Volume 51 Issue 16

Photo by Samantha Moss

Volume 51 of Arthur has been brought to you by the people on this cover. Have a Beautiful Summer!

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

Photographers Berfin Aksoy & Samantha Moss

CONTENTS Volume 51 Issue 16

March 30 2016

Opinion

Feature

• Pg 3: Editorials: Yumna&Zara • Pg 4: Editorials: Dan&Josh

Campus

• Pg 4: Sustainability at Trent • Pg 5: Your new TCSA board • Pg 5: Update on AC • Pg 6: Impacts of transphobia • Pg 6: LEC IWD celebration

Copy Editor Zafer Izer

Proofreader Amanda Reed

Board of Directors Chair: Anthony Moniz Secretary: Amino Yusuf Members at Large: Jordan Porter • Matt Douglas • Shanese Steele • Berfin Aksoy • Clay Duncalfe • Tyler Majer

• Pg 6: Farewell to co-editors • Pg 7: Trending @ Traill

Community

Pg. 8 & 9: Cultural Outreach

Arts

• Pg 10: White Pride Rally • Pg 11: On Mel Malarkey

• Pg 12: Hearing Trees EP review • Pg 15:Interview with No Pussyfooting

• Pg 11: Hot Dish • Pg 11: Trent Radio

Arthur Newspaper would like to dedicate this last issue to all of the people who have helped us during this very difficult year. Without your support and guidance, we would have been incredibly lost, so thank you.

With love, Zara and Yumna.

Issue 16 of Volume 51 is dedicated to: John K. Muir Dwayne Collins

Contributors

Dr. Michael Eamon

• Yumna Leghari • Zara Syed • Shanese Steele • Samantha Moss •Marina Wilke • Berfin Aksoy • Holly Stark • Clay Duncalfe • Sarah Carthy • Jordan Porter • Josh Skinner • Tyler Majer • Dan Morrison • Daniela Leal •Lubna Sadek

Dr. Leo Groarke Dr. Tom Symons Jeffrey Moore Samarjit Khaira

See you next year Peterborough!

and last but not least

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

Samantha Moss

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.

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We offer great deals for on the airwaves! local businesses! Arthur’s Keep your ear out for Contact us for more info at: advertising@trentarthur.ca

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www.trentarthur.ca

Radio-Free Arthur, every Wednesday at 12:30pm!

Editorial: birthing Arthur, a labour of love

Yumna Leghari

I stared at a grand plant with giant leaves cascading onto a linoleum floor for about 10 minutes before I began writing this.

Each tiny stem hosted a promising green bud and fully developed, lush green leaves that shone in the sunny Peterborough afternoon glow. I pondered in what I now identify as a classic form of philosophical procrastination, “How wonderfully full of potential this tree is, and how amazing is it that it has already come so far.” I guess that’s how I feel about Arthur. I am overcome with too much sentiment, premature nostalgia, and a desire to see it bloom perpetually into the future.

I’ve been writing for Arthur for over four years, and have seen it pass through multiple editorships, each leadership bringing disparate visions to the forefront. I did not foresee myself steering this ship, and of course, I could not have done it alone.

My co-editor, Zara Syed, has stood by my side through it all. Together, we birthed 40 newspapers over the course of two years, and let me tell you, the labour wasn’t always easy. There were times we had to push and breathe extra carefully, but it was always worth it. The world has been a little weirder than usual lately (or maybe we’re just more aware of it now, who knows) and we’re all trying to navigate through rough,

confusing and ever-changing waters. Running the eternally branded “leftist rag” that is Arthur Newspaper through a Canadian Federal election, and a historical American election, was a great challenge. During a period of such political and social polarity, it has been even more important to ensure representation of all spectrums of the student and community voice.

Certainly, we have made mistakes, but our heart has always been in the right place. All I’ve wanted during my time as editor is sexy layout, objective coverage, and a sense of security amongst the Trent and Peterborough community that relevant news will be covered. I do not regret a single article or cover that has been published under our editorship. Every paper we created was created with care, focus and compassion.

We’ve spoken with editors over the past five years who have joked that they never had to go through the hardships we went through. Who knows how true that is. Arthur has received lawsuit threats in almost every year of its existence, people are always trying to defund us, and there was a successful coup of the board nine years ago, which was then overthrown by another successful coup. The point is, Arthur is relevant, and makes enough of a splash, for people to go to extreme lengths, whether it is inspired from

love or hate. When we first took on this position, we ran online through the summer of 2015, and held story meetings at the Silver Bean Cafe. Our first staff was comprised of Renzo Costa, Jordan Porter, Dane Shumak, and Ugyen Wangmo. Those first months really prepared us for what was to come; a responsibility to manifest a vision, and to guide writers and photographers in the right direction. At the same time, I realized that we would be learning equally as much from our staff. We were all in this together. I guess our circle diagram wasn’t bullshit after all. Fuck the pyramid, right?

When I look at our very first Issue 0, I crylaugh, but once I get over the initial cringe, I see past the errors, juvenile layout and inconsistent font to something more important; the content, vision, and intent. Don’t get me wrong, it’s crucial to have a properly formatted newspaper, and that comes with practice, but it’s more important to depict all facets of Trent and Peterborough.

I think that we achieved this to the best of our abilities. This wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible staff that we have had the honour of working with over the span of our editorship, many of whom have moved on to work in film, fashion, etc, in Toronto, or in the case of your new co-editor, Dan Morrison, have returned from overseas to take over this ship along with staff writer and radio personality Josh

OPINION

Skinner. That’s the thing about being an Arthur writer; you never know what the future will bring.

What fascinates me the most about Arthur—and it’s probably due to my being a History major—is, well, the history of Arthur. This newspaper is 51 years old. Our editorship saw Arthur surpassing half a century of existence. The first thing we did when we got our editorship was geek out over the old stained issues of Arthur. It wasn’t was even called Arthur back then, and was simply a set of type-written pages stapled together. Stephen Stohn and friends started this rag, and enough people have cared about it to keep it going. I guess we’re like, relevant, and represent the student voice, or something. Do I sound like a broken record yet? I leave this position with the optimism that Arthur will live on for another 50 years, at least. Trent University is young, and there are student newspapers far older than us. I would like to thank everyone over the past two years who have participated in the nebulous entity that is Arthur Newspaper; as much as we’re a newspaper, we are also a concept that exists outside of its physical self. I’m even thankful to those who tried to silence us. If it were not for them, I would never have realized my own principles, or how much I, and so many others, truly do believe in what Arthur Newspaper represents.

Editorial: we put the fun in deFund Zara Syed On reflection that this is the last issue of Volume 51, it occurs to me that my time as a writer and my time as editor at Arthur Newspaper have been two very different experiences.

When we were elected, I remember being so excited at the idea that we were given a mandate to run an actual newspaper. Where would we take this so-called leftist rag? I wanted to tackle every issue, take this newspaper’s coverage to new heights, and explore Peterborough in a way that represented the unique lens Yumna and I brought to the table.

My excitement never faltered, but my newfound editorship presented me with unexpected challenges in every possible way. I remember being berated for my affiliation with Arthur. I’ll never forget being at a party and having someone come up to lecture me about the font size and formatting errors we made in one of our first issues. I’ll never forget meeting Christopher Tindale, who conducted the Traill review last year and was a Senior Tutor when Traill was an Undergraduate College, saying that he thought Arthur was terrible. “Just a horrible rag,” were his words. I asked him why, and he never told me, but it haunts me to this day.

In truth, this newspaper has embodied a lot of personalities. I have far more good memories from being part of this organization than bad, and my favourite one is working with my best friends. It was one hot summer day when Yumna Leghari, Zafer Izer and I rooted through old issues of Arthur from the 1960s in this office I’ve come to call home. We had a lot of laughs seeing how satirical this paper used to be, how much humor was in it when it was just beginning.

That’s why I wanted to know why Mr. Tindale hated this newspaper, because it’s funny to me how horrible Arthur can be sometimes. Horrible in the sense that it has typos, it’s had some questionable design choices, but has been more of an authentic reflection of Trent’s identities throughout the decades.

Yumna and I have undergone just

Photo by Samantha Moss about every imaginable obstacle while running an organization whose management changes every few years. Upon receiving an article this week from our staff celebrating mine and Yumna’s work, I was compelled to step back and recognize what we have achieved in our two years here.

So, what was our impact? Nothing tells it better than the gracious piece by our staff on page 6. A look at my own article on page 14, on local twistcore sensations No Pussyfooting, will make plain what I’ve always been passionate about; the Cultural Studies program at Trent, and the incredible culture that exists in Peterborough.

Our time as editors of Arthur have become symbolic of celebrating the rich diversity that exists in this community.

In addition to that, we have shed light on some fucked up issues on our own campus.

When we looked into archives and profiled the Trent Eight, we got to know a fascinating history of political activism that existed at Trent. During this year, a real story came to our attention about the Athletic’s Centre expansion fee (an update to which can be found on page 5). Upon seeing the reaction to the article, an alumnus said to me, “you know, not everyone can relate to the Colleges being sold off and the SuperBuild/ Bonnie Patterson controversy. This, people can relate to right now, and shows just how little of a say students have in what

happens at their University.”

In the same vein as our former editors, Matt Rappolt and Pat Reddick, who exposed a TCSA President conspiring with a member of the Trent Conservatives, we were not afraid of showing what has been going on at our campus.

