Issuu

SEPTEMBER 13th, 2021 3 6 12 13 ON THE COVER

EDITORIAL, PAGE 25

UofOFulcrum @instafulcrum

Parks not parking! They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Update on Marie-Curie clinic What you need to know about the on-campus clinic. Housing Crisis at Dalhousie Residence rejections leave students scrambling for places to stay. Slow, steep decline of the dining hall Please stop advertising it as a 24/7 dining hall when it closes at 9 p.m.!

Gee-Gee’s stomp Sherbrooke in season openers By a combined score of 135-0!

U of O rocketry team wins competition Team’s goal is to study reduced gravity environments, and how they affect antibiotics.

@The_Fulcrum UofOFulcrum

CONTENTS

Blinding lights RBC branch in UCU highlights pervasive commercialization of campus.

So this is how Charley’s life is going Charley likes Blizzards and had a bad week. To read all these articles please head over to www.thefulcrum.ca

THEFULCRUM.CA

CONTENTS|2

NEWS

NEWS EDITORS

Bridget Coady & Zoe Mason news@thefulcrum.ca

‘Parks not Parking’: A fight towards preserving green spaces in Ottawa Protest organizers show the reduction of green spaces across Ottawa in trying to preserve park Shailee Shah staff writer

n Sept. 10, over 100 people attended a local protest held at Besserer Park organized by community organization Action Sandy Hill. Organizers, speakers, and local citizens came together to speak against a proposal to turn Besserer Park into a road. The proposed road opening would lead to three private parking places for yet-to-be-built apartment complexes next to the park. The protest had speeches by various members of the community and Action Sandy Hill, and live music. Hilary Duff, a board member for Action Sandy Hill, was the organizer for this week’s protest. A citizen of Sandy Hill, Duff has been involved with Action Sandy Hill for over a year. “Action Sandy Hill has been following this development since 2016, when it was first proposed. And through that time, we’ve participated in community consultations, we’ve provided feedback to the city, we’ve even put forward an appeal to the local planning appeal tribunal,” said Duff in an interview. “We’ve pretty much exhausted all of the formal processes and avenues that we can go to, to protest this development and now the road

opening. So the goal of this event is to raise awareness about this issue and try and get something done outside of just writing letters to the city that keep getting ignored.” Duff and Action Sandy Hill want the city to deny the road opening. “The application is currently under review by the city, which means they have the chance to approve it or deny it. And I think it’s pretty clear from the turnout that there’s a lot of folks here in the neighborhood and elsewhere that want it denied,” said Duff. Duff pointed out the forest next to the park: “That’s private property owned by TCU, which is a local development company. They have proposed building a three-storey, 20unit apartment building there. And that apartment building was approved by the City Planning Committee and Ottawa City Council in 2020. So that’s a done deal. What is not a done deal is the road that they have proposed to cut through this front part of the park to serve three private parking spaces at the back of the apartment,” said Duff. Duff said that as a neighborhood, apartments are necessary and parking is necessary as well. What she questioned was why TCU as a development corporation “could not put parking spots inside its property rather than requesting that it pave over part of

The protest was a family affair as the paving of Besserer Park will affect people of all generations. Photo: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum.

this public green space in order to serve the parking lot.”

Duff believes this is a citywide issue affecting green spaces all over Ottawa. “There was a BMW [dealership] down in South Ottawa, they had proposed to expand a parking lot into Hunt Club Forest. There’s the new Civic Hospital location, which will be on the Experimental Farm. There’s Embassy Row in Mechanicsville. So again, and again, we see these times where private interest is sort of winning out over public green space. And that’s an alarming trend that we can’t allow to continue. So this is really a protest against all of that,” stated Duff. “If you look at the city’s

own official plan and the language around the type of city that they want to build, you see words like livable, equitable, green space. And at the same time, behind closed doors, they’re either considering or approving requests that are doing the exact opposite of that. So I think what we really want to do is avoid lip service from the city and actually have them stand by those values.” The message that Duff wants to emphasize is that this issue goes beyond Besserer Park, and even Sandy Hill. “Unless community members come together and protest and talk about the importance of these spaces it will continue happening. What we’ve learned is that mature trees are really important for the environment for carbon sequestration,” said Duff. Duff also outlined the importance of parks for our physical and mental well-being, especially during the pandemic. “This is a space where people who don’t have a backyard can come to walk their dogs or get a breath of fresh air. The benefits we get from parks and public green spaces are countless. We can’t allow those places to be reduced and reduced further to aid with private parking. It’s just not acceptable,” said Duff.

A “Parks not Parking” poster at the protest. Photo: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum

THEFULCRUM.CA

Glennys Egan from Horizon Ottawa was also an attendee of the protest. Egan reiterated many of the same issues illustrated by Duff. “I was inspired to come today because I live in

Sandy Hill myself, and I think the issue of protecting green space and making sure that developer influence in Ottawa is not valued over community interest is a general issue beyond Sandy Hill,” said Egan.

“I think we need green spaces for the community. We need it for the environment, we’re in a climate crisis right now. I think it’s really important to come out here and let people know at the city and let developers know what we value in our community. It’s not parking, it’s moving towards greener, more inclusive cities,” said Egan. Getting involved in the community and voting are some ways in which Egan believes people, especially youth, can make an impact on issues surrounding development and the environment. “Getting people involved and excited about municipal politics is difficult but really necessary. I think we do have the power to vote out this government that is held hostage by a lot of developers and seemingly endless desire for urban sprawl,” said Egan. “I think municipal politics often gets ignored. And we have a voice that can stand up and say what we value.” Action Sandy Hill has created a petition for this cause, which now has over 450 signatures in support of keeping Besserer Park untouched.

NEWS|3

OHI working to raise awareness for women’s heart health

Jump into the conversation about women’s health Zoë Mason news editor

he University of Ottawa Heart Institute is running an initiative through the month of September to raise awareness for women’s heart health and to raise money for the institute.

Jump In For Women’s Health is a fitness challenge in its second year of operation which asks participants to commit to 30 minutes of physical activity for 30 days. Participants can start anytime in the month of September and registration costs $20. The objective of the campaign is “to raise awareness of the number one killer of women in the world, and the number one cause of premature death among Canadian women, and that is cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Thais Coutinho in an interview. Coutinho is chair of the Heart Institute’s Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre, head of prevention and rehabilitation at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and an associate professor of medicine at the U of O. Many women are not aware of just how prevalent — and deadly — cardiovascular diseases are. According to Dr. Coutinho, heart disease and cardiovascular disease kill five times more women than breast cancer and twice as many women as all cancers combined

globally each year. “Jump In is getting this information out there, not because we want to scare the population, but because we want people to know. Differently from some other diseases, we have the chance to prevent cardiovascular disease in many instances,” said Coutinho. Dr. Coutinho reported that up to 80 percent of cardiovascular disease is preventable, and exercise is a great way to start. Lianne Laing spent 20 years working for CTV before leaving to launch a health and wellness brand and podcast and ultimately becoming executive director of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation. The Jump In initiative began last year as a product of the pandemic, designed to fill the place of the institute’s annual golf tournament fundraiser, but quickly took on a life of its own. “We went from 144 players in a tournament, to being able to share our messaging to over 2,000 participants, and across the country,” said Laing in an interview. This year, the initiative has taken on an even greater scope. “We have almost 100 health and wellness influencers around the country that are doing free workouts, opening up their platforms for people to come and try a HIIT class, yoga, meditation, skipping, a hill climb,” said Laing. “We’re doing interviews … [with] wellness leaders. We’re trying to be able to offer our participants something

Use hashtag #JumpIn4HeartHealth to participate. Photo: University of Ottawa Heart Institute/Provided

every day that keeps them motivated to change their lifestyle.”

A SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN’S HEALTH While everyone stands to benefit from practicing a healthier lifestyle, Dr. Coutinho notes that it is important to highlight women’s heart health when the conversation — and the medicine — is usually catered towards male patients. “Women’s heart health has been historically neglected for decades … the standard of care is based on men’s data, men’s research, and men’s clinical presentations. It can be different in women.” Complications related to pregnancy, childbirth, and even premature menopause might present risk factors for heart disease in women that never affect men. Dr.

Coutinho noted peripartum cardiomyopathy — a type of heart failure that can occur after childbirth — as one example of a heart condition which only affects women. There are countless such examples where the symptoms or prevalence of a heart condition are different between the sexes. 90 per cent of people with spontaneous coronary artery dissection, a condition that causes a heart attack due to a tear, blister, or bleeding in the wall of a heart artery, are women, and disproportionately between the ages of 30 and 60. For participants, Jump In is a fun and social way to improve their own health while also contributing to a cause that many hold dear. Jeannine Ritchot is the assistant deputy minister of communications and portfolio at Natural Resources Canada and a U of O gradu-

ate, and a participant in this year’s Jump In campaign. For Jeannine, the discrepancy between the treatment of the sexes in medicine is a key reason why she joined the movement. “I decided to get involved because frankly, I am appalled by how little attention women’s health issues get,” wrote Ritchot in an email to The Fulcrum. “They are researched less. Diagnosed less. Taken less seriously. Treated less frequently … I want people to take the health of women just as seriously as they take men’s.” Ritchot’s grandmother died of heart disease, which Ritchot wrote could have been prevented with more information about risks and prevention. “As a woman, it very much impacts me that the medical establishment has prioritized men’s health over women’s for generations. For the health of current and future generations

of women, we need to reverse that trend.” Dylan Black is the assistant music director and an announcer on Ottawa radio station Boom 99.7, and also works with Rogers TV and YukYuk’s Comedy Club. He said in an interview that the collaboration between Boom 99.7 and Jump In was a natural union. “It’s an amazing cause, and if it helps out the people that are taking part to stay healthy and motivate others through social media and on-air, it’s just a good fit for us,” said Black. Black participated in both of the initiatives’ first two years. His father was treated at the Heart Institute prior to his passing. “The care he received — he was there for almost two and a half months — and the effort that they put in was something else. If it keeps anybody out of the hospital, even a little bit, by my being part of this, then it means a lot to me.” For Laing and the team of staff and volunteers who have diligently put the initiative together, watching its success and witnessing its lasting impact has been deeply rewarding. “This has really given me the opportunity to put my passion behind something that is helping the community. I feel like we are making a difference … it’s not just for one person, which would have been enough. But what we’re really proud of at the foundation is that we are shifting so many people’s lives through this. We feel good about what we’re putting out there.”

The future of Nostalgica: will it ever return? Desiree Nikfardjam staff writer

ostalgica, formally known as Café Nostalgica, closed nearly two years ago. Although specific plans concerning the reopening have not been made, general manager Dave Breitenherdt made it clear that Nostalgica will be reopening at some point in the future Located just outside the University of Ottawa’s Thompson residence,

Nostalgica was a popular gathering place for students, offering food and hosting events such as Open Mic night every Thursday. Nostalgica also rented out its space at low cost to students hoping to host their own events. A former University of Ottawa student, Tyler Bloom, said that the convenience of an on-campus café was part of its popularity. ”I used to love going for drinks there when I didn’t feel like going to the market,” said Bloom. With more students on campus and in residence this year, the lack of information provided by the U of O’s Graduate Student’s Association (GSAÉD), and Nostalgica regarding the in-

stitution’s future has been notable. Nostalgica is funded by the GSAÉD. The GSAÉD stated that they have no current plans to reopen Nostalgica. However, Nostalgica’s general manager Dave Breitenherdt seemed to disagree. Breitenherdt told the Fulcrum that the main reason the café hasn’t reopened is because of the risk of spreading COVID-19 — this is more important to them than an immediate reopening. He explained that the GSAÉD and Nostalgica currently have enough funding to keep the doors closed a little longer, so there is no urgent need to reopen yet. “Nostalgica basically

rode out the entire pandemic so far on its own funding … we really don’t have to, so why would we?” said Breitenherdt. “We can’t have a risk of any contamination or any outbreak because it would look bad on the University of Ottawa, right?” When asked if they would be opening for this academic year, Breitenherdt said that he was unsure. “That would be a [GSAÉD] Board of Directors decision, I guess … it could be January, it could also be October,” said Breitenherd. When asked if there was any possibility of repurposing the space, Breitenherdt stated that Nostalgica un-

derwent renovations over this past year, including new patio furniture and freshly painted walls, so it would be strange if they decided to repurpose the space at this time. While no more information could be given regard-

ing when the GSAÉD’s Board of Directors will be meeting to decide on a reopening date, students can rest assured that Nostalgica will be back! The Fulcrum will continue to publish further developments.

Nostalgica Pub & Beer Garden. P hoto: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum

NEWS|4

THEFULCRUM.CA

Coady: U of O student Marek McLeod won the leaders’ debate

McLeod’s relatable moment made him the winner of the debate and pandering to whichever demographics the leaders believed they might be able to win over.

Bridget Coady news editor

dvanced voting for Canada’s federal election began Sept. 10, the morning after the only Englishlanguage leaders’ debate. Thousands of Canadian voters tuned in to hear the party leaders defend their platforms and prove why their vision is best. Instead, viewers were treated to two hours of pointless interruptions

The evening’s highlight was undoubtedly 18-year-old Marek McLeod’s question to the leaders. From Sault Ste. Marie, over a live video feed, the Indigenous firsttime voter asked leaders: “How can I trust and respect the federal government after 150 years of lies and abuse to my people? As prime minister, what will you do to rebuild the trust between First Nations and the federal government?” Sault Ste. Marie is in RobinsonHuron Treaty territory, and the land on which it is located is in the traditional territory of the Anishi-

naabe. McLeod’s question kicked off 30 minutes of debate on the topic of reconciliation. In that time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denied fighting Indigenous children in court, while Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-François Blanchet took his limited allotted time to double back and defend Quebec’s ban of religious symbols, stating “Quebec wants religion out of state affairs because religion has never protected equality for women, and never will.” Conservative party leader Erin O’Toole was asked by APTN news host Melissa Ridgen to explain his vote against the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous

peoples, and Green party leader Annamie Paul correctly pointed out NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s oversight of discussing missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in favour of scoring points against Trudeau. McLeod spoke to the CBC and expressed disappointment in how his question was answered by Trudeau, who McLeod says has had six years to move the needle on reconciliation. McLeod also pointed out O’Toole’s concerning track record with reconciliation. McLeod found Singh and Paul to have the most sincere responses, and specifically stated that Paul might have the most reason to relate to his question as a Black Jewish woman in Canada.

By the end of the debate, most voters felt even more alienated from the politicians on stage and Canadian politics as a whole. The snap election, amidst an intensifying fourth wave of COVID-19, already created worries regarding turnout for this election, and the debate left many uninspired and uninterested in trusting power in any of the options. When I step into the voting booth to pick between the leaders I saw at the federal debate stage, I will invoke the few words of the night that truly resonated with me. “Oh shoot,” – Marek McLeod.

UOSU hopes to open Pivik by the end of October

UOSU promisies Pivik will provide affordable options for students Salma el Hajj staff writer

n Friday, Sept. 10, the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) president, Tim Gulliver, and business director, Nadia Boutkhil, told the Fulcrum about its new plans to reopen the long-awaited student-led business, Pivik.

The beloved bilingual convenience store initially closed its doors at the end of the 2018-19 academic year when the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) was dissolved. “Pivik was profitable,” said Gulliver in an interview. “But because of other political issues with the [SFUO], different allegations of mismanagement and whatnot, the Federation closed, and as you may know, the UOSU won the referendum.” The student union’s president added that due to a lack of resources left by the Student Federation and the uncontrollable delays of the pandemic, UOSU had to start from scratch and postpone the reopenings of many student-led businesses on campus.

