In this month’s issue... THE CUP WIRE
CUP - The Dalhousie Gazette - Racist attacks continue in virtual world: Dal investigating hacked zoom call targeting Black students “An online meeting for Black students at Dalhousie University became the scene of a racist attack on Jan. 20, 2021 after uninvited users intruded on the Zoom call yelling anti-Black racist and homophobic language. The attack took place at a Chair Chat hosted by OmiSoore Dryden, the James R. Johnston chair in Black Canadian studies in Dal’s faculty of medicine. Chair Chats are a space for Black students in health professions and graduate school to come together as a community and discuss anything they’d like. Despite the attack, Dryden said the event continued.”
CUP - The Manitoban - Student Counselling Centre sees drop in use despite increase in mental health pressures “Despite a University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) members survey in October 2020 indicating that 57 per cent of members had experienced declines in terms of mental well-being due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Student Counselling Centre (SCC) revealed that the centre has recently seen a decrease in students accessing mental health services compared to past years. UMSU president Jelynn Dela Cruz explained that while more group-based mental health services offered at the U of M have seen an “exponential increase” in use, some of SCC’s more individual services have seen a decline.”
CUP - The McGill Daily - Accidental “re-gendering” of washrooms prompts discussion of systemic transphobia at McGill “When Rine Vieth, PhD candidate in Anthropology, went on campus for a doctor’s appointment on January 12, they noticed new restroom signs displayed on the third floor of the Brown Building. Doors that had once indicated the presence of single-stalled all-gender washrooms now featured additional labels – posters with gender-specific symbols, below a message that read “Prevention measures in effect.”
Tuition adjustments for Francophone students at U of O P. 3 Hint: rates aren’t going down. Spotlight review on Weezer P. 7 Our EIC and arts editor go head to head. Understanding sex P. 8 It’s a messy concept... Inside Ontario zoos and their COVID-19 struggles P. 11 What are zoos doing to protect their animals and businesses? Sports Confessional: Who’s your athlete icon? P. 13 Hear from four different Gee Gees. Why is asexual representation in the media so bad? P. 14 The portrayal of asexual characters trails behind.
[...] “It just feels exhausting,” Vieth told the Daily. “[It’s] par for the course; yet another reason why I don’t feel comfortable accessing services at McGill. It’s a joke at this point.” ”
Editorial: Endless arguing in aftermath of ‘N-word’ incident won’t amount to anything P. 18
Painting students as “militants” creates a further divide.
NEWS
NEWS EDITORS
Paige Holland & Bridget Coady news@thefulcrum.ca
U of O adjusting tuition fee exemption program for global Francophone students Exemption to be partially replaced by scholarship paige holland news editor
The University of Ottawa is home to a significant international student population — around 5,000 of the university’s 42,000 students are from outside of Canada according to a 2019 student brochure. Many of these international students move to Ottawa to enroll in the university’s Francophone programs. International students who are enrolled in these programs are able to pay the same fees as domestic students due to the differential tuition fee exemption. However, the U of O has recently decided to eliminate the differential tuition fee exemption. As of Sept. 2021, Francophone international students will be charged international fees. In turn, the U of O will be offering scholarships that vary from $13,500 to $19,000 depending on the program. The changes to the fee exemption will increase international francophone students’ fees from around $7,000 to nearly $10,000. This kind of increase has the potential to be difficult to offset for many students who will feel the impact of an extra $1,500 owed per semester. Some students will be able to apply to specific scholarships to reduce the inflated tuition costs. In response to the change in tuition fee exemption, Tim Gulliver, the advocacy commissioner for the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) highlighted the issues of diversity. “The diversity that we’re given by the global Francophone community is integral and I think that we’re jeopardizing that by putting up more barriers to in-
Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum
ternational students.” Isabelle Mailloux-Pulkinghorn, the media manager for the U of O did not respond to the Fulcrum’s request for comment. The upcoming change in the differential fee exemption comes in addition to the fact that international student fees have been steadily increasing since the 2007-2008 academic year. In the last 14 years, tuition fees for international students at the university have increased from roughly $14,000 to approximately $37,000 according to the U of O’s archived fee information. According to the archived information, for the en-
tire 2007-2008 academic year, a first-year international student in an arts program owed about $14,444. Looking at the same program in the 2019-2020 academic year, a first-year international student owed over $37,383. That is an increase of about $23,000. In response to the $23,000 increase, Gulliver said the UOSU will be focusing on pushing for a decrease in tuition rates. “We will be submitting a budget submission to the university for the next budget,” he said. “The goal will be for the University of Ottawa to freeze international student tuition fees. We would obviously like for them to be lowered but we have to be
realistic about what the university will do.” Like the UOSU, students at the U of O are also sharing concerns about the ever rising tuition rates. Fakhruddin Kakajiwala, a first-year international student enrolled in the biomedical science program said that he thought “at least the administration will reconsider [tuition prices] during the pandemic, however it remains unchanged.” “It is painstaking to pay so much just to watch lectures from my room,” said Kakajiwala. Abderrahmane El Bakkali, a second-year finance student said that “sustaining a near [$20,000] every semester can be difficult at times.” “It comes with the burden of knowing my parents are spending large amounts of their salary for my education when domestic students are paying 75 per cent less for the same quality of education.” El Bakkali hopes the university will find potential ways to drop tuition rates in the future. “Personally, I feel like they [the U of O] should dedicate more resources to combating the issue of these astronomical prices,” said El Bakkali. “It goes to show that the university isn’t really worried about our struggle, because if they really did they would give us the opportunity to lower our prices.” Gulliver spoke on this, saying the U of O is “exploiting international students for being born in a different country and wanting to study in Canada.” “The University of Ottawa uses the international students as cash cows to fund the university business model due to government cuts,” said Gulliver. “When they need to find more money, one of those places is international students.”
APUO releases recommendations to support and hire Black professors The reccommendations were released through the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee paige holland news editor
On Feb. 2, the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO) released a list of recommendations for hiring and supporting Black faculty members at the U of O. The recommendations were released jointly by the APUO and the university’s central administration through the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (EDIC). The EDIC is composed of four members of the APUO and four members of the university’s central administration. The committee “provides an opinion on any contemplated employment equity, diversity, and inclusion measures and procedures affecting the APUO bargaining unit.” Additionally, “it may propose measures and procedures that affect the selection and hiring of members of equityseeking groups or their working conditions.” According to the EDIC’s report, “there is an urgent need for the University of Ottawa to focus its attention on hiring and retaining Black faculty members as part of its commitment to fighting anti-Black racism at the university and in the broader community.” The APUO said in an email to the Fulcrum this remains a priority.
“The Central Administration has on many occasions expressed a desire to fight racism and to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion at our institution.” The five recommendations are as follows: “The University should make the data from the campaign available on the University’s website for full transparency.” “When it comes to using the strategy of advertising faculty positions … [the university should] advertise their openings in special issues of Canadian journals that are focusing on topics revolving around Black Studies for their quarter.” “Increasing Black faculty is enhanced by student diversity and the implementation of explicit policies and practices aimed at increasing Black faculty … look at ways to make it possible for faculty groups on campus that are based in social identities to have an audience with the Provost, Deans and/or President to express their concerns and or recommendations.” “The University of Ottawa should make the necessary funding available to revamp their equity, diversity and inclusion training to include specific vocabulary around Blackness, White supremacy, anti-Black racism and anti-racism.”
“The University needs to name these incidents (anti-Black incidents that have occurred on the university’s campus in the last year) acts of anti-Black racism and condemn them as such.” “The University of Ottawa should look at implementing specific positions for Black faculty as a useful first step as it shows a commitment to the voices of Black faculty and staff. It also needs to put diversity and equity policies into actual practice, and increase support for Black faculty on campus.” The final remarks of the report include the following statement: “The perception that Black faculty get hired and/ or receive tenure because of their racialized status is a harmful anti-Black stereotype that has been aggravated by falsehoods about affirmative action, diversity and inclusion efforts, which posit these initiatives as antithetical to merit-based hiring practices.” “In reality, Black faculty often lack institutional support and the multicultural groups to which they belong were either not advisory or do not report to the provost or president of their universities.” Sanni Yaya, vice-president, international and francophonie at the U of O and co-chair of the EDIC, spoke about the importance of the report via a statement from the APUO.
“I cannot emphasise strongly enough that there has been little change as far as ethno-racial diversity in higher education systems in Canada,” she said. “We are firmly committed to providing an enriching experience for Black faculty and students alike.” “Given the unique opportunities and inherent challenges in efforts to move the needle on this issue, it’s crucial that we innovate, test and evaluate,” continued Yaya. In the same statement, Mythili Rajiva, the equity officer for the APUO and co-chair of the EDIC also shared her thoughts. “It is clear from the APUO’s perspective that the University of Ottawa has some catching up to do when it comes to fostering a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment for both students and its employees,” she said. “Much time has been spent discussing and reflecting how to create a campus community that is anti-racist and welcoming of Black students and faculty.” “It is more than time for us to catch up and implement concrete measures on this point.” The University of Ottawa’s administration has received these recommendations from the APUO but has yet to comment on if it plans on implementing them for future hiring processes.
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UOSU joins Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Union testing to see if alliance is good fit for U of O students jelena maric STAFF WRITER
On Feb. 1, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) announced via Twitter that the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) had joined the alliance as an ‘observer school.’ OUSA represents nearly 150,000 undergraduate students across the province and advocates for the interests of students at the provincial level through public policy recommendations. It is run by an eight person steering committee made up of student executives from member schools’ student unions. According to OUSA president Julia Pereira, as an observer school, the UOSU is able to participate in events, conferences and send non-voting delegates to OUSA’s general assembly. “OUSA introduced an observer status option for prospective members to get a better idea of what OUSA is before they decide to transition to be a full member,” said Pereira. While OUSA has not had an observer school in several years, the organization’s executive team had decided to review the observer status in hopes of attracting more schools to join in the future. “The pandemic has brought on a lot of challenges, but it also kind of reduced a lot of barriers to learning about what OUSA is and kind of getting involved,” shared Periera. Both Periera and Tim Gulliver, advocacy commissioner for the UOSU, made it clear that students are not being charged as a result of UOSU’s observer status with the organization. “We’re using this opportunity to learn more about OUSA and see if their approach and their priorities reflect those of U of O students,” said Gulliver.
MORE NEWS online! Want to catch up on more news about the University of Ottawa community? Check out some of these articles on our website: •
Frémont lashes out at Globe and Mail article exposing power gap at U of O
•
U of O announces spring/summer semester to take place online, details preliminary plans for fall semester
•
U of O alum who co-founded BLSA civil law chapter creates scholarship for Black law students
Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum.
Gulliver said the UOSU was well aware of several different provincial and federal organizations that they could potentially join in order to help further their advocacy efforts. “It was just a question of timing and a question of making sure that these organizations are the right fit for us,” he said. OUSA conducts their own research on problems faced by students and writes policy papers that they then present at Queen’s Park and advocate for on behalf of their member institutions. They have a policy library of 22 issues that are reviewed and rewritten yearly before they are ratified at the General Assembly. Once the papers are passed, OUSA advocates on the provincial level. “I think that it’s important to decide democratically as a group what their priorities are, to
advocate for them, and to stick to that and secure those principles,” said Gulliver. Periera believes that one of the things the UOSU brings to the table is a voice for Francophonie and Franco-Ontarian students, as well as a school that is situated in the National Capital region. The only other bilingual institution that is a member of OUSA is Laurentian University in Sudbury. “It would allow our organization to be more accessible [to French speaking students],” said Periera. Gulliver voiced similar sentiments, saying the UOSU’s membership would be “an opportunity for the organization to look into how it can become more bilingual or at least be a stronger voice for Franco-Ontarian students.”
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The Wire: University of Victoria to invest $80 million towards fossil-free investments Latest victory for the divestment movement active on campuses across Canada bridget coady news editor
The University of Victoria (UVic) announced on Feb. 2 that it would be moving its capital fund into fossil-free investments. The announcement is being heralded as a victory for the divestment movement. The university says it plans to “move $80 million to a short-term bond fund that focuses on reducing the carbon intensity of the investments” In a press release, the ‘Divest UVic’ group called the announcement a “major victory in the eight-year fight to halt [the] University of Victoria’s investments in the fossil fuel industry.” UVic is the latest victory for the divestment movement which is active on campuses across the country. However, even with the recent announcement, the group was clear in noting that “the battle for full divestment is not yet over.”
The University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa is listed as having a “partial” commitment to divesting according to the Fossil Free Project, which tracks the commitments of more than 1200 institutions internationally.
The Ontario University Student Alliance (OUSA), with whom the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) has recently become an observer school, believes that “the provincial government should incentivize post-secondary institutions, through Strategic Mandate Agreements, to begin the process of divestment immediately and fully divest by no later than 2026.” OUSA represents nearly 150,000 undergraduate students across the province and advocates for the interests of students at the provincial level through public policy recommendations that they present. The process has taken years of work. On Apr. 20, 2016, the U of O won Ontario Minister’s Award for Environmental Excellence. Five days later on April 25, U of O’s Board of Governors “rejected the idea of divestment as an insufficient response on its own to the climate challenges.” The topic of divestment was also brought to a vote at the UOSU’s 2019 Fall General Assembly (FGA). The motion passed with the majority of those voting being “supportive of the principle of divestment from fossil fuel companies, as well as oppos[ing] any of our own future investments.” The UOSU’s advocacy commissioner Tim Gulliver emphasized the importance of divest-
Image: University of Victoria/Provided.
ing from fossil fuels in the capital region. “If other universities are making this important, sustainable, but also moral step to divest and the U of O claims to be the climate leader that it is then why don’t we do the same?” Gulliver went on to mention the U of O’s commitment to transferring funds out of fossil fuels and raised some concerns.