The talent of our staff shines through so brilliantly in their expositions of recent debates and racial tensions on campus. This topic has been covered by the CBC and Electric City Magazine, but nothing has been so accurate and brave to tell the tale than Zafer Izer’s article on Trent’s alt-right, or Tyler Majer’s coverage of the Make Trent Safe protest. The threat of a lawsuit in reaction to Zafer’s article depicts the dangerous trend of media suppression, and is symbolic of what is at stake for the press when it comes to candidly writing the news.

Along with legal consequences, this coverage precipitated a defunding campaign initiative as well. We never shied away from controversy or oppression, and I have faith that Arthur will continue this tradition under the newly elected editorship of Dan Morrison and Josh Skinner.

Instead of defunding Arthur, I’m going to write about why you should fund it instead. This was the only news publication that dared to tell it how it is. When opposing viewpoints emerged, it is also the only platform to provide a fair a back-and-forth

on what is really happening, so even if people feel that this newspaper sucks, tell us why it sucks and it will be in print.

Arthur Newspaper is the best experience a person might have going to Trent, according to some of the heartfelt staff testimonials, which moved me to tears. To quote Holly Stark, “Arthur leaves me thankful for language, for words and for the spaces in between the words.” I am humbled at the things that have been said on page 6, as the article was a suprise initiated by Holly, a staff member we had to let go mid way through the year.

I actually feel bad for the next editors, because once this newspaper comes out, people are going to see just how cool the Arthur crew is and think, “hey, I want to be part of this!” Tragically, there will never be enough money to hire all the cool and talented people who want to be a part of this endeavour, but you should be a part of it nonetheless. I encourage you to read their words on page 6, and know this: I only handed in an article to Arthur Newspaper because the editors at the time, Sara Ostrowska and Jasmine June Cabinaw, asked me to write about what I was passionate about. “Me?” I asked at the time, “yeah I like to write, but I’m not a journalist.”

Their insistence for me to write an article eventually wore me down into finally submitting, not unlike the way I have pestered every one of our staff members to apply for this job. They made my article front page. I’ll never forget the shock I felt at seeing my words in print, and I’ll never shake the feeling of pride I still get when someone tells me they read my article, whether they agree or disagree with me, because they fucking read it.

So fund Arthur, not because it creates student jobs, gives you practical experience, and looks good on a resume, but because you are funding a culture. What you end up supporting is women like myself and Yumna, or any other editor to empower others, and make them feel like a part of something. This small student publication rose above it all this year, and here you will find the real story of resilience in the face of adversity, and I loved every moment of it.

Volume 51| Issue 16 | March 30 | 2017

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OPINION

Editorial: Joshua Skinner Josh Skinner

And so it begins, another chapter in the leftist rag that is Arthur Newspaper. My name is Joshua Skinner and you may know me as the person that talks too much during seminar, or the person that talks too much during radio interviews, or the person who talks too much in general. This is going to change over the next year. As editor, I am going to ensure that Arthur is a platform for others, not myself. Arthur is going to be unapologetic with the voices and dialogue it establishes.

Trent University is going through major structural changes, both in its’ physical features and philosophical orientation. The addition of the Trent University Research Park and the Student Center alongside the absence of Bata Library are going to dominate the news next year. Student’s will either adapt or resist to these changes, and Arthur is going to be there to document these stories.

Trent also plans on becoming a big university by its own standards, with expressed interest in raising enrollment to over 10,000 students. Will Trent University be able to accommodate these young adults and offer them the same small class sizes and student to professor ratio that has been offered in the past? Arthur is going to be examining the experience of students in their first year and attempt to quantify whether or not this great school is living up to the high standards it has established for itself.

The makeup of the Trent Central Student Association has also changed dramatically.

With a new president and only two returning board members, it will be of the utmost importance that Arthur documents shifts in the governing body at Trent. The TCSA as it is currently constructed is inherit-

CAMPUS

Dan Morrison

ing a campus with dwindling space and burgeoning enrollment. This landscape could constrain the ability of the TCSA to be politically active and force them to be a provider of services instead of a voice of the students. Arthur will be there to document this.

That being said, Arthur’s ability to cover everything is going to similarly constrained by our current financial realities.

The fact that there is only space in the budget for 12 staff in total, all working just 7 hours a week will hinder what we can and can’t do. Over the next year, Arthur is going to have to draw on the strength of the community and the groups at Trent to volunteer time and resources to cover events. We hope that the community understands the position that Arthur finds itself in, and that students find their voice in the Newspaper the way that so many have done in the past.

We also need Trent staff and professors to buy into the newspaper, and give incentive to students to write for the Newspaper in the form of small bonus marks. Students are expected to juggle tens of thousands in debt, full time course loads, and doing laundry regularly in exchange for an often milquetoast guarantee of employment after university. In this context, it is transparent that submitting articles to a student newspaper is not as beneficial to a student’s post university prospects as serving on a board or student cabinet may be. Professors and Arthur Newspaper need to team up and make contributing to Arthur an option that improves prospects of students through improving grades.

There is so much more that Arthur Newspaper plans to do and be over the next year.

To do all of these things, we need buy in from the community and a renewed sense of what Arthur can offer to the students at Trent University.

Because I am better than Josh, I won’t start with a cliché. Also, to further differentiate myself from my co-editor, you probably don’t know me as anything. If we were in seminars together, I was probably wearing a facial expression that failed to betray my interest, not saying anything at all.

I first came across Josh in one of these seminars, looking bored out of my mind as he beguiled the class with his intellect and his deep knowledge base“ach this guy knows a lot of stuff.”

This was last year, when I came to Trent as an exchange student. As I navigated the culture shock in the beginning, I became acutely aware of Trent’s open and engaging community spirit. This is the beauty of Trent. I was pretty darn fortunate to explore this community working for Arthur, and this coming year Arthur will harness Trent’s great spirit in all that it does.

We want you guys to be a part of Arthur. We want you guys to get involved in what we are doing and to see Arthur’s value in: facilitating debate; bringing the community together; channelling and challenging you; and keeping you informed. Arthur will reach out to bring you into the fold in various ways, just as Trent did with me and many other international students.

This year, Arthur aims to start holding events, with ideas including public lectures, nights out, picnics, bbqs, open mic nights, debates, roundtable events and much more. We’ve already begun talking to bars and cafés downtown about this and we are really excited about them. Have you got an idea for an Arthur event or want to host one? Please, get in touch! The more we empower students, the better; the more

people we have involved, the better that Arthur can serve the needs and wishes of Trent and Peterborough.

The events will also give us the opportunity to try out new ideas and ways of practicing our beliefs.

In this generation’s most high pressure political times, it is important that we are coming up with new ways of protesting and resisting. Rather than just reacting, it is far more important that we are coming up with new ways of acting and thinking for ourselves. We may be entering a troubling epoch, but acting in favour a different world is fun, exciting and best done together. We want you to be a part of it.

As we continue to reach out, Arthur will be much more active on social media.

Can’t be there with us? No problem, we’ll bring it to you. We will be increasing our online presence, with live tweets on Arthur’s Twitter and livestreams on Facebook when possible. We may even get our own Snapchat profile, too.

Our job is to serve you on campus and in the community. This doesn’t just involve channelling your voice, bringing the community together and letting you know what’s going on. It is fundamental to our role that we hold the Trent Community and its individual members to account as well.

The majority is not always right, nor is the dissenter always an honest rebel; insulated majorities get carried away while ‘rebels’ are sometimes just dickheads.

We are really looking forward to getting up and running come the new academic year. There is great value in Arthur and we reckon that with a bit of help and input from you, we can take it onto the next level.

Good luck with exams and don’t work too hard! See you at the end of the summer.

memorial proposal will highlight the contributions of significant members of the Fleming College community. With $1500 in winnings going directly toward planting trees on campus, the project intends to increase campus canopy coverage, and improve the longevity of natural biodiversity at the school. Consistent with Fleming’s partnership with Tree Canada, focused on campus tree planting in honor of the college’s 50th anniversary, the winning project will begin with the planting of two trees on April 22nd, recognizing Katrina Van Osch-Saxon and Tom Mikel for their passion in environmental studies, excellence in teaching and creating opportunities for students.

Here at Trent, the Trent Green Your Campus Competition acknowledged innovative project proposals from Trent students with a vested interest in promoting environmental sustainability. The competition awarded up to $5000 in project funding to two winning groups, Sarah-Cody

Knight and Allan Fretz of the Forested Wetland Restoration Project, and Debbie Jenkins, Maggie Boothroyd and Cristen Watt of the Surveying and Mapping Biodiversity Project, and inspired creative project proposals from a wide variety of students focused on improving sustainability both on-campus and in the local community. The Campus Sustainability Conference was supported by the Trent University Green Team, Fleming College Office of Sustainability, and Fleming FASTSTART. Connecting efforts toward environmental sustainability and supporting women in the community, the upcoming second annual Women in Trees event, happening this April 22nd at the Fleming College Frost campus in Lindsay, will showcase opportunities for women in the forestry and arboriculture fields. Offering students an opening to network and share their experiences with both peers and employers, the event will include a ‘Women in Trees’ group tree climb.

In hosting this event, organizer Katrina Van-Osch Saxon hopes to motivate aspiring female students and community members in the field to find opportunity in the forestry industry. The event is open to Fleming College and Trent University students, as well as community members, and is an excellent platform for women in related programs here at Trent to learn more about possible careers and pathway programs available to them.

Please contact Katrina Van-Osch Saxon at Katrina.van_osch-saxon@flemingcollege.ca, or 866-353-6464 ext. 3274 for more information.

Given continuing concern surrounding climate change and the environment, sustainable initiatives both on campus and in the community inspire action to preserve the beauty of Trent University, Fleming College, and the City of Peterborough.

