hope of creating discussion spaces that have the potential to be safer for a group of marginalized people to share their experiences, concerns and ideas without coming up against the defensiveness of white settlers, and without having to spend tremendous amounts of time teaching white settlers about these experiences. There are many spaces (physical and online) that white settlers can use to learn and unlearn. This is one space where educating those with a particular type of privilege will not be prioritized. There are also so many ways that white settlers can show their support to racialized and indigenous peoples. One of them is by respecting these closed spaces and the sacredness and purposefulness of community building without white settlers. We live in a world that is exclusionary for marginalized people (and it is not self victimizing to recognize that you’re impacted by this reality), so how is it that we only identify exclusion when it is seemingly excluding a group of people with power? There is a huge difference between excluding a group of people in order to disenfranchise them and excluding people with power with the hope of creating a conversation that challenges the normalizing of that distribution of power. Further, exclusion is not always a negative thing. I am a white settler; I am excluded from experiencing the impacts of racism and Canadian colonization. Yes, not being able to be in a space when you’re used to being able to move comfortably and freely can be confusing, but I am also not a student and I don’t expect to be included in every student related activity in Peterborough. If I don’t work somewhere I don’t ex-

pect to be included in their staff meetings. I can, however, continue to work to support students, workers, people of colour and indigenous people, etc., without taking up in space in discussions that aim to make people comfortable in sharing their unique experiences and identify particular tactics that can be mobilized by racialized and indigenous peoples in eliminating the very discrimination they face. There are so many opportunities in our community for dialogue and the majority of the work the CRRC engages in includes anyone who wants to participate respectfully. An event like this closed space discussion is not a one-way conversation; it is a conversation between a group of people who likely have overlapping or relatable experiences. If creating spaces where racialized and indigenous students can meet and build community is creating more barriers, then we seriously need to ask ourselves as a greater community, as students, employees and visitors of Trent, who is actually constructing these spaces as barriers and why? Quite frankly this is only a barrier if students of colour and indigenous students building community and organizing themselves in ways that challenge the status quo threaten us. The second component of the letter speaks to feelings that some racialized and indigenous students may have around whether this space is for them or not. The material promoting this discussion attempted to be inclusive and broad in reaching for students that are racialized and/or indigenous. The concerns do speak about areas of improvement that are needed to be explicitly clear on who these spaces are for (all people of colour and indigenous folks), but the letter also left me wondering if these assumptions and feelings were simply the result of the words “closed space,” and whether or not the author even read the description beyond those words. Every time I’ve encountered these spaces, whether they have been for racialized

and indigenous folks, women, queer folk, trans folk, etc., they have all relied on the language of self-identification. The CRRC aimed for the description of this space to make it clear that because there is no rigid definition of what it means to be racialized and/or indigenous, these spaces rely on participants self-identifying as such. The letter made it clear that in the future we have to better define what “self identifying” means, so that participants know that there is no standard. However, what is concerning is the depiction of folks that do want to participate in this space as self victimizing and divisive. In our work, the CRRC aims to do two things primarily: create a learning space for allies that want to identify and challenge structural and social racism and colonialism in our community; and provide the resources for those that live with the impacts of racism and colonialism to take care of themselves and challenge this violence through whatever tactics they chose. The CRRC recognizes that we are all complex people, all forms of oppression impact us all differently and it is not divisive to hold a space that includes seemingly conflicting experiences of racism and colonialism. There is nothing wrong with being greatly impacted, and to have these experiences impact your daily life is not to be defined by oppression. Often we will find that it is the people facing multiple systems of oppression who are told that they are defining themselves by their oppression, or self-victimizing themselves. Amidst criticism, the CRRC has received tremendously positive words from individuals who participated in this closed discussion, we are proud of the work our staff and partners did to organize such a meaningful and intentional space on campus. If anyone would like to provide additional feedback, or be involved in future organizing of these workshops feel free to contact me at racerelation@gmail.com.

“Afternoon delight: tea, crumpets and kink” By Betty Luster * Trigger Warning: explicit discussion on sex and sexuality

I sat down for tea with a local kinkster one afternoon, who had this to share with me: “There are a lot of different side paths that are worth exploring” What is kink to you? From my perspective, kink is anything that someone does within a sexual context that is beyond the norm of mainstream. It doesn’t have to be sexual in nature, but maybe engage some of your sexual energy. Maybe physically turned on or mentally turned on. It can encompass so many different things but it is what is beyond mainstream accepted. What got you into kink? A lot of people can identify times in their childhood when they thought about sex in a different way. Ways that they weren’t taught about in their schools, with their peers, or their parents. Something sparked their interest that was a little bit different. There are a lot of people who identify with those ideas from an early age and are always trying to get involved with it. For me, it was a time in my life that I had been in a stable monogamous

relationship and I was interested in exploring and trying some new things and some of them were based on ideas and experiences I had when I was younger and trying to understand myself sexually. So you sought it out, it didn’t come to you? There were always kinky elements. I had been doing threesomes for a number of years and enjoyed that. What sparked that was remembering back to those sexually exploring days, where those things didn’t really always matter and so you kind of experimented and thinking back to those thoughts. Isn’t it nice to just explore and not subscribe to the whole finding someone, go on a date, date for a while and then you’re “boyfriend-girlfriend.” You ride that relationship escalator to that white picket fence and the family. There are a lot of different side paths along the way that are worth exploring. How long have you been into kink? I’ve been into threesomes and polyamory for seven years, and, actively into kink for about two years and a strong presence in the actual kink scene for the last year. What is the kink scene in Peterborough like and what are your favourite things about it? There are a diversity of people.

Single people, couples, and polyamorous people. All kinds of sexual and gender identities. These people meet and talk about kink. A lot of us have curiosities and fantasies that we want to explore, but we don’t always know who else might be into it or where to learn about it. As a participant, I tend to identify more with the “Top” side of things, to be more dominant. I also really love that there are all different body types that are a part of the kink scene. It’s refreshing and important to know that you don’t have to fit into society’s ideals of beauty and the limitations of that, but instead you are appreciated for being exactly who you are. One of the advantages about the kink scene is that people are also more open about their desires and are more willing to talk about it. Consent is very important within kink and people are more willing to sit down and negotiate freely about what they want rather than the guessing game that other people play. What advice would you give to someone interested in venturing into the kink scene? It’s important to know what you want specifically and to see how that works out with

other people. Making a list of things that might be “yes”, “maybe” and “no’s” is a good place to start. Resources online can be helpful and also a fun exercise. Research first, then figure out what you want and get to know your limits. You don’t want to walk into a scene and not know what your limits are. Take a look at your own personal history. “What might be a trigger for me?” Make sure it’s consensual. That the people you are “playing” with agree to the same terms as you. Just be respectful of other people and other identities and other ways of expressing oneself. Having conversations with the people you are engaging with about what some warning signs are and “safe words” are is extremely important. If you do want to explore this on your own or within a community, talking to people can be helpful and you can learn a lot. If you choose to enter the kink scene, once you start to engage with other people- Important things to remember: keep an open mind, not all of us share the same ideas and that’s okay. Your kink is not my kink and that’s okay. To be accepting, without judgements, and having respect for yourself and others.

Volume 50 | Issue 23 | April 11, 2016

Opinion

#FirstWorldProblems: a legitimate struggle?

By Dan Morrison

Two weeks in to my first week of university and I was in the midst of a crisis. I had broken my cafetiere (fancy coffee press). My friend told me about his experience with this (he broke his on the toilet) but I had never expected it to happen to me. Upon hearing the news, my mum had rather kindly sent me a Pyrex replacement, a comfort as I cleared up the melange of broken glass and shattered pieces of my heart. Seemingly, there is only one first world problem here - the broken cafetiere. In fact, there are two: the second being the damaged aura of sophistication that comes in the transformation from glass to plastic. No longer could I pretend that my university hall’s bedroom was the Parisiancafé-cliché I deluded myself into believing it was.

campus By Troy Bordun

On March 28th, Nick Dyer-Witheford (Faculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University) gave a talk on the current state of global labor in relation to digital and social media. Dyer-Witheford’s talk was hosted by Trent University’s Undergraduate Program in Media Studies and was held in Bagnani Hall at Traill College. Dr. Liam Young, an associate professor (limited-term appointment) in Trent’s Cultural Studies program and former student of Dyer-Witheford, invited the speaker to Trent. Dyer-Witheford provided an overview of his latest book, Cyber-Proletariat: Global Labor in the Digital Vortex (2015). The author was moved by the “digital revolution” of the years 2009 to 2014. This revolution took place from New Zealand to Ukraine to North America. Riots, uprisings, protests, and occupations were commonplace in the news during those years. The increasing digitization of society and culture, Dyer-Witheford argues, is “changing class composition.” The changes are visible in the labor fields themselves and in the movements, strikes, and pro-

No, I was just a man, in a room, with coffee. Uh, “why is my life so hard?” “First World Problems” is quite a difficult concept to explain, easy to recognize but difficult to understand. We just sort of know them when we see them. The theory goes that these are problems only the privileged in the world would experience; they aren’t life and death, but concern the frivolities of life, like the shirt you want being out of stock or a Starbucks-related mishap. Your quality of life is not really affected, though you do have something to moan about - maybe, paradoxically, they improve your life a little then? This term is a bit problematic though. It seems to imply that anybody not in the first world, or people in the third world, live lives that are only life and death struggles, with none of the trivialities. We patronisingly reduce their lives to horror. Actually, this article is probably a bit

condescending, too. Ah. But as Steven Poole wrote in The Guardian last October, “it’s arguable that the phrase ‘first world problems’ is condescending and dehumanizing to literally everyone on the planet.” There is real suffering that goes on within the global well-off, with relative or absolute suffering which can be tossed aside as “first world.” Implicitly we are questioned, can you suffer, or should you be suffering, if you are in a good part of the West? Guess what, you can suffer and get annoyed about trivial stuff that happens in your first world lives. To say you shouldn’t get a bit annoyed against some slight is absurd, but to frame your own life in terms of ‘would I get annoyed about this if I was just trying to survive’ is even weirder. Wouldn’t all your decisions then be seen as life and death and the desperation that associates it? I am probably being

facetious, but then you are right back to the problem of taking your problems too seriously. Life is weird enough, so revel in it. Get annoyed if you’ve gone into the bathroom with socks on and the floor is wet, or if you pull your wallet out of your pocket and all the change falls out (it is annoying), though laugh about it, too. If you order a drink and the wrong one comes, just don’t let it ruin your morning. Complaining is actually fine, it means that all the little problems don’t build up into one rubbish week. “First world problems” as a concept and phrase is just about checking your privilege, a nod to the fact that you have, relatively speaking anyway, an okay life and the problem that has just met you isn’t seriously incapacitating. If you overthink it, the phrase becomes a bit demeaning, consider it a normal amount and it’s probably quite helpful.