“We’ve been trying to meet with different people at the university’s finance administration department for a while, and we haven’t gotten anywhere, really.” “So that does also create cause for suspicion, it is a little bit worrisome,” said Gulliver. “I think we’d like to see more transparency.”
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arts
& culture
A&C EDITOR Aly Murphy arts@thefulcrum.ca
Insta: @aly_murph Twitter:@aly_murph_
Review: Malcolm & Marie glides through uneasiness with ease Film’s monochromatic intensity is brutal reminder “there’s a fine line between love and hate” Rika Mpogazi Contributor Malcolm & Marie, the new film starring Zendaya and John David Washington, takes a look at the inner machinations of the human condition as seen through the eyes of a film director and his girlfriend. The film is, simply put, excellent, navigating difficult emotions and events with a deft hand. Malcolm & Marie opens in the casual afterglow of after-party exhaustion, but Malcolm’s triumphant film premiere ignites sparks into his and Marie’s hot-and-cold relationship. On the surface, Marie seems capricious in her passiveness and reluctance to say what’s really on her mind. She’s hard to read — to Malcolm, and to viewers, too. The tension between the duo escalates with each passing moment. With poise and painful honesty, Marie expresses a feeling that reveals the depth of her disappointment. She feels both hypervisible, an indispensable mantel piece on Malcolm’s shelf of inspiration, yet invisible in the credits of his most successful endeavor. She gets the sense that she’s contributing to a meaningful project that paradoxically leaves her feeling meaningless when it dawns on her that her life story, her one and only narrative, no longer belongs to her. Zendaya portrays this role beautifully, conveying the hurt and humiliation of a muse left to atrophy. Marie’s frustration is mirrored by Malcolm’s realization that despite his best creative output,
Image: Malcolm and Marie/Provided.
mainstream film critics are still inclined to pigeonhole him and his work in the slim category of ‘Black filmmaking’, politicizing and sensationalizing his identity rather than simply critiquing his film. What Malcolm’s critics fail to understand, is that it’s one thing to comment on the lived experiences and expressions of Black people on screen, to romanticize their upheavals, to uplift their overcoming immeasurable feats — but it’s another to go home with the heavy load of awards and accolades. Agency in interpretation is a vital element to any craft, and Malcolm and Marie’s rich dialogue and complex themes does complete justice to this
ideal. The film escapes the trap of unidimensional characterization of Black creatives. Not only does it star talented Black actors, but it is also produced by multifaceted Black artists like Scott Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi, whose impeccable style and musicality is hinted at in almost every scene. In fact, at times, the film’s soundtrack embodies a singular shapeshifting character of its own, a sonic vehicle that both Malcolm and Marie use to vocalize the thoughts that they fear uttering out loud. The film’s plot and script were written in under a week and shot in only two, all in the midst of a global pandemic, which perhaps explains how
director Sam Levinson, the sensitive eye behind HBO’s Euphoria, managed to capture the characters rollercoaster of emotions. The rawness of Zendaya and Washington’s performance makes the whole production seem like an intimate actors workshop. And despite the slow unravelling, their constant shifting and moving around the panoramic shots somehow makes the film feel like a fastpaced play. Both characters move with ease through the uneasiness. We see this in Marie’s dazed yet intense demeanor, the quivering of her chin as her carefully crafted indifference slips from under her, and again in the frightened look on Malcolm’s face when he realizes how thoroughly well-read Marie is on his insecurities. The couple predict each other’s every move, can sense the other’s frequencies from rooms apart, yet they’re still startled by the words the other uses to cut through their guardedness. When one tugs, the other pulls, and when one nudges, the other boulders through the door. It’s a game of tug a war where the most triggering cajole wins. Although the movie was shot in black and white, the thickening of the plot, which seems both years in the making, and a sign of the times, leaves us more focused on the grey areas. As the credits roll in, a classic Outcast melody puts Malcom and Marie’s tumultuous love story into words, reminding us in so many words that “there’s a fine line between love and hate.”
U of O music department hosts digital masterclasses to keep learning alive during COVID-19
A conversation with the school of music’s coordinator of cultural activities aly murphy arts editor Though every University of Ottawa student has had their academic year heavily impacted by the ramifications of COVID-19. The students of the faculty of arts have been hit hard by the cancellation of in-person classes. Theatre without audiences, music without concerts, fine arts without galleries — these paradoxes represent a troubling reality for arts students of the early 2020s, and perhaps signal an incoming shift in how we value (or even overvalue) liveness in artistic disciplines. The U of O’s music department has figured out one way to keep students engaged during their degrees: digital masterclasses featuring music experts from all over the world. Hali Krawchuk, coordinator of cultural activities at the U of O’s School of Music, said in an interview that one thing has stayed consistent in the migration to online study. Masterclasses for U of O students are still programmed based on professors’ existing relationships with working professionals and U of O alumni. “Networking remains a key component of how we select speakers to come in,” said Krawchuk.
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“We look for experts with similar philosophies to those of the School of Music, but who can also provide outside perspectives to our students — a major part of postsecondary music education.” These masterclasses represent a major opportunity for U of O music students to perform for local and national conductors — Alexander Shelley from the NAC Orchestra, for instance, is a frequent face at the U of O music department. “Conductors can listen to different instruments, different styles,” said Krawchuk. Another expert giving a digital masterclass to Gee-Gees is Bryan Waghorn, an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera and U of O alum. He’ll be giving a digital opera masterclass on Feb. 22 which will be open to the public for observation. The pandemic, for all its inconveniences, has allowed the U of O School of Music to engage speakers from all over the world, thus enriching the learning experience for music students. “For our composer talk series, we’ve been able to invite composers from the U.S. for hourand-a-half lectures without needing to worry about travel or scheduling,” said Krawchuk. Of course, though, students and faculty alike are missing the in-person experience of the mu-
Image: University of Ottawa School of Music/Provided.
sic department. “You’re not always able to catch the nuance, the rich experience and synergy of live performance digitally,” said Krawchuk. Thankfully, the School of Music is one of few units at the university with a small number of one-on-one, in-person applied lessons, but obviously ensembles and orchestras have had to take a brief intermission until coming together
is safe again. “It’s getting smoother and smoother, learning the intricacies and capabilities of Zoom,” said Krawchuk of adapting to a whole new method of teaching delivery. “It’s an ongoing learning experience.” You can find more information on the University of Ottawa’s online masterclasses on www. arts.uottawa.ca.
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BSLA discusses meaning of Black History Month and planned events
We spoke with representatives from the Black Student Leaders Association to find out what students can expect Idmane Moussa Ali Fulcrum Contributor
As you may know, February is Black History Month, which, yes, celebrates diversity, but more precisely celebrates Black accomplishments. It’s a month that gives us the opportunity to recognize people of colour are an integral part of our society. In celebration of Black History Month, the Black Student Leaders Association (BSLA), at the University of Ottawa has organized several events. Established in 2011, the organization brings together a large number of Black, African, and Caribbean students and aims to promote Black students’ engagement and inclusive dialogue in a safe space. In these spaces, students can bring forward important issues and discuss important topics — usually through the union’s events or bi-weekly discussions. “[This year’s] theme is Black. Our goal is restoring our Blackness and focusing on our wellness,” said BSLA co-president, Jinnia Baiye. “Black history month is such an important month. It is a month in which we celebrate being Black … we’re Black every other month, but this month is particularly important.” For organizers, Black History Month has its own meaning. To Yanaminah Thullah, another BSLA co-president, it’s “empowerment” and a ”collective effervescence of the community celebrating one another.”
Image: BSLA/Provided.
“That’s what BHM means to me now, but growing up it meant a lot of Black trauma and Black American history,” said Thullah. “But since 2016, I have really been educating myself more on Black Canadian history, because that is seldom taught and talked about … this month is about Black history and seeing how that ties to my identity as a Black person.” For Marina Touré, the BSLA’s director of community engagement, Black History Month is “the month where we promote Black accomplishments … the only month in which we actually see
multiple people that look like us under the spotlight and for the right reasons.” On the agenda this year are several virtual events from Feb. 12-28 including a Black-owned business panel, a yoga session, social expression talent showcase and more. Given the global events of 2020, Baiye said a focus on health and wellness is also important. “We have gone through such trauma during 2020, and that is why we are focusing on wellness so that students have time to relax.” Looking ahead, Baiye hopes attendees will be able to
take away something from the events and come together as a community. “We all have implicit biases, and the best way to overcome them is by showing interest in others and honing our mutual respect and tolerance.” “It’s also essential to keep in mind that even though we cannot change our past, we can make our future more inclusive and hopefully learn lessons for the future.” You can find the BSLA on their Instagram page (@BSLAOttawa), Twitter (@BSLAOttawa), or their website.
Review: Pretend It’s a City
Pretending it’s not COVID-19 with Fran Lebowitz and Martin Scorsese Cameron Lamoureux Fulcrum Contribuor
Martin Scorsese’s collaboration with Fran Lebowitz on their new Netflix special Pretend It’s a City offers a unique look at the world through the eyes of a now-ancient relic; it’s a special filled with opinions to pass on before NYC goes extinct. Following the pair through a series of interviews done weekly pre-COVID-19, the sevenepisode series brings together footage covering sports, culture, money and life in New York City. The duo discuss each week’s topic with a careful eye for what’s what. Lebowitz doesn’t miss a thing, so her opinions tend to carry a time-contested authority. While she may not be right about everything, her confidence and bravado in the face of continual questioning and uncertainty is refreshing and rejuvenating amidst a world concerned with paradoxical things like wellness, productivity, money, the Internet, fame and New York City. Part of the show’s magic is Scorsese’s masterful use of synecdoche. Every episode, while focused on a single topic, it evidently bleeds out from the city into the larger world. New York City is a cultural powerhouse unlike any other. It’s the hub of fashion, music, literature, art, fame, and success. Or at least it used to be. Lebowitz provides a lens of blunt, refracted
Fran Lebowitz. Image: Netflix.
truth. Nothing she says is new, per se — it’s new today because it’s old. Lebowitz and Scorsese are the epitome of New York City-authority today, having created their careers inside and based on the city. Their clever use of this authority results in an
opinion-based documentary unlike anything else on TV. What makes listening to this experienced writer’s opinions so intriguing, are her incessant appeals to futility; she knows complaining is pointless but does it anyway.
She constantly reminds us that the largest issues occupying us today fail to affect her because she will, hopefully, be dead by the time anything meaningful happens. In fact, Scorsese, interviewing with Lebowitz via Zoom for Rolling Stone in January, remarked, we as viewers had to “emphasize the absurdity — that feeling of things being so bad that all you can do is laugh.” Thus, her loud, bitter, prophetic rants appear absolutely useless, yet the only thing worth doing. She explains it better: “The anger is … I have no power, but I am filled with … opinions.” The show isn’t just Lebowitz’s rant of the 21st Century, though. As Scorsese says in the Rolling Stone interview, “Fran is, to me, asking very serious questions even when she’s being humorous about things.” Indeed, much of the show tackles serious problems in a completely unserious way. Why is boxing legal but cockfighting isn’t? Who controls what is known or not? Why do we go into irrecoverable debt for an apartment in a big city? What counts as art? Can you eat it? Between her moments of profound simplicity, however, you’ll see Lebowitz walking dejectedly through the crowded streets of prepandemic New York City, occasionally stopping to yell at bikers, cabs, or fellow pedestrians. So kick back, relax, and reminisce with Lebowitz about a world we all wish would change.
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This week in Fulc music: Weezer special Our editor in chief and arts editor compare their reviews on Weezer Non-Weezer listener Aly Murphy on Weezer in general
Charley Dutil & Aly Murphy Editor-In-Chief & Arts Editor
Hi. Aly here. Before this week I’d never listened to Weezer (except for “Beverly Hills”), much to the chagrin of my evidently enthusiastic editor, Charley. This week, in honour of Weezer’s new album and in an attempt to maintain my employment at the Fulcrum, I gave Weezer’s extended discography a listen. It’s not my favourite — I’ll still return to my sad girl piano playlists once I’ve finished writing this piece — but a few songs have jumped out at me, and in true Fulc music fashion, I’m here to share a few of ‘em with you.