Find opportunity in your daily life to create and support sustainable initiatives oncampus and in your community!

Trent and Fleming are pushing sustainable campuses

Sarah Carthy

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Editorial: Dan Morrison

Embracing Peterborough’s surrounding natural landscape and a commitment to supporting environmental initiatives in the community, both Trent University and Fleming College are front-runners in a push toward creating green, environmentally sustainable campuses.

The Campus Sustainability Conference, held at Fleming College’s Peterborough campus on March 11th, 2017, challenged bright minded college and university students to develop agriculturally sustainable campus and community initiatives.

Hosting both the Trent Green Your Campus Competition and Fleming Two Minute Pitch Competition, the conference welcomed keynote speaker Gord Miller, Ontario’s former Environmental Commissioner.

Awarded first place in the Fleming Two Minute Pitch Competition, students Jessica Carthy and Tyler Petersen’s unique tree

www.trentarthur.ca

CAMPUS

Here is your 2017 Trent Central Student Association board Josh Skinner

Another year, and another round of Trent Central Student Association elections have come to a close. The student body chose Brandon Remmelgas to be the president of the TCSA and new face of Trent University over Annette Pedlar and Asgiga Corriveau.

Shanese Steele will be taking over Vice President of Campaigns and Equity, while Lea Rogers Balgobin will be assuming the role Vice President of University and College Affairs. The only contested vice presidential race was for Vice President of Clubs and External Affairs in which students attending Trent elected Molly Hu over Brianna Joseph and Nikhil Ganesh.

The TCSA will be seeing 3 new Comissioners; Rhode Thomas will be filling the seat of Indigenous Students Commissioner, while Brendan Campbell will be representing Mature and Transfer Students. Victoria Belbin, who beat out Dominic Ringler will be Trent’s Environment and Sustainability Commissioner.

Meanwhile all but one of the referendum questions got a yes from the campus, with Trent Radio being the odd one out. Results for those can all be found on the TCSA website.

Shanese Steele and Brendan Campbell, the only two students who were elected during last years election, are returning to the TCSA. This constitutes a large turnover, and it behooves students to pay attention to how this board as it is presently constituted will face the challenges ahead. Brandon Remmelgas has been clear that he will rule via consensus through student consultation when coming up with decisions.

Students will be strapped for space next year with Bata closing, but the TCSA will also have to deal with the change of office space once the new student centres opens up in September. The TCSA will have to adjust to that new reality facing students who are losing space while the TCSA accrues it.

Molly Hu is going to spend her summer “putting together plans for the Clubs and

Groups Space in the Student Centre to aid in connecting our various on-campus organizations with one another”.

Shanese Steele has been an unapologetic activist in the past, advocating for racial equality and recognition of Indigenous identity. She is shuffling from the position of Anti-Racism Commissioner to VP of Campaigns and Equity. Both positions are based in fighting forms of oppression, although now her job will be one in which she coordinates commissioners in doing so.

Lea Rogers-Balgobin will centre her term as VP of University and College Affairs by keeping a keen eye on the food situation, which will be increasingly encumbered without the Bata Tim Hortons to churn out bagels and coffee. She will also help coordinate college cabinets and serve as their aid when navigating their dealings with the TCSA. Victoria Belbin, the new Environment and Sustainability commissioner has made it clear that she opposes the opening of the Trent Research and Innovation Park. The

new building, which will be located just off of Pioneer road on campus promises to host companies focused on sustainability research,with the stipulation that Trent students are hired for research positions.

The new commissioner has labeled the project as “colonial”, and has posited that its construction shows that Trent is betraying its core values of sustainability.

The new Indigenous Students Commissioner, Rhode Thomas, will work with the TCSA at integrating Indigenous views into the board when they make decisions. The Indigenous Students Comissioner will work in tandem with groups like the Trent University Native Association on whatever initiatives they undertake next term.

All in all, there are a ton of new faces on the board, and Trent is facing many unique challenges in the coming year. 19.5% of Trent Students voted in these individuals, who will be tasked with representing the campus as a whole. It will be up to the new TCSA board to rise to that occasion.

foul-play allegations of student capital fee spending that included a rough outline of how the fee was spent for the past three years, and a projection of future spending, including both facility upkeep and their long term plan on paying off the substantial balance on expansion project mortgage payments. The info session kicked off with TCSA President, Alaine Spiwak, speaking on behalf of the TCSA and its current position on how the fee should be spent. Spiwak outlined that the issue was extensively discussed in TCSA meetings, primarily focusing on the determination of some ambiguous and inconsistent language throughout a number of separate documents at the time the fee was being considered in 2004. A definitive decision has not yet been achieved, however.

This will likely fall into the hands of the incoming TCSA board to make a decision on the issue in conjunction with Athletic

Centre administration.

The TCSA President then gave the floor to the Athletics Director Deborah BrightBrundle, who addressed a paltry audience of six students, three of which were comprised of AC staff and this Arthur reporter, making it clear that either students have lost interest or couldn’t be bothered to attend. Nevertheless, the presentation was the first of its kind to contain a hard budget summary, detailed plans for the future, and how exactly the AC is working towards broadening their revenue streams in order to meet its mortgage payments.

Twenty minutes was allotted for questions from the audience following the presentation, and Arthur led the conversation. Bright-Brundle was asked to elaborate on some specifics yet to be clarified, such as whether or not there is any plan to increase revenue streams to a point where, once the mortgage of the new develop-

ments has been paid off, the student capital fee of $50 will be eradicated and cut from student tuition. To this, the AC Director said that revenue streams will continue to expand, but the axing of the fee would have to be revisited at a later date when the mortgage is more manageable. The question of whether community members should also be paying an annual capital fee was brought up. Bright-Brundle noted here that the AC is currently toying with the idea of having community members pay an annual fee, or simply charging a higher one time fee upon signing up at the AC. With a new incoming TCSA board, the fate of this fee will fall into the hands of a new set of student leaders in the fall.

Nevertheless, the question of whether or not another student referendum is the only fair way to resolve this type of issue still hangs in the air.

An update on the Athletic Centre fee debate

Jordan Porter

Heading into April, little headway seems to have been made by students or the administration regarding the much contested $50 Student Capital fee, and how its collection and expenditure ought to be managed. However, it is not due to a lack of trying by Athletic Centre (AC) administration. Director of Athletics Deborah Bright-Brundle and her team have spearheaded the issue raised by an anonymous article published by Arthur in early February, and has responded by working closely with the TCSA while offering the student body every opportunity to express concerns and ask questions to get to the bottom of what students feel should happen in regards to expenditure of the capital fee.

On March 15th, the AC hosted a one-hour information session regarding

NEWS

The far reaching impacts of transphobic speech

Shanese Steele Eight: the number of trans women who have been murdered in the United States only 3 months into the new year. All are women of colour, seven of which are black while the eighth is Indigenous. Trans women are under attack, and as many within the trans community know, this is nothing new. 27 trans women were murdered in the United States last year, and a staggering 48 trans women were murdered in Brazil is just the first month of 2016.

While having to learn to survive the violence of their day-to-day realities, trans women are denied even the smallest of basic human rights, such as using the bathroom. It is understandable why so many within the trans community and their allies have taken issue to the recent trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) comments made by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. TERF is an acronym which refers specifically to cisgender women who identify as “feminists” but base womanhood on things like genitals, sexual orientation and whether or not a woman identifies as cisgender.

In an appearance on Channel 4 News, when asked about trans women, Adichie stated, “So, when people ask, you know, ‘are trans women women,’ my feeling is, trans women are trans women.”

In her refusal to simply state that trans

women are in fact women, Adichie is perpetuating the harmful belief that trans women aren’t women simply because of how they were born. That somehow, because their lived experience may differ in some ways from that of cis women, that they aren’t “real women”.

This ideology is harmful because it ultimately leads to the violence that trans women are forced to endure at the hands of cis-gendered individuals. Trans activist Raquel Willis eloquently explained the issue with Adichie’s comments. In a series of tweets Willis wrote, “[Adichie] needs to take a lesson from herself on the danger of a single story because she’s just shown how dangerous cis-gender hegemony is. When you ostracize and devalue trans women and their womanhood, you are operating as a tool of the patriarchy.”

Transmisogyny is more than just misgendering trans women; much like racism, it can manifest in subtle, nuanced ways while the effects remain the same.

Adichie’s comments play into the narrative that trans women are simply men who decided to change genders—this is the same narrative used to pass bathroom laws in the United States. Male privilege is often utilized by cis-gendered people to delegitimize the struggles of trans womanhood and argue absurdly that trans women have had life easier because at some point they were able to move through the world

as a man. Gender Rights Activist and Canadian Federation of Students women’s representative Jade Peek disproves this: “In a contemporary time we realize that despite the genitalia of a person, gender is expansive, fluid, and stretches beyond the binary construct of man and woman.

This is the same binary that in fact created the divisiveness that put characteristics on both genders, creating the inequality, violence and cultural issues that women continue to fight today, and is the same binary that TERFs use to attack trans people. [TERFs] fail to recognize the intersections of culture and race, as well as mental health, social and economic capital, sexual assault, fetishization, exploitation, bullying and toxic masculinity, and the same type of mentality these exclusionary women excrete.”

Transphobia can happen anywhere and the exclusion of trans voices endangers progress. Carl Baxter, a trans-masculine student, discussed Trent’s relative success in uplifting these voices.