Social Media and the Proletariat tests that challenge global capital. Dyer-Witheford first assesses labor in global capitalization. He observes the wealthiest individuals today are all involved in cybernetics. The workers in this field, unfortunately, share none of this historically unprecedented wealth. In terms of the volume of workers, we have seen a steady disintegration of white male industrial workers in North America in favor of racialized workers in Asian countries. Women assemble electronics in large factories in China; men, women, and children survive on subsistence living in India, i.e., scavenging for discarded electronics; and women often populate call centres overseas. Capitalism and the cybernetic industry have produced a “global proletariat.” Indeed, the industry does not function without the cheap labor of Asian countries. Dyer-Witheford reminds us that the proletariat, as defined by Marx, did not simply mean the working class. The proletariat are defined by their precarious status as workers; they are self-employed, contractual, or unemployed. DyerWitheford states that the digital laborers overseas, if they are indeed working for a

company and are not subsistence workers, are contract-based with little or no job security. Contrary to a scarcity of labor, in these countries there is an “oversupply of labor.” This oversupply of labor plus the insufficiency of consumption brought about a “re-proletarianization” during 2009-2011. After the financial crisis of 2008, four modes of resistance appeared throughout the globe, some of which used the tools of cybernetics to begin and continue the revolt. The first had little to do with digital or social media: the riots of the excluded. Cellphone users were able to document these riots however. The second is workplace conflicts. The auto and electronics sector strikes in South China are one example. While the workers did not initially mobilize digitally, cellphones and instant messages, as well as cellphone pictures, were used to maintain the resistance. The Occupy movements were a different sort. These protests were largely comprised of young, college-aged and tech savvy individuals. The force of Occupy was due in part to the social media campaigns and the

extensive reposting and retweeting on the respective sites. On the one hand, social media aided in movement; on the other, these were high traffic days for Facebook and Twitter. Facebook and Twitter function on and profit from user-generated content. Lastly, Dyer-Witheford provides an overview of the leaks and hacks in recent years, from Snowden to Anonymous. Dyer-Witheford observes that many of the protests, movements, and strikes were failures. He also notes the double-edged sword of digital technology: it is able to make visible what has otherwise been invisible but also acts as weapons of surveillance. Some of the movements, etc., have also been coopted by ethnocentric and/or fundamentalist groups. The talk almost ended on this pessimistic note. But the movements initiated in 2011 continue to this day. Black Lives Matter, Idle No More, and various migrantborder issues bring social media into their respective struggles. While cybernetics may dominate the global market and global labor, Dyer-Witheford concludes that there is a strong “human front against digital capital.”

Damn Trent, back at it again with the bench van(dalism)’s By Josh Skinner

Since Late November there has been an 80s camp movie pissing contest being undertaken by two warring factions, a prolife advocacy group (the Canadian Center for Bioethical Reform, CCBR) and two activists that in the past have used the bench as a canvas for a Nietzsche themed painting class. To be clear this is a symptom of an increasingly polarized society that will give me another topic to write about in this weekly column titled “the road to civilize.” But first let’s get back to the antics, and understand that the first shot was fired by CCBR by placing the ad across from the Tim Hortons on Water Street in the first place. Potentially thousands of students who live off campus pass this sign on a daily basis. It is very possible that some of these students may listen to rock and roll, or hip-hop. What happens when you listen to music? Pregnancy. What happens when you get

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pregnant? You kill babies. Or at least this is the line of logic that CCBR is following when they mount a targeted add campaign put up a sign with a baby reaching out to potential baby killers on busses stating “take my hand, not my life.” This is some mid-grade level trolling being put on by the CCBR, not dissimilar from putting up a sign at someone’s local sporting facility saying “Wombats suck,” when in fact supporters of the Wombats know that the team that they support does not, in fact, “suck.” If park benches were sentient, there would most certainly be a weekly vigil marking and noting the amount of abuse the Water Street pro-life bench has accrued since late November. It started with the child’s eyes on the bench being gouged out by knives in late November. This escalated to a dedicated spray-painting campaign in early December, which has been carried out with efficiency, and has been met with equally diligent cleanup responses.

Somewhere in this town there must be a pile of paint cans representing this work ethic. As well as a pile of cigarette butts from the city workers who scrub this park bench. Articles were written, citizens were concerned and content was published on local and pro-life news websites in response to this. CCBR was not having any of it, and launched its next trolling campaign, which escalated the stakes at hand for both parties involved. This time the CCBR brought the pro-life messages into a venue debatably not as public, but much more challenging to vandalize without a proverbial old person yelling “get off my lawn you damn kids.” Now the CCBR wanted to bring these ads onto the city busses. At first the city decided that the advertising money was not worth it (despite mass vacancy of advertising on city busses) to be involved in this childish campaign of escalating antics from teamlife and team-choice. Unfortunately for the city, this was a

constitutional conundrum and it was ruled that to do this was to infringe on the sacred ideals free speech of the CCBR. This presented the pro-choice people with a real brain-wrinkler, in that they couldn’t vandalize the insides of busses without getting caught. Thus, they decided to get much more creative in their vandalism of the poor park bench. Sometimes the most chilling message is sent by an absence, the allure and the pure terror that black holes have associated with them are representative of this. It’s possible that this was the logic behind the most recent actions undertaken by the park bench vandals when they removed the advertisement entirely from existence early last week. Where there was once evidence of an ongoing dialogue between the rich campers and the goofball campers through an increasingly high-stakes prank-off, now there is simply emptiness, and an apprehensive anticipation about what the CCBR’s next move will be.

campus

Trent University colleges present: The Last Lecture Photos provided by Ashley Fearnall

By Ashley Fearnall

On April 1, Trent University’s colleges invited the staff, students, faculty and the Peterborough community to attend The Last Lecture, an annual event celebrating the graduating class and accomplishments of Trent’s excellent students. The last lecture invites three speakers, a graduating student, a faculty member and an alumnus, to discuss the significance of their time at Trent University, the next steps in life’s journey and lessons from their time at Trent. This year, the colleges invited graduating student Lexie Houghton, faculty member Dr. David Beresford, and alumnus Stephen Brown to share some advice with Trent’s students. The event illustrated the strength of the community at Trent that we find in our

classrooms, in our departments, in our colleges and in the people we interact with daily. Houghton shared that Trent is a place where we find our voice, it was where she “learned to take risks and put [herself] out there.” Leaving this community may be scary, but the community and our knowledge will help us adapt to the challenges that come next. This theme of community and critical thinking is found in Brown’s and Beresford’s lectures. For Brown the experience at Trent University creates powerful opportunities to learn how knowledge must be communicated successfully. Once you enter the workforce, “it’s not about being the smartest it’s about commu-

nicating [ideas] well.” Trent University’s small class sizes, community and open discussions between disciplines offers a place and community where you can test your communication skills in discussions with students, professors and the wider Peterborough community. As students approach the end of our time at Trent University, it is not uncommon for graduates to feel lost, alone and scared of the future. Beresford assured students this is normal, and to embrace the moment as an opportunity to plan for the future. The let down will happen after graduation, what matters is what you do with it. What makes you passionate? Use the failures you find along the way to find out. What will you do next?

Explore many interests and opportunities to find, what Brown describes as, your swing factor: if you can you swing your feet out of bed easily most days, you love what you are doing. The Last Lecture leaves us optimistic for the future for Trent’s graduating class, one that is rich with opportunities. Failure and missteps will happen long the way; your education time is not simply about content. “It is about learning how to learn,” Beresford reminded us. Congratulations to our graduating class. Thank you for being part of our story at Trent University, and we hope you find lessons in your failures. If you were unable to join us, you can watch this year’s speakers online! (Link to be posted in the online version of this article on Arthur’s website.)

set universities and their graduates apart, as students reported that the challenge of a community-based research project provided them with skills that would have been unattainable in a traditional classroom setting. In addition, such an opportunity to be engaged with the Peterborough community broadened students’ networks and ties to the area. Ngina Kibathi is a fourth-year Trent student in the forensic science program examining opportunities for youth in Peterborough. “The community-based research project is a one of a kind opportunity to step out of the traditional classroom to learn, explore, and understand different elements of the Peterborough community,” said Kibathi. In addition, Trent Browett, a fourth-year Trent student studying international development conducted an evaluation of Peterborough’s pre-charge diversion program. “[Community-based research] provides an opportunity to students to have a real impact on the community they have the privilege of sharing through the four years that they attend Trent University,” Browett stated. The TCRC is a unique program that truly emphasizes and facilitates research at the undergraduate level that also has lasting impact on the Peterborough community. It is the kind of program that foments applicable skills, makes a university and its graduates stand out and successfully links theory with practice and campus with community.

