Volume 51 Issue 12

Volume 51 | Issue 12 | January 30 2017

Arthur presents: Arts Issue Cover by Trent University Alumn: Laura Evans Title: Kana:tĂĽ

Editors-in-chief Yumna Leghari & Zara Syed editors@trentarthur.ca @TrentArthur /ArthurNews

Photographer Samantha Moss @MossWorks

Copy Editor

CONTENTS Volume 51 Issue 12

Opinion

Arts Feature

• Pg 3: Editorial • Pg 3: Letter to the Editors • Pg 4: Women’s Rights March • Pg 4: Open letter to PM Justin Trudeau

Campus

• Pg 4: 3 Minute Paper Interview • Pg 5: AC investigation • Pg 6: Trent Visual Arts Network • Pg 6: Bata Library closure • Pg 6: Trent Fashion Show

News

• Pg 7: Women’s March Toronto • Pg 7: Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec and a police state

Zafer Izer

Board of Directors Chair: Anthony Moniz Treasurer: Josh Skinner Secretary: Amino Yusuf Members at Large: Jordan Porter • Jeffery Moore • Matt Douglas • Shanese Steele

Contributors • Yumna Leghari • Shanese Steele • Zara Syed • Clay Duncalfe •Yumna Leghari • Mauricio Interiano • Jordan Porter • Emily Pecena •Dan Morrison • • Josh Skinner • Tyler Majer •Holly Stark • Lubna Sadek • Berfin Aksoy • Sarah Crookall • Laura Evans •Aurynn Jacobs Parkin • Linsay Cronkite • Zafer Izer •Patrick Holland • Jeffrey Moore • Daniela Leal Submissions due Thursdays at 12:00 pm Articles should be subitted via email as *.rtf, *.odt, *.odt or *.txt attachment | word limit: 800 words.

Letters to the editor | word limit: 100 words Listings, annoucements | word limit: 100 words Images should be submitted via email, Google Drive, Dropbox or other firesharing site. Images should be sent as attachments in *.jpeg and *.tiff formats with a dpi of no less than 300 pixels Arthur reserves the right to edit for length and clarity.

Opinions expressed in this publication do not reflect those of Arthur staff, volunteers or its Board of Directors.

Advertise with Arthur!

We offer great deals for local businesses!

Contact us for more info at: advertising@trentarthur.ca

2

www.trentarthur.ca

January 30 2017

• • • • • •

Pg Pg Pg Pg Pg Pg

8 & 9: Art in Peterborough!

10: The vigilante film genre 10: Who is Perkolator?

11 & 12: poetry & illulstrations 13: ReFrame Film Festival 13: Hood femme aesthetics

Community

• Pg 10: Trent Radio • Pg 12: Let’s make a podcast

Arthur’s spring elections are happening soon!

Elect the editor(s) and board for Volume 52 Arthur Spring Elections are coming up!

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

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

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

Time and Place The election location will be announced

in the next issue. The date of the elections is Wednesday April 6, 2016.

Refreshments, likely Persian, will be provided.

Agenda The Adgenda is usually as follows: 1. Editor(s) Remarks 2.

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

Who can vote Only those who are on the staff collective

at the time of the election can vote (the list so far is to the right). Voting is done by secret ballot. Everyone on the staff collective is entitled to a single ballot.

Who’s on the Staff Collective?

You are considered part of the staff collective if you have contributed to the production of at least 15% of the issues of Arthur released before the election.

For our purposes that means you must have contributed to at least three. (Again, see right.)

Proxy Votes

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

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

Volume 51 Staff Collective as of Issue 12

Samantha Moss Zafer Izer Mauricio Interiano Marina Wilke Holly Stark Clay Duncalfe Lubna Sadek Berfin Aksoy Jordan Porter

Joshua Skinner Shanese Steele Scott Maufront Dan Morrison Tyler Majer Derek Newman- Stille Kristina Dergacheva Daniela Leal Yumna and Zara (obviously)

One contribution needed: Matt Douglas Brendan Campbell Hayley Raymond Shan Culkeen Sarah Crookall Daniel Morris

92.7 FM Trent Radio

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

Who can run for editor?

Candidates for the position of editor(s)

must be members of the Staff Collective at the time of the election. Two Staff Collective members may choose to run as co-editors. They must have been running together to fill the positions of co-editors together.

Who can run for the Board?

Anyone who is a member of the Staff Collective at the time of the election.

Deadlines The deadline

for nominations for editorial candidates is Thursday March 13 2017 at Noon. All sets of editorial candidates must submit a position platform (800 word limit) and photograph by this time. These will be published online and in Issue 15.

Those wanting to run as Staff Collective directors on the board can be nominated at the Spring Election meeting.

Should you be on this list?

Email editors@trentarthur.ca Want to be on this list?

Just contriubte to Arthur!

Please note: the list of people who need two contributions is available on trentarthur.ca

Arthur’s on the airwaves!

Keep your ear out for Radio-Free Arthur, every Wednesday at 12:30pm!

Editorial: art as an act of defiance

Canada woke up on Monday morning to be flooded by devastating news. As the world is now aware, six innocent men lost their lives in an act of terror on January 29th between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

The fatal shooting occurred at Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec. The attacker, 27 year old “white nationalist” Alexandre Bissonette was fuelled by his anti-immigration ideals, among other problematic views that led to this cold blooded massacre. He opened fire on individuals who were at their place of worship and prayer; a sacred space that is one of the many facets of what makes up the diasporic and fluid Canadian identity.

The value of Muslim lives have become contested in this post- Trump North America, rather, the narrative of the value of Muslim lives has perpetuated into a dangerous realm. We had to remove ourselves from this sensory overload, turn off our computers, phones, and sit down at a café with a newspaper to take in what had happened in a tangible way, while trying to maintain sanity.

This news was all too reminiscent of last year, when Masjid- Al- Salaam was set on fire after the Paris attacks. At the time, the media and politicians were hesitant to call it a terrorist act. The words, “arson” and “hate crime” were used when describing what had occurred, all the while insisting that this was not a reflection of Peterborough, that this was not Canadian.

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cites the word terrorism when denounc-

ing the murders of the Quebecois Muslim men. Today, the feeling of security and safety Muslims feel living in Canada has changed permanently. Today, “even those who are staunch Conservatives….” are voicing their concerns over far-right extremists, as reporter Joshua Skinner writes on page 7, quoting PC MP Michael Chong, “demagoguery is leading to cesspools of hate on social media and it’s leading to an increase in hate crimes.”

Last year, a severed pig’s head was left at the very mosque where this shooting took place with a note reading “bon appetit”. Hate crimes fester and boil until the lid blows off; we are only now opening our eyes to a nation that is suffering from severe Anti-Semitism, with over 100 hate crimes against Jews reported in Quebec alone in 2016, and multiple cases of crimes committed due to rampant Islamophobia.

The first month of 2017 has been unpredictable, with one breaking news story after another; from the onslaught of Trump’s executive orders that no one actually thought he would implement, to the inspiring marches led by women globally, to the wave of alt-right extremism that has permeated our own backyards and resulted in senseless acts of violence has left us reeling. This is a question of identity, and how we will respond. How will we shape our moral future? Will we learn from history?

This is our annual Arts Issue, so we were ready to dive into production with the many beautiful works of poetry and visual art of local Peterborough folks. Noth-

ing prepared us for the news that Monday morning would bring, and the reality set in that though it’s Arts Week, our coverage would not be a simple, light-hearted issue exploring local art as we originally thought it would be.

It quickly became clear to us how interwoven the state of the world and Canada was with the fact that it was our Arts Issue. What can speak more accurately and intrinsically to pain, suffering, and hope, than art? Poetry reads between the lines and stream of consciousness visuals remind us of our roots.

The cover we chose this year for Arts Issue is by Trent Alumn Laura Evans. When applying to postsecondary institutions, Evans was accepted by various prestigious Universities all over Canada in Art and Art History programs. Upon coming to Trent, she fell in love with our beautiful campus, and wound up graduating from the Trent Indigenous Studies Program, which she credits as intrinsic to her success as an artist. “My method of making art reflects the way I approach and understand the world around me. I use my art to explore and gain understanding of a subject - reflect upon it, its relationship to the greater world, its relationship to me, and my relationship to the world.” The cover art is titled Kana:tå.

Evans describes the piece as, “exploring the idea of community, as all encompassing.” Evans calls into question how we perceive identity and the space around us.

In light of the Muslim ban by Trump, and the horrific attack on Centre Culturel

OPINION

Islamique de Québec, many people have voiced how important immigrants are to the community, and how without immigrants, we would be nothing. As much as this is true, and as much as these statements are genuine and well-intended, there is an inherent erasure of Indigenous peoples within these statements. We must remember our commitment to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women within the chaos of what the alt-right surge will bring, along with the distraction the media being commandeered by every Trump antic for the foreseeable future will entail.

This issue of Arthur is about highlighting Peterborough’s talent, and ensuring proper news coverage while reflecting on what role art plays in all of this. We have come across so many wonderful open source art campaigns in response to Trump’s Muslim ban. Artists and activists are being bolstered and encouraged by the threat on civil liberties and the possible effect it may have here in Canada.

Some of the most powerful and timeless art is created during times of upheaval. We hope that the art in this issue brings you some peace and introspection, and inspires you to express whatever insights 2017 has fostered within you so far. As Arthur writer Lubna Sadek writes in this issue’s feature piece, “Peterborough’s character seeps through the art that can be found all around the city whilst exploring its streets.

The art in Peterborough demonstrates the relevance to current issues that are happening both domestically and internationally.”

Letter to the editors re: Trent Lands Plan This letter is in response to a thoughtful article in the January 16, 2017 edition of Arthur about the Trent Lands Plan. I would like to provide additional information regarding some of the important questions raised.

The Trent Lands Plan (2013) builds on the extensive 2006 report on the endowment lands. The 2006 report is very detailed and is available in its entirety on the Trent website: trentu.ca/trentlandsplan. In 2013 administration undertook a series of extensive consultations on campus and in the community to review the 2006 report’s recommended uses for the endowment land parcels. The output of these sessions was a recommitment to strengthening of the guiding principles for any developments (with the acronym RESPECT) and an updated map showing the endowment lands and potential uses to guide future decision making. The pending opportunity to bid on the new municipal arena was certainly a key consideration of this planning exercise, and it allowed us to confirm interest in submitting a bid, and the ideal site.

It is important to note that the Trent lands are divided into 3 areas: the core campus, nature areas (which are 50% of our University lands) and the “endowment lands” which are generally intended to be utilized to advance the mission of the University and enhance the local community.

It is not intended and in fact it is unlikely that all identified parcels would be developed. Some are largely inaccessible, or the terrain would be difficult to respond to.

Some have been set aside for research and academic purposes, such as the Sustainable Agriculture Experimental Farm, the development of the Trent Research and Innovation Park, a “Sustainable Village”, and maybe even additional housing to respond to our growing enrolment. These are the priorities for exploration because of their potential to generate revenue for the University, to enhance the student experience,

and to meet community needs.