Avid Weezer fan Charley Dutil on their newest release: OK Human
Standout single: “All My Favorite Songs” – 4/5 Released on Jan. 21 as a precursor to the new album, “All My Favorite Songs” is a departure from the sound Weezer had adopted in recent years, most notably on 2019’s Black album. The lyrics and the tempo are reminiscent of Pinkerton-era Weezer. They are self-centered with the narrator asking himself numerous times “What is wrong with me?” All his favourite songs are slow and sad, all his favourite people make him mad and everything that makes him feel good is bad. The lyrics remind me a lot of Pinkerton’s “Longtime Sunshine,” especially the line “Sometimes I wish I was on an island / But then I’d miss the sound of sirens” which is quite similar to the escapism of “Longtime Sunshine.” There are some things that do need to be said, however, about these lyrics. They are at times very basic and at this point in his career, Rivers Cuomo should not be singing “bad, bad, bad”, over and over again. At the same time, though, their basic nature makes them relatable especially in the pandemic era where we’ve all had the narrator’s simple thought — “what is wrong with me?” In terms of instrumentation, this is not a traditional guitar song. The songs on OK Human were made for an orchestra, and this song is no different. It starts with a short mellotron intro and transitions to string instruments such as violins, light percussion, and at times even trumpets. What makes its instrumental stand out, however, is its juxtaposition with the lyrics, it’s upbeat and very melodic — the song makes you bop your head and smile. My first thought upon hearing the instrumentation of this song was Oasis’ “Whatever”, as the sound and upbeat nature of the melody are rather similar. One of the negatives that surround this tune is its video. It’s basically an ad for Google Pixel, and I was not a fan. Overall, it’s a solid tune — the most solid Weezer has put out since the White album.
OK Human extended review – 4.5/5 What is important to understand before reviewing this album is that it’s so different from Weezer’s previous records. The band has never released a record fully backed by orchestral instruments. This shows that even in their early fifties, they are willing to experiment and leave their comfort zones — something that most successful ‘90s bands fail to do with their new records.
“All My Favorite Songs” – 4/5
We asked our Weezer loving EIC to help out with this one. Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum.
Now as for the actual record, it’s well produced. I’ve yet to purchase it on vinyl, but I bet when I do, it will sound great. The only oddity arising at times, such as on the tune “Numbers,” is that Cuomo’s’ voice blends with the instruments. I don’t know if that’s a mixing issue or just the natural timbre of his voice and the instruments blending together and I wouldn’t say it’s a problem, per se, but it’s noticeable. The album starts off strong: the first three songs are arguably the strongest on the album upon first listen, designed to keep the listener intrigued. The aforementioned “All My Favorite Songs” opens up the album, followed by “Aloo Gobi ” which also gives off a relatable vibe. Why? Because it’s about being stuck in the “Same old dull routines”, something most of us are familiar with due to the pandemic. But the truth is, the lyrics don’t matter for this song; what makes it great is its piano melody, plus the fact that it flows perfectly into the next song, “Grapes of Wrath.” “Grapes of Wrath” is a tune carried by string instruments and the combative nature of its chorus. It’s about taking refuge from the world by submerging oneself in an alternate universe: “I’m gonna rock my Audible / Headphone Grapes of Wrath / Drift off to oblivion / I just don’t care.” It’s also filled with book references which is nice, but the only thing that does bother me is the consumerism associated with the song. Like, did Audible sponsor this song? Moving on, “Numbers” and “Playing My Piano” are decent, but there’s nothing much to say here — they’re the definition of album cuts. The second side of the record opens with “Screens”, which has a very catchy cello riff. I could see this being a single; the track basically discusses our constantly evolving obsession and overreliance on screens and
technology. It’s nice, catchy, and touches on an issue that’s been exacerbated by the pandemic. “Bird with Broken Wings” is probably Weezer’s strongest lyrical effort on the album. It took me a couple of listens to really appreciate the beauty of this song, but once I did I was very moved and once again it felt very relatable. Cuomo said he felt irrelevant while writing the song and it is a feeling that is beautifully echoed in the song, you can feel his pain. Those types of songs are Cuomo’s best, in my opinion. This is without a doubt my favourite song on the album. A couple tracks down “Here Comes the Rain” is a fun, catchy song, probably the happiest number on the record. It also has what seems to be a fun reference to their 1996 song “The Good Life.” Finally, the album closes on a note about life. The narrator feels like his career is metaphorically sinking in the song’s namesake the “La Brea Tar Pits” and needs help to stay afloat. It’s a nice way to close out this album. Overall, this is, in my opinion, one of Weezer’s best albums. This is one of those rare times where experimenting and expanding your horizons as an artist worked. Weezer captured the vibe of being alone in your room/house/apartment and waiting for the pandemic to pass — waiting for when we can all go out and be together. This’s a feeling Cuomo has felt in the past and it resulted in Pinkerton — a collection of songs written by a man in his early 20’s stuck at home for months due to surgery. This is Pinkerton but refined. Cuomo is now fifty, and the songs are less raw, the lyrics more mature, and melodies much cleaner, but they’re just as dark and introspective.
This new track is neat! It’s rather Beatles-esque, and has some fun instrumentation. There’s definitely been a commendable growth in the band’s sound from ‘90s rag-tag to ‘20s indie chic. This one’s made it onto my go-to playlist. Yeah, Cuomo, all my favourite songs are slow and sad, too. That’s why I’m not super enjoying writing this piece for work. But this one’s ok. Here are my takes on some older Weezer hits.
“Beverly Hills” – 5/5 Still slaps.
“Zombie Bastards” – 4/5 This was a surprise! I didn’t really expect to like a song called “Zombie Bastards” (given I generally listen to Taylor Swift and nothing else). But the ukulele and vocals almost have an early Twenty One Pilots vibe (Cuomo even sounds a little like Tyler Joseph at times), and it’s admittedly a really fun little track. Not earth-shattering, but I’d bop to this on a long drive.
Pinkerton – 2/5 This was the one my boss made me listen to lest I stop being employed. I just… The ‘90s grunge thing is tired. Maybe this album was straight fire when it came out but I didn’t grow up with this album. I don’t have an ongoing emotional attachment to Weezer. I’m actually enjoying some of their newer stuff more than I expected to, but I just can’t get behind this one.
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FEATURES
FEATURES EDITOR Amira Benjamin features@thefulcrum.ca
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Get your freak on: Understanding the messy concept of sex
Cue the Salt-N-Pepa... amira benjamin features editor
Thanks to cultural changes and media portrayals, having sex in university is more normalized than ever before. Meeting someone at a frosh event or fooling around with a friend from a study group isn’t strange, it’s normal. Despite how often sex is mentioned, not everyone has been properly informed due to numerous factors such as insufficient education, which can make for awkward or harmful situations. Even well into adulthood, not everyone knows what they’re doing right (or wrong) with a partner. But, here’s a look at important things to remember before you get down and dirty.
My kink? Communication Regardless of your sexuality, one of the first things you should make sure to have before any sexual activity is clear communication between you and your partner(s). Recognizing everyone’s boundaries, both physically and verbally is important. Even while you’re getting busy, occasional check-ins can help make everyone feel comfortable. “I think we live in a culture that makes it seem like there’s a script that’ll follow,” said Sam Whittle, a sex educator and therapist, as well as the owner of Venus Envy. “But that’s really not the case in terms of what people want or what brings people pleasure.” Whittle emphasized the importance of casually talking about sex and your needs both before and after. “If you want to have [a] more in-depth conversation or there’s something that you don’t like or something someone might [find] hard to hear. Those things are often conversations [that] are often easier to have when you’re not already naked,” she said. Matthew Bromley, the University of Ottawa Pride Centre coordinator, agrees with the requirement of communication — both before and during the moment — as well as being with partners you trust. “Letting your partner know your boundaries, [is] honestly one of the main things you want to do. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are,” he said. “You want to be with someone — or persons if you’re having multiple partners — people that you can trust on an equal level.” This is especially important if one of the partners is less experienced or is having sex for the first time. “It’s a lot of different things besides just saying yes. It’s defining what you want out of a sexual experience, so it’s like being very open with your partner talking with your partner,” he said. “Especially your first time having a sexual experience letting them know what you want to do before you actually do it.” “A lot of people think that it’s gonna break the mood, but it doesn’t. If you’re in a safe sexual relationship with someone, you should be able to
Sex can be confusing for unexperienced people and LGBTQ2+ youth. Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum. talk openly about those things.”
Safety First Practicing safe sex is also crucial for every encounter. Jade Sullivan and Mikayla O’Neill, the U of O’s Womxn’s Resource Centre’s co-coordinators, say that you should confirm you’re mentally, physically, and emotionally ready for sex. “This includes getting tested for STI/STDs, ensuring that you aren’t sick or ill (to pass onto your partners) and having the proper safer sex products such as lubes, birth control, dental dams and condoms,” they said in a statement. It’s also key to remember you can still get pregnant and to take the right contraceptive measures that accommodate you best. Planned Parenthood Ottawa has a definitive guide of birth control, with filters such as ‘cheap’ and ‘discreet’. Whittle also expanded on the importance of having safe sex beyond a physical realm. “There are also different kinds of emotional needs that people might have,” said Whittle. “For some people, it might be like ‘I don’t want to have sex with your roommates home’ or ‘it’s really important to me that we leave the lights on.’ ” If you decide to use sex toys in the bedroom, it’s important to pick the ones that fit both you and your partner’s needs. Though they can appear to be overwhelming, they’re simply tools to enhance your experience. “A lot of people get afraid [of] sex toys because they’ve never used them and I can understand why. Research is very, very important,” said Bromley. “I think there’s a little bit of social stigma
around using them, [and] some people think that it’s shameful. But it’s really not, it’s just another thing to introduce into the bedroom.” Sullivan and O’Neill claim one of the most common misconceptions about sex toys are that there are limited types of toys such as the vibrator and other penetrative items. “This is a huge myth because there is such a wide variety of sex toy options outside of penetrative or clitoral stimulators,” they said. “Also, sex toys are not only for cis-gendered women; anybody and everybody can use sex toys regardless of gender, ability, religion, sexual orientation and more!” Whittle advises people to start small and decide what kind of function they want from a sex toy. “In general, we advise not to get something too expensive for a first toy because you can’t bring them back,” she said. “So it’s a good idea to get something less expensive at first [and] see what you like. Then if you want to invest in something later on, you’ll have a better idea.”
Beyond the Rodeo Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights outlined in a 2019 report that provincial and federal governments “are failing to make sure that children and young people get equal access to the sexual health information and skills-building opportunities they are entitled to.” For LGBTQ2+ students, in particular, having sexual experiences (or lack of pressure to) in university can be especially liberating for those coming to terms with or exploring their sexual orientations.
Whittle highlights that exploration and figuring out what feels good is a huge part of education. There’s even less sex education for LGBTQ2+ youth which can lead to negative repercussions. “There’s nothing wrong or shameful about queer sex or any forms of sex. But lots of people feel like what they’re into or who they’re into makes them weird or dirty or something,” she said. “I just think that’s untrue. As long as it’s consensual I think all desire, all bodies, and all sex is good.” An example of this occurred in 2019 when the provincial government unveiled a new sex-ed curriculum that would delay the introduction of gender identity to students until Grade 8. Sufficient sex education should be provided for all students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. Sullivan and O’Neill say a lack of sex education surrounding things like masturbation and BDSM leads to stigma and fear. “[We] think when we limit sex to strictly vanillareproductive sex, it leaves a lot of the education up to porn and media, which are not the best educators,” they said. “Sex doesn’t have to be penetrative or oral; you can engage in dry humping, masturbation, anal and more.” “There should be education on how to have sex with yourself, others and different kinds. Another area that lacks is the variation in body types.” “We are not all cis-gendered able-bodied Barbie and Ken dolls. Nobody is the same, nor do they have sex the same — so, teaching sex in this way is not beneficial to anyone.”
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Virtual valentines: Safely celebrating love Some suggestions as the holiday of love comes back around victoria feng freelancer
Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate the love we cherish with our partner. It is also a day to show affection to the important people in our lives. The holiday started with many different legends associated with Saint-Valentine, who was a priest that lived in 3rd Century Rome. In one of those legends, Saint-Valentine secretly continued officiating marriages despite Emperor Claudius II outlawing them. Since then, Valentine’s Day has become a much bigger holiday, evolving into an annual day full of flowers, chocolate and tons of romance. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it may seem as it will be a bit harder to do much for a significant other this year. Still, it isn’t hopeless. Below are some ideas on how to spend an amazing virtual Valentine’s Day with your special someone. Some activities can be done virtually to substitute traditional in-person dates. Streaming a movie on a watch party website is a great way to share a romantic movie on Valentine’s Day with your significant other or friends while still staying socially distant. Maybe order in some snacks, too. “Usually for Valentine’s Day, as much as it’s supposed to be an extravagant day, we usually stay in and watch a movie or eat our favorite snacks,” said Alain David, a second-year U of O master’s student in biochemistry.
As for David’s Valentine’s plan, he is hoping to go on a nice outing with his partner, walk a trail and then compensate those burnt calories with Korean fried chicken. Sweet gestures and digital gifts are also ideas that could be shared between couples for this upcoming Valentine’s Day. Other virtual ideas that are similar are exploring online games together, sending each other love letters or creating a music playlist together. James Wadsworth, fourth-year biomedical sciences student who is currently in a longdistance relationship with his girlfriend, shares a special bond with her through art. “We definitely enjoy commissions, especially
Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum from some of her favorite artists that do a couple drawings of us and our favorite characters together. I would then post on social media to show my appreciation for her,” said Wadsworth. If you want to up the romanticism, sending love letters to each other through mail is a great idea, too. It could also be done virtually, just through a Google Doc. It can even be a lot more cheesier with poetry, love quotes or reasons why you appreciate your partner. Maybe add in a playlist with endless theme ideas. Favourite songs that are shared between the two could be on there, love songs or songs with funny lyrics. A few love songs that you can’t go wrong
with are “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat, “Over and Over Again” by Nathan Sykes ft. Arianna Grande, “Can I Call You Tonight?” by Dayglow and “Love Again” by Dua Lipa. You can even make the night more sensual and schedule a virtual bath date. Grab some bath salts, bath bombs, rose petals or plain old bubbles. A virtual chat and bath to relax is a great way to spend a night together. It can even be spiced with some lit candles while music fills the room. But while Valentine’s Day marketing schemes consume the world, it’s not the worst thing to decide to skip the celebrations — especially given it’s a pandemic year. “[My partner and I] live in separate households, and so we can’t actually see each other this year,” said Sarah Taylor, a second-year nursing student. “Honestly neither of us has brought it up, and I think we’re just going to continue ignoring Valentines day until it passes, and we can actually see each other.” Still, Taylor reminds everyone to stay focused on the one thing that makes Valentine’s Day happen: your relationship. “COVID has taken a lot away from many people this year, and I understand how difficult it is to be away from your loved one, especially during a holiday like Valentines.” “But I hope that this year people reconsider putting their relationship first, so that those who follow the rules can finally see their loved ones too. Valentine’s day is special, but it’s not worth risking lives over.”