THEFULCRUM.CA

The team hopes to open Pivik’s doors by the end of October if they do not continue to be faced with unexpected challenges. “We have late delivery of supplies and an unavailability of suppliers. We have just found out that we have to carry out abscess [furniture] in the kitchen,” said Boutkhil in an interview. “We cannot be completely sure of the date, but are sure before the end of the year Pivik will be reopened.” Gulliver assured the Fulcrum that UOSU will make sure that the prices at Pivik are affordable for students living on a budget. “We don’t see Pivik as an enterprise which is solely there to profit off of the backs of students to an excessive amount. Obviously, it is a business, but it’s a social business. We want to kind of align the values of students and align our values of accessibility, inclusivity, sustainability, equity in the products and in the way that the store conducts itself,” explained Gulliver. The duo emphasized decreasing food insecurity on campus and being self-aware of the inflation of living standards for many stu-

dents. The UOSU says they are open to new pricing policies that could favour student community members while also not harming their organization’s profit. “Students want us to have an affordable business, but they also want us to have a business, which does not harm the UOSU as a whole.” “The key takeaway is that we’re exploring ways to balance that affordability for us but also ensuring that [Pivik] remains profitable so that we can reinvest all that profit back into Student Services, which is what made Pivik so important in the first place,” Gulliver added. The UOSU’s president was sure to tell incoming students that Pivik is notable for its bilingualism, as well as its new priority to offer accommodations to disabled students. It was also the first student-led business to reopen after the university’s transition from the SFUO. In terms of employability, Boutkhil told the Fulcrum that Pivik would only be hiring U of O students, both full-time and parttime. “We have hired an

operations manager, a full-time position, who was formerly a Pivik employee, and two operation coordinators, a part-time students position, who help these operation managers to lead in to manage the store,” said Boutkhil. “We forecast to recruit next month one head of cashiers as a full-time position. Also, a next Pivik employee, and six cashiers, which will be part-time student positions’,” Boutkhil said. The team assured students that they will be taking proper measures recommended by Public Health Ottawa and the university, such as wearing masks, providing disinfectants, limiting the number of

Pivik has been closed since April 2019. Image: Charley Dutil/Fulcrum

customers present in the store, and requiring social distancing.

Gulliver and Boutkhil also shared their excitement for Pivik’s new murals. “For now, we have selected three artists. We would like to complete this team with [the] representation of Indigenous communities especially to realize the mural on the decolonization’,” said Boutkhil. While we cannot be certain of the timeline that it will take Pivik to reopen its doors, Gulliver has made it clear that he and Boutkhil are flexible to students’ suggestions regarding store management and previous

merchandise making a comeback. “I think part of inclusivity also is ensuring that we want our food offerings to be representative of the cultural diversity of our community,” said Gulliver. “A lot of students from all across the world find that not all products that remind them of home are sold in convenience stores in Ottawa. And so to be able to bring the best of both worlds … explore different goods … which would be very familiar to your international friends or friends with an international background,” Gulliver explained.

NEWS|5

An update on the walk-in clinic at 100 Marie-Curie

Former employee talks about clinic closure and where to find alternative aid Salma el Hajj staff writer

n Aug. 30, the ByWard Family Health clinic, formerly known as University of Ottawa Health Services, announced significant changes to its services, including the closure of its walk-in clinic located at 100 Marie-Curie. The news came in light of understaffing, insufficient funding, and an inability to accommodate more than a limited number of patients. In an interview, Hannah Elkas, a former employee at the Marie-Curie clinic, told the Fulcrum that they were only removing their services for students specifically and would continue to accept patients registered with physicians at the clinic. “A lot of people think that our clinic and the University [are] associated with one another, which is not true.”

“The university doesn’t fund us at all so it was difficult and kind of frustrating to offer services … to our students, and then [the students would] be upset with the services we were providing due to the lack of funding, especially in mental health,” Elkas explained. According to Elkas, the clinic has developed a bad reputation from students over the years which led many physicians to leave and for the institution to change its name. ‘’Six physicians did leave and make their own clinic on Hunt Club, completely out of the Sandy Hill area,” said Elkas. ‘’[The] name change is to confirm that … we’re not funded by the university and we’re not associated so please kind of give us a break,” Elkas added. Sonia Mutombo, another former employee who worked at the Marie-Curie clinic for over two years, described her experience as stressful. She said that due to the fast-paced environ-

The ByWard clinic on campus. Photo: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum

ment, new policies were coming in as doctors were leaving. ‘’Because people were constantly leaving, there [were] a lot of people training and it’s [a] difficult job, it takes a lot of training so I think … our phone lines were slow because they’re new staff,” Elkas explained. When asked the reason why students were either turned away from the clinic, only able to share one medical issue at a time, or billed

for a missed appointment without obtaining a call from the doctor, Elkas said simply: “I hate to use this as an excuse, but COVID-19 really harmed our business.” Elkas explained that most appointments had to be done via telephone during the pandemic due to the clinic’s health measures. This allocated patients only 10-15 minutes with a doctor. “Going over one [additional] issue is taking away from time for an-

other patient, and so … it’s always difficult.” Not every phone provider accepts caller ID, leaving many patients to be charged for missed appointments and creating conflict between doctors and patients. Elkas says that the clinic had a limit of forty lines, which led to many students being put on hold for long periods of time or disconnected. Before the clinic’s closure, Elkas and Mutombo estimated having only 20 physicians present per

day, as opposed to a full staff of 50. Going forward, she suggests that patients look up the updated list regarding available providers at Byward Family Health. When asked where students should seek other healthcare centres on campus, Elkas told the Fulcrum that SASS is a great alternative for mental health services, as well as the Health promotion in the Jock Turcot University Centre (UCU). For sexual health purposes, the sexual health clinic on Clarence Street offers an accessible walk-in clinic. Both former employees have also suggested Appletree as an alternative, since locations can easily be found all over the city. Elkas and Mutombo have also advised students to go to the Minto Sports Complex to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The university has confirmed that it plans to open a new, privately operated clinic, but details regarding the new services are pending.

Mason: On clarity and clinic closure

Another roadblock on a campus that is full of them vices — website.

Zoë Mason news editor

n Aug. 31, the walk-in clinic at 100 MarieCurie on the U of O campus ceased operations. Until April 30, 2022, a Campus Same-Day Clinic will

What I want to make clear about the clinic is how little has been made clear. Image: Rame Abdulkader/Fulcrum

be run out of that location to meet student needs. Of course, putting “University of Ottawa Campus Same-Day Clinic” into Google will not bring you much, and certainly not to a webpage with a scheduling function. And on the

university’s health and wellness page, the “immediate support” tab is circular, and the one reading “visit the walk-in clinic” is a dead link. “Same clinic, new name,” reads the cheerful banner on the ByWard Family Health Team’s — formerly the University of Ottawa Health Ser-

Of course, the email students received on Aug. 30 regarding the closure doesn’t quite share the same sunny outlook. In a vague and somewhat contradictory statement, the email closes with the following: “The vast majority of our services will remain unchanged after May 1, however, this transition will bring a greater focus on the needs of the general community while uOttawa students will be encouraged to seek the health care from the new university clinic.” Same clinic? Guess not. Which services might change after May 1 is not disclosed. I would venture to guess that it has not yet been decided, considering that even the future of the Marie Curie location appears to be up in the air. All that is certain is that come May, the ByWard Family

Health Team will be its own separate entity, servicing only its registered patients, and the university will be establishing its own health services. What I want to make clear is how little has been made clear. This campus was all too recently the site of a mental health crisis that took the lives of six students over the course of twelve months. And although we may not have received the dreaded email in a while, it doesn’t mean the crisis is over. I understand that the loss of the walk-in clinic does not mean that there will be no health services available on campus. However, on a campus that has been the recipient of ongoing criticism regarding its convoluted and inadequate mental health care system, this measure is yet another example of a dangerous lack of transparency and

NEWS|6

clarity. Seeking help for mental health is already a daunting prospect for those struggling, one complicated by stigma, financial concerns, and the nature of mental illnesses, which often make self-advocacy close to impossible. To lose the campus walk-in, is to lose the one place on campus where students in crisis could go for immediate support — no online forms, phone intakes, or months of waiting. As a student who used the walk-in clinic for mental health reasons, I know how easy it would’ve been to be deterred. I would not have had the resolve to commit to an appointment. Sure, the clinic had its own problems. But it was somewhere to go. Where to now? Your guess is as good as mine.

THEFULCRUM.CA

Election 2021 in Ottawa-Vanier: Lyse-Pascale Inamuco

NDP Candidate speaks on mental health, fossil fuels and her switch from liberal Bridget Coady news editor

Lyse-Pascale Inamuco is the NDP’s candidate for OttawaVanier. She is a proud Franco-Ontarian and honours her Burundo-Rwandan origins. The quadrilingual candidate ran in Cumberland ward’s 2020 municipal by-election. Inamuco is a 2014 graduate of the University of Ottawa’s conflict studies and human rights program. She was accepted to law school in 2015 but decided to focus on her activism. Inamuco was co-chair of Women’s March Ottawa. The Fulcrum: What compelled you to run, and why did you choose the NDP? Lyse-Pascale Inamuco (L-PI): I’ve been a liberal ever since I was involved in politics. And, the only reason was, because I was told conservatives hate immigrants, and liberals love immigrants and I did not look at all the policies and I was not aware of how to get involved with the political party. It was my uncle who told me ‘let’s just go help a friend,’ who at the time was Mona Fortier, and I joined her team. I worked in the constituency office of Nathalie Des Rosiers, the liberal member of provincial parliament. Des Rosiers was the dean of law school at the U of O, and by working in the OttawaVanier constituency office, I saw that there were so many issues that were affecting constituents. Because I was very involved in the community, community members kept telling me ‘why don’t you run?.’ But, you know, being a woman, and being young, and being a woman of colour, being Black, all of that background? I wasn’t comfortable and thought ‘I don’t have the profile. I’m not a manager of this or an executive director of that. I don’t have 10 years of experience and people will not take me seriously.’ I did not have confidence in myself until a woman in politics told me last year ‘Lyse, I see that in you. Why don’t you run?’ and that’s when I said, ‘Oh my God, if this woman in politics can see that I can do it, then I can do it.’ I needed validation. And that’s how I ran in the municipal byelection last year. I was third out of 10 candidates. And I was very beaten. I was like, ‘oh my god this politics stuff is not for me.’ But then after a year, I joined the NDP because of the message, and because their platform is my story. I joined the NDP and decided to run in Ottawa-Vanier where I grew up and have lived for over a decade because I know the issues because I lived them — I have lived experiences. I care because of that and I want to take action. I remembered a time when I was living near King Edward. I remember being very, deeply depressed, I was like ‘I want to do something, but I don’t know where to start. I don’t have the resources, I don’t have the power to change my community here.’ And that’s how we started. It’s that anger is that frustration, it’s that depression, it’s seeing everybody surrounding me not living the best life that they deserve, that we deserve. That got me to activism, and then eventually to politics. Because when you’re in activism, you see that you can raise awareness, but you can’t do much to implement the vision of how you see things could go. And so I learned, working in the constitu-

THEFULCRUM.CA

ency office, that when you have good people with good intentions and good motivation in positions of influence, they can impact change, impact laws, and act on it. Because you can have beautiful speeches and text and declarations, but if you don’t have the political will, it won’t be. So that’s why I got involved in politics. The Fulcrum: Could you tell me a little bit about how students stand to benefit from the NDP platform and your ideas? LPI: There are a lot of things. First of all, as a student, you worry about the never-ending burden of loans and rising price of tuition fees, right? And you’re like, ‘how can you afford that?’ So we talk about affordability [of education]. We are going to help youths get ahead because getting an education should not leave us further behind. Especially in a world where it’s really hard to find good-paying jobs that will help you to repay your debt. I’ve been on the repayment assistance program since I graduated in 2014. I keep renewing and the interest rates keep rising. So we will stop the federal government from profiting off student debt by eliminating interest. We’re not saying that Justin Trudeau is personally profiting from it. We’re saying that the federal government is profiting from our student loans, and that is not right. Another point is that international students have to pay three times more than domestic students for no real reason. Because there’s a cap on domestic tuition, and not on international tuition, universities just raise international fees any time they need more money. They put the burden on the international students and that’s not right. Because those international students, their families, some of them are making so many sacrifices to send their kids abroad to get a great education. When you look at the numbers of potential students who decided to stay in Canada and participate in the economy, I think we’re getting something in return. So we should make it accessible and welcoming to them. We will also create a five-year break on loan repayment for graduates and forgive up to $20,000 in student debt. The idea behind this is that the governments thinks, ‘we’re giving you a loan to get a good education, so that you can have access to competitive jobs and pay us back quickly’, but they don’t understand that there are some people who have systemic barriers and issues where they can’t access those good-paying jobs. Persons with disabilities, including mental illness, can’t access a good environment that can retain them, if they think they’re given accommodations for the entry test exams, like in my case. There are so many loopholes. The average student owes $28,000 at the end of an undergraduate degree. I owed like $65,000 because I changed programs. I had no idea that I’d have this whole amount of money to pay at the end of the day. And the interest keeps rising. And I’m like, ‘When am I going to be able to pay for a house? Never.’ So all these realities — the daily costs of real life — are important to the NDP. LPI: The NDP has a plan to create jobs by creating 500,000 affordable housing units that will create jobs. We also have a plan to create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs by investing

in clean energy, energy-efficient affordable homes. We want quality affordable homes, and electric transit, zero-emissions vehicles, and virtually free buildings across the country. That will not only create jobs but quick, green, good-paying jobs. Also, removing barriers for persons living with disabilities when it comes to employment is very important. How do you remove barriers for people living with disabilities so they can access good jobs? It’s incentives for retention rates. The problem is not getting jobs for people with disabilities like me, it’s more the retention to stay there when the environment is not good. We have a plan to raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour because the cost of living is rising and our income is not. The problem is, people say ‘oh, but when you do that, everything else will also go up’ but it’s already up right now. I think it’s what we deserve. The Fulcrum: How does the NDP plan to prioritize and address reconciliation with Indigenous peoples? LPI: We’re not going to fight them in court, of course. They have been failed time and time again, and just get pretty speeches. So what we’ll do under our plan is will make sure that they have safe housing, clean drinking water now, and respectful safe access to health care, justice, and put an end to the underfunding of Indigenous children’s services. We know that Indigenous students can have trouble having access to education. People think that it’s free to them. But that’s not the case, we know that. So it’s to really have a true nationto-nation relationship. The reconciliation of Indigenous rights and equal funding is important. They were promised to have clean drinking water by March 2021 by the Liberals. But now it won’t happen until 2026. And even then we don’t know if they’re gonna be pushed back again, and that’s not what we want to do. Because of the talks and progress of that reconciliation and the promises to respect indigenous rights, but instead spent millions of dollars fighting First Nations cases in court, you know, that’s not our policy at all. We have to make sure we have equal partnerships with communities that know what is best for them. We need to understand that they have the solutions and we need to listen. We also want to uphold and implement the [Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s] 94 calls to action. The Fulcrum: Why do you believe Jagmeet Singh is the best choice for Canadians when it comes to prime minister? LPI: 50 per cent of Indigenous candidates are in the NDP, which speaks a lot to the party’s commitment to reconciliation. We also have candidates with visible and invisible disabilities, like me, who are given a chance. Jagmeet Singh is a leader that is not only about words, he’s about action. He showcases that even before he takes power. He’s real, like you can see here, you know, in the policies, but in the people who are involved in those policies.

They’re not just there to have a great photo-op. But they’re there because of their lived experiences. They can contribute to the policies and contribute in implementing those policies, because they know how they’re affected, and know what Canadians who look like them go through and what they’re going through. The NDP is supporting candidates like me who are chosen because we’re community advocates, because we are on the ground at the grassroots level. We are running because we are fed up with the establishment, the Liberal establishment lying to us and giving us empty promises over and over again. Like I told you, I was Liberal, but I saw in Singh something different… I saw something different, you know, a leader who can reach out to candidates which other parties will probably not want to take because you have to run a campaign and run it every day. So imagine taking on a candidate who is disabled. Sometimes I take breaks. And that means the target of the party of ‘we have to win this, we have to get these numbers!’ It’s not really done that way for us. So when we talk about removing barriers for persons living with disabilities, we’re not waiting to be empowered to show it. We’re doing right now by putting trust in people and not trusting the stigma. Personally, I was very touched to see that I was given the opportunity to represent Ottawa-Vanier because I come from the hood. I was always told that I’m not made to be a politician, that I’ll never be an MP. That I’ll never represent my community because of my mental health and that stigma, because of my background, maybe, the way I talk the way I am, I’m too honest, I’m not a politician. To see the NDP giving me a chance to represent and fight for my community, because we need fighters, we don’t need talkers. That really proved to me that the NDP, that Jagmeet Singh is different. Because when I was with the Liberals they always wanted to put me behind, never put me in front.