As each project moves from conceptual to a more active exploration and feasibility stage, appropriate environmental, archaeological and other studies will be conducted at the outset. Environmental concerns have resulted in modifications to plans, such as the undeveloped space between the initial and final Water Street residences to accommodate a wetland, and the design of the new arena being placed to also respond to a water course.

For the Research and Innovation Park specifically, which is being developed in partnership with the City of Peterborough, the City has retained a consulting team to complete a master plan. This is a high level guide to the overall development of the 85 acres. The Draft Plan process is a formal planning process under the Planning Act and will commence in February of 2017.

Public input is a part of that process. The Draft Plan will focus on the first phase of the research park, envisioned to be approximately 25 acres. To support the draft plan submission the consulting team has commissioned several studies to add to a body of work already underway by the City. For example, a Phase 1 and 2 Archaeological Assessment has been completed for the initial 25 acres. A Species at Risk Assessment is being completed. Other studies under preparation are a Hydrogeological and Geotechnical Report, a Storm Water Management Report, and a Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan. A similar set of studies are underway or in the planning stages for the new municipal arena. Commitments such as replacing every lost tree with three new trees will help mitigate some of the impact of the developments that over time, will position Trent to attract more students, expand our contribution to local and global environmental challenges, and contribute to the prosperity and well being of the region.

The issues that the author of the article

raises are important and will remain a focus of our path forward. We have a commitment to transparent and proactive communication about the lands plan and welcome questions and input.

To assist in furthering this, we will update the lands plan website with this ad-

ditional information to provide clearer information for those interested in learning more.

- Julie Davis Vice President External Relations and Advancement

Volume 51| Issue 12 | Januar y 30 |2017

3

OPINION

Trent student reflects on attending the Women’s March on Washington Emily Pecena

On January 21st, I travelled to Washington, DC with nine other social work students and our professor, Dr. Susan Hillock, to participate in the Women’s March on Washington. We are part of the first cohort of students from Trent University’s new ground-breaking Bachelor of Social Work program. When we learned about the march, we knew we had to take action and have our voices heard. Upset by political opinions and the long history of oppression faced by marginalized groups, we loaded into two cars and drove ten hours to Capitol Hill where we collected with like-minded activists and took our stand.

In a crowd of 500,000 people, I felt com-

pletely safe. I could feel love and strength everywhere, and I was proud of every protester that I met. I read signs that said; “girls just want to have fun-damental rights,” “I am a nasty woman,” and “I can’t believe I’m still protesting this”. A kind supporter of our group crocheted us all pink “pussy hats” to wear to the march. I was amazed by how many marchers were wearing these hats. A sea of pink power!

During the rally I met two middle school children who identified as part of the LGBTQ community. I listened as they shared their stories of coming out, being bullied at school, and gender identity. This was their first protest and they were so excited to be part of the revolution. Their energy and strength was so inspiring to me and I was instantly reminded how im-

portant this march is. I wasn’t just marching for any one issue, such as women’s reproductive rights or equal pay for equal work; I was marching for every individual who is oppressed under our white, middleclass, male dominated society.

It was exciting to take the theory we have been learning out of the classroom and into action. As a group of passionate social work students, we identify as structural feminists. However I did not fully understand this theoretical framework until I actually did something about it. Structural feminism “acknowledges the various structural barriers and oppressions that women and queer individuals face and acknowledges that each person is affected differently by this intersection of oppressive structures” (Mullaly, 2007, p.211).

After participating in this revolution, I have come to realize that we must do more than just acknowledge oppression, we have to do the work towards changing patriarchy through collectivization and social action. This is not just a political debate; this is a societal issue.

This revolutionary moment in time was something that our group did not want to miss out on. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to travel to Washington and participate in this march. Witnessing this event first hand was truly inspiring.

I can feel the power and strength of this movement globally and throughout the Peterborough community. I cannot wait to see where this movement will take us and I hope we continue to strive towards an anti-oppressive, equitable society.

An open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Dear Justin, Roughly this time last year, I wrote in these hallowed pages about my admirationverging-on-mancrush for you. I came to Canada shortly before you were elected and initially came to view your synthesis of Liberalism, liberal ideals and inclusive patriotism as a success.

Outside Masjiid al-Salaam, I wondered how you maintained your wavy hair so well—seriously, what conditioner are you using?—and I pondered if you’d recreate that trick where you can fall down stairs without hurting yourself.

You had my unconditional love. My friends wanted to get me a Justin Trudeau candle for my birthday (I beat them to it), and this Christmas my family cut out a picture of you and framed it for me.

I was just wondering whether you think you’ve lived up to all the expectation, and fulfilled all the promises that you originally posed? To invoke the great Josh Skinner, what grade would you give yourself?

Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Prime Minister, I’d still be well up for a pint some time, but my answer to the aforementioned question would be have to be ‘no’. My love has become conditional.

You are still a source of hope though, so my car is still parked in your lot.

The world for us small-L liberals has become a scarier place and your world leadership is more necessary than ever. The other folk like us need you now, but we’ve

gotta hold you to account as well.

I asked two of my friends about how fair this letter is on your time in office: one friend thought I hadn’t been critical enough and the other said I should talk more about the good stuff. So, I am pretty darn confident that I’ve got you pegged absolutely right.

You’ve done alright so far.

The investigation into missing and murdered Indigenous women was opened and you seem to have cultivated a very positive, inclusive form of patriotism and national pride. Coming from Europe—which is increasingly murkier rather than Merkelier—this means a lot.

There is a long way to go, as I’m sure many Indigenous people would attest. But back home, we have a Prime Minister who was responsible for vans displaying posters that told people to “go home”.

Hate crime, Islamophobia and antiSemitism have all risen sharply. We are being led out of the biggest market in the world because of jumped up immigration fears (at the expense of 90% of people who wanted to stay in the single market). The press is rife with anti-Muslim smears, too.

The Times was forced to retract a claim that “enclaves of Islam see UK as 75% Muslim”: they made their claim based on a report that said Asian school’s pupils thought the UK was “50-90% Asian”.

This is why your brand of patriotism is so important.

In today’s stormy seas of illiberal popu-

lism and lazy political metaphors like this, the good ship Canada has basically stayed the course—there’ll be no rubbish political allegories about the Nazis and the 1930s here. All the small stuff like photo ops and selfies and because it’s 2015s is refreshing in a world of potential Muslim registries and banning immigrants’ children from education.

But Justin—Justin—there could be so much more. It is time you step up.

Enforcement of marijuana offences is reportedly up, despite your promises on evidenced policy. Electoral reform is a mess: at home in the UK we would probably call it a “complete balls-up”. The carbon tax is debatable at best, but the pipeline really makes your position on the environment look a bit sketchy.

Uh, the pipelines. I get why you’ve done what you’ve done, but it is a complete farce that you can approve a pipeline that threatens Indigenous land rights while there are still reservations without running water. It is 2017: this should not be happening.

You couldn’t attack Castro for any of his sins, nor stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia: even America managed to put a halt on that.

I and many others believed in you and you’ve not really delivered yet. Sure, things in politics take time, but you seem to have traded in a cup of idealism for a beaker of realism. Crucially, we do still believe in you, partly as the best hope out of a poor crowd and partly out of genuine approval.

But this belief is waning.

You aren’t like all the other politicians are you, mate? Tell us you won’t just be a better looking version of Tony Blair.

The honeymoon period is over and it is time you start making babies. Otherwise, you’ll find we’ve taken the dogs to our friend’s for the weekend: let’s not start thinking about who gets the CD collection.

As Arthur co-editor Yumna Sawnya offered: “From a personal perspective, I have been quite let down. My faith in politics has always been dwindling, of course, but Justin Trudeau represented something I could get behind. As a Canadian who has seen NOTHING from his end, it is quite upsetting.”

Keep failing to live up to your promises and you’ll have to face our righteous, furious apathy.

I really hope you read this.

If you do, it will be a good start in fulfilling the promises that you posed: that you are fundamentally a good guy with time for his people (even if I am a Brit).

In troubling circumstances this past week or so—in response to Trump’s ban and the Quebec terrorist attack—you have teased us with the world leadership you could offer.

Good luck, we are all counting on you.

All the best, Dan Morrison (age 21 ¾)

CAMPUS

3MP: a word with Champlain college head Melanie Sedge Amino Yusuf

Could you please give a brief description of 3MP? Three Minute Paper (3MP) is a competition for undergraduate students who are in an upper year course completing a major project or a thesis. The idea behind the competition is that they would be able to communicate their complex research ideas in three minutes–or less–to a general audience. Students from all the disciplines and colleges compete, giving their three-minute spiel to the audience and a panel of judges, and at the end of all the presentations judges score them based on criteria that’s set out ahead of time. There are three top winners this year, with a

4

www.trentarthur.ca

Participants’ Choice and an Audience’s Choice in addition to the main prize.

So is that new for this year?

The structure is different this year. We are asking for faculty to support their students rather than having a college panel to evaluate the applications.

When was 3MP introduced and how has it changed since then?

This is the third year of 3MP and it’s based off of the Three Minute Thesis model for graduate students—that’s an international competition based on a model that started at the University of Queensland in Australia and just spread all

over the world. So we created a model for undergraduate students so that they can benefit from the same sort of experience. Because the idea behind the competition is that while students are going through the competition they’re learning important skills about concise communication that a general audience can understand. So they work with an academic skills instructor, Erin Stewart-Eves, a co-founder of 3MP, to prep their session and talk about what would make a good presentation and what would be in the slides since they can use up to three PowerPoint slides in their presentation. So, things like: what composes a good slide and what would go in a good slide?

They learn all these things as they’re going along and they can do a practice ses-

sion with her as she coaches them. Generally, there’s lots of times in interviews or chance meetings with people as you’re networking where you need to be able to explain what you do or something about yourself or your research in a way that is catchy and quick that they’ll understand and see the value in it – because there is value in all the work that undergraduates are doing. So to be able to communicate that is really what it comes down to when you’re looking for things like a job or a research grant.

Erin and I worked together on 3MP for the last three years with a student committee and a student from each college on that committee. And this year we’ve welcomed representatives from Traill and the Durham campus.

CAMPUS We’ve never had interest from Traill as it was a graduate college prior to this year.

Durham expressed interest in a meeting I was at last summer and they had a student register in 3MP as a Lady Eaton student. And I thought it was interesting that students might actually drive up to this campus with the desire to be a part of 3MP. So 3MP works out well in terms of uniting Trent across campuses and college affiliations?

Yes, definitely!

Yes, it’s a pan-college event sponsored by all the colleges so we hope for representation and lively support from them. And we hope that it’s promoted throughout the colleges because of the way the committees work. We have a representative from each college. We also give the judges something from each college and it promotes a fun and spirited rivalry among the colleges.

What do you look for in potential 3MP candidates?

The applications are reviewed by an academic skills instructor who assesses

whether or not students are ready to participate in 3MP. Some of the things that we’re looking for in the abstract are clarity and concise communication as well as something that is exciting.