“I feel that Trent does a good job in including and acknowledging the voices of trans students on campus by doing things like having a Gender Commissioner and Queer Commissioner on the TCSA, having gender neutral bathrooms, and allowing changes to names on Blackboard and MyTrent even if the individual has not legally changed their name.”

Over the last few years Trent has taken the steps to make its Peterborough campus more inclusive for the trans community.

While Baxter feels that there is still room for improvement, such as trans-specific supports, he wants Trent students to know that “trans students are just that—students. We are here to receive an education and have a positive four years. But we as students have different needs from cisgender students. This doesn’t mean we’re trying to impose on your spaces, it just means that we want equity in our institution. We are not asking you to understand our identity. Sometimes it’s hard for even us to understand it. But you don’t need to understand something to respect it, and that’s what we need from you. Respect our existence. Respect our needs.”

In a society where violence against the trans community is often normalized and ignored, questioning the validity of the womanhood of trans women is an act of violence. In the words of black queer transgender activist Raquel Willis, “If your feminism does not respect trans women in their full womanhood, it’s not truly intersectional.

If you don’t advocate for the liberation of trans people, you aren’t truly invested in equality. And if you don’t advocate on behalf of black trans women, then you aren’t truly invested in black liberation.”

Volume 51| Issue 16 | March 30 | 2017

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CAMPUS

LEC celebrates IWD with First Seeley Women in Leadership Luncheon Kaila Holmes

On International Women’s Day, Lady Eaton College hosted the Seeley Women in Leadership Luncheon to celebrate female leadership with Lady Eaton College. The event has been named after the college’s founding Principal, Marjory Peters Seeley Rogers.

Lady Eaton College prides itself on having such a connection to women in leadership, as our first Principal was a woman, and we remain the only college that boasts an all-female section in residence,and we continue to encourage women’s involvement at Trent University and Lady Eaton College.

Her dedicated leadership had made the colleges the thriving community that it is today.

Born in Manitoba in 1921, Marjory was educated at St. Johns College (B.A 1942), The University of Manitoba (Dip. In Social Work, 1944), and the University of

Chicago School of Social Science Administration (1948). She received her Doctor of Canon Law from St. John’s in 1974 and an Honorary Degree from Trinity College in 1989. As founding Principal of Lady Eaton College, Marjory Peters Seeley Rogers was Principal from 1968-1976 and helped to foster an environment where female leaders could grow. Her dedicated leadership had made the colleges the thriving community that it is today.

Students, staff and faculty alike participated in this acknowledgement and celebration of female leadership.

Lady Eaton’s College Head Lindsay Morris welcomed guests in her speech that acknowledged the impacts of women’s leadership in the past, and present, as well as their influences in the future. Lindsay also recognized women’s abilities to celebrate one another. Students were given the opportunity to nominate each other to the event, and in their nominations many

took the opportunity to state the importance of fellow leaders in their lives. The luncheon presented everyone in attendance a chance to celebrate peers as well as learn from their achievements, all the while enjoying a delicious lunch provided

by Black Honey. As attendee Kate Walker said, “A luncheon celebrating women in leadership was a great opportunity for me to interact with influential student and staff leaders that I have looked up to during my time her at Trent.”

The event’s keynote speaker, Janet McPhee, presented attendees with an opportunity to grow in their leadership skills through her enthralling and interactive presentation. McPhee herself is a Lady Eaton College and Trent University alumni.

Janet founded her own consulting firm to provide coaching and organizational development services to individuals and corporate clients. She partners with leaders in a variety of positions to help them gain clar-

ity and increased focus in their work, while strengthening their leadership capabilities.

In her speech she reminisced on her times at Trent, and her journey to becoming the successful business owner and community leader she is now. Janet’s presentation focused on the power of connection and mindset. She stated that having an open, learning mindset will help individuals in their leadership skills, as it opens them up to new opinions and opportunities.

During Janet’s presentation, students recognized the connections that they have made at Trent that have greatly impacted their life. Students left the luncheon feeling empowered and thankful for the opportunity to learn from and celebrate fellow women in leadership. With an amazing response to the event, Lady Eaton College hopes to make it an annual event, celebrating the history the college has with female leadership.

Farewell to our co-editors, Yumna Leghari and Zara Syed as long as there is no inherent hate speech within the message; we welcome all facets of thought. Bottom line: we love this paper and we want you to love it too.” - Zara, Editorial Platform, March 23rd 2015

Holly Stark

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For two years, Arthur Newspaper has been guided by co-editors Zara Syed and Yumna Leghari. Passionate journalists, activists and feminists, Yumna and Zara are committed to creative integrity and to representing the voices of first generation Canadians and women of colour in the Peterborough community. Their Arthur celebrated art, poetry, music, books and drinks at The Only. The last two volumes have seen a range of beautiful covers and compelling features devoted to exploring anti-oppression issues relating to women, Indigenous people, trans people, and others. Both Yumna and Zara have kept their vision for the paper concise yet imaginative, and as both readers and writers, we thank them.

“Insight is power, and pen is permanent.

As long as there are strong minds, voices, and intentions, there is no silence in the face of adversity. You will see art, music, and flesh. Art has timelessly stood as a stubborn cliff, challenging the ocean of industry that has risen over the centuries.” - Yumna, Editorial Platform, March 23rd 2015.

Arthur has benefited from two strong minds, and has flourished in its recognition of art, politics, sexuality and the environment while underscoring the significance and permanence of the written word. Zara and Yumna supported campus and community initiatives and strengthened ties with Trent Radio. A simple search through the “Features” on trentarthur. ca shows what Arthur is about: celebrating marginalized voices; a tight-knit local scene of music, grassroots film, visual arts, poetry and words. These words shape our beliefs, world-view, morale and personal interactions. Arthur leaves me thankful for language, for words and for the spaces in between the words.

“We believe in ethical journalism, and an open and transparent policy. Regardless of our biases, we will not censor any voices

www.trentarthur.ca

Thank you to my co-editors Zara and Yumna for being an integrally devoted part of this independent press, for staying up until dawn crafting it, for supporting us through our artistic processes, for their leadership through Arthur’s inevitable rocky bumps, for reconnecting me with the Peterborough and Trent communities, and for rekindling my love for the arts.

-Holly Stark I used to hate Peterborough before I met these two. In one of Zara’s interviews with Maryam Monsef, Monsef points out why Peterborough is an important city to start your journey from; it gives people the opportunity to work locally but think globally. Zara and Yumna have been my Monsefs since 2K16 and I cannot thank them enough for the opportunities and perspectives they have given me throughout our work and friendship. I truly believe Yumna and Zara are the only women you can meet from Trent who are unreservedly accepting of any kind of people, colour, religion, food, or culture. I have loved Peterborough for the past year since meeting them.

But hey, let’s “thank the men in our lives too” (Sophie Trudeau, 2017). ZAF, thank you for introducing me to them, and thank you for being there for all of us when we needed that great brain of yours.

-Berfin Aksoy I don’t have much to say, except “thank you”. But I want to fill up more space than that so…I don’t know, guys. When I originally applied, I didn’t even think that I would get an interview, let alone a position. But you supported me from the get-go. You allowed me to cultivate my music writing, and pushed me to create.

When I was comfortable enough, you supported my insecurities, and helped me to branch out. You made me feel like a member of a community that I never thought I would belong to. I can’t thank you enough.

You’re gonna be my editors forever. (Sorry, Dan & Josh). I love you both very much.

-Tyler Majer Not having published anything since winning that primary school writing competition, starting at Arthur was incredibly scary. Luckily, Zara and Yumna were there

to help me grow as a writer and as a person.

As editors, they provided me with the support I needed to write confidently and have fun forming my own style. They’ve always helped me improve my skills, adjusted to my schedule and given me extensions I didn’t deserve. As friends, they have been there to share many laughs, hugs, meaningful chats, and relief from the stresses of university. It has been a pleasure to work under such talented, creative and badass editors. I await future laughs and adventures, and to all the times I will complain about Dan and Josh.

-Lubna Sadek Having a very limited background in journalism, stepping into the position of a weekly reporter for Arthur earlier this year brought me feelings of simultaneous anxiety and excitement. Thanks to the supportive, engaging environment provided

by Yumna and Zara, feelings of doubt were quelled as soon as I began, but the excitement has persisted. Their willingness to put in the extra time to their work and eagerness to provide both personal and professional support to staff did not go unnoticed.

In order for an organization as special as Arthur to thrive, it needs not only hardworking volunteers and employees, but also an editorship that truly cares about the organization.

Meeting Yumna and Zara, it doesn’t take long to recognize the passion they two have for this newspaper and school. Casual conversations about work often transform into informative, lively discussions about Arthur and Trent University’s dynamic past and present.

Their fantastic work ethic and kindness, as well as their breadth of experience and knowledge regarding Arthur and its important role in the lives of so many Trent students, is something to be admired. I am honoured to have worked under such amazing women.

Zara and Yumna, while you will be missed dearly by Arthur, I am confident you will succeed in whatever you set your minds to, and wish you the best in your future endeavours. I’ll see you at The Only!

-Your friend, Clay My first interactions with Yumna and Zara were defined by competition. I wanted to be the next editor of Arthur, and thought I could do a better job than them. About a year has passed since then and it’s absolutely wild how much more I’ve gained from cooperating with Zara and Yumna than I did from competing with them. Under

their editorship and guidance, I have been given a platform and guidance which will inform my editorship with Dan Morrison. I can’t wait to see what these two get up to in the future, and they will always be welcome at Arthur anytime they please, especially during production night.

-Josh Thank you, Zara and Yumna, for brightening Arthur’s pages with vibrant energy and jubilant celebration of everything diverse and beautiful in this community.