The forum welcomed 25 projects from Trent University conducted by over 40 students. The showcased projects stemmed from fourth year international development, forensic science and geography courses and various independent projects from business, economics, history, nursing, biology and indigenous studies departments. Over 20 projects from Fleming College were also showcased at this event. These projects were undertaken in collaboration with local businesses, the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster and Fleming students. Students from Fleming College were partnered with a local business or local sponsors in order to provide their expertise in computer technology, wireless information networking, marketing and international trade and business. The Fleming model allows students to act as consultants for local businesses and simulates a real workplace environment that has monetary and human resource implications. These projects often constitute the first time that students are exposed to the managerial aspect of the workplace, and provide students with practical skills and networking opportunities. Dr. Raymnod Vip Choy, the program coordinator for Fleming College and professor at Trent University, noted that this program allows students to enhance their network in the business and not-for-profit sectors in Peterborough and to apply their learning to real world situations.

For the businesses involved, this program provides them with the expertise of students and their faculty supervisors, exposure to graduating students and a way to informally evaluate potential future employees. “The Fleming approach is unique,” Choy stated and also noted that students who engaged in the program were more likely to find employment in their field than their counterparts. Both Trent’s and Fleming’s programs provide students the rare opportunity to engage with their local community and gain real-world transferable skills. These programs are essential in creating experienced, community-conscious graduates that have learned the value of community-based research and overcome the challenge of translating theory into practice. The Community Innovation Forum, hosted to showcase the outcome of community-based projects, celebrated students’ accomplishments and provided a space for the sharing of ideas, networking and more opportunities for collaboration. The evening ended with a panel discussion featuring local entrepreneurs D’Arcy Hutton, Ribbat Chowdry, Sana Virji and Lindsay Brock and was moderated by “The Voice of Business,” Sandra Duek. The event also recognized students’ work by presenting a series of awards, including the Faststart Awards, Student Choice Award, Community Impact Award, Innovation Awards, and Academic Achievement in Community Setting Award.

Community Innovation Forum showcases student research By Adriana Sierra

On April 7, students from Trent University and Fleming College showcased community-centered research, innovative solutions and project evaluations in the Community Innovation Forum. The yearly event hosted by Trent University, Fleming College, the Trent Community Research Centre and the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster, and sponsored by Bell, brought together students from a variety of fields, academics and community members in a celebration of research and innovation. The Community Innovation Forum showcased the research and evaluations of Trent University students who undertook community-based projects facilitated by the Trent Community Research Center (TCRC). The TCRC seeks to be a “catalyst for community action through research,” by providing a space for collaboration between local actors and Trent students. Local actors propose a research question or project, which is then undertaken by students who learn to translate theory into practice in the process. Dr. John Marris, director at the TCRC, noted that community-based research is an opportunity for Trent students to give back to the community that they live in by meeting local research needs, while also providing students a powerful learning experience and a rare opportunity at the undergraduate level. These research opportunities are what

Volume 50 | Issue 23 |April 11| 2016

campus

Arthur conducts a survey on student life in Peterborough By Jordan Porter

This week, Arthur Newspaper conducted an online survey entitled “Students’ Life in Peterborough”. The focus of the survey revolved around getting a better understanding of how Trent students feel about Peterborough outside of the campus community. Arthur attempted to ask questions that would give us a little insight on whether or not students would be willing to stay in Peterborough after they graduate from Trent if the conditions were right for them. In a three-day period, Arthur was able to collect responses from Trent students asking questions such as what part of town they live in. Questions that were posed pertained to the degree of safety and housing, and whether they would consider staying in Peterborough after graduation. The reliance on food bank programs was also another factor of the survey. Answers received may give cause for alarm in the “why or why not” section of the questionnaire from students voicing their concern or discussing late night drunken belligerence on their doorstep, to living next door to a known drug house. This survey truly paints a picture of what different members of the student body have to deal with every day. The results of these questions can be found below, along with a few selected written responses where applicable. Question 1: Do you live in Peterborough? Peterborough includes Douro (1) and Lakefield (2) – they are not included as ‘commute’. Yes, all year

48.5%

No, I commute to Trent

1.1%

Yes, but not all summer

Other: stay some summers

Question 2: Why Peterborough?

did

49.5%

you

choose

For Trent University specifically (54) For Trent University and the town of Peterborough (9) For the town of Peterborough (7) It is the participant’s hometown (6) Others (3) – cheap, green, quaint

www.trentarthur.ca

Question 3: Where do you currently reside in Peterborough? I do not live in Peterborough

On Trent U Campus

6.2%

George North/ Campus Heights

9.3%

London/ McDonnel/ Park St. area

13.4%

Downtown (incl. Parkhill and George)

50.5%

East City

6.2%

Lansdowne

University Heights area

2.1%

West End

2.1%

Lakefield

2.1%

Other (1 each of 6 total) 1% each, 6.1% together

Fleming area, Chemong, Bonaccord, South West End, Armour, Douro

Question 4: Do you feel safe where you live in Peterborough? Yes

50.5%

6.2%

Somewhat

N/A

42.3% 1.1%

Question 5: Why or why not? No, because participants live in an area that they deem safe, often specify that is it away from low-income or downtown areas (21) Three participants said that there is nothing to be afraid of, however two of the three specified that they are white, able-bodied, cis men. Three students mentioned that they are on campus; two feel safe on campus while the other does not feel safe with the town of Peterborough as they are unfamiliar with the areas. Nine participants mentioned a nervousness to walk alone at night, mentioning dimly lit streets. Incidents mentioned: Robberies or break-ins (4) Violence (6) Verbal abuse (5)

Drug addicts and drug houses (6) Crack mentioned specifically (2 of the 6) Drunken disturbances (7) Panhandlers (2) Sex-offenders (1) Personally attacked (1) Sexual harassment or homophobia (4) Racism (1) Comments: “Meth is a hell of a drug” “Several heroin needles found on front lawn, on separate occasions two of housemates have been been chased by people attempting to mug them, people clearly on drugs roaming the sidewalk in front of house” Question 6: Do you plan to live in Peterborough after you graduate? Yes

13.4%

Unsure

26.8%

Dislike the town of Peterborough

No jobs available

“I genuinely feel like being a student in Peterborough is more difficult than it needs to be. Sidewalks in student neighborhoods are rarely maintained well in the winter time, the bus service is atrocious for students trying to work while also going to school, and rents are too high (or at least, utilities on top of rent). There have been times that I would not have been able to afford to work and study in Peterborough as a student, if I had not also been living with my partner who is not a student.” “I find that Utilities are very high for a student to pay. Without using the baseboard heating in our apartment and minimal lights out utilities round out at 170-190/month for a 2 bedroom apartment. I think there should be some type of student discount on utilities.”

59.8%

Question 7: Why or why not? No

Question 9: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Continuing education elsewhere 12

Returning to home town/ country 13

All of the participants that said that they do not feel safe in Peterborough, chose “No” to returning or remaining in Peterborough after graduation. “Rent is cheap here which is appealing” Question 8: Have you accessed food banks or food programs in Peterborough? No, I do not live in Peterborough

5.2%

No, but I live in Peterborough

78.4%

OPIRG Food Cupboard

TCSA Grocery Program

8 8

8.2%

Food Not Bombs

4.6%

Good Neighbors Care Centre

8.2%

1.1%

“The sidewalks are a mess and hazardous to walk on, which leaves me walking on the street. Particularly on Downie St and on McDonnel, where bushes are grown over the sidewalk.” “Trent is such a great school, I feel like its a whole other town in itself, there’s some nice attractions for tourists and students, but i feel like it still needs to be worked on.” “I love Peterborough, the downtown has shaped my university experience more than the Trent campus has. It has a fantastic night life and many local shops and cafes that make it interesting. I love that I can walk to all my necessities and that there is a strong sense of community. The only downside I see to living where I do is that the neighborhood does not feel as safe as I would hope.” We can gain a lot of knowledge from this study, even in such a short amount of time. A few key aspects we can take away from this is, if the city of Peterborough wants to retain Trent University students, it should focus on creating jobs, providing better street lighting, address the issue of drunken disturbances, and address the obvious need of rehabilitation and create programs to help drug abusers.

Editor’s Note: Arthur would like to thank Rebecca Harrison and Jordan Porter for conducting this study via online module.

Campus

Celebrating publications by Champlain faculty fellows By Ugyen Wangmo

All photos by Samantha Moss

Champlain College celebrated the latest publications completed by Champlain faculty fellows on March 31. Faculty members included- Dr. Margaret Steffler, edited Mexican by P.K Page; Dr. Devin Penner, co-edited and contributed to Thinking Radical Democracy: The Return to Politics in Post-War France; Dr. Hasmet Uluorta co-authored a journal article title Tea with Zizek in Psychotherapy and Politics International; Dr. Philip Giurlando, published the book Eurozone Politics: Perception and Reality in Italy, the UK, and Germany; and Dr. Nadine Changfoot for journal article titled Creating meaning: creating emancipatory moments through storying outlawed experiences and relational aesthetic. The publications by all faculty members’ were on display, and discussed the works with students and other faculty members. The event was put together by Champlain College Head Melanie Sedge, with assistance from Gordon Martin, Champlain College Life Liaison.

Equity in the TCSA spring elections By Betelhem Wondimu

The TCSA spring elections were marked by a 23.4 per cent election turnout, with approximately one per cent increase in voter turnout from last year. In addition to the campaigning done by the TCSA, the increase in voter turnout is attributed to the unification of part-time students with fulltime students under the TCSA. During the election, Alaine Spiwak won the election by a tremendous landslide, beating candidate Corey Leblanc by 81 per cent majority (with a total percentage of six per cent abstention). In addition, the executive team included the creation of Vice President Clubs and External Affairs position, which was won by Pippa O’Brien, beating out Sam Khairia by 59 per cent (with 12 per cent abstention). Anna Lenova won for the Vice President of University and College Affairs over Andrew Clark.