However, simply getting an abstract on paper isn’t going to tell you whether the person is a good presenter or what their presence in front of an audience will be like so we’re still taking that chance that they’ll come and get coached and show Erin their presentation ahead of time. They also need the support of the faculty member that is supervising them, which is really crucial.

What values does the experience teach students?

Understanding how to put their complex research together for later when they need to pull the important pieces of information out and communicate them in a really concise way that is understandable. And that’s not something everyone knows how to do, it’s a skill that you need to work on and develop.

So, when they go through the practice sessions with Erin and they really look at how they’re going to break down this huge topic they’ve been researching for an en-

tire year and everything which is in their head, it’s really hard to compress everything they’ve been researching into three minutes. It forces them to pull out the really important nuggets and be able to talk about them in normal language.

I think those are skills that students who go through this process have a much better understanding of. It doesn’t mean they’re going to be perfect at it, but it means they understand how to go through that process and to then prepare themselves for interviews or writing a research grant proposal.

In terms of participation discipline-wise, like sciences and humanities, do you find that there’s equal representation or that one is more prominent than others?

It’s more sciences. The format and clarity of the sciences seems to lend itself well to the 3MP model. We’ve had many humanities students apply, for sure, but it’s been mostly science students.

When it comes to choosing judges we also try and make sure that it reflects the equal importance of both the sciences and the humanities. So even though we don’t ever have faculty judges, they’re still of a humanities or science background.

That’s true – the subjectivity of the sciences makes research a little simpler in the sense that academics usually agree on certain concepts whereas the humanities is a bit more scattered and full of conflicting opinions.

What have students described as the most rewarding part of participating in 3MP? I think the following quote from a student who’d previously participated captures that perfectly. Kelly McLean, who graduated in 2016 with her BSc. (Honours) in Biology, made the following testimony: “I participated in the 3 Minute Paper competition last year, and it was very difficult to condense my honours thesis work into 3 short minutes. I currently work for the Canadian Wildlife Service and am representing my office this weekend at a climate change conference for youth. Once again I have to talk about my work in 3 short minutes! I will definitely use the skills I learned in the competition to prepare my information.”

This shows how the experience allows the students to use the skills they’ve gained and to then translate those skills into real life.

Re-examining Trent’s relationship with the Athletic Centre

Over the last few years the University has seen great commitment from campus partners to continue growing and supporting students. Colleges have increased the number of programs they run for all students, and the TCSA has shown immense effort in strengthening clubs and groups throughout the campus. There is one exception though. The Trent Athletics Centre has made an innumerable amount of decisions over the last two years that appear to prioritize community members over Trent students. There are a number of reasons why the current Director of Athletics is not capable of effectively running a university athletics facility or varsity program, which I will outline below.

Students pay much, much more than other university athletic centers, while receiving much, much less.

While the management at the Athletic Centre would like you to believe you are paying a low fee, the mandatory fee all students pay is actually substantially higher than most institutions (which I will highlight below). And this fee continues to grow on a yearly basis, while services are still being cut.

While the current fee which all students pay is $201 dollars, over the last four years the membership has excluded the four summer months. As well, any fitness classes students want to participate in are not included. That requires the additional purchase of a fitness pass.

Also, and most troubling, the $50 expansion fee was put in place in 2006 to build the new Trent Athletic Centre. Since the Athletic Centre was fully built and accessible in 2011, that “expansion fee” has continued to be collected. What has the Athletic Centre been doing with those funds?

Putting it right back into their operational costs (which goes against the function of the fee in the first place). This is not only conning students into paying more, but breaks the terms of reference set forth for

ancillary fees which students are required to pay.

I have provided a breakdown of the fees a typical varsity student is required to pay. This does not include the summer, so students training then would need to pay additional fees: Membership: $201 Expansion Fee: $50 Varsity Fee: $320 Fitness Class Fee: $60 ($30 per semester) Club Fee (varies based on club): upwards of $250 Total: approx. $881 + Also, while Trent prides itself on campus recreation sports, any students who want to participate must pay for those as well.

While the Director of Athletics is on the sunshine list with a 2016 salary of $121,387.00, varsity students are putting in extra hours of practice, and paying a lot more than they should be paying! And this does not include the fact that the travel is just on the least expensive mode of transportation: a yellow bus (while other institutions use chartered buses with washrooms).

The Athletic Centre makes improvements to the facility based on the survey they send out to members. Who is not included in the survey? Students!

Students are the biggest stakeholders at the AC. In fact, the AC brings in a whopping $1.7 million from student fees. How much do they make from members? Just over $620,000. But why is the AC more concerned about member services? Because students are guaranteed money. Students do not (yet) have the ability to cancel a membership if we are not satisfied. Students don’t have the ability to find another gym, unless we want to pay for two separate athletic facilities (which many, unfortunately, are required to do).

Why is the weight equipment not upgraded, but some cardio equipment is? Because the vast number of community members, who can cancel at any time if they are unsatisfied, want more cardio equipment.

Also, you see those prizes they give out?

“Free Towel Service and Locker Service to 10 members,” and the like. Ever notice how you students are not included in that? And yet, it is you who subsidizes the cost of the prizes for members.

The Athletic Centre gives members exclusive parking close to the AC. Who is not allowed to park there? Students, staff or faculty.

Yes, that parking lot next to the AC? You probably got a ticket for parking there, right? Your student dollars are subsidizing that spot while the university struggles to find space for students, staff and faculty; meanwhile, the community members are guaranteed a special spot right next to the building. While you may be required to park in the Lady Eaton College lot, or even behind Champlain, the Director of Athletics wants to make sure those community members have prime access to the Centre which we, as students, pay for!

Cuts to union staff hours means more tasks for student staff.

Furthermore, students must fill the gaps in service left behind by cuts to the hours worked by unionized employees. Student staff at the Athletic Centre have taken on many, many more tasks than they are required to complete. This may be painted as an “opportunity” for students, but it is, in the end, a way to save money. As long as more manager positions are added, and the Director stays on the sunshine list, there doesn’t seem to be any issues, right?

The Athletic Centre charges other university stakeholders to use the gymnasium.

That’s right! Those exams you wrote in the AC in December and April? There is a premium the Centre charges the university for having those desks in there. The open

houses or student fairs that take place?

Those charges all go in as revenue for the Athletic Centre.

This shows that the AC has no interest in encouraging these events and attracting more students to our university (and, of course, bringing up our retention rates).

Those events mean more revenue for the Athletic Centre. This amounts to tens of thousands of dollars coming right out of the university’s operations budget as well as department budgets.

So, what can you do?

First, email AC Director Deborah Bright-Brundle (dbrightbrundle@trentu. ca) and CC Trent Vice-President Steven Pillar (spillar@trentu.ca) as well as President Leo Groarke (president@trentu.ca) about any complaints you have. This will ensure your email is answered, and BrightBundle’s supervisors are aware of the issues students encounter at the Athletic Centre.

Second, sign the petition that will be going around which will: a) Remove the $50 expansion fee as a mandatory ancillary fee, and; b) Allow students to opt out of the $201 Athletics Fee. By doing this, the Athletic Centre will then be required to treat all students as a member, and make sure they offer an excellent and clean facility for all members, students included.

We have amazing athletes at this University, and we want that to grow. We need to make students a focus in the Athletic Centre on our campus. This is our opportunity to showcase the great potential in our athletic facilities, and attract more athletes to Trent University.

Writer’s name withheld upon request.

Please note that the opinions expressed in articles do not reflect Arthur Newspaper or the Arthur Board of Directors. In response to this article, we welcome letters to editors@trentarthur.ca

Volume 51 | Issue 12 | Januar y 30 | 2017

5

CAMPUS

Trent Visual Art Network: a creative hub on campus

Mauricio Interiano

“This network was founded on building a community through visual art. We aim to expose Trent University to a more vibrant and present art culture. Whether you are a full-fledged artist or someone who just has a love for art, this network aims to connect people from varying backgrounds to bring more texture to what we know as Trent University and the city of Peterborough.”

The Trent Visual Art Network, better known as TVAN, is a group of artists and those who have a love for expression within Trent and the Peterborough community.

Their motto is “bringing artistic minds together,” and this is what drives them as a group.

Lobe Kingue, founder of the club, tells

Arthur that he wanted TVAN to represent Trent’s artistic identity: “Trent doesn’t have a strong art influence, so I told myself, why not use TVAN.” Throughout the last few years TVAN has been organizing a series of free skill sharing workshops and events in disciplines ranging from film to sculpture and everything in between. Using these activities, the club seeks to provide a platform for artists in the Trent community to share their passion with each other and with peers who have yet to discover their inner artist.

There are a lot of growing opportunities within TVAN, from both the events themselves and the people that participate in them. Skills and experience can be acquired in photography, painting, drawing and more. Also, TVAN members are offered an opportunity to develop their in-

terpersonal and leadership skills by helping organize events and interacting with peers of varying skill levels.

“From all the events that we had, the paint battles were the best,” adds Kingue.

“Seeing artist attempting to complete a painting under 20 mins while being observed by a big audience was an amazing experience.”

Arthur also had the opportunity to chat with Hamza Khattak, current president of the group. In the past the club has also collaborated with other groups and organizations on campus and Peterborough.

Khattak explains, “Last semester we hosted Paint Night with the TCSA and Lady Eaton College in which artists of varying skill levels had 2 hours to paint whatever they desired. This is an event which we hope to run again along with having an exhibit

in the Spark Photo festival which will bring people from around Peterborough together.”

Any skill level is welcome and workshops are free to attend. The club can also provide resources if anyone is interested in seeing a specific idea realized. TVAN is a great opportunity to learn about art while meeting like-minded people. TVAN events, workshops and activities are posted on regular basis on their Facebook group.

This semester some of their workshops will include levitation photography and tie- dyeing. If anyone wants to attend TVAN’s events or to get more involved with the group, they can contact tvan@trentu. ca, follow their Facebook (Trent Visual Art Network) group and page or visit their website trentvisualartsnetwork.weebly. com.

The BRIC Project: Bata Library closing for renovations Lubna Sadek Trent University has officially announced the closure of Bata Library for the next upcoming academic year. An information session was held on Friday, January 20th that was open to all students and the Trent community about the future plans for the library. Members of the Trent administration created a presentation explaining the details of the Bata Research Innovation Cluster project (BRIC), that will result in the closing of Bata library for 12 months beginning May 1st, 2017.

Why now? Kent Stringham, Associate Vice-President, explains that this is the best time for Trent to renovate its library, and that closing down the building completely for twelve months is the most efficient and cost effective method to do it.

Other plans were considered in keeping the library partially open for use and making renovations around the area. However, main concerns revolved around safety hazards and causing constant interruption and a discomforting learning environment. If the library is to be renovated in stages and remain partially open it would instead take 24 months and cost an additional $4 million. The transformation of Bata Library was jumpstarted by $7 million of federal funding which came with a condition for the project to maintain “substantial completion” in order to maintain funding, and so Stringham stressed that a major reason the library must be closed

down completely was to meet the federally imposed deadline. Remaining funds include $1.1 million from the province, $3.9 million in University contributions, and $2 million in fundraising, half of which has been raised thanks to the donation of just two generous Trent supporters, David and Joan Moore.