Your Arthur will be remembered as rich with colour and exploding with joy, and you will be remembered as the editors who smiled Arthur through the storm.

-Best wishes, Jeffrey Moore We have been weaved into each other’s lives for the last few years and have had our ups and downs. Everything from taking our pick of amazing summer stories while getting a tan (well, I was) in the sun at Silver Bean, to when our Business Manager told us, “guess what—you’re broke!” You two always had my back in providing opportunities whenever possible, and I could not thank you enough for including me in Arthur and all it entails.

Good luck in whatever the future brings to you both.

-Jordan Porter, Arthur Reporter Representation matters. Providing spaces to make representation possible is vital, and Yumna and Zara have done just that. They have created opportunities for diverse voices within Trent to be heard. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity they gave me this year, the chance to fully explore and find my voice. They uplifted a fat, black, queer, Indigenous woman from the ‘hood who thought the only acceptable place for her words was on a Facebook status. I can honestly say that this paper and these two beautiful and amazing souls have changed my life for the better.

Thank you Yumna and Zara for helping so many of us fly.

-Shanese

CAMPUS

Trending @ Traill talks fashion, photography, and feminism but then we ended up getting in a big fight, and it’s turned into my favourite shirt.

And now there’s a story behind it.

Yeah, exactly. Now that we’ve spoken, she’s like, “Ok, I owe you that shirt.” So, we joke that she was acting like the dinosaur on the shirt.

What purpose does fashion serve for you?

“My aesthetic is femme Steve Jobs.”

Yumna Leghari The advent of social media has created an opportunistic hub for artists. University culture has thrived due to platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, allowing for discourse, debate, and a broader outreach to the student body than before. Trending at Catharine Parr Traill College is one of these niche University projects, utilizing Instagram to appeal to students. You may have seen your friend tagged in a Trending at Traill post, or overheard someone talking about it in Scott House.

Trending at Traill is a student-run Instagram page that captures denizens of Traill College in their natural habitat. Trending at Traill hones in on their aesthetic and asks questions relating to their look that day. This often results in a quirky, candid conversations, which then appear below the photo. Trending at Traill is reminiscent of projects such as Humans Of New York, as it takes a similar concept and brings it closer to home. The humans appearing on this page are people you’ve most likely seen sipping on a brew at the Trend, or having a smoke between classes. Trending at Traill focuses on student fashion and how it represents the paradoxical chaos and lethargy of student life. Arthur sat down with the creator of Trending at Traill to understand the process and what inspires it.

Why Traill?

Most of my classes are at Traill, because I’m an English student. Traill College is such an underrated college. Everyone’s always like “Oh , I’ve never been there before, I’ve never heard of it.” Traill has become so close to my heart. It’s exactly what Trent is supposed to be; an incredibly alternative way of learning, where you’re on equal ground with your professors; it’s a very unique quality to Traill. I don’t think I’ve ever met any of my professors for coffee at main campus; it’s always at Traill. It’s a completely different culture here.

Does Traill have a certain visual quality that inspires you?

I honestly can’t imagine doing the project at any other college, because of the scenery at Traill. It’s got this old school architecture, and also because people are dressed really interestingly at Traill. Student fashion is funny, because it’s so random and weird. Traill is such a laid back place.

When did you decide to begin this project?

I was talking to a friend, and she had a really cute outfit on, so I asked her if I could take her picture. I’ve always been someone who loves admiring what people are wearing. I love the candidness of not thinking, and wearing what you want to wear. One day I just thought, “What if I had an account called The Trent College Look Book?” or something like that, and

my friend was like, “Oh yeah. That would be awesome.” I’ve always wanted to do some sort of fashion blog.

It’s a really great name, by the way.

I didn’t actually think of that name. I was talking to Michael Eamon about it, and he was like, “What about Trending at Traill”, and I was like “Oh my gosh!” because before that I was like, “It’s gonna be the Traill College Look Book.” I had been planning on doing it for months, and I kept forgetting my camera at home, so the first photo was taken by my phone, because I needed to stop putting it off. So I just did it.

From then on, I always brought my camera with me.

So did this project inspire you to pick up your camera again?

I’ve had my camera since I was fifteen. I wanted one all throughout my childhood and I would always use a disposable one.

Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money. So my first job, I saved up all of my money, and I still remember that day. I bawled my eyes out. I was really into photography in High School, and then I kind of just fell out of it. I’m an artist, and I love having an outlet, but it’s nice to have something that’s not me trying to be like, “This needs to be good.” It’s nice having people be like, “Have you seen Trending at Traill?” It’s nice having that animosity.

Do you enjoy the social atmosphere that the project fosters in that moment?

Yeah, so often people are like, “I’m not wearing anything special.” But I love the art of dressing yourself in the morning. Some people hate it, but I’m definitely someone who loves getting ready in the morning. I’m intrigued by what people wear, even when it’s totally thoughtless. I think it’s so interesting. I took a picture of a girl yesterday who was like, “Oh, I’m telling people that I just threw my outfit on, but I’ve actually been planning this outfit for like two weeks, waiting for a sunny day.”

She was so excited to be wearing this dress.

That’s so cute! So, what does fashion symbolize for you?

A good question, with so many answers.

I’ve always been very different in the way that I dress. I was very lucky when I was a kid, because my parents are big time hippies who don’t care that much about gender norms. When I was a kid, I almost exclusively dressed in boys clothes. My best friend ended up being female to male trans when I was a kid, and because they’d always wear boxers, so did I. I grew up with a free for all, wear what you want philosophy. I love that about fashion and style; just wearing exactly what you’re feeling. Like, today, I wore this [points to a band shirt]. I bought this shirt for a friend,

Because I’m an artist, I’m someone who feels super extremes; highs, lows, everything. Fashions allows me to get outside of my head, and be in my body. I enjoy thinking about how I’m going to dress myself and do my makeup, it’s so therapeutic. Whenever I pull an all nighter I always dress up super fancy, do my hair and makeup, and everyone is like “Oh, you look so great today!” I just know that if I do that, I’m going to feel better, where as if I didn’t, I’d just be like, “Oh, eff my life.”

I wouldn’t feel the same way, you know.

For example, I love dressing feminine. I’ve been through phases in my life where I love dressing like a boy. But I’m typically drawn towards more feminine things right now.

I’m really intrigued by the expectations

This is going to sound weird, but it’s something I’ve reflected upon a lot. I think I had a lot of internalized misogyny as a kid. I hated anything feminine, and I looked down on girls who did dancing. I wore boys clothes and was in competitive judo. When I was really little, my mom would dress me in flouncy dresses, and I grew up to hate it. Then, I became uncomfortable being a girl who dressed like a boy around puberty. So, I stopped wearing boys clothes and was like “Oh my god, what the hell am I dong? I’m wearing boxers.” So I’d had all this hate, and then I was like wait....

So I started dressing in typical brands like Hollister. I felt like I fit in more. When I was a kid I never wore my hair down, it was always pulled back. I was one of those tomboys.

Do you think it made you feel stronger to reject femininity?

I honestly just thought of feminine things as stupid and weak. I look back on it, and it’s like really sad. I have no idea where I got this from. I just find it interesting because I loved Sailor Moon and things like that. I always just thought of myself as a tomboy, and then not until I got older did I realize

“I’m very inspired by light. It’s why I love Traill College. I love all of the windows and the light pouring in, and the way that the light shines on peoples faces. It’s what inspires me to take a picture. ” that come with fashion. I remember always looking at people as a kid and being like, “Wow! Everyone looks like they could be on the red carpet today, everyone looks so beautiful.”

Do you have a particular aesthetic that inspires you?

I’m in a transition phase right now. I was dressing in a lot of floral, but now I’m making a transition into something more mature, and more fitting for my age. It’s more androgynous but it’s still within the feminine realm. It’s a lot more experimental. I’m the same with makeup as I am with clothing. I love things that are experimental, accentuate the human body and celebrate the way that people are formed.

I love looks that push boundaries. I saw these beautiful heels two years ago during Paris Fashion Week, they were all-glass platform heels with roses inside. I love the avant-garde, elegant look. I also love androgynous clothing, and I’m really fascinated by looks that are gender-bending.

I’m also very inspired by light. It really affects me as an artist, and it’s also partially why I love Traill College. I love all of the windows and the light pouring in, and the way that the light shines on peoples faces.

It’s what inspires me to take a picture. It’s so corny, but light encapsulates everything, and I’m really intrigued by the differences and the way that people choose to dress. I love the uncalculated thoughtfulness of the way that people dress. I especially love the way that comes across in being a university student. You know, the rush, but also the whole, “I wanna look cute for that guy” or “I have a presentation today’ or being like “Fuck it” and throwing something on. I love that line between being uncalculated and candid, but also that intention.

Do you have a fashion phase that you ever look back on and go, what the heck was I doing?

I had internalized hate towards women. I’d always considered myself a feminist, and not until I was 17 did I have my awakening. Now, I’ve really embraced all these feminine aspects of myself. I love dresses, make-up, and curling my hair.

That’s quite young to be so aware of gender normatives.

Like I said, my parents are really big hippies. They used to send me to Social Justice Camp when I was a kid. I found out about child labour at a really young age.

I remember finding out that Matel was a big exploiter of child labour, so I stopped buying Barbie dolls. I started cutting the hair of the remaining Barbie dolls that I did have left pink, and dressed them up in punk clothes. I hated that they were dressed the same. I wanted to re-invent them. I was a strange kid, and part of me thinks the whole Barbie re-invention thing is cool, but another part of me is sad about it, because I think there was some womanhating going on there. I think this is something all feminists struggle with; trying to liberate women, but then destroying their liberation in the process.