Image: Lyse-Pascale Inamuco/Provided

The Fulcrum: Why do you think constituents in Ottawa-Vanier should vote for you? LPI: We are learning not to vote against a party. Don’t vote for liberals because they are the only ones who can win. We are changing our mentality to vote for a party, for what they stand for, and how they do things differently, right? The policies and the will to really impact change. So why should people vote for me? One, because I am the platform. When I talk about these things, it’s because the policies come out of the lived experience that many constituents go through in Ottawa-Vanier, I’ve lived that. I can understand, I can be compassionate and care. We need a representative who listens and who cares so they can take action. All I want is to fight for what we deserve. All I want is for people to be cared for. Because I know that it’s there. But how come we’re not getting it? I’m a fighter, because I’m willing to fight until we turn Ottawa-Vanier orange, because Ottawa-Vanier should be orange when you look at the demographic. Many people there need the plan of the NDP there. They need someone who doesn’t overlook the poor, who doesn’t overlook the people in the ghetto or the homeless. We should have one of us representing us so that we can be seen. That’s why people should vote for me: because I’m willing to fight for them. Because I have the lived experience. Because I care. And because I’m a hard worker, when I put something in my head, even though people tell me I can’t do it, I find a way to get it done. So that’s what I’m bringing to Ottawa-Vanier, I am bringing my passion, I bring my heart, my commitment, and I hope that they will be able to see and receive it.

NEWS|7

Election 2021 in Ottawa-Vanier: Christian Proulx

Green party candidate speaks on community building, affordable living and more Desiree Nikfardjam staff writer

hristian Proulx is the Green Party’s candidate for Ottawa-Vanier. The father of three has always been involved in his riding’s community in some capacity, whether that be as a scout leader, coaching hockey, or enjoying his current pastime, softball. Proulx is a plumber by trade, and has been a supervisor of plumbing and piping for the past twelve years. His first project was for the University of Ottawa’s science building in 1991. The Fulcrum: What compelled you to run, and why did you choose the Green Party? Christian Proulx (CP): What compelled me to run is just that going through my work experience, I’ve developed a different approach at work where it’s like, I’m not the boss, they’re not my subordinates, we’re coworkers, and we just have different responsibilities. And that’s the kind of approach that I find is lacking [in federal politics]. Everybody always seems to want to elevate themselves. It’s not really about that. I’ve been asked, ‘how do I prove that I’m not in it for myself?’ Seriously? I’m close to retirement, I can have a cushy retirement… but I know there’s something missing, and I have a way of contributing. I joined the Green Party, because I’ve been a member since 2006 — it best represents my values about working together, about what is important. Personally, I find what is important is the individuals. We should all be treated equally, and be treated on the same level playing field. I’m really focused on communities and the

neighbourhood approach — [if] you start small, and everybody starts small everywhere, then the combination of all the efforts add up to something big. The Fulcrum: How do students stand to benefit from the Green Party platform and you as a representative? CP: I think it’s society’s responsibility to educate your population. And it should be free or close to free, as much as possible for education. I find education should be more focused. And it starts at an earlier age. If we want to stay on the topic of post-secondary education, I went to Algonquin College, back in the day. The fees were much lower back then, it was a lot more feasible for anybody to join. And I found that when they focused on getting student loans, then that just increased the fees. The Fulcrum: Many students and their parents were recipients of CESB and CERB. Could you tell me what the ideal future of those programs would be for the Green Party? CP: I’m a strong proponent of guaranteed livable income. If you have a guaranteed livable income, it gives you protection to shocks like we just had in the pandemic. We would already have had a safety net in place. o I look at it in the view that if your basic needs are looked after — and basic needs, is not just about having food. It’s about having access to anything that would help you to develop and to become a participant in the overall economy and the overall system that we have. It’s mainly about being a participant. The Fulcrum: Due to the pandemic, it has been very difficult for recent university grads to find employment. How does the Green party plan to reduce unemployment for the 20 to 30 year old post-secondary

educated demographic? CP: Well right now, because of the system we have and the conditions we’re living in, you help those most in need. A longer-term solution would be to focus more on the community, on a 15-minute neighbourhood. The neighbourhood, the community that you live in, within a 15-minute distance, it’s a place where you can work, you can play, we can live. The livable part of this is important too, because if you have restaurants or local pubs within your community that you can walk to, it gives you the community spirit, and then you’re supporting your local economy, and that’s where the jobs would come up. And the jobs are within where you live. So it gives better access to jobs, if it’s spread out within the community. I think it’s about the community focus… but the plan goes with a guaranteed living income also for the current time, and it’s prioritizing the needs of the ones that need the most, right now. It’s not necessarily blanket policies for everywhere. The Fulcrum: In January 2020, the City of Ottawa declared a housing emergency. Rideau-Vanier is arguably the riding that has been hit the hardest by the lack of affordable housing. How do you plan on working with local politicians to create more affordable housing? CP: Well, for one thing, is that there is a plan in place and that’s Housing First. Housing First means that first of all, you provide a home for everyone. It could be a hotel room just to start. And you have four days to assess a person to see what services their needs require, whether it be addiction, mental health, or physical health services. If you put [homeless people] all in shelters, the only thing around them is desperation, and people

Image: Toronto.com

in the same situation, it’s not going to help them to get out. [Housing First] has been successful, where it’s been tried with a lot of success in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and many cities in the States also. And this approach is not dependent on care. Hotels within the community, or maybe someone opens up a room — you could even compensate these people that are willing to take them in almost as a shelter. And then you do that until you find a permanent place for the person. And so that way, when they’re ready to be housed on their own while they’re ready to take on and take care of themselves on their own, also, so there’s less of a likelihood of them to fall back into the same trap that they were in. And then the second prong is working towards prevention. So you help the homeless before they become homeless. You don’t wait until homelessness is a problem before you do something about it. It’s pretty basic. We’ve applied that everywhere in our lives. It’s funny how sometimes the solutions are very simple, it is just about the willingness to take them on. The Fulcrum: How does the Green Party plan to address and prioritize reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples? CP: Well, first and foremost, without reservation, you accept every [Indigenous] recommendation.

You implement that right away. This is based on human rights, human rights were a Canadian ideal, to begin with. It’s ridiculous to think that we still have trouble with reconciliation today. It’s so obvious, the harm and the trauma that we caused in the past. It is time to bring it forward and you need meaningful consultation. It’s about all working together. Indigenous people are experts in sustainability. They lived sustainably for thousands of years prior to us arriving here. They have a certain experience and what we need to do is to modernize that experience. You have to offer equal opportunity, everywhere. And I think the biggest idea you can focus on is that a person is a person. We all have the same basic needs. And we need to take that approach. As I said, it may seem really simple, but oftentimes, it is that simple. We were all part of the same system. The Fulcrum: Additionally, how will the Green Party seek and be mindful of Indigenous consultation when it comes to environmental protection? CP: Well, meaningful consultation is a nationto-nation consultation. It’s the system of nations, it’s not the political system that we have, that they’ve adopted, which is ‘our way of doing things.’ Politicians can be planted there just to go after their own causes. They’re just there

NEWS|8

to focus on the needs of whoever put them there and not invest in some of the people themselves. The Indigenous system of representation, it’s homegrown. They were born into it, grew up into it, so they have that wisdom. So it’s meaningful consultation, but nation to nation, not “well, we consulted them.” The Fulcrum: Finally, why do you think constituents in Ottawa-Vanier should vote for you? CP: I’m a strong proponent of taking a simple approach. I’m focused on just getting some work done, and getting the job done. If you’re spending your time or self-promoting online, when do you find the time to actually do any work? And when you say you consult your neighbours, or you know, ‘I consulted my constituents,’ it’s not your neighbour across the street or the one next door. Ottawa-Vanier is so varied — we have Beacon Hill, Rockcliffe Park, the Market area… they all have different needs and different backgrounds. So you got to represent the entire riding. I’m very much a people person, I look for solutions that are in the best interest of everyone, and that will be sustainable. It’s not about the issues of the day, it’s about building a solid foundation. If your foundation is crumbling, the house is coming down… So you build the foundation. That’s my approach.

THEFULCRUM.CA

Election 2021 in Ottawa-Vanier: Mona Fortier

Liberal candidate touches on housing, health care, pandemic recovery and more Zoë Mason

news editor

Mona Fortier is the Liberal party’s candidate in Ottawa-Vanier and is looking to defend her seat, which she has held since 2017. The Liberal Party has had a hold on the riding since its creation in 1935 (known at the time as Ottawa-East). Fortier was born and raised in Ottawa and is an alum of the University of Ottawa, where she studied sociology before pursuing a Master’s in business administration. She started her own business and spent many years as an outreach and communications specialist before joining the team at Collège La Cité. She then returned to consulting work before running for public office in 2017. Fortier has also taken part in grassroots organizing and has sat on the board of directors for several non-profits and Montfort Hospital. She is currently the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance. Fortier is also a mother of three. The Fulcrum: What compelled you to run for office initially and why did you choose to do so with the Liberals? Mona Fortier (MF): From high school, I was engaged as a youth activist for official language rights — Francophone rights in a minority setting — but also for the community, making sure that youth had a voice in decisions made by elected officials, and making sure that on the municipal, provincial, and federal sides that youth were part of being able to make a difference, and that’s where I got hooked on not only partisan politics, but especially getting involved in my community. I’ve been involved for 25 years with the party, at first as a Young Liberal, and then I decided to get engaged with the OttawaVanier Liberal Association. I was also very involved in the community as an influencer for Francophone rights. So that’s how I got hooked on that, knowing that you can influence different policies through being engaged in the community. And then I got the privilege of running in 2017. I can tell you that many of my high school friends knew that someday I would get there. My school yearbook, many had signed it ‘one day, we’ll see you in Parliament.’ The Fulcrum: Could you tell me a little bit about how students stand to benefit from the Liberal platform and your ideas in particular? MF: Sure. First, I’d like to say that we know students and youth got really hit hard during the pandemic. And that is something that we recognized at the beginning of the pandemic and made sure

to bring opportunities and support for youth and especially students, with the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) last year, which helped many students get through the summer. And now, to continue that support, I would say there are four different measures that I’d like to raise. The first one is about student loans. As you know, student loans are something that many students have, and we have decided to permanently eliminate interest fees for student loans. And I think that will make a big difference for students. Also, we’re really focusing on green jobs. We’re talking about inclusive green job transition, and that is something where we are going to focus on for students from re-skilling to skilling, students and graduates. Another one that is really important is childcare. Many people have kids when they go to study, and the early learning and childcare program we’re proposing would cut the fees for the first year by 50 per cent, and over five years would get to $10 a day. That will make a big difference for many who have families that are studying. And then the other big one is mental health. I mean, you probably know that students have raised how this is a very difficult time with the pandemic. A lot of anxiety out there. So mental health supports are key and a priority in our platform. The Fulcrum: The Liberal platform lists publicly accessible mental health care as a point under the healthcare section. Can you tell me a little bit more about how the Liberal party plans to improve the accessibility of mental health care? MF: So I would say there are two things. First, the fact that we would offer permanent transfers to provinces and territories — so in our case, it would be with the Government of Ontario — and that will help in terms of focusing on mental health supports and health care. I would also mention that the Wellness Together portal, which we launched during the pandemic, is another tool that has been used, and actually, students have thanked us for having that opportunity. I spoke with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) last year because I was consulting different student bodies to understand where the needs were and they had raised mental health, and we’re hoping that we would increase the funding to make sure the Wellness Together portal would be accessible and offering those services. So we replied in the budget and we are going to continue that into the next phase. One thing I should have mentioned, which is really important, is we do have a lot of BIPOC students and Indigenous youth in our different institutions. They have raised that there are special needs, and again, through mental health care that will be provided into the

Fortier is seeking re-election for the second time. Photo: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum

package when we negotiate with the provinces. The Fulcrum: Many students and their parents were recipients of the student benefit and of the Canadian Emergency Recovery Benefit (CERB). I’d love to know what the future of those programs will look like if the Liberal Party is reelected? MF: So that was during the pandemic, we had many emergency measures to support during the pandemic. I would say that now we’re transitioning to targeted investments in sectors that were most hit like tourism, hospitality, arts, and culture. And through that, there will be some support for all Canadians working in these hard-hit sectors, so students will benefit through those measures. I should also mention that the Workers Recovery Benefit will be extended until I believe it’s March 2022. Yeah. And the other thing that we have right now is CRB, the Canadian Recovery Benefit, that lasts until October, where you can get $300 a week for a maximum of 54 weeks. So I know that some students have benefited from it, but it’s not targeted only to students. The Fulcrum: For many university graduates, it’s been difficult to find employment, in part due to the pandemic but of course, that’s in part been a longstanding issue. How do the Liberals plan to reduce unemployment for the 20-to30-year-old, college-educated demographic? MF: Again, I would probably focus on the fact that we’re developing the Workers Recovery Benefit as a measure to support students and youth because there are major labor gaps in some sectors. Employers are looking for employees, and we’re trying to facilitate that match. And green jobs, I’m going to repeat that. Climate change is such a really big part of our platform. And students and youth are the ones that will be able to really contribute to that. The Fulcrum: Like you said, students and youth are particularly concerned about the climate crisis. And so I’d love to ask you a bit about climate policy. First of all, what is the Lib-

eral Party’s plan to move towards greener energies and divest from fossil fuels? MF: So first, we have a very ambitious goal, targets that we announced in June of [reducing emissions] between 40 and 45 per cent, which was initially 36 per cent. There is a portfolio of green measures that we’re bringing forward, such as not only reducing plastics, but also eliminating plastic [waste] by 2030. Making sure we have the electric vehicles and the ecosystem in our country for them. So everything from getting batteries to building cars in our own country, and also making sure that we have 50,000 new charging stations. So we’re really investing into the electric vehicle strategy. We are focusing on conservation of nature, and on green transitions. So reducing fossil fuel grants to eliminate them by 2023 instead of 2025. So those are examples of our portfolio of measures to be able to reach our targets. And maybe also with all of the efforts Canadians will be doing, we could surpass those targets. We’re very ambitious. And you know, we’re already on track to getting there. It’s clear that O’Toole wants to go back to the Harper years with a goal of [reducing emissions by] 30 per cent. But we’re already at 36 per cent. We’re on track. And I believe that if all Canadians decide to continue and work together, we could surpass those ambitious goals that we set. The Fulcrum: Obviously climate change is an issue that affects the entire country and the entire world, but for Ottawa-Vanier in particular, what kind of climate action do you think we can see on the constituency scale? F: Well, that’s a great question. First, we have to demonstrate that the LRT has been one aspect that we’ve been investing in since 2016. We’ve invested in electric buses, and we need to continue those electric buses investments to change our fleet. And then also, in Ottawa-Vanier, we have many opportunities to continue to invest into our active transportation, multi-use transportation,

from widening sidewalks, making sure we have bike lanes, and, you know, introducing ways for Ottawans to use the active transportation, that’s something that I’m focusing on. And also, we have the Ottawa River. Those are also investments that we are going to focus on, like the river house I’m working on. Hopefully, we will be able to support them and continue not only the education, but also the river keepers’ mandate to make sure that our river is healthy. The Fulcrum: In January 2020, the city declared a housing emergency and Ottawa-Vanier is a riding that has been hit pretty hard by the lack of affordable housing in the city. So how do you plan to work with local politicians to help create more affordable housing? MF: So that’s something I’ve been doing for the last four years. We have been focusing with the city, especially, as a partner, and Ottawa Community Housing, for example, to invest into not only new units, but also repair ones that need to be accessible, and that are not used at this time because they need major repairs. So we announced at the end of May investments in repairing and retrofitting 11,000 units across the city. Some of them are in OttawaVanier. And that will help to give those that need access to housing a better chance by increasing the number of units available. We’re also building with rapid housing. We had phase one announced last November. For the first phase, we have four projects in Ottawa, and that rapid housing has been confirmed and the partners have been confirmed. One of them is in the Market with the Shepherds of Good Hope, and that will create 48 units to help those that don’t have a home have a home. And another example I’d like to share was a major project, we built a veteran’s house in Waterbridge, and I was part of making sure that the federal government contributed to this. And we have veterans that were homeless that now have access to a home and supportive housing. So that is another major project

THEFULCRUM.CA

that was done in OttawaVanier, and more units are being invested through the city, through, for example, Ottawa Community Housing. I know that there’s one project with 380 units that are going to be built pretty soon. So it’s just demonstrating that we’re working with our partners, so the federal investments are really creating opportunities to increase the number of housing available for those that are in need. The Fulcrum: The Liberal platform promises action and improvements to the accessibility of care for those with problematic substance use. Could you expand upon that plan a little bit, and in particular, whether safe injection sites or decriminalization are part of it? MF: So if you come to Ottawa, you’ll know we had three supervised injection sites. It’s something that is very, very important. We’ve been working, of course, with our partners to make sure that we have the resources available to support those that have substance use problems. And we invested in safe supply with Ottawa Public Health. And we’re going to continue focusing on making sure we not only educate people, but we also make sure we introduce a new strategy to address problematic substance use to end the opioid crisis. Also, we were investing 500 million to support provinces in providing access to a full range of evidence-based treatments, recognizing that successful treatment is not determined by longterm abstinence. So that is something concrete that we’re doing and working with provinces as is necessary as they have the health jurisdiction on the ground, so their contribution will be also important. The Fulcrum: Why do you believe that Justin Trudeau is the best choice for Canadians when it comes to prime minister, and why should the constituents in Ottawa-Vanier vote for you? Well, Justin Trudeau — and his team — we have the plan to finish the fight for COVID-19 because we do need to finish the fight against COVID-19. We have the most ambitious recovery plan to make sure we leave nobody behind, and we concentrate on growth — green growth, inclusive growth. Just having a more prosperous, fairer country. It is really important that we focus on everyone, and that’s why I believe the choice of voting and giving the Liberals an election win will allow us to move forward towards everything we talked about.