Robert Clarke, Trent University Librarian, explains that this is an opportune moment for Trent to renovate its library with the BRIC project and to expand learning opportunities by creating more diverse student space. Whilst the library will maintain its general structural form, the project is designed to enhance learning opportunities and make use of the university’s leading research trait by creating more innovative spaces for students and professors, and encouraging interactive learning at Trent.

The main floor will include a green wall with a lounge area, study rooms that can be booked by students, educational research studios and a Macs multi-discovery area.

The third floor will remain a silent floor and hold most of the stacks in the library, with study rooms centered around the entrance for a view. The basement won’t be changing too much, and the fourth floor will revolve around the environmental centers and visualization creativity lab with the skylight in the middle of the library being replaced as well. Maintaining Bata Library’s architectural authenticity is strongly considered throughout the project, keeping as

much as possible to the original Ron Thom design the library was built in, with a heritage committee and heritage consultant present to ensure this.

The two-hour information session included a questions portion to give attendees a part in the conversation. Some students were concerned about the library closing down for a whole academic year, especially in light of the increase of incoming students. The administration addressed this concern with the student center, which is set to open and begin functioning by the end of August 2017. Whilst some students shared their doubts in the University following with this deadline, the administration assured students and staff that the Student Center is on schedule, and are hoping that the opening of the center will serve as a compensation to Bata Library being closed for that year. Closing the building is seen as an investment in making Trent an even better campus than it already is with two new and renovated buildings that serve the community immensely.

Clarke highlighted that the building will be closed, but the library will still be functioning. Concerns were raised about staff being fired, but the administration stressed that this is not part of the plan.

Those with offices in the library will be reallocated to other rooms on campus, and those working in other major functions of the library will still be working behind the scenes to make an online library available

for students to use. The administration is still working on a process for students to be able to check out books online with a heavy reliance on TOPCAT, and pick them up within (hopefully) a 24-hour process period from the university. In the matter of hard copy books at the university, the library will be getting rid of many of their books and are still working on a method based on both quantitative data and analysis based processes to decide which books to let go. This is to reduce stacks in the library that will accompany the new design which does not allow for as many stacks, as well as to reduce outdated and under-used sources at the university.

Although the changes and redesign of the library comes with many valid concerns from students and members of the community, it is time for the fifty-year-old building to be renovated and thrive with the growing development of Trent. The administration has shared their interest in student input throughout the progress of the project.

Please contact the library or Robert Clarke at libraryadministration@ trentu.ca with questions, concerns or suggestions regarding the rebuilding of Bata. There will also be a new student advisory committee that is to meet soon regarding student input and the BRIC project, a great way to ensure we are moving forward with Trent as a student body, learning together and challenging the way we think.

signs were influenced by a mixture of the 1910s and late 17th century fashion, which was an interesting choice to display “romance through the decades”. There were male models as well as female models on the runway, which underlined the message of feminism and equality of sexes.

Junction’s space was cleverly used and very aesthetically pleasing. The show started off with the host’s energetic, if slightly confusing cover of Chicago’s (the 1975 musical, not the band) song All That Jazz. Two Trent students, Tim Hance and Henry Penyk, also performed some jazz, which added a pleasant elegance to the evening. After the YES Shelter’s speech, Reba Harrison took to the stage and performed a burlesque performance (fun fact: burlesque is a word that comes from the Italian burla, which means “prank”) where she stripped down to her panties and giggled at the audience before confidently leaving the stage. Nudity is controversial. However, it has the potential to be empowering for many. Reba’s per-

formance was a mixture of the two.

The Body Positivity Movement is a feminist movement that encourages people to adopt more forgiving and affirming attitudes towards their bodies, with the goal of improving overall health and well-being. It has been around since the mid 1990’s. And the Timeless Runway Show presented all kinds of beautiful people on stage as a part of this. Perhaps the show made people embrace their differences. Sex positivity has been a discussion from the 1960s and onwards for many people, and with these kind of events it is great to see an effort to keep this topic on the table in our present time.

Ugyen Wangmo, a model and a member of the Trent Fashion Society, tells Arthur, “Timeless: Romance Through the Decades was one of the most successful events to date for TFS. Not only was the group able to raise hundreds of dollars for the YES Shelter, the event itself was executed flawlessly. Although I cannot take any credit for the success of the show myself, as I was not

able to commit my time towards planning, I am still pleased that I was able to at least contribute as a model. Being a part of TFS is always rewarding. Not only did I get to enjoy myself, it was nice to be around passionate friends, and walk the runway for a crowd who believed in the same cause as TFS. The show was a huge success, and we couldn’t have asked for more!”

Over $800 raised before and during the show went to Peterborough’s YES Shelter. The YES Shelter helps youth and families in Peterborough lead full and positive lives by providing shelter, education and transitional supports. Harrison reflected on the event with the following words, “Our success with this show has made us even more determined to bring success and raise more funding at our main show in March! I personally saw a huge improvement in our models and teams confidence from the fall semester! That self confidence is what I personally am most proud of.”

Trent Fashion Society’s runway show promotes body positivity Berfin Aksoy

6

On January 26th, Junction hosted the Trent Fashion Society’s Timeless Runway Show. It was a 19+ event, where local stores had an opportunity to display their products as attendees mingled. This was a show put on to encourage the selfconfidence of young adults and raise funds for the YES Shelter for Youth and Families of Peterborough. The Lovewinx’s perfume, which smells differently on everyone, was the center of attention among the local products on display. After being ushered to my seat by some men dressed as knights, I waited for the show to start.

Trent Fashion Society’s aim was to promote body positivity and sexual celebration with their show titled “Timeless: Romance Through the Decades”. It is always great to see young people embracing their uniqueness and confidently taking the stage to make a statement. Most of the de-

www.trentarthur.ca

NEWS

Women’s March on Washington inspires Toronto activists

Sarah Crookall Through the biting chill of winter and the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, knitted cat ears have come to symbolize a brighter path toward human rights.

In a crowd of an estimated 50,000, fuchsia and muted pink ‘pussy hats’ marched down University Avenue during Toronto’s Women’s March on Washington.

Chants of, “This is what equality looks like,” rang in the air. It may have even been the first march where folks meowed aloud.

On January 21, North America saw the largest protest in its history. Five million participants in 30 countries voiced their dissatisfaction with Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric and shouted in favour of human rights.

The Toronto march started at noon at Queen’s Park and ended at Toronto City Hall at around 3 p.m. People spilled over the bridges at Nathan Phillips Square in a scene that rivalled the attendance of the square’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The gathering saw speeches from Indigenous elder Catherine Brooks and Idle No More founder, Crystal Sinclair. Toronto City Councillor Kristy Wong-Tam also

spoke. In Washington, Gloria Steinem and Angela Davis spoke about their concerns in the current political climate, signaling the continuation of feminism across decades.

Attendees exercised oodles of creativity through signs and get-ups. One cardboard cut-out saw Trump’s face atop Miley Cyrus’ nude frame straddling the earth, mimicking the star’s “Wrecking Ball” video. Another participant, covered in black, wore a full-body skeleton with a Trump wig and a sign that read, “I grabbed the wrong nasty woman by the pussy.”

The tone of the march was cheerful, with a hue of sarcastic humour. Children and grandparents alike sang and danced to drums and tambourines. And with all the organized marches globally, not a single arrest was made.

Yet with all the positivity and milestones of the march, many folks have hurled criticisms. Margaret Wente has said the solidarity of the march was a mirage. Since 42 per cent of women voted for Trump, Wente says that women were hardly united on the issue. Others have said how little the protest will accomplish politically, while some have questioned whether the march was diverse enough for people of colour and trans

people.

However, less is being said about the campaign created by the march’s organizers called “10 actions, 100 days.” Over the next 100 days, organizers will be suggesting ten concrete actions to help spur the movements forward. The first U.S. action encourages people to write a postcard to Senators about an important personal cause. Future actions will be posted on the Women’s March website.

One of the march’s Toronto organizers, We Talk Women, is encouraging people to attend a strawberry ceremony to bring awareness to injustices surrounding murdered Indigenous women on February 14.

Additionally, a Twitter campaign calling for gender equity in Toronto’s financial budget gained traction following the city’s march. These actions signal that awarenessraising events like the Women’s March can and do create tangible results.

Rhetoric, though indirect, is an important component of a protest. It can capture the hearts and minds of the wider public. For example, Occupy Wall Street introduced the rhetoric of the 99 per cent.

And one remarkable image taken from the Women’s March is the photo of Washington’s National Mall on inauguration day versus the one taken during the Women’s March. Attendance for the march was more than double the inauguration.

With Trump losing the popular vote by 2.8 million voters, the “not my president” rhetoric has become notably visible thanks to this protest, and others like it. All of these steps add meaningful points to the conversation on human rights.

But direct results are accomplished by protests as well.

In 2012, a study by University of Pennsylvania professor Daniel Gillion found that a healthy number of protests can sway

representatives into adopting human rights issues. Gillion looked at civil rights protests from 1961 to 1995, and found that the occasional protest didn’t do much to alter opinion. However, if there were 100 or more protests in one area over a couple years, representatives were 10 times more likely to adopt civil rights positions.

The visible act of protesting is a barometer for public concern—and with enough actions people will listen.

The pussy hats and meowing aren’t mere hats and empty gestures. These things reclaim a word that Trump used to objectify women. They help us regain control in an overwhelming political climate.

In the face of a president gloating about violating our bodies, equality, and basic human rights—we proved, symbolically or otherwise, that our rights are not for the taking.

Photos by Sarah Crookall

Let’s fight terror with community, not surveillance Josh Skinner Six Canadians were slain Sunday January 29th. These individuals were Canadians of the Muslim faith, who were simply in their mosque, their house of worship, peacefully praying. This act is equal parts terrorism and hate crime, and unequivocally anti-Canadian. Peterborough is no stranger to local mosques being targeted in the wake of global events. Shortly after the Paris terror attacks in 2015, where 129 people were killed, Peterborough’s only mosque, Masjid-Al-Salaam, was set aflame as a clear message from those who hold Muslims in ill will, “you are not welcome here”. The public’s response must be one that emphasizes solidarity amongst Canadians and not a burgeoning police state to combat hate.

What occurred shortly thereafter the arson attack on the Peterborough mosque was inspiring. Canadian solidarity was put on full display, as thousands of dollars were raised in a matter of days to rebuild the mosque. During the mosque’s reconstruction the doors of both local churches and a synagogue were opened to those who were left without a place to worship. That option won’t be available to those who lost their lives on the 29th.

A global movement is fomenting that demands that forces of oppression be stopped dead in their steps. Even those who are Conservatives, such as Member of Parliament Michael Chong, stated just days after the mosque killing that “demagoguery is leading to cesspools of hate on social media and it’s leading to an increase in hate crimes.” Canada has reached a consensus that condemns the actions of a hateful few,

and what Canada must now do is create safety without injuring liberty and privacy.