TOMATO EDITOR Amira Benjamin features@thefulcrum.ca
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Facebook Dating holds ‘worst-date’ contest Amira Benjamin Tomato EDITOR The marketing team behind Facebook Dating has decided to host a special contest to help celebrate Valentine’s Day, as well as further promote their service. Redd Rozes, a social media marketing intern at Facebook Dating, and the rest of his team decided to host a special contest on Facebook to attract more users — and give away free condoms. “Basically, it’s a horror date contest,” said Rozes. “People will submit their worst date stories, and we’ll judge to see who had the worst! It’s fun laughing at embarrassing times, and if you’re still not over it … enter for the prizes.” There’s one entry per Facebook user and there will be three selected winners. Each winner will receive an Olive Garden gift certificate for two and one year’s access to Facebook Dating’s premium features, such as viewing highly compatible matches and blocking bots. “Actually, we could only afford gift certifi-
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cates for kids in our budgets, but they give a lot of spaghetti to little kids,” clarified Rozes. “We’re also providing a lifetime supply of condoms to each winner.” “We did a partnership with Durex for our launch in 2018 and we significantly underestimated attendance. They’re just sitting in my cubicle because I’m the newest team member. I think it’s a hazing thing.” Di Daniels, a fourth-year environmental studies student, has submitted to the contest over 12 times, each with one of her friend’s different Facebook accounts. “I think I’ve had more bad dates than good and I like gift certificates, so why not?” said Daniels. “One time a guy tried to dine and dash, but got diarrhea so he couldn’t even dash.” When asked if she used Facebook Dating, Daniels went into a laughing fit and said that she “didn’t know it was a real thing.” “Is one of the premium features not sending my internet activity to advertisers? Because I’d honestly pay anything to not see another ad of a maid costume.”
Amira Benjamin Tomato EDITOR A University of Ottawa alumni couple tied the knot over the weekend, celebrating their union over live-streaming app, Yubo. Jack and Jill Pailowater had met on the social media app in 2017 after Jill joined Jack’s live stream when they were both third-year students in human kinetics. “He was using a lighter to pop balloons and singing Fleetwood Mac,” she said. “I had just gotten out of a nasty long-term relationship, but when I heard his voice, I knew he was the one.” Following years of meme exchanges and arson-motivated dates, Jack finally proposed last May. “Times were difficult, but whenever I’d wake up next to Jill after long nights of applesauce and Absinthe, I just felt complete,” he said. The couple faced several obstacles when planning their wedding. As a result, they decided to make it virtual, since they wanted to
wed sooner rather than later, but couldn’t find a proper platform to stream their ceremony. Jill very early on said that Zoom was out of the question, as well as Google Hangouts. “We held a rehearsal dinner over Hangouts, and it made my aunt’s laptop explode,” she explained. Di Daniels, a close friend of the couple and wedding officiant, heard their complaints and decided to arrange a surprise. “My cousin’s roommate’s boyfriend’s babysitter works at Yubo so I called in a favour,” she said. “I sent the link to all of their friends and family and told them to meet dressed up at a park. They almost didn’t show up.” But it was somewhat of a dream come true for the couple. They exchanged vows and used a lighter to pop a balloon that each held the other’s ring. The app developers even paid for the venue, which was a public park, in support of the ceremony. “It was the most romantic night of my life,” said Jill. “I’m more than used to weird by now. Jack sleeps with a jar mixed with peanut butter and marmalade … I’ve married weird.”
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S&T EDITOR Hannah Sabourin
SCIENCE & TECH
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The benefits and drawbacks of masturbation during COVID-19 How the pandemic has affected sex Hannah Sabourin SCIENCE AND TECH EDITOR Ottawa public health officials recommend single people masturbate instead of having sex with short-term partners. On their website they say, “your safest sex partner during the COVID-19 pandemic is yourself.” Other health departments, like The New York Health Department, said that for single people, solo sex is the safest form of sex in the time of COVID-19. Likewise, British Colombia’s Centre for Disease control emphasizes “you are your safest sex partner” since “masturbating by yourself (solo sex) will not spread COVID-19.” So, the general consensus is, for people who live alone, that masturbation is the principal way in which they can safely satisfy their sexual desires. As a result of these recommendations, sex stores like the Stag Shop, a Canadian sex store chain, are reaping the financial rewards from the recent boom in solo sex. Sarah Goertzen, the Stag Shop’s director of marketing, said that since the start of the pandemic there has been an increase in online product sales. “I’m not surprised by this increase in sales because most people are stuck at home and there’s not much to do, so sex and masturbation are always [good ways to pass the time],” she said. According to Planned Parenthood, the benefits of masturbation include stress reduction and its function as a sleep aid. During the first lockdown in Canada, national sex
Masturbation is the safest way for single people to find sexual satisfaction during the pandemic. Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum.
toy sales went up by 135 per cent and sales continue to rise for certain sex toy retailers. “We have so many new customers because of the pandemic. It’s wonderful to see that people are embracing their sexuality,” added Goertzen. “Sexual wellness is important for the maintenance of [one’s] mental health.” Porn consumption has also increased thanks to the pandemic. In March 2020, Pornhub gained an 11 per cent global increase in site visits. More specifically, for the countries to which Pornhub granted free premium services, site visits spiked upward of 38 per cent. However, these statistics also point to a potentially
harmful situation for people who have preexisting porn addictions. Certified sex addiction therapist, Dr. Michael Browning said, “it is very common for both men and women to access online pornography.” This alone is healthy and normal behaviour. But an individual might have a porn addiction if they are constantly compelled to watch porn and it can get to the point where it disrupts their lives. As a result, they might also feel extreme shame about the amount of porn they watch, which means they take great pains to keep their viewing habits a secret. Put simply, one’s pornography viewing habits are unhealthy when “it negatively impacts important
domains of their life,” said Browning. According to a paper from the Archives of Sexual Behaviour, “[for] people who already have problems with their pornography consumption and selfregulation, these problems will increase under the conditions of the pandemic.” Recently, Browning’s clinic has “seen a huge uptake in people with pornography addictions who request therapy services.” These clients are overwhelmed by their isolation and the accessibility of porn. For this reason they “need external help to battle what they’re going through,” said Browning. Browning said that increased isolation can potentially increase the speed at which an individual develops a porn addiction. Isolation can also slow the time that it takes for porn addicts to recover. Browning compares leaving a porn addict alone with internet access to, “ lockingup an alcoholic in a liquor cabinet.” So, while masturbation is the safest way for single people to find sexual satisfaction during the pandemic, isolation might exacerbate pre-existing sexual problems. Browning encourages his clients to engage with people who struggle with similar problems. “Addiction is formed in isolation and recovery happens in community,” he said. “At our clinic we employ a therapy approach that enables clients to build-up a tool set to address [the trauma or issue] that might have led them to develop an addiction before addressing the addictive behaviour itself.”
U of O students create JAMZ Delivery so food can fly to your doorstep Service believes drones are the solution for delivery in rural areas rachel williams freelancer New tech service JAMZ Delivery is a start-up founded by seven students from the University of Ottawa (U of O) and it is changing the way people order food. The company aims to transform the food service industry with autonomous drones that can deliver food from rural restaurants to customers’ homes. Last May, this group of students entered the Simon Nehme COVID-19 Design Competition where they were challenged to improve automated deliveries. The team won the competition and soon transformed their idea into a business. Company founders, Mohammad AbuShaaban, Amro Ahmed, Zainab Badawi, Felipe Garcia-Salas Vidal, Piers Hancock, Logan Rodie, and Jake Steele, decided to focus on the introduction of drones to the rural Canadian restaurant market. “After we placed first in this competition, we felt ready to try and help society with the concept of drone delivery,” said Abu-Shaaban. “[Thanks to our] experience [at this competition] we realized the potential for drone delivery in the rural market for Canada.” In 2020, many restaurants in Ontario were severely impacted by the COVID-19 lockdowns in part due to the commission these restaurants
had to pay to third-party delivery companies. Before the Ontario government placed a cap on food delivery fees in December, SkiptheDishes charged restaurants a 20 to 30 per cent commission depending on their location. And if a restaurant signed-up with DoorDash and required a large delivery radius, it had to switch to a “higher commission structure” which included distance-based pricing. This meant that, the more rural a restaurant the more it had to pay delivery commission. Furthermore, a report from Restaurants Canada found 65 per cent of Canadian restaurants are operating “at a loss” and only “19 per cent are just breaking even.” On top of that, “48 per cent of [small and independent restaurants] expect to permanently close their establishment within six months if conditions don’t improve.” As a result of the changing restaurant industry, JAMZ hopes that drones are the solution to high delivery expenses for rural restaurants. The operation of drones is less expensive than paying workers. Further, drones are a more efficient way to deliver food because they can fly directly from point ‘A’ to ‘B’. Also, drones are an eco-friendly delivery choice and they keep in line with no-contact delivery. Amidst the pandemic, restaurants use no-contact delivery, which means that food is dropped-off on the individual’s doorstep
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and the delivery person does not hand the customer food directly. But the food still has to be handled by the delivery person. So, drones decrease the risk of contamination. “At our core, we want to help restaurants stabilize their businesses,” said Garcia-Salas Vida. “We want to reduce delivery expenses and deliver food to customers who might live far away from the restaurant.”
Challenges and opportunities Despite early success, every new company must climb steep hills. In particular, JAMZ Delivery is working to develop prototypes of drones that function in the winter. “A big challenge that we face right now is that Canada’s winter impacts […] how well the drones fly,” said Hancock. “Our big goal right now is to develop a large database of flight information so that we can successfully predict the chances for successful flights.” Right now, the team is also working to develop strategies to communicate with their target market. They also want to develop a future system that allows customers to track the drone while it makes the delivery, explained Rodie. However, all this planning means nothing if
Transport Canada (TC) doesn’t approve of the drones. Hancock explained, TC will either give the team the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to fly the drones. As a result, the team must demonstrate that they can fly their drones safely while following each rule and regulation set in place. The U of O’s MakerLaunch Accelerator Program is helping set up the company for success even with the numerous challenges they face. The purpose of this program is to guide students and recent graduates through the process of starting their own technology companies. “Being accepted into MakerLaunch was one of our biggest milestones,” said Garcis-Salas Vida. “What is amazing about MakerLaunch is that it is an accelerator program. So, not only do we get access to financial resources, but we also get business resources from Ottawa’s community of entrepreneurs who are already established.” Still, Hancock spoke about the stresses that come along with the establishment of a new business — but he reiterates that the team remains determined to have success. “There are a lot of hurdles to jump over. But there is [also a] tremendous sense of accomplishment and team spirit as we overcome each of these hurdles.”
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City of Ottawa launches project to combat period poverty Period poverty is a growing issue and Period Packs plan to solve it Idmane Moussa Ali & Hannah Sabourin Contributor & SCIENCE AND TECH EDITOR On Feb. 16, the City of Ottawa will launch a pilot project offering free menstrual products in four municipal facilities and community centres. This project aims to decrease the effects of period poverty in Ottawa. Period poverty occurs when a woman cannot afford menstrual products due to a lack of income. According to Plan International, one in three Canadian females have sacrificed “something else within their budget in order to afford menstrual products.” Women who lack financial resources can also have difficulties accessing menstrual products. The Canadian Public Health Association estimates an average Canadian woman will spend up to $6,000 in her lifetime on menstrual hygiene products. But some Canadian women have it worse. In Nunavut, a pack of tampons can cost up to $20 making it even harder to afford. The city undertook this project in collaboration with Period Packs. This non-for-profit distributes free menstrual products to 450 in need residents in Ottawa every month. “Menstrual products are just as essential as toiletry products [like toilet paper],” explained Meghan White, one of the founders of Period Packs. “It is not a luxury to be given [menstrual] products, and it is not a luxury to access them, they are essential items.” Since it was founded in 2019, the non-for-profit distributed more than 89,068 menstrual products to community organizations such as the Ottawa Food
Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum.