NEWS|9

Election 2021 in Ottawa-Vanier: Heidi Jensen

Conservative candidate on mental health, reconciliation, climate change and more Charley Dutil editor-in-chief Heidi Jenson is the Conservative party’s candidate in Ottawa-Vanier and is looking to defeat incumbent Mona Fortier and end the Liberal’s hold on the riding since its creation in 1935 (known at the time as Ottawa-East). Jenson specializes in trademark clearance, protection, and enforcement. She has founded her own firm that specializes in protecting trademarks. The Fulcrum: Why did you decide to run for the Conservative party? Heidi Jensen (HJ): Most people don’t understand the true values of the Conservative Party, which I feel embody what is important to me. And one of them is direct community involvement in issues to make things better. So the concept of big government: “the government knows best, the government makes the policies the government gives the money out.” The concept of small government doesn’t mean losing jobs, it means the government’s job is not to decide what’s best for people who need new housing. The best people to decide are the people who need housing, the people who work directly with those people, and then the people in the marketplace, contractors or whoever, who are going to provide them. So they’ll work together with government framework and funding. But we’re not the ones making this decision. So I don’t know, personally, what the refugee who has landed in this country needs? I mean, I think I know that they need a place to live that’s safe. I know they need to be able to have a family. I don’t know exactly what they need, where would they best be? You know, where would they live, that’s the most suited for them, what type of counseling, the people who know are the ones who are working face to face with them on the ground. And so those are the people that need to get the funding and the empowerment with government oversight and collaboration, but not direction. And so that’s the concept of small government. People don’t understand that part of conservative — they just think slash government jobs. That’s what small government is: government jobs. Small government means the people and the communities being involved in solving and addressing the problem with government assistance. So that’s for me why I’m running as a conservative. The Fulcrum: Back in January 2020, the City of Ottawa declared a housing emergency. I want to know how you plan to work with municipal and provincial politicians on the housing crisis in the city of Ottawa? HJ: So the housing crisis that we’re experiencing here is experienced all over.

My son goes to Dalhousie University and in Halifax, it’s the same. And that’s for a few reasons: one, we legitimately do not have enough places for people to live for our population that’s grown. And two, there is a degree of foreign investment that is coming into this country, because that’s now the assets of the world is our physical right. And so countries who are well known for going and buying assets — and they’ve bought up London, they bought up Paris — Canada is now on their radar, and they’re buying up chunks of property around here, which is reducing the inventory. With respect to housing, building new suburbs, fourbedroom houses for the nuclear family, out in the expanding areas of Ottawa and other places — that’s not going to help students or vulnerable populations and the homeless a bit at all. One of the things that is in our plan is looking at government-owned buildings, which are in every city, not just in Ottawa but everywhere. Most of them are underused, costing taxpayers money. They’re an old and environmental nightmare in terms of how they’re heated, etc… In collaboration with housing groups, student organizations, local community housing organizations, and the builders, who are going to have to go in and retrofit to make them livable as a home but also environmentally friendly we will look at maps and then establish which buildings are the ones that are on the table. Then the Student Housing and Community Housing groups might say, well, the one over here, not gonna work, and the contractors, this one’s not gonna work. So by process of elimination, and working to there, they will be able to identify, those places and then by bringing in environmentally friend infrastructure and people to work in them, which is going to create jobs, and help the environment, we will be able to turn those into places where students and people who need housing can live, and they exist already in every city. The Fulcrum: The Conservative Party is proposing a boost in federal funding for mental health to provinces. I want to know if that includes any provisions for increasing services on post-secondary campuses. HJ: It doesn’t expressly say that, no, and that’s because it’s a provincial jurisdiction. It doesn’t, but one of the things that is very delicate when you’re talking about money transfers, etc, is the idea that the federal government can dictate to the provincial governments the specific mental health areas they will address and within which regions, etc… But they can’t say that it’s going to be dedicated right to the students, but I can tell you that the conservatives recognize you guys are our future. The Fulcrum: Many students and their parents relied financially on the Can-

ada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) programs in the first year and a half of the pandemic. What would the future of those programs be under a conservative government? HJ: Sure. So those were essential, right, no question, they’re essential, but their time has come. Businesses need people to be working to get themselves going. In some ways, it feels like the pandemic was there and then all of a sudden, in many ways, we went back to a hundred. And businesses weren’t prepared, they weren’t staffed up. The conservative plan is to move from Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) to a direct support of employers to help pay so employers can afford to hire five people because they’re still making up for the lost money, etc. By phasing out CERB, they will top up the salaries. And there’s a sliding scale that’s detailed in our plan. So they will top off the salaries so that the parents and students can get back to work and get paid, because that’s what I believe, that most people just want to get back to work, if the jobs are there. You know, the fear is, well, if I get off, it’s going to be hard to get back on. We’re making sure that if something happens, and God forbid we have to go back into a lockdown, that getting back on it is going to be okay. So there’s a plan. The Fulcrum: Even before the pandemic, for many university students and recent grads it was difficult to find work that leads to a career permitting them to enter the middle class. How do the conservatives plan to reduce unemployment for 20 to 30 demographic and help them find meaningful jobs after graduation? HJ: So pandemic-wise, the government has said we are going to create a million jobs, the million jobs that were lost. But as you said, even before the pandemic, the quality jobs that you’ve studied for, and the industries, are not there. And that’s because we lack innovation in terms of how we’re going to support entrepreneurialism in this country. And our business practices are discouraging businesses from coming in and investing here. So this government will remove red tape, for example, to allow investment into Canada, but they’re also going to support businesses like mine, that generate jobs and bring in wealth. This will help create more, we’ve got an educated population in this country, right, we speak both languages, which means we can communicate in business around the world. There’s no reason why we don’t have more private sector skilled jobs for people in all industries. It’s because there’s a lack of business environment in this country. As I said, that’s one of the reasons I got into this. The Fulcrum: On a constituency basis, what does

Heidi Jensen beside one of her campaign signs at Annie Pootoogook Park. Image: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum

climate action look like to you? So we’ve got the big plans that are all articulated really well in our platform. But one of the things that is articulated in here that has an impact here in Ottawa is the dumping of raw sewage into our river. So if we have too much rain, they have no way to process the water: it gets dumped in the river. Our plan would make that illegal, and would stop that. Now, that means you have to work and make sure there’s the infrastructure to get there. But we have the technology to do that in this country and in the world — it exists. We just haven’t put it in. Because we’re spending money on things that don’t have a real impact on our environment. I’m very tired of politicians talking about money, and they’re going to do it here. It all sounds good, and it never trickles down to results. So this is what we need, we need results. And so that’s an example of one thing that we would do here to make things better. The Fulcrum: What is the Conservative Party’s plan to move to greener energies and divest from fossil fuels? HJ: So there’s no question that that is the future, right? And there’s no question that it needs to happen. At the same time, as we’re taking advantage of the last few years that we have of being able to sell the oil — we have billions of dollars in the ground in this country that we are not using. Instead, what we’re doing is we’re shipping it from countries like Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, right, that have human rights issues, and bringing it over in the nightmare way of tankers, that is much more environmentally risky, than pulling it out of our own ground. And our industry out west is actually one of the leaders in the world in figuring out how to capture carbon that comes out of it with clean tech, but we never get a chance to do it. So while we use the money that we have in the ground to fund things that we need to fund socially, but also for the clean tech, we can do it, we are leaders, but we can’t use our technology, because we’re not allowed or able to get it out of the ground. There are countries

in this [situation] that we can model ourselves after, like Norway, right. So Norway has used all its oil, and is at a point now where it’s used the money from the oil to say, we are no longer going to be investing in that, because we’ve managed to move away. But we haven’t done anything. The Fulcrum: 2021 has been a tough year in terms of reconciliation with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. I want to know how the conservatives plan to address reconciliation? HJ: In my bio, I said the issues that are important to me are immigration, supporting refugees, and then the Indigenous issue, because we have been talking about this as a country for a long time. Now, my generation (X), we didn’t learn about it in school. The generation now (Z), they are learning about it. And it’s, it’s tough, it’s tough for people to be able to face the truth, what has happened in this country. The discovery of those mass graves was a turning point. I really feel this turned for people because people could not look away, they could not deny it. And you know, you hear people saying, “oh, well, it was, you know, what the schools were for,” or whatever. Let’s just go back to the very basics: children were taken from their families. It’s every child’s worst nightmare. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, what happened to those poor families. We need to make some meaningful progress. This government made promises and they raised the hopes of our Indigenous people and they did not follow through. We are going to approach things like the Indian Act, which is old and was constructed in a way that doesn’t work. So we can’t work with broken things: we have to work and start something new. And in our plan, we talk about, handing land titles over, it needs to happen, it’s going to be painful and difficult, but it needs to happen. Recognizing self-governments of different areas, the conservatives are absolutely prepared to start doing this. And it’s going there, there’s a lot of work ahead. But we have to start someplace and do something real. So

NEWS|10

we can move forward slowly and not give lip service, which is what’s happened over the past six years. The Fulcrum: Why do you believe Erin O’Toole out of the four major party leaders would make the best Prime Minister? HJ: So it’s interesting, because I have got to know Erin. So there’s two things that I rely on. I rely on what he’s done with his life before, you know, before this. And so what has he done? So he went to RMC, he was a disciplined student. And then he went and served this country for us. So he has seen what happened in Afghanistan, he’s seen it face to face. He got into politics after having a career and exposure to what happens in the real world and in Canada. And so I’m going to go back to the things that we’ve talked about, which are unless you’ve experienced it, unless you have either directly experienced it, or somebody very close to you experienced it, you really don’t understand what the issue is, and what’s involved. And that’s what we’re missing with our present Prime Minister right now. The Fulcrum: Why do you think the voters of OttawaVanier should vote for you? HJ: I think that they should vote for me because this riding needs somebody who’s different. Who actually gets out there and meets people, right? I’ve been going door to door, people are surprised you’re the candidate, like yes, I’m the candidate. I’m going to work for you today. And I’m gonna work for you when I’m in government. So this riding has had liberals as representatives for 170 years. Has there any been any improvement in the past six years, for example, in the way that people are, their livelihood, people have less money, they have more crime, they have more homelessness. So at some point, in any relationship, people start to get taken for granted If you just continue. And so I will not take it for granted.

THEFULCRUM.CA

CUPWIRE

CANADIAN

UNIVERSITY PRESS

UBC’s Frats Made a Promise To Not Host Public Parties. They Broke It UBC’s fraternities are throwing despite saying they’d only host private events Nathan Bawaan & Tova Gaster

n February 2020, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) — the governing body of UBC’s frats — announced an indefinite suspension on all open social events following drugging allegations from multiple female students in 2019. However, last week, the frats hosted at least one party almost every night. These parties were advertised across social media and on campus as welcome-to-UBC events for incoming first-year students. These parties have also drawn COVID-19 safety concerns. On Sunday night, the RCMP shut down a UBC frat party for violating provincial health orders and issued a $5,000 fine to the party organizers. Videos from the party posted on social media showed people dancing together in packed rooms without masks on. UBC community members criticized the frats online for potentially exposing and spreading COVID-19 among students before and after the news of Sunday night’s party broke. Although the promotion posters for these events state that attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination, most do not mention mask requirements. In a statement to The Ubyssey, IFC President Noah Jassmann said vaccines and UBC cards are mandated for entrance at any frat party, and that the IFC “expects chapters to adhere to the current Provincial Health Order.” “These rules are enforced through our judicial board,” he added. Interested students also need to register ahead of time, unlike in years past. Still, over 100 people have listed themselves as “Going” on some of the Facebook events, exceeding the province’s limit on indoor organized gatherings of no more than 50 people. The frats were also planning to host an event with ThePlug Vancouver — a “Frat Party Crawl” on September 8 — but it was cancelled on Wednesday due to “the worsening state of the COVID-19 pandemic in our community.” ThePlug’s event faced criticism be-

UBC Campus. Image: Wikipedia

Jassmann said that open parties fore it was cancelled as well. The Ubyssey has reached out to were never permanently banned, but are simply not recommended. the RCMP for comment. “The IFC has advised its member that some openOPEN FRAT PAR- partyfraternities models may be revisited in TIES WERE BANNED the future, should they be pos— NOW THEY’RE sible within the guidelines of future Provincial Health Orders,” BACK wrote Jassman. “For now the IFC While it has been typical for the has advised its member chapters frats to host several parties in against hosting open events, as the week leading up to the start we believe an invite-only model is of classes, the IFC’s commitment currently the best option for public to no longer host public events safety.” In defense of open parties, seemed to signal an end to this Jassman cited “the promotion of tradition. “Having those parties where inclusivity,” but acknowledged that the whole Greek village or other such events can lead to “various houses are just packed with peo- risks.” “The IFC is hoping to work on ple, there’s no way we can control who’s coming in, and it just opens a model that promotes inclusivity, the door for so many issues,” said while also mitigating as many risks former IFC president Adam Moal- as possible going forward.” lemi in a February 2020 interview with The Ubyssey. WHO HOLDS THE But, according to Ryan Wong, FRATS ACCOUNTa fourth-year economics student ABLE? and former AMS councillor, the 2021 frat party invites tell a differFrats are part of the UBC coment story. He took to Twitter ahead of the parties to criticize the frat munity. However, frat houses are technically managed independentbehaviour as “irresponsible.” “[T]here is nothing about invita- ly by the frats themselves. “It’s important to note that the tions in any of the events posted on social media,” Wong tweeted. fraternity houses are owned and “[T]hey are exactly the same as operated by individual fraterniadvertisements before this ban…” ties through long-term leases,” In an interview with The Ubys- wrote Matthew Ramsey, director sey, Wong added, “When they an- of university affairs at UBC Media nounced the ban it made national Relations, in a statement to The news attention as it was a very Ubyssey. “They are entirely indestrong commitment to ‘perma- pendent of UBC and UBC has no role in their management.” nently ban open social events.’” However, the office of VP Stu“I’m just confused as to why that ban hasn’t been implement- dents has been in communication with the IFC to encourage safe ed.”

practices. “In preparation and support of the start of Winter Term 1 we will be hosting a mandatory training session with all Fraternity and Sorority Presidents in partnership with the RCMP and the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services,” Ramsey wrote. VP Students Ainsley Carry confirmed these plans in a statement of his own, but the exact details around this training — what will it entail or when it will take place — remains unknown. In both of their statements, Ramsey and Carry urged the frats and students to adhere to the province’s health guidelines. “It is imperative that all of us take responsibility, not only for our health, but the health and safety of those around us. The same imperative applies to all student groups and organizations, including fraternities,” Ramsey wrote in his statement. “We do not want parties to jeopardize the safe return to campus and everything for which we have all worked so hard,” Carry added.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FRATS AND AMS REMAINS UNCLEAR

other things. “I would say that our relationship to the IFC is similar to that of other unaffiliated student organizations on campus,” AMS President Cole Evans said in an interview with The Ubyssey. This means that the frats control their own funds and are not subject to AMS oversight. According to Jassmann, the IFC is no longer affiliated with the AMS, but can still rent out AMS space on campus. The AMS tried to establish accountability mechanisms over the frats during its negotiations last year with the IFC around a potential Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) — a document that would have outlined the two groups’ relationship — but these talks stalled due to details that were “challenging to work out.” Along with the accountability mechanisms, Evans said that the IFC’s remaining funds — which were in an AMS clubs account — was another sticking point. The leftover money was deposited into the AMS club benefits fund “as per our policy,” according to Evans. Evans said that the AMS has had conversations with UBC in the past around the Greek system, although it was unclear whether such talks have taken place in this instance. “If we have a concern [with the Greek system], those concerns are conveyed to the university,” he said. “The university can then see those addressed, as the university is probably the more responsible party than we are at this point for making sure that the fraternities are behaving in a way that is keeping the campus community safe.” He added that the AMS has other “tools” to make sure the frats and IFC are held accountable, but again did not specify what those were, or whether these have been utilized recently. While Evans said that the AMS would not reopen conversations around a potential MOU with the IFC — he did not mention a reason — Wong believes that two organizations should work to establish a clear relationship. “[The MOU] is an opportunity for the AMS to set some expectations of the IFC and frat parties, to ensure student safety,” Wong told The Ubyssey. “Maybe part of those expectations is a commitment to uphold the IFC’s own permanent ban on open parties.”