When minorities are being targeted it is the duty of the majority to stand up and protect them. It is the duty of the government to protect it’s citizens, it is not the government’s duty to revoke civil liberties from it’s citizens.

Leading up to the federal Canadian election in 2014, much fuss was made about Justin Trudeau’s stance on Bill C-51 which was heavily contested. This anti terrorism bill has fallen to the background in recent months, as there have been greater worries for Canadians South of the border. Hate speech and racism are finding a daily echo chamber on social media that is transcending national borders.

Trudeau’s Liberals endorsed the Bill in

2014 in a thinly- veiled attempt to seem “tough” on terrorism. The promise to reform the bill once elected and take out the particularly egregious elements of the bill is in line within the true liberal fashion of promising everything to everyone. These reforms have not happened.

The argument on behalf of law enforcement for bills like these 15 years ago in the wake of 9/11 and to this day is that as technology progresses, so too must the powers of law enforcement to keep people safe.

This argument is flawed, because it is clear to anyone who is looking at the world that terrorist attacks are not a result of a lack of capabilities on behalf of law enforcement.

Terrorism is caused by hate, and a rejection of the multiculturalism that we have in Canada, not a lack of law and order. . Bill

C-51 gives law enforcement the power to arrest on suspicion of terrorist activity. The word suspicion is as broad as Trumps definition of success. It gives outrageous powers to law enforcement, and to what extent this law has been enacted in Canada under the Liberals is unclear. The other caveat to this bill is that it gives law enforcement the power to unilaterally disrupt gatherings, whereas prior, it only had the ability to monitor them.

In the wake of the mosque attack, there has been a movement to categorize the event itself as terrorism, and the killer as a terrorist. If Canadian Progressives are not diligent about remaining steadfast in their opposition to a police state, the Liberal Party of Canada can use this event as political capital to start acting on Bill C-51 under the guise of protecting minorities.

Canadians have to temper the urge to demand safety from a government that doesn’t have the means to guarantee it. What Canadians need from a government is a weighted counter balance to the discourse emanating and spilling over from our southern neighbor into Canada. Prime Minister Trudeau has offered some, and Thomas Mulcair has labeled President Trump a fascist, but more is needed.

The terrorist attack in Quebec City is tragic and fueling a sense of collective dread amongst Canadians. Canadians have to avoid letting politicians use this fear as justification for stripping them of their rights. Patriotism is needed through building communities, not through a patriot act, or a bill, and certainly not a police state.

Volume 51 | Issue 12 | Januar y 30 | 2017

7

ARTS

FEATURE

Peterborough as a canvas for local artists

All photos by Lubna Sadek

Lubna Sadek The small city of Peterborough, Ontario is one of a kind. It’s a thriving student city with a culture based on unity and community living. Peterborough can also be seen as a metaphor; an artwork that is undeniably underrated. Peterborough is a beautiful canvas that subtly demonstrates the soul of Canada. The artwork in Peterborough is in the streaming colours that allow expression of all sorts of topics such as politics, sexuality and the environment. Its accessibility to the public allows for a transparent, interactive art show shared by residents.

In these aspects of its urban makeup, Peterborough has created a space for artists to express themselves. Ongoing cycles of displays at art galleries and cafes essentially make it a freefor-all for to artists to experiment, thrive, and to catch the eye of interested buyers. The art scene in downtown Peterborough is a great place to start appreciating the work of local and international artists. With a focus on the Peterborough Café district around Hunter Street, Arthur has been exploring some of the quirks that make art spaces in Peterborough a wonderful interactive experience, beginning with the one and only Art Space.

Founded in 1974, Art Space is a non-profit organization that has been a platform for local artists to display their modern art. With a mission statement to “foster a stronger appreciation for Canadian contemporary art,” this space changes according to the needs of the artist to create the ideal area to demonstrate their work, thus creating an interactive space for viewers to learn more about the artists and the pieces. Art Space as an establishment seeks not only to display and inform the public of local artists’ work, but also to create a space where dialogue between modern artists with various cultural and political perspectives can occur.

Artspace has the benefit of partnerships with major institutions such as Trent University, gathering different parts of the community for the sake of art. In collaboration with Trent University, Art Space is hosting a trip to the Art Gallery of

A piece from Neil Hill’s series Downtown Churches

8

of Peterborough

www.trentarthur.ca

Ontario (AGO) on Friday February 10th, to view the show Toronto: Tributes and Tributaries, 19711989 curated by Wanda Nanibush, Assistant Curator of Canadian and Indigenous Art. $25 covers a round trip to Toronto and admission to the AGO, and you can register at Art Space at 378 Aylmer Street North.

At the moment, the space is hosting the sculptural and textile work of Omar Bardin, who will be speaking at the closing reception at Art Space on Friday, February 17th. Bardin’s work shares an autobiographical exploration of ethnic identity throughout his childhood and adolescence, and can be viewed at Art Space until the closing reception for free. The versatile art shown at Art Space for the public to view, even in passing through the glass windows, really captures the spirit of art in Peterborough.

Another downtown venue where local artists’ work can be admired is with a warm drink at Dreams of Beans Café. A relaxed and quiet place tucked away on 138 Hunter Street, with highly recommended white hot chocolate, The Dreams of Beans Café is a great spot to do work or catch up with a friend, and in the midst of conversation drift off into the paintings on the wall and perhaps talk about it. Currently, the café is displaying Neil Hill’s Downtown Churches of Peterborough. Hill’s paintings allow one to appreciate the landmarks of the city and the beauty of Peterborough’s churches. The paintings do not just depict architecture, they also represent the meaning of community and all the memories that were held in that church. Recently, a vigil was held at the George Street United Church for those who have lost their lives at the shooting in a mosque in Quebec City. The empathy and respect that was shown at the vigil from members of the community of various occupations, backgrounds and beliefs was astounding and more than touching.

Such a memory resides with many who will pass by that church again, or see a painting of it in a café.

Also in the Peterborough café district is the snug place with profoundly amazing desserts, Black Honey Dessert and Coffeehouse at 221 Hunter Street, which also displays local artwork on its walls where customers can admire such unique art from photography to textured paintings. Arthur sat with two international students from the United Kingdom, Holly Stark, recent grad and current contributor for Arthur, and undergrad Nura Elgamri. Holly commented on the atmosphere in Black Honey, how “everything in here can be considered art, and I really enjoy appreciating it… the music, the paintings on the walls, it all comes together to creating a really great vibe, even inspiring to put your own art out there.” Operated by Lisa Dixon, the café accepts artists’ work for consideration, with several weeks provided to prepare for their show upon approval, and the café hosts multiple local artists’ works at a time. Holly emphasized her fondness of the cozy vibe, pretty surroundings, and pleasant music at Black Honey—and also agreed that the establishment across the street had equally great music and visual art: The Only Café.

The Only Café is just like the city it’s in: one of a kind. Being formerly known as literally the only café in Peterborough, this joint is packed full of paintings, photographs and collages combining elements from all sorts of eras and cultures.

The surrounding artwork allows for guests to wander around and find something that speaks to them. It creates a space where people can talk about the art, and encourages conversation above and beyond the day-to-day small talk. One of the friendly staff members, Russell Banks, expressed his enjoyment in working at a place “where everything on the walls has a deeper meaning…

I’ve definitely had some great conversations about the art in here, I’ve gotten very educated throughout my time here as well. It’s not tailored to appeal to the public, it is what it is. This place is a generator of art.”

From Matisse to Michael Jackson, the art displayed at The Only is the streak of paint on the Peterborough canvas that brings food, beer and art together. It’s a harbor for intellectual conversations between strangers or inside jokes amongst

drunken friends because of the visual stimulus on all sides, and the tasteful music playlist curated by the barkeepers.

Whilst recalling good memories with friends at The Only, Nura shares her love for Peterborough and her impression of the city after being here for only four months: “It’s a small city that seems like there isn’t much going on when in fact there’s a huge art movement, student voice, Indigenous voice and political voice, you get visits from the prime minister and concerts… it’s a pretty cool place, definitely underestimated.”

Peterborough’s character seeps through the art that can be found all around the city whilst exploring its streets. The art in Peterborough demonstrates the relevance to current issues that are happening both domestically and internationally.

From Van Gogh prints on the wall of The Only, to paintings of local churches at Dreams of Beans, Peterborough provides a wide and welcoming platform for art to grow, be expressed, be discovered, and inspire contemplation.

Hills and Waters

Sunmask

Compass

(Above) Owl painting by local artist Aurynn Jacobs Parkin to contact Aurynn for art work email: aurynnjp@gmail.com All other art by Trent alumna Laura Evans. To view and purchase her art please visit http://www.lauraevansartanddesign.com/ Her work can also be found on her etsy page at: Flower

https://www.etsy.com/shop/waabooz Volume 51 | Issue 12 | Januar y 30 | 2017

9

ARTS

The art of justification: the vigilante film genre Josh Skinner

“In every man’s life, there are moments that live forever, and lines that should never be crossed.”

-Trailer for A Man Apart “This is not revenge, it’s punishment.”

-Trailer for Punisher “I’m gonna go get her, anyone who gets in my way, anyone who profited from anyone who opens their eyes at me, I’m gonna kill them.”

-Trailer for Man on Fire The arts reflect, exaggerate, and expose humanity, and just like with narcissus, these reflections can entrance the eyes of the beholder. What these arts constitute informs and influences their audiences, being both the product and producer of the society they dwell within. None has been a better example than the vigilante revenge film genre in Hollywood.

Meryl Streep put this concept on center stage in her Golden Globe speech against Trump. She stated that if America “kicks [foreigners] out, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts”, implying that without Hollywood, America wouldn’t really be anything, and that all that America would have left to watch would be bloodsport from their couches.

This speech neglects that violence is not only a consumable good in America, but also a chief export that never seems to be in demand. This lack of demand doesn’t matter because violence is a product with the intention to bomb at the box office. In 2016, America accounted for half of the global arms trade, selling approximately

Clay Duncalfe

10

ies, despite media and the government attempts to emulate movie endings with banners spouting declarations of victory atop aircraft carriers.

Fifteen years later, America is growing tired, and the media reflects this too. America avoids direct conflict and confrontation, electing to send drones, but is extremely reticent to put “boots on the ground” and unilaterally invade other countries after the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

For America to unilaterally invade again there would have to be a definitive crossed line with the same message and magnitude of 9/11.

Liam Neeson knows what this is like. As the narrative of American Foreign Policy has aged and exhausted itself, so has its stars. Liam Neeson is by no means an action star, but he is someone who will exact disproportionate revenge if pushed across the edge.

“What I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it, but if you don’t, I will find you, and I will kill you.” Liam Neeson in Taken.

The Taken series offers direct insight into how old this narrative has gotten. Liam Neeson knows how bad it’s going to get, and is more than willing to offer an out. The parallels between American hesitation to unleash the beast and Liam Neeson’s similar predicament are rampant.

After Taken was released there was a litany of Liam Neeson movies released where his experience and hesitance to enter combat are his greatest strengths. This is a mirror being held up to Obama’s military legacy, justifying his perceived pacifism by framing it in terms of “the world isn’t ready for America to go full rogue”.