Perhaps the most contested executive position is the Vice President for Campaigns and Equity, where Ryan Newman won by a close 44 per cent against Brendan Campbell. The five other equity positions were uncontested, while a refundable $0.75 levy for the community movement, a $2 non-refundable levy increase for the Trent Vegetable Garden and $2 refundable levy for the warming room were passed. Equity vs. Advocacy There is an issue inherently apparent in virtually most student unions that is rarely spoken of, yet has a significant role in how student are represented by a student union. The structure of the Board of Directors of the TCSA govern the operations of the student union while the elected executive team, together with staff members, ensure the day-to-day functions, all while representing the interests of students. One of the most important aspects of

representing interests is achieved through equity work; by addressing the different political and socio-economic challenges students face in post-secondary institutions. The VPCE is in charge of working with campus and community partners to work towards a campus free of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, and challenge all other forms of oppression. Ideally this position would be held by an individual who experiences forms of systemic barriers; a person who is from a marginalized and/or racialized group. For some this might a ridiculous idea, but if we examine the simplest form of the definition of equity it is “the quality of being fair.” Essentially, as a black woman, my experiences within society and the structural barriers I and many other women of color face cannot and will never be experience by non-marginalized individuals, even if we

account the same socio-economic status. Now, had the position been Vice President of Campaigns and Advocacy, the definition will acknowledge the person in the position can consult with and can advocate for these issues to be addressed. Unfortunately, per the definition of the position VPCE does not represent equity or the very students it is supposed to represent. In addition, it doesn’t address the inherent limitation of the position. Nonetheless, equity commissioners can alleviate this problem to the extent that the VPCE wishes to incorporate their campaigns. Although this is a topic that has surfaced during the elections, this election process has definitely provided the student union and students the chance to define the values they choose to uphold. Equity was an overarching theme transpired by students’ choices of most candidates and levy questions supported.

Volume 50 | Issue 23 |April 11| 2016

|Double Feature|

Self Love Week

Alaine Spiwak re-elected for TCSA presidency in landslide victory that I could show that I worked really hard this year to represent students and be there for them, and to act always in the best intention for students. I think that message is really comforting. I also think we had a great year and it’s great to show that to students. You mentioned student voice and that seems to always on the topic of conversation surrounding the TCSA, how do you think you can better represent student voice?

By Matt Douglas

Arthur interviewed Alaine Spiwak, the TCSA president for a second term, about her experience and what issues the TCSA plans to actively address going forward. Why did you decide to come back and do a second term as president of the TCSA? This is a question I struggle with. I just thought about my time in office and the relationships I built not only with the office staff, but with the Trent administration and students as well. I knew I was in a good position to hit the ground running for a second term. I enjoy doing this job so much. I really did want to do it again. Coming in as a first year executive you spend a lot of your summer preparing and I already had the work done. I thought that would be beneficial to Trent students. I want to mention for all executive [positions], you make a lot of sacrifices, I had to go part-time [with classes], and you work full time in the office, so it really is a different kind of lifestyle. However, I wouldn’t trade this job for the world. Was any part of the decision to come back due to feeling there was unfinished business? I had this conversation with a lot of people on staff and I think that’s the feeling you get at the end of any term. There is nothing in particular that comes to mind, but there is a general one of “there’s more you can do, more you can work on.” As well, you have the experience so that really motivates you do another term. This year will be your third year as a part of the TCSA, how do you think your previous year as Ethical Standards Commissioner and TCSA president has prepared you for a second term? Ethical standards commissioner was a great first step. There is a big difference between commissioner and executive. It’s great experience, going to board meetings, seeing how they work, planning events, using our budgets, filling out expense forms, building friendships and relationships in the TCSA because a lot of people move on to new roles in the TCSA year to year, but stay within the TCSA. So I’m always really glad I was a commissioner before jumping to president, it was a big jump. I’m thankful for getting to experience the lifestyle of working at a student union. I was definitely at an advantage because I had the year to build those relationships working with clubs and groups, regional groups and those sorts of things.

www.trentarthur.ca

I definitely had a large connection with students. I have always been involved since my time at Trent, working at the gym and working with clubs and groups. It does help that I have those relationships and the fact that we saved $60,000 a year in the transit budget. We were able to eliminate our exam bus schedule because we were able to save so much money. So that’s a fantastic win for students. They don’t have to worry about time their bus is coming for exams. It’s just regular service until the end of the year and that’s a goal we have been trying to reach for a while. Author’s note: The $60,000 dollars saved that Alaine Spiwak is discussing is $60,000 that the TCSA was paying for snow removal on campus. That $60,000 is now in Trent University’s parking budget. Last time we talked you had said that money was being saved, but now you are planning to spend it? Yes, we actually came in under budget for transit, so I think it was close to $80,000. We were looking to be under budget and that included the $60,000 so it doesn’t make sense to just save it, that’s not our surplus pool of money, that’s just us being under budget. We want to be spending as close to zero as possible so that we are utilizing that money for students in the best way we can. So, we are spending it on eliminating on exam schedule bussing, some has been allocated to the summer bus schedule and we still have a pool of surplus. This came up in the debate; a student was concerned about the summer bus schedule. Is that something that the TCSA looking into improving? In the summer it gets tricky, but we don’t have many students here and you can’t put all your money in a service not as many students will be using. We do have students and faculty that use the buses though, so we did expand our West Bank schedule. There used to be large gaps in the schedule, sometimes up to two hours. Now we are changing the West Bank to every 40 minutes. The East Bank schedule is still pretty sparse, in my opinion, for a summer schedule. We have made improvements to it. But we got rid of the exam schedule and are revamping the West Bank summer schedule because that is the most feedback we have gotten from students. With this year’s campaign, what was your message and how do you think it resonated with students? I think the message that resonated was student voice, honesty and integrity. It was great

Student voice is the ultimate goal. Student unions always talk about it; different organizations always talk about the voice of the customer, whether it be students or whomever. It’s a very difficult thing. If you look at what we did this year…we put suggestion boxes around campus. There is also just getting out there going to different events, different clubs and groups and just talking to students. You just have to be accessible to people. It’s hard if you are an executive and spend all your time in the office. You are just going to be a name; you have to get yourself out there. In terms of student voice, tabling is important, social media is really important because that’s where most of our interactions with students occur. That’s just today’s day and age. A constant criticism of the TCSA and student unions at large is that they are party-throwing organization. Obviously as president you see a lot more behind the scenes. How can you make students more aware of what are you doing and break the stigma of party throwers? I get the same phrase, ‘oh isn’t the student union a party throwing organization,’ every year. It’s frustrating being on this side of the table, like you said; we can see all the different things we do. Maybe it’s because we throw an annual party in the parking lot and that’s what people associate us with. I really want to stress all the different services and advocacy campaigns we do for students. Our Direct2U health benefits prescription service is number one in Canada, and it has been like that for years. We do a fantastic health and benefits plan. We run the Trent express bus services through the office and I guarantee most students take the bus every day, plus we have a really great service that we can run every 10 minutes. That’s something to be really proud of. As far as advocacy goes, I am at every Trent Board of Governors meeting advocating for lower tuition rates or more affordable post-secondary education, for mental health initiatives, for sexual consent on campus, all those kinds of things. We are here for students in every capacity. The TCSA has made voting fairly simple. It is online and sent to the Trent email address, yet the turnout is still very small. What can be done to improve voter turnout for TCSA elections? Let’s talk about this year’s election. We had 24.3 per cent turnout. Which, historically is pretty good. Yes, it is actually well above the national average, as well, in terms of post-secondary elections. Arguably, we are doing well at Trent, and I would actually argue and say our students are really involved. Even if you looked outside the TCSA at the TISA and regional group elections, they have been really well publicized and attended. In the past two years, there has been a spur of student involvement in these kinds of groups, which is amazing. You can always do better, but I would argue we have some really engaged students and that’s fantastic.

Self Love Week

A talented Trent student’s Instagrams of campus go viral!

As far as student involvement goes, it seems that international students are always engaged. During the TCSA presidential debate, regulation of international student tuition was an important issue and one that separated you from the other candidate in that you promised to continue advocating for regulated increases in international student tuition. How will you be advocating for international students? Do you think that tuition increases can be regulated? It’s interesting now with the new funding from the government about the under $50,000 family income free tuition, you know there is going to be different stipulations as your family income goes up. There are different kinds of grants you can get now, so the cap on the domestic student tuition will be lifted and we will be looking at a completely different situation. What’s important is stressing the importance of affordable post-secondary education and what that means for all students, not just domestic students. The core of what I am saying to the Board of Governors is that it’s not fair if domestic student tuition goes up three per cent and you are lacking money in the budget, so international student tuition goes up 10 per cent. There has been no cap on international student tuition and it’s not fair, it’s been like that because they want to be able to fill gaps in their budget. Students are not cash cows. I don’t care if you are a domestic or international student, you are here, and you are already paying your fair share of tuition into the system. They don’t deserve to be used like that. I also am not trying to be one student speaking for international students, they need to be advocating for themselves and they have been. The Student Centre has been a contentious issue on campus. Some students are bothered that they have to pay a levy fee for a building they will never use. What do you think about that? Levies will always be that point of contention. What are you paying for? What is this going into? I always use the example of the Athletic Centre. Students pay a levy for the Athletic Centre and now we get to use this beautiful centre. Unfortunately, $90 is a lot of money. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s only $90. But we are investing into a whole new building and it’s not just a building. It’s a student centre. We got to design it, we got to pick the architecture and we get to dictate what happens in our spaces. There are a ton of student spaces that are going to be there. The students coming to Trent in the future are going to have this spectacular building, and we’ll be able to come back and see the work we put into it. We are going to have more space. I hear a lot of students complain about Bata Library during it exams, saying it is too full. We can’t complain about it and not doing anything about it. The Student Centre is going to be a great solution for that.