The frats are also independent from the AMS. Following the drugging allegations, the student society voted to remove the IFC’s status as an AMS club in 2019 due to violations of AMS code — including the IFC’s restriction on membership to only male-identifying indiThe Ubyssey is the University of viduals and its unauthorized col- British Columbia’s student newspaper lection of membership fees, among

THEFULCRUM.CA

since 1918.

CUP|11

Dalhousie: Residence rejections leave students in a housing crisis Natalia Tola

by the province of Nova Scotia, which is currently in phase 4 of its reopening plan.

“They are the health experts, they are the COVID-19 experts,” said Turpin. “They helped us put together a plan of what a safe environment in residence looked like,” she said.

s classes return to campus, Dalhousie University has limited its residence capacity to 80 per cent this fall, housing around 1,800 students instead of the 2,300 they did prior to the pandemic, according to a statement on the university’s website. As the average rent in Halifax continues to grow, many students who weren’t able to secure a spot in residence are rushing to find a place to stay with little luck. “There’s a deadline in finding a place” said Neo Ragsac, a third-year international student in marine biology. Ragsac’s residence application was rejected, “If we don’t find a place, we will be homeless. And who wants to study on the sidewalk?”

University Explains Decision After informing multiple students there would not be a space for them in residence this fall, Dalhousie posted an explanation for the rejections on their website. The university’s update on the decision said “priority is given to current residence students who re-applied by our March deadline and new, direct-from-high-school students who applied by June 15. Demand for rooms among these groups is high, leaving very little space available for current students.” There are also still no roommates in residence, further reducing capacity, according to Verity Turpin, Dal’s acting vice-provost of student affairs. “We want to make sure that, when students are coming back to campus this fall, they will have their own space,” Turpin said in an interview with the Dalhousie Gazette. “We didn’t want the students to worry about their roommates or their roommates’ vaccination status,” she said. Turpin spoke to the Gazette prior to Dalhousie’s announcement of a vaccine mandate. Turpin said plans for the return of post-secondary students to residence are strongly regulated

The Struggle to Find Housing Some students who received residence rejections have been scrambling to find living accommodations in Halifax. This is no easy task, as Nova Scotia is currently facing what many journalists and activists call a housing crisis. The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Halifax has increased by 20 per cent in the last year, aclittle tricky, since many sites are cording to a national rent rankings fraudulent or outdated.” report from Rentals.ca – a website that lists available rental properBesides affordability in housing, ties across Canada. fair treatment from landlords when applying for a lease has become a While the housing market be- concern for students. “When we comes more competitive by day, go through some websites, they students are left with less and less say that rooms are available, but affordable accommodations close when we really put an application, to campus. we get rejections,” Srikanth said. Srikanth and Ghirardi mostly used Bhamidipati Srikanth is a pro- Kijiji during their searches. spective computer science master’s student who has been Srikanth believes his rejections searching for housing in Halifax –– as an international student since July. from India –– could be because of

Dalhousie University. Image: Wikimedia

for students who’ve been cut out.” Dalhousie has a housing advisor to answer students’ questions about rent, utilities and amenities. Similarly, there is an off-campus housing website to facilitate the search for a living accommodation. But Stinson said these services need improving, “Dal should add more people to the off-campus housing team because right now there’s one person working on that team to support a student population of twenty thousand.”

The Dalhousie off-

landlords’ prejudice, “They don’t campus living team One issue facing students, Sri- believe we can really afford rooms. kanth said, is that the timeline of Showing our property in our home The “one person” Stinson was leases is more accommodating for country is not sufficient for them.” referring to, Off-campus Housing landlords than students. According Adviser, Peri Lockhart, was unable to Srikanth, landlords often want DSU hopes to work to speak with the Gazette prior to students to take leases beginning with Dal on issue the publication of this article. in May rather than September, which makes finding sublets harder Madeleine Stinson, president for students who go home in the of the Dalhousie Student Union summer. (DSU), said the union is concerned He also said some landlords about this issue. “I think we’re goadvertise low rent prices, but in- ing to end up with a lot of students crease the listed rent just before showing up to Halifax with nowhere students sign the lease. to stay,” said Stinson. “International students and out of province To find decent pricing, stu- students may be showing up for dents like Srikanth sacrifice perschool and going to stay at Airbnbs sonal space, often by doubling up and hotels hoping to find a place in rooms. In the past, he’s had to share a three-bedroom apartment within a week, which if you’ve ever with six people simply to afford looked for an apartment in Halifax, a place to live. “Sharing a single you know isn’t easy.” bathroom is quite tough,” he said. The DSU has begun asking Dal Mathew Ghirardi, a third-year for alternative support, “We’re engineering student from Ontario, hoping Dal will partner on us with said poor landlord communication a bursary for students. A fund to makes searching difficult. “By the help students pay for basic depostime you see their advert they’ll its, basic home furnishing. Things have sold the place or are waitthat are a given in residence that ing on a group to respond. Knowing where to look for housing too is a might be an unexpected expense

Her colleague, Student Engagement Coordinator, Rigel Biscione Cruz, was able to answer some questions about off-campus housing. Cruz coordinates with Lockheart on off-campus housing issues. “Peri takes on the majority of the work in helping students,” said Cruz. “But we work with other offices, the residence office for ex-

ample. So, if students reach out to residence coordinators they can be helped there as well.” The off-campus housing team helps students understand ideas like how to find accommodations, spot fraud and what their rights are as tenants. They answer questions and can even help pair prospective roommates with offcampus living arrangements. Cruz said a bursary from Dalhousie or the DSU would be helpful, but called on the city for change. “On one hand the school can support students where they can, but that doesn’t impact affordable housing in Halifax. There is a housing crisis in the city and that needs to be tackled first so we can do our job.” Students struggling to find housing off campus are encouraged to contact Dalhousie Off-Campus Living by phone at (902) 494-2429 or by emailing Peri Lockheart at housingsupport@dal.ca.

The Dalhousie Gazette is North America’s oldest student newspaper, it was established in 1868.

For the 2021-22 academic year, the Fulcrum has revived the Canadian University Press (CUP) Wire to better inform University of Ottawa students on what is making headlines in the Canadian post-secondary world.

CUP|12

THEFULCRUM.CA

ARTS

ARTS EDITOR

ZOFKA SVEC arts@thefulcrum.ca

The White Lotus and the decline of prestige television Vaguely, the show’s arc resembles a circular Greek tragedy Zofka Svec arts editor

hen we think of prestige television, we might think of dramas like The Sopranos (a show currently experiencing a social media renaissance) and Westworld, or comedies like VEEP or Girls. The common denominator of all these shows? HBO.

This satirical Vulture article outlines the flim-flam hypocrisy of giving certain shows the “prestige” label while passing over others. In my opinion (which is always objectively correct), the article declines to make prestige TV a distinct and definitive category. I don’t have an issue with categorizing works of art or media as good or bad. I love a good dichotomy. The culture vultures at Vulture complain about the exclusivity of prestige TV while simultaneously excluding some shows from the category for unexplained reasons. In my extensive research, I couldn’t find a definitive list of what makes TV prestige or not. I can’t make a definitive list either. As an alternative, I’ve designed a fast litmus test to determine the prestige-ness of a television show: if I like it, it’s prestigious. The White Lotus is an ap-

pealing fantasy for many of us because we haven’t been able to go on vacation in almost two years. I imagine HBO subscribers are in the tier of social class that are able to afford a tropical vacation if they go into debt just a little bit. They’re office workers in metropolitan cities that can barely afford their rent or mortgage, but who still consider themselves upper-middle class. Although I’m sure lots of them have been to all-inclusive resorts (though likely in Mexico or Cuba for cost-saving reasons), they were a far cry from the opulent luxury of the White Lotus. The White Lotus is shot in an incredibly convincing and intimate fashion — it makes you feel like you’re really there. At times it is disturbing in its reality. The spooky drug trip the annoying college girls embark on is difficult to watch. So is the full-frontal nudity. The camera work also conveys a sense of voyeurism. It feels like you’re people-watching and your gaze keeps lingering for a bit too long. I imagine that this is the intended effect, as there are many scenes where the camera bounces around the main cast of characters all eyeing and gossiping about each other. There is a lack of introspection and self-reflection to the ensemble cast, who bumble placidly through scenes with remarkably little self-awareness. This lack of self-reflection prevents the characters from having any

Image: White Lotus/HBO.

real development. Without completely spoiling it, most of the characters end up right back where they started. Vaguely, the show’s arc resembles a Greek tragedy (if they were circular). The bone I have to pick with The White Lotus is that it doesn’t make its intentions clear. The viewer is torn between thinking that it’s a satire about the miniscule problems of the über-rich American elite, or an exposé on the real, but lofty and aspirational, problems that are unique to the upper class. A thread that runs throughout the series is the non-issue of a booking mixup for the newlywed couple. This is not a real problem. I don’t care. By the end of the series, the mise-en-scène of the opening shot of a corpse being

loaded onto a plane makes sense, and is a cryptic result of this silly feud between the husband and the overworked hotel manager. This whole backwards structure is difficult to pull off. I admire the showrunners for trying, but it just comes off as tacky and half-baked. The White Lotus is just a list of buzzwords strung together by an ensemble cast of unlikeable characters. They’re all annoying. Hot, but annoying. The rich newlywed douchebag, Shane, even mentions it: he uses “buzzword” to describe a piece that his new wife is considering writing for an online publication about a YouTuber. In this way the show is self-aware. In other ways it isn’t. The richperson-embarrassing-themself-at-resort genre is very

of the moment. About a week before I watched The White Lotus, I read a great story in the New Yorker that used the same premise but had a much better execution. The writer does in a couple pages what the White Lotus writers couldn’t do in nearly six hours, which is flesh out the characters. A mark, I think, of prestige television is our ability to sympathize, if not empathize, with the characters. In VEEP, we watch Selina Meyer slowly degrade into a depraved moral actor. In The Sopranos, we identify with Tony Soprano’s anxieties, and we root for him, despite him being a literal murderous mob boss. With The White Lotus, none of this happens. I don’t

care that Jennifer Coolidge’s character has a dead mother — she seems a rough sketch of a woman in mourning, who quickly rebounds with an older boyfriend to distract her. The whole series is a caricatured version of American values. Success, money, the freedom to jet off to Hawaii. The exaggerated class struggle is also a form of caricature. The show breaks the golden rule of showing, not telling. The resort staff, the foils to the rich tourists, verbally express their discontent with the gap in socioeconomic status using very of-the-moment language. It will not age well. To summarize my feelings on The White Lotus: it’s good TV to fall asleep to. I’ve spent more than one night curled up on the couch after gently drifting off to the sounds of the waves crashing on the resort’s private beach. Honestly, I deserve reparations from HBO for the crick I have in my neck.“presence in the White House has been celebrated by millions, others reacted with fear. “Many were overlooking the racism and tribalism that was tearing our nation apart,” she said. “Barack and I lived with an awareness that we ourselves were a provocation [of violence and racism].”

Svec: The slow, steep decline of the dining hall

Forced intermittent fasting? Zofka Svec arts editor

arly to bed and early to rise makes Johnny a dull boy. Who wants to be dull? Not me!

No matter how many “That Girl” TikToks you watch, the urge to pull an all-nighter will never diminish. At least for me, I find 6 a.m. walks infinitely less fun than eating Froot Loops at midnight. To be sure, one of these is worse for you than the other, but that’s beside the point. I mourn my inability to experience this unhealthy ritual. Alack, I long for the advertised

24/7 dining hall. I spoke to a firstyear (who prefered to remain unnamed), and he fully went through the five stages of grief when I informed him of the dining hall’s new hours. He was in shock, then angry, then finally got very quiet and accepted his fate. Before I told him, he was under the impression that the dining hall would indeed be open 24 hours a day. This is a fuzzy area, as different open times are advertised on different parts of the U of O’s website. If you Google “dining hall uottawa” the correct hours show up —for reference, these are 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. However, when you purchase a meal plan on the U of O student card web page, the incorrect 24/7 hours are displayed.

When asked about the reduced hours, the unofficial response is staffing issues. A representative I spoke to told me that many employees had quit as a result of the pandemic’s stress and were having trouble finding replacements. Understandable. When I got lunch, it took my server three whole minutes to add six ingredients (chicken, rice, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa) to my two tacos. I am allowed to complain because I spent three summers working at a taco stand. You don’t have to be a taco specialist like myself to add pre-made ingredients to a taco within a reasonable time frame. By the time I received my nourishment, I was practically foaming at the mouth.

Alack, I long for the advertised 24/7 dining hall. Image: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum

On a positive note, they must be making some staffing progress because the hours have been extended by 2 hours at night. Last year the dining hall closed at 9 p.m., not 11 p.m. Additionally, the salad and yogurt bars have re-

THEFULCRUM.CA

opened, and the magic Pepsi touch screen soda machines are no longer out of order. It could be better, it could be worse.

ARTS|13

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR

JASMINE MCKNIGHT sports@thefulcrum.ca

Gee-Gees put on rugby clinics against Sherbrooke in season openers Fans got their money’s worth referee.

Jasmine McKnight & Charley Dutil

“It’s great,” said fourth-year human kinetics student at the U of O, Hannah Charlesworth. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to be at a game and it’s nice to see everyone out.”

fter 18 months without competition, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s and men’s rugby teams lined up on the turf for their season openers against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Sept. 11.

“Oh, my goodness, Charley, it’s awesome,” said Sue Hylland, director of varsity athletics, who was taking in the game near the media table. “I mean, people have been waiting for this, I think you can feel it. The students and the student athletes that are here are loud, and it was a month to get back right now.”

For the first time in nearly two years, the stands at Matt Anthony field were packed with spectators wearing garnet and grey.

Ondo and Grant lead the way in 70-0 victory over the Vert et Or Despite losing last season to the pandemic, the women’s rugby team did not look like they ever took a break. Within minutes of the opening half, Alexandra Ondo sped into the endzone to score the first try of the game, the first of her final season as a Gee-Gee. “It was really exciting,” said Ondo. “The try was after a mistake, so it was nice to recover from that and end up scoring.” Only a few moments later, Madison Grant tapped the ball in the endzone to put more points on the board for the Gee-Gees. “We put in a lot of work over the past 18 months and it’s nice to show what we’ve done,” Grant said after the game.