Neeson is 64 years old.

Even Denzel Washington, the star of Man on

Fire, shows his grey hairs in The Equalizer. The film features an iron fisted allegory featuring The Old Man and the Sea in which Washington responds to the Deus Machina that forces him into a revenge spree, “the old man has to be the old man and the fish has to be the fish”.

This cautionary announcement to the American people lets them know that America will respond because that is its instinct, but that it will now be reluctant to do so. Instead of going on a killing spree at the drop of a hat, America will try diplomacy as Liam Neeson does, or go the initial Equalizer route where Washington attempts to buy the object of his affections out of sex slavery and use economic incentive to impose his will on the world.

The overlying message of these movies is that America will throw down and emerge victorious from any conflict it enters. America endorses the narrative these movies are selling. Tak3n, the third installment of the Taken franchise earned $326 million at the box office, The Equalizer earned $192 million.

In the coming years, Donald Trump will be at the helm of American foreign policy, and the topic of how Hollywood both reacts to and justifies his foreign policy is not one of hot debate.

As it stands the current narrative is that Hollywood will stand steadfast in the face of bigotry and racism. This has not been the case in the past when America was enacting its revenge across continents.

Hollywood both creates and reflects the state of the American spirit, and Meryl Streep is right to highlight the role that arts and culture have played in America. In the coming years Hollywood will recreate itself in America’s image; time will tell how American foreign policy will be justified and what form that takes.

part of last year’s Art Week.

Durose-Moya has contributed to the band’s live performances largely through the use of vocal looping via a vocoder and loop pedal. However, she has also been exploring the use of saxophone during recent shows. Her DIY background provides her with an ideologically unpretentious attitude towards musical expression. “In order to play music, you gotta think outside the box,” she says.

“I try to put myself in a sort of state where the sounds around me sort of paint pictures in my head,” Munro explains in regard to his approach to drumming with the band. “From there, I try to kind of tell a story in my own mind.”

Munro does not shy away from using his drum set as an outlet for his emotional expression while playing, either. “[Sometimes] in the most blatant way, I kind of just try to have the thinnest skin possible and represent that on the drums.”

Durose-Moya finds it easier to express her feelings through the sax than through vocals, describing the instrument as a sort of “uniform funnel to channel emotions into.” While she describes her sax playing as “frenetic”, Munro tries to avoid stepping into the realm of what he describes

as “sheer chaos” in his playing, describing his approach to the performing with the band as “hyper-analytical” yet simultaneously “freeing”.

The unconstrained atmosphere of a Perkolator show creates a sort of cyclical artistic formation process, in which modes of creative and emotional expression among members play off of each other, often creating new ones.

Raymond, who is majoring Canadian Studies at Trent, usually plays the guitar during live shows, but has also experimented with the banjo.

She was in a metal band in high school, is currently working on a black metal project with a couple of her friends, and just recently played her first solo noise set at The Spill. She notes that she often makes a conscious effort to play off of the other member’s stylistic approach at any given moment and like Munro, appreciates the freeform approach the band gets to take on during their live shows.

Ryan is in his final year of study at Trent, majoring in Human Geography. He is also in a noise pop band called Prime Junk with his partner, Natalie. His setup often consists of an electric guitar plugged into Casio SK-1, which is a small, lo-fi sampling keyboard from the 1980s that was primarily marketed as a children’s toy during its initial release. Since the 1990s, the instrument has become popular within certain experimental music circles.

He also often incorporates a wide array of distorted samples from old cassettes into his performances; ranging from The Beach Boys to country and folk music.

As opposed to many other improvised bands, where live performances often come across as various moving pieces operating independently of each other, Ryan notes that there is a distinct “blend” to the band’s sound. By the end of each show, it is often hard for him to tell which sounds he has made as opposed to which sounds have been made by the band’s other members.

Almost as important as the final product of a Perkolator show is the process that leads up to it. This is one that includes emotional expression,collaboration,andawiderageofartistic creativity among its members.

Local artists in focus: Perkolator

It’s impossible to know what to expect when entering a Perkolator show for the first time.

As is the case with any improvised musical performance, how each set will transpire is dependent on a multitude of factors, including the venue, the audience, and how the band is feeling leading up to and during the show.

Formed about a year ago, Perkolator is a Peterborough-based, experimental improv band, comprised of Calla Durose-Moya, Brandon Munro, Jake Ryan, and Hayley Raymond. Though their lineup changes frequently, these four remain the collective’s core members.

Like many bands within this artistically rich and diverse city, Perkolator’s formation was the result of a longstanding, community-oriented musical tradition within Peterborough’s art scene that encourages a new, experimental music.

Durose-Moya and Ryan first played together at a show put on by The Fat Plant Assembly, a nonprofit music presentation group, as a part of its Peterborough Presents series, where local musicians of various artistic backgrounds are brought together to perform live shows with one another. From there, the two began jamming privately, with Munro and Raymond joining the group soon after.

Regarding personal influences, the band cites The Nihilist Spasm Band, based out of London Ontario, who have been described by many as the “world’s oldest noise band”, as well as local act Commander Goznalez, with whom the band has had a chance to collaborate with in the past.

Perkolator has also recently incorporated visual art into their live shows through collaboration with local multimedia collective UTHE and visual art collective DROOL, both of which are comprised of students from Peterborough’s Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School. One attendee to these shows noted that the incorporation of UTHE’s visual projections elevated this performance into something that felt more like a live art piece than strictly a musical performance, invoking introspection and s

www.trentarthur.ca

$10 billion worth of military equipment annually to nations such as Israel, Egypt, and Iraq, to name a few. This number has doubled since 2002.

This upward trend has been in lockstep with the war on terror ongoing since 9/11. No art form has truly captured the American spirit in the post 9/11 world like the revenge film genre. This genre always involves a man who has been wronged, who then must go on a killing spree that leaves a dramatic trail of dead bodies until he is satisfied.

Most importantly, this revenge requires direct dispensing of vigilante justice against perceived culprits.

To be fair, these movies and themes of revenge via outside of the box thinking that puts people into the coffin have always existed in American cinema. Be it through movies like Taxi Driver, or any Batman movie ever made, the concept of balancing the scales of justice outside of the realms of the law is rife within the American subconscious.

After September 11th, this subconsciousness was given a shot of adrenaline, and Hollywood was quick to react. Movies like Man on Fire, A Man Apart, or simply Punisher all rolled out in quick succession.

These movies were all products of the post 9/11 world, where American foreign policy was both dictated and justified by revenge. Innocent lives were lost, lines were crossed, and it was time to go and get the bad guys regardless of what the UN may have said.

Wars were declared and arms were tossed to those who would stand by America’s side the way a shotgun is haphazardly thrown in the scene prior to the final showdown between protagonist and his cop buddy who finally came around to have his bro’s back.

Unfortunately, invasions never end like mov-

elf-reflection within members of the audience.

One recurrent theme espoused by members of the band is the idea that creative expression is something anyone can and should participate in, regardless of his or her artistic background. This message is highlighted by not only the band’s openness to collaboration with other local bands and artists, but also in the varying range of musical experience of the group’s members.

Munro, the drummer, studied Contemporary Music at Mohawk College and teaches music lessons at Long & McQuade Musical Instruments. He is also involved with the Hamilton-based Basement Revolver as well as local folk artist Nick Ferrio, and just recently got back from a 20-day European tour with The Burning Hell, where he also got a chance to play on a widely-syndicated BBC Radio program with the band.

In contrast, Durose-Moya, who has a limited formal background in music, is pursuing a joint-major in Cultural Studies and Philosophy at Trent, and finds much of her means of artistic expression through exhibitions as a part of Professor Kelly Egan’s studio workshop classes. She has also helped create a music video for Nick Ferrio and has had her visual art featured in Arthur as a

ARTS The Arts: Weak

by Tyler Majer

A futile exhibition Coffee grounds pressed into tar stains Through the same filter used yesterday A gnawing, clawed hand Rips clump after clump of Neutered hair The budget cuts have stated That one of you must go There is 1 bullet in the gun Take turns The bull crashes Through the wicker doors The classmates sleep While the teacher scores Harness and harvest Invest and ingest Cultivate The somnambulist walks While the artist Forces upon closed eyes With pitchforks And toothpicks The weary cannot work here There are no set hours No shifts Just time compounded upon time Working against your movements Striving to upset What only you Could have crafted

The Shaman Awakes

by Lindsay Cronkite

And thus the shaman awakens coming forward through the ashes the light she brings cackling and howling unto the nights sky she awakens the dawn the light within Her body torn ravaged and aching her hair wild as the wind she steps forward once more Into her rightful place before the flame consumed, she drinks again consumed, she tastes the fire burning consumed, her pieces shatter as her spirit comes whole She is awoke she is enlightened she is thy holy mother Divine grace in her every step She leaves in her trails, life flourishing She leaves in her wake, hearts expanding She leaves in her glory, she walks in her power She is the divine goddess She is the shaman She is the holy mother Here once more Awakened The call of the earth, beckons the screams of her children, yearn her heart racing, her pulse quickening, she steps into her rightful place The shaman into the light The frailty of her subtle skin the vomit before her sick and burdened

she steps forward to her rightful place she steps forward to the darkness of the earthly shadow Fully knowing the magnitude of her task the feet of her challenge to love a world turned dark and cold to open the hearts of broken men to cradle the hurt of her daughters The shaman awakens to love her children Fiercely To heal the life so fully of cruelty she knows within her power holds the key to the infinite the beauty truth she knows in her depths holds the medicine of salvation of pure love She Awakens

Volume 51 | Issue 12 | Januar y 30 | 2017

11

ARTS

The Death of Fashion Dog tooth gnaws through endless layers of cotton, wool and lace.

His famous teeth grind down until he is no longer an honourable pattern.

Turtle neck swims among chains of platinum and black opals, wraps around tighter and firmer; strangling the throat of his beloved owner.

Art and poetry by Holly Stark

Leopard print screams upon noticing spot after spot; a bleak repetition.

It’s faux fur cries heard from Neverland where Peter Pan collars are eternally worn.

Snake skin slithers over cliffs of dainty buttons.

Upon reaching the edge, he throws himself willingly to his own fashionable death in lakes of pearls.

Artist: Patrick Holland You can find this local Peterborough artist’s work at: patrickhollandart.com Or on Facebook: Patrick Holland Art Some of Patrick’s art is also displayed at Melinda Richter’s shop Curated (459 George St North ptbo)

12

www.trentarthur.ca

ARTS

Recap of ReFrame’s 13th annual Film Festival (2017) Jordan Porter

The ReFrame Film Festival has a simple and direct mission statement.

“To build strong, sustainable, and engaged community audiences for film and art that explore and document issues of human rights and social justice, from the local to the global; to use film and art to provide educational opportunities and encourage activism and thoughtful debate.”

This was my first year covering and attending the film festival in Peterborough, and it was an experience that reaffirmed my love for this little town.