By Reba Harrison

Sleek nylon frames sit on his nose. A cotton maroon hoodie under a sports windbreaker. Both fall over the top of his faded blue chino pants. Grey and white Nike sneakers with black laces rest beside his backpack (and in it, his camera). All seem as clean as new. His jetblack hair is pulled into a messy bun that sits under his unlabelled black cap, and a spare hair elastic sits loosely around his wrist. What is photography? “Photography to me is just being able to capture and share moments of my life; moments that otherwise would have been forgotten and often never experienced again. There’s just something very intimate and satisfying about being able to share photographs, allowing others to experience what I see and how I see it. I try not to overthink it; photography is just something that I have found a lot of joy in, and I feel extremely blessed to be able to share my photographs with others that seem to appreciate them as well.” Meet the self-taught photographer and Trent-taught nursing student, Horace Ng. This story begins in 2010, when Ng surprised his older sister with a digital SLR camera for her birthday. After she forgot the camera at their family home, Ng picked it up and began to experiment with photography alongside his friend Jordan Crowder.

The two took a bus to Toronto every weekend in search of a new adventure, focusing on street and architectural photography. Ng explains his style of capturing vertigo-inducing images as “roof topping, which is essentially trespassing.” However, Ng does not take risks and concludes that he keeps himself quite safe. As a photographer, he is keen to show angles of the city that people do not normally have access to. From such heights, Ng finds the skyline captivating and wants to share the beauty he experiences. It is a risk for security purposes only though. Ng explains his security encounters as mutually understanding. “They [security] understand we are not there to steal or damage anything. They see us with our cameras and just ask us to get down.” However, these particular instances of trespassing do not seem to be a concern for Trent University. Although Ng is in his third year at Trent University and a graphic designer for the Trent yearbook team, it is his recent Instagram photos of Trent’s campus architecture that has sparked a new life in the university. Senior student Sarah McDonald describes his photos as “simply gorgeous.” This appears to be a unanimous opinion among the Trent community. The Trent Marketing Association and President Leo Groarke have personally reached out to Ng to encourage collaboration work, and even locals with no attach-

ment to Trent have already admired his work. The architecture and nature aspect of the campus was a significant factor in choosing to study at Trent, Ng told Arthur. His hometown of Mississauga does not offer the same aesthetics. He said It is wonderful for him to be able to wake up and spend his days by the Otonabee River. Although Ng wishes that he took photography classes in high school, he values the collaborative learning experiences that he has gained since arriving at Trent. As a part of the yearbook team, Ng has been able to practice his editing skills. It is common for local car enthusiasts and the like to request the photography skills of Ng, which allows him to experience a range of hobbies. First-year student Cameron Loucks (@ cams.lens) was contacted by Ng in December after Loucks shared his own campus photos. The two have since met once or twice a week to venture campus and seek new beauty. Ng tries not to revisit his locations of photography, but instead always keep his camera on him and be ready for new sites and opportunities of beauty. “Working with Horace is a really fun experience,” Loucks said. “Part of the fun is exploring the campus and finding things you wouldn’t have seen in your day to day life there. Trent is such a unique place I feel it’s important to look at it from every angle you

can!” With over 500 photos and over 2,000 followers, Ng’s Instagram account (@hn.jpg) features more than just the city of Toronto and the campus of Trent. Third-year student Emily Platt (@emismiles) describes Ng’s style as architecturally inclined with a twist of nature. However, in expanding Ng’s portfolio into human portraits, Platt appears as a model on his Instagram. She said she thoroughly enjoys working with Ng. “He messages me at night and asked if I was free at 8am the next morning… it was really spontaneous... He noticed that there would be fog in the morning and thought it would make for some great shots!” Platt explained. “He’s very comfortable behind the camera and makes you feel just as comfortable in front of it.” Ng sees Instagram as a wonderful platform for photographers. While the app may have once been a joke to those that take their work seriously, it has recently become a greatly accepted channel on which to share artistic visual work. Ng created the photography account in his final year of high school. Fast forward to the present, his photos are grabbing exponential attention among Instagram viewers, as well as community members of Peterborough and Toronto. This fame has not shifted his future. Ng will continue to explore and challenge himself in his love for photography, but his passion for nursing and healthcare will lead his future.

Are there any campaigns or issues you would like to see spearheaded by the TCSA next year? I can have ideas and suggestions, but I think it’s important that we realize that it depends on what students want; that’s what we want to pursue.

Volume 50 | Issue 23 | April11| 2016

|Double Feature|

Arthur Newspaper is proud to schowcase local talent! Especially when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Trent student. Do you have a friend or know of someone deserving of fame? Tell them to submit to us! We would love to put them in the paper. To see Horaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breathtaking work on Instagram, follow: @hn.jpg www.trentarthur.ca

Community

Restaurant review: La Hacienda, authentic Mexican cuisine

By Jordan Porter

Photos by Samantha Moss

One of the most enjoyable aspects of downtown Peterborough, that we have likely all enjoyed at one time or another, is the presence of hidden gem restaurants – especially in the café district down along Hunter Street. When speaking of exceptional restaurants in this area, you would be absolutely loco if you overlooked the truly authentic Mexican cuisine offered at the family owned and operated La Hacienda. With a warm and entirely convincing Mexican styled atmosphere as soon as you walk in the door, from the festive music playing to the quaint wicker tables, you can really lose yourself in your surroundings that owners have clearly worked so hard to achieve. Now for the actual food. I have been to the restaurant prior to this week, but this time I decided on the enchilada platter. Firstly, I would like to note how quickly our food arrived, probably within 10 minutes. This gave us a perfect amount of time to enjoy a few freshly baked complimentary chips with our choice of two sauces that come standard with any trip to La Hacienda. Upon arrival, I immediately took notice of the beautiful plating arrangement, as well as how much food I was actually getting myself into. Four chicken enchiladas wrapped in soft tortilla shells were drizzled with two exceptional sauces, and topped off with some fresh produce. Freshly made, authentic brown beans were on the side, along with a scoop of perfectly seasoned brown rice. Although after vowing to leave no

enchilada behind, I admittedly couldn’t possibly get through all of the rice. By the end of it I thought I might burst at the seams. Nursing a delectable food baby, Arthur managed to speak with owner and operator, Sandra Arciniega. “We are a family owned and operated restaurant and we have been in business in Peterborough coming up on fourteen years as of this July,” Arciniega expressed. When asked about the name of the restaurant, Arciniega gave a heartwarming response. “It means a lot if you’re travelling through Mexico. It means welcoming, home, tradition. But it really translates to a big state home.” Having never seen or eaten any Mexican cuisine quite like what is available at La Hacienda, Arthur had to ask Arciniega about the recipes and where exactly they had come up with them, in other words, what was her secret? The answer didn’t surprise me, but I was satisfied nonetheless. “All of our recipes are from my family and are traditional from scratch recipes like we would do in Mexico and all prep is done here as well,” explained Arciniega. It’s no secret that the utilization of local industry in Peterborough and the surrounding area is a prime concern for most businesses in the area, and in interviewing other business owners throughout the city, Arthur is always curious to see if that sentiment is shared throughout. When asked if La Hacienda subscribed to this Peterborough way of thinking, it seemed that since being in Peterborough for close to two decades now has really permeated her business model as well.

Volume 50 | Issue 23 | April 11| 2016

community

Murray Street : a microcosm of the City

By Troy Bordun

Murray Street is the northern border of Peterborough’s downtown. Four blocks of this poorly paved road, from Water to Stewart Streets, serve as a microcosm of the City. It contains the frequently highlighted and frequently disregarded components of this place many of us call home. Let’s begin at Confederation Square. Formerly a burial ground and then constructed as a public gathering place in 1884, the Square sits at the center of Peterborough. It now contains the Cenotaph War Memorial, the Brown Memorial, and the City’s Honour Roll of the World Wars. The City’s conservative ethos is emboldened by the centrality and grandeur of this park and its memorials. Indeed, the horrors of war are engrained in the sandstone and bronze. Due to its location directly opposite City Hall, Confederation Square occasionally gathers activists and a small subset of religious-minded individuals. In 2017 the Square will be overlooked by the Y Lofts of the Historic YMCA Building. Built in 1895, the YMCA building was recently sold by Dr. Jenny Ingram, who acquired it for $1, to Atria Development for $500,000. The historic quality of the building suggests that the apartments will be purchased and rented by the financial secure members of the community. The 120+ apartments and stores at the Y

Lofts will also be steps from City Hall. The architecture and urban planning of City Hall, opened in 1951, was informed by the “City Beautiful movement” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This movement attempted to establish “order, harmony[,] and dignity of design” with the “hope of inspiring the community to a moral and civic virtue.” As we move from east to west along Murray, from governance to war memorials, the latter continues in the form of more historical landmarks: Peterborough Drill Hall and Armoury. Constructed shortly after the YMCA building, it follows the red brick style but also evokes a medieval fortress. The building is said to be one of the biggest and best designed drill halls of the period between 1896 and 1918. The Hall continues to operate as a base for the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, a militia dating back to 1800. The Children’s Montessori School also operates out of the medieval fortress. On the one end of Murray we have local government, military history, and the training of the brightest young minds in the Peterborough area. (Tuition at Montessori Schools cost somewhere between $9500 and $17000 per year.) The Street is also home to the 104 year old Baptist Church. Aside from congregations, the church functions as a warming room and