Bank and various community housing agencies. Another goal of Period Packs is to advocate for policy and education reforms about women’s health. “It is so important to address the complexity of menstrual inequity,” added White. “[There is] a lack of education and the spread of misinformation about periods.” Jenna Sudds, city councillor for Kanata North, initially introduced the motion last year to provide pads and tampons in public facilities. During the first lockdown in Ottawa, “Period Packs independently secured funding with the city to provide [menstrual products] to women in some of Ottawa’s shelters,” said Sudds. The services addressed this immediate need because some Ottawa services that previously provided
period products closed due to the pandemic. It was important to provide these products to women in need”, said Sudds. “Period Packs are doing some inspiring work.” As reported by the Ottawa Citizen, feminine hygiene products are now available at community centres in Albion Heatherington, Overbrook, Sandy Hill, and Foster Farm. This one-year pilot project is estimated to cost $58,000. Before the city can include more community centres in this project, they must identify which neighbourhoods are most in need of products. To do this, they rely on the neighbourhood equity index, a tool that city planners use to recognize disparities between Ottawa neighbourhoods. If the pilot project is successful, it will gradually expand to include the whole city.
“My hope is that this project is wildly successful,” said Sudds. “I hope that we can eventually roll-out this project in all city facilities. That is the ultimate goal.” Another person who is glad to see that the City of Ottawa is finally taking this step toward supporting this women’s health issue is professor Ivy Bourgeault, the research chair in gender, diversity, and the professions at the University of Ottawa. Bourgeault said the project “is a start.” “Let’s give the city credit. But this shouldn’t just be a ‘pilot project’ it should just be [the status quo].” Bourgeault also shared her frustration with how women’s hygiene is not taken seriously by Canadians in general. “We provide toilet paper to both men and women for free, don’t we? Women just happen to bleed, which means that they need products. It’s a hygiene issue and nothing more”, said Bourgeault. “A woman’s period does not always come on a set day … [so if menstrual products were available everywhere] I think it would just reduce a lot of anxiety for women.” For this reason, Bourgeault believes the U of O should follow the city’s lead and supply free menstrual products for students. To solve public health issues that specifically pertain to women, “we need more women at the leadership decision table,” said Bourgeault. She recommends students write letters to the U of O’s president, Jacques Frémont, and the associate vicepresident in charge of infrastructure, Guy Levesque “to get the university to show leadership in the area of feminine hygiene.”
Ontario zoos struggling to make ends meet during pandemic
Here is what zoos are doing to protect their animals and save their businesses Hannah Sabourin SCIENCE AND TECH EDITOR Ontario zoos both big and small cannot maintain financial stability amidst the pandemic. While some zoos do qualify for provincial and federal support, many rely on private donations to take care of their animals. For example, the family who owns the Brant-Brantford’s Twin Valley Zoo never dreamed that they would one day discuss their zoo’s financial troubles. Jennifer Stallmann, who manages the zoo on behalf of her mother-in-law, opened up on the struggles. “At the end of last year we sat at the kitchen table and had very serious conversations about hard [financial] decisions that we would have to make about the future of our zoo.” According to Stallmann, Twin Valley Zoo is not eligible for federal grants that have been created to alleviate the pandemic’s weight on businesses. “We are a seasonal business. We are only open for six months out of the year,” she said. “So, because we don’t have an income for the other six months, on paper it doesn’t [seem like we suffer major economic losses]. This is why we aren’t eligible for government support.” The Twin Valley Zoo experienced a large economic loss because only a small amount of people are allowed on the property at a time. Meaning, at its current income, the zoo does not generate sufficient revenue to get through the winter months. However, Stallmann is thankful for Brantford’s generosity during the first province-wide lockdown. “When the lockdown happened in 2020 we were fortunate because the Brantford community helped us raise money [and] we were able to forge new relationships with different communities, support groups, and sanctuaries.” Almost one year later, Stallmann wonders if the
business can withstand more financial pressures in 2021. She said the family is not confident they can find the support to keep their business afloat for a second year in a row. “Everyone around us has financial struggles,” said Stallmann. “Some of my friends have lost their businesses and some have even lost homes.” With an unknown future lying ahead, concern surrounds the business. “We have no idea what restrictions are around the corner. It’s terrifying for us to go into a second year of this pandemic.”
Social distancing protects zoo animals In Brantford, a big part of the Twin Valley Zoo is getting close with the animals. However, because COVID-19 can spread from certain animals to people through close contact (and vice versa), Stallmann’s family no longer allows the public to approach their animals. Stallmann explained that Twin Valley Zoo adopted health and safety policies that comply with provincial social distancing guidelines. The Toronto Zoo also adopted similar safety policies at the pandemic’s onset. Not only did the park close indefinitely on Nov. 23, 2020, but the zoo also implemented policies to ensure workers distance from each other and from the animals. “We had to reduce the number of staff allowed on site to care for our animals,” said Toronto Zoo health and safety manager, Joanne Eaton. According to Eaton, these new policies will keep both workers and the animals safe. “[We do this] because we have the added concern that some of our animals are susceptible to COVID-19.” “Respiratory illnesses can transfer back and forth between certain animals and humans.”
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COVID-19, specifically, is a zoonotic disease that is easily transferred to big cats and non-human primates like apes and monkeys. For example, in April 2020, big cats at the Bronx Zoo contracted the virus. While these animals did recover from the illness, Eaton said the Toronto Zoo wants to avoid this ordeal altogether — hence their strict social distancing policies. Eaton added, the zoo’s closure and strict social distancing policies are necessary for the safety of the animals, “but this has an enormous impact on our bottom line.”
Reliance on fundraising campaigns To address their lack of funding, many zoos, like Brantford’s Twin Valley Zoo, have had to turn to fundraising efforts to keep their businesses afloat and their animals cared for. The Toronto Zoo launched their Zoo Food for Life campaign which aims to “offset lost revenues and ensure funding for the Zoo’s Nutrition Program in 2021.” The zoo needs to raise at least $1 million just to feed its 5,000 animals for 2021. Little Ray’s Nature Centres, an Ottawa zoo, is also raising money to compensate for pandemic-related financial losses. For instance, the zoo started a GoFundMe page with a fundraising goal of $180,000. The zoo also launched the Adopt-An-Animal campaign, where donors can sign-up to give monthly donations. Lee Parker, a Zoo Director said since the start of the pandemic, “two years of our revenue has been lost due to COVID-19.” “We have really big overheads that we have to manage,” said Parker. “We have to heat the building, and each of our animals has individual needs. So there are a lot of costs involved in the care for these animals.”
Image: Toronto Zoo/Provided
But even with the setbacks, Little Ray’s Nature Centre still continues with their mission. Parker explained the centre has rescued 80 per cent of the animals they look after and even with the zoo’s financial setbacks continues to take in animals. “We rescue animals that are abandoned, or who are mistreated. And we also take-in animals that people can no longer take care of for financial reasons.” Fortunately, the government does provide Little Ray’s with loans but Parker emphasized it isn’t “free money.” “People have stopped donating as much as they have before because they think the government has taken-over so it’s smooth sailing. But this isn’t the case,” said Parker. “We have to pay back these loans, plus interest, once COVID-19 has subsided.” Looking ahead, Parker explained Little Ray’s needs all the help it can get. “It’s hard. The pandemic has severely impacted our business. But we have never ceased to deliver proper care to our animals … and that’s what’s most important.”
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SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR Jasmine McKnight opinions@thefulcrum.ca
Insta: @j.mcknight08 Twitter: @Jazzle59
Gee-Gees football honours Black History Month through 28 in 28 campaign
Social media campaign highlights Black athletes, coaches, and staff Jasmine McKnight
Of course, the Black History Month initiative is incredibly important and is a main goal and focus of 28 in 28. “We want to celebrate our diversity as a program. One of the things we wanted to get out of it was that we didn’t want it just to be ‘here it is,’ “ Bellefueille said. “We wanted to bring attention to our black community as a whole and not just our football, our current football team and I think we were able to do that.” Expanding the initiative beyond February is the next objective. “I wish we could do it more often. We are banging out these 28 guys, which is phenomenal,” said Taylor. “But how can we continue this because there’s so many other people it’s such an important initiative to limit it to one month.”
Sports Editor
For Black History Month, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees football program has taken a creative approach to honour its Black community with the ‘28 in 28’ campaign on social media. For every day of February, the program is highlighting a success story from an athlete, coach, or support staff from the program whether it be on the field, in the classroom, or in the workforce. Gee-Gees head coach Marcel Bellefeuille gave some insight on where the idea came from. “The overall idea to do something different for Black History Month was collective amongst the coaching staff, and our office coordinator,” said Bellefeuille. “We looked at doing something and one of our assistant coaches brought up the fact that they’re doing something like that in the U.S. in terms of highlighting a student athlete every month.” Finding a way to “dig a little deeper” into the lives within the team beyond the sport is also a main focus for the initiative said special teams coordinator and social media coordinator, Nathan Taylor. “We want to dig deeper into your nationality or your heritage so whether they’re Canadian or from the Congo, they’ll have different nuances, right.” To add a more personal feel to the Twitter and Instagram posts, a personal graphic has
been created for each of the included players and staff showcasing their heritage, occupation, field of study, and a quote. The graphics also include photos both in uniform and out. “For me, it was important that we look at our whole community, so we decided to not just have our players, but our alumni, and some of our support staff,” Bellefeuille said. “We just thought it would be important to talk about our whole community because we have diversity in our whole football community, not just our current players.” While there are still many more days in Febru-
Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum ary, and many more individuals to highlight, the campaign has already received positive and enthusiastic comments. “Everyone that we’ve asked is really enthusiastic about it and they’ve been appreciative of the fact that we’re honoring and showcasing some of our alumni and some of our current players so it’s been really nice,” Taylor said. “I think one of the things that’s a little different in the way that we’re doing it, is it’s not necessarily all the guys [that] were all stars and all Canadians, some of our guys had shorter football careers and were successful afterwards.”
Image: Screenshot/Twitter
‘Not just another game’: Reliving the U of O’s Capital Hoops victories in 2020
emily wilson managing editor
The historic rivalry between the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and cross-town rival Carleton University Ravens has forever been the pinnacle of university sports in Canada’s capital. May it be on the field, the ice or the court, the competition is fierce. Students from both institutions flood OC Transpo’s busses and LRTs to cheer on their classmates and walk away with bragging rights. In recent years, Capital Hoops fever has grown immensely. And on Feb. 7, 2020, for the first time since its inception in 2007, the Gee-Gees won both games. For the one year anniversary, the Fulcrum spoke with representatives of both the women’s and the men’s basketball teams to relive the historical night. The women took to the court first at TD Place arena and after the first 10 minutes, the Ravens led 18-12. A big second quarter push from the Gee-Gees cut the deficit to three. Looking back on the game, head coach Andy Sparks admits his side didn’t start off on the strongest foot. The key, however, was the Gee-Gees veteran experience. “I don’t think we played our best game from a defensive perspective, certainly,” said Sparks. “But we did have some veteran players. Angela Ribarich, obviously stepped up.” The senior at the time, who now plays professionally in Denmark, had a game-high 24 points and helped the Gee-Gees claim back-to-back titles with a 77-75 win.
As the clock wore down, former player Tyra Blizzard mentioned that the ability to stay calm helped the GeeGees come out on top. “A calmness [came] among all of us once the final twominute mark hit. We could have easily become frantic and allowed our anxiety to take over, but we all collectively relaxed our shoulders and trusted each other,” she said. “It felt amazing to win the title with my amazing teammates, especially as a fifth year player.” Another key factor in the victory was the crowd. In previous years, Capital Hoops had been held at the Canadian Tire Centre, but in 2020 it was held at TD Place which holds less spectators but creates a “pretty phenomenal” atmosphere. “Often what happens [in the] first half of our games, the crowd’s really just arriving,” said Sparks. “By the second half, everybody’s in and I think that the game had so many ebbs and flows to it that the crowd really got involved in it and probably set up our men’s game really well with the excitement level that our game finished with.” And it did. After the first U of O victory, the men’s game saw the atmosphere fill with double the energy as more students piled and filled the garnet and grey seats. But before hitting the court, head coach James Derouin emphasized the wide range of emotions felt by his team before facing off with their arch rivals. “We play 22 league games a season and you try your best to make it as routine and keep everything the same and tell your players, ‘It’s just a league game’ but it reaches a point where everyone knows that it’s not just
another game,” he said. “There’s an anxiety just playing Carleton on a regular night [which is] good enough to get you excited. Leading up to it, you just do your best to try to keep the players level.” “You have to really talk about the crowd and the stadium and the rivalry and then work backwards in terms of making sure everyone’s just calm and ready to perform, despite all the distractions.” Former player Calvin Epistola, was playing in his last Capital Hoops as a senior, he remembers the atmosphere as one of a kind. “The amount of people, the amount of noise, the lights, everything that just came with it was amazing,” he said. “Truly nothing compares to it. I remember going to the national finals at the same venue and even the game we had against Carleton was a lot more lively than that.” Right from tipoff the men’s game went back and forth all night and at halftime the scoreboard read 34-34. As the clock counted down, the crowd grew anxious as both teams battled on. The turning point for the GeeGees was when they limited the Ravens to just 10 points in the third. The Ravens made a big push in the fourth and with just seven seconds left, Carleton led by one. That was until Epistola was fouled and stepped up to the line to bank two free throws and make it 68-67 for Ottawa. In the dying moments, the Ravens had time for one more play and had a man advantage after a Gee-Gees player was tripped up. Both benches looked on in awe as the ball bounced in and out of the hands of the Ravens
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as they tried for not one, but three rebound attempts. It didn’t fall. The reflexes from Guillaume Pépin then went on to save the Gee Gees as he regained possession and secured Ottawa’s first Capital Hoops victory in four years and handed Carleton their only loss of the season. “It came right down to the final play. And I can tell you I couldn’t hear anything … I felt with the time running down that we were in a good spot to win the game,” said Derouin. [But] when I saw Marcus (Anderson) get it, I was like, ‘Wow, we’re gonna lose at the buzzer … point blank, after such a great game.’ And sure enough, that ball bounced on the rim three or four times. To this day, I have no idea how it didn’t go in.” [They were] a foot from the basket, standing under the basket, you couldn’t get any closer and that’s just the way that night went.There’s nothing strategic, there’s nothing to explain how what happened. It’s just maybe a little bit of fate, maybe a little bit of luck.” While the university waits for student athletes to return to action, both Sparks and Derouin are confident that the performances from last year’s event will have an impact on the future. “They were both obviously awesome games for University of Ottawa, but I think just for basketball in general in Ottawa,” said Sparks. “The entire basketball community finds a way to get to that game and that’s what makes it just so awesome,” added Derouin. [On] a special night, we were able to get a win.”