Throughout the event, Arthur was able to make it to four films: Someone is Weaving, National Bird, Window Horses, and Obit. It seemed each film was more gripping than the last, and rest assured, there will be dedicated reviews released online for a couple of the most interesting films later this week.

However, what makes ReFrame so special is that it is not only about the films. During this three day event, there were circus performances, panel discussions, meet and mingle events after select films where patrons could ask filmmak-

ers questions on their experiences while creating their project. One such case was for the film Someone is Weaving, where we are introduced to an elderly woman living in the tiny village of Nashalj, Iran, who busies herself by knitting a traditional shoe called a giveh.

After a screening of this short film documentary Friday evening at Showplace, Iranian filmmaker Leila Khalilzadeh took the stage and answered a few questions from the audience.

During this time, Leila divulged some behindthe-scenes information about the film and filled the audience in on what it was like filming in her native country of Iran, along with qualms with one of the producers before letting him go, and all with a very limited handle on the English language!

Special mention must also be given to Brett Alton and Joe Andrus for creating a very captivating logo and website for this year’s festival.

This image depicts film equipment packed into a canoe and floating on a body of water, a very fitting and representative theme for Peterborough and the famous Kawartha cottage country we are gatekeepers to—although it does make summer months seem like an eternity away.

In addition to panel discussions, and circus acts, the ReFrame Festival also hosted a benefit for Standing Rock on Saturday evening. The event was held at Market Hall and offered musical performances, spoken word, and poetry performed by the Words on Fire Youth Poets.

Tickets were $10 and all proceeds went towards the protestors at Standing Rock. This benefit is one of the many ways the festival has kept true to their roots in ensuring the community is put forth as the number one priority. With the Nogojiwanong area home to many Indigenous people, the strife that those in Standing Rock are facing is an issue that hits home to a large number of us here.

As for the crowd, its excitement was palpable at times. People scrambled for a seat to settle in for the next couple hours, with beer, coffee, tea and a few snacks in hand; organizers made sure people had all they needed to have a good time.

Each film that I personally attended was packed with young and old from the Peterborough community, as well as many that had come from out of town for the opportunity to see some amazing films and take in the sights of Peterborough’s downtown. The streets were full, and the down-

town core was buzzing as people had the opportunity to shake off the winter blues of their dayto-day for the weekend, and expose themselves to some extremely thought provoking films.

The parking lots of the Holiday Inn and Howard Johnson were full of visitors, and the full magnitude of how healthy this festival is, not only for the community, but also the economic welfare of Peterborough settled in as guests packed restaurants and tourist attractions between films.

Arthur had the opportunity to talk to a group of guests and ask them what their experience of Peterborough was.

“This is our third year coming to ReFrame,” said Andrea Moore just after seeing Window Horses at Showplace with her husband and sister, who were visiting from Mississauga. “After we came the first year, we absolutely fell in love with the town and the atmosphere that Peterborough and ReFrame gives off. We will certainly be back next year.”

As the 13th annual ReFrame Festival came to a close, we can only wish the organizers good luck, in ensuring the festival remains a staple in the Peterborough community for another 13 at least.

Hood femme: self love in the purest form Shanese Steele “Walking into a beauty supply store in the hood is like walking into a parallel universe. Cheap bright lipsticks grab your eye immediately. Hair hangs from the ceiling. There is abundant hair dye, cheap gold jewelry, and every hair accessory known to man. It is a familiar home to black and brown women struggling to make themselves beautiful in a world that has no time to pay them any mind.”

- Antonia George, “You Can Keep Your Baddie Aesthetic, I Prefer Hood Girls” Appropriation. This word has been used in throughout the social justice community and can be heard within various communities. For those unaware of the meaning, appropriation is defined as “the action of taking something for one’s own use, typically without the owner’s permission.” It’s not about a cultural exchange of aesthetics but rather a claiming of it.

Over the last few years myself and other women have noticed the ever-growing appropriation of what we call “Hood Femme” aesthetics. Cornrows called “boxer braids,” Bantu knots called “mini buns” and Asian mesh slippers found at your local hair or convenient store being sold for $1500 by major fashion houses. With every Kardashian Instagram post, it appears that the style we influenced is being sold and consumed by those who simply don’t understand the history and importance of being a Hood Femme. Similarly, most fail to understand the racial connotations that are associated with the Hood Femme aesthetic, the nuances of being hood, black and female.

I grew up in a time when being a “baddie” or dressing “ratchet” was enough to get you ridiculed or sent home to change.

Growing up in a single parent, low-income family, I wasn’t able to afford to shop at places like Aldo or American Eagle. Instead I had the local hair store at the corner of my street, or dollar store down the road.

Faux golden hoops with the word “Love” in them could be found for $3.99 right next to the faux gold chains. Green and blue wigs for $9.99 sold at the back next to the $1 pack of braiding hair. For me, hoops were everything, and the bigger the better.

The same could be said for my nails, done in acrylic with a design featuring eight different colours and a rhinestone to match.

It was a lifestyle you lived because you

had to, not because it was a fashion statement. Being a Hood Femme means making everything out of nothing, like magic.

It means being creative and innovative in a world that tells you that you can’t. A Hood Femme can take a pair of earrings going for $2.99, a dress for $5 and a wig for $10 and make herself look like a million dollars. It’s self-love in the purest form.

So for this edition of Art Week, I wanted to showcase the greatest artists I know, through their own images and their own words. From Hood Femmes who live and breathe this aesthetic and inspire all of us.

Hood femme: creativity personified. To be a black girl in the hood is to be a woman as soon as you develop a shape. Hood femmes gave me hope. Hope that one day I’d be free of the judgments from the women in my family. Hope that I could let beautiful words fall from between my glossed lips, let my backbone slip, roll my neck in the face of grown ass men. Hood Femme aesthetic is nails out to there that threaten any nigga that comes near. It’s edges laid, that were sweat out before the preacher prayed the benediction. It’s boots with the fur and timberland heeled boots that turned into fur jackets and Fenty slides. It’s survival of the fittest in ya best fitted.

- Sydney-Elise Washington

I‘ve been told often by other people that I am “hood” looking. That I am not a femme… that I look like I’m the more dominant one. I grew up mostly with boys, playing ball, video games but also loving very girly things. I was mostly raised in subsidiary homes, a.k.a. projects. I am a hip hop head, so this comes to me naturally that I don’t even see it. It is who I am everyday, and I love it. I adore the fact that my eyebrows can be on fleek and I can still cross you anytime at basketball.

I love that people don’t expect for me to be smart cause I talk a certain away and I blow them away. I love that I seem girly but can probably beat you at video games.

Hood Femme is being myself, not worrying about “do I look too hood or ghetto for this function? Should I wear heels or my timbs with this dress?

- Saharla Guessalleh

Hood femme is Dollar Store braiding hair with tips on fire it’s the smell of burning plastic and vanilla dutches bamboo earrings and crisp white sneakers in the summer. It’s a lifestyle not a fashion statement.

You had to live it to know it.

– Shaniece Powell

Its a culture, a beautiful, rich, vibrant, strong, complex, culture. A lot of us grew up beautifying ourselves with very little money and/or access. The beauty supply store was my second home as a teenager, I’d rock purple weave one week and the next I’d have box braids. I always had the most bomb sneakers and you never caught me without three pairs of earrings on, two necklaces and a wrist full of gold bangles.

Some of my best memories include the simple things like making up a dance with my friends & battling the other girls from down the block, in the middle of the street, and moving so cars could get by.

Hood Femme is a way of life. I could go on and on about my crazy experiences.

- Reneé Gabrielle

Black girls from the hood who buy dollar doorknockers, get long acrylic nails for cheap at the salon down the block, who wear $20 wigs and who find their party outfits from Rainbow and rock bright colour lipstick from the beauty supply store.

They are culture. They created this “baddie IG” trend years ago, back when black girlhood was ugly and scary and ghetto to you.

– Aziza, @artsyandblack

Volume 51 | Issue 12 | Januar y 30 | 2017

13

COMMUNITY

Trent Radio embraces Record Putting GE Peterborough’s Production Month challenge recent layoffs in perspective Daniela Leal Local Content Production Assistant, Trent Radio

We keep surprising ourselves with how well we work under pressure. Sometimes we are only working when deadlines are threatening and that is when it’s bad, real bad. You are working under pressure because you suck at managing your time, but I know that will come as no surprise to you.

You must already know about your terrible work ethic. But I have no business in reprimanding you like this when February is already too miserable of a month here up north. For that, I apologize.

I will assume that you are not looking forward to the pit of despair that builds coincidentally at the same rate that February approximates. But allow me to tell you that during this month, the way out of the pit of despair is something that during any other month would lead you towards it. Yes, your bad habits of procrastination and terrible work ethic can save your poor soul from your discontent with the mediocrity of the sun and perpetual cloudiness that hides the blue skies we yearn for.

February is a wayward month. In harsh years, as was 2016, some look back at February with gratitude for its conciseness, because it made our trip around the sun a tad shorter. Those who see la vie en rose, just wish that February would be patient, not quick, not rushed, just calm and timely as all other months. But for you, I tell you,

February’s 28 days are exactly what you need.

February, in other words, Record Production Month (RPM) is challenging you to create original music. February feels guilty for putting you in such misery, but it won’t let you out easily. It wants something from you, which means putting you in that place where your bad habits are all that can save you. The deadline is daunting, clocks are ticking, there’s a drop of sweat hanging on the tip of your nose. Make some music, all the music making that you have been putting off, do it now.

RPM is an international challenge – and Peterborough is hopping on board. The RPM Challenge dares you to record ten tracks or 35 minutes of original music.

Make it yours. If you have old poems in old notebooks you can add a tune to them, make it a song. Make some noise, feel good about it, dig up your inner tunes that have been muted by snowfalls. You’ll make it out. It is not a contest, so feel pressured only by your own standards and February’s rush.

Trent Radio lives for music; breathes, sleeps, eats for music, and most importantly, for local music. So we recruit you, artist, singer, lost soul, to get inspired by misery, your muse, this article, or the deadline and keep filling us with local content. Be courageous, trust yourself, submit it to us, and you might be surprised when finding your genius on Trent Radio – CFFF 92.7 FM in Peterborough.

Let’s make a podcast Jeffrey Moore One of the most exciting parts of working as an incubator for podcasts is watching a person’s face as they realize they can really do it: they can make a podcast. So, here’s a little introduction to what you need to make a podcast and where you can get the resources you need to get started.

The first thing you need is an idea.

You’ve already got one, actually. You know that thing you felt really pumped about the last time you were talking about it with a friend? That thing that made you feel a surge of energy, like if only the world could hear the conversation you just had, maybe it would be a better place? That’s your idea. That’s the thing the world needs to hear, and that’s the thing you are passionate enough about to research and interview and have engaging conversations about.

That’s the thing you’re willing to put a few hours of recording and editing work into to share it with people who would find it exciting to listen to.