What do you hope that your project accomplishes?

I think that question doesn’t really have a straight answer. It’s not about me, and that’s part of what I love about it; forgetting about my ego, listening to other people, and letting it define itself. The same way they’re defining their own fashion without thinking too hard about it. I love Traill College so much. I’m not normally a spirited person, but Traill brings out that part of me. I want everyone to go to Traill.

Traill at Christmas-time especially, with all the trees up, everyone knows each other, the people at The Trend know your name, Michael Eamon knows everyone, and you get to know all the faces... that’s what University is supposed to be.

Volume 51| Issue 16 | March 30 | 2017

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CAMPUS

Cultural Outreach 2017: reaching out beyond the show

Photography by Berfin Aksoy

FEATURE

“Cultural Outreach was deemed a success once the performances continued on with their strength, making the thief unable to fulfill his intentions due to the power and spirit of the performances...

Lubna Sadek The excitement of Peterborough residents and visitors queuing up along George Street outside of Showplace was palpable.

The crowd was eager to enter the theatre last Saturday to see Trent’s talented students put on Cultural Outreach: A State of Emergency. This year, the Trent International Students’ Association (TISA) hosted a successful performance, as always open to all, where cultural diversity was celebrated through performances that shared their hidden talents with their family, friends, peers, and those who have travelled to attend the show.

Cultural Outreach is an annual event supported by the Trent International Program (TIP). Founded in 1981, TIP provides services to all students at Trent University, serving as a space that specializes in international students’ affairs and study abroad programs. With over 700 international students at Trent from 106 countries around the world, TIP represents the peak of Trent’s diversity, allowing for this varied group to collaborate on Trent events, share their perspectives and learn from the experiences around them. Emerging from TIP is the Trent International Students’ Association (TISA), a student-led organization that represents all students at the university, bridging the gap between people from various cultural backgrounds.

This year, as always, TISA hosted a spectacular culturally vibrant performance.

From hip-hop and West Indian dances to slam poetry and a cappella singing, Cultural Outreach was the highlight of that Saturday night in downtown Peterborough.

TISA entertained while also representing, through a well-executed production, what TISA stands for in both the Trent and the Peterborough community.

Arthur had the chance to speak with the lovely Francini Brice, an international student from St. Lucia in her fourth year

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studying biology. Brice is also a public speaker, performer, instructor, and event coordinator. Throughout her time at Trent, she has been heavily involved in international student affairs, and with Cultural Outreach for the past three years. For the 2015-2016 academic year Brice was Vice President of the Trent African Caribbean Students Union (TACSU), and spoke of how much she enjoyed that experience due to having colleagues of different perspectives all working towards the same goal of making TACSU better serve African Caribbean students and all of Trent. Brice started off in the 2015 Cultural Outreach: Eureka as assistant stage manager, and advanced to stage manager for 2016’s Cultural Outreach: Phantom of the Opera. This year, Brice had the pleasure of being co-stage manager, occasionally controlling lights, and like previous years, she also performed in the show.

Drawing on her involvement with TIP and Cultural Outreach for the past three years, Brice shared what TISA hopes to achieve through events such as Cultural Outreach: “Culture is a big part of your identity, so we try to empower culture around campus by creating opportunities and events for people to share part of their culture, to express themselves, to teach others and to learn from others too. There is a big international community at Trent, and it’s a great way for people here to learn more about different cultures without having to leave the country.” The theme of empowering culture was definitely evident in the show’s story line this year.

The dashing performances were all tied together through the show’s theme: A State of Emergency. The plot revolves around a thief who attends the show unseen, with the intention to steal the culture from the performance, basically committing identity theft, and stealing an essential part

of what unites the community. Cultural Outreach was deemed a success once the performances continued on with their strength, making the thief unable to fulfill his intentions due to the power and spirit of the performances. This all ties into TISA and TIP’s goal of spreading awareness of the beauty of culture that lays within its differences, and to engage all members of the Trent and Peterborough communities in such wonderful cultural diversity.

On top of Cultural Outreach, TISA hosts other great events that involve students and community members along similar themes, such as the TISA Semi-Formal dinner and the TISA Olympics sports event, and this Friday the TISA Gala will be held in the Champlain Great Hall. Each year TISA tries to improve its events and involvement on campus, and this year is no exception with the outstanding performance at Cultural Outreach. In addition to the events and campaigns held by the association, the international program at Trent is undergoing some changes to reach out to incoming international students.

A vital part of the TIP experience for an international student is attending TIP Camp. To help welcome international students to the university, Trent makes an effort to introduce them to the Canadian outdoors, a vital part of the culture, and to challenge students out of their comfort zone by taking them to camp Timberlane about two hours north of Peterborough.

Being a part of the Canadian and Trent experience, international attendees of TIP camp only speak highly of it. However, with the changes happening at the university for this year, TIP has decided to transition the three-day camping experience to an on-campus Trent International Orientation (TIO), also preceding orientation week, to give international students the extra time they need to get settled in their new home.

Arthur spoke with head of TIP, Professor Michael Eamon, who explained the university’s rationale for making changes to the program. Considering that jetlagged international students were previously whisked off to camp upon arrival, it was decided that giving them a head start on discovering the campus they would be living in was preferable. It was also a way of giving back to Trent, rather than have international students pay the fee of a private campsite. Of course, there have been some concerns from students as to how the TIO could give the same opportunities and sense of excitement to its students. Brice, also cochair of TIO, assured Arthur that measures are being taken to ensure that students will still enjoy the experience with the new changes being made.

“It’s still a new program, so we’re still working on it and how to bring the camping vibes to campus. One of the main concerns was the availability of wifi to students here, unlike at camp, where students didn’t have it, and that really helped push them out of their comfort zone and encouraged them to talk to people”. TIP hopes that TIO will be more beneficial to international students in the long run, and really help culturally integrate them into Canada upon their arrival.

With experiences like TIO and Cultural Outreach, and all that the fantastic student groups have to offer, Trent makes a sincere effort to reach out to the student body and achieve inclusivity amongst its population. With culture being an essential part of identity, ensuring that cultural diversity and acceptance is present on campus and throughout the city is a vital aspect of making Trent truly feel like a home to so many. Cultural Outreach is not just an incredible performance, it is an exquisite product of teamwork, talent and innovation. It is a celebration of the variations amongst us, and encourages us to carry that attitude beyond the walls of the theatre.

...This all ties into TISA and TIP’s goal of spreading awareness of the beauty of culture that lays within its differences, and to engage all members of the Trent and Peterborough communities in such wonderful cultural diversity. ”

Volume 51| Issue 16 | March 30 | 2017

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COMMUNITY

White pride rally sparks community outrage in Peterborough Clay Duncalfe Last Sunday, Peterborough residents within the city’s downtown core witnessed a spectacle that shocked and offended many.

Three men were seen engaging in what has since been described as a small-scale “white rights rally”, in which they waved flags marked with white supremacist imagery.

The ringleader of this event was Kevin Goudreau, a Chairman for the Canadian Nationalist Front and self described “veteran activist for the White Nationalist Movement”.

The Canadian Nationalist Front’s website states that the group would like to see “proper immigration reforms, stopping the flow of third world immigrants” as well as “a return to Canada’s original WhiteEuropean ethnic make up.”

“We’re here today to celebrate White Pride Day.” Goudreau said in a video of the rally posted on YouTube later in the day. “It’s our right. You have gay pride; you have black pride... We’re here to show some white pride.”

Despite Goudreau’s assertion that celebrations of “white pride” are no different than pride movements within the black and LGBT communities, many advocates such as activist and educator Franchesca Ramsey have noted that these movements within marginalized communities are generally used to facilitate solidarity among oppressed individuals.

“White pride” movements, on the other hand, are generally perceived as a celebration of already existing oppressive power structures and are often tied to white su-

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Pictured: individuals for white pride premacist movements like the Klu Klux Klan and the white nationalist website Stormfront.

This is not the first time Goudreau has let his contentious ideological convictions be known to the community. In late 2016, it was reported that he had assaulted a bartender after being kicked out of popular local bar The Spill due to having displayed the large swastika tattoo he has on his chest to fellow patrons.

According to Statistics Canada, Peterborough had the highest rate of hate crimes among large cities within Canada in 2011, with a rate of 17.9 per 100,000 people.

Although the city dropped to fourth place in 2014, these statistics show that this recent rally is a part of an ongoing trend within the community.

In November of 2015, a Peterborough mosque was set on fire, resulting in over $80,000 in damage. Police confirmed that this was deliberate, labelling the incident a

Source: Andrew Macdonald hate crime.

This rally also comes in wake of growing fears among Trent students and community members that there has been an emboldening of those who espouse racial hatred in the months since the election of Donald Trump, both at home and abroad.

In mid-November of last semester, a protest entitled Make Trent Safe was hosted at Bata podium in response to reports that masked individuals had been spotted yelling sexual slurs and pro-Trump slogans around campus.

Although a later statement from President Leo Groake appeared dismissive of these allegations, citing a lack of evidence to support them, the protest showed that those within the Trent community would not remain silent in the face of what they perceived to be unjust discrimination against their fellow pupils.

Likewise, a protest in response the recent rally in question was held a few days

after it took place to send a message that, as organizers put it, “Canada is, and always be a multicultural country” and that “Peterborough does not tolerate any racially discriminatory attitudes”.

The turnout for this protest was high, showing once again that many community members were eager to come together to stand up in solidarity against racial discrimination.