For the first time in program history, the men’s rugby team shut-out an RSEQ opponent. Photo: Charley Dutil/Fulcrum

Vert et Or that Ondo scooped up and turned into a try and a phenomenal run by Tylo Borsboom lead to the Gees taking their first game 70-0. Ondo and Grant each contributed three tries to the crushing score. “The girls set me up honestly, especially in the midfield,” Grant said. “They were plowing girls over and creating space on the edges, so I give the credit to them.” Gee-Gees head coach Jen Boyd praised the team’s effort. “We played with a lot of energy, so I am really proud. I’m happy to see the girls just playing rugby for the first time in two years,” Boyd said. “There are definitely a lot of positives.” “I felt very good about the physicality and where we were at in terms of our preparation.”

The U of O took control of the field, and showed plenty of drive and aggression. It was clear the team was ready to compete.

Men’s rugby follows up with clinic of their own

There was no lack of scoring, and the Gee-Gees found their way back to the endzone six times in the first 40 minutes of play, driving the score up to 34-0 — a solid lead heading into the second half.

On the men’s side, the pandemic put a halt to the progress the program had made since becoming a varsity club in 2018.

The team continued to put on a dominating performance, not allowing Sherbrooke to get past them even once. A string of exciting plays including a dropped pass by the

In 2019, the Gee-Gees, led by James Flemming and Jaime Armstrong, made playoffs for the first time in the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). Eventually, the Gee-Gees were eliminated in the semis by McGill 37-22, but the league was put on notice — this young team was going places.

Alas, in March 2020, the world came to a halt due to COVID-19, and so did the garnet and grey’s progress. For more than a year and a half, the Gee-Gees were restricted to practices with limited numbers of players and offthe-pitch training — when they weren’t obliged to stop due to lockdowns. But on Saturday, 679 days after their last game, the Gee-Gees finally ran out of the oversized inflatable to take the field for their home opener against the University of Sherbrooke Green and Gold. “I think it’s been 600-something days since our last game,” said Elias Hancock, a sophomore back row on the Gee-Gees. “We’ve been putting in the work ever since that season ended in the semis. We’re dogs, and we’re brothers, first and foremost. And I’m just grateful to be back out here with the guys.” And like dogs, the Gees were relentless, scoring early and often against a Green and Gold team that seemed to have left its legs in Sherbrooke. Hancock was the loudest barker, scoring four tries, a program record. Not only would he be the loudest hound, but also the first out of the gate, getting the Gees on the board by breaking away from a pile-up of defenders to find the Sherbrooke in-goal about five minutes into the first half. This try would be followed by a Jamie Armstrong conversion. An-

drew Armstrong, who was on this windy Saturday evening the acting head coach of the team in the absence of Stephanie Crawley, saw his son complete five conversions and score one try earning himself the most valuable player award for the game. This was the first time that coach “Bones,” as he is known to players, got to be the head coach for his son at the university level. “Yeah it was really good, really good,” said the eldest Armstrong following the game. Armstrong and Hancock were not the only Gee-Gees to stand out on this cloudy Saturday evening. South African rookie Simba Gumbo scored the first try of his Gee-Gee career when he managed to break away from the Sherbrooke defense. “Feels amazing. We’ve worked very hard as a team to get to this stage. And yeah, just happy we got to win today. That’s what we’re focused on,” said Gumbo humbly after the game. “I just knew if we could get him the ball with a little bit of space chances are he’s going to find a route … It was nice to see him get out there and get one,” said coach Armstrong. The Gee-Gees scoring was not the only constant on Saturday night. The crowd — a mix of athletes and students — was behind its hometown team the whole way, cheering when they scored, booing as soon as they felt the Grey and Garnet had been slighted by an opponent or, in most cases, a

SPORTS|14

Hylland also spoke about the importance of the return to play for the varsity athletics staff that works mostly behind the scenes to support all varsity and club programs. “It’s important from a staff perspective, all I can really say is people needed to get back. I think we’ve done a good job of managing this in the right way. And we’ve got a good turnout.” Going back to the pitch, it was as one-sided as it gets as the Gee-Gees completed the backto-back sweep of the Green and Gold, tallying a total of 65 points and for the first time in program history and shutting out an RSEQ rival.

What’s next? For the women’s team, next week will be a challenge as they host their arch rivals — the Laval University Red and Gold. Laval won the U Sports Women’s Rugby Championship in 2019 at Matt Anthony Field — a fact the Gee-Gees, who won bronze, haven’t forgotten. This game will take place next Saturday (Sept. 18) at 3 p.m. It will be the first leg of a home and home between the rivals with the Gees heading to Quebec City the following week. The “dogs,” on the other hand, will hit the road to face the Concordia Stingers in Montréal next week. Concordia won its first game of the season 47-9 on Saturday against l’École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS). This will be a real test for the Gees as Concordia is the defending RSEQ champion. The game will take place on Sunday Sept.19 at 1 p.m.

THEFULCRUM.CA

New students excited to see Gee-Gees teams back in action Desiree Nikfardjam staff writer

he school year has just begun, and while most students are getting ready for their classes, GeeGees athletes are preparing for a new season after nearly two years of training in preparation for the day that they are able to compete. One thing I personally was really excited about in my first year at the University of Ottawa was going to games with my friends and showing our Gee-Gees spirit. I was so happy to finally be attending a school where people would go and cheer on their athletes. Last year we were all deprived of this excitement and school spirit, but we are back! While sporting events might look a little different this year

— ticket sales are exclusively happening online, for instance, and proof of vaccination is mandatory when attending games — it is still exciting to know that this part of the university experience will continue for the 2021-22 academic year. Having said that, the Fulcrum thought it would be a good idea to ask students who are new to campus what they are most excited about when it comes to Gee-Gees sports events. Second-year biotechnology student, Juan Roque, says he enjoys watching sports and is excited to be able to go to games and support the GeeGees. Roque also mentioned that he is excited about meeting new people. If you’re a third- or fourthyear student, you might remember the rush of the Panda Game or Capital Hoops Classic in 2019-20, when our Gee-Gees made us proud.

New U of O students are excited to attend Gee-Gees gamesand to hopefully experience Panda. Photo: Parker Townes/Fulcrum

However, the university has yet to confirm whether students will be able to rush to the field or return to the stands for this upcoming season. “I mean if it happens, [Panda] would be the main event I’m looking forward to,” Roque said in an interview. Gabrielle Haidar, a first-year social science student, said in an interview that she really likes rugby and used to play it in Quebec. “I have some friends from CEGEP that made the team,

so I’m excited to see them and support them.”

Haidar’s friend William Twolan, also in his first year, said he’s excited to see the U of O vs. Carleton rivalry in person. Jenna Mendlowicz, a secondyear student, wasn’t able to witness any Gee-Gees sporting events in her first year. This year, she’s excited for things to go back to normal and to make new friends. “I know the [Panda] Game is really big, I’m not sure if that’s

happening … either way, meeting people, there’s so many people there so you obviously are able to meet new people.” Mendlowicz says she is also excited about joining intramural sports with her friends, like ultimate frisbee. With in-person attendance confirmed for regular-season games, it will be exciting to see the stands filled with garnet and grey. Students are thrilled to have the opportunity to go out and support their Gee-Gees athletes once again.

McKnight: The season we compete again Finally, gamedays are on the horizon Jasmie McKnight sports editor

ive months ago, I wrote about the season I lost to the pandemic. Today, I’m

writing about the season in front of me: the season we compete again. This September is the closest thing to normal since COVID-19 cancelled the remainder of our 2019-20 season, and

then the entirety of 2020-21. “When are we going to practice again? When are we going to get to play games? When will tournaments and championship weekends be back in the picture?” These were the

questions that were floating through my mind for months and months — they can now go to rest. Finally, there are tournaments and games on the horizon. I’ll get to compete alongside my fellow Gee-Gees. It took a long time, but we, the University of Ottawa women’s ultimate frisbee team, have finally eased back into the regular routine. Tryouts, practice, tournaments. Things feel right.

Jasmine McKnight. Photo by Greg Mason/provided

We were due for things to fall back into place. To be entirely honest, things were getting really hard for me. Between COVID-19 measures that put restrictions on the way we practice, how difficult it was to stay motivated all the time, and the ongoing wish of being able to put into words how strange it felt to be missing all the parts that come with playing a competitive team sport, I was getting pretty down on

myself. Let me tell you: there’s something about lacing up your cleats and training with your team that just feels so much better when knowing that there are games approaching. It’s been so long since I’ve made a gameday post on Instagram, since I’ve texted scores to my family back home, since I’ve tried to convince my entire team to go to Olive Garden with me after a tournament. And of course, the actual game. It genuinely feels like forever since I’ve put on the garnet and grey and matched up against an athlete from a rival university. It’s been so long since I’ve played a game of ultimate that truly involved every aspect of the game. I miss playing the game that I love, and I am so ready to get on the field and produce results. To say that I’m excited is an understatement.

THEFULCRUM.CA

SPORTS|15

SCIENCE

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR EMMA WILLIAMS science@thefulcrum.ca

U of O rocketry teeam wins top award at competition

Team’s main goal is to study reduced gravity environments, and how they affect antibiotics top prize earning to the overall complexity of their design and their exceptional communication skills throughout the pandemic. After extensive planning, researching, designing, and reviewing, the uORocketry team has been successful in testing their experiment and continues to work towards producing a research paper in collaboration with the lab at McMaster.

Emma Williams science editor

n Aug. 16, 2021, the University of Ottawa’s Rocketry team participated in the Canadian reduced gravity experiment design challenge (CAN - RXG), Canada’s first microgravity research competition, in collaboration with the National Research Council (NRC) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Throughout the competition, the uORocketry team demonstrated excellent design skills, communication, and enthusiasm, earning them the overall excellence award. This two-year ongoing project is the result of a collaboration with McMaster University’s Brown Lab and uORocketry’s team, which consists of six members: Andrew Zavorotny (mission specialist, mechanical), Tamjeed Elahee (mission specialist, microbiology), Jillian Prins (microbiology), Magdalena Richardson (electrical hardware), Aashna Sharma (electrical hardware), and Jonathan Papineau (software). In an interview with the Fulcrum, Prins, a fourthyear biotechnology student, and Magdalena Richardson, a fourth-year electrical engineering student, explained

From left to right Jillian Prins, Tamjeed Elahee, Andrew Zavorotny, Magdalena Richardson, Jonathan Papineau, Aashna Sharma. Photo: Rocketry team/Provided

the project’s procedure. “In summary, we have an array of identical E. coli samples that are getting subjected to various concentrations of antibiotic (gentamicin). We have several rows for control purposes. And we have our data points, a no-PMA control, and a section for samples ‘frozen’ right before the termination of the experiment and the ones taken during the microgravity parts of the flight. We flew between 10,000-20,000 ft for the parabola sequence. Each section of the samples gets ‘frozen’ at specific time points by actuating high-powered LEDs. We also monitored the acceleration, pressure, and temperature (keeping everything at 37 C) throughout the entire experiment.” The main goal of the ex-

periment is to study reducedgravity environments and how they affect antibiotic resistance. In terms of real-world application, Prins said that “as we do more long term space missions, it’s important to know how medicine reacts in different environments, if it becomes less effective or if it becomes more effective.” Richardson added: “so all these things together. Designing PCBs, designing electrical systems, designing software environments, maintaining the biological component. I think there were a lot of components that, you know, for most of us, this is kind of the first time that we’re integrating all these things in a comprehensive and applicable way.” Richardson described the micro-gravity flight aboard

the Falcon 20 experienced by Andrew Zavorotny, a student in biomechanical engineering, and Tamjeed Elahee, a student in translational & molecular medicine, as amazing and wildly different for each of them. She continued, “one of our experimenters was the person controlling it, they’re making sure that all the cues are gonna be hit properly, all the buttons properly, they’re making sure all the safety warnings are good. So he was really in it the whole time. I think his experience just felt like a weird airplane. And then our other bio experimenter was the one who didn’t have the hands-on part. So he was really allowed to experience gravity and wave pens in the air and have a fun time.” The team attributed their

Prins stated, “we had really great enthusiasm as a team, as stressful as it was and how little sleep we got, we still made it really fun and I think that was contagious.” The rocketry team continues work on their current rocket ‘Rocktopus,’ which contains a studentresearched and -designed hybrid engine. The team has plans to compete next summer at two competitions — spaceport America Cup and Launch Canada — with a goal of reaching 20,000ft. A longtime dream for the rocketry founders and team has been to launch a rocket into low-Earth orbit (space). The first step in this process was to buy an engine. The team is now in their second stage which includes building their own hybrid engine. Eventually, once they are more comfortable with rocket design, they will move to bigger projects and engines to help them reach their goal. To join the rocketry team and take part in their explosive work, you can find the team in the STEM building at the John McIntyre Team Space, located on the first floor.

U of O researchers work on techniques to make clean water more accessible Shailee Shah

How PHD candidate Hooman Chamani plans to migrate the pore phenomenon

staff writer

niversity of Ottawa PhD candidate Hooman Chamani, alongside professors Christopher Lan and Takeshi Matsuura in the department of chemical and biological engineering, recently published their work Pore wetting in membrane distillation:

A comprehensive review. Their research aims to commercialize membrane distillation (MD) and work towards access to clean drinking water for everyone. MD is a thermally driven process where only vapor molecules transfer through a hydrophobic (water repellent), microporous membrane

reverse osmosis, is incapable of desalinating highly saline (or salty, in layman’s terms) brines due to the very high osmotic pressure required. The only means of treatment for hypersaline waters are thermal evaporation desalination technologies, which are extremely expensive to use.

In the paper, Chamani illustrates that the current membrane desalination technology,

Membrane distillation, on the other hand, is an alternative to reverse osmosis, one

that Chamani says has attracted attention for desalinating highly saline brines. In an interview, Chamani explained that “although the membrane desalination (MD) process offers a number of potential advantages, including low operating hydraulic pressure, nearly 99.9 per cent rejection of nonvolatile solutes, low sensitivity to salt concentration, low footprint requirement as well as

SCIENCE|16

performance independent of high osmotic pressure, there are several obstacles that prevent MD from being fully commercialized. One of the most significant obstacles is pore wetting.” Chamani adds, that “pore wetting is when liquid penetrates into membranes instead of vapour, which is undesirable.”

CONTINUED ON

THEFULCRUM.CA

CONTINUED

U of O researchers work on techniques to make clean water more accessible

According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2030. Chamani added, “with a large percentage of the Earth’s hydrosphere consisting of saline water—more than 97 per cent— there is significant potential in obtaining fresh water from saline water by removing its salts and minerals via the process of desalination. Desalination can help achieve the sixth goal of the United Nations on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Chamani’s research has aimed to tackle this pore wetting phenomenon, which has previously been poorly understood, to provide a better insight into it and consequently mitigate the MD pore wetting and help MD become commer-

cialized. Chamani was born and raised in Khorasan, a semi-arid area in the east of Iran with severe water problems. “I was introduced to the concept of water and wastewater treatment from an early age, and seeing irrigation problems for farmers in my city drove me to work in this field” He received his MASc and BASc in chemical engineering with honors from Sharif University of Technology, and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, respectively. “I was involved in the field of environmental engineering during my BASc project on ‘membrane preparation and filtration of wastewater’ and later on, MASc thesis on ‘synthesis of nanoadsorbent and dye adsorption from wastewater,’” said Chamani. To pursue his research as a PhD student, he joined the joint research group of pro-

fessorsChristopher Lan and Takeshi Matsuura at the University of Ottawa, where their focus has been mainly placed

on the desalination of seawater and brine. With a goal to work towards ending water scarcity, Chamani

Photo: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum

says. “I hope to one day live in a world where no one has to suffer from water shortages.”