Next up, you need something to record your voice. A phone with a voice memo app works, but maybe at one point you’ll want to upgrade. A solid first-and-forever field recorder is the Zoom H2n. It costs a little over $200 CAD as of the writing of this article, but it’s an investment that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

The sound quality is amazing. It’s visually clear when it is and isn’t recording. And unlike with a phone, you can monitor the audio live with your headphones. Makes a world of difference for filtering out strange background noises like fluorescent bulbs and fans. Best of all, it can connect directly to your computer to be used as a USB mic.

These are all features you might not think about when getting started, but rest assured that regardless of what field recorder you

14

www.trentarthur.ca

choose to get for yourself, these are the features you should be looking for.

Finally, you need some audio editing software. The Audition program is an industry standard. The latest version is pretty expensive, but with some clever google searching you should be able to find a legal copy of Audition 3.0 right from the Adobe site. It’s offered free because of a “technical glitch in the activation server for creative suite 2”. If that sounds weird to you, then Audacity is a fine alternative. Audacity works on all computers, is easy to use, and is quite a powerful digital audio workstation. Reaper is another wonderful free alternative. It has a steep learning curve, but is feature-rich and preferred by many audio techs for its customizability and versatility.

Editing is remarkably easy after you’ve done it once. Getting started, you would do well to take twenty minutes of your day to watch a video tutorial on editing audio in the program of your choice. After that, challenge yourself! Mix your voice with some background music. Make a complete mock podcast with an intro song, background music, your voice, and an outro.

You can do it! And if this sounds like a daunting task, worry not! Peterborough Independent Podcasters regularly runs workshops in audio editing to help you get your feet wet, and members can even get one-on-one mentoring from our mentors.

If you’d like to learn more about getting started with your podcast, get in touch with us at info@ptbopodcasters.ca, or check out our website at ptbopodcasters.ca

Clay Duncalfe On Tuesday, January 17th, General Electric’s Peterborough plant announced that it would be laying off 150 of its 520 employees. This unfortunate news comes in the wake of the city’s promising employment stats released last May, which boasted a joblessness rate of just 2.8%.

A statement released from the company reads: “Challenging marketplace dynamics and a current drop in volume of orders from our customers continues to impact GE Peterborough. As a result, we have undertaken permanent workforce reductions of up to 150 employees to address the work shortage. GE is committed to working with the union and affected employees to provide assistance wherever possible”.

Although these layoffs may come as a shock to many, Peterborough has become no stranger to manufacturing plants downscaling since the turn of the millennium.

Once the city’s dominant local industry, manufacturers like the Quaker Oats factory have been overtaken by public institutions such as the Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and Fleming College as the city’s largest employers.

Arthur was unable to receive a comment from Mayor Daryl Bennett regarding the recent layoffs. However, an email statement from the Mayor posted by CHEX News reads: “General Electric is making a difficult business decision due to a downturn in customer orders. I sincerely hope the federal government will deal with the Energy East pipeline application so that we can recover some of these lost jobs in our community.”

Mayor Bennett’s mention of the Energy East Pipeline is a reference to an order from GE in 2014 for 85 new motors to be built by the Peterborough plant. This contract would have led to 250 news jobs within Peterborough, half of which would be directly tied to GE. The contract was supposed to have started in 2016. However, with a delayed approval for the pipeline project from Prime Minister Trudeau’s federal government, the motors have not yet been built.

Trudeau’s delay on approving the project is part of an ongoing narrative that has

been espoused by the Prime Minister during his time in office, in which he and his cabinet claim to be trying to strike a balance between maintaining a thriving Canadian economy, while at the same time respecting the rights of Indigenous people and preserving our environment for generations to come.

While the Mayor’s references to the East Energy Pipeline delay are not invalid, GE’s recent layoffs are part of a larger, ongoing trend within Ontario and Canada as a whole, in which manufacturing jobs are shrinking in scale and being replaced by an expanding service economy within the province and country.

According to the Mowat Centre, a nonpartisan, independent public policy think tank based out of the University of Toronto, manufacturing employment within Ontario has dropped from 15.8% to 10.3%.

That is a loss of about 300,000 people working within the province’s manufacturing sector since the early 2000s. The service sector, on the other hand, makes up 76.9% of the province’s economy, employing about 5.3 million workers.

One major criticism of this shift has been that jobs within the service sector often offer lower wages and fewer chances for full-time employment for workers than in the manufacturing industry.

The decline of manufacturing jobs within Canada and Ontario is due to a multitude of factors, including the acceleration of economic globalization, increasing automation within factories, and shifting exchange rates between Canada and the rest of the world.

While technological advancement pushing out members of the workforce is generally viewed as an inevitable cost of a progressing society, trade liberalization policies that favor minimal tariff barriers, licensing rules, and quotas have come under increasing scrutiny by members of the Canadian public regarding the effects they have on the nation’s economy.

A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute found that only 24% of Canadian’s believe that one of the most significant of these policies, the North American Free Trade Agreement, has been good for the country, with 34% saying it should be renegotiated.

LISTINGS SADLEIR HOUSE Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Peterborough Allowed Meeting: Sundays, 11am at the Hobbs Library (room 101, wheelchair accessible) All welcome! With potluck lunch and discussion on the first Sunday of each month. For information, contact: 705-7401015 or visit www.peterboroughquaker.ca OPIRG Free Market: Wednesdays 3-5pm, Wednesdays 3-5pm, Thursdays & Friday 1-5pm.

Basement (unfortunately this is not an accessible space). The primary goal of the Free Market is to provide a space for the redistribution of donated clothing and other items to everyone. At the Free Market “store” people can come in and take items they can use for free, without donating anything. This is not a bartering or trading system, but rather a space where items that are no longer needed by one person can be redistributed to those who need (or want) them. Everyone is welcome to stop by during the hours of operation and take items free of charge. The Free Market is always looking for volunteers who could donate 2 hours per week to keep the project going. If you would like to be a part of this project or would like more information, please contact OPIRG at 705-741-1206 or email opirglistings@gmail.com.

Peterborough Tai Chi Society: The Peterborough Tai Chi Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing Tai Chi to every section of the community and to promoting the greater sense of well-being that comes from being able to set and achieve a goal at any age to optimize the functioning of your body.

The Peterborough Tai Chi Association was established in September 1976. Our local group began at Trent University and we held weekly classes in the dining hall of Otonabee College for some years. As interest in Tai Chi spread into the non-university community, we moved our meeting place to beautiful downtown Peterborough in order to make activities more accessible to local residents. Other classes are also held at other locations for the benefit of those unable to come to our George Street location. http://www.peterboroughtaichiassociation.com/index.html Improv Class with Mike Davidson: Wednedays (until Dec 15th) from 7:30-8:30pm Dining Hall (unfortunately this space is not an accessible space). Want to try improv? Stop by for a drop-in class on Wednesday nights.

Improv is fun! Come on out and join in!

Adults $10, students $5.

Nogojiwanong Youth Council: Drop in program Monday’s and Tuesday’s 3:00pm-5:00pm.

Tutor available on Tuesday, and snacks will be available. Youth nights will be held Wednesdays from 5:00pm-7:00pm. These will include workshops, trips, cultural learnings, crafts and games. The Nogojiwanong Youth Council is located at 580 Cameron Rd. It is available to anyone between 13-17. please contact Courtney Taylor at wasanabin@nogofc.com for details.

LOCAL Peteborough Independent Podcasters Events Volunteer Drop-in: Want to help us make podcasting accessible to everyone? Come on by and we’ll get you started on Wednesday February 1 from 12:00am-7:00pm. No charge.

Visit ptbopodcasters.ca/volunteers for more details.

Storytelling Workshop: Learn how to organize an effective story from recorded interviews on Saturday February 11th 104PM. Suggested $60 for members, $80 for non-members. Pay what you can!

Free Introductory Talk on Transcendental Meditation: This free introductory talk will help you find out everything you need to know about the Transcendental Meditation and how to learn if you are interested. Endorsed by Dr. Oz, Seinfeld, Oprah, Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey, David Lynch, Russell Brand, Ellen Degeneres and many other well-known celebrities. Space is limited. Event is on Saturday, February 11 from 2:30pm-4:30pm at Market Hall. 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 Refugees in Belgrade- Amnesty Letter Writing & info: Learn about the humanitarian crisis that is happening in Belgrade Serbia as refugees live outside with only

one small meal a day, in -15 winter weather as a result of government policy and closed borders. The Serbian government ordered NGO’s to not feed and give medical care to refugees, and prevented Aid organizations from creating winterized facilities.

Refugees including children as young as 8 years old are being beaten by police i and abandoned in desolate areas in snowy winter conditions after their shoes and phones have been taken by police, families are being separated. Slide presentation and talk, with up to date info and inside information about the refugee situation in Belgrade, Serbia. Lots of info about the context and problems in relation to neighbouring countries and borders, media representation, etc. February 7 at The Spill.

5:00pm to 7:00pm.

Seasoned Spoon AGM and Community Meal: Join the Seasoned Spoon Café for our first community meal of the semester PLUS our Annual General Meeting. Community meals at the Spoon are a great way to gather with friends, build community and get involved in the food movement at Trent. These delicious dinners are filled with campus grown foods and offered on a pay what you can basis! Come dine with us and then stick around for our Annual General Meeting.

This is your opportunity to find out how things work behind the scenes at the Spoon; all about our finances, the board of directors, upcoming plans and more! This year we’re also voting on by-law amendments, so come have your input. Contact us at spoonvolunteers@gmail.com for more info.

The AGM will be held on Thursday February 9. Meal starts at 5:00pm, and AGM begins at 6:00pm. The meeting will take place at Seasoned Spoon Café.

CAMPUS From Climate to Culture: The Complexity of Change : SAID’s 10th annual Community Movements Conference, “From Climate to Culture: The Complexity of Change”, will focus on a myriad of topics related to climate change and international development.

Environmental problems are more often than not a product of particular relations and interactions that occur within human societies, international landscapes, and political arenas. To comprehend these intersections between development and climate change, it is imperative that the economic, political, social and ecological aspects of the current climate change crisis be addressed. Tickets on sale in Bata and Wenjack in the weeks leading up to the weekend. $15 dollars will get you three days worth of speakers, workshops and food. Tickets are being sold in Bata and Wenjack. Full schedule can be found on the Facebook event page or your My Trent.

You can also email communitymovementsconference@gmail.com or saidtrent@gmail.com.

Activist Lives In and After Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement: Challenging Authoritarianism in Public and Private Spaces: Professor Stevi Jackson is an academic and writer working in the field of gender and sexuality, currently working at the Centre for Women’s Studies at the University of York in the UK. From 7:00pm to 8:30pm at The Pit at Lady Eaton College. Wednesday February 8.

ARTS Celebrating Black Arts Artist Showcase and Open Mic: Join BLM Nogojiwanong & CRRC of Peterborough for their first Black History Month artist showcase. An evening celebrating the work of local black artists. There will be a POC open mic at the beginning of the evening for artists to share. Doors and sign up are at 8:00pm, show at 8:30pm! This event is $10/PWYC, Money raised at the door will be donated to Black lives Matter Nogojiiwanong. All ages. February 8 at The Spill.

listings@trentarthur.ca