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Gee-Gees Hall of Famer named as Ottawa BlackJacks assistant coach Perrin-Blizzard is currently the only woman to coach professional sports in Ottawa Jasmine McKnight Sports Editor
Fabienne Perrin-Blizzard, a University of Ottawa Hall of Famer has entered the Canada Elite Basketball League (CEBL) as an assistant coach for the Ottawa BlackJacks. With the role, she is currently the only woman to coach professional sports in Ottawa. “I am thankful to take my career to the next level and be a part of a club that will inspire the next generation,” Perrin-Blizzard said in a press release. In her career at the U of O, PerrinBlizzard was named the Most Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year two years in a row during her career from 1989-1994. She then went on to fill in the role of the Gee-Gees assistant coach for the women’s basketball team from 1994-1998 and moved to head coach for the 1998-1999 season. In fact, Perrin-Blizzard’s impact on the Gee-Gees women’s basketball
team does not end there. Her daughter, Tyra Blizzard, played a huge role for the Gee-Gees women’s basketball team in the 2019-2020 season. She is now moving forward with a professional career overseas. “My mother has been such an inspiration to myself, and to the Ottawa basketball community a whole,” Blizzard said. “My entire life, I have watched her pour her heart and soul into every single player and team she has coached, it’s so special to see that she is being acknowledged and recognized for her outstanding coaching.” Beyond her impact at the U of O, Perrin-Blizzard has also been an active member in the Canadian basketball scene. She was the head coach for Ontario’s U15 and U17 provincial programs and has earned three national titles. In 2018, she was also the assistant coach of the Cadette Women’s National U15-16 team and helped the squad win silver at the FIBA Americas
tournament. In addition, Perrin-Blizzard cofounded Capital Court Academy hosted at Cairine Wilson Secondary School in Orleans. The program provides high-level basketball training to student-athletes.
“I am very excited to start working with Fabienne. She understands what it takes to build a winning team,” said BlackJacks head coach Charles Dubé-Brais in the same press release. “She understands what it takes to
Image: Ottawa BlackJacks/Provided build a winning team, having won many titles and awards as a player and a coach.” “She will bring something unique and a different perspective to the BlackJacks organization and will have a crucial role in the success of our team on and off the court.”
Sports Confessional: Who did our Gee-Gees grow up idolizing? Gee Gees discuss their favourite athletes
played the game left a lasting impression. “Lyle Thompson is someone I have always looked up to ever since I started playing lacrosse,” Leclair said. “He plays the game with such respect and talent it’s kind of hard not to love him. He plays the game with a crazy amount of creativity which is something I always thought was really impressive.” For upcoming athletes, Leclair offers three pieces of advice. “Always work as hard as you can in whatever you do … be confident in yourself and your capabilities, and lastly, don’t play for the name on the back of the jersey, play for the logo on the front. Put your team first and do what’s best for your team.”
jasmine mcknight sports Editor
Growing up, every athlete has someone they look up to — a professional player, a coach, maybe even an older brother or sister. Here are athletes that University of Ottawa Gee-Gees idolized growing up.
Katherine Birkby – Women’s hockey Hayley Wickenheiser has been a great role model for female athletes across every sport. She has accomplished great things as an athlete and for Hockey Canada’s hockey program. “Hayley Wickenheiser was definitely one of my biggest role models,” said Katherine Birkby, a third-year Gee on the women’s hockey team. “I grew up in a really small town where hockey was a sport that not many girls played.” The Ayr, Ont. native watched Hayley Wickenheiser compete for Team Canada and felt reassurance. “I sometimes felt out of place, or like I was playing the wrong sport,” Birkby said. “She [Wickenheiser] gave me hope that I could make a name for myself through hockey and that it wasn’t just a sport for boys.” “I really don’t think female hockey would be where it is today without her because of the impact she had on kids like me.”
Emmanuel Aboagye-Gyan – Football Emmanuel Aboagye-Gyan started looking up to Tyrann Mathieu — nicknamed
Photo: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum
the Honey Badger — when he started playing high school football. Mathieu has experienced plenty of ups and downs throughout his college career at Louisiana State University (LSU) and then in the NFL. His story had a big influence on Aboagye-Gyan “I looked to him first because of his story and what he overcame, and now, because of the type of player he is,” Aboagye-Gyan said. “He was seen as one of the best defensive backs in the nation and was expected to go very high in the NFL draft but he, unfortunately, got in some trouble and was kicked off the [LSU] team after failing multiple drug tests, got arrested on a drug charge, and even check[ed] into rehab.” “He over[came] everything, cleaned up
his act, focused on training and got drafted in the third round.” The hardships did not end there, as Mathieu suffered three major injuries in his first three seasons in the league. Again, he worked to overcome his injuries and is now among the top defensive backs in the NFL. “Seeing that, the younger me was super inspired to always push for my dreams no matter what happens, what I go through, and what people might say because everything is in my hands,” Aboagye-Gyan said. “Always be the hardest worker in the room.”
Dylan Leclair – Men’s lacrosse For Dylan Leclair, a midfielder on the U of O lacrosse team, the way Lyle Thompson
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Ogechi Ahunanya – Women’s rugby Ogechi Ahunanya, a player on the women’s rugby team, looks up to an athlete known for her passion: Pamphinette Buisa. “Pamphinette Buisa is an amazing, decorated rugby sevens player, but I think her character is the most captivating part about her,” Ahunanya said. “[Buisa] always stands for the right thing, is a resilient, strong and passionate leader everywhere she goes.” “She is a direct example of someone being the change they would like to see in the world, and I believe that we could all learn something from her.” Ahunanya believes in how important it is to have a good attitude, a message that Buisa represents. “Gratitude is contagious and transformational; it can change your life and the life of those around you for the better.”
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OPINIONS
OPINIONS EDITOR Jasmine McKnight
opinions@thefulcrum.ca Insta: @j.mcknight08 Twitter: @Jazzle59
Why is asexual representation in the media so bad? Movies and TV shows treat non-sexual activity as tabbo. Why? Rhyanna Melanson freelancer Being asexual in a sex-saturated culture can be alienating, to say the least. Society perpetuates the idea that having sex is the norm — anything else is non-existent. Movies and TV shows treat non-sexual activity as taboo. There are whole films devoted to the loss of virginity, since apparently still being a virgin at 40 years of age is unthinkable. Furthermore, sexual attraction is often shown in the media as the only entryway to a romantic relationship — just look at shows like How I Met Your Mother or Fleabag. Asexuality is a diverse spectrum; some asexual people are ok with having sex, some are sex-repulsed, and some fall somewhere in between. The common denominator between them? A lack of sexual attraction. But what does it mean not to experience sexual attraction? Imagine you’re walking around a museum and you spot a beautiful painting. You can admire the painting, or even love it. But you have no desire to walk up and start having sex with it. According to the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), about one per cent of the world’s population identifies as asexual. Despite asexuality becoming more prominent of a sexual minority, it is still vastly underrepresented in mainstream culture. An article published in the fall of 2010 noted the negative effect that a lack of access to asexual characters might have on the asexual community. The authors write that “asexuals in popular culture tend to [be] cast as broken subjects.” They go on to explain how asexual representation must be reformatted “in positive terms that challenge us to reconceive our definitions of sexual normalcy.” When it comes to writing asexual characters, many content creators subscribe to the J.K. Rowling school of writing queer characters, preferring to leave characters’ sexualities ambiguous rather than risk alienating their mostly heterosexual audiences. Ambiguous asexual representation dominates mainstream media. In fact, on Wikipedia’s “List of fictional
Asexual flag. Image: Wikimedia Commons.
asexual characters,” most have never actually been confirmed as canon. One such character is Peridot from the TV show Steven Universe (which has been a great source of representation for the LGBTQ2+ community). Storyboard artist Maya Petersen stated that Peridot is asexual and aromantic on her Twitter, but this has never directly been addressed in the show. Alternatively, Peridot has been presented by another storyboard artist, Zuke, as being in a “close, loving relationship” with the character Lapis. According to an interview with Stephen Hillenburg in 2002, SpongeBob SquarePants is asexual, as are all real-life sea sponges. However, Hillenburg’s claims of SpongeBob’s lack of sexual attraction may have less to do with biological accuracy and more to do with the homophobic controversy surrounding SpongeBob and Patrick’s relationship status. Other times, asexual representation plays into the stereotype that asexuality is a medical condition that needs to be “fixed.” A prime example of this negative representation is the season eight episode “Better Half” of House. In it, Dr. House insists that an asexual couple is dealing with a curable medical problem because “the only people who don’t want [sex] are either sick, dead, or lying.” The conclusion? A pituitary problem was responsible for the man’s lack of sex drive, and his wife was only pretending to be asexual
to satisfy him. In the movie The Olivia Experiment, as well, the asexuality of the titular character is frequently challenged. Asexuality is presented as a temporary condition that can be reversed after someone experiments with sexual intimacy. Fortunately, there are increasingly more characters who describe themselves as asexual and are presented in a positive light. The TV show Shadowhunters, based on the Mortal Instruments book series, had a recurring character, Raphael, come out as asexual in the last episode of season two. Although not explicitly stated in the book series, author Cassandra Clare confirmed his asexuality, but has rarely spoken about the subject. The character’s asexuality is also featured in the webcomics The Shadowhunter Chronicles. One of the best mainstream asexual coming-out stories is Todd Chavez from Bojack Horesman. At the end of season three, it was revealed that Todd could be asexual. Season four explores his coming out while also dealing with issues surrounding the confusion over labels and umbrella terms. Around this time, Todd covered up his gang tattoos, changing one to ‘Skinny Jugheads.’ This was most likely a hidden reference to another beanie-wearing asexual, Jughead Jones from the Archie comics.
Dating back to the 1940s, Jughead is perhaps one of the oldest depictions of asexuality in the media. Jughead’s defining characteristic is his preference of food to the company of women, which was a good foil to his best friend Archie Andrews who is girl-crazy. Prior to the 21st century, the idea of asexuality as acceptable was not widespread. Although Jughead is far from a misogynist, and has several close friendships with female characters like Betty Cooper, his lack of romantic and sexual interest in women led to him being wrongly labelled a “woman hater” by readers and critics alike. In 2016, Jughead’s orientation was confirmed to be asexual in the Jughead comics as part of the New Riverdale line. Writer Chip Zdarsky later tweeted that he viewed Jughead as “asexual and probably demi-romantic, but for the purposes of his teen years, aromatic.” However, the 2017 television show Riverdale, based on the Archie comics, chose to depict Jughead as heterosexual and in a relationship with Betty. This decision sparked debates in the media about intentional asexual erasure and its repercussions, especially for younger audiences. Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa explained the decision to erase Jughead’s asexuality because he had wanted to switch the Veronica/Archie/Betty love triangle to a Jughead/Betty/Archie love triangle. He defended his choice by explaining, “there are fresher ways to tell [the] story.” Because why have one of the first asexual characters on mainstream television when you can have the much more original ‘two boys fighting over a girl love triangle’ and an instalove story between “girl next door” and “emo loner bad boy”? In retrospect, keeping Jughead’s asexuality meant the showrunners would have had to write actual character-driven plots instead of using sex for cheap drama. While recent trends are encouraging, the portrayal of asexuality still trails behind other LGBTQ2+ communities. It’s crucial that people of all genders and sexual identities see people to whom they can relate in the media.