New government, new policies

By Betelhem Wondimu

The uncertainty of the global economy, and an increase in precarious employment induced by the mechanization of jobs, has led to the resurgence of the basic income idea. The idea first surfaced in the 1970s, although the global economy has since changed. Dissatisfaction with the current administration of welfare systems has also contributed to reigniting new inquiries. Basic income is capturing political imaginations across Canada. Basic income is also known as guaranteed minimum income, universal income, guaranteed annual income, or a negative income tax. It is essentially a social policy that would supplement various welfare programs by providing a baseline amount of money to all citizens, regardless of whether they work or meet a means test. This streamlined approach would replace existing social assistance programs, and would provide much-needed income security for the increasing numbers of Canadians in precarious and part-time work. Many correlate a new understanding of demographics as the reason behind seeing minimum income as a poverty reduction tool, with an emphasis on providing impoverished families upward mobility. If designed correctly, it should also eliminate some of the perverse incentives of the “welfare wall” that institutionalize poverty in Canada. The election of the new Liberal government has certainly transpired new such

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changes, as many speculate that it is because of a new government in power that the idea of basic income is being entertained by not only politicians, but the general public as well. The Liberal government adopted a resolution to create a basic annual income during its 2014 policy convention. Liberalappointed Senator Art Eggleton recently put forward a motion calling on the federal government to sponsor a pilot project to study the idea, and it was announced that Ontario’s provincial budget included funds for a basic income pilot project. The Mincome pilot in Manitoba in the 1970s, found that a basic income guarantee (BIG) did not cause people to stop working and that poverty is the biggest determinant of health. “As such, we should expect to see significant improvements in health among recipients of a basic income. For example, the Mincome data showed that under a BIG, hospital visits dropped by 8.5 per cent. This included fewer emergency room visits from car crashes and domestic abuse, and fewer mental health visits,” as shown by the Mincome data. Among other factors, the diversity of the Ontario province should be considered in terms of inner city, rural and suburban populations, and also take into account the province’s social and cultural diversity. The Ontario government’s plans to pilot a BIG should be applauded, as the implementation will alleviate socio-economic barriers that the most vulnerable face in our communities.

venue of religious-themed performances. A staple of Murray is the cheaply-made, low-rent apartment buildings, one of which is often filled with garbage and debris. Many of the low-rent buildings are occupied by Trent Students. The Brock Mission operates on the Street as well. This City-funded Christian charity provides food, clothes, and shelter to those in need. It was established in 1987 and moved to its Murray location in 2006. Since July 2015, the shelter has been at its capacity of 40 men every night. Brock Mission is in dire need of renovation. Rather than renovating, however, the Mission will be torn down and rebuilt in the near future. It will be funded by the City, fundraising, and mortgaging and will be a vast improvement to the current building. On the corner of Bethune Street we find the former location of Vinnies/Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The second-hand store, a much appreciated outlet for Peterborough’s financially struggling individuals, moved to a more profitable location near Lansdowne Street in 2011. A food bank now operates out of this building, still run by the Society. The food bank essentially functions like a grocery store – customers come in and simply take what they need. Across from the food bank is a house with a sad history. In this house, just a few

years ago, a man committed suicide a few weeks after losing his job. Certainly there is more to the story of this man’s death, but its significance is clear. Prior to Murray’s end at Stewart, on the corner of Bethune are often two sights: police cars and sex workers. Three blocks west of City Hall and the new lofts are the dismissed parts of town. Nevertheless, Bethune receives high automobile traffic, due in part to the necessity of driving in circles until the driver finds his sex worker and the routine passes by police cars, usually en route to the Mission. This tour along Murray was to suggest that these four blocks are Peterborough. We cannot talk about our bourgeois lofts or military history without recognizing the people and buildings a mere three blocks away. No longer are the City’s residents in a position to join the militia and fight in wars. The Shelter and food bank speak to this. Moreover, the abundance of postsecondary students who fill the apartments on Murray and nearby areas also speaks to the need for safer, affordable housing. Murray Street, when viewed as a microcosm, suggests that Peterborough is simultaneously a City that aims to draw wealthy residents and maintain a foot in a past while nevertheless negotiating a lack of sustainable housing and adequate employment opportunities.

community

Self Love Week

Arthur speaks with the homeless: a continuing conversation That’s what has been brought to our attention. A lot of the housing developments in town, be it for students or what not, are beside drug houses. Yeah, when I was a kid growing up, there wasn’t this. But in the last, what, 12, 15 years, it’s everywhere. It’s everywhere, It’s out of control. It’s out of control, and it’s scary. It’s scary. Back in the day, there was weed…but now, it’s constant… Not only am I worrying about my own housing…but…my only hope is the next generation…coming in the system… Yeah… That’s our only hope…

By Tyler Majer

Erin is a lady that has been struggling with mental illness for the better part of 20 years. As a result of that and other intersectional factors, Erin is homeless. Her story consists of a broken housing- system, an indifferent government, and loads of judgment, all within the city of Peterborough. I was lucky enough to sit down with Erin recently, and chat about her life. This is her story. So, do you have a story? How did all of this happen to you? It probably happened around 97’. I got diagnosed with Schizophrenia. I got a big dose of, um, I don’t know if you call it music coming at me or… I think it was going on before I noticed it, but it got brought to my attention in about 97’. And I basically lost…Like I, I have education, two years college, and I had been working all my life. And um, I ended up in a mental institution, over the course of 11 years squished into 8. When I got back, there was no help …and the help that there is… it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work for a lot of us. Even now, I’m fighting to get the right medication. It’s just one hassle after another. Right doctor… Right medication… What happens with medication? Do you have to pay for that? E: Some do, some don’t. But if I don’t get the right doctor, yes, I will have to pay. Rent is covered if I can find a place to rent. But when you’re in a town like this, they don’t want you renting everywhere. There’s a lot of places you don’t want to be. You know, like, uh, there’s a lot of place that aren’t safe.

Sometimes sleep right on the streets. Sometimes couch-surfin’. Sometimes I’ll go to the shelters, but even there, like, it has gotten to the point where ya can’t even trust them. And going to the women’s shelter, you get hen syndrome, ya know… *bok bok bok bok*. Doing 8 years, over the course of 11 in a mental institution, you get more coherent sentences out of these guys, than you do those hens… It’s pretty scary. Do you find students to be helpful? Yeah, The Trent students are good, the Fleming students aren’t so…But the Trent students seem to get it… I also find the Christians help. The Trent students are good though

Well, I can only vouch for myself, and say that hopefully, most people have compassion, but I know of, and have seen many others that don’t care.

That’s good. I’m happy to hear that.

Yeah, and when you walk into a church, and they’re judging you too. And you’re thinking, this is where I learned how to read sir (laughs) You know, really, this is where I learned how to read, sir, and you’re judging me?

It’s an overlooked problem. Almost, as if, they don’t want to admit that this is going on.

That’s crazy. They are supposed to have the most compassion. Yeah, it’s been 4 & ½ years on the streets. Jesus, and where did you live before that? In community housing? Or ? It was subsidized. But as you said, they were cracker huts…You can’t sleep in those places, you can’t…you can’t sleep in those places because people are coming through the windows. All night, every night, they’re coming through the windows, and it’s scary. It’s scary. Did you always live in Peterborough? Except when I did my two years in Barrie. But ya know, us downtown, we look to each other, we look to each other for help. Well, only you guys truly understand what is like. Yeah. When one of us has a little bit of money, we share with each other. And it’s the only way we’re gonna get by. It’s scary, but at least summer’s here. Yeah, I can’t imagine how hard the winter must be. What do you do in the wintertime?

And the majority of it is the government not wanting to tell the truth of the problem.

There is an issue. But the government doesn’t want, not so much admit it, but like, uh…it’s not like they can’t deal with it. Like, the government has been cleaned up over the years. But um…Hell’s Angels, and Satan’s Choice used to be running the city. The municipality, police, but not so much anymore. It’s really cleaned up. Even in the mental system, they overdosed me over 5 times. So, they’re probably trying to shut me up. But just put me on the backburner, ya know…Just shut up and go away. They probably don’t want the whole story out there Because they don’t want the story of them overdosing me like five times. Exactly. They do want to deal with. They probably don’t know how. But this next generation. From Trent, in this psychology, or whatever it is. I think they are our only hope. That’s what I want to do. Help the homeless, or kids with special needs. Well, I’ve always been diagnosed with a learning disability, and Epilepsy, and when I got older, it was Schizophrenia. But um, I‘ve always struggled. But I’ve always had friends and everything. But um, it’s out of hand. And I think our only hope is the students from Trent and psych, and the others. For Peterborough, I think that’s out hope. Really do, I really do. I think that’s

our hope for the future… cause they’re consistent, and they stop…and listen. “I’m hungry” * Laughs* But some are out there with their cameras taking pictures…I’m Schizophrenic…that’s one of my triggers… But you know, we help eachother… and our only help is the Trent students for the future. I think that’s a good thing to put in the Trent Newspaper. They’ll like that. Because there’s a lot of quacks…They don’t understand… Well, some people think, that mental illness is a choice… but… There must be something in the water. You’ve heard that song? Yeah, so, yeah… Well, thank you… Erin is only one example of the problems that Peterborough faces in regards to our homeless, and housing situation. Yet, she represents much of the problem. Underfunded, and unsafe housing developments, and shelters force the homeless out unto the streets. The streets, however, can be just as unsafe, especially in the wintertime, when warmth is an issue. Erin has also told me many times that she has been hit, and beaten up, solely due to the fact that she is homeless, and her story gets disregarded by the police. Well, Erin, I hope this story is noticed. You, and the rest of the strong people that find themselves out on the streets deserve all the help possible. Unfortunately, until society can collectively acknowledge the problem, human beings will continue to suffer without adequate care, food, housing, and services. Maybe Trent is our hope for the future; I really hope that Trent can make a difference. It is not really that hard… Spend a minute talking to one of these people, acknowledge them, offer them a smoke, or some change, or even give them some food that is just sitting around your house. Whatever you can do is appreciated tenfold by them. We have so much, yet they struggle, for every bit that they have. Acknowledgement is the first step to overcoming this issue, so please, if you see Erin, or any other homeless folks in the streets, take a minute, a dollar, or a cigarette, and place it into their hands.