Rashid & Williams: The climate crisis is not ours to bear alone Companies continue to place responsibility on consumers Emma Williams & Sanjida Rashid

ith a summer littered with forest fires, air quality advisories, and heat warnings, climate change has everyone on the hot seat. Consequently, there is a rising societal pressure for individuals to practice conscious consumerism by making personal lifestyle changes. “Conscious consumption is an umbrella term that simply means engaging in the economy with more awareness of how your consumption impacts society at large.” The main idea here is shopping sustainably can help preserve the environment,

assuming companies uphold their end of the deal (which is seldom the case). Some may argue that social pressure can be effective to some degree in forcing companies to change their environmentally unethical ways. Supply and demand, right, Telfer? However, more often than not, companies opt for greenwashing tokenism to garner societal appeal in lieu of creating meaningful systemic change. Consider some of your favourite stores in the Rideau Centre, like H&M. On Jan. 25, 2017, H&M launched a campaign titled “H&M conscious: bring it on,” where they stated, “H&M wants to close the loop on fashion by giving customers an easy solution to hand in unwanted garments so they can be

reused or recycled through H&M’s garment collecting initiative.” The process they are referring to is known as textile recycling. On Feb. 27, 2018, The Journal for Textile Recycling published a review titled Environmental Impact of Textile Reuse and Recycling stating that prior to being recycled, materials must be broken down mechanically by shredding or cutting. They can then be treated by means of mechanical, chemical, or, less frequently, thermal methods. In many cases, a combination of these three is used. Natural cotton fibers must be dissolved to their molecular levels to be respun into new fibres. According to Chetna Prajapati, who currently studies textile recycling techniques at Loughborough University, the clothes we wear are difficult to separate to be recycled effectively. Our clothes are made up of different combinations of fibres, fixtures, and accessories. They are composed of different blends of yarns, filaments, plastics, and metals. If the donated clothes can’t be recycled by H&M, what is happening to them? H&M and other retailers alike sell the donated clothes to a middleman like I:Collect, a firm handling donated clothes for H&M, Levi’s, Adidas, and Reebok. Jennifer

Gilbert, chief marketing officer for I:Collect, said in an email to the Fulcrum that “the company has collected more than 600,000 kilograms of old garments from its Canadian partners since 2013.” From there the clothes are shipped to developing countries like Kenya to be sold once again by vendors. Not recycled; not donated to those in need, but sold. Kenya is one of Canada’s biggest customers for second-hand clothes. In 2016, Canada exported more than $160 million worth of used textiles globally, with $22 million of it going to Kenya. Once the clothes are received, most are low quality and are too old to re-sell. Ultimately, these clothes end up being burned in landfill sites behind the secondhand clothing markets. Once again, the handcuffs of environmental culpability are placed on the civilians, and the corporate culprits walk away from the scene of the crime scot-free. The heatwave of this summer, too, has exemplified the way corporations place culpability on civilians. In New York, individuals were asked to turn off their air conditioning to avoid power outages. Meanwhile, Times Square remained lit up with glowing billboards. New York corporations turned their backs on civilians in sweltering heat to keep their billboards aglow. British Petroleum endorsed their carbon footprint calculator, ignoring the fact that they spilled

over 200 million gallons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. This is emblematic of the way corporations displace environmental and ethical guilt on consumers. As corporations place the burden of climate culpability on consumers, it feels nearly impossible for the average person to be carbon neutral or completely ethical in their daily lives. Some make a valiant effort. They’ll try a veggie burger, ditch their morning eggs, use a bamboo toothbrush, pay an up-charge to shop locally, and stick to natural deodorant, even though they might smell mildly the first few months. “Totally normal! It’ll pass,” they promise. (IWe’re still not convinced it ever does pass.) All this effort is a drop in the bucket, and some CEO siphons the water out of that bucket to massproduce a “Mondays, right?” tshirt and sell it for $14.99. So, when you critique the individual wearing the Shein bikini or using a plastic straw, critique instead the companies too entrenched in greed to stop and smell the wildfires. Businesses exist in a world affected by climate change and they, more than anyone else, have the power to do something about it. It’s time to take responsibility. The climate crisis is not ours to bear alone: shame on us for ever believing it was.

Lady Justice. Photo: Unsplash

THEFULCRUM.CA

SCIENCE|17

FEATURES

FEATURES EDITOR AMIRA BENJAMIN

features@thefulcrum.ca

Blinding lights: RBC branch in UCU shows commercialization of campus

New RBC branch has been on campus since 2019, replacing a student lounge Amira Benjamin features editor

large portion of University of Ottawa students and faculty members have returned to what was once an isolated campus for a partial, in-person semester after spending the last academic year online. For those who’ve been at the University of Ottawa for a while, the loud frosh events, exciting sports matches, and technical difficulties on campus have brought a fresh, yet nostalgic feel to what has been, for the most part, a ghost town since March 2020. However, without needing to be astute observers, many have noticed changes on campus that have left them confused and asking questions. This is not about the shuttered-up Bento Sushi stand, or tapedoff study stools to enforce social distancing — but is instead about the pristine Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) branch occupying what was once a prime space for students to study on campus. Since students left campus an on-campus RBC branch has opened its doors on the second floor of the Jock Turcot University Centre, occupying most of the space that was once held by the 24/7 student lounge. The sudden change has shocked students, who already have limited study spots on campus due to social distancing requirements. Louise Summers, RBC’s regional vice president, says the U of O location was selected as a part of the bank’s ‘On Campus’ initiative designed to connect with and support students on campuses across Canada. “This is our third year on campus and our goal is to be there for students on their journey,” said Summers in an interview. “We strive to be a trusted partner through students’ academic journeys, and our goal is to provide wellness solutions and linking students to strong support systems and connections.” Katrina is a third-year international development student who is one of many who aren’t fond of or familiar with the new RBC branch on-campus. “It isn’t necessarily a good use of space [considering that it doesn’t have any banking features],” said Katrina, whose real name is not being used due to privacy concerns. “I think the university could have eas-

ily replicated a financial planning service themselves if that was their intended goal, instead of an additional income stream.” “I feel like there’s definitely a better place to do that,” said first-year linguistics student Quanah Traviss. “I don’t think opening a bank on campus is a horrible idea because I need to be able to go and access [banking services]. But I feel like, in the Student Lounge, there’s definitely more spaces they have available where they could have done that, in my opinion.” However, RBC’s presence is not unfamiliar to the University of Ottawa community, as the bank donated $400,000 to the university last March. There have also been several workshops and events sponsored by the bank, much of which are held by Campus Vibez uOttawa, the university’s club management service. An example of this could be observed at Saturday’s rugby games, as RBC operated a stand on the sidelines at Matt Anthony Field. When asked, the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) did not distinctly condemn the University’s decision to lease out the student lounge to RBC, but were disappointed they weren’t consulted; they believe a co-governance model for the University Centre should be reintroduced, as was the case with the former student union, Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO). “We encourage the University of Ottawa to work hand-in-hand with the UOSU in the future for these decisions, especially as the student union played a key role in building the University Centre several decades ago,” said UOSU president Tim Gulliver in an interview.

ing some moral stances on issues. It is past the point of it being morally acceptable to be supporting banks [and] companies that are fueling the climate crisis.” Students who are not actively involved in the divestment movement were also concerned with the university’s association with RBC. Erika, a first-year Master’s student at the U of O, whose identity is not being disclosed for fear of reprisal, spoke about how institutions like universities often say the right things but act in a way that isn’t representative of those words. “You see that everywhere around the world, [institutions] preach about being more green, but behind the scenes, it’s never that way. So is it surprising? No. Is it expected? Am I disappointed? No, because I kind of Bank donated $400,000 to the university last March. Photo: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum expected that this would hap“We have proven to be a con- ered at Place Ville-Marie to “ pen.” First-year student Ève Tremstructive and reliable partner bring awareness to RBC’s subto make the right decisions for stantial funding of Enbridge’s blay, when asked about the unistudents and protect student Line 3 pipeline in Mní Sóta Ma- versity’s association may have spaces, and we are disappointed koce, or what is currently Min- on the student’s ambitions. “If the university wants to that the University did not con- nesota.” foster bright futures, I feel like sult us on this decision.” According to the university, In response, Summer said that maybe they should keep that when it comes to “new loca- the transition to net zero must in mind when they make those tions on campus, faculties and/ be done in an inclusive manner kinds of decisions,” she said. The presence of the RBC or services [were] included in that emcompasses all sectors branch on-campus not only the consultation process.” and communities of society. The university was not pre“We need to strive for com- misaligns with the university’s cise on who exactly was con- petitiveness and sustainabil- environmentally-conscious amsulted for the RBC branch and ity while not leaving some seg- bitions, but sets a dangerous has yet to respond to the Ful- ments of the economy in our precedent when it comes to crum’s specific questions on communities behind or we won’t the blatant erasure of student the branch. achieve the support we need to spaces and priorities. The 24/7 However, as the university meet [these] goals,” said Sum- student lounge was one of only a handful of areas where stuadvocates for sustainable and mer in an interview. environmentally conscious iniClimate Justice Ottawa, an dents could study on campus tiatives — such as aiming to be on-campus club dedicated to day and night. “We used to have a spot carbon-free by 2040 — partner- climate justice and environmening with RBC doesn’t exactly tal activism, said in a statement where students could study late seem to line up with their green that of the five ‘big banks’ in at night and dining hall employambitions. the country, RBC is the great- ees could take their breaks, and now this space looks like it’s According to a report titled est funder of fossil fuels. Banking on Climate Chaos 2021, “The presence of RBC on our barely even going to be used,” which was published by a coali- campus to me demonstrates Stuart continued. “You’re going to have one tion of seven climate advocacy how a university can be at once organizations, RBC lent $163 a place of great innovation while person from RBC there enticbillion USD to the fossil fuel in- also an agent that reinforces ing a couple of students to talk dustry between 2016 and 2020. the status quo,” said Mary Stu- with them for a few moments, In a CBC article from March, art, co-founder of the club, in but it’s definitely a loss of a study space [so] a company can RBC reaffirmed its commitment an interview. to net zero emissions, including “To me, it is completely con- advertise themselves.” Summers says RBC has a promise of $500 billion in sus- tradictory for an institution tainable finance by 2025. committed to achieving car- signed a multi-year lease RBC has faced criticism for bon neutrality by 2040 to have agreement with the university, its investment in fossil fuel this relationship with one of so for the next few years, the projects from activists and poli- Canada’s largest climate chaos Jock-Turcot branch is there to stay and serve U of O students. ticians around the country. funders.” On September 1st, OttawaStuart went on to say that But the commercialization of Centre Green Party candidate while RBC’s presence may fi- the campus remains present, Angela Keller-Herzog said in nancially support the Univer- yet discreet — and extends to a press release that RBC is sity’s endeavours due to lack of campuses across the country. “Canada’s biggest fossil fuel provincial funding, the move is So when the administration investor” and subsequently counterintuitive to their divest- strays from its goals, students must not be shy to boldly reclosed her campaign’s account ment goals. with the bank. “I think given the state of mind them, and to hold them In late August, the McGill the climate crisis [alongside] accountable for their promises. Daily, the Montreal university’s universities as these innova-With files from Charley Dustudent paper, covered a pro- tive institutions, it is important test in which protesters gath- for [the university] to be tak- til

FEATURES|18

THEFULCRUM.CA

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR SANJIDA RASHID

opinions@thefulcrum.ca

Lights, Camera, Action: the Performance of Activism People fail to realize advocacy as as a choice is a privelege Sanjida Rashid opinions editor

table, pass the mic, and shine the spotlight on the otherwise silenced? Sure.

hroughout my childhood, I accepted certain things as universal truths.

Of course, it would be nice, too, if they took the time to do some of their own research and not leave it in the hands of a nineyear-old.

One: the television schedule never changes. I can count on the fact that, after a long day of learning whatever fourth graders learn about (fractions? The American Dream? Dodgeball?), I can hop off the bus, race down the street, and land soundly on my couch before 3 p.m., just in time to catch what Phineas and Ferb are up to.

Thus, like clockwork, when anything about racialized identities is brought up, all around eyes snap to me, making an unwitting advocate of me. Only, growing up, I was a kid just like them. I didn’t have time to figure it all out.

Two: dinner definitely includes rice. Growing up in a first-generation immigrant home, my parents’ biggest fear was I’d wake up one day, forget Bengali, and become their totally Western daughter. I’d demand a pair of Ugg boots and start calling them by their first name. They wouldn’t know what to do with me. It was my mother’s hopeful belief that rice would renew my South Asian subscription for the next 24 hours. Three: any time Asia is mentioned, no matter the room, every head will turn in my direction. I, with only seven months of living in Bangladesh and two South Asian friends under my belt, will be called on to speak on whatever issue is relevant. I like to call it a workplace hazard of being one of the only brown kids in just about every room I’ve occupied in beautiful Thunder Bay, Ontario. Thus, I began my lifelong social justice journey without much say in it at all. What people fail to realize is that advocacy as a choice is a privilege. Like myself, most members of minorities are forced into it. Perhaps teachers are well-meaning when they do it, or maybe my peers wanted to give me a chance to speak—that’s what they’re supposed to do, right? Make room at the

Even so, there is a feeling of urgency shared by immigrants, racialized groups, and members of minorities as a whole, to figure this all out. It seemed I’d have to give up a couple of 3 p.m. Phineas and Ferb viewings to learn what I had to do as a racialized fourth grader (which way to pronounce your own name? The history of colonization? What to answer with when asked where you’re from?). After all, in this classroom of 23, you’ve been given a microphone for millions. In suburbia, I was most people’s first diverse encounter. Consequently, I was many people’s guinea pig to mess up. Fortunately for them and unfortunately for me, the patience of young migrant and minority children is unprecedented. So, I would bite my tongue. As a young person of colour, there is a fourth truth: social justice is a waiting game.

“The other kids didn’t know better,” and “they’ll learn when they’re older,”we’d be comforted. You’re asked to be the bigger person when you’re barely four feet tall. (I’ll have you know, however,

that by Bengali standards— I am the bigger person. At a whopping 1.71 metres, I currently stand 19 centimetres above the national female average. Hold for applause.) Even so, it sure is hard to be the bigger person when you’re made to feel so small. So, I played the waiting game. Turns out, it’s true: they do learn when they’re older—kind of. The same people who questioned why I’d gotten an award at the Catholic school I should’ve never been enrolled in, said my name sounded like a taco, and made Islamophobic comments sitting next to me in an eighthgrade classroom, would go on to post black squares, colourful infographics on their stories, and send their thoughts and prayers. There was once a time when another universal truth was that I could open Instagram and find latte art, pictures of dogs, and an Instagram post that was a screenshot of a tweet that was originally a Tumblr post. Now, the platform is saturated with infographics that almost act as badges— I’m a good person, believe me! And many of them are. But many of them post and then turn a blind eye to their racist family members. Such is the performance of activism. Who am I to judge, though, right? Anyhow, I should be happy for them, right? They made it out the other side. Good for them. Great! Wonderful. It’s just hard not to be frustrated. Once again, it feels like I’m on the playground being asked to be the bigger person. Don’t get me wrong—anyone who has truly recognized their past digressions, made amends, and actively chooses advocacy now, I respect greatly. It’s incredibly respectable to be able to recognize your mistakes and grow, or to reject the ideologies that you may have been taught growing up—hey, other cultures may have universal truths, too. However, I do

Image: Instagram/FreeStocks.

take issue with those who wear Social Justice Warrior as an accessory they can adorn as is convenient to them. This is where we differ: the audacity of choice and the inequality of apathy.