Media literacy is essential education
Understanding media is the only way to fight against disinformation news to advertisements, movies, social media posts, spread to millions of people across the world. Fifty-six trevor oattes video games or books. Simply put, the best way to per cent of Republicans in the United States say that editorial intern engage with a piece of media is to ask questions, such QAnon is either mostly or partially true, alongside 35 We live in a time where truth is hanging on by a thread. Disinformation through social media has led to millions of people embracing lies as reality, alongside a wholesale rejection of facts and science. Be it conspiratorial cults, political lies or the ravings of manipulative politicians, we are living in a time where powerful people can control mobs through a single social media post. In order for us to combat disinformation and the forces that wield it, we as a society need to educate ourselves on the subjects of media literacy. It is essential for every person to know how to recognize false information and to understand how it spreads. Media literacy is based on the critical analysis of media, which can be anything from the mainstream
as: who made this? Who paid for this to be made? Who might benefit or suffer from the message? Is the message leaving out any information? A strong understanding of media education encourages people to question and gain an understanding of the messages we come across, which is essential in today’s political landscape. Perhaps the most dangerous modern example of weaponized disinformation is the QAnon conspiracy theory, which claims that former U.S. president Donald Trump is fighting a hidden war against Satanic, pedophilic cannibals who head the Democratic Party, Hollywood and the mainstream media. While these claims are blatantly ridiculous and devoid of any factual background, the disinformation of QAnon has
per cent of Independent voters and nine per cent of Democrats. To be clear, QAnon isn’t some harmless or ironic internet conspiracy. Real-world acts of violence have been committed by followers of the cult, from alleged kidnappings and murders to acts of terror and threats of political assassination. And then there’s the failed insurrection attempt at the Capitol Hill, where many QAnon believers came out in droves to attack the heart of American democracy. So much damage has been caused as a result of lies. Even Canadians aren’t safe from the disinformation infection, as the gun-toting person who drove through the gates at Rideau Hall while looking for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted QAnon theories
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on social media. With so many people involved in such volatile misinformation, we need to realize that the solution isn’t as simple as showing these misled people the error of their ways. Followers of the conspiracy theory have fallen victim to cult-like behavioural control, which means that their fanatical devotion to the disinformation is unlikely to be broken by the truth. While it is essential for reasonable people to pick up media literacy skills, the best way to combat disinformation is through educating children. Elementary schools should begin teaching classes in media literacy, especially in the context of social media, as the coming generations will be some of the first to be raised entirely in the social media age. By educating Canada’s youth we will have a future generation that won’t be nearly as susceptible to violent misinformation as we have seen today.
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We are not reading enough Canadian literature in Ontario’s public school system An open letter to Ontario’s minister of education, Stephen Lecce jacob Kropf Contributor Throughout the entirety of my publicschool education, I can recall reading exactly one mandatory Canadian novel: The Book of Negros by Lawrence Hill. Every other mandatory book that we read as a class was American or British. Can you, Minister Lecce, think of any that you read yourself? The topic was brought up in my second-year Canadian literature survey course, and those who voiced their opinion could only think of one other Canadian book that was mandatory for them: Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. I was curious about why this was the case, so I did some research into Ontario’s Grade 11 and 12 revised 2007 English curriculum. Page five of the curriculum states: “Reading activities should expose students to materials that reflect the diversity of Canadian and world cultures, including those of Aboriginal peoples.” But it seems as though the high-school focus is more on the “world culture” aspect. I have nothing against The Great Gatsby, To Kill A Mockingbird, or The Catcher In The Rye (to name a few typical high school reads), but at what cost should we sacrifice our understanding of our own Canadian culture and what is being produced here? Plenty of what we know as “CanLit” explores the multifaceted, multicul-
Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum
tural Canadian identity — why isn’t that what’s on syllabi? This issue further extends the shadow Canada occupies under the American behemoth of culture to our south. Rather than the ‘American dream,’ let’s learn about the ‘Canadian Dream.’ I can think of nothing else other than freedom and diversity that best encapsulates what the ‘Canadian Dream’ might be. I think we need to prioritize this on the same level that we often honour the ‘American Dream’ by making it one of the
mandatory themes in our public school’s curricular literature.
Here are some books that I think should be considered: What We All Long For (2009) by Dionne Brand, a story of identity in Toronto as a multicultural diverse city. Brand identifies as an LGBT+ BIPOC. Indian Horse (2012) by Richard Wagamese, an Ojibway author from Northern Ontario
whose novel centres on a First Nations boy who leaves the residential school system and becomes a skilled hockey player. Barometer Rising (1941) by Hugh MacLennan, a story about the Halifax explosion in World War One, a lesser known milestone in Canadian history. And, as mentioned above, The Book of Negros (2007) by Lawrence Hill, a BIPOC author whose novel tracks a slave’s journey to freedom and her struggles once achieved. The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood, about a dystopian world that explores a patriarchal society in which women lose individuality, independence, and rights to their own body. These books teach lessons that are more applicable to us as Canadians than what we might read from the current selection in the curriculum. There are so many more Canadian stories that are waiting to be heard by our high school-aged children, and it is shameful to allow students to learn more about other cultures over their own (and all the multicultural identities that lie within the larger Canadian one). These books instill a sense of pride in our culture, and they teach the world what being Canadian is all about. Please consider making these books mandatory — help ensure that Canadians can better value their own culture.
It’s time to acknowledge that weddings are a scam Millennials and Gen Z should finally lay the wedding industry to rest trevor oattes editorial intern The traditional wedding is an exercise in needless extravagance. The sheer cost of these events should scare away every love-struck couple and yet we are expected to embrace the glitz, the glam and the price tag, whether we want extravagance or not. To put it bluntly, weddings are a scam. While this may sound like the talk of an anticupid, rest assured that no arrows are being pointed at the ideas of romance or marriage themselves. We live in difficult times and love is something that should be celebrated whenever it arises. These arrows are instead aimed at the hearts of consumerism and the societal pressure that places pomp and circumstance above the love and futures of the wedded. The average cost of a wedding in Canada is almost $30,000, a staggering number for young people who have had the misfortune of living through two economic recessions less than 15 years apart. There are multiple reasons why traditional weddings are so expensive and, coincidentally, they are often the same reasons for why weddings are considered so stressful. First, there is often significant societal pressure for soon-to-be newlyweds to invite the entire family, buy the most expensive ring and book the biggest venue possible. In addition, there is the potential to be hit by
Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum
a wedding tax, which is the name used to describe the significant markups that businesses will often put on wedding related expenses. The social media age has also brought with it the problem of ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ — that is to say, we spend more money, time and stress to try and make our lives seem more exciting on Instagram. While there is certainly something to be said for the craftsmanship costs of dresses and wedding cakes, most of these extra costs are unnecessary. The pressure for young people to drop tens of thousands of dollars to get married is unconscionable, as that money could go towards much more practical expenses.
Home ownership, for example, is a pipe dream for millennials, so why should they be pressured to part with 30,000-ish dollars on a wedding when they could instead put a down payment on a home? Or, ignoring home ownership, the money could go towards travelling the world, paying off student loans, starting a passion project or just providing a measure of economic stability for a newly wedded couple. Millennials and Gen Z should break the mold of extravagant weddings and pocket the cash for themselves. By eschewing the traditional wedding, we can instead look towards more affordable and personalized alternatives.
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If you want to go for the most barebones and affordable method — albeit at the risk of seeming a bit dull — a courthouse wedding is about as cheap as they come. Courthouse or city hall weddings don’t have much room for amenities, so things like decoration, catering and even room for a massive guest list won’t be possible. Whether that would be a pro or a con would likely depend on the person. Another affordable option is an outdoor or backyard wedding, where you find a friend or relative with a nice bit of property and get married with a pleasant view in the backdrop of your photos. The venue would (hopefully) be free, there’d be plenty of room for guests and you’d get to enjoy the fresh air. All you’d really need would be some chairs for guests and a bit of catering. Eloping is another alternative, and can be done with a small group of friends or family, or with just you and your spouse-to-be. Benefits here include travel and a built-in excuse to ditch your family if you don’t want some or all of them present, which can be a necessity for some people. Regardless of the type of wedding alternative, the core motivations here should be to ignore pointless tradition and to embrace what feels right on an individual level. As long as we recognize that weddings, at least as we’ve been led to view them, are a scam, then couples will have the alternative to write the first lines of their new chapter in peace.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHARLEY DUTIL
editor@thefulcrum.ca Insta: @cduts98 Twitter: @CDuts98
Mythbusters: The virginity edition
Some common myths surround abstinence are busted SOFIA HASHI Former features editor Originally published on Feb. 15, 2012. Let’s pop the proverbial cherry and talk about sex—or rather, the lack of sex. Virginity is a taboo topic that usually gets ignored in university settings, but Statistics Canada has shown 43 per cent of teenagers have sex for the first time between the ages of 15 and 19. This means more than half of Canadian students begin their university careers as virgins. With so many V-card-carrying students wandering around campus, the many misconceptions surrounding virginity are surprising. The following are some common myths surrounding abstinence—busted!
The absence of a hymen means a woman has had sex For those of you who were unaware, the hymen is a membrane that completely or partially surrounds the entrance to the vagina. It’s a common misconception that a girl has had vaginal intercourse if her hymen is not intact. In reality, a women’s hymen can be stretched or broken through a number of activities, including riding a bike, going horseback riding, or using a tampon. Having a hymen has nothing to do with virginity—some women aren’t even born with one. Historically speaking, the hymen was regarded as the only indicator of whether a woman was a virgin. This ideology is still prevalent in some cultures today, explaining the rise in the number of hymen reconstructive surgeries.
Guys should want to have sex, and those who don’t are freaks If we’re going by Hollywood’s standards, every teenage guy should want to “lose it” before high-school graduation. We can all name those coming-of-age movies where the young men in the film scramble to have sex on prom night; however, the same
Statistics Canada study showed about half of young men aged 15 to 19 have abstained from sex. Studies show guys who reported having sex before they felt comfortable suffer the same psychological repercussions their female counterparts do, such as depression or anxiety. Society puts a lot of pressure on men to be sexually experienced, but the fact is men—just like women— can choose to remain virgins.
Queer sex isn’t really sex Our society has a heteronormative approach to virginity. Because vaginal, heterosexual intercourse is associated with reproduction, it’s often placed upon a pedestal and considered the only way someone can really have sex. This can alienate and ignore those who identify as LGBTQ. Some people believe gay or lesbian men or women have not lost their virginities because they haven’t been intimate with a member of the opposite sex.
Image: Christine Wang/Fulcrum
Defining virginity in this way devalues the experiences of LGBTQ people—simply put, queer sex is sex, too.
All virgins are religious freaks Many people pigeonhole virgins as religious, prudish freaks because abstaining from sex goes against the normative ideals of today’s society. Contrary to this belief, people choose to abstain from sex for a number of reasons. Sure, it might be for religious purposes, but it could also be they haven’t yet met the right person, fear an unwanted pregnancy, or are wary of contacting a sexually transmitted disease. Some people who have been sexually active in the past choose to abstain from any further sexual acts until they feel truly ready. Regardless of the reason why a person isn’t having sex, he or she is likely a lot more “normal” than you’d think.
Sexpert Sue McGarvie talks “sex IQ” Alexa-Eliza Carter Former contributor
Originally published on Feb. 8, 2017. On Saturday, Feb. 4, I attended the Re-Ignite You! Conference at the Ottawa Convention and Events Centre. The event was hosted by the lovely Carol Ann Meehan, radio host for 1310 News, and featured famous sex therapist Sue McGarvie. Sue is best known for hosting her number-one-rated radio call-in show “Sunday Night Sex With Sue”—not to be confused with “Talk Sex with Sue Johanson”—and for kickstarting various other media properties. Sue is also a clinical and sex therapist and international expert in low libido and sexual desire. Her academic background is in psychology and education, sexuality and family life, and broadcast technology. She is the founding director of the Shirley E. Greenberg Women’s Health Center at The Ottawa Hospital. Her new book The Suburban Hedonist is set to be released this year. During the Saturday event, Sue was wearing a lipstick-red dress and used her trademark humour to soften the more explicit aspects of her presentation. This was evident when she had fellow speaker Diane Valiquette come out wearing a vulva costume. My time with Sue gave me some intimate insights into embracing
your sexuality while in university. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did! Lex: We are doing a sex issue next week for the Fulcrum, so it is a special issue. Sue: Perfect. L: What would you say to the university students that are feeling the disconnect of wanting to be happy and have a great sex life with themselves or with others, but feeling guilty? S: Number one, guilt is an emotion that says what your actions are aren’t lining up with your values. Accept (that) your values are changing. So, understand that early programming about sex really, really impacts it. Just like Diane was saying, (your development from ages) zero to eight really impacts how you do your paradigm. That time you are setting out “sex is bad.” Realize that that is a mythology. I would get really, really educated about what the options are because most people don’t know what the options are. You know, the “ethical slut” and different kinds of polyamory. I see a lot of university students exploring all of that and want to ask all those questions. So, I would say get educated the same way you are going to university for. L: And what resources would you suggest if they were looking to get answers? I mean, they could Google it and so many thing would come up. S: If they are in town, be local. Right? By all means I have sexwithsue. com. They are welcome to check that out. If they email me, I have some
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books I can send them. Venus Envy has got some great resources around town and they have some courses for 30 bucks, which is way cheaper than what they’re paying at Ottawa U. As I said, the school of sex I run monthly. We would love to have students. If they are still under their parents’ benefits, I’ll write them a receipt, that would mean it’s free. I would really look at different kinds of ways to say, “it is your sex IQ,” and if it’s not where you want it to be, do something about it because you are not born knowing it. L: It is okay to be your own person, but do you think it’s okay to increase your sexual quotient and be comfortable with that, no matter where it may go, as long as it is consensual? S: Absolutely, and sometimes it’s scary cause it’s close to the bone. Sometimes it’s scary and you’re like, “oh my goodness, I want peanut butter in bed.” Okay. That’s kind of weird. My parents would think, ya know. “No! Stop! Bad!” I’m not my parents. Right? Understand what is your value, and what is value being put on you. That’s a hard thing to do. I always say I learned way more off campus than what I did on. It’s about figuring out who you are, because self-awareness is the number one thing in my opinion. Besides learning to navigate the stream of university and where you’d register and all of that stuff and learning how to write a paper, it’s also about how do you get along with your roommates, and how do you do your laundry, and how do you figure out who you are sexually is one of the big ones.