Volume 50 | Issue 23| April 11| 2016

arts

Dollhouse world premiere at Market Hall

Source: www.publicenergy.ca

By Troy Bordun

Fresh from the premiere of his 3D film at ReFrame Film Festival in January, Peterborough choreographer and dancer Bill Coleman is now touring his most recent live production. Dollhouse, produced by Coleman Lemieux and Compagnie, is a multidisciplinary performance piece of about 60 minutes. It features a performance by Coleman, sound and effects by Gordan Monahan, costumes by Edward Poitras, sets by David Gaugher, and lighting by

Pierre Lavoie. Dollhouse premiered on April 2nd at Market Hall. Public Energy promoted the event. Bill Kimball, the artistic producer of Public Energy, described the piece as a “gentl[e] remind[er] that living can be painfully funny.” A dollhouse is a thing to be played with. Dollhouse, the performance piece, must indicate a site of play. The musical accompaniment by Monahan and lighting by Lavoie emphasizes a sense of play as well. Monahan toys with water and sound

throughout the performance; Lavoie drops then dangles a spotlight during the climax of Coleman’s tantrum. Dollhouse is a multisensory engagement. Dollhouse is more than laughs. Of course we may think of Charlie Chaplin or Mr. Bean as Coleman peels off his costume filled with broken plastic, knocks over a table with objects atop it, pulls down a ladder filled with crockery, sticks himself to black tiles, or tap dances through mousetraps. After the funny opening number and the second number, however, Dollhouse becomes more serious in tone. The press package for Dollhouse invokes the artist Antonin Artaud as an influence on the performance. Indeed, it is Artaud’s emphasis on spectacle, musical instruments as part of the set, and above all cruelty that we see in Coleman’s piece. “In the practice of cruelty there is a kind of higher determinism, to which the execution-tormenter himself is subjected and which he must be determined to endure when the time comes. Cruelty is above all lucid, a kind of rigid control and submission to necessity. There is no cruelty without consciousness and without the application of consciousness,” writes Artaud. Coleman is the choreographer-performer-executioner-tormentor. He exhibits rigid control throughout the performance: as he painstakingly moves from one side of the floor to the other while wearing a coat of long arrows, as he throws a tantrum in the midst of dangling crockery and dripping water, and as he breaks free of the plastic ensconced in his overcoat, shirt, and pants. The choreography allows for the objects themselves to spontaneously erupt and interfere with man. There is also Coleman’s consciousness – a consciousness that has placed itself in a set with inert, yet quite dangerous things. Dollhouse is an experiment in causal relations. Coleman explores kineticism. In his slow, tortured movements, we may feel kinetic empathy. The piece, above all, sets out to make us feel the performer, not feel for him in his absurd plight with danger-

ous objects, but feel his body as a force that can act and be acted upon. This is perhaps why Coleman strips in the first number – he rides himself of the plastic shards to be sure, but we also see his thin and pale form. The subtitle of the performance is A Cataclysmic Glimpse of a Man Out of Sync with his Surroundings. Artaud too believed that the theatre should capture the chaos and disharmony of modern times. Surely Coleman Lemieux and Compagnie have captured the spirit of Artaud. Dollhouse can be seen in Kitchener and Toronto later in the year.

Intronaut: a performance and a new album By Troy Bordun

Los Angeles’s Intronaut is currently touring in support of their latest release, The Direction of Last Things (2015). Tucson, Arizona’s North and Houston’s Scale the Summit are their touring mates. The three groups played to a packed crowd at Lee’s Palace in Toronto on Friday, April 1st. North is a relatively new band on Prosthetic Records. They play a brand of slow, sludgy metal not unlike Thou or early Isis. While the trio were happy to perform, they still have some work ahead of them. Their songs were mediocre at best – indeed, North needs to find a sound that is distinctly their own and we can only hope they continue to progress in their musical ventures. On the other hand, Scale the Summit has developed an unmistakable sound. Their brand of progressive metal invokes Rush and The Fucking Champs, among others. The guitarists have no pretentions about finger tapping their fret boards. This technique is often used to make a segment of a song sound more complex; Scale the Summit employs it nearly as much picking and strumming. The result is a complex interweaving of dueling guitars, bass grooves, and frenzied drumming. The band played a number of tunes from their 2015 album V. The authors now part ways on the subject of Intronaut. When the band signed

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to Goodfellow Records in the mid-2000s, I (Troy) was excited by their brand of metal. Their first two records are two of my favorite releases from that label. Garnering some success after these albums, signing to Century Media, and touring with Cynic and Tool, Intronaut then took a musical turn. They lost the heavy metal in favor of progressive metal, complete with clean sung vocals. For me, their last few albums are a mess – they never did quite figure out how to sound like Cynic. Steven disagrees. While I (Steve) appreciate Intronaut’s early releases, they do cause quite the divide amongst fans. I first discovered Intronaut as the opening band for Tool in 2012. Little did I know I would discover my next big prog fix. So for me, Intronaut is and always has been a progressive band rather than a heavy one. Intronaut’s change in sound occurred in 2010 with the release of their third LP, Valley of Smoke. Tool bassist Justin Chancellor appears on the self-titled track, offering his signature bass tone without compromising the rest of the band’s sound. Intronaut’s latest release is their most coherent album sonically and tonally to date. There is an obvious influence of bands like the aforementioned Rush, Cynic, and Tool, as well as prog giants Dream Theater and Yes. What separates Intronaut from the rest of their predecessors is that they don’t try

to sound like them. When Troy suggests that Intronaut fails to sound like Cynic, I see that as a positive. Last Things is a union of complex polyrhythms, progressive rock, heavy metal, and jazz fusion flavours. A polyrhythm is when two or more rhythms are occurring in a piece of music simultaneously that don’t follow the same rhythm or melody, i.e., one instrument plays in 4/4 time, while another plays in 7/8. This is a big element of Intronaut’s sound, especially on this release. Often times the bass and drums will be locked into the same rhythm, while each guitar will play its own pattern and seem to wander aimlessly, until the entire band comes back to the core riff. The album begins on a heavy note. The opening track and first single, “Fast Worms,” begins with a slow dissonance, which quickly turns into a fast metal riff, evoking what sounds closer to the band’s heavy metal beginnings. The vocals are a mix of yells and clean sounds, with guitarist/vocalist Sasha Dunable leading. While the other guitarist/vocalist Dave Timnick typically leads vocals-wise, hearing Sasha take the reins is a welcomed change. As “Fast Worms” plays out, there is a noticeable shift into a speedy progressive riff. After a couple minutes of back and forth between the heavy and progressive riffs, there is a brief pause. Here is where an older fan like Troy will likely be dissatisfied: the guitar tones

switch to a clean reverb, while fretless bassist Joe Lester and drummer Danny Walker play some jazz fusion rhythm games, until ultimately they begin leading the remainder of the section. Bass fans will want to take note: Joe Lester whips out a meaty fretless solo that is a must hear (on the down side, when Intronaut played this song live, Joe Lester improvised most of solo which didn’t have quite the impact of his original). The song returns to the chorus one last time before concluding. Other heavy hitters from Last Things include “Digital Gerrymandering,” (which lyrically is the strongest track: the song discusses our generation’s reliance and “need” for social media and digital technology consumption), “The Pleasant Surprise,” and “Sul Ponticello.” For those looking for Intronaut’s more experimental sound, the tracks “The Unlikely Event of A Water Landing,” “The Direction of Last Things,” and “City Hymnal” will satiate your desires. These songs play around with time signatures, slower tempos, and polyrhythms more so than the aforementioned heavy hitters. Hopefully drummer Danny Walker makes it across the border for the remainder of their Canadian dates. At their April 1st show, Intronaut had to make due with a drum track in Walker’s absence. It certainly detracted from their performance.

arts

Hollywood at Home: first impressions of Quantum Break

time mechanic. The third-person action-adventure game follows Jack Joyce, a character who, through a failed science experiment, is gifted with the ability to manipulate time. The experiment is a creation of his friend, Paul Serene, a scientist who hopes to travel through time and become the first person to do it. Not only does the catastrophe inflict the two characters with newfound abilities, but also heralds the end of time and reveals a villain who has travelled back through time to ensure his plans come to fruition. That time traveller is an older, wiser and far more dangerous Paul Serene. Friend becomes foe. Quantum Break is a beautiful game. The graphics are easily some of the best that Xbox One has seen. There were many instances in which I marveled over facial gestures, the hairs on the characters’ heads and how their design closely resembled their real-life counterparts.