In response to discriminatory acts within the community, organizations such as the Community and Race Relations Committee of Peterborough have come into existence. The CRRC was formed in response to ongoing physical and verbal harassment faced by African Trent and Fleming students in the early 1980s.

“Since the 1980’s, Community and Race Relations Committee of Peterborough has been working to eliminate racism within our community. The white rights rally that took place last week is a reminder that despite the energy many of us put into creating a safer and inclusive community, that this work is still needed,” Cáitlín Currie, Coordinator of CRRC said in a statement to Arthur.

“The white rights movement is born from racist and white supremacist ideologies; the movement is a response to all of our efforts for racial equity and is built on the notion that any disruption of white power, aka the status quo, justifies a movement to maintain the privileges, access and rights that are disproportionately entitled to white people. Let this weekend be a reminder to us all that our work is not done and now more then ever we need to be visible and speak out against racism in Peterborough.”

COMMUNITY

A moment with Charlie C Petch, creator of Mel Malarkey

Photo by Andy Carroll Jordan Porter This week, Arthur sat down with former Trent student, national playwright, musician, and spoken word champ, Charlie C Petch, who is back in Peterborough for a five-day performance stint of their primary theatre project, Mel Malarkey Get’s The Bum’s Rush, at the intimate Theatre on King. For the past few years Petch has toured all across Canada promoting and performing the multifaceted musical, theatrical, and spoken word production. This play is Petch’s first full-length spoken word Vaudeville play and is set in 1931.

While attending Trent in the Cultural Studies program, Petch was drawn to the theatre and was able to get a job as a technician at a number of different performance spots around the city. Petch started off at the Union initially before working as the house technician at the Gordon Best when it first opened, and then began working more seriously at Market Hall before leaving Peterborough to pursue a national spoken word tour.

Petch is now a member of the League of Canadian Poets and has toured across the country performing spoken word and poetry with the group which has allowed Petch to take their performances from Halifax to the west coast, and even pulling off a spur of the moment performance in Florida while visiting family on vacation.

When asked where they see Mel Malarkey going in the future, Petch pondered for a moment then spoke about their modest aspirations for the performance, “I would like to enter into a number of different pride festivals, it’s definitely going to be in the Saskatoon Poetic Arts Festival in May, and it will also be going to Guelph in May, so just to continue touring and performing would be all I hope for the performance.”

Arthur asked Petch to deliver the “elevator pitch” of the show to gain a better idea of what to expect at the Theatre on King in the next couple of days, as the only hint Petch had given up until now was that the

Hot Dish: Easter Lemon Bars

show has a “surprise ending”.

“It’s Mel’s last night in the Vagabond Theatre, set in 1931 and she has to sell it due to the depression but can’t bear to tell the audience. So she has all these ridiculous acts and then retreats into the backstage, which is on stage, to do some heartfelt goodbyes. These are the more poetic and dramatic moments because you can really see that she loves this place and does not want to transform it into something else.”

Petchs instrument of choice these days is one of the more obscure options available, the musical saw. This creative instrument is prevalent in their Mel Malarkey performance. The musical saw is also primary in the Mel Malarkey: Odes and Acts, which is a full-length album that encompasses almost the entire show. The album will be available for purchase at the each show this week with all melodies and instrumentals written and performed by Charlie Petch themself.

In addition to Mel Malarkey, Petch has a few side projects on the go including a monthly poetry slam circuit that travels all over Ontario entitled Hot Damn it’s a Queer Slam, touring for various different festivals, other full-length shows including one entitled The Man has Boobs which is a spoken word/ slam that is run completely

by Petch. Peterborough’s own Niambi Leigh will be competing in the, Hot Damn it’s a Queer Slam championship on April 15th at Buddies and Bad Times Theatre in Toronto.

These sweet and tangy lemon bars are good all year round, but their bright yellow colour and citrus flavour make them the perfect accompaniment to an Easter celebration. The best thing about these beauties is that the recipe makes more than enough to share. Which means you can hoard some away for yourself and still have a plateful for everyone else. Trust me on this one, you will want your own private stash in reserve.

Ingredients: Crust-1 cup softened butter -2 cups flour -½ cup white sugar Lemon Filling-4 eggs -1 ½ cups white sugar -¼ cup flour - 2 lemons, juiced Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar.

Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the pre-

heated oven, or until firm and golden.

Remove from oven and let cool.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice.

Pour over the baked crust.

5. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven and let cool. The bars will firm up as they cool.

Holiday Tip: If you’re planning on decorating eggs for Easter don’t siphon out the egg and waste the food. It makes the egg fragile, therefore harder to, decorate and is a huge waste. Boil your eggs before you decorate them. Refrigerate the decorated eggs until they are ready to be used as your decorations. Once they have served their decorative purpose you can use them to make sandwiches, devilled eggs, egg curry, pickled eggs, or simply eat them as a protein boosting snack!

Editors Note: The Hot Dish column has been with us for almost the entirety of our editorship. We believe it’s super important for students to eat well on a dime, and be creative! There’s no reason we should be eating cold soup out of a can just because we are counting pennies to survive. Thank you for all of the wonderful recipes you have provided Marina!

Poster by Poster art by David Bishop @renerd

Trent Radio could be your oasis this summer Daniela Leal

Marina Wilke

The winner of this competition will travel with Petch to the international Capturing Fire Queer Summit and Slam in Washington D.C. this summer. The annual summit will feature spoken word poets from all over the world and raises awareness about Trans and Queer culture, and is primarily funded by the DC Commission of the Arts & Poets & Writers.

You can learn more about Charlie C Petch and their upcoming shows at their website, www.charliecpetch.com or follow them on twitter at @sawpoet to keep up with the latest shows and performances all over the country.

I made the crazy decision of staying in Peterborough for the summer. Although I have been writing multiple checklists of the things I want to pursue throughout the glorious months of sun and warmth, I know that my brain cannot accurately perceive the amount of time between May and September, nor can it predict how motivated I will actually be to pursue them. This inability will create gaps in my days that will most probably be filled by solitude.

These short moments will accumulate, making them relevant. A tumbleweed of solitude.

On unexpected quiet moments, I’ll turn on the radio. To avoid them, I’ll keep it on, rather. White-noise, white-noise, solitude, white-noise, 92.7 CFFF FM Trent Radio at Peterborough, relief… I hear my own voice saying, word-by-word, things I had said a couple of weeks ago. My backup show is playing and I am in bed. Slacker. It’s June 13th.

On April 8th, I had run to Trent Radio House with a programme proposal in my hands. I was already looking forward to Studio A training taking place on the first week of May. Oh, being on the air! Oh, the crowd! The applause! The fame!

On April 9th at noon, I had run to Trent Radio House to attend the volunteer meeting for becoming Executive Producer.

Oh, the prestige! The name! The face of my future employer when reading my resume!!! An Executive Producer, will take the role and responsibilities of an Operator-monitor what goes on air, make sure programmers are ready, and maintain a friendly yet respectful environment at the Trent Radio house. The shift will span from 5pm to 10pm.

My summer would be so full and busy.

I feel you, all of you Peterboroughsummer-stayers. We fear waking up to

figurative tumbleweeds, to plan-less afternoons, to unmotivated 4pms. But Trent Radio will be your oasis. To apply for a show, you can either visit the Trent Radio house on the corner of Parkhill and George to find a Programme Proposal form, or you can go to our website: www.trentradio.ca, and click on the link that says, “Summer Programme Proposal form.” You will have to provide a general description of your show and come up with a quick outline of the first three.

To turn it in once done, you must do as my future self did: run down to Trent Radio House before April 9th and say, “Hey! I’m here to turn in a programme proposal!”

With the exclamation marks and all.

Tell a friend to host a show with you, say yes to your friend who is asking you to host a show with them. It can be scary to host a show on your own, and it is a lot more fun to host a show with someone to bounce off of, sources say.

And if you are interested in becoming an Executive Producer, with the capital ‘E’ and ‘P’, do as my future self did: run down to Trent Radio House at noon on April 9th and say, “Hey! I’m interested in becoming an Executive Producer!” With the exclamation marks and all. Bring in some bakery to share if that’s cool. On this date you will get more information on what being an Executive Producer encompasses.

But yes, on June 13th I stayed in, I forgot.

Shame on me, because now the sun is low and the mood matches. The solitude exacerbates. Should I keep the radio on, while my own voice reminds me that I stayed in for no legitimate reason? Should I ignore that it is my voice, ignore that I stayed in, and enjoy the company (of my own seLF???!!) provided by that smooth voice on the radio? Or should I keep forgetting and turn it off, hide from the tumbleweeds, shut the blinds to obscure the 4pm sun, and continue sleeping my summer away?

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Volume 51| Issue 16 | March 30 | 2017

ARTS

If a tree recorded an EP in a forest, would anyone hear it?

Tyler Majer I saw Hearing Trees a few weeks ago at the No Pussyfooting EP release. They made some joke about being “just another white dude rock band,” and I laughed at their joke, even though I am just another white dude writer writing about white dude rock bands.

That being said, Hearing Trees is a cool band. I thoroughly enjoyed their live show. About a week after I saw them live, I received an email from them, asking if I wanted to review their new EP titled Puppets.

Hearing Trees are a band that sounds like they have been around for a long time.