One may say ignorance is bliss, but I argue ignorance is a privilege, as is apathy. It is such a privilege for social injustice to be objective or impersonal. It does not feel impersonal when in London, Ontario, a Muslim Pakistani family of four’s nine-year-old son went on a walk with his parents and teenage sister, only to be left orphaned as a result of a terrorist attack. It does not feel impersonal when my own nine-year-old brother, who often takes walks with our parents and his teenage sisters, is sobered by the fact that this sounds an awful lot like him. How can it feel impersonal when I have to comfort him and say that this was a fluke, a one-time occurrence and that he will be fine? It isn’t an objective event when my mom warns him to be less forthcoming with his Muslim identity, even while she adorns a hijab. It isn’t easy to feel detached when you are so intrinsically, irrevocably attached. But racism isn’t a onetime thing, nor is it a dark, closed chapter in Canadian history. It’s the whole his-

THEFULCRUM.CA

tory. Right now, as Canada financially supports Israel and, thus, supports the genocide of Palestinians, it continues. As Indigenous people are left without clean drinking water, it continues. As Canada Day came and went, and with it the parties and adorning of red and white, I saw it again. Advocacy only when it’s convenient, easily digestible, and doesn’t disrupt the routine. As Indigenous peoples called for a cease-fire on fireworks, an exchange of red and white for orange, and mourning instead of celebrating genocide, people traded their usual pastel infographics for images of red solo cups, red and white apparel, and apathy. Why isn’t Orange T-Shirt day enough? Why isn’t Indigenous Peoples’ day enough? Why ruin their day off with uncomfortable culpability? Why can’t they wear red and white and light a few fireworks? Because white were the settlers who stole this land. Because red was the blood they spilled as they tried to ‘take the Indian out of the child’. Because the booming of fireworks drowns out the voices of Indigenous people begging, pleading, demanding justice. Because as some Canadians celebrate 154 years, Indigenous people are more focused on a different set of numbers. 215, 751, 1,300 Indigenous bodies found—and counting. Because while some are celebrating, others are

mourning. Because they shouldn’t have to be the bigger peoples while facing genocide and generational trauma. Now, when it is most important, we should be making room at the table, passing the microphone to those with the capacity and willingness to speak, guiding the spotlight towards the otherwise silenced.

Listen now, support now, be consistent with your advocacy now—not when it is convenient and comfortable. So, if you’re on your journey to social justice, I implore you to not wear a badge of advocacy, easily removed as you pleased. Please don’t abandon the cause as you sit at the dinner table with your “oldfashioned” aunt. Because I can’t change my skin colour when she side-eyes me at Walmart the next day. Please don’t take off your badge as you let your friends agree to disagree about fundamental human rights, because my mom won’t take off her hijab when they make comments about her in public later. Please be the change you claim to wish to see. I ask that you tattoo your alliance with advocacy and denounce the inequality of apathy and the performativity of activism.

OPINIONS|19

I’m still alive: So that’s how my life’s going Charley Dutil

editor-in-chief

Hi, it’s Charley. Not Anchal, but it’s ok, I got her blessing to revive and take over this column. By all accounts (really just my own, but probably yours too after you read this), my week has been horrible. It started on Sunday, Sept. 5. That day, I woke up around eight, and, as is tradition, grabbed some fresh Kettlemans bagels before watching the weekend’s Grand Prix. As I was munching on my bagels and listening to the sweet voice of David Croft, I started producing that week’s edition of your beloved student publication. (Sunday is called production day at the Fulcrum — it’s when we publish the majority of our articles. It’s when my managing editor Aly is sleepily editing this very piece you’re reading now.) Due to an event happening the next day (which we’ll get into in a minute), I set myself a hard deadline of 6 p.m. to publish all of the week’s articles. However, as is often the case on Sundays, I ended up blowing through that deadline and finishing around 8 p.m. In spite of the extra two hours I still couldn’t publish all of our 17 masthead’s articles. But eh! That’s life—sorry Bridget. Anyways, I hopped into my automobile, and headed to the Loblaws on Rideau, where I spent over $175 of the Fulcrum’s money on ground beef and buns — if only I had known of the new points program. So, as one does, as I was throwing the twelve or so bags of stuff I had into my car, I started thinking of all the aluminum-type things I had forgotten to buy — paper plates, aluminum foil — you get the picture. But not to worry, earlier in the day I had made an inquiry with our marketing committee, because I had realized that in order to keep the meat fresh the next day I would need coolers — duh. This being the Fulcrum, and

it being run by a bunch of broke students, no one had a cooler except our new Executive Director Ludvica, who had invited me to Orleans to go get it later that night. With that in mind, I told myself I’d go to Walmart and get the aluminum essentials after dropping the meat off and picking up the cooler. And so I did. Once back from Orleans, it was nearly 11 p.m., and I was tired, but little did I know that my roommate Natasha, as well as two newbies, had moved into my house that day. This meant I was greeted with salutations and conversations from their parents, which made it midnight by the time I put the rubber gloves on and rolled my first patty — oh yeah. I don’t buy frozen burgers, and wouldn’t serve them to my worst enemy. I made them myself. By that time, the new roommates’ parents had left, and Natasha’s were helping her unpack in her room. The only disturbances were drunk froshers — not once, not twice, but three times — mistaking our house for the frat house they were looking for down the street — Natasha made sure to tell them that we don’t have parties at our place. So I got rolling, and I was doing fine by the time the clock struck one., But then all hell broke loose. See, Natasha’s father had bought a whole load of beer from ‘la Belle Province’ for his buds back home. When he went to check on his truck, the bed was open and the beer was gone. Natasha’s father’s first reflex was to go check the frat house, where, of course, he found one of his four thirty-packs. But that would be all his luck, as he would not recover any more of his beer, despite me attempting to lend a hand with my elite inspector skills. Natasha’s parents eventually left and headed back home with their single case of beer. As for me, I washed my hands and got back to rolling patties until 3 a.m., at which point I took a

Charley had a big week. Image: Samantha Kempe/Fulcrum..

shower and went to bed. On Monday morning, I woke up to birds chirping and my everannoying iPhone alarm at 9 a.m. My first mission was to grab the Fulcrum’s chief of staff, Kate, as well as ice near Bank Street, which I accomplished. I then got to the office around 11 a.m. and started—with the help of my masthead— transporting things to the UCU Terrace for our noon barbecue. Up until now, everything was fine. Things would not stay that way. As menacing grey clouds and students started to mass over the UCU terrace, I got a call from Tim Gulliver, president of UOSU, around 11:55 a.m. “ C h a r l e y , w e ’r e struggling to find the BBQ.” Well, that’s not good, but I knew it existed. The University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) had offered to provide us with a barbecue for the event. I had seen this barbecue in pictures thanks to Ashley Wunsch in a Facebook Messenger exchange a week earlier. So I knew it existed. 12:05 p.m. Messenger call rings. It’s Tim, “Hey, so we found the barbecue, but there’s no propane tank. Don’t worry, we’ll send someone, it’lltake 20-30 minutes.” Ok, so this is a minor inconvenience, but no worries. We tell students the BBQ is delayed, and they all get it. 12:15 p.m. Ring, ring. It’s Tim.

“Hey, so no one here has a car, can you guys go buy a propane tank? I called Canadian Tire, they’re open.” (Keep in mind this was Labour Day.) I tell him, yeah I do, and so, kinda mad, I head back to the Fulcrum office and hop in my Kia. On my walk, I make a pleasant phone call to Aly, the Fulcrum’s managing editor and my de facto therapist, and vent (Fulcrum managing editors are used to this sort of call, and the venting goes both ways. Also hi, Emily, I know you’re reading this (and that you can spot where Aly added extra commas)). Anyhow, I head onto the highway, get to Canadian Tire, and wouldn’t you have it, it’s closed. I call Tim and tell him I’m postponing the BBQ. I call my social media manager and tell her to let our readers know. Anyways, I head home and I take the wrong exit, ending up heading east instead of west. It starts torrentially downpouring. I enter the highway. My car spins into the wall. Ouch. The good news is: my trunk was the point of impact with the wall. I’m ok, just a little bit shaken — had it been the front of my car, this piece would probably be an obituary. So I call the dispatcher. The towing company and cops show up. Yadda yadda. The car is totalled, and that sucks, because, as everyone knows, I loved and cherished my Kia. I get a ride home. I get to my house, and sitting on the

porch is all of the Fulcrum’s editorial board that made it to the barbecue: Amira, Bridget, Damian, Hailey, Sanjida, and Kate, who is technically on the Board of Directors, but who cares. Anyway, the reason I’m naming all these beautiful people is because this incident made me realize how much our week-old editorial board cares about me, and each other, and that nearly made me melt to tears. Anyhow: later that day my parents and my sister drove up from Montreal to see me, and they brought me to East Side Mario’s and then grocery shopping, chirping me along the way. So that was my Monday. Now, moving on to Tuesday. I gave the reigns of the Fulcrum on Tuesday to Aly to give myself a break. Production for us usually starts on Friday, and it’s a grueling three days where we barely get any sleep. So, on Tuesday, I go to sleep in, which was nice. I was awoken by my father who told me insurance had secured a rental car for me at the Enterprise on Catherine St. — which was frankly a relief since, I got now, once again, got to drive to Dairy Queen when I wanted, which is often — Blizzards do be addictive. Anyways, since this is my week from hell, I pay $20 or so for an Uber to the Catherine St. Enterprise, just to get there and realise that it has closed and that it’s now an arts gallery.

OPINIONS|20

Fuck. I call my dad. He calls the car rental people. They tell him there’s a car for me at the Youville St. location in Orleans. I take a $36 Uber to that Enterprise just to be told upon arrival they also don’t have a vehicle available for me — calisse. But, the guy at the Enterprise, bless his soul, calls the South Orleans location, which does have a car for me. I take a $12 Uber to South Orleans, and finally I get a rental. I drive home. I try not to take the highw—, I’m at this point scared of highways, but about 20 minutes into my drive I get frustrated enough to forget my fear and take the 417 home. I take back the reigns of the Fulcrum Tuesday night, host our edboard meeting, and another production cycle starts: oh brother. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are pretty uneventful — thank the lord — also, yeah, sorry, this article is getting long for poor Aly to edit (note from Aly: yes, but, dear readers of the Fulcrum, rest assured, I am laughing my ass off at 2 a.m. on Monday morning editing this as Charley writes). Oh yeah, one thing: sources aren’t getting back to my staff writers, which sucks. On Saturday, we finally host the barbecue. The first hour is rough. Amira and I struggle to get heat in the rented BBQ, but we mostly get through it without problem. But of course, as luck would have it, I burn my hand with grease. It hurts. It’s not the end of the world. In the evening, I cover the Gee-Gees men’s rugby game. It’s a massacre, but for some reason, I keep getting into arguments. It is what it is. Sunday rolls around, and here I am at 2 a.m. writing this piece, with Aly editing my every word so we can finish this damn PDF. (Aly: PREACH.) Yeah. So this is how my life’s going. But at least I’m still alive. Cheers!

THEFULCRUM.CA

T O M AT

MANAGING EDITOR

ALY MURPHY content@thfulcrum.ca

Frosh’s ‘Wet Run’ in Rideau Canal Gets Shut Down Amira Benjamin features editor

he group advertised it as a ‘rave on the canal’.

A Recognized Student Government (RSG) status has been suspended following an illegal frosh activity involving 101-ers racing on the Rideau Canal. The Hydrology Student Association (HSA) led first-year students to the Rideau Canal on Tuesday evening for a literal wet run, titled Wet n’ Wild. Grapelle Hooke, a fourth-year hydrology student and frosh leader, explained in an interview that it’s been a long-standing tradition for the student association long

before it became a frosh event. “We often say ‘if you can’t get wet, try, try again’ within our faculty,” said Hooke. Hooke went on to further clarify that the five-kilometre race often occurs at the end of the winter semester, right before finals, but the frosh leaders wished to involve 101-ers right off the boat this year. “The top three winners get season passes to Calypso waterpark as well as a lifetime supply of unwarranted seaweed.” Divine Boarde, a first-year student, nearly won the race before the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) appeared at the finish line ready to shut down the operation. “I think it’s super unfair,” said Boarde, who was granted an honorary win. “If we get lead poisoning from the water, that’s on us who signed the waiver.”

The top three winners were promised a lifetime supply of unwarranted seaweed. Image: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum.

U of O fresh trespassing after mix-up in Ottawa, Kansas

“They should really change their name. We had it first,” said first-year student Scott Micheal Man.”

Zoë Mason news editor

According to eyewitnesses, the Michael family then began to pass all manner of home goods, small appliances, and school supplies up to Scott on the second floor.

ansas police arrested a University of Ottawa freshman on Thursday when he was caught trespassing on the campus of Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. Scott Michael, the student in question, is entering his first year in finance at the Telfer School of Management at the U of O. The incident began when a GPS system error navigated the Michael family from their home in Brampton, Ont to the Kansas town, rather than Canada’s capital. “The first red flag came when my key didn’t work,” Michael told the Tomato. “That’s

THEFULCRUM.CA

“We just wanted to make sure he had everything he needed,” said mother Sandra Michael, when asked about the volume of items which was passed to Michael. “He’s never lived away from home before. You never know when you might need a blowtorch!”

As opposed to Scott Micheal, these first years made it to uOttawa and not Ottawa U. Image: Hailey Otten/Fulcrum

when it should have clicked— or, scratch that, the border crossing. That was the first red flag.”

“I saw a room marked ‘90,’ so I thought it was in there,” said Michael.

Instead, Michael proceeded to search for the 90U residence on the OttawaU campus.

The room was, in fact, a typical classroom. When he could not enter the building through

its doors, Michael began to scale the building.

Rooney told the Tomato that Ottawa University intends to drop the charges against the Michael family, conditional upon a mandatory geography class for the family.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Edward Rooney, dean of OttawaU. “It’s a sheer brick wall, and this kid was scrambling up it like Spider-

TOMATO|21

Dear Di Dear Di, I’m a second-year University of Ottawa student moving to the city for the first time. I’m staying in a Sandy Hill house with four roommates who I’ve never met in person before. A couple of days ago, I matched with a cutie on Tinder and I’d like to know how long I should wait before I invite them over for an evening filled with earth-shattering lovemaking? –Down Bad for Cutie

MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR HAILEY OTTEN multimedia@thefulcrum.ca

Dear Di, Last week, I started my post-secondary journey by making the trip from Oakville to Ottawa. After moving into the 90U residence, I became friends with this guy I met in the dining hall who lives in Thompson residence. Anyways, one thing led to another, and we ended up going back to his room, where I showed off my Oakville WAP. The problem is it’s now been two days and I think I might have chlamydia. Di, please help! – Rich Oakville Girl

Hey DBC, As a happily married thirty-something-year-old woman, I have not had a roommate since my youth. So I’ve invited Fulcrum editors to share how they would react and approach your situation.

Dear ROG, The good news is: chlamydia is highly treatable, so it’s good you caught it early. Your Oakville WAP is going to be just fine (and you’ll probably be better by Reading Week).

Charley (Editor-in-Chief): I think it depends on who your roommates are. If they are a little prudish and at odds with the concept of sex, maybe wait a couple of weeks, and when you believe the time is right sneak in your hookup into the apartment in the wee hours of the morning.

You should definitely go to a doctor or clinic and get checked out (though you can’t do that as a walk-in patient on the U of O campus anymore).

You’d much rather answer awkward questions in the morning after you’ve driven your hookup home than when they walk into your apartment with you at night.

If you do have chlamydia, you and Dining Hall Guy should both see a doctor for antibiotics.

If your roomies are chill, then honestly, you could bring your hookup home on the first night. This should not cause any problems, and usually, your other roommates will see this as socially acceptable in your apartment and will know it’s ok with you if they do the same. Amira (Features Editor): Honestly, as embarrassing and awkward as it might be, just ask them. Assuming you’re all the same age, they’re probably fine with hookups coming over, but again, it depends on who your roommates are. I’d also suggest a couple weeks, especially since you’ve never met each other before and you’re all still getting used to each other and your new environments. There’s plenty of fish in the sea, so if this one doesn’t work out for you, there will be more. Aly (Managing Editor): It depends what floor your apartment’s on. It can be really fun to sneak over an illicit hookup — take it from me! If you’re on the first floor or a basement, just crack a window and drag ‘em in. If not, get creative — borrow a ladder to “change a lightbulb.” You’ll figure something out.

if GTA

It is very important you inform Dining Hall Guy, as well as any of your sexual partners from the past year, of your diagnosis, as chlamydia can often be asymptomatic. The STI can cause infertility, PID, and arthritis — it’s treatable, but only you don’t ignore it. Pulling a move like that is what gives the such a bad rap.

You got this, ROG. Next time you’re feeling frisky in Thompson, use protection, or, better yet, just avoid Thompson at all costs. Maybe try finding your next hookup in the Annex? Love, Di

DEAR DI|22

THEFULCRUM.CA