The game stars Shawn Ashmore (X-Men), Aidan Gillen (The Dark Knight Rises), and Lance Reddick (Fringe), along with other somewhat-known and talented performers. While there are a few instances that wander into the Uncanny Valley, on most occasions the game and its cut scenes perform wonderfully. Speaking of cut scenes, Quantum Break finally meets the developer’s potential. Given the Easter eggs and homages laced throughout their games, it’s clear that Remedy has a love for film and television. All of their games had small instances where players could listen to radio clips or watch television scenes that often winked to other programs from the real world. With Quantum Break, Remedy created four episodes of a television series that ties directly into the show and is played at certain moments of the game – successfully blending both video games and televised entertainment into one package. I’ve only had a chance to watch the first 22-minute episode, but was impressed with the production values and its attempt to focus on a smaller character in the story, which will surely have a bigger impact come its conclusion. And to put the proverbial cherry on top, the choices you make in the game also impact and change the results of the television show. With all that said, I have a few reservations after a few hours of play. I’m still struggling to care about the characters and the stakes that have been established in the story. I feel as though I haven’t been given enough time to meet them, and early losses

in Jack’s life seem like plot elements rather than something that players should care about. I’m curious to see how the television show influences my opinion as I continue to play the game and if it heightens the experience beyond what standard cut scenes can do. At this stage I feel that Quantum Break’s story is the weakest in Remedy’s roster. Gameplay, while exciting at times, feels pretty traditional despite the attempts to create new gameplay techniques. At its core Quantum Break is merely a game in which you step in to a room, gun down a few enemies, and move on. You can predict when it will happen, and sure enough, it does. I’ve been craving a stealth mechanic and a means in which I don’t have to use my weapons and my abilities. I’d love for Jack to throw a few punches or to grapple onto some enemies that have gotten too close for comfort. Without these mechanics the gameplay feels distanced and echoes the experience that one might find in a shooting range. Overall, I’m on the fence. While Remedy attempts to bring two mediums of entertainment together and pushes their graphical standards, the gameplay and story suffer in their normalcy and lackluster stakes. There is definitely potential here, and while there have been some brief and rare moments of awe, in most cases I find myself playing Quantum Break to get my money’s worth. Be sure to check back next week for a detailed review.

He is not burdened by his art’s intensive process, which involves digging through his many cabinets of typeface in search of every single letter needed to spell out what needs spelling, but rather he is freed by it. It is in this search, and in hand-carving designs in wood and hockey pucks, that he is at peace. He finds solace in improvising. “I can break rules. I can run text across spines. Nobody is telling me what to do. I can type collage. I can do anything that I want. It doesn’t have to be commercial, ”Macklin shared. While his music playlist tells tales of going against the grain, Macklin does just that in the layers and grooves of ink and paper. He’s the Moonage Daydreamer of print. His newest project was 50 years in the making. Spasm at the Spill, a wordless narrative that uses 21 hand-carved blocks, visually portrays the Peterborough performance by London-based artists Nihilist Spasm Band. “They’re Canada’s oldest noise band. They were formed 50 years ago by visual artists who made and modified their old instruments to create a cacophony of sound.”

In listening to Macklin talk about the project and the band, it’s easy to see the passionate connection between the artist and his subject. Both are calloused creators whose love for art can be seen and heard in their handmade work. It’s difficult to imagine a stronger pairing and eventual output. Macklin is currently in the middle of the creation process. He’s gone about carving each of the images and is hoping to complete it sometime this summer. Only 50 copies of the book will be handprinted to commemorate the band’s 50 years of operation. This release speaks to the charm of the letterpress, as every book is handmade and contributes to a growing trend that Macklin has capitalized on. “I think there’s a drive to buy things directly from the maker. Whether that’s supporting the local farmer’s market or a print that someone made, there’s something about the letterpress that cannot be reproduced in a modern and digital way,” explained Macklin. “It has an innate touch and feel to it because of the debossing of the image into the paper. It has a feel that cannot be recreated any other way.” It’s clear that Macklin’s rebellious nature thrives on the uniqueness of his art, the fact that its human connection means that every piece is different and bears the qualities of the maker. The same design can be printed endlessly, but each is different in the faintest of ways. In many ways, the method itself speaks to his counter-culture cravings. There are no rules; there is only the pursuit of art and happiness. It’s a pursuit that Macklin plans to keep up with for the rest of his life. “I don’t imagine I’ll ever retire. I plan

to never stop printing. I don’t consider it work.” Until then, if you see posters in the Peterborough streets adored with the Jackson Creek Press moniker and a message urging you to seek out your better self, know that you have come face-to-face with Macklin’s work. Not only should you heed its message, but you should recognize that what you’ve seen is not only the product of ink and paper, but also the blood, sweat and tears of a passionate artist. For updates on Jeffrey Macklin, Spasm at the Spill, and Jackson Creek Press visit jacksoncreekpress.ca or follow Jeffrey @ jacksoncreek (Twitter, Instagram) and Jackson Creek Press on Facebook.

Hollywood at Home is a weekly column by filmmaker, writer, and critic Keith Hodder that highlights the variety of films and television programs that Netflix has to offer, along with recommendations of what to watch next and his opinions on the world of entertainment. Follow him @KeithHodder and feel free to suggest a film. “You killed her, you monster!” my friend Eric joked from his home in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Little did I know he could see the choice I made. I killed a young university student to protect my company’s secrets. It was a difficult choice, but given that I could look into the future, given that I could manipulate time, it seemed like the right choice. I was the villain, after all. Not only did my choice ripple through my friend’s list on Xbox Live, but it rippled through time, changing the events that would follow. This is Quantum Break, the newest outing by Remedy Entertainment, the pop culture-loving creators behind Max Payne and Alan Wake. This game, an Xbox One exclusive, has a lot of its predecessors’ DNA. It deals with a rich sci-fi mystery, akin to Alan Wake’s Stephen King-inspired roots, and allows the player to control time in a fashion that’s similar to Max Payne’s bullet-

Inspiration in ink: a profile of local artist Jeffrey Macklin

Photos by Keith Hodder

By Keith Hodder

Stepping into Jeffrey Macklin’s workshop is like stepping into a time machine. The seemingly small space is crowded with tools that have been long forgotten in the realm of graphic design and typography. Other than the phone in his pocket, and the speakers that play everything from David Bowie to Sonic Youth, Macklin’s Jackson Creek Press has reanimated the letterpress, a technique and tool that saw its decline in the late 1950s. There are no computers here, only a patient imagination that Macklin has honed since his foray into the print-press world 13 years ago. A Sheridan graduate and a long-time Peterborough resident, Macklin has always had a love for typography – the study of fonts and their composition. Despite leaving Peterborough to explore his education in fine arts and graphic design, he returned after the four-year stint to continue his work as an artist, motivated by his love and longing for nature. Macklin’s connection to the wilderness is reflected in his calm and laissez-faire disposition.

Volume 50 | Issue 23 | April 11| 2016

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. 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! 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. ECK Workshop Service; Secret of Love: Everyone needs love, as much as we need food and water, if we are to flourish both physically and spiritually. Join us to

explore the secrets of divine love -- how we give it, how we receive it, and how it sustains us. Hear others’ experiences and try a spiritual exercise to connect with the source of love. Stay for fellowship. Located at Sadleir House Dining Hall, April 17 at 4pm. SadleirSpec Writing Group: Sadleir Spec provides a space for Peterborough speculative fiction authors to come together and write. Authors do not need to be experienced and can be at any stage of their career (aspiring authors to published). Sadleir Spec allows authors to share their work in a supportive environment. Donate what you can to support Sadleir House. Thursdays 7-9pm. Sadleir House Lecture Hall.

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

send yours to listings@trentarthur.ca

in-person or an “online” appointment at

Local

wwww.trentu.ca/sep. 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. 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 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. Listening Party #15! Head to Curated at 203 Simcoe St, Unit #5. April 19 at 8:00. Bring your headphones!

Arts

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. Curated:The Fat Plant Assembly presents musician Craig Pedersen making espressos! Stop by Curated between 11 - 2 on April 14 & 15 and have an espresso made by Craig, because he loves you. 5-203 Simcoe Street (Charlotte Mews). www.curated-peterborough.ca April 14/15 from 11-2 at Curated Catastrophe, What, Where, Come and Go: TTOK is excited to present the first of many Samuel Beckett plays this spring. Please join us Thursday, April 14th - Saturday, April 16th at 8pm for three short one act Beckett plays: Catastrophe, What Where, and Come and Go. Tickets are $15 at the door with a pwyc option on opening night. Catastrophe, What, Where, Come and Go: TTOK is excited to present the first of many Samuel Beckett plays this spring. Please join us Thursday, April 14th - Saturday, April 16th at 8pm for three short one act Beckett plays: Catastrophe, What Where, and Come and Go. Tickets are $15 at the door with a pwyc option on opening night. Catastrophe, What, Where, Come and Go: TTOK is excited to present the first of many Samuel Beckett plays this spring. Please join us Thursday, April 14th - Saturday, April 16th at 8pm for three short one act Beckett plays: Catastrophe, What Where, and Come and Go. Tickets are $15 at the door with a pwyc option on opening night. Send Off Showcase: Don’t miss this chance to check out the talent reprepsenting Peterborough at the Canadian Slam Championship in Vancouver this year. Help us at the Peterborough Poetry Slam send poets to compete at the Independent Slam Championship at the Verses Festival of Words in Vancouver. Niambi Leigh will be representing Peterborough as the current indy slam champ, while Frankie McGee and Jon Hedderwick are storming the festival as independent performers. April 18 at 8pm at The Spill. Laugh at Danger Presents: Jon Creeden, Greg Rekus, Wayne Kennedy, and Mark Sprague live at The Spill. $5 at the doors or PWYC. *NO homophobia, transphobia, sexism, racism, ableism, or classism allowed here. Harassment or negativity of any kind will not be tolerated and assholes will be bounced. Thank you for your co-operation in creating a better music scene.* Scam Presents: Featuring Antix, Meathook, Piss Locusts, and The Canadians. $6 or P.W.Y.C. --ALL AGES -- no one will be turned away from the door for lack of funds. No harassment or shitty behaviour towards the venue or patrons will be tolerated.