That is not to say that they are vastly more polished than other bands, but the sound itself seems to be from another era. Their sound is a mix of Tragically Hip-esque

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www.trentarthur.ca

Canadiana, Sonic Youth vibrations, and the angst and malaise of The Smiths. R.E.M. and The Barenaked Ladies also come to mind. They could have existed in any era from the 80s onwards, but somehow they ended up in this one. The band gives off feelings of nostalgia; an older music fan may be transported to their younger days. However, since I am only 21, I am transported nowhere, but to this desk, talking out of my ass about bands I never got to see in their prime. Anyways…

Puppets was recorded “live-off-thefloor”. As the band’s website states, “The unconventional location was chosen as a place to make a quick’n dirty rock’n roll EP with all the rough edges and no studio polish, capturing the band in their energetic live-feel element.”

The first song entitled ‘‘Today’s Sun” begins with the distant chatter of voices.

Soon, a heavy reverb-laden guitar enters the track. A light drum beat nudges the listener to attention. The head bobs.

“I’ll take, I’ll take,” whine the vocals, not annoyingly so, but with the distant wail of a train muffled through the circumference of a tin can. The song continues in this way, until finally climaxing with the refrain, “It’s never enough how much I feel it/ It’s fuckin’ stupid how much I feel it.” Both sad and triumphant. We know what he’s talking about, even though we don’t necessarily know what he’s talking about.

The next track, ‘Puppets’ conjures up that grunge, “fuck the establishment” sentiment, but does so quietly. The guitar is distorted, the drums crack, and the vocals are raw. The lyrics build a sense of disturbed community. “We’re all friends here, all the time, aren’t we?” rings with an obvious irony. “We’re crumbling walls, all the

time, aren’t we?” evokes anxiety. “We’re all puppets” screams of insecurity and doubt.

This world is hard, agrees the listener. Fuck the puppeteer, we whisper.

The final track on Puppets, “Magnetic Moment” is a little bit louder. The guitar grinds and the drums sound like they’re hurting themselves. The vocals are almost spoken here. “I’ll tell you a secret/You are magnetic” is sung as the guitar tingles toward that black abyss in which we find ourselves continually cascading. To put it simply this song, like the others, is dope.

This EP can be found on the band’s Bandcamp, along with their other releases. Hopefully, they come back to Peterborough sometime soon, but for now, y’all should go check out this fly ass EP. Editor’s Note: Thank you for profiling so much wonderful local music this year!

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Volume 51| Issue 16 | March 30 | 2017

ARTS

No Pussyfooting: one of the greatest live bands in Peterborough

Photography by Zara Syed. Edited for print quality by Samantha Moss

Zara Syed Writing about No Pussyfooting was a personal challenge I set for myself, having never written a music piece before. I was determined to do this only because of my love for them as a band, and my deep desire for people to discover them. I have to say, they are hands down my favourite band in Peterborough. The band is comprised of Rob Hailman on lead vocalist and guitar, Jeff Curtis on drums and backup vocals, saxophonist Jon Dowdell, bassist Mike Grundy, and Louise Pavon on synth. You can catch the next No Pussyfooting show at The Spill on April 28th with Goodnight Sunrise.

How was No Pussyfooting conceived?

Jeff: Rob and I were in another band together called The Dirty Cop Choir, but when we couldn’t reach a consensus of what we wanted to be anymore, him and I realized we had the same motivations and a similar musical taste. So, we decided our whole ethos would be No Pussyfooting.

That’s what we wanted to do as musicians, so we formed the band as a manifesto in a way.

Rob: No Pussyfooting is a demonstrative imperative, it’s instructions to the us (the band), not the audience.

Jeff: It’s also a nod to Fripp & Eno’s album No Pussyfooting that was released in 1973 because we’re fans of that.

How did you guys find the other band members?

Jeff: Jon came a bit later. Our original lineup of the band was myself, Rob, and a woman named Pamela Hum, so we were a three piece acoustic guitar band, and she sang backup (vocals). When that didn’t end up working out, we added Mike Grundy because we needed a bass player, and we were close with Michael because our old bands played together. We were operating as a four piece without John for a while. Then we lost our other guitar player and were a three piece for a while.

Jon: I was looking for some kind of music in Peterborough. I was 19 and I signed up for a Cultural Studies course, Performance and Production taught by Michael Morse.

Rob: It was like Rock Camp for Girls, but Rock Camp for Cultural Studies.

Jon: And it was the only course at Trent where you could play in a band. You put together some bands, wrote some songs,

and recorded in the Beau Dixon studio. The final thing for the course was a concert, and it was the only course I could sign up for where you could play music.

Michael Grundy, was also taking the same course, and that’s how I was introduced to No Pussyfooting.

Jeff: I was the one who invited Jon to a rehearsal, because I met him at the old Nano Girl House on London Street back when that was a thing. I saw John’s saxophone case open, and No Pussyfooting was always looking for a brass player. I immediately needed to know whose saxophone that wasJon: My first interaction with Jeff was, “whose saxophone is this! You, come to my band’s rehearsal after this.” We jammed and got along right away.

Rob: Right away, when we played a couple of songs, we asked him to leave the room and decided we were going to ask him to join the band. It really was love at first sight when it came down to the man, he fit the sound and picked up the songs right away and was a great person to get along with too.

What are your musical influences?

Jeff: We were really listening to a lot of The Velvet Underground, a lot of Lou Reed’s Street Hassle. That’s when we got into Hound Dog Taylor and the House Rockers. The Son Seals Blues Band. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ The Carny was always fun to cover, and Three Dollar Glockenspiel off the Nasty Brutish & Short EP was an homage to that waltzy sound.

Rob: Shortly after Bob Dylan went electric, the first couple of electric albums. That music is incredible, the concert where he did it is amazing.

Jon: Stuff like Little Richard and really fast jazz, because that’s what I’ve been learning since I was 14.

How would you guys describe your sound?

Rob: Twist core!

Jon: We are somewhat the founders and developers of twist core in Peterborough, but I think that really refers to influences of earlier punk, blues and doo- wop, kind of an older feel the twist summarizes. A lot of fun, something you can dance to, those blues changes, but I always described it as punk and blues with bebop.

Jeff: That has become a running joke for a while, as much of that is a joke it’s representative of the idea was a long time ago, doing kind of dumb, punky versions of 50s and 60s rhythm and blues twist. That

sort of brainless 50s and 60s pop. Twist core was a funny way of describing that. If you want to use more conventional music taxonomy- garage rock, punk blues, these are all suitable things.

Rob: Look up how they described The Ramones in 1975, and that will all work.

It’s pre- British Invasion rock and roll but louder, faster and played worse.

How do you guys feel about the shift in mainstream music from that nostalgic rock and roll sound to artists producing music from their laptops?

Jeff: The most commercial music has gotten very distant from the standard rock and roll band. However, if you look at the practical logistics of a lot of rock and roll band stuff, in the 21st century, it’s hard.

They are very dependent on automobiles, because you need cars to move around heavy, large equipment. It’s also very dependent on being able to make money at each show, equipment being maintained, etc.

So you can do what we do where it’s a labour of love project that we care about independent from our own careers, but to actually want to be a career musician making money, it’s a hell of a lot more practical to be someone like Garbageface, who is totally self sufficient and can tour by bus if he wants to. We can’t tour by bus, we don’t have that kind of flexibility. Also, managing work, and touring as four people is so much more challenging that one. In the way that we’re making it, but I think that the age of it being a dominant commercial force might no longer be a thing, and that’s okay.

Rob: It is also kind of hard to access, if you step back and think about how much equipment we need. When we load up and go to a show, if you’re bringing everything, a drum kit, a bass set, and a guitar and a sax, even if that stuff is mid market it’s a lot of money. You’d be hard pressed to say, hey, I want to start a rock and roll band and I don’t have anything. If I was starting from zero and I wanted to make music with the resources that are available to me I’d want to go into electronic music because I could buy a laptop for 400 bucks and it would be good enough. It would be my studio rig and my stage rig, what do you get for 400 bucks as a guitarist?

Jeff: As an electric guitarist, for $400, you would maybe get a starter set, but that’s all that would do for you. And that might not be a very good electric guitar or amp.

Whereas, for $400,you could have a laptop for your whole life, including your music career.

It’s no wonder why this is so hard but it’s somewhat anachronistic for how much we love the 20th century.

What is the best and worst thing about being in the Peterborough music scene?

Jon: The talent here is so fantastic and the quality of the music for the size of the town is kind of mind boggling. The number of venues and the number of scenes is very unique. My very first time in Peterborough, I was looking at the Spill and I told my parents that’s where I’m going to play, that’s going to be my place and it turned into that.

So that’s always been my favourite place to play. The worst thing about it for me? A reduced roster of horn players, or the minimal horn community.

Jeff: The same thing is both great and challenging of the Peterborough music scene, and that is how rich and fertile it is. Because there are so many bands and so many shows sometimes it is hard to a) know what show to go to and b) get people excited about your show. That’s an amazing thing, and I’m not complaining about that, it’s the epitome of first world problems; there are too many awesome bands in this town!

Rob: You can’t play a show and not be head to head with someone who is better right?

It’s just not possible.

Jeff: We played a show in Bellville with tons of young people there, and it was such a diverse audience. This was the show, there were no other things going on, and people were hungry for music in a way that people in Peterborough aren’t because we have this grand buffet of excellent bands to gorge ourselves on. We’re all very fat with good tunes and I sometimes forget what it’s like to be in a town where people are hungry for new rock and roll.

That to me, always feels like a blessing and a curse of the Peterborough music scene.

You can listen to No Pussyfooting’s rockin EPs on Spotify, and support these local artists by increasing their their play count!

You can also find them on YouTube and Bandcamp.

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Volume 51| Issue 16 | March 30 | 2017