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DISTRACTIONS
FEATURES EDITOR Amira Benjamin
features@thefulcrum.ca Insta: @amira.ing Twitter: N/A
‘An instant hit’: Di Daniels looks back at her time at the Fulcrum Did you know her real name is Dionysus? Charley dUTIL eDITOR-IN-Chief Di Daniels is the longest standing Fulcrum employee — and it’s not even close. The sex and relationship expert was first hired by the student publication back in 2002, and began writing her weekly column under her real name; Dionysus. “From September 2000 to April 2002 my first husband Rich wrote a similar column, but after a number of complaints about his attitude the SFUO fired him as they owned the paper at the time,” said Daniels. “During the summer, the Fulcrum was looking for a new and nicer sex and relationship writer and having just finished my major in psychology at the U of O, I applied and got it.” Daniels’ column was an instant hit and readers did not hesitate to ask her their most pressing sex and relationship questions. “Since we had not set up my email for my first week, I didn’t get a question from the public, I had to answer a question from the features editor at the time who was cheating on her boyfriend and was scared he’d find out … students liked my answer and I’ve been flooded with questions every week since.” In March 2003, at the end of her first year at the Fulcrum, she found out she was pregnant with her first child. Due to give birth in November, Daniels opted to take the year off from the Fulcrum but it wasn’t an easy decision. “It was a tough decision, we had a good incoming editorial board that year and I wanted to try and work, but in the end, it turned out it was better to simply take the year off,” said Daniels. Daniels would give birth to a daughter that fall which she would name Dianna — she is now a firstyear student at the U of O and a regular source for the Tomato. As an hommage to her mother, she likes to be referred to as Di Daniels. Daniels would come back to the Fulcrum the next year and take her old job back. However, things in her personal life were not exactly great and she needed a change.
Image: Christine Wang/Fulcrum
She divorced Rich in 2005, and for the first time since high school was single. Enjoying her new found freedom, Daniels rekindled with university friends — after all she was only 24 and had lots to look forward. “It was tough at first not seeing baby Di every now and then, but eventually I learned to live on my weeks off from parental duties … and I really discovered myself.” Over the next couple of years, Daniels continued to answer Fulcrum readers’ questions, but eventually answering the same questions over and over again can get boring. “I was tired of answering the same questions … I think I’ve answered some questions like a thousand times. For example, earlier this year a STEM student asked me how they could get laid — I’ve been asked this 1,000 times. The answer is simple: take a shower and stop talking about League of Legends.” Bored and wanting to take her role as Fulcrum sex and relationship expert to the next level, Daniels decided she wanted to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest orgy. “I had just written a piece about orgy etiquette and thought why not put it into practice. Seeing that
there are about 35,000 students at the U of O, I told my editor-in-chief at the time ‘why not go for the world record and have over 500 people.” Sadly, only 14 students showed up, five were members of the Fulcrum’s Board of Directors and the other nine were STEM students. “It was very awkward,” said Daniels. Some students were upset with the orgy idea and sent a number of letters to the Fulcrum demanding Daniels’ dismissal. However, the Fulcrum’s ombudsperson at the time stepped up and tamed the situation. “It was crazy, there were a bunch of misogynists calling me names on social media,” said Daniels This, however, did make her some fans, one such fan was Ty Smith. Smith, ironically a fifth-year STEM student at the time, was a freelancer for the Fulcrum who really admired Daniels’ work. “You know, when I saw what she tried to pull with the orgy, I was like damn,” said Smith. “I couldn’t make it to the orgy though because I had class.” According to the editor-in-chief at the time, Smith would always ask at every contributor meeting if he could get a date with Daniels. After months of telling
debating, he eventually did ask Daniels if she’d be willing to go on a date and she accepted. “We kinda hit it right off the bat … he was sweet, nice and I forgot to follow my own advice for the first date,” said Daniels. In 2016, Daniels and Smith would tie the knot, and as opposed to tradition, Smith would take Daniels’ last name. This would not be the last time Fulcrum readers heard the name Ty Daniels. In the 2018-19 academic year, with Daniels expecting her second child, Ty took over for his wife for the year temporarily renaming the column ‘Dear Ty.’ “It was a blast, that year we helped take down the SFUO, and the questions we were getting were lit, It was surprising to see how many students wanted to have sex with certain executives.” Daniels would be back at her post in 2019-20 following the birth of her son, Daniel Daniels. “It was good to be back, too bad for the pandemic though.” It has been nearly twenty years since Daniels wrote her first column for the Fulcrum and in that time, she has seen numerous cohorts of students come and go with hundreds of sex and relationship related questions. “I’ve seen a lot of students and i’ve answered a lot of questions.” Daniels spoke of some of the craziest questions she’s ever answered. “One student asked me if they could cure the clap by pouring vodka on their genitals, that was interesting.” “I know Ty was asked about eating ass when that started … we looked it up one night and were like, ‘woah.’ ” When asked what were the most concerning questions she had ever been asked by U of O students, Di was not tight-lipped. “Honestly, this year with the pandemic I have received a number of concerning inquiries, one student asked me if it was normal to want to have sex with a ghost and another if it is acceptable to have do it while listening to Weezer.” “It’s not.”
Dear Di: My boyfriend always roots for the worst Bachelor contestant preference in Bachelor contestants says something about how he sees me? Is he only attracted to narcissistic ‘queens’?
DI Daniels Advice columnist Dear Di,
Sincerely, Wannabe Narcissistic Queen My boyfriend and I watch The Bachelor together every week. But the contestant that he roots for is awful. For example, she calls herself a ‘queen’ and she spreads rumours about other girls to get them kicked-off the show. In short, her behaviour is both narcissistic and rude. Whenever she does something awful, he’ll laugh and egg her on through the television screen. This behaviour confuses me. Basically, I’m afraid to ask him why he likes her so much — I don’t want to hear the answer. So my question is, should I be worried that his
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Dear WNQ, The simple answer is no, your boyfriend does not like rude narcissists. Not many people do. The part of your question that stuck-out to me the most was the line: “I’m afraid to ask him why he likes her so much.” Why do you feel uncomfortable asking your boyfriend about something unimportant like The Bachelor? From my understanding, it sounds like a lack of confidence in both yourself and your boyfriend.
If my assumption is correct, here are two things you can do to remedy your current insecurity about his preference in Bachelor contestants. First, look inward to determine if you resemble this bachelor contestant. Do you talk behind peoples’ backs? Do you always need to be the centre of attention? Are you confrontational and rude? If you answered no to these questions, then you are most likely not a narcissist. This sort of self-reflection, should also give you more self-confidence. Because if you are able to reflect on your actions and determine whether they are appropriate, you will not need someone to give you validation. And second, just ask your boyfriend why he roots for this Bachelor contestant. Who knows, it’s possible that he just finds her entertaining in
the context of the show. Or maybe he appreciates her wit and humour. I’m sure that whatever his reason, he does not purposefully seek out rude narcissists in his personal life. Also, remember that The Bachelor is an escape. A Bachelor relationship is a caricature of the real thing. Most people watch it to see ridiculous people do crazy things on screen. So this means that what your boyfriend finds entertaining is not necessarily a reflection of what he wants in his life. Finally, I encourage you to practice communication with your boyfriend. Voice your opinions and ask him about his opinions. This is how you strengthen your relationship. Love, Di
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EDITORIAL Volume 81, Issue 7, Feb. 15, 2021 Swiping left on dating apps since 1942. Instagram: @instafulcrum | Facebook: The Fulcrum | Twitter: @The_Fulcrum King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
Endless arguing in aftermath of ‘N-word’ incident won’t amount to anything Painting students as “militants” only creates further division
Charley “Laid” Dutil Editing Editor editor@thefulcrum.ca Emily “Promiscuous” Wilson Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Paige “Shake it” Holland News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Bridget “God Wants Us to Wait” Coady”
News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca
Aly “The Great Longing” Murphy Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Amira “Kiss it Better” Benjamin
Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca
Siena “Disco Stick” Domaradzki-Kim Associate Features Editor associate.features@thefulcrum.ca Jasmine “Wet Dreamz” McKnight Sports & Opinions Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca Hannah “Cake by the Ocean” Sabourin Science & Tech Editor Science@thefulcrum.ca Dasser “Hallelujah” Kamran Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Leyla “Work It“ Abdolell Online Editor Online@thefulcrum.ca Jelena “Or Nah” Maric Staff Writer staff.editor@thefulcrum.ca Trevor “White Wedding” Oattes Editorial Inter staff.writer@thefulcrum.ca Sam “Dick in a Box“ Coulavin Videographer videographer@thefulcrum.ca Dorian “Often” Ghosn General Commissioner manager@thefulcrum.ca
Contributors
The Fulcrum would like to thank: Rhyanna Melanson Idmane Moussa Ali Cameron Lamoureux Rika Mpogazi Victoria Feng Jacob Kropf
for their contributions to this issue.
Board of Directors
Justin Turcotte Kalki Nagaratnam Kate Murray David Campion-Smith Benjamin King Ryan Pepper Julia D’Silva Brendan Keane Danika McDonald
Cover: Dasser Kamran.
Image: Dasser Kamran/Fulcrum
The Fulcrum Editorial Board On Feb. 9, La Presse, an online publication in Quebec, published a piece written by columnist Isabelle Hachey outlining an interview she had with University of Ottawa president, Jacques Frémont, on academic freedom. Hachey is the columnist who originally introduced francophone audiences to the events at the University of Ottawa in the aftermath of a professor uttering the ‘N-word’ in a virtual lecture. In her Oct. 15 column titled “L’étudiant a toujours raison” (English translation: the student is always right) Hachey summarized the situation and then took a hard stance defending the professor while accusing the University of Ottawa of “clientelism.” Despite Hachey’s criticism of the university’s response, Frémont sat down for an interview, mere weeks after a week-long sit-in organized by student leaders ended without any meeting with administration. In her recent interview with Frémont, Hachey began by asking the U of O president if he thought the professor committed a “fault” by using the ‘N-word’ and if it was racist to use the word to describe a concept. These answers have been translated from French. “Words have meaning. Words carry weight. Madame Lieutenant-Duval testified to this, she did not do it on purpose, she did not understand the meaning of the word,” said Frémont. The professor holds a PhD in humanities. How did she not know the meaning of this word?
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Furthermore, when speaking with the Fulcrum back in October, the professor said she used the ‘N-word’ while explaining it was an example of “subversive resignification.” “I think very clearly what happened was the students were insulted and didn’t take it,” continued the U of O president in the interview with Hachey. “It’s a loaded word, it’s a hurtful word, it’s a word that hurts, and I hope that in the future, members of the university community will understand that.” Over the last two years, there have been multiple instances of racially discriminatory events happening at the U of O. In this case, students weren’t simply insulted, they were disappointed. Disappointed to see another incidence of the university’s lack of optics coming at the detriment of its Black students. Instead, the president should have stepped up and explained why this incident caused outrage on campus and explained the weight of it in light of other discriminatory events that took place on campus such as the cardings of Black students. However, as anybody who has followed the events of the last few years on the University of Ottawa’s campus knows, the university and its president will never be this frank with the media or its students. Hachey was not wrong to call out Frémont for “clientelism,” his answers are an attempt to tame the situation. But, this accusation of “clientelism” is the opposite of how students have perceived the university’s attempt at appeasement. Hachey believes Frémont and the U of O have bent the knee to a “militant” faction of the U of
O’s student body. This is reflected in her questions. “You are accused of giving in to an ideology coming from American campuses to student activists who say they are hurt, but who rather respond to dogmas. Either way, there are real abuses on campuses that worry professors,” said the columnist. “Shouldn’t we put our fist on the table and tell these students that their teachers have concepts to teach, that these concepts are important, that they will be confronted with them later in their lives?” “At McGill University, students were allowed not to read works containing words they considered offensive,” continued Hachey. “It seems to me that it is nonsense in a literature course to offer students not to read the works on the curriculum. Where does it end?” Students are not “militants.” They just want their professors not to use a racial slur that is used to hurt the Black community. It’s not about restricting free speech nor is it about restricting academic freedom. At the end of the day, there was absolutely no reason for the professor to use the slur. No arguments or statements in response to the events have presented one convincing argument as to why the ‘N-Word’ should have been used. The truth is, this whole controversy could have been avoided had the lecturer simply used the abbreviated ‘N-word.’ President Frémont, as has been the case since his first statement, continues to satisfy both sides. He will continue stating over and over that academic freedom is valued at the university, but that students’ feelings are also important.
Both sides believe the university’s inaction favours the other side. This isn’t going to change. It is important to understand that all of this arguing will result in nothing. It is too late for the university to choose a side. If they publish a statement in favour of one side, the other will be further angered, and the chosen side will believe it took too much time for the institution to come to its senses. At this point, the continuous arguing through interviews and public statements serves no purpose and only brings more trauma to Black students creating a further divide in the U of O community. We need to stop painting each other as militants, instead, we need to work together to ensure that we can create a better learning environment to prevent an incident like this from happening again. The university will not build it for us, we need to come to a mutual understanding as a community. This will not come at the expense of academic freedom — so to those professors who signed the letter about academic freedom, there is no need to worry. No concept requires you to use the ‘N-word.’ This is not a question of academic freedom. It’s a question of decency and respect — which are two factors that also need to be considered in future discussions. Editorials are written by the Fulcrum’s 14-person editorial board and express the shared opinion of Fulcrum’s editorial staff. To share your own views, email: editor@thefulcrum.